Nashville Organized for Action and Hope

Uniting Nashvillians to fight for justice — congregations, community organizations, and labor unions together.

NOAH is an anti-racist, interfaith coalition of congregations, community organizations, and labor unions that amplifies the power of ordinary people so their voices are heard in the public arena. A member of the national Gamaliel network — the same network as MICAH in Memphis, its sister organization — NOAH exposes and dismantles systemic racism in Nashville through member-driven task forces. Labor runs deep here: former UAW Local 737 President Benny Overton served as NOAH's Vice Chairman, and its Economic Equity task force gave birth to the Southeast Center for Cooperative Development.

What NOAH Does

Education

Programs in Metro Nashville Public Schools that increase student achievement and disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline.

Affordable Housing

Fighting the rise in housing costs that pushes working families out of Davidson County.

Transformational Justice

Reforming Nashville's incarceration and policing systems that cause disproportionate harm to African Americans.

Economic Equity, Jobs & Transportation

Economic development and job opportunities for low- and middle-income residents — the task force that seeded SEC4CD.

Faith + Labor + Community = Power

“We take ordinary people and train them to use their God-given power.” — Rev. Ed Thompson, NOAH founder. NOAH is what it looks like when congregations and labor unions organize side by side: 40+ member institutions building political power across race and faith lines. For Nashville union members, NOAH is the bridge between the union hall and the pews — the same bridge MICAH built in Memphis.

A Community Partner of Labor Education

NOAH and Labor Education fight the same fight on different fronts: an educated, organized community is an unstoppable one. NOAH is the sister organization of our Memphis partner MICAH — both Gamaliel affiliates — and the coalition where UAW 737's Benny Overton helped launch the co-op movement we now feature. Join a task force, bring your congregation, or affiliate your local.

Connect with Nashville Organized for Action and Hope

Want to get involved, partner, or learn more? Reach out through their website.