November 1, 2018 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

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

THE VOICE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1934

See more Grace exhibit on pg. 6

November 1-7, 2018 Vol. 85 No. 13 www.spokesman-recorder.com

Signs favor record midterm voter turnout

BLACK VOTER SUPPRESSION STILL A REALITY By Frederick Knight Contributing Writer Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp has been sued for suppressing minority votes after an Associated Press investigation revealed a month before November’s midterm election that his office has not approved 53,000 voter registrations — most of them filed by African Americans. Other measures to suppress voting have been observed in Kansas and elsewhere. Georgia, like many southern states, has suppressed Black voters ever since the 15th Amendment gave African American

men the right to vote in 1870. The tactics have simply changed over time. Democrats’ southern strategy With Black populations ranging from 25 percent to nearly 60 percent of southern state populations, Black voting power upended politics as usual after the Civil War. During Reconstruction, well over 1,400 African Americans were elected to local, state and federal office, 16 of whom served in Congress. Loyal to President Abraham Lincoln, whose Emancipation Proclamation sounded the ■ See SuppreSSion on page 5

Getty Images By Lauren Victoria Burke Contributing Writer

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n Georgia, close to three times the number of people who voted early during the last midterm election have voted early. The numbers went up over the first week of early voting in a state featuring one of the biggest races for governor in the U.S.: Democrat Stacey Abrams vs. Republican Brian Kemp. Abrams would be the first African American female governor elected in history if she wins. Over 482,000 people have voted in

Georgia in advance, which included 92,000 on October 19 alone. According to the New York Times, “Vote totals have increased almost 200 percent at the same point since the last gubernatorial election.” Typically, high turnout favors the Democratic Party. The news regarding record turnout predictions have collided with the news of voter suppression. Election officials in Kansas closed the only polling place in Dodge City. Latinos currently make up 60 percent of Dodge City’s population. Dodge City has only one polling site for 27,000 residents.

Readying the world to support reentry

Mpls NAACP compliance officer charts paths to prevent recidivism

James Badue-El

Photo by Anthony Brown/ Youth Lens

By Stephenetta Harmon Editor-in-chief Ex-inmate James Badue-El isn’t looking for second chances — he’s creating his own. After a two-year stint in prison for aggravated robbery, Badue-El has transformed his life into work as a social activist and compliance officer for the NAACP Minneapolis chapter. Statistically speaking, the North Minneapolis native should not be a young Black man on the rise. He had been on probation or in trouble with the law since he was nine years old. Released in 2014 with a felony on his record, he heard “no” more times

than he could count and ended up homeless, sleeping in his car and hitting roadblock after roadblock. He now carries those life scars as a constant reminder to do and be better. “It was a horrible, horrible experience,” said BadueEl of his incarceration in a recent conversation with the MSR, “but I learned so much out of it [and] it doesn’t have any power over me anymore.” Instead, he said, “It drives me.” For Badue-El, that drive means charting a clear path to helping prevent recidivism for himself and others and creating authentic connections within the community. Using his passion for speaking, “nos” slowly turned into “yeses” and he began creating a

blueprint for himself and the organizations he works with. In 2016, he joined the prison outreach committee for the NAACP Minneapolis branch as co-chair; six months later, he was named chair for the NAACP Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota State Conference Prison Outreach Committee. This past July, he was elected as Minneapolis’ first-ever compliance officer — a position he pitched himself. “I was the prison outreach person, but I was a whole lot more than that,” Badue-El said, explaining how he reached out to regional officers to formally expand his role. The newly-created position, he said, not only deals with “making sure our finances are right, but [with] the way that people move inside [the organization] as well.” Part of his work now is connecting his region to create systems based on the organization’s values and duplicate them across the country. Using the organization’s Child Protection Committee as an example, he said, they will look at a committee’s vision and values, “and then [we] just structure that and take that same exact framework, and I go and reach out to other states and tell them that this is what we’re doing, this what it looks like. And we just keep pushing that forward. We’re creating standards, a blueprint.” Rather than shying away from his past criminal history, Badue-El uses it as a platform to communicate his messages of empowerment. ■ See reenTry on page 5

who comes with her own things” and Shange, which means “she who walks like a lion” in Zulu. Shange was affectionately known as ‘Zake by friends and family. She challenged her instructors and broke the rules to find her voice and give others theirs. Pulitzer Prize-winner LYnn NOttage called her “our warrior poet/dramatist.” Shange was the voice behind the Obie Award-winning 1975 choreopoem for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf. This, amongst her many works, signaled a movement for Black women, helping us to reclaim our voices, our power, our womanhood. The choreopoem was introduced to a new generation via Tyler Perry’s film adaption For Colored Girls in 2010. It transcended time, age, location.

■ See TurnouT on page 5

Business spotlight: KMS Air Duct Cleaning In celebration of small business month, we’ve re-launched our business profile series giving brief snapshots of MN’s Black-owned businesses.

plexes, commercial buildings, federal buildings and industrial businesses. Read on to learn more about this Black-owned business.

With a shortage of skilled trade workers looming across the country, trade companies are helping workers keep pace with — and even surpass — the income of those with four-year degrees. South Minneapolis-based KMS Air Duct Cleaning is one of those companies. Owned and operated by Ken McCraley, KMS employs over 30 people working in residential apartment com-

MSR: What exactly is your business? Ken McCraley: We do air duct cleaning, which is our primary business. We started out doing apartment buildings and houses. As time went on we got into commercial air duct cleaning in hospitals, schools, an account for the airport — targeting big business and commercial buildings.

Ken McCraley

Personification of ‘Black Girl Magic’ passes Black women everywhere heaved a collective sigh at the passing of award-winning poet, playwright and author Ntozake Shange on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 27. Shange, who had just turned 70, died at her assisted living facility in Bowie, MD. She had suffered from multiple strokes in 2004. “To our extended family and friends, it is with sorrow that we inform you that our loved one, Ntozake Shange, passed away peacefulAP Photo/Evan Agostini ly in her sleep in the early morning of October 27, 2018. Memorial information / details will follow at a later By MSR Editors date,” her family posted on her Twit“I write for young girls of color, for girls ter account. who don’t even exist yet, so that there is Born Paulette Williams in Trensomething there for them when they arton, NJ in 1948, she later changed her rive.” — Ntozake Shange name to Ntozake which means “she

An October 9 Associated Press report found the registrations of around 53,000 people — nearly 70 percent of them African Americans — placed in limbo because of some mismatch with driver’s license or Social Security information. Tellingly, Abrams is running against an opponent who has had a hand in making voting more difficult in the state. Greg Palast, a voter suppression expert who runs the Palast Investigative Fund, asserts that Kemp is responsible for removing over 300,000

No doubt we all knew the pain of acknowledging that “somebody almost walked off wid alla my stuff.” We have all experienced a siloed universe feeling alone and disconnected. She personified Black Girl Magic before it was a thing. She helped us find joy and God in ourselves. Her death is “a major shift in the cosmos,” said Sarah Bellamy, artistic director of Penumbra Theatre, where Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf just concluded an extended run. “Ntozake Shange invited us to marvel at the resiliency and power that women of color harness in order to survive a hostile world. She invited us to practice the ritual of loving ourselves.” ■ See Magic on page 5

■ See SpoTlighT on page 8

Submitted Photo

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November 1-7, 2018

Leadership Spotlight

New VP hopes to streamline Hamline’s focus on equity, inclusion, diversity tutional needs. “Such as what that would mean for, let’s say, changing or understanding experiences, faculty, staff and student experiences on the campus. So, what does that look like when the student’s in the classroom? When staff are working in the building in various areas? When faculty are working together to develop curriculum, and all those kinds of things? “How does that work together in an integrated way?” he continued. “To talk about equity, to talk about inclusion, to talk about diversity in terms of having an institution where every-

By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer Dr. David L. Everett welcomes a rewarding challenge as associate vice president for inclusive excellence at Hamline University. In the newly created position, he works with faculty, staff and students across the institute’s spectrum to sustain and improve what he describes as an emphasis on, among other characteristics, ”a powerful platform to work towards equity, inclusion and diversity across the institution and within the community.” The Twin Cities’ region has been criticized as sorely lacking in diversity at its educational institutions, but Everett feels he’s not coming in to fix a system that isn’t working. To the contrary, he’s focused on strengthening a model that already honors cultural differences. ”There were a number of moving parts in certain areas of the university that were doing diversity initiatives, per se. So, how do we streamline all those efforts so it becomes more programmatic in a consolidated way, and not having dispersed efforts with energy kind of scattered across the campus?” he asked. “Pool all those efforts together.” After all, centrally focused, concentrated endeavors tend to yield more effective results, usually in less time. At the outset, one of the first objec-

