April 26, 2018 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

November 4 - 11, 2015

April 26 — May 2, 2018

PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391

THE VOICE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1934

— See Prof on pg. 6

Vol. 84 No. 38 www.spokesman-recorder.com

‘Emancipation procession’ reaches City Hall

By Keith Schubert Staff Writer

Above, march participants gathered in the City Hall rotunda; inset photo, Antonia Alvarez (left) talks to City Councilmember Jeremiah Ellison (right) as Pablo Tapia (with sign) and others listen.

An “emancipation procession” led by La Asamblea de Derechos Civiles (The Assembly for Civil Rights) made its way from Brooklyn Center to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s office on Monday afternoon. “We are here to show the dignity of immigrants who are often criminalized and marginalized,” said Asamblea board member Samuel Estes.

The procession started in St. Cloud on Sunday and ended Monday evening at the State Capitol where they plan

to stay for 15 days. At the Capitol, the group plans to fast every day from 7 am to 7 pm, and the group’s president, Antonia Alvarez, will fast for the entirety of the stay.

Consisting of around 40 immigrants, activists, and community members, the group packed into Frey’s office and demanded the City take action on issues like ending mass incarceration, establishing municipal ID’s, and providing more affordable housing.

“We need change. We are tired of nice people but no action,” Alvarez said to Jamie Makepeace, a senior policy

aide to Frey. “We have been working on these issues for seven to eight years, and we have not seen anything happen,” she added.

The group had reached out to Frey’s office four weeks in advance to make sure Frey was available to meet with them, but he was not there.

Makepeace apologized for his absence.

Asamblea member and activist Adriana Cerrillo told Makepeace that the City needs to take more action right now. “He has not done ■ See EmancipatiOn on page 8

Opioid epidemic Whose outrage gets the attention?

Why all the fuss now when Black women have been keeps on killing crying ‘Me too!’ since Jamestown?

By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer At the American Indian Center in Minneapolis on April 13, acting Department of Health Services Commissioner Chuck Johnson headed up a forum to address the ravages of opioid addiction, stating, “American Indians are five times more likely to

Yolanda Farris overdose on opioids compared to White people. American Indian children are 17 times more likely to be placed in out-of-home foster care due to parental drug abuse.”

Johnson, flanked by representatives from the Native Amer-

ican Community Clinic; Wayside Recovery Center (including recovering Native American addict Kali G.); Hennepin Healthcare; Perspectives, Inc.; Wilder Recovery Services; and Minnesota State Senator Christina Eaton (DFL-District 40), went on to say, “Working closely with our community partners, we have [offered] pregnant and parenting women expanded access to medically-assisted treatment and improved care coordination.

“However, there is still a lot of work to do. We need [to] expand — not shrink — our opioid efforts by building on community-based efforts now underway.

It’s going to take resources for all levels of government, along with community partners, to bring an end to this crisis.”

Based in St. Louis Park, the Perspectives mission is to rebuild families damaged by chemical dependency by supporting ■ See EpidEmic on page 8

News Analysis

By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer

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tarting with claims against Bill Cosby, fast worsening to now comprise a considerable rouge’s gallery, including movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and Minnesota notables Sen. Al Franken and Prairie Home Companion creator-star Garrison Keillor, the Me Too Movement is yet one more social problem that wasn’t widely deemed important until it impacted White women publicly. It should surprise no one when the opinion is expressed that Black Women have dealt with sexual harassment in America since they stepped off the first slave ship at Jamestown onto plantations where they were routinely raped.

Anita Hill can be considered a textbook example. In 1991, she knew what she’d

marks.

Succumbing to pressure from politicians who were trying to scuttle Thomas’ nomination to the Supreme Court, she relented and stepped forward only to see her reputation trashed.

Thomas was acquitted and became Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

In January, Gina Beavers, writing for ValleyAdvocate. com, asserted, “As a Black woman, I cannot bring myself to seek refuge in the monumental arms of the #Me Too Movement. On the contrary, I often find myself feeling contempt and cynicism.

Irna Landrum “But it’s not because I don’t Photo by Dwight Hobbes empathize with the wombe up against and refused to tunity Commission. Thomas en who have come forward accuse Clarence Thomas of vented his libido toward Hill with their experiences of sexlording his position over her, with unwelcome advances, ual victimization. Rather, in first as a member of his staff asking her out, making lewd part, it is because the ubiquiat United States Department comments about his being tous social media campaign of Education, then at the prodigiously equipped for ■ See OutragE on page 8 Equal Employment Oppor- sex and other offensive re-

Earvin Johnson shares his business magic Urges more investment in Urban America

By Charles Hallman Senior Staff Writer

Second of a 3-part story

Earvin Johnson “worked” the Minneapolis Convention Center’s large hall April 11 as the keynote speaker for the Power the Future conference’s opening general session. The three-day event honoring the 30th anniversary of the Forum on Workplace Inclusion focused on what’s needed to advance efforts toward true diversity, equity and inclusion in today’s workplace. He mostly delivered his remarks away from the on-stage podium designed for speakers, instead walking from front to rear of the convention center’s large room.

Johnson has been a champion in high school, college and the NBA, as well as a winner of Olympic gold. After his retirement as an athlete, he successfully parlayed his point guard skills into the business world.

“When I first started in business, they said, ‘He’s just a basketball player. I went to 10 banks… They turned me down five times in a row,” Johnson recalled.

Between his joking and taking impromptu selfies

Earvin Johnson

Photo by Charles Hallman

“It’s not about being antiWhite at all. Minorities just want a chance, a fair opportunity.” with several of the 1,600 attendees during his nearly onehour address on diversity and inclusion in business, Johnson unabashedly stressed the importance of investing in Urban America. He said he has worked with major corporations and partners to bring jobs, high-quality products and services through such investing.

“I’m so happy doing what I am doing now,” Johnson admitted. “I’ve invested in

Urban America. I’ve given Blacks and Latinos job opportunities in their community. That’s why I built the [125] Starbucks [he owns] and the movie theatres [he formerly owned from 1994 to 2006].”

Athletics taught him the importance of diversity and working well with others, Johnson said. “Team sports allowed me to understand how to really come together with someone who doesn’t look like me. We would…go out

with one common goal, and that was to win the game.”

It also taught him the difference between success and failure as well, he said. Asked how he dealt with failure, Johnson responded, “I want to know why I failed, what happened, go back over the reasons we lost as a company and move forward. I think failure can teach you so many things and can make you better at the same time, in business and in sports, too.

“Diversity has to be in the DNA of the CEO and president [of the company] and trickle down to everybody else. If it’s not, you won’t get diversity,” he continued.

“What minorities really want is just an opportunity and a seat at the table.”

Blacks and other people of color, whether as owners, employees or executives, want to be themselves in the workplace, he pointed out. But he added that business is about results as well: “Minorities, make sure that you are ready [to bid on contracts]. If you are not ready, then you got to pass sometimes.”

Johnson nonetheless stressed, “We have to over-deliver. That’s what I live by each and every day.”

Multi-state mentorship program asks students, ‘Why You?’

By Charles Johnson Contributing Writer Several years ago, Dr. Renaldo Blocker was reflecting on the importance of mentors in his life. “We realized that we were fortunate to have a support system throughout our

toring, but, he explained, it was “way more than that.” In 2011, he and Dr. Antonio Daniels co-founded the “Why You?” Initiative, Inc. (YU?), a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization.

The program was about more than providing resources: It’s about

Jalen Jackson (red shirt), Charlynn Robertson (brown blazer), Endia Clark (blue blazer), Tizon Mathews (YU t-shirt), Levenius Hodges (white shirt & tie), all mentees of Why You. Photo courtesy of Renaldo Blocker

academic and professional career.”

Blocker is a Mayo Clinic healthcare systems engineering assistant professor.

“We were fortunate to have these people in our lives… Many of our peers did not.” Blocker wanted to help other students benefit from such support – and more. From this emerged “Why You?” The support system Blocker en■ See magic on page 9 visioned back in 2003 included men-

“connecting with other people who can help me move forward in my life.” Blocker added, “We still have those same mentors [and the] same support system today that continually challenges us to move forward and become even better and brighter.”

Asked about the group’s title, Blocker recalled, “We were trying to ■ See Why yOu on page 8

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April 26 — May 2, 2018

Preparing the soil by investing in each other A dialogue on nourishing the seeds of change

A monthly column in which various contributors from both sides of prison walls explore common ground for effecting change.

By Vina Kay and Kevin Reese Contributing Writers “The soil is more important than the seeds. Almost anything will grow in rich, nutritious soil, whereas it’s hard to get anything to grow if the soil is barren and toxic and won’t hold moisture. So the seeds are our projects, our initiatives, our campaigns, our organizations, our institutions that we want to build, and the soil is the compost of beliefs, ideas, values, narratives that create the environment within which we are working.”

– Ricardo Levins Morales Vina: At Voices for Racial Justice, we recently spent many months in a strategic

Vina: In our work to support the soil of racial justice organizing, we are focusing on creating the spaces for people to come together and build, whether to share their stories and experiences, create research and policy tools, or develop organizing skills and capacity. The threads that hold these pieces together are a strong racial justice analysis and a healing justice framework.

Healing justice is a new approach for Voices in our strategic vision. Over the four and a half years that Kevin and I

visioning process. We came to the understanding that Voices is committed to caring for the soil of racial justice organizing. We borrowed this metaphor from our community partner and artist organizer Ricardo Levins Morales, who has drawn from an ecological perspective the importance of tending to the ecosystem of organizing for this work to be successful and sustainable over time.

This framework supports our strategic vision: that indigenous and people of color communities can lead – in healing, creative, and sustainable ways – in transforming the conditions that impact our lives. Within a context of healthy soil for racial justice organizing, we know that many seeds can thrive.

es as I could. But the more I learned, the more I realized that there are still so many things I did not know, and what I didn’t know frightened me.

Essentially I was saying that I’m a seed, and in order for me to grow into a fruit that can bring some healthy nutrients to the community I would need the proper light and watering. Her response came to show the beauty in the importance of human investment, so all the good that I have done over the years is largely credited to my connection to the community.

“The social progress we are looking for is sitting in the very people next to us.”

