By Ashley Benkarski NASHVILLE, TN — The legendary Fisk Jubilee Singers are continuing to honor African American history with their Spring Sing concert, performing March 8 at 7:30 p.m. with jazz singer Ledisi at Ryman Auditorium to perform their choral renditions of Negro spirituals. The Singers will be led by Fisk Musical Director Dr. Paul T. Kwami, who will be joined by award-winning producer Shannon Sanders as co-musical director. Proceeds will contribute to the Singers’ Endowed Scholarship Fund, an endeavor that will ensure the legacy of the foundational contributions of the original ensemble. In the 1800s the Fisk Jubilee Singers…
Author: Ashley Benkarski
By Ashley Benkarski NASHVILLE, TN — The last standing structure of downtown Nashville’s Black Business District, the Morris Memorial Building, is in the process of being sold to developers who plan to turn it into a boutique hotel, said sources close to the sale. Now part of a Metro Historical Commission walking tour of the Capital City, the building sits on what was once Commercial Hotel, an establishment that operated a slave market on its grounds before the Civil War. The city’s Black Business District itself pre-dates its Depression-era counterpart which saw the construction of the Morris Memorial Building; free…
By Ashley Benkarski NASHVILLE, TN — Parker Toler is running to keep his role as Davidson County Trustee in the forthcoming election. Toler was appointed to the position with tremendous support in June last year when long-time Trustee Charlie Cardwell passed away. He worked with Metro Water Services for 35 years before serving two terms on Metro Council and was ready to take on the Trustee position. During his tenure Toler has been a vocal advocate of tax relief and tax freeze programs for seniors, engaging in outreach within the community to educate people on options available to help relieve…
By Ashley Benkarski NASHVILLE, TN — Smith County native and Nashville attorney Tillman Payne, III will be on the ballot for 20th District Criminal Court, Division IV Judge in this year’s election. Payne is running against Judge Jennifer Smith, who was appointed to the bench last year by Gov. Bill Haslam before he left office. Though presiding over a courtroom would be new for Payne, he said he’s confident in his experience and ability to transition into the role. A graduate of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Payne received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture. He earned his Master’s in…
By Ashley Benkarski NASHVILLE, TN— One of Nashville’s earliest and most influential African American entrepreneurs, Kossie “K” Gardner, Sr. was honored Jan. 9 for his dedication to historic Jefferson Street with a legacy dating back a century. The former ‘pocket park’ located directly across from his family business, K. Gardner Funeral Home, 1511 Jefferson St., will preserve his contributions to the community which included the creation of the Bordeaux African American Gold Coast and the first motorized ambulatory service in the Nashville area. The Gold Coast was the first black subdivision in Nashville. His granddaughter, Keisha Gardner-Beard, operates her grandfather’s…
Parent Group speaks out on accusations of radical teachings at Lipscomb By Ashley Benkarski NASHVILLE, TN — A parent group at Lipscomb Academy has accused the school’s first Dean of Intercultural Development, Brittany Paschall, of racist “indoctrination” for teaching students about white privilege and other issues, prompting an opposing peer group to publicly dispute the claims against her. Paschall, a black woman, took the position last June. Screenshots provided by the concerned parent of a black student wishing to remain anonymous fearing backlash show John Rich of country duo Big & Rich advocating the removal of several school staff…
By Ashley Benkarski NASHVILLE, TN — Bone McAllester Norton’s 19th annual MLK Breakfast held Mon., Jan. 20 at the Tennessee State Museum brought together Cyntoia Brown-Long and Judge Richard Dinkins for a conversation centered on hope, forgiveness and justice, drawing over 1,000 civic and community leaders, the largest number of attendees in its history. Brown-Long is a former sex-trafficking victim who was tried for murder, sentenced to life as a teenager and eventually set free by former Governor Bill Haslam last year after the law firm took her case. Hers is an extraordinary story of survival and redemption in the…
By Ashley Benkarski NASHVILLE, TN — Patricia Moskal is running unopposed in this year’s retention election for Chancery Court Judge, Part I. Moskal was appointed to the position by former Governor Bill Haslam last year to replace Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman, who retired. She has been in the area since 1985 and worked in private practice until her appointment. A graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law and Indiana University-Bloomington Chancellor Moskal brings over three decades of private practice legal experience to the bench, having served as a litigation and appellate attorney in cases involving business and commercial disputes,…
By Ashley Benkarski MURFREESBORO, TN — Organizers of the Tennessee Women’s March made a bold decision to move the annual event from Nashville’s Public Square Park to the streets of downtown Murfreesboro Sat., Jan. 18. Though rainy weather derailed some planned activities people still attended planned training sessions with organizers and congregated at The Walnut House, 116 Walnut St., to move indoors while others marched to Murfreesboro’s Civic Plaza. The move is an attempt at rural voter outreach, a demographic that could be critical to Democrats’ plan to end the 12-year-long state power trifecta Republicans currently hold. Metropolitan districts such…
By Ashley Benkarski NASHVILLE, TN — Judge Jennifer Smith is vying to keep her position as 20th District Criminal Court Divison IV Judge, an appointment she received in 2018 from then-Governor Bill Haslam. Smith will face off against challenger Tillman Payne, who joined the race in December. “I can say I would put my qualifications and experience against anyone,” she said, noting that the rigorous application process she went through is testament to her ability as it covers her background and qualifications, and that application is available to Davidson County residents online. Because Payne didn’t go through that process, she…