January 24, 2019 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

January 24-30, 2019 Vol. 85 No. 25 www.spokesman-recorder.com

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THE VOICE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1934

‘We must rise up and not be silent’

An exclusive sit-down with Senator Tina Smith

By Solomon Gustavo Contributing Writer

S

enator Tina Smith once seemed to be backing away from the political spotlight. The former lieutenant governor had no plans on making a run for her boss Gov. Mark Dayton’s job upon his retirement.

But then Dayton tapped her to fill former Sen. Al Franken’s seat in Dec. 2017. Smith answered the call and went on to win the special election last fall to serve the last two years of Franken’s term.

Now she’s positioned herself to make waves at the Capitol working alongside the most diverse U.S. Congress in history. She sat down in an exclusive conversation with the MSR on Martin Luther King’s holiday to discuss pressing issues for Blacks and people of color and what she’s doing to address them.

Don Lemon

CNN’s Don Lemon shares message of perseverance through adversity

By Solomon Gustavo Contributing Writer

T

he United Negro College Fund’s (UNCF) annual MLK Holiday Breakfast kicked off Monday’s annual festivities celebrating the legacy of civil rights activist Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Don Lemon, host of “CNN Tonight,” delivered the keynote to a just-waking capacity crowd at the Armory. Now in its 29th year, the breakfast event has featured nationally prominent speakers — among others, John Lewis, Harry Belafonte and Gen. Colin Powell — with a side of music and fundraising for UNCF. The event featured entertainment from the Sounds of Blackness, students from

the McPhail Center for Music, and the Minnesota Orchestra Brass Ensemble.

The breakfast also saw a gathering of distinguished guests and community leaders — among them, newly elected Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter.

With a nod to King’s religious pluralism, Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman of Temple Israel led the invocation after General Mills senior counsel Ugo Ukabam called for breakfast to be served. Zimmerman served a cold dish of reality before the food came by simply listing the location and details of mass killings in Black churches, each punctuated with “com-

munity shaken.”

“This is America,” said the more sanguine UNCF CEO Dr. Michael Lomax, pointing out the diverse crowd before Lemon took to the podium. Feeling similarly encouraged at the sight of the crowd, early in his keynote remarks Lemon also encouraged everyone to “look around.”

The primary theme of Lemon’s speech was “to be yourself,” noting that King fought so that Blacks could just do what they do and be who they are.

His way of celebrating King was by traveling the road King and other civil rights leaders paved and pointing out how that has

The Sounds of Blackness

■ See UNCF on page 5

Sen. Tina Smith

Photo by Chris Juhn

MSR: How is the government shutdown affecting the poor and people of color?

Sen. Tina Smith: This shutdown is a waste, it is unnecessary, and it is increasingly harmful. We think first of the federal employees who are furloughed. A lot of federal workers are just like the rest of us — they are working paycheck to paycheck.

And then we have a group that I’ve been really paying attention to. They are people that are often just invisible to the rest of us. They are subcontractors for the federal government. The folks that are the security guards at federal office buildings. The people who clean the office building when everyone goes home. A lot of these people are people of color. A lot of them are women.

And they were basically laid off as part of the shutdown. Unlike federal workers, who get their back pay when we resume operations of the government, these low-wage workers don’t have any recourse. So, they just lost that income.

All photos by Chris Juhn

■ See Smith on page 5

Mpls & St. Paul NAACP chapters unite to Kamala Harris joins 2020 presidential race target state’s racial wealth gap

in time that I feel a sense of responsibility to fight for the best of who we are,” said Harris. and St. Paul chapters, to begin Harris’ campaign highlights her work as After months of speculation, Sen. Kamathe work and gather community la Harris has officially announced her 2020 an advocate for criminal justice reform, as input for the plan which is set to presidential bid. well as affordable housing, healthcare, and be released this spring.

The California senator made the announce- sexual assault, among other issues.

Moderated by Minneapolis ment on Good Morning America on Dr. Martin The announcement comes weeks after she NAACP President Leslie Red- Luther King, Jr. Day. mond, panelists shared their ex■ See harriS on page 5 “I love my country, and this is a moment pertise with the more than 100 attendees who packed the house at the Minneapolis Urban League in North Minneapolis.

Redmond told the MSR that they handpicked panelists from both Minneapolis and St. Paul areas to recognize “that these economic disparities are impacting both of us and that we need to be able to work together and move forward.”

Their conversations focused on solutions and pathways towards change, including Attorney General Keith Ellison’s call to end the war on drugs.

“I think it’s incredibly horrible to deprive someone of their freedom for something that is absolutely legal in three or four states of our union, [and] Mexico and Canada,” said Ellison. We have “to always oppose these

By MSR Editors

NAACP

By Stephenetta Harmon Editor-in-Chief A new plan is being formed to help address the racial wealth gap in Minnesota. Last month, the National NAACP announced the creation of an Economic Inclusion Plan (EIP) for the Twin Cities. The forthcoming plan aims to address the myriad racial disparities and issues affecting Black communities in the Twin Cities — from mass incarceration and economic injustice

Photo by Stephenetta Harmon to entrepreneurship and rising education costs.

The national organization previously released plans for three cities in February 2018. “Minneapolis and St. Paul were chosen due to the recent social unrest surrounding the police shootings of Philando Castile and Jamar Clark,” said Joel Franklin, JD, NAACP Minnesota/Dakotas Area State Conference President.

A who’s who of Black leadership gathered Dec. 10, hosted by the organization’s Minneapolis

“I feel a sense of responsibility to fight for the best of who we are.”

■ See NaaCP on page 9

Sen. Kamala Harris

Photo courtesy of Sait-Serkan-Gurbuz/AP

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January 24-30, 2019

Readers are leaders: Buy your children more books

Courtesy of NNPA

By Elizabeth Primas Contributing Writer We are our children’s first teachers, and what we teach them makes a difference.

According to research by Betty Hart of the University of Kansas and Todd Risley of the University of Alaska, by age three, poor children have an accumulated experience with 30 million less words than their wealthier counterparts; a greater percentage of the words that poor children accumulate were discouraging compared to their wealthier peers.

We have to read more to our children and encourage them to read more for themselves.

Books not only promote literacy, they also encourage our children to see themselves as an integral and valued part of the society in which they live. Walter Dean Myers, author of the critically acclaimed Monster, asserts that exposure to culturally relevant books can lead to self-validation and higher self-esteem for young people.

This year let’s help reduce the 30-millionword gap by adding more books to our shopping list.

A GUIDE TO PURCHASING CULTURALLY RELEVANT BOOKS

ty new nanny with a knack for getting to the bottom of household mysteries, can crack the case.

Birth to age seven: Children in this age group enjoy books with vibrant colors, a predictable pattern, and interactive pages.

Ages eight-12: Children in this age group are familiar with story line. They understand setting, plot, and characters.

Our Picks:

Our Picks:

1. Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee describes the behind-thescenes look at the chills, spills, and unequivocal thrills of bringing up baby.

2. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Mill Martin Jr. uses an alphabet rhyme to race to the top of a coconut tree.

3. Chicka Chicka 1,2,3 also by Bill Martin Jr. is the counting-themed complement to the popular Chicka Chika Boom Boom.

4. Brothers of the Knight by Debbie Allen is a modern retelling of the classic tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Reverend Knight can’t understand why his 12 sons’ sneakers are torn to shreds each and every morning, and the boys aren’t talking. They know their all-night dancing wouldn’t fit with their father’s image in the community. Maybe Sunday, a pret-

1. The Broken Bike Boy and the Queen of 33rd Street by Sharon Flake explores the meaning of being a good friend and “happily ever after.”

2. Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington by Jabari Asim tells the story of a young Booker T. Washington, the cherished American educator and advisor to presidents, journey five-hundred mile journey to Hampton Institute immediately after emancipation.

He arrived with only fifty cents in his pocket.

3. Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money by Christopher Paul Curtis takes readers on an exciting adventure with best friends Steven, Russell, and Zoopy. Steven was given a mysterious dollar bill from Mr. Chickee, an elderly blind man in the neighborhood. When Agent Fondoo from the U.S. Treasury Department finds out about it, he wants the currency back; but the team of secret government agents may have met their match in the three best friends.

