DES MOINES, Iowa — Drake University has highlighted influential Black Iowans throughout February, and this week, Wayne Ford's lasting legacy will be honored with a display at Cowles Library.
Ford is a former Iowa state representative who cofounded the Black and Brown Presidential Forum as well as local nonprofit Urban Dreams. With a reputation built upon decades of political advocacy and leadership, Ford is a beloved figure in Iowa and at his alma mater, Drake University.
"Drake University allowed me to become who I am. Without the education I got from Drake, without playing football to receive a football scholarship, the education I got from Drake ... Drake University was a turning point of my life," he said.
Ford emphasized the importance of this display to him. Before he was a history-making legislator, he was a student, an athlete and a man full of hope.
"Well, it's just very emotional. I mean, you gotta remember, you know, I'm 72 years old," Ford said. "A lot of us dream before we get too old, that we live long enough to make a difference."
Ford told Local 5 about his dreams of making a change as a child, and the importance of perseverance.
"I had vision that this was my place to be. And many years later, a half a century later, look what you're doing. So, young person, my whole goal out there to tell the people is that if you feel it and believe it, you can do it," Ford said.
Ford will participate in an event at the university later this week with politician Andrew Young, who was a leader throughout the civil rights movement.
The event begins at 7 p.m. on Monday at Drake's Olmsted Center. Admission is free, and attendees can participate in a Q&A with both Young and Ford.