African American Museum of Iowa

The African American Museum of Iowa (AAMI), nestled along the Cedar River near downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been carrying out its mission "To preserve, publicize, and educate the public on the African American heritage and culture of Iowa" since its incorporation in 1994. It has become the leading educational resource on African American history in Iowa, and has two on-site exhibits: A permanent exhibit called Endless Possibilities, and the 2012 temporary exhibit named The Only One.

In 2011, the AAMI served over 52,000 people, offering tours, educational programming for all ages, special events, a summer camp, and much more across the state of Iowa.

History
The African American Museum was started in 1994 by a small group from the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids, with the goal of preserving the heritage of African Americans in Iowa in celebration of Black History Month.

Four years later, in 1998, the Foundation hired its first full-time employee, Joseph McGill, who served as the Executive Director.

In May 2003, Thomas Moore was named Executive Director for the AAMI, but was dropped in November.

The following year brought the creation of an endowment fund for the museum, as well as the opening of the new Africa section of the permanent exhibit.

In 2005, the 12th Ave. bridge near the AAMI was renamed the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge, and a public art piece, Trumpet, was unveiled on the museum grounds near the Cedar River Trail.

Museum chapters were established in 8 communities across Iowa in 2006, and in 2007 and AAMI recieved a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to hire and train two staff members to coordinate the chapter program.

The following year, the AAMI was devastated by the Iowa flood of 2008. This catastrophic natural disaster caused significant damage to the building and at least half of the Museum's artifacts, necessitating $1.3 million in repairs.

On January 27, 2009, the AAMI was reopened to the public, featuring building renovations and repairs as well as a new temporary exhibit: No Roads Lead to Buxton.

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