Janelle Monae Talks Music & Social Justice at NMAAHC’s Ingenuity Festival

Today, the 2018 Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award performing arts honoree, renowned recording artist, actress and activist Janelle Monae discussed the influences of rhythm and blues on her music as well as her social justice work with award-winning jazz bassist Christian McBride. This event took place in the Oprah Winfrey Theater of the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, DC.

The Smithsonian Ingenuity Festival kicked off Nov. 29 and continues through Dec. 9. The festival hosts programs throughout several Smithsonian museums featuring honorees of the American Ingenuity Award. Deemed “the Golden Globes of Intellect,” the American Ingenuity Awards honor individuals across nine wide-ranging categories:

• Education

• History

• Life Sciences

• Performing Arts

• Physical Sciences

• Social Progress

• Technology,

• Visual Arts and Youth.

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