This Is Nashville

It’s a challenging time to be an LGBTQ person in Tennessee.  With laws targeting gender expression  and  an increase in violent threats , the instinct for queer people might be to go underground. But instead, support groups are popping up to create belonging and foster solidarity in Tennessee’s LGBTQ community.  Today, we’ll talk to members of these local groups about their experiences. But first,...

The Nashville Symphony is preparing for the world premiere of "The Jonah People: A Legacy of Struggle and Triumph," an epic and ambitious opera from composer and jazz trumpeter Hannibal Lokumbe. "The Jonah People" tells the story of the African American experience, starting with abduction and enslavement to the present day. It’s a massive, multimedia undertaking that hasn’t been done before in a s...

We’re less than a decade away from maximum capacity at Middle Point landfill in Rutherford County, where Nashville and Middle Tennessee’s trash goes. What will we do when we reach that capacity? One idea to expand the landfill. However, the city of Murfreesboro has already pushed back with a lawsuit against Middle Point on the basis of it violating several EPA standards. What to do with Middle Ten...

The origins of this Maury County tradition date back to the 1800s, but the event known as Mule Day started in it current form in 1974. We'll take a look back at this year's celebration and forward to next year's 50th anniversary. We also explore what role the humble yet mighty mule plays today. But first, we'll talk about the court decision to block Tennessee's drag performance ban from taking eff...

This is hip-hop’s 50th year. In honor of that, we’re looking at Nashville's hip-hop scene and how it has evolved over the decades. To get a picture of what it was like, we talk to some locals who have been around the hip-hop scene for decades. We'll learn about some of Nashville's pioneers in the genre and talk about who's carrying the torch now. But first, we check in with WNXP DJ Marquis Munson...

Four days have passed since  six people were killed by a shooter at the Covenant School in Green Hills . There is still much we do not know, and the grieving process has really only begun. In today’s episode we hold space for our community — to talk about what people are feeling in this terrible moment and what healing might look like going forward. We also respond to your comments in our weekly @...

Sixty years ago, North Nashville was a thriving cultural oasis. There were taverns and gambling joints, restaurants and ice cream parlors, boarding houses and nightclubs that drew the likes of Etta James and Jimi Hendrix. Construction of Interstate 40 through North Nashville in the 1970s split the historically Black neighborhood in two, severed community ties and brought noise and pollution. Much...

On this episode, we explore the world of pollinators in Tennessee. Bees, butterflies, even birds and other insects provide the essential service of carrying pollen from flower to flower, helping to grow the food we eat. But the number of pollinators are dwindling due to loss of habitat and overuse of pesticides. So what do Tennesseans need to know about these fascinating creatures? How can we help...

In the age of the smartphone, everyone has a camera with them, pretty much all the time. With social media, anyone can “publish” a photo immediately — with no editor and, if you want, #nofilter. So what does it mean to be a photographer now? In this episode, we talk with a group of Nashville photographers about their work, their love of the image and their paths to photography. We also explore the...

This episode first aired on March 31, 2022. New York Times  columnist  Margaret Renkl  joins the show to share her joy of spring and talk over the polarization that she sees hindering our progress. Renkl is also the author of  Late Migrations  and  Graceland, At Last. She tells host Khalil Ekulona “when the macrocosm is hard to bear, focusing in on the microcosm usually helps.” “I do still take an...

Nashville ranks among the allergy capitals of the nation. In fact, it doesn’t feel like we have an allergy season so much as a rotating set of different allergy seasons. But why? In today’s episode, we’re talking about the environmental, geographical and sociopolitical factors that shape our local allergy problem, and how it affects our community. But first, it’s time for @Us! with our digital lea...

In the Jim Crow South, education opportunities for Black children were few and far between. The inequity was blatant all over the South, but the disparities in education were especially stark. Those in power did not see Black Americans as fit for any profession aside from manual labor and thought education was a waste of time. In 1911, when education leader Booker T. Washington met Julius Rosenwal...

