In 1977, Des Moines civil rights activist, Edna Griffin, wrote a strongly worded opinion piece defending the a local dance studio, the Gateway Dance Theatre. But why? In this piece, IWA student assistant Kelly Kemp explores the connection between civil rights and dance through the papers of Gateway’s founder, Penny Furgerson.
Tag Archives: African American women
Kerber Grant Recipient’s Work Will Feature Political Activist Edna Griffin
Edna Griffin, known as the Rosa Parks of Iowa, has gained deserved attention over the years for her civil rights activism, especially for her role in the effort to desegregate the lunch counter at Katz Drug Store in Des Moines. Her actions resulted in a successful suit against the store under Iowa’s 1884 Civil RightsContinue reading “Kerber Grant Recipient’s Work Will Feature Political Activist Edna Griffin”
Student Reflection: Processing the Madgetta Dungy Papers
The following post is written by University of Iowa senior, Jack Kamp. When I started my internship at the Iowa Women’s Archives (IWA), I knew I was interested in working with Black women’s history. As a student interested in the history of civil rights and social justice, I knew that this collection would giveContinue reading “Student Reflection: Processing the Madgetta Dungy Papers”
Esther Walls: The Role of a Black Leader
This post by IWA Student Specialist, Erik Henderson, is the sixth installment in our series highlighting African American history in the Iowa Women’s Archives collections. The series ran weekly during Black History Month, and will continue monthly for the remainder of 2020. Has anyone told you, you were going to be great in your youth?Continue reading “Esther Walls: The Role of a Black Leader”
Pauline Humphrey & African American Beauty Culture in Iowa
This post by IWA Graduate Research Assistant Heather Cooper is the fifth installment in our series highlighting African American history in the Iowa Women’s Archives collections. The series ran weekly during Black History Month, and will continue monthly for the remainder of 2020. Over the past few months, social media has been filled with peopleContinue reading “Pauline Humphrey & African American Beauty Culture in Iowa”
Virginia Harper and the Battle Against Highway 61
This post by IWA Graduate Research Assistant Heather Cooper is the third installment in our series highlighting African American history in the Iowa Women’s Archives collection. The series will continue weekly during Black History Month, and monthly for the remainder of 2020. If you’re looking for a local history of civil rights activism, look noContinue reading “Virginia Harper and the Battle Against Highway 61”
Black History Month: African American Women at University of Iowa
Photos of Adah Hyde Johnson (1912), Dora Martin Berry (1956), and students in the newly integrated Currier Hall (1946). Though the University of Iowa was one of the first institutions to open admission to African Americans, these students often had to overcome other barriers to an equal education. Our digital collection on African American Women StudentsContinue reading “Black History Month: African American Women at University of Iowa”
Ivory Winston, Iowa’s Own First Lady of Song
This post was written by Christina Jensen, Student Assistant in the Iowa Women’s Archives and graduate student in the UI School of Library and Information Science. Known as ‘Iowa’s own first lady of song’, Ivory Winston was born in 1911 in Ottumwa, Iowa. The daughter of a Baptist pastor, she grew up in a strictContinue reading “Ivory Winston, Iowa’s Own First Lady of Song”
Black Hawkeyes: The History of Black Students at the University of Iowa
Drawing on collections in the Iowa Women’s Archives, curator Kären Mason will discuss the history of African American women students at the University of Iowa on Tuesday, February 25th at the Iowa Memorial Union. If you can’t make it to the talk, check out this wonderful resource: African American Women Students at the University ofContinue reading “Black Hawkeyes: The History of Black Students at the University of Iowa”