May 25, 2023 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

GEORGE FLOYD SQUARE

Three years later

n the three years since the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed, not much has changed at the intersection of Chicago and 38th Street. The memorial in front of Cup Foods (rebranded Unity Foods) at George Floyd Square (GFS) serves as an ever-present reminder of the tragedy. The wooden barricade next to the memorial, etched with unfamiliar and familiar names like Philando Castillo and Jamar Clark, along with the “Peoples way” mural across the street bear witness to the Black and Brown lives lost before and after

George Floyd.

Occasionally, tour guides can be seen leading sightseers up Chicago towards GFS, nervously trying to navigate the site of Black trauma, all the while turning tragedy into commerce.

Recently however, the Graves Foundation announced plans to redevelop the building across the street from GFS on Chicago, purchasing it for just over $1 million. City Council President Andrea Jenkins has asked the state legislature for $25 million to help develop the area.

Of those looking for an opportunity to educate visitors coming to GFS is KingDemetrius Pendleton, a long-time local activist and journalist, who wants to establish a nonprofit

education and community center. “I’ve been boots on the ground covering local events before, during and after the death of George Floyd,” said

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

Pendleton.

“The community is tight knit. Members of the George Floyd Global Memorial Foundation, Agape and other neigh-

borhood groups are often on site and have welcomed me and my team.

“The businesses that were

■ See GFS on page 5

The racial justice movement after George Floyd

An interview with Black Lives Matter Minnesota’s Trahern Crews

By Cole Miska

Contributing Writer

here has been a great deal of change in the racial justice movement in Minnesota in the past decade, following the murder of George Floyd three years ago.

Trahern Crews, who founded Black Lives Matter Minnesota (BLM MN) in the mid-2010s, said he started receiving calls “from people who didn’t really protest” the day after Floyd’s murder. He immediately began organizing, starting with a protest at 38th and Chicago, the site of the killing, which later became known as George Floyd Square (GFS).

Crews called the massive scale of the George Floyd protests “hard to manage.” While the group had previously made

national headlines with protests after the police slaying of Marcus Golden in 2015, Crews estimates somewhere between

15 to 26 million people participated nationwide in the protests following Floyd’s death.

“Even today, there’s mes-

sages still coming up from 2020 that we’re just now able to respond to,” Crews said. “Nothing could prepare you for something of that magnitude.”

Crews said that public support has increased for BLM since the protests, remaining above 50 percent and peaking at around 75 percent. He also noted that a Pew Research poll placed the BLM national organization at the top of the list of organizations that Black Americans saw as helping them most in recent years. He believes that BLM MN has “created an appetite for social justice in Minnesota.”

Toshira Garraway Allen, who works closely with Crews, also said support has risen for the racial justice movement since the murder of Floyd.

“Since the uprise and the killing of George Floyd, I feel

that our fellow community members are listening more and have begun to believe our families and community

I think the focus isn’t just police brutality. Now, it’s police brutality and economic justice, and also dealing with what’s happening inside the jails and prisons too.

a little bit more when we say that we have been brutalized and hurt by law enforcement,”

Garraway Allen said. “The politicians and people sitting in seats of authority still have a lot of work to do with building relationships with our community and impacted families.”

Three years on, Crews said tactics have changed. Many who were active in the protest movement have switched their venue from the streets to the legislative chamber. Black Lives Matter MN activists have also broadened their focus on what issues they fight for.

“I think the focus isn’t just police brutality. Now, it’s police brutality and economic justice, and also dealing with what’s happening inside the jails and prisons too,” Crews said.

He said there have been some successes, although he believes a lot of things still need to change on a legislative

■ See BLM on page 5

Crime and Punishment: the Zaria McKeever Case

By Abdi Mohamed

Contributing Writer

In an MSR exclusive, Tiffynnie Epps shares her family’s journey in seeking justice for the murder of her sister Zaria McKeever, a crime that is at the heart of the juvenile justice reform debate.

iffynnie Epps grew up as an army brat.

Her parents both served in the military, which took their family from Georgia to states like Michigan and Alabama. They eventually settled in Minnesota roughly 20 years ago when Epps’ youngest sister, Zaria McKeever, was just three years old.

“She’s the big baby,” Epps laughed as she spoke about her sister. McKeever graduated from Champlin Park High School and went on to receive

a degree at PCI Academy in Plymouth. According to Epps, her sister loved to do makeup and enjoyed cooking and dancing.

The two were close and plotted their life out together. McKeever had already planned for Epps to be her babysitter long before she gave birth to her daughter. The two sisters got pregnant around the same time and gave birth to their children one day apart. Not long after sharing this life-changing milestone, Epps and her family experienced the tragic loss.

Epps recalled the night that she first heard about her sister McKeever’s murder. She received a call from one of her sister’s friends who was on the phone with 23-year-old McKeever when suddenly the line cut out. Concerned, Epps rushed over to her sister’s apartment in Brooklyn Park.

There she came across an ambulance and police vehicles parked in front of the building, confirming her worst fears.

Officers came to Epps and informed her that her sister hadn’t made it. Six months later Epps and her family are

fighting to ensure that McKeever receives

prosecutorial tug-of-war between the Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and the state’s attorney general, Keith Ellison, who was appointed by Governor Tim Walz to take over the case.

Three adults, including Erick Haynes, the 23-year-old father of McKeever’s oneyear-old daughter, and two juveniles have been charged with second-degree murder. According to Haynes, he had bought a gun and handed it to the two young men to use on McKeever’s boyfriend. He then drove them to her apartment and instructed them to break her door down, resulting in the killing of McKeever. The fate of the juveniles charged—two brothers 15 and 17 years old—is at the heart of this conflict between the county attorney and state officials.

■ See CRIME on page 5

Tiffynnie Epps holding a photo of her murdered sister, Zaria McKeever.

Photo by Abdi Mohamed

Black Lives Matter Minnesota’s leader Trahern Crews Photo by Chris Juhn

“She told us that they offered a plea deal and that we didn’t have any say in it.”

- James Baldwin

Photos by Chris Juhn

Highway changes could once again impact Black communities

By H. Jiahong Pan Contributing Writer

Gabe Tandoh wants something to be done to address the crashes he sees on Highway 252, which runs just outside of the gym he owns in Brooklyn Park, Training Day Fitness.

“I see car accidents here at 85th and 252 basically every day,” said Tandoh. “At this point, I don’t really care which direction they choose, they just need to do something about it, because it’s a very dangerous intersection.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) found that at-grade intersections on Highway 252 have more crashes than usual compared to intersections on most of its other highways in the state overall. The state agency is also concerned that both Highway 252 and Interstate 94 are carrying more traffic than the roadway capacity, so they are considering widening it, which will likely displace residences and businesses, including some areas that have previously been affected by freeway construction in the past.

The project to make changes to Highway 252—an atgrade highway that connects Interstate 94 at its southern end in Brooklyn Center, past residential subdivisions that are blocks from the Mississippi River to Highway 610 at its northern end in Brooklyn Park—has been in the works for years. The city of Brooklyn Center conducted a study in

2016 that found issues around safety and neighborhood connectivity.

Indeed, the highway has seen lots of carnage. Between 2016 and 2019, the highway saw a total of 654 crashes, or roughly two crashes every five days. The 85th Avenue intersection saw 155 total crashes in that same period, the second-highest number of crashes after the 66th Avenue intersection, which saw 220 total crashes. The agency finds this concerning because the 2.25 crashes for every one million vehicles that drive on Highway 252 exceeds their goal for all state highways, which is one crash for every one million vehicles that drive on it.

It concerns Indred Alexander, who lives next to the freeway in Brooklyn Park. “Those intersections are very dangerous, because speeding traffic does not necessarily stop for the signals. We’ve had several children killed on the highway just trying to cross the street,” said Alexander.

“When my children were attending Evergreen Elementary [at 72nd Avenue and Dupont in Brooklyn Center], we actually had to pay for a bus [to bring our children to school] because [even though it is] less than a mile away, we did not want to risk having our children crossing the highway during rush-hour traffic.”

Pre-pandemic, MnDOT was also concerned that both Highway 252 and Interstate 94 are carrying more traffic than they were capable of. Ac-

cording to a manual for engineers who design freeways, Interstate 94 and Highway 252 are designed to accommodate 134,400 and 57,600 vehicles per day, respectively, not accounting for freeway intersections and ramps, as well as the number of trucks and buses that use the road, the hills it is built on, the curves and the weather.

But according to the agency’s traffic-mapping application, Highway 252 carried 56,000 vehicles per day in 2021, while I-94 carried just over 98,000 vehicles in 2021.

Nonetheless, MnDOT thinks that up to 11,000 more vehicles per day will travel the corridor in 2040, and data from the Metropolitan Council shows that traffic on I-94 and 252 has recovered to close to pre-pandemic levels in 2022.

One of MnDOT’s solutions calls for widening 252 for its entire length so they can install a MnPASS lane, a dedicated lane for buses as well as people who drive and are willing to pay a toll to bypass traffic congestion. They also want to close some intersections and convert the remaining intersections to interchanges to minimize the number of crashes that could happen.

“This would essentially upgrade 252 to a freeway. They may also widen I-94 to Dowling Avenue by painting in an extra lane, which could also allow them to add a MnPASS lane.

Widening and converting Highway 252 intersections to interchanges may displace up to 150 parcels of land, among them one that Alexander owns. A former resident of Rondo who lived next to Highway 252 for 27 years and whose parents lived on Rondo Avenue in St. Paul before it was destroyed to build Interstate 94, Alexander is angry. “Just the whole thought of this displacement to do another highway expansion, and how it’s impacting two of the cities [in Minnesota] that have the highest minority population per capita, it makes me angry. It makes me feel like we are really living in the 60s.”

Some local business owners, including Nadine Walker, are worried about being cut off from it. Walker, who opened Nadine’s Plus Size Boutique in a strip mall adjacent to Highway 252 and 85th Avenue, relies on Highway 252 to drive traffic to her store, which she opened in March to honor her grandmother.

“Being a growing business, I don’t have avenues in advertising,” said Walker. “This strip [mall] is [full of] family-owned businesses, it’s important for us to have [the freeway serve us.]”

