African American Museum of Iowa

10/20/2026

See you today (10/20) and throughout the week for free admission courtesy of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation !

It’s day two of Free For All: Linn County Arts & Culture Week! Today’s schedule brings two great opportunities to learn—enjoy free admission at African American Museum of Iowa and The History Center, noon to 4 pm. Find the full calendar here: https://buff.ly/P4w1ivx

10/18/2026

“...Black students at East want a course in Black history. They are asking for relevant education. The kids feel that they need it, and I’m proud they do."

Betty Jean (BJ) Furgerson served as acting Director of Education with the Black Hawk County Head Start Program from 1967-1970. During that time, she was involved in Waterloo East High School community discussions with the school board surrounding the 1968 student protests and subsequent riot. Furgerson stated “...Black students at East want a course in Black history. They are asking for relevant education. The kids feel that they need it, and I’m proud they do. The whole thing grew up [the riot] because nobody listened to what was being said.” She served a year as the administrative coordinator for the Community Consortium group that provided support for the Waterloo school system’s desegregation plan and sat on the Board of Directors of the Waterloo Community Schools from 1978-1990.

Learn more about BJ Furgerson and other community leaders who shaped Iowa at the AAMI's latest exhibit, "Right Where We Belong: Black Resilience, Culture, & Community, 1964-1999."

📷: Portrait of Betty Jean (Bj) Furgerson. C. 1950. Collection of the AAMI - Gift of Lileah Harris

10/17/2026

Catch the AAMI at Eastern Iowa Airport • CID for their day! 10/17 10 AM -2 PM

10/15/2026

Swing by the AAMI this Saturday morning!

10/12/2026

We had a great time celebrating our 2026 with all of you last week! Congratulations once again to Hannah Stuelke (accepted by her mother, Joanna Mantz) Orville & Billie Townsend, Daniel Umemezie, State Senator Renee Hardman, & Retired Major Lillie Miller Parker.

Thank you Reldon's Lens, LLC for the great photos - more to share later!

10/09/2026

Thank you to everyone who supported the AAMI's annual Celebration! We want to extend an special thanks to all of our event sponsors including Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust, Enterprise, Rapids Civil Rights Commission, Hy-Vee, U.S. Bank, Alliant Energy, Iowa, and The City of Iowa City Government.

10/08/2026

Tonight is the AAMI's annual History Makers Celebration and we want to thank our emcee for the event, Jennifar Bassett. A native of Cedar Rapids, Bassett brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in operations and project management. Her background includes overseeing complex operations and capital projects within the construction and maintenance space. Bassett’s experience spans strategic planning, vendor and stakeholder coordination, budget oversight, and operational execution—skills that directly support her current role as Program Manager for Downtown Cedar Rapids.

We also want to extend a special thank you to local artist and activist, Slayton Thompson who will be leading a rendition of "Lift Every Voice and Sing!"

We are grateful for everyone who has purchased tickets for this SOLD OUT event. If you were unable to get a seat, but would still like to support the AAMI and our mission to preserve, exhibit, and teach Iowa's African American hertiage, you can learn more at blackiowa.org/support.

Learn more about the History Makers event, our incredible honorees, the sponsors who made this event possible, and more at blackiowa.org/hmc.

10/06/2026

Lend your time and talents to help preserve, exhibit, and teach Iowa’s African American heritage! The AAMI has a variety of volunteer activities available, including recurring, regularly scheduled opportunities. Learn more at blackiowa.org/volunteer

10/03/2026

Enjoy free admission to the AAMI today (10/3) from 10-4! Thanks to our sponsors