It’s not just about the attacks to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. It’s not just about Iowa lawmakers' gleeful removal of gender identity protections from the Iowa Civil Rights Act. It’s not just about a hostile and power-hungry administration's onslaught of executive orders and demands. It’s not just about the constant shredding of democracy and shackling of our freedoms. It’s not just about the overt actions to erase Black people’s history and contributions to this country. It’s not just about the clawing away at women’s rights, immigrants’ rights and human rights. It’s not just about a subset of loud white men who err in believing they have a sovereign right to rule — and rule in perpetuity. It’s not just about the crumbling of our illusions.
It’s E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G all at once.
A panel of Black Iowans who regularly attend Black Iowa News’ Weekly Virtual Statewide Call gathered on Feb. 28, during the day of the Economic Blackout, for a livestreamed discussion. Hear what this panel of Black Iowans think about the issues of the day — their frustrations, observations and hopes.
Editor’s note: Every Wednesday, Black Iowans hop on a Zoom call with Black Iowa News. I dubbed it the Weekly Virtual Statewide Call. It’s open to anyone, but a core group of Black Iowans have attended the weekly hourlong call this year.
I host the call to be accessible to Black Iowans across the state, to hear about our communities and provide a safe place to talk. We meet at noon on most Wednesdays via Zoom. Preregister for the call to join us. Scan the QR code below.
The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative
From our founder, Julie Gammack:
“We do not accept advertising. We are linking readers directly to Iowa writers. Our columnists are most appreciative to those of you who have the ability to become a paid subscriber of their work.
Des Moines Metro
Chip Albright: Chip Happens, Des Moines
Rekha Basu: Shouts and Whispers, Des Moines
Dartanyan L. Brown: My Integrated Life, Des Moines
Jane Burns: The Crossover, Des Moines
Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines
Randy Evans: Stray Thoughts, Des Moines via Bloomfield
Christina Fernández-Morrow: Hola Iowa, Des Moines
Daniel P. Finney: Paragraph Stacker, Des Moines
Julie Gammack: Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji
Dennis Goldford: Let’s Talk Politics, Clive
Rob Gray: Rob Gray’s Area, Ankeny
Maxwell Schaeffer: Maxwell’s Voice, Ankeny
Kyle Munson: Kyle Munson’s Main Street, Des Moines
Wini Moranville: Wini’s Food Stories, Des Moines
Jane Nguyen: The Asian Iowan, West Des Moines
Dave Price: Dave Price’s Perspective, Des Moines
Teresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des Moines
Kali White VanBaale: Mind the Gap, Bondurant
John Naughton: My Life in Color, Des Moines
North Central
Suzanna de Baca: Dispatches from the Heartland, Huxley
Cheryl Tevis: Unfinished Business, Boone County
Fern Kupfer and Joe Geha: Fern and Joe, Ames
Northwest
Chad Elliott: Iowa’s Renaissance Man, Jefferson
Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson
Art Cullen: Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake
Joan Zwagerman: Nuts and Bolts, Storm Lake
Nicole Baart: This Stays Here, Sioux Center
Taylor Decker: Taylor’s Millennial Mindset, Sioux City
Arnold Garson: Second Thoughts, Okoboji
David Thoreson: Northwest Passages, Okoboji
Douglas Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll
Darcy Maulsby: Keepin’ It Rural, Calhoun County
Northeast
Hannah Breckbill: Humble Hands Harvest, Decorah
Kurtis Meyer: Showing Up, St. Ansgar
Larry Stone: Listening to the Land, Elkader
Pat Kinney: View from the Cedar Valley, Waterloo
John Crabtree: Though the Heavens Fall, Oelwein
East
Nina Elkadi: Corn Belt Confidential, Iowa City
Chris Jones: The Swine Republic, Iowa City
Michael Judge: The First Person, Iowa City
Zachary Oren Smith: Cornhole Champions, Iowa City
Ty Rushing: Ty’s Take, Iowa City
Avery Gregurich: The Five and Dime, Marengo
Carol Montag: Monday’s Music, Cedar Rapids
Jeff Morrison: Between Two Rivers, Cedar Rapids
Alison McGaughey: Out Here n the Fields, Davenport
Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport
Tory Brecht: Brecht’s Beat, Quad Cities
Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona
Mary Swander's Emerging Voices: Emerging Voices, Kalona
Steve Semken: Ice Cube Press, LLC, North Liberty
Southwest
Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County
Marianne Fons: Reporting From Quiltropolis, Winterset
Vicki Minor: Relatively Minor, Winterset
Jason Walsmith: The Racontourist, Earlham
Sarah Scull: The Piecemaker, Creston
Kathryn Severing Fox: Creston
South Central
Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilia
Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey
Macey Shofroth: The Midwest Creative, Norwalk
Iowa at Large
Iowa Writers Collaborative: Roundup
Hola Iowa: Iowa
Black Iowa News (Dana James): Black Iowa News
Letters From Iowans: Letters From Iowans
Nik Heftman: The Seven Times, Iowa
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Alliance with IWC
Out of State
Romen Borsellino: Romen Borsellino, Hollywood, CA
Phoebe Wall Howard: Shifting Gears, Detroit, MI
Barry Piatt: Piatt on Politics Behind the Curtain, Washington, D.C.
Chris Gloninger: Weathering Climate Change, U.S.
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