Iowa Civil Rights History

Send us Fan Mail Thomas and Susannah Western were born into slavery in Virginia. Upon getting their freedom, they decided to head west in search of a better life. In 1864 Thomas and Susannah Western bought their first 80 acres of Farm in Iowa and later bought another 80 acres. My conversation with Todd Western III about his family history. Thank you for listening. For any questions, suggestions, recommendations, or corrections on any historical facts; please contact Host: Erick Nga...

Send us Fan Mail Part 2 of the conversation on Carrie Chapman Catt Catt was born on January 9, 1859, in Ripon, Wisconsin, the second of three children of Lucius and Maria (Clinton) Lane. In 1866, at the close of the Civil War, the family moved to a farm near Charles City, Iowa. I had the privilege of sitting down with Karen Kedrowski, the director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, to discuss Catt's life and her significant contributions to the women's movement....

Send us Fan Mail Catt was born on January 9, 1859, in Ripon, Wisconsin, the second of three children of Lucius and Maria (Clinton) Lane. In 1866, at the close of the Civil War, the family moved to a farm near Charles City, Iowa. I had the privilege of sitting down with Karen Kedrowski, the director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, to discuss Catt's life and her significant contributions to the women's movement. Thank you for listening. For any questions, suggesti...

Send us Fan Mail Conversation with the founder and publisher of Black Iowa News Dana James on her life as a journalist, state of the media, black media and life in general Thank you for listening. For any questions, suggestions, recommendations, or corrections on any historical facts; please contact Host: Erick Nganyange Email: iacivilrightshistorypodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Facebook @ Iowa Civil Rights History Podcast

Send us Fan Mail The Sioux City Ghosts were an all-black fast-pitch softball team in Sioux City, Iowa. Their exceptional skills and unique style of playing created a legacy that very few can match. It all started in 1925 as a boy’s club. After class, they would gather near the former Hopkins school along West 7th and Panoah Street in Sioux City. Jim Tillman, Sioux City native and resident, has been studying the Ghosts story for a while and was able to share the story on his first EVER podcas...

Send us Fan Mail James B. Morris Sr. was a World War I veteran, lawyer, journalist, civil rights pioneer, leader, and a role model for his generation of African Americans living in Iowa. He was the owner and publisher of the longtime nation’s first black newspaper the Bystander. In this episode, I have JB Morris's grandson William Morris talking about his grandfather, his family, and black life in general. Thank you for listening. For any questions, suggestio...

Send us Fan Mail On March 8, 1857, a conflict erupted between settlers and Native Americans, and Professor Kevin Mason(Waldorf University) gives us a detailed account of what led to the outbreak of violence. Professor Mason researched and wrote extensively on this topic. He is an Assistant Professor of History at Waldorf University. He teaches various courses at all undergraduate levels, oversees internship opportunities, and facilitates student research. He currently serves on the Higher Le...

Send us Fan Mail Part 2 of the conversation with history professor, Dr. David Brodnax on black Iowans in the 19th century. Thank you for listening. For any questions, suggestions, recommendations, or corrections on any historical facts; please contact Host: Erick Nganyange Email: iacivilrightshistorypodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Facebook @ Iowa Civil Rights History Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Conversation with history professor, Dr. David Brodnax about black Iowans in the 19th century. Thank you for listening. For any questions, suggestions, recommendations, or corrections on any historical facts; please contact Host: Erick Nganyange Email: iacivilrightshistorypodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Facebook @ Iowa Civil Rights History Podcast

Send us Fan Mail In April 1868, Iowa Supreme Court issue a decision to desegregated its public schools. That decision made Iowa the first state in the nation to desegregated its public schools. Thank you for listening. For any questions, suggestions, recommendations, or corrections on any historical facts; please contact Host: Erick Nganyange Email: iacivilrightshistorypodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Facebook @ Iowa Civil Rights History Podcast

Send us Fan Mail William Morris stands out as a contributing author within the pages of the renowned Iowan publication, "Outside In: African-American History in Iowa, 1838-2000." His distinctive contribution resonates through Chapter 5 of this work, entitled "Black Iowans in Defense of the Nation: 1863 to 1991." Generously, William engaged in a conversation with me, shedding light on his literary contributions, his insights into the experiences of Iowa's black veterans, and other subjects. L...

