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Michael Tilley

Oct. 16, 2023 6:00 am

In his letter from the Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King, Jr. lamented the white moderate who agreed with the concerns of Black justice advocates but criticized their methods, tone, or timing.

The lesson that white progressive leaders in Iowa City need to take from Kings letter is that their role is to bend the white moderate along the arc of justice, supporting those on the margins of our community. Ive seen Laura Bergus embody just that kind of voice. In the wake of the protests following George Floyds murder, Bergus became increasingly active in her efforts to hear voices of Black and other people of color, and used her insight to powerfully re-express those concerns and issues to white Iowa City while working to empower BIPOC voices.

Whether its been supporting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the need for their work in the face of complaints about the TRCs methods, tone, and timing; or advocating for reallocating police funds to social services in order to address the root causes of crime even when that position among progressives in white Iowa City had lost its luster; Bergus routinely and consistently is doing what all white progressives should be doing.

Bergus is intelligent, inspiring, courageous, and principled, and she is a fearless advocate for justice. The Iowa City Council needs someone who can powerfully call us to do justice to those at the margins of our community. Vote Bergus in the District A primary and in the November election.

Michael Tilley

Iowa City

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Link:
Bergus: A model white progressive for Black justice in Iowa City - The Gazette