African American Museum of Iowa

The African American Museum of Iowa is the only museum in the state dedicated exclusively to preserving Iowa's African American history. It is the place where conversations start around issues of community, race and social justice for those who seek to expand their knowledge and share their interests. As a statewide organization, we envision building communities that come together to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of Iowa's African American history and culture through conversation, engagement and reflection. Our location in Cedar Rapids is home to our permanent and changing galleries, featuring exhibits that give visitors interactive opportunities to explore the stories of Iowa's African American heritage. Permanent Exhibit: Endless Possibilities Trace Iowa's African American history from its origins in western Africa to the present—through slavery, the Civil War, the Underground Railroad, segregation and the Civil Rights Movement—at the African American Museum of Iowa's permanent exhibit, Endless Possibilities. Along the journey you'll explore the diversity of Western Africa, the torturous journey aboard a slave ship, the quest for freedom, the struggle for equality and the unique history of African American communities across Iowa. Temporary Exhibits: Mapping Exclusion: Redlining in Iowa Explore the history of redlining in Iowa in our latest exhibit. Redlining is the systematic denial of various services by federal and local government agencies and the private sector to residents of specific neighborhoods. Black populations in seven Iowa cities -Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Sioux City, Dubuque, Davenport, Des Moines, and Waterloo - were subject to redline mapping. The exhibit will look at these cities and the long-term effects of redlining on the current issues faced in these areas today. Open September 10, 2021, through August 6, 2022