August 30, 2018 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

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August 30 — September 5, 2018 Vol. 85 No. 4 www.spokesman-recorder.com

King family takes Lola’s from snow cones to lakeside café

ka Ska, situated at East Lake Street and Calhoun Parkway in Minneapolis. “It started as a snow-cone stand,” Beverly King said, explaining the genesis of a business that now includes six concession stands. “We wanted to teach our daughter, Lauryn, how to save money, so we set up this snow-cone business. She’d operate it and keep all the tips.” The business now includes two indoor and two outdoor concession stands at the U.S.

By Susan Budig Contributing Writer

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f a template exists for integrating family and work life, the Kings probably served as models. Louis King, a powerhouse in merging education, youth development and workforce development, holds titles as CEO and president of Summit Academy OIC, as well as father of three. His wife, Beverly King, Lola’s smoked wings led the way to Lola on the Lake, an eatery at Bde Ma-

Photo courtesy of Facebook ■ See Café on page 8

Protesters delay downtown trains

Chauntyll Allen

Transit arrest sparks call to boycott MTC

By Stephenetta Harmon Editor-in-Chief Protesters disrupted Metro Transit services Tuesday, August 28, in response to the arrest of an African American woman last week by Metro Transit police. “There will be no business as usual for Metro Transit today,” said Nekima Levy Armstrong as she gathered with local activists at the Hennepin Avenue Station in downtown Minneapolis, temporarily delaying Blue and Green light rail service. In an August 21 video, 38-year-old Kenya Chandler is shown being thrown onto the ground and handcuffed by Sgt. Tim Lawrence after the bus driver called in complaints for rude behavior. In the video, Chandler can be seen crying out in pain while clinging to the bus shelter with one arm as Lawrence pulls

on her other arm. The now-viral video, which has been viewed more than 830,000 times on Facebook and 2.5 million times on Twitter, has sparked community outrage and served as catalyst for the one-day boycott of both buses and trains. “The incident that happened last week is part of a pattern of ongoing abuses that have impacted people of color,” Levy Armstrong told the MSR. “The Metro Transit police have not been held accountable for these abusive practices and this is unacceptable.” Several activist groups organized the protest, including Black Lives Matter Twin Cities, Native Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter Minnesota, Blue Lies ■ See BoyCott on page 8

Curbing Minnesota’s POC brain drain Entrepreneur works to keep professionals of color in the state

“If you take a look at the statistics, professionals of color are 77 percent more likely than their White counProfessionals of color are leaving terparts to leave Minnesota,” she exMinnesota at record rates, according plained. “They cite the number-one to Sharon Smith-Akinsanya, CEO reason for leaving is because of the of the Rae Mackenzie Group (RMG). lack of connectivity and cultural releShe aims to help keep those profes- vance in their lives.” sionals in the state through her company, which she describes as a “diversity and inclusion marketing firm [that helps] top Minnesota corporations build stronger, more authentic relationships with communities of color.” This led her to shift her focus to “re“Minnesota is on record with saying that we have a problem with recruit- cruiting, attracting and retaining proing and retaining professionals of col- fessionals of color and creating a way for them to create community,” said or,” Smith-Akinsanya said. When Smith-Akinsanya first start- Smith-Akinsanya. What RMG does is, we help solve ed RMG in 1997, her focus was “working with corporations, teaching them the problem,” she continued. “We’re how to do better business with com- action-oriented. We’re getting in there munities of color.” But, around that and we are helping people get placed, same time, she said she noticed that and we are also helping them stay even though the Twin Cities was be- here.” She noted several ways her compacoming more diverse, it was also losny does this, including the bi-annuing its professionals of color.

By Keith Schubert Staff Writer

al POC Career Fair, which connects thousands professionals of colors with top Minnesota companies. “What the career fair does is give professionals of color an opportunity to meet up close and personal, face to face, as opposed to doing everything online,” she said. “I’m like a match-

“I’m like a matchmaking service. I can’t make you fall in love, but I can get you close.” making service, you know. I can’t make you fall in love, but I can get you close.” Smith-Akinsanya said all of the participating employers have been carefully selected and are not just there to check off a diversity box. “When you partner with me, you know that my team has vetted those employers. We work with those corporations and employers who are dead serious about increasing diversity in the workforce,” she said.

Sharon Smith-Akinsanya (center) at February 2018 POC Career Fair This year, she noted, the fair will host at least 30 employers, but she is “hoping like hell we don’t have a thousand professionals.” Seeing that many people lined up around the block to get in, she said, gives her mixed emotions. “I’m like, well, okay, that’s good that they’ve found us,” she explained. “But,

I’m like, dang it, we’re still doing this thing.” Not everyone will get a job at the career fair, but that is not the end of access to opportunities. “Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, you can go on POCCareers.com and see which companies are trying to market ■ See Brain Drain on page 8

First-time candidate brings working-class realities into her politics Ruth Richardson says her background provides a missing perspective What is the most important thing you want to accomplish if you get elected into office? Many of the issues I am concerned about are very intersectional in terms of thinking about ensuring that our schools are working for our kids. [They tie] into things related to health as well. To kind of sum it up, my goal is really going to be looking at legislation in terms of the issue of equity and ensuring that we are building a state that is going to work for everyone.

By Keith Schubert Staff Writer This article is the fourth in an occasional series profiling candidates running for various offices and how their election might impact our communities. Though a first-time political candidate, Ruth Richardson has years of senior leadership experience in for-profit, nonprofit and government organizations. She’s often shared that she worked three jobs to put herself through law school and already has experience working on bipartisan legislative initiatives. The DFL-endorsed candidate now has her eyes set on the U.S. House of Representatives seat in District 52B. Her campaign’s focus is on issues like women’s rights, affordable health care, and equitable access to education, according to her campaign website. Growing up in

Ruth Richardson a large working-class family with six siblings, Richardson attributes her platform’s progressive values to her parents. “We all do better when we all do better,” she said in a prepared statement. “I remember when

lots of differing opinions, and my goal is to really look at doing what, I think, 97 percent of Americans support

that we’re following through with what our constituents really want [and] to ensure that, first and foremost, their

“There is no politician that is going to be able to save the world.”

and ensure that we are implementing universal criminal background checks for gun purchases. I know that is one thing that didn’t get anywhere this last legislative session, but that is definitely an issue… What is the most controverthat I am seeing within my sial issue you think you will Photo courtesy of Ruth Richardson own district. face if elected and how will I plan to continue to fight there was civility in politics. I you deal with it? Right now, some of the is- to ensure that we are actualwant to lead by example and bring decency and respect back into of- sues that we have been hear- ly getting hearings on those ing about in my district, issues. This legislative sesfice.” The following are Richard- where there is a fair amount sion, there were no hearings son’s responses to the MSR’s of controversy, are related to that were even held on the gun safety issues. There are issues. The goal is to ensure questions:

kids are safe in schools, and also ensure that people are safe wherever they are within their communities. How do we get money out of politics? When I got into this race, a lot of people were talking about all of this money in politics. Well, it definitely hasn’t been flowing to our campaign from that perspective, but part of the issue is really going to be looking at ■ See CanDiDate on page 8

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The fruit that we bear leased original BRIDGE members Mario Jackson and Andra Coleman, who have served close to 30 years in prison combined. Through the eyes of their reentry journey I have been able to see some of the fruit that this amazing partnership that Vina and I embarked on five years ago has produced. The biggest factor I hear from them is the community relationA monthly column in which various contributors from both sides of prison walls explore common ground for effecting change.

work together. Now the conversations they once had as the original BRIDGE team at Lino Lakes prison – also sitting around a table together – are weaving into our conversations in the community. The setting is different, but the themes are the same. How does prison impact the people incarcerated and their families? What could be different? What does an end to

“The story of our work is how do men and women leave prison as whole human beings with the best parts of themselves still intact.”

By Vina Kay and Kevin Reese Contributing Writers Kevin: One of the first lessons I learned as an organizer was from my mentor and former Voices for Racial Justice Training Director Salvador Miranda. During one of our sessions he informed me, that as an organizer, “I ultimately will be judged by the other organizers and leaders that our work can produce and promote, because organizing is never about you; it is always about others and community.” Over the years, I have done all that I can to work with this mighty instruction at the forefront of my efforts. I’m always asking myself if the work that I’m doing is making the world bigger and grander for the people around me, and sometimes with the clouds of systemic oppression it can be hard to see the true impact of the work that we do. Then, every so often, we are blessed with the lens to see our work for what it is, and this lens is often from someone else. Over the last five months, I’ve been able to walk with recently re-

Vina: As soon as Mario moved into the halfway house near the University of Minnesota, I showed up with a bag of fresh fruit and other snacks. I had stopped at the grocery store wandering the aisles and thinking, “What does someone who has been in prison for 13 years want to eat?” The last time I had seen Mario in person was inside a prison. And,

ships we have nurtured over the years that have paved the way for livable paying wage jobs, affordable housing, and the community support that they need not only to rejoin the community but to be an asset to the community. The gratitude and joy in their lives is always like fresh fruit. After all these years on the inside, they are back in the community living and thriving.

even though the halfway house is still a restricted living situation, the ease of sitting together at the kitchen table while Mario ate mango slices felt unfamiliar – and wonderful. Not much later, I was welcoming Andra to our office on Franklin Avenue. He and Mario sat at our table visiting with our team. After years of connecting only by phone and the occasional visit to the prison, we are in a new chapter of our

mass incarceration look like? We have always had these big conversations, but we also focus on the individual level. What do you need for successful reentry? Who do we know in the community who can support that?

nutrients for the fruit to grow. The story of our work is not about men and women leaving prison changed as different human beings. The story of our work is how do men and women leave prison as whole human beings with the best parts of themselves still intact, and with the support to plant seeds for the men and women behind them? Vina: Recently our BRIDGE team, including Andra and Mario, were engaged in a conversation with other community members at the Black August event at Rondo Community Library. People leaned in to hear Andra and Mario share their experiences of being incarcerated for so long, the challenges of reentry, and the power of community connections. “Welcome home,” one man said to them as the whole room applauded. 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. Graphic courtesy of Pixabay.