Ages 13-18: By this age, teens have established what they like to read, and some have decided that they don’t like to read at all, but with the right books, that can change.

Our picks: 1. Firebird by Misty Copeland tell the story of a young girl with fragile confidence who questions her ability to reach the heights that Misty has.

2. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is the coming of age the story of a Nigerian American girl discovering the meaning of “Blackness” in the United States of America. Her companion Obinze, was not able to join her in the states due to post 9/11 immigration policies and they eventually stop contact. He chose to try his chances as an undocumented person in London; as an alternative to the American dream. However, they reunite years later in a newly democratic Nigeria.

3. Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper uses the grief of a young Andy to refute the belief that strong boys don’t cry. After allowing the death of one of his close friends consume him, a series of letters, articles, homework assignments, and dialogue makes clear that indeed tigers do cry.

Elizabeth Primas is an educator who spent more than 40 years working to improve education for children. She is the program manager for NNPA’s Every Student Succeeds Act Public Awareness Campaign.

Book summaries from Amazon.com. All the books listed can be purchased on Amazon.

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January 24-30, 2019

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Treating skin of color I also discuss with patients the difference between active inflammatory, bumps, and the flat, brown spots left behind.

By Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD Second of a three-part series

M

ost skin diseases occur in people of all nationalities, regardless of their skin color. Particular problems encountered in the skin are more common in people with different hues of skin, and sometimes a disorder seems more prominent because it affects skin color. This column continues from last week our consideration of these problems and their treatments.

Acne When treating persons of color, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (brown spots after the acne blemishes have healed) and active acne need to be differentiated. It is important to note that while treating acne, the brown spots that occur afterward are only residual effects, not active acne.

I usually employ a combination therapy when I am treating acne to achieve optimal results. This usually involves topical treatments, oral treatments, laser treatments and, in persons of color, topical lightening agents. These can include retinol, anti-inflammatory agents, and the bleaching agents kogic acid and hydroquinone.

Dry or “ashy” skin This is a problem seen in all patients, but when one has tan, brown, or darkbrown skin, dry skin tends to turn silvery white. This phenomenon is often referred to as having “ashy” skin.

I believe the most important component of any skin care program is a gentle, non-detergent cleanser and an ultramoisturizing lotion. I recommend the lotion be applied immediately after patting the skin dry after a bath or shower.

This seals in the moisture achieved from the shower, and the appropriate moisturizing lotion can provide continuous moisture and protection throughout the day. Often, two or three days of this program can completely reverse dry or “ashy” skin.

Keloids Throughout evolution, our skin has become quite skillful at repairing any sites of injury or damage. Once the integrity of the skin barrier has been interrupted, invaders such as bacteria, fungus and virus can penetrate the skin and essential bodily fluids can leak out.

As a result, the skin’s repair system is rapid and complete.

Cells known as fibroblasts migrate into the area and produce protein to fill in the hole. The primary component of the repair product is collagen, and that is what makes up a scar.

Unfortunately, in some cases, and commonly in African Americans, the fibroblasts receive the signal to come in and repair the defect, but they do not get the message to turn off. As a result, too much collagen is produced, and the scar can become thick and hard.

When the collagen presses on near-

cultures for fungus and special histology stains, but I have not yet identified a fungus infection. I believe this condition is just an anatomic and genetic variant, with itchy bumps developing from very mild irritation in this particular anatomic location.

These smaller bumps can be treated very effectively with a combination of topical and oral anti-inflammatory medication. In many cases, a short course can provide long-term results.

Often a surgical approach is required if the lesions are too large. Nevertheless, the condition can be managed quite well.

Keloids

Acne by sensory nerves, the keloidal scar can also produce tenderness, pain, and extreme itching. The difference between keloidal and hypertrophic scars is that hypertrophic scars usually stay right at the site of injury, whereas keloids can actually spread and invade normal surrounding skin.

In our clinic, we use an aggressive six-month program to treat keloids effectively. It is one thing to remove a keloid surgically, yet it is another thing to keep it from coming back. Remember, the development of a keloid is a response to injury. By surgically removing a keloid, the skin is being re-injured — and that area has already shown it can form a keloid.

We perform regular treatments every two to four weeks over six months, including anti-inflammatory injections, topical silicone-based preparations, pressure dressings, and laser treatments to prevent the return of keloids.

Acne keloidalis nuchae This condition, also known as folliculitis keloidalis nuchae, is where small,

Next week: “razor bumps,” ringworm, melanonychia striata, Voigt lines and melasma

Acne keloidalis nuchae very itchy bumps occur at the nape of the neck. This is most commonly seen in African American male patients, but to a lesser degree, it can affect all patients, including women.

Many male patients believe this is a result of a barbershop treatment in which a barber used unclean clippers.

This is entirely untrue, and I have seen many cases that develop without any previous haircuts.

One theory is that this condition is a result of a deep fungal infection. However, in my experience, I have performed many biopsies and analyzed

Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD is a board certified dermatologist and Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He also has a private practice in Eagan, MN. He received his M.D. and Master’s Degree in Molecular Biology and Genomics from the Mayo Clinic. He has been selected as one of the top 10 dermatologists in the United States by Black Enterprise magazine. Dr. Crutchfield was recognized by Minnesota Medicine as one of the 100 Most Influential Healthcare Leaders in Minnesota. He is the team dermatologist for the Minnesota Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves, Wild and Lynx. Dr. Crutchfield is an active member of both the American and National Medical Associations.

Rising HIV rates can be combated by education and awareness

Emotional Wellness with Dr. Golden by

DeiDre Annice GolDen P h.D., lP

HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, attacks the body’s immune system, stopping the body’s ability to fight infection and disease. HIV is found in four body fluids: blood, semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk.

Infection is only possible by coming into contact with one of these four fluids and the infected fluid getting into the body (blood stream).

Once inside the body, HIV attacks the immune system by attaching to white blood cells — also called CD4 cells or Tcells. Once HIV enters the cell, it makes more copies of the HIV virus. The new copies of HIV virus kill the cell as they go out into the body to find more white blood cells and repeat the process.

Over time, damage to the immune system progresses and makes it harder to fight off common illnesses like a cold or the flu. Left untreated, the body’s immune system continues to weaken such that it is no longer able to fight disease and infection.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, AIDS, is a medical diagnosis given when the progression of HIV has severely damaged the immune system. AIDS is not a new or sep-

arate virus.

Overall, rates of HIV have steadily declined in the U.S. over the past several years.

However, in Black and Latino men who are engaged in sexual contact with other men, these rates have increased. Black men account for 44 percent of new HIV cases, but they make up only 12 percent of the overall population. An estimated 471,500 Black men and women live with HIV in the United States, and 15 percent of those people who have HIV may be unaware of their status.

Twenty-four percent of new HIV cases occur within the Latino population. It is estimated that 17 percent of the population in the U.S. is Latino. Twenty-one percent of new HIV cases occurred in youth ages 13-24.

One of the most common ways to contract HIV is

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through anal sex. HIV can also be transmitted through vaginal sex, and although less likely, through oral sex. An STD such as herpes, chlamydia, syphilis or gonorrhea may cause changes in the tissue of the vagina or penis that make it easier for HIV to be passed while having sex.

Although most people get HIV through unprotected sex, another major method of transmission is sharing needles when using injectable drugs. Having multiple sexual partners or having sexual relations with someone who has sex with multiple partners can also increase your risk of exposure to the HIV virus and other STDs. The correct use of a condom during each sexual encounter is the best way to prevent the sexual spread of HIV. Almost half of high school students report that they do not use condoms consistently, and of those, about 10 percent have had more than four sexual partners.

If you believe that you or your partner has been exposed to HIV, there are medications called post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, that can reduce the risk of HIV establishing infection. There is also a medication for HIV-negative people called pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP that will reduce the

Once thought to be a “death sentence,” HIV is now seen as a manageable illness as long as it is being treated. risk of contracting HIV during sex or through use of injectable drugs.

Additionally, there have been many advances in the treatment of HIV since the 1980s. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a combination of medications that prevents the reproduction of the HIV virus.

