A Black Woman’s Guide to Visiting Nashville


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A list of places to visit in the South should now include Nashville. You might have asked a coworker or two to attend a bachelorette party trip to Nashville, but beyond the hustle and bustle of wedding parties is a rapidly growing city that has a lot to offer. Besides great southern hospitality, Nashville has something for everyone. Music City has a diverse music scene where Gospel labels are headquartered and artists like India Arie and Jill Scott are home. There are plenty of places to hear live musicians or visit historic sites like the Ryman Auditorium. Yet it’s also home to an attractive dining scene, from country cuisine, hot chicken to fine dining. “As a native, Nashville is a cool place to discover because of the history you can explore, and our growing food scene is truly top notch,” said Ashley Lawal, Founder of Urbanity, a guide to Nashville from Black Nashville. The city is also home to a growing number of black entrepreneurs, many of whom are working to revitalize some of Nashville’s historic black neighborhoods with shops, restaurants and galleries.

Take a look at this guide to add that introduces a little bit of what makes Nashville a great trip for black women:

SEE: National Museum of African-American Music

Explore the impact of black music and art at the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM). NMAAM is the first of its kind dedicated to the education, preservation and celebration of black music. This 56,000 square foot installation showcases more than 50 musical genres and styles created, influenced and inspired by African Americans. The museum is located in downtown Nashville. It sits on Broadway, the famous street that’s home to popular and historic honky-tonks and bars for country music lovers, and is opposite the Ryman Auditorium, home to the Grand Ole Opry.

EAT: Fifth + Broadway

After spending your day learning about black music, visit the Fifth & Broadway food court and the shopping complex surrounding the museum. What’s unique about the resort is that it is home to two of Nashville’s popular black-owned restaurants, Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria and Prince’s Spicy Chicken, which made these two restaurants the first black businesses to occupy the famous Broadway Strip. If you’ve returned to this mixed-use property multiple times, try an elevated dining experience. Dine with a view of Broadway while visiting Sixty Vines for their wines in barrels or Eddie v for seafood, nourishing bananas and cocktails as good as their presentation.

STAY: Le Joseph, a Luxury Collection hotel

Black women deserve luxury and relaxation, and you can find it just outside of downtown Nashville, at Le Joseph, a Luxury Collection hotel. It’s within walking distance of the convention center, Bridgestone Arena, and Broadway for events and a night out on time, but far enough away for a relaxing experience at this family-inspired Italian hotel.

There is intentionality in the experience you will have as a guest at Joseph. Even the napkins that accompany your drinks throughout your stay have a fabric texture in homage to their rooftop restaurant, Denim. Pamper yourself at the hotel’s spa and salon, Rose, and visit the rooftop fitness center to maintain your workout routine on some of the latest equipment, including the Peloton, while taking in the views on the city. There are also great photo opportunities throughout the property with grassy walls and the 1,100 works of art found throughout the hotel. Some of the works of art come from the Pizzuti collection, one of the best private collections of contemporary art in the world.

BREAKFAST: Yay Yay’s on Jefferson

Before visiting Nashville’s three HBCUs: Fisk University, Meharry Medical College, and Tennessee State University, stop by Yay Yay is on Jefferson in the historic center of the black community of Nashville. The café bar is renowned for its alcohol-infused coffee drinks and the world-famous homemade cookies from Chef Charlotte Miller. A favorite is the chicken cookie, but you can get your cookies and oatmeal with a twist by adding ingredients like mushrooms, steak, or avocado.

EXPERIENCE: Nearest green distillery

Hire a car to immerse yourself in the spirit of Tennessee whiskey with a trip to the Nearest green distillery, the world’s first distillery to commemorate an African-American, Nearest Green. Green, a former slave, is one of the first known black master distillers to have refined the Lincoln County process of using charcoal shavings to filter whiskey. The 323.12-acre property can be enjoyed by the whole family and includes a farm with riding horses, a barbecue restaurant, a tasting room and the world’s first non-alcoholic underground bar. There’s also a Master Blender House, where Nearest Green descendant Victoria Eady Butler blends and blends award-winning whiskeys.

EAT: Yolan

The intimate Italian dining experience at Yolan is headed by Tony Mantuano, Michelin-starred chef, winner of the James Beard Award, and Cathy Mantuano, wine expert. Choose from an innovative five- to eight-course tasting menu or an à la carte menu of traditional but refined pasta dishes. If gluten is a problem, don’t let it stop you from trying a seafood dish or other diet options to meet all of your needs. Elevate your meal by adding a wine pairing from Yolan’s extensive collection to your experience with an on-site sommelier. As always, make way for a seasonal dessert.

SHOPPING: Emerson Grace

Leave room in your suitcase for the items you purchase while shopping in 12 South in Nashville. Take a break from downtown and explore the shopping and dining blocks of this popular area that is home to Reese Witherspoon’s boutique. One of the first stores you’ll see on the street is Emerson grace. Owned by former fashion director Kimberly Lewis, Emerson Grace offers contemporary womenswear inspired by global trends and local designs. In the same block as Emerson Grace is Josephine’s, owned by Lewis and her husband. Stop in for brunch or dinner.

EXPERIENCE: Abundant Life Adventure Club

Take to the air and enjoy the great outdoors of Tennessee with the Abundant Life Adventure Club. The organization carefully curates a variety of group adventures for black people to connect while showing off the natural beauty of Nashville and the surrounding areas. Every weekend, married couples Dr. Kim Walker and Claude Walker plan activities like biking through Nashville’s iconic parks, bonfires, meditation hikes, and kayaking. Activities welcome all skill levels.

DRINK: EG & MC

Relax and sample handcrafted cocktails for the culture at EG&MC. Meet other black professionals while munching on Southern tapas like their popular mac and yam or lamb meatballs stuffed with Asiago cheese porridge. Leaf through old Tennessee HBCU directories or skim over a passage from a book by a black author that can be found on the living room shelves while sipping a cocktail. Popular drinks include Green is the New Black or Running in Place infused with CBD.

EXPERIENCE: Galerie Cë

Cë Gallery is an inspired speakeasy studio that hosts art exhibitions, figure drawing sessions, dance parties, and a weekly holistic healing sound bath event hosted by Tonisha Gordon. Exhibits change monthly and feature abstract art on canvas and works by multidisciplinary artists who add the use of sculpture and video projection to their exhibits. You can visit the gallery by appointment or attend one of his sound bath sessions or infamous parties like the 70s Foxy Brown Live.

DESSERT: The Cupcake Collection

Head to the Germantown neighborhood of Nashville to sample one of Mignon François’ sweet potato cupcakes. Since opening, The Cupcake Collection in 2008 has grown into a popular destination in Nashville and ranks in the top 10 cupcake shops in the United States.

Other black-owned businesses to try in Germantown include Rolled Ice Cream 4 Ever, Monell and Germantown Pub.

SUBJECTS: black african american travel girl approved


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