Latest news with #NationalMuseumofAfricanAmericanMusic
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Billy Ray Cyrus Calls Elizabeth Hurley a ‘One of a Kind Young Lady'
Billy Ray Cyrus is head over heels for Elizabeth Hurley, with the country star praising his famous girlfriend in a sweet comment. On Tuesday (July 1), the actress shared an Instagram photo of herself lounging on a boat in an animal-print swimsuit, smiling as she poses underneath a rainbow stretching across the sky behind her. 'Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue,' she wrote in her caption, quoting The Wizard of Oz's 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow.' 'And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.' More from Billboard Billy Ray Cyrus Shares Throwback Family Photos for Father's Day Foo Fighters Celebrate 30th Anniversary of Debut Album With Emotional New Track 'Today's Song' At First, Kapo 'Didn't Dare' to Release Afrobeat Music, But Then He Leaned Into 'What Truly Made Me Feel Most Unique' In the comments, Cyrus — whom Hurley tagged in the photo — fawned over his partner. 'Thank you for sharing our song in such a sweet… beautiful… and truly wholesome way!!!!' he wrote. 'You are one of a kind young lady!!!' The musician added that Hurley is 'truly an original.' The post comes as Cyrus has shared a new cover of 'Over the Rainbow,' a charity single that will benefit the National Museum of African American Music. Cyrus and the model have been dating for a few months now, going public with their romance in April after reconnecting over text amid the Hannah Montana actor's divorce from singer-songwriter Firerose. In May, Hurley told Entertainment Tonight, 'Billy's a very, very fabulous person.' 'He's a very gentle man, very nice,' she added at the time. 'We're very happy.' The couple's sweet Instagram interaction comes shortly after Billy Ray attended daughter Miley's Something Beautiful premiere with Hurley at his side. Afterward, the swimwear designer shared a video of herself and her boyfriend packing on the PDA at the event, as well as a photo of the 'Flowers' singer and Hurley's son, Damian, watching the Something Beautiful film together. 'The babies are all grown up,' Hurley captioned the latter post on Instagram, adding the hashtag '#proudparents.' 'What a night to remember,' Billy Ray replied at the time. 'This is what rock n' roll is all about… the kids are together. SO PROUD xxx.' Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
6 uniquely powerful Black heritage museums in the USA that don't pull any punches
On a scale of familiar are you with Black history (and heritage) in America? And I don't just mean "there was slavery and then Martin Luther King freed everyone" kind of knowledge. How much do you REALLY know? It's okay to say that you might not have much understanding of the complex intricacies of how Black people contributed to this country (by force and willingly). Firstly, because it IS very complex. Secondly, it simply isn't taught that well in school and beyond. Most of us have probably been to one museum that might have touched on it, but maybe it wasn't well-curated or in-depth or enough to hold our attention. I spent two months road tripping through the American south following the path of freedom from plantations all the way north along the Underground Railroad, and let me tell ya, they know how to make some GOOD Black heritage museums in the south. Their exhibits are unique and captivating, offering visitors a new perspective of American history that has been hidden in plain sight. These are six that still burn bright in my memory and I whole heartedly recommend when you're in the area! Starting with potentially the best museum I have ever been to point, blank, period, the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. Located in a former cotton warehouse where enslaved people were forced to work, the Legacy Museum Uses interactive media, art, and first-person accounts to tell the story of slavery, racial segregation, lynching, and mass incarceration in America. In one museum, the exhibits perfectly answer the intricacies of how race is embedded into every fabric of the country, purposefully, and does so in such a beautifully powerful way. Don't be surprised if you start crying. Alongside the museum, you'll also find the National Memorial for Peace and Justice that honors over 2,000 Black men, women, and children who were lynched between 1865 and 1876, just over ten short years, and those only account for documented lynchings. There is also another memorial for the Black men and women who were lynched or killed in racially motivated attacks during the 1950s Civil Rights Movement and the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park which uses art and historical artifacts to provide a unique view into the lives and legacies of enslaved people. Music always has and always will be intrinsic to Black culture, and by extension that culture is the foundation of American music. America was built by Black people. It should be no surprise that its music was too. The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM), the only museum of its kind dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history of Black music in America. Not only is it one of the best things to do on your Nashville itinerary, but ALSO one of the best Black history museums in the USA. Through multiple exhibitions, the museum walks you through the roots of each American genre and how *spoiler* they all tie back to Black people and their contributions to music in America. The NMAAM is also highly interactive, with listening booths, record mixing games, and even a dance studio! Chances are if you're already in Nashville, you're probably a fan of music, so this museum is the perfect add-on to any Nashville itinerary! By definition, a holocaust is a series of mass atrocities, and so the America's Black Holocaust Museum (ABHM) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a museum and memorial that explores the African American experience in the United States through the lens of the country's mass atrocities toward it's own citizens. It is actually the first and only museum (so far) to interpret the Black American experience as a holocaust, but as visitors move through the exhibitions, the painting becomes so hauntingly familiar. ABHM touches on slavery and Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement, but it also dials down to more abstract concepts such as mass incarceration, voting suppression, and the War on Drugs. The museum was founded by Dr. James Cameron, who survived a lynching attempt when he was just sixteen and had since dedicated his life to studying the African-American experience in the United States. It is an eye-opening museum that is a must-add to any Milwaukee itinerary! Throughout my three days in Savannah, I delighted in delicious food, fun walking tours, and even had time for some much needed R&R, but nothing stuck with me quite like my visit to the Pin Point Heritage Museum. Before visiting the Pin Point Heritage Museum, I honestly hadn't heard too much of Gullah Geechee people or their history. But as someone interested in American history, especially Black American history, I knew it was the one museum in Savannah that I wanted to put into my itinerary. The museum offers visitors the chance to learn about Gullah/Geechee culture from the community's residents. Individuals who come to the museum can gain knowledge and insight into the food, language, religion, and more, while appreciating the surrounding area. The Pin Point Heritage Museum offers incredible insight into how diaspora communities, like the Gullah Geechee, are formed and thrive through centuries. It's one of the smaller museums and also fun for all ages. Not everyone has heard of the neighborhood of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, or its more famous name "Black Wall Street," but it is a true testament to Black American resilience and America's dedication to racial hierarchy. But if you haven't heard of the neighborhood before, essentially Greenwood was a Black neighborhood known for its thriving Black-owned businesses and economic prosperity, so much so that the white neighbors living in Tulsa plotted to destroy Greenwood. Greenwood Rising is the museum that commemorates the history of the Greenwood District, and specifically the tragic events of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and is an absolute if you are looking for things to do in Tulsa. It is important to note that while Greenwood Rising focuses on Greenwood (and does so brilliantly!), it is not the only Black town or city that was destroyed out of spite of its success. This museum and its learnings can be applied to so many countless places, from what is now Central Park in NYC to Eugene, Oregon, it is imperative to recognize and rectify the hundreds of Black towns that faced the same horror as Greenwood. Last but certainly not least, a museum that I think about on the daily is the Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, and is the site of an actual former safe house on the Underground Railroad. This non-profit museum offers a look into the lives of enslaved people and the bravery of those who dared to the allies who helped them along the way. So much of what we are taught about the Underground Railroad is the WHAT and the WHO, but never the HOW. This museum explains everything. From the intricate signals the safe houses used to identify themselves as such, to the small holding rooms for escapees, to even the secret society of allies, the museum is absolutely mind-blowing. Unfortunately, due to a recent fire, the Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum is temporarily closed until the building's structural integrity can be rebuild. If you are passionate about preserving Black history and AMERICAN history, please donate what you can to the museum's GoFundMe.
