W. Harry Davis honored at 100th birthday remembrance

By Dominica AsberryLindquist

Contributing Writer

A remembrance ceremony for W. Harry Davis Sr. was held on Wednesday, April 12, at the Friendship Academy of the Arts, in celebration of what would have been his 100th birthday. Students gathered to hear W. Harry Davis Jr. give a presentation in honor of his late father, a pioneer in Minneapolis athletics, politics, and education, alongside the Hiawatha Foundation board members Judge Lajune Lange and John J. Henry.

“Today we honor a great civil rights leader,” Judge Lange told the MSR. “Mr. Davis won nine gold medals for the U.S. Olympic boxing team as a coach. He served on the Minneapolis School Board and chaired the Urban Coalition. He was a golfer at Hiawatha Golf Course and supporter of youth through Phyllis Wheatley Community Center.”

In 2002, Davis, Sr. published his autobiography, “Overcoming,” which won a Minnesota Book Award. The title of his book is fitting, considering the challenges he faced in achieving success, including suffering from polio as a child and being Minneapolis’ first Black mayoral candidate in 1971.

His son, Davis Jr., shared his own experience growing up in Minneapolis. He recalled his first Black teacher, Earl Bowman, famous Black athletes, and Minneapolis’ first African American and woman mayor, Sharon Sayles Belton. W. Harry Davis Sr. once served as a mentor to Belton. The importance of Black role models was part of the discussion by students, who participated in the ceremony.

After the presentation, John J. Henry gave a golf demonstration and held a small competition for students to practice putting with a golf club. The students proved to be quick learners and stormed the court for the winner, who received Davis Sr.’s second book, “Changemaker.”

“My father was committed all his life to serving youth, making young people the best citizens they could be, and the best they could be in education,” Davis said, following the event. “My father set a record by being a member of the Minneapolis School Board for 21 consecutive years from 1969 to 1990, because his philosophy was the more energy, direction, and mentorship we give our youth, who are future leaders of the country, the better they will be as leaders and take on the statesmanship that he taught them.

“The event at the Friendship Academy of the Arts was a classic example of adults taking the message to the young people of how valuable they are, how much we appreciate them, and to support them in any education, or athletic endeavor they take to make their lives better,” said Davis. “And our commitment to Hiawatha Golf Course, which is part of the community that my father and his uncles and other citizens played at, is another example of committing to the community, the value of a golf course and the value of the camaraderie to help our youth become better citizens,” he continued.

The Hiawatha Foundation was created, “to help tell the story of African Americans’ legacy and lived experiences at Hiawatha Golf Course,” ac- cording to its website. The course was a meeting place for civil rights trailblazers in Minneapolis from 1950-70. The Foundation is supporting the course’s designation on the National Historic Register, to commemorate the decades- long effort to bring equality of opportunity to every aspect of community life.

Dominica Asberry-Lindquist welcomes reader comments to dasberrylindquist@spokesmanrecorder.com.

Filed in District Court State of Minnesota

2/16/2023 9:47 AM

Plaintiff, vs. SUMMONS

Victor Pereira Neves, Defendant. THE STATE OF MINNESOTA TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANT:

1. YOU ARE BEING SUED. The Plaintiff has started a lawsuit against you. The Plaintiff’s Complaint against you is attached to this summons. Do not throw these papers away. They are official papers that affect your rights. You must respond to this lawsuit even though it may not yet be filed with the Court and there may be no court file number on this summons.

2. YOU MUST REPLY WITHIN 20 DAYS TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS. You must give or mail to the person who signed this summons a written response called an Answer within 21 days of the date on which you received this Summons. You must send a copy of your Answer to the person who signed this summons located at: 2700 Snelling Ave N, Suite 460, Roseville, MN 55113.

3. YOU MUST RESPOND TO EACH CLAIM. The Answer is your written response to the Plaintiff’s Complaint. In your Answer you must state whether you agree or disagree with each paragraph of the Complaint. If you believe the Plaintiff should not be given everything asked for in the Complaint, you must say so in your Answer.

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4. YOU WILL LOSE YOUR CASE IF YOU DO NOT SEND A WRITTEN RESPONSE TO THE COMPLAINT TO THE PERSON WHO SIGNED THIS SUMMONS. If you do not Answer within 20 days, you will lose this case. You will not get to tell your side of the story, and the Court may decide against you and award the Plaintiff everything asked for in the complaint. If you do not want to contest the claims stated in the complaint, you do not need to respond. A default judgment can then be entered against you for the relief requested in the complaint.

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Minnesota State University, Mankato is a member of the Minnesota State system. Minnesota State has established a strategic vision, Equity 2030, which aims to close the educational equity gaps across race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic location by the end of the decade at every Minnesota State college and university and to provide an opportunity for all Minnesotans to create a better future for themselves, for their families, and for their communities. The focus of the work includes: https://www.minnstate.edu/Equity2030/index.html.

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Equity 2030 seeks to bridge efforts occurring within divisions and institutions, creating an intentional statewide culture of equity-minded collaboration and resulting in equitable practice embedded throughout our institutions. The full Equity 2030 plan is linked here.

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5. LEGAL ASSISTANCE. You may wish to get legal help from a lawyer. If you do not have a lawyer, the Court Administrator may have information about places where you can get legal assistance. Even if you cannot get legal help, you must still provide a written Answer to protect your rights or you may lose the case.

6. ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION. The parties may agree to or be ordered to participate in an alternative dispute resolution process under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice. You must still send your written response to the Complaint even if you expect to use alternative means of resolving this dispute.

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Dated: October 31, 2022 By: /s/ Bradley D. Hauswirth Aaron W. Ferguson (#0387763) Bradley D. Hauswirth (#0219836) Benjamin M. Kline (#0399962) Attorneys for Plaintiff 2700 Snelling Ave. N., Suite 460 Roseville, MN 55113 (651) 493-0426 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder April 6 13 20, 2023