Community: Sages Over 70 Written by Luke Manderfeld DSM Magazine Photo Credit: Duane Tinkey Linda Carter-Lewis As a student at the former Des Moines Technical High School, Linda Carter-Lewis dreamed of making the top 10% of her class. She achieved that goal, but wasn’t notified about a photo shoot recognizing top students in the newspaper. So she went down to the school office and demanded to be included, even as faculty members rolled their eyes. Such situations weren’t uncommon to CarterLewis, who grew up in the 1950s and faced ongoing discrimination as a Black woman. But she never let such discrimination stop her. “I’ve always been a positive person,” Carter-Lewis says. “In those days, [racism] wasn’t really something you fought. You just had to go and find another way.” That’s what she did. After being fired from a telephone company because she was pregnant, she started a career in human resources, which eventually led to a successful 20-year tenure at Communications Data Services, now CDS Global. Carter-Lewis, 76, has used her success to help others, becoming an advocate for the Black community and a voice for the underrepresented. “I feel so fortunate,” she says. “I just fell in love with volunteer opportunities that make a difference in people’s lives. It’s what keeps me going.” Carter-Lewis was with her husband, Larry Carter, for more than 30 years before his death in 2000. She was married to the Rev. Irwin Lewis from 2004 until his death in 2010. She has three children. Among Her Achievements • Served more than 3,000 employees as human resources employee relations manager and trainer at CDS Global. • Was president of the Des Moines NAACP from 2002 to 2010 and active for more than 30 years on the executive committee. • Has served on the Des Moines Civil Service Commission since 2008.
37 Publizr Home