Cultural centers and museums spotlight overlooked Black and Jewish histories

Cultural institutions are working to preserve and share histories that have often been overlooked. Iowa State University’s George A. Jackson Black Cultural Center is temporarily closed over structural safety concerns as the university assesses restoration needs, while students and staff seek to preserve its role as a longtime hub for Black student community and culture. In Milwaukee, a temporary exhibition honors Alonzo Robinson Jr., Wisconsin’s first Black registered architect, whose work went underrecognized; his son helped secure recognition for Robinson’s design of the city’s Fire Department Administration Building. Other efforts include a Schomburg Center symposium marking a decade of research into Arturo Schomburg’s library and exploring Black bibliography, alongside Holocaust-related programming at the South Carolina State Fair and a permanent Jewish War Veterans exhibition at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum.