August 2022 Inside ✛ Unmet Needs ✛ Courageous Truths: Deja's Way Out? ✛ Humanitarian Service Award Happy Black Business Month!
WRITERS & STAFF Editor-In-Chief Dwana Bradley Copy Editor Virgina Smith Contributors Creative Director Nikki Goldman - LosRos Graphix Donnetta Austin Debra Carr Courageous Fire Angela Jackson Celeste Lawson Gary Lawson Bert Moody Lori Young Caleb Thomas Lenore Metrick-Chen MAGAZINE OUTLETS Central Library 1000 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309 DMACC Urban Campus 1100 7th Street, Des Moines, IA 50314 Drake Diner 1111 25th Street, Des Moines, IA 50311 Eastside Library 2559 Hubbell Ave. Des Moines, Iowa 50317 Evelyn Davis Center 801 Suite #3, University Ave, Des Moines IA 50314 Fields Pharmacy 501 University Ave. Des Moines, IA 50314 Iowa-Nebraska NAACP 1620 Pleseant Suite #210, Des Moines, IA 50314 Forest Library 1326 Forest Ave, Des Moines, IA 50314 Franklin Library 5000 Franklin Ave. Des Moines, Iowa 50310 Johnston Library 6700 Merle Hay Rd. Johnston, Iowa 50131 Northside Library 3516 5th Ave. Des Moines, Iowa 50313 Senior Polk County 2008 Forest Ave, Des Moines IA 50314 Smokey Row Coffee Co. 1910 Cottage Grove, Des Moines, Iowa 50314 Southside Library 1111 Porter Ave. Des Moines, Iowa 50315 The Great Frame Up 5515 Mills Civic Parkway Suite #150, West Des Moines, IA 50266 The Urban Dreams 601 Forest Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50314 Urbandale Public Library 3520 86th Street, Urbandale, IA 50322 Urbandale Chamber of Commerce 2830 100th Street, Suite 110, Urbandale, IA 50322 West Des Moines Library 4000 Mills Clive Pkwy, West Des Moines, Iowa 50365 Slow Down Coffee Co. 3613 6th Avenue Des Moines, Iowa 50313
SUMMARY EDITORS MESSAGE 4 6 8 8 22 24 3 SEX AND THE CHURCH TOO TABOO COURAGEOUS TRUTHS: DEJA'S WAY OUT? 12 UNMET NEEDS 14 CULTURE BEGINS WITH CUISINE 18 THE SPIRIT THAT MADE THE GRUBB YMCA 22 ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION:IOWA CHAPTER 24 HUMANITARIAN AWARD 26 WORK BY WANGECHI MUTU 28 SUPREME COURT DECISION
GET THE URBAN EXPERIENCE Dwana Bradley Editor in Chief I can remember my dad saying he wanted to start a magazine. The thoughts that ran through my head lacked confidence. I could think of all the reasons why his idea made no sense. I had no journalistic experience; I was working a full-time job as a teacher along with raising my young kids at the time. As the doubts continued to fill my brain, I replaced my doubts with confidence and a why not attitude. I got a mentor and started to research magazines across the country. On February 1, 2015, The Des Moines Urban Experience Now the Urban Experience Magazine was a reality. I left teaching in 2016 and my faith walk began. At the time I did not have income or health insurance. I humbled myself many times for assistance just to make it. I made the tough decision to move me and my kids back with my parents and started the entrepreneurial journey. The journey I was on was rough. I loved the freedom of setting my own hours, but as an entrepreneur no work no pay. Being an entrepreneur isn’t about the workload being less it is about what you put into it is what you get. There were so many times I wanted to give up. The discipline it took and still takes to run a business is relentless but worth more than the regular 9-5 could pay. I currently run The Des Moines Urban Experience a nonprofit which has custodianship of Iowa Juneteenth and Iowa Urban Media a Black owned media company which publishes a monthly publication Urban Experience Magazine and Urban Impact Show a weekly live show focusing on African Americans and the issues that impact the culture. August is Black Business Month. This month was founded by historian John William Templeton and engineer Frederick G. Jordan Sr. in August 2004 to highlight Black entrepreneurs and to support their businesses. There are currently 134,567 Black of African American owned businesses in the United States (US Census). This number continues to increase as we have seen numbers rise since covid. Many started businesses during the pandemic. To all my business owners out there doing your thing keep it going. It’s not always easy but the work your doing is necessary, your valued and appreciated. If I can ever be a resource to you or connect you with anyone, please don’t hesitate to reach out. The one thing that keeps me going is something I tell myself often. There is no competition only purpose and every day I am living out my purpose. It provides me joy, fulfillment, and peace. Happy Black Business Month
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Mental Health: Written By: Caleb Thomas M.A. LMHC SEX AND THE CHURCH TOO TABOO TO TALK ABOUT?
