A Day of Action and Insight
Democracy Summit 2025!
Organized by Organize Tennessee, this event brought together students, community leaders, organizers, elected officials, and passionate individuals committed to strengthening democracy in Tennessee.
Southern Resilience, and Resistance
It is critical that together, we explore critical issues, share innovative solutions, and foster a more inclusive and active democratic process.
Keynote Speakers
At this year’s Democracy Summit 2025, Pastor McBride, Executive Director of Live Free USA, joins Veronica Degraffenreid of the Brennan Center and Holly McCall with TN Lookout, for powerful Breakfast and Lunch Keynote addresses.
Democracy Summit
Schedule 2025
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Tennessee State University
Avon Williams Campus
330 10th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37203
8:00 am
Registration Open
9:00 am
Welcome
9:30 am
Breakfast Talk Back with Keynote Pastor McBride
Pastor McBride is a Square One Fellow at Columbia University Justice Policy Lab. He is the co-founder of Black Church PAC and the Black Brown Peace Consortium. Pastor McBride serves as the Lead Pastor of The Way Church in Berkeley, CA. He has been a frequent contributor to the New York Times, the Washington Post, MSNBC, CNN, the Huffington Post and many other media outlets.
10:00 am
Opening Plenary
TN Partner Spotlight
Heart from our partners about their collective work to fix our Democracy andprotect our communities.
11:00 am
Breakout Sessions
Session 1: Rights Restoration workshop, updating the legal community and allies on changes to the TN Rights Restoration Law. (*CLE Credit)
Session 2: Reproductive justice and democracy panel will explore topics of liberty, privacy and how to organize communities around reproductive justice.
12:30 pm
Lunch and Keynote Address with Veronica Degraffenreid of the Brennan Center, with Holly McCall of TN Lookout moderating.
2:00 pm
Breakout Sessions
Session 1: Law, Litigation and Liberation will review recent judicial decisions, pending litigation, redistricting, and provide an overview of our partner's current legal work, and how the legal community at large can step up to defend our rights.
Session 2: Youth Polling Report and Political Attitudes will dive deep into Gen Z's core political beliefs and examine 2024 turnout trends.
3:00 pm
National Perspectives panel will provide a nationwide assessment of the state of our democracy and the challenges we face as a collective moving forward.
4:00 pm
Clossing Session
*Happy Hour to follow at The Mockingbird*
Thank You to Our Sponsors
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Special Summit Features
CLE Credits
Continuing Legal Education credits available for Free and Fair Elections, The Role of Judiciary in a Healthy Democracy, and Tennessee and the Disenfranchised workshops.
Networking Opportunities
Meet and connect with fellow advocates and experts dedicated to democratic engagement.
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday,
Sept. 13, 2025
Don't miss your chance to be part of this transformative event.