Priscilla Slade, gospel singer?

The day after Priscilla Slade was taken off the school's payroll, the former TSU president got a standing ovation when she was honored at a Juneteenth celebration Sunday night. State Rep. Al Edwards, who organized the event, explained that Slade was being honored for the good things she did at the helm of TSU: "When she took over, that university couldn't do a thing," he said, adding, "When a person is having problems, that's when you pick her up."

The TSU Board of Regents voted unanimously to dismiss Slade on June 7 over reports that she misspent nearly $1 million in university money during her six-plus years as president, including more than $260,000 on landscaping and furnishings for her private home and $650,000 on personal expenses. Slade still has a lawsuit pending against TSU, claiming the university fired her without giving her a proper public hearing (though when the hearing came around earlier this month, Slade didn't attend).

Now it looks like the former president might be headed for a career in gospel music: She burst into song at the Juneteenth event, belting out a bit of the hymn "My Living Won't Be in Vain." But as one bystander noted, that hymn is more commonly heard at funerals — maybe she's not that optimistic after all.