January 4, 2018 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

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PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391

THE VOICE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1934

— See more Best Films of 2017 on pg. 6

January 4-10, 2018 Vol. 84 No. 22 www.spokesman-recorder.com

St. Paul inaugurates its first Black mayor Mayor-elect Jacob Frey meets the community By Ivan B. Phifer Contributing Writer

St. Paul’s first Black mayor Melvin Carter is sworn in.

In

The newly elected Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey, has wrapped up a slew of listening sessions ahead of taking office on Jan 2. According to press materials, the purpose of the listening sessions was to highlight Frey’s commitment to improving police-community relations, increasing the city’s affordable housing, and building an inclusive local economy. The events were chaired by Council Vice President Elizabeth Glidden and Abou Amara and facilitated by Mayor gives his inaugural address Dave Ellis. Photos by Lou Michaels After a virtual listening sesshown me. I’m the son of a policeman and a teacher; a product of our public schools and rec centers who grew up to be a city council member, advisor to Governor Dayton, and now mayor of the greatest city in the world.” Carter pledged to work to improve the city in what he called “the three pillars” of “public safety, education and economic justice.” The inauguration kicks off a week of events for Carter, which will include informal meet-ups at community spaces throughout Saint Paul and at the Rice Street Recreation Center for a service project. The week will culminate with an inaugural ball at Union Depot on Friday, January 5 at 7 pm.

sion on Facebook on December 19, Frey’s policy committee met with community members at the Urban Research and OutreachEngagement Center (UROC) in North Minneapolis on Thursday, December 21. “We are in a transition month,” Glidden stated at the meeting. “There are major issues that aren’t being mentioned that we need to bring to the mayor.” Added Amara, “This doesn’t work unless we have you [the community members] feeding into this conversation.” Some of the questions attendees answered included “What would make Minneapolis a great ■ See Frey on page 8

front of a packed room at his alma mater, Central High School in St. Paul, Melvin Carter III took his oath as the mayor of St. Paul, becoming the city’s first African American to hold the position. The inauguration ceremony began at noon and included remarks from Gov. Mark Dayton and former Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton, the first Black mayor of Minneapolis; Native dancing and drumming; and blessings from various faith communities. Carter’s speech struck a hopeful note as he thanked his predecessor Mayor Chris Coleman, who is running for governor; his mayoral opponents; Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and his family and many supporters. “My love for Saint Paul goes back 100 years to when my great-grandFor more information on the inauguration and related events, visit www. parents fled here from the hatred and violence of the Deep South,” said Carter. “They couldn’t have imagined the opportunity this city has stpaul.gov. Mayor-elect Frey listens to event participants. Photo by Ivan B. Phifer

Psychiatrist sees herself as a mental health detective

Trump’s bigoTry TargeTs powerful black men By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Throughout 2017, President Donald Trump has used Twitter as his bully pulpit “in personal, frightening ways,” attacking people of color, especially Black people, and others he perceives as against him.

The Atlantic magazine examined one week in November and found that over 40 percent of Trump’s tweets and retweets were aimed at Black people. He has gone after Black politicians and Black sportscasters: “He and his office have launched sustained, coordinated verbal assaults” as well on ESPN Anchor Jemele Hill and Florida U.S. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson after they publicly disagreed with the president, wrote The Atlantic staff writer Vann R. Newkirk II. Trump has gone after Black fathers, in particular LaVar Ball, after one of his sons was among

three UCLA players arrested for shoplifting in China in November. The president claimed that he got them released and Ball and the young men didn’t thank him properly. The elder Ball, on the other hand, questioned just how much Trump really played a part in his son’s release. Trump at times during the year has also taken aim at Black male athletes. He called Black NFL players “sons of bitches” after they protested against the U.S. flag and kneeled during the playing of the national anthem before games this season. The president “raged” against NBA star Steph Curry when he said he wouldn’t go to the White House if his Golden State Warriors were invited for winning the 2017 NBA championship. “Trump is singling out Black men for not being properly grateful and for standing up for themselves,” Alex Shephard of The New Republic reported in November. “Trump has a long history of doing exactly this, inside and outside the White House.” “It seems trite to say that Trump likes to pick fights with Black people — he picks fights ■ See Bigotry on page 8

