October 6, 2022 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

Mpls keeps the homeless on the moveMpls keeps the homeless on the move

Officials claim safe shelter availablespaces

By Cole Miska Contributing Writer

Atent encampment of about 60 people at East 28th Street and Bloomington Avenue was the latest to be evicted in a series of forced relocations of

unhoused populations conducted by the City of Minneapolis this summer.

A large force of Minneapolis Pub lic Works employees with dozens of Minneapolis police and SWAT officers and at least 50 vehicles sectioned off several blocks in each direction of the camp in the early

Newark deputy mayor nominated for Mpls police chief

By Henry Pan Contributing Writer

Mayor Jacob Frey’s nomi nee for the next Minneapolis police chief pledged in a Sep tember 29 press conference to remake the city’s belea guered police department into the “golden standard for policing” across the nation.

Frey intends to nominate current Deputy Mayor of Newark Brian O’Hara for his experience in addressing a consent decree between the U.S. Department of Jus tice and the Newark Police

Department, which report edly rebuilt trust in Newark police but also was able, in Frey’s words, to “drive down crime in a serious way.”

O’Hara became a Newark police officer in 2001, ulti mately becoming captain.

Little is known about what disciplinary actions he was subject to, as the City of Newark denied the MSR’s request for his disciplinary records on grounds that it would violate New Jersey law. In 2016, he was appointed public safety commissioner.

morning of Sept. 30 and ordered residents to leave.

In an interview prior to the evic tion of the camp, one of the camp’s residents, Anthony (who declined to give a last name), said an eviction of the camp would be splitting up a community. Anthony moved into the

camp after moving back to Minne apolis, his hometown, from rehabili tation in Rochester.

He found the camp through another resident he used to work with and said everyone in the camp is tight knit. “It’s tough being home less.Then you find a place that’s

like home and you get kicked out,” Anthony said.

Jack Nobles, who is a founder of the Sanctuary Supply Depot, and Christin Crabtree, a neighbor, wit nessed the eviction. Both stated that residents were not given time to

SABOTAGING THE ELECTION PROCESS

By Mary Turck Contributing Writer

SECOND IN A SERIES

This is the second of MSR’s “Elections Under Attack” series that looks at four threats to our elections growing out of the Big Lie that the former president won the 2020 election. Articles in the series look at each of these threats to democratic elections in the United States, with an emphasis on Minnesota.

Election sabotage is not just something that could hap pen in November 2022 or in 2024: It is an ongoing crime that began with the 2020 election. This sabotage promi nently included attempts to coerce state officials to “find” more votes, designation of illegal slates of electors, Con gressional Republican votes against certification of elec tion results, and the January 6 armed attack on the Capitol.

Electoral sabotage contin ues with the Big Lie that the former president won the election and that there was widespread election fraud.

The Big Liar and other pro ponents of the Big Lie ignore all evidence and now prepare to attack and undermine the coming elections. They cannot overturn the 2020 election, but they can foment distrust and disgust with the electoral process that is vital to democ racy.

Yes, in Minnesota, too

While other states have far worse problems with electoral sabotage, Minnesota is not immune. Lilly Sasse, director

of the We Choose Us cam paign, said, “We have seen an increase in anti-democracy organizing that is happening across the state.”

Election deniers pressure county boards to change the rules for vote counting and for absentee ballot returns, and to spend county time and money compiling masses of docu ments in response to informa tion requests.

The absurdity of those claims is evident in Crow Wing County, where elec

tion deniers insist that the 2020 election was fraudu lent—despite Trump winning Crow Wing County by a mar gin of 30 percent. Crow Wing County Commissioner Steve Barrows told the Minnesota Reformer: “There are no facts backing up the fact that the Crow Wing County election in 2020 was rife with fraud. None. Zero.” Minnesota law requires hand-counting of ballots in a specific number of precincts

NBA clubs promote finance app to bridge wealth gap

By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer

The racial wealth gap is something the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx and three other NBA clubs are now addressing through a new part nership focused on financial well

ness with Stackwell, a Black-owned financial services technology compa ny based in Boston. The partnership was announced late last month.

Stackwell introduced a new finan cial app in September that targets Black Millennials, Generation Z’ers and others, designed to both educate

and grow their wealth in the financial market. Users can download it from the App Store and get started with a $1 monthly subscription fee and a commitment to invest a minimum of $10. The app also features financial literacy tools for its users.

“Our insights have told us that one of the biggest contributing factors to the under-investment of Black Amer icans in the financial markets actu ally [is] the angst and anxiety,” said Stackwell Founder and CEO Trevor Rozier-Byrd in a recent MSR phone interview.

“It was really important that we deliver the product to people in the community to help them streamline that decision and help them to gain access to a well-diversified portfolio that could give them exposure into the market that can help them grow and amass more wealth over time.” White Americans on average

have a median house hold wealth of over $135,000, while Black households have a median wealth of under $13,000, according to a WalletHub study. A 2018 PolicyLink

report surmised that racial equity in the U.S. would be achieved if the average incomes of Blacks and other people of color were increased by $18,000.

According to the Minne sota Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Twin Cit ies Disparities by Race Report, the metro area’s median house hold income was $77,034 in 2018 but Black household medi an income was

$47,000 less than White households.

Photos

Brian

Metro

Black and Brown women demand justice in Favre scandal

By Angela Rose Myers Contributing Writer

A coalition of Black and Brown women across the country, created by Minne sota’s Black-led Wayfinder Foundation, are demanding accountability for the Brett Fa vre Mississippi welfare fraud scandal. The women launched a national change.org petition on Sept. 27 calling for Favre to be held responsible for the $8 million in public funds he diverted from social welfare recipients to his personal and business projects.

Instead of supporting the ending of the ongoing Jack son, Mississippi water crisis and helping families in pov erty, the State of Mississippi instead chose to fill the for mer Vikings/Packers quar terback’s bank account.

The petition serves as an open letter to Mississippi At torney General Lynn Fitch. Activist Diana Freelon Foster called it “a call to action for all anti-poverty, anti-racist, liber

al and religious organizations across the state of Mississippi and nation to band together.”

The MSR asked activ ist, lawyer, and Wayfinder Foundation Executive Direc tor Nekima Levy-Armstrong about the coalition’s origins.

“Our coalition came togeth er by connecting with the women who are from the Delta Region of Mississippi,” said Levy-Armstrong. “They had previously brought for ward their concerns about the Jackson water crisis, and we stayed in contact.

“As more and more infor mation came out about the egregious actions of Brett Favre and what appears to be a cover-up, we became more and more incensed and frustrated. He is seemingly getting away with this.

“Low-income Black wom en, particularly working-class single Black moms, are the ones who rely upon these resources, but also are ste reotyped as ‘welfare queens’,” continued Levy Armstrong. “So here you have a famous White man who was at the

Know Your Operator

top of his game, financially and athletically, being al lowed to steal from the poor est of the poor. And he is still being treated like a media darling in the midst of a crisis is such an egregious scandal.”

The coalition of Black and Brown women decided that Favre and his White male privilege would not go un checked when it came to state resources. But he is not the only person they are de manding accountability from.

“[Favre’s] male privilege and celebrity status gave him access to the [Mississippi] governor and other highranking officials who orches trated this… We want every one involved in the scandal to be held accountable for what they did, and we also want corporations that are

doing business with Brett Fa vre to withdraw from those business relationships.”

For Levy-Armstrong and the coalition, the unjust dispersal of funds to Favre comes in contrast to the lack of funds to impoverished families, exemplifying the complicity of government officials in perpetuating the country’s existing wealth gap.

“[Favre claims] he wanted this money for his daugh ter’s sports program, when you actually have people who are one meal away, you know, from not being able to live. Not to mention, in Jack son, where people don’t have clean water to drink, brush their teeth, or shower,” said Levy-Armstrong.

The coalition is still waiting on real solutions, not only for the blatant fiscal negligence in Mississippi, but most im portantly, to the ongoing wa ter crisis.

Levy-Armstrong relayed what the coalition members are seeing from Mississippi leadership. “We’re still waiting

to see some concrete plans. What we see right now is a lot of finger-pointing. The gover nor is not approaching this with a sense of urgency and is really trying to blame the residents of Jackson for this situation that was far beyond their control and years in the making.”

We have progressed as a society due to the work and coalition building orches trated by Black women. Now a new coalition nationally is being formed to address the issues and needs of Black and Brown families in Mississippi. These women stand on the shoulders of those like Fannie Lou Hamer, to continue the legacy of demanding Missis sippi leadership fulfill their re sponsibility to poor and work ing-class families in the state.

Sign the petition at bit.ly/ Favrepetition. Find more about Wayfinder Foundation at www. wayfinder.foundation.

