October 20, 2022 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

MPLS REALTORS RENOUNCE YEARS OF HOUSING DISCRIMINATION

By Cole Miska Contributing Writer

Minneapolis Area Realtors (MAR) held a press conference Thursday, Oct. 13 to apologize for the organization’s history of racial discrimination in real estate sales.

“Our apology and efforts to engage in policy change are overdue and are important steps for us because of the deep and lasting impact our actions have had on people of color in Minnesota, especially Black Minnesotans,” Denise Mazone, MAR’s first Black president, said in a press release.

In its 135-year history, MAR engaged in redlining and ra

cial covenants that prevented Black people from purchasing property in certain neighborhoods and did not initially allow Black realtors to join MAR. Jackie Berry, who is on the MAR board of directors and MAR’s inclu sion committee, commented that these practices helped shape Minnesota into the state with the worst racial homeownership gap.

About 75% of White people in Minnesota own their home, compared to only about 25% of Blacks, a figure that has fallen from 46% in the 1950s.

By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer

Ten years ago, the MSR inter viewed William Blair Anderson as he embarked on his then-new role as head of the St. Cloud Po lice Department. On August, 27, 2012, Anderson was sworn in as

Attacking voting rights

St. Cloud’s first Black chief. The MSR recently spoke with Ander son for an exit interview ahead of his retirement in November.

St. Cloud Police Chief Wil liam Blair Anderson will retire in November after nearly 10

This is the fourth and last of MSR’s “Elections Under Attack” series that looks at threats to our elections growing out of the Big Lie that the for mer president won the 2020 election. Articles in the series look at each of these threats to demo cratic elections in the United States, with an em phasis on Minnesota.

By Mary Turck Contributing Writer

Attacks on voting rights began long before the 2020 election, with moves by Congress and the Supreme Court to gut the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The attacks continue in this elector al cycle, with intimidation of voters, restrictions on absentee voting, and laws designed to make in-person voting more difficult, especially for voters of color and low-income voters. The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitu

tion, ratified in 1870, says: “The right of citi zens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previ ous condition of servitude.”

For nearly a century, states in the South flouted the law, denying Black people the right to vote through poll taxes, literacy tests, intimidation and assassination. After church bombings, lynchings, assassinations, and other bloody repressions of civil rights activists, Con gress passed the Voting Rights Act in 1965 to protect against racial discrimination in voting.

It was later amended to include the prohi bition of language discrimination as well. In Mississippi, Black voter registration went from

less than 7% of eligible voters in 1965 to al most 60% in 1967. By 2012, 90% of eligible Black Mississippians were registered to vote.

A crucial provision of the Voting Rights Act required preclearance of changes in state vot ing laws in states that had historically discrimi nated against Black voters. The preclearance process disallowed changes that would dispa rately affect Black voters.

In Shelby v. Holder, decided in 2013, the Supreme Court eviscerated the Voting Rights Act, saying that the preclearance section was outdated. In Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, decided in 2021, the Supreme Court further restricted application of the Vot ing Rights Act.

Second Black person ever to serve on Robbinsdale school board seeks reelection

By Julie Gordon Contributing Writer

Raised on the South Side of Chicago as the second youngest of 10 siblings, Sharon Brooks Green often tagged along to local block meetings where her mother served as secretary. Those experiences set the stage for Brooks Green to not only serve as a block club president herself as an adult, but also provided the springboard and lifelong quest for community advocacy and political leadership.

On November 8, Brooks Green hopes to retain her current seat on the board of directors for Robbinsdale School Dis trict #281, where seven candidates are vying for four at-large positions. Brooks Green is currently the school district’s second Black board member. The MSR recently sat down with her to hear what issues matter most to her candidacy.

Immediately after the 2013 Shelby decision, states began changing voting laws in ways that make voting more difficult. Many of these changes have a disparate impact on Black vot ers. One example: Arizona now requires voters to provide proof of citizenship through a birth certificate or passport, and to report their place of birth on voting registration forms.

Millions of Americans—an estimated 5 to 7%—do not have these documents. Passports are expensive and it takes a long time to get one. Birth certificates also cost money, and may be difficult or impossible to obtain for el derly voters or for people born at home rather than in a hospital.

In Minnesota, Republican Secretary of State candidate Kim Crockett questioned whether people who cannot read or write English and people with disabilities who need assistance in voting should be eligible to vote. She later said her comments were taken out of context, but refused to clarify what she meant.

Gerrymandering

After each census, state legislatures are re quired to redraw district lines for state legis latures and Congressional districts. Since the 2020 census, Republican state legislatures have redrawn lines in ways that deliberately dilute the voting power of Black voters, of His panic voters, and of Democratic voters. This

Corrections to last week’s “Reconnect Rondo: more than just a land bridge” story:

MSR: Where did you spend your early years, and how did that experience shape your decision to focus on edu cation as a career?

SBG: I was born and raised in Chi cago, Illinois on the block of 89th and May St. It is significant because it is where I started my political career. My mother was the secretary of the block and very instrumental in our block club activities. I would follow her to meetings and watch how things were done.

When I came of age, I became the block club president and had the chance to work with the alderman, state representatives and state sena tors, which included Barack Obama. So that was my introduction to politics.

MSR: You recently published a book, Peace of Hope, helping families im pacted by incarceration. What was

the inspiration behind writing this?

SBG: I started a nonprofit in Chica go for Black mothers of Black brothers who were incarcerated. This is when mass incarceration was hitting Amer ica at its hardest in the disparity kind of way against Black people. Several of my family and friends were incarcerat ed, including my own son, so I started that group to rally, unite and organize.

When I moved to Minnesota, I con tinued the work of Peace of Hope to support families of the imprisoned. I also learned that while I had passion for this cause, I needed more knowl edge, and began my education at a late age.

MSR: What has your educational journey looked like?

SBG: I had raised my children and been through plenty of other

-According to Recon nect Rondo, the organiza tion did not receive the $5.2 in federal aid as stat ed in the article because Congress did not pass the bill with the funding.

-ReConnect Rondo, through the city of St. Paul, applied for and re ceived $150,000 in 2021 to study anti-displace ment initiatives.

-Reconnect Rondo com missioned the prosperity study mentioned in the article.

George Floyd’s legacy grows with

book,

St. Cloud’s first Black police chief retires He hopes to leave the city better than he found it

CONCLUSION OF A SERIES

MGN

MAR President Denise Mazone at the Oct. 12 press conference Courtesy of Facebook/Minneapolis Area Realtors

■

MAR on

Chief

St. Cloud Police Chief William Blair Anderson

Courtesy of St. Cloud Police Dept.

■

EUA

Sharon Brooks Green

Community marks third posthumous George Floyd birthday

By Cole Miksa Contributing Writer

Families Supporting Fami lies Against Police Violence (FSFAPV) hosted a birthday celebration for George Floyd on Friday night, October 14, in George Floyd Square at 38th and Chicago. It was the third posthumous birthday gather ing after the murder of Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Der ek Chauvin in May 2020. Floyd would have been 49 years old.

Toshira Garraway Allen, founder of FSFAPV, hosted the event. FSFAPV is a group of families who have lost loved ones due to police violence. The group offers support for each other and puts on events to help keep the memory of lost loved ones alive.

“We are here today to love on each other as a commu nity,” Garraway Allen said. “We know it was the community that fought for George Floyd and held the system account able. We want to always stand in solidarity with his family and let everyone know that we’re standing together as a unit.”

The celebration included speakers from members of the

Floyd family, Floyd’s girlfriend Courtney Ross, FSFAPV, and the local community around 38th and Chicago.

“We must continue to keep George Floyd’s name alive. We must not let the system move on from what happened to George Floyd, and what happened to all the lives that led up to George Floyd,” Gar raway Allen said.

Floyd’s Aunt Angela Harrel son reminisced on how much Floyd cared for his communi ties, and how he was affec

tionately known as “Big Floyd.” She spoke about how Floyd’s death sparked change.

“His death was horrific,” Har relson said, “but the change was so powerful... For the first time in history, Black and Brown people ran through this door, the chain on it was broken, it’s like he was run ning for freedom.”

“This time we ran, we never looked back, because we saw that dream that Martin Luther King had talked about.”

Paris Stevens, Floyd’s cous

in, thanked the community at George Floyd Square for fighting through the upheav als that occurred after Floyd’s death and encouraged them to continue fighting. “We’ll have to keep pushing for ward,” Stevens said. “The tri als and tribulations won’t stop, but things are getting better. Change is happening.”

Ross reminisced on her re lationship with Floyd, saying he treated everyone “like a hu man,” no matter who they were. “He would go around everyone and put his arm around every body and pray and love them up no matter where they came from and how they looked and what they had.”

Ross said that Floyd would have wanted other people who were killed by po lice to be remem bered as well. “I’m just a voice for one person, but Floyd is a voice for everyone who lost someone’s life. Floyd is up there; he is living glorious by God. I know he’s okay, so I want to make sure we uplift all those other names that we forget.”

Food was served along with a birthday cake for Floyd at the conclusion of the speech es, as well as a community prayer. One FSFAPV volun teer, Brandyn Tulloch, said he works with

FSVAPV because it is important that people who have friends or family killed by police have support.

“[FSFAPV] deserves so much because it’s a group that none of them asked to become a part of—it’s a group none of them wanted to join, but they had no choice,” Tulloch said. “With these systemic issues that con tinue to happen, who’s to say it won’t happen to me?

