During Black History Month, locals don’t have to travel far to visit sites that are significant to Black History. United Street Tours has launched a pair of two-hour Nashville tours in downtown Nashville and the North Nashville community. The downtown tour is called the Nashville Black History Walking Tour and it takes you on a historical journey from slavery to freedom. The North Nashville tour is called Murals, Music, and Museums Walking Tour. It gives you a glimpse into the present state of Black Nashville through murals and music. Organized by Chakita Patterson, the founder of United Street Tours, these tours use history to bridge the gap between two distinct Nashville communities.

The Nashville Black History Walking Tour celebrates the past through storytelling about Nashville’s enslaved population by spotlighting people such as Robert ‘Black Bob’ Renfro. Renfro went from slave to entrepreneur in 1794 when he received a license to sell liquor. He opened a tavern called Black Bob’s Tavern and his commemorative pillar is a major highlight on the tour.

While the Nashville Black History Walking Tour gives you a look into the past, the Murals, Music, and Museums Walking Tour is an upbeat experience that focuses on the current and future state of Black Nashville through art and blues music history. It offers an insightful look into murals that have a social justice theme such as the Gateway to Heritage by James Threalkill and Michael McBride.

“Black history is multi-dimensional. It encompasses murals, hot chicken, blues music, fashion, natural hair, and other aspects of Black culture,” said Chakita Patterson. “Our walking tours are a significant way to experience Black history because they allow you to actually stand where civil rights leaders stood and demanded inclusion. They allow you to feel the passion local artists felt during the creation of murals. Our tours also allow both Nashville natives and newcomers to connect with the local community on a deeper level.”