On my second day in Cedar Rapids, Iowa I continued to be delighted by this town. I also continue, as I mentioned in my last post, to have my hidden biases challenged. I admit that before I came I did not know much about African American culture in Iowa, but my perception of the state did not scream diversity. The lesson learned for me today is to say YES to learning and to having fun with breaking down generalizations.
Today I visited the African American Museum of Iowa, online at www.blackiowa.org, and I can honestly say it was one of the best museums I’ve ever seen. I get achy legs when I stand around too long in museums, so usually I don’t linger. Here I eagerly viewed every exhibit on prominent African American Iowans and the history of their cultures.
Highlights for me were the trans-Atlantic voyage exhibit and the Civil Rights leaders of Iowa. I got to sit at a lunch counter where an African American sit-in took place, and even stand behind President Obama’s podium that he used during his Iowa campaign.
I learned so much, but here are some things you may not know about Iowa’s black history:
- In 1865 the Republican Party of Iowa proposed that the vote be extended to African American males. This came to reality in 1868, making Iowa one of only two states to give voting rights to African Americans between the end of the Civil War and the 15th Amendment to the Constitution.
- In 1868 segregation in Iowa public schools was invalidated by the Supreme Court, eighty-six years before the Brown vs. Board of Education decision.
- John Deere, the largest manufacturer of farm equipment in Iowa, was one of the first firms in the United States to actively begin recruiting African American college graduates in the 1960’s from historically black colleges and universities.
If I ever have the chance to visit Cedar Rapids, Iowa, do go to this museum. I continue to be taken in by this town and in awe of the opportunity that has been provided me to self-reflect. The next time a client asks me to come here, I will jump at the chance.
