Governor Tom Vilsack announced the State of Iowa is awarding $475,000 to the African-American Heritage Foundation to assist in the construction of the African-American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa. The Governor made the announcement during his remarks at the 1999 NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet on October 30 in Cedar Rapids. The $2.9 million project is receiving this investment from Iowa’s Community Attraction & Tourism Development program.
“Iowa is a culturally rich state and our investment in this project celebrates Iowa’s diversity,” Governor Vilsack said. “This museum and cultural center will honor the important role African-Americans play in our society, and provide our visitors and citizens the opportunity to experience the important contributions made throughout Iowa’s history.” Joseph McGill, executive director of the African-American Museum and Cultural Center agreed. “To improve the quality of life of Iowans, it is extremely important we seize this opportunity and together build this important center for learning and cultural understanding. The Museum and the Cultural Center is the first of its kind in Iowa and will draw visitors from throughout the country. We’re very pleased the state is investing in this important initiative.” The museum will be located in Cedar Rapids.
Already, the African-American Heritage Foundation has raised over $1 million in support of the project. Once completed, the 14,000-square-foot center will educate Iowans and visitors about the state’s rich ethnic background through educational programming, unique traveling historical exhibits and other vast resources. The Heritage Foundation hopes that the center will grow to become one of the largest of its kind in the nation.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the museum was held on December 10, 1999 on the bank of the Cedar River at 1st Street and 12th Avenue SE in Cedar Rapids.