CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators held a town hall meeting in Clarksville on Wednesday night, which included Montgomery County’s own Rep. Ronnie Glynn addressing topics such as the juvenile detention centers and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
The night started with the legislators answering questions submitted to them online and in person. At the end of the night, three Democrat candidates for Congress, District 7, shared their platforms.
Wednesday’s event was part of a 2025 statewide town hall series. In addition to Glynn, the following state representatives attended:
- Rep. Jesse Chism, District 85, Memphis.
- Rep. Torrey Harris, District 91, Memphis.
- Rep. Antonio Parkinson, District 98, Memphis.
- Rep. Larry Miller, District 88, Memphis.
- Rep. Johnny Shaw, District 80, Bolivar.
- Rep. G.A. Hardaway, District 93, Memphis.
- Rep. Vincent Dixie, District 54, Nashville.
Q&A with legislators: DEI
One individual who submitted a question online urged the Black Caucus of Legislators to continue to push back against efforts to dismantle DEI initiatives, before asking the representatives about the hiring practices of Austin Peay State University. The question referenced APSU’s recent hiring of a professor who had accusations of being associated with a hate group, before the two parties mutually agreed to part ways. The question asked two parts:
- What are the qualifications required for faculty hired and how are candidates vetted?
- And if that individual (the professor) made it through the hiring process, how can anyone claim Black professors are receiving preferential treatment?
Glynn said that the reality is that Black professors are not receiving preferential treatment. “That’s just the truth, they’re qualified,” he said. “I’ll be honest with you; I personally could care less about DEI. Why? Because Black folks are not even benefiting from it anyway. We’re like No. 5 on the list…