Send us Fan Mail Judge Romonda Belcher was appointed to the bench on August 20, 2010, becoming the first African American female Judge in the state of Iowa. Born in Plymouth, North Carolina, she earned her bachelor’s degree with honors from Howard University in 1990 and her juris doctorate from Drake University Law School in 1995. Thank you for listening. For any questions, suggestions, recommendations, or corrections on any historical facts; please contact Host: Erick Nganyange...

Send us Fan Mail Arabella Mansfield became the first woman lawyer in the United States to be admitted to practice law in Henry County Iowa in 1869. She studied law for two years in her brother's law office in Mount Pleasant Iowa to prepare for the bar exam. Despite her admission to the bar, she never practice law instead she spent her professional life teaching. She was a professor of English at Iowa Wesleyan College and later, dean of the school of art and music at De Pauw University ...

Send us Fan Mail Stephen Keyes is sitting in Fort Dodge Iowa Correctional Facility serving a life sentence without parole. Steve was sentenced to prison on October 27th, 1997 after being convicted of two counts of first degree murder of his wife Sandra and his 2yr old son Josh, the two died as the result of the tragic house fire that happened on December 26, in 1996. His legal team - The Iowa Wrongful Conviction Division & Drake Law School’s Legal Clinic-Wrongful Conviction and the ...

Send us Fan Mail Fort Des Moines located in Des Moines Iowa, was the first place in the united states where black men were being trained to be officers in the US Army. Fort Des Moines was also the first place in the United States to train women of all races to be in the military. I travelled to Des Moines to have a conversation with a Des Moines native Jeff Kluever who is a board member of the now Fort Des Moines Museum and understand the history of Fort Des Moines. Jeff is also a student of...

Send us Fan Mail Roxanne Conlin is like a rose that bloomed from concrete. As the eldest of six siblings, she endured a traumatic upbringing in a household plagued by violence, where her father's alcoholism led him to inflict both mental and physical abuse on her mother and children. Nevertheless, Roxanne persevered and rose to become a prominent and influential civil rights attorney in Iowa. Book Referenced to this episode: Unstoppable The Nine Lives of Roxanne Barton Conlin Author: Will...

Send us Fan Mail More than a decade before the Civil Rights sit-ins of the 1960s and six years prior to Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat, Edna Griffin, a prominent civil rights leader in Iowa, had already made a significant impact. Griffin compelled the notorious Katz drug store in Des Moines, Iowa, to halt its discriminatory practices toward Black customers. This event marked an important moment in Iowa's civil rights history, demonstrating the power of grassroots activism in effectin...

Send us Fan Mail The town of Buxton, IA was seen as a utopia by many Black Americans who migrated to the town to work at the coal miners. Black and white families lived, worked and played together and their children went to the same schools. White residents included immigrants from Sweden and elsewhere, and they existed peacefully with the African-Americans throughout the community’s history. Buxton was the town that supported African-American doctors, lawyers and other professionals, ...

Send us Fan Mail In this 2nd episode, My guest Kent Sissel, discuss more about the life, family, and the contribution of Alexander Clark to the state of Iowa and the country. Alexander G. Clark was born on Feb 25. 1826 in Washington County, Pennsylvania, to John Clark, a former slave, and Rebecca Darnes Clark. He was a barber, lawyer, diplomat, and activist. Thank you for listening. For any questions, suggestions, recommendations, or corrections on any historical facts; please contac...

Send us Fan Mail February 25 is the birthday of Muscatine’s famous residents, probably the most famous Black Iowan of the 19th century. Alexander G. Clark was born on Feb 25. 1826 in Washington County, Pennsylvania, to John Clark, a former slave, and Rebecca Darnes Clark. He was a barber, lawyer, diplomat, and activist. In the late 70s, Kent Sissel bought Clark’s home in Muscatine Iowa in order to save it from a City demolition that was underway. Mr. Sissel has been owning and living in tha...

Send us Fan Mail The Tuskegee Airmen was the first African American flying unit in the U.S. military, who fought during World War II. They were trained at Tuskegee Army Airfield in Tuskegee, Alabama. This was the only training facility for Basic and Advanced Flight Training for Black pilots of the U.S. Army Air Force. Out of the 1,000 black pilots who were trained at Tuskegee Army airfield, 12 of them came from the state of Iowa. These 12 men were William V. Bibb, James E. Bowman...

Send us Fan Mail When Merry Brown the tattoo artist and the owner of Studio 65 received a call to help a new client to cover his tattoos, Merry didn’t know what to expect. When that client showed up to his appointment and showed Merry what he wanted to be covered, Merry had mixed feelings; shocked and happy about the fact that this new client wanted to cover his tattoos. Terry is a former member of a white supremacy gang. From the time he was a little boy he was taught to hate all races that...