H ave you noticed most churches aren’t talking about sex in the church, I believe this is where these conversations should begin? As Believers in Christ, many churches consider this topic too taboo to talk about, however, just speaking for myself I wish I would have had someone to talk to me honestly about sex, instead of learning about it from tv, peers, or dirty magazines. At some point a child or teen is going to want to know about sex. When it comes to sex, people are in one of these categories, they are either having sex, or they are thinking about sex, or they are wondering what sex is. Most parents have a timeline of when to talk to their kids about “the birds and the bees.” Many times parents find out their kids or teens already know about sex, and some may have already experienced some form of sex, either through masturbation, penetration, oral sex or other form of sexual contact.. It is vitally important to talk to your kids at an early age and let them know God created sex. Sex is holy and should only be done within the matrimony of marriage, between a man and a woman. That said, we all have the same enemy called Satan who comes to kill, steal, and destroy, this enemy takes what God has created for good and turns it around for destruction or an evil outcome. For example: we have adults having sex with kids which is known as Pedophilia, this form of sex is destructive and illegal. If you or someone you know is struggling with pedophilia, please seek help immediately. Adults touching kids or persuading kids in this way will eventually come to light. The Bible tells us what is done in secret will be brought to the light. Help is available. Remember, God is willing and able to deliver you and set you free from this demonic orchestrated evil. Another sexual act done outside of marriage is called fornication. The marriage bed is to be kept undefiled, yet we have men and women cheating on their spouses, this is called Adultery. Other sexual acts that go against the Word of God, is individuals performing a sexual act on themselves called masturbation. Some of us are animal lovers, super cool, however some people have sex with animals, this is called Bestiality. Another abomination is individuals of the same sex engaging in sex with each other, this is called Homosexuality. God created man and woman with a purpose in mind, the only God ordained way to have sexual intimacy is through marriage between a man and a woman. It is worth waiting for God to send you a spouse that will be the best match made under Heaven. I am not making this up, it is the Word of God and you have a chance and a choice starting now to accept or reject this truth. The Supreme Court recently overturned Roe vs Wade. We all have our different opinions, however, I will say God’s word trumps all opinions. God is the Creator of life itself and defines when life begins in the womb. The question is how to help those who are facing a hard situation, be it an unwanted pregnancy, or being raped by an individual or a relative (incest), this is very tragic for any woman or young girl to face. What choices do women/young girls have?. Abortion or life, God’s desire is for you to choose life even in these circumstances. This may not be an easy decision, yet there are many women who chose to keep the baby that could have been aborted, regardless of the terrible event that conception took place, other women have chosen to give the baby up for adoption. The Bible tells us in Genesis 50: 19-20 “Fear not; for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive”. I want to encourage women and underage girls, how you conceived the unborn child may not have been your choice, all is not lost when you trust God who can turn around what the enemy meant for evil and turn it for good. Some of you may be thinking it’s old fashioned or outdated to wait till marriage to engage in sex it’s my body, my choice or it’s too late now you may be thinking. Yes, God gives us a choice and we can choose to do things His way or our own way. I can tell you from one who chose to do it their way, that God’s way is so much better. God Loves you and forgives all who come to Him. Feel free to contact our office for questions you have or needing help in challenging times such as these. Thank you Caleb Thomas M.A. LMHC 319-206-0651 thomasacc.com caleb@thomasacc.com Thomas & Associates Counseling & Consulting Counseling with a God given purpose! 7
T Courageous TR UTHS DEJA'S WAY OUT?
TR UTHS W ***WARNING: DETAILS OF ABUSE IN THIS ARTICLE. MAY BE TRIGGERING. PLEASE USE SELF-CARE.*** by a fictitious Black man (Denzel)2 brothers? No. Unfortunately, according to BlackburnCenter.org 2020 article here are the staggering numbers3 : • More than 40% of all Black women experience some type of domestic violence (DV) within our lifetimes ▷ 53.8% of us experience psychological abuse ▷ 41.2% of us experience physical abuse • We are 2.5 times more likely to be murdered by men than our whyte female counterparts ▷ 92% of these criminals know their victim ▶ 56% of the 92% were committed by a former or current intimate partner ▶ Nearly all of the 92% were committed by a Black man against a Black woman After reading those statistics and reading the first 7 months’ articles this year, it can be overwhelming at this point. It may seem hopeless. However, the last 5 months of this year, starting with this month, you will see that is NOT the case! Yes, the trap is difficult to see, deep to fall into, but… THERE IS A WAY OUT! This month through the end of the year, we’re going to continue to look at Deja’s story and discover how to walk our Black sisters right on out of the trap of DV and the specific ways that it entangles us as Black women. HERE WE GO. Just as our sister, 40-year-old Deja, was dizzily swirling in the cycle of accusations, silent treatments, sexual coercion, elcome to the August edition of Courageous Truths, Beloved! You’ve stomached hearing the predatory exploits of the perpetrator of abuse against a fictitious Black woman (Deja)1 . Am I picking on our Black spiritual bullying, yelling outbursts, and what seemed like hundreds maybe even thousands of conflicting but emotionally intense apologies, moments of clarity, and tears (yes, he laid those on thick), Deja’s job had a women’s empowerment lunch ‘n learn. A woman from the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence4 and a woman from Courageous Fire, LLC did a virtual presentation on: 1. Hidden yet common types of DV Black women face5 Courageous talked about: a. Verbal abuse b. Psychological abuse c. Sexual coercion within marriage d. Stalking, including digital e. Spiritual abuse f. Economic abuse g. Revenge porn h. Coercive control 2. The National Domestic Violence Hotline. Courageous talked about how they can: a. Confirm what domestic violence is b. The specific type(s) the person calling is dealing with c. Help them find up-to-date resources in their specific area for HELP d. Provide safety plan6 guidance 3. DV Advocates. The Coalition’s representative talked about how they can: a. Help with getting Crime Victim’s Compensation - financial support to access the community supports and/or financial support to get safety; for example, relocation, payment of lost wages, etc. b. Help with getting you and your children connected to local resources - filling out forms, finding daycare, tutors for your school age children, etc. 4. A book, “Domestic Violence, Assault on a Woman’s Worth”7 . Courageous talked about how it: a. Made it clear that even biblically, DV is not okay b. Made it clear that God scripturally does NOT expect women to live in abuse to please him c. Made it clear that men who truly love God and love their mates will NOT abuse them Deja’s soul flatlined as she listened. Her mind flitted from one question to the next? “Where has this information been?!” 9 .
