My Life. My neighborhood. Our world.

The African American Museum of Iowa will reopen its doors on January 17, 2009 with the premiere of its long-awaited exhibit “No Roads Lead to Buxton,” and an all-day open house to see how the Museum has changed since the 2008 floods. 
 
Buxton, a coal mining town established in 1900, was considered a “black man’s utopia” because the majority of the town’s population was African American. This unique community boasted virtually no racism in a time when racial biases were the norm. Experience this extraordinary piece of Iowa’s history as you enjoy a walk down a simulation of Buxton’s Main Street within the exhibit. Join in a discussion at 1pm with a panel of Buxton experts, including scholars who performed the archaeological dig at the Buxton site in the 1980’s, former Buxton residents and their descendants, and the people who live in the area now. Kids can even get into the action with three workshops between 1pm and 3pm, learning about archaeology, coal mining and Iowa’s extraordinary history. 
 
Admission is free all day on January 17. The African American Museum of Iowa is open from 10AM to 4PM.  For further information please contact Julie Mitchell at events@blackiowa.org or 319-862-2101 ex 24.

CONGRATULATIONS! to the African American Museum -- it has been a very tough road back from the Great Flood of 2008 -- Congratulations on your Grand Reopening!