By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer

tual,” the last being not exactly what one generally expects What health do you have to hear from a professional in at all without mental health? the field of psychiatry. “Without all of those in If your mind isn’t right, everything else is bound to go combination, health is imposwrong. “It’s important to understand health [as] a holistic concept,” says psychiatrist Dr. Reba Peoples. “People often think of health as the absence of disease. It really is the sible.” Dr. Peoples approachpresence of wellness. Not just es the spiritualty compophysical, but mental, emo- nent as “a human, an African tional and,” she adds, “spiri- American, who comes from

a spiritual tradition.” She notes, “Western medicine [originates] from a reductionist point of view, which often views the body as similar to a machine.”

says Peoples. “Paul Laurence Dunbar said, ‘We wear masks to protect ourselves when we are in settings that aren’t predominantly minority settings.’” She adds, “Even that

“Just being African American in a racist society is enough to cause problems.”

Dr. Reba Peoples

The good doctor is in a uniquely advantageous position to benefit Black patients, particularly those who understandably steer clear of her White peers who may not understand such patients or their difficulties in dealing with life. “A study was just done [indicating] African Americans experience depression differently.” This crosses social strata, from everyday folk dealing with racism and other social pressures, on top of today’s crushing economy, to — sometimes — high-salaried Black women and men in prestige positions. “Just being African American in a racist society is enough to cause problems; nothing’s really changed,”

word, minority — we have to think about how our use of language shapes who we are, because people of color are the majority. We use this language that reinforces the concept of us as less-than.” Her practice includes helping mental health professionals who find themselves so focused on counseling clients that they neglect their own needs. “It’s hard for people who are in the helping or healing profession to slow down enough to take care of [themselves]. A lot of times we’ve grown up as caregivers in our families. That almost becomes an identity. “You only have so much to ■ See Mental health on page 8

FARE FOR ALL: Bulk buying power key to offering affordable, healthy food 1986, part of a nationwide network of Cooperative Food Purchasing programs. Now under the hunger relief organization The Food Group (formerly Emergency Foodshelf Network), FFA specializes in offering affordable fresh produce and frozen meat to communities of need. Using a cooperative food purchasing model that utilizes bulk buying power, FFA purchases produce and meat in large quantities at wholesale prices, enabling the organization to pass along to the consumer discounts of up to 40 percent off typical store prices. “People often ask, ‘How can you sell your stuff so cheap?’” said Weatherhead. “Well, it’s simple. We have something that a lot of places don’t have. We Courtesy of Facebook/Fare For All have a large warehouse; we have huge freezers and we have large trucks. So we By Paige Elliott it.” That’s the basic idea behind Fare For buy in bulk. We buy from a lot of MinOnline Editor All (FFA), according to Scott Weather- nesota companies… We are buying the “Everyone deserves healthy food head, the nonprofit’s program manager. same packages that the grocery stores The program began as Fare Share in are, and the more food that we buy, the where they live or where they can get to

lower our costs. “When I first came here, we were buying 5,000 pounds of chicken at a time. Now we’re buying 15,000 pounds because we’re selling more. Because of that, for five years, our prices have not gone

meat items; an $11 mini-pack with four meat items; a $10 produce pack consisting of 15 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables; and a combo pack with a mix of fresh produce and meat for $20. FFA offers “hot buys” of popular items at each site. In January, for example, the hot buy is a five-pound package of boneless chicken breast tenderloins for $8; in March, an Easter brunch box; and in the summer, a grill box with burgers, steaks and other meat that can be grilled. Also, warehouse sales are held up and our packages are bigger and bet- every other Monday in New Hope. At ter than they were five years ago. The this location, items are sold individualdifference between what we pay and ly as well as in packages. what we sell it for is mostly just to covWeatherhead shared the reasoning er transportation costs to get out to some behind the choice of food offerings: “If of these areas.” you notice, our food is fruits and vegeFFA has 31 sites in the Greater Twin tables and frozen meats — not canned Cities metro area where food packag- goods. When you go to a store, the two es are distributed once a month for two most costly things that you’ll see in the hours. The offerings include a $25 mega■ See Fare For all on page 8 meat pack with a variety of seven to nine

“How can you sell your stuff so cheap?”


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