The Civil Rights History Project: Survey of Collections and Repositories

African American Museum of Iowa

55 12th Ave SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401

Email: [email protected]

Fax: 319-862-2105

Phone: 319-862-2101

Repository URL: http://www.blackiowa.org

Repository description (CRHP): The mission of the African American Museum of Iowa is to preserve, publicize, and educate the public on the African American heritage and culture of Iowa. The Museum project was initiated in 1994 by a small group from Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids in celebration of Black History Month. A temporary museum was opened in 2000, and in 2002 construction on the current 17,000 square foot facility was initiated. The museum offers permanent, changing, and virtual exhibits.

In 2007, the Museum received an IMLS grant to conduct a statewide oral history project entitled, "Adult Voices--Children's Eyes: Iowa African American Oral History Project." This ongoing project trains youth groups across Iowa to conduct oral histories in their communities.

The Museum also holds older oral histories recorded using a variety of media (mostly audio CDs, but also some DVDs and audiocassettes). They are catalogued as as part of archival collections, and museum staff members intend to reorganize them to make them more accessible.

See also the Museum's online collaboration with the University of Iowa: "African American Women in Iowa Digital Collection" (http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/aawiowa/index.php).

Repository Notes (CRHP): [could not find repository code]

Repository type: Museum

Collections:

Adult voices children's eyes