Tennessee Gov. Lee’s 2nd term inauguration set for Jan. 21

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The inauguration for Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s second term is set later this month.

The Republican’s office says he will take the oath of office on Jan. 21 at Legislative Plaza in Nashville in a joint convention of the state House and Senate.

The inaugural weekend will be themed “Tennessee: Leading the Nation” and will include other events.

There will be a reception on the evening of Jan. 20 at the Wildhorse Saloon, followed on Jan. 21 by a morning worship service at the Ryman Auditorium and the inaugural ceremony later that morning. Those events are free and open to the public, with registration required.

The first couple’s inaugural dinner at the Grand Hyatt and the inaugural ball at The Fisher Center will follow the inauguration. They require paid tickets.

Registrations, event details and tickets are available on an inaugural website.

UT Commission for Blacks marking 50th anniversary

KNOXVILLE (AP) — This January, the Commission for Blacks at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville celebrates its 50th anniversary. Chancellor Archie Dykes initially formed the group in 1973 as the Task Force on Blacks, made up of faculty, staff, and 12 students.

“The overall goal, to me, was really for the campus to be welcoming to Black (people),” said Maxine Davis. She served on the Commission and championed student success as the assistant vice chancellor for student life and the first female and African American Dean of Students during her 35-year tenure at UT.

It was a critical group formed at a crucial time: the first Black student at UT was Gene Mitchell Gray in 1952, the first Black undergraduate student was Theotis Robinson Jr. in 1961 and the first Black administrator joined UT in the 1970s. The group was the eyes and ears of the Chancellor, providing information on what Black students, faculty and staff were experiencing on campus.

Today, that goal is still the same.

“I feel like the needs are still the same as far as continuing to ensure the visibility of Black faculty, staff and students on campus, that they have a place where they feel like they matter and belong, that we’re still pushing, promoting, implementing, executing and evaluating policies and procedures that impact certain groups,” Commission for Blacks chair JaNay’ Turner said.

When Davis first joined the university, UT looked different than it does now. There were fewer Black students and staff compared to the campus population than there are today. Even though various campus groups advocated for Black experiences on campus − there was a Black faculty and staff committee and Minority Student Affairs group − neither had a direct line to the Chancellor.