On the early morning of January 30, a monumental event is set to unfold as the space shuttle Endeavour is lifted into its new museum-exhibit home at the California Science Center. This complex operation, involving a towering 450-foot-tall crane, marks a historic achievement in exhibit installation, breaking new ground outside the realms of NASA or Air Force facilities.

Scheduled to commence at 12:30 a.m. EST (0530 GMT), viewers can witness the live action on Space.com, courtesy of the California Science Center, or directly via the Los Angeles museum. The duration of the lift remains uncertain, adding an element of suspense to this unprecedented event.

However, eager spectators should note that the Endeavour display won’t be immediately accessible. The future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, a significant expansion of the California Science Center, is slated to become Endeavour’s permanent residence. With an anticipated 18-month construction period and subsequent artifact and exhibit installation, an official opening date is yet to be announced.

Endeavour, NASA’s youngest shuttle, holds a remarkable legacy, having completed 25 missions before the retirement of the space shuttle program in 2011. As it takes its place in this new chapter at the California Science Center, the Endeavour will continue to inspire and educate generations to come, embodying the spirit of human exploration and technological achievement.

Source: Space.com

https://www.space.com/space-shuttle-endeavour-museum-exhibit-stacking-webcast

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In a significant development for the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, the organization has announced the acquisition of a first-edition book by Phillis Wheatley, a remarkable poet and a key figure in the literary canon. This acquisition comes as part of the museum’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, a historic event that shaped American history. The book, titled “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral,” arrived in Boston onboard the Dartmouth, one of the three ships involved in the Boston Tea Party. This press release explores the connection between Phillis Wheatley, the Boston Tea Party, and the upcoming exhibition at the museum.

Phillis Wheatley’s Significance:
Phillis Wheatley was an exceptionally talented poet and the first woman of African descent and former enslaved person in both Britain and America to have a book published. Her collection of poems, published in 1773, gained international renown and positioned her as a prominent literary figure. Wheatley’s accomplishment was especially remarkable considering the societal barriers she faced as an enslaved person. Her poetry explored themes of religion, morality, her African heritage, and her experiences of slavery, providing a unique perspective on the world.

The Connection to the Boston Tea Party:
The connection between Phillis Wheatley and the Boston Tea Party lies in the arrival of the Dartmouth in Boston exactly 250 years ago. Among the cargo of East India Company tea onboard, one crate contained the newly published book of Wheatley’s poetry. This arrival coincided with the year Wheatley was emancipated from slavery and the year of the Boston Tea Party itself, further intertwining her story with this pivotal moment in American history.

The Acquisition and Future Exhibition:
The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum secured the first edition of Wheatley’s book through an auction specializing in historic artifacts. The museum’s Vice President and Executive Director, Shawn P. Ford, expressed excitement about the acquisition, stating that it will serve as the centerpiece for a new exhibition dedicated to Phillis Wheatley. This exhibition, set to be unveiled in late 2024 or early 2025, will shed light on Wheatley’s life and her connection to the Boston Tea Party. In the meantime, the museum will host a temporary pop-up exhibit in Abigail’s Tea Room, showcasing the acquired book, a photography exhibit featuring Wheatley’s images, and a replica of the dress she wore, as depicted in her book’s frontispiece.

Phillis Wheatley’s Journey:
Phillis Wheatley’s life journey began in West Africa, where she was captured and sold into slavery at a young age. She was bought by the Wheatley family in Boston, who provided her with an education and fostered her literary talents. Wheatley’s poetry, influenced by classical themes, Christianity, and her African heritage, garnered acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. She used her platform to speak out against slavery, making her voice an important part of the abolitionist movement.

Culminating Event: The 250th Boston Tea Party Anniversary Reenactment:
The commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party will reach its pinnacle on Saturday, December 16, 2023, with a grand-scale, live reenactment. Hundreds of reenactors will recreate the events of December 16, 1773, at historic locations such as the Old South Meeting House, Faneuil Hall, and Downtown Crossing. The reenactment will be followed by a public procession to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, where the Sons of Liberty will symbolically destroy 250 pounds of tea sent from the East India Company, as well as tea contributed by citizens and students from around the world.

The acquisition of Phillis Wheatley’s first-edition book by the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum marks a significant milestone in preserving her legacy and highlighting her connection to the Boston Tea Party. By showcasing her poetry and sharing her story, the museum’s upcoming exhibition will contribute to a deeper understanding of Wheatley’s impact on American literature and history. As the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party approaches, the live reenactment event will immerse visitors in the dramatic events that forever changed the course of American history.

