Make a day of it outside the museum
After a day taking in the sights and sounds at the museum, here are some ways to round out your trip to downtown Nashville and soak in even more Black culture.
For food, head down to Fifth + Broadway, a new mixed-use development opening March 4, and grab a pizza from Black-owned Slim & Huskies. Beginning with its first location in historically Black North Nashville, Slim + Husky’s has been mixing music and food while serving up handcrafted pies like the P.R.E.A.M., made with white sauce with pepperoni, sausage, and veggies, and the three-pepperoni-blend Rony, Roni, Rone.
Just a short walk from the museum is the South Shack location of Prince’s Hot Chicken, the true originator of the city’s signature spicy dish, around since the 1930s. The heat levels range from mild to XXXhot and the chicken is served on two slices of plain white bread with a few pickles on the side. Be cautious and kind with yourself.
For more on the city’s Black history, visit the main branch of the Nashville Public Library located at and make your way to the Civil Rights room, which overlooks the intersection of Church Street and 7th Avenue North. It’s where non-violent protests against lunch counter segregation took place in the 1960s. Today, it’s where visitors can sit at a symbolic lunch counter to honor those efforts, view photographs of children desegregating Nashville schools, and read first-hand accounts from other participants in Nashville’s Civil Rights Movement.
Of course, check out the Country Music Hall of Fame. Country music hasn’t done a great job of acknowledging its roots in the Black musical tradition, but the connection is undeniable. From the African banjo to the Black gospel songs that served as templates for some of the earliest recorded “hillbilly” music, those who tour the Country Music Hall of Fame after visiting the National Museum of African American Music will easily find the oft-hidden links.
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