Nashville and it's surrounding neighborhoods have grown faster than anyone expected, but residents of Madison said they believe their community has been left behind, but they're working to change that.
Madison was home to numerous country music stars in the past such as Kitty Wells, Patsy Cline, and Loretta Lynn, and today it is filled with a diverse group of people who represent who Nashville is.
"We represent what the original Music City is all about, and it's really important to preserve that, but at the same time, it's really important that we have economic equity, and we get the same type of opportunities that other places in Nashville are getting, because we want better jobs, we'd like to see more opportunities for small business owners to grow and evolve up here too," Sasha Mullins Lassiter, founder of All Together Madison, said.
All Together Madison is a group that was founded to make sure that Madison isn't left behind.
The group raised money to hire an economist, who is doing an in-depth study on Madison, the struggles it faces, and what opportunities are in the area. A strategic plan will be released to the citizens of Madison on December 11.
"We have so much opportunity here for revitalization, and we do need to clean it up. I mean, it's been in sad shape for a long time and neglected for a long time," Lassiter said.
Amy Dee Richardson is one of those involved in revitalizing the community. She opened up Dee's Country Cocktail Lounge in 2016, and she believes there are good people in Madison, good bones to the buildings, and nothing but upside for people who choose to move to the area and invest.
"If everyone maybe spent a little bit of time really getting into the darker and more difficult parts of our community, we could all rise up together, make it a stronger place," Richardson said.
