By Vanessa Romo WASHINGTON, DC — Civil rights giant and former U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who spent decades fighting for racial justice, will be honored with a postage stamp next year.
In a recent announcement, the U.S. Postal Service said the stamp “celebrates the life and legacy” of the leader from Georgia, who risked his life protesting against segregation and other injustices in the violent Jim Crow-era South.
“Lewis spent more than 30 years in Congress steadfastly defending and building on key civil rights gains that he had helped achieve in the 1960s. Even in the face of hatred and violence, as well as some 45 arrests, Lewis remained resolute in his commitment to what he liked to call ‘good trouble,’” USPS said in a news release.
In March of 1965, then-25-year-old Lewis led a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery alongside other civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. The peaceful protest calling for equal voting rights came to be known as “Bloody Sunday” after Alabama State Troopers descended on the non-violent demonstrators in a brutal attack that left Lewis with a cracked skull.
His public service career spanned nearly 60 years. As a young student he joined lunch-counter protests; later, he became a member of the Freedom Riders; and at 21, he was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington. After serving on the Atlanta City Council, Lewis was elected to Congress where he spent more than 30 years representing the Atlanta area in the House of Representatives.
He died at age 80 in 2020 after suffering from advanced-stage pancreatic cancer.
USPS said the stamp features a portrait of Lewis taken by Marco Grob for Time magazine.
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), a HBCU (Historically Black College and University), my alma mater, was in the headlines recently, and not for all the right reasons.
But first, what do the following people have in common with yours truly? Pro basketball superstars Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, the Phoenix Sun’s Chris Paul, and TV sports announcer Stephen A. Smith?
The answer? Although I’m separated from them by millions of bucks, we all graduated from WSSU.
Now while on the subject of WSSU, tack on the name of one of its current students, Lellia Hamoud, the protagonist in a recent bruhaha at WSSU who ended up hand-cuffed and forcibly removed from a classroom by a white policeman after a disagreement with a white professor. The video evoked national outrage.
But to cast that incident into a broader racial context, consider this: According to November FBI statistics, more than 57 HBCU schools have received bomb threats this year. I repeat, 57 institutions…this year alone. Among those well-known universities are Tuskegee, Howard, Morehouse, Spelman as well as the lesser known. (Doubtful readers should go to Google to see the entire list of those schools).
Now to be fair, predominately white, and faith-based institutions have received bomb threats as well but for reasons other than race.
To broaden the perspective of what’s going on these days it was not that long ago when a busload of female athletes from Shaw University, another HBCU, was stopped and searched in South Carolina on the way to an event in Georgia. Nothing illegal was found in a search of the girls’ luggage ….NOTHING!
And more recently, a white professor at Tennessee State, another HBCU school, was caught on tape leaning over and yelling “get out of my class” to a Black student.
So with all that said, I reached out to several African American graduates and parents of former or present young people now attending HBCU schools; “Wali” a Morehouse graduate with two daughters today at Spelman; “Lewis,” whose daughter graduated from North Carolina A&T State University; “Kelly,” whose daughter attended Bennett College, a son who also attended A&T, and a daughter who attended WSSU. Here’s what they told me after they watched the video:
WALI: Because of its location near the inner-city, we had to deal with crime on campus when I was at Morehouse. But if you fast forward to today, we’re dealing with an entirely different enemy, another layer of threats posed by white supremacists. The difference now, unlike back then, is that racism is at the core of what’s happening today.
LEWIS: I watched that clip of the incident and could not shake the image of my daughter being treated that way when she was at A&T. Although she had the grades to get into any school she wanted to, one of the reasons she chose a HBCU school was because we all thought she’d be safe there. Now this.
KELLY: Sickening. I live in Winston-Salem not far from WSSU. I feel betrayed by what I saw on that video and feel that the situation could have been handled differently. It was no worse than a home invasion because for many students the HBCU is their home away from home. Can you imagine the pain her parents, the ones who worked hard to pay her tuition, felt watching their daughter being humiliated that way?
WALI: As Black fathers, we dread one day receiving a terrifying call about something bad that happened on campus to one of our kids. One of the main reasons HBCU schools have drawn so much recent interest from talented African American students, some of whom were accepted by elite Ivy League schools, was to avoid mostly white schools where they are sometimes subjected to racism. You would think that HBCUs would be a refuge, but not anymore.