“How do I get connected to this stuff without him finding out?” “Does this really mean what I think it means? Am I being abused?” “If I’m being abused, my constant confusion and depression make so much more sense…” “If I’m being abused, and this book is really true and jammed full of scriptures, God is okay with me…LEAVING!” The lunch ‘n learn had the infamous Q&A - the question and answer portion. Deja listened as every single one of her questions were asked by other colleagues and answered by these 2 women. One question that came up in her mind had NOT been asked yet, however. Deja swallowed hard and asked Courageous, “what made you do this work?” Courageous made intentional yet compassionate eye contact, then slowly and evenly answered, “Because I am a survivor of verbal, psychological, sexual, spiritual, stalking, and economic abuse, and I wanted to make sure I created better options and awareness for my sisters coming after me, Beautiful. My number for you to reach me is right up on this screen; reach out to me for us to talk more than what we have time for in this session.” That was it. When Courageous looked right at her on the screen and spoke right to her, Deja felt something in her whole being open up. Deja realized right then something different and significant was happening for her in that moment. Now, it was Deja’s turn. Deja realized this was her opportunity to start walking out steps on a specific path…a path that could turn everything completely around for her. Deja called Courageous right after the lunch ‘n learn screen went black because she was embracing Step 1: How to Find a Safe Way Out8 . Beloved, please keep reading so you can see the victorious pathway for Black women out of abuse. 6. DV Prevention for Black Women: Black women DV Survivors! Our powerful program to end DV cycles for Black women DV survivors just finished Spring/Summer funded cohorts for 2022. Our classes enjoyed: a. Costume designers - women that are helping them choose, order, and tailor their personal empowerment Blessings. By Courageous Fire DV Advocate & Founder of Courageous Fire, LLC 1. FREE Training through September 30, 2022! Courageous Fire, LLC’s training for Centers of Trust (places in the Black community where Black women go because we feel safe) and Centers of Must (places we go because we have to go to receive services) is being sponsored by the Iowa Department of Public Health. That means if the Black woman trusts you, you can learn FOR FREE how to help her discover hidden DV in her past or present and get the culturally-responsive help she needs: Watch video to get started! That means if the Black woman is uncomfortable with receiving services at your organization, you can learn FOR FREE how to be a safe space for her: Watch video to get started! 2. Black Men, We Need YOU! The FREE training mentioned covers you too, Black men! If you are a Black leader in our community, we need you to take this training so you can learn certain information to help #ChangeTheNarrative. Please consider being part of the solution: Watch video to get started! 3. Newsletter! Want to keep up with what I’m doing as a social entrepreneur at Courageous Fire, LLC? Then text CFIRENEWS to 22828! 4. Our Nonprofit: I am Executive Director at Courageous Access, our new non-profit, 501(c)3! This is an expansion of #changingthenarrative. The non-profit arm directly serves the Black women DV survivors and the children they are raising through Black professional-created services. We are holding a Celebration of Life Luncheon in June 2022 for graduates of our DV prevention programs, Empowerment through the Arts™ and our program through partnership with eleven24. Please give your tax-deductible support right here: Donate 5. The Difference: Courageous Access and Courageous Fire, LLC are related but different. The LLC is social entrepreneurship - my creating innovative ways to solve a specific social justice issue - Black women and DV. The nonprofit serves the women and the children they are raising after DV. You are already seeing programming from the LLC migrating to the non-profit for that reason.
outfit! b. A Beautiful Space - a Beautiful Black woman therapist has provided us her space. It’s gorgeous, has a fireplace, soft peaceful music, privacy, and a comforting atmosphere. c. First Celebration of Life Event - participants of Courageous Access programming from 2020 - current enjoyed a luncheon together on Juneteenth weekend! They met one another, celebrated each other’s wins, had great food, and an even greater time! Empowerment through the Arts™ gives even more reasons than the 2020 pilot to join 3-5 Black sisters and learn how to end DV cycles! Want to be on the waiting list for our next classes? Sign up here: Empowerment through the Arts™ 7. DV Prevention for Black girls: Our nonprofit has partnered with an entity named eleven24 out of Detroit, MI, to utilize their programming for our Black girls here! The pilot began in May 2022. We can’t wait to share more information on the nonprofit website - stay tuned! 8. Self-Defense: Our nonprofit is in the process of receiving funding for our Personal Security™ pilot - stay tuned! 9. In a relationship? Make sure it’s healthy: Healthy Relationship Wheel Illustration. Or go to TheHotline.org, or Phone: 800-799-7233 10. In an abusive relationship? a. Call us to get connected to a Community Safe Space to begin safety planning, 515-428-0077 b. At the Community Safe Space, talk to The Hotline.org to commence safety planning c. At the Community Safe Space, take a look at types of abuse, including sexual coercion, at Tools for Us Endnotes 1. Deja is a composite character whose behaviors, characteristics, and experiences are created from a combination of national statistics of Black women and the experiences of real-life victim-survivors 2. Denzel is a composite character whose behaviors, characteristics, and experiences are created from a national statistics, articles on Black male perpetrators, as well as traits related from victim-survivors interviewed by Courageous Fire, LLC 3. BlackburnCenter.org article: Black Women & Domestic Violence 4. Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence website 5. Types of abuse are found at Courageous Fire, LLC on our Tools for Us segment broken down into Types of Abuse 6. Safety Plan Definition: personalized plan that helps keep you and your loved ones safe wherever you are. Taken from CenterForFamilyJustic.org article “What is a Safety Plan?” 7. “Domestic Violence, Assault on a Woman’s Worth” by June Hunt is available in many places including Amazon. com 8. How to Find a Safe Way Out step 1 of 5 of the Survivor Safe Roadmap. Graphic created by Courageous Fire, LLC 11
SPIRITUALITY Unmet Needs Written By: Donnetta Austin
