Facing North: Jefferson Street, Nashville

Storyline

Nashville's Jefferson Street corridor is a historically Black neighborhood that was a vital, vibrant hub from 1800 to 1960. Once a haven for runaway slaves, it is home to three iconic HBCUs - Fisk University, Meharry Medical College and Tennessee State University - that educated doctors, lawyers and civic leaders. Students from these institutions led peaceful and effective civil rights protests in the 1960s. This documentary conveys what Jefferson Street life was like over the decades, including during segregation, highlighting the importance of home and business ownership, and spiritual life as the home of some of Nashville's oldest Black churches. Jefferson Street's thriving music scene of the 1940s through 1960s is also covered. Like many African American centers, this one was forever changed by interstate construction and now struggles to balance rejuvenation with gentrification amid new economic pressures.