March 28, 2024 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

Historica l Capsule

his Historical Capsule was published on Friday, May 22, 1935. It featured news on the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity meeting.

Culturally

specific organizations to battle opioid crisis

By

Bishop fights to restore his reputation Sues WCCO-TV for defamation

By Al Brown

Assignment Editor

his all began last year as WCCO released an explosive news video implicating Bishop Harding Smith of Spiritual Church of God in Robbinsdale for alleged

wage theft. The nonpayment matter relates to questionable volunteer hours mentioned in the WCCO report, which said at least eight former employees, of which only one, at the time, came forth with allegations—Jermaine Garrett.

On June 29, 2023, a report by WCCO’s David Shulman broke the story across the metro. Smith believes WCCO jumped the gun on this story before hearing both sides. He says Shulman did not speak to several people prepared to rebut Garrett’s story. “He had no interest in hearing both sides of the story,” Smith said. “It was a blind gotcha moment for the reporter.” Smith also adds that WCCO ignored his group’s intervention relationship with the Cities of Brooklyn Park and Bloomington, which found no

DOC exhibits artwork made by those incarcerated

By H. Jiahong Pan Contributing Writer

rtwork adorned chairs, tables, and ledges inside an ornate conference room across the street from Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater one Wednesday afternoon. Those pieces included a pirate-themed board game, emotional interpretations of cartoon characters, as well as a portrait of Kamala Harris.

“I’m ecstatic to see MNDOC taking big steps to take the artwork out into the community,” said Antonio Espinosa, founder of Art From The Inside, of the exhibit. That’s because those pieces were created by 11 of 14 students enrolled in an art class at MCF-Stillwater. The exhibit and the class are one of many initiatives undertaken across the state to nurture the creative minds of those incarcerated at MNDOC facilities.

The program

Stillwater is currently the only prison in the MNDOC system that has an art program. The program is led by Jeffrey Guse, a licensed K-12 teacher who began teaching the program 16 years ago this April.

Hailing from public schools in southern Minnesota that gutted their art programs, Guse is the only instructor who is employed by MNDOC to teach art to those incarcerated.

Students attend classes five days a week for six hours a day for a year. The first week is an introductory week where Guse teaches art history and gets to know his students. “I work on art elements and principles, and it gives them a foundation. And it also helps them get to know me and I get to know them,” said instructor Guse.

The incarcerated apply to the program just like they would apply to a job inside prison walls. Guse reviews

During a March 12 press conference, Frey said that Access Healing Center, Communidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES), Generation Hope, Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches (GMCC), and the Minnesota Somali Community Center (MSCC) had all received funding as part of the Community Opioid Response and Engagement (CORE).

These organizations received funding ranging from $20,000 to $100,000 to help reduce disparities

The

contract improprieties or mishandling by Bishop Smith. As late as Dec. 14, 2023, Minnesota Acts Now still received payments from the City of Brooklyn Park, although the contract was not renewed. We contacted the Brooklyn Park

■ See WCCO on page 5

their applications along with their work and discipline history. “We try to require that they have a good discipline history, or at least [a good recent discipline history],” said Guse. He does not require students to have an art background, but does require them to be able to read at a sixthgrade level. He also considers “incompatibilities” as well as whether or not they are affiliated with a gang.

Participation is capped at 14 students plus four mentors. Enrolled students are com-

pensated at 50 cents per hour.

Guse has help from four mentors who previously completed the class and are compensated at $1.50 per hour. Incarcerated artists can also make money through their art.

If an incarcerated artist were to make a piece that sold for $100, they would receive $67.50 in their account. An additional $7.50 pays for processing the transaction into their account. The remaining $25 goes to MNDOC to support the art program, which has a $109,000 budget.

Guse likes teaching at MCFStillwater. “It’s very rewarding to work with these guys and be able to do an event like this where they are seen in a positive light,” he said.

The expansion MNDOC plans to expand its ability to nurture the creative minds of incarcerated individuals in the coming years.

But it’s been a challenge.

For example, MNDOC previously held exhibitions within prison walls, intended only for

■ See DOC on page 5

VP Harris announces landmark childcare reforms

By Stacy M. Brown

n a move towards easing the financial burden on working families, Vice President Kamala Harris has unveiled a comprehensive set of measures to lower childcare costs and provide crucial support for early educators. The White House noted in a “Fact Sheet” that the initiative aligns closely with President Biden’s historic Executive Order on Care.

The White House said the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalized a rule that bolsters the Childcare & Development

Block Grant (CCDBG) program, a cornerstone for childcare assistance benefiting over a million families monthly.

Under the new rule, families participating in CCDBG will now face a cap on copayments, limiting them to no more than 7% of their income. Administration officials asserted that the move is expected to alleviate the significant financial strain that high co-payments have placed on working families, particularly those with low incomes.

The HHS projects that more than 100,000 families will see their co-payments reduced

or eliminated due to these reforms. Moreover, the rule urges states to eliminate copayments for families facing specific challenges, such as those with disabilities, experiencing homelessness, in foster care, in Head Start, and families at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. Financial relief is not limited to families alone. Officials said the rule also addresses the challenges faced by childcare providers. States must now pay CCDBG providers more fairly and on time, designed to improve financial stability for

Inmate art on display

Photos by H. Jiahong Pan

A recent protest against WCCO’s report on Bishop Harding Smith

Photo by Al Brown

Women’s History Month

Celebrate inspiring Black women

The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder celebrates Women’s History Month by profiling Black women leaders from all walks of life who are making an impact in their communities. All are deserving of recognition and praise. We hope you’ve enjoyed our celebration of outstanding Black women in Minnesota.

Aloda Sims is teaching girls to inspire others

By Vickie Evans-Nash

Contributing Writer

The “Girl” in the Hey Girl Mentor Program stands for Growing Independent Responsible Leaders. For seven years, Program Director Aloda Sims has used the program to teach adolescent and teen girls to live their lives in a way that inspires others.

It’s the full-circle result of a community member doing the same for Sims when she was a teen. Sims is the lead equity and inclusion specialist for District 14 in the Fridley area. Hey Girl is her collaboration with Fridley Community Center as part of their youth enrichment programs.

The program serves girls ages 10-16 within a 10-mile radius of Fridley. Most girls start as fifth graders in an after-school program. They meet twice per week between 3:30 and 5, then transition to a three-week summer camp.

Activities include cooking and eating healthy meals combined with exercise. They spend a full week on a health curriculum. “I like to make sure that the girls are understanding how their bodies work and how it feels,” Sims says.

They also focus on careers.

Guest speakers are invited to discuss careers like interior design, chef work, and business ownership. “I want to make sure that all of my curriculum is based around…what [their] future could look like.”

This past summer, Sims added meditation to the curriculum. “They were like, ‘Oh, my god, Ms. Aloda, we’re meditating?’ I’m like, ‘Just try it. It’s so much better for your body. It helps you relax.’”

She teaches them health strategies by calming, listening, and paying attention to their bodies. “Half the girls went to sleep,” says Sims of meditating. “But it was so fun, and they woke up [saying], ‘That was the best sleep I ever had,’ and it was only like 10 or 15 minutes.”

Although they’ve heard these things before, Sims says practicing in a smaller setting has a greater impact on the girls.

Hey Girl is the result of Sims’s interaction with an African American woman who came in and did activities with her and other girls while Sims attended Washburn High School as a teen. “We had so much fun; she was so relatable.”

The woman shared wisdom and knowledge that left Sims wanting to be like her as an adult. “I wanted to be the person that I needed outside of the home. I wanted to be somebody who could help young Black girls excel and tap into their potential.”

She obtained a coaching license, a coaching master’s license, and a well-being certification and began the Hey Girl Mentor Program in 2017.

Years of experience have

taught Sims to reassure parents who think their daughters are too shy to participate in the program. “Sure enough, it could be that on the last day of the program, that same girl that did not want to talk throughout the program, she is talking, she is shining, she’s standing up, she’s being proud,” says Sims.

“It may take the whole three weeks because I don’t push them. The environment allows you to be you. At your timing, you will step right into who you want to be.”

The business is for-profit, but Sims receives donations from the Fridley Lyons Club and individuals who sponsor one or more girls for the summer camp.

I don’t have girls, so these become my girls.

By the time the girls reach 9th grade and are in high school, they transition to individualized coaching, where Sims helps them navigate concerns with homework, teachers, parents, and their community.