Send us Fan Mail When Merry Brown the tattoo artist and the owner of Studio 65 received a call to help a new client to cover his tattoos, Merry didn’t know what to expect. When that client showed up to his appointment and showed Merry what he wanted to be covered, Merry had mixed feelings; shocked and happy about the fact that this new client wanted to cover his tattoos. Terry is a former member of a white supremacy gang. From the time he was a little boy, he was taught to hate all races tha...

Send us Fan Mail James Jordan's house is located at 2001 Fuller Rd, in West Des Moines Iowa it is one of the Iowa Underground Railroad houses that is still standing and was one of John Brown's freedom trails. The house was built and owned by James Jordan. James Jordan was a Complicated man like most men of his time. He was born in West Virginia in 1813 and moved to Iowa in 1845, he was once a slave catcher and became an abolitionist he was a member of the Polk County Underground R...

Send us Fan Mail On September 21, 2005, the court asked a 19-yr old Kenneth Nixon if he had anything to say to the court before he was sentenced to life in prison for 2 counts of murder, 4 counts of attempted murder, and 1 count of arson. Ken told the judge and the court “your honor, you are about to sentence an innocent man to prison for the rest of his life for the crime he didn’t commit”. The judge and the court didn’t take those words seriously, they probably heard them so many times bef...

Send us Fan Mail The Henderson Lewelling House also known as Lewelling Quaker Museum (LQM) is located in Salem, Iowa about 20 miles from the Missouri border. Henderson Lewelling was born in a Quaker family in 1809 in North Carolina, later his family moved to Indiana. In 1837 he moved his wife Elizabeth and 4 children to Salem, Iowa. As an abolitionist, Henderson Lewelling represented the more radical side in his opposition to slavery. Salem Quakers experienced a schism betw...

Send us Fan Mail The Henderson Lewelling House also known as Lewelling Quaker Museum (LQM) is located in Salem, Iowa about 20 miles from the Missouri border. Henderson Lewelling was born in a Quaker family in 1809 in North Carolina, later his family moved to Indiana. In 1837 he moved his wife Elizabeth and 4 children to Salem, Iowa. As an abolitionist, Henderson Lewelling represented the more radical side in his opposition to slavery. Salem Quakers experienced a schism bet...

Send us Fan Mail When the issue of slavery became the most contentious issue in the country, the courage to act was put to a test, Iowans had a choice, either to stand on the sideline and watch or to act. Some Iowans chose to act. Abolitionists were people who detested the institution of slavery and wanted to end it immediately. In this episode; Dave Holmgren a historian from the Iowa Historical Society of Des Moines discusses some of the prominent Iowa abolitionists of the 19th c...

Send us Fan Mail In 1993 James Clark, Johnny Brown, Marvin Steward, Bebe Davis, Thomas Levi Sr, and Thomas Moore from Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids Iowa came up with the idea to start the African - American Museum in the state of Iowa. They wanted to preserve, exhibit and teach black history in the state of Iowa. Since its inception, the Museum has had 4 executive directors. The current director LaNisha Reese Cassell is number 4 on that list and she is ...

Send us Fan Mail Founded in 2018 in Des Moines, Iowa. Spark Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that every student in the community is able to obtain books that they are personally interested in, free of cost. Spark is also, focusing on reducing the reading achievement gap between high and low-income students and summer reading loss by ensuring every student has the opportunity to build their very own personal library. In this episode, I got the opportunity to talk to the founder...

Send us Fan Mail In 1879 Alexander Clark Jr, the last-born of Honorable Alexander Clark Sr graduated from the University of Iowa with a law degree and he was the first black person to do so in the state of Iowa. In 1884 at age of 57 Alexander Clark Sr the father of Alexander Clark Jr graduated from the same University also with a law degree and he became the second black man to earn a law degree in the state of Iowa. In this episode, Dan Clark discussed the last part ...

Send us Fan Mail Alexander G. Clark, arguably the most influential black man to ever lived in the state of Iowa in the 19th century. Some historians believe that he was probably the second most influential black man after Frederick Douglass that no one knows about. Alexander Clark was born in 1826, in Washington County, Pennsylvania, to John Clark a former slave, and Rebecca Darnes Clark. At age 14 Alexander Clark moved from Pennsylvania to go live with his uncle George Darnes in Cincinnati ...

