Thede, Phyllis (1954-)
Dates
- Existence: 1954-
Biography
Phyllis Thede was born in 1954 in Chicago. Her family later moved to Creston, Iowa, where her father worked for the BNSF railroad. Thede attended Southwestern Community College and Westmar College before working in school administration and as a union negotiator. A Democrat, Thede represented parts of the Quad Cities in the Iowa House for almost 15 years, serving District 81 from 2009-2013 and District 93 from 2013-2023.
Found in 5 Collections and/or Records:
Audio recording, January 15, 2020
Audio recording of an interview with Iowa state legislator Phyllis Thede about her legislative service, the role of gender in politics, and advice for other women running for office.
Audio recording, October 16, 2023
Transcript of an interview with Iowa state legislator Phyllis Thede, which includes discussion of the following topics: Thede's family; her experiences as a Black girl growing up in Chicago and Iowa, including differential experiences of segregation and racism in those respective locales; her analysis of the redistricting and its effects on her final reelection campaign; memories of serving in the legislature during the COVID-19 pandemic; memories of witnessing and being targeted by racist harassment at the legislature or among her constituents; her role in changing Iowa's law regarding insurance reimbursements for chiropractic care; the increasingly partisan character of politics in Iowa and the United States; the founding of the Black caucus in the Iowa legislature; and her Catholic faith.
Transcript, January 15, 2020
Transcript of an interview with Iowa state legislator Phyllis Thede about her legislative service, the role of gender in politics, and advice for other women running for office.
Transcript, October 16, 2023
Transcript of an interview with Iowa state legislator Phyllis Thede, which includes discussion of the following topics: Thede's family; her experiences as a Black girl growing up in Chicago and Iowa, including differential experiences of segregation and racism in those respective locales; her analysis of the redistricting and its effects on her final reelection campaign; memories of serving in the legislature during the COVID-19 pandemic; memories of witnessing and being targeted by racist harassment at the legislature or among her constituents; her role in changing Iowa's law regarding insurance reimbursements for chiropractic care; the increasingly partisan character of politics in Iowa and the United States; the founding of the Black caucus in the Iowa legislature; and her Catholic faith.