“And if it does happen to me or someone I know or some one I love, or a friend of a friend, I would hope there was a group I could lean on for support. If it’s me who passes away, who does my family go to? If my friend is murdered, who do I go to?”

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

Southside Post Office reopens after May 2020 unrest

By Henry Pan Contributing Writer

The reopened Lake Street station of the United States Postal Service, located at 1st Ave. S. and E. 31st St., appeared to be business as usual a day af ter it opened. People lined up, quietly, on a rainy day to send their mail, request a money or der, or change their address.

Fred Brombach, the stal wart postal worker who has

Although the new station is on the same footprint as the old, it looks very different from what stood there before.

The exterior is no longer clad entirely in brick. Rather, the building is made of precast concrete panels painted in the colors of the Postal Service’s brand identity.

The short flight of stairs have been removed, and people, par ticularly those in wheelchairs, no longer have to navigate a

they are notoriously known for being difficult to use.

The appearance inside the station, however, drastically differs from the interior of the old station. It’s roomier, brighter, and more color ful compared to the drab, cramped and crowded interior that existed beforehand. The corridor where P.O. Box users check their mail is integrated with the rest of the station, which is different from the old station where users had to make a left to access them in a crowded nook.

things back here. I wish that none of the damage ever hap pened.”

been at the station for de cades, yelled out to waiting customers every so often, the text 55408 emblazoned in a wall painted red immediately behind him. “Welcome to our new post office! Welcome, welcome!” yelled Brombach.

ramp that makes turns.

The station has more park ing, too, now 34 spaces com pared to 20 at the old station.

The new station will appar ently consolidate retail ser vices for both the 55406 and 55408 zip codes, previously located inside the old Kmart, for the next year. The Minne haha station, which serves the 55406 zip code, is currently being rebuilt and is anticipat ed to reopen next year. P.O. Box service for those in the 55406 zip code remains in the old Kmart building for now.

The station reopened on October 11, just over two years after it and another Southside station were de stroyed amid unrest days fol lowing George Floyd’s murder.

The entrance is set farther back from the corner of the street. The bike racks, which are now behind the entrance from the 1st Ave. side, look different; although they han dle four bicycles like before,

The MSR could not retrieve information on what it cost to re build both stations by press time.

Shamun Haji Bare, who lives and works near the sta tion, said, “I’m glad they’re making progress on building

Photo of the

October snow

When

morning Oct.

Coffee

outside of

Minneapolis.

The only part of the origi nal building that remains, clad entirely in red brick, handles

mail processing. On its facade, someone wrote in chalk “we are back to serve you!” fol lowed by an envelope and heart symbol.

The Postal Service will

host a Grand Opening cel ebration on October 20.

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

Photo by Paige Elliott

(l-r) Toshira Garraway Allen, George Floyd’s aunt Angela Harrelson and cousin Paris Stevens.

Photos by Cole Miska

Post Office station stalwart Fred Brombach helps a customer one day after the Lake Street Station reopened.

Photos by Henry Pan

“I wish that none of the damage ever happened.”

By Andrew Kiragu, MD Guest Contributor

Kids and teens have the right to feel safe where they live, learn and play. Unfor tunately, that safety is being threatened every day by fire arm-related violence.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Pre vention (CDC), more Ameri can children die from gun shots than from any other cause. Not cancer or car acci dents—guns. Every single day of the week, a gun kills a child age 12 or younger.

We see this same violence reflected in our communities here in the Twin Cities. To address the public health cri sis caused by guns, a diverse group of community members, organizations, and health sys tems are joining together to host a community resources and gun buyback event.

Firearm violence disparities

The CDC reported that dur ing the first year of the COV ID-19 pandemic, the rates of

Keep kids safe from gun violence

Now is the time to take

gun deaths increased by 35% from 2019 to 2020. The high est increase was seen among kids, teens, and young adults ages 10 to 24. The numbers also reflect long-standing dis parities in gun violence:

• The number of Black males aged 10–24 years killed by guns was more than 20 times as high as the rate among White males of the same age in 2019, and this ratio increased to 22 in 2020.

• Gun deaths were high est and increased the most in counties with higher poverty levels. Racial and ethnic mi nority groups are more likely to live in communities with high surrounding poverty.

• The number of people who died by suicide with a firearm remained relatively unchanged between 2019 and 2020. However, the largest increase was among American Indian and Alaska Native persons, resulting in this group having the highest firearm suicide rate as of 2020.

Innocent victims

As pediatricians, we have cared for kids who have come into our hospitals as the vic tims of firearm-related inju ries. Many are victims of gun violence while others, sadly, are the victims of self-inflicted firearm-injuries from a suicide attempt. The youngest are of ten the unintentional victims of gunshot wounds from im properly stored firearms.

These kids shouldn’t be

rushed to our emergency rooms clinging to life as we do everything possible to get them back home to their fam ily and friends. Instead, these kids and teens deserve the opportunity to play and learn without fear of injury or death from guns in their homes and neighborhoods.

Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers have a responsibility to not only heal but help prevent things that threaten the health of our pa tients. That is why Minnesota healthcare systems declared gun violence a public health cri sis this summer. To address the epidemic of gun violence both locally and nationally, Min nesota’s healthcare systems pledged to collaborate and act on the development of solu tions to prevent gun violence and advance conversations on reforms to protect patients, employees and communities.

Preventing gun deaths

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises that the safest home for a child is one without guns. If there is a gun in the home, there are steps parents and caregivers can take to reduce the chanc es of a child being injured, or worse killed, including:

• Evidence shows that the risk of injury or death is greatly reduced when guns are stored unloaded and locked, with the ammunition locked in a sepa rate place.

• Families can also consider

storing guns outside the home to decrease access by children and youth in the household.

• It is critical to remove guns from the homes of kids and teens who are depressed.

• Ask about guns. If your child is going to play at a friend or relative’s home, ask other parents if there is a gun in the home and if it is stored securely.

• Talk to your children. Re mind your kids that if they ever come across a gun, they must stay away from it and tell you immediately.

Gun buyback

You can also join your lo cal community in grassroots

events like an upcoming gun buyback and community re sources event Oct. 28-29 at the Colin Powell Center in Minneapolis. The event will address many issues that con tribute to the pervasiveness of gun violence as well as pro vide a variety of community resources including housing, employment, medical, mental and physical health support and emergency assistance.

There will also be a “no ques tions asked” opportunity for people to exchange guns for gift cards. More information can be found at Wellspring Second Chance Center web site (www.wellspringmn.org).

It’s time we take action to

prevent the tragic losses fami lies face every day across the country and right here in the Twin Cities. It’s time we do ev erything in our power to keep our kids safe.

Dr. Kiragu is an associate of the Children’s Respiratory and Critical Care Specialist’s group and provides pediatric critical care at Children’s Minnesota. Dr. Kiragu is a passionate advocate for children and is immediatepast president of the MN Chap ter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a past president of the Minnesota Association of Black Physicians. He is an asso ciate professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota.

Business

Now is the time to build your emergency fund

By JP Morgan Chase

When it comes to financial security, one of the most im portant things you can do is build an emergency fund. An emergency fund is money put aside, usually in a savings ac count, to cover unexpected expenses. These can be things like a medical bill, last-second travel, or car repair. Most ex perts advise saving enough to cover three-to-six months of living expenses. However, even a smaller cushion of $1,000 can be a vital step in creating financial stability and freedom. It is the first step of Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps financial solution.

Unfortunately, a 2022 Bankrate study found that more than half of Americans can’t afford a $1,000 emer gency. Not being able to cover an unexpected expense can cause debt, financial stress, and delayed long-term goals such as retirement. Here’s how to build a $1,000 emer gency fund, keep it growing, and create financial security. What are the benefits of an emergency fund?

Avoiding debt

One of the most signifi cant benefits of an emergency fund is avoiding debt. If you have an unexpected cost and don’t have an emergency fund to cover it, you may have to put it on a credit card. This can

lead to debt and high-interest rates, which can be challeng ing to pay off. If you are al ready trying to pay down cur rent debt, not adding more is critical in achieving your goal.

Peace of mind

An emergency fund can also give you peace of mind. Not having enough money to pay for unexpected expenses is stressful. Whether literal or figurative, we may encounter

can help you relax and enjoy your life, knowing that you’re prepared for whatever comes your way.

Protect your investments

Treating these assets as an emergency fund may be tempting for those fortu nate enough to have a retire ment fund and own a home.

However, loans against your home or withdrawals from your retirement have long-

Make progress towards other financial goals

Chances are you have other goals for your money besides paying for your basic needs and emergencies. Your wish list may include:

• Vacations

• Gifts for family and friends

• Charitable giving

• Activities for your kids

• A new car

• A larger house

• A college fund

These expenditures are difficult to save for when ex tra money continually gets tapped into for pop-up ex penses. Once you establish an emergency fund, you can start putting aside money for more fulfilling goals.

Steps for building an emer gency fund

Building your initial emer gency fund of $1,000 requires a plan to spend less and, if possible, bring in more money.

Step 1: The plan

savings account to build your emergency fund. Consider opening an account with a bank that makes saving for different goals easy. Ally Bank offers buckets within the sav ings account to separate mon

identify areas where you can save. You might be able to cut back on your grocery bills with better meal planning, cancel a streaming subscription, or stop eating at restaurants as often. Practicing frugality is a great

storms in our lives. And while we can’t predict what storms will be in our future, we can be prepared to handle the fi nancial consequences. Know ing you have money set aside

term consequences on your ability to retire comfortably and promptly. The cushion of an emergency fund pro tects your investments and future goals.

First, determine how much money you want to save and a reasonable timeline for reach ing that goal based on how much you can put aside each month. For example, your goal may be to save $1,000 in 10 months by putting away $100 each month. Use this Con sumer Financial Protection Bureau worksheet to deter mine the savings percentage that will work for you.

Next, open or designate a

ey into different goal areas.

With Capital One 360, you can open up to 25 accounts for different savings goals. Once established, it is es sential to clarify acceptable uses for your emergency fund. Some emergencies will be ob vious, like when your car breaks down and you need to repair it to get to work each day. Writ ing down a list of approved emergency expenses will help you avoid tapping into the ac count for costs and wants that should be in your budget ver sus emergency needs.

Step 2: Spend less Review your spending to

way to build your fund quickly.

Step 3: Make more

If you already live frugally or don’t want to cut back on current expenses, the other option is to bring in more money. Achieve this by pick ing up a second part-time job, freelancing, starting an on line business, selling personal items online, or by asking for a raise. Reach your goal faster with a combination of spend ing less and earning more!

Are you ready to start building your emergency fund today?

Source: JP Morgan

EVERY CHILD. EVERY FAMILY. EVERY COMMUNITY.

To help every child reach their best

must also raise up families and the communities around them. That’s why our team includes not only the most pediatric experts in the region but also social workers, child life specialists, spiritual counselors and more — all working together to help families, and communities, stay strong.

One of the most significant benefits of an emergency fund is avoiding debt.

Photo by dndavis via 123RF

Pop Nukoonrat via 123RF

MAR

“As a realtor and real es tate instructor,” Berry said, “I have seen firsthand the lack of awareness around the tre mendous housing disparities that exist today, and I strongly believe that education is a crucial piece of the solution,” “If you look at some of the appraisals that have been done in homeownership and the dis

Chief

from

years on the job. “It doesn’t seem like it’s been 10 years for sure,” said the Central Min nesota city’s first Black police chief in a recent MSR inter view. “I’m out of fresh ideas, and I think it’s time for younger folks with fresher eyes and more contemporary ideas than I have to take the chair.”

Assistant Chief Jeff Oxton will assume the chief’s job on Nov. 30, and current Com mander Brett Mushatt will be promoted to assistant chief.

“That’s why I had a succes sion plan. That’s one of the things I’m most proud of,” not ed Anderson. To promote from within the department, “that was also part of my plan. I think part of my job, and I think part of any CEO job, is to develop the people you have internally. That was all deliberate.”

St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis hired Anderson in 2012. In a separate interview, Kleis told the MSR, “I offered him the job at the [final] interview. He wasn’t expecting it so he was caught off guard. With his leadership style, it’s made a very huge difference.”

Anderson impressed the mayor immediately with his ideas, recalled Kleis. “His lead ership was to transform the department.

“Morale within the St. Cloud

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Contunued from page 1

kind of redistricting, which is based on political consider ations rather than logical mu nicipal and county boundaries, is called gerrymandering.

In January, a three-judge federal appeals panel ordered Alabama to redraw its redis tricting maps. The federal ap pellate court said that the state legislature tried to squeeze Black voters into as few dis tricts as possible. This would allow overwhelming White majorities in all but one of Ala bama’s Congressional districts.

The judges said that Ala bama’s plan violates the Vot ing Rights Act. The Supreme Court blocked their order, saying that it was too close to the election. In her dissent,

BRooks GReen

life experiences, but I need ed more education, so I went back to school and got an as sociate degree at Inver Hills Community College. It was such a freeing experience that I wanted more. I continued at Metro State University, where I earned both my bachelor’s and master’s of advocacy and political leadership.

I studied a lot of constitu tional law, criminal justice, and even theater because there is a certain aspect to crimi nal justice that is definitely theatrical. Since then, I have finished my doctoral degree [coursework] from Walden University. It was three years

parity there—having to prepare homeowners of color to poten tially take down their own fam ily pictures, make changes in their home so that they have a fair appraisal coming through— can you imagine having to do that to your own home?” Berry said. “To go through and make changes just so that you get the same chance at value as others have had?”

Racial discrimination in housing is illegal, but it still hap pens today. Effects from wide

Police Department “was bad. One of the things he changed right away is the police mot to —to protect and serve. He flipped it to ‘service first.’

“I’d been mayor six or seven years, and our focus has al ways been on engagement. We now have in our police department a division of en gagement. I don’t know many police departments that have that at all.”

spread racial discrimination of the past still negatively affect Black families, since owning a home as an effective way to build wealth was denied to many Black families in the past.

Neighborhoods that had racial covenants in the past presently have some of the highest prop erty values in local markets.

“We also know that real estate is one of the biggest wealth-building opportuni ties there is,” Mazone said. “By building barriers to it, we also

more help in staying straight.

“I liked that because he said that during our interview he wouldn’t hire anybody if they haven’t been a volunteer. If they don’t have some type of commitment to their commu nity in some way, they’re not good to the community. That’s why I hired him,” added Kleis.

Said Anderson, “I told him last night at the [Oct. 6] trib ute that the NAACP had for me, he helped make all of my dreams come true—he and a whole bunch of other people. I’m so glad that he had faith in me to put me in a position to do some good work.”

The Detroit-born Anderson, an eight-year Army veteran, has spent nearly a quarter of his adult life in law enforce ment. Before St. Cloud, An derson served 15 years as Dakota County sheriff and Carver County chief deputy.

build into the broader system of oppression of people of color.”

MAR committed to four corrective policy changes, which will all be initiated by the end of the year, to begin righting the wrongs of the past. MAR plans to change language in purchase agree ments that was contribut ing to racial discrimination, expand education on racial homeownership gaps, add scholarships for BIPOC peo ple looking to become realtors,

sacrifice and heroism.

“For others, it’s a symbol of oppression, a symbol of brutali ty, and it’s a symbol of days gone by when because of the color of our skin there’s no way we were going to get a fair shake.

“So, for me to be able to rep resent that in a positive light and use that platform to be a service to all people, particu larly people who look like us, that’s how I approached this job for 27 years,” said Anderson.

Why St. Cloud, a city with a well-known troubled racial history? “I went there and saw for myself,” recalled Anderson.

and lobby the National Asso ciation of Realtors to support developing a federal grant for first-generation homebuyers.

By building barriers to home ownership, we also build into the broader system of oppression of people of color.

MAR also plans to create more proposals to address racial discrimination in homeowner

“I did my homework and I did a deeper dive into some of what some of their issues were. I kept coming back say ing, ‘I can fix that.’”

“He’s been very active in the community,” said Kleis, who remembered some telling him Anderson wouldn’t be in the city for too long—some even wishing for him to fail. “As our community changed, it’s im portant that all our leadership reflects the community and the changing demographics over the years, and he incorpo rated that into the department.”

ship in the future. “The problem has accumulated over decades, over centuries of actions and inactions, and the changes will take many years,” Pat Paulson, MAR’s past president, said.

“We don’t have specific goals in numbers, but we’re likely to create those goals as we move forward in addition to policy recommendations.”

Cole Miska welcomes reader response to cmiska@spokes man-recorder.com.

to take a while for us to get back to after 9-11,” said Anderson.

“Then, there was no group that was more trustworthy than public safety profes sionals. I think 21 years later it’s the opposite—there’s no profession, particularly police, that is as least-trusted. The sad part about that is it’s not all based on truth and facts.

“I’ve said it before,” said An derson: “99%—the vast ma jority of men and women out here doing this job—are doing it the right way for the right reasons. When they make a mistake, they get blowtorched.

Virtually upon his arrival Anderson introduced the “Wheel of Integrity” principles — accountability, honesty, hu mility, respect and transpar ency — and installed it at the entrance of police headquar ters, and proudly listed it on the St. Cloud city website.

Kleis said what also im pressed him was Anderson’s insistence that all his officers be involved in the community out side of the job. The chief himself started a mentoring program for youngsters who might need

Justice Elena Kagan wrote: “Alabama is not entitled to keep violating Black Alabam ians’ voting rights just because the court’s order came down in the first month of an elec tion year.” The Supreme Court will hear this case, Milligan v. Merrill, but not until after the 2022 election.

Why law enforcement? “I think the profession chose me,” said Anderson. “The rest is my upbringing, how I was raised. I was raised to take people how they come to you. I was raised to show other people respect. That way you can demand the same in return. I was raised to be of service to other people.

“I know most people don’t think of being a police officer as that, but that’s what it is at its core,” added Anderson.

“This uniform is a symbol of a lot of things. For some people, it’s a symbol of service and

judges cannot overrule them, no matter what.

Other court decisions leave gerrymandered redistricting plans in place in other states as well.

Criminal convictions disen franchise voters

“Being from Detroit and having a praying mother, I was always taught to get your own information. See for yourself what’s going on. Don’t just trust what someone else is saying. So, I went there and I spent a few days there [in St. Cloud]. I walked around and I talked to people—they had no idea I was a candidate for chief of police.

