December 1988 – January 1989
This exhibition celebrated Black History Month and made use of photographs, yearbooks, archival materials, and other resources found in the University of Iowa Libraries. Although it is difficult to pinpoint the first African-American graduate of the University of Iowa, it may have been Alexander Clark Jr., Law – 1879, who was followed some years later by his father, Alexander Clark Sr., Law – 1884. Distinguished alumni such as Simon Estes, Rita Dove, Philip Hubbard, Lulu Johnson, and Margaret Alexander, to name just a few, are highlighted in the exhibition, along with sections devoted to African-American student life and organizations on campus, and selected African-American faculty and staff. A section on Black Iowa History is also featured.
This exhibition was prepared by Grace Fitzgerald, Mary McInroy, Lucia Marino, and Harlan Sifford.