More in southeast I.C. than what media says

I was intrigued to read about the University of Iowa Public Rhetoric Seminar Series titled “Media, Space and Race: The Case of Iowa City's Southeast Side,” which starts this week. In short, Southeast Iowa City meets Academia. Wouldn't it be nice if just one item from my wish list below could happen as the result of these discussions?

l I wish the media would be proactive in reporting positive stories about southeast Iowa City neighborhoods every now and then - they do exist! Incomplete perceptions of southeast Iowa City are created from ignorance and relying exclusively on the media.

l I wish people who have no firsthand knowledge of southeast Iowa City would drive around our neighborhoods and visit with a resident without first asking, “Why do you live in that part of town?”

Yes, there are some troubling and complex issues in our southeast neighborhoods. However, the sum total is far greater than our problems - but that doesn't get reported.

SE neighborhoods represent a cross-section of life, which is lacking in the more affluent neighborhoods of the city - a fact I find somewhat ironic and sad in such an educated and liberal town. As I look at the young women my daughters have become, I have no doubt that part of their character has been built because they grew up observing life and having friends from many different backgrounds.

Cindy Roberts

Grant Wood

Neighborhood

Iowa City