CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A new exhibit at the African American Museum of Iowa in Cedar Rapids is spotlighting the history, culture and resilience of Black Iowans in the decades after the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“Right Where We Belong: Black Resilience, Culture, and Community” explores Black progress in Iowa from the civil rights era through the end of the 1990s. The exhibit covers advancements in education, politics and housing while highlighting Black Iowans who helped shape the state’s history.
Among those featured is former Iowa state representative Cecil Reed, who the museum says played a major role in helping pass Iowa’s Fair Housing Act. The law expanded equal housing opportunities for Black Iowans…