Some of the high schoolers return to the summer camps as mentors. For a stipend, they help create the curriculum and set up activities. “They get to utilize the tools that they have worked on for the past 3-4 years and foster that leadership within the younger girls,” Sims says.

Getting girls to join the program is not a struggle, but it didn’t start that way. “At first, I wasn’t getting any girls. And I’m like, “What is going on? Why did I have this vision in

Dr. Ronda Marie Chakolis finds her passion in giving back

By Tony Kiene Contributing Writer

Coming of age in North Minneapolis, Dr. Ronda Marie Chakolis realized very early on she was perfectly capable of accomplishing anything that she set her mind to. “My parents were both history buffs,” Chakolis explains. “In fact, everyone in our family read voraciously.”

One of the items frequently perused in their household was the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. Chakolis found inspiration in the stories that shined a light on African Americans who were making a difference in the Twin Cities and beyond. “It allowed me to know what was possible.”

She also developed diligence, resolve, and a sense of purpose while witnessing the indelible impact her parents were making in the world around her, not to mention the value of becoming a lifelong learner.

my heart and this passion, and it’s not flourishing the way that I want it to?”

She credits her husband for pushing her to continue, as well as those who heard her passion and energy when she spoke about her visions for the program. Some signed up their daughters and encouraged others to, and that’s when the program began to grow.

With the program’s success, Sims now attends baby showers, weddings, and family barbecues of past and present Hey Girl members. “It’s built so much success that these girls become my own babies,” she says. I don’t have girls, so these become my girls.”

On April 6, Sims will host a Hey Girl mother-daughter brunch that she wasn’t sure she had the financial means to bring about. “It’s challenging because you’re trying to do something by yourself,” she says. You don’t trust who to share your dreams with.”

The community stepped forward, donating food and a free rental hall for the event. Though Sims thinks about the woman who inspired her all the time, she hasn’t had contact with her and can’t remember her name.

She credits her with inspiring the program, allowing Sims to pass the torch to the next generation of leaders. She says, “Hey Girl, somebody who can stand up strong, stand up with a smile, and always help inspire other people in their community.”

For more information about the Hey Girl Mentor Program, contact them at 612-564-2199. Donations and sponsorship for girls can be sent in care of Fridley Community Center, 6085 7th St. N.E., Fridley, MN 55432, 763-502-5100.

Vickie Evans-Nash welcomes reader responses to vnash@ spokesman-recorder.com.

Chakolis’ mother, the late Francine Chakolis, grew up a sharecropper in Mississippi before becoming the first in her family to graduate from college and spending 28 years as a professor of social work. In addition to co-founding the Minneapolis-based Inter-Race Institute, her mom’s work in the community included serving as president for both the Minnesota Alliance of Black School Educators and Pillsbury United Neighborhood Services.

At the same time, her father, Richard Chakolis, Sr., spent more than three decades teaching social studies, including 29 years at North Community High School. Today, at nearly 80 years of age, he serves as a paraprofessional in the public schools. “Dad has never lost his passion for helping young people,” notes Chakolis.

Considering the success and influence of both her mother and father, Chakolis says she never felt like she had to follow in their footsteps, or that she would ever be eclipsed by their shadows. Rather, they encouraged her to carve out her path in life. By the time she was seven, Chakolis already had a pretty good idea of what that might be.

“I saw an African American pharmacist at the drug store one day,” she recalls. “I took note since I’d never seen that before. Plus, it was clear that this person was there to help people. That’s when I knew I wanted to work in health care.”

As a standout student at North High, Chakolis found even more motivation under the tutelage of three of her instructors in the school’s science-infused Summatech program, each of whom was a Black woman, each of whom held a Ph.D.

Nevertheless, as she matriculated from North High to Augsburg College, Chakolis chose history as her major, coupled with a minor in religious studies. Upon earning her B.A., Chakolis started a

family of her own before she eventually reawakened her dream of working in health care and enrolled in the University of Minnesota’s College of Pharmacy.

“I feel that having a son and accruing some life experience before I journeyed down this path has ultimately made me a better care provider,” she reveals. “I think it’s better it worked out this way.”

As soon as Chakolis earned her Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree, she received an assortment of offers to begin practicing elsewhere. However, she made a conscious decision to stay in Minneapolis. “I wanted to make a difference in the community that had poured so much into me,” Chakolis says,

The Black women I was raised around made sure I knew I was powerful.

“BIPOC people are not normally seen in these spaces. It was important for me to stay. To practice pharmacy here. To reverse those trends in representation.”

Chakolis started her career at a local CVS in North Minneapolis and also went to work for Prime Therapeutics, a pharmacy benefit management company headquartered in Eagan. She later added a Master of Public Health degree and, in 2022, was appointed to the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy by Governor Tim Walz, where today she sits as the first-ever woman of color to hold the title of president.

In this role, Chakolis can help significantly influence policy and regulations in the pharmaceutical arena, something that’s always held meaning for her. Likewise, her work as a staff pharmacist and her association with the insurance industry provides her with the opportunities to touch many lives.

But it’s through her direct community engagement ef-

forts that Chakolis fulfills her greatest passion. This includes working closely with the City of Minneapolis regarding the intersection of human trafficking and substance use disorder. Or a wealth of other projects near and dear to her heart that address issues such as the opioid crisis, infant mortality, diabetes management, suicide prevention, HIV prevention, and disparities in pain management.

Asked about the most common misperceptions around the practice of pharmacy, Chakolis states, “It’s not just about counting pills or dispensing medications. Being in this field is about getting to know the background and experiences of the people you’re treating to help improve their health outcomes.

“I think of every patient I encounter as a gift. And, sometimes when I first see them, they’re at their worst. But to see them turn that corner is so rewarding.”

Chakolis also makes it a point to never use the word “empowerment” while treating patients. “To me, that word implies they don’t already have that strength within them.

“The Black women I was raised around made sure I knew I was powerful. It’s about building the capacity that everyone has, the ability to tap into their power.”

Although Chakolis is not shy about declaring just how much joy she receives from giving back to elders in the community, she also wants to inspire young people. To let them know you can earn a degree and have a job, but still find a way to be “in the community,” to still give back.

She mentions that it’s a “dream come true” to be highlighted in the MSR, particularly considering how much the paper has meant to her all these years. Chakolis also wants people to know that “not a day goes by” when she is not excited to wake up.

“My maternal grandmother used to tell me, ‘If you find your passion in life, it won’t feel like work.’”

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

Aloda Sims

Courtesy photo

Ronda Chakolis

Courtesy photo

Health

Why virtual escape rooms make an excellent activity for kids

The popularity of escape rooms has grown exponentially from about 20 in 2014 to more than 2,000 today, according to USA Today. This surge in real-life escape rooms has also created alternatives such as board games, escape room ideas for classrooms, and virtual experiences.

What exactly is an escape room? Are they suitable activities for kids? What are some virtual escape rooms your kids will love to try? Below is a list of answers to all those questions and more.

What are escape rooms?

Escape Rooms are an immersive game where participants, usually a group, are provided with clues they need to solve to win the game. Each clue is a puzzle, riddle or challenge to solve as a team.

While not actually locked in a room, some may have an end goal of escaping some kind of building, like a prison. Other end goals may be finding a treasure, stopping a crime, or launching a rocket. Most have a 60-minute time limit.

What are virtual escape rooms?

Virtual Escape Rooms are built on many of the original concepts of the in-person activity. They require participants to solve clues to achieve an end goal. However, Virtual Escape Rooms are played online instead of in-person, and they may not have a time limit.

Librarians, teachers, and even kids using Google Forms have created them, and participants often have to navigate

them independently. Using a video component to collaborate with friends and family is up to the participants to set up. The good news is that these are usually free and set up to be kid-friendly!

In-person Escape Rooms or companies have also created virtual experiences. These typically require a subscription or one-time payment. Some come with a guide and are meant to be played at a set

Many virtual escape rooms have been created specifically to learn and improve academic skills in engaging ways.

Dr. Susan Ellis Crutchfield, a trailblazing physician and beloved sister, wife, mother and grandmother, passed away in Saint Paul on March 16, 2024, at the age of 83. Susan was born on July 29, 1940 in Charleston, West Virginia. Her parents, Carter Vernard Ellis and Mary Jackson Ellis, moved to Minnesota in 1947 to attend the University of Minnesota. That same year, her mother became the first full-time Black elementary school teacher in Minneapolis.

Susan’s life was marked by extraordinary scholarship and achievements; an unwavering love for her family and friends; and a selfless commitment to improving health outcomes for all, but especially within the Black community. Susan was a dedicated physician and made groundbreaking contributions to both healthcare services and medical insurance.

