Among the many ways that Just Voices Iowa works to end racially-biased policing in Des Moines is through education. They often do presentations to academic institutions, churches, and state agencies like the Iowa Commission on the Status of African-Americans (ICSAA). Last year, they were asked by Plymouth United Church of Christ to do a presentation as part of their 1619 Project-Revisited learning series.
Plymouth first offered this multi-session series on the 1619 Project in 2021. It was a resounding success and well attended by dozens of people. Through a 6-part series, participants are guided on a journey through the essays that make up the New York Times Magazine’s 1619 Project written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Iowa native, Nicole Hannah-Jones.
Before each session, participants are required to read certain essays in the 1619 Project itself, watch selected videos, and read other related articles on the essay topic. This way they are prepared with some foundational knowledge prior to each session. Each session is free, runs about 2 hours long, and is held on ZOOM
Harvey Harrison and Lori Young, Founder and Communications Director respectively, of Just Voices Iowa will present session 4 of the 1619 Project-Revisited series. They’ll be discussing “Mass Incarceration & the Criminal Legal System.” Participants will learn how history of America and chattel slavery created and still contributes to the gross mass incarceration of people in America. Harvey and Lori will also zoom in on how Iowa ranks and discuss related topics like the war on drugs, the myth of Black criminality, and the lasting impact of imprisonment on ex-felons’ lives.
Just Voices Iowa will do their presentation on Monday, Feb. 21st at 6:30 pm. If you’d like to see Session 4, presented by Just Voices Iowa, send an email to info@justvoicesiowa.org by Feb. 15, 2021 Read more about the 1619 Project-Revisited here: ://www.plymouthchurch.com/1619-revisited