Stax Music Academy and Tennessee State University Perform at Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture Opening Weekend Events

Dear Friend,

On Saturday, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture officially opened to the public. It is the only museum in America devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture, history too often overlooked or given short shrift in other museums.

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

I was so proud to see Memphis and Tennessee well represented during this weekend’s events. The museum hosted a celebration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Saturday that included speeches from President Barack Obama, civil rights icon Representative John Lewis (D-GA), museum director Lonnie Bunch, and music from Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle, and Memphis’s own Stax Music Academy. You can watch segments of the Stax performance here and here.

Stax Academy performs at the museum opening celebration

On Friday, I was pleased to listen to the Tennessee State University marching band perform at the White House reception hosted by the President and First Lady in honor of the museum opening. I sang “I’m so proud I go to TSU” with the band and got a nice response from the Memphians after I shouted “Memphis in the House!” I was proud to hear some of the band members were recipients of the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship. You can watch segments of their performance here and here.

Tennessee State University Marching Band performs at the White House

The National Museum of African American History and Culture tells the story of African Americans in the United States, including the beginnings of slavery in colonial America, the Civil War, Reconstruction and the struggle for equal rights, the Jim Crow Era, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and the election of our first African-American President Barack Obama. The museum also highlights African American contributions to music, movies, sports and the arts. I encourage all of my constituents to visit the museum if possible. Visitors can reserve free timed entry passes for the museum here.

As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress