November 17, 2022 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

Voters say NO to fear, YES to democracy

Hennepin elects first Black sheriff Moriarty prevails in county attorney race

By Henry Pan Contributing Writer

It rained in Hennepin County on Tuesday as people headed to the polls, nervous about how issues such as pub lic safety and abortion rights would be addressed over the next four years. If the results from the polls mean anything, the county’s voters decided that moving forward they favored candidates with a more holistic approach to public safety.

One of those candi dates, Dawanna Witt, will become Hennepin County’s first Black sheriff, defeating contender Joseph Banks.

At her election night party, where roughly 100 people gathered inside a restaurant on St. Anthony Main, Witt appeared overjoyed, holding

Counting the wins and losses of November 8

By Mary Turck Contributing Writer

With a big voter turnout, Minne sota Democrats scored a trifecta on November 8. Democrats kept control of all statewide offices and the Minnesota House of Representatives and won a majority in the state Senate.

Black elected officials and candidates won big in Min nesota and across the country.

The “red wave” of Republican victories forecast by pollsters and pundits never materialized.

In Minnesota, Erin Maye Quade, Zaynab Mohamed, and Clare Oumou Verbeten will join Senator Bobby Joe Cham pion in the Minnesota Senate. The three are the first Black women ever elected to the Minnesota Senate. Mary Fran ces Clardy will join a handful of other Black Representatives in the Minnesota House.

In most midterm years,

New MPS observatory lets students reach for the stars

By Cole Miska Contributing Writer

Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) held a grand opening for a new astronomical observatory at Hall STEM Academy on Nov. 9. The event was attended by NASA Astro naut Raja Chari, Hall Principal Sher rill Lindsey, MPS Superintendent Rochell Cox, members of the school board, politicians and other commu nity members.

MPS noted that the observa tory is the only one of its kind to be located inside an elementary school. “This observatory is part of what we’ve been envisioning about a physical manifestation of what a STEM education can be in Minne apolis Public Schools,” Lindsey said.

“STEM means science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and I cannot think of a better way for that to come to fruition—thinking about how we can have a relationship on Earth with outer space and what that can mean for our children.

“I’m so proud that Minneapolis public schools has made this won derful investment in North Minne apolis,” Lindsey added.

Cox called the unveiling a “top 10” moment in her time as super

Hollies Winston makes history in Brooklyn Park

By Travis Lee Contributing Writer

After three unsuccess ful attempts, including a pain ful loss by only two votes

in the last mayoral election, Hollies Winston was trium phant this election night, defeating contender Wyn fred Russell. Brooklyn Park’s first African American mayor

appeared humble and grateful amongst dozens of support ers in the city’s Oro Lounge.

Winston credited his win to a diverse cross-section of supporters. “A ton of people contributed to this effort,” Winston told the MSR. “I think it’s a signal that the people want to move in a different direction. Crime is a priority, creating programs for youth, supporting police, and slowing the rise of prop erty taxes by encouraging the development that best suits our community.”

Visit spokesman-recorder.com for an election night interview with Mayor-Elect Hollies Winston.

said

Job said he saw the Andromeda Galaxy when he tested the facility. “We have plenty of power to be able to see lots of stars, lots of nebulae, lots of galaxies.”

The observatory was to be open for use during the grand opening, but the rainy weather prevented the use of the telescope. Job said MSA partnered with MPS to pick out what equipment and telescope would be the best fit for the obser vatory. A 5” refracting telescope and a 14” reflecting Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope were chosen for the observatory.

“I don’t think [MPS is] aware of what they have yet,” Job said regard ing the quality of the facility. “Some day we’re going to teach them to use it. It’s going to be a process.”

Chari, who is currently training to land on the moon as part of NASA’s upcoming Artemis mission, spoke with and took photos with children who came to the unveiling.

“This is the age where that spark happens,” Chari said. “My mom has pictures of me as a five-year-old dressed up as an astronaut.”

‘People’s Lawyer’ Keith Ellison narrowly wins second term

NEWS ANALYSIS

By Mary Turck Contributing Writer

Keith Ellison won a second term as Minnesota Attorney General by about 20,000 votes, promising to continue as “the People’s Lawyer.” His victory was part of a DFL sweep in Minnesota that sur prised pundits and pollsters.

Ellison was elected attor ney general in 2018 follow ing 12 years in Congress, four

and 16 years as an attorney specializ ing in civil rights and defense

of

back tears as she thanked her campaign staff, supporters, and family members, while pledging to better engage community members and

improve working conditions for her deputies.

“I look forward to being that sheriff that we need and deserve,” said Witt. “Nobody

thrives in communities where they do not feel safe, and I will be the sheriff that Hennepin County needs to get us to a

(l-r) Zaynab Mohamed, Erin Maye Quade, and Clare Oumou Verbeten

Submitted photos

intendent. “We know that we have the next astronaut in our midst right now—the sky’s the limit for our stu

dents,” Cox said.

The new observatory is a twostory dome built on top of Hall’s old

staff lounge. Mark Job, the execu tive board president of the Min nesota Astronomical Society (MAS),

the observatory includes stateof-the-art telescopes that can see deep into space.

Dawanna Witt

Photo by Henry Pan

[Full disclosure: I am not an impartial reporter on this one, as I supported Ellison during his campaigns for attorney general.]

years in the Minnesota House

Representatives,

law. As attorney general, he emphasized consumer pro tection, including legal action

■

Hollies Winston with wife Latrice

Photo by Travis Lee

NASA astronaut Raja Chari with third-grader Ayah Drakeford

Photo by Cole Miska

Keith Ellison

Courtesy of Twitter/Keith Ellison

Access “means going from underserved to unstoppable”

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Metro

Thanksgiving meals, turkey giveaways in the Twin Cities and beyond

offers everything you need for a Thanksgiving meal. There will also be good used clothing available. Everyone is wel come to this two-day event. For more info, visit www.river heightsvineyard.org/upcoming-events-1

will once again give away free tur keys on a first-come, first-served basis. The event will feature Public Safety Commissioner Dr. Cedric Alexander and offer free gun locks, Narcan kits, and other community violence interven tion resources. For more info, call 612-302-1463 or email shi lohcaresfood@gmail.com.

1 pm @ 2038 W. Broadway, Mpls.

Tru Breed & Eternal Kingz will once again give out tur keys to community members on a first-come, first-served basis. For more info, visit Facebook.com/TRUBREEDMC

■ See Thanksgiving Giveaways on page 6

November 19

Joy Community Service Drive-Thru Thanksgiving Turkey Drive 10 am – 12 pm @ 810 31st St. W., Mpls

Everyone is welcome at Joy Community Service’s annual turkey giveaway. You don’t need to sign up, all you need is to show up. Food will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. For more info, visit www.joycommu nityservice.org

Turkey Giveaway 12-3 pm @ Brooklyn United Methodist Church, 7200 Brooklyn Blvd., Brooklyn Center

The Awwal Ladipo Foundation will be hosting its 2nd An nual Turkey Giveaway with the main purpose of giving back to our community. For more info, visit bit.ly/BUMCTurkeyGiveaway

Thanksgiving Outreach 12-3 pm @ Life Center, 1812 Park Ave. S., Mpls.

Life Center volunteers will serve up hot meals and over 200 frozen turkeys at this annual gathering, while supplies last. Pas

tor Monica will share a message and we will have a kids pro gram. There’s something for the whole family. For more info, visit changingourcity.org/events/thanksgiving-outreach-copy

Tru Breed 12th Annual Turkey Giveaway

better, safer place so we all thrive.”

