Philadelphia for Visitors
America I AM: The African American Imprint
Exhibition
National Constitution Center, Philadelphia, PA
The America I AM: The African American Imprint exhibition, celebrating nearly 500 years of African American contributions to our country, opened on January 15, 2009 at the National Constitution Center. The exhibition will run at the Center through May 3, 2009, before continuing its national tour.
I was privileged to attend the press preview of the exhibition on January 14, 2009. It is easily the largest and most impressive exhibition ever hosted at the National Constitution Center where the exhibitions just keep getting bigger and better with each successive one.
If you think that this exhibition is just for black visitors, you're wrong. This exhibition is for all Americans, black, white, Hispanic, Asian or any of the many other races that make up America's population.
You come out of the exhibition with a keen appreciation of how different our nation would be if there were no African Americans. Almost every aspect of our culture is what it is today because of the contributions of the African American men and women who were first brought to these shores against their will hundreds of years ago.
The more than 200 artifacts and information within the exhibition provides context to how African Americans have contributed to and shaped American culture across four core areas: economic, socio-political, cultural, and spiritual, up to present-day events, including the inauguration of the first African American president.
Covering more than 13,000 square feet at the Center, the exhibition presents a historical continuum of pivotal moments in courage, conviction, and creativity that solidifies the undeniable imprint of African Americans across the nation and around the world.
America I AM: The African American Imprint is developed in partnership with Tavis Smiley, and is organized by Cincinnati Museum Center and Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI), which also organized the King Tut exhibition that was the most attended touring exhibition in the world in 2007.
"America I AM: The African American Imprint encourages all people to connect in a meaningful way with the foundations of democracy, cultural diversity, exploration, and free enterprise, which began when the first Africans arrived in Jamestown," said broadcaster Tavis Smiley, who is presenting the exhibition. "By telling the stories of the
events of the past, we can help the leaders of the future set the stage for active participation in the democratic process for years to come."
"The National Constitution Center is proud and honored to be the premiere venue for this groundbreaking exhibition," said National Constitution Center president and CEO Joseph M. Torsella. "The Center is dedicated to telling the story of ‘We the People' in ways that inspire visitors to become active citizens. This exhibition conveys the struggles, contributions, and triumphs of African Americans in a way that will inspire all Americans to engage in an important cultural and historical dialogue."
Visitors can experience shared U.S. culture and history through an unprecedented collection of rare historical objects, documents, religion, music, narration, photos, and media that tell this uniquely American story. An interactive area allows visitors to leave their own video "imprints," and this collection will grow throughout the life of the exhibition with the potential to become the largest recorded oral history project in U.S. history.
Through more than 200 artifacts culled from every period of U.S. history and 12 exhibition galleries, America I AM conveys a journey from struggle to triumph to celebration. Among the poignant pieces in the exhibition are:
• "The Doors of No Return" from the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, which enslaved Africans passed through to board ships to the "New World"
• The typewriter Alex Haley used to write the groundbreaking book, Roots
• Objects representing the African American troops that fought and impacted the outcome of major U.S. wars
• Malcolm X's diary and personal Koran
• The door key and stool from the Birmingham jail cell that held Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he authored "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"
• Frederick Douglass' clothing and letter from President Lincoln that enabled him to move among Union lines recruiting black soldiers
• The robe that Muhammad Ali wore during the "Rumble in the Jungle," where he defeated world heavyweight champion George Foreman
• And many other important items from the beginnings of our nation through contemporary popular culture
Exhibition organizers have worked with some of the most notable scholars in the field to develop this exhibition, one of the broadest on this subject ever mounted.
John Fleming, president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History and director emeritus of museums at the Cincinnati Museum Center, serves as executive producer.
In addition, the National Constitution Center has created a local advisory panel with the goal of highlighting the wealth of African American history found in Philadelphia. These representatives from other museums, arts organizations, and community groups that tell stories like those found in America I AM are working to identify and develop collaborative programming to supplement the exhibition and carry the experience outside of the Center's walls.
To further augment the exhibition, the Center's education and public programming staff in the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach has developed a variety of resource materials, special programs, and family activities. Also in keeping with the Center's mission to foster discussion and citizen engagement, a variety of evening programs discussing historical and contemporary themes related to the exhibition are planned.
"We are proud to premiere this exhibition about the history of a people at the National Constitution Center, a museum that tells the story of
'We the People' every day in an inspirational way," said John Norman, president of AEI. "Our hope is that visitors will leave uplifted and informed, with a richer understanding of the culture and history of this country, and those who have affected its course."
Admission to America I AM is $17.50 for adults, $15.50 for seniors ages 65 and up, and $9 for children ages 4-12. A voucher for a $2.50 discount off two adult tickets is available at
www.walmart.com/ourvoice. Group rates are also available.
Admission to the Center's main exhibition, The Story of We the People, including the award-winning theater production "Freedom Rising", is included. Active military personnel and children ages 3 and under are free.
There is no upcharge for school groups to tour America I AM. iPod audio tours are also available and cost $2 for members and $3 for non-members.
For ticket information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org. More details about the exhibition, including a gallery walkthrough moderated by Tavis Smiley, are available at
www.AmericaIAM.org.