Farmer's Market and Nashville Black Market

For our first stop, I’m going to turn the mic over to longtime Nashville resident Joyce Searcy, who is a leader in her own right. Joyce take it away.

I’m Joyce Espy Searcy, and I was an undergraduate student at Fisk University and taught at Fisk University, and now I’m at Belmont University.

The Nashville Farmer’s Market is a cool spot to catch a meal, listen to live music, and shop for local produce and other goods. But back in the early 1970s, students from Fisk University, Meharry Medical College, and Tennessee State University participated in a shop-in at the Farmer’s Market grocery store on two successive Saturdays to protest the fact that the grocery store would only hire Black people to sack groceries. Rev. Amos Jones, pastor of Westwood Baptist Church provided his Volkswagen bus for the students’ shop-in shifts.

Students put perishables and frozen items in the bottom of the carts then loaded the carts before going to the cashier where they gave excuses for why they couldn’t pay— left wallets in the car, etc. After a time, legitimate customers also abandoned their carts. The store lost about $45,000 over the two-week period, and as a result hired the first Black cashiers.

Thank you Joyce! Now we’re going to learn about an incredible grassroots initiative called the Nashville Black Market. It began in 2019 when local entrepreneurs Carlos Partee, Javvon Jones, and Eric Brown created a local event for Black-owned businesses to sell their products. It started small but quickly became a thriving hub for commerce and community.

Held monthly at the Nashville Farmers Market on 900 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard, the Nashville Black Market has something for everyone—from handmade crafts and clothing to gourmet food and music. From 2020-2023 the market brought over $3 million to local businesses. But it gets even better. In 2024, the founders launched the National Black Market, expanding the Nashville model to other cities like Atlanta, Detroit, and Chicago. 

Co-founder and co-owner Carlos Partee stated: “The mission remains to create a vibrant, culturally rich marketplace that brings people together.” So, what are you waiting for? Support local business and entrepreneurship. Go to their website, check the events page, and plan your visit! Also consider taking our Food and Social Justice tour on Nashville Sites to learn more about the Farmer’s Market.

PS- If you have time, walk next door to the Tennessee State Museum, which features many stories about Black leadership in Nashville and throughout the state. Admission is free. 

Directions: 

From the Farmer’s Market parking lot, turn LEFT onto Rosa L. Parks Blvd at the stop light. Turn RIGHT onto Reverend Kelly M. Smith Ave. Then take a LEFT onto Nelson Merry Street. You can park in front of the church or in the Tennessee state lot across the street.