MnDOT is required by federal law to develop measures to mitigate the impacts to businesses, residents and property owners during the environmental review process.

A spokesperson for the agency says they currently do not

have any of those plans developed at this time.

MnDOT acknowledges upgrading 252 to a freeway, regardless of whether it is widened, may also increase greenhouse gas emissions. However, they won’t know how much until they complete a federally required environmental review in 2024. Studies also show converting highways to freeways, particularly making them wider, may actually make congestion worse. People who see a wider freeway that is not congested may be more in-

at West Broadway, Lowry and Dowling Avenues on I-94, and at 66th, 73rd and 85th Avenues on Highway 252.

They decided against it because it could cost up to $450 million to build and up to four times more for Metro Transit to operate while bringing in 200 new riders by 2040, compared to improving express service.

Nonetheless, Angela Williams, a Camden resident who is running for Ward 4 City Councilmember as a Republican, wants to see BRT built on

clined to drive on it.

To mitigate potential climate change impacts, the agency is studying changes to Metro Transit local and express bus service. Today, three express buses operate on the corridor to downtown Minneapolis from Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Coon Rapids and Anoka in the morning, returning in the afternoon.

They are considering providing all-day service operating between Minneapolis and the suburbs in both directions, which could potentially include restoring trips Metro Transit reduced in years past from Route 766, which runs from downtown Minneapolis along Highway 252 and West River Road on its way to a park-and-ride in Champlin.

Metro Transit also considered creating a rapid-transit bus line similar to the Orange Line running on I-35W to either Maple Grove Transit Station, seven miles west of Highway 252, or Northtown Transit Station across the River from where 610 and 252 meet.

They also considered building new stations that both BRT and express buses could serve

I-94 instead of the Blue Line being extended, because she believes it can better serve the North Side.

“I noticed on I-35W [over] South, they do have something like a bus station that comes off the expressway. It goes through a terminal, and then it comes out,” said Williams, who relates that experience to Chicago’s L system, two routes which run on the center of the freeway.

“I suggested [to the Met Council] that maybe they should look at how Chicago has done their transportation, instead of coming through… and destroying a community that is already built.” Williams added the agencies should engage Northside residents to better understand if they want BRT running on I-94 in North Minneapolis.

MnDOT is accepting comments until May 26 on its document that guides what alternatives to study as part of federally required environmental review.

H. Jiahong Pan welcomes reader comments at hpan@spokesmanrecorder.com.

Highway 252 at 85th Ave. in Brooklyn Park Photo by H. Jiahong Pan

“Just the whole thought of this displacement to do another highway expansion, and how it’s the cities that have the highest minority population per capita makes me angry. It makes me feel like we are really living in the 60s.”

Covid-19—where do we stand now?

By Marian Moser Jones and Amy Lauren Fairchild

The Covid-19 pandemic’s public health emergency status in the U.S. expired on May 11, 2023. On May 5, the World Health Organization declared an end to the Covid-19 public health emergency of international concern, or PHEIC, designation that had been in place since Jan. 30, 2020.

Still, both the WHO and the White House have made clear that while the emergency phase of the pandemic has ended, the virus is here to stay and could continue to wreak havoc.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that, over that time, the virus has taken the lives of more than one million people in the U.S. and about seven million people globally based on reported cases, though he said the true toll is likely closer to 20 million people worldwide. While the global emergency status has ended, Covid-19 is still an “established and ongoing health issue,” he said.

Public health experts Marian Moser Jones and Amy Lauren Fairchild puts these changes into context and explains their ramifications for the next stage of the pandemic.

1. What does ending the national emergency phase of the pandemic mean?

Ending the federal emergency reflects both a scientific and political judgment that the acute phase of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis has ended and that special federal resources are no longer

ending the pandemic’s emergency status mean in practice?

needed to prevent disease transmission across borders.

In practical terms, it means that two declarations—the federal Public Health Emergency, first declared on Jan. 31, 2020, and the Covid-19 national emergency that former President Donald Trump announced on March 13, 2020—are expiring.

Declaring those emergencies enabled the federal government to cut through mountains of red tape to respond to the pandemic more efficiently. For instance, the declarations allowed funds to be made available so that federal agencies could direct personnel, equipment, supplies and services to state and local governments wherever they were needed.

cover telehealth services.

2. What domestic policies are changing?

An estimated 15 million people are likely to lose Medicaid or CHIP coverage, according to the federal government. Another analysis projected that as many as 24 million people will be kicked off the Medicaid rolls.

Before the pandemic, states required people to prove every year that they met income and other eligibility requirements. This resulted in “churning”—a process whereby people who did not complete renewal paperwork were being periodically disenrolled from state Medicaid programs before they could reapply and prove eligibility.

In March 2020, Congress enacted a continuous enrollment provision in Medicaid that prevented states from removing anyone from their rolls during the pandemic. From February 2020 to March 31, 2023, enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP grew by nearly 23.5% to a total of more than 93 million. In a December 2022 appropriations bill, Congress passed a provision that ended continuous enrollment on March 31, 2023.

in May, June and July.

The array of telehealth services that Medicare began covering during the pandemic will continue to be covered through December 2024. Medicare is also making coverage for behavioral and mental telehealth services a permanent benefit.

not disappeared from our lives and communities.

4. How will state and local pandemic measures be affected?

The end of the federal emergency does not affect state-level or local-level emergency declarations. These declarations have allowed states to allocate resources to meet pandemic needs and have included provisions allowing them to respond to surges in Covid-19 cases by allowing out-of-state physicians and other health care providers to practice in person and through telehealth.

The emergency status also allowed the federal government to make health care more widely available by suspending many requirements for accessing Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Program, or CHIP. And they made it possible for people to receive free Covid-19 testing, treatment and vaccines and enabled Medicaid and Medicare to more easily

Many people who have Medicaid or who enrolled their children in CHIP during this period may be unaware of these changes until they actually lose their benefits over the next several months.

At least five states already began disenrolling Medicaid members in April. Other states are sending out termination letters and renewal notices and will disenroll members starting

The end of the emergency also means that the federal government is no longer covering the costs of Covid-19 vaccines and treatments for everyone. However, in April the Biden administration announced a new $1.1 billion public-private “bridge access program” that will provide Covid-19 vaccines and treatments free of charge for uninsured people through state and local health departments and pharmacies. Insured individuals may have out-of-pocket costs depending on their coverage.

3. What does this mean for the

status of the pandemic?

Declaring an end to the emergency doesn’t mean a return to business as usual.

New global guidelines for long-term disease management of Covid-19, released on May 3, 2023, urged countries “to maintain sufficient capacity, operational readiness and flexibility to scale up during surges of Covid-19, while maintaining other essential health services and preparing for the emergence of new variants with increased severity or capacity.”

With the end of the emergency, the CDC is changing the way it presents its Covid-19 data to a “sustainable national Covid-19 surveillance” model. This shift in Covid-19 monitoring and communication strategies accompanying the end of the emergency means that the virus is disappearing from the headlines, even though it has

Most U.S. states, however, have ended their own public health emergency declarations. Six states—Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Texas—still had emergency declarations in effect as of May 3, 2023, that will expire by the end of the month.

While some states may choose to make permanent some COVID-era emergency standards, such as looser restrictions on telemedicine or outof-state health providers, we believe it could be a long time before either politicians or members of the public regain an appetite for any emergency orders directly related to Covid-19.

Marian Moser Jones is the associate professor of health services management and policy and history at Ohio State University. Amy Lauren Fairchild is the dean and professor of public health at Ohio State University.

This story is republished with permission from The Conversation. It has been edited for length.

Courtesy of Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images

West Indies Soul Food Black Business SPOTLIGHT

By Chris Juhn Contributing Writer

“I’m from Trinidad and Tobago, and back home a lot of people cook their own food,” said chef and owner of West Indies Soul Food Sharon Richards-Noel, who came to the U.S. when she was just 18.

“To eat out in Trinidad, it’s like Christmas. When you eat out, you eat good food.”

Although the St. Paul brickand-mortar restaurant reopened in its new location just last September, 62-year-old Chef Sharon, as she is better known, has been cooking for over 35 years.

“We have always been a catering service,” she said, explaining how she got her start

Authentic Caribbean comfort food

at it as him having a job.

in the Twin Cities. She currently employs 15 people in her West Indies Soul Food business, but that number drops to between five and seven employees in the wintertime.

“We cater for schools, corporations and graduations,” she added, in addition to operating a food truck at events throughout the metro area and a booth at the Minnesota State Fair for 18 years. “We do a little bit of everything,” she said, “and we also have three specialty lines of sauces.”

MSR: What made you want to come to the United States?

CS: My sister came to the United States first. She was one of the first African Ameri-

cans at St. Kate’s [Saint Catherine University in St. Paul]. When I was at home, and I looked at the TV, I saw this beautiful snow and people having a good time in it. I’m like, I want to experience that. I was trying to go to school to be a dietitian. So, I talked to my sister, and she said they had a chef’s program. I came over here so that I could enroll in the chef’s program at St. Kate’s, but to also experience the snow. Once I got here and I experienced the snow, I tried to go back home after four months. Just looking at it on TV it looks beautiful. Looking at people doing stuff in the winter, it looks beautiful. But living in it is totally different.

MSR: What inspired you to launch your business?

CS: When I came here and I tasted the food here I was like, I’ve got to do something a little bit different. I said I was going to do some healthy, authentic Caribbean food. A lot of the Caribbean restaurants here are not authentic.

MSR: What is it about cooking that made you interested in exploring it as a business?

Chef Sharon: I grew up with some ladies who cook—my mom and her sisters. I grew up just seeing her and her sisters in the kitchen cooking. My mom had a Seven-11 [convenience store] and my dad was a butcher in the market. My mom was an entrepreneur, and my dad was an entrepreneur. I never looked at it as him being an entrepreneur. I just looked

I just love cooking. It brings me peace of mind. I’m a praying person. I bless my food every day before I come to the kitchen, so that people can be healthy and that it would nourish them.

MSR: What would you consider your most popular items on the menu?

CS: Well, it’s a mix. A lot of people like the Jamaican patties, which are turnovers with meat on the inside. Then another group of people like the Jamaican jerk chicken, which we do a little differently. I’m also seeing the oxtails kicking butt.

MSR: What’s been your biggest challenge in running a business?

CS: My biggest challenge in running my business is getting financial help. Because I’m always cooking, I’m always in the kitchen. I love cooking. I love creating recipes. I’m not the type of person that’s out there networking, and I can’t receive the grants that other people are receiving.

MSR: What’s the most rewarding part of owning your business?

CS: Generational wealth.

To me, generational wealth is wealth for the community. I’m creating generational wealth

by offering jobs to people in the community. I’m establishing and creating generational wealth when I teach young

I’m establishing and creating generational wealth when I teach young people some culinary skills, how to work, and some life skills.

people some culinary skills, how to work, and some life skills. It’s not just about my family, it’s about just the community.

MSR: How does your business impact the community?

CS: We give back a lot. One of the schools that we catered for before Covid, 90 percent of the kids were homeless. The food that I provided for them was home-cooked food. I wasn’t paid for what the food would cost me. The school was trying to help the young people, so my gift was cooking a good meal and using my money to keep it going. We were at HSRA [High

■ See BBS on page 9

Wealth building for any income level

Wealth building provides financial stability while ensuring lifestyle maintenance and financial independence during retirement. It also supports philanthropy through donations and volunteering, the pursuit of further education, and other entrepreneurial endeavors.

But perhaps one of the most important impacts of wealth building is the ability to leave a legacy for your children by passing on assets from one generation to the next for their continued financial security. This is called generational wealth – and building generational wealth is essential to economically empowering Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

Building wealth is not about having a bigger house, a better car or the fanciest vacations. It is about having enough money to pay your bills and sustain a desired lifestyle, even during personal or widespread financial instability. Financial cushions help weather unexpected financial emergencies or setbacks, reducing stress levels and improving quality of life.

Wealth building provides financial stability while ensuring lifestyle maintenance and financial independence during retirement. It also supports philanthropy through donations and volunteering, the pursuit of further education, and other entrepreneur-

ial endeavors. Perhaps one of the most important impacts of wealth building is the ability to leave a legacy for your children by passing on assets from one generation to the next for their continued financial security – this is called generational wealth.

Building generational wealth is essential to economically empowering Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. For centuries, systemic racism and discrimination have limited opportunity for BIPOC communities to accumulate wealth, leading to a significant gap in finances compared to white families. According to the Federal Reserve, the average net worth of a white family in the U.S. is 10 times that of the average net worth of a Black family. Fortunately, there are opportunities for BIPOC communities to build generational wealth.

assets – cash, and other things that people invest in like real estate, insurance, stocks, bonds, valuables, etc.,” says Stephen Spears, senior vice president of Twin Cities community banking at Bremer Bank.

Accumulated wealth can be calculated by subtracting liabilities from their assets. Liabilities include expenses like mortgages, credit card and tax debt, student loans, and other financial obligations.

What is generational wealth?

means not depleting all accumulated assets in a single generation or family,” Spears says.

Homeownership is one of the most common ways to pass on wealth. Other passed-down assets can include financial investments, businesses, valuables and cash savings.

ting to the next level faster, and that can be very discouraging” he says.

sound financial planning. Steps to building generational wealth

How is wealth determined?

accumulation of

“Generational wealth is the ability for someone to pass their accumulated assets down from one generation to the next, setting succeeding generations up for success. It

The median net worth for white families is almost seven times that of Black families and 3.5 times that of Hispanic families. Spears notes how the impact of rapidly widening disparities in wealth and income can be challenging to process.

“Wherever you may be sitting in your journey of increased income and wealth, it feels like more people are get-

Historically, generational wealth has been more prevalent among certain groups, particularly white families. The wealth gap between white and Black families exists due to challenging factors, including income inequality, limited access to quality education and college, and a long history of housing discrimination and other systematic forms of discrimination.

However, generational wealth is not limited to any one group. People and families from all backgrounds can accumulate and pass down wealth to future generations through

Living frugally while saving and investing early and consistently can make a significant difference in your journey of building generational wealth. “You can develop generational wealth through a saver’s mentality,” Spears explains.

The following are steps to take to build wealth, regardless of your income level or financial situation.

Consistent income

To start saving, you first need to consistently earn

Restaurant owner and chef Sharon Richards-Noel

Photos by Chris Juhn

Sponsored Content

Once you have a steady stream of income and understand where it’s going, you can then begin to proactively start saving.

Photo by Fizkes

West Indies Soul Food restaurant in St. Paul

GFS

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able to hold on have struggled to do so,” Pendleton added. They need people to show up now and support them. New businesses also need financial help to get established in the abandoned storefronts in the area. There needs to be investment in the overall infrastructure such as improved lighting, fixing up the surrounding properties including the homes of neighbors, and a community-controlled memorial that honors George Floyd.”

Pendleton pointed to the millions raised in the wake of the tragedy. Instead of 38th and Chicago, he said Lake Street and other damaged areas were rebuilt, while those

BLM

Continued from page 1

level. Some of the changes pushed for by BLM MN that were implemented included a permanent reparations commission in St. Paul, the banning of no-knock warrants in Minneapolis, and the Hardel Sherrell Act, which created

CRIME

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Change in prosecution

Former Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman was in the process of certifying the juveniles as adults. However, when Moriarty took over the case earlier this year, she moved to offer the juveniles a plea deal in exchange for their testimony against Haynes. If the plea deal went forth, the juveniles would serve just two years at the juvenile center if they excelled during their sentencing rehabilitation program.

The decision blindsided Epps and her family, who had been in communication with the county attorney’s office every step along the way. They received contact from Moriarty’s team informing them after the fact that they had made the decision not to try the juveniles as adults.

“We got a phone call saying that we need to have a Zoom meeting and it was with Sarah Davis,” Epps said. “She told us that they offered a plea deal and that we didn’t have any say in it. They just told us that’s what it was. We just

who suffered at the Square were largely overlooked.

“We don’t need people to only come to the Square

when big events are happening or for photo ops,” Pendleton said. “We need politicians to pass the George Floyd Act

and to provide practical solutions for both businesses and social issues in the neighborhood. That includes mental health services, treatment for chemical dependency, youth mentoring programs, training in the trades and other job services.”

“Personally,” he added, “I have been blessed to be part of the history of the Square. I will continue to uplift the stories of those who are part of it and hope to honor their legacy by being present at the Square full time.”

dedicated standards for physical and mental health care and death investigations in Minnesota prisons.

Crews called Minneapolis’s consent decree, a courtenforceable order that will require institutional changes to take place in the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), one of the most important changes that the racial justice movement has won.

thought they were letting us know what they were planning to do. But they already had offered it [a plea deal] to them.”

Epps viewed the decision as Moriarty signaling her commitment to juvenile justice reform, but she doesn’t believe this is the case to stake her campaign promises on.

“She was a public defender for over 30 years. So, her mindset is still stuck at public defending,” Epps said. “That’s why she’s helping the two murderers in this case more so, versus actually being there for the victim’s family and standing up for the victim who is no longer here.”

Moriarty was elected Hennepin County attorney on November 8 of last year. Later that same night, McKeever would have her life snuffed out at the hands of the two young brothers.

Efforts to reverse the plea deal

Soon after the conversation with Moriarty’s staff, Epps took to the state capitol to get in contact with the governor’s office. She also tried to get a meeting with Ellison’s office to make the case for them to take over this case from the county attorney.

Black Lives Matter MN is still fighting for other changes. The group wants to see St. Paul’s reparations commission scaled to the state level. The group also wants to see an end to qualified immunity and require police officers to carry professional insurance. Crews said the current primary goals of the group are “to act on police brutality and the legacy of slavery.

“We’re glad we’re pushing

“I went up there like at least twice a week, sometimes three times a week,” she said. Epps and her family began to look at all their options including starting a petition for the attorney general to take over the case.

During this effort, Epps received an email from the governor’s office that in-

the needle on these issues, but we want to see more changes happen,” Crews said. “Especially when we have progressive governments like we do here in Minnesota with the governor, the House, and the Senate being controlled by the DFL.”

Crews criticized recent moves by Democrats—at both the state and federal level—to give more money to law enforcement. He said the extra

surprise to McKeever’s family since they knew that neither one of the individuals in question had reached a plea deal.

Undeterred by this news, Epps reached out again to request that the state attorney general’s office be brought in to prosecute the adults, including Haynes’s sister and her partner, who are alleged to have helped

money spent on law enforcement in Minnesota in 2023 should have been spent on closing the racial wealth gap instead.

“In 2020, the Democrats rode into office off the BLM movement and off the energy from Black Lives Matter,” Crews said.

“In 2024 going forward, we want to see some serious changes as it pertains to police brutality.”

“There has to be an acknowledgment of the hurt and

In speaking with the detective, she discovered that the plea deals weren’t complete and that there was still a chance for the case to be taken over by the attorney general’s office.

“It wasn’t done. He had to go to the juvenile center to get the statement, to make the proffer complete for everything,” she said. “Once we figured out it [the plea deal] was still on the table, that it wasn’t on the record, we wanted [the suspects to be prosecuted] like how we said. We want all the cases to be tried [as adults].”

Persistence pays off

Epps’s tenacity and consistency paid off when she received a call from Governor Walz on April 6, the day before the 15-year-old alleged shooter was set to take a plea deal, that he would be appointing Ellison to the case. Overjoyed, McKeever’s loved ones finally felt as though they were now able to seek justice following her murder.

harm that has been done at the hands of law enforcement here in the state of Minnesota,” Garraway Allen said. “People in our community are hurting and traumatized by what happened to George Floyd and to many other human beings before and after George Floyd.”

Cole Miska welcomes reader comments at cmiska@spokesman-recorder.com.

and robberies should have the chance to turn their lives around. But those charged with heinous crimes such as murder should not be given that same leniency.

Although McKeever’s family wants the juveniles tried as adults, they don’t want them sentenced to life in prison. “It would have to be at least 23 years—that’s how old she was— for the juveniles, and then life for the adults because those guys were aware of their actions. Even the juveniles were aware too,” Epps said.

