America I Am: The African American Imprint makes its world debut in Philadelphia!
Media personality Tavis Smiley presents America I Am, a brand new exhibition celebrating 400+ years of African American contributions to the United States, explored through rare artifacts, multimedia, photos and international music.
Location
America I Am is hosted by the National Constitution Center, located between 5th and 6th Streets on Arch Street, in the heart of Historic Philadelphia.
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The Exhibition
Through artifacts, music and film, American I Am presents pivotal moments in courage, conviction and creativity to highlight the historical and current role of African Americans in this country.
Set within a massive, 10,000-square-foot space, the blockbuster exhibition showcases more than 150 items from every period of U.S. history — including twelve distinct galleries, each featuring its own music and theater experiences.
America I Am includes artifacts and items from several aspects of African American culture and history, including: Alex Haley's typewriter used to write Roots, Malcolm X's diary and personal Koran, Muhammad Ali's boxing gloves and robe, the door key and stool from the Birmingham jail cell that held Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and much more.
Become a Part of History!
After experiencing America I Am, become a part of the exhibition! A groundbreaking, interactive component of the experience allows you to leave your very own video "imprint" as part of a collection — which could very well grow to become the world's largest recorded oral history project!
Stay tuned for further details.
Special Theater Show
The National Constiution Center is debuting a new theater show based on first-hand accounts of the lives of African-American women who entered the armed services durin World War II. The dramatic theater production opens February 3rd.