We are incredibly excited to share that our Founding Executive Director, Courageous Fire, is a featured author in the Black Iowa Newspaper!
Dana James founded the Black Iowa Newspaper because she was tired of watching news outlets do a poor job of telling Black stories during the coronavirus pandemic and failing to tell us how the pandemic truly affected our communities. The mission of the Black Iowa Newspaper is to highlight Black perspectives, showcase the Black community and amplify Black voices. This is news by Black people, for Black people in the truest sense.
In her most recent article, "5 things to remember when someone you love is leaving domestic violence", Courageous outlines crucial steps for family and friends to remember when helping a loved one leave an abusive relationships. She highlights the importance of personalized safety plans, the challenges of temporary group protection, and the need for sustained support during the initial 18 months post-abuse. She also discusses hidden threats faced by survivors.
There are also valuable articles from other writes on topics ranging from the work that Black doulas are doing to fight the maternal mortality crisis, to parent groups working to increase equity in our local schools, to coverage of local community events. Regardless of what you're interested in, the Black Iowa Newspaper is a rich source of information that highlights our diverse and dynamic Black community in Iowa.
If you'd like to read this article or her other work for the Black Iowa Newspaper you can check it out here! And you can subscribe to the Black Iowa Newspaper here.