The Tennessee State Museum hosts two very special programs during April. Sheri Sellmeyer will discuss “Nashville’s New Americans: Tracing the Journeys of Immigrant Neighbors” with Cindy Abrams on Saturday April 11 and on David E. Hearnes will discuss “Tennessee’s Founding Scoundrel: William Blount” on Thursday. April 16. Both events are free and open to the public.
TN Writers | TN Stories: Sheri Sellmeyer, “Nashville’s New Americans: Tracing the Journeys of Immigrant Neighbors” with Cindy Abrams, Saturday, April 11, runs from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Whether it’s building skyscrapers, running successful restaurants, researching diseases, performing music, cleaning hotel rooms, or holding public office, immigrants are changing Nashville from a mid‑sized city known for its country music industry to an increasingly diverse, multicultural destination. Author Sheri Sellmeyer discusses her book “Nashville’s New Americans,” which provides a case study from one of the fastest-growing cities in the country on the contributions immigrants are making to its culture and economy. She will be joined in discussion by Cynthia Abrams.
Sheri Lea Sellmeyer worked as a journalist for many years, as a reporter at the San Angelo Standard‑Times and Hays Free Press in Texas and as a freelancer for organizations such as the Bureau of National Affairs. Later she worked as vice president for an international corporation, Decision Resources Group, that produced market research on the health insurance industry, overseeing a staff that covered health care reform and trends in managed care. She and her husband live in Nashville.
Cynthia Abrams is the Metro reporter for WPLN News, Nashville’s NPR station. She grew up in Eugene and Portland, Oregon and moved east after graduating from Whitman College. In addition to reporting on the city, Cynthia enjoys covering Nashville’s literature scene, highlighting the latest from local authors.
This event takes place in the Digital Learning Center at the Tennessee State Museum.
Lunch and Learn: “Tennessee’s Founding Scoundrel: William Blount’s Life and Story” is at 12:00 Noon on Thursday, April 16. “Tennessee’s Founding Scoundrel” examines the life of businessman and politician William Blount, a North Carolinian by birth who was the driving force behind the creation of the state of Tennessee. David E. Hearnes, Executive Director of Blount Mansion, will examine his upbringing, his service during the American Revolution, his time in Philadelphia at the Constitutional Convention, as well as his territorial governorship. Learn about how one man’s drive, ambition, greed, and desire for more of everything led to the creation of our great state and his own political downfall and eventual demise.
David E. Hearnes is Executive Director of Blount Mansion. Mr. Hearnes has a background in academic history and historic preservation with degrees from Southeast Missouri State University. He has been with Blount Mansion since January 2014 and has been the Executive Director since June of 2015. This Lunch and Learn event is live in-person in the Museum’s Digital Learning Center at Noon. No RSVPs are required to attend this free event. It will also be livestreamed on the
Museum’s website at: TNMuseum.org/Videos.
