Ronnie, a middle-aged black man who is living unhoused, stands by a faux Christmas Tree made of Lights hung on wires, against the backdrop of downtown Nashville’s skyline. Ronnie holds his handmade cardboard sigh wishing passersby a Merry Christmas.

December 16, 2023

Early in the morning people gathered in a small park by the river, in Nashville, Tennessee for a memorial service to honor the homeless who have died in 2023. The number was 181

At the end of the service those in attendance were offered flowers to be cast into the cold water of the Tennessee River in remembrance.

I walked the streets of Nashville early on Christmas morning to document the conditions of those living on the streets. It was cold, and the rain was a constant downpour for hours.
Here there are two people laying directly on the concrete as the water encroaches.

The full story can be read on my Substack

As I moved closer I realized that the person on the left, near the wheelchair, was covered only by a thin polyester blanket that was barely large enough to cover their upper torso.

Nashville, like many cities, have what have been termed “tent cities” - places where the displaced erect tents to create a community unto themselves.
There are also single dwellings, especially along the Cumberland River that flows through downtown Nashville.

Single dwellings encampments, especially along the Cumberland River that flows through downtown Nashville, are common - yet remain somewhat isolated.

Many of the unhoused pull a suitcase with them everywhere they go. It is the entirety of their possessions. One day, as Mark was walking by, - literally dragging his suitcase, he paused to talk with me. He said that the plastic wheels had ground down to nothing by the constant rolling over the pavement.

I met Rebel within the first few moments of arriving at Old Tent City for the first time. He was working on his Harley Davidson, preparing it for a road trip “out west” in a few days.

I met Red (seated on the motorcycle) and Peckerwood (holding the flag) at the same time I met Rebel. Their encampment is a stone’s throw from the Tennessee River.

I spoke at some length with Peckerwood, who was adamant about having the story of mental illness told. 

It is at this table that Ed begins each day, making coffee in an old frying pan over an open fire.

I met Ed while visiting Old Tent City, in Nashville, Tennessee. He came to Nashville several months ago to help his brother who was living on the streets. Eventually Ed went through the entirety of his savings, ending up on the streets himself.

The day before I met him he had received word that he had been approved for an apartment. As he attempted to leave the camp he realized that two of the tires on his old Honda were flat. A man from one of the churches got word of this and took them off to be replaced.

The following day, attempting to leave again, he found that the transmission was stuck in Park - which took a few days to get fixed. During that time Ed was attacked with a metal pipe - a common occurrence among those living on the streets.

Within Old Tent City, in Nashville, Tennessee, there are two permanent structures that have been built; one by Dallas and the other by Michael. Both are currently awaiting demolition by the State.