July 11, 2019 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

THE VOICE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1934 PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391

July 11-17, 2019 Vol. 85 No. 49 www.spokesman-recorder.com

grab a newspaper, it’s to seek out specific information on local events and news.

“Nobody uses [print] unless you’re 50 or older,” Ali added.

On the same sweltering summer day, Betty Ellison-Harpole, 82, was tending to plants in her front yard just down the road in South Minneapolis. One of the first things inside the entryway of her home is a large stack of magazines.

NEWSPRINT: DEAD OR ALIVE?

“I cut the articles out and take them to people at meetings so they know the Black Press exists.”

As an 80-year-old Black Press tion been supplanted by the Internet newspaper like the Defender, the Min- and social media?

“To me, print is dead and gone,” nesota Spokesman-Recorder was motihe Chicago Defender, a sto- vated by this information to hit the said Abdi Ali, who addressed that ried Black newspaper, has an- streets and ask our community mem- question in our street survey. The nounced it will stop print- bers what they think: Is there still a 29-year-old search engine optimizing newspapers. As of July 9, the role for the printed community news- er said he primarily gets his informa114-year-old beacon of Black news paper, or has this centuries-old tradi- tion online via his phone. If he does will be entirely online. Those making decisions at the Defender say the move is an effort to go where the readers are — the Internet.

Just last year, a Pew Research Center study found that Americans get news more often from social media than newspapers. According to the study, newspapers are the last place to get information. People rely on TV the most, then news websites, radio, social media, and, finally, print newspapers. (l-r) Maurice Boswell, Abdi Ali, Betty Ellison-Harpole and Kwasi Nate

By Solomon Gustavo Contributing Writer

T

“It’s alive,” said the retired teacher of print newspapers. Ellison-Harpole said she gets her news from the radio and TV, but she prefers the physical page, in part, because it can be easily preserved. Though online resources have archives, they can sometimes be unreliable — especially older stories.

BLACK BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: E.BAZZ HAIR LOFT & BEAUTY SUPPLY

The beauty of writing your own paychecks When Essence Shabazz first started her career as a hairstylist, she saw her services as a gateway to helping her clients celebrate their inner beauty.

Since opening up her first salon location, E.bazz Hair Loft, in St. Paul in 2017, she has gone from selling bundles with her services to stocking an array of beauty products.

Now, she has set her sights on opening one of the first Black-owned beauty supply stores in North Minneapolis.

Envisioning more than a store, Shabazz sees E.bazz Beauty Supply as a base to support the growth of the local Black beauty community.

MSR talks with Shabazz about the merit of empowering through beauty and the importance of building a solid foundation for other Black beauty workers and entrepreneurs.

MSR: Doing hair is one thing, but what inspired you to make it your own business?

Essence Shabazz: My family.

My grandfather owned a small farm in Florissant, Mo., and he’s always taught us the value

of business ownership. When I got out in the real world and started working nine-to-five jobs, I started realizing I needed to be in a position where I

could create my own lane and do what I want to do without anybody telling me when I could eat, when I could wake up, things like that.

MSR: What do you consider your business’ most soughtafter service or product?

Shabazz: The raw Cambodian hair is the most requested product. I’m always out of that.

I specialize in old-school traditional sew-ins. It has a nice, clean foundation of braids guarded by a protective net over it. That is my specialty. I started off with it at school in Atlanta around 2010.

MSR: What’s the biggest challenge owning the business?

Shabazz: Staying motivated and not trying to compare myself to anybody else’s journey. In our generation, dealing with social media, we see a lot of fast growth. In reality, it’s not that easy. To have a business long term, it takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears, motivation and constant education.

MSR: What does that education look like for you? Why is that so important?

Shabazz: I went to Regency Beauty Institute in St.

Essence Shabazz with client

Submitted photo

■ See BBS on page 5

Photos by King Demetrius Pendleton

“I’m a proud owner,” said Nate during a quick stop at the MSR to purchase a two-year subscription. “I’ve been buying this paper for 30 years.

I cut the articles out and take them to people at meetings so they know the Black Press exists. I make sure I get ■ See Print on page 5

Photos by Solomon Gustavo

Islamic faith-based treatment center helps Muslim addicts

Minnesota’s Muslim community is fairly large. The Min“Alcohol and drugs don’t nesota Council on Churches discriminate,” said Al-haqq reports there are approximateZayid, founder of what he says ly 150,000 Muslims living in is the Twin Cities’ only Mus- Minnesota (for context, there are approximately 300,000 lim-focused treatment center.

Blacks in Minnesota).

While there are Christian faith-based programs, as well as culturally-specific ones aimed at African Americans (Turning Point), Latinx (Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicios), and LGBTQ communities (PRIDE Institute), Zayid said there was none specifically dedicated to those of Islamic faith.

That’s why he started the Zulu Islamic TreatAl-haqq Zayid ment Institute.

By Stephenetta Harmon MSR Editor-in-Chief

Launched this past March, Zulu is housed in the Masjid An-Nur mosque in North Minneapolis, providing outpatient chemical dependency services, including rehabilitation and relapse prevention, along with Muslimcentric activities that allow for prayer times.

REMEMBERING PHILANDO CASTILE The Philando Castile Relief Foundation celebrated Restoration Day and Unity Day (July 6 and 7) to commemorate the shooting death of Philando Castile in 2016.

Castile’s mother Valerie said the two-day celebration in his honor “means the world to me.”

The activities included a candlelight vigil at the memorial site on Larpenteur Avenue in St. Paul where Castile was shot, along with a community barbecue.

“You can store it for historical purposes for the children,” said EllisonHarpole. “Unless a person knows their history, they cannot know their present and cannot plan for their future.”

“I’m a chronicler,” said Kwasi Nate, board member of the Network for the Development of Children of African Descent. For decades, he’s collected print editions of Black papers wherever he’s lived.

Based on rapid growth from Bosnian, Somali and other East African refugee communities over the past few decades, 38 percent are immigrants and 45 percent are firstgeneration Americans. Only ■ See Zulu on page 5

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July 11-17, 2019

By Kelly Chandler-Olcott Contributing Writer

Invest in summer gains, not loss

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hen the end of the school year arrives, internet articles and morning talk shows sound the annual alarm about preventing summer learning loss. They advise parents to purchase hot new reads for their children, take them to museums, and sign them up for science camp.

As a literacy educator for the past 27 years — and the parent of two teenagers — I’ve tried many of these recommendations myself. (Ask my son about the library reading programs I signed him up for and wait for the groan.)

I understand why such tips are appealing.

Who doesn’t want young people to spend their summers more productively than sleeping and playing Fortnite? But it’s high time we question the assumptions baked into our thinking about the so-called “summer slide.”

Let me tell you why.

The summer slide is real, but …

It’s hard to blame parents for anxiety about summer loss, given a century’s worth of research that shows young people can lose up to several months’ worth of school-year learning over the summer break. Studies also show older students have greater gaps than younger students, and summer loss is greatest for low-income students. These findings are worrisome.

Schools must step up to design summer-learning supports responsive to community needs.

At the same time, it’s important to recognize that concerns about summer loss are grounded in the idea that learning is linear and that students’ gains or losses are best measured by performance on achievement tests. Any gaps these tests reveal need to be considered with caution.

The loss-prevention recommendations, themselves, also reflect some problematic bias-

es. Parents and caregivers from all walks of life find ways to support their children’s growth and development. But many ideas suggested for stemming summer setback assume an audience with disposable income, employment flexibility and English fluency that not all families have.

For example, tracing shadows every two hours from breakfast to dinner is easier for

fall semester starts

AUGUST 26

a parent with the means to stay home than a working parent. Suggesting that families who can’t afford summer camps create their own using online resources ignores variations in parental education, literacy levels, and technology access. Such disregard of social class differences is particularly concerning since many summer-loss articles are thinly veiled advertisements for commercial products and programs.

Also troubling is the assumption that families, not educators, should promote learning in specialized areas such as mathematics, reading, and science. Although families from all walks of life promote varied kinds of learning in everyday life, most parents lack preparation to address academic subjects, and their year-round obligations don’t end just because school is out for their offspring.

Summer gains for all Given these complexities, solutions to the summer slide should not fall predominantly on students and their families. Instead, schools must step up to design summer-learning supports responsive to community needs. These might be home-based initiatives, such as the one created by Richard Allington and colleagues, where students’ selection and ownership of 12 free books yielded small, but significant gains in reading, particularly for students from the least-advantaged families.

Schools might also offer no- or low-cost programs on-site that combine interest-driven academics with a mix of enrichment activities such as dance, drama, or meditation. Summer school can be much more than the retaking of failed courses.

Research suggests parents would take advantage of these programs if they were offered.

