Issue # 469
INSIDE
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Darrel German named TCF regional president for Minnesota
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A F R IC A N
C OM MU N I T Y
N E W S PAP E R
US State Department honors Three Africans for courage
Vaccine inequity posing risk to global economic recovery, UN says
How to celebrate Eid al-Fitr safely during the pandemic
Zahra Mohamed Ahmad, Julienne Lusenge and Maximilienne Ngo Mbe are recipients of this year’s US State Department’s International Women of Courage Award whose ceremony was held virtually this year due to the ongoing pandemic. Photos: US State Department
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Tony Allen’s “There Is No End” out now
By Cynthia Simba Mshale When Maximilienne Ngo Mbe was in her final year of high school in Cameroon, the principal discarded learning materials in a blatant act of sabotaging students’ readiness to succeed in their final exams. It was in the early ‘90s, during an election year, and – as young people often do – Mbe and her fellow students were opposed to their principal’s preferred candidate, President Paul Biya. If the principal’s action was supposed to intimidate students, it failed. Instead, it ignited a student movement of opposition. “We got together to discuss what we could do, what action we could take to make it stop,” Mbe said. “On a Monday morning, we organized.” Mbe continued her activism after high school. In 1991, she decided that she was going to become a human rights defender. She has fearlessly continued her advocacy work for three decades fighting for democracy, workers’ rights, as well as children’s and women’s rights. Her efforts to advance human rights go beyondthe borders of Cameroon. Over the years, she has created partnerships with various organizations that have negotiated ceasefires and sought
lasting resolution to armed conflicts in the African continent. Since 2010, Mbe has led the Network of Human Rights Defenders of Central Africa, an organization that unites and supports advocates from the region. Mbe is one of this year’s recipients of the International Women of Courage Award, given annually by the U.S. Department of State to honor female activists from around the world. Recipients are women who have demonstrated exceptional courage, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment – actions that often come with great sacrifice and risk to them and their families. This year’s awards were hosted virtually due to the pandemic with special remarks delivered by the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden. The honorees came from 14 different countries, including three from the African continent. Mbe from Cameroon, Julienne Lusenge from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Zahra Mohamed Ahmad from Somalia, were the three African women honored. Mbe knows all too well the risk women who try to speak up against injustices take. In addition to her life being under continued threat, her children have not been exempted. For example, they were targeted after she openly questioned the government’s use of violence in Courage on Pg. 8
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May 10-16, 2021 Issue 469
Darrel German is TCF regional president for Minnesota
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Darrel German has been named TCF regional president for Minnesota.
By Bethel Gessesse Mshale TCF Financial Corp. has announced that Darrel German will be the regional president of its Minnesota region. German will lead the Middle Market team and be responsible for all TCF business activity in the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota, according to anews release from TCF. German has more than 30 years of banking and financial services experience, including 15 years dedicated to commercial banking. His time in the banking and financial services industries overlapped with his 33 years in the United States Army, from which he retired in 2016 as Colonel. “We are thrilled to have Darrel join TCF as our regional president in the Twin Cities. He will continue in this role following our merger with Huntington, which is expected to close late in the second quarter, pending regulatory approvals,” said Mike Jones, president and chief operating officer, TCF Bank. “German has extensive experience successfully entering new markets, building highly effective teams, and developing and executing strategies that result in profitable growth in market share.” “TCF has a long history of serving customers in the Twin Cities, and we see enormous opportunity in this market to help middle market businesses succeed — whether that be working capital lines of
Photo: TCF
credit, acquisition fi¬nancing, or services to improve operational efficiencies,” said German. One of the things that drew me to TCF is its commitment to customers, team members and the community. I am proud to be a part of this stellar team.” In the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, TCF is the fourth largest bank with $8.5 billion in deposits and employs 2,700 employees, aming it among the top-50 largest employers in the state. TCF Bank and Huntington Bank are in the middle of a merger that is scheduled to eomplete in the summer. After the merger, the name TCF will disappear and become Huntington Bank. In addition to branches’ names changing, among the most visible change to Minnesotans will be TCF Bank Stadium whose name will change accoridng to a December 2020 story by te Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. The Business Journal quoted Steve Steinour, president and CEO of Huntington, as saying “We’re going to take the name from TCF to Huntington,” he said. “I believe that contract facilitates the name change.” Mr. German’s role as regional president will be unaffected once the merger is complete.
