THE SENATOR URBAN FEBRUARY 2019 CORY BOOKER EXPERIENCE VOLUME 5 | ISSUE 2
Dwana Bradley Editor — In – Chief Urban Experience Magazine This is a question I find myself asking often. I was raised in the church, so I know about the love that Jesus showed for us and I know that I’m commanded to demonstrate that type of love. There are many around me who ask the question what is love all about when it comes to marriage or being in a relationship. Do you fall in love right when you meet someone? Is there such thing as love at first sight? Does love have to exist for two people to be together? These are questions that I’ve asked myself at one point or another in my life, and while I don’t have all the answers, I will attempt to answer this question based off my personal experiences. In having a conversation, I had someone tell me that I just want to like you, and I could remember when I heard this, I was like wait…. what? I’ve always been taught to love people and normally in relationships you fall in love with someone or at least love them, but maybe there is something to liking someone. When I looked up the definition of the word like in the Webster dictionary it says that like means: to have the same characteristics or qualities or similar, to feel attraction toward or take pleasure. Love is defined as: a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties, an attraction based on sexual desire: affection and tenderness felt by lovers, affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests. . 2 After reading these definitions, don’t we all start off liking each other? I can remember being in elementary school giving a note to a boy that I wrote that would ask: do you like me, circle yes or no. In any relationship whether it’s boyfriend/ girlfriend, husband/wife, friends, co-workers, and even family, we start off liking that individual. There is something about them that makes us want to know more, so we start having conversations, spending time with each other, learning more about each other and before you know it, love starts to unfold and then we grow with each other, we go through things with each other, and we get to a point where we can’t see ourselves without each other. If you’re just starting out in a relationship, enjoy liking each other and may your relationship grow into something more. As your relationship begins to unfold, remember to be patient with each other, communicate with each other, spend time with each other, listen to each other, and work with each other because if you both believe in what you have, then it’s always worth fighting for. Dwana Bradley
WRITERS & STAFF Editor— In— Chief Dwana Bradley Bert Moody Pastor Rosezine Wallace Hal Chase Margo Jones Gary Lawson Celeste Lawson Contributors Lori A. Young Pastor James Wilson Greg Harris Angela M. Jackson Teresa Bradley Tiffany Braxton OUTLETS BROADLAWNS 1801 Hickman Road Des Moines, IA 50314 CAREMORE 1530 East Euclid Des Moines, IA 50313 CARDINAL CLEANERS 1245 21st Street Des Moines IA, 50311 CENTRAL LIBRARY 1000 Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50309 DMACC URBAN CAMPUS 1100 7th Street Des Moines, IA 50314 DSM BREW COFFEE CO. 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy Suite 140 Des Moines IA, 50309 DRAKE DINNER 1111 25th Street Des Moines IA, 50311 EASTSIDE LIBRARY 2559 Hubbell Ave. Des Moines IA, 50317 EVELYN DAVIS CENTER 801 Suite #3 University Ave. Des Moines IA, 50314 FIFIELDS PHARMACY 501 University Ave. Des Moines IA, 50314 FOREST LIBRARY 1326 Forest Ave. Des Moines IA 50314 FRANKLIN LIBRARY 5000 Franklin Ave. Des Moines , IA 50310 HY-VEE HARDING HILLS 3330 MLK Jr. Pkwy Des Moines IA., 50310 IOWA—NEBRASKA NAACP 1620 Pleasant Suite #210. Des Moines IA 50314 3 JOHN R. GRUBB YMCA 11th Street Des Moines IA, 50314 JOHNSTON LIBRARY 6700 Merle Hay Rd. Johnston IA, 50131 NORTH SIDE LIBRARY 3616 5th Ave. Des Moines IA, 50313 MR BIBBS 2705 6th Ave. Des Moines IA, 50313 SENIOR POLK COUNTY 2705 6th Ave. Des Moines IA, 50313 SMOKEY ROW COFFEE CO. 1910 Cottage Grove Des Moines IA. 50314 SOUTH SIDE LIBRARY 1111 Porter Ave. Des Moines IA. 50315 THE GREAT FRAME UP 5515 Mills Civic Pkwy Suite 150 West DSM IA 50266 THE DES MOINES CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS 602 Robert D. Ray Drive Des Moines IA 50309 THE URBAN DREAMS 601 Forest Ave. Des Moines IA. 50314 URBANDALE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2830 100th Street, Suite 110 Urbandale IA 50322 URBANDALE PUBLIC LIBRARY 3520 86th Street Urbandale IA, 50322 WEST DES MOINES LIBRARY 4000 Mills Civic Pkwy, West Des Moines IA 50365 Copy Editor Virginia Smith Shyasia Barker Cle’ Shai Harden LaShay Mitchell Dr. Eric Johnson Jeremy Barewin Donnetta Austin
INDEX D I S C L A I M E R 4 The Urban Experience provides news, opinions and articles as a service to our readers. The views and opinions , political endorsements or statements expressed in the Urban Experience publication do not necessarily represent the writers, columnist, editors, publisher, management or it’s agents. The Urban reserves the right to edit, or not publish comments and/or articles in printed, mobile or digital format. Therefore we cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or reliability of information written by external parties. No Part of any of our publication, whether in print or digital may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, photocopying electronic, mechanical or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Senator Cory Booker Interview page 7 The Great Frame Feature page 8 Kameron Middlebrooks NAACP page 12 Business Spotlight page 16 Broadlawns Receives Make A Difference page 22 14 Facts About Black History page 27 Living on Purpose page 41 SUBMIT YOUR NEWS TO dsmurbannews@gmail.com JOIN OUR EMAIL CLUB AT joindsmurban@gmail.com BECOME AN OUTLET OF THE URBAN EXPERIENCE MAGAZINE Contact Dwana Bradley at contactdsmurban@gmail.com ADVERTISE WITH THE URBAN EXPERIENCE MAGAZINE 5
The NAACP and the Urban Experience Magazine will partner to tell your stories in our new section titled Storytellers: Black History in Iowa. Do you have a story to share or do you know someone else who wants to share their story? Tell us about your organization, your family member, or your local Iowa hero! We want to hear from you! Reach out to Victoria Lundgren at victoria.al.brown@gmail.com or Dwana Bradley at dwanabradley77@gmail.com 6