Among those at her election night party was her former social worker, Maggie Keating, who helped her through motherhood when Witt was an adolescent. “She’s worked really, really hard to get where she is,” said Keating. “She’s really committed to making things better and to [col laborate and work] with all people and listening to people and to hear what they want and what they’re interested in having.”

Meanwhile, Mary Moriar ty becomes the first openly gay woman to lead the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. Moriarty, who defeated law-and-order former judge Martha Holton-Dimick, joins a slate of attorneys in Philadelphia and San Francisco seeking the county attorney position to bring progres sive reforms and take a data-driven approach to prosecutions.

“I think this resounding victory tells us that the voters rejected the

Counting

Continued from page 1

the president’s party loses significant numbers of seats in Congress. The only exception in recent memory was 2002, when, with the country still reeling from the 9/11 attacks, Republicans picked up seats. In every other midterm elec tion of the past 44 years, the president’s party lost more seats than the Democrats did this year.

At press time key Con gressional races remained undecided, leaving control of the House uncertain; but the Democrats retained control of the Senate. Senate major ity is crucial for confirmation

StarS

Continued from page 1

Chari said he and other NASA astronauts do a lot of school visits, but this was the first time he had been to an observatory in an elemen tary school, noting that other NASA employees asked if there was a “mistake” when he told them where the obser vatory was located. Chari believes the young generation will be the first humans to

politics of fear, and they want some thing new,” said Moriarty shortly after her victory speech. “They don’t want the failed policies of the past

of presidential appointees, including federal court judges from district court up to the Supreme Court.

The Democrats will have at least 50 seats in the U.S. Sen ate and, with Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote. In Georgia, Senator Ralph Warnock is still battling the radical right Republican football star Herschel Walker. Because neither Warnock nor Walker has more than 50%, they will have to go to a December 6 run-off. Sena tor Warnock exemplifies the fierce advocacy for voting rights and civil rights that is the heritage of Black elected officials.

Many Black candidates nationwide won “firsts” in this election, including:

• Wes Moore, Maryland’s first Black governor (and

reach Mars.

“We’re answering some fundamental questions about science and the universe, so I think that starts here,” Chari said. “The access you have to the stars and galaxies with a telescope is way beyond anything we’ll ever get to in our lifetimes, so I think this gives kids the actual hands-on understanding of what’s out there and engages them.”

Lindsey is hoping to even tually make the facility avail able for use by other schools and to open it for rental to interested groups in the pub lic. She also hopes to partner

and they wanted a different kind of fair and just system.”

Both Witt and Moriarty will be sworn into their new roles in January.

currently the only Black governor in the United States);

• Maxwell Alejandro Fros, a Florida Afro-Latino and the first Gen Xer elected to Congress;

• Anthony Brown, the first Black Maryland attorney general;

• Stephanie Thomas, the first Black woman secre tary of state in Connecti cut;

• Andrea Campbell, the first Black woman attorney general in Massachusetts;

with astronomy students from the University of Minnesota and Metro State University. As part of their partnership with MPS, MAS will be using the facility to conduct research.

Lindsey also hopes the observatory will ultimately be run entirely by MPS students looking to go into astronomy, who would independently choose how to use the facility to further their education.

Lindsey said that Hall wanted to “double down on any experiences we can get” for students after losing so much of their childhood to the pandemic. She noted that the observatory serves as a novel way to approach the natural world that students in an urban district would other wise not have access to.

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

Attorney General’s Office. In an MPR debate, Schultz said his top priority was “crime, crime, crime.”

The Attorney General’s Office has a limited role in criminal prosecution, stepping in only at the request of county attorneys who need

But Moriarty says her work as coun ty attorney starts now and involves reaching out to police chiefs and community groups.

Statewide, Gov. Tim Walz won reelection over Carver County phy sician Scott Jensen, who conceded the race in a midnight speech from a hotel banquet room in St. Louis Park.

Steve Simon is poised to remain secretary of state, which oversees

• Austin Davis, the first Black Pennsylvania lieu tenant governor;

• Summer Lee, the first Black woman elected to Congress in Pennsylvania.

To put these wins in his torical context: since Recon struction, just seven Black U.S. Senators and two Black governors have been elected. Three of those seven Sena tors currently serve: Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Tim Scott (R-SC).

While they lost their races,

the elections. Julie Blaha won in the state auditor’s race, and Keith Ellison prevailed in the attorney general’s race. Both did so by narrow margins.

Visit spokesman-recorderc.com for videos from election night.

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

Stacey Abrams, running for governor in Georgia, and Val Demings, running for Senate in Florida, deserve a shoutout for their leadership as they continue fighting the good fight for democracy, voting rights and civil rights.

That fight is still crucial.

For example, in North Caro lina, Republicans took back control of the state supreme court, which will decide ques tions of voting rights, redis tricting, and other issues of crucial importance to demo cratic government.

While the red wave fizzled, many election deniers did win important state and fed eral offices. The Washington Post counted victories of 167 election deniers in races for the U.S. House and Sen ate and key statewide offices. Most of the 291 election

deniers previously identified by the newspaper ran in sol idly Republican districts. Minnesota election deniers running for statewide offices all lost. Win or lose, many election deniers will continue to mount attacks on the electoral process.

Countering their attacks, voters turned out in big num bers both for early voting and on Election Day. In many places, long lines showed voter commitment to par ticipation in the democratic process. Election officials did their part, despite threats in the run-up to the election.

Widespread, grassroots par ticipation was the biggest win of the 2022 midterm election.

against predatory prescription pricing on insu lin and other pharmaceutical drugs, defense of the Affordable Care Act against Republican lawsuits, creation of a wage theft unit within the Attorney General’s Office, and more.

Running against Ellison, corporate attorney Jim Schultz criticized this focus on defending consumers against corporate overreach and said he would move attorneys in the office from consumer protection to criminal pros ecution.

During the campaign, Ellison called con sumer protection the “heart and soul” of the

assistance in large or complex cases. Ellison asked the state legislature for additional funding for the office’s criminal division to support its assistance to county attorneys. Republicans in the legislature blocked the funding. Nine county attorneys endorsed Ellison, citing his office’s assistance on crimi nal prosecutions.

The Hennepin County Attorney asked Elli son to take over the prosecution of the police officers charged in the murder of George Floyd. Police unions, angered by that prosecution and by criticism of police abuses, spent $300,000 to defeat Ellison. The Republican Attorney

Generals Association (RAGA) joined the battle with $800,000 in some of the most vicious and misleading attack ads seen since the infamous “Willie Horton” ads in 1988.

The underlying racism of the attack ads came as no surprise: Ellison has been targeted by racist and anti-Muslim attacks throughout his political career. When he was elected to

Congress, he was the first Muslim to serve as a U.S. Representative.

The two candidates also differed on abortion, with Ellison speaking out in sup port of reproductive rights. Schultz tried to de-emphasize his position on abortion, but he had a history of anti-abortion positions and leadership positions in anti-abortion organizations.

Keith Ellison’s victory statement cited the tough times of the past four years, including “a global pandemic, George Floyd killed on our Minnesota streets, the Dobbs decision that stripped women of their rights, and so much more.” Ellison said, “When times get hard, you can get bitter, or you can get better—and we got better.”

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

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

“Widespread, grassroots participation was the biggest win of the 2022 midterm election.”

