This Is Nashville

Candice Lee is a Vanderbilt Commodore through and through. In the late 90’s and early aughts, she played for the women’s basketball team. She endured injuries but never quit. After her playing days were over she moved to the administration side of sports. Also earning a PhD from the university.  Today, we learn what it’s like to get inside the mind of an athletic director for a school in the most...

The school voucher debate has been raging in Tennessee for almost two decades... but it was just this year the Tennessee State Legislature successfully passed a law creating a statewide program. The Education Freedom Scholarship Act will provide 20,000 eligible students with about $7,300 per year in public school funds to use for private school tuition. So far, nearly 40,000 families have applied...

In 1960s Southern California, a movement called "Kustom Kulture" emerged. Its mission: restore and refurbish cars. Since then, thousands across America have had their own vehicles customized. On today's show, we speak with local builders, musicians, and enthusiasts about their Kustom Kulture, how it helps people express themselves creatively, and the outlook of the community today. This episode wa...

Today we’re talking with identical twins who live here in Middle Tennessee - including two who work at the same local police department- to learn about how their unique connection has shaped their lives. We’ll also speak with the parent and a spouse of identical twins to learn about how they love the twins closest to them. It’s going to be a double fun hour. Join us! This episode was produced by L...

For many people, getting involved in your community is something they would like to do — but don’t have much time to do. For Tequila Johnson, though, community is a calling. Today we sit down with an entrepreneur, mom, and the co-founder of The Equity Alliance to talk about her life and how her philosophy on humanity is evolving.  This episode was produced by Khalil Ekulona and Liv Lombardi

For over three decades Kurdish refugees have found a safe place to land in America. The latest wave of Kurds is arriving from Turkey – fleeing political repression and nationalist hate groups. But today, they’re coming to a very different America. It’s an America in turmoil. A place where immigrants are increasingly seen as enemies within, to be rooted out and sent back to where they came from. Th...

When a wave of Kurdish refugees came to Nashville, they quickly got to work. They opened businesses and raised their kids. As those kids grew up, they had to figure out how to navigate the world of a first-generation Kurdish-American teenager. And in that world, something new was forming — something that threatened to tarnish the sterling reputation their parents worked hard to build. The Country...

Revealing all this family lost to war and displacement. But also, what they are determined to reclaim and rebuild. The Country in our Hearts is the story of how Nashville became home to the largest Kurdish diaspora in America is an epic one. A tale of bloody genocide, of freedom fighters, of stunning perseverance. But the story of the Kurdish people, no matter where they are, is a story about a co...

We dive headlong into one family’s migration odyssey from Iraqi Kurdistan to Nashville. To really understand what this family — and so many others — were fleeing from, we need to go back to one terrible, pivotal day in 1988. And to do that, we need to go to Kurdistan. The Country in our Hearts is the story of how Nashville became home to the largest Kurdish diaspora in America is an epic one. A ta...

Science and religion are in a constant state of friction. But 100 years ago, that friction flared into a firestorm in Tennessee. In 1925, John Scopes, a 24-year-old high school science teacher in Dayton, decided to teach human evolution to his students even though the state had just outlawed it. He was put on trial, and Dayton was the center of international attention. Today, the impacts of what b...

Do you want to live to 100 or longer?  It’s possible and could be commonplace within the next couple of decades. The new longevity requires serious money moves to have financial security for a long lifespan. The 100-Year-Opportunity is here, according to researchers at the Stanford Center on Longevity . They've also developed a guide for leading a quality, thriving life as we live longer called Th...

Welcome back to our second season of In My Place . This special series educates listeners on what communities like Nashville can do to prevent and end homelessness — while caring for our neighbors who are still unhoused. In our last episode , we discussed how providers support folks in limbo while they're waiting on application responses and hear how people cope in this liminal space In this episo...

Charles William Ashworth is Charlie Peacock . And vice versa. Encouraged to move to Nashville in late eighties, Charlie steadily built a stellar career. As a songwriter, producer and industry executive, he won six Grammy Awards. His writing credits include two multi-platinum songs, “Every Heartbeat” by Amy Grant and “In the Light” by DC Talk. His production and development credits include The Civi...

