In the past couple of weeks, the Nashville Department of Transportation removed more benches downtown along Korean Veterans Boulevard and replaced them with concrete spheres. Public benches are one of the last legal places for people to physically exist and rest, and these benches were frequently used by our friends without housing downtown. In a city where most space has been privatized and homelessness has been criminalized, the removal of safe spaces like public benches is

As we bear witness to the unjust, horrific treatment of people experiencing homelessness in Washington D.C., we are reminded of how essential this work is, now more than ever. The forced removal of individuals from the streets will do nothing to solve issues of homelessness. Housing and healthcare remain unaffordable and inaccessible. Essential, life-saving services remain out of reach for so many. It’s time for those in power to address root causes of homelessness.

At its best, Open Table Nashville is not just a nonprofit—it’s a way of being. It’s a way of creating communities that show up for each other. It’s a belief in the power of the human spirit; a belief that another world is not only possible, but is being created every time we choose compassion, justice, solidarity, and love.