February 29, 2024 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

on page 10.

Ousted civil rights director Alberder Gillespie addresses recent firing

By Abdi Mohamed Associate Editor

here has been yet another shake-up in Minneapolis after Alberder Gillespie, the city’s Civil Rights Director, was fired on Feb. 16, roughly two years into her four-year term.

In an email to the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, City spokeswoman Sarah McKenzie shared that City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher, who oversees the Civil Rights Department, will serve as the interim director on a short-term basis as they move to “expeditiously” fill the role.

McKenzie’s statement read, “The Minneapolis Civil Rights Department is a critical part of City government tasked with protecting and advancing the civil and human rights of our community, including the work of the Office of Police Conduct Review (OPCR).

OPCR is responsible for complying with several provisions of the settlement agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.”

Local reports indicate that Mayor Jacob Frey had terminated Gillespie on the recom-

mendation of Kelliher, who had stated that she posed a threat to the city’s ability to meet its responsibilities in the Minnesota Department of Human Rights settlement agreement.

Much of the reporting refers to documents surrounding Gillespie’s termination that illustrated her office’s inability to investigate police misconduct complaints in the

allotted time frame required by the settlement agreement between MDHR and the city. The city and MDHR reached a settlement agreement in 2023 following MDHR’s investigation that found that the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department “engage in a pattern or practice of race discrimination in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act.”

In a phone interview last week, Gillespie shared that she was out of town when news of her firing had become public. She shared that a colleague in the city had contacted her to meet over Microsoft Teams. Unsure about the focus of the meeting, Gillespie was only informed that she was meeting with Kelliher.

“I really have not sat down

■ See GILLESPIE on page 7

Vetaw speaks out on disrespect, homelessness, light rail

By Al Brown

Assignment Editor

n the wake of the commotion surrounding some members of the Minneapolis City Council, sometimes with each other and other times with regular citizens, Councilwoman LaTrisha Vetaw

recently sat down for an episode of “Tracey’s Keeping It Real,” a popular podcast hosted by Minnesota SpokesmanRecorder CEO and Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard.

“As for me, I try to communicate with my colleagues via email, private meeting, or

■ See VETAW on page 7

History Makers at Home honored at Capri Theater

By Al Brown Assignment Editor

n Feb. 22, the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department recognized History Makers at Home at the Capri Theater in North Minneapolis. The event started at 11 a.m. and concluded with a networking reception from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The honorees included the late master storyteller Nothando Zulu; Minnesota civil rights icon, educator and author Dr. Josie Johnson; community leader and business owner Larry Cook; and Violence Interrupters who work to prevent serious conflicts. The event also featured drummer Ghana M’baye’s mu-

sical performance and Poetic Rhema’s spoken word. Sherlonda Clarke from the Civil Rights Department served as the event’s master of ceremony.

Vusemuzi Zulu was on hand to accept the award on behalf of his late wife.

Vusemuzi Zulu was on hand to accept the award on behalf of his late wife. He cited one of her iconic stories, “The Eagle,” to a roaring response, as did Poetic Rhema, who delivered a powerful poem. Dr. Johnson, now 93 and jokingly semiretired, accepted her award via video from Atlanta. Dr. Johnson’s award was announced and received by Sherlonda Clarke as the honoree listened in before giving a soft-spoken thank you to event sponsors

■ See CAPRI on page 7

DOJ exposes failures in federal prisons leading to inmate deaths

By Stacy M. Brown

scathing report released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz unveiled a disturbing pattern of operational and managerial deficiencies within the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), shedding light on the alarming rate of inmate deaths.

The report, covering the years FY 2014 through FY 2021, scrutinizes 344 deaths in BOP institutions and points to a multitude of issues, notably suicides, homicides, accidents, and concerning number of deaths resulting from unknown factors.

Suicide epidemic Suicides emerged as the predominant cause of death, constituting over half of the 344 cases investigated. The DOJ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) identified recurring policy violations and operational failures contributing to inmate suicides. Among the highlighted deficiencies were lapses in staff completion of inmate assessments, inappropriate Mental Health Care Level assignments, and the heightened risk associated with single-celled inmates.

Federal Bureau of Prisons is on the DOJ watch list for systemic failures. Courtesy of NNPA

The report also spotlighted BOP-run facilities’ failure to conduct mandatory “mock suicide drills.” Investigators said 67 out of the 194 BOP facilities were unable to provide evidence of running a single mock suicide drill between 2018 and 2020, violating the required three drills per year, one for each shift.

Insufficient emergency response

The OIG’s findings underscored significant shortcomings in the BOP’s response to

the

the BOP failed to provide

tressed inmates. Furthermore, a glaring oversight revealed that

■ See DOJ on page 7

Alberder Gillespie (on the phone) with supporters after public comments at a city council meeting on February 26 Photo by Abdi Mohamed

Councilwoman LaTrisha Vetaw (l) and Spokesman-Recorder CEO & Publisher Tracey Williams Dillard

By H. Jiahong Pan Contributing Writer

A former Third Precinct resident who still has a business there wants to build an ambitious Black cultural center where the former Third Precinct building stands. It looks like he will have several formidable obstacles to overcome.

In a presentation last month at the Hook and Ladder Theater, located right next to the former Third Precinct building, Mama Sheila’s House of Soul co-owner and Blaine resident Fred Brathwaite proposed building two six-story towers shaped in the headwraps of African women emerging from a two-story podium.

After speaking with community members and forming a nonprofit, Brathwaite proposes the site include a national memorial built in granite dedicated to those who have been killed by police, a community center, a coworking space, community meeting rooms, a museum that describes the experiences of Black people as it relates to the Atlantic Slave Trade, and a rooftop restaurant and wedding venue where servers will be required to wear tuxedos.

“We want something unique that’s gonna bless our community. We do not want some big bankroller to come in here and drop some apartment complexes. We don’t want another 7-Eleven, or another Wendy’s,

Black cultural center proposed for former Third Precinct site

project could affect the surrounding community. “We need to consider the YWCA… The YWCA has been doing such great work for the community for a long time, and there’s a Planet Fitness across the street. And what is the long-term impact on property values and people who can afford to continue to stay in the neighborhood?” asked Jeanelle Austin, a Third Precinct resident who lives near George Floyd Square and is the executive director of the George Floyd Global Memorial.

Y[WCA] is here. If Sabathani wanted this, they would have done it by now,” said Dorsey.

Others were worried about how the organization would receive funding because of the project’s scale. Project sponsors have incorporated as a nonprofit as a way to get funding from entities such as Fortune 500 companies and people like football players to build the vision out. This has Minneapolis City Councilmember Robin Wonsley worried.

“Those $20 million checks from Target? They are not ‘no strings attached.’ There is also a possibility that when Target gets tired of doing its anti-racist checklist, they might say they want to back out. And then what

happens here?” said Wonsley. Perhaps most important is how the project accounts for the families who have lost loved ones to police violence. “There are many bodies

about how can we include the healing part for the community?” said Toshira Garraway, executive director of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence.

“And recognizing the trauma? The people that are really hurting in this state…the impacted families’ voices [need] to [be brought to] the table.”

Other challenges remain.

The city still owns the land and building that formerly housed the Third Precinct, and has no immediate plans to give it up. The MSR reported in December the city planned to relocate its election headquarters there, while also setting aside 25 percent of the space for community use. They plan to begin engaging the community about that use, which they are calling the Minnehaha 3000 project, in early March.

Councilmember Jason Chavez, who represents the site where the Third Precinct was formerly headquartered, believes the community should lead the discussion on what should happen to the site.

munity member say that they support.” said Chavez. “What I would prefer to see is a community process that allows for community ownership that can encompass a lot of things you heard tonight, but that is developed by the community.”

The building as designed may not meet what the city allows at the intersection. Though this proposal appears to be allowed by the city, the city and some neighbors are likely to object to four levels of underground parking at the site, considering Metro Transit has a light rail line two blocks to the west and will open a rapid, frequent and high-capacity bus line on Lake Street next year. Also, the site is blocks away from two major bike trails.

Brathwaite believes it is important to have car parking there because he expects it to be a national destination. “People are not only going to come from around here, but they’re gonna come from way out to see this place. And they’re gonna have to drive here. It’s the nature of man, what we build is going to be so exciting,” said Brathwaite.

that came after George Floyd. When I think of a space that has been included with causing a lot of trauma, which was the Third Precinct, I think

“The City of Minneapolis is planning to do an election voters center in this location, something that particularly I have not heard a single com-

Meanwhile, the city will begin cleaning up the former Third Precinct site. They plan to remove the temporary barriers that have created a fortress at the Southside intersection this spring, along with repairing doors and windows and performing maintenance checks.

H. Jiahong Pan welcomes reader comments at hpan@ spokesman-recorder.com.

Fred Brathwaite presents the concept of a Black Cultural Center at the current Third Precinct site.

Photo by H. Jiahong Pan

A successful night out on the town Sanneh Foundation Gala delivers

By Al Brown Assignment Editor

he 4Goals Gala, hosted by the Sanneh Foundation on Saturday, Feb. 24, at the St. Paul RiverCentre, was a night filled with inspiration and support for the incredible work done by the organization. Founded by former St. Paul soccer player Tony Sanneh, the foundation has transformed the lives of hundreds of children and adolescents by providing mentorship, nutritional food, safety and shelter.

The holistic program created by the foundation has successfully nurtured an environment of confidence and support, helping youth become the best version of themselves. To equip kids with the necessary tools to pursue their dreams, the Sanneh Foundation has gone above and beyond in empowering youth through education, physical health programs, and promoting diversity and well-being in communities.

