Surfing is one of the fastest-growing adventure sports industries world-wide, worth approximately $10 billion, according to Surfer Today. If not for one man, however, surfing might have remained a Native Hawaiian activity known only to those born on the island. Duke Kahanamoku was born in 1890 to a prominent family related to the Kamehamehas, the rulers of Hawaii. Growing up, Kahanamoku told The Evening World in 1920 that he did not remember if he learned to walk or swim first.

Kahanamoku was the first Hawaiian to win an Olympic gold medal. Competing for the US in 1912, he won both a gold and a silver in swimming. He went on to win additional gold medals at the 1920 Olympic games, and a silver medal at the 1924 games, at the age of 34. However, remaining eligible to compete in the Olympics required that he maintain “amateur” status and refrain from a professional career. Therefore, Kahanamoku participated in “exhibitions,” at which he also gave surfing demonstrations.

He is widely recognized as introducing the sport not only to the US California coast, but to Australia and New Zealand as well. Today, there are statues of him in Australia, New Zealand, and on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. In 1925, according to DukeKahanamoku.com, he revolutionized water rescue when he happened to be surfing near a fishing vessel that capsized. While many of the 25 aboard drowned, two other surfers saved four passengers between them, and Kahanamoku saved eight himself. The Newport Beach police chief called his efforts "The most superhuman surfboard rescue act the world has ever seen." This rescue led to lifeguards across the US using surfboards as standard equipment for water rescues, according to Men's Journal. 

Aside from swimming and surfing, Kahanamoku had a variety of interesting jobs. While living in Southern California in the 1920s, he appeared in many films, which he viewed as a way to promote surfing. He also served as Sheriff of Honolulu for 13 consecutive terms, from 1932 to 1961. He is a member of the Swimming, Surfing, and Olympic Halls of Fame. He was known to be kind and good-humored, and was married to the same woman, Nadine Alexander, for 28 years. To this day, admirers continuously adorn his statue in Honolulu with fresh leis.

On December 1, the Iowa Commission on Native American Affairs (ICNAA) published a column in Iowa newspapers, including the Gazette, calling for an end to using Native American names and mascots for Iowa sports teams.

The Commission noted that using Native American symbols, likenesses, imagery, and nicknames is degrading and hurtful. It reduces Native American people to caricatures and stereotypes, and co-opts their culture. For the past 30 years, mental health researchers have noted that use of Native mascots is measurably detrimental to Indigenous persons.

Dan Kellams, a 1954 graduate of Marion High School and athlete who proudly played under the team name “Indians,” points out in his own opinion article that he had initially supported retaining Native names and imagery for teams, but changed his mind after doing some basic research. He reviewed the National Congress of American Indians website, which represents the oldest and largest organization of tribal governments, and found studies showing that Indigenous youth are negatively affected by portrayals of stereotypical Indian team names, logos, and mascots. Test subjects felt depressed about themselves, their community, and their futures when shown these images.

Conversely, when European Americans were shown comparable images, the symbols were associated with positive memories. The study noted many European-Americans grew up “playing Indian” and viewing romanticized media portrayals of Native Americans. Kellam recognized himself in the study author’s opinion that “non-Indians who react positively to certain Indian images may not be able to understand that these same images make real Indians feel bad.”

The ICNAA agrees, writing, “the use of Native team nicknames gives students and fans the impression that Native people are purely historical or even fictional. Although many Iowans might only be familiar with Native people from depictions in western films and elsewhere in popular culture, Iowa’s Native population comprises more than 16,000 people” and is growing. Iowa’s Native Americans are, on average, younger and more urban than its European-ancestry population.

The ICNAA urges Iowans to stop undermining its excellent school system by encouraging inaccurate stereotypes of Native American people through continued use of offensive team names and mascots. As Mr. Kellam noted, when the Marion School Board voted 5-2 to change the Marion “Indians” team name in October, “it hurt.” But, he concluded, “Indians had to go. … it’s not my name to keep.”

Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, Connecticut high school students will have the opportunity to take a year-long course in African-American, Black, Puerto-Rican, and Latino studies. In 2022-23, every high school in Connecticut must offer the course.

Developed with the assistance of a wide range of stakeholders, the course “provides students with “a better understanding of the African-American, Black, Puerto Rican, and Latino contributions to United States history, society, economy, and culture,” according to a statement released by Governor Ned Lamont’s office. The curriculum has recently been approved by the State Board of Education, clearing the last hurdle remaining before schools may offer the course.

