SEPTEMBER 19-25, 2022Issue # 540 www.mshale.com THE AFRICAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER ‘TASTE OF GHANA’ COOKOUT THE PERFECT WAY TO END THE SUMMER BY PANASHE MATEMBA-MUTASA PAGE 6 MATEMBA-MUTASAPANASHEBYPHOTOSTAFFMSHALE
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Sure, there are schools like the Cal State East Bays and the Laney Colleges, state col leges and junior colleges respectively. They are solid public-non-profit institutions. There are also the expensive traditional private schools like Stanford where people have loans out. The Biden-Harris plan will cover between $10,000-$20,000 of all those loans (including ParentPlus loans) from those schools.
As for the institution, out of 100 students who ever attended a for-profit, 23 defaulted within 12 years of starting college in the 1996 cohort compared to 43 in 2004.
Sound like any of the for-profit schools that have hooked someone you know to sign up for classes in a business park campus off a highway after taking out a hefty student loan?
out
Emil Guillermo is a veteran journalist and commentator. He wrote this for the Post News Group where it first appeared. get talked of
This plan is focused on regular folks, single people with incomes under $125,000, and married folks with incomes under $250,000.
A Brookings Institute study in 2018 took a long view on student borrowing going back to 1995-96. It found that for-profit borrowers default at twice the rate of public two-year borrow ers (52 versus 26% after 12 years). Overall, it found the for-profit students were more likely to borrow and had a default rate four times that of public two-year entrants.
And yet, days after the announcement, people are questioning the idea from the Left and the
That was how many private, for-profit schools like Corinthian College and ITT Technical Institute preyed on unwary borrowers, resulting in massive debt forgiveness plans for their students before the general forgiveness plan was announced.
Just this week, the Department of Education announced another $1.5 billion debt relief package for 79,000 borrowers who attended Westwood College. Closed down in 2016, Westwood left students holding the bag until the feds came up with a debt package on Monday.“Westwood operated a culture of false promises, lies and manipulation in order to profit off student debt that burdened borrowers long after Westwood closed,” said Education Under secretary James Kvaal in a statement.
tion that would “make them employable the rest of their lives.” Everything was inflated, like a “guarantee of employment pledge” that was never made good.
This is more about the moral failings of the for-profit predators and holding them account able. And yet they’re getting a lot more sympathy than any of us BIPOC borrowers they preyed on.
student loan forgiveness © 1995-2022 Mshale Communications, Inc. Mshale – The African Community Newspaper Editorial & Corporate Office: 2 E Franklin Ave., Suite 1 Minneapolis, MN 55404 Mailing Address: P.O.BOX 80071, Minneapolis, MN 55408 Tel: 612-454-5648 Email:www.mshale.commshale@mshale.com President & Publisher: Tom Gitaa Contributing Editor: Edwin Okong’o Staff Writers: Kari Mugo, Bethel Gessesse, Cynthia Simba, Panashe Matemba-Mutasa Contributing Writers: Susan Budig Design & Layout: Staff Photographers: Richard Ooga, Bethel Gessesse, Jasmine Webber Distribution: Bluebird Mshale is published weekly on Monday. It is available every Monday for free at most African stores , African restaurants and metro area county libraries. Mailed subscriptions are $60 per year. Memberships: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC) , Pan African Business Alliance (PABA). The editor welcomes letters, opinion pieces and commentary on issues of interest to the African community in North America. Contributions must be typed and will be edited for clarity and space. Submissions can be mailed or submitted online at www.mshale.com SAVE THE DATE Friday, September 23 First day to vote early in person in Minnesota
But for the most part we are talking about predator “private, for-profit” colleges, not the kind of schools that teach you the humanities like history or poetry.
Don’t be confused about the student loan forgiveness plan President Biden announced recently. Sure, it wasn’t all student debt. But it did address the most egregious debt foisted on students by for-profit predator “educators.” The plan would also definitely help BIPOC bor rowers more than not.
Specifically, the school promised students jobs in their fields within six months of gradua
wants no limits, all debt relieved. The Right wants none of it, and asks “Who’s going to pay for it all?” Of course, they don’t ask that when it was mostly the rich who ben efited from Trump tax cuts or COVID PPP payouts.
Guest Commentary by Emil Guillermo
This isn’t about the moral failings of student borrowers.
- The African Community Newspaper www.mshale.com September 19-25, 2022 Issue 540Mshale 3
Black BA graduates default at five times the rate of white BA graduates and are more likely to default than white dropouts.
TheRight.Left
The study also found that student and institutional factors determined default rates. And that debt and default rates among Black college students was at a “crisis level.”
Bottom-line, we can’t let Joe Biden be talked out of student loan relief up to $10,000 for individuals, with an additional amount for those with Pell Grants.
With evidence from state attorneys general in Colorado and Illinois, the Dept of Education described how Westwood “routinely misled prospective students by grossly misrepresenting that its credentials would benefit their career prospects and earning potential.”
The culprit is clearly predator for-profit schools. If you know someone in debt to those types of schools, let them know the Biden-Harris plan promises some relief.
And they sure took many a BIPOC student for a ride.
The plan is also ready-made for BIPOC communities who have suffered specifically from private, for-profit schools. Schools which follow a pattern — preying on peoples’ dreams, getting them to take out expensive student loans, that only result in debt, no degree, and busted dreams.
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The opportunities available include non-officer positions such as community service officers (CSOs) and recruits, and officer positions such as cadets and laterals. Also available are positions at the 911 call center, which is separate from the MPD but works closely with the department as it dispatches calls from residents.
between police and people of color.
By Panashe Matemba-Mutasa Mshale
In the last decade, MPD has been continuously under scrutiny for officer
An investigative report from the Minnesota Department of Human
Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) held an informational event Thursday in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood for immigrants from East Africa, as it looks to increase the diversity of its law enforcement officers.
Jamal Osman, City Councilmember for Ward 6, hosted the event at Brian Coyle Center as part of his attempt to connect Somali residents to job opportunities in law enforcement.
A woman applies for a position during a Minneapolis Police Department and 911 Department career fair at the Brian Coyle Center in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood on Thursday, September 8, 2022.
“It was important for me to bring this event into the community, because historically, we’ve never really had a diverse police force that reflects those living in our neighborhood,” Osman said.
Frank Einsman, a former high school history teacher who is pursuing a career as a 911 operator, said that the job offered a lot of benefits that accommodate his new lifestyle.
“It’s a job that doesn’t require me to
See MPD Page 8
- The African Community Newspaper www.mshale.com September 19-25, 2022 Issue 540Mshale 5
drive, which is good for my physical condition,” Einsman said. “There’s so much flexibility in the opportunities here. I think there is a job for everyone.”
malpractice in their encounters with residents of color. Officials hope that recruiting from immigrant communities, the city’s public safety department can address the problem of lack of diversity and reduce the bias that often leads to conflicts
Minneapolis public safety career fair targets East African immigrant community
not make up a significant portion of the population of immigrants from the continent. Events such as Taste of Ghana are an important way for Ghanaians to socialize, strengthen the cultural connection, and introduce to their rich culture to other Africans and Minnesotans. Each year, Taste of Ghana features games, live music, and a selection of authentic foods.
Edmund Ocansey, the former president of GhanAM and current general secretary
September 5, 2022.
See Ghana, Page 7
Photo: Panashe Matemba-Mutasa/Mshale
makes
Attendees enjoying themselves at the Taste of Ghana event in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on Monday, September 5, 2022.
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By Panashe Matemba-Mutasa Mshale woman Ghanaian Bofrot also known as Puff Puff during the Taste of Ghana event in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on Monday,
‘Taste of Ghana’ cookout the perfect way to end the summer
For Ghanaians in the Twin Cities metro area, a Labor Day filled with jollof rice, puff-puff, and okra soup was the ideal way to end the summer.
of the Ghana Council of Minnesota, said Taste of Ghana was a great opportunity to meet new people as well as catch up with old friends. The event was also a great way for others to learn about Ghana without leaving Minnesota, he said.