Once thought to be a “death sentence,” HIV is now seen as a manageable illness as long as it is being treated. When taking the right medication as prescribed, a long, healthy life can be expected, and the risk of developing AIDS decreases significantly.

It is not uncommon for individuals to avoid going to the doctor for fear that they may have some disease or condition. With HIV testing, the fear is multiplied by stigma, lack of

emotional support, and concerns about rejection.

A shortage of education about HIV is one of the barriers that prevent people from being tested. There is also misinformation and sometimes confusing messaging about HIV and available treatment. There is a history of distrust of the medical system in African American communities, and this also is a barrier to testing and treatment.

Although poor access to health care is often considered a barrier, here in Minnesota, there are many options for free testing. At NorthPoint, we are committed to helping those communities of color hardest hit by the HIV virus, and testing is available. We offer free walk-in HIV testing and education on risk factors, prevention risk factors, and treatment.

NorthPoint can also provide connection to care for those newly diagnosed with HIV or already living with HIV but not receiving treatment.

For more information about NorthPoint’s HIV prevention programs, contact To the Point at 612543-2500 and ask for Family Planning.

William Grier, community health specialist, contributed to this column.

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January 24-30, 2019

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.

Gov’t shutdown a traGic disaster for america’s poorest

By Clarence Hightower Contributing Commentator

What is really behind violence in Minnesota’s prisons?

By Antonio Williams Guest Commentator With all the headlines in the news about inmate-on-staff violence in Minnesota’s prisons, one wonders if some new strain of prisoner is coming into the prisons, or if prisoners are just waking up in their cells, missing their families, regretting the choices and deciding that today they’re going to assault a prison guard.

It is going on my 13th year of confinement — most of it spent in Oak Park Heights and Stillwater prisons where most of the serious incidents are occurring — and I can say with confidence that none of that is true. The narrative that a shortage of staff, an influx of inmates, or the new Step-Down Segregation policy are causes is just as untrue.

And while many reports are intentionally exaggerated, there’s no disputing that some assaults are happening. But what is the real cause behind them?

The root cause is a lack of accountability by officers and prison officials. When a prisoner has an issue, we’re told to ”write a kite,” which is a yellow piece of paper we use to correspond with all prison officials. It is also how we get our medical issues addressed, sign up for different in-facility programs, and attempt to report staff misconduct.

This “kite” system is broken, however — especially when reporting misconduct, because the person reviewing a kite is usually a friend or a relative of the person the kite is about.

I have seen prisoners get called “snitches” by staff after they found out a kite was written for their misconduct. This shows corrections officers have an expectation of not being held accountable for misconduct, or at the very least, they’re so used to not being held accountable that they’re offended when a prisoner tries. And, it shows that whatever step the higher authority took to address the issue was so inconsequential that it had no effect on the corrections officer.

Corrections officers ignoring or mistreating prisoners without accountability does result in death — but usually for prisoners.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 150 prisoners died behind prison walls in Minnesota between 2005-2014. I personally was at Oak Park when three guards were in the news for falsifying their security round reports. Their falsification was an attempt to cover up their negligence that resulted in a man committing suicide after his repeated cries for help were ignored. This happened several times in the following years but didn’t make the news.

In a recent Star Tribune article by Liz Sawyer, former correctional officer Dave Campbell names staff shortages and new inmates as the reasons behind the elevated danger to guards. Here are a couple of facts that were left out of this article: In 2018, 2,771 (35.6 percent) of 7,775 total prison admissions were technical parole violators — people overfilling the prisons for minor rule violations, not new crimes. The previous three years look the same: 35.8 percent, 34.5 percent, and 32.6 percent, respectively. And, the media is leaving out the fact that there are people who have served 20, 30 and more years, but are constantly denied parole.

Why isn’t there a real push to stop sending people who haven’t committed new crimes back to prison? Why aren’t we releasing those who have served their time so we can chip away at the overcrowding which contributes to the violence?

Why isn’t the local media just as obsessed with the positive stories inside Minnesota prisons? Behind the same walls and fences that hold back ”the state’s most dangerous criminals,” meals for homeless and poor families are being packaged and sent out. Thousands of dollars are being donated to victims of crime and misfortune several times a year. Absent fathers are paying child support voluntarily. Dogs are being loved, trained and readied for adoption. National writing awards are being won. Men are mentoring other men so they can be better people inside and outside of these walls and fences. And, some men are attempting to repair some of the harm they caused by writing Victim Apology Letters.

Not all guards think all prisoners are bad and vice versa, but the ”good” guards aren’t holding the bad ones accountable. Officers have confided in some of us prisoners and told us that their union (AFSCME) is trying to get hazard pay for all officers. So they are inciting and exaggerating incidents; politicizing recent tragedies to benefit their agenda. They’re continuing to allow, and possibly encourage, their problematic officers to ramp up disrespect, aggressive tones, and unprofessionalism.

And what underlies all of this? Is there an overall attitude that guards should be allowed to treat prisoners any way they want?

Are the government and the community supposed to fund and support them?

Antonio Williams is currently in Rush City Correctional Facility.

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On behalf of the board of directors, staff, volunteers, partners, and participants of Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties (CAPRWC), I wish to express our collective appreciation to the state’s lawmakers as they pledge unity on plans to mitigate the detrimental effects of the federal government shutdown on Minnesota’s most vulnerable populations. This demonstration of bipartisan consensus stands in direct contrast to the political grandstanding and pointless squabbling currently taking place in Washington, D.C. As a member of the largest poverty fighting network in the nation (National Community Action Partnership), CAPRWC provides direct services to more than 60,000 low-income citizens each year. Every day, we witness firsthand how devastating poverty is in the communities where we work.

Poverty, in and of itself, is a terrible thing, a tragic occurrence that ultimately diminishes all of us regardless of our lot in life. This shutdown only makes it worse.

And, although we acknowledge the leadership that is taking place at our own state capitol, we can’t support what is going on in our

nation’s Capitol.

I believe that only through the commitment of average citizens, staff at our state and local agencies, faith communities, nonprofit organizations, and others will we assuage the continuous threat that this government shutdown poses to those who are already suffering.

the shutdown continue much longer. Children will go hungry. Farmers, here in Minnesota and elsewhere, are at risk of losing everything.

Let’s face it. There is nothing natural about this crisis. Plain and simple, this is a self-imposed disaster that is impacting too many of our fellow citizens; chil-

Poverty is a terrible thing; the shutdown makes it intolerable.

To consider the financial impact alone is overwhelming for most of us. This particular episode, the third shutdown in 11 months has already cost the nation upwards of $4 billion. But all of us, as neighbors and compassionate citizens, MUST face the true human costs of this political impasse on the most vulnerable among us.

Not only are over 800,000 dedicated federal employees without a paycheck, but millions upon millions of low-income Americans whose food, shelter, and healthcare depend upon federal government monies and programs are at risk of losing essential support in the coming weeks.

Over 40 million people could soon be without food support benefits such as SNAP and TEFAP should

dren, adults, and seniors alike are hurting. We must stand with them. Poverty is a terrible thing; the shutdown makes it intolerable.

This shutdown must be brought to an end.

Clarence Hightower is the executive director for Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties. Dr. Hightower holds a Ph.D. in urban higher education from Jackson State University. He welcomes reader responses to 450 Syndicate Street North, St. Paul, MN 55104.

Through My Eyes

The Minneapolis Story Continues

Could Trump allegations lead to a constitutional crisis?

By Ron Edwards Contributing Commentator Betrayal is a dangerous charge against anyone entrusted with a nation’s security. As this column is being written, the nation is on edge, waiting to know whether to trust President Trump with the protection of America and its constitution. Our nation’s safety and security hang in the balance.

The latest allegations that Trump is in collusion with and has greater obedience and relationship to Russia and Vladimir Putin than to America are chilling and not to be dismissed lightly. If true, they threaten the very foundation of the institutions of America’s democracy, as this column has long reported.

powered — and this is key — with constitutional authority to both compel testimony and demand documents, especially those Republicans who have heretofore blocked. As CBS News reported, “the committee has the constitutional authority to investigate anything it wants...making Cummings one of the most powerful people in Washington.”

Losing the House may have been the best thing for Republicans, for who would believe Muellers’ report? This is why so many Republicans are uneasy, wondering whether the man who was entrusted with America’s security is guilty of the allegations of high crimes and misdemeanors.

