March 30, 2023 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

Family demands transparency in Robbinsdale ‘accidental drowning’

By Chrisleen Herard

An edited version of this article

is being republished courtesy of Howard University News Service.

Khalil Ahmad Azad wanted his long-time girlfriend, Carvona Henderson, to take five pregnancy tests to make sure it was real. He was going to be a father. It was all he talked about—a moment he waited for his whole life—until the early hours of July 3, 2022, when he was pulled over by police. It was the last time he would be seen alive.

Seven weeks later, his daughter was born. “He was just trying to do anything to see his child,” Henderson said.

The fatal traffic stop

It was almost 1:30 in the morning when officers in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, said they attempted to pull over a driver of a white SUV for “probable cause DWI.” Instead of a simple traffic stop, a chase ensued.

“We’ve got a vehicle that’s fleeing

from me and looks like it’s gonna crash here… Driver’s bailing,” Officer Tony Heifort is heard saying on police body camera footage.

The SUV hit a curb and crashed into a tree. Azad, who reportedly had an active warrant at the time, fled, both in fear of his life and in hopes that he wouldn’t get arrested and miss witnessing the birth of his first child.

“He’s had run-ins where the police have beaten him before,” Henderson said. “So, he’s scared of the police.” In addition to the past run-ins and alleged brutality, Monica Lopez, a close friend of Khalil, recounts the times Azad spent in jail.

“Whenever I would go see him, he would tell me about instances with, not even just the police, but with the correctional officers that were in there about how they would be treating him,” Lopez said. “Like even with just small things, not letting

him go out or putting him in solitary.”

According to police, during the traffic stop last July two passengers—a man and a woman—exited the car and told police they didn’t know Azad. The woman later said that she only knew

him as “K” and that there were no signs of him being drunk.

“Driver bailed towards the lake, headed eastbound,” Heifort reported on his radio. A state patrol helicopter with a thermal imaging system, police K-9s and officers from the Plymouth Police Department were called onto the scene. A hat was eventually found. However, after about an hour of looking, police claim they failed to locate Azad and never came into direct contact with him that day. “He’s long gone at this point,” Officer Joshua Heasley said minutes before turning off his body camera.

Azad was found lifeless, floating face down in Crystal Lake two days after his run-in with police. His skin, stained purple and blue, was swollen and disfigured. His eyes protruded from their sockets. His nose was slanted from being broken and his face torn with scars. This was no longer the Azad

WWII Veteran Gordon Kirk honored on his 100th birthday

By James L. Stroud, Jr.

Contributing Writer

On Thursday, March 23, WWII veteran and long-time St. Paul resident Gordon Kirk joined the exclusive demographic known as centenarians, celebrating his 100th birthday with a little help from family and friends.

A little over 100 people gathered at the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center in St. Paul in the early afternoon for a birthday party in Kirk’s honor.

The event was organized by the Hallie Q. Brown Men’s Retirement Club.

“I still feel like a young man. I don’t feel like I’m 100,” Kirk told the MSR. “I don’t do anything special. I do eat a big breakfast every day, but no special diet because I eat everything you put on the table.”

Known for his love of community and advocacy work with Minnesota veterans, Kirk first served in the army under

General Patton’s Vanguard as a quartermaster during a time when U.S. troops were segregated. After the war he returned home and joined the Twin Star VFW Post 8854, becoming a life member in

1964.

From 1995 to 1996 Kirk became the first African American to be elected as state watch commander of the Minnesota Department of VFW. Currently, he still works

as an advocate for veterans at the VA Hospital. Asked how much longer he would continue to advocate for veterans, Kirk said, “Until the day I die.” The celebration was upbeat

who once stood six feet tall with brown locs and a warm, welcoming smile. He was unrecognizable.

“When I first saw the [autopsy photos], I literally had a physical reaction and jumped,” said Traheren Crews, founder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota.

“I mean, I had heard about this earlier in the summer. But to actually see it?... They said he was beaten worse than Emmett Till. Then once I saw the photos I was like, ‘Wow!’”

Liah Milli, a family friend, had a similar reaction. “I didn’t even know what to say. I thought it was a joke,” she said. “Nobody believed that was him…’Cause you know, Kalil was a handsome person. He was handsome.”

Lopez, like many others, thought it was unreal. “I just felt like I froze. I still can’t believe it. I can’t believe it. I can’t put it to him because it just, it looks nothing like him. His whole face is distorted. It’s not even the man that I know.”

“It’s something you literally see in a movie,” Henderson said. “You

YWCA officials, supporters rally for change at State Capitol

By Angela Rose Myers

Contributing Writer

Early Monday morning, March 27, volunteers, community members and state representatives gathered at the state Capitol to celebrate “YWCA Day on the Hill.” The day started with a rally at 10 a.m. followed by meetings with state legislators. The YWCA also hosted a special audience with Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan.

Spearheaded by the YWCA Minneapolis, the nonprofit’s representatives from all over the state came to advance YWCA bills and its mission to eliminate racism and empower women across Minnesota. Some of the state officials who spoke at the rally included Sen. Sandra Pappas (DFL-St. Paul), Rep. Emma Greenman (DFL-Minneapolis), Rep. Matt Norris (DFL-Blaine) and Rep. Samantha Sencer-Myra

In wake of tragedy, St. Paul schools weigh safety options

By Cole Miska

Contributing

Writer

St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS) is reconsidering its approach to safety in its schools after the fatal stabbing of 15-year-old student Devin Scott at Harding Senior High School last month. SPPS Chief of Operations and Administration Jackie Turner said the district is considering several new approaches for not just Harding, but all schools.

“Every school is designed a little differently as far as their facilities are concerned. They may have different places in the building that might need support,” Turner said. “Every building’s a little different. We’re asking buildings to take a look at that and then collectively bring forth suggestions for what they can do to

committees composed of students, parents, staff, and external com

to gather

implemented. Turner said that some committees have asked for more hall

monitors or more support during passing time between classes.

“As you all know, safety is a complicated subject,” said SPPS Superintendent Joe Gothard at a press conference last month. “There’re many right answers. And for us to land on one that is going to keep everybody safe—there is no solution to that. There is no quick fix.”

One potential security measure that is being debated in the district and St. Paul community is whether to return school resource officers (SROs) to SPPS schools. SROs, who were local police officers, were removed from public schools in both St. Paul and Minneapolis in 2020, in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

On Feb. 28, SPPS held a special school board meeting and allowed

staff, students and community to voice their opinions on SROs. Brooke Steigauf, a second-year teacher at Global Arts Plus, was adamantly against returning SROs to schools, citing the history of interactions between race and policing in St. Paul.

“How can we work towards equity in SPPS if we have shaken hands with a system that has historically and presently been used to protect property and oppress Black, Brown, and Indigenous people the most,” Steigauf said. “That’s also ignoring the loss of Amir Locke, of Winston Smith, of Philando Castile, of Yia Xiong, and so many more that have deeply hurt and traumatized our families. This is the opposite of safety.“

Nate Giles, a special education teacher at Highland Park Senior,

(l-r) Governor Tim Walz, Gordon Kirk, and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter celebrate Kirk’s 100th birthday. Photo by James L. Stroud, Jr.

(l-r) YWCA Minneapolis President and CEO Shelley Carthen Watson and Racial Justice Vice President Angela Myles

Photo by Dominica Asberry-Lindquist ■ See KIRK on page 5

Khalil Ahmad Azad would have turned 25 on March 25. Photo courtesy of Facebook

Harding Senior High School where a student was fatally stabbed last month. Photos courtesy of Saint Paul Public Schools

Metro Transit beefs up security amid safety concerns

By H. Jiahong Pan

Contributing Writer

The agency that runs Metro Transit, the Metropolitan Council, voted unanimously last Wednesday to advance a contract with a Philadelphia-area security firm, Allied Universal, to provide security services for six of its beleaguered transit stations.

The one-year contract, with an option for the Met Council to extend it by another year if successful, will allow the security firm to deploy unarmed security guards at the Franklin and Lake Street Blue Line stations in Minneapolis, as well as the Brooklyn Center Transit Center, the Central Green Line station in downtown St. Paul, and the Uptown Transit Station and the Chicago-Lake Transit Center off of Lake Street in South Minneapolis.

The Met Council anticipates two guards being stationed at each of the six transit stations from 12 to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with 24/7 patrols at Franklin Station. The entire contract value, if fully executed, is $6 million.

Metro Transit anticipates Allied Universal deploying its security guards at its six transit stations in the next two months.

Safety issues mount

The security contract comes at a time when Metro Transit faces safety and quality-of-life issues dogging its infrastructure. Three of the stations have been the site of violent crimes in the past three months, including one assault each at Uptown Transit Station and Lake Street/Midtown Station in the past month, as well as a shooting that killed one person at the

Central Station in December.

