December 6, 2018 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

December 6-12, 2018 Vol. 85 No. 18 www.spokesman-recorder.com

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Cops’ racist Christmas tree shocks North Minneapolis Black officers accused of complicity

By Sheletta Brundidge Contributing Writer

“If you can’t protect us over a Christmas tree, you can’t protect us on the streets of Minneapolis.”

A

new inspector has been named at the Fourth Police Precinct Station in Minneapolis after a photo of a racist Christmas tree went viral on social media.

On Friday, two officers from the North Minneapolis station, in a predominately African American neighborhood, were put on leave after adorning the Christas tree with cans of malt liquor, Newport cigarettes, and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen paraphernalia, along with other racist items.

Days later, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo removed the precinct’s inspector Aaron Biard and assigned Assistant Chief Mike Kjos as interim inspector.

Prior to his replacement, Biard said the officers did it as a “prank.” The community did not find it funny, however, with the incident sparking protests and rebukes from city leaders.

“This is the latest example of how little regard Fourth Precinct police officers have for North Minneapolis residents,” Nekima Levy Armstrong, attorney and co-founder of the Racial Justice Network, told the MSR. “The officers that put up the racist display should be fired, along with any supervisors and officers who saw the tree and did nothing about it.”

Both Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo immediately denounced the officer’s actions and placed the officers on leave.

“Chief Arradondo and I will not tolerate conduct that departs from our values,” said Frey in a statement. “This behavior is racist, despicable, and is well beneath the standards of any person who serves the city of Minneapolis. Racism and intolerance [are] absolutely unacceptable, and that should especially be

Submitted photo

Rev. Albert Gallmon

Photo by Sheletta Brundidge

the case amongst our City employees.”

ty, and professional service. I have initiated a full ment announcing Biard’s removal.

Arradondo added, “I am ashamed and appalled investigation and will make information public “After very thoughtful review and consideration, by the behavior of those who would feel comfort- when possible in accordance with Minnesota State I have made the decision that, effective immediateable to act in such a manner that goes against our Statute.” ly, Assistant Chief Kjos will be responsible for the On Monday, Arradondo released another statecore department values of trust, accountabili■ See Tree on page 8

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Black AIDS disparities on the rise

Lisa’s Shoe Shine A weekly business profile series giv- the ground level of the IDS Cening brief snapshots of Minnesota’s ter. Today, she runs the business Black-owned businesses by herself after closing the second stand she had for eight years February 2019 will mark Lisa in the Skyway between Target Fredell’s 28th year as a shoe shinCorporation and Target Store. er in downtown Minneapolis. In Fredell looks to eventually 2001, after working at a stand for bring on new employees as she 10 years, Fredell jumped on the did when she ran both shoe shinopportunity of a lifetime to buy ing stands and expand her busiher own stand from her boss. ness.

Read on to find out more Since then, Fredell has operated Lisa’s Shoe Shine business on

Princess, Reneka Evans, Jake Maxon, Mo Mike and Cree Gordon speak at World AIDS Day panel on Dec. 3 at the Parkway Theater

By Stephenetta Harmon Editor-in-Chief When it comes to racial disparities, African Americans continue to be the most impacted on everything from housing and jobs to health. HIV/AIDS is no exception, with African Americans accounting for nearly half (47 percent) of all new infections in 2016.

Heterosexual Black women, in particular, accounted for 61 percent of all new infections among women. This is despite African Americans only making up 12 percent of the U.S. population, reported the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).

day, Dec. 3.

The panel featured experts from various communities impacted by HIV who talked about prevention, treatment, and how to break the pandemic. “We need to address race and racism,” added Gordon, who goes by non-binary pronouns, including they, them, their and themselves. “That, in itself, is HIV prevention.

“It’s not like magically sometime in the early ’90s Black people outnumbered their White counterparts,” they continued. “We have always been disproportionately affected, but it was never addressed until…White gay men became the face of the disease.”

■ See SBS on page 8

Photos by Chris Juhn

ately affected by. Add to that a general mistrust of health care, and people of color are left on the short end of the proverbial stick.

“When we talk about public health, there are still mind spaces in the African American and people of color communities that don’t trust public health,” said Evans. As an example, she noted the stark difference in response to the ’80s/’90s crack epidemic, which led to mass incarceration of Blacks and Browns, versus the current opioid crisis.

“Thirty years later and it’s a public health ■ See AIDS on page 8

Lisa Fredell

“We need to address race and racism.

That, in itself, is HIV prevention.”

This year marked the 30th anniversary of World AIDS Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness and battling the pandemic affecting nearly 40 million people worldwide, and 1.2 million in the U.S. While new infections have declined in the U.S., annual infections and diagnoses have increased amongst people of color, overall.

HIV infections for Black gay men and trans women are also on the rise, noted Cree Gordon, PrEP outreach and HIV testing coordinator for Youth AIDS Project. “When I first started this work, one in four…were going to get HIV in their lifetime, and now it’s one in two,” said Gordon at a panel discussion hosted by Hennepin County on Mon-

Reneka Evans, event coordinator for the Red Door Clinic and a Black transgender woman, added, “I really want more than just gay [and] trans people to realize that they are at risk.” High-risk behavior includes unprotected sex, sharing needles and sexual contact with multiple partners.

While moderator Jake Maxon, Positively Hennepin strategy coordinator, tied risky behaviors and drug use to the increase in infections, Gordon challenged the audience to look to the causes of those risky behaviors.

“We have to address the reasons for drug use,” said Gordon, noting it is often due to concerns like housing and mental health — issues people of color are also disproportion- crisis,” said Evans. “‘We’re not going to send

BLACK MOTHERS MATTER Sister Spokesman celebrates Moms of All Ages.

— See more on page 6

Photo by Steve Floyd

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December 6-12, 2018

The people we know: post-election reflections schools or in prisons.

What does it mean to truly walk with our elected and appointed leaders toward a shared vision of racial equity? Even with people we know in those roles, we will have to stay engaged as community members in both supporting and holding accountable our leaders. We all need that push to stay true to our vision, and we must work together to keep our eyes open on that road.

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

By Vina Kay and Kevin Reese Contributing Writers Kevin: As the dust clears from the midterm elections and we settle into a new political climate, I find myself wondering: If elections have consequences, then what are the consequences of this election?

On the night of the election, I watched the results roll in from my prison cell during a lockdown.

The lockdown was the prison’s reaction after a violent encounter between a prisoner and a correctional officer just a few feet away from me. I watched the election knowing that the results would affect how soon and in what spirit my cell door would be unlocked.

I had no vote, but the next time I got fresh air I learned the balance of the results.

Vina: On election night, I watched the results come in with both excitement and anxiety. Elections are not the only way to have a voice and build power in our communities, but they do have real consequences on our lives. I was weary of the rhetoric but hopeful of the promises. Holding both feelings in tension, I turned on the news.

Leading up to that night, it had been exciting to see the many peo-

Vina Kay

Kevin Reese

ple of color, women, LGBTQ leaders, and others normally marginalized from government stepping firmly into their leadership and running for elected office. We had seen stories of people running truly grassroots campaigns, with little funding but generous community energy.

So, it was encouraging to see some of those campaigns translate into new leadership at many levels, from counties to Congress.

ple running for office as “those” people, not our people.

I left those conversations both disturbed and encouraged. I felt disturbed because I could see that centuries of oppression had seeped into the marrow of our community and left us fragmented and skeptical of power, which is an appropriate feeling. I felt encouraged because I sat in my prison cell feeling extremely connected to the pulse of the election and connected to the ramifications of the results.

“Having faith in each other is how we have made it this far.”

Kevin: I spent the weeks and the months before the election encouraging everyone that I knew who had the right to vote to go out and participate in the process. A lot of the people that I spoke with were reluctant to vote. They felt distrustful of the system because it has failed us so many times, and they see the peo-

Part of that connection is rooted in my relationship with some of the candidates who were running for office. Through my organizing efforts over the years, I’ve been in community with these people and stood shoulder to shoulder with them in our ever-elusive quest for racial and social justice.

T:10.65” To see some of them elected in-

to office allowed me to see them not as “others.” I see them as people that I know. I don’t think that we should put all of our faith into the system, but I do think that we should put our faith into each other.

After all, having faith in each other is how we have made it this far.

Vina: Recently, some of our Voices team went to the Minnesota State Capitol to meet with the transition team for Governor-elect Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor-elect Peggy Flanagan. We were being asked for our input on candidates for leadership positions in the executive branch.

