VOLUME 17, ISSUE 2 SUMMER 2017
I was part of a Quaker community
I am a native of Salem, Iowa
I am over a hundred and seventy-five years old
African American Museum of Iowa 55 12th Avenue SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 Phone: (319) 862-2101 Toll-free: 877-526-1863 Fax: (319) 862-2105
What is a Griot? A griot (pronounced gree-oh) is the member of a group who keeps the history. The Iowa Griot is the membership newsletter of the African American Museum of Iowa.
Board of Directors Rudy Simms (Des Moines), President Doris Montag (Iowa City), Vice President Christopher Lindell (Cedar Rapids), Treasurer Tonya Scott (Fort Madison), Secretary Dr. Benny Hawkins (Coralville) Benjamin Hoover (Cedar Rapids) LaShonda Kennedy (Coralville) Judge Kevin McKeever (Iowa City) Ramadhan Muzo (Cedar Rapids) Scott Olson (Cedar Rapids) Dr. Neil Patrick (Afton) Dr. Vincent Reid (Cedar Rapids) Dr. Jacqueline Thompson (Clear Lake) Dr. Barbara Western (Waterloo)
Staff LaNisha Cassell, Executive Director Brianna Kim, Director of Operations Thomas Moore, Development Officer Felicite Wolfe, Curator Krystal Gladden, Museum Educator Diana Henry, Education Assistant Robyn Dickson, Operations Coordinator Alicia RH Mayberry, Communications Specialist
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR This summer, we are sharing our story — not just the story of how our grassroots efforts instilled a sense of cultural pride in Iowa’s African American children almost 25 years ago but how your stories have made us the most sought after institution for African American historical resources in the state. We focus on sharing these untold stories in unique ways through every gallery exhibit, traveling exhibit, traveling trunk, program, tour, and event. The AAMI is able to share this history because of countless individuals who donate artifacts, archives, oral histories, and funds — allowing us preserve, exhibit and teach Iowa’s history to thousands of youth and adults each year. It’s thanks to you and so many others who believe in our vision to “preserve our past to enlighten our future,” we can produce powerful, socially-relevant exhibits and programs. As we embark upon the our 25th anniversary in 2018, we look back on our humble beginnings and celebrate how far we have come. I invite you to recall our early church beginnings, mall storefront, and flood recovery which all provided the firm foundation we find our new leadership team standing on today. I am excited to lead alongside an engaged board of directors and team of museum professionals who aim to give you a voice as each passing day becomes history — a shared history worth preserving. Thank you for your trust in our passion and commitment. We look forward to your next visit. – LaNisha PHOTO PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION FROM BRUCE E. WICKS, PhD
Membership & Subscriptions The Iowa Griot is published quarterly and is provided for members of the African American Heritage Foundation of Iowa. The Iowa Griot is copyright ©African American Heritage Foundation of Iowa. Reproduction in whole or part without the written consent of the African American Heritage Foundation of Iowa is prohibited. By submitting a manuscript or illustration, the author warrants to the African American Heritage Foundation of Iowa that the material does not infringe on the copyright of another party and that the author assumes full responsibility for any such copyright infringement as may arise following publication. The Iowa Griot is not a scholarly publication. Opinions expressed by featured authors do not necessarily reflect the principles or policies of the African American Heritage Foundation of Iowa, its board, membership, staff, editor or publisher(s). Neither the African American Heritage Foundation of Iowa board, membership, staff, editor or publisher(s) make any warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the contents of this publication or to goods and services that may be advertised herein. The African American Heritage Foundation of Iowa reserves the right to revise, edit, or refuse any material submitted for publication in The Iowa Griot.
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ON THE COVER Why did we choose a brick for the cover of the Griot? What could be so special about a chunk of building material? There is more to an everyday object than first meets the eye. This particular brick helped provide shelter to escaping slaves on the Underground Railroad as part of the original foundation of the Henderson Lewelling House in Salem, Iowa. This brick tells the stories of African Americans and abolitionists fighting together for an end to slavery. The hidden stories behind this and other objects of the collection will be revealed in our next temporary exhibit, If Objects Could Talk opening August 25, 2017.
by Curator Felicite Wolfe
THE COLLECTIONS CORNER
The Topsy-Turvy Doll
A unique piece of folk art with an uncertain past, the Topsy-Turvy doll has become subject to debate and controversy among historians. In its simplest form, the doll has two heads with their upper bodies on opposite ends, joined together at the hips. A long skirt flips to conceal one face or the other. It is two dolls, but only one can be played with at a time. Traditionally, Topsy-Turvy dolls are made of cloth with one side representing a white girl and the other a black girl. Often, the white doll is more detailed while the black doll wears a dress void of adornment or the apron and headscarf of a “mammy” figure. Many historians agree that the doll originated in the antebellum period of the American South and were handmade by enslaved women. But who played with the dolls and why? There are many interpretations that have evolved regarding the meaning and use of these dolls. Debra Britt, one of the founders of the National Black Doll Museum, believes that the dolls enabled enslaved children to have something forbidden—a doll that looked like them.