The National Summer Learning Association found that 51 percent of families not participating in a summer program would do so if one were available. Cost is often a factor. For instance, the association found that of families that pay for summer programming, the aver-

age cost was $288 per week per child.

I have seen firsthand what can happen when summer is viewed as a time to test innovations that promote learning for all — teachers and students alike — rather than an opportunity to “fix” some children stereotyped as deficient.

For four years, I served as director of a summer writing institute meant to ease middle schoolers’ transition to high school. The threeweek program was free, open to all students slated to attend a local high school in the fall and drew its staff from volunteers committed to continuous professional improvement. Students pursued individual and collaborative projects in both print and digital forms. Guest authors from the community spoke about how and why they write. Teachers worked together to construct plans responsive to students’ varying needs.

My research within the institute suggests that students valued interacting with peers from diverse backgrounds and abilities around topics of interest. It also suggests that families valued a high-quality learning experience for their children that didn’t duplicate the school curriculum, take the whole summer or require extra effort from them. Teachers valued collaborating with peers to design a strengths-based writing program tailored to the local community.

To be sure, programs like the writing institute require considerably more time and money than sending home a one-page menu of suggestions for families. But if such programs engage students without stigmatizing them and help teachers refine their craft, that investment could be well worth it.

Kelly Chandler-Olcott is a Laura J. & L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence at Syracuse University.

Republished with permission from The Conversation. Photo courtesy Getty

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July 11-17, 2019

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FATHERS, TALK TO YOUR SONS Discuss relationships, respecting women, sex and consent portant today than it ever has been before.

Reports of sexual misconduct regularly appear in the media. Such reports and accusations typically alert us to the reality of these occurrences without any information that might help us understand why they happen and what can be done to prevent them. Rarely does the reporting media also provide guidance on how to avoid such misconduct before it occurs. That’s one reason why fatherson talks such as this column recommends are so very important.

By Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD This column first appeared in November 2018 and is being reprinted by popular request.

Dr. Crutchfield, do you have any advice on what a father should tell his son about relationships and sex in the age of the “#MeToo” movement?

O

ne of the most important steps is to realize that, in this day and age, it is essential that fathers talk with their sons about how to behave and interact appropriately with young women. Psychologists say that it is important for both mothers and fathers to talk to their sons about relationships and sex, but fathers may have an advantage.

Most boys look up to their fathers, especially for guidance on how to act like a man and how to treat women. Don’t get me wrong — this is not easy. In fact, it may be one of the very hardest things a father (or any parent) can do.

It is so hard that the majority of fathers don’t do it. And when they do it, it is often inadequate and misguided. Most fathers will father the way they were fathered when they grew up. That means, for the most part, when it comes to having a talk about being sexually responsible and respectful, it was inadequate if it happened at all.

To make matters even more difficult, most fathers grew up in the era of AIDS, and the focus then was mostly on safe sex and condom use, not respectful and consensual sex.

Most fathers feel terribly ill-prepared to approach this subject with their sons, so if you feel that way you are not alone.

But there is help and there is hope.

For our sons, being a respectful and sensitive partner is a conversation that needs to occur. The discussion of sexual misconduct is now standard and out in the open. Having a discussion with our sons about how to behave appropriately with young women is probably more im-

Some facts In 2017, a Harvard study of approximately 3,000 people, ages 18-25, elucidated some interesting facts.

• Nearly 90 percent of women had been treated (verbally or physically) in a sexually derogatory manner.

• Nearly 80 percent of respondents never had a conversation with their parents on not treating women in a way that was sexually disrespectful.

• More than 60 percent of respondents had never had a conversation with their parents about making sure their partner was comfortable having sex.

• The majority of respondents said that, while growing up, having a talk with their parents about sexual relationships and engaging in appropriate behavior with partners would have been influential.

Eighteen pointers • Talk to your son as soon as he is curious. Talk early and talk often. Encourage him to talk, too.

• Remember, this is not a one-time talk, not a “one and done.” It is setting up a line of communication with your son that can be used year after year, whenever needed.

• If you think you feel awkward, your son feels three times as awkward, so don’t force the conversation. Just let your son know it is something that needs to be talked about. Bring it up again shortly. Eventually, it will become much more comfortable.

• Look for teaching points in the news or TV shows or movies. If the story contains a situation relating to sexual conduct, use that as a doorway for conversation. Ask your son, “What do you think about that?”

• Acknowledge that as humans we

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are designed to want and have sex, but the focus of sex is to develop a meaningful and intimate relationship with a woman. Focus on the emotional rewards over the mechanical act. Teach him to be a friend first.

Talk about respect and consent.

Ask your son if he wouldn’t want his reputation to be one of a man who is kind and respectful to women rather than that of a man who disrespects and mistreats women.

Let him know that nice guys usually win. Be polite; opening doors may be old-fashioned, but it will always work to win a heart.

Ask him how he would want men to treat his sister(s). Teach him to be polite. Never wait in the car and honk the horn. Go up and ring the bell, greet her parents with a warm and firm handshake, and let them know their daughter is in good hands.

Teach your son that no matter how a woman dresses, it does not mean she wants to have sex.

Specifically, discuss consent. Tell your son that to engage in sex both partners must verbally and enthusiastically acknowledge a desire to do so.

Consent for sex can change. It can change daily, and even hourly. Both parties must be completely willing.

If a woman says “no,” teach your son to respect the answer.

Silence is not a “yes.” Never pressure a partner to have sex if they are not ready.

Teach your son to never try to have sex with a girl if she is intoxicated or otherwise impaired.

Teach your son to talk about expectations with a partner. They should both be clear, up front, about what is and what is not expected and agree to avoid situations where uncertainty could arise. Try to leave the cell phone in the car during dates. Talk to each other — don’t stare blindly into a phone while ignoring each other.

It is alright for your son to say “no” to sex, too. Tell him to never feel pressured to have sex.

Don’t assume too much. Your son’s level of sexual experience may be different from what you believe.

Let him know that chances are good his heart will be broken. He can talk to you and learn from the experience. Tell him it might seem like the end of the world, but life will get much better. Tell him it is

OK to feel sad and even cry. If you tell him this before a heartbreak, like during your discussions, he will be much more likely to believe you if it happens.

• Also, remind him that relationships don’t always work out. If a relationship does not, be a gentleman. Tell him not to do or say anything that he would regret later, including posting messages or pictures on social media or making derogatory comments to friends.

Part with respect and with his head held high.

An easy way to start Fathers will readily acknowledge how difficult it may be to start that talk, so I’ve got an idea to make it easy. Try this: Make a copy of the “18 pointers” above, show the list to your son, and say, “Let’s talk about these, maybe take a couple a week until we get through the list.” You might be surprised how easy and effective this can be.

The bottom line is to talk to your son about relationships and sex. Talk to your son about being respectful and considerate to women. Talk to your son about the absolute necessity of mutual consent. It is more critical today than ever.

If you don’t talk to your son about these issues, someone else will, and they may not have the same values and goals in mind that you do.

Finally, be a role model for your son. Boys will learn an infinite amount about how to act in a relationship and how to treat women by modeling the behavior of their fathers. Teach by example.

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, and president of the Minnesota Association of Black Physicians. Photo by Kay on Unsplash.

One nation overdosed

Three things to understand about America’s pain-pill addiction Every time the American people think the U.S. opioid crisis can’t get any worse, it does.

In 2016, 42,249 people died from opioid overdoses — 116 deaths every day — according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In addition, 11.5 million people misused opioids.

But, in a nation that takes

so many prescription medications, perhaps no one should be surprised. One underlying cause of the opioid crisis could be the way we take care of — or fail to take care of — our bodies.

“There’s a reason why Americans feel that the answer to every health problem is a pill,” says Dr. Raj Gupta, founder of Soul Focus Well-

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ness Center. “It’s because we don’t really have ‘health care’ in America. We employ a ‘sickcare’ model.

“We only go to the doctor when we are sick. And then we demand that doctors prescribe something for whatever ails us, and if they don’t we feel like we wasted our time.”

Antibiotics became so overprescribed — often used when they weren’t even necessary — that they started to lose their potency. Now, Gupta says, people are doing the same with pills used to combat chronic musculoskeletal pain that results from stress, bad posture, aging bodies, sports injuries, car accidents and other causes.

He says Americans need to step back and understand a few reasons why relying on these powerful pain pills may be the wrong solution for what’s troubling them: Pills don’t correct the problem.

A pain pill may temporarily take pain away, but it doesn’t fix whatever the underlying cause is. “When the pill wears off, the pain comes back,” Gupta says. Pain is

your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong.

“I may not know why you are in pain, but I can assure you that it’s not because your body is depleted of Percocet or Oxycodone,” Gupta says. “If you have a pebble in your shoe that irritates you and worsens with each step, the answer is not a pill called ‘Pebble Ease.’