Send us Fan Mail On October 8, 1980, a man named William Beeman from Muscatine, Iowa was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Michele Winkel. His lawyer, Erica Nichols Cook who is the current director of the wrongful conviction Division, at Iowa State Public Defender, believes her client is innocent. She has been fighting for his release for a few yrs. Erica sat down with me to discuss the case, why she thinks Mr. Beeman is innocent and her expectations from ...

Send us Fan Mail In America, sometimes innocent people are investigated, charged, tried, convicted, and sentenced to prison for crimes they haven't committed and ended up spending half of their lives behind bars before they could be exonerated. In this episode, I sat down with Erica Nichols Cook, director of the wrongful conviction Division at Iowa State Public Defender. Erica is on a mission, she is called to be a fighter, and her fight is to free as many wrongfully convicted people ...

Send us Fan Mail The Mother Mosque of America, situated at 1335 9th St in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, holds the distinction of being the FIRST and oldest surviving place of worship for Muslims in North America. Despite being constructed during the Great Depression, the mosque was built with the help of community members and officially completed on February 15, 1934. Following the construction of the mosque, Cedar Rapids Iowa became home to the first national Muslim Cemetery in 1948, 14 years later. ...

Send us Fan Mail As the free state came into the union in 1846, its bordering state of Missouri was a slave state. When the issue of slavery became the most contentious issue in the country, the courage to act for Iowans was put to test, Iowans had a choice to make, either to stand on the sideline and watch or to act. Some Iowans chose to act and the Iowa Underground Railroad was born. UGRR was a network of anti-slavery and abolitionists who detested the institution of slavery and wanted to e...

Send us Fan Mail As the free state came into the union in 1846, its bordering state of Missouri was a slave state. When the issue of slavery became the most contentious issue in the country, the courage to act for Iowans was put to test, Iowans had a choice to make, either to stand on the sideline and watch or to act. Some Iowans chose to act and the Iowa Underground Railroad was born. UGRR was a network of anti-slavery and abolitionists who detested the institution of slavery and wanted to e...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode; I sat down with Pastor Robert Radcliff from Riverside friends church in Mason City, Iowa. Riverside is a Quaker church. Pastor Robert discusses Quaker's history, faith, past, and where the organization stands today in the fight for civil rights. As Iowa joined the Union as a free state in 1846 it also attracted people with anti-slavery views to the state, none were more vocal and radical about their detest for the institution of slavery than the Religio...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley touch on George Floyd, the relationship between police and black men in Iowa/America, his idea on how to build trust, and a better relationship between black men and police officers. Discussion on defunding and abolishing police. Discussion on how to unify the country. Thank you for listening. For any questions, suggestions, recommendations, or corrections on any historical facts; please contact Host:...

Send us Fan Mail Conversation with Jeff Brinkley, a 25yr veteran in law enforcement, he is the current Mason City Chief of Police. Jeff has been with Mason City Police Department since 2016, he is the 21st chief in the history of the force. In this episode, Jeff explains why he wanted to be a police officer, why he still loves it, the challenges he faces as a police officer, and how can the public assist him and his team. Thank you for listening. For any questions, suggestion...

Send us Fan Mail St John Baptist Church was once a vibrant black church in Mason City, Iowa. Today is a historic church building at 715 6th St SW. James Thomas Jeffries, Everet's father, was instrumental in the building of the church. Construction of the church started in 1937. As one of the surviving members of the church, Everet is taking us down memory lane on how it all started. Thank you for listening. For any questions, suggestions, recommendations, or corrections on any...

Send us Fan Mail Everet Jeffries was born in the mid-'30s in Mason City, Iowa, attended Mason City High school, and graduated in 1954. A grandson of a slave. As a young black man growing up in the '40s and ’50s in Mason City, Iowa, Jeffries shares his life story and experiences growing up in a small-town Iowa and how they shaped his life. Now at age 84 he is looking back and gives us wisdom on where to go from here. Thank you for listening. For any question...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Iowa Civil Rights History Podcast where we discuss the contributions the state of Iowa and Iowans has made to advance the civil rights movement. From its inception in 1838 & statehood in 1846, Iowa had its shares of wins and losses when it came to civil rights, but there were more wins than losses, in some incidents Iowa was way ahead of the nation. On the Iowa Civil Rights History Podcast, we will be heavily discussing the wins, the wins from histo...