Each February, we celebrate the achievements of African-Americans in our nation’s history, including many who have hailed from Iowa. In 1986, Congress officially designated February as National Black History Month to commemorate and reflect on all that these brave men and women have accomplished.
African-American Iowans have played an important part in shaping nearly every aspect of our society. For example, Alexander G. Clark moved to Muscatine in 1842 to work with the Underground Railroad and later became the first African-American to graduate from the University of Iowa College of Law. We also remember the Tuskegee Airmen from Iowa who fought in World War II for a country that did not yet treat them as full citizens.
More recently, Willie Stevenson Glanton, an attorney whose life has been defined by social change and political activism, blazed a trail in law and public service for African-American women. Among her many accomplishments, Glanton became our state’s first African-American female assistant county attorney in 1956, the first African-American woman to serve in the state’s legislature in 1964, and the first African-American attorney at the U.S. Small Business Administration in 1966. She also joined the League of Women Voters and was elected to the Iowa General Assembly where she focused her efforts on civil liberties and fair housing. Glanton was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 1986.
These Iowans were leaders in the struggle for equality and made our state a better and more just place to live. This past Congress, I joined with many of my colleagues in the House of Representatives to introduce a bill that awards the Congressional Gold Medal to the great civil rights activists who marched on Bloody Sunday, Turnaround Tuesday, and the final Selma-to-Montgomery Voting Rights March in 1965. I was proud to see this bill signed into law by President Obama, and I look forward to continuing to work in Congress to ensure that those who have contributed so much to our history receive the recognition they deserve.
As we continue our nation’s tradition of celebrating the achievements of African-Americans throughout history, I invite you to join me in learning more about these and countless other remarkable individuals who have helped shape our country.
Sincerely,
Dave Loebsack
Iowa's Second District
