Matthew Walker Sr. and Rosetta Miller-Perry

We’re halfway through the tour, and we’ve met so many incredible leaders in North Nashville. So let’s keep going! On this stop, I’m excited to tell you about trailblazers in medicine and journalism. Park behind the Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center, and walk to Jefferson Street. Locate the historical marker in front of the building. 

Dr. Matthew Walker Sr. was born in 1906. In the 1920s, he moved to Nashville to attend Meharry Medical College. After graduating, he joined the medical staff at Hubbard Hospital (now Nashville General Hospital). He served as the Chair of Surgery from 1945 to 1972, shaping many Black physicians' careers. In a 1979 survey, it was determined that half of all Black surgeons in the U.S. had trained under Dr. Walker. In addition, he was also known as the “Ghost Doctor.” Let me explain.

Because of racist policies, Dr. Walker was not allowed to treat White patients, even though he was one of the most talented surgeons in the country. So, White doctors would sedate their patients and sneak in Dr. Walker to perform complex operations. Dr. Walker was also active in the civil rights movement, organizing nonviolent training sessions at Clark Memorial Methodist Church in the 1950s and 1960s.

His son, Matthew Walker Jr., continued his legacy. In 1961, he joined the Freedom Riders. Later that year, Walker and Kwame Lillard integrated a segregated swimming pool at Centennial Park. Walker Jr. was also a labor union leader and lifelong social justice activist.

Dr. Walker Sr. also established the Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center to address health disparities in Nashville’s Black community. He secured a $1.5 million grant, and in 1968, the center opened as the first comprehensive healthcare facility in the South. Relocated to Jefferson Street, the center continues to provide vital care to Nashville's residents, regardless of income or insurance.

Now walk down Jefferson Street to 1501, the headquarters of the Tennessee Tribune, a leading Black-owned newspaper. Founded in 1991 by Rosetta Irvin Miller-Perry, the Tribune began with her personal investment of $70,000 after banks denied her loans. A Memphis State University and Howard University Law School alumna, Miller-Perry worked for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the EEOC for 25 years before starting the Tribune.

In 2000, she moved the Tribune to the historic Universal Insurance Building you see now. The Tennessee Tribune newspaper has over 150,000 readers, aiming to “reach the heart of Tennessee’s Black community.” In 1998, Miller-Perry also established Nashville’s Black Chamber of Commerce, supporting Black entrepreneurs and business owners. 

Wow! What lives and legacies—the Walker family and Rosetta Miller-Perry serve as role models for us all. At our next step we’ll learn about another family that has provided leadership in North Nashville for multiple generations.

Directions: From Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center continue west down Meharry Boulevard, which is the same direction you were traveling before this stop. One block down on your left is the Boyd House, 1601 Meharry Boulevard. You may also choose to walk to the Boyd and then return to your car at Matthew Walker. There is only street parking in front of the Boyd House.