The Gala brought together a diverse group of supporters, including prominent figures

like Mayors Melvin Carter of St. Paul and Jacob Frey of Minneapolis, as well as key community leaders from various sectors. Special recognition was given to individuals who contributed significantly to youth mentorship and community building, such as the posthumous awards to Andre “Debonaire” McNeal and Tou Ger Xiong.

This prestigious event was made possible by generous sponsors like Delta Dental MN, Blue Cross Blue Shield, 3M, and many others who believe in the Foundation’s mission. The real stars of the evening, however, were the children whose lives have been positively impacted by the Sanneh Foundation, along with the donors who generously contributed to make the gala a tremendous success.

The 4Goals Gala was not just a night of celebration but a testament to the incredible work being done to uplift and empower youth in our communities.

Al Brown welcomes readers comments to abrown@ spokesman-recorder.com.

the foundAtion hAs trAnsformed the lives of hundreds of children And Adolescents.

Tony Sanneh of the Sanneh Foundation and Tracey WilliamsDillard, MSR Publisher/CEO

Health

Bridging the racial gap in health care: A new study investigates digital access

By Tony Kiene Staff Writer

Techquity by FAITH! recently hosted the second of two kick-off events at the Harold Mezile North Community YMCA in preparation for a new study to determine how access to digital health equity impacts African American heart health outcomes in the cities of Rochester and Minneapolis.

“Just because the healthcare experience has gone digital,” writes journalist Seth Joseph in Forbes magazine, “doesn’t mean it’s readily accessible or easy to navigate—digitally or otherwise—for everyone, and certainly not equally.”

of telehealth became more and more prominent,” explains LaPrincess C. Brewer, M.D., M.P.H.

The concept of ‘techquity” seeks to bridge the existing racial gaps in healthcare by increasing digital equity in historically underserved communities. Dr. Brewer, the Principal Investigator (PI) of the Techquity by FAITH! study and the first African American female cardiologist on the staff at Mayo Clinic Rochester, has long been at the forefront of this movement.

In 2017, Dr. Brewer and her colleagues published the results from a separate study in the Journal of Racial and Eth-

“With this study, we are looking to promote positive change, to touch people and communities, motivating them toward healthy lifestyles.”

Take Minnesota, for example, where the health disparities between Black and white residents are among the worst in the nation. The digital divide is yet another social determinant of health (SDoH).

The impact of COVID-19 has only exacerbated this gulf. “The pandemic brought

nic Health Disparities, where they employed the FAITH! model (Fostering African American Improvement in Total Health) in their research. This particular model, which was founded by Dr. Brewer in 2008, and expanded to the Mayo Clinic’s Department of Cardiovascular Medicine five

guidelines (LS7) bettered the cardiovascular health of Black Minnesotans.

Their report revealed a “statistically significant improvement in cardiovascular health knowledge… and a higher percentage of participants meeting either ideal or intermediate LS7 scores.”

This upcoming study, cochaired by Dr. Brewer and Clarence Jones, executive director of the Minneapolisbased HueMAN Partnership, held its first kick-off event last month in Rochester, where the president of the local NAACP, Walé Elegbede, was the guest speaker.

The Techquity by FAITH! study is designed to test the efficacy of the newly developed FAITH! digital app while promoting the AHA’s new cardiovascular health guidelines, now known as Life’s Essential 8 (LS8), which Dr. Brewer and a group of other cardiologists updated in 2022.

The LS8, equally divided between four health behaviors and four health factors, focuses on such things as a nutrient-rich diet, regular exercise, healthy sleep patterns, weight management, and successfully controlling one’s cholesterol, blood pressure, and A1C.

During the second kick-off event on Feb. 17 in Minneapolis, Dr. Brewer presented an overview of Techquity by FAITH! study, which is being

munity-based, participatory initiative include designing the study’s toolkit, training a network of Digital Health Advocates (DHAs) to support participants, and assessing the efficacy of the FAITH! app.

The final phase, which will be conducted between February 2025 and April 2025, will, in partnership with 20 faith communities, track 150 participants in the cities of Roch-

about a clear and rapid transition to technology in accessing healthcare where African Americans found themselves even further behind as the use

years later, was used to demonstrate how the increased knowledge and application of the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Life’s Simple 7

funded by a 2 million dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and will be conducted in three phases.

The phases of this com-

ester and Minneapolis as they utilize the FAITH! app in an effort to increase their cardiovascular knowledge and heart health.

Participants will be provided with their very own Fitbit, with the FAITH! app already installed. Among the things they will be asked to track are their daily steps and their intake of fruits and vegetables.

“We are promoting digital inclusion to improve health outcomes,” notes Dr. Brewer. “This is the junction of tech and healthcare, where affordability and access to the internet, to smartphones, and to other types of devices are vital to success.”

In addition to a healthy catered lunch, prize drawings, and testimonials from those who have already benefitted from Techquity by FAITH!’s outreach, the Minneapolis event featured guest speaker Val Fleurantin, founder and CEO of VF Solutions.

A CDC-certified lifestyle coach, group fitness instructor, and the creator of Afrokaribe Dance Fitness, Coach Val (as she is affectionately known around the Twin Cities), spoke to the time 10 years or so ago, where she was tired of reading about the disparate state of health and wellness in communities of color, and, in particular, her beloved North Minneapolis.

When she heard a radio segment on KMOJ where someone remarked that 80 percent of the diseases and/ or chronic conditions affecting individuals “over North” were

preventable, Coach Val knew it was time to act.

So, she left a lucrative career in software engineering to begin teaching fitness classes in her local community. Coach Val also shared some success stories she’s witnessed over the years and emphasized the importance of maintaining flexibility and muscle mass before leading the many in attendance through an impromptu workout.

Pressed by an audience member as to what types of exercise she recommends, Coach Val responded, “Whatever you know that you’ll stick to—whatever you’ll find fun.”

She added that it’s never too late to get started.

When asked what success looks like regarding Techquity by Faith!, Dr. Brewer said, “I don’t look at this so much quantitatively. With this study, we are looking to promote positive change, to touch people and communities, motivating them toward healthy lifestyles. That’s what success looks like to me.”

For those interested in participating in the Techquity by FAITH! study, send an email to FAITH4Heart@Mayo.edu.

For more information about FAITH!, visit faith4heart.com.

Tony Kiene welcomes reader responses to tkiene@spokesanrecorder.com.

Dr. LaPrincess C. Brewer speaks to attendees.

Coach Val Fleurantin leads particpants in exercise.

Photos by Tony Kiene

Health

Alarm sounds on adolescents’ state of mind

Youth suicide rate is on the rise

Tony Kiene Staff Writer

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that around one in five adolescents between the ages of 12 to 17 report that they frequently experience feelings of anxiety and depression.

The CDC’s Teen National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), conducted over 18 months during 2021 and 2022, also shows that those rates are significantly higher for females in this age group, who are approximately two-and-a-half times more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression than are their male counterparts. And LGBTQ+ teens report anxiety and depression at more than three times the rate of non-LGBTQ+ teenagers.

Although the survey doesn’t distinguish between racial and ethnic identities, other studies conducted during the same period did pay attention to potential differences along such lines with interesting results.

KFF (formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation), an independent nonprofit organization that specializes in health policy and research that analyzed the NHIS survey, notes that recent statistics from both SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) regarding anxiety and depression in American teenagers “found no significant differences among

racial and ethnic groups.”

Dr. BraVada GarrettAkinsanya, a licensed clinical psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, and the cofounder and executive director of the African American Child Wellness Institute, believes that there is clear evidence as to why.

“During Covid, Black kids and white kids were looking very similar in terms of the amount of distress they were experiencing,” Garrett-Akinsanya explains. “It wasn’t that Black kids had any less anxiety than they did previously; it’s that white kids were having more and more.”

This assessment is further borne out in a statewide re-

port from the Minnesota Department of Education. The Minnesota Student Survey from 2022 shows that 47 percent of white ninth graders in the state reported “feeling down, depressed or hopeless” at least at some point during the past two weeks, compared to 46 percent of Black ninth graders. Approximately 10 percent of both Black and white first-year high school students reported feeling that way almost every day over those two weeks.

Still, despite these similarities, Garrett-Akinsanya agrees with KFF in its analysis, which all told states that “mental health conditions among adolescents of color may be un-

derreported as a result of underdiagnosis, gaps in culturally sensitive mental health care, structural barriers, and stigma associated with accessing care.

“Kids of color, and in particular Black children, still tend to have it worst when it comes to getting care,” notes GarrettAkinsanya.

That is another critical finding in survey after survey around the issue of mental health and wellness support. Many adolescents are accessing care. Yet far too many are not, whether it’s an issue of affordability, not knowing where to turn, or, again, that dreaded stigma around the topic of mental health.

“Stigma, that’s something

that’s hard to answer, to overcome,” Garrett-Akinsanya says, “The treatment gap in Black communities is, in part, supported by a history of distrust, mistrust. And those feelings are well-founded.”

Concerning potential strategies and solutions, GarrettAkinsanya speaks to the need for more health practitioners of color, as BIPOC youth are often less likely to find a provider that understands them, their cultural norms, and their needs.

She further stresses the importance of focusing on the concept of wellness, of treating the whole person, and emphasizing the Bantu philosophy of Ubuntu, which translates as “I am, because we are.”

“The community around us helps to determine whether or not we are healthy,” she adds. “Some practitioners talk about individuating, taking care of ourselves. That is certainly important. But we have to take care of others too. I am not well if those around me aren’t well.”

This is a matter of life and death.

And the need to support young people in this way is perhaps greater than ever. “We tend to minimize the emotional distress of adolescents,” observes Garrett-Akinsanya.

“It’s often attributed to puberty.”

However, some of the social and cultural pressures that teens face today are not the same as previous generations.

