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Pioneers in Protest

The Civil Rights Collection contains various forms of information that pertain to Nashville’s involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. During the 1950s-1960s, Nashville’s Civil Rights Movement was in constant flow, from desegregating public schools to lunch counter sit-ins. This collection is an assembly of materials composed of primary sources and first-hand experiences, detailing the situations that were occurring during the Civil Rights Movement in Nashville. The collection includes over 100 oral history interviews with participants in the movement as well as photographs, documents, periodicals, ephemera, and records and manuscripts. This collection has been growing within the department since 2001, when the decision to create the Civil Rights Room and Collection was first developed and funded by Nashvillians Robin and Bill King. 

Access/Restrictions

In library use only. Access is available in the Special Collections Division during regular library hours. Some materials may be protected by copyright (Title 17 US Code). Some materials may be restricted. Please inquire with Special Collections Division staff for more information about specific items.

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Robin and Bill King