Remember Edna, John, and Leonard Committee
Mission:
To make Edna Griffin, John Bibbs, and Leonard Hudson household names
Members:
Inez Morrow 243-1893, 2912 N. Union St. 50316
Jack Lufkin 281-8295, 282-0502
Frank Tribble 281-7508, 242-5840
Carol Leach 281-8354, 242-5840
Dawn Peterson 281-8086, 242-5840
Debbie Conlin-Anderson 246-8016/771-2510, 246-8015
Jon Narcisse 284-0877, 284-1234
Diana Ewing/Katy Muelhaupt 286-4936, 286-4974
Lloyd Van Oostenrijk 281-8972, 242-5840
Peg Mikulanec 961-9530, 961-9535
Nicolet Lane 961-9530, 961-9535
Pam Patton 242-6135, 242-5840
Russ Lovell 271-1806, 271-4100
Cassandra Green 515-487-7411, 515-487-7414
Karl Schilling 281-4425, 242-5840
Laura McVey 288-1846, 288-0137
Don Grove 281-8084, 242-5840
Minutes of November 16, 1998 Meeting
Items:
1. Agreed that the best way to accomplish our mission is to develop two "Education Activity Kits," one for elementary and another for secondary school students. Also agreed that each kit would contain, among other things, a documentary video and an improvisational exercise designed for students to create their own stage play script. Part of that improv exercise would be a group discussion guide designed to help the students process the new information and connect the past with the present in terms of what was accomplished then and what remains to be done.
Also agreed that we needed the local Area Education Agency and the Iowa Department of Education to support this initiative and to give us advice on how best to get started and how best to get the job done. Grove will contact both organizations and will invite representatives to attend the January 11 meeting.
Grove will ask 2-3 organizations that make documentary videos ( e.g. Mike Condon on Ingersoll Ave., American Media in West Des Moines, and Drake University Media Department) to give us a ballpark price on a 7-8 minute video. Grove will also ask University of Nebraska professor (name given by regional Anti-Defamation League Director) to give us a ballpark price on the improv exercise.
Jack mentioned that every year hundreds of students from all over Iowa come to Des Moines to the New Historical Building and present plays/skits on history. The event is called "National History Day." Contact person is Crystal Bailey, 281-6860. Each year the organizers of the event pick a subject, something to do with history, and the students create the plays/scripts, then perform at this National History Day event. Next Year's subject (Year 2000) is "Turning Points in History". Jack will talk with Crystal to see if she is interested in our improv exercise and to see if we could somehow "advertise" the exercise during this year's event (April 26 for elementary students and May 3 for secondary students). Jack will also ask Crystal to attend the January 11 meeting.
2. Movie Theatre Advertising -- ICRC is considering advertising study circles and including information regarding Edna, John, and Leonard at the Wynnsong Theatres in Des Moines. Cost is $2,000. Advertising - 3 slides in 15 minute slide show - would run before every movie in 4 theatres (including 1 blockbuster) at the Wynnsong for 52 weeks. According to the advertiser, the slides would be seen by 480,000 people.
Should we include Edna, John, and Leonard? "Mixed-Plus" was our reaction. A few thought it was a good idea, but most thought it was just an OK idea. Cassandra said that if we did the advertising, we should try to tie the July 7, 1948 event to the audience dramatically by saying something like, "Did you know that 50 years ago in Des Moines you'd have to watch this movie in a segregated theatre?"
3. Budget - How much money do we need? And how do we get it? We agreed that we would probably need $25,000 for the video, the improv exercise, and miscellaneous expenses. We discussed the possibility if hiring a professional fundraiser. We tables further discussion until next meeting after we hear from Dept. of Education and AEA.
4. What do we do with the materials - newspaper clippings, pictures, legal documents, and audio/videotaped oral histories? [Member Laura McVey is reviewing the materials, cataloging and summarizing.] How do we best make those materials available to the public?
Debbie said that the Edna Griffin Building might be a good place for a permanent display. We could house the materials there, at least the more visual materials. ICRC is building a "Wall of Fame" display area up front near the reception area. That could be another place. The rest of the materials -- taped interviews, newspaper clippings, and scholarly articles, - could be placed on CD and/or ICRC's website.
ICRC has added "Civil Rights Victory" to its website. Not everything is on-line yet. What's up includes: text of plaque, time line, Iowa Supreme Court Decision, Celebration Program, and much of the testimony taken during the criminal trial.
Cassandra said that we could offer web pages filled with information and exercises designed for elementary and secondary students that could supplement and complement the education activity kits. That might encourage teachers even more to utilize the kits. Cassandra said that we should also try to make the web pages and the kits as "inter-disciplinary" as possible, meaning that the information/exercises curriculum ain't just for social studies teachers, but also math teachers and art teachers.
5. Do we need additional research - collect more materials and do more oral histories? Yes. Jack said it's always good to do more research. If so, how do we best do that? We talked briefly about the foundations that are raising money to build museums on African American History in Waterloo and Cedar Rapids. Both of those foundations want to do oral histories. Maybe we could team up? Maybe the Goldfinch magazine would be interested in doing more research and in publishing an article? Maybe we could interest graduate students in picking the subject as their thesis topic.
6. In the meantime, until we get the "Education Activity Kits" completed and ready to go, should we offer a workshop for elementary and secondary students? Yes. If so, what should we include in that workshop? And how should that workshop be conducted? ICRC will develop a 45-minute workshop designed for a particular grade that will not only tell the story, but will also explain why the event is a turning point in Iowa history. The workshop should also make the jump from 50 years ago to today in terms of what more needs to be done.
Next Meeting:
4-5:30 p.m. Monday, January 11, 1999
Iowa Civil Rights Commission, 211 E. Maple Street, Des Moines, Iowa
Agenda
1. Review/Approve Minutes
2. Review "Education Activity Packets" initiative with representatives from Iowa Department of Education and the local Area Education Agency
3."National History Day" presentation by Crystal Bailey
4. Review information regarding video and improv exercise costs
5. Review ICRC's plans for 45-minute student workshop
6. Begin discussion on fundraising
Thank You!