Day Without Immigrants, HB 291, Social Justice Council

Ames immigrant rights activist Rick Exner and Zoami Callas-Ríos Sosa, immigrant resident and activist from Webster City, report from the A Day Without Immigrants rally in Des Moines, part of a national day of demonstrations and boycotts, to highlight immigrants' roles in US society.

We also heard from Melissa Peterson, government relations specialist from the Iowa State Education Association teachers' union, describes how the Iowa Legislature passed House Bill 291, that dramatically scaled back collective bargaining in union contract negotiations for the state’s public workers, and the union's perceived consequences.

Kathy Hansen, Director of School, Community and Media Relations for Ames Community School District, introduces Steph Shares, Ames Middle School teacher who started a Social Justice Council there. Student leasers in the group, Malik Davis, Jason Vernon, and Olivia Reed, describe how they address prejudice and bullying.

Alex Fejfar, from the Ames History Center, tells the story of Herman Banning, who studied at Iowa State and was the first African American to get his pilots license. He traveled from coast to coast, barnstormed, and even named his plane Miss Ames.

Listen Here Now Originally broadcast 02/17/2017
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