Kevin: The fruit that we bear is the fruit that we have always been. It’s just that through our partnership we are able shed the proper light and

The power of belief as an educational tool As early as preschool, teachers rely on harmful stereotypes of Black children. This kind of unconscious stereotyping is called implicit bias. While these biases may be unintentional, the expectations teachers hold for students can significantly affect student outcomes and success. — Education Post [The Belief Gap] is the persistent and deep divide between

what parents believe their children are capable of and what some elected leadership, through word and deed, believe the very same kids can do. – Chris Barbic While I think that addressing the Belief Gap is necessary, I should say that I do not think it is sufficient in the absence of other large-scale public policy efforts to shrink income inequality, protect the civil rights of stu-

dents and families, and address entrenched institutional racism. – James Noonan In a handful or so of previous columns, I have explored what educators and social scientists have come to call “the word gap.” The research in support of the word gap comes from landmark studies at the University of Kansas and Stanford University, which reveal that by the time a low-income child reaches the age of three they have potentially heard 30 million fewer words than peers who come from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. These findings have huge implications for school readiness and America’s pronounced achievement gap that persists among poor children and children of color. In recent years a new catchphrase, “the belief gap,” also addresses academic disparities and has gained traction with many teachers, policy analysts, and education activists. As Harvard University researcher and education policy expert Dr. James Noonan notes, the concept of the belief gap has permeated education reform circles – including here in the Twin Cities – for many years, but has become even more prominent in the past half-decade. According to journalist Libby Nelson, an example of the belief gap in practice can be explained like this: “When Black teachers and White teachers are asked to sum up high school students’ potential, White teachers are much less likely to see Black students as college material. And that’s true even when they’re discussing the same students. This is what former President George W. Bush once referred to as “the soft bigotry of low expectations.” The belief gap has become a central

element in the debate over charter schools versus public schools, and a number of critics have challenged the notion of the belief gap, even deriding it as an attempt to “bolster the stance of reformers.” Yet, as Noonan and Nelson highlight, the research behind the belief gap is “rooted in empirical evidence.” They both refer to the famous 1968 experiment by Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson, which is known as “The Pygmalion Effect.” In this project, the researchers administered IQ tests at the start of the school year to students at Oak Elementary in California. Rosenthal and Jacobson then randomly selected 20 percent of the test subjects and informed teachers that the students in this group “could be expected to outperform their classmates.” When the academic year was completed, their research found that these students in fact did “outperform their peers, suggesting that teachers may have viewed these students differently and treated them accordingly.” Many subsequent studies have further validated the research of Rosenthal and Jacobson, including data published in American Psychologist, Demography, Education Research and Review, The Society for Research in Child Development, and The Future of Children, among numerous other journals. An editorial in the Twin Cities Daily Planet cited examples of elementary schools all over the nation where the “belief” of parents, teachers, and administrators has made an indelible impact. One such school is George Hall Elementary in Mobile, Alabama, where more than 90 percent of the student body is poor and African

American. In 2004, less than half of Hall’s students were exceeding the minimum standards. However, by 2011, with some effort, determination, and, of course, belief, 94 percent of students at George Hall were performing in the “advanced” range. As the Twin Cities Daily Planet profoundly reveals: “If you scan the national education landscape and ask ‘what works’ you’ll find successful schools focus on what they can control. They reflect on what they can change and then change it. They use data to quickly adjust their practices. “Their staff redesign schools to fit the needs of the children they serve rather than conveniences that serve themselves. More than anything, they believe that all children can thrive academically. In their worldview, demography is not destiny, and equity is more than a boiler plate.” Now, as Noonan warns above, belief in and of itself is not the only element in the struggle to achieve educational equity. There are still the complicated issues of social and educational policy, the need to reduce racial and economic disparities, the defense of human rights, and the dismantling of systematic racism. But belief, it would seem, is a start. 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

August 30 — September 5, 2018

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New advances in the war on cancer: living cell therapy

By Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD

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n April 6, 2016, we discussed several new successful treatments against cancer in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder article “Good news: We are winning the war on cancer.” This is an update on one of those treatments we referred to then as combination cell, or chimeric cell, therapy. Researchers and reporters alike are now calling it “living cell therapy.” It works well and has been approved to treat certain resistant childhood leukemias and adult lymphoma. Unfortunately, results against solid tumors are not yet favorable. Success rates as an FDA-approved treatment is greater than 70 percent, which is remarkable considering that, in the recent past, these cancers, failing traditional therapies, were incurable. There are particular types of immune cells called T-cells that are the real powerhouses when it comes to fighting disease and cancer. Doctors can perform a pretty slick trick where they extract a T-cell from a patient’s body and mix it with a specific virus. That is why it has been called combination cell, or chimeric

cell, therapy. This virus infects the T-cell and directs it to produce unique sticky proteins on its surface that recognize novel proteins on the cancer cells. They fit together like hand and glove. These living therapy T-cells float freely in the blood and recognize blood-born malignancies. They bind to the malignant cells in the blood and obliterate them. This type of living cell therapy works best for specific blood-born malignancies, especially those of the liquid form, such as leukemia and lymphoma. Here’s how it works:

Lymphocyte reduction The number of lymphocytes in the patient is reduced so that when a large number of the newly programmed lymphocytes (originally from the cancer patient, but now grown to much larger numbers) can be more easily given back to and accepted by the patient and can function at optimal levels.

one to two weeks after the T-cells are injected back into the cancer patient. The cytokine storm can make the patient feel like they have the flu. Oddly, that is considered a good sign, except in a few cases where the storm can be so severe it can harm or even kill the patient. Doctors are getting better and better at treating and handling the storm, so most patients do well.

Leukapheresis Special immune T-cells are isolated from a patient’s blood using a particular filter. These cells are then frozen and sent to a unique laboratory that transforms them into living treatment cells. Cell programming In the lab, the T-cells are mixed with a specific virus that causes the Tcells to make unique proteins on their surface that can later recognize and stick to leukemia or lymphoma cancers cells. Multiplication These newly programmed T-cells are grown and multiplied over a million-fold in the laboratory, so they are in large enough numbers to fight cancer when they are needed later. Quality review The new group of programmed and multiplied cancer-fighting T-cells are specially checked and screened to make sure that they have only the desired cells with unique cancer-fighting properties.

cancer cells

Living cell drug infusion The newly programmed cancerfighting T-cells are slowly injected back into the cancer patient. This is done over several minutes. Cancer cell death via cytokine storm The cancer-fighting T-cells can sense what size job they need to do and can increase their numbers even more inside the body, if needed. They can then launch an all-out attack on the cancer cells, killing them. During this attack, the cancerfighting cells release many substances called cytokines that enable the most effective attack. This release is called a cytokine storm. It usually occurs

A costly process The process of transforming normal immune T-cells into cancer-fighting cells is called CAR-T production, for “Cancer Antigen Receptor T-cells.” It is an extremely expensive process: Currently, the cost to produce CAR-T cells for injection is just short of $500,000 per treatment. Prices may come down as the techniques to develop CAR-T cells improve. Additionally, researchers are devising ways to make the CAR-T cells recognize multiple targets on cancers cells rather than the single target employed now. The ability to identify various targets on a cancer cell will make the CAR-T cells more efficient

and will increase the number of successful treatments. There are over 50 CAR-T studies underway. In conclusion Although the war on cancer is not over, I’m delighted to report that right now we have some of the best tools ever available in the fight. In fact, former president Jimmie Carter used some of these tools to have a complete remission of malignant melanoma that metastasized to his brain. If you or a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, it’s not the same prognosis that it was even a few short years ago. Talk to your physician about a combination of therapies including traditional surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy along with the new strategies including CAR-T living drug cancer treatments and many other new cancer therapies. The war on cancer has never looked better than it does today. 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 received his M.D. and Master’s Degree in Molecular Biology and Genomics from the Mayo Clinic. He has been selected as one of the top 10 dermatologists in the United States by Black Enterprise magazine. Dr. Crutchfield was recognized by Minnesota Medicine as one of the 100 Most Influential Healthcare Leaders in Minnesota. He is the team dermatologist for the Minnesota Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves, Wild and Lynx. Dr. Crutchfield is an active member of both the American and National Medical Associations, and president of the Minnesota Association of Black Physicians.

going to the state fair?

Photo by Chris Juhn

Here are some potentially helpful options The Minnesota Board on Aging and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) will be at the Minnesota State Fair this year with helpful information on a wide range of topics, including mental health, services for people with disabilities, planning for long-term care, and choosing Medicare plans for 2019. Activities and resources will include:

Medicare cost Plan inforMation

Board on Aging booth – Education Building, Cosgrove St. Ongoing throughout the fair Beginning in 2019, Medicare Cost Plans will end in most Minnesota counties, and those beneficiaries will need to change plans to ensure they have coverage. In either August or September, affected people will receive notices in the mail from Medicare and their Medicare plan explaining the changes. They will then need to weigh their options and make decisions best for them. Senior LinkAge Line staff will be available to explain the process and timelines, as well as identify which plans are affected. LinkAge line staff can answer other questions about Medicare, drug plans, aging in place, preventing fraud and abuse and other topics of interest to older adults and their family members. Now in its 25th year, Senior LinkAge Line is a free service offered by the State of Minnesota to make it easy for older adults and their families to find services and plan for the future.

disability services inforMation

Board on Aging booth – Education Building, Cosgrove St. Ongoing throughout the fair Disability Hub MN representatives will be available to answer questions people have about navigating the disability service system, health care, housing, employment, disability benefits and other topics. Like Senior LinkAge Line, Disability

Hub MN is a free statewide resource network.

survey about Planning for long-terM care

Board on Aging booth – Education Building Ongoing throughout the fair Own Your Future, an initiative of DHS and other state agencies, will be conducting its annual State Fair survey which asks fairgoers how they are planning to pay for the long-term services and supports most will need as they age. The survey will also gauge interest in potential new financial products that could help more Minnesotans prepare to pay for their own long-term care.

screening for risk of falls

HealthFair11 at the Fair Building – Dan Patch Ave. and Cooper St. Ongoing throughout the fair Falls are a leading cause of injuries for older Americans, but simple steps can be taken to help prevent them, so assessing risk is important. Minnesota Board on Aging staff will be in the Fair Building conducting Timed Up & Go (TUG) assessments. TUG assessments measure a person’s risk for falling by measuring the time it takes to stand up from a chair, walk to a spot on the floor at normal pace and return to the chair and sit down. The Minnesota State Fair runs now through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 3. The State Fair Education Building is open from 9 am to 9 pm daily during the fair. Reduced $9 admission for adults over 65 is available on Seniors Days, Aug. 27 and Aug. 30. Senior LinkAge Line, seniorlinkageline.com and 1-800-333-2433, and Disability Hub MN, disabilityhubmn.org and 1-866-333-2466 are part of a Minnesota family of information and assistance services that also includes Veterans Linkage Line, 1-888-LinkVet and the online service MinnesotaHelp.info. --Information courtesy of the DHS.

