The first time I learned about environmental racism, I was a student at Drake University. While working for the Office of Sustainability, I was tasked with updating their organizational website. I decided to research and include a history of the Drake neighborhood. The neighborhood was once referred to as Oakridge or Center Street, a bustling Black community with restaurants, nightclubs, small businesses, and family homes. Black families that made up the neighborhood were displaced when I-235 was constructed, and the areas surrounding the interstate were redlined.
Now all that remains of the Oakridge neighborhood is a nonprofit housing and human services agency. Public officials demolished the neighborhood to construct the interstate–an action that has had health consequences. There are higher rates of asthma and respiratory-related illnesses in communities surrounding interstates. The placement of interstates in communities of color, and the health consequences, are iterations of environmental racism.
Redlining, the intentional division of neighborhoods along racial lines, was not a phenomenon unique to Des Moines. In the 1930’s, The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) led a campaign of disinvestment. They marked communities of color red on their maps. Redlining signaled “hazardous” areas. Financial institutions made a smaller number of loans to those neighborhoods. This disinvestment led to fewer resources pumping into these areas. Housing went downhill, falling into disrepair. Polk County Housing Trust has an excellent website detailing the legacy of redlining in Des Moines.
I had spent time researching and piecing together this narrative for the Office of Sustainability’s website, but this information was not published. There was concern that it would upset the university to talk about how they had benefited from the displacement of the Black community. The relationship between Drake University and the surrounding neighborhood remains fraught as the university continues to buy up real estate and push out the predominantly Black community.
There have been many articles written on topics of environmental racism across Iowa, though they are not labeled so boldly. An article from KCCI from February, 2022, describes how redlining puts communities of color at higher risk of flooding due to their disproportionate placement within flood zones, an issue compounded by climate change. Iowa’s natural flood mitigation systems, its deeply rooted prairie grasses, were ripped and plowed up long ago, much of the land paved over for roads. This disaster in the making will impact communities of color the most.
Photo: Kiara Fish
The Des Moines Register has run articles about toxic air contaminants in Iowa and the cities that are most affected. The most polluted cities include: Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and Burlington. Demographics across the state of Iowa are: 89.09% white 3.92% Black and 2.95% other races. Respectively, the demographics of these areas are: Cedar Rapids is 80% white, 8% Black, and 4.1% Latinx, Waterloo is 73.5% white, 17.4% Black, and 7.1% Latinx and Burlington is 86.3% white, 8.25% Black, and 4.2% Latinx. There is a clear correlation between poor air quality and an increased minority population.
When I worked on the East side of Des Moines, I would pull off of interstate 235 and onto the SE 14th exit, then I would drive past one factory after another. This area of Des Moines has historically and is currently predominantly populated by people of color. Driving towards Ankeny, the white suburbs, the open spaces increase, and the air feels cleaner. Because it is cleaner–by design.
Our cities have been intentionally segregated. The placement of interstates, waste systems, manufacturing plants, and flood plains in communities of color are racist by design. We have been living in this inherited system for so long it can be easy to accept that this is the way things are without questioning how we got here. Our cities are created landscapes that have been shaped by racist policies, and we are all living in an inherited legacy.
Kiara Fish is a recent Drake University graduate currently working in an AmeriCorps Food Recovery position at Oakridge Neighborhood in Des Moines, IA. She has worked as a community organizer in the political and non-profit realms with a passion for social and environmental advocacy.
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My grandfather was a professor at Drake from the 1930s - 1970s. Both of my parents graduated from Drake. I currently reside in Cedar Rapids. I am not, however, an Iowan. I’m an Upstate New Yorker.
I moved to Cedar Rapids with my mother during Junior High School from an all-white suburban community, to an mostly then White area of Wellington Heights. Many homes were owned by older residents whose children had graduated from William McKinley and Washington High School on the SE Side of the city. I did too.
