July 29, 2021 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

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THE VOICE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1934 July 29—August 4, 2021, Vol. 87 No. 52

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Being an outcast in the place you call home People of Color struggle with identity in Midwest small towns

By Jasmine Snow Contributing writer

B

eing BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) in the Midwest can be a disheartening experience filled with discrimination, isolation, and a sense of otherness promoted by people both within and outside communities of color. For years, study after study has deemed cities and small towns throughout the Midwest to be some of the worst places for People of Color to live in the United States, if not the rest of the world. Rural Midwestern towns, often famous for their imagined or exaggerated images of mom and apple pie—in other words, Whiteness—have always been home to People of Color. While there are often common, timeless threads in their experiences, the last few years of navigating the Trump presidency, the murder of George Floyd, and the COVID-19 pandemic have created a unique environment for BIPOC in the Heartland today.

Life in a small town Stephen Escobin, 35, lives and works near Forestburg, South Dakota, a rural town with a population of less than a hundred people. Since immigrating from the Philippines when he was six years old, Escobin has lived in several small towns throughout South Dakota and Minnesota for the majority of his life. Escobin struggled to assimilate and fit in as a child, having experienced a great deal of “culture shock” while adjusting to the climate and culture of the Midwest. He said he spent years struggling to be accepted into the agriculture-and hunting-strong culture found throughout South Dakota, isolating him further. “I remember when I was in fifth grade I was interested in hunting, and I asked one of my classmates about deer hunting,” Escobin said. “He instantly said, ‘I don't want to talk to you about hunting, you don't know anything,’ and just walked away… I’ve just been looked at so differently and so ‘on the outside’ in

these places.” Escobin now works on a farm near Forestburg where he lives with his partner and their daughter. The Philippine native said that he feels his identity as an immigrant farmer has the potential to make him and his family targets for hate in the community. He said that animosity and a “weird pressure” was placed on People of Color in the area during Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Though this has calmed somewhat, he feels little security long-term. “I'm probably the only Colored farmer for like 50 miles here,” Escobin said. “I know that once me and my girlfriend take over the farm in a couple years there's going to be a lot of competition and a lot of hate towards me because I'm Colored and I'm breaking tradition. “There's definitely going to be people that come after me. It's scary, but at the same time I have a drive

(clockwise from top left) Anna Kruse, Stephen Escobin, Dr. Terrion Williamson and Jazmin Newton Submitted photos

■ See Small Town on page 5

Rep. Thompson’s supporters rally to his defense They say he is under attack for ‘calling out racism’ By Mel Reeves, Community editor and Sam De Leon, Contributing writer

Rep. John Thompson appears with family members at press conference. Photo by KingDemetrius Pendleton

A motley group of supporters of MN Representative John Thompson (DFL 67A) organized a press conference on Monday at the Minnesota State Capitol to defend him. Thompson has faced calls to resign from several DFL leaders, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, amid reports of previous domestic violence abuse allegations. Thompson said once again that he will not resign. Standing beside his wife Lea Austin-Thompson, three children,

and supporters outside the Minnesota State Capitol, Thompson said he could not answer questions about the old allegations without his attorney present. He also would not answer questions about his city of residence, which is not related to the abuse allegations. He did, however, make one brief statement when asked about resigning. "If you're not careful, the oppressor will have you believe that they're the ones being oppressed," said Thompson. “One of the greatest quotes I've ever heard in my life is, ‘Your life begins to end when you remain silent about things that matter the most.’ I will not remain silent. I will not be resigning." Supporters insist the domestic vio-

lence accusations, dating from to 2003 to 2009, are not true. Thompson has insisted that police are targeting him and has accused St. Paul police of racially profiling him after he was stopped for not having a front license plate. He was criticized after he was elected for having a Wisconsin driver’s license when he was running for the Minnesota legislature. He updated his license in November. “Nothing happened,” said AustinThompson about the accusations of abuse. “My husband and I went through some things. I have never been abused. My husband did not abuse me. I am not a victim. I have never been a ■ See Thompson on page 5

MN legislature failed to address Experts urge quickest possible return to racial disparities COVID-19’s impact on U.S education

in-person learning

welcomed their students back to physical classrooms this By Niara Savage past school year, they were reContributing writer lieved. Finally they’d be able to interact with and educate Second of a three-part story on an in-person basis the stuEditor’s note: This three part dents they’d known only as series examines the pros and cons faces on a computer screen for of distance learning in the Black too many months. But as highly-anticipated community and what must be done to help those who have fall- as the return to the school building was for some, welen behind to catch up. coming children whose stillWhen teachers Edairra Mc- developing minds had been in Calister and Tiff Nunn-Clark isolation for longer than any-

Anisa Diaz

one expected did not come without its challenges. Though health experts and politicians once touted a twoweek fix for the pandemic if everyone abided by social distancing efforts and stayed home, taming the spread of COVID-19 proved to be a far lengthier and more discordant endeavor. For some children, the stretch of time spent away from brick-and-mortar classrooms has spanned more than 16 months.

Edairra McCalister

■ See Education on page 5

require that legislators work in tandem with communities that are most impacted, according to The 2021 Minnesota legisla- the analysis. Yet, the legislature tive session proved to be a bust failed to make racial equity a top when it came to advancing racial priority. equity in a state with some of the worst racial and economic disparities in the nation. “This legislative session, most of our racial equity policy and budget bills were not passed or even considered,” said Brett Grant, director of research and policy at The group addressed the legVoices for Racial Justice, during a “missed opportunities” press islation that did not pass during a digital press conference on July conference. “Even worse,” he said, “the 19. The failure to pass legislation most critical pieces of the legis- resulted in “missed opportunilative process happened behind ties” to improve the lives of all Minnesotans, especially Black, closed doors.” Grant’s organization and sev- Indigenous, Latinx, Asian Pacific eral other Minnesota nonprofits, Islander and People of Color. “Missed Opportunities” is a coalitions and community leaders worked together as a group frame that Voices has used in to outline and propose a method the past in its legislative report for identifying the racial equity cards to define bills that either impacts of legislation through did not become law or were only racial equity impact notes, re- partially adopted. Out of seven ported Minnpost. It was a means speakers, each stated what their to lay out policies and invest- legislation was and why it was a ments based on a community missed opportunity. “Our legislators chose to set analysis represented in Voices for Racial Justice’s Racial Equity aside this opportunity and politicize this bill, '' said Tawanna Impact Assessment (REIA). The note helps legislators Black, the founder and chief exmake better policies by asking ecutive officer of the Center for five key questions. It would Economic Inclusion. Black said By Sam De Leon Contributing writer

“Our legislators chose to set aside this opportunity.”

they partnered with Voices, employers, job seekers and racial and justice advocates throughout Minnesota to address and advocate adoption of racial impact notes. At least eight states have directed policymakers to assess bills for their ability to “widen or narrow” racial disparities in education, health, housing, employment and several other key areas that impact People of Color. Sandra Saucedo-Falagan, the tri-chair for the Core Steering Committee of the Coalition to Increase Teachers of Color and American Indian Teachers in Minnesota, said the outcomes from the recently concluded legislative session are mixed for increasing Teachers of Color. While the number of Teachers of Color will increase as a result of the session, she said it’s unlikely the legislative decisions will increase the percentage of Teachers of Color and American Indian teachers in Minnesota. “The percentage of teachers of color has remained flat over the last decade at 5%, with students of color reaching 37%,” said Saucedo-Falagan. Among the speakers, Annastacia Belladonna-Carrera, the executive director for Common Cause Minnesota, spoke about ■ See Justice on page 5

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Metropolis

July 29—August 4, 2021

Folwell neighborhood group gets back into the swing of things By Sam De Leon Contributing writer The Folwell Neighborhood Association (FNA), like other neighborhood groups, was hampered by the coronavirus epidemic and has found it difficult to gather and organize. This month their board gathered outside Folwell Park in North Minneapolis for its monthly meeting. The agenda included committee updates on the 3701 Project, the beginning of a new Anime Club, and the annual Ice Cream Social and Resource Fair in August. But before discussing big-ticket items, the board first

in August. The graphics on the flyer resembled an old Western “wanted” poster that had a “reward” of $100—an incentive for neighborhoods to host the event on their block. Devonia Kliche, the vice-president of the FNA board of director, said it was “very offensive in content” and caught the attention of the community. She explained the outreach director did not run the flyer by the board and it was not approved to be posted. “It was triggering,” said Kliche, because it resembled a slave bounty poster. The board reassured community members that they want an inclusive and equitable environ-

rectors meets regularly to help run the organization and provide residents a “hands-on opportunity to give back to the neighborhood they live in and call home,” as their website states. The association not only represents the people who live and work in the community; they are also a tool for residents to support each other and have access to community resources. The FNA continued their discussion about “The Dream Shop” opening on the weekend of Aug. 21 in the Folwell Neighborhood Gathering Space on 3701 Fremont Ave. N. After hosting a large community meeting in Dec. 2019, Folwell neighbors and

Courtesy of nappy.co addressed a controversial flyer that was posted on social media and caused a slight upset in the community. “It was in poor taste,” said Sara Merrill, the chair of the FNA board of directors, regarding the flyer that was meant to be “enticing” for their National Night Out (NNO) event on the first Tuesday

ment. The flyer was immediately removed from social media and the board apologized for any harm it may have caused. The FNA, funded in part by the City of Minneapolis and through grants and donations, is a group of volunteers who live or own a business in the Folwell Neighborhood. The board of di-

the FNA moved forward with a three-year lease on the commercial space. Merrill said the goal for space was to find a business partner that will sublease the space with FNA, “creating a community hub of shopping, connecting and gathering,” according to their website. Markella Smith, a com-

munity organizer and visionary for The Dream Shop, turned the vacant space into a gift shop where local artists, makers and entrepreneurs can sell their items. On Smith’s campaign page, she writes the space is a place that “supports and encourages BIPOC artists [and] entrepreneurs and makes them go after their dream and obtain greatness.” Another gathering space that

the community can attend is Anime Club on the patio outside of Folwell Park. Starting July 21, community youth and others who are interested can attend their informational session and learn more about the club. It will be a safe space where people can draw, learn, and converse about Anime. Coming this August, the FNA is partnering with Folwell Park

Averill Allen Powell

Sunrise, October 4th, 1982 — Sunset, July 5th, 2021

Averill Allen Powell, born in Saint Paul, MN on October 4, 1982, passed away on Monday, July 5, 2021, at the age of 38. Averill excelled at everything he did. He had a way of making people laugh and drew people in by his charisma. Averill loved God. He was a skilled craftsman who worked on houses and in construction. In addition, Averill worked as an iron worker and was very proud of being involved in the reconstruction of the Stillwater Lift Bridge in Stillwater, MN. Averill had a passion for the outdoors, loved to swim, camp, and even more to fish. In his earlier years Averill also boxed

Sunrise, May 9, 1933 — Sunset June 27, 2021

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder July 29, 2021

at the Rice Street Gym, loved the athletics of football and basketball, and won trophies in soccer growing up. At a young age, Averill grew a great appreciation for his heritage and found comfort in listening to Native drumbeats. Averill was a proud father and loved his children very much. He is preceded into death by his grandmother, Mae Jacquelyn Powell, and his grandfather, Fred Allen Ampey. Averill is survived by his parents, mother Suzanne Tierre Powell (Tinner) and father Paul Frederick Ampey; siblings Brittany Racquel Powell and Madia Paulette Ampey; brothers Julian Paul “JP” Ampey, Zade Allen Ampey, and stepbrother Zachary Blum; children Lily Mae Powell (Jen Thoren) and Makaio Grey Powell (Meghan Rodriguez); a host of aunts and uncles including Crystal and Antoine Berryman; multiple cousins including Justin Powell, Nicole Berryman (godmother), Craig Lewis; and many more extended family in addition to many close friends including Shawn Greene. Averill’s Celebration of Life is Saturday, July 31 at St. Peter Claver, 375 Oxford St. N., St. Paul, MN 55104. Visitation at 11 am, service to follow at 12-1 pm, and a reception hosted by the family at 1 pm. There has been a Go Fund Me created: https://gofund.me/e2ccb289.

