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Black History Facts

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Tina Turner in movement on stage holding a microphone.

Photo by Barbara Womack

  1. Nashville, Tennessee was the first southern city to desegregate public facilities.
  2. Justice A.A. Birch Jr. was the first African American to serve as Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court and father of A.A. Birch III, SVP & Chief External Affairs Officer for the Tennessee Titans.
  3. Attorney Avon Williams was the first African American senator to be elected in the state. He was a cousin of Chief Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Supreme Court Justice of the United States.
  4. The Fisk Jubilee Singers are the first collegiate music group to win a Grammy. This was the same year the ensemble celebrated its 150th anniversary.
  5. Tennessee State University is the first HBCU to offer men’s Ice Hockey at the collegiate level.
  6. Jimi Hendrix came to Nashville in l962 and scored a residency at Club Del Morocco with his band, The King Kasuals.
  7. Ray Charles and his band thrilled the crowd at Maceo’s on Jefferson Street, the same year he’d have his biggest crossover hit yet with “What’d I Say” in l959.
  8. The Ku Klux Klan underwent a revival in the l920s partly as a reaction to the huge influx of immigrants during the previous 40 years. The Klan spread beyond the South and became a national movement that opposed not only Blacks, but also Jews, Catholics and Asians.
  9. The association of the Republican party with emancipation drove the great bulk of white southerners into the arms of the Democratic party. The white southern vote was overwhelmingly Democratic until the l960s, when the Democratic party supported the civil rights movement. This support led many white southerners to turn to the Republican party.
  10. “If you don’t like the world we’re living in, change it. And if we can’t change it, we change ourselves.” This is a quote from Nikki Giovanni, one of America’s greatest poets and activists. She became famous in the late 1960’s as part of the Black Arts Movement. Her work has focused on race, gender and politics. Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and graduated from Fisk University. She transcended December 9th, 2024 at 81 years old.
  11. One of the greatest entertainers to come out of Tennessee was Tina Turner. Tina Turner not only exemplified the strength and beauty of an African American woman, she showed all women what it takes to walk away from turmoil and pain. She showed all women in domestic violence relationships how to free themselves and become the women they were meant to be. Tina Turner was a two time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and she became known as the Queen of Rock and Roll. When she freed herself from a tumultuous marriage to Ike Turner, Tina embarked on a successful solo career and became one of the greatest cultural icons of all time. Tina was born in Brownsville, Tennessee and transcended on May 24, 2023 at the age of 83.
  12. When The Bridgestone Arena opened in Nashville, Tennessee in l996, it featured some of the most prolific and famous entertainers of all time. The Arena had shows featuring Janet Jackson, Pattie Labelle, Mary J. Blige, B.B.. Al Green, India Arie, Prince, and Christine Aquilera.

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