NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Black Caucus sent a blistering letter to Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower about his comments about the former Tennessee State University president and the idea of selling its downtown real estate footprint.
The state has been back and forth about the historic Black college since November about its financial footing. Throughout the fall, TSU was quietly asking the state to help keep it afloat, especially when it couldn't make payroll in November without extra resources. The new board met and discussed that without intervention the school would face a $46 million deficit by the end of the school year.
However, the Tennessee Black Caucus — made up of Black Tennessee state legislators — has now called out Mumpower for his dealing with the situation as it unfolded across the last state building commission in December. That is when the school and state leaders talked about turning the school's finances in a better direction.
"I find it offensive, very offensive," said Rep. Vincent Dixie, a Nashville Democrat. "It was his tone, and it was the aggressiveness of his questions."
Dixie is upset with Mumpower specifically over comments earlier this month in a meeting about TSU's finances, where he criticized former TSU president Glenda Glover.
"To work with the Attorney General’s office to cancel the contract of the previous president, who has made out like a bandit while leaving only a legacy of dysfunction," said Mumpower.
Glover has come under criticism for spending the university's finances down before she left office. Mumpower pushed interim TSU leaders about whether the university is now willing to cut all ties with Glover, including her negotiated exit agreement.
"Are you as a university and a board finished with your association with the previous president in every way?" asked Mumpower.
"Yes," replied Dwayne Tucker, TSU's Interim President.
"No parking places, no Titans football tickets, no building naming, completely finished?" said Mumpower.
"I am, yes," replied Tucker.
In Glover's contract obtained by NewsChannel 5 through a records request, a clause is written for Glover's parking spot, an executive assistant and access to the school's seats at Nissan Stadium for both Tigers' games and the Tennessee Titans.
Dixie, who serves as Treasurer for the House Black Caucus, is willing to acknowledge there have been problems at his alma mater. "There were some opportunities of things she could have done better, and I'm sure that she could, but I take exception to his line of questioning in how he’s trying to tarnish her legacy. She brought TSU into a national conversation," said Dixie.
The state acknowledges it still owes TSU for underfunding in the past. The state said half a billion was owed in 2022, while the federal government said that number is actually $2.1 billion. By the state's own calculation, it still owes TSU $250,000. Underfunding calculations boil down to the school's status as a land-grant school, when Black students couldn't attend the University of Tennessee-Knoxville during segregation.
Rather than allowing Black students to openly attend, Tennessee created a racially divided higher education system until the 1970s.
Through federal law, TSU was given the same funding status as the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in that the two were given resources for land and later should have been given the same state appropriations for agriculture extension offices and expanding their academic programs.
The Black Caucus also wrote that the Comptroller should consider discontinuing the idea of selling the Avon Williams campus, which has a downtown footprint off Charlotte Avenue. TSU received the property during a 40-year lawsuit with the state for both TSU and UTK to have equal funding and to stop having dual higher education systems based on race.
The Avon Williams building was originally owned by the University of Tennessee as a continuing education center that started in 1947.
Mumpower suggested TSU leadership look into selling their downtown campus to help their financial state. Dixie says that's the very reason why TSU shouldn't sell.
"That’s prime property," said Dixie. "Why would those sell those assets that could be beneficial in the future? I think there are other opportunities to make Tennessee, to fulfill the holes going on with Tennessee State University."
Comptroller Mumpower sent a lengthy response to the Black Caucus's letter:
While I certainly respect the members’ opinion, my role as Comptroller is to ensure decisions are made that protect the financial and operational functions of Tennessee State University. A successful TSU is vital to our state.
TSU is facing a critical situation, and this is the time to ask tough questions and for university leaders to make difficult choices.
I standby my comments regarding the former president. There is clear and overwhelming evidence that her administration placed the university in financial peril. I am pleased to hear that the new administration and Board has ended that relationship.
Dixie was offended that Mumpower didn't directly send that response to the caucus.
"I sent you the letter way before I sent it to the media and you didn’t give me that same common courtesy. That goes to show the lack of respect he has for black leadership," said Dixie.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at emily.west@newschannel5.com.
This story by Aaron Cantrell reminds me of my first school in Dyersburg, TN. I was a student at Bruce School from Kindergarten to second grade until the school system was integrated. My parents graduated from this K-12 school in 1960 in one of the city's African American communities. After sitting empty for several years, part of the school was demolished while the rest was renovated and now serves as a community center for the Bruce community in Dyersburg. A local pastor is now trying to do something similar in the Cemetery community in Rutherford Co.
-Lelan Statom
