For the second consecutive year, Belmont hosted Metro government officials, local business owners and community leaders as part of the Metropolitan Minority Caucus anniversary celebration. This year’s program honored the 50th anniversary of Nashville-Davidson’s County’s consolidated government. More than 100 people attended the reception in the Frist Lecture Hall on Feb. 28.
“It is great to have on our campus people who have been a part of making Nashville such a great city,” said Belmont President Bob Fisher, welcoming the guests.
Harriette Bias-Insignares, the first poet laureate of Nashville, read a commemorative poem from Tennessee’s bicentennial celebration in 1976. Lois Jordan, Metro’s first African-American Councilwoman, shared stories from her election campaign and working on Metro Council with 39 men. She urged current council members to make their constituents feel important. Former Councilman Ludye Wallace, a strong advocate for Belmont’s shared use of E.S. Rose Park, also spoke on the founding of the Metropolitan Black Caucus. It was later renamed to include all minority council members.
“Thank you for paving the way so we could walk down the road more easily,” said caucus Vice President Fabian Bedne, Metro’s first Latin-American councilman.
The caucus presented special awards to current and former minority council members. Belmont junior Chelsea Stratton accepted an award on behalf of her late grandfather, James Hawkins, the first African-American councilman to be a committee chairman.
