BELLE MEADE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Many beautiful plantations in Middle Tennessee harbor ugly truths - about slavery in the South.
Now, a new tour at Belle Meade Plantation Museum and Winery is giving visitors new perspective.
"At the height of slavery [the Harding family] owned 136 slaves. Putting them roughly in the 4 to 5-percent of slaveholders in the state of Tennessee," said Brigette Jones.
Jones is the first African-American director of the site.
"I'm a descendant of Tennessee slaves so it’s a personal experience for me," she said.
They're calling the tour "Journey to Jubilee."
The tour follows the first African-Americans who were brought to Belle Meade Plantation and shows how vital their presence was to the existence of the property until 1906.
"For black people, I really want them to come here and understand that this story can be told. And it should be told by people that look like the people that were enslaved. This is our story," she said.
Jones wants to ensure that the lives of the formally enslaved are properly spoken for and accurately represented. And hopes by helping visitors walk in their footsteps, the people of Nashville will see the city's history in a more complete way.
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