“This resounding victory tells us that the voters want a different kind of fair and just system.”

Ellison has been targeted by racist and anti-Muslim attacks throughout his political career.

“I’m so proud that Minneapolis public schools has made this wonderful investment in North Minneapolis.”

Hall Principal Sherrill Lindsey

The Witt team celebrates victory.

Photo by Travis Lee

Workers of the Gold Room celebrate Mary Moriarty’s (r) win.

Photo by Henry Pan

Metro

Thanksgiving giveaways

Boss Lady Shoetique Turkey Giveaway for Single Mothers

Brittney Kline, the owner of Boss Lady Shoetique, is hosting a turkey giveaway for more than 50 single mothers. As a single mother, Kline believes offering a hand of hope to young single mothers could be the difference-maker in someone’s life.

If you are a single mother residing in the Twin Cities metro area or know a single mother in need, contact the owner at 612208-8491 or email bossladiesllc@outlook.com to register for the turkey giveaway. Find more info at bossladyshoetique.org.

November 21-22

Give a Gobble Thanksgiving Food Distribution

1-7 pm @ White Bear Area Food Shelf, 1884 Whitaker St., White Bear Lake

The Thanksgiving tradition Give A Gobble is back for two days of giving. This year, the food shelf will provide turkeys and gro ceries to 800 families in the community. Participants can register at this link: form.jotform.com/222704349625053 or call 651407-5310.

November 22

Thanksgiving Food Distribution

11:30 am – 1 pm @ Union Gospel Mission, Men’s Campus, 435 University Ave. E., St. Paul

Registration for this giveaway is filled to capacity, but orga nizers advise those unable to register to stop by the distribution on November 22 between 6:15-7:15 pm for the possibility of extra supplies. For more info, visit www.ugmtc.org/2022/09/ thanksgiving-at-the-mission-2022

November 24

6th Annual Community Thanksgiving Meal

12-3 pm @ Fellowship Church, 707 Commerce Dr., Woodbury

You don’t have to spend Thanksgiving dinner alone, as the Fellowship Church is offering free food, fellowship and fun. This meal is not need-based but is for anyone who needs a place to go and have a meal on Thanksgiving Day. For more, visit bit.ly/ CommunityThanksgivingMeal2022

Thanksgiving Community Dinner

2:30-5:30 pm @ Faith Deliverance Holiness Church, 1119 Morgan Ave. N., Mpls.

Start ANew, Faith Deliverance Holiness Church, Minneha ha Temple #129, and Resource, Justice & Management have joined forces to once again host a Thanksgiving dinner for the community. All are welcome to attend. Find more info at Star tAnewMN.org or call 612-389-0008.

Other resources:

Thanksgiving for All Project

Mounds View residents in need of a Thanksgiving bag, in cluding a turkey or gift card, should call Ralph Reeder Food at 651-621-6280 to set up an appointment in the month of No vember. Mounds View families can also register children up to age 12 for toys and gifts by going to www.operationjoymn.org.

Registration for toys ends Dec. 2.

Families who are in need of food assistance this holiday can also contact their nearest Salvation Army service center for more information at centralusa.salvationarmy.org/usc.

Find more Thanksgiving giveaways on spokesman-recorder.com. Let us know of other events by sending an email to submissions@ spokesman-recorder.com.

Photo of the Week

The start of snow season

Snow fell in the early after noon of Nov. 15 for the second day in a row. The Black Lives Matter mural was painted on a shipping container that sits in front of the Hennepin County Library in Brooklyn Park, MN.

Photo and text by Chris Juhn Do you have a photo you’d like to share with other MSR readers?

of the

By Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD Senior Medical Advisor

Untreated diabetes can kill you. In the Twin Cities, 90,000 adult Blacks have pre diabetes and are unaware of it. There are excellent treat ments and interventions for prediabetes, but you must find out if you have predia betes before you can do any thing about it.

An estimated 96 million (36.5%) American adults have prediabetes. An estimated 15.8 million (38.6%) Black, non-Hispanic American adults have prediabetes. Among those with prediabetes, 80% are not aware of it.

A person is prediabetic when their blood sugar is el evated. A person’s blood sugar level is higher than normal in prediabetes but not high enough to be considered diabetes. Prediabetes is of ten asymptomatic, so people can have it for years without knowing.

Additionally, the lack of se vere symptoms makes people feel less inclined to make healthy changes to prevent the progression of predia betes to diabetes, since they feel fine.

Why should I care?

Prediabetes is a crucial point in the progression of di abetes, as it is the last chance to prevent diabetes. It usu ally takes about five years for prediabetes to develop into diabetes. This five-year period offers an excellent opportu nity to make a positive health change.

How does insulin affect dia betes?

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that controls the amount of sugar (glucose) in your blood stream at any moment. Insu lin also helps store glucose in your liver, muscles and fat. Insulin binds to the surface of cells and tells them to let sugar inside.

Diabetes occurs if your blood glucose (blood sugar) exceeds a certain level reg ularly. It is a chronic con dition that leads to many complications and damage to many vital organs, in cluding heart, eyes, kidneys, brain and skin.

Diabetes can produce car diovascular problems, such as strokes and heart attacks, and it can change the blood vessels in the eyes, causing blindness. Diabetes can af fect the skin, causing ulcers and sores that don’t heal. Diabetes is the most com mon cause of kidney disease leading to rampant kidney dialysis.

These are just a few reasons why it is so important to know if you are prediabetic and at risk for developing diabetes so that you can make the ap propriate lifestyle changes to control your blood sugar and prevent diabetes.

Health

What is prediabetes? And why should I care?

What causes diabetes?

Simply put, being over weight. Diabetes results due to a combination of two fac tors. The first is insulin re sistance, combined with a decrease in insulin secretion by the pancreas. This causes sugar to build up in your blood and results in diabetes.

Prevention Step one in preventing prediabetes from developing into diabetes is determining if you have prediabetes. Check with your doctor to see how frequently you should have check-ups and ask your doc tor when you should screen for prediabetes. If appropriate, your doctor can do a blood test to determine if you have prediabetes.

Another test often men tioned in TV ads is Hemoglo bin A1c (A1c). This test mea sures how high your sugar level has been over the past three months. Factors that increase the risk of prediabe tes include being overweight, having a family history of dia betes, and having a personal history of high blood pressure.

The risk of developing pre

To prevent diabetes, you should follow a diet that mini mizes blood sugar spikes, such as foods with a low glycemic index. These foods are digest ed, absorbed, and converted to sugar slowly and do not dramatically increase your cir culating blood sugar.

Foods with a low glycemic index include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats such as salm on and avocado. Consider a diet low in carbohydrates and high in natural foods.

Regular physical activity, at least 150 minutes a week, will help prevent diabetes. A brisk walk or bike ride five days a week for 30 minutes a day would help you meet this goal.

Losing weight is another thing you can do to pre vent the progression of pre diabetes to diabetes. Losing about 5% to 7% of your body weight, which would amount to just 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person, can make a big difference in preventing diabetes.

Healthcare Leaders in Minne sota. Dr. Crutchfield specializes in skin-of-color and has been selected by physicians and nurses as one of the leading dermatologists in Minnesota for the past 20 years. He is the consulting team dermatologist for the Minnesota Twins, Vi kings, Timberwolves, Wild and Lynx. Dr. Crutchfield is an ac tive member of the American and National Medical Associa

tions and past president of the Minnesota Association of Black Physicians. He is a founding member of “Minnesota’s Black Community Project” which re cently published an award-win ning book. Dr. Crutchfield has been recognized by NBC News/ The Grio as one of the most in fluential African Americans in America. He can be reached at CrutchfieldDermatology.com or by calling 651-209-3600.

