Nashville, Tennessee – Tennessee has 14 sites on the US Civil Rights Trail. The state is home to famous writers, music legends and talented photographers.
Learn their stories at these 10 places to celebrate black history year-round in Tennessee.
Bessie Smith Cultural Center in Chattanooga
The Bessie Smith Cultural Center, founded by the empowerment of visionary Chattanooga leaders, honors the late “Empress of the Blues” Bessie Smith. The center preserves and celebrates African American history and culture through art, education, research and entertainment.
Exhibits include technology, interactive pavilions and a children’s educational corner. New exhibit “Chattanooga’s Black Soundtrack” highlights local artists like Usher Kane Brown and The Impressions. Visit black-owned businesses and restaurants in Chattanooga.
Beck Center for Cultural Exchange in Knoxville
The Beck Cultural Exchange Center is a community historical treasure dedicated to the collection, preservation and display of artifacts and evidence of contributions related to the history and culture of African Americans in East Tennessee and America.
The Center creates immersive educational experiences to promote learning for current and future generations. From arts and culture to attractions, restaurants, breweries and businesses, here are additional ways to celebrate black history in Knoxville.
Green McAdoo Cultural Center in Clinton
Learn about the brave stories of the 12 Clintons who bravely fought for equal access to education. The Green McAdoo Cultural Center shares the legacy of what happened in 1956 and how it shaped the students and the community.
Step into a 1950s classroom and trace the chronological history of desegregation at Clinton High School, the first integrated public high school in the South, with life-size photos and narratives. Hear stories from the students in episode three of the TN Civil Rights Trail podcast. Travel Tennessee stops along the US Civil Rights Trail.
The closest Green Distillery and Humble Baron in Shelbyville
An unlikely friendship created perhaps the greatest story you’ve never heard told at Nearest Green Distillery. Tour the distillery and try Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, which honors the world’s first famous African-American master distiller, Nearest Green, who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey.
Be sure to stay for local cuisine, Sunday brunch or a cocktail at the Humble Baron, the longest bar in the world, where everyone has a seat at the table.
Ruby’s Happy Farm in Cross Plains
Ruby’s Happy Farm is built on family heirloom land and named after the family matriarch. Ashley Brooks is the third generation of her family to farm this land and opened the property to the community during the inaugural Juneteenth festival. The 2024 event, Ruby’s Happy Farm Feel Good Festival, is set for June 22, 2024 and will feature vendors, entertainment and presentations on agriculture, history and wellness, including beekeeping, self-care, small farm operations and history on Juneteenth.
McLemore House Museum in Franklin
The McLemore House, purchased by former enslaved man Harvey McLemore in 1880, was a model for community development in Hard Bane, Franklin’s first middle-class African-American neighborhood of carpenters, teachers, bricklayers, and farmers.
The house is now a museum promoting cultural and historical preservation, celebrating the rich African-American heritage of Franklin and Williamson County.
National Museum of African American Music in Nashville
The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) in the heart of Music City is the only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating musical genres created, inspired or influenced by African Americans.
Interactive exhibits allow guests to write a blues song, sing with a gospel choir, learn dances, do a rap battle and learn about jazz, blues, rap, pop and the stories of famous artists such as Isaac Hayes, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Prince and others. NMAAM is located at Fifth + Broadway, where travelers should also try Slim & Husky’s, an artisan pizza shop with a love for hip-hop R&B culture. Here are ways to explore black history in Nashville.
Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the Museum of Science & Industry (MoSH) in Memphis
Experience the history of Stax Records, one of the world’s most famous recording studios, through interactive exhibits, artifacts and a recording room at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The museum shares how creative individuals came together to write, record and produce some of Memphis’ best soul music.
Separately, the Museum of Science and History (MoSH) has a new exhibit, Everyday People: Snapshots of the Black Experience, a photographic journey showcasing Memphis artist Eric Echols’ photographic collection of twentieth-century African Americans and black culture. From attractions to restaurants to local businesses, here are additional travel ideas to celebrate black history in Memphis.
Tina Turner Museum at Flagg Grove School in Brownsville
Queen of rock and roll Tina Turner was born in Nutbush, rose to fame with her hit song ‘Nutbush City Limits’. Turner attended school in a one-room schoolhouse in Brownsville, one of the first schools built in the South for African Americans.
Visitors to the Tina Turner Museum at Flagg Grove School, located on the grounds of the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center, explore the largest known collection of Tina memorabilia, costumes and stories.
While visiting Brownsville, enjoy a favorite local black-owned business, Helen’s Bar BQ, where Helen Turner works as one of the few female pit masters in the country.
Alex Haley Museum and Interpretive Center in Henning
The childhood home of author Alex Haley, who wrote the groundbreaking novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family, is in Henning. Roots, made into a landmark television miniseries in 1977, was inspired by family stories young Alex heard on the front porch of his home.
The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Exhibits at the Alex Haley Museum and Interpretive Center include Haley’s artwork, childhood memorabilia and references to people who inspired the characters in Roots.
NEW Virtual Option – Jonesboro Black History Month Virtual Tour
Launching in February 2024, the Black History Month Virtual Tour of Historic Jonesboro, Tennessee’s Oldest City, is an interactive, app-based tour that begins at the Jonesboro Visitor Center and takes guests on a stroll down East Main Street and down West Main Street.
Along the way, guests stop at locations throughout the city that are key to the history of the black community and to the history of Jonesboro.
About the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development
The Tennessee Department of Tourism Development (TDTD) is dedicated to stimulating economic growth and tourism in all 95 counties. TDTD’s global marketing efforts increase visitation to Tennessee, which increases tax revenue, creates jobs and attracts new investment throughout the state.
Tennessee is a preferred global destination, offering visitors world-class music, live entertainment, family-friendly experiences, charming communities, innovative and classic culinary creations, renowned scenic beauty and outdoor adventure – all centered at the crossroads of rich history and unparalleled hospitality. Vacations “sound perfect” in Tennessee.
Visit TNvacation.com and follow @TNvacation on social media for travel inspiration.
