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February is Black History Month, but Nashville has an extensive African-American history that should always be celebrated. From the valiant efforts of the U.S. Colored Troops at the Battle of Nashville, to the works of famed architect Moses McKissack, to the many important "hats" worn by James C. Napier, all around us are significant African-American legacies and sites. Historic communities like Lake Providence and Mount Pisgah, to historic Jefferson Street's music district where Jimi Hendrix and many others beloved musicians played, these are the places that shape the larger narrative of our city. Civil Rights history abounds with stories such as those of Diane Nash, co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and Z. Alexander Looby, a Fisk professor, councilman, and lawyer who is credited with beginning the school desegregation movement in Nashville and providing legal defense of students arrested during the local sit-ins. Four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's) have also made, and continue to make, enormous contributions to the city's history: Meharry Medical College (est. 1876), Tennessee State University (est.1912), American Baptist College (est. 1924), and Fisk University (est.1866), home of the internationally-acclaimed Jubilee Singers. MHC has an African-American historic sites brochure that documents some of the many important places in our midst, and will be hosting the annual African-American Conference on History and Culture in early February.
Registration is still open for the 2018 African-American History and Culture conference. Forms and conference details can be downloaded here. Payment can be made by check (mail to Jessica Reeves at MHC), or made on-site the day of the event. The 37th annual conference will be held Friday, February 9, 2018 at Tennessee State University's Avon Williams Campus. Programming will explore African-American contributions and impacts to Nashville and Tennessee through history, story, and song under the theme "A Panoramic View of African-American History in Nashville and Tennessee."
Presentations will cover a wide range of African-American history in Nashville and Tennessee. Some of the talks include: "Researching and Preserving Nashville's Early Black History: from the Hermitage to Fort Negley," "Finding Toussaint L'Ouverture in Tennessee," "James Carroll Napier: Uplifting a Race, 1845-1940," and "The Impact of HBCU-Educated African-Americans in Small Rural Communities." The TSU Meistersingers will also provide a musical performance near the end of the program.
Please join us for this informative and engaging event!
MHC staff completed a third day of architectural survey in Joelton at the end of January. One of the most high-style and intact buildings documented is the St. Lawrence Catholic Church on Clarksville Pike, just across from a vacant Art Deco filling station and a mid-century community center. Survey efforts have also uncovered and documented several rural cemeteries in Joelton, most of which are abandoned but retain markers with inscriptions dating as old as the early 1800s.
The Historical Marker Project continues, as topics for Council District 1,2 and 4 have recently been approved for the following topics: District 1-Paradise Ridge, home to the Joelton Air Force station, 1956-1961; District 2-Riverside Sanitarium (Nashville Colored Sanitarium), established in 1901 as the first Black Seventh-Day Adventist medical facility in Nashville; District 4-May-Granbery House and Alford Cemetery, built c. 1800 by Dr. Francis May, physician to Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans. MHC staff continue to meet with council members to select and research potential marker topics. The process in currently underway with council districts 5-9.
 ***Correction*** In the January 2018 newsletter, the source of funding for the Penny Campbell marker should have read that funding was provided by Penny's family, who wanted to recognize her significant contributions to civil rights and LGBT history in Nashville. If you have not yet had a chance to visit the marker, located on McEwan Ave., here are some additional photos from the dedication ceremony.
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 Formed in 2012, the Metro Historical Commission Foundation supports the mission of the MHC through fundraising, partnerships, community engagement and supportive programs and activities, including the Old House Fair, Preservation Awards and the Nashville Conference on African-American History and Culture. The Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 organization with 15 Board Members, in addition to Ex-Officio Board Member and MHC Executive Director, Tim Walker. The MHC Foundation accepts online donations to help fund projects that otherwise could not be addressed, like training and historical markers, and their online store includes books, maps and other historical-themed items available for purchase.
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Historic Nashville Inc. hosted their annual membership meeting on January 25 at the Fort Negley Visitors Center. Dozens of members attended, with Kix Brooks as the keynote speaker, who rallied the crowd with rousing remarks and support for HNI's role in the preservation efforts at Fort Negley. Jenn Harrman mentioned the recently-released archaeology study by TVAR, which accounted for the likely presence of human remains on site and led to the withdrawl of the Cloud Hill Partnership's development proposal of the former Greer Stadium site. HNI will continue to advocate for music industry properties in Nashville, among other important historic resources.
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On January 5, HNI also announced their newest preservation easement for the Betty Nixon house near Hillsboro Village. This protective tool will prevent demolition from occurring at this significant property. Betty Nixon was a former Metro Councilwoman for District 18 (1975-1987) and ardent preservation advocate, who ran twice for mayor of Nashville. The 1925 Colonial-Revival house served as the headquarters for her political campaigns. Located at 1607 18th Avenue South, the house represents an important aspect of local women's history.
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 Fort Negley's Art Crawl events are part of the Arts & Music in Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood art crawl. On February 3 from 6-9 p.m., they will host a WeHome Podcast listening party and recording session. WeHome Podcast is a collaboration between
Wedgewood-Houston's Seed Space art gallery and the Metropolitan Nashville
Planning Department. Each episode features a conversation between two neighbors
from the rapidly changing Wedgewood-Houston and Chestnut Hill neighborhoods. At
our February event, participants will be able to listen to WeHome episodes,
meet some of the individuals featured, and have a chance to be a part of a
future podcast. For more information, visit www.wehomepodcast.org.
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The Hermitage--Music of Africa--February 1
Cumberland River Compact--"Mysterious Ruins on the Water: Stories of Tunnels and Other Curiosities"--February 1
Bellevue History & Genealogy Group--Bellevue Y, FiftyForward J.L. Turner Center--East Tennessee Bridge Burners----February 2; Brentwood Library Archaeology Project--February 9; Governors of Tennessee--February 16
Main Library--Researching African-American Family History and Genealogy--February 3
Edmundson Pike Library--Retelling History with Historic Photographs--February 7
Nashville Conference on African-American History and Culture--February 9
TSU Avon Williams Center--Spiritual Songs: Music that Built a Nation--February 10
Chinese New Year Celebration at Hillsboro Village--February 10
Centennial Park--Live Music Event to Recognize African-American History Month with Guest Speaker--February 10
Historic Structures in Warner Park and Beyond--February 17
First Amendment Center--A Journey Through Slavery at the Whitney Plantation: Lecture
with Dr. Ibrahima Seck--February 17
Lane Motor Museum--Exhibit: Bicentennial of the Bicycle--starts February 23
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts--Curator's Perspective: the Reach of Rome,Then and Now--February 23
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts--Slavery,
the Prison Industrial Complex: Photographs by Keith Calhoun and Chandra
McCormick--February 23 thru May 28
The Hermitage Church--Black History Month Memorial Service--February 24
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