Returning from a summer break, the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge is pleased to announce the resumption of its bi-monthly Lunch with the League.  In an effort to protect everyone’s health and well-being during this time of social distancing, the programs for the foreseeable future will be accessed online via Zoom webinars. Each presentation will be recorded and posted to the League’s website for broader viewing. Although Lunch with the League’s format will be different, its tradition of relevant, high quality presentations will hold strong. 

The first Lunch with the League is scheduled for noon, Tuesday, September 15, when Dr. Shayla Nunnally, Professor of Political Science and chair of the Africana Studies Program at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville, will address “Black Lives Matter.”

Newly recruited to Tennessee from the University of Connecticut, Dr. Nunnally is a recognized authority on the political consequences of racial disparities in the United States and a leading voice in the scholarship on race and racism in US politics. Author of the critically acclaimed Trust in Black America: Race, Discrimination, and Politics, published by New York University Press (2012), she has written more than 15 other peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and has served as the President of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists.

A native of Petersburg, Virginia, Dr. Nunnally was a summa cum laude graduate of North Carolina Central University. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from Duke University, and completed her dissertation as an Erskine A. Peters Fellow in the African/African American Studies Program at the University of Notre Dame.

Dr. Nunnally is recognized both for her excellence in the classroom and her extensive experience mentoring students from underrepresented groups. Over the past 20 years, she has received over 25 fellowships, awards, and honors for her exceptional contributions in teaching, research, and service, including the. the National Conference of Black Political Scientists’ Fannie Lou Hamer Award for Outstanding Community Service (2009),  the National Urban League’s Eastern Region’s Outstanding Young Professionals award (2009), and recognition by her alma mater, North Carolina Central University, as being among its Top 40 under 40 Alumni (2014).

Deeply informed by academic research, excellence in teaching, and her own life experience, Dr. Nunnally will be an excellent guide as we seek to negotiate the ongoing Black Lives Matter discussion in our country, seeking pathways for a more hopeful future.

Lunch with the League welcomes League members and nonmembers alike. For instruction on connecting to the live presentation, contact maryannreeves1 [at] att.net or cdipboye [at] gmail.com. A couple of days following the presentation, you may view the recorded presentation on the League’s website (https://my.lwv.org/tennessee/oak-ridge).  

The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, a nonpartisan political organization for men and women, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

To view the recording of the webinar, click here.