“It was surreal.”
On the past Juneteenth weekend, Nashville native Averianna The Personality hosted the third annual Bridge to Broadway party, organized by the National Museum of African-American Music. They took over the 500 block of Broadway. Nestled between the Arena and 5th and Broadway sat a stage where Black Nashville showed up in full force. This was not lost upon Averianna.
“I’ve never seen so many Black people downtown in one area, celebrating and blending in with what many of the clubs on Broadway display: country clubs.”
But Averianna wasn’t alone. She managed to bring in local talents such as Nashville’s most prominent hip-hop artist to date, Young Buck, alongside 2LiveBre, Tim Gent, Mia Reona, and Bubba Sparxxx, who resides in Nashville. During Buck’s performance that evening, he expressed that it was his first-ever performance on Broadway. Reflecting on the moment afterward, Averianna realized she was part of something much bigger than she had ever imagined.
“Everyone showed up for me, which meant a lot, considering this was a big lineup for me. I just wanted to ensure they were all taken care of because I genuinely care. These people are my colleagues and friends. Everyone saw the vision and delivered.”
What vision is Averianna speaking of, you might ask? Well, let’s delve into that.
“I see us, as Black people, rightfully taking back what is ours! I see us circulating the Black dollar, with our businesses, artists, and culture thriving in Music City.”
This vision is growing and Averianna is certainly proud to be at its forefront. Also impressive was the versatility of the artists who performed. While there were rap artists, performers like Black country artist Willie Jones shared the stage with artists like Young Buck and 2LiveBre. Each one who stepped on the stage had the same mission: to represent the Black community.
Averianna was present for the entire process, seeing it through from start to finish. With a broad smile, she relished her time being an integral part of the Bridge over Broadway block party.
“I was just happy to have Dion Brown, Candice Jones, and Shelly Surdoval trust me to do my part in not only an annual event for the National Museum of African-American Music, but a historic event for myself, the city, the hip-hop and R&B community, and Black Nashville overall.
The event was a success, and hopefully, it’s just the beginning of Black Nashville continuing to grow and come together, not only on holidays but all the time.