LEWIS: We live not far from the Howard University campus, so I was shocked to hear about the spikes in bomb threats there. And yes, I heard that they narrowed the threats as coming from a few teenagers. But if that’s true it begs the question of the culture in this country that made them behave that way. No, I’m not willing to let the culture or the parents who raised those kids off the hook.
KELLY: I believe that the incident at WSSU will have a negative impact on the school’s ability to attract Black students. Can you imagine hard-working parents having to worry not only about the physical safety of our kids but the potential for acts of hate we never thought would happen on HBCU campuses?
NOTE: The Biden administration has beefed up support for HBCUs in the aftermath of bombing threats with funds to beef up campus security measures and bomb threat training for staff and administration.
But what else could we do? I posed that question to Wali, Lewis, and Kelly.
WALI: At a minimum, I encourage parents of potential HBCU students to exercise due diligence when making college decisions. Unfortunately, since there’s the possibility that Black kids may experience hate on both predominately white and HBCU campuses, you may have to “pick your poison” in making a choice. But that’s where we are today.
LEWIS: I agree with Wali and suggest that parents should research the location of the schools and incidents of crime on the campus and nearby communities and factor those results into their decision.
A college pipeline for high school students who might not have considered a four-year university education is the goal of a new partnership between Hamilton County Schools and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Debuting in fall 2023, University High is a Hamilton County Schools initiative headquartered on the UTC campus serving students and their families at no cost to them. An initial cohort of 50 high school juniors will enroll in college-level courses taught by UTC faculty and directly supported by high school courses taught by Hamilton County School teachers.
After two years in the program, University High students will earn 14 to 20 college credit hours. Courses will prepare students for future UTC classes while meeting high school graduation requirements.
The next class of high school juniors will arrive at UTC in fall 2024, with the campus supporting 100 students at that time.
Through shared collaborations between UTC and Hamilton County Schools, the program’s cost is supported financially through grants and pooled resources between both institutions.
Admission to University High is open to all Hamilton County Schools students. Applicants will be evaluated case-by-case to help recruit and support students seeking more in-depth learning. To be considered, students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and provide two letters of recommendation.
“We are delighted University High is being launched,” said Dr. Jerold Hale, UTC provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. “This is an important partnership between Hamilton County Schools and UTC. It will help talented local students with college readiness as they complete high school while also reducing their time to college degree completion. I look forward to welcoming the students to campus and am confident they will flourish.”
University High students will have full access to all UTC student support services and engagement opportunities, including University Health Services, the UTC Library, the Center for Career and Leadership Development, the Aquatic and Recreation Center, and on-campus events.
At the same time, University High students will remain eligible to participate in extracurricular activities at their zoned high school.
University High program highlights will include:
A daily advisory structure called the ACES Lab, dedicated to advisory, college prep, experiential learning and support.
On-campus experiences via learning labs across UTC departments to build pathways toward continued higher education.
Place-based learning and internship opportunities within the community.
“University High will help us provide increased opportunities and access to students across Hamilton County, including those who have not always had a clear pathway to a four-year degree,” said Dr. Justin Robertson, superintendent of Hamilton County Schools. “With an emphasis on a personalized educational experience, University High will allow every student to help design their own personal pathway through high school classes, UTC courses, their personal projects, and internships. This allows each student to thrive in a way that can lead to their own future without limits.”
University High will be staffed by one principal, one counselor, four certified teachers and one administrative assistant—all employed by Hamilton County Schools and housed on the UTC campus.
Hamilton County Schools Director of Innovation and Fine Arts Grant Knowles and Dr. Shewanee Howard-Baptiste, UTC vice provost for academic outreach, have collaborated for over a year to coordinate this program.
“What is intentional about University High is supporting students who wouldn’t necessarily see themselves as heading towards a four-year university and attending UTC,” Knowles said. “We have a lot of prospects that will become first-generation college students or students that financially would never be able to attend a four-year institution. In some cases, there are students who have not really loved high school in the traditional sense; now, they are really excited about this opportunity.
“This is a new pipeline in attracting new students who wouldn’t have seen themselves in this role before.”
Howard-Baptiste said University High creates an opportunity to support equity in action.
“We will take into account the totality of the student: Where they come from; where they currently are; what their interests and passions are; how we can create a school program that will help them thrive,” Howard-Baptiste said. “Both organizations are committed to changing the lives of students and their families. We believe that University High has the capacity to recruit more diverse students and their families to this campus so that they feel that UTC is their first choice for higher education.
“These students will be UTC students. They will have a UTC ID and access to all the resources on our campus that help support our students. We want our University High students to feel like UTC students in every sense of the word.”
