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Good morning, Fearless readers:
I hope your summer is going well and that you’ve had a chance to watch the Olympics.
I don’t typically recommend TV shows or documentaries in this space. But I’m making an exception for the “Simone Biles Rising” documentary on Netflix. Biles candidly discusses mental health and therapy, racism, foster care, online bullying, sexual abuse and more. There is some strong language – I normally wouldn’t let my 8-year-old daughter watch this sort of documentary. However, I believed the lessons in it were more important than my concerns about a couple of swear words. She has watched it twice.
What have you learned from the athletes in Paris this summer?
In this week’s Fearless e-newsletter, you will find:
- A story about Waterloo native and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, who recently participated in a panel discussion at the Des Moines Art Center.
- A story from Jefas Magazine about Nancy Avila, a barber from Marshalltown who is breaking barriers and lifting up other entrepreneurs.
- In the headlines: An Iowa law banning abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy is now in effect.
- In case you missed it: Learn about a unique hobby embraced by Paula Bell, CEO and owner of Paula A. Bell Consulting.
- Lots more!
– Nicole Grundmeier, Business Record staff writer
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OVERCOMING DISCRIMINATION AND ADVERSITY
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Iowa native Nikole Hannah-Jones explains why she built ‘armor’ around her daughter: ‘I did not allow a white society to build her self-concept’
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BY MICHAEL MORAIN, EDITOR DSM MAGAZINE
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Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones grew up in Waterloo, Iowa, and won a Pulitzer Prize in 2020 for her work on “The 1619 Project.” Hannah-Jones recently spoke at the Des Moines Art Center. Photo courtesy of the Des Moines Art Center/Tobias Tyler aka Borg
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During a recent panel discussion at the Des Moines Art Center, three distinguished panelists – journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and artists b. Robert Moore and Jordan Weber – talked about the challenges of raising biracial children in a society that often sees things in Black and white.
Hannah-Jones grew up in Waterloo and now lives in New York. “My child has lived in Brooklyn since she was 1 year old,” she said. “We live in a low-income Black community, but at any given time in our house, you might have Ta-Nehisi Coates stop by, or the head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. So she’s seeing every type of person there is and can move in any Black circle. She doesn’t think she’s better than our Black neighbors or the other Black kids at her school, but she can also walk into any room.”
Hannah-Jones explained why she built “armor” around her daughter: “I did not allow a white society to build her self-concept.”
In day-to-day terms, that meant giving her daughter Black dolls and books with Black characters. Her daughter couldn’t watch Disney princess movies, except for “Mulan” and “The Princess and the Frog,” and had to explain herself the day she came home singing a song from “Frozen.” “Where’d you learn that?” her mother asked, only half-joking.
Hannah-Jones’ goal is simple: “By the time my child starts going out into the world and seeing different messages, you can tell her anything and she’ll have no shame about being a Black girl. She loves being a Black girl. She wears her natural hair, right?
“So if you build that armor, your child isn’t going to avoid suffering or avoid racism, but she won’t internalize it,” she said. “She’ll understand that racism is the problem of the racists and has nothing to do with herself.”
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‘I’ve never had a girl cut my hair’: Marshalltown barber defies stereotypes, inspires other Latina entrepreneurs
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BY JOAQUIN RAMIREZ, JEFAS: LATINAS IN BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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Photo courtesy of Jefas Magazine
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Editor’s note: Fearless will be sharing one Jefas Magazine story in the first e-newsletter of the month through November. Jefas: Latinas in Business Magazine showcases Latina entrepreneurs. Find the magazine online and at Latina-owned businesses across Iowa, the Quad Cities, Chicago and Nebraska. To order copies for your place of business, contact Erika Macias at holaamerica2000@gmail.com.
Nancy Avila is breaking through the barriers of a predominantly male industry with her superior scissor skills. This Latina barber navigates the realm of razors and fades while reshaping perceptions, defying stereotypes, and encouraging a new generation of barbers to embrace diversity and inclusivity. One Love Barbershop’s business exudes modern vibes, enticing a diverse clientele to an environment where they can regain confidence from a fresh new cut.
It all started with broken dreams and misdeeds. “I was getting in trouble, in and out of jail, and I needed to keep myself busy and off the streets,” Avila said. She decided to enroll at the Iowa School of Beauty to earn her cosmetology license, as encouraged by many friends who had experienced a taste of her self-taught hairstyling skills. After graduation, her bilingual skills secured her a spot with Great Clips salon. She quickly developed a loyal following of Latino men who appreciated her trusted skills and comforting demeanor. “I didn’t know how to fade, but they would encourage me to try,” Avila recalled. “Tu dale! No tengas miedo; don’t be scared,” they said as they requested barber-style cuts, always leaving the salon satisfied.
After recognizing her potential, she attended barber school to sharpen her skills. Upon completion, she was eager to start her new journey but was rejected by many barbershops. “I got told many ‘no’s’ simply because I’m a woman,” she said of the struggles of being a woman in a male-dominant industry. Despite landing an opportunity in Des Moines, clients doubted her abilities. “I’ve never had a girl cut my hair. Do you even know how to cut?” they would ask.
The umbrage only fed her desire to chase her dreams and achieve greatness. Avila dreamed of opening her own barbershop but knew she didn’t want to do it alone. In January 2023, she opened One Love Barbershop in Marshalltown, with a team that shares her values of caring, giving back to the community and being role models for younger generations.
