Salem comes from a Hebrew word meaning “peace”. This is a very fitting name for this special community near the heart of downtown Nashville. It is essentially six blocks wide and three blocks deep situated North of Capitol Hill and Germantown with expansive views overlooking the artistic city scape of Nashville. Some of the more enticing town homes in Salemville have balcony views that are truly breathtaking – especially in the South where views are scarce due to the thick tropical foliage that is so prominent.
Just one reason this community is so special is that it is the historic home of Fehr School that in 1957 became one of the first schools in Nashville to desegregate by opening its doors on September 9th to four African American first graders to attend at its location on 1624 5th Avenue North. Approximately 200 protesters surrounded the school.
The four brave 1st graders and their escorts crossed the segregation line. One mother recalls,
“I remember a lot about that morning. I heard they had better books at Fehr, and it was a lot closer than Elliott, and when they said Linda could go there, I made up my mind to do it. So on the early registration day, this nice lady, Mrs. C. E. Hayes, came to the house and walked down there with us. Linda had a friend, Rita Buchanan, who went too, her and her mother. There was some white people down there hollering, but they didn’t bother us.
The day school started, I got Linda up, we got dressed, ate something. We must have been nervous. My mama said, ‘Don’t go down there with an attitude,’ and I didn’t, but my daddy was walking right behind me—to help me stay calm, I guess. Rita went with us that morning. Her mother said she was afraid to go. I never was afraid to stand up for my rights.”
Walking through the crowd of protesters on Garfield Street on the way up the steps and into the school was difficult. A crowd of adults were gathered yelling insults at the parents, escorts and children.
“It was a lot calmer inside,” Mrs. Lillard recalled. “We never did have any trouble with the teachers or the principal. Some of the white parents were nice, too—but those women out in front, they were bad.” A few altercations did occur such as rocks and bottles being thrown, tires slashed and the janitor getting beat up when he was taking down the flag for the day. After the protesters quieted down, this historic school stood it’s ground and desegregated.
Today, you will find a diverse group of urban community minded people that watch out for each other as they take their dogs for a walk, go on their morning run, get a cup of coffee at the Red Bicycle cafe or a chocolate truffle at the Tempered Cafe and Chocolate. If you work on Capitol Hill or in Nashville and want a close community feel, this is the place for you.
