Thanks for posting.
One line that stood out to me: CVS said she had to leave Iowa for her kids to grow up in the real world? Uhh, what? That's odd. Iowa is representative of the real world for lots of people in "flyover country". I'm curious what she meant by that statement.
Firstly, we don't know what parts of the letter are the edits, which may have paraphrased using different words than she actually wrote. But to me, it's clear what she is saying there. We all know the demographic makeup of Iowa. I think is is something like 3 or 4 % African American.
We also know that this country presents a unique set of challenges for African-Americans and even moreso, African-American boys. Coming back East to NJ(Philly/NYC Metro area) is choosing the most diverse region of the country. The opportunity to experience the various cultures that make up the world is what sets this country apart from all others.
Motherly instincts would make her think to want to raise her sons in an area where they can see more people that look like them and not stand out almost
all of the time. Those kinds of experiences don't necessarily foster a sense of belonging, which in turn could lead to self-confidence issues, etc. Although Viv and her family members that relocated there may have lived well in Iowa, it was not and may still not be the most friendly state in terms of socioeconomic effects on minority populations.
To sum up, I personally would rule out any notion that it was meant as a slight to Iowa City as just a place to flyover or not real. I'm sure the statement was all about responsibly meeting the needs of her children in terms of their development in a more fully inclusive environment.
We are all seasoned enough via our time on this earth and in this country to be able to understand her decision when you think of it in terms of what was said above in this post.