“I try to stay in touch with my community in any capacity I can, and this is a perfect time to do that,” Totoe said.
Dr. Grace Totoe, Ghanaian-born physician at Minneapolis Health Clinic in Golden Valley, said she attends Taste of Ghana every year, and brings along her children as a way to connect them with their heritage and interact with other kids of a similar cultural background. Totoe, who was recently honored for her service to the community during the peak of
SCHOOL Transit Assistance Program metrotransit.org/TAP Free/reducedlunchletter= $1 rides for your entire family! A
Photo: Panashe Matemba-Mutasa/Mshale
Dozens of immigrants from the west African country and their friends gathered on Monday for the annual Taste of Ghana event at Oak Grove Park in the suburban Minneapolis city of Brooklyn Park. The event was an opportunity for the Ghanaian community to share their food and culture with other Minnesotans.
the coronavirus pandemic, said Taste of Ghana was an opportunity to check in on the health of members of her community.
“Taste of Ghana is a tradition for us to open our culture to the community and connect as summer comes to an end,” said Isaac Owens, the president of Ghanaian Association of Minnesota (GhanAM).GhanAM, which according to Owens was founded in the 1950s by two students at the University of Minnesota students, has evolved into a community organization hosting various events including concerts, townhall meetings, and networking events to preserve and promote Ghanaian culture across Minnesota.UnlikeSomalis, Kenyans, Ethiopians, Nigerians, and Liberians – who are known as the Big Five of Minnesota’s African immigrant community – Ghanaians do
“I look forward to this event each year,” she said. “The food, the people, and the atmosphere make it such a good way to stay
Photo: Panashe Matemba-Mutasa/Mshale
here to support the picnic because we believe there is power in unity,” Oni said.
who has lived in the United States since 2004, said the last time he was in Ghana was right before the pandemic in 2019. Botchway said that made him appreciate more the opportunity to meet others in the diaspora, both from Ghana and other African countries.
A woman makes fried plantain during the Taste of Ghana in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on Monday, September 5, 2022.
“I’ve been in Ghana for a total of two weeks in my entire life, so I have almost no exposure,” Berkoh says, “but I love that I get to indulge in the culture a little bit here.”
Ghana Continued from Pg. 6
Kofi Berkoh said that although he was born in New York and came to Minnesota as a 6-month-old when his family moved to the state, he considers himself integrated into the local Ghanaian community. He visited Ghana once when he was 10 years old. Though he wished to go more in the future, he said events like Taste of Ghana helped him to stay in touch with his roots.
Anne Wood, a United Kingdom-born Ghanaian, said that Taste of Ghana was a rare opportunity for her to connect with people of a shared background. She said going to Ghana wasn’t always easy, and so each year she enjoyed connecting with old and new friends over dishes like banku and okra soup.
Photo: Panashe Matemba-Mutasa/Mshale
Percyconnected.”Botchway,
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“It’s such a great way to connect with old friends as well as meet new people,” Botchway said.
West African Collaborative (WAC), a Minnesota-based coalition of local leaders of communities of immigrants from the western region of the continent, sent Dr. Richard Oni. Oni, the executive director of Progressive Individual Resources, a St Paul-based social and behavioral health organization, and founder of the African Mental Health Summit, was said it was important for west Africans to transcend nuanced cultural differences to support each
“It’s a unique opportunity for us to share our culture with people of all backgrounds,” Ocansey said.
Isaac Owens, left, president of Ghanaian Association of Minnesota and Dr. Richard Oni, right, representing the West African Collaborative, join the food line at the Taste of Ghana in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on Monday, September 5, 2022.
“Weother.are
“We’re really trying to hone in on the East African community and present them with opportunities they may not have thought about or considered,” Broom said.
Continued from Pg. 5
MPD
“We never expect this many people to be interested in these positions,” she said. “We’re confident their passion is what will drive change.”
