Dr. Tommie Morton-Young
Tommie Morton-Young, native of Nashville, is often cited as author, activist, and scholar. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree (cum laude) from Tennessee State University, and she was the first African-American to graduate from Peabody College, now a part of Vanderbilt University. She earned her Ph.D. from Duke University, and has been named Distinguished Peabody/Vanderbilt Alumna. A well-published author, she also has held academic posts as professor and dean at a number of distinguished institutions of higher learning.
Dr. Morton-Young's writings include early and standard works in African American genealogy and local history, at-risk youth, and women's issues. She cites an old African adage in explaining her commitment to write and lecture about the Black Experience: "Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter." Thus, she believes it is incumbent upon African Americans to tell their own story.
Dr. Morton-Young has received numerous awards and recognition from governmental and educational organizations, social and political agencies, and civil rights organizations over the years, including the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights, the NAACP, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the National Institutes of Health. She is also listed in Who's Who in America and other biographical sources.
Dr. Morton-Young now owns and operates Heritage Tour Company and AfrAgenda Publishing while continuing to write and lecture on the Black experience. A widow, she is mother of one daughter and two grandchildren.
Dr. Morton-Young's bequest to Africa University will endow a scholarship in her memory at her passing.