When my family and I went on a vacation to Nashville, Tennessee, we immediately felt the country music vibe of the city. However, I quickly realized that there were many other cultural and economic influences aside from Music Row. As an ardent student of history, I am quite familiar with the role of slavery in the Southern United States. This has been rehashed so much that I have become nearly desensitized to the relationship of places like Nashville and Tennessee to the unfortunate history of slavery. While this aspect of history is incredibly important to understand, I knew that there were other aspects of Nashville’s past that could be explored.
Prior to the trip, my wife suggested that we visit the Parthenon which is a replica of the original in Athens, Greece. I never knew that the Parthenon in Nashville existed prior to my wife telling me. This made me wonder how something such as this would be located in a city so famous for country music. Little did I know that the Parthenon actually predated the cities role in country music. While visiting the Parthenon I learned that Nashville’s nickname the “Athens of the south” was a major influence in it being the location of its construction. The nickname was primarily inspired by the city’s devotion to higher education.
This was when my wheels really started turning and made me think about the changes in higher education, the state of American politics, and how all of these factors influence the cycles of history. One of my first observations was that country music is largely conservative both in its message and Fanbase. Also, Tennessee is a predominantly conservative state with a history of slavery. So, I found myself wondering how a place such as Nashville could have been associated with higher education. But then I had to remind myself that academia in the United States did not become so left-leaning and progressive until the later part of the twentieth century.
This was reinforced when I remembered that Athenians themselves owned slaves, albeit in a different form, yet they valued higher education. Hence, this demonstrated to me that political views and societal mores are determined by the society that constructs those values and viewpoints. For example, slavery in the United States generated enormous wealth amongst a small group of people at the expense and exploitation of another group. Those who argued for its continuation, pointed to the economic success as a reason to uphold it.
Ironically, and in contrast to the Athenians, higher education in the Unites States is where the most awareness is raised on this issue. Meaning that higher education has become a place for critique of one’s own country and institutions. Conversely, country music often celebrates and exalts the triumphs of the United States and promotes its ability to thrive regardless of its hardships or low points. One such example of this was after the September 11th attacks in 2001. Following the attacks, the country music genre immediately produced songs celebrating the strength of the United States.
So then, could Nashville be a microcosm of the confluence of old and new, conservative and progressive, or even…. rinse and repeat? From the rise and fall of empires, to the decline and revival of various institutions and systems, there always seems to be a “next time”. Perhaps these aspects of Nashville can indicate how the United States might progress while maintaining some of the traditional values that support its cohesion and national identity.
Do you think that Nashville is representative of the ever-changing dynamics within the United States and its relationship with the world?