“ And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 NIV Y ou may be one who enjoys strolling downtown or at an outdoors outlet mall shopping center browsing. Maybe even window shopping until that one item catches your eyes. In a distance you see this bold and bright colored outfit on a mannequin. You walk a little closer near the window glass and think to yourself I have to see if this comes in my size. This is too cute! As you shuffle through the clothes rack you notice a table on the left with jewelry and accessories that will match well and pull the whole outfit together. If you are anything like me, I always ask myself what type of shoes will be the right fit for this? By the time you have tried everything on in the dressing room you’ve made-up in your mind about what works or what does not. You begin walking to the register to make a purchase of what you thought would be the one outfit you saw in the window glass. Suddenly each item scanned comes up to a highly and significant pricey amount that ends up being way more than you expected. Nevertheless, you pull out the credit card and pay it back later. As you leave the shopping center the thought crosses your mind at what point will I even wear this? Is there a special occasion or event that would be taking place at some point? Oh well, I’ll have it for a later date down the road. On your way walking back to your vehicle you take a glance in the mirror and notice how your hair is a mess and you might as well schedule a hair appointment, Your nails look as though they could also use a nice manicure and a thirty minute to an hour massage wouldn’t hurt too! ” The credit card is piling up more debt on top of the rest of the bills that are due. Eventually, you get to a place of feeling exhausted living paycheck to paycheck and getting more and more behind trying to keep up with the payments. This way of living keeps you in a bind and makes you feel good for the moment. Long term you are still depressed, unhappy, your external needs are met with a cover up Band-Aid. Eternally you are crushed and needing more assistance. In The Bible: Philippians 4:19 NIV And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Matthew 6:8 NLT Our Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him. Matthew 6: 31-34 NIV So do not worry, saying; what shall we eat? Or what shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Donnetta Austin Amazon: Never Retire God Email: be.encouragedbyone@gmail.com 13
EMS CONTRIBUTOR Culture begins with cuisine: Charms and challenges of ethnic communities made plain on our plates Written By: Mark Hedin, Ethnic Media Services
“ African American cuisine in many ways is a mixing of indigenous food and traditions. Quincy Surasmith W hatever our differences, we all have to eat. In the United States, where we can choose foods from all over the world, ethnic cuisine has become American as apple pie. Journalists and chefs explored how the U.S. has welcomed and changed diverse eating traditions, and why, at a press briefing hosted July 1 by Ethnic Media Services and John Rudolph, of Feet in Two Worlds. The speakers described the powerful connections that come from the heritage, sharing and innovations ethnic and immigrant communities have provided our expanding “food ways.” They also noted positive and problematic aspects in their adoption into America’s capitalist society. Besides providing new twists and wider appreciation, the dominant culture also appropriates and dilutes what ethnic communities introduce. Quincy Surasmith, an editor at Feet in Two Worlds, and host of the podcast Asian Americana described his work sorting out the differences between “traditional” and “authentic” Asian American dishes, from chop suey to Korean barbecue, fortune cookies, adobo, Indian curry pizza, California rolls, tofu tater tots and more. “Things change and shift here because of cultural influence and what is available,” Surasmith said. “It’s all authentic. Authentic is different than traditional.” “It’s authentic to a different set of cooks, different set of restaurants, different regions. And these get to grow and evolve in the U.S.,” Surasmith said. He cited the Boiling Crab restaurant chain borne of Vietnamese American communities on the Gulf Coast, to Korean barbecue styles developed in Los Angeles and more. “I want to encourage people to think about food as signposts to all the intersecting roads it’s crossed, the specificity of the region or people, whether in the U.S. or where their families or they themselves are from.” ” “I used to be very against fusion cuisine, until I realized that most cuisines ARE fusion,” said food and travel writer Kayla Stewart, native of the “rich and complex” American South. “African American cuisine in many ways is a mixing of indigenous food and traditions. Black, African, West African food and traditions and of course even European,” she said. “You see this particularly in New Orleans,” she laughed, admitting to a particular affection for the cuisine of that melting pot Southern city from which “jambalaya” and “gumbo” have become English-language synonyms for a healthy mix of anything. There, she said, the mix of ingredients, food and traditions draw from Black, African, West African, indigenous and European influences, including traditions brought from Africa such as sweet potato pie, okra and black-eyed peas. “So many times in my work,” Stewart said, “people assume that African American food is macaroni and cheese, collard greens and fried chicken.” “While those are wonderful, wonderful meals and absolutely part of our food ways,” she said, they’ve also been used to insult, stereotype and minimize Black contributions to American cuisine. “For so long, black Americans and black culinary figures have been left out of the narrative of American food. It’s blatantly unfair, but it also impacts economics.” “Food can be such a joyful and wonderful thing, but it also is an opportunity to talk about the very real issues – history, and politics, and race, and gender, and women’s rights – that have existed in our country since its founding and continue to exist.” Silvana Salcido Esparza, raised in bakeries in “the cornucopia of the world,” California’s San Joaquin Valley, described a lifetime of lessons learned on the way to her wide renown for her Mexican fare and innovative Arizona establishments – renown that includes repeated recognition from the prestigious James Beard awards. 15
“There is a lot of politics in food,” she said. “I don’t do food for me. One thing they say in my culture is: They want the taco but didn’t want the taco maker.” At those California bakeries where she was raised, she recalls their immigrant field laborer customers, who’d barter tomatoes and peaches for the bread or milk her father provided, and also get help from children there to translate forms, job applications and such. “Our bakery became the hub for our culture” – as did her uncle’s bakery, she said, for the United Farm Workers in Delano. “I knew as a child, that’s my foundation. We’re of service to our community, through our food and our bread.” Mexican food as generally experienced in the United States, she said, “is not really Mexican food. It is more ‘necessity food.’” “When I first opened, 20 years ago, the number one thing I could see was the consumer was not experiencing my kind of restaurant from a Mexican chef.” “They expected chips and salsa. … Baker’s daughter, I gave them bread. They expected combination plates. ‘Where’s the tortillas? Where’s the sauces?’ I gave them none of that. Instead, I gave them regional food.” “I use it as an opportunity to change erroneous perceptions that North Americans have not only over the food from Mexico, but of the culture. That was 20 years ago. And that fight is still going.” From Mexico, she said, we got corn, tomatoes, chilies, beans, papaya, pineapples – “chocolate, for Christ’s sake! – and technique, such as barbecue pit cooking. “I traveled the country – 17 states – studying American barbecue as a Mexican chef,” she said. “And what I found is that there’s a white supremacy that has taken over that food.” “It’s typical not of assimilation, but appropriation, because that food developed out of Mexican culture into Texas and the rest of America.” And then, some of the best innovations in barbecue came from enslaved cooks finding ways to make palatable scraps left off the tables they served, she said. “There’s a lot of culture in food,” John Rudolph, founder of Feet in 2 Worlds which produces the blog site Food in 2 Worlds, concluded. “It’s about history. It’s about politics. A lot of personalities, a lot of great stories, an endless source of inspiration.”
