Our Footprints, Our Stories
Our Founder
“Our Footprints, Our Stories”, traces the historic journey of African Americans across Downstate Illinois through their imprint on the landscape and their dialog from within. This is a collaborative effort by the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum and the Springfield Art Association.
Exhibit Organizers:
Kathryn Harris, Founding Member and Board Member
Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum, Researcher and Organizer, Our Footprints, Our Stories.
Benjamin Halpern, Photographer and Project organizer, Our Footprints, Our Stories.
Betsy Dollar, Executive Director of the Springfield Art Association
Anne E. Moseley, Director of Engagement and Curator of the Sangamon Experience
Art for the Ages
Featuring Springfield Public Schools, District 186 Student Artwork
Black is Beautiful
By Samira El-Amin
Lincoln Leadship Prize Recipients
This exhibits features three recipients of the Lincoln Leadership Prize: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, The Little Rock Nine and Neil deGrasse Tyson. The Prize honors those individuals who, through their beliefs, actions, and deeds, exemplify the spirit of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln.
Timeline
Follow the Recipe
Introducing, "Follow the Recipe", a new exhibit at the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum. Curated (from her private collection) by local historian, former librarian and AAHM Board Member, Kathryn Harris, this exhibit pays homage to the variety and richness of African American cuisine with a look through an array of "Soulfood" cookbooks on display.
Early African American Pioneers of Central Illinois
Something So Horrible
The 1908 Race Massacre in Springfield, Illinois
The Middle Passage
The Middle Passage Exhibit
The Negro Leagues Baseball Exhibit
This exhibit, on loan from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, MO, honors and explores the connections of African American Baseball history to Hispanic cultures, communities and countries. Includes profiles of players and a timeline of baseball history. Negro Leagues Beisbol, a production of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, MO will be at the AAHM September 4 - October 30, 2021.
Michael Bracey
Author and documentary photographer Michael J. Bracey currently resides in Maywood, IL. His work has been published in various magazines, newspapers, annual reports, and purchased by many private collectors worldwide. His featured exhibition will include works from his books, “Africans Within the Americas” and his latest book, “Caras Lindas de Colombia” (Beautiful faces of Colombia), which was published in June 2018.
The Story of Quilts
A timeless look at Midwestern quilts, their purpose and evolution. Early Sangamon County quilts made entirely by hand are displayed side-by-side with today's machine techniques