Dr. David L. Everett Photo courtesy of Hamline

tives he plans to accomplish is “getting a clear lay of the land, assessing what the moving parts have been doing and how successfully. Then, also, try to understand what has been kind of the history behind them. What led to their formation? What were some of the goals they started out with?” A priority, he added, is learning to what extent they’ve already connected with one another. “How successful they’ve been in collaborating — not just [individually], but in working with each other. And then try to figure out how does that fit with the all the insti-

focused around seeing that there’s synergy between and amongst the groups.” Before assuming this post, Everett worked for three years at the Minnesota Department of Human Services involved in the preparation, delivery and assessment of equity, inclusivity and diversity training programs. He also served as an assistant professor with Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MNSCU) from 200812, providing instruction in world religions, ethics, and race and culture. Additionally, he helped develop and implement MNSCU’s Access, Oppor-

“One of the obvious opportunities is to think about how we can dismantle some of those boundaries.” body can come here and thrive?” Everett estimates that over the past five years, Hamline’s rate of minority inclusion has reached 20 percent. Yet, he acknowledges that, while the number is encouraging, divisions separate students coming from culturally different backgrounds, with the very nature of diversity proving to be a challenge. ”One of the obvious opportunities for us as an institution,” he said, “is to think about how we can dismantle some of those boundaries and be more

tunity and Success program, which facilitates higher education access for underrepresented populations. Everett, who earned his associate of arts degree from Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York, holds a B.A. in business administration from Kentucky State University and a Hamline University mini-MBA certificate in public administration. He also received a master’s of divinity degree in leadership and his doctorate of philosophy in leadership from Luther Seminary in St. Paul.

He has held teaching and diversityrelated positions with Gustavus Adolphus College, the State of Minnesota IT Services Office, Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative in St. Paul, Luther Seminary, and the Minnesota National Guard. He is a certified federal mediator and a member of the National Academic Advising Association. “I am delighted to welcome Dr. Everett to our community,” said Hamline President Dr. Fayneese Miller. “He has a proven record of effectiveness and advocacy on inclusion, equity and diversity issues. We have developed a national reputation as a leader in this area, and I know that Dr. Everett’s energy and drive will fuel us in the ongoing pursuit of educational equity.” Everett echoed Miller’s sentiments. “I am pleased, honored and excited to join Hamline University. Hamline’s rich tradition and its continued emphasis on academic rigor, practical learning experiences and social justice provides a powerful platform to work towards equity, inclusion and diversity across the institution and within the community. I look forward to working with President Miller, other administrators, faculty, staff, students and stakeholders as we collectively strive to do all the good we can.” Dwight Hobbes welcomes reader responses to dhobbes@spokesman-recorder. com.

St. Paul school connects students with professionals of color Students of color are more likely to pursue careers in fields they can imagine themselves in — especially via other professionals of color. South Saint Paul Secondary’s (SSPS) Black and Latino student organizations are

connect students and families with a panel of professionals of color from throughout the metro area. “The POC Career Panel allows students and families to engage in dialogue around the experience of being a per-

taking that research to heart with their third annual Professionals of Color Career Panel. SSPS’ Black Pride Organization (BPO) and Communidad De Latinos Unidos (CDLU) have teamed together to

Amy

Klobuchar

Our United States Senator Panelists at 2017 POC Career Panel

Vote Nov. 6th

www.amyklobuchar.com Paid for by Klobuchar for Minnesota

son of color within various professional settings, the obstacles that are often encountered by these individuals, and how they have overcome such obstacles to experience success,” said Jessica Davis, SSPS teacher and BPO advisor. “Additionally, this event allows for networking, further enhancing the opportunity for our students of color to access educational and professional opportunities.” Student leaders from BPO and CDLU will moderate the discussion featuring a diverse panel of speakers, including Robin Hickman, social activist and television and film producer; and Brittany Baker, the second Black female in the St. Paul Fire Department’s history. “It serves as one of the sole opportunities for our students and families of color within South St. Paul to witness professionals within the surrounding communities from diverse cultures and backgrounds,” said Daniel Knewitz, SSP teacher and BPO assistant advisor. “Last year, the attendance for this event was overwhelming, which validated just how much of a need there is for such a dialogue within our community.” The organizations will also host a casual dinner and provide youth the opportunity to speak one-on-one with professionals in their fields of interest.

The 3rd annual Professionals of Color Career Panel takes place Thursday, Nov. 15 from 6-8 pm at South Saint Paul Secondary, located at 700 North Second Street in South St. Paul. The event is free and open to the members of the South Saint Paul community.

Photo by Naomi Gedey Information provided by South Saint Paul Secondary. For more information, visit www. sspps.org/secondary.

November 1-7, 2018

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Everything you need to know about acute flaccid myelitis This rare but very serious condition can cause paralysis in children

techniques • Use appropriate mosquito repellants and protection • Ensure all vaccinations are up to date

We currently are uncertain of what causes AFM. There may be one singular cause, or the condition may be a result of many causes that can produce the same effects. Scientists postulate that it could be a yet-to-beidentified virus or even environmental toxin. I would also submit for consideration infectious proteins called “prions” that can cause disease. Additionally, doctors are not sure of any factors that would increase one’s risk of developing AFM. By Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD Dr. Crutchfield, I saw on the news that many Minnesota children are developing polio-like symptoms. What is this about? The condition is called acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). It is a rare, but very serious condition that affects a person’s nervous system via the spinal cord. The results are a weakening of one or more of the arms or legs or other muscles of the body. The weakening of the legs can cause extreme difficulty walking and even paralysis. As a result, the condition is very similar, clinically, to polio. Some patients make a rapid recovery and others may have a lengthy, perhaps even permanent paralysis. The prognosis can vary depending on the patient. If a person does have AFM, it is essential to use all treatment and rehabilitation options available.

What we do know • The condition is very rare, affecting less than one in a million persons in the United States. • There have been six documented cases of AFM in Minnesota, with over 20 suspected cases. • From August 2014 through September 2018, there have been about 390 reported cases of AFM in the United States. (Reporting is voluntary, so this number is probably lower than the actual number of cases that have actually occurred.) • Most cases are of children. The average age is four, and 90 percent of cases occur in those younger than 18. • In no cases have doctors discovered a causative agent, including the polio virus. Symptoms • Sudden weakness in the arms or legs

If your child develops weakness of any limb, especially if they have coldlike symptoms or other viral symptoms, take them to the doctor immediately. The prognosis now depends on getting prompt medical care as soon as possible. Eventually, we will understand the cause of AFM. Until then, these action steps are our best hope for prevention and a good recovery. • • • • • • •

Facial droop Facial weakness Slurred speech Drooping eyelids Difficulty moving the eyes Difficulty swallowing Difficulty breathing. This is the most severe complication of AFM because a weakening of the muscle that controls breathing is a medical emergency that, without immediate support, can lead to death.

What the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is doing The CDC is actively investigating all reported cases of AFM and working closely with doctors and other healthcare providers and health departments to increase awareness of AFM.

CDC activities include: • Encouraging healthcare providers to be watchful and report suspected cases of AFM • Actively looking for risk factors for developing AFM • Testing specimens, including stool, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid, from alleged AFM cases • Working with researchers across the country and world to determine the cause of AFM • Disseminating all new information on AFM to doctors, healthcare providers, and health departments as it becomes available What you can do Because the condition mimics the result of a viral infection, it is essential to:Practice good hand-washing

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

Three main steps to becoming a ‘Jegna’ The term “JegAs we round out na” is a transthe year 2018 and enlation from the ter the final winter ancient kingmonths, it is impordom of Abyssintant for us to reflect ia. In African culon the progress we ture, Jegna is a have made this year. title of distincPersonal, professiontion. Translatal and spiritual deJEGNA ed into English, velopment should be it can mean seva part of everyone’s eral things: hero, life. All three should Brandon Jones warrior, soldier, be elements that are courage, strength actively thought about and planned on for all and protection of our culture, land and people or elder. of us. A Jegna is a person who Sadly, many of us do not take an active effort in devel- is still growing, still a learnoping these areas of our lives. er, still with potential, and We know that society is diffi- whose life continues to have cult. Life presents many chal- within it promise for and conlenges and difficulties in ma- nection to the future. A Jegna ny different façades. This is is a person who deserves reone of the motivations for this spect and honor and whose work it is to synthesize wiscolumn, “Jegna.” There have been many dom from lifelong experience questions of what this col- and formulate this into a legaumn is about and what “Jeg- cy for future generations. It is our great hope that na” even means. The purpose of this column is to provide reading this column inspires alternative methods of think- you to act in the following ing to assist with improving three ways: 1) Find continued enjoythe reader’s worldview.

ment in learning and accessing new information 2) Find creative and innovative ways of leveraging your own genius, and 3) Being brave enough to address and cope with your own personal pain and trauma. I believe these are the three main areas that enable us to live healthy and wholesome lives. Continuous learning Acquiring knowledge and information is an essential part of life. We often do not think about our ability to acquire information outside of an educational or work-related environment. However, it is important for us to continue to engage in active learning beyond these two institutional environments. Learning is an essential process of living. We learn every day passively. We inquire and retain information all around us from the environments we interact in every day. However, just existing and importing information

passively is not enough. We must be engaged in the learning process and actively seeking and acquiring information to improve our lives. Information is everywhere. There is quality information literally right at our fingertips, and it is up to you to make the choice to seek out the information available to impact your life.

