MN Spokesman-Recorder - May 9, 2024

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Are MN prisons receptive to inmate complaints? Activists question the internal grievance process

By H. Jiahong Pan

Contributing Writer

ast September, in the unforgiving summer heat, those incarcerated at Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater held a protest to demand clean water and air conditioning. Those whom the Department of Corrections (DOC) identified as leading the protest were charged with inciting a riot and unlawful assembly and sent to solitary confinement for six months. Activists believe the DOC is retaliating against them for speaking up. “These political prisoners are punished for standing up for their rights,”

said Marvina Haynes, founder and executive director of Minnesota Wrongfully Convicted Judicial Reform.

However, the Department of Corrections insists they are not retaliating against them.

“The DOC doesn’t restrict or punish individuals for their speech or raising concerns,” said DOC spokesperson Aaron Swanum in a statement, adding they are simply punishing them for doing something wrong—in this case, for protesting.

“For security and safety reasons, DOC does prohibit inciting unlawful assembly [and] protest.” Swanum added they have avenues of recourse, which activists and advocates

contend are ineffective.

DOC’s grievance process involves sending pieces of paper called “kites” through a “chain of command.” When an incarcerated person has a grievance, they are supposed to send a piece of paper, along with documented evidence, called “kites”, to those who oversee something they have a grievance about. “They have five business days to get back to you,” said Twin Cities Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee organizer David Boehnke.

If the overseer doesn’t believe anything is wrong, or if they don’t respond, the overseer is supposed to return the kite to the incarcerated person.

They then have to find the appropriate overseer of the overseer to send the kite to. “If they don’t get back to you, you can send it to the person above them. But you can only send it to the right person above them,” said Boehnke.

If their grievance isn’t resolved, incarcerated persons can escalate their complaints to the warden and the grievance appeal coordinator. If they were to exhaust the process or don’t believe it is working as it should, they can complain to the Ombuds for Corrections.

Data from the Ombuds for Corrections show they received 379 complaints about

U of M and pro-Palestinian protesters reach tentative agreement

By Abdi Mohamed Associate Editor

ro-Palestinian student protestors and University of Minnesota leadership agreed last Wednesday, leading to the days-long encampment ending.

The UMN Divest Coalition is a collective group of student organizations made up of local chapter organizations of Students for Justice in Palestine, Young Democratic Socialists of America, Students for a Democratic Society, and Students for Climate Justice. They want the university to take steps toward meeting a list of six demands before they will agree to dismantle the encampment on Northrop Mall.

Initially scheduled for a half hour, the discussions between student organizations and university administrators lasted roughly 90 minutes as they sorted out the details of the demands.

Students requested that the university divest from corporations such as Honeywell and General Dynamics for their ties to Israel, divest academically from Israeli universities, provide transparency about university investments,

make a statement in support of Palestinian students and Palestinians’ right to self-determination, and provide amnesty for previously arrested

protestors.

Interim University of Minnesota President Jeff Ettinger sent an email that evening to university faculty, staff and

students stating that students would be allowed to address the Board of Regents on May 10 to discuss divestment from certain universities. Ettinger

also stated that the university would make a good faith effort to disclose its holdings in public companies by May 7 and

■ See U OF M on page 7

Editor’s Note: The attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor in 1941 thrust America into World War II. And even though, on many fronts, African Americans were being denied opportunities to join the fight, many shared their views and expressed an embedded level of patriotism for a nation that consistently denied them rights as Americans. This article was published in the St. Paul Recorder on Dec. 12, 1941. egro citizens from all walks comment on Japan’s attack on United States

“In this world of doubt, confusion and gloom, there is no place for small prejudices and hate. We, as Americans, should stand together for democracy.” – Dorothy Scott, housewife and beautician, Minneapolis.

“This war with Japan and possible conflict with other Axis powers is a threat to our American democracy. The Negro, now as ever in a crisis, will

By Stacy M. Brown

bill introduced this month in the Alabama Legislature aims to revise the state’s holiday calendar by adding Juneteenth as a recognized state holiday. The proposed legislation, known as HB367, also proposes that state offices no longer close on Confederate President Jefferson Davis’s birthday, sparking debate among lawmakers and activists.

The bill seeks to amend Section 138 of the Code of Alabama 1975, which lists holidays resulting in state office closures. Under the existing law, state offices close on holidays such as Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s birthday, and Confederate Memo-

rial Day.

Alabama GOP Rep. Chris Sells of Greenville, the original author of the bill, proposed that government employees could decide whether to take off the first Monday in June for Confederate President Jefferson Davis’s birthday or Juneteenth on June 19. Sells asserted that this proposal does not add another holiday to the existing 13 state holidays, addressing concerns raised by some state legislators. The national average of state holidays is 17, four more than Alabama recognizes.

Alabama Democratic Rep. Chris England of Tuscaloosa argued against the proposal, stating that there are already three state holidays recognizing the Confederacy, making it unnecessary to give employees an

Workers in Alabama may have the choice between celebrating Juneteenth, a freedom holiday, or Jefferson Davis, the only president of the Confederacy who fought to maintain slavery.

in that state. This reportedly keeps alive a 31-year-old tradition that began in 1993. Beauvoir, the Biloxi museum and historic home of Jefferson Davis, which receives funding from the state, announced the proclamation in a Facebook post.

The Mississippi Free Press reported that Beauvoir is owned and operated by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. This neo-Confederate organization promotes the “Lost Cause” ideology, a revisionist history that whitewashes the Confederacy’s racist past and downplays the role of slavery in the Civil War. The Free Press noted that Beauvoir annually receives $100,000 from the State of Mississippi for development and maintenance.

By Declan Desmond

victim in Sunday morning’s deadly Minneapolis shooting has been identified as a career Twin Cities firefighter.

Joseph C. Johns, who was in his 40s, was struck by gunfire around 12:40 a.m. May 5 in a parking lot at 901 Cedar Ave. S. He was rushed to Hennepin Healthcare and ultimately pronounced dead there.

An earlier news release ■ See FIREFIGHTER on page 7

and Juneteenth.

Photo taken outside Faribault Prison by Niko Georgiades, courtesy of Unicorn Riot.

Several tents occupied Northrop Mall on Tuesday, April 30 in protest of the University of Minnesota’s financial and academic ties to Israel.

Photos by Abdi Mohamed

Fallen firefighter Joseph C. Johns

Photo courtesy X

Photo by Freepiks

Metro

Sister Spokesman’s ‘Tea, Treats, and Tops,’ is a sophisticated success

By Tony Kiene Staff Writer

Elegant is perhaps the perfect word to describe this past Saturday’s edition of Sister Spokesman, its final installment for a few months as the revered community event goes on hiatus until this September.

purse game, which this time around was decided by a tiebreaker. Host and MSR Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard then introduced the day’s participating vendors, beginning with Lynn Holman, founder and CEO of Pink Pearl Bliss Yoni Steam Spa, who was recently featured in MSR’s Black Busi-

Billed as “Tea, Treats, and Tops,” this 90th Anniversary Legacy High Tea welcomed another capacity crowd to NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center, where Sister Spokesman took over the fifth floor for the afternoon. Attendees were encouraged to dress for the occasion, sporting fabulous hats and gloves while also enjoying an assortment of gourmet teas, some lovely tea sandwiches, and other sweet treats.