United States Senator Cory Booker Campaigning For Presidency of the United States Gary Lawson United States Senator Cory Booker, Democrat, appeared at the Oak Park Plaza in Des Moines, on the evening of February 7, to announce his campaign for the Presidency of the United States. Senator Booker has an outstanding history of accomplishments that includes graduating from Stanford University, studying at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, graduating from Yale Law School, and receiving various other notable awards and recognition along the way. His political career includes serving on the Municipal Council of Newark (New Jersey), Mayor of Newark, and currently the junior, and first African-American, United States Senator from New Jersey. Following are Senator Booker’s responses to my interview questions: Lawson: What needs to be done to prepare the nation for the next recession, and how will minority populations be taken into account? harder…and just finding it harder to make ends meet. There are a lot of things we have to do. We have to make sure that the tax system works to support middle class and working class people, and not just moving wealth up to the wealthiest…who don’t need that help. We need to make sure that we get pathways to jobs training and education that can help get people jobs for the twenty-first century and paying a living wage…or more…that can help create careers and prosperity. Finally, we need to make sure that jobs pay adequately. On Wall Street…people are short-terming stocks… and corporations are not investing in their workers, because they are worried about the next quarterly earnings. We have to get back to a system…an economy…that really values and invests in work…and just doesn’t pull wealth away from workers to benefit and enrich the few. Booker: Well, in many ways, families are feeling like they’re in a recession right now. The wealthiest amongst us might be doing well, but there are a lot of folks who are finding it very hard to make ends meet. We’ve got to get back to a country, no matter whether there’s a recession or not, where we have ways of supporting the American worker. That is just not happening right now. People are working harder and harder…and 7 Lawson: Iowa’s Human Development Index ranking (how well individuals are doing with education, health, and income) for African-Americans is below the national average for African-Americans. What do you think needs to be done to bring about better accountability for increasing well-being of not only AfricanAmericans, but the minority community in general? Continued on page 9
SUPPORTS AFRO-NATIVE AMERICAN ARTISTS FEBRUARY FEATURE: RICHARD MAYHEW Angela Jackson DES MOINES, IOWA – As a local custom frame retailer and art gallery, The Great Frame Up in West Des Moines enjoys supporting the visual arts. This month we introduce readers to Richard Mayhew, an Afro-Native American landscape painter and arts educator. His abstract landscapes are created with the richness of color and depth of feeling acquired through the artists’ lifelong journey as an African American and Native American. Richard Mayhew’s love of jazz and the performing arts is also reflective in his artistic expression. His signature style includes brightly colored abstract landscapes. Richard Mayhew lives and works in Aptos and Santa Cruz, California. EARLY LIFE & EDUCATION Richard Mayhew was born in 1934 in Amityville, New York to Native American and African American parents. He received formal training at Columbia University, NY, Academia Florence, Italy and at the Art Student League of New York he studied with artist Edwin Dickinson. Later while attending Brooklyn Museum Art School he studied with Reuben Tam. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Richard Mayhew is a well-respected art educator. Professor Mayhew taught art at numerous universities, including Pennsylvania State University, PA, Hunter College and Smith College in NY and Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY. Professor Mayhew visited Paris in 1961, having just spent two years in Florence on a John Hay Whitney Fellowship, and lived for a time in Holland before returning to the United States. Primarily a landscape painter, Mayhew has also organized and participated in multimedia performances and directed community outreach arts programs. In the 1960’s Mayhew painted landscapes in close tonal harmonies and gradually diffused recognizable forms until they disappeared entirely in his paintings of the 1970’s. Since 1975, however, he has driven across the United States five times to observe the mood and space of the American landscape, and now, working with an intensified palette, Mayhew recreates an exuberant sense of vast space within the canvas. INSPIRATION Richard Mayhew is a founding member of Spiral, a collective of African-American artists and painters group in the 1960’s in New York that included Romare Bearden, Charles Alston, Norman Lewis and Hale Woodruff as members. E&S Gallery opined, “Richard Mayhew has created distinguished landscapes that are not limited to one section of the country. Even in their most abstract renderings, his paintings are unmistakably landscapes, evoking the work of George Inness and, in their fleeting illusionary light, that of Henry O. Tanner. Mayhew’s paintings are derived from an intimacy and absorption with nature and our relationship to it, achieving mystery and beauty in combinations of color that are as surprising as they are evocative. Richard Mayhew represents, in some respects, a bridge between the older black artists who developed through the WPA in the 1930’s and those who, after World War II, attended art schools and matured in the 1960’s amid the turbulent Civil Rights Movement and the rise of Abstract Expressionism.” Continued on page 11 8
Senator Cory Booker Interview by Gary Lawson Booker: Well…there are a lot of areas in which people are feeling the squeeze…African-Americans…and frankly, others as well. People are feeling the squeeze in healthcare, and they can’t afford it… and education is getting too expensive. People are working full-time jobs and finding it harder to make ends meet. So, we’ve got to make sure that we start addressing the affordability crisis in this country. African-Americans have a real challenge…because there is a big wealth gap in this country, not only between the wealthiest and working class, but also between whites and blacks. So, I have a lot of ideas for legislation to help make college affordable, and pathways to training and education affordable as well. I’m very confident that the ideas are there, but we need to be able to pull people together in this country to actually get those ideas implemented…and get back to the priorities of making this a country where working people get ahead. Lawson: What do you believe will motivate the minority community to vote in 2020? Booker: We need to have leaders that they can believe in… that are really going to fight and have their back. I am the only United States Senator that lives in a low-income minority area. I’ve stayed by the people who first put me into office, and delivered real results to the city of Newark…expanding our economy…improving our schools…and lowering crime. I just want folks in Des Moines…the minority community of Des Moines…to know that I am going to be fighting for them every single day. I will stand with them. I will make sure that we deliver results to Iowans in general…and to people who are struggling and feeling left behind…and especially to those feeling left out. Gary Lawson is a freelance writer who focuses on various aspects of public affairs. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Central State University. He is also a Vietnam-era veteran that served in the United States Army as a Commissioned Officer. His work experience includes various administrative and management positions in the public and private sectors to include serving as the former Director of the Iowa Commission on the Status of AfricanAmericans and a member of the Human Rights Council within the Iowa Department of Human Rights. He is the recipient of numerous national, state, and local awards to include induction into the Iowa African-American Hall of Fame. Since the 2000 national election cycle, Gary has donated his time conducting public affairs interviews that include decision-makers and policy makers on the national, state, and local levels to enrich Iowa’s minority community with information that will better inform voter participation. 9
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HONORS & AWARDS Richard Mayhew is the recipient of many awards and honors including the National Institute of Arts and Letters Award, the Tiffany Foundation Grant, and the Ford Foundation Award. His art is in the permanent collections of Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, NY, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA, National Museum of Art, Smithsonian, Washington D.C., Studio Museum, Harlem, NY, Whitney Museum of Art, NY and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY. For more information- wikipedia.org, americanart.si.edu/ artist/richard-mayhew and E&Sgallery.com At the Great Frame Up, we currently feature originals, prints, sculptures and framed artwork of numerous African American and Iowa artists in the gallery. To see some of t h e p r i o r a r t i s t s f e a t u r e d v i s i t www.westdesmoines.thegreatframeup.com and our Facebook page at facebook.com/tgfuwdmiowa. Please follow us on Instagram thegreatframeup_wdm , Pinterest pinterest.com/tgfuwdm and Twitter @tgfuwdm. About The Great Frame Up Founded in 1972, The Great Frame Up, Inc. is a custom picture framer, offering more than 1,000 custom frames, mat styles, ready to hang framed art and local artwork. The West Des Moines location of The Great Frame Up opened in 2005 and is located at 5515 Mills Civic Parkway in the West Glen and is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10- 6pm; Thursday 10- 8pm & Saturday 10- 5pm. 11
2019 WELCOME & VISION Welcome to the website of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Des Moines Branch. As the oldest branch of the NAACP in Iowa, we are honored to uphold the traditions and responsibilities of the nation’s oldest grassroots civil rights organization. As a national organization, the NAACP is more than a half-million members and supporters throughout the United States and the world. We are seen as the premier advocates for civil rights and are charged with campaigning for equal opportunity and mobilizing voters to ensure our issues are at the forefront locally, statewide, and nationally. The NAACPs principal objective is to ensure political, educational, social and economic equality of minority citizens of the United States and to eliminate race and prejudice. In 2012, as a member of the National Board of Directors for the NAACP, I participated in creating a strategic plan for the NAACP that laid out our core focus areas as an organization; our Game Changers: Economic Sustainability Education Health Public Safety and Criminal Justice Voting Rights and Political Representation Expanding Youth and Young Adult Engagement These six Game Changers will be the basis of our work here in Des Moines as we seek to remove all barriers of racial discrimination through the democratic process. Iowa, and Des Moines in particular, has a rich history of progressiveness when it comes to many issues, however, our work is not complete. People of color in our city still face severe disparities which have been outlined in the One Economy report on the Status of African and African Americans in Polk County. The NAACP, in concert with many other organizations, will continue to fight for better education for our children, safer communities, ending the cradle to prison pipeline through prison reform, stopping racial profiling, healthcare reform and an end to racism and so much more. 12 to prison pipeline through prison reform, stopping racial profiling, healthcare reform and an end to racism and so much more. In my first term as President, it is my promise to all citizens of Des Moines and Polk County that I will fight for you. But this is work I cannot do alone. If you are an advocate for any of the causes mentioned above, I strongly encourage you to become a member of our branch and more importantly, I ask for you to join a committee and join in our fight for freedom. Membership is the lifeblood of this organization and with your support, we can eradicate hate and discrimination wherever it stands. Sincerely, Kameron Middlebrooks President NAACP Des Moines
G O S P E L T O P T E N 1. Brian Courtney Wilson A Great Work | Motown Gospel 2. Zacardi Cortez Oh How I Love You | Black Smoke 3. Marvin Sapp Listen Verity/RCA Inspiration/PLG/RED 4. Jason Nelson Forever RCA Inspiration/PLG 5. Tasha Cobb | Leonard Feat | Nicki Minaj I’m Getting Ready Motown Gospel 6. Jerkalyn Carr | It’s Yours | Lunjeal 7. Fresh Start Workshop Mention | Fresh Start Maquis Boone Dr. Greg Harris 8. Kelonatae Gavin | No Ordinary Worship Marvin Boone | Tyscott 9. Moranda Curtis | Nobody Like You Lord Butterfly Work | Red Alliance | Fair Trade 10. Fred Jenkins Feat | Last Call Victory Dark Child Gospel 13
GirlTrek is the largest health movement for Black Women in America. Co-Founded by two college friends, Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison. Their mission is to rally one million Black women to establish a life-saving habit of daily walking as a tribute to those who walked before us and as a radical act of selfcare. Women in the Greater Des Moines area are joining this movement by reclaiming our lives one-step at a time. You are invited to join us. To learn more about GirlTrek Des Moines join our Facebook group “GirlTrek Des Moines” or email girltrekdesmoines@gmail.com. 14
$15.00 per plate LIMITED AMOUNT RESERVE YOUR MEAL TODAY! (515) 681-4028 Email Address rachelleross46@yahoo.com 1708 8th Street 15
