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The African American Museum of Iowa (AAMI), nestled along the Cedar River near downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been carrying out its mission “To preserve, publicize, and educate the public on the African American heritage and culture of Iowa” since its incorporation as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1994. It has become the leading educational resource on African American history in Iowa, and has two on-site exhibits: a permanent exhibit called ''Endless Possibilities'', and the 2012 temporary exhibit – ''The Only One''. Additionally, the AAMI has several "traveling exhibits" that are available free of charge for use by schools, libraries, businesses, etc. In 2011, the AAMI served over 52,000 people, offering tours, educational programming for all ages, special events, a summer camp, and much more across the state of Iowa. == History == The African American Museum was started in 1994 by a small group from the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids, with the goal of preserving the heritage of African Americans in Iowa in celebration of Black History Month. That year, the African American Heritage Foundation, Inc. was chartered in Iowa as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Four years later, in 1998, the Foundation hired its first full-time employee, Joseph McGill, who served as the Executive Director. In 2000, a temporary museum opened in Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids, and in April 2002 construction began on a new 17,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility along the Cedar River. In May 2003, Thomas Moore was named interim Executive Director for the AAMI; the interim was dropped in November. The Grand Opening of the AAMI was on September 19, 2003 and highlighted the Exhibition|permanent exhibit ''Doorways: A History of African Americans in Iowa.'' The following year brought the creation of an endowment fund for the museum, as well as the opening of the new ''Africa'' section of the permanent exhibit. Visitors started in West Africa, where they passed through the “Door of No Return” and entered a slave ship to experience the famous Middle Passage from Africa to the United States. In 2005, the 12th Ave. bridge near the AAMI was renamed the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge, and a public art piece, ''Trumpet'', was unveiled on the museum grounds near the Cedar River Trail. Museum chapters were established in 8 communities across Iowa in 2006, and in 2007 the AAMI received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to hire and train two staff members to coordinate the chapter program. Later that same year, the AAMI received a second grant from the IMLS to conduct a statewide oral history project entitled ''Adult Voices–Children’s Eyes: Iowa's African American Oral History Project''. This innovative and ongoing project trained youth groups across Iowa to conduct oral histories in their communities. These sessions recorded important events and sparked a passion for history among African American youth. The following year, the AAMI was devastated by the Iowa flood of 2008. The first floor of the Museum, home to the education and collection staff as well as the gift shop, rental hall, and both exhibits, was filled with 5.5 feet of standing water. This catastrophic natural disaster caused significant damage to the building and at least half of the Museum's artifacts, necessitating $1.3 million in repairs. On January 17, 2009, the AAMI was reopened to the public, featuring building renovations and repairs as well as a new temporary exhibit: ''No Roads Lead to Buxton''. A new permanent exhibit, ''Endless Possibilities'', was opened on December 15, 2009 and uses Photograph|photos, objects, stories, and multimedia to trace the journeys of Iowa’s African Americans. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「African American Museum of Iowa」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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