In our first episode of Speak Up for Equity, a new podcast from the Tennessee Diversity Consortium, Ashford Hughes shares his efforts to create a more equitable environment for students as Executive Officer for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Metro Nashville Public Schools. He also explains how understanding Nashville’s history can help us create a roadmap for addressing inequity today.

Empowering Nashville’s Students to Succeed with Ashford Hughes

Equity is about eliminating difference-based (race, gender, etc.) outcome gaps so that these differences do not predict one's success. Join Tennessee Diversity Consortium Executive Director, Robert Wilson, as we elevate model practices for improving equity within Middle TN.

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 Cornelius Brownlee is the Executive Director of Equity and Inclusion at Tennessee State University, and believes in the importance of sustaining Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Although he did not attend an HBCU, he explains how important they are in creating safe spaces to foster a sense of empowerment and opportunity for those who feel different. In this episode, Brownlee debunks some of the misconceptions of HBCUs, and explains how and why they play such an essential role both in the Black community and the institutional educational space as a whole.

The History and Heart behind HBCUs with Cornelius Brownlee

 Jeff McGruder  is the Chief Relationship Officer for Citizens Savings Bank and Trust Company, the oldest continuously operating minority owned and operated bank in the U.S. He is a Nashville native, and believes in the importance of communities supporting local banks. In this episode, McGruder touches on the history of Citizens Bank and the broader widespread discrimination in banking, and goes on to emphasize how local banks need support and what action steps are necessary towards that end.

Why Local Banks Thrive off Community with Jeff McGruder

 John Graves  is chair of the Rainbow PUSH Automotive Project and the Citizenship Education Fund. He worked alongside Reverend Jesse Jackson, a well known civil rights activist, Baptist minister, and politician who was a two time presidential nomination and served as a U.S. shadow senator. Graves has been around famous civil rights leaders from a young age, and it is what set him on the trajectory to dedicate his life to the cause. In this episode, Chairman Graves discusses how his work with Reverend Jesse Jackson has changed his life, and how the work he is doing today with Rainbow PUSH plays a role in dismantling institutional racism.

A Lifelong Fight Against Racism with John Graves

 Stephanie Battaglino  is the founder of Follow Your Heart, LLC and is an internationally recognized author, speaker, and facilitator of conversations surrounding LGBTQ inclusion in the workspace, specifically among transgender and non-conforming individuals. She has over 40 years of experience in corporate America, and her story sheds light on the nuances surrounding bias and inclusion in these spaces. Stephanie explains how both workplaces and individuals can work together with grace and understanding towards a more accepting environment for all people.

Making Corporate America a Safer Space with Stephanie Battaglino

 As the Director for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Michigan,  Amanda McLittle  passionately believes in cultivating spaces that educate and welcome all people to learn more about the struggles and joys of marginalized groups. Amanda describes how the renovation of the multicultural lounges at the university are helping to create belonging for the people it represents and an opportunity to learn for everyone. This episode features how the University of Michigan is incorporating DEI, drawing from the history of both Amanda’s life and the University that gives great context for the work being done today.

Empowering Nashville’s Students to Succeed with Ashford Hughes

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