NEW IBERIA, La. --- The Iberia African American Historical Society Center for Research and Learning will host a community collection event on Sat., Feb. 24, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Collecting Memories: From the Kitchen is a community collection event centered around collecting family cookbooks, recipes, and photographs. Patrons are invited to The IAAHS Center for Research and Learning to scan their own items or wait while the items are scanned by trained staff and volunteers. 

Scanned items be added to Silent No More, The IAAHS Center for Research and Learning’s online community archive. Patrons are also given the opportunity to record an oral history of memories from the kitchen or discuss the importance of sharing food with family. 

This event is free of charge and will take place at The IAAHS Center for Research and Learning, which is located on the second floor of the Shadows Visitor Center (320 E. Main St.). 

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 their website.

About the IAHHS Center for Research and Learning

The Center for Research and Learning facilitates 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 Center for Research and Learning accomplishes 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. The Center for Research and Learning and its resources are available to schools for curriculum development and integration, family historians, researchers, and those interested in learning the full and inclusive history of Iberia Parish. Silent No More, the digital archive, can be found online here. 

For more information about the event visit the event page, call (337)369-6446, or email TSuir@savingplaces.org.