We Can’t Shy Away

Have you ever heard someone say “they Hollywooded that story,” when referring to movies that are based on true stories? It means the story was embellished or retold for ratings, dumbed down to fit a formula and generate audiences, or even to cover up truths. Creating narratives that are exciting, watered down, or palatable seems to be second nature, and it’s no wonder why: an awful story makes you cringe, imagine living out the real story. We often avoid hard topics and difficult conversations because it's easier to pretend bad things didn’t happen if we simply push those bad things from our thoughts. Kind of like hiding a shoe box full of letters and trinkets that if discovered would reveal more about us than we planned to share. Like a time capsule that freezes things in its original state and gives us a glimpse of the way it was; or why it still is …

When the African American Museum of Iowa (AAMI) receives those “shoe boxes” or “time capsules,” we don’t shy away from opening them. We don’t back down from sharing their often “edgy” contents or attempt to water down the authentic stories to make them palatable. In its 30th year and as the sole institution in the state whose mission is to preserve, exhibit, and teach Iowa’s African American heritage, the AAMI is responsible for sharing authentic and whole stories.

We live in a time where, despite efforts to keep people uneducated (or miseducated) about our full history, truths are being revealed, crimes are being recorded, voices prevail, and allegiances are strengthening. When traditional educational systems are stripped of the ability to teach the realities of our shared history, the AAMI still is delivering timely topics that cause engagement, conversation, and reflection. Our current original exhibit, Suspended: Systemic Oppression in Our Schools are all meant to stir us up. They should inspire and compel us to action; challenge our leaders, demand authenticity, and bring all voices to the table. Suspended examines the role public schools play in funneling students into the prison system. It explores elements of the criminal justice system that have entered public schools around the country, resulting in zero tolerance policies and student policing that disproportionately affect children of color.

As much as we may all want to, we can’t change history. But we can take action in the present. We cannot continue to perpetuate a sanitized version of the truth, but we can learn from true history and commit to never repeat the ugly parts. Iowa’s full history is a microcosm of our nations’ full history. The indoctrination of half-truths and full on lies has been acceptable “education” for generations, so much so that some might not even realize just how flawed their knowledge is. When we acknowledge the systemic nature and intentionality of our systems, it can cause us to see everything differently. Hated while alive, but revered after his death, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

It’s easy to get away with partial truths in Hollywood because of the “based on a true story” disclaimer. What about the stories that have been rewritten, but without the disclaimer and not just on the big and little screens, but in our history books? The great poet and playwright James Baldwin said of education and societal change, “The obligation of anyone who thinks of himself as responsible is to examine society and try to change it and to fight it — at no matter what risk. This is the only hope society has. This is the only way societies change.” The systems at play are long standing and deeply rooted in our culture, impacting not only education, but housing, employment, transportation, health care, and so much more. You cannot recount stories of your grandfather’s heroism in the military without telling of the battles he fought or injustices he witnessed. Neither can we tell the stories of our collective past and present without including the full story and the undeniably disparaging systems that infiltrate all of society.

Wherever you are on your journey, the AAMI can meet you there. We connect with our audiences through our statewide mission and vision to build a community that comes together to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of Iowa’s African American history and culture. We connect through annual and original thought-provoking exhibits, as well as relevant programs and presentations. The Museum’s essence is to educate all Iowans. We don’t deserve a sanitized, glamorized or diluted version of history. Learn full history at the AAMI. Black history is American History.

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