Chicago artist Noname Is Trying To Help Save Nina Simone’s Childhood Home

The iconic singer , pianist ( and staunch activist ) Nina Simone has made numerous breathtaking strides on the music industry and culture . So when she was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame , it became another confirmation that she will continuously be recognized for generations to come.` With this vast impact on music and culture, it sparked the attention of spoken word rapper   Noname, who is putting forth an effort to make sure that an important piece of her history is preserved and always will be.

Noname via Consequence of Sound

Nina Simone via News Observer

Noname has been spreading the word about the project a lot lately, writing on Twitter, “#NinaSimone is literally one of the most important Black American artists we’ve had. Join me and [National Trust For Historic Preservation] to preserve Nina Simone’s legacy by restoring her childhood home.” She added in another tweet, “Less than two percent of our national parks, monuments, and historic sites are dedicated to women’s history, while less than six percent focus on African American history.”

via Twitter

Over the course of the week,  Noname has been using her platform on Twitter to bring awareness to a project that aims to protect and preserve. The integrity of Simone’s childhood home in Tryon, North Carolina.  An active fundraising campaign from the National Trust For Historic Preservation is actively working  to preserve the site, and the organization writes on the Indiegogo campaign page, “Tucked away in Tryon, North Carolina, is the humble home where Nina Simone developed her love for the piano… Today, with the artists’ guidance, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is working to create a vibrant future for the site, but we need your help!...”

Immediately after, the campaign made astronomical progress towards its funding goal, which excited and humbled Noname, writing,  “Crazy that we even have to crowdfund to #SaveNinaCrib. Erasure is real but n****s not goin, in a day we raised 20% of the funds!!! May seem small but money is tight for most people so that’s huge to me. Old heads always sayin we don’t care but look what we did.” It’s safe to say that our voice no matter how big or small can make necessary strides in shedding light on important things; the importance of history as we know it.

Learn more about the amazing project here.

Cover image via Chicago Tribune