Book Signing This Weekend!
Come and visit the Museum on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 pm. There will be a presentation by Robert V. Morris, author of Black Faces of War. The Museum Gift Store has copies of the book available for purchase and your can have them signed by Morris. The Museum Gift Store also has copies of his book Tradition and Valor. Come early, take a self guided tour through the Museum and then attend the book signing. The Museum opens at 10:00am. We look forward to seeing you there!
The Museum Store is having a Fall Sale, all items with a yellow dot are 20% off and all items with a green dot are 30% off. The perfect time to get your Holiday Shopping started! We have a variety of items to choose from. Stop by and take a look!
Join Us at the Women’s Leadership Conference!
The 2011 Iowa African American Women’s Leadership Conference is coming up in September. Mark your calendars for September 22 and 23 and register NOW!
This annual conference is a great opportunity for all women to come together and celebrate African American heritage and the rich her-story of African American women in Iowa. Join us!
We begin by celebrating our “2011 History Makers Gala” at the African American Museum of Iowa, Thursday evening, September 22, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. We will honor our 2011 recipients of the History Makers Award; Marian Coleman of Iowa City, Honorable Judge Romonda D. Belcher of Des Moines and Nancy Humbles of Cedar Rapids. The evening includes fellowship, celebration and live music. A three course dinner will be served. Dress is semi-formal. To register for the Gala, contact me at 319-862-2101, ext 16 or email me at kgfsmith@blackiowa.org.
The conference, “Laying Claim to Our Spirit,” begins the next morning Friday, September 23 at the Cedar Rapids Marriott, 1200 Collins Road NE in Cedar Rapids. We will begin the morning at 8 with registration and breakfast at the main ballroom of the Marriott.
Twelve break-out sessions will include topics important to you such as; “YES, You Can Start Your Own Business”, “Shop, Cook and Eat Your Way to a Thinner and Healthier You!”, “Preparing Your Children for College”, “The Best Defense is No Offense” and “What Are You Worth?”
Student Breakout Sessions include; “Loving Her-story: Journeys of Life, Legacy and Future” by Jada M. Drew, “A Call to Our Sisters: Coming Together to Talk about Sexual Healing”, and “The Devastating Effect of Self-Neglect” by Natasha Nicole Lake.
Ms. Vikki Pryor, CEO of the American Red Cross in Greater New York is our honored keynote speaker. Dr. Terry Wahls, Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Iowa is our special guest speaker, and Miss Black Iowa Alexcia James, will perform during the luncheon.
Tickets to the History Maker’s Gala are $35. Conference Registration (including Gala ticket) is $99. Student registration (including q Gala ticket) is $60. Scholarships are available. Registration is required.
Please contact me at kgfsmith@blackiowa.com or call me at 319-862-2101, ext. 16 to register or if you have questions. We can’t wait to see you there!
Shopping in Downtown CR??
Are you shopping in or near Downtown Cedar Rapids?? If the answer is yes, point your vehicle in the direction of 12th Avenue SE. To be more specific 55 12th Avenue SE, the location of the Museum. Inside the Museum is the Nikee Museum Store. There you will find some unique gift items for yourself, a friend or family member. Books for adults and children, quilted items such as purses and dolls, musical instruments and framed prints. After walking around the Museum store take a hour or so to go through our galleries.
Now that school is out you could take a morning or afternoon with the kids for a unique activity that they can discuss with you afterwards. If you would prefer a guided tour call at least a week ahead to schedule a tour. We have scavenger hunts for both exhibits available in the Museum Store.
Have a wonderful summer and remember the African American Museum of Iowa is right near Downtown Cedar Rapids, come by and visit us soon!
Self Designated Culture Day
The African American Museum of Iowa had a family from Marion, Iowa stop in today. While chatting with the mother after their self-guided tour I learned something interesting. They as a family had designated the day as “Culture Day”. They had toured the Czech Museum and then chose the African American Museum of Iowa as their second stop. She said that they had really enjoyed the Museum. I asked if they were going to stop by the Art Museum and the History Center next. The mother said first they had to grab a bite to eat. I suggested several of the restaurants in the area, Sykora’s Bakery, Al’s Red Frog, Parlor City, The Chrome Horse and Capone’s. She seemed impressed that there were so many eating establishments in the area. So there’s an idea for anyone out there looking for a good idea of how to spend your day, make it a “Culture Day” and visit one or more of Cedar Rapids’ local Museums and grab a bite to eat at one of the local restaurants. Supporting your local Cultural Centers, Museums and restaurants is a great idea!
Find your next book at the Nikee Gift Shop
The Nikee Gift shop in the Museum offers a variety of interesting items to purchase. One of the store’s offerings is books. The store especially carries a lot of children’s books. Titles such as The Patchwork Quilt and This is the Dream are a part of the Nikee collection for sale. There are also kid friendly biographies on Coretta Scott King, George Washington Carver, and other notable African Americans.
There are books for adults as well. One section features several unique books about African Americans in Iowa. Pick up Buxton and discover the mining community in Iowa that provided an example of races living harmoniously together long before the Civil Rights Movement. Learn about African American pilots, many from Iowa, in The Tuskegee Airmen. The books, both on the local and global levels, demonstrate the impact that African Americans have made on society.
Don’t forget that members receive a 10% discount in the gift shop.
Recent News Media Attention
The African American Museum of Iowa has recently received quite a bit of coverage on local news channels. We were on Channel 2 on Sunday the 13th of February. Our Executive Director, Tom Moore and Curator, Katharine Hardy spoke about the Museum’s recovery from the June 2008 Flood.
A brand new documentary aired on Thursday, February 10th on Iowa Public Television. It featured artifacts in the Museum Collection from Buxton, Iowa. To see the whole documentary, click here.
Keep your ears open next week for a interview with our Curator, Lynn Koos. She will speaking about the Underground Railroad in Iowa in a live interview on 90.9(NPR). This interview will airlive on Friday February 26th at 10:00am on NPR’s Talk of Iowa Show. Be sure to tune in!
