by KYW's Karin Phillips

Artifacts, music, media, and texts will make up a new exhibit coming to Philadelphia in January that will tell the story of African-American contributions to this country.

"America I Am, the African American Imprint," is a four-year touring exhibition that will celebrate 400 years of African-American contributions.

The exhibition will run from January 15th through May 3rd of 2009 at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. It was developed by writer and presenter Tavis Smiley:

"W.E.B. DuBois, the great black intellectual, in 1903 asked this question: would America have been America without her Negro people? This exhibit answers that question, and the answer is absolutely no."

Among more than 150 artifacts in 12 galleries will be Mahalia Jackson's choir robe, the so-called "Door of No Return" from Ghana, Motown memorabilia, and even the key that locked Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. into the Birmingham jail (in photo above, with Mayor Nutter and Smiley).
   
Joseph Torsella is president and CEO of the National Constitution Center:

"Having this amazing, artifact-rich exhibit that tells the story here, it's the perfect choice. And we couldn't be more excited about it."

(Photo by KYW's Karin Phillips)