Tuscaloosa to Nashville

Jarvis Harris, left, and Joe Foss on one of the many Amtrak coaches that carried them across America.

Courtesy of Joe and Jarvis

Black History Month

Atlanta to Tuscaloosa via Amtrak

Jarvis Harris and Joe Foss are telling local audiences about their five-week, 4,600-mile tour of Black historical sites across the United States last fall.  For additional insights into their journey and anti-racist work, please visit their website, AcceptingOthers.com. 

Originally, we had planned to drive from Tuscaloosa to Memphis where we would see the Lorraine Motel and MLK museum and finally get back on a train headed to New Orleans. 

But once again we made a change on the fly. Turns out there is a National Museum of African American Music in Nashville; it was highly recommended to us both by Johnny and Verna and again by Pierre. So we shifted gears and decided to drive to Nashville to visit this museum before driving west to Memphis.

Joe: We arrived in downtown Nashville on a late Saturday afternoon following about three and a half hours of driving from Tuscaloosa. We were immediately aware of a crazy, thriving nightlife that was unfolding as we drove by the music museum to get our bearings before looking for lodging to spend the next couple of nights. We finally located a decent motel that was right on the outskirts of town.

Jarvis: I love music! In case you didn’t hear me, I love music!  I’d heard of The Grand Old Opry, but learned that it is something completely different than I expected. I do know that Nashville, Tennessee, is known for its country music, but I had no idea there was an African American Music Museum there! So, thanks to some great friends, we decided to add it to our trip. It turned out to be the best little surprise of the trip. 

The National Museum of African American Music was great not only to see and discover, but also to hear and learn! They give you the opportunity to build your own personal music playlist as you explore their incredible exhibits.

You get a bracelet for a very small fee that lets you download music from a vast list of artists and genres to the bracelet (by just tapping your bracelet). You go home and can upload this onto one of your personal devices and bam! Start enjoying your own unique sounds.

I liked that you could look up artists like Stevie Wonder, Al Green, BB King, Tina Turner, (now I’m just showing off), Mahalia Jackson, Naz, Bob Marley and see who influenced them as well as who they influenced.

The museum also took you on a journey of how slaves were brought here and their music and rhythms have grown and evolved into the music many of us listen to now, including gospel, jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and pop. It was amazing and historic as well. Something I don’t think I’d ever given any real thoughts about.

Additionally, the music of slaves was used to communicate to each other in various times and ways. They could convey hidden messages in the songs. There were songs of sorrow and freedom. They could use music to soothe the pain and hurt.

They used songs and music to send hidden messages to escaped slaves. And of course, they would celebrate and be entertained with the music of others. Learning about how some of the musical instruments were created was fun and interesting to learn, too.

Joe: What was most interesting to me at this fabulous music museum was how they connected very early Black music styles to many of the genres of the music we all enjoy today.

The museum made these connections for us visitors in a very interactive way by providing samples of early Black music that slaves brought to our land and helping you understand how their early music spawned new music that America later picked up.

Since slaves arrived with no musical instruments and no sheet music, the music they made came mostly from their hearts speaking to various challenging life circumstances they were thrust into.

Spirituals, blues, jazz, gospel, R&B and hip-hop are distinctly African American in nature and have birthed other styles that we think of as classic American music, like rock and roll.

This museum's presentation really helped me to recognize that I did not have an understanding of the history of America’s music and how much of it has roots from early Black music.

Jarvis Harris, of Lacey, is a retired U.S. Army veteran and former Pierce County corrections officer who now dedicates his time to personal passions and volunteering. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he settled in Lacey during his Army service.

Joe Foss, of Tacoma, is a Navy veteran and retired business owner who has been actively engaged in projects addressing racism in America since 2012.