November 8, 2018 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

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THE VOICE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1934

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November 8-14, 2018 Vol. 85 No. 14 www.spokesman-recorder.com

‘Guns Down’ youth summit aims for less talk, more action

Down Saint Paul Youth Summit” on Saturday, Nov. 10 to bring together community leaders, families and youth to address the issue.

“The purpose is to bring awareness to gun violence in our city, to really get the young people in the door so we can begin to start penetrating their train of thought and get them to change the way they think about themselves, community, and someone else that they’re standing in front of in case they [want to] pull a trigger.”

Gun violence isn’t new or isolated. In St. Paul alone, gun violence has claimed the lives of at least 10 people this year. In addition, over 100 people have been shot this year — more than 70 percent of them were Black. Just last Friday, St. Paul police reported two separate shooting incidents that included at least 15 shots fired outside of a bar and one man shot inside of a strip club.

By Stephenetta Harmon Editor-in-Chief

D

ora Jones, executive director of Mentoring Young Adults (MYA), has seen more death and pain come from the barrel of a gun than she can stand.

In April, her niece was killed. “Her ex-boyfriend shot her eight times in front of her kids and killed her — she was only 27.” Jones also said she was shot when she was 17 years old. “I know so many people who have lost their families to gun violence.

“Too many of our young people are being killed at the hands of gun violence,” said Jones, whose St. Paul-based MYA provides mentorship services for young adults, ages 13 to 25, around employment, housing, education, leadership development, employment, and community engagement. Dora Jones (third from right) and youth from MYA’s Boys 2 Men initiative That’s why she is hosting the first-ever “Guns

■ See gunS Down on page 8

Put your passion into action

Bella Beauty and Hair In celebration of small business month, we’ve re-launched our business profile series giving brief snapshots of MN’s Black-owned businesses.

Submitted photo

Sister Spokesman highlights keys to small business success

By Paige Elliott Digital Editor

While the natural Sabathani Community Cenhair movement has ter’s second floor gymnasium become big business was transformed into a mini across the country, marketplace for Sister Spokessmaller markets like man’s annual Small Business the Twin Cities continShowcase and Shopping Extravue to face challenges aganza. The Nov. 3 event embodwhen it comes to prodied its title, featuring more than uct access and knowl30 local Black entrepreneurs selledge. On-shelf stock is ing everything from soul food, often limited or retailAfrican clothes and organic cofers don’t know how fee to healing salves, body oils, the products work. lip balm and more.

Licensed cosmeIn addition to the marketplace, tologist Karen Coffey the other main attraction was Attendees got into the groove. opened Bella Beauthe panel discussion designed to ty and Hair in Janu- Karen Coffey arm potential and current small Photo by Steve Floyd/MSR News ary 2017 to provide business owners with basic stratwomen and men in egies to launch and/or maintain the Twin Cities with a diverse range of products and services catera successful business. ing to natural hair and beyond. In addition to offering a natural hair The one-hour discussion was shopping experience that includes wig fittings and cuttings, where led by Isabel Chanslor of Neighshe employs two part-time staff, Coffey also provides styling serborhood Development Center, vices to clients in her store.

Warren McLean of Northside Read on as we chat with Coffey about what it takes to be a beauEconomic Opportunity Network ty retail boss.

(NEON), and entrepreneur Wendy Puckett of Wendy’s House of MSR: What inspired you to launch Bella Beauty and Hair?

SOUL. Identifying your passion, Karen Coffey: The natural haircare industry has had an influx in testing the waters, and creating care and in products that cater to natural hair. A lot of those proda plan are paramount to finding ucts are hard to find in stores, [so] people go online to find these success as a business owner, acproducts. I am trying to fill that need and bring customer service cording to the panelists. back to the beauty supply stores.

“If you say you’re the best cook (l-r) Isabel Chanslor, Tracey Williams-Dillard, Warren McLean and Wendy Puckett That is the reason I decided to open Bella Beauty and Hair — to on the block, test that idea,” adPhotos by Steve Floyd have tangible products that you can compare, read ingredients, as vised McLean. “A lot of times ■ See SiSter SpokeSman on page 8 ■ See Spotlight on page 8 people get started, and we don’t

Celebrating the power of Black women in business Nearly 30 Black women entrepreneurs were honored earlier this month at the launch of Fearless Commerce’s second book release. Founded by Shawntera Hardy and Camille A. Thomas, the sold-out Oct. 24 event honored 28 business owners in the Twin Cities. “Fearless Commerce celebrates Black women business owners who are bold and unafraid to push the limits, share their gifts with the world, disrupt the norm and live life on their terms,” shared Hardy and Thomas on Facebook. The MSR caught up with a few of the honorees to get their take on the importance of celebrating Black women in business and other communities of color.

Khadija Ali, Global Language Connections I believe representation matters. As a mother of two Black, young African American girls who were born in Minnesota, and as an entrepreneur, I see the disparity in terms of economics, in terms of opportunity. And, to celebrate women who are in the trenches every day is so inspiring and motivating.

Shakeeta Sturden, Catwalkfierce Makeup Artistry

Dr. Sheila Sweeney, Peaces ‘n PuzSouls

Robyne Robinson, five x five art consultants

Natalie Johnson Lee, Sisters In Power 365

First of all, it’s more of a freedom thing. To be who you are, to be unapologetically who you are, [and] to be able to express yourself and do what you want in business and to be able to provide for your family on your terms on your own time with a gift that is naturally given to you, that’s a blessing! And to be able to turn around and collaborate with other like-minded individuals who are also in business is important to cooperative economics and furthering the situation of the Black community.

The importance of celebrating Black women here is that oftentimes we get left out by the larger society. It’s really good to come together, because in some instances a lot of us didn’t know each other. Some of us have felt isolated from that experience, so coming together, celebrating each other and getting to know and having more knowledge of each other helps us to connect and bridge better, more future connections for each of us. I think it’s a beautiful thing.

Because Black women — I don’t want this taken the wrong way — we have wet-nursed the world. Everything that we do has contributed to the success of businesses around the world.

So for us to celebrate tonight, to know who is in our community and to be able to put a name with a face and say I support you, is critical. We need to support each other now more than ever in a climate that does not want us to succeed.

We have to succeed.

We have always had an impact in the Twin Cities. One of the things that Minnesota needs to understand is that Black women are in every industry, and in every industry that we are in, we are not only handling our business, but we are changing the game. If you really want your business to grow, expand and explode, hire a Black woman, consult with a Black woman, work with a Black woman and support a Black woman’s business.

Interviews and Sweeney and Lee photos by Stephenetta Harmon; Ali, Sturden and Robinson photos by Uzoma Obasi.

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November 8-14, 2018

A stroll down memory lane can help loved ones reconnect Historical Society launches new interactive aid for people with dementia

By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer Blacks are two times more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia according to medical experts. As the U.S. population of those age 65 and older continues to grow, the number of Americans with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia will grow as well. Every 65 seconds, someone age 65 and older develops it. By 2025, it is estimated nearly three in 10 people will have Alzheimer’s.

The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) in September launched the U.S. version of the “House of Memories” — a dementia awareness program developed in the United Kingdom for people caring for people with dementia.

“We are the first international partnership,” MNHS Museum Assess Specialist Maren Levad told the MSR. Levad has been with the Historical Society for 10 years, assisting people with cognitive disabilities and other special needs.

She said her office has been working on memory loss issues for over four years. “The first thing I train people to do is make a connection” with the person suffering from dementia, she advised.

The new program includes a first-ever “My House of Memories” app with more than 100 interactive pages of MNHS collec-

Dorothea Harris

Photo by Charles Hallman

“The goal is to allow users to connect with their loved ones in their own homes and their own spaces where they are comfortable.” tion ideas to help those living with dementia draw on memories to create personal connections with family, friends and caregivers.

The app also has a specially designed feature for Blacks with dementia. Levad said over the past couple of years, the MNHS has worked with community organizations such as the St. Paul African American Faith ACT Community and the Volunteers of America (VOA).

T:5.25” a $205,000 MNHS received

grant last year from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to work on the new app, which culminated nearly a five-year search on how to better serve people suffering from memory loss, especially Blacks and other people of color.

“We spent four years planning this, talking with community members, and finding people like Dorothea [Harris, a VOA caregiver services program manager] … It is our job as a museum with

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our resources to have culturally-centered programs. This is not being done,” Levad said.

Changing perceptions Harris shared that her North Minneapolis office recently updated its name to Culturally Responsive Caregiver Support and Dementia Services to reflect those resources. “We changed our name because we have reached out to other populations [of color],” she told the

MSR. Her office’s main purpose in addition to caregiver support is education — the term “caregiving” is not often clearly understood among people of color, Harris explained. “Caregiving is a mainstream term,” she added, noting her seven years of taking care of her elderly grandmother.

“It was my role and responsibility. She always was there for me, always there for our family. That’s what families do for one another.”

Family members suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia sometimes are stigmatized as well, especially Black people, Harris pointed out. “There’s a lot of shame and blame. We don’t understand the in’s and out’s about the disease. We don’t want others in our family business.

“Most elders didn’t grow up seeing family members put away. No one wants to be away from their family or even out of the community.

“This is a disease that makes people feel like they contracted something or did something wrong, or it’s mental illness,” Harris said.

“It’s none of those things.

However, it comes with those unrealistic feelings.”