My reactions to attending McKinley were very eye-opening. There were kids from many backgrounds and many races - Black, White, a few Chinese, and recent Vietnamese immigrants. Other parts of Wellington heights were populated by a mix of Black and White homes, as were other nearby neighborhoods. Most kids from monied families came from other neighborhoods and had their own cliques that carried over to Washington High school where they combined with kids from other monied families that belonged many times to the Elmhurst and Cedar Rapids Country Clubs, as well as other sporting and social opportunities. When I was the new kid, the monied kids “recognized” me, (I came from a pretty well-to-do area) but when I told them where I lived, in Wellington Heights, I was no longer going to be a party to their interest. A snub like that had never been a part of my life experience. And the rougher kids were threatening to beat me up after school. I spent the next two year poking my head out of the back doors and racing across the back field to get home quickly! But I made a couple of friends (who are still my friends now) and got through. But it was a painful experience
Those children tended to fill most of the pages of my yearbook pages of cheerleaders, Pom-Pom girls, pages saved for the most popular flavor-of-the-day pages, such as best looking, and most likely to succeed, and, of course the Homecoming King and Queen.
In fact there hadn’t ever been a Black cheerleader or Pom-Pom girl at Washington until a girl a year ahead of me either threatened, or began to take action against the school for discrimination. Suddenly spots opened on squads and more girls of color were cheering at games, and that more reflected the student body and the athletes.
I moved away after graduation, and then returned to Cedar Rapids in 2007. I purchased a beautiful house In Wellington Heights. It was two doors down from my mother. And I completely restored it after years of neglect had compromised parts of the structure, including a three through the roof. I was happy to be back In Wellington Heights, but I noticed changes.
The City demographics had changed with many White familiars and some white collar black families moving out to the newer homes on the farther NE and SE sides in particular. Surrounding communities such as Ely, Robbins, and Walford no longer looked like desperate townships. And Marion and Cedar Rapids also blended together. Marion’s size had grown exponentially from when I left.
Cedar Rapids Catholic Schools had consolidated and a new, expensive, high school, Xavier, siphoned off well to do students and, not so coincidentally, athletes. Marion’s Lin-Mar School District populated primarily with newer, larger homes of White homeowners drew people from Cedar Rapids (and older areas of Marion) who wished to escape perceived, and sometimes true, crime issues and other issues in Cedar Rapids. Many people started blaming Chicago and the State of Illinois for attracting new residents from Chicago.
It seemed to me that while I was gone that a number of families that formerly lived in Wellington Heights had sold their homes to real estate agents, doctors, lawyers, and other investors. Many owners took very good care of their properties and the area demographics changed, and for the most part, things were good.
Many other neighborhoods have also fallen to investors who have no interest than profits in neighborhoods. That often attracts people of any race who are not committed to neighborhoods. It’s bad for cities. Home ownership is the best thing for any city.
There have been some bad investors, owners, and bad management companies whom have blighted areas of Wellington Heights and other older neighborhoods in Cedar Rapids. And I’m sure this is also the case in other Iowa cities.
So when Cedar Rapids started seeing changes on the news, they had somewhere and someone to point the finger at - Chicago, and the Chicagoan’s who’ve migrated. And, like every migration, the nails come out and and brows go up because there’s someone to blame for increasing crime. We have, I will admit, a number of people extradited from Chicago for crimes here in recent years. They don’t live here. And the same thing goes on I’m quite sure in other Iowa cities, especially due to the Interstate and the proximity to Illinois. It’s the easiest conveyance for the drug and weapons market.
And so these people may be passing through town, staying at a hotel, going to a club, and visiting a relative. It’s a modern day problem everywhere. Most of these people don’t live here, but occasionally they do, and the City of Cedar Rapids is going after their landlord who knowingly keep renting to these people.
I have met so many wonderful people who have relocated to Cedar Rapids from Chicago and I think they have brought fresh positivity to this city. I have heard nothing but thanks for the friendliness of most of their neighbors, the financial ability to buy Holmes and cars. They’re so happy with the quality of the schools for their children. And Chicago is just a few hours away to go back and visit grandma during the holidays. I don’t think I’ve ever met as many things to say about Cedar Rapids as the newcomers from Chicago, and it upsets them when criminals put a blight on them unfairly.