Photo of the Week

From 1990 to 1996, he served as combat engineer, and was hours away from being shipped to the Middle East during the Gulf War. “I had my bags packed, but within two hours of duty, I was told to stand down,” Brown said.

After completing his service, he became a loan consultant for a big bank. While lucra tive, the stress of a sales job with quotas wore on him. The benefits were also lacking, and so was community.

His friend and cousin then told him about their jobs at Metro Transit and said he’d be a great fit. So, in 2016 he applied and hasn’t looked back since becoming a bus operator at Metro Transit.

Brown finds that his experience in the service prepared him for this career. “They helped me learn to adapt,” he said. “And it was eye opening when you met rich people, poor people, people from lots of different ethnicities, and we all had to work together.”

He sees the same spectrum of people inside garages and onboard buses. And most im portantly, like an army unit, “there’s a lot of camaraderie and a community to support you.”

His training in the service also helped him “dress right” in a uniform and “be on time” for pulling the bus out of the garage – two important tasks operators need to master as they begin their careers at transit.

While Brown acknowledges he took a salary cut to take this “last stop” in his working life, he believes Metro Transit is the right choice for his personality and training.

“I’m a natural people person, and this job is about working with people,” he said.

Caregivers at the Polls

Metro

Fast

way

paid.

a

a

full-time career.

operators receive outstanding benefits like health care,

experience in bus operations is re quired

plan, and an unlimited-ride transit pass. And, as many

managers start their careers as operators, there’s also room for growth.

Miss Juneteenth graces Sister Spokesman event

DaMaris Jones (l), the first Miss June teenth of Minnesota, posed with MSR Publisher/CEO Tracey Williams-Dillard at Sister Spokesman’s “Surviving Together: From Diagnosis to Life After Cancer” event on Oct. 1 (see more photos from the event on page 6).

“I’m very honored to hear all of your sto ries,” Jones told attendees. In a few weeks, Jones will represent Minnesota at the na tional Miss Juneteenth competitions in Texas.

Photo by Steve Floyd

Sheletta Brundidge

Angela Rose Myers wel comes reader responses to amy ers@spokesman-recorder.com.

Twenty years after completing his service in the U.S. Army, Terence Brown found a career that fit his personality and experience at Metro Transit.

“Here you have a famous White man who was allowed to steal from the poorest of the poor.”

By Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD Senior Medical Advisor

This is an updated version of a story that was previously pub lished.

Health

What is Vitiligo and why should I care? An effective new FDA-approved treatment is here

and manufacturers are embrac ing Vitiligo and trying to pro mote its mainstream acceptance.

The new treatment

For the first time, patients suffering from Vitiligo have a new (FDA-approved topical treatment for the disease.

In July, the FDA approved a cream containing ruxolitinib (Opzelura) for treating (nonsegmental) Vitiligo. Ruxolitinib is a medication known as a Ja nus kinase (JAK) inhibitor. Rux olitinib cream was first FDAapproved in September 2021 for treating atopic dermatitis.

more uses have been discov ered, especially in inflamma tion-related diseases.

JAK inhibitors reduce in flammation. As noted, ruxoli tinib (Opzelura) is FDA-ap proved to treat both Vitiligo and Atopic Dermatitis. This is excellent news for the over 2.5 million Americans suffer ing from Vitiligo.

One crucial question is, are these new medications safe? The class does come with a black box warning that indicates the drug has an increased risk of heart at tack, stroke, cancer, infections, blood clots and death.

Can Vitiligo be prevented?

Vitiligo cannot be prevent ed. However, once it occurs, appropriate and aggressive treatment can keep it from spreading.

How is Vitiligo treated?

Unfortunately, because there were so few effective treatments in the past, many patients with Vitiligo may have given up on treating it. We need to spread the word that there are new, effective treatments for Vitiligo.

Vitiligo is a condition where white/light-colored patches occur on the skin. It can also affect hair-bearing areas, caus ing the hair in those areas to turn gray. Vitiligo can be par ticularly troubling when pa tients have tan, brown, or dark brown skin, as the spots are much more apparent. So cially and psychologically, Vitiligo can be devastating and have profound adverse quality-of-life effects.

DaMaris Jones (l), the first Miss Juneteenth of Minnesota, posed with MSR Publisher/ CEO Tracey Williams-Dillard at Sister Spokesman’s “Surviv ing Together: From Diagnosis to Life After Cancer” event on Oct. 1 (see more photos from the event on page 6).

“I’m very honored to hear all of your stories,” Jones told at tendees. In a few weeks, Jones will represent Minnesota at the national Miss Juneteenth competitions in Texas.

The JAK-inhibitor class of medications is rapidly be coming the superstar of new dermatologic treatments. The FDA, this past spring, ap proved another landmark der matologic medication, Barici tinib, an oral JAK inhibitor.

Baricitinib was the first treatment for patients with

These warnings pertained to the whole JAK-inhibitor class of medications. They were based on patients with rheumatoid arthritis being treated with oral medications. The new topical medications appear not to carry the same risks. Still, the patient and

tients can develop acne or irrita tion at the application site. Rux olitinib (Opzelura) is currently approved to treat Vitiligo in pa tients 12 years and older.

What causes Vitiligo?

pears to be a genetic link.

• 25% of patients will devel op Vitiligo before the age of 10.

• 50% of patients will de velop Vitiligo before the age of 20.

• 75% of patients will de velop Vitiligo before the age of 30.

Vitiligo is now treated by topical prescription medica tions such as the new class of JAK inhibitors such as Ruxoli tinib (Opzelura), other topical anti-inflammatory medicines, Vitamin D, meticulous sun pro tection, and special narrowband UVB phototherapy light treatments. Often, a combina tion of these is employed.

Photo by Steve Floyd

Vitiligo can be one of the most psychologically devas tating of all diseases. Patients report self-isolation, embar rassment, identity shame, and low self-esteem. Many children (and adults) experi ence bullying, stigmatization, and emotional distress. The disease can also significantly affect intimacy depending on the location of Vitiligo.

Fortunately, many main stream social media platforms

alopecia areata. JAK inhibitors were introduced in 2012 as treatments for certain types of arthritis. Since then, many

physician should address and evaluate the risk-benefit con cerns on a case-by-case basis.

Additionally, about 6% of pa

Vitiligo is a condition where the patient’s immune system inappropriately destroys the cells in the skin that produce color (melanocytes). The de struction of melanocytes is due to a long-term, inappro priate, autoimmune inflam matory response. Vitiligo can be induced or exacerbated by sunburns, skin trauma, envi ronmental toxins, chemicals and stress.

How common is Vitiligo?

About 1% of people will de velop Vitiligo in their lifetime. Up to 50% of people with Vitiligo can identify a family member with Vitiligo. About 5-10% of children will have a sibling with Vitiligo. There ap

Unfortunately, when you are a person of color, Vitiligo is much more noticeable. Vit iligo has been associated with other immune-mediated conditions, including atopic dermatitis, thyroid disorders, alopecia areata, rheumatoid arthritis, adult-onset diabetes, anemia, lupus, Addison’s dis ease, and psoriasis.

How is Vitiligo diagnosed?

A board-certified dermatolo gist can most easily diagnose Vitiligo. The diagnosis can also be aided by a special light ex amination called a “wood’s lamp,” a skin-microscope observation (dermatoscopy), or a skin biopsy.

In extreme cases, when only a small patch of dark skin remains, the area can be light ened (depigmented). Some times small skin grafts from normal areas can be trans planted into areas of Vitiligo. Also, camouflaging skin (with make-up) can work well.

We are still gathering longterm safety information with the new class of JAK-inhibitor medicines to treat Vitiligo. We are also determining how long patients will need to continue using the medications for the best effect.

Topical ruxolitinib can take 2-3 months or longer to take effect, so patients need to be

Photos Courtesy of Crutchfield Dermatology

Before

Kobi Co.

Mother-daughter team leads luxury self-care business

By Angela Rose Myers Contributing Writer

Kobi Gregory and Tasha Harris are the mother-daugh ter team behind the luxury candle and self-care business Kobi Co. While in high school, Gregory started hand-pour ing candles to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and es tablish a way for her to fund going to her dream school, Spelman College.

ence, but Gregory is not alone in building Kobi Co. Her moth er enthusiastically supported Gregory’s creativity and entre preneurial spirit and joined in on growing the business.

After nearly two decades in the corporate world, Harris decided to take time for her own self-care and healing jour ney. For her, self-care, fam ily and wellness are extremely important. So as her daughter began Kobi Co. pouring and selling candles, Harris also found herself drawn to the company “having seen firsthand what can happen when you de-prioritize self-care and burn yourself out.”