To help reduce that perceived isolation, Levad said app users “can add photos to the ‘My Memory section either by taking photos of family members or taking pictures of rooms in their house. The goal is to al-

low [users] to connect with their loved ones in their own homes and their own spaces where they are comfortable.

“MNHS held three professional caregiver workshops in September at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul and at the Mayo Clinic’s Charter House in Rochester,” added Levad. “Family caregiver workshops will be held in spring 2019.”

“I’m grateful for what the History Center has done with this app in regards to looking at our culture,” said Harris. “What they have done is make things relevant and culturally appropriate for us.”

But, Harris stressed it “is not a fix it” for Alzheimer’s and dementia. Alzheimer’s “is a progressive disease,” she said. “You don’t want people to be lonely inside or shut down. This [app] opens up a time for you and that person to be able to spend time together. It’s beautiful to see that person come alive and want to talk about things.”

The new House of Memories app is free and can be downloaded to tablets and smartphones from iTunes and Google Play. To find out more about the workshops, visit www.mnhs. org/houseofmemories.

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

Earned Income Tax Credit lifts millions from poverty lines to include more households.

In addition, as new research suggests, the potential impact of the EITC on low-income families might well extend beyond the financial These [EITC] dollars are too imporbenefits. Long-term studies by the tant to our families to send them back to American Economic Journal, NorthWashington, D.C. This tax credit is real western University, and the UniverThe Antimoney for people who really need it. — sity of Notre Dame indicate that both Poverty Maria Shriver children and adults who benefit Soldier from the EITC also show improved by The [EITC] increases labor force parhealth outcomes.

Dr. Clarence ticipation, reduces poverty, improves maIn my view, the benefits of the Hightower ternal and child health outcomes, and EITC cannot be understated. Since strengthens children’s educational out2015, the agency I lead (Communicomes. — Dwyer Gunn ty Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties) has helped return well over $800,000 Just a couple of weeks ago, both the Star Tribune in tax refunds to local residents. And we are far and the St. Paul Pioneer Press featured front-page from alone — there are Volunteer Income Tax Asstories about St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter’s pro- sistance (VITA) clinics that operate throughout the posal to create an Office of Financial Empower- metro providing free tax services and guiding elment in the City of St. Paul. The stories made refer- igible households toward the benefits of the EITC. ence to the city’s economic stresses.

Some of the current challenges cited by City Hall include the fact that St. Paul’s poverty rate is 70 percent higher than Minnesota’s overall poverty rate. The homeownership rate in St. Paul is below 50 percent as compared to a rate of 70.9 percent state wide.

More than one-quarter of St. Paul renters are classified as “extremely cost-burdened” (meaning they spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing). Finally, the “effective buying income” of St. Paul’s residents remains significantly lower than the national average.

Each piece in the two local dailies makes reference to other cities such as Detroit, Boston, St. LouThat said, the City of St. Paul’s push to increase is and Nashville where plans similar to the one in the number of residents who access the EITC in St. Paul have already been initiated. Among the addition to other tax rebates and financial emmost common strategies in those cities is to link powerment tools is critical. Every year millions of residents to free tax preparation services and en- dollars go unclaimed as EITC-eligible households courage eligible households to claim the Earned fail to take advantage of this benefit because they Income Tax Credit (EITC). are unaware of it, unsure as to whether or not they Established in 1975, the EITC is a federal ben- qualify, or just don’t know how to apply. efit that can significantly lower the tax burden of low-income households, often resulting in subIf you live in the metro area and believe that your stantial refunds. In fact, the United States Census household or someone you know might qualify for free tax Bureau notes that the average annual refund to a services and the EITC, visit www.prepareandprosper. family with children that claims the EITC is al- org. For those living outside the metro area, you can most $3,000. learn more by visiting www.youclaimit.org.

Furthermore, statistics reveal that millions of American families are lifted out of poverty each Clarence Hightower is the executive director of Comyear by simply claiming the EITC. munity Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington The EITC has been so beneficial to so many Counties. Dr. Hightower holds a Ph.D. in urban higher Americans that there is an increasing number of education from Jackson State University. He welcomes proposals from policy experts, elected officials, reader responses to 450 Syndicate Street North, St. Paul, and consumer advocates to boost its impact, not MN 55104 only by increasing the benefits to low-income families but also by expanding the eligibility guideThe Earned Income Tax Credit [EITC] is one of the most successful anti-poverty tools in the United States. — The Foundation of the Mid-South

T:10.5”

In my view, the benefits of the EITC cannot be understated.

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November 8-14, 2018

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Tinnitus: common, constant, incurable — but very manageable

By Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD and Inell Rosario, MD Dr. Crutchfield, my sister told me recently that she was suffering with severe ringing in her ears. Her doctor told her it was something called ‘tinnitus.” What is tinnitus?

is no cure, must seek treatment to see a significant impact on their condition and to live a normal life.

Most of the time, the cause of tinnitus is unclear. In the absence of damage to the auditory system (such as head or neck trauma), things like jaw-joint dysfunction (TMJ), chronic neck-muscle strain, and excessive noise exposure have been suggested as causes. Certain medications can also cause tinnitus, which, in this case, can either disappear again after usage of the medication ends or can cause irreparable damage that results in permanent tinnitus.

Other causes may be wax buildup, cardiovascular disease, or a tumor that creates a strain on the arteries in the neck and head.

These tumors are usually benign.

Tinnitus can be managed through strategies that make it less bothersome. No single approach works for everyone, and there is no FDA-approved drug treatment, supplement, or herb proven to be any more effective than a placebo.

Great question. I’ve asked one of my colleagues, Inell Rosario, MD, an expert on the subject, to enlighten us with a discussion on tinnitus this week.

Behavioral strategies and sound-generating devices often offer the best treatment results; this is partially why distracting the individual’s attention from these sounds can prevent a chronic manifestation. Some of the most effective methods are: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) Uses techniques to relax and restructure the way patients think about and respond to tinnitus. Sessions are usually short-term and occur weekly for two to six months. CBT usually results in sounds that are less loud and significantly less bothersome, with the overall quality of life improved.

Tinnitus retraining therapy Effective based on the assumption that the tinnitus results from abnormal neuronal activity. This therapy habituates the auditory system to the tinnitus signals, making them less noticeable or bothersome. Counseling and sound therapy are the main components, with a device that generates low-level noise that matches the pitch and volume of the tinnitus. Depending on the severity of the tinnitus, treatment may last one to two years.

Masking Use of devices generating low-level white noise that can reduce the perception of tinnitus and what’s known as residual inhibition.

Tinnitus will be less noticeable for a period of time after the masker is turned off. A radio, television, fan, or another sound-producing machine can also act as a masker.

Dr. Rosario: Tinnitus is a fairly common medical malady that afflicts many people in mild forms, although they may not always be aware of it. As many as 50 to 60 million people are affected by a phantom ringing, whistling or buzzing noise that is usually only perceived by them. A much smaller percentage (usually one to two percent) describes the condition as debilitating and, although there

■ See TinniTus on page 7

Early detection of any cancer can mean better outcomes

By Dr. Margareth PierreLouis, MD, MBA Guest Columnist

While the end of October brings National Breast Cancer Awareness month to a close, it is always time to encourage everyone to remain focused on their health and wellness. Salute to all the strong survivors, families and friends affected by breast cancer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breast cancer remains the number-one invasive cancer

in the U.S. It is the second-most common cause of death from cancer, after lung and bronchus cancer. With more than 120,000 new cases each year, all women and men should know the common signs and symptoms of this disease for early diagnosis and intervention.

Breast cancer most often presents as a lump under the skin of the breast or near the armpit area in an adult woman. A mam-

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mogram X-ray is the primary screening test used to evaluate a breast lump. If X-ray imaging, ultrasound, or MRI are worrisome, a biopsy of the lesion is performed to confirm the diagnosis.

Sadly, breast cancer may first present as metastatic disease with skin lesions most often discovered on the chest, back or scalp. I have diagnosed several women with breast cancer when they present with abnormal new skin growths, and skin biopsies confirmed the spread of cancer.

The extent of the breast cancer and cell markers determine the treatment course, which may include surgery (lumpectomy or mastectomy), radiation, hormonal therapy, and chemotherapy. The more extensive and higher stage the cancer, the more likely that multiple therapies will be recommended for treatment and to prevent recurrence.

Beyond breast cancer, there are steps that can be taken to help prevent all primary invasive cancers. Physical activity in the form of exercise three times a week remains a sure way to prevent cancer risk, since it maintains a healthy weight and reduces obesity-associated risks (hypertension and diabetes).

Furthermore, physical activity protects many of the body’s organs from cancer growth by strengthening the immune system to remove carcinogens and toxins from the body. Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are both associated with various cancers, such as oral, lung and colon cancers, and should be stopped to prevent cancer.

Early detection of any cancer is associated with better outcomes, such as cure and decreased mortality. Once a person has had one cancer, he or she is

shirts, and sunglasses are a must for fairer skinned individuals or for those who have had skin precancers and cancers.

Getting changing moles or other lesions checked is also critical to prevention and early diagnosis of skin cancer. If there is a family history of skin cancer, adults are encouraged to perform periodic self-exams and to get annual skin checks to evaluate their skin. Similar to genetic causes of breast cancer, we now understand that melanoma skin cancer risk can be genetic and run in families.

