NASHVILLE, TN — Rev. Venita Lewis moved to Nashville from Texas in the mid-eighties. She moved to the city to pursue a career in country music. She connected with Carlos Bailey, the late great country artist, in 1985. On June 19, 1985, Rev. Lewis asked Carlos Bailey, “Did the black community celebrate Juneteenth in the city of Nashville?” “What is Juneteenth?” Bailey asked. Rev. Lewis explained to him that it was the date that Texas slaves were freed two years later under the Emancipation Proclamation. She discussed with him that freedom finally came to Texas on June 19, 1865, when…
Author: TN Tribune Staff Writer
NASHVILLE — Head coaches at Tennessee State University have submitted a vote of no confidence in Athletic Director Dr. Mikki Allen, citing concerns about the athletics department’s direction, leadership, communication and operational management. In a May 28 letter addressed to President Dwayne Tucker and the Tennessee State University Board of Trustees, the coaches said the action was not taken lightly and was driven by concerns about the development, safety and success of student-athletes. “As Head Coaches entrusted with the development, safety, and success of our student-athletes, we believe it is our responsibility to express serious concerns regarding the current direction,…
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Meharry Medical College dedicated a historical marker Thursday recognizing the contributions of former president Dr. Lloyd C. Elam during a ceremony held outside the Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center. Elam served as Meharry’s sixth president from 1968 to 1981 and played a key role in the institution’s development as an academic health sciences center. His leadership also helped expand mental and behavioral health services for underserved populations. Named in his honor, the Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center provides a range of services, including inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care, addiction treatment, behavioral health programs and specialized…
NASHVILLE, TN — State Sen. Charlane Oliver says she will not be intimidated after receiving a letter from Lt. Gov. Randy McNally outlining disciplinary actions related to her protest against Tennessee’s congressional redistricting maps. In a statement released Thursday, Oliver characterized the measures as retaliation for speaking out against what she described as racially discriminatory maps. “Yesterday afternoon, I received a letter from Lt. Governor Randy McNally outlining punitive measures against me for standing up — quite literally — for the people of Tennessee,” Oliver said. Oliver argued that Tennessee Republicans “made the unprecedented decision to break state law and…
NASHVILLE, TN — Novella M. Page, a 1960s Civil Rights activist, was honored at her home church on Sunday, May 17, during the Lay Day Service. Because of her daring spirit and commitment to justice during her high school years, she and her twin sister, Christella, slipped downtown, to participate in the non-violent Sit-Ins at the Woolworth Department Store in downtown Nashville. Their parents did not know. “At that time, I felt that I was a part of a movement that will make a difference in the way we were being treated at food establishments. Page was surprised by the…
KNOXVILLE — Roots: The Saga of an American Family, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alex Haley that helped shape public understanding of slavery and inspired generations of Americans to trace their ancestry, has been banned from library shelves in Knox County Schools under Tennessee’s Age-Appropriate Materials Act. Knox County Schools spokeswoman Carly Harrington confirmed the district recently added Roots to its list of banned books after the work was reviewed under Tennessee’s 2022 law, which broadly prohibits school library materials containing nudity, sexual abuse, sexual content or “excessive violence.” “As a district, we recognize the immense cultural and historical significance…
NASHVILLE, TN — Antioch has become one of the most visible centers of Latino life in Middle Tennessee, where business corridors, bilingual churches and community organizations have developed into a tightly connected support network for a rapidly growing population. Along Murfreesboro Pike, Bell Road and surrounding neighborhoods, Latino residents have helped reshape the area’s cultural and economic identity through entrepreneurship, faith communities and local services. Small Latino-owned businesses are a defining feature of Antioch’s commercial landscape, particularly in everyday service industries. Along Murfreesboro Pike, stores such as Super Mercado Latina and La Hacienda Market serve as grocery and household staples…
A packed house filled TPAC’s Polk Theater as Sister Act took the stage, delivering a high-energy performance that kept the audience engaged from start to finish. From the opening moments, the production established a lively tone, blending masterful vocals, humor and entertaining choreography. Presented by Nashville Repertory Theatre as part of Nashville’s vibrant theater scene, Sister Act is a high-energy musical comedy inspired by the 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, featuring music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater. The story centers on Deloris Van Cartier, an aspiring singer whose life takes an unexpected turn when she witnesses a…
MEMPHIS, TN – For nearly a year, Wiley Henry, a contributing writer for The Tennessee Tribune and an award-winning journalist, worked in his home art studio to turn out 14 new oil paintings to add to the overall collection of 30 paintings and drawings that are now on exhibition in the East Gallery at Crosstown Arts in Memphis. Titled “Shades of Heritage,” the journalist, author, photographer, and visual artist was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of family, friends, and art enthusiasts who came out to support the artist during the opening of his art exhibition on Friday, March 13. “I…
Few cases in American legal history are as unusual or as significant as United States v. Shipp (1909). It remains the only time the U.S. Supreme Court conducted a full criminal trial, and the circumstances surrounding it reflected the racial tensions and mob violence that were common in parts of the country during the early 20th century. The case also established an important precedent about the power of federal courts to enforce their orders when local authorities fail to do so. The events that led to the case began in 1906 in Chattanooga. Ed Johnson, a Black laborer, was arrested…