Last updated: 2/23/2012
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Street Address
809 8th Avenue Southeast
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406
Mailing Address
PO Box 2756
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406
phone: 319-862-2101
fax: 319-862-2105
web: www.blackiowa.org/

Hours

N/A

Admissions

N/A

Museum Type(s)

Staff

Tom Moore
phone:
Description

Iowan history showcased via interactive exhibits and exciting educational programs. Because African American history is American history.

Mission

To preserve, publicize, and educate the public on the African American heritage and culture of Iowa.

History

The heritage of African Americans in Iowa was in danger of being lost without major efforts to preserve it. In 1994, a small group from Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids began the project in celebration of Black History Month.

Educational Programs
Public Programs

Whether our curator is speaking on Iowa’s Tuskegee Airmen, a local expert is presenting on their favorite topic, or our Education staff is offering History in the Park, the museum is always on the move.

ICNS

Not all students or homeschool groups can make a trip to the museum, so we use the wonders of technology to bring the museum to you. We offer ICN classes during the school year on a variety of topics, and like all of our workshops, they tie to the Iowa Core Curriculum. Sign up for one today!

Traveling Exhibits

Our traveling exhibits are a great way to showcase Iowa’s African American history. Covering a variety of topics, these displays pack small and impact large. See our website to learn more about traveling exhibits.

Library
Access: Scholars, Members
Appointment required: Yes
Publications
Iowa Griot

What is a griot? A griot (pronounced gree-oh) is the member of some West-African communities who keeps the history. The griot knows where the group has been, and thus where it is going.

The Iowa Griot, in the tradition of the African griot, endeavors to keep our history alive, so that, by knowing our past, we will make our future better. The Iowa Griot is the quarterly membership newsletter of the African American Museum of Iowa.

Please visit our website to sample the Griot’s content. To receive further issues of The Iowa Griot, become a member of the African American Museum of Iowa today!

Services
Celebration Hall Rental

The African American Museum of Iowa (AAMI) offers two spaces for rent.

1.Aldeen Davis Celebration Hall – Located within the AAMI this facility looks out over the Harper Terrace and the Cedar River Trail to the Cedar River and can hold 240 persons theater style or 200 at round tables seating 8 per table. The Hall is equipped with a audio/visual system and projection screen and has an attached catering kitchen. This space is a common site for wedding receptions, community forums and business workshops.

2. AEGON Learning Lab – Located within the AAMI, this meeting room can hold 35 people. It offers a projection screen and audio capabilities, and is also home to the AAMI’s Library. This room is often used as a classroom, for business retreats or for small community gatherings.

The Nikee Gift Shop

Nikee is an Ghanaian word meaning “gift.” Our current offerings include art prints, books, magnets and cards–all with an African or African American flare. The Nikee Gift Shop has an excellent selection of gifts imported from Africa and many areas of the United States. You will find everything from traditional pieces like drums, sculptures and figurines, to hand-beaded necklaces and earrings – even 3D magnets. It also offers a large collection of art prints, greeting cards and books regarding Africa and African American history. These books vary from local to global levels and illustrate the impact that African American culture and inventions have made on our society.

Gift Shop
Special Event Rental
Group Tours
ADA
Wheelchair Accessible
Exhibitions
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Museum Events
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MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

February 5 - 7, 2025

Milledgeville, Georgia

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

Wednesday, February 5 - Friday, February 7, 2025

Ina Dillard Russell Library Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, Georgia

Hosted by: Georgia Association of Museums

The Whole Story Is The Meanin

“For the fiction writer himself the whole story is the meaning, because it is an experience, not an abstraction.”― Flannery O'Connor, Mystery and Manners: Occasional Pros

Join us in Milledgeville, Georgia, for the annual Georgia Association of Museums conference as we explore the profound wisdom of Milledgeville author Flannery O'Connor’s words. In a world where narratives intersect and perspectives diverge, this theme invites proposals that delve into the essence of storytelling within museums and cultural institutions. Our work in the museum field requires us to look at stories from as many angles and perspectives as possible so that we might do our best to tell the “whole story.

Through thought-provoking discussions, interactive workshops, and engaging presentations, we will uncover the layers of meaning embedded within every artifact, exhibition, and historical account. Just as O’Connor masterfully crafted narratives that resonate with universal truths, museums hold the power to illuminate the whole story behind many objects, artworks, and cultural phenomena

We will examine how museums can embrace inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity in their storytelling practices. By acknowledging multiple perspectives and amplifying marginalized voices, we can enrich our understanding of the past and present, fostering empathy and connection within our communities.

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

February 17 - 19, 2025

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

Monday, February 17 - Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Hosted by: Small Museum Association

The annual SMA conference attracts more than 300 museum professionals, board members, and volunteers from a wide variety of small museums. They attend sessions on topics ranging from collections and education to staffing and board issues.

We offer a large Museum Resource Hall and plenty of informal networking opportunities for you to talk with (and get ideas from!) other small museum professionals and volunteers

Theme for 2025: Make It Happen!!!

Is there an exhibit, program, or fundraiser that you've been talking about doing for years? Do you feel stuck because of procrastination, lack of board support, or insufficient funds? It's time to take action

At SMA 2025, small museum professionals will share their tips and tricks of how they made it happen!

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

February 18 - 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

Tuesday, February 18 - Saturday, February 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

Hosted by: California Association of Museums

CAM is hard at work planning for the 2025 conference, set to take place from February 18–22, 2025 in San Francisco. We look forward to highlighting best practices and innovative ideas from California's museum community

The California Association of Museums is excited to continue offering in-person programming for 2025. We will not be requiring proof of COVID vaccination/s, but highly encourage vaccination and boosters. For the health and safety of our colleagues, masks are also encouraged (but not required). Capacity and spaces will be thoughtfully considered in the planning of this event.

For more information, please email programs@calmuseums.org.

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

March 15 - 18, 2025

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

Saturday, March 15 - Tuesday, March 18, 2025

The Inn at Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Hosted by: Virginia Association of Museums

2025 Conference Theme: Looking Back to the Future For the past several years, many museums have been deeply involved in planning programs and events to observe the 250th birthday of the United States of America. While this is certainly an occasion to celebrate, this anniversary also forces us as a society to reckon with ongoing inequities and challenges within the US that go back to its inception. As museums ask their audiences to look to the past to understand the present and shape a better future, perhaps now is a good moment in time for Virginia’s museum community to take pause and look back at its own history. We are excited to see you in Blacksburg in March 2025 as we take a moment in our hectic schedules to take pause and visit our diverse pasts. Let’s uncover and share our histories to build a more resilient Virginia museum community.

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

September 10 - 13, 2025

Cincinnati, Ohio

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

Wednesday, September 10 - Saturday, September 13, 2025

TBD

Cincinnati, Ohio

Hosted by: American Association for State and Local History

The 2025 AASLH Annual Conference, in partnership with Ohio Local History Alliance, will take place as the history field makes the final preparations to kickoff off the 250th commemoration of the founding of the United States.

The 2025 conference theme, inspired by AASLH’s Making History at 250: The Field Guide for Semiquincentennial, is an opportunity to broadly explore one of the guide’s themes, The American Experiment. For many in the American colonies in 1776, independence from Britain represented a “leap into the dark” into an unknown future

We are excited for you to join us in Cincinnati as we encourage discussion about our democracy and civic institutions and how they can help strengthen understanding, inspire action, and reveal ways that all of us can participate in and shape the ongoing American experiment.

For more information, please call 615-320-3203 or email info@aaslh.org.

view all conferences
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