“I just asked simple ques tions and I liked the responses that I got. I liked the interac tions that I had with people of all races, of all colors,” said An derson. “Number two, I talked to my mentor[s]” including former St. Paul police chief Bill Finney. “When I talked to him about it, the most salient point he made to me was find a place that has some prob lems you can solve, and that’s where you should be.

fees, including fees imposed to pay for room and board while imprisoned. In some states, they must apply to the gover nor or the legislature to have voting rights restored.

During his tenure, Ander son confronted and dealt with many challenges that came his way, including a knife attack at a local mall in 2016 that au thorities say was motivated by radical Islamic groups.

This uniform is a symbol of a lot of things— for some a symbol of service and sacrifice, for others a symbol of oppression.

During the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, he, Kleis, and other community leaders worked tirelessly to defuse a false social media post of a police shooting. He also has been outspoken over “defund the police” discussions.

The state of law enforcement today? “The pendulum is start ing to swing back, but it’s going

ed in the 2020 election, they were arrested on voter fraud charges. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis trumpeted their arrests as proof of voter fraud.

“We’re in a bad spot right now,” continued the retir ing police chief, “because we can’t attract good people to come into this profession be cause of the narrative for the last three years. If we don’t do something to help swing that pendulum back, we’re going to be in even bigger trouble, because who we’re going to be left with [are] the folks in this profession who have no business being in it.”

Finally, his legacy: “That’s for other people to decide,” concluded Anderson, using the lessons he learned from his folks and others over the years— “to leave it better than you found it. That’s what I tried to do in St. Cloud.”

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

In Moore v. Harper, a North Carolina state court threw out the legislature’s redistricting plan, saying that it violates the state constitution. Re publicans in North Carolina appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. They are asking the Su preme Court to rule that only state legislatures can decide on voting maps, and that state

of studying public policy and administration, and now I am currently working on my dis sertation.

MSR: How were you appoint ed to the Robbinsdale school board last year, and what did you learn during this term?

SBG: Our school district, Robbinsdale Area School Dis trict 281, had a sudden va cancy last fall when one of the board members resigned. Out of 10 candidates, I was cho sen to finish out the term. I became only the second Black person to ever serve on the school board.

Our current chair, Helen Bassett, is the first and was the only Black member for nearly 20 years until I was ap pointed in November 2021.

In 1998, an estimated 3.9 million U.S. citizens were ineli gible to vote because of state provisions barring convicted felons from voting. Of this number, an estimated 1.4 mil lion were Black men. By 2016, some six million U.S. citizens were barred from voting due to past convictions.

State laws are confusing and inconsistent. In some states, a person convicted of a felony can vote after they have com pleted a prison sentence. In others, they must also be dis charged from parole. In some, they must pay all fines and

She is a pioneer and a great leader for our board of educa tion, and I am extremely hon ored to serve with her.

MSR: Why did you choose to run again?

SBG: I have been 100% invested in my role on the board, using all my educa tion and experience as a hu man being and a mother. I am able to sleep at night with the decisions I vote on because I know they are very important and affect more than 11,000 students and their families.

So, when I was asked to help present diplomas at one of our high schools—Armstrong High School—and shake ev ery student’s hand, it was very motivational for me.

At the time, I had not made

The American Bar Associa tion describes the case of Edna Kathleen Lewis, who complet ed probation for identity theft and theft of property. “She lives with her husband, a dis abled veteran, on Social Secu rity and disability benefits. She has been paying more than $100/month on her fines and fees for more than four years but will need to do so for more than another 35 years before they are fully paid off.”

Florida’s laws are particu larly confusing, and that con fusion trapped 20 Floridians who were told they were eli gible to vote again. Two years after they registered and vot

up my mind about running again, but on that day, seeing these future leaders, I decid ed to run. We planted many seeds over the last year, and I want to be part of creating policies that provide the foun dation for adulthood for these young people.

MSR: What are the issues where you will focus your time?

SBG: I am heavily con cerned about our schools and our staff, especially when it comes to mental health, trans portation and safety. I am also passionate about our equity policy, which was formed in 2018. I lead the effort to have it integrated into our equal education opportunity policy, which recognizes that while students can learn the same

Several of the men, most of whom are Black, insist they be lieved they were eligible to vote. They describe being told by vot er registration officials that they were eligible to vote, and receiv ing voter registration cards in the mail, which they believed meant that they were eligible.

In a similar case in Tennes see, Pamela Moses, a Black woman, was held in jail for 82 days on voter fraud charges— despite the fact that her pro bation officer had told her she was eligible and helped her to register to vote. The Sentenc ing Project estimates that one in five Black voters in Tennes see is ineligible to vote be cause of past convictions.

thing, how they get the infor mation and how it’s rated may need to be different. That is what equity is. It is grace.

MSR: Where do you see prog ress in the school system, and where are the challenges? How do you plan to address these issues?

SBG: I will start with what is working. Robbinsdale is like a private-school education in the public-school setting. We have a superb rating by our state auditor for financial fis cal responsibility, and that is working for us.

Our teachers are fabulous and go the extra mile even when we are short-staffed. We have also hired a new safety director for our schools, and I am happy with the plans

In Minnesota, more than 53,000 people are ineligible to vote because they are serv ing sentences for felony con victions or are on probation or parole. Extremely long parole terms mean extended periods of loss of voting rights.

The late, great Congress man John Lewis fought for voting rights from Bloody Sunday on the bridge in Selma, Mississippi, in 1965 through out his 34 years in Congress and right up to his death in 2020. With voting rights still under attack, his words ring true today: “The right to vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool or instrument in a demo cratic society. We must use it.”

Mary Turck welcomes reader responses to mturck@spokes man-recorder.com.

they are proposing in that de partment.

One area where we need to focus is ensuring we pick up our children on time and get them to school safely. We also need to revisit our involve ment within the community. I think we could do much more, as our listening sessions seem to be one-sided in terms of the format.

That extends to the stu dents as well, to get a better understanding of what they think about the issues. They know a lot about today’s world, including social media, the Internet, and technol ogy in general. We need their opinion to think more cre atively about our policies.

St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis

Photo by Charles Hallman

The right to vote is precious, almost sacred.

Arts & Culture

MSR News Online

It’s been two and a half years since the shocking death of George Floyd brought in ternational attention to a little girl in Minneapolis. Now that child is heading back into the spotlight, but this time it will be as an author, not an eye witness. “I still think about that day sometimes,” said Ju deah Reynolds. “It still makes me sad and sometimes I cry.”

On October 14, “A Walk to the Store,” a picture book that tells Reynolds’ story, was released. The book details how the then nine-year-old girl wanted to buy candy at a store near her home in Min neapolis and her 17-year-old cousin Darnella Frazier agreed to accompany her.

As they left Cup Foods, the girls were horrified to see George Floyd on the street beneath Officer Derek Chauvin’s knee. Reynolds was

at her cousin’s side as Frazier used her cell phone to record the brutal incident. That video sparked worldwide protests and has been credited with in spiring a new racial reckoning.

“My cousin told us I changed history,” Reynolds said. “They say we are heroes.” Now 11, Reynolds is a sixth-grader and probably six inches taller than the girl pictured in the pages of the book, wearing a pale green shirt emblazoned with the word “love.”

Reynolds and her fam ily have since relocated to Chicago, but she was back in Minneapolis ahead of the book release. To prepare for the day, she had a morning at the beauty shop, in the chair of stylist Marsha D Carter.

On Friday, Oct. 14, Reyn olds visited Dr. Josie R. John son Montessori School in North Minneapolis, where ev ery one of the 160 elementary students were given a donat

ed copy of her book. Reynolds will read “A Walk to the Store” to the students and answer their questions.

“Judeah’s book is about a girl who overcame her trauma. She can show other kids that they can be brave too. And they can talk to an author who looks like them,” said children’s book author Shelet

ta Brundidge, who connected with Reynolds and her family and co-authored “A Walk to the Store.”

The book shows Reynolds suffering with sadness and “scary dreams” in the aftermath of the incident and tells how her parents let her unload her jumbled emotions and gave her their loving support. The book

Local author shares lessons about grief in children’s book

By Tony Kiene Contributing Writer

As a kid growing up in 1960s North Minneapolis, Lehman Riley cherished family trips to the town of West, Mississippi, where his beloved grandparents lived. Known affectionately as Papa Lemon and Mama Sarah, Walter and Sarah Cain were pil lars in this small farming commu nity of fewer than 300 people.

Born in 1896, Papa Lemon worked for the local railroad company for nearly a halfcentury. He was also the first Black man in the town of West to ever own an automobile.

Together with their children, Papa Lemon and Mama Sarah lived off the land, of which they owned 246 acres. They also had a reputation for help ing other families in need.

“Everyone in and around

town knew Papa Lemon,” said Riley. “He was respected by all, Black or White, it didn’t mat ter.” To this day, even though he was a youngster at the time, Riley remembers being awestruck by Papa Lemon’s wisdom as well as the grace and dignity with which he al ways carried himself.

Even though he wasn’t the only grandchild, “Papa Lemon always treated me like I was,”

noted Riley. “He made me feel so special.”

Papa Lemon passed away in 1973 when Riley was only 10. “I simply couldn’t accept that my grandfather was gone,” recalled Riley. “It was devas tating. I continued to think about him and his impact on my life every day.”