Many individuals are unaware of their actions, talents and skills, which then leads them to being unaware of their own level of genius. You should be someone who attempts to know exactly what your actions, talents and skills are in order to identify them and tap into your genius. Once you know what that level of genius is, then you have the potential to le-

In a world where everything is smart, all you have to be is wise. Discovering and leveraging your genius It is amazing how many people live in the world who are not aware of the genius they possess. Unfortunately, many people consider genius to only mean having high IQ (intelligence quotient) scores. This is far from the truth. I define genius as a state of intelligence that is a summation of your actions, talents and skills.

verage it into bettering your position. Deal with your personal trauma Dealing with our own stuff is not an easy task. Our personal histories of adversity are memories we usually try to suppress. This could be due to shame, fear or guilt. However, having the ability to cope and address these past experiences puts one in a position of strength instead of weakness. It might be a painful process to confront these negative experiences. However, this process can (and often does) build resilient character traits that can be utilized

in many facets of your life. Dealing with our own trauma and adversity requires us to be honest about the things we have experienced. This acceptance of traumatic experience can open up doors of resiliency. In short, everyone has the ability to change their life for the better. Even in difficult circumstances, one may be able to make some slight adjustments that can make a critical difference in shifting the outcomes of their situation. This is one of the impressive things about being a human being. Especially during this current period in time where we have vast exposure to information and opportunities, the power to make a difference in your life is almost entirely in your hands. In a world where everything is smart, all you have to be is wise. Being a Jegna is about attempting to put yourself in position to make an impact on society while crafting a better future for yourself. Brandon Jones M.A. is a mental health practitioner. He welcomes reader responses to Brandon@jegnainstitute.com or follow him on twitter @ UniversalJones.

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November 1-7, 2018

The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder (MSR) welcomes and values commentary and feedback from the community. The articles found here are edited for clarity and/or space, but the opinions are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of the MSR.

MN’s Black doctors endorse Tim Walz for governor By Minnesota Association of Black Physicians Guest Commentators

The Minnesota Association of Black Physicians (MAPB) has announced its endorsement and support of Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota. The organization cited a commitment to remove healthcare disparities as a primary reason for the decision.

access to quality care,” Crutchfield continued. “While we seek to protect the doctor/patient relationship, we believe that relationship is not available to too many who have historically been left behind. Tim Walz appears best suited among the leading candidates to address coverage gaps that are unacceptable in Minnesota today.”

“Tim Walz appears best suited among the leading candidates to address coverage gaps that are unacceptable in Minnesota today.” “After considering all the candidates and their positions on healthcare, especially for Communities of Color, we strongly support Tim Walz for governor,” said Charles E. Crutchfield III, M.D., MABP President. Dr. Crutchfield and his colleagues specifically cited the commitment shown by Walz/Flanagan to a strong public healthcare option for those who may have been excluded from coverage in the past. “The future of every community requires

The MABP is a non-profit organization created to provide education, support, camaraderie, and advocacy for Minnesota’s physicians with a special emphasis on supporting physicians of color. Initially created by Black/African-American physicians, the MABP embraces Minnesota physicians and patients of all races, ethnicities, genders, and preferences and welcomes them to become members and seek care from physician members.

Keith Ellison is the civil rights champion we need By Dr. Josie Johnson Guest Commentator Throughout my life, I have seen great advances in the cause of civil rights. I have been honored to work alongside many other community activists, leaders and elected officials to achieve some of those steps — including passage of Minnesota’s landmark antidiscrimination laws in the 1950s and 1960s. Now, with the future of civil rights increasingly uncertain in our fraught national political environment, we need strong state leaders who can enforce civil rights and consumer protection laws to make our economy, and our society, work better for everyone.

across income levels, races and religious beliefs. When powerful men are accused of something, they often think their wealth and power will shield them from any consequences. Time and again, we’ve seen these men demand that we ignore the claims of women and refuse to investigate the allegations. I am proud to say Ellison has been one exception to this rule. He has requested a bipartisan congressional investigation of the claim against him, even after initial investigations found the claim unsubstantiated. And, even as Republican politicians and dark money groups work to exploit Ellison’s race and religious beliefs to cast doubt on him, he has insisted we listen and find

sition, he was legal counsel for a group that has worked to block marriage equality and legalize discrimination at private businesses. When confronted about his work with this organization, Wardlow has defended the group and attempted to smear the SPLC as “discredited,” despite its decades of work to ensure that the promise of the Civil Rights Movement would become a reality for all. But, Wardlow’s attacks on civil rights run even deeper. He has long supported discriminatory measures to reduce voter participation in Minnesota, including the failed voter ID amendment in 2012, which he defended by suggesting that Minnesotans are not born with the innate

I urge all Minnesotans to vote for Keith Ellison for attorney general, for affordable health care, a fair economy and equal opportunity for all. That is why I am proud to support Keith Ellison for attorney general. With over a decade in Congress and 16 years as a public defense attorney, Ellison is a critical thinker who has always worked to expand democracy and make our government work better for the people it serves. He has been a leader in the defense of civil rights and justice in our economy. I understand there have been questions for some Minnesotans about the allegation raised by Ellison’s former partner. Across the country, survivors are bravely speaking up about the abuse and assault that has been all too common

out the facts. That his race and religion are being used by Republicans to try to distract and divide us should come as no surprise. They are working hard to elect Ellison’s opponent, Doug Wardlow, who has promised to use the office to enrich and empower corporate interests while devastating the civil rights of Minnesotans and protections for our families. Wardlow would be a disaster for civil rights in Minnesota. For the past four years, he has worked for an organization labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for its extreme anti-LGBT views. In this po-

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right to vote. He has doubled down on this position, and has promised to use the attorney general’s office to replicate President Trump’s discredited “voter fraud commission,” using the powers of the attorney general’s office to reduce voting in a way that makes Minnesota “more red.” If there is any question by what Wardlow means when he says this, he stated clearly that he does not believe there should be any law based on ethnicity or race. With views like these, Minnesotans cannot trust Wardlow to fairly enforce Minnesota’s robust employment discrimination laws, housing discrimination laws, and other equal rights protections which so many have fought so hard for over generations, including myself. Luckily, Minnesotans have a clear choice for a champion for civil rights and equal opportunity for all. In Congress, Ellison has always stood with us, even when Republicans and special interest groups have come for him. Now they are coming for Ellison again, to try to distract and divide us based on race and religion. This November, I urge all Minnesotans to vote for Keith Ellison for attorney general, for affordable health care, a fair economy and equal opportunity for all. Dr. Josie Johnson is a longtime civil rights activist. .