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Guest Commentary by Dr. Herbert ‘H. J.’ Harris
Let us trust our eyes and ears There is a smell of justice in the air with the conviction of George Floyd’s murderer. But let us not celebrate too soon. The cancer of hatred and racism is still very much alive and well in America. The conviction of Derek Chauvin, George Floyd’s murderer, is only the tip of the iceberg of hatred and racism that thrives in the heart, minds, and spirits of many Americans. Hatred and systemic racism festers beneath the surface in the underbelly of this country. In the shadow of the trial of George Floyd’s murderer (barely 10 miles away) Duante Wright, an unarmed Black man was killed by a police officer. A few miles away in Chicago, a 13-year-old boy was killed by police (as the body cam video showed) with his hands up. Now weeks after justice prevailed for George Floyd, Andrew Brown Jr. (another Black man) was killed by sheriff’s deputies in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, reportedly by a shot to the back of the head. The sheriff and the county attorney have insulted the family and the world. They took 120 hours to show the family only 20 seconds of an edited video from only one of the many cameras that should have recorded Andrew Brown’s killing. The question is why are the videos being edited or withheld? Is a law enforcement coverup taking place? In the case against George Floyd’s murderer, what would have been the narrative if a teenager had not used her cell phone to record the knee on George Floyd’s neck for over eight minutes. Consider the original police statement regarding the death of George Floyd. According to the Associated Press (April 23, 2021): “The original Minneapolis police statement attributed Floyd’s death to ‘medical distress’ and made no mention that the Black man had been pinned to the ground at the neck by Chauvin, or that he’d cried out that he couldn’t breathe. “If it wasn’t for this 17-year-old who took the video, Derek Chauvin would in all likelihood still be on the police force training officers,” said Andre Johnson, a University of Memphis professor of communication studies. “Sadly, this has been going on for a while, and it’s just now coming to light for a lot of Americans because of video evidence.” Quoting from page 147 of my book, Solving the Race Issue In America: “The primary difference between civil rights struggle of black people before the 1950s and the struggle after the 1950s was the advent of television. America’s track record in dealing with Black Americans shows the absence of a true moral compass. Through television, the whole world can see how America actually treats Black Americans. The whole world can see in vivid pictures that there is a contradiction between the image America projects to the world (land of the free, home of the brave, with liberty
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and justice for all) and the reality of how it treats its own Black Americans” <www. solvingtheraceissue.com>. The conviction of George Floyd’s murderer has given hope and inspired good people, Black and White Americans, to continue their fight for justice. The good people in America are now pressing America to live up to its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Good Americans of every color will continue marching, protesting and praying for freedom, equality, and justice. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, spoken at the 1963 March on Washington, “Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.” The battle is far from over. The forces of hatred and racism are active in perpetuating lies, distractions, and divisions that undermine the spiritual healing that must take place if America is to survive and be a true light to the world. Let us trust our eyes and ears. Television, cell phone videos, and the internet can show the truth when others lie or coverup. The video did not lie when Rodney King was beaten. It did not lie when Walter Scott was shot in the back by a police officer. The video did not lie when a police officer kneeled on George Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes. It showed the truth of how Duante Wright was shot and killed by a police officer. Thank God for television, cell phones, videos, and the internet. These tools of discernment help America and the world see the truth about hatred and racism that consumes the soul of our nation. We cannot move forward to heal this nation until America and Americans acknowledge the truth: Hatred and systemic racism are ingrained in the heart and soul of America. Only the truth will set us free. Dr. Herbert [H.J.] Harris, author of Solving The Race Issue In America is a graduate of Columbia University and lived through the Civil Rights era of the 1950s and 1960s. Harris attended the 1963 March on Washington. He wrote this for the Pride Publishing Group where it first appeared.
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May 10-16, 2021 Issue 469
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Vaccine inequity posing ‘significant risk’ to global economic recovery: UN report
A woman in Guinea turns her sewing skills into mask-making during the COVID-19 crisis.
By UN News Service Although the outlook for global growth has improved, the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as inadequate progress on vaccination in poorer countries, are putting recovery at risk, according to the latest UN economic forecast just published as this edition of Mshale went to press. The World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) mid-year report warned widening inequality is threatening global growth, projected at 5.4 per cent this year. Vaccine access critical “Vaccine inequity between countries
and regions is posing a significant risk to an already uneven and fragile global recovery”, said UN Chief Economist Elliott Harris.
policy responses and post-crisis recovery scenarios.
“Timely and universal access to COVID19 vaccinations will mean the difference between ending the pandemic promptly and placing the world economy on the trajectory of a resilient recovery, or losing many more years of growth, development and opportunities.”
