Time to Act: Strategic Imperatives for TSU in Uncertain Times
Tennessee State University (TSU) faces an incremental threat. A second Trump term, created to dismantle many of the institutions and governmental supports that have been in place for decades was built upon screeds against critical race theory and anti-DEI rhetoric. Rhetoric articulated in detail within Project 2025, does not bode well for any HBCU, especially a public/land-grant college. With support from the legislative and judicial branches of government regarding the erasure of civil rights, this next period is going to be one of profound turbulence and uncertainty. And needs strong, clear-eyed, pragmatic and strategic leadership.
The Wednesday after the election, disturbing reports have surfaced from multiple HBCUs, about students receiving personalized, hateful messages—threats of being "rounded up" and sent to plantations. This psychological warfare, combined with the tangible policy threats posed by the return of a Trump administration, underscores the vulnerability of institutions like TSU in today's political climate.
After the disbandment of the previous TSU board in March 2024, the new board and interim leadership was presented with a new TSU financial audit highlighting a troubling scenario: the costs of maintaining operations and supporting the high needs of TSU students are outstripping per-student revenues. At the time, it seems the interim president, and his board have one charge which was to stabilize the school financially. Unfortunately, this is absolutely no longer enough.
This posture of a financial focus, especially with an interim, leaves TSU especially vulnerable as the Trump administration, with Republican control of the US Senate and potentially the House, in concert with its Project 2025 framework, which specifically calls for disbanding the US Department of Education as an exacerbation to the financial precariousness. President Trump's re-election brings with it renewed assaults on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, alongside support for ideologies that undermine the very principles HBCUs stand for.
And this second Trump administration simply gives cover to the state of TN and the Govornor. First, and to be clear, TSU will never see any of the back owed funds- that “discussion” is terminated. . Governor Bill Lee's continuous push towards the privatization of K-12 education through vouchers suggests that this strategy extends to higher education, positioning TSU as a test case for dismantling public HBCUs, securing their property and other assets across the red state landscape.
In light of these looming threats, it is imperative for TSU's acting president, the development team, and the communication team, in concert with the board and the alumni association, to urgently devise a comprehensive, proactive strategy for survival. This plan must prioritize the mobilization of non-governmental resources and securing unconflicted legal counsel. There is also a pressing need to secure private communication channels for safety and to protect student information, which should never have been compromised.
As I sounded the alarm in my previous op-ed on the disbanding of the board, the prospect of a second Trump term under Project 2025 was then unimaginable. Yet, here we are, faced with a reality that requires immediate, robust, and innovative responses.
TSU's leadership must act swiftly to reassess all federal funding and resources, developing a contingency plan that anticipates the worst while striving for the best. The goal? To ensure TSU not only survives but thrives, regardless of the political winds that blow from Washington, D.C.
The journey ahead for TSU will not be easy, but with proactive leadership and a community united in its resolve, TSU can navigate these tumultuous times. Let this be a call to action to all stakeholders within and beyond TSU: rally behind this critical institution and safeguard its legacy and future.