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder July 29, 2021

Bishop Dorothy Lee (Cotton) Blaylark-Hill teacher at Ramsey Jr. H.S. both in Minneapolis, MN. She was one of the first female African Americans in an administrative position, along with her responsibilities as a single mother raising her family. In 1983, Bishop Dorothy was ordained for International Ministry and Third World evangelism by Bishop Benson Idahosa in Nigeria, Africa. This led, some years later, to her founding a Bible School in the village of Uyko and another School in Liberia, Africa. In addition, her international ministry travels included Rome, Haiti, Liberia, and some Third World countries. In 1991, Bishop Dorothy received a call from the Lord to launch her own ministry. She began having services in her home. In a few short months, membership grew until her home was overflowing. God opened the door for the church to move into their first location at 106th and Lyndale Avenue in Bloomington, Minnesota. The congregation continued to grow and needed more space, so God led her to move back to the inner-city. She began having services in the Pillsbury Center for the Arts Center on 36th and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis. In 1994, the church outgrew the Pillsbury location and moved to 3500 E. Lake Street in Minneapolis, where it currently resides. Bishop had a rewarding life outside of ministry that included her family and friends with extensive travel, reading, swimming, furniture restoration and flower design and arrangement. Bishop Dorothy entered into matrimony, marrying Mr. Albert Hill of Minneapolis by way of Texas. Through her dedication and self-sacrifice to the Lord, Bishop Dorothy touched thousands of lives around the globe. Her works paved the way for many women to succeed in ministry in a patriarchal domain. Bishop Dorothy is preceded in death by her parents Augustus Adolphus and Mary Frances Cotton; brothers Albert, Augustus, Leroy, Alonzo, and David; sister Rosalie; and children Sharon, John, Stephen, Vanola (Vicki), Ioletta and Kenyata Bishop Dorothy is survived by her husband Mr. Albert Hill; children Gail (Nathaniel) Mullen; Raymond (Wanda) Blaylark; and Denise (Robert) Brown; 19 grandchildren, 28 great-and two greatgreat grandchildren; a host of nieces and nephews

Sam De Leon welcomes reader responses to sdeleon@spokesman-recorder.com.

Obituary

Obituary

Bishop Dorothy Lee (Cotton) Blaylark-Hill, June 27, 2021, lovingly called “Peaches” by her family, went home to worship and be with the Lord on June 27, 2021, at 10 am on Sunday morning—her usual Sunday morning routine, only on this Sunday, it was spent with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ instead of her congregation. She was born May 9,1933, to Augustus Adolphus and Mary Frances Cotton in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was one of 11 children and was the baby of two girls and nine boys. January 1950, Bishop Dorothy married Ersie B. Blaylark in holy matrimony. The following children were born of this union: Gail, Sharon, Raymond, Ioletta, Vanola (Vicky) Johnnie, Stephen and Denise. Bishop Dorothy loved caring for her children and being a mother. Advancing her formal education, she attended the Fourth Baptist Bible College where she studied Old and New Testament in Action. Bishop Dorothy also attended North Central Bible College to study Theology. She went on to receive her doctorate in Theology from the Minnesota Graduate School of Theology under Dean Dr. David Sigvertsen. In 1959, she began studying evangelism under Reverend Morris Cerillo. In 1960, she began traveling to Miracle Valley, Arizona, where she received her first ministerial license from the late Pastor A.A. Allen. In the mid-1960s, she joined the Holy Ghost Temple Church of God in Christ under Pastor Harvey Carpenter in South Minneapolis. It was here where Bishop Dorothy honed her evangelism skills, serving faithfully in child evangelism, tract, and help ministries respectively. In1968, Bishop Dorothy joined the Evangelist Crusaders Church in North Minneapolis. A year later, she became an ordained minister by the Reverend Walter A. Smith. She dutifully served that ministry for 29 years. While associate minister at Evangelist Crusaders, she answered another call as assistant pastor, traveling from Minneapolis to New Hope Deliverance Church in Peoria, Ill. weekly under the Senior Pastor Dawson. In addition to this, she worked as a teacher and counselor with the Minneapolis Public Schools as counselor at Anthony Jr. H.S., and as an algebra

to hold the annual Ice Cream Social and Resource Fair on Aug. 24. Neighbors can connect and network with more than 50 local vendors who will be selling and promoting their businesses along with music and youth activities.

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Please respond with • proof, Employment email• confirmation Rentals to display@ spokesman-recorder.com. Bishop Fred Washington, JD Mitchell, Paula Lee, Paul Cotton, Valery Burrell, Evette Cotton, David Cotton, Mary Cotton, Danette Cotton, Beeki Cotton, Steven Cotton, Calvin McIntyre, Stan McConnell, Vanessa Cotton, Daniel Cotton, Leroy Cotton, Sidney Cotton, Sharon Hill-Johnson, Stan McConnell. Margaret Redd, Terri Cox, Carmela Brown, Felicia Butts; special friends Ruth Peterson, Bishop Williams, Bishop Jenkins, Pastors Norris and Evonne Rose, Joyce Cochran, Marcia Burks-Westbrook, Lenora Clark, Kenny and

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P.O. Box 8558 Minneapolis, MN 55408

Health & Wellness

July 29—August 4, 2021

3

Black Mental Health Matters

We must address the many stressors affecting our mental health

In the past year, we have witnessed an uprising in response to the murders of Black women, men and children and the disproportionate illnesses and deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic in People of Color. Even while the COVID-19 vaccines now allow us to return to something close to our pre-pandemic lives, we face increased threats to our reproductive choices and civil rights, including the right From Classified to vote and to peaceful proDepartment/MN test. The ongoing disparities Spokesman-Recorder and distress of trying to live PHONE: while Black take a toll on our By Dr. Dionne612-827-4021 Hart FOR BILLING physical and mental health. Guest contributor INQUIRIES As a result we have seen & TEARSHEETS an increase in substance use July is National Minority PLEASE CONTACT Mental Health Awareness disorders and, particularly, ACCOUNTING DEPT suicide in our youth. Mental Month. It is a time to amplify efforts to increase mental health has long been misOBIT /MEMORIAL health education, aware- characterized in our comRATEand $50 advocacy (FIRST 200within WORDS)munity as a sign of personal ness + 118 X $0.50 = $59.00 weakness and a lack of faith minority communities. (318 WORDS TOTAL) in God’s will. However, the This commemorative SUBTOTAL: $109.00 in 2008, take-home message of this armonth, established + PHOTO: was created$15out of the ef- ticle is: Black Mental Health TOTAL: $124.00 forts in part of the late Bebe Matters, and it is essential Moore Campbell, author of that we address the stressors the novel “72 Hour Hold” impacting our mental health Pleasethe proof, respond with and causing suffering and and children’s bookemail confirmation My to display@spokesman“Sometimes Mommy loss of life. recorder.com. This spring I received a Gets Angry.” This year’s theme is “You Are Not phone call that my niece had overdosed. It was an unimagAlone.” Now more than ever, we inable loss that still seems need to focus on connecting surreal. It was further comwith each other and priori- plicated by the anticipated tizing self-care and mental and actual responses from health treatment within our my religious Southern Baptist family. community. We spent days carefully Why is National Minority Mental Health Aware- drafting an obituary to avoid ness Month important? any hint of an intent to end

her life and chose speak- relatives privately acknowl- to be a safe place for anyone ers who would talk about edged but did not publicly experiencing mental health symptoms to receive support within our community. This support is imperative because Black people are suffering and dying. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Blacks and Latinos saw the largest spike in overdose deaths. For Blacks, the increase was 50.3%. A majority of Black and Hispanic adults with mental health problems do not have access to treatment. Almost 90% of Black and Hispanic adults who have substance use disorders do not have effective care. Currently only one in three Black adults who need mental health care receive it. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the suicide rate among African Americans ages 10-14 has increased 233 percent. In 2019, suicide was the secondleading cause of death for her faith in God and not her share until unexpectedly one African Americans ages 15-24. Blacks also have lower struggles with personal de- of the ministers admitted that mons. Balancing my desire he had once checked himself rates of prescription medicato advocate for mental health into a hotel with the intent tion utilization, outpatient awareness and using her of completing suicide. He treatment, and evidencedeath to urge others to seek shared how his mental health based therapy. One in four treatment was complicated struggles were not a sign of fatal encounters with police ends the life of an individual by the need to be a support- weakness or a lack of faith. I exhaled so loudly I felt it with untreated mental illness. ive sister and aunt. In the end, my family shared a written could be heard over our tears. Black people with mental statement that emphasized People became unburdened health conditions, particularly schizophrenia and bipolar the importance of mental of shame or stigma. In addition to a therapist’s disorders, are more likely to health but separate from the couch, every church pew, be incarcerated than people obituary program. Our struggle with her sui- dinner table, family Zoom of other races. These statistics show that cide was one that her closest call, and salon chair needs

you are not alone; as a community, our mental health conditions are underdiagnosed and undertreated. As a psychiatrist and as a Black woman, I urge all readers to practice good self-care and to encourage others to address individual and collective stressors impacting our mental health. In short, Black Mental Health Matters. Dr. Dionne Hart is board certified in psychiatry and addiction medicine. She is an adjunct assistant professor of psychiatry at Mayo Clinic. In 2014, Dr. Hart was named Minnesota Psychiatrist of the Year. In 2017, Dr. Hart received the National Alliance on Mental Illness Exemplary Psychiatrist Award. Dr. Hart was the inaugural chair of the AMA’s Minority Affairs Section. Dr. Hart is currently a delegate for the APA to the AMA, president of the Minnesota Association of African American Physicians, and a regional chairperson of the National Medical Association. In 2020, Minnesota Physician journal named her one of the 100 most influential health care leaders in Minnesota.

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July 29—August 4, 2021

Opinion

The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder (MSR) welcomes and values commentary and feedback from the community. The articles found here are edited for clarity and/or space, but the opinions are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of the MSR.

