Tavis Smiley Announces America I AM Exhibition Will Debut at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center in January

PHILADELPHIA (Map) - PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia will host the national debut of "America I AM: The African American Imprint," a four-year touring museum exhibition that will celebrate 400 years of African American contributions to this country.

The exhibition is developed in partnership with The Smiley Group, Inc., and organized by Cincinnati Museum Center and Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI), which recently brought the King Tut exhibition to Philadelphia. The exhibition will run January 15 to May 3, 2009, presenting a historical continuum of pivotal moments in courage, conviction and creativity that solidifies the undeniable imprint of African Americans across the nation and around the world.

"As Americans, we all want to live in a nation as good as its promise. This exhibition essentially tells the role that African Americans have played to make real the promise of American democracy," said Tavis Smiley, who is presenting the exhibition. "Given its historic role in America's back story, there is no better place to premiere this exhibit than the city of Philadelphia."

"The National Constitution Center is proud and honored to be the premiere venue for this groundbreaking exhibition," said National Constitution Center President and CEO Joseph M. Torsella. "The Center is dedicated to telling the story of 'We the People' in ways that inspire visitors to become active citizens. This exhibition conveys the struggles, contributions, and triumphs of African Americans in a way that will inspire all Americans to engage in an important cultural and historical dialogue."

Tickets will be available in the fall and are available for pre-registration as of today at http://www.AmericaIAM.org. Those who have pre-registered will have an advance opportunity to secure tickets once they are available.

"Philadelphia boasts a long list of firsts and prestigious events in our nation's history," said Mayor Michael Nutter. "The debut of 'America I AM' at the National Constitution Center is yet another benchmark moment for the city, and we are proud to host this extraordinary exhibition."

The twelve galleries, each with its own music thematic and theater experiences, will convey a journey from struggle to triumph to celebration. Featuring more than 150 artifacts culled from every period of U.S. history, the exhibit will include objects, texts, religion, music, narration and media. An interactive component of the exhibition will allow visitors to leave their own video "imprints," and this collection will grow throughout the life of the exhibit to become the largest recorded oral history project in U.S. history.

Exhibition organizers have worked with some of the most notable scholars in the field to develop this exhibition. Among others, advisory panel members include Howard Dodson, director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library; Lawrence J. Pijeaux Jr., president and CEO of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and immediate past president of the Association of African American Museums; and Cornel West, professor of religion and African American studies at Princeton University. John Fleming, president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History and director emeritus of museums at the Cincinnati Museum Center, serves as the executive producer for the exhibition.

The National Constitution Center is working to create a local advisory panel, as well, to identify and develop collaborative programming to supplement the exhibit and carry the experience outside of the Center's walls.

"We are proud to premiere this exhibition about the history of a people at a museum that tells the story of 'We the People' in such an inspirational way," said John Norman, president of AEI. "We know from bringing past exhibitions, such as King Tut, to Philadelphia that there is an appetite here for major cultural endeavors, and we look forward to another well received exhibition."

This exhibition is made possible by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., which serves as its presenting sponsor.

"All of us at Wal-Mart are proud to be a part of America I AM," said Hank Mullany, SVP & President for the Northeast Division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. "Our support is an extension of our commitment to honoring the contributions that African Americans have made to our great nation. These words, sounds, images and artifacts bring to life 400 years of the African American experience. We are excited to play a role in presenting history to our Philadelphia area associates, customers and partners, who will be among the first to experience this extraordinary exhibit."

More details about the exhibition, including a gallery walkthrough moderated by Tavis Smiley, are available at http://www.AmericaIAM.org.

ABOUT The Smiley Group, Inc.

Founded in 1998 and based in Los Angeles, The Smiley Group, Inc., (TSG) is a communications corporation dedicated to supporting human rights and related empowerment issues. The mission of TSG is to achieve positive results through advocacy and education on issues of concern to African Americans and other people without substantial economic or social standing. TSG is the holding company for Tavis Smiley Presents, Smiley Radio Properties, High Quality Speakers Bureau, TS Media, and SmileyBooks. The Tavis Smiley Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides leadership development training for youth. Tavis Smiley is the host of Tavis Smiley on PBS and The Tavis Smiley Show from PRI and the author/editor of 11 books including the New York Times best sellers Covenant with Black America, What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing up in America, and THE COVENANT In Action. For more information, visit http://www.tavistalks.com.

ABOUT Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI)

Founded in 2003 by president John Norman and international vice president Andres Numhauser, AEI produces the award-winning exhibition "Diana: A Celebration" in association with the Althorp Estate in the United Kingdom, two touring exhibitions dedicated to the treasures of King Tutankhamun and "Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship." Norman and Numhauser have nearly 40 years combined experience in the entertainment and exhibition business, working over the years on such projects as "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit" and "Saint Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes." The company has relationships with the most important museums in the world and has presented traveling exhibitions on four continents.

AEI is part of AEG Exhibitions, an affiliate division of AEG LIVE. AEG LIVE is a collection of companies dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance and the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. For more information, log onto http://www.artsandexhibitions.com.

ABOUT Cincinnati Museum Center

Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal is home to the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX(R) Theater, and the Cincinnati Historical Society Archives & Library. It is a nationally recognized educational and research resource and one of the top cultural attractions in the Midwest. With more than one million visitors each year, Museum Center is the top cultural attraction in Cincinnati and the most visited museum complex in the State of Ohio. Originally built in 1933 as the Union Terminal train station, the building is a national historic landmark and was renovated and reopened as Cincinnati Museum Center in 1990. For information, call 513-287-7000 or 1-800-733-2077 or visit http://www.cincymuseum.org.

ABOUT The National Constitution Center

The National Constitution Center, located at 525 Arch St. on Philadelphia's Independence Mall, is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the ideas and values it represents. The Center serves as a museum, an education center, and a forum for debate on constitutional issues. The museum dramatically tells the story of the Constitution from Revolutionary times to the present through more than 100 interactive, multimedia exhibits, film, photographs, text, sculpture and artifacts, and features a powerful, award-winning theatrical performance, "Freedom Rising." The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach, which serves as the hub for national constitutional education. Also, as a nonpartisan forum for constitutional discourse, the Center presents - without endorsement - programs that contain diverse viewpoints on a broad range of issues. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit http://www.constitutioncenter.org.

ABOUT Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)

Every week, millions of customers visit Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam's Club locations across America or log on to its online store at http://www.wal-mart.com. The company and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of giving back locally. Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than $270 million to communities in the United States. To learn more, visit http://www.walmartfacts.com, http://www.walmartstores.com, or http://www.walmartfoundation.org.