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Sirius XM Holdings Inc. today announced a gift of $2 million to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). A one-of-a-kind cultural destination in Washington D.C., NMAAHC offers the U.S.’s largest and most comprehensive exploration and showcase of the African American story and its impact both domestically and globally.
As the leading audio entertainment company in North America, SiriusXM is proud to support NMAAHC’s mission, documenting African American life, history, and culture, specifically exhibiting how African American music plays a central role in the history of American music. The donation to NMAAHC, funded by the company’s charitable arm, SiriusXM Cares, will help the museum continue its critical work and welcome in new and returning visitors. In recognition of this gift, NMAAHC will designate its Neighborhood Record Store, an interactive destination housed within the permanent “Musical Crossroads” exhibition, as the SiriusXM Neighborhood Record Store.
In the SiriusXM Neighborhood Record Store, museum-goers are joined together by their interest in music and encouraged to make new discoveries about their favorite artists and genres, recall fond memories, and share stories. Included within the exhibit are record covers for individual browsing and a digital interactive station that links songs and artists to various genres, themes, regions, and time periods.
“The Neighborhood Record Store is the centerpiece of the Musical Crossroads exhibition and was designed to be a place where museum visitors could explore the role music has in building community,” said Dwandalyn Reece, Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs at NMAAHC. “We are very thankful for SiriusXM’s support of this particular section of the exhibition. It will ensure that the newly-named SiriusXM Neighborhood Record Store continues to be a vibrant space that connects visitors through the power of music.”
“Since it first opened its doors to the public more than five years ago, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has played a critical role in not only exhibiting, but recognizing and celebrating the impact of the contributions that African American music has given to the world,” said Nicole Hughey, Senior Vice President and Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at SiriusXM. “At SiriusXM, we are proud to use our platform to showcase the power of music from all cultures, and we’re thrilled to provide this donation to help support the museum’s mission.”
This is not the first time SiriusXM and NMAAHC have collaborated to amplify African American stories. In 2021, the two organizations teamed up to create the Anthem Award-winning original podcast All Music is Black Music, which explores how African American music and culture have shaped the wider contemporary music landscape.