UTC leadership is finalizing office space and academic classrooms to support University High.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are typically stressful due to travel, the hustle and bustle of retail and wrapping, and the pressure of pleasing family with equal time that may be divided between parents.
The Christmas weekend this year added the extremely low temperatures that came with a never-before-used tactic in the Tennessee Valley: a rolling blackout of electricity.
According to the government-run utility’s communications and press distributed after the power interruption to the public, the demand, or electricity usage was up 35% more than last year and at an historic level of consumption due to the subzero weather coinciding with the weekend holiday when most are not working. Many utilities learned of this power interruption mere minutes before implemented creating havoc in retail stores with customers at registers attempting to checkout, with homes where seniors have medical equipment – like oxygen – that require power, and the problem of some electronics and appliances that did not resume function unless reset by the owner.
Reports of increased population to the southeast have been steady and widely published. Federal funding for expanding infrastructure has been flowing freely over the last several years for the purpose of economic stimulus to create jobs, but was available to expand, nonetheless.
Reasonable folks are also asking if the increased use of “green” energy sources while eliminating coal-powered plants at the same time that more “battery-powered” electronics and cars are in use. Oh, yeah, you guessed it, these battery-powered vehicles and devices must be recharged by, you guessed it, electricity.
Germany, known for its conversion to “green” energy, is now returning to coal, according to Bloomberg Reports. France, in contrast, recorded a decline of 12% from 2021 in electricity prices due to their use of nuclear energy. The stable source of energy provided by nuclear technology provides over 70% of France’s supply, protecting it from the geopolitical events of war and dependence upon other nations.
The Tennessee Valley Authority in its recent press used 2020 data to reveal the following sources of electricity by volume: nuclear – 42%, gas – 28%, coal – 15%, hydro generation – 12%, wind and solar – 3%. It wasn’t a white Christmas with snow, and thankfully, not a dark Christmas from power outages. But Tennessee Valley residents have understood from the blackout Christmas the critical importance for community leaders, developers, utility and transportation providers, and all who should be actively engaged in dialogue, collaboration, and strategic work to ensure the latest fads, the authentic needs, and the infrastructure for growth is sufficient, is planned to expand, and reliable.
WASHINGTON, DC — The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that Tennessee received its first “Internet for All” grants for deploying high-speed Internet networks and developing digital skills training programs under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative. Tennessee is receiving $5,989,952.62 in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed by President Biden, to plan for the deployment and adoption of affordable, equitable, and reliable high-speed Internet service throughout the state.
“I thank Governor Lee for his work to expand Internet service throughout Tennessee,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Addressing the needs of rural Tennesseans is essential to achieving digital equity and closing the digital divide.”
All 50 U.S. states and six territories applied for planning grant funding for the Internet for All initiative’s Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program and the Digital Equity Act program. Grant awards for all 56 eligible entities will be announced on a rolling basis.
About Tennessee’s Planning Grants Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program
The BEAD Program provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed Internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs.
Tennessee will receive $4,906,138.56 to fund various activities including:
• Development of a comprehensive Five-Year Action Plan identifying Tennessee’s broadband access, affordability, equity, and adoption needs;
• Research and data collection, including initial identification of unserved locations and underserved locations;
• Publications, outreach, and communications support;
• Providing technical assistance to potential subgrantees, including through workshops and events.
Digital Equity
The Digital Equity Act provides $2.75 billion to establish three grant programs to ensure that all people and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity needed to reap the full benefits of our digital economy. The first part of NTIA’s execution of the Digital Equity Act is to fund digital equity planning efforts.
Tennessee will receive $1,083,814.06 to fund various activities including:
• Closing the digital equity gap and the development of a Statewide Digital Equity Plan;
• Digital Literacy, Equity, and Adoption consulting;
• Community and stakeholder engagement, data collection and analysis, and report development and distribution.
Internet for All
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes a historic $65 billion investment to expand affordable and reliable high-speed Internet access in communities across the U.S. NTIA recently launched a series of new high-speed Internet grant programs funded by the law that will build high-speed Internet infrastructure across the country, create more low-cost high-speed Internet service options, and address the digital equity and inclusion needs in our communities.
Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward Internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Visit AffordableConnectivity.gov to learn more. For more information on the Biden-Harris Administration’s high-speed Internet service programs, please visit InternetforAll.gov.
