# Former Iowa lawmaker and trailblazer shares about growing up amid the civil rights movement

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/river-to-river-1060576/former-iowa-lawmaker-and-trailblazer-shares-about-growing-up-amid-the-civil-rights-movement
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/river-to-river-1060576/former-iowa-lawmaker-and-trailblazer-shares-about-growing-up-amid-the-civil-rights-movement.md
Podcast: [River to River](https://stenobird.com/podcast/river-to-river-1060576)
Published: 2026-05-27T12:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.iowapublicradio.org/podcast/river-to-river/2026-05-27/former-iowa-lawmaker-and-trailblazer-shares-about-growing-up-amid-the-civil-rights-movement
Audio file: https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/4c9587f2-e550-4709-b293-ad0300ce922d/5d200c83-8a20-48a7-ab87-ad51012cafbe/55dc33e4-d1d0-4e3c-82db-b456010f0170/audio.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/river-to-river-1060576/episodes/former-iowa-lawmaker-and-trailblazer-shares-about-growing-up-amid-the-civil-rights-movement
Duration seconds: 2883

## Resource

The memoir 'I Don't Swim' by former Iowa state Rep. Helen Miller reads like a chronicle of America itself. In this episode, Miller talks about her parents being part of the great migration of Black families to the north, becoming an adult during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, her political career and confronting the reasons why she didn't swim. Her book chronicles painful experiences with systemic racism and injustice, but remains an uplifting read. Later, Cathy Westercamp, an Iowa swim instructor, shares tips on swimming safety. (Rep. Helen Miller is a member of the IPR Board of Directors. This episode was originally produced July 17, 2025.)

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## Transcript

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