Business Spotlight Vanessa Lewis is the owner of Van Esther, which started as a clothing line. She has created her own booty sculptor. "You can wear this anytime, it will sculpt your thighs, lower your abdomen, love handles and back", says Vanessa. The launch of Van Esther Booty Sculptor was on February 3rd. You can purchase your own for $43.99. Vanessa has found her nitch with fitness and wants to help others live their best lives. I have my own, make sure you go out and purchase your own. Go to www.vanesther.com or check out Van Esther on Facebook and Instagram. Make sure to support black owned businesses. 16
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Donnetta Austin As February the fourteenth approaches and in acknowledgement of Valentine’s Day many of us will celebrate with our loved ones, spouse, companion, children or friends. However you choose to spend this occasion, let us not forget the most important person “YOU!” You are a treasure, precious, and valued. The best gift you can receive is self-love. Recognize and know who you are worth within Christ. Our Lord and Savior is the surpassing expression of love. Psalm 86:15 says, But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious; slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Self-love is about producing the fruit of your spirit and growing, learning to discover the potential you are created to become, knowing that happiness begins with you. Live intentionally, be good to yourself, keep a positive mindset, develop and build your self-esteem and confidence. Self-discipline is a great goal to aim towards. Live a healthy lifestyle of ultimately going after the goals, dreams, or desires you have always wanted to do and are passionate about. Become the best you can be. 1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us. Colossians 3:14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. This Valentine’s embrace in surrounding yourself in moments of self-love, let your light shine and spread the love to others. By Author: Donnetta Austin Email: be.encouragedbyone@gmail.com Enjoy reading her book! Receive your copy on Amazon “NEVER RETIRE GOD” Facebook: Be Encouraged, Inspirational Books by Donnetta Austin 18
Make Your Voice Heard for our Students The DMPS Community Legislative Action Team (DMPS-CLAT) is made up of parents and other community members who recognize the need for more awareness of how specific legislative actions affect our schools, and actively advocate for policies that increase student success. To be successful, this group needs one thing: YOU. It’s important that the voices of parents, grandparents, community members and others are heard by our legislators and the Governor, so they know how important education and schools are to our children and all of Des Moines. Join us as we focus on the need to extend support for our English Language Learners, expand preschool funding for students in poverty, and continue the penny sales tax to improve and maintain our school buildings. 2019 Legislative Priorities The following legislative priorities for 2019 are being supported by Des Moines Public Schools: EXPAND SUPPORT FOR OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: Increase weighted English Language Learner (ELL) funding to .39, in accordance with evidence-based practice and as recommended by the 2013 task force report on ELL education in Iowa. (Download a PDF with further details on expanding support for ELL education.) EXPAND PRESCHOOL FUNDING FOR CHILDREN IN POVERTY: Increase in weighted funding in the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program (SWVPP) for children living at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. (Download a PDF with further details on expanding preschool for children in poverty.) EXTEND SAVE SALES TAX FOR SCHOOLS: School buildings in Des Moines average over 65 years old, so we continue to have a great need for security updates, repairs and renovations; in some cases, even new buildings. Because we have reached the bonding ceiling for the current Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) money, it is critical that action be taken to either remove or extend the sunset. (Download a PDF with further details on why continuing the sales tax is important for our schools.) Continued on page 21 19
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Make Your Voice Heard for our Students REVISE AT-RISK AND DROPOUT PREVENTION FUNDING: Change state per pupil funding allocation based on need. Recognize at-risk student challenges by providing additional weighting in the foundation formula for students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. MONTHLY LEGISLATIVE COFFEE Get updates from Des Moines-area legislators on education-related issues at our monthly coffees, held on the second Saturday of each month from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. starting in January. Join CLAT for the next monthly meeting: Saturday, March 9 – East High School, 815 East 13th St., Des Moines District 3 DAY ON THE HILL Members of CLAT will visit the State Capitol to talk with legislators. Wednesday, February 27, join us at East High School for a briefing at 8 a.m., followed by citizen lobbying at the Capitol from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m., meeting near the cafeteria on the lower level. 21
Broadlawns Receives Make A Difference Left to Right: Retired Iowa Representative Wayne Ford, Julie Kilgore, Dennis Henderson, Lindsay Fett Des Moines, IA (January 21, 2019) – Broadlawns Medical Center (BMC) is pleased to announce that they received the Make A Difference corporate award at this morning’s 6th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Prayer Breakfast. Presented by the John R. Grubb YMCA, the Make A Difference awards recognize those who are perpetuating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. “Broadlawns is tremendously proud to serve a culturally diverse patient population,” said Jody Jenner, President and CEO of BMC. “We are humbled by the recognition from the Grubb YMCA, and our staff intends to continue doing our part to perpetuate the work of Dr. Martin Luther King.” Broadlawns was recognized alongside Nolden Gentry who received the Make A Difference legacy award, Marvin DeJear who received the Make A Difference adult award, and Eric Samuka who received the Make A Difference youth award. 22
