Iowa has seen its highs and lows in the state’s interaction with civil rights through the years.
The University of Iowa Office of Outreach and Engagement wrapped up its Hawkeye Lunch and Learn series on Monday. The goal of the series was to have the UI faculty, staff, and alumni discuss their areas of expertise with people.
UI law Professor Angela Onwuachi-Willig delivered the final lecture, “Continuing a Tradition of Civil Rights in Iowa.”
She began by praising Iowa’s history of dealing with civil rights.
“Twenty-six years before the ratification of the 13th Amendment, the Supreme Court of Iowa, in its very first decision, declared that no man in this territory can be reduced to slavery,” Willig said. “Then in 1851, Iowa became the third state to eliminate its ban on interracial marriage. I could go really go on and on and on forever.”
Although Iowa has many high points in its civil-rights history, in her speech, Willig noted the shameful legacy that influenced racial inequality in present-day Iowa.
“We’re first in the nation in terms of racial disproportionality in our prison system. African Americans compose only 3 percent of Iowa’s population but make up 26 percent of the prison population,” she said. “Similarly, the degree of racial disproportionality in Iowa’s caustic-care system ranks among the top five in the nation.”
Even with these statistics, Willig said, many people do not believe that racism is a significant issue, as it appears to be.
“These individuals contend that racial disparities are the result of the moral failings of racial minorities and not the result of continued racism or structural racism,” she said.
Willig then proceeded to note the similarities between the killings of Emmitt Till and Trayvon Martin, to show how racism today is similar to that of the past, and to show why we still need soldiers in the fight against racial justice.
The message of the lecture struck home with a few students in attendance.
“I think too many people today believe race is not a serious issue anymore, and that cannot be further from the truth,” UI sophomore Joe Machalek said. “The lecture taught me a lot about the existing issue of race, and I’ll be sure to spread the message.”
Willig ended her presentation with one final message.
“We can no longer remain silent. We can no longer engage in denial about racial inequality in our society,” she said. “The sooner we learn how to do a better job of reading and writing race, we will do a better job recognizing how we all live race.”
Besides students, older members of the audience also said they understood the significance of the presentation.
“We’ve been to a lot of these lectures in the past,” audience member Ann Christenson said. “It’s hard to compare them all. They’re all important, but today was probably the most important.”
