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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 […]
Public health issues faced by Immigrants Public Health Week takes a look at the variety of issues affecting different populations, such as climate change, gun violence, and healthcare. As part of our team’s Public Health Week series, we are going to take a closer look at health issues facing a particular group of people in […]
United States has one of the highest gun violence rates in the world Gun violence is one of the biggest threats to Americans and Iowans’ public health, and is listed as one of the American Public Health Association’s main topics of concern because “Guns kill more than 38,000 people and cause nearly 85,000 injuries each […]
Celebrating National Public Health Week Over the last two years, many have become very familiar with local, state, and national public health departments as we looked for guidance from our elected leaders to navigate an unprecedented pandemic. And today, we kick off the celebration of National Public Health Week. Every year, the United States takes […]
An ordinary, Sunday award show I must admit that the Academy Awards is one of the highlights of early Spring for me. My background is in the Dramatic Arts and I love movies, so since my son was elementary school age, we have routinely watched the Awards each year. Last Sunday night we sat down […]
Day of celebration clouded with uncertainty “Being able to go to school, laugh with my friends, learn and participate in sports with them has made me feel somewhat normal,” said Gavy Smith Today is the International Transgender Visibility Day, and members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies are celebrating the contributions to society that trans […]
Contributor Column: Gaines Reflects on 75 years of Life With each birthday, I reflect about my life and how quickly time has passed. I celebrate my 75th birthday today, March 25th. I think about my southern roots and my childhood visits to rural North Carolina. I was young but I was aware of the […]
