WATERLOO, Iowa -- Disadvantaged students in one of Iowa's largest cities will get the chance to build reading skills through a more robust telling of Black American history.

Nikole Hannah-Jones, a Pulitzer prize-winning reporter, received acclaim for her initiative with The New York Times called the 1619 Project. The 2019 essay was inspired by the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans sold into English colonies.

A separate effort called 1619 Freedom School is now coming to Hannah-Jones' hometown of Waterloo.

She said the free after-school program is a way to give back to the community, especially for students who haven't been given opportunities to thrive.

"I think this intervention is necessary because we can just look at the test scores of Black students, particularly low-income Black students in Waterloo, as compared to white students, and see there's a failure happening somewhere," Hannah-Jones contended.

State data showed the graduation rate for Black high school students in Waterloo is 76%, below the statewide average of 91%.

Freedom School does not use government funding and combines local educators with community leaders in identifying younger, marginalized students for the program. It follows Iowa's adoption of a law that bans curriculum deemed controversial, such as Critical Race Theory, even though many observers note that theory isn't taught in most K-12 schools.

Hannah-Jones pointed out there is a lot of intentional misinformation surrounding the debate over Critical Race Theory and the pushback against expanding the teaching of Black history. She stressed her initiative has nothing to do with race theory found in college classrooms. She's focused on inspiring younger Black students.

"The research actually is pretty clear on this, that Black students who are exposed to Black history do better academically," Hannah-Jones explained.

She added while they aim to reach Black students who are struggling with reading, the program is available to all students. There are no current plans for Freedom Schools elsewhere in Iowa, but Hannah-Jones stated she hopes leaders in other communities replicate the program.

Over the weekend, Hispanic Heritage Month got underway. In Minnesota, people are recognizing the diversity within these populations, as well as leadership opportunities.

Becky Valencia, operations manager of Communities Organizing Latino Power and Action (COPAL) said not all of Minnesota's Latino residents are from Mexico, as is often assumed.

Many have connections to places like Ecuador and have different needs. As they establish roots here, national polls show Latinos have a growing distrust of government.

However, Valencia noted that young adults are increasingly interested in fostering a better relationship between elected leaders and community members.

"A lot of the times it's been very rewarding to see that in our community, organizers continue to plant that seed," said Valencia. "And so, we have seen a lot more people be active and actually searching for opportunities to be more involved."

As for weaving in culture, entrepreneurship is one avenue. Minnesota is now home to more than 12,000 Latino-owned businesses.

Valencia said several organizations help these business owners overcome obstacles in expanding their reach.

She said younger generations want to keep alive their distinct heritage and traditions, and access to resources is a big part of that.

Valencia said fostering more civic engagement is especially important in an election year. She said Latinos have pressing needs that resonate with the rest of Minnesota.

"There's this huge gap between healthcare and what's accessible," said Valencia. "That's an area for sure that we've heard a lot of communication, which I think it's not only for the Latino community, Latina community, but also for other communities in general."

According to Census data from Minnesota Compass, nearly 370,000 people of Latino descent call Minnesota home. This population increased 38% between 2010 and 2020.

In addition to Mexicans and Ecuadorians, the largest Latino cultural groups in the state are Salvadorans, Guatemalans, and Colombians.

It is back-to-school season and for 11 students in Sheridan County, Wyoming, it means returning to a one-room schoolhouse.

The Slack School was built in the 1880s and is Sheridan County's last operational one-room schoolhouse. Inside, there are historical photos on one wall, a chalkboard, a piano for students to take weekly lessons and a propane furnace, a 1966 upgrade from an old coal-burning stove.

Like in any other classroom, iPads and Chromebooks modernize the space.

Ashlee Gorham, an elementary teacher at the Slack School, said the technology also helps her instruct four different grade levels in one day.

"We're on a big rotation all day long and trying to hit all those grade levels and all those different learning targets to the best of our ability," Gorham explained.

Gorham teaches kindergarten through fourth grade at the Slack School, which is part of Sheridan County School District No. 1. Students then move to the Tongue River School system in fifth grade.

Gorham pointed out a paraprofessional works with small groups too, often in the neighboring teacherage, where teachers historically lived. The kids must be able to learn independently but Gorham said the family-like setting means they help each other out, too.

"The older kids take the little ones under their wing and they all work to do their best," Gorham observed. "These kids, they come from ranch homes and they have great work ethic, they have great morals. It's just very easy to be their teacher."

The Slack School is one of 18 across the state with three rooms or fewer.


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The latest report from the EveryLibrary Institute showed the Republican Party's agenda, as outlined in the document known as Project 2025, takes aim at places where students can read, discover and explore. Conservatives call it a matter of accountability.

In Iowa, there are at least 540 public libraries, fourth-highest in the nation. More than 400 are among the scant cultural resources in towns with populations of less than 2,500.

Peter Bromberg, associate director of the institute, said Project 2025, a massive effort to reclassify civil service workers as political appointees, would take direct aim at libraries and the people who work there.

"You know, librarians and teachers are highly trusted and well-known and well-loved in their communities," Bromberg pointed out. "It's really kind of a shocking and extreme attempt to twist our democratic society and our institutions into more of a totalitarian theocracy."

Backers of Project 2025 argued librarians need to be held accountable for what is on their shelves. A bill in Alabama which would have criminalized librarians for allowing content defined as "obscene" narrowly missed becoming law this year. A similar measure has already been filed for next session.

Bromberg pointed out Project 2025 promotes book bans, restricts LGBTQ+ content and undermines the intellectual freedom and inclusivity libraries are known for. He believes it would ultimately threaten a student's educational quality and could presage the end of libraries serving as open and inclusive spaces for people who want to learn. He cited book bans as an example.

"That's the bad news," Bromberg explained. "The good news is, Americans are increasingly becoming aware of what's happening and organizing. And it doesn't often take very much in terms of organizing and pushback -- on whether it's school boards or county councils -- to get the books back on the shelves."

Project 2025, a Heritage Fund initiative, goes well beyond libraries. It would reshape the federal government and consolidate executive power under the president.