Riley graduated from Min neapolis’ North High School

■ See Lizzy on page 8

shows them returning to 38th and Chicago to see memorials to George Floyd and concludes that the community is “working to make things better because we told what happened.”

“People have wondered what became of that little girl. They say, ‘I hope she’s okay,’” said Brundidge. “Well, we can see she is thriving. After the trauma they’ve been through, her family is intact and strong.”

The last page of the book in cludes tips from licensed mar riage and family therapist An issa Keys of Arubah Emotional Health Services in North Min neapolis. The advice guides caring adults on how to have conversations with children who have witnessed or have a fear of disturbing, upsetting or traumatic events.

“We want to de-stigmatize therapy for young people in the Black community,” said Brundidge. “That’s not the first thing we think about. We

George Floyd’s legacy takes yet another turn Book shows how a child can recover from witnessing a traumatic event by SUZAN-LORI PARKS directed by STEVE H. BROADNAX III

tell them be strong, be tough. Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks didn’t go to therapy. But it matters for mental health.”

The October 14 book re lease coincided with what would have been Floyd’s 49th birthday. ShelettaMakesMe Laugh.com, Brundidge’s pod casting platform, sponsored a birthday celebration. Two Black-owned businesses, Ice Cream Kingz and Flame Mo bile Kitchen, were on hand to treat the kids and mark the event that celebrated Floyd’s life and impact, including the release of 49 balloons.

Reynolds was in the middle of it all, experiencing a happy day in balance with all that she has experienced. “When I’m sad, my mom helps me feel bet ter. She gives me hugs,” she said. “Kids can be brave, and it’s okay if we’re scared sometimes.”

For more info, visit www. awalktothestore.com.

Smithsonian A liate

Judeah Reynolds

Submitted photo

Opinion

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

No justice, no peace in Hennepin County

By Jarvis Jones

Earlier this year, I was one of the candidates who stepped up to run for Hennepin County Attorney. The August primary election narrowed a diverse and crowded field to just two candi dates: Mary Moriarty and Martha Holton Dimick.

The racism that murdered Emmett Till lives on

By David Johnson

In 1955, a 14-year-old Black male teenager from Chicago was sent by his mother to visit his family in Money, Mississippi. This innocent teenager was named Emmett Louis Till. Till was having a great time visiting his Southern family, receiving all the love and attention and having carefree fun for three days into his visit before the horrid curse of violent, rac ist injustice struck him, his family, and the United States of America!

Till was born on July 25, 1941, and was murdered August 28, 1955. Emmett, as most Ameri cans know, was violently tor tured and murdered in Money, Mississippi for allegedly whis tling at a married White woman named Carolyn Bryant.

This rule was a long-held ra cial taboo in the Southern states. Black males were not allowed to even look at White women in their eyes in public let alone whistle at them or around them. Such racist, classist, unjust social rules were a result of the terrible slavery system passed down as the Jim Crow rac ist system of the South.

Being born and raised in Chi cago, Till wasn’t accustomed to such public social rules. Although racist outliers existed against Blacks in Chicago, they were not as rigid and as violently enforced as in the Southern states.

Young Till was tracked down the day after the so-called whis tling incident. The White hus band of the woman and his White male friends, along with a Black man, came to the home where Till was staying. They barged into the home and grabbed Till, along with his cousin, Simeon Wright, who was with Till at the time of the whistling incident.

After figuring out which of the boys was the one who supposed ly whistled, the abductors busted teeth out of Simeon’s mouth by

throwing him off their truck, then taking off with Till. Witnesses in the trial said they saw them drive up with Emmett and take him into a barn where they tormented the child for hours.

Roy Bryant, the husband of the woman who claimed she was whistled at, and brother-in-law J.W. Milam kidnapped and bru tally murdered Till. They dumped his body in the Tallahatchie River.

ers marked the first time a Black human testified against a White human in the state of Mississippi.

The problem was the defense was up against long-held practices of allowing White people to mur der, rape and torture Blacks in Mis sissippi. It was clear what the out come would be when the judge threw out all the testimonies given by all witnesses to the kidnapping and murder of Till, even after they testified in court.

We, the voters of Hennepin County, now have an important responsibility to evaluate what both candidates have to offer and to make an informed decision with our vote this November.

I served as the first African American president of the Hen nepin County Bar Association and of the Minnesota State Bar Association. I successfully advo cated for the Minnesota Supreme Court to require all lawyers in the state to take classes every three years on “ethics” and “eliminating bias” in the legal profession.

so I know that some people may feel that a candidate with more melanin in their skin is just the change we need to navigate that tension.

While I truly understand the underlying sentiment, we need more than this skin-deep ap proach to deep-rooted systemic injustice. We need to reckon with how the policies of the past have failed to keep us safe and support candidates who understand that we cannot protect the public if the public does not trust us to do so. I support Mary because she understands this at a fundamen tal level.

Despite the fact that I’m no longer a candidate for county attorney, I still support that vision and I have decided to support Mary Moriarty.

In recent years, as a county we’ve seen how ignoring inequi ties in the interest of protecting the status quo has negatively impacted public safety. Let us not forget that the report issued by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights less than five months ago also detailed how law enforcement misconduct has often prevented the county attorney’s office from convicting people accused of violent crimes.

Research has also shown that police and prosecutorial mis conduct can contribute to lower crime reporting and violent crime clearance rates. Taken together, we must recognize that if we are going to keep this county safe, we cannot afford to continue ignor ing the need for reform. That is why I support Mary.

Justice has to be openly taught as a pillar of the African American legacy.

This murder shocked the na tion by gaining global media cov erage. In turn, this case infused a generation of Black Americans to create and join the Civil Rights Movement. With nationwide media coverage, the funeral of Till was held in Chicago with an open casket where all could see the terrible swelling and mutila tion from the beating put on Till by the murderers.

Outrage ensued throughout the nation and even world-wide for such racist brutality being al lowed in the United States. Black media outlets and organizations went in with all resources expos ing the tragedy by even putting Till’s funeral casket picture on their front pages.

Jet Magazine even put the picture on the front of their magazine. Black politicians, the NAACP, and Black celebrities expressed their heartbreak and outrage at this ongoing murder and rape of Blacks throughout the United States.

Then came the trial and at tempt to get justice for Till’s family and for the Black commu nity held in Sumner, Mississippi in September 1955. Till’s great-un cle testifying against the murder

The murderers were acquitted of all charges in cluding the murder charges.

With all the media coverage, it was clear to the entire world the U.S. government was continuing the oppression of Black Ameri cans although the U.S. was pro claiming itself to be the beacon of justice and freedom.

This case galvanized genera tions of Blacks and some nonBlacks to take up the cause of human rights and justice throughout the U.S. With the likes of Paul Robeson and those generations of devotees who worked and lived for justice and freedom, African Americans such as myself could get our edu cation, and I am free to write this article and you are free to read it.

In 2007, a federal bill named “The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act” was created due to the continual efforts of dedicated citizens. All of the civil rights work and successes make it clear that we have the ability and right to challenge laws and practices no matter how old and how cherished by the rich and or the government.

With all this revealed, Carolyn Bryant in an interview at the age of 82 recanted her claim about Till whistling at her, stating it wasn’t true and it did not happen.

Justice cannot only become a thing of the past, a memory of the noble generations who sac rificed for current generations’ liberties and rights. Justice has to be openly taught as a pillar of the African American legacy.

Over the last decade, Blacks were being murdered on cam era continually by police officers even though White males con tinue to be the super majority of people who murder cops. Also, the all-White male police offi cers did this while there was an African American president of the United States.

Clearly, this is an agenda. This is evidence that the agenda to torment and murder Blacks has continued and will continue in the U.S. if African Americans and immigrants and other underrep resented ethnic groups do not or ganize together and concentrate resources and effort on stopping the killings—not to mention the world’s biggest privately-owned prison system, holding the high est number of humans on Earth. This clearly is a systematic strat egy and not random.

Many, such as Dr. Cornell West, say that we live in a more autocratic authoritarian state in the U.S. than ever before. Thus, I ponder, was slavery trans formed? Is Jim Crow and apart

During my campaign for coun ty attorney, my top priority was ensuring the safety of all residents. That has not changed. As a candi date who listened when victims, local elected officials, reform ers, media, Democrats, Republi cans, and even law enforcement strongly criticized the current policies of the Hennepin County Attorney’s office, for one reason or another, I understood that we could never curb both crime and civil rights violations without cre ating meaningful change in the prosecutor’s office.

Despite the fact that I’m no longer a candidate for that office, I still support that vision, and I have decided to support Mary Moriarty.

As an African American, I must confess that my natural inclina tion was to support the candidate that looks similar to me. This is especially true because I recog nize that our community is dispro portionately victimized by violent crime and injustice in the system,

Mary’s opponent supports a return to some of the controver sial, failed approaches of the past, and fails to recognize that we are in a hole in terms of public trust and need to stop digging. It is as predictable as it is telling that Mary’s opponent is overwhelm ingly endorsed by guardians of the status quo like Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman and the police union.

These are some of the very same people and organizations that the Minnesota Department of Human Rights recently found to have failed to “collectively act with the urgency, coordination, and intentionality necessary to address racial disparities in polic ing to improve public safety and increase community trust.”

