The Lens is the City’s newsletter to expand conversations on equity, inclusion, belonging, and access.
The Power of Language
The article from the Alliance for Healthier Communities, Inclusive and Empathetic Language Use Guidelines, emphasizes that language profoundly affects how people and communities are perceived. The terms we use to describe those facing challenges—such as the vulnerable, poor, homeless, or disabled—can either uplift and acknowledge diversity or reinforce stigma. While these terms are often used out of convenience rather than malice, they still carry the potential for harm and impact societal attitudes.
The article aims to encourage people to be more mindful and intentional with their language, and to take responsibility for their word choices. The guidelines offered below are not exhaustive, recognizing that language evolves over time.
Don’t reduce people to their social or medical conditions.
Use people first language.
Be specific as possible.
Avoid judgmental language.
Avoid war metaphors and combatant language.
Avoid ableist language.
First Generation Homeownership Program
In the Guide to Advancing Equity with First Generation Homeownership Programs, research conducted by the National Fair Housing Alliance highlights that homeownership leads to various benefits, such as better educational outcomes for children, improved health, and increased civic engagement. Homeownership also enhances the likelihood that children of homeowners will own homes themselves. First-generation homeownership programs help bridge the gap for those lacking intergenerational wealth, providing access to the stability and asset-building advantages of owning a home.
The demand for programs that help renters transition to homeownership is growing as housing costs soar, especially for first-time buyers with low- to moderate-income, and buyers of color who have historically faced discrimination. Policymakers are exploring ways to support these groups, with a focus on equity-driven solutions like first-generation homeownership assistance programs. Unlike standard first-time homebuyer programs, these programs specifically aid individuals who are the first in their family to own a home, addressing the long-term effects of discriminatory housing practices while adhering to fair housing laws.
First-generation homeownership programs can help government entities fulfill their duty to affirmatively further fair housing. By targeting support to those without generational advantages in homebuying and mortgage acquisition, these programs can address structural barriers to homeownership that persist.
The Guide begins by explaining the need for first-generation homebuyer programs and showcases successful examples from across the country. It ends with recommendations and considerations for nonprofits, state housing finance agencies, local governments, and other entities interested in creating effective first-generation home ownership programs.
Centering Equity
In her article, Melissa Hall Sommer of the Brighton Center, a social service organization that provides workforce training, education, housing, and other support services to the Appalachian population in Newport, Ky., recalls hearing a presenter at a conference she was attending, state, “If an organization’s approach to addressing equity in a community is to form a committee or to conflate equity with equality, diversity, and inclusion, then it is going to have difficulty making progress.” Sommer and others at the Brighton Center realized that to fulfill its mission of helping individuals and families achieve self-sufficiency through various support services, they would need to apply a racial equity lens. The approach helped them in identifying and addressing disparities both within the organization and in the systems the families engage with. They understood that eliminating these disparities requires ongoing reflection and tough conversations about race, privilege, and our definition of equity. They began with asking the below questions:
Are the organization’s core values aligned with its racial equity commitment?
Is the commitment formalized into the strategic plan?
Does it have an infrastructure that will sustain its commitment to racial equity?
What training should be provided to staff to prepare them for racial equity work?
Is the organization equipped to collect and report data that identifies where disparities exist?
Do staff have the tools to walk through resistance to its commitment?
As organizations adopt a racial equity lens, Sommer recommends they consider the following:
Understand how the organizational culture may further or impede your efforts.
Realize that the important and worthwhile work of inclusion, diversity, and equality are different and unique from racial equity.
You cannot improve racial equity without first identifying and addressing disparity.
Be prepared to talk explicitly about race and implicit bias.
Understand your community and be willing to challenge systems.
The Lens Webinar Series
The last Lens Webinar for the year will feature author Deirdre Mask and her book, The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal about Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power. In her book, Mask "explores the fate of streets named after Martin Luther King, Jr., the wayfinding means of ancient Romans, and how Nazis haunt the streets of modern Germany. She also reveals what not having an address means for millions of people around the world, whether it’s in the slums of Kolkata or the parks of London. Filled with fascinating people and histories, 'The Address Book' illuminates the often-hidden stories behind street addresses and their power to decide who counts, who doesn’t – and why."
Mask is a writer, lawyer, and academic. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Guardian, The New York Times, The Economist, Lit Hub, The Harvard Law Review, The New Hibernia Review, The Dublin Review, and Irish Pages. Originally from North Carolina, Mask currently lives in London with her husband and daughters.
The event's date and time are still to be finalized. Subscribe to the Office of Equity and Human Rights listserv to receive notice of upcoming events in your inbox, visit this link, enter your email address, hit submit, scroll to news and events, and select “Equity and Human Rights and follow us on Instagram @ichumanrights.
September Lens Series
Join the September Lens Series for a profound journey with Sunayana Dumala, the heart and soul behind Forever Welcome, as she unveils her stirring narrative of resilience, empathy, and the essence of community. Facing adversity head-on through her personal battles with loss, grief, and navigating immigration, she highlights the critical need for unity and compassion. Seize the opportunity to be touched and inspired by her life-changing insights.
How to register
The event will take place at the Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A from 5:30-7:30 p.m. (program starts at 6 p.m.) on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Preregistration is required. You can receive further details and register at this link. A meal will be served. The workshop is limited to the first 50 registrations due to space constraints.
Dual-Language Story Time at the Iowa City Public Library
Chinese Bilingual Storytime
Join the Iowa City Public Library (ICPL) every Friday for a special Chinese Bilingual Storytime with Children's Librarian Fang! Together participants enjoy songs, rhymes, stories and fun crafts in Chinese and English. Children of all ages and their caregivers are welcome.
Join ICPL every Monday for a fun Spanish Bilingual Storytime with Children's Librarian Miriam! Every week, there will be a fun theme with plenty of repetition from previous weeks to enhance language learning. Get ready for a lot of movement with singing, dancing, activities, stories, and rhymes in both Spanish and English.
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Únete a nosotros todos los lunes para una divertida hora del cuento bilingüe en español con la bibliotecaria infantil Miriam. Cada semana, habrá un tema divertido con mucha repetición de las semanas anteriores para mejorar el aprendizaje del idioma. Prepárate para muchos movimientos con canciones, bailes, actividades, cuentos y rimas en español e inglés.
If you need disability-related accommodations to participate in these events, please contact the ICPL at this link.
The event will take place on Zoom from noon to 3 p.m., Eastern Standard Time (11 a.m. - 2 p.m., CST) Cost is $15. Register here.
Human Rights Commissioners Out and About
(Human Rights Commission member Idriss Abdullahi)
The Englert Theatre hosted a two-day Benefit for Palestine on Aug. 14 and 15, 2024. The events featured performances by local musicians, activists, and community members. Members of the Human Rights Commission (Idriss Abdullahi and Viana Qadoura) spoke and had a table at the events.
Last date to submit nominations is September 19
The Iowa City Human Rights Commission is accepting nominations for its Annual Human Rights Awards Ceremony.
The awards honor individuals, businesses, and organizations who positively influence the growth of human rights. More information about the awards and their namesakes are available online.
Questions or accommodations
For questions or if you will need disability-related accommodations to participate in any of our programs, contact the office at 319-356-5022 or humanrights@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