One year for every year McKeever was alive—that is what Epps is seeking in the trial for her sister’s murder. She knows that it’s likely that the juveniles would only serve two-thirds of their sentence, but she hopes that there is an effort to prosecute everyone involved to the full extent of the law.

formed her that there wasn’t anything that could be done because the county attorney had informed them that they had reached a plea deal with both juveniles. This came as a

in stalking McKeever in the hours prior to her death.

Epps also reached out to others involved in the case, including the lead detective, to see what more could be done.

While Epps wants these juveniles to be tried as adults, she expressed that she is not against juvenile justice reform. She stated that those who are first-time offenders and commit crimes such as carjackings

The MSR will continue to follow this story by talking to prosecutors on both sides of the issue as well as advocates for juvenile justice reform and missing and murdered Black women and girls.

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

“We don’t need people to only come to the Square when big events are happening or for photo ops. We need politicians to pass the George Floyd Act and to provide practical solutions for both businesses and social issues in the neighborhood.”

“She was a public defender for over 30 years. So, her mindset is still stuck at public defending. That’s why she’s helping the two murderers in this case more so, versus actually being there for the victim’s family and standing up for the victim who is no longer here.”

Photos by Chris Juhn

By Nadine Matthews

Contributing Writer

The Washington, D.C. wedding circuit brought together a dynamic trio of award-winning musicians, The String Queens (TSQ). Ahead of headlining the Flint Hills Family Festival in St. Paul on June 2, Dawn Johnson, Kendall Isadore, and Elise Sharp recently spoke to the MSR about their passion for education and music.

When she sought someone to hire to play viola at a wedding, a colleague of Isadore’s suggested that his Juilliard-trained wife (Johnson) was just who she needed. “It was just wild when he said it, because there’s such a small community of string players of color,” recalled Isadore.

Later, Isadore met Sharp when they played at a variety of weddings and local galas. “We noticed that there was something special when we played classical music together. Behind the Haydn, Bach, Beethoven and Mozart, there was an element of soul and a diversity of styles,” said Isadore.

They all finally played together at a wedding six years ago and decided then to form their own trio.

All three work as educators in elementary, middle, and high schools in the D.C. area during the day and indulge their love of music outside of that. Stated Sharp, “We come from a long day of work, but TSQ is very important to all three of us, so it’s worth our time to get it together and rehearse.”

“It gets me through the day knowing that I’m going to meet up with these ladies and we’re going to create something special,” added Johnson.

Johnson, who plays viola, cellist Sharp, and violinist Isadore are in high demand. In addition to weddings and other special local events, the trio has played the vaunted stages of Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and even the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, who attended Isadore’s alma mater, Howard University.

“The feeling was surreal,” recalled Johnson. “It was an experience we’ll never forget for the rest of our lives.”

Johnson also explained that since they are mothers of daughters, it was even more special seeing Harris sworn in as VP.

They all feel that music is a cru-

cial aspect of a great overall education. Explained Sharp, “Music is the best place to be creative. It’s the best place for our kids to actually have the freedom to think on their own.

“It’s the place of discipline. It’s the place of teamwork. It’s the place of camaraderie. Absolutely, there needs to be more of it.”

Isadore added that music education also “enhances self-awareness, language, and social development.”

Because of their belief in the importance of music education, they caution educators to be discerning when implementing music programs in schools. Isadore pointed out, “Maybe there is a program in

the school, but it’s about quality. We need to evaluate orchestra and music programs the way we evaluate science and math curriculum.”

The String Queens have released several albums, the most recent of which is “Rise.” It consists of a number of popular songs from across multiple genres such as Aretha Franklin’s “You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman),” The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby,” Stevie Wonder’s “Love’s in Need of Love Today,” the Negro spiritual “Motherless Child,” P-Diddy’s “I’ll Be Missing You,” and more.

“Community is at the heart of what we do,” noted Isadore. “We also know that the world has gone through a lot over the past three years. We wanted to make sure we spoke to those things with this album.”

the most beautiful pieces of music.”

Isadore continues to be in awe of Wonder: “For me, it’s always been about Stevie Wonder. It’s the storytelling through his musicality and instrumentation. His ability to write lyrics is above reproach and every note, every lyric has a purpose.”

The unique quality of their music demands that Johnson, Sharp and Isadore not only play but also compose their music. Each audience for whom they perform gets a subtly different composition.

“The sheet music for a lot of the repertoire that we perform, allowing the instrumentation to be ready for a trio, literally does not exist,” explained Johnson. “We actually have to create our own arrangements. We’ve never performed the same piece in the same way twice.

“We’re constantly on our P’s and Q’s making sure that we’re constantly listening, revising and adapting our arrangements to make them sound increasingly better.”

Ultimately for The String Queens, their composing also comes back to the community. “We want to make sure that we’re delivering the most fulfilling, most enriching musical experience that somebody who’s paid their money to come see us perform can experience,” said Johnson.

The trio has collectively been heavily influenced by the likes of Rachmaninoff, jazz violinist Regina Carter, and Stevie Wonder. “Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto,’ stated Johnson, “is absolutely one of

The String Queens will headline the Flint Hills Family Festival on Friday, June 2 at 7 pm at Ordway Concert Hall, located at 345 Washington St. in St. Paul. For ticket info, visit bit.ly/ StringQueensOrdway.

Nadine Matthews welcomes reader comments to nmatthews@spokesmanrecorder.com.

Music can soothe, affirm, comfort, inform, and reach places and spaces where words often fail. Sister Spokesman will kick off Black Music Month with a panel discussion with media veterans, tastemakers, musicians and artists that highlight the richness of Black music.

The String Queens: (l-r) Dawn Johnson, Elise Sharp and Kendall Isadore Courtesy of The String Queens

“We’ve never performed the same piece in the same way twice.”

Why are we leaving Black women’s health behind?

By Dr. Donna Christensen, Debra Fraser-Howze and Shavon Arline-Bradley

Although Black women make up 7.7 percent of the total U.S. population, we have the highest rates of obesity in the country. Sixty percent of Black women live with obesity, which means we have higher risks for heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers related to the condition.

A lesson from Ambassador James Joseph

By Marian Wright Edelman

I recently attended a memorial service for my dear friend and former Children’s Defense Fund Board Chair Ambassador James Joseph. Ambassador Joseph was a civil rights, corporate, and philanthropic leader, including his transformative service as president and CEO of the Council on Foundations.

He was a co-founder and chair of the Association of Black Foundation Executives and a lifelong public servant. He was an advisor to four U.S. presidents beginning with President Carter, and in 1995 was appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to South Africa by President Clinton.

It was a crucial moment following Nelson Mandela’s 1994 election as South Africa’s first Black president, and Ambassador Joseph became the only American ambassador to present his credentials to President Mandela as he worked closely with his new administration.

He witnessed firsthand South Africa’s early postapartheid struggles as it sought to move away from its legacy of White supremacy, legal segregation, and racial violence towards a new future striving for truth and reconciliation. He could see the parallels between South Africa’s history and our own. He also held out hope for what both nations could become.

His own early experiences of America’s history came from his childhood in Opelousas, Louisiana, a KKK headquarters where he re-

membered lynchings and racial violence as common facts of life. Later, after graduating from Southern University and earning a master’s degree in divinity from Yale University, he returned South to serve on the faculty of Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

This was another KKK stronghold where he became a leading figure in the local Civil Rights Movement. He participated in protests where he was attacked and beaten and received death threats. But these were the years that shaped his hope for the future.

enacts the stance of the participant who is able to look beyond the evidence and see alternative possibilities… The truth is that hope is not so much an act of memory as it is an act of imagination and courage.

“There is reason for hope because moments of crisis are often moments of great possibility. These are the moments when we need to remind ourselves that we did it before and we can do it again… That was one of the reasons why the mass meeting was a staple of our movement.

“Before every street march or public demonstration, we assembled in a church or auditorium, usually a church, to inspire and persuade each other not simply to face the hostile bystanders, the police dogs, and those behind them with clubs and cattle prods. We had to keep those who stood with us focused on the potential of the human spirit as well.

The urgency for addressing obesity amongst Black women cannot be understated: As the obesity epidemic grows, the health of Black women is increasingly at risk and so is our ability to work, care for ourselves, and participate in society.

It’s not enough to acknowledge obesity for what it is, a silent killer upending Black women’s lives. Acknowledgement must be tied to immediate and impactful action. To truly stem the tide of this crisis, we must dismantle the discriminatory healthcare policies that deny access for millions of Black women to the full range of lifesaving obesity care, including FDA-approved medications.

The science clearly shows that Black women are unavoidably exposed to the societal factors that lead to obesity. Yet as a society, we’re ignoring the evidence. The data say the lived experiences of Black women—disproportionate rates of poverty, gender bias, racism, and lack of access to health care—lead to higher rates of obesity.

The American Medical Association (AMA) not only rec-

ognizes obesity as a complex, chronic disease. They also point out that racial and ethnic disparities are a major factor in the prevalence of obesity.

If the science is clear, then why has there been no effective solution to slowing the rates of obesity among Black women? The short answer is that national obesity policy is underpinned by outdated and punitive perceptions of the disease, resulting in discriminatory care and insurance coverage schemes that deny millions of Black women from accessing FDA-approved medication and treatment.

Obesity is a disease, and it must be treated as such.

For decades, treatment for obesity has largely focused on recommending a regimen of diet and exercise, fueled by the myth that obesity is simply a behavioral issue that can be remedied through lifestyle changes and “self-control.” For years we have left the doctor’s office with vague instructions to lose weight and eat healthy, made to feel weak as we battle this debilitating disease on our own.

But science has come a long way in the past 20 years, and we now realize there’s a lot more at play that, until now, we have not been able to control. Scientific breakthroughs have even proven that diet and exercise alone can be insufficient for treating obesity. Obesity is a disease, and it must be treated as such.

But access to its treatments are hard to come by. Medi-

care does not cover anti-obesity medications, nor do most Medicaid and Affordable Care Act plans. These programs are still driven by disproven notions that obesity is a behavioral issue and not a chronic disease.

