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Reflection on the Past Black History Month always motivates me to think about my youth. As a very young child, my parents would always find a babysitter for me so that they could attend a show on any given evening, on Center Street. Beginnings of Center Street Started in the early 1900’s by the Negro […]
Black History Month Speech for the Iowa House of Representatives It was a sunny Sunday afternoon in the fall of 1955 when my mother, my aunt, and I returned home from church. As I ran upstairs to change my clothes, my mother yelled at me, saying that I should keep on my good clothes. That we […]
Iowa’s Legislative Black Caucus On January 27th, the five Democratic Legislators elected me as the Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus. I am anxious to take the lead on this very important and much needed initiative. Founding the Black Caucus Representative Ako Abdul-Samad first introduced the idea of forming a Black caucus to me in […]
Celebrating Black History Month in 2022 February is Black History Month in the United States, and it is a time to celebrate the triumphs, history, and perseverance of the Black community. However, Black History Month hasn’t always been a nationally recognized, month-long designation. In the 96 years since its inception, the movement has seen several […]
The Des Moines School Board voted 7-0 last week to name the newly remodeled East High School auditorium the Ruth Ann Gaines auditorium, in my honor. This has motivated me to do an enormous amount of reflection. I taught at East High school for 40 years. During that time, I worked to encourage other teachers, […]
I am an African-American in the Iowa State Legislature. I have lived in this state all my life. I am so proud of Iowa’s record of laws and court decisions that have established precedents that expanded civil right and equality for my race before they were adopted on the national level. First, we have the […]
As an Iowa Legislator, there are many bills that I would like to work on. One piece of legislation that has my attention and support is marijuana reform. Many states have passed some form of medical marijuana program, and 18 states have comprehensive adopted medical and adult marijuana programs. A comprehensive program is considered to be […]
Ireland Larsen is a senior at Drake University studying philosophy and law, politics, and society (LPS). She serves as president of Delta Theta Phi pre-law fraternity and organized the Justice For George movement in South Dakota, with the help of Selwyn Jones (Floyd’s uncle) while also assisting in setting up bail projects for Iowa protestors. […]
Reprinted with permission from the Center for American Progress The events of the past several weeks will very likely test federal courts in unprecedented ways. People have taken to the streets to protest police brutality, and the Trump administration has threatened citizens with violence—all while the coronavirus pandemic rages and an election looms. Understanding who […]
We do not prioritize life over livelihood, argues Art Cullen, and we use people of color toward that end as chattel.