Rumored Chauvin pardon called ‘outrageous’
By Jasmine McBride Associate Editor
s speculation grows over a potential presidential pardon for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, community advocates and state officials are speaking out with concern.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, addressing the rumors this week, said while he does not believe a pardon is imminent, it is “possible with this presidency.” He urged the state to prepare for any eventuality,
GEORGE FLOYD
reflecting the uncertainty surrounding the issue.
“If Chauvin’s federal conviction is pardoned, he will still have to serve the remainder of his 22-and-a-half-year state prison sentence for murder and manslaughter,” Walz told reporters, highlighting the dual nature of Chauvin’s sentencing.
Minneapolis Community Safety Commissioner Toddrick Barnette echoed the governor’s caution, noting that since 2020, the city has overhauled emergency management plans and is preparing for potential civil unrest should a pardon be granted.
Despite the official statements, activists and family advocates remain alarmed by the prospect of a pardon they say would undermine justice and deepen community trauma.
Michelle Gross, founder of
Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB), who works closely with families impacted by police violence, called a pardon “outrageous.”
“We’re told we have to follow the law and that there are consequences when we don’t, but vicious, brutal cops can commit murder and [possibly] be given a pardon by the President. How outrageous is that?” Gross said.
She expressed frustration over the racial implications of such a move.
“The current administration is blatantly racist,” Gross said. “He [President Trump] pardoned people who harmed law enforcement during January 6, and now he’s trying to get back in the good graces of the cops by pardoning one of the worst examples of policing in this country.”
She says the emotional toll
Memorialize the Movement finds ‘radical joy’ in protest
By Kiara Williams Staff Writer
What began as a flyer and a few collected murals has transformed into a living archive preserving the artistic legacy of the George Floyd uprising. Founded by Leesa Kelly in the summer of 2020, Memorialize the Movement (MTM) enters its fifth year with its annual “Justice for George” event — this time titled “Commemorate. Cultivate. Celebrate.” The 2025 theme: “Radical Joy.”
“I actually didn’t intend to found Memorialize the Movement,” Kelly said. “It started off as sort of like a project or an initiative. I had reached out to the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery about the idea of preserving the murals and said, ‘Hey, if I can collect so many, would you guys want to do something with them?’”
After raising $5,000 for the museum and creating a flyer with the phrase “Memorialize the Movement,” Kelly began going door to door, asking business owners if she could
preserve the murals painted on their storefronts during the uprising. Many said yes, unsure of what to do with them otherwise.
“They were really interested in the prospect that there was some group — a Black group — that was out there that would collect and preserve the murals.”
Kelly started collecting in late June 2020. “It was very much sort of like divine intervention. I was in the right place at the right time,” she said. “I wasn’t supposed to be in Minnesota. I was supposed to be in Florida…but I had just moved back because I didn’t have a choice. I had to. And so when all of this was happening, I just happened to be here.”
Moved by the emotions, messages, and raw power captured in the murals, Kelly felt an urgency to preserve them. “I was really inspired by the murals and the stories that they told — the vulnerability, the strength that people displayed,” she said. “Collecting them just felt right.” Once it became clear the
museum lacked capacity to store the pieces, Kelly was left to figure it out alone. She raised more funds, secured storage, and built a team of volunteers.
“I had to think about how to activate these murals so I wasn’t just the girl who started collecting and hoarding murals from the uprising,” she said. “I wanted to make sure that they were still accessible to the public, so the community can still interact with them and
feed off the energy.”
That desire to share the work with the community gave rise to “Justice for George,” an annual event that brings people together to remember the uprising, reflect, and heal.
Now in its fifth year, MTM is continuing to define its purpose. “We’ve been thinking over the last five years, like, what are we? Are we a museum? Are we an art gallery?” said Kelly. “We finally kind of landed on — we’re an archive.
We serve sort of as a library, if you will. A living art archive of the murals from the uprising in 2020.”
MTM now hosts free community workshops, exhibitions, and “Paint to Express” events that invite Black and brown community members to create art, enjoy music, and share food in safe spaces. “We want very much so for our community to still have open access — not just to the murals, but to ■ See MTM on page 5
Child care providers demand respect — and full funding
hants echoed through the marble halls of the Minnesota State Capitol as dozens of early childhood educators, parents and advocates gathered for the “Protect Our Kids” rally. Their message was unified and urgent: Minnesota must invest in the children who aren’t yet in kindergarten and the providers who care for them.
“Child care should be fully funded, just like the school systems are getting funded,” said Monique Stumon, owner and director of School Readiness Learning Academy in North Minneapolis. “We are
the bridge that gets the kids started into education.”
Held amid legislative budget debates, the rally drew attention to the widening gap in early childhood education funding and access. Organizers, including providers from programs like CCAP (Child Care Assistance Program), Head Start, and communitybased centers, called for state lawmakers to increase investments in early learning, especially for low-income families and children of color. While K–12 schools often take center stage in budget negotiations, providers at the rally emphasized that education starts long before the first day of kindergarten.
“We’re the ones teaching them their names, letters and alphabets before they get to school,” Stumon said. “We
teach social skills, science — we do all of that. Yet we are undervalued and under-respected. It’s time for a change.”
Research consistently backs her point. According to the National Education Association, children who attend high-quality preschool programs are more likely to graduate high school, attend college, and earn higher incomes. Yet despite the evidence, access remains uneven.
In Minnesota, nearly 31% of children under age five live in child care “deserts” with limited or no access to licensed providers, according to data from Child Care Aware. Costs have skyrocketed as well: the average cost of center-based infant care in the state hovers around $16,000 per year — more than in-state tuition at the University of Minnesota.
For many families, that cost is prohibitive. For child care entrepreneurs like Lashonda Flowers, owner of Beautiful Beginnings Learning Center in Minneapolis, it’s also deeply personal.
“As a single parent, I needed child care and wasn’t making enough to afford those big day care prices,” she said. “But I also didn’t qualify for assistance. It was very difficult.” That experience inspired her to open a center of her own, one that prioritizes affordability and equity.
“I wanted to make sure that quality day care does not mean families have to spend a crazy amount every week,”
■ See KIDS on page 5
Derek Chauvin, former Minneapolis police officer responsible for the murder of George Floyd
Photo courtesy of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office
Leesa Kelly, founder of Memorialize the Movement
Archived mural of George Floyd All photos courtesy of Memorialize the Movement
By Aria Binns-Zager Staff Writer
Advocates for “Protect Our Kids” rally at the Capitol Photo courtesy of ISAIAH MN/Kids Count on Us
A revitalized Golden Thyme returns
By Aria Binns-Zager Staff Writer
Golden Thyme’s roots run deep in St. Paul’s Black community.
Founded in 2000 by Mychael and Stephanie Wright, the coffeehouse quickly became a sanctuary for artists, entrepreneurs and neighbors. It became a community cornerstone, known for its welcoming atmosphere and support of events like the Selby Avenue Jazz Fest.
After 24 years of service, the Wrights transferred ownership to the Rondo Community Land Trust to ensure the space would continue to thrive as a hub for Blackowned businesses and cultural preservation.
The land trust’s acquisition of the building was a strategic move to preserve cultural landmarks in the community. By securing ownership, the trust aims to keep the space a beacon for Black entrepreneurship and cultural expression.
“We want to ensure that Golden Thyme stays and remains a community asset that is stewarded and run by people of color — Black people, Black entrepreneurs, Black restaurateurs,” said Mikeya Griffin, executive director of the Rondo Community Land Trust.
“At Rondo CLT, we believe that economic development should go hand in hand with cultural restoration. This project does both. It supports local jobs, creates a welcoming space, and reflects the pride
we have in our neighborhood,” Griffin said. “Healing comes from being seen, from building something lasting and from knowing that this space belongs to the community.”
The vision materialized with the reopening of Golden Thyme as a full-service restaurant and bar, designed to revitalize the area while honoring its history. The reopening has drawn support from local leaders. Tyrone Terrell, president of the African American Leadership Council, praised the effort.
“It’s a great, great place, and we have to come out as a community to support this business — no excuses,” Terrell said. He also shared a favorite menu item, highlighting the fried catfish.
“Golden Thyme is redefining success by showing what’s possible when a community has the means to invest in itself.”
Inside, the space reflects its cultural roots. Portraits of jazz legends including Billie Holiday and Sam Cooke line the walls, watching over diners as they enjoy food that feels like home and tastes like heritage.
“We do all our infusions in-house,” a server said. “It’s serrano-infused, but that’s all I can spill about the ingredients.”
Golden Thyme is located in the Rondo neighborhood, a historically Black community disrupted by the construction of Interstate 94 in the 1960s. Hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed, and the economic effects are still felt today.
economic and cultural vitality in St. Paul.
Golden Thyme is open six days a week and is already a gathering place for lunch breaks, date nights and community meetups. On any afternoon, visitors might find retirees talking jazz at the bar, college students taking selfies near the Billie Holiday mural, or neighbors catching up like it’s Sunday service.
“To see a Black business thriving here again, in this same space, it means the world,” said Brianna Lucas, a local educator who grew up nearby.
Leading the revival is restaurateur Randy Norman, whose background includes co-founding Minneapolis restaurants such as Seven Sushi and Bellanotte. Born in Loui
siana and raised in Texas, Norman brings authentic Southern influence to the menu, along with years of industry experience.
Executive Chef Adam Randall joins him. A longtime Rondo resident, Randall previously operated Adam’s Soul-To-Go and Tio’s Tacos at Rosedale Center. His connection to the neighborhood and commitment to soulful cooking make him a natural fit for Golden Thyme’s next chapter.
The restaurant’s menu highlights Southern comfort
Remembering and reimagining justice: The 2nd annual Day of Remembrance
By Alvin Brown Contributing Writer
As the sun rises over Minneapolis on May 23, the city will mark the second annual Day of Remembrance with a series of events calling for justice and reflection. Organized by Win Back, a nonprofit founded by former Minneapolis NAACP president Leslie E. Redmond, the event honors the life and legacy of George Floyd, whose death at the hands of police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020, sparked global protests against racial injustice.
The Day of Remembrance, held days before the fifth anniversary of Floyd’s death, is part of a broader effort to sustain momentum around racial equity and civil rights. The day begins with an interfaith prayer at 7:15 a.m. in the City Hall Rotunda, inviting leaders from multiple spiritual traditions into a shared moment of reflection and unity.
Later, an invitation-only luncheon at the downtown Hilton Minneapolis will bring together local leaders and activists for a dialogue on advancing systemic change.
