THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL
By Alexandre Cyusa Photo by Josiah Kopp
Bringing the Juneteenth Culture to Fargo Happy June! As we get ready to welcome the summer solstice, I wanted to connect with someone who irradiates love in the community... Fredrick Edwards Jr: Fred has his master’s degree in Educational Leadership from NDSU. Fred is a community engagement specialist, motivational speaker, community educator, program coordinator and spoken word artist from North Minneapolis. The things he has seen speak through him with the energy he provides. He has spoken to hundreds of college, high school and middle school students. Fred provides testimonies and stories of struggle and resiliency. With nine brothers and sisters, Fred is the tenth and last child. Before he was born, his mother had her tubes tied—she had a .0001% chance of becoming pregnant after her last child. Fred was that .0001%. Fred thoroughly believes he is a spiritual being having a human experience. I hope to see you at the Juneteenth celebration! Peace & Love! Where do you call home? Minneapolis, Minnesota. I
was born and raised on the northside but developed my appreciation and respect for different cultures on the southside. Every other block, there is a church and a liquor store. You can find some of the best food here, ranging from Italian beefs, sambusas to cassava leaves to fried chicken and gyros to soul food and vegan dishes. When I was growing up, drug raids, absent parents and crime were prevalent. Additionally, there was significant talent, culture and a willingness to fight generational curses common to many inner-city neighborhoods like mine. The Story of your passion for giving to your community? My father is an apostle, and I grew up in church. I always remember seeing different international faith-based communities and cultures. Especially in the inner city, there were indigenous Christian rappers and Orthodox Ethiopian Christians, Hebrew Israelites, The Nation of Islam and so forth. My parents moved to Chicago, IL when I was 16, so I lived with my big sister Klairissa in a condo in the Midtown Global Market. Downstairs was a vibrant culture showcased in this marketplace through the way of food, art, produce
38 | JUNE 2022 | FARGOMONTHLY.COM