|
NEW IBERIA, La. --- The Iberia African American Historical Society (IAAHS) invites the public to the soft opening of The Iberia African American Historical Society Center for Research and Learning on November 12, 2022, from 2 - 4 p.m. at the Shadows Visitor Center (320 E. Main Street, New Iberia).
Speakers for the event will include:
- Phebe Hayes, Ph.D., President and founder of IAAHS, will share how and why the IAAHS Center for Research and Learning has been established;
- Ian Beamish, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History at the University of Louisiana Lafayette, will discuss how the IAAHS Center for Research and Learning is already shaping education at the collegiate level; and
- Cheylon Woods, Director of the Ernest J. Gaines Center, will present on the importance of community research centers.
Following speaker presentations, attendees can sign up for small group tours of the center and learn more about how the community can engage with the space.
IAAHS Center for Research and Learning's Goals:
The IAAHS Center for Research and Learning will facilitate the ongoing research and preservation of the African American influence in both historical and present-day Iberia Parish.
Founded in 1868, Iberia Parish is comprised of land that was once part of four surrounding parishes: Lafayette, St. Martin, St. Mary, and Vermilion. The IAAHS Center for Research and Learning will accomplish its mission through robust community engagement, acquiring and digitizing records, objects, and photographs that represent the inclusive history of the parish, and maintaining an archive that is both physically and virtually accessible.
It, and its resources, will be available to schools for curriculum development and integration, family historians, researchers, and those interested in learning the full and inclusive history of Iberia Parish.
“The purpose is to provide a space for the community to gather to research and learn the inclusive history of Iberia Parish, especially the African Americans’ contributions.” -- IAAHS Founder and President, Dr. Phebe Hayes
The IAAHS Center for Research and Learning will be located on the second floor of the Shadows Visitor Center, as part of the cooperative agreement entered into by IAAHS and the Shadows-on-the-Teche. This will allow both organizations to continue to partner on programs, exhibits, and the ongoing reinterpretation of the Shadows as a site of enslavement.
About the Iberia African American Historical Society:
The mission of The Iberia African American Historical Society is to foster the appreciation, understanding, and teaching of the long, rich, and unique history of African Americans in Iberia Parish; and also, by example and through programs and activities, to encourage and promote research, preservation, and publication of historical materials related to the history of African Americans in Iberia Parish. The IAAHS is a not-for-profit organization that funds special programs and events through donations. For more information, and to become a member, visit IAAHS.org.
About the Shadows-on-the-Teche:
The Shadows-on-the-Teche, National Trust for Historic Preservation site, opened to the public in 1961 with the mission to preserve the buildings, landscape, collections, and historical integrity of the site; to research and interpret through education programs a 19th century southern Louisiana plantation economy and community and their evolution; and to encourage an appreciation of and interest in historic preservation. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which owns and operates the Shadows-on-the-Teche, is a private, non-profit organization. The Shadows does not receive funding from federal, state, parish, or city government. The site supports itself through admissions, special programs and events, and donations to the Friends of the Shadows. For more information, visit ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.
For more information about the opening for The Iberia African American Historical Society Center for Research and Learning, call (337) 369-6446 or email.
| 