Per tradition, the festivities kicked off with the popular

ness Spotlight. While taking a moment to speak to all Pink Pearl Bliss has to offer, Holman made it a point to thank Williams-Dillard and the MSR for hosting Sister Spokesman all these years and the indelible impact it has made in so many lives, a sentiment that was shared by the other vendors, which included ACER (African Career, Education, and Resources, Inc.), Batakali Fashions, and Unique Fashion and Accessories.

Another vendor, comedian Shondra L. Dickson, known

professionally as CHOCOLATTE, kept the audience in stitches, showcasing her standup talents as the day’s entertainment.

Kansas City. And she noted that this wasn’t even Newman’s first endeavor into the news world.

However, the highlight of the afternoon was WilliamsDillard’s presentation regarding the importance of the Black Press, during which she also mixed in some interesting historical trivia.

The highlight of the afternoon was Williams-Dillard’s presentation regarding the importance of the Black Press.

As the third-generation owner and publisher of the MSR, Williams-Dillard likewise chronicled the story of her grandfather, Cecil E. Newman, who founded the paper as a 17-year-old upon arriving in Minneapolis from his native

“My grandfather published his first newspaper in school, when he was only eight years old,” she went on to reveal, drawing gasps of wonder from the audience.

Among the many inspirational stories she told, Williams-Dillard also spoke to the special relationship that Newman maintained for many years with U.S. Senator and the 38th

and jailed in South Minneapolis, the mayor accompanied Newman to the jail to demand that they be released.

“At that time in history, this was a great risk for Humphrey to take,” explained WilliamsDillard. “It put him at odds

with his constituency, his own police force. But that is how highly he thought of Cecil E. Newman.”

“My grandfather created this

When reminiscing about where the MSR is today, along with all those who have believed in her, including both her husband and mother whom she’s lost in the last couple of years, Williams-Dillard began to tear up. This inspired someone in the audience to shout,

“Thank you, Tracey,” followed by a chorus of cheers.

“This room here is my support,” said Williams-Dillard before reminding everyone about MSR’s upcoming 90th Weekend Celebration, including the return of the Majestic Star Legacy Yacht Cruise, followed by the 90th Anniversary Gala at the Depot Minneapolis.

“I hope to see you all in August.” The event concluded on a series of additional high notes with the scratch game, a number of prize drawings, and the chance for the crowd to select the individual donning the day’s “best hat.”

Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties, specifically the Energy Conservation Department, is soliciting a Call for Electrical Contractors.

We are looking for Electrical Contractors to partner with us in weatherizing the homes of income-eligible clients in Ramsey, Washington, and Anoka counties.

Contractor will need to perform electrical repairs or upgrades such as knob and tube replacement, panel upgrades, GFCI outlet installations for water heaters, on/ off switches for bathroom exhaust fans, and other allowable and applicable measures.

Contractors must be fully licensed and insured. CAPRW encourages all minority/women-owned business enterprises to apply. The Call for Contractors will remain open to the public so long as work is needed.

Please call Seth Johnson at 651-444-5134 or email sjohnson@caprw.org.

Vice President of the United States, Hubert H. Humphrey, dating back to Humphrey’s tenure as the Mayor of Minneapolis in the 1940s.

It was Humphrey who famously credited her grandfather with “bringing him up to speed on the issue of Civil Rights.” And it was a noteworthy anecdote shared Saturday by Williams-Dillard that demonstrated just how deeply Humphrey respected her grandfather.

When two African American women were unjustly arrested

paper to support, serve, and uplift the Black Community,” she continued. And, as the second woman to lead the MSR, following her grandmother, Launa Q. Newman, WilliamsDillard reiterated that she will always do the same.

“As a weekly newspaper, we’re not in the business of breaking news,” she said. “Others strive to be fast and first.

Our focus is to be the most accurate... to give our community the opportunity to tell its stories—stories that might otherwise go untold.”

For more information on Sister Spokesman, which will return on September 7, 2024, go to @SisterSpokesman on Facebook.

For more details and how to buy tickets for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder’s 90th Anniversary Celebration on August 16 & 17, please visit spokesman-recorder.com/ lets-celebrate-90-years-ofimpact.

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

Sister Spokesman attendees

Shondra L. Dickson aka “Chocolatte”

Sister Spokesman attendees

Sister Spokesman attendees

Sister Spokesman attendees

Sister Spokesman attendees

Sister Spokesman attendees

Sister Spokesman attendees Photos by Charis Juhn

Dominique Pierre-Toussaint: A male voice for what’s primarily thought to be a female issue

By Tony Kiene Staff Writer

When Dominque PierreToussaint was given a chance to become an advocate for breast cancer awareness, he didn’t hesitate to jump in with both feet.

“Kris Newcomber and Pat Koppa from the Minnesota Breast Cancer Gaps Project approached me,” says PierreToussaint, “And they explained that they were looking for Black men to discuss breast cancer awareness and help address the disparities in mortality between Black and white women.”

According to the project, “Black women in Minnesota have a 41% higher mortality rate from breast cancer than white women.”

So, when considering his own family, where the women “fully cared” for everyone else, often at the expense of their own health and well-being, the answer for Pierre-Toussaint was easy. “They had me at hello!” Pierre-Toussaint helped recruit men for the project. Not only do those participating in Men’s Matters Too now speak to the women and girls in their lives on the importance of looking out for themselves— including mothers, daughters, sisters, and so on—but also engaging younger men to make sure that they are part of the fight to save the lives of the ones they love.

“As a former football player,” remarks Pierre-Toussaint, “I’m

reminded each year of how the NFL and NCAA spotlight this issue. All the players are wearing pink gloves, pink shoes, pink socks, etcetera.”

Nonetheless, he wonders how many athletes truly understand the initiative behind it and the effort required to make a real difference.

“Some of these athletes and their families are already suffering,” he observes, “affected in one way or another by breast cancer. This can impact any one of us. But we can help prevent this [and] reduce mortality. That’s where the real work comes in.”

Born in the borough of Brooklyn, Pierre-Toussaint, the child of Haitian immigrants, came of age on the streets of Far Rockaway, Queens, where both the performing arts and athletics were among his first loves. To his dismay, one of his teachers discouraged him from pursuing any sort of career in the arts.

Thus, Pierre-Toussaint focused on sports, becoming a star on both the gridiron and the wrestling mat. However, life in Far Rockaway was tough, and he was eventually sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Columbia, Maryland.

“It was kind of like a ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ situation,” he explains, “The streets of New York were a little hard. I literally had to fight my way out of there.”

At Howard High School just outside of Columbia, Pierre-

Toussaint continued to excel in both football and wrestling, but his love of art and music was rekindled when he befriended a classmate named Mariana Vieira.

“Don’t ever let anyone take that away from you,” Vieira told her new friend. “Keep that passion alive.”

For her part, Vieira went on to become better known as “Ladybug Mecca,” a member of the alternative hip hop trio Digable Planets, whose song “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like That)” topped both the Billboard Rap and Dance singles charts in 1993.