To clamp down on safety issues, last year the agency began closing Brooklyn Center Transit Center earlier in the evenings. They also completely closed the Central Station elevator tower last December, the indoor waiting areas at Chicago-Lake Transit Center closest to Chicago Avenue in November, and the Uptown Transit Station last Thursday.

At the Lake Street/Midtown and Franklin stations, Bloomington-based BelCom is patrolling them until this May. BelCom did not submit a bid for the contract.

Unanswered questions

The agency decided to move forward with expanding its security presence beyond Lake and Franklin stations after Metro Transit Police Officer Jason Lindner reported at the Met Council’s Transportation Committee meeting on March 13, that having BelCom patrol its Franklin Station beginning in September led to a 20 percent decrease in police being called, as well as “positive customer and employee feedback and a reduction in service-related issues.”

Street/Midtown Station.

The I-35W and Lake Street Station, which became overrun with loiterers in recent months, some of whom do drugs, are not among the stations designated to be patrolled under the Allied Universal contract. However, the agency says the contract allows for flexibility for security officers to be deployed to other transit stations.

or not the officers are unionized.

Allied Universal security guards patrolling a university dorm in Baltimore raised concerns over a similar arrangement, in light of a shooting that killed one of their own last September.

At other security sites, Allied Universal has also had a reputation for using excessive force in some of the areas it patrols. Its guards have seriously assaulted—and in some cases, shot—transit riders in Denver, San Diego, Miami and two incidents in Philadelphia over minor issues such as not paying the fare or loitering.

Metro Transit did not say how much impact security presence had on ridership at both stations, as well as on calls for police service at Lake

Although the Met Council and its transportation committee unanimously decided to award the contract to Allied Universal last week, some council members expressed concerns about how the firm would be held accountable, considering the agency could not negotiate a contract with Allied Universal without the council and committee’s blessing. There were also concerns about how much the officers would be paid by the contractor, if they would compete with the agency as it seeks to fill its own police ranks, and whether

In addition, there were concerns about what uniforms they would wear, how they would communicate with one another, and how their conduct would mesh with the agency’s culture. “I don’t want to be setting up forts,” said Met Councilmember John Pacheco, who represents Southwest Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Golden Valley, Crystal and New Hope.

What is Allied Universal?

Allied Universal is the largest security firm in the world and was formed through the merger of Allied Security and Universal Services of America in 2016. In recent years, they have acquired local security providers in San Francisco, Hawaii, South Carolina and New York, as well as larger providers such as London-based G4S, which was formerly the largest security firm in the world.

The company has contracts

to patrol transit agencies in Portland, Ore., San Diego, Calif., Denver, Co., Miami-Dade County, Fla., and Philadelphia.

A glance at Allied Universal’s metro-area job postings found their entry-level positions start at $14 to $18 per hour. Some of their positions elsewhere are unionized. Although Allied has a dedicated curriculum for their transit security officers, the Met Council doesn’t have specifics because they can’t ask until the contract is approved.

While Allied security guards patrolling other transit agencies wear customized uniforms, Officer Lindner says the Allied guards will wear a uniform that identifies them as being associated with Allied Universal. At last Wednesday’s meeting, Lindner also said that security guards would be provided cell phones that they can use to dial Metro Transit police’s dispatch should they need assistance, including social workers.

Allied Universal did not respond to these allegations. Met Council’s procurement director, Jody Jacoby, said at last Wednesday’s meeting that the references Allied Universal provided, which included Metro State University, were “very positive” because they intervened as Metro State dismissed an underperforming contractor. They also pointed out that Allied Universal will have liability insurance, something the Met Council requires.

Dezaray Kido welcomes the prospect of security guards at Central Station. “It’s a good effort to try to make it safe,” said Kido as she waited for the light rail at Central on her way home from her sister’s place. “I feel like [having security guards] will stop a lot of the nonsense that goes on.”

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

Some content in this story was previously reported by this writer in Southwest Voices, an online news publication serving southwest Minneapolis.

Bus driver rescues boy in blizzard

By MSR News Service

It was a scenario with all the elements that precede a tragedy: a small child with special needs, lost and alone in the midst of a blizzard on a bitterly cold morning. But thanks to the quick thinking and sharp eyes of a rookie Metro Transit bus driver, this story has a happy ending.

“It was about 6:40 when I drove past this boy walking in the same direction I was driving. He was probably in kindergarten or first grade, wearing a backpack and without an adult.

I thought, hmmm,” recalled driver Ambrose Younge.

Shortly after, Younge turned around at the Theodore Wirth Trailhead to start the second part of his route and spotted the boy standing in the middle of the road. “That’s when I sensed something was wrong. I

perature that morning was 12 above, but the wind chill was a dangerous -4.

Once Younge got the child onboard and out of the elements, he talked to him gently and reassuringly, even though he described the boy as non-responsive. “He did exhibit signs of

checked with police and learned of a report of a missing child with autism on the North Side. Minneapolis Police and Metro Transit police officers worked together to retrieve the child and return him to his worried family. The little boy had wandered about 15 blocks by the time Younge encountered him. Bus operators often are relied upon to be helpful eyes and ears in the community. “Our drivers are trained to be observationally aware. They learn to see what’s normal so

they can see when something is out of place,” said John Komarek, MTC spokesman.

“Ambrose saw something with his own two eyes and noticed something was off. That’s the kind of employee we look for, a person who cares and is there to help.”

This is the first winter that Younge, 45, has been behind the wheel of a Metro Transit bus. A former Marine and then a banker, Younge began his career as a driver last fall after weeks of rigorous preparation.

“Metro Transit does a really

good job in their training, to get us to learn the routes and be behind the wheel to get familiar with the bus,” he said. “I’ve had a really good support system, great mentorship and coaching. That helped me become confident.” But perhaps nothing prepared him more for his fateful encounter with that little boy than fatherhood. Younge has two sons of his own, ages 12 and 14. “I’m a dad, and I just did what any dad would do,” he said. “I’m so glad I was there to help and to bring him to safety.”

stopped and coaxed him to get into my bus,” said Younge.

The rescue happened on February 22, one of the snowiest mornings of this very snowy winter, when the one-day snowfall in Minneapolis totaled around 13 inches. The tem-

anxiety; he was rocking back and forth. I said, ‘I got ya,’” said Younge.

Younge contacted the Transit Control Center (TCC) to alert them to the situation and provided them with a detailed description of the boy shivering on his bus. The TCC supervisor

Uptown Transit Station where security will be deployed

H. Jiahong Pan

I don’t want to be setting up forts.

Ambrose Younge

Submitted photo

I’m a dad, and I just did what any dad would do.

Presented by Your Local Northland Ford Dealers

By Sharon Luster Dykes, MD, FACS, FASCRS

Guest Contributor

March is Colorectal Cancer

Awareness Month and a perfect time to heighten our understanding of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third-most commonly diagnosed cancer as well as the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and in Minnesota. It is preventable.

Signs and symptoms of CRC include change in bowel habits (diarrhea, constipation, or narrowing of the stools lasting several days); incomplete emptying; rectal bleeding or blood within the stool (bright red blood or maroon or dark stool); abdominal cramping or pain; weakness or fatigue (anemia); and weight loss.

CRC develops slowly over the course of years, and 95% begin as precancerous polyps inside the colon or rectum.

Polyps can grow from the inside of the colon or rectal wall, through the layers of the colon, and eventually to nearby lymph

Screening is the best preventative for colorectal cancer

lines generally recommend:

1) If family history of CRC, begin screening at age 45 or 10 years earlier than family member diagnosed with CRC.

2) If family history of familial or genetic syndrome, begin screening in teenage years or early 20s, with surveillance colonoscopy recommended every two years after initial examination.

three or five years depending on size, type and number of polyps.

4) If personal history of IBD, initial colonoscopy is recommended eight years after IBD diagnosis with surveillance examination every one to two years, depending on risk factors and findings on prior colonoscopy. Screening tests are divided into two types:

nodes and other organs. CRC is staged based on the TNM classification: T (depth of tumor penetration through the colon wall), N (lymph node involvement), and M (metastasis or distant spread of cancer outside of the colon).

CRC diagnosis is made by biopsy, and its subsequent staging is determined after obtaining a CT scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. Overall five-year survival is excellent for early CRC (90% for Stage 1, 80% for Stage 2, 70% for Stage 3, and 14% for Stage 4). Risk factors include:

1) age (risk increases with age, as 90% of CRC is diagnosed among people 50 years or older);

2) male gender (CRC incidence is greater for men than women);

3) personal history of colon polyps or cancer;

4) family history of colon cancer and genetic syndromes (Familial Adenomatous Polyposis or Lynch Syndrome); and

5) inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. Obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, heavy alcohol use, and diet high in red and processed meats have also been linked to CRC risk.

