Best Commemorative Event in Nashville 2026: Enslaved Nashvillians Memorial Bench Dedication
One Saturday in June, people kept arriving at the Nashville City Cemetery throughout the dedication of a new bench honoring enslaved Nashvillians — walking in flowing dresses, taking long steps across the grass. The Nashville City Cemetery Association’s Betsy Thorpe, Susan Laux and Jacobia Dowell hurried around, making sure everyone was comfortable and everything was in place. There were sandwiches, individual packets of cookies and a cooler full of water. Two men sang. One man prayed. And we talked about the terrible days of slavery, and how people in the worst circumstances still watched out for each other. We honored and mourned the dead, and after the ceremony, people lingered around the stone bench, which was covered in flowers. It was the loveliest civic event I’ve ever been to.
