17. TrooRa Magazine The Black History Issue Special ’23

WOOLWORTH ON 5TH, NASHVILLE Another historical site that has played a significant role in Black history is this eatery in Nashville. It was the center stage of the lunch counter sit-ins that took place during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. One of the first “five and dime” stores in Nashville, Woolworth included a lunch counter where Black people were forbidden to eat. A group of college students, among them John Lewis, decided to challenge the status quo by simply sitting down at lunch counters like Woolworth and refusing to leave. Little did they know that their action was a vital piece in the revolution and sparked the desegregation process at downtown lunch counters in Nashville and other places in the south. Fast-forward to the present day, this building has transformed into the “Woolworth Theater” and recently opened its doors, preserving the historical entrance, of course, and allowing you to sit back, enjoy the show, and breathe in a little history.

Woolworth on 5th, 1960

Woolworth Theater, 2022

165

Powered by