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IWA Civil Rights & Community Organizing Collections: Confronting Racism

Individual Papers and Organizational Records

ELLIOTT, JANE (1933- )

Riceville, Iowa schoolteacher and anti-racism activist who pioneered diversity sensitivity training with her famous "Blue Eyed, Brown Eyed" exercise. 

 

GOLDMAN, JUNE PARKER (1925-)

Japanese American woman who, in 1960s Des Moines, was a member of the Know Your Neighbor panel, a group of thirteen women of different races, religions, and beliefs, that pledged to “seek out and fight--even in themselves--the prejudice that destroys brotherhood." 

 

HENRY, PHYLLIS (1940- )

First woman assigned to patrol duty on Des Moines police force, serving 1972-1982. Includes materials concerning racial hostility and discrimination in the Des Moines Police Department.

 

MORRIS, ARLENE (1926- )

Clinical psychologist and University of Iowa alumna who was a member of the Des Moines Know Your Neighbor panel,  a group of thirteen women of different races, religions, and beliefs, that pledged to “seek out and fight--even in themselves--the prejudice that destroys brotherhood." Served on the Iowa Advisory Committee of the United States Civil Rights Commission. 

 

NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN, IOWA

Feminist activist organization records including material for the Combating Racism committee.

 

O’CONNOR, REV. WILLIAM T. (19xx-1984)

Roman Catholic priest and labor rights advocate who taught at St. Ambrose College, Davenport, Iowa. Collection includes over forty consecutive bulletins, authored by O'Connor, on the subject of racial injustice in Iowa in 1963.

 

SCHNEIDERS, JEAN AND JOHN L. (1928- )

Community and civil rights activists who were part of the Davenport Catholic Interracial Council and the Davenport National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). 

 

SCHRAMM, DOROTHY (1909-2006)

Human rights advocate from Burlington, Iowa, who helped organize the 1950 Burlington Self-Survey on Human Relations, which analyzed race relations in the community. 

 

VARGAS, LUCY AND HENRY (1929- )

Mexican American activists from Davenport, Iowa. Henry Vargas was a founder and president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council 10 in Davenport. Active in the Human Relations Commission and the Davenport Catholic Interracial Council.

 

WOMEN AGAINST RACISM COMMITTEE (IOWA CITY, IOWA)

Multi-ethnic group founded in 1981 by women from the University of Iowa in order to confront racism in the women’s movement and challenge the effects of internalized racism.

  • The following papers also include material on the Women Against Racism Committee: 

 

WOMEN’S RESOURCE AND ACTION CENTER (WRAC)

University of Iowa organization founded in the 1970s to provide greater equity to women and other marginalized communities. WRAC has offered programming, workshops, and other resources on racism and anti-racism.

 

  • Last Updated: Jun 2, 2025 10:16 AM
  • URL: https://guides.lib.uiowa.edu/civil-rights-and-community-organizing
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