A photographic exhibition exploring the Civil Rights Movement in downtown Nashville, held at the historic Woolworth Theatre.
Beyond the Counter is on view at the Woolworth Theatre this Friday, October 9, from 4 PM to 5 PM. It's a photography exhibition that looks back at the Civil Rights Movement, and the place it's being shown is a big part of that story.
The Woolworth building opened in 1925, and it became a pivotal site of the movement when student-led sit-ins challenged segregation at its lunch counter. Beyond the Counter was created in partnership with the Nashville Public Library, and it depicts crucial scenes from the movement that took place right here in downtown Nashville. Seeing those images in this specific building puts them in a different light—the very walls around you are tied to the history the photos are documenting.
These days, the building is registered as a historic site of the Fifth Avenue Historic District and is home to the Woolworth Theatre, which bills itself as Nashville's premier rental space for corporate events, galas and celebrations in the city's entertainment district. The exhibition is a brief window into the building's past, held in a space that now mostly hosts the city's social and corporate calendar.
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It's a short viewing window—just one hour on Friday afternoon—so if you want to see it, you'll need to time it right. The Woolworth Theatre is at 223 Rep. John Lewis Way N, in the heart of downtown, and the exhibition runs from 4 PM to 5 PM.