The 5.4 per cent in projected global growth this year follows a sharp contraction of 3.6 per cent in 2020, and reflects an upward revision from the original forecast.
A mixed picture
The mid-year forecast updates the WESP report published in January by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
While the world’s two largest economies - China and the United States - are on the road to recovery, growth remains fragile and uncertain in several countries in South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
It examines the performance of the world economy since the pandemic began, as well as the impact of global
Many countries will not see economic output return to pre-pandemic levels until 2022 or 2023. “For a vast majority of developing countries, economic output will remain below 2019 levels for most of 2021”, the authors said. “Amid insufficient fiscal space to stimulate demand, many of these countries will face low and stagnant growth and the prospect of a lost decade.” Trade strong but uneven The report also details strong but uneven recovery in global trade, which has already surpassed pre-pandemic levels due to demand for electrical and electronic equipment, personal protective equipment, and other manufactured goods. Economies which depend on manufacturing have fared better, however countries which rely on tourism, or commodities, are unlikely to see a quick rebound. Tourism services in particular, will remain depressed due to slow lifting of restrictions on international travel, coupled with fears of new waves of COVID-19 infection. Women hit hardest The pandemic has pushed an estimated 114.4 million people into extreme poverty, with women accounting for around
Photo: UNDP
58 million of that total. The report found that while women have been at the forefront of the crisis— representing most health workers, caregivers and essential service providers—they have also been the hardest hit in several ways. During the pandemic, labour force participation shrunk by two per cent worldwide, compared to only 0.2 per cent during the global financial crisis in 2007-8, but more women than men were forced to leave their jobs to meet family demands. Women-owned businesses have also fared disproportionately worse, according to the report. COVID-19 has also dealt sharp blows to services for women’s health, and reproductive health, and the disruption to education has helped undermine global progress towards gender equality. There has also been a spike in gender-based violence, which UN Women has labelled a “shadow pandemic.” Ensure inclusive recovery As women are also underrepresented in decision-making surrounding the pandemic, and in economic policy responses, the report highlighted why recovery must be inclusive. “The pandemic has pushed nearly 58 million women and girls into extreme poverty, dealing a huge blow to poverty reduction efforts worldwide, and exacerbated gender gaps in income, wealth and education, impeding progress on gender equality”, said Hamid Rashid, Chief of the Global Economic Monitoring Branch at DESA, and the lead author of the report. “Fiscal and monetary measures to steer recovery must take into account the differentiated impact of the crisis on different population groups, including women, to ensure an economic recovery that is inclusive and resilient.”
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Minnesota’s Kenyan faith leaders increasing confidence, trust in COVID-19 vaccines By Tom Gitaa Mshale
As the youth pastor at the Kenyan Community Church in Brooklyn Center, Ezra Kenyanya never thought he would play a role in providing COVID-19 vaccines to the local community until the church pastor, Simeon Momanyi asked him to take the lead on behalf of the church. It was a culmination of weeks of turmoil that rocked the neighborhood following the killing of 20-year-old Daunte Wright by Brooklyn Center police Officer Kim Potter during a traffic stop. Days of protests outside the Brooklyn Center police station followed and the church, which shares a fence with the station, became a refugee for protestors as they recovered from the teargas and rubber bullets law enforcement was using. “We run a weekly food ministry, and many families come through that we serve every week. During the protests outside the police station the food ministry was serving those who needed food and water each night, we kept our doors open,” Kenyanya said. Upon request from the office of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Mayor Mike Elliott, the church jumped at the chance to host a mobile vaccination clinic. It followed days of consultations between Rep. Omar’s district office and the mayor’s office on what else the
M Health Fairview nurse Palisa Panton administers the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Pastor Ezra Kenyanya, the youth pastor at the Kenyan Community Church located in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota when the church hosted a coronavirus vaccination mobile clinic on Sunday, April 25, 2021. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
community needed following two weeks of turmoil. COVID-19 vaccines were on top of the list. Mobile vaccination clinics have become an important component of the Minnesota
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Department of Health (MDH)’s strategy to address vaccine access disparities, particularly among people of color and immigrants. The mobile vaccine clinics have been launched in partnership with churches and other trusted community
groups. Kenyanya and Momanyi are among
KCC on Pg. 6
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May 10-16, 2021 Issue 469
Kenyan Community Church hosts community COVID-19 vaccine pop-up clinic From Pg. 5 the faith leaders that have been tapped to address the gaps in vaccine access in the immigrant communities. Others are immigrant community associations and non-profits. One such association is Mwanyagetinge Association of Kenyans in Minnesota, the largest grouping of Kenyans in the state and ACER (African Career, Education and Resource, Inc.), a non-profit which operates out of Brooklyn Park and also hosts a community COVID19 hotline. “We are having conversations with ACER to host another mobile vaccination clinic, and also other faith leaders, providing them the opportunity to sponsor mobile vaccine clinics,” MDH African Immigrant Lead Coordinator Aisha Galaydh said Sunday. Officials are hoping with the outreach being done by trusted community leaders and clergy, and vaccines being offered at sites immigrants and people of color are familiar with, vaccine distribution will become more equitable. According to Kenyanya, 300 individuals signed up to receive their first shot of the Pfizer vaccine at the Sunday clinic. Some were members of the KCC congregation, but the majority were residents of the surrounding neighborhood that leaders reached out to following the protests outside the police station. Kenyanya was among those who received his first shot on Sunday.