At 12:15 p.m., participants will gather at George Floyd Square
— located at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue — for a moment of silence. The location, where Floyd was killed, remains a powerful symbol in the movement for justice and reform. Organizers say the observance is intended to honor Floyd’s memory while renewing public commitment to fighting structural inequality.
The day concludes with a free red carpet art exhibit at 4:30 p.m. at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The exhibit will feature work from artists representing marginalized communities, highlighting themes of justice, resilience and unity through creative expression. Redmond, who was born in 1992 during the aftermath of the Rodney King beating, says the timing of this year’s remembrance is especially significant. “I was born for such a time as this,” she said, drawing parallels between past civil rights struggles and current calls for reform.
Since Floyd’s death, Redmond has been a prominent advocate for police accountability and racial equity. She has also been critical of corporations that issued public statements in support of social justice but have not followed through with sustained action.
“A lot of lofty statements were made by corporations since Floyd was killed. However, their actions have not followed their words or commitment — Target is a prime example,” she said, emphasizing the importance of accountability across sectors.
Drawing inspiration from social movements of the 1960s, 1970s and 1990s, Redmond emphasized the importance of continued pressure for change. “This is the fight of our lifetime,” she said.
The annual observance, Redmond said, is more than a memorial — it is a call to action. “I pride myself on being a historian, and it rings true that if we fail to remember history, we are destined to repeat it.”
Through remembrance, art and advocacy, the Day of Remembrance aims to inspire continued civic engagement and a collective pursuit of justice. Organizers hope the event will serve as both a tribute to the past and a catalyst for a more equitable future.
Al Brown is a Twin Cities-based freelance journalist and contributor to the Minnesota SpokesmanRecorder. He welcomes reader responses to alvinb303@gmail.com.
food with a modern twist. The catfish po’boy — a fried fillet served in a hoagie with aioli and lettuce — has already become a customer favorite.
“It’s always sold out,” a server said.
Other standout offerings include house-made chips with creamy collard green dip, a richer version of spinach artichoke, and a chopped salad with sesame dressing.
“It’s got that balance,” one patron said. “Savory, fresh and a little sweet. They give you a large portion and extra sesame if needed.”
The drink menu has also drawn attention. The sangria is fruity, smooth and popular with regulars. “I could drink the sangria all day,” one guest said, between bites of jambalaya linguine and a pulled pork sandwich.
A spicier choice is the “Hello, Hot Lips,” a serranoinfused tequila cocktail.
“Golden Thyme is redefining success by showing what’s possible when a community has the means to invest in itself,” Griffin said. “When I-94 was built, it destroyed over 700 homes and 300 businesses in Rondo, deeply disrupting economic and cultural synergies.”
“As a residential and commercial community land trust, Rondo CLT hopes to bring back the residents and businesses who want to return and provide a pathway for existing families and businesses to remain,” she said. “By purchasing Golden Thyme, we are taking steps to remove the barriers that make it difficult for Black-owned businesses to grow. This is not just a business reopening. It’s about responsible land stewardship and creating permanent infrastructure for longterm opportunity.”
By removing the building from speculative development, the trust has kept Golden Thyme in community hands. The restaurant is now part of Rondo CLT’s broader vision to create a corridor of
“Golden Thyme has always represented more than coffee or food,” Griffin said. “It has been a place of connection, culture and resilience for the Rondo community. As someone who grew up here, this next chapter feels deeply personal.
Reopening Golden Thyme Restaurant & Bar is about reclaiming a space that means something to our community. It gives us a way to honor our past while creating something vibrant and forwardlooking.”
Whether stopping in for a po’boy and collard dip or sipping sangria under the gaze of jazz legends, Golden Thyme offers more than a meal — it offers a memory, a movement, and a taste of legacy.
Golden Thyme is located at 934 Selby Avenue in Saint Paul. The restaurant is open daily from 11 am to 9 pm and will begin Sunday brunch service on June 8. For more information, visit www.goldenthymeco.com.
Aria Binns-Zager welcomes reader responses at abinns@ spokesman-recorder.com
Don’t miss this special storytelling event where we’ll travel 100 years back to trace how the long and under-explored history of Harry and Clementine Robinson, featured in our “Ghost of a Chance” podcast, brought us to that moment in 2020 when George Floyd’s death at the hands of police sparked a global racial reckoning.
Rondo community members gather to celebrate the official opening of Golden Thyme Restaurant with a ribbon cutting ceremony May 13. Photo courtesy of St. Paul City Council Ward 1
The George Floyd mural at 38th and Chicago, by Xena Goldman, Greta McLain, and Cadex Herrera
Photo courtesy of Caitlin Abrams
By Kiara Williams Staff Writer
For Destinee Shelby, entrepreneurship was never just about turning a profit. It was about creating freedom, honoring her family, and building something that would outlive her.
“I’m the first entrepreneur in my family,” Shelby said. “Nobody taught me about money, finances or credit. They knew how to get a job and pay bills, but I didn’t want that to be my only option.”
Shelby, a South Minneapolis native, founded Baked Brand in 2015 after leaving a job that no longer aligned with her purpose. What began as a side hustle, baking in her kitchen after work, grew into a full-fledged food and beverage company. She turned to YouTube tutorials, developed her own recipes, and slowly
began building a client base through social media.
The business took shape in 2016 when she secured her LLC and began offering custom desserts and catering services. But it wasn’t until she realized she could earn more from selling cupcakes in a weekend than she did at her job that she took the leap. “I made a ton of money just by myself during graduation season, and I thought, why am I still working and paying for day care when I could just build this full time?” she said.
Ten years later, she operates The Kitchen by Baked Brand, a soul food restaurant in South Minneapolis. “This restaurant has really changed my life,” she said. “It’s consistent money every day, and it gave me the opportunity to employ my son. His first job is in the family business, and that’s a blessing.”
Shelby’s success has not come without hardship. She’s weathered instability, financial strain, and the unpredictable nature of entrepreneurship. “I had a cold-pressed juice line that I started with $500 after I got put out of my place. I moved in with my mom, bought a juicer, and started selling juice. It was booming that summer,” she said.
“But that’s how it’s always been, ups and downs. You fig-
ure it out or go back to work. And going back was never an option for me.”
get anything — I did it because people needed help.” What she didn’t expect was how that week of service would create long-term op-
portunities. Her work caught the attention of building owners, community leaders, and eventually connected her with Midtown Global Market, where she would open her restaurant.
“That week planted so many seeds,” she said. “Some of the people I met then are still connecting me to business contracts and catering gigs today.”
That same year, Shelby launched the Black Entrepreneur State Fair, a platform designed to showcase and circulate dollars within Blackowned businesses. What began as a Baked Brand pop-up has grown into one of the largest community business events in Minnesota. Now entering its fifth year, the fair will run from August 10–16.
“My ability to create platforms comes from people
trusting my vision,” Shelby said. “That’s personal branding. People see my work, and they believe in it.”
While Shelby never studied business formally, she believes her experiences taught her what no textbook could. “I didn’t go to culinary school. I didn’t go to college. But I’ve lived this. You can’t teach what I’ve been through over the past 10 years,” she said. “I messed up more times than people have even tried, but I kept going.”
To aspiring entrepreneurs, her message is direct: “Learn patience and value yourself,” she said. “Social media will make you think success happens overnight. It doesn’t. It might take 5 or 10 years. But if you keep learning and stay true to who you are, it will pay off.”
Perhaps her most defining chapter came in 2020. Following the murder of George Floyd and the civil unrest that engulfed Lake Street, her home community, Shelby paused business to serve. “I dropped everything that week and got in the community,” she said. “I orchestrated cleanup crews and drives for formula, diapers, food. I didn’t do it to
As Shelby looks toward the future, she remains focused on building a legacy through family, ownership, and community investment.
“What I’m creating will impact generations,” she said.
“My son is learning business at 16. My family has something we can grow together. And that means everything to me.”
Follow Destinee Shelby and updates for this year’s Black Entrepreneur State Fair at @blackstatefair and @bakedbrandmpls on Instagram.
Kiara Williams welcomes reader responses at kwilliams@ spokesman-recorder.com.
Founder Destinee Shelby All photos courtesy of The Kitchen by Baked Brand
The Kitchen by Baked Brand grand opening December 2021 at Midtown Global Market, with Destinee Shelby and her daughters
The Kitchen’s Stuffed Turkey Leg meal, glazed with their signature Budda sauce
Finance
Metro Black business growth among nation’s fastest
Author asks why some communities thrive regardless of obstacles
By Jasmine McBride Associate Editor
As the city marks five years since the murder of George Floyd, the McKnight Foundation hosted Dr. Andre M. Perry
Tuesday, May 20 for a discussion on Black wealth, power and equity, coinciding with the release of his new book, “Black Power Scorecard: Measuring the Racial Gap and What We Can Do to Close It.”
Perry, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and director of its Center for Community Uplift, spoke at the Capri Theater. The event, titled “A Conversation on Black Wealth & Power Building,” focused on themes including homeownership, reparative policy, and economic inclusion.
“My research is really an extension of my upbringing,” Perry said. “I was raised
in a devalued, majority-Black neighborhood in Pittsburgh — full of smart, quality people — but it was denied investment simply because of who lived there.”
Perry was joined by McKnight Foundation President Tonya Allen and Nexus Community Partners founder and CEO Repa Mekha. The conversation was grounded in Perry’s research and personal experience.
The visit came as new data from Brookings reported a 157% increase in Black-owned businesses in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro area between 2017 and 2022 — one of the fastest growth rates in the country. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis also reported a rise in Black homeownership, from below 25% in 2019 to more than one in three households.
The event was held in partnership with Black Garnet Books, a local Black-owned bookstore that provided complimentary copies of Perry’s book to attendees. “This book asks: If racism is a given, what makes some Black communities defy the odds and thrive anyway?” Perry said.
Known for his research on housing devaluation in Black neighborhoods, Perry said his latest book shifts focus — from identifying disparities to highlighting places where Black Americans are thriving and the individuals helping to make that progress possible.
“I define Black power as the ability to live out one’s natural life,” Perry said. “That’s why life expectancy is the north star of this book. We measure housing, education, transportation and policy outcomes not just in dollars or gaps — but in years of life.”
but in our thriving,” Perry said.
Perry draws on both his academic work and his upbringing. Raised in Pittsburgh by a woman who opened her home to children from struggling families, he said the experience shaped his belief that local assets can drive social change.
“This is an optimistic book,” he said. “It uplifts the doers — the folks who are making real, measurable progress in our communities.”
Rather than comparing Black and white neighborhoods, Perry’s analysis focuses on intra-community dynamics — specifically, Black communities with above-average life expectancy despite systemic inequities.