Celine Sabbagh is a grad uate of Macalester College. She studied neuroscience, biology, community/global health, and Arabic at Ma calester and was a member of the women’s basketball team. She is a premedical student preparing to apply to medical school next year while working at Crutch field Dermatology with Dr. Crutchfield.

diabetes increases gradually as you get older starting around age 45. Once you reach age 65, the risk increases tremen dously. It is estimated that over half of people over age 65 have prediabetes, while 25% over 65 have diabetes.

Different populations have an increased risk for prediabetes. African Ameri cans, Hispanic/ Latino Ameri cans, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Island ers are at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes.

Lifestyle also impacts the risk of prediabetes. Exercis ing three times a week can decrease your chances of de veloping prediabetes. Being active helps your body use in sulin to lower blood sugar, and when you are not physically active, insulin cannot control blood sugar levels.

Lifestyle changes

Once you know you have prediabetes, the next step is to make lifestyle changes to pre vent prediabetes from devel oping into diabetes. The main factors that make the most sig nificant difference in diabetes prevention are a healthy diet, weight loss, and exercise.

Doctors have excellent pharmacologic programs and associations with dieticians and fitness consultants to develop a plan to help you prevent diabetes and live your healthiest life. Call your doc tor if you suspect you have prediabetes or have not had a general medical exam in two years.

In the meantime, select one small change you can make in your daily life, such as substituting a sugary bev erage with water, taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work, or eating fruit for dessert instead of a baked good. Small changes in your everyday life can make a huge difference in preventing diabetes.

Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD, is a board-certified derma tologist and clinical professor of dermatology at the Universi ty of Minnesota Medical School and a Benedict Distinguished Visiting Professor of Biology at Carleton College. He also has a private practice, Crutchfield Dermatology, in Eagan, MN. He received his MD and master’s degree in molecular biology and genomics from the Mayo Clinic. He has been selected as one of the top 10 dermatolo gists in the United States by Black Enterprise magazine. In addition, Minnesota Medicine recognized Dr. Crutchfield as one of the 100 Most Influential

and Celine Sabbagh

‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ a masterful tribute and epic story

By Dwight Brown

Wow! You’ll say that over and over again as this mindblowing, superhero epic un folds.

The loss of King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), aka Black Panther, weighs heav ily on the people of Wakanda. More so on his sister Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) and his mother Queen Ramonda (An gel Bassett). They try to move forward but are paralyzed with grief, a sorrow so deep it shadows their attempts to keep their nation safe.

Outside forces covet their precious metal Vibranium,

They start the movie on a spiritual plane and end it the same way. The superhero is gone but his essence remains. Shuri steps up. But burying herself in creating new war fare technology to protect Wakanda does not shield her pain. Smart as she is, she has so much to learn.

Her voyage of self-discov ery drives the film for 2h 41 min. That intimidating length shouldn’t be of concern to ar dent fans.

Yes, a few scenes could be slimmed, some backstory sequences shorter and less exposition would be better. However, for the most part,

astounding ways.

Wakanda, Talokan, and all points between or beyond are stunning to behold. The royal chambers, underwater world, battleships, etc. are aweinspiring (production design ers Hannah Beachler, Jason T. Clark). The colors are radi ant or murky as they should be (art direction Marlie Ar nold, Cameron Beasley, Laurel Bergman, and Jason T. Clark).

Regal attire and Namor’s ethnic jewelry and garments are glorious or suitable cos tumes (Ruth E. Carter). Action scenes to dance sequences are captured and lit like they belong in a blockbuster movie

that’s as Afrocentric in nature as the original Black Panther. But this sequel is different. New. Female-centric too. The way Queen Ramonda con fronts the nation’s adversaries on world stages is so confron tational and unapologetic that she should be running the U.N.

It’s a dignity, grace and strength that Bassett brings to all her characters. How ever, she is in her glory as the exasperated matriarch: “My entire family is gone. Have I not given everything!” She de serves an Oscar nom for Best Supporting Actress.

stellar ensemble cast at

Wright strikes the right chord between bravery, vul nerability and mourning. Her Shuri searches for answers in imperfect ways, stumbling as she goes. The very harddriven Namor, whose nation’s survival comes first, is her per fect foil. Mejía’s interpretation of this aquatic warrior is a re spectful acknowledgment of Native American culture and its centuries-old dynasty. He also deserves an Oscar.

State Department leak. Many may wish that Win ston Duke’s role as M’Baku, the leader of the Jabari Moun tain tribe, had been expanded. He deserved more screen time.

Be prepared to be awed by the majesty, dangerous liaisons, warfare and inner growth. You’ll walk out of the theater shrouded in an over whelming emotion that won’t subside. A feeling deeper than 99% of the superhero movies you’ll ever see.

A eulogy. A spectacle. A marvel. A state of grace. Wow!

which absorbs, stores and re leases super amounts of kinet ic energy. They must remain vigilant.

The royals think they are alone in their struggle against the outer world until they en counter an interloper. Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía, “Son of Monarchs”) is the emperor of the hidden undersea kingdom of Talokan. His people are of Mayan ancestry. He offers them an opportunity to fight mutual enemies.

“You want to burn the world? We’ll burn it together.” Can he be trusted? Is combat against anyone the answer? Some say no: “If you go to war for vengeance, it will never fill the hole in your soul.”

How do you go on after Boseman’s death? It’s hard to fathom, but it’s a mission writ er/director Ryan Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole ru minated over and planned out perfectly. Their attention to detail and quest to honor the legacy of the actor and char acter is evident in every frame.

editors Kelley Dixon, Jennifer Lame and Michael P. Shawver clip the footage in a way that makes time go by as it should. Not too fast. Not too slow. Just right.

As the story evolves, tak ing you in directions you couldn’t deem possible, the majesty of what you’re view ing and its thesis on dealing with death grip you visually and emotionally in the most

(cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw). Composer Ludwig Göransson’s thrilling score intensifies emotions from woe to bravery and the eclectic world music playlist (Burna Boy, Alemán, Blue Rojo, Tems), highlighted by a haunt ing theme song, “Lift Me Up” sung by Rihanna, is a keeper.

Coogler and Moore’s script takes the audience into a heady, ethereal dimension

It’s almost as if the rest of the cast takes their lead from her. The professionalism, the wrangling of the emotional core of each character, the flawless diction and steadfast performances come from a

Kudos to Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia the undercover spy and Dominique Thorne as Riri the tech inventor. Danai Gurira plays Okoye, leader of the Dora Milaje special forces, with dignity. Martin Freeman’s Everett Ross shines as the U.S.

“Black Panther: Wakanda For ever” is in theaters now. Dwight Brown is a film critic and travel writer. Read more movie re views by Brown at Dwight BrownInk.com.

adapted by LAVINA JADHWANI

the top of their game, as guided by Coogler’s intuitive direction.

(l-r) Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Letitia Wright and Angela Bassett

Photos Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Work is flawed under the current economic system

The solution is to democratize it

By Alec Stubbs

First it was the “Great Res ignation.” Then it was “nobody wants to work anymore.” Now it’s “quiet quitting.” Yet it seems like no one wants to talk about what I see as the root cause of America’s economic malaise— work under contemporary capi talism is fundamentally flawed.