“Most of us didn’t go to school [in times where we] had to participate in ‘active shooter’ training,” she continues. “School was considered a safe space. We didn’t walk into class worried we might not make it home.”

That kind of emotional weight, combined with the uptick in hatred, mounting political instability, the influence of social media, and other external factors, make it much more difficult for youth to navigate and manage the natural social changes that accompany them into the teen years.

This is a matter of life and death. A 2023 CDC study shows that suicide rates among Americans between the ages of 10 to 24 have risen by more than 60 percent since 2007. The “New England Journal of Medicine” reports that in 2022, an average of 22 adolescents died of a drug overdose each week.

There is some good news, according to Garrett-Akinsanya, who says it is becoming increasingly common for mental health professionals to be welcomed directly into schools, establishing Schoollinked Mental Health Services. And there are other available resources as well.

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

Why healthy childhood development includes family traditions

Participating in family traditions is often fun, occasionally stressful, and always memorable. Most people describe their family traditions with fondness, and they hope to continue many traditions and create new ones with their own children.

Beyond nostalgia, there’s a good reason for putting time into your own family traditions: They’re good for everyone’s mental health, especially the children’s. The link between traditions and mental well-being is good to understand as you make memories with your family this year.

Traditions: Does everyone have them?

Perhaps your family doesn’t make a big deal about holidays or have a special birthday cake recipe. You might see others in your community or on social media who have long lists of special rituals and feel like you’ve missed the chance to have family traditions of your own. The truth is that many families have far more traditions than they realize.

It’s easy to identify the significant events that have been part of celebrations for generations, but have you considered all the smaller rituals that belong to your family? Do you always get ice cream at the same spot? Do the kids save their pennies to throw in the pond at the park? Identifying these traditions is an important thought exercise for par-

ents, because talking to your kids about family traditions is a vital part of making meaning from their actions.

The link between traditions and identity Your family traditions reflect culture, connection, and shared values. Some traditions may be religious or cultural, allowing your child to learn about their heritage. Others might be specific to your immediate family unit and reflect shared values like togetherness and perseverance. By creating and continuing traditions, you’re helping your child develop their social identity. A

healthy identity is an essential part of mental well-being.

Building a sense of belonging

A sense of community and belonging is strongly linked with mental wellness for all ages. Children spend much of their time navigating social situations and learning how to relate with peers, adults, and communities. A strong sense of belonging at home or at school can help children feel more confident in branching out and taking risks in new situations.

Family traditions are one way to create that feeling of togetherness for your children.

As they get older, children can take a more active role in planning and executing traditions, giving them more ownership over their membership in your family group. It’s rewarding as a parent to see how proud they are to continue a group tradition.

Children crave predictability

Adults can sometimes take the perspective that new things are more fun; novelty trumps tradition. While incorporating exciting new things is entertaining, the truth is that children crave predictability. Children benefit from an environment that is consistent

and can allow them to build trust. As they grow, children can use predictable elements to help them navigate inevitable changes.

Predictable daily schedules allow children to plan their energy use and subconsciously understand when they’ll need to use more taxing skills than others. Family traditions play a similar role in helping children navigate larger-scale change.

Consider how vital traditions might be to a child who’s moved to a new home or lost a beloved pet. Having anchor points in your family’s life is a crucial element for your child’s mental health.

More than just memories

On the surface, many family traditions may just seem like memory-makers, passed down for generations without much thought. In reality, these traditions serve as signposts in your child’s life to remind them they are safe, connected and important.

Children build a sense of self based on these early views of their role in the world. By modeling habits that preserve your family values, history and connection, you’re helping your child develop positive mental and emotional health. Traditions are essential to your child’s developmental environment, but they don’t have to be complex. It’s never too late to start a new tradition with your loved ones.

MSR + Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) share a mission of protecting, maintaining, and improving the health of ALL Minnesotans. Our shared vision for health equity in Minnesota, where ALL communities are thriving and ALL people have what they need to be healthy is the foundation of our partnership to bring readers our feature, Parenting Today. Good health starts with family! To view our weekly collection of stories, go to our website or scan the code.

Many teens are grappling with overwhelming feelings.

Parenting Today presented by

Software that helps identify workplace culture Culture Booster

Black Business

By Chris Juhn Staff Contributor

We recently sat down with St. Paul entrepreneur Stephen Moore, 42, owner of Culture Booster, a fast-rising employee experience software company. Launched in 2018, the company now has nine employees and is growing.

MSR: Tell me about your business.

Stephen: Culture Booster is an employee experience software company. We help organizations increase employee engagement and performance management so that, ultimately, we can help reduce turnover and increase the engagement levels of the staff.

MSR: What inspired you to launch/start your business?

Stephen: I was a consultant. I’d travel around the country working with large retail automotive groups, helping them to improve their underperforming stores, and then COVID hit. I needed to make a pivot. I had already been working on the software side of our platform. I decided to put all [of my] consulting tools into one platform to offer [myself] as a differentiator in the market.

MSR: How does your busi-

ness impact the community?

Stephen: There’s a phenomenon called “the spillover effect” that impacts so many. When they have a stressful work environment, that stressful work environment can start to impact themselves first in several different ways. It can lead to increases in alcoholism, sleep deprivation, and also heart disease.

But it doesn’t stop there. If you have a partner at home, it can cause friction in the home. And then that spillover effect can also impact kids and their children in the home. It can negatively impact their outcomes in school. And so that’s our impact on the community by transforming workplaces.

MSR: What kind of feedback have you gotten over your software?

Stephen: We’re on a website called G2. We’ve received several awards for the winter release. Easiest to do business with, High Performer for the Americas, and locally here. We also were nominated for the Startup of the Year by Twin Cities Startup Week, which is really exciting.

MSR: What are the steps involved in your survey?

Stephen: So we look at our model, which has four steps.

“That’s the definition of entrepreneurship. Doing more with less and achieving more than anyone thought was possible.”

Employees want to know, do you listen? After that, do you respond? Thirdly, do you care? And then, fourthly, are you fair? So the surveys, that part is all about listening. But if you don’t respond to that second step—and we call that our goals and tasks—if you don’t listen to the feedback and respond, engagement levels can decrease, and turnover can increase. So the second step is really important in creating actionable plans. After you’ve gathered the insights from your team. Yeah. And then, thirdly, do you care?

One-on-ones is really where culture and transformations can happen. So our structured ones help us to continuously gather sentiment and stress analysis, and we look at the relationship of those two to have timely support conversations so that people can stay with their employers for the long haul.

MSR: What has been your biggest challenge in owning a business?

Stephen: There are so many. Start-ups are hard. You know, 95 percent of them fail. I think the primary challenge

is funding. Being that we’re a bootstrapped company, we’re not venture-backed. And so we don’t have this war chest of money to apply toward marketing. We don’t have, you know, the ability to pay for a full staff. But that’s the definition of entrepreneurship. Doing more with less and achieving more than anyone thought was possible.

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

Stephen: Seeing the engagement with scores of our

clients and then also the personal growth and development of our team members. Seeing them step into roles where they maybe have, you know, one focus area, but now they’re expanding their expertise to help the business to thrive. All of that is exciting.

MSR: What’s your vision and goals for your business?

What does success look like for you?

Stephen: I’d love to sell Coach Booster one day. I have a specific dollar amount in mind, and I would love to take those proceeds and do the community engagement work. It makes a difference from a leadership standpoint because you need resources to influence policy, to influence communities. And so that’s what’s exciting about Culture Booster in the long term: selling it so that I can make a change in the community.

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

Stephen: It’s really hard.

Just know that it’s going to take you longer than you thought was possible, and it’s going to take more resources than you think is possible. So really scrutinize every expense and build an amazing team. I could not be where I am today if it wasn’t for my team.

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

Culture Booster owner Stephen Moore

Photo by Chris Juhn

GILLESPIE

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and processed much of this,” she said.

At the time of the firing, Gillespie was in Indianapolis, Ind., for the NBA All-Star Weekend, where she facilitated events with several organizations.

She avoided looking into the news coming out of Minneapolis to stay focused on her obligations.

VETAW

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phone,” said the 4th Ward representative. But if they choose not to reciprocate in like manner, then often a public display is the only option.

“Now we have what some in the public call hostile discourse,” she said. “And I’m okay with this. But, if I’m asking a question with respect or speaking about something, I also expect respect.”

The councilwoman continued, “What happened with my situation [with Councilman Jason Chavez] is that I was talking about my own story with addiction, my mom’s situation with addiction and how that affected me and my family, and how going into one of these encampments triggered that for me. And what I saw there and how it wasn’t okay for us as a city to keep creating this narrative that these homeless encampments are some Utopian vacation paradise.

“Some of my colleagues were trying to develop this narrative by implying that the

CAPRI

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and expressing gratitude for being able to serve a city she so loves.

“I’m deeply thankful to receive this award and to have been a part of my city while demonstrating the value of working together for positive outcomes. I will continue to work for my people and our history,” said Johnson.

Larry Cook, co-founder and senior pastor at Real Believers Faith Center and founder of Sherman Woods Home, a sober living housing program for recently incarcerated men seeking to recover from addic-

DOJ

Continued from page 1

medical emergencies, with almost half of the inmate deaths reviewed reflecting inadequate reactions. From a lack of urgency and unclear radio communications to issues with naloxone administration in opioid overdose cases, the report paints a picture of systemic failures compromising the safety and well-being of inmates.

Information void hinders prevention

A critical revelation emerged regarding the lack

Though Gillespie declined to address specific claims in the media, she took a moment to speak on her tenure as the civil rights director and her work that has led up to this point.

