The mission of the African American Historical Museum is to preserve and share Iowa's rich cultural African American heritage by offering educational resources to the public and by promotion of a new center of learning.
Endless Possibilities is the African American Museum of Iowa’s permanent exhibit. It uses photos, objects, stories, and multimedia to trace the journey of Iowa’s African Americans. Visitors begin the exhibit experience in the beauty and diversity of West Africa, then continue through enslavement and the torturous Middle Passage, in which millions of African captives were shipped in chains to the New World. You then experience the desperate flight of freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad in Iowa, and share the trials and triumph of the Civil War and the end of slavery. You can join the struggle for integration in Iowa’s schools and workplaces, and see the tools and toys of African American mining families in turn-of-the-century Buxton. Next you can participate in a sit-in at the lunch counter of the Katz Drug Store in Des Moines and sign a petition demanding that the store’s owner respect everyone’s civil rights. Take time to honor heroes of the Civil Rights Movement in Iowa, including Charles Toney of Davenport, Viola Gibson of Cedar Rapids, and Virginia Harper of Ft. Madison, and then listen to the voices of modern history makers as they speak about their lives in Iowa. Finally, you can stand behind President Barack Obama’s podium to celebrate his victory at the 2008 Iowa caucuses, and look forward to endless possibilities for Iowa’s African Americans. For museum hours and other exhibits on display, click on the link below:
