Graves to Keynote at ABC’s Nannie Helen Burroughs Scholarship Luncheon

February 27, 2020

NASHVILLE, TN — Professor Kelisha B. Graves will be the keynote speaker at the Nannie Helen Burroughs Scholarship Luncheon. Graves recently published her book entitled, Nannie Helen Burroughs: A Documentary Portrait of an Early Civil Rights Pioneer, 1900-1959 was published by the University of Notre Dame Press in May 2019. She has authored/co-authored works in the fields of education, African American history, and philosophy.

Graves, a scholar and researcher, is an Adjunct Instructor and Retention Coordinator at Fayetteville State University, also serves as Coordinator of the University Honors Program and Program Coordinator for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Fleischer HBCU Scholars Program at FSU. She is a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education.

The Nannie Helen Burroughs Scholarship Luncheon will be held Wednesday, March 18, at 11:30 a.m. at the Baptist World Center, 1700 Baptist World Center Drive. This event, a part of the Garrett/Nabrit Lecture Series, celebrates the accomplishments and innovative nature of Nannie Helen Burroughs in the spirit of 21st century Nashville women and is the Signature Event at American Baptist College in recognition of Women’s History Month. Tickets are $35 each and sponsorships are available.

Nannie Helen Burroughs, born in 1879, was one of our nation’s trailblazers. This African-American leader and agent of change was an orator, innovator, civil and women’s rights activist, and educator. Her speech at the National Baptist Convention in 1900, “How the Sisters Are Hindered from Helping,” sparked the convention and was the seed of the establishment of the National Baptist Convention’s Women’s Auxiliary. In 1909, she founded the National Training School for Women and Girls in Washington, DC, and continued her pivotal work there until her death in 1961.

Frankie Henry
The 2020 Honorees are: Civil Rights Activist Mrs. Frankie Henry, Philanthropist & Community Activist; Mrs. Rosetta Miller Perry, Trailblazer; Attorney C. Dean Deaner, business leader and board member; Mrs. Latrisha Jemison, orator and ABC Alumna; and Rev. Tamika Robinson.

Mrs. Brenda Wynn, Davidson County Clerk, will serve as the emcee for the event.

For more information about the Scholarship Luncheon or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Dr. Phyllis Qualls at 615-687-6921 or pqualls@abcnash.edu. You may also go to Eventbrite to purchase tickets.

Source: The Tennessee Tribune

Related News

From scholarship support to storytelling: Christian Barksdale’s Thurgood Marshall College Fund journey

What began as a search for scholarship support became something much larger for Christian Barksdale. Through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), he found opportunities that expanded his perspective, strengthened his confidence and inspired him to tell stories of resilience. Barksdale, a December 2025 graduate of Mississippi Valley State University, first connected with TMCF after […]

Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s DevCon converges on Houston in July

Top-tier early talent students from the nation’s public historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and predominantly Black institutions (PBIs) will descend on Houston July 8-11 for DevCon, a regional professional development conference hosted by TMCF.  Designed for first- and second-year students representing public and private HBCUs and PBIs, the upcoming three-and-a-half-day conference offers a deep […]

Finding purpose through opportunity: Kennedy Blue Washington’s Thurgood Marshall College Fund journey

When Kennedy Blue Washington, a rising senior at Spelman College, attended her first Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) event, she expected to learn, network and gain professional experience. What she found was a supportive community, new opportunities and a renewed confidence in her ability to achieve her goals. Washington attended TMCF DevCon in 2024, an […]