Black immigrants and the American South While New York is a hub for immigrants of all backgrounds, the largest proportion of Black immigrants — 42% — lives in the U.S. South. And many have found a home in Tennessee, including Nashville and Memphis.
Special Series
Black immigrants and the American South
Tuesday
Sunday
Left: A Tennessee Historical Commission marker honors the site of Greenwood Park, which was the first city park to serve Nashville's Black residents and was established by Preston Taylor in 1905. Right: Learotha Williams is a public historian at Tennessee State University in Nashville. Joseph Ross for NPR hide caption
Friday
Vehicles travel on Interstate 240 after the morning rush hour on a weekday in Memphis, Tenn. Highways are the fastest — and in some cases, the only — way to get from one place to another in the sprawling city. Ariel Cobbert for NPR hide caption
In Tennessee, Black immigrants navigate a tricky course to a coveted driver's license
When she first arrived in the U.S. decades ago, Queen Titile Keskessa didn't know who Martin Luther King Jr. was. Today, she is inspired by his legacy and the work of other African American civil rights icons. Ariel Cobbert for NPR hide caption