Celebrate Black History Month in Nashville! We have curated a list of amazing black owned shops (Emerson Grace is one of my favorite stores, I met owner Kimberly Lewis at a TPAC Gala years ago and she gave me the once over worthy of a Real Housewife), restaurants (I could eat breakfast at Big Al’s every damn day! it’s definitely one of the things I miss most about living in Germantown and Slim & Husky’s has the best pizza in town, visit them at their newest local in Assembly Food Hall at Fifth & Broad) and a fantastic list of activities -plays, performances and several places to visit like the National Museum of African American Music and The Hermitage.

 

Owner and buyer Kimberly Lewis strives to provide a top shopping destination for women’s contemporary fashion with an elevated casual approach. In addition to an impressive list of designers and brands of clothing, jewelry, footwear, and accessories, Emerson Grace features “The Local Focus” an ongoing initiative that spotlights regional brands. The store prides itself on carrying local brands and seeing them grow and develop.  Kimberly travels the world to find the ideal edit of the best styles and trends, while the staff goes beyond selling to help clients discover and realize their own personal style.

 

 

Co-owner and operator, Q-Juan Taylor  The culinary team, led by Executive Chef Kyle Patterson, looks to take familiar dishes and make you fall in love with them all over again through his innovative and inspired approach to cooking. Since day one, our entire team has been a family, and we’ve enjoyed sharing countless family meals and ideas together. That is the inspiration behind Sinema’s fresh and innovative food and beverage experience – helping to facilitate memorable moments for our friends and neighbors, near and far.

 

Slim & Husky’s, founded by Clint Gray, E.J. Reed and Derrick Moore, is a fast casual neighborhood Pizza Beeria providing a gourmet build-your-own pizza experience accompanied by the taste of Nashville’s home-made breweries. They provide locally sourced cheeses, meats and vegetables to create a taste of freshness within each bite. They value convenience and have committed to providing Their customers with a gourmet style pizza in less than 5 minutes. They have 3 locations in Nashville, 1 in Antioch, 1 in Murfreesboro, 1 in Memphis, 2 in Atlanta and 1 in Sacremento.

 

Big Al’s serves a filling breakfast that will get your day started right. From French Toast to Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuits we’ve got it all. For lunch come and try a meat and two from our express lunch. Meats and sides change daily and the meats range from Fried Catfish to Jalapeno-Orange Marmalade Chicken. Call in or stop by to see what we have today. If you don’t like the options of the day we always serve juicy Cheeseburgers and tasty Chicken Salad Sandwiches. We also serve breakfast all day! So come on by; you’ll always be greeted with a smile and great conversation.

 

Hailed as a “modern dance savior” by the New York Times, Ronald K. Brown’s extraordinary work fuses the form, rhythm, and history of African dance with contemporary dance styles. Coming to Nashville following its acclaimed engagement at the prestigious Kennedy Center, Brown’s latest work The Equality of Night and Day: First Glimpse features an original score by acclaimed jazz pioneer Jason Moran, set to spoken word by educator and activist Angela Davis.

 

Paulina, the longest reigning Queen Bee of Aburi High School, has it all. With a team of teenage sycophants and the latest styles from the glamorous American boutique “Wal-Mart,” she’s a shoe-in for the Miss Ghana 1986 pageant. The game changes when new girl Ericka moves to Ghana from exotic Ohio, USA, on the same day the pageant recruiter arrives. Who will be chosen to compete for the crown? Find out in Nashville Rep’s production of School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play.

 

BMN & JJE Presents No Cap Comedy Tour at Nashville Municipal Auditorium. Featuring DC Young Fly, DeRay Davis, Michael Blackson, Lil Duval, Chico Bean, Karlous Miller, and Blaq Ron. Tickets available here.

 

Spend Valentine’s Day with The Shindellas as they share their message of love and empowerment at the Analog at Hutton Hotel in Nashville. Get there early to see Curt Chambers open the show. The Shindellas were the musical guests at Ballet Ball in 2019. Tickets.
Join New Edition, Charlie Wilson, and Jodeci for an unforgettable night of music! Bridgestone ARean, February 18th at 8pm. For more info visit BPCTickets.com.

Join Mike Hicks and his 17 piece band and special guest Scott Mulvahill for a special night of original music hosted by Shannon Sanders. The incredidle Shannon Sanders was the musical guest at Ballet Ball in 2017. Tickets.

 

Join Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage for their annual commemoration of those once enslaved at The Hermitage and throughout the country. Held at The Hermitage Church, the memorial will feature music and special remarks from Dr. Naima Johnston-Bush, followed by a procession to the slavery memorial “Follow the Drinking Gourd” located behind the church. February 26th, 11am – 12pm.

 

TPAC InsideOut presents African American Plays and Playwrights. Actor and director Jon Royal will guide us through an overview of both well-known and obscure African American playwrights, and we’ll examine the Pulitzer Prize winning play, Fairview, by Jackie Sibblies Drury. February 28th from 6:30pm until 8pm on Zoom.

GRAMMY®-winning vocalist Gregory Porter and his band return to the Schermerhorn following their sold-out engagement in 2015. With his captivating baritone voice, this soulful singer and musical storyteller expertly captures the emotions and intellect of every lyric he delivers, while his poignant songwriting transforms the personal into the universal. Presented without the Nashville Symphony. Schermerhorn Symphony Center, February 28th 8pm.

 

Marcus Maddox, Figures of Color: Radically Black. Figures of Color is an ongoing project that looks closely at how black skin is represented in works of art, and the relationship between this representation and elements of light and darkness. OZ Arts through February 15th.

 

Nashville-based artist LeXander Bryant’s debut solo museum exhibition Forget Me Nots addresses themes of perseverance amid adversity, family struc­tures and bonds, economic inequality, community activism, and more. Frist Museum through May 1st.
Alma W. Thomas: Everything Is Beautiful provides a fresh perspective on the artist’s long, dynamic life (1891–1978) and multifaceted career that was defined by constant creativity. Frist Museum, February 25th through June 5th.

The Civil Rights Room (Nashville Public Library) is a space for education and exploration of the Civil Rights Collection. The materials exhibited here capture the drama of a time when thousands of African-American citizens in Nashville sparked a nonviolent challenge to racial segregation in the city and across the South.

National Musem of African American Music is the only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created, influenced, and inspired by African Americans. The museum’s expertly-curated collections share the story of the American soundtrack by integrating history and interactive technology to bring the musical heroes of the past into the present.

 

There is much to learn about Black History at Tennessee State Museum. We can’t fully understand Tennessee History without Black History. There is a special museum educator guided tour that highlights Black History and Civil War and Reconstruction, a permanent exhibition at the museum that features Black History from the early days of Tennessee’s beginning.

 

United Street Tours offers a unique angle to Nashville tours by introducing you to the people, history, food, and art of black culture that is often overlooked. Live tours have paused due to COVID. At this time, they are conducting virtual tours.