NEW PHILLIS WHEATLEY POP-UP EXHIBIT – November 28 – December 5, 2023

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As of today, November 28, through December 5 (the date of Ms. Wheatley’s death in 1784), the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum will be hosting a temporary pop-up exhibit in Abigail’s Tea Room showcasing the newly acquired book of poetry, a new photography exhibit highlighting Phillis Wheatly at various stages in her life taken by Valerie Anselme, a Haitian-American professional photographer from Boston, MA, and a replica of Phillis Wheatley’s dress as noted in the frontispiece in her book at Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum Abigail’s Tea Room during business hours.

Brief History of Phillis Wheatley

Phillis Wheatley was born in West Africa (most likely in present day Gambia or Senegal) circa 1753. At the age of about seven years old, she was captured, transported to the Americas away from her family and sold to the Wheatley family in Boston. The family changed her name to ‘Phillis’ after the ship that had transported her across the Atlantic.

Phillis became a household servant for the Wheatley’s, who taught her to read and write. She studied widely, including British literature, Greek and Latin, learning to translate both languages, and write poetry. Some of her early poems were published in local newspapers and pamphlets and, by the age of 18 she had written enough for a book. At the age of 20, Phillis was tasked with accompanying the family’s eldest son, Nathaniel, to England. There she succeeded in publishing her volume of poetry, in 1773, making her the first African American and first African American woman to be published.

Her book was a success and received critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic, although others claimed that her work was too sophisticated to have been written by an African. Her poetry was based on classical themes, Christianity, the ‘new world’ of America and her African heritage. She also wrote about her experiences of slavery and spoke out against it at public meetings.

In 1778, John Wheatley, Phillis’ master, legally freed Phillis, allowing her to marry John Peters, a freed African American. But the deeply ingrained racist attitudes of the time meant life was hard for freed slaves, especially during the American War of Independence. The couple struggled with ill-health, a low income and the death of two of their children in infancy. Phillis died in Boston in 1784, aged just 31.

250^th Boston Tea Party Anniversary LIVE Reenactment – Saturday, December 16, 2023

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This 250th anniversary year will culminate in a grand-scale, live reenactment of the Boston Tea Party on the actual anniversary of the Boston Tea Party – Saturday, December 16, 2023. Hundreds of reenactors will tell the story of the infamous Boston Tea Party and theatrically recreate the events of December 16, 1773 at Boston’s historic Old South Meeting House and Faneuil Hall in addition to Downtown Crossing with a series of performances and programming, followed by a major public procession to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum where the Sons of Liberty will destroy loose tea, 250 pounds of tea sent to Boston from London’s East India Company, in addition to tea sent in from citizens/students from around the world, into Boston’s historic harbor.

ABOUT THE BOSTON TEA PARTY SHIPS & MUSEUM

The Boston Tea Party, “the single most important event leading up to the American Revolution, occurred the night of Dec. 16, 1773. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, owned and operated by Historic Tours of America, is dedicated to accurately reliving and representing a key time in history (1773-1775) through actors, tea throwing reenactments, high-tech interactive exhibits, authentic replica ships: the Beaver and the Eleanor and an award-winning multisensory film, Let it Begin Here. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is open 7 day/week from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Summer/Spring) and from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Fall/Winter). Tours run every 30 minutes in the fall/winter and every 15 minutes in the spring/summer and last 1 hr. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum was voted #1 ‘Best Patriotic Attraction’ in USA Today‘s ’10Best Readers’ Choice Awards 2016′; voted ‘Best New Museum’ in 2012 by Yankee magazine and ‘Best of the New 2012’ by Boston Globe Magazine. To learn more visit www.bostonteapartyship.com or call 1-855-(TEA)-1773. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is located at 306 Congress St. on the Congress St. Bridge, Boston, MA 02210, over the same body of water where The Boston Tea Party took place.

ABOUT THE 250^th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOSTON TEA PARTY

Meet Boston, the 250^th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party Board of Advisors (BOA) and Revolution 250, a consortium of organizations geared to commemorate the 250th anniversaries of the events that led to the American Revolution, are working together to create a series of commemorative programs throughout the entirety of 2023 culminating in a grand-scale, live reenactment celebrating the 250^th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party taking place on Sat., December 16, 2023. Details of all programming and the major reenactment celebration is available at www.BostonTeaParty250.com. Instagram/Facebook: @bostonteaparty250; Twitter: @BOSTeaParty250.

