The Underground Railroad operated as a loosely organized network of people, both black and white, working to funnel slaves out of slavery into areas of freedom and lasted from about the 1830s until the 1860s. Minimal documentation makes it difficult to show how many escaped in total, but only a couple hundred would have traveled […]
The Underground Railroad operated as a loosely organized network of people, both black and white, working to funnel slaves out of slavery into areas of freedom and lasted from about the 1830s until the 1860s. Minimal documentation makes it difficult to show how many escaped in total, but only a couple hundred would have traveled […]
Although Reconstruction-era constitutional amendments and federal legislation extended political and civil rights to African Americans, northern states were slow to offer the full enjoyment of those rights to their black citizens. Set in 1874, “Cross-Examined” explores the experience of two African American Iowa mothers—Charlotta Smith, a former slave, and Mary Jane Dove, the wife of […]
An African American woman’s Sunday hat is her crowning glory—it announces to the world that here is a beautiful, sophisticated, confident person. But Sunday is just one day of the week, and her Sunday hat is just one of the many “hats” she wears. It takes an extraordinary woman to wear all of these hats—professional, […]
Join Revival Theatre Company as we partner with the African American Museum of Iowa for an insightful discussion about "Ragtime the Musical," its music, dance and America's history at the turn of the century. Speakers include Orchestra Iowa's Music Director Tim Hankawich, Cornell College Instructor of Dance, Alvon Reed, Diversity fellow at Coe College, Deanna […]
What can you get for $1 this spring break? Admission to the African American Museum of Iowa! Visit the Museum's permanent exhibit "Endless Possibilities" and our current temporary exhibit "If Objects could Talk" for just $1 on Thursday, March 15. Use hashtag #DollarDayAAMI on social media while visiting the Museum on March 15 and get a […]
Join Harriet Tubman, Levi Coffin, Henry "Box" Brown, John Parker and more in a look at well-known figures behind America's Underground Railroad in this performance by Bright Star Touring Theatre, a national professional touring theatre company based in Asheville, NC. "Heroes of the Underground Railroad" is an inspiring exploration of the lives and work of […]
This production is presented by Bright Star Touring Theatre, a national professional touring theatre company based in Asheville, NC. "Let It Shine: The American Civil Rights Movement" is designed to provide an honest and accessible portrayal of the American struggle for Civil Rights. This powerful show brings to the stage pivotal moments of the American struggle […]
The African American Museum of Iowa is closed on Friday, March 30. We will resume our regular hours on Saturday, March 31.
Join us at the First Street Community Center Theatre in Mount Vernon for this presentation. Since the late nineteenth century, African Americans have participated in a variety of sports and contributed in profound ways to Iowa’s sporting culture. African Americans experienced severe discrimination in sports as in other activities, but fought long and hard to […]