As we walked through the halls of the Capitol, it was exciting to see so many familiar faces — advocates, organizers, and community members who we have known over years of following the racial equity policymaking at the Capitol. They are all part of shaping who will be in those rooms and at those tables, informing important decisions that affect our communities whether in

Kevin: During this new political climate, I urge all of the organizers to view their work as bridge builders and table setters. We need people who felt that they shouldn’t vote to no longer see the power structure as “them,” but to get everyone in intentional community building during these next couple of years.

We can shift from seeing elected officials as others and do the great seed planting work that supports leadership development in our communities. The future elected officials are our cousins, neighbors and friends. We can even start seeing our own seats at the table.

We don’t have to believe in the system, but we can believe in each other to get involved. It does not mean we support the system as it is. It means we support the people we know.

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 few months, 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.

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December 6-12, 2018

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Carbon monoxide is a silent winter killer

By Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD

C

arbon monoxide is a very sneaky killer. The poisonous gas has no odor, no color, no smell, and no taste.

Carbon monoxide is a gas given off by everyday fuel-burning items that we regularly use. Usually, using appliances is not a problem, but if there is improper ventilation in an area where an engine or other devices are burning carbon monoxide-producing fuels, carbon monoxide can build up to dangerous levels. Humans in the area can breathe it in and become poisoned.

Breathing in smoke from a house fire can also cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Because carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless and tasteless, a person can be exposed to it and not even know it.

This situation is especially dangerous for people who are sleeping or intoxicated. Carbon monoxide poisoning can more easily affect unborn babies, children, elderly adults, and persons with heart conditions.

The way carbon monoxide poisons a person is that the carbon

monoxide molecule binds to hemoglobin in our blood, preventing the usual binding of oxygen to hemoglobin. Our blood typically carries oxygen to all the cells in our body.

Without oxygen, our tissues and organs can become damaged and even die. A fresh and constant supply of oxygen is essential for life.

Every year, 16,000 people are rushed to the emergency room with carbon monoxide poisoning.

Over 500 people die from it every year in the U.S. Most deaths from carbon monoxide occur in the winter, especially December and January.

The experts suspect that the numbers of deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning are much higher due to under-reporting.

Less than 15 states require the reporting of carbon monoxide deaths, there are no good autopsy tests for carbon monoxide poisoning, and coroners rarely suspect it as a cause of death.

When certain fuels are burned, they will produce carbon monoxide. Common fuels that can produce carbon monoxide when burned include: • Gasoline • Wood • Propane • Charcoal Common producers of carbon monoxide include: • Gas furnaces • Charcoal grills • Automobiles • Propane stoves • Portable generators

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are common and nonspecific. They include: • Headaches • Nausea and vomiting • Weakness • Lightheadedness • Fatigue • Dizziness • Blurry vision • Shortness of breath • Confusion • Loss of consciousness

Depending on how much carbon monoxide one is exposed to, the results of carbon monoxide poisoning can cause: • Severe illness • Irreversible brain damage • Heart damage that can be lifethreatening • Death of an unborn baby in pregnant mothers • Death

To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests: • Annually, have a certified technician check your furnace/heating systems, water heaters, and other gas-burning appliances.

Your utility company can help you with this.

• Install carbon monoxide detectors on all levels of your home and outside of sleeping areas.

Change the batteries with daylight saving time changes, twice per year. If the alarm goes off, leave the area immediately and call 9-1-1.

• Seek immediate medical attention if you suspect your ill-feeling, dizziness or nausea is the result of being near a fuel-burning engine or appliance.

• Never use a generator, a camp stove, charcoal grill, or any other fuel-burning device inside a home.

• Never use fuel-burning devices near a window even if they are running outside.

• Never run an automobile inside a garage, even if the garage door is open.

• Never use solvents inside. Many can produce fumes that can break down into carbon monoxide, especially solvents used to thin and clean varnish and paint. Use only in a well-ventilated area.

• Never burn anything in a fireplace if it is not properly open or vented to the outside.

• Never use a gas oven to heat your home.

The treatment of anyone with carbon monoxide poisoning includes getting into fresh air and getting medical help immediately. At the hospital, treatment may require breathing pure oxygen or even placement into a special pressurized oxygen treatment chamber.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a life-threatening medical emergency. It is a silent, poisonous killer that is common in the winter or anytime one is around burning fuels. If you think you or someone you’re with may have carbon monoxide poisoning, get into fresh air and seek emergency medical care immediately by calling 9-1-1.

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 also an active member of both the American and National Medical Associations, and president of the Minnesota Association of Black Physicians.

Top five ways to manage stress during the holidays Emotional Wellness with Dr. Golden by

DeiDre Annice GolDen P h.D., lP

Life can get very hectic during the holidays, and it is easy to overdo and get overwhelmed. It is not unusual for people to forget to set time aside for themselves. According to Healthline,

over 60 percent of adults report increased stress during holidays and identify lack of time and finances as the primary sources.

We can experience many emotions this time of the year ranging from joy to sadness to anger. Memories from childhood often surface and, based on your experience, can bring joy or sadness. Losses may become more pronounced during this time of the year. The death of a loved one or loss of important relationships can trigger sadness.

During the holidays, it is usually expected that you will spend some time with your family, which for some may bring on

a sense of dread. If there is toxicity and conflict in these relationships, you may want to keep your interactions to a minimum.

If you feel emotionally or physically unsafe, you may avoid them altogether.

Maintenance of good emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health can help deal with holiday pressures. The top five ways to manage stress during the holidays are as follows: 1. Remember the reason for the season According to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center, 90 percent of adults living in the United States celebrate Christmas,

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but only 55 percent consider it a religious holiday. Getting together with family, exchanging gifts, and charity are some of the traditions practiced by many.

Santa Claus, Christmas carols, and holiday shows on TV are popular family activities during the season. This year, consider developing your own tradition that gives the holidays meaning to you.

2. Manage your time One way to manage your time is to make a list prioritizing your goals, recognizing, however, that you may not get to everything. “Less is More” is an attitude that may also help you through the holidays.

Being able to say no and managing your time can prevent you from engaging in activities that you don’t have time for or you simply would prefer not to participate in. Schedule the activities that are at the top of your list, and spread them out over several days if possible.

3. Manage your eating and drinking During the holidays, people are at risk for overeating and excessive drinking. For many, the traditional holiday meal is loaded with high fat, high sugar foods that taste very good. You do not have to eat everything that is on the menu.

It’s best to have a plan, such as only choosing foods that are your favorites. Use your calories wisely!

Holidays also increase the risk of excessive alcohol consumption. Of all holidays, more people drink on New Year’s Eve, with Christmas drinking coming in second.

If you plan to drink, you should have a designated driver. In Minnesota, the blood alcohol level legal driving limit of 0.08 percent is considered driving while impaired (DWI); however, according to the state’s Department of Public Safety, you can be charged even if the level is lower. Some factors that can influence your alcohol level are

Photo by whoislimos on Unsplash weight, gender, and time of your last meal.

4. Ask for help With the stress during the holidays, it is easy to get overwhelmed and depressed. If you have supportive family and friends, ask them for help. As an example, if you are cooking the holiday meal, ask others to bring dishes to be shared and to clean up afterward.

Depression can happen at any time of the year, but during the holiday stress, feelings of loss and disappointments can lead to increased sadness. Some people are more vulnerable to depressive symptoms, and if it is having a significant impact on your functioning or you feel hopeless, talking with a professional therapist can help. Acknowledgement of your feelings and reaching out to others are steps you can take to address depression and stress.

5. Take care of yourself As a result of the hustle and bustle of holiday activities, taking care of yourself may be overlooked. The Mayo Clinic has some recommendations on dealing with the stress of holidays.

They suggest you set aside some time, even 10-15 minutes, for yourself for quiet renewal.

Taking a walk, listening to music or reading are some activities that can clear your mind.

According to the American Institute of Stress, one of the best stress busters is breathing. Dr. Andrew Weil, a widely known practitioner of holistic and integrative health, recommends counting your breaths to reduce the impact of stress on the body.

In this practice, you count each time that you exhale beginning with number one. You continue this until you reach number five and then start over again. Counting your breaths several times each day is something that is useful year-round to reduce the impact of stress.

“Every day brings a choice: to practice stress, or to practice peace,” says stress expert Joan Borysenko. If you are feeling overly stressed, depressed or anxious, you can follow up with a mental health professional or primary medical provider.

For further information, contact Dr. Deirdre Golden, director of Behavioral Health at NorthPoint Health & Wellness, 612-543-2705.

February 16-22, 2017

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December 6-12, 2018

Money Matters 8 apps to get your budget right in 2019

By Stephenetta Harmon Editor-in-Chief

M

anaging (and saving) money can seem like the ultimate chore. With each paycheck, we promise ourselves to get our finances in order, pay down debt and not make any of the bad spending decisions we’ve previously made.

