H. BEECHER HICKS III ∙ NASHVILLE, TN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC ∙ www.nmaam.org

hbeecherhicks on February 28, 2023

Industry – Arts and Music

 

DEFINING HIS LEGACY


“I am working to leave a legacy that propels my children forward. I want them to see that success is excellence in service to others and that, with that in mind, they can build a rewarding legacy of their own. Dreaming big is easy; legacies are created when you execute. The Black legacy in America is one of overcoming against impossible odds. I have a responsibility to follow that example so that the way is a little easier for my sons.”

– H. Beecher Hicks III

 

ABOUT HENRY


H. Beecher Hicks III’s professional experiences have focused on building enterprises as a consultant, banker, investor, and operating executive. Henry joined the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) in 2009 as a board member, becoming president and CEO in 2013.

 

The son of a preacher, Henry grew up in the church, where he developed a passion for music. He explored his talents as a member of the Glee Club at Morehouse College, where he earned a scholarship to sing and completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Marketing. After graduating from Morehouse, Henry earned an MBA in Finance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
 
His banking experiences include roles as an investment banker at Bank of America in Charlotte, N.C., as an Operating Principal with Onyx Capital Ventures, and as a partner with the private equity group Red Clay Capital Holdings. 

 

In 1998, President William J. Clinton appointed Henry to be a White House fellow. Henry is a member of the Board of Directors for Leadership Nashville and the Center for Nonprofit Management, and he is a mentor at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center. He served previously on the Board of Directors for the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation and United Therapeutics Corporation.
 
 

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC 


The National Museum of African American Music opened its doors in January 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. NMAAM is the only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created, influenced, and inspired by African Americans. The museum’s expertly-curated collections will share the American soundtrack’s story by integrating history and interactive technology to bring the musical heroes of the past into the present. NMAAM is the premier global destination for music lovers of all generations and inspires, educates, and transforms your appreciation of American music. Their mission is to educate the world, preserve the legacy, and celebrate the central role African Americans play in creating the American soundtrack.
 






Tennessee Voices, Episode 143: H. Beecher Hicks, National Museum of African American Music

hbeecherhicks on January 14, 2022

National Museum of African American Music marks a milestone on MLK Day | Opinion

NMAAM opened its doors on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2021. The museum’s roots go farther back with many Black leaders paving the way for its success.

H. Beecher Hicks

Guest Columnist
Tennessee Voices: A conversation with H. Beecher Hicks III 

H. Beecher Hicks III, president and CEO of the National Association of African American Music, spoke with Tennessean opinion editor David Plazas.” data-c-credit=”Nashville Tennessean

As a transplant to Nashville more than a decade ago, the winter months are always exciting for me. 

Not because of the unpredictable patterns of ice and snow, the Music City Bowl, or the increasing probability that the Titans and Predators will make a run into the playoffs, but because of the celebrations of civil rights and social justice that are so plentiful around town in January and February. 

My family and I look forward to the Bone McAllester breakfast bringing the community together each year to celebrate The Dreamer’s birthday, Nashville Symphony’s “Let Freedom Sing” community concert, and the Martin Luther King Day march and convocation hosted by the Interdenominational Minister’s Fellowship. 

February is filled with schools and corporations across the region hosting programs and panel discussions and welcoming guest speakers as they look for ways to engage with Black History Month. With these activities, it seems that the community comes alive and comes together to start the year off on a unified note.

So many leaders paved the way for NMAAM

This year the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) will celebrate its first year of being open to the public on MLK Day.  More than 20 years in the making, and something that truly required the community to be unified to achieve, NMAAM adds yet another reason and another place for Nashvillians to come together to celebrate the richness of our diversity and the commonality of our experience and ambition.

For more than three decades he educated and uplifted all who entered his business with the richness of African and African American culture. Alkebu-Lan is a place I frequently visit to look for books or art, or just to take the pulse of what the sentiment is in the neighborhood.

More: How African American music is interconnected to all of American culture

Thinking of Dr. Harris reminded me that the list of enlightened freedom fighters who have gone on is long. Freedom Riders Rip Patton and Kwame Lillard impacted Nashville and the nation with their wisdom, taking the long view. 

State Sen. Thelma Harper would encourage me with respect to the museum, saying, “We’re just going to get this done,” and Francis Guess was a trailblazer in state and federal government before becoming a local consigliere and leading the charge to complete NMAAM. 

I also think fondly of regional music heroes who were friends or serve as inspiration for our work at the museum. Jesse Boyce, Marion James, Jackie Shane, and Little Richard each propel us forward.

Future generations are taking the mantle and leading

Of course, the fight for justice, equality and the beloved community is not over – the march continues.  And Nashville has leaders who continue to hold up the banner. 

