By: Sophia Walker, Summer 2021 Collaborator at Power in Place
As I walked into Rep. Ruth Ann Gaines' office, I was struck by how genuine she is as a person. While politicians are real people too, many of us, including myself, see politicians as a figment of our imagination. They seem like a person you see, but one you often do not have the pleasure of getting to know.
After chatting about life, Rep. Gaines and I started the interview. The first question I asked her focused on the first political actions that led her to the position she is in now. Like many other women that ran for office, the first time running, Rep. Gaines lost. That did not mean she did not want to run again. Instead, it gave her the itch to continue to stay involved in politics. Rep. Gaines began to recount her life throughout the interview. She discussed her primary school years while first working as a student-teacher. Being the first African American many of the kids had met, some parents did not want her there. But she did not quit. The students loved her. She continued to teach for over 40 years, ultimately becoming the professor she is today.
Rep. Gaines gave an illuminating picture of her career as an educator while also being a public official. The interview questions began to focus more on change than on herself. I asked her a question about the emotions she experiences as a public official. She thought for a moment and began discussing moments of anger and moments of happiness. The moment of anger came from the law titled Stand Your Ground. The law allows a person who feels that they might be in danger to shoot at the perpetrator. Even if the perpetrator might mean no harm, the person could not face any legal reciprocations from the shooting. Upset about the law, Rep. Gaines knew that it would progress to today’s reality where people legally open carry guns in the State of Iowa. A moment of anger for her, she tried to figure out where to go from there. Rep. Gaines continues outspokenly against this law and the laws derived from it.
A moment of happiness came from the barring of chokeholds by police officers in the State of Iowa. As a member of the Black Caucus, Rep. Gaines helped spearhead the bill last summer. She noted that she thought of Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, and other Black people wrongly killed by the police when working on the bill. She was passionate about the bill, but her constituents also wanted it passed, making the passing exceptional. Rep. Gaines continues to stand with bills of this nature, employing her and her constituent's beliefs. In the interview, the difference in emotion was evident. As the interviewer, I could see her passion and beliefs being a part of her as a person and Representative.
Reflecting on the interview with Rep. Gaines, I began to think about how often public officials get taken for granted. Yes, we raise money or vote for them, but sometimes we forget that they are people. I would never have known that Rep. Gaines held class in the capital. I also would not have known how significant these issues are to her as a person. Part of the Power in Place magic gets highlighted in the stories of women public officials, but it is also in the magic of us meeting them. They are people with other commitments and families who take the time to represent people on top of it all. My interview with Rep. Gaines showed me the promise and grit these public officials have not only to their constituents but to producing change.
Sophia Walker is a rising senior at Drake University. She is a double major in Law, Politics and Society and Sociology with a minor in Marketing. Sophia has a passion for social justice and women’s rights. On campus, Sophia is part of the Drake Dems and the Roosevelt Institute. She is also a CASA volunteer in her free time.