“A pill doesn’t remove the irritant,” adds Gupta. “It covers it up. Your pain is a physical problem that requires a physical answer. You must remove the pebble that is irritating you and address the actual problem that is causing the pain.”

Opioids are addictive, but not always effective.

A new study shows that over time opioids don’t provide any more relief for people suffering from chronic pain than other pain relievers that don’t come with so much risk of addiction. In some cases, people using non-opioid drugs such as Tylenol, ibuprofen and lidocaine experienced more pain relief than those who used morphine, Vicodin and oxycodone.

“People risk becoming ad-

dicted to these pills, and yet they may not even be getting the pain relief they’re seeking,” Gupta says.

You are responsible for your health.

True health care consists of doing things that prevent you from getting sick, Gupta says.

It involves a balance of proper diet, rest, exercise, and a positive mental attitude. “Adopting this lifestyle of preventative health care will allow you to lead a prosperous, fulfilling life without the need for drugs and surgery,” he says.

“Our culture has been

brainwashed to believe that there is a pill for every problem,” Gupta says. “But the real solution is that we need to move past our ‘sick-care’ model of health care and concentrate on taking better care of ourselves so we don’t feel the need for that pill to begin with.”

Dr. Raj Gupta has a doctorate in chiropractic from Life University. For more information, visit drrajgupta.com.

Image by Getty

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July 11-17, 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.

Incarcerating Black women for the crime of poverty

By Oscar H. Blayton Guest Commentator

Running for exposure

By Julianne Malveaux Guest Commentator Twenty-four people are running for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. From where I sit, at least half of them are only running for exposure — for the vice presidential nod, for Cabinet secretary, to push a platform, or to simply be seen. Their ambitions have made the process turgid and impractical, often amusing and, only sometimes, illuminating.

The candidates do best when they have time to expound on their ideas, as they did at Rev. William Barber’s Poor People’s Congress or at Rev. Jesse Jackson’s National Rainbow Coalition International Convention. Rev. Barber’s meeting drew nine candidates, each of whom had the opportunity to give a fourminute speech and receive 26 minutes of questioning from Barber.

The Rainbow PUSH gathering drew seven candidates who had about 15 minutes to address those assembled. Former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and mayors Bill de Blasio and Pete Buttigieg had press conferences with Rev. Jackson. Neither Senator Kamala Harris nor Senator Cory Booker attended either meeting, although they were invited to both.

With a crowded field and calendar, it is clear that everybody can’t be everywhere, but I’d like the two African American senators to explain why they snubbed two of our nation’s most prominent African American leaders.

Memo to Andrew Yang, Marianne Williamson, Montana Governor Steve Bullock, Miramar, Florida Mayor Wayne Messam, and a few others: You’ve got ideas — but doesn’t everybody? What are you running for, really? You have about as good a chance of being president as the proverbial snowball has of surviving Hades. You’ve raised a little money, and you’ve got a skeleton staff. Why not sit at home and write op-eds about your good ideas? Somebody will publish them.

Memo to California Congressman Eric Swalwell: Age baiting is neither thoughtful nor cute. It’s fine to tell Biden to “pass the torch” once, but to keep saying it seems like badgering and makes you look like a junior high school heckler.

Biden should have come back at you for hedging your bets. You told the San Francisco Chronicle that, while you are running for president, you haven’t closed the door on keeping your congressional seat. You have until December to decide, you say. Do us all a favor.

Decide now!

Memo to Beto O’Rourke: Just like the South lost the Civil War, you lost the Senate race in 2018. Losing a statewide competition is hardly the foundation for a successful presiden-

tial run. You were a nondescript congressman that sponsored little legislation — a Democratic sensation mainly because you came close to toppling the odious Senator Ted Cruz.

But what do you stand for other than White male exuberance, jumping up on tables with the wild hand gestures? Run for Senate in Texas again. Maybe you could win and really make a difference!

Memo to Julián Castro: Don’t patronize your own community by speaking Spanish poorly. I think Latinos care more about your policy positions than your Spanish language ability. Good move in going after O’Rourke in the debates on immigration issues. Wrong move in missing the Poor People’s Congress after confirming that you’d be there.

Memo to Biden: You’re better than your act, better than your debate performance, better than your wandering, long-winded speeches. I know you’ve been doing you for a long time, and you think your wordy gaffes work for you. Actually, they don’t. There’s nothing wrong with saying you made a mistake, nothing wrong with apologizing to Anita Hill (which you haven’t done yet), nothing wrong with talking about busing unapologetically. If you don’t get your act together, Warren and Harris are going to make mincemeat out of you.

It’s the beginning of July, and by month’s end, there will be yet another debate with 20 people on the stage in two clumps. We won’t learn much at these debates, because they are less debate than guided conversation with interruptions and outbursts.

But, it still is only July — seven long months before the Iowa caucuses on February 3, 2020.

It’s only July — eight months before the delegate-rich Super Tuesday, March 3, 2020, when at least 15 states, including Texas and California, will hold primaries, and 1,321 Democratic delegates will be up for grabs.

What we must know, even at this point in July, is that all 24 candidates aren’t running for president. At least half of them are simply running for exposure, and most of the nation is not paying attention.

Can you name all 24 candidates without the use of Google? Probably not. I got to 21 before I had to check. I left out Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton, former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel, and Montana Governor Steve Bullock. They’ve made quite an impression!

Running for exposure is a costly venture.

While it is a constitutionally-guaranteed right, I’m not so sure it’s a good idea, at least where some of these candidates are concerned.

Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist. For more info on MALVEAUX! On UDCTV or booking, visit juliannemalveaux.com.

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It seems like every day we learn about another facet of the cruelty of the American criminal justice system.

Ava DuVernay’s blockbuster Netflix documentary When They See Us has heightened the furor over the fact that, in America, law enforcement means “control” rather than “justice” for people of color.

And while the story of how the American legal system failed the Central Park Five is horrific — and for some, hard to watch — it is only one of many chapters in the saga of how this country lashes people of color with judicial oppression.

not paying fines and fees for violations that are not jailable offenses.

The threat of incarceration and, ultimately, incarceration has been used by some cities and towns strapped for money to squeeze dollars out of the most vulnerable members of their communities.

In 2015, CNN reported how the U.S. Justice Department revealed a pattern and practice of racial discrimination within Ferguson, Mo. that targeted African American residents for tickets and fines. And when these tickets and fines went unpaid, those residents often went to jail.

Not only is this practice a grave injustice, but it inflicts wounds upon our so-

particular, women of color.”

Drilling down into this injustice, we find that, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, “[I]ncarcerated women are more likely than incarcerated men to be poor, single parents, primary caregivers, and to be victims of violence, abuse, and trauma.”

Because of policies being made by those who do not care about the plight of these victims of poverty, women now represent a higher proportion of the U.S. prison and jail populations than in the past.

A May 2019 analysis of the Bureau of Justice Statistics data by essayists in the New York Review of Books reveals that in “1983, women

We should not avert our eyes from the plight of poor women of color who remain behind bars simply because they are poor.

Just as we should not avert our eyes from the tragedy suffered by the Central Park Five, we should not avert our eyes from the plight of poor women of color who remain behind bars simply because they are poor.

The nonprofit organization Prison Policy Initiative has reported that almost two out of every three women in jail have not been convicted of a crime. They are incarcerated awaiting the resolution of their cases. The main reason for this startling fact is that many women are unable to raise the necessary funds for cash bail. And this, simply put, is punishment for the “crime of poverty.”

The Prison Policy Initiative has reported that in 2015, the median income for Black women incarcerated prior to trial was $9,083, while the typical amount of bail in those instances was $10,000.

It is obscene that too often bail is set at an amount greater than the annual income of a person facing a minor charge.

It is not uncommon for people of color to be sent to jail for not paying fines. And it is outrageous when those people are incarcerated for

ciety. The New York Review of Books reports that eight out of 10 women in jail are mothers, and most of them are single parents. There should be no need to explain how parental incarceration impacts negatively on a child. Studies by the Prison Policy Initiative have linked parental incarceration to that child’s risk of violence and victimization, as well as chronic health problems.

Incarceration can cause a woman to lose her job, lose her housing and even lose her child. Incarceration of the poor is a public policy that creates and maintains a cycle of poverty. It is well known that incarceration usually results in the loss of a job. It is less well known that incarceration often results in the loss of stable housing.

In his 2016 book, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, sociologist and Princeton University professor Matthew Desmond set out that, “Eviction is a cause, not just a condition, of poverty.” And Princeton University’s “Eviction Lab” published an online report in 2018, Why Eviction Matters, stating that evictions “disproportionately affect low-income women, in

made up just under 9 percent of people admitted to jail. By 2000, that share had grown to 15 percent; and in 2016, women comprised 23 percent of all admissions.”