There is strong evidence that the most effective prevention of CRC in average risk individuals is screening. Historically, guidelines have recommended screening begin at age 50 in the average risk population, likely contributing to decreasing rates of colorectal cancer since 2006.

In contrast and for unknown reasons, CRC incidence and mortality have been increasing in individuals aged 20-49, especially in the African American population. In addition, African Americans are more likely to die from CRC when compared to other races/ethnicities.

In Minnesota, incidence and mortality are highest for Ameri can Indians (63%), followed by

African Americans (40%), then Hispanics and Caucasians (39% each).

Screening guidelines for the average risk population have been published by several organizations, as outlined below:

If you have any questions regarding your risk of CRC, please talk with a healthcare provider to discuss your best screening option. Please remember and always keep in mind that the best screening test is the one that gets done.

1USPSTF (US Preventive Services Task Force); 2ASCRS (American Society Colon Rectal Surgeons); 3ACS (American College Surgeons);

(US Multi-Society Task Force)

Sharon Luster Dykes, MD, FACS, FASCRS is a dual board-certified colon and rectal surgeon. She owns her independent surgical practice, Minnesota Colon and Rectal Surgical Specialists. She earned her Bachelor’s and Medical Degrees from Brown University and completed General Surgery Residency and Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship at the University of Minnesota. She currently serves as a Senior Oral Examiner and

A z Ad

Continued from page 1

wouldn’t think that that could possibly happen to a human. It’s inhumane. I felt like somebody was stabbing me in the heart. That’s what it feels like when I see these photos.”

Demands for an investigation

Nonetheless, the Hennepin County medical examiner labeled his death an “accidental drowning” in spite of his family saying he knew how to swim.

“So they claimed he drowned, but he’s six feet tall and was found in like two or three feet of water,” Crews said. “[The report] says he had no lifethreatening injuries, but we could see there’s a lot of injuries on his face. There was trauma to his face.”

“They said there was nothing on his body. There was. There were bruises on his body also. And his dreads were pulled from his scalp,” Henderson added.

The body camera footage that Robbinsdale Police Department released six months after Azad’s mother requested it, along with the medical report, only raised more questions than answers for his loved ones, which prompted them to demand an outside investigation of both the police department and the medical examiner’s office, along with the removal of their K-9 units.

KirK

Continued from page 1

and filled with laughter, lots of refreshments, and live music provided by Pat Lacey of the Sounds of Blackness, who performed the song “Wind Beneath My Wings.” After the song, Governor Tim Walz was

School S

“While watching the body camera footage a number of discrepancies also stood out to us,” Azad’s family wrote in a statement. “We also noticed parts of the audio cut out for significant amounts of time. In addition, we noticed skips, pauses and freezes of the body camera footage, with multiple moments of blurriness, which leads us to believe that the original footage was tampered. We are concerned because there were absolutely no time stamps on the footage we watched.

“We want full transparency about the agencies that were called to secure the perimeter,” wrote Azad’s family. “In light of the footage we received from Robbinsdale Police Department, we are also demanding footage from additional agencies involved: New Hope, Crys

introduced. “We are all better for knowing ‘Gordy’ Kirk and better for knowing what he means to this community,” said the governor. “It’s a real privilege to be here with you today, Gordy,” added Walz, who presented Kirk with a State of Minnesota proclamation declaring: “Now therefore, I, Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota do hereby claim Thursday,

tal, Plymouth, and Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department & State Trooper Patrol.”

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is conducting an independent investigation of the Robbinsdale Police Department as it looks into the family’s claims that Azad was brutally beaten to death by police, mauled by K-9s, and thrown into the lake.

The departmental investigation comes months after Azad’s family attempted to gain coverage of his death through pro-

tests, vigils, and social media posts, but it was ultimately his haunting autopsy photos that created enough noise to push for some of the police footage to be released and the investigation to occur. This was a decision that did not come lightly, as they wanted Azad to be remembered for more than his mutilation.

“I met Khalil three and a half years ago,” Henderson recalled. “It was at one of our mutual friend’s parties. And honestly, when I saw him I just fell in love because his smile was so big.”

Milli also valued their friendship. “There were times where he didn’t even really have much, and he would offer me stuff,” she said. “He was respectful. He was not a person that started things. Sometimes he would defuse if people had conflicts.

“He would never try to pick

a side. He would try to be the mediator so he wouldn’t make the other person feel uncomfortable. He was just a very good person,” said Milli. “I don’t even know why this happened to him. This just threw everybody off.”

“He was a very kindhearted person,” Lopez said. “Everybody that he cared about, anybody that came around him, he really cared for. He always just wanted to see anybody around him smile, like anybody, it [didn’t] matter if he just met you. He would really go above and beyond to, you know, make anyone around him happy.”

Memories of George Floyd

Minnesota police have been under a microscope since the 2020 death of George Floyd, a case of police brutality that ignited protests across the

tenarian birthday wishes and issued a city proclamation. Also in attendance were other life members of the VFWs in Minnesota.

nation. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights would later find that a great racial disparity exists in how police handle Black individuals from a simple stop and search to use of excessive force and arrests.

Crews and Azad’s family are hoping that his death will further help spark a change in police treatment of Black people in Minnesota in addition to the consequences they face after another Black life is taken and a family is left to grieve without transparency.

“We want an independent investigation into any policerelated shooting or incident resulting in death going back 20 years,” Crews said. “We want police to carry professional personal liability insurance. They don’t want bad drivers on the road; we don’t want bad cops on the force.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Azad’s daughter and his family with obtaining a lawyer. On March 25, Azad’s family and loved ones gathered to celebrate his life along the same shores where it ended. It would have been his 25th birthday.

Chrisleen Herard is a senior journalism major and psychology minor at Howard University. She covers criminal justice for Howard University News Service. Chrisleen, who has Haitian roots, was born in Brooklyn and reared in Boston. Her work can be viewed HUNewsService.com.

March 23rd, 2023, Gordon Kirk Day throughout the State of Minnesota.”

thinking that too.”

The governor was followed by St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, who offered the cen-

Gordy married the love of his life Gwendolyn on April 25, 1958. “Unfortunately, Gwendolyn passed on 15 years ago,” said Kirk. Their marriage produced three children, nine grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and

20 great-great grandchildren. Gordon Jr., Gordon III, and one-month-old Gordon IV were there as well. The event closed with prayer led by Kirk’s pastor, Grant Abbott, who shares the same birthday as Gordon Kirk.

James L. Stroud, Jr. welcomes reader comments at jstroud@ spokesman-recorder.com.

disagreed and voiced his support for bringing SROs back to schools. “We’re creating environments that are unsustainable, and we can see how many students are unenrolling from St. Paul schools,” Giles said.

“I’m worried that Washington, Harding, Central won’t exist in the future. And the same thing will happen to Highland if we don’t make a big change. Because if you won’t send your kids there, or you’re con-

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1 (DFL-Minneapolis).

The focus of the event was on how the YWCA facilitates its mission, from child care and health services to youth programs and public policy work. This rally offered the YWCA representatives another opportunity to engage and inform the state legislature and community about all the services provided by the YWCA.

Shana Dukes, “Miss Minnesota Volunteer 2023,” spoke with the MSR alongside YWCA board member Kim Ford, about why she decided to show up for the day.

“Since I started my reign as Miss Minnesota Volunteer, I’ve been doing some work with the YWCA Minneapolis, and a little bit with YWCA St. Paul, to get

sidering withdrawing your kids, I guarantee you that other people are

free little libraries out to the early childhood center. So, I really thought this was a fun opportunity to come out and really see all the people at one time. We’re all moving towards this great mission all together.”

Ford, who was planning to meet with State Senator Scott Dibble later in the day, mentioned her excitement about the occasion. “This is my first time doing this, so I am just super excited to be part of it and learning the process and understanding how it works. And the energy that you feel is palpable. As individuals, we can actually help make change, and I think that’s fantastic.”

Former State Representative Jeff Hayden also spoke with the MSR about his involvement with the YWCA, and why he continues to work with the organization and lobby for important changes at the state level.

“When I was in the legislature, I carried [the YWCA’s] bills, especially the Minneapolis’ bill on

Currently, other non-police security options are being explored in St. Paul schools. Following the stabbing, Harding created a new position for an onsite ombudsperson. SPPS transferred an existing employee from its Office of Family Engagement and Community Partnerships, Albert Green, to fill the role. SPPS says Harding families are free to contact Green with any concerns at 651-592-5233.

“In this particular case, we have offered [an onsite ombudsperson] because we heard from the community that parents felt like they wanted someone right there at Harding,” Turner said. “This is a neutral party, not necessarily someone who

workforce development, which trains people who want to be in early childhood [education]. It gets them on a path to get their accreditation and, hopefully, their bachelor’s degree.

