This Is Nashville

Sheila Calloway is at the center of local conversations about justice. As the presiding judge of Nashville's juvenile court, she has found new ways to hold young people accountable without sending them to jail. She's now leading the effort to build a larger and less prison-like juvenile detention facility, and she's also on the front lines of Tennessee's shortage of attorneys for low-income client...

Death rituals take different forms from what we would call a standard funeral. Cultures honor the lives of those who have passed away in diverse ways. Sometimes services depend on spiritual beliefs and practices. Other times, the service or remembering is held long after the honoree has transitioned. On this episode, we dive into the history of death and burial in the south, explore what some woul...

This episode originally aired August 16, 2023. Since its meteoric rise to popularity in the early aughts, emo music has been alive and well in Music City. Artists have flocked to the city’s community-centered scene and passionate fans. As the emo revival continues to thrive today, Nashville has claimed its rightful spot as a hub for the genre. Today, we’ll talk with musicians and the people suppor...

Today, Mayor Freddie O'Connell joins us in studio for the first iteration of  Ask the Mayor . Once a month, Mayor O'Connell will join  This Is Nashville  to answer your  questions live on air. We'll be taking phone calls and give Nashvillians the chance to have a direct conversation with the mayor. Later in the hour, we'll revisit some of our favorite shotgun episodes — and hear a sneak peek of a...

This episode originally aired on Oct. 20, 2022. It’s fall, and that means it’s a great time to forage and preserve foods. As trees and plants prepare for winter themselves, there are nuts, berries and roots abound for foraging — as long as you do it responsibly. Because it’s harvest time, it’s also the perfect time to preserve foods to help get through the winter — as long as you do it safely. So,...

On Sept. 13, a pet German Shepherd named Duke was shot and killed at Percy Warner Park. Nashvillians are concerned for what this says about animal rights, gun rights, and safety. Just over a month after the fatal shooting, many Nashvillians are still feeling shocked and confused about how something like this could happen, particularly in a dog-friendly, public place. Our city's laws require all do...

Verna Wyatt and Valerie Craig share a two decade history working as survivor advocates. Verna came into this work from a place of pain and loss after her sister-in-law was murdered. She says she wanted perpetrators of crime to stay incarcerated and feel the pain that they'd caused. Years later, she and Valerie find themselves advocating for those very same prisoners. In this episode, we hear the b...

If you are an everyday, working class Nashvillian, you probably do not have time to go to every single Metro Council meeting. You definitely don't have the bandwidth to pore over the meeting minutes, and then turn around quippy tweets about what happened. Unless, of course, you are Nicole Williams a.k.a @startleseasily on X f.k.a Twitter. Starting with this episode, Nicole joins our host Khalil Ek...

Nashville is experiencing an unprecedented housing boom. Building technology and materials have changed significantly since Nashville saw growth from streetcar neighborhoods or after World War II.  What are the advantages and drawbacks of using these new materials, plans and methods for building housing? And how do we ensure that the quality of what we're building is keeping pace with the quantity...

We're 10 days into spooky season, and it's time to listen to some of the creepiest, scariest stories of Middle Tennessee. We'll hear the familiar tale of the Bell Witch, hear howls echo through the halls of the Ryman Auditorium, and more. This re-air episode was produced by Rose Gilbert. Our storytellers:   Pat Fitzhugh,  author of  The Bell Witch: The Full Account  and  “The Bell Witch Site” Jeff...

Most people remember seeing photos in our history books of the crowds outside Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, taunting and threatening nine Black students as they tried to get to class. But the small town of Clinton in East Tennessee has its own story of integration that's largely forgotten. After a federal court order, twelve Black students enrolled in Clinton's high school in 1956,...

Fall is here and the weather is perfect for getting outside and exploring the parks, trails and greenways of Middle Tennessee. In today’s episode, we’re joined by outdoors educators to learn more about just what kinds of hiking experiences and resources the Nashville area has to offer. Then, a pair of experienced hikers will talk about equipment, safety, community and the Appalachian trail. We'll...

