THE VOICE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1934
September 17-23, 2020 Vol. 87 No. 7
Serving the Community for Years
86
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Protestors demand prosecution of Floyd’s killers
Big Ten’s no-play decision sparks outrage First Black commissioner left holding the proverbial bag
Big Ten Conference Commissioner Kevin Warren
News Analysis By Charles Hallman Contributing writer
I
n early August, Big Ten presidents voted 11-3 to postpone fall sports, including football, until spring 2021 because of COVID-19 concerns. Since then, Conference Commissioner Kevin Warren, who in essence is the “mes-
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senger,” has been the target of unwarranted and sometimes vicious criticism, particularly from those who think football should be played in the Big Ten this fall COVID or no. While Warren has had to weather the criticism, including harsh judgments on his competence as a commissioner, most school presidents have remained strangely silent and out of sight, or have offered stumbling public ■See BIG TEN on page 5
Black printer’s business thrives amid COVID-19 rival mainstream competitors FedEx and Office Depot. For Brown, the company’s commitFew small businesses have ment to excellence derives from been able to withstand the af- his early days as a printer, which termath of COVID-19 without began in the Seattle, Washington taking a serious financial hit. area. “I’ve been in printing since In a fluctuating and unstable
By Marquis Taylor Contributing writer
Photos by King Demetrius Pendleton A few hundred protestors showed up last Friday, Sept. 11 in front of the Juvenile Justice Center in downtown Minneapolis to express their views at the pretrial hearing of four Minneapolis cops charged in the death of George Floyd. The officers charged for the Memorial Day killing—Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng (pictured above), Tou Thao and Thomas Lane—attended the over-three-hours pre-trial hearing with their attorneys. Elizer Darris of the ACLU of Minnesota said the community showed up to demand that justice be served. Dozens of speakers voiced their concerns that “the system” is trying to find ways to allow the cops to go free. During the hearing, the defendants’ attorneys requested a change of venue. The request was denied by Judge Peter Cahill, who acknowledged that it’s likely few people are unfamiliar with George Floyd’s mur-
der. “Is a panel of White jurors better positioned than those of us who live right here? Are they better positioned to judge this than us?” Darris asked the protestors, who responded with a chorus of “Hell no!” “They murdered him here, they should be tried here,” he shouted. Defense attorneys attempted to raise questions about whether Floyd had any gang affiliations. The judge reminded them that the victim was not on trial. “They are trying to say the knee on his neck for 8:46 was reasonable. They are trying to claim some asinine theory about an overdose,” Floyd family attorney Ben Crump said at a press conference after the hearing. “I want to be clear about this. The only overdose that killed George Floyd was an overdose of excessive force and racism by the Minneapolis Police Department.”
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Frank Brown economy such as ours, the idea of a business sustaining itself, let alone thriving, may be an equivalent to capturing lighting in a bottle. Enter Frank Brown, involved community member and owner of Minuteman Press, a print shop located in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis. Franchised across the country with multiple locations in Minnesota, Minuteman Press offers essential printing services that
1988 and just moved around in the field, “said Brown. “At the time there was a glass ceiling, and I became stuck in my career. Then I moved to Minnesota and did some work in Albert Lea before moving to the Twin Cities in 2004. In 2008, when companies were doing layoffs, I was able to step up and do some organizing. One of the things I was able to help organize was Ban the Box [a law that prevents employers from asking about criminal
■See MINUTEMAN on page 5
General Mills urges corporate community to step up and get real Some equity pledges are more show than substance
But is the corporate commu- equality issues in a small-group nity really committed to change? discussion format. Minneapolis-based General That was the topic of the Sept. 9 The local corpo- African American Leadership Mills’ website declared that Black employees, Black consumers rate community says and communities of color need it has accepted the call to be heard. The company also to action for systemic joined the Twin Cities Corporate change since the mur& Community Coalition to work der of George Floyd in on diversity and inclusion and May. “The community align corporate philanthropy efhas come together to forts. put their values in ac- virtual town hall panel. “A new and renewed sense “Black and Brown people are tion,” said the Minnesota Council on Foundations, tired of the game,” countered of responsibility and action,” is which lists several new Marnita’s Table Founder-CEO what General Mills Senior Global and existing initiatives to Marnita Schroedi, whose orga- Inclusion and Staffing Director advance diversity, equity nization works with individu- James Momon pledged. He said als, groups and corporations on the company has spent at least and inclusion.
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By Charles Hallman Contributing writer
“I think we should raise hell in all aspects.”
James Momon Courtesy of General Mills
cent charitable giving to advance social equity, and $8 million to help eliminate food deserts across the Twin Cities, according to the company’s web site. Yet Momon questioned if the money was well spent: “When I think about the impact that $20 million has had, the disparities still exist, and in some cases [are] worse,” he observed. “Is it a money problem? A resource problem? An influence problem? The answer is yes, it’s all of the above. General Mills can’t fix all these issues. We are just one company.”
$20 million on Minnesota-based equity projects over the last five years, $40 million in re■See GENERAL MIILS on page 11