“I don’t compare Black people to white people in this book,” he said. “That kind of
comparison can mask the real progress happening locally. I’m more interested in what makes these high-performing places different — and how we can replicate that.”
“This is an optimistic book. It uplifts the doers — the folks who are making real, measurable progress in our communities.”
The book’s release was timed around the anniversary of Floyd’s death.
“My hope was to provide the basis for a Black agenda that isn’t solely rooted in our dying,
“George Floyd died in a context of measurable inequities — housing, income, environmental quality. If we focus on those conditions, not just the tragic moments, we can build a more forward-looking, comprehensive strategy for Black Americans.”
Perry also addressed the current political climate, where diversity, equity and inclusion efforts face increasing scrutiny.
“We need strong civil rights protections, but we also need a vision of what we’re fighting for,” he said. “This book is part of that vision.”
For more information or to purchase “Black Power Scorecard,” visit us.macmillan.com.
Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@ spokesman-recorder.com.
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Dr. Andre Perry showcases new book, “Black Power Scorecard: Measuring the Racial Gap and What We Can Do to Close It.”
All photos courtesy of Dr. Andre Perry
PARDON
Continued from page 1
on families remains profound.
Gross described conversations with those who feel the justice system has already failed them.
“Families feel like it’s already hard enough to get justice,” she said. “In one of the most blatant cases, where we literally saw a snuff video of a man having his life taken by a vicious police officer, now there’s speculation of pardoning this officer? You’ve got to be kidding.”
Community leaders also emphasized the importance of continued activism and vigilance. “There will be protests if this pardon goes forward,” Gross said.
Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) and an advocate working with immigrant and Black communities, echoed the severity of the message
Continued from page 1
art tools,” said Kelly. “All of the art supplies that we provide for them are free.”
As MTM marks five years, the “Justice for George” programming has expanded into a weeklong commemoration.
“This is the first year that we’re doing a week’s worth of activities leading up to the main event on May 25,” Kelly said.
The events begin Tuesday, May 21, with a walking tour of original mural sites, complete with images and storytelling about their significance. On Wednesday and Friday, May 22 and 24, MTM will present “Kill Move Paradise,” a play by Pulitzer Prize winner James Ijames.
“It’s about four Black men who wind up in purgatory, and they realize that they’ve died,” Kelly explained. “They’re trying to remember the circumstances of their death, and as they’re remembering, they’re processing that.”
Memorialize the Movement’s public events allow public engagement with stories of events following the 2020 murder of George Floyd. All photos courtesy of Memorialize the Movement
On Friday, May 23, MTM will host a community kickback at their headquarters in South Minneapolis. The outdoor gathering will include a “Paint to Express” workshop, a live DJ, food from the grill, and spirit tastings in partnership with Du Nord Social Spirits. “It should just be a vibe,” Kelly said. The culminating event takes place on Sunday, May 25.
“We’ll have 19 Black and brown
artists who will be painting live at the event,” said Kelly. “We’ll have a large-scale exhibition of some of the murals from 2020. We’ll have nine performances — musical and dance — art vendors, food trucks, wellness practitioners, community organizations… There’s going
such a pardon would send. “It sends a signal not just to Minnesotans or Americans — it sends it to the entire global community — that police brutality is acceptable,” Hussein said. “Even if the federal administration does that, the state will hold the line. Chauvin will still serve his state sentence, which I believe will be about 30-plus years.”
Hussein noted the timing of the pardon rumors, close to the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s death, “shows how deeply polarized our nation is. There will be those who celebrate the pardoning of a police officer who represents the worst form of po-
licing in this country. But I’m hopeful the overwhelming majority of Americans would not support pardoning Derek Chauvin.”
“This shows how deeply polarized our nation is.”
to be a lot going on that day.”
While the programming is open to the public, the space is intentionally centered around the Black community. “This event is for Black people. And you can quote me on that,” Kelly said. “Everybody is welcome, but at our event, we have a vibe check… so that Black people know this is the safe space for them to show up authentically, genuinely, as themselves.”
This year’s title, “Commemorate. Cultivate. Celebrate.,”
“This event is for Black people. And you can quote me on that.”
and theme, “Radical Joy,” reflect the resilience of the community and the movement it birthed. “As we were reflecting on hosting this event for the fifth year, we really wanted to think about how we remember and what we will be remembering,” said Kelly.
“Yes, it’s true that we’ll be re-
membering George Floyd and the tragic events that led to his murder, but also so many powerful, impactful organizations like Memorialize the Movement were born in 2020.”
Kelly emphasized that joy itself is resistance. “Radical joy in and of itself is an act of protest. Right now, we are under attack. DEI is under attack. Our legacy and our heritage at the federal level are under attack. But despite all of those things, we are still coming together and providing safe spaces.”
Five years later, Kelly and her team are not just preserving murals. They are preserving
Chauvin, 49, is currently incarcerated at a federal prison in Big Spring, Texas, serving concurrent sentences for second-degree murder, thirddegree murder, manslaughter, and federal civil rights violations related to Floyd’s death. He was transferred to Texas in August 2024 after surviving a stabbing at a previous facility.
As officials monitor the situation and community advocates continue their outreach, the speculation around a potential pardon for Chauvin highlights ongoing tensions surrounding policing, accountability and public trust. On the heels of the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s death, the case remains a focal point in national conversations about justice and reform.
Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@ spokesman-recorder.com.
memory, movement and hope. “We are still archiving these murals and keeping them alive and well so that they can be remembered 50 to 100 years from now. And we’re still fighting as a community for justice and liberation in Minneapolis and all over the country.”
Memorialize the Movement’s 2025 exhibition will be held at Phelps Field Park in Minneapolis on Sunday, May 25, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.memorializethemovement.com.
Kiara Williams welcomes reader responses at kwilliams@ spokesman-recorder.com.
Flowers said.
A central demand from rally attendees was a commitment to capping family contributions for child care at no more than 7% of household income. That benchmark aligns with federal recommendations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, but it’s far from reality in Minnesota. Families often spend 20% or more of their income on care — or go without.
“Child care should not be a luxury,” Stumon said. “No family should have to decide between working and being able to afford care for their child.” Advocates also pushed back on partisan rhetoric accusing providers of misusing state funds. CCAP, in particular, has been targeted by Republican lawmakers over unsubstantiated claims of fraud. Stumon defended the program’s integrity.
“I’ve been using CCAP since 2009. I have not had any issues,” she said. “They keep pushing the grants, which we appreciate. But when you’re asking me to wait 60 to 90 days to be paid — come on.
No one else waits that long to
be paid for their job.” The rally was about funding and rethinking how society values early learning. Both Stumon and Flowers shared how their centers offer exposure and enrichment opportunities often unavailable to children in marginalized communities.
“I have children that have never been to the beach before,” Stumon said. “We can show them pictures and talk about the sand, but to experience it? That’s a whole different level of learning.”
She described planning outings to apple orchards and farms so children can see animals and agriculture up close. “If they’re at home, they’re probably not going to be learning those things,” she said. Flowers echoed that senti-
ment. “Just making sure our children have access to quality care — especially kids of color — means everything,” she said. “If they cut child care funding, families won’t be able to afford it. And if they can’t afford care, they can’t work. Then they can’t afford rent. It’s a domino effect.”
While many of the educators in attendance align with progressive child care policies, they emphasized the need for bipartisan solutions.
“It can’t just be Democrats. It has to be both sides,” said Stumon. “We all need child care — for the economy, for our children, for our future.”
A 2023 report from the Minnesota Budget Project highlighted that early care and education investments yield up to $7 for every $1 spent, primarily by reducing
future spending on remedial education, social services, and incarceration. Yet, the sector remains underfunded and overstretched.
As budget negotiations continue at the Capitol, advocates are urging lawmakers to act with urgency. Groups like Kids Count On Us are helping providers like Flowers better understand state licensing policies and how to effectively lobby for change.
“They help us know how to stand up for what we believe in,” Flowers said. “It’s not just about the government, it’s about what makes sense for everybody.”
For many providers, the fight for funding is personal. Stumon, who has worked in early education since 2009, said her own children’s experiences re -
flect the disparity in early childhood access.
“My son stayed home with
“We all need child care — for the economy, for our children, for our future.”
my grandmother while I worked. My daughter went to a preschool program,” she said. “Their educational backgrounds are vastly different.
That’s why I started my own center — to give every child, especially children of color, a
better start.”
Lawmakers have not yet finalized education-related funding allocations, but with the legislative session drawing to a close, advocates say now is the time for bold investments.
“We flooded the Capitol chanting that we want child care fully funded,” Stumon said. “We’re not going to stop until it is.”
As Flowers put it simply:
“We’re standing for something necessary — for our families, for our kids. They’re worth it.”
Aria Binns-Zager welcomes reader responses at abinns@ spokesman-recorder.com.
Michelle Gross of CUAPB during a press conference in 2020, where she called for an independent investigator to review the Breonna Taylor case Photo courtesy of CUAPB
Jaylani Hussein of CAIR-MN Photo courtesy of CAIR-MN
KIDS
Monique Stumon (center) with community members in Minneapolis Photo courtesy of schoolreadinesschildcare.com
Arts & Culture
Hennepin Fest to spotlight women artists
By Jasmine McBride Associate Editor
A new outdoor festival hosted by the Hennepin His-
tory Museum aims to celebrate the voices of local women artists and deepen community connection through music, poetry, and shared storytelling — as a statement of resistance against the current political landscape.
“It’s really important right now, in this time, in this political and social climate, to be listening to and empowering women and LGBTQ+ folks, at a time when our rights are being threatened,” said Claire Leslie Johnson, development manager at the Hennepin His-
tory Museum. Hennepin Fest: A WomenLed Festival will take place from 2 to 7 pm Saturday, May 31, at Washburn Fair Oaks Park in Minneapolis. The free, family-friendly event will feature live performances by Twin Cities women artists across genres including blues, funk, pop, jazz and hip hop, as well as spoken word poetry, artisan vendors, and children’s activities.
“Part of our role as a community history organization is to help people understand themselves as historical actors and to see the news and events of our time as history in the making,” said Johnson.
“Hennepin Fest illuminates
“It’s really important right now, in this time, in this political and social climate, to be listening to and empowering women and LGBTQ+ folks, at a time when our rights are being threatened.”
local women artists who serve as culture bearers and who transmit their personal and community history through music and art.”
Musical acts include Annie Mack, Connie Evingson, Maria Isa, and the sibling band NUNNABOVE. Local radio host and producer Diane Miller, who also serves as DJ and
emcee for the event, played a key role in shaping the concert lineup.