February 16-22, 2017

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Money Matters

Meda launches $1 million competition for minority-owned businesses

Photo by Jose Luis Pelaez via Getty

By Stephenetta Harmon Editor-in-Chief Are you an entrepreneur of color with a good business plan? Hone your pitch and get ready for a million dollar competition that could take your business to the next level.

The “$1M Challenge For Minority Entrepreneurs” is a Shark Tankstyle competition launched by Metropolitan Economic Development Association (Meda) in partnership with the City of St. Paul to support early-stage minority-owned businesses that have potential for high

growth. Meda, which provides business consulting, marketing and capital for minority business owners, will select up to 20 minority-owned businesses to compete in the statewide business-plan competition. Competing businesses will

give five-minute presentations to a panel of judges at a speed-pitching event hosted during Twin Cities Startup Week in October. Up to 10 finalistswill then move on to an “accelerator” round, which will include approximately two months of mentorship, coaching, investor and

industry feedback, exposure and professional connections. The competition will close out in January with a final event awarding up to $1 million dollars in financing to four finalists. The $1 Million Dollar Challenge is funded in part via a $1 million grant from NEXT Fund for Innovation. NEXT Fund is a pilot program presented by Opportunity Finance Network, a Philadelphia-based association of community development institutions. “Meda is excited to be part of this innovative program to provide sorely needed patient capital to minority-owned businesses,” said Gary Cunningham, Meda President and CEO in a press statement. “Nationally, less than 10 percent of patient and equity capital is invested in minority-owned businesses. Meda is proud to partner with OFN and Wells Fargo to provide this funding which is necessary to fund innovation, potential and growth in minority businesses. By investing in these businesses, Meda will be helping them reach scale, increase revenues and become sustainable employers.” The $1 Million Challenge is open to ethnic minority-owned businesses in Minnesota. Application deadline is September 12, 5 pm CST. To apply or for more information, visit http://bit.ly/medamdc. Stephenetta Harmon welcomes reader responses at sharmon@ spokesman-recorder.com.

SheaMoisture founder launches $100 million fund for Black women entrepreneurs By Stephenetta Harmon Editor-in-Chief Black women are the fastest growing demographic of entrepreneurs. The number of businesses owned by Black women grew by 322 percent between 1997 – 2015, reported American Express in its “2015 State of WomenOwned Businesses Report.” Yet, when it comes to venture capital, this is the least funded segment. Fortune reports that women of color raised less than one percent of the $85 billion invested by venture capitalists in 2017. Even more dire, according to Digitalundivide’s “ProjectDiane: The State of Black Women Founders” report, Black women have only raised 0.0006 percent — $289 million — of the $424.7 billion total tech venture funding raised since 2009. SheaMoisture founder Richelieu Dennis is looking to help even the playing field with a groundbreaking New Voices Fund for women of color entrepreneurs. On July 5, he officially launched the fund which is set to provide women of color access

to $100 million in capital to help jumpstart or accelerate their businesses. Dennis teamed with Unilever to create the fund after selling his Sundial Brands portfolio, which includes leading hair care lines SheaMoisture, Madam C.J. Walker Beauty and Nubian Heritage, to the consumer product giant. Dennis now serves as CEO and Executive Chairman of the standalone unit within Unilever. Both companies pooled $50 million in seed monies to start the fund and secured the remaining funds through investments. “I’ve always wanted Sundial Brands to be an inspiration to other minorityowned companies of how a business against all odds can achieve excellence, have significant social impact in our communities and be successful on a world stage,” said Richelieu Dennis in a statement. “I am excited Sundial and Unilever have created this partnership, rooted in a purpose-driven ethos, that represents an incredible opportunity to take our Community Commerce economic empowerment and impact

SheaMoisture booth at 2018 ESSENCE Fest

model to another level.” First announced in November 2017, Dennis said the fund has already begun its work to empower women of color entrepreneurship. “Over the past six months, we have already either invested in or committed to, over $30 million in black women entrepreneurs,” he said. The New Voices Fund will support businesses in four key categories, including consumer-centered business (including beauty, personal care and health and wellness), fashion, tech, and media and entertainment. Along with capital, it will provide women with access and expertise to build their businesses and transform communities. Applications are set to

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

open later this summer.. Business owners are encouraged to create profiles now to share share their stories and funding needs.

For more information, visit newvoicesfund.com.

Stephenetta Harmon welcomes reader responses at sharmon@spokesman-recorder. com

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August 30 — September 5, 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.

The abuse won’t stop until we change police culture By Ron Harris and Matthew Horace Guest Commentators Another day, another week, another month, another viral video of police gone wild. This time, it’s Baltimore, a city already under a federal consent decree to reform its police department after a Justice Department investigation into the 2015 death of Freddie Gray at the hands of police found rampant, systemic abuse of Black residents by cops. Contrary to the usual response to such recordings, police and city officials acted quickly after Officer Arthur Williams was caught on camera Saturday, Aug. 11, savagely beating a defenseless DaShawn McGrier. McGrier, a 26-year-old warehouse worker, suffered fractured ribs, a broken jaw, various cuts and bruises and spent two nights in a local hospital. After a witness posted the attack on Facebook and Instagram that day, Williams resigned. By Wednesday, he had been charged with first- and second-degree assault. The Baltimore incident mirrors images from so many other cities – Fort Worth, Texas; Philadelphia, Pa.; Tulsa, Okla.; New York City; Mesa, Ariz.; Ba-

sense of impunity, because they know that no matter what they do, their fellow officers will back them up — or at the least, won’t report them. We saw this in Chicago four years ago when three officers lied on their police reports to justify the shooting of a 17-year-old Black juvenile by a fellow officer — even though they knew there was video of the incident that would contradict their statements. So, the incidents continue. Williams did what other Baltimore cops had done, including his previous harassment and arrest of McGrier. This time, it was caught on camera. Additionally, departments too often do a poor job of screening out applicants, allowing in men and women who have already been proven to be bad cops in other departments. Such was the case of the officer who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland and the former St. Louis cop who, without justification, ruined the life of Fred Watson in Ferguson under the color of law. Or they give a badge and a gun to people who never should be cops. In New Orleans, police hired a woman onto the force — despite her failure on psychological exams and strong objections from the department’s psychiatrist. She would later murder a fellow officer

“For police and much of society, Black men are the boogeyman, a threat or suspicious just by their mere presence.” ton Rouge, La.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Cleveland; Chicago, Ill.; Beavercreek, OH; Gwinnett County, Ga.; Bloomfield, N.J; Grandbury, Texas; North Charleston, S.C.; Falcon Heights, Minn. It’s “déjà vu all over again.” In most cases, the officers are White, and the victims are Black. Consequently, there is an inclination to define police misconduct largely as an issue of race. The Baltimore cop caught on camera beating the hell out of a Black man, however, was not White. He was African American. So was his partner, who stood by and watched without trying to halt the assault. So are 42 percent of the officers within the Baltimore Police Department. So is the current Baltimore police commissioner, as was the previous police commissioner, as was the police commissioner when Gray died of a crushed spinal cord following a ride in the back of a police van, as were six other Baltimore police commissioners in a city where police have been under the control of African American political leadership for nearly 40 years. Race is a significant part of the problem. For police and much of society, Black men are the boogeyman, a threat or suspect just by their mere presence. But, it’s just a part of the issue. As we discovered through nearly 100 interviews with police, city officials and citizens across dozens of American cities, these incidents continue at a steady, pernicious pace because of a mindset and a pattern within most police departments that overrides nearly every significant effort to change them. Until we, the citizenry, address that culture — as well as our own attitudes about what police should and should not do — the shootings, the beatings, the harassment, and the abuse of police power will continue. In large part, our police departments are defined by a law enforcement culture that perpetuates an usagainst-the citizens attitude in which defending fellow cops — no matter how inept, how malevolent or corrupt – is paramount. Consequently, officers act with a

and two residents in a robbery. Also, the training they need is lacking. In Baltimore, for example, the department’s own head of legal instruction at the police academy earlier this year said a third of the men and women heading to the streets lacked a basic understanding of the laws governing constitutional policing. “We’re giving them a badge and a gun tomorrow, the right to take someone’s liberty, ultimately the right to take someone’s life if it calls for it, and they have not demonstrated they can meet [basic] constitutional and legal standards,” Sgt. Josh Rosenblatt told the Baltimore Sun. Rosenblatt, who is trained as a lawyer, said many of them failed to understand the most basic tenets of being a cop. “Don’t illegally arrest people,” he said. “Don’t illegally search people. These are not high standards.” But, even with better recruitment and proper training and even better pay, police will revert to the same unacceptable behavior as long as a culture exists in which they feel their first allegiance is to fellow cops — and not the people they are paid to “protect and serve.” Police and their conduct are defined by the public officials we elect to oversee them. As we approach the mid-term elections in November, we must to send a clear message to candidates that unless they stand for an end to police misconduct and the seemingly endless stream of cop violating citizens’ rights, they won’t get our vote. Ron Harris, a former national, foreign and congressional correspondent and currently an adjunct professor at Howard University, and Matthew Horace, a security expert and former law enforcement officer with over 25 years of experience across America, and, are the authors of “The Black and the Blue; A Cop Reveals Crimes, Racism and Injustice in Law Enforcement.”