Gregory’s unique candles have familiar themes as they are inspired by Black music, particularly artists from Min nesota like Prince and Lizzo. Each candle even has a play list attached, so that custom ers can listen to Gregory’s in spirations while burning their candles, fusing scents, sounds, and self-care.

Only a Gen Z-er could think of this type of self-care experi

Both women came to the realization that this company could be more than a pan demic hobby and are currently working together—merging Harris’ years of experience with Gregory’s creativity—to build a business that will ap peal to multiple generations.

As evidence of their hard work and dedication, the duo just graduated from the Lunar Startups Accelerator program, open to Minnesota-based start-ups, and are continu ing to scale up their business with three additional seasonal

workers to meet demand.

When asked about their fa vorite products, the company stated via email, “Our favor ites are aligned with the fan favs: #Chillaxin’ and #Purple Rain. We are able to produce in small batches, so we also like creating limited quantities for a special occasion.

“Each summer we create a new scent. This year we paid homage to our home girl Lizzo. We created a candle called #Feelin’GoodAsHell, and of course, there are tons of Lizzo songs on the playlist. It’s defi nitely one that you will want to burn while heading out to the club or out for a work-out!”

As many Black women on social media have been em bracing the term “luxury,” we

asked Harris and Gregory what the word means to them.

“Luxury means not skimping. Using quality ingredients and materials,” the company re plied in an email. “Standing apart from the rest. Some thing that makes you [person ally] feel delicious on the in side and out. Something that makes you smile. It’s also an investment in pleasure, which at times can be priceless. We strive to be an affordable luxury brand so everyone can feel indulged without break ing the bank.”

It was clear when I saw Harris at Rosé Fest in 2021, where she was selling candles, room sprays, and bath salts, that she was all-in when it came to seeing this company

and her daughter succeed.

Asked about advice Harris would give to other parents with teenagers wanting to start a business, she said, “I am so proud that I raised a daugh ter who has courage and cre ativity. I recommend parents encourage and support their children’s dreams. Who knows, it might even become your dream—like in my case!”

Gregory, asked where she sees herself in five years and if it is difficult to juggle her college coursework and her business, responded: “I am actually taking a gap year right now. I plan to continue to fo cus on learning every aspect of the business so I can de termine which niche I want to focus on long term.”

Asked about the challeng es of running a business, the team emphasized the difficul

ties of building brand aware ness as well as learning the re tail business. “Neither one of us has a background in retail,” Harris said. “We are grateful to consider ourselves lifelong learners. It’s been exciting to learn a new industry.”

They shared tips for suc cess: “Always be learning! [There is] so much to learn about in the industry. Net work—build your social capital. Minnesota has some amazing resources… The information and relationships we built have proven to be invaluable for Kobi Co.”

For more information on Kobi Co. visit: www.lovekobico. com follow their Instagram: @ LoveKobiCo.

Angela Rose Meyers welcomes reader responses to ameyers@ spokesman-recorder.com.

Small Business Dos & Don’ts

Photos Courtesy of Kobi Co.

“I am so proud that I raised a daughter who has courage and creativity.”

Homeless

gather their possessions.

“Usually at these encamp ment evictions it looks like refugees,” Nobles said. “You see these people moving with all their possessions on their back and leaving. This time there was no possessions. There was just their back.”

Nobles says he consoled one evicted woman who was not allowed to go back into the camp to retrieve the grad uation cap her son had given her after he was the first in their family to graduate from high school. Everything left in the encampment was loaded into a payloader.

When asked about the process to retrieve items, Minneapolis Media Relations Coordinator Casper Hill said in an email to the MSR: “Every one who had been living at Friday’s closed encampment could take their belongings with them [and] store their items free of charge. When items are left and encamp

CHief

ment closes, it’s the responsi bility of the property owner to remove those items.”

The American Civil Liber ties Union (ACLU) currently has an open lawsuit against the City of Minneapolis, Park Board, and Hennepin County for the seizing of unhoused citizens’ property in previous evictions.

A press release on Twitter by local resident Reed Eliot stated, “on behalf of anony mous comrades and residents of the encampments” there has been “a total absence of city outreach and services at the site of sweeps this year.”

clearing in terms of health and human services type folks,” Crabtree said. “None.” Minne apolis officials had not replied by press time to questions about what level of City out reach had been provided to the encampment.

Nobles and Crabtree both said there were no health or human service workers at Fri day’s eviction. Nobles said he only saw City outreach once at the 28th and Bloomington encampment.

“There were absolutely not any workers the day of the

Eviction defenders say many residents do not even think of the shelters as options, as they consider them less safe than encampments or have concerns about being unable to stay with their fami lies. David Hewitt, director of Hennepin County’s Office to End Homelessness, acknowl edges that people have previ ously had bad experiences in shelters, but he believes major improvements have been made in recent years.

Hewitt cited the Salvation Army Harbor Light Shelter as an example. He said at one point it housed about four times as many people as it

escalation, first aid, and access to the police dispatch system.

does today with a fraction of the staffing, and noted past conditions could have caused poor experiences for people in shelters.

“I would recognize and acknowledge that those expe riences [that cause people to stay away from shelters] are very real and also that bet terments have been made and continue to be made to transform the shelter system to better serve people.”

Hewitt said his office focuses on individual case management, and that they have managed to perma nently house more than 1,000 people the office classified as “chronically homeless.” People housed by the Office to End

cil people, business, he really wore many hats. And he did it really well.”

Homelessness average 43 months living unhoused prior to getting assistance.

Hewitt reported an average of 70 open beds at Henne pin County shelters per night county-wide earlier in the summer, but Nobles said the unhoused people he works with have had trouble finding available beds.

Nobles said there were only 12 beds available (two for men and 10 for women) on Friday when they called the Min neapolis Shelter Connect, but the encampment’s population was estimated at 59 during a census taken by Sanctuary Supply Depot earlier in Sep tember.

Hewitt said people who

could not be accommodated because the shelters are full can call back in the evening when more beds open up due to no-shows.

In a previous interview, Hewitt noted that Hennepin County has a “shelter all” law that requires the County to expand family shelter capac ity to meet the needs of all unhoused families with chil dren. This is achieved by rout ing families to overflow sites that partner with the County and can accommodate families.

Allen, a resident of the 28th and Bloomington encamp ment (who declined to give a last name), had been at the camp since the encamp ment started. Allen liked the encampment for its sense of community and its relative security compared to sleeping at bus stops or other public spaces.

“I’ll go right down the Gre enway and do the same thing right there,” Allen said when asked about his plans after eviction.

Cole Miska welcomes reader responses to cmiska@ spokesman-recorder.com.

During his tenure, the Newark Police Department deployed a controversial system affording anyone unfettered access to its surveillance camera sys tem installed throughout the city.

His work overseeing the consent decree process required bringing local community groups on to keep their communities safe. One of the groups he worked with is the New ark Community Street Team, which trains people, including former gang members, in conflict resolution, de-

eleC tions

“He understands communitybased public safety as a complemen tary strategy to policing,” said Aqeela Sherrills, president and board chair of the Newark Community Street Team. “Cats like O’Hara [are] the future of policing in this country.”

He is also well-regarded by the Newark police union, with Fraternal Order of Police Newark Lodge No. 12 President Jeff Weber saying he works well with people. “He held us to high standards to be professional, [the] best we could be, and that’s what the civilians deserved,” said Weber.

“But then on top of that, we witnessed him amongst commu nity leaders, religious leaders, coun

Locally, the southside-based Unity Community Mediation Team, which

was represented by Lisa Clemons on the MPD Chief search commit tee, wrote a letter congratulating the mayor on his nomination. The search committee chair, the Rev. Ian Bethel, said in a statement, “The Unity Com munity Mediation Team is honored to have been represented on your Chief’s search committee…and we look forward to the unfolding confirma tion process. Be assured the UCMT is fully committed to the Police Commu nity Relations Council process and the strengthening of relationships between our communities and the MPD.”

Before the press conference con cluded, O’Hara, who Mayor Frey said is committed to living in Minneapolis, issued a plea to Minneapolis residents— particularly those who believe in abol

ishing the police—to work with him.

“Policing is a collaborative effort. It’s not just about law enforcement. We need every community member who is willing to have their voice heard to partner with us in this effort,” said O’Hara, adding he intends to make Minneapolis police an example of how policing should be across the nation. “We will build an MPD that is so good that people of all races and backgrounds will want to be a part of this positive change.”

If confirmed by the city council sometime this month, O’Hara may begin serving in November.

Henry Pan welcomes reader responses to hpan@spokesmanrecorder.com.

after each general election, in order to verify the accuracy of the machine count. Even though no discrepancies were found in Crow Wing County, the election deniers demanded more hand counting.