Minnesota lawmakers chose status quo over racial equality

By Tawanna A. Black, Brett Grant and Vayong Moua

Letter to the editor Cuba supporters rally to its defense On Sunday, July 11, thousands of Cubans took to the streets in the largest and most widespread demonstrations challenging the government since the Cuban Revolution triumphed in 1959. The demonstrators, mainly young people mobilized through social media, were protesting the harsh economic conditions that the island is living through in the context of the near collapse of the tourism industry brought on over the last year by the COVID-19 pandemic and tightened U.S. sanctions. Not surprisingly the mainstream news media in the United States seized on the events and President Biden declared that Cuba was a “failed state” that had abandoned its people. Hardline elements in the Cuban American community called for military intervention to bring down the Cuban government. Ten days after the demonstrations it is possible to get a better perspective on the Cuban reality. Cuba is undergoing a serious economic crisis and is suffering through a

significant rise in COVID-19 cases, but it is far from a failed state. On Saturday, July 17, tens of thousands of Cubans took to the streets to defend the government and its response to the economic crisis and the pandemic, far greater numbers that had mobilized the previous weekend. Rather than failing its people in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic crisis, Cuban scientists have developed and their biotech industry has manufactured two highly effective vaccines that are now being administered to the populace in a systematic way. That the country will likely be fully vaccinated by the end of the year, allowing Cuba to reopen for the 2021-2022 tourist season and begin to work its way out of the economic crisis ahead of many other countries in the Global South, including Latin America. The Biden administration has continued to punish Cuba with harsh new sanctions imposed by the Trump administration in spite of campaign promises to lift them. It is time for all supporters of the Cu-

ban people to speak with one voice to demand that the United States immediately restore the means for U.S. citizens to send life-saving remittances to the island and for Washington to fully re-open the U.S. Embassy in Havana allowing Cubans who wish to emigrate to the United States to do so and others to visit their relatives. This message will be presented to the Biden administration on Sunday, July 25. In Washington, D.C. there will be a rally in Lafayette Park where Cuban Americans led by Carlos Lazo will present a petition calling for the end of the blockade. The rally comes at the end of a 1,500 mile walk from Miami by Lazo and his supporters that was designed to call attention to the current suffering of the Cuban people under the long-standing blockade. Pastors for Peace have organized a caravan to Cuba for November. Submitted by Gary Prevost and August Nimtz, Minnesota Cuba Committee

Public policy is a powerful tool for justice. It drives regional, state and federal investments that impact communities and the economy. When racial equity and economic inclusion are not prioritized and considered with intention in policymaking, the result is often inequitable policies, a loss in economic growth, and harmful impacts to Black, Indigenous, Latino and Asian communities. You do not have to look very far to find examples of policies in housing, transportation, infrastructure, education, business development, and more that have excluded, devalued and even destroyed the economic opportunity and vitality of Black, Indigenous, Latino and Asian communities, and in so doing harmed Minnesota’s economic growth and competitiveness. New analysis released last month by the Federal Reserve shows that if we closed racial gaps—in earnings, hours worked, educational attainment, and employment— Minnesota’s gross domestic product (GDP) would have increased by $6.6 billion annually from 2005-19. This equates to $92.4 billion in lost GDP during this period, an economic loss that hurts all Minnesotans. Minnesota’s policymakers had an opportunity during this legislative session to take action to gain a portion of that $6.6 billion of annual GDP, and they failed. Instead, efforts to close racial equity gaps fell victim to polarized and antiquated views of economic growth and competitiveness. During the session, the Center for Economic Inclusion in partnership with Voices for Racial Justice, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, and the Racial Equity & Joy Coalition, fought for the passage of “racial equity impact notes” legislation. Just as a fiscal note helps lawmakers understand how a piece of legislation would affect the state’s finances, racial equity impact notes would help them see how a given bill would ameliorate or worsen racial equity. Doing so would be

a way to guarantee future policies reflect and ensure racial equity and inclusion before being passed into state law. Considering the state’s ranking as one of the worst for People of Color in almost every dimension of economic prosperity and quality of life, state legislators had every reason to make good on their promises to do everything possible to take meaningful and decisive action. In the end, enough of them stood in the way, deciding racial equity was not a priority, and the measure failed. A recent survey of 2,051 likely voters in Minnesota in early 2021 by Data for Progress showed that 61% supported funding for racial equity. That’s because Minnesotans increasingly recognize the actions and investments needed to achieve our aspirations for racial equity, while too many legislators are maintaining the status quo at the expense of economic growth. We see, for example, continued inter-generational impact caused by wealth extraction, under-capitalization, and over a century of exclusive policies and practices that have resulted in the nation’s highest racial homeownership gap in the Twin Cities. According to a recent report by the Urban Institute, Black homeownership in Hennepin and Ramsey counties fell 10 percentage points between 2000 and 2018, while the rates for White homeownership remained relatively unchanged. That same report found roughly one-fifth of Black households own their homes, compared with nearly three-quarters of White households. Racial equity impact notes are also about accountability, in the sense that legislation should be data-informed, community-informed, and analyzed to account for potential impacts for the people the legislation seeks to serve, or the problem the legislation seeks to resolve. Unintended consequences come into play for all policy, and trade-offs within policy analyses can and should consider race in the context of ongoing, historic, and deeply rooted inequities and exclusion.

Consider how past policies like the Homestead Act or the construction of Interstate Highway 94, which benefited White communities while devastating Black, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian communities, would play out differently if we knew from racial equity impact notes how they would affect those communities. Legislators in collaboration with Black, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian communities hold a shared responsibility to develop, pass, and measure policies that embody equitable valuation of Black, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian life, leadership, entrepreneurship and neighborhoods. Minnesota would not be a test case for racial equity impact notes. Nine states—Iowa, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Oregon, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia—have implemented mechanisms for the preparation and consideration of racial equity impact notes. We have models to provide guidance, with the promise of positive impacts toward racial equity. In Oregon, after passing legislation, they later implemented a racial and ethnic impact statement in their voter’s guide regarding a drug decriminalization initiative. The ballot measure passed, decriminalizing small amounts of all drugs. Policies designed to facilitate access to sustainable jobs, community assets and wealth building, would translate into a stronger tax base and more spending power that benefits all Minnesotans. Minnesota has a responsibility to all residents to uproot racism for shared prosperity. Let’s leverage the might of the majority of Minnesotans who believe we must do everything we can to ensure racial equity and inclusion as a first order of business. Tawanna A. Black is the founder and CEO of the Center for Economic Inclusion; Brett Grant is the director of research and policy at Voices for Racial Justice; Vayong Moua is director of racial and health equity advocacy for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

Billionaires in space an obscene offshoot of gross inequality Sam Pizzigati Three of the richest billionaires on Earth are now busily spending billions to exit our Earth’s atmosphere and enter into space. The world is watching—and reflecting. Some commentators see our billionaire trio, Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk, as heroic heirs to the legacies of Charles Lindbergh and Sir Edmund Hillary—the first mere mortals to high jump the Atlantic alone and scale the world’s highest mountain. “Space travel used to be about ‘us,’ a collective effort by the country to reach beyond previously unreachable limits,” writes author William Rivers Pitt. “That was the Cold War propaganda, anyway, and it had an unavoidable allure. Now, it’s about ‘them,’ the 0.1 percent.”

Let’s not treat the billionaire space race as a laughing matter. Let’s see it as a wakeup call, a reminder that we don’t only get billionaires when wealth concentrates. We get a society that revolves around the egos of the most affluent among us and an economy where the needs of average people go unmet and don’t particularly matter. Characters like Elon Musk, notes Paris Max, host of the “Tech Won’t Save Us” podcast, are using “misleading narratives about space to fuel public excitement” and gain tax-dollar support for various projects “designed to work best—if not exclusively—for the elite.” The three corporate space shells for Musk, Bezos, and Branson—SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic— have “all benefited greatly through partnerships with

NASA and the U.S. military,” notes CNN Business. Their common corporate goal: to get satellites, people, and cargo “into space cheaper and quicker than has been possible in decades past.” Branson, for his part, is hawking tickets for roundtrips “to the edge of the atmosphere and back,” at $250,000 per head. He’s planning some 400 such trips a year, observes British journalist Oliver Bullough,“almost as bad an idea as racing to see who can burn the rainforest quickest.” The annual UN Emissions Gap Report last year concluded that the world’s richest 1% do more to foul the atmosphere than the entire poorest 50% combined. That top 1%, the UN report adds, would have to “reduce its footprint by a factor of 30 to stay in line” with the 2015

Paris Agreement targets. Opening space to rich people’s joyrides would stomp that footprint even bigger. Bezos and Musk seem to have grander dreams than mere space tourism. They’re looking “to colonize the cosmos,” with Bezos pushing “artificial tube-like structures floating close to Earth” and Musk talking up the terraforming of Mars. They essentially see space as a refuge from an increasingly inhospitable planet Earth. They expect tax-dollar support to make their various pipedreams come true. We don’t need billionaires out to “conquer space.” We need to conquer inequality. Sam Pizzigati is co-editor of Inequality.org.

July 29—August 4, 2021

Small Town Continued from page 1 to represent who I am.” While they may sometimes be aware of constantly feeling like “the only one” in the communities, People of Color do not always become so conscious of race early in their lives. Jazmin Newton, a 23-year-old medical student, was born and raised in Huron, South Dakota, a rural town with a population of less than 15,000 people. As a Black woman, Newton said she became conscious of race slowly, beginning with questions over which was the “skin-colored crayon” in elementary school to later sitting across from White kids in high school who insisted on using the N-word. She said along with being one of the only students of color in

the room, she remembered often being one of the only people in her class to call out the use of the slur. “No one really backed me up, and I guess that's kind of how I've always felt, at least when I was in Huron,” Newton said. “I think it's hard as a Person of Color in a very White community to feel comfortable standing up for yourself because you're already an outcast.” Newton said she appreciated her experiences with more diversity when she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and started medical school at the University of South Dakota (USD) located in Vermillion. Following the murder of George Floyd, she founded USD’s White Coats for Black Lives chapter, a national organization dedicated since 2014 to combating racism and implicit bias in medicine. Floyd’s murder also spurred incoming University of Minnesota first-year

Education

of violence against and serial murder of Black women and other women of color in the Midwest. She and the Initiative spent the last year or so gathering and dispersing resources to Communities of Color following Floyd’s murder, the Jan. 6 insurrection attempt at the Capitol, and COVID-19. “What I have learned from doing this Lasting impact work is that, however much we may The experience of People of Color dislike it or critique it or whatever, the in the Midwest is not a monolithic one. places that we call home…still have For some, a small Midwestern town is a something to provide us,” Dr. Williamhome they have no intention or need to son said. “I want [young people] to ever leave, while others see leaving as a know that there's no place you come was steadily becoming more racially matter of survival. Some find their lives from that doesn't have something to diverse due to an influx of immigrants. full of happy memories only; for others, give you that you can then use in the She grew up with a White father and a resentment and regret linger. world, wherever it is you decide to Dr. Terrion Williamson, an assistant go next.” Korean mother who had been adopted professor at the University of Minnesota and raised by a White family. Kruse said she was relatively “shel- and the director of the Black Midwest IniJasmine Snow welcomes reader retered” growing up, though she was tiative, studies Black life in the Midwest, sponses to jsnow@spokesman-recorder. aware of a lack of representation in her more specifically looking at the history com.

student Anna Kruse, 19, to seriously question and explore her identity, as well as the impact of racism on her life over the last few years. Kruse also grew up in Huron, having moved there when she was eight years old during a time when the city

“There's definitely going to be people that come after me. It's scary.”

