America I AM: the African-American story
Published: Jun 29, 2009
Where would America be without the role African Americans have played in her history? That question is at the crux of the America I AM: The African American Imprint exhibit at the Atlanta Civic Center.
The exhibit — in partnership with PBS and public-radio host Travis Smiley — covers the 400-year span of African-American history in the United States, exploring the African American experience in war, politics, music, literature, education, theater and sports.
The touring exhibition began in Philadelphia in January and arrived in Atlanta, its second stop, in June. It will travel to 10 cities over four years.
Twelve beautifully constructed galleries pull visitors into the journey from the dark days of the slave trade to present-day triumph. Intricate sets, such as a castle and a church, and more than 300 rare artifacts help tell the tale of the descendants of Africans in America since the 17th century.
The excursion begins with an overview of the four “gifts” that an estimated 16 million African-American slaves bestowed upon this country: spirit, story and song, sweat and brawn, and democracy.
From there, visitors walk through the “Doors of No Return,” the doors of the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana where Africans were kept until slave traders took them to the Americas.
The exhibit's maze-like design is meant to convey the convoluted existence of African Americans from the Revolutionary War to the ratification of the 13th Amendment. (One of 14 copies is on display.)
Later galleries show how hard life remained for African Americans even after emancipation. Galleries illustrate the spiritual, patriotic and social lives of African Americans from the Jim Crow years to the Civil Rights era through today.
Visitors can see the stool from the Birmingham Jail, where the Rev. Martin Luther King wrote his "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Basketball superstar Michael Jordan’s jersey and musician Prince’s guitar are two more of the items on display.
Those touring the exhibits are asked to leave a video message about what the experience meant to them. Each of these "imprints" is added to the collection over the touring museum’s four-year run.
Educators will find lesson plans for grades 5 through 12 to use in conjunction with visits to the traveling exhibition.
Touring the exhibit usually takes one to two hours. America I AM will be in Atlanta until Sept. 6. You can buy tickets online or at Georgia Walmart stores. Discounts available for groups of 10 or more; for more information, call (404) 881-2000.
- by Christine Foster, Atlanta Reporter for HelloMetro
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