The county board decided to appease them by agreeing to double the number of precincts that are hand-counted. That, of course, did not satisfy the election deniers. They demand all ballots be hand-counted. Sasse notes this “would take an incredible amount of time for elec tion judges, leaves far more room for human error, and increases the potential for challenging ballots on baseless claims.”

The election deniers, whose leaders include My Pillow Mike Lindell, Rick Weible and his Minne sota Swamp Watch, and Seth Keshel, have hosted rallies and organized demands of county commissioners

across Minnesota. Counties that have been targeted include Anoka, Benton, Carver, Crow Wing, Dakota, Kandiyohi, Rice, Sherburne, Stearns, Winona, and Wright. In all of these counties except Winona, Trump won the 2020 election, usually by large margins. That makes right-wing claims of election fraud in those counties even harder to believe.

restrictions on absentee voting; detailed personal information on election workers; information on vot ing machines; and extensive data on ballot records in past elections.

Attacking absentee voting and voting by mail

Absentee voting and voting by mail are also under attack. One example from Wisconsin shows the breadth and the absurdity of some of the new restrictions on absentee voting.

Martha Chambers was paralyzed in a horseback riding accident. She needs assistance to vote and relies on relatives to mail in her ballot. Now, however, Wisconsin has made that illegal, saying that only the voter can return their ballot.

Making voting harder Closing polling sites and punish ing people standing in line to vote are two of the tactics used in other states to make voting harder.

From 2013 to 2018, Texas alone closed 750 polling places. That makes voting much harder for people who have to travel farther to cast their votes. Other southern states closed nearly a thousand more polling places. This year, Lincoln County, Georgia tried to close six of its seven polling places, which would mean some voters would have to travel more than 20 miles to vote.

Refusing to abide by the vote

Across the country, a dozen prominent Republican candidates either say they will not accept elec tion results if they lose, or refuse to answer the question. In Alaska, after Sarah Palin lost the election to fill a vacant seat, she said the election was rigged. While many other Republi cans say they will abide by the results of the upcoming 2022 election, these election deniers continue to undermine public trust in the entire electoral process. Their position might best be summarized as “Heads, I win. Tails, the election was stolen.”

According to the National Endowment for Financial Education, around 60% of U.S. adults have no financial edu cational opportunities. RozierByrd remembered that when he graduated from college back in the mid-2000s, he wasn’t fully versed on the financial markets or how they worked.

“I struggled with many misperceptions like a lot of people in our community,” he

Common demands, both in Min nesota and in other states, include ending all use of voting machines and going to all paper ballots; oner ous information requests that take up hours and days of staff time;

recalled. But once he invested and his investments began to grow, the Stackwell leader found his anxiety slowly disap pearing as his knowledge grew.

After several years work ing in corporate and legal areas, Rozier-Byrd founded Stackwell in September 2021. Now, a year later, his company is working with the Timber wolves and Lynx, along with Detroit, New Orleans and Washington, D.C.—“cities that have extremely large concen trations of poverty,” noted Rozier-Byrd.

“We wanted to be in the places where we can meet

Martha is physically unable to put a ballot envelope in a mailbox—so this provision means she is no longer allowed to vote. Many other states have also restricted absentee ballots and criminalized voter assistance.

In Minnesota, the election deniers have succeeded in getting absentee ballot drop boxes removed in at least three counties.

and authentically touch and drive impact for the commu nities we serve. We truly are really excited to partner with these different teams and pro vide access to opportunity and promote positive impact and change.”

“We were introduced to these folks this summer,” explained Ryan Tanke, the Timberwolves and Lynx chief operating officer. He told the MSR last week, “I think more than anything [we are] just really inspired by the platform that they’re building, actively getting Black Minnesotans to participate in this mobile app

Fewer polling places also may mean longer lines to vote. Geor gia’s attack on voting includes a 2021 law that makes it a crime to give food or water to people standing in line to vote. That’s just one of many recently-passed state laws that make it harder to help voters.

An analysis by States Newsroom found that states created more than 60 new felonies and more than 50 new misdemeanors related to elec tions since 2020.

experience that’s all about education, and giving people the tools to go out and invest.”

In addition, the local NBA/ WNBA teams will be host ing events at their practice facilities and collaborating with employers, social justice organizations, and community groups throughout the upcom ing Timberwolves season. The Stackwell brand will be pro moted during games as well.

“The pandemic gave us this great opportunity to reset as an organization,” said Tanke. “I think the Covid gave us this chance to really spend a lot of time reas sessing our commitment inside

of various communities.

Taken one by one, the attacks on electoral processes are serious and dangerous. Perhaps even more seriously, these attacks by election deniers undermine public confidence in democratic elections by trumpet ing false claims of election fraud.

Next two weeks: Part III: Threats to election officials, and Part IV: Attacking voting rights.

Mary Turck welcomes reader responses to mturck@spokesmanrecorder.com.

“Part of that is leaning in on different community efforts, whether it’s voting or different things. We’re just educating ourselves along the way to have the urgent need inside of this community, and then how can the Timberwolves and Lynx organization be a part of it.”

The Cities’ longstanding racial wealth inequities soon became a focus for the local pro basketball teams, and part nering with a Black-owned company to help address it was a no-brainer, said the executive.

“Minneapolis being the city

at the center of the conversa tions” around racial change, said Rozier-Byrd, “we will have a number of [events] through out the year where we’re promoting financial literacy and training and education programs. We will certainly be in the market and just really excited to get to many people in the community.

“We’re going to teach and we’re going to help educate a generation around financial literacy.”

“We will build an MPD that is so good that people of all races and backgrounds will want to be a part of this positive change.”

“Usually at these encampment evictions it looks like refugees.”

“Heads, I win. Tails, the election was stolen.”

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

Law enforcement blocked off streets surrounding 28th St. and Bloomington Ave. encampment.

Arts & Culture

Honoring the greats, past and present

Lewis, a Chicago native, was not only a pianist and prolific composer, he was also a radio personality. Probably he’s most known for his album, “The In Crowd,” which gar

There’s a lot happening on the jazz front both nationally and locally. Recently, in just a span of a few weeks, we’ve lost several of our jazz greats, which can be particularly hard as few are still with us.

It’s good to pause, ac knowledge and remember those who have made and are making significant contribu tions to the jazz community.

nered a 1965 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance.

ect and started playing piano at age four.

Lewis also grew up hear ing jazz, classical and gospel in his home. He played organ and piano in his church. Lewis recorded over 80 albums and won three Grammys. I recall listening to his longtime syn dicated radio show “Legends of Jazz” that went on to be come a public television series back in the mid-2000s.

Jazz journalist Aaron Cohen co-authored Lewis’ memoir, “Gentleman of Jazz,” which will be out in 2023.

DeFrancesco, who per formed with Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, and Hous ton Person, was a renowned jazz organist, composer and bandleader. He is well-known for jumpstarting the populari ty of the Hammond B-3 organ.

tual voice and for starting his career with Sun Ra and John

phone sound was distinctive, which helped him to have an impactful career. Before Sanders played saxophone, he

According to The Guardian, “Amid a ferment of innovation in the new jazz avant garde, tet. The poet LeRoi Jones (later

known as Amiri Baraka) was the first to take notice, writ ing in his column in DownBeat magazine in 1964 that Sanders was “putting it together very quickly; when he does, some body will tell you about it.”

Jazz Fest in the early 2000s.

We talked jazz and about our mutual friend Bob Protzman.

conversation between two amazing orchestras.

Pianist Ramsey Lewis, jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco, saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, and Sue Mingus have passed. Their legacies will live on.

The song and album “The In Crowd” received plenty of critical praise and topped the R&B charts for several weeks according to BillBoard. An other one of his famous tunes, “Sun Goddess”, was and re mains quite popular. The band Earth, Wind, & Fire recorded a beloved version of the song. Lewis was 87 when he passed. NPR said that throughout his career, Lewis was the embodiment of jazz crossover. He grew up in the Cabrini-Green housing proj

DeFrancesco also played trumpet, piano, saxophone and synthesizer. His father, acclaimed organist “Papa” John DeFrancesco, bought Joey a B-3 organ when he was four years old. As a bandlead er, DeFrancesco released over 30 recordings. DeFrancesco’s 2019 album, “In the Key of the Universe”, received a Grammy nomination. He died at age 51.

Sanders, who the New York Times called a “Force of Nature”, died at age 81. He was celebrated for his spiri

Coltrane took notice, too, and invited Sanders to record and join his regular group. He appears on albums by Alice Coltrane, Randy Weston, Don Cherry, and Ornette Coleman.

