I've been thinking a lot about Memphis in the last year, and how its history - and music history - is so crucial to the bedrock of American popular music. I've also been thinking about the Civil Rights Museum and the extremely important work they do. And their banjo. /1

First: the Civil Rights Museum is located in the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated; you see the room where he was staying and the balcony where he died after you walk through the rest of the museum, which covers the Civil Rights Movement, of course,

But also its impact on advocacy and other social justice movements, and the long history leading up to the demonstrations, peaceful protests, and marches of the '60s. That begins with the Middle Passage, which is the theme of the first exhibit you walk into, and there's a small

case of musical instruments. It's been a minute since I visited, but I'm 99% sure one was an akonting, the banjo's predecessor; can't remember if a banjo was also in the case (forgive/correct me!). The point is that the banjo/proto-banjo was in the room for a reason.

Before the banjo was associated with bluegrass, country, etc., it was part of a musical tradition created by Black people, one kept alive by Black people, who were kidnapped and taken here and enslaved. I'm grateful the Civil Rights Museum curators include it in that exhibit.

So! There are a bunch of museums in Memphis, right, and they're all great; you can go to Stax and Graceland and Sun Studios and walk into the room where Johnny and Elvis and Jerry Lee recorded the songs that made them famous. You should go after you go to the Civil Rights Museum.

Because the truth is, there are plenty of people who worship Elvis and Johnny and and Jerry Lee who would skip the Civil Rights Museum, and they wouldn't see the banjo and the irrefutable proof that Black music is the foundation of American music. Morgan Wallen should visit.

And so should every single person who tweeted out a "This isn't who we are, this isn't country music!" in response to Wallen's horrific behavior. Think about the banjo. And then the guitar. And then Sister Rosetta Tharpe. And then Chuck Berry. And then and then and then.