George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020 scarred my soul. Watching video of callous white police officers murdering a Black man on a Midwestern street provoked despair and unparalleled anger. But the ensuing groundswell of protesters that summer felt cathartic. Unpopular opinion: While many Iowans fretted over the ensuing chaos during the […]
Des Moines Black Lives Matter
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Iowa Freedom Riders: Nobody deserves prison, including the man who could have killed us
“That’s bullshit.” “This is not justice.” “Disappointed, but not surprised.” “What he did is a terroristic act and should be in prison for it.” The news that Michael Ray Stepanek, an Iowa City man who intentionally drove through a crowd of racial justice protesters on Aug. 21 in order to give them an “attitude adjustment,” […]
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Iowa Freedom Riders protest in Washington, where Gov. Reynolds was reportedly staying the night
After the Iowa Freedom Riders’ success in getting the Iowa City Council to address their city-level demands last week, IFR turned their attention to their state-level demands and Gov. Kim Reynolds on Monday. Following a march in Iowa City, which attracted more than 150 people, a group of approximately 50 protesters drove to Washington, Iowa, […]
