Reverend George Parrish was born in Boone, Iowa in 1914. He was primarily raised by his grandmother—who was a traveling midwife—leading him to finish high school outside of Iowa and pursue higher education at a Bible college in Nashville, Tennessee and the Western Bible School in Kansas City, Missouri. He returned to Iowa in 1936, … Continue reading 47+ Years of Service in Des Moines
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
The Challenges of Researching Black Churches
Researching Black churches using newspapers is quite tricky. Information from obituaries and weekly events are plentiful, but finding when a church’s name or location changes and consistent information on its development can be cumbersome. You have to notice patterns and think creatively. This summer we are focused on the Maple Street Baptist Church and one … Continue reading The Challenges of Researching Black Churches