Even if different on surface, Iowa is Ferguson

On Tuesday, St. Louis county prosecutor Robert McCulloch announced a grand jury would not indict police officer Darren Wilson for the Aug. 9 killing of unarmed teenager Michael Brown. Since then, many of us have watched scenes of racial unrest that seem worlds away from quiet Iowa communities.

After all, Michael Brown was killed in the shadows of one of America's largest cities - the type of city Iowans usually flock to for short weekend shopping trips, cultural outings or sporting events. Ferguson itself is 65 percent African-American, the unemployment rate is 13 percent and 24 percent of its residents live below the poverty line. At first glance, communities in Iowa look nothing like Ferguson. Our state is 92 percent white and our unemployment and poverty rates are below the national average.

However, a Nov. 6 article by Danielle C. Belton published by the Root ranks Iowa as one of the worst states for African-Americans to live in the country, alongside Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and Mississippi. The article cites disproportionately high unemployment rates, poverty rates, arrest rates and incarceration rates for African-Americans. Let's look at some of these statistics more closely. The unemployment rate for whites in Iowa is approximately 5 percent, compared to 15 percent for African-Americans. Approximately 11 percent of whites live below the poverty line in Iowa compared to approximately 36 percent of African-Americans. While African-Americans make up just 3 percent of the state's population, they make up 25 percent of the state's prison population. Recent media coverage has focused on racial disparities in arrests. For example African-Americans are eight times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession, the highest racial disparity in arrests for marijuana possession in the country. We see similar obstacles facing the state's growing Latino population.

These statistics demonstrate that racial inequality in Iowa is deeply rooted and that opportunities for minorities living in the state may be severely limited. Systemic racial inequality and racial violence are inextricably linked. Therefore, our communities in Iowa are not unlike Ferguson, Brooklyn, Cleveland, or the countless other communities across the country where the lives of racial minorities are lives are constantly at risk. In fact, we do not need to look further than the 2012 killing of Derrick Ambrose Jr. in Waterloo to know that Iowa is not immune the trauma of racial violence.

The good news is that Iowans hold tremendous power to create social change. Over the next two years any political candidate who intends to be a serious contender for the presidency will visit our state. As they campaign, we will have significant access to local and national officials. We can use this opportunity to hold our political leaders accountable for racial injustice in our state and nationwide. Because black lives matter.

' Jessica Welburn is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and African-American Studies at the University of Iowa. Her research focuses on race and ethnic relations, social mobility and urban inequality. Comments: jswelburn@gmail.com