“So, I carried that bill for them.

I also carried their capital investment bills. When I got out of the legislature and decided to start lobbying for folks. They were the folks that called me.”

Asked how community members can get involved with pushing legislation, Hayden said, “I think that [community members should] call your legislators, make sure that they know that [YWCA bills and initiatives are] important to [the community].

“The YWCA Minneapolis is a Black woman-led organization

works on behalf of Harding, or works on behalf of the parent or student. They’re a neutral party that brings issues together and helps to try to get them resolved.

“The way that our families and parents have stepped up, as well as our staff, to prioritize the needs of Harding and prioritize the needs of students has been greatly appreciated, and it’s been recognized,” Turner said.

“We have had our eyes on Harding and the support around it for the past

of the YWCA. St. Paul is a Black woman-led organization,” said Hayden. “And so, not to say that others aren’t, but in particular if we’re really wanting to support our organizations, this is the time to do it.”

The MSR also spoke with CEO and President of the YWCA

several weeks, and things continuously improve each and every day.” Turner said incidents where SPPS has called police have trended down by over 50 percent in the past year— with 301 incidents between Sept. 2021 and March 2022, compared to 142 incidents in the same time frame for the 2022-23 school year. She said SPPS has received a federal grant to research what factors impact violence at community levels, especially in schools. SPPS will be conducting the research in partnership with several metro area institutions.

Cole Miska welcomes reader responses to cmiska@spokesmanrecorder.com.

we didn’t let that opportunity pass. This is the time that all the YWCAs, and all of these organizations that serve women and children and families, to really step up and be seen and be heard.”

YWCA Minneapolis Racial Justice and Public Policy Vice President Angela Myles explained to the MSR what policies the nonprofit is pushing for at the statehouse. “We have been part of a number of coalitions that are focused on all things related to our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women, including child care, girls, and youth programming.

Minneapolis Shelley Carthen Watson. Watson offered insight on the reason for the YWCA’s Day on the Hill: “Our mission is eliminating racism, empowering women, and there was a real need for effort on the statewide basis for legislation or policy changes that would allow us to do that.

“We have a chance to make some real change [this year]; we wanted to make sure that

“Also, [we are pushing bills on] infrastructure for our buildings,” Myles continued. “Our buildings have been mainstays in the community that we live in, and so we want to ensure that we have spaces for people to continue to come to and to stay open.”

When asked how community members can get involved, Myles and Watson noted several ways. Myles said, “There

are a number of opportunities. We have a volunteer hub where you can find out about any and all things that happen at the YWCA in Minneapolis, in particular. We have volunteers. We need volunteers. We cannot do any of this work on our own as employees.”

Watson added, “I tell people that whatever it is you like to do, we can use it. So, if you’re in human resources, we have a lot of parents in our early childhood operation who are looking to advance themselves, to find employment that’s more stable, that’s more sustainable or has more of a future.

“If you want to come review resumes, help people apply for jobs, do mock interviews. We do grants all the time when we’re trying to tell our stories to people. Whatever it is you like to do, we can find a place for you.”

Angela Rose Myers welcomes reader comments to amyers@ spokesman-recorder.com.

“They said he was beaten worse than Emmett Till.”

“We are all better for knowing ‘Gordy’ Kirk and better for knowing what he means to this community.”

“The energy that you feel is palpable. As individuals, we can actually help make change, and I think that’s fantastic.”

Protesters demand release of full bodycam footage outside Robbinsdale Police Department on March 9. Photo by Ray Seville

SPPS Chief of Operations and Administration Jackie Turner

“There is no quick fix.”

Women’s History Month

The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder celebrates Women’s History Month

Throughout the month of March, MSR has celebrated Women’s History Month by profiling some of the Black women leaders in the Twin Cities metro area. The final group of WHM leaders featured in this edition come from all walks of life, are accomplished in their respective fields, and have had an impact on our communities. Some of the names you may recognize, while others are less well-known. However, all are worthy of recognition and our tribute.

The Champion

s CEO of Northpoint Health and Wellness Center, Stella Whitney-West is committed to working to achieve more equitable health outcomes for all people.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, WhitneyWest was brought up by a father who valued education and emphasized high achievement. She initially earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and went on to conduct research for the food industry at the University of Minnesota, but she sought more hands-on work that would more directly benefit the community.

After returning to school for an MBA, Whitney-West worked as a community health specialist and director at the Minneapolis Urban League as well as other organizations. She has one daughter and has raised her nieces and nephews as her own.

Whitney-West is a champion for preparing and empowering the next generation of leaders. “I think when people see—particularly BIPOC communities, African American communities— when they see another African American woman who is working at the level that I’m working, I think it has a major impact on the community.

“I think they see that there’s someone that’s working on their behalf, there’s an advocate, there’s a door that opens for them,” she continued. “I think the defining moment for me was when I realized that people saw me as a leader, as someone who could actually have a major impact.”

Through a partnership between Hennepin County and NorthPoint’s community board of directors, which is made up of patients

and people who live and/or work in the community, the agency strives to improve the physical and socioeconomic health of North Minneapolis residents through an integrated model of health and human services.

Not surprising, given NorthPoint’s ambitious mission, Whitney-West’s journey as CEO has not been without its challenges. “I think my biggest challenge is my enthusiasm and passion and being able to know how to use my leverage in such a way that it doesn’t come off as threatening,” she continued.

Sometimes, when I’m passionate—which is most of the time about the work that I do—sometimes people misread it as threatening and aggressive.” She takes the role of developing community leadership and mentoring seriously, both professionally and personally.

“I would say my most impactful relationship as a mentor has been with my daughter,” Whitney-West said. “She’s the principal of Central High School, a job that was a dream job for her. Every morning we talk, and we talk about what’s going on in her career, what’s going on at her job.

“I’m always providing her with advice about being a leader. Being a principal is very similar to being a CEO—you are in charge. You’re in charge of providing guidance, inspiration and leadership for a lot of people. And the work that you do impacts a lot of people.”

As for the future, Whitney-West says she’s nearing the end of her career and looking to make the transition to new leadership at NorthPoint. Her goals, she said, are “helping NorthPoint and the community board define the next level of leadership. I’m at the stage

innesota’s Ruth Richardson, DFL state representative from Mendota Heights, has a lot on her plate.

In an hour-long span last Wednesday at the capitol, she went from the House floor session to making a brief appearance at her only committee assignment, the Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee, to recording in her office an episode of Sunday Civics. The Sunday morning radio and podcast show produced by three New York City-based Black women uses the current political landscape to teach civics. Then she met with three constituents.

“Not all work feels like work, especially when you’re doing things that you’re really passionate about,” said Richardson about how she balances all of her commitments. That said, she pivoted to a strategy meeting with Jeanne Stuart about one of her bills.

Rep. Richardson, who considers herself an accidental politician, was born in 1976 to parents who relocated from Mississippi about a decade prior. A descendant of enslaved people, sharecroppers, storytellers and a midwife, she was raised in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood. A graduate of Central High School, she says success is when everyone in Minnesota is assured the ability to not just survive but thrive.

Initially, she didn’t see herself as a politician until people kept asking her to become one because of her work in the community. “My path to public service, I really think, is an extension of the work that I have been doing within the community for decades,” said Richardson.

She started her career as a tour guide at the State Capitol in high school, became a lawyer

Resource Fair

and a lecturer, and subsequently became the executive director of Planned Parenthood North Central States in October 2022.

“The first time I was asked [to run for office], I just sort of dismissed it. And a week later I had another person who was unconnected to [the first] person ask if I had ever thought about it,” added Richardson, who ultimately decided to run. She was elected to the House in 2018 and is serving her third term.

In the words of her sister Linda shortly after Rep. Richardson appeared on “Good Morning America,” she is on fire. “[It] has been really important to bring new conversations to the legislature that were not happening before, [such as] being able to declare racism a public health crisis, and have that passed with bipartisan support; to creating a House Select Committee on Racial Justice and to work with community on developing 83 recommendations for ways that we can change things within the space,” reflected Richardson.

One of her biggest achievements has been to shed light on missing and murdered Black women and girls, who make up seven percent of Minnesota’s population but 40 percent of domestic violence survivors and are three times more likely to be murdered than White women.

She authored a bill that created the first taskforce in the nation to understand why and how Black women and girls are subjected to violence, and how to address it.

The taskforce published a report that recommended creating spaces for Black women and girls to thrive as well as to hire them and improve training for non-Black professionals

Stella Whitney-West

Photo by Steve Floyd Ruth Richardson

Photo by H. Jiahong Pan

I think the defining moment for me was when I realized that people saw me as a leader, as someone who could actually have a major impact.

