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Burlington Commission on Human Rights, 1964-1965

Iowa Law Review, "State Civil Rights Statute: Some Proposals" Page 1075

1964] STATE CIVIL RIGHTS STATUTES 1075

Negroes and other minority groups equal opportunity in "places of public accommodation." 29
Despite this commendable tradition in the area of race relations, Iowa's record in these troubled times is not unblemished. As Governor Hughes recently noted, in Iowa, too, "people are denied employment opportunities and decent housing because of the color of their skin."30 Consider some of the more current reports concerning the ability of Negroes in this state to obtain employment, housing, and access to public accommodations. 
	The first Iowa Advisory Committee to the United States Civil Rights Commission reported in 1961 that its investigations revealed the following facts about Negro employment opportunities in this state:
	Negro employment conditions in the smaller towns are exceptionally poor . . . . 
	. . . In unions belonging to the former AFL, including those in the building trades, Negro workers are generally confined to a few common-labor jobs . . . .
	No apprenticeships have been made available to Negroes in any of the skilled trades even though efforts have been made to secure the help of State and Federal apprenticeship agencies. In Cedar Rapids and Davenport, there are several plants which hire no Negroes even though they have Government contracts. Except in Des Moines, the public utility companies and the country and State governments hire practically no Negroes.
	Employment opportunities for Negro women in the insurance companies and the retail trade in Des Moines are a credit to the community, although they are not equaled by opportunities for men in the same institutions. 31
The Iowa Governor's Commission on Civil Rights recently reported that employment opportunities for nonwhites in Iowa leave a good deal to be desired. 32 It concluded that "discrimination in employment does exist [in this state],"33 and is "comparable to the patern revealed... in other states with geographic, social and ethnic constituancy [sic] similar to our own."34 After describing the depressed employment status of Negroes in Iowa, the Governator's Commission concluded that one of the factors responsible was rhe "resistance of employers, particularly to the employment of non-whites in positions exposed to the public or in supervision of fellow employees."35
Other evidence also indicates that many employers in this state discriminate against Negroes "in the crafts, office jobs, and sales jobs."36
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29 MAssachusetts, New york, and Kansas were the only states to enact such a provision before 1884. In 1884, Connecticut, New Jersey, Ohio, and Iowa joined the list. See Konvitz & Leskes, A Century of Civil Rights 156-57 (1961).
30 Iowa City Press-Citizen, July 13, 1963, p. 1, cols. 7-8.
31 The 50 States Report 152-53.
32 Report for the Iowa Governor's Commission on Civil Rights on the Need for Fair Employment Legislation 2, Jan. 8, 1963.
33 Id. at 3.
34 Id. at 1.
35 Id. at 2.
36 Des Moines Register, Sept. 11, 1963, p. 7, col.1.

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1964] STATE CIVIL RIGHTS STATUTES 1075 Negroes and other minority groups equal opportunity in "places of public accommodation." 29 Despite this commendable tradition in the area of race relations, Iowa's record in these troubled times is not unblemished. As Governor Hughes recently noted, in Iowa, too, "people are denied employment opportunities and decent housing because of the color of their skin."30 Consider some of the more current reports concerning the ability of Negroes in this state to obtain employment, housing, and access to public accommodations. The first Iowa Advisory Committee to the United States Civil Rights Commission reported in 1961 that its investigations revealed the following facts about Negro employment opportunities in this state: Negro employment conditions in the smaller towns are exceptionally poor . . . . . . . In unions belonging to the former AFL, including those in the building trades, Negro workers are generally confined to a few common-labor jobs . . . . No apprenticeships have been made available to Negroes in any of the skilled trades even though efforts have been made to secure the help of State and Federal apprenticeship agencies. In Cedar Rapids and Davenport, there are several plants which hire no Negroes even though they have Government contracts. Except in Des Moines, the public utility companies and the country and State governments hire practically no Negroes. Employment opportunities for Negro women in the insurance companies and the retail trade in Des Moines are a credit to the community, although they are not equaled by opportunities for men in the same institutions. 31 The Iowa Governor's Commission on Civil Rights recently reported that employment opportunities for nonwhites in Iowa leave a good deal to be desired. 32 It concluded that "discrimination in employment does exist [in this state],"33 and is "comparable to the patern revealed... in other states with geographic, social and ethnic constituancy [sic] similar to our own."34 After describing the depressed employment status of Negroes in Iowa, the Governator's Commission concluded that one of the factors responsible was rhe "resistance of employers, particularly to the employment of non-whites in positions exposed to the public or in supervision of fellow employees."35 Other evidence also indicates that many employers in this state discriminate against Negroes "in the crafts, office jobs, and sales jobs."36 _____________ 29 MAssachusetts, New york, and Kansas were the only states to enact such a provision before 1884. In 1884, Connecticut, New Jersey, Ohio, and Iowa joined the list. See Konvitz & Leskes, A Century of Civil Rights 156-57 (1961). 30 Iowa City Press-Citizen, July 13, 1963, p. 1, cols. 7-8. 31 The 50 States Report 152-53. 32 Report for the Iowa Governor's Commission on Civil Rights on the Need for Fair Employment Legislation 2, Jan. 8, 1963. 33 Id. at 3. 34 Id. at 1. 35 Id. at 2. 36 Des Moines Register, Sept. 11, 1963, p. 7, col.1.