Vice Chair Michael Blackwell

I was born in Philadelphia and raised in Bridgeport and Stratford, Connecticut. There I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from Wesleyan University, a Master of Divinity degree from Yale University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in social ethics from Boston University. In the fall of 1995, I became Director for Multicultural Education at the University of Northern Iowa. As such, I coordinate the programs and activities of the Center for Multicultural Education. I am also an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Philosophy and Religion. I am very involved in the local community, and my primary interests--scholarly, professional, and personal--concern redressing the plight of the poor and otherwise disadvantaged. I am an ordained minister and has served pastorates in Baptist and United Methodist Churches.

I have been secretary of the Black Hawk County Democratic Party since 2003 and a member of the State Central Committee of the Iowa Democratic Party from the First Congressional District since 2004. As vice chair of the Black Caucus, my goals are:

Communicate with an increasing number of African American Democrats across the state.

Improve the voter turnout of African American Iowans.

Ensure that political candidates consistently address issues of concern to African Americans.

Work to guarantee that the Black Caucus are no longer a peripheral, but rather a vital part of the Party's apparatus.

Collaborate with other caucuses in a constructive and progressive manner.

Serve the best interests of the citizens of Iowa.