Hunter
11/20/21
A group of about 100 students in the Iowa City Community School District were joined by members of the Iowa Freedom Riders in a protest against the problems being faced by students of color.
The Daily Iowan reports that the protest rose out of a video of a West High student saying a racial slur that circulated among the community.
The group met at the Pentacrest Friday afternoon to talk about their experiences. A West High student accused its principal of not dealing with the problem, while a Liberty High student said she wants to see people who target Black students face actual consequences for their actions. The newspaper also reports a City High student reported a lot of unnecessary violence in the district, “and nothing is done about it.”
Stephany Hoffelt is an organizer for the Iowa City Mutual Aid Collective. She told the DI she joined the protest to show support because she thinks it is important for adult members of the community to report to elected officials about the students’ concerns. She added that a lot of money was allocated to deal with the problem after protests in the summer of 2020, and feels like it’s not being put to use.