Make the decision this fall to want to look and feel your best. Pay attention to what you can see, and follow the recommended screening guidelines set forth by your primary care physician. If you are an adult aged 40 or older, go see a primary care physician for general health screening if you have not

More than a billion dollars is spent annually on research in the U.S. to help treat, cure, and prevent deaths from breast cancer. Clinical trials for novel therapies for breast cancers are underway currently at the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Health in addition to other research institutions across the country.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force currently recommends that all women aged 50 to 74 with an average risk of breast cancer get a mammogram every two years. If a woman has an increased risk of breast cancer, such as a personal or family history or other unique condition that may be associated with increased risk, screening may begin as early as 40 years of age.

Screening for breast cancer may lead to unnecessary biopsies or other intervention, so it is important that the benefits of screening outweigh the risks if a woman is under 50 years of age.

at increased risk for developing another cancer. Therefore, the American Academy of Dermatology encourages all invasive cancer survivors to get skin checks for skin cancer and to not ignore any changes occurring on their skin.

While breast cancer is the most common invasive cancer in women, skin cancer is the most prevalent cancer in humans with more than four million cases each year, according the Skin Cancer Foundation. It is critical that each person be his or her own health advocate and pay attention to new skin growths or any symptomatic lesions that are rapidly growing, painful, tender, or bleeding.

Especially for skin cancer, the best prevention approach is to avoid indoor and outdoor tanning and to protect the skin from sunburns and other injury related to excessive sun exposure.

The use of physical blocking sunscreens and protective clothing, such as hats, long-sleeved

done so this year.

Learn more about cancer statistics in the U.S. in addition to cancer prevention and control at the CDC. gov. Visit clinicaltrials.gov to learn more about trials that you may be able to participate in to help us better understand and treat all cancers.

Margareth Pierre-Louis, MD, MBA, is a board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist and Medical Director of Twin Cities Dermatology Center. Dr. Pierre-Louis promotes visible wellness and treats skin, hair, and nail disorders affecting patients of all ages, skin types, and backgrounds. She has cared for thousands of patients in consultation through academic and private practice and via telemedicine. Her expertise lies in the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions, pigmentation disorders, and hair loss.

Learn more about Dr. Pierre-Louis at twincitiesderm.com and contact her TCD@tcdermmn.com or 612268-5005.

February 16-22, 2017

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Money Matters

The ABC’s of reverse mortgages

Debt Limit The debt you owe on a reverse mortgage equals all the loan advances you receive (including any used to finance loan costs or to pay off prior debt), plus all the interest that is added to your loan balance.

If that amount is less than your home is worth when you pay back the loan, then you (or your estate) keep whatever amount is left over.

By Tammy McIntyre Contributing Writer With an influx of commercials and last-resort needs for quick cash, reverse mortgages have been on the rise. Designed to help cash-poor seniors and their families, these loans allow homeowners to liquidate their home equity into cash that typically doesn’t have to be paid back as long as they or an heir lives in the house.

However, many don’t know the potential risks or even the terms associated with these loans. So, before considering this loan alternative, we have compiled the following content abstract from the AARP Foundation’s manual on reverse mortgage loans.

According to AARP, although there are different types of reverse mortgages, most have similar features.

Here are the most common terms and how they could affect your financing decisions.

Homeownership With a reverse mortgage, you remain the owner of your home just like when you had a forward mortgage. This means you are still responsible for paying your property taxes and homeowner insurance and for making property repairs.

When the loan is over, you or your heirs must repay all of your cash advances plus interest (see “Debt Limit” below for more on repayment).

Reputable lenders don’t want your house; they want repayment.

Many don’t know the potential risks or even the terms associated with these quick-cash loans.

Financing Fees You can use the money you get from a reverse mortgage to pay the various fees that are charged on the loan.

This is called “financing” the loan costs. The costs are added to your loan balance, and you pay them back plus interest when the loan is over.

Loan Amounts The amount of money you can get depends mostly on the specific reverse mortgage plan or program you select.

It also depends on the kind of cash advances you choose.

Some reverse mortgages cost a lot more than others which reduces the amount of cash you can get from them.

Within each loan program, the cash amounts you can get

generally depend on your age and your home’s value: • the older you are, the more cash you can get; and • the more your home is worth, the more cash you can get.

The specific dollar amount available to you may also depend on interest rates and closing costs on home loans in your area.

Debt Payoff Reverse mortgages generally must be “first” mortgages; that is, they must be the primary debt against your home. So, if you now owe any money on your property, you generally must do one of two things:

• pay off the old debt before you get a reverse mortgage; or • pay off the old debt with the money you get from a reverse mortgage.

Most reverse mortgage borrowers pay off any prior debt with an initial lump sum advance from their reverse mortgage. In some cases, you may not have to pay off other debt against your home. This can occur if the prior lender agrees to be repaid after the reverse mortgage is repaid.

Generally, the only lenders willing to consider “subordinating” their loans in this way are state or local government agencies.

Repayment All reverse mortgages become due and payable when the last surviving borrower dies, sells the home, or permanently moves out of the home. (Typically, a “permanent move” means that neither you nor any other co-borrower has lived in your home for one continuous year.)

Reverse mortgage lenders can also require repayment at any time if you fail to: • pay your property taxes or special assessments; • maintain and repair your home; or • keep your home insured.

Conditions of Default These are fairly standard “conditions of default” on any mortgage. On a reverse mortgage, however, lenders generally have the option to pay for these expenses by reducing your loan advances and using the difference to pay these obligations. This is only an option, however, if you have not already used up your entire available loan funds.

Other default conditions could include:

• your declaration of bankruptcy; • your donation or abandonment of your home; • your perpetration of fraud or misrepresentation; or • eminent domain or condemnation proceedings involving your home.

A reverse mortgage may also include “acceleration” clauses that make it due and payable. Generally, these relate to changes that could affect the security of the loan for the lender. For example: • renting out part or all of your home; • adding a new owner to your home’s title; • changing your home’s zoning classification; or • taking out new debt against your home.

You must read the loan documents carefully to make certain you understand all the conditions that can cause your loan to become due and payable.

If you are unsure of whether or not a reverse mortgage is right for you, consult your financial institution and let family members know, so that they can support you in making an informed decision.

Tammy McIntyre, M.Ed. is a workforce development consultant providing individuals and small businesses with career development services. She welcomes reader responses to mcintyre_tammy@rocketmail. com

‘Powering Inclusion’ aims to level playing field for Black women entrepreneurs The Center for Economic Inclusion (CEI) has announced the second installment in its Powering Inclusion series.

“Accelerating Regional Growth by Investing in Businesses of Color” will focus on leveling the playing Arlan Hamilton field for businesses Submitted photo of color — specifically Black women entrepreneurs — when it comes to capital investments and opportunities.

Black women entrepreneurs continue to face a unique set of barriers when it comes to financing their businesses. While they are among the most educated groups in the U.S.

for Black women and a four-city Accelerator Fund, which includes funding and support tailored to address systemic barriers that “underestimated” founders face.

“Less than 10 percent of all venture capital deals go to women, People of Color, and LGBT founders,” Hamilton has said. “Other venture capital firms see this as a pipeline problem. We see it as the biggest opportunity for investment.”

To date, her company has invested more than $5 million in 100 startups led by founders who are people of color, women and/or LGBT. Hamilton’s keynote will be followed by a cross-sector panel of local leaders convened to respond to her insights and discuss ways to activate her recommendations within the Twin Cities.

Powering Inclusion is an ongoing series designed to bring in national voices to help steer conversations and data-driven and

“Less than 10 percent of all venture capital deals go to women, people of color, and LGBT founders. Other venture capital firms see this as a pipeline problem. We see it as the biggest opportunity for investment.” and among the fastest growing segments of entrepreneurs, they are perceived to have the highest risks and are, therefore, least funded. In 2018, Black women founders received just .2 percent of all venture funding and less than 3 percent of venture capital dollars.

The misperception of risk involved in investing in Black women specifically, and in businesses of color generally, permeates across sectors from business to philanthropy to public sector programs and is accompanied by lower expectations for outcomes, and a view of investments as charity.

“Accelerating Regional Growth” will focus on challenging that misperception, with a keynote led by Arlan Hamilton, founder and managing partner of Backstage Capital.

Backstage Capital is a venture capital fund dedicated to minimizing disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBT. Hamilton launched a $36 million fund through her company in 2018 specifically

community-centric solutions with local leaders to close racial and economic gaps in such areas as income, employment and wealth.

“From the Brookings Institution to Silicon Valley, our fall speakers are proving what’s possible when we center people of color in our strategies for growing the regional economy through investments in leadership, drivers of talent and innovation, and catalysts for growth,” said Tawanna Black, CEI founder and CEO. “Accelerating Regional Growth by Investing in Businesses of Color” takes place Tuesday, Nov. 13, 3-6 pm at the PAIKKA Event Center, located at 550 Vandalia Street in Saint Paul.

The event is free, however registration is required. For more information or to RSVP, visit http://bit.ly/2ANrQcv. — Information provided by Center for Economic Inclusion

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November 8-14, 2018

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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.

Our parents lied to us: Names and words do hurt

By Bill Fletcher, Jr. Guest Commentator In the immediate aftermath of the discovery of bombs targeted at Democratic political leaders, media outlets and personalities critical of President Donald Trump, I found myself thinking about that old rhyme, “Sticks and stones will break your bones, but names will never hurt you.” Well, it turns out that was a lie; names and words do hurt.

Trump’s immediate reply to the discovery of the bombs was to call for unity and then, once again, attack the media — as if the media is the source of the growing political tension. Yet, what was missing was any acknowledgment of the impact of his own words.

