A look at some of the most inspiring quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. USA TODAY
A rose to those Iowans carrying on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., as so much work remains.
On Monday, the Iowa Department of Human Rights’ Office on the Status of African-Americans will recognize two Iowans for achievement: Betty Andrews, president of the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP State Area Conference and CEO of Betty Andrews Media, and Rekha Basu, a Des Moines Register columnist.
The King celebration will be 10:45 a.m. Monday at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, and Gov. Kim Reynolds is scheduled to speak.
Andrews, who was raised in Des Moines, organizes the Iowa Summit on Justice and Disparities and “I’ll Make Me a World In Iowa,” an annual African-American festival that will celebrate its 20th year on Jan. 20, 26 and 27.
Since joining the Register in 1991, Basu has won several doejournalism and leadership awards for chronicling the growing diversity in Iowa.
Both women have spoken forcefully against injustice in many forms. That includes racial profiling; the disproportionate percentage of incarcerated minorities in Iowa’s prisons; and the difficulty former convicts face in getting a job.
As Andrews reminds us: “These are not just African-American issues. These are issues for all Iowans.”
Indeed. Iowa cannot reach its potential as a great state if it leaves behind even a small percentage of its population. Iowa’s racial inequities are well-documented in studies such as One Economy: The State of Black Polk County, which was completed last year for The Directors Council, a group of community nonprofit leaders. It shows that a large racial gap persists in education, employment, finances, business ownership, housing, leadership, health, criminal justice and other areas.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we have much to celebrate, including the work of such Iowans as Andrews and Basu. May the day also inspire us to recommit to King’s dream.
More:Editorial: The facts on race that Des Moines doesn't want to face
Is it fair to give a thistleto the entire state of Missouri? No, but our neighbor is making us shake our heads too often lately.
First, news emerged that the Missouri state trooper who was fired for his involvement in the death of Iowan Brandon Ellingson is suing to get his job back. Anthony Piercy was lucky he was convicted of a misdemeanor, and nothing more, after handcuffing Ellingson on a boat in May 2014 and putting the wrong type of life jacket on him. Ellingson fell off the boat and drowned in the Lake of the Ozarks. Piercy should let it go; his actions have created enough suffering for Ellingson’s family.
On a lighter note, we read that U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill has proposed a bill that evokes the old Missouri-Iowa border disputes. The senator wants to correct a Postal Service requirement that some rural northern Missouri residents have Iowa mailing addresses. This requires an act of Congress? Sure, we understand why this might be an inconvenience for the Missourians. But McCaskill, a Democrat, might think twice about crossing the northern border if she ever has presidential ambitions.
Next, a sex scandal involving Gov. Eric Greitens has spilled over into the Iowa governor’s race. Greitens has confirmed he had an extra-marital affair about three years ago but denied accusations that he tried to blackmail the woman. Troy Price, chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, called on Gov. Kim Reynolds to denounce Greitens and return contributions she received at the fundraiser he keynoted for her last year.
Reynolds’ response: “I’m disappointed and saddened to have learned this troubling news."
We're saddened, too, even if it's tinged with a bit of schadenfreude. We Iowans are guilty of looking down on Missourians too often. We promise to stop as soon as they keep their problems south of the border.