My understanding of the illegal gun trade is that they are usually purchased in several quantities by not too bright people without records in states without hard gun legislation. They then get delivered North to people who pay them well, and they then get re-sold on the market to anyone, including, eventually, teenagers. I am now in assisted living, but my mother is still in her home she purchased in 1978. In the past few years there have been approximately eight shootings within four blocks of her home, two of them fatal. All of them committed by kids under 18. One of the fatalities was a 12 year-old girl, by a 14 year-old boy. We’ve had shootings by kids all over the city in all kinds of neighborhoods as kids ride in cars, even in Ubers. One Uber in a a busy residential intersection was shot at numerous other times by kids in another car. She had six teenage boys in her car. A bullet narrowly missed her and lodged in her seat. The Uber driver quit after that event. And bullets are stuck in the sides of cars, the siding of homes, and interiors too. I know this is happening everywhere, but having it here truly tarnished a city where kids should be thriving.
My last comment is about the new school development program for Cedar Rapids that was outlined this fall.
Cedar Rapids outlined a reduction in neighborhood elementary schools, keeping just one in the older SE and NE side. They will rebuild a new Johnson School. They also reduced the number of middle schools. It upset me greatly when I saw that they planned to eliminate McKinley Middle School, and place all of the Middle Schools on the outer, newer sides of town. So where does this leave these students?
It leaves them without a local school identity during important years where they need a home base for sports and arts activities where they can walk home afterwards. Instead they will be on busses early in the morning until late afternoon, just for school. The district will put a downtown school for “dropouts” or non-traditional students. No more investment will be made in the older neighborhoods.
Thanks for the share. And for your good piece.
My grandfather was a professor at Drake from the 1930s - 1970s. Both of my parents graduated from Drake. I currently reside in Cedar Rapids. I am not, however, an Iowan. I’m an Upstate New Yorker.
I moved to Cedar Rapids with my mother during Junior High School from an all-white suburban community, to an mostly then White area of Wellington Heights. Many homes were owned by older residents whose children had graduated from William McKinley and Washington High School on the SE Side of the city. I did too.
My reactions to attending McKinley were very eye-opening. There were kids from many backgrounds and many races - Black, White, a few Chinese, and recent Vietnamese immigrants. Other parts of Wellington heights were populated by a mix of Black and White homes, as were other nearby neighborhoods. Most kids from monied families came from other neighborhoods and had their own cliques that carried over to Washington High school where they combined with kids from other monied families that belonged many times to the Elmhurst and Cedar Rapids Country Clubs, as well as other sporting and social opportunities. When I was the new kid, the monied kids “recognized” me, (I came from a pretty well-to-do area) but when I told them where I lived, in Wellington Heights, I was no longer going to be a party to their interest. A snub like that had never been a part of my life experience. And the rougher kids were threatening to beat me up after school. I spent the next two year poking my head out of the back doors and racing across the back field to get home quickly! But I made a couple of friends (who are still my friends now) and got through. But it was a painful experience
Those children tended to fill most of the pages of my yearbook pages of cheerleaders, Pom-Pom girls, pages saved for the most popular flavor-of-the-day pages, such as best looking, and most likely to succeed, and, of course the Homecoming King and Queen.
In fact there hadn’t ever been a Black cheerleader or Pom-Pom girl at Washington until a girl a year ahead of me either threatened, or began to take action against the school for discrimination. Suddenly spots opened on squads and more girls of color were cheering at games, and that more reflected the student body and the athletes.
I moved away after graduation, and then returned to Cedar Rapids in 2007. I purchased a beautiful house In Wellington Heights. It was two doors down from my mother. And I completely restored it after years of neglect had compromised parts of the structure, including a three through the roof. I was happy to be back In Wellington Heights, but I noticed changes.
The City demographics had changed with many White familiars and some white collar black families moving out to the newer homes on the farther NE and SE sides in particular. Surrounding communities such as Ely, Robbins, and Walford no longer looked like desperate townships. And Marion and Cedar Rapids also blended together. Marion’s size had grown exponentially from when I left.
