Meeting Seeks Ideas to Improve Lives of Blacks in Des Moines

Published: October 16, 2007, 12:52 pm

African-Americans in Des Moines will get a chance Thursday to voice their concerns and ideas to leaders of three of the city's well-known black non-profit agencies. The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Polk County Senior Center at 2008 Forest Ave. Driving the meeting are three men who didn't always get along: Jerald Brantley, Ako Abdul-Samad and Wayne Ford. Brantley is publisher of the Iowa Bystander and executive director of Spectrum Resources, which provides ex-offender reentry programs; Abdul-Samad is founder and CEO of Creative Visions; Wayne Ford is founder and executive director of Urban Dreams. Both Abdul-Samad and Ford serve as Iowa legislators. The goal of the meeting is to hear what people have to say and then develop an action plan. "They can let us know that's going on and what their needs are," said Brantley. "The community can give their input on things. Things they need or want done in the community or come and blast us." Brantley said: "We're trying

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