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Norton to address students and women achievers at Tennessee State University’s annual celebration of women

Women of Legend and Merit to be held March 15

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (February 2, 2012) – A national figure involved in the civil rights and feminist movements, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) has been a champion for equity among the poor and disenfranchised throughout her lifelong work as an attorney, educator, public servant and community activist. She will share her views and insights in her continuous fight to break barriers and open doors of opportunity during Tennessee State University’s 6^th annual Women of Legend and Merit Awards program.

The awards dinner will be held Thursday, March 15, 7 p.m. at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville. Tickets to the event are $75 per person and may be purchased online at www.tnstate.edu/womenscenter or by calling 615-963-5481.

“We are looking forward to having Congresswoman Norton share with us her experiences and vision,” said Portia Holmes Shields, TSU president. “While I’ve had the privilege of knowing her my entire life, there are many things she brings to the table that will inspire and encourage us. She, along with the outstanding accomplishments of the honorees we will highlight and celebrate, will no doubt make for an uplifting and stellar evening as the university celebrates is 100-year anniversary this year.”

Norton, now in her 11^th term as Congresswoman for the District of Columbia, is the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management. She serves on two committees: the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Before her congressional service, President Jimmy Carter appointed her to serve as the first woman to chair the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She came to Congress as a national figure who had been a civil rights and feminist leader, tenured professor of law, and board member at three Fortune 500 companies.

Norton has brought significant economic development to the District of Columbia throughout her service in Congress, creating and preserving jobs in D.C. and helping to end the city's most serious financial crisis in a century. She received her bachelor's degree from Antioch College in Ohio, and simultaneously earned her law degree and a master's degree in American Studies from

Yale University. Yale Law School has awarded her the Citation of Merit for outstanding alumni, and Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has awarded her the Wilbur Cross Medal for outstanding alumni, the highest awards conferred by each on alumni. She is the recipient of more than 50 honorary degrees.

The Women of Legend and Merit Awards is held annually during March, Women’s History Month, and seeks to bring awareness and raise funds to support Tennessee State University’s Women’s Center and its programs, as well as salute dynamic women leaders in diverse fields. The program plays a significant role in exposing the university’s female student population to positive role models, networking opportunities and resources to assist in their academic, personal and professional growth as women.

This year the Women of Legend and Merit Award will honor seven women in various categories. They are:

• Athletics: Catana      Starks, Ed.D., the first African-American woman to coach a men's NCAA Division I golf team and retired university professor;
• Business: Mignon Francious, owner, The Cupcake Collection;
• Community Service: Mary Carver-Patrick, entrepreneur, retired educator and active volunteer;
• Education: Karen Brown Dunlap, Ph.D., president of The Poynter Institute;
• Leadership: Sharon Gentry, Ed.D., Metropolitan Nashville Public School Board member, District 1 and health care IT manager, HCA;
• Legal: Stacey A. Garrett, founding member and board chair of Bone McAllester Norton; and,
• Media: Paula Lovell, president, Lovell Communications.

  About Tennessee State University’s Women’s Center

The center will develop and sponsor programming that enhances the skills of women and assist in their development as scholars and professionals. Lastly, the center will work closely with the university's Women's Studies Program to provide academic courses that explore issues of gender, sexuality and inequality through examination of the lives and efforts of women.

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TICKETS

Tickets are $75 per person and sponsorship opportunities are available. HCA/Tri-Star is the premier Platinum Slipper sponsor for this year’s event.

 About the Women’s Center...

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