As Tougaloo celebrates its year-long 150th Anniversary, the College welcomes attorney Tammy Boyd, lead author of legislation for the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. to campus. Boyd will speak at the first official sesquicentennial event of the year, the Office of Institutional Advancement Convocation at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, January 22nd in historic Woodworth Chapel.
Boyd, who is director of the lobbying firm, Health Policy and Legislative Affairs for the Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI), was instrumental in developing and advocating for legislation that provided funding for the museum, which is the only one devoted solely to documenting African-American history. In 2000, while working as legislative director for civil rights activist Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), Boyd began working on a strategy to obtain bipartisan support for the museum, not realizing it would be so difficult, nor that advocates had fought for a museum that preserves African-American culture and history for many years prior to her assignment. After former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama both signed bills authorizing federal funding, the National Museum of African American History and Culture was established by an Act of Congress in 2003 and opened in September 2016, following 16 years of petitioning for support and resources to make the museum a reality. The museum contains more than 36,000 artifacts and is the 19th museum of the Smithsonian Institution.
“We are so pleased to welcome Tammy Boyd to speak at Tougaloo College because her work truly demonstrates the transformative power of the College and she represents our core values of social responsibility, model citizenship and academic excellence,” said Vice President of Institutional Advancement Dr. Delores Bolden Stamps. Boyd, a Jackson native, graduated from Clinton High and earned a biology degree from Tuskegee University, prior to obtaining a M.P.H. degree from Emory University School of Public Health and a Juris Doctorate degree from American University Washington College of Law. Her experience as a former staffer for Tougaloo College alumnus and U.S. Congressman (D-MS) Bennie G. Thompson helped to prepare her for the challenge of getting the museum supported, funded and built. Her other professional experiences include Managing Partner for TKB Global Strategies, LLC/Watts Partners, as well as working with DaVita, Inc. and Johnson and Johnson.
As this year is a special one for Tougaloo College to reflect on its rich legacy of academic excellence and social justice, the public is invited to reflect on the overall relevance of African-American history within the nation, as trailblazer Tammy Boyd returns to Jackson with many accomplishments and strategies to share, regarding the spirit of transformation and perseverance.
