Whew! It's been a while. Where have we been? What have we been up to? Why did the site go dark? Where have we been: On a personal note, last October, our family lost our cousin, Candace. Less than a month later, my dad passed away. It became important to take time and make room … Continue reading Back From Hiatus
The Purpose of Racism
“The function, the very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work." - Toni Morrison Earlier this month I had BIG PLANS to do a weekly blog on some of St. Paul AME church's notable members as part of the congregation's 150th anniversary celebration. I did two. Then I started … Continue reading The Purpose of Racism
James B. Morris, Sr.
Our celebration of St. Paul A.M.E. Church's 150th year continues. Today we're taking a look at Mr. James B. Morris, Sr., a man who absolutely did *all of the things.* James B. Morris was born in Atlanta, Georgia on August 15. 1890. His parents had both been enslaved. One of his earliest memories was of … Continue reading James B. Morris, Sr.
What’s Next?
We had an internship. We learned some stuff. What's next? Digesting and sorting Evelynn and Amani's work to look for trends and other areas of exploration. Tooling our internship to work with Des Moines Public Schools Silver Cord program, an opportunity for students to be recognized for completing 200 hours of community service during high … Continue reading What’s Next?
Would you consider preaching for $1 and a chicken too?
Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Des Moines, Iowa has been through various different leaders in their time, but there’s one pioneering pastor who sparked hope through his sermons. And, according to a clipping from The Des Moines Register, he was given $1 and a chicken to preach on Sundays, but that's not all he … Continue reading Would you consider preaching for $1 and a chicken too?
What’s Old is New Again
A few days ago I came across a snippet in the Des Moines Register Archives from April 8, 1934: Bethel A.M.E. Church was hosting a lecture on Black Maternal Health, given by Dr. Nelle Noble. This short newspaper clipping from nearly 90 years ago is illustrative of the many ways Black Churches filled the gaping … Continue reading What’s Old is New Again
What else do y’all do?
I was reflecting on how irregular our social media and blog posts are. It occurred to me that people might be interested in why that is and what else we are up to at the Iowa Black History Research Collective. We have families. All of our board members have children in our lives, who we … Continue reading What else do y’all do?
Nikole Hannah-Jones, The Iowa State Library, and The Matter of Ralph: Part 3
FIrst, off - I did not intend for this to be a month long cliff hanger. The second half of December brought not just winter holidays, a young child home on break, it brought a night of tornadoes across the state of Iowa, another derecho, a national threat of school violence...all while the pandemic rages … Continue reading Nikole Hannah-Jones, The Iowa State Library, and The Matter of Ralph: Part 3
Nikole Hannah-Jones, The Iowa State Library, and The Matter of Ralph: Part 2
In my previous blog, I wrote about my experience at the Des Moines Public Library Foundation's 2021 Iowa Author Awards dinner recognizing Iowa native Nikole Hannah-Jones and her work on the 1619 Project. During her speech, Ms. Hannah-Jones spoke extensively about what the Public Library meant to her growing up in Waterloo, Iowa. I really … Continue reading Nikole Hannah-Jones, The Iowa State Library, and The Matter of Ralph: Part 2
Nikole Hannah-Jones, The Iowa State Library, and The Matter of Ralph: Part 1
On Monday, November 22, I was privilged to attend the Des Moines Library Foundation's 2021 Iowa Author Awards Dinner, recognizing Iowa native, Nikole Hannah-Jones and her work on the 1619 Project. First: This was the first large, indoor event that I have attended since the pandemic hit in March, 2020. Each audience member was required … Continue reading Nikole Hannah-Jones, The Iowa State Library, and The Matter of Ralph: Part 1