Mingus was married to bassist/composer Charles Mingus. She is responsible for forming tribute bands to per form his music after his pass ing. Not only did Mingus cham pion her husband’s legacy, she published books and produced Grammy-nominated albums during her four-decade salute. Mingus died at age 92.

I met her at the Playboy

Speaking of great legacies and local happenings, trum peter Wynton Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center Or chestra performed Marsalis’

“Swing Symphony” (Symphony No. 3) with the Minnesota Orchestra on Friday and Sat urday, September 23 and24 at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.

“Swing Symphony” is writ ten from a jazz musician’s perspective and captures the sound of American music eras and the evolution of the swing rhythm. This performance fea tured a beautiful and swingin’

It was an historic meeting between conductor William Eddins and composer Marsalis, who both happen to be Black. That sort of thing is a rarity in the classical world.

Among the seven move ments, Midwestern Moods and Manhattan to LA stood out, and it was multi-instrumental ists Sherman Irby, Julian Lee, and bassist Carlos Henriquez that gave the most adventur ous solos on Friday night.

Robin James welcomes read er responses to jamesonjazz@ spokesman-recorder.com.

Sister Spokesman offers insights on surviving and thriving

On October 1, Sister Spokesman attendees gath ered for an uplifting after noon centered on ways peo ple can thrive together, from disagnosis to life after can cer. The event was held in the party room of Sabathani Community Center’s new apartment complex.

In addition to hearing from cancer survivors, at tendees shopped, mingled, listened to soulful tunes spun by KMOJ’s “Q Bear” Walter Banks and won games and prizes. The af ternoon included a special visit by Miss Juneteenth DaMaris Jones (see page 2).

Sister Spokesman’s next event “Small Business Dos and Don’ts” takes place on Nov. 5 from 12-4 pm. More details to come. Visit @Sis terSpokesman on Facebook for the latest.

by SUZAN-LORI PARKS

by

Ramsey Lewis performing in 2009. Wikipedia

Pharoah Sanders in 2008 Wikipedia

Joey DeFrancesco

Facebook/Joey DeFrancesco

Photos by Steve Floyd

(l-r) Debbie Morrison, MSR Publisher/CEO Tracey Williams-Dillard, Luella Williams of AABCA and Vicky Lyle

Attendees and vendors at Sister Spokesman’s “Surviving Together” event

Find out more about us @sisterspokesman

NEXT TOPIC: Small Business Dos & Don’ts

Wynton Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with the Minnesota Orchestra in Sept. Photo by Robin James

Opinion

What’s in yo’ closet, Black man? And why does it matter?

No room for Black folk, not even in fantasyland

By Oscar Blayton

In a recent interview in Vul ture Magazine, Dr. Ebony Eliza beth Thomas, author of “The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Pot ter to the Hunger Games” and an associate professor at the University of Michigan, said this about the inability of certain White Americans to share the benefits of our society:

“When it comes down to it, sharing space means actually giving up something that you’ve always had: Giving up power, giving up the spotlight, giving up money so that you can share that space. And that’s hard for folks.”

Sharing space with people of color in America is something with which White Americans have struggled since they first set foot on these shores. There is not a resident of the United States who is unaware of the sustained genocidal attacks against the peoples of the first nations or the barbaric treat ment towards descendants of Africa who were forced to en dure chattel slavery.

But besides these horrifying atrocities committed against non-Whites, there are other ways in which many White Americans refuse to share space with non-Whites, and that is in the realm of self-awareness as articulated in fantasy narratives.

As stated by author and psy chotherapist Peter Michaelson, “Fantasies, like dreams, can give you vital knowledge about your self.” This is because in every fan tasy, there is a kernel of truth—or what we believe to be the truth. Whether a fantasy is a tale about courage, empathy, affection, generosity, or any other human value, a fantasy carries a truth ful message about people. But when there is disagreement over who are “people,” fantasies can

become cultural battlegrounds filled with bitterness and even hatred.

Recently, there has been a great deal of frothing at the mouth by White Supremacists enraged by what they consider to be improper portrayals of people in fantasies. A tidal wave of apo plectic rants has surged on social media, triggered by the creative imaginations of fictional writers who include in their tales people of color as well as White folk.

“The Rings of Power,” a fantasy tale based upon the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, tells of a world filled with elves, dragons, and other fictional beings such as hobbits, orcs and ghosts. And while it is said that the settings resemble Anglo-Saxon England and northern Europe, none of these lands are inhabited by elves, dragons, hobbits, orcs or ghosts. These settings and these characters issue from the imagi nation of the author.

dios‘ “The Little Mermaid.” The problem, as some White people see it, is that the title character will be portrayed by Halle Bailey, a Black actress.

Even given the fact that mer maids, like dragons and giants, are not real, a significant num ber of White Supremacists have demanded that this mermaid be portrayed by an actress with White skin to make the story more believable. There is no room in their imagination for a mermaid who looks any other way.

This type of demand for White Supremacy in fantasy is not new. When the first “Star Wars” episode was screened in 1977, there was heated debate over the absence of people of color despite there being charac ters that looked like lizards, bats, and huge bugs.

Then in 2015 and 2017, when the seventh and eighth episodes were released, there was backlash from White Su premacists when people of color were placed in central roles.

By Vincent L. Hall Texas Metro News

Even though I can never find the story, I have a brilliant memory of it as read in an eighth-grade English class. I’ve searched the in ternet long and diligently in search of a very short story called “Clothes Make the Man.” When it comes to the corporate arena, what a man wears, especially an African Ameri can man, is of great import.

The storyline went something like this: Two hoods planned to rob a bank. Not only did they stake out the financial institution they planned to victimize, but they also decided what they would wear. The ringleader, a very short guy, told his very tall accomplice that they would don police uniforms.

And oh, by the way, that ad age is true. Taller men and women generally go further toward the top, but when you get to the top, it’s usually someone short. The Napoleon Complex is real. And it’s a fact that tall people usually get bad knees.

The short, bossy ringleader strolled into the bank with his duller counterpart. They rob the bank successfully and seem to be on their way to splitting the spoils of the heist. Just then, a little girl tugs on the pants leg of the brain less tall man and asks him why he does not arrest the robber. He looked at what he was wearing, succumbed to the uniform’s sug gestion, and arrested his partner.

What you wear makes a dif ference. This plea may come off

as bourgeoise or even offen sive, but I gotta say it. No matter where I go these days, Black folks be lookin’ a mess. At church, at a banquet, it doesn’t matter. And please don’t get me started with the grocery store. Grown a** men in pajama pants and Jordan’s? In the words of Snoop Dogg, “Y’all doin’ too much!”

Save arguments about your freedom of self-expression and personal preferences. When you want a d*mn job, you go dressed to the “nines!” You forgo those freedoms when you put on a

pervasive ignorance that circum scribes and limits most of us to the predetermined pictures of crimi nals, deadbeat dads, and laziness is alive and well. Barack Obama could never wear a bowtie in the White House. They would have labeled him Hussein X and linked him to Minister Farrakhan.

America is hard on Black men, and we have to deal with it real istically. Sometimes I get gussied up just to give myself a boost! You must heed my warning if you’re Black or Brown and want to go up the chain. Clothes make an impres sion on how you feel about yourself.

show for “The Man”! Why not do it just for you?

I was at a function recently, and if your Big Mama had been there with a switch in hand, she would have worked herself into a tizzy. We came from a tradition that says if you only have one “suit of clothes” make it the best you can afford.

Over the years, I learned that Black men don’t have wardrobes. We wear costumes. You can literal ly and convincingly look like a pro fessor and a preacher or look like a pimp or a professional athlete. But nobody who makes decisions that can affect your livelihood and abil ity to ascend the ladder dismisses what you have on.

Sadly, America still clings to stereotypes and negative images of Black male masculinity. This

But the telling part of “Clothes make the Man” is that it makes an even more penetrating impression on others who see you. Most out siders expect you to act on your appearance, just as this little girl did.

My mother believes and has convinced me that nothing looks worse on a Black man than cheap shoes. I don’t know if it’s the big feet or the ability to see one’s bone structure protruding through the fake leather.

So, buy what you can afford to wear, but don’t sacrifice quality for quantity or trends! You don’t have to wear everyone else’s name on your breast pocket. You can have your suits made and wear your monogram on your cuffs. Learn to pick the appropriate costume for every occasion.

What’s in yo’ closet, Black man?

Vincent L. Hall is an author, ac tivist, and an award-winning colum nist at Texas Metro News.

Immigrants: Who gets to stay and who must go?

By Margaret Kimberley

As in Tolkien’s tales, the writings of George R.R. Mar tin constructed a world for his multi-volume fantasy “Game of Thrones,” populating it with dragons and “ice zombies,” gi ants, unicorns, and an assort ment of other fantastic creatures.

