THE VOICE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1934 PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391
July 18-24, 2019 Vol. 85 No. 50 www.spokesman-recorder.com
BUS SHELTER CRASH INJURES SIX, YET NO CHARGES FILED
By Stephenetta Harmon Contributing Writer
M
embers of the Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matters Twin Cities have called for police accountability after a North Minneapolis crash injuring six Black men went viral. Dozens gathered at the crash site, a bus shelter on West Broadway and Lyn-
“Our community deserves better than what happened in this lot,”
Nekima Levy Armstrong (right) and demonstrators call for stricter punishment of man who allegedly drove his car into a bus stop, hitting several people. Photos by Chris Juhn
MN Black lawmakers face uphill battle
Still, there were gains in the past session By Solomon Gustavo Editor-in-Chief The 2018-19 Minnesota legislative session, which wrapped up in May, included 21 minority lawmakers. That makes up 10 percent of the 201 total members of the House and Senate, which is the most diverse state legislature in history. Nearly all of them make up the People of Color and Indigenous caucus, or POCI. Of the 21 minority members, six are Black. Even with the slight increase in diversity, the legislative session was still a struggle for Black lawmakers pushing Black issues.
lice (MTP), had failed to file charges against Jensen after Tuesday’s accident, which left three of the six men in critical condition. “Had a Black man driven his vehicle into a crowd of White people at a local bus stop, there would have been hell to pay,” said Chauntyll Allen, head of Black Lives Matter Twin Cities, in a recent statement. “He would have
bers at the University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC) in Minneapolis with a few people of other races sprinkled in. Black lawmakers and community members alike expressed frustration that Black issues continue to be ignored or barely addressed at the capitol. “A lot of people don’t want to hear about it,” said State Rep. Ruth Richardson (DFL-Mendota Heights). She added she is often asked why she always talks about equity. Richardson said she often responds; “‘Why are you never talking about it?’” There are still successes, insisted State Rep.
dale avenues, demanding answers after George Jensen, an 83-year-old White man, allegedly drove his vehicle into the shelter. Video filmed minutes after the crash on Tuesday shows injured victims laid out on the sidewalk as police cordoned off the area and laughed and smiled with Jensen. The groups questioned why the Metro Transit Po-
been immediately arrested or killed by police, his mugshot and criminal history would have been all over the media, and he would still be in custody, with almost no chance of seeing the light of day.” Activist and law professor Nekima Levy Armstrong said during the July 11 press conference at the crash site ■ See Bus shelter on page 8
Northside landlords exploit poor Black tenants, study shows By Solomon Gustavo Editor-in-Chief Single Black mothers face the highest risk of eviction in the United States. North Minneapolis is no different. From 2013 to 2015, about 50 percent of Northside renter households were hit with at least one eviction filing from their landlord. Single Black women with children living below the poverty line lead more than 60 percent of the Black households in North Minneapolis. As a result, according to University of Minnesota researchers, 67 percent of residents are on some kind of county and federal assistance.
55411 | 55412
55402
Nearly HALF of renter households in the focus zipcodes of 55411 and 55412 experienced an eviction from 2013 to 2015, nearly DOUBLE the rate in the next highest zipcode. Source: Minneapolis Innovation Team, 2016
Courtesy of University of Minnesota Profit in North Minneapolis,” the researchers say this high rate is especially eye-raising because the region contains only eight percent of all rental units in Minneapolis.
disproportionate evictions,” reads the study. Eviction filings are not typically used to kick people out. Landlords use eviction filings as a tool to threaten
“What’s the stereotypical image people have of North Minneapolis? I could tell you: bang bang.”
The Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage hosted a panel of Black legislators (l-r) State Representatives Mohamad Noor, Ruth Richardson and Rena Moran, and State Senator Jeff Hayden. Photos by Tamika Garscia “The things that will really give Black people prosperity fail,” said Senator Jeff Hayden, (DFL-Mpls), speaking on a Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage panel alongside other Black lawmakers. The panel gathered July 10 in front of an audience of mostly Black community mem-
Rena Moran (DFL-St. Paul) that must be seen as gradual accomplishments. “You have to find ways to get a win, to keep working on small things to get through bigger things,” said the fifth-term legislator. “In legislative ■ See lawmakers on page 8
These families are one financial crisis away from losing their homes. Researchers at the school’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) led by Dr. Brittnay Lewis commissioned a study to figure out why North Minneapolis residents experience eviction filings at a rate almost 25 percent higher than the neighboring 55402 ZIP code. In the study, “The Illusion of Choice: Evictions and
Homeless conundrum greets new Transit chief By Solomon Gustavo Editor-in-Chief As Minnesota’s transit system grows, so does the Metro Transit Police. The new chief of the growing — and increasingly scrutinized — Metro Transit Police is Minneapolis Police Inspector Eddie Frizell. Frizell, who has a 26-year career with the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), takes over the Metro Transit Police, one of the fastest growing agencies in the state, at a crucial time. The light rail, which has been steadily expanding since construction first began on the original Blue Line in 2001, has been a convenient boon for people making their way around the Twin Cities. It has also provided shelter and warmth to homeless people in the middle of the night. Last winter, which broke records for low
temperatures and snowfall, the light rail was the last refuge for the Twin Cities’ most vulnerable residents. The Metro Transit instructed its police to stop kicking people off the train and do “more to help individuals seeking shelter on transit.” A Metro Transit statement last December, in the throes of winter, said transit police were equipped with federally-funded rental assistance program vouchers for homeless riders. Still, the transit authorities, responding to customer complaints that homeless people caused crime and smelled bad, decided to shut off service of its Green Line from two to four in the morning, forcing homeless riders out into the elements. The homeless conundrum is far from resolved. Frizell, as chief, will be in a position to dictate the transit authority’s approach. ■ See transit on page 8
Eddie Frizell
In short, North Minneapolis landlords, the researchers find, bully low-income, largely Black tenants into changing their housing agreement, or completely kick them out, to turn a quick buck. “North Minneapolis is a community manufactured to contain undesirable populations through housing discrimination, decades of urban disinvestment, unfair lending practices, and
tenants into changing their housing agreements. Only 22 percent of the tenants interviewed for the study received a writ of removal. “There is a fear premium attached to North Minneapolis,” said a 58-year-old White male property manager quoted in the study. “Because what’s the stereotypical image people have of North Minneapolis? I could ■ See landlords on page 8