her much younger students’ social skills took a hit during the pandemic and Continued from page 1 the lockdowns that came with it. “I could tell a difference with their independence level,” said McCalister, a high school English teacher working in the Nunn-Clark, who has been teaching for 16 years. Osseo Area School “They were so much neediDistrict in Minnesota, painted a dispiriting picture of the er,” she explained, adding that scene when her students returned to the building. Though McCalister and others expected teenagers who’d spent too much time pent-up at home to be ready to talk, engage, and be social with their peers, she explained, “It wasn’t like that. “This year it was so quiet, the quietest I’ve ever seen the classroom. I was like…is it because we have masks on? Or because it’s not a regular school year?” McCalister believes the social aspect of school will end up being a larger focus for her students than academics in the upcoming school year, because they missed out on establishing so many crucial connections. For perspective, students who were seventh graders when the pandemic first struck will be heading off to high school next month and were short-changed of key transitional experiences. the young students constantly “For a high school student,” sought reassurance, asking, “Is said McCalister, “that’s a way this right? Is this what I’m supthat they're going to survive, is posed to do?” Nunn-Clark said, learning to be socially-engaged “I had to teach them independence,” adding that her stuin the school environment.” Nunn-Clark, a kindergarten dents needed to be told “You teacher in the Riverview Gar- can do it!” more than those from past years. dens School District in On July 12, UNICEF issued Missouri, also observed that

an urgent plea for schools across the globe to reopen in the interest of school-aged children’s health and safety. “The losses that children and young people will incur from not being in school may never be recouped,” the statement said. “From learning loss, mental distress, exposure to violence

Legislature

Thompson

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1

redistricting reforms that would remove Minnesota politicians from the process of drawing voting district maps. In 2019, the grassroots organization worked with Representative Ginny Klevorn (DFL 44-A) to get the reform bill passed in time for the 2021 redistricting cycle, but because of the pandemic and the capital shutdown their bill, HF 1605, died in committee. Belladonna-Carrera said this year they tried to move the bill that “put communities at the forefront of the voting and district mapping process.” She added this was a “major missed opportunity” because “redistricting is at the core of voting rights issues, and to us [Common Cause], civil rights issues as well.” Belladonna-Carrera, as well as several other speakers at the conference, said they will continue to push for their reforms in the 2022 legislative session.

victim. “Y’all pulled some stuff from years ago,” AustinThompson said. “We are no longer those people. I am almost 50. Years ago we were in our twenties.” Thompson has repeatedly said the reports and allegations are false. Governor Walz told reporters, "I think it would be very unusual for three different police departments stretching over a decade to fabricate information." However, police have been known to fabricate evidence, and many would not find it difficult to believe that the police are prevaricating in this instance as well. Considering it was only a year ago that Minneapolis police falsified the report of George Floyd’s death, it would not be difficult for some to believe that the police have similarly falsified the accusations against Thompson. Thompson’s lawyer Jordan Kushner took to Facebook to dispute the claims as well. “Mr. Thompson challenges the authentic-

ity of the police reports that have been circulated to the press. It is my understanding that the purported police reports were provided to reporters by persons associated with law enforcement groups. These are likely the same groups that have been constantly and vigorously waging a smear campaign against Mr. Thompson since his speech in Hugo, MN in August 2020 (11 months ago). “If these police reports existed in their current form, it is unfathomable that the many people digging into Thompson's past would not have found those police reports before the November election, much less during the ensuing months. The police reports are a product of the campaign to silence an American African man who speaks out against powerful and abusive interests, and not the product of any effort to uncover truth,” wrote Kushner. “He was elected by the people to work for the people. And that is exactly what he has done. He has authored many bills,” said Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile, who was killed by former St. Anthony cop Jeronimo Yanez in

Sam De Leon welcomes reader responses to sdeleon@ spokesman-recorder.com.

5

and abuse, to missed schoolbased meals and vaccinations or reduced development of social skills, the consequences for children will be felt in their academic achievement and societal engagement as well as physical and mental health,” the statement continued. “This should not go on. Schools

life. “I really do not have any connection to my Korean culture,” Kruse said. “I think starting to mature and become a young adult, I was starting to do some soul searching and realizing that these issues are a big deal. [I started] looking at myself and just observing what was going on around me.”

should be the last to close and the first to reopen.” Distance learning not only stifled students’ social development but also took a toll on their academic journeys. Rhonda Williams, an elementary school teacher from New Jersey who teaches special needs children in the Trenton Public School District, said her students’ return to the building was marred by what preceded it. Even students who missed “over 100 days” of school passed their classes as no one at the elementary school was permitted to fail. “No kid failed. Everyone was promoted,” she said, estimating that her students are likely “a year or two more behind” than they normally would be. Through her observations teaching summer school, Williams concluded, “It’s almost like anything they had learned in 2020 or 2019, they forgot.” McCalister agreed that the last school year set students back academically. “A lot of teachers and systems took this as a time to be very lax,” she said, adding that for many educators, that entailed lowering their standards. In some cases students may have passed a class but “don’t have the knowledge to move on to the next level because it was all out of whack this year.” Anisa Diaz, principal of Somers Elementary School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, found July 2016. Castile’s speech was interrupted by a White woman with a large Trump flag hanging out of her driver’s side window who drove her car up on the lawn near where the press conference was organized. “When you start attacking a man because he cares about his community, and he is doing what he said he was going to do as a representative of this state, that’s wrong,” Castile continued. “He is trying to make changes that

“He is trying to make changes that obviously they don’t like.” obviously they don’t like. I know there are a lot of people with skeletons in their closet,” she said pointing out that others have been guilty of breaking the law but it has not been used against them later. “It’s not about an attack on the police,” said Toshira Garraway, founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence who helped organize the press confer-

of her 11th and 12th grade students who became essential workers during the pandemic, grades became “super elusive and almost irrelevant. “I think public education needs a new branding,” said Muhammad. “I think we need to reconceptualize how we see growth and progress.” Educators were tasked with balancing the establishment of a place for healing, affirming and learning this year more than others, she said, adding that it's a trend that needs to stay. “There’s rhetoric around learning loss. We’ve missed out on a whole year. But that means we can go back to the drawing board and say, ‘OK, well how do we accelerate learning in a meaningful, holistic way?’” As teachers across the country gear-up to go back to inperson learning this fall, the rapid spread of the COVID delta variant has cast uncerdents and held them account- tainty on the safety of such a able despite the obstacles they return. Though the situation is faced. still developing, presently both “It was based on the teachers the Centers for Disease Control and the plans they had for [the and Prevention and the Ameristudents]” Diaz said. “It just can Academy of Pediatrics shows that if the teacher is well- continue to urge a return to inprepared and has activities set person learning. for the students, that they will thrive and do well. I noted the Niara Savage welcomes reader opposite for those that just did responses to nsavage@spokesmanthe bare minimum. Their stu- recorder.com. dents were not as engaged.” Nafeesah Muhammad, a high school teacher in the Minneapolis Public School District, said that for some

that it was a challenge to maintain the same pace and level of student engagement virtually compared to the progress that could be made in the classroom. “Some students are behind, some students just naturally went forward,” she said. According to Diaz, a portion of the damage inflicted by distance learning was mitigated by “rock star teachers” who engaged stu-

“The losses that children and young people will incur from not being in school may never be recouped.”

ence. “But we do want to say that we…will fight for a man that we believe in our hearts is being unfairly alienated and just pretty much downgraded through the media.” Nelise Yang, St. Paul Ward 6 council member, also stood in solidarity with Thompson. “We need more folks like John in office because he comes to the table ready to fight for all,” said Yang, adding that she sees him as the change the world needs. Yang said that in all the different types of political campaigns she has seen from a Black man, this is something she has seen happen “over and over again… A question about their morality, their past…everything about them is questioned. It’s no surprise.” Thompson’s claim to fame had been his relationship with Castile, who he said had been his good friend. Thompson joined many of the protests demanding justice for Castile. Thompson had raised his profile giving fiery speeches, becoming well known for shouting at protests, “I hate White Supremacy!” He ran afoul of many while running for his legislative seat after he gave a pro-

fanity-laden speech in front of the home of former Minneapolis police sergeant Bob Kroll in Hugo, Minnesota. Rumors spread that he said the town should be burned. He apologized for his outburst after being confronted about his remarks, saying,” Inflammatory rhetoric is not how I want to address the important issues we’re facing.” “Many legislators, like everyone else, have made bad decisions in their past,” said Michelle Gross of Communities United Against Police Brutality. “However, legislative leaders are not investigating them. They are focusing on John Thompson because he is calling out racism and making it hard for legislators to be comfortable in their racism.” Mel Reeves welcomes reader responses to mreeves@spokesman-recorder.com.

6

July 29—August 4, 2021

Business

Black entrepreneurs shine at Aquatennial It was a beautiful sight to see the small Black businesses featured in the City of Lakes Market with high-quality goods and services eager to sell and interact with the public. As I took photos of them, I asked about their products and was impressed with their knowledge and enthusiasm.

As thousands of people strolled into the Chicago Mall on 2nd Street in downtown Minneapolis to find the best spot to view the first post-pandemic Minneapolis Aquatennial Fireworks, one couldn’t help but notice the vibrant presence of African American vendors lining the entrance.

See photo highlights of some of the vendors below. Recap and photos by Travis R. Lee. Find the MSR’s Black Business Spotlight series at spokesmanrecorder.com/category/small-business-spotlight.

Berry Tipsy: www.berrytipsymn.com

Inner Peace Fragrance Insta: @innerpeacefragrance

Embellish

JAJJA Wellness: www.jajjawellness.com

Crown the Writer: crownthewriter.com

Lady Indigo

Reeka Styles: www.reekastyles.com

NoshposhMN Insta: @NoshposhMN

Soul Sistas: soulsistasmn.com

Wanted: Inside Sales Representative MSR seeks a full-time salaried Inside Sales Representative. Notso Dawnting Facebook: @notsodawnting

Intrigued? For more informaiton, send inquiries and resumes to twilliams@spokesman-recorder.com No phone calls please.

Shelitas Art World Facebook: @Giftedhandshellz

Wanted: Administrative Assistant The MSR is looking for a part-time Administrative Assistant. Qualified candidates will have a high school diploma or general education degree (GED). Three years of adminstrative experience required. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Requires basic computer expertise, including use of database, word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation applications; general office knowledge involving filing, data entry, operating multi-line phone system and customer service. Sound organizational, written and oral communication skills. The individual filling the role of Administrative Assistant will be responsible for a variety of duties necessary for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder to run efficiently. For more informaiton and immediate consideration, Email résumé to: twilliams@ spokesman-recorder.com. No phone calls please.

