When I started planning 2024’s Black History month content, I had aspirations of featuring a minister every Monday…because Minister Monday is catchy, right? Despite having a notebook full of names, I got really hung up on initials. Almost all Iowa’s late 19th century/early 20th century ministers went by their first and middle initials in newspaper … Continue reading Researching Black Ministers is Hard
Reverend T.L. Griffith’s Response to Atlanta Race Riots of 1906
Reverend T.L. Griffith of Corinthian Baptist Church delivered an address to “almost all of the city’s approximately 600 negroes” in response to the Atlanta Race Riot of 1906. In his address, he acknowledged the wrongs to the Black community and called on the audience to stand for the betterment of the community, urging restraint in … Continue reading Reverend T.L. Griffith’s Response to Atlanta Race Riots of 1906
Church Metrics: The Legacy of T.L. Griffith
In December of 1908, Corinthian Baptist’s minister TL Griffith announced his resignation. His plan was to move to Denver, Colorado, and pastor Zion Church, which was, at the time, the largest Black church in the US. In January, 1909, the Register reported that the congregation passed a resolution (including a letter to Zion Church’s congregation) … Continue reading Church Metrics: The Legacy of T.L. Griffith
The Black Church
The Church has always been the cornerstone of Black communities. The Church is a place where people have gathered to celebrate, grieve and support one another. The Church is where our stories are rooted and where we will find our history. In his 2021 book, The Black Church, This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song, … Continue reading The Black Church
Mapping Iowa’s Black Churches
At the beginning of December, I was invited to return to my alma mater, Grinnell College, for the Digital Liberal Arts Collaborative (DLAC) Teaching with Technology Fair. The program connects students with opportunities to apply technology within the Humanities discipline. Last fall, our board member and affiliated researcher, Sarah Purcell, was able to hire a … Continue reading Mapping Iowa’s Black Churches
Voter Suppression in 2023
Today I want to talk about modern voter suppression and the importance of staying vigilant. Shortly ahead of the 2016 presidential election a friend in St. Louis had her voter registration purged, despite having never missed an election. Until this point, it hadn’t occurred toma me that someone like me, who carries the privileges of … Continue reading Voter Suppression in 2023
Dana James
Des Moines native, Dana James, is an alumna of East High School and Grand View University and founder of Black Iowa News. Ms. James founded Black Iowa News in 2020 after noticing gaps in news coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically, the severe impacts of the virus on the Black community. Having worked for the … Continue reading Dana James
What We’re Reading: August-September ’23 Edition
Much of August was dedicated to wrapping up the research and writing for our recent exhibit on Impactful Black Women in Des Moines, which debuted on August 27 at SistaSoulFest in Des Moines, Iowa. I didn't get to read as many books as I would have liked. Here's what I read, as well as a … Continue reading What We’re Reading: August-September ’23 Edition
Evelyn K. Davis
Evelyn K. Davis is best known for her tireless and unwavering advocacy for Black children and families in the Des Moines metro. In the 1960s. Evelyn K. Davis was the director of the Oakridge Opportunity Center. The Oakridge Opportunity Center offered high school equivalency courses, as well as instruction in music, art, and sewing. The … Continue reading Evelyn K. Davis
Willie Stevenson Glanton
Willie Stevenson Glanton was born and raised in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Her father, E.S. Stevenson was a hotel manager, Baptist church deacon, and founder of the Hot Springs, Arkansas Negro Civic League. He believed that women should be teachers. Willie attended Tennessee State College in Nashville, TN where she was a member of the History … Continue reading Willie Stevenson Glanton