By Bro. Dr. Kelvin A. Moses

Nashville, Tennessee, played a central role during the Civil Rights Movement in the desegregation of public spaces in the Deep South. Visionary and courageous young leaders such as Diane Nash, Kelly Miller Smith, Sr., and John Lewis, led students from the historical institutions Fisk University, Tennessee State University and American Baptist College to the courthouse steps to ask then-Mayor Ben West directly, “Is it right for our city to be segregated?”. Armed with his answer of “No”, these bright students made the demand to desegregate the lunch counters and other public facilities in the city made famous by the Grand Ole Opry.

Undoubtedly, the students were inspired by the words and actions of one of the greatest Americans, Bro. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was the national face and voice of a peaceful Movement borne out of the despair and indignity of Jim Crow laws, extrajudicial lynchings, and state-approved violence. The youth movement in Nashville was so influential, Dr. King humbly noted in a speech at Fisk University given shortly after the bombing of the home of prominent civil rights attorney Z. Alexander Looby in 1960 that he came “not to bring inspiration, but to gain inspiration”.

On the 50th anniversary of his life being cut short by an assassins bullet, Dr. King was celebrated throughout the country in tributes and retrospectives. Nashville was long overdue to have a special dedication to his legacy, having not previously given a prominent memorial. Working closely with Councilwoman Sharon Hurt, Bro. Charles Sueing, the President of the Tau Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, helped craft legislation to rename a portion of the busy downtown corridor of Charlotte Avenue. On April 4, 2018, Mayor David Briley held a press conference to sign this legislation into law on the grounds of the very courthouse where Ms. Nash asked the significant question. “Dr. King gave Nashville its due 58 years ago,” said Mayor Briley in reference to Dr. King’s visit to the Music City, “but for far too long this city has not given him his due.” And with that statement, Nashville gave a specific and highly visible tribute to Bro. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by renaming a portion of Charlotte Avenue from 3rd Avenue to 12th Avenue to Dr. M.L. King, Jr. Boulevard.

“We are pleased that this location is in a prominent area of town,” noted Bro. Sueing. Several former Freedom Riders, members of Alpha Phi Alpha, city councilmembers, judges, college presidents, local pastors, and other members of the community were present at the momentous occasion. During her public remarks, Councilwoman Hurt specifically recognized the contributions of Bro. Sueing and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., as well as Dr. King’s Alma Mater Morehouse College, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., of which she is a member and was past-President of the Nashville Alumnae Chapter.

The Tau Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is proud to have played a special role in the honoring of our Brother. Follow these links below for the occasion