Stax Museumhelps land Memphis on National Geographic Bestof the World 2013Among the many exotic destinations around the world that madethe new National Geographic “Best of the World 2013″ list of top 20 places inthe world to visit is the city of Memphis, Tennessee. Citing thecity’s rich musical and civil rights history, the article also reads that thereis “something newly electric in the air, and that, “The Stax Museum of AmericanSoul Music, located on the grounds of the famous Stax Records, is at theforefront of that revival. The museum, along with its StaxMusic Academyand the Soulsville Charter School,celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2013 with concerts, parties, and Stax tothe Max, a huge outdoor music festival. It’s far from a solo act. [[PressRelease)
TheStax Museum[[within ten years) proves that investment in its Memphis community is what music can do tochange the world one community at a time … starting with a place called home toits “Memphis Sound”. Stax accoladesdon’t focus entirely upon paying homage to one Mo-man and his LA hand-selectedgroupies. It embraces its colorfulmusic history and its diversity of entertainers and entire cast ofcharacters. Stax became a gritty musicindustry powerhouse that rocked until it got caught up in its own success andmillions went missing. Its reemergenceas a Museum is noteworthy and its reach into its music is now giving back on aglobal platform that will only flourish with quality trustee selection androtation; oversight, responsibility and fiscal accountability of all donations,assets and money. [[Enjoyed a private tour.)
Detroit and Michiganare still waiting for the ramshackle rubble located on Berry Gordy called the Motown Historical Museum to give back.
Butthe Motown Museum operates on exclusivity andexclusion. Motown excludes those“family” individuals who were a valid part of the Motown story by deliberatelyomitting their names, faces and their personas. The best way to eliminate history is to recreate history. Unfortunately, factual history has a way ofbeing resurrected and shaming those that tried to hide the history. Motown was created from one man’s idea; andas his story repeats also from an $800 family investment [[not totallyaccurate). But, how did Motown emerge ata time when race was an enormous setback to any black owned businesses cateringoutside its base?
But,lest I regress. Let us continue tofollow the millions … The Motown Historical Museum is merely a rat-infestednostalgic clubhouse waiting for a demolition crew. It has been missing a local heart and soulfor decades. And the millions missingfrom all its fundraising efforts and largesse dreams to place it on the globalmusic stage has never materialized.
Millionsof dollars have been diverted from its coffers to “unknown” pockets. Instead of a world class Motown music museumlocated in the heart of Detroit … it is just another slum lord owned projectselling itself on the pretext that it needs to be respected for what it gave tothe music industry over fifty years ago.
Stax Museum- investing millions in its community; Motown Historical Museum - millions missingfrom its community. Go figure! [[Best to allow the state and federal governmentbean counters to “Go Figure” the mysterious Motown Museummissing math millions. Accountants lovefinding inaccuracies in bookkeeping.
Hey,Berry can you spare a penny for some Motown Museumluxury upgrades … like mouse traps?
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