About Broadlawns Broadlawns Medical Center is a nonprofit healthcare organization that ensures our community is provided quality healthcare that is coordinated, compassionate and cost‐effective. The Broadlawns campus includes an acute care hospital, primary and specialty care clinics, urgent care and emergency services, lab, radiology, dentistry, crisis services, inpatient, outpatient and community-based mental healthcare. Broadlawns accepts all forms of insurance and its approach to healthcare and quality outcomes earned a Level 3 rating from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest achievable status for a medical delivery model. Broadlawns takes a leadership position in teaching the next generation of healthcare professionals through its residency and fellowship programs. In 1971, it became one of the first fully-accredited Family Medicine Residency programs in the Midwest and has curricula designed to meet all requirements of the residency review committee of the ACGME. Broadlawns offers fellowship training in foot and ankle trauma and in psychiatry for midlevel providers. In July 2018, Broadlawns and UnityPoint Health – Des Moines began jointly administering a Psychiatry Residency program. To learn more, please visit www.broadlawns.org. Left to Right: Lindsay Fett, Julie Kilgore, Governor Kim Reynolds, Nolden Gentry (back row), Eric Samuka, Marvin DeJear, Dennis Henderson Left to Right: Retired Iowa Representative Wayne Ford, Lindsay Fett (back row), Julie Kilgore, Nolden Gentry, US Representative Cindy Axne, Eric Samuka, Dennis Henderson, Marvin DeJear 23
Black History Month events planned at Iowa State The United States has celebrated Black History Month in February for more than four decades as a time to recognize and honor the achievements and contributions of African Americans. Events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise indicated. Event sponsors are listed in parentheses. Check back often as this schedule is updated throughout the month. Schedule of events Throughout February, Parks Library: A book display featuring African American authors will be split between Parks Library’s Fireplace Reading Room and a mobile unit in the lobby. (University Library) Every Saturday in February, 10:30-11 a.m., Ames Public Library storytime room: Celebrate Black History Month with special Saturday family fun events featuring guest readers sharing books by or about black people. (Ames Public Library, ISU Black Faculty and Staff Association) Feb. 5, 7 p.m., 101 Carver Hall: Film screening and discussion of “Major!”, a documentary exploring the life of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a black transgender elder who has been fighting for the rights of transgender women of color for over 40 years. (The Center for LGBTQIA+ Student Success) Feb. 9, 2-5 p.m., Ames Public Library auditorium: Screening of “The Hate U Give,” based on the popular book by Angie Thomas. (Ames Public Library, Ames branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Feb. 14, 7 p.m.; Feb. 15, 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., Memorial Union Sun Room: “The Vagina Monologues,” an award-winning play based on V-Day Founder, playwright, performer and activist Eve Ensler’s interviews with more than 200 women. Tickets are $10 for ISU students, $15 for the public; both increase $2 the day of the show. (Margaret Sloss Center for Women and Gender Equity, The Society for the Advancement of Gender Equity, Student Union Board) Feb. 16, 3-5 p.m., Ames Public Library auditorium: “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” Ames attorney Tim Gartin will lead a community discussion of the implications of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” The program will include a reading of the letter followed by a panel discussion with faith leaders. (Ames Public Library, Ames NAACP) Feb. 18, 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Stephens Auditorium: Performance of “Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad,” part of the Youth Matinee Series. This stirring drama is an accurate and deeply moving musical history lesson and a classic tribute to the courageous American who freed herself and hundreds of others from slavery. Tickets start at $4. (Iowa State Center) 24 Dorothy Masinde Tickets: $5. Feb. 23, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 1414 Molecular Biology: Social justice summit, an opportunity for ISU undergraduate and graduate students to increase their awareness of inclusion issues and to develop action plans to help them in being agents of change on campus. (Student Activities Center, Margaret Sloss Center for Women and Gender Equity, Multicultural Student Affairs, Department of Residence, Leadership and Service Center, Memorial Union) Feb. 25, 12:15-12:45 p.m., Parks Library, Grant Wood foyer: Monday Monologues series, “Daily Dialogue: Truth,” a live storytelling event by the Iowa State Daily. Five students will share personal stories for Black History Month. (Iowa State Daily) Feb. 28, 5:30 p.m., Gateway Hotel and Conference Center: 19th annual Freedom Fund Banquet, with keynote speaker Kesho Scott, associate professor of American studies and sociology at Grinnell College. Scott was a founding member of International Capacity Building Services, a cultural competency training team that specializes in facilitating both “unlearning isms” and human rights workshops. Tickets are $75. Registration deadline is Feb. 21. (Ames branch of the NAACP) March 1, all day, Memorial Union: Thomas L. Hill Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE), comprehensive forum on issues of race and ethnicity at Iowa State and beyond. Free, open to ISU students, faculty and staff. Register by 5 p.m. Feb. 27 (open to ISU students, faculty and staff). The Feb. 27 pre-conference is open to ISU faculty and staff. Feb. 20, 12:10 to 1 p.m., 2030 Morrill Hall: Award-winning faculty series, “A Day in the Life of a Rural African Woman: Bringing global experiences into the classroom.” Dorothy Masinde, senior lecturer in horticulture and global resource systems, has 30 years of experience inspiring learners of all ages and cultural backgrounds. Participants in this workshop will discover how to bring real problems into classroom discussion for students who want to make a difference in the world. Register via Learn@ISUto attend in person or via Zoom to view on your own. (Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching) Feb. 20, 5-6 p.m., Multicultural Center: Racial battle fatigue workshop, focusing on how experiencing microaggressions regularly can impact the experience of students of color. Students are encouraged to attend to learn how to navigate and thrive in such environments. (Office of Multicultural Student Affairs) Feb. 20, 6-8 p.m., 198 Parks Library: Screening of “Souls of Black Girls,” an award-winning documentary by filmmaker Daphne Valerius. The film explores how media images of beauty undercut the selfesteem of African American women. (Multicultural Student Affairs, University Library) Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m., Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall: ISU Jazz I presents: a lecture concert in jazz. Jim Bovinette, associate professor of music and theatre, leads the jazz ensemble, with guest orator Hollis Monroe. The concert will combine live jazz, spoken remarks and visual presentations to draw attention to the city of East St. Louis and its historical influence upon the Civil Rights Movement.