As a five-year-old, Susan was already a rising third-grader in Minneapolis, and was interviewed by the national radio program Hobby Lobby about a fast spelling game she played with her mother. She knew she wanted to be a medical doctor from a young age.

At the age of 15, Susan graduated from Minneapolis Central High School. She then attend-

time. Others are up to the participants to navigate, and most use online video components such as Zoom to communicate.

Are escape rooms good activities for kids?

Yes, with age-appropriate themes and clues, Escape Rooms are excellent activities for kids. Escape rooms promote teamwork and collaboration as participants use their unique skills to solve clues.

Escape Rooms also engage problem-solving skills. Developing problem-solving skills has been connected to critical thinking, resiliency and confi-

dence. These are all important factors in academic success and future career achievements.

Many Virtual Escape Rooms have been created specifically to learn and improve academic skills in engaging ways. Most of all, they are fun and interactive, and kids need that more than ever! They may even inspire your kids to create their own Virtual Escape Room.

MSR + Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) share a mission of protecting, maintaining, and improving the health of ALL Minnesotans. Our shared

Susan Ellis Crutchfield

Sunrise, July 29, 1940 — Sunset, March 16, 2024

ed the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science. In 1963, she earned a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), making history as the first Black woman and the youngest person (at 22 years old) to graduate from the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Dr. Crutchfield started her career as a family physician in South Minneapolis and especially enjoyed taking care of children, as she had once dreamed of being a pediatrician. By 1966, she and her then-husband, Dr. Charles E. Crutchfield had two young sons, Charles III and Carleton, and the family moved to Spokane, Washington.

Susan worked as Clinic Director at Spokane Falls Community College while her husband was serving as a Captain at Fairchild Air Force Base. In 1969, the family returned to Minnesota. They were the first Black family to integrate the Highland Park neighborhood in Saint Paul. A year later, the family welcomed a third son, Christopher.

For two decades, Dr. Susan Crutchfield worked at the Minneapolis office of Prudential Insurance Company, one of the world’s largest insurance companies. She began as Associate Medical Director and also practiced occupational medicine. She advanced to Director of Medical Services, finishing her career there as Vice President of Medical Services. She possessed extensive medical administrative knowledge. Her expansive experience included ambulatory clinical medicine, wellness and preventive medicine, financial oversight of medical managed care organizations, and insurance benefit design planning. Dr. Crutchfield was one of the rising Black women executives at Fortune 500 companies featured in “Ebony” magazine in 1984.

While at Prudential Insurance Company, Susan met Robert Mitsch. They married on May 15, 1976. The next year, their son Rob -

ert was born. Susan and Bob remained happily married for over 47 years.

Dr. Crutchfield was Metropolitan Health Plan Director at Hennepin County Medical Center for a decade. As an independent Managed Medical Care Consultant, she guided health management organization clients with her impressive expertise in life and health risk underwriting, quality assurance, and cost containment.

Dr. Crutchfield served in numerous leadership positions. She was Chairman of the Board for the Minneapolis Children’s Hospital and Stratis Health. She served on the boards of the American Heart Association, the Southside Clinic, and Tubman.

Dr. Crutchfield prioritized community outreach. She supported science education for children as a Charter Member of the Science Museum of Minnesota. She advocated for a smoke-free ordinance in Saint Paul on KMOJ radio, on behalf of the Ramsey Medical Society and the Ramsey Tobacco Coalition. She and her son, Dr. Charles Crutchfield III, cohosted a local radio program on medical questions for which they won the Gold Triangle Award (the highest honor from the American Academy of Dermatology) in 2003.

Throughout her life, Dr. Crutchfield endeavored to improve the health of others, especially within the Black community. For a decade she volunteered as a family doctor and as a board member at Southside Clinic in Minneapolis. To support the diversity of future medical doctors, she served on the Minority Admissions Committee at the University of Minnesota Medical School for eight years.

Over the decades, Susan loved traveling with Bob. Her favorite city was Paris, France, where they had honeymooned. California became a favorite place when her son Robert was attending the University of Southern California. Susan and Bob also enjoyed exploring Italy, Hawaii, and the Caribbean.

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.

Susan loved flowers and visited many gardens on her travels. The Huntington and Descanso Gardens near Pasadena were Susan’s favorite gardens because their flowers bloom year round. Susan was also a fan of the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Twins.

In retirement, Susan was thrilled to spend time with her precious grandchildren, always eager to be a part of their lives. Her calendar was filled with their activities, celebrating their birthdays and accomplishments, and attending their performances and sports events. She was delighted to bake cookies, play board games, and make holiday memories with them at her home.

Susan was preceded in death by her parents, Carter Vernard Ellis and Mary Jackson Ellis; her brother Carter III; and her son Dr. Charles E. Crutchfield, III. She is survived by her devoted husband, Robert Mitsch; her cherished sons Carleton (Linda) Crutchfield, Christopher (ThuMai) Crutchfield, and Robert Mitsch; her daughter-in-law Laurie Crutchfield; her sister, Joy Ellis Bartlett; and her 15 cherished grandchildren: Mahogany (William), Elias, Zachariah, Leenah, Olivia, Carmen, Safiya, Charles IV, Coral, Arianna, Christopher, Carina, Adam, Danial, and Sarah. She also leaves behind a host of beloved nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.

In honoring the legacy of Dr. Susan Ellis Crutchfield, we celebrate a remarkable life filled with compassion for others; dedication to excellence and scholarship; commitment to improving the well-being of all, especially within the Black community; and boundless love for her family. Her lifetime of contributions will inspire generations to come. She will be dearly missed and will live on in the hearts of all who had the privilege of knowing her.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to Doctors Without Borders would be welcomed as tributes in honor of Susan’s legacy. Burial at Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis. Arrangements by O’Halloran & Murphy, Saint Paul.

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wavebreakmediamicro via 123RF

Dr.

United National Weather Team

Black Business

By Chris Juhn Contributing Writer

Alicia Hardimon has a unique job, one that most will only experience watching blockbuster films like “Twister,” “Storm Chaser,” or “Super Cell.” Being willing to drive into the heart of an oncoming twister or tornado takes an incredible amount of courage, and it’s what Hardimon does for a living.

Hardimon’s storm-chasing crew, the United National Weather Team, provides services across the country.

Launching her business in 2022, the daring entrepreneur now employs 29 equally daring people to help educate and provide community outreach and disaster relief to those affected by major weather occurrences. Here she shares her incredible storm-chasing business with us.

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

AH: I was inspired after seeing the destruction of Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana, as well as the Minneapolis tornado.

MSR: How does your business impact the community?

AH: We have many storm chasers and forecasters helping to localize weather and also hu-

manize the long-term effects and damages. We try to get out early warnings as well as help rebuild communities.

MSR: What would you consider your main service or product?

AH: Our most requested service is forecasting and consulting for businesses. People want to know if their events will be canceled or if they can make it to work the next day.

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

AH: So far it’s been funding and community involvement. Trying to channel my passion to others in the community to want to take charge during disasters. No one knows their community better than them. They can service it with a unique outlook rather than

the one-size-fits-all we see most often from governmental organizations.

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

AH: The most rewarding

“No one knows their community better than them. They can service it with a unique outlook rather than the one-size-fits-all we see most often from governmental organizations.”

part is seeing people reunited after storms, being rescued, getting services and supplies to build their lives back, and the confidence it brings. As well as watching storm chasers and those in the weather community grow in their skills and fellowship.

MSR: What’s your vision/ goals for your business? What does success look like for you?

AH: My vision for my business is to get funding for research purposes, as well as be able to retain a full-time staff to help tell the stories of people in Minnesota and all over the country. I want to fund our 501(c)(3) venture for a rescue

and recovery group that helps rebuild houses and helps them with resources until people in those communities can be trained.

I’d like to get a curriculum for children done so we can educate kids on weather and climate and how they can help and make a difference. It would also increase potential STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] students, especially those of color who are vastly underrepresented in meteorology and other STEM-related fields.

Success to me looks like groups for the United National Weather Team in all 50 states, a network of professionals putting out forecasts and chasers

doing scientific research fully funded with a rescue and recovery squad with full-time semidrivers who can drive supplies to wherever they’re needed most with a full-time chasing staff devoted to cover the most devastating storms up close.

MSR: What got you into storm chasing and what are some of the challenges you see ahead with it?

