Outside In: African American History in Iowa

The program is a 15 minute audio-visual survey of the major people, organizations and events in Iowa’s African American history from its territorial beginning in 1838 to the present. It also emphasizes the African American history of the place where the presentation is made, and Dr. Chase works with local people prior to the presentation to uncover and incorporate this material into the program. In addition, audience members are encouraged to bring their stories, scrapbooks and family albums to the presentation and share their content.

Dr. Hal S. Chase was born in Des Moines during WW2, but grew up in legally segregated Frankfort, KY from eight to eighteen. He taught U.S., African American, and Iowa history at Des Moines Area Community College from 1989 to 2009, and coordinated and contributed a chapter to Outside In: African-American History in Iowa, 1838-2000. He then earned degrees from Washington & Lee University (BA), Stanford University (MA), and University of Pennsylvania (PhD) in American Civilization with an emphasis on African American History.

Funded project of Humanities Iowa, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.