Cover Story

The Salas Family Builds Businesses, Dreams and Community in Nashville

When you walk into LB Auto Repair in South Nashville, there’s a good chance you’ll be greeted not only by the smell of motor oil and the sight of cars in various stages of repair, but also by a four-year-old with big dreams. Her name is Lucy, and though she’s not even in Kindergarten yet, she’s already claiming her spot in the family business world. “She says she sells houses,” laughs her uncle, Jesus Salas Balcazar. “She’s our little CEO.”

That entrepreneurial spark runs through the entire family. Between Jesus, his sisters Perla and Ingrid, and their father, the family operates multiple small businesses in Nashville: LB Auto Repair, Perla’s beauty salon, and Ingrid’s real estate work and her husband’s business J. Any Fix, LLC. Together, they represent not only their own dedication and hustle but also the growing strength of Hispanic-owned, family-run businesses in Middle Tennessee.

Cover Story

Cooking Up Community: How Cynthia and Marcio Florez of Limo Restaurant are Building their Dream in Nashville

80-Year-Old Lynn McFarland on Why She Wouldn’t Leave Her Seat

Eighty-year-old Lynn McFarland was arrested and carried out of a Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee meeting at the Tennessee State Capitol on April 1 after the group passed a bill that would give power to local school boards to deny enrollment to undocumented students or charge them tuition to attend. Tennessee State Troopers carry Lynn McFarland, 80, out of a Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee on April 1. Photo by Alvine

McFarland said when she showed up to protest that day, she didn’t plan on planting herself in a seat and getting physically removed by Tennessee State Troopers. But the thought of cooperating with punishing children was enough to make her stay in her seat when protestors were asked to leave the gallery. A small group stayed in their seats when asked to leave, but eventually also left their seats.

Know Your Rights

The Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) has intensified its efforts to inform and protect immigrant communities and empower their allies.