The 43rd Annual Nashville Conference on African American History and Culture (NCAAHC) will be held at TSU’s Avon Williams Campus (330 10th Avenue North) and virtual attendance is also available. On Friday, February 9th, join Tennessee State University’s (TSU) College of Liberal Arts and the Metropolitan Historical Commission (MHC) for a celebration of the contributions of African Americans to Nashville and Tennessee history. Their theme for 2024 is “Marching Towards an Inclusive Future: Seismic Shifts in Tennessee Communities.”
For forty-three years, this award-winning conference has brought together historians, students, educators, community leaders and others interested in African American history and culture. As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 70th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, civil rights history remains an extremely relevant topic and will serve as the focus of this year’s conference.
“African American history and culture is American history and culture. We are simply lifting up the African American experience,” said conference co-founder and co-chair Linda Wynn, Assistant Director for State Programs at the Tennessee Historical Commission. “The conference continues to serve as a place where historians, public educators, and others come together to share and celebrate this rich heritage. By bringing people together to learn about the individuals, buildings, and institutions connected to our past, we create a synergy in the community that helps preserve these stories and keeps the spirit of this history alive for future generations.”
The full-day conference will feature seven historical presentations covering a wide range of topics including mapping the destruction of Tennessee’s African American neighborhoods, school desegregation, integrating the airwaves, Meharry Medical College and the Civil Rights Movement, Nashville’s civil rights landmarks, Nashville Public Library’s Civil Rights Room, and the history of minority communities in Nashville. Additional content includes a musical performance of “Songs of the Movement” and a theatrical adaptation of Andrew Maraniss’ “Strong Inside: Perry Wallace and the Collision of Race and Sports in the South.”
“In this, the 43rd year of the Nashville Conference on African American History and Culture, the Metro Historical Commission remains grateful for our ongoing partnership with Tennessee State University’s College of Liberal Arts, with whom we co-sponsor this beloved community event,” remarked MHC Executive Director Tim Walker. “We are thrilled to finally return to an in-person conference, the first held since 2020, and we deeply appreciate the continued support from our sponsors, attendees, and presenters. It is an honor to continue the tradition of this conference, where we can engage and inspire those who want to study the innumerable contributions African Americans have made and how they have shaped Nashville and Tennessee history.”
Please make plans to attend the conference from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, February 9, 2024 at the Tennessee State University Avon Williams Campus (virtual attendance also available). Pre-registration is only $30 through January 31, after which time tickets are $35; catered lunch included. For more information on the 2024 conference and to register, visit the conference website at www.NCAAHC.org. Online registration recommended. Contact the MHC at (615) 862-7970 or Caroline.Eller@nashville.gov for further details.
