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Fabian Hammerl
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Frank Empson / The Tennessean Frank Empson / The Tennessean, N
Former Olympic track star Wilma Rudolph, right, interviews Olympic swimming hopeful Tracy Caulkins for Rudolph's NBC radio show, "Olympic Odyssey," on March 19, 1979. The two winners of the James E. Sullivan Award were introduced for the first time in Nashville. 79then03 057
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Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
The Fisk Jubilee Singers perform at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, June 28, 2022.
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George Walker IV / The Tennessea
A view of The Message gallery celebrates Rap and Hip-Hop culture at the National Museum of African American Music Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021 in Nashville, Tenn. Visitors will be able to enjoy the museum when it opens to the public in late January. Nas Nmaam Walkthrough 017
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Mike Clark
The sign in front of the Tennessee State Museum during opening day of the new Tennessee State Museum on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2018, in Nashville. Nas Statemuseum14
Jubilee Hall at Fisk University
If you think the name Music City came solely from Nashville’s colossal country music scene, think again. The signature nickname was originally credited to the Fisk Jubilee Singers of Nashville’s Fisk University. The choral ensemble was organized in 1871 and has been introducing and sustaining the tradition of Negro spirituals ever since, traveling the world singing sacred songs.
Legend has it that when Queen Victoria heard them perform on tour, she was so impressed that she proclaimed the singers must be from “a city of music.” And the rest is Music City history.
Today, Fisk University remains a cultural cornerstone of Nashville. The Fisk campus is a National Historic District, recognized for its architectural, historic, and cultural significance. Jubilee Hall, built in 1876, is a National Historic Landmark and remains the dramatic focal point of Fisk’s campus today.
National Museum of African American Music
Situated in the heart of downtown, the National Museum of African American Music tells the story of African Americans’ endless contributions to the American music landscape, from jazz and blues to gospel, hip-hop, and beyond.
Through stunning, distinct galleries, NMAAM explores how Black musicians have created and influenced more than 50 genres of music through rare artifacts, memorabilia, objects, clothing, and state-of-the-art technology designed to share diverse narratives and unique perspectives.
Wilma Rudolph Exhibit
Learn about Clarksville’s hometown hero, Wilma Rudolph, at the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center. Rudolph made history at the 1960 Rome Olympics, becoming the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics and earning the title “the fastest woman in the world.”
Rudolph overcame several obstacles and was a pioneer for civil rights and women’s rights. The legendary sprinter and Tennessee State University alum’s relay baton is on display, along with a life-sized bronze statue featured in the exhibit
Tennessee State Museum
The Tennessee State Museum is welcoming families for a free day of educational fun as part of its Homeschool Day event series, with this month’s theme being African American History Month. Families can enjoy living history presentations, hands-on learning activities, and creative projects in the Children’s Gallery.
The day begins at 10 a.m. with a welcome and orientation, followed by educator-led programs rotating every 30 minutes from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The Ryman’s Statue Honoring Charley Pride
Nashville has long been home to Black musicians who shaped country music. Charley Pride, the genre’s first Black superstar, made history with his chart-topping hits in the 1960s and ’70s.
His groundbreaking talent and success challenged the norms of a racially segregated industry and led to him becoming the first African American inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. His career broke barriers and paved the way for future Black artists in the genre. Pride’s legacy is commemorated with a statue outside Ryman Auditorium.
MAJOR at Oz Arts
Oz Arts Nashville is a hub for culture and creativity. From February 12 to 14, Oz Arts is celebrating the power and legacy of majorette dance with MAJOR, a groundbreaking dance theater project by Nigerian-American artist Ogemdi Ude.
In MAJOR, six Southern Black femmes embrace the power and legacy of majorette dance to explore physicality, history, sociopolitics, and interiority. Expect a fierce investigation of physical memory, sexuality, sensuality, and community, intertwined with improvised and verbatim language to a music score blending Southern rap, horns, drumlines, and melodic R&B and soul by Lambkin.
Through electrifying movement, documentary theater, and The Chord Archive (a physical and digital collection of creative process and personal histories), the work is a “nuanced love letter to those who taught the team how to be proudly Black and proudly femme.”