“Dr. Bobby Lovett was a resource and financial contributor to The Mary Walker Historical & Educational Foundation. His research and writings on the history of Black Civil War Soldiers in Tennessee enabled the Foundation to share that knowledge with thousands of people over the years.” John L. Edwards, III
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Dr. Bobby Lee Lovett, award-winning author, Emeritus Professor of History and former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Tennessee State University, former member of the R.H. Boyd Board of Directors, and current member of the R.H. Boyd Family Endowment Committee.
Dr. Lovett was born in Memphis, Tennessee where he completed his public-school education at Booker T. Washington High School. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science at Arkansas AM&N State College (now known as the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff). He continued to earn his Master of Arts and Ph.D. degrees in American History at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.
A passionate educator, Dr. Lovett began his work teaching history in the Memphis Public School System (1969-1970) and at Eureka College (1970-1973). He joined Tennessee State University in 1973 as a senior professor, where he continued to teach history and African American history for 30 years until his retirement in 2010. He proudly served thousands of students as the Dean of the TSU College of Arts and Sciences for more than 10 of those years. His commitment to inspiring the next generation of leaders through knowledge was one of his many great accomplishments.
Dr. Lovett’s historical expertise led him to author over eight books on American and African American History. His most recent books A Touch of Greatness: A History of Tennessee State University, The African American History of Nashville, 1780-1930: Elites and Dilemmas and How It Came to Be: The Boyd Family’s Contribution to African American Publishing from the 19th to the 21st Century have been nationally recognized by historical institutions and universities across the country. His 2005 book, The Civil Rights Movement in Tennessee: A Narrative History, won the “Tennessee History Book Award” by the Tennessee Library Association and Tennessee Historical Commission. His research and articles have appeared in numerous documentaries, history books, encyclopedias, and scholarly journals.
Dr. Lovett was not only a pillar in the Tennessee historical community. He was also a civically engaged leader in the Nashville community throughout his life. He proudly served on the Board of Directors for many organizations including Citizens Bank, R.H. Boyd Publishing Company, the Tennessee Historical Society, the Nashville Historical Society, the Editorial Board of the Tennessee Historical Quarterly, and the Advisory Board for the Tennessee Civil War Heritage Area. Dr. Lovett was a founding member of the Planning Committee for the Nashville Conference on African American History and Culture. He also served two terms on the Editorial Board of the Arkansas Historical Quarterly.
Dr. Lovett was a faithful member to the historic First Baptist Church Capitol Hill for more than 35 years, where he served on the Board of Trustees. He was also a lifetime member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and a former member of Nashville’s Chi Boulé chapter of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity. After his retirement in 2010, he enjoyed gardening, traveling across the country lecturing, and writing history books.
Dr. Lovett held many titles and roles during his accomplished life, but his favorite role was being a father and husband. Dr. Lovett was married for over 38 years to Mrs. Lueatrice Green Lovett, a former educator in Nashville Public Schools. He was the proud father of five children: Todd, Bridget, Kenyatta, Catherine, and Leigh. His children blessed him with five beautiful grandchildren: Omari, William, Kiersten, Kyle, and Kennedy. He is also survived by his younger brother, Julian Lovett, his aunts, Annie Hill and Josephine Ivory, his uncle, George Cotton, and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.
The homegoing service for Dr. Bobby L. Lovett will be held at First Baptist Church Capitol Hill on Friday, December 30, 2022, at 12:00 pm CT. There will be visitation at the same location beginning at 11:00 am CT. The family requests guests to wear black or dark attire. Masks are required for the visitation and homegoing service.
We believe the truly stylish do not need to conform to the “normal.”
Our style is timeless and memorable
BROOKLYN, NY, December 14, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ — “I fell in love with the hand feel of a sewing technique called “hand smocking” while I was living in Italy and I wanted to use it to make shoes,” says Bryan Pettus, founder of B. Pettus: The Collection. “When I arrived back to the states, I continued to research the technique and decided to write a U.S. patent to use the technique on footwear.” We use high quality materials made with our unique hand smocking technique and combine it with modern footwear manufacturing to produce timeless designs. This decorative stitching technique gathers material to make it hang in folds. The result is an elegant pattern of soft, puffed and folded ridges that stands as a hallmark for the brand. “I also drew influence from a story I read while in Italy about an old-school opera singer who died during World War II. She died trying to retrieve her jewels from her home after leaving the safety of a bomb shelter.”
Our footwear technicians are experienced in the luxury footwear market and pride themselves on craftsmanship. For our high-quality footwear, we have chosen to use memory foam socks in all of the styles to provide personalized comfort that molds to your feet.