Take, for instance, his support of Republican Congressman Greg Gianforte, who assaulted a journalist. To praise such a person, even if Trump was joking (and I have no reason to believe that he was joking) sends a message that physical assault is permissible.

Or, consider what took place last year in Charlottesville, N.C. with the march of the neofascists. When Trump condemned both sides equally, failing to acknowledge that it was the neo-fascists who not only provoked violence but

What we do know is that since September 11, 2001, the preponderance of terrorist actions in the U.S. has originated among right-wingers (rather than jihadists), so the likelihood is that the actions did arise from the right.

So, not only do we now know that the alleged bomber was a Trump supporter, but that this attempt at mass assassination has coincided with the murder of two African Americans in Kentucky and the massacre of Jewish worshipers in Pittsburgh.

Trump’s language has encouraged an obnoxious, offensive and dangerous behavior among his supporters, a behavior that he has either failed to condemn, explained away or minimized. His behavior and language have encouraged the open use of racist and sexist rhetoric; it has encouraged the mocking of the disabled; it has encouraged assaults and harassment of various racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, not to mention the harassment and vilification of women. And, even when he chooses to condemn any action taken by a domestic terrorist, his words ring hollow, as former President Obama noted last week.

So, let’s be clear that this is not a moment to ignore the words of demagogues. This is not a moment to question the thinking of President

It is not a giant step between approving physical assault and members of [Trump’s] base believing that it is permissible to up the ante and plant bombs. killed a demonstrator, he was sending a dangerous signal.

It is not a giant step between approving physical assault and members of his base believing that it is permissible to up the ante and plant bombs.

I hasten to add that as soon as the bombs were discovered, many Trump supporters jumped forward describing this as a “false flag” operation, i.e., something made to look as if it originated from the political right but actually came from the left. This has been the general response of the political right when right-wing terrorist plots or actions have been discovered.

Trump or his intent. His intent is obvious insofar as he lays the groundwork for his followers to go forth and engage in a range of actions that have no place in a society that calls itself democratic.

This is a moment to challenge the words of a demagogue and the actions of his followers directly and create an environment in which racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia and religious bigotry are never tolerated. There is no middle ground on this.

Bill Fletcher, Jr. is the former president of TransAfrica Forum and author of The Man Who Fell from the Sky. For more information, visit billfletcherjr.com.

THROUGH MY EYES

A nation dangerously divided

By Ron Edwards Contributing Commentator As of the writing of this column, a series of hate-driven, murderous events have taken place, either racially or religiously motivated, from October 24 27, across the country.

African Americans until after the murders of the 11 people in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27 and after the undetonated mail bombs were reported. Those crimes took priority — Pittsburgh was the largest mass murder of Jewish citizens in America’s long history.

And, let’s not forget the Min-

was it so difficult for the current administration in Washington to classify the Jeffersontown murders as acts of terror?

There are strong feelings that if it were not for the Jews murdered in Pittsburgh, the Jeffersontown murders would not have even been considered

We talk about healing, but healing cannont take place unless all victims are considered to be important, regardless of race, religion or politics.

Among them are the following hate crimes: • Two African Americans were murdered in Kentucky by a White man who had tried to enter a predominantly Black church nearby just minutes before.

• Eleven Jewish worshipers were murdered at a synagogue in the historic Jewish neighborhood of Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, also by a White man.

• At least 14 pipe bombs (not detonated) were mailed to various Democratic leaders and supporters by a man of Filipino and Italian parentage.

The two African Americans were murdered at a supermarket in Jeffersontown, Kentucky on Oct. 24. One, a man, was shot in the back of the head inside the store and killed instantly, and the other, a woman, was shot multiple times in the store’s parking lot.

A brave citizen, with a permit to carry, exchanged gunfire with the gunman in the parking lot. If not for his bravery, more might have been killed. But little was said about the death of these two

nesota connection with the sender of the package bombs. The bomber, of Filipino and Italian descent, and not American Indian as incorrectly reported at first by the media, had a criminal history in Minnesota and has been a rather mysterious figure with regards to his activity here in the 1980s and 1990s.

We do, however, know that the bomber had a significant history of terroristic activities, predating what some celebrate, and others condemn, as the Trump era. Let us be crystal clear: African Americans are being killed and executed at locations and under circumstances of which many have no knowledge.

The mail bomber sent package bombs to assassinate two former presidents of the United States, a Black senator, a Black congresswoman, a Black former attorney general of the United States, with another package bomb targeted for the Black senator from New Jersey.

He mailed a total of 14 package bombs throughout the country, coast to coast. Who knows what other individuals he had in mind?

The deaths of those two African Americans in Jeffersontown were just as significant. So why

newsworthy.

This is both tragic and dangerous to the so-called healing process the president and others called for on the days following these killing scenes.

We talk about healing, but healing cannont take place unless all victims are considered to be important, regardless of race, religion or politics.

The heart of politics in Washington spreads along Pennsylvania Avenue, from the White House on one end to Congress on the other. But, unless all are involved, inclusively, healing can’t take place.

Sometimes, in a column, it is important to repeat certain factual information so that the reader clearly understands and can connect the events and the tragedy of the loss of life.

I continue to hold up in prayer our nation, as a whole. Only when we all do this gathered together and on our can healing take place.

Stay tuned.

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

Would God give a trans-affirming vote?

By Rev. Irene Monroe Contributing Commentator President Donald Trump’s administration is trying to define transgender Americans out of existence. Trump wants his administration to remove the word “gender” from the United Nations human rights document. And, he wants “gender” to be defined solely on the basis of male and female genitalia.

This Trump administration is going about this both unabashedly and unapologetically.

Massachusetts, my state, however, is going about it differently. Here in Massa-

the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26-39: Traveling south from Jerusalem to Gaza, Philip meets the eunuch, a court official of the Queen of Ethiopia, reading a scroll of Isaiah on his way back from worshiping in Jerusalem. God tells Philip to follow the Ethiopian to baptize him so he can spread the good news of Jesus, and while traveling together, Phillip explains the text and the Ethiopian asks to be baptized. When they come upon some water, Philip baptizes him.

Deceased John J. McNeill, a gay Jesuit priest, and theologian affirmed the story of

a hot-button issue and battleground for equal treatment in Jim Crow America.

It was the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that outlawed discrimination based on national origin, race, hue, gender, and religion and mandated desegregation of all public accommodations, including bathrooms.

Barack Obama’s former administration expanded the act to protect LGBTQ Americans, and it was only in February that the Trump administration revoked federal guidelines permitting transgender students from using “gender-appropriate facilities” aligning with their gen-

“Trans lives are real lives. Trans deaths are real deaths. God works through other people. Maybe you can be those other people.” chusetts, the bluest of blue states, we’re asking voters to vote “yes” on Question 3: the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Veto Referendum, to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity in public places such as hotels, restaurants, and stores.

Rallies to get Bay Staters to vote “yes” on Question 3 have been taking place throughout the Commonwealth. After I spoke at one in Copley Square in Boston one Sunday morning, an onlooker asked me: “Rev, you’re a minister.

How does the church and God feel about transgender people? Will they go to hell?”

Sadly, Pope Francis has compared transgender rights to nuclear weapons, saying transgender people destroy and desecrate his God’s holy and ordained order of creation.

“Let’s think of the nuclear arms, of the possibility to annihilate in a few instants a very high number of human beings,” Francis stated in a 2015 interview with the National Catholic Reporter. “Let’s think also of genetic manipulation, of the manipulation of life, or of the gender theory that does not recognize the order of creation.” And with pronouncements such as that, especially from a pope, it’s easy to think transgender people are damned to Hell.

But trans activism, though not addressed enough, has taken place in both Catholic and Protestant churches and synagogues statewide, and the Freedom for All Massachusetts coalition has been addressing the faith issue in collaboration with Action for Transgender Equality, a collective of clergy and faith-based institutions that are part of the “yes on 3” campaign.

One message they can share is that there are transaffirming stories in the Bible. My favorite is about Philip the Evangelist and

the eunuch as “the first baptized gay Christian” — a sign to progressive Biblical scholars that God welcomes and affirms gender-variant people.

Eunuchs were castrated, homosexual and intersex men, “keepers of the bed” who served and guarded the women in royal palaces and wealthy households and, today, the terms could translate easily to mean sexual minorities, referring to LGBTQ individuals.

The Ethiopian eunuch, then, is a queer foreign Black man who was the first nonJewish convert to Christianity. The story highlights that the early beginnings of Christianity welcomed not only sexual minorities but also different races and ethnicities.

Passage of Question 3, sadly, hangs in the balance, with voters split on the issue. Privacy in restrooms is raised a lot by opponents of trans rights. They were also

der identity. But, there is no link between anti-discrimination rules and bathroomrelated crimes in Massachusetts.

During the “Trans Catholic Voices” breakout season at the DignityUSA conference in 2017, an African American trans woman pointed out that Pope Francis’ statements about trans people deny them of basic human dignity and perpetuates violence against them — especially given that the life expectancy for Black trans people is only 32 years. In her closing remarks, she asked for help from advocates and allies in the room that nearly brought me to tears: “Trans lives are real lives.

Trans deaths are real deaths.

God works through other people. Maybe you can be those other people.”

Rev. Irene Monroe is an African American lesbian feminist public theologian, sought-after speaker, and preacher.