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Gospel Breaking News Celebrated Producer and Songwriter Jeshua “Teddy P” Williams Celebrates two final round Stella Gospel Music Awards Nominations for producer of the year GI Celebrates 20 Years as a group On Thursday, December 13, 2018 Gospel singer, Donnie McClurkin shared this post on his Instagram Page. “Things happen in life that we can’t always explain, I’m sure many of you have already heard about my recent car accident. I was leaving a rehearsal at church and somehow lost consciousness while driving home. I actually don’t recall much of anything. But being removed form the car by two God-sent individuals, who trailed behind my car with their emergency lights blinking. Because of their immediate reaction, no one else was hurt, and I’m truly grateful for that. I’m dealing with a few bumps and bruise, but I have been released from the hospital and doing fine. Praise God! Thank you for your concerns and prayers. I love and appreciate you all Pastor Donnie McClurkin May we continue to keep our brother uplifted in prayer. The Impact Networks Bobby Jones Presents, every Saturday 2:00 pm– 3:00 pm and Sunday 2:00-3:00 pm on Dish Satellite Channel 268, Direct TV Channel 380, Comcast Channel 84, AT&T. Charter and Time Warner. Additionally you can catch Dr. Bobby Jones on your IPAD, S M A R T P H O N E , O R Y O U R C O M P U T - ER@WWW.WATHIMPACT.COM WITH LINKS @BOBBYJONESGOSPEL.COM Dr, Greg Harris We usually hear the phrase Be My Valentine during the month of February. This phrase means that you are asking a person the one whom you love the most for being loved by forever. Sometimes it is written in the phrases on a card for someone special for Valentine’s Day. February 14th is the day of the month we celebrate with our husbands, wives, children, friends and the list goes on and on. The most important thing to remember is to share a gift of love to someone special, remembering that love is not what is says but what it does. What have you done for your special someone? People usually wait until a person is on their sick bed to tell them how much they were loved and appreciated. God in his infinite wisdom had you and me in mind when he sent his son on the earth to redeem mankind. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that who so ever believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life. (St. John 3:16) This display of love is so special because God though enough about us that he sent his son whom came into the world to seek and save the lost sheep. Have you receive that love by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Open up the gates of your heart and allow him to come into your life he can make the difference that you have been so needing and waiting for. He will receive you just as you are. This is the second month of 2019, its time to make that change so that life can run much smoother. 26
14 Facts About Black History That You Might Not Know Celebrate the African American Men and Women who made History. 1. Phillis Wheatley was only 12 when she became the first female African American author published. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons Despite Phillis Wheatley’s fame, we know surprisingly little about her early life. She was taken from her home in Africa when she was seven or eight, and sold to the Wheatley family in Boston. The family taught her to read and write, and encouraged her to write poetry as soon as they witnessed her talent for it. In 1773, Phillis published her first poem, making her the first African American to be published. She was only 12 at the time. Her work was praised by high-ranking members of society, including, perhaps most notably, George Washington. Her writing made her famous throughout the colonies. Not long after her poems were first published, the family that owned Wheatley emancipated her. Unfortunately, her life took a turn from there, especially after the deaths of many of the Wheatleys who had helped support her. She was stricken with poverty. The fame she earned from her writing did little to sustain her husband and children. She fell ill and died at the age of 31. 27
2. MLK improvised the most iconic part of his “I Have a Dream” speech. Photo Credit:: Wikimedia Commons This fact may be the most surprising you'll find here. When King was originally drafting his speech, the “dream” language was considered but ultimately edited out. He was only allotted five minutes to speak, and he didn’t think he’d have enough time to fit those words. When he handed the speech into the press, the words “I have a dream” were not included. Related: "I've Been to the Mountaintop": Revisiting the 1968 Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. When they arrived at the march that morning, King was disappointed at the numbers the media was reporting—only about 25,000 had showed to protest. But by the time they reached the Lincoln Memorial, the numbers had swelled. Maybe this is what inspired King to suddenly change his speech. Whatever the reason, King’s improvisation made history. 28
3. Hattie McDaniel, the first African American to win an Oscar, wasn’t allowed to attend Gone With the Wind's national premiere. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons Hattie McDaniel was able to carve out a place for herself in Hollywood despite rampant racism and a consignment to bit parts. She paved the way for many African American women, but not without her fair share of obstacles. Her performance as “Mammy” in Gone With the Wind (1939) won her Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars that year. However, the national movie premiere was in Atlanta. Because of Georgia’s Jim Crow Laws, she was prohibited from attending the event. Hattie went on to star in over 300 films, was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 2006, and was the first Oscar winner to appear on a postage stamp. Despite her ultimate success, her choices (insofar as she had any) in roles were often criticized. The NAACP said Hollywood’s roles for African Americans were narrowed to servants or characters whose main purpose was being comically slow and dim-witted. Hattie was criticized for settling for lesser roles than her white colleagues. Despite this, Hattie went on to have a stellar career. 29
3. Josephine Baker was a spy for the French during WWII. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons Josephine Baker, one of showbiz’s most iconic performers, left the United States due to the overt racism she encountered in 1937. After marrying a Frenchman, Jean Lion, she moved to Paris and renounced her U.S. citizenship. In 1940, when the Nazis began their occupation of Paris, Baker showed just how deep her loyalty to her adopted nation was, becoming a spy for the Allies. During her travels across Europe to perform, Baker would conceal messages within her costumes or her sheet music for other Allied spies. She also used her status as a desired society presence to eavesdrop at various embassy events and balls. 30
5. The ban on interracial marriage in the U.S. was overturned because of one couple in 1967. Photo Credit: The Lovings: An Intimate Portrait Mildred and Richard Loving left their home state of Virginia to get married. They were warned by Virginia state officials that getting married would be a violation of state law, as Richard was white and Mildred was not. When they returned home, Mildred was promptly arrested. When she was finally released, the couple was referred to the American Civil Liberties Union by Robert Kennedy. The ACLU, seeing an opportunity to end anti-miscegenation laws, jumped at the chance. After making their way through local and state courts, Loving v Virginia was put before the Supreme Court, and the bans on interracial marriage were deemed unconstitutional. It was a landmark victory for couples of different races, and the Lovings are often heralded as being the catalysts for making it happen. The last law formally prohibiting interracial marriage was overturned in Alabama in 2000. The Lovings were featured in a 2016 biopic, Loving, starring Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton. 31
6. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on Maya Angelou’s 40th birthday. Photo Credit: Alchetron It may not be entirely surprising that Martin Luther King Jr. and Maya Angelou became friends during the Civil Rights era. Two prominent voices in the Civil Rights Movement, their paths crossed when Angelou was the coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and King paid the group a visit. In one of her autobiographies, she recalls MLK being shorter and younger than she expected but also said that he was friendly and constantly cracking jokes. Related: 10 Essential Books About Martin Luther King Jr. When King died on Angelou’s birthday, the writer was devastated. She stopped celebrating her birthday for many years following his death and sent flowers to King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, for more than 30 years, until Coretta died in 2006. 32
7. Nine months before Rosa Parks, there was a young woman named Claudette Colvin. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to relinquish her seat on a public bus. Parks' protest sparked the Montgomery bus protests and galvanized the Civil Rights Movement. Yet she was not the first African American individual in Montgomery to stand up against injustice in such a manner. On March 2, 1955, fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin was riding home on a city bus after a long day at school. A white passenger boarded, and the bus driver ordered Claudette to give up her seat. Claudette refused. As she later told Newsweek "I felt like Sojourner Truth was pushing down on one shoulder and Harriet Tubman was pushing down on the other. I was glued to my seat." Related: On This Day: Rosa Parks Was Born Colvin was arrested for her civil disobedience and briefly put in jail. The NAACP and other civil rights groups considered rallying around Colvin's case in their campaign against Alabama's segregation laws before focusing efforts on Rosa Parks' protest nine months later. Nevertheless, Colvin was one of four plaintiffs in the landmark Browder v. Gayle case of 1956, which ruled that the segregation laws of Montgomery and Alabama state were unconstitutional. 33
8. Anna Murray was the first African-American woman to be ordained as an Episcopal priest Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons This fiery woman exchanged letters with both Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt for many years and was considered one of Eleanor’s dear friends. Although her work has rather sadly faded from view, Murray’s expertise in law was a vital part of the Civil Rights movement. She worked closely with icons like Thurgood Marshall and Rosa Parks, and was appointed by President Kennedy to the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women in the 1960s, where her work focused on “Jane Crow”: how discrimination against black people particularly and deeply affected black women, and the ways in which sexism and racism combined to affect black women. Murray died of cancer in 1985. In the last decade or so, her work has been brought back to light through various efforts, including making her childhood home a National Historic Landmark, and a blockbuster dual biography of Murray and Eleanor Roosevelt, The Firebrand and the First Lady. 34
9. Matthew Henson was a key member of the first successful expedition to the North Pole and made seven separate voyages to the Arctic. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons On April 9, 1909, Matthew Henson and Robert Peary arrived at the true North Pole. But getting there was no easy feat. The pair had made former attempts, but all had failed, including one where six members of the expedition team died of starvation. After they finally made it in 1909, Henson and Peary went on to explore the arctic for another two decades. However, because this was the early 1900s, upon their return home from the North Pole, Peary was met with extensive praise, while Henson was barely noticed. In 1912, Henson published a memoir titled A Negro Explorer in the North Polethat detailed his Arctic adventures. It helped call attention to his role in the achievement, but he was still mostly forgotten. In 1937, he finally received long-deserved recognition when he was invited to join the New York Explorer’s Club. It wasn’t until 2000, after his death, that Henson was awarded the National Geographic Hubbard Medal. 35
10. Madam C.J. Walker was an African American entrepreneur who became America's first female self-made millionaire. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons Born in 1867 to former slaves on a Louisiana cotton plantation, Madam Walker rose in power to become America's first female self-made millionaire. She did so through the creation of the Madam C.J. Walker Company. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, her company was a cosmetics manufacturer that specialized in beauty and haircare products for African American women. Walker's business prowess was matched only by her philanthropy and activism. She helped establish a YMCA in the black community of Indianapolis and contributed funds to the Tuskegee Institute. Upon moving to New York, she joined the NAACP, donated generously to the NAACP's anti-lynching fund, and commissioned the first black architect in New York City to build Villa Lewaro, her home on the Hudson where great minds such as W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington gathered to discuss social matters important to the African American community. By the time of her death in 1919, she was known not only as a remarkably successful African American business owner, but one of America's most successful entrepreneurs of all time. 36
11. Billie Holiday’s famous “Strange Fruit” was originally a poem written by a school teacher. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons In 1936, Lewis Allan published an anti-lynching poem called “Strange Fruit” in the Teacher Union magazine. Lewis Allan was a pseudonym for Abel Meeropol, a Jewish school teacher from the Bronx. At the height of American lynchings, there were as many as 1,953 people killed by lynching a year. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, lynching had hit a peak, encouraged by the Jim Crow era, Reconstruction, and the Great Migration of black Southern workers to northern cities. Meeropol eventually set the poem to music. A few younger artists had picked up the song before, but it was Holiday who ultimately made it famous. She sang and recorded a version in 1939 that was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Holiday and Meeropol both were met with high praise. “Strange Fruit”is one of the most iconic songs of the Civil Rights Movement and retains its power to this day 37
12. Octavia E. Butler was dyslexic. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons The woman who would become the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship and who would win countless awards for her work over a 40-odd year long career struggled with a “mild” case of dyslexia as a child. Octavia E. Butler was raised primarily by her mother and grandmother after the early death of her father. A shy child whose dyslexia made her feel stupid, Butler took to hiding out in the library in her hometown of Pasadena. There, she discovered iconic science fiction magazines that sparked her desire to write. By the age of 12, she was at work on a story that would become the basis of one of her major series. Seventeen years later, her first book, Pattern master, the first of that very series, was published. 38
13. Benjamin Banneker taught himself astronomy and math to become America's "First Known African American Man of Science Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons Benjamin Banneker was born a free man in 1731. He lived in Maryland with his mother, a free African American woman, and his father, a former slave. While researchers believe young Benjamin spent some time attending a Quaker school, he had little opportunity for formal education. So the young man taught himself—and soon revealed his brilliant mind. Flexing his ability to calculate the positions of celestial objects at regular intervals, Banneker began publishing almanacs from 1792 through 1797. Each issue included Banneker's astronomical calculations, weather predictions and tide tables, as well as poetry and writing on literature, medicine, and politics. A digital scan of Banneker's almanac from 1793 can be found here. Banneker's scholarly pursuits led to his correspondence with Thomas Jefferson. In a letter from 1791, Banneker respectfully challenged the then-Secretary of State's view on slavery and the intellectual capacity of black people. Jefferson responded, and Banneker later published their correspondence. 1791 also saw Banneker join a survey team tasked with establishing the boundaries of the nation's capital. However, given the lack of historical documents, the exact nature of Banneker's participation is difficult to discern. 39
