Diane Nash’s Civil Rights Legagy

The Nashville lunch counter sit-ins of 1960 were a pivotal campaign in the civil rights movement, and Diane Nash was the devoted leader of the student-led movement. And even though her last name is Nash, did you know she grew up in Chicago?

Born in Chicago, IL in 1938, Diane grew up in a Catholic household. After high school graduation, Diane went to Howard University in Washington, DC. After one year, she transferred to Fisk University. 

Having grown up in Chicago, Diane had not encountered the full impact of Jim Crow segregation laws until arriving in Nashville. At Fisk, Diane was introduced to James Lawson and his teachings on non-violent protest. From February to May 1960 at the age of 22, Diane became the leader of the Nashville student sit-in protests. These protests were the catalyst for more sit-ins across 69 cities in the United States.

One pivotal moment came in front of Nashville City Hall, when Diane asked Mayor Ben West, “Do you feel it is wrong to discriminate against a person solely on the basis of their race or color?” Mayor West admitted he did believe it was wrong. After that statement, Nashville lunch counters were integrated within three weeks. Diane went on to found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and work with the Freedom Rides and Selma Voting Rights Movement. 

In December 2021, the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County voted to name the landing in front of the courthouse the Diane Nash Plaza, where Diane confronted Mayor West regarding segregation. In 2022, Diane Nash was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.