Jim Crow in a Cardigan
🏛️ Last night at the Metro Council · Blackburn launches gubernatorial bid · Battle's Nothingburger Response · Back-to-school vaccinations · Much more!
Good afternoon, everyone. Last night's council meeting was, yet again, radicalizing... Marsha Blackburn is running for governor... Adrienne Battle offers a cryptic response to complaints about the recent MNPS lawsuit she was named in... And much more.
Big Goal 2,000 new newsletter subscribers by September 30. Could you help us get there by forwarding this email to a friend (or five) who cares about independent journalism? Tell them to sign up here.
Like what we do? Forward us to a friend.
It was a tiresome council meeting last night, the majority of which was dedicated to Councilmember Rollin Horton’s zoning reform targeting the Nations. His three bills, which would establish an urban design overlay and rezone over 330 acres of land with 2,600 properties, passed on second reading, but not without some pushback.
Horton and his supporters argued in favor of the plan’s potential to help guide future growth in West Nashville, but many of those who opposed it were asking for more time and clarity. While most arguments on both sides of the issue remained diplomatic, there were also quite a few accusations thrown around the room.
During public hearing, Rachel, a homeowner in the Nations for 23 years, clapped back at a comment made by Eric, an Old Hickory Village resident, who classified the organized pushback against the upzoning proposal as “class warfare” being waged by “wealthy property owners who already got theirs and want to raise the ladder behind them.” Eric went on to call it modern redlining akin to “Jim Crow in a cardigan sweater.”
“I'm a homeowner, and I'm neither wealthy nor a Jim Crow representative in a cardigan,” said Rachel. “A few neighbors and I got together and canvassed 1,500 households, none of which had heard of this plan,” she explained. Rachel also listed off several local businesses opposed to Horton’s proposal, including Tinwings, Lux & Luna, Sherwin Williams, Stay Golden, Bae’s Butters, Bare Bones Butcher, and Alpine Window Cleaning.
While supporters touted the diligence and scope of Horton’s public outreach, those in opposition expressed concerns that the Planning Commission approved the plan without sufficient infrastructure analysis. Councilmember Joy Styles took up the mantle for those wanting more deliberation, validating their concerns by reminding her colleagues that the Nations had an infrastructure study done in 2018 that concluded that the area’s growth was outpacing its infrastructure.
Ultimately, Styles and Planning Commission Chair/Councilmember Jennifer Gamble proposed deferrals on the legislation to no avail. Instead, the members passed the bills on second reading with a promise from Horton to engage the community over the next two weeks and bring forward any necessary changes on third reading. MEGAN PODSIEDLIK
⧖⧗⧖ GETTING BITCOIN FOMO? ⧗⧖⧗
|
The Bitcoin Adviser offers the safest and easiest way to securely buy bitcoin. Experts like Scott Porter talk you through the process from purchase to storage. Curious what owning bitcoin looks like? Sign up for a free consultation below. |
🗳️ Blackburn Running for Governor This morning, exactly one year from the 2026 GOP gubernatorial primary, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) formally launched her bid for governor releasing an announcement video outlining the core planks of her campaign.
Some of the main points from the video:
- Promises to make Tennessee “America’s #1 job-creating, energy-producing powerhouse.”
- Pledges world-class education by empowering parents and rejecting the “deep state.”
- Vows aggressive immigration enforcement—“whether it takes planes, trains, or starships, we’ll deport illegal aliens”—arguing respect for the law starts with enforcement.
- Positions herself as delivering conservative leadership to keep Tennessee “America’s conservative leader” for this generation and the next.
If victorious, Blackburn would be the state’s first female governor. She would vacate her Senate seat and have the power to appoint her own replacement.
The GOP primary is set for August 6, 2026. Blackburn joins the field with Rep. John Rose and Cito Pellegra.
🎓 Battle’s Nothingburger Response On $6.5M Settlement Yesterday, Nashvillians finally heard from Metro Nashville Public Schools Superintendent Adrienne Battle regarding the recent $6.5 million settlement for the lawsuit she was named in. “The truth of the matter is, we still stand on the decisions that we made,” Battle told Fox17 in regards to the choices she made five years ago, which stripped five former administrators of their positions. You may recall that the plaintiffs claimed Battle and MNPS terminated their employment as a form of retaliation.
Adding to the controversy, taxpayers are on the hook for the $6.5 million award—the largest settlement in district history. In comparison, Nashville government paid out a total of $4.2 million in legal settlements in 2024. The lack of public deliberation and transparency has also attracted scrutiny, but instead of addressing those concerns, Battle redirected the conversation towards recent achievements and the new school year.
💉 Back To School & Vax Data Speaking of the new school year, yesterday was Nashville students’ first day back in the classroom. Inglewood’s executive principal, Whitney Russell, acknowledged that this year’s kindergarten class is the first round of Covid babies who were born at the peak of the pandemic.
“Our Covid babies are really attached to their parents, and they’re really attached to their parents because they don’t know the world outside of their parents,” Russell told WPLN. “So, I’m sure there was a lot of anxiety leading up to today.”
Speaking of Covid, last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new data regarding school vaccination coverage and exemption estimates. It turns out that when parents have a choice, more are opting out of vaccinating their kids.
The 2024-2025 school year data shows that exemptions for vaccines increased and overall vaccination decreased among kindergartners. Axios stayed in step with the framing of the information presented on the CDC’s website by pointing out that the drop in vaccinated children coincides with an uptick in measles cases. That said, there was also a spike in 2019.
DEVELOPMENT
- West Nashville restaurant files for bankruptcy following eviction (NBJ)
- Berry Hill building sells for $1.85M (Post)
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here.
📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
👨🏻🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.
TONIGHT
🎸 Sean Thompson's Weird Ears Weird Jazz @ The Blue Room, 7p, Free, Info
🪕 Dennis Parker & Friends: James Taylor Tribute Show @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info
🪕 The Asheville Mountain Boys @ Dee's Lounge, 6p, $5, Info
🎸 Brother Maven with Lauren Gottshall @ 3rd and Lindsley, 7p, $24.76, Info
💀 Tennessee Dead @ Tennessee Brew Works, 6p, Info
🪕 Bluegrass Night @ The American Legion Post 82, 7p, Free, Info
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
The Pamphleteer
The Pamphleteer
The Pamphleteer
The Pamphleteer
Today's newsletter is brought to you by Megan Podsiedlik (Nashville), Jerod Hollyfield (Crowd Corner), Camelia Brennan (Local Noise), and Davis Hunt (everything else).