Then, we’re hit with what seems like another round of unexpected expenses (like snow tires and insurance), must-have sales and unaccounted for basics like eating out, birthday gifts and more. Welp. Did that money even make it to our accounts?

You’re not alone. According to the Federal Reserve, nearly half (47 percent) of American families are unable to afford an unexpected $400 expense.

So, with the New Year fast approaching (where did the time go?), we’ve resolved to not wait until January to get our finances on point.

Thankfully, there are personal finance apps you can use right from your phone to get you started in minutes. These apps can help you set realistic budget goals and track your spending habits to see where your money is going — and help you save some of it!

We’ve pulled together a list of some of the most popular and user-friendly choices to help you stop living paycheck to paycheck and increase your financial health. Read on — your bank account will thank you.

Mint This is by far one of the most popular and well-rounded apps on the market. Run by Intuit, the folks behind TurboTax and QuickBooks, it is a one-stop shop for syncing all of your bank, credit and loan accounts along with your monthly bills.

See what’s due and when, where you spend the most money, how much you really have and if you can afford those new shoes. Even if you don’t set up a budget, it breaks down your weekly spending habits by category and gives you a snapshot of your net worth. Plus, you get free access to your credit score.

Free. Visit mint.com You Need a Budget If your goal is getting out of debt fast, then take a look at You Need a Budget (YNAB). The app’s focus is giving “every dollar a job” and making it work for you — it reports that the average user saves $500 in the first month of use.

The app syncs with bank accounts and walks users through setting up a budget, goals to pay down debt and how to get ready for unexpected spending needs. Working as an accountability partner, it won’t let you create budgets for money you don’t have and helps you refocus if you get sidetracked.

First month free, then $6.99/month. Free for students. Visit youneedabudget.com.

Wally/Wally+ While not a full budgeting app, this streamlined app is perfect for folks who just want to track their expenses without having to do a bunch of work. It’s super easy to get started with, as it only requires your name and email address.

Once signed up, you can follow your money trail, take photos of receipts and even use GPS to autofill in locations. You can’t set budgets for specific categories or items like Mint and YNAB, but it will let you set overall savings goals.

Free. Visit wally.me.

Acorns This app is perfect for stock newbies and those who want to, but thought they didn’t have

Photo courtesy of iStock enough money to, invest in stocks. Sync your cards to the app and it will automatically round up purchases to the nearest dollar and invest those coins into your choice of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). So, if your purchase was $82.54, the app will round up to $83 and invest $.46 into your investment portfolio. By the end of the year, you could easily have invested upwards of $500 and $1000. Even better, you never see the money so it doesn’t feel like you’ve lost anything. $1-$3 per month; free for students. Visit acorns. com.

Albert Get real about your financial health and save some coins with this app. Once you sync your accounts, you’ll get a financial health score based on income and debt. It will then track your bills and spending habits and suggest spending changes.

Its winning feature, however, is Albert Savings, which automates and builds your savings by putting away a few dollars each check. Twenty dollars here, $10 there — it adds up without you even thinking about it. And, like Acorns, you don’t really miss it because you don’t see it happening.

Cost: $1-$3 per month, free for students. Visit albert.com.

Quicken This is the grandfather of budgeting apps and has been around in one version or another since the ’80s. Its name recognition alone can help convince those who don’t trust the “interwebs” to manage their finances online.

It’s also a great tool for small business owners and folks looking for long-term financial planning like retirement and college. You can also sync and pay your bills directly from the app. $5-$10 per month. Visit quicken.com.

Personal Capital This app is part investment tool, part budgeting app that gives users the full picture of their net worth. This app is perfect for the stock market junkie. You can sync not only bank accounts

but also brokerage and, even, 401K accounts to manage your financial health and wealth in real time. It is also a great tool for planning for college and retirement costs.

Free. Visit personalcapital.com.

Mvelopes This app modernizes the old school budgeting method of putting funds allotted for different expenses (like rent, entertainment and food) into envelopes, with the thought that once the money is spent, it’s gone.

Sign up and establish spending goals based on income and expenses and assign dollar amounts to each digital envelope. $0-$8 per month. Visit mvelopes.com.

This is just a short list of a plethora of apps on the market to help you get your budget and finances in order. If these don’t work, don’t sweat it. Scroll through your app store or talk to friends to see what they’re using.

The primary goal is to start thinking about how and where you spend your dollars, longterm financial goals, and how to set some aside for a rainy day (or a sunny vacation).

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

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December 6-12, 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.

Open Letter: Mpls Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo must overhaul 4th Precinct

Violence against women: never acceptable, never-ending

By Lisa Vives Guest Commentator “I love you, that’s why I beat you.”

So ends a poem by Ghanaian writer Mariska Araba Taylor-Darko about a violent spouse and an abused woman who lays the blame of the daily beating on herself.

The poem, “A Beating for Love,” took special significance last week as many around the world marked the U.N.’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Nov. 25.

And in the era of the #MeToo movement, the words of former U.N. Secretary Ban Kimoon still call out: “There is one universal truth, applicable to all countries, cultures, and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable, never tolerable.”

been in a relationship experienced abuse by their partner (the global average is 26.4 percent).

Similarly, in the U.S., around 4.5 million women say they’ve been threatened by an intimate partner with a gun and 45 percent of women who are murdered are killed by intimate partners, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.

The Thomas Reuters Foundation disclosed the U.S., Syria, Somalia, and Yemen are among the 10 most dangerous countries in the world for women — others are Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, India, and Afghanistan.

As of 2018, 41 African countries have ratified the “Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa,” first adopted in 2003.

However, African women continue suffer-

The reality of domestic violence is a plague that affects millions of women, often trapped in a toxic environment they cannot escape.

Violence against women and girls, one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today, remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma, and shame surrounding it, reports the U.N. on its website.

The reality of domestic violence is a plague that affects millions of women, often trapped in a toxic environment they cannot escape.

According to the United Nations Statistics Division, intimate partner violence accounts for the majority of women’s experience of abuse.

Sub-Saharan Africa regions recorded the highest prevalence of domestic violence, where 65.6 percent of women who have ever

ing despite the protocol which has been in place for almost 15 years, pointed out Clarence Mwombeki from Door of Hope for Women and Youth Tanzania at the recent NGO Forum in Banjul.

Gladness Munuo from the Crisis Resolving Center in Tanzania, added, “Women and girls continue to face discrimination in marriages, inheritance, access to property and the highest level of sexual and gender-based violence.”

Meanwhile, a federal Violence Against Women Act in the U.S. is set to expire on Dec. 7. Will the Senate act in time to see it renewed?

Lisa Vives is the editor of Global Information Network.

The Minneapolis Police Department’s (MPD) Fourth Precinct police station has been the source of much strife, contention, negativity, lingering protests, outrage, and hostility as a result of the demeaning, discriminatory, and abusive treatment that many officers have displayed towards North Minneapolis residents.

Just three years ago, the Fourth Precinct was the site of an 18-day occupation by activists and community members following the shooting death of Jamar Clark. Clark was a 24-yearold Black man, who despite being unarmed, was shot in the head at point-blank range by Minneapolis police officers within 61 seconds of encountering him.

Neither of the two officers was held accountable and will likely remain on the police force, although both officers had a history of excessive force prior to being hired by the MPD. Since Clark’s death on November 15, 2015, Fourth Precinct police officers have shot and killed two other men of color, both within the last six months — Thurman Blevins and Travis Jordan.

Both of these tragic situations could have ended much differently with proper de-escalation techniques and mental health interventions and the lives of these men could have been preserved. Again, there has been no accountability for the officers in question, leaving the community in jeopardy and without any real assurances that similar incidents will not happen again.

In addition to deadly police shootings at the hands of Fourth Precinct police officers, North Minneapolis residents are routinely subjected to racial profiling and bogus traffic stops for petty reasons, such as failure to use a turn signal, illegal searches and seizures, undue harassment, and criminalization.

Our community has made repeated requests for an evaluation of the systemic patterns of police misconduct and abuse arising from Fourth Precinct police officers, to no avail. Were the MPD to mine its own data, patterns would emerge showing that these issues are occurring with regularity and are causing significant harm and trauma to an already under-resourced and over-burdened community.

Most recently, the Fourth Precinct was the site of yet another egregious incident: a racist Christmas tree display that was taken down only after a public outcry. Although two officers are allegedly being investigated for their role as perpetrators (and we expect that they will be fired), the question remains as to how many other Fourth Precinct officers and supervisors knew about the racist display and said or did nothing?

These individuals are just as culpable as the two officers responsible for decorating the tree. Their collective silence and acquiescence

to police misconduct, racism, and demeaning of an entire community are reflective of a culture that is in dire need of change and a radical overhaul.

