By Austin Newell NASHVILLE, TN — About two weeks ago, AAPA, an organization made up of thousands of Physician Associates (PAs), held a national conference at the Music City Center in Nashville. One of the talks given was on the subject of eliminating race-based practices in clinical medicine, headed up by PAs Kara L Caruthers, Susan LeLacheur, and Howard Straker. The three, who gave a presentation on the same topic last year and received a standing ovation, charge that many systems and lines of thinking within the medical community are racially biased. From the way a doctor looks at your…
Author: Austin Newell
By Austin Newell NASHVILLE, TN — If you’ve ever paid any amount of attention to Nashville’s nonprofit scene, you’ve more likely than not heard the name Hal Cato. Hal Cato was raised in Nashville, and he’s lived there almost his whole life. He got his start in commercial real estate in the city, and during that time got interested in volunteering. “I was looking for a good way to give back…The only thing I could find was meals on wheels, and started delivering meals on wheels, and then I started recruiting friends to do it.” Since then Cato has become…
By Austin Newell NASHVILLE, TN — Dorena Williamson has made a name for herself in recent years as an acclaimed children’s book author, penning books such as “The Story of Juneteenth” and her most recent and 8th book, “I Know Who I Am,” which was released earlier last month. What is unique about Williamson’s books is the extent to which they focus on race. It’s this subject matter that drew her into writing in the first place, specifically after the death of figures like Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, which highlighted for many the extent of racial injustice in the…
By Austin Newell NASHVILLE, TN — Last Saturday, Fisk University unveiled its newest building, the Roland Parrish Career Planning and Development Center. The two-story building aims to provide students of the Historically Black University with better career opportunities. It was funded by and named after Roland Parish, CEO of Parrish Restaurants. Parrish is no stranger to philanthropy. Previously the CEO gave $2 million to renovate a library at Purdue University, of which he is an alumni. Parrish also aided in the construction of a medical clinic in Fort Portal, Uganda, which he named after his parents, John and Marie Parrish.…
By Austin Newell NASHVILLE, TN — In a zoom meeting on April 6th, Various Gun Reform Activists as well as Government Officials discussed the issues Tennessee is facing regarding Gun violence. The meeting came a week after the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, where three children and three adults were killed. Since the shooting, it has been revealed that the individual who carried out the attacks used two guns that were legally bought by the shooter in the state of Tennessee. One of these weapons, the AR-15, has been the subject of frequent debate due to its use in 10…
By Austin Newell NASHVILLE, TN — After an historic expulsion vote earlier this month, Rep. Justin Jones has been reinstated to the Tennessee House. The expulsion, which came after Jones was joined by Reps. Gloria Johnson and Justin Pearson in the well to protest for gun reform, was decried by many as a severe punishment for what amounted to a breach of house decorum. When a member is expelled, a vote must be held by the council of the county the representative represented to appoint a replacement. It had been heavily implied before the vote that Jones would be…
By Austin Newell NASHVILLE, TN — Tennessee lawmakers made a historic and polarizing decision last Thursday, expelling two state representatives from office. The move comes from Republican House members after Rep. Gloria Johnson, Rep. Justin Jones, and Rep. Justin Pearson stood in the well of the chamber and joined the protests of those in the gallery on Friday for gun reform following the Covenant school shooting last month. The vote to expel was postponed to Thursday, where more protestors reconvened at the capitol grounds at 7:00 am. This time though, they were not just protesting gun violence but the vote…
By Austin Newell NASHVILLE, TN — Chewy, an online realtor that specializes in pet products, is opening a new fulfillment center close to Nashville. The new facility, located at 1281 Couchville Pike, Mt. Juliet, TN, is nearly 700,000 square feet, and fully automated. It’s also Chewy’s first fulfillment center in the state, and the 14th in the country. “We’re excited to be part of the Middle Tennessee region because of its strong labor market and the geographical opportunity it offers for us to further extend our nationwide delivery network.” Said Mike Stevens, vice president of HR fulfillment and supply chain…
By Austin Newell NASHVILLE, TN — Beneath a memorial of several stones in the shape of a drinking gourd on the land of Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage estate, lies the remains of 60 individuals, ranging from as young as one year and up to 45 years old. The Hermitage found themselves in the possession of these remains after they were found at a neighboring slave cemetery. Upon learning the slaves had a history with Rachel Jackson’s family, the wife of Andrew Jackson, the Hermitage agreed to become the final resting place for these remains. Since the memorial’s completion, the Hermitage has…
By Austin Newell NASHVILLE, TN — It’s no question that to most, music is what gives Nashville its identity. It’s also why, in celebration of Black History Month, BNA is hosting a variety of performances from African American artists across the Metropolitan area. This is BNA’s 7th year hosting the event. So far, three performances have already been played, but travelers coming and going from Nashville on the 24th between noon and 2pm can still expect to be greeted with a cacophony of sounds from The 474 Band, featuring PMRnB. The event is free to attend. Outside of Black History…