“I 100 percent will stand on the work that I’ve done,” she said. “I have been and always will be committed to justice. I have a record, a life, and a body of work that has shown that throughout my lifetime.” The director of the Office of Police Conduct Review, John

people should stay in these encampments because the camps were not as bad, as if they were healing camps, and they are not!

“So, as I was speaking counter to that position, I was interrupted and asked, ‘Do you have a question?’ And, of course, I said, ‘I don’t need to have a question. There are no floor rules that state I need to have a question—I can say what I want.’”

Asked about possible alternatives for the encampment, Vetaw said, “My alternative is that first, all those people aren’t simply homeless. A lot of them have addiction problems, and so those with addictions, we need to get them into treatment.

“What I saw in the encampment was a drug dealer’s paradise. You can identify where the people with an addiction are because they are in one place; I saw much dealing, using, and possible sex trafficking—there were young girls in there.

“Some of them are not homeless, some are there preying on the addicted and helpless, some are just avoiding real life and not going home to

“I 100 percent will stand on the work that I’ve done.” - Alberder Gillespie

K. Jefferson, was out the same day. Jefferson had been in his position for roughly a year. Gillespie, who participated in hiring Jefferson, shared that there was a consider-

able amount of work done to find someone with Jefferson’s qualifications. This new reshuffling of personnel comes just two weeks after the city, and MDHR

agreed to select Effective Law Enforcement for All to be the independent evaluator to oversee the settlement agreement.

Gillespie had been hired as the city’s 2020 census coordinator. A year later, she was appointed to her recent position at the civil rights department and was re-appointed in 2022. She stated that this recent development does not change the course of her work and that she will stand firm in her commitment to justice.

“I’m going to do what I’ve always done,” she said. “I’ve always been a person who has been about community and fighting for justice. I’m going to continue the fight that I’ve always been in and continue being the truthteller that I’ve always been because I will not be bullied. I will not be frightened, and I will not be silenced.”

Abdi Mohamed welcomes reader comments at amohamed@ spokesman-recorder.com.

tion, was honored for being an outstanding community leader and business owner. The Violence Interrupters Award acknowledges numerous organizations working to eliminate or defuse potential situations that may lead to serious violence. The groups include MAD DADS of Minneapolis, Metro Youth Diversion Center, Restoration Incorporated, Strength Group, TO.U.C.H. Outreach, and We Push For Peace. The History Makers Awards honor Minnesotans who are changemakers making a difference in their respective areas.

Al Brown welcomes reader responses to abrown@spokesmanrecorder.com.

of available information about inmate deaths, hampering the BOP’s ability to prevent future fatalities. The report exposed the BOP’s inability to produce required documents following an inmate’s death, limiting their understanding of circumstances leading to deaths and impeding the identification of preventative measures.

The OIG also highlighted the absence of in-depth action reviews for inmate homicides or fatalities resulting from accidents and unknown factors, further limiting the BOP’s capacity to learn from these tragic incidents.

Operational challenges

face their families, and some don’t want to get help and get clean. But they can’t all be lumped together because they have different needs. And we should at least try and identify those needs individually.”

“I think the light rail could be bad for Broadway.”

In response to what initiatives are there to address this issue, Vetaw explained, “The City Council put a million dollars into a village on the South Side, but a more significant issue is that it’s not just the City Council. The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners has way more money for housing than the city. But what has happened is that some City Council members have adopted this as their political issue.

And so now, many things

have fallen upon the City Council to fix this particular problem, which Hennepin County and the state should be helping with. Let’s be clear: The city has put much money into housing, but the county has far more to work with regarding housing and homelessness.”

Asked about the recent firing of the city’s civil rights director, Vetaw was clear that that office was not under the City Council’s review. “The Council votes on that position after the mayor recommends, and then the mayoral office works with that person. There is no reporting or interaction from the time of the vote.

“As I understand it, this stems from the city of Minneapolis being under a consent decree, which hasn’t come down yet, and a settlement agreement. We were told of the numerous problems with MPD and that we would be sued until the city could figure this out. So we’re under court order to have certain things done within the civil rights and police departments and the city attorney’s office.

“I learned about the direc-

tor’s termination through a reporter who called me for comment. I had no idea this had occurred. But what I later read in the documentation was that hundreds of cases hadn’t been reviewed and were past the deadline.

“Last year, a commission comprised of citizens and officers was created to review the cases and make recommendations to the chief, who then figured it out. That’s a big part of what we must do for the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) and soon-to-be for the DOJ, and I understood this was not happening.

“Where we are now is the consent decree, which is under review. We recently hired an independent monitor who will come in, so the thing about a consent decree or this MDHR settlement is we don’t get to say anything. They tell us what we will do, and we have to figure it out instead of hiring staff and putting people in place.”

Concerning the proposed Metro Transit Blue Line that would run through North Minneapolis, Vetaw spoke of the many routes discussed over time. “I was on the Blue Line

Coalition years ago when it was supposed to go down Olsen Highway and then cut through the railroad tracks down by Theo Wirth and then through Robbinsdale. That’s when I originally started advocating around this,” she explained.

“I thought this was a much better route because Olsen Highway is a disaster, and anything that could make that safer was better. But what they are proposing now is like down Broadway to get to North Memorial Hospital, which brings it through the neighborhood down Lowry…and I don’t think we’re ready. Especially right now when so much investment has gone into Broadway Avenue, and the redevelopment has been phenomenal.

“I don’t know what the goal would be, but I think we’ve missed the window for the light rail. I think the light rail could be bad for Broadway. If you bring the light rail down Broadway, what are you moving or tearing down?”

Al Brown welcomes reader responses at abrown@spokesmanrecorder.com.

The report concluded that chronic understaffing contributed to multiple failures in the BOP.

Long-standing operational challenges such as contraband

interdiction, staffing shortages, outdated security systems, and staff non-compliance with policies were identified as contributing factors in nearly onethird of inmate deaths. The report singled out 70 inmates who died from drug overdoses, emphasizing the pressing need for comprehensive reforms to mitigate these risks.

Recommendations for reform

The OIG proposed 12 recommendations to address the root causes of inmate deaths. In a rare show of unity, the BOP has pledged to implement all the recommendations, signaling a commitment to

rectify these systemic issues and upholding its duty to ensure inmates’ safe and humane management.

The report concluded that chronic understaffing contributed to multiple failures in the BOP. “The report is an urgent call to action,” said Inimai Chettiar, deputy director for the Justice Action Network, in an emailed statement. “No family should ever have to receive a call that a loved one has died while incarcerated simply because a facility was understaffed, under-resourced, or out of compliance with BOP policy.

“There is strong bipartisan support for comprehensive

oversight of our nation’s prisons, and it is long past time for Congress to enact the kind of transparency and accountability that will prevent deaths like these in the future. We are encouraged by Senator [Dick] Durbin’s prompt commitment to hold a hearing in the wake of the report’s release,” said Chettiar.

“Families of the deceased and those whose sons, daughters, brothers and sisters are being detained in federal facilities right now deserve immediate attention.”

Stacy Brown is the NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent.

Dr. Josie Johnson graciously thanks the presenters and the Capri Theater audience.

Staff photo

Arts & Culture

Movement instructor brings play director’s vision to life

By Abdi Mohamed Associate Editor

Prior to his career as a choreographer and movement director for several local productions in the Twin Cities, Darrius Strong had a passion for hip hop and performance. He and his two brothers, all of whom are just a year apart in age, found a passion for dance early on. They performed in their school’s talent shows and individually pursued their dance careers in adulthood.

Originally from Chicago, Strong’s family moved to Eagan when he was seven years old. The culture shock of moving to a predominantly white neighborhood and the history of substance abuse in his family created compounding trauma in his adolescence.

Much of Strong’s aim in his performance work over the years has been to find ways of healing from those memories.

Before he would go on to become a movement director and instructor, Strong had hoped to pursue a career in the medical field. After graduating from Henry Sibley High School, he took courses in the nursing and Emergency Medical Technician programs at Inver Hills Community College.

However, it was while he was in college that Strong developed a fascination with human anatomy and its mechanics. He began to think about how movement could be a philosophy for healing the body.

Strong transferred to the University of Minnesota, where he would receive a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in 2015 and has since continued to hone his skills in ballet, modern jazz, hip hop, and West African movement.

Having been described as a “trailblazer” in the dance community, Strong founded his own contemporary dance company, STRONGmovement, in 2014 to offer intensive training and facilitate various workshops at performing arts schools and colleges in the region. Strong has also showcased his work at the Guthrie Theater, Schubert Club, and the Ordway Center for Performing Arts. He’s also curated the 51st Annual Choreographer’s Evening at the Walker Art Center.

“I think that when I say movement, which really is walking and running and sitting, people feel more open to trying it and trying new things and finding [different] ways to look at it.”

In recent years Strong has had opportunities to work on large stage productions such as “Legally Blonde” and “Vietgone” as the movement director, a role where he can apply his principles of movement

and storytelling to help performers capture their characters on stage. His latest project as a movement director is on the Children’s Theatre Company’s production of “Alice in Wonderland” which will run until March 31.

ing Arts in Bloomington. I direct the hip hop program and I do a lot of routines, but also teach through all the different high schools. I do a lot of dance teaching and I’ve taught at mostly every school here in the Twin Cities.

MSR: What got you started in your career as a choreographer and dance instructor?

DS: A couple of my faculty teachers hooked me up with some teaching jobs. I started teaching at the L.A. Perform-

MSR: How did you get involved with musical productions in town?

DS: I got hired for a musical theater gig, I believe it was Roosevelt High School, and when I did that musical theater

it was called “Urinetown.” That was the first musical I did. I started to see the possibilities of what I could do with choreography. At first I was thinking, oh I just gotta create something, perform it on stage. But then I thought about, oh, my choreography could also go in a musical production, or a play, or a movie.