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It’s time for NFL players to stand for something By Raynard Jackson Guest Commentator As we approach a new season of pro football, the National Football League and its players have, yet again, proven incapable of coming up with an effective response to address the issue of the players engaging in various levels of protests when the national anthem is played before the game. In public relations, we often say that if you are explaining your actions, then you are losing the argument. The league and its players seem to be stuck on their “intent,” not on how their actions are being received by the viewing public. They both “claim” their “intent” is to bring attention to the issue of social justice, though no one has defined what that means. So, President Donald Trump has adroitly defined the issue for them as anti-American and disrespectful to U.S. servicemen. Whatever the league and player’s “intent” was, the public is saying that they don’t support their actions and this dichotomy is causing fans of the sport to turn away in large numbers.

asked about the protest over police brutality in the NFL: “I never protest during the anthem, and I don’t think that’s the time or the venue to do so. The game of football has always brought me such peace and I think it does the same for a lot of people—a lot of people playing the game, a lot of people watching the game, a lot of people who have any impact of the game. So, when you bring such controversy to the stadium, to the field, to the game, it takes away. It takes away from that, it takes away from the joy and the love that football brings a lot of people.” Prescott continued: “For me, I’m all about making a change and making a difference, and I think this whole kneeling and all of that was just about raising awareness and the fact that we’re still talking about social injustice years later, I think we’ve gotten to that point. I think we’ve proved, we know the social injustice. I’m up for taking the next step, whatever the next step may be for action, and not just kneeling. I’ve always believed standing up for what I believe in, and that’s what I’m going to continue to do.”

“The players and the league have let their emotions and egos get in the way of their objective.” Before I go any further, let me establish a simple fact that most people never bring into this conversation: NFL players are nothing more than employees. Yes, they are highly-paid, but nonetheless, they are employees. The NFL players sign the back of the paycheck, not the front. Their employers have every right to tell them how they must behave at their place of employment: the football field. When I worked in corporate America, I had to wear a suit and tie; this was non-negotiable. Yes, I had every right to go to my boss and tell him that requiring a Black man to wear a suit and tie was racist; and he had every right to fire me if I didn’t follow his workplace rules. Likewise, athletes have a right to kneel or stay in the locker room during the playing of our national anthem; but, the owners have the right to take some type of disciplinary action, as well. I often say, “Weak people take strong positions on weak issues.” What does kneeling have to do with police brutality or other “social injustice,” the stated reasons these protests began? Their message has been drowned out by the fact that most Americans have interpreted their actions as being antiAmerican and disrespectful to U.S. servicemen. Again, it doesn’t matter what the players think or what their intentions are — this is how their message is being received. The players and the league have let their emotions and egos get in the way of their objective. I agree 100 percent with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Here’s what he said when

Prescott’s statement is one of the most concise, intelligent, and well-thought-out positions I have seen on this issue, unlike the sentiments of Stephen A. Smith. I totally disagree with everything Smith has to say on this issue in regard to Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, and Prescott. Jones and Prescott are in agreement on not using the football field as a vehicle for the players’ protests. There are 1,696 players in the NFL, if each player were to give $10,000 annually to a non-partisan political action committee (PAC), they would have $16,900,000 per year available for political contribution for candidates running for school board, city council, mayor, state representative, state senator, U.S. representative, U.S. Senate, and U.S. president. The average NFL player makes over $2 million per year, so $10,000 is nothing if players truly want to make a difference in society. They could use this money to support candidates who share their worldview and thereby make laws that support their view of the world. This would be a lot more substantive than simply kneeling and angering half the country. Raynard Jackson is founder and chairman of Black Americans for a Better Future (BAFBF), a federally registered 527 Super PAC established to get more Blacks involved in the Republican Party. BAFBF focuses on the Black entrepreneur. For more information about BAFBF, visit www.bafbf.org.

Arming teachers will not stem gun violence By Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson Guest Commentator Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson issued the following statement in response to news reports that the U.S. Department of Education is considering allowing states to use federal tax dollars to purchase guns for teachers:

nored. I believe that it should have responded to the agency with a resounding “no.” Earlier this year, Congress passed the bipartisan Stop School Violence Act, which allocated $50 million yearly to local school districts to augment school safety, and specifically, prohibits funding for firearms. I will continue to work with my colleagues on initiatives to stem gun violence and prevent

“Such a policy would not only endanger students, but also would rob them of access to … critical support programs.” I was astounded to learn that the U.S. Department of Education is allegedly considering using federal tax dollars to arm public school teachers by diverting funding from the Every Student Succeeds Act earmarked for mental health treatment, anti-bullying programs, and drug prevention in our nation’s poorest schools. Such a policy would not only endanger students but also would rob them of access to these critical support programs. The department has pushed back on the news reports and said that it received an inquiry from the Texas state Department of Education about funding for firearms, which it ig-

weapons from reaching classrooms. This is yet another example of Secretary Betsy DeVos’ disdain for our nation’s public schools and underscores the urgent need for Democrats to remain steadfast in the fight to safeguard our students, teachers, and schools. Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson is a fourth-term Congresswoman from Florida representing parts of Northern Miami-Dade and Southeast Broward counties. A former state legislator and school principal, she is the founder of the 5000 Role Models for Excellence Project, a mentoring program for young males at risk of dropping out of school.

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Actress Avis-Marie Barnes relishes regular role on AMC’s Lodge 49 “One of the girls asked me to play Laura in Glass Menagerie. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but I did it. And, when I went up on stage, the bug hit me and that was it!” Barnes earned her BFA from Howard University, mainly to meet the exacting expectations of her parents. But personally, she had had enough of school. “I said that would be the last time I went to school because I just didn’t want to do anymore.”

By Nadine Matthews Contributing Writer

I

t isn’t easy being the new kid on the block. However, when always being the new person is part of your job, you find ways to adapt to or even enjoy it. Veteran actress Avis-Marie Barnes has spent her career as a character actress and guest starring on numerous shows, such as Atlanta, Stranger Things, Treme and Bloodline. Most recently, she has had a recurring role as judgmental Misty Williams on the OWN Network megachurch drama, Greenleaf. But just a few weeks ago, Barnes settled into her first regular role, as beloved Anita Jones on AMC’s quirky new comedy-drama Lodge 49. The opportunity came as a surprise. “You never know exactly why somebody picks you for something,” says Barnes. “I felt honored, but at the same time was like, ‘What was that?’ ‘cause I saw the audition and…” Her voice trails off into laughter. “But I guess I’ve learned not to ask that question!” Lodge 49 has received an overwhelmingly positive critical response so far. “It’s always kinda hard to describe,” Barnes says of the show. “It’s about this guy that has run into a string of bad luck. His father dies and then he goes surfing and gets bitten by a snake and it isn’t healing right. “He feels like he needs something to make his life feel meaningful again,” continues Barnes. “He comes upon this lodge where he meets a group of people where the lodge is basically their sanctuary.” Talking about her character, she explains that, “Anita has been part of the lodge for a very long time. She’s a middle school teacher and she goes there after school to decompress, unwind, and be among friends. “She’s the voice of reason. She’s definitely the person where, if people are having some sort of trouble or problem in their lives, she’s the one they come to talk to.” Starting out in her career, Barnes was particularly excited to be a character actor, a journeywoman who brought her own special skills and picked up others as she moved onto different projects. “When I started out doing this,” Barnes recalls, “I didn’t want to be the type of actor who stayed in one position all the time. “I admired character actors. When I was growing up they were mostly White males. They were the ones who moved the story along for the main characters and I always thought it was cool they got to play so many different things.”

Though she originally planned to make the customary trek to Los Angeles as most other actors, she was convinced to move to Florida where she has lived and worked from all her professional life. “I figured I would stay long enough to get my SAG (Screen Actors Guild) card, and I ended up staying a heck of a lot longer than that. It’s been 26 years.” Lodge 49 airs Mondays at 10 pm on AMC. Go to www.amc.com/shows/lodge-49 for more show information. Nadine Matthews welcomes reader responses to nadine@deeniemedia.com. Graphic courtesy of AMC.

Actress Avis-Marie Barnes of AMC Network’s Lodge 49

Photo courtesy of Avis-Marie Barnes

sets where she’s worked. “Sometimes I look at folks like in Greenleaf. Those folks see each other every day and they’re lovely. Their ease also helps them with their job because they know each other so well. “I’m looking forward to the experience of getting to know these folks on Lodge 49,” Barnes continues. “It’s a professional situa-

“She’s the voice of reason. She’s definitely the person where, if people are having some sort of trouble or problem in their lives, she’s the one they come to talk to.” But now, having embarked on the experience of being a regular on Lodge 49, Barnes has observed some distinctions. “It’s such a different feel professionally knowing that you could make a mistake or forget a line and not have it hit you upside the head as you might when you’re just walking in for a day and get into their pace and get into their rhythm.” This isn’t to say that Barnes hasn’t had an abundance of positive experiences on the

tion that you don’t find very often that you really like the people that you work with. I think it’s gonna be a really special show.” It was Tennessee Williams, or rather, one of his most celebrated plays that awoke Barnes to the magic of acting. While attending an allgirls Catholic high school in her hometown of Montclair, N.J., she remembers being approached out of the blue by one of her classmates.

