Welcome to over 500 new subscribers and followers! This column is called An Iowa Potluck because everyone brings something to the table.
Iowa is my home state, and after a 20-year absence, I’m back and present. I’ve experienced this state from farm kitchen tables, and from Council Bluffs in western Iowa, to the wooded peaks overlooking the Mississippi River in Dubuque. As a talk show host and columnist, I’ve been invited into a variety of communities for decades, maintaining a lifelong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion—though in years past, these values went by different names: Know Your Neighbor, Concerned Citizens, and others.
Bringing you conversations like the one held last night is part of why I started this column. We live in separate realities. My experiences are very different from Ako Abdul-Samad’s growing up in Des Moines, yet we both believe that real conversations about those differences are key to ensuring we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past.
Our stories matter. Your story matters. And the stories told in the films shown last night matter.
I hadn’t planned on using the Substack Live feature, but as the panel gathered to discuss the films, I wished a wider audience could be there. Then it hit me—I had the ability to share the moment right in my pocket. Knowing that 3,000 to 4,000 people will now be able to watch last night’s discussion warms my heart.
We don’t know what we don’t know. As audience member
pointed out in a question to the panel, efforts to ban films like we watched last night are real.Black History on Film
In honor of Black History Month, the Varsity Cinema Theater screened two short films by filmmaker Steve Torriano Berry, a former Des Moines resident.
Berry explained his motivation for becoming a filmmaker: If a film like The Birth of a Nation could do so much harm to race relations, imagine what could happen if a film could heal.
His films captured moments of Des Moines’ Black history—revelations to some in the audience, distant memories to others.
One particularly poignant story came from interviews with residents recalling the days when Center Street was a thriving hub of Black-owned businesses and homeownership. That was before government “improvement” projects used eminent domain to seize properties, paving the way for a freeway that gutted the community’s economic engine.
During the late 1950s and early 1960s, as urban renewal projects and the construction of Interstate 235 (I-235) threatened Center Street, residents fought against displacement. The NAACP and the Des Moines Human Rights Commission led protests. In May 1958, the NAACP held meetings to challenge the forced removal of nearly 2,500 homes—disproportionately impacting Black families.
Civic leaders acknowledged that these projects would affect Black residents far more than white residents. Yet despite organized resistance, many families were forced to relocate, often receiving inadequate compensation and facing discriminatory housing practices elsewhere in the city.
The echoes of that past still shape Des Moines today. Films like Berry’s don’t just preserve history—they invite us to confront it.
Later, a conversation unfolds about the importance of supporting Black businesses and fostering economic independence within marginalized communities. The speaker urges collaboration, self-reliance, and sustained activism rather than performative support.
There was real passion in the air, in the theater. And in the community. And a few heated exchanges. Ako said, his voice rising, we must have real conversations among all parties with differences.
Audience members raise questions about resistance to systemic injustices, including concerns over restrictive education policies and censorship of critical race discussions. One participant voiced deep anger with political decisions affecting marginalized groups, leading to a broader conversation about channeling anger into productive activism rather than hate.
The event closes with a call to action: support Black businesses, educate future generations, and document untold stories to preserve history. The final message underscores the importance of intergenerational responsibility in the ongoing struggle for justice.
The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative
I am a proud founder of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, now featuring 78 voices from across Iowa. Please check out the columns posted last week here in the Flipside Edition and the Sunday Roundup.
The Okoboji Writers’ Retreat
Is it time for you to work in telling your stories? Whether through memoir, film, poetry, or a novel, we will have over 60 speakers on hand to empower you. The dates are September 28-October 1.
If you’ve ever had even a brief thought about starting a writing project, this event is designed for you. All skill levels welcome. You’ll learn, have fun, become a part of a new community, and have a transformational experience like none other.
Just do it.
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