Not since the secession crisis of 1860 has this country been faced with a constitutional crisis as grave as this one. The branches of

We are in a fight for the soul of our democracy.

The reports in newspapers, magazines and journals, broadcast news programs and investigative specials, combined with the review of court filings against the presidents’ associates and others, have exposed a potential dark side of those involved in the governance of our country.

The president keeps saying there was no collusion. But, the level of discomfort in our democratic institutions represents clear and present dangers — the kinds that cause nations and their democratic institutions to fail.

One way or another, Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on his ongoing investigation will state whether the allegations against the president are seen as true or not true.

“I don’t know what that report is going to have in it,” said Representative Elijah Cummings during an appearance on 60 Minutes on January 13. “One thing I do know, though, is whatever it is, even if it exonerates the president… I want … the Congress to have it, and I want the public to have it so that everybody can make a judgment,” he said.

“We are in a fight for the soul of our democracy,” added Rep. Cummings. “This is serious business.”

As chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Rep. Cummings will be em-

government were designed to include everyone — “we the people” — which is why it is imperative that the political parties of this nation quickly devise, commit to and implement a compromise and strategy that will preserve the Articles of the United States Constitution.

Failure to do so will clearly guarantee the collapse of the institutions of government that have been the foundation of the United States of America.

And, Americans need to admit our concern regarding the strengths and the institutions, which have served and protected the United States of America since 1777 (notwithstanding slavery, Jim Crow, treatment of American Indians, and ongoing civil rights battles).

In the meantime, we await Mueller’s word. With Cummings and the Democrats in charge, the fear that Mueller’s report will be suppressed and lead to a constitutional crisis that would make Watergate pale in comparison is greatly reduced.

Stay tuned.

Ron Edwards is an author and hosts radio and TV shows.

January 24-30, 2019

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“I think about Dr. King and all those people who came before me, who worked, got their degrees, who worked hard, even in the face of so much adversity.”

Ugo Ukabam

UNCF Continued from page 1

led to new opportunities like being a Black man anchoring a CNN show for 200 countries. “I’m standing on their shoulders,” said Lemon.

He also shared the story of a discriminatory Louisiana State University professor to emphasize how important it is to support young Blacks in education. “I made it,” said Lemon, tears streaming down his face, gloriously taking a Black victory lap — the rarest and most joyous — to show that Black struggle, though painful and slow, does pay dividends.

Lemon was loose and shooting from the hip throughout his speech, taking a few moments to break down in tears during reflection and others to smirk when talking about shrugging off criticism from the White House.

“This is real,” Lemon said. It’s what we get on CNN every night and what we should expect, he told the crowd.

Lemon also mentioned getting a lot of “guff” for his brand of self.

Getting to be a public figure at all,

whether reviled or revered — getting paid well and living in New York City and figuring out the whole media/public person gamut for himself — is still, unfortunately, a Black achievement worth applauding.

Perhaps Blacks getting to do so still requires not being fully Black or fully themselves before achieving job security.

But Lemon has that now. And he has turned his Civil Rights Movementera paved opportunity for success and years of irritating Blacks into a powerful platform from which he can openly denounce racism while periodically picking a mini ‘fro.

And that kind of career isn’t won without hard work for anyone, let alone a Black person who typically has to be twice as good as just “anyone.” Lemon spoke of “sunup to sundown” and, sometimes, “sunup to sunup” days working and going to school — long days he still experiences today as a journalist.

“Sometimes, I barely have the strength to take off my clothes when I finally get home and crawl into bed,” said Lemon. “But I think about Dr. King... about the people who placed a premi-

Smith

are going to literally go hungry.

This is completely unacceptable. The president and Mitch Continued from page 1 McConnell ought to open up the government tomorrow. We A woman I talked to last can have a debate about how to week isn’t taking her high fix a broken immigration sysblood pressure medicine. An- tem, but not while we’re holdother woman is not able to pay ing hostage hundreds of thoufor her children to go to college. sands of Americans.

MSR: Any specific measures for these problems?

TS: I’ve introduced a bill to make sure that those folks get their back pay just like federal workers do. This is really important because, through no fault of their own, they’re being used as pawns and negotiating chips in this battle that has nothing to do with them. I just think it’s immoral what’s happening to these families.

Then there are the people that rely on the federal government for their basic needs. I’m deeply worried about the impact — if this goes on much longer — on people that rely on nutrition assistance. There are 400,000 such people in Minnesota. They are seniors, and they’re kids, and people with disabilities.

If that money runs out, they

MSR: What do you see as the worst ills plaguing the Black community, and what can be done about them?

TS: There are systems in place that keep people in the Black community from having the same access to opportunity that White people do. Whether it’s access to health care, education, economic opportunity, home ownership — this is systemic, and it has to change. We have to dismantle that.

What can we do to make sure career and technical education is available broadly, so people have an opportunity to go to college and get a degree in computer technology or become a person that wants to build wind turbines?

We need to think about what the barriers are to access capital so that Black entrepre-

A sold-out crowd of 2,400 attendees packed the Minneapolis Armory for UNCF MLK Holiday Breakfast

The Sounds of Blackness

um on education. I think about the tal- degrees, who worked hard, even in the ented tenth, and all those people who face of so much adversity.” came before me, who worked, got their

neurs can start a business. They don’t have the same opportunities for access to capital that a lot of White people have. So that great business idea, that doesn’t get brought to fruition.

I’m a strong proponent of what Gary Cunningham is doing at Meda — he is working really hard to change that.

Think about the disparities in health outcomes. That’s another place where we have to just dive in and fix it and just stop it. There are some great examples of that happening in Minneapolis and St. Paul [including] the work Pillsbury United is doing in bringing better access to healthy food into the community.

The strength and assets in the African American community in Minneapolis and St. Paul, there’s so much there.

But we need to break down the barriers keeping these incredibly talented people from being themselves.

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MSR: Congress is more diverse than ever. What are you doing to maintain and increase diversity?

TS: That has not been the case forever. One of the reasons why is, in too many parts in this country, we have voting laws that systematically discriminate against poor people

“What do you do?

Well, you vote.”

Simply fill out the subscription form below and mail with payment to: Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, PO Box 8558, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55408

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All photos by Chris Juhn

and people of color. It’s important that the very first bill that the Democrats in the House introduced was a bill [against discriminatory voter ID laws] to make our elections fair.

Instead of making it hard for people to register to vote, we ought to make it automatic if they are citizens. Why is it that we draw our legislative districts in such a way that people don’t get represented?

We have to fight all of those efforts.

MSR: This political climate is discouraging all around, but especially so for groups like the Black community. What

harriS

Solomon Gustavo welcomes reader responses to sgustavo@spokesman-recorder. com.

are ways to get energized and engaged by 2020?

TS: First, let’s just acknowledge that we’re living in a country right now where our president uses all of the tools at his disposal to divide us rather than to unite us.

He engenders fear rather than hope. He tries to turn us against one another. And, a lot of what he does is, I believe, is racist.

I don’t believe that he reflects the values of most Americans. What we all have to do — White people and Black people and everybody — is we all have to rise up and not be silent about this.

Silence is our enemy. We need to speak up for basic American values, social justice, and equality and basic fairness, and that everybody has to have the opportunity to build the lives they want.

What do you do? Well, you vote. Turnout in this last election was dramatically higher than a lot of people anticipated.

Think about the election of Senator Doug Jones of Alabama. Jones won because people said ‘I’m not gonna put up with this anymore. I’m gonna

speak out.’ People’s voices are strong, but they have to use them.

Think about who we elected in Minnesota this last year.

In addition to Senator Amy Klobuchar and me and Governor Tim Walz, we elected Keith Ellison to be attorney general, the first African American to be elected to a statewide Minnesota office. We elected Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, the first Native woman to be elected anywhere nationally to a statewide office. We elected Ilhan Omar to represent the Fifth District.

So, there is great hope. We’re making progress. But Dr. King said progress does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability.

It happens through the tireless work of dedicated individuals.

Solomon Gustavo welcomes reader responses to sgustavo@ spokesman-recorder.com.