“She knows the music scene so well and helped us achieve our goal of presenting a diverse range of voices and really unique musicians from Minnesota,” Johnson said.
Throughout the festival, poets Heid E. Erdrich, Joyce Sut-
In 2020, Minnesota youth changed the world ‘612’ film premier reveals how
By Kiara Williams Staff Writer
“This didn’t start in 2020,” said filmmaker Diem Van Groth. “That was just the eruption. But the fire was burning way before.”
On May 23, Groth’s debut feature-length documentary “612: Darkness in the Land of Nice” will premiere at Justice Page Middle School Auditorium in Minneapolis. The film explores the historic youthled uprising that followed the murder of George Floyd, and the deeper roots of systemic injustice in Minnesota and across the country.
“The 612 is about the post9/11 generation in Minnesota,” Groth said. “The young people who, after decades of inequities, created the largest single-issue protest in modern history.”
living my bougie life in Santa Monica,” he said.
Instead, he became embedded in development projects on West Broadway and North Commons Park, eventually serving as a strategic advisor for Reconnect Rondo’s Land Bridge in St. Paul.
streets. They shut the city down,” Groth said. “That was the moment I knew: this isn’t just about mourning. It’s about organizing.”
phen and Mary Moore Easter will deliver spoken word performances. Johnson said the museum’s focus is not only on showcasing history, but creating platforms where communities can tell their own stories. “We’re committed to telling stories together with community — not acting as curators or storytellers on behalf of other people,” she said.
The festival also aims to serve as a healing and unifying experience for attendees.
“Music has the ability to create a collective consciousness — a sense of togetherness and belonging,” Johnson said.
“We’re hoping this event brings people together in a time when there’s a lot of divisiveness and even violence in our community.” Johnson added that the event is also an opportunity to reflect on and appreciate the rich legacy of women in Minnesota’s music
history.
“From the Andrews Sisters and Judy Garland to Lizzo and Chastity Brown, there are so many amazing women artists from this state,” she said.
Hennepin Fest is supported in part by the Minnesota Humanities Center with funding from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, created by the vote of Minnesotans in 2008.
Washburn Fair Oaks Park is located across the street from the Hennepin History Museum at 200 E. 24th St. Attendees are encouraged to bring picnic blankets or lawn chairs. Bike racks are available, and free street parking can be found in the surrounding neighborhood.
The full performance schedule and additional event details can be found at hennepinhistory. org/hennepinfest.
Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@ spokesman-recorder.com.
ships, economic pipelines, and generational wealth. We want Rondo to become a model for other displaced Black neighborhoods.”
He also stressed the importance of intergenerational leadership. “This movement needs both elders and youth,” Anderson said. “Elders carry the memory. Youth carry the momentum. When we walk together, real transformation becomes possible.”
as a symbol of knowledge and leadership.
“Our kids — and our communities — need to see Black men as thinkers, mentors and scholars,” he said. “We’re not just entertainers or athletes. We are engaged, intellectual, and deeply invested in the future.”
a film. But after filming consistently throughout the summer of 2020, Groth said he “didn’t stop asking questions.”
What he uncovered led him to connect decades of underdevelopment in North Minneapolis to a legacy of racist urban planning, redlining and displacement.
“When I got back here, I was
Groth started filming on the streets of Minneapolis the night the George Floyd video went viral. “It was a Monday. That evening the video surfaced, and by that night people started watching,” he said. “The next day I was at the Third Precinct just like a lot of Twin Cities residents. That was the first time that Minnesotans — just regular citizens — confronted the cops.” He hadn’t planned to make
like, wait a minute. North Minneapolis looks the same as it was when I was a kid,” Groth said. “How come there’s no shopping on Broadway? No sit-down restaurant on Plymouth? I just started asking a lot of questions.”
Groth, who spent much of his adult life in Los Angeles, had returned home just before the pandemic due to his mother’s illness. “Had my mom not gotten sick, I would’ve been
“I did not know that Rondo and South Minneapolis were Black communities that had freeways run through them,” he said. “I started realizing there are 9,200 other Black communities that had the same thing happen. Every major city where you have a freeway, those freeways literally went and destroyed every Black and brown community in the country.”
Groth began connecting those revelations to the broader myth of “Minnesota Nice.”
“It’s been whitewashed under this idea of progressiveness,” he said. “But Minnesota is the best place for the majority, and literally the worst place for the minority.”
The murder of George Floyd, in his words, “just exploded all of it.” The film doesn’t focus solely on the pain. It highlights how youth led, organized and resisted.
“These young people saw these inequities because they were living through it,” Groth said. “When they saw a Black man die for nine minutes and 29 seconds, it wasn’t just about race. It became a coalition of young people — LGBTQ, Native American, Muslim, Jewish — who realized, ‘If they’re doing that to you, they’ll do it to me too.’”
He emphasized that the majority of early protesters were high school and college students, many of them allies. “People thought those kids would stop after a few days. But they stayed on the
Groth said the film depicts how the media got it wrong. “The media was saying these were people burning the city — BLM and Antifa. I was on the ground filming. And the misconception was huge,” he said. “The truth is, it was classmates of those Black youth. It was a rainbow coalition. And that’s what made it so powerful.”
The film also lifts up solutions. “I could’ve made a protest film, or a film about George Floyd. But that’s not what I wanted to do. I love Minnesota. I love Black people. So I said, ‘Let’s make a film about the solutions.’”
Groth chose to spotlight four organizations: the Reconnect Rondo, V3 Sports, Black Men Teach, and the Page Education Foundation.
Marvin Anderson, board chair of ReConnect Rondo, said the land bridge is a vision rooted in justice. “Our neighborhood was cleaved apart in the name of progress when I-94 cut through Rondo,” he said. “This land bridge gives us the chance to physically and culturally reconnect our community.”
That same principle of legacy and forward motion lives in the classroom. The film highlights the work of Black Men Teach, a Twin Cities-based nonprofit increasing the presence of Black male educators in elementary schools. Its executive director, Markus Flynn, believes education is the most powerful entry point for longterm change.
“We cannot talk about liberation without starting in the classroom,” Flynn said. “Education is the foundation of everything. It’s where we plant the seeds of self-worth and possibility.”
Anderson believes the project can become a national blueprint. “It’s about more than paving over a highway,” he said. “It’s repairing relation-
Flynn explained that placing Black men in teaching roles disrupts harmful narratives and reintroduces Blackness into the learning space
Black Men Teach not only recruits educators but builds sustainable pipelines to keep them in the profession through mentoring, institutional partnerships, and community support.
“If we want different outcomes, we need different inputs,” Flynn said. “That starts with who’s leading our classrooms and how students are being empowered to see themselves as agents of change.”
V3 Sports and Page Education Foundation were not available for comment.
Still, Groth said much of the progress promised in 2020 has yet to materialize. “There were a lot of promises made. And almost every promise — broken,” he said.
“But you know who’s not scared? Youth. The young people are not scared. And they’re going to vote. They’re going to remember their power.”
He says he hopes the film will do more than spark emotion — that it will also spark action.
“If you want to see how Minnesota youth changed the world, be in those seats at 7 pm on May 23,” Groth said.
“Because this is a celebration of Black people, and a celebration of what’s going right.”
“612: Darkness in the Land of Nice” premieres Friday, May 23, 2025, at 7 pm at Justice Page Middle School Auditorium, 1 W. 49th St., Minneapolis. Tickets are available on a sliding scale from $0 to $100. A producers panel and community discussion will follow the screening. For more information, visit www.612film.com.
Annie Mack DJ/MC Diane Connie Evingson Maria Isa
NUNNABOVE All photos courtesy of Hennepin History Museum
Still from “612” film during a May 2020 protest in downtown Minneapolis
“612” film Writer and Director Diem Van Groth Photo courtesy of Diem Van Groth
Founder and Executive Director of Black Men Teach Markus Flynn (r) Photo courtesy of Markus Flynn
May 28th 2020, MN residents protest the murder of George Floyd in downtown Minneapolis. Photo courtesy of Diem Van Groth
Education
Saint Paul’s new superintendent says Rondo lives on in her soul
By Aria Binns-Zager Staff Writer
Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) has a new leader effective May 10, and for many it feels like a homecoming.
On December 19, the SPPS Board unanimously selected Dr. Stacie Stanley as superintendent, citing her deep ties to the city, her courageous leadership style, and a clear vision for change.
Dr. Stanley brings more than two decades of experience in public education, but more than that, she brings heart. From classrooms to central offices in Minnesota and Ohio, she’s spent her career uplifting students, challenging systems, and building pathways for kids who often go unheard.
Her journey hasn’t been about climbing ranks, but rather about making space for others to rise. And as superintendent and her philosophy of “paying it forward,” she says she will make sure our local youth will always have the resources to do just that — rise.
According to Henderson, the board deliberated with intention. “Dr. Stanley was not just the person who had the votes, but the person that we could see ourselves deeply working with and rallying around.”
Stanley made it clear she intends to be visible and engaged. “I believe in present leadership, connecting with family groups, student groups, and being out in our schools,” she said. “People need to know that you care about and value their work. When they know that, that impacts morale.”
As part of her approach, she plans to launch a Superintendent-Student Leadership Team this fall and continue community outreach with groups and relationships with media such as KMOJ.
turned to her classmates, full of pride and awe, saying, “Look, y’all, she’s the boss.”
Henderson added, “It was equally important to see how she understood the future direction and the work ahead to really continue on some
“Our mission is to inspire students to think creatively and pursue their dreams and change the world,” said Stanley. “I’m from St. Paul. I went to Saint Paul Public Schools K–12. They believed in me. They made sure I received a good education.”
wonderful investments in Saint Paul, but also to think about and ask critical questions about where we could be, where we could do better.”
What resonated most with Henderson was Stanley’s authenticity and courage. “She referred to herself a couple of times as a courageous leader, and I think that really comes through,” she said. “You could see the different ways in which she interacted with everyone in the space — students, educators, principals — with a level of intentionality that we were really looking for.”
Board Chair Halla Henderson emphasized that Stanley’s intimate connection to the community made her stand out. “An opportunity to have someone who came through our school system felt like such a wonderful gift to highlight and to bring up,” she said. “We need someone who understands our city and is ready to show up and be an on-the-ground leader with us.”
Stanley, whose mother was raised on Rondo Avenue, describes herself as a product of Rondo’s lasting spirit.
“Even though I was born after Rondo was taken away, I always felt like I grew up in Rondo,” she said. “It lives in your soul.”
In regards to the superintendent selection process, Stanley described the selection as an intensive, all-day process involving interviews with parents, community members, staff, and business partners. “There were multiple interviews and then I toured schools. Just walking through, they’re able to get a feel for how I’m going to interact within this community,” she said.
