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From the inner city of Washington, D.C., to the middle of America’s heartland, Wayne Ford came to the Midwest to play football. He stayed and became an agent of change, dedicating years of service as a state lawmaker and community leader in Iowa. Ford prides himself on bringing the flavor of what he calls “Chocolate City” (Washington D.C.) to Iowa. After a mentor gave him a push to become involved in the political world, Ford ran to become a state representative in 1996. He won by 65%. He went on to introduce state legislation in his freshman year and recalled a conversation with then Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad. “I got a bill passed at the time and I was a freshman which was unheard of at the time,” said Ford. “Branstad told me ‘it took me two terms, four, five, eight years to get a bill passed. You come in and get it your first year.’ That meant a lot to me." From that moment on, Ford believed he was meant to exist in the socio-political climate and incorporated his big city visions. He also believed that intuition and a calling from God brought him to the Midwest. Although he grew up in a tough neighborhood with gangs and violence, there were pockets of community where he felt connected because he saw and interacted with people who looked like him. Ford is convinced his upbringing helped him convey a real perspective when needed. Coming to Des Moines brought a further wake-up call to a division that existed at the time. "This is not ‘Chocolate City,’ this is Des Moines, Iowa. And that was the first time I started seeing things. They were fighting desegregation, opening up the schools, bussing. I said, ‘wait a minute.’ So Des Moines, Iowa, really showed me what was really going on but because I have always been pro-Black because I always understand my dynamics, I recognize that I can get in and make difference," said Ford. He did make a difference. He helped to establish local nonprofits like Urban Dreams and Creative Visions, as well as cultivated spaces for Black voices like his radio show. He put his energy into trying to fill Black spaces he felt were lacking a voice. Although he says he has made an impact in Iowa, he admitted there is still plenty more to do to address socio-economic issues that continue to ravage the country and impact black communities at higher rates. “Des Moines is a much better city than it was when I got here but it has many challenges to go. The school systems -- Blacks are still not getting the education. The economic situation -- we have some of the poorest Blacks in America. We got Blacks that don’t even have bank accounts,” said Ford. Disparities like the one Ford mentions are part of a bigger discussion that has entered many homes across the country. Conversations about systemic racism and social justice that Ford says wouldn’t have started if there wasn’t video proof. “We could have changed the dynamics of the way whites see us a long time ago if we had video,” said Ford. He was referencing the moment when a Minneapolis police officer placed his knee on the neck of George Floyd for 8 minutes and killed him. The incident ignited Black Lives Matter protests across the country. “Because we have white people now will recognize, you know what, even if I don’t like the person next door, he or she has the right to live the American dream. When George Floyd said ‘mama,’ that’s Wayne Ford. That’s you, that’s everybody, who thinks when I die I’m going to call for my mother,” said Ford