MSR: Why use the term “movement,” and why is that an important distinction from dance?

DS: The reality is a lot of people don’t feel comfortable stepping into something they don’t know how to do. So how do you bridge that gap and how do you make that easy?

I think that when I say movement, which really is walking and running and sitting, people feel more open to trying it and trying new things and finding [different] ways to look at it.

MSR: What is the STRONGmovement and how did it come about?

DS: When I graduated college I met a lot of great dancers and artists, and I connected with a few that I really started to create work with. It also was inspired. We’ve seen a lot of shows. A lot of our faculty and professors head companies. I started seeing and realizing that I want to have my own company. STRONGmovement comes from Strong Crew, my brothers and I, when we were in high school and doing

talent shows.

MSR: What is your role as a movement director in a production like “Alice in Wonderland”?

DS: In this production, it’s really about bringing the director’s vision to life. I’m there to kind of remind the actors how to carry their bodies on stage. Some of these characters have musical bits, and the way they move requires a lot of coordination and planning.

MSR: What do you have coming up for people to look out for aside from the current play?

DS: I’m going to be showcasing my 15 minute work just to really kind of show the objectives of the artist from when I graduated to where I am now as far as the person and maybe the things I’ve been through and making it relatable to the human experience. The show is going to be April 14 through 16 at the Minnesota Opera Dance Theater, the Luminary Arts Center.

“Alice in Wonderland” runs until March 31, 2024, in the UnitedHealth Group Stage. This show is best for everyone aged six and up. Tickets can be purchased at childrenstheatre.org/alice or by calling the ticket office at 612.874.0400.

Abdi Mohamed welcomes reader comments at amohamed@ spokesman-recorder.com.

New jazz releases, awards and more

By Robin James Contributing Writer

Artistic pursuits of jazz artists continue with worthy awards, new recordings, live performances and more.

Congrats to the 2024 Jazz Grammy Award winners. On February 4 at the Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles, the 66th Grammy Awards ceremony took place. Here’s a list of the winners in the jazz categories:

Best Jazz Performance winner: “Tight”—Samara Joy

Best Jazz Vocal Album winner: “How Love Begins”—Nicole Zuraitis

Best Jazz Instrumental Album winner: “The Winds of Change”—Billy Childs

Best Large Jazz Ensemble

Album winner: “Basie Swings

The Blues”—The Count Basie Orchestra Directed by Scotty Barnhart

Best Latin Jazz Album win-

ner: “El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2”— Miguel Zenon & Luis Perdomo

Best Alternative Jazz Album winner: “The Omnichord Real Book”—Meshell Ndegeocello

Jazz happenings

On February 9 and 10, the Minnesota Orchestra at Orchestra Hall gave its first performances of Grammy-awardwinner pianist Billy Childs’ “Diaspora,” a saxophone concerto featuring soloist Steven Banks. Banks played alto and soprano sax. The encore was “The Lord’s Prayer.” Childs discovered Banks via YouTube.

The daily line-up for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans on April 25-

May 5 is out now, and singleday tickets are on sale.

Expect to see Jon Batiste, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr., Queen Latifah, and Samara Joy, among others. For more details, visit nojazzfest.com.

Happy birthday to master double bassist Rufus Reid who turns 80, born on February 10, 1944.

Happy birthday to the late great pianist Joe Sample, born February 1, 1939, in Houston, TX, a founding member of “The Jazz Crusaders,” who would have been 85 years old.

Out soon from Resonance

Records: “Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings,” featuring 25 tracks of Sonny Rollins with bassist Henry Grimes and drummers Pete La Roca, Kenny Clarke and Joe Harris.

Iyer’s musicality, I find, has an otherworldly intelligence with lyrical rhythms that showcase his excellent mental acuity and elasticity of language.

Saxophonist Melissa Aldana has announced a new Blue Note Records album, “Echoes of the Inner Prophet,” out on April 5 that follows her Grammynominated Blue Note debut “12 Stars.” If you’ve seen her perform at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival as I have, then you know you have experienced joy.

Vibraphonist Joel Ross’ “nublues” is available now on vi-

nyl, CD & digital at joelross.Ink. to/nublues.

Aldana’s labelmate deals with the blues-imbued musical spectrum of originals by John Coltrane (“equinox” & “central park west”) & Thelonious Monk (“evidence”).

Charles Lloyd graces the March cover of “Jazzwise” magazine, jazzwise.com/magazine.

Also on Blue Note Records, the saxophonist’s new double album of studio recordings, “The Sky Will Be There Tomorrow,” featuring Jason Moran, Larry Grenadier & Brian Blade, comes out March 15.

Jazz at Lincoln Center’s music label Blue Engine Records has released a never-before-heard, live recording of “The Love Suite: In Mahogany” by the late trumpeter Roy Hargrove at age 23 in 1993 at Alice Tully Hall.

The live album that was commissioned by Jazz at Lincoln Center is available on all major streaming platforms now. It honors Hargrove’s musical legacy and is a remarkable listening experience. He sounds soulful and strong on his horn. Hargrove passed in 2018.

Vijay Iyer concert review

In an intimate one-night-only, long anticipated Dakota debut on Jan 19, pianist Vijay Iyer con-

nected with an audience that he said he could tell was cultivated. It’s true, as I can attest by the fact that the person sitting next

to me was rockin’ out to his music the entire night. Iyer’s musicality, I find, has an otherworldly intelligence with lyrical rhythms that showcase his excellent mental acuity and elasticity of language. His musical strategy like poet Pablo Neruda, summarized in three words, simplicity, honesty, and conviction.

Iyer had released his second trio album with bassist Linda May Oh and drummer Tyshawn Sorey entitled “Compassion,” (ECM Records) which includes nine Iyer originals and is repertoire that Jeremy Dutton on drums and another longtime Iyer bandmate Harish Raghavan on bass, tackled at the Dakota, along with music from his “Uneasy” album.

Robin James welcomes reader comments to jamesonjazz@ spokesman-recorder.com.

Darrius Strong, founder and artistic director of STRONGmovement Courtesy of Children’s Theatre Company

Dakota Jazz Club

Photo by Abdi Mohamed

Opinion

PERSPECTIVES FROM WITHIN

Do Minnesotans condone the enslavement of human beings?

By Shavelle Chavez-Nelson

Is slavery or involuntary servitude (forced labor) “legal” in Minnesota? Yes, says the Minnesota Constitution, Article 1, Section 2, which declares slavery and involuntary servitude legal as a “punishment for a crime.” Therefore, it is a rule of law in the exceptional state of Minnesota.

Minus the history lesson, the short explanation is that forced labor has moved from the main streets of the antebellum slavery South into Minnesota’s prisons and legal system and across America, making it prevalent for everyone and anyone to be enslaved if you can convict them of a crime.

That slavery remains “legal” anywhere in the U.S.A., though disturbing, is not as shocking as the fact that the vast majority of Minnesotans don’t know that the brutal enslavement of human beings remains and is being facilitated with their tax dollars to finance an institution that is morally corrupt to the core. Make no mistake about it: laws can be just or unjust.

We are citizens of a nation that “legally” and lawfully sanctioned kidnapping, human trafficking, sex trafficking, labor trafficking, forced pregnancies, lynchings, rapes, torture, medical experimentations, and genocided African and Native Americans for centuries. The “rule of law” means different things to different people, so let us understand this.

Call to mind that the abduction and internment of Japanese people were considered legal; apartheid in South Africa was legal; the U.S. government’s extermination and forced removal policies of Native Americans were legal; Germany’s detention and mass killings of Jews and Gypsies were legal. To quote the late John Africa, founder of the MOVE or-

ganization, “Just because something is legal doesn’t make it right.”

Having been held as a captive here at Oak Park Heights as well as the Stillwater and Rush City penitentiaries, I can attest to the fact that the slavery and forced labor machine is running at total capacity, where the correctional officers, acting in character as the institutional descendent of slave plantation overseers, operate a most elaborate scheme of physical repression, spirit breaking, and demoralized, coercive exploitation of people. This statement, I’m sure, comes as no surprise, as the barbarity of American slave societies is well-known and well-documented and has always been barbaric as it still is today.

Minnesota is a proslavery state that has forced thousands of poor whites, Blacks, and Native Americans into hybrid slave labor camps.

I have been cautioned by multiple well-meaning individuals who, out of genuine concern and understanding of how corrupt this system truly is, have warned me that speaking out against this system of exploitation is dangerous, as the Master (administrators) of this slavocracy is serious about maintaining their status quo by any means necessary. You see, imprisoned human beings are expected to silently endure torture, very much like the victims of sexual abuse.

As noted, the Minnesota Constitution has green-lighted forced labor with all its brutality, for

Fight for reproductive freedom

By Ben Jealous

It matters deeply that America has a woman as our vice president. That has never been truer than at this moment. Nothing makes this more apparent than Vice President Kamala Harris’ courageous decision to champion reproductive freedom amid a full-on assault on the right to choose.

Vice President Harris is currently traveling the country on an extensive Reproductive Freedom Tour. As noted by the New York Times, “The vice president has been the administration’s most forceful voice for abortion rights in the year and a half since Roe v. Wade fell.”

grandmother was doing this work, things had come a long way since 1916 when Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger was arrested for opening the nation’s first birth control clinic in Brooklyn.

However, the Comstock Act was still on the books and enforced. That law defined contraceptives as obscene and made it a federal crime to send them through the mail or transport them across state lines.

The Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs case has created a flood of laws threatening to send us back to the dark ages.

a flood of laws threatening to send us back to the dark ages. This goes for women who are attempting to sever ties with dangerous men and those in other horrific situations many of us can only imagine.