But in films populated with these fictional beings, the pres ence of Black people sends large portions of White people into hysterics, denouncing the presentations as unrealistic and unbelievable.

This nonsensical manifesta tion of bigotry is even more pro nounced in the backlash over the upcoming release of Disney Stu

I should not fail to mention the hateful responses by White Supremacists when they discov ered that an endearing charac ter they read about in the book “Hunger Games” was properly portrayed by a child of color in the film version in 2012. Some “Hunger Games” fans even went so far as to write that they felt that they had wasted sorrow over the character’s death when they discovered through the film that she was Black.

I could continue listing exam ples of certain White people not wanting people of color to have space to live, but this attitude can best be demonstrated by a line in another popular movie, “Independence Day.” In this scene, the president of the United States asked one of the alien in vaders who had been captured just what it was the invaders wanted. And the alien’s response was: “We…want...you to…die.”

Some White Supremacists do not want people of color to occupy any space in their world. This could account for the mass shootings by avowed White Su premacists in Charleston, South Carolina, and Buffalo, New York, and for the multiple homicides of people of color by certain White police officers.

It could account for the man ner in which Black communities are allowed to be poisoned by toxic water systems. It could account for any number of in explicable instances of neglect, violence, inequities, and all man ner of other injustices suffered by Black people at the hands of certain White folk.

It is important for people in America to come to grips with the reality that there is just no room for Black folk in a world envisioned by certain White folk.

Oscar H. Blayton is a former Marine Corps combat pilot and human rights activist who practic es law in Virginia. His earlier com mentaries may be found at oblay ton1.medium.com.

Every day the Republican governors of Texas, Greg Ab bott, and Florida, Ron DeSantis, eagerly announce that they are sending people generically la beled as migrants to what are known as sanctuary cities. The corporate media report that thousands of people have been convinced to board buses to New York City or Washington, D.C. or Sacramento or Chicago or even chartered flights to Mar tha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

What they don’t explain is who these migrants are and why their status is highly problematic and a function of imperialist for eign policy.

Republicans rail against what are called sanctuary cities and imply that federal law doesn’t ap ply in these places or that undoc umented people get some sort of special deal. However, the term “sanctuary city’’ doesn’t really mean very much. In New York it means that the city government and its employees will not assist in the deportation process.

It does not mean that no one is ever deported or that federal rules don’t apply. Undocumented people are eligible for Supplemen tal Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other benefits only under very limited circumstances, and applying in a sanctuary city doesn’t change that fact.

The media cannot seem to disseminate this easily provable information, and people in this country are whipped into a fren zy over non-issues.

But there is a larger issue at work here that also goes unad dressed. The people taken to Martha’s Vineyard have made legal requests for asylum, which may be granted because of U.S. policy against their home coun try of Venezuela. Migrants from nations targeted by the U.S. are automatically eligible for asylum.

In this hemisphere, Venezu elans, Cubans and Nicaraguans are likely to be granted asylum because the U.S. doesn’t like their governments.

Ukrainians are favored because the U.S. supports their government’s

role in attacking Russia and they are also given asylum when they arrive at the border. Some 100,000 Ukrainians have arrived here since February 2022.

Conversely, Haitians are rou tinely deported. Their country is in worse shape than any of the others mentioned and entirely because of U.S. interference in their sovereign rights. In 2010 the Obama admin istration even ordered Haiti to hold an election twice because they didn’t like the initial result.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton famously pressured the Haitian government to lower the already low minimum wage there. Now the U.S. orders the current illegitimate president Ariel Henry to enact auster ity programs that create misery.

go out the window so that the media can be slipshod and curry favor simultaneously.

The topic of immigration is very complicated, but serious issues can’t be addressed if one party is devoted to opposing migration as a fundraising and vote-getting strategy. Of course, Republicans are also wedded to the idea of fighting socialist gov ernments in this hemisphere and say nothing about the people arriving here because they sup port these policies. Abbott and DeSantis would have a lot of explaining to do if they admitted that they support giving asylum to Venezuelans while also be having as if they don’t.

Democrats, on the other hand, talk out of both sides of their mouths. They may say they are more compassionate, but in the end they are no different from the Republicans, as we see in Biden’s deportations to Haiti.

The U.S. coups, UN occupations, and other interventions have made Haiti unlivable.

But the Joe Biden administra tion has no sympathy for Hai tians fleeing the problems of U.S. making. As of February 2022, more than 19,000 Haitians were deported in the first year of Biden’s term. That figure is more than three times the number de ported in the last three adminis trations combined.

Not only do Abbott and De Santis lie about who they are send ing around the country, but no one in the media calls them out on their subterfuge. They are scoring points by claiming to send undoc umented people when they are in fact sending people who under in ternational law have a legal right to request asylum in the U.S.

The corporate media are complicit because they are joined at the hip with the Biden administration. Sloppy reporting is not a problem for them.

Pointing out the inherent in justice of U.S. sanctions against Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela might damage precious connec tions and White House access.

Any responsibility for inform ing readers and viewers doesn’t matter, and journalistic ethics

Bill Clinton made all noncitizens eligible for deportation if they commit felonies that are all too often victimless, minor crimes. Every Democratic presi dent built portions of the bor der wall that became identified with Donald Trump, including Joe Biden, who was sold as the “harm reduction” candidate.

There is no harm reduction under imperialism. Inevitably it favors the people of one country over another, and humans are reduced to being used to further U.S. foreign policy interests. The duopoly can’t resolve immigra tion issues for the same reason they don’t resolve anything else.

They serve the needs of the oligarchy and virtue signal to various constituency groups whose needs aren’t met by them either. People migrating for a va riety of reasons become tools to be used at election time and not humans whose needs can and should be addressed.

Margaret Kimberley is the au thor of “Prejudential: Black Amer ica and the Presidents.”

“In films populated with these fictional beings, the pres ence of Black people sends large portions of White people into hysterics.”

People in this country are whipped into a frenzy over non-issues.

No matter where I go these days, Black folks be lookin’ a mess.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month

National Bullying Prevention Month, a campaign established by PACER’s Nation al Bullying Prevention Center (NBPC) in 2006, kicks off on October 1. The monthlong, nationwide campaign has a goal of preventing childhood bullying and promot ing kindness, acceptance and inclusion.

“National Bullying Prevention Month is an important time to elevate the conversa tion of address ing and prevent ing bullying by calling attention to the issue, en couraging local action, offer ing information and education, and providing a platform to host school and community events. News media play a critical role in sharing bullying prevention information,” said Julie Hertzog, director of PACER’s National Bullying Pre vention Center.

“Community involve ment is central to Na tional Bullying Preven tion month,” Hertzog said. “Bullying affects the whole community, and PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center offers age-appropriate re sources to help students, parents, educators, and community members learn about and take action to pre vent bullying.”

Facts about bullying

Bullying is widespread. One in five students report they have been bullied.

Chances are a young person you care about has been or is being bullied.

Bullying has long-term effects. When a young person is bullied, it impacts their health, education and safety when it occurs and well into the future. The nega tive effects of bullying can last a lifetime.

Pexels

Bullying af fects others. Those who wit ness bullying feel less safe, helpless to stop the behavior, and intimidated.

Bullying happens everywhere. Bully ing can happen wherever youth come to gether: at school, online, in youth groups, athletic and academic competitions, and neighborhoods.

BULLYING IS WIDESPREAD AND HAPPENS EVERYWHERE.

“Everyone has a role to play in bullying pre vention,” Hertzog said. “National Bullying Pre vention Month puts a spotlight on bullying be havior and what we can all do to end it.”

In addition to resources for National Bullying Prevention Month, PACER’s NBPC offers three interactive websites with information, resources and activi ties for children, teens, and adults.

To

Employment & Legals

CASE TYPE: PERSONAL INJURY

OF MINNESOTA DISTRICT COURT

OF DAKOTA FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT Yvonne Sosa, Court File Number: 19HA-CV-22-3445

The Honorable: Tim WermagerPlaintiff, SUMMONS

v. Jason Gerardy, Defendant.

3. YOU MUST RESPOND TO EACH CLAIM. The Answer is your written response to the Plaintiff’s Complaint.

your

must state whether you agree or disagree with each

of the Complaint.

you believe the Plaintiff should not be given everything asked for in the Complaint, you must say so in your Answer.

4. YOU WILL LOSE YOUR CASE IF YOU DO NOT SEND A WRITTEN RE SPONSE TO THE COMPLAINT TO THE PERSON WHO SIGNED THIS SUM MONS. If you do not Answer within 20 days, you will lose this case. You will not get to tell your side of the story, and the Court may decide against you and award the Plaintiff everything asked for in the complaint. If you do not want to contest the claims stated in the complaint, you do not need to respond. A default judgment can then be entered against you for the relief requested in the complaint.

