Black Des Moines: Voices Seldom Heard 1985

Overview

Chronicles the history of blacks in Des Moines, Iowa from the mid-1800s to the present. Vintage photos and film clips are used with interviews to detail the contributions of blacks from their first appearance via the Pre-Civil War "underground railroad" to the emotional issues of today. Includes early photos of black businesses and neighborhoods, the beginnings of the Iowa Bystander newspaper, first-hand recollections of the 1920s and 1930s, disruption caused by the freeway construction and urba