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6

November 8-14, 2018

Becoming Ms. Burton offers lifeline in a sea of injustice

By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer

S

usan Burton and Cari Lynn’s Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women (The New Press) is a groundbreaker.

Burton’s harrowing path from impoverished childhood through sexually traumatized youth into troubled adulthood is all too symptomatic of myriad Black women virtually predestined to self-medicate with drugs, and consequently, lead a lifestyle that lands them in prison.

As she starkly details, society, too, has symptoms — principally an insidious predilection to make it hard for Black people who are down to ever get a leg up, especially those facing legal problems and without the money to mitigate or make them go away. But Burton, a recovering addict and former convict, turned the strength of prevailing against personal adversity into a resource for others to do the same.

America’s is a sorely misnamed criminal justice system by which she points out: “The vast majority — 75% of crack cocaine users are White

or Hispanic. But nearly 85% of the people in federal prison for crack offenses are Black.”

She adds, “Though drug use and selling occur at similar rates across racial and ethnic groups, Black and Hispanic women are far more likely to be criminalized. Black women are more than twice as likely to be incarcerated for drug offenses than White women.”

The deck undeniably is stacked.

As if those facts of life aren’t difficult enough to deal with, much less overcome, Burton unflinchingly observes that the penal process is about anything but rehabilitation.

It’s not intended to turn lives around but, in fact, obstructs all hope of these women getting back on their feet, starting with court-provided legal representation.

“Public pretenders, that’s what we called them,” says Burton. “No more useful in court than your own shadow standing next to you. It seemed they were there solely to legitimize people throwing away their rights — to facilitate a fast track to guilt, to keep the conveyor belt to prison moving swiftly along.” After which whole populaces are simply warehoused.

Incarcerated people are given menial jobs that pay cents per hour and are vastly overcharged for purchases necessary for everyday living. With families and loved ones charged $15 for a collect, 10-minute phone call, that link to the outside world is a grave hardship to anyone raking and scraping to make

individuals collectively gave and got support, Burton turned a significant corner. “As women began telling our stories and talking about what was going on around us, I found my voice. I could no longer shake my head and helplessly ask the same questions over and over again. It was time to change the answers.”

cently released offenders.

Over time, it became A New Way of Life, transitional houses in Los Angeles, where she still works with ex-convicts embarking on re-entry.

With a foreword by Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, Burton and Lynn bring fluid, forceful immediacy to

Burton, a recovering addict and former convict, turned the strength of prevailing against personal adversity into a resource for others to do the same.

Courtesy of The New Press ends meet. The inmate is denied that morale-sustaining connection.

Basically, you just mark time until it’s time to go. Then you’re released with next to no money, having had to pay for your civilian clothes and a Greyhound bus ticket. Worse, if you had a checkbook, driver’s license or security card, I.D. of any sort when you went in, the state destroyed them before you got out. There is no explanation as to what earthly good comes from depriv-

ing people of these vital documents.

On top of everything, there’s a 50-50 chance you are now homeless. When Burton left prison, even resources like food stamps and housing assistance weren’t accessible to her as an ex-con. The most daunting prospect is being right back where you started — broke in a bad neighborhood and in need of some kind of livelihood, legal or otherwise.

At a gathering by which

Upon her sixth and last release, a prison guard actually said they’d save a spot for her next return, but that never happened. Changing direction, she left people, places and things of her old East L.A. haunts behind to seek chemical dependency recovery at the CLARE Foundation in Santa Monica.

Aware there were no such facilities where she lived, Burton did something about it and began helping others help themselves out of dead-end lives, empowering them to break the self-destructive cycle of drug addiction fostering criminal careers. She worked as a personal care assistant, scrimped, saved and enlisting formerly incarcerated friends, along with someone willing to help float a mortgage, and put together a small halfway house for a capacity of 10 re-

Burton’s memoir, the narrative’s compelling grit perfectly suited to the subject, documenting an alternative to counting on a rigged system to help recover one’s life.

If you know someone who is currently incarcerated, a copy of the book Becoming Ms. Burton is being offered to people in prison free of charge at http://bit.ly/SusanBurtonBook.

For more book info, go to http:// becomingmsburton.com. For info about A New Way of Life, visit http://anewwayoflife.org.

Dwight Hobbes welcomes readers responses to dhobbes@ spokesman-recorder.com.

Oscar buzz accompanies release of If Beale Street Could Talk

By Stacy M. Brown Contributing Writer Oscar discussions for the movie If Beale Street Could Talk began in earnest after several screenings, including at a recent special premiere screening at New York’s famed Apollo Theater. “[The movie] is a timeless work of Black love set in Harlem,” said Kamilah Forbes, Apollo Theater’s executive producer. She called the film an “important work in the community.”

Written and directed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and based on the classic novel by James Baldwin, If Beale Street Could Talk tells the story of Tish, a newly engaged Harlem woman who races against the clock to prove her lover’s innocence while carrying their first-born child to term.

Reviewers have already earmarked If Beale Street for an Oscar. Critics at Vulture wrote, “Rarely has a filmmaker’s devotion to his material been more clear. Beale Street translates much of Baldwin’s prose to voice-over, and it holds his characters in adoring close-up; there’s not a filmmaker working today who’s as good at shooting faces as Jenkins is.

“But where Baldwin went for kitchen-sink realism, this film turns Tish and Fonny’s story into a romantic epic that seeks to capture all of Harlem in its lush, warm gaze.

“From the fantastic cinematography, to the impeccably re-created period details, to the nearly all-Black cast, I don’t think I’ve seen a movie that looked and felt quite like Beale Street.”

Goldderby.com wondered, “Can Brian Tyree Henry win an Oscar in 12 minutes?” Henry ap-

said on the Red Carpet of the NMAAHC African American Film Festival. “Even though we are all humans, I think a lot of times people see Black first and don’t see everything that exists. I want them to see love first,” King said.

She continued, “Everyone that I know that has seen the movie, Black or White or whatever, that’s what they’re getting from it. They felt like they left with a hug, a different understanding of Black culture… this gives probably one of the most honest presentations of Black families in a long, long time.”

If Beale Street Could Talk was a Best Feature Finalist and Audience Award runner-up at the 2018 Twin Cities Film Festival. The movie opens nationwide November 30. For more movie info, visit BealeStreet.movie or @BealeStreet on social media.

Stacey Brown is an NNPA newswire correspondent. She can be reached on Twitter at @StacyBrownMedia.

“You couldn’t find a more perfect Grinch.”

– Pioneer Press

Producers of the Annapurna Pictures release call the movie a celebration of love told through the story of a young couple, their families and their lives, trying to bring about justice through love, for love, and the promise of the American dream.

Others simply call If Beale Street Could Talk a Harlem love story that unfolds on the big screen, in the neighborhood that is home to its characters.

The movie stars KiKi Layne, Stephan James and Colman Domingo, along with memorable roles portrayed by Teyonah Parris, Michael Beach, Dave Franco, and Regina King, among others. It’s scheduled to open nationwide on Nov. 30.

“I saw Beale Street as part of the NMAAHC African American Film Festival,” said April Reign, a noted Washington, D.C.-based speaker and consultant. “Barry Jenkins has a way of showing us and our love that I’ve never experienced before on film. Go see Beale Street…”

Courtesy of Annapurna Pictures

pears in a pivotal segment of the movie as Daniel Carty, an old friend of Fonny Hunt who recounts a harrowing experience.

Critics at Goldderby.com noted that Stephan James will be campaigning for recognition as a lead actor, which opens the door for Henry in the Best Supporting Actor race. While you might think a shorter performance is at a disadvantage at the Oscars, tell that to Beatrice Straight, who made history by winning Best Supporting Actress for Network in 1976 and Judi Dench, who won Best Supporting Actress for Shakespeare in Love in 1998, despite just an eightminute performance.

Forbes Magazine critics also fed into the Oscar buzz, opining that Jenkins could win Best Director in a new review this week.

Regina King, who plays Tish’s mother Sharon Rivers in the movie, said the film helps further humanize Black people and Black love. “I want people to see us as human beings,” she

FUN FOR EVERY WHO, AGES 3 TO 102!

Nov. 6, 2018 – Jan. 6, 2019 childrenstheatre.org/Grinch Additional Support Provided by

Photo by Kaitlin Randolph

Stephan James and Kiki Layne in If Beale Street Could Talk

November 8-14, 2018

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Dr. Willa Grant Battle celebrates 60 years on the pulpit

H

istorically, the African American church has been at the forefront of every social, political, and economic development for Blacks.

It is through the church that social organizations were formed, providing people of color with proper burial services, a place for recreation, and so forth.

Traditionally, men have been the pulpit forerunners.

Today, women across the globe are making their way from church mothers to the front lines of the pulpit. Dr. Willa Grant Battle, founder (along with her husband Rev. Dr. Walter L. Battle) and pastor of Grace Temple Deliverance Center, is one of those pioneers in ministry.

At the age of 94, it is safe to say that no other pastor in the Twin Cities has been an active pastor longer than she has, celebrating 60 years as pastor of Grace Temple Deliverance Center (GTDC), located at 1908 4th Avenue South in Minneapolis.

Today, the non-denominational, Pentecostal church is much different from its

humble beginnings in the storefront building the Battles rented on Milton and Rondo in St. Paul. In 1951, they purchased a church from the Mormons located at 247 North Grotto Street (currently Gospel Temple Church with the street renamed in honor of Rev. Dr. Walter L. Battle). Elder Dwight Buckner, Sr. is now the pastor.

