Mixed Media

Preserving the Past, Building the Future

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Abstract

The African American Museum of Iowa (AAMI), located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, preserves, exhibits, and teaches Iowa’s Black history and culture. In 1993, a group from Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church saw a lack of African American history being taught in public schools and the need to do something about it. Since then, the AAMI has served as a space where the stories of Black Iowans, often overlooked or untold, are centered. What started with a small group of supporters in a church basement, expanded into a mall storefront, and eventually, with community support, the current facility, was built in 2003. Today, the African American Museum of Iowa continues to provide the public with the opportunity to explore the richness of Iowa’s full history, fostering a greater understanding and appreciation of Iowa’s African American history and culture.

How to Cite:

Porter, M., (2026) “Preserving the Past, Building the Future”, MAC Newsletter 53(3), 21-23.