As a political philosopher study ing the effects of contemporary capitalism on the future of work, I believe that the inability to dictate and meaningfully control one’s own working life is the problem. Democratizing work is the solution.

The problem of work

What can be said about the malaise surrounding work under capitalism today? There are at least four major problems:

First, work can be alienat ing. Workers are often not in control of how they work, when they work, what is done with the goods and services they produce, and what is done with the profits made from their work.

This is particularly evident in the rise of precarious forms of work, like those that are found in the gig economy. According to the Pew Research Center, there’s been a decline in people finding meaning in their work. Nearly half of frontline managers and employees do not think that they can “live their purpose” through their jobs.

Second, workers are not paid the full value of their labor. Real wages have not kept pace with productivity, driving economic inequality and a decline in labor’s share of income.

Third, people are time poor. In the U.S., full-time employed workers work an average of 8.72 hours per day despite productiv ity increases. Long working hours, along with several other factors, contribute to the feeling of “time poverty,” which has a negative im pact on psychological well-being.

Fourth, automation puts jobs

and wages at risk. While techno logical innovation could in theory liberate people from the 40-hour workweek, as long as changes aren’t made to the structure of work, automation will simply con tinue to exert downward pressure on wages and contribute to in creases in precarious employment.

Humanize work or reduce it?

On the one hand, many people lack work that is personally mean ingful. On the other hand, many are also desperate for a more complete life—one that allows for creative self-expression and com munity-building outside of work.

There are two competing vi sions of the best way to arrive at a solution.

The first is what Kathi Weeks, author of “The Problem with Work,” calls the “socialist human ist” position. According to social ist humanists, work “is under stood as an individual creative capacity, a human essence, from which we are now estranged and to which we should be restored.”

Having a democratic say over your working life makes the work less alienating.

In other words, jobs often make workers feel less human. The way to remedy this problem is by re-imagining work so that it is self-determined and people are better compensated for the work they do.

The second is what’s known as the “post-work” position. The post-work theorists believe that while doing some work might be necessary, the work ethic, as a prerequisite for social value, can be corrosive to humanity; they argue that meaning, purpose and social value are not neces sarily found in work but instead reside in the communities and relationships built and sustained outside of the workplace.

So, people should be liberated from the requirement of work in

order to have the free time to do as they please and embrace what French-Austrian philosopher André Gorz called “life as an end in itself.”

Is it possible to have the best of both worlds?

Democratic worker control Democratic worker control— where companies are owned and controlled by the workers themselves—is not a new con cept. Worker cooperatives are already found in many sectors throughout the U.S. and else where around the globe.

In contrast to how work is currently organized under capi talism, democratic worker con trol humanizes work by allowing workers to determine their own working conditions, to own the full value of their labor, to dictate the structure and nature of their jobs and, crucially, to determine their own working hours.

This perspective recognizes that the problems people face in their working lives are not merely the result of an unjust distribution of resources. Rather, they result from power differentials in the workplace. Being told what to do, when to do it, and how much you will earn is an alienating experi ence that leads to depression, pre carity, and economic inequality.

On the other hand, having a democratic say over your working life means the ability to make work less alienating. If people have dem ocratic control over the work they do, they are unlikely to choose work that feels meaningless.

A mosaic approach

Of course, democratic worker control is not a silver bullet to economic discontent, and these changes to the workplace can’t occur in a vacuum. For instance, trials of a four-day workweek without a reduction in pay are in creasingly popular, and they have had resounding success in both the United Kingdom and Iceland.

Workers report feeling less stressed and less burned out. They have a better work-life balance and report being just as productive, if not more so. Fed eral legislation to reduce working hours without a reduction in pay, such as through the implemen tation of a four-day workweek, could accompany a movement for democratic worker control.

Tell the Supreme Court we still need affirmative action

By Ben Jealous

One of the great joys of my life is teaching. I’m fortunate to teach classes on social justice at the University of Pennsylva nia, one of the most respected schools in the country. Penn has a longstanding commitment to affirmative action, and I have seen first-hand how diversity in the classroom benefits all my students.

There’s just no question that diversity is a core piece of a vi brant academic community and a critical part of the learning ex perience—for all of us.

That’s why I, like so many of us, am deeply concerned about two affirmative action cases argued at the Supreme Court just a few days ago. Opponents of affirma tive action have been trying to destroy it for years. And now it looks like they just might get their chance.

Two universities, Harvard and the University of North Carolina (UNC), are defending their ad missions programs against oppo nents who want them declared unconstitutional. (The university where I teach, Penn, and the or ganization I lead, People For the American Way, have both joined briefs supporting the universities’ positions.)

Considering race as one of many factors in admissions has been upheld by the Supreme Court for decades. The Court has said repeatedly that diversity in higher education is a “compelling interest.”

But today’s Supreme Court is different. It’s dominated by farright justices who have made it clear they don’t share this view. Chief Justice John Roberts’ fa mous quote, “The way to stop

discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race,” sums it up:

Conservatives believe affirma tive action is at best unnecessary and at worst just another type of discrimination.

Some conservatives would like to retire affirmative action because they claim it’s accom plished everything it set out to do. But it hasn’t. Not even close.

In Texas and Michigan, appli cations and enrollments of Black and Latino students plunged af ter state politicians banned the consideration of race in admis sion to their public universities. That’s a huge red flag.

anji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the Court and a person of profound insight and wisdom. Her questions in oral arguments got to the heart of the matter.

Imagine two qualified students applying to UNC, Justice Jackson suggested: a White North Caro linian student whose family mem bers had attended the school for generations, and a Black North Carolinian whose family had his torically been shut out.

The White applicant might make the case that attending UNC is deeply meaningful to her because it is a family tradition. The Black applicant might make the case that it is deeply mean ingful because her family was so long denied.

Nationally, there’s a big gap between the percentage of White and Black students who earn a bachelor’s degree. And that perpetuates all kinds of harm and inequities in income, health, family wealth and more. We still have a long way to go in building a fair society in which all our children can thrive.

And here’s an important point that often gets lost. All students— no matter their race or color or creed—benefit from affirmative action. Having diverse class mates promotes a stimulating exchange of ideas and view points. It prepares all students for living and working in our increas ingly diverse society.

The Supreme Court used to understand that. Today, I worry that only a minority of the jus tices do.

One of those justices is Ket

Jackson’s question made it clear what would happen if the Court adopts the Far Right’s po sition: The White student’s ap peal to family history would be allowed to help their chance of acceptance, while the Black stu dent’s would not. It would further institutionalize discrimination and the harm it has caused gen erations of Black Americans. I am so grateful for Justice Jackson’s voice on the Court.

I hope for the sake of our edu cation system and our next gen eration that they will be wrong. The “compelling interest” that led the Court to uphold affirmative action in the past still exists—in fact, it may be stronger than ever.

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 au thor, his next book “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free” will be published by Harper Collins in January 2023.

Looking for victory beyond the election

By Robert C. Koehler

After the election comes…the coverage, which always, at least in the mainstream media, seems to reduce everything to winning and losing, to strategy and tactics, rather than to the deep issues shaping the future.

The mainstream-created con text of this year’s midterms amounted to: Will there be a “red tsunami”? That is, will the GOP, riding joyfully on the back of the bucking bronco of inflation, overwhelm Sleepy Joe’s Demo cratic Party and grab control over the House and Senate? Or will the Dems hold on, luck out, lose only minimally?

