Local author makes her mark in the community for Black History Month

OTTUMWA, Iowa (KYOU) - Rachelle Chase, who is an author and community activist, was originally a California native and moved to Iowa in 2014 after researching the history of Buxton. She says it lead her to switch her story writing from what it once was to what it is now.

“I couldn’t really stop thinking about this community, so I would research, I would come to visit and I would just keep going there, and then when I was like ok I don’t want to write romance. I had about three romances out by then. I thought I don’t know if I still want to write this. I thought I want to move to Iowa, I’m going to research Buxton and I’m going to write books about it.”

She says what started off as getting history here and there soon inspired her to want to get involved in the community.

“I started getting involved in an education committee we’ve been working on, now we’re petitioning with the human rights commission with Mayor Lazio trying to get that started. So I’m really trying to get involved more in the community here.”

Getting more involved in the community is certainly what she has done. Not only has she become a member of the Ottumwans for Racial Justice Group, and given presentations and webinars on the local African American history in Ottumwa, she also has founded her own non-profit organization intended for the youth called uniting through history.

“The goal is to show that black history is American history.”

It offers students the opportunity to win cash for scholarships all while learning history.

She is hopeful for more inclusion with people of color in the community once the pandemic has ended and says she looks forward to being more involved in the future.

To learn more on the nonprofit organization visit the website https://unitingthroughhistory.org/

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