Black Business District In Tennessee Finally Gets Due Recognition With Historical Plaque

From the mid-1800s to the 1970s, an area of Murfreesboro had an array of Black-owned businesses.

A Black business district in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has finally gotten its overdue recognition with a historical plaque.

As Black History Month continues, downtown Murfreesboro is honoring its history of Black entrepreneurs championing the city. From the mid-1800s to the 1970s, its streets had various Black-owned businesses and patrons to match. Residents still remember its old days where Black people could thrive despite living in the Jim Crow south.

“I am from Rutherford County – been here all my life,” explained native resident Mary Watkins to WKRN. “Families would be here. They would go into the Black business establishments, buy burgers, all that kind of stuff had pool halls here.”

This history has stayed with Watkins throughout her lifetime. She now hopes to keep this recognition alive. Before stepping down as the President of the African American Heritage Society of Rutherford County, Watkins and others ensured its legacy with a new plaque honoring the business district.

She added “The young generation and the generations to come need to know whose shoulders they’re standing on.”

Businesses from groceries to doctors’ offices and funeral homes thrived on the land. It brought in customers from a nearby residential area also historically known as “The Bottoms,” given the name due to its flooding issues and mixture of poor Black and white people.

While living in the area, its retail streets treated Black customers with a respect seldom found elsewhere.

“This was it for us (Black people), because we couldn’t go at that time to a lot of other establishments and sit down and eat even though if you could go to a store and buy something but then you couldn’t sit down,” she said. “Here we were at home.”

Its plaque, paid for by Main Street Murfreesboro, serves as a long-lasting reminder of the businesses that came before. These shops shut down over time due to numerous factors, such as desegregation, urban renewal, and gentrification.

Despite this, these companies remain revered for offering a dignified experience alongside their usual services.

“We’re all about the preservation of historic downtown and that means telling the stories from downtown’s past,” explained Sarah Callender, executive director of Main Street Murfreesboro. “I think the importance is remembering the stories from the past, learning from mistakes of the past and celebrating those people like she said who we stand on their shoulders.”

The two parties are still seeking photographs of this storied district, encouraging those with information to contact the Heritage Society.