This is a pivotal moment in which we must rebuild public trust to combat crime. We can not afford to slide back to the old, stale policies espoused by Mary’s opponent.

If we want to reduce crime in Hennepin County, we need a prosecutor who will work to establish trust and cooperation with both law enforcement and the communities they serve. We need someone who will use evidence-based practices to ef fectively prosecute violent crime and reduce racial disparities. We need someone who is willing to stick up for victims of both violent crimes and police misconduct.

We need Mary Moriarty. “No justice, no peace” is a time-hon ored protest slogan we in this county have become all too fa miliar with. Unless our next chief prosecutor is also familiar with the research that underpins this slogan, I am afraid that there will be nei ther justice nor peace in Hennepin County in the next four years.

Jarvis Jones is a former candidate for Hennepin County attorney in the 2022 race. Jones is also a former president of the Minnesota State Bar Association, Hennepin County Bar Association and the Minnesota Minority Lawyers Association.

Overcoming the threats to our democracy—together

By Ben Jealous

Some things are unthinkable— until they happen.

For Jamie Raskin, a congress man and father, the first unthink able thing was the loss of his be loved son Tommy to suicide on New Year’s Eve 2020. As a father myself, my heart breaks when I imagine the grief experienced by Raskin and his family.

The second unthinkable thing happened less than a week later. Enraged supporters of the de feated President Donald Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol and hunted for members of Con gress to prevent them from af firming the results of the presi dential election.

Raskin was at the Capitol that day—the day after his son was buried—to do his duty. And that meant he and the family mem bers who were there to support him had to live through the terror of the attack and evacuation.

After all that, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked Raskin to lead an effort to impeach Trump for his role in the insurrection. Raskin said yes. He did a brilliant job. It was a remarkable show of strength and resilience. The House did vote to impeach Trump for a second time, though most Senate Republicans refused to convict him.

Raskin wrote a book about that 45-day period between the

heid implemented throughout the U.S. in covert methods to this day?

Ku Klux Klan leader and neoNazi representative David Duke

loss of his son and the impeach ment of Trump. “Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy,” is power ful and surprisingly hopeful.

I recently had a chance to talk with Raskin when he spoke with People For the American Way’s new online book club. I asked him about the grounds for his hope. How, given the rising threats to freedom and democracy, does he continue to consider himself a

“We are not the first generation to face au thoritarianism.”

“constitutional optimist?”

What makes the U.S. excep tional is not that we are some how immune to the erosion of democracy, he said. What makes us exceptional is the progress we have made together. We can take hope and strength from our own history, and the example of cou rageous people around the world.

“We are not the first genera tion to face authoritarianism.” He reminded all of us that the spirit of freedom and democracy lives in people’s hearts even in the face of repression and attempts to snuff it out—and efforts by far-right strategists to smother it.

Raskin has modeled that spirit of democracy as a member of the House Select Committee investi gating the Jan. 6 insurrection and all that led up to it. In the face of

once said, and I paraphrase, “We, the Ku Klux Klan, took off our hoods and put on suits and ties and filled the politician seats and board rooms and senators’ seats.”

every effort by Trump and his al lies to stall, stonewall, and shut down the investigation, Raskin and his colleagues refused to back down. They have dug out evidence and presented it to the American people.

Without the committee’s in vestigations, we would know far less about the effort by Trump and his henchmen to overturn the election. Without the com mittee’s truth-telling, there would be no hope for holding them ac countable.

The threat to democracy is real. Conspiracy theories are helping drive a right-wing turn away from democratic values and toward re pressive authoritarian rule.

At this moment, Americans face a choice: Do we go back to the worst of the past, to voter suppression and political violence fueled by racism? Or do we move forward, building on the progress we have made in becoming a mul tiracial, multiethnic, multireligious democratic society?

It’s up to us. As Jamie Raskin reminded us, “Democracy is al ways unfinished.”

Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and professor of the Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. A New York Times best-selling author, his next book “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free” will be published by HarperCollins in January 2023.

How about that?

David Johnson is contributing writer at the Los Angeles Sentinel. This commentary was edited for space.

Lizzy

in 1981. A few years later, toward the end of his college career, he needed some additional credits, so he decided to enroll in a creative writing course. “I’d never considered being an author,” explained Riley. “I just needed to find one more class.” And, although he’d enjoyed himself, he didn’t pursue writing and started to make his way in the corporate world.

In the first book, Papa Lemon and the little wanderers travel back in time via his magical train to witness the 1963 March on Washing ton and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I Have a Dream speech.” The second offering in the se ries revisits the American South in 1852 and chronicles the dangerous escape from slavery.

An unlikely partnership

By 2003, Riley and wife Tracy were the par ents of four children, the oldest being their son DuVale, along with daughters Nareece, Andrea and Tianna. In addition to Papa Lemon, Riley had started to draw inspiration from his own children. And, as he contemplated his next sto ry, a chance meeting occurred when his sister ran into Paul Dixon at a local store.

Although first cousins, Riley and Dixon knew little of each other as kids. Dixon, who grew up on the South Side, was raised by a single mother and didn’t have much contact with his father’s side of the family. Likewise, he didn’t know much about his grandfather Papa Lemon.

“Lehman and I saw each other occasionally on the athletic field and a few other places,” recalled Dixon, “but all told, we’d hardly spent any time together.” Dixon and Riley’s sister swapped phone numbers, and shortly thereaf ter Riley decided to give his cousin a call.

“I have a new idea for a book,” he told Dixon. The two met to discuss it a little further, but afterward Riley didn’t sense his cousin had that much interest in the project. He would be proven wrong.

proud of you,” assured Mama Sarah.

More books followed, including those that specifically tackled important issues such as depression and bullying. By 2020, there were now eight stories that chroni cled the adventures of Papa Lemon and his little wanderers.

versity of Minnesota and the Minneapolis Col lege of Art and Design. “And she was so smart, so funny, reminisced Riley. “She would light up any room with her smile, her kind spirit.”

The heartache was unbearable. For months on end, Riley found himself in a “constant, slow-motion fog.” Nothing mattered anymore. The pain was stifling. “I never imagined I could cry as much as I did,” said Riley.

“I was consumed with guilt. I felt guilty gaz ing into the sky. Guilty looking at the grass and the trees. Guilty eating, watching television. Guilty drawing breath.”

And then, in an instant, something changed. His second youngest daughter, Andrea, who was now a mother herself, said, “Dad. We’re all still here. We need you.”

While that woke him up, Riley still didn’t know if he could ever marshal the strength to write again, in spite of the encouragement of others. “I just didn’t have it in me.”

Eventually, however, a close friend per suaded him to consider writing a book about Lizzy, adding that with all the grief and trauma people have experienced these past two years, kids need something to help them heal.

Riley prayed on it, asking for a sign to proceed. He wrote one paragraph, then he stopped. “I couldn’t do any more.” Then he re membered what Andrea said to him and what Melodie told him as well.

Losing Lizzy

The little wanderers

On April 29, 1992, some 1,900 miles away in Simi Valley, California, a jury acquitted four LAPD officers in the beating of Rodney King. For the next six days, the city of Los Angeles was on fire. Riley recalls the anguish he felt during that time.

Adding that to the collective pain and trau ma that African Americans had now suffered for nearly four centuries, he wondered to him self what kind of difference he could make in the world. That’s when inspiration struck—di vine inspiration. “God spoke to me,” said Riley.

Feeling as though he’d received a new calling in life, Riley began to ponder how he could highlight the wisdom, benevolence and magnetism of his grandfather to help teach children about American history. So, he sum moned what he’d learned years before in his creative writing course, and “The Adventures of Papa Lemon’s Little Wanderers” was born.

PReP

Contunued from page 10

Suggs led Minnehaha Academy to Class 2A state ti tles in 2016, 2017 and 2018. As a senior, he was Minneso ta Mr. Basketball and select ed to play in the 2020 Mc Donald’s All-American game.

Amir Coffey (Hopkins), Los Angeles Clippers

Coffey, a 6’4” guard, aver aged 9.0 points per game last season and worked his way into the rotation during his second season after an out standing collegiate career at

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Dixon, whose experience in the toy busi ness includes working as a buyer for the Tar get Corporation and as a salesperson for both plush toy specialist Animal Adventure and the Walt Disney Company, was impressed by the grassroots success of Riley’s first two books and saw the talent and promise in his cousin.

“Paul wanted to help,” said Riley, “something like an angel investor.” But Riley was looking for an equal partner. After some persuading, the two of them formed the independent publishing com pany Matter of Africa America Time Corporation.

Mama Sarah, who would live to be 101, just had one favor to ask of her grandson: “Don’t forget to include me when you write your next book.” Riley, who called his grandmother the “sweetest, kindest, most patient woman” he’s ever known, didn’t forget.

Mama Sarah was still around to see book three come to fruition, which recounted World War II and the remarkable legacy of the Navajo Code Talkers. “Your grandfather would be so

the University of Minnesota. While at Hopkins, he was named Minnesota Mr. Bas ketball and Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year in 2016. Coffey led Hopkins to the Class 4A state boys basketball championship in 2016.

McKinley Wright IV (Cham plain Park), Dallas Mavericks Wright, a 6’0” point guard, recently signed a two-way contract and will likely split time between the NBA and G League this season. Prior to signing with the Maver icks, he signed a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves last season

and played for the Phoenix Suns in the 2022 NBA Sum mer League.

