United Street Tours, a Nashville-based touring company showcasing the hidden history of the area, has announced the launch of the Civil Rights Tour of Nashville. After a 20-month pause in operations during the pandemic, the Black woman-owned small business is re-starting local history tours designed to educate, inform, and inspire racial awareness.
The first Civil Rights Tour of Nashville will kick-start Black History Month on Saturday, Feb. 4. Highlighting the personal stories of local heroes, attendees will learn about a civil rights leader who trained students in nonviolent resistance, a lawyer who later represented those students fiercely in court, and a college student who demanded change directly from the mayor himself. Tour walkers will visit the location of Nashville’s first sit-in and learn the rules student protesters followed during the movement.
“United Street Tours is excited to bring back our hidden history walking tours of Nashville and launch a powerful new experience this Black History Month,” said Chakita Patterson, founder, United Street Tours. “We welcome everyone to join us in experiencing Nashville history from an African American perspective, and we hope you will walk away with a stronger understanding of how social justice movements of the past have shaped our shared experiences today.”
Based in Nashville since 2019, United Street Tours creates experiences for locals and visitors designed to ignite hope and inspire people to #WalkUnited against injustice, to build bridges, and to contribute to the community. The company’s founder, Chakita Patterson, is a Memphis native who earned a bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master of Social Work from Radford University. Inspired by her work as a high school dean of students and the topic of the African Diaspora, Patterson creates unforgettable events highlighting the Black experience through the power of storytelling. She is a generational storyteller and educator focused on celebrating underrepresented people and cultures.
“Bridges can be built through education and mended through communication,” said Chakita Patterson.
The Civil Rights Tour of Nashville takes customers on a 90-minute experience highlighting the history of the Civil Rights Movement and how it has shaped current-day America. It takes place Thursdays through Sundays, at 10 am and 3 pm. The Civil Rights Tour of Nashville departs four days a week from the Nashville Visitor Center at 501 Broadway. Private walking and bus tours are also available to schedule in advance.
Learn more and register for an upcoming experience at: <www.unitedstreettours.com/>.