When the slave master was present, the child could easily switch the doll to the white girl side. African American Studies scholar Dr. Kimberly Wallace-Sanders admonishes this theory, believing that enslaved mothers wouldn’t jeopardize their children in that manner. She theorizes that the doll may have been a socialization tool for both enslaved black girls and white masters’ daughters. The doll could have been a means for the young girls to understand their role in society and as women. Black girls may have desired a white doll, possibly like the children their mother looked after. White girls may have viewed the black figure as a “Mammy” or maid of the house. In Mammy: A Century of Race, Gender, and Southern Memory, Dr. Wallace-Sanders states “African American slave women may have given dolls like these to their daughters as a preparation for a possibility of a life devoted to nurturing two babies: one black and one white. Topsy-turvy dolls are designed for children to play with one baby at a time, and this accurately reflects the division of caregiving that African American women encountered, having to care for white children during the day and their own children at night.” Dr. Wallace-Sanders’ theory is supported by several others. Author and game designer Bernie De Koven states that toys are typically instructional and connected with learning about people. The doll therefore probably mimicked the dynamics within the household. In historian Dorothy A. Mays’ book Women in Early America: Struggle, Survival and Freedom in a New World, she notes that “slave girls were often paired with the similarly aged daughters of their owner to be companion and servant.
Sources: Bernstein, Robin. 2011. Racial innocence: performing American childhood from slavery to civil rights. New York: New York University Press. Hindman, Leslie. “Rag doll is a double delight”. http://www.chicagotribune.com. (retrieved 3-22-2017). Jarboe, K. Tait. “The Racial Symbolism of the Topsy-Turvy Doll” https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/11/the-racial-symbolism-of-the-topsy-turvy-doll/ 416985/ .(retrieved 2/8/2017). Wade, Lisa. “Theories of the First Topsy-Turvy Doll”. www. psmag.com/theories-of-the-first-topsy-turvy-doll-fce9b90ef845#.8z7cyevxf. (retrieved 3-22-2017).
“...Perhaps playing together with such explicitly racial toys helped children to internalize the social divisions between them, or perhaps it was a chance to forget them.” By the late 19th century, Topsy-Turvy dolls were being mass produced, some with lithographed or hand-painted faces. Topsy and Eva double headed dolls, based on characters in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin were popular in the 1940s. Sewing patterns were produced by Vogart and Redlines with the name “Topsy and Eva Doll.” In a McCalls pattern, both dolls were white and called the “Upside Down Doll.” In contemporary times, the TopsyTurvy doll continues to spark discussion and debate and has come to be viewed as a symbol of conflict, power struggle, segregation, gender roles, and racial and cultural tensions. In 2016, the Museum was awarded 1957. a Topsy-Turvy grant fromDoll, the c.Linn County Collection of the African Historic Preservation Commission American Museum of Iowa, toGift purchase new furniture and of Rogette Steele. cabinets for our collections storage room. As the Museum’s collection continues to expand, we realized that our current storage capabilities were being outgrown or unsuited to best preserve some types of objects. With this grant, the Museum purchased new storage cabinets for small objects, pallets that keep oversized items off the floor, mobile shelving units for collections being processed, and additional work tables. We were also awarded a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This grant allowed us to upgrade technology in the curatorial department and purchase a new server so our collections database could be networked on multiple computers. The project also enables us to develop a cataloging manual, add more complete information to our collections database, train paid interns, and make our database more useful to staff, researchers, and online visitors.
