In 1960, Nashville’s college students sat down at lunch counters — and stood up for a different future.

Nashville is famous for its music, but its Black colleges helped shape something even bigger: the Civil Rights Movement. Students trained in nonviolent protest faced harassment, beatings and arrests as they challenged segregation in the city’s downtown stores. When a bombing targeted the attorney defending them, thousands marched through Nashville, setting the stage for a confrontation that helped change the city.

On this special bonus edition of Gather and Go, we’re sharing an episode of the Tennessee Civil Rights Trail Podcast that tells the stories of these student activists, the institutions that prepared them and the courage that carried their movement forward. Along the way, we discover how the Fisk Jubilee Singers helped Nashville earn its “Music City” nickname — long before country music became its calling card.

This episode is brought to you by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Hear more of the Tennessee Civil Rights Trail Podcast and learn about visiting Tennessee’s civil rights sites at tncivilrightstrail.com.

Explore more episodes from the United States Civil Rights Trail podcast and learn about visiting sites along the trail at civilrightstrail.com.

About the Podcast

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.