One Love Barbershop is dedicated to giving back. One of its initiatives is to provide free haircuts to children before school. However, Avila has a grand vision for her business beyond being a regular barbershop. She wants to create a safe and welcoming environment for teenagers to hang out and seek guidance from positive role models during challenging times. Avila aims to start group sessions in the future. “I want to help teenagers, be a role model and be involved – help them feel comfortable and ensure that they feel the positive energy as they walk in.”
Inspiring Latinas who have harbored dreams suppressed by a lack of support and motivation is Avila’s primary goal. “Sometimes you have to be the movement to keep others inspired,” she said.
Aspiring Latinas have sought her counsel about embarking on their own barbering journey or pursuing dreams of entrepreneurship. “You have to do it,” she tells them. “Sin miedo al éxito,” Avila said. “You may fail once or twice, but you must take the L’s. Life is a game; if you want to win, you must play it.”
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“WORK HARD IN SILENCE.
LET YOUR SUCCESS
BE THE NOISE.”
SIMONE BILES
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Iowa law banning abortions after about 6 weeks of pregnancy is now in effect: Iowa’s law banning most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy took effect at 8 a.m. July 29 following an Iowa Supreme Court decision in June that found the law to be constitutional. It’s a major change in a state where abortions were legal up to about 20 weeks of pregnancy for the past several years. Planned Parenthood estimates the new law will block most abortions in the state, according to this story from Iowa Public Radio.
Project CommUNITY: Miss Iowa USA uses platform to uplift local Black-owned business: The third time’s the charm for McKenzie Kerry. After three years of competing in pageants, the 25-year-old was recently crowned Miss Iowa USA. Kerry’s coronation in June was a notable moment as she is only the second Black woman to hold the title in the more than 70 years of the pageant’s history.
A former trapshooter sued Ankeny Centennial for sex discrimination. She’s getting $50K: A former Ankeny Centennial trapshooter has agreed to settle her sex discrimination lawsuit against the school district for $50,000. Raylee Bishop, who graduated from Centennial in 2021, sued the Ankeny Community School District in 2023, alleging that her coaches on the school's Jaguar trapshooting team had limited her opportunities to compete because of her sex, according to this story from the Des Moines Register.
Federal judge blocks Biden administration’s Title IX changes in Iowa: A federal judge has blocked Title IX protections for LGBTQ students from taking effect in Iowa and several other Republican-led states. The Biden administration this year issued new Title IX rules that extend prohibitions on sex-based discrimination in education to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Under the rules, Iowa could possibly lose federal education funding because of restrictions on transgender students’ use of certain bathrooms, according to this story from Iowa Public Radio. An Iowa law passed in 2023 requires people to use school bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their sex assigned at birth.
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Minnesota prepares for influx of patients from Iowa as abortion ban takes effect (Associated Press) Caitlin Clark gives away backpacks at Des Moines North High School in surprise appearance (WeAreIowa.com) How biases about motherhood affect all women at work (Harvard Business Review) This researcher is on a crusade to correct Wikipedia’s gender imbalance (Scientific American) The ‘finance bro’ uniform is a fleece and khakis. For female execs, it’s not that simple. (Wall Street Journal) Stalkers, disease and doubt: Sunisa Lee’s hard road back to the Games (New York Times)
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Learn about a hobby embraced by Paula Bell, CEO and owner of Paula A. Bell Consulting
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COMPILED BY EMILY BARSKE WOOD
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Tell us a little about your hobby.
I wouldn’t necessarily call this a hobby, but rather a lifestyle. I study and train in Okinawan Japanese karate called Ryukyu Kempo. Karate has a long and storied history. It originated as an indigenous art developed on the Ryukyu Islands known as Te. It further developed with influences from China. Ryukyu Kempo is a style of martial arts that focuses on traditional instruction. It is a well-rounded style that encompasses different studies that many of the modern styles practiced today consider both old-fashioned and irrelevant. However, these practices are extremely relevant, because they are what elevates Ryukyu Kempo to an art and a way of life, and make it an effective style of self-defense. Ryukyu Kempo is the only martial art to teach grappling art known as Tuite and the nerve-point techniques that are called Kyusho Jitsu.
When did this hobby start for you?
I started studying martial arts with my twins in 2011. It started as a time to spend with my boy-girl twins and elevated into more than that when I started training more.
What’s something this hobby provides you that applies to your job?
Karate is part of my company’s brand. I learned early on that karate is more about mindset than physical abilities. Meaning, it’s important to be in the right mindset before you start training. In karate we have the term “structural integrity,” and what that means is that your body is always in the right position to defend yourself because, if it is off by a little bit, you can lose your balance or not defend yourself optimally. I realized that structural integrity can be leveraged as a concept in everything we do, and once the foundation is stable, you build upon it with techniques, skills and then ultimately a transformation. I use martial arts in my coaching, consulting and speaking model to help clients reach their personal and professional goals.
Tell us a tip or fun fact about your hobby.
You can be ANY age to start martial arts. You just need to have the right mindset and know that your only competition is you.
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At its core, Fearless exists to help empower Iowa women to succeed in work and life. We believe that everyone has a story to share and that we cannot progress as a society unless we know about one another. We share stories through featuring women in our reporting, featuring guest contributions and speakers at our events.
We are always looking for new stories to share and people to feature. Get in touch with us!
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