Edna Griffin Building 

Edna Griffin walked into Katz Drug Store in downtown Des Moines. She had her baby with her and just wanted to order an ice cream soda. But when she went up to the lunch counter, the staff refused to serve her because she was Black. 

Instead of walking away, Edna decided to take action. She filed a lawsuit against Katz Drug Store for violating Iowa’s 1884 Civil Rights Act, which made it illegal to deny service based on race. 

The case made its way to the Iowa Supreme Court, and when the decision came down, it was clear: Katz had broken the law. The court ruled that the store had violated Iowa’s 1884 Civil Rights Act, which had promised equal service in public places decades earlier. Katz Drug Store was ordered not only to desegregate but also to pay a fine for their discrimination. 

It was a victory bigger than just one store. It sent a message across the state that segregation had no place in Iowa — and that civil rights laws weren’t just words on paper; they carried real weight. 

Today, the old Katz Drug Store building still stands, but with a new name: the Edna Griffin Building. A plaque and mural there tell the story of what happened that summer afternoon and how one woman’s refusal to back down helped change the law.