When I moved to Iowa City 25 years ago, one of the first things I did to familiarize myself with my new surroundings was visit the African American Museum of Iowa (AAMI) in Cedar Rapids. I only had two pieces of Black Iowa history under my belt: Lametta Wynn was the first Black mayor of a city in Iowa, and T-Boz of the pop trio TLC was born in Des Moines. By the time I left AAMI, I was a lot more cultured.
Since its opening in 1993, AAMI has served as one of the few institutions commemorating and celebrating Black life in Iowa. They present a Juneteenth Festival every summer, a History Makers Gala every fall, and programs throughout the year to complement their permanent and rotating exhibitions on the Underground Railroad, the civil rights movement, Black businesses, contemporary protest art and more.
In recent years, AAMI has undergone some significant shifts in leadership and funding. I had an opportunity to speak with its current executive director Jacqueline Hunter about that and more, including her own background…