Dr. Candice Storey Lee Addresses GPS Students in Powerful MLK Day Assembly

Girls Preparatory School welcomed Dr. Candice Storey Lee, Vanderbilt University’s vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director, to campus today for a special MLK Day assembly focused on leadership, courage, and the ongoing pursuit of justice.

Speaking to the full student body, Dr. Lee reflected on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the responsibility of young leaders to recognize both progress and persistent inequities. “Even though it ultimately cost him his life, Dr. King wanted all people to be valued,” Dr. Lee said. “He didn’t want people to be dismissed or devalued simply because of the color of their skin or their gender. He believed in equality and justice and begged others to see that each of us is worthy.”

Dr. Lee emphasized the importance of commemorating MLK Day not only as a celebration, but as a call to action. “It’s important that we not just celebrate, but we recognize unjust obstacles and social patterns,” she said. “That we recognize them when we see them and then we work together to dismantle them.”

Throughout her remarks, Dr. Lee spoke candidly about her own journey as a Black woman in a male-dominated field, including the scrutiny she faced after becoming Vanderbilt’s first female athletic director and the first Black woman to lead an SEC athletics program. “It can be very hard for some people to accept what they have not seen,” she said. “And this is why representation for us matters so much.”

Dr. Lee also addressed the misconception of “colorblindness,” encouraging students to recognize and appreciate differences rather than erase them. “I really do want you to see a Black woman when you look at me,” she said. “I’m really proud of that … The idea is not to erase what you see when you view someone. It’s to accept and to appreciate who they are, just as they are.”

A significant portion of Dr. Lee’s talk honored Teresa Lawrence Phillips, a GPS alumna, current trustee, and trailblazer in collegiate athletics. Phillips was one of the first Black students at GPS and the first Black women’s basketball player in Vanderbilt history. “Someone has to be first and then allow others to follow,” Dr. Lee said. “I’m here because of Teresa, literally and figuratively.”

Dr. Lee connected Phillips’ story to Dr. King’s legacy, noting that progress often comes with responsibility and resistance. “There’s an awesome responsibility and opportunity … that comes with being the first to have a seat at the table,” she said. “You get a chance to provide perspective that’s been missing.”

During a Q&A session with students, Dr. Lee offered practical advice on resilience, mental health, and leadership. When asked about overcoming adversity, she said, “Overcoming adversity is really about learning what you can learn and then deciding that it’s not going to define you.”

She encouraged students not to let comparison undermine their confidence, noting that “our mental health suffers when we get so wrapped up in things we can’t control or things that we think define us when they really shouldn’t.”

Dr. Lee closed her remarks by expressing confidence in the next generation. “Your generation is the most diverse, most conscientious, most active, most empathetic group that we’ve seen,” she said. “You give me hope.”

Addressing students directly, she added, “Remember that you’re our future leaders … you don’t have to do it all at once. You just be the best person that you can be each day and make your own unique contribution in the world.”