Mission
To restore the historic Morris Memorial Building and establish a museum dedicated to Nashville’s African American history inside.
Goals
Save the Morris is endeavoring to accomplish the following:
01.
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To save a major pillar of Nashville’s African American history in the building and the foundation on which it sits;
02.
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To dedicate at least 25,000 square feet of the building to a Nashville African American history museum;
03.
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To create office space for Metro departments, saving taxpayers money by avoiding increasing costs for commercial space;
04.
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To use the building and museum as foundations of the past on which to build a more equitable and just community for future generations.
About the Morris Memorial Building
The Morris Memorial Building opened in 1926 and was named for Elijah Camp Morris, National Baptist Convention USA Inc.'s first president. Born enslaved in Georgia, Morris studied at Nashville Normal and Theological Institute. This five-story building was designed by the prominent, Black-owned architectural firm of McKissack & McKissack and constructed for the National Baptist Convention, an African American Christian denomination. Baptist Sunday School Publishing Board, McKissack & McKissack, Citizens Savings Bank and Trust Company, and Atlanta Insurance Company's Nashville location were all housed there. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 for its significance in architecture and Black history. For more information, click the following link: detailed building history.
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