“Her success inspired me,” says Pierre-Toussaint, who also notes his new environment in suburban Maryland

through philanthropic and community-related initiatives, more often than not doing so anonymously. Throughout his own career, Pierre-Toussaint has taken all the tools and lessons he’s learned to give back and especially try to make a difference in the lives of youth. “We have to take our young people seriously. Build a relationship with them and vice versa. They are the future. Our leaders, the ones that will take care of all of us one day.”

In addition to coaching high school football and mentoring student athletes, supporting kids in music and the arts, Pierre-Toussaint has served in a number of roles with the Hopkins School District, in-

butions to the community over the years, Pierre-Toussaint organized the City of Hopkins’ first-ever Juneteenth celebration. And, although he prefers to stay in the background, his impact has garnered the attention of others, which is how the health initiative Men’s Matters Too was born.

Pierre-Toussaint has also recently partnered with Arena Football League (AFL) commissioner Lee Hutton and the Head Coach (and Golden Gopher legend) of the AFL’s Minnesota Myth, Rickey Foggie, to help connect the new franchise to the greater Twin Cities community.

helped open doors and reveal other opportunities.

“I experienced a different life in high school there. That’s where I learned resources. How to access resources, how to utilize resources. And the role that they play in community service and social responsibility.”

From there, Pierre-Toussaint matriculated to Dickinson State University (North Dakota) on an athletic scholarship, studying art education and community development before relocating to the Twin Cities ,where one of his earliest jobs was as part of the security detail for Prince.

Pierre-Toussaint learned a great deal during his stint at Paisley Park and took note of all the ways Prince gave back

“Black women in Minnesota have a 41% higher mortality rate from breast cancer than white women.”

cluding community engagement supervisor.

Today, he is the director of community relations for the Intercongregation Communities Association (ICA), which connects residents to food support, affordable housing, and employment opportunities.

Among his numerous contri-

And if Pierre-Toussaint weren’t already busy enough, he’s now launched his very own LLC, Soc13ty 101, a consulting firm designed to assist corporate, government and nonprofit entities “become more socially responsible by developing ethical and community-oriented policies and practices.”

“There is so much work to be done,” declares PierreToussaint, “so many relationships to build. That’s our currency, fostering relationships to make sure everyone in our community has the tools and resources they need to thrive.”

For more information about Dominique Pierre-Toussaint and Soc13ty_101, visit soc13.com.

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

Dominique Pierre-Toussaint

90th Anniversary Special Edition

JOIN THE 90TH CELEBRATION!

As the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder approaches its 90th anniversary, you’re invited to commemorate this historic milestone by donating $90 to celebrate 90 years of continuous publication.

Your generous contribution will support our legacy of dedicated community empowerment through journalism and ensure our vital work continues into the future.

As a “$90-for-90” contributor (non-business), your name will be prominently displayed in our print and digital editions until the week of Aug. 10 — the date of our founding in 1934.

Please consider this unique opportunity to stand collectively with the MSR, honoring 90 years of tradition and community service. For inquiries or to join as a “$90-for-90” supporter, call 612-827-4021, visit our website, or email admin@spokesman-recorder.com.

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By Binta Kanteh Contributing Writer

How lending circles can advance financial empowerment

Financial literacy, meaning one’s grasp of best practices in employing financial skills and tools to maintain healthy and stable personal finances, still elicits a feeling that financial savviness for some is inherently foreign.

There is a generations-old lending circle practice across the Black Diaspora that many have known about from a young age. We hear about it from mothers and aunties, and we may witness the savings practice when the groups come together at our houses. Eventually, many join circles outside their families or create their own lending circles.

Through witnessing and participating in these longstanding lending circle traditions, perhaps you know more than you think about the ingrained sense of responsibility and discipline with money.

Referred to as susu (or sousou) across various West African countries, Ayuuto or Hagbad in the Somali language, or “Padna Draw” in Jamaica—to name just a few translations— they all refer to an interest-free community lending structure that is practiced across many African, Caribbean, Asian and South American diasporas.

Lending circles can be composed of any number of people, usually between five and 10, though it can be more or less. The group establishes a set amount of money each individual will contribute, and the frequency is determined—

normally bi-weekly or monthly.

When it’s time for each group member to contribute their share, the funds are distributed to one individual through someone in the group who is designated as the group’s organizer and primary point of contact.

The order of who gets the funds and when is determined before the lending circle starts, sometimes determined by a random drawing of names, or the order can be based on the urgency of need. The recipient order can also be shaped by previous experience going through a lending circle, a small measure to ensure that newbies don’t run off after they get their share on month one and refuse to stay until they too have made all of their contributions.

Essentially, the money you

get from the lending circle is what you put in, so if the group is composed of 10 people and the contribution is monthly, each person will, at some point in the 10-month duration of the circle, receive $9,000 ($10,000 if you count your own ‘hand’). There is no getting more than what you put in.

As a business advisor for Lake Street Council and community engagement leader, Yusra Mohamud has personal experience participating in Ayuutos and the perspective that they can be a beneficial tool for those seeking to reach significant goals soon. “Regardless of how our economy grows, this is something within our community that will be around for a very long time.”

She learned about lending circles from her mother, who

introduced her to the concept. Mohamud joined her first Ayuuto in her early 20s.

“As younger individuals,” she said, “we [may] make poor financial decisions, and our parents know that, so this is a way for them to help us and also have ourselves involved so we still have independence while incorporating our culture and the support and trust of our families.”

Though “susu” is one of the more common translations of the lending circle concept throughout West Africa, several translations unique to ethnic groups also exist. “We call it Ajo,” Zainab Adesanya, Nigerian Minnesotan and Yoruba, stated.

“When we buy things out of impulse, we tend to overspend; however, when we

plan, we have a better chance of achieving that without feeling like we’ve stretched ourselves too thin.”

Adesanya finds that Ajos helps foster discipline and patience. She is actively passing these values on to her children by teaching her young twin girls how to save and spend their allowance money.

Asked what she thinks the utilization of Ajos might indicate about the economic state of the Twin Cities for Black Minnesotans, she replied, “I don’t think it says anything about where you are currently residing per se. I think it says a lot about you as an individual— that you are using this [savings model] to achieve a goal, committed to this payment system for some time, and make wise decisions once you get what you’ve saved.”

“Regardless of how our economy grows, this is something within our community that will be around for a very long time.”

Fartun Elmi, a current psychology graduate student of Somali origin, noted an essential interfaith aspect of lending circles. “For people whose faith practice discourages long-term debt and the use of interest in personal finances, this saving model could work for them because it’s a way to pay something off without [incurring] interest,” she said.

One of the appreciations that Elmi has for lending circles is that “It teaches you delayed gratification. For our previous generations, they used this structure for short-term and long-term goals.”

Asked what advice an elder from her family would give those interested in joining an Ayuuto, Elmi guessed they would remark, “Don’t go into it with just anyone. You have to have a deep relationship with at least a few group members who can vouch for the [reliability] of other participants.”

In the same vein, though she generally encourages utilizing Ayuutos to save money, Mohamud also said, “If you are deciding to join a lending circle, look for red flags and exercise caution. Don’t join via social media or with people you don’t know well. Be careful using links, online money services, and people asking you to participate virtually.”