Following the May 2020 murder of
As they seek to replace the cops who have left, Minneapolis officials are looking to diversify the police force to reflect the city’s changing demographics. Research has shown that diverse police departments can improve relations with the communities they serve. For example, researchers on police behavior in Chicago found that Black officers used excessive force 32% fewer times than their white counterparts, both during encounters with Black and white civilians. Black officers were also significantly less likely to conduct traffic stops and make arrests on Black civilians.
Unfortunately, many large police departments are struggling to recruit and retain diverse hires. According to the Atlantic, historically strained relationships between communities of color and the police coupled with high retirement rates for Black officers contribute to the problem.
As a result of the growing distrust and feelings of rage toward police in Minneapolis, MPD saw a precipitous decline in staffing, dropping from around 900 officers to just 550 in the past two years. Yet, what seemed like impending doom for the future of the MPD would soon prove to be an illusion. In the November 2021 elections, Minneapolis voters resoundingly rejected a proposal to replace the MPD with alternative policing methods. The department also saw a $3 million budget increase in the last two years, suggesting that citizens think conventional policing is still the most effective. The budget increase accounts for pay raises, legal insurance, and other retention efforts.
Jennifer Geiselhart, the 911 operations manager for Minneapolis assists a woman applying for a position at the career fair.
Jennifer Geiselhart, the 911 operations manager for Minneapolis, said it was important for law
enforcement to be more representative of the city. Geiselhart, whose department hosted two previous recruitment events in the summer, said the turnout made her hopeful.
sociopolitical movement that supports reallocation of police funding toward alternative forms of public safety. As part of their plan to establish a new public safety department, Yes 4 Minneapolis proposed amending the City Charter to require MPD to meet a minimum police staffing quota.
Dr. Cedric Alexander, an African American who in July was sworn in as Minneapolis’ first ever commissioner of
Councilman Jamal Osman at the career fair. His Ward 6 includes Cedar-Riverside.
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community safety, said representation is essential to inclusion. When asked how feelings of distrust might interfere with recruitment, Alexander said those challenges provided opportunities for growth.
Sean Broom, Osman’s policy aide, said there were limited employment opportunities available for people in the Somali immigrant community. Broom said that the MPD career fair was a chance for him and Osman to introduce new career pathways to the community.
Photo: Panashe Matemba-Mutasa
Photo: Panashe Matemba-Mutasa/Mshale
Rights published in April found that 13 out of 14 individuals killed in the hands of MPD officers since 2010 were people of color. Cops were also more likely to search vehicles during traffic stops, issue unjustified citations, and use excessive force during arrest when the person was Black, according to the report.
George Floyd by officer Derek Chauvin in May of 2020, protesters in Minneapolis called for the abolition of MPD, with many claiming that the current policing system is corrupt beyond reform. In response, community activist group TakeAction Minnesota launched the Yes 4 Minneapolis campaign, a Black-led
“Any time you are able to diversify your organization, it’s not always easy, but it is a chance for us to grow, learn, and minimize bias,” Alexander said.
Photo courtesy of Fuller
have allowed an LGBTQ student group on campus, for instance, even as they have maintained a traditional sex ethic in its code of Santiagoconduct.“Jimmy”
ley, 61, is ordained in the National Bap tist Convention. He earned a Ph.D. at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is best known for his theological study of mission work. For more than two decades, he served as CEO of Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Society, a Black missions agency, stepping down in 2018.
Goatley will replace Mark Labberton, who announced he was stepping down last year after 10 years as president, say ing he hoped his replacement would be a woman or person of color.
The seminary, founded in Pasadena, California, in 1947 by the radio evangelist Charles E. Fuller, enrolled 2,458 students in 2021-22, slightly down from 2,788 in
Fuller Theological Seminary, the nation’s largest interdenominational semi nary, has chosen as its new president David Emmanuel Goatley, the first Black person to hold the office.
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Goat
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“Blessed with an extraordinary collec tion of life experiences, healthy drive, innovative spirit, relevant capabilities all seasoned with wisdom, he brings a track record of building up diverse leaders for Jesus across the globe,” Mellado said.