The Governor characterized the course as “long overdue” and stated it “will be an enormous benefit not only to our Black and Latino students, but to students of all backgrounds.” The curriculum focuses on both content knowledge and student identity development. It is based upon Connecticut’s Social Studies framework and uses approaches already familiar to Social Studies teachers, which will enable them to deliver a content-rich and personalized learning experience.

State Senator Douglas McCrory (D-Hartford), quoted Nelson Mandela in his remarks, saying “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” He stated he hoped the new course “will facilitate a greater understanding and appreciation of the many contributions made by Black and Latino Americans.”

In 2008, Iowa became the first state to require a “Minority Impact Statement” on any bill, joint resolution, or amendment that would create a new criminal offense, change an existing offense, or amend a penalty related to sentencing, probation, or parole.

The impact statements categorize bills as having likely positive, negative, minimal, no impact, or unknown impact on minority communities in Iowa. The Legislative Services Agency works with the Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning to develop impact statements. These statements are drafted after a bill moves out of committee and before a floor vote.

Since Iowa had the largest racial disparity in incarceration rates per capita in the nation in 2008, according to the National Justice Juvenile Network (NJJN), minority impact statements were an essential first step. However, under Iowa’s current legislative process, a minority impact statement is only assigned prior to a floor vote, well after bills are referred to committees.

In analyzing the effect of the law, the NJJN noted, “if minority impact statements were available earlier in the legislative process, the public could utilize the statement to hold legislators accountable, organize communities to promote or prevent the passage of legislation, and advocate for or against the legislation based on its impact. As the law is currently implemented, those advocacy strategies are unavailable to advocates, activists, and concerned citizens. By making minority impact statements available sooner in the legislative process, the public would have a meaningful opportunity to discuss and question their legislators about their position on the bill.”

The NJJN advocated for strengthening impact statements in several ways. First, the statements tend to focus only on Black Iowans, without considering other communities such as people with disabilities, indigenous people, people of color other than Black Iowans, and women. The statements are also often cursory, consisting of conclusory statements devoid of analysis. There is no standardized process or methodology for categorizing impacts. There is also no prohibition on the legislature passing bills with negative impacts or incentive for passing bills with positive impacts.

Actual implementation of a bill is also important. For example, a bill creating a lower class of Robbery, a Class D felony, was expected to create a positive impact on persons of color. In practice, however, the Class D felony charge was applied to far more whites than persons of color, who continued to be charged with the Class A, B, and C felony robbery charges. Iowa’s incarceration disparity has slightly decreased, but it is still the third highest in the nation. NJJN concluded minority impact statements must be strengthened to maximize their impact. The complete report, with additional data and recommendations, is available online.

Tracy Jon Sargeant is the founder and visionary behind the Multicultural Development Center of Iowa (MDC Iowa). MDC Iowa offers free STEM classes, business support for Black entrepreneurs, intercultural awareness programs, and scholarships. It seems unfair, however, to confine MDC Iowa to a discrete list of offerings with Sargeant at the helm. If he sees a problem, he starts working on a solution.  

Sargeant’s aptitude for innovation started early. The son of a wood-worker, he grew up watching his father routinely solving problems to complete projects, and remembers him saying, “there is no such thing as failure unless you quit.” One thing his parents did not have, however, was an interest in technology. 

Ultimately, this led to Sargeant’s interest in creating a nonprofit. He realized teachers can only do so much, and many parents do not have the skills or interest in technology to support their kids. In addition, after joining the IT field as an adult, he realized there were very few people of color working in IT. Believing “we can’t be what we can’t see,” Sargeant wants to showcase people of color in STEM fields and other professions, to give young people a wider view of what they can do in life.

Sargeant says he has “a bias toward action.” Once he realized he wanted to help people, especially marginalized people, discover the world of technology, he started by offering 3D design classes, but wanted to do more. Surprisingly, a collaboration with the Iowa City Bike Library was the catalyst for delivering STEM classes through community partner organizations.

Ashley is a nonprofit professional and human rights advocate based in Iowa City. While her past work has included LGBTQ advocacy, youth development, and domestic and sexual violence prevention, 2020 prompted her to focus on racial justice and systems reform. Because human rights work is so intersectional, Ashley is continually growing and learning how to become a more effective advocate and ally. Highlights from her past work include facilitating workplace LGBTQ inclusivity trainings, coordinating a leadership program for area youth, and planning local events for Sexual Assault Activism Month. Ashley strives to leverage her own privilege and experiences to foster vital community dialogues and create equitable change in our community.

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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