Education
The Beloved Community Initiative offers educational programs on the legacy of slavery and Iowa’s role in the Underground Railroad, the civil rights movement in Iowa, the history of the indigenous tribes of Iowa, the Doctrine of Discovery, and the nature of racism and racial bias today.
COMING IN JANUARY 2026!
This resource is designed to be used by groups and combines individual study materials with group discussion guides into five, 45-minute sessions.
What is the Doctrine of Discovery?
The Doctrine of Discovery is a set of 15th century Papal Bulls (edicts) that gave Christian European monarchs religious and legal justification to claim lands inhabited by indigenous people and to "reduce their persons to perpetual slavery." These edicts laid the foundation for colonialism, indigenous genocide, and the slave trade.
Why should we study the Doctrine of Discovery?
The Doctrine of Discovery has influenced laws and policies impacting People of Color for centuries and continues to be relevant today. BCI is dedicated to providing opportunities for people to explore their beliefs and identify those that may need to shift so that all are truly welcome in beloved community.
VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB
BCI hosts a monthly virtual book club facilitated by a member of SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice). The group meets via Zoom on the third Wednesday of each month from 6:30-8:00 pm Central. In December, we are excited to begin our discussion of “(RE)PRESENT – Racism & Resistance in Iowa.” The book was written by a group of historians, community leaders, activists, and educators, to share about the complex diversity within Iowa, inspire others with stories of resistance to systemic racism in Iowa, and equip readers to become leaders guided by facts, curiosity, and compassion. All are welcome to join! Book available here.
Resources
The Beloved Community Initiative is collecting resources to help churches and individuals uncover their history and tell their stories.
Space
The Beloved Community Initiative has large and small space available for local artists, writers, and musicians as well as space for theatre, film screenings, concerts, art and other cultural events that expand our historical and cultural understandings of race.
