The House Where Nina Simone Was Born Has Been Designated a National Treasure 

The house where iconic singer and activist Nina Simone was born in 1933, in North Carolina, was granted protection by the National Trust for Historic Preservation on Tuesday.

Billboard reported that National Trust’s President/CEO, Stephanie Meeks, said in the announcement that the home would be made an official National Treasure, “Nina Simone’s distinctive voice and social critique in the mid-20th century was unlike anything America had ever heard before. While her musical and social justice legacy burns bright, her childhood home has been neglected.”

The director of the African American Culture Heritage Action Fund, Brent Leggs, said of the decision, “The National Trust for Historic Preservation will fill an important gap in our country’s cultural heritage landscape, inspire a new generation and further our vision of a stronger, more united America where all our stories are reflected in the places that surround us.”

The home will now reportedly undergo a restoration campaign, which actor and director Phylicia Rashad will serve as advisor and ambassador.

Last year, the three-room home was purchased by four black visual artists, after the property went on the market in 2016. The National Trust has said that it will protect and preserve the home, “in close partnership with its owners, the local community and others,” according to Billboard.