multicultural FALL FESTIVAL Games • Drawings • Food Community Displays • Entertainment SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM EVELYN K. DAVIS PARK 1400 FOREST AVENUE PARADE: 10:30 AM FINISH Parade Route: 10:30 AM FOREST AVENUE Evelyn Davis Park 1400 Forest Avenue Des Moines Parks and Recreation, Friends of the Forest Avenue Library, John R. Grubb YMCA, King Irving Neighborhood Association, Mondamin Presidential Neighborhood Association, Neighborhood Finance Corporation, Polk County Community Betterment Grant. United Way Building 1111 9th Street START dmpl.org | 515.283.4152 17 9TH STREET Advertise Here
The Spirit that made the Grubb YMCA COMMUNITY Written By: Lenore Metrick-Chen Ramona Bates and Rick Singleton, long-time workers and directors of outreach and activities in the Grubb YMCA
Part 2. The Grubb YMCA: Significant Present and Uncertain Future This is the second of a two-part series on the history, significance, and future of the Grubb YMCA in Des Moines, Iowa. The article is the result of a mutual curiosity about the Grubb Y shared between Abena Imhotep and me. Abena Imhotep is founder and Executive Director of Sankofa Strategies Consulting, and we were connected through the Urban Experience Magazine. We had learned that the Grubb is slated to be replaced, if not demolished, and the City of Des Moines plans to construct a multi-milliondollar North Side Community Recreation Center on the site adjacent to the Grubb by 2025. We spoke with Ramona Bates and Rick Singleton, both of whom have worked at the Grubb YMCA for about twenty years. The community spirt and pride found in the Crocker YMCA was instrumental in creating the Grubb YMCA in 1994 to replace the Crocker Street YMCA, which was destroyed by urban renewal in 1959. Community leaders in the area pushed to have a YMCA to serve the community which was majority Black. Throughout the decades since its founding, the Grubb YMCA has been a destination for the neighborhood as well as for people outside who valued the welcoming atmosphere. The building itself, built in 1940, had originally been part of Dowling School but the City of Des Moines purchased it in 1982, repurposing it as the Model City Community Center. Ten years later, with the help of activists such as Evelyn Davis, and donations from philanthropists such as John Grubb, it became the Grubb YMCA, serving the community in the immediate vicinity and beyond. Renovations were made, including the addition of a swimming pool and basketball courts. But the Grubb YMCA has always been more than a sum of its parts. More than a sports center, the Grubb works with the community, hosting dances and GRD programs, aiding and encouraging many young people with their education goals. Rick talks to the kids, listens, and builds a relationship. They learn confidence, understanding that “an outside force can make you have a bad day but it can’t make you have a bad life.” As Ramona Bates described, “The Grubb is an opportunity. This place gives you opportunity and hope.” Rick developed the ‘YMCA without walls’-- taking the YMCA to the community and bringing the community into the Y, explaining: “We would do community events – parades, concerts, block parties, easter egg hunts, cookouts, back to school bash, farmer’s markets.” He set up programs to help students of all ages. Because of Rick’s successful initiatives, executive director Cameron Nicholson created a special position for him as the Outreach Director. But the Grubb was not without its problems. Racism and sexism persisted in citywide YMCA administration and the Grubb leaders had to rely on their diplomacy to negotiate, challenge and change unequal practices initially imposed on the Grubb YMCA by the upper administration. For instance, membership in any YMCA branch grants reciprocal use of facilities in all other branches. The sole exception to this rule was membership in the Grubb branch: from the Grubb’s founding in 1994, the Board of Directors for the greater YMCA of Des Moines ruled that Grubb membership wouldn’t grant access to any other YMCA branch. This ruling was not reversed until 2006, when Vernon Delpesce, the CEO of YMCA of Greater Des Moines, mandated that this would no longer be tolerated. Delpesce also changed discriminatory practice that refused family memberships to people in same- sex relationships. Rick recalled the heated discussions at the YMCA and explained the drive that fueled the persistence in fighting for these changes: “Nobody gives you your worth. That’s inherent. 19
Everybody owns their self-worth. You serve people where they’re at, you don’t try to get them to where you are at.” Rick explained the loyalty and mutual regard between the Grubb and the people it serves: “That whole spirit is what draws people here. This YMCA is a resource for people in this community, it’s a place everybody looks forward to visiting -- like a family to belong to--and we all belong to the same family here. Once you walk through that door there is no more Black, White, Indian, Asian; you are a friend and family. There is not a more diverse place in the city.” Most discussions about the North Side Community Recreation Center focus on the sports amenities it promises, on the multi-million cost of the project, and on the financial assets it can bring to the neighborhood. Energy and spirit, diversity and community are less frequently addressed. When asked about the future with the North Side Community Recreation Center, Ramona said, “The transition from this YMCA to the city community center is going to be so important. We’ve gotten some of the material things that we want, but we have to talk to the Des Moines Parks and Recreation department about the importance of hiring people in the community, the importance of making sure the director is somebody of color, somebody who knows the community.” Rick and Ramona talk about the direct line from the groundbreaking, racially integrated Buxton YMCA of the early 1900s to the Grubb YMCA. They want that lineage of community service and welcoming to continue, whether through the Grubb’s continued existence or through transference to its successor, the North Side Center. But how does an institution get that spirit? How does it maintain it? Rick ascribes it to what he learned from the preceding generation. “They were my mentors, they were just like my uncles. A lot of these guys had a certain grace and character. They were righteous upstanding gentlemen, well-educated , good family men, good community leaders. My mom, my dad, they were all community people and believed in community and believed in building everybody up, so it’s just natural. What I learned from them is what I give back to other folks. The easiest way for me to say it is that I just learned to treat people the way I wanted to be treated. Nothing short of that.” There are many places where we are anonymous. A true community center, the Grubb has gained its strength by being a place where people are seen and heard and welcomed. That spirit does not come from a building’s structure. It comes from the people; it’s within them. From the Buxton YMCA, to the Crocker Street Y, to the Grubb: The North Side Community Recreation Center can inherit this proud legacy. THROUGH SEPTEMBER 25, 2022 More info: desmoinesartcenter.org SUPPORT FOR THIS EXHIBITION PROVIDED BY The Harriet S. and J. Locke Macomber Art Center Fund
ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION: IOWA CHAPTER By Lauren Livingston, Alzheimer’s Association The Alzheimer’s Association Invites You to Join Us for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s This Year in Your Community
