JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 28, 2022) – For Nashville-native Faith McPhearson, most of the courses she had taken about American history simply failed to properly cover slavery, segregation and the lingering civil rights issues connected to those eras.
That reality helped prompt her to minor in East Tennessee State University’s Black American Studies Program.
“In the Black American Studies Program, I am honored to be surrounded by people who
look like me, but who also bring different perspectives on issues that are affecting
us today,” she said. “As we know, those who fail to learn from history are doomed
to repeat it.”
A biology major who hopes to attend veterinary school after she graduates from ETSU,
McPhearson visited the university for the first time while a senior at Martin Luther
King Jr. Academic Magnet for Health Sciences and Engineering High School.
Participating in DISCOVER ETSU, an initiative by the ETSU Mary V. Jordan Multicultural Center that invites 11th and 12th grade high school students to spend a weekend on campus,
what she saw and experienced convinced her to become a Buccaneer.
She especially loved the staff in the Multicultural Center.
“I was sold on ETSU’s beautiful campus, and the people I met during DISCOVER ETSU,”
she said. “I loved the mountains, and I knew it would be beautiful in the fall.”
During her time at ETSU, she has worked with many faculty and staff. Dr. Daryl Carter,
a professor of history, associate dean and director of the Black American Studies
Program, stands out.
“Dr. Carter is an amazing professor,” she said. “I know I can count on him to support
me and other students’ collegiate journeys here at ETSU.”
Pushed by a friend to seek out the Black American Studies Program, she was encouraged
by what she found.
“With the courses,” she said, “I don’t feel like I have to hold my tongue. I get to
hear different people’s perspectives from different backgrounds, which is great. They
are fun classes.”
In time, she hopes to see Carter’s program expand.
“The dialogue, lectures, discussions and readings are fun, intriguing and dive deep
into societal problems today,” she said.