African-American Historical & Cultural Museum

08/31/2026

Mystery Monday – Week 3

It's time for another Mystery Monday!

This week's photograph appears to capture a church gathering, but that's about all we know. The image is part of the African American Historical & Cultural Museum's archives, and we're hoping our community can help fill in the missing pieces.

Can you help us identify:

• Who are the individuals in this photograph?
• Which church is this?
• When was the photo taken?
• What was the occasion or event?
• Why is this gathering significant to Waterloo's African American community?

Whether you recognize a familiar face, remember the church, or know the story behind the event, your memories can help us preserve an important part of our shared history.

Please share your thoughts in the comments, tag someone who may recognize the people or place, and help us uncover another chapter of Waterloo's history.

08/30/2026

Please visit Aahcmuseum.org to learn more about our exciting initiatives and discover how you can become an advocate for the museum. We’d love to have you join us in supporting and celebrating our mission!

08/24/2026

Mystery Monday – Week 2

Every photograph has a story. Help us uncover this one.

This week's Mystery Monday features a photo of 15 individuals gathered around a dinner table in what appears to be a crowded basement gathering space. Was it a family reunion, church supper, club meeting, holiday celebration, or something else? We don't know, but someone in our community might.

Can you help us identify:

• Who are the people in this photo?
• Where was it taken?
• When was this gathering held?
• What was the occasion?
• Why is this moment important to Waterloo's African American history?

Even if you only recognize one face, one family, or one small detail, your memory could help preserve an important piece of our community's history.

Please share your thoughts in the comments, share this post, and tag someone who may recognize the people or the location.

08/22/2026

We want to thank the amazing students from the University of Northern Iowa for helping clean the museum grounds, and the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley for organizing this. We truly appreciate all of your hard work!

08/18/2026

08/17/2026

Mystery Monday at the AAHCM!

Help us uncover the stories behind our history!

Every Monday, we'll share a photograph from our archives that has little or no context. We need your help identifying the who, what, when, where, why, and significance of the people, places, and events captured in each image.

Do you recognize a face? Know a family? Remember a business, church, school, or event? Even the smallest detail could help us preserve an important piece of Waterloo's African American history.

Follow along every Monday, share your memories in the comments, and help us discover the history hidden in these photographs.

07/30/2026

Yesterday we had an amazing day with the The Salvation Army Waterloo Cedar Falls Iowa Youth Program! 🎉 Thank you The Salvation Army USA for spending the day exploring history with us at the African American Historical & Cultural Museum. Want to bring your group? Email us at [email protected] to schedule a tour. We’d love to welcome you!

07/22/2026

Can you help us identify the people in this photo?

We believe it was taken in front of Bess Chapel, the first African American church in Waterloo. If you recognize anyone or know the story behind this photograph, we'd love to hear from you.

If you have the original photo or any other historically significant photos, documents, or artifacts please consider sharing them with the museum.

Let's preserve and tell our community's story!