MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Civil rights icon and author Ruby Bridges will headline the 9th Annual Ruby Bridges Reading Festival on Aug. 1 at the National Civil Rights Museum. The free, family-friendly event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and celebrates reading, diversity and community through storytelling, interactive activities and educational experiences designed for children from pre-K through elementary school. Bridges, author of I Am Ruby Bridges, will be joined by Bellen Woodard, author of Ballet Brown, and author-illustrator Nikkolas Smith, whose book A Change is Gonna Come explores themes of hope and social change. All three authors…
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Mother Rosetta Miller-Perry was far more than a pioneering businesswoman, publisher, and advocate for our community, she was my Nashville mother. She was a trusted voice, a wise counselor, and a faithful friend whose wisdom and encouragement helped shape my life and ministry. She dedicated her life to protecting our narrative, uplifting our people, and fighting for justice with uncommon courage and unwavering conviction. Whether standing before presidents or serving everyday people, she led with integrity, compassion, and grace. Her life reminds us that true greatness is measured by the lives we impact, not the titles we hold. I will…
By Jackie Hampton and Wiley Henry NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Although she received more than 500 local, state, and national honors for her extraordinary contributions to publishing, journalism, civil rights, education, and for her support of economic empowerment within Nashville’s African American business community, Rosetta (Irvin) Miller-Perry sought only to help others succeed in life. Miller-Perry was smart, relentless and unwavering in her pursuit of excellence while reaching the pinnacle of success. She was a preeminent newspaper publisher, entrepreneur, business owner, advocate, and a warrior for justice. On Friday, June 26, she rested from her labor. She was 91. Though hearts…
NASHVILLE, TN — The music of Prince has universal appeal, and an upcoming program at the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) features his work in a unique fashion. “Rock N Roll Playhouse: Little Royals – A Prince Celebration” honors his legacy through an interactive concert experience. It’s an event especially designed for children and families. The program features a live band performing Prince-inspired favorites while encouraging singing, dancing, and creative movement. It helps introduce young audiences to Prince’s work and is also a good way for parents to introduce them to the museum and its repository of exhibits…
NASHVILLE — Vonda McDaniel, a longtime labor leader whose advocacy for workers made her one of Tennessee’s most influential voices in the labor movement, died Tuesday in Nashville. She was 60. The cause of death has not been released. The Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, which represents more than 40 labor unions across the region, announced her passing. McDaniel had served as the council’s president since 2013 and was widely recognized for championing workers’ rights and economic opportunity throughout Middle Tennessee. A Nashville native, McDaniel graduated from McGavock High School before earning her degree from Tennessee State…
NASHVILLE — Severe weather forced organizers to cancel the remainder of the first day of Nashville’s expanded Fourth of July celebration Friday after thunderstorms, lightning and heavy rain moved through downtown. The two-day Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th celebration began shortly before noon, drawing residents and visitors for live entertainment and family activities despite extreme heat and the threat of storms. Weather conditions deteriorated during the afternoon as scattered thunderstorms moved into the area around 2 p.m., prompting temporary pauses in activities. Organizers announced about 5 p.m. that the rest of Friday’s festivities had been canceled because of…
NASHVILLE — Nashville’s Fourth of July celebration will feature the largest fireworks show in the city’s history, highlighted by a 1,000-drone display and the debut of the largest fireworks shells ever launched in Music City. The Fireworks and Drone Show, presented by Crav’n Flavor®, will fill more of the sky above the Cumberland River than ever before. For the first time, the display will include 12-inch shells, which are more than three times larger in volume and weight than the 8-inch shells used in previous years. Each shell weighs more than 20 pounds, rises approximately 1,200 feet into the air…
A University President’s Fight for Half a Billion Dollars Owed — And the State’s Actions to Avoid Payment NASHVILLE, Tenn., — Dr. Glenda Glover, former President of Tennessee State University (TSU), has released a compelling new book, How Dare You, a firsthand account of the years-long battle to secure equitable funding for TSU and the State’s efforts to avoid paying the university hundreds of millions of dollars in underfunding owed under federal law. Drawing on legislative records, state and federal documentation, and research conducted by TSU, Dr. Glover details how the State of Tennessee—by its own internal analysis—determined it had underfunded…