By Charles Hallman
Staff Writer
The Council on Black Minnesotans is inconspicuously located in the Wright Building, 2233 University Avenue in St. Paul. Lester Collins, left, is the council’s executive director.
Photos by Charles Hallman
The Council on Black Minnesotans (CBM) is one of four ethnic councils established by the state legislature to address the needs of the people they represent in Minnesota. The continued existence of these councils may soon come into question as state lawmakers look for ways to reduce the budget deficit. This comes at a time when the CBM’s ability to defend its mission may have been compromised by resignations, adverse audit findings and internal conflicts.
The council operates as a liaison between state agencies, individuals and organizations; publicizes Black Minnesotans’ accomplishments; and recommends new laws to the governor and legislature that may benefit Africans and Black Americans in the State of Minnesota. All 13 CBM board members are appointed by the governor, but currently there are four vacancies.
Martha Holton Dimick, Donald Bellfield and Lissa Jones recently stepped down because their terms had expired in January. It had been rumored that the three had suddenly “resigned without explanation.” Both Dimick and Jones told the MSR last week that this was not true.
No one made her resign, said Jones. “There are a few people who like to make up false stories, keep up a lot of chatter and distractions.”
“I decided on my own to leave after the February meeting,” said Dimick.
Nnamdi Okoronkwo also resigned recently because, he said, he has a new job. “I don’t think I have enough time to commit to the council,” he explained.
Sarah Walker reportedly is no longer a CBM board member. She did not respond to the MSR’s requests for comment.
Furthermore, some are questioning the council’s effectiveness to advocate on behalf of Black Minnesotans. Lucky Rosenbloom, one of seven remaining board members, said that it is nothing more than “a social gathering.”
The MSR received copies of emails that Rosenbloom recently sent to several lawmakers and the governor’s office asking for new board members. “It would be wise to put the entire Council on Black Minnesotans on notice,” he wrote in one email dated February 28 addressed to the governor’s appointments coordinator office. It was in response to an earlier email sent by CBM Vice-Chair Robert Martin, also to the same office, where he called for Rosenbloom to be removed from the board.
A spokeswoman for Governor Mark Dayton told the MSR last week that any correspondence received is “kept confidential.”
“You have a board that is dysfunctional and afraid,” claimed Rosenbloom. “There is poor leadership at the council. We are not doing anything.”
Martin, who was appointed to the board last April and became vice chair last June, responded to Rosenbloom’s charges. “Lucky Rosenbloom is a member of the council, and he has every right to his critique,” he said.
“In my opinion,” said the council’s executive director Lester Collins, “it is not [a council member’s] role to critique an organization inasmuch as to be a strength to it to help it effectively do its job. It’s not the other board member or board members — it’s us collectively doing that.”
But State Representatives Joe Mullery and Jeff Hayden have also expressed concerns about the council. “They’ve had periods when they were dysfunctional,” observed Mullery. “For a few years they have gotten quite a [few] things done, but even then there was a lot of problems within the council.
“There are people [on the board] who are fighting each other on a personality basis. Also, there are people who are fighting to get programs that they want either for themselves or a special interest.”
Hayden said that after attending several meetings following his election, “I really noticed that the council lacked focus and lacked an understanding of what their mission is.” He is one of four legislators assigned as non-voting CBM board members.
Dimick said that there have been at times “a lot of distractions” during her tenure.
“I’ve been there 22 years,” said Collins. “I’ve seen us at our best, and I’ve also seen us at our weakest. My concern is that too often the council has not been at its best for lack of unity for many reasons. We have been too preoccupied with internal challenges.”
He added that the community may have a misunderstanding of the council’s main purpose. “We have no enforcement ability or the ability to intervene or direct a school board,” for example.
House Bill 173, introduced by Rep. Joyce Peppin (R-Rogers), is currently moving through the Minnesota House. If signed into law, it would create a “sunset commission” to regularly review agencies and make recommendations as to whether they should continue, be reorganized or be abolished. In the first group of agencies slated for examination by this “sunset commission” are all four state ethnic councils.
The MSR contacted Peppin for comment, but she did not respond by press time.
“I would vote no” if the bill comes to the full House, pledged Hayden (D-Minneapolis). “I don’t like the bill, period.”
“I would oppose it,” added Mullery (D-Minneapolis).
Collins sees the sunset bill as just another attempt by state lawmakers “to look closer at how monies are being spent in very tight times.” He noted, “The councils of color always have been challenged for its existence. Over the years we [the CBM] were able to make the case for the work that we do.”
“I think that all four of the councils are needed to be kept in existence,” said Mullery.
“I am in full support of the Council on Black Minnesotans,” said Hayden, adding that he hopes the group “takes a good look at themselves. I just don’t want them to be there just to be there. I think that harms our community.”
Collins said last week that he recently submitted suggestions to Gov. Dayton’s office on how to fill the current vacancies on the CBM board. “We developed a tool that would be a help to them as they look at members and their choices,” he added.
The CBM still needs to be “reorganized so that it truly represents the best interests of Black people in our community,” believes Rosenbloom.
Collins also sees room for improvement: “I think we can make greater gains than what we’ve had.”
Next week: Lester Collins responds to adverse audit findings.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.
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