Thus, as concerned community members from across the Metro area, we write to you today to demand that the staffing and leadership of the Fourth Precinct Police station be completely restructured.

• We demand that a specific and narrowly-tailored plan for community policing be implemented, that includes input from North Minneapolis residents and stakeholders.

• We demand that every officer and staff member be required to reapply for a job at the Fourth Precinct under this new plan.

• We demand that officers who have a history of excessive force complaints, discipline, domestic abuse, and harassment be denied access to operate out of the Fourth Precinct.

• We demand greater levels of racial diversity of officers placed at the Fourth Precinct and that civilian positions for North Minneapolis residents will be created.

• We demand the creation of a Northside police advisory commission that has regular access to Chief Arradondo, Mayor Frey, and senior leadership of the Fourth Precinct, as well as data regarding arrests, traffic stops, and complaints lodged against Fourth Precinct police officers.

• Finally, we demand that the Fourth Precinct no longer serves as a drop off location for Toys for Tots and that the site is transferred to a trusted community location.

We request a public response to each of these demands by Monday, December 17, 2018.

Please take the concerns and suggestions seriously, for the sake of residents who are forced to rely upon city leaders to do their jobs effectively and diligently and to work to protect us.

Thank you in advance for your consideration and response.

Sincerely, Nekima Levy Armstrong, attorney and cofounder, Racial Justice Network Marques Armstrong, co-founder, Racial Justice Network Raeisha Williams, Black Coalition Chauntyll Allen, Black Lives Matter Twin Cities

Black Silence: When will we address the opioid epidemic?

THROUGH MY EYES

By Ron Edwards Contributing Commentator There continues to be a very frightening silence in the Twin Cities’ African American communities regarding the spike of African American deaths from drug overdose and what to do about it.

an average of 6,025 deaths per month. Of those deaths, 49,608 were from opioid overdoses, for an average of 1,891 deaths per month.

In the case of Vietnam, we actively challenged U.S policy. Yet, there are no protests or neighborhood and community campaigns anywhere regarding drug overdose deaths. Will we remain quiet in the face of U.S. policy related to this epidemic of death?

Silence regarding this drug overdose epidemic is

took it upon himself to hold meetings in neighborhoods across the county.

Stanek challenged neighborhood leaders to be aggressively consistent in dealing with this drug overdose epidemic. Yet, save a few whispers, silence remained regarding this epidemic, and the death toll continued to rise. He was not re-elected.

All African Americans, regardless of gender and age, have been impacted.

For those who may doubt the word “epidemic,” I urge

Many know, yet remain silent, about far too many people of color dying from this epidemic.

While it affects all races, colors, and creeds, people of color are disproportionately represented. The Minnesota Department of Health’s “Race Rate Disparity in Drug Overdose Death” report showe that African Americans were twice as likely to die of a drug overdose than Whites — the second worst race disparity in the country.

For perspective, 12 years of the Vietnam War resulted in 58,220 death, which averages out to 404 a month.

Those 404 who died each month were accompanied by protests and riots on college campuses and in the streets.

In 2017, 72,306 people died from drug overdoses for

everywhere, including from elected officials, political leaders, clergy, media, neighborhood and community groups, etc. The silence during the weeks prior to writing this column has not only been frightening but also emotional as we shed tears for those who died — it has also been spiritually troubling for those of us trying to find meaning and comfort in it all.

It was three years ago that now-outgoing Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek began to call attention to this deadly epidemic’s rise across the Twin Cities’ African American neighborhoods and communities. He

you to speak to your elected leaders and to the Minnesota Health Department.

Many know, yet remain silent, about far too many people of color dying from this epidemic. For example, the drug conditions in the homeless tent camp along the East Franklin and Hiawatha corridor has been a red flag since the early spring of this year.

Too many quietly watch as the increase of fatalities from illegal drugs and overdoses surge ahead.

The deadly silence will do more to create fatalities and anxiety and fear than having no plan of action.

Do we act or wait quietly with our intentions regard-

ing this epidemic of drug overdoses, claiming it is due to mental health failings so there is nothing we can do?

The Supreme Court and mental health officials have shown and ruled regarding the importance of public health regarding drug use, drug abuse, and overdose deaths, as well as whether the use is for medicinal purposes such as prescriptions and painkillers or the new

categories related to drugs used for pleasure and for religious uses. Will mental health become a cover even for intentional users?

At some point, neighborhoods and communities must step up to the plate and insist that effective plans of response be implemented to curtail drug deaths.

Justice Thurgood Marshall warned in 1989 that

as “action against the drug scourge is manifest, the need for vigilance against unconstitutional excess regarding civil rights is great.” That is also true today. Now, what do we do?

Stay tuned.

Ron Edwards is an author and hosts radio and TV shows.

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December 6-12, 2018

Sister Spokesman honors mothers “I really appreciate this, what you all [Sister Spokesman] are doing, because we don’t praise each other enough; we don’t love on each other enough,” said Thandisizwe Jackson-Nisan during her tribute to mother Jewelean Jackson.

Her remarks echoed the sentiments expressed by many “Celebrating Moms of All Ages” attendees who, despite the threat of a looming snowstorm, packed into LifeSource in Minneapolis to honor the special mothers in their lives.

The room brimmed with emotion as community members, young and old, celebrated mothers with reflections, tears and laughter. The Dec. 1 event was sponsored by YWCA Minneapolis, and included live singing by Bree Turner, who closed the afternoon with a stirring rendition of “Rise Up” to honor the strength of her late mother and all mothers. KMOJ’s Walter "Q-Bear" Banks spun loving tributes to moms as attendees shopped, dined, networked and played games.

All photos by Steve Floyd. Visit msrnewsonline.com for more photo highlights and full video of the event.

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"Thank you and the Spokesman-Recorder for organizing " Celebrating Moms of All Ages." Leon and I did not know what to expect, but this program exceeded our expectations and our children's expressions of love were heartwarming and very special. Thanks to everyone for this extremely memorable honor."

—Tori Richardson-Hill

December 6-12, 2018

7

American Dream just a distraction for millions I have spent my life judging the distance between American reality and the American dream —Bruce Springsteen You take a kid like me, from a forgotten world…and you send him to Yale and Harvard and Wall Street and Washington. You put him on the cover of magazines, and it distracts us from the fact that there is a conveyor belt leading most young people in this country from nothing to nowhere. I am a glitch in the American machine, which works off this fantasy called the American Dream.

— Casey Gerald

A

midst all of the recent talk and data presentations about America’s robust economy, there has been extensive discussion about the real prospects of upward mobility, particularly among those in poverty and people of color. I’ve even made this particular subject the centerpiece of this column on at least three occasions this calendar year.

gains that have been made by China’s population and its rising middle class.

In their attempt to examine what has changed in China, Hernandez and Bui call this change “most of all, an economic expansion without precedent in modern history. Eight hundred million people have risen out of poverty. That’s two and a half times the population of the United States.”

A number of critics believe this data to be anecdotal. They suggest that it is rather dubious to make analogous assertions about the United States and an emergent market economy like China’s.

Still, it appears clear that optimism is alive and well in China, “much more so” than in America and Europe according to recent polls. Yet another fed-

“There’s a whole un-exotic underclass of people and problems that are overlooked and undervalued.”

Throughout this debate, many have asked the question, “Does the American Dream still exist?” And, just a few weeks ago a feature story in The New York Times sought to answer this query by stating, “The American Dream is Alive. In China.”

Composed by the paper’s international correspondent Javier C. Hernandez and graphics editor Quoctrung Bui, this piece cites the exponential

eral report helps to further drive this point home.

The previous installment of the Anti-Poverty Solider spoke to the idea that “more jobs does not mean less poverty.”

Now, new data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that education, in and of itself, may not be a cure for poverty (at least not in this current economy).

The Census Bureau’s Annual Report on Income and Poverty reveals that

Images from Casey Gerald’s Facebook page in 2018, 3.6 million American college graduates live in poverty. Moreover, the number of college graduates living below the poverty line has substantially increased during the previous five years. In the last 12 months alone, more college graduates have fallen into the ranks of the poor than have those with some college, high school graduates, and those without a high school diploma.

So, what does all of this mean? Perhaps we should look to Casey Gerald’s brand-new memoir There Will Be No Miracles Here.

Gerald’s story is in many ways quite similar to that of Wes Moore (author of The Other Wes Moore). In escaping extreme poverty and dim prospects for a better future, both men managed their way to elite educations.

Likewise, they also dabbled in the world of high finance, straddled the corridors of power in Washington,

D.C., made their way onto The New York Times Best-Seller list, and evolved into anti-poverty activists; each of them having done all of this before the age of 35.