Other features include:
• Leather lining
• Leather outsoles
• Handmade Embroidery
B. Pettus: The Collection is currently fundraising through our Kickstarter Campaign and we are offering up to 20% off the retail price for backing our campaign until December 28, 2022. To learn more about the company, please view our Kickstarter page.
To keep making this business viable and my dream a reality, I am asking for you to support my Kickstarter campaign by placing an order for your favorite style by December 28, 2022. If you are not able to support in that way, please share on Facebook and Instagram to spread the word.
ABOUT THE FOUNDER: Detroit native, NYC-based African American designer Bryan B. Pettus has many years of real-world experience in shoe factories all over the world. He studied footwear design in Florence, Italy at Polimoda.
Bryan’s portfolio includes Steve Madden, Camuto Group, and Karl Lagerfeld, amongst many others. Bryan built a personal relationship with one of the Indian factory owners while they studied together in Florence, Italy. This special relationship with the factory owner will ensure a smooth production process for the brand during this campaign and beyond.
Tyner quarterback Josh Jackson threw for more than 2,000 yards during the regular season, and helped lead the Rams to the state title.
Tyner quarterback Josh Jackson was named the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association (TSSAA) Mr. Football Award winner for Class 2A last Wednesday.
More than 400 people, including the honorees, their families, coaches, school administrators and members of the media from all parts of the state, attended the 2022 luncheon at Nissan Stadium. The event was hosted by the Tennessee Titans.
Jackson threw for over 2,000 yards during the regular season, and helped lead the Rams to the state title.
“Blessed to be announced Mr. Football and Player of the Year,” Jackson posted on social media. “Long live my Granny. I told y’all I was coming back harder! Thanks to my teammates and my coaches for helping me get here.”
He added, “I just wanna play college football for free!”
The awards were presented to the top football players in each of the nine classifications of the TSSAA. The top kickers in the state were also recognized. There were three finalists in this category, regardless of their school’s classification.
High school head coaches and members of the media nominated the finalists. A committee of statewide sports writers selected winners based on performance in the 2022 regular season. Academics and character were also taken into consideration.
“This is such an outstanding honor for all 30 of the young men recognized today at the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards,” said Mark Reeves, executive director of the TSSAA. “They were here not only due to their athletic ability that they displayed on the field throughout the season, but just as much for their outstanding character and academic achievements.”
The Titans became sponsors of the Mr. Football Awards in 2007. “For decades, the Titans have made supporting high school and youth football programs a top priority,” said Burke Nihill, Titans president and CEO. “The athletes being honored today represent some of the most talented across the state–not only showing determination on-the-field, but also demonstrating tremendous character off-the-field. We are proud to support the Mr. Football Awards and highlight these incredible men who will be the leaders of tomorrow.”
Criminal charges against Marie Mott, rapper Cameron “C-Grimey” Williams and two other Chattanooga activists related to police brutality protests in 2020 were dismissed last Thursday.
The decision was handed down after the activists agreed to pay a $80.85 restitution to cover the cost of the custom Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office flag burned in July 2020 by the protesters in Miller Park.
“This is a lesson learned, to cooperate moving forward,” Judge Boyd Patterson told the activists during the hearing held in Hamilton County Criminal Court.
“It only took two-and-a-half years for the case to be dismissed,” said Mott, who in September ran unsuccessfully for City Council in District 8. “And before anything else gets said, rest in peace to George Floyd, rest in peace to Breonna Taylor, rest in peace to Ahmaud Arbery, rest in peace to every one of our brothers and sisters all over this world that has died at the hands of a police officer. We told y’all from the beginning, not guilty!”
Williams said, “I’d like to point out the wasted public resources that the Sheriff’s Office and the district attorney used on prosecuting this case over two years. Time of prosecutors, judges, attorneys.”
Mott and Williams led the Chattanooga Black Lives Matter protests in response to the May 25, 2020 murder of George Floyd under the knee of white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
A grand jury indicted Mott, Williams and co-defendants Cedric Josey and Grason Harvey in November 2021. The activists were first charged in July 2020. The case was turned over to Criminal Court in April of 2021.
All four activists were charged with misdemeanors for obstructing a highway and disorderly conduct. Mott and Williams were also charged with vandalism and reckless burning. The charges stem from two separate incidents in July 2020–one in which protesters allegedly blocked an emergency vehicle and another in which Mott and others burned a flag belonging to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
Mott went live on her Facebook page, admitting to burning the flag. And the group “I Can’t Breathe CHA” posted video as a story on its Instagram page showing Mott removing the flag from in front of the Hamilton County jail in downtown Chattanooga and burning it at Miller Park.
