Making Room for Activism

"Leadership is rooted not in power, but in service and wisdom" - Robin Wall Kimmerer

“Where have you all been for the past forty plus years?” I teasingly remark to the six activist women on our Thursday morning Zoom. “I’ve dreamt about being part of a group that plans actions and carries them out for years and finally, here you are!”

I became aware of the Southwest Iowa Activists in 2018 when I ran on the Democratic ticket for the Iowa House of Representatives District 21. The District has always been in control by the other party. The incumbent, a conservative middle-aged retired schoolteacher, was running unopposed. I was sick and tired of being represented by someone who could care less about what his constituents thought, so I rose to the challenge believing winning could be possible. I have run for other offices, most notably, for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture in 2006. My lack of success at becoming a lawmaker sent me a resounding message: Change things from the outside rather than the inside.

The part I enjoyed about running for office was meeting people and the Southwest Iowa Activists was a highlight of my 2018 run, even though I lost. The group of activists reside in Adams, Montgomery, Page and Polk counties. With the exception of Polk County, all were south and east of Cass County where I live. Most of the women are retired and come from a variety of backgrounds; education, mental health, non-profits and business owners.  One is the mayor of Nodaway, a small village tucked in the hills of Adams County. They are grandmas, aunts, sisters, single and married.

Their lives became connected after the disastrous election of 2016. Women around the country were in shock and wondering what to do with such an abominable outcome. What happens when disaster strikes? Women pick up the pieces and take action.

In January 2017, Elizabeth carpooled to a protest with Jan, who lives four miles down the road from her. Jan helped organize two carloads of women from the Red Oak area to join women from across the state to march around the capitol building. "You know, when you are stuck in a car with a group of people, you call it a meeting," Jan laughed. "So we started planning."

 The women joined the national outcry of an undeserved presidency. Frustration with the new administration motivated them to harness their energy to confront the anger seething inside them. Little did I realize as I marched at the State Capitol with thousands of women that day, that I would meet Elizabeth, Jan and others in the near future and we would become activists together.

The 2016 presidential election brought people out of the woodwork. Women met at Indivisible meetings, rallies, marches and through the Iowa Democratic Party. There was a need to gather to support and strategize about what to do under these dire circumstances.

In 2017 when the Republicans took over the Iowa House, Senate and Governorship, Pat knew there was trouble brewing. The first day of business at the legislature the lawmakers launched an attack on and got rid of collective bargaining for teachers and public employees.

"I saw in the Red Oak paper that Indivisible was having a postcard writing thing at the Congregational Church. I went and pled my case, met some of these folks and got involved with these women."

"I was grateful to find people of like minds, because living in a rural area, it’s pretty difficult to know who to have conversations with." Pat came forward in 2022 to run for the House of Representatives. She lost to an unknown, inexperienced female chosen by her party, but knew she was doing the right thing.

Barb was overwhelmed by the significance of the election and thought, "Oh my gosh, there are so many issues, and I don't have anyone to help me." When she became aware of others that felt as she did, she was relieved. "All of a sudden when we met as a group, I didn't feel alone anymore. I felt involved and what I do matters."

There were plenty of issues that needed their attention. The budding activists were serious about embracing a commitment to social justice activism. All of them were involved with other organizations or activities, so meeting was important to share what was going on in their counties.

"We set up a meeting time of Thursday mornings, developed an agenda that started the morning Zoom." Jackie, a great note taker and Zoom master offered. "The agenda included celebrations, reflections, a to-do list and assignments. We needed to have accountability and these weekly two-hour Zooms provided us the space in which to build a trusting relationship."

Southwest Iowa Activists    

• Celebrations

• Scheduled activities

• To Do    

• Reflections

• Call to Action

• Things to Watch

  Template for Note Taking

The only non-rural member of the group, Cecile, was recruited into the activist group after meeting the other women at a Democratic Party workshop. They wanted her urban perspective, and she sought out their rural one. "I like this group because it is informal. There are no by-laws or strict protocol like most non-profits. Being always from an urban area, I felt that rural had been neglected in the Hillary campaign so I wanted to learn more."

These dynamic, motivated women have started book clubs, organized rallies, written hundreds if not thousands of postcards, fought the carbon pipeline scam, submitted written testimony to the legislature and Congress and set up phone and text banks. They provided me with a safe space to share ideas, vent when I am frustrated and to keep on keepin' on; all in the name of social justice.

Sharing our story on an evening Zoom

I had distanced myself from politics after my run for Secretary of Ag. The money raising, back room political games and the effort it took to run for a state office wore me out. The SW Iowa Activists, as our Facebook messenger chat is named, re-ignited a fire in me.