5. LEGAL ASSISTANCE. You may wish to get legal help from a lawyer. If you do not from a lawyer. If you do not have a lawyer, the Court Administrator may have information about places where you can get legal assistance. Even if you can not get legal help, you must still provide a written Answer to protect your rights or you may lose the case

6. ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION. The parties may agree to or be ordered to participate in an alternative dispute resolution process under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice. You must still send your written response to the Complaint even if you expect to use alternative means of resolving this dispute.

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder October 6, 13, 20, 2022

View

Contunued from page 10

redshirt sophomore volley ball playing daughter, Tay lor Landfair, to come out of the locker room. The family hails from Illinois.

“She was in an environment where people can see that she had an all-around game,” added Tonya of the 6-5 Taylor. She encouraged her daughter to go out for the sport as a youngster, who soon added it to her repertoire.

“Taylor is very creative. She likes music. She’s a good role model. It’s im portant that people under stand that these girls are more than just athletes,” said Tonya.

Sam McCaa was also

there. The St. Paul Highland Park and Minnesota Mor ris grad was there to watch his daughter Gabby, a Wis consin Badger. He likes vol leyball, as do several fam ily members also there. He couldn’t give me an answer as to why you don’t see more Blacks attending vol leyball games.

“We should do everything we can to promote it,” con cluded McCaa, “and encour age more young [Black] la dies to get involved.”

Next week: Sam McCaa continues our discussion on the subject.

Charles Hallman wel comes reader responses to challman@spokesman-re corder.com.

coming) to our therapeutic armamentarium.

State of Minnesota Fourth Judicial District Court County of Hennepin PROBATE MENTAL HEALTH DIVISION

NOTICE OF INFORMAL APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

In Re: Estate of Hoa Thi Johnson, FILE NO. 27-PA-PR-22-1291 Deceased

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND CREDITORS:

Notice is hereby given, that an application for informal probate of the above named decedent’s last will dated July 10, 2022 has been filed with the Registrar herein, and the application has been granted informally probating such will. Any objections may be filed in the above, and the same will be heard by the Court upon notice of hearing fixed for such purpose.

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

patient. It will be interesting to see if other large-scale studies evaluating combination treat ments like JAK inhibitors plus phototherapy can decrease the time to depigment. This is certainly something we have seen in our clinic.

At our clinic, we have used compounded JAK-in hibitors, and now Opzelura, in combination with topi cal steroids, topical macro lactams, topical vitamin D preparations, and narrowband UVB phototherapy with amazing results over the years. We are excited to add Opzelura (and any other JAK inhibitors that may be

One of the things that I have noticed is that, fortu nately, the head and neck seem to respond best. The trunk, arms and legs are sec ond best. The hands and feet are most difficult to respond.”

Action steps for anyone with unwanted Vitiligo

Be sure to get under the care of a board-certified der matologist. Learn about Vitili go and the current treatments. Also, join the National Vitiligo Foundation and participate in local Vitiligo support groups.

It is essential to realize that Vitiligo is a common condition and that you are not alone. The great news is that there are fantastic, ef

PHONE: 612-827-4021

Notice is hereby further given that informal appointment of Nancy Kim Johnson, whose address is 7532 Brunswick Ave. N., Brooklyn Park, MN 55443 as personal representative of the estate of the above named decedent, has been made. Any heir, devisee or other interested person may be entitled to appointment as personal rep resentative or may object to the appointment of the personal representative and the personal representative are empowered to fully administer the estate including, after 28 days from the date of issuance of letters, the power to sell, encumber, lease or distribute real estate, unless objections thereto are filed with the Court (pursuant to Section 524.3-607) and the Court otherwise orders

Notice is further given that ALL CREDITORS having claims against said estate are required to present the same to said personal representative or to the Probate Court Administrator within four months after the date of this notice or said claims will be barred.

FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS PLEASE CONTACT ACCOUNTING DEPT @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM

Dated: September 14, 2022 Lindy Scanlon Registrar

SUMMONS

ProSe Sarah Gonsalves District Court Administrator

Notice of Inf Appt of PR

Please Note: New email address for all future ads is ads@ spokesman-recorder.com

Minn. Stat.524.3-310;524.3-801

Minnesota Spokesman Recorder September 29, October 6, 2022

The MSR handles billing digitally. This means you will get e-tears and e-mailed invoices unless you specifically request a hard copy.

PreP

Contunued from page 10

elder Chapman teamed with Monte DeBerry, Wayne Ellis, Chris Garrett, Scott Ackerson, Darron Chapman, Scott Marx, Coy Suggs and Tony Adkins to lead the Gov ernors to the 1983 St. Paul City Conference champion ship with a 16-0 record.

James S. Griffin was not only the first Black officer in the St. Paul Police Depart ment, he was also the first to become a sergeant, captain and deputy chief. He also refereed high school foot ball and basketball games. Later in life, he served on the St. Paul Public Schools Board of Education.

Griffin’s grandson Chris Garrett also starred in foot ball and earned a scholar ship to play at Arizona State University as a tight end in 1984. Younger brother James Garrett actually played on the field named for his grandfather from 1987-90, helping Central capture two city champion ships in ’87 and ’88.

fective new FDA-approved treatments for Vitiligo.

Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD, is a board-certified dermatolo gist and clinical professor of der matology at the University of Minnesota Medical School and a Benedict Distinguished Visiting Professor of Biology at Carleton College. He also has a private practice, Crutchfield Dermatol ogy, in Eagan, MN. He received his MD and master’s degree in molecular biology and genom ics from the Mayo Clinic. He has been selected as one of the top 10 dermatologists in the United States by Black Enterprise mag azine. In addition, Minnesota Medicine recognized Dr. Crutch field as one of the 100 Most Influential Healthcare Leaders in Minnesota. Dr. Crutchfield

The stadium was re named in 1988.

Howell, the head coach at Central after taking the reins following the retire ment of Hall of Fame coach Floyd Smaller, has coached the Minutemen since 2000. During his two-year stint as fullback for Central during the 1982 and 1983 sea sons, he earned All-Metro honors and went on to play at St. Cloud State Univer sity from 1984-87.

Magembe is in his first year at Johnson. He earned All-Conference honors as a linebacker for Johnson before, ironically, earning a scholarship to St. Cloud State University. He played there from 2004-2007.

You can see the head bust statue of James S. Grif fin in a glass case as you en ter the stadium. Each Cen tral player touches it before warming up.

I wasn’t at the game, but I definitely felt a connection.

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

specializes in skin-of-color and has been selected by physicians and nurses as one of the lead ing dermatologists in Minnesota for the past 20 years. He is the consulting team dermatologist for the Minnesota Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves, Wild and Lynx. Dr. Crutchfield is an active member of the American and National Medical Associations and past president of the Minnesota As sociation of Black Physicians. He is a founding member of “Minnesota’s Black Community Project” which recently pub lished an award-winning book. Dr. Crutchfield has been recog nized by NBC News/The Grio as one of the most influential Afri can Americans in America. He can be reached at Crutchfield Dermatology.com or by calling 651-209-3600.

SOe

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volleyball coaching staff.

PHONE: 612-827-4021

nate GCAC marketing and branding initiatives.

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“She is a consummate leader and one of the most dynamic professionals in our industry,” said GCAC Commissioner Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes last week in a release statement on Wright’s hiring. “She un derstands what it takes to build a strong team.”

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Asked about diversity in volleyball, she responded, “I have seen a change. We are seeing a lot more di versity in high school vol leyball, and not only just in high school but at a higher level. The club season for high school age [players] is becoming a little bit more accessible.

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“Before it was very highpriced,” Evans said. “I now think that people are mak ing a more conscious effort to not make it so spendy or to have opportunities for players…to experience these things.

“I think that that’s helping bring diversity in sport.”

Wright’s extensive ex perience includes being sports information director at Clark Atlanta and Ken tucky State Universities, where she helped redesign KYSU’s athletics website and oversaw CAU’s com munity engagement, which led to a Division II com munity engagement award. She was a media relations assistant for the Mid-Amer ican Conference.

The MSR handles billing digitally. This means you will get e-tears and e-mailed in voices unless you specifically request a hard copy.

Communications chief Danielle Wright last week was appointed di rector of strategic com munications for the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC).

Wright will oversee all communications func tions of the GCAC, includ ing website development and social media manage ment, and will help coordi

TailgaTing

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disappointing when you look around and you’re one of the few,” Wright noted.