July 29—August 4, 2021

Arts & Culture

7

Prince’s ‘Welcome 2 America’ continues late icon’s socio-political musical legacy

By Tony Kiene Contributing writer Since the announcement in April that Prince’s estate was planning its release of the previously unheard “Welcome 2 America” album, there has been a lot made in the press of the album’s political underpinnings and overtures toward racial and social justice. At retail outlets and on streaming platforms starting July 30, “Welcome 2 America” includes provocative titles such as “Born 2 Die,” “One Day We Will All B Free,” and “Running Game (Son of A Slave Master),” accompanied by a multitude of discerning and—as many have suggested—hauntingly prescient observations. When speaking about the record around the time of its recording (2010), Prince famously even made reference to Orwell’s dystopian classic “1984.” Singer Shelby Johnson, one of several contributors to “Welcome 2 America,” recently told London-based Uncut that she thinks Prince “knew this album needed to wait. He knew we’d need it later.” Likewise, in an interview with Rolling Stone, keyboardist and longtime Prince confidant, Morris Hayes, notes that the album “further solidifies” Prince’s status as “a vanguard artist always looking forward,” adding that in the wake of George Floyd’s death and America’s racial reckoning, this record could have just as fitting been made “right now” were Prince still here. Perhaps, as is the case with most Prince projects that heretofore have never seen the light of day, we’ll never truly know why “Welcome 2 America” was shelved a little more than 10 years ago. Nevertheless, the sentiment expressed by both Johnson and Hayes is spot on. Moreover, in addition to properly positioning their former boss as both “in the moment” and “ahead of his time,” their musings also reaffirm something many in the media seem to have either disregarded, misunderstood, or somehow just missed: Prince was always political, even radically so. A decade or so after Prince’s debut release “For You” and

his eponymous sophomore effort, renowned author and cultural critic Nelson George said he initially considered Prince to be sort of “Stevie Wonderesque,” if you will. Or, in other words, he was in the mold of “Black music’s reigning musical genius at the time.” Not for political reasons per se, as Wonder was long-established as one of the most socially conscious artists around, but in that Prince produced the records himself, wrote all his material, played all the instruments, sang all vocal parts, and so on. To be sure, with guitar-driven tracks like “I’m Yours” and “Bambi,” Prince was already hinting that he wouldn’t allow himself to be consigned to the segregated status of what the music industry prescribed a Black artist to be. Then, with 1980’s “Dirty Mind,” Prince blew all convention out of the water, so to speak. Not only did he shock the senses of those who dared to listen, tackling any number of societal taboos along the way, he blended funk, punk, rock, and new wave, not only embracing seemingly disparate musical forms, but also the renegade ethos in each of these genres. “Dirty Mind” is also when Prince starts to get political, as evidenced in the anti-war anthem “Party Up” and the dec-

three minus three. Absolutely nothing. Although Prince continued to explore similar themes a year later in the breakthrough double album “1999,” it’s not as if he introduced politics into music. To be fair, Prince inherited the tradition crafted by

Prince has always taken into account the world around him in his music. laration and utopian vision he sets forth in the album’s lead single, “Uptown.” And, with his next record, Prince further expounds on race, class, gender, sexuality, and theology, while addressing real-time topics the likes of which included the nation’s gun culture, government corruption, cold war politics, nuclear annihilation, and the Atlanta child murders. Then came the “Controversy” album. Its second cut, “Sexuality,” yields yet another manifesto, with a stylistic nod to Marx and Engels, where Prince calls for the “Reproduction of a new breed—leaders, stand up, organize,” while inserting a bit of parental advice and the following commentary on America: Don't let your children watch television until they know how to read. Or else all they'll know how to do is cuss, fight, and breed. No child is bad from the beginning, they only imitate their atmosphere. If they're in the company of tourists, alcohol, and U.S. history, what's to be expected is

the legends that preceded him: from Billie Holiday to Gil ScottHeron, Nina Simone to Sam Cooke, Mahalia Jackson to Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield to Bob Marley, James Brown to Jimi Hendrix, Fela Kuti to Funkadelic, and Sly and the Family Stone to the Staples Singers, among a myriad of others. After all, one could easily make the case that Black protest music in America is every bit as old as America itself. But Prince still deserves a great deal of credit as, for the better part of a decade, he was the bridge between the protest music he’d grown up with and the politically conscious rap of Public Enemy, KRS-One, and Michael Franti, the musical activism of Black rock-androllers like Living Colour, Fishbone, and Lenny Kravitz, and of course, singer-songwriters such as Tracy Chapman and Ben Harper. Along with 1987’s masterstroke of social commentary, “Sign O’ The Times,” which addressed mounting global destruction and the epidem-

ics of AIDS, drugs, and gangs, the rest of Prince’s ’80s output touched on subjects from apartheid to poverty, militarism to materialism, and death to despair. The song “Crystal Ball” warns of hate advancing “on the right,” while 1989’s “The Future” contemplates the ploys of the ruling class as “Hollywood conjures images of the past.” It was more of the same in the ’90s as Prince ushered in the decade with the politically charged “New Power Generation,” while tunes like “Money Don’t Matter 2 Night,” “The Sacrifice of Victor,” “Race,” “We March,” “Right the Wrong,” and “The Same December” would follow. Prince would also share explicitly political compositions with artists that included Mavis Staples (“You Will Be Moved”) and Tevin Campbell (“Uncle Sam”). Essentially, it could be argued that the radical musical atmosphere Prince-inspired in the ’80s helped to lead the way for bands like Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, and hip hop radicals The Coup, not to mention the emerging alternative scene in Seattle where both Layne Staley of Alice in Chains and Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell counted Prince among their biggest influences. And, without question, Prince continued down the same path in the 21st century. For instance, there were the tracks, “2045: Radical Man,” “United States of Division,” “Cinnamon Girl,” “Dr. Mr. Man,” and “Act of God” among literally dozens more. In fact, save for “Purple Rain,” you cannot find a Prince

album dating back to 1980 that doesn’t contain at least one overtly political message, with the issues of race and class often at the forefront. Prior to recording “Welcome 2 America,” Prince’s 2009 “Dreamer” declares: I was born, raised on a slave plantation In the United States, of the red, white and blue Never knew that I was different ‘Til Dr. King was on a balcony Lyin' in a bloody pool The same song later summons Du Bois’ prophetic notion of the “color line” set forth in “The Souls of Black Folk,” as Prince bemoans America’s shame that more than a century later, “race still matters.” And, that same year, “Old Skool Company,” from the “MPLSound” album quips:

“Baltimore,” a song that also coincided with his Rally 4 Peace benefit show at the city’s Royal Farms Arena. At the time, as is the case today with “Welcome 2 America,” some music journalists pointed to this as if it was something new, an anomaly even. But again, this was anything but new—Prince has always taken into account the world around him in his music. For a good part of the 2000s, fans and critics alike deliberated as to whether Prince’s changing views on faith may have undermined some of his previously progressive leanings, and if these views still held sway over him in his final years. Whatever side one might fall in that debate, one thing remains clear, Prince was remarkably consistent when it came to such things as race, class, and gender equity, in spite of the accusations leveled against him from some circles. Prince’s philanthropic efforts, most of which remained anonymous during his lifetime, are still being advanced today by the work of many former employees through the PRN Alumni Foundation. Prince’s support for the arts, animal rights, the environment, and educational institutions such as the West Side Preparatory School in Chicago, the Harlem Children’s Zone, and the Harvest Network of Schools in the same North Side neighborhood he came of age in, has indeed, become legend. Furthermore, Prince, perhaps more than any male figure in the history of popular music, championed the empowerment and equality of women in the industry, be it in the studio, on stage, or management positions inside the purple universe. And finally, although intensely ridiculed at the time, Prince challenged the racist and parasitic practices of the music industry, becoming a mentor and a model to his peers as well as to up-andcoming musicians seeking control of both their destiny and their artistry. So, as we celebrate and sift through the wisdom and the warnings Prince shares in “Welcome 2 America,” let us neither underestimate nor overlook the four-decade legacy he’s already left us. No… Prince wasn’t perfect… but he was a revolutionary.

Everybody's talkin' about hard times Like they just started yesterday People I know they've been strugglin' At least it seems that way Fat cats on Wall Street They got a bailout While somebody else got 2 wait $700 billion but my old neighborhood Tony Kiene welcomes reader Ain't nothing changed but the responses tkiene@spokesman-redate corder.com. In the spring of 2015, just a year or so before his own passing, Prince made a very public statement on the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody, with the release of

Twin Cities Jazz Festival returns to Mears Park Sept. 17–18 Enjoy the sultry sounds of jazz outdoors as the Twin Cities Jazz Festival returns this September with two days of music in beautiful Mears Park. This year’s festival will be headlined by award-winning pianist Kenny Barron and his trio, rising star Emmet Cohen, and trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet. A second stage will be set up on 5th Street and programmed with music to dance to—swing, salsa, funk. The Jazz Fest attracts thousands of music fans who

support our local businesses. “Throughout the pandemic, the Twin Cities Jazz Festival has remained committed to our musicians, jazz fans, and community,” said Steve Heckler, Twin Cities Jazz Festival’s executive director. Other acts appearing this year include the Walker West For more details on the schedMusic Academy & MacPhail Center for Music Youth Per- ule go to TwinCitiesJazzFestival. formances, Selby Avenue com. Brass Band, Moore By Four, Salsa del Soul and many more.

Kenny Barron

Photo by Fran Kaufman

8

July 29—August 4, 2021

BULLETIN Stay safe in extreme heat

With cases of COVID-19 once again on the rise across the U.S. due to unvaccinated populations, fears and concerns have arisen about the highly transmissible delta variant and public safety guidelines. Stay informed about the latest developments in the fight against the pandemic at MSR Forefront’s “COVID-19 Check-In.” Get your questions ready and set your calendar for Thursday, July 29 at 6 pm as Dr. Zeke McKinney and Dr. Nathan Chomilo discuss the latest COVID-19 information, from the delta and other variants to guidelines for children going back to school and more. More about the expert guests: Dr. Nathan T. Chomilo is a medical director for the State of Minnesota’s Medicaid/Medical Assistance & MinnesotaCare programs and practices as a general pediatrician in Brooklyn Center with Park Nicollet. He is a board member of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and an adjunct assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical

School. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and son. Dr. Zeke McKinney grew up in and lives in Minneapolis. He primarily practices clinical occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) in St. Paul and St. Louis Park, MN, and he is one of few clinicians in Minnesota who evaluates work and community-related environmental toxicologic exposures. He is also a researcher for the HealthPartners Institute, including on a COVID-19 vaccine trial. He focuses on health equity and environmental justice for all communities. Both Dr. McKinney and Dr. Chomilo are regular contributors to MSR’s Doctor’s Advice series. Watch MSR Forefront: “COVID-19 Check-In” on Thursday, July 29 on the MSR’s Facebook or YouTube channels or on msrnrewsonline.com. Find more medical insight from Dr. Zeke McKinney and Dr. Nathan Chomilo on msrnewsonline.com’s health section.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR/ KMOJ-FM HD1 and HD2, (Center for Communications and Development. (CCD) Minneapolis, MN, is searching for a forward-think-

ing, cutting-edge programmer with the ability to lead KMOJ’s Urban AC and Hip-Hop sister station and Online and Webbased platforms; who can provide leadership and vision and who is serious about innovative, high-quality, community-based programming. The Program Director is responsible for the “sound” of the stations and its online platforms. The Program Director is responsible and accountable for all programs, the programming grid, the monthly written evaluation of programs and coaching, on-air FCC compliance, fund drive programming, special live-stream shows, and working with other Directors, Engineers and Managers. This position, which reports to the General Manager, provides a myriad of monthly reports, and is expected to increase the listenership and membership of the station through good management skills and decisions. The PD participates, leads, and creates station events and may even host an air shift. The Program Director is knowledgeable of accounting principles, budgeting, and forecasting. The ideal candidate will have: a High School Diploma, College Degree, Management Experience, outstanding computer skills, and can navigate Music Master and Wide Orbit software. For more details about this career opportunity, email info@ KMOJFM.COM No Telephone calls, please. KMOJ/CCD is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church

Worship Mount Olivet Missionary Baptist Church

Courtesy of Pixabay wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen. • Don’t rely on an electric fan. Electric fans may seem to provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the 90s, fans will not prevent heat-related illness. Using wet cloths, showers or baths, or a spray of mist on exposed skin will help cool your body temperature.