Among others, Judge Richard Dinkins, Sharon Hurt, Charlane Oliver and Tequila Johnson have each taken the baton from those who came before them, using their gifts to make an impact today.

The National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tenn., held a socially distant ribbon cutting ceremony with elected leaders, Museum board members, and community leaders on the Monday of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. The public opening is on January 30, 2021.

 

The National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tenn., held a socially distant ribbon cutting ceremony with elected leaders, Museum board members, and community leaders on the Monday of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. The public opening is on January 30, 2021. Stephanie Amador / The Tennessean
 

In music we know that icons like Billy Cox and Lorenzo Washington not only have remarkable stories and wisdom to share, but that they are calling a generation of artist advocates to follow them.

The winter months in Nashville are exciting for me. I am contemplative as I consider the work and service of those who have gone higher, and I am grateful and determined to support those who continue the fight for justice and community. 

I like to think that NMAAM represents a victory for all of them in their fight for all of us to live together in harmony.

I hope that Dr. King doesn’t mind NMAAM sharing in his birthday celebration, and that he would agree that our work represents progress towards enabling us to “live together as brothers.” 

I am grateful for the employees, alumni, board members, and supporters who brought the dream of a museum to reality one year ago. 

Even more so, I am grateful for those who, like Dr. Harris, were, and are, dedicated to making our city and nation places where “with the groove our only guide, we shall all be moved” to live as One Nation Under a Groove.

H. Beecher Hicks is the president and CEO of the National Museum of African American Music.

Behind the Scenes: One Nation Under a Groove

HB3 on September 3, 2020

The National Museum of African American Music’s Henry Hicks shares his love of music, the story behind the collections and his hopes for future exhibits
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H. Beecher Hicks, or Henry to all who know him, moved to Nashville in 2009 after buying a business here. That he might one day be running a museum — much less one that wasn’t built yet — was probably furthest from his mind. But in 2010, he joined the board of the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM), and by 2013, he was named its CEO. His impressive career in the private, public and nonprofit sectors made him the perfect choice to make NMAAM a reality.

More than 20 years in the making, NMAAM is finally readying to host a grand opening next year (after being postponed by complications due to COVID-19). The museum will feature a collection of more than 1,500 artifacts and over 25 interactive touch points in five galleries, a theater and library across 56,000 square feet in the new Fifth + Broad development. Combining the best of music museums with history museums, it showcases Black music from the 1600s to the present day and highlights the stories that African Americans have made to American music and culture. 

Music is a catalyst for inclusion, and Henry says, “At NMAAM, we bring people together with a unified shout of ‘One Nation Under a Groove.’” Intentionally, NMAAM will also serve as a social justice center by bringing people together and helping people understand the humanity and the genius of African American contributions to our society.

We caught up with Henry, who told us where his love of music comes from, the most fascinating items in the collection and who he thinks we might see in a future exhibit.

For the latest news and updates on NMAAM’s opening, visit nmaam.org.

What is the most important thing you want people to know about NMAAM? It is the manifestation of a dream long held by many hundreds of Nashvillians and embraced by fans from around the country. It is disruptive in that it accurately centers African Americans in the narrative of American culture and music, but it is also a place where all are welcome to come and join in the fun.

What’s the most unusual fact or fascinating item you have found in the collection? The items on loan to us from the Ray Charles Foundation, more than 15 years after his death, were simply hanging in his wardrobe closet at his office. We also have a trombone from Helen Jones Woods, who recently passed. She was an original member of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, an all-female, multi-ethnic jazz band that toured the country in the 1940s. Just imagine how unique — and dangerous — that was at the time! Each of the artifacts has a story. Families and artists cherish these items; if you look closely, they tell the tale of not just a career but of our country and culture.

Where does your interest in music come from? Music has always been central to my life, from singing in the choir at church, watching Soul Train as a kid, being entranced by hip-hop from its birth, being immersed in D.C.’s go-go music in high school and getting turned on to cool jazz in college. There is a soundtrack to my life. I’ll bet that you have one, too.

Are there any contemporary or up-and-coming musicians today that you can see in a future exhibit? Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Kirk Franklin are both icons, and each has so much more creativity to share. There will be complex stories to tell about their careers and impact.

When you have out-of-town guests visiting, where do you take them? My wife and I love to go to Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar to see Bizz & Everyday People. It’s a late night but more than worth it. Friends are never disappointed.

What’s your favorite locally made product? Slim & Husky’s pizza and The Cupcake Collection cupcakes.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? My grandfather often quoted Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.”

What’s the one thing you hope never changes in Nashville? The feeling that Nashville is a “big ol’ small town.” The close-knit nature of the community here is what makes it a special place to live and do business.