First big test
If Dr. Stanley’s leadership will be tested anywhere first, it’s the budget. SPPS is staring down a $107.7 million shortfall, caused in part by the expiration of federal pandemic relief funds and longstanding structural deficits.
For 2024–25, the district has approved a $1 billion budget, but that includes a steep $114.6 million drop in general fund spending compared to the previous year.
“We have been underfunded in education for many, many years,” Stanley said. “If funding had kept up with inflation, we’d be getting nearly $50 million more a year than we are now.”
Despite budget stress, she
remains hopeful with morale at the top of mind. “We have to keep our eye on the prize and let our folks know that we’re going to take care of them. When a system goes through major reductions, it’s going to impact morale. We have to let our folks know that we care for them, that we value them, even through all of this.”
“I believe in present leadership. Connecting with family groups, student groups, and being out in our schools.”
But for Stanley, she isn’t entering crisis mode — she’s steering toward recovery. Her eyes are on two key performance pillars: graduation and literacy. “Our graduation rates are back to prepandemic levels and every student group showed significant increases,” she said. “Literacy is the currency of public education in the United States.” Stanley knows and recognizes what her appointment means for young people, especially those that come from underrepresented communities. When she visited her former elementary and middle school recently, a Black girl sat up straight, wide-eyed, and asked, “Wait, you’re in charge of the whole thing? You’re the boss of the whole thing?”
Stanley recalled smiling and responding, “Yeah.
That’s a big responsibility.”
The young girl immediately
“That has been the experience that I’ve had, honestly,” Stanley said. “Representation matters. When scholars can see someone that looks like them, that’s melanated like them, and in my case that’s also a female — that’s a really big difference.”
She added that growing up, she didn’t even know who the superintendent was. Now, she wants every child to know who leads their district, and to see what’s possible.
As for the future, Stanley will spend her first 100 days listening and learning. “I listen, listen, listen and learn. Then I analyze it and synthesize it to come out with our strengths, our weaknesses, our opportunities and our threats,” she said. “Then I present that to the board along with my goals for moving forward.”
Known for her strong advocacy of equity, literacy, and student-centered leadership, Stanley has built a career around reforming academic outcomes and strengthening school-community relationships.
Whether she was leading literacy reform or walking school hallways alongside students, Stanley built a legacy rooted in care, courage and community as she sets her eyes on a bold future: “Four or five years from now, Saint Paul Public Schools is going to be seen as one of the premier urban districts in the Upper Midwest.”
Aria Binns-Zager welcomes reader responses at abinns@ spokesman-recorder.com.
SPPS Superintendent Stanley visits Mississippi Creative Arts School.
Stanley knows what her appointment means for young people, especially those coming from underrepresented communities.
Stanley meets with students at Mississippi Creative Arts School.
Stanley intends to be visible and engaged.
All photos courtesy of Saint Paul Public Schools
Opinion
Five years after George Floyd:
We’re still here, still fighting, still demanding more
By Nekima Levy Armstrong
It has been five years since the world watched the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. Five years — since George Floyd was slowly suffocated under the weight of multiple police officers — his life extinguished in front of a crowd of horrified witnesses at 38th and Chicago. Five years since Minneapolis became the epicenter of a global movement for racial justice.
But for Black Minnesotans, this has never been just a moment. It is our lived reality. And five years later, the pain still lingers, the trauma still reverberates, and the promises of change have too often been broken.
We were told that George Floyd’s death would not be in vain. We were told that corporations, including Target — the retail giant headquartered in our backyard — were committed to advancing racial equity. DEI programs were created. Investments were promised. Statements were made. Photos were taken.
And now? Target has announced a rollback of key DEI initiatives. Jobs have been cut. Progress has stalled. And the message to our community is clear: Our lives matter when the cameras are rolling, but not when it’s time to make lasting structural change. The political establishment has followed suit. Black communities continue to face police violence, economic inequality, housing instability, and disinvestment. And when we speak out — whether in the streets, at the polls, or in boardrooms — we are often ignored or punished. The public narrative has shifted back to “law and order,” while our families are still waiting
G.F. REFLECTIONS ALLEN
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for justice, safety and healing. This is what political indifference looks like: leaders who praise our resilience but refuse to challenge the systems that keep us struggling.
Policymakers who court our votes and then forget our names. Institutions that commodify our culture but abandon our cause.
But let me be clear: We are still here.
We are still fighting. We are still organizing. We are still demanding more.
From George Floyd Square to the halls of the State Capitol, Black Minnesotans are refusing to be silenced. We are creating community safety strategies, supporting our youth, building Black-owned businesses, and holding power to account — because we know that no one is coming
“We continue to fight for a world where Black lives are valued — not just in death, but in life.”
to save us. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
We remember the Black lives lost to police violence — here in Minnesota and across the country. We carry their memories; their stories are not isolated tragedies. We carry their names and their stories with us as we continue to fight for a world where Black lives are valued — not just in death, but in life. To the corporations who made promises: We are watching. To the elected officials who think we will forget: We will remind you. To our community: You are not alone. Your pain is real. Your voice is powerful. Your leadership matters.
Five years after George Floyd’s murder, the world may have moved on. But we haven’t. Because justice delayed is justice denied, and we still have work to do. Let us continue to rise together. In memory, in purpose, in power.
Nekima Levy Armstrong is a civil rights attorney and founder of the Racial Justice Network. For more information, visit www.racialjusticnetwork.com.
organizing isn’t just about turning out crowds in the streets. It’s about building power over time. It’s about cultivating a community of people who care about humanity and are committed to the long haul.
Lasting change isn’t a moment. It’s a movement. And we must keep building it, brick by brick.
The unfinished change
By Jaylani Hussein
Five years ago, the world watched in horror as George Floyd pleaded for his life beneath the knee of a Minneapolis police officer. His final breaths sparked global uprisings, shattered illusions, and ignited a long-overdue reckoning with America’s entrenched systems of racial injustice.
But now, half a decade later, the question is no longer what has changed — it’s why hasn’t more?
The broken promise of police reform
Here in Minnesota, ground zero for the largest racial justice uprising in modern history, not a single substantive police accountability law has passed. The few reforms that did move forward were already weakened by bipartisan compromise. Even with full Democratic control in Minnesota and in Congress at key moments, leaders failed to deliver the systemic change the public demanded.
This wasn’t a failure of capacity. It was a failure of conviction.
Policing in America continues to enjoy rare bipartisan protection. Democratic officials who publicly denounce police violence often quietly outspend Republicans on law enforcement and weaponize the phrase “defund the police” to erode support for reform. Their playbook is predictable: Amplify outrage, stall action, wait for the movement to lose momentum.
Meanwhile, George Floyd’s murder is now being reframed to serve false narratives. Police brutality has been recast as “anti-police hysteria,” and calls to reallocate resources to better serve community needs have been distorted into scare tactics.
The system we inherited
We did not arrive at George Floyd’s murder by accident.
For decades, police have been tasked with solving problems far beyond their scope — acting as social workers, mental health responders, housing liaisons, truancy officers, and more. Rather than investing in community infrastructure, we made police the default response to every symptom of poverty.
Policing, in many communities, became a tool not of safety, but of containment.
The more things change, the more they stay the same
blamed them when things went wrong. Officers have been used to enforce laws, generate city revenue through citations, intervene in mental health crises without proper training, and remove children from homes when no other resources are available.
Consider Brooklyn Center, Minnesota’s most diverse city. In the aftermath of Daunte Wright’s killing, local leaders passed the boldest police reform package in the state. But in the next election cycle, many of them were voted out, and their policies are now being reversed or dismantled.
Where the ground shifted
While police reform has largely stalled, other sectors did shift — though not all progress has endured:
• Corporate America pledged over $50 billion toward racial equity efforts. Today, many of those same corporations are quietly rolling back initiatives. DEI programs are being defunded or dissolved. Target, a Minnesota-based company once vocal about justice, scaled back its efforts after facing right-wing backlash
• Education and culture saw an increase in Black representation and curriculum reform. Now, African American studies are under attack. Book bans and anti-“woke” laws threaten to erase the very truths we briefly agreed to confront.
• Media and business opened doors to Black creators and entrepreneurs, only to later pull back funding and sanitize narratives. That progress proved fragile because it was never structurally protected.
“America would rather fund murals of George Floyd than fire the next Derek Chauvin.”
The bitter irony
These reversals expose a painful truth: America would rather fund murals of George Floyd than fire the next Derek Chauvin.
We celebrate Black businesses while slashing the programs that protect Black lives. Universities host DEI panels while campus police continue to profile Black students. Corporations sell Juneteenth merchandise while lobbying against civilian oversight of law enforcement.
This isn’t transformation. It’s reputation management.
The fight ahead
By Marques Armstrong
It’s hard to believe it’s already been five years.
Five years since George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police. Five years since the world stopped, held its breath, and watched — many for the first time — as the life was choked out of a Black man in broad daylight on a Minneapolis street corner.
But for me, it wasn’t a shock. As a Black man, as an activist, I had already seen too much. I had marched for Jamar Clark. I had grieved for Philando Castile. I had stood on the front lines, time and again, fighting for justice for those whose lives were taken too soon.
Still, what happened to George Floyd hit different. This wasn’t a gunshot. It wasn’t a split-second decision. This was a slow, deliberate execution — officers pinning down his neck, his back, his legs, pressing the very breath out of his body as he cried out, “I can’t breathe,” and called for his mother with what little life he had left.
That cry shook me to my core. It brought me to my knees, to tears, to a place of deep hopelessness. And yet, it also called something up in me. A fire. A duty.
As someone who’s spent several years on the front lines of this struggle, I’ve learned to live with the pain while continuing the fight. But there was something about that moment during the pandemic, when the world was watching and the news cycle couldn’t look away, that felt like maybe, just maybe, the world was finally waking up.
For a moment, I believed that our children might not have to fight the same fight. For a moment, I saw a glimmer of possibility.
But America, as it often does, reminded us who it is.
We watched a new administration roll back the gains we fought for. Consent decrees paused. Police accountability diluted. The same old systems, dressed in new language, continue
to do what they’ve always done — police and punish Black life without consequence.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I still carry the trauma of that summer. I can still feel the sting of tear gas in my eyes. I can still hear the pop of less-lethal rounds fired into peaceful crowds. I remember walking the streets of my own city, armed not just for protection, but because I refused to let white supremacists — and yes, infiltrators sent to undermine our movement — go unchallenged. It felt like a war zone. Because it was one.