The vaccines were administered by M Health Fairview. Some in his congregation have been hesitant to receive the vaccine, either out of fear or due to medical issues, but he said many were happy to hear about the opportunity to take it at their own church. “The community associates our church as being a safe place. I am sure when they see clergy members like myself take the vaccine, it can help to dispel some of the misconceptions about vaccinations,” Kenyanya said. Three miles away in Brooklyn Park, another pop-up clinic was being held the same day at the Brooklyn Park Community Center under the auspices of Mwanyagetinge. Mwanyagetinge president Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley, and her board leadership, had spent the last month leading to the event on the phone and social media relentlessly promoting it. In their outreach, they found that many Kenyans were unvaccinated because of what can be a confusing process of getting an appointment at the mainstream providers, to making sense of the eligibility criteria, before Gov. Walz opened vaccine eligibility to everyone. Mwanyagetinge or Kenya Community Church hosting a vaccine clinic on the other hand, are entities that Kenyans are familiar with, even if they are not members, and they felt comfortable signing up, Momanyi-Hiltsley said.
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The president of Mwanyagetinge Association of Kenyans in Minnesota, Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley, speaking with nurses from the Minnesota Department of Health during a COVID-19 vaccination clinic that her organization hosted at the Brooklyn Park Community Center on Sunday, April 25, 2021. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
“We had slots for 200,” she said. “Those 200 were snapped up quickly during signup online and luckily MDH came with 300 and it looks like we will use all of them as some more people are coming.” In his efforts to increase vaccinations among his residents, Mayor Mike Elliot of
Brooklyn Center told Mshale that churches and mosques in his city play a large part. “People trust and are already used to going to those places and are comfortable there. We are reaching out and getting them involved, because I believe they play a critical role in ensuring members of our community are vaccinated,” Mayor Elliott said.
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Three Africans receive International Women of Courage Award From Pg. 1
disciplining corrupt officials, as well as the use of excessive force in the fight against Boko Haram, the Nigerian terror group, whose fighters often flee to Cameroon. “They began by threatening my children with kidnap,” Mbe said. Security forces went to her children’s school and abducted her niece. “They thought that my niece was my daughter because they are very similar,” Mbe explained. “They raped her and they left her at the edge of town.” Soon after, Mbe moved her children to France for protection, an action she received criticism for as being influenced by the west. Lusenge, the activist from the DRC, has been fighting against gender based violence and promoting women’s rights in conflicted regions for more than 40 years. Lusenge, who grew up in a home with a father who valued gender equality, was inspired to begin her advocacy work in order to help other women. Growing up in the DRC, she witnessed the limitations and injustice that women around her experienced. “When I was young I saw people in villages, women and girls who were submitted to traditional customs and customs that don’t respect human rights,”
The US State Department headquarters in Washington, DC.
Lusenge said. She began her career as a journalist for a local radio station, a job that allowed her to travel around the DRC. In her profession, she was able to highlight the need for more women’s rights and provide a platform for women to use their voices. During the civil war that began in 1998 in the DRC and lasted for five years, Lusenge used her journalistic experience
to document injustices against women in order to be used to prosecute offenders. In 2000, Lusenge created Women’s Solidarity for Peace and Integral Development, the DRC’s principal organization defending the rights of women and girls against gender-based violence. Her work has contributed to the adoption of United Nations international agreements such as UN 1820, which
Photo: Shutterstock
recognizes sexual violence as a weapon of war. Lusenge said the progress has made in her career, and the optimism she has for the future generations of women in her country motivate her to continue her advocacy. “The sense of solidarity with other women keeps me going,” she said. “We must continue to struggle, to work, so that we can also feel the positive change.”
