• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Nashville's local news and NPR station

Search
Listen Listen
Give Now
  • Search
  • News
    • Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom
    • Arts, Culture & Music
    • Criminal Justice
    • Curious Nashville
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Housing
    • Metro Government
    • Race & Equity
    • State Politics
  • Schedule
    • WPLN-FM
    • WPLN International
  • Support
    • Give Now
    • Ways to Support
    • The Producers’ Circle
    • Donor Hub
    • Donate A Car
    • Give Stock
    • Business Support
    • Planned Giving
  • Shows + Podcasts
    • NashVillager
    • This Is Nashville
    • The Promise
    • Curious Nashville
    • See All
  • NashVillager
    • Podcast
    • Newsletter
  • Events
  • Giveaways
  • Donor Hub
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Race & Equity

This is where to find WPLN’s coverage of race and ethnicity, and of questions of equity relating to both. We strive to tell stories that reflect the diversity of Middle Tennessee, empower communities of color, and explain the systems that uphold inequitable power dynamics.

We as a newsroom are thinking deeply about what stories we choose to cover, who we talk to and about what, but we know we can always do better. Read more from our news director about the work we're doing and how to get in touch.

Quick links:

  • Sigue a Nashville Noticias, donde periodistas de WPLN comparten las noticias en español dos veces a la semana.
  • Listen to Breaking Points, a special series from summer 2020 that passes the mic to Black Nashvillians.
  • We're sharing our goals and progress with you on our WPLN News transparency page. Read our annual newsroom goals and how we're keeping track of source diversity.
  • Read our latest FCC quarterly report, which includes our source diversity numbers.
  • For coverage specifically on policing and criminal justice, please refer to our Criminal Justice topic page.

Supreme Court upholds Tennessee law that bars gender-affirming care for minors

By Nina Totenberg

June 18, 2025

At issue was a Tennessee law that bars minors from accessing gender-affirming care as they transition from their sex assigned at birth.

Filed Under: Politics, Race & Equity, WPLN News Tagged With: gender-affirming care, Jonathan Skrmetti, Tennessee Attorney General, U.S. Supreme Court

Checking in on ‘community benefits agreements’ in Tennessee — and the new law curbing them

By Cynthia Abrams

June 16, 2025

Listen

A new Tennessee law that takes effect in July will ban “community benefits agreements” for companies that have received state economic incentives. It arrives seven years after the state’s first such agreement.

Filed Under: Metro, Politics, Race & Equity, WPLN News Tagged With: Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, Blue Oval City, Blue Oval Good Neighbors, CBAs, Community benefits agreement, Ford, Ford Motor Company, Geodis Park, Lindsey Paola, Nashville SC, Nashville soccer, odessa kelly, Page Walley, Raumesh Akari, Sen. Raumesh Akbari, Stand Up Nashville

Cherokee cyclists retrace the Trail of Tears to remember — and reclaim — their history

By Cynthia Abrams

June 11, 2025

Listen

For the last four decades, a group of bicyclists has embarked on a 950-mile bike ride following the Trail of Tears in honor of Cherokee ancestors who were forcibly removed from their homelands.

Filed Under: Arts, Culture & Music, History, Race & Equity, WPLN News Tagged With: Cherokee, Cherokee Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Indigenous history, Joelton, McMinnville, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Trail of Tears

Mexican-American artist Louie the Singer has his own definition of country success

By jewly hight

June 6, 2025

Louie the Singer is dropping his first major label album with an unwavering sense of self-determination as a Mexican-American artist. “They say I ain’t country,” he sings, “but my people started this thing they call country.”

Filed Under: Arts, Culture & Music, Race & Equity, WPLN News Tagged With: Country Latin Association, country music, Louie The Singer, MCA Nashville

U.S. Republicans probe Nashville mayor, allege ‘chilling effect’ on ICE

By Marianna Bacallao

June 2, 2025

Two U.S congressional committees are looking into Nashville’s response to federal immigration activity.

Filed Under: Metro, Politics, Race & Equity, WPLN News Tagged With: Andy Ogles, Donald Trump, Freddie O'Connell, ICE, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Mark Green, raid, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition

ICE to pay Nashville ‘a lot of attention’ after mayor decries raids

By Marianna Bacallao

May 29, 2025

The Trump administration’s ‘border czar’ said congress has opened an investigation into O’Connell’s response — and implied an escalation in enforcement.

Filed Under: Metro, Politics, Race & Equity, WPLN News Tagged With: Donald Trump, Freddie O'Connell, ICE, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, raid, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition

Group cancels events surrounding Nashville SC game, cites immigration arrests

By Anne M. Peterson, AP

May 11, 2025

A supporters group for Nashville SC canceled game-day activities following recent ICE operations.

Filed Under: Race & Equity Tagged With: Immigration, Nashville SC, Soccer, Sports

‘My mom isn’t a criminal’: Nashville families search for loved ones detained by ICE

By Marianna Bacallao

May 8, 2025

Nashville families impacted by a series of ICE raids in the past few days still don’t have concrete answers on where their loved ones are.

Filed Under: Criminal Justice, Metro, Politics, Race & Equity, WPLN News Tagged With: 287(g), Freddie O'Connell, ICE, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, raid, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition

3 former Memphis officers acquitted in fatal beating of Tyre Nichols after he fled a traffic stop

By Adrian Sainz, AP

May 7, 2025

A jury took about 8 1/2 hours over two days to find Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith not guilty on all charges after a trial in state court in Memphis.

Filed Under: Criminal Justice, Race & Equity, WPLN News Tagged With: Associated Press, memphis, police, police brutality, Tyre Nichols

Here’s how two Nashville teachers are supporting immigrant students amid worries about growing absenteeism

By Camellia Burris

May 6, 2025

Amid the Trump administration’s crackdown, two Nashville teachers say they have seen a rise in absences among their immigrant students and are working to support them.

Filed Under: Education, Race & Equity, WPLN News Tagged With: Elementary schools, high school, ICE, immigrant, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Metro Nashville Public Schools, public schools, school, schools

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Become a sponsor?
Become a sponsor?
Become a sponsor?

Footer

About

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Staff
  • Employment Opportunities
  • Impact Report
  • Financial, FCC and CPB Reports
  • WPLN News Transparency Report
  • FCC Public File
  • Board of Directors
  • Privacy Policy

Listen

  • Ways To Listen
  • Shows & Podcasts
  • iPhone App
  • Android App
  • Alexa Smart Speakers

Sister Stations

  • WPLN International
  • 91.ONE, WNXP
  • Nashville Classical Radio

Stay Connected

  • Contact News Department
  • Receive Our Newsletters
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
WPLN News, Nashville Public Radio
630 Mainstream Drive
Nashville, TN 37228

Phone: (615) 760-2903
©2026 Nashville Public Radio

on-air light On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM

Pop-Up Player : All Channels
Launch Streaming Player