Women of color work the hardest for the least amount of money, and because they have the least money, they are the most likely to be jailed for their poverty.

When America looks in the mirror, we see we are a nation that not only jails the poor for being poor, but we jail the poorest of the poor.

Is this who we want to be? Is this who we want our country to be? This nation was founded upon so many injustices, too many of which persist to this day. One of those is punishing the poor for being poor.

Gone are the days of debtors’ prisons, but imprisoning the poor is still with us.

It is time to take a stand and demand that our lawmakers turn this practice into nothing more than a bad memory.

Oscar H. Blayton is a former Marine Corps combat pilot and human rights activist who practices law in Virginia.

A NATION DIVIDED

By Ron Edwards Contributing Commentator We don’t need future historians to look back to see what we already know: that even after celebrating the Fourth of July this past week, America is a split nation, and therefore, a dangerous nation. But how will the historians interpret our split of each half hating the other half?

Will they record that we took the dangerous, grim path of the French Revolution’s “By any means necessary,” or that we took the path of hope born of being thankful for America and work instead to heal the split and not make it wider?

Will future historians speak of us, as was spoken about the early 20th-century civil war in Spain: the chilling conclusion the modern Spain that emerged “has nothing to do with what either side fought and died for.”

At least the U.S. ended slavery and segregation and set us on the path of our yet unfinished project of fully legalizing civil rights, unfinished due to violence against each other and remaining legal barriers.

But how will they say we handled such shootings as those in Minneapolis and St. Paul?

As of the writing this column, the top of community and government leadership, and profit and nonprofit leadership, have too often been silent.

In some areas of the Twin Cities — such as East Side St. Paul and Northside Minneapolis — people talk about sleeping in their bathtubs because of the death and injury potential from spraying bullets.

I ask again, what is the anger that seems to be driving violence in America? The Star Tribune, the Sunday before the Fourth of July, highlighted statements by Minnesota Attorney

General (AG) Keith Ellison, who talked about the hatred that is poisoning rural Minnesota as if such hatred is new. It isn’t new. The AG knows that for the 12 years he represented the Fifth Congressional District, it was long a hotbed of casualties and violence.

The Star Tribune’s article is an exception to the usual silence, whereas news stories and columnists of the MSR have regularly reported on the violence, hate, and biases reflecting on America’s unfinished project of evolving into united we stand instead of malice toward others.

A great cause of this sense of anger, frustration, and betrayal is the election of Donald Trump, as seen by the antagonism toward him by both Democrats and Republicans, and his support by leading religious groups — whether Roman Catholic, Protestant, or evangelical.

Both Democrats and Republicans fostered policies that led to 60,000 factories closing, sending millions of America’s jobs to China, Mexico and beyond. Now, hundreds of thousands of immigrants arrive to take existing jobs, playing ping pong with the Census and put energy into destroying, rather than building. Will our middle class continue to disappear as the southern border opens ever wider to new arrivals coming like a flood across the Rio Grande?

The debate continues whether to heed Abraham Lincoln’s prophetic words of “United we stand, divided we fall.” Will we go forward with “malice toward none” or pay, again in Lincoln’s words, the “full measure” of “lives and treasure” if we continue with malice?

Stay tuned.

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

July 11-17, 2019

5

“Hopefully, I can show our Black community that we can take our industry back and not be apologetic about it.” them the business so that I don’t have to be behind the chair every day, all day.

And with the beauty supply, I just hope that this is gonna be something great for the community. It will be one of the first Black-owned beauty supply stores in North Minneapolis. I’m looking forward to collaborating with E.bazz wigs by Essence Shabazz Photo by Akil Photography other Black-owned businesses. I want to create a pathway…for other young time mom, not missing those mogirls and boys that are coming into ments with my family. And also the my field. feeling of accomplishment — knowContinued from page 1 ing that you can be successful and can MSR: What does that look like? write your own checks.

Shabazz: I want to connect with Charles, Mo. I am now in business We believe we need to work at a young women and men and teach management school. I graduate this corporate office and certain types them about the entrepreneurial life of year. of jobs to survive. But you can do it customer service — an ambition we You really need to learn your in- [own your own business] if you realoften are unaware of in our commudustry and the background of busi- ly put your mind to it. So that is probnity.

As Black entrepreneurs, we need ness in order to stay relevant and ably the most rewarding part, doing to start helping our youth who are sustainable. It’s not about just social something they told our people that trying to do the same thing, but help media. Let’s study the industry. Let’s we couldn’t do. them do it better. study the best in that industry so that we can supersede them.

MSR: What does your vision for sucMSR: What other ways can your cess look like?

MSR: What would you say is the Shabazz: To always maintain the sa- business impact the community? most rewarding part of owning your lon, because that’s where I started. My Shabazz: I feel like I have a strong voice with young women. I’m trying business? vision is to help other young women Shabazz: The freedom to be a full- learn the same skills and then show to help teach them — even though I

BBS

Zulu Continued from page 1

four percent of Minnesota’s Muslims are Arab.

Faith-based centers allow patients to connect their spirituality and beliefs to treatment, making recovery easier for many, as well as helping strengthen their faith.

Contrary to the mistaken belief that Muslims don’t suffer from addiction, Zayid said they represent a high population of recovery patients. In his work, he said he’s seen anywhere from 20 percent to as high as 60 percent of patients who were Muslim.

that many “never completed treatment because their needs weren’t being addressed. Sometimes, there was Islamophobia towards them, but being a counselor, there wasn’t too much I could do.”

That prompted Zayid to reach out to Imam Makram El-Amin at his local mosque, Masjid An-Nur, to get the wheels turning. “I saw there was a need for Islamic faith-based treatment, and [the mosque] agreed,” he said. “It took me three years to get through the paperwork and get it done.”

“There are men and women who do not seek help because they feel they have let down their religious community,” said Imam El-Amin in a letter of support for Zulu. “This service will allow these individuals to receive necessary care without stigmatization.”

“Just because we look alike doesn’t mean we need the same delivery of services.”

“Yes, it’s haram, meaning forbidden, for alcohol or any kind of drugs, but you come [to the U.S.] and it’s wide open,” which, he said, puts many Muslim immigrants in a position of temptation they had never before experienced.

“You got liquor stores on every corner, and then advertisements of liquor. Then you go to work, you got happy hour.”

He said this often results in those needing services being shunned by their elders and the community. “They don’t know about rehabilitation, so they disown them,” said Zayid. That leads many to seek out services not necessarily geared towards them.

“I’ve been in the addiction field for a while,” he said, as a counselor at several treatment centers throughout the Twin Cities.

Throughout his work, he observed, “I noticed Muslims were coming in addicted, but there was no accommodation for them.” Noting that he himself was a recovering addict, he added

Print Continued from page 1

the digitized version as well as the hard copy.”

Nate said people need to read not just the paper, but more books in general. “You can never read enough,” he said, in order to learn more about Black history and different perspectives.

Amina Danzi, 50, is a truck driver and a Chicago native who still visits her mother regularly. She expressed dismay at the news of the Defender ceasing its print edition.

Though Danzi periodically checks her phone for fresh news, she gets almost all of her news on the radio. When she does read print newspapers, it’s nearly exclusively Black publications. Mainstream publications, she said, “never put voices of our fearless [Black] leaders in the right way.”

specialize in hair extensions and wigs and can totally change your look — that focusing on inner beauty is more important. Hair, as far as weaves and wigs, is just an accessory, not a necessity. I’m impacting my clients by just giving that positive, uplifting inner spirit, and that’s what I think more stylists need to do.

With the beauty supply, I hope to give back to the community. Over the years, we’ve experienced other cultures taking over our hair industry.

Hopefully, I can show our Black community that we can take our industry back and not be apologetic about it.

You can own your own store, you can own your own products, sell to your people in a classic way, and just buy back the industry, buy back the block.

MSR: What advice would you give an aspiring entrepreneur?

Shabazz: Do not try to push forward too fast. Build that foundation first before getting into glitz and glam. Finish school and all the paperwork; then start your business.

MSR: Anything else?

Shabazz: Get your credit together.

You can’t do anything without getting your credit right. I’m not saying you need to have a bunch of money. You don’t need to have $50,000 in a bank.

But even if you have $500, get some business cards, get some free marketing classes, and start that foundation before you start accepting clients.

And find a mentor! You definitely have to keep those people that are 10 toes down for you and make sure you actually listen and put their advice inMSR: Your North Minneapolis lo- to play. cation is still in the works. When do you open?

E.bazz Hair Loft is located at 2075 Shabazz: I’m finalizing the loca- Ford Pkwy in St Paul. MSR readers who tion now. We will be holding pop-up book a sew-in service before August 31 shops the end of summer and into fall. will receive two 12-inch bundles of hair for free with service. For more info, visit ebazzhairloft.com.

mean we need the same delivery of services.”