Choosing NOT to vote still impacts you By Jeffrey L. Boney Guest Commentator “I will vote!” That is such an empowering statement, when you think about it, especially considering how important voting is for Black people at this critical time in this country. The voting rights of Blacks are being targeted and threatened every day and those threats have become extremely rampant over the course of the last several months leading up to these important midterm elections next week. Early voting has begun in several states and the shenanigans have also increased. There have been a number of reports coming out across the country about voter disenfranchisement and voter suppression tactics that are negatively impacting African Americans, and it is startling. In Georgia, for instance, Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who is also running for governor against Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams, who is African American, has been hit with a federal lawsuit after being accused of hampering minority voters from registering prior to the midterm elections on November 6. This is troubling, especially because Kemp is running for governor while holding the office responsible for handling the important process of voter registration. According to reports, Kemp’s office put approximately 53,000 voter registration applications on hold because of minor discrepancies, and although Blacks make up roughly 32 percent of Georgia’s population, approximately 70 percent of the applications in Kemp’s office that were placed in this voter registration pending status were those of Black applicants. Back in August, the Forward Times published an extremely troubling story entitled, “Jim Crow 2018 — Black Voting Rights under Attack in Harris County,” highlighting a voter suppression tactic that took place where roughly 4,000 eligible Harris County voters, mostly African Americans located in Houston’s historic Third Ward, had their voting rights attacked by an independent operative who used an antiquated Texas state law to legally challenge their voting status. The issue of voter disenfranchisement, voter intimidation, and voter suppression is not new, just like protecting the voting rights of African Americans has been an ongoing fight for centuries and one that cannot be ignored. Voting matters. Voting makes a difference. After the Civil War, Black men were elected to the U.S. Congress and the South even elected some Black senators. These political gains and the progress made by Black people as a result of Reconstruction governments in the South empowered many Blacks financially and socially. Many Southern Whites knew that if they wanted to reestablish control and political dominance over Black people in this country, they would have to stop Black people from voting by any means necessary. Thus, the Ku Klux Klan was formed, which came with a primary focus of taking back the South through voter suppression, voter intimidation and voter disenfranchisement. Fast forward to 2018 and the apple has not fallen too far from the tree and Black people in this country are still being disenfranchised politically through voter suppression, voter intimidation and voter disenfranchisement. It is impossible for Black people to be disengaged politically and then hope to get the best treatment, outcomes or results from the elected officials they failed to engage with while those candidates were running for their respective seats. However, choosing not to vote at all is a completely different situation altogether. It is detrimental to the growth of the African American community. It does not help, it hurts. There is a quote that is often referenced when describing someone who is not a part of a major decision that affects them that goes, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” The worst thing African Americans could ever do in the realm of politics is nothing. By choosing not to vote, you are in essence being told who you will get to represent you at every level of government — local, county, state and federal, as well as what you will get when it comes to key public policy issues.

Have you ever asked yourself why it has been so important to other people to make it difficult for Black people to vote? Why have so many people and groups poured so much money into getting behind select candidates and political parties? Why are people constantly seeking to suppress the vote? Why would people do anything to steal an election through voter suppression and voter intimidation tactics with an emphasis on disenfranchising African American voters? It is because Black votes matter — and everyone knows it. Black people must know it and show that we are actually “at the table” and are no longer just “on the menu” come November 6. To avoid being “on the menu” as the main course meal on someone else’s table, Black people must show up to the polls this election cycle and make their voices heard. Black people must do this, in spite of the continuous neglect and lack of concentration of reaching Black voters through the mediums they are accustomed to by both political parties. Black people must not rely on others to plead their cause or fight their overall battles for them. Black people must vote.

Choosing not to vote leads to dire consequences for African Americans. Blacks should also use these midterm elections as a beta test for the 2020 presidential election and use the results as a tool to make demands and ensure a dedicated seat at the head table prior to 2020. The Black vote should no longer be considered a guaranteed vote. Those who have sought to disenfranchise and discourage African Americans from voting know the importance of voting, as well as the profound impact that voting has on representation, political outcomes and critical decisions that must be made on major issues that impact you. More importantly, those who seek to disenfranchise African Americans from the voting process know that whoever holds these political positions of power are able to direct necessary and critical resources to select areas. They are also able to ensure that select people are appointed to key boards and select positions that have an impact on you. Of course, you could choose to do nothing, which is still your choice and right to do so. But, whether you believe your vote matters or not — and it most certainly does — every Black person will have to adhere to any law that is passed and every decision that is made by the elected body of representatives who hold every seat. There is absolutely no level of complaining or reactionary response that will change that. There are no acceptable excuses when it comes to voting. Either Black people vote or reap the consequences of not voting. Every Black person should get engaged in politics if they wish to bring about change. So, this is your chance to make a difference. Say it: I will vote! Now go do it! Cast your vote early or be sure to vote on November 6. Jeffrey Boney is a political analyst for the NNPA Newswire and BlackPressUSA.com and the associate editor for the Houston Forward Times newspaper. Jeffrey is an award-winning journalist, dynamic, international speaker, experienced entrepreneur, business development strategist and founder and CEO of the Texas Business Alliance.

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voters from Georgia’s voter rolls over two years. Palast’s team of experts includes statisticians and lawyers analyzing changes and removals from voter rolls across America. “What’s happening [in the Georgia gubernatorial race] right now might be a defining moment in the brief history of our democracy — it will be the first publicized, well understood and quantifiable rigged and stolen election in the deluge. They will point here and say this was the moment and it happened with little fanfare,” tweeted pollster Cornell Belcher. A coalition of advocacy groups has launched a lawsuit to block Georgia from enforcing the “ex-

If elected, Stacey Abrams (above) would be the first Black female governor in U.S. history. Photo courtesy of staceyabrams.com / Flikr

ReentRy Continued from page 1

“If people look at me and say my story is a story of redemption and it’s great and it’s amazing and I’m inspiring, well, then I should do the same thing for you that happened to me. I had a deconstructive process when I went to prison. It stripped me naked, literally. And so with that, instead of doing that, literally, I want to do that metaphorically.” Armed with his own past experiences, he said his aim is to “tear down people’s ideas” of what success looks like and influence systems that extend beyond criminal justice. “I’m only doing what I thought that I feel like I needed [when I was released]. I’m not doing anything other than that, you know.” That includes creating NAACP chapters inside of prisons to mirror the work being done on the outside. Badue-El said the new chapters will allow inmates who are based in different units to communicate with each other to create programming. “Just like how [inmates] work for people sending out these balloons and license plates and all that, they can create programs that can come back out here,” explained Badue-El. “Then when they come out, they’d come out not just to a job, but a career of speaking or program development or things that they’ve already been doing.” He said he’ll need the community’s help for the program to be successful. “It’s not going to go good if only one side is ready and the other side isn’t,” he said. To help, he’s proposed a community pre-release program to coincide with the reentry efforts. “When you’re incarcerated, when you’re about to get out, you have a 90-day pre-release just to prepare you for the world,” he explained. “Now, we get out and we go to these places that we’ve been talking about for the last 90 days and the contacts of the people we’ve been talking to, and half of this stuff never really works out. Well, 85 to 90

percent doesn’t work out. “So, we have to keep on going,” he continued, “and eventually we end up back because it wasn’t that we weren’t ready for the world. It was the fact that the world wasn’t ready for us.” While still in its formative stages, BadueEl envisions the program would be a marquee effort against recidivism. Through it, the community would go through a similar 90-day structure. “Instead of you just getting a red alert that somebody is moving in [your neighborhood],” he said, the community will receive calls to action. “How are we going to support this person to make sure [they are] good and [have] what they need to feel like they can contribute to something and feel wanted?” This would include training, meetings, and “whatever the community thinks that they need to help nurture this person back to independence,” he said. “Because if you’re in prison, you don’t know any longer how to really be independent because you’ve been dependent for so long. That is a real thing that we have to all accept. I’m still learning myself.” While his past informs him, Badue-El doesn’t see his work as a silo, but rather an extension of NAACP’s previous efforts. “I’m only taking everything that’s already pretty much been in place. [Former NAACP chapter president] Jason Sole came in and brought the first prison outreach committee,” he said, noting that Sole also helped start the organization’s Child Protection Committee with Kelis Houston. “All I’m doing is just seeing the rules and the structure of how NAACP is and just moving on [and expanding] it.” In addition to working with the NAACP, Badue-El co-founded the Clean 4 Change Initiative in 2017. “We’re based on the reverse broken windows theory,” he said. “If it’s true that more incivility leads to more incivility and serious crime — that’s why the police act the way that they do — then the opposite must be true: more civility leads to more civility and opportunities for growth for people and businesses.”

act match” requirement that could block over 50,000 votes in the state. The Campaign Legal Center and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law argued in the suit, which was filed in a federal district court on Thursday, that the state’s “exact match” requirement violates the Voting Rights Act and the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The question a week from Election Day is: Will high turnout be able to compensate for attempts at voter suppression? Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist and writer for NNPA as well as a political analyst and communications strategist. She appears regularly on Roland Martin Unfiltered and can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke.

The initiative connects residents and leaders to clean up neighborhoods and create safe environments for the community. “We take people who live in the neighborhood and we clean up trash. “We also bring out [people] who are not from the neighborhood. We’ll take mayors, police officers, city council members, governors, business people — all of these different people. Whereas before nobody would have connected, now they’re connected [and] they’re building with each other.” He says those “authentic” connections are necessary to address everything from racism to recidivism via action, not just thought. “The reason why bias and all of these trainings don’t work is because you can’t teach relationships. You have to build [them]. All of the training, it’s only halfway there — you’re doing the studying of it, but it doesn’t mean anything to the body, so the body [the action] is always going to stay the same.” Badue-El also encouraged the community to visit prisons. “I get super-overwhelming letters from brothers incarcerated begging for the community just to come in and visit, just take tours. Whoever has a group or whatever you’re doing, just take a visit. You can contact the NAACP, or you could just call straight to the prison. It’s that simple.” As far as what’s next, Badue-El looks forward to continuing his public speaking. Just last month, he served as keynote speaker for the NAACP Colorado Montana Wyoming State Conference. He also has his eyes set on becoming an NAACP regional director. “That’s one of the goals, so the [work] just kind of adds on to what I’m trying to build my way to: paying attention to really what matters to our community first — not the system, but the people.” For more information on the NAACP Minneapolis chapter, visit mplsnaacp.org. The NAACP meets the first Monday of the month at Richard Green Central Park Elementary School, located at 3416 4th Ave. S. in Minneapolis. The next meeting is scheduled Nov. 5, 6-8 pm. Stephenetta Harmon welcomes reader responses to sharmon@spokesman-recorder.com.

