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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 […]
COVID TESTS: PROBLEMS ACROSS RURAL IOWA COVID tests are scarce as cases stay high after Iowa neared the November 2020 record high level earlier this year. This is happening all while hospitalization rates continue to overwhelm our state’s hospital systems. Now, Iowans are continuing to struggle to find COVID-19 tests, and even when they can, there […]
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 […]
The 2022 Iowa Legislative Session is quickly approaching, and the stakes have never been higher. We are rounding out the end of our second year in a global pandemic, businesses are operating at half-capacity, and schools across the state are losing teachers because of unsafe work conditions and lack of support. Governor Kim Reynolds, however, […]
Iowans believe in helping one another out so we can all achieve the American dream. Our state should be a place where people can find opportunities for their families to thrive and enjoy the highest quality of life. Unfortunately, most Iowans have been let down by Governor Reynolds, and our attempt to achieve the American […]
It is one year to the day since the greatest attack against our nation’s Capitol in over 200 years. Many of us sat and watched in horror as violent insurrectionists attacked the hallowed chambers of our country’s seat of democracy, fearing for the safety of our fellow Americans and the very institution the rioters were […]
Build Back Better Would Help Iowan Families While many Iowans pay more for childcare than housing each year, Biden’s Build Back Better plan would help lower that. The centerpiece of the Build Back Better plan, in part, would invest billions of dollars into subsidizing child care for low and middle income families across the country. […]
Iowans deserve the opportunity to voice their concerns, and should not be turned away at any event Hinson’s involved in. Unfortunately, this was not the case as an Americans for Prosperity event staffer forced Hinson’s constituents to leave their event on Oct. 2. Hinson should stand up for her constituents and commit to allowing all […]