For her work uplifting women throughout her career, AAUW-Murfreesboro has selected MTSU professor Dr. Carmelita L. Dotson as the 2020 Tempest honoree.
"To support women and girls in Rutherford County, Dr. Dotson has facilitated a female student group for eight years, supported community service events that were focused on women and girls, and encouraged female students to seek leadership positions and scholarships," Dr. Barbara Turnage explained in Dotson's nomination.
Dotson will be honored with the Tempest Award at the fourth annual Equali-Tea, which will be at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 18 in the Student Union Ballroom, 1768 MTSU Blvd. on MTSU campus. RSVP at no cost at equali-tea.org or on Eventbrite. Can't attend? Please consider a donation in the amount of $50.
Chaired this year by Elizabeth McPhee and Tara MacDougall, the fourth annual Equali-Tea is a social, fundraiser, and educational program all in one. The (hats optional) High Tea raises scholarship funds for MTSU college women students, and also marks Equal Pay Day, the day that symbolizes how long women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year.
The 2020 Equali-Tea keynote speaker will be Dr. Mary Francis Berry, who will address "Women & Voting: A Mandate for Elected Officials" during her remarks. A native of Nashville, Berry is an American historian who is currently the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and a professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania.
In addition to the keynote address, the Tempest Award will be presented to Dotson. The award is given annually to an individual in Middle Tennessee who has acted to address the systemic barriers to equity for women and girls and thereby has contributed to the mission of the American Association of University Women.
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Dotson's inspiration to assist others initiated from watching her parents, Marion and Murdie Dotson in West Tennessee. There was a daily theme of education and helping others. These notions contribute to her personal value base which includes acting on the principle of "Ujima' or collective work and responsibility.
Ujima inspired Dotson to earn her bachelor's degree in Sociology and a Minor in Health Education from Tennessee State University (TSU), complete her Master of Science in Social Work from The University of Tennessee with a concentration in Administration and Planning, and earn a Doctor of Educational Leadership from TSU.
Dotson has more than 30 years of practice experience in organizational development and management, cultural diversity practice, child welfare, and adoption and families. Now she lectures in the Department of Social Work at MTSU, where she teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as serves as a faculty advisor. She also has served for 10 years as the faculty advisor for MTSU's student chapter of the National Association for Black Social Workers (NABSW).
Previous Tempest Award honorees are former Murfreesboro Mayor Tommy Bragg in 2017, Dr. Phyllis Washington in 2018 and MTSU Associate Athletic Director Diane Turnham in 2019.
In addition to marking Equal Pay Day, the high tea event will help raise funds for two AAUW Murfreesboro scholarships that are offered to MTSU students.
Awarded by the Middle Tennessee Fund for Women and Girls, a nonprofit organization in support of the mission of AAUW Murfreesboro, the scholarships are the Ruth Houston Memorial Scholarship and Butler-Fouts Graduate Scholarship. Each scholarship will provide $2,000 for the school year 2020-21.
The Ruth Houston Memorial Scholarship supports women 24 years and older who are returning to finish their undergraduate degree. Applicants must demonstrate academic promise and financial need.
In 2015, the group marked its 100th anniversary by creating a second scholarship, named for long-time AAUW members Mattie Butler and Leola Fouts. The Butler-Fouts Graduate Scholarship is presented to female graduate students from underrepresented ethnic or racial groups. Applicants must demonstrate academic promise and financial need as well as be enrolled in a graduate program at MTSU.
Reservations are required and offered at no cost. They can be made through Eventbrite. Attendees will be invited to make a contribution to the Fund at the event. Your sponsorship of the event and your donation are both tax-deductible.
For more information about the 2019 Equali-TEA, visit Equali-TEA.org or send us an email at contact@equali-tea.org.
Equal-TEA is brought to you by Friends of Middle Tennessee Fund for Women and Girls, AAUW-Murfreesboro, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Dr. Mary Hoffschwelle, The Butler Family, Dr. Sidney & Liz McPhee, Tara A. MacDougall, Jennifer Sexton - Ameriprise Financial Services, and Rayna Corp.
Parking passes will be available for attendees in the Student Union Lot. These passes can be used anywhere on campus. Shuttle service to the event will be available. Off-campus visitors can find a parking map at http://bit.ly/MTSUParkingMap.
About AAUW Murfreesboro
Organized in 1913, AAUW Murfreesboro is a membership organization of college-educated individuals from all walks of life who share a common purpose—to level the playing field for women and girls in education and in the workplace.
Our branch does this through advocacy, education, and research. We are part of a national and state network that supports our work right here in Murfreesboro. Our national organization (200,000 members strong) is a powerful voice on women's issues in Washington, D.C. Our Tennessee organization unifies our presence throughout the state, bringing together all nine branches in Memphis, Nashville, Murfreesboro, Columbia, McMinnville, Martin, Knoxville, Maryville, and Oak Ridge.
