North Nashville Leadership Driving

Welcome to the North Nashville Community Leaders Tour! From its early days, Nashville has been home to a remarkable Black and African American community that has shaped national politics, religion, and culture. From the founding of the first Black bank, the development of nonviolent protests, or the early careers of Jimi Hendrix or Oprah Winfrey, this city has seen generations of Black excellence. 

On this driving tour, we’ll journey through time and place. I’m excited to introduce to you historical change makers and trailblazers. Our adventure will also connect the past to the present, and we’ll learn about some of today’s North Nashville leaders. 

I’m Dr. James Pratt Jr., an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Fisk University and co-professor in the Fisk-Belmont collaborative course. This tour was written by Dr. Kayleigh Whitman and made possible through a Metro Participatory Grant with funding from the American Rescue Plan. Students and faculty from the Fisk-Belmont Social Justice Collaborative also contributed. 

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 buildings and campuses if open to the public. Directions and parking options are provided at the end of each stop. This tour begins at Nashville’s Farmer’s Market. Every day of the week you can find amazing food, places to shop, and often times you’ll catch some live music. 

So, let’s head to 900 Rosa L. Parks Blvd. and get this party started. Don’t forget to take pictures and tag us on social media @NashvilleSites.