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Religion Minnesota health officials provide guidelines on celebrating Eid al-Fitr safely during pandemic By Mshale Staff Eid al-Fitr, which will tentatively land on May 13 this year is usually celebrated by Muslims around the world by attending Eid prayers, gathering with the community, family and friends, giving gifts, dressing up, and eating lots of food. Muslims in Minnesota are no exception and the Minnesota Department of Health, well aware of the significance of the holiday, has issued guidelines on how to celebrate Eid during the pandemic safely. Gov. Walz announced last week that capacity and social distancing restrictions at businesses, gyms, social gatherings and at bars and restaurants will end on May 28, but Eid is arriving about two weeks before that. The following are the guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health:
Guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19: •
• •
• • •
• •
Do not host or attend large gatherings at mosques, restaurants, or your home, if possible. If you must, follow these recommendations: Attend or host an outdoor gathering instead of an indoor gathering, if possible. Wear a mask if you are indoors with anyone you do not live with. If you are in a crowded outdoor space, it is recommended to still wear a mask. Stay 6 feet away from anyone you do not live with. Consider delaying travel, even after you are vaccinated. Every time you travel, you can spread COVID-19 variants to your community when you return. Help prevent COVID-19 variants from spreading in your community. Get tested if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19, feel sick, or traveled recently.
Guidelines unvaccinated people should follow: If you gather with people from other households, remember to: • Wear a mask at indoor gatherings. If you are in a crowded outdoor space, it is recommended to still wear a mask. • Stay at least 6 feet away from others. • Gather in an area with good ventilation. If indoors, bring in fresh air by opening windows and doors, if possible. • Cover coughs and sneezes, and wash or sanitize your hands often. • Write down the guest list in case someone tests positive for COVID19 afterward and others at the gathering need to know. • Get tested at least five days after attending a large gathering. If you are sick, waiting for COVID-
Muslim women offer evening prayers (namaz) at the makeshift memorial in honor of George Floyd, on June 4, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minnesota health officials have released guidleines on how the state’s Muslim community can celebrate Eid al-Fitr safely during the pandemic. Eid is tentatively on May 13, 2021. Photo: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
19 test results, or were in close contact of someone who has COVID19, stay home and do not attend a social gathering. Get vaccinated if you are eligible. It is the best way to help prevent getting COVID-19 and be able to celebrate with community safely.
Guidelines vaccinated people should follow: If you have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and it has been at least two weeks since the final dose of vaccine (enough time for your body to develop immunity), you have good protection against illness for yourself. • Wear a mask when gathering with anyone who is unvaccinated or when visiting a household with anyone at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. • You can gather indoors with smaller groups of fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask. Avoid larger gatherings. • You can gather indoors with unvaccinated people from one other household (for example, visiting with relatives who all live together) without masks. • Do not visit people who have an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. • You can gather with others outdoors without wearing a mask except in crowded settings and venues, such as sporting events, outdoor concerts, or other places where you cannot stay 6 feet from others and you are with people you don’t know. Recommendations may differ by setting.
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May 10-16, 2021 Issue 469
Art & Entertainment
“THERE IS NO END” posthumous album is out By Ben Richmond AfroPop Although he passed away last year on April 30, the title of this posthumous release from Afrobeat’s premier drummer, Tony Allen, promises There Is No End. Blue Note Records on April 9 released the second single from the album, out on the first anniversary of Allen’s passing. “Stumbling Down” features the Zambianborn rapper Sampa the Great. It’s a testament to Allen’s incredible versatility—sure he could do Afrobeat, but he also famously explored jazz, and in the 21st century found himself at home collaborating with Damon Albarn or Common on dance and hip-hop-inflected
The cover of THERE IS NO END
Tony Allen’s “There is no end” album is now out posthumously.
