(CEDAR RAPIDS, IA) - The 2011 History Makers Gala will be held on Thursday September 22,
2011 from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the African American Museum of Iowa (AAMI). The Gala will
honor three African American women - Honorable Judge Romonda D. Belcher, Marian Coleman, and Nancy Humbles - who have made history by changing the lives of women - and all Iowans - for the better.
Nancy Humbles of Cedar Rapids has worked in youth services and education in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City communities for over 30 years; she has served as the Director of the Center for Diversity & Enrichment at the University of Iowa since 2007. Ms. Humbles has received numerous awards for her work at the University from other staff as well as student organizations and is a past President of the Jane Boyd Community House. She is active in her community and in 2009 was elected as the first African American to the Cedar Rapids Community School District Board.
Marian Coleman of Iowa City has fought discrimination in all forms for decades. She began teaching in 1969, served as a Principal, and from 1995-2008 was Equity Director for the Iowa City Community School District. Ms. Coleman developed an affirmative action plan, the Spotlight Diversity Celebration, and created tutoring programs. Ms. Coleman co-authored a book, Iowa Women: Our Unsung Heroines, and was awarded the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 and the Governor's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.
Honorable Judge Romonda D. Belcher of Des Moines was appointed a District Associate Judge in August of 2010, becoming Iowa's first African American female judge. She attended Howard University (Washington, DC) and Drake University Law School in Des Moines. Upon graduation, Honorable Judge Belcher worked in the Polk County Attorney's Office where she prosecuted juvenile, criminal and civil matters for 15 years. She is very active in her community, mentoring law school students and serving on the boards of various organizations.
The Gala is being held in conjunction with the 2011 African American Women's Leadership Conference; the Conference will take place on Friday September 23, 2011. The 2011 Conference and Gala Registration is $99; Gala-only tickets are $35. For more information on this or other programs please visit the AAMI website at www.blackiowa.org or call 319-862-2101 ext. 22. The AAMI is open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and is located at 55 12th SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
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