USM Alumna Tena Clark is Oct. 29 University Forum Presenter
Thu, 10/17/2019 - 08:38am | By: David Tisdale
A Grammy-winning producer and entrepreneur who proudly claims The University of Southern
Mississippi (USM) as her alma mater is the guest speaker at the school’s University
Forum Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. Bennett Auditorium on the Hattiesburg campus.
Tena Clark, a Wayne County, Mississippi native, will share the story of her path to success in mass media in the face of personal challenges when she presents “Southern Discomfort.” Presented by the USM Honors College, this event is free and open to the public and keeping with University Forum’s 2019-2020 theme "A Year of Speakers; A Century of Progress.”
Clark began her career as a drummer and engineer in rural Mississippi before she was
discovered by Stevie Wonder. Over the course of her career, she has written and produced
for Aretha Franklin, won a Grammy for her work with Natalie Cole, and has collaborated
with artists such as Leann Rimes, Dionne Warwick, Chaka Khan, and Maya Angelou.
A pioneer in the field of creating sound for corporate branding, she is the CEO and
chief creative officer of DMI Music & Media Solutions, and has developed promotions
for McDonald’s, AMC Theatres, and Walgreens. In addition to her work in music, Clark
is a civil rights activist and a champion for women’s rights.
Clark’s memoir, Southern Discomfort, is a “Southern gothic tale of growing up in 1950s Waynesboro, Mississippi, a lesbian raised by a womanizing father, an alcoholic mother, and a household of African-American help whom she’d sooner call family.” (Kirkus Review)
“When she was a student at Southern Miss, Tena Clark attended a talk that helped change her life. Now she is repaying the favor,” said Dr. Andrew Haley, director of University Forum. “Her story of familial dysfunction, racial bigotry, gay rights, and personal triumph reminds us that generations of Mississippians have transformed hardships into achievements.
“You must hear her story. Just as her life was once changed by a talk here at the university, yours could be too.”
For more information and questions about University Forum, email forumFREEMississippi.