Harris’ campaign logo, with its yellow and red colors, and slogan, “For the People,” are also a nod to Chisholm. Her campaign Continued from page 1 has confirmed that its primary headquarters will be based in Baltimore, Md., and Oakland, Calif.

Harris joins an increasingly crowded list of high-profile Democratic presidential released her book, The Truths We Hold: An hopefuls. Last week, New York Sen. Kirsten American Journey, earlier this month. Book Gillibrand officially launched her presidenreleases have become commonplace for tial campaign, and prior to her, both Massapresidential candidates looking to raise chusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former their profiles and present themselves to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro announced their presidential voters in a positive light.

Harris, whose parents immigrated from bids.

Closer to home, there’s also been specJamaica and India, became the second African American woman to be elected to the ulation as of late that Minnesota Sen. Amy U.S. Senate in 2016. She is also the first Afri- Klobuchar is exploring a presidential run. can American and the first woman to serve The MSR will continue to follow the 2020 as attorney general of California.

Harris unveiled her presidential bid 47 presidential race as it develops. years to the day that the late Shirley Chisholm announced her historic candidacy.

Chisholm was the first African American woman elected to Congress and the first African American woman and first woman to seek the nomination for U.S. president from one of the two major parties.

6

January 24-30, 2019

M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass — a long sit without much reward

By Dwight Brown Contributing Writer

A

fter viewing Glass, there will be a great debate: Should M. Night Shyamalan stop writing scripts for his films? Should he refrain from directing them? Or maybe both!

Remember The Sixth Sense? The slow, odd movie with a very shocking ending? Shyamalan has gone back to that drawing board and sketched in a hybrid movie that pulls together plotlines from two of his previous films.

Unbreakable (2000): David Dunn (Bruce Willis), a security guard, is involved in a catastrophic train accident that kills all onboard, except him. A stranger, Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), aka Mr. Glass, swears the event was Dunn’s destiny.

Split (2016): Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), an evil man with super strength and 23 personalities, kidnaps three girls. The most venomous of his inner demons, The Beast, is vile beyond redemption.

Fast forward to 2019, Philadelphia, Pa., Dunn is a street vigilante with inordinate power and becomes clairvoyant when he brushes up against people. He wears a hooded raincoat to hide his identity as he stalks and annihilates criminals who prey on innocent victims. Cops hunt him. His son Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark) supports his efforts.

Price, a supervillain mastermind with a genetic disorder that leaves his bones so brit-

Samuel L. Jackson in Glass under the supervision of Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson), a psychiatrist who specializes in delusional behavior, particularly with people who believe they have superpowers.

Shyamalan combines the two previous storylines for the final film in the trilogy, but never ups the ante. The theme in this new venture explores people who have extraordinary abilities and uses them for good or evil, a subject that is only mildly intriguing.

Instead of making this premise a source

balls in the same facility. Dumber still to allow her staff easy access to their highly secured cells/rooms.

Employees hand-deliver meals to the devious patients, fraternize and make small talk. They don’t sense impending danger.

Also, if the three volatile men are in a true high-security facility, escaping would not be a cakewalk and pushing a panic alarm button would be the first line of defense, not the last one.

Two hours and nine minutes roll by, and the film is about as frustrating as standing in a TSA line at the airport. tle they break like potato chips, is a patient/ captive at the Raven Hill Memorial Psychiatric Research Hospital.

Crumb? Well, he has kidnapped four high school cheerleaders and is toying with them as he summons up the devil inside for a massive slaughter.

After some fights, brawls and power struggles, all three wind up at Raven Hill,

gy of a battle. But there is none.

Compare the style, direction, cinematography and special effects of The Avengers series, Wonder Woman, The Dark Knight, Deadpool, and Black Panther to that in Glass, and the latter’s execution looks even more pitiful.

The three freaks are not all that engaging.

Dunn is on the side of good, but with that constant scowl on Willis’ face, he is a buzzkill. Jackson acts like Jackson: He’s never met a piece of scenery he couldn’t chew up.

The most curious performance is that of McAvoy as the bizarre dude with freaky personalities. McAvoy shifts through them as smoothly as a Porsche gearbox going from park to neutral to drive, to turbo. Each character is distinct: the child, the woman, the hipster and the demon god from hell. McAvoy tries hard, but the direction doesn’t complement his performance and his scenes drag on too long.

Paulson walks around comatose and is asked to say dumb things and disregard the way a real shrink would deal with patients.

Even though what she is doing is a complete ruse, her Dr. Staples doesn’t act accordingly.

Anya Taylor-Joy as a former Crumb victim, and Charlayne Woodard as Price’s mom fill out the supporting cast without much conviction.

Two hours and nine minutes roll by, and the film is about as frustrating as standing in a TSA line at the airport. Fault the strained writing. Blame the lifeless direction. Question the injudicious editing. Abhor the clumsy cinematography. Condemn that lack of “wow” in the power special effects and action scenes.

of inspiration, his very clunky, heavy-handed script belabors the point. At some juncture, audiences won’t welcome that silly unfulfilling thought patter, like Dunn saying: “You can’t explain everything away.”

Then there are the very illogical plot pieces and improbable events that lead to a surprising but limp conclusion. It’s dumb for Dr. Staple to put the three very combustible odd-

LOVE THYSELF Samuel L. Jackson and James McAvoy star in M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film.

Photos courtesy Universal Pictures The overwritten script plods along at a snail’s pace. The first hour and 15 minutes are tedious enough to cause a group eye roll.

Sloppy indecisive editing (Luke Ciarrocchi and Blu Murray) stymies any rhythm. Shyamalan’s spotty unimaginative direction and Mike Gioulakis’ dull cinematography make fight scenes a snore. None of the action is filmed from an interesting angle and the camera’s placement is often quite awkward.

Scenes build to a finale where the audience expects a cataclysmic, visually arresting or-

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Glass might cause a stir at Comic-Con. But other audiences will likely scratch their heads in unison and hope they don’t get trampled as viewers stampede towards the exits.

Dwight Brown is an NNPA Newswire critic.

Find more of his work at DwightBrownInk.com and BlackPressUSA.com.

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January 24-30, 2019

7

Remembering the incomparable Nancy Wilson

By Chris Rizik Contributing Writer

W

hen tracing the evolution of female singers from Sarah Vaughn, Dinah Washington and the great jazz vocalists of the ’40s and ’50s to the modern jazz and soul stylists of artists such as Anita Baker and Diana Krall, all roads run through Nancy Wilson. Physically beautiful and a uniquely gifted song stylist able to interpret jazz, soul and pop, Wilson stands among the greatest performers of the past 60 years.

Born in small Chillicothe, Ohio in 1937, Wilson displayed incredible talent as a singer from a young age. She was winning talent shows as an early teen and had her own local Columbus television show at age 15. During high school, she played local jazz clubs and not long after graduation was discovered and signed by Capitol Records.

Wilson recorded a couple of moderately successful early jazz recordings for Capitol and received some attention for her version of “Guess Who I Saw Today.” However, it was a 1962 album recorded with jazz saxophonist and longtime friend Cannonball Adderley that thrust Wilson to the public consciousness.

Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley was an instant classic and became an essential disc for lovers of sophisticated jazz vocals. The album’s intro cut, “Save Your Love For Me” still stands as one of that era’s great jazz vocal recordings.

Over the course of the next few years, Wilson alternated between jazz and pop recordings, and she found a niche as a cover artist, scoring major hit albums consisting of popular songs from Broadway and Hollywood. Her popularity grew throughout the decade, and by the mid-60s she was Capi-

Nancy Wilson stands among the greatest performers of the past 60 years.

Nancy Wilson

tol’s second biggest-selling act (behind the Beatles) and a regular on the pop, soul and jazz charts.

However, while her beautiful, versatile voice continued to amaze, during this period she (like labelmate Lou Rawls) often found herself saddled with unimaginative, pop-oriented arrangements that downplayed her soulfulness and sounded dated almost immediately after they were released.

Despite those limitations, she recorded several seminal versions of pop and jazz standards, including “How Glad I Am” and Irving Berlin’s “You Can Have Him.” Wilson continued along the same path throughout the ’70s, though her popularity began to wane as the disco era unfolded. In 1980, after 20 years and over three dozen albums on Capitol, Wilson

Photo courtesy of MGN Online moved to Columbia Records and began a second career as one of the early purveyors of the new Urban Adult Contemporary format.