Noting the high percentage of Somalis who are Muslim, Hayden said, “the Somali [and broader Muslim] communities have a whole different set of circumstances. I try to learn on a daily basis, but I don’t know enough about that culture. They come from a different place, they use drugs differently, they commune differently, so I think it’s just great.”

Hayden also welcomed the idea of future collaborations. “As [founder of] the only African American program in the state of Minnesota,” said Hayden, “I would like to give him some of the benefits that I’ve had of over 43 years of working with the system” to strengthen their efforts.

Zayid welcomed the support. “Dr. Hayden is

a beacon in the community for this kind of work.

I interviewed him when I was in school to get my degree,” he added. “I’ve got high respect for him and welcome his input.”

Zulu Islamic Treatment Institute is housed at the Masjid An-Nur, located at 1729 Lyndale Avenue N. in Minneapolis. For more information, call 612-2452860.

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

Thinking about moving?

Classes are scheduled twice daily at the mosque. “We can have up to 16 clients per group,” said Zayid of the four-hour group sessions. It takes about two-and-a-half months to complete the program, which includes 200 group hours and 20 one-on-one session hours.

Zayid said he is currently building up his clientele, doing outreach in various communities, including those in St. Paul, Hennepin County, and Somali-based organizations. “Right now, I am pretty much going from place to place to build awareness and help our people.”

While he was not aware of the new program, Turning Point Director Dr. Peter Hayden welcomed the idea of a treatment center focused around the Islamic faith.

“I think it’s great,” said Dr. Hayden. With its African American focus, “Turning Point is a leader in getting people to understand better the whole culturally specific service side,” he said. “But, just because we look alike doesn’t

Another of our interviewees, Leslie P. (last name withheld at her request), told the MSR that if she is going to read a print newspaper at all, she similarly relies on Black papers. When she goes grocery shopping, she said she makes sure to grab the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. On the way, she might glance at headlines from other newspapers.

Nevertheless, print newspapers now make up a smaller share of her go-to news resources. “It’s about 20 percent print, 80 percent everything else,” she said.

Maurice Boswell, a 29-year-old recently released from prison, said print newspapers also play a small part in his news-gathering habits. He said the last time he picked up a newspaper was maybe two months ago. Boswell gets the bulk of his news online, but he always returns to newspapers for news.

Print is not dead, he said, but it may be on life support.

In the digital age, news coverage continues to shift along with technological advances and new platforms like podcasting and social media.

Publications like the Chicago Defender will continue to feel pressure to pursue online traffic. But, even as newspaper influence wanes, print editions still hold value for many people and are still trusted by news seekers.

“Dr. John Henrik Clarke said, ‘All history is a current event,’” said Nate. “If we had all the Black educators and they all got a subscription and passed them out to students — got papers in the hands of children — that’s how you maintain readership. That’s how you build history.”

Solomon Gustavo welcomes reader responses to sgustavo@ spokesman-recorder.com. Headline photo courtesy Flickr/Jon S/ NS Newsflash

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July 11-17, 2019

Local civil rights champion memorialized

By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer

T

he late civil rights activist, artist and philanthropist Charles E. Mays (1933-2019), without question, determinedly left the world a better place than he found it.

Mays would’ve greatly contributed had he merely joined the ranks of conscientious men and women who work with the NAACP, Urban League, and other organizations to secure social progress.

He did that and much more.

Mays worked as an NAACP field director on the civil rights front line in Mississippi. In Minneapolis, he chaired the youth committee, was the Great Plains youth field director, and vice president of the institution’s state conference.

He also worked as president of the Joint Committee for Equal Opportunity of Greater Minneapolis; directed public relations and human resources at Pilot City Health Center; served as director of the MLK Office for St. Paul Family Services; and developed and oversaw Hennepin County Home School’s chemical dependency program.

This is but an indication of the breadth of Mays’ penchant for taking direct action to promote fair housing, education, voting rights, employment, and otherwise eradicate African Americans’ longstanding status as “second-class citizens.”

Gathered recently at Sovereign Grounds cafe in South Minneapolis, colleagues who were both professionally and personally associated with the community leader fondly reflected on his career accomplishments, life, and his humanity.

Elizabeth Moore knew Mays nearly 50 years. “He worked very hard for the community on many social and political problems,” she recalled. This included soldiering beside Dr. Anita Bracey-Brooks, who was key in establishing the University of Minnesota’s Black History Department.

Art Serotoff, along with the Martin Luther King Park Legacy Council, successfully put Mays’ name forward for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Living the Dream” Award in 2015.

Serotoff recalled that in addition to Mays’ many accomplishments,

nize art. He was real good friends with Ta-coumba Aiken, Seitu Jones. He would go down to their studios.”

Mays was also a founding member of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., as well as an advisory member of Obsid-

“[Bracey-Brooks] started the Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Black Social Workers, but had medical problems.

Charles, myself, Chester McCoy and others took over her work and have been active ever since.

“In later years, Charles and I worked [at] AARP where he became president of the Twin Cities chapter,” Moore noted. “He was very compassionate, a loving and giving person, intelligent and had a sense of humor. I really miss him.”

including playing a part in the Minneapolis NAACP’s winning lawsuit against the Minneapolis Public Schools to remove so-called separate but equal education, “He had another side. Charles was a great patron of the arts. He was a collector of truly amazing artwork done by people of African descent across the globe.

“He did trips [abroad] several times. In his house he had paintings. He had masks, sculpture. A ton of books. He didn’t get the chance, but he wanted to make his home into a museum to recog-

ian Arts celebrating Black visual culture.

Verlena Matey-Keke noted, “What I really appreciated was that he wasn’t only committed to projects he worked on. He supported the work of others.” Toward that end, his work was inclusive, as he showed concern for LGBTQ issues, including discrimination.

He staunchly supported the African American AIDS Task Force and worked to reduce the indignity associated with HIV and AIDS. More than a high-profile figurehead, he’d roll up his sleeves

to sit one-on-one with individuals. Dr. Annie Baldwin recounted an instance of Mays aiding an aspiring professional who, though skilled, lacked sufficient savvy to navigate the system. “A gentleman Charles and I worked with had trained to be a tailor. [He was] required to take additional courses, but did not understand how to answer University of Minnesota test questions.

“At my kitchen table, [we] helped him pass that test. He was then able to work in Minneapolis Public Schools. Charles was interested in helping anybody when he thought he could lend a hand.”

A memorial service at Unity South Church was held for Mays on July 4 with Twin Cities’ theater luminary T. Mychael Rambo offering welcoming remarks. The program, “A Life of Empathy, Compassion, Philanthropy, and Service,” was appropriately titled.

After a lifetime of trailblazing activism, Mays passed peacefully on June 5 in the care of his niece Michele Bratcher Goodwin and sister Gloria Mays-Fulsom. He was 85 years old. A memorial website, charlesmays.org, is dedicated to his legacy.

There will be a celebratory observance of Charles Mays’ life and legacy on July 23 at Martin Luther King Park in Minneapolis at 6 pm, sponsored by Minneapolis AARP and the Martin Luther King Park Legacy. The gathering is open to the public.

Dwight Hobbes welcomes readers’ responses to dhobbes@spokesmanrecorder.com. Submitted photos

Serena Williams hopes to inspire next generation with Wheaties box cover The tennis champ follows in the footsteps of Althea Gibson Serena Williams started off July with a bang, becoming the second Black female tennis player to ever cover Wheaties cereal boxes. The cereal giant announced the honor on June 25 with a tweet: “She’s an athlete. She’s a fashion designer. She’s a philanthropist. She’s a mother. Serena Williams is a Champion. #ShesAChampion” For Williams, the achievement fulfills a long-held goal. “I have dreamt of this since I was a young woman and it’s an honor to join the ranks of some of America’s most decorated athletes,” Williams said in a press release.

One of those decorated athletes was tennis great Althea Gibson, who became the first Black female tennis player to grace a Wheaties box cover in 2001.

On Instagram, Williams made sure her 11.1M followers knew the score. “In 2001, Wheaties paid homage to a true champion and an icon by putting her on the cover of a Wheaties Box. Althea Gibson was the FIRST Black Woman tennis player to be on the box. Today, I am honored to be the second.”

Gibson and Williams are among just a handful of Black women to earn a “Breakfast of Champions” cover. Gymnast Dominique Dawes received hers in 1996 and Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee in 2004.

“Serena exemplifies all of the personal attributes that Wheaties looks for when choosing who its next champion will be,” stated Wheaties Marketing Manager Tiffani Daniels in a press release. “On the court, she has been named the women’s most valuable player seven times, while off the court she us-

Serena Williams Wheaties’ box cover Courtesy of General Mills es her voice to inspire and spark change to make the world a better place.”