One thing that a burgeoning arts and music scene needs to thrive is space — to gather, to express their craft, to incubate creative ideas and share them. DIY spaces are where independent musicians and creatives find home. These elusive improvised venues might be a defunct auto shop, the local VFW or a warehouse. Or, just as common, someone’s living room or basement! The do-it-yourself scene has a...

Now that the Writers Guild of America finally has a deal, what does that mean for SAG-AFTRA? Last week, WGA reached a deal with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers. Nationwide, writers celebrated historic wins regarding the use of artificial intelligence and residuals. In the midst of celebration, everyone wondered what the WGA deal would mean for the actors. Ahead of heading...

Even though bats may not be the first animal to come to mind when we dream of our fine flying friends in Middle Tennessee, they're arguably some of the most important in our town. On this episode, we gaze skyward — at dusk — and pay tribute to the best mosquito-eaters around. Bat-loving guests join us to debunk a ton of misconceptions, teach us where bats live, what makes up their diet, what their...

Tennessee has one of the strictest policies of all US states for formerly incarcerated people who want to vote. The state permanently bars people with felony convictions from voting unless they meet a rigorous set of standards and get the court that sentenced them to sign off. Recently, the state got even stricter, making the process discretionary — even if someone follows all of these steps, they...

When we think about our unhoused community, Nashville is no longer just Nashville. Nashville is now Antioch, Hermitage, West Meade…Madison — many tight communities with their own culture, nuanced challenges, and options. On today's show, we bring in people who live and work in Madison — navigating homelessness, treading water, and building the structures needed to save lives. This episode was prod...

The Writers Guild of America strike began on May 2, and as of yesterday, the union has reached a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).  But, this doesn't necessarily mean your favorite shows are coming back. Today, we're re-airing our episode from last month about how the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes are hitting Nashville. It's easy to think of these str...

When you think about knitting, crocheting or any other fiber arts, you might recall your long-lost pandemic pastime. You might even think of an older relative who presented everyone with warm, homemade scarves each holiday season. Here in Middle Tennessee, the fiber arts community has been here long before the pandemic, and it caters to a much more diverse population than one might expect. Today,...

People in the political center, and people in the middle of the country, will decide the presidential election of 2024. If you're one of these people, Jeremy Hobson, the former host of NPR's Here and Now, wants to know what you're thinking. His new call-in show, The Middle , airs on select public radio stations across the country, including WPLN. The show will air Thursday evenings at 8 p.m., and...

This episode first aired September 16, 2022. Americana is a unique genre of music. Straight away, its name lets you know that it is a self-aware exploration of national identity and culture, something that our country has been fiercely debating for the past several years. In this episode, we’re sitting down with artists from Nashville and beyond to talk about the future of this genre and its relat...

Dr. Rich Milner is a leading voice in bringing restorative practices into the classroom. As the Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair of Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University, Milner's holistic view of the student has helped to shift the conversation from talking about the achievement gap to pointing to the opportunity gap. Starting his career as a teacher, Dr. Milner'...

College is difficult for everyone, but the high costs and confusing bureaucracy make it especially difficult for low-income students, as well as those who are the first in their families to go to college. These barriers to college mean fewer career opportunities for people who grew up in Nashville. Only 25% of Metro Nashville Public Schools graduates go on to receive a college degree. In this epis...

Nashville Children's Theatre  presents the world premiere of "Strong Inside," the story of Perry Wallace, a Nashville pioneer on the basketball court and civil rights leader. Wallace attended Pearl High School where he was a star athlete, known as “King of the Board” for his slam dunks. In 1966, he was recruited by Vanderbilt University — becoming the first African-American to play basketball in t...

In a landslide, Freddie O'Connell has won the runoff election for mayor of Nashville with 64% of the vote. Runoff elections for Metro Council seats and a special election for the state representative in District 51 have also concluded. Catch up with WPLN's election night coverage here . But what will the new mayor and council mean for Nashville? What challenges can we expect our leaders to face in...