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“Every little girl sees that this is a country of possibilities. … Dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourselves in a way that others may not, simply because they have never seen it before.”
— Vice President Kamala Harris
Black History Month is the perfect time to recognize the accomplishments of the countless Black women who organized, boycotted, planned, and built coalitions across this country and throughout our community.
At a time when schools struggle with how to teach about Black history, it’s important to remind ourselves about the major contributions of Black women. Some of us learned about Sojourner Truth and her dedication to abolition and women’s rights. We know of Harriet Tubman’s rescue of slaves through the Underground Railroad. Some of our studies may have included the social and racial justice work of Dr. Angela Davis. Many of us remember Shirley Chisholm’s 1972 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.
But how many of us know Amelia Boynton, who organized the 1965 march to the capital of Montgomery, Alabama, infamously known as Bloody Sunday? Do we remember Ella Baker, director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLS), who helped found the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1960? How about Dorothy Cotton, who prepared the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech in 1963 and trained activists in non-violent protest? Did our studies include Dr. Dorothy Height, regarded by President Barack Obama as “the godmother of the civil rights movement” and the women’s movement. In 1946, she was instrumental in the integration of all YWCAs.
As Iowans, we can be proud of local Black women leaders who left their mark on our communities. Edna Griffin protested discrimination at Katz Drug Store’s lunch counter, Willie Stevenson Glanton made her mark as Iowa’s first Black female legislator, Evelyn Davis founded Tiny Tots Child Care and Education Center, and LaMetta Wynn was Iowa’s first Black mayor. These are a few of the remarkable Black women in Iowa’s history whose stories are not widely known or celebrated.
The 2021 inauguration of Vice President Kamala Harris – a woman of Black and Asian heritage – was a significant milestone and reason for celebration. But it was also a reminder that the fight for social justice, racial equality, and gender equity is far from over.
For Chrysalis, we believe that you cannot be what you cannot see. This is the work of Chrysalis, our partners, and supporters. Together, we will continue to help all girls and women see the potential in their own lives, and we will provide the resources and support they need to succeed. We’ll help move them from possibility to probability, knowing they have the power to do so much more…because they have seen it happen.
Here are ways to celebrate Black History Month this year in Des Moines. Ways to celebrate Black History Month in the Des Moines Metro in 2024
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