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A Little
Confronting Barriers to Education Education from Muscatine to New Orleans BY DIANA HENRY EDUCATION ASSISTANT
Iowa has the distinction of being among the first states to integrate public schools. In our permanent exhibit “Endless Possibilities,” we have an entire section devoted to school integration and Alexander Clark. Instrumental in fighting for black Iowans right to vote, Clark believed education was essential for "the moral and political elevation of the colored race." In 1868, the Iowa General Assembly agreed with him, allowing black students to be taught alongside white students. Alexander Clark’s fight for integration began in 1867 in Muscatine, Iowa. Clark decided to send his 12-year-old daughter, Susan, to a neighboring white school because it had better resources to assure a quality education. She was refused admission. Clark filed a lawsuit in the Muscatine County District Court. The judge issued a decision compelling the board of directors to allow Susan to attend the all-white Grammar School No. 2. The board appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court, asserting its right to require colored children in Muscatine to attend the separate school. The Iowa Supreme Court disagreed. Writing for the majority, Justice Chester C. Cole pointed out that the Constitution of 1857 created a State Board of Education that was required to "provide for the education of all the youths of the State, through a system of common schools.... The board cannot... deny a youth admission to any particular school because of his or her nationality, religion, color, clothing or the like." Susan was admitted and eventually graduated from Muscatine High School in 1871. Nearly a hundred years later, African Americans in New Orleans would start their own fight for integration. In 1960, Ruby Bridges' was one of only six students in the city allowed to enter the first grade at an all-white school. Although, Ruby’s
father had some reservation about his daughter integrating a public school, her mother supported the decision. She wanted her daughter to participate in the desegregation process believing it would open the door for other African American children. On Nov. 14, 1960, Ruby would be the only African American student of the six accepted to attend the William Frantz School near her home--the first black child to attend an all-white elementary school in the South. Fearing there might be some civil disturbances, the federal district court judge requested the U.S. government send federal marshals to New Orleans to protect her. Two marshals walked in front of her and two walked behind her. Angry crowds gathered and shouted as she walked between the federal marshals. Ms. Henry was assigned to be her teacher, and for one year Ruby was Ms. Henry’s only student. Everyday there were angry crowds, but each day Ms. Henry happily greeted Ruby. Each day before Ruby set off to school, her mother reminded her to pray and by doing so she would be taken care of on the way to school. Although these stories are 93 years apart, each reflects courage, especially for young Ruby, and an unflinching belief in the importance of education by parents of African American children. While visitors to the museum can read the panels about Clark’s challenge to Muscatine’s grammar school, our education department has also developed an activity about Ruby Bridges’ desegregation experience.
Ruby Bridges Mobile This activity has been presented at the Hiawatha and Marion Public Libraries as part of the Learning Safari initiative for pre-K and kindergarten children. The activity allows the children to make a mobile about Ruby’s experience. It addresses not only art, but the reading strategy of placing events in sequential order. How do you think Ruby’s first day of school went? Put the cut outs in the order they occurred. You will need:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Hanger Seven pieces of yarn Crayons Scissors Hole puncher pagefive
The AAMI is proud to announce that our annual History Makers Gala will, once again, be held at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center on Thursday, September 7, 2017. This year, we are pleased to recognize four History Makers for the significant impact they have had in their communities and their indelible mark on Iowa’s rich history.
Deborah Berry - Waterloo Leon Mosley - Waterloo Dr. Jerome Pierson - Sioux City Dale Todd - Cedar Rapids Each of our honorees will take the stage during the Gala. The semi-formal affair will include a gourmet meal with dessert, light jazz, Nikee store items, cash bar, and our exciting “Heads or Tails” game — back by popular demand. In recent years, the Gala has attracted more than 300 guests from across the state in support of the Museum’s mission to preserve, exhibit, and teach Iowa’s African American heritage. Your presence and active participation is welcome and encouraged. Reservations are available at just $50/person. There are also table purchase options as well as several event sponsorship opportunities. To learn more about those opportunities, contact LaNisha Cassell at lcassell@blackiowa.org or directly at 319-862-2101 ext. 223.
We look forward to seeing you at the Gala on September 7, 2017. To make your reservation or to see a full list of past honorees, www.blackiowa.org. pagesix
OUR WINTER LOBBY EXHIBITS By Researcher, Pamela J. Edwards
Quest Time Detective of the
History buffs may appear to be conventional folk, but behind each mild-mannered exterior lurks an ardent Sherlock Holmes. With deer-stalker hat and pipe, keen eyes glued to a magnifying glass, they pursue a baffling trail of clues to explain historical mysteries. While researching museum collection items earmarked for the August 2017 exhibit, “If Objects Could Talk,” I experienced many thrilling “Watson! The game is afoot!” moments. (continued on next page) pageseven
Quest of the Time Detective (cont. from page seven) Take the artifacts belonging to Dorothy Cooper, for example. Cedar Rapids resident Dorothy Cooper worked at the Wilson Foods meat-packing plant from 1961 to 1989. The small objects she donated appeared simple enough. A chain-mail glove with (oddly) only two fingers and a thumb. Buttons bearing slogans: “Women Power. I belong. AFL, CIO National Auxiliaries;” “GAVE A BUCK TO SUPPORT LABOR’S CANDIDATES”; “I GAVE MY BUCK TO COPE DID YOU?” Yet unbeknownst to me, these unassuming artifacts bore witness to a tumultuous time in America’s history, evidence of Women’s Liberation, and a Wilson Foods union strike that influenced a 1984 Supreme Court decision. My first clue was the “Women Power. I Belong” button. Working at the height of the Women’s Movement, Cooper equaled her male colleagues on the packing-plant hog kill floor. Since one careless knife slip could sever a finger, Cooper’s chain mail glove testified to her strength and tenacity, in the tradition of Rosie the Riveter.