As a result, patients reliant on these and other programs— including millions of Black women—are denied access to the full range of care, which includes FDA-approved obesity medications. These policies were created two decades ago when our understanding of obesity was primitive and incomplete.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently reported that nearly 42 percent of American adults have obesity. Yet nothing has changed for obesity care coverage since the AMA’s declaration that obesity is a chronic disease a decade ago.

It’s time to modernize our federal, state and private healthcare programs based on science, address this disease seriously with coverage for comprehensive care, and ensure all Black women have access to treatment and care.

The time for action is now!

Dr. Donna Christensen is the first female medical doctor to serve in Congress and serves on the Medical Advisory Board of Choose Healthy Life. Debra Fraser-Howze is the founder and president of Choose Healthy Life, a nonprofit organization that addresses health equity through the Black church. Shavon Arline-Bradley is the president and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women.

As he put it decades later, “I have been able to remain hopeful in the midst of great adversity because I learned early in life to make a distinction between hope and optimism. It is not just hopetheologians but hope-psychologists as well who remind us that optimism adopts the role of the spectator who surveys the evidence in order to infer that things are going to get better.

Hope, on the other hand,

“It was that same potential that enabled us to keep hope alive in what appeared to others to be almost hopeless situations. As [Dr. King] put in one of our mass meetings, ‘Basic to our philosophy is a deep faith in the future. Ours is a movement based on hope because when hope fades the movement dies.’”

Ambassador Joseph also loved to quote Czech leader and writer Vaclav Havel: “I am not an optimist because I do not believe that everything ends well. Nor am I a pessimist because I do not believe that everything ends badly. But I could not accomplish anything if I did not have hope within me, for the gift of hope is as big as the gift of life itself.”

It was fitting that South Africa awarded Ambassador Joseph the Order of Good Hope, its highest honor bestowed on a citizen of another country, because he sustained the gift of good hope his entire life.

By Chuck Richardson

The recent death of a New York homeless man, Jordan Neely, is not merely a reflection of two individuals caught in a Shakespearian tragedy— one, the victim Neely, and the other, Penny Daniels, the perpetrator of the crime. Rather, this incident is a microcosmic reflection of many White Americans’ view of Black lives.

The “Black Lives Matter” slogan was prompted by the realization that George Floyd’s horrific death by a White policeman was a stark representation of many Americans’ subconscious lack of value for the life of a Black American.

hold would result in the death of the individual being strangled, usually administered against the enemy.

Marine Corp training is complete, thorough and explicit. There are no exceptions or excuses for not understanding the consequences of behavior. In the Marine Corp, the consequences of a mistake are punishment that is brutal and severe. I distinctly recall the practice of mass punishment by drill instructors—that is, if one Marine in a platoon made a mistake, the entire platoon was punished. This ensured the unlikelihood of any Marine forgetting his or her training.

While the experience of viewing a homeless Black person acting strangely can be traumatic for most White Americans, it is no reason to suspend common sense behavior. Daniels suspended the use of his knowledge that his hold on Jordan Neely would kill him. He was taught this fact emphatically and as effectively as he was taught to execute a naked stranglehold.

submissions@spokesman-recorder.com

During a 2020 interview, Ambassador Joseph had the chance to look back over his lifetime of experiences and connect them to the growing movements for racial justice following George Floyd’s murder. When asked what he would say to the next generation of social activists, he answered: “This is your moment. A lot of attention is given to our movement in the ’60s, but those were different times.

“We accomplished a lot, and we left a lot undone. This is your opportunity to complete the American Revolution.” This is a reason for hope.

Marian Wright Edelman is founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund.

The solution to this subliminal reality will not be defined by the conviction of the perpetrator, Daniels. Penny Daniels’ 15-minute stranglehold suffocation of Jordan Neely was a clear and concise example that revealed the death of Neely was never even considered in the mind of Mr. Daniels, or few if any of the White observers on the scene.

This incident reinforces the long-held belief (since slavery) that a Black person’s life is immaterial or three-fifths, at best, the value of White lives when compared with the safety of White lives.

As a Marine, I was trained to execute what was called a naked stranglehold on an opponent. We were also fully advised that beyond two and a half to three minutes, a successfully sustained strangle-

It therefore goes without saying that, if Penny Daniels learned the naked stranglehold in the Marine Corp, he also learned the consequences would be death if maintained longer than two and half to three minutes.

It is possible, but highly implausible, that Daniels did not realize that Neely could very well die. But, Daniels is unable to plead ignorance—ignorance of the law is no excuse. However, he could plead a subliminal lack of value and respect for the life of a Black person. Therefore, he felt no compunction to release Neely after three or four minutes.

While I loathe any references to hypothetical, I would venture to say, had Jordan Neely been a blonde-headed White homeless person, Penny Daniels most certainly would have thought about releasing him before he expired. Daniels fully realized that there are consequences to the death of a White man.

The larger implication here is that Penny Daniels is the culprit of Jordan Neely’s death. But the real killer is yet at large—a racist and subliminal mentality.

Chuck Richardson is a decorated Marine veteran with two purple hearts and a Vietnamese cross of gallantry.

Daniel Penny’s Marine training taught him that Jordan Neely would die

“A lot of attention is given to our movement in the ’60s, but those were different times. We accomplished a lot, and we left a lot undone. This is your opportunity to complete the American Revolution.”

“Black Lives Matter” slogan was prompted by the realization that George Floyd’s horrific death by a White policeman was a stark representation of many Americans’ subconscious lack of value for the life of a Black American.

Homebuying tips from lenders

more and more buyers looking for a down payment they can afford.

As you can see, in order to ensure your own success in the homebuying process, it’s important to enlist the services of a lender who specializes in this important work. The good news is there’s lots of them out there!

As we continue our series of articles on the successful pursuit of homeownership, we’d be remiss if we didn’t discuss what to look for in a lender. These professionals have an important role to play in advancing homeownership equity, and you need to make sure the lender you choose to work with will take the time to accommodate your unique needs. This is especially true when it comes to utilizing special programs such as first-time buyer financing and down payment assistance.

The fact is most loan officers are paid on commission. That is, they make more money by successfully closing more loans. Just as there are myths around homeownership that cause people to believe its simply not achievable for them, there are myths in the mortgage industry around working with lower income buyers using FHA financing or down payment assistance that cause some loan officers to believe such transactions are risky. The Minnesota Homeownership Center and the Homeownership Opportunity Alliance are working with the state’s lender professional organizations to dispel these myths, which are listed below so you know what to look for as you talk to mortgage lender professionals:

MYTH: Transactions using down payment assistance are less likely to close successfully.

FACT: There’s no difference in the closing

rate between transactions using down payment assistance and those not using this resource.+

MYTH: Processing transactions using down payment assistance takes too much time and effort.

FACT: Teams with the expertise onboard to quickly and efficiently process down payment assistance transactions have a larger and growing pool of potential business to draw from. Down payment assistance is becoming more and more common in transactions due to rising home prices and interest rates.

MYTH: You can’t use more than one down payment assistance program in a single transaction.

FACT: Many down payment assistance programs can be combined, or layered, in a single transaction. Guidelines around this vary from program to program, and from institution to institution.

MYTH: Working with lower-income

households lowers my annual earnings.

FACT: Since lower-income households are one of the fastest-growing segments of

To assist your search even more, we asked several local lending representatives active in the Homeownership Opportunity Alliance for their best pieces of advice. Here’s what they had to say:

“Anyone looking toward homeownership and who has questions, doubts or just need help on where to start, should reach out to a local housing non-profit agency. There is a large network of organizations that specialize in helping people create a path to homeownership. Many of these services come at no cost to the buyer and provide education and resources that will demystify the process and help make their homeownership dreams a reality.” –Brian Crosby, VP Community Accountability Officer, Associated Bank

“Just get started and take that first step. Talk to a homeownership advisor. Attend a homebuying class. Meet with a lender. Learn ‘where you are’ so you know what you need to do to get where you need to be. You may be surprised to learn you are already there!

Homeownership Is Within Reach!” –Tiffany Phillips, Mortgage Community Development Loan Officer, Bell Bank Mortgage

the homebuyer market, there’s more business available at this level than any other. More transactions equal higher income.

MYTH: Transactions using government loans such as FHA or VA are riskier for sellers than conventionally financed transactions.

FACT: Buyers approved for government loans are no riskier than those using conventional financing. Government loans do require a more stringent property appraisal process than conventional loans, but the required fixes to complete the sale are not likely to derail the transaction. Additionally, from a practical standpoint, government loan buyers are a fast-growing segment of the market, and strong growth will likely continue as rising home prices and interest rates attract

“Buy the home you can AFFORD. Sit down with a homeownership advisor. Take a class. Sit down with a lender and do a consultation. Learn about your options (FHA; conventional; etc…). And there’s no such thing as a closing with no money brought to the table. Even with down payment assistance, there are still other costs such as prepaid escrow and title fees that need to be accounted for. Most important, you should never settle for a ‘fast no.’ There are lots of lenders willing to work with you as you work to get to ‘yes,’ no matter how long it takes.” –Trent Bowman, VP Community Impact Manager, Bremer Mortgage

As you can see, each of these lenders lists working with a homeownership advisor and taking a homeownership education class as critical components for success. You can find advisors and classes for yourself at HOCMN. org. Homeownership is possible. We can show you how.

For more information on the Minnesota Homeownership Center and its advisor and education services, visit www.HOCMN.org.

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Since lower-income households are one of the fastestgrowing segments of the homebuyer market, there’s more business available at this level than any other.

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BBS

Continued from page 4

School for Recording Arts] for four years. During Covid, we tried to do curbside there. To the founder of the school, David T. Ellis, I’d like to just say a really, really big thanks to him. He didn’t know how much he helped me.

MSR: What’s the vision for the future of your business?

CS: My two-year goal is to pay back my loans that I took to build this. It took $450,000 to just create this kitchen right here, which is a catering kitchen. I love cooking for schools.

I would like to get two school contracts. I’d also like to reach the point where I can offer prepped meals, so that when

people pass by after school, they can grab a meal to take home. Sometimes, your mom or dad isn’t home, so you don’t have dinner ready.

MSR: What does success look like for you?

house and on my truck. I want

ple, have someone to manage big corporate accounts and to have a banquet manager.

