Black History Come To Life In Iowa City

People walked through the Dream Center's Black History Living Museum at the Robert A. Lee Recreational Center in Iowa City on Feb.18, 2017.

(Photo: Zach Berg / Press-Citizen)

Iowa City students dressed like Maya Angelou, talked like Muhammad Ali and did backflips like Gabby Douglas on Saturday night as a part of the Dream Center's second Black History Living Museum.

The event was held inside the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, featured 13- to 16-year-old Iowa City students portraying their personal heroes from the annals of black history to celebrate Black History Month.

Kishonna Chew, 16, stood in front of her poster dedicated to Angelou wearing a bright, colorful hat like Angelou did so many times during her life as one of the nation's most revered poets. When visitors walked up to Chew and rang a bell on the table next to her, she would come alive as Angelou.

"I want them to know that (Angelou) was not just a poet. She was a civil rights activist, and her