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August 30 — September 5, 2018

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Celebrating the life of a poetry queen By Stephenetta Harmon Editor-in-Chief

T

he word “queen” has been thrown around quite a bit as of late – for some, deserving, and for others, well, questionable. But the title is more than fitting for the late Tottiana “S’sence” Adams. The spoken word artist and playwright passed away August 17, 2018 leaving behind a royal court of fans, followers and loved ones who were inspired by her reign over words — and life. “She was just a natural light wherever she went,” said close friend and artist Nakara “SoloStar” White. In the hours after her death, the Twin Cities community flooded social media timelines with disbelief and homage to the 28-year-old phenom. Since high school, Adams worked tirelessly to hone her craft and share her gift of words. “Her slogan was ‘I speak for the unspoken,’” said Adams’ mother Sandra Lewis. “She was the voice for many who wouldn’t speak up for themselves.” Adams won numerous poetry and spoken word competitions and performed at such events as Poetry Out Loud, Brave New Voices and Minneapolis’ own Teens Rock the Mic. Through

her passion and dedication, she eventually earned the moniker of “Princess of Poetry.” “She was extremely positive no matter what her circumstances,” said White. “She didn’t allow life to get her down even though she had many struggles.” “She was so forgiving,” said Marie Chante Flowers, fellow poet and friend. “She could say, ‘I know you’re toxic, but I’m going to help you clean up.’” The Chicago native carried many other titles, as well. She was mother to seven-year-old daughter S’sence, as well as daughter, sister, friend and mentor to many. “She not only was my baby, she was my out-goer, my daredevil,” said Lewis. “My sons never left home, but she left. She wanted to be Tot, and I always had her in a box, and she didn’t want to be in a box. She wanted to be free. She didn’t want to be shut up in a box. She didn’t want limitations.” Lewis said she is helping Adams’ young daughter cope and uplifting her mother’s memory “just by telling her by how beautiful she is.” Lewis shared that the young S’sence “has spurts, and says, ‘I’m missing my mommy,’” but she understands. As to how Adams should be remembered, White said, “She really doesn’t need any help from me or anybody else

for her legacy. Who she was was so big and so clear to everyone who encountered her. “Her legacy is love and light,” continued White. “Her character was not questionable. Her love was not questionable. She made an impact in any space she graced.” Adams’ stepfather Floyd Lewis, affectionately referred to as ‘Papa,’ borrowed a line from one of her popular poems: “I’m done chasing; [I’m] just living in my destiny.” He said, she “not only lived in her destiny, but her quotes will go on and touch many more to come.” White recounted how Adams helped bring her out of her shell. “We recently were laughing and talking about this. I am an introvert. I’m not one to walk into a room and greet everyone and make friends, but that was a way she rubbed off on me that I can see every day. “I don’t close off myself to people the way that I used to,” said White. “I’m a lot more friendly because of her.” Celebratory services were hosted throughout the weekend, culminating in a funeral on Monday, August 27 at Shiloh Temple International Ministries. As family and friends shared memories, they fondly promoted her title to “Queen of Poetry.” Lewis said she’s old-fashioned, but will respect her daughter’s wishes and

Photo courtesy of Facebook spread her ashes on her next cruise. “S’sence said she did not want to buried, she wanted to be cremated. “In memories and spirit, she will always be with me.”

The family is accepting donations on behalf of Adams’ daughter to Top Line Credit union c/o S’sence Adams.

ElEctions 101: HEnnEpin county RacEs By Keith Schubert Staff Writer While most of the election drama has been focused on state and federal races, Hennepin County races have no shortage of interesting candidates and issues. Much of the intrigue came from the DFL endorsing convention, where Angela Conley nearly secured the party endorsement over longtime incumbent Peter McLaughlin. While neither candidate ultimately received the necessary 60 percent votes for endorsement, Conley was the frontrunner with 57 percent of delegate votes. District 4, which Conley is seeking to represent, covers parts of east and downtown Minneapolis, as well as the University of Minnesota campus and South Minneapolis between Interstate 35W and the Mississippi River. Going south, the district also covers the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and Fort Snelling. Conley postulates that this area, which is home to many diverse communities, deserves a commissioner who represents the community on what is currently an all-White board. Below is a breakdown of who

will be running for seats in Hennepin County races — from board commissioners and attorney to sheriff elections.

DFL endorsement earlier this year, he has other high profile endorsements from Governor Mark Dayton and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Living-wage jobs, criminal justice reform, fair housing, and reducing disparities are among his top issues.

Hennepin County SHeriff Dave “Hutch” Hutchinson — DFL-Endorsed A 15-year Metro Transit Police Department and leader on the department’s Northside Community Engagement Team, Hutch wants to bring his community-oriented ideas to the Angela Conley sheriff’s office. The focus of his campaign is respect and transparency for everyone as well lator. If he is elected for the third as an increase in 21st-centu- time, he wants to focus on menry policing, which includes re- tal illness reform in jails, opioid thinking how the sheriff’s de- abuse prevention, and commupartment interacts with U.S. nity outreach. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). DiStriCt 2 County CommiSSioner Rich Stanek — Incumbent Stanek’s experience in law enforcement goes back more than 30 years and includes time with the Minneapolis Police Department as commander of criminal investigations and commissioner of Public Safety and director of Homeland Security – two roles former Governor Tim Pawlenty appointed him to in 2003. Stanek also spent five years as a state legis-

Irene Fernando — DFL-endorsed Fernando is a Northside resident, Filipino American and former Bush Fellow. She says she wants to bring diversity, transparency and accountability to the board and increase community engagement. Blong Yang Yang was the first Hmong ever elected to the Minneapo-

Hennepin County Attorney

LaDonna Redmond

Irene Fernando

lis City Council. He served one term before losing his seat to Jeremiah Ellison in the most recent council elections. Yang points to his previous experience as an elected official as qualification for his candidacy.

the National Black Women’s Health Project – Chicago, wants to bring her talents to the Hennepin County Board. Her platform, “bridging the gaps,” focuses on such issues as equity, criminal justice reform, affordable housing, environmental justice and equitable transit.

District 3 County Commissioner

DiStriCt 4 County CommiSSioner

Marion Greene — DFL-Endorsed The one-term incumbent was first elected to the board in a 2014 special election and was reelected later that year. Her campaign focuses on immigration, an area in which she helped enforce a sheriff’s department requirement to inform those being booked in multiple languages of their right to not speak with ICE; on infrastructure; and on “greening” Hennepin County.

Angela Conley Conley came closest to securing a party endorsement at the DFL endorsing convention. She wants to make the Hennepin County Board more diverse and representative of the community. Her racial equity and justice campaign focuses on such issues as amplifying community voices in decision-making and reducing inequities across all County departments.

Ladonna Redmond An activist with a hankering for directly impacting her community, the former co-chair of

Peter McLaughlin — Incumbent McLaughlin has held his seat for nearly three decades. Despite being unable to secure the

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Follow the MSR in weeks ahead for more election news and updates. Keith Schubert welcomes reader responses to kschubert@ spokesman-recorder.com.

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Mark Haase — DFL-Endorsed Citing the criminal justice system’s failure to help society’s most vulnerable, Haase said he put his energy into law and criminal justice policy. This led him to co-found the Minnesota Second Chance Coalition and work for the Council on Crime and Justice. His priorities include more equity for people returning to society after being incarcerated, increasing accountability and trust, and increasing fairness and equity in the criminal justice system.

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Mike Freeman — Incumbent Freeman has served a cumulative 19 years as county attorney. He also served in the State Senate from 1983-90. His campaign issues include addressing the opioid epidemic, protecting vulnerable adults, and juvenile justice reform.

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August 30 — September 5, 2018

Brain Drain

POC Connect. The podcast, she said, will center on what it takes to have a “really true, diverse and inclusive workforce” and will focus on “tools, tips and best practices” for achieving better workplace diversity and inclusion. The book, with the working title CEOs Leading Out Loud, will give CEOs and other business leaders a platform to showcase where they stand on diversity and inclusion in the workplace and argue their case for why Minnesota is a worthy place for professionals to live. Smith-Akinsanya’s company RMG has a growing list of brands, and those brands, so far, have had an in-state focus. “Everything I do is about this region because this is my home,” she said. While she said she knows the problems facing Minnesota, in terms of underemployment and unemployment, as well as retention of professionals of color, are not exclusive to the state, she is not yet ready to expand. “This mission is about making Minnesota better… The focus is here to make sure we get it right.” In five to 10 years she said she hopes to have employed 50-100 people and to have done as much as she can to solve the problems she’s identified in Minnesota. Then, “We can talk about going other places.”

