Why this book?

Every story about the past has more than one possible beginning with no clear ending. When we dive into history, where we decide to start and stop, what we choose to pay attention to-all of these choices shape how we come to understand the past. And because our lives are woven together with everyone who has come before us and everyone who will come after, this matters for our present and future, too. For the story of how this book came to be, we could start in 2020 when police officers in Minneapolis murdered George Floyd and sparked an international uprising in support of anti-racism. We could start with the predictable backlash against that support. We could start generations before that. Lots of possible beginnings, no clear ending.

For now, let’s zoom in to the summer of 2021 when Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed House File 802 into law. The bill copied an executive order President Trump issued to ban the use of “divisive concepts” in diversity an inclusion training in federal workplaces…

Another concept that public school teachers aren’t supposed to teach students is to “feel discomfort, guild, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress” because of “their race or sex.”…

But do you know what makes people feel worse than learning about racism and sexism? Racism and sexism…

As difficult as it can be, learning about the past and what is going on now is one of the best ways to make meaningful connections with each other. And finding out how people have creatively and courageously resisted oppression can be inspiring!

We all agreed to be part of a collective where no one person would be credited for the project, since everyone contributed in important ways. For over two years, we worked on all the moving parts to make sure the final product was as accurate, accessible, and engaging as possible.

(RE)PRESENT.  Racism and Resistance in Iowa by a Collective of Iowa Activists, Historians, Educators, and Community Leaders, Past Present Future Publishing, Des Moines, Iowa, 2024