This lending circle is a savings system that enables one to strive to achieve significant milestones, such as paying for higher education a semester or two ahead, getting out of debt, or starting a business. The susu, the Ayuuto, or Ajo could be a rewarding strategy to add to the quality of your personal finance landscape. But remember that this is not financial advice; it is a consideration for your financial literacy toolbox.

Happy saving!

Binta Kanteh welcomes reader comments at bkanteh13@ gmail.com

Celebrating Small Business Month

The women of Kweigbein Farmers Association, located in Bensonville, Liberia, meet after a nine month savings cycle to divide the shares of the savings and loan group. USAID Food and Enterprise Development Program for Liberia (FED) / Nico Parkinson

DOC facilities last year. Of these, 78 were related to medical care, 42 to discipline, 35 to harassment by staff, 20 to conditions in the facilities, and four to water quality.

The ombuds report did not disaggregate the complaints by facility, and the MSR is unable to independently analyze

the data because, under state law, the only data associated with a complaint that the state is allowed to release is the name of the person filing the complaint and the facility related to the complaint. Even with the complaints filed, activists say the ombuds can’t do anything besides making recommendations. “The ombuds can say you’re breaking policies, and the DOC says, ‘Thank you.’ That’s all they can do. They don’t have any en-

forcement power,” said Boehnke. The legislature does not appear to intend making changes to the ombuds this session.

Though DOC did not address the destruction of kites, it may implement technology

plain. Since 2017, DOC has been trying to secure tablets for the people it incarcerates.

the tablets’ features includes “ease of access to staff communications and processes.”

share details of those investments over 10 days.

Once the encampment cleared, the university reopened 13 closed buildings near Northrop Mall. As part of the agreement, the coalition has agreed not to disrupt finals and commencement ceremonies as the university works to meet their demands.

Ettinger regretted that the university hadn’t met with the coalition earlier but praised the progress made in their conversation.

“While there is more work to do, and conversations are still planned with other student groups affected by the painful situation in Palestine, I am heartened by today’s progress,” he said. “It grew out of a desire among those involved to reach a shared understanding. While we do not condone tactics outside our policies, we appreciate student leaders’ willingness to engage in dialogue. I value the challenging and healthy conversations we’ve had.”

After conversing with the university’s president, the Divest UMN Coalition also released a statement online.

“While we take these concessions as a win for the movement as a whole, we know that the fight for divestment is not over and are committed

join hands with all other true Americans and ‘rally around Old Glory’ to do all they can to save the democracy which their an-

bill has faced criticism from activists and community leaders. Tuscaloosa County NAACP President Lisa Young expressed concerns over honoring Jefferson Davis, citing his legacy. “Confederate President

indicated there was an exchange

Eden Prairie also released a statement, saying Johns was a “valued and important member of the EPFD family and will be greatly missed by all who knew him”: Eden Prairie city officials confirmed to FOX 9 that Johns was killed in Sunday morning’s shooting.

Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to submit an anonymous tip to CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222TIPS (8477) or www.CrimeStoppersMN.org.

Declan Desmond writes for Bring Me The News.

Meanwhile, activists say the grievance process is ineffective because the overseers destroy the kites. “It’s a piece of paper, which means that if it’s ignored or destroyed, you no longer have it. You’re supposed to send the grievance to the next person. But if it’s destroyed, you don’t have it,” said Boehnke.

When an incarcerated person has a grievance, they are supposed to send a piece of paper, along with documented evidence, called “kites.”

in the future to make it easier for those incarcerated to com-

to continue fighting for divestment from apartheid Israel until it is won and Palestine is free,” they said on Instagram.

The U of MN Twin Cities is just one of dozens of university campuses across the country where students have taken to demonstrate against the rising number of civilian deaths in Gaza.

Over 2,100 people have been arrested across the country at pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses. Police in riot gear have been dispatched to institutions such as Columbia University and the University of California Los An-

cestors have unselfishly fought for before. This one-tenth of America’s population has always been patriotic to the core.” – Thomas Johnson, Minneapolis Graduate student, University of Minn., Minneapolis.

geles, where several students have gotten injured during clashes with counter-protestors.

The death toll out of Gaza since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel has reached over 34,000 people, the majority of whom were women and children. The United Nations humanitarian agency warned that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were at risk of death if Israel continued its military assault on southern Gaza.

Several individuals at a rally on Northrop Mall last week shared their thoughts on the current crisis and the universi-

“I am sorry that America, also must bleed, but I trust that she will be the better therefore, as this will be an opportunity to replenish the blood with true brotherly love and altruism which has been so sadly lacking in both the high and low places.” – Dr. W.D. Brown, Mayor of Bronzeville.

Jefferson Davis left a legacy of racist comments and outward support of slavery, making many feel a holiday in his honor is inappropriate,” said Young. “One of Davis’s most infamous comments is ‘[We recognize the negro as] our inferior, fitted expressly for servitude.’ We clearly know in 2024 that African Americans have contributed greatly to the growth of the Unit-

ty’s handling of the protest before dismantling the encampment. Some individuals opted to have their names altered so as not to risk consequences for their statements.

Dr. Galadhon, a member of the university faculty who supported the encampment, expressed disappointment in the university having not taken action against Israel sooner.

“How can anyone who actually pays attention watching these kids being slaughtered for six months not step up and say, ‘It’s messed up and we gotta do something’”? he

“As a young Negro of America, I realize our democracy is not perfect, but we are going to stand idly by and let Japan and other nations destroy the gains we have made. A state of war exists, and we are ready to go protect what others have already gained for our democratic freedom.’ – J. Everett Harris,

“Confederate President Jefferson Davis left a legacy of racist comments and outward support of slavery, making many feel a

in his honor is inappropriate.”

According to a DOC webpage published in July 2021, one of

questioned. “The role of a university is to be a place of open discourse and learning.”

Dr. Galadhon stated that he would like transparency as to where tuition dollars are being spent and that no money should be allocated to weapons manufacturers.

Several people only used their first names when speaking with the MSR. Abdi, a young man from Bloomington, heard about the campus protest through social media.

“I saw the Columbia protest, the different other protests throughout the country…and I decided to show today,” he said.

Abdi saw the rising student protests across the country as reminiscent of the large-scale protests following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and believed he had to take part to show solidarity

“The role of a university is to be a place of open discourse and learning.”

with Palestinians in Gaza.

“The DOC continues work on providing a system which provides access to all the incarcerated population. Updates will be provided to the population when additional information is available,” said Swanum of the tablets.

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

Mary, a sophomore at the university, has two friends who were a part of the encampment. She was disappointed in the idea that students were expected to keep quiet and not speak out about the death toll out of Gaza.

515 Bryant Ave. N., Minneapolis

“We as a racial minority should put our full-hearted support back of the U.S. in subduing our common enemy.

“It’s crazy that we’re in 2024, and a genocide is happening,” she said. “I think it’s important for us as students and people who have the privilege to be here and to sit here, and we have a duty to speak out about it and fight for their freedom.”

The University of Minnesota has a storied history of campus protests. There were several protests on campus throughout the Vietnam War as thousands of students and community members descended onto the university. In the spring of 1970, thousands of students, faculty and staff went on strike to protest President Richard Nixon’s expansion of the war. In 1969, 70 Black students demonstrated at Morrill Hall, the university’s administrative building, holding the space for 24 hours to demand the hiring of Black faculty and staff and the inclusion of courses that were reflective of their lives. This protest led to the creation of the university’s African American and African Studies Department.