Continued from page 1

to you. So, you want to keep your profile active, you want to stay engaged.” The next Career Fair is scheduled for Oct. 10 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Overcoming obstacles Smith-Akinsanya’s personal journey as a professional of color in Minnesota began in the early ‘90s. Six months after moving to the Twin Cities from her hometown of St. Louis, she was hired by the late legend Prince to serve as marketing director for his nightclubs. She went on to start a nightclub of her own, called The Lounge. This was her first attempt to retain professionals of color in the Twin Cities before starting RMG in 1997. When people meet Smith-Akinsanya, she said, they think the success she is experiencing now is indicative of how it has always been. But all of the projects and programs mentioned have started within the last two years. Like many, she was hit hard by the 2008 recession, causing her to lose her business and her home. “I had to take my daughter out of private school. It was just me, my mom and my daughter. The big beautiful house in Blaine, we lost it.” Instead of giving up, she put entrepreneurship aside and, in 2009, took on a job as the lead fundraiser

Café Continued from page 1

Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. There’s also a Lola’s Café at King’s Landing located at the Jim Lupient Water Park in northeast Minneapolis. While snow cones were great as a start-up, they took a back seat to wings at the Viking’s home stadium. “We would host Fourth of July picnics and fix food for 70 people,” said Beverly. The praise at picnics prompted them to try their hand at working festivals. Louis King, who was also a U.S. Army officer for 10 years, had learned how to prepare and deliver food to a large number of people. King started using a smoker, and customers couldn’t stop eating their wings. From there, it was one step after another to concession stands that now serve thousands of people. Lola on the Lake, which got its name from the moniker their daughter uses for social media, serves up a bit different fare. Their menu is derived from what they know and what was served in the past at the same location. They brought the wings in with their smoker from the stadium, but they still serve fish and tacos and other familiar foods like French fries and coleslaw that the previous food provider, Tin Fish, offered in the location. When the Tin Fish owners retired, the Minneapolis Park Board opened up applications to anyone who wanted to give it a go. The Kings came out on top of a dozen applications. Louis said there was some strong opposition to the Kings taking on the helm of serving

Crowd shot of February 2018 POC Career Fair for the United Negro College Fund. Seven years later, she was able to go back to working full time at the RMG. “Since 2016, it’s just taken off,” she said. “But I didn’t start here. I worked for many, many years preparing for this day, making sure that I had the tools, advice, resources that I need to be able to contribute to my community.” Today, Smith-Akinsanya is working on a series of initiatives, includ-

ing POC Bizlist MN, an online directory service of businesses owned by people of color across the state. “It is a one-stop shop where you can list and find businesses that are owned by people of color” she explained, adding, the website also gives small person of color- and indigenous- (POCI) owned business’ an opportunity to “market their business in a cost-effective way.” She is also starting POC Connect, a new membership-based website

“I think Lola’s is a hidden gem in Minneapolis.” food to the community. Some weren’t sure they had the experience and know-how. But, even a blizzard on opening day on April 15 couldn’t deter them. After thawing out from the recordbreaking snowstorm, they pushed their grand opening to Memorial Day weekend, May 25. For customers, part of the appeal is the visual allure that the Kings have installed – from oversized Adirondack chairs painted in a variety of colors, to beautiful gardens lush with flowers of many colors and sizes, to improvements on the refectory where the concession stand is housed. While the Kings have a fiveyear lease to run their concession stand, they don’t have a monopoly on the building or surrounding space. Louis King said, “This is a public park. We can’t control who sits at the tables, what food they bring in, the activities of the vendors next to us.” But that variety of action is one of Louis King’s favorite aspects of Lola’s. “Every day, I meet someone from a different state or country. I think [Lola] is a hidden gem in Minneapolis.” The Kings’ success speaks for itself: They’ve made Lola on the Lake a destination spot. Beverly remarked that not only can their place be seen from airplanes flying overhead, but also, a ride at the Mall of America actually features their eatery. They also are in the business of sharing their success. “We employ youth from the community,” Beverly King

BoyCott Continued from page 1

Matter, Racial Justice Network and Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar. “This is a great show of solidarity amongst a variety of groups who have been working to combat police violence,” said Levy Armstrong. Though the rain deterred a large crowd from forming, the small group of protesters managed to delay light rail track service for nearly two hours. Organizers teamed with volunteers to give stranded riders alternative travel options, as well as paid for Uber rides.

said. “It’s one of our things, to give them business acumen, help them save money. To draw from the area.” Even so, labor continues to be a challenge for them. Their general manager, Darnella Anderson, provides guidance and mentorship to the mostly high-school-aged employees. She helps turn out workers who are conscientious and attentive. The Kings have a few years before they look at retirement, but Louis is already playing with the idea of opening up a Lola in another location. “Florida,” Beverly King said, where they can take their retirement slow. As if in preparation for that time in their lives, this year they put Lauryn in the driver’s seat, managing the water park stand. Louis King describes that as one of his biggest joys. “[Young people] don’t always let you know where they stand, but I’ve seen [Lauryn] step up when the cash register’s gone down, and she didn’t object to the water park.” “She’s only 16-and-a-half,” Beverly King reminded me, full of pride for her daughter’s capable business acuity.

and app that will provide culturally relevant social events to members. “POC Connect is all about retention and socialization…to make sure that professionals of color have a way to connect culturally and be together in what makes Minnesota great,” she explained. The expected launch date, she said, is January 2019 or sooner. A book and a podcast are also on the way and are expected to Keith Schubert welcomes reader be ready around the same time as responses to kschubert@spokesman-

during my campaign. When I jumped into this race a couple of weeks before caucuses, I didn’t really know Continued from page 1 what to expect... I have met some very amazing and dedicated people and people who, regardless of the outcome of this election, I know campaign finance reform. We do, in Minneso- will be friends in the future. ta, have several elements that are in place here. But, when we are thinking about our elections What elected officials past or present do you and our democracy, I think we have come to a admire? place where people are more concerned with Over the last few months, I have gotten a how much money they can get from special chance to talk to a number of people that I’ve interest groups than actually listening to their personally been inspired by. Some of the peoconstituents. ple who I have been most inspired by are peoAnd, I think a big part of this is also ensur- ple that I have never met. Shirley Chisholm is ing that people get out and they vote and they one that I take a lot of inspiration from. I never have their voices heard. There is no politician, had the opportunity to meet her, but I see her there is no candidate, that is going to be able as a real trailblazer – especially for women of to save the world. We’re going to have to save color who are breaking into politics. Some of the folks here, locally, that I’ve ourselves, so I think that it is about ensuring that people are turning up, turning out and been really inspired by are Erin Maye Quade. speaking up. That’s what actually is going to I am very inspired by her run, and she has also been a really great support to me. make a change.

CanDiDate

What do you say to people who say they do not like politics or politicians? I say that, with what we see going on right now within politics, for a lot of people from the outside looking in, there is a lot of con-

“What we have missing a lot from politics are common-sense approaches from people who really understand the day-to-day realities...”

cern. And, myself, I am not a traditional candidate, I’m a first-time candidate, and I don’t really think of myself as a politician. I think of myself more as a professional problem solver. What we have missing a lot from politics are common-sense approaches from people who really understand the day-to-day realities that a lot of families are going through. I’m a first-generation college student who grew up Lola On the Lake is located at in a large working-class family. 3000 East Lake Calhoun ParkI know what it’s like to be poor. I know way and is open seasonally April what it’s like to struggle, I know what it’s like 15 to October 15, from 11 am to to work hard. We need to get more of those 9 pm. For more information, visit perspectives at the capitol, and I think can www.lolascafemn.com/lolamenu. help change that negative perception of politics. Susan Budig welcomes reader responses to sbudig@spokesman- What is your favorite thing about your disrecorder.com. trict? I would say the people. I have met a lot of great neighbors and advocates and people

Some riders were unhappy about not having the choice of riding the bus or train. “I support you. I mean, I’m cool that you guys got me an Uber now and I completely support it,” said one rider impacted by the protest. “But you guys are doing it in front of the tracks.” “We thought that it was important to send a message to the Met Council and the Metro Transit that we are not going to tolerate abuse and violence against African Americans and other people of color who utilize the buses or trains for transportation,” said Levy Armstrong. The Met Council, which had remained silent on the incident until the day before

What is the greatest impact your position will have on the African American community? My run for office is really an extension of work that I’ve been doing within our community for well over a decade, and some of the issues I have been

the planned boycott, released a statement on August 27. “At Metro Transit, we take seriously the safety of our riders, our operators and our police officers, which is why we immediately initiated an investigation upon learning of this incident,” said Metro Transit Police Chief John Harrington in a statement. “That investigation continues,” said Harrington. “We are committed to the respect of riders, operators and all employees and are looking forward to the investigation’s completion.” Levy Armstrong, however, called for the immediate dismissal of the arresting officer, citing numerous incidents of “zero account-

working on that I think have a real impact on the African American community are things like maternal birth outcomes within the African American community. I currently co-chair a task force that is looking at the really poor birth outcomes that we are seeing in the African American community. We know that, regardless of socioeconomic status, regardless of educational attainment, African American women’s birth outcomes who are college-educated look worse than women who are White who didn’t graduate from high school. So, I am hoping to be able to advance more efforts to ensure we are having health equity in relation to birth outcomes. [That] is something that is very important to me. Keith Schubert welcomes reader responses at kschubert@spokesman-recorder.com.

ability.” “We want the officer fired,” she said. “We want Chief John Harrington and the Met Council to answer for this abuse of power, as well as the other patterns of abuse at the expense of African Americans and other people of color who take the Metro Transit.” “This is a pattern,” she continued. “They arrested her, they humiliated her, and we are fed up with the Jim Crow-like policies and practices being levied against African Americans and people of color.” Tuesday’s protest follows a stream of protests throughout the state in response to police violence. Nearly 50 protesters took to

the streets outside the Minnesota State Fair on Saturday, August 25. “We deserve to be treated equally,” said Levy Armstrong, who also called for community members to get involved and attend future Met Council meetings. “We need to show up and apply pressure and let our voices be heard.” The organizations plan on holding more “economic boycotts” to demand Met Council change its arresting policies. Stephenetta Harmon welcomes reader responses to sharmon@spokesman-recorder.com. Photos courtesy of Facebook

August 30 — September 5, 2018

Employment

Legals State of Minnesota

Case Type: Other Civil

A/1

County of Hennepin

Fourth District Court

Contract No. 19-042

In Re the Custody of:

Court File No. 27-FA-18-4136

MKJ, DOB: 5/3/2009

INVITATION TO BID

MKJ, DOB: 4/28/2010

Sealed bids will be received by the Public Housing Agency (PHA) of the City of Saint Paul at 200 E Arch Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55130 for ELECTRICAL PANEL REPLACEMENTS AT 4 PHA PROPERTIES, Contract No. 19-042, until 11:00 AM, Local Time, on September 12, 2018 at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud.