The New York Times, for in stance, noted:

text—corporate normalcy, you might say—in which the main stream media is attempting to frame the 2022 elections. The Republicans get to go off the deep end and actually stand for something radical (proto fascism), but the Democrats are just trying to keep America normal.

Fortunately, there is a pro gressive movement in this coun try, and this movement—this stand for sanity, this embrace of the future—was indeed present in the midterms and had a sig nificant impact. The Democratic Party, much to its own chagrin, is actually being forced to stand for something…beyond com promise.

a habitable planet. You think?

To put it another way, these voting events aren’t just political game playing, winning vs. losing. And the issues don’t end when the election is over. There is a movement—a cry for profound change—on the left as well as on the right, though they have noth ing in common with one another. The progressive movement is nonviolent and is not about claiming power for its own sake (or to gratify the ego of its Dear Leader).

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The expansion of social ser vices, the development of a public banking system, and the provision of a universal basic income may also be important components of meaningful change. A broader movement to democratize the U.S. economy is needed if society is going to take the challenges of work in the 21st century seriously. In short, I believe a mosaic of ap proaches is necessary.

But one thing is clear: If work remains the dictates of share holders rather than the workers themselves, much work will re main a source of alienation and will persist as an organizing fea ture of American life.

Alec Stubbs is a postdoctoral fel low of philosophy at UMass Boston.

“Across the East Coast, in Vir ginia’s northern suburbs and mixed areas of Rhode Island and New Hampshire, embattled Democrats managed to hang on. They even knocked off a few Republicans here and there. In many tight races, abortion and Mr. Trump’s looming presence may have been the GOP’s undoing.”

Wow. Go, Democrats! Their milquetoast centrism kind of worked, with the help of the Supreme Court, which shocked the country by overturning Roe v. Wade and taking away Ameri can women’s 49 years of abor tion rights. Perhaps “Mr. Trump’s” 2020 election denial, his MAGA base’s 2021 attempted coup, and the looming threat of civil war also figured into the results.

A fair number of American voters didn’t want that, appar ently, and more of them than usual actually took the trouble to vote in this year’s midterms.

That, at any rate, is the con

“A number of newly elected progressives from across the country are poised to join the ‘Squad’ of left-wing champions in the U.S. House following Tuesday’s midterm elections,” Julia Conley writes at Common Dreams.

These include Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, Maxwell Frost of Florida, Delia Ramirez of Illinois, Greg Casar of Texas and Becca Balint of Vermont. Their issues include an increased minimum wage, labor rights and the right to unionize, gun sanity—and no doubt much, much more: issues that actually impact the global future.

I’m sure they include the transcendence of racism and militarism, real voting rights, and, of course, seriously fac ing, and dealing with, climate change and the maintenance of

Greg Casar, talking about Texas (which of course reelected its far-right Republican governor, Greg Abbott), said: “We’re not a red state. We’re an under-organized state, a votersuppressed state. It’s harder to vote in Texas than anywhere else in the country.”

Nonetheless, this is changing, progress is happening. Demo cratic victories aren’t about “out-centering” the Republicans (we’re against immigrants too, but in a nicer way). No! It’s about standing up for our values.

“You can win or lose elections,” Casar said, “but you don’t ever lose a movement. Our work is on a much greater horizon than one election.”

These changes are well be yond the control of contempo rary politics—but not beyond humanity’s involvement. This is the “greater horizon” to which we must open ourselves.

Robert Koehler (koehlercw@ gmail.com), syndicated by Peace Voice, is a Chicago award-winning journalist and editor. He is the au thor of Courage Grows Strong at the Wound.

All students—no matter their race or color or creed— benefit from affirma tive action.

“You can win or lose elections, but you don’t ever lose a movement.”

‘Holiday in Lights’ is back

“Holiday In Lights” is back at the Anoka County Fairgrounds on December 9-11, from 5 to 9 pm. The public is invited to an in-person holiday event.

The “Holiday in Lights” in-person threeday event will have bonfires, live Christmas music, lights walk-through, snacks, a Santa House, the Lights Competition, hayrides, and MORE.

“This is the first year we are bringing back the ‘Holiday in Lights’ in-person three-day event since 2019. The board of directors and I are really looking forward to bringing this tradition back for many families in the com munity,” said fair manager Michaela Liebl.

This event is free to the public. Freewill donations, toy donations, or canned food donations are appreciated. “This event is one of the many ways we as a fair want to give

back to the community. By offering this free event, we hope that people will donate more to the causes that help the local community,” said fair board president Michael Ahlers. Besides the in-person event, there will also be a free “Holiday in Lights” drive-th ru from Dec.12 until Dec. 26. This event encourages people to experience the lights at the fairgrounds. For more info, visit www.anokacountyfair.com.

Employment & Legals

For Sale By Bid

Sale 139568, Conveyance 2019-0087: For Sale by bidMnDOT owned property, 1.09 acres of vacant land located at the NW Quad of TH100 and Minnetonka Blvd., St Louis Park, Hennepin County. To be sold by sealed bid on 3/21/2023 at 2:00pm at Central Office, 395 John Ireland Blvd, St. Paul.

Bid Form, http://www.dot.state.mn.us/row/propsales.html Info LandSales.MN.DOT@state.mn.us

Mechanical Design Engineer, Medtronic, Inc.

Mounds View, MN. Req. Bachelor’s deg. in Mech. or Biomed. Engr. or rel. engr. fld. &; 2 yrs. exp. as a mechanical design engr. or rel. occupation for medical devices. Exp. must incl. 2 yrs. in each of the following: Facilitating product dsgn. tran sition to internal & ext. mfg. facilities; evaluating & selecting Test methodologies & dsgn. test techniques for bench & in-vi vo conditions; Product dsgn. dev., analysis & statistical tools to incl. Minitab; DMAIC & Six Sigma for product dsgn. process; DFMEA & PFMEA; DOE, ANOVA, t-test, Confidence & Tol erance interval analysis, GD & T, SWOT analysis, & Ishikawa (Fishbone); Prod. Dev. Process, GDP, change mgmt. verifica tion & validation; & directly supporting regulatory product submissions to the FDA, TUV (incl. EU MDR). This position is open to telecommuting from anywhere in the United States. Apply at https://jobs.medtronic.com/, Req. # 22000N6Y. No agencies or phone calls.

Medtronic is an equal opportunity employer committed to cultural diversity in the workplace.

All individuals are encouraged to apply.

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder PHONE: 612-827-4021

FOR RENT

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

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

PHONE: 612-827-4021

To Respondent: YOU ARE NOTIFIED that a Harassment Restraining Order has been issued on June 14, 2022 A hearing has not been scheduled. You may request a hearing on this matter by filing a Request for Hearing HAR301 with the Court within twenty (20) days of the date this Notice is published. You may get a copy of the HRO from the court administrator’s office at the following address:

PHONE: 612-827-4021

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Celebrating its soft opening, the Asia Mall in Eden Prairie enjoyed its first weekend open to the public. The soft opening runs from Nov 10-19. The grand opening was planned for Sat., Nov. 20, but has been pushed back, according to a mall representative.

Located in the old Gander Mountain store, the mall currently has about nine restaurants, a hair salon, a grocery mar ket, and an insurance and travel agency.

Many seemed to be ready for the new concept, which aims to promote local Asian businesses. “Our goal is to create a unique experience whereby Minneso tans can shop for fresh Asian groceries, pick up live seafood and dine at the top local Asian restaurants, all in one place,” according to the Asia Mall website.

