Helen Coleman January 11, 1937 — June 24, 2017 On Saturday, June 24, 2017, our sweet mama Helen Coleman died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 80 in her home in Minneapolis, MN. Helen was born in Talladega, Alabama on January 11, 1937. She was preceded in death by her brother Robert Dye […]
June 2013
Posted inNews
Park Board embraces change in response to changing communities — Outreach director says cultural competency now a basic staff expectation
By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Minneapolis is vastly different today than a couple of decades ago as the city’s population has grown with more persons of color. Is the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board (MPRB) keeping pace with the demographic changes? Residents of color often complain that neighborhood parks and centers aren’t as welcoming as […]
Posted inNews
U of M student becomes seventh Black to serve on Board of Regents — The first, Josie Johnson, urges continuing the fight for diversity
By Charles Hallman Staff Writer The 12-member University of Minnesota Board of Regents is the school’s governing body. Its members are elected by the Minnesota Legislature and serve without pay. Eight members represent the state’s eight congressional districts, and four members, including a current U of M student representative, are elected at large. Their six-year […]
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Entrepreneur turns doodling into profitable business — Cards By Beverly lets buyers express their own sentiments
Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer This being June and all, between school graduations, Father’s Day, birthdays and folk just generally being in their usual frame of mind to send someone a kind or pleasant sentiment, card shops are making a killing. One kind of customer, however, never seems to find quite the same selection as most […]
Posted inArts + Culture
Supergroup BWB pays tribute to the King of Pop on new release
With the fourth anniversary of the passing of Michael Jackson upon us, it’s a good time to pause, reflect and celebrate his life and his music. Celebrating Jackson’s music is something a number of contemporary artists, jazz musicians included, have done more constantly in recent years. I’m thinking of Joey DeFrancesco, Vijay Iyer, Esperanza Spalding, […]
Posted inArts + Culture
Die-hard Michael Jackson fans not likely to be impressed by ‘The Ultimate Thriller’
Judging by the response of most of the crowd — “We love you, Michael!,” dancing in the seats, “This is the best show I’ve ever seen.” — Mystic Lake’s “The Ultimate Thriller” on June 7 and 8, was a success. On the night of June 7, the team of musicians and dancers performed for an […]
Posted inArts + Culture
The discoveries continue
Keith had settled back in a window seat watching the asphalt shrink, watching the airport go away. Leaving Lesli and L.A. In all his years in the business, for all the traveling it required, he’d never got quite used to flying. It amazed him, in a scary way, when these monstrous machines got off the […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Calling all Red Caps!
Rondo Days Festival searching for former Red Caps and families The opening event of the 30th annual Rondo Days Festival will be a reception to honor the Red Caps, the station porters who welcomed and served travelers and the railroad industry at the St. Paul Union Depot for more than 78 years. As part […]
Posted inArts + Culture
This week’s Entertainment spotlights!
The Music The Garifuna Collective Thurs., Jun 20, 7:30 pm • Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls., 612-338-2674 or www.thecedar.org • The Garifuna Collective features an exciting roster of the top musicians in the Garifuna music scene of Central America and they are renowned for their work with the late Andy Palacio on the […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Second Harvest helps foodshelves triple their buying power
You’d be surprised how much good the smallest effort will do. For instance, consider the gift a couple bags of groceries can be when it comes to filling financial holes these days, as the economy keeps getting worse. In a household that’s still working, $30 worth of staples from the foodshelf means $30 that can go, […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
What are shingles and why should I care?
Shingles, medically called Herpes Zoster, is a rash caused by reactivation of the chickenpox virus. The rash is very itchy and usually presents with grouped blisters. The rash follows a band-like pattern on the skin, and a big clue is that it does not cross the midline. Often times, the area will feel odd, itchy, tingle […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Living, surviving and thriving with a disability
Current events: discrimination against persons with disabilities still alive and well What do I know for sure about people with disabilities? We desire to be treated fairly and equitably in all aspects of our lives. We desire the playing field to be level and equitable. We have the nature and belief that we have to […]
Posted inOpinion
Franklin case goes to county attorney, then Grand Jury — Will another Grand Jury sanction police shootings of young Blacks?
The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) announced two weeks ago that they had completed the investigation into the shooting of T.T. Franklin and forwarded their findings to the Hennepin County Attorney, Mike Freeman. The Star Tribune reported, “The case will get an initial review from the county attorney’s office before it is sent to the grand […]
Posted inOpinion
Trayvon, we failed you once, but we will never fail you again!
By Michael Skolnik Guest Commentator We didn’t mourn with the family from the church pews when 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was sent to his homecoming with God. We had not yet heard of his name. We couldn’t stop the one shot fired on that drizzling night in Sanford, Florida on February 26, 2012. We, too, were […]
Posted inOpinion
Pride events unite us in a common struggle for equality
Black Pride reaffirms our identity. And it dances to a different beat. What started out in Washington, D.C. in 1990 as the only Black Gay Pride event in the country has grown to over 35 gatherings nationwide. Each year, celebrations start in April and continue to October. Over 300,000 LGBTQ people of African descent rev […]
Posted inOpinion
Zero-tolerance discipline policies: a failing idea
By Marian Wright Edelman Guest Commentator Many school children in America are on summer break right now, but here’s a pop quiz about discipline policies in our nation’s schools that’s just for grownups: • Would you suspend a student from school for four months for sharpening his pencil without permission and giving the teacher a […]
Posted inSports
Only Ones on the volleyball court learn to live with being different
This column, over the past two weeks, has focused on the trials of being an Only One — the only African American — as a reporter in the media booth and as baseball players on the field. This week we conclude our Only One series with a look at club volleyball. It is almost mandatory […]
Posted inSports
NBA Finals — Spurs lead 3-2
SAN ANTONIO — One day the San Antonio Spurs will finally receive the credit they so richly deserve. The Spurs’ big three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have won 457 games together — fifth best all-time as a trio. Sixteen consecutive years the Spurs have had a winning road record, the best […]
Posted inSports
Top prep hoopsters vie for All-Star Classic honors
The 20th Annual Inner City All-Star Classic (ICASC), a basketball event held at the University of St. Thomas last Sunday, was certainly one to remember. The event featured the top girls and boys prep basketball players from the Class of 2013. Girls’ game SADE CHATMAN (St. Paul Central) led the way with 19 points, (DeLaSalle) added […]