AH: Journalism got me into storm chasing, actually; I embedded myself in the Cajun Navy for an undercover story, became a dispatcher, and helped people get rescued.

I never wrote the story and I never left the storm-chasing. The need is too great, and organizations like FEMA aren’t designed for disaster recovery in the way communities need to be treated.

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

AH: Never give up. Keep trying even if everyone around you thinks you are crazy. Start small but think big and take risks you think twice about but don’t be afraid to innovate.

For more info, visit UNWT. org, Facebook page @UnitedNationalWeatherTeam, or email info@unwt.org.

Chris Juhn welcomes reader comments at cjuhn@spokesmanrecorder.com.

Alicia Hardimon smiles as a huge storm cloud hovers in the background. Photo by Chris Juhn

OPIOIDS

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reached with opioid distributors and manufacturers. Minneapolis expects to receive $18 million, which it will disperse over the course of 18 years. The Minneapolis Health Department, led by Commissioner Damōn Chaplin, will manage the program to work alongside the awardees.

“It’s no secret that the opioid crisis is hitting cities and urban areas particularly hard around the country,” Frey said. “We have an obligation to step up here at the local government.”

The mayor shared the importance of working with culturally specific treatment organizations to best address the disparities experienced by communities of color suffering from the opioid crisis. He stated that Native Americans have 30 times more deaths than white people, while the Black community sees four times the number of deaths compared to whites.

According to City leaders, data will be at the forefront of their approach to managing the funds and evaluating its effectiveness. Deputy Commissioner Heidi Ritchie said

WCCO

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Police, which works closely with the intervention program, to learn why it was not renewed but could not speak with the police chief before our press time.

The story took an unexpected turn regarding WCCO’s reporting when Garrett, the critical source they used, retracted his statement apologizing on social media for his involvement in the WCCO story. Below is Garrett’s complete Facebook statement posted on Oct. 29, 2023, and can currently be seen on Bishop Harding Smith’s page.

DOC

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their staff members. “There’s some limitations, and it’s really hard. Once you bring the artwork outside the prison, normally it’s restricted from going back in. And so of course, guys are hesitant wondering if they’re gonna get their artwork back or not,” said Guse.

For this exhibit, MNDOC staff were able to get permission to ensure unsold artwork was returned to those who created it.

MNDOC is also concerned about how showing off the talents of the incarcerated may be received by the public. “There’s a lot of people that might look at it and say, ‘Why do they get to do art?’ Public perception is a real consideration,” said Guse.

VP HARRIS

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approximately 140,000 childcare providers. This change is anticipated to incentivize more providers to participate in the CCDBG program, leading to a broader range of childcare options for families.

that metrics will go into every single one of their contracts with the awardees, a standard for the City. Numbers around hospitalizations and overdose statistics will help inform the City of the efficacy of the program. There were 1,002 opioid-involved drug overdose deaths in 2022, a three percent increase from the previous year. Minneapolis accounted for 24% of those deaths despite being seven percent of the state’s population.

“Those aren’t just numbers,” Ritchie stated, referring to the hundreds of deaths in Minneapolis over the last few years.

“We are committed to long-term solutions with a focus on equity.”

“They are community members who are gone forever. People who will never live out their dreams, and beloved family members whose absence has left a permanent void.”

Ritchie shared that her own family has felt the heartache of addiction and that lived experience helps drive her work in the Health Department.

Frey stated that he included $1.5 million in additional funding for treatment facilities in his 2024 budget. The one-time investment will go toward capital improvements at two long-term treatment facilities in Minneapolis.

Turning Point Inc., a nonprofit organization that specializes in providing treatment and recovery programs for Black individuals, was allocated $500,000. Another $1 million will go toward a contract

“My name is Jermaine Garrett; I’m just here to let you

Nonetheless, the state legislature last session allocated $425,000 to fund nonprofit organizations that work with incarcerated individuals and those on supervised release on art forms such as visual art, poetry, literature, theater, dance, and music.

guys know that I’m sorry to mention the church and bring

of 16 years was murdered in 2017,” said Espinosa, the organization’s founder. ”And that’s what created this movement to try to create healing and transformation in the system.”

“There’s a lot of people that might look at it and say, ‘Why do they get to do art?’”

The partners

Aside from funding sources, MNDOC has also worked with organizations to promote the artwork of incarcerated people. One such organization is Art From The Inside. “I was a correctional officer for 19 and a half years at Stillwater prison, and my friend

The organization began soliciting submissions of themed pieces from those incarcerated at Stillwater. They eventually expanded their solicitations to those incarcerated at Mammoth Lakes, Moose Lake, Red Wing, Faribault and Shakopee. The work submitted is exhibited around the Twin Cities at churches, schools, and venues such as an ongoing exhibition at the Minnesota

with Helix Health and Housing Services to tackle the issues surrounding homelessness, substance use disorder, and mental health.

According to the mayor, the City’s approach in working with these organizations is threefold: prevention, response to crisis, and treatment to get better.

“These are going to organizations that put people first,” he said. “They recognize the importance of meeting people where they’re at and providing culturally responsive treatment and prevention services to our underserved community, and specifically to our youth.”

down their name like that because they gave us our wages, and everybody basically knows that too, so I just want to let you all know that. I went through my papers and found all my pay stubs, and it was all good.”

Bishop Smith believes that Garrett became bitter and created this false narrative after he told him he could no longer participate in the programs because he had a DWI on his record.

Since the WCCO news video was released, Smith says that his family and church have experienced significant hardships, including a loss of funding, and more importantly, his wife is now living with the

Councilmember Jeremiah

Ellison, who represents the 5th Ward where Turning Point is located, stated that more than money, culturally specific responses were crucial to combating the crisis.

“What you’re seeing there are not only great organizations, but they’re also [those] who can help our city attack this crisis,” he said. “You’re seeing organizations who understand their community, who understand the specifics of how to reach people in their community.”

Hassanen Mohamed of the Minnesota Somali Community Center took to the podium during the press conference to speak about the impact of the opioid crisis in the Somali community. “This is a very serious issue in our community,” he said.

“We have lost a lot of members. We’re dealing with a crisis that we have never seen before. It’s something that has devastated almost every family in our community.”

Mohamed shared stories of his interactions with parents who have lost their children to opioid addiction and emphasized that the problem would not go away with one-time funding or short-term funds, but by sustained efforts in partnership with the city and

aftermath of a stroke from the ordeal.

In February, Smith initiated legal actions against WCCO, alleging defamation of character.

In February, Smith initiated legal actions against WCCO, alleging defamation of character. In the lawsuit, Smith says the allegations of wage theft were completely false. Minnesota Acts Now contracted

other government agencies.

Commissioner Chaplin, who took the position just over a year ago, shared that several of his family members are in long-term recovery. His mission is to find solutions and instill hope for those suffering from drug misuse.

“We are committed to long term solutions with a focus on equity,” he stated. “We’re actively engaging with both intra- and intergovernmental agencies, including the state and county, to strengthen our alliance in response to the opioid epidemic.

“We are encouraging community members to take an active role by taking a survey to share their thoughts on the opioid epidemic and how we are going to use our opioid settlement dollars going forward.”

The schedule on how to disburse the funds is yet to be determined. The City will receive $400,000 to $800,000 a year. About $150,000 has already been earmarked for underserved communities, and the City will be creating a request for proposals on that bid in the first quarter.

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

with each employee to work a fixed number of hours per week at a fixed hourly wage. Every employee was paid for all hours worked. Because of the community benefit of the work, Minnesota Acts Now invited employees to work additional volunteer hours beyond the contracted work. It was always clear and understood that volunteer hours were optional.

We spoke to WCCO’s managing editor, Jen Jimenez, who said she could not comment because it involved an ongoing legal matter.

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

Attorney General’s office.

At those exhibits, visitors have an opportunity to write a message for the artist. “So [artists] could hear from the public about their artwork. It’s inspiring to see grown men walk around the unit… showing their friends about what people are saying about the artwork,” said Espinosa.

Once the exhibit is over, Art From The Inside documents the exhibit in a video. Each piece is then forwarded to an address desired by the incarcerated artist. The organization can’t return the work

to them because of MNDOC regulations. If their art sells, 100% of the proceeds go to the incarcerated artist.

Other organizations working with MNDOC to nurture incarcerated artists is ArtReach St. Croix, which is based in Stillwater. They plan to feature artwork and poetry made by those incarcerated at Stillwater on trailers to be parked this summer at Afton State Park just south of Afton, Interstate State Park in Taylors Falls, and Willow River State Park just east of Hudson, Wis.

