Below the Median Income Lesley Payne

The installation contrasts Des Moines ranking as “Best in Nation” place to live, “Iowa nice” reputation of being overly friendly and go out of our way to help fellow citizens, and the visitors’ personal story.

Introduction and Lesley Payne * 7:33 Davonte: RunDSM * 18:49 Marlú Abarca: Office of Latino Affairs & Des Moines Public Library * 35:00 Morgan Nicole: #PaintitBlack at Drake University

Travel outside the space of your routine to reflect on:

When did you get to Des Moines?

Where are you going?

Who are you going to see?

Why are you going?

What will you do in Des Moines?

How will you move forward?




Hello, my name is Lesley Payne. Welcome to Below the Median Income.

The land on which we gather is the traditional lands of: Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, Meskwaki Nation: Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, and the Sioux People. We pay our respect to elders both past and present.

Below the Median Income was inspired by two quotes: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” from entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker Jim Rohn; and on March 12, 2018, Director Joshua V. Barr Esq. of the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission said, “We have seventy-five percent of students experiencing some form of poverty in Des Moines Public Schools, so what can we do to improve that outlook? Research has shown that if a person remains in an impoverished condition up through their adolescent years they are more likely to remain in that position as they become older and become adults.”

These quotes and the information related to them evolved into an art installation of visual and audio components to place the visitor outside the space they routinely travel. The audio components are interview recordings obtained from people involved with public or non-profit organizations. The interviews tell the visitor about where that person routinely travels. The installation contrasts Des Moines ranking as a “Best in Nation” place to live, “Iowa nice” reputation of being overly friendly and go out of our way to help fellow citizens, and the visitors’ personal story.

During the making of the Day One audio, I decided to follow the saying: “don’t ask someone to do something you aren’t willing to do yourself”.

To begin, I was born and raised in Iowa. I moved to a suburb of Des Moines in December 2004 for a job after college. It was overwhelming being in an unfamiliar area. Getting from place to place could be a challenge. It’s a lot easier now with cell phone navigation.

I lived in Des Moines city limits two of the past 14 years in the metro area. My experience of the city during that time was not very exciting. I was balancing creative interests, a 40-hour a week job, and paying down student loans. My first impression of people in Des Moines is limited because of those things.

I have stayed in the metro area because I think it has the best variety of things to do in Iowa. It’s close, but not too close to my family.

When I walk outside the place I live, I see a row of bushes, to my left, further out is a lot of trees blocking my view of the neighbors house to the south, the front yard slopes down to meet the road. As I turn to my right I see the neighbors houses across the street, grass, trees, mailbox, and the end of the street. I hear vehicles, crickets, little dogs barking, cicadas, and once in awhile birds singing. I live in a house on a dead end road with 11 other houses. I regularly waive at people that live in 5 of them. The people in the other six houses have never seemed interested in waiving at me or acknowledging when I waive at them.

If I am going somewhere, I get there by driving my car or as a passenger in someone else’s car. I have used DART, which is Des Moines Area Regional Transit. It was for a week in 2006 when my car decided it didn’t want to start. I made my first car purchase with a down payment

The installation contrasts Des Moines ranking as “Best in Nation” place to live, “Iowa nice” reputation of being overly friendly and go out of our way to help fellow citizens, and the visitors’ personal story.

Introduction * 2:12 Evelyn: Dress fo Success Des Moines * 8:36 Madison DeShay-Duncan: Community Legacy Matters The Center Street Story: An Urban Renewal Retrospective * 16:52 Anthony San: RunDSM * 23:17 Matthea: National Alliance on Mental Illness

Travel outside the space of your routine to reflect on:

When did you get to Des Moines?

Where are you going?

Who are you going to see?

Why are you going?

What will you do in Des Moines?

How will you move forward?

Hello, my name is Lesley Payne. Welcome to Below the Median Income.

The land on which we gather is the traditional lands of: Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, Meskwaki Nation: Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, and the Sioux People. We pay our respect to elders both past and present.

Below the Median Income was inspired by two quotes: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” from entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker Jim Rohn; and on March 12, 2018, Director Joshua V. Barr Esq. of the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission said, “We have seventy-five percent of students experiencing some form of poverty in Des Moines Public Schools, so what can we do to improve that outlook? Research has shown that if a person remains in an impoverished condition up through their adolescent years they are more likely to remain in that position as they become older and become adults.”

These quotes and the information related to them evolved into an art installation of visual and audio components to place the visitor outside the space they routinely travel. The audio components are interview recordings obtained from people involved with public or non-profit organizations. The interviews tell the visitor about where that person routinely travels. The installation contrasts Des Moines ranking as a “Best in Nation” place to live, “Iowa nice” reputation of being overly friendly and go out of our way to help fellow citizens, and the visitors’ personal story.

