Letter to Andy Stroud from Nina Simone
date: label: Date
content: December 1961
name: label: Written by
content: Nina Simone, American, 1933 - 2003
label: Received by
content: Andy Stroud, American, died 2012
label: Subject of
content: American Society of African Culture, American, 1956 - 1969
notes: label: Caption
content: Nina Simone traveled to Nigeria in December 1961 for the Lagos Festival, sponsored by the American Society of African Culture (AMSAC). Simone traveled with a group of 33 African American artists, performers, and educators. Included in the delegation were Odetta, Randy Weston, Geoffrey Holder, Natalie Hinderas, and Lionel Hampton. One of the goals of AMSAC was to expose African Americans to their African heritage. The Lagos Festival was the group's first event in Africa and coincided with the first anniversary of Nigerian independence. As part of the festival, a cultural center was opened and two public concerts were held.
label: Caption
content: This was Simone's first visit to Africa and this intimate letter written to her new husband Andy Stroud shares her first impressions of Lagos. Looking back on the experience in her 1991 autobiography, Simone wrote, "All around us were black faces, and I felt for the first time the spiritual relaxation any Afro American feels on reaching Africa. I didn't feel like I'd come home when I arrived in Lagos, but I knew I'd arrived somewhere important and that Africa mattered to me."
label: Description
content: A four page letter, with envelope, to Andy Stroud from Nina Simone. Simone is writing from Lagos, Nigeria, and comments on locals, accomodations, and her love for her husband. The letter is handwritten in blue ink on stationery from the Federal Palace Hotel. Simone dated the letter only as [December '61] in the top right corner. The envelope is postmarked December 17, 1961.
place: label: Place made
content: Lagos, Nigeria, West Africa, Africa
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Africa
label: Topic
content: Composers (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Correspondence
label: Topic
content: Families
label: Topic
content: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Musicians
label: Topic
content: Popular music
label: Topic
content: Singers (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Travel
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Documents and Manuscripts
label: Exhibition
content: Musical Crossroads
label: On View
content: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 053
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2011.132.3a-e
objectType: label: Type
content: letters (correspondence)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Unknown - Restrictions Possible
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (letter): 10 1/4 x 8 in. (26 x 20.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (envelope): 4 1/16 x 8 3/4 in. (10.3 x 22.2 cm)