NASHVILLE, TN — United Street Tours presents the “Secret Network of Women in Civil Rights Tour,” a Nashville walking tour about women civil rights leaders. This walking tour shines a light on Nashville as a historically rich city with strong ties to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Organized by Chakita Patterson, the founder of United Street Tours, the walking tour will launch January 18, 2020 and January 20, 2020 at 10:00 AM as a Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemorative event, through October 31, 2020.
The tour will spotlight extraordinary women such as Diane Nash, Gloria Mckissack, Mary “Salynn” McCollum, Patricia-Jenkins-Armstrong, and Elizabeth McClain. These women sacrificed and fought non-violently to make Nashville not only a diverse city but also an inclusive city for all regardless of cultural background. The story that resonates most is Diane Nash’s interaction with Mayor Ben West and 1960 which served as a tipping point in the fight to desegregate Nashville’s lunch counter. She approached the mayor asking him “do you feel it is wrong to discriminate against a person solely on the basis of their race or color?” This question presented him with a very critical opportunity to address persistent issues such as racial discrimination and positive elements such as inclusion.
“As a black female founder, it is deeply important to me to recognize other women in the community who have made a huge impact in the past and women who are making an impact in Nashville today,” says Chakita Patterson. “The tour sparks conversations about social issues and enhances the narrative about historically marginalized groups including women and African-Americans.”
United Street Tours is a Nashville tour company. Founded February 2018, it showcases the hidden history of Nashville that educates, informs, and inspires.
We invite members of the media to join us on tour,the tour information is below. Interviews and photo opportunities are available upon request by emailing Chakita@UnitedStreetTours.com.
Tour Information
Date: Saturday, January 18, 2020, Time: 10:00 AM
Starting Point: Nashville Public Library | Downtown Nashville, 615 Church St, Nashville, TN. We will meet outside by the front door. Ending Point: Woolworth on 5th, 221 5th Ave N.