Wild Bill's Cup of Social Justice

Get ready to reconsider the meaning of “immersive learning”. The course Civil Rights and Racial Justice: A Tour Through the South is an exploration of the modern civil rights movement through lectures, shared readings, tours and discussion. While we typically think of university courses as taking place in the classroom (or on Zoom), this course is truly immersive. Students visit key locations in the South and explore the history of the modern Civil Rights movement. 

In this episode, podcast hosts Stephen Cummings and Jen Knights talk with Yolanda Spears, Clinical Associate Professor and Director, Certificate in Critical Cultural Competence, University of Iowa School of Social Work; Darryl Heller, Assistant Professor at Indiana University, Director of the Civil Rights Heritage Center in South Bend; and Dr. Ashley Howard, Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies, University of Iowa. Professors Heller, Howard and Spears talk about the deep learning experience students have on the Civil Rights Tour, and the logistics involved with planning such a significant event.

Note: this episode was recorded in the summer of 2022, after the tour ended for students. that year. We are sharing this episode with listeners now to provide insight into this experience.

Are you a student interested in this experience? the next tour takes place from May 13 through the 29th of 2024. In your MyUI course database, look for HIST:3257:0EXW. Details are available here: https://myui.uiowa.edu/my-ui/courses/details.page?ci=173344&id=1025021

To ensure availability, please email Clinical Associate Professor Yolanda Spears at [email protected] or Assistant Professor Ashley Howard at [email protected] no later than April 12th at 5:00 p.m.

This year’s tour details:

Links

Episode Guests

Ashley Howard, Assistant Professor, University of Iowa Department of History https://history.uiowa.edu/people/ashley-howard

Darryl Heller, Assistant Professor & Director, Indiana University Civil Rights Heritage Center: https://news.iu.edu/live/profiles/90-darryl-heller

Yolanda Spears, Clinical Associate Professor & Director, Critical Cultural Competency Certificate University of Iowa School of Social Work: https://socialwork.uiowa.edu/people/yolanda-spears

In Fall of 2023, the University of Iowa Main Library Gallery has featured an exhibit called Hey Buddy, I’m Bill—all about the life of Bill Sackter—curated by Cup of Justice co-host Jen Knights.

Barry Morrow is a person who was central to Bill’s life, and whose contributions of photos, film, personal items, and stories are central to the exhibit. Barry and his wife, Bev, met Bill in the Twin Cities in the early 1970s, not long after Bill was released from Faribault State Hospital and School after 44 years of being institutionalized against his will. They became friends, helped Bill make his way in the world, and eventually became his family and brought him to Iowa City, where he helped create Wild Bill’s Coffee Shop in the School of Social Work.

Barry wrote a movie about Bill (Bill) that won an Emmy award and led to fame for Bill and a successful Hollywood career for Barry, who went on to write the Oscar-winning film Rain Man, also a story whose hero is a person with disability.

It’s an amazing story that we’ve covered extensively in the podcast. In this episode, we are tremendously fortunate to have Barry here in Wild Bill’s with us!

Barry and Bev visited Iowa City this fall to be part of the grand opening event for the exhibit, and they spent time with us in North Hall to record this episode in front of a live audience of Social Work students, faculty, and staff. The Hey Buddy, I’m Bill exhibit runs through December 19, 2023, in the UI Main Library Gallery. More info, along with digital extras and a virtual exhibit tour, can be discovered at https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/gallery/exhibit/hey-buddy-im-bill/.

Barry Morrow, with Stephen Cummings and Jen Knights

We’re back! It’s a new fall semester and the Wild Bill’s space is back open.

In our fourth episode, Stephen and Jen interview Taylor Ford, an alum of the University of Iowa School of Social Work’s BSW program. Taylor talks about her career path, which took her to Atlanta and back to Iowa. and how her leadership paved the way to improved services on the University of Iowa campus.

Episode 4 is the first episode recorded after receiving a Diversity Seed Grant at the University of Iowa. Episodes of the Wild Bill’s Cup of Justice podcast are recorded at Wild Bill’s in North Hall, using equipment provided by this grant.

This episode’s links:

Taylor Ford’s bio: https://scsmh.education.uiowa.edu/author/taylor-ford/

Scanlan Center for School Mental Health: https://scsmh.education.uiowa.edu/

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinic Crisis Stabilization Unit: https://uihc.org/services/crisis-stabilization-unit-csu

Our third episode focuses on support for students—specifically Social Work students of color. We are joined for a lively conversation with Claudia Artola, a current senior in our BA in Social Work program who transferred into the program from a nearby community college.

In the episode, Claudia talks about what it’s like to be a first-generation Latina student, the importance of listening, and the huge impact that scholarship support has made, not only in her education but also in removing barriers to her future and a satisfying social work career.

During Social Work Month, you can support students like Claudia by donating to our Diversity Scholarship Fund. Check out our fundraiser progress, see a video of Claudia, and make your contribution at www.uigoldrush.org/socialwork.

Thanks for your support!

Imagine that in the first episode we were facing one direction—looking toward the past. We are going to start there—and during the course of this episode, we are shifting our view and orientation toward what the future holds for Wild Bill’s.

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Mercedes Bern-Klug, the Director of the University of Iowa School of Social Work, who shares her memories of Bill Sackter and talks with Jen and Stephen about the future plans.

We would like to thank Lane Wyrick, who kindly supplied the audio of Bill Sackter playing his harmonica. Lane Wyrick directed the 2011 documentary A Friend Indeed, about the life of Bill Sackter.

In the 1970s, the University of Iowa School of Social Work opened a coffee shop on campus, giving students a place to congregate between classes, and meet with the school’s newest employee, Bill Sackter. As we discuss in the episode, Bill’s story is fascinating, leading to two made-for-TV movies, and a documentary.

In our first-ever podcast episode, Jen Knights and Stephen Cummings talk about the history of Wild Bill’s Coffee Shop, the story of Bill Sackter, and the future of the coffee shop.

We would like to thank Lane Wyrick, who kindly supplied the audio of Bill Sackter playing his harmonica. Lane Wyrick directed the 2011 documentary A Friend Indeed, about the life of Bill Sackter.

The University of Iowa School of Social Work is creating a new podcast, and we want to be sure you know about it. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast to make sure you receive episodes at they are released!