Jane Elliott, 85, has spoken out against racism since April 5, 1968, the day after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in Memphis, Tennessee. Elliott worked as a third grade teacher in an all-white classroom in Riceville, Iowa. She had considered performing the experiment before, but decided she needed to enact it that Tuesday. She divided her class into two groups, treating them differently based on the color of their eyes — the birth of her famous Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes exercise.
racism
Posted inCommunity/News
Anti-white nationalist protest at Iowa City Farmers Market
The nine people at Jeff Pierce’s Renovation Carpentry booth at the Iowa City Farmers Market on Saturday morning weren’t there to buy anything. They were there to protest statements Pierce has posted on social media.
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West Des Moines cafe drops its racist-sounding name after online pushback
A new West Des Moines breakfast cafe will open next month, but without the racist-sounding name that caused a furor on social media.
Posted inCommunity/News, Letters
Letter to the editor: Acknowledging and combating local racism
By Audrey Keith Yes, racism happens in liberal Johnson County. On April 6, an employee of Coralville Petco used a racial slur against Chelsey Montgomery and then forced her to leave the store with the assistance of Coralville police officers. Chelsey’s live Facebook video about the incident later went viral. While Chelsey has received some […]
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Racist message written on UI student’s dorm door
Early Wednesday morning the University of Iowa Housing & Dining staff was notified of a racist remark written on a student’s door at Burge Residence Hall, according to a statement sent out by university administrators and campus leaders. An investigation is underway and the University of Iowa Police Department are asking that anyone with information […]
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Uncovering the forgotten history of black businesses in Iowa City
The state of Iowa has a well-worn reputation for racial progressivism. As any left-of-center, Iowa-centric political group will remind you, Iowa has long been ahead of the game on legislative victories over racism: It banned slavery in 1839, legalized interracial marriages before the Civil War, struck down segregated schooling in 1868 and did away with […]
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Cultural Incompetency: Racist Yik Yak posts target Asian students on UI campus
Masked by pseudonyms and anonymity, social media is often viewed as an attractive way to express one’s feelings candidly. But the same technology that allows users to share ideas and constructively engage with others too often devolves into a toxic, often hurtful environment. As social apps like Yik Yak, which allow users to anonymously share […]
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Trump supporters shame Jack Trice (and all of humanity) at Jack Trice Stadium
History doesn’t always repeat itself, but sometimes there are frightening echoes. Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa, racist supporters of Donald Trump made clear that the memory of the martyred football player Jack Trice has all but been forgotten. Trice, who’s father had been a Buffalo Soldier and slave, was the first black […]