2:12 Day 2: Evelyn

My guest for Day Two is Evelyn. She’s a member of the Professional Women’s Group; also know as PWG. It is a program offered to clients of the non-profit organization Dress for Success Des Moines. The group provides practical information and inspiration to achieve self-defined success in career and in life. Thank you for joining me Evelyn! What neighborhood of Des Moines do you live in?

Evelyn: on South side

Finish the sentence: When I step outside the place I live I see….

Evelyn: The trees, a little mall in front of where I am living, but it’s nice because it looks like city and country at the same time.

Where did you live before you moved to Iowa?

Evelyn: From Puerto Rico twelve years ago.

What was it like when you left Puerto Rico?

Evelyn: It was good. I used to like it when over there when I was in University, but it made it had to hard to to get a job. So that is what made me come to the United States.

Was there a lot of language or cultural differences between Puerto Rico and the United States?

Evelyn: Yea because over here there’s people from everywhere. So in Puerto Rico there is just the Spanish and English. We see people from United States, but other different counties not really. Maybe Dominicans or other Latin countries, but no, not from other countries like here, but we got people from everywhere.

You spent time in the Northeast United States. What made you come to the Des Moines area?

Evelyn: Yea, I was in Connecticut because I heard it was better living and more jobs. I checked online and it was a good reference about Des Moines, so I decided to move.

You moved for your brother is in the area.

Evelyn: My brother was living here five years ago.

How did he find

The installation contrasts Des Moines ranking as “Best in Nation” place to live, “Iowa nice” reputation of being overly friendly and go out of our way to help fellow citizens, and the visitors’ personal story.

Introduction * 2: 13 Q: Dress for Success Des Moines * 10:30 Daniel Hoffman-Zinnel: One Iowa * 30:00 Miavlaig: RunDSM

Travel outside the space of your routine to reflect on:

When did you get to Des Moines?

Where are you going?

Who are you going to see?

Why are you going?

What will you do in Des Moines?

How will you move forward?

Hello, my name is Lesley Payne. Welcome to Below the Median Income.

The land on which we gather is the traditional lands of: Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, Meskwaki Nation: Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, and the Sioux People. We pay our respect to elders both past and present.

Below the Median Income was inspired by two quotes: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” from entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker Jim Rohn; and on March 12, 2018, Director Joshua V. Barr Esq. of the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission said, “We have seventy-five percent of students experiencing some form of poverty in Des Moines Public Schools, so what can we do to improve that outlook? Research has shown that if a person remains in an impoverished condition up through their adolescent years they are more likely to remain in that position as they become older and become adults.”

These quotes and the information related to them evolved into an art installation of visual and audio components to place the visitor outside the space they routinely travel. The audio components are interview recordings obtained from people involved with public or non-profit organizations. The interviews tell the visitor about where that person routinely travels. The installation contrasts Des Moines ranking as a “Best in Nation” place to live, “Iowa nice” reputation of being overly friendly and go out of our way to help fellow citizens, and the visitors’ personal story.

2:13 Day 4: Q

My guest for Day Four is Q. I met her for the first time on August 21st 2018, at Dress for Success Des Moines. I was there job-shadowing the personal shopper volunteers. The Iowa Center of Economic Success had referred Q as a client to get a suit for a presentation she had to give. She shared some information about her situation, and I thought she’d be a perfect person to ask to be a part of the project. I didn’t ask her at that time because it was not main reason for being there, and I had not figured out how I was going to explain this to someone to even ask!

Luckily, Q and I both attended a First Friday event hosted by the Iowa Center for Economic Success on September 7th 2018. They passed a microphone around at the beginning and everyone said their name and something about why they were interested in being at the event. Q happened to be sitting behind me and I asked for her contact information before leaving. I want her to have credit for being the first person to do a recording even if she is fourth in the order due to scheduling.

Q completed the DreamBuilder course at Iowa Center for Economic Success. The series of workshops help attendees determine where they are on the journey to self-employment and where they need support and development. In addition, Q is a member of the Professional Women’s Group; also know as PWG. The group provides practical information and inspiration to achieve self-defined success in career and in life. It is a program offered to clients of the non-profit organization Dress for Success Des Moines.

Q and I recorded this outside South Union Elementary School in Des Moines, so you hear sounds of the area in the background.

What neighborhood do you live in?

Q: (laughs) I don’t know the one what it’s called! I try to remember. I don’t know!

What school do your kids go to?