As we make a sweaty pivot to the dog days of summer, the Minneapolis City officials are reminding everyone how to handle extreme heat. Heat-related illness happens when the body isn’t able to cool itself. Seniors, small children and people with physical disabilities and pets are the most vulnerable to heat-related illness, but everyone should take steps to stay safe in extreme heat. The Minneapolis Health Department works closely with other local jurisdictions and the Minnesota Department of Health to help folks prepare for extreme heat events. Minneapolis has an emergency plan that is used to respond when a heat advisory or warning is called by the National Weather Service. The plan is coordinated with a metro-wide notification plan that reaches out to agencies that serve vulnerable populations. Tips for preventing heat-related illness during extreme heat: • Drink more fluids. Drinking fluids helps your body cool itself. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Avoid drinking liquids with caffeine, alcohol, or large amounts of sugar. They can actually cause your body to lose more fluid. Remind anyone you are responsible for to drink more water. • Never leave any person or animals in a parked vehicle. • Wear lightweight, loose-fitted clothing. • Check on your neighbors who may be at risk. Visit seniors and other vulnerable neighbors at least twice a day and look closely for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. • If you or your neighbors are not vaccinated for COVID-19, you can call, text, video or meet them and keep a 6-foot distance. Seek medical advice immediately if you notice nausea, weakness, disorientation, rapid pulse and dry skin. • Take an air conditioning break. Air conditioning is your best defense against heat-related illness. If a home is not airconditioned, people can reduce their risk for heat-related illness by spending time in public facilities that are air-conditioned and using air conditioning in vehicles. • Limit outdoor activity, especially midday when the sun is hottest. Even young and healthy people can get sick from the heat if they participate in strenuous physical activities during hot weather. If you must be outside, try to limit your activity to morning and evening hours, pace your activity and take frequent breaks in the shade, drink plenty of fluids, and protect yourself from the sun by wearing a

Bethesda Baptist Church

Tips for wearing a mask in the summer heat • Choose a mask with breathable fabrics, such as cotton. • Keep an extra mask with you to swap out if necessary. If your mask becomes damp with sweat, its ability to block COVID-19 could diminish. • If you are feeling overheated while wearing your mask, take it off for a moment and breathe, making sure that you are 6 feet apart from others. Be sure to put it back on when you are ready to continue. Protect your pets The temperature inside a car can change drastically in a matter of minutes. It doesn’t have to be that hot outside for the temperature inside a vehicle to become dangerous to animals left inside— even with windows cracked. Animals left in vehicles can suffer from heatstroke and irreparable organ and brain damage. Minneapolis Animal Care and Control urges pet owners to take special precautions to protect their animals when the heat index is so high. Here are a few tips to keep your pets safe and alive: • Keep your pet inside and out of the direct sun. • Be sure your pet has enough clean, cool water. • Never leave your pet unattended in a parked car for any period of time. On a warm day, the temperature in a car can exceed 120 degrees in a matter of minutes— even with the windows partially open. Your pet can quickly suffer brain damage or die from heatstroke or suffocation. • If you see an animal outside or in a car exhibiting signs of heat stress, contact Minneapolis Animal Care & Control (MACC) immediately—in Minneapolis, call 311 (612-673-3000). If you believe the situation to be life-threatening, please call 911. For more information on heat-related illness and how to prevent it, as well as public, air-conditioned buildings for those who don’t have air conditioning in their homes, go to the City of Minneapolis Health Department’s extreme heat preparedness web page at https://bit.ly/ MHDExtremeHeat.

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN-RECORDER 3744 4th Ave. South • Minneapolis, MN 55409 Phone: 612-827-4021 • Fax: 612-827-0577

Tracey Williams-DillarD

cecil e. NeWmaN

Publisher/CEO

Founder-Publisher 1934-1976

Rev. Dr. Billy G. Russell, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Arthur Agnew, Pastor

Rev. James C. Thomas, Pastor

451 West Central

St. Paul, MN 55103 651-227-4444

Church School 9:30 am Morning Worship 8:00 & 10:45 am Prayer Service:

Wednesday 7 pm "Welcome to

Mt. Olivet Baptist Church"

At the Old Landmark 1118 So. 8th Street

2600 E. 38th Street Minneapolis, MN 55408 www.greatfriend.org Phone: 612.827.7928 Fax: 612.827.3587 info@greatfriend.org

Mpls., MN 55404 612-332-5904 www.bethesdamnonline.com bethesdamn@prodigy.net

Sundays 8:00am Sunday School 9:30am Worship Service

Sunday Service Times: Early Morning Service 9 am

The Friendly Church Where Everybody Is Somebody

Sunday School 10 am Sunday Worship 11:30 am Wednesday

Prayer Meeting, 6 pm Adult Bible Class 7 pm Children's Bible Class 7 pm

Wallace (Jack) JackmaN Co-Publisher Emeritus

l auNa Q. NeWmaN CEO/Publisher 1976-2000

Norma JeaN Williams Vice President Emeritus

Senior Editor Jerry Freeman

Contributing Writers

Sports Writers

Dr. Charles E. Crutchfield III

Charles Hallman

Community Editor Mel Reeves

Dr. Deirdre Golden

Dr. Mitchell P. McDonald

Aleezeh Hasan

Contributing Photographers

Dr. Clarence Hightower

Digital Editor Paige Elliott

Abeni Hill Dwight Hobbes

Desktop Publishers Jennifer Cherrier Jim Handrigan

Tiffany Johnson Brandon Jones

Administrative Assistant Open Account Representatives Cecilia Viel

Onika Nicole Craven Steve Floyd Chris Juhn Travis Lee

Tony Kiene Juliet Mitchell Khymyle Mims Abdi Muhommed Monica Zorilla

MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS

Pilgrim Baptist Church Rev. Doctor Charles Gill 732 W. Central Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 Sunday Worship Service: 9:45 AM Sunday School: 8:45 AM

Minnesota Newspaper Association • National Newspaper Publishers Association The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Publications are published every Thursday by the Spokesman-Recorder Publishing Co., Inc. Editorial/Business office is at 3744 Fourth Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55409 POSTMASTER Send address changes to: Minnesota SpokesmanRecorder, P.O. Box 8558, Minneapolis, MN 55408

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INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER

Employment & Legals A/1 Contract No. 22-005

INVITATION TO BID Sealed bids will be received by the Public Housing Agency of the City of Saint Paul for FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM EXPANSION AT ROOSEVELT COMMUNITY CENTER, Contract No. 22-005, until 2:00 PM, Local Time, on AUGUST 10, 2021, at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud via the Zoom App. Bids may be submitted in person to the St Paul PHA Maintenance Department at 200 E Arch Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55130, or be submitted electronically, in a pdf format, to Northstar Imaging, www.northstarplanroom.com A complete set of bid documents is available at www.northstarplanroom. com, under public plan room, FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM EXPANSION AT ROOSEVELT COMMUNITY CENTER, Contract No. 22-005, or calling 651-686-0477. Digital downloads are no charge. Contact Northstar for hard copy prices. Bids must be accompanied by a 5% bid guarantee, MN Responsible Contractor Affidavit, a Non-Collusive Affidavit, and EEO-1 submittals. The successful bidder will be required to furnish both a satisfactory performance bond and a separate payment bond. PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021, AT 1:00 PM LOCAL TIME AT THE ROOSEVELT COMMUNITY CENTER, 1575 AMES AVE E, ST. PAUL, MN 55106. The PHA reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any informalities in the bidding. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AGENCY

JORDAN LASOTA CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM MANAGER (651) 292-6254 JORDAN.LASOTA@STPHA.ORG

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder July 29, 2021

Notice of Abandonment Notice is hereby given that the following watercraft has been abandoned for 60+ DAYS on the property of 2538 Grand Ave S, Minneapolis, MN, (612-889-9004). Deltavan Cruiser, 25’, 1980, white/tan, MN8710GC. Application for Registration/ Title will be made in accordance with Section 345.75 of the Code of MN statutes if watercraft is not claimed & removed within 30 days of 1st publication of this notice. Please contact the MN DNR with questions. Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder July 29 and August 5 & 12, 2021

STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF HENNEPIN

Michael Robert Henderson, Plaintiff,

DISTRICT COURT FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Type of Case: Personal Injury Court File No. Judge SUMMONS

vs. Bruce Frank Bruggenthies, Defendants. 1. YOU ARE BEING SUED. The Plaintiff has started a lawsuit against you. The Plaintiff’s Complaint against you is attached to this Summons. Do not throw these papers away. They are official papers that affect your rights. You must respond to this lawsuit even though it may not yet be filed with the Court and there may be no Court file number on this Summons. 2. YOU MUST REPLY WITHIN 21 DAYS TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS. You must give or mail to the person who signed this Summons a written response called an Answer within 21 days of the date on which you received this Summons. You must send a copy of your Answer to the person who signed this Summons located at Milavetz, Gallop & Milavetz, P.A., 1915 57th Avenue North, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430. 3. YOU MUST RESPOND TO EACH CLAIM. The Answer is your written response to the Plaintiff’s Complaint. In your Answer you must state whether you agree or disagree with each paragraph of the Complaint. If you believe the Plaintiffs should not be given everything asked for in the Complaint, you must say so in your Answer. 4. YOU WILL LOSE YOUR CASE IF YOU DO NOT SEND A WRITTEN RESPONSE TO THE COMPLAINT TO THE PERSON WHO SIGNED THE SUMMONS. If you do not Answer within 21 days, you will lose this case. You will not get to tell your side of the story, and the Court may decide against you and award the Plaintiffs everything asked for in the Complaint. If you do not want to contest the claims stated in the Complaint, you do not need to respond. A Default Judgment can then be entered against you for the relief requested in the Complaint.

From Classified Bell Museum Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

The Bell Museum is hiring multiple positions. Full and part-time with many benefits of working at the U. PHONE: 612-827-4021 For more information or to apply visit: www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/employment/

MILAVETZ, GALLOP & MILAVETZ, P.A. Dated: 6/8/2021

/s/ Alan Milavetz______________ Alan S. Milavetz, Esq., #0164677 Attorneys for Plaintiffs 1915 57th Avenue North Brooklyn Center, MN 55430 Telephone: (763) 560-0000 Facsimile: (763) 566-0211 amilavetz@milavetzlaw.com

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder July 22 & 29, and August 5, 2021

SOE

surmised Esten. Pioneer League member Drake is a possibility in football, he believes. “Some of Continued from page 10 the Minnesota schools might be will emerge. UST will compete good rivalries for us [in women’s in the Pioneer League (foot- and men’s hockey]. It might be ball), WCHA (women’s hockey), a couple years till we know for CCHA (men’s hockey) and Sum- sure.” mit League (19 of 23 sports). Charles Hallman welcomes “I think some of these [rivalries] are going to establish them- reader responses to challman@ selves organically over time,” spokesman-recorder.com.

