Juneteenth celebration begins Friday, June 15th at the African American Museum of Iowa, and wraps up Saturday the 16th, with a party at Viola Gibson Park. Friday enjoy: -$1 admission at the Museum, all day -Cedar Rapids Civil Rights traveling exhibit, all day FREE -Dr. Brie Swenson-Arnold presentation and refreshments "The Emma Oliphant Story" at […]
Join us for "Behind the Beat" at the Marion Public Library on Tuesday, July 10th at 7pm. This presentation uses music to explore African American history, from the African beats to the jazz of the Harlem Renaissance to the popular music of the civil rights movement. The influences of traditional African music can be seen […]
Join us for an evening with the Coe College Symphony Orchestra for a performance of William Grant Still's Danzas de Panama. Each movement is a "classicized" version of an authentic Panamanian folk dance, transcribed and brought to the US by ethnomusicologist Elizabeth Waldo in the first half of the 19th century. The performance will include a brief history […]
Join us for the first session of our Children’s Summer Series! Juba is a style of music that involves clapping, snapping, stomping, and making complex rhythms with your own body as a percussion instrument. By discovering its origins and understanding the lyrics of Juba songs, kids can learn African American history in a unique way. […]
Sean Donaldson, from the African American Museum of Iowa, will take us from African beats to the jazz of the Harlem Renaissance to the popular music of the Civil Rights movement. The influences of traditional African music can be seen in the spirituals sung by African Americans while they worked as slaves, elements of spirituals […]
We are partnering with the Cedar Rapids Public Library for a children's story program based on the Who Was series of biographies. These sessions will feature a reading of a Who Was biography and a hands-on activity to connect kids to the inspiring life of each story time's subject. Join us on the second Saturday […]
This event has been cancelled as a COVID-19 preventative measure. Any rescheduled dates will be announced at a later time. Join us for a discussion based on the New York Times Magazine's 1619 Project. Karl Cassell, Managing Partner at Top RANK Talent Solutions will moderate a panel discussion focusing on the appropriation of African American […]
