Vanderbilt taps 26 notable names to democracy project board

Mar 29, 2022, 7:01 AM | Updated: 7:29 am

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Vanderbilt University initiative aimed at bridging the gap of political polarization in the U.S. has named 26 members to its advisory board, ranging from politicians to musicians.

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy announced Tuesday a panel that includes prominent political and government voices. Among them are former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, former U.S. Attorney General and current Belmont University law school dean Alberto Gonzales, Bill Clinton’s former White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles, and former U.S. ambassador to China and one-time Washington governor Gary Locke.

Joining them are country music artists Martina McBride, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

Other board members include Jonathan Nez, Navajo Nation president; Kofi Appenteng, president and CEO of the Africa-America Institute; David Brooks, columnist for The New York Times; Forrest Harris, American Baptist College president; Valerie Rockefeller, Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors chair; Walter Isaacson, biographer and former editor of Time; and Darren Walker, Ford Foundation president.

The project says the board’s broad appeal will lend authority and trust to a wider audience.

The project’s co-chairpeople are former Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Haslam and Vanderbilt faculty members Jon Meacham, a presidential historian, and Samar Ali, research professor in political science and law.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

FILE - Gabby Petito's mother Nichole Schmidt, wipes a tear from her face during a news conference o...

Associated Press

Mother of man who killed Gabby Petito said in letter she would help son ‘dispose of a body’

The mother of the man who killed Gabby Petito told her son in an undated letter that she would “dispose of a body” if needed because she loved him so much, according to copies of the note shared publicly for the first time this week by attorneys for Petito's parents.

2 days ago

A member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, places flags in front of e...

Associated Press

5 things to know about Memorial Day including its controversies

Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members, but it’s come to anchor the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend of discounts on anything from mattresses to lawn mowers.

2 days ago

FILE - This artist sketch depicts the trial of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes, left, as he test...

Associated Press

Officers describe chaos, fear on Jan. 6 as judge weighs prison time for Oath Keepers’ Rhodes

Police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and public servants who fled the mob's attack told a judge on Wednesday that they are still haunted by what they endured, as the judge prepares to hand down sentences in a landmark Capitol riot case.

3 days ago

Pride month merchandise is displayed at the front of a Target store in Hackensack, N.J., Wednesday,...

Associated Press

Target on the defensive after removing LGBTQ+-themed products

Target once distinguished itself as being boldly supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.

4 days ago

(Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)...

Associated Press

Former Arizona television journalist announces bid for Schweikert’s US House seat

A former Phoenix television journalist announced her candidacy Wednesday for the congressional seat currently held by seven-term Republican Rep. David Schweikert.

4 days ago

Tortoise by Henry Davis earned an honorable mention in the "Adventures in Nature” student photo c...

Associated Press

When you adopt a desert tortoise, prepare for a surprisingly social and zippy pet

They’re not fluffy, they don’t play fetch and they certainly don’t roll over. But there is such a thing as a lap tortoise.

5 days ago

Sponsored Articles

...

SANDERSON FORD

Thank you to Al McCoy for 51 years as voice of the Phoenix Suns

Sanderson Ford wants to share its thanks to Al McCoy for the impact he made in the Valley for more than a half-decade.

...

Desert Institute for Spine Care

Spinal fusion surgery has come a long way, despite misconceptions

As Dr. Justin Field of the Desert Institute for Spine Care explained, “we've come a long way over the last couple of decades.”

...

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Company looking for oldest air conditioner and wants to reward homeowner with new one

Does your air conditioner make weird noises or a burning smell when it starts? If so, you may be due for an AC unit replacement.

Vanderbilt taps 26 notable names to democracy project board