Again, focusing on tasteful covers of other artists’ songs (this time generally urban ballads), Wilson retained moderate popularity and album sales over the next 15 years.

While some of her albums during this period were again marred by bland arrangements, her ever strong interpretive skills made most of these albums worthwhile and enjoyable.

Her most unique album during her stay at Columbia was the excellent With My Lover Beside Me, featuring new material written, surprisingly, by Barry Manilow and legendary lyricist Johnny Mercer.

As the ’90s came to a close, Wilson decided to spend more time

with family, and she intentionally slowed down both her touring and recording. Consistent with her decision to take more control of her life and career, Wilson left Columbia and signed with the small, nonprofit label MCG Jazz label, for which she recorded a 2001 Christmas album. She followed with two wonderful jazz vocal albums, RSVP and Turn To Blue, on which she sounded like an artist entirely comfortable with her music and her place in history. They served as appropriately brilliant codas to her recording career.

Though jazz purists often bemoan Wilson’s forays into pop and soul, her versatility and ability to master multiple genres was virtually unique among singers and is one of the keys to her legendary status. And that voice, that voice,

may never be matched.

Nancy Wilson will continue to loom large as one of the greatest and most influential vocalists of the second half of the 20th century, and a role model for an entire generation of modern female jazz and soul vocalists. Rest in peace, Nancy Wilson.

Nancy Wilson died December 13, 2018 at age 81.

Chris Rizik is founder and publisher of SoulTracks.com. This story was republished by permission.

Eddie Murphy to reboot blockbuster hit Coming to America

By Lauren Victoria Burke Contributing Writer

Eddie Murphy (l) and Arsenio Hall in the 1988 cult classic Coming to America.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Eddie Murphy will once again play crown prince Akeem Joffer in a sequel to the 1988 hit movie, Coming to America. The film’s plot centered around a prince who travels to New York to find an independent woman who loves him despite his royal title.

The sequel will have Prince Joffer returning to America after he finds out he has a long-lost son who is heir to his throne. The screenplay will be written

by Kenya Barish, who is the creator of the ABC TV show Black-ish. Craig Brewer, who produced the movie Hustle and Flow, has been selected to direct the film.

Murphy is one of the most

successful actors in Hollywood history in terms of box office. As of 2014, his films have grossed over $3.8 billion in the U.S. and over $6 billion worldwide. He remains in the top 10 of the highest grossing actors in the U.S., a list that includes Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford and Morgan Freeman.

Murphy has also starred in films that elevate the image of African Americans.

Coming to America and Boomerang were examples of films that were before their time as they broke through stereotypes of African Americans in movies at the time.

Coming to America (1988) featured an African prince and Boomerang (1992) explored the relationships of two professionals at an Af-

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rican American-owned and -operated corporation.

“After many years of anticipation, I’m thrilled that Coming to America 2 is officially moving forward,” said Murphy in a January 11 statement. “We’ve assembled a great team that will be led by Craig Brewer, who just did an amazing job on Dolemite [Is My Name], and I’m looking forward to bringing all these classic and beloved characters back to the big screen.”

Coming to America featured an all-star cast that included Murphy, Jackson, James Earl Jones, Cuba Gooding Jr, Arsenio Hall, John Amos and Eriq LaSalle.

The film was directed by John Landis and made $288 million at the box office. It has also become a popular and often-referred to cultural classic that has been remembered over the last three decades.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist and writer for NNPA as well as a political analyst and strategist as Principal of Win Digital Media LLC. She may be contacted at LBurke007@ gmail.com and on twitter at @ LVBurke.

8

January 24-30, 2019

BULLETIN

February Free First Saturday: snowshoes, sculptures & more!

FREE SUICIDE PRE CLASSES OFFEVENTION RED IN ST. PAUL

NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance Illness) is hosting on Mental a free, one-hour pr es covering the thre entation e steps anyone ca n learn to help prevent suicide: Question, Persu ade and Refer (QPR).

Just like CPR, Q PR is an emerge ncy response to someone in cr isis and can save lives. It is the most widely taug ht gatekeeper tra ining program in the U.S. — mor e than one millio n adults have been trained in cl assroom settings in more than 48 states.

The QPR classe s will be offered on Feb. 6 from 12-1 pm an d on Feb. 15 from 5:30-6:30 pm at NAMI Minneso ta, 1919 Univers ity Ave. W., Suite 400 in St. Paul.

For more info or to register, call 65 1-645-2948 x198 or see “class es” at namimn.or g.

P GROU T R O P P TY SU POLIS A E N N ANXIE IN MI e nt a l e on M MEETS ons Allianc

pers nal (Natio ps for u a o t r o g s people por t Minne ee su p ps help ength r f u N A MI o s r r g o s he d st r ) spon ers . T and fin Illness disord ls y il t k s ie nx p coping ce s . with a r t g ro u b et t e r perien x p e lo su p po ir e e y ic h a t n d dev a g n p in Mo nd h shar four t h xiety a k n d a a n t h ro u g O r a o 519 ond e n - do edral, e se c h h A n op t t a C m k's 6:30 p t . Mar ar y. m e et s t h at S n he libr o t m in h s c li a o e p of nea St., Min e of fice.

Grove h t in a t 8 - 6160 612-99 Che ck t a t t o call Sc 948. e info, r - 645 -2 o 1 m 5 6 r t Fo a I M or N A

Art-making activities at the Walker Art Center.

Photo by Nate Ryan.

W

inter is a great time to engage with art, get cozy with fiber crafts, and learn about new artistic genres.

This February get out of the house and bring your family to the Walker for special winter activities — both inside AND outside. Participate in hands-on art-making and ambient music workshops, watch a winter adventure film, and —snow allowing!— tour the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden on snowshoes.

Free First Saturdays features free gallery admission on the first Saturday of every month, plus performances, games, art-making, and kids’ films from 10 am to 3 pm. Family friendly food options are available or bring something from home to snack on in the museum’s public spaces.

Art-Making: Sweater Friends 10 am–3 pm Are you so sick of wearing your winter sweaters you want to just tear them apart?!

You can do this, all while learning about the long tradition of fiber arts. Using secondhand sweaters and socks, families will sew and stuff their own soft sculpture. You can also pitch into a group installation made from yarn and shredded sweaters! (We will have sweaters for you to use—but feel free to BYO!).

This activity is designed by Minneapolisbased fiber artist Vatina McLaurin, who creates soft sculpture installations and hanging works knit out of deconstructed found fabric. McLaurin is also a preschool teacher at the arts-based South Minneapolis non-profit Urban Arts Academy.

Film: Belle and Sebastian 1 pm Boy-and-dog duo Belle and Sebastian adventure through snow and ice in WWII-occupied France. On the border of Switzerland, six-year-old Sebastian tames the enormous yet gentle mountain dog Belle. Despite the fears of the local villagers, Belle quickly becomes Sebastian’s best friend and protector.

In French with English subtitles. This is a relaxed screening; families are encouraged to read the subtitles aloud to children who are not yet reading. Directed by Nicolas Vanier. 2014, DCP, 99 minutes.

Music Workshop: School of Fish 10 am–1 pm You and your loved ones can become part of a special School of Fish in this interactive ambient sound experience. Like the natural magic of fish coming together and apart in water, the group will explore what different instruments sound like in an improvised context and enjoy the free coalescence of music. Local composer Michael Legan will be melding this river of sounds using live processing and an open ear for sonic assemblage.

Michael Legan is a composer and sound artist based in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Snowshoe Tours: Mpls Sculpture Garden 10:30 am–1:30 pm See the Garden like never before: on snowshoes! Snowshoes will be available for kids and adults, courtesy of the University of Minnesota Center for Outdoor Adventure.

For more info, visit walkerart.org.

January 24-30, 2019

Legals Frontier provides basic residential services for rates from $10.72$24.01 for flat rate service. Frontier also provides basic business services for rates from $11.51-$45.03.