As some analysts have cited Gerald as the epitome of the American Dream, they’ve also chided him for suggesting that the American Dream is not real. Gerald has responded by conceding that the American Dream is real, but that for tens of millions of Americans it is a distraction rather than a plausible reality.

Instead, Gerald refers to what he calls “The American Machine,” which props up individuals such as himself, Moore, and others, as proof of the dream. The truth, however, as he sees it, is that far too many of our youth are being led “from nothing to nowhere.”

A number of questions remain. For instance, why, in the midst of “record” economic gains, are so many college

graduates poor? And, why is the current “glut” of jobs in this country not enough?

Perhaps part of the reason is (as many have stated ad nauseam) that there are not enough living wage jobs out there. There is also the “real cost of education,” which continues to hamstring those who seek higher education; not to mention the lack of access to equity in early childhood, primary, and secondary education to begin with.

In addition, there continue to be ridiculous disparities in affordable housing, reliable transportation, and access to quality health care among a multitude of other factors. Then, of course, there is the influence of race, which continues to trend in a perilous direction.

More than anything, the current crisis we find ourselves in is about America’s haves and have nots. And regardless of our backgrounds, there are far too many Americans in the have-not camp. For that matter, why should anyone in this nation have to persist in a life of poverty?

As Gerald declares, “There’s a whole un-exotic underclass of people and problems that are overlooked and undervalued. And it’s time we did something about it.”

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

National NAACP will help Twin Cities create economic inclusion plan Town Hall Meeting scheduled to obtain public input

police shootings of Philando Castile and Jamar Clark.”

The NAACP is set to work with the local Minneapolis and St. Paul chapters to create a plan to address racial disparities resulting from the cities’ current social and economic climate. NAACP Minneapolis chapter president Leslie Redmond said the planning couldn’t come at a better time.

“This is going to help us to get a lot of valuable information that we can utilize to help activate the community. We know Minnesota has some of the worst disparities in the nation,” said Redmond, referring to a recent report ranking the Twin Cities as the fourth-worst state for Blacks. “But now what do we do with this? We know that the community is suffering, but what are we going to implement?”

Those plans, she said, also need to extend beyond the NAACP. A town hall meeting will be held on Monday next week (see details below) to gather community input on how to best address issues affecting the

By MSR Editors The National NAACP has announced plans to create an Economic Inclusion Plan (EIP) for the Twin Cities. The EIP is designed to serve as a resource for community residents, elected officials and stakeholders to alleviate systematic, government-sanctioned racial discrimination through beneficial economic policy and programmatic solutions.

The national organization previously released plans in February 2018 for three cities marked by a history of police brutality and social unrest: Baltimore, Md., Charlotte, NC, and St. Louis, Mo. “These cities were chosen as a starting place namely because of the unprecedented rise in tension between law enforcement and community members on the heels of 3 officer involved shootings,” stated Joel Franklin, JD, NAACP Minnesota/Dakotas Area State Conference President, in a statement.

“Minneapolis and St. Paul were chosen due to the recent social unrest surrounding the

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Submitted photo Black community. Panel experts include Attorney General-elect Keith Ellison; Me’Lea Connelly, founder, Blexit; Dr. Artika Tyner, associate vice president of Diversity and Inclusion, University of St. Thomas; Gary Cunningham, president and CEO, Metropolitan Economic Development Association; and Dr. Bruce Corrie, planning and economic development director, City of St. Paul.

“It needs to be a community voice,” Redmond said. “Every table that were not at, we’re typically on the menu, so be at the ta-

ble — these issues are impacting you, these policies are impacting you — and allow your voice to be heard.

The Twin Cities Economic Inclusion Plan Town Hall Meeting will be held Monday, December 10, 6 pm at the Minneapolis Urban League, located at 2100 Plymouth Ave. N. in Minneapolis.

For more information, visit naacp.org.

8

December 6-12, 2018

SBS Continued from page 1

about how she got started in the shoe shine business.

MSR: What inspired you to start your business?

Lisa Fredell: I fell into it by accident. A woman started the business and happened to open one in the building I worked in.

We’d see each other every day; I got to know her, and then she offered me a job. She had 12 stands around downtown [Minneapolis] with all women shining the shoes. I worked with Kim for 10 years. When she wanted out of the business, I bought the busiest location at the IDS Center.

MSR: Before buying the stand, did you have aspirations of owning a business?

LF: Not really, everything just flowed. It was like, “Okay, why not?” I’ve always had tech jobs where I would be doing more

— I’d be the first one there and I — and it’s a great excuse to go shopping for a new pair. would find things to do.

MSR: What is the best part about running a business?

LF: I love working on my own, making my own hours and not answering to anyone. I don’t play well with the corporate petty bullsh*t.

MSR: What has been your biggest challenge in owning a

business?

LF: Time. I don’t look at it like it’s a sacrifice, but it is hard work.

Once the flow is coming, you stay until you see that break and then eat or go to the restroom.

two people not to come to me in my 27 years — one was a lawyer and the other was employed but was just working my nerves.

MSR: What is your vision/goal for your business?

LF: I want to eventually learn how to make shoes and have a shoe parlor business.

“Don’t ever listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t, you can’t, you can’t.”

MSR: How do you see your business impacting the community?

LF: I run into so many different walks in life — a lot of businessmen, homeless people and everything in between.

MSR: Do women come through here?

LF: I still have mostly men, but yes, women are getting their high heels shined, too. Women tend to trash their shoes more

It definitely shows you what you’re made of, for sure. I did weekends for a year, but there were no takers and business was inconsistent.

MSR: What has been the most rewarding part of owning your business?

LF: The freedom. I’m here, I do what I do, I go. I don’t have to put up with anyone. If you don’t know how to act, you don’t need to be here. I’ve only had to tell

MSR: What advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur?

LF: Don’t ever listen to anyone who tells you [that] you can’t, you can’t, you can’t. Sometimes, you have to keep [your ideas] to yourself because you already have those worries in your head, anyway. You sure don’t need anyone from the outside telling you what you can’t do. You have the idea, you have time to figure it out.

Make sure it’s something that you love — therefore it’s never work.

Lisa’s Shoe Shine toolbox Lisa’s Shoe Shine is located in the IDS Crystal Court, 80 South Eighth Street in downtown Minneapolis. The stand is open Monday through Friday, 7 am – 6 pm.

— Interview and photos by Jonika Stowes

AIDS Continued from page 1

you to jail and we’re going to find resources for you.’ It saddens me to look back and see [how] if it’s a White person in crisis, things get [done].”

The panel also called for more diversity in leadership and not just frontline staff to impact change, noting that cultural traditions can also inhibit prevention efforts.

“Sex is not something we culturally discussed and is considered to be private — especially within the older community,” said Princess, a

Princess

Reneka Evans staff member at the West African HIV Task Force (WAHTF).

Coming from a homophobic community and culture, she said, even talking about sexuality and gender, let alone HIV, is taboo.

Mo Mike, HIV testing and

outreach coordinator for Indigenous Peoples Task Force (IPTF), noted that growing up in Native American families, sex was rarely talked about in a serious manner. “It was always with humor.”

Please join us at an open house meeting regarding changes to Highway 252 and I-94 About the Highway 252 and I-94 study A study is underway to develop solutions to alleviate congestion, improve safety, and address reliability on two highways in the area: 1) Highway 252 between Highway 610 in Brooklyn Park and I-694 in Brooklyn Center and 2) I-94 from I-694 in Brooklyn Center to downtown Minneapolis.

Conversion to a freeway is being considered for Highway 252, and an addition of MnPASS lanes is being considered for both Highway 252 and I-94. These changes would affect drivers, transit riders, pedestrians, and bicyclists in the area.

The purpose of these open houses is to:

h Share the reasons that the study partners are moving forward with changes to Highway 252 and I-94.

h Explain what might change about Highway 252 and I-94. h Gather your input on proposed options for changes to Highway 252 and I-94 that will be used to make project decisions. h Share the decision making process.

How can you participate?

h Open House #1 Tuesday, December 11, 2018 5:30 – 7:30 pm Evergreen Community School 7020 Dupont Avenue, Brooklyn Center h Open House #2 Wednesday, December 12, 2018 5:30 – 7:30 pm Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center 5600 85th Avenue North Brooklyn Park h Open House #3 Thursday, December 13, 2018 5:30 – 7:30 pm Folwell Recreation Center 1615 North Dowling Avenue Minneapolis

The same information will be presented at all three open houses.

Kid-friendly activities and hearty snacks will be provided. You are welcome to attend any meeting.