9

From Classified Department/MN Principal Reliability Engineer Spokesman-Recorder

Medtronic, Inc., Mounds View, MN. Req. Master’s in Biomedical Engr. or612-827-4021 related engr. field & 5 yrs. exp. in PHONE: quality engr. in the medical device industry. Must possess a min. 5 yrs. exp. w/ each of the following: ISO 13485, FOR BILLING IEC 60601-1, ISO 14971, 21 CFR Part 820 for medical INQUIRIES devices FOR to incl.BILLING electrocardiographic imaging; heart anat& TEARSHEETS INQUIRIES omy & atrial arrhythmias; development & maintenance PLEASE CONTACT & TEARSHEETS of Risk Files; design development process incl. Product From Classified ACCOUNTING DEPT PLEASE CONTACT Requirements, Design Verification, Design Validation & MDLC LEGAL ADVOCATE - DULUTH Department/MN root cause analysis, Corrective & PreACCOUNTING DEPT @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM Design Transfer; Spokesman-Recorder ventive Actions & Non-Conforming Material Requests; @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-REMid-Minnesota Legal Aid. For details, go to mylegalaid. internal CORDER.COM & external audits; regulatory submissions to org/employment. LEGAL NOTICES PHONE: 612-827-4021 FDA & EU regulatory bodies for product development; SIZE: 2 COL X 5 = 10 & coordination of product development deliverables for RATE $15.53 PCI (1ST RUN) medical device commercialization. To apply, visit https:// TOTAL: $155.30 EMPLOYMENT DISPLAY jobs.medtronic.com/, select Req. #21000INU. No FOR BILLING 2 COL 1.5= 3 Medtronic INCHES is an equal FromSIZE: Classified agencies or phone callsXINQUIRIES please. RATE $38.25 committed PER COL.to INCH Department/MN opportunity employer cultural diversity in & TEARSHEETS Please proof, respond with email confirmation to display@ SUB TOTAL: $76.50are encouraged to apply. Spokesman-Recorder the workplace. All individuals PLEASE CONTACT spokesman-recorder.com ACCOUNTING DEPT Interfaith Outreach is a human services nonprofit in PHONE: 612-827-4021 @ BILLING@SPOKESMA Plymouth, MN. We handles are seeking highly qualified candidates The MSR billing digitally. CORDER.COM for full-time in our Neighborhood and invoices unThispositions means you will get e-tears Program and e-mailed Please proof, respond with email confirMarketing & Communications less you specifically group. request a hard copy. Regulatory Affairs Specialist mation to dis play@spokesman-recorder. FOR BILLING com. For more exposure: We are also inINQUIRIES EMPLOYMENTPlymouth, DISPLAYMN. For more information visit https://iocp.org/about-communifor&Covidien LP our (a Medtronic viting clients tocompany), advertise on our web TEARSHEETS ty-outreach/open-positions/ SIZE: 2 COL X 1 = 2 INCHES Req. Master’s in Regulatory Biomedical Engr., or site for 2 weeks forAffairs, a flat net fee of $150 PLEASE CONTACT $38.25 PERofCOL. related medical/scientificRATE field & 6 months exp. INCH in regper position with purchase of print ad. ACCOUNTING DEPT ulatory affairs. Must possess 6 months w/each of the SUB min. TOTAL: $76.50 @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM following: Class II & Class III medical devices; medical The MSR & handles billing digitally. device submissions clearances incl.ONLINE FDA medical device From Classified +2 will WEEKS @$150 This means you get e-tears and State of Minnesota District Court regulations & EU Medical Device Directive 2007/47/EC; Department/MN TOTAL: $226.50 e-mailed invoices unless you specifically RamseyFrom County Classified Second Judicial District product changes, design changes, mfg. changes, supplier EMPLOYMENT DISPLAY Spokesman-Recorder Court File Number: 62-HR-CV-21-639 request a hard copy. Department/MN changes, labeling changes, product registrations & audits; SIZE: 2 COL X 2 = 4 INCHES Case Type: Harassment developing regulatory strategies, timelines, & deliverables Spokesman-Recorder RATE $38.25 PERPHONE: COL. INCH 612-827-4021 Please proof, respond email conf Juan Carlos Salinas Vs forSUB approval in U.S. & EU for medical devices orwith combiTOTAL: $153.00 Alana M Guzman Notice of Issuance of tion to dis play@spokesman-recorder. nation products; 510(k), IDE & PMA device product subPHONE: 612-827-4021 Harassment Restraining Order ForBILLING more We are also missions; ISO 13485FOR & ISO 14971;exposure: technical literature to invitin By Publication +2 WEEKS ONLINE @$150 incl. labeling, IFU’s, INQUIRIES manuals, patienttoguides, clinical lit. & our clients advertise on our web sit FOR BILLING TOTAL:& $303.00 To Respondent: & TEARSHEETS advertising promotion materials; &flat review, approval, &per pos weeks for a net fee of $150 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that a Harassment Restraining Order has been issued INQUIRIES coordination of changes associated w/product & process in PLEASE CONTACT with purchase of print ad. on July 9, 2021. & TEARSHEETS 10% NON-PROFIT DISCOUNT=$30.30 electronic document control systems. To apply, visit https:// ACCOUNTING DEPT X A hearing has not been scheduled. You may request a hearing on this PLEASE CONTACT jobs.medtronic.com/,@ select Req. No agencies BILLING@SPOKESMAN-REC The MSR#21000INY. handles billing digitally. matter by filing a Request for Hearing HAR301 with the Court within twenty ACCOUNTING DEPT or TOTAL= phone calls$272.70 please.ER.COM Medtronic/Covidien are equal op- and eThis means you will get e-tears (20) days of the date this Notice is published. portunity employers committed to cultural diversity in the reques @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER. You may get a copy of the HRO from the court administrator's office at the invoices unless you specifically following address: JFJC, 25 W. 7th Street, St. Paul MN 55102. workplace. All individuals are encouraged to apply. COM hard copy. RAMSEY COUNTY Failure to appear at a scheduled hearing or to get a copy of the Harassment Restraining Order will notbe a defense to prosecution for violation of the LEGAL NOTICES Court's order.Classified From

Please proof, respond with email confirmation to dis play 1WEEK RUN spokesman-recorder.com. For more exposure: We are also FLAT RATE $100.00 PREPAID heweb declared. ing our clients to advertiseroster, on our site for 2 weeks for “He understands how ad. to monet fee of $150 per position with purchase of print tivate young guys, pushing and Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder July 29, 2021 Continued from page 10 PHONE: 612-827-4021 RATE $10.35 PCI (PER ADDITIONAL RUN) $ The MSR handles billing digitally. holding them accountable and This means you will get e-tears invoices unl SUBTOTAL: $41.40 X 2 = 82.80 make and theme-mailed better. So, I like the FOR BILLING specifically request a hard copy. Total: $143.92 this week. He added in an MSR job he’s doing, and I’m really Classified INQUIRIES phone interviewFrom last week that happy the organization commitState of Minnesota District Court Department/MN & TEARSHEETS Ramsey County Second Judicial District the young man appears well suit- ted to him by extending his conCourt File Number: 62-HR-CV-21-640 Spokesman-Recorder PLEASE CONTACT Please proof, respond with email confirmation to dis-ed for the Pistons, who last year tract.” Case Type: Harassment ACCOUNTING DEPT play@spokesman-recorder.com drafted Saddiq Bey, Isaiah StewThe Minnesota TimberYarehi Hernandez Vs PHONE: 612-827-4021 @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER. art, Saben Lee and Killian Hayes wolves this year has no draft Alana M Guzman Notice of Issuance of COM The MSR handles billing digitally. to join Jerami Grant in forming a picks, but there are several Harassment Restraining Order Publication This means you will getBye-tears and e-mailed invoices young nucleus toFOR build aBILLING winner. Minnesota-based players who INQUIRIES unless you specifically request a hard copy. SUMMONS “He [Cunningham] does seem are in the mix to be picked To Respondent: & TEARSHEETS FLAT RATE $200 to have the attributes that you sometime in the two-round YOU ARE NOTIFIED that a Harassment Restraining Order has been PLEASEa CONTACT want today—swingman, guy draft. Jalen Suggs, McKinley issued on July 9, 2021. The MSR handles billing digitally. ACCOUNTING DEPT that can play 2, 3, and 4, handle Wright and Jericho Sims are means get e-tears and e-mailed X This A hearing has notyou beenwill scheduled. You may request a hearing on inthis @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECOR the basketball and create opporamong the prospects. Suggs matter by filing a Request Hearing HAR301 with theaCourt voices unless youfor specifically request hardwithin copy. COM tunities for himself as well as othis projected a top-five pick. twenty (20) days of the date this Notice is published.

SIZE: 2 COL X 2 = 4 Department/MN 7/21/2021 W. Harper RATE $15.53 Donald PCI (1ST RUN) Juvenile and Family Court Administrator Spokesman-Recorder SUBTOTAL: $62.12

You may get a copy of the HRO from the court administrator's office at the following address: JFJC, 25 W. 7th Street, St. Paul MN 55102. Failure to appear at a scheduled hearing or to get a copy of the Harassment Restraining Order will not be a defense to prosecution for violation of the Court's order. 7/21/2021

Donald W. Harper Juvenile and Family Court Administrator Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder July 29, 2021

5. LEGAL ASSISTANCE: You may wish to get legal help from a lawyer. If you do not have a lawyer, the Court Administrator may have information about places where you can get legal assistance. Even if you cannot get legal help, you must still provide a written Answer to protect your rights or you may lose the case. 6. ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION. The parties may agree to or be ordered to participate in an alternative dispute resolution process under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice. You must still send your written response to the Complaint even if you expect to use alternative means of resolving this dispute.

