Faith, Integrity, and “Tooth Talk” Help Dental Business Shine By Cynthia Yeldell Anderson NASHVILLE, TN — Nashville dentist Dr. Jacqueline Butler Mitchell, affectionately known as the “Tooth Talk” lady is celebrating 15 years of business ownership of one of the largest and most successful black-owned dental practices in Tennessee. Integrity Dental opened in May 2004 with one staff member and two dental chairs in a 1,000-square-foot space. By 2013, Dr. Mitchell had expanded her practice in Nashville and Smyrna, becoming the first black female general dentist in the state of Tennessee to have three practices open simultaneously. Today, after merging…
Author: Cynthia Anderson
By Cynthia Anderson NASHVILLE, TN — Born out of a need to spread knowledge during Black History Month, United Street Tours has emerged as a popular Nashville attraction thanks to interest from local, national and international tourists. After being open for just one year, the company has seen business grow and is now adding new walking tours and planning to incorporate a black history bus into the tour experience. Chakita Patterson started United Street Tours because while working in education, she found there was an information gap among students who had little to no knowledge about black history. “At school…
Deceased Nashville businessman Charles L. Greenlee receives full pardon 70 years after being wrongfully accused of rape in Florida By Cynthia Anderson NASHVILLE, TN — Carol Greenlee finally has justice for her father. Nearly 70 years ago, Charles L. Greenlee was one of four black men wrongly convicted by an all-white jury of raping a white women in Lake County, FL. The case became known as the Groveland Four (Charles L. Greenlee, Walter Lee Irvin, Samuel Shephard and Earnest Thomas) and has received national attention in recent years inspiring a Pulitzer Prize-winning book and becoming known as one of Florida’s…
Premier Funeral & Cremation Services is an example of women making in-roads in the funeral industry By Cynthia Anderson NASHVILLE, TN — Delbrita Greene is not your traditional funeral director. She is one of a growing number of women entering the mortuary business and on November 30th, 2018 she stepped out on faith and launched her own funeral service. But Greene’s company, Premier Funeral & Cremation Services, won’t follow the traditional funeral home model. Since Greene offers personalized, modern service alongside the comforts of a traditional touch, the funeral services at Premier are appealing to multiple generations. “My thought process is different,”…
By Cynthia Anderson NASHVILLE, TN — A gifted artist and civil rights activist, Joseph Love uses his paintings to give a face and a voice to those unsung African American heroes who history has ignored or forgotten. His collections of original paintings have received international recognition for their focus on unique African American subjects—particularly his prized paintings of African American Formula One race car drivers. “My race car art work sells more around the world,” Love said in reference to his “Black Speed” collection of paintings of Formula One races. Formula One is the highest class of single-seater auto racing…
By Cynthia Anderson NASHVILLE, TN — A referendum that would establish a Community Oversight Board for the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department is on the ballot and groups on both sides are rallying voters to decide its fate. Amendment 1 would establish a Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County Community Oversight Board that would consist of 11 members. The amendment has sparked heated debate and groups are using advertisements and grassroots efforts to reach voters before the November 6th election. Signs urging voters to “Vote for Amendment 1, Community Oversight Board, Accountability Matters,” or “Stand Up for Public Safety, Vote…
By Cynthia Anderson NASHVILLE, TN — D.J. Wootson is helping to change the face of North Nashville with modern apartments, new homes and commercial retail along the Jefferson Street corridor. Through his real estate development company, Titus Young Real Estate LLC, Wootson is purchasing dilapidated properties on Jefferson Street and the surrounding areas, and transforming them into modern housing and commercial leasing space. Wootson’s most high profile project is the former Dixon Capital building at 1821 Jefferson Street which is now home to a Smoothie King and the Jefferson Street Café. The 26,000-square-foot, 4-story building opened in April 2017.…
By Cynthia Anderson NASHVILLE, TN — Local and state tourism officials hope to make Nashville a destination for national and international Civil Rights tourism. In January, six Nashville area locations debuted as part of the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, a collection of churches, courthouses, schools, museums and other landmarks, primarily in the Southern states, where activists challenged segregation in the 1950s and 1960s to advance social justice. The Trail, which uses the theme “What happened here changed the world,” was designed to connect destinations where important events during the Civil Rights Movement occurred with the goal of attracting both national…