Features

Soulful Dudes

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In the 1990 hip-hop anthem “Fight the Power,” Chuck D of Public Enemy slammed Elvis Presley. Elvis may have been “a hero to most,” but for the militantly conscious rapper, that “sucker” was a “straight-up racist,” lumped with the conservative icon John Wayne. 

The lyrics evoked the long, complicated debate over Presley’s legacy: Did his music bridge a racial chasm, or did he steal from Black artists? In Before Elvis, Preston Lauterbach flips the frame on this question. He explores Elvis through the lives of the Black musicians who shaped his style. Lauterbach is the acclaimed author of books that explore the history of Black music and Black Memphis, including The Chitlin’ Circuit and the Road to Rock ‘n’ Roll, Beale Street Dynasty, and Bluff City.

News

Know Your Rights

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

News

We Remember

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At the 2024 Homeless Memorial on Dec. 14, more than 110 people were remembered in a ceremony downtown honoring those who died from the homeless community.

Features

Ways To Help

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10 Ways to Build Community in Nashville

Tell your friends to buy and read the newspaper from a Contributor vendor. You’re already there if you’re reading this, but chances are you have at least a couple of folks in your circle who’ve never had the pleasure of interacting with one of our vendors or reading the paper they sell. Vendors grow their microbusinesses by purchasing more copies for 50 cents, which they sell on the street for $2. This is the vendors’ money to keep. Free papers, gear and map badges (reserved locations) incentivize vendors to grow their microbusinesses.