CAMPAIGNS
OUR BIG FIGHTS
We stand up. We speak up. We fight.
shift nashville
The 2024 transit referendum is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Nashvillians to unite and advocate for what we need to achieve a better quality of life in our city. Shift Nashville is a coalition of local organizations—SUN, The Equity Alliance, and the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition—that are determined to ensure the community’s voice is heard every step of the way in the transit referendum process.
public land
Public resources, especially ones as valuable as public land, should be used for the public good. As public property belonging to the people of Nashville, our land policy should reflect certain values, reinforcing the belief that no matter what our residents look like, who they love, or where they’re form, our neighbors all deserve a safe place to call home.
NASHVILLE FAIRGROUNDS SPEEDWAY EXPANSION
In 2021, Bristol Motor Speedway pushed a plan to expand the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway without input from the community. While they didn’t bother to ask Nashvillians for their thoughts, we did. SUN canvassed neighborhoods and organized the community, applying the pressure needed to force Bristol Motor Speedway to pump the brakes on their rushed plan.
Amazon's housing equity fund analysis
When Amazon refused to release their plans for a housing equity fund in Nashville, SUN took it upon ourselves to research how they’ve operated across all three corporate metro regions so far. In this detailed analysis, we outline our findings, the questions and concerns they raised, and our recommendations for establishing affordable, equitable, and secure housing in our city.
Get it right Bill
SUN’s 2021 Get It Right Bill advocated for safer conditions for construction workers throughout Nashville and was won by our successful efforts in pressuring Metro Council. The bill was later gutted, however, in the state legislature, further illustrating why we must organize at every level of government.
CARES ACT
At the height of the pandemic, we fought for $121 million in CARES Act funding money to go directly to Black and Hispanic/Latinx residents who were most impacted by COVID. The disparity in infections, deaths, and access to healthcare during this time truly exposed Nashville’s systemic inequity, so SUN fought for those who needed it most to gain access to immediate relief like healthcare, housing, and basic necessities.
STATE INTERFERENCE
SUN is proud to be a part of the statewide effort to fight corporate influence and greed in the state legislature. Tennesseans deserve more than our current representation, so SUN has compiled a thorough report of recent examples that prove the state legislature’s overreach of power.
DSON
#DONTSELLOUTNORF
The tornado that ripped through Nashville on March 3, 2020, left a vicious trail of devastation—with no neighborhood more decimated than North Nashville, a historically and predominantly Black community. Knowing that natural disasters should never exacerbate the gentrification already underway in our Black neighborhoods, we partnered with The Equity Alliance to fight for long-term recovery efforts, revitalization, and economic development opportunities in this community.
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (BCLI)
The Leadership Institute is a signature program designed to empower Black, Brown, Immigrant, and working-class individuals to learn the ins and outs of how our city operates and give them the opportunity to join Metro Nashville’s numerous boards and commissions. Our hope is that this initiative will give working-class families a real voice in the decisions being made about our public resources.
MUSIC CITY CONSTRUCTION CAREERS (MC3)
MC3 training provides an opportunity for local residents to gain access to Building Trades’ registered apprenticeship programs. Students can learn about safety, the industry and its tools, blueprint reading, construction math, rights on the job, and so much more! This is how we plan to build pathways out of poverty and give our most marginalized communities a chance to thrive.
COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENT
SUN and the greater Nashville community won a historic CBA on the MLS soccer stadium project in 2018.This monumental victory proves that large projects and developments can be done with high standards, while still centering the community in the process. To make sure that Nashville Soccer Holdings follows through on their side of the bargain, we’ve established a Community Advisory Committee to oversee the process.
UPCOMING
EVENTS
STAND UP & SUPPORT
You can help the fight continue by giving what you can today. Every donation goes towards funding our ongoing efforts to center the people of Nashville in the city’s big decisions.
READY TO STAND UP?
Want to get more involved? Sign up as a volunteer to report on development in your community, attend boards and commission meetings, organize events and action, and more!