“College football in general and Gopher games are a lot of fun.”

Wright also taught me something else last Satur day—at least at the U of M, tailgating isn’t cheap.

“We only have a few of these tailgate lots around,” he pointed out. “They get you for season tickets, seat licenses—that’s another [cost] on top of your tick ets—and a donation to be able to park in this lot. God bless, we’re able to do it. But these are the hurdles” he believes stand in the way of seeing more Blacks at Gopher football games.

It was Homecoming last weekend, but as Wright pointed out, outside of the tailgating lots and the sta dium, the Minnesota cam pus didn’t reflect it. “If you walked across the street on campus right now, you

Wright also worked in K-12 education communi cations and student servic es as well as operating her own firm.

“It is an amazing feeling to be back in athletics,” said Wright in a prepared state ment.

Charles Hallman wel comes reader responses to challman@spokesman-re corder.com.

probably would never be able to tell this is Home coming. You know that ain’t gonna be the case at South Carolina State.”

Gopher tailgating is fam ily-friendly. “It’s a lot more chill over here,” Wright ob served, as opposed to Vi kings tailgating, which can be a little rowdier. But he suggested that school of ficials must do better out reach to make this more known, especially in nonWhite communities.

“You really got to make it affordable for people and show them what you got… But in terms of getting peo ple to come down here from underrepresented commu nities, Black folks, whoever it is—it’s a good time.

“I tell people to just come down and check out the tailgates, [then] go to one of the local establishments and watch the game [if you don’t have a game ticket].”

Charles Hallman wel comes reader responses to challman@spokesman-re corder.com.

First of a two-part story

We know there are Black sports fans, but the oftasked question is, “Do they attend games in person?” If not, why not?

Trying to find a sensible answer to that question has eluded this longtime reporter for decades, looking high and low for Black fans while cov ering local sporting events. A couple of weekends ago, we once again sought an answer: Out-of-town Black fans

A study by On Line Betting Guide USA (OLBG) that came out just before the start of the 2022 NFL season ranked such factors as average ticket prices, cost of beer, stadium capacity, and Google reviews among other factors affecting attendance and listed the top

Sports

The search for elusive Black fans continues

a heartbreaker, Carl said the weekend wasn’t a total loss. He called it “a wonderful ex perience. I went to the Twins game last night. We got to go see Paisley Park, which is my dream—I’m a huge Prince fan,” he added.

More importantly, Carl said the surrounding Vikings fans “were great. They were very nice. We were bantering back and forth, but it was a friendly ban ter, not rude, not disrespectful in any way or shape.

“Everything was fine,” he said, but neither he nor his wife could give me an answer to why you don’t see more Blacks at NFL games at home or away.

10 best NFL stadiums for away days. The Minnesota Vikings downtown stadium was listed as the fifth-best away-day ex perience for visiting fans.

Does this include visiting Black fans as well? We ran into several after the Sept. 25 Minnesota-Detroit contest.

“The fans around us were great,” said Carl and Alvina Glov

er of Detroit. The married couple was among a group of Blacks in town to watch their hometown Lions play the Vikings.

“It’s a couple of different groups,” explained Carl. “It was eight of us sitting togeth er. There was another group of another eight, and another group of 10.”

Despite their Lions losing

Big game with historical connections

I missed the football game between St. Paul Johnson and St. Paul Central last Saturday. The matchup between these schools has special meaning.

Here are a few special meanings to support this viewpoint: (1) I graduated from Central, where I also spent two years on the varsity basketball team from 198183; (2) I’ve been a social stud ies teacher at Johnson since 2001; (3) It matched two of the state’s best coaches in Central’s Scott Howell (1984 Central graduate) and Rich ard Magembe (2004 Johnson graduate); and (4) the game was played at James S. Griffin Stadium (Central), named after a St. Paul community icon.

As I reflected on the game I missed, I started to think more about the historical connections this matchup brought to mind.

First the game.

Dwayne Givens returned an interception 48 yards for a touchdown and ran 75 yards for another. Quarterback Eli jah Knox completed a 15-yard pass to JaJuan Bobmanuel

for a score and another pass to J’Sean Jackson for the two-point conversion, leading Johnson to a 26-14 victory.

Quarterback Cole Fee had touchdown runs of 12 and 2 yards and placekicker Simon Amnuel provided the extrapoint conversions to lead Central.

By Charles Hallman Sports Columnist

Tailgate parties—the name derived from people holding social events on and around the open tailgate of a ve hicle—are very popular in the United States and Canada during the early fall months. They are held in parking lots of stadiums and arenas before games and usually wrap up af terwards. Tailgating also takes place at festivals and concerts.

Most college football Sat urday games around the coun try aren’t complete without some kind of tailgating. Those attending usually bring food, drinks, and other nourish ments. The usual fare includes burgers, brats, hot dogs, and sometimes ribs and other meats suited for grilling.

Now let’s get to the historical connections. Oh, where to start!

Givens is the grandson of for mer St. Paul Johnson basketball great Barron Chapman. The

A rare sight

Black fans at a volleyball match are a true rarity. Min nesota’s Maturi Pavilion is the

longtime home for Gopher women’s volleyball. Despite a squad with four sistahs on it—and over the years some of the top Gophers have been Black females—it’s a unicorn sighting to see Blacks in the stands. But on this night, when the home team played splendidly in a 3-0 win over visiting Wisconsin, we indeed

did find a few persons of color watching it.

When we asked Lex Land fair if he would be in atten dance if it weren’t for his daughter playing that night, he responded, “Probably not. I’m here because of my daughter.” He and his wife Tonya were waiting for their

New Aggies coach finds the job ‘eye-opening’

Corrina Evans just started her master’s degree work in leadership at Augsburg Univer sity, with an anticipated gradu ation date of August 2023.

In the meantime, Evans is working as an assistant volley

Blaine, Minn. finished each of her four AU seasons among her team leaders in kills and total points, and a multiple All-MIAC performer as well.

Evans is in her first year of a two-year graduate fellowship.

terview. “But I always noticed that I had things to say [as a player] and I would never say them, but I know the game re ally well in my own mind.”

ball coach at the same school she once played for (2017-21). The 5-10 middle blocker from

“I didn’t envision myself going into coaching,” she admitted last week in an MSR phone in

Blacks at Gopher tailgating

Tailgating is a Gopher foot ball thing, as many parking lots near the stadium are full of people having pre-game fun, food and fellowship—but they are usually White. Longtime Gopher fans Vince Wright and his wife are regular tailgaters.

“I love tailgating,” he admit ted. “It’s not LSU. It’s not Ohio State by any means. But it is a lot of fun.”

It certainly isn’t an HBCU where tailgating is almost au tomatic, but Wright, who usu ally sets up in Lot 58 next door

I first met Wright a year ago. His sister Kim Bell once played for the Gophers wom en’s basketball team, and he is

Just like a player, Evans now as a coach must make the nec essary adjustments. “It’s just kind of eye-opening, the time that goes on outside of practice,” she noted. “When you’re a play er, all you really have to think about is showing up and playing.

“The coaches are here day in and day out in season,” contin ued Evans. “So they’re working pretty hard to get new recruits all year round. They’re always planning ahead for the end of the season and the beginning of next season. There’s a lot of thinking ahead and work done day to day that I didn’t really think about as a player just be cause I didn’t have to.”

Evans is her school’s only Black assistant coach on the

a graduate of the school him self. He invited me to attend one of his tailgating parties, and we finally took him up on it.

“We got doughnuts today because it’s in the morning, so we kind of got a lot more breakfast food here,” ex plained Wright last Saturday, Homecoming Day. Usually it is burgers and brats, “obvi ously tons of beer and alcohol and everything else. It doesn’t take too long at all—it prob ably took us literally 10 min utes to set it all up. We got some friends who just showed up. I don’t think they’re going to the game. They just came down to tailgate.”

As both of us looked around, we found ourselves the only non-Whites in the place. “It’s

Lex and Tonya Landfair Photos by Charles Hallman

Alvina and Carl Glover

“The fans around us were great.”

St. Paul Central Coach Scott Howell at James S. Griffin Sta dium Friday, September 24

St. Paul Johnson Coach Rich ard Magembe at Minneapo lis North High School Friday, September 2

Photos by Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald

“We are seeing a lot more diversity in high school volleyball.”

Corrina Evans

Photo courtesy of Augsburg

to Maturi Pavilion and across the street from Ridder Arena, nonetheless is an enthusiastic rarity in these parts—a Black

Gopher football fan who at tends games even though not connected with a player by blood or friendship.

“College football in general and Gopher games are a lot of fun.”

Vince Wright and his wife (far right) with friends at their Gopher tailgating party

Photo by Charles Hallman