5 lessons from Learotha Williams, newly named as Davidson County historian

There’s a little-known role in the Metro government: Davidson County Historian. A familiar face has stepped into the role.

Dr. Learotha Williams Jr., a Tennessee State University history professor, says his goal is to amplify marginalized voices, like Nashville’s Latino and Muslim communities, and to investigate little-known aspects of Nashville’s Civil Rights history.

And, he’s trying to find creative ways to preserve stories that the community is at risk of losing.

“We treat amnesia as a disease,” Williams said. “We’re saying if you have no knowledge of the past then something is fundamentally wrong with you. The same is true for people, communities, neighborhoods, cities, and states. If we don’t have a memory of past events, then there’s something fundamentally wrong with us. We are not a properly functioning entity.”

Williams has regularly shared his insights with WPLN News over the years.

“I might talk to 100 students about African American history or Nashville in my class every academic year, but my voice reaches thousands with WPLN,” Williams said. “It’s important to do what I do outside of the classroom. And you all are a very effective tool.”

Williams will hold the role for five years.

If you’re unfamiliar with his work, here’s a look back at what he’s shared through WPLN in recent years.

2018: On A Downtown Corner, A New Marker Acknowledges Nashville’s Slave-Trading Past

On A Downtown Corner, A New Marker Acknowledges Nashville’s Slave-Trading Past

2020: Juneteenth: A Nashville Historian Sees Slavery As Only ‘Two Grandmas Away’

Juneteenth: A Nashville Historian Sees Slavery As Only ‘Two Grandmas Away’

2022: What an elusive island on the Cumberland tells us about Nashville’s first big business — buying and selling enslaved people

What an elusive island on the Cumberland tells us about Nashville’s first big business — buying and selling enslaved people

2022: Nashville is about to invest about $2M in a community-based public safety program. But some anti-violence groups say that’s not enough

Nashville is about to invest about $2M in a community-based public safety program. But some anti-violence groups say that’s not enough.

2023: Tennessee shorted TSU by more than $2B according to analysis from the Biden administration

Tennessee shorted TSU by more than $2B according to analysis from the Biden administration