Iowa Black History Research Collective

As I researched Union Baptist Church, it was strikingly clear the role the church had for the Black community. Carter G. Woodson states prior to emancipation churches were “the only institution which the Negro, in a few places in the South and throughout the North, was permitted to maintain for his own peculiar needs.” Churches were a place of socialization, as members lo...

When Negro History Week was established by Carter Woodson in 1926, intense systemic racism, income inequality, deeply entrenched segregation, and high levels of violence against Black Americans were all part . Today, in 2026, after decades of progress, we’re witnessing a recommitment to systemic racism, income inequality,

Last weekend I returned to my alma mater, Grinnell College, for Black Alumni Weekend.

Yes: Even in the face of attacks on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)...