Group aims to combat hate against Nashville youth

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Community leaders gathered Saturday to address hate speech following multiple summer protests involving alleged extremist groups in downtown Nashville.

In particular, “Stop Hate in Nashville” rally organizers spoke about the impact of hate on the city’s youth. Speakers addressed an incident from mid-July, when a group of alleged neo-Nazis shouted racial slurs at children walking home after playing drums downtown.

“The Neo-Nazis were here a few weeks [ago] and terrorized children,” Pastor Venita Lewis, a civil rights activist, said. “Yeah they were Black, but that younger generation, they do not see color. They see themselves being intimidated whether they’re Black or white.”

In addition, Lewis said the deadly Covenant School shooting is still fresh in the mind of local students. She referenced a conversation she recently had with one of her great-grandchildren.

“When a third grader would say, ‘I’m back in school, my desk is right next to the door, so the shooter will get me first’…We just don’t want that hate in the city of Nashville, and we will come together for our children,” Lewis said.

Pastors, Metro Council members, and state leaders at the event said they wanted children witnessing hate speech in Nashville to feel supported and remember how their community responded.

“That was definitely an interruption, if not a complete eradication of their innocence, which is very unfortunate and heartbreaking as a mom to see,” District 2 Metro Councilwoman Kyonzte Toombs said.

Toombs said she and other council members are looking into ways to respond to extremists in Nashville, while also balancing First Amendment rights.

“Something we could find in the law where we could make some tweaks so that there’s perhaps an arrestable offense, because a lot of folks are like, ‘Well why weren’t those folks arrested? They were harassing children,'” Toombs said.

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State Sen. Charlane Oliver (D-Nashville) also spoke at the event on Saturday, Aug. 17, hoping to see a hate crime law passed in Tennessee.

“We have way too many people coming from out of state who think that it’s okay to bring their hatred and their bigotry, and we need to let them know that our laws are going to be stiff around that and they’re not welcome here,” Oliver said.

Another event aiming to address hate speech will take place Sunday, Aug. 25. A march will start at 3 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena Plaza. Lewis urged anyone interested in joining their efforts to contact KEVA Inc., Miracle House of God, or Fairfield Church.

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