Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
The problems afflicting African-Americans in Iowa have received widespread attention this year, hastening into action black leaders and ordinary citizens.
“With the issues facing African-Americans, there is an urgency,” said Gretchen Woods, youth adviser for the Des Moines Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. “We really just don’t have time to waste.”
Blacks across the state have formed study groups and new community organizations. They’ve packed town hall meetings and conferences. They’ve learned new techniques — like how to participate in the Thursday Iowa Caucuses. They’ve begun implementing detailed strategies in their cities as part of the Iowa Commission on the Status of African-Americans’ Ongoing Covenant with Black Iowa.
Their voices, sometimes tinged with anger and frustration, have brought out the human side of cold statistics about the racial disparities affecting blacks in Iowa’s prisons and public schools. The problems even inspired three high-profile black leaders in Des Moines — two of whom are Iowa legislators – to set aside their personal differences to work jointly for community betterment.
So why the unusual mobilization?
“I think that overall, we have become less cynical and more hopeful that change can take place and that it will require some effort on our parts,” said Abraham Funchess, division administrator for the commission. “No one is going to just give it to us; it must be demanded.”
Iowa leaders can’t brag about the state’s being a national leader in renewable energy and tout its educational system when such serious inequities exist for blacks, Woods said.
“You certainly don’t want to be recognized as the national leader with the disproportionate rate of blacks in prison,” she said. “Those are the things causing people to speak up.”
Many blacks said they’ve grown increasingly concerned about their cities, neighborhoods and schools, about the disproportionate number of blacks in prison and about the employment concerns faced by ex-offenders. As news of the staggering problems has spread, it has jolted young and old into action.
Lindsay Cannaday, 17, a senior at Des Moines’ Roosevelt High School, said high-profile racial incidents in Jena, La., and racial slurs by radio host Don Imus have shocked some people her age into action.
“I think this has opened the eyes of many people, especially African-Americans,” said Cannaday, who is a member of the Des Moines NAACP Youth Council, which held a rally in Des Moines for the six black Louisiana teen-agers known as the Jena Six. “These incidents have made people realize that racism and hate crimes are still going on and that the fight for change still needs to continue.”
Genie Bundy morphed from ordinary citizen into activist after learning about the disproportionate number of blacks in prison. Iowa tops the nation for imprisoning blacks at a rate 13.6 times that of whites, according to national study by The Sentencing Project. Bundy, a family support worker at Primary Health Care in Des Moines, organized three community forums this fall about the issue.
“I think that it has to take something like this to get the community truly riled up like dealing with the overrepresentation of blacks in the prison system,” she said. “Our families are truly being destroyed by the black men being removed from the home.”
T.K. Anderson, president of the NAACP in Davenport, said there is much work to do because blacks face “disparities of every description.”
“There seems to be a growing number of African-Americans lobbying for change, . . .” Anderson said. “I’m seeing more conferences addressing the profiling of African-Americans. There seems to be a broader spectrum of issues and topics being discussed.”
Blacks must step up their involvement in all areas and alter their tactics for dealing with the problems, he said.
“The need is for us to be more proactive and eliminate the reactive mode of existing,” Anderson said.
Funchess and others are urging blacks to participate in the caucuses, vote and make their concerns and wants known to state lawmakers in 2008. Meanwhile, pressing problems remain, like the rising number of HIV/AIDS cases and the lack of health care and health care disparities, among others. Many blacks said the growing movement to improve the lives of black Iowans will require new recruits.
So will the increased awareness, activism and pressure make a difference?
“It must or we will perish,” said Anderson. “I’m convinced that real change is and will take place.”
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter