How Tennessee underfunded TSU by $2B
Tennessee State University was founded to keep Black students out of the University of Tennessee.
In 1890, states with land-grant schools, like the University of Tennessee, were given a choice. They could either admit Black students to these colleges, or the states could receive federal funding to create separate schools for Black residents.
In Tennessee and other Southern states, separate schools were created. When states took the money, which ensured their flagship schools remained segregated, they agreed to provide “just and equitable” funding to both institutions. Few states interpreted that phrase as a requirement to provide equal funding, and most historically Black land-grant universities have been forced to operate with far less state support than predominantly white institutions.
The federal government, today through the farm bill, provides grants for agriculture research, but states must match those grants on a 1-to-1 basis. Historically Black land-grant schools regularly must request a waiver from the matching requirement so they can still receive the federal research grant. Between 2018 and 2021 Tennessee State University received no matching funds from the state, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture records. In 2021, Tennessee’s Office of Legislative Budget Analysis calculated the state’s failure to match federal research funds to TSU shortchanged the school by $151 million to $544 million since 1957. In response, the state allocated $250 million to TSU for infrastructure projects.
After fire at historically Black college, leaders speak out on school’s status
On Monday night, a devastating fire engulfed an abandoned building at Knoxville College, reducing it to ashes for the second time in its storied history and throwing another obstacle in the path of school leaders working to academically and physically restore the college.
Originally built in 1893 as a girl’s dormitory, Elnathan Hall later served as an administration building and classroom facility. It first burned down on the campus of East Tennessee’s only historically Black college 126 years ago, in 1896, before being rebuilt in 1898.
Frank Shanklin, a member of Knoxville College’s Board of Trustees, said Elnathan Hall was included among several campus buildings that were boarded up and had not been occupied for more than 40 years. He said the fire is another step backward for the institution as it continues to seek accreditation.
Tyson-Paul fight watched in 60M homes Netflix looked for the silver lining in the technically flawed live stream of the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight on Nov. 15.
The Los Gatos, California-based streaming giant said 60 million households watched the bout between Paul, a fighter who has established his fame through YouTube, and Tyson, the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion. The figure is more than 20% of its 283 million subscribers worldwide.
Tyson came out aggressively in the first two rounds but was nearly immobile through the second half. By the end of the fight, Paul appeared to be holding back his attacks.
Nearly 50 million households also watched the co-main event where women’s lightweight champion Katie Taylor won a decision over Amanda Serrano. Netflix said the bout is likely to be the most-watched professional women’s sporting event in U.S. history.