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Shange also authored several books, plays and collections of poems including Spell No. 7, Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo, Liliane, and her most recent, Wild Beauty. “‘Zake was a woman of extravagance and flourish, and she left quickly without suffering,” said her sister Ifa Bayeza, who was also a writer. “It’s a huge loss for the world. I don’t think there’s a day on the planet when there’s not a young woman who discovers herself through the words of my sister.” For more information on Ntozake Shange and her works, visit officialntozakeshange.com.

SuppReSSion Continued from page 1

death knell for slavery, Black Americans flocked to the Republican Party. Back then, it was the more liberal of the United States’ two mainstream political parties. Southern Democrats fought back, using both violence and legislation. White paramilitary groups like the Ku Klux Klan and White Leagues threatened Black candidates, attacked African American voters, pushed Black leaders out of office and toppled Republican governments. After establishing singleparty control over the South, White Democrats in the late 1800s instituted a poll tax, making voting too expensive for former slaves and their descendants. “White primaries” excluded Blacks from choosing candidates in primary elections. These attacks proved effective. Between 1896 and 1904, the number of Black men who voted in Louisiana plummeted from 130,000 to 1,342. After North Carolina U.S. Rep. George White retired in 1901, the South would send no African Americans to Congress until the 1972 election. Voter suppression under Jim Crow In the early 20th Century, many Black Americans voted with their feet, migrating north and west. Around the same time, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal — which instituted racial quotas in hiring for federal public work projects and included policies aimed at reducing inequality — was shifting northern Black voters’ allegiance to the Democratic Party. Black voters in northern cities began putting African American Democrats into congressional office. But they did not give up on the South, pressing the Supreme Court to reaffirm voting rights in the 1944 case Smith v. Allwright, which prohibited White-only primaries. But Black voter suppression remained deeply entrenched in the South. Several states required new voters to complete literacy tests before they could cast a ballot. In the 1880s, 76 percent of southern Blacks were illiterate, versus 21 percent of Whites. Strategies for excluding Black voters evolved along with federal law. In reaction to Brown v. Board of Education, which in 1954 overturned “separate but equal” segregation laws, Mississippi in the same year modified its poll test. It asked voters to interpret a section of the state’s constitution, authorizing county registrars to determine whether the applicant’s answer was “reasonable.” Virtually all African Americans, regardless of education or performance, failed. Within a year, the number of Blacks registered to vote in Mississippi dropped from 22,000 to 12,000 — a mere two percent of eligible Black voters. Political violence, including the 1955 attempted assassination of voting rights activist Gus Courts and murder of George W. Lee, accompanied the legal restrictions, showing the cost of Black political independence. Fighting for the vote Activists were not deterred. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Congress of Racial Equality continued to wage grassroots voter registration campaigns and fight for official representation in the Democratic Party. In 1964, a new political party, the Mississippi Freedom

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Democratic Party, was founded to welcome “sharecroppers, farmers and ordinary working people.” The Freedom Democratic Party elected 68 delegates to attend the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey, hoping to transform the all-White Mississippi delegation. Trying to broker a deal, national Democratic leaders extended Mississippi’s Freedom Democrats two nonvoting atlarge seats at the convention, a minor concession that led most White Mississippi party members to walk out in protest. Freedom Democrats rejected the two seats as tokenism, holding a sit-in on the convention floor in Atlantic City to highlight the lack of Black political representation. Black voters make gains Over time, the Civil Rights Movement sparked a political shift that dramatically changed the U.S. electorate. The 24th Amendment outlawed poll taxes in 1964, abolishing a major barrier to Black enfranchisement in the South. Literacy tests, too, were restricted under the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act also established federal oversight of voting laws to ensure equal access to elections, particularly in the South. By the early 21st century, African Americans constituted a majority of the registered Democrats in Deep South states from South Carolina to Louisiana. They turn out in high numbers and have been key voters for getting Democrats into office in the conservative-dominated South. Voter suppression today Over the past decade, Republican lawmakers have chipped away at the last century’s advances, enacting voter ID laws that make it harder to vote. Claiming they seek to deter election fraud, some 20 states have restricted early voting or passed laws requiring people to show a government ID before voting. Voter identification laws have hidden costs, research shows. Getting a government ID means traveling to state agencies, acquiring birth certificates, and taking time off work. That puts it out of reach for many, a kind of 21st-Century poll tax. Federal and state courts have overturned such laws in some states, including Georgia, North Carolina and North Dakota, citing their harmful effect on African American and Native American voters. But the Supreme Court in 2008 deemed Indiana’s voter ID law a valid deterrent to voter fraud. Perhaps most damaging to Black voters was a 2013 Supreme Court decision that weakened the Voting Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 stopped southern districts from changing laws to exclude Black voters — but only temporarily. Shelby County v. Holder ended 48 years of federal oversight of southern voting laws, concluding that the requirement relied on “40-yearold facts that have no logical relation to the present day.” Current events show that voter suppression is hardly a thing of the past. From Georgia’s voter registration scandal to gerrymandered districts that dilute minority voting power, millions may be shut out of November’s midterms. Frederick Knight is associate professor of history at Morehouse College. This article is republished from The Conversation. Front graphic Getty Imaages.

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November 1-7, 2018

‘Grace’ pays homage to splendor of Black women and hats

(l-r) Orange Blossom and Vintage Hat artwork by Beverly Tipton Hammond By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer The timeless cultural cornerstone of Black women sporting flamboyantly decorative headwear will take center stage at the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery’s (MAAHMG) new exhibit “Grace.” The colorful tradition of Black women and elaborate hats reportedly dates back to ancient Egypt. In America, enslaved Black women were allowed to don decorative caps and hats for Sunday worship service. In the 1940s and ’50s, milliner Mae Reeves, now immortalized by a permanent collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American Culture, created designs for notables Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald and Eartha Kitt. The late Aretha Franklin carried on the tradition when she sang for President Barack Obama’s 2008 inauguration sporting a show-stopping bow-tied church hat designed by Luke Song. “Grace” pays homage to the history and cultural significance of fancy hats, often called church hats, with paintings by Beverly Tipton Hammond and photography by Walter Griffin. Both spoke to the MSR prior to the exhibit opening. Tipton Hammond contributes selections from her “Hattitude” series, rendering dazzling elegance and understated sass. “I’ve always loved hats,” she said, smiling. “I’d attend Pentecostal and Baptist churches, praise God, jump up and down. The first ladies wore the hats that matched the suits that matched the shoes and the pocketbook. “I’ve been to Africa, spent time with Nigerian and Kenyan women who wear a three-piece skirt, top and a head wrap. Hats are like crowns.” She added, “I’m not the only one to use the term ‘hattitude.’ Women who wear hats, there’s a certain [regality], particularly church hats.” A visual artist, writer, dancer-choreographer and singer-songsmith, creativity is in Tipton Hammond’s blood. Her dad, local gospel legend Tom Tipton, sang at Sabathani Missionary Baptist Church in Minneapolis, long ministered with world-renowned parsons Billy Graham and Robert Schuller. “One of my cousins is [a company member] with The San Francisco Opera. He sang at the Minnesota Opera. Aunt Lydia was an opera singer. Even my mother, though she became a nurse, had a beautiful voice.” For that matter, Tipton Hammond, among other prestigious outings, sang at the White House for President Bill Clinton. “I got it from both sides [of the family],” she recalled.

Immersed in the arts from her pre-teens years of studying dance at Children’s Theater Company School and Minnesota Dance Theatre, Tipton Hammond has been painting the past 12 years. However, her first calling is answering to the Lord.

olis Institute of Art and the Minnesota History Center; and nationally at Studio Museum of Harlem (NYC), The School of the Art Institute (Chicago, IL), Carver Museum (Austin, TX) and Five Point Museum, (Denver, CO), as well as abroad in Ghana, Liberia, Uganda, Spain, Scotland and France. Griffin caught on early in life, inspired by an icon. “[At] about eight, I got to see Gordon Parks do a demonstration at [Chicago’s] Southside Community Arts Center. At that time, I was already the third-grade reporter for my school newspaper. I had an interest in photography already and it spurred my interest even more.” Griffin’s catalog captures a career spent photographing jazz musicians, cityscapes, cultural events, dancers and the seasons of life. Reflecting on his stints lecturing at universities and colleges, he said, “Principally, I tell about my life as a photographer and show images I’ve [shot] over the years.”