- Stella Whitney-West

- Ruth Richardson

■ See Whitney-West on page 9 ■ See Richardson on page 9

Women’s History Month

istory and culture have always been central to the life and work of Coventry Royster Cowens, in particular the heritage of Africans, African Americans, and other indigenous peoples around the world.

When Cowens’ grandparents arrived in McLeod County at the turn of the 20th century, it was to provide their children access to a better life. They eventually relocated to Minneapolis, where they owned and operated a store near East 38th Street and 4th Avenue South.

The move also made it easier for their kids—including Coventry’s mother, who was born in the City of Lakes and graduated from Central High School— to pursue their dreams of higher education nearby at the University of Minnesota.

Cowens has always kept these same values and principles close to her heart, stating that family provides her the “solid foundation” that keeps her grounded in many areas of her life.

An alumna of Mankato State University, where she reveals she received an “eye-opening education,” Cowens spent many years working as a marketing consultant and sales rep. This includes time with some of the state’s computer industry giants like the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium and Control Data Corporation, as well as Huston-Tillotson University, an HBCU in Austin, Texas.

Nonetheless, Cowens explains that her most rewarding career experiences have always been in the “academic arena” such as her time working with students at the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center, her first job after graduating from college.

She always stayed close to the world of social and educational services, volunteering with the nonprofit organizations Friendship Ventures, LTL International Leadership Institute, and the Minneapolis Urban League. After completing the MBA Certificate Program at the University of St. Thomas, Cowens moved on from the corporate world, becoming the assistant director of multi-

The Historians

cultural and international programs and services at St. Catherine University.

This gave her the opportunity to travel, and after visiting a number of museums across the globe, the seed was planted to one day establish her own museum. “Presenting history in our own words, in our own narrative, is important for all to see. It shows how we value our beginnings and achievements in history,” said Cowens, “The desire to create a space that is by, for, and about African Americans—a place that allows us to see ourselves and our contributions throughout history—is vital to our development and continued growth not only here in Minnesota, but throughout the world.”

Cowens and Tina Burnside came together to cofound the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery in 2018, launching the MAAHMG’s inaugural exhibit “Unbreakable: Celebrating the Resilience of African Americans in Minnesota.”

Cowens said that a museum should serve as an oasis of discovery, an educational resource for current and future generations, which only motivates her to maintain a “focused determination” as she manages the MAAHMG.

Although many would differ, Cowens does not view herself as a leader. Instead, she just wants to make sure that the history, culture and legacy of African Americans and the African diaspora around the world is properly preserved and presented for all to see. And, as someone who moves about the museum daily, one of the things that always inspires her, that makes her know this is all working, is when she hears a visitor say, ‘I didn’t know that!’

To other young women looking to follow in her footsteps, Cowens, who in 1998 reached Uhuru Peak at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, encourages them to “follow your dreams no matter how tough the path. Like climbing a mountain, the route traverses, but it ascends toward those dreams.”

n the 2008 bestseller “Outliers: The Story of Success,” author and journalist Malcolm Gladwell famously writes, “No one—not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses—ever makes it alone.”

These words truly resonate with Tina Burnside, an author and former journalist herself, not to mention civil rights attorney, historian, playwright, and most recently cofounder, curator and development specialist for the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery (MAAHMG) in North Minneapolis.

“I’ve had various mentors at different stages in my life, and they have all contributed to my success,” explained Burnside. “There were always people along the way to give advice, guidance and support along my journey.”

continues on the side, working on “freelance articles, essays, plays, and even a book.”

It was around five years ago, while researching and writing about Black Minnesota history, that Burnside was introduced to Coventry Royster Cowens, something of a renaissance woman in her own right, who asked her if she would help establish a museum. And so, the MAAHMG was born. Burnside admits she knew absolutely nothing about operating a museum, but the potential she saw in this opportunity, coupled with Cowens’ vision, made it something she simply couldn’t pass up.

- Tina Burnside

Coming of age in Minneapolis’ Central neighborhood, this renaissance woman counts her parents—Bennie and Dana Burnside—as her earliest supporters. “They instilled in me a sense of confidence, always encouraging me in my various pursuits. Because of that I always felt that I could succeed at anything.”

Burnside fostered her passion for writing in high school, working for the school newspaper before matriculating to the University of Minnesota, where she earned her bachelor’s from the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication. However, after spending five years as a reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, she changed course and pursued a career in law, getting her Doctor of Jurisprudence at the University of Wisconsin.

For the past 26 years Burnside has been practicing law, and today she is back in her hometown where she litigates employment discrimination cases. Still, her predilection for writing has never waned, something that she

The Creative

ississippi-born, Minneapolis-raised actress, playwright, director and poet Sha Cage achieved success by insisting on marching to the beat of her own drum. When others insisted she choose just one form of art and stick to it, she resisted. That decision has led her to a profoundly fulfilling multi-hyphenate career.

“At first I felt some type of way,” she stated in a recent interview with Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, “but I was called to different genres and that ended up shaping me. I followed my heart and my passions. It’s hard for people to put me in a box, and I’m okay with that.”

A staple on the Minneapolis arts scene for over 20 years, Cage began her life in the arts writing poetry as a teen. Though she aspired to a life in acting and writing, she eventually majored in communications and economics and minored in theater at Macalester College.

“As a writer, I’ve always been inspired to tell stories that focus on issues such as race, gender and equity,” Burnside noted, “with the hope that people will be entertained, enlightened and motivated to make changes in themselves, their communities, and the world.” Now, in her role as co-founder and curator at the MAAHMG she is able to do the same, sharing “untold stories around Black history, art and culture,” while also empowering and giving voice to communities that have been historically “marginalized, ignored and excluded.”

When reflecting on her life and career to this point, Burnside doesn’t recall a defining moment that led her down the path she chose. Rather, it was the accumulation of different interests and experiences, unique individuals she encountered along the way, and timing that helped shape her world and what she does today.

When considering the impact mentors have had on her development, she relishes the chance to “pass the baton” that she was handed, yearning for them to take it further than “even they can possibly imagine.” To Burnside, that is a big part of how to define success. “As well as,” she mused, “living a joyful life.”

Profiles by contributing writer Tony Kiene

hardly any people of color in that program. I was trying to follow a realistic path.”

Eventually, Cage found a community of creators that inspired her to venture into acting. She joined a collective called Sisters in Struggle where she found her voice as an actress. “That’s where I understood I could do this.”

One role in particular stands out. “I did ‘For Colored Girls’ [Ntozake Shange’s ‘For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf’]. That tore me up. Ripped me wide open and put me back together. And I was like, wow! Theater is so raw and real.”

As a nation, and also in the Twin Cities, Black journalists, writers, directors and actors aren’t being cultivated.

- Sha Cage

Among her many credits, Cage directed “African School Girls” at the Jungle Theater and performed in “Hidden Heroes” about the Black women of NASA, as Tendi in “Familiar,” Lady Capulet in “Romeo and Juliet” at the Guthrie, and played the title character’s mother in the coming-ofage film “Jasmine Is A Star” by Minneapolis filmmaker Jo Rochelle.

“I thought I was going to own my own theater one day and they didn’t have a business major, so I chose economics. I thought, well, if I’m gonna have my own theater, I’m gonna need to be able to manage the administrative financial side,” she said.

Communications was also a practical choice. “I was intimidated by the ambiguity of what a theater artist was. Like, can I make money? Plus there were

As an actress, Cage is drawn to challenging roles. “I’m drawn to roles as an actor that are going to confuse me, frustrate me, make me have to work. Those most people run away from are the ones I run toward. If the journey was like running uphill, I know it’s just gonna make me a better artist.”

As a writer, her experience as a poet looms large. “I came to writing experimentally as a poet, a spoken

Coventry Royster Cowens

Sha Cage

Photo by Steve Floyd

Tina Burnside

Photo by Steve Floyd

As a writer, I’ve always been inspired to tell stories that focus on issues such as race, gender, and equity— with the hope that people will be entertained, enlightened and motivated to make changes in themselves, their communities, and the world.

- Coventry Royster Cowens

Preserving wildlife and a way of life

By Ben Jealous

For decades, hydroelectric dams on the lower Snake River have been killing off salmon that must traverse them to spawn, Southern Resident orcas that feed on salmon, and the cultures of tribal nations who consider the salmon their first food. Through an intersection of bipartisan interest that’s unusual these days and once-in-a-generation federal funding, we may finally have a chance to end the spiral toward extinction for all three.

Where millions of Chinook salmon would make the upstream journey from the Pacific to the Idaho habitat where they laid eggs before the dams were erected, in recent years that count has been in the thousands. The numbers are much worse for Coho and Sockeye salmon. Getting over the dams to the spawning grounds and back to the ocean has proven too much for fish who are able to travel a thousand miles to spawn. The orcas have less to eat as a result and there were only 73 left last year.