“ More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease – a leading cause of death in the United States. ” T he Walk to End Alzheimer’s is world’s largest event dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Iowa hosts 19 Walks across the state in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, Quad Cities, Council Bluffs, Cedar Valley, Ames, Burlington, Clinton, Decorah, Dubuque, Fort Dodge, Harlan, Iowa City, Mason City, Muscatine, Ottumwa, Panora and Spencer. Registration is open for all 2022 Walk to End Alzheimer’s®, and the Alzheimer’s Association invites you to join the fight to end Alzheimer’s by starting a team, inviting friends and family and walking with us in August, September and October. While there is no fee to register for Walk, all participants are encouraged to raise critical funds that allow the Alzheimer’s Association to provide 24/7 care and support and advance research toward methods of prevention, treatment and, ultimately, a cure. How to Participate in 3 Easy Steps: Register Register for your local Walk. Find a Walk near you and sign up as a Team Captain, team member or individual. Fundraise Start fundraising and spread the word. We’ll provide tips and coaching every step of the way, including easy ways to raise funds online. Walk day Join us on Walk day. Come together for an inspiring community event that celebrates our commitment to ending the disease. On Walk day, participants honor those affected by Alzheimer’s with a special Promise Garden ceremony — a mission-focused experience that signifies our solidarity in the fight against the disease. The colors of the Promise Garden flowers represent people’s connection to Alzheimer’s — their personal reasons to end the disease. More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease – a leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 11 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In Iowa alone, there are more than 66,000 people living with the disease and 73,000 caregivers. To register and receive the latest updates on this year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, visit: visit alz.org/iowa. 23
PUBLIC AFFAIRS Humanitarian Service Award Written by: Gary Lawson
“ I love people, and I work both in education and politics to help others fulfill their life’s goals of becoming better people, and living more successful and productive lives. Representative Gaines ” C larke University, located in Dubuque, Iowa, presented their Humanitarian Service Award to Iowa State Repeseanative Ruth Ann Gaines, which acknowledges exceptional service to humanity through civic, faith-based or educational endeavors. The following includes excerpts taken from Clarke University’s announcement. Representative Gaines graduated from Clarke University in 1969, and matriculated at the University of California, where she earned a Master of Arts (Dramatic Art). She has experienced a career of more than 50 years as an educator, community servant, and state legislator. She taught drama at Des Moines East High School and Des Moines Area Community College, and later worked at the Heartland Area Education Agency, Drake University, and Viterbo University. She was also featured as a radio and television talk show host with WHO in Des Moines. Her work connected her to a large number of individuals, families, and organizations which inspired her to run for public office. She was first elected to the Iowa House in 2010. Since then, she has led several committees and initiatives, including the Des Moines Human Rights Commission, Very Special Arts Iowa, and currently serves as Chair of the Black Legislative Caucus in the Iowa Legislature. Representative Gaines has received more than 50 honors, including the Iowa Teacher of the Year, a finalist for National Teacher of the Year, the Iowa and National Teachers’ Halls of Fame, Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame, Iowa African American Hall of Fame, Wallace Foundation Lifelong Learning Hall of Fame, 2022 Sister for Success Founders Award, Hoover Foundation’s Uncommon Public Service Award, Iowa Democratic Party’s “We the People” Award, and the Progress Iowa’s Harkin Award. Additionally, she received the Key to the City of Des Moines from Mayor Preston Daniels in 1983, and East High School recently named their renovated and expanded auditorium in her honor. Regarding her accomplishments, Representative Gaines has said, “I love people, and I work both in education and politics to help others fulfill their life’s goals of becoming better people, and living more successful and productive lives.” 25
THE DES MOINES ART CENTER Work by Wangechi Mutu Written by: Laura Burkhalter, Curatorial Manager I n this issue, Laura Burkhalter, Curatorial Manager at the Des Moines Art Center introduces a work by Wangechi Mutu, one of the most prominent sculptors working in the world today. Born in Kenya, but living in America since the 1990s, Mutu has used video, photography, and sculpture to revolutionize the way Black women are portrayed in art. She combines influences from fashion, history, and folklore to create figures that acknowledge the trauma and misrepresentation Black women have often had to endure. Her female figures are powerful, conveying a new type of beauty and intense emotional presence. Created in 2017, Mutu’s Water Woman is a stylized, black bronze sculpture of a nguva, a water-woman of East African folklore that blends human characteristics with those of the dugong, an endangered relative of the manatee. The artist has said the nguva represents “bewitching female aquatic being with powers to entrance and drown susceptible mortals.” She created several depictions of this mythical creature, each with a distinct personality. In our version, the strong, alert pose and direct gaze Mutu has sculpted for the figure make her strength clear and command respect. Because the work is almost the same size as a person, she is impossible to ignore. The luminous bronze catches the light, and replicates dark, wet skin. Mutu has even chosen the color of the pedestal this artwork sits on, making sure it suggests a muddy pond or riverbank. Water Woman’s features and hair style are inspired by African traditions and art history as well as figures from science fiction. This combination enhances the effect of Mutu’s art, making her women seem both ancient and futuristic at the same time. It also ties the artist’s work to the wider cultural movement of Afrofuturism, and its important ideas of discovery, celebration, and possibility. Water Woman can also be seen as a reminder of humanity’s connection to nature. Throughout her work, Mutu has used various types of female-animal hybrids to comment on environmental issues and commercialization. In addition to Water Woman, the Art Center owns a watercolor collage by Mutu, which features a human body adorned with green metallic lizard-skin dots and glitter-covered leaves. She is particularly interested in the impact American and European culture and colonialism has had on African culture and natural resources. Mutu has studios in both New York and Kenya and brings an awareness of how interconnected we are to her artwork. Water Woman in particular suggests that humanity and nature are not only intertwined, but both have powers that can threaten one another. Mutu’s art has been exhibited and collected by important art institutions around the globe. In 2019, she was invited by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to create four sculptures for the exterior façade of the building. Titled The New One, will free us and looking like a combination of African-inspired ancient gods and celestial aliens, Mutu’s giant sculptures filled four ledges that had been vacant for over 115 years, and welcomed the Met’s millions of visitors for a year. Water Woman is currently on view in the Des Moines Art Center’s Pei building. Admission to the galleries is always free, and we welcome you to visit. For more information about hours and programs, please visit desmoinesartcenter.org or find us on Facebook and Instagram. Photo credit: Wangechi Mutu (Kenyan-American, born 1972) Water Woman, 2017. Bronze. 36 x 65 x 70 inches. Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collections; Purchased with funds from the Edmundson Art Foundation, Inc., 2017.25 Photo credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines
