North Nashville in Davidson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Buena Vista School
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School Desegregation in Nashville "Nashville Plan" Schools
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, March 9, 2024
1. Buena Vista School / School Desegregation in Nashville "Nashville Plan" Schools Marker
Buena Vista School. The first Buena Vista School opened in 1888 and was demolished in 1936. Architects Marr & Holman designed this Jacobean-style school, opened in 1931. Three African American first grade students desegregated the school on Sept. 9, 1957. About 100 protesters surrounded the school, but all students and parents made it safely inside. Members of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) visited parents in the area, supporting those already enrolled and encouraging others to join them.
"Nashville Plan" Schools. School Desegregation in Nashville. In Brown v. Topeka (1954) and Brown II (1955) the U.S. Supreme Court ordered public schools nationwide to end racial segregation "with all deliberate speed." Nashville failed to comply, resulting in the Kelley v. Board of Education case (1955) and the 1957 enactment of a grade-per-year plan starting at the first grade. In 1963, the Maxwell v. Davidson County (1960) case was merged with the Kelley case. In 1998, the court deemed the Metro school system to be desegregated.
Erected 2020 by the Historical Commission of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County.
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Civil Rights • Education. A significant historical date for this entry is September 9, 1957.
Location. 36° 10.68′ N, 86° 47.892′ W. Marker is in Nashville, Tennessee, in Davidson County. It is in North Nashville. It is at the intersection of 9th Avenue North and Garfield Street, on the right when traveling south on 9th Avenue North. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1531 9th Ave N, Nashville TN 37208, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Freeland's Station (approx. 0.2 miles away); Werthan Bag Company (approx.
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, March 9, 2024
2. Buena Vista School / School Desegregation in Nashville "Nashville Plan" Schools Marker
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, March 9, 2024
3. Buena Vista School / School Desegregation in Nashville "Nashville Plan" Schools Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on July 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 9, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 1,145 times since then and 135 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 10, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