Williams, widely considered one of the greatest athletes of all time, is currently competing at Wimbledon in both women’s singles and mixed doubles with Andy Murray.

She’s on a quest for a 24th Grand Slam singles title. She’s won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and four Olympic gold medals.

The limited-edition Wheaties box featuring Williams is on shelves now throughout the summer. “I hope my image on this iconic orange box will inspire the next generation of girls and athletes to dream big,” said Williams.

Legacy Boat Cruise 2019 Saturday, August 3, 12 – 4pm

Cruise includes:

Wenso Ashby Jazz & Beyond & Phyllis “Showtime” Braxton

Thursday, August 1, 2019 CHS Field, 360 Broadway, St. Paul Gates open at 5:30 p.m. | Movie starts at 7:00 p.m.

Join AARP Twin Cities for a special screening of a baseball classic in a way that you never have before, outdoors under the stars! Sit in the stands or bring a blanket and watch from the outfield. Concession stands open for refreshments. No chairs allowed.

The movie is free of charge and open to the public, but registration is encouraged.

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

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July 11-17, 2019

7

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am

Documentary highlights literary giant’s singular genius

By Dwight Brown Contributing Writer

S

he’s a literary icon whose accolades include a 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature. For the African American reader who has been glued to her books since 1970, starting with her poignant debut novel The Bluest Eye, this documentary is an opportunity to see how the pieces of Toni Morrison’s life have made her whole.

For those who came to the party late, this recounting of her evolution explains why, when you see a photo of this amazingly young looking 88-year-old, you can discern a certain brilliance hiding in her eyes, an extreme intelligence behind her disarming smile and a stately aura that is somewhere between that of queen and goddess.

One of the most interesting facts in this bio is that Morrison grew up in Lorain, Ohio, a multicultural immigrant town. Even if people didn’t fraternize much with each other in their homes (and that’s only a guess), shopping, town activities and education threw everyone into the same mix.

It’s no surprise that when Morrison entered Howard University and confronted segregation in the South, her perspective on life and race changed dramatically. Her evolution on the subject matter is as interesting to watch as her development as a writer.

When she helped school her White editors on the power of her works and viewpoints on African American culture and experiences, she faced the same challenge that many African Americans encounter in business, education, politics, etc.: Resistance.

As she recounts her experiences, Morrison is poised, resolved and reflective — somewhat akin to an intelligent philosopher or an academic who patiently teaches a class of inquisitive, but slow-learning freshmen.

Audiences will also discover that she started her editing career as a divorced woman with two young boys, but that is about as deep as the footage goes into exploring her personal life. There are glimpses of Morrison behind closed doors, but nothing explicit, controversial or negative. In that way, this doc feels a bit like a promotional reel, which isn’t a detriment, as any details about Morrison are better than none.

Many of her books come up for discussion: Sula (1973), about a deep female friendship, and Song of SolToni Morrison

Morrison is…akin to an intelligent philosopher or an academic who patiently teaches a class of inquisitive but slow-learning freshmen.

Toni Morrison and director Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

omon (1977), winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, and perhaps her best piece of storytelling (and certainly her most accessible).

The ’80s brought Tar Baby (1981), then the somewhat controversial Beloved (1987), which was turned into a film by Oprah Winfrey, whose book club and TV show catapulted Morrison into the consciousness of middle America, or at least those who liked to read.

Still, some of her most illuminating thoughts on race were established in The Bluest Eye. This profound novel chronicles the indoctrination of Blacks into a White society pointing out how self-esteem is tied to White characteristics that Blacks don’t have: blue eyes. Among

other revelations in the book, her astute analysis of cultural manipulation that results in low self-esteem is enlightening.

One source of inspiration for the book came from a jarring encounter with an African American friend.

Friend: “I don’t believe in God,” Morrison: “Why?” Friend: “Because I’ve been praying for blues eyes for two years and he didn’t give me his.” If that doesn’t rip your heart out and send a clear message about the cruelty of systematic or unintended racism, nothing will.

The writer-turned-editor-turnednovelist stood up to anyone who had a misconception about Black literature, who it was written for, and how it should be received. She ripped preconceived notions and fallacies apart by revealing the problem: “The assumption is that the reader is a White person.” She put that misguided viewpoint to bed.

Throughout her career, she has been championed and loved by both Blacks and Whites. As such, director Timothy Greenfield-Sanders (The Black List: Volumes One to Three) pulls together an interesting group of fans

and friends who have witnessed Morrison’s rise with much praise: Decades-long editor Robert Gottlieb; fellow novelist Walter Mosley; activist Angela Davis; and essayist Fran Lebowitz. There are also glimpses of legendary poet Sonia Sanchez, Winfrey and others.

The archival footage, photos and newly shot interviews on-view look clear (Graham Willoughby cinematographer), neatly pulled together (Johanna Giebelhaus, editor) and are properly highlighted by a beguiling score (Kathryn Bostic, composer).

The first documentary to genuinely explore Morrison’s ascendance into the upper pantheon of the literary world does a nice job revealing her wonderful persona, uncovering her backstory, and establishing her firm place in American history in a way her followers will appreciate, and others will admire.

Dwight Brown is an NNPA News Wire columnist. Find more of his work at DwightBrownInk.com and BlackPressUSA.com.

WEEKEND TOP 5 July 19-21 Here are the editors’ picks of free or low-cost community events around town.

JULY 19-20 6th Annual Lowertown Blues & Funk Fest 4:30-9:30 pm (Fri.); 12-10 pm (Sat.) @ Mears Park, 221 5th St. E., St. Paul. Free Billed as the Midwest’s largest two-day free festival, this annual affair features regional and national acts at scenic Mears Park in St. Paul. Enjoy two-days of music, featuring funk on Friday, and blues on Saturday.

Also enjoy food and drink vendors.

Info: lowertownbluesfestival.com

JULY 20 Jammin’ in the Parks 9-10 am @ Boom Island Park, 24 Sibley St. N.E., Mpls. Free Start the weekend off right with 60 minutes of fun-filled outdoor fitness. The workout includes Zumba, cardio kickboxing, strength and conditioning, a live DJ and much more.

Classes are led by Chaz Sandifer and Valerie Turner of Noire Elite Fitness. Children 12 and up are welcome.

Info: noirelitefitness.com

JULY 20 36th Annual Rondo Days Celebration 10 am-7 pm @ 560 Concordia Ave, St. Paul.

Free Honor the rich history, present and future of St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood at this popular annual gathering. The day starts with a

5K Walk and Run at 8 am. The parade kicks off at 10 am at St. Peter Claver Church, located at 375 Oxford St. N., St. Paul. The festival follows from 12-7 pm with food, games and an entertainment stage featuring Goodie Mob, Destiny Roberts, Why Khaliq and more.

Info: rondodays.net

JULY 20 Northern Lights Drill & Drum Invitational 5-8 pm @ Concordia University-Gangelhoff Center, 1282 Concordia Ave., St. Paul. $8 The Northern Lights Drill & Drum Invitational features some of the best drill teams from across the country. This locally televised event is designed to bring youth, young adults and families together to enjoy a high energy-oriented sporting event.

Info: bit.ly/NorthernLightsDrill

JULY 21 Open Streets: Lake + Minnehaha 11 am-5 pm @ East Lake St. from Elliot Ave. to Minnehaha Ave. Free This free event series brings the party to Lake and Minnehaha for some car-free summer fun. Enjoy biking, walking, and rolling, shopping at local businesses or just taking in all the sights and sounds of the community.

Info: openstreetsmpls.org

Want your event listed in the paper? Make sure to submit it at least 14 days in advance to give our print subscribers time to plan ahead.

Find more events, or add your own, at msrnewsonline.com.

8

July 11-17, 2019

BULLETIN

New street signs honor Estes’ enduring legacy

W

ith the unveiling of the new “Richard C. Estes” signs, April Estes, owner of the Estes Funeral Chapel and Cremation, has reached another milestone in remembrance of her late husband Richard C. Estes.

April Estes, along with the dedicated assistance and support of community activist Bill English, have made another of her dreams come to fruition. She had a meeting with Minneapolis City Councilmember Jeremiah Ellison, telling him about her wish to have the street in front of the chapel named after her

Councilmember Jeremiah Ellison and April Estes

husband. Ellison then spearheaded the idea through the City Council, with April Estes and supporters in attendance for all of the Council meetings. The Council approved the measure on February 15, 2019.

Now the street in front of the chapel — from Queen to Penn avenues — has commemorative “Richard Estes” signs.

The new Estes chapel opened October 14 2018, and business has increased by 40 percent. Beyond funeral services, the chapel serves the greater community as a gathering venue for meetings and other events.

