Bold and fearless leaders helped to progress the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, many of whom were students at one of Nashville's four Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU). In February, we celebrate Black History Month and look at the leadership that helped to form the current Nashville we know today.
The 1960s Civil Rights Movement made progress thanks, in part, to leaders in Nashville, many of whom were students at one of the city’s four Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU). These activists stood up for equal rights at a time when the stance put them in danger.
The Metro Historical Commission Foundation recently launched Nashville Sites, a set of digital resources that offer informative tours you can take on your phone or tablet. The tours are based on scholarly research at a variety of historic sites around town. Take advantage of this free new resource during Black History Month to learn more about Nashville’s Civil Rights history. These guides help you find and understand the more than 200 Metro, state and federal historic markers around town. We recommend these three Nashville Site tours for Black History Month in February or any time you just want to learn more about Music City from a trusted source.
1. Leadership in North Nashville. This tour is designed as a 4.5-mile driving route that should take about 90 minutes. Fisk University Professor Dr. James Pratt Jr. will tell you about both the past and present community leaders associated with North Nashville. This traditionally Black area of town was a thriving center of music and commerce until the construction of the Interstate cut it off from downtown in the 1960s. This route begins at the Nashville Farmers Market and ends at the Ted Rhodes Golf Course.
2. Civil Rights Sit-ins. Focused on the non-violent protests by students who wanted to integrate lunch counters in downtown Nashville (and across the country), this tour includes 1 mile of walking, just blocks from the Bobby Nashville Hotel. Narrated by Fisk University professor Linda Wynn, it starts at Church Street and Sixth Avenue North and ends at Rosa L. Parks Boulevard and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
3. Fisk University and Meharry Medical College. This 2-mile tour covers the campuses of two of the country’s most prestigious HBCU campuses. Spend two hours listening to Brandon A. Owens, Sr., Director of Library Services at Fisk University, talk about the important role these schools played in Black Nashville and beyond. The route starts in front of Livingstone Hall on Jackson Street and ends on Albion Street.
