The Lens, a newsletter that spotlights Social Justice and Racial Equity Initiatives in Iowa City. Recent highlights:
Ramadan has begun
The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan began on Thursday, April 23, and ends Saturday, May 23 this year. The dates change each year because the celebration of Ramadan is based upon the lunar calendar.
During Ramadan, Muslim people fast, pray, reflect on spirituality and self-improvement, and strengthen community bonds. Every major world religion includes fasting as a form of devotion; Christians, Jews, Hindis, and Buddhists, for example, all include fasting in their worship in some way. Do remember to wish Muslim colleagues “Ramadan Mubarak,” which means “Blessed Ramadan” or “Happy Ramadan.”
COVID-19 and Racial Disparities
While most of the world is affected by COVID-19, persons of color are disproportionately burdened.
According to new data released from the state of Iowa, Hispanic and Latino Iowans account for 16.4% of the positive tests for COVID-19 even though they are only 6.2% of the Iowa population. Likewise, Black Iowans make up 4% of the state’s population but 8.7% of the total confirmed cases.
Once infected, both groups face harmful stereotypes in the health care system. Studies have shown that persons of color as a group receive less pain medication and are listened to less intently by medical personnel than whites.
All these harmful societal conditions combine to make COVID-19 an even deadlier threat to people of color than whites in this country. Now is an opportune time to lead with race. Why? From infant mortality to life expectancy, race and ethnicity affect a person’s experiences. See how your organization’s policies, programs, or services impact persons differently by using an equity toolkit. Take this time to do a racial equity assessment. True racial justice is the systematic fair treatment of all races that results in equitable opportunities and outcomes for all.
Looking for something to do while stuck in the house? Here are a few suggestions!
The Iowa City Public Library has many free online resources, including Kanopy, a streaming service on which you can watch films. Want to build on your knowledge of race and equity? Check out “Race: The Power of an Illusion”.
Originally broadcast and released in 2003, the three-part documentary series asks a question so basic it’s rarely raised: what is this thing called ‘race’? The film delves into conventional assumptions about race—for instance, that the world's peoples can be divided biologically along racial lines and concludes these assumptions are wrong. Yet the costs of racism are very real and can even have biological consequences.
Since its release, the film has become one of the country’s most widely used documentaries ever. Millions of people have used the series to scrutinize their own deep-seated beliefs about the idea of race and explore how our social divisions are not inevitable but made.
One Iowa training
One Iowa, a nonprofit that works to advance, empower, and improve the lives of LGBTQ Iowans is offering virtual trainings for organizations and businesses.
The trainings prepare participants to embrace LGBTQ staff, clients, students, and community members. Trainings offered include LGBTQ 101, Trans and Nonbinary 101, and LGBTQ 201. These trainings can be tailored to suit the needs of an organization or business. To learn more or to schedule a training, email max@oneiowa.org.
Coffee with the Founder
Grab your coffee and join Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., founder of The Privilege Institute, as he has casual conversations with keynotes, presenters, and co-conspirators of the annual White Privilege Conference.
New episodes are released every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. CT. Watch episodes here. Why not also take the time to try Dr. Moore’s 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge. This challenge is all about building new habits in the quest for justice.
Free Legal Hotline
Iowans who are experiencing legal problems due to the coronavirus/COVID-19 public health crisis now have an easy way to get free legal advice.
The COVID-19 Legal Advice Hotline is a project of Iowa Legal Aid, The Iowa State Bar Association, and the Polk County Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyers Project. This Hotline is a free service available to Iowans who are experiencing legal issues due to the public health crisis. This Hotline aims to give all Iowans access to the key legal information and advice they need during this crisis.
Iowans experiencing any type of legal problem related to the coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis, such as eviction, unemployment benefits denial, employment issues, or identity theft, can call the Hotline from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday thru Friday at 1-800-332-0419.
Fair Housing During COVID-19
Is COVID-19 a “disability” covered under the anti-discrimination laws? According to a memo published by Moritt Hock & Hamroff, LLP, it depends. In general, the laws would require proof that a person with COVID-19 has a major life activity that is significantly impacted by the virus. If such evidence is presented, the person would be deemed to be a person with a “disability” covered by the anti-discrimination laws.
At the moment, people with COVID-19 can principally be placed into three categories: (a) people who currently have the virus and that the virus significantly impacts a major life activity, (b) people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have no recurring issues thereafter and (c) people who have had the virus and suffer fromsome psychiatric or psychological trauma during their recovery and that trauma significantly impacts a major life activity.
