I Don't Swim

When Helen Miller was asked why she never joined her family in the water, she found herself contemplating the reasons she didn't swim. Most significant were opportunity and accessibility.

Although her parents were part of the Great Migration of Black families to the North to escape racism and poverty, they did not have access to public or private pools or beaches. Helen considered that her parents' and her inability to swim was related to something bigger: the history of Black Americans.

Helen Miller's story reflects her life's journey against the backdrop of that history, including the Civil Rights Movement and the continuing presence of racism. Yet, because of the love and support she received, she accomplished much in her lifetime, earning three degrees, practicing law, and serving sixteen years in Iowa House of Representatives.

Helen's story describes not only what she's lived through and witnessed, but what she sees for the future: hope. As she tells her grandchildren, "Do your best because things have changed. You, too, can become president of the United States or anything else you want to be."

"As a black woman, lawyer and legislator in rural Iowa, Helen Miller's memoir provides a special insight into navigating the tumultuous times of the 1960's and 70's and then witnessing the inauguration of Barack Obama forty years later. With clarity and directness, Helen shares her life story in this very readable and remarkable book."

--Dr. Wendy Wintersteen, President Iowa State University

"A warm story of Helen Miller's life, played out against the backdrop of the nation's civil rights struggles and of how a Black girl from Newark, winds up as ranking member of the Iowa House Agriculture Committee."

--David Yepsen, Former Chief political reporter for the Des Moines Register

"This memoir is one of millions of stories, but a very special and important story that in spite of institutionalized racism in America, it created a people with great fortitude and brilliance like Helen Pitts Miller!"

--Henrietta Parker, High school/college ok classmate and documentary producer

"As I read this book of reminiscences of the everyday challenges and historic events that shaped her life in a meaningful way and catalyzed her successes in the back of my mind I say, "Bravo! And she doesn't even swim."

--Quinta Martin. Friend, Executive Management and Leadership Development

"Not swimming is one of the only things that Helen Miller hasn't done. And even THAT is meaningful in the life of one of Iowa's most effective state legislators. Her memoir is a beautiful freedom story."

--Chuck Offenberger, Former Des Moines Register Iowa Boy columnist

"Her journey is not just a chronicle of events but a testament to the emotional weight carried by those who dared to dream of a better future."

-- Julie Gammack - founder Iowa Writers' Collaborative

HELEN MILLER is a retired lawyer and state legislator. She was born in Newark, New Jersey, and earned a bachelor of arts degree from Howard University, a master's degree from Our Lady of the Lake University, and a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center.She served as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives for sixteen years and was the first minority to serve on the House Agriculture Committee. Additionally, Miller chaired the Iowa Board of Parole from July 2019 to July 2021.Miller shares the events of her life in the context of the Civil Rights Movement and beyond, during the times when Blacks were finding and projecting their voices onto the tapestry that was and is America.

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