Kevin: This system is deep and entrenched in the doctrine of White supremacy, and we may not change this in our lifetime. Measuring ourselves against a system that places dollars over humans, we will never see progress. But if we begin to measure our work by the human lives we can make wider and richer, then the social progress we are looking for is sitting in the very people next to us. For me, that was always the goal anyway.

Kevin: I see myself as a seed and a manifestation of what happens when we invest in the most valuable commodity in our communities, and that is the human beings that inhabit them. In my original letter to Vina after hearing her on the radio, one of my comments was I wanted to be connected to the community “during these really important developmental years.”

I spent untold years in prison learning as much as I could from as many different plac-

The entire Voices team has given me the light and water that has allowed me to thrive even inside a prison. Now as I come to the end of this portion of my life and gear up to rejoin the community as a part of the solution, I have the agency, relationships and platform to make a difference. All of this is possible because one human being saw another human being as someone worth investing in.

Vina Kay, executive director of Voices for Racial Justice, and Kevin Reese are participants in Voices for Racial Justice’s “BRIDGE Partnership.” Vina and Kevin plan to continue their dialogue monthly over the next year, culminating in Kevin’s release in February 2019.

Reader responses are welcome to info@ voicesforracialjustice.org. To learn more about the organization’s work, visit www. voicesforracialjustice.org.

have been connected, I have come to a greater understanding of the necessity for healing justice in our organizing for racial justice.

Organizing should not deplete our communities of the nutrients to thrive.

Instead, envisioning an alternative to the oppression of structural racism and organizing to make that vision come true should be life-giving and healing in itself.

Through our work, Kevin has taught me the healing power of organizing, and that through the care and work of building relationship and vision together, we can collectively heal from the ongoing trauma of structural racism.

Our progress in achieving fair housing is at risk We have come some of the way, not near all of it. There is much yet to do.

– President Lyndon B. Johnson The law was Congress’s effort to remedy a great historical evil,” the large-scale exclusion of and isolation of blacks from white communities. In the Jim Crow South, white and black citizens were kept apart to reinforce the idea of white superiority. Residential segregation accomplished the same result elsewhere, but on a much larger scale.

The Fair Housing Act was intended to prevent and reverse all this.

– Walter F. Mondale Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God’s children. Now is the time to end the long and desolate night of slumism. Now is the time to have a confrontation between the forces resisting change and the forces demanding change. Now is the time to let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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xactly 50 years ago today, one week after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, the United States Congress passed the Fair Housing Act (Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968). President Johnson, whose relationship with Dr. King was no doubt complicated and who himself had just informed the American people he would not run for reelection, was now determined to push this legislation through Congress.

Hubert Humphrey The political and spiritual precursor to the Fair Housing Act was Dr. King’s leadership of the Chicago Freedom Movement (also known as the Chicago Open Housing Movement), which kept him and other members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in the city of Chicago for

the better part of 1966. During this campaign, Dr. King famously proclaimed, “I’ve seen many demonstrations all across the South, but I can say that I have never seen, even in Mississippi and Alabama, mobs as hostile and as hate-filled as I’m seeing in Chicago.

The third major piece of civil rights legislation in four years (after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1964), the Fair Housing Act was co-sponsored by Minnesota Senator Walter F. Mondale. Moreover, the local connection to this bill is much deeper.

The founder of this very newspaper and a civil rights legend in his own right, Cecil E. Newman was a close advisor to Senator Mondale and helped him recognize the critical importance of fair housing legislation. Newman played a similar role as a consultant to then-senator Hubert H. Humphrey during the drafting and ultimate passage of the Civil Rights Act four years earlier.

“In my home state, Minnesota, segregation has only grown.”

As a number of scholars, community activists, consumer advocates and policy experts have noted, the Fair Housing Act made a significant impact in many neighborhoods throughout urban and suburban America. But as former vice-president Mondale adds, “The law has also often suffered from neglect,” and in “my home state, Minnesota, segregation has only grown.”

In recent years, a multitude of scholarly journalism has chronicled this trend toward a new era of social, political and economic isolation, including works by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Between the World and Me), Matthew Desmond (Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City), and Ruth Carbonette Yow (Students of the Dream: Resegregation in a Southern City).

In 2016, Jeff Chang, social historian and executive director of Stanford University’s Institute for Diversity in the Arts, published We Gon’ Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation, which The Washington Post called the “smartest book” of 2016.

So the trend of resegregating America via the sharp decline in fair and affordable housing, increased redlining and predatory lending, gentrified neighborhoods, abandoned public schools, and reduced employment opportunities is welldocumented. This drift toward increased isolation

Minnesota’s leaders in the struggle for fair and affordable housing, (top) Hubert Humphrey, (above l-r) Cecil E. Newman and Walter Mondale MSR file photos

and inequity was already in place well before recent attempts to gut the federal Fair Housing Act (which began in 2015 and have gained additional momentum under the current administration).

Recently, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, Mondale penned an op-ed in The New York Times where he deliberates on the successes and setbacks, influence and limitations, and continued opposition to the bill. He also addresses current efforts to delay and potentially discard the Obama administration’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) regulation.

AFFH was authorized in July 2015 just days after the U.S. Supreme Court barely upheld the Fair Housing Act in a 5 to 4 decision. Recent editorials in

The Washington Post have highlighted these threats as well.

It appears that, relative to the preservation of this law, there are some serious challenges ahead. But as Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, tells us, “Martin Luther King, Jr.’s fair housing legacy must be protected.”

Clarence Hightower is the executive director of Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties. Dr. Hightower holds a Ph.D. in urban higher education from Jackson State University. He welcomes reader responses to 450 Syndicate Street North, St. Paul, MN 55104

April 26 — May 2, 2018

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The medicine that works best is the medicine that gets taken

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By Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD

his saying – “The medicine that works best is the medicine that gets taken” – is especially true when it comes to medications that control high blood pressure. One in three people will develop high blood pressure, yet many people who have high blood pressure don’t know that they have it.

Uncontrolled or poorly controlled high blood pressure increases one’s risk for heart disease, heart attacks and stroke. These conditions are some of the leading causes of death in the United States.

Recent studies have also established a link between high blood pressure and dementia. The good news is that high blood pressure

(hypertension) is treatable. Be sure to check your blood pressure regularly and review it with your doctor, making plans to control it if it is elevated.

High blood pressure is known as the “silent killer.” When a person has high blood pressure, they don’t feel bad or feel any differently until it is too late and they have a heart attack or stroke. Other conditions like a headache or flu or stomachache have symptoms that drive a patient towards treatment.

In fact, it may be even worse for those suffering from high blood pressure. For many patients with hypertension, taking a medicine to control their blood pressure actually makes them feel bad when they felt fine without or before taking the blood pressure medication.

Blood pressure medications can make users feel dizzy, loopy, groggy, anxious, sluggish, and can also cause stomach upset and diarrhea.

In some men, the medicines can also inhibit sexual arousal.

Some patients insist that feeling so poorly is worse than having high blood pressure. The irony is that the condition of having high blood pressure has no symptoms, but the medicines designed to control it can make people feel down in

the dumps. Also, some people have a terrible time remembering to take medications on a regular basis, and some have trouble affording medications or the doctor’s visits needed even to get evaluated and receive prescriptions for the medications.

Surveys show that as many as one-half of the people who are prescribed blood pressure medications fail to take them or don’t take them as directed, for many of the reasons listed above. Some people who don’t take the medicines are afraid to admit to their doctors that they are not taking them.

There is a new blood test that can tell if many of the blood pressure medications have been taken. Unfortunately, it can only know if the medicines have been taken in the last 24-48 hours or so, but with time the test will get even better. For now it is a start, and if used correctly, openly, with respect and explana-

tion, it can be a gateway to discussing with one’s doctor some of the reasons blood pressure medications are being skipped. The test, today, can evaluate over 80 different blood pressure and cholesterol medicines.

“In order to solve a [medication] problem, we first have to recognize that it exists,” says Humberto Gallego, M.D., “and such blood tests might open that door for us.”

Most physicians take a patient’s word that they are complying with medication instructions, but in reality, many are not. If test results are not demonstrating the effect of the medicines, expensive tests may be ordered or other medicines may be added. The situation can snowball fast.

Taking medicines correctly can be nothing short of lifesaving. Many people know that skipping their prescribed medicine is unhealthy,

yet they do it anyway. If you have problems with any of your medications, talk to your doctor to address the issues.

If it is an issue of cost, look for an alternative, less expensive choice. If it is one of remembering, see if there is a medication that will work if taken once per day rather than three times per day. And finally, if the side effects of your medications, especially if taken for high blood pressure, are making you feel so bad that you are skipping them altogether, talk to your doctor about trying other medications with a lower side-effect profile.

So remember, the medicine that works best (and that may save your life) is the one that gets taken.

Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD is a board-certified dermatologist and Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He also has a private practice in Eagan, MN. He has been selected as one of the top 10 dermatologists in the United States by Black Enterprise magazine and one of the top 21 African American physicians in the U.S. by the Atlanta Post. Dr. Crutchfield is president of the Minnesota Association of Black Physicians.

‘I have all the weapons I need’

Taking action to heal your autistic child

By Sheletta Brundidge Contributing Writer In honor of National Autism Awareness Month, Sheletta shares her experience as the mother of three children on the autism spectrum.

Conclusion of a two-part story My son Brandon, after he was diagnosed as autistic, had an appointment with a speech pathologist named Becky at a local children’s hospital.

They say it was random and that the computer picked her, but I know now it was divine intervention.

I insisted that my momma tag along for the evaluation since she didn’t believe there was anything wrong with my child and I was just making it all up to get attention for myself. “You won’t trust your daughter,” I chided her, “so I’m gon’ take you with me and let these White folks with some letters behind their names tell you that Brandon has autism. Maybe you’ll listen to them.”

She rolled her eyes and pursed her lips. I ain’t care. She was gon’ go with me to every appointment and every evaluation until she was on board with Brandon’s recovery plan.

When Becky came out to the lobby of the speech center to receive us, she had the biggest smile and the warmest spirit. I knew at that moment that she would be a blessing to my family.

While she evaluated Brandon, she insisted my mother and I stay in the room with her. Unlike other evaluators before her, she wanted to include us in what she was doing.