PUBLIC AFFAIRS Supreme Court Decision Written by: Representative Ruth Ann Gaines I was not surprised by the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe vs Wade, but I was extremely saddened by it. I am not proabortion, but I am pro-choice. I just can't understand why our Supreme Court Justices feel that they need to deny a woman the right to make decisions about her own body. " Deciding to have an abortion is such a personal decision for a woman and no one has the right to interfere. The decision should be between her, her family, her doctor, and her pastor. This decision will certainly open the doors to a setback in other areas like contraception, gay relationships, and gay marriage. If Justice Thomas had his way, all decisions that have moved society forward in the last 50 years would be reversed. This is 2022, but it feels like 1955. I was alive before Roe vs. Wade when poor women could not get abortions while rich white women could simply go to their doctors and get what they needed. In Des Moines, Planned Parenthood would refer women out of state for an abortion but that wasn't cheap. It will be like that again and once again; poor women won't be able to afford it. I know the Iowa Legislature will further restrict abortions because it has been a fight to stop stricter laws for the last several years. Thus, our Legislature, as well as our Governor, must be flipped in the November election. Register people to vote, convince nonvoters of the importance of this election and bring others to the polls on election day. This is the only chance we have of protecting abortion rights in Iowa"
FINDYOUROUR NEXT... LIFE Changes. . . . Looking to turn your passion into profession? . . . Is it time to prioritize YOU? Finding your NEXT at DMACC is easier than you think, with . . . ›› A Range of Academic Pathways ›› 12 Campuses and Centers ›› Both In-Person and Online Classes AUGUST 24, 2022 Apply Today! CLASSES BEGIN Find Your Next at the DMACC Urban Campus TODAY! 1100 7TH STREET, DES MOINES, IA 515-244-4226 | DMACC.EDU/URBAN DMACC is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and we encourage members of underrepresented groups to apply with us. DMACC shall not engage in nor allow discrimination covered by law against any person, group or organization. This includes in its programs, activities, employment practices or hiring practices. The full DMACC Nondiscrimination policy is available online at https://nd.dmacc.edu. 14926-6-22-M DMACC.EDU | 800-362-2127 | 29
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Your Homeownership Dreams Can Come True! JOURNEY TO HOMEOWNERSHIP “Homeownership can come off as very difficult, and to some individuals, almost impossible to obtain, but educating yourself and creating generational wealth through homeownership are the first steps to creating safe, stable and beautiful neighborhoods in your community.” Bridgett Robinson Diversity & Inclusion Mortgage Loan Originator and Outreach Coordinator Call 515.246.0010 or visit neighborhoodfinance.org for more information. DES MOINES, WEST DES MOINES, WINDSOR HEIGHTS AND URBANDALE NMLS#8943 31
Iowa’s Racial Homeownership Gap is 6th Largest in the Nation. In 2021, GreenState Credit Union began a ten-year initiative to help close Iowa’s racial homeownership gap. The goal is to fund over $1 billion in mortgage loans to people of color in all communities we serve. GreenState was established in Iowa in 1938 and has now grown to be the #1 mortgage lender in Iowa. This puts us in the unique position to lead this effort and inspire other financial institutions to improve the well-being of their members and customers while at the same time promoting strong communities. Learn more about how GreenState is working to build stronger communities for everyone at GreenState.org or by reaching out to Lindsay Cannaday at LindsayCannaday@GreenState.org. Lindsay Cannaday VP/Business Development Director 12333 University Ave • Clive, IA 50325 o: 515-440-6916 • f: 515-440-6999 LindsayCannaday@GreenState.org • NMLS ID #2355610 33
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2022-23 SEASON IN THE JOHN VIARS THEATRE Guys and Dolls SEPT. 9-25, 2022 AUGUST WILSON’S The Piano Lesson FEB. 3-19, 2023 Kinky Boots MAR. 17-APR. 2, 2023 Native Gardens JUNE 2-18, 2023 Little Shop of Horrors JULY 14-30, 2023 IN THE KATE GOLDMAN CHILDREN’S THEATRE Harriet the Spy OCT. 28-NOV. 13, 2022 Go, Dog. Go! JAN. 6-22, 2023 The Hundred Dresses FEB. 24-MAR. 12, 2023 How I Became a Pirate APR. 21-MAY 7, 2023 FAMILY HOLIDAY CLASSIC RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’S Cinderella DEC. 2-19, 2022 Alexis Davis Beaufi eld Berry’s Buff alo Women 2021-22 Season 831 42nd Street | Des Moines | 515.277.6261 TICKETS, AUDITIONS, CLASSES, & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AT: DMPlayhouse.com 35 THE
Angela Jackson’s Bio Debra Carr Bio Angela Jackson, Esq. is an Entrepreneur and owner of The Great Frame Up which is an Art Gallery and Custom Framing Business located in West Des Moines. She also is Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Athene USA Corporation. Angela serves her community as Board Member of The West Des Moines Chamber, Des Moines Arts Festival, Cornerstone Family Church and an Honorary Board Member for Des Moines Performing Arts. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and The Des Moines Chapter of the Links, Incorporated. Angela is a Thought Leader and alumni of Washington University School of Law and Duke University. Debra Carr serves professionally and personally as a champion for diversity, inclusion, and equity. Uplifting women and girls to become the best version of themselves is foundational. Debra is Principal Consultant and owner of Carr and Associates and works full-time for Des Moines Public Schools consulting for building level administrators, faculty, and staff to achieve school improvement goals. Debra has received numerous awards and is a champion for her community in which she has served for many years. Gary Lawson’s Bio Gary Lawson is a freelance writer who focuses on various aspects of business and government. He earned a graduate degree in Government Administration, and an undergraduate degree in Business Administration with a duel concentration in Management and Marketing. He is a VietnamEra veteran who has served as a Commissioned Officer in the United States Army. In addition, he has taught business courses at Drake University and Des Moines Area Community College. C O NTRIB UT O RS Celeste Lawson’s bio Celeste Lawson is a freelance writer who focuses on various aspects of education and cultural diversity. She earned a graduate degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education, with concentrations in English and Language Arts. In addition, she has more than 20 years of classroom experience with teaching students at the primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. Lenore Metrick-Chen's Bio Lenore Metrick-Chen Associate Professor of Art and Cultural History at Drake University. She specializes in exploring visual art as a means of cultural communication, racial justice, and collective memory.
