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A native of Chattanooga, Bessie Smith was a 1920s Blues icon. Mentored by Ma Rainey, she wrote and performed blues classics such as \u201cNobody Knows You When You\u2019re Down and Out\u201d and \u201cGulf Coast Blues.\u201d She became the highest paid Black entertainer in the world before the Great Depression, singing alongside musicians Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_cta][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_2″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/explorechatt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/BessieSmith6.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_text=”BessieSmith6″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-26px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”11px||11px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_testimonial use_icon_font_size=”on” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” body_font=”||on||||||” body_text_align=”center” body_line_height=”2.2em” author_line_height=”1.6em” company_line_height=”1.7em” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_margin=”15px||||false|false” custom_padding=”|||29px||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_testimonial][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-25px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”11px||11px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”17px” width=”100%” custom_margin=”2px|-20px||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Exhibits at the center are a beautiful testament to the contributions and strength of both the global and local African American community. At the front of the building is a collection of art from Africa including masks and wooden sculptures of the King and Queen of Mali. Next is a tribute to athletes: a robe, gloves, and trophy owned by Jay Bell, who grew up in Chattanooga and started boxing in 1979; a Tuskegee University track suit and baton used by Rowena Goode, who became the first black nursing instructor at Erlanger Hospital; and a baseball signed by Willie Mays, who played professional baseball for the Chattanooga Choo Choos while a high school student in 1945 and 1946.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/explorechatt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/BessieSmith4.jpg” title_text=”BessieSmith4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”30px||0px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ box_shadow_style=”preset2″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-25px|auto|8px|auto||” custom_padding=”0px||11px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”421.5px” custom_margin=”-56px|auto|4px|auto||” custom_padding=”11px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/explorechatt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/BessieSmith1.jpg” title_text=”BessieSmith1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”48px|||||” hover_enabled=”0″ box_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/explorechatt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/bessiesmith5.jpg” title_text=”bessiesmith5″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ box_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”17px” link_font=”|600|||||||” min_height=”458.5px” custom_margin=”2px|||||” custom_padding=”31px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”2px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||6px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”17px” width=”100%” custom_margin=”2px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Also included in admission is access to the Black Soundtrack of Chattanooga exhibit, which includes information on Roland Carter, who arranged “Lift Every Voice and Sing;” a piano once played by Bessie Smith; and an outfit worn by Usher on stage during his first residence in Las Vegas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Located on Martin Luther King Boulevard, the Bessie Smith Cultural Center<\/a> is a museum and performance hall open Tuesdays through Fridays 10am – 5pm. For admission prices and more details, visit <\/strong>www.bessiesmithcc.org<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/explorechatt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/BessieSmith7.jpg” title_text=”BessieSmith7″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ box_shadow_style=”preset2″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”|700|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_font_size=”35px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Blog” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_blog fullwidth=”off” posts_number=”3″ show_author=”off” show_date=”off” show_pagination=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ header_level=”h3″ header_font=”Noto Serif|700|||||||” header_font_size=”24px” header_line_height=”1.5em” body_font=”Noto Sans||||||||” body_font_size=”17px” body_line_height=”1.9em” meta_font=”Noto Sans|700|||||||” meta_text_color=”#ff6b5a” border_radii=”on|3px|3px|3px|3px” border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#ececec” box_shadow_style=”preset3″ box_shadow_vertical=”52px” box_shadow_blur=”80px” box_shadow_spread=”0px” box_shadow_color=”rgba(0,36,73,0.07)” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_blog][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Celebrating African American History & Culture in Chattanooga A native of Chattanooga, Bessie Smith was a 1920s Blues icon. Mentored by Ma Rainey, she wrote and performed blues classics such as \u201cNobody Knows You When You\u2019re Down and Out\u201d and \u201cGulf Coast Blues.\u201d She became the highest paid Black entertainer in the world before the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2454,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,10,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-music","category-attractions","category-stories","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\r\n\n
\u201cToday Bessie Smith is the face of <\/span>the Bessie Smith Cultural Center and Chattanooga African American Museum which stands as a vital pillar in the effort to preserve and celebrate the rich heritage of African American culture in Chattanooga, Through dynamic exhibitions, educational programs, and cultural events, it offers visitors a profound journey through the diverse history, achievements, and struggles of African Americans in the region.\u201d
<\/span><\/h4>\n\u00a0Paula Wilkes, President of the Center.<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/blockquote>\n
A Beautiful Testament\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
The Bessie Smith Cultural Center is also home to:<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Included in Admission<\/span><\/h2>\n
Recent Articles<\/h1>\n