Other taxes, fees, and surcharges may apply. Frontier offers single party service, touch tone, toll blocking, access to long distance, emergency services, operator assistance, and directory assistance. Use of these services may result in additional charges. Budget or economy services also may be available.

Frontier offers Lifeline service which is a nontransferable government assistance program that provides a $9.25 discount on the cost of monthly telephone service or eligible broadband products (where available) and is limited to one discount per household. In addition to Basic Lifeline, individuals living on federally recognized Tribal Lands who meet the eligibility criteria may also qualify for additional monthly discounts through Enhanced Lifeline and up to $100.00 toward installation fees through the Tribal Link-Up program.

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Frontier.com 1/24/19 CNS-3211883# MN SPOKESMAN-RECORDER

Employment A/1 Contract No. 19-103 INVITATION TO BID Sealed bids will be received by the Public Housing Agency of the City of Saint Paul at 200 East Arch Street, St. Paul MN 55130 for REFUSE HAULING SERVICES AT SIXTEEN HI-RISE BUILDINGS, MT. AIRY AND MCDONOUGH COMMUNITY CENTERS AND THE CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE BUILDING, Contract No. 19-103, until 2:00 PM Local Time, on February 13, 2019 at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud.

A complete set of bid documents may be obtained without charge at the above named office, or call (651) 292-6089 for PHA mailing of bid documents.

Bids must be accompanied by a $5,000 bid guarantee, Minnesota Responsible Contractor Compliance Form, non-collusive affidavit and EEO-1 Form.

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 January 31, 2019, AT 10:00 AM AT THE MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS OFFICE, 200 EAST ARCH STREET, ST. PAUL. The PHA reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any informalities in the bidding.

AN EQUAL

KA YANG

OPPORTUNITY AGENCY

NAACP Continued from page 1

mandatory minimum sentences, particularly in the drug area.”

“As an attorney, I can tell you it is more difficult to address when somebody is entangled in the criminal justice system than stopping them from ever getting there,” added Dr. Artika Tyner, associate vice president of diversity and inclusion, University of St. Thomas.

Ellison noted how systems use incarceration as a tool for certain populations “to be economically stronger” while draining Black communities and other communities of color. “What happens to the household economics when a parent goes to prison? What happens to that kid’s income?

“I know a guy who has not seen his dad face-to-face in over 11 years,” Ellison said.

“He’s coming home. What will that mean to the family even if Dad just makes minimum wage? That kid’s income will go up.”

PROJECT LEADER (651) 292-6089

Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, January 24, 2019

Bridging the wealth gap Dr. Bruce Corrie, planning and economic development director for the City of St. Paul, explored the gap between the average income of St. Paul’s Black households and their housing costs, making most neighborhoods unaffordable to them. “We have a serious income problem that needs to be addressed. How do we build wealth? We really have to focus attention on very practical ways of building wealth at every level.”

Gary Cunningham, president and CEO of Meda, shared his visions for activating Black and communities of color to access entrepreneurship capital, referring to a report that it would take over 240 years for Blacks to accumulate the wealth of a White family today.

Tyner noted that when she received the same report in 2016, it was 228 years.

“The gap will continue to grow because it’s like me telling you to get from home plate to a home run and I’m already on third base.”

“If we really want to change the game,” said

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go — who preyed on Black communities and were the reason why we lost a huge amount of generational wealth — only get a slap on the wrist,” she said.

“I look back at ‘Nader’s Raiders’ and how that small initiative shaped corporate accountability for our country for generations to come,” Connelly continued, referring to a group of law students led by Ralph Nader in the ’60s and ’70s. “[They were] a group of attorneys that sued the pants off of corporations to make them create regulations to make sure people were Holding the system safe, specifically in the car accountable industry. I would love it if Me’Lea Connelly, Blexthe Black community in the it founder and co-foundUnited States became one of ing director of Black-owned the most litigious commucredit union Village Finannities in the world, because cial, called for more than we’ve got plenty of reason to new laws to be passed. She expose everybody,” she said. challenged attorneys to sue for equitable treatment Working together based on current laws.

The panel also called “There’s a lot of data that we heard earlier that...Min- for those working toward nesota has been studied change to build bridges to death [for its] inequities, across organizations and to but there aren’t a lot of law- lead by example.

“You can have all the suits,” said Connelly. “If there’s no accountability, no skills and talent in the fear of consequence, then world as an entrepreneur, institutions like Wells Far- as a college graduate, but if someone does not show you the way, it does not matter,” said Tyner. “A job and a degree cannot bridge everything — build a ladder and help to create new opportunities.”

“I think the time has come for us to collectively go beyond our own egos and our own interest and our own visions to work together to build and take advantage of this momentum and make something really happen,” said Corrie. “But it can happen only if the whole village is involved.”

“But we got to be organized,” Cunningham added.

“We’ve got to be on point and we’ve got to demand what we want or it won’t happen.”

Cunningham, “we have to open up the opportunities, and we’ve got to be ready to compete with those opportunities once they open up.

But, we can’t do it just sitting in here.

“We got to go to the legislature, city hall, the County, because when you look at the numbers, there’s no way, statistically, this can happen,” he continued. “It’s just impossible to have that kind of outcome unless there’s something else happening in the system that keeps you from getting opportunities.”

The conversation continues at the Minneapolis NAACP’s State of Minneapolis inaugural address on Mon., Jan. 28, 6-8 pm at North Community High School,1500 James Ave. N., Minneapolis.

For more information, visit mplsnaacp.org.

Stephenetta Harmon welcomes reader responses to sharmon@spokesman-recorder.com.

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SOE Continued from page 10 Juxtaposition Arts, the nonprofit visual art center for youth.

“We are going to completely renovate” North Commons, Muir predicted.

“This community deserves it,” Project Manager Ivan Cardona stressed. Northsidebased Tri-Construction is the primary contractor, and “anywhere between 30 and 40 people [will] make this happen.

Cardona reported on the construction that began last week, “We have 66 days to get the job done.”

Minneapolis Park Board District 2 Commissioner Kale Severson said, “I believe our community deserves the

best facilities, the best equipment, the best coaches, and the best staff. My hope is that the NCAA and this Legacy Project is going to help provide that for our community.”

Finally, perhaps for the first time in city history, a national sporting event will kick off in North Minneapolis. “We are ready,” Mortensen said of the preparations.

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.

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January 24-30, 2019

KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE!

C

elebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King and being a journalist has its challenges. Not everyone understands my mission or my motives, but every column I write and every report I do, I’m pushing the vehicle and driving home Dr. King’s message. I take great pride in that every day.

I once walked with Dr. King through Cicero, Illinois on the far west side of Chicago as a child in the late 1960s. My parents were born and raised in Natchez, Mississippi. They wanted me to experience Dr. Kings’ legacy, and we did by marching with him. In many ways, he marches with me every day. I am forever grateful.

I have taken the MSR brand all over the United States. Next week I will cover my 39th Super Bowl, this one in Atlanta, and returning to Dr. King’s birthplace is something I never take for granted.

We know now that Los Angeles and New England will slug it out in Super Bowl LIII. This is the 11th Super Bowl for the Patriots organization, the most in NFL history for a single team. This will be the fourth appearance for the Rams, two while being in St. Louis and now two in Los Angeles.

Last week I told you that the AFC and NFC Championship games were the NFL’s Fantastic Four. I rest

my case — never has the NFL had two championship games on the same day both go to overtime. When I hitched my wagon to the NFL in 1978 as a journalist, I knew then I was challenging myself to cover the number-one game in sports.

The New Orleans Saints’ overtime loss Sunday on a blown call by an NFL official was painful and frustrating; it opens your mind to question how that can happen. How does a referee, one of the best, blow such a blatant and obvious interference and roughing call on the same play? I believe in conspiracies. It’s a part of my nature.

I am so looking forward to covering Super Bowl LIII. The NFL’s Pro Bowl game gets underway this week in Orlando, Florida.

The Vikings are represented by Adam Thielen, Harrison Smith, Anthony Barr and Danielle Hunter.

Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, on WDGY-AM 740 Monday and Friday at 9:10 am, and at www.

Gamedaygold.com. He also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Follow him on Twitter at FitzBeatSr. Larry welcomes reader responses to info@ larry-fitzgerald.com or visit Larry-Fitzgerald.com.