He’s rubbed shoulders with notables, lensing the likes of, among others, Miles Davis, Bob Marley and Count Basie. “Sarah Vaughn sang at one of my openings,” he recalled. He said of these encounters, “I was just documenting the moment, man. Sometimes it was a job. The most important thing is to get the image. “Most of the time I was publishing, so, I had to make sure I got the image. I think you can have aspects that make it art and there are aspects where you just happened to be at the precise moment and capture an event. You could say it’s a craft. I have made a living doing photography, so, in some ways, I would say it’s a vocation and an avocation.” In addition to the photography of Griffin and the paintings of Tipton Hammond, “Grace” also features a collection of hats provided by Kevin Henderson of Mr. H’s hats. “Grace” runs from Nov. 1, 2018 to Jan. 31, 2019 at the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery, 1256 Penn Avenue, Fourth Floor, in North Minneapolis. Beverly Tipton Hammond and Walter Griffin will be on hand for the opening reception on Nov. 1 from 5-7 pm. Admission is free. For more info, visit www.maahmg.org.

Beverly Tipton Hammond “[Painting] was a hobby I would do in my downtime. Since I’m a dancer, the brush was like dancing on the canvas.” As an ordained elder, she carries The Word via Pure Water Ministries International. “I still go to church and shout,” she said. She has shown her work at, among other halls, The Women’s Hat Luncheon and Hennepin County Employee exhibit. Tipton Hammond continues both her penchant for creating images, working with visual artist-writer husband Andrew Hammond to launch Berries on the Vine Graphics & Design and, of course, her steadfast devotion to God which includes the innovative comic book The Adventures of Holy Girl. Walter Griffin may well be the Twin Cities’ hardest working shutterbug with 150 showings, averaging, he estimates, between 20 and 30 photographs per exhibit. His prints have featured locally at the Guthrie Theater, Minneap-

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Obituary

Lillian Louise Smith July 11, 1923 — October 6, 2018

L

illian Louise Smith passed away on October 6, 2018 at the age of 95 years. Lillian was born to Henry and Lillian Schofield on July 11, 1923 in Minneapolis, MN. Her nickname was Choo Choo. Lillian retired from the

Main Minneapolis Public Library. After staying at home for a few years, Lillian went back to work and was employed as a receptionist for WCCO Television. Lillian is preceded in death by her parents and eight siblings (Grigsbys and Schofields) and granddaughter, Elise Simpson. She is survived by Gwendolyn Dillion (sister); Judy Baker (daughter); Dana Rivera (nephew); grandchildren John (Sonja) and Melissa Simpson; great grandchildren Jua, Safiya, Christopher, Davis, Marianna and Mar-

salis; and a large, loving family and a host of loving friends. At Lillian’s request, no memorial is being planned.

Peace and Love Unto You.

Business spotlight: KMS Air Duct Cleaning Continued from page 1

MSR: Do you have a college background in the business? KM: No, not at all, I started out working for a guy for a year, until I realized I could do this on my own. I struggled mildly for six years until I was able to establish accounts and figure out a way to bring in revenue consistently. MSR: What was one of your biggest challenges when you first started? KM: The whole struggle of having that first employee is a barrier to any small business, to find out how to legally hire someone — making them an employee, making sure you pay the taxes with payroll and sales tax, and figuring out the accounting side of business. With being in business for 27 years, it took 10 years to understand the business. MSR: What would you say the key is to running a business? KM: The first thing is make sure you know your business — if there’s a national standard or certification, be a part of that. The other part of running a business is the stuff you don’t know. You need to search out the answers and the accepted practices of the business. That can make or break the company. Do the simple things like opening up a business bank account and having a banking relationship, to not using your personal credit to fund the business after a certain point because it can drag the company down.

it takes a technician five years to learn the ropes of the industry and get the certifications along the way. MSR: How does your business impact the community? KM: We look like the community in having a high minority workforce. MSR: What’s been the most rewarding part of owning your business? KM: Seeing employees that look like myself transition from having a job into having a career and being able to support their family. MSR: What’s your vision or goals for your business? KM: For the folks who started with me to advance into roles of leadership and grow into industries that we’re not in right now. MSR: What advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur? KM: Have a relationship with a bank that specializes in working with small businesses, and own the building that the business is located in as soon as possible. KMS Air Duct Cleaning is located at 3648 Snelling Ave. in Minneapolis. MSR readers can receive a 20 percent discount on residential or commercial air duct cleaning services. Offer valid until January 31, 2019. For more information, visit www.kmsclean.com. — Interview conducted by Jonika Stowes

MSR: What education is needed to work at your company? KM: We train technicians in-house and they have high school degrees. On average,

THE STATE OF BLACK MINNESOTA

CONVERSATIONS CONVERSATIONS WITH WITH THE THE COUNCIL COUNCIL OF OF MINNESOTANS MINNESOTANS OF OF AFRICAN AFRICAN HERITAGE HERITAGE & & BLACK BLACK VOTES VOTES MATTER MATTER MN MN

WHY DOES THIS ELECTION MATTER? Presidential elections generate a lot of hype and excitement every 4 years. People tend to tune out in between time. And yet, that is exactly when they need to tune in. Municipal (City Elections) and Midterm (State & County Elections, etc) have the most direct impact on your community and your life. WHO ARE WE VOTING FOR NOW?

“There’s an election every year," says Anika Robbins, Founder of Black Votes Matter MN. “In 2016, we had the Presidential election, 2017 was the Municipal elections, where we voted in new Mayors, City Council members, along with school and park board representatives. This year, we’re voting for a new Governor, new Attorney General, County Commissioners, Sheriffs, Attorneys, and several new Judges, among others,” she says.

Gubernatorial (Governor) races generate a lot of fanfare; almost as much as Presidential races. County races, however, have gone almost completely unnoticed, as many voters admit not knowing county , seats like County Attorney and Sheriff, are elected. For this reason, a few have managed to maintain these seats-with little to no contest-for over 2-5 terms, or, more than 10-20 years. A few, like Hennepin County’s Sheriff Stanek, served in the State legislature prior to serving as Sheriff, authoring several laws that are enforced today. Anika Robbins

ON NOVEMBER 6TH

You get to weigh in on these issues and select leaders who will fight for YOU.

WHOSE ROLE IS IT? The offices listed below play a role in enforcing and reviewing current policies around the issues listed below, and then some. They also have the power to influence, change or implement new or existing policies for better outcomes.

ISSUE CHILD PROTECTION DISPARITIES

WHOSE ROLE IS IT Governor, Legislators and County Commissioners

MASS INCARCERATION

“It’s time for voters to pay attention to who they’ve left at the wheel,” continues Robbins. “Voters must review the last 10-20 years and ask themselves how they were impacted, how their families and communities were impacted. The statistics are very telling”

Governor, Legislators, Attorney General, County Commissioners, County Attorneys, Judges, County Sheriffs, City Councils, Mayor

PROFILING

ELECTIONS & CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM Minnesota is one of the worst states for Black Minnesotans due to rank disparities in housing, education, employment and mass incarceration. In 2017, over 70% of detainees in Hennepin & Ramsey County jails and juvenile detention centers were Black. Racial profiling, over-charging/excessive sentencing and the cash bail system, contribute to those numbers, but they don’t end there. Adding insult to injury is the difficulty ex-offenders may have in finding employment and housing, and the loss of voting rights. Today, over 50,000 Minnesotans can’t vote. "Elections have consequences,” says Sarah Catherine Walker. "Too many individuals in our community are denied the right to vote because of past experiences with the criminal justice system. Too many mothers and fathers are not able to vote on who governs the education of their children.” Walker is the Founder of the MN Second Chance Coalition, a leader on the “Ban the Box” legislation, which Minnesota passed into law, prohibiting employers from automatically excluding people with criminal records before the interview process. "Those of us can vote, must,” she continues.

Governor, Legislators, Attorney General, County Commissioners, County Attorneys, Judges, County Sheriffs, City Councils, Mayor

ECONOMIC DISPARITIES

Governor, Legislators, County Commissioners, Attorney General

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Governor, Legislators, County Commissioners, Attorney General

AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE

Governor, Legislators, County Commissioners, Attorney General

EDUCATION

Governor, Legislators, County Commissioners, School Board

ENVIRONMENT

Governor, Legislators, County Commissioners

Sarah Catherine Walker

*With the exception of the police department, all of these seats are up for election on November 6th.

