We, the people, invite you to meet with your constituents at a public Town Hall meeting: on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 6 PM at Krutch Park, 504 Market St., Knoxville, TN, to discuss the concerns outlined above.

Not only is this depriving the community of acknowledging and learning about worthy individuals; this is also a direct violation to the state policy approved in 2010 by UNANIMOUS consent of the state House (112-0) and State Senate (37-0).  We unequivocally believe that the Civil Rights Hall of Fame MUST be Re-Activated!! To join in this push, please sign the petition as a show of support and affirmation!

This decision to close its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offices and discontinue the DEI 2.0 Strategic Plan should concern not just University of Michigan students, faculty, and alumni, but anyone who values higher education, diversity, and academic freedom. Here’s why:  1. It Sets a Dangerous Precedent – If a leading public university like Michigan backs down under federal pressure, other institutions may follow, leading to a nationwide rollback of DEI initiatives. This weakens higher education's ability to support historically marginalized groups. 2. It Empowers Authoritarian Tactics – By complying with political intimidation, Michigan signals that academic institutions can be bullied into abandoning their core values. This emboldens those who want to dismantle equity efforts, making it easier for future attacks on universities, faculty, and students. 3. It Hurts Students and Faculty – DEI programs provide crucial resources, mentorship, and protections for underrepresented students and faculty. Removing them makes campuses less inclusive and more hostile for many communities. 4. It Undermines Academic Freedom – Universities should be spaces for critical thought, debate, and progress. Allowing government overreach to dictate educational policy threatens the independence of institutions dedicated to truth and scholarship. 5. It Echoes Historical Patterns of Suppression – Historically, authoritarian regimes have targeted universities first, recognizing their role in shaping society and challenging oppressive ideologies. This decision mirrors past moments where institutions either resisted or enabled such takeovers. People should be paying attention because what happens at Michigan could happen elsewhere—and the consequences extend far beyond one campus.

This is an important cause because every person deserves a chance to go to college if they want to. Going to college allows people to get a higher education which can be very helpful to develop critical thinking skills, a deeper understanding of the world, and just overall being more informed. It also allows for better job opportunities, better earning potentials, and greater career success. Almost half of college students have to get jobs while in college which can add stress to these students because they have to juggle school and work. Over half of college students have to take out student loans and end up having debt after they graduate because they can't afford college on their own. With rising costs many people won't be able to afford a higher education if they want to but expanding Federal Pell Grants to account for inflation can help more students be able to afford college. This can potentially allow students to take out less student loans and students might not have to get jobs during college for them to afford to attend. It can potentially help students be less stressed and less worried about where they are going to find the money to afford college. Overall, expanding Federal Pell Grants to account for inflation can allow lower income students to attend college and get a higher education.

Without your support the forgotten women in beers beautiful and diverse history will remain forgotten. 

People should join this campaign because a nation is smart and thoughtful when its people are enlightened through a good world-class education.

An executive order issued by the Trump administration on Friday night, March 14, calls for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the nation’s only federal agency for America’s libraries. The following statement was made by the American Library Association: Americans have loved and relied on public, school and academic libraries for generations. By eliminating the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services, the Trump administration’s executive order is cutting off at the knees the most beloved and trusted of American institutions and the staff and services they offer: • Early literacy development and grade-level reading programs • Summer reading programs for kids  • High-speed internet access • Employment assistance for job seekers  • Braille and talking books for people with visual impairments • Homework and research resources for students and faculty • Veterans’ telehealth spaces equipped with technology and staff support • STEM programs, simulation equipment and training for workforce development • Small business support for budding entrepreneurs To dismiss some 75 committed workers and mission of an agency that advances opportunity and learning is to dismiss the aspirations and everyday needs of millions of Americans. And those who will feel that loss most keenly live in rural communities.  As seedbeds of literacy and innovation, our nation’s 125,000 public, school, academic and special libraries deserve more, not less support. Libraries translate 0.003% of the federal budget into programs and services used by more than 1.2 billion people every year.

Recess is a time for members of Congress to return to their home states. They should be using this week to meet with their constituents, give space for their concerns, and take that back to D.C. Instead, House Republican leaders are now reportedly telling their offices to avoid holding public events when they are home for March recess. Tim Burchett had scheduled a town hall for March 16, but canceled it citing concerns about "professional instigators" (The Hill). This is the opposite of the directions Democrats are receiving—with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries encouraging all members to connect directly with constituents to talk about the Republican-backed attacks on key services like Social Security and Medicaid embodied by Elon Musk's actions and the Republican budget.  Tim Burchett was elected to represent us—he should not be hiding from his constituents. Period.  Add your name to the petition to demand that Tim Burchett host a town hall or public office hours during the congressional recess! 

School is supposed to be a safe place for children of all ages to learn. If we allow just any random person with possibly a mental illness walk into a gun and ammo store one day and decide to buy a gun to shoot up a school, how exactly is that a safe place for children to learn? Exactly. It’s not. With more and more news of school shootings that come out each year, children become more and more terrified of going to school. School for them is no longer a place of fun and learning, but rather a place of the terrifying possibility of someone breaking in and going on a rampage.

Public schools are the foundation of our democracy, ensuring that every child—no matter their zip code, race, or background—has the opportunity to learn and thrive. Defunding public education only benefits private interests while leaving our communities behind. We cannot let this happen.  ECCA is proposed legislation that would provide $10 billion in annual taxpayer dollars to fund private and religious K-12 schools. These private schools can pick and choose who receives an education, and many don’t even have certified educators. For these reasons, statewide voucher programs are deeply unpopular. Each time vouchers have been on the ballot in states across the country, voters have rejected them in favor of their public schools.  Sign this petition to demand that Congress: • Reject any effort to dismantle or defund the Department of Education. • Oppose ECCA and other voucher schemes that redirect funding for public schools to private schools. • Fully fund public education to ensure all students get the resources they need. Our children’s future depends on strong, well-funded public schools. Add your name now and tell Congress: Protect public education—stop the attacks on our schools!

While republicans may be receiving "marching orders" to avoid town halls, it is up to us, the people, to demand them and to ensure members of congress who support the current administration answer to their actions and the impact it will have on individuals and community alike.

We must shine a light on these bullying and strong-arm tactics and demand change. Our hospital, schools, transit and local attractions should be considered priorities by the Restaino administration. The fact that employees from these entities are afraid of retribution if they speak to the press, speaks volumes as to how Mayor Restaino conducts business.  WHY withhold funds from our schools in a time of economic crisis? WHY withhold funds from the only hospital located in our city? WHY withhold funds from the Underground Railroad Museum, which attracts thousands of tourists every year? The train station is already operating at a $130,000 annual deficit because the city has failed to properly utilize event space adjacent to the museum. WHY withhold funds from the NFTA when many of us rely on public transportation to get from home to work and back? Mayor Restaino's actions only make sense when viewed through the eyes of a greedy miser.