July 29—August 4, 2021

A/1 Contract No. 22-048 INVITATION TO BID Sealed bids will be received by the Public Housing Agency of the City of Saint Paul for BULK REFUSE TRANSFER SERVICE, Contract No. 22-048 until 2:00 P.M., Local Time, on August 12, 2021, at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud via the Zoom App. Bids may be delivered to St. Paul PHA Maintenance Contracts Department, 200 Arch St. E., St. Paul, MN 55130 OR submitted electronically, in a pdf format, to Northstar Imaging, www.northstarplanroom.com A complete set of bid documents is available at www.northstarplanroom. com, under public jobs BULK REFUSE TRANSFER SERVICE, Contract No. 22-048, or calling 651-686-0477. Digital downloads are no charge, contact Northstar for hard copy prices. Bids must be accompanied by a $500 bid guarantee, Non-Collusive Affidavit, MN Responsible Contractor Compliance Affidavit, and EEO1 submittals. The successful bidder will be required to furnish both a satisfactory performance bond and a separate payment bond. PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021, AT 10:00 AM LOCAL TIME AT THE MT AIRY HI-RISE, 200 E ARCH STREET, ST PAUL, MN 55130. The PHA reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any informalities in the bidding.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AGENCY

VANESSA AUSTIN PROJECT TECHNICIAN (651) 228-3179 Vanessa.Austin@stpha.org

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder July 29, 2021

NBA Draft

RAMSEY “A player canCOUNTY never go wrong staying1WEEK another year in school RUN FLAT RATE $100.00 PREPAID to hone your skill.”

ers,” said Kelser. Cunningham “I like Suggs,” admitted can shoot it deep as well as finish Kelser. “I think he’s a qualat the rim: “All of those things ity ball handler, passer and that seems to be what this young scorer. He’s a leader, and he man has, that would fit right into seem to really have an underFrom Classified who the Pistons are trying to standing and a grasp for the Department/MN have on their roster,” he pointed game at a very, very complex Spokesman-Recorder out. and complicated position— Detroit has been yearning for point guard. The team that PHONE: 612-827-4021 several seasons for a competitive gets him will be very happy Pistons team, and although they I would imagine. I think he’s FOR BILLING only won 20 games INQUIRIES this past sea- going to have a nice career.” son,&according to Kelser, it gave When asked if Suggs and TEARSHEETS new hope to fans. other one-and-done colPLEASE CONTACT “People were enthusiastic ACCOUNTING DEPT lege players in this year’s about what they saw from the draft are NBA-ready, Kelser @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM youngsters last year,” continued said, “He is as much as anyKelser. “They showed a level of body else this year coming LEGAL NOTICES competitiveness, showed a fire, out. A player can never hurt SIZE: 2 COL X 4.75 = 9.5 an RATE eagerness to get better and himself…you can never go $15.53 PCI (1ST RUN) work.” wrong staying another year TOTAL: $147.53 He also feels that the Pistons in school to hone your skill has the right coach in Dwane and get bigger, stronger, more Casey, a former Coach of email knowledgeable, and all Please proof,NBA respond with confirmation to play display@ theman-recorder.com Year at Toronto, where he the time [and] practice a lot. guided the Raptors to the point College allows for that. The where finally win pros don’t.” The they MSRwould handles billing digitally. a championship in 2019—but This means you will get e-tears and e-mailed invoices unles specifically a hard Casey was firedrequest the season be-copy.Charles Hallman welcomes fore. “They are all Dwane Casey reader responses to challman@ players and they started very spokesman-recorder.com. young with him,” Kelser recalled. The current Detroit coach “is the absolute best person” to lead this

10

Sports

July 29—August 4, 2021

College one-anddones top picks in NBA draft By Charles Hallman Sports columnist

I

t is expected that 19-year-old Cade Cunningham, with only one college season playing experience, will be the number-one overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft on July 29. Detroit has the top pick for the first time since 1970 (Bob Lanier) and third in franchise history (Jimmy Walker in 1967 was the other).

Cade Cunningham

Since he declared he would leave Oklahoma State early for the pros, the 6’8” Cunningham has been considered the top overall selection in this year’s draft. And Detroit fans mainly endorse this by virtual voice vote—Cunningham was given much love when he recently attended a Tigers game. “It would seem so,” said Pistons broadcaster and former firstround pick Greg Kelser on the probable Cunningham selection

Courtesy of Twitter

U of M report card on women college coaches now includes race data Coaches of color found ‘dramatically underrepresented’

I

t took a while, but the University of Minnesota Tucker Center’s annual report card on women’s college coaches now includes race in its analysis. “Thank you for always pushing us to collect race data,” said Tucker Center Director Nicole LaVoi in an MSR phone interview shortly after the 2020-21 report card was released earlier this month. Texas Southern University Head Volleyball Coach Gabrielle Floyd graces this year’s cover of the report that documents the percentage of women in all coaching positions for women’s teams at NCAA Division I institutions. TSU is one of the nation’s largest historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and according to the report, over onefourth (117 or 28.6%) of Black head coaches, both men and women, are employed at HBCUs. But overall, women coaches of color (Black, Indigenous and People of Color or BIPOC) “are vastly underrepresented (7%) as head coaches of women teams,” the report noted. Over 350 U.S. colleges and

universities, 3,600-plus head coaches, and 32 Division I conferences were tracked: • 42.7% are women HCs, up .04 percent from 2019-20 • 5.2% are Black females • 16.1% are BIPOC female HCs • The five major sports with BIPOC women HCs: basketball (73, 29.8%), volleyball (43, 17.6%), track and field (29, 11.8%), tennis (23, 9.4%) and softball (17, 6.9%) • Bowling (35.3%) has the highest percentage of BIPOC head coaches By conference, the SWAC is tops in BIPOC head coaches of women’s teams (71 of 78), while the Summit League is last (5 of 80). The ACC leads the Power Five conferences (29 of 174) – Pac12 (25 of 151), Big Ten (20 of 183), SEC (19 of 156) and Big 12 (14 of 99).

do,” she reiterated. This year’s report reaffirmed the importance of including race to better track hiring and retention trends. Another reason, LaVoi added: “The reason why

Julie Manning

Courtesy U of M

that’s significant is that female athletes of color are rarely getting the same identity role model

“Female athletes of color are rarely getting the same identity role model in their head coach.” Ohio State leads the Big Ten (4 of 17) while Minnesota (1 of 14) is one of five schools (Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Michigan) with one BIPOC coach, and three conference schools—Michigan State, Penn State and Northwestern—have zero BIPOC coaches. LaVoi said that HBCU BIPOC head coaches (108) is “almost a third of the sample of schools” surveyed. “So, we have work to

are dramatically underrepresented in coaches of color,” she concluded. All reports, current and past, are available at www.TuckerCenter.org. NIL update The University of Minnesota has a NIL interim policy in place for its players, said Deputy Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator Julie Manning. “I think it’s quite equitable,” she told the MSR last week. “I think it depends entirely on each individual student athlete, their desire and their motivation.” Manning pointed out that not all Gopher athletes will pursue NIL deals: “I do think there’s a significant number of student athletes who will just pass, say ‘I need to stay focused on basketball or football or tennis or hocky or what it is, and I am not going to pursue name, image and likeness,” she said. “They’re having a wonderful college experience. I think it’ll be an opportunity for some to profit off their name, image and likeness, which is a wonderful right to be able to do.”

in their head coach, and that’s important for female athletic development, experience and probably performance.” Finally, LaVoi surmised, “We’re continuing to use the report card to create awareness Charles Hallman welcomes and educate, and hold decision reader responses to challman@ makers accountable. There’s a spokesman-recorder.com. lot of work to be done because we’re still not at 50% of women head coaches, and we certainly

■See NBA Draft on page 9

Plenty of prep happenings for former, current players

Tommies make the leap to Division I A longtime Division III small school power, the University of St. Thomas, better known as the Tommies, left the MIAC and leaped up to Division I, joining the University of Minnesota as the state’s only big level schools. Such a large jump isn’t unprecedented, but doing it in less than two years is. Because St. Thomas in the past didn’t have to award athletic scholarships, which isn’t allowed in Division III, an extreme makeover was instantly needed in the transformation of the UST athletics department. Besides scholarships, other aspects of athletics— ticketing, sports medicine and communications, for example, had to be upgraded to Division I standards. Athletic Director Phil Esten said in a recent MSR phone interview that last year’s pandemic Phil Esten outbreak allowed him and his staff some unexpected extra time “Building a compliance system and academic reporting system, and making sure that we have the systems in place to award athletic aid. Building new and learning new relationships, the different cities, building relationships with hotels and bus companies etc. across the country.” Hiring staff is mainly done, to put things in place. “Last year would have been a challenge in Esten added: “I’d say the majorand of itself, preparing for this ity of our hiring has been on the move to Division I,” he recalled. coaching front. We didn’t have “There’s been two years’ worth fulltime assistant coaches.” Leon Hayward, one of two of work to get to where we are Black assistant hockey coaches today.” “An infrastructure” needed to in the NCHC, was hired in the be built literally from the bottom same capacity at UST. Gameli up. “Some of the details behind Ahelegbe, a 10-year veteran assisthe scenes that most people don’t tant coach in the Summit League, necessarily think in Division I was hired as a men’s basketball athletics…they’re the things we assistant, as well as former De need to roll up your sleeves and La Salle star Cameron Rundles, dig in a little bit,” explained Esten. who played a decade overseas

“I believe that our staff is about 7% diverse.”

PreP Scene Dr. Mitchell PalMer McDonalD

Craig McDonald Courtesy Iowa State U. Athletics

Courtesy U. of St. Thomas as an assistant. Teonna Jewell, an 11-year veteran coach, was hired as Tommies assistant women’s basketball coach. Asked how diverse the rest of the UST athletics staff is, especially in off-court positions, Esten said, “I believe that our staff is about 7% diverse. The hires that we’ve made over the last couple of years, 30% of our hires roughly have been diverse. We’re making good progress there. “I’m proud of the priority that we’ve set there,” he said of diversity. “That includes assistant coaches, administrative leadership staff and other support staff.” The annual Tommies-Johnnies football game between St. Thomas and St. John, one of the oldest rivalries in the country, is now history. Esten hopes in the near future new rivalries ■See SOE on page 9

Davon Townley Jr., a 6’7” defensive lineman who starred in basketball and football at Minneapolis North, is a member of the Penn State University football team. Sherynn Titus, a 5’6” guard who starred at St. Paul Central and played at Iowa Central Community College last year, will continue her athletics and studies at Waldorf University. Bishop McDonald, a 6’0” defensive back and North St. Paul alum, is going into his final year as a defensive back for the University of Minnesota after two years at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Kewrin Walton, a 6’5” standout guard from Hopkins who worked his way into the starting lineup as a freshman at the University of North Carolina, averaged 8.2 points per game this past season. Kendall Brown, a 6’7” player who had an outstanding career at East Ridge before playing at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas last season while earning McDonald’s All-American honors, chose to play at Baylor University. Chet Holmgren, a 7’0” center from Minnehaha Academy who is now at Gonzaga University, has won just about every local and national high school basketball award available. Khalid El-Amin, a three-time state champion at Minneapolis North, NCAA champ at UCONN, and professional basketball player as a point guard, is the new head coach at St. Thomas Academy. Saldin Wright, a former student-athlete standout at St. Paul Highland Park during the mid1980s, is the new head coach at his alma mater.

Quite a bit is happening or has happened recently on the prep scene. Here are a few such happenings that come to mind. Craig McDonald, a 6’3” defensive back from Minnehaha Academy who challenged the Minnesota State High School league after he was denied eligibility his senior year, is a redshirt freshman at Iowa State University. Gabby McCaa, a 6’3” middle blocker/right side hitter who starred at St. Louis Park, is entering her junior year at Boston College. Gabby McCaa Chudear Tut, a 6’2” middle Courtesy Boston College hitter from Hopkins High School now playing at Coppin State University, was named the MEAC Freshman of the Year this past season. Savannah White, a 6’2” senior guard at DeLaSalle who also stars in volleyball at the school, committed to play basketball at the University of Wisconsin. Amaya Battle, a 5’11” senior at Hopkins, has committed to play at the University of Minnesota. Chase Carter, a 6’6” senior defensive end from Minnehaha Academy, recently committed to Michigan State University to play football. Courtney Brown Jr., a 6’6” Chudear Tut former East Ridge basketball Courtesy Coppin State U. standout who played two years Athletics at the University of WisconsinMitchell Palmer McDonMilwaukee, has transferred to ald welcomes reader responses to the University of St. Thomas. mcdeezy05@gmail.com.