I'll Make Me A World In Iowa

I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa (IMMAWII) is a diverse collaboration of Iowans, which highlights African-American arts, culture and contributions through education, awareness and preservation during an annual enrichment celebration and with continual educational outreach.

Description:
PROGRAMS Celebration Day • Education Day • Black History Game Show • Educational Outreach Touring Art Project • Heritage Legacy Awards • Gala Event • From Fat to PHAT: Promoting Heart Health Awareness Together • Bring the Legacy to You Information Line • IMMAWII Special Publication • Educational Resource Packets • Awareness (Collaboration, Exhibits and Presentations)

History:
I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa was founded in 1998 in response to a national PBS and Blackside Productions challenge for communities to develop programs highlighting African American arts and culture to connect with their February 1999 national broadcast of the “I’ll Make Me a World” mini-series. A core group of Iowa volunteers embraced the challenge and created their own vision, IMMAWII.
IMMAWII delivered with a day-long schedule of African-American arts and culture presenters and exhibitors at the State Historical Building on January 30, 1999. With a headlining national artist and a broad range of musicians, actors, singers, storytellers, visual artists, soul food and exhibitors, the anticipated crowd of 300 became a realized audience of over 1000 patrons. IMMAWII was lauded for filling a niche that impacted so many lives and championing the fact that African American history is all Americans’ History and all Iowans benefit in knowing this.

Since then, with the assistance of the community, collaborators and supportive sponsors IMMAWII has been able to expand programming to include Educational Outreach activities, Education Day and collaborative touring projects. Attendance has consistently grown; the two days of programming attract 15-20,000 people from across Iowa and throughout the Midwest and IMMAWII impacts many others through its outreach and strong publicity. (Sponsors are continually recognized through out IMMAWII programming and publicity.) IMMAWII is known as the first major festival of the year; the inspiration for other major ethnic festivals in Iowa and the state’s kick-off to Black History Month.

MAKING HISTORY: On February 27, 2006, in a monumentally historic moment, IMMAWII’s theme song, written by Jazz singer Effie Burt was unanimously adopted by the Iowa Legislature as a State Song for Iowa. The song, which bears festival’s name, takes its place in history along side our other state song.

IMMAWII PAST HEADLINERS: Former headliners include Morris Chestnut, Blair Underwood, Malcolm-Jamaal Warner, Hill Harper, Victoria Rowell, Lynn Whitfield, Bev Smith, Omar Tyree, GregAlan Williams, Giancarlo Esposito and Sammie.

Contact people:

Betty Andrews, (phone), (email) Terry Nettles, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (646) 390-3428

Address:

1620 Pleasant Street Des Moines , IA 50314 (See a map)

Web Site: http://worldiniowa.org

Last updated on January 26, 2009