Rissi Palmer on the Black Barbie evolution of country music and other ‘Perspectives’

It’s time for our weekly Roundabout, where our panel representing views across the political spectrum dives into the biggest headlines of the week. We take a deep look at new details surrounding immigration enforcement in Middle Tennessee, including an investigation by a media collaborative including Nashville Banner, as well as challenges to marriage equality and gender-affirming surgeries. We also discuss the latest developments with the underground Tesla loop. And we hear from you! Call 615-760-2000 with your question of comment. You can also chime in on our live YouTube stream.Guests Sarah Grace Taylor, reporter, Nashville Banner Bill Phillips, former deputy mayor for Bill Purcell and John Cooper, Republican analyst Sophie Esteves Varvella Vicente, MDiv student, Vanderbilt Divinity School

Mayor Freddie O’Connell is back for another edition of Ask the Mayor.We’ve been through a lot since he was on the show last month. Today we start with questions about the ongoing ice storm recovery and the official review of the city’s response. Plus, property taxes, a change in leadership at NDOT, park recovery and debris removal.What are you wondering besides where on earth all the tree detritus is going? You can call in during the live show at 615-760-2000 or pop into chat on our YouTube stream.We end the hour with Curious Nashville and a mysterious bunker-looking structure at the edge of the international airport. What is it? We get some answers.Guests Freddie O'Connell, mayor, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County Brent Freeman, deputy director, Metro Water Services Sonia Allman, public information officer. Metro Water Services

Independent theater could turn any one of us from a spectator into an on-stage participant.It provides a spotlight for people of all ages to share important human stories, build confidence and work as a team to create something that can touch us all. But theater — even on a shoestring — still takes space. And good luck finding an empty stage in a room with good acoustics (along with free parking). We’re putting independent theater in center stage.Guests Anne Veal, Unscripted Improv Daniel Jones, Oz Arts, Kindling Arts Shawn Whitsell, Destiny Theatre Experience Bryce McDonald, Producing Director & CEO, Cumberland County Playhouse

People come to Nashville from all over the world to make country music. Rissi Palmer is one of the many. But she’s also one of the few — one of the few to ever crack the Billboard country charts, and fewer still to do it as a Black woman.Nearly two decades ago, “Country Girl” announced her to the world. The song was a declaration that you don’t have to be from Arkansas or speak with a drawl to belong in country music. She had a line in there that touched on race, too. Her label made her take it out.A lot has changed since then — and a lot hasn’t. Country music is still working out who gets to belong, who gets to be heard, and who gets to tell their own story without compromise. Rissi Palmer has spent the better part of 20 years figuring out her own answer to those questions, and her new album “Perspectives” is where she lands.It’s as country as anything she’s ever made, but her music no longer backs away from her Blackness.In this conversation, Palmer talks about the long road from that first charting single to where she stands today — as an artist, an advocate, and the founder of Color Me Country Radio. She talks about what it took to stay in this industry on her own terms, what she wishes she’d known, and what “Perspectives” is really trying to say.This episode was produced by Liv Lombardi.

It's Thursday which means it's another edition of The Roundabout. Today we focus on race, DEI backlash, race and redevelopment. What’s been your experience? How are you feeling about where the pendulum is swinging? It’s a delicate conversation, handled with care — and requires your voice! We take your calls during the show at 615-760-2000 and you can also chime in on our live YouTube stream.Guests Angela Crumpton, Community Engagement Specialist, Black Mental Health Village Timothy D. Hughes, Interim president of the Nashville Branch of the NAACP; New commissioner on Mayor’s Winter Storm Response Commission Amiee Sadler, LMSW, Executive Director, Miriam’s Promise

Music put Nashville on the map. And specifically, it’s our music museums putting us on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail map.Jefferson Street Sound Museum and the new Museum of Gospel and Christian Music have just been added to the must-see landmarks — joining the National Museum of African American Music. Today, we go for a trifecta, visiting all three in one hour.This episode was produced by Blake Farmer and Mary Mancini.Guests Lorenzo Washington, founder, curator and president, Jefferson Street Sound Museum Karen Coffey, vice president, Jefferson Street Sound Museum Bill Jeffries, executive director, National Museum of African American Music Romello Smith, artist relations and fan engagement, National Museum of African American Music Jackie Patillo, Gospel Music Association Doe, recording artist Steve Gilreath, executive director, Museum of Gospel and Christian Music

Crime is down — way down. But many of us don’t feel safe.At least that’s what the latest survey data tells us. What’s going on there? Do you feel safe in your city? What are you worried about? What have you seen that has you looking over your shoulder? We’re exploring this contradiction on the show today. Guests with lived experience and professional backgrounds in criminal justice and anxiety are here to answer your questions. Our phone lines are open at 615-760-2000 and you can also pop in chat on our live YouTube stream!This episode was produced by Josh Deepan. Guests  Lonnell Matthews, Metro Nashville Juvenile Court Clerk Stephanie Nesbitt, North Nashville Resident Emily DeSalvatore, Licensed Behavioral Therapist, Nashville Anxiety

The annual State of the Child Report released by the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth shows fewer kids are living in poverty.The report also indicates academic improvement post-pandemic, particularly in TCAP Math scores. However, mental health remains a concern, as does the integration of technology in everyday life. On today's show, we speak with representatives from Tennessee state government and also focus on School Choice legislation impacting public school funding. This is a roundabout edition of This Is Nashville. Join the conversation by calling 615-760-2000 or pop into chat on our YouTube livestream.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan. Guests Camellia Burris, WPLN Education Reporter Kylie Graves, Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth Director of Data, Policy, & Communications Chelsea Crawford, TennesseeCAN Executive Director Maryam Abolfazli, Rise and Shine Tennessee Founder

As of this month, nearly 400,000 immigrants have been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.And ICE continues to carry out public raids and individual seizures across the country. As their tactics become more aggressive, we look at the rights of the detained, of witnesses and of property and business owners. We also take a closer look at the immigration legislation beginning to be debated in the Tennessee General Assembly. Call 615-760-2000 during the show — or pop into the chat on our YouTube stream — to ask questions and share your insights.Guests Judith Clerjeune, Advocacy Director, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Luis Pedraza, Music City Migrawatch Emily Stotts, Legal Director, Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors

We just lived through the same crisis — an ice storm that froze Nashville in place for the better part of a week and caused the worst power outage the city has ever seen. While we all experienced it, everyone’s experience was different, even from one neighbor to the next. Some lost power for two weeks. Others had lights and heat the whole time. Some had trees split their home in two. Others just had to clean up a few sticks. Some had frozen pipes that left them homeless. Others were already unhoused and “remarkably unbothered” by the cold.The ice storm of 2026 will become a core memory for many of us. For others, the outages and related damage is the least of our problems. Reactions have ranged from anger to empathy and resignation to activation. Today, we’re doing a bit of an autopsy on the emotional anatomy of a collective crisis. We’ll look at how we should process all that these last two weeks brought up, and we’re taking your calls later in the hour.GuestsKate Martin, M.Ed., LPC-MHSP, The EstuaryAshley Hampton, Director, Healing In The MarginsAnita Richardson, native Nashvillian and new participant in the NES solar programRev. Dr. Kate Fields, Associate Chaplain for Community Life and Justice Ministry, St. Augustine's Episcopal Church