Most likely, people in the first and third categories would be deemed persons with a “disability” covered by the anti-discrimination laws. As for the middle category, if such a person is regarded by a housing provider as a person with a “disability,” that person may also be deemed to be covered by the Federal Fair Housing Act. Those cases will be considered by courts on a case-by-case basis.Learn more by visiting our site.
Spotlight on Discrimination
Iowa City’s fair housing laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion in housing. There is no specific definition of religion contained in the law. Landlords and property managers cannot discriminate against a person of any faith or belief system.
This protection also applies to people who are atheist or agnostic. A landlord cannot express or act upon a preference for tenants of any faith, a specific faith, or no faith. Landlords may not ask about a person’s religion, offer to share their religion with tenants, or refuse to rent to people because of their beliefs or non-belief.Exceptions to this law are:
1. Any bona fide religious institution with respect to any qualifications it may impose based on religion, when these qualifications are related to a bona fide religious purpose unless the religious institution owns or operates property for a commercial purpose or membership in the religion is restricted on account of age, color, creed, disability, gender identity, marital status, familial status, national origin, race, sex, sexual orientation, presence or absence of dependents or public assistance source of income.
2. Any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association, or society from limiting the sale, rental or occupancy of dwellings which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose to persons of the same religion or from giving preference to such persons, unless membership in such religion is restricted on account of age, color, creed, disability, gender identity, marital status, familial status, national origin, race, sex, sexual orientation, presence or absence of dependents or public assistance source of income.
April Spotlight on Civil Rights Heroes and Sheroes
Lila Fenwick, the first Black woman to graduate from Harvard Law School, died from COVID-19 related complications on April 4, at the age of 87. Ms. Fenwick graduated in 1956, one of a handful of women in a class of hundreds. She faced both racism and sexism, including “Ladies Day,” a monthly humiliation in which professors called on the women “as if they were performing bears.” Nevertheless, she told the Harvard Law Bulletin in 2000 that she had always known she would be a lawyer, and “it never occurred to me that there were going to be any obstacles.” Ms. Fenwick spent her career at the United Nations in what was then the Division of Human Rights. Her areas of focus were gender, race, and religious discrimination; protecting persons of color and indigenous populations; and preserving the right to emigrate from oppressive countries. Her complete obituary is available here.
Bayard Rustin, an often-forgotten figure in the civil rights movement, on April 13, 1947 was arrested for sitting with a white man on a public bus in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and spends 22 days on a prison chain gang. Learn more on his contributions to the civil rights movement here.
"It doesn't matter how strong your opinions are. If you don't use your power for positive change, you are, indeed, part of the problem." -Coretta Scott King, born on April 27, 1927. Let's not forget the sacrifices that #corettascottking made in our fight for equality and justice for all! Coretta Scott King was one of the most influential leaders in our world. Visit thekingcenter.org to read about her life and times.
Community contribution: make a mask!
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and Mercy Hospital Iowa City together employ over 13,000 people.
Many of these employees must wear masks daily to prevent contracting and spreading not only COVID-19, but a variety of other communicable diseases.
When mask use was not as crucial as it is now, these employees could choose to take their masks off at times and give their ears a break. Currently, though, many are developing irritation and even sores behind their ears as mask use is now mandatory. Even if you have not done crafts for years, or ever, there are many videos on YouTube showing how to make ear relievers. These can be 3-D printed, sewn, or crocheted, with buttons attached so that the mask elastics can be hooked to buttons instead of behind the ears. Human Rights Investigator Kristin Watson made some after not having crocheted for 30 years. By her own admission, they are not pretty, but they are functional. Try making a few yourself!
How to access Equity & Human Rights Office during the pandemic
Iowa City residents can still contact the Office of Equity and Human Rights online, via phone, or by email during the temporary closure of its office to the public.
For information or assistance, contact the office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday via telephone at, 319-356-5015, 319-356-5022, or via email at humanrights@iowa-city.org. The Equity and Human Rights website can be accessed 24/7 at www.icgov.org/humanrights and provides information and resources on unlawful discrimination, including Know Your Rights and Fair Housing brochures are both available in English, Spanish, Arabic, French, Swahili, and Chinese.
Unlawful discrimination involves treating a person less favorably than another person, because of a protected characteristic. For example: age, sex, race, or marital status. Discrimination can happen when a person is individually treated less favorably than another because of one or more protected characteristics, or when a policy or practice puts a group of people at a disadvantage because of a protected characteristic.
A person has 300 days from the last discriminatory incident to file a complaint of discrimination under the Iowa City Code.
Stay Connected to Equity and Human Rights news
For detailed information on current trainings, initiatives, or programs, visit icgov.org/SJREinitiatives, and scroll to Social Justice and Racial Equity Quarterly Updates.
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