14. During her run for president, three separate assassination attempts were made on Shirley Chisholm. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons “Unbought and unbossed.” Those words ring loudly as a mere speck of Shirley Chisholm’s legacy. Chisholm, born and raised in Brooklyn, became the first black woman elected to Congress in 1968. After four years as the New York representative for the 12th congressional district (primarily the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood), Chisholm announced her run for the presidency. In that moment, she became the first black candidate for president from a major party, and the first female candidate to run for the Democratic Party’s nomination. Chisholm's life was endangered as she vied for our nation's highest office. The representative won a total of 28 delegates during her run. After stepping down from Congress, Chisholm taught at Mount Holyoke and Spelman College, both all-women colleges (Spelman is also a historically black institution). In 2015, she was awarded a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. In 2020, a statue of Chisholm is scheduled to be erected in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. 40
Livin’ On Purpose Black History, Political Realities and Community Development…... The Struggle Continues Dr. Eric Johnson Each year during the month of February The Black Community, and to some degree the broader society, collectively participates in a superficial ritual that is rarely connected to any discernable collective effort at widespread community development. However, superficial does not necessarily imply irrelevant or useless, it more specifically often indicates surface level or lacking substance. There is no necessary contradiction between superficial and true, in fact very often both are applicable to many situations, political and otherwise. While no investigation of history inescapably leads to a lesson learned, that does not mean the effort is without merit. Complicatedly, Black history month has become little more than a yearly socio-political pastime, where superficial and random facts are used to provide a skin-deep resolution to a considerable multi-layered predicament. The yearly visitation of Black History promises to provide potential instruction in every aspect of the lives of Black people but only if we are studious and committed to community betterment. The history of people of African descent is replete with victories and messages that are relevant to every current circumstance in which we find ourselves. Hannibal an African General from Tunisia who crossed the alps and defeated the Roman Empire in a series of battles around 200 BCE that resulted in his army controlling northern Italy for the better part of 15 years. Toussaint Louverture the former Haitian slave who led a revolt in Haiti and defeated France, the most powerful army in the world at that time. The year was 1803 and the accomplishment makes Haiti the oldest Black Republic in the Western Hemisphere. Moreover, the Moors ruled in Europe for nearly 800 years, beginning around 700 AD to the 15 century. During that time Moors introduced paved and lamp lit streets, libraries, and universal education. In addition, there is some evidence that the Moors created more than 900 baths houses across Spain during their rule, making common the practice of daily bathing. Carter G. Woodson the father of Black history set out to chronicle the effort of Black community’s struggle both before and after slavery to educate their children. They often double taxed themselves, meaning they paid state required taxes for education for schools their children could not attend then paid volunteer community taxes to build schools they paid for that their children could attend. The list of accomplishments for Black people in medicine, law, politics, engineering and education are simply too numerous for any one publication. However, in the effort to be seen as full citizens Black people have sought reconciliation as members of both the Republican and Democratic parties. For nearly 80 years Black people sought political redress from the republican party with far too little results. For the last 90 years the Black community has looked to the Democratic party for full political participation, but the results have been mixed at best. Certainly, electing the first African American President is no small accomplishment but Black poverty rates increased during the Obama Presidency. From the years 1899 to 1965 it is estimated that a Black person was lynched nearly once a week. A time span that covers our membership in both political parties. It should not be ignored that the current candidates for the Presidency in the Democratic party includes a diversity that in many ways is unprecedented, but I am reminded of the old saying “Just because the ax has a wooden handle that don’t make it one of the trees.” The lessons learned from history are complex because each time period has its own context and circumstances that are often unique to the moment. Therefore, Black history month is not simply a time to say because this happened that could happen. The point here is; any progress in the struggle to see a better day has and always will be the result of Black people’s efforts. The political reality of Black people today and any other day in the future will always be connected to the belief we have in our own ability to change our circumstances. The history of Black people informs us that there is no situation in which we find ourselves that we can not change. Black history month is less productive when we utilize it as a nostalgic tool to examine times gone by and more productive when we use history to feed the imagination in way to productively impact the future. Our current political and social reality is best addressed when we use Black history as tool to adjust current conditions with informed methods of progress development. There have been those that came before who accomplished a lot more with considerably less resources. Continued on page 42 41
Livin’ On Purpose The struggle continues not because we have made no progress, it continues because we operate in a political system that constantly generates inequality. We must be diligent in our efforts to run the race and pass the baton. Any progress we experience is forever in peril and every moment we spend in comfort escalates the threat to succeeding generations. Our path to progress is cemented with the coagulated blood of those who came before. Our political realities are less clear when we lose focus on the fact that we are solely responsible for the what happens in our communities. The African proverb “ The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people” can not be more appropriate. We should not advocate Black History Month for some collective narcissistic effort to make ourselves feel good, it should be a tool that we use to assess our current reality and inform our collective trajectory. It should not be unstated that the struggle also continues in part because we tend to not learn from the past but instead subscribe to a shared two-part delusion. The first part of the delusion is that we are better off then we are, and the second is that there is little we can do to change our reality, both are unequivocally untrue. Black History month provides annual opportunity to assess the meaning of the struggle and a measurement of its progress. While on occasion the process may appear to be superficial, it is never useless, irrelevant or meaningless. We move forward because the struggle continues…… 42
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