The exhibit opens on Thursday, July 11, with a reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at their Stillwater offices, 224 4th St. N.

H. Jiahong Pan welcomes reader responses to hpan@ spokesman-recorder.com.

The artwork exhibited by MNDOC was produced by Marc Amouri Bakambia, Ernesto Rivera, Kou Moua, Cyrus Trevino, Andrew Severtson, Licit Omot, Arturo Montano, Robert Larson, Nathan Eldredge, Ben Adams, Courtney Ocegueda, and Daniel Gonzales.

Additionally, the rule seeks to streamline access to CCDBG subsidies by encouraging states to adopt online applications for enrollment, which reduces the paperwork burdens currently faced by families, with nearly one-third of states still relying on paper applications for childcare assistance.

and immediate financial assistance for child care while their eligibility for the program is determined and verified. Currently, only six states offer presumptive eligibility to families.

Administration officials said the comprehensive reforms underscore the BidenHarris team’s commitment to addressing working families’ pressing challenges, making quality child care more accessible and affordable for all.

Further, the new rule promotes adopting presumptive eligibility policies, allowing families to receive temporary

Stacy M. Brown is the NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent.

(l-r) Benjamin Fiegel of CLUES, Musab Adam of Access Healing Center, Councilmember Jeremiah Ellison, Deputy Commissioner Heidi Ritchie, Commissioner Damōn Chaplin, Mayor Jacob Frey, and Hassenen Mohamed of MSCC

Photo by Abdi Mohamed

Bishop Harding Smith

Photo by Al Brown

Arts & Culture

Sage shares her musical roots and latest songs in exclusive interview

By Tony Kiene Staff Writer

It didn’t take long for Twin Cities-based singer Sage to discover her principle passion in life.

“My mom would gather my older sisters along with my twin brother and me and play all kinds of music for us,” she reminisced. “Jazz, rhythm and blues, pop, rock and roll, classical, opera. From Prince to Pavarotti. We listened to just about any and everything under the sun.”

From then on, Sage knew that she wanted to be a singer, and counted Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, and Donna Summer among her earliest inspirations. It was just a matter of finding the right outlet for her to express her own talents and ambition.

After her parents divorced, Sage moved with her mom and siblings from Omaha to Milwaukee, prior to another short stint back in their native Nebraska. Eventually, however, seeking to live closer to her own parents, Sage’s mother moved the family to Minneapolis.

Sage initially enrolled at Patrick Henry High School before transferring to Minneapolis South, where she earned her first big role in a production of Mozart’s classic opera, “The Magic Flute.”

“The part called for someone

to fit the bill.” It was at this time that she really began to sense she had some real talent, that singing was something that she might want to pursue.

as well as at her family church. Nevertheless, after graduation she decided to put her musical dreams on hold. For a while, anyway.

Sage revealed. She went on to a successful modeling career. Among her accomplishments on the runway were coming in as third runner-up in the International Modeling Talent Association (IMTA) competition and as a finalist for Miss Hawaiian Tropic Minnesota.

She also earned both an Associate of Arts degree and her Bachelor of Arts in paralegal studies, which have enabled her to chart a separate career as a contract manager and analyst with a local law firm. Still, dreams of making it as a singer always remained close to her heart.

When acclaimed Hollywood music producer Mark Williams paid a visit to Minneapolis in search of new talent, Sage took the opportunity to audition. “I sang Whitney Houston’s ‘Saving All My Love for You,’ she noted, adding that Whitney was her all-time favorite artist. Williams was impressed, inviting Sage out west where they recorded a number of tracks in his Los Angeles studio.

Today, when she thinks of her mother, the late Sandra Nelson, those words reverberate just as intensely as they did the very first time she heard them. And her faith, coupled with the strength that she continues to marshal from her mother’s love and support, have helped lead to her biggest break yet—signing with Atlanta-based CSP Music Group.

When asked about the sort of things that inspire her personal approach to songwriting, Sage names artists like Beyoncé and Mary J. Blige among others. “Like those women,” she said, “I try to write [about] my real life experiences.” Among her favorite performers are Usher and, again, the “one and only Beyoncé.”

Sage is planning to perform more and more around the Twin Cities herself, starting with a singing engagement at the next Sister Spokesman event on Saturday, April

“My mom often said to me, ‘Never give up on your dreams. It’s never too late. Perseverance pays off.’”

CSP boasts a Who’s Who of music industry professionals in the fields of production, songwriting, engineering, management, and artist development. It’s here that Sage believes she has finally found her musical home. “It’s been such an amazing journey so far. And, it’s just getting started.”

In addition to building her brand, Sage has written and recorded several new songs, including “Don’t Let them Go” and “Save Us.” Plus, her latest single, “I Like,” is charting on digital radio stations in markets such as Cleveland, Los

Although it proved to be a great experience for Sage, nothing much ever materialized of the songs that she and Williams created together. Not to be deterred, she went on to audition for the final season of “Showtime at the Apollo,” making it through the first wave of cuts but falling just short of appearing on the national teleme, ‘Never give up on your dreams. It’s never too late. Perseverance pays off’” recalled Sage.

6, 2024. Titled, “Let’s Grow Girl: Seed, Plant and Harvest,” April’s installment of Sister Spokesman will be held from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center (1256 Penn Avenue North, Suite 5100).

Sage’s music can be found on Spotify, Soundcloud, YouTube and Twitter. You can also learn more about Sage on her Instagram page (sagetheartistofficial) or by visiting her website at https://sageme.co.

Tony Kiene welcomes reader

Minneapolis-based singer Sage

Submitted photo

The ugly origins of Trump’s ‘America First’ slogan

By Dr. Lawrence Wittner

People’s choice of words can be revealing. That’s certainly the case with respect to one of Donald Trump’s favorite slogans, “America First.”

Trump initially used the term in an April 2016 campaign speech, proclaiming that “America First” would be “the major and overriding theme of my administration.”

The following year, in his inaugural address, he promised that “a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first ― America first.”

Subsequently, he has employed the slogan frequently to describe his approach to foreign and domestic policy.

This approach is remarkable because, over the past century, “America First” has acquired some very unsavory connotations.

Although the seemingly innocent slogan goes back deep in American history, it began to develop a racist, antisemitic and xenophobic tone after World War I. The Ku Klux Klan, which surged to some five million members at that time, employed it frequently for its terrorist mobilizations.

Like the Klan, nativist groups took up “America First” as they used racist, eugenicist claims to press, successfully, for U.S. government restrictions on immigration.

Appealing to an overheated nationalism, William Randolph Hearst used his newspaper empire to campaign successfully against U.S. participation in the League of Nations. Soon thereafter, he became a boost-

er of other nationalist fanatics, the rising fascist powers.

Hearst’s newspapers, with “America First” emblazoned on their masthead, celebrated what they called the “great achievement” of the new Nazi regime in Germany. In 1934, Hearst himself scurried off to Berlin to interview Adolf Hitler. Instructing his reporters in Germany to provide positive coverage of the Nazis, Hearst fired journalists who failed to do so. Meanwhile, the Hearst press ran columns, without rebuttal, by Hitler, Mussolini, and Nazi leader Hermann Göring. This toxic brew of racism, antisemitism and xenophobia increasingly found its way into a growing isolationist movement that crested in 1940 with the establishment of the America First Committee.

Like the Klan, nativist groups took up “America First” as they used racist, eugenicist claims. submissions@spokesman-recorder.com submissions@spokesman-recorder.com

Although the 800,000 America First members had a variety of political opinions, many of them held antisemitic views and sympathized with the Nazis. Henry Ford, for example, a member of the America First executive committee, was a major backer of antisemitic and racist organizations, including the Ku Klux Klan.

Purchasing a Michigan newspaper, the Dearborn Independent, he used it to

By Ben Jealous

publish articles promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories, such as the idea that Jews controlled the American financial system, that they started World War I, and that they were plotting to rule the world.

The newspaper eventually acquired a circulation of nearly a million thanks to Ford’s requirement that his car dealers distribute it. Ford has the distinction of being the only American Hitler complimented in Mein Kampf.

The most prominent leader of the America First Committee was Charles Lindbergh, who ― thanks to his celebrated solo flight over the Atlantic ― was also one of the bestknown Americans of the era. Hitler, Lindbergh believed, was “a visionary” and “undoubtedly a great man.”