—Information and photos provided the City of Minneapolis.

et’s sign d at the stre re e th a g rs e memb Community ve gathering ti ra o commem

Countdown to the hands-free cell phone law Come August 1, 2019, Minnesotans must put down their cell phones while driving.

The hands-free bill, signed by Gov. Tim Walz on April 12, 2019, will make it illegal for drivers to hold their cell phones in their hands while driving.

Find answers to frequently asked questions below.

What can I do under the new law?

The new law allows a driver to use their cell phone to make calls, text, listen to music or podcasts and get directions, but only by voice commands or single-touch activation without holding the phone.

Remember, hands-free is not necessarily distraction-free.

What can’t I do with my phone under the new law?

You may not hold your phone in your hand. Also, a driver may not use their phone at any time for video calling, video live-streaming, Snapchat, gaming, looking at video or photos stored on the phone, using non-navigation apps, reading texts and scrolling or typing on the phone.

Can I ever hold my phone?

Yes. Hand-held phone use is allowed to obtain emergency assistance, if there is an immediate threat to life and safety, or when in an authorized emergency vehicle while performing official duties.

Can I use a GPS navigation device?

Yes. GPS and other systems that can only be used for navigation are exempt from the Hands-Free law. In-car screens and systems are also exempt.

In both cases, most of these systems lock when the vehicle is moving.

Is it against the new law to hold a phone in a hijab or other type of headscarf or wrap?

Having a cell phone tucked into a headscarf or head wrap is not against the hands-free cell phone law. The phone must be securely situated to remain hands-free and must not block the driver’s vision in any way. What would be against the new law is if the driver removed the phone and held it in their hand while they were a part of traffic.

Are there penalties?

Yes. The first ticket is $50, plus court fees; the second and later tickets are $275, plus court fees.

Will this make the roads safer?

Yes, in two ways. In 12 of 15 states with hands-free laws, traffic fatalities have decreased by an average of 15 percent [Source: National Safety Council and Insurance Federation based on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data].

This law will also help law enforcement keep Minnesotans safe. Because drivers aren’t allowed to have a phone in their hand, it’ll be easier for law enforcement to see violations and take more effective action.

Through public awareness and education, the goal is for Minnesotans to comply with the new law without enforcement action.

For more info, visit bit.ly/MNhandsfree —Information provided by the Office of Traffic Safety, a division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

$2.5K scholarships available for high-demand careers Hundreds of college-bound students across Minnesota now have the opportunity to be awarded workforce development scholarships worth $2,500 or more to help them launch a career in a high-demand occupation in the state.

The scholarships are for students pursuing careers within advanced manufacturing, agriculture, health care services, information technology, early childhood education, and transportation at any of the 30 state colleges of Minnesota State.

These scholarships were made possible by a $7 million appropriation from the Legislature after a successful pilot program stemming from the 2017 legislative session that initially awarded $1 million in scholarships in the 2018-2019 academic year.

For more info and eligibility requirements, contact the admissions or financial aid office at Minnesota State colleges or visit minnstate.edu/stories/wds.

—Info provided by Minnesota State Colleges.

July 11-17, 2019

Legals

9

Employment NOTICE OF INTENT TO DISSOLVE

Pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 317A.727, Minnesota Sports Corp. (EIN: 47-3410837) is

STATE OF MINNESOTA

TENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT FILE NUMBER: 02-CV-19-2529

providing written notice to known and potential creditors that the organization is in the process of dissolving. Minnesota Sports Corp. was incorporated as a Minnesota nonprofit organization under Minn. Stat. Chapter 317A. Minnesota Sports Corp.’s Board of Directors met at the organization’s office located at 200 S. 6th St., Suite 440, Minneapolis, MN 55402 on April 29, 2019, and, with a quorum present, the Board voted to dissolve. On May 29, 2019 Minnesota Sports Corp. filed a Notice of Intent to Dissolve with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 317A.723. Any written claims against Minnesota Sports Corp. must be presented by September 13, 2019 and mailed to:

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You may obtain a copy of the Petition and any order issued from the court from the Ramsey County Court Administrator’s Office.

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MN Spokesman-Recorder, July 11, 2019

Minnesota Spokesman Recorder July 4 & 11, 2019

GENTILE V. GILL ET AL.

Listen Learn Love Live Life 11817 Champlin Drive, #212 Champlin, MN 55316

NAMEHOLDER: Marcus Marvell Major 5L’s Worldwide Work LLC

11817 Champlin Drive, #212 Champlin, MN 55316

I, the undersigned, certify that I am signing this document as the person whose signature is required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required who has authorized me to sign this document on his/her behalf, or in both capacities. I further certify that I have completed all required fields, and that the information in this document is true and correct and in compliance with the applicable chapter of Minnesota Statutes. I understand that by signing this document I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Section 609.48 as if I had signed this document under oath.

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View Continued from page 10

do something crazy,” she recalled. Her father’s second piece of advice: “To remain humble and stay to your roots.”

She is one of the humblest superstars you can meet.

But Augustus is still looking to get on the floor this season, having undergone arthroscopic right knee sur-

gery in May and being sidelined indefinitely. She is just five points away from moving into 10th place in WNBA career leaders (5,836).

“People say I still act like I did when I was in high school,” Augustus said. “I don’t know what acting like a superstar is. I don’t know what that means.”

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

SUMMONS STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF HENNEPIN DISTRICT COURT FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court File No. 27-CV-19-7820 Case Type: Civil Other/ Miscellaneous-Renewal of Judgment Robert Gentile, Jr. vs. John M. Gill, Sun Products, Inc., Sun Hockey, Inc., and Sun products USA, LLC, Defendants. THIS SUMMONS IS DIRECTED TO John M. Gill, individually and as President / Owner / Manager of Sun Products, Inc, Sun Hockey, Inc., and Sun Products USA, LLC. 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 20** DAYS TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS. You must give or mail to the person who signed this summons a written response called an Answer within 20** 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: Robert Gentile, Jr., 30 Wyman Road, Billerica, MA 01821. Address within the state where the subscriber may be served in person and by mail: 1660 S. Highway 100, STE 500A, St. Louis Park, MN 55416. 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 Plaintiff 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 THIS SUMMONS. If you do not Answer within 20 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 Plaintiff 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. 5. LEGAL ASSISTANCE. You may wish to get legal help from a lawyer.

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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.

Dated: May 4, 2019 /s/ Robert Gentile, Jr., Plaintiff, 30 Wyman Road, Billerica, MA 01821, 978.987.6497, robgentile@verizon.net.

MN Spokesman-Recorder, July 11, 18 & 25, 2019

SOe Continued from page 10

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connection that has lasted ever since. Henderson routinely calls his former coach

“Dad,” and Prohofsky easily lists him as one of his children.

“Ronnie is very important to me. That’s my blessing to have someone like Ronnie,” Prohofsky admitted.

“That main conversation I had with him, he in-

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Fitz Continued from page 10 runs) and several others have been denied the Hall of Fame by voters because they are believed to have cheated by using steroids.

This game has been played for 100 years. Babe Ruth was the first to hit 60 home runs in a season. He hit 714 in his remarkable career. The ballparks are all just about the same size. Since 1947, with Jackie Robinson and the experiment that allowed the best athletes in the Negro League to play with Whites in MLB, the talent pool has continued to get wider. Greater players from all over the world now play in the Major Leagues.

Several pitchers are now throwing the ball over 100 mph. More fans are being hit by line-drive foul balls. Is that because of cell phones, or are fans not paying attention because the games are too long?

I believe MLB is tired of losing so many great American-born athletes year to year to football, basketball, and golf. Nobody in the NFL or NBA or NHL gets contracts guaranteed for $440 million like Mike Trout, or $330 million contracts like San Diego’s Manny Machado or Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper But 10 teams are on record paces for the most home runs in their franchises’ hisstalled so much confidence in me,” Henderson pointed out. “Yes, I thought I could play with mostly everyone, but after many conversations with him, that raised my bar, raised my level.”

Henderson went on to be a longtime basketball official. Prohofsky went on to coach in college and later was an assistant coach both with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx.

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tories after 89 games: Twins (166), Seattle (160), Yankees (149) and Oakland (145).

Three players in the National League have already hit 30 home runs or more: Los Angeles’ Cody Bellinger (30), New York Mets’ Pete Alonso (30), and NL-MVP Brewers’ star Christian Yelich (31).

Only twice previously in history have three players hit 30 or more home runs at the allstar break.

It’s been said before that numbers don’t lie, and the numbers that we’ve seen after 89-90 games indicate that MLB managers and coaches have taken their foot off the gas and turned their heads.

Home runs sell the game, and MLB has more units — 162 times 30 — than any of the other sports leagues.

