The museum was said to eventually comprise "five permanent themed galleries" as well as "a 200-seat theater and traveling exhibits".

[7] The museum was proposed by members of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce in 2002 with the vision to preserve and celebrate African American music, art and culture.

[8] The museum was initially supposed to be built at the intersection of Rosa Parks Boulevard and Jefferson Street, the historic center of the city's African-American community.

[8] The staff of the Tennessee Tribune, Nashville's African-American newspaper, explained: This very city government once destroyed all of the African American Business on Jefferson Street where there was loss of income, businesses, homes and the city turned its back.

[10][11] The new location, close to Broadway and the Ryman Auditorium, was praised by Senator Marsha Blackburn at a fundraising event in February 2019.