An inspired perspective

It’s fascinating how things can be impressive independently, but take on even more significance when juxtaposed with something equally as grand; creating an inspired perspective.

The African American Museum of Iowa has been in a season of parallel growth from its beginning in 1993. Since then, more than 90 African American-focused museums have opened across the United States. The AAMI’s present success has been 30 years in the making and continues on a trajectory of long-term sustainability. Likewise, nationally, we entered the “modern Juneteenth movement” around the time the vision for the AAMI was born. This parallel growth of the Museum, the rise of similar institutions across the country, and the revitalization of Juneteenth commemorations gives them individual and collective nuance. Education is no longer limited to the classroom or a single institution, but can come from various legitimate sources.

From a vision 30 years ago to an unyielding reality today, the AAMI has transformed its program delivery and exhibit development, right in time for a brand-new look and feel. The Voices Inspiring Progress renovation project and capital campaign has elevated the museum as the statewide force that’s been in the making since its inception. Honing in on relevant exhibit topics (selected by the community) and compelling programs that have been compared to the quality of larger budget institutions, the AAMI continues to create opportunities to engage, have conversations, and reflect on how each of us can be part of making our corner of the country a better place through authentic education.

After all, what are museums for, but to teach and impact us for the better. While many are surprised to find an African American museum in Iowa, almost all Midwest states are home to African American-focused cultural institutions. Yet with over 35,000 museums nationwide, less than 150 are focused on African American history and culture. This is such a small number, demonstrating how important the AAMI truly is to Iowa. And, we are more than willing to build new collaborative partners. The need to preserve and share all American history has become more and more apparent as we continue this awakening that has grown in the last several years and especially since 2020.

In 2020 when Cedar Rapids and many communities across Iowa and the United States expressed outrage over the injustice of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of law enforcement, the AAMI was able to infuse present day protest into its brand-new and original exhibit, Unwavering: 21st Century Activism. The exhibit was thought provoking and powerful in its ability to speak to different audiences. It offered space for uncomfortable conversations and allowed the extension of grace during a time when tension was high. The Museum, like other African American cultural institutions across the country, is in a unique position to fill gaps in traditional educational systems by providing authentic resources. We are meeting a need as more and more Iowans (Americans) are asking themselves hard questions and demanding real answers instead of soft platitudes.

The same can be said for the seemingly sudden awareness of the 150 year old commemoration of Juneteenth. While it may not have been acknowledged everywhere, it has been a source of expressions of freedom and solidarity since June 19, 1865 when the last of U.S. enslaved people were finally notified of their freedom in Galveston, Texas. Juneteenth commemorative events have been on the rise and in more communities across Iowa, the Midwest, and the country over the last thirty years.

As the museum has seen an increase in local and statewide participation and support, we have also added opportunities for engagement. Our first fully virtual commemoration was convened in 2020 in light of growing pandemic related shutdowns. We were able to adapt early and saw spikes in virtual attention to the tune of thousands of views for our weeklong programming (versus hundreds of in person attendees in the preceding years). In just a few short years, the museum’s commemoration has jumped from five community sponsors to 10, with the inclusion of more relevant partnerships like a joint program with the Des Moines Metro Opera, the University of Iowa, multiple public libraries, and the support of various community organizations. By participating in these activities, we are not only acknowledging a horrific part of our collective history and its systemic end, we are also a part of a larger intent to galvanize proactive initiatives that lead to systemic healing.

These side by side, independent, but threaded efforts, are patterned for greatness. With your continued support of our Voices Inspiring Progress campaign (blackiowa.org/vip), the African American Museum of Iowa will reopen in February with a new look, increased capacity, and expanded statewide audiences for a larger educational impact. Our nation will continue to learn more about its full history in order to change today’s narrative for the better for all people, and the meaning of Juneteenth will serve as a reminder that freedom is everyone’s right.

For more about the Museum’s 2023 Juneteenth commemorative events and partners, visit blackiowa.org/Juneteenth.

LaNisha Cassell is executive director of the African American Museum of Iowa.