Fired Over Too Much Tupac? A Rap-Loving Bureaucrat From Iowa Says He Hopes Not
The former head of Iowa's Department of Human Services says that, ideally, his dismissal will lead to "having open discussions about race and what we have in common, instead of what separates us."
by Tim Mak
Jul 17, 2019
4 minutes
Keep ya head up, Jerry Foxhoven.
The public servant who led Iowa's Department of Human Services was forced to resign in June, just one business day after he sent an email to more than 4,000 agency employees that included an inspirational quote from the rapper Tupac Shakur.
He used his love of rap from time to time to "reach out to our staff, tell them that I'm human, have a little levity," he tells NPR.
Foxhoven regularly held "Tupac Fridays" in his office, where the rapper's music was played — the lawyer said he liked breaking stereotypes about who listens
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