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This weekend has been very special to many because the celebration of Juneteenth brings back precious memories of growing up Black in America: Struggles of our Black great-grandparents whose suffering finally gained freedom for us during slavery The momentum of the Civil Rights Movement of the 50’s and 60’s with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. […]
Being Black in America Many of my white friends have asked me how last weekend’s mass shooting in Brooklyn, New York at Tops Grocery Store has effected me. I appreciate the question because it allows me to elaborate on my deepest feelings about being black in America. Sadly, the mass shooting is nothing new. Racists, […]
I am the mother of a very disabled child. One of my best friends is also the mother of a child with a disabiliy. Both of our children are now grown men, age 38, and dependent on us, their mothers, for so much of their existence. She and I often share our similar stories of […]
***This article talks about sexual assault and violence, and may be triggering to some readers. Sexual Assault Awareness Month April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the last Wednesday of April is designated as a day of action, known as Denim Day. Participants are encouraged to wear jeans to show solidarity with survivors of sexual […]
Today is the GLSEN Day of Silence for LGBTQ+ students and allies who are standing together across the country to bring attention to the bullying and discrimination that queer students face. The first Day of Silence was held in 1996 at the University of Virginia, and has since expanded to hundreds of schools across the […]
The Importance and Impact of Iowa’s Legislative Black Caucus As I reported earlier, the Iowa Black Legislative Caucus was formed in 2018. We saw a need to look at the plight of African Americans in the State and propose legislation that would improve the quality of life of our people. It has been difficult […]
Black Journalists in Iowa A call from a local news reporter brought to my attention how challenging it is to be a black journalist in Iowa. Recently, Lauren Johnson, KCCI news reporter, was asked to leave an Ankeny school board meeting. The meeting included a discussion of the need for hiring a diversity specialist for […]
Reflections from an educator and diversity instructor All School Districts across the country need a diversity specialist. I am following the story of the opening for a diversity specialist in Ankeny, Iowa and the controversy over the superintendent’s halt of that hiring. As a former high School teacher and a current diversity trainer with Heartland […]
Calling for action after last week’s tragedy Earlier this week I was honored to be invited to speak at a Press Conference that was organized by one of my former East High Students, Rev. Dr. Frantz Whitfield in response to the shooting at East High School in Des Moines, where I taught for 40 years. […]
Tragedy Strikes at Home The following is my tribute to the school I love so dearly, the place where I spent the majority of my life, the school that is naming their newly renovated theater after me…Dear ole East High. Just Another Day in America I woke up that morning and it seemed like it […]