-
The Iowa State University African and African American Studies Research Guide
In keeping with Iowa History Month 2024, you can have a look at the Iowa State University website “African and African American Studies Research Guide.” Iowa State University happens to be my alma mater, or in a way, one of them. I took my Bachelor’s degree there and later graduated from The University of Iowa…
-
African American Women in Iowa History
In light of March being Women in History Month (as well as Iowa History Month), I’d like to share some history stories about an African American librarian from Mason City, Iowa named Esther J. Walls. In 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, there was an essay about her, “Esther J. Walls: The Role of a Black…
-
Flight of Ideas on Junior Bald Eagles
A couple of days ago the temperature was in the mid-seventies, which is pretty balmy for February. We took the opportunity to get out for a walk on the Terry Trueblood Trail. It’s coincidental, but we did the same thing on the exact same date last February. It’s under the same condition for the most…
-
Update on the Mason City, Iowa YWCA Renovation and How That Connects to Pizza
This is an update on a couple of Mason City, Iowa YWCA and YMCA renovation posts I wrote in May of 2022 (May 12 and May 25). I’m also going to compare the information about those with recent news about the building which is home to Pagliai’s Pizza. Recall that the YMCA in Mason City…
-
Thoughts on the Mason City 1884 Civil War Statue
Sena and I got to talking about Central Park in Mason City, Iowa. I remember my brother, mother and I taking a walk there occasionally. One time we saw a man who lost his legs and who got around using a small platform on wheels. Later in life, I wondered if he was a disabled…
-
Essay “Forget Me Not” on the Web About Leaving a Legacy
Sena found a great essay on leaving a legacy. It’s titled “Forget Me Not” written by Jonathan Clements and posted on the website HumbleDollar on February 17, 2024. I think it’s worth sharing. The comments are still coming in. One commenter (Newsboy) wrote the one below: “The late great author, Steven (sic) Covey, once suggested: “To…
-
“Our Hidden Conversations” is a Very Tough Book to Read
As I approach the end of the book “Our Hidden Conversations” by Michele Norris, I find myself doing what I often do when I feel uncomfortable emotionally. I start to deploy my sense of humor. As a psychiatrist (now retired since 2020), I learned early in my residency training that humor can be thought of…
-
More Thoughts On “Our Hidden Conversations” Book by Michele Norris
I need to correct something I got wrong in my first post about Michele Norris’s Distinguished Lecture on January 23rd. While reading her book, “Our Hidden Conversations” I ran across this race card in the chapter “Black Babies Cost Less to Adopt:” “Vote (for) Obama! He looks like me!” That was the 8-year-old daughter said…
-
Bootless II: Dr. Russell Ledet’s Story
Recall that I had been checking to see if the Distinguished Education Lecture given by Dr. Russell Ledet, MD, PhD on January 17, 2024 during the MLK Celebration of Human Rights would be available for the general public. While somebody may be working on that, I managed to find Dr. Ledet’s YouTube, entitled “Bootless II.” I…
-
Preliminary Thoughts on “Our Hidden Conversations” Book
This is a short post about my initial impressions about the book, “Our Hidden Conversation” by Michele Norris. I’m not finished with the book yet, but I thought I would let you know that the first chapter, “Bread Crumbs” was tough to read. I had to put it down and come back to it a…
Go Retire Psychiatrist 