Five years later, I am still healing. So is my community. Healing from the weight of bearing witness to evil. Healing from the heartbreak of betrayal by those in power who promised change, and by a country that still cannot fully see our humanity.
And yet, I still have hope. Not because the system has changed — because in so many ways, it hasn’t. But because we are still here. Still fighting. Still building. Still loving one another through the pain. Still protecting our communities. Still speaking truth to power.
“Five years later, I am still healing. So is my community. Healing from the weight of bearing witness to evil.”
To my fellow Black men: We need each other. We need to teach, to listen, to heal, and to speak to one another with love. This fight is not just for ourselves, but for our women, our children, and our ancestors. It is a fight for dignity. For life. George Floyd should be here today. So should Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, and so many others. But their memory fuels our movement.
As I wrote years ago in a college essay, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” But I refuse to let that be the final word. Because as long as we’re still breathing, we still have the power to change everything.
Marques Armstrong is the CEO of Hope & Healing Counseling Services. For more information, visit www.love-hopehealing.com.
ing, what followed has been an aggressive, coordinated backlash. The political establishment hasn’t just stalled change, it has recast those demanding justice as radicals, troublemakers, or threats.
But backlash is not defeat. It’s proof that the movement touched a nerve. That it posed a real threat to the status quo.
ished. DEI trainings, diversity grants, and corporate statements were never the destination. They were detours. True justice lives at the intersection of political will and structural power. We haven’t arrived. But we’re still marching. Join us.
Jaylani Hussein is the executive director of CAIR-Minnesota. For more information, visit www.cairmn.com. brutality and racial profiling persist. Police budgets are ballooning in many cities, bringing with them increased surveillance and criminalization. We are digging ourselves back into the same hole we fought to climb out of.
Over these past five years, I’ve come to understand that
We asked law enforcement to manage the fallout of systemic neglect, then
Today, Derek Chauvin seeks to overturn his conviction — a direct challenge to even the bare minimum of accountability. Police budgets continue to rise. Qualified immunity remains intact. And body cameras still “malfunction” at critical moments.
If 2020 was the awaken-
Five years later, the revolution that George Floyd’s murder ignited remains unfin-
Chauntyll Allen is the cofounder of Black Lives Matter Twin Cities
G.F. REFLECTIONS
Continued from page 8
All photos are courtesy of the photo subjects
The value of coalition work
By Michelle Gross
May 25, 2020 was an unusual Memorial Day. Covid-19 was in full bloom and everything was shut down. I had planned to grill dinner that evening and celebrate my daughter’s birthday with her the next day.
Then, suddenly, my phone started blowing up with texts urging me to watch a video on Facebook. It was the nowinfamous footage captured by Darnella Frazier. As I watched it, I heard Minneapolis Police spokesperson John Elder on the news claiming that “a man in police custody died tonight from a medical emergency.” I looked back and forth be
tween my computer screen and the TV and said aloud, “That’s not a medical emergency. That’s a murder.”
And I recognized the officer kneeling on George Floyd’s neck: Derek Chauvin. He had been on our radar at Commu-
nities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB) for years. We had documented 32 misconduct complaints against him, four prior deadly-force incidents, and virtually no discipline. Within an hour of the video surfacing, I had posted records on both Chauvin and Tou Thao to Facebook.
CUAPB has a long history of collaborating with other organizations, and we immediately began reaching out to our partners. By that very night, we were in the streets. Hearing George Floyd cry out for his mother with his final breath was excruciating. People naturally gravitated toward protest in response to such an outrageous and inhumane death.
The protests were powerful and largely peaceful — until day three. That’s when Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman went on the news and said, “I looked at that video and I don’t see any criminal conduct.” His words made it clear he intended to ignore the public outcry and once again protect the police. People had had enough.
What George Floyd’s death taught me about America
By Phalen (PJ) Pounds
When George Floyd was murdered, I was 15 years old and a sophomore in high school. I remember seeing the video and feeling like it confirmed something I already suspected deep down: They just don’t care about us.
Our coalition stayed in constant contact as weeks turned into months. One moment we were organizing protests; the next, we were writing reports on ending police violence or testifying at the legislature.
We authored the letter that prompted the Department of Justice to launch an investiga-
“In 35 years of doing this work, I had never seen a precinct set ablaze.”
That night, the Third Precinct was burned. In 35 years of doing this work, I had never seen a precinct set ablaze.
tion. And still, the killings continued — Daunte Wright, Winston Smith, Amir Locke, and others — reminding us that our
The night everything changed — for me and for us
the call: police were everywhere near Cup Foods, and someone had been killed. I was skeptical. I hadn’t heard sirens. My block was still. Quiet. But something in me stirred. I decided to walk over and see what, if anything, had really happened.
At the time, I was an organizer with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Minnesota, leading the Smart Justice Campaign focused on legal system accountability. I also served on the governor’s task force on reducing deadly force encounters by law enforcement. Part of my job was confirming these situa-
tions, interpreting what was true, and pushing for justice when it wasn’t being served.
When I arrived, the scene was swarming with squad cars and lined with yellow tape. Still, no sirens. I approached an officer and asked what happened. He said he didn’t know and averted his eyes. That’s when a bystander locked eyes with me and said something I’ll never forget: “They stepped on a man’s neck and killed him.”
I immediately called Nekima Levy Armstrong. She reached out to the police chief. When we asked what happened, he said
We are still standing, still fighting
By Toshira Garraway
It has been five years since George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police. These years have been extraordinary — not because justice has finally been served, but because the truth about how Black people are treated by law enforcement in Minnesota and across this country was exposed for all the world to see.
For families like mine, families who have lost loved ones at the hands of police, this time has been both uplifting and bittersweet. Uplifting because we’ve witnessed a level of accountability we never thought possible. Bittersweet because many of us know, deep down, that day may never come for our own loved ones. It still hurts. It always will. But at least we now have the chance to see something that once felt impossible: a world beginning to wake up. In these past five years, we have seen glimmers of justice. We’ve seen some level of change, but not because the legal system suddenly decided to do the right thing. Real change has come from the people. From the community. From families and neighbors and everyday citizens who decided enough is enough.
“They” being the police, white supremacy, the system — America itself, in many ways. It was a visual representation of how Black men are treated in this country, how our lives are devalued right before our eyes.
I was at home when I saw it. I think I first came across it on Snapchat. Not the full video right away, but the news of it. Eventually I saw the whole thing. It made me sick. Here was a man crying out for help, saying he couldn’t breathe, calling out for his mother, and the officer just kept pressing down on his neck.
It was like he didn’t even see George as a person. Like he wasn’t even human. That’s what hurt the most. That someone could look at a Black man suffering and
work is far from over.
Five years later, our coali
tion remains committed to ending police violence and fighting for true accountability. For me, the most powerful lesson has been the value of coalition work — how, together, we can press forward and carve out some measure of justice in the face of entrenched systemic oppression.
Michelle Gross is the founder and current president of Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB), an all-volunteer organization now in its 25th year.
a man had suffered a “medical emergency.” We told him the streets were saying something very different — that video evidence existed. He promised to look into it, but had nothing more to offer at that time.
Later that night, I received an inbox message that would change my life. I opened the video and watched George Floyd beg for his life under the weight of an officer’s knee. I watched him die — slowly, agonizingly. His cries for his mother, his declaration that he couldn’t breathe, those sounds tore through my spirit. I screamed. Something broke in me. And I haven’t been the same since.
That moment shifted something in all of us. George Floyd’s murder didn’t just expose the vi-
show no remorse. No humanity. No mercy. At 15, that changes you. It reminded me of all the times Black people have been brutalized in this country. Not just historically, but constantly. You start to feel like nothing’s ever going to change. Like they’ll just keep doing it over and over and getting away with it.
But something did change. In that moment, the world rose up. I joined the protests because I felt I had to. It wasn’t even a question. If we say we care about one another, if we want justice and change, we have to show up.
We have to be the people we’re hoping others will be.
So I went out to protest, not just for George Floyd, but for all of us. Because when Black people come together to fight back, to stand up and say this isn’t right, it gives me hope. Even in all the pain, it showed me that we were united.
Now I’m 20 years old.
Five years have passed since that video changed the world, and changed me. And I can say I haven’t seen the same level of police violence in our community since. But I’ve also noticed we’re not protesting as much anymore. Maybe we’re tired. Maybe we’re still healing. I know I am.
Since George Floyd’s murder, more people have become aware of the injustice we’ve long endured, and they have chosen to stand with us. People are listening in a way they didn’t before. They believe us now. They see the truth we’ve been living. And yet, even after the whole world rose up in George Floyd’s name, the killings continued. Winston Smith. Daunte Wright. Amir Locke. Tekle Sundberg. Howard Johnson. Brandon Keys. And so many others. Each name represents a life stolen and a family shattered. We thought the violence would stop. We thought the uprising would be enough. But still — particularly for Black men — the killings go on.
■ See G.F. REFLECTIONS GARRAWAY on page 10
By Chauntyll Allen, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Twin Cities
In 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, corporations rushed to present themselves as allies in what many called a “racial reckoning.” But I call it what it really was: elite capture of the moment. They gave us symbolic gestures and glossy statements, and in our exhaus-
That’s what hasn’t changed. What I hope to see now, five years later, is real unity in our community. Not just when there’s a protest, but in our everyday lives. I want us to have each other’s backs. To support one another, stand by each other, and show up for each other like we did in 2020. We have power when we move as one. And I want police to stop misusing and abusing their power. I want them to see the humanity in us. To treat us with the same care and respect they’d offer their own families. Because we matter. Our lives matter. We are human.
“Now I’m 20 years old. Five years have passed since that video changed the world, and changed me.”
I’m still healing, but I’m still here. Still showing up. Still believing that we can be better. That this country can be better. That if we keep fighting, we won’t have to keep mourning. Not like this. Not again.
Phalen (PJ) Pounds is currently a student at Augsburg University.
Because even though the protests have died down, the fear hasn’t. I still don’t feel safe around police. I don’t trust that if I call for help, they’ll treat me like a person. God forbid if I get pulled over or have to speak to a police officer — I’m thinking about how I move, what I say, how fast I reach for something — because one wrong move could be the end of me just because I’m Black.
olence of one officer, it exposed the violence of a system.
In the days and weeks that followed, I was in the streets with our people and in the rooms where decisions were being made. We experienced mass protests not only in Minneapolis, but across the globe.
The world had finally stopped to witness what we’d known for generations: that policing in America is too often fatal for Black bodies.
Eventually, Derek Chauvin and the other officers were charged and convicted. Something we rarely see. Institutions rushed to release statements, to paint murals, to promise change.
