CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA (June 27, 2024) — Former Cedar Rapids Community School District Superintendent, Dr Dave Markward, sits down to talk about his stirring and enlightening memoir with local thought leader and civil-rights advocate, Karl Cassell. This program commemorates the sixtieth anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Dr Markward’s memoir, From Dubuque to Selma and Beyond: My Journey to Understand Racism in America, explores his transformative journey, transitioning from an upbringing in an almost exclusively white community to a life enriched by diversity. This discussion of Dr Markward’s book with local leader Karl Cassell coincides with such a pivotal moment in our history.
“The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a difficult but significant action by the United States government to address inequalities and injustice based on race in America,” says Dr Markward. “Sixty years later, the struggle for equality and justice is far from over.” This act, passed by Congress on July 2, 1964, prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
The AAMI would like you to be part of this conversation. The setting provides an opportunity for reflection and dialogue on the progress made and the work that remains. This gathering will not only honor the legacy of the Civil Rights Act but also inspire continued commitment to the cause of equality.
“The present is often a reflection of the past and a glimpse into the future,” says Karl Cassell. “Dr Markward gives an exhilarating treatise on where we have been in this country and the necessity of change before the future resembles that past.”
Thank you to event sponsors: City of Iowa City Office of Equity and Human Rights, City of Marion Civil Rights Commission, the City of Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission, and the NAACP of Cedar Rapids for helping make this event possible.
About AAMI:
The African American Museum of Iowa is a statewide museum dedicated to preserving, exhibiting, and teaching Iowa’s African American history. As Iowa’s leading educational resource on the topic, we educate more than 30,000 people each year through museum tours, traveling exhibits, research services, youth and adult education programs, and community and fundraising events.
