A photograph of Charter Commission members at work, circa 1962. Pictured here, from left to right, are Alexander Looby, Cecil Branstetter, Harlan Dodson, and Edward Hicks. These four men were appointed to both the first and second Charter Commissions
On April 19, 1960, a bomb exploded in the North Nashville home of attorney and former city councilmember Z. Alexander Looby. The blast was so powerful it shattered windows at the nearby Meharry Medical College, but Looby and his wife escaped unscathed. The bomber behind the assassination attempt was never identified.
In this episode, we’ll reflect on Looby’s legacy and unravel the pivotal role he played in the Civil Rights Movement in Middle Tennessee, including as a lawyer after the 1946 Columbia race riot.
But first, Metro Council voted in favor of a stadium for the Tennessee Titans for the second time on Tuesday night. We check in with WPLN producer Cynthia Abrams about the vote and what’s next.
Guests:
- Ludye N. Wallace, former Metro Councilmember
- Betsy Phillips, historian writing a book on the Looby bombing and Nashville Scene contributor
- Elliott Robinson, program specialist in the Special Collections Division of the Nashville Public Library, which oversees the Civil Rights Room
Related reading:
- Nashville Scene: Who Bombed Z. Alexander Looby’s North Nashville Home?
- WPLN: A shattered Civil Rights Era plaque picks up ‘a new life’ in Fisk collection
- Tennessean: On April 19, 1960, the bombing of a civil rights attorney’s home set off a protest like few had seen in Nashville
- Video footage of Looby’s home after the bombing
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