Some of those promises bore fruit. Most of them faded as quickly as they came.
Still, we are not where we were before. There is a generation of leaders and young people who carry this truth in their bones now. People who were moved to stand up in the summer of 2020, who refuse to look away, who continue to fight for a world where justice isn’t selective and human dignity is nonnegotiable.
I didn’t ask for this fight — but it found me. And like so many of us who stood witness to that moment in time, I made a decision.
I’m not backing off. I’m not backing down. And I’m not alone.
Elizer Darris is the executive director of Minnesota Freedom Fund. For more information, visit www. mnfreedomfund.org.
Still fighting for the change they promised
tion and grief, many of us exhaled — believing, perhaps, that change was on the horizon. But most of the money never made it to the Movement or to Black communities. It went back into the system that created the problem.
Let’s be clear: the little justice we did see wasn’t because of corporate America, philanthropy, or government — it was because of the pressure applied by the people. The commitments made in 2020 were largely performative. They weren’t rooted in a real desire for systemic transformation. They put a bandaid on a festering wound while ignoring the need for real healing. And all of this happened in the middle of a global pandemic. But when the world began to reopen, those same institutions quietly returned to business as usual.
For a moment, it felt like people were finally seeing Black lives. But was it genuine con-
cern, or just a political swing during a time of unrest? We didn’t get the policy changes we needed. Qualified immunity still stands. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act stalled. The window for transformation was cracked open — and then quickly slammed shut. Now, five years later, we’re seeing backlash, executive orders by the current administration attacking DEI, Black history, and our constitutional rights – criminalizing protest. In many ways, we are moving backward. Yet despite the setbacks, there is hope. Through the organizing efforts at George Floyd Square and beyond, I’ve seen people grow, learn, and organize around a broader spectrum of issues that impact our most vulnerable. New voices have entered the movement. New organizers have stepped up. But the truth remains: police
■ See G.F.
By Elizer Darris
I lived just a few blocks from 38th and Chicago when I got
G.F. REFLECTIONS
By Trahern Crews
On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, igniting a global uprising against racism, police brutality, and systemic injustice. Millions took to the streets across the U.S. and around the world, demanding accountability not just for Floyd’s death but for the countless lives lost and disrupted by state violence.
In the aftermath, some progress was made. Yet, much remains unchanged — reflecting a familiar pattern in American history where gains for Black communities are often met with resistance, retrenchment, or symbolic gestures that fail to address the root causes of injustice.
To understand the moment we’re in, we must place it in a historical context. The post-Floyd era mirrors earlier chapters in the Black freedom
G.F. REFLECTIONS GARRAWAY
Continued from page 9
After George Floyd, we had no choice but to stand up and speak out. From that pain, we built a movement. A community. A family. We show up for one another every time tragedy strikes.
And we use whatever gifts we have to demand justice and humanity. Some of us take photos. Some of us write. Some report. Some organize. But all of
Gains and backlash in the Black freedom struggle
struggle, where periods of advancement were swiftly followed by backlash, co-optation, or systemic reversal.
Here’s what has changed:
Legal and policy reforms (limited but meaningful): Several states and cities enacted reforms aimed at curbing police abuse. More than 20 states passed laws restricting deadly force tactics, including bans on chokeholds and neck restraints. Use of body-worn cameras expanded, as did public access to police disciplinary records. In Minnesota, legislation limited no-knock warrants following the killing of Amir Locke by Minneapolis police. At the federal level, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act — which would ban chokeholds, end qualified immunity, and establish a national police misconduct registry — passed the House but stalled in the Senate.
Cultural and institutional shifts:
Major corporations and institutions launched DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiatives, implemented anti-bias training, and pledged commitments to racial equity. Confederate monuments came down in multiple cities. Books on anti-racism and Black history surged in popularity, and pub-
us stand together. The most powerful thing that has happened in these last five years is that God has allowed us to fight together — in solidarity, not in silence. We are no longer grieving alone. We are no longer suffering in the shadows. We are still here. Still standing. Still fighting. And we will not stop until justice belongs to all of us.
Toshira Garraway is the founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence. For more information, visit www.fsfav.org.
lic discourse embraced previously marginalized concepts such as systemic racism and white supremacy.
Prosecution of police officers:
The 2021 conviction of Derek Chauvin marked a rare instance of police accountability. Other officers involved in Floyd’s murder were also convicted or accepted plea deals. Beyond Minnesota, officers were convicted in cases such as the killing of Daunte Wright (Kim Potter) and the torture of Black residents in Mississippi — outcomes once seen as unthinkable.
Reparations and historical reckoning:
Saint Paul, Minnesota established a permanent Reparations Commission, joining a small but growing list of cities confronting the legacy of slavery. Over 100 initiatives nationwide, including those led by faith institutions and universities, have begun to reckon with their roles in racial injustice.
Here’s what has not changed:
Police violence persists:
Despite reforms, U.S. law enforcement continues to kill approximately 1,000 people per year — disproportionately Black. The deaths of Sonya Massey, Ricky Cobb, Tyre Nich-
ols, and others serve as tragic reminders that George Floyd’s murder was not an aberration.
Structural inequality endures:
Black Americans continue to face stark disparities in wealth, housing, education, health care, and incarceration.
In Minnesota, where Floyd was killed, the racial wealth gap remains among the worst in the nation. Despite calls to “defund the police,” many cities have maintained or increased police budgets — even as crime rates hit historic lows.
“History
amid political division.
Historical parallels: cycles of progress and resistance
Reconstruction (1863–1877):
The abolition of slavery ushered in a period of hope.
Black Americans gained freedom, voting rights, and representation. But Reconstruction was short-lived.
When federal troops withdrew in 1877, white supremacist regimes reasserted control, ushering in Jim Crow segregation, lynchings, and racial terror.
teaches us that progress is not linear. Gains must be protected and expanded through sustained organizing, political will, and cultural transformation.”
Backlash and retrenchment:
As with the post-Reconstruction period, gains have been followed by a conservative backlash. Over 20 states have passed laws banning the teaching of “divisive concepts,” including critical race theory. Voting rights have been rolled back in ways that disproportionately impact marginalized communities. DEI programs are being quietly dismantled, and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act remains stalled
The Missouri Compromise and the Fugitive Slave Act:
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 offered a temporary political solution to the question of slavery. But its reversal through laws like the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 — forcing free states to aid in the capture of enslaved people — revealed the fragility of compromise without justice.
From outcry to ongoing commitment
By Leslie Redmond, Esq.
reckoning with a truth that Black communities have long known: Accountability in America is still selective, and Black life remains negotiable.
Continued from page 12
two locations on May 8.
“It means a lot just to get out in the community, for people to see us, especially in the inner city community,” said Watkins.
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Five years ago, the world watched in horror as George Floyd begged for his life. His murder forced a global
George Floyd’s killing didn’t just expose a broken system — it cracked it wide open. What followed was not only international outrage but also something more rare and powerful: cross-sector collaboration. In 2020, community leaders, faith institutions, artists, educators, and everyday people came together in shared pain and shared purpose.
But five years later, much of that energy has faded.
What’s changed? The language. The statements. Some policies. A few more seats at the table.
COACHES
Continued from page 12
Kamilla Cardoso, and adding rookie first-round pick Hailey Van Lith.
Marsh is one of three Black league head coaches this season.
“I think this team is a great mixture of veterans and a great mixture of young players,” declared Sky Assistant Coach Tanisha Wright to the MSR after the May 10 shootaround. Chicago and Minnesota played a preseason game later that night.
This is our 29th year of covering America’s longest running women’s pro basketball league. It has been a majority Black league (over 60%), but this season might be its first to have a team with an all-Black coaching staff.
Marsh was hired over the off-season as Chicago Sky head coach. He in turn hired
Wright, Courtney Paris, and Rena Wakama as assistants. Asked how important it is to have an all-Black staff, Marsh told us, “I think it’s extremely important. I think visibility and relatability, and I think all that is important. But also — I don’t want it to get lost — is the fact that my coaching staff has a ton of experience, a ton of ability, a ton of value in what they do, but also in who they are.
“I’m always looking for opportunities to get better, to grow,” said Wright, a 14-year former WNBA player with three teams, including Minnesota, who played on a league champion team with Seattle (2010). This is her second assistant stint (Las Vegas, 2020-21) and was Atlanta head coach (2022-24).
But the systems? Largely unchanged. The conditions that led to George Floyd’s death still exist — just harder to talk about now that the headlines have moved on.
“The conditions that led to George Floyd’s death still exist — just harder to talk about now that the headlines have moved on.”
What must change is our consistency. Our memory. Our commitment to stay in the work, even when it’s no longer trending.
That’s why the nonprofit I lead, Win Back, created the Day of Remembrance — not as a commemoration, but as
Paris played in the league (2009-2020) and played on a W championship squad (2018). This is her second assistant position (Dallas, 2023-24).
Incomplete justice, enduring hope George Floyd’s murder briefly cracked open a window of possibility—one where mass mobilization brought systemic issues to the forefront. And while that window may be narrowing, the movement it catalyzed lives on.
History teaches us that progress is not linear. Gains must be protected and expanded through sustained organizing, political will, and cultural transformation. This generation — the youth who led the global reckoning on race — understand that. They are informed, connected, and unwilling to accept another cycle of symbolic reform followed by silent retrenchment.
Justice remains incomplete, but the future is not fixed. The memory of George Floyd, and the movement born in his name, demands that we keep pushing.
Trahern Crews is the cofounder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota. For more information, visit www.blacklivesmattermn.com.
The Civil Rights Era (1950s–1970s): Landmark victories such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were undermined in subsequent decades by policies like mass incarceration and the War on Drugs. What began as a push for freedom morphed into new forms of systemic control.
a call to recommit. It’s a reminder that this is not about a moment in 2020. It’s about a movement — one rooted in what came before and still unfolding now.
The Day of Remembrance reflects the kind of work required to transform our reality: creating spaces that tell the truth, honor the pain, and build collective power.
Not just once a year — but every day, in how we educate, organize, and invest in our communities.
Because what we fail to remember, we are doomed to repeat.
Leslie E. Redmond is the executive director of Win Back, a violence prevention, arts, and public safety nonprofit organization. For more information, visit www.winbacknonprofit.com.
Wakama has international coaching experience as the Nigeria Senior Women’s Basketball Team since 2023 and coached them to the quarterfinals in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“It’s really dope,” added veteran guard Rachel Banham. “I’m sure that was a bit intentional. Tyler’s been great. Our coaching staff is awesome.”
“My coaching staff has a ton of experience, a ton of ability, a ton of value in what they do, but also in who they are.”