Along with the University of Minnesota, Rutgers University, Brown University, and Northwestern University have recently announced agreements with student protestors to explore paths to divesting financial and academic ties to Israel.

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

This is the time, place, and opportunity for us to submit our services for the common cause. We have abilities and techniques that are of immense value to the immediate defense of the nation, and it is part of our patriotic duty to demand that our rights be respected so that we, too, may effectively combat the forces of evil opposing us. – O.C. Hall, Jr., University student, St. Paul.

ed States and civilization across the world. So, we know that’s a falsehood. And we don’t want to celebrate anybody who held those beliefs.” Young described Juneteenth as a learning holiday for the entire state. “Juneteenth represents the day the last slaves in the country learned of their freedom,” she said. “We do better when we know better.”

If passed, the proposed legislation will add Juneteenth to the list of recognized holidays in Alabama and introduce Mrs. Rosa L. Parks Day, set for the first day of December each year. If the Alabama Legislature approves, the bill will take effect on October 1, 2024.

Stacy M. Brown is the national correspondent for the NNPA.

Students engage in call-and-response chants on the Northrop Mall in protest of the University of Minnesota’s ties to Israel.

Arts & Culture

Inda Craig-Galván’s ‘A Jumping-Off Point’ explores the question of who gets to tell Black stories

By Abdi Mohamed Associate Editor

Chicago native Inda CraigGalván came up in the world of improv theater, eventually finding her place at the historic Second City where she developed her love for sketch comedy.

As a playwright, CraigGalván often felt that her writing would conflict with her instincts. She pushed herself to write more serious plays while pursuing her graduate degree in dramatic writing from the University of Southern California, but learned that she worked well in embracing her full artistic expression.

“They didn’t work because I was compartmentalizing that other part of my experience,” she said. “Instead of embracing it and using it in my second year in my graduate program I decided I’m going to try to use some of the things that we use in sketch in my plays and so now that’s sort of what I do.”

Much of Craig-Galván’s work imagines characters who look like her in different scenarios throughout life. Her recent play, “A Jumping-Off Point,” follows that tradition of her work as she imagined the life of Leslie Wallace, a promising Black writer, who navigates the cutthroat industry of Hollywood when she eventually lands her first deal with HBO. But just as Wallace finds a bit of success, a former classmate shows up and lever-

ages allegations of plagiarism against her.

Craig-Galván wrote the first draft of the play in 2017 during the last year of her graduate program, before her career as a television writer.

Shá Cage and stars Vinecia Coleman who plays Leslie Wallace, Ashanti Sakina Ford who plays Leslie’s best friend Mariam Forest, and Gabriel Murphy who plays Andrew Littlefield.

more Black theater here and when there is an opportunity, I want to jump on it.”

Ford was pushed to work on the show when she saw the other cast members involved. Although this would

said in reference to Coleman.

“Vinecia and I have worked together on a different show and I just love those. The vibe of just being kind of like that straight man, comic man, character set.”

Eventually, Craig-Galván put the project to the side until she got an email from the Bay Area Playwrights Festival to develop it.

It was after this opportunity that she got in touch with Christina Baldwin, the artistic director of the Jungle Theater, who expressed interest in the play.

“A Jumping-Off Point” had a near simultaneous premiere as it held its world premiere at the Round House Theatre in Bethesda, Md. just 10 days before the premiere in Minneapolis.

The Jungle Theater production of the play is directed by

Craig-Galván was in contact with Cage as she sat in on the rehearsal process of the Bethesda production, sharing her notes and changes to keep both shows consistent to one another.

Cage, who is both an actor and director based in the Twin Cities, enjoyed the questions evoked from the play. She enjoyed having the opportunity to tell a story that captured Black life on stage.

“I like the play and I like the complexity of what is this going to mean for our audiences? And it just kind of worked,” she said. “I wish there was

be her first time working at the Jungle Theater, Ford had worked alongside Cage and Coleman in the past.

“It

feels

like

this character

was written for a Black woman to do and that’s exciting because that’s rare.”

“I

Coleman appreciated the chance to work on a new play and the opportunities that it brought as an actor.

“I love new plays,” she said.

“They’re just the best. It’s fun when it’s not already put together. You get to come in and put your own print on it. The thing that I bring to the table is me.”

For Cage and the cast, the opportunity to tell a contemporary story and tackle a new play gave them the comfort to have creative latitude.

“It feels like this character was written for a Black woman to do and that’s excit-

ing because that’s rare,” Coleman said. “And a Black woman who lives in 2024, not one who lives in 1964. I love those plays too. No shade. It feels nice to do something that fits in my life that I truly have a reference for.”

Murphy echoed the shared sentiment of working on a new play.

“There’s this great freedom to kind of figure out when it’s new and you don’t have other references in your head that it’s like, okay, well what’s my way into this?” he said.

“There’s also great pressure with that too. You don’t want to get it wrong.”

Cage shared that she envisions that the play will develop through closing night and continue to resonate with the team and the audience with each performance. She also shared that through a collaborative process with the cast, she believes that the show reaches its full potential.

“The best way to get the best product [and] performance is to let us all really be invited to the table to talk it through, work it through, shout it through, debate it through, figure it out, question, answer, and leave some things unresolved,” she said. “I think that’s what makes theater special, is that living and breathing organism.”

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

Gen Zers and millennials are still big fans of books— even if they don’t call themselves ‘readers’

By Kathi Inman Berens and Rachel Noorda

Identifying with an activity is different from actually doing it. For example, 49% of Americans play video games, but only 10% identify as gamers.

According to a recent survey we conducted, there’s also a small gap between reading activity and identity for younger readers: 61% of Generation Z and millennials have read a print book, e-book or audiobook in the past 12 months, but only 57% identify as readers.

And yet there was a puzzling aspect of our results: The 43% of Gen Z and millennials who didn’t identify as readers actually said they read more print books per month than Gen Z and millennials overall. In other words, young people who don’t identify as readers are reading books at a higher rate than their generational cohorts as a whole.

Our best guess is that “reader” is an identity, not a behavior. And that identity is buttressed by involvement in book clubs, engagement with social media communities such as Booktok and Bookstagram, and access to libraries and bookstores.

Identities of reader, writer and fan seem to reinforce each other. Millennials and members of Gen Z who identify as readers are also more likely to be writers and participate in fandom.

Community is key to all of these identities. For example, two of the top reasons millennials and members of Gen Z identify as fans are the fact that they’re “part of a fan community” and are able to

“meet others like me.”

Every August, the Edinburgh Book International Book Festival in Scotland— the largest book festival in the world—puts on an entire month of events around books, authors and readers. During the 2023 event, which we attended, you could see attendees clamoring to see writers like Alice Oseman, author of the bestselling “Heartstopper” graphic novels. We heard fans waiting in that line talking about how Oseman’s series featured the first queer characters they’d encountered in a book. Readers came to the festival with friends and family, and made new friends and connections at the event. The passion was palpable. But does a graphic novel

like “Heartstopper” even count as “real” reading?