My ol’ nay-saying momma sat there with her arms folded and her legs crossed looking like the angry Black church usher that she is. Becky didn’t let Momma’s stank attitude intimidate her. She kept on testing. Asking questions. Running trials.

When Becky was done with everything, I could see my momma’s disposition had changed. Suddenly Momma saw what I saw – that my baby, her favorite grandson, had autism and would need intense help to get better.

Becky, being led by the Spirit, addressed my momma right away: “Mrs. Handy,” she assured her, “with the right therapy your grandson can be a normal kid, but it’s going to take a lot of work.

But the hardest part is done. You’re no longer in denial.”

My momma couldn’t even breathe she was crying so hard…

Becky told her plainly, “You should be proud of your daughter for bringing little Brandon in as soon as she noticed something was wrong. That doesn’t typically happen with Black parents. Now, my White parents, I’ve had them bring their kids to be evaluated as young as six months old. That means they get treatment and services for their special needs child right away. Then, by the time the little kiddo heads to pre-school, they’ve had three years of therapy, and by then they’ve caught up to their friends.”

“But why don’t Black parents come in sooner?” my momma had the audacity to ask.

“Cause they’re in denial, just like you,” I fussed.

“Instead of seeing that something is wrong with our kids and trying to fix it right away, we turn a blind eye.”

“And by the time my Black families start looking for help,” Becky added, “the child is five or six

years old and they haven’t had any therapy, they can’t talk, and they’re acting out.”

I put another two-cents in: “Because they can’t talk, they’re in school frustrated and fighting. Now we wanna run to a therapist looking for a miracle when we done missed out on three or four years of good therapy.”

“And early intervention is the key,” Becky reminded us. “The sooner your child gets help, the better the outcome.”

“So what’s next?” I asked Becky. “How do I get my baby to a point where autism is in his past and college and a career are in his future?”

tive at helping children with autism.

I could have kissed that White lady on the mouth. She had just laid out a solid foundation to help heal my child. But after looking over my notes, I asked, “How, Ms. Becky, can I afford this?

Private school. Three or four different kinds of therapy. Medication from specialists who may or may not take my insurance—” She cut me off: “There are scholarships and grants available that will give you the money to pay for everything you need for your child. All you have to do is go online to find them, then apply.”

(left) Brandon Brundidge at age two, when first diagnosed with autism, and (right) Brandon today Photos courtesy of Sheletta Brundidge I had been so frustrated prior to meeting Becky.

Nobody helped me. Nobody told me what I needed to do. Not one doctor, therapist or specialist threw me a life-line.

Becky was different. She walked over to her desk, got a pencil, some paper and a clipboard that she handed to me and directed, “Write down what I’m about to tell you. This is what you need to do for Brandon.”

With that she laid out the road map for my son’s successful transition from special education to accelerated learner: Get him into a quality private pre-school a few days per week. Keep him out of special education classes in the public school if you can. Make sure the pre-school teachers are educated and have degrees.

When he does go to elementary school, make sure you have a plan to mainstream him into a regular classroom as quickly as he’s ready for it.

Have him see a good private speech therapist.

The public schools will provide some special services like speech and occupational therapy, but if you want the best care, you’re going to have to pay for it.

Find an occupational and physical therapist Brandon can visit once weekly so he can work on his fine and gross motor skills.

Get under the care of a developmental pediatrician and a developmental psychologist for yearly evaluations and medications that may be helpful to curb some of the typical autistic behaviors.

And finally, and most importantly, get him signed up for applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy either at a center or in the home. This method of therapy has been proven the most effec-

I left her office with a mission, determined to find help for my baby.

The speech therapist she recommended cost a whopping $800 a month (they so good, honey, they don’t even take insurance; it’s a straight cash payment like the weed man). It didn’t come out of my pocket, though, because I applied for a United Health Care Foundation Grant that gave me $5,000 to cover the cost.

The tab for that applied behavior therapy for Brandon was $900 per month, and that was after our medical coverage kicked in. It didn’t matter because I found the C.A.D.E. scholarship [Children

with Autism Deserve Education, a Minnesota nonprofit] and it paid for an entire year.

I continued to find more and more resources. Before it was all over, I raised nearly $50,000 to pay for all the good therapy Brandon needed. I got so good at finding money to pay for stuff, I started holding free workshops for parents who have special needs kids to teach them how to find grant money and scholarships for their children.

And guess what? All the White churches let me in, and they were always full of folks who were looking for financial assistance. Our Black churches would not let me in. Well, that’s not fair to say all of them rejected me; I’m still waiting on the deacon board from a few of them to get back with me.

And remember, I’m doing this for free!

Now, after three years of quality therapy like them White folks be getting, my child is in a regular kindergarten classroom. He’s reading, doing math, giving me eye contact, talking and talking back.

Yes, honey, he is a typical five-year-old boy. Today, right now, you can’t tell he had been diagnosed with autism.

God is good. I’m glad He chose me to be this bright little boy’s mommy. Brandon has hope and a bright future, and I’m thankful to Ms. Becky for giving me the roadmap to get there.

I was home free with Brandon’s recovery – or so I thought. I must have done too good a job, because the Lord decided to choose me two more times. My daughter Cameron and my son Daniel have also been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.

I’m rolling up my sleeves and getting ready to do battle. This time I have all the weapons I need.

My family motto: We want our kids healed, not helped!

Sheletta has provided a list of centers in the Twin Cities that provide excellent care to children who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. In addition, she’s provided links to all the scholarships and grants that are available to pay for therapy and medication. Log on to spokesman-recorder.com for details.

Sheletta Brundidge welcomes reader responses to shelettab@gmail.com.

February 16-22, 2017

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4 April 26 — May 2, 2018

Celebrate Earth Day every day with energy savings

In

1970, the first Earth Day inspired 20 million Americans and launched the modern environmental movement. It rallied support from people of all walks of life and

led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and passage of the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts.

Today, 48 years later, the annual Earth Day celebration, which

was on April 22, is both a chance to renew our commitment to a healthy environment and a reminder of how easy it can be to improve our natural environment by conserving energy (and saving money in the

process).

Earth Day 2018 is focused on reducing plastic pollution. The Earth Day Network offers a toolkit to help individuals and organizations take action to end plastic pollution.

On Earth Day, and every day, the Minnesota Department of Commerce encourages Minnesotans to save on energy use and reduce carbon pollution. Here are 10 simple ways that Minnesotans can make a difference: • Turn off lights, appliances and electronics when not in use. Sometimes the simplest things are really effective!

• Use your window shades. Close blinds on the sunny side of the house during summer and open them in winter.

• Install a programmable thermostat. It can save 10 percent or more on cooling and heating costs.

• Look for the ENERGY STAR® label, the symbol of energy efficiency, when purchasing new appliances, lighting and electronics.

• Use LED bulbs. Replace old incandescent light bulbs with much more efficient LEDs (light emitting diodes).

• Clean or change furnace filters regularly. A dirty filter will slow down airflow and make your system work harder to keep you warm.

• Reduce water heater temperature to 120° F. • Wash clothes in cold water.

• Use low-flow faucets and showerheads.

• Carpool to work or school.

- Information from the Minnesota Commerce Department energy.info@ state.mn.us or the Energy Information Center at 800-657-3710. Image courtesy of MGNOnline

Spring cleaning eventS and reSourceS Hennepin County hosts collection events across the county throughout the spring and fall to provide residents with a convenient option to get rid of household hazardous waste. A variety of items are accepted at collection events including paint, aerosols, cleaners, mercury thermostats, and much more.

There are seven collection events scheduled in 2018 throughout Hennepin County from May to September. Each event is held on Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm.

City cleanups This spring, cities across Hennepin County are holding cleanup events to make

spring-cleaning more convenient. City cleanup events offer residents a chance to get rid of hard-to-dispose items such as old furniture, exercise equipment, appliances, electronics, and more.

Cities offer either curbside service or dropoff sites for your items. See if your city is holding a city clean-up event, and be sure to check with your city for details about what’s accepted and other guidelines.

Mattress recycling drop-off and pick-up options Most of the materials in a mattress can be recycled. For example, the steel springs can be made into new steel products, cotton is re-

cycled into a filtration media such as oil filters for large equipment, and foam is recycled into new foam products such as carpet padding.

All Hennepin County residents can dropoff mattresses for recycling at the county’s drop-off facilities in Brooklyn Park or Second Chance Recycling in Minneapolis.

There is a charge of $20 each per mattress or box spring. Curbside pick-up of mattresses is also available in much of the eastern part of Hennepin County.

Close the loop by purchasing recycled paint Paint is one of the most common materials brought to a Hennepin County drop-off facility or collection event for recycling – the county collected nearly 130,000 gallons of paint for recycling in 2017. But many res-

idents aren’t aware that they can close the loop by purchasing recycled paint.

The latex paint brought to the county’s facilities and events is sent to Amazon Environmental where it is recycled into Low Sheen Amazon Select Paint. Amazon Select Paint can be purchased locally at the Amazon Paint store in Fridley or the Habitat for Humanity Restore in Minneapolis or New Brighton.

For more information call 612-348-3777, or e-mail environment@hennepin.us — Information from Hennepin County Green Notes.

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THIS MSR GO GREEN! PAGE IS SPONSORED BY:

April 26 — May 2, 2018

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The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder (MSR) welcomes and values commentary and feedback from the community. The articles found here are edited for clarity and/or space, but the opinions are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of the MSR.

50 years later, sexual harassment in housing is still a problem

By Sandra Park Contributing Commentator Fifty years ago, Congress passed the Fair Housing Act, which at long last protected Americans from discrimination when purchasing or renting a home.

At least that was the plan. But for too many people, the fight for fair housing is not over.

Ongoing bias against African Americans at the hands of banks, landlords, and local governments is well documented half a century later. Women, including women of color, also continue to grapple with unequal treatment.

They are frequently subjected to sexual harassment while trying to keep a roof over their heads, a violation of the FHA that flies under the radar.

Sexual harassment by landlords, superintendents, and other housing staff plays out in many ways in communities across the country.

They have demanded sex in exchange for rent reductions or repairs, entered tenants’ homes without permission or notice, sexually groped them, and moved to evict tenants who rejected their sexual advances.

