History / Mission

Mission: To preserve, publicize, and educate the public on the African American heritage and culture of Iowa.

Organizational History: The heritage of African Americans in Iowa was in danger of being lost without major efforts to preserve it. In 1994, a small group from Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids began the project in celebration of Black History Month.

Milestones:

1994 – African American Heritage Foundation, Inc. chartered in Iowa as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

1998 – First full time employee, Joseph McGill, hired as Executive Director

2000 – Temporary museum opened at Westdale Mall, Cedar Rapids

2002 – Construction began in April on the new 17,000 square foot state-of-the-art museum

2003 –Thomas Moore named interim Executive Director in May. The position becomes permanent in November.

2003 – Grand opening September 19th for permanent exhibit “Doorways: A History of African Americans in Iowa”. The exhibit offered a fascinating overview of the history of African Americans in the United States with specific focus on Iowa.

2004 – Endowment fund opened.

2004 – The Africa section of the permanent exhibit opened. Visitors started in West Africa, where they passed through the “Door of No Return” and entered a slave ship to experience the famous “Middle Passage” from Africa to Iowa.

2005 – The 12th Ave. bridge renamed the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge and the memorial art piece “Trumpet” was unveiled.

2006 – Museum chapters established in 8 communities across Iowa.

2007 –The Museum received grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to hire and train two staff members to coordinate the chapter program.

2007 –The Museum received a second grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to conduct a statewide oral history project entitled, “Adult Voices–Children’s Eyes: Iowa African American Oral History Project”. This innovative and ongoing project trained youth groups across Iowa to conduct oral histories in their communities. These histories record important history at risk and spark a passion for heritage among African American youth.

2008 – The flood of 2008 damaged the Museum building. See the flood timeline for more information about how the Museum was affected by the flood.

2009 – Museum re-opened to the public on Jan. 17th.