Q: East an

The installation contrasts Des Moines ranking as “Best in Nation” place to live, “Iowa nice” reputation of being overly friendly and go out of our way to help fellow citizens, and the visitors’ personal story.

Introduction * 2:12 Delia: Dress for Success Des Moines * 10:35 Manisha Paudel: Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission * 19:22 Champagne: RunDSM * 33:35 Dawn Martinez Oropeza: Al Éxito & Showing Up for Racial Justice

Travel outside the space of your routine to reflect on:

When did you get to Des Moines?

Where are you going?

Who are you going to see?

Why are you going?

What will you do in Des Moines?

How will you move forward?

Hello, my name is Lesley Payne. Welcome to Below the Median Income.

The land on which we gather is the traditional lands of: Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, Meskwaki Nation: Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, and the Sioux People. We pay our respect to elders both past and present.

Below the Median Income was inspired by two quotes: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” from entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker Jim Rohn; and on March 12, 2018, Director Joshua V. Barr Esq. of the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission said, “We have seventy-five percent of students experiencing some form of poverty in Des Moines Public Schools, so what can we do to improve that outlook? Research has shown that if a person remains in an impoverished condition up through their adolescent years they are more likely to remain in that position as they become older and become adults.”

These quotes and the information related to them evolved into an art installation of visual and audio components to place the visitor outside the space they routinely travel. The audio components are interview recordings obtained from people involved with public or non-profit organizations. The interviews tell the visitor about where that person routinely travels. The installation contrasts Des Moines ranking as a “Best in Nation” place to live, “Iowa nice” reputation of being overly friendly and go out of our way to help fellow citizens, and the visitors’ personal story.

(2:11) Day 5: Delia

My Day Five guest is Delia. She is involved in Narcotics Anonymous; also know as NA. It is a nonprofit organization for people that had drugs become a major problem. They are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean. Delia is also a member of the Professional Women’s Group; also know as PWG. The group provides practical information and inspiration to achieve self-defined success in career and in life. It is a program offered to clients of the non-profit organization Dress for Success Des Moines. Thank you for joining me Delia. What neighborhood of Des Moines do you live in?

Delia: I live on the south side.

Who do you live with?

Delia: by myself

Finish the sentence: When I step outside the place I live I see….

Delia: If I step outside the backyard it has beautiful trees and a nice backyard that I share with other people. The front yard, I like it, the way it’s laid up. It’s a senior community and it looks like a little motel that goes all the way around in an L shape and has nice trees and lights. It’s always lit up really well at night. The neighbors are very nice I’ve met. They seem to be all pretty nice, and I like living there.

How did you end up back in Des Moines?

Delia: Well, we kind of moved away. Actually, the first time was with my ex-husband. I did not like where we moved. I didn’t like the people as well. I just…I didn’t. I liked my hometown. I even tried a couple years ago to move away to South Dakota, and it was really a different change. I went and lived at Wounded Knee in South Dakota with a Chief to help him make a book. It was a whole different way of living! The people were very nice to me, you know, and treated me like family too. But I got really ho

The installation contrasts Des Moines ranking as “Best in Nation” place to live, “Iowa nice” reputation of being overly friendly and go out of our way to help fellow citizens, and the visitors’ personal story of where they travel.

Introduction * 2:12 Nancy Mwirotsi: PI515 * 9:32 Richard Duncan: Community Legacy Matters The Center Street Story: An Urban Renewal Retrospective * 20:29 Tira: Broadlawns Medical Center * 35:05 Courtney Smith: RunDSM

Travel outside the space of your routine to reflect on:

When did you get to Des Moines?

Where are you going?

Who are you going to see?

Why are you going?

What will you do in Des Moines?

How will you move forward?

Hello, my name is Lesley Payne. Welcome to Below the Median Income.

The land on which we gather is the traditional lands of: Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, Meskwaki Nation: Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, and the Sioux People. We pay our respect to elders both past and present.

Below the Median Income was inspired by two quotes: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” from entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker Jim Rohn; and on March 12, 2018, Director Joshua V. Barr Esq. of the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission said, “We have seventy-five percent of students experiencing some form of poverty in Des Moines Public Schools, so what can we do to improve that outlook? Research has shown that if a person remains in an impoverished condition up through their adolescent years they are more likely to remain in that position as they become older and become adults.”

These quotes and the information related to them evolved into an art installation of visual and audio components to place the visitor outside the space they routinely travel. The audio components are interview recordings obtained from people involved with public or non-profit organizations. The interviews tell the visitor about where that person routinely travels. The installation contrasts Des Moines ranking as a “Best in Nation” place to live, “Iowa nice” reputation of being overly friendly and go out of our way to help fellow citizens, and the visitors’ personal story.