While we salute the accomplished All-Stars in Cleveland at the mid-summer classic, we cannot ignore the evidence that many of the players or the balls are juiced.

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.

He left the classroom to serve as athletic director for Minneapolis Public Schools and is credited as one of the founders of adapted athletics (for students with physical and cognitive disabilities) in the state.

How fitting that this past spring, nearly five decades after their historic title run, the two men, the once-player and his prep coach, did one more thing together.

Both entered the Minnesota High School Basketball Hall of Fame together.

“I’m here because of these kids,” Prohofsky said humbly of his MarshallU team. “They always say nice things of what I did for them. They have no idea what they did for me.

“I’ve been in several halls of fame, and they all are special,” he added.

“Not like this [one]. Ronnie going into this is more important. Ronnie is like my son.”

“This is a special moment, going in with my coach,” Henderson concluded. “What more can a player ask for? I’m in the Hall of Fame.”

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

10 July 11-17, 2019

Major League Baseball:

Has something gone foul in the ballpark?

T

he signs are all around us.

Major League Baseball (MLB) has had it, and they are fighting back by whatever means necessary.

Today something is going on with the product, and yes, it’s affecting the game.

It’s either the ball or the players are juiced. I don’t think you can have it both ways.

Major League Baseball is the only professional sports league whose games are played without a clock.

Think about it: NBA games

The Twins already have had two games last 17 and 18 innings. Yes, sixhour games; has MLB done something to the baseball?

The Twins have hit 166 home runs in 89 games — that’s the best in baseball.

No Twins team in their history has hit more through 89 games. Eleven Twins players have at least 10 home runs, and two players, Eddie Rosario with 20 and Max Kepler with 21, are among the American League leaders.

Courtesy of MGN just over two hours, NFL just over 3 hours, NHL with three 20-minute periods.

MLB’s 30 teams play 162 games over six months.

Their season is a marathon, not a sprint. It starts in late March and ends at the beginning of November. Some games are less than two hours with great pitching, and other games can go on seemingly forever.

Are some players in this day and age of science masking what they are taking to get an edge again? MLB is the only sports league where players like Barry Bonds (762 home runs), Roger Clemens (seven-time Cy Young Award winner), Sammy Sosa (660 home runs), Mark McGuire (over 570 home

■ See Fitz on page 9

From high school to the pros, Augustus destined for greatness

S

ei mone Aug ustus was among five athletes, three coaches, two ad m i n ist raCharles tors, one conhallman tributor and an official recently inducted as the 37th National High School Hall of Fame class.

The 14-year veteran Minnesota Lynx guard will one day be similarly honored in Springfield, Mass. the Basketball Hall of Fame home — her number 33 has already been retired at LSU, where she helped the Tigers to reach three Final Fours. She is one of the 20 all-time-greatest WNBA players chosen in 2016 as part of the league’s 20-year celebration. She has three Olympic gold medals and four WNBA titles as well.

But her June 26 induction for her exploits at Baton Rouge (La.) Capitol High School came unexpected for this longtime superstar, she told us afterwards. “I didn’t know anything about the National [High School] Hall of Fame,” Augustus admitted.

“It was amazing to find out the history [of the Hall].

It was cool to find out about [current Baylor Coach] Kim Mulkey, the youngest ever to go in and the third woman to ever go in. There are only 10 of us from Louisiana that ever went into the National Hall of Fame. That’s amazing.”

Augustus scored 3,600 points, grabbed 1,728 boards, and collected 869 assists in her four-year prep career

ANOTHER

VIEW

Seimone Augustus in her high school senior year at the McDonald’s All American game Photos courtesy of Twitter (1999-2002), two state titles, and a 138-7 overall record.

“There were two championships before that that we

“I don’t know what acting like a superstar is.” didn’t win,” she complained.

The two-time All-American and two-time Miss Louisiana winner went on to star at LSU for another four years before being the number-one overall pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft.

Yet her fondest back-then memory is of the fans: “I always said the community comes out for girls’ basketball, how they supported us and embraced us,” Augustus continued. “There were games when we had people in the gym at 2:30 [pm]. I remember those days.

“I remember the rivalries that we had [with future W’ers] Chelsea Newton and

Mutual admirers share Hall-of-Fame honors

By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer They’re not biologically related, but Ronnie Henderson and Ed Prohofsky are symbiotically as close as two persons separated by age and biological origins can be.

“I don’t know if I had a closer relationship [with any] basketball players than I do with Ronnie,” Prohofsky disclosed just before his and Henderson’s inductions into the second Minnesota High School Basketball Hall of Fame class this past March.

Prohofsky coached one of this state’s all-time champions, the 28-0 MarshallUniversity boys’ basketball team, in 1976. The diminutive Henderson, who averaged a double-double that championship season, was his point guard with a 14-assist game in the state tour-

Photo by Charles Hallman ney that year, which stood as a record for nearly 30 years.

“The unity, the ability to play with each other, to love each other — he made us like that,” Henderson recalled of Prohofsky’s coaching. “We shared the ball and made everyone [play] as one.”

The coach added, “There were good

alumni. After University High merged with Marshall in 1968, the school became commonly known as Marshall-U. Gym classes and basketball games were held at Pelk Gym on the nearby Minnesota campus; classes were also held at Pelk Hall and in the Marshall school building.

“The kids I coached always say nice things of what I did for them. They have no idea players on that team.”

Marshall-University High School, before its closing in 1982, was home for Prohofsky, a special education teacher and coach. Henderson, Faith JohnsonPatterson, actress Lea Thompson and writer Mark Frost are among its notable

played on at least one WNBA championship club. “It’s amazing to think of the impact that we had.”

■ See View on page 9

Seimone Augustus as WNBA superstar

Prep stars: 10 things you may or may not know about them

Sports odds and ends

Ed Prohofsky (l) and Ronnie Henderson

Alana Beard and all those players that were from Louisiana,” Augustus noted. She, Newton and Beard all have

Best known for her killer crossover moves and lightsout midrange shooting — Augustus has shot 50 percent or better six times in her pro career — only recently has she let it be known that the shooting guard once threw it down. “I did it one time at the McDonald’s All American game, at practice not in the game,” Augustus stressed of her dunking prowess.

“That’s the thing for boys and girls — if you can get up there, you want to see if you can do it,” she explained. “I was able to do it easily. I started with a tennis ball, and then went to a volleyball, and then I gradually worked my way up with a basketball.

It wasn’t tough with a tennis ball and volleyball, but it gave me confidence” to eventually dunk a basketball, she added.

But Augustus took her father’s advice and instead sharpened her below-therim game. “My dad [said] two points is two points — don’t hurt yourself trying to

Almost as soon as Prohofsky and Henderson became acquainted with each other, the two became more like father and son along with being coach and player. They bonded and sealed a

■ See SOe on page 9

Central, 2007) 1. Jalen Suggs were former (Minnehaha AAU teammates.

Academy), a Both went rising senior on to win. guard, won his second gold 7. Hall of Fame medal for the boys’ basketball U.S. National PreP Scene coach Larry team. He is also McKenzie has Dr. mitChell one of the state’s Palmer mCDonalD led two schools top football — Minneapolis prospects as Patrick Henry (Class an elite quarterback.

3A, 2000-2004) and Minneapolis North 2. Cretin Derham Hall (Class 1A, 2016, 2017) Girls’ Basketball Coach to a combined six state Crystal Flint led the championships.

University of Minnesota women’s basketball 8. Schalicha Jones (North team to its first ever St. Paul) captured the NCAA tournament Class 2A 100- and appearance in 1994.

200-meter dash titles at the state meet held 3. Redd Overton (1981), at Hamline University Brett McNeal (1985), last month. She Derek Reuben (1988) was the defending and Khalid El-Amin champion in the 100. were all Minnesota Mr. Basketball winners 9. Former Minneapolis while playing at basketball and football Minneapolis North. phenom Tyler Johnson, a rising senior on the 4. Tamara Moore (1998) University of Minnesota and Mauri Horton football team, will enter (1999) were Minnesota the season as one of the Ms. Basketball winners top NFL wide receiver after outstanding careers prospects in the country. at Minneapolis North.

5. Ben Coleman (1979), Harlan Hill (1982), Dan Bannister (1987), Kammron Taylor (2003), Kevin Henderson (2003) and Odell Wilson IV (2016) were all finalists for Minnesota’s Mr. Basketball while playing for Minneapolis North

10. Tracy Henderson (Minneapolis Patrick Henry, 1993) and Brandi Decker (Minneapolis North, 1993) led the University of Georgia to the NCCA Women’s Final Four at the Target Center in 1995.

6. Ms. Basketball winners Jenna Smith (Bloomington Kennedy, 2006) and Angel Robinson (St. Paul

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