Police officers, Sheriffs, County Attorneys, Judges, County Commissioners and State Legislators-and the Governor-all play an integral role in the cycle of perpetual punishment.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT? Hennepin County employs over 9,000 employees and operates on a $2.9 billion budget. It is the largest, wealthiest county (for some) in the state of Minnesota-followed by Ramsey County. County government provides services and oversight of transportation, hospitals, housing, jails and detention centers, parks, libraries, and more. As a public entity governed by the County Board of Commissioners supported by your taxes, it also has oversight of the County Attorney and Sheriff. Each administers a budget between $40-$50 million-respectively. “Budgets are statements of priorities,” continues Robbins. “Is it more important to purchase more surveillance equipment and conduct office remodeling? Or would the community be better served with restorative justice best practices that reduces recidivism and keeps families together? As a voter, are you comfortable with your tax dollars being spent on over-sentencing people, imposing bankrupting bail on low-level offenders? Is it important to create affordable housing solutions for the 35% of homeless Minnesota families with small children, and the growing numbers of homeless Elders? Is it important to protect our water, the environment? Provide affordable healthcare solutions? All of the people on the ballot will be making these decisions on your behalf. You better vote in who you trust to do right by you and your family.”

VOTE!

NOVEMBER 6th

The Council of Minnesotans of African Heritage and Black Votes Matter MN are non-partisan. To learn more, visit: mn.gov/cmah/ and www.blackvotesmattermn.com

November 1-7, 2018

Legals

Employment

State of Minnesota Certificate of Assumed Name Minnesota Statutes Chapter 333 ASSUMED NAME: PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS:

Case Administrator The Edible Yard Mpls 2916 Cedar Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55407 USA

NAMEHOLDER: HildaViktoria Mork 714 Newton Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55411 USA

SIGNED BY: HildaViktoria Mork EMAIL FOR OFFICIAL NOTICES: edibleyardmpls@gmail.com DATED: 10/06/2017 11:59 PM Minnesota Spokesman Recorder October 25 & November 1, 2018

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

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Continued from page 10

952-201-4077 Todd.Williams@fcmhomeloans.com

Different Shade of Black Thoughts Every Black or White person has someone or knows someone who is depicted in one of the short story poems.

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their own self-esteem, which might influence them to choose coaching as well. “I had great role models when I was a studentathlete,” O’Banion recalled. “That’s part of the reason I wanted to coach. You never know who’s watching.” The percentage of female head college coaches, however, has severely dropped from over 90 percent before Title IX was passed in the 1970s to barely over 40 percent today. The problem isn’t that not enough qualified females exist, but that not enough male decision-makers are looking for them, retired Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi pointed out. “I think you need to search out to find female candidates,” Maturi explained.

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And, because of the times, I think they have a strong case for being considered among the best teams in MLB history.

regarded as the greatest team ever, but those teams had all White players. MLB banned Black players from playing in the big leagues until 1947. So I will say that the Red Sox, who won their franchise’s ninth World Series, tying the Athletics, are now third to New York (27) and St. Louis (11) for most World Series won.

Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, on WDGYAM 740 Monday and Friday at 9:10 am, and at www. Gamedaygold.com. He also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Follow him on Twitter at FitzBeatSr. Larry welcomes reader responses to info@larry-fitzgerald.com, or visit www.LarryFitzgerald.com.

Fitz

Program Associate, History Day – History Center The Minnesota Historical Society is currently seeking applicants to assist in the development and delivery of student and teacher services for the statewide History Day program in Minnesota. The Program Associate will develop, coordinate, and deliver educational programs for students in grades 6-12; coordinate the delivery of summer campus engagement programs with partner organizations; develop and deliver professional development programs for teachers; support collaborations with other MNHS departments and historic sites to serve History Day participants; and assist in the development and delivery of teaching materials as needed for these programs. Please visit our career center at www.mnhs.org/jobs to apply. Application deadline date is: 11/6/2018. EEO

Sr. Integration Consultant Sr. Integration Consultant, Concord USA, Hopkins, MN. Req. Bach. in CS, Software Eng., or related discipline, & 5yrs exp. in design & development of integration solutions, or Master’s & 2 yrs. exp. Also req. 2 yrs. exp.: Microservice design & implementation; Modern software CI/CD & DevOps practices such as Git version control; Public cloud providers or private cloud deployment fabrics such as Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure. 1 yr. exp. w/: Test Driven Design (TDD) & consistent build-time application of Unit Tests to ensure software quality; mocking frameworks to support dependency-free unit testing, & exp. w/ developer-level automated integration testing. Work at client sites at least 80% of time. May perform duties at client sites in Twin Cities metro area & surr.counties & in the Chicago, Illinois area. All new hires must undergo mandatory drug testing & background checks. Submit résumé to lauren.kollmann@concordusa.com. No agencies or phone calls.

If you would like to join our fast-paced and professional team, please send your résumé for an Immediate Interview Please proof, respond with to twilliams@spokesman-recorder.com. email confirmation to display@ spokesman-recorder.com.

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“My goal is to play hard for my team,” Rollins continued. She arrived on campus during the winter semester and participated in spring Continued from page 10 ball. She said she believes that helped her transition. “I had to change a lot of things” in regard to Morgan lead the team in kills. These five players have triple-digit kills already this year to her hitting and serving, she noted. “If I would help Minnesota have an even offensive bal- have come [later], it would have been a lot and taken me longer to figure it out. ance. “I’m good at listening and learning,” she Off the court, Rollins display a cool exterior completely opposite her on-court energetic said, “but I felt it was a lot of pressure on me. I play. This perhaps can be partly attributed to had to do those things he [McCutcheon] is tellher musical diet of such artists as the legend- ing me to do [in order] to play in the fall. But I just stayed steady and kept listening and tryary soulful and sultry Sade. “I do listen to calm music before games,” ing new things out.” Evidently her approach has proven posishe told us — “Love Is Stronger than Pride” and “Soldier of Love” are among her favorite tive. “It’s definitely better than what I thought Sade tunes. “I get anxious real easily and get it would be,” Rollins said. And off court? nervous a lot,” and listening to Sade and others “School’s good. I like it.” during her pre-match ritual “keeps me calm Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to on the court,” the freshman noted. McCutcheon reiterated his amazement on challman@spokesman-recorder.com. Rollins’ ability “to work through” any game jitters she might encounter.

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“You can’t just post the job and just hope you get the best candidate from that posting. There are enough qualified female candidates out there.” There also are qualified Black females, but coaching opportunities aren’t as plentiful. Black women in 2016 held 11.4 percent of Division I women’s basketball head coaching positions in 2016. O’Banion is among the Black females who got a chance to run a big-time program at Kent State (2012-16). “We as Black women are like a unicorn right now,” she told me after the panel. When over 80 percent of the college athletic directors are White males, “There will continue to be a disconnect” in improving the numbers for Black female coaches, she said. The all-female Gopher basketball coaching staff, to a person, do not take their current positions lightly. “I would ask people from…the community to rally around our program, because that would make it better,” O’Banion concluded. Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.

Sr. Informatica Developer Sr. Informatica Developer, Concord USA, Hopkins, MN. Req. Bach. in Engineering., Comp. Sci., or related discipline, & 5 yrs. progressive exp. in dev. & programming Informatica. Must possess: 5 yrs. exp. w/: Informatica & Oracle, Informatica tools & architecture including Grid architecture and Master Data Management (MDM); 5 yrs. with MDM Data Models; Data Quality & Data Governance processes; 3 yrs. exp. w/ OLTP & OLAP systems, data marts, transient stores and ADS concepts (golden copy); 2 yrs. exp. in MDM environment using Informatica Powerexchange technologies such as Informatica Data Director, Informatica Data Quality and Informatica Multi-Domain MDM. Must possess Informatica or Oracle Certification. Travel to and perform duties at client sites in the Twin Cities area. Req. drug testing and background checks. Submit résumé to lauren. kollmann@concordusa.com. No agencies or phone calls.

