This Is Nashville

How do we honor people who were enslaved when the enslavers are at the center of so much of our history?

For generations, Nashville’s portrayals of its Black history has lacked accuracy, as institutions have shied away from the legacy of American slavery.

Today, we look at three well-known historical sites in Middle Tennessee: The Hermitage, Fort Negley and Travellers Rest. All have made recent efforts to adjust how they portray their history — but not everyone is satisfied with the approach.

This episode was produced by Cynthia Abrams.

Guests:

The tank is full. The open road calling.

Before you hit the highway, though, you have to make a few decisions about what you want to see, how much you can spend to get there and where to stop for snacks.

Today, we look at the economics of a road trip: the local, national, and global events and factors driving gas prices; how places like Buc-ee's (aka the “Beaver Industrial Complex”) and Dolly's Travel Stop drive business beyond the pump; and what's new to see and do in Tennessee.

This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.

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A quote got back to Allison Russell from her daughter talking to the daughter of another artist: My mommy “just sings sad songs about her sad past.” She did win a GRAMMY for a song she describes as an open letter to her adopted father — a white supremacist — who abused her throughout her childhood. “Do you hate, or do you lust?” she sings in "Eve was Black."

Always attuned to prophetic words, she accepted the challenge.

On her new album releasing July 10, Allison Russell remains perfectly poignant but a bit more playful. She even includes her daughter’s school choir from the Explore! Community School in East Nashville on the first track.

There's only one track on "In the Hour of Chaos" that doesn't include at least one collaborator, which is no surprise to Nashville Public Radio's senior music writer Jewly Hight, who calls Russell "the consummate collaborator." Aside from the school choir, Norah Jones, Devon Gilfillian, Joy Oladokun, Brittney Spencer and Sara Watkins all appear on the new album.

Russell calls her circle of friends and collaborators "the Rainbow Coalition." And as you'll learn in this interview, you may already be part of the coalition and just don't know it yet.

Nationally, sparkler injuries accounted for 1,700 ER visits in 2024. This year, without much debate, the state legislature passed a new law this year allowing convenience stores to sell sparklers year round. Today we spend some time talking about fireworks safety and alternatives to pyrotechnics—including swarm drones in Clarksville.

And we’re prepping for tonight’s hike in Shelby Bottoms for World UFO Day. Is actual nightlife may be more interesting than the UFO encounters? 

Plus, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell is attempting to use eminent domain to kill an AI data center planned near the Nashville Zoo. We get the latest details and delve into the politics that might be motivating this unprecedented move.

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It's been twenty years since the first Music City Hot Chicken Festival. Today, we get a little spicy with founder former mayor Bill Purcell and second generation proprietor of Prince’s Hot Chicken Andre Prince.

Plus, retiring state house representative Caleb Hemmer joins for an exit interview. And Anita Wadhwani shares the latest on sick and disabled kids with questionable immigration status being turned over to authorities. A judge considers their fate this week.

Live streaming available at youtube.com/@wpln and at wpln.org. All episodes also available through our podcast feed.

Guests:

 A batch of new laws take effect July 1, including rules that will reshape Tennessee's burgeoning hemp business. Many hemp producers are heading to friendlier states, but one explains why he's committed to stay despite tighter restrictions on THC.

We drop in on Monday night's town hall organized by the NAACP Nashville chapter about the data center planned for Fisk University's historic campus. Some attendees left with more questions than answers, irritated that organizers did not allow the audience to speak.

And we remember two community members who made an outsized impact. Nashville hip-hop artist Daisha McBride memorializes her friend, hit producer Tay Keith, with the mid-flight backstory of her "Birds" remix. And retired journalist Dwight Lewis details the contributions of Tennessee Tribune founder Rosetta Miller-Perry.

Stream live at youtube.com/@wpln and wpln.org. The podcast is available after the live show airs.

Guests:

If you are taking care of a child and you have a parent over 65, you’re among millions across the U.S. in the same life stage.

Nearly a quarter of all American adults — and half of all adults in their 40s — fall into this “sandwich generation” category, according to Pew research. And being in the middle of that sandwich can feel ... intense.

HealthQ hosts Cara Anthony of KFF Health News and Blake Farmer of Nashville Public Radio, both in the sandwich generation themselves, are your approachable guides to an unapproachable healthcare system. In this one-hour special about navigating health and caregiving, they tap researchers, physicians, experts, and their own personal experience to explore:

The HealthQ team acknowledges the messiness, the humor, and the beauty of this season of life. Come on the journey with us.

Guests:

This installment is part of HealthQ’s reporting on caregiving among the sandwich generation. For more, check out the series wpln.org/healthq.

HealthQ is a health series from reporters Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer, approachable guides to an unapproachable healthcare system. It’s a collaboration between Nashville Public Radio and KFF Health News.

Pride Month brings rainbow flags, parades, and celebration. But for many queer people in Middle Tennessee, it also raises a more complicated question: where do you actually belong the other eleven months of the year?

Nashville has a long history of gathering places where queer residents can find community, visibility, and refuge. Some have endured for decades. Others have quietly faded or been displaced. The losses ripple through the communities that depend on them.

Today we look past the festivities to examine something more fundamental: what it means for a space to feel safe, why these spaces matter so deeply to LGBTQ+ communities, and what is lost when they disappear. What emerges is a portrait of community infrastructure that often goes unacknowledged until it's gone—and what it takes to build it, sustain it, and fight for it.

This episode was produced by Liv Lombardi.

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America's independence turns 250 this year, and the country is abuzz with commemorations, flags flying, and patriotic-fueled pride.

But as we mark this milestone, what else should we be talking about? Our Roundabout panel, representing perspectives from across the political spectrum, examines the foundational issues America continues to grapple with, as well as the America 250 headlines making news today.

This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.

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Maybe you get overwhelmed at the enormity of climate change and the effects on our environment. But try not to despair. Today we’re talking about the little things anyone can do. And it starts with simply keeping our eyes open, noticing and documenting what we see. We’re watching for our signal species — getting an introduction to iNaturalist and gathering inspiration from the folks who already keep a close eye on our flora and fauna. Now your video of a bear strolling through the neighborhood can be good for more than a bunch of views on Instagram.

Contribute your observations on nature around you by joining our Appalachian Signal Species collection project on iNaturalist.

Guests

Arya Natarajan, senior communications manager, iNaturalist
Tony Gonzalez, news director, WPLN
Megan Jones, digital editor, WPLN
Margaret Renkl, author, The Weedy Garden
Sandy Obodzinski, executive director, Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary