The third and final Speak Up, Speak Out event was held at Mercer Park on June 6. Iowa City’s Mayors Bruce Teague and Pro Tem Mazahir Salih, as well as Johnson County Supervisor Royceann Porter have been running forums where community members can speak up about their experiences regarding race relations and propose changes to fix injustices. The first two events were held at Wetherby Park and Pheasant Ridge.

Mayor Teague emphasized the importance of speaking out at the event, encouraging people to get in line to speak before opening the mic to the community. “This is your opportunity. This is for you,” Teague said.

For the final event in the series, Mayor Teague’s mother made an appearance. Along with joining in on “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers, previously sung at the other events, she led the crowd in singing “I’m so glad we’re here/so glad we’re here/here to make some change.”

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Caroline Mascardo

Mayor Bruce Teague smiles at the audience while giving his introductory speech. "We have racial tension at it's highest that cannot and has not been ignored," Teague said.