Final Four kickoff event a first for North Minneapolis NCAA’s North Commons renovation now underway Sports odds and ends

By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer

T

he 2019 Men’s Final Four is now less than three months away. Perhaps for the first time ever, the kickoff for the scheduled ancillary events and the crowning of a national champion will be held on the city’s North Side with the dedication of a newly renovated North Commons recreational facility.

When we first met Kate Mortensen shortly after she was named Minneapolis Final Four Local Organizing Committee (MLOC) president and CEO, she assured us that the community indeed would be involved in the event, something we told her had been elusive in previous Final Fours hosted in Minneapolis. Mortensen reaffirmed in subsequent meetings her committee’s commitment to inclusiveness.

Last week at North Commons Recreation Center in the heart of the North Side, Mortensen, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other officials unveiled the slate of scheduled Final Four events mostly set in the downtown area beginning April 5. It also will include the Final Four Legacy Project at North Commons.

“The actual leadoff event of Final Four week is when we return here at North Commons Park and we cut the ribbon on the refurbishment,” Mortensen told the MSR after the 30-minute festivities last Wednesday in the center gym.

North Commons was chosen by the NCAA for the annual Legacy Project, a $250,000 investment for upgrades and improvements. “From the time we unveiled our logo for the Final Four weekend [at North Commons in December 2017], we have been so pleased to share the youth of this community with the larger world,” Mortensen said of the Northside park. “It means a lot to us.”

Mayor Frey calls the century-plus-old North Commons “an extraordinary com-

Kate Mortensen

“I think it’s a big deal that something on this large a scale could happen here.” munity asset.”

Stanford University Athletic Director Bernard Muir told us, “The [Legacy] Project is designed to give back to the local community in the host city. But the hope is it has a lifelong impact well beyond the Final Four weekend.”

Muir is the chairman of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Selection Committee that chooses and seeds the 68 teams in March. He and other NCAA officials were at the park two years ago and were impressed with its legacy and community significance.

“I’m really excited for the young people to be able to see the transformation,” said North Commons Center Director Yvette Griffea-Gray. “I think it’s a big deal that something on this large a scale could happen here.”

The new makeover, in a fashion, finally realizes a wish of one of the center’s young

Racist/sexist imagery a ‘tough reality’ for Black female athletes en don’t fit. Asian women don’t fit.

We are fighting some segments of society trying to force [women of color] into that box.

“Being a student-athlete was a great time in my life,” Carter-Francique recalled, but added that there is also the double-whammy she and other Black female athletes often

tage based on my race or people’s perceptions,” La-Force said when asked about the Morgan State report.

“One of the things that was told to me is that ‘I play like a man.’ I took that as a very big compliment,” Augsburg Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach Jennifer Phil-

“It was very difficult, but it didn’t stop me.” faced. “It’s an unfortunate reality of experiences being likened to a man or a Mack truck, or likened to a gorilla,” she said. “It’s a tough reality.”

Black women athletes as stereotyped on Twitter ogies and sports media messages” along with “the application of the 24/7 social media landscape.”

Black female ath“That was a daily reletes too often must deal Charles ality for me,” confirmed with negative images, a Hallman Prairie View A&M Asnew Morgan State Unisistant Professor Alikah versity study states. Many women see these stereotypes as Carter-Francique in an MSR phone an obstacle they must overcome to interview. “I was a track and field athlete [at the University of Housachieve their goals.

A joint research paper published ton]. The clothing that we wore or last year by Morgan State Glob- didn’t wear becomes a day-to-day al Journalism and Communication experience with being a female athSchool and ESPN’s The Undefeat- lete first and foremost.”

Carter-Francique, the North ed, “Beating Opponents, Battling Belittlement…” examined how American Society for the Socioloracist and sexist behavior demeans gy of Sport president-elect, cofounded in 2015 the Francique Black female athletes and their acSport and Education Consulting, a complishments.

“Black women athletes across a mentoring group for Black females.

Longstanding stereotypes do spectrum of sports have employed unique ways to continue to com- exist, she stated. “We’re often seen pete in a society that alternately as Jezebels — very promiscuous. praises and scorns them,” the study When you’re a Black woman in reported, adding that Black female basketball, it comes with [being] athletes must navigate a “treacher- racialized and a sexual orientation ous terrain” in combating both rac- that goes with it.

“Our representation of womism and sexism, more so than their anhood comes from a dominant fellow female counterparts.

The Undefeated in a compan- perception on what a White womion article last year said that there’s an embodies. We know that Black “a strong link between racist ideol- women don’t fit [that]. Latino womConclusion of a three-part column

ANOTHER

VIEW

Rising above negativity “I haven’t faced any situation when I felt my race was a disadvantage,” Dayna La-Force told the MSR after a Gopher women’s basketball game last month. A 1995 Georgetown graduate who played basketball there, La-Force later earned a master’s degree in school psychology from LIU-Brooklyn in 2000.

She has been coaching since 1995 and is the first woman of color head coach in any sport in University of Rhode Island’s history.

She has been head women’s basketball coach there since 2014. “I’ve coached for over 20 years, and I’ve never felt that I was at a disadvan-

Akilah Carter-Francique Photo by Charles Hallman

Bernard Muir

lips said. She played three sports at Benilde-St. Margaret and was a two-sport athlete at the University of St. Thomas. Phillips has been inducted into the hall of fame at both schools.

“You have to rise above [the negativity]. We will have to deal with [it] no matter what,” Phillips said. “I was one of the few [female players of color] that played in [the MIAC]. It was very difficult, but it didn’t stop me.”

Carter-Francique said that the Morgan State study is important for the public to know about. “I’m happy to see that people are writing about it.”

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.

Dayna La-Force Photo by Mitchell Palmer McDonald

Ivan Cardona

Photos by Charles Halllman

regulars. Griffea-Gray recalled, “When I first started working here, a young man said, ‘Miss Yvette, we want our logo on the floor.’

Now, two years later, he’s seeing that he got heard.”

That youngster, his fellow participants, and the community will not only see a new North Commons logo, but a new floor along with new backboards and rims, locker rooms and meeting rooms upgrades, a new internet public address system, LED lighting, fresh paint and a new mural created by ■ See SOE on page 9

City Conference games prove to be competitive

Prep Scene Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald

Two boys’ basketball games played respectively in the St. Paul City and Minneapolis City Conferences could be an indication of things to come in terms of competitiveness.

In St. Paul, the Johnson and Harding’ contest went into overtime. In Minneapolis, North held off a well-prepared Roosevelt for a twopoint victory.

Here’s what happened.

Mobley, Frost Her, Foster lead the way for Johnson The clutch play of Jordan Mobley, Frost Her and Jesse Foster helped Johnson earn an 81-71 overtime victory over Harding in a matchup between the Eastside rivals.

The game was played in a packed gymnasium at Johnson High School as fans watched the Governors overcome a double-digit deficit to force the OT and eventually defeat the Knights, outscoring them 19-9 in the extra period.

Harding, jumping out to a 28-22 halftime lead, was led by senior Tierre Davis’ 24 points. Fellow classmate Jovan Christian had 22, junior Simeon Sharp — the Knights’ current leading scorer — added 11, and se-

nior Alex Addai chipped in 10.

Mobley, a senior guard led Johnson — the defending St. Paul City Conference champion —with 21 points. Junior guard Larry Harris contributed 14, fellow 11th-grader Jesse Foster had 12 while classmate Jeremiah Knox added 11.

Brown’s clutch play, Campbell, El-Amin leads North Clifford “CJ” Brown only scored five points in Minneapolis North’s 61-59 win over City Conference rival Roosevelt, but the victorious Polars got them when it mattered.

The sophomore guard hit two clutch baskets to seal the win over the Teddies, who might have served notice that the City Conference could be a little more competitive than it has been in the last couple of seasons.

North, playing their third game in four days, got a leading 13 points from senior Eli Campbell and 11 from fellow senior Nasir El-Amin.

Senior guard Dezsi Sims led Roosevelt with 17 points.

Abdikani Abdi had 15, and Feysal Yusuf added 11.

North is the five-time defending Minneapolis City Conference champion.

Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses to mcdeezy05@gmail.com.