Read more about “The Devil You Knnow” on page 6.
THE VOICE OF BLACK MINNESOTA SINCE 1934
April 14 - 20, 2022
Vol. 88
T
wo hundred and thirty-two years, 116 justices, 108 White men, six women, two Black men, and one Latina woman later, the United States Supreme Court finally has an African American woman serving as an Associate Justice. Judge Ketanji Brown Jack-
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No. 37
Supreme Court Justice Jackson proclaims, ‘We’ve made it. All of us’ By Stacy M. Brown Contributing Writer
son earned confirmation with a 53-47 vote, breaking the glass ceiling after America’s first Black woman vice president, Kamala Harris, presided over the process to confirm her. “It has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States,” Jackson proclaimed a day ■ See JACKSON on page 5
(l-r) Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and VP Kamala Harris Courtesy of NNPA
Fate of historic Black golf course remains uncertain By Feven Gerezgiher Contributing Writer The future of the Hiawatha Golf Course is once again in flux as the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board failed to move forward with either the Board’s original plans or an alternative renovation concept by Black golf advocates at an April 6 meeting. The alternative concept was proposed by the Bronze Foundation, a South Minneapolis-based nonprofit promoting equitable access to golf. The organization says Hiawatha, a public facility, was one of the first courses in Minneapolis—and the U.S.—to welcome African Americans. Last year, parks officials proposed and voted down a master plan to improve water management by redesigning and reducing the golf course from 18 to nine holes. The site was once the location of a lake and connected wetland, according to the master plan. The lake was dredged and the wetlands
Stalemate pits Hiawatha’s cultural legacy against sustainable water management
Photo by Paige Elliott
filled in the 1920s, with the golf course opening in the 1920s. Today, the master plan calls such wetland redevelopment “impossible and irresponsible.” In 2014, heavy rains flood-
It’s the law: Schools must inform students, parents of college course options Recent study finds a majority not in compliance
By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) allows Minnesota public and charter school students grades 10-12 to take free college courses either online or on campus. Over 100,000 students have used it over the past three decades since the law was passed in 1985. A new report by People for PSEO released last month looked at 390 district and
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ing incomplete information: • 40% of school district websites are current and complying with state law. • 35 websites provided factually inaccurate information. • 72.5% of charter public schools are up-to-date, compared to 33% of public school districts. • 27 websites don’t provide any PSEO information. MDE offers school districts “suggested language” on PSEO that they essentially can cut and paste on their websites,
Director Zeke Jackson, who authored the report, said that incomplete or no PSEO information is a critical problem. He and other current and former PSEO students testified before the Minnesota Senate K-12 Education Policy Committee on March 23 in support of SF 4087, a bill co-authored by State Sen. Julia Coleman (R-Waconia). “This bill proposes to further enhance the PSEO statute by eliminating limits on post-secondary institutions providing
charter public schools that do not satisfy their statutory obligations.” Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) was listed among 175 websites with missing PSEO information, according to the report. St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS) was among the 153 school websites that was “correct and up to date.” The MSR examined the Minneapolis PSEO page and found its information up to date except for information that a student must have reasonable
ed the course for months, revealing that Minneapolis parks were pumping more than 240 gallons of groundwater into Lake Hiawatha to keep the site and the surrounding neighborhood dry.
o charges filed against N Mpls. police in Locke killing
Amir Locke
Photos by Tony Webster/Family of Amir Locke By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer
(l-r) Rani Mukherjee, Beatrice Handlin, Zeke Jackson, State Sen. Julia Coleman, Joe Nathan
charter websites and found that 60% are not following state law, which requires schools to provide “up-todate” PSEO information. Despite constant reminders by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), the report also noted that many schools are withholding vital PSEO information or provid-
including information that all PSEO courses are provided at no charge to students; that all courses must meet graduation requirements; and if a school district determines that a student is not on track to graduate, she/he may continue to participate in the PSEO program on a term-by-term basis. People for PSEO Executive
information to the high school students and parents through advertising and recruiting [and] requiring better reporting,” stated Coleman at the hearing. Among the report’s recommendations are that MDE “should review and apply appropriate enforcement mechanisms to district and
Photo by Charles Hallman access to their high school building, computers, and other technology resources during regular school hours; and that the PSEO student can stay in the program even if the district determines that they are not on-track to graduate. “MPS staff is currently analyzing our Post Secondary ■ See COLLEGE on page 5
This was in violation of its DNR permit allowing pumping of 36.5 million gallons for irrigation purposes only. With further flooding in 2019, and more heavy rainfall ■ See HIAWATHA on page 5
The decision not to charge a Minneapolis police officer in the February killing of Amir Locke has baffled, among others, his family and friends as well as many in the community. Locke, age 22, was fatally shot during an early morning botched raid at a downtown Minneapolis apartment where he was staying. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman jointly said last week that after an independent investigation, along with their respective offices, all concluded that there was not enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Minneapolis police officer Mark Hanneman violated the Minnesota use of force law. “I have to admit it was shocking,” said Bishop Richard Howell of Shiloh Temple International. His Northside church hosted Locke’s funeral. He told the MSR last week, “The community is still confused by what happened… that there was no crime committed by the police.” A video and a brief bodycam excerpt released by
the City after the shooting showed officers opening the door of the apartment where Locke was staying. Officers didn’t knock before entering but can be heard shouting “police” and “search warrant.” It also shows Locke stirring from underneath a blanket and holding a handgun just before Hanneman shoots him. Another angle shows Locke pointing the gun but not at anyone. Despite earlier reports, Locke was not a suspect and was not connected in any way with a St. Paul homicide case. Nor was he named in the “no-knock” search warrant. According to his family, Locke had no criminal record and had legally purchased a handgun because he feared for his safety as a food delivery driver. They stated they believed he was startled awake, grabbed his gun, and pointed it to the ground as he was trained to do. “We were upset when we saw it,” said Howell of the footage. Last week’s decision by Ellison and Freeman further strained community relations with police, especially among communities of color. Among many unanswered questions ■ See LOCKE on page 5