Not surprisingly, the dire situation exists in part because the dams were built ignoring the needs and the treaty rights of Indigenous people who consider the salmon sacred symbols of resilience and renewal. They have been fighting for the salmon with science and with litigation for years. Their treaties with the United States maintain their rights to fish in rivers of the Columbia Basin— a meaningless benefit if there are no fish to harvest.

These species are endangered; we’ve spent more than $18 billion unsuccessfully over the years to bring back salmon populations alone with the dams in place. As a tribal leader told me last month, “The government agencies are managing our extinction.” It’s a story that’s too familiar in so many communities that bear

publican Congressman who represents the eastern half of Idaho, unveiled a plan that includes breaching the four dams by removing the earthen berms that flank them to let the river run freely. He got a more favorable response from the Democratic governors in Washington and Oregon than from other Republicans in the Pacific Northwest.

Last year, Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Patty Murray (both Democrats from Washington) added their voices with their own joint report and recommendations around breaching. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also concluded that circumventing the dams must be “the centerpiece action” to restore salmon populations.

The new star in this political constellation is the Biden administration, who agreed to pause the long-running litigation to look specifically at recovering salmon in the Columbia Basin, removing the lower Snake River dams, and meeting the treaty rights responsibilities. This new look at options comes along with the historic infrastructure and inflation reduction packages that President Biden and Congress have approved since 2021.

the brunt of choices that destroy the climate and pollute the planet from the cancer alley in Louisiana to hurricane ravaged Puerto Rico.

Those fighting for the salmon, the orcas, and the people who rely on the fish spiritually and economically got a new champion two years ago when Mike Simpson, the Re-

Simpson points to them as the way to pay for his $33 billion plan. Replacing the electricity generated by the dams can be done with renewable generation. So is replacing jobs and revitalizing state economies through greener industries and tourism tied to the outdoors.

There’s a lot more work to be done, starting with the Biden administration joining Murray, Inslee and Simpson, making decisions that work for salmon, orca and Tribal Nations. Their proposals aren’t perfect, but they are a usable framework to get work moving to deal with the dams.

Years ago, Colin Powell told me it’s more important in a democracy to find the thing you can agree on with people who otherwise may be political opponents than the many things you disagree about. “Figure that out and you can get a lot done,” he told me.

submissions@spokesman-recorder.com

I see that playing out on the Snake River, and that can’t come a moment too soon for wildlife and native cultures at the verge of disappearing forever.

Ben Jealous is executive director of the Sierra Club. He is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and author of “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free,” published in January.

PERSPECTIVES FROM WITHIN

MN Corrections’ ombudsperson fails to serve inmates

By Courtney Bernard Clark

The track record of the ombudsperson for the Department of Corrections (DOC) is clear—it is not intended to fairly investigate and arbitrate inmate complaints in the prison system.

The Minnesota ombudsperson, Margaret Zadra, was appointed last September by Governor Tim Walz to help resolve problems between inmates and prison staff. The Office of Ombuds for Corrections has not been helpful to those who have been incarcerated, especially during COVID-19 outbreaks or investigations into policy violations.

When the violations occur, usually the office only talks with the warden or associate warden. For example, inmates housed in non-medical units that need medical beds because of illness or medical conditions are being denied this care. All it takes for the ombudsperson to hear is that “the inmate doesn’t qualify for a medical bed,” and no further investigation is done even when the inmate in question must

be elevated 30 degrees or has sleep apnea and requires a CPAP machine or has seizures and needs bed railings.

The DOC ombuds office has not stepped in for inmates with safety concerns, when inmates are brutalized, harassed, hospitalized, or even killed. I am not talking about inmates in county jails. These incidents take place in Minnesota state prisons.

stalled or stopped, and sometimes filings go missing. The ombuds office was recently contacted about disabled inmates and ADA violations, and they refused to investigate.

Those in prison have no hope of fair treatment, especially Black and Brown inmates. Rehabilitation is nonexistent for many in prison who have little to no support inside and outside the system.

Can the Department of Corrections become a place of rehabilitation that cares and treats inmates fairly and with respect, where there are reports of good work instead of staff assaults?

Concerns about the quality of the water in prison are ignored. Inmates are getting sick, developing thyroid disease and more. The wardens in these prison facilities are aware, but the ombudsperson will not get involved.

The grievance process is

The ombuds office needs to become a separate, truly independent, agency—a serious watchdog organization that will investigate policy and human rights violations—with enforcement capabilities. Hopefully, with your support things will change and people in prison will be treated like human beings.

Democracy vs Dictatorship

By Tom H. Hastings

Every advance in human rights, civil rights and voting rights has been tough. And those rights that have been gained have frequently been clawed back.

In 1776, the U.S. was a baby nation-state. It was very proud of itself for its radical new democracy—the first, it was claimed, since the ancient Greeks. Decision-making power was conferred to White men who owned property, except for Jews, Catholics and Quakers.

Sure, some states allowed Jewish, or Catholic or Quaker men with property the right to vote, but not all states. Black people, Native Americans, and women of course were not. Indeed, in the first election just six percent of adults in the new democracy were allowed to vote.

We are in the middle of the greatest threats to the U.S. democracy since World War II. Are we ready to engage, to protect our country?

When I say “our country” I mean the America we have painfully and gradually created over the past 247 years, a democracy that began small with major flaws, but which slowly matured into one with more robust aspects of true democ-

racy—one in which all citizens have significant rights.

Now come the Republicans, led by Trump, who have engaged in efforts to render the U.S. no more democratic than, say, Turkey under the autocratic Erdogan or Russia under Putin.

Democracy is when the people make the decisions. Dictatorship is when one strongman or a small group of generals make all decisions, and penalties for disobedience are swift and harsh with no due process.

and his allies did not.

In a free country, citizens understand that protest, resistance and disobedience are part of the contest, but violence never is.

Trump’s January 6 troops were killers, killing a few but hunting more they did not find. On January 6, 2021, it was like watching a “Lord of the Flies” mob clamor for their sacrificial victims—Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence, both by name. Grown bodies, adolescent emotions and brains, armed and raging.

And now that an African American prosecutor, Alvin Bragg, has the unmitigated temerity to actually threaten to enforce one of the many laws that Trump has broken with apparent immunity and impunity, Trump threatens “death and destruction.”

We are rapidly approaching an inflection point, a rise back to a stronger democracy or a descent into the dark dictatorship that Trump clearly aims to achieve. And so we either pay attention and stand up for freedom, the rule of law, and the slowly won democracy we have, or it will circle the drain imminently.

In a free country, citizens accept properly counted elections, the transfer of power from office holders to the winner of the new election. Trump

Dr. Tom H. Hastings is PeaceVoice senior editor and on occasion an expert witness for the defense of civil resisters in court.

As a tribal leader told me last month, “The government agencies are managing our extinction.”

Now that an African American prosecutor, Alvin Bragg, has the unmitigated temerity to actually threaten to enforce one of the many laws that Trump has broken with apparent immunity and impunity, Trump threatens “death and destruction.”

Courtney Bernard Clark writes from the Faribault Correctional Facility.

The following commentary was made possible through a partnership with Twin Cities Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee.

The grievance process is stalled or stopped, and sometimes filings go missing.

Continued from page 12

MSR: The Player Marketing Agreements (PMAs), first introduced in 2021, allow the W to pay select players for personal and league-specific marketing events during the offseason. How have the PMAs worked thus far?

Engelbert: Under our marketing agreements, part of our strategy is to get [players] to go back to the collegiate level and enhance their brand amongst that fan base. They’re building their personal brand. I think it’s been really great for these players. I think it offers them opportunities.

MSR: Since assuming office, you recruited five “WNBA Changemakers”— AT&T, Nike, Deloitte, Google and U.S. Bank, to help fund marketing, strategic collaboration, and diversity, equity and inclusion commitments.

Engelbert: Each of our changemakers brings something different, and I think… companies need to put their money where their mouth is as it relates to women’s sports.

MSR: But has it really moved the needle, all things considered, in regards to the WNBA?

Engelbert: We still run up against a lot of hurdles even though our viewership is at or above some men’s base. I’m really proud about that. The WNBA play-

RiChaRdson

Continued from page 6

who work with them.

The report also recommends improving coordination between agencies, creating a statewide missing persons database, and increasing access to temporary shelter and affordable housing. This session she has a bill, HF 55, which would create an office to implement and lobby for much of the task force’s recommendations.

She credits her success to Brian Pease, who works for the Minnesota Historical Society as the historic site manager for the Minnesota State Capitol, as well as Hope Jensen, director of pro-

ers have large followings in their communities because they’re socially conscious. We need an internal advocate [in the business world] pounding the table to put our dollars [toward women’s sports]. We need an advocate for women. That’s a big part of what we’re trying to do is make sure that the marketplace is recognizing the value of women’s sports in society.