Visiting Nazi Germany, Lindbergh liked its professed values ― what he called “science and technology harnessed for the preservation of a superior race.” Increasingly, he thought that the “strong central leadership of the Nazi state was the only hope for restoring a moral world order.”

Addressing reporters, he said he was “intensely pleased” by all he had seen while in Germany. By contrast, like other anti-Semites, he fretted over “the Jewish problem” and blamed Jews for the shattered German economy that followed World War I. In 1938, Field Marshall Göring presented Lindbergh with a medal on behalf of the Führer.

Returning from his European travels to the United States, Lindbergh argued that it was “imperative” for “the sake of Western civilization that America stay out of Germany’s way as [it] guarded against the West’s true enemies” ― the “Asiatic hordes” of Russia, China and Japan.

Only after Japan’s devastating attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 did Lindbergh and the America First Committee shut down their isolationist campaign. Given this record, when Trump revived the “America First” slogan, the Anti-Defamation League urged him to reconsider, pointing to the slogan’s bigoted and pro-Nazi history.

When one adds his obsession with genetic superiority and blood purity, plus his admiration for dictators, it’s an all too familiar pattern. Trump is indeed the heir to America First and its fascist proclivities.

Dr. Lawrence Wittner, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is a professor of history emeritus at SUNY/ Albany and the author of “Confronting the Bomb” (Stanford University Press).

A full court press to get the lead out

There’s nothing quite like seeing a kid who was born healthy but now suffers cognitive impairment and is prone to outbursts of anger. As a volunteer restoring six-story walk-ups in Harlem in the early 90s, I saw how lead paint chips and dust were wreaking havoc on the kids in those low-income buildings.

The kids not only lived in a cloud of despair but in a cloud of lead-infused dust. The former made achieving their dreams difficult. The latter made it impossible.

Fast forward a few decades, and the threat of lead poisoning has continued to manifest in public health crises. It was at the heart of the well-publicized water crisis in Flint, Michigan that started in 2014, and the subsequent not-as-well-publicized water crises in Benton Harbor, MI and Pittsburgh, PA just a few short years later.

Now, thanks to community organizers, advocacy groups, the federal government, and even some private companies, we’re seeing a major push to eliminate the lingering threat of lead. It is thanks to the hard work of activists like Gabriel Gray.

Gray is an organizer with Pittsburgh United, a local advocacy group that works on clean water and housing issues. She came to this work during her own city’s water crisis.

Only finding out about the crisis once there was a run on bottled water in all the local stores, Gray applied with the Pittsburgh Water and Sewage Authority (PWSA) for a lead line replacement for her home and was denied. Then

she started organizing with her neighbors.

“Because of the work the Pittsburgh United Our Water Campaign did to hold PWSA accountable,” says Gray, “it is now the only public water authority in Pennsylvania to be governed by the state’s Public Utility Commission (PUC).

“However, my neighborhood borders an area with a different water authority not governed by the PUC—the Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority. We’re now working with Wilkinsburg-Penn to stress the importance of equity in its lead line replacement plans, after finding that environmental justice communities had been slower to receive replacements than other communities in that authority’s jurisdiction.”

The threat of lead poisoning has continued to manifest in public health crises.

The increased focus on stopping lead poisoning is also thanks to tireless advocates like my friend Ruth Ann Norton, who heads the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI) in Baltimore.

GHHI was recently chosen to administer $50 million in grants across the mid-Atlantic under the EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program created by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Norton says, “We can make homes, schools, childcare centers lead-free, as long as we have a comprehensive approach and flexible funding.

“And we can do this simultaneously as we address climate

work, with some of the same funding. It’s an opportunity we need to seize if we’re going to end lead’s toxic legacy.”

Norton described how states could apply for Climate Pollution Reduction Grants— a $5 billion program in the IRA—to take a “whole house approach” that makes lead abatement and other key remediations part of a comprehensive approach to building maintenance and electrification.

Lead is a global problem. A recent study by Lancet Planetary Health estimated “5.5 million adults worldwide died in 2019 from cardiovascular disease attributable to lead exposure, a toll more than six times higher than a previous estimate.”

That year, the combined price tag of the loss in IQ in children under five years old and cardiovascular mortality was an estimated $6 trillion. There is no cure for lead poisoning other than prevention.

The investment in future health makes good economic sense for lawmakers, government agencies, and companies alike. Most urgently, states and municipalities need to take advantage of the funds available through the IRA and the bipartisan infrastructure law.

And they need to work with community organizations like GHHI and Pittsburgh United, as well as private companies where appropriate, to make sure the funds are administered correctly and equitably. If there was ever a worthy cause for an “all hands on deck” approach, wouldn’t protecting our kids and their futures be it?

Ben Jealous is the executive director of the Sierra Club and a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

Is a cultural shift on the horizon?

By Maya Mackey

Almost two weeks removed from Black History Month, I find myself pondering what Black culture is in modern times. There’s a running joke on X/Twitter that “We are losing recipes!” whenever young Black people (Gen Z) don’t know a Black classic, like a movie, song or “rule.”

And while we mean no harm in teasing our younger kinfolk (cause you know, we’re all cousins), it does beg the question: Why are we losing recipes? And what recipes do we even want to keep?

As with all traditions in all cultures, it is up to the elders to pass down the rituals, food, language and customs that identify a group. So, if your auntie, uncle, mom, and so on didn’t teach you how to play Spades, well, that’s a recipe lost. But outside of Spades, Uno and dominoes, cookouts, collective dancing, and asking who made the mac’ n’ cheese, what is bonding us in the present?

Every time I learn something about Black American history, the lesser-told stories about pioneers of the Civil Rights Movement, I get choked up. The resilience of our people is astounding. The bravery and courage our ancestors had to muster in the face of unadulterated hatred is unmatched. But one thing about us is that we never lose our joy. As racism against African Americans soared in the ‘50s and ‘60s, alongside it a cultural movement of pride

aimed to juxtapose it.

“Black is beautiful” was a slogan, a campaign, and a mission in the 1960s and 1970s. Black people began to embrace, or rather re-embrace their natural hair, sporting afros, braids, or other non-chemically-treated styles. Some even learned Swahili to connect to Africa.

James Brown upped the ante with his iconic song “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud.” The ‘70s brought us “Soul Train,” a cultural mosaic of music, fashion, and the hottest dance moves, to TV screens across America. The ‘80s launched B.E.T., the first solo Black-centered channel of relevance today. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established as a national holiday and Michael Jackson became a solo sensation. Oprah became an overnight sensation! The ‘80s gave way to Black entertainers in particular, breaking color barriers and fighting to be “legitimized” by mainstream media.

What will the next big thing be to signify Black people moving forward?

ing Single” followed “Girlfriends,”

“The Parkers” and “One on One.” Black people got to see themselves reflected on screen in diverse ways. Air Jordans became synonymous with Black urban culture. Terms like “ghetto fabulous” were coined due to the styles of Mary J. Blige and Destiny’s Child.

Then the cultural pendulum swung back and Black people were sorely missing from programming in the first half of the 2010s. Even today, those heights of Black television have not been reached again since their demise around 2005.

In a post-pandemic world, where our communities have once again fallen victim to recessions and larger family gettogethers aren’t as frequent, I wonder where the pendulum of Black American culture will swing next.

If the ‘60s cultural movement was about uncovering our natural beauty, the ‘70s, and ‘80s were relentlessly joyful, and the ‘90s and 2000s were about flexing our economic come-up, what would the next big thing be to signify Black people moving forward?

When the ‘90s and 2000s came around, Blackness was at the height of popularity (at least on TV). The plethora of sitcoms featuring storylines of Black families and friends has never been as robust as it was during this era. From “Martin” to “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Liv-

As it becomes more normal to have Black people in power and more of us are living in and creating multicultural families, what of Black American life will prevail?

What do we keep? What do we innovate next? I hope it’s one of living well, no matter what ‘hood you come from.

Maya Mackey writes for Inglewood Today.

Teachers union leader pivots toward bid for school board seat

By Farah Habad Contributing Writer

After current District 6 School Board Director Ira Jourdain announced that he will not seek re-election to the board as he pursues a seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives, Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) President Greta Callahan has stated her intention to run for the open seat.

for second-year teachers. In her announcement posted on X, Callahan stated, “I was born in District 6, raised in District 6, and I’m raising my son in District 6. I believe every student in our city, regardless of their race, zip code and class, deserves an excellent, well-funded, and easily accessible education. I got a quality, well-funded education at Southwest High School, and

In March of 2022, Callahan led the MFT through a nearly three-week labor strike to address insufficient teacher compensation, class sizes, and protections for teachers of color across the district. The teachers union is currently in negotiations over a new contract aiming for salary increases of 8.5% for first-year teachers and 7.5%

now my son is, too. Every student deserves that.”

