“People Power is How We Win” is what CCI Action called their annual membership meeting on August 10. 150 members gathered in Ankeny for a “Fearless Truth Tellers” panel, focusing on what everyday Iowans are doing to push back against politicized attacks on immigrants and new Iowans, speaking out against book bans and pushing for the freedom to read, and challenging corporate agriculture to fight for clean water and making polluters pay.
Iowa’s Republican governor, Kim Reynolds, has been waging a campaign to defund, dismantle, and privatize public education system, banning thousands of books in classrooms, and taking money away from public schools by expanding private-school vouchers by 56% to nearly $200 million this year.
Dr. James E. Ford of the Center for Racial Equity in Education offered a keynote address on how these attacks on public education aren’t new, and that the ultra-right is using the same playbook from the Jim Crow south to control education and therefore the essence of our democracy.
CCI has kicked off a Public School Strong campaign to defend Iowa’s public schools, in partnership with the H.E.A.L. Together initiative organized by the Education Justice Alliance (EJA), the Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED) and Race Forward. Down Home North Carolina and other People’s Action member groups are also active participants in this coalition.
Then on September 28, CCI led a Two Futures workshop for 40 staff members, to examine the scenarios we might face under a Harris or Trump administration. In attendance was none other than CCI alum and Senator Bernie Sanders’ chief of staff, Misty Rebik!
In north central Iowa, Manly residents came out on August 15 to knock on doors and talk with neighbors about the dangers of a proposed CO2 pipeline. They had great conversations, met great people (and dogs), and are now up to 433 petition signatures from Worth County residents urging their Supervisors to pass an ordinance ensuring better safety protections for our communities should a pipeline be built.
As if this weren’t enough, CCI has launched a new podcast series, How To Fight a Factory Farm! The first episode of this four-part series features CCI’s Board President, Barb Kalbach, and Strategic Advisor, Hugh Espey. Both have been factory farm fighters for years!
