NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Civil Rights icon and Nashville native Vencen Horsley has died.
Horsley participated in sit-ins and fought against discrimination during the Civil Rights Movement.
"Not only was discrimination reality, but was also legal," Horsley told NewsChannel 5 in 2017. He shared that he started participating in marches and sit-ins when he was just 17-years-old.
"I was arrested seven or eight times."
He and Nikki Giovanni — another Tennessee native and Civil Rights pioneer — both have died in the same week.
"For 60 years, Vencen Horsley put his energy into making Nashville a better place, and we are undoubtedly better off because he called Nashville home," Mayor Freddie O'Connell said. "His work from the Civil Rights movement of the 60s to his later days when he called Hermitage home is historic. My hope is losing both Vencen and fellow Civil Rights leader Nikki Giovanni in the same week reminds all of us to redouble our efforts to realize a more just city."
Back in 2017, Horsley was instrumental in helping the city put up its witness walls as a part of the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. The artwork is outside of the Davidson County Courthouse. At the time, Horsley said it felt like an odd sentiment to simply call it art.
"Sometimes when I used the term 'artwork,' that doesn't seem strong enough. This is history," Horsley said.
Saddened today to learn about the loss of Mr. Vencen Horsley, who was part of Nashville's historic sit-ins. While his legacy was in the civil rights movement I knew him as a friend and neighbor who always had an encouraging word to share. 💔 https://t.co/UYClMqxUSD
— Erin Evans (@Erinfor12) December 12, 2024
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Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
