The Volunteer State has a proud tradition of demonstrating leadership in the quest to protect civil liberties and ensure equal access for all. Our efforts have resonated nationwide. It was 105 years ago when the Tennessee General Assembly provided the 36 th and final vote needed to ratify the 19th Amendment, giving millions of women the right to vote.
Tennessee was the epicenter of student-led nonviolent sit-ins in the 1960s, where brave Black Americans risked their safety to desegregate lunch counters.
In more recent years, Tennessee has expanded access to higher education for all by becoming the first state in the nation to offer free community college to high school graduates and returning adults…