Grace Temple Deliverance Center provides spiritual renewal, alcohol and drug counseling, street ministries, clothing ministries, food shelters for the homeless, and annual toy donations for underprivileged children. Dr. Battle not only worships as a faithful servant to the Lord but also labors in a commitment to educate and restore the broken. While a champion for a worthwhile cause at home, her ministry extends itself outside of the Twin Cities to Haiti, Africa and the Philippines.

In 1957, the Battles founded a mission school and mission-feeding center in Haiti that today remains one

Dr. Willa Grant Battle

of Haiti’s longest operating missions. The Haitian mission has expanded over the years to include the following: 50 churches and 10 schools (including The Doris Akers Memorial High

Obituary

Dr. Sharon R. Glover

Dr. Sharon Tolbert Glover, 78, passed away on Sept 21, 2018. She was preceded in death by her husband, Gleason Glover; her parents, Carl Sr. and Pearl Tolbert; and her brothers Carl Jr. and Dr. George Tolbert, MD. She is survived by her sisters Dr. Carlene Bawden, Darlene (Mickey) Palmer, Sue Clay, and Phyllis (Earl) Barnes. She also leaves behind nephews and nieces Robert Jr. and Sharon Crumpton, Courtney Tolbert, Lori Carroll, Michelle Tolbert Ploss, Carole Floyd, Eileen Hendrickson, Ashley, Derek, Anthony, Raymond, Matthew and Lewis Tolbert, Terri Palmer Johnson, Jonathan, Tobi, and Molly Palmer, John and Cortland Stewart, Dr. Maisha Barnes, MD, and Byron Barnes; step children Gleason (Andrea), Maury (Tom) and Stephanie Glover; and step grandchildren Genevieve and Germaine Glover.

At age 15, Sharon entered the convent of the Servites of Mary in Blue Island, Illinois. Upon completion of 10 years of training, Sharon took her final vows, becoming Sr. Mary Desales.

Sharon’s passion for education defined both her life and her career. She graduated from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York with a Bachelor of Arts in 1968 and earned a Master’s Degree from the SUNY Buffalo and a Ph.D. from Stanford University in Higher Education. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis recruited Sharon in 2000 to reopen the historic St. Peter Claver Catholic School in St. Paul, the capstone of her career.

In addition to her husband and family, the great loves of Sharon’s life were her precious pooches Buffy, Pierre, Tony and finally Sophie. They brought her much joy and happiness in her years on this earth, and at times she seemed to like them more than some people. Sharon was smart, strong, independent, outspoken, and generous almost to a fault.

We will miss her but take comfort knowing she is in heaven with her parents, brothers and beloved GG. A Mass of Christian Burial was held Saturday, November 3 at the Church of the Incarnation, 3817 Pleasant Ave. S., Mpls. Private interment at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery.

Submitted photo School and Willa Grant Battle Elementary School), and The Good Samaritan Hospital, which opened in 2002 and remains the only hospital in Boutilier, Haiti.

Dr. Battle says, “The mission work in Haiti has taken a great deal of our time and attention. We were able to establish goat, food and medical projects. We ministered to people both physically and spiritually with food

TinniTus Continued from page 3

Biofeedback A relaxation technique that helps control stress by changing bodily responses to tinnitus. A patient’s physiological processes are mapped into a computer, and the individual learns how to alter these processes and reduce the body’s stress response by changing their thoughts and feelings.

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and medications.”

Asked how she started a venture in Haiti, she responded, “God gave me a vision of a poor, needy people that spoke a language different from that of my own. He showed me the people and their surroundings and told me they were in the West Indies. We set out to find these people.

“Upon arriving in Haiti, the burden that I had carried in my heart for several months was lifted.” Since the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Dr. Battle has built four homes for families and has adopted 11 orphans. All mission proceeds raised by GTDC go toward the support of these causes.

Dr. Battle received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern College in 1956, where she majored in theology. She continued her graduate education at the University of Minnesota, graduating cum laude with a Master’s in American studies with minors in AfroAmerican history and music history. A true advocate for education, Dr. Battle pursued her Ph.D. degree from Trinity Seminary in Newburg, Indiana. The topic of her dissertation was “Black Churches in Minneapolis.”

In 2004, Dr. Battle received an honorary Doctor

Careful diagnosis by a professional with years of experience creating solutions for tinnitus sufferers is essential.

Dr. Inell Rosario was born and raised on Andros, an island in the Bahamas. She graduated from Macalester College in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts and went on to attend medical school at the University of Minnesota. She then completed her internship and residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She is board-certified in otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, and sleep medicine. Dr. Rosario is the president of Andros ENT & Sleep Center and is the former president of the Minnesota Association of Black Physicians. When she isn’t working at the clinic, Dr. Rosario likes to exercise, play basketball, and do mission work. She is married and has two children. Her husband Louis is the director of the Ramsey County Assessor Department.

of Humanities degree from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota. She is the first African American in the history of this university to be bestowed with such an honor. In 2006, she was ordained as a bishop.

Dr. Battle has been a member of many organizations and served on several boards over the years.

Dr. Battle and Grace Temple Deliverance Center will celebrate their Pastoral and Church Anniversary beginning Friday, November 9 with a musical at 7:30 pm. On Sunday, November 11 morning worship begins at 11:30 am where the speaker will be Rev. Wesley J. Thomas of Los Angeles, CA. The Founders Day service begins at 4 pm where the speaker will be Dr. Frank Walters of Summit, NJ. Musical guests will feature Bishop Stephanie and Rev. Willie Bond with Spirit and Truth Worship Center Choir, Dr. B. Charvez Russell with Greater Friendship Baptist Church Choir, and Sister Lanell Lightfoot.

Information provided by Grace Temple Deliverance Center

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.

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There is no cost to be in this year-long study and participants will receive payment for their time.

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If you are interested, visit www.pacback.org for more information.

8

November 8-14, 2018

Shoppers got a jump on the season and kept their dollars in the community.

SiSter Spokeman Continued from page 1

really know if they have customers for what they’re trying to do. So, the first thing I’d say is to test the idea.”

Chanslor also noted the importance of testing the market. “If you want to test your product, figure out ways to do that. Midtown Global Market has day tables… You can pay every day to be there and sell your goods and see what people say about them. Get their feedback.”

But that’s just the beginning. McLean added that potential business owners should survey their industry of choice and ask themselves hard questions: “Is this an area that’s growing? Why would someone buy [your] product instead of someone else’s that is out there? What do you bring to the table that others don’t?”

Sister Spokesman founder and host Tracey Williams-Dillard reminded the crowd that if they fail to plan, they can plan on failing. Chanslor also stressed this point: “[A business plan] is your tool.

[It is] everything that you put into place to figure out how you’re going to go about this very, very risky venture. [I] can’t tell you how critical it is to do that.

“You do not have to have a degree to write a business plan. You do not have to write eloquently to write a business plan.”

Chanslor also encouraged attendees interested in starting a business to examine their relationship with credit and money. “Credit is a very difficult conversation, especially if you weren’t raised to understand how it operates,” she said. “Find out what

your credit score is and start working on it.

“We all have a relationship with money. Start thinking about where [you] stand when it comes to personal finances. What are my habits, good and bad? How are those habits going to transfer over to the business, and what can I do about it?”

Rounding out the panel, Puckett encouraged fellow entrepreneurs to “step out on faith” and not be afraid to make their dreams a reality. She told attendees, “Believe in yourself and just try it. Don’t get in the way of yourself.”

Puckett has come full circle. She is a longtime vendor at Sister Spokesman and credits the opportunity with helping her test the waters to open her own restaurant and catering service. After the event, she expounded on why it’s important to follow your dreams.

“The other day, I was listening to a young man talk to his daughter,” said Puckett. “And his daughter told him that she wanted to be a veterinarian.

He stopped her right away and told her that there’s no money in that. And she said, ‘But Daddy, that’s what I want to do. That’s what makes me happy.’

He said, ‘That’s not what I want you to do because there’s no money in that! Figure something else out.’

“That actually triggered something in me, [a memory of] when I was younger — all the things that I wanted to do. In my generation then, I think my family was hung up on titles and money versus what will bring you happiness. So, I wasn’t able to really do what I wanted to do early.

“With that being said, I feel like, don’t discourage what somebody else’s dream is because it’s not for you, it’s for them. You have to let people live their own life.”

She implored potential entrepreneurs to give it a go. “Try it. Have a small gathering at your home...

Try Sister Spokesman or a similar event that you can try on a small scale when you’re just getting your feet wet.”

The event also featured entertainment provided by Phyllis “Showtime” Braxton, who led attendees in line dancing, while KMOJ’s QBear spun laidback bops to shop to.

Natasha Randall was a first-time Sister Spokesman attendee. She said she came out to encourage her sister who was vending at the event (Shalawn Randall of B’YOUtique, LLC). “I just found out it was every month, and I will be coming back!” said Randall.

She added, “I am glad I came because I got to see a lot of us African American women here doing their thing in terms of opening businesses and trying to stand on their own feet... And I just really appreciate seeing women going in that direction to

Continued from page 1

While Jones has been engaged in building relationships to address her concerns, she has become fed up with just talking about the problem.

“I’ve been sitting at different tables with the City, with Ramsey County Attorney’s Office and the police department and all we’re doing is inviting community leaders out to these meetings to talk about gun violence. I need action items,” she said, frustrated by the prospect of more meetings. “So, I said, you know what? Forget sitting in these meetings anymore. I’m about to do something about it.”