Caleb Thomas Bio Bert Moody Bio For over ten years Caleb has worked in the field of counseling with youth and their families, as a school counselor, behavioral health intervention services counselor, and a mental health counselor. Today Caleb has his own Mental Health private practice, Thomas & Associates Counseling & Consulting which is located in Iowa City, Iowa. His practice focuses on the spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional well-being of each individual client. Caleb works with children, youth, adults, couples and families helping them solve tough problems with a Christ-centered, solution-focused approach. His desire is to bring about a positive change to the various challenges life can bring. Caleb is an Ordained and Licensed Minister and Elder and volunteers his time as a Ministry Director for Lifepointe Christian Faith Center. Bert Moody is a Photographer, an IT Consultant, and Web Designer for the Urban Experience Magazine. He has been with the magazine from its inception. He has been a Freelance Photographer in the Des Moines area since 1985, first with Esquire Photo Agency and now with Imagez Photo Studio (www. imagezphotostudio.com). He also is a longtime associate at Nationwide Insurance as is a part of their National Network of Black Associates. Bert volunteers for many activities in the community and is a Board member with The Des Moines Urban Experience. Bert is married with three grown children. C O NTRIB UT O RS Donetta Austin Donnetta Austin is from the Midwest. Her accomplishments include graduating from Scott Eastern Iowa Community College as a Registered & Certified Dental Assistant. She has worked in healthcare for seventeen years. She also provides care for elderly as a certified nurse aide and currently attending DMACC as a Nursing student. Donnetta became an author of her book “Never Retire God” in 2017. This book can be purchased on Amazon. She enjoys writing inspirational books and articles. She feels this is apart of her life’s purpose. Her writing expresses the importance of living a life with no regrets, uplifting others, and making a significant impact by sharing her testimony. It is her life’s goal to make a difference in the lives of others. 37 Lori A. Young Bio Lori A. Young is a native of Des Moines and a graduate of Tech High School and Grand View University. Her professional experience lies in corporate internal and marketing communications. Currently she is self-employed on assignment with the non-profit organization, Just Voices Iowa, as a Communications Director and Project Manager. In her spare time, she’s a feature writer, artist, and community organizer/social activist fighting on issues such as racial, environmental, and economic justice for over 10 years.
Cleophus “Cleo” Franklin Jr.’s Bio Cleophus “Cleo” Franklin Jr.’s leadership expertise is globally recognized. His passion for designing robust business growth, brand strategies, and implementing innovative, disruptive business models have benefited many global businesses and industries. Franklin’s values and beliefs are centered on approaching difficult challenges with curiosity and a beginner’s mindset. He is a purpose-driven leader who embraces servant leadership and investing in the personal and professional development of the next generation of leaders. His leadership career spans over thirty years with John Deere, Case-New Holland, and Mahindra as a global executive. Franklin is a published author. His global leadership book Coffee with Cleo (coffeewithcleo.com) was launched in June 2020. His book highlights ten leadership lessons from his global business executive career. Through artful and engaging storytelling, it showcases how one can navigate challenges successfully in our ever-changing, fastpaced, and complex business world by using an innovative entrepreneurship mindset and proven framework to improve your livelihood, but more importantly, your life. Courageous Bio Negus Sankofa Imhotep’s Bio Courageous exited a 13-year intimate partner relationship because she discovered it was steeped in multiple abuses, including psychological, sexual, and spiritual. This experience made her not only want to learn how and why it happened to her, but how she and other Black sisters could avoid it in the future. Her gift of converting personal life experiences into educational currency is well proven; however, this time she believes it has led her to develop what may be the most important work in her 9 years of curriculum design and delivery - Empowerment through the Arts™. Black trauma-informed therapists recommend it and Black female focus group participants are finding the program’s gains to be sustainable. Courageous has begun the work in the community that interacts with the Black female survivor as well, bringing tools that allow them to see the Black female victimsurvivor’s needs and address them appropriately in her Awareness Education, Survivor Empowerment, and Community Support Training. She is thrilled to bring the work of Courageous Fire, LLC to the pages of the Urban Experience Magazine to keep growing the numbers of Black sisters that get the help they need. Stay Connected to Courageous: Website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter C O NTRIB UT O RS Negus Sankofa Imhotep is the Academic & Workforce Coordinator at Urban Dreams and the Deferred Expulsion Case Manager for Des Moines Public Schools. In these roles, he has connected several of Central Iowa’s top employers with highly skilled untapped talent, assisted hundreds of marginalized central Iowans in securing gainful employment, and successfully advocated on behalf of more than 50 students who faced expulsion from the Des Moines Public School district. Negus is also a sought-after orator and community ally, having served as an Executive Board Member for the Iowa Human Rights Board, a past Chair and Commissioner of the Iowa Commission on the Status of African Americans. In 2015, Negus launched Rudison Consultancy Group, LLC to offer cultural community network advising and cultural competency training to agencies and organizations across the region. His commitment to educating emerging leaders is what led him to teaching positions at Hawkeye Community College and Joshua Christian Academy in 2013. Negus holds a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Political Science from Excelsior College, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Norwich University, and is currently writing his dissertation for a Doctorate in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management from Northcentral University.
It's important to take the time to acknowledge the uniqueness of the deceased: the individuality of their personality, and the uniqueness of their life's path. Not just for them, but for you; it affirms the relationship, and leads to healing after loss. Honoring their life is truly an act of love – for the both of you. “WE’RE FAMILY” PHONE: (515) 309-6550 3500 SIXTH AVENUE DES MOINES, IA 50313 HENDERSONSHP.COM 39
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