The Fractured State of Iowa Nice
Ranked and Filed CNBC gave Iowa a B, but BIPOC Iowans know the score.
H
BY DANA JAMES
ere we go again. Yet another news company propped Iowa up on a pedestal. Iowa fell a bit this year on the 2022 annual rankings by CNBC, but still ranked No. 12 on a list of America’s best states for business and No. 10 on a list of America’s best states to live. You’ll find rankings like these prominently displayed on the websites of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Iowa Economic Development and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. CNBC recently published its latest rankings, scoring all 50 states on 88 metrics in 10 categories, including workforce, life, health and inclusion and eight others. According to its methodology, most states prioritized the word “workforce” in their economic development literature, so the workforce category carried the most weight in the rankings. States received a letter grade on each category. The rankings, in its 15th year, also used federal data to measure state performance. “Our Top States study considers life, health and inclusion, as the nation struggles to move past the pandemic and states and companies grapple with culture wars,” CNBC explained. CNBC’s rankings seem to say: Move here,
LittleVillageMag.com
have a family, start a new business—Iowa is great. People like rankings, even if they are somewhat meaningless and, to me, irksome. Reynolds used to cite rankings like these during her 2018 campaign, when she endlessly cited U.S. News and World Report ranking Iowa No. 1 on its Best States list. Vermont earned the top spot to live this year for ease of voting, among other indicators, according to CNBC. And North Carolina garnered the top spot for business, because of its economy and innovation, according to the rankings.
the hairstyles worn by Blacks won’t make them targets of discrimination at school, work and in their daily lives. Iowa is also a place where some Black legislators jointly led a push to strengthen Iowa’s hate crime laws this year, after “shameful acts of bias,” like when a Michael Williams, a Black man in Grinnell, was murdered in 2020 by a white man (a heinous act many Blacks, including Williams’ family, consider a “lynching,” which is not legally recognized as a hate crime in Iowa). Iowa is a place where Black reporters have faced increased hostility online and while out covering stories in Iowa communities PEOPLE LIKE RANKINGS, EVEN IF THEY ARE (which led, in part, to SOMEWHAT MEANINGLESS AND, TO ME, IRKSOME. the creation of the Iowa “For one thing, state leaders kept managing Association of Black Journalists, of which I am to put aside their very deep political divisions to vice president). The Iowa Secretary of State’s office saw the boost business and the economy,” CNBC noted. Iowa’s political divisions appear to be deep- highest number of new businesses created in ening, not receding, with some Black Iowa state history during 2022, but will Iowa’s qualDemocratic legislators having publicly lament- ity-of-life issues make it difficult to sustain ed not being able to get their priorities passed in those businesses? Issues like parents embroiled a state where the Republican party controls the in fights this year over face masks and school governorship and both chambers of the legisla- curriculum. Fights over books are important. If parents don’t want their children to learn from ture. The Hawkeye state has its appeal, but it’s lack- books written by Black and LGBTQ authors, ing for many Black, Indigenous people of color they probably don’t want them to live next door, (BIPOC) and others who belong to marginalized either. Nor work with them. Or advocate for or groups. The needs of these Iowans often come vote for laws that benefit marginalized people. CNBC gave Iowa a “B” for “Life, Health last or go unmet. When I see rankings like CNBC’s heralding and Inclusion.” You probably don’t have to be a Iowa’s greatness, it’s difficult to equate it with BIPOC or have mental or physical disabilities to the Iowa I know that appears to be increasingly see why that doesn’t quite add up. polarized and segregated. Iowa is hardly a bastion of inclusivity. It’s a place where 25 percent Dana James is founder of Black Iowa News, of the prison population is comprised of Black which publishes on Meta’s Bulletin platform and people. It’s a state where activists have worked is distributed as an email newsletter. The lifelong for years to ban racial profiling by police, but for Iowan is vice president of the Iowa Association a second year, nothing was passed by legislators. of Black Journalists. Black Iowa News is a partIowa is a state where a handful of legislators ner in the Inclusivi-Tea podcast about sustainstill work to gain passage of the CROWN Act, so ability, inclusion and equity.
Sunday, September 11 Palms Theater, Waukee
Scan for tickets or visit iaenvironment.org/wsff22
