African-Americans in Nashville - Where do they live? (Murfreesboro, Germantown: hotel, neighborhoods)

[missladytraveler]

Hi All,

Last day of our trip in Nashville and it's been a great experience! Loved the city, hospitality and all the neighborhoods that offered so much personality along with plenty to do. Again, we had a great time this week!

I do have questions about African-Americans in Nashville. We were mainly in downtown, The Gulch, Germantown areas and I rarely saw black people. When I did see black people they were serving others in service jobs, etc.

Living in Washington, DC (an expensive city) I'm used to seeing a host of people from different races and backgrounds that also live in the city (and have the money to do so).

1) Are there upper middle class blacks in Nashville? If so, where do they live?
2) Of blacks that are not upper middle class, in general where do they live?

Thank you,

[jkc2j]

Glad you had a great time. Nashville is a very diverse city but you probably wouldn't realize that if you were staying mostly downtown and in the gulch. African Americans are spread all across the city but can be found in high concentrations primarily in North Nashville, Bordeaux and Antioch areas. Bordeaux and Antioch for middle and upper middle class and North Nashville for lower middle class to working class. As Nashville has grown and gentrified a lot of Nashville's Black lower middle class have been priced out to the suburbs like Antioch and Murfreesboro etc. Nashville does have a strong Black culture but it's one of those cities where it's not in your face like you'd find in DC or Atlanta in spite of having a significant Black population, 4 HBCU'S, music scene etc.

[missladytraveler]

Originally Posted by jkc2j

Glad you had a great time. Nashville is a very diverse city but you probably wouldn't realize that if you were staying mostly downtown and in the gulch. African Americans are spread all across the city but can be found in high concentrations primarily in North Nashville, Bordeaux and Antioch areas. Bordeaux and Antioch for middle and upper middle class and North Nashville for lower middle class to working class. As Nashville has grown and gentrified a lot of Nashville's Black lower middle class have been priced out to the suburbs like Antioch and Murfreesboro etc. Nashville does have a strong Black culture but it's one of those cities where it's not in your face like you'd find in DC or Atlanta in spite of having a significant Black population, 4 HBCU'S, music scene etc.

Thank you!! This is super helpful. I'm looking forward to exploring the black community more as we prep for the move.

[jkc2j]

Originally Posted by missladytraveler

Thank you!! This is super helpful. I'm looking forward to exploring the black community more as we prep for the move.

No problem. Some recommendations for things to do to experience the Black culture here:

Explore the JUMP museum on Jefferson St-North Nashville

Gourmet pizza from Slim & Husky's-Buchanan St North Nashville or Antioch

Explore the campus of Fisk University-North Nashville

Lounge at Minerva Ave. or Willie B's-North Nashville

Get the original hot chicken at Prince's hot chicken shack-Antioch or Bolton's hot chicken-East Nashville

See the National Museum of African American music-downtown

These are a couple of things to get you started. Hope this helps.

[missladytraveler]

Originally Posted by jkc2j

No problem. Some recommendations for things to do to experience the Black culture here:

Explore the JUMP museum on Jefferson St-North Nashville

Gourmet pizza from Slim & Husky's-Buchanan St North Nashville or Antioch

Explore the campus of Fisk University-North Nashville

Lounge at Minerva Ave. or Willie B's-North Nashville

Get the original hot chicken at Prince's hot chicken shack-Antioch or Bolton's hot chicken-East Nashville

See the National Museum of African American music-downtown

These are a couple of things to get you started. Hope this helps.

Thanks!

[jkc2j]

Here's a video I've found on the history of North Nashville and Jefferson St. I thought you may find interesting.

https://www.wnpt.org/jefferson-street/

[NashvilleBoy]

Sorry, but how do you go to Nashville and not notice any black people? Did you even leave your hotel room? Troll topic confirmed

[GWoodle]

1) Are there upper middle class blacks in Nashville? If so, where do they live?
2) Of blacks that are not upper middle class, in general where do they live?

Apparently you did not get out in the neighborhoods to find people where they live. Does not matter if they are "upper middle class" or "lower middle class". They & we find dwellings they can afford. They shop at the same Wal Mart, Target, Kroger, Publix, Walgreen as anybody else. They have jobs all over. Some can be in health care. This may make Nashville very different from other big cities.

If you just went downtown on Broadway you may be in an area where all the tourists go. With nothing playing at the Ryman or elsewhere because of Covid the natives may be doing what they need to get by the crisis. With so many restaurants closed they may do drive by or cook at home.

For the "upper middle class" or "old money" may find them in Belle Meade, Green Hills, and in Brentwood. With so many celebrities from music industry or sports nobody cares or bothers.

[Transplant99]

She's (I believe) a black female who recently visited Nashville to decide where she wants to live when she relocates here from DC. If she finds her questions to be important to her neighborhood choice, then that's fine. Nashville is, in fact, a white city. Yes, there are black people here and predominantly black neighborhoods, but not like Detroit, Cleveland, DC, etc. I am white and now live in downtown Nashville. There are a lot of white people here haha. I'm white and not used to being in stores and other businesses with such a high percentage of white people. There's nothing wrong with that; it's just an observation. I'm assuming if I spent time in North Nashville, or other areas, the racial makeup would be different.

[MTFan]

Here is an interactive map of the race makeup of Nashville.

https://bestneighborhood.org/race-in-nashville-tn/