MSR: What advice would you give aspiring entrepreDon’t give up. Sometimes it’s hard. Stick with it. Don’t just say, I want to be an entrepreneur and make money. You’ve got to love it. Once you have that love for it, that desire will make you push yourself more, just to West Indies Soul Food is located at 839 University Ave W Suite 103, St Paul, MN. For more information go to the restaurant website, or call (651) 726-4120.

Chris Juhn welcomes reader comments at cjuhn@spokesman-recorder.com.

owner,” notes Spears.

Continued from page 4

enough money to cover your necessities, including housing, utilities, food and health care. If you do not currently have a consistent income, it may be worth furthering your education or gaining new skills to increase your income potential.

Monitor your spending

Spending more money than you have on items and experiences is easier to do than it may originally seem. By tracking your spending, you can identify where your dollars are going and potential areas for improvement.

Proactively save

Once you have a steady stream of income and understand where it’s going, you can then begin to proactively start saving. One easy and effective way to do so is to set up automatic transfers from your paycheck into a savings account.

Look for financial education opportunities

Working with a financial institution like Bremer Bank or finding financial literacy classes to fill any gaps in your finance knowledge and learn more about available resources are valuable ways to build wealth. Understanding how money works, how to invest, how to improve

your credit score, and how to effectively manage finances can go a long way. This is especially true for BIPOC communities who have historically faced barriers to education and financial literacy.

Create a financial plan

Financial institutions like Bremer Bank, professional financial planners and community organizations can serve as a valuable resource in working with you to create a personalized financial plan.

Homeownership Homeownership is a critical way to build generational wealth, providing stability and allowing families to build equity to pass down to future generations. While BIPOC families have historically faced discrimination in the housing market, making it more difficult to buy homes, many programs and resources are available today to help combat these challenges.

neurship, with a study by the Association for Enterprise Opportunity reporting that Black business owners have 12 times more wealth than Black wage earners.

Investing

Building generational wealth is crucial for everyone – especially for the economic empowerment of BIPOC communities. Education and knowledge, homeownership, entrepreneurship, and investing are all essential tools to leverage when building generational wealth.

“These plans help identify your goals and your understanding of where you are now and where you would like to be in the future, regardless of whether you’re an individual or a business

Entrepreneurship

Starting a business is an opportunity to create a legacy and build wealth to pass down to future generations.

BIPOC communities have a long history of entrepre-

While investing in stocks, mutual funds, and real estate can provide significant longterm return, limited access to investment opportunities and education, particularly for BIPOC communities, paired with fears about financial uncertainties or downturns can cause natural hesitation. Before investing, seek the expertise of financial advisors and investment professionals who understand the opportunities and unique challenges faced by BIPOC communities.

Your newspaper has agreed to participate in the Minnesota Display Ad Network program by running these ads in the main news section of your newspaper (not the classified section of your newspaper). At times, advertisers may request a specific section. However, the decision is ultimately up to each newspaper. Ads may need to be decreased/increased slightly in size to fit your column sizes. Please do not bill for these ads. If you have questions, please call MNA at 800/279-2979. Thank you.

The most important part of setting and reaching your savings and wealth building goals is seeking information to fully understand your financial situation and options — and Bremer Bank can help! Our team of banking experts are well-equipped to help guide you down the path that makes the most sense for your per sonal financial needs. Learn more at bremer.com.

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PREP

Continued from page 12

a Minneapolis firefighter and former Nebraska teammate (1983-85), who hosted Sheppard during his recruiting visit, learned about Sheppard’s greatness upon his arrival on campus.

“We had this rule,” recalled Rucker, a 1980 Central graduate who played cornerback. “If you miss a tackle, you run the stadium stairs. Von let it be known that we [the defense] were going to be running a lot.”

Rucker and his teammates on defense didn’t think much of it, just a bunch of babble from an overconfident freshman. “We ended up running the stadium steps,” Rucker said

VIEw

Continued from page 12

Staurowsky co-authored

“College Athletes for Hire,” a landmark study on the financial shortfall for athletes on full scholarships, as well as a study that exposed how NCAA sports “robs” predominately Black college football and basketball players of billions in generational wealth. She also gave expert testimony in the O’Bannon lawsuit trial.

Over the years, tthe professor and former college

RIChaRdSon

Continued from page 12

player I can be every day. I’m trying to learn from the guys around me at this level and in the big leagues.

“I’m just trying to be a sponge and just be ready anytime.”

Woods Richardson was in a dueling no-hitter with Rochester Red Wings starter Cory Albert on April 28, in one of

Employment & Legals

smiling. “We couldn’t catch him. He was a great teammate.”

Sheppard, who also excelled in track and field during his collegiate career, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1988, spent two seasons playing professional football in Europe, and ended his playing career by trying out with the Minnesota Vikings in 1990.

In 1992, he worked at the University of St. Thomas as coordinator of multicultural affairs and assistant football and track and field coach.

While at St. Thomas he coached a track and field athlete named Leonard Jones

“Coach Sheppard was a great coach and mentor,” said Jones.

“He provided me with the motivation I needed to succeed

athletic director has taken our calls for her expert analysis on issues in college sports. She recently talked to the MSR, which asked if the NCAA is using NIL as a delay tactic to avoid the paying college athletes. “I do think the NCAA has been incredibly consistent over the years doing everything they possibly can, not to recognize the labor force that works for them and that generates the revenue [for big-time schools and universities],” said Staurowsky. “I don’t think that’s accidental,

the better pitched ball games this season. A few days earlier, the Saints starter set a season-high in most consecutive batters retired (12).

In the Rochester game, he was perfect through four innings and faced the minimum through five. Albert retired the first 10 men he faced before a one-out walk in the fourth.

“I really didn’t know,” recalled Woods Richardson, who was pitching a no-hitter.

Security Consultants: Multiple Openings NetSPI, LLC in Minneapolis, MN.

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not only in athletics but in life.”

Jones, who teamed with Martez Williams to lead Patrick Henry High School to the Class AA state championship in 1990, became a track and field All-American and a Hall of Famer at St. Thomas as a long, high, and triple jumper. He is currently a dean of students at Robbinsdale Cooper High School.

Sheppard moved on from St. Thomas to make his mark as an educator. As principal at Dayton’s Bluff Achievement Elementary School in St. Paul from 2001-2005, Sheppard and school staff improved student achievement from 17 percent at standard to 76 percent in the first three years.

“He was a person of enormous talent and compassion,”

given the fact that the NCAA has been so effective in its messaging over the years. This is all just camouflage to give the appearance that something meaningful is actually happening,when athletes continue to get crumbs from the table.” No matter how huge some NIL deals seem to be, it’s minuscule in comparison to the megadeals schools and the NCAA get from television rights.

A “USA Today” report last week showed that the Power Five conferences combined for over $3.3 billion in revenue during

“I was just so locked in the moment. I just know I was doing really well, executing my pitches and giving my team a chance to win.

“It was a pitchers’ duel,”he said. “How blessed and fortunate to be in one of those games. I actually had a lot of fun,” said Woods Richardson.

“I tip my cap to him [Albert] because he put his team in a position to win.”

Woods Richardson is work-

said Joe Nathan, former executive of the Center for School Change, who met Sheppard as 13-year-old student at Murray Junior High School in St. Paul, while he was serving as assistant principal during the late 1970s. “We stayed in touch over the years as he moved into education.”

Sheppard relocated to Texas in 2018, and remained there until his passing, having excelled in life as an athlete, educator, and human being. Smaller put it best in his closing remarks at the memorial service:

“He was one of the best athletes I’ve ever coached. He was a great man.”

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

the 2022 fiscal year.

The Big Ten had the greatest revenue total with $845.6 million. Minnesota and each member school other than Nebraska, Maryland and Rutgers got about $58.8 million.

“When you add all of the stuff,” concluded Staurowsky, “athletes once again are getting pennies compared to what all those other people [coaches and other top officials] are making.”

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

ing on mastering all his pitches, though he quickly noted, “You’re never going to master everything.” But more importantly, he wants to help St. Paul win and ultimately make the majors and stay there.

“That’s all I’m really trying to do right now. Don’t get too rushed.”

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

From Display Ad Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

Reporting Specialist full-time, M-F.

Solid, LLC., of Saint Paul is seeking a Reporting Specialist full-time, M-F. Duties include:

PHONE: 612-827-4021

Dated:

STATE OF MINNESOTA FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT

COUNTY OF HENNEPIN DISTRICT COURT PROBATE DIVISION

Estate of Court File No. 27-PA-PR-23-642

Nancy Petran, Decedent NOTICE OF INFORMAL APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Notice is given that an application for informal probate of the Decedent’s Will, dated January 23, 2023, (“Will”), has been filed with the Registrar. The application has been granted.

Notice is also given that the Registrar has informally appointed John Gus Petran, whose address is 4604 East Highway 61, , Grand Marais, Minnesota, 55604, as personal representative of the Estate of the Decedent. Any heir, devisee or other interested person may be entitled to appointment as personal representative or may object to the appointment of the personal representative. Unless objections are filed with the Court (pursuant to Minnesota Statutes section 524.3-607) and the Court otherwise orders, the personal representative has full power to administer the Estate, including, after 30 days from the date of issuance of letters, the power to sell, encumber, lease or distribute real estate.

Any objections to the probate of the Will or appointment of the Personal Representative must be filed with this Court and will be heard by the Court after the filing of an appropriate petition and proper notice of hearing.

From Display Ad Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

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beginning 5/21/2023 Metro

Open to telecommuting from anywhere in the U.S. Req. Master’s deg. in Software or Electrical Engr. or Information Tech. or closely rel. technical deg. & 2 yrs. exp. as a Software Engineer or rel. position; or Bachelor’s degree & 5 yrs. exp. Must poss. a min. of 2 yrs. exp. w/each of the following: designing & developing code frmwks. & application code for both Android & iOS; designing & developing Functional Test Plans, Test Objectives, Test Methods & Test Reports; Bluetooth LE & data synch. techniques & tools; root cause analysis, debugging techniques, & proof of concept examples; Flutter, Objective-C, Swift, Java & SQL; & XCode, Android Studio or Visual Studio, Postman & Swagger. Apply at https://jobs.medtronic.com/, Req. #230005WQ. No agencies or phone calls. Medtronic is an equal opportunity employer committed to cultural diversity in the workplace. All individuals are encouraged to apply.

