Iowa’s Family Values

New York Times by Steven W. Thrasher | Apr. 9, 2009 (Opinion)

In 1958, when my mother, who was white, and father, who was black, wanted to get married in Nebraska, it was illegal for them to wed. So they decided to go next door to Iowa, a state that was progressive enough to allow interracial marriage. My mom’s brother tried to have the Nebraska state police bar her from leaving the state so she couldn’t marry my dad, which was only the latest legal indignity she had endured. She had been arrested on my ... Full Story »

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4.7

by Philippe Habib - Apr. 9, 2009

I would have never named Iowa as a state that has a long history of being on the forefront of civil rights, but even more important is the personal story of how a fairly short time ago rights that we now take for granted were controversial.

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4.8

by Michael Poland - Apr. 9, 2009

Personal but insightful look at the slow but painful progress towards a truly equal society.

I completely empathise with the slow but necessary change evidenced here in the face of the expectations that it would come from your 'progressive' states. I have experienced similar prejudice in my own relationship as a white man with a black partner, which was subject to the usual comments at the time that it 'will never last'. Yet we have just celebrated 25 years together, have a wonderful family including a marvellous granddaughter and the subject of 'race' does not even warrant ... More »

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