Checkout lines for the grocery mar ket rest in the center of the mall. But surrounding the mall was a mix of sit

viewContunued from page 12

[each other],” said Stephens beforehand.

Shalon Pillow (FAMU) and Charmin Smith (California) will face each other Dec. 18 as part of the first-year Pac-12/ SWAC Legacy Series Games.

“To have two Black females coaching against each other, it definitely is a big deal,” af

sOe

Contunued from page 12

for sports management. “This is what I want to do,” exclaimed Gros in the analyst role along side Stevens. “I’m happy that he even thought of me to do something like that, because he knows I’m interested in it.”

The 6-3 Gopher middle blocker was on the mic, her first such assignment since leaving Michigan for Minnesota. “Just being able to get that live expe rience,” continued Gros.

Ramsey County Juvenile and Family Justice Center 25 W. 7th Street Room B122 Saint Paul, MN 55102

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+2 WEEKS ONLINE @$300 TOTAL: $678.00

We’re At Home Apartments, with locations throughout the Twin Cities metro area.

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Responsibilities include system definition, verification and vali dation for CRM and Cardiovascular Diagnostic products in Frid ley, MN. Requires a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering or closely related. Experience must include one (1) year of postbachelor’s progressive experience in all of the following: Developing algorithms, analyzing electrograms, and reviewing diagnostic data collected in research studies. Authors key system requirements, completes performance modeling, sys tem integration, verification and validation activities for implant able cardiac monitors and leadless pacemaker systems Defining and documenting system design, architecture and interfaces be tween hardware, firmware and software. Planning for and executing animal studies following Good Lab oratory Practices (GLP) for regulatory submissions. Formative testing and beta testing to evaluate customer acceptance and product performance. SysML and Model-based Systems Engi neering tools to include Sparx Enterprise Architect. System test automation and DevOps principals and methodology. SQL, Py thon, R and MATLAB. This position is open to telecommuting from anywhere in the United States.

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

Apply at https://jobs.medtronic.com/, Req. 22000N71.

+2 WEEKS ONLINE @$300 TOTAL: $637.00

Medtronic is an equal opportunity employer committed to cultural diversity in the workplace. All individuals are encouraged to apply.

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.

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Failure to appear at a scheduled hearing or to get a copy of the Harassment Restraining Order will not be a defense to prosecution for violation of the Court’s order.

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For more exposure: We are also inviting our clients to adver tise on our website for 2 weeks for a flat net fee of $300 per

New Asia Mall opens to the public

This means you will get e-tears and e-mailed invoices unless you

Filled to capacity, the parking lot created a challenge for many trying to visit during the soft opening. Photos by Chris Juhn

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down, counter ordering, and fast-casual dining options. Lines seemed to be at every restaurant.

Ad Options: For an additional $300.00 you can get online advertising as well.

The technology at the mall stood out. Both children and adults seemed en tranced by a robot that moved back and forth in front of a currently closed hot pot restaurant. Screens for ordering were seen in some of the restaurants and the lighting seemed to be mostly all LED and designed with the intention for the space.

If you plan to visit the Asia Mall, make

sure to check out the Facebook page to ensure you don’t need to register that day. Registration was a requirement on Sun day, Nov 13. Also, make sure to park in the lot as the website claims you will be towed if you park at nearby businesses.

For more info on the mall’s grand open ing, visit Facebook.com/asiamallmn.

Chris Juhn welcomes reader responses to cjuhn@spokesman-recorder.com.

in the Petition for the Order for Protection should not be granted. You must contact the Hennepin County Court Administrator’s Office at 612-348-8756 for hearing location details.

You may obtain a copy of the Petition and any order issued from the court from the Hennepin County Family Court at 110 South Fourth Street, Mpls., MN 55401.

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder November 17, 2022

firmed Pillow, hired by FAMU in 2020. Smith was named Cal’s coach in 2019. “We don’t have that many Black female head coaches,” added Pillow.

Wisconsin’s Marisa Mose ley, also in her second season, pointed out, “Whether we’re competing against each other or against other opponents on any given night, we have an opportunity to show what we’re capable of doing, that we are coaches who just hap

“You can get as much prac tice as you want, but at the end of the day, I think the best way to learn is by just [being] thrown in and learn ing from the games.

“It was a great experience,” said Gros. “I had a day to look over the notes and a day to talk to E.J. We just went out there and called the game.”

She later assessed her per formance: “I wanted to not only state the obvious but the why behind the obvious. What made her hit that shot? How did she hit that shot? Instead of

pen to be Black.

“I think that for young girls, Black, White, any other race or ethnicity, they need to see us in these positions be suc cessful [and show] we can do it with grace and with poise,” said the Badgers HC.

Added Johnson, “I think we all take pride in handling ourselves the right way, de veloping our programs, and winning on and off the floor, setting a good example.”

yes, we saw that happen, but why did it happen and how did she make that happen?”

Gros said during her jour nalism studies at Michigan State she also took broadcast ing classes. “I think what’s re ally prepared me at Michigan State, I had an internship with the Big Ten Student U.”

The Big Ten Network’s Student U program offers hands-on experience for Big Ten students interested in a career in sports broadcasting to learn all facets of sports production. These students

Cindy Brunson, veteran Pac-12 Networks broad caster during the Big Ten me dia days in October, openly questioned, if nearly 50% of women’s college basket ball players are Black, “Why aren’t we seeing more [Black] head coaches in the Division I level? We need more in the Power Five [conferences] for sure.”

“There are a lot of great minority coaches that can

work over 1,700 live sport ing events each year that are either streamed on B1G+ or televised on BTN.

“I was able to cover a wres tling match, a softball game and a baseball game, just doing sideline [reporting] for them,” said Gros. “That internship re ally has prepared me for calling a match like I did.”

Black female sports com mentators arent bountiful today, but Gros proudly uses as a model Maria Taylor, now with NBC Sports, the first fe male full-time host of the net

call 612.827.4021 Find us at @sisterspokesman FOR MORE INFORMATION

coach if given the oppor tunity,” said Indiana’s Mike Woodson. “If you qualify, you should get an opportu nity if somebody’s willing to give you that opportunity.”

North Carolina Central WBB Coach Trisha StaffordOdom looked at the “big deal” of Blacks coaching against Blacks: “I think people that are not coaching make a bigger deal of it than us as [Black] coaches. There is

work’s football broadcasts.

“I’ve been looking at Maria Taylor over those couple of years as her career has grown,” said Gros. “She’s somebody who I look highly up to being an African American broad caster and just bringing that energy. Bringing what you are to the mic is something that’s really important and being au thentic to what you are.”

Whenever her collegiate volleyball playing days might be over, Gros said she is look ing forward to a broadcasting career. “I would love to start

a great pride to be able to look across the court and see you’re coaching against someone of color.

“I love the fact that right now you’re able to see that it’s not just about the color, it’s about the skill and ability and our inclination to be as good if not better.”

off in that field,” she sait.

“But I would like to broaden my horizons… I want to be a well-rounded broadcaster. I just don’t want to be a volleyballspecific analyst. I want to just have a little bit of knowledge everywhere across the board.

“I look forward to this jour ney that’s coming forward for me and my broadcasting ca reer. I’m excited to get started with that.”

spokesman-recorder.com.