To that end, Jones has launched a city- and countywide effort, teaming with many of the same people she’s been sitting at the tables with, including the Ramsey County sheriff and attorney offices, as well as the Saint Paul Police Department. But this time, she said, she’s focused on creating a plan and a report to impact real change.

The day-long event will feature motivational keynotes by Jason Sole, director of Saint Paul Community First-Public Safety, and Kasim Abdur Razzaq, author of 5 Essential Principles for Healing Black Men and Raising Black Boys.

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Saint Paul Police Deputy Chief Paul Iovino will also be on hand to share how the County and City are already working together to stop gun violence.

“We really want to bring this issue up and out loud to people that have the power to make change happen around gun [violence],” said Jones. This includes breakout sessions led by facilitators focusing on healing

and trauma, parenting, mental health, and creating solutions that extend beyond the day.

“We’re going to be asking for ideas from the young people, as well as parents,” she said.

“We’re going to be actually taking those ideas and compounding them into a report, and we’re going to hand that report to our mayor, Ramsey County attorney, St. Paul Police Department and all the people who can make changes around this gun violence.”

Jones added that both Ramsey County Boys Totem Town and the Juvenile Detention Center will also bring youth that have dealt with gun violence to provide real-life testimonies.

She has also teamed with High School for Recording Arts founder and CEO David (TC) Ellis. For Ellis, it was a no-brainer for him to not only provide the meeting space but also involve his students.

“We have had a lot of students and people in the community who have been victims of gun violence and are motivated to do something to stop that,” said Ellis. “I thought this was a good chance for the community to come together with the police around something positive.”

The event has also empowered students to assist with programming and promoting the event.

“We have a great group of young people called Individuals With Dreams (IWD), and they have been amazing at putting together the graphics and getting the word out to the young people,” Ellis said.

The IWD team is comprised of young Black men from the school and community who meet at the school around issues of economic and community impact.

Jones hopes to fill the room

with at least 250 people on Saturday. “We just want to get the youth in the door. If we can get them in the door, it gives us opportunities to change their train of thought and their thinking process.”

To help sweeten the deal for youth to come out on a Saturday morning, Jones will provide the first 50 youth to walk through the door — and the first 25 parents of teens — with a free $50 gift card. All attendees will receive a free “Guns Down Saint Paul” t-shirt. HRSA students will also give performances and short skits highlighting alternatives to gun violence.

Ellis is excited about the potential for changing how youth view and are viewed in creating change. “Kids want to be safe.

They want to be in a safe space, and gun violence really interrupts that.

“I really hope this will help create a new narrative around the community and young people and expectations that using guns and violence isn’t the appropriate problem-solving tool,” he said. “I am hoping this is the beginning of truly turning the tide of looking at innovative ways to do something better.”

The Guns Down Saint Paul Youth Summit takes place Saturday, Nov. 10, 8 am – 3:30 pm at the High School for Recording Arts located at 1166 University Ave. West in St. Paul. Breakfast and lunch will also be provided. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Dora Jones at dorajones@saintpaulmya.org or 651-222-7721.

Stephenetta Harmon welcomes reader responses to sharmon@ spokeman-recorder.com.

help the community.”

For more info on NEON, visit www.neon-mn. org or call 612-312-1505. For info on Neighborhood Development Center, visit www.ndc-mn.org or call 651-

291-2480. Find Wendy’s House of SOUL at Facebook/ YouveBeenSouled or call 612-800-4535.

Sister Spokesman’s next event is “Celebrating Moms of All Ages” on Dec. 1 from 12-4 pm at Lifesource, 2225 West River Road N. in Minneapolis. If you know a phenomenal mother you’d like to nominate, complete the form at bit.ly/CelebrateMoms2018. Deadline for nominations is November 15.

Paige Elliott welcomes reader responses to pelliott@ spokeman-recorder.com.

Do you know a Phenomenal Mother?

Do you know a phenomenal mom?

Nominate her to be recognized at our “Celebrating Moms of All Ages” event on December 1. We’re looking for unique nominees who have risen above the norm and should be noted for “Shining in the Spotlight.” Men are invited to join this special Sister Spokesman in celebration of phenomenal moms.

Nominees will be honored at the event and will be featured in in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder newspaper. If you know a phenomenal mother you’d like to nominate, go to the form at: bit.ly/CelebrateMoms2018

“Kids want to be safe. They want to be in a safe space, and gun violence really interrupts that.”

gunS down

Photos by Steve Floyd

NOMINATIONS MUST BE IN

BY NOV. 15, 2018 Spotlight Continued from page 1

well as talk to someone who is a professional in the haircare industry and has a little bit of experience with some of the products.

MSR: What would you consider your store’s hero service?

KC: I don’t really have a specialty except healthy hair. Whether it’s color or some other service, the service is always about keeping the hair healthy.

We also sell wigs. And, of our natural haircare line, we sell a lot of Camille Rose Naturals — it’s actually one of our favorites, as well.

business to survive. [But] overall, it has been good — a lot of learning in a short amount of time.

MSR: What has been the most rewarding part of owning your business?

KC: I think the most rewarding part has been acquiring loyal customers — people that have been coming in and haven’t looked back. They get to know us by name, and we get to know them by name. It shows us that people really do appreciate our presence in the community.

MSR: How do you see your business impacting the community?

KC: People come in and they love the knowledge and expertise, as well as patience when searching for products. And, [with] our wigs, we’ve really attracted a following of people with hair loss issues [with the] patience, the intimacy that we have, because it is a smaller store and we have the quality of MSR: What is one thing you wish you knew be- wigs specifically for people with hair loss or postfore launching your business? chemotherapy patients. I think that is how we’ve KC: I wish I knew how hard it is to break people made the biggest difference so far, just beyond sellaway from their habits! From the consumer side, if ing product. you’ve always gone to a certain place to get your products, but the Black-owned place is closer, [I MSR: What’s your vision for your business? know that] it’s not that you don’t want to go to the KC: As things are evolving for us, we have begun Black-owned place, but it’s your habit to go to this to pivot more towards becoming a one-on-one ser[other] place. vice-based store that focuses even more on hair loss.

People are just going through their routines We’ll still have lots of haircare products, but we’ve [and] are not thinking, “Wait a minute, I’ve got to seen such a need of people that have to wear wigs break this particular habit and put the dollars back due to autoimmune deficiencies that cause them to into my community.” lose their hair.

In the next three to five years, I see myself conMSR: Would you consider that to be your biggest necting more with that community of post-chemo challenge? and people who are actually going through cheKC: That and understanding how to market to mo who are not ready to wear their bald heads yet. the right people. For me, it has been harder than I And also young people with alopecia — they need thought it would be, but still fulfilling. [It has been some help. They need a unit that looks like them. harder because] you do have to get people to underA lot of times, a larger, busier, more cluttered stand the importance of supporting Black-owned beauty supply store doesn’t offer that [intimate] serbusinesses. It has kind of become something that vice. That’s the direction we’re headed in — to fopeople just say and endorse it verbally, but they do cus more on the services and not just the retail. not endorse it through their actions.

So…it has been a slow climb for us, because it Bella Beauty Hair is located at 7648 Zane Ave. N., takes a little longer to change people’s mindsets. Ste. 103 in Brooklyn Park. MSR readers can receive a 20 Black people who hear about a business opening, percent discount off their next purchase by mentioning event or product may show up one time and say the MN Spokesman-Recorder. Offer valid until they have supported. But the truth is that you have November 16, 2018. For more information, visit www. to stay consistent and support it regularly for the bellabeautyandhair.com.

November 8-14, 2018

Housing

Employment Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder is looking to expand its Dynamic Sales Force We have more leads than we can handle and are looking for a sales star with a reputation for excellent customer service.

As a valued member of our team, we offer a competitive compensation package.

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

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Fitz

interceptions, and he’s completing 71 percent of his passes.

The Vikings signed him to a record $84 million three-year contract. His biggest question mark is win percentage; his career mark was 26-30-1.With the Vikings he’s 5-3-1, so it’s improved to 31-33-2. He is on pace for a fourth straight 4,000-yard season and 20-plus touchdowns.

Injuries have been an issue for the Vikings, mentally and physically. Everson Griffen is back and had one and a half sacks Sunday. However, Anthony Barr, Andrew Sendejo, Stefon Diggs, and several offensive linemen did not play. If they get totally healthy over the next seven weeks and improve their special teams, the Vikings can play with anyone.

Continued from page 10

assess what they’ve been through to this point —the could-have-beens — and measure where they are.

The 8-1 Los Angeles Rams and 7-1 New Orleans Saints are positioned with the best records right now, with the top seeds in the NFC for the all-important byes if they continue and qualify for the playoffs. The Vikings had a shot at both the Rams in LA, which they lost 38-31, and the Saints, another loss, 30-20.

With seven games left, the first prize is the NFC North Division title again, and with four Division games it’s going to be there for the Vikings to take. So far, wide receiver Adam Thielen has been sensational.