If the National Endowment for the Arts definitions from the early 2000s are to be believed, then no—unless it’s reading literature for leisure, it must not be “real” reading.

And some millennials and members of Gen Z may believe that the reading they are doing isn’t real reading. But a narrow definition of what counts as reading ignores the love Gen Zers and millennials have for content such as graphic novels, manga and comics.

In our study, 59% said they would prefer a graphic version of a story over text-only. And let’s not forget audiobooks, which 34% of Gen Zers and millennials prefer over text-on-

ly. Millennials and members of Gen Z are also reading nonfiction or reading for school and work, rather than pleasure.

In a separate study from 2020, we found that 83% of American readers read books for reasons other than entertainment, such as school, work or self-improvement.

Millennials and members of Gen Z who identify as readers are also more likely to be writers and participate in fandom.

More Gen Z and millennial women identify as readers, so there could be gender differences at play: Perhaps young

men, no matter how much they read, are hesitant to closely identify with an activity they see as the purview of women.

Socioeconomic status may also factor into whether someone feels they can claim a readerly identity. Gen Zers and millennials who didn’t identify as readers were less likely to have a job in the past 12 months and earned less money.

So it turns out that identifying as a reader is often about community, wealth and gender—and what counts as reading—than it is about how much someone actually reads.

Perhaps there can be an effort to broaden the definition of “reading”—yes, audiobooks and comics count—and to build bookish communities beyond places such as Book-

stagram and BookTok.

And being a reader can be more than loving classic literature, though certain social media trends, such as “Reading Like Rory”—a BookTok phenomenon centered on the literary classics read by Rory Gilmore of “Gilmore Girls”— amounted to just that.

If young people were to see being a reader as simply enjoying and engaging with stories, how many of them would start to call themselves readers after all?

Kathi Inman Berens is an associate professor of book publishing and digital humanities at Portland State University. Rachel Noorda is an associate professor of publishing, Portland State University.

love being a comedic person against this person,” she

The cast from “A Jumping-Off Point” together on stage during a scene in their show (l-r) Gabriel Murphy, Vinecia Coleman, Ashawnti Sakina Ford. Photo by Lauren B. Photography

More Gen Z and millennial women identify as readers, so there could be gender differences at play. Photo by Vlada Karpovich

Opinion

What college protests say about America

Donald Trump’s and Republicans’ selective outrage exposes their hypocrisy about ‘law and order’

By Keith Boykin

The past two weeks of campus protests have exposed the hypocrisy of Republicans who claim to stand for “law and order” and free speech.

As NYPD officers converged onto Hamilton Hall at Columbia University Tuesday night, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called into Fox News and complained that police should have acted “a lot sooner.” The protesters had done “tremendous damage” to a New York City “landmark,” he told Fox News anchor Sean Hannity.

This from the man who sat in the White House watching TV and doing nothing for 187 minutes when the nation’s most important landmark, the U.S. Capitol, came under attack on January 6, 2021.

When it comes to “law and order,” Trump and the Republicans believe that laws should only apply to certain people. We saw this with Trump’s contradictory responses to two defining news events in his final year in office.

When racial justice protests erupted in the summer of 2020 after George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis, Trump’s response was forceful, condemning Black Lives Matter activists as “hoodlums.”

“They’re bad people. They don’t love our country. And they’re not taking down our monuments,” he objected.

But when the January 6 insurrectionists attacked the nation’s most sacred monument, Trump waited more than three hours before he reluctantly recorded a video message to the violent mob who tried to stop

our democracy. “We love you. You’re very special,” Trump told the attackers. “I know how you feel.”

He was not alone. A year after the January 6th failed coup attempt, the Republican National Committee adopted a resolution calling the attack “legitimate political discourse.”

The GOP goal is to exploit campus conflict to drive a larger agenda against higher education. The occupation of a building outside Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus comes a day after the police raided both Columbia University and City College arresting dozens and closing down encampments in support of Palestine.

The GOP goal is to exploit campus conflict to drive a larger agenda against higher education.

It’s hard to argue for law and order while you’re justifying an attack on Capitol police officers and defending a man who runs a company that was convicted of criminal tax fraud two years ago and is currently on trial, facing 88 charges in four criminal indictments.

The selective outrage from Republicans also exposes their hypocrisy about antisemitism. When torch-bearing Nazis marched through the college town of Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 chanting “Jews will not replace us,” Trump claimed there were “very fine people on both sides.” When 11 people were shot and killed at the Tree of Life

Brooklyn Park council member says, ‘Censuring me won’t make me go away’

By Boyd Morson

On Monday, April 15, Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies J. Winston and four of my colleagues at the city council passed a resolution to censure me. By doing so, they hope that I will go away. I won’t.

The mayor, some members of the city council, and the city manager have tried to paint me as an out-of-control, condescending and disrespectful council member. They will never succeed because the people who elected me know who I really am.

sure me, hoping that they can silence me.

What is really going on in Brooklyn Park is that there is a small clique of leaders who want to protect the status quo in a city that has changed drastically in the last few decades.

Brooklyn Park is no longer a majority-white city. The latest U.S. Census data shows that more than 60% of residents in the city are non-white.

dition to trying to curtail my constitutional First Amendment right to free speech, the resolution bars me from using city funds to travel and represent the city in almost any capacity.

synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018, Trump blamed the synagogue for not having armed guards on site.

When Trump tweeted an anti-Semitic image of Hillary Clinton next to a pile of cash and the Star of David in 2016, Republicans still stood by him. And when Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed that Jewish space lasers caused the 2018 California wildfires, many Republicans stood by her as well.

Even as Trump has been indicted by four different grand juries of American citizens, Republicans keep blaming Jewish billionaire George Soros. They never launched a congressional investigation into how Trump’s incendiary rhetoric contributed to a rise in antisemitic hate crimes when he was president, or about the Neo-Nazis who participated in the January 6 riot.

But they are investigating college presidents and college students for antisemitism in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel. Both should be examined, as well as the rise of Islamophobia in America, but Republicans are only focused on one issue. Just today, the House passed a divisive bill to crack down on student protests by defining criticism of Israel as a form of antisemitism.

The GOP goal is to exploit campus conflict to drive a larger agenda against higher education. They seek to cut funding for universities, fire college professors and presidents, and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs that challenge white supremacy.

Just a few years ago, Republicans argued that we needed new laws to protect free

The people of the Central District know that I am exactly who I told them I am when they went to the ballot box and gave me the honor to represent them at city hall. They know that I am a bold, brave, courageous, and tried-andtested leader.

I am a devoted husband and proud father and grandfather. Voters know that outside my family, I have dedicated my life to selflessly serving others. Long before I became a Brooklyn Park city councilman, I was in the United States Navy, where I was willing to sacrifice my life to protect my country. I served my country with courage and integrity and was honorably discharged.

When the people of the Central District chose me to represent them, I vowed that I was going to serve them with the same tenacity, honor and courage that earned me awards and great respect in the Navy. That is why I speak without fear.

