(Ed. Note. John Seigenthaler died on Friday, July 11. He was 86. To read a remembrance by NPT, please visit this link. For his obituary, please visit The Tennessean).
John Seigenthaler, longtime host of NPT’s A Words on Words, humanitarian, journalist, defender of the First Amendment and so much more, was honored in late April by You Have the Power with its 2014 Powerhouse Award. The event at the Country Music Association Theater of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum followed a public dedication of the Shelby Street Bridge as “John Seigenthaler Walking Bridge.”
The hour-long program, captured in its entirety by the Renaissance Center, in the video embedded below by the Renaissance Center, featured friends from John’s remarkable life, including his work with the Freedom Riders and Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s; his career as reporter, editor and publisher of The Tennessean newspaper as well as founding Editorial Director for USA Today; and his commitment to the First Amendment Center and Freedom Forum of the John Seigenthaler Center at Vanderbilt University. The presentation was written by John’s niece, Katie Seigenthaler of Seigenthaler Public Relations and directed by theatre veteran Denice Hicks, Artistic Director of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival.
The evening included a performance by Freedom Sings, an all-star musical group created by Ken Paulson, President of the First Amendment Center. The act includes an impressive group of hit song makers and Grammy winners that, for this show, will include acclaimed Americana artist Jonell Mosser, popular singer/songwriter Bill Lloyd, John Deadrick on keyboards and Grammy Award entertainer and YHTP Board member Linda Davis.
You Have the Power’s Powerhouse Award was established in 2013 to honor an individual’s commitment to victims and victims’ rights issues. This occasion is the key event for both fundraising and public awareness for You Have the Power, which is celebrating its 21st year of service to the community and state.