2:12 Day 6: Nancy Mwirotsi

My guest for Day Six is Nancy Mwirotsi, the founder of PI515. The letters PI stand for Pursuit of Innovation. The mission of the organization is to challenge, inspire and teach technology skills to students with potential, empowering refugee and underserved youth to achieve success, garner influence, and gain stability in their families and communities. PI515 gives students a place to learn about coding, innovation and critical thinking. Thank you for joining me Nancy! What suburb of Des Moines do you live in?

Nancy: I live in Altoona.

Who do you live with?

Nancy: My daughter.

Are you their primary support?

Nancy: Yes

Finish the sentence: When I walk outside the place I live..

Nancy: I see hope. I see potential

Where did you grow up?

Nancy: I lived in Kenya. It’s actually very beautiful. We’re tropical, so there is no snow.

How old were you when you came to the United States?

Nancy: I think I was 17 or 18.

How were you able to come to the U.S.?

Nancy: I have family here, so I came because of that as well as going to school.

What was you first impression of coming to the U.S.?

Nancy: I flew through Chicago. I landed here wearing a raincoat. It was snowing in Chicago and all the planes were down. It was a really cold experience. I went to…my sister had a friend who picked me up, went through the subway to their place, and no gloves or anything. It was very cold. Of course, you know, after traveling for long you ask to shower, right? And I did shower. Not a good idea because of frostbite. That was my amazing experience (laughs)!

Were there cultural differences to get used to?

Nancy: Yea, quite a lot actually, and I think when you talk about cultural differences…those things chan

Hello, my name is Lesley Payne. Welcome to Below the Median Income.

The land on which we gather is the traditional lands of: Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, Meskwaki Nation: Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, and the Sioux People. We pay our respect to elders both past and present.

Below the Median Income was inspired by two quotes: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” from entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker Jim Rohn; and on March 12, 2018, Director Joshua V. Barr Esq. of the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission said, “We have seventy-five percent of students experiencing some form of poverty in Des Moines Public Schools, so what can we do to improve that outlook? Research has shown that if a person remains in an impoverished condition up through their adolescent years they are more likely to remain in that position as they become older and become adults.”

These quotes and the information related to them evolved into an art installation of visual and audio components to place the visitor outside the space they routinely travel. The audio components are interview recordings obtained from people involved with public or non-profit organizations. The interviews tell the visitor about where that person routinely travels. The installation contrasts Des Moines ranking as a “Best in Nation” place to live, “Iowa nice” reputation of being overly friendly and go out of our way to help fellow citizens, and the visitors’ personal story.

2:11 Day 7: Leah

My guest for Day Seven is Leah. She participated in Movement515, a program offered to students in Des Moines Public Schools. Students and mentors attempt to slow down the world and investigate themselves. They work toward becoming change agents, shedding light on the impact human emotion and connection brings to the global community. Movement515 is an urban arts community where, twice a week, students and mentors come together to create spoken word poetry. Thank you for joining me Leah. What neighborhood of Des Moines do you live in?

Leah: I live in the Drake neighborhood

Who do you live with?

Leah: I live with my partner, Joseph, and my little sister.

Are you the primary financial support for your little sister?

Leah: Yes

Do you want to say how old she is?

Leah: Yea, she is 12.

When did she come to live with you?

Leah: I moved back this summer around June after my lease went out in Iowa City, She spent some of the summer with me, but she was having some, like, issues at her school back in Fort Dodge, where my mother lives. It just seemed like a better idea. There is more integrated care and resources in Des Moines Public Schools, like Orchard Place, is woven into the classroom setting at Callahan and it just seemed like a really good fit for her, and she moved in with me in September.

Des Moines Public Schools has so many resources.

Leah: Yea (laughs) so many more resources than other places.

Finish the sentence: When I step outside the place I live I see…..

Leah: Trees lining the street, the center part of the street has flowers, it’s like a divided street, lots of residential neighborhoods, lots of old houses everywhere.

You were born and raised in Des Moines. Which Des Moines Public Schools did you attend?

Leah: I went to Pleasant Hill Elementary, Hiatt Middle School, and North High School.

What is your Monday-Friday schedule like?

Leah: I was hired back by Des Moines Public Schools. I work 9 to 5 pm. Every week, I come into Central Campus, that’s where my office is at. I work all day and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I do workshops in the afternoons at middle schools, and then on Wednesday I help with the district wide workshop at the (Des Moines) Social Club for the high schoolers.

Describe a typical weekend

Leah: I think that we spend a lot of time together as a family, a lot of board games, a lot of Monopoly, a lot of movies. We watch a lot o