“They’re unapologetic about it, but they’re also amazing at what they do,” reaffirmed Marsh.
Donnie Marsh as the team’s basketball operations specialist and Aaron Johnson as player development coach are other additions to the Sky coaching staff.
“I wanted to surround myself with other individuals that value the same things, but didn’t necessarily have to think the same way,” explained HC Marsh. “We come from so many different backgrounds and experiences that everyone has a different story.
“I couldn’t ask for anything more,” he concluded. “I’m really appreciative and honored to be the head coach here.”
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.
Marsh continued, “There’s a ton of respect there for who Tanisha and Courtney were as players and who they are as people. Rena’s background from the college ranks into international basketball — these are three very capable Black women.
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Req Master’s deg. in Sales Mgmt., Marketing, Biomedical Engr., Nursing, or closely rel. fld. & 3 yrs. exp. as a sales rep., clinical specialist, or related occupation for neuromodulation, or Bachelor’s & 5 yrs. Must work remotely from home office w/in 25-mile radius of service area of Manhattan, Brooklyn & Bronx, NY territory. Req. 50-70% travel w/in service area to visit hospitals & physicians’ offices. Apply at https://medtronic.wd1 myworkdayjobs.com/ MedtronicCareers, Req. #R30127. No agencies or phone calls. Medtronic is an equal opportunity employer committed to cultural diversity in the workplace. All individuals are encouraged to apply. Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder May 22, 2025
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baseball as long as I can.”
Furthermore…
Amaya Battle (sociology) and Niamya Holloway (political science and a minor in German) both graduated last Sunday from the University of Minnesota. The two Gopher women’s basketball teammates and former local prep stars graduated in three years, and each will begin their master’s degree work
in the fall.
Las Vegas started the 2025 WNBA season last weekend with a leaguehigh 11 Blacks on its roster. Atlanta (10), Dallas (9) and Phoenix (9) are next. The hometown Lynx have six Blacks on their season roster. Once again the W continues to be the hardest pro league to make a roster — 20 of 38 drafted rookies made opening day rosters.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.
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Zora Stephanson. All have experienced calling women’s and men’s pro and college basketball games in recent years. Brunson this season, instead of working W games, will use her first summer off “using all of my frequent flyer miles, and I’m doing it not as a quote-unquote member of the media,” she said. Along with being a longtime Phoenix Mercury season ticket
holder, “I am buying tickets everywhere I go. It is my goal to get in every [WNBA] venue this season just to see how the game is growing.”
Next week: Brunson talks about her journey becoming a broadcaster.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.
Sports
innesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton is the second fastest player on the basepaths in Major League Baseball. According to Statcast, Buxton is averaging 30.2 feet per second, his highest speed since 2019.
MLB Network before the season listed Buxton as the third-best center fielder in the majors. The 30-year-old veteran has made many highlight-worthy catches during his career, including one last week when he held on to a short pop fly while he unfortunately ran smack into the back of teammate Carlos Correa in a game at Baltimore. The collision forced both players out of the game as a result.
After his debut in June 2015, Buxton is now the longest tenured Twin. He also is one of two U.S.-born Blacks on the team
Twins’ Buxton leads by example
this season. Now in his seventh season, “Just to be able to get more African American Black guys in the game” remains a goal of his, said Buxton as we stood in front of his corner locker in the Twins clubhouse. A corner locker is typically awarded to the team leaders — former Twin Torii Hunter had one when he was with the team — and Buxton’s locker cements his position as the Twins’ undisputed leader.
The low numbers of Blacks in baseball has been oft-discussed here and elsewhere, especially in MLB (around 6%) and at other levels of the sport. Among the multi-faceted reasons, affordability and basketball and football being more popular among Black youth are mentioned too often in any discussion on this topic.
“I just try to make sure and let them know that whatever you put your mind to, you can do it,” said Buxton, who is among the well-known Black pro superstars,
though not as much nationwide outside of baseball. He and other Black MLB stars are relative unknowns compared to better marketed Blacks in other sports as far as visibility to Black youth. “Obviously I’m here,” stressed
Broadcaster Brunson baffled by Mercury blindside
By Charles Hallman Sports Columnist
eteran broadcaster Cindy Brunson is taking her first summer off from calling WNBA games since 2022, but it was not in her original plans. The Phoenix Mercury, after interviewing her several weeks ago, decided not to hire her for their regular broadcast team.
Almost immediately after the team announcement, Brunson wanted to head off any rumors that too often spread whenever changes in broadcasting are made.
“They had already signed the person to replace me, and they waited a week after she had signed to do the job to tell me.”
“I don’t want people to think that I was fired, because that did not happen,” Brunson told me last week during an hourlong phone interview. She texted me with the sad news and agreed to speak with us after she returns from a previously scheduled trip overseas.
Brunson was looking forward to being the Mercury voice for the fourth consecu-
Majority
tive season, one of the few Black females who does W games. She felt the interviews with team officials went well.
“The person who hired me three years ago is no longer in that role,” explained Brunson.
“They hired a woman to be in charge of broadcast, and she hired a guy from TNT Sports. He’s a good dude, and he told me, ‘I cannot believe I’ve been charged with replacing a Black female.’
“Now looking back on it, the decision to pivot away from me probably had already been decided, and they just didn’t tell me,” she continued. “I wish they would have told me that day [during her interviews] that we’re going in a different direction… They had already signed the person to replace me, and they waited a week after she had
signed to do the job to tell me.”
As a result, the timing of the decision hurt her in several ways, including the opportunity to seek openings with other teams still filling out their broadcast teams, said Brunson, who was coming off her third season as the top voice of Athletes Unlimited basketball games played in the winter. She has been in that role for the past three seasons.
“They wasted the most precious commodity that I had, which was time,” Brunson stressed. “For me to be undone by a woman, and not treated well, I literally [felt] disrespected. I went into the process thinking I had a really good shot at the job because I had performed well [for the
■ See BRUNSON on page 11
Black league’s first team with all-Black coaches
By Charles Hallman Sports Columnist
he Minnesota Lynx and Napheesa Collier are oft-mentioned throughout the annual WNBA general manager survey.
The 13 team general managers, including expansion Golden State, responded to 40 different questions on such topics as best teams, players, coaches, and offseason moves. The GMs can’t vote for their own team or personnel, and the percentages are based on the pool of respondents to that particular question rather than all 13 GMs.
The Lynx are favored to win this year’s championship (60%), and Collier was selected to
Buxton.
When he arrived in Minnesota, there were a couple of Blacks around on the team that proudly showed him the ropes. “I talked to Torii quite a bit when I first got here,” said Buxton on Hunter,
who played 19 major league seasons, including 12 seasons with the Twins (1997 to 2007, 2015) and was later inducted in the Twins Hall of Fame in 2016.
“It was Ben [Revere] and Denard Span, so I had some great guys to kind of build off on,” continued the outfielder. “And I got a chance to talk with Adam Jones, and that really opened your eyes to some different things,” said Buxton.
Jones played 14 seasons, most with Baltimore. He disclosed that he often dealt with racist taunts while playing in the outfield—it was reported that a bag of peanuts was thrown at him during a game, along with a banana peel once hurled at him. And Jones admitted in several reports on racism in baseball that he was called the N-word too often.
Buxton thus far hasn’t disclosed similar incidents, but he pointed out, “I just kept my eyes open.” There is no question that Bux-
ton is well-liked and respected by his peers “in every positive way I can describe,” said Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli of Buxton.
“He plays the game with everything he has to give. He does it by leading by example. And he does it in a meaningful way by talking to people.”
Besides playing baseball, Buxton wants to be the best husband and father he can for his three sons. “I know that baseball is going to end one day, but me being a dad never ends.”
“I know that baseball is going to end one day, but me being a dad never ends.”
Finally…
Watkins, Royce Lewis, and
Ober earlier this month participated in the team’s annual handout of baseball gloves to local youth — 3,000 gloves were distributed at
Maryland college baseball suits Burnsville native just fine
reshman infielder Paul Jones II is the only Minnesotan on the University of Maryland baseball team. The Burnsville native and Cretin-Durham Hall graduate’s recent homecoming was a big hit, as Jones played a big role in his team’s three-game sweep over the host University of Minnesota Golden Gophers May 9-11 at Siebert Field.
“This was my first time coming home, first time playing here in college,” the six-foot Jones told the MSR after the Terps’ 8-5 victory May 10.
Jones that weekend drove in a run in all three victories, including his second home run of the season, a three-run shot in Game 1; went 2-for-4 in Game 2, his first career multihit game; and drove in two runs and stroked a double in Game 3.
What enticed me to my first college baseball game of the year was not only the unusually hot weather perfect to watch it from the stands, but also the fact that Maryland boasts seven Black players, including Jones. I don’t know if it was a record, but I once reported in 2015 that eight Black players took part in that
year’s Big Ten baseball tournament held at the Twins’ downtown ballpark.
According to the NCAA, about 5% of non-HBCU college baseball players are Black.
When I told Jones that there were more Blacks on the Terps (7) than on the local major league club (3), he responded, “We got a good amount here. That was something that out of high school was really important to me.
“[Maryland] makes it really important to be a really diverse team, diverse group. We got a whole lot of different kinds of people,” Jones stressed.
The first-year player was a two-time All-State and twotime All-Suburban Conference
selection (2023 and 2024), and was rated the No. 1 first baseman and sixth overall player in Minnesota. Jones also was rated high nationally, No. 10 at his position, and 368 among all players.
He also is the grandson of former Minnesota Twins great Cesar Tovar, a 2022 Minneso-
ta Twins Hall of Fame inductee.
“I played football, basketball growing up, but baseball was just what I was good at,” admitted Jones. “I really just fell in love with [baseball] at a young age.”
Attending college has thus far met his expectations, he said. “It’s been everything I’ve ever wanted coming out of high school. It took me some time to get used to everything, but once I got used to it, it’s been everything I’ve ever wanted.”
Jones’ current major is kinesiology. “I thought it was just really cool, really interesting. I get to learn about the body, learn about muscles, things like that, which is something that could honestly help me playing baseball, just knowing how my body works,” he said.
“Obviously my plan is to play
■ See SOE on page 11
will return next week.
Twins Third Base Coach Tommy
Bailey
Mitchell Palmer McDonald’s ‘Prep Scene’
Tommy Watkins (l) and Byron Buxton
Photo courtesy of MN Twins
First of two parts
■ See COACHES on page 10
Cindy Brunson (r) at work
Photo courtesy of X
Paul Jones II
Photo by Charles Hallman
Photo courtesy of Threads
Tyler Marsh Photos by Charles Hallman Tanisha Wright