Apparently the mayor, the city manager, and some of my fellow council members aren’t used to this kind of honesty. That is why they have resorted to passing resolutions to cen-

speech and unpopular ideas on college campuses. But now those same Republicans are policing speech and arresting even peaceful protesters. I taught for several years at Columbia University and City College of New York, and I support the right of students to protest peacefully on those college campuses and elsewhere, just as I support a twostate solution in the Middle East. I do not support violence from protesters or from police, or antisemitism, Islamophobia, or the harassment of Jewish or Muslim students.

submissions@spokesman-recorder.com

submissions@spokesman-recorder.com

submissions@spokesman-recorder.com.

Apparently the mayor, the city manager, and some of my fellow council members aren’t used to this kind of honesty.

Yet, the city manager and his allies at city hall want to run the city as though 60% of the population does not exist. We must ask questions to make sure that the diversity of our city isn’t only in name— that we are a city that lives by its promise of treating every resident with dignity.

How, for example, is it acceptable for the city to continue maintaining ice skating rinks that most of its residents don’t use when there isn’t a single public basketball facility? Why is asking that question an offense worth a resolution to censure a council member?

And what is a council member supposed to do when the people who make important decisions for his constituents continuously ignore his pleas to come to the table and discuss such matters that affect the people he represents?

The timing of the latest resolution should also be viewed with great suspicion. In ad-

For those who sympathize with the cause of Palestinians but don’t support college protests, I urge you to read Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” Dr. King had no problem with protest and tension, but he condemned protest critics who were “more devoted to order than to justice” or preferred “a negative peace, which is the absence of tension, to a positive peace, which is the presence of justice.”

Essentially, they want to completely disable me in the year when I am up for re-election. It’s a shameless attempt to discredit my unassailable record and my strong connection to the values of this deserving community. They will not succeed.

Fortunately, my constituents—and the people of Brooklyn Park at large—are not blind. As they have proven through their public comments, they are not oblivious to what’s going on. They’re intelligent enough to read between the lines.

The people of Brooklyn Park can see, for example, that the recent huge exodus of city staff is a sign of severe dysfunction at city hall. These are the people I work for, not the mayor, city manager, city attorney, or city council.

City employees can continue wasting more taxpayer dollars to monitor my personal social media accounts for content to give the city council reasons to pass a million resolutions to censure me. They can run to the news media and give one-sided stories about me. But that will not stop me from asking the people we gave responsibility to manage our city questions that other council members are too afraid to ask.

If my detractors want to start a war with me and frustrate my efforts to better my community, I am ready to fight to the bitter end for the people who elected me.

Boyd Morson is a Brooklyn Park City Council member.

The true path to peace is the same on American college campuses as it is in Israel and Gaza. Sustainable peace will not come through violent confrontation, displays of force, or retribution. Nor will it come from hypocritical show trials and stunt bills. It will only come by dismantling systems of oppression and replacing them with systems of justice.

Keith Boykin is a New York Times bestselling author, TV and film producer, and former CNN political commentator. “Black Vote, Black Power,” a collaboration between Keith Boykin and Word In Black, examines the issues, the candidates, and what’s at stake for Black America in the 2024 presidential election.

Sirtify aims to increase the presence of Black male teachers in Minnesota classrooms

By Abdi Mohamed Associate Editor

Years ago, Marvis Kilgore had taken the opportunity of a lifetime when he worked as one of the leading founders of the Community College of Qatar. However, when witnessing the civic unrest taking place across the country in the early days of the pandemic, he felt that his contributions were needed back in America.

“Watching everything that was happening stateside I felt as if I were an innocent bystander and I knew that I wanted to come home,” he said.

Killgore wanted to make an impact by continuing his work in education, but wasn’t able to find a role that stood out to him. That was until he saw an opportunity present itself in Minnesota.

“Never in a million years would I have thought that I would trade the desert for frozen tundra,” he laughed.

When he saw a job posting at Normandale Community College hiring for the Sirtify Program Director, he knew it was the opportunity for him.

The Sirtify program, dreamt up by the college’s former president Joyce C. Ester, aims to recruit and support Black, African American, and African men into elementary and secondary education pathways.

According to Killgore, just 1% of all teachers in the state of Minnesota identify as Black, with a fraction of that percentage being Black men. He also stated that Black students are less likely to get suspended from school, have behavioral issues, and are more likely to go to college if they have a Black teacher by the fourth grade.

The program began four years ago with just three students and it currently has 20 students aiming to become teachers.

“Our program is not just the flavor of the month,” Kilgore stated, emphasizing the program’s commitment to students.

“We’ve sent two students out already that have transferred to local institutions.”

To become a participant in the program, Normandale students must identify themselves as a Black man and seek a degree in elementary education, special education, or secondary education. For those

pursuing a career as a secondary school teacher, they must major in a content area that they wish to teach such as math or history.

Sirtify has opened their recruitment window for the fall semester and has up to 30 spaces for new students. Since its inception, the program has doubled in size with its cohort and aims to have 40 students in the next year.

“Our program is not just the flavor of the month.”

Sirtify offers its students a financial package which covers their tuition, textbooks, and fees up to $10,000. They also receive a yearly $3,00 stipend. Much of their funding comes from donors, both private individuals and corporate entities.

Normandale students Jordon Jackson, Rayn Nelson, Yvon Abellard are part of the current cohort of Sirtify participants. They each found different paths to becoming teachers, but view the program as a crucial part in their journey towards a career in education.

Jackson heard about the program through Kilgore, his uncle, but has always wanted to be a teacher. Raised in Holly Springs, Miss., Jackson came from a family made up of teachers. He long held the idea that being a teacher was

for him and now he had the roadmap for his career.

Nelson found out about the program through a high school counselor after discussing different career path options.

“I was struggling to figure out what I wanted to do after high school,” he said. “I had mentioned that growing up I was always geared towards tutoring them things related to math.”

Nelson’s counselor suggested that he consider a career as

experience going to schools that lacked Black teachers also made him consider becoming an educator and giving students someone to connect with in the classroom.

Abellard’s mother and aunt, who both work as educators, referred him to the Sirtify program. Having worked with youth in community centers in the past, he had developed a skill set that helped him work well with a wide range of age

its education majors to spend 25 hours of classroom observation before graduating.

Kilgore also shared that many of the Sirtify participants have a background working in edu-

a teacher which offered him ample downtime and summers off to pursue other interests. He also stated that his

groups, lending him to believe that education may be the path for him.

Normandale requires all of

cation before coming to Normandale while others join the program during a pivot in their professional career.

“60% of students in our program are actually paraprofessionals working in schools now,” he said. “Many of them may have had different careers. This program definitely offered another pathway to become a licensed certified teacher.”

Cultural competency is not only a major factor in the program for students, but Normandale’s instructors in education courses have also gone through training to make their content more diverse and reflective of the students in the program.

As an HBCU graduate from Dillard University, Kilgore knew that culturally competent pedagogy was important for Sirtify students.

Sirtify students take part in monthly social cultural excursions in the metro to connect with various communities. Kilgore is also planning to take students to Senegal to give them a global perspective on their work.

“This idea of cultural infusion into the curricula is something that must be done particularly as we see the ever changing landscape with demographics with students here in Minnesota,” he said.

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

Marvis Kilgore (right)

him

as the program director of Sirtify. Photos by Chris Juhn

Normandale students Yvon Abellard (left), Rayn Nelson (right), and Jordon Jackson (back) are a part of the current cohort of the Sirtify program which trains Black men to become school teachers.