Tracy Romaine Lewis, Petitioner and Kristy Florine Owen, Respondent Mother,

SUMMONS FOR THIRD PARTY CUSTODY

Michael Lee James, Respondent Father, Diane Lewis (deceased), Respondent Guardian or Other Custodian TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENTS:

A complete set of bid documents are available by contacting Northstar Imaging at 651-686-0477 or www.northstarplanroom.com , under public plan room, 19-042 ELECTRICAL PANEL REPLACEMENTS AT 4 PHA PROPERTIES. Digital downloads are no charge, contact Northstar for hard copy pricing. Bids must be accompanied by a 5% bid guarantee, Representations, Certifications and Other Statements of Bidders Form, a non-collusive affidavit, and EEO/AAP submittals. The successful bidder will be required to furnish performance and payment bonds. PRE-BID CONFERENCE AND WALKTHROUGH WILL BE HELD ON Thursday August 30th, 2018 AT 1:00 PM at 1085 Montreal Ave (Montreal Hi-Rise) St Paul, MN. The PHA reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any informalities in the bidding process.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Petitioner has filed a lawsuit against you to ask for custody of the following minor children: Michalen Krisstoffer James, BORN 5/3/2009; Mikiala Kae James, BORN 4/28/2010; A COPY OF THE PETITION FOR THIRD PARTY CUSTODY IS SERVED ON YOU WITH THIS SUMMONS. THIS SUMMONS IS AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT THAT AFFECTS YOUR RIGHTS, EVEN IF IT DOES NOT HAVE A COURT FILE NUMBER LISTED. 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 against you asking the Court to give Petitioner custody of the minor children. 2. You must serve upon Petitioner and file with the Court a written Answer to the Petition, and you must pay the required filing fee unless it is waived by the Court. Answer forms are available on the Minnesota Judicial Branch webpage at www. mncourts.gov/forms. 3. You must serve your Answer upon the 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 an Answer, the Court may decide custody and give Petitioner everything he or she is asking for in the attached Petition. DATE: 6/21/2018 Tracey Romaine Lewis, Petitioner Minnesota Spokesman Recorder August 23, 30, & September 6, 2018

AN EQUAL

JORDAN LASOTA

OPPORTUNITY AGENCY

PROJECT LEADER (651) 292-6254

Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, August 30, 2018

Join the HIRED team and make a difference. We are looking for energetic and passionate individuals to be a part of our team for the following positions:

Trainer, Trainer and Placement Specialist, Employment Coach, Employment Counselors and Community Outreach Specialist. HIRED is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, and disability or veteran status.

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Continued from page 10 STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF HENNEPIN Angel A. Fernandez, Petitioner vs Cindy Maribella Anariba,

.

DISTRICT COURT JUDICIAL DISTRICT: FOURTH Court File No. 27-FA-15-546

NOTICE OF MOTION AND MOTION FOR CHANGE OF CUSTODY Spanish Interpreter Needed

WARNING: This is an important document that affects your rights. A court hearing has been scheduled, and the other party is asking for new court orders. If you do not understand this document, contact a lawyer for help. You must prepare a written response if you disagree with the other party’s requests and you want the Judge to consider your facts and information. You cannot simply attend the court hearing and tell the Judge your side of the situation. 1. A court hearing has been scheduled. Date: November 14, 2018 Time: 11:00 a.m. Room: 637 Judge/Referee: Thomas Fraser Address: the Family Justice Center located at 110 S. 4th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 2. The other party asked for this court hearing. This Notice of Motion and Motion and the Affidavit in Support of Motion were prepared by the other party. They explain what the other party is asking for and how the requests satisfy the law. Dated: July 26, 2018 MN Spokesman-Recorder, August 16,23 & 30, 2018

NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT LIEN FORECLOSURE SALE

years has made some progress as far as diversity is concerned. Former Twins Torii Hunter and LaTroy Hawkins were hired as baseball operations special assistants, and in successive seasons James Rowson and Garvin Alston were hired as batting coach and pitching coach, respectively. “There’s more we can do,” Twins President Dave St. Peter told me after we talked to Manfred. He suggested that perhaps his staff could do better in offering storylines on Black players in the organization, even stories on local RBI participants. “I am working very hard to make sure we get over that hurdle,” Manfred said. “We are also working very hard to reach the fans, the audiences, in ways that we have not reached out [in the past]. We are hoping that the combination of things will produce greater diversity.” Baseball’s diversity “overall is pretty good,” the commissioner declared.

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YOU ARE NOTIFIED THAT, 1. Default has occurred in the conditions of the Declaration of Condominium Number 294, Manor Homes of Edina Condominium, Hennepin County, Minnesota, by Virginia L. Martin and/or Vulcan Recoveries, LLC as fee owners of the below-described property subject to said Declarations. 2. Pursuant to the Declaration of Condominium Number 294, Manor Homes of Edina Condominium, filed in the Office of the Hennepin County Registrar of Titles as Document No. T1462210 and the Notice of Assessment Lien dated May 4, 2018, recorded in Hennepin County on May 8, 2018 as Document No. T05531009 and the Assignment of Assessment Lien dated June 29, 2018, recorded on July 19, 2018 as Document No. T05545805 a lien exists for unpaid assessments and fees incurred as of May 4, 2018 in the amount of $4,011.55. 3. No action or proceeding has been instituted at law to recover the debt secured by the statutory lien or any part thereof, or if an action has been instituted it has been dismissed or discharged prior to the commencement of these proceedings. 4. The holder of the lien has complied with all conditions to foreclose the lien for this debt secured by the assessment lien and foreclosure of said lien, and all notice and other requirements of applicable statutes. 5. As of the date of this notice the amount due is $4,491.54. 6. As of the date of this notice, the names of all parties that have been released from liability for the assessment lien are as follows: NONE. Get a $100 AT&T Visa® Reward Card† when you 7. Pursuant to the provisions of the Declaration of Condominium Number 294, Manor Homes of Edina Condominium, filed in the Office of the Hennepin County Registrar of Titles as Docsign up for DIRECTV SELECT ™ Package or above. ument No. 1462210 and the Notice of Assessment Lien dated May 4, 2018, recorded in HenneMUST MAINTAIN SVC & REDEEM W/IN 75 DAYS (CARD IN 4 WKS). Ends 9/30/18. Restrs apply. See below for offer details. EARLY TERMINATION FEE OF $20/MO. FOR EACH MONTH REMAININGand ON AGMT., took and made big shots pin County on May 8, 2018 as Document No. T05531009 and the Assignment of Assessment $35 ACTIVATION, EQUIP. NON-RETURN & ADD’L FEES APPLY. New approved residential customers only Lien dated June 29, 2018, recorded on July 19, 2018 as Document No. T05545805, the lien will (equipment lease req’d). Credit card req’d (except MA & PA). when warranted during the be foreclosed and the land located at 6983 Langford Court, Unit 33, Edina, Minnesota 55436, season. Ask me how to Bundle and save. CALL TODAY! Continued from page 10 in the County of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, legally described as follows: Edwards also took MinneIV SUPPORT HOLDINGS LLC Detached Garage No. 33, Condominium No. 294, Manor Homes of Edina sota to unfamiliar territory — Condominium, Hennepin County, Minnesota With the roster now in the W’s postseason for the first will be sold by the sheriff of said county at public auction on September 20, 2018, at 10:00 a.m., place, the ofw/ithe 2003 at the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, 350 South Fifth Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota †$100 REWARD CARD: Requires purchase of qualifying TV package (min. $35/mo promosummer price after discount that start 3 bills & may req. AutoPay) throughtime card fulfillment. Packages: inQualifying franchise history. The SELECT or above. Select locations. For new residential customers in the U.S. (excludes Puerto Rico and U.S.V.I.). Residents of select multi-dwelling units are not eligible for this offer. Reward Card: Will 55415 in said county and state, to pay the debt then secured by said lien, including additionwould Minnebe sent letter withany redemption requirements. Redemption req’season d w/in 75 days from reward notification mailrecord date. Reward Card delivered within 3-4 weeks after redemption to customers who maintain Lynx were seeded lower than qualifying service from installation date and through reward fulfillment. Card expires at month-end, 6 mos after issuance. No cash access. For cardholder agreement, go to al assessments and late fees that may become due through the date of sale,rewardcenter.att.com/myrewardcard/agreement_FSV.pdf. along with the costs, Reward Card issued byin U.S. Bank National Association,categopursuant to license from Visa. U.S.A Inc. May not be combined with sotaAT&T“firsts” several Los Angeles other promotional offers on same services and may be modified or discontinued at any time without notice. Offer ends 9/30/18. DIRECTV SVC TERMS: Subject to Equipment Lease & Customer in the best-ofattorneys fees and disbursements allowed by law. Agreements. Must maintain a min. base TV pkg of $29.99/mo. Programming, pricing, terms and conditions subject to change at any time. Visit directv.com/legal or call for details. ©2018 AT&T ries:and allFranchise records inof AT&T wins Intellectual Property. All Rights Reserved. AT&T, Globe logo, DIRECTV, other DIRECTV marks contained herein are trademarks Intellectual Propertythree and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All first round series, which 8. The time allowed by law for redemption by the mortgagors, or mortgagor’s personal repreother marks are the property of their respective owners. (18), home wins (11) and road opened in Minnesota. sentatives or assigns is six (6) months after the date of said sale. wins (seven) were set, and 9. THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGORS, Down by over 20 points, THE MORTGAGORS’ PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REa first-ever seven-game win Minnesota outscored the visDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOstreak was strung together iting Sparks 42-23 in the secTA STATUTE, SECTION 582.032, DETERMINING AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT as well. The Lynx for the first ond half and staged a historTHE MORTGAGED PREMISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A RESIDENTIAL DWELLtime played .500 or better ball ic comeback when Williams’ ING OF LESS THAN FIVE UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTY USED IN AGRICULTURAL each month of the regular sea- steal and converted layup PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED. 10. THIS COMMUNICATION IS FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO son. with seven seconds left gave COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT The team finally looked the hosts a 74-72 win. The team PURPOSE. THE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE more competitive than in pre- set a league record for the largORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTvious seasons, resembling a est comeback win in playoff ED BY THIS ACTION. veteran club ready to battle history as a result. Dated as of August 2, 2018 BERNICK LIFSON, PA consistently. Katie Smith was, However, their 1-0 series Jack E. Pierce (#250557) as usual, the team’s best scorer, lead didn’t last as MinnesoMatthew S. Greenstein (#392044) but now she got nightly help ta fell to the Sparks in the next 5500 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 1200 from Sam, who was second. two contests and were elimiMinneapolis, Minnesota 55416 Svetlana Abrosimova was nated. Nonetheless, the 2003 Telephone: 763-546-1200 jpierce@bernicklifson.com finally living up to expecta- season finished successfully: mgreenstein@bernicklifson.com tions when she came into the Williams doubled her scoring Attorneys for Palladium Holdings LLC