Callahan worked as a kindergarten teacher until she took leave to serve as the union president. She shared her initial struggles in becoming a teacher. “I had my son when I was 23 and was immediately a single mom on welfare. My family disowned me

temporarily, and all I wanted to do was to be with him.

“I worked at his daycare and eventually went back to college to finish my bachelors in psych, but I felt really lost,” she said. “I went back to night school at Augsburg and got my teaching license.”

Callahan would go on to teach kindergarten at Bethune Elementary School in North Minneapolis.

In 2015, Alejandra Mattos published an article in the Star Tribune titled “Minneapolis’ worst teachers are in the poorest schools, data show.” Mattos’s piece stated that the district had one of the largest concentrations of lowperforming teachers and cited Bethune Elementary as receiving the lowest average observation score at 2.61 compared to the district average of 3.

In response to the article, Callahan published an op-ed in the same publication to provide context from a teacher’s perspective. According to Callahan, the administration at Bethune Elementary at the time felt that her op-ed was outside of her scope of authority.

“My principal came to put me on administrative leave, and my union rep showed up and helped me keep my job. I was die-hard for the union after that and got more involved. I ran for president in 2020,” she said.

Callahan shared that she

“We really don’t want to be in a position where our educators are putting all of their time and energy into anything other than the success of our kids.”

felt now was the perfect time for her to be on the school board. In her view, the decisions cannot come from behind closed doors from people who aren’t working directly with the students of MPS.

“We have the momentum,” she stated. “If I do not win this seat, we will return to the status quo. It will decide a progressive majority on the school board. We really don’t want to be in a position where our educators are putting all of their time and energy into anything other than

the success of our kids.”

As for her priorities for her campaign, Callahan is focused on stabilizing the district and centering the needs of the children, first. Having grown up in the district and raising a child who attends an MPS school, Callahan’s platform has been built on her proximity and history in the district. She described herself as a part of a larger puzzle to help bring needed change to MPS.

Farah Habad welcomes reader comments to fhabad@ spokesman-recorder.com.

This piece is the first in a series of profiles featuring Minneapolis School Board candidates.

“Everything needs to be on what’s best for the kids,” she said. “We need to do more work on the legislative level to fully fund our schools, and rather than spending so much money fighting our teachers we could spend that money supporting them and supporting our students.”

The hostility Black women face in higher education carries dire consequences

By Ebony Aya

Isolated. Abused. Overworked. These are the themes that emerged when I invited nine Black women to chronicle their professional experiences and relationships with colleagues as they earned their Ph.D.s at a public university in the Midwest. I featured their writings in the dissertation I wrote to get my Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction.

The women spoke of being silenced. “It’s not just the beating me down that is hard,” one participant told me about constantly having her intelligence questioned. “It is the fact that it feels like I’m villainized and made out to be the problem for trying to advocate for myself.”

The women told me they did not feel like they belonged. They spoke of routinely being isolated by peers and potential mentors.

One participant told me she felt that peer community, faculty mentorship, and cultural affinity spaces were lacking.

into handling a two-to-fourperson job entirely by myself,” one participant said of her paid graduate position. “This happened just about a month

“It feels like I’m villainized and made out to be the problem for trying to advocate for myself.”

Because of the isolation, participants often felt that they were missing out on various opportunities, such as funding and opportunities to get their work published. Participants also discussed the ways they felt they were duped into taking on more than their fair share of work.

“I realized I had been tricked

before the pandemic occurred, so it very quickly got swept under the rug.”

The hostility that Black women face in higher education can be hazardous to their health. The women in my study told me they were struggling with depression, had thought about suicide, and felt physically ill when they had to

go to campus.

Other studies have found similar outcomes. For instance, a 2020 study of 220 U.S. Black college women ages 18-48 found that even though being seen as a strong Black woman came with its benefits—such as being thought of as resilient, hardworking, independent and nurturing—it also came at a cost to their mental and physical health.

These kinds of experiences can take a toll on women’s bodies and can result in poor maternal health, cancer, short er life expectancy and other symptoms that impair their ability to be well.

I believe my research takes on greater urgency in light of the recent death of Antoinette “Bonnie” Candia-Bailey, who was vice president of student affairs at Lincoln University. Before she died by suicide, she reportedly wrote that she felt she was suf fering abuse and that the uni

versity wasn’t taking her mental health concerns seriously.

Other research

Several anthologies examine the negative experiences of Black women in academia. They include education scholars Venus Evans-Winters and Bettina Love’s edited volume, “Black Feminism in Education,” which examines how Black women navigate what it means to be a scholar in a “white supremacist patriarchal society.”

Gender and sexuality studies scholar Stephanie Evans analyzes the barriers that Black women faced in accessing higher education from 1850 to 1954. In “Black Women, Ivory Tower,” African American Studies professor Jasmine Harris recounts her own trau-

matic experiences in the world of higher education.

In addition to publishing the findings of my research study, I plan to continue exploring the depths of Black women’s experiences in academia, expanding my research to include undergraduate students, as well as faculty and staff.

I believe this research will strengthen this field of study and enable people who work in higher education to develop and implement more comprehensive solutions.

Ebony Aya is the program manager at the Jan Serie Center for Scholarship and Teaching at Macalester College.

This story was republished with permission from The Conversation.

Greta Callahan sets her sights on the MPS school board after years of working as a teacher and union leader.

Submitted photos

Callahan addresses a crowd of teachers at a school board rally on Feb. 13.

Isolation can make opportunities elusive.

Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash

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HBCU

Continued from page 10

its rules that now say regular season champions who don’t win their conference tourneys and don’t make the NCAAs don’t get an automatic bid into their field as in previous years. As a result, no Black school made this year’s field.

“There will be a lack of diverse institutions participating in the NIT,” MEAC Commissioner Sonja Stills told HBCU Sports in December.

Therefore, Norfolk State and SWAC members Alabama A&M and Texas Southern accepted invitations to the College Insider Tournament (CIT). The College Basketball Invita-

SOE

Continued from page 10

Indianapolis in the early 20th century was becoming a migration home for Blacks from the South who came there and to other northern cities for a better life, he pointed out. “The White population of Indianapolis was scared that they were being overtaken, according to many

tional (CBI) invited BethuneCookman (SWAC), Delaware State (MEAC), and Chicago State (independent).

North Carolina A&T (CAA) and Grambling (SWAC) both advanced to the Women’s NIT second round as the only Black schools in that tournament.

Tommies progress Both St. Thomas basketball teams finished their third Summit League play in good shape.

The Tommies men as fourth seed lost to No. 1 South Dakota State in the league semifinals earlier this month; they finished 20-13 overall and 9-7 in conference play. It was UST’s first 20+ win season in the school’s Division I history, and most

people, by too many African Americans in the 1920s,” McCallum learned.

Crispus Attucks was built as a result. “The school board, which was dominated by Klan members or those with Klan sympathies, decided that the segregated school had to be built in that area of Indianapolis that was not very hospitable.”

Despite the low expectations, Attucks defied them all both academically and athleti-

Jade Hill

league wins since joining the Summit League. The No. 5 Tommies’ women lost to 4th-ranked South Dakota in the Summit League quar-

terfinals and finished 15-16 overall, the first 15+ win season for the women in UST’s DI history. They also tied for the most league wins since joining

cally, said McCallum. “It ended up succeeding beyond everybody’s wildest expectations for a variety of reasons before Oscar Robertson came along in the 1950s,” he said.

“The Real Hoosiers” is a must-read for sports enthusiasts, history buffs, and anyone interested in social justice. “I didn’t sign on to do a book about the life of Oscar Robertson or the likes of Indianapolis, Indiana. Or

even the total life of Crispus Attucks High School,” admitted McCallum. “I’m not a history professor. I’m a White guy that covered basketball for many years for ‘Sports Illustrated,’” said McCallum. “I didn’t want to explain the history of Black America to people who know it better than I do. So, I figured out a good way, the only way for me to do it was to make it both a basketball tale and a

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the Summit League.

“Our guys played with a competitive spirit and unselfishness,” Tommies Coach

Johnny Tauer told the MSR.

Sophomore Kendall Blue (Woodbury) led his squad in both tourney games with 15 and 13 points respectively. He is expected to return next season.