Dated: May 17, 2023 Sara Gonsalves Court Administrator

This instrument was drafted by:

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Employment & Legals

CONDEMNATION

STATE OF MINNESOTA IN DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF HENNEPIN FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Case Type: Condemnation Court File No.: 27-CV-23-4764 State of Minnesota, by its Commissioner of Transportation, Petitioner, vs. Keats Bloomington, LLC

Respondents. IN THE MATTER OF THE CONDEMNATION OF CERTAIN LANDS FOR TRUNK HIGHWAY PURPOSES NOTICE

To the Respondents hereinabove named:

You, and each of you, are hereby notified that on August 4, 2023, at 1:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as counsel can be heard, before Judge Joseph R. Klein, in the at Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, via remote hearing, the Petitioner will present a Petition now on file herein for the condemnation of certain lands for trunk highway purposes. This hearing will not be in person at the Courthouse. This hearing will not be in person at the courthouse. The remote hearing may be accessed by video at https://Zoomgov.com/join, or by phone at 833-568-8864. For either method, the Meeting ID is 161 976 9066 and the Meeting Password is 069902. A copy of the Petition is attached hereto and incorporated herein.

YOU, AND EACH OF YOU, ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED, that Petitioner will also move the court for an order transferring title and possession to Petitioner of the parcels described in the Petition in accordance with Minn. Stat. §117.042, as of September 8, 2023.

YOU, AND EACH OF YOU, ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED, that all persons occupying the property described in the petition must VACATE THE AREA BEING

ACQUIRED AND MOVE ALL OF YOUR PERSONAL PROPERTY FROM THE AREA BEING ACQUIRED ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 8, 2023. All advertising signs or devices located in the area being acquired must be removed by September 8, 2023.

YOU, AND EACH OF YOU, ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED, that (1) a party wishing to challenge the public use or public purpose, necessity, or authority for a taking must appear at the court hearing and state the objection or must appeal within 60 days of a court order; and (2) a court order approving the public use or public purpose, necessity, and authority for the taking is final unless an appeal is brought within 60 days after service of the order on the party.

Dated: 5-3-2023 KEITH ELISON Attorney General State of Minnesota

s/Mathew Ferche Mathew Ferche Assistant Attorney General Atty. Reg. No. 0391282 445 Minnesota Street, Suite 1400 St. Paul, MN 55101-2134 (651) 757-1457 (Voice) (651) 282-2525(TTY) ATTORNEY FOR PETITIONER STATE OF MINNESOTA IN DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF HENNEPIN FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Case Type: Condemnation - - - -State of Minnesota, by its Commissioner of Transportation, Petitioner, vs. Keats Bloomington, LLC, Minnesota Bank & Trust, Goodwill Industries, Inc., County of Hennepin, Northern States Power Company, doing business as Xcel Energy, The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, National Association, BNY Midwest Trust Company, Richfield Realty Holdings, II, LLC, Richfield Realty Holdings, LLC, DMT SPE I, LLC c/o Dwight Capital, KOTN Acquisitions, LLC, Richfield Opco LLC, doing business as Richfield A. Villa Center, Fortis Management Leasing NH, LLC, Unknown heirs of Joseph H. Ranft, Margaret Deichelbohrer, John Ranft, Asian Direct Oriental Market, Inc., doing business as Asian Direct Oriental Market, Steve Ranft, Greg Goodman, Mary G. Munoz, Pachyderm Properties, LLC, The Sherwin-Williams Company, Realty Income Properties 3, LLC, Northern Tier Retail, LLC, doing business as Speedway SuperAmerica #4188, Texas SFI Partnership 49 LTD, SFI Limited Partnership 18, SFI Ltd. Partnership 57, West Bloomington Motel, Inc., Bridgewater Bank, also all other persons unknown claiming any right, title, estate, interest or lien in the real estate described in the Petition herein, Respondents. - - - - -

IN THE MATTER OF THE CONDEMNATION OF CERTAIN LANDS FOR TRUNK HIGHWAY PURPOSES - - - -PETITION

To the District Court above named the State of Minnesota brings this Petition and respectfully states and alleges:

I.

That Trunk Highway Legislative Route numbered 393, which has been renumbered 494, and which has been located according to law and designated as a controlled access highway, passes over the lands herein described.

That it is duly covered by Right of Way Plat Orders numbered 99799, 99800, and 99801; and by Designation Order numbered 28880.

II.

That the Commissioner of Transportation deems it necessary that the State of Minnesota for trunk highway purposes obtain the lands herein described in fee simple absolute as to Parcels 241C and 241E; and an easement as to Parcels 214C and 403, together with the following rights:

To acquire all trees, shrubs, grass and herbage within the right of way herein to be taken, and to keep and have the exclusive control of the same, to acquire a temporary easement in those cases which are herein particularly mentioned.

It is the intention of the above-named Petitioner to move the court for an order authorizing the Court Administrator to accept and deposit payments, in an interestbearing account, from the Petitioner to the court pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 117.042. 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:

SoE

Continued from page 12

that made opening day rosters last weekend. The two were Minnesota college teammates. “She’s the same goofy one and I’m still silly,” said the frontcourt player of Banham, who is in her eighth WNBA season and fourth with the Lynx.

“I’m just working my way back to finding myself on the court, playing confident and being happy,” said Zahui B. “I’m just so happy to be back in the W, and I’m on a team that genuinely loves me and wants me to be

Certificate of Title No. 1087295, said easement shall cease on December 1, 2028, or on such earlier date upon which the Commissioner of Transportation determines by formal order that it is no longer needed for highway purposes; And also a temporary easement for highway purposes in that part of Lot 2, Block 1, WILSON SUBSTATION IN BLOOMINGTON, except that part which is registered in Certificate of Title No. 1087295, shown as Parcel 222C on Minnesota Department of Transportation Right of Way Numbered 27-241 as the same on file and of record in the office of the County Recorder in and for Hennepin County, Minnesota, by the temporary easement symbol, said easement shall cease on December 1, 2028, or on such earlier date upon which the Commissioner of Transportation determines by formal order that it is no longer needed for highway purposes.

Names of parties interested in the above-described land and nature of interest:

Northern States Power Company, doing business as Xcel Energy Fee

The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, National Association Mortgage

BNY Midwest Trust Company Mortgage County of Hennepin Taxes and Special Assessments

FEE ACQUISITION Parcel 241C C.S. 2785 (494=393) 903 S.P. 2785-424RW

symbol, said easement shall cease on December 1, 2028, or on such earlier date upon which the Commissioner of Transportation determines by formal order that it is no longer needed for highway purposes.

All of the following:

That part of the West Half of the Southwest Quarter of the Southwest Quarter of the Southwest Quarter of Section 35, Township 28 North, Range 24 West, shown as Parcel 241C on Minnesota Department of Transportation Right of Way Numbered 27-239 as the same on file and of record in the office of the County Recorder in and for Hennepin County, Minnesota; containing 3344 square feet, more or less, of which 3300 square feet are encumbered by an existing roadway easement; together with other rights as set forth below, forming and being part of said Parcel 241C:

Temporary Easement:

A temporary easement for highway purposes as shown on said as to said Parcel 241C by the temporary easement symbol, said easement shall cease on December 1, 2028, or on such earlier date upon which the Commissioner of Transportation determines by formal order that it is no longer needed for highway purposes.

Names of parties interested in the above-described land and nature of interest:

Richfield Realty Holdings, II, LLC Fee

Richfield Realty Holdings, LLC Fee

DMT SPE I,

Amanda Zahui B.

greater than I’ve ever been.”

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

All of the following: That part of the Southwest Quarter of the Southwest Quarter of the Southwest Quarter of Section 35, Township 28 North, Range 24 West, shown as Parcel 241E on Minnesota Department of Transportation Right of Way Numbered 27-239 as the same on file and of record in the office of the County Recorder in and for Hennepin County, Minnesota; containing 230 , more or less, all of which is encumbered by a roadway easement; together with other rights as set forth below, forming and being part of said Parcel 241E: Temporary Easement: A temporary easement for highway purposes as shown on said as to said Parcel 241E by the temporary easement symbol, said easement shall cease on December 1, 2028, or on such earlier date upon which the Commissioner of Transportation determines by formal order that it is no longer needed for highway purposes.

Names of parties interested in the above-described land and nature of interest:

Unknown heirs of Joseph H. Ranft, deceased Fee Unknown heirs of Joseph H. Ranft, deceased Fee John Ranft Claimant of an Interest Mary G. Munoz Claimant of an Interest Asian Direct Oriental Market, Inc., doing business as Asian Direct Oriental Market Claimant of an Interest Steve Ranft Claimant of an Interest Margaret Deichelbohrer Claimant of an Interest Greg Goodman Claimant of an Interest Richfield Opco LLC, doing

A/1 Contract No. 24-034

Names of parties interested in the above-described land and nature of interest: Texas SFI Partnership 49 LTD Fee SFI Limited Partnership 18 SFI Ltd. Partnership 57 Easement County of Hennepin Taxes and Special Assessments Parcel 502 C.S. 2785 (494=393) 904 S.P. 2785-424RW

All of the following: A temporary easement for highway purposes in that part of Lot 1, Block 1, THRIFTY SCOT ADDITION, shown as Parcel 502 on Minnesota Department of Transportation

Right of Way Numbered 27-240 as the same on file and of record in the office of the Registrar of Titles in and for Hennepin County, Minnesota, by the temporary easement symbol; the title thereto being registered as evidenced by Certificate of Title No. 1176829, said easement shall cease on December 1, 2028, or on such earlier date upon which the Commissioner of Transportation determines by formal order that it is no longer needed for highway purposes.

Names of parties interested in the above-described land and nature of interest: West Bloomington Motel, Inc. Fee Bridgewater Bank Mortgage County of Hennepin Taxes and Special Assessments

WHEREFORE, Your Petitioner prays that commissioners be appointed to appraise the damages which may be occasioned by such taking, and that such proceedings may be had herein as are provided by law.