SOURCE Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum

https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/boston-tea-party-ships–museum-announces-new-acquisition-of-phillis-wheatleys-first-edition-famous-book-of-poetry-in-250th-boston-tea-party-anniversary-year-301998397.html

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FREE TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE

NEW YORK /PRNewswire/ — Today, The Hip Hop Museum announces The Hip Hop Museum Tour Sponsored by CÎROC Ultra-Premium Vodka (tickets available HERE) – kicking off in Hip Hop’s birthplace, New York City, on October 14th before traveling to Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte, Los Angeles, and Miami. In celebration of Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary, entertainment company Mass Appeal, and CÎROC Ultra-Premium Vodka, the official vodka of Hip Hop 50, have partnered with The Hip Hop Museum to tell the story of the pioneers who created and cultivated a sound that sent waves around the world.

Ahead of the museum’s 2025 opening date, the touring exhibit will feature early Hip Hop artifacts from 1973-1990, highlighting important firsts along the genre’s road from block parties to sold out stadiums. Each tour stop will shine a light on the cultural and social accomplishments of a community that fought for a voice and prevailed, moving the needle on what Hip Hop was and ultimately could be.

“The Hip Hop Museum is thrilled to be in partnership with Mass Appeal and to have the support from CÎROC Ultra-Premium Vodka as we celebrate Hip Hop 50. Fifty years of growth and the global impact of Hip Hop culture in all its expressions. By taking the museum’s exhibition on tour, we’re shining a light on the culture’s regional creative influences, its creators, and the communities nationwide that helped give rise to the genre,” said Rocky Buccano, Executive Director of the Universal Hip Hop Museum.

Curated by Hip Hop historians, Pete Nice and Paradise Gray, the exhibit focuses on the genesis of Hip Hop, from its grassroots inception to the first worldwide tours. 

Hip Hop is one of the most influential cultures the world has ever seen. In its genesis, it challenged generational thinking and disrupted everything from fashion and art, to language and politics. For fifty years, this global phenomenon has fostered new creative expression from often overlooked and underserved communities. It’s given voice to the silenced; purpose to the oppressed.

We welcome you to join us on a journey back to where it all began.

 A complete list of tour dates can be found below (subject to change)

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1. New York City: 10/14
2. Atlanta: 10/21
3. Houston: 11/4
4. Los Angeles: 11/11
5. Charlotte: 11/18
6. Miami: 12/5-12/9

The Hip Hop Museum Tour is the latest punctuation of the Mass Appeal led #HipHop50 initiative, a multi-faceted cross-platform campaign honoring the birth and rise of the most enduring movement of the last half-century. Mass Appeal recently hosted Hip Hop 50 Live – A Star Studded Concert on Hip Hop’s birthday featuring the Bottom of the Ninth performance from Run DMC. This partnership with The Hip Hop Museum will continue Mass Appeal’s quest to honor Hip Hop in the most authentic and globally impactful way possible.

Follow @MassAppeal and the @UHHM on social media to keep an eye out for the Hip Hop Museum Tour near you!

About Hip Hop Museum
The Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx celebrates and preserves the history of local and global Hip Hop music and culture to inspire, empower, and promote understanding. Anchored in the birthplace of the culture, The Hip Hop Museum opening in 2025, in the Bronx will provide a space for audiences, artists, and technology to converge, creating unparalleled educational and entertainment experiences around the Hip Hop culture of the past, present, and future.

About Hip Hop 50
Hip Hop 50 is Mass Appeal’s love letter to Hip Hop. A manifestation of the company’s commitment to celebrating the culture in the most authentic and globally impactful way possible. Hip Hop 50 is activating through unique storytelling that is realized in timeless content, original music, live experiences, strategic partnerships, custom products and much, much more. Every facet of the Hip Hop 50 Universe includes a charitable component connected to the The Hip Hop Museum. Find #HipHop50 online, on-air and on the block.

About Mass Appeal
Mass Appeal is an entertainment company dedicated to telling stories from the perspective of those who shape and shift culture. Since 1996, we have documented the emerging movements that influence popular ideas. Today, Mass Appeal is the elevated voice of Hip Hop and its ever-expanding sphere of influence. Integrated offerings in content, music, and creative services stoke Mass Appeal’s ability to maximize the impact of our output. Our diverse school of thought separates us from friends and foes alike. Follow Mass Appeal on all social platforms @massappeal.

For Mass Appeal contact:
Lydia Kanuga
lydia@thechambergroup.com

Shannon Atran
shannon@thechambergroup.com

Cassandre Brissot
cassandre@thechambergroup.com

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SOURCE Mass Appeal