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

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@

New Asia Mall opens to the public

Bringing authenticity to the mic

t was the middle of Sep tember and a scheduled off day for Naya Gros and her teammates in the early portion of the 2022 volleyball season. “E.J. reached out to me liter ally the day before the [Sept. 16] match of Pepperdine and Washington State,” recalled the Minnesota graduate stu dent, who was one of five se niors celebrated last Sunday afternoon on senior day at the

Maturi Pavilion.

E.J. Stevens, the team’s sports information director, was scheduled to work the match as play-by-play. “He was like, ‘Yeah, we need some body to fill in.’” Gros recalled.

“‘Would you be interested in filling in?’ I’m like, absolutely.”

Gros has a journalism degree from Michigan State and is in graduate school at Minnesota

■ See SOE on page 11

Second of two parts

henever two basket ball teams coached by Blacks face each other, two certainties will occur: One Black coach will emerge a winner, and the oth er will have an L attached to his or her resume.

“A lot of Black coaches don’t want to play one another,” ad mitted Kenneth Blakeley, in his third season as Howard University men’s coach af ter 24 years as an assistant at seven different schools before finally getting his first

What’s the ‘big deal’ when Black coaches face off?

HC opportunity in 2019. “The reason behind that is because somebody has to lose. Are you putting the African Ameri can or Black coach one game closer to his demise or his not

to their career when more of ten than not they aren’t given a second chance, unlike their White counterparts.

It is not any different in women’s college hoops, where the numbers and per centages of Black head coach es at non-HBCUs are even lower than the men’s and their second chances are just as slim to none.

This is Ben Johnson’s sec ond year as Gophers men’s

coach. He will be involved this season in eight sched uled “Black-Black” matchups, seven of them at home, in cluding last Monday’s 61-60 season-opening win over Western Michigan, coached by Dwayne Stephens, his first HC job after the last 19 years as a Michigan State assistant.

“Ben is a real close friend of mine. I appreciate him giv ing us the opportunity to play

Former prep stars contributing to St. Thomas

he University of St. Thomas men and wom en’s basketball teams are in their second seasons in Divi sion I competition. I caught up with some former metro area prep stars last weekend who are helping to make history in this transition. Women’s team players Jade Hill (Minneapolis South) and Alexis Pratt (Stillwa ter), men’s team players Court ney Brown Jr. (East Ridge) and Kendall Blue (East Ridge), and men’s assistant coach Cameron Rundles (DeLaSalle).

Here is what they had to say.

All

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

Jade Hill (sophomore)

On her experience at St. Thomas: “It’s been really good. Our environment is the big gest thing I enjoy. It’s broader, supportive and competitive here. Everyone is encouraging and uplifting, and that’s an en vironment you want to be in. It’s fun to be around and fun to play in. That’s the biggest thing I’ve enjoyed here.”

Alexis Pratt (sophomore)

On why she transferred from the University of NebraskaOmaha to St. Thomas and her high school coach: “I like the environment here. I like the coaches. They are very sup portive. I’m really excited to be on the floor with the girls. It’s also good to be home having my parents come to see me and watch me play. [Stillwater High School Head Coach] Wil lie [Taylor] really taught me a lot about being a point guard. He’s a great coach.”

On why he likes coaching at St. Thomas: “I really like it, man. After playing in Europe to come back to my home city and St. Thomas [that] I’ve al ways loved dearly. A lot of my best friends went here and won national championships with D III players, and I’ve known [Head Coach] Johnny [Tauer] forever, so to come back and work with him is awesome.”

Courtney Brown Jr. (junior)

On why he transferred from the University of WisconsinMilwaukee to St. Thomas: “Just having Johnny Tauer as a coach. He’s a Minnesota leg end. Getting the opportunity to play for him. The opportu nity St. Thomas has going D I, I want to be a part of that story and help build the program up. I’m glad I made the move.”

Kendall Blue (freshman)

On why he wanted to play for St. Thomas: “That’s one of the reasons I came to St. Thomas, because I knew I would get playing time right away. I like the atmosphere and playing with my teammates. The en vironment and community are very supportive, and my fam ily has the opportunity to see me play.”

For new Wolves PA it’s a dream come true

By Charles Hallman Sports Columnist

penings for pro teams’ public address (PA) announcer jobs are rare, especially in the National Basketball Association. As glamorous as these jobs ap pear, it is after all only a parttime gig.

Jedidiah Jones, a 2016 Min neapolis North graduate, is one of 30 NBA PAs, in his first season working the arena mic at Minnesota Timberwolves home games. He replaced Shawn Parker, who stepped down this summer after five seasons.

“It’s definitely a blessing to be here,” Jones told the MSR after a home contest. “Grow ing up I really wanted to be a basketball player, I wanted to be right here on this court.

“Things didn’t work out for me in high school,” said Jones. “At that time basketball wasn’t for

me. I wasn’t in the right head space for it. I wasn’t as dedicat ed as I should have been.”

But instead, unbeknownst to him at the time, he would in a few years be in the NBA.

Jones was hired by the Wolves after he survived several audi tioning rounds this summer. He heard about the opening while listening to the radio at work.

Jones has a distinctive bass voice: “Everybody was call ing me Barry White. It really started when I was about in eighth, ninth grade. I’ve always been told that it was money in my voice.” But once he got to North High, one of his teachers “stopped me in my tracks. He told me I had the voice of God.”

“I just caught it by chance,” recalled Jones. “As soon as I got back home from work, I told my wife, ‘I think I’m gon na try [for the] PA position.”

When he finally got the call informing him that he had in deed won the Wolves PA job, “My wife is jumping for joy with me,” recalled Jones. “Ever since then, it still feels surreal.”

The North teacher was in deed prophetic as Jones this season is one of the 30 NBA’s “Voices of God (VOG),” the in dustry term for a PA announc er. He’s one of the few Black PA announcers—Detroit’s John Mason and Kyle Speller of Denver are among them.

After graduating from high school Jones attended college for music production. “That didn’t go so well for me,” he admitted. “So, after going from job to job to job, I got sick and tired of doing that. I went back to college at MCTC (Minneapolis Community and Technical College). I studied

for theater arts.”

“I was on a dean’s list, doing really well, and then COVID happened,” continued Jones, who eventually left school,

signed up with an agent, and starting seeking acting jobs.

He hasn’t given up on that acting thing, “a waiting game, waiting for auditions to come

my way. I always liked bas ketball. Even though I’m not a player, I’m still involved in the NBA. In a way I made my dream come true.

“For me to be in this posi tion so young and just take everything in, piece by piece, is definitely a blessing.”

Legacy Series

The new Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series Games are now underway. The men’s and women’s games will be aired live on ESPN+ and the Pac-12 Network, including a total of five non-conference matchups played on SWAC campuses.

The Legacy Series is an edu cational and basketball sched uling partnership between the two athletics conferences to tip off the 2022-23 season.

Ben Johnson Photos by Charles Hallman

having success?” Blakeley is mostly referring to Black coaches at non-HB

CU schools—Blacks coaching against each other is the way of life in Black colleges and universities. But you can see his point—any sort of setback for a Black coach can be fatal

“There is a great pride to be able to look across the court and see you’re coaching against someone of color.”

Cindy Brunson

Naya Gros and E.J. Stevens

Submitted photo

“I want to be a well-rounded broadcaster.”

photos by Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald

Cameron Rundles

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

“I’ve always been told that it was money in my voice.”

Jedidiah Jones

Photo by Charles Hallman