MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris made history as the first woman, first African American, and first South Asian to be elected Vice President. Harris is a graduate of a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. This weekend, Harris called a Memphis native, who is a local HBCU President and Soror, Dr. Glenda Glover of Tennessee State University. Glover spoke to Weeknight Anchor Katina Rankin about the call.
"What did VP-Elect Harris say?" Katina asked.
“It was very special and totally unexpected. She called and said, ‘I just wanted to tell you thank you for the support of the Divine 9, the women’s organizations that you put together - for all the support you have given the campaign and me personally’. So, I appreciate that. It was very special," said President of TSU and AKA Sorority, Inc. Dr. Glenda Glover.
The telephone call comes as no surprise to HBCU graduates and members of the Divine 9 that Harris would reach out. Back in August, Dr. Glover got all of her TSU football players registered to vote and challenged every student at all one hundred and six (106) HBCU's to do the same. That effort, Glover says, got millions of African Americans to the polls.
“There were about 5-million people associated with the Divine 9. We had all the organizations, all 9 organizations, their spouses, families, friends, households - about 5-million people. So, I believe all of them voted. And, then they had others and they voted,” said Dr. Glover.
A little birdie told us that Glover may have been approached for the Secretary of Education position. Glover has held positions at Howard University, Jackson State University and Tennessee State University. She spearheaded the implementation of the nation's first Ph.D programs in business at an HBCU. Plus, she received numerous awards several years in a row for HBCU President of the Year. She was also named, "Top 25 Women in Higher Education" by Diverse Issues in Higher Education. We pushed Glover on whether the position was mentioned.
"Oh, do we have to talk about?" said Dr. Glover.
Katina, "Yes."
“I actually can’t say, get into that one. I would like to answer at some point. I may, but I can’t answer right now," said Dr. Glover.
Did she bring the position up? If she brings the position up in the very near future, will you take it? Katina asked.
“I’m President of Tennessee State University. I’m enjoying that. I have not - I don’t have a desire to leave TSU university at this time.” said Dr. Glover.
Our sources also telling us Glover was approached about the Secretary of the Treasury position. Glover's past experience includes being a senior vice president and chief financial officer of an engineering firm, a tax manager at a major public utility company, and an accountant with a big four CPA firm. Dr. Glover holds a Ph.D, JD, CPA and sits on a bank board. She's one of two African American women in the nation to hold the Ph.D, CPA, JD combination.
“I’ll say it like this. There was a conversation that there had never been a Black to hold that position. And that’s all I can say right now, " said Glover. “Can I change the conversation back to how proud we are that she’s from an HBCU, a VP-Elect and what it means to our African American community and to little girls, Black girls, Asian girls around the country and the world and let’s talk about how proud we are.”