National Museum of African American Music facts for kids
| Established | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Location | Fifth + Broadway, Nashville, Tennessee |
The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) is an exciting museum located in Nashville, Tennessee. It's a special place that celebrates all the amazing music created or influenced by African Americans. The museum is found at Fifth + Broadway in Downtown Nashville.
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What You'll Find at NMAAM
The museum has five main areas, called "galleries," that you can explore. It also has a theater with 200 seats and special exhibits that travel to different places. Dr. Dina Bennett was chosen as the museum's first curator in May 2018.
NMAAM shows off more than 50 types of music. These include everything from early American religious songs to modern hip-hop and Rhythm and Blues. All these music styles were inspired, created, or shaped by African American culture.
The museum's collection includes many cool items, like clothes worn by famous musicians. You can see outfits from stars like Nat King Cole, Dorothy Dandridge, Whitney Houston, and Lisa Lopes. The first traveling exhibit was all about the Fisk Jubilee Singers, a famous group of singers.
How the Museum Started
The idea for this museum began in 2002. Members of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce wanted to save and celebrate African American music, art, and culture. After a group studied the idea for ten years, they decided to focus only on music. NMAAM's main goal is to keep African American music traditions alive. It also celebrates how important African Americans have been in shaping American music.
In February 2019, the museum received a lot of support. The Regions Foundation and the Mike Curb Foundation each gave $500,000 to help the museum.
In 2015, the city of Nashville announced where NMAAM would be built. It was decided that it would be at the old convention center site.
Choosing the Museum's Location
The museum was first planned for Jefferson Street. This street is a historic area for Nashville's African-American community. But in 2015, the city decided to put NMAAM at the old convention center site instead.
Some people in the African American community felt that the museum should have been built on Jefferson Street. They believed it was important for the museum to be in a place that had a strong history for their community. They felt that the community should have had more say in where the museum was located.
The museum is now located at Fifth + Broadway in Downtown Nashville. This is where the Nashville Convention Center used to be. This new building project cost about $450 million.
Many people have praised the new location. Senator Marsha Blackburn spoke highly of it at a fundraising event in February 2019. Mayor David Briley also said that the museum helps Nashville learn from its past and celebrate African American history.
Grand Opening Day
Construction for the National Museum of African American Music began in April 2017. The museum officially opened its doors to the public on January 18, 2021.
