From her arrival in the late1860s to her death in December, 1912, Auntie Fletcher was one of the best known Black women in Des Moines. For years she worked as a laundress for white pioneer and settler families. Towards the end of her life, Auntie Fletcher lived at the foot of a public dump the … Continue reading Auntie Fletcher
Lessons from Earthseed: How to Survive in a Seemingly Doomed World
“I was attracted to science fiction because it was so wide open. I was able to do anything and there were no walls to hem you in and there was no human condition that you were stopped from examining.” -Octavia Butler This summer I read the second installment of sci-fi phenom Octavia Butler’s Earthseed series, Parable … Continue reading Lessons from Earthseed: How to Survive in a Seemingly Doomed World
Finding the First Lady
On June 3, 1973 Des Moines lost a true first lady: Audra Alexander. While some knew her solely as the wife of Archie Alexander many more recognized her as an actress, socialite, philanthropist and connoisseur of the arts. Initially, my research, found it challenging to uncover her contributions, as she seemed was overshadowed by the … Continue reading Finding the First Lady
2024 Summer Internship
Time is funny. June 10 was the first day of the Iowa Black History Research Collective's second internship. The summer seemed vast and never ending. Now it is late July, we have about three weeks left, and students will be back to school in roughly a month. This summer it has been a tremendous pleasure … Continue reading 2024 Summer Internship
Researching Black Women is Awesome
“The most disrespected person in America, is the black woman. The most un-protected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America, is the black woman.” - Malcolm X One hallmark of this type of disrespect is the post-Civil war custom of refusing Black women any sort of honorific. “Auntie” or “Girl” … Continue reading Researching Black Women is Awesome
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
Edna Griffin
Sometimes referred to as “Iowa’s Rosa Parks,” Edna Griffin was a freedom fighter long before the televised Civil Rights protests that marked the 1950s and 1960s. In 1948, Edna Griffin filed a suit against Katz Drug Store in Des Moines after being denied service due to her race. She was joined by two Black men, … Continue reading Edna Griffin
Harriette Curley – Des Moines’ First Black Teacher
In 1946, eight years before Brown v. Topeka, Harriette Curley graduated at the top of her teachers’ program at Drake University and was hired on as a kindergarten teacher at Perkins Elementary School. A group of neighbors attempted to pressure Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Newell McCombs to remove Ms. Curley, claiming that a Black … Continue reading Harriette Curley – Des Moines’ First Black Teacher
Gertrude Rush
This month, St. Paul A.M.E. Church celebrates 150 years. We're going to celebrate with them, and take a closer look at some of the congregation's most influential members and their contributions to Black life in central Iowa. Today we'll kick off our series with Gertrude Rush. Mrs. Rush caught my attention as the only woman … Continue reading Gertrude Rush