The study partners are committed to ensuring that all public events/ meetings are as accessible as possible to everyone. If you need an accommodation to fully participate, please contact Julieann Swanson City of Minneapolis 612.673.3806 julieann.swanson@minneapolismn.gov Doran M. Cote City of Brooklyn Center 763.569.3340 dcote@ci.brooklyn-center.mn.us Jeff Holstein, City of Brooklyn Park 763.493.8102 jeff.holstein@brooklynpark.org

Learn more about the study and open houses online: mndot.gov/metro/projects/hwy252study

Cree Gordon Mike noted, however, that programs like IPTF and WAHTF create safe environments to start the conversations. “You can have frank discussions. When we started HIV 101 sessions, that made it a lot easier.”

Those conversations are paramount to stopping new infections. “There are [still] a lot of people who don’t know what HIV is and how it impacts health,” said Princess.

Maxon also pointed to treatment as prevention. “If you get into care, you are able to take your meds as prescribed, you get undetectable, and you can’t give HIV to your sexual partner,” said Maxon. “We have PrEP for people not living with HIV, and that is another path for stopping new infections.”

PrEP (also known as Truvada) is a daily pill that allows people who either engage in, or are having sexual contact with someone who is engaging in, high-risk behavior to prevent HIV infection.

Evans questioned how to get community members to take a pill when they’re not sick, in addition to using condoms. “We’re accustomed to taking medicine when something hurts, some-

Tree Continued from page 1

day-to-day operations of the 4th Precinct,” he said. “Assistant Chief Kjos will help serve in this capacity until a decision is made on the next Inspector of the 4th Precinct.”

Reverend Albert Gallmon, Jr., senior pastor of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, questioned the silence of Black police officers who saw the tree and didn’t make the public aware.

“I am outraged that there is no outrage coming from the Black police officers,” said Rev. Gallmon in a recent appearance on the “Two Haute Mamas” podcast on WCCO Radio online. “I don’t hear it. I think our Black officers are winking or laughing with their fellow officers and that’s appalling.”

He added, “Those officers who did that did not think they would have any backlash from their fellow Black officers. If I walk by and I see that tree and I’m a Black officer I’m burning

thing is wrong. But, you want me to swallow a pill — and it’s not a little pill — when I don’t feel anything is wrong,” she said.

“I believe these strategies can work,” added Gordon as they cautioned against thinking of treatment as the final step.

“But, when we center drugs as prevention, you’re again centering White gay men. I want everyone to remember that not every community is at that point where that’s readily a conversation we can have,” said Gordon.

“If you just take PrEP, you’ll reduce HIV, and if you just take your HIV meds, you won’t transmit HIV, but there is that historical mistrust and trauma that we need to address.”

Gordon also recommended updating HIV education and literature to make communities aware of these new treatments.

That conversation is key, said Princess. “If you can empower someone to take control of their health, they are usually moved to act.”

But with education must also come access, including meeting people where they are and using social media and other new technologies.

that tree down in the precinct.

How do you walk back and forth past that tree every day?”

Gallmon could not speak to whether the Black officers are afraid of the union, but he said their silence is alarming whatever the cause.

“I expect that from racist officers in the Black community,” he said. “They kill people left and right and prove that they don’t care about Black lives. I don’t want to take anything from those officers who are truly wrong. But the African American officers should have taken care of this. If our officers on the police force are not going to keep fellow officers in check, then none of us are safe.”

Gallmon said he hopes his message serves as an opportunity to educate Black officers about their obligation to people in the Fourth Precinct who look like them.

“Somehow, we have to get them to understand that their power on the force is to protect us. If they are going to go along to get along, then none of us is safe,” he said. “They are not being responsible with what God

Referencing the success of Red Door’s PrEP program, Gordon asked, “Can you imagine starting the same program at the NorthPoint [Health & Wellness], in the Black community, where they can go to providers or people who look like them to have that conversation about PrEP? How many people would know and get PrEP if you actually had the program in the community?”

For more resources, visit: • Black AIDS Institute at blackaids.org • Indigenous Peoples Task Force at indigenouspeoplestf.org • Positively Hennepin at bit.ly/ positivelyhennepin • Red Door Clinic at reddoorclinic.org • Youth AIDS Project at yapmn.com • West African AIDS Task Force at bit.ly/2FVMFa3 Stephenetta Harmon welcomes reader responses to sharmon@ spokesman-recorder.com.

has given them — which is our protection. If you can’t protect us over a Christmas tree, you can’t protect us on the streets of Minneapolis.”

Nekima Levy Armstrong challenged anyone — whether they are an officer or community citizen — who did not see an issue with the tree to “wake the hell up.”

“The fact that the officers went to such lengths to find stereotypical items to place on that tree shows that they knew exactly what they were doing, and that was to mock the Northside community. The community has been through so much and is constantly being neglected by City officials.

We don’t deserve to be treated that way.”

Sheletta Brundidge is the cohost of the Two Haute Mamas podcast online at WCCO Radio. You can listen to the show on her website at twohautemamas.com.

December 6-12, 2018

Legals

9

Employment REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Sealed proposals to provide CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER SERVICES will be received by the Public Housing Agency of the City of Saint Paul, 555 Wabasha St. N. Suite 400, Saint Paul, MN 55102-1602 until 4:30PM on December 31, 2018.

Sealed proposals to provide DEDICATED INTERNET SERVICES will be received by the

A complete set of proposal documents is available through Northstar Imaging at www.northstarplanroom.com under Dedicated Internet Services for the St. Paul PHA. Digital downloads are at no charge, hard copy price is per the plan room.

A pre-proposal conference shall be held on December 17, 2018 at 9:00 AM CST at 555 North Wabasha Street, Suite 400, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102. Questions arising from this pre-proposal conference will be addressed by addendum, if necessary.

The PHA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or to waive any informalities in the bidding process.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AGENCY Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, December 6, 2018

Public Housing Agency of the City of Saint Paul, 555 Wabasha St. N. Suite 400, Saint Paul, MN 55102-1602 until 4:30PM on December 19, 2018.

STAFF ATTORNEY – SENIOR LAW PROJECT Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid. More info at www.mylegalaid.org/jobs.

Find more job listings at MSRNewsOnline

A complete set of proposal documents is available through Northstar Imaging at www.northstarplanroom.com under Dedicated Internet Services for the St. Paul PHA. Digital downloads are at no charge, hard copy price is per the plan room.

A pre-proposal conference shall be held on November 30, 2018 at 9:00AM CST at 555 North Wabasha Street, Suite 400, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102. Questions arising from this preproposal conference will be addressed by addendum, if necessary.

The PHA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or to waive any informalities in the bid-

Human Resources Generalist The U.S. District Court, District of MN is accepting applications for a full-time Human Resources Generalist in Minneapolis, MN. Salary range is $47,652 - $77,483. For more information visit the court’s website, www.mnd.uscourts.gov, Employment.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

ding process.

Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, December 6, 2018

State of Minnesota Case Type: Dissolution Without Children County of Hennepin District Court Summons with Real Estate FourthJudicial Court In Re the Marriage of: Court File No.27-FA-18-7763 Evylin Wright Adesina, Petitioner and Hakeem Adesina Olushesi, Respondent ORDER FOR SERVICE BY ALTERNATIVE MEANS THE STATE OF MINNESOTA TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENT: WARNING: YOUR SPOUSE (HUSBAND OR WIFE) HAS FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST YOU FOR DISSOLUTION OF YOUR MARRIAGE. A COPY OF THE PAPERWORK REGARDING THE LAWSUIT IS SERVED ON YOU WITH THIS SUMMONS. THIS SUMMONS IS AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT FROM THE COURT THAT AFFECTS YOUR RIGHTS. READ THIS SUMMONS CAREFULLY. IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT, CONTACT AN ATTORNEY FOR LEGAL ADVICE. 1. The Petitioner, (your spouse) has filed a lawsuit against you asking for dissolution of your marriage (divorce). A copy of the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is attached to this Summons. 2. You must serve upon Petitioner and file with the Court a written Answer to the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, and you must pay the required filing fee. Answer forms are available from the Family Law Facilitator Program, Family Court Self Help Center located in the Family Justice Center, 110 South Fourth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401. You must serve your Answer upon Petitioner within thirty (30) days of the date you were served with this Summons, not counting the day of service. If you do not serve and file your Answer, the Court may give your spouse everything he or she is asking for in the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.