By Yonat Shimron Religion News Service
Goatley acknowledged the strain on Christian theological education at a time when enrollments are declining, churches are closing and Christians are shrink ing as a share of the U.S. population. In 2019 Fuller closed campuses in Orange County, Northern California and the state of Washington, but the seminary retains
Nation’s largest interdenominational seminary names first Black president
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Goatley also cited the cost and acces sibility of theological education as well as what he called the “toxicity of the culture,”
Religion
Mellado, CEO of Compassion International, who chaired Fuller’s presidential search team, said Goatley was “uniquely prepared” to fur ther Fuller’s mission.
its campuses in Pasadena, Phoenix and Houston.“These are tough times for institutions to serve the church,” Goatley said in a telephone call. “But we’ve been through tough times before. We won’t shrink from the challenge. ”
among the challenges he will face in guid ing the seminary.
Labberton, who has been president of Fuller since 2013, previously served as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley.
Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.
Photo courtesy of Fuller
Fuller, which offers master’s and doc toral degree programs, contains two schools: the School of Mission and Theol ogy and the School of Psychology & Mar riage and Family Therapy.
David Emmanuel Goatley, Fuller Theological Seminary’s new president.
2018-19, according to the Association of Theological Schools. It is seen by many as more progressive than some of its evangelical counterparts. School officials
Goatley comes to Fuller from Duke Divinity School, where he was hired in 2018 to direct the Office of Black Church Studies and to teach theology. He has since also become associate dean for academic and vocational formation. He will take the helm at Fuller in January.
He said he was drawn to Fuller because of its commitment to ministerial and voca tional formation, its willingness to work in residential, remote and hybrid education and what he called its “commitment to the world.”“That resonates with me and who I am and where I find energy,” Goatley said.
The Kuti surname evokes a history of activism through protest music. Mshale spoke to Seun Kuti last week, frontman for the band and youngest son of Fela Kuti, Nigeria’s pioneer of Afrobeat, and grandson of Nigerian women’s rights activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti.
might see a cameo appearance by any of the musicians with whom they’ve recently collaborated, but he declined to confirm. Hearing the new tracks, like Love and Revolution, recorded live at Clout Studios in Lagos, Nigeria, will be enough. Tickets can be purchased at dakotacooks.com
Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 bringing Afrobeat to Minneapolis on Sept. 21
By Mukwae Wabei Siyolwe Afropop
Along with its powerful messaging, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 fill the halls with joyful, exuberant music and dance and costuming. This week, a brand new single with USian rapper Black Thought, called “KuKu Kee Me” (remix) was released. KuKu Kee Me translates as “just kill me,” used when you are really cracked up about a joke
His first football season, Isaiah told us, ‘Wear a jersey with my name on it. I want everyone to know you’re here for me.’ Darnell and Denna, adopted 16-year-old Isaiah YOU CAN’T IMAGINE THE REWARD LEARN ABOUT ADOPTING A TEEN ADOPT US KIDS .ORG
Another single track recently released is Emi Aluta, which is a song calling for “the spirit of the struggle to possess our people,” Kuti said. “It is also a jab at organized religion in Africa.”
Seun Kuti performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2019.
I asked Seun Kuti if his US audiences
If you are looking for a relaxing evening out with friends, a bit of indulgence as soft music plays in the background and and you escape from the issues of the day, you won’t find it on the night of September 21st at The Dakota.
Art & Entertainment
Photo: Anne-Laure Lechat & Renaud Alouche via Seun Kuti Facebook
Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 take the stage that night in downtown Minneapolis at a jazz venue that’s been strengthening its repertoire to embrace world music as well as other traditional musicians.
or deeply satisfying amusement.
Seun Kuti described the political activism he summons up in his music as activism that’s a world-wide concern. “These issues of climate and environmental destruction do not only affect Nigeria, but are global. The treatment of men and women is something that people around the world face. The politics are universal,” he said.
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We live in a world where divisions and poverty affect everyone but when we unite as changemakers we can create a community where all people thrive.
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