A Formal Statement from the Black Contractors Association – Alabama Chapter
By Jarrod Sims, President

We may not have members physically present on that jobsite in Tennessee, but we are all in this industry together. When one Black worker is threatened, we are all threatened.
The Incident: What Happened on the Tennessee Titans Jobsite?A noose was discovered at the Tennessee Titans stadium construction site, prompting a police investigation and outrage from union officials, city leaders, and civil rights organizations.
The incident took place on June 26, 2024, at the new stadium construction site in East Nashville. Workers reported the noose hanging from a beam in an area under construction, and a photo of the noose began circulating among union members and on social media.
In response, Titans CEO Burke Nihill issued a statement saying, “We are shocked and angered by this cowardly act of hate. This goes against everything we stand for as an organization. We are working with authorities to find out who is responsible and ensure this person is held accountable.”
The Greater Nashville Building and Construction Trades Council also condemned the incident. “Our workers deserve to feel safe and respected,” said President Billy Dycus. “There is no place for hate in our industry.”

The Metro Nashville Police Department confirmed an investigation is underway. Meanwhile, local activists and labor organizations have demanded swift accountability and called for stronger protections and inclusion for Black workers on publicly funded projects.
Not Just a Symbol—A Threat
This wasn’t a harmless prank. This wasn’t someone “joking around.” This wasn’t some outdated symbol that “means different things to different people.”
The noose is a weapon.
It is a symbol of racial terrorism. A tool of white supremacy. A relic of lynching, torture, and terror that was used for centuries to keep Black people “in line”—by fear, by brutality, and by death.
And in 2024, that weapon appeared on a construction site funded by taxpayer dollars—which includes the hard-earned money of Black families, Black contractors, and Black laborers.
Let that sink in.

We’re paying for projects that we’re excluded from—and when we show up, we’re met with threats.
A Publicly Funded Betrayal
The Tennessee Titans stadium is a billion-dollar project, backed in part by public funds. That includes tax dollars from Black residents of Tennessee and across the country. It includes taxes from the very men and women now being intimidated off of jobsites through hate.
This isn’t just hate. This is betrayal. This is terror with a financial trail.
We cannot separate racism from the economy. Economic exclusion is a form of violence. When you combine it with physical symbols of racial terror, the message is unmistakable: “We want your money, but not your presence.”

It Keeps Happening Because No One Is Held Accountable
This is not the first time a noose has been found on a jobsite. And unless our industry radically changes, it won’t be the last.
We’ve seen it before:

•⁠ ⁠Amazon warehouses (2022)
•⁠ ⁠Georgia power plants (2018)
•⁠ ⁠Connecticut, Illinois, New York, Louisiana, and Texas jobsites
Each time, we hear:“We’re investigating.”

“This does not reflect our values.”

“This isn’t who we are.”
But somehow, it keeps being who we are. Because without action, these statements are meaningless. These nooses keep showing up because our industry has not made it clear that they will be punished—legally, professionally, and publicly.
Black Contractors Built This Country
We are not outsiders looking in. We are not guests on these jobsites.
Black contractors built America.
We built the railroads, the highways, the levees, the steel skeletons of cities. We built in the shadows while being excluded from ownership, management, and opportunity.
We’ve fought for inclusion. We’ve sued for it. We’ve organized for it. We’ve begged and demanded it. We are still doing so today.
So when we step onto a jobsite and see a noose, it’s not just an insult—it’s erasure. It’s a declaration that our lives and labor are not valued, despite our historic and present-day contributions.
From Alabama: A Call for Action and Accountability
Though this happened in Tennessee, the implications stretch to every construction site in America.
The Black Contractors Association – Alabama Chapter formally demands:

1.⁠ ⁠A Full and Transparent Investigation.

The individual or individuals responsible must be identified, publicly named, removed from the project, and criminally prosecuted.
2.⁠ ⁠Mandatory Anti-Racism and Jobsite Safety Training.

Not symbolic workshops or checkbox videos. We want real, union-integrated training with accountability systems built in.
3.⁠ ⁠Immediate Inclusion of Black Contractors and Workers on All Public Projects.

Representation is not charity—it’s equity. It’s what’s owed.
4.⁠ ⁠A National Contractor Code of Conduct.

One that clearly outlines prohibited behavior and hate speech on jobsites, including real, enforceable consequences for violations.
Silence Is Complicity
Every time we fail to act, we allow it to happen again.
Every time we offer “thoughts and prayers” without policies and punishment, we tell Black workers: You are not safe. Your labor is needed, but your life is optional.
That is no longer acceptable.
We are watching. We are organizing. We are protecting one another—because history has shown us that no one else will unless we demand it.
To Our Brothers and Sisters in Tennessee
To every Black worker who showed up to that stadium jobsite before and after that noose was found:
We see you.
We believe you.
We stand with you.
You have a right to be there—not just because you’re skilled, but because you have paid the price for that right with generations of labor, sweat, blood, and tax dollars.
You belong on every jobsite in this country.
Final Word: Let the World Know
We at the Black Contractors Association – Alabama Chapter want to be absolutely clear:

•⁠ ⁠Hate has no place in our industry.
•⁠ ⁠Racism has no future in our trades.
•⁠ ⁠Terror has no home on our jobsites.

And if it shows up—we will name it, challenge it, expose it, and expel it.
We don’t want special treatment. We demand equal footing.
We demand safety, equity, and respect.
And we’re not going anywhere.

Jarrod Sims

President

Black Contractors Association – Alabama Chapter

Bill Day