The Capitol building in Nashville, Tennessee, is not the end-all be-all of politics. In fact, anyone who looks past the sea of neon illuminating Nashville’s lower Broadway will find a hotbed of political action. 

Nashville is a lava field when it comes to conversation, constantly changing shape and texture, but still flowing toward one goal — understanding. 

Two Nashvillians, Melissa Alvarez-Zabriskie and Khalil Ekulona, embody the true southern politic: the art of conversing. 

Melissa Alvarez-Zabriskie, Tennessee Hispanic Action Network

Zabriskie is a licensed therapist, founder and executive director of the Tennessee Hispanic Action Network. She’s a lightning rod in her community and has worked to change the conversation around gun violence in Latino spaces through her volunteer-based nonprofit with “no money.”

Zabriskie believes stability is the most effective tool against gun violence.

Her ideology is simple: Housing and employment are gun violence prevention. 

“We know that when people are unable to work … they’re going to make money one way or another,” Zabriskie said. “I help people [who] come from neighborhoods where there is a lot of gun violence find housing … you don’t want your children around that.”

THAN recently organized a gathering following the death of 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante. She was killed in January by a fellow Antioch High School student during Nashville’s second school shooting in less than three years. 

As of now, a large part of her work is helping families cope with the loss of a child at the hands of gun violence, which Zabriskie admits can be frustrating.

“Lots of organizations say that they’re concerned [for children], but they don’t mention that most of those children are Black and brown,” Zabriskie said. “They don’t mention that nearly half of the gun deaths in this country are due to suicide … that the majority of gun deaths are caused by handguns. Those facts exist, but are often conveniently not discussed.”

One way she makes sure those facts are discussed is by interacting with local news stations. 

Zabriskie pointed out differences she noticed when stations reported on instances of people of color suffering a mass shooting.

“Since it was an all Black club, they never called it a mass shooting,” Zabriskie said while reflecting on events following the shooting at Sky Bar & Lounge in Nashville.

She immediately contacted the network and asked,  “I’m curious why this was reported as multiple gunshot shots and five people hospitalized, but you guys didn’t call it a mass shooting?”

The station was gracious about the situation and agreed it should have been referred to as a “mass shooting,” Zabriskie said. 

The outlet recognized its mistake and retracted the original headline. 

“Those things are important to do because it means that mass shootings don’t just affect, you know, white communities,” Zabriskie said. “They affect our communities [too], when it happens to us … it’s reported differently.” 

Despite these local setbacks, her vision for the future is bright.

“I started the organization as the Tennessee Hispanic Action Network specifically because I want to be able to serve all of Tennessee,” Zabriskie said. “I’m being hopeful, but I think we can make change in South Nashville, [then] all of Nashville to all of Davidson County … and then all of the state. I think things work that way. We ripple through.” 

Khalil Ekulona, “This is Nashville” WPLN Radio

Inside a small, nondescript building nestled along the Cumberland River, a calm but powerful voice reaches thousands of curious and concerned Tennesseeans every weekday at noon. 

Khalil Ekulona hosts Nashville Public Radio’s daily news show “This is Nashville” with a conversational approach to telling stories from Middle Tennessee. 

In early February, Ekulona invited listeners to call in with questions after Tennessee’s legislature passed an immigration law that pledged to support President Donald Trump’s planned mass deportation. Callers got the chance to discuss the new law with special guests Stella Yarbrough, legal director of the ACLU of Tennessee, and Judith Clerjune, campaign and advocacy director for the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. 

Ekulona believes change and mutual understanding, specifically on tough topics like race, don’t happen overnight. Instead, they require lots of small conversations and a healthy bit of curiosity.

Ekulona brings local voices to the studio, where a great equalizer — the interview chair — sits waiting for beat reporters, local celebrities, curious citizens and the occasional politician. They sit and talk about topics ranging from 30-year pen pal friendships to how licensing boards impact employment in the Volunteer State. However, out of all of the ideas showcased on “This is Nashville,” every one of Ekulona’s guests share one commonality — they care enough to come to the table. 

When he moved to Nashville in 2021, Ekulona was told, “Nashville is this democratic bastion. A blue dot in a red bowl of salsa.” But, he quickly learned that Nashville is “purple,” and the rest of the state, particularly in Middle Tennessee, may not be as deeply red as many believe. 

Nashville served as an incubator during the Civil Rights movement, where John Lewis, Diane Nash and other activists trained with the Nashville Student Movement to sharpen their organizing skills. 

Nashville is also home to famous conservatives, like legendary country musician Pat Boone, who joined Ekulona for a conversation in August. During the talk, Ekulona wasn’t concerned with debating — and frankly, neither was Boone. Instead, the pair mostly shared stories and learned about each other. 

“The fact that I’m talking to an older Nashvillian … who’s 90 years old, and if I’m lucky, I get to make it to 90,” Ekulona said. “What am I going to learn about life? How many times has he seen the world flip upside down?”

The desire to positively reshape local politics and silence negative Southern stereotypes stretches across Middle Tennessee, and Ekulona and Zabriskie are just two examples of those driving the cause forward — one conversation at a time.

“That’s a change that takes patience,” Ekulona said. “That’s a change that requires compassion. That’s a change that takes understanding.”

To contact the Sidelines 100th Anniversary editor, email [email protected].

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