Collegiately, Wright en joyed an outstanding career at the University of Colorado. earning first team Pac-12 honors while averaging 15.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.7 as sists and 1.1 steals per game.

At Champlain Park, Wright led them to an undefeated regular season and Class 4A state runner-up finishes in 2015 and 2017. Wright was named Minnesota’s Mr. Bas ketball in 2017.

Zeke Nnaji (Hopkins), Den ver Nuggets

In the early spring of 2020, the coronavirus pandemic completely upended the world. Peo ple were now intimately familiar with terms like “social distancing,” “super spreader events,” and “sheltering in place.” As Americans every where adapted to this new reality, we wit nessed the murder of George Floyd in our own backyard. Minneapolis was now the center of the universe for all the wrong reasons. These were troubling times, indeed.

Still, absolutely nothing could have pre pared Riley and his family for what took place on June 6, 2020. He received a tele phone late that night, informing him that his youngest daughter, 23-year-old Tianna Eliza beth, was gone.

Lizzy, as she was known by her family, had been trying to help an acquaintance who was struggling with addiction, trying to save a life. Instead he ended up taking hers. “She had such a big heart. She’d do anything for anyone,” said Riley, “and that’s what got her killed.”

Modest to a fault, Lizzy was an extraor dinary artist whose talent while still in high school garnered the attention of both the Uni

Nnaji, a 6’9” forward who averaged 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in his second NBA season, is projected to com pete for reserve minutes.

He declared for the 2020 NBA draft after earning Pac12 Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Pac 12 honors while averaging 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game for the University of Arizona.

As a senior in high school Nnaji averaged 24.1 points and 9.4 rebounds, leading Hopkins to the 2019 Class 4A state championship.

Jericho Sims (Cristo Rey Je suit), New York Knicks

Although he cried through the entire pro cess, he finally finished the ninth installment of the Papa Lemon book series, “Losing Lizzy: A Story of Grief,” which was officially released earlier this month.

Since he and Dixon began their journey to gether nearly 20 years ago, Riley has visited hundreds of classrooms sharing his Papa Lem on stories with tens of thousands of school children. He seeks to do the same with “Los ing Lizzy,” imparting to young children tips and tools on how to process and overcome grief.

And, in the process, shining a light on the beauty, love, grace and legacy of his daughter Tianna Elizabeth.

To learn more about and purchase books in “The Adventures of Papa Lemon’s Little Wan derers” series, including “Losing Lizzy,” visit pa palemonedu.com. You can also use the form on the website to invite Lehman Riley to visit your school.

Tony Kiene welcomes reader responses to tkiene@spokesman-recorder.com.

Sims, a 6’9” forward, signed a partially guaranteed contract with the Knicks in his second season in the NBA.

He played collegiately at the University of Texas for four years averaging 9.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks as a senior. At Cristo Rey Jesuit, Sims averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds per game and is the school’s alltime leading scorer.

Kendall Brown (Eastridge) In diana Pacers

Brown, a 6’8” forward, is currently on a two-way con tract with the NBA Pacers and Fort Wayne Mad Ants of

the G League. He declared for the 2022 NBA draft after a freshman season in which he averaged 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds for Baylor University.

As a sophomore, Brown av eraged 17.6 points per game, leading East Ridge to its first Class 4A state tournament. He transferred to Sunrise Chris tian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan sas) and went on to become a McDonald’s All-American.

Quite an impressive group.

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

Bethesda Baptist Church

Rev. Arthur Agnew, Pastor At the Old Landmark 1118 So. 8th Street Mpls., MN 55404 612-332-5904 www.bethesdamnonline.com bethesdamn@prodigy.net

Sunday Service Times: Early Morning Service 9 am Sunday School 10 am Sunday Worship 11:30 am

Wednesday Prayer Meeting, 6 pm Adult Bible Class 7 pm Children's Bible Class 7 pm

Lehman Riley Submitted photos

Tianna Elizabeth Riley

Legals

Director – Energy Solutions:

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Contunued from page 10

jerseys only symbolizes his place” in basketball history,

soe

from page 10

[outfielder] arms and your own runners and what that looks like.”

Falvey also was asked for his assessment on Twins utility player Nick Gordon and pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson, a September call-up from St. Paul. The latter became the youngest starting pitcher (22 years old) in the majors this sea son and was impressive in his only start in the sea son’s final week.

“I think he’s a mature kid,” said Falvey of Woods Rich ardson. “I think he’s handled it really well. His slider got better and his secondary pitches all together got bet ter. It’s fun to see him come up at the end of the year.”

As for Gordon, who played his first MLB season in 2021, he saw action in 73 games after starting the year in St. Paul. Like a sea son ago, he played multiple positions—shortstop, sec ond base, left field, center field, pitcher and DH.

Falvey said he couldn’t

BRooksGReen

Contunued from page 1

MSR: What should voters keep in mind when they head to the polls regarding school board decisions?

SBG: I give credit to everyone who is running, given the amount of work involved and that it is a public service position that is primarily volunteer. What I would encourage voters to do is research and listen to the candidates to try and understand how they will improve the cur rent situation, recognizing that the job of the board is

said Wolves rookie Wendell Moore, Jr.

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

have been prouder on the 26-year-old player: “He and Carlos [Correa] played as much as anybody down the stretch. He made himself into an outfielder.

To see him actually grow into what he has become… he made himself into an out fielder in a way that he never had before. I am just really proud of the work he’s put in and what he’s been able to become,” said Falvey.

On the subject of diver sity, the Twins have one Black coach, and its St. Paul affiliate had no Black coaches this season. Gor don, Woods Richardson, Chris Archer, Byron Buxton and Billy Hamilton, a lateseason call-up, were the only U.S.-born Blacks on the roster.

“I think we have to find a way to make that a prior ity,” concluded Falvey on the subject, “and continue to get better and continue to add to a diverse group in our front office…and ulti mately in the coaching staff.”

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

about policies.

Regarding our district, we have about 30% Black children, and it is changing logistically. I am a candi date that will help relate to many of our students’ stories. While we are do ing an excellent job, I would like to see more Black faces on the board, the staff, and certainly more Black voters exercising their right and getting involved.

To learn more about Sha ron Brooks Green and her candidacy, visit brooksgreen forschoolboard.com.

Julie Gordon welcomes reader responses to jgordon@ spokesman-recorder.com.

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

State of Minnesota District Court

Ramsey County

PHONE: 612-827-4021

Second Judicial District Court File Number: 62-DA-FA-22-994

Marcus Dejuan Reynolds, Jr. Notice of Issuance of Emergency (Ex Parte) Order for Protection by Publication (Minn. Stat. § 518B.01, subd. 8)

FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS

In the Matter of Shereva Tiquisha Willingham vs Marcus Dejuan Reynolds, Jr.

To Respondent:

PLEASE CONTACT ACCOUNTING DEPT @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM

YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an Ex Parte Order for Protection has been issued in this case. You may request a hearing if you contact the court administrator’s office within 12 days of the date of publication of this notice You may obtain a copy of the Ex Parte Order for Protection and the form to request a hearing from the court administrator’s office at the following address:

EMPLOYMENT DISPLAY

Ramsey County District Court 25 West Seventh Street St Paul MN 55102

SIZE: 2 COL 4 #INCHES RATE $42.08 PER COL. INCH SUB TOTAL: $336.64

Failure to request a hearing or to obtain a copy of the Ex Parte Order will not be a defense to prosecution for violation of the Court’s order.

+2 WEEKS ONLINE @$300 TOTAL: $

Dated: October 17, 2022 Donald W. Harper Court Administrator

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder October 20, 2022

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

CASE TYPE: PERSONAL INJURY

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

PHONE: 612-827-4021

) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS

The Honorable: Tim WermagerPlaintiff, SUMMONS v. Jason Gerardy, Defendant.

THIS SUMMONS IS DIRECTED TO the above-named Defendant:

PLEASE CONTACT ACCOUNTING DEPT @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM

1. YOU ARE BEING SUED. The Plaintiff has started a lawsuit against you. The Plaintiff’s Complaint against you is attached to this summons. Do not throw these papers away. They are official papers that affect your rights. You must respond to this lawsuit even though it may not yet be filed with the Court and there may be no court file number on this summons.

RAMSEY COUNTY

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2. YOU MUST REPLY WITHIN 20 DAYS TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS You must give or mail to the person who signed this summons a written response called an Answer within 20 days of the date on which you received this Summons. You must send a copy of your Answer to the person who signed this summons located at: Brantingham Law Office 2200 E Franklin Avenue, Suite 202 Minneapolis, MN 55404

From

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3. YOU MUST RESPOND TO EACH CLAIM. The Answer is your written response to the Plaintiff’s Complaint. In your Answer you must state whether you agree or disagree with each paragraph of the Complaint. If you believe the Plaintiff should not be given everything asked for in the Complaint, you must say so in your Answer.

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For more exposure: We are also inviting our clients to advertise on our website for 2 weeks for a flat net fee of $300 per position with purchase of print ad.

A

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

A

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.

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LEGAL

DEPT

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

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he Minnesota Timber wolves on Wednesday, Oct. 19 open their 2022-23 regular season at home against Oklahoma City.

Timberwolves TV broadcasts this season will be led by vet eran play-by-play announcer Michael Grady, in his first sea son in Minnesota. He is the team’s first Black play-by-play since Gus Johnson in 1996-97.