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No longer mute, Dorothy Cooper’s objects demonstrated the women’s rights struggle that continues to this day. Now aware that Dorothy Cooper’s objects reflected historical movements sweeping beyond Cedar Rapids to the entire United States, I pondered her “Gave a Buck” buttons. The primary union at Wilson Foods was the United
of an impassioned present, not a dusty forgotten past. By now, my time detective’s instincts were working full blast. Did more stories wait to be revealed? There were indeed, far exceeding my expectations. In June 1983, union steward Dorothy Cooper participated in a Wilson Foods plant strike. What prompted the strike?
Scanning these social media posts, I realized that
Dorothy Cooper’s artifacts told the story of an
impassioned present, not a dusty forgotten past. Food and Commercial Workers Union. Cooper was a staunch union member. But what did “I GAVE MY BUCK TO COPE” mean? A Google search revealed that COPE is the acronym for Committee on Political Education, the political arm of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. The buttons Cooper wore urged union members to give $1 a week to the COPE war chest, funding outreach to elected officials to support collective bargaining rights, decent working conditions, benefits and more. This past is our present, as unions petition politicians to protect collective bargaining rights. As one example, prior to the November 2016 presidential election, union COPE messages filled the Internet. One COPE website urged, “WE NEED A WAR CHEST TO SAVE OUR UNION AND OUR LABOR MOVEMENT. The most effective way to do this is to get COPE paycheck deduction. Can you imagine if all 50,000 of our members gave just $1.00 per week to the COPE fund? We could raise millions while our members didn't even notice the money gone from their paychecks.” Scanning these social media posts, I realized that Dorothy Cooper’s artifacts told the story
American consumption of meat was dropping. (This culinary cultural shift over the years inspired such TV commercials as “Beef. It’s what’s for dinner,” and “Pork. The other white meat”). As meat packers lost money, plants across the U.S. closed. In April 1983, Wilson Foods made a decision impacting unions to this day: to use bankruptcy law to break a union contract, cutting wages and other benefits 40 percent without warning. This triggered a three-week strike in Cedar Rapids, as well as other states. Wilson Foods’ action was so important that it was cited six months later in the 1984 United States Supreme Court ruling, NLRB v. Bildisco & Bildisco. An April 1983 New York Times article recognized this bankruptcy’s significance. “The Wilson Foods Corporation, the nation’s largest processor of fresh pork, filed for reorganization yesterday under Chapter 11 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code, with the unusual goal of using bankruptcy to reduce its unionized labor costs.” The primary reason for the liquidation was “the large and growing disparity between the company’s wage and benefit costs and those of competitors in the pork industry,” according to Wilson. The article questioned the
legality of Wilson’s action. “The legal issue of whether a company must honor its labor contracts while in Chapter 11 is now before the United States Supreme Court in a case involving Bildisco, a New Jersey building supply company.” The New York Times revealed how Wilson Foods and Continental Airlines had been using bankruptcy to slash the wages established in union contracts. “I would hope that the kinds of cases we are seeing now would not encourage lawyers and businesses to use the bankruptcy law in ways for which it was not intended,” said Lawrence King, bankruptcy law instructor at New York University law school. “If there is an indication that the code is being improperly used, it’s up to the parties to raise that question for the consideration of the bankruptcy court.” On February 22, 1984, the Supreme Court ruled that a bankruptcy court may
free a company from its union contracts without requiring proof that the company would otherwise face imminent failure. Wilson Foods’ decision to file bankruptcy for this reason was cited. The New York Times called this “a sharp setback for organized labor.” My quest began with objects donated by Dorothy Cooper. As I tracked them through the thickets of historical research, they led me from an Iowa meat-packing plant to epic national movements: Women’s Liberation, the on-going challenge of labor/employer relations, and the impact of America’s changing eating habits on food industry. I began in Cedar Rapids. I ended at the Supreme Court in Washington, DC. Ah, time for a well-earned break from research…but hark! What is that I see? The footprint of a gigantic Hound? Watson! The game is afoot!
