Black professionals, students in Eastern Iowa speak of barriers

IOWA CITY - University of Iowa sophomore John Akpan is majoring in business, but hasn't been able to find any role models on campus.

'As a black student, I don't see any infrastructure or any way for upward mobility,” the sophomore business major said. 'I want mentors, I don't see faculty members here on campus that reflect my identity.”

So he and his fellow Phi Beta Sigma fraternity brothers brought together 40 African-American students and business owners from the region on Tuesday at the Pappajohn Business Building, for Powernomix, 'a candid discussion about the issues affecting our race and being able to socialize and network in a productive manner,” Akpan said.

Ini Augustine, president of the Iowa Black Coalition and CEO of SocialWise Group, a social media marketing and training agency in Des Moines, said systemic change is needed.

'These systems say ‘you are poor because you are stupid, and not, ‘you are poor because your money is being stolen from you by these check cashing places.' And ‘You lost your house, because you were irresponsible, and not because the deck was stacked against you. And not because you are paying a higher interest rate and down payment compared to white counterparts ... Our effort needs to focus on tearing down those barriers with attorneys and politicians that will fight for you.”

Another panelist, Dr. Christopher Whitt, head of the political science department at St. Ambrose University, said although the Black Lives Matter movement is effective, it isn't the way equality will be accomplished.

'Political expression goes farther than a vote. These campaigns keep generating more and more money, and families and individuals in the black communities are having less and less wealth,” said Whitt, who also leads the Quad Cities Empowerment Network. 'We are not focusing on our economic voice, which diminishes our political voice to make political change.

'Focusing on wealth and wealth accumulation is something African-Americans need to focus on within our own households, and communities. We need to recognize the barriers we have in place.”

The financial research firm NerdWallet recently ranked Cedar Rapids as the 32nd best city in the country for black-owned businesses; however, only 0.50 percent of businesses in the city are black-owned. Des Moines came in 84th and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island ranked 96th.

'In Iowa, I've noticed it has been hostile. I've been stalked, harassed online,” said Augustine, who started her business in 2011. 'For whatever reason, people don't seem to appreciate people of color who don't want to be poor and broke.”

After Tuesday's event, which also was sponsored by the Iowa Black Business Coalition, UI Office of Outreach and Engagement, John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, Tippie College of Business, Bleu Vodka and Quad Cities Empowerment Network, there was a free networking dinner.

'I'm interested in starting a business,” said Maurice Jones, a sophomore UI communications major. 'Some take-aways I got from this was how I need to build wealth, secure growth, give back to the community and to support other black business owners.”