Dakota Davis

I helped create the #DiversityIsOurStrength project, working as the Accessibility (co-Lead), and on the Design and Development teams.

My Family History

My background is tricky. I have relatives who are German, Dutch, and Native American on my dad’s side, and French, Irish, Scottish, Native American, and Spanish on my mom’s side. My dad’s family ended up in Osceola, Iowa. In the 1950s, my grandmother actually moved to California to model for Life magazine. She met my grandfather, a Californian, and my mother was born there. My grandma (the Life model) had a habit of spending too much on interior decorating and kept going bankrupt and having to move, so she eventually ended up back in Iowa.

Living in Iowa

I grew up in Osceola, IA. I’m not totally sure what makes me identify with Iowa, other than that I lived my whole life here and all my friends and family are here. I’m just comfortable here. When I think of Iowa, I think of home.

My Dreams

I am good at the arts, learning about things I don’t understand, and helping and understanding other people. I am pursuing a career in web design, and am particularly interested in universal design and accessibility. Web accessibility means creating websites so that anyone with a disability (like hearing or visual impairment) will have no barriers in accessing the web content, and can contribute deeply to our shared web culture.

A Teacher Who Changed My Life

Kathrine Thostenson, English Teacher, Clarke Community High School; Morgan Singleton, Art Teacher, Clarke Community High School; and Brad Lampe, Band Teacher, Clarke Community High School In middle school I hated school and thought it was stupid and wanted to quit Throughout high school, these three teachers all really made me appreciate school through music (band), art, and writing. I will never forget the impact they have had on me. They all believed in me when I didn’t have the capacity to believe in myself. Without them pushing me, I wouldn’t have accomplished as much as I have.

My Favorite Thing

Snowglobe

I collect snow globes because my grandma has given me one every year for Christmas, and every time I see my collection, I think of my family.

What #DIVERSITYISOURSTRENGTH means to me

Most of my friends are diverse in some way, whether it’s their race, sexuality or gender. My worldview has expanded so much because of them. The more we learn about other people and other cultures, the better we are as people, and the easier it is for us to relate with and understand each other. The more open-minded we are, the more connected we can become.

Alex Knospe Amanda Jensen Annebel Trumm Ben VanHorn Brett Foreman Colin Hughes Connor Gibson Dakota Davis Elexia San Nicolas Hannah Stater Kalei Owens Leslie Owusu Madison Watland Preston Larson Reagan Saul Sami Enos

#DiversityIsOurStrength is a public web and mural project developed by Interactive Digital Studies (IDS) majors at the University of Northern Iowa. IDS is an interdisciplinary program focusing on creating digital experiences. We are using what we’ve learned in our culminating IDS Practicum course to create a highly visible public project that both addresses the challenges and embraces the future of educational diversity in the Cedar Valley.

One inspiration for this project came from the 24/7 Wall Street article that identified Waterloo and Cedar Falls as the #1 worst metro area for Black Americans in 2018. Having this distinction continues to be disturbing for all of us. Our second inspiration comes from 1619 Project, a New York Times initiative led by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Waterloo native Nikole Hannah-Jones. The project reframes the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.

Thank you to literacy educator Dr. Shuaib Meacham, Associate Professor at the University of Iowa, who has guided this project.

Also thank you to Anthony Woodley and Mack Vos for helping in the final stages of the project. Due to COVID-19, the project became delayed and was unable to be completed by the end of the spring semester, and without their help, the project could not have been finished.

PROJECT DOCUMENTATION

Contact Us

Email: diversitystrength@uni.edu