SOURCES: Ottumwa Courier Newspaper Archives, June 18, 1983, Page 5. Kurt Rogahn, “Wilson Foods union woes tabbed top Cedar Rapids story,” Cedar Rapids Gazette, January 1, 1984. Tamar Lewin, “Bankruptcy: A plea becomes a strategy,” The New York Times, November 6, 1983. Linda Gteenhouse,“Unions lose as high court backs companies in bankruptcy filings,” The New York Times, February 23, 1984.
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Exhibit Update: Patrons still have time to visit
The Museum will open our next temporary exhibit,
On July 1, 2017, the Museum’s lobby exhibit
Iowa in Vietnam the AAMI’s current temporary exhibit featuring the history of African American literature. The exhibit will close on July 29, 2017. Come and discover the rich history of African American writers, playwrights, and poets from Slave Narratives to modern day.
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on August 25, 2017. The exhibit will offer a glimpse of the AAMI’s collection of thousands of objects, documents, and photographs. “If Objects Could Talk” will show how history can transform everyday objects into invaluable records that help us learn about local history, change over time, and our state’s diverse communities and people.
opened. The exhibit was developed by our Coe summer intern Joseph Lee. The focus of the case is to highlight African American soldiers in Iowa and their contribution to the Vietnam War. The exhibit is complimentary and guided tours are not available.
“Everybody can be great because anybody can serve.”
– MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
In 2016, almost 100 individuals volunteered at the African American Museum of Iowa, helping in almost every aspect of our operations. Volunteers are an integral part of our team. They give tours, work in the Nikee Museum Store, install exhibits, work with our collection, serve on our Board of Directors, help publicize our programs, and make sure events like Juneteenth and the History Makers Gala are successful.
MARY YOUNG, VOLUNTEER DOCENT Mary Young has been volunteering at the AAMI since September 2015. As a docent, she leads groups of students and adults through our exhibits, teaching them invaluable lessons about African American history, inclusion, and diversity. “I enjoy volunteering at the African American museum! It gives me an opportunity to learn, grow and tell the story of history to young minds… We talk about Iowans that have the led the way in “Blooming Where They are Planted” and setting a goal for others to follow. I believe that we need to be mindful and knowledgeable of our past, our ability and the road to make a change; and, by our example and with these tools, we can ensure a better future.”
Mary leading students through our annual interactive Underground Railroad program “Journey to Freedom” at Wickiup Hill Learning Center
SEAN DONALDSON, SPRING 2017 INTERN Sean Donaldson is a senior at Coe College. He spent the first half of his spring semester this year interning in our Education Department and the second half in the Curatorial department. “The wealth of opportunities I’ve had have been extremely valuable. I’ve been able to help produce public presentations, organize speaker series, coordinate traveling exhibits, craft a lobby case exhibit, research and write text for historic markers, catalog collection items, and assist in research for the AAMI’s next temporary exhibit. I have truly enjoyed each of these experiences and have worked closely with Museum staff every step of the way, which kept me confident and comfortable throughout. Each of these tasks have given me a new understanding of how the Museum functions, helped me hone my research, writing, and communication skills, and encouraged me to continue to pursue future opportunities at the AAMI and work within museums.”
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES If you’re interested in lending your time and talents to help us preserve, exhibit, and teach Iowa’s African American heritage, we’ll help you find an opportunity that fits your ability, talents, and interests. You could help ensure our visitors have a positive experience as a Front Desk Attendant or lead students through tours and workshops as a Docent. You could also lend your skills in human resources, marketing, IT, strategic planning, accounting, carpentry (or something else!) and provide expertise in needed areas. For more information about opportunities or to apply to become
Sean designed and created this lobby exhibit about Iowa’s role in World War I.
a volunteer, visit our website at blackiowa.org/volunteer.
SERVICE ENTERPRISE Earlier this year, the AAMI began Service Enterprise training through the United Way of East Central Iowa. This program is helping us learn how to strategically leverage and engage volunteers to move our mission forward. AAMI staff are participating in 16 hours of training through May, followed by individualized coaching, with the goal of becoming a certified Service Enterprise within a year.
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION On May 4, we held our annual volunteer appreciation event at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. Several volunteers came to have fun, eat snacks, and watch “Night at the Museum.” Thank you to the following community supporters who made the AAMI Volunteer Appreciation event a success: Cedar Rapids Public Library, Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission, St. Luke’s Hospital (Unity Point), United Way of East Central Iowa, Mediacom, The Great American Popcorn Co, and Go Cedar Rapids.
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Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Cedar Rapids, IA 52406 Permit No. 943
55 12th Avenue SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 Phone (319) 862-2101 Fax (319) 862-2105 www.blackiowa.org