“Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.”

Martin Luther King, Jr, from the “I have a dream” speech that was delivered on August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.

The life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and other great historical figures of the African-American community are honored and celebrated at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, an African-American Museum and Performance Hall. The center focuses on notable historical individuals with connections to Chattanooga. A few of the names to be discovered at the museum includes, of course, Martin Luther King, Jr., who at one time applied for a position of the minister at a local church and visited Chattanooga often during his time as a civil rights leader.  Other historical figures honored at the museum are William “Uncle Bill” Lewis, former slave turned successful blacksmith, and John Lovell, real estate investor who owned a horse farm where Lovell Airport is now located. These are just a few of the individuals on display at the center.

Bessie Smith Cultural Center or Bessie Smith Hall (as the locals call it) is located on the property of the historical landmark, Martin Hotel. The Martin Hotel was, at one time, the largest African-American hotel in the South. The guest list of this famous hotel looks like a “Who’s Who” list of legendary African-American’s. Some of the guests were Nat King Cole, Lena Horne, Willie Mays and Ella Fitzgerald. The hotel, now cultural center, was in the middle of what became known as the “black enterprise zone” or the “9 Street District”.

The cultural center is named after the famed jazz singer Bessie Smith who was raised in a one-room shack not far from the center. She was born in 1894, and by the age of nine was an orphan. She and her older brother made extra money by singing on the streets. At the age of 17, she joined a vaudeville act and began traveling. She would become the most successful jazz artist of her day, inspiring such greats as Frank Sinatra, Janis Joplin and Billie Holliday.

The Bessie Smith Cultural Center and Performance hall is a great tribute to a truly inspiring musician. The Musuem hosts both permanent and temporary exhibits. The performance hall is used for concerts and can be rented for wedding receptions and other special events. It is located at 200 East Martin Luther King Boulevard in downtown Chattanooga.  For more information, visit the center’s website or contact them at 423-266-8658.

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