Property managers have also refused to approve housing applicants unless they complied with sexual demands. Harassment in housing affects all types of people, but it disproportionately harms low-income women of color.

While there has been limited research done on the prevalence of sexual harassment in housing, a recent pilot study released disturbing results. Professor Rigel Oliveri surveyed lowincome women in Columbia, Missouri, and found that 10 percent had experienced significant sexual harassment by landlords. Most were young women of color.

The harassment ranged from a landlord who entered a tenant’s bedroom at night to masturbate while she was sleeping, to a landlord’s persistent demands for sex.

The study also revealed that low-income women who had not obtained a housing subsidy were more vulnerable to sexual harassment compared to those who did. The women with rental assistance could refuse their landlords’ sexual demands and still afford to pay their rent. Those without subsidies, who were also economically struggling, were usually forced to move when they rejected the harassment.

Housing managers who sexually harass one tenant frequently targets many more. For example, Yolanda Boswell’s real estate manager in Montgomery, Alabama, repeatedly tried to

coerce her into having sex with him and then raised her rent when she refused. After the ACLU, Legal Services Alabama, and the Central Alabama Fair Housing Center filed a lawsuit on Ms. Boswell’s behalf, we learned that the manager had also sexually harassed several other women, leading the Department of Justice to pursue an additional case.

Ultimately, a federal judge called out the Montgomery Housing Authority, noting that several of the victims had informed their housing counselors but that “in every case, the women’s concerns were ignored.”

The judge’s rebuke points to a broader issue: Tenants and housing applicants too often face pressure to remain silent about sexual harassment, and they encounter hostility or dismissal when they do report it.

Part of the problem is that protections against sexual harassment in housing generally have lagged behind those in the workplace.

While most large employers have taken some measures to address sexual harassment on the job, far fewer real estate management companies and other housing providers have acknowledged the issue. In fact, public housing authorities and other agencies that administer housing programs are not required to record or report on sexual harassment complaints.

There is legal recourse, however. The Fair Housing Act and similar state laws provide applicants and tenants who are harassed with the ability to seek compensation and reforms in housing management. They can seek representation to file their own lawsuit in court or assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or the U.S. Department of Justice.

Notably, the Justice Department recently launched a major initiative encouraging people to come forward with their reports of sexual harassment in housing. This builds on an important regulation issued by HUD in 2016 to explain how the FHA bars harassment in housing.

The FHA guarantees Americans the right to access housing without being subjected to unwelcome sexual advances or assault. We need to make that promise a reality, now.

Sandra Park is Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU Women’s Rights Project

Through My Eyes

The Minneapolis Story Continues

Policy of death by race continuing under Trump?

By Ron Edwards Contributing Commentator When America, France and England attacked three selected targets in and around Damascus Syria, April 13, 2018, the United States again imposed casualties on people of color.

Since 1945, military action based on race has been a continued policy (conscious or otherwise). The list includes Japan, Korea, China, Panama, Grenada, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Syria, Black Africa. The lone exception was Clinton’s 1999 two and a half months of bombing in the Balkans.

The late comedian George Carlin asked this question: “Can you remember any White people we’ve ever bombed besides the Germans?”

There has long been a comfort level with this policy in American administrations, including those of Reagan, Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump, which is why this seeming race killing gives pause to Black communities when police shoot, strangle, beat up and kill unarmed African Americans.

After slavery, we experienced the slow death by racial discrimination and by the segregation of Jim Crow and the fight against civil rights that continues in too many places yet today, especially in education and home ownership.

The policy of death by race and its effect on both Whites and Blacks is a needed discussion if we are to achieve the healing and coming together with “malice toward none” sought by Lincoln.

Three sources to use to start uncovering the history and be motivated to resolve the remaining results of the history of slavery, are (1) films (such as Roots, Django Unchained, Glory, Amazing Grace), (2) the Whitney Slavery Museum (in Wallace, Louisiana, the first slavery museum in America opened Dec. 7, 2017), (3) advocate rejecting self-imposed resegregation and return to winning the prize of integration, and (4) take the high road of non-violence.

The policy of death by race is an accepted policy. The big difference is that White

immigrants can change their names and blend in. Blacks cannot change color to blend in. Death by race began with killing the indigenous people of this continent (called both Native Americans and American Indians).

As the Second World War drew to an end, we dropped two atomic bombs on Japan but not on White Nazi Germany. We still await the opening of the archives of the U.S. government to explain how one race was bombed, but not the other.

It is a part of U.S. policy that became domesticated, as seen in the list of those of color who have died at the hands of police, and the continued obstacles to education, jobs, housing, and public safety. The Kerner Commission Report, 50 years ago last month, virtually condoned re-segregation with its phrase: “Two Societies, One Black, One White,” the opposite of Dr. King’s “content of character, not color of skin.”

People say, “let’s talk” to discuss the moral importance. We are still waiting. We want all to take the moral high ground. Instead, we are getting a collapse of moral order, as too many still do not see the importance of a clear, honest, inclusive discussion.

What purpose was served, politically and militarily, in bombing several facilities that the U.N. says were manufacturing chemical death? We surely know there was no action taken against the facilities of those military units that continue to take the lives of the dark-skinned Syrians of that ongoing war. It is not hard to explain the silence: It is business as usual.

Finally, ask this: Did the war on terror end the next day? What should be done with the thousands of Syrians yet to be killed who will now be pounded and killed by other modern weapons? You know the answer to that question.

Stay tuned.

Ron is an author and hosts radio and TV shows.

Another Black Harvard man arrested ReveRend IRene MonRoe

By Rev. Irene Monroe Contributing Commentator I reside in Cambridge. And, the last time an unarmed Black Harvard man in Cambridge was arrested, it was in 2009 and it made the news. Renowned Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates was mistakenly taken to be an unknown Black man breaking and entering into someone’s home — which happened to be his. The story that went viral, internationally, leaving a pox on the city.

On Friday evening, April 13, Selorm Ohene, 21, was charged with indecent exposure, disorderly conduct, assault, resisting arrest, and assault and battery on ambulance personnel. The one incontrovertible fact all disputing parties — CPD officers, Harvard Black Law Students Association (BLSA), and eyewitnesses — can agree on is that Mr. Ohene was in crisis as he stood naked on a traffic island in the middle of Massachusetts Avenue near Waterhouse, across from Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church.

A call to Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) was transferred immediately to the CPD and not the Harvard University Police Department — a piece of the puzzle is still awaiting a response.

How and why a pool of Ohene’s blood remained on the pavement as an ambulance transported him to a nearby hospital for evaluation fits sadly into the broader and disturbing narrative of America’s culture of police violence and brutality, systemic violation of Black men’s civil rights, and their bodily autonomy.

Ohene was pummeled with punches repeatedly to his torso.

The CPD report depicts Ohene as wildly combative that three officers from Cambridge Police and another officer from Transit Police were the needed enforcement to gain compliance, place him in handcuffs and “avoid further injury to himself.”

“Numerous attempts made by officers to calm the male down were met with opposition and his hostility escalated while officers attempted to speak with him,” a CPD official put out in a tweet. “After he was observed clinching both of his fists and started taking steps towards officers attempting to engage with the male, officers made the tactical decision to grab his legs and bring him to the ground.”

However, since CPD officers did not “adhere to their stated commitment to using body cameras” and they obstructed bystanders and the BLSA members efforts videotaping the incident transparency of their intentions, actions and of the entire incident from beginning to end will always leave doubt about that evening.

In recalling the event, the BL-

SA offered a counter-narrative that suggested the CPD officers had no understanding or schooling in trauma-informed training, crisis intervention training, mental health training, or de-escalation techniques. If these officers did, it all went out of the window immediately seeing a Black male.

“He was surrounded by at least four Cambridge Police Department officers who, without provocation, lunged at him, tackled him and pinned him to the ground. While on the ground, at least one officer repeatedly punched the student in his torso as he screamed for help,” the BLSA statement reads.

Racial profiling immediately comes to mind when we hear of an incident with White police involving Black and brown males. And with Ohene, a Harvard student, you wonder if he were a White student standing naked and obviously in distress along Cambridge Common in Harvard Square, would he have been so dehumanized and humiliated?

On reporting the Cambridge incident, The Grio stated that both “The Boston and Cambridge Police Departments are no different than those in the rest of the country. According to the ACLU, 63 percent of police stops in Boston between 2007 and 2010 targeted Black residents, even though Black residents make up less than 25 percent of the population. As of 2015, the Boston Police Department (BPD) had spent approximately $36 million to settle lawsuits, most of which were tied to wrongful convictions and police misconduct.”

While 30 onlookers were stunned and emotionally troubled by the police handling of Ohene and the use of force against him, according to Cambridge Police Commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr., the use was an appropriate tactical decision within police procedure.

However, many Cambridge residents, especially of African descent, are not pleased with Bard’s handling of and public re-

sponses to the incident. ”In a rapidly-evolving situation, as this was, the officers’ primary objective is to neutralize an incident to ensure the safety of the involved party(ies), officers, and members of the public,” Bard wrote. “To prevent the altercation from extending and leading to further injuries, particularly since the location of the engagement was next to a busy street with oncoming traffic, the officers utilized their discretion and struck the individual in the mid-section to gain his compliance and place him in handcuffs.”

With just eight months under his belt, Bard, who is African American, is CPD’s new commissioner and is an expert in the study of ending racial profiling.

Bard holds a doctorate in public administration from Valdosta State University, and a leadership certificate from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

His doctoral studies had a focus on racial profiling, racially biased policing, immigration, the Bill of Rights and public policy. In 2014, Bard also authored a book, Racial Profiling: Towards Simplicity and Eradication. Bard promises a cultural shift within the police force under his watch.

After Gates’ arrest, Cambridge City Hall released a report to the public called Missed Opportunities, Shared Responsibilities. One of the findings in the report is that “When police believe they are not in physical danger, they generally should de-escalate tensions…[which] can be a tool for helping to reduce danger by calming a person who is upset or unstable.”

Had the arresting officers read this report along with employing the appropriate training techniques, Ohene could have been helped — without five blows to the torso and a pool of his blood left on the pavement.

Rev. Irene Monroe is a Huffington Post blogger and freelance journalist.