3. 3. This proceeding involves, affects, or brings into question the real property located at the following address: 7042 Quail Avenue N., Brooklyn Center, MN 55429 in Hennepin County with the following legal description: Lot 18, Block 1, Miller’ NOTICE OF TEMPORARY RESTRAINING PROVISIONS: Under Minnesota law, service of this summons makes the following requirements apply to both parties to the action, unless they are modified by the Court or the proceeding is dismissed: (1) Neither party may dispose of any assets except (A) for the necessities of life or for the necessary generation of income or preservation of assets, (B) by an agreement of the parties in writing, or (C) for retaining counsel to carry on or to contest this proceeding. (2) Neither party may harass the other party. (3) All currently available insurance coverage must be maintained and continued without change in coverage or beneficiary designation. (4) Parties to a marriage dissolution proceeding are encouraged to attempt alternative dispute resolution pursuant to Minnesota law. Alternative dispute resolution includes mediation, arbitration and other processes as set forth in the district court rules. You may contact the Court Administrator about resources in your area. If you cannot pay for mediation or alternative dispute resolution, in some counties, assistance may be available to you through a nonprofit provider of a court program. If you are a victim of domestic abuse or threats as defined in Minnesota statutes, Chapter 518B, you are not required to try mediation and you will not be penalized by the Court in later proceedings.

IF YOU VIOLATE ANY OF THESE PROVISIONS, YOU WILL BE SUBJECT TO SANCTIONS BY THE COURT. Date: 9/28/2018

Signed: Evylin Wright Adesina

Minnesota Spokesman Recorder November 22, 29 & December 6, 2018

State of Minnesota Case Type: Dissolution Without Children County of Dakota District Court Summons with Real Estate First Judicial Court In Re the Marriage of: Case No: 19AV-FA-18-2779 Samsam O. Mohamed, Petitioner and Mohamed Abdimasid Nur, Respondent ORDER FOR SERVICE BY ALTERNATIVE MEANS THE STATE OF MINNESOTA TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENT: WARNING: YOUR SPOUSE (HUSBAND OR WIFE) HAS FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST YOU FOR DISSOLUTION OF YOUR MARRIAGE. A COPY OF THE PAPERWORK REGARDING THE LAWSUIT IS SERVED ON YOU WITH THIS SUMMONS. THIS SUMMONS IS AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT FROM THE COURT THAT AFFECTS YOUR RIGHTS. READ THIS SUMMONS CAREFULLY. IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT, CONTACT AN ATTORNEY FOR LEGAL ADVICE. 1. The Petitioner, (your spouse) has filed a lawsuit against you asking for dissolution of your marriage (divorce). A copy of the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is attached to this Summons. 2. You must serve upon Petitioner and file with the Court a written Answer to the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, and you must pay the required filing fee. Answer forms are available from the Family Law Facilitator Program, Family Court Self Help Center located in the Family Justice Center, 110 South Fourth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401. You must serve your Answer upon Petitioner within thirty (30) days of the date you were served with this Summons, not counting the day of service. If you do not serve and file your Answer, the Court may give your spouse everything he or she is asking for in the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.

3. This proceeding does not involve real property.

NOTICE OF TEMPORARY RESTRAINING PROVISIONS: Under Minnesota law, service of this summons makes the following requirements apply to both parties to the action, unless they are modified by the Court or the proceeding is dismissed: (1) Neither party may dispose of any assets except (A) for the necessities of life or for the necessary generation of income or preservation of assets, (B) by an agreement of the parties in writing, or (C) for retaining counsel to carry on or to contest this proceeding. (2) Neither party may harass the other party. (3) All currently available insurance coverage must be maintained and continued without change in coverage or beneficiary designation. (4) Parties to a marriage dissolution proceeding are encouraged to attempt alternative dispute resolution pursuant to Minnesota law. Alternative dispute resolution includes mediation, arbitration and other processes as set forth in the district court rules. You may contact the Court Administrator about resources in your area. If you cannot pay for mediation or alternative dispute resolution, in some counties, assistance may be available to you through a nonprofit provider of a court program. If you are a victim of domestic abuse or threats as defined in Minnesota statutes, Chapter 518B, you are not required to try mediation and you will not be penalized by the Court in later proceedings.

IF YOU VIOLATE ANY OF THESE PROVISIONS, YOU WILL BE SUBJECT TO SANCTIONS BY THE COURT. Date: 11/02/2018

Signed: Samsam O. Mohamed

Minnesota Spokesman Recorder November 29, December 6 & 13, 2018

View Continued from page 10

Before that, it was for Johnson mainly an only-one-puck experience growing up. “It definitely was something I struggled with, finding someone that looks like me to look up to,” she remembers.

“It definitely was tough growing up not having [a player of color] to look up to, but when I got to col-

NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE THE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: That default has occurred in the conditions of the following described mortgage: DATE OF MORTGAGE: April 10, 2018 MORTGAGOR: Marla J. Stewart, a single person MORTGAGEE: Minneapolis Property, LLC, a Minnesota limited liability company DATE AND PLACE OF RECORDING: Recorded in the Office of the County Registrar of Titles, in and for Hennepin County, State of Minnesota, on April 10, 2018, as Document No. T05522317 MORTGAGED PROPERTY ADDRESS: 720 4th Street North #503, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401

#1210 Program Associate, Community Programs & Evaluation - History Center Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) seeks a FT, Program Associate to establish and nurture relationships with Community partners that include: larger cultural organizations, community based organizations and individual community leaders; to support the development and delivery of community programs, in collaboration with the Community Programs & Evaluation team, internal MNHS staff (site and exhibit staff) and community partners. For complete job announcement and directions on how to apply, visit our website at: www.mnhs.org/jobs. Application deadline: 2/12/2018 EEO

TAX PARCEL I.D. NOS. 22-029-24-24-0703 LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY: Unit Nos. 720503 and G-155, CIC No. 1300, 710 Lofts, a condominium located in the County of Hennepin COUNTY IN WHICH PROPERTY IS LOCATED: Hennepin ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE: $10,000.00 AMOUNT DUE AND CLAIMED TO BE DUE AS OF DATE OF NOTICE, INCLUDING TAXES, IF ANY, PAID BY MORTGAGEE: $11,526.36 INTEREST RATE AND PER DIEM: Current interest rate is 8%, with a daily per diem of $2.19.

That prior to commencement of this mortgage foreclosure proceeding Mortgagee complied with all notice requirements by statute; That no action or proceeding has been instituted at law or otherwise to recover the debt secured by said mortgage or any part thereof; PURSUANT to the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the above described property will be sold by the Sheriff of said county as follows:

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DATE AND TIME OF SALE: January 9, 2019, at 10:00 am.

PLACE OF SALE: Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Hennepin County Courthouse, 350 South Fifth Street, Room 30, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415, to pay the debt then secured by said Mortgage, taxes, if any, on said premises, and the costs and disbursements, including attorneys’ fees allowed by law subject to redemption within from the date of said sale by the mortgagor(s), their personal representatives or assigns.

DATE AND TIME MORTGAGOR MUST VACATE THE PREMISES: July 9, 2019, at 11:59 pm.

THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGOR, THE MORTGAGOR’S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REDUCED TO FIVE (5) WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES, SECTION 582.032, DETERMINING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE MORTGAGED PREMISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN FIVE UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTY USED IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED. Dated: November 15, 2018 BERNICK LIFSON, P.A. By:

s/ Matthew S. Greenstein Matthew S. Greenstein (#392044) 5500 Wayzata Blvd, Suite 1200 Minneapolis, MN 55416 (763) 746-9227 Attorney in Fact for Mortgagee IMPORTANT NOTICE

This communication is from a debt collector and is an attempt to collect a debt. Any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, November 22,29 & December 6,13,20 & 27, 2018

SOE Continued from page 10 us last weekend. “I was pleasantly surprised,” especially when they let her talk about the lows and highs of being a Black female coach.

“What Nicole did was open awareness” on the issue, Johnson Patterson stressed. She praised LaVoi, “a Caucasian woman,” for allowing her “to discuss these things. You have to be bold and not feel it will take away from team to even make those types of statements.”

lege it definitely helped having Blake there.”

Watching as a youngster The Mighty Ducks, Johnson found inspiration in the movie, especially the Julie character, the only girl on the boys’ hockey team. “That’s what I wanted to be,” she said.

The NWHL started with four East Coast clubs: Boston, Buffalo, Connecticut and Metropolitan (New Jersey), and this year expanded west by adding Minnesota. Games are usually scheduled for a Saturday-Sunday format. The

The Players’ Tribune last week featured an eight-page treatise by South Carolina Head Women’s Coach Dawn Staley, “Where Are All the Black Coaches?” The U.S. National Coach of the Year also took part with other Black female coaches on a “Coaching While Black” roundtable discussion.

“Most of the coaches are White,” Staley said. “Yet this is a sport mostly played by Black women. How do we change that?” The coach pointed out the unrealistic expectations put on Black female coaches that their White counterparts rarely face.

