Lynchings in Nashville

Thousands of Black people were the victims of lynching and other forms of racial terror in the United States between 1877 and 1950. “Many of the names of lynching victims were not recorded and will never be known,” according to the Equal Justice Initiative, but more than 200 lynchings of Black people have been documented in Tennessee alone. Six of these documented lynchings took place in Davidson County.

A group from Vine Street visited the Equal Justice Initiative’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice in February, together with the Legacy Museum and the Civil Rights Memorial Center, all in Montgomery, Alabama. It is good to make that pilgrimage, but equally important for all of us to consider the impact of racial terror on our own community.

We are honored to welcome Brittany T. Paschall as our teacher on Wednesday, March 8, at 6:30pm. 

Brittany is the founder and board chair of We Remember Nashville, and she has been a strong leader in its mission, “To tell stories that have been forgotten, intentionally erased, or were never told.” Brittany was born and raised in Nashville, and she works as an educator, minister, and organizer. She says about herself, “I was raised in the Churches of Christ, but like to say I met God in the movement. While my spiritual heritage is within the Church of Christ, it is no longer my theological home. I became an organizer at age 14 and began working to leverage resources and to imagine a better world. In the midst of this work and daily, I am discovering a Creator who invites us into loving relationship with all of Creation and who empowers us to end oppressive forces that stand in the way of this.” You may read her full bio here.

We will meet on Wednesday, March 8 at 6:30pm in Fellowship Hall for a meal and for Brittany’s presentation and discussion. We expect the program to conclude around 8:00pm.