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Rep. Cooper announces major early voting initiative
In what a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, says may be the first of it’s kind nationally, Cooper is urging local voters to head to the polls early with 14 days of themed voting events featuring community groups and celebrities. Cooper has long been a proponent of voting rights and VoteEarlyTN is the […]
COVID-19 vaccine trials need immigrant and minority participants
In preparation for the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine trials, officials from Meharry Medical College (MMC) are urging participation from Middle Tennessee’s immigrant and minority communities. In his Thursday press conference, Metro spokesperson Fabian Bedne urged minority groups to participate in the vaccine trials expected to start in October. For maximum efficiency, testing requires a diverse group […]
Immigrant rights advocate Mohamed-Shukri Hassan discusses new role with Nashville government
If the pandemic has done anything, it has shown how easily a crisis like COVID-19 can decimate the vulnerable, and Nashville’s growing immigrant community has been no exception. Hispanics and immigrants continue to make up the largest percentage of COVID cases in the area and have had few resources to alleviate the crisis. “I think […]
Middle Tennessee wedding industry adapts events for pandemic
Hannah Tomlin Davies had largely remained optimistic about her upcoming wedding, but the day she picked up her wedding dress was the day Williamson County reported their first COVID-19 case, and the area’s wedding industry has struggled to stay afloat under strict pandemic regulations ever since. In 2018, Davidson County alone hosted 5,618 marriages, according […]
Nashville celebrates El Dia de Independence
For many of Nashville’s citizens, Sept. 16 is a cause for celebration. Tennessee’s population has boomed over the last decade, with droves of immigrants seeking to build a new home far from their countries of origin. Following the 2009 bipartisan movement to shoot down an effort to make the city’s language “English Only,” immigrant communities […]
Nashville prepares for Hispanic Heritage Month
In honor of National Hispanic Heritage month, Nashville will conduct a series of ceremonies in collaboration with local immigrant-advocate groups and conclude with a limited festival Sunday. Typically, Nashville celebrates Hispanic heritage festively, Nashville mayoral staff member Fabian Bedne said Thursday. Although the pandemic has disrupted many annual large-scale celebrations, the city still plans on […]
NOAH protests highlights demand for change with Nashville police
The recent case of mistaken identity in which members of the Metro Nashville Police Department raided the wrong apartment spurred a Thursday protest by a prominent Nashville community group. Nashville Organized for Action and Hope (NOAH) held a press conference at MNPD headquarters to amplify the group’s call for immediate police reform. “It’s important to […]
Nashville career educator Nabaa-McKinney-McKinney acclimates to public life
After the unexpected death of District 4 school board member Anna Shepherd, Berthena Nabaa-McKinney found herself in a difficult position. She recalled Shepherd as a wonderful person and was in the middle of processing Shepherd’s death when she was asked about stepping into the vacancy on the school board. Nabaa-McKinney didn’t think about the fact […]
Nashville increases event capacity Sept. 1
Starting next month, citizens will be allowed to host parties again, albeit at limited capacity and as long as people continue to socially distance, said Nashville Mayor’s staff member Fabian Bedne in his weekly Spanish-language press conference. Weddings, funerals and similar events will be permitted in event centers starting Sept. 1 at a maximum of […]
Time to fix the “crummy roads” at your favorite national parks
The Great American Outdoors Act, which is estimated to bring millions to Tennessee in tourism means “there’s finally money to fix those crummy roads to your favorite public parks,” said one avid outdoorsman. Caleb Hemmer advocated for the bill, which passed both chambers of Congress with bipartisan support July 22. In April, he organized a […]
Tennessee has little data on COVID-19 among agricultural migrant workers
Months after COVID-19 outbreaks affected several commercial farms, the Tennessee Department of Health offered to test migrant workers on a volunteer basis, but existing preventative measures are not enforced and no data exists on whether this measure was enough to encourage the protection of migrant workers. After several news reports about outbreaks in farms across […]
Nashville to offer hotel vouchers to immigrant families with COVID-19 cases
Clarification: Metro is still working on the details of distributing hotel vouchers and will base distributing on the need to provide someone a place to isolate, according to Metro Health Department spokesperson Brian Todd. A previous version of this story said the vouchers were currently being distributed. Hispanics continue to make up more than 19% […]