Sports

Gopher women’s tennis coach happy with her first season

By Charles Hallman Sports Columnist

he Minnesota women’s tennis team finished an impressive first season under Head Coach Lois Arterberry. After a 5-17 overall and 0-11 conference record in 2023, the Gophers improved to 11-13 overall, 4-8 in the Big Ten, and ninth seed in the conference tournament, reaching the second round last month.

In a released statement, Arterberry said, “I’m really excited to build on the overall progress we made this season. We want to lay a foundation that can foster a championship team one day, and we will continue to work for that.”

“We definitely exceeded my expectations.”

Arterberry spoke to the MSR a few days after her first season at Minnesota concluded. “I’m actually happy with

he WNBA preseason opened at the Target Center on Friday evening with the Minnesota Lynx introducing a new starting lineup without one of its most valuable players, a former metro prep star who provided significant contributions during her four years with the team. With a starting lineup of Alana Smith, Napheesa Collier, Diamond Miller, Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedman, the Minnesota Lynx defeated the Chicago Sky 92-81. Collins, a 6’1” forward, and Williams, a 5’8” guard, scored 17 points apiece to lead the Lynx. Former Louisiana State University standout 6’3” forward Angel Reese and 5’6” guard Dana Evans each scored 13

the way that we competed this year,” said the coach. “We definitely exceeded my expectations.”

The Gophers knocked off two ITA nationally ranked

teams this season—No. 48 Purdue and No. 62 Iowa. During the week of March 12, Minnesota had a national ranking of 72 and the program’s first Big Ten Player of the Week since 2020 (sophomore Aiva Schmitz).

Her players battled all year long, including the April 24 match against Purdue that came down to “who wins that doubles points, and we really, really fought for that,” recalled Arterberry. “We both [head coaches] knew that.”

“The players fought all the way to the end, and it was tough. Those student-athletes really believed in something beyond themselves.”

At the beginning of her first season Arterberry stressed the importance of establishing a lasting culture for the program and the players. “I think everywhere that I’ve been as a head coach, it was always about the culture piece first, and I stayed true to myself with that.

“As a coach, you want to recruit and bring in the best talent, but we also have to bring

Dispelling the myths of Blacks and swimming

he age-old myths about Blacks and swimming are historically centered on three main things. A 2023 article in Blavity by Aria Bell dissected the three most popular myths about Blacks and swimming:

1) Blacks don’t like swimming. “The root of this commonality stems from slavery and racism…and other roadblocks that were put in place

“There were issues around being disconnected generationally from water.”

that contributed to [Blacks] not being able to partake in water activities,” wrote Bell.

2) Black women don’t swim because of their hair. Bell quoted Kendra Rubin, a talent and leadership develop-

ment specialist: “Getting [hair] messed up is often costly and time [consuming].”

3) Blacks are afraid to swim. Of this Bell wrote,” There is only a 19% chance that a child

Lynx win WNBA preseason opener; Banham returns to Sun

points to lead the Sky.

The Lynx are moving on after the loss of fan favorite Rachel Banham, who came off the bench and sparked the team from 2020-2023. The former Lakeville High School and University of Minnesota star, who became the Big Ten’s all-time leading scorer during her career, has signed a two-year deal with the Connecticut Sun.

The 5’10” guard played the first four years of her career with the Sun, who drafted her No. 4 overall in 2016.

The Lynx’s home opener will be against the Seattle Storm Friday, May 17 at Target Center. Banham will face her former teammates twice: Thursday, May 23 in Connecticut, and Thursday, July 4 at Target Center.

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

All photos by Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald

New Saints infielder feels he’s beat the odds

ony Kemp recently tweeted: “1 of 780 in the World. 6% of black players on Opening Day MLB rosters. Beyond thankful to make a six Big League Opening Day…” Kemp was then with the Baltimore Orioles, but was designated for assignment on April 10 and elected free agency on April 13. He signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins four days later, and was assigned to St. Paul on April 18.

The 32-year-old infielder joined Simeon Woods Richardson as the St. Paul Saints’ only Black players this season. But with Woods Richardson recently promoted to the big league (more on him later), the 5-6 native of Franklin, Tennessee is the only Black player on the Twins AAA roster.

“Baseball is not a sprint,” he recently told me as we sat in

the Saints dugout before batting practice. “You got so many levels to go through. And if you don’t have that patience, you will get to a certain point and quit.

“You obviously want to see more Black players getting out there playing baseball, but the reality is the numbers are just going down and down.”

“If someone were to tell me, ‘Hey, by the time you’re thirtytwo you’re gonna have two beautiful girls, a beautiful family, and you’ve played parts of nine years in the big leagues,’ I would tell them where do I sign up?”

Kemp, who played college baseball at Vanderbilt, was an All American, 2011 Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year and first team all-SEC. He played in the 2011 College

World Series, and later was 2013 SEC Baseball Player of the Year. Houston selected him in the fifth round of the 2013 MLB Draft. He debuted with the Astros in 2016 and played on the 2017 World Series champion Astros. He has played with four major league clubs—Houston (2016-19), Chicago Cubs (2019), Oakland (2020-23), and this season with Baltimore.

“Once I got drafted out of college,” continued Kemp, “I just wanted to live out my dream and just play baseball as long as I could, until someone said, ‘Hey, you can’t play anymore.’ I think being able to have a career that I’ve had up to this point, I would call it a success.”

The secret has been out for some time that U.S.-born Blacks playing baseball have been dwindling.

“I think it’s obviously a glaring statistic,” affirmed Kemp. “You obviously want to see more Black players getting out

there playing baseball, but the reality is the numbers are just going down and down.”

Therefore, in his opinion, unless you love playing baseball, which he does, and unless you’re willing to keep going despite the overwhelming odds, the low numbers of Blacks playing the sport won’t

improve. “At the end of the day, it comes down to how much do they love the game,” noted Kemp. “Given all the obstacles of being 5-6 against the norm of how a typical baseball player is built, and being Black and the low percentage of [Black] guys to play in the big leagues,

it kept me going to prove myself right and to enjoy the game and to have fun and provide for my family.”

Kemp believed he’s blessed: “God has steered me in the direction of the right path and nothing is possible without Him. God blessed me with a ton of things, especially being a big leaguer. “I mean, there’s still less than 26,000 people to ever play the game since 1900 or so.”

Picking brains

Simeon Woods Richardson told me last week, “I’m taking it one day at a time. Every day is a journey, still learning, being a sponge, picking guys’ brains.”

The 22-year-old pitcher is still with the Twins. “He’s still a real young kid,” said Derek Falvey, Twins baseball operations president. “He is still learning how to pitch up here.”

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

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese guards Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier

WNBA first-round draft choices Karmilla Cardoso (Chicago Sky) and Alissa Pili (Minnesota Lynx)

Minnesota Lynx forward Diamond Miller

Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams

Rachel Banham with the Connecticut Sun in 2017

Tony Kemp

Photo by Charles Hallman

Dr. Ayanna Rakhu

Photo by Charles Hallman

See TENNIS on page 11

Lois Arterberry Photo by Charles Hallman

Tomekia Reed Courtesy of X

Donal Ware Courtesy of Twitter/ Donal Ware