GET NOTICED! • Employment • Rentals • For Sale • Divorce • Assumed Name • Probate

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10

November 1-7, 2018

Boston Red Sox champions of baseball! They may be among the best teams in MLB history

T

he Boston Red Sox have achieved one of the greatest seasons in the history of baseball after winning their fourth World Series since 2004. Many times you have heard me refer to the MLB season as a marathon, not a sprint. When you play 162 games and start training camp in February, there is plenty of room for overcoming slumps. In case you missed what the Red Sox achieved in 2018, I’ll review it for you. They were 108-54, winning the American League East by eight games over the New York Yankees, who were 100-62. They were led by rookie manager Joey Cora. Center fielder Mookie Betts led the Majors in hitting with a .346 average, stole 30 bases and hit 30 home runs. He could be the American League MVP. His teammate J.D. Martinez is in the running for that honor after hitting .330 with 43 home runs, second to Kris Davis of Oakland with 47. Martinez led the Majors with 130 RBIs. Starter Rick Porcello led Boston with

17 wins, and closer Craig Kimrel had 42 saves. The World Series, won by Boston in five games, was consistent with what they have done all year. They beat New York in the Divisional playoff series three games to one. In the American League Championship series, Boston took out the defending World Series Champion Houston Astros (103) in five games. Both the Yankees and Houston had won over 100 games. Los Angeles was in the World Series for the second year in a row, managed by Dave Roberts. Roberts is Black and Cora is a native of Puerto Rico. It was the first time in over 100 years of baseball that both managers in the World Series were minorities. Roberts is the first minority manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cora is the first minority manager of the Red Sox. Boston started the season 172 and finished the playoffs and World Series by going 11-3. The 1927 Yankees are

■ See Fitz on page 9

Larry Fitzgerald with Red Sox legend David Ortiz Photo courtesy of Larry-Fitzgerald.com

Sade tunes help Gopher freshman calm pre-game jitters OP GO PH KG HE CK ER AC R L LA B B

ANOTHER

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There are approximately 100 African American and other student-athletes of color this school year at the University of Minnesota. In an occasional series throughout the 2018-19 school and sports year, the MSR will highlight many of these players. This week: Gopher freshman outside hitter Adanna Rollins danna Rollins initially wasn’t sure what to expect as a U of M freshman volleyball player other than the quick necessity for her game to reach college-level shape. A new way to play was among several other things she had to quickly learn, which at first Rollins thought would take her longer than imagined as a first-year player. On the contrary, thus far, the six-foot Texas-born outside hitter has shown this season that she’s a quick learner. Rollins was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week last week after her match-high 20 kills in a four-set victory at home against Nebraska October 20. The second Huskies-Gophers match of the season sorely tested the home team’s

A

charles hallMan

Adanna Rollins in a game with Maryland Photo courtesy U of M

“My goal is to play hard for my team.” resolve as they lost the first set for the first time at home, and then fought back deficits in the three succeeding sets to earn a victory on a night when they were not at their best. Minnesota Coach Hugh McCutcheon afterwards told reporters, including the MSR, that it was a grown-up performance, especially for the talented young Rollins. “She grew up a couple of inches,” he observed. “A true freshman to have that kind of performance is remarkable. A great performance.”

“Hugh and the coaches have helped me,” Rollins simply said in her modest effort to deflect her coach’s praise that night. Rollins and frosh libero CC McGraw have played in every set this season for the Gophers and started in all 20 matches — the former averages 2.46 kills per set. She was one of four Black starters against Nebraska along with redshirt junior Taylor Morgan, soph Stephanie Samedy and junior Alexis Hart. The sistahs all have played crucial roles in the U of

Adanna Rollins Photo by Charles Hallman

M’s school-record 12-0 conference start, the best since a 7-0 start both in 1989 and 1999. Rollins, Samedy and Hart were 1-2-3 in kills in the Nebraska win, but McCutcheon quickly noted, “We are not relying on one or two people to carry the load.” Samedy, Rollins, Hart, Regan Pittman and

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Black women coaches in college hoops rare as unicorns By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer

Sports odds and ends

Research says that having women as coaches matters. This was the premise of the University of Minnesota Tucker Center’s annual Distinguished Lecture Series “Why Women Leaders Matter,” which was held earlier this month. The first-year Gopher women’s basketball coaching staff was invited to speak on the subject. Head Coach Lindsay Whalen and assistants Danielle O’Banion and Kelly Roysland, both former head coaches, answered questions posed by Tucker Center Co-Director Mary Jo Kane October 16 at the school’s Humphrey Center. “I never wanted to stop being a part of the team,” O’Banion an-

ly after concluding her playing days at Boston College. “I graduated in May [2001] and became an assistant coach in June,” she recalled. This is O’Banion’s second stint at Minnesota; the first was in 200207. Subsequently she was Kent State

Roysland also is in her second Minnesota stint — she was Whalen’s teammate as a player — then returned as an assistant coach (2010-14) and later was Macalester College’s head women’s basketball coach for the past four seasons before her re-

American player with the Gophers was hired in April to coach her alma mater. She retired in August after a 15-year WNBA playing career with four championships as the league’s all-time winningest player with over 300 wins. She then seriously admitted, “I didn’t know I would love [coaching] as much as I do.” The Tucker Center — its complete title is Tucker Center for Research on

“I would ask people from the community to rally around our program, because that would make it better.” Danielle O’Banion Photo by Charles Hallman

swered when asked why she got into coaching. She became an assistant coach at Harvard almost immediate-

head coach for four seasons and then Memphis associate head coach before Whalen hired her this past May. “Basketball is a unique opportunity to learn life lessons,” O’Banion stressed.

turn to the Gophers this spring. She said she always wanted to coach and teach at the high school level. “I wanted to be a coach for six months and a day,” Whalen quipped. The former All-Big Ten and All-

Girls & Women in Sport — since 1993 has actively promoted that young girls and women need strong and confident role models who enhance

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Robbinsdale Cooper one game from state playoff The Hawks avenge surprising 2017 section championship loss

Robbinsdale Cooper did more than defeat St. Louis Park 35-7 — behind the outstanding play of quarterback Trashawn McMillan and running back Nascier Borden — in the Class 5A Section PreP Scene 5AAAAA semifinals last Dr. Mitchell Saturday. PalMer McDonalD The Hawks not only showed that they were deserving of the numberone seed, but they avenged a surprising 13-12 loss to the Orioles in the 2017 section championship last season. Cooper fans and St. Louis Park supporters remember what happened. The Hawks were undefeated and among the top-ranked teams in the state and had defeated the Orioles 40-17 in the regular season before both reached the section title game. The 2018 season nearly mirrored last season. McMillan and Borden led Cooper past St. Louis Park 42-14 in the second game of the regular season and — despite losing the last regular-season game 41-13 to Irondale — were awarded the number-one seed after compiling a 7-1 record. A St. Louis Park victory over Minneapolis Southwest set up the rematch with the Hawks. Only this time around, it was the semifinals and Cooper players made sure there would be no repeat of last season. Borden got things going with a four-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and Mc-

Millan followed with a one-yard run of his own to make it 14-0 in the first quarter. McMillan connected with receiver Adrian Adams (33 yards) and Borden (26 yards) for two scores for a 28-0 halftime lead. Borden’s 58-yard touchdown run in period three put an exclamation point on the victory. Alexis Martinez connected on all five extra-point attempts for the Hawks. Minneapolis North victorious Zach Yeager, Kehyan Porter and Omar Brown led Minneapolis North to a 32-8 win over Maple Lake in the Class 2A Section 4AA semifinals. Yeager, a 6’-0” sophomore quarterback, scored twice on a run (27 yards) and a pass completion (14 yards) to Brown, a 6’-0” senior receiver who also scored on a 54-yard run. The 5’-10” 210-pound Porter, a senior, scored from 34 yards out to put the Polars on the board in the opening period.

19-15 victory over Orono in the Class 4A Section 5AAAA football semifinals last week at Blake High School. The 6’-3” junior is one of the nation’s top basketball prospects for Minnehaha Academy.

have St. Paul Johnson in position to earn a berth in the state football playoffs, their first since 1981, after leading the Governors to a 280 triumph over Hill Murray last week in Class 4A Section 3AAAA semifinal action.

St. Paul Johnson one game away Seniors Teon Dean (defensive back), Luke Moberg (wide receiver), Rance Jones (running back), Demarion Nelson (running back), and sophomore Joey Moberg (quarterback)

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

Johnson reaches important mark Tyler Johnson (Minneapolis North) just keeps going and going. The 6’-2” 200-pound junior receiver caught his 100th pass along with two touchdowns in the University of Minnesota’s 38-31 victory over Indiana University in Big Ten action last week. He caught an 18-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to reach the mark. Suggs leads SMB Jalen Suggs scored on a one-yard run and Robbinsdale Cooper running back Nascier Borden gets by St. Louis Park’s Jariel Lopez-Barrepass for a 52-yard score, leading St. Paul Acad- ra (22) and Brendan Johnson-Snyder (16) for a four-yard touchdown as quarterback Trashawn emy/Minnehaha Academy/Blake (SMB) to a McMillan looks on. Photo by Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald