Robert Hayles overcomes obstacles for his MN-made first feature By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Sitting somewhere in the dark was Robert Hayles, watching a comedy motion picture at St. Anthony Main Theatre. The 118-minute feature, Don’t Hate the Player, Hate the Game, is about longtime best friends and total opposites Richard (James Griffen, Jr.) and […]
November 2012
Posted inArts + Culture
This week’s Entertainment Spotlights!
Irma Thomas Thurs., Nov. 29, 7 & 9 pm Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-332-1010 or www.dakotacooks.com Tickets are $50-$60 for the 7 pm show and $40-$50 for the 9 pm show. Mon.-Tues., Dec. 10-11, 7 pm: Go Tell It on the Mountain: The Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show Tickets are […]
Posted inOpinion
‘Rules of war’ expose FBI terror case as fraud
The FBI “terror case” that took place here in Minneapolis involving local young men who were recruited to fight in a “holy war” in Somalia in 2008 is finally over. It was said that it was one of the biggest cases ever by the federal government. This makes sense. It can be very time consuming making up evidence. The process used to show evidence of “terror” in this case was the same […]
Posted inOpinion
In the matter of Susan Rice: Let the president govern. Please!
As war rockets explode in Israel and Gaza, there is a great need for American leadership and diplomacy to be there working for peace. The world needs American firmness, clear vision and leadership. To create this, the president — any president — has to be able to govern without unwarranted obstruction, impediments, roadblocks, and the […]
Posted inOpinion
If fun went out the door of a relationship, you should follow
If a relationship ain’t fun, it ain’t for you. No matter how gorgeous a trophy they might be to show off to friends. He can be handsome, with muscles that have muscles. She can be pretty as 10 peacocks with an hourglass figure you could set your watch to. Remember, though, you were attracted to […]
Posted inOpinion
Lincoln, the movie: What’s missing?
By Gary L. Flowers Guest Commentator “‘Negro History’ is the missing segment of world history.” — Carter G. Woodson Carter G. Woodson was right when he essentially said that Black history is the missing pages of world history. Never was such so true than in the movie Lincoln. While I, as a “weekend historian,” was […]
Posted inNews
Black colleges may be better option for Black students
By Charles Hallman Staff Writer A new United Negro College Fund (UNCF) study finds that Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) often outperform non-HBCUs in educating Black students. The study, “Serving Students and the Public Good: HBCUs and the Washington Monthly College Rankings,” was released in October by the UNCF’s Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute. […]
Posted inNews
Betty Ellison-Harpole: Teaching beyond the recipe, living outside the box
By Alleen Brown Contributing Writer Betty Ellison-Harpole moved to the Midwest in the 1950s from segregated Memphis, Tennessee. For 37 years she taught kindergarten through third grade, as one of few African American teachers in Minneapolis schools. She piloted the city’s first all-day kindergarten class at Bethune school in the early 1980s. Although she’s retired […]
Posted inNews
What does it take to be a State Senator?
DFL Hayden describes full-time responsibilities of part-time role By Charles Hallman Staff Writer When the 2013 Minnesota Legislative Session convenes January 8, State Senator Jeff Hayden officially will assume his office as Senate Deputy Majority Leader. The Minneapolis lawmaker is believed to be the first Black in history to be named to a high leadership post. […]
Posted inSports
There’s nothing else quite like Black college football
I’ve attended my share of Gopher football games over the years, but those games are mostly anti-climatic and the home school band painfully plays the same tired old songs. I have yet to see in person a Black college football game, but a good friend of mine tells me once you go Black (college football), […]
Posted inSports
Bears smack Vikings to regain first place
CHICAGO — On a spectacular sun-splashed Sunday in my hometown of Chicago at historic Soldier Field, the Vikings had their bubble of expectation busted by the monsters of the Midway, the Chicago Bears — Bears 28, Vikings 10. It was more like a mauling. Clearly, for whatever reason, the Vikings were not ready Sunday. Jay […]
Posted inSports
Walter Bond credits Clem Haskins with making men of boys
Before he became a big-time motivational speaker, Walter Bond played big-time hoops at Minnesota (1988-91) and played three NBA seasons. After an appearance last week at the North Community YMCA as the featured speaker at its business speaker series (Bond’s remarks are featured on the Metro page of this week’s edition), he told the MSR, […]
Posted inSports
Up-and-coming hoopster girls to watch
The girls’ basketball season has begun with eight of the state’s top players already signed with Division I schools. If you ever get a chance to get to a game, check these players out. (The college each signed with is in parentheses). NIA COFFEY (Northwestern): While averaging 15.7 points per game, the 5-9 guard led […]
Posted inSports
Up-and-coming hoopster girls to watch
The girls’ basketball season has begun with eight of the state’s top players already signed with Division I schools. If you ever get a chance to get to a game, check these players out. (The college each signed with is in parentheses). NIA COFFEY (Northwestern): While averaging 15.7 points per game, the 5-9 guard led […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Motivational speaker transfers NBA skills to the business world
Walter Bond teaches audiences the importance of connecting By Charles Hallman Staff Writer After leaving the NBA, Walter Bond was told he didn’t have enough experience during his job searches. “We’re looking for someone with more experience,” he vividly recalls being told by interviewers who didn’t think playing against and with the world’s best athletes […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
The growing contingent workforce: Contract work can present new opportunities
With 35 percent of U.S. companies relying on smaller staffs since the recession, the landscape of the labor market is changing substantially and more employers are beginning to emphasize the contingent, flexible workforce. A recent survey from CareerBuilder finds that this trend is fully expected to continue through 2012, as 36 percent of responding companies […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
The healing effect of cooking is in the hand of the preparer
Salut a los espíritus of this house and the espiritu que abre las puertas,” (greetings to the spirits of this house and the spirit that opens doors), I said as I entered the small one-bedroom apartment of my spiritual godfather from Cuba. Kneeling down to greet Elegua, the gatekeeper of the crossroads in Cuban Santeria, […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
November is National Pet Diabetes Awareness Month
November is National Pet Diabetes Month, and BluePearl Veterinary Partners encourages pet owners to become more aware of the signs and symptoms of diabetes. Diabetes is a relatively common disease in which the body doesn’t use glucose properly. If left untreated, diabetes is life-threatening. It is manageable and if detected early enough, pets with diabetes […]
Posted inNews
Black student-athletes grad rates ‘nothing to applaud’ — ‘Corporate business’ culture produces profits, exploits students
By Charles Hallman Staff Writer University of Minnesota Black male student-athletes are graduating at 50 percent or better for the first time in five years, though a significant graduation gap still exists between them and their White counterparts. For Black women, however, the gap widens. The NCAA 2012 Graduation Success Rate (GSR) report in October […]