Cedar Rapids Catholic Schools had consolidated and a new, expensive, high school, Xavier, siphoned off well to do students and, not so coincidentally, athletes. Marion’s Lin-Mar School District populated primarily with newer, larger homes of White homeowners drew people from Cedar Rapids (and older areas of Marion) who wished to escape perceived, and sometimes true, crime issues and other issues in Cedar Rapids. Many people started blaming Chicago and the State of Illinois for attracting new residents from Chicago.
It seemed to me that while I was gone that a number of families that formerly lived in Wellington Heights had sold their homes to real estate agents, doctors, lawyers, and other investors. Many owners took very good care of their properties and the area demographics changed, and for the most part, things were good.
Many other neighborhoods have also fallen to investors who have no interest than profits in neighborhoods. That often attracts people of any race who are not committed to neighborhoods. It’s bad for cities. Home ownership is the best thing for any city.
There have been some bad investors, owners, and bad management companies whom have blighted areas of Wellington Heights and other older neighborhoods in Cedar Rapids. And I’m sure this is also the case in other Iowa cities.
So when Cedar Rapids started seeing changes on the news, they had somewhere and someone to point the finger at - Chicago, and the Chicagoan’s who’ve migrated. And, like every migration, the nails come out and and brows go up because there’s someone to blame for increasing crime. We have, I will admit, a number of people extradited from Chicago for crimes here in recent years. They don’t live here. And the same thing goes on I’m quite sure in other Iowa cities, especially due to the Interstate and the proximity to Illinois. It’s the easiest conveyance for the drug and weapons market.
And so these people may be passing through town, staying at a hotel, going to a club, and visiting a relative. It’s a modern day problem everywhere. Most of these people don’t live here, but occasionally they do, and the City of Cedar Rapids is going after their landlord who knowingly keep renting to these people.
I have met so many wonderful people who have relocated to Cedar Rapids from Chicago and I think they have brought fresh positivity to this city. I have heard nothing but thanks for the friendliness of most of their neighbors, the financial ability to buy Holmes and cars. They’re so happy with the quality of the schools for their children. And Chicago is just a few hours away to go back and visit grandma during the holidays. I don’t think I’ve ever met as many things to say about Cedar Rapids as the newcomers from Chicago, and it upsets them when criminals put a blight on them unfairly.
My understanding of the illegal gun trade is that they are usually purchased in several quantities by not too bright people without records in states without hard gun legislation. They then get delivered North to people who pay them well, and they then get re-sold on the market to anyone, including, eventually, teenagers. I am now in assisted living, but my mother is still in her home she purchased in 1978. In the past few years there have been approximately eight shootings within four blocks of her home, two of them fatal. All of them committed by kids under 18. One of the fatalities was a 12 year-old girl, by a 14 year-old boy. We’ve had shootings by kids all over the city in all kinds of neighborhoods as kids ride in cars, even in Ubers. One Uber in a a busy residential intersection was shot at numerous other times by kids in another car. She had six teenage boys in her car. A bullet narrowly missed her and lodged in her seat. The Uber driver quit after that event. And bullets are stuck in the sides of cars, the siding of homes, and interiors too. I know this is happening everywhere, but having it here truly tarnished a city where kids should be thriving.
My last comment is about the new school development program for Cedar Rapids that was outlined this fall.
Cedar Rapids outlined a reduction in neighborhood elementary schools, keeping just one in the older SE and NE side. They will rebuild a new Johnson School. They also reduced the number of middle schools. It upset me greatly when I saw that they planned to eliminate McKinley Middle School, and place all of the Middle Schools on the outer, newer sides of town. So where does this leave these students?
It leaves them without a local school identity during important years where they need a home base for sports and arts activities where they can walk home afterwards. Instead they will be on busses early in the morning until late afternoon, just for school. The district will put a downtown school for “dropouts” or non-traditional students. No more investment will be made in the older neighborhoods.