Jonathan Narcisse-former Des Moines School Board member, candidate for governor in Iowa and newspaper publisher has died.
Narcisse died last weekend of a heart attack on Saturday at the age of 54.
He came into prominence in the African-American community when he became editor and publisher of The Iowa Bystander, a minority news publication.
He then was elected to the Des Moines School Board, where he was attacked by his fellow board members for his own criticism of spending and educational policy in the school district.
Narcisse was a constant critic of the district's high school graduation rates, and the need to improve the educational standards for African-American students.
Narcisse ran for governor twice after leaving the school board. He was inducted into the Iowa African-American Hall of Fame in 2009.