Do you have a concern you would like him to address? Do you have a question about the direction of the city? Every month, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell joins us to discuss the latest happenings in and around the city — and take your calls! Plus, we celebrate sixty years of Nashville's Metro Human Relations Commission with current executive director, Reverend Davie Tucker, Jr. This episode was...

One thing is true. What goes up must go down. That goes for relationships, that basketball you like to play with and even the city of Nashville. Recently, a study indicated Nashville is experiencing subsidence — or in simpler terms, the surface level is sinking. Experts continue to debate whether this phenomenon has any urgency. To shed light, we have geologists joining us to talk about what risks...

Bob Clement’s life has been a fascinating one. At 29, he became the youngest Tennessean elected to statewide office, a title he still holds today. After his time at the PSA, President Jimmy Carter tapped him for a spot on the board of Tennessee Valley Authority. In the late eighties, he ran and won the congressional race for the 5th district. He served for eight years. Now, as the Board President...

Like it or not, it’s snake season. They eat rats, mice and moles. Some good snakes even eat "bad" ones! They help keep lakes and rivers clean. Their venom has been used to treat diseases from high blood pressure to cancer. Whether it's a harmless corn snake or a coiled-up copperhead — rarely are they a welcome sight. But knowledge is power, so we’re taking on local herpetology! And we're doing it...

Last month, rural Tennesseans, Hollywood actors and a live studio audience in New York City came together. On the agenda were issues that bind us. Theater of War is a New York theater company that "presents community-specific, theater-based projects that address pressing public health and social issues." Recently, they approached WPLN criminal justice reporter Paige Pfleger with a fascinating oppo...

We’re sailing over to Nashville's waterfront. Percy Priest is a local's lake — and the experiences there are as diverse as the growing communities surrounding it. We’re sharing stories about the land, the water and the wildlife. And we're opening the phone lines to hear your stories! (Extra credit if you call in while on the water.) Situated between Nashville International Airport, Mt. Juliet and...

Growing up as an Arab-American woman in rural Waverly — and traveling for her career — have shaped Samar Ali's life as a peacemaker. Her journey includes stops at Vanderbilt University, the Supreme Court of South Africa, the White House, and eventually back to her home state. Along the way, she has faced and overcome personal attacks. It's all fueled her longing for unity and justice. Now, through...

Fifty-seven percent of the mayor’s recommended budget for next year comes from property taxes. Another almost twenty percent comes from local sales tax. But what are the other funding sources? And what does the budget cover? On today’s episode we cover many of the details of the proposed $3.8 billion spending plan — how the money's allocated, how metro departments request increases, and the differ...

Every year, thousands enter the temple in Nashville's Parthenon to view the nearly 42-foot statue of Athena. But this year, she turns 35 years young. The Greek goddess of warfare and wisdom, carved out of gypsum cement, took eight years to complete. On today's show, we chat with the sculptor behind the deity, Alan LeQuire, to hear about his process. Plus, we learn about his new exhibition, Monumen...

Across cultures, rites of passage often honor a transition from one cycle of life to another.  On today's show, three Nashvillians share their own experiences and how it felt entering a new stage of life. From performing a bat mitzvah to living as a Buddhist monk — and even undergoing a "croning" — each of these ceremonies left an impact on our guests. Join us as we learn how different cultures ma...

For over two decades, native Tennessean Maryam Abolfazli has been a leader in economic development and the nonprofit sector. Then in 2023, she became a leading voice among gun safety organizers after the Covenant School shooting tragedy. So much so that she ran for Congress in 2024. Today we sit down with Abolfazli to learn what it’s like to run for office at the federal level and what single-pare...

The Nashville-based country music industry has been slow to truly embrace the impact of the wide array of Latine artists actively making country music both here and around the world. To speed things along, a new generation of locals are working together to form supportive communities and organizations. On today’s episode we hear from musicians and advocates who organize support for one another bot...