Author

John Partipilo

John Partipilo

Working as a photojournalist for 40 years, Partipilo has won awards such as NPPA Best of Photojournalism and nominated for two Pulitzers. His photography has also been featured in national and international publications. Most importantly Partipilo’s work is about people — people in their different environments and people in their different stages of life. That’s the heart of his work. To him people are so important, because they all have a unique story.

In Nashville, Rev. Ingrid McIntyre hugs a mourner during a Monday night vigil for shooting victims at Belmont Methodist Church. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Photo essay: Nashville reels after six killed in Monday school shooting

By: - March 29, 2023

A beautiful spring morning devolved into chaos Monday, as emergency vehicles sped to the scene of a mass shooting at Covenant School in the Green Hills part of Nashville. Area schools, public and private, went on lockdown and frantic parents tried to reach their children. A shooter killed six at Covenant, including three children attending […]

The crowd at Thursday's "Slay the Hate" rally in Nashville, sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign, crowds around drag performer Perplexity. (Photo: John Partipilo)

“Slay hate” rally draws hundreds in Nashville

By: and - March 10, 2023

A Nashville rally sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign drew hundreds to protest recently-passed  Tennessee laws that criminalize some drag performers and performances and prevent parents from providing their children with gender-affirming care. “Slay the Hate: Fight Back Tennessee,” featured appearances by several drag performers and remarks from LGBTQ leaders. The event was one of […]

COMMENTARY
One of Nashville's last "meat and three" restaurants, closed Saturday after 40 years in business. Lines of diners streamed into the nearby parking lot throughout the day. (Photo: John Partipilo)

A Nashville institution closes

By: and - January 8, 2023

Visitors to Nashville seeking favorite restaurants among locals have for 40 years been directed to a modest brick and cinderblock building, from which plates of roast beef and fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, turnip greens and whipped potatoes, banana pudding and improbably delicious hot pepper chocolate pie have issued by numbers uncountable. But on Saturday, […]

Rev. Dr. Bernard Lafayette and his wife, Kate Bulls Lafayette, leave American Baptist College in Nashville on Friday after a visit to see renovations. (Photo: John Partipilo)

A civil rights leader comes home.

By: and - November 22, 2022

The campus of American Baptist College has changed little since Rev. Bernard Lafayette moved to Nashville in 1960 to attend seminary. A handful of neat red brick buildings, built in the 1920s and 30s, still cluster in the shadow of the headquarters of the newer National Baptist Convention off Brick Church Pike in North Nashville.  […]

Gov. Bill Lee at the Factory in Franklin, Tenn., the night before the 2022 election on Nov. 7, 2022. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Election 2022 in photos

By: and - November 12, 2022

Throughout the 2022 election cycle in Tennessee, photojournalists John Partipilo and Karen Pulfer Focht documented candidates — and incumbents — debating, speaking at rallies and working polls, culminating on the Nov. 8 Election Day. The pair, with an Election Day assist from Nick Fantasia, captured the stress, excitement and tension of campaigning.    

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn speaking Friday at a rally sponsored by right-wing media personality Matt Walsh. (Photo: John Partipilo)

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn headlines anti-transgender rally in Nashville

By: and - October 21, 2022

Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn joined several other Tennessee lawmakers at a rally to protest gender-affirming care for transgender youth, which drew more than 2,500 activists to Nashville’s War Memorial Plaza on Friday afternoon. Billed as “The Rally to End Child Mutilation,” the event was hosted by The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh. Walsh started a political […]

A protest of a Tennessee law criminalizing camping on public property kicks off Friday. (Photo: John Partipilo)

New Tennessee laws take effect, with protests accompanying

By: and - July 4, 2022

Dozens of new laws passed in the last session of the General Assembly took effect on Friday, most of which haven’t captured the public’s attention. There’s little controversy about a law that requires utility companies to provide the estimates of connection fees to potential customers, for instance, for instance, or one that allows defendants for […]

Actor and Chattanooga native Leslie Jordan served as Grand Marshal of the Nashville Pride parade on Saturday. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Nashville Pride 2022

By: and - June 27, 2022

Members of Middle Tennessee’s LGBTQ community, friends and supporters gathered Saturday and Sunday in Nashville to celebrate Pride Nashville. The event came just a day after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 law legalizing abortion at the federal level, and has raised concerns the court could overturn Obergefell v. Hodges. […]

A sign marks the entry to the Music City Freedom Fest Sunday at Nashville's Hadley Park. (Photo: John Paritpilo)

Juneteenth 2022

By: and - June 20, 2022

Tennesseans across the state celebrated Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the date in 1865 when enslaved Texans learned they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, over the weekend. Photojournalist John Partipilo covered the Music City Freedom Fest in Nashville, which, like other events, featured speakers discussing the history of Juneteenth, food trucks and […]

Protesters marched from the Nashville Courthouse to Legislative Plaza during the March For are Lives rally. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Gun safety advocates take to Tennessee streets

By: and - June 11, 2022

Laura Brown stood by a table surrounded by red, white and blue posters with drawings of the U.S. Capitol and a message: “Send a letter to Congress.” “Hello, would you like to send a letter to the Senate?” she called out. “I love these things, but people in Congress never seem to hear about them,” […]

Tears roll down Stephanie Shepherd's face outside Gov. Bill Lee's office during a vigil for gun violence victims on June 1. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Tennesseans petition Gov. Bill Lee for gun reform

By: and - June 1, 2022

More than 70 Tennesseans, including several pastors, walked from Nashville’s Legislative Plaza to Gov. Bill Lee’s office on Wednesday to make a plea for gun reform. The rally comes in the wake of several high profile mass shootings, including last week’s slaughter of 19 elementary school children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in […]