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PreP Continued from page 10

(2013-2014), was the Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year (2014), and led the Billikens to three NCAA Tournament appearances. Upon the conclusion of his collegiate career, Jett was one of 16 players named to St. Louis University’s All-Century team in 2015. Since then he has enjoyed a successful professional career overseas with the Townsville Crocodiles and Southland Sharks of the National Basketball League (NBL) in New Zealand and QBL’s Townsville Heat. The 6’1” 215-pound point guard recently became a professional champion as a member of the Townsend Heat of the Queensland Basketball League (QBL), a professional league in Queensland, Australia. He averaged 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists per game this past season before returning to the NBL by signing with the Illawarra Hawks for the 2018-19 season. The rest, as they say, is history. Correction: history in the making. Jett doesn’t seem to be through yet.

league two seasons earlier. average in the playoffs from Tamika Williams, the Lynx’s nearly nine points in the regu9, 16, 23, 30 & September 6 & 13, 2018 first legitimate rebounding lar season to 16.7 points in the machine, was crashing boards playoffs. McConnell Serio won as well. coach of the year honors. The fifth and final piece Things were finally lookwas Edwards, one of two ing up. The future, it appeared, rookies on the Minnesota ros- had arrived at last. ter, whose better days as a bigtime scorer were behind her. Charles Hallman welcomes Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses to She didn’t take a lot of shots in reader responses to challman@ mcdeezy05@gmail.com. Lynx season, barely spokesman-recorder.com. Your newspaperher hasfirst agreed to participate in the Minnesota Display Ad Network program by running averaging five points a game. these ads in the main news section of your newspaper (not the classified section of your newspaper). The Minnesota But she led the team in assists

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August 30 — September 5, 2018

Old diversity refrain resurfaces: ‘There’s more we can do’ Twins keep trying to ‘get over that hurdle’

First of a two-part column

number of Latin and foreign-born players is more noticeable these days. Minnesota outfielder Byron Buxton was one of the 7.7 percent of Blacks on MLB rosters this past spring’s opening day, but he later got injured and was sent down to the minors for rehab. Manfred admitted, “[They] have to see people that look like them” when asked about the lack of Black fans in the downtown Minneapolis ballpark. “I think it does begin with the product on the field. We don’t

B

aseball’s diversity, whether on the field or in the front office, always has been constantly but underwhelmingly discussed. Mostly it’s the same old story — the “We’re working on it, we need to do better” fill-in-theblanks retort. MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred, Jr. was in town last week as part of the Minnesota Twins’ “Diversity Week.” He first spoke to a small group of reporters, including the MSR, then later before a reported 600 people who’d RSVP’d to the “Imagine if . . .” Diversity Celebration at the Twins Stadium’s Carew Atrium. The topic of diversity surprisingly dominated the reporters’ questions during Manfred’s nearly 15-minute August 22 press conference. This columnist asked him to define diversity and explain who is ultimately responsible for it and for attracting more Blacks to games. “Diversity in all aspects of our organization” is important to MLB,

Robert Manfred, Jr. Photos by Charles Hallman

“I like our diversity story.” the commissioner explained. “I think it’s a shared responsibility. It begins with me and it continues down to the owners of the [30] individual clubs.” Afterwards, Manfred said in our short one-on-one interview, “I like

our diversity story.” However, on the field, U.S.-born Black players on too many MLB clubs, including the Twins, resemble preJackie Robinson days — the Dave St. Peter only difference is that the

■ See View on page 9

Jett helps team

Sports odds and ends 20/20

Lynx A 20-Year Retrospective

Lynx made WNBA comeback history in their first successful season’s playoffs

By Charles Hallman

The Minnesota Lynx is celebrating its 20th year in the WNBA this season. In this 20-part occasional series, we will take a year-by-year look back, featuring reflections from players, coaches, fans and others. This week: 2003 An actual change of the guard took place in the months leading up to the 2003 season. Some at the time felt it was needed, a clean break from the Brian Agler era when early expectations too often turned into later disappointments.

most immediately the former WNBA point guard somehow convinced basketball legend, Teresa Edwards, to join her in Minnesota. Edwards had resisted earlier requests to join the WNBA after the American Basketball League folded, reportedly because she balked at the league’s low salaries, an argument still in vogue today. The new Minnesota “backcourt” — the point guardnew coach combination – appeared set as the future Hall of Famer accepted McConnell Serio’s offer and joined her two-time U.S. Olympian

The team finally looked more competitive than in previous seasons, resembling a veteran club ready to battle consistently. Suzie McConnell Serio was hired in January of that year as Lynx head coach. Al-

teammate. Other off-season moves included hiring Carolyn Jenkins as the team’s first

have enough African Americans in player development. You have to start at the bottom and it has to be slow” given baseball’s traditionally deliberate path to the majors by all players. He then lauded MLB’s improved marketing efforts to Blacks and other people of color. “We have devoted an extensive amount of effort in marketing to traditional underserved communities,” he told us. If that’s the case, the Twins’ marketing group hasn’t gotten the memo. I’ve yet to see any Twins billboards on West Broadway or Plymouth Avenue on Minneapolis’ North Side. Tables staffed by Twins representatives are missing from the local big-box supermarket. It’s been a couple of years since players were in the ‘hood passing out bats, balls and gloves. The occasional ads placed in this newspaper don’t seem to have produced a rush of Blacks to the ticket booth. Still, Minnesota in recent

capture championship All-Metro and AllThere are many forState honors. mer metro area student-athletes accomHe was also a plishing great things 2009 Mr. Basketat the professional levball finalist. From el. St. Bernard’s High there he averaged School standout Jor14 points, seven redair Jett is among bounds, and five PreP Scene them. assists for Notre Dr. Mitchell Jett’s name is not Dame Prep durPalMer McDonalD unfamiliar in Minneing the 2009-10 seasota prep circles. Afson, earning him a ter starring in both scholarship to play football and basketball during at St. Louis University. his freshman and sophomore After concluding an outyear at St. Agnes High School, standing prep career in 2009 he transferred to St. Bernard’s and a year at Notre Dame Prep and decided to focus on bas- in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, ketball. Jett enjoyed a four-year stint

Suzie McConnell Serio Photo courtesy of Pitt Womens Basketball Facebook page

Black assistant coach — she, assistant Nancy Darsch and the new head coach formed the Lynx’s first all-female coaching staff. Then the Lynx selected veteran guard Sheri Sam from the Miami dispersal draft. As expected, Edwards later was drafted by Minnesota as a second-round pick in the 2003

Draft. At age 38 she became the W’s oldest rookie. The roster changes also included trading Minneapolis native Tamara Moore, a midseason acquisition the season before, to Detroit for a thirdround pick in mid-May. ■ See SOe on page 9

Serena Williams rocks tutu at US Open Tennis phenom takes catsuit ban in stride

no longer be accepted. One must re- she jokingly said during a press conference Monday. spect the game and the place.” The six-time U.S. Open champion then But Williams’ Nike-designed, Black Panther-inspired suit was more func- went on to create yet another fashion motion than fashion, created as a poten- ment while beating 68th-ranked Linette, tially life-saving tool to help the tennis improving her record to 18-0 in U.S. Open great avoid blood clots by improving first-round matches. At press time, Williams is set to face Caher blood circulation. Williams had said she suffered from blood clots dur- rina Witthoeft of Germany in the seconding her pregnancy — the French Open round match on August 29. For more info appearance marked the 36-year-old’s and a schedule, go to www.usopen.org. triumphant return to tennis after giving birth to her daughter. The outfit also spoke to her status as sports royalty. “I feel like a warrior in it, like a warrior princess, a queen from Wakanda, Serena Williams at U.S. Open on August 27 maybe,” Williams said of Courtesy of Getty the catsuit. This isn’t the first time a By MSR Editors woman has donned a oneTennis great Serena Williams won her piece bodysuit for the game. first-round U.S. Open match on Monday, Anne White donned an allAugust 27, and did so in grand fashion. She white version in Wimbledon beat Magda Linette of Poland in straight 1985. There was no talk of bansets 6-4, 6-0 while rocking a one-shoulder ning then. But, Giudicelli’s remarks follow an ongoing trend dress with a tutu-like skirt. The statement-making look came just of what many perceive as body days after French Tennis Federation Pres- shaming the icon for her phyident Bernard Giudicelli singled out Wil- sique and her Blackness. Williams, however, took Serena Williams (left) was not the first to wear a catsuit liams for the black compression catsuit she debuted at the French Open in May. “I the critique in stride. “When — Anne White (right) wore a similar suit at Wimbledon think that sometimes we’ve gone too far,” it comes to fashion, you don’t 1985. Courtesy of Instagram/ElleUSA Giudicelli said in Tennis Magazine. “It will want to be a repeat offender,”

Jordair Jett

Photo courtesy of St. Louis University

As a senior during the 2008-09 season, Jett led the Bulldogs to a runner-up finish in the Class 2A state tournament after averaging 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals per game while earning All-Conference,

at St. Louis University. While there he was named to three consecutive Atlantic-10 Conference All-Defensive teams (2012-2014), two straight Atlantic-10 All-Conference teams ■ See PreP on page 9

Fitz Beat

By Larry Fitzgerald will return next week.