Every June, we gather to celebrate Juneteenth. We celebrate freedom delayed but not denied. We remember June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Texas finally learned of their freedom more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued. Juneteenth is a celebration, but it is also a season of reflection. Did you know that Historic Jefferson Street was named after Thomas Jefferson? For generations, Jefferson Street has been one of the cultural, economic, educational, and spiritual centers of Black Nashville. Yet the street carries the name of a man whose legacy remains deeply complicated. Thomas Jefferson wrote…
Author: Howard E. Jones Jr.
There is a sound that cannot be heard with the ears. It does not thunder across the sky. It does not roar through city streets. Yet it has the power to shape governments, alter history, weaken communities, and determine the future of generations. It is the sound of silence. Not the silence of our enemies. Not the silence of strangers. But the silence of our friends. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. understood this silence better than most. While America often remembers the hatred he confronted, King repeatedly expressed disappointment with those who claimed to support justice but remained silent…
The price of gas is more than a number on a sign. It is a story—a story of decisions made far away but felt right here at home. Every time we pull up to the pump, we are not just buying fuel—we are paying for policy, conflict, and economics we did not create but cannot escape. For some, gas is an inconvenience. For others, it is a burden. It is the difference between getting to work or calling out, between taking your child where they need to go or staying home. What happens across the world does not stay there.…
Sometimes the loudest decisions in America are not heard in shouting — but in restraint. This week the Supreme Court, by a 6–3 ruling, reminded the nation of an old boundary drawn not in ink alone, but in revolution: the power to tax belongs to the representatives of the people, not to the urgency of a single office. The Court did not debate whether tariffs are wise. It decided who may decide them. And that difference matters all the way down to Jefferson Street, Nolensville Pike, Antioch, Bordeaux, Madison, and the storefronts of North Nashville. Because tariffs are never abstract…
In the midst of a brutal winter ice storm gripping Nashville, the cries of neglected citizens echo louder than the howling wind. Joseph Love, a concerned resident and local advocate, shared a harrowing message that underscores a growing concern for leadership and accountability. “Councilman Jason Spain, I’ve left multiple messages with your office—our residents have been without power for over a week, and not once have you checked to see if they’re even alive. You know I’m alive because I’ve been calling, yet my calls go unanswered. We need help now, and your refusal to assist is unacceptable. Let the…
It is my honor to produce this column, flavored with love and thanks. I am also very grateful to have served as the senior pastor of Fairfield Missionary Baptist Church for 33 years. Each decade, year, month, week, and day has enriched my life and lifted my soul. I have officiated weddings, attended baby showers, and seen those babies become adults in the church. I have buried loved ones and consoled families more times than I can recall. Yet, through it all, I have been surrounded by a congregation that has grown in love and grace. It has been my…
By Pastor Howard E. Jones, Jr. There are many who are purposed to serve — serve the people, serve the community, serve the nation and the world. They have an innate ability to give of themselves willingly and tirelessly, without hesitation. Mother Theresa lived a life of poverty so she could help others. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., strived to free African Americans from societal bondage, working with many others such as Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Medgar Evers, Fannie and Lou Hamer, and soldiers like Rep. John Lewis and Julian Bond, among many others. There are pastors, business people, elected…