Dated: April 11, 2023 KEITH ELLISON Attorney General State of Minnesota s/Mathew Ferche MATHEW FERCHE Assistant Attorney General Atty. Reg. No. 0391282 445 Minnesota Street, Suite 1800

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Sealed proposals will be received by the Public Housing Agency of the City of Saint Paul at 200 East Arch Street, Saint Paul, MN 55130 for JANITORIAL SERVICES AT THE MCDONOUGH COMMUNITY CENTER, Contract No. 24-034, until Wednesday 11:00 a.m., local time on June 7, 2023. Proposals may be submitted electronically, in a pdf format, to Northstar Imaging, www. northstarplanroom.com, or may be delivered to the address above.

A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held in conjunction with a Pre-Proposal Tour on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at the McDonough Community Center, 1544 Timberlake Rd., Saint Paul, MN 55117. Immediately following the conference there will be a Pre-Proposal Tour. All questions arising from this pre-proposal conference will be addressed by addendum, if necessary.

A complete set of proposal documents are available by contacting Northstar Imaging at 651-686-0477 or www.northstarplanroom.com, under public plan room, JANITORIAL SERVICES AT THE MCDONOUGH COMMUNITY CENTER, Contract No. 24-034. Digital downloads are at no charge, contact Northstar for hard copy pricing. Proposals must be accompanied by an Equal Employment Opportunity form, and a MN Responsible Contractor Compliance Affidavit.

The PHA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or to waive any informalities in the proposal process. AN EQUAL Mariam Mohamed OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER PROJECT TECHNICIAN (651) 292-3179 Mariam.Mohamed@stpha.org Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder May 25, 2023

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Photo by Charles Hallman

Zahui B. finds happiness with Washington Sheppard made his mark Zahui B. finds happiness with Washington

even-year WNBA veteran Amanda Zahui

B.[Bazoukou] is one of three league-tenured players the Washington Mystics added to its 2023 roster during the off-season.

Zahui B. sat out the 2022 season, after being suspended. She told us she first learned that she was suspended by the Los Angeles Sparks via social media. Instead of playing her second season in LA, the time off became a period of personal rediscovery.

“I’m really happy to be in Washington,” exclaimed Zahui

B. after the Mystics’ preseason game in Minnesota earlier this month. The 6’5” Swedish native looked happier and svelte, ready to compete.

Too many sports fans believe that pro athletes are stone cold machines, wired to perform and devoid of any feelings. They are not often allowed to be emotional and rarely receive empathy when it is warranted.

Zahui B. played two seasons as a Gopher (2013-15), before she was selected the second overall pick by Tulsa [now Dallas Wings] in 2015, and played there for a season. She then played five seasons in New York (2016-20), the 2021 season in Los Angeles, where she posted her best year in the W, averaging over nine points a game in 30 games.

The Sparks later announced that it was her limited availability for the 2022 season,

because of her overseas obligations, that led to the suspension. Zahui B. said that was news to her.

She has played year-round basketball since she was on the Swedish national team at age 13. The 2022 hiatus from basketball “was my first season off in 16 years,” recalled 29-year-old Zahui B. “It was more so very stressful not knowing how to deal with not being on a regular schedule.”

Nonetheless, looking back, “I think it was meant to be,” she

reflected. “It was hard during that time, but now I’m really

also secure some long-needed family time. “Allowing myself to rest physically and mentally definitely helped. It was really nice actually seeing the whole family, spending time with the babies…cousins and nieces and nephews.

“Just spending time in Sweden—that was great. I haven’t been to Sweden for more than a week for so long.”

On Feb. 7, Zahui B. was signed by Washington two days after her rights were traded to the Mystics from Los Angeles via Las Vegas for a 2024 and 2025 second-round pick.

“I talked to Coach T [firstyear HC Eric Thibault]. And pretty much right after that… it felt right,” said Zahui B., who won the May 2021 WNBA Community Assist Award for her participation in health and wellness programming, contributions to the LGBTQ+ community, and dedicating her time to helping the homeless.

In 2021, she also started a book club with a local 14-yearold girls AAU basketball team that focused on Black authors and met with them via Zoom, to read and discuss passages.

With that said, the operative word is ‘happy.’ This season, Zahui B. is expected to anchor Washington’s second unit. “It’s a different thing when it feels right in your soul.

I was really, really happy with that,” she stressed.

peaking at Von Sheppard’s memorial service at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Minneapolis last week, Floyd Smaller, legendary retired St. Paul Central football, basketball, track and field coach and educator, recalled the day one of the most gifted athletes he ever coached broke the long jump record at the Class AA state track meet in 1982.

“We were halfway to Stillwater High School for the state track meet,” Smaller recalled, “when he said it.”

“Coach,” Sheppard said to him at the time, “I forgot my [track] shoes.”

“I couldn’t believe it,” Smaller said.

last month at the age of 58, broke the state long-jump record that day with a leap of 24’ 9.25” and went on to become one of the best student-athletes and educators to ever come out of Minnesota.

The record has stood for 41 years.

At 5’10” and 175 pounds, Sheppard dominated the athletic scene from 1981 through 1983, to become an All-American tailback in football and allconference shooting guard in basketball for St. Paul Central.

happy that it happened.”

The time off also allowed her to not only recharge, but

Saints pitcher Woods Richardson keeps on trying

By Charles Hallman Sports Columnist

aseball traditionally has a natural pace unlike other sports—three strikes you’re out, nine innings and so forth. But in recent years the game has been tinkered with in order to appease and attract younger folk whose attention span at sporting events mostly can’t exceed two hours.

Minor League Baseball usually serves as a Petri dish for experimenting with new rules. A pitch clock, larger bases, and an automated ball-strike (ABS) system were put in place in 2022. Now two of these three are in the majors this season.

The ABS is now being used in the minors, including Triple A this season. Called “robot umps,” this reminds me of the space-age cartoon classic “The Jetsons” in which robots did human functions.

make the game more accurate,” said St. Paul Saints starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson. He was the first Saints pitcher this season to challenge a robo-called ball four, but he lost the challenge and walked the batter.

“It’s a smaller strike zone,” noted the righthander of ABS.

Zahui B. and Rachel Banham are two former Gophers

■ See SOE on page 11

Upon arrival at the meet, Smaller talked about his frantic search for track shoes for his star, student-athlete. “Finally, the coach from Patrick Henry High School came up with some shoes,” he said. “And they fit.”

Sheppard, who passed away

“He was the best athlete I ever saw and the best I ever played with,” said Christopher Hayes, a fellow 1983 Central graduate, and teammate of Sheppard’s in football and basketball. “As a matter of fact, there wasn’t a sport he couldn’t play.”

Sheppard earned a football scholarship to the University of Nebraska playing wing back for the national power from 1983-88.

Former Minneapolis Central football great Charles Rucker,

■ See Prep on page 10

Is the NCAA using NIL to avoid the employment issue?

ormer UCLA basketball great Ed O’Bannon’s class-action lawsuit decision against the NCAA in 2014, ruled that not paying college athletes for their name, image and likeness in video games violated antitrust laws.

Seven years later in 2021, in NCAA v. Alston, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the organization again violated antitrust laws by capping the value of athletic scholarships.

ing student-athletes. Now, with NIL, which in many ways was created by the O’Bannon and Alston lawsuits, the issue is still unresolved.

Last October, the NCAA introduced a second set of clarifications on how existing NCAA rules apply to its interim NIL policy, including Division I member schools’ involvement in NIL activities. This in essence has led to the rise of NIL collectives that are

ese ($1.4M) and Flau’jae Johnson ($812,000) are two Black women listed among the top spots.

EA Sports announced last week that it has a licensing deal with One Team Parties that features a $5 million pool for 10,000 eligible FBS football players, regardless of position, that will pay $500 to each player for their name, image

Instead of human umpires calling balls and strikes behind the plate, a computer makes the calls during games. Each team starts the game with three challenges; only the batter, the catcher or the pitcher can make a challenge, which must be made immediately following the umpire’s call.

“The ABS is supposed to

“I don’t know how to deal with it. I just take it one day at a time.”

The 22-year-old hurler, a 2018 second-round draft pick by the New York Mets and acquired by the Minnesota Twins a couple of seasons ago, is a nostalgic soul at heart when it comes to baseball. He admitted as much to us during a bullpen workout session.

“The umpires are such a crucial part of the game,” continued Woods Richardson, the team’s only African American pitcher. “I love the game for what it was and what it is, and how I grew up watching.”

Now in his second season in St. Paul, Woods Richardson was briefly called up to the big league club in the last month of the 2022 season. He went back to Minnesota earlier this season for a couple of days in late April, but was sent back across the river to St. Paul.

“I’m trying to absorb as much as I can day-by-day,” said Woods Richardson. “I’m trying to be the best baseball

■ See Richardson on page 10

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that the NCAA not paying athletes “would be flatly illegal in almost any other industry in America.”

However, that ruling did not address the issue of pay-

College

growing almost every day.

Front Office Sports last week reported that LSU has four of the top 10 women’s sports athletes’ in NIL earning potential. According to On3, basketball players Angel Re-

and likeness on EA’s new 2024 college football video game.

These NIL deals, large or small, that male and female college athletes can now get appear on the surface to be a win-win for the players. But are they?

“I think [the NCAA] has used NIL to its advantage in terms of not addressing the more central issue, which is the employment issue,” stated Ithaca College Sports Media Professor Ellen Staurowsky. She is a longtime leading advocate for college players getting their fair compensation in the huge dough their respective schools bring in from their playing.

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“I’m on a team that genuinely loves me and wants me to be greater than I’ve ever been.”

“He was a person of enormous talent and compassion.”

Amanda Zahui B. Courtesy of Twitter

Von Sheppard Submitted photo

Ellen Staurowsky Courtesy of Ithaca

“This is all just camouflage to give the appearance that something meaningful is actually happening when athletes continue to get crumbs from the table.”

Simeon Woods Richardson on the mound Courtesy of St. Paul Saints

“I’m just trying to be a sponge and just be ready anytime.”