MSR: The 2020 collective bargaining agreement (CBA), currently prohibits teams from chartering flights. But with Phoenix’s Brittney Griner now back in the States after almost a year in a Russian prison, have her security concerns forced the league and/or the Mercury to revisit the travel issue?

Engelbert: We’re obviously working with Phoenix around the unique situation that we have. We’ll continue to work with them and our players to be cognizant of how unique their situation is. It’s an important priority as we lean on our new security and operations experts to guide us. And I think everybody knows that it’s a new situation for this year.

MSR: Any final thoughts?

Engelbert: We are running on all cylinders. We’re sprinting to the finish line to get to the draft on April 10.

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

gram oversight at the Federal Transit Administration.

“[Jensen] really instilled in me the value of mentorship and the duty that you have for those coming behind you,” reflected Richardson, who also mentors a number of, in her words, amazing Black women and girls. She also credits her success to her siblings, who she remains close to, as they have regular Sunday dinners and a Soul Train line.

“I’m proud of the work that she’s doing and has done,” said her sister Linda, who accompanied Ruth to New York for her GMA appearance.

“And I am just beside myself.”

Next, Richardson wants to address those who experience serious pregnancyrelated health complications, considering they are often

Cheyney

Continued from page 12

her mentors when she was coming up. That was beautiful to see.”

The NCAA began sanctioning women’s basketball in 1981, and the Pennsylvania-based Cheyney reached the 1982 championship game before losing to champion Louisiana Tech. No HBCU basketball team, men or women, has finished in the title game since.

Unfortunately, Black colleges have all too often been double-digit seeds near the bottom of the bracket when they are selected for the NCAA tournament. There have been few exceptions over the years.

Cheyney had the No. 1, 2 and 3 seeds in 1983, 1982 and 1984 respectively; Jackson State was the seventh seed in 1982; Howard was eighth seed in that same year. Both Jackson State and South Carolina State were seeded eight in 1983.

Over four decades later, telling the Cheyney story is even more important, if anything for its historic significance that should be annually mentioned in NCAA tournament ads.

“I think that’s something that gets overlooked,” continued Adams. “The reason the Cheyney State story is so significant…is that for close to 40 years, only three [HBCU] schools have been able to win at least one game in March Madness WBB.” Cheyney’s all time NCAA record is 8-2.

An all-Black coaching staff led by Stringer, who would take two more schools— Iowa and Rutgers—to the Final Four, was the first coach in NCAA history to do so. She recruited two high school All-Americans (Laney

preventable. “We are doing a disservice to Minnesotans by not establishing a morbidity committee that would not only help you prevent serious complications from occurring, but also to prevent maternal mortality.” Richardson offers the following for those who may want to follow in her footsteps someday: “A very wise woman once told me if you walk in your purpose, you will collide with destiny,” offered

and Val Walker) among other prep stars who opted to play for a Black coach in college rather than attend a PWI.

Adams stressed that the 1982 Cheyney team wasn’t a Cinderella story as some might think. “These women in the 1981 tournament lost in the Sweet 16 of the AIAW. They didn’t just fall out and magically appear. [Cheyney] was a very strong program that was nationally ranked.”

Overlooked, yes. Forgotten, hardly. But Adams and many others want the Cheyney team’s accomplishments to be more formally recognized in women’s basketball history.

“Going as far back as 10 years ago,” recalled Adams, “I nominated the team for the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. [There’s been] very little communication as to where that nomination [stands].”

The 1982 Cheyney team is up for Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame consideration this year—an announcement is expected this weekend. If they are voted in, the entire all-Black team and all-Black coaching staff will enter that hallowed hall.

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

Richardson. “And I think that it’s important that people use their powers and their strength and their voices for the collective good.

“I would just remind people, when they tell you that you’re not qualified, or that you don’t belong, there are so many examples of people who have heard those things that have gone on to change the world.”

Profile by contributing writer

H. Jiahong Pan

Continued from page 12

to her mother’s battle with breast cancer for most of Coward’s childhood, was a voting rights advocate honored by the Democratic Party. The WBCA award “means a lot because I built Hoopfeed from the ground up,” said Coward. “I’ve taught myself a long time ago…the actual technical aspects of building it. A lot of the stuff that’s on the website I actu-

Cage

Continued from page 7

word artist.” she explained. “Breaking the form, playing with the breaks, the alliteration, those were things that excited me. Playing with vernacular, knowing my community members knew what I was talking about but others didn’t. So, I think as a writer that’s where I feel most cozy.”

Although literary powerhouses like Nikki Giovanni, Amiri Baraka, Sonja Sanchez and June Jordan were influences, perhaps the person who has influenced her most was legendary Minneapolis spoken word artist J. Otis Powell, who passed away in 2017. “He was one of our most precious elders,” said Cage. “He was a poet and an innovator.

“He was highly influential in the early days of slam and spoken word in the Twin Cities. He also created Write On! Radio at KFAI, which created a platform for our community. He was very well known for not taking crap from anybody. He always told it like it was.”

For Cage, what distinguishes the Minneapolis arts scene from others is the spirit of col-

WhitneyWest

Continued from page 6

now where I’m looking to retire. And I feel so strongly that part of my responsibility is to provide pathways and provide opportunities for that next level of leadership within this organization.

“The community, the people that I feel like I am serving and working for, continually inspire me. The staff here inspires me, my grandchildren and the next generation,” said WhitneyWest. “I’m constantly feeling that I’ve got to continue to

ally coded myself. “It’s about telling the stories,” said Coward. “I also want people to think more about the foundation of the history of the game, and the demographics of how we’re putting forward. We’re not showing the true face of who is actually playing, supporting and coaching women’s basketball from a grassroots level.”

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

laboration between local artists.

“When we come up with ideas, we often think about other artists that are not necessarily in our art form to collaborate with.”

Numerous examples of creatives from different artistic backgrounds coming together mark Cage’s life as an artist in Minneapolis. “It was always an intersection of different art forms playing together in the same space without any issues. That’s what was and still is exciting about the Twin Cities.”

The mother of two believes the latest diversity efforts in the arts still fall woefully short of what’s needed locally and nationally. “I hate to sound pessimistic, but I’m just gonna keep it real. I’m disappointed with where we are right now, as a nation and also in the Twin Cities,” she said.

“Black journalists, writers, directors and actors aren’t being cultivated, not those working in that space now nor those coming up. It’s made to look like there’s an abundance, but there is still a lack of funding and investment in us in a way that allows us to soar.”

Profile by contributing writer Nadine Matthews

do this work for them.”

As for those who want to follow in her footsteps: “I would say be true to yourself. It is not so important that you follow in my footsteps, but that you establish where you want to go, what makes you, you. What’s important to you,” she advised.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean that you are following in my footsteps, but that you have spent the time to really get to know what’s important to you, what makes you want to be a leader, contributor.”

Profile by contributing writer Niara Savage

Dawn Staley wearing a Cheyney State jersey while coaching

& Legals

to be taken, and to keep and have the exclusive control of the same, and to acquire a temporary easement in those cases which are herein particularly mentioned. With reference to Parcel 301D, there appears a mortgage executed by Ring True Partners, LLC, a Minnesota limited liability company, as mortgagors, to the AMPLIO Economic Development Corporation, and assigned to the United States of America Small Business Administration, mortgagee, and filed in the office of the County Recorder in Hennepin County, Minnesota, as follows: Dated Date Filed Document No. December 30, 2022 December 30, 2022 T-5993078 Further, it is the intention of the above-named Petitioner to move the court for an order transferring title and possession of the parcels herein described, prior to the filing of an award by the court appointed commissioners, pursuant to Minn. Stat. §117.042. The Petitioner reserves its right to recover costs of clean up and testing and all other damages arising from the presence of pollutants, contaminants, or hazardous materials on the property described herein, from all potential responsible parties, including respondents herein where appropriate, in a separate legal action to the extent permitted by law. III.

That the following described lands in these proceedings taken are situated in Hennepin County, Minnesota; that the names of all persons appearing of record or known to your Petitioner to be the owners of said lands or interested therein, including all whom your Petitioner has been able by investigation and inquiry to discover, together with the nature of the ownership of each, as nearly as can be ascertained, are as follows:

FEE ACQUISITION Parcel 231A C.S. 2785 (494=393)

Employment & Legals

days of the date you were served with this Summons, not counting the day of service. If you do not serve and file your Answer, the Court may give your spouse everything he or she is asking for in the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

PHONE: 612-827-4021

FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS

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

MARRIAGE DISSOLUTION

3 WEEK RUN TOTAL: $200 PREPAID

Please proof, respond with email confirmation to ads@spokesman-recorder.com

STATE OF MINNESOTA FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF HENNEPIN PROBATE/MENTAL HEALTH DIVISION

NOTICE OF INFORMAL PROBATE OF WILL AND APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

In Re: Estate of Irene H. Swanson, COURT FILE NO. 27-PA-PR-23-243 Decedent.

FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS

IF YOU VIOLATE ANY OF THESE PROVISIONS, YOU WILL BE SUBJECT TO SANCTIONS BY THE COURT. Dated: February 7, 2023 Tanya West 3951 Queen Ave N Minneapolis. MN 55412 612-388-8248 tanyawest1211@gmail.com Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder March 16,23,30, 2023

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

IT IS ORDERED AND NOTICE IS GIVEN that due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to Minnesota Supreme Court Order ADM20-8001 a hearing will be heard remotely on May 15, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. by this Court for the formal probate of an instrument purporting to be the Will of the Decedent, dated July 5, 2013, (“Will”), and for the appointment of Donald J. Swanson, whose address is 10507 Hidden Oaks Lane N, Champlin, MN 55316 as Personal Representative of the Estate of the Decedent in an UNSUPERVISED administration. Any objections to the petition must be filed with the Court prior to the hearing. If proper and if no objections are filed, the Personal Representative will be appointed with full power to administer the Estate including the power to collect all assets, to pay all legal debts, claims, taxes and expenses, to sell real and personal property, and to do all necessary acts for the Estate.

Please contact Accounting Dept @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM

RAMSEY COUNTY LEGAL NOTICES FLAT RATE: $100

Please proof, respond with email confirmation to ads@spokesman-recorder.com

If you wish to appear at the remote Zoom hearing, please contact the court by phone at (612) 348-6000 so that arrangements can be made for you to appear.

If you object to the relief sought, you must file a written objection with the court by 4:30 p.m. on May 12, 2023. Due to the pandemic, in person objections are not currently being accepted. Written objections not filed by the ordered date and time will not be considered. Written objections may be filed with the required filing fee one of three ways: 1) Mailed to Hennepin County District Court – Probate/Mental Health Division, 300 South Sixth Street – C4 Govt. Ctr., Minneapolis, MN 55487-0340;

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

Will the 1982 Cheyney team finally get due recognition?

By Charles Hallman Sports Columnist

he Women’s Final Four is this weekend in Dallas. A Final Four factual reminder: The first-ever NCAA runners-up was an HBCU.

The 1982 Cheyney State (now University) women’s basketball team’s historic story needs to be told. Last Saturday, CBS aired a documentary that featured the coach, C. Vivian Stringer, and her all-Black team. Earlier in February, ESPN ran an almost eight-minute piece on the team during its SportsCenter signature show. Both video documentary efforts are good, but they are

C. Vivian Stringer sitting in the middle Photos courtesy of Twitter

not nearly enough to fully tell the Cheyney story.

During an NCAA game, South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley sported a Cheyney replica jersey on the sidelines thanks to Kyle Adams, a school alum and Delaware State deputy athletic director.

“I reached out to an alum who makes a lot of apparel and merchandise based around our 1982 women’s team,” explained Adams in an exclusive

MSR interview. He reached out to a former player of his, who in turn got in touch with Staley.

“She responded and we mailed it out. I had no clue that she was going to be on television… I started screaming at the television, saying, ‘Look at her jersey.’” Staley wore No. 44, Yolanda Laney’s number—the player had no clue that the legendary coach would do this, said Adams. “She [Laney] was one of ■ See Cheyney on page 9

WNBA needs business advocates for women’s sports

An interview with Commissioner Cathy Engelbert

he Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) will begin its 26th season in May. For too many folks, the league is seen as the NBA “little sister” as the W constantly fights to be fully accepted as a major sports league.

Originally led by four presidents, including back-to-back Black women, the league named its first commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, in 2019. In our first extended Q&A, Engelbert recently talked to the MSR on several current issues. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

MSR: With the 2023 NCAA tournament coming to a close soon, is the three-week annual event a natural promotional platform for the WNBA?

Engelbert: When I came into the league, I felt like we didn’t do well enough with the NCAA. We’re doing much better now. We’ll have a big presence for this year’s Final Four in Dallas. We talked to ESPN about how it’s important

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (l) and MN Lynx Naphessa Collier Courtesy of Twitter

to talk about the players that we think will declare for the [April 10] draft. I think it’s important that we do a better job of cross-marketing with all the stakeholders, like the broadcast partners, to see how we can best cross-promote.

■ See View on page 9

Fab Five Photos - State Tournament action

eatured in this week’s Fab

Five Photos is state tournament basketball action from Williams Arena and the Target Center with metro powers St. Michael-Albertville, Hopkins and Benilde-St. Margaret’s (girls) and Park Center, Totino Grace, and DeLaSalle (boys).

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

All Photos by Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald

DeLaSalle

Benilde-St. Margaret’s guard Zahara Bishop, guarded by Keeley Steele

Park Center guard CJ O’hara guarded by Wayzata guard Drew Nepstad during the Class AAAA boys’ state basketball championship game Saturday, March 25 at Target Center. Wayzata won 75-71 in OT

Greenberg Media Awards recognize journalists who advance women’s basketball

wo veteran Black sports journalists— Cheryl Coward, founder of the Hoopfeed. com website, and Danny Davis, University of Texas beat writer at the Austin American-Statesman— are the recipients of the 2023 WBCA Mel Greenberg Media Awards. The award is named for Greenberg, the Philadelphia Inquirer sportswriter who founded the Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll.

Coward received the national Mel Greenberg award, which has been presented annually since 1991. Davis received the community award, which is presented to an individual who is a media ambassador for women’s and girls’ basketball on a local level. The award was first given in 2022, to a journalist in the area where the WBCA convention is held and in conjunction with the NCAA Women’s Final Four. This year, the Final Four and the convention take place in Dallas.

“It’s a delight to see Cheryl receive the national media award,” said Greenberg. “Back before many more women’s websites developed and beyond what we received from the Associated Press reports, Cheryl was our go-to as a one-woman newswire with Hoopfeed. She often fed us information far ahead of the news surfacing elsewhere.

“Danny is the principal writer at the Austin

American-Statesman covering the Texas Longhorns,” he continued. “The fact that several individuals in Austin, aware of this new award, offered Danny as a candidate speaks well of his service to the community and makes him a worthy recipient of the new community media award.” “The WBCA salutes them both for their contributions of time and talent to advance women’s basketball,” said Executive Director

Danielle Donehew.

Davis, a 2007 University of Montana grad, has worked at the American-Statesman for 16 years and covered Texas athletics for the past seven years, including women’s basketball for four years. “It is an honor to both be recognized alongside Cheryl and to have my name associated with Mel, Charles Hallman [the 2022 winner], and the national recipients who came before me,” noted Davis.

A longtime writer, Coward established Hoopfeed.com in 2007, and covers several aspects of the sport on the college, pro and Olympic level. She began her journalist career in Washington, D.C. and has held previous roles such as chief of research at the Village Voice. Her work has appeared in such publications as Black Enterprise, Essence and The Guardian.

A graduate of Smith College, the birthplace of women’s basketball, Coward also has written

“It’s about telling the stories.”

creative works including a novel, short stories and plays. She is the third Black female to receive the Greenberg Award (with LaChina Robinson in 2021 and Robin Roberts in 2001).

“I am honored to receive an award named after

Mel Greenberg, a living icon who welcomed me into the world of women’s basketball media with goodwill and generosity,” she said in a statement. Being a trailblazer is virtually natural for Coward, she recently told us. Her aunt Clara McLaughlin was the first Black woman to own a television station, a CBS affiliate. Her grandmother Arnetta Jackson, who raised her due

“For close to 40 years, only three HBCU schools have been able to win at least one game in March Madness WBB.”

“What we’re trying to do is make sure that the marketplace is recognizing the value of women’s sports in society.”

of Stewartville during the Class AAA girls state basketball championship game Saturday, March 18 at Williams Arena, Minneapolis. BSM won 66-60.

St. Michael-Albertville guard Tessa Johnson guarded by Hopkins guard Macaya Copeland during the Class AAAA girls’ state basketball championship game Saturday, March 18 at Williams Arena. SMA won 71-70.

Minnehaha Academy guard Jerome Williams guarded by Albany guard Zeke Austin during the Class AA boys’ state basketball championship game Saturday, March 25 at Target Center, Minneapolis. Albany won 72-65.

guard Nasir Whitlock double teamed by Taison Chatman (11) and Isaiah Johnson (4) during the Class AAA boys’ state basketball championship game Saturday, March 25 at Target Center. Totino Grace won 50-46.

Danny Davis Courtesy of Twitter Cheryl Coward Submitted photo