“Gus is fantastic,” said Grady of the legendary national voice of college football and college basketball.

I wrote back in 2020 that only one NBA team had a Black play-by-play, and there was one Black female an nouncer in both the NBA GLeague and the WNBA. This past NBA Finals game one had its first all-Black broad cast team for ESPN.

ith NBA season upon us, this week’s column will feature a few former metro area high school players who are cur rently on league rosters.

Sports

Grady to voice Wolves TV play-by-play

The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) in its latest NBA Racial and Gender Report Card reported the percentages of Blacks and POCs in radio and television broadcasting did not change from 32.7% in 2020-21 to the same in 2021-22. But the biggest one-season jump oc curred in ’20-21 (28.7%) from 12.2% in ’19-20 among Black broadcasters.

line reporting for CBS Sports (NFL and college football).

The Wolves’ broadcast team also includes Lea B. Olsen (sideline reporting), Rebekkah Brunson and Quincy Lewis (game analysts), and WCCO’s Henry Lake, who will host “Wolves Warm-Up” before the pregame show and “Timber wolves Tonight,” following the post-game show. The radio station’s nighttime host also will do a “Life in the Pack” pod cast for the second consecu tive season on WCCO Radio.

Grady, a multi-time Emmy winner and 2016 Indiana Sportscaster of the Year, was for the past six years the side line reporter for the Brooklyn Nets on the YES Network. He has play-by-play experience with the WNBA’s New York Liberty and college basketball for YES as well as a pre-andpost-game host for the New York Yankees. He also did side

An Indianapolis native, Grady got inspired to become a broadcaster when watching and listening to Bob Costas as a youngster during the 1998 NBA Finals. “The way that Costas told the story and put the moment into historical context,” he told the MSR, “it just gave me an example of the power of this industry.”

His rich baritone voice was still developing, he recalled: “I was still a young teenager at that particular time. We had a radio station in my high school,

Former prep stars in the NBA

in 2013 as a junior and went on to his selection as Minne sota’s Mr. Basketball as well as to the McDonald’s All-Amer ican Team. In college, he led Duke University to the 2015 NCAA championship and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Jones’ prep career includ ed Class 4A state champion ships in 2013, 2015, 2017, and a runner-up finish in 2018. As a senior in 2018, he was Minnesota’s Mr. Basket ball and selected to play in the McDonald’s All-Ameri can game.

and I started to put in work [there] and that led to college.

“I was blessed,” continued Grady. “Just because you have a voice, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t things that you have to work on— articulation, range, pitch in your voice and inflection, and

all these different types of things that I really had to put a lot of work in.

“There’s so many people who want these broadcast positions, and it’s really hard to break through. I just had a love for it. I just had a real love for telling stories.”

He vividly remembers sit ting in the car with his mother “and we’re listening to the ra dio, sitting in front of the tele vision watching NBA games and listening to the broadcast.”

His mother recently passed, but Grady proudly noted, “I’m representing my mom, the rest of my family, my wife, my stepson, representing this community, the Black commu nity. I know it’s a big deal to a certain degree.”

“I want to inspire people,” concluded Grady. “To be one of four Black play-by-play an nouncers in the NBA is some thing that’s not lost on me.”

Russell’s 6 retired

The NBA has permanently retired Bill Russell’s number 6 in the same fashion that Major League Baseball did in 1997 when it retired Jackie Robin son’s No. 42. Russell passed away at age 88 on July 31.

Every player this season will be wearing a “6” patch on their jersey. “This patch on our ■ See View on page 9

Twins’ one Black coach takes some flak

ow that we learned last week that Car los Correa more than likely will be play ing elsewhere next season, we asked a question during a recent “informal end-of-sea son” meeting with the local press: “Will Tommy Watkins return to the Minnesota Twins in 2023?”

“We fully anticipate him coming back,” de clared Minnesota President of Baseball Opera tions Derek Falvey on Oct. 10 while meeting with reporters, including the MSR, inside the Twins’ clubhouse.

Watkins was hired by the Twins in 2019. He finished his 13th season coaching or manag ing in the Twins organization. But the 2022 season was his first as third base coach, where at times during the season the veteran coach caught occasional flak when a runner got tagged out at home trying to score.

Tyus Jones (Apple Valley), Memphis Grizzlies Jones, a 6’0” point guard, has developed into one of the league’s best backups averag ing 8.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He led Apple Valley to the Class 4A state championship

Tre Jones (Apple Valley), San Antonio Spurs Jones, a 6’3” point guard, is projected as a starter for the Spurs after averaging 6.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.

As a sophomore at Duke University, he was named ACC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year averaging 16.2 points, 6.4 as sists and 4.2 rebounds.

Jalen Suggs (Minnehaha Academy), Orlando Magic Suggs, a 6’4” guard, is pro jected as a starter after averag ing 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists as a rookie.

He was the No. 5 firstround pick of the Magic after an outstanding one-year stint at Gonzaga University, leading them to the NCAA champion ship game in 2021.

■ See Prep on page 8

The third base coach typically is a human stop-and-go sign for the base runner. “I will say [that] when you coach third,” explained Falvey, “as soon as you stand over there, you sign up for a certain amount of criticism [for] not sending or sending a runner. Everybody in the ballpark has an opinion.

“When it goes well, no one talks about

it,” continued the baseball operations prez. “When it doesn’t go well, it’s tough. No one has felt worse about some of those moments when they didn’t go well [than Watkins], and maybe he looks back and regrets having sent a player. He’s going to be the first one to take ownership and say, ‘I missed on that one.’”

Watkins is the team’s only Black coach and the first Black third base coach since Al New man, who’s also Black. Like the former, Newman often got grilled for his work at the hot corner. Third base coach “is a tough position to get better at,” said Falvey. “It’s the experience and the time, and understanding ballparks and

Why not Minneapolis for Big Ten college hoops?

By Charles Hallman Sports Columnist

innesota has been the home of Su per Bowls, All-Star games, WNBA championships and Final Fours. Downtown Minneapolis, beginning next March, will be the home of the Big Ten WBB tournament for the next two years, and both WBB and MBB tourneys will be staged here in 2024.

It was my first time attend ing the conference media days in my hometown instead of Chicago, Indianapolis, and other locales. But the two-day women’s and men’s basketball media days Oct. 11-12 for coaches, players, credentialed media and staff at the city’s basketball center also fea tured some grumbling about being in the Cities as if it were some distant outpost.

Not everyone complained. “I like coming to Minneapolis,” Big Ten analyst Stephen Bardo told me.

Big Ten Commissioner Kev in Warren pointed out, “I was fortunate to live here for 16 years, all the way from high school basketball to college basketball. I think of the many games I was able to enjoy watching here, the history and tradition. I’m excited to be able to bring our Media Days here for the first time, and our tournaments here.

“Minnesota, Minneapolis, St. Paul, the Twin Cities, this en tire region is basketball hun gry,” he said.

“We are a part of the team that helped bring those tour naments here,” added Meet Minneapolis CEO Melvin Tennant.

Minnesota Men’s BB Coach Ben Johnson said, “I think sometimes we live in a world where a lot of things get criticized. But I think when you have a Big Ten tournament that’s going to be played here these next cou ple of years, you have a city that does a great job hosting. We’ve almost hosted every major sporting event, whether it’s an All-Star Game, a Super Bowl, NBA Playoffs.”

“It’s obviously home to me,” stated Gophers Women’s Coach Lindsay Whalen, the Hutchinson, Minn. native. “I’m honored that we are going to be hosting such a great event.

I know that everything that Commissioner Warren does is first class, and we’re going to do a great job of hosting the Big Ten basketball tourna ments here for the next few years in a first-class manner.”

Bardo, an Illinois grad, said, “I think sometimes the Big Ten conference [is] traditional, and so when people try to do things different than what tra dition calls for, I think people

get a little uncomfortable.”

Personally, I love going to Indy but hated it in Chi-town, with toll roads and 24-hour rush-hour traffic the norm.

But those of us from here came and endured all of it to cover the games.

“I think Kevin Warren’s de cision to bring it up here was excellent,” concurred Bardo, “because he’s trying to spread the wealth. So hopefully De

troit, D.C., maybe New York, all these places are in the [conference] footprint.”

I remember covering the first Big Ten hockey tourna ment in my hometown Detroit and heard similar grumblings from some that didn’t see Mo town as a fitting place for col lege pucks. Now, years later, why not Minneapolis for the Big Ten college hoops?

“I’m sure in a couple of years we’ll have some stuff out west,” surmised Johnson on the fact that in two years, USC and UCLA expected to join the Big Ten. “I don’t think change and doing new things is a bad thing.”

“So, for those that may speak poorly of us,” concluded Tennant, “I don’t have any thing to say. Just come back [in March] and you’ll see the fruits of our labor.”

“I just had a real love for telling stories.”

Michael Grady

Photo by Charles Hallman

“When it goes well, no one talks about it. When it doesn’t go well, it’s tough.”

■

Derek Falvey Photo by Charles Hallman

Photos courtesy Wikipedia

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

“I don’t think change and doing new things is a bad thing.”

Ben Johnson

Big 10 Commissioner Kevin Warren with MN WBB Coach Lindsay Whalen

Photos by Charles Hallman