songs ranging from the straightforward to the outre, adding characteristic but understated-as-needed drumming for albums like Charlotte Gainsbourg’s dreamy soundscape record 5:55. Even in the chopped and reset manner in which “Stumbling Down” is produced, Allen’s drums lend a graceful and fluid undercurrent to Sampa’s flow as she builds from a don’t-bother-me groan to a now-you’ve-bothered-me snarl. The track continues what Allen was working towards. “I want to take care of youngsters; they have messages and I want to bring them on my beat,” he said. “The idea is to
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transmit to the young generation, to mix different universes–-the hip-hop world to the Afrobeat world.” The track follows on the heels of “Cosmosis,” featuring the rapper Skepta and Nigerian author/poet Ben Okiri, produced by Allen, Albarn and Remi Kabaka. The full album also includes guest spots from Danny Brown, Lava Larue and more, and draws on beats that Allen recorded in 2019. Best known as the drummer for Fela Kuti’s Africa 70 and the rhythmic architect behind Afrobeat, died April 30, 2020 at Georges Pompidou European Hospital in
Photo: Courtesy Blue Note Records
Paris, of abdominal aortic aneurysm. He was 79 years old. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and starting as a drummer in his late teens, Allen took a special interest in American jazz, specifically Max Roach’s use of the high hat. On the club circuit, he played highlife, Latin and Caribbean tunes and jazz, whatever the club called for. In the ‘60s he joined a highlife band led by a young Fela Kuti. The two would craft the sound of Afrobeat—a huge ensemble where every instrument is part of the rhythm section, anchored by Allen’s fluid, polyrhythmic but roomy drumming—until the late ‘70s.
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Meet the Somali-American running to dislodge Cam Gordon from Minneapolis Ward 2 By Cynthia Simba Mshale Yusra Arab, a policy advocate, mental health practitioner, and community organizer, has announced her intention to challenge incumbent Cam Gordon in Ward 2 of the Minneapolis City Council. Ward 2 covers the eastern part of Minneapolis, and spans both the east and the west banks of the Mississippi river. The ward is home to some of Minnesota’s most cultural and economically diverse populations. It has both high-density housing, as well as single-family residential neighborhoods. It is also home of the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota, as well Augsburg College, University Medical Center, and Fairview Hospital. Arab, who was born in Somalia, has lived in the ward since 2008. Like many Americans with a refugee background, Arab and her family were forced to flee her native country due to civil war. They fled to neighboring Kenya when she was just four years old, where they lived for nearly a decade before immigrating to the United States in 2001. Arab and her mother Hali spent a year in Tennessee before moving to Minnesota. Upon arriving to the north star state, Arab says she instantly felt at home.
“I saw people that looked like me,” she said of the significant population of the Somali community in the ward.
The family settled in the Twin Cities, where her mother was able to find work in environmental services. Arab has spent her teenage and adult years in the Twin Cities. She is a graduate of Washburn High School in Minneapolis. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Minnesota, and a Master’s degree in Health Care and Human Services from Saint Mary’s University. Upon completing her undergraduate studies in 2010, Arab found work as an educator in a local school. It was during that time that she also received some life-changing news. She was diagnosed with Lupus, an autoimmune disease that weakens immunity and attacks healthy tissues. “It was a learning curve,” she said. Arab said the new health challenge provided her with new opportunities to learn about the disparities that existed within her community as she researched her own treatment options. It led her to pursue work in public advocacy as a policy advisor to the Minneapolis City Council on affordable housing, economic inclusion, and community-police relations. While fulfilling that role, Arab witnessed first-hand the disconnect that existed
between the council’s leadership and its constituents, she said.
“I’d walk into a room and I’d be the only person [of color] in it,” she said. Her experience at City Hall motivated her to launch her campaign in February to fill that gap. “There has been a lot of changes,” Arab said. In recent years, Ward 2 has seen a series of demographic changes which have led to a more diverse population. “Minneapolis doesn’t look like Minneapolis from twenty to thirty years ago,” she said. The demographic changes present a new set of challenges as income disparities have become more apparent. Public safety has also become a bigger issue, especially since the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in May. Arab intends to advocate for community safety, affordable housing, support for small businesses, environmental justice, and having a more collaborative government, issues she said are of equal importance. “I would love to see a more inclusive ward,” she said. “A ward that interacts with its neighbors.”
Yusra Arab
Photo: Submitted
If elected to office, Arab promised to have an open policy between the council and its constituents. “They can expect a more connected Ward 2 office,” she said. “A Ward 2 office that serves as an extension of the community. My goal more than anything is to fill that gap that exists right now in Ward 2.” Arab resides in the Southeast Como neighborhood with her mother, Hali, and 11-year-old daughter, Aisha. To learn more about her campaign you can visit her website. The election is on November 2, 2021.
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Mshale - The African Community Newspaper
www.mshale.com
May 10-16, 2021 Issue 469