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April 26 — May 2, 2018

Rapper Prof talks new album Pookie Baby, touring and more

Prof

Courtesy of Rhymyesayers

By Sean Cook Contributing Writer

S

outhside Minneapolis’ own Prof just released a new album entitled Pookie Baby, and is slated to hit the Soundset stage May 28 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul. I recently had a chance to catch up with the Rhymesayers’ rapper and we touched on a number of topics. Below is an excerpt of our conversation.

SC: When did you decide that hip hop was your love?

Prof: When I heard Goodie Mobs Soul Food. I was the only White dude in Powderhorn Park, basically in my neighborhood. And then when I heard these guys it just explained everything to me because I didn’t really understand the whole context of what’s happening culturally, the whole racism…

Hair stories

I was super young so I was the only White dude there and I’d wonder, “Why am I getting my a** beat?” I didn’t understand the anger and everything. I listened to this record that just explained my situation and life at that point.

SC: Do you still love hip hop? Why or why not?

What about it do you love?

Prof: I still love it. I think a lot of people when they look back — it’s actually like a scientific thing I read about — your memories are more rosy, and you think of your past or nostalgia in a better manner of where you’re living right now.

I’m sure the same kids coming up now 20 years later will think this time is better. Right now, I’m a player, I’m a congratulator [and] I make music.

I’m not a critic — I’ll save that for my close homies who…hate on a lot of stuff [in] hip hop now.

There are a lot of branches on the tree right now. If you want conscious [rap], you got Kendrick [Lamar}, [J.] Cole, Atmosphere…

There are so many lanes right now; you can basically fit in anywhere. It’s just broader in general.

It’s a lot of flavors, man. Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean it’s not real. It’s real, man.

It’s happening. People may make a million dollars of a song that you may not like, but it is what it is.

SC: Do you have a dream collaboration?

Prof: I guess my favorite artists. Jay-Z would be number-one, but that seems too obvious. I would’ve loved to collab with Ray Charles. My dream…of anyone of all time would be Van Morrison, Young Thug, T.I. SC: I watched your new video “Andre the Giant” off of the newly released Pookie Baby album and I was wondering if you were making a satire of what’s happening in the industry right now. Is that what you were going for?

Prof: No. Not really. Maybe subconsciously, you know what I mean? I was looking at my surroundings, but it was basically me playing off the beat and how the beat rides. I felt sinister; I fell into character with that and took the baton and ran with how that made me feel. But there is contemporary

rhyme patterns on there like triplets, Chicago drill in there, you know.

SB: I caught you at the Target Center last year when Lil Wayne didn’t show up and you gave a really good show. What can a newcomer or established fan expect from one of Prof’s shows?

Prof: My headline shows are a little different than a show that I open up for. For Lil Wayne, I would do tracks that are more in the vein of what the audience came to see from Wayne.

ta is just White. You can’t get away from it. You get out of the city, and bro, everybody’s White.

I don’t know if it’s that divided or what. I see a difference in North Side and South Side rap.

Southsiders always have had freestyling and battle shows.

On the South Side, you had places like Dinky Towner and Bon Appetit. Where the North Side didn’t really have those venues to hold on and promote that kind of culture like the South Side did. I

“If they want to cry or laugh — I touch all bases when I headline a show.”

But if you come to a Prof show that means I can do whatever I want as far as taking you on a journey. I have turn up tracks, but I have the mellow tracks [and] moody bluesy tracks, too. I take everybody all over the place for the climax; it’s really dynamic. If they want to cry or laugh — I touch all bases when I headline a show.

SB: How would you describe your style?

Prof: My style was wilder coming up, but now I go wherever the beat takes me.

SB: You’ve come a long way since your days at the Dinky Towner. I read about your infamous “drunk shows.” Do you miss anything about your early days?

Prof: I miss the excitement of not knowing back then. I thought I was going to blow up every day!

The enthusiasm I was in love with… I’ve had a lot of opportunities [and] I had to turn down a lot of major deals. I’ve seen the business right now [and] I’m kind of jaded. It’s not as rosy as it once was. It’s not as fun as it was back then.

SB: What do you think urban rappers in Minnesota have to do to get out there and what’s the secret of your success?

Prof: I don’t know. It’s just really strange that the four biggest rappers out of Minnesota are White.

It’s like is it really because of our skin? Minneso-

think maybe the North Side is still feeling the effects of not having a place that stayed open as long as those couple of places did.

I go to a lot of showcases at the Cabooze. Mac Irv is going on tour with me — he’s very talented. There are thousands of talented artists out of the North Side that aren’t getting any shine, and I think it has a lot to do with press. I do now, but then I hated [the press] so much that I stopped sending press kits… I don’t know the perfect answer of how to blow up.

SB: How many times have you performed at Soundset and what is it like?

Prof: Four or five times. It’s different; it’s almost like performing in a glass bowl because you’re so far away from the people. I like the smaller, more intimate settings better because you’re closer and can feel the people. It’s just so big — it’s a totally different beast.

Look for Prof and other local and national artists at Soundset 2018 on May 28. For more Soundset info, visit https://soundsetfestival.com. For more on Prof, visit https://rhymesayers.com/artists/prof.

National Hair Stylist Appreciation Day is April 30. In honor of the occasion, we asked a few contributors to share a favorite beauty shop memory. See Sheletta Brundidge’s contribution below, and look for more “hair stories” in next week’s edition.

Lessons learned at the beauty shop

Daymé Arocena

By Sheletta Brundidge Contributing Writer There is nothing I love more than being in a Black beauty shop with my sisters. The fresh smell of perm and conditioner coupled with honest conversation and laughter is just what the doctor ordered most days.

Like a lot of the women reading this article, we grew up in a salon. As a child, I would sit in the corner and listen to my momma and her sisters chat about men, recipes, and Victor Newman.

Even though I wanted to jump in, I didn’t. I knew not to say anything ‘cause kids knew not to butt in grown folks conversations.

When I first moved to MinneStylist Marsha Carter sota in 2004, before I even found a church, I found a sister to do my hair. Someone on the street who home wasn’t a very happy one. was well-coiffed referred me to I was lonesome and depressed Marsha Carter at VIP Salon & Spa because these damn Minnesoin Minneapolis. That was the best ta winters don’t ever end, and I thing that happened to me in my missed my way of life (and warmlife outside of meeting and marryer weather) in Texas. I had just ing my husband. gotten to town with no family or

Courtesy of VIP Salon & Spa I took Marsha’s words to heart and heeded her advice. My husband saw a change in me immediately and thought it was too suspicious. That Negro just knew I was trying to poison him and wouldn’t eat my cooking for at

You see, little did I know, Marsha wasn’t just a stylist, she didn’t just nourish my hair, she nourished my soul as well.

You see, little did I know, Marsha wasn’t just a stylist, she didn’t just nourish my hair, she nourished my soul as well. And in the process made me a better woman.

My first appointment, I came in loud and crazy, cracking jokes with the owner Tiffany and her brother Todd. Oh, baby, I made up for all them years I couldn’t say nothing as a kid in the beauty shop.

And while the customers were laughing and the other stylists were encouraging me to keep showin’ out, Mrs. Marsha was praying for me. Oh don’t get me wrong, she was chuckling at my jokes too because after all, I’m damn funny. But she could see that my laughter was masking a lot of pain. I was trying to be a wife and didn’t know how. I was ruling over my husband and he didn’t much appreciate it. So our

friends to lean on. And I was trying to raise a newborn baby without motherhood expertise.

By the time I finished performing for all the folks in the lobby at VIP, I was exhausted. Too tired to put my guard up, and that’s when Ms. Marsha sprang into action.

She whispered so nobody could hear, “Learn how to keep peace in your house.”

“Who you been talking to?” I snapped back. “My husband call you before I got here?”

“No,” she chuckled, “you’re funny. I just know in my spirit your house is not in order and it starts with you. You set the tone.

Make sure your house is a house of love and peace. So when your husband comes home from work, he is happy to be there.”

I nodded in agreement and tried to hold back tears. She had figured me out.

least a week!

Due to Marsha’s instructions, my house got happy. The joy I was spreading in the salon through laughter I began to incorporate into my home. I learned to love my husband the way he wanted to be loved. I stopped nagging him all the damn time. I turned my house into a peaceful place for my spouse and my infant child. It became a stress-free zone.

It’s been 11 years since she gave me those words of wisdom sitting in her chair at the VIP Salon & Spa. Marsha didn’t just straighten my hair — she helped straighten out my life. I learned that day to shut up and listen when a wise woman talks to me, so I can take notes and heed her advice.

Sheletta Brundidge welcomes reader responses to shelettab@gmail.com.

Thursday, May 3 8 pm at The Cedar

“This Cuban soul singer is on fire right now, burning up the stages where she plays.” –NPR Tickets on sale now at walkerart.org

April 26 — May 2, 2018

7

Local Black-owned coffee house alternatives to Starbucks You can also vibe out to open mics every Thursday or catch a community discussion.

HWMR 1500 N. 44th Avenue, Minneapolis While technically a barbershop, this Blackowned space has become a go-to spot for style, conversation and specialty coffee from Peru and Columbia.

Limu Coffee 500 5th Avenue NW # 109, New Brighton The coffee plant originated in Ethiopia so we’d expect nothing less than roasted perfection at this Ethiopian-owned business.

Sammy’s Eatery 1101 W. Broadway Avenue, Minneapolis Enjoy a fresh cup of coffee and grab a sandwich while you’re at it at this new Northside coffee eatery.

Breaking Bread Café & Catering 1210 W. Broadway Avenue, Minneapolis Founded by Appetite for Change, this neighborhood gem is a great meetup for coffee along with Southern comfort breakfast and brunch options like jerk shrimp and grits and gravy-smothered biscuits.

By Stephenetta Harmon Contributing Writer

W

ith protesters marching, boycotts looming, and diversity training in the works following the recent viral video showing two Black men at a Philadelphia Starbucks arrested for simply waiting for a client — what better time than now to support your local Black-owned coffee shop?

Seriously, no one wants to risk arrest while attempting to get a roasted cup of joe. But, many of us don’t quite know where to pull up for a Black-owned spot. No worries; we’ve got you covered. Check out some Black-owned coffee shops (or shops that support the Black community) to get your next caffeine fix.

Capitol Cafe 2417 E. Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis Tempt your taste buds at this Seward neighborhood café, which offers traditional East African coffee and tea, along with everything from paninis and tandoori to crepes.

The Java Express 214 4th St. E. St. Paul This Union Depot java joint offers a variety of coffees and teas and is also known for its scrumptious chicken, waffles, and grits.

Venture North 1830 Glenwood Avenue, Minneapolis Both a coffee shop and a bike shop, Venture North aims to engage and empower youth in the community through cycling programs, classes, and employment. They offer organic, locally-made coffee options and plenty of specialty drinks that are sure to satisfy.

Golden Thyme Coffee & Café 921 Selby Avenue, St. Paul This neighborhood staple serves up coffee drinks named after jazz greats as well as tea and popular items like dirty grits and breakfast noodles.

Screening is Wednesday, May 9 at 7:00 P.M. Winners will be chosen at random from entries received. One pass per person. Each pass admits 2. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Employees of all promotional partners and their agencies are not eligible.

IN THEATERS MAY 11

• CityKid Java — This isn’t a Black-owned coffee shop, but CityKid Java, an Urban Venture enterprise, is a local coffee shop that gives 100 percent of its proceeds to aid inner-city youth. Indulge your caffeine fix for a worthy cause! To order, go to https://store. urbanventures.org.

• Organo — Save yourself a trip and order this organic gourmet coffee online by local distributor Yvette Turner — coffee that promises to make you healthier from the inside out! To order, go to www.minneapolisturners.myorganogold.com.

And if you want some tea, try: Heritage Tea House 360 W. University Avenue. Suite 103, St. Paul In addition to providing 24 loose-leaf teas from around the world, the shop offers coffee, a full-service restaurant, bar, and African boutique.

Lady Elegant’s Tea Room & Gift Shoppe 2230 Carter Ave. Suites 7 & 8, St. Paul Enjoy scenic flower gardens and water fountains while sipping morning or afternoon tea in the British tradition.

Know a business that should be listed. Send an email to msrnewsonline@spokesman-com.

Memorial

Ina Ree (Sanders) Horris February 3, 1931 – April 14, 2018

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I

na Ree (Sanders) Horris was born February 3, 1931 in Shuqualak, MS and departed this life April 14, 2018.

In 1946, at age 16, Ina moved to St. Paul, MN. She is a graduate of St. Paul Central High School. Ina married James C. Horris, Sr. on January 2, 1951 at Pilgrim Baptist Church in St. Paul, MN. They were married 55 years. Ina was a member and usher. After marrying James, she became a member and usher at St. Peter AME Church and member of the Jolly 16 auxiliary.

In 2001, Ina retired after 30-plus years as an educational assistant in the Minneapolis Public Schools. Ina was a member

of the Minnesota Federation of Teachers Educational Union Local No. 59 Educational Support Professionals, where she served as president and in other capacities. She was a member of the Friday Night Out Club and Sabathani Senior Center.

In 2008, Ina moved to Mount Olivet Home & Careview in Minneapolis, MN, where she was treated like family.

Ina was preceded in death by her husband, James C. Horris, Sr.; son, James C. Horris, Jr.; parents, Johnny W. Sanders and Ivory C. (Coleman) Sanders; and sister, Johnny M. Foxx.

Ina leaves two daughters, Minister Sheron D. Horris, RN of Minneapolis, MN and Linette C. (Graylin) Ward of Sharpsburg, Georgia; five grandchildren, Vaughn R. (Kimiko) Doniphan of St. Louis Park, MN, Jordin E. Ward, Graylin H. Ward, Braxtin S. Ward, and Morgin R. Ward, all of Sharpsburg, GA; great grandchild Vaughn J. Doniphan of St. Louis Park, MN; nephews, Quintus (Beverly) Teer and Cornelius “Carl” Teer both of Cleveland, OH, and Dr. Hubert H. (Tessie) Byron, II, DMD of Princeton, WV; niece, Ivy Mae Comer of San Antonio, TX; and other relatives and friends.

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8

April 26 — May 2, 2018

EpidEmic

erbated by addiction, the sexual abuse treatment and counseling, pointedly the Continued from page 1 basic aspect of ensuring that those who want help have access to turn their lives around. Throughout, the focus was on mothers in recovery, helping with hous- female addicts and their offspring.

Senator Eaton commented, “I’ve been ing for mothers and their children, and providing help with other components working on this issue a long time. I lost for health and wellness. The organiza- my daughter to a heroin overdose and I lost a cousin.” She stated she’s worktion also provides treatment.

Yolanda Farris, liaison and recov- ing on the Opioid Stewardship Bill with ery coach (herself in long-term recovery and an alumnus), helps clients make the best use of the Perspectives resources. “It’s important to be a good mother, a good neighbor, a good sister. We are lucky to have places like [this] in Min- Governor Mark Dayton and others.

This bill proposes that opioid manunesota. They don’t have them in places like Louisiana, Colorado. Those women, facturers pay a new fee when they renew when they come out of treatment, walk their licenses with the Minnesota Board around homeless.” Barely able to fend of Pharmacy. The revenue would go tofor themselves, they are in no position to ward footing the state’s costs of preventadequately help much less properly raise ing and treating opioid addiction. Eaton justified this saying, “Pharmaceutical children.

Participants spoke on this and oth- companies started this crisis and epier critical issues, among them the men- demic. They’re just a legal drug cartel.”

Eaton went on to disclose, “I starttal health issues often fostered or exac-

ed out on this issue with upper-middleclass White people in the suburbs to find out it was only worse in the Native population and the African American population.

“I’m so sorry it took me awhile to come to that, but I’m glad it’s being recognized.” Johnson assured Eaton she had nothing for which to apologize.

It is, of course, common knowledge that smack, crack cocaine and other

year federal grant to increase the availability of medication-assisted treatment last fall, as well as a $10.6 million Federal State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis grant earlier in the summer, which runs until July 2019.

There is, though, no money coming in to extend funding. This is why Governor Dayton proposed investing about $12 million a year to enhance opioid abuse prevention, treatment and recov-

and they don’t really care about us. So we kind of have to squeeze in where we can and do what we can for each other. It’s very important.”

While Senator Eaton lays blame for opioid addiction squarely at the door of pharmaceutical companies, there’s also the individual who makes a choice to abuse this substance. Asked about the Opioid Stewardship Bill, Farris said, “Most opioids were made because people get surgery. Everybody who takes an opioid is not addicted to them. I think you need to get the doctors.

“The doctors are the ones that prescribe these opioids and know they are ery, overdose emergency response, and addictive. You have to know the people law enforcement strategies. you serve. If they have addictive behavSpeaking to MSR immediately fol- iors, you can’t give them things they’ll be lowing the roundtable, Yolanda Farris addicted to.” shared, “In America that’s exactly how it is. We’ve been dealing with addiction for Dwight Hobbes welcomes readers’ reyears, going back to Vietnam. My dad sponses to P.O. Box 50357, Minneapolis, MN came home with an addiction; nobody 55403 ever did anything and he fought for our Photo courtesy of Yolanda Farris country. “[The concern is for] White Americans

“Pharmaceutical companies started this crisis and epidemic.

They’re just a legal drug cartel.”

Why yOu Continued from page 1

come up with a good name. We said we should be asking a rhetorical question and we came up with ‘Why You?’ We are questioning the students on why me [to] help them understand that they are needed, [they] are unique, they are valued, and they have a sense of purpose for the greater community. They don’t realize that.”

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Blocker is a first-generation college graduate with degrees in computer science and industrial and systems engineering. “We provide a support system for students either younger than us [or] older than us,” he said. “As we become more educated, we provide a theoretical and conceptual framework in how we approach it.”

He said that of the estimated 180 students participating in the program, nearly half are males.

All are from low-income backgrounds. “We have students in 17 states. We don’t have branches.

Ages range from 15-year-olds to the oldest person in the organiza-

tion, who is 47 years old.

“Eighty percent of our budget comes from me and the co-founder; the other [20] percent comes from our friends,” Blocker said of the group’s funding. Last year, his organization received several grants, including one from the St. Paul Foundation “that helped with our programming,” he reported.

Blocker said there are monthly webinars, which usually begin in May and run through September.

He added there is also an on-line ConFab being planned for this September.

“We have students across the board,” he continued. “A lot of our students are STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] majors — about 40 percent. We have students who are in the arts and humanities, pre-law [and] medical school.

“We are more of a long-term engagement that includes not just high school and undergraduate students – we do the gamut. We try to tackle high school students and post-high school students, the ones that maybe graduate from high school but need someone in their life to show them and support them through a higher pace.

“Former U.S. President Barack

drugs have plagued communities of color for ages. While this event made much ado about concern for Native communities, the tragic statistics quoted by Johnson are not recent experiences for them either.

Two developments, however, are recent. One, an alarm has gone up over steadily worsening chemical dependency among White Minnesotans. Second, Minnesota received a $6 million, three-

Obama’s ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ initiative does fall in line in what we do,” he said.

Why You? held its first in-person ConFab last month in Minneapolis expecting about 180 people, but nearly 200 persons showed up, said Blocker. “I thought the numbers would be real low because it was our first time. We were surprisingly pleased with the turnout.

“They [the conference participants] thought it was an excellent event and said they would like to come again. People came away feeling empowered. The purpose was for all those students that we serve [to have] an opportunity to come to Minnesota and actually meet some of their mentors faceto-face for the first time.”

There is no formal requirement to participate in Why You? “We have an on-line application process that we open up in June and November,” Blocker concluded. “The only requirement is that we want students to want to be helped. If those students don’t want to be helped, we can’t reach out to help them.”

For further information, email admin@whyyou.org or go to www. confab.whyyou.org.

OutragE Continued from page 1

was hijacked from Black activist Tarana Burke who created the original Me Too [movement] 10 years ago for women of color.”

Beavers also noted, “[It] has always seemed…White women tend to use Black women as the door to achieve their own personal revelations about female empowerment.”

important for us to be able to add our stories.”

She added that before Lupita Nyong’o of Black Panther fame, “The public face was these powerful Hollywood White women, and they’re the victims everybody could get behind.”

Walker reflected quite personally on Black women who do not fit that profile: “I immediately [think] of my mother and her older sister, the way that I’ve heard about them having to navigate unwanted advances in work-

were also cast as over-sexual, like we asked for it. People didn’t think Black women were able to be raped. It is definitely telling how much more sympathy, how much media and how much action [follows] when White women start telling the same story.”

Landrum doesn’t downplay the sexual harassment of White women. “Everyone deserves to be upset about it.

What I’m paying attention to is whose outrage gets paid attention to. Who do people care about?” She reflected,

“It has always seemed White women tend to use Black women as the door to achieve their own personal revelations.”

In the Twin Cities, Sarah Catherine Walker, a lobbyist for criminal justice groups, had to back State Representative Tony Cornish off of licentious entreaties pursuant to which he wound up resigning, apologizing, and footing her legal bill. There is, of course, no telling how many other women of color lack Walker’s wherewithal, particularly the ability to finance a lawsuit they might not win, and instead simply sit still and tolerate it to keep a job.

Minneapolis-based campaign writer Irna Landrum observed, “I have used my social media voice to talk about harassment and sexual violence,” she said. “It’s important for people to name the harm that has come to them and demand accountability.

Especially Black women, because [we] do suffer sexualized violence at a much higher rate than White women. It’s

places. They spent their entire careers avoiding sexual attention and compliments that you really can’t call compliments from men. They didn’t have the benefit of being supported to be vocal, to verbalize the discomfort they were feeling.”

Her mom and aunt were hardly by themselves. “I saw of a lot of [this] because they were Black women in a different kind of economic insecurity. They had families to care for. A lot of times, when they weren’t silent, they had to get creative and just make jokes about it. Or think of how they physically positioned themselves in spaces to not be accessible to men who wanted to flirt with them.”

Walker noted that the stereotyping of African American women as sex objects hasn’t helped their situation one bit. “Ever since slavery [women] were molested, but

“I’ve been lucky in my career to primarily work with women.”

In an economic day and age when it’s easy to be just one paycheck away from falling further behind on the bills and possibly losing a roof overhead, sexual predators in the position of supervisor or employer often have a clear upper hand with which to victimize employees, particularly those of color.

As Black Women’s Blueprint founder-executive director Farah Tanis told NBC NEWS.com, “We will continue to encourage Black women to say ‘me too’ and create the safe spaces for them to be able to do so. [Black women need to be] safe economically, safe physically, safe spiritually.”

Dwight Hobbes welcomes readers’ responses to P.O. Box 50357, Minneapolis, MN 55403

EmancipatiOn

see our children as future clients of the jails,” she said.

Ellison and Johnson both spoke as well and Continued from page 1 said they support many of things the group is calling for. Ellison said that municipal IDs are a priority for him, not only at the city level, but also as something that should be added to their legislative agenda and fought for at the state level.

Maria Elena Gutierrez, who has been with the procession since it started in St. Cloud, Visithow usthe at:issues they talked to the MSR about are fighting for have affected her. She said, In-Depth News “Our families have For been torn apart because of Comprehensive the corruption of the system.”Event Listings The group also made stops at the Stearns enough,” she said. “If he claims to be the mayCommunity Resources City or of everyone, he needs to have a backbone.” County Jail, Brooklyn Center Visit us at: Hall and St. After leaving Frey’s office, the group went Anthony City Hall. down to the City Hall rotunda where they were joined by Minneapolis Councilmembers Keith Schubert welcomes readers’ responses to Jeremiah Ellison and Andrew Johnson. kschubert@spokesman-recorder.com. Follow him Alvarez spoke to the group of supporters on Twitter at @keithsch94. and the council members and expressed her concern for the lack of funding in education Photos by Keith Schubert and the increased funding for prisons. “They

“If he claims to be the mayor of everyone, he needs to have a backbone.”

ALONZO KING LINES BALLET The Propelled Heart Biophony

Tue, May 1, 7:30pm A dynamic program that pays tribute to the power of voice and song and transforms dancers into otherworldly creatures in an investigation of life on Earth

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April 26 — May 2, 2018

Legals

9

Employment

STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF HENNEPIN In Re: Custody of C.S.A., DOB: January 6, 2003 Mariana Sofia Alvarez Zuniga, Petitioner, and Cornelio Sanchez Lopez, Respondent.

DISTRICT COURT FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT FAMILY COURT DIVISION CASE TYPE: CUSTODY SUMMONS Court File No.: 27-FA-18-1991

TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENT: THIS SUMMONS IS AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT THAT AFFECTS YOUR RIGHTS. A copy of the paperwork regarding the lawsuit is served on you with this summons. Read this summons and attached petition carefully. If you do not understand it, contact an attorney for legal advice.

1.The Petitioner has filed a lawsuit asking the court to decide custody of the minor child listed above in the caption. At this time, the Petitioner is not asking for a ruling on Child Support.

2.You must serve upon Petitioner and file with the court a written Answer to the Petition.

If Petitioner is requesting child support, you must file a Financial Affidavit along with your Answer. You must pay the required filing fee. If you cannot afford to pay the filing fee, you may qualify to have the filing fee waived by the court. You must file an In Forma Pauperis application with the court and a judge will decide whether you must pay the fee.

All court forms are available from the Court Administrator’s office and on the Court’s website at www.mncourts.gov/forms. You must serve your Answer and Financial Affidavit upon Petitioner within twenty (20) days of the date you were served with this Summons, not counting the day of service. If you do not serve and file your Answer and Financial Affidavit, the court may grant Petitioner everything he or she is asking for in the attached Petition.

NOTICE OF PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS Parenting education may be required in all custody or parenting proceedings. You may contact court administration for additional information regarding this requirement and the availability of parent education programs. /s/ You may serve the Petitioner’s Attorney: Stephen Roiger Walther Goss Law 333 Washington Ave North #208 Minneapolis, MN 55401 612-824-2244 stephen@walthergoss.com Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, April 12, 19 & 26, 2018

Fitz Continued from page 10

chance to even the best-ofseven series 2-2.

After holding the Rockets to 104, 102 and 105 points in the first three games, well below their scoring average, the Timberwolves played an intense physical first half before a raucous sellout crowd of 18,978 at Target Center. At one point they led by seven; the game had five lead changes and was tied five times.

It was 50-49 Rockets at the half — anybody’s game, right?

I’ve been covering the NBA since 1978, and Monday night I saw something in the NBA playoffs for the first time.

Houston came out in the third quarter with NBA-leading scorer James Harden, Chris Paul and Clint Capela and scored 50 points in the third quarter. The last time a team scored 50 points in a single quarter of an NBA playoff game was the Los Angeles Lakers in 1962.

Yes, they hit the big 5-0 and the game was all but over with the Rockets 100 and Timberwolves 69 after three quarters. The Rockets’ eruption sucked the life out of the sellout crowd. It was breathtaking, like being in a wind tunnel. The Rockets grabbed a commanding 3-1 series lead and can advance to round two with a victory Wednesday in game five in Houston.

Harden had a game-high 36 points, Paul 25 points.

Capela blocked four shots

and grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds and had 14 points.

The Rockets made 16 threepoint shots to Minnesota’s eight.

The Rockets had just six turnovers; the Timberwolves were careless with 16. The Rockets made 23 of 26 free throws; the Timberwolves missed nine free throws, making 14 of 23. And point guard Jeff Teague, the Timberwolves player with the most postseason experience, was awful; he scored two points and had three turnovers. It was Rockets 119, Timberwolves 100 in game four.

Minnesota outscored the Rockets 31-19 in the fourth quarter. Maybe, just maybe, they can carry that momentum to Houston and regain their focus against the highflying Rockets. It takes four wins to advance. Trailing 3-1, the Timberwolves must win Wednesday to force game six.

If not, it’s still the best season in 14 years for the Timberwolves, and it’s the first time in Minnesota history that all the state’s pro teams – the Lynx, Twins, Vikings, Wild and Timberwolves, qualified for the playoffs.

Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, on WDGY-AM 740 Monday and Friday at 9:10 am, and at www.

Gamedaygold.com. He also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Follow him on Twitter at FitzBeatSr. Larry welcomes reader responses to info@larryfitzgerald.com, or visit www.

Larry-Fitzgerald.com.

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To place a classified ad or legal notice call:

612-827-4021

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AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AGENCY

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State of Minnesota Certificate of Assumed Name Minnesota Statutes Chapter 333 ASSUMED NAME: PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS:

Dumpster2Day 4556 46th ave s #108 Minneapolis MN 55406 USA NAMEHOLDER: Paribus Energy Inc. 4556 46th ave s #108 Minneapolis MN 55406 USA In whose signature is required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required who has authorized me to sign this document on his/her behalf, or in both capacities. I further certify that I have completed all required fields, and that the information in this document is true and correct and in compliance with the applicable chapter of Minnesota Statutes. I understand that by signing this document I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Section 609.48 as if I had signed this document under oath.

SIGNED BY: Adam Marzolf EMAIL FOR OFFICIAL NOTICES: adam@eximius.me DATED: 4/04/2018 11:59 PM Minnesota Spokesman Recorder April 26 & May 3, 2018

Magic Continued from page 1

As much as business is competitive, oftentimes pitting Black-owned businesses against each other in contract bidding, it’s not necessary to tear each other down in order to succeed, Johnson said. “I hate that, and it happens too many times.

“I never say anything bad about that company.

If we win, we win. If [the other company] wins, he wins. I always try to uplift other minority firms.”

But Johnson said it is also important for business owners to take care of their own businesses. “What are you doing in your office?

Are you making the team that works with you better?” he asked. “The key

to being a leader is whether you are making everybody that works with you better. If you’re not making other people better so that they can be executives, then you are not doing your job.

“It’s important that you grow your talent that works for you,” Johnson said to the business leaders in the room. “My job is to grow the talent that works for me.”

He offered as an example a young woman who came to work for him as a receptionist nearly 20 years before, because that was the only job he had available at the time. Now the woman is CEO of his company. “I saw something special in her… She asked questions. She became my assistant her first year… She kept growing and growing.”

Find a good mentor, Johnson advised. “Make

The City of Inver Grove Heights, MN, seeks a full-time Police Officer, to provide public safety and order through patrolling, community policing, enforcement, and responding to calls for service.

Qualifications: A.A. degree in Law Enforcement or related field, valid MN D.L., licensed/eligible to be licensed as a full-time Police Officer in MN by July 1, 2018. No MN P.O.S.T. Board conduct violations, clean background, and physical ability to perform position duties. Preference: Bachelor’s degree or higher, fluency in a foreign and/or American Sign Language, and previous related experience.

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The Walker is seeking a strong designer for a one-year Design Fellowship opportunity. For more information please visit: https://walkerart.org/jobs/design-fellow. When applying please note S-R in your cover so we know where you heard about this opportunity.

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sure you get somebody to mentor you. Dr. Jerry Buss became my first mentor,” he said of the late Los Angeles Lakers owner. Later he invited 30 CEOs to lunch “and started picking their brains. I love to learn.

I always wanted to learn and get better.”

Someone asked if proBlack business can be seen as anti-White business.

“Good business is good business,” Johnson responded. “It’s a shame we have to answer this question. It’s not about being anti-White at all. Minorities just want a chance, a fair opportunity. Then if we don’t win, just explain to us why we didn’t win so the next time we can come back.”

Johnson concluded with an appeal for creating those fair opportunities: “I hope that you are serious about diversity and inclusion. It will make you a

better company. It’s much needed in the marketplace today. Make sure [Blacks and other people of color] are able to advance in your company.

“If you’re really about diversity, you will also [have] minorities to advance and get to the executive level and make your company better.”

Next week: Former National Public Radio journalist Michele Norris, as closing session keynote speaker, told the gathering that race can’t be talked about enough if America is to move forward.

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.

10

April 26 — May 2, 2018

ROCKETS BLAST Being on both sides of the whistle TIMBERWOLVES, HIT BIG 5-0 Seasoned Coach Staley advises new Coach Whalen

W

Lead series 3-1

hen you play a great team in the playoffs, you cannot lose your focus and concentration. You can’t miss free throws, and you must protect the basketball and value every possession.

Houston led the NBA in the regular season with a 65-17 record and they believe they can win the NBA Championship.

The Timberwolves, in the playoffs for the first time in 14 years,

have battled the high-flying Rockets, who average 112 points a game and set an NBA record by making more three-point shots in the regular season than any team in NBA history.

After winning 121105 Saturday at Target Center, led by Jimmy Butler’s 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns’ 18 points and 16 rebounds, the Timberwolves Monday had a ■ See Fitz on page 9

N

ew Gopher Women’s Basketball Coach Lindsay Whalen said in last week’s “View” that she soon would “reach out” to South Carolina and U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Charles Coach Dawn Staley. Staley in hallman 2000 became the first WNBA player to take a Division I head coaching job (at Temple) while still an active player.

That reach-out took place last Thursday, and Staley afterwards talked to several reporters by phone, including the MSR. We asked Coach Staley, who coached Temple from 2000 to 2008 and then took the South Carolina job where she won the 2017 Coach Dawn Staley NCAA title, who she reached out to for advice Photo courtesy of University of South Carolina when she first went into coaching. “I’m not afraid to ask for help,” she responded, “but try to be herself and do what she does on its first two decades. Shortly after Whalen’s I like to try things out myself first. I wanted the court in leading the Minnesota Lynx. The hire, Thompson was named head coach at to shape it myself, but I did have coaching coaching thing will come later.

Virginia, Staley’s alma mater, after three sea“My advice is to compartmentalize,” the sons as an assistant at Texas. She retired from friends” and at times often bounced ideas coach noted. “I told Lindsay that she needs to the WNBA in 2013 after 17 seasons. off them.

“When you come into this business, you be a player as long as she can. It is great satHer experience on the sidelines but not need people who have your back,” Staley isfaction to be on both sides of the whistle.” in the head seat gives Thompson an edge Staley recalled when she was still a W over Whalen, espnW.com’s Mechelle Voepel continued. “You need people who underplayer as well as a college head coach: “The noted in her April 19 piece. “Whalen will stand that you’re not just a namesake.” need experience, loyalty, and very good communication skills from her staff, especially while she’s on the road with the Lynx” this summer, which is prime recruiting time, Voepel observed.

There are some who see the Whalen hire first thing I learned is thank God I don’t have “Lindsay decided to do this because she two weeks ago as symbolic, or as a clever to do this full time. The second thing is you wants to coach,” Staley said. “She wants to are getting a taste of what it is to be a coach. make her mark, to be a dream merchant for way to sell tickets.

“I know there are hundreds of coaches You can decide if you like it, love it, or you young people. I hope I can be that person for out there who are deserving of jobs like the don’t. You always have the game to take your her, because I’ve done it. one at Minnesota,” the Daily Herald’s Patricia mind off it as a player.

“I loved playing when it was time to “I learned how to organize, and compart- play,” said Staley. “[Then], when it was time Babcock McGraw recently penned. “And they are ready, willing and able to jump all-in. mentalize a lot better,” Staley pointed out. “I to coach, I was coaching. I loved where I was learned to manage my time a lot better.”

It’s a shame they got passed over.” at that time.”

Whalen, Staley and Tina Thompson were Staley, however, told us of her advice to Whalen, “I don’t think Lindsay Whalen all named two years ago to the WNBA’s Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to should try to be a coach. I think she should 20@20 list of the league’s best players of challman@spokesman-recorder.com.

ANOTHER

VIEW

“When you come into this business, you need people who have your back.”

James Harden on the attack vs. Taj Gibson (left) and Karl-Anthony Towns Photo by Steve Floyd

The ‘Fab Five’ prep stars of the week

Sports odds and ends

Blacks still losing ground in Major League Baseball

By Charles Hallman Senior Staff Writer This year’s Jackie Robinson Day (April 15), annually celebrated with each MLB player, coach and manager wearing Robinson’s number 42, was snowed out locally. However, the fact is, baseball doesn’t look that much different now than when Robinson played over seven decades ago, and that remains a concern.

Nine days before his death in October 1972, Robinson called out MLB during an appearance at that season’s World Series for its lack of Black managers. Rhiannon Walker of The Undefeated.com found in her analysis that since Robinson’s remarks, at least 224 men were hired as major league managers, but only 16 Blacks filled the position – 10 interim and 17 full-time.

themselves near the top of the class, diversity speaking. But the class seems more like Mr. Kotter’s than Professor Kingfield’s of Welcome Back Kotter and The Paper Chase, respectively.

“It is a stated goal for us. We want to add to our staff diverse perspectives and backgrounds,” Twins Executive Vice President and Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey told the MSR prior to the season. “I think we are making progress, but it still is a challenge across baseball. We need to be better at this as an industry.”

Hunter and Hawkins both “are huge contributors no matter what their race was,” Minnesota Executive Chair Jim Pohlad reiterated. “It’s nice that they are diverse.”

Asked how the Twins stack up in diversity terms with other MLB franchises, Falvey

“There is still a long way to go to achieve Jackie’s goal.”

For the most part, managers of color (MOCs – Blacks, Latinos or Asians) rarely got to manage clubs who finished above.500 the previous year. And only two MOCs were hired without any managerial experience.

“The lack of diversity in this key position throughout MLB is of utmost concern,” The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) Director Richard Lapchick wrote in the 2018 Major League Baseball Racial and Gender Report Card (RGRC) released April 12.

Opening Day this season began with zero Black managers, three Latinos and one person of mixed race. This earned baseball a C-plus grade, up from an F in 2017. The only A earned this year for race at the team level was for coaches, an all-time high of 45.9 percent.

Minnesota has two Black coaches for the first time this century, first-year Pitching Coach Garvin Alston and second-year Hitting Coach James Rowson. Also, Torii Hunter and LaTroy Hawkins both returned this season as two of the club’s four special assistants to baseball operations.

After years of getting poor grades from this newspaper, the Twins apparently have moved

stressed, “I’m proud that we have one of the few amateur scouting directors in baseball that is African American [Sean Johnson], and Deron Johnson [no relation] is a senior voice [as senior advisor]. We’re proud of this.”

But despite an all-time high in player diversity, only 7.7 percent of all MLB players on Opening Day were Black Americans, Lapchick points out. “This is the lowest number of African American players taking the field on Opening Day. In 1991, 18 percent of all players were African Americans,” he said.

Byron Buxton is the Twins’ only Black player for the second straight year.

This year, Lapchick gave baseball an overall C-plus/B-minus grade on this year’s RGRC, including a B-plus for racial hiring and a C for gender hiring on the 71st anniversary of Robinson breaking MLB’s color barrier. “There is still a long way to go to achieve Jackie’s goal,” the TIDES director concludes.

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesman-recorder.com. Graphic courtesy of MGNOnline.

PreP Scene Dr. mitChell Palmer mCDonalD

This week’s Fab Five photos feature two former girls’ basketball players who were named to the All-MIAC team last month (Danica Cambrice and Tamira McLemore), a former prep football standout who played his final season last fall (Malik Rucker), a former prep girls’ basketball player and state champion as a player who coached a high school team to a state championship (Kiara Buford), and a two-time state girls’ basketball champion who completed her sophomore season at the collegiate level (Ashley Bates).

Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses to mcdeezy05@gmail.com.

St. Catherine’s sophomore guard Danica Cambrice (St. Croix Lutheran) earned all MIAC honors, averaging 19.3 points per game this past season.

Photo courtesy St. Catherine’s University

Ashley Bates (Hopkins), a guard who led her team to a couple of state championships, recently completed her sophomore season at Hampton University. She averaged close to 10 points per game for the Pirates.

Photo courtesy Hampton University

Augsburg’s Tamira McLemore (Eagan), a sophomore guard, was named to the AllMIAC team after averaging 13.7 points per game for Augsburg University.

Photo courtesy Augsburg University

Kiara Buford, who led St. Paul Central to four straight state Class AAAA state girls’ basketball tournament appearances – including state titles in 2007 and 2008 – before embarking on an outstanding career at the University of Minnesota, led Robbinsdale Cooper to the Class AAA crown last month.

Photo by Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald

Malik Rucker (Robbinsdale Cooper) has completed his college football career at Western Michigan University. He had 28 tackles (25 solo) in 10 games last fall.

Photo courtesy Western Michigan University