The video also shows Williams pouring an accelerant on the flag to make it ignite. “It’s hard for me to have faith in the wheels of justice, because oftentimes the tire goes flat when it is working for a Black or Brown person,” Williams said in a statement published at the time of the flag burning incident.
Harvey was relieved to have the case finally dismissed.
“Two years we stood on the business and today after TWO YEARS and protesting on behalf of black lives, CASE DISMISSED,” Harvey posted on her Facebook account. “Shoutout to my co-defendants who never folded.”
Mott thanked those in the community who supported and believed in her mission. “I want to thank every last one of the community members who understood what this was all about,” she said. “This was all political. And it’s a shame that we’ve paid so much taxpayer resources into this. All of the resources, all of the time, the energy, the back and forth that could have gone to solving problems in our community went into trying to mischaracterize young people who simply wanted to see a change in their community. That’s it.”
A college pipeline for high school students who might not have considered a four-year university education is the goal of a new partnership between Hamilton County Schools and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Debuting in fall 2023, University High is a Hamilton County Schools initiative headquartered on the UTC campus serving students and their families at no cost to them. An initial cohort of 50 high school juniors will enroll in college-level courses taught by UTC faculty and directly supported by high school courses taught by Hamilton County School teachers.
After two years in the program, University High students will earn 14 to 20 college credit hours. Courses will prepare students for future UTC classes while meeting high school graduation requirements.
The next class of high school juniors will arrive at UTC in fall 2024, with the campus supporting 100 students at that time.
Through shared collaborations between UTC and Hamilton County Schools, the program’s cost is supported financially through grants and pooled resources between both institutions.
Admission to University High is open to all Hamilton County Schools students. Applicants will be evaluated case-by-case to help recruit and support students seeking more in-depth learning. To be considered, students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and provide two letters of recommendation.
“We are delighted University High is being launched,” said Dr. Jerold Hale, UTC provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. “This is an important partnership between Hamilton County Schools and UTC. It will help talented local students with college readiness as they complete high school while also reducing their time to college degree completion. I look forward to welcoming the students to campus and am confident they will flourish.”
University High students will have full access to all UTC student support services and engagement opportunities, including University Health Services, the UTC Library, the Center for Career and Leadership Development, the Aquatic and Recreation Center, and on-campus events.
At the same time, University High students will remain eligible to participate in extracurricular activities at their zoned high school.
University High program highlights will include:
A daily advisory structure called the ACES Lab, dedicated to advisory, college prep, experiential learning and support.
On-campus experiences via learning labs across UTC departments to build pathways toward continued higher education.
Place-based learning and internship opportunities within the community.
“University High will help us provide increased opportunities and access to students across Hamilton County, including those who have not always had a clear pathway to a four-year degree,” said Dr. Justin Robertson, superintendent of Hamilton County Schools. “With an emphasis on a personalized educational experience, University High will allow every student to help design their own personal pathway through high school classes, UTC courses, their personal projects, and internships. This allows each student to thrive in a way that can lead to their own future without limits.”
University High will be staffed by one principal, one counselor, four certified teachers and one administrative assistant—all employed by Hamilton County Schools and housed on the UTC campus.
Hamilton County Schools Director of Innovation and Fine Arts Grant Knowles and Dr. Shewanee Howard-Baptiste, UTC vice provost for academic outreach, have collaborated for over a year to coordinate this program.
“What is intentional about University High is supporting students who wouldn’t necessarily see themselves as heading towards a four-year university and attending UTC,” Knowles said. “We have a lot of prospects that will become first-generation college students or students that financially would never be able to attend a four-year institution. In some cases, there are students who have not really loved high school in the traditional sense; now, they are really excited about this opportunity.
“This is a new pipeline in attracting new students who wouldn’t have seen themselves in this role before.”
Howard-Baptiste said University High creates an opportunity to support equity in action.
“We will take into account the totality of the student: Where they come from; where they currently are; what their interests and passions are; how we can create a school program that will help them thrive,” Howard-Baptiste said. “Both organizations are committed to changing the lives of students and their families. We believe that University High has the capacity to recruit more diverse students and their families to this campus so that they feel that UTC is their first choice for higher education.
“These students will be UTC students. They will have a UTC ID and access to all the resources on our campus that help support our students. We want our University High students to feel like UTC students in every sense of the word.”
UTC leadership is finalizing office space and academic classrooms to support University High.