And it is not stopping. Just this month, the Missouri state Senate voted down two amendments to the state’s medieval abortion laws that would have allowed exceptions for rape and incest.

submissions@spokesman-recorder.com

submissions@spokesman-recorder.com

which the prison administrators make certain to exemplify the full measure of its bestiality.

Here in Oak Park Heights and throughout the Minnesota Department of Corrections, the policy entitled “Offender Assignment and Compensation Plan” outlines the prison labor scheme. Crafted as it is to the average public eye, it may appear, in theory, to be a reasonably legitimate “Plan” for the incarcerated.

However, aside from the education program verbiage, this policy in practice is the operating manual to a violent, dehumanizing, humiliation machine of forced and coercive slave labor that effectively allows for the establishment of an oppressive “no work, no play” rule, emblematic of Hitler’s Nazi Germany concentration camp mantra: “arbeit maki frei (“work will make you free”).

This is true because for those prisoners who choose to labor in the canteen or at one of the many backbreaking prison maintenance positions ranging from food preparation, laundry, general maintenance, landscaping, sanitation, janitorial, painting, etcetera, for wholly substandard wages ranging from .25¢ to $1 per hr., which is drastically below the state and federal minimum wage, are allowed “freedom” to be out of their concrete and steel enclosures virtually all day/night; wheres.

Those prisoners who choose not to be exploited for their labor or cannot be exploited due to the unavailability of so-called “job assignments” are subjected to 22-23 hours a day isolation cell confinement.

Prisoners have been writing letters to Commissioner of Corrections Paul Schnell and facility administrators calling for the end to the oppressive NO WORKNO PLAY RULE.

Twenty-four years into the 21st Century, Minnesota is a proslavery state that has forced thousands of poor whites, Blacks, and Native Americans into hybrid slave labor camps - euphemistically known as correctional facilities.

The very fact that slavery is maintained via Minnesota’s criminal justice apparatus and officially sanctioned by the State Constitution is an immoral and indelible stain on this land, as it is part and parcel of the collective chronicle of the inhumanity of this country’s history.

Shavelle Chavez-Nelson is an inmate at Minnesota’s Oak Park Heights correctional facility. He is currently serving life without parole.

Even among those of us without a uterus, the impact of the vice president’s courage affects many of us personally in our lives. It affects me as a girl dad and a member of this country because the person who shaped me most as an organizer is my grandmother, Mamie Todd, who started her career in social change at Planned Parenthood in Baltimore.

Even though abortion was illegal then, the primary mission was the same: reproductive health and freedom. While the work mainly focused on birth control, education, and some routine health care, it was not without its challenges — especially in a Catholic city in a Catholic state.

By the early 1940s, when my

In the pre-Roe v. Wade era, when abortions were illegal in most parts of this country, many still depended on them. Some required them to extricate themselves from abusive relationships or avoid other dire consequences. Again, at this time the procedure was illegal and risky. Abortions, forced to be conducted in secret, frequently resulted in death or injuries that would leave women unable to bear children.

From 1973 until 2022, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, abortions were safe and legal. The Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs case has created

That’s why Vice President Harris’s leadership is so important. It is easy to imagine that whoever was vice president in these times would be fighting these attacks… that a male with a similarly impressive resume as a litigator and advocate could be a stalwart for this fundamental right.

But the difference is evident when you watch Vice President Harris on the stump, speaking against these laws that would deny freedom to women who find themselves in the situation my mother was in back then. You cannot help but sense that she feels the urgency to help those women in her bones in a way that no man could.

Ben Jealous is a former president and CEO of the NAACP and former executive director of the NNPA. The civil rights leader and environmentalist is currently serving as executive director of the Sierra Club.

How Christians radicalized the GOP

By Bob Topper

Thomas Jefferson studied and embraced Enlightenment philosophy, the ideas of the Age of Reason. And they inspired him when he wrote the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator [nature’s God] with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

In two sentences, Jefferson established the philosophical foundation of our nation, equality, “unalienable Rights,” and government derived from the “consent of the governed.” More than a rebellion against the crown, the War of Independence revolutionized how governments relate to citizens. Kings ruled by “Divine right;” in America, it would be by the consent of the governed.

The opening phrase of our Constitution, “We the People,” enforces that philosophy. It is the people who will establish government and law…not the people “trusting in god” or the people “under god” or the people “by the grace of god.” It is the people alone.

Why? Why was it the people alone when so many of the founders were God-fearing Christians? One Enlightenment thinker, Spinoza, observed that religions lacked the stability for lasting government. Not grounded in reason and fact, there could never be certainty about a religion’s claims.

Uncertain opinions would lead to disagreements and, eventually, schisms. Today there are more than 45,000 Christian sects worldwide and 200 in the U.S. alone.

So, the founders established the first liberal democracy, a government based upon humankind’s ability to reason. That, together with belief in the founding principles—freedom, equality, and democracy—defines Americans. American citizens are humanists who believe in religious freedom.

Radicalization of the Republican Party

About 40 years ago, two angry Christian leaders, Jerry Falwell and his “Moral Majority” and Pat Robertson with his “Christian Coalition,” became active in the Republican Party. They railed at abortion, homosexuality, gay marriage, and feminism, which they saw as violations of god’s laws and evidence of America’s moral decline. And they blamed liberalism, comparing American liberals to German Nazis.

The use of divisive rhetoric was usually just pure claptrap. There was not then nor is there now any liberal attack on Christianity. What Robertson and Falwell perceived as persecution and a battle with Satan was something quite remarkable. It was America fulfilling its promise of freedom and equality.

Falwell was not battling Satan. Falwell was a Christian extremist battling rational thought and dividing the nation.

Unfortunately, 90 million fundamentalist Christians sympathized with the Falwell-Robertson apocalyptic paranoia and still do. And though they were out of step with the traditional Republican Party, which embraced reason and democracy, the Party happily accepted the evangelical voting bloc. Today that bloc dominates the Republican Party, and they no longer appreciate that to be an American, one must embrace reason and democracy, the essence of which is compromise.

er’s health is endangered. And they interfere in other personal healthcare decisions, especially matters of gender dysphoria.

In writing a decision which holds that frozen embryos are people, an Alabama Republican Supreme Court justice recently took a theological stance, saying, “Life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God.” That may be his sincere belief, but he has no evidence to justify it.

Under Sharia Law, belief is the fundamental consideration. But belief is not fact, and in American law, facts matter.

At the Federal level, Republicans are unable to compromise or make rational choices for the simple reason that they are no longer grounded in reason and fact. Consider the absurd stopgap funding measures and the ineptitude in electing two House speakers in a single session. Compromise is anathema.

And to demand that border security measures be tied to any bill that funded Ukraine and Israel and then, after that bill was formulated by one of their own, block the House from voting on it is truly stunning, irrational, cynical, and bewildering. The lone benefactor of this chaos and paralysis is Trump, who needs immigration as a campaign issue.

MAGA and religious sycophants believe that a Trump autocracy will abandon the principles of freedom and equality. They will then prevail against humanism and rational thought, chasten the woke, and punish those who violate their senseless moral mandates. Fundamentalists say that liberals hate America, but who is doing the hating here?

Fundamentalists also say they love Jesus. One day they may realize that his message of “love thy neighbor” is a call to embrace diversity and inclusion.

submissions@spokesman-recorder.com.

The Perspectives from Within feature comes from inmates in partnership with the Twin Cities Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, a union of prisoners, exprisoners, families, and communities working to transform the justice system in MN. The expressed views are not necessarily those of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Media Group.

But there was a more significant reason. The human rights envisioned by the founders— freedom, equality, and democracy—were not Christian aspirations. The founders believed, for example, that people should be free to follow their personal beliefs, whatever they might be. That was a liberty no religion could or would grant.

Consequences

Infected by the RobertsonFalwell paranoia, red states have focused on restricting personal liberties. After the Supreme Court, dominated by Christian conservatives, overturned the woman’s right to abortion, they have curtailed abortion access, even denying abortion in cases of rape, incest, and where a moth-

But that is wishful thinking. A radicalized Republican Party is no more likely to change its views than the Taliban or Hamas is likely to change theirs.

Our nation will be better served when the GOP is replaced by a party that is pro-American.

Bob Topper, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is a retired engineer.

Women’s History Month event highlights

The Future is Female

March 2 | 11 a.m. — 1 p.m. @ Rondo Community Library, 461 Dale Street N., St. Paul

Bring the family and join in for an event that aims to inspire young readers with author read-alouds and book giveaways.

The free event takes place at Rondo Community Library and features Dr. Artika R. Tyner, who will read new titles from her “The Future is Female” collection and will be available for book signing and pictures afterward. For more info, visit bit.ly/LeadersareReadersMarch2

Sister Spokesman presents: “Strong, brave and unbreakable”

March 2 | 12 p.m. — 3 p.m. @ LifeSource, 2225 West River Rd. N., Mpls.

Sister Spokesman celebrates women every month, and this event is no different. Join women in the community and a panel of successful women as they share their insights to unlock their full potential. Learn how to tap into your inner magic and rise above systemic barriers to achieve your goals. $5 at the door.

For more info, visit bit.ly/SSstrongbraveunbreakable

Women in Leadership

March 5 | 9 a.m. — 11 a.m. @ 30 South 9th St., Mpls.

Join a panel discussion to hear from local women leaders as they share their stories and insights around four central themes: innovation, collaboration, celebration, and overcoming barriers. This event is hosted by the Loop Consulting Collective’s Shannon Finnegan and Breana Jacques, two educators who went into business together as consultants to disrupt harmful practices, reimagine possibilities, and build pathways for sustainable change. Free. For more info, visit bit.ly/LoopWomeninLeadership

Women’s History Month & International Women’s Day Celebration March 13 | 3 p.m. — 7:30 p.m. @ North Hennepin Community College, 7411 85th Ave. N., Mpls.

This event offers an afternoon of motivating speakers, an Empowerment Resource Fair, free food, and a multicultural fashion show. The event is free, but registration is recommended. For more info, visit bit.ly/WHMInternationalWomensDay

“Women on the Moon” Concert Series

March 17 | 7 p.m. — 9 p.m. @ St. Joan of Arc Catholic Community, Gym Auditorium, 4537 3rd Ave. S., Mpls.

Featuring Ginger Commodore, Lori Dokken, Patty Peterson and Joyann Parker, this concert event showcases some of the greatest female artists from the 1960s such as Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Mama Cass, Cher, Dionne Warwick, Barbra Streisand, Joni Mitchell and more. $10-30. For more info, visit bit.ly/WomenontheMoon

Hear Her Stories

March 23 | 7 p.m. @ 704 S. 2nd St., Mpls.

Mill City Museum and Story Arts of Minnesota invite community members to an evening of storytelling in recognition of Women’s History Month. Hear true stories—funny, poignant, and inspiring—from contemporary women inspired by history and women of the past. $10. For more info, visit bit.ly/MNHSHearHerStories

Women’s History Month Tea Party

March 24 | 3 p.m — 5 p.m. @ Hope Community, 611 E. Franklin Ave., Mpls.

Celebrate local sheroes at this uplifting event. With the theme of “True Prosperity Comes from Within,” this tea party is sponsored by The Anika Foundation, Hope Community, Design Her Life, and more. $15. For more info and to register, visit bit. ly/WomensHistoryMonthTeaParty

Women History Month Career Networking Event

March 24 & 28 | 4 p.m. — 6 p.m. | Virtual Event

No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) presents its next chapter in the Diversity Virtual Networking Event Series. This special gathering is dedicated to recognizing and uplifting the invaluable contributions of women across all sectors of society and the workforce. Free. For more info, visit bit.ly/WHMCareerNetworking

Employment & Legals

Sr. AI/Data Science Engineer, Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN. Req. Master’s in Computer Science, Electrical & Computer Engr, Applied Mathematics, Software Engr, or closely related field, & 2 yrs exp. as a data engr, data scientist, software engr, or related occupation, or Bachelor’s & 5 yrs exp. Req. min. 2 yrs exp. w/ each: machine learning & deep learning; physiological & mathematical modeling w/ statistical optimization; sensorbased biomarker devt. on wearable devices; digital signal processing, signal separation & reconstruction; algorithm & software devt. using MATLAB & Python; work w/ large data sources using structured (SQL) databases; documentation for regulatory & FDA submission of algorithms; & Algorithm code devt. using such repositories as SVN. *Position is open to telecommuting from anywhere in the U.S. Apply at https:// jobs.medtronic.com/, Req. #240002CD. No agencies or phone calls. Medtronic is an equal opportunity employer committed to cultural diversity in the workplace. All individuals are encouraged to apply.

ACCOUNTANT/AUDITOR. FT, M-F. METRO SOCIAL SERVICES, INC, MN

Proficient in QuickBooks accounting software to prepare and submit invoices, monitoring company’s finances and creating financial/accounting reports, managing the cash flow, and maintaining the balance sheet. Reconcile bank statements and bookkeeping ledgers, and file and remit taxes. Review accounts for discrepancies and reconcile differences. Collect and analyze company revenue using Procentive Medical Record Billing software. Analyze company operations, trends, costs, revenues, financial commitments, and obligations to project future revenues and expenses. Prepare, analyze, or verify annual reports, financial statements, and other records, using accepted accounting and statistical procedures to assess financial condition and facilitate financial planning. Handle staff and client complaints and resolve financial-related grievances. MS, or BS in Accounting and 2 years of experience required. Send resume and

DATABASE

years of experience required. Send resume and cover letter to info@ metrosocialservices.org

Community Health Program Coordinator: METRO SOCIAL SERVICES, INC, MN

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

PHONE: 612-827-4021

FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS

PLEASE CONTACT

ACCOUNTING DEPT

BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM

EMPLOYMENT DISPLAY

SIZE: 2 COL X 3.50 INCH

RATE $44.60 PER COL. INCH

TOTAL: $312.20

The ideal candidate for this position will possess a wealth of experience working with the African and African American communities, particularly in mental health and other health-related domains. As a Health Advocate, this individual will serve as a liaison between community members and healthcare providers, advocating for individuals’ health needs and facilitating effective communication. Responsibilities will encompass data collection to compile vital statistics, conducting community assessments to identify prevalent health issues, and providing essential support and training where needed. Proficiency in Procentive electronic medical record systems is essential for documenting and tracking services as statutorily required. Additionally, the role will involve processing claims for clients on Medical Assistance using MN_ITS software system. The position requires proficiency in QuickBooks for invoicing purposes. Ability to connect with clients and staff from diverse backgrounds, whose primary language is not English and who may be experiencing mental health challenges. The position will play a pivotal role in advising clients on self-care issues such as diabetes management, blood pressure, glaucoma, and health assessments, etc. Qualification requires BS or MA and 2 years of experience required. Send resume and cover letter to info@metrosocialservices.org

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

SOE

PHONE: 612-827-4021

Continued from page 12

Please proof, respond with email confirmation to ad@ spokesman-recorder.com. For more exposure: We are also inviting our clients to advertise on our web site for 2 weeks for a flat fee of $150 per position with purchase of print ad.

Sports in 1990. Jones worked a variety of assignments from play-by-play of the WNBA, NBA Finals, men’s and women’s college basketball, and various other sports on both ESPN and ABC.

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

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He told the MSR, “[The Wolves] is the number-one team in the Western Conference and number-one defense in the West.” Last week’s all-day coverage of the team “is a way for us to introduce the Timberwolves franchise top to bottom— ownership, the city, the players, the team, the entire vibe.

EMPLOYMENT DISPLAY SIZE: 2 COL X 3 INCHES

RATE $44.60 PER COL. INCH

SUBTOTAL: $267.60 PER WEEK

Notice of Comment Period on the Reappointment of U.S. Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

PHONE: 612-827-4021

The U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota invites comments from members of the bar and public as to whether incumbent U.S. Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz should be recommended for reappointment. Comments should be received by 5:00 p.m. (CST) on Thursday, March 14, 2024, and may be directed to:

FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS

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U.S. District Court Clerk’s Office

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ATTN: Deborah Morse, Human Resources and Development Manager

300 South Fourth Street, Room 360 Minneapolis, MN 55415

EMPLOYMENT DISPLAY

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meritselectionpanel@mnd.uscourts.gov

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SUB TOTAL: $356.80

X 2 WEEKS RUN OF PUBLICATION

To view the full public notice, visit the Court’s website at https://www.mnd.uscourts.gov/employment

SUBTOTAL: $713.60

+2 WEEKS ONLINE @$150

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder January 29, 2024

TOTAL: $863.60

Staff Engineer

Please proof, respond with email confirmation to ads@spokesman-recorder.com. For more exposure: We are also inviting our clients to advertise on our web site for 2 weeks for a flat net fee of $150 per position with purchase of print ad.

Northern States Power Company

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

X 2 WEEKS RUN OF PUBLICATION

SUBTOTAL: $535.20

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

PHONE: 612-827-4021

+2 WEEKS ONLINE @$150

TOTAL: $ 685.20

FOR BILLING

“They got all of the components that it takes to make a deep playoff run,” Jones predicted. The veteran broadcaster also likes Edwards.

INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS

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“I watched Anthony Edwards work out in Miami, Florida, where I live,” Jones continued. “When you see a player like that, that loves the work, loves the process, chasing greatness.”

EMPLOYMENT DISPLAY

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

SIZE: 2 COL X 2.75 INCHES

RATE $44.60 PER COL. INCH

SUBTOTAL: $245.30 PER WEEK

X 2 WEEKS RUN OF PUBLICATION

Jones’ passion for the NBA remains as high as ever.

SUBTOTAL: $490.60

“I love the NBA…covering it for 33 years from the studio, from play-by-play, from the sidelines,” he said. “The NBA is my passion. I don’t have any hobbies in the summertime—I hang out in the gyms in Miami or Los Angeles.

+2 WEEKS ONLINE @$150

TOTAL: $640.60

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“There is not a play-by-play announcer on TV that sees more NBA guys work out year-round than I do,” he said. “I’m honored for 33 years to be able to tell this story that the NBA is the greatest league in the world and we have the best players.”

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

Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments at challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.

VIEW

Continued from page 12

Minnesota dba Northern States Power, Maple Grove, MN, an Xcel Energy Services, Inc. Company. Req. Bachelor’s in Civil or Electrical Eng. from ABET-accredited curriculum (or recognized equivalency) & 2 yrs of exp. as a transmission line engr. or related occupation in transmission line engineering. Must possess 2 yrs of exp. in the following: Producing transmission line work packages using PLSCADD; Estimating transmission line project costs using INEIGHT software; Producing & closing out work orders utilizing SAP; Identifying & maintaining database of transmission line defects using FIELD SMART; On-call duty responding to emergency design & creating material lists; Coordinating & overseeing utility location; Maintaining critical inventory for transmission line materials; & Maintaining & troubleshooting transmission line switches & designing replacement switches. Must possess Engineer in Training (EIT) certification. Remote work is permitted within normal commuting distance of worksite at employer’s discretion. For confidential consideration, please apply at jobs.xcelenergy. com. Requisition #: JR102528. No agencies or phone calls please.

©

2024 Xcel

From Classified Department/MN

Hell” playing style, “It was fun. We worked hard. We [were] held accountable in the style that we played.” Williamson became an NBA lottery pick (13th overall) by Sacramento in 1995 and played 12 seasons with four teams, starting, finishing with the Kings (1995-2000: 200507), Sixth Man of the Year

TOM’S

Continued from page 12

Ryan, which explains his having hundreds of television screens to watch games that include college and professional leagues, international events, prize fights, and ob-

(2002), and an NBA championship ring (2004 with Detroit). Going into coaching was only a natural progression after he retired from playing in 2007. “When I was a kid, [I would] take my brother and cousins, trying to coach them in football and through basketball,” he recalled. “I always wanted to stay around the game. Towards the end of my career, I started coaching my oldest son in AAU and started studying the game from a

scure athletic events. He also stressed the importance of his place for those who cannot afford to go to games in person but can come to downtown Minneapolis and watch games and eat and drink and enjoy the sports experience.

Clearly,” said Ryan, “Tom’s Watch Bar puts downtown Min-

coaching perspective.”

Williamson was a volunteer assistant coach at Arkansas Baptist College (2007-09) and became its head coach (2009-10). He was named University of Central Arkansas head men’s basketball coach (2010-13), then left for NBA assistant coaching jobs (Sacramento, Orlando, Phoenix, and now the Timberwolves).

Asked what makes him a good coach, Williamson said, “I think the fact that I’m hon-

neapolis back on the map for sports fans for premium viewing.”

“That said,” Ryan added, “it provides those fans a place to have a great time pregame, postgame, away games, and when they don’t have tickets.

It’s an added value extension of the overall fan experience.”

The pandemic slowed

est. I think the same things that helped me become a good player, the same attribute has helped me become a good coach. “I can’t come out here and fake with these guys and be somebody else. That’s the work ethic and willingness to learn, listen, just being myself. I’m definitely enjoying myself.”

Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments at challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.

down expansion, but now according to Ryan, “We anticipate four to six more Tom’s Watch Bars in 2024, with double-digit unit growth into 2025 and beyond.”

Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments at challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.

Roosevelt defeats Como Park in girls basketball

passing clinic resulting in 23 assists and backto-back three-pointers late in the game by Tamara Behl who scored 15 points, led the Minneapolis Roosevelt Teddies to a 79-72 Twin Cities girls basketball victory over the St. Paul Como Park Cougars last Saturday at Como Park.

Olivia Wren led the winners with 26 points. Jaida Walker finished with 18 and Jayla Bennett finished with 12. Kiara Behl provided a spark, contributing six points, and Jazmyne Armstrong converted a layup during a crucial moment for the TC champs.

Makyia Kenney led the Cougars with 26 points. Say Say Hinton had 22.

Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader comments at mcdeezy05@gmail.com.

All photos by Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald

Sports

ESPN focuses telecast spotlight on Timberwolves

SPN last week literally brought the pro basketball world to downtown Minneapolis with its unprecedented emphasis on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The network’s key personalities, led by Stephen A. Smith, provided a special all-day content initiative called “Timberwolves: All-Access” that documented the local NBA team leading up to and throughout the February 23 Minnesota vs. Milwaukee game on ESPN.

“The Wolves is the number-one team in the Western Conference and number-one defense in the West.”

Smith co-hosted his daily “First Take” show on site as well as appearing on “SportsCenter,” “Get Up,” “NBA Today,” “Pardon the Interruption,” and “NBA Countdown” as he provided commentary on the Timberwolves and conducted interviews with players.

Prior to last Friday’s Tim-

resh off his first-time AllStar appearance as an assistant coach, Corliss Williamson is now poised to help lead the Minnesota Timberwolves through the last portion of this regular season, and hopefully a long playoff run.

“What we got to do better is, offensively we got to find a way to score better,” Williamson told us after practice just before the All-Star break last week. “So, I think the second half of the season we can turn the corner and get better at that end of the floor. And then defensively we just have to continue to take pride in our defense, to make it difficult on the other team to score the ball.”

When Williamson was hired by Minnesota last year, his place was already secure in sport history as one of the few pro hoop players to win championships at three different levels—AAU, NCAA and NBA.

berwolves game, Smith shared his impression of the Timberwolves, who have been leading the Western Conference most of this season. “People have asked me an abundance of questions,” he told the MSR. “For me personally, nobody has asked me about what I really, really think of Anthony Edwards,” the Wolves’ fourth- year veteran guard. “I said when I look at him in terms of his athletic prowess and the potential that he has, he has the tools, and more positively he

has that ‘it’ factor about him.

“When you see him on the court, he wants it. He wants to be the headliner,” continued ESPN’s leading on-air talent speaking of Edwards, who hit 28 points that night against the Bucks to lead Minnesota. “Yes, he’s a team player. Yes, he’s unselfish. All of those things are true.

“But he doesn’t mind accepting responsibility that people are walking through the turnstiles to see him. And he seems to have this sense of obligation to

try and deliver, and I love that,” noted Smith.

The all-day coverage last week included Malika Andrews’ sitdown interview with Edwards, footage from a Wolves’ practice, Karl-Anthony Towns interviewed live on “First Take,” and a film session with Rudy Gobert.

Mark Jones did the play-byplay on last Friday’s telecast. He formerly worked at The Sports Network in Toronto, Canada before joining ESPN and ABC

■

‘Big Nasty’ brings champion know-how to Wolves coaching

said, ‘You gotta be big, nasty, big and nasty on the court.’

So he just started saying, “Big Nasty,” and teammates picked up on it.

“I go to college,” he continued, “and Dick Vitale on ESPN” used the nickname, and it stuck to Williamson like glue, he said smiling.

learned life lessons from legendary coach Richardson, only the second Black male coach to win a national championship (1994).

The Russellville, Arkansas native became known as a youngster as “Big Nasty,” a nickname that took lasting roots when he got to college thanks to broadcaster Dick Vitale.

“I was 13, and one of my coaches, who actually was a relative of mine, [told me] this is how he wanted me to play,” explained Williamson. “He

Williamson in high school virtually matched future NBA star Chris Webber point by point in an AAU championship game—37 points to Webber’s 38 while in high school—and he was selected as McDonald’s All-American. He matriculated to Arkansas and played for the HOF Nolan Richardson (19921995) on the school’s three consecutive NCAA trips, its only championship in 1993-94 and 1995 runners up. Along the way, Williamson garnered first team all-SEC three times, All-Freshman and twice SEC Player of the Year and second team All American. He also

“The same things that helped me become a good player, the same attribute has helped me become a good coach.”

“Just looking back at it,” said Williamson proudly, “you will realize how he’s really affecting your life. Now looking back at all the lessons that we learned about how he grew up, some of his beliefs, the things he took the stand for, he really affected our lives and we were really blessed to be a part of his program.”

Williamson noted of Richardson’s famed “40 minutes of

■

By Charles Hallman Sports Columnist

ports bars in U.S. cities and towns have been around virtually since the invention of electronic media. Black people listened and cheered whenever Joe Lewis fought on radio. With the advent of television, it wasn’t unusual for folks to gather in front of a small set and watch a particular sport or event.

According to the “Merriam-Webster Dictionary,” the term “sports bar” became a regular staple of the sports lexicon in 1975: “a bar catering especially to sports fans and typically containing several televisions and often sports memorabilia.”

Tom’s Watch Bar, located on the corner of Sixth and Hennepin in downtown Minneapolis, isn’t just a typical sports bar but a 7,000-squarefoot space, “an unparalleled destination for fans seeking an immense, 360-degree indoor viewing experience,” as described in a press release.

Opened in 2023, last year Tom’s

was an official gathering place for the Big 10 WBB tournament. Once again this year it will be that place for both the conference WBB and MBB tournaments in March.

The Minnesota Timberwolves in January announced a new marketing partnership with Tom’s Watch Bar and held a watch party for one of the team’s

road games last month. The Wolves is one of five in the NBA, four NHL teams, and a variety of NCAA teams that provide exclusive watch parties.

Minneapolis is one of 12 Tom’s Watch Bars nationwide. Each location has hundreds of television screens and offers a menu that, according to its co-founder Tom Ryan, isn’t the average bar food but high level food offerings along with a vast selection of specialty cocktails and expansive craft beer lists.

“Our new team partnership with the Timberwolves will bring fans together for watch parties like never before.”

We talked to a group of Black folk at the Wolves watch party. A couple told us that Tom’s is a relaxed place,

unlike other local sports bars that are usually mainly attended by Whites. The food and drinks were good as well, they added.

The MSR sports staff was invited to the Wolves watch party, and Ryan sat with us while we ate. He boasted that his place is “the ultimate place to watch sports events…that transcend typical sports bar experiences,” said Ryan. “Our new team partnership [with the Timberwolves] will bring fans together for watch parties like never before.”

Ryan also shared his life journey: a Michigan State University food ser-

vice graduate who worked for several years at General Mills in Minneapolis where he designed packaging before branching out on his own and founding the Smashburger chain. He and his partners sold Smashburger in 2018 and focused on his new idea, a unique sports bar.

Ryan first started Tom’s Urban in Denver, then started a prototype of his watch bar in that same city. He later opened locations in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. He’s a huge sports fan, admitted

Makyia Kenney (St. Paul Como Park)

Jaida Walker (Minneapolis Roosevelt)

Say Say Hinton (St. Paul Como Park)

Jayla Bennett (Minneapolis Roosevelt)

Olivia Wren (Minneapolis Roosevelt)

Stephen A. Smith Courtesy of Twitter

Mark Jones

Courtesy of ESPN

Corliss Williamson

Photo by Charles Hallman

Owner Tom Ryan Photo by Charles Hallman

Inside Tom’s Watch Bar

Submitted photo