“We certainly will have a fair amount of new faces [next season],” said Tauer on the current state of college sport in the transfer portal era. “We got four freshmen who signed

tale of the culture.

“I was qualified enough to try to delve into that story,” said McCallum. “And so, it ends up as kind of a multilayered story [and not] just a basketball story.”

Although Robertson is prominently mentioned in “The Real Hoosiers,” the legend did not want to speak with the author for his book.

“I feel bad that Oscar didn’t cooperate. This is America, and

and are coming in—two from Wisconsin, one from Oregon and one from Washington State. We have a really good foundation of guys who have played in our program to carry on our culture.”

Junior Jade Hill (Minneapolis) started all 31 games for UST this season. The 5-7 guard averaged 13.2 ppg, 4.3 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game.

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

people can make their own choice. But I think in the end, the book did not suffer from it,” McCallum surmised.

“I want to do this the right way… I want to tell the story. I wasn’t going to prove there was racism in America. People would find that I tried to do that in an honest way.”

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

NCAA selections overlook HBCU champs

By Charles Hallman Sports Columnist

espite its typical low seeding along with new rules, HBCU teams competed in this year’s postseason tournaments— Jackson State (SWAC) and Norfolk State (MEAC) in the women’s NCAAs and Howard (MEAC) in the men’s tourney.

“We want people who watch to respect HBCUs,” Jackson State WBB coach Tomekia Reed told Rob Knox for The Next. Both her squad and Norfolk State were seeded 14th and 15th respectively, which Knox noted “is still disrespectful to the work of each program that established a singleseason school-record win total.”

but still got little love from the NCAA selection committee.

“The committee should value each program’s consistent greatness,” declared Knox.

“We have to keep working, grinding, and getting better so one day we’ll be among the 11 or 12 seeds in the tournament,” said Reed, the SWAC Coach of the Year for the third straight year, her sixth year at Jackson State. She has won five straight SWAC regular season titles.

“We are relevant and desire a platform like everybody else.”

The JSU Tigers (26-7 overall) finished the season 10th in the Mid-Major Top 25 poll and received at least one vote in the last three AP Top 25 polls.

Norfolk State (27-6) was ranked 13th in the same national poll. Both schools were their respective conferences’ regular season and tournament champs

“HBCUs are here,” Norfolk State 6-1 junior forward Kierra Wheeler told The Next. The Minneapolis native won the MEAC Player of the Year. “We are relevant and desire a platform like everybody else,” she added.

However, both the Spartans and the Tigers lost their first-round NCAA games.

Howard lost to Wagner 71-68 in the NCAA First Four and finished 18-17, 9-5 MEAC. The conference tourney champs knocked off No. 1 Norfolk State in the semifinals, and defeated Delaware State in the finals.

The NIT last year changed

■ See HBCU on page 9

he 2024 state boys basketball tournament held last weekend at the Target and Williams Arenas was filled with memories and accomplishments, not to mention a talented group of student athletes.

Minnetonka completed their season with a state title. Totino Grace finished with a three-peat after their cham-

Racist trolls pollute the media landscape now

ast Thursday was the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. We need more than a day in March to eradicate centuries of racism, especially in America.

Sadly, we still have some who just can’t fathom Black people talking about Black people or anything Black-related whatsoever; and whatever we say or ask is taken out of context and twisted into something that fits nicely into their twisted narrative.

The Urban Dictionary in 2016 defined “trolling” as “being a pr*** on the Internet because you can.” A study conducted that same year by three professors from Ireland found that online hate speech has “exacerbated exponentially” on social media since the mid-2000s.

This reporter/columnist recently got trolled by racists both on social media and online articles after I asked thenMichigan men’s coach Juwan Howard about mainstream media putting him and the other two Big 10 Black coaches on the proverbial hot seat throughout the season, yet they continue to be role models for Black youth and others. (You can read the entire transcript and video of the March 13 postgame press conference on Bigten.org.)

I’ve been called everything but a child of God as right wing articles became “click bait.” Most of all, I was wrongly called a Black racist.

First, Black people in this

country can’t be racist. Secondly, as a veteran reporter I ask questions that others shy away from. If this offends the uneducated, or should I say the White racists out there, get over it.

“If they just want to be stuck on being ignorant, then I just have to let it be.”

“In the early days of doing Black Iowa News, anytime I posted anything about Black issues or something that I wrote, invariably trolls would come out of the woodwork,” admitted Black Iowa News Founder-Publisher Dana James. “I felt the need in the early days to battle them one by one, not to change their mind but to let them know

Boys state tournament featured outstanding players

pionship performance. Breck claimed their first title in school history, as did Cherry. Minneapolis South finished runner-up in the consolation bracket after making their first state appearance since 1992. Here are some of the players that stood out during the tournament listed by class:

Minnetonka (Class AAAA champion): Jordan Cain, Kayden Wells Wayzata (Class AAAA runner-up): Jackson McAndrew Cretin Derham Hall (Class AAAA fourth place): Joe

Mitchell, Monteff Dixon Park Center (Class AAAA consolation champion): Chase Casmir, Jackson Fowlkes, Xavier Frelix, Aiden Memene

Totino Grace (Class AAA champion): Isaiah JohnsonArgu, Dothan Ijadimbula, Tian Chatman, Chase Watley

Mankato East (Class AAA runner-up): Dwayne Bryant, Brogan Madson

DeLaSalle (Class AAA third place): De’von Irvin, Ray James Jr., Jaden Uden, Jaden Morgan

Minneapolis South (Class AAA consolation runner-up):

Poet Davis, Jumarion Weh, James Underwood, Jamari Stewart Scott, Kevaughn Fields

Breck (Class AA Champion): Daniel Freitag, Miles Newton, DeAngelo Dungey, Hanif Muhammad

Minnehaha Academy (Class AA third place): Lorenzo Levy Cherry (Class A champion): Isaac Asuma, Noah Asuma, Isaiah Asuma

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

this is not a space that you can come to do that.”

“I’ve gotten so used to that,” added WCCO Radio’s Henry Lake on trolling. “Sometimes, depending on the way that they come at me…maybe I’ll clap back with facts. But if they just want to be stuck on being ignorant, then I just have to let it be.”

“It’s hard to discern sometimes” if the racist troll is human or a bot, continued James.

“Anti-Blackness is rampant these days,” she pointed out.

No one challenged the questions often asked of Howard’s job security by the other reporters in the room, all of whom but me were White. But I didn’t see their questions as racist anymore than my question was. They were doing their job, and I was doing mine.

“You’re doing your work as a journalist…not trying to change [racists’] minds,” James pointed out.

Lake said, “I’m proud of the

work that I do, stand by my opinion and what I talk about, and for those people that want to continue to indulge the racism, that’s not gonna change.”

I was born Black and proud of it. Being a racist is an acquired trait.

“Anytime you’re trying to share something of a Black perspective, trying to speak to Black kids, that is bothering a lot of people and irks the souls that you would ask a question about Black people being a role model,” surmised James.

“As a part of the Black media, we see things as Black journalists from a Black lens. That’s a whole reason why Black media exist,” she concluded. “That’s why it’s even more important that we ask these hard questions, that we challenge these racist norms that we can’t talk about race in 2024.”

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

The real Hoosiers story rivals the fictional version

he feel-good classic film “Hoosiers” (1986) is about an unheralded underdog high school basketball team that won its first state championship by beating an all-Black team from Indianapolis. However, this classic movie was fictional: Milan High School (on which the Hickory High team was based) did defeat the all-Black Crispus Attucks team in 1954, but in the state semifinals, not the finals.

“It ends up as kind of a multi-layered story and not just a basketball story.”

“The Real Hoosiers” (Hachette Books) unveils the real story of Attucks, who won back-to-back Indiana state championships led by Oscar Robertson, a future Olympic, college and NBA legend. Veteran sportswriter and author Jack McCallum’s latest book, released in March, describes the segregated times of that era and provides insights from those who witnessed it or experienced first-hand the housing discrimination, school segregation, and anti-Black violence that shaped mid-20th century Indianapolis. He recently talked to the MSR.

“It seemed like a very timely story,” said McCallum.

Henry Lake Photo by Charles Hallman

Tian Chatman (Totino Grace)

De’von Irvin (DeLaSalle)

All photos by Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald

James Stewart Scott (Minneapolis South)

Dana James Courtesy of X

Kierra Wheeler and her father Mario Green

Photos by Charles Hallman

Author Jack McCallum Photos courtesy of Hachette Books