“I’m very aware of what my success represents,” she said. “I’m also very

Minnesota Whitecaps’ home ice is at the Minnesota Wild’s practice facility in downtown St. Paul.

“Minnesota is a great addition to our league,” Bolden pointed out.

It’s a fledging league, but she noted, “I think our benefits definitely have improved. Pay is not equal [to the men’s)], but we are trying to make it so.”

Although the number of Black NWHL players is in low single digits, Johnson earlier this year proudly tweeted, “I used to be a minority in my sport, but no lon-

aware of what my failure would represent.”

“I applaud Dawn Staley for doing this,” Johnson Patterson said.

LaVoi said of Game On, “I want people to use it in classrooms across the country, for coaching education, instruction and motivation. I think the next step [is it] needs to be shown to decision-makers and people in power in athletics, people that hire coaches and create cultures in sport.”

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesmanrecorder.com.

ger.”

More importantly, the chance to play stateside pro hockey isn’t lost on the two female players. “It’s very exciting to have something in the States,” Johnson declared.

“It’s good to see hockey is growing overseas, in Canada and here” for women players.

Both Bolden and Johnson don’t downplay their roles as more than just hockey players.

“As women of color, we hope to inspire more girls of any ethnicity and encourage them to play

the sport, which is predominately White,” Johnson said. “I never would have thought the last 20 years I would be in the position I have, to have people look up to me.

I [want] to encourage people to follow their dreams.”

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesmanrecorder.com.

10

December 6-12, 2018

New documentary addresses THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES IN THE NFL sexism, racism in coaching

W

elcome to December, when the National Football League season takes on an art form as 20 to 25 teams, all within a game of each other, jockey for playoff positioning for 12 spots. The New England Patriots are really good at this.

They beat the Vikings Sunday 24-10 in Foxboro and clinched their 18th consecutive winning season.

The Vikings slipped to 6-51 and surrendered the number-one wild card playoff position. Seattle (7-5) grabbed the wild card playoff position for now by dominating San Francisco 43-16.

Quarterback Tom Brady threw for 311 yards and a touchdown Sunday. It was the 579th of his remarkable career including playoffs, tying Peyton Manning for number one all-time. Brady is now 5-0 alltime versus the Vikings; he also passed the 1,000-yard career rushing mark.

Brady said, “Too often in life something happens and we blame other people for us not being happy or satisfied or fulfilled. The point is, we all have choices, and we make the choice to accept people or situations or to not accept situations.”

Head Coach Bill Belichick won with New England for the 250th time regular season and playoffs. If you count Cleveland when he was head coach there, Belichick has won 287 regular season and playoff games, including five Super Bowls.

Defensively, the Vikings allowed 471 yards in total offense and a season-high 160 yards rushing.

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins had a tough day. Offensively, the Vikings had just 278 total yards, scoring a season-low 10 points, and he threw two critical interceptions.

Everyone in the NFC North lost Sunday: New York 30-27 over Chicago in overtime, and Arizona beat Green Bay 20-17.

It was the first loss by the Packers to the Cardinals since 1949 at Lambeau Field and the Packers’ third loss in a row.

After the game, the Packers fired Head Coach Mike McCarthy. In his 13th season, McCarthy was one of the best coaches in football. He was 125-77-2, led the Packers to the playoffs nine times and to victory in Super Bowl XLV. Los Angeles won with 30 over Detroit’s 16. The Rams are 11- 1, the best record in the NFL, and they play the 8-4 Bears next week. Next Monday the Vikings play at Seattle.

With just four games left, winning is paramount.

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

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

If

by now you’re sick and tired of those endless Christmas movies on the two Hallmark channels that have been running non-stop since before Halloween, we wholeheartedly recommend a new documentary on women coaches as a welcome respite.

Game On: Women Can Coach, a University of Minnesota Tucker Center-TPT co-production that premiered in November, explores research, dispels false narratives, and celebrates female coaching pioneers. The hour-long documentary is scheduled for rebroadcast this month on the TPT MN channel (Dec. 9, 9 pm; Dec. 16, 3 am, 9 am and 3 pm).

Filmmakers Shari Lamke and Connie Clark talked earlier this year on PBS. org about their film. “We need to see coaches in action, as well as talk to them about the barriers and successes they’ve had in their careers,” the two filmmakers noted.

Among those featured on camera were two of the state’s most success-

Faith Johnson Patterson

The color of hockey Diversity on the rise in women’s pro hockey

By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer Conclusion of a three part column Former college teammates Blake Bolden and Kaliya Johnson are now competitors in the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL), which started in 2015. On the surface, this isn’t unusual, but in Bolden’s and Johnson’s case, the two female pucksters are among the small handful of Black hockey players.

Photos by Charles Hallman

ful female coaches: Minnesota Lynx Coach/GM Cheryl Reeve, winner of four WNBA titles, and Minnesota Basketball Hall of Fame Coach Faith Johnson Patterson, who won eight state high school titles at two different Minneapolis schools.

“She and Cheryl Reeve are really the stars of the film,” Tucker Center CoDirector Nicole LaVoi told the MSR by phone last week. She reported on the feedback she received thus far on Game On: “For Faith to be gracious enough to allow us our time to film her, her story really is resounding with people.”

Johnson Patterson spoke passionately about her coaching journey, which came at the time of filming when she

necticut.

Both female defensemen — the 27-year-old Bolden (200913) and Johnson (2012-16), who turned 25 on Sunday — are Boston College grads.

During their couple of seasons together at BC, Johnson said of Bolden, “She really took me in as the big sister.

That helped me personally and with my identity. It was great to have her as a role model.”

bered. “She found out because a parent emailed her to see why she is leaving, and she [Johnson Patterson] had no idea of what they were talking about.”

“We captured that emotion in real time,” the Tucker Center co-director pointed out.

“I thought [the filmmakers] did a great job,” the Hall of Fame coach told ■ See ViEw on page 9

PREP STARS OF THE WEEK Suggs excelling in two sports A week and half ago, quarterback Jalen Suggs was leading the St. Paul Academy/ Minnehaha Academy/ Blake (SMB) football team to the Class AAAA state football championship.

Last Saturday the junior, one of the PreP Scene top guards in the country, scored 30 Dr. Mitchell points in leading defending Class AA PalMer boys’ basketball champion Minnehaha McDonalD Academy to a season-opening victory over Perham.

Suggs is becoming one of the best dual athletes in recent memory.

Photos by Charles Hallman player when she signed with Boston in 2015. She also was the first Black player in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, and the first female player of color to play on championship teams (CWHL, 2015; NWHL, 2016).

“There is a lot more diversity [in hockey], and not just African Americans,” she told us last month when her current Buffalo team was in town to face Minnesota. “It’s great to see.”

“I think [diversity in hockey] is definitely growing, but

had just been fired by Eden Prairie after two seasons. Lamke and Clark had been filming the coach at her summer basketball camp.

“The second time we were filming her was the day she found out she got fired from Eden Prairie,” LaVoi remem-

“Most of the coaches are White. Yet this is a sport mostly played by Black women.

How do we change that?”

Sports odds and ends

Blake Bolden

Nicole LaVoi

Jones leading DeLaSalle Guard Elaina Jones is averaging 23 points per game for the DeLaSalle Islanders’ girls’ basketball team. The senior, who recently signed with Idaho State University, reached her scoring average in a 59-49 setback to Alexandria.

Elaina Jones Jalen Suggs #1 Curtis, Galloway, Rhoades and New lead Minnehaha Mia Curtis led the way with 18 points, Nevaeh Galloway had 16, Taytume Rhoades added seven, and Avery New chipped in six and hauled down nine rebounds as Minnehaha Academy defeated Rush City 52-42 in a Breakdown Girls’ Basketball Classic last week at Hopkins.

Bell’s scoring leads U of M Former Bloomington Kennedy girls’ basketball standout Kenisha Bell scored 27 points leading the University of Minnesota women’s basketball team to a 67-50 victory over Air Force to keep the Gophers undefeated.

The Gophers are ranked #14 nationally.

■ See SOE on page 9

“It definitely was tough growing up not having a player of color to look up to.”

Angela James, who played 1980-2000, is the first Black woman to play pro hockey and the first Black Canadian to captain a national hockey team (Team Canada).

The Cleveland-born Bolden was the NWHL’s lone Black

we have a long way to go,” Johnson said. She spoke to us after last Saturday’s Minnesota-Boston contest in St. Paul. The California-born but raised in Arizona Johnson is in her first season with the club after two years in Con-

Kenisha Bell

Kaliya Johnson

Avery New

Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses to mcdeezy05@gmail.com. All photos by Mitchell P. McDonald.