The Pro Bowl receiver is on an historic pace, leading the NFL with 78 catches for 978 yards and seven touchdowns. He has already achieved an all-time NFL record this season for starting the season with eight consecutive 100-yard games.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins has been very good. He’s led the Vikings throwing for 2,685 yards, second-highest total in the NFL, with 17 touchdown passes, just five

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CELEBRATING

MOMS OF ALL AGES ON DEC. 1, 2018

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

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9

10

November 8-14, 2018

The Vikings are It’s show time for new Whalen era of Gopher women’s hoops still in the hunt I f you stop and think for a moment what the Vikings have been through already this season, you just shake your head. Offensive Line Coach Tony Sparano died just before training camp. Legendary trainer Fred Zamberletti died, Hall-of-Famer Alan Page lost his wife Diane, veteran defensive back Keith Nord also died, and now popular running back

the first of two with the Bears.

Since 1961 when the Vikings were born in the NFL, Detroit has been good for the Vikings. Sunday’s win was the 40th time the Vikings have beaten the Lions in Minnesota (40-16-1).

All-time, the Vikings are 73-39-2 vs Motown’s Lions.

Sunday the Vik ings set a franchise all-time record with 10 sacks of quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Defensive star Danielle Hunter, closing in on Matthew Stafford, leads the NFL with 11 1/2 sacks.

Photo by Steve Floyd

Bill Brown passed at age 80 on Saturday. His daughter is married to ex-Vikings quarterback Rich Gannon.

After winning an important Division game Sunday 24-9 at U.S. Bank Stadium over the Detroit Lions, the Vikings are 5-3-1 after nine weeks. They are still chasing the 5-3 Chicago Bears in the NFC North and will travel to Chicago on November 18 for

Defensive star Danielle Hunter led on Sunday — he had three and half sacks, recovered a fumble, and raced 32 yards for a touchdown.

Hunter leads the NFL with 11 and a half sacks.

The bye this week for the Vikings, wi nners of four of their last five games, could be good. They get to reflect on the first nine games and ■ See Fitz on page 9

T

he whole women’s basketball world will be watching Friday, Nov. 9, as Minnesota hosts New Hampshire at the Barn in an announced sellout contest, the Gophers’ 2018-19 season opener. Based on all accounts with the expected local media frenzy in tow, it’s more than a basketball game. It’s the Lindsay Whalen “show” with the first former Gopher woman hoopster to return to her alma mater as head coach.

At Whalen’s first game as a Gopher player in the 200001 season, only four reporters were in attendance; two of them were the late Kwame McDonald and this reporter, who is beginning his 32nd season of covering Minnesota hoops. It wasn’t until midway through Whalen’s second year that Gopher women’s hoops attracted both more media and fans.

But Friday will be something not seen before. Fairly or unfairly, the spotlight will be squarely on Whalen quite literally as soon as she emerges from the bowels of the Barn, a few months since being hired as a female Elmer Gantry to bring U of M women’s basketball to national prominence.

“I’m getting to the point where I am feeling pretty good about all that,” Whalen said of the hoopla building up to Friday’s home opener. In a sitdown MSR interview in her Athletes Village office, the two of us talked for almost an hour, more as longtime friends rather than as a scheduled reporter-coach interview.

Lindsay Whalen The last time Whalen officially stepped onto the Williams Arena’s famed raised floor, she was in a Minnesota Lynx uniform in the decid-

ing game of the 2017 WNBA Finals. She left with her fourth league championship in hand, winning her first championship on her home college court.

Now she’s back, a newly retired pro player after 15 seasons and a first-time-ever coach at her alma mater, the state’s only Division I university where expectations can be unrealistic, but such things are now at a fever pitch.

“I’m glad everyone is coming, but I want people to come see my players and not just me.

It’s their time now,” she points out. The current hoopla, however, says otherwise.

“No two days are ever

Sheu Oduniyi

Photo by Charles Hallman

scended on different levels. It has taken a lot of different turns that I never expected,” Oduniyi admitted. This also included coaching college women hoops for the first time.

“Coming out and being on the floor… the intensity is going to be there similar to playing.” prep scoring guard, then later in college where he was a member of Portland State’s first league title in 2005. He graduated there a year later with a social science degree.

Oduniyi also played professionally overseas. Then, while pursuing and earning an MBA from Lynn University, he worked three seasons for the NBA’s Miami Heat in game day operations and as an intern and assistant coach at Elev8 Sport Institute Basketball Academy in Florida.

“I think my love for the game has tran-

“I was recommended for the position,” he noted. “The basketball community likes the work that I did. Word spread, and it got here to Mac, and they reached out. I gladly accepted.”

Macalester over the years has had fleeting levels of success, but they are not often discussed as MIAC perennial contenders.

“We’re making progress,” Oduniyi said on pre-season preparation.

“Coming from playing at Division I Portland State and my time with the Miami

I am still trying to figure out [things], but I am getting better.”

A free public scrimmage against the team’s male scout team, as well as closed scrimmages against two opponents in the last two weeks, have offered Whalen the chance to work out the sideline coaching glitches before the games count in the standings. “I want to have as many reps as I can get so I can be as good as I can be” as a coach, she stressed.

“All the things I don’t know, [I’ll] learn.”

As a first-time-ever coach at any level, Whalen assembled a staff with both familiarity and

experience soon after she was hired this past spring. Danielle O’Banion was an assistant coach during Whalen’s Gopher days and a former Division I head coach. Kelly Roysland was a teammate, former Minnesota assistant coach, and Macalester College head coach for four seasons.

Carly Thibault-DuDonis is a proven recruiter, and Melissa Maines, with over two decades of work in basketball operations, was available after former U of M coach Marlene Stollngs left the school this spring for Texas Tech and took her entire staff with her. “It was a no-brainer” in the aforementioned hires, Whalen said proudly.

So Friday is show time for the new face of Gopher women’s basketball. “It’s taken a little bit of adjusting,” Whalen said of her preparation.

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

Johnson captures state tournament

New Mac assistant coach anticipates opening-night jitters Macalester College begins its 201819 women’s basketball season Thursday, Nov. 8, at home against Bethany Lutheran College. It is first-year Head Coach Pamela Findley’s opening night at the St. Paul school — she was hired this past spring.

It also is opening night for Sheu Oduniyi, who this summer was hired as Mac’s assistant women’s basketball coach, his first collegiate coaching position after three seasons as boys’ junior varsity basketball coach and assistant boys’ varsity basketball coach at Minneapolis South High School, his alma mater.

“I sat down a couple of times and really reflected on not necessarily [Thursday’s] opener, but my journey as somebody in basketball,” Oduniyi earlier told the MSR before a practice. The Minneapolis native was part of a resurgence of South boys’ basketball in the late 1990s as an all-conference

alike,” Whalen continued on her coaching career thus far.

“I am still learning what is going to work for our team. It’s all happening so fast at times

“I want people to come see my players and not just me.

It’s their time now.”

Sports odds and ends

By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer

Photo by Charles Hallman

Heat, I got to see a basketball-centered environment,” he explained. “Here at Mac [a Division III school], it’s the opposite.”

The school is in the nation’s top 25 among the best Division II/III colleges for studentathletes. “It’s ref reshing,” said Oduniyi of the environment. “Student-athletes actually are student-athletes and looking to broaden their horizons. They push themselves on the court as well as off the court.

Academics is why they are here.”

Opening night, whether it’s a stage play or a sporting contest, can be butterflies-inducing to the participants whether they’re on the court or on the sidelines. Oduniyi doesn’t expect Macalester’s season opener on Thursday at Leonard Center to be any different.

But he said his first-time as an assistant coaching South girls’ badminton last spring has given him a fresh perspective, especially in relating to today’s generation of players. “Working with the young ladies there and with women here I think will make me overall a better coach, not necessarily a women’s coach,” he stated. “My level of preparation and attention to detail is a lot more intense at the college level. It’s something that I like, something I love.”

He predicts that opening-night jitters will be there in his first game as a college coach on Thursday. “Coming out and being on the floor, I think I will have to be reined in a little bit because the intensity is going to be there similar to playing,” he told us. “I think after those first minutes [of the game], the adrenaline [will be high]. I will be able to calm down and collect my thoughts.”

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

assistant coach, the oldWhen running back Daimarion Nelson, er Barze looked on as linebacker Doua Thao, sophomore Joey Moand linemen Ke’Ontae berg’s two touchdown Davis and Oscar Caruns, Nelson’s 96 yards marena jogged onto the rushing, and a stinfield of St. Paul Johngy defense led them to son’s 12-7 Class 4A Sec- PreP Scene their first state playoff tion 5 football chamberth since 1981.

Dr. Mitchell pionship victory over PalMer McDonalD South St. Paul last week, Minneapolis North former Johnson defenmakes it four in a sive back Tyrone Barze row had previously arrived before Running back Omar the contest in his 2004 letter- Brown’s two rushing touchman’s jacket to show his sup- downs and two scoring passes port. from quarterback Zach Yeager “They got me wearing my to wide receiver Nasir El-Amin letterman’s jacket,” said Barze, earned Minneapolis North its now a sergeant with the Minne- fourth-straight state playoff apolis Police Department. “Had berth with a 28-0 victory over St. to come and support the team Agnes in the Class 2A Section 4 and my brother,” he continued championship game. as his two younger daughters The Polars enter the tournalooked on. ment undefeated.

With his brother, 2007 Johnson graduate Tyrell Barze — a Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonstandout in his own right on the ald welcomes reader responses to football team during his high mcdeezy05@gmail.com. school career — contributing his wisdom to the Governors as an

(l-r) St. Paul Johnson running back Daimarion Nelson, linebacker Doua Thao, and linemen Ke’Ontae Davis and Oscar Camarena return to field at halftime of the Class 4A Section 5 championship. The Governors defeated South St. Paul 12-7.

Photo by Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald