CLIVE, Iowa — Organizers call I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa the state's "premiere African American festival". It’s been showcasing African American culture in Iowa for 26 years now, according to Executive Director Betty Andrews.
“It is an opportunity for us to celebrate the culture, to lift up the fact that there are African Americans in Iowa and they are thriving and also just to acknowledge some of the challenges that may be out there living in a state like Iowa," Andrews said.
I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa starts with Education Day. It draws in students from across the state from over 30 schools. About 1,000 kids participated on Friday.
Local 5's Laura Bowen got to walk around the STEM room, where kids drove robotic cars, learned about medical equipment and put their skills to the test. Des Moines Public Library's Deseure DeBerry lead one of the booths.
“We encourage kids to learn how to work the tornadoes in a bottle," she said. "I call them vortex racers because, once they figure out how to do it, they can race each other and see how fast they can get water from one end of the bottle to the other."
Students also competed in a Black History game show, which they were given a month to prepare for.
“It’s absolutely critical that we keep this history alive," Andrews said. "It’s an opportunity to make sure that we do not forget because, you know, they say, if you don’t remember the past, you can’t learn from it and you repeat the past."
Keynote speakers and performers were also on the schedule of activities. Dasia Taylor, an African American from Iowa who invented a medical infection-detection device at 17 years old, was one of the speakers.
Andrews said I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa isn’t just about celebrating and showcasing African American culture. It’s about belonging.
“It is about place. It is about making people understand that African Americans and other people of color have a place here in Iowa, have a place here in America," Andrews said.
I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa festivities aren’t over just yet: Saturday is Celebration Day, when attendees can enjoy workshops, a resource fair, multiple performances and local vendors. The event will take place at the Horizon Events Center from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.