Food and Social Justice Driving

Food is often our first contact with different cultures, and often serves as a medium where cultures and classes intersect. Each stop on the Food and Social Justice Driving Tour represents a space where Nashvillians of various backgrounds meet to socialize, bring attention to needed change, and provide a space where visitors and residents alike can learn more about the people who call this city home.

So, if you are interested in trying out some of the best soul food in Nashville, or its often imitated but never duplicated original Hot Chicken, you are in the right place. If you want to to try authentic jerk chicken, sink your teeth into a burrito, sample hot curry, sip on a Paloma, or learn to salsa dance—then this tour is for you. And for those of you who want fresh lobster, cumin, ramen, collards, breadfruit, yams, papayas, or oxtails—we’ll take you there on this tour. Along the way, you’ll also retrace the steps of young men and women in this city who radically changed how we define democracy and justice in America. 

As you engage the Food and Social Justice Driving Tour, be prepared for a culinary experience that celebrates Nashville’s diverse population and cuisines and pays homage to many of these sites’ histories of spaces of social struggle and change. This tour was written by Dr. Lea Williams, professor of history at Tennessee State University and Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel in collaboration with two Honors classes at Belmont University. I am Dr. José Gonzales, the co-founder of Conexión Américas, an organization that works with refugees and immigrants in Nashville, as well as a professor at Belmont University. I will be your guide as we drive, stop, listen, learn and eat our way through Nashville.

As a reminder, you should not use your phone while driving. For each stop, you can listen from your car or get out, walk around, and enter dining establishments during normal business hours. Directions and parking options are provided at the end of each stop. You can also take this tour virtually from your home or hotel room. And don’t forget: take pictures and tag us on social media @NashvilleSites. So, crank up your car and let’s get started!

Begin the tour at Nashville Public Library, 615 Church Street. You can park in the adjacent garage, entering from 6th or 7th Avenue, and validate your parking ticket for up to 90 minutes free parking. Inside, head upstairs to the second floor and find the Civil Rights Room within Special Collections.