What is Nashville’s “alternate ending?” How would the city look and feel — and who would feel welcomed — if different community values had been prioritized long ago? With that question, today’s show … will be a bit different. In this special hourlong documentary, reporter Ambriehl Crutchfield goes back in time to learn Nashville through her family’s eyes, and making stops at the places that shaped...

This weekend, the Vanderbilt Women’s Bowling team — ranked second nationally — hosted the annual Music City Classic, which is one of the most important bowling competitions of the season. Today, we’re talking all about bowling in Middle Tennessee, from Vanderbilt’s impressive women’s program to high school sports to Mookie Betts’ bowling prowess.  But first, we’re joined by WPLN political reporter...

Drivers throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee share the road with truckers carrying loads of goods every day on our highways. But what do we know about truckers beyond the stereotypes? Today, we're talking to truckers about what life is really like on the road, their role in the supply chain and what they think about local drivers. But first, WPLN education reporter Alexis Marshall has an upda...

What is freedom? And what happens when one person’s approach to freedom infringes on another person’s civil liberties? These are the central questions in Jefferson Cowie’s  Freedom’s Dominion: A Saga of White Resistance to Federal Power . In this work, Cowie zeroes in on Barbour County, Alabama, and its relationship with federal power and freedom, from the expulsion of local indigenous people to t...

Tennessee is one of many states across the nation that has a backlog of untested sexual assault kits. The average wait time to process a sexual assault kit in the state is ten months. The national spotlight fell on the Tennessee’s backlog  after a Memphis jogger was murdered  by a man who sexually assaulted someone else a year before — but her rape kit went untested, until it was too late. Now the...

When Mayor John Cooper announced that he will not seek re-election this fall, it triggered a bevy of hopeful candidates – some local household names, some relatively unknown – to launch their own mayoral campaigns. In this episode, we invite a panel of local journalists to break down what this race will look like, who’s running and what it could mean for Nashville. But first, WPLN midday news prod...

Until recently, anyone found guilty of first-degree murder in Tennessee could be sentenced to a minimum 51-years in prison - even if they were under 18 at the time of the crime.  Al Jazeera's "Fault Lines" series released a documentary about Almeer Nance — a Knoxville man who received what is essentially a life sentence for felony murder in 1997. He was 16 when the crime happened and didn't pull t...

The Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center has been serving North Nashville’s uninsured and underinsured citizens since it opened in 1968. It’s an indispensable health resource for the community, from family medicine and dentistry, to behavioral health and educational programs.  The center is named for Dr. Matthew Walker, an influential Black surgeon. Originally from Louisiana, he came to Nash...

On Tuesday, the $2.1 billion plan to build a new stadium for the Tennessee Titans passed on first reading in the Metro Council . The plan includes: a one-time payment of $500 million from the state, which can only be used for a new enclosed stadium; $760 million in bonds from the city; and up to $840 from the Titans, NFL and seat license sales. The mayor has maintained that the city's obligation w...

With tax season coming up, Tennessee residents are starting to think about detangling their personal finances a little more than usual. Tracking spending, expenses investments, planning for emergencies, college, retirement and more – it’s a lot! Making a personal budget also requires a lot of thinking about the future, which can be complicated and emotionally-taxing (pun intended). Today, we’re si...

The word “woke” has appeared in headlines and politicians’ sound bites a lot in recent years. But where did this term come from and what does it even mean? In this episode, we talk to our guests about the history of the word “woke.” Spoiler alert — it’s not as new as you might think. We’ll also dive into how the meaning has changed over the years along with who has used it. But first, we check in...

On March 3, 2020,  tornadoes killed 25 people in Nashville and Middle Tennessee.  They destroyed more than 1,600 buildings — including more than 400 homes — and damaged some 2,700 others stretching from Benton County, through downtown and East Nashville, and into Cookeville. In this episode, we get some historical context for the tornado outbreak and find out if we’re likely to have more tornadoes...

When Nashville's first food trucks hit the roads, there were few options and few regulations. More than a decade later, the city is home to hundreds of permitted trucks serving up cuisines from around the world. Today, we're joined by a panel of local business owners and a pair of leaders from the Nashville Food Truck Association to discuss the industry's past, present and future in Music City. Bu...