By Charles Hallman Staff writer Baggage Claim is a delightful but predictable movie that hit theaters September 27. The David E. Talbert movie is like one of lighthearted screwball fare that I can sit and watch on Turner Classic Movies all day long. However it probably won’t make the channel’s line-up simply because of its […]
October 2013
Posted inSports
Lynx players, coaches, fans reflect on championship run
Monday’s Minnesota Lynx championship celebration looked more like a bon voyage send-off, especially given that every player soon will leave for off-season overseas jobs. “It’s awesome having our fans out here and be able to say good-bye to them,” said Lynx guard Monica Wright, who heads to South Korea by month’s end. Added Israel-bound rookie […]
Posted inSports
Watkins eased into coaching for Twins
Tommy Watkins is one of two Black coaches in the Minnesota Twins farm system. After his season at Single-A Cedar Rapids concluded in September, he was called to join the major league team’s coaching staff for the remainder of the season. “I thought so as my career went on,” admits Watkins when asked if becoming […]
Posted inNews
Theater usher puts school on hold as Disney intern
Youth, an age-old truism goes, is wasted on the young. Not in the case of Brittany “Britt” Robinson, who, at 20, demonstrates a world of ability, ambition and enough sense not to let a golden opportunity go to waste. Robinson is aware that money is tighter than it used to be. But, of course, she […]
Posted inSports
Lynx in WNBA Finals still low on media radar
The 2013 WNBA Finals now heads south to Atlanta for Game 3 on Thursday between the Minnesota Lynx and the Atlanta Dream, the last two teams standing. “Anytime you get to this point when you’re at the end of the season in the Finals, these two teams know that there are a maximum of five […]
Posted inNews
Successful Black businesses are open to criticism
Tomorrow’s young entrepreneurs need mentoring opportunities today By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Though the number of Black-owned businesses in Minnesota has been on the rise over the past 20 years, many of them fail to make it past the five-year mark that is generally believed to be the make-it-or-break-it period for new businesses. Currently […]
Posted inArts + Culture
Twin Cities Black Film Festival 2013 local filmmakers
(Part one in a series of articles about the Twin Cities Black Film Festival) By Charles Hallman Staff writer Local filmmakers were featured at this year’s Twin Cities Black Film Festival (TCBFF). The MSR was in attendance at the four-day event held September 26-29 at St. Louis Park’s Showplace Icon Theaters. “We had 11 [local] […]
Posted inOpinion
Let us recommit to the HBCU mission of St. Paul’s College
By Benjamin Todd Jealous Guest Commentator This fall, as college campuses open their doors to the bustle of students, one historically Black institution will remain silent. In the old colonial town of Lawrenceville, Va., Saint Paul’s College has shut its doors after more than a century of operation. The college had fallen on hard times […]
Posted inOpinion
Attack on the Teachers Federation Why have friends become foes?
“The whole world opened to me when I learned to read.” — Mary McLeod Bethune For decades, a workable relationship between organized labor and African American leadership existed in Minnesota. They do not necessarily speak with one voice, but, regarding financial consideration, they do. But for the last decade, this relationship has frayed, not in […]
Posted inArts + Culture
Local legendary jazz club closing its doors
Yesterday it was announced on Minnesota Public Radio that the Artists’ Quarter jazz club located in St. Paul is closing at the end of year—on New Year’s Eve to be exact. The owner and jazz drummer Kenny Horst cites a recent hike in rent as the main reason for the closing. The club is well-known […]
Posted inOpinion
One racist cop sets the tone for others
If the bystanders video, which includes an audio track of the Terrance Franklin killing is authentic, then the police’s version of what happened should sound something like “Franklin charged the officers in the basement and then used one of the officer’s guns to shoot two other officers in the legs, causing two other officers to […]
Posted inOpinion
Ways to support independent Black voices
By Troy Johnson Guest Commentator The digital divide, or the disparity between internet adoption rates between various groups, has been a topic of conversation since the internet became a commercial entity two decades ago. There is a great deal of warranted concern about the long-term impact on those unable to easily gain access to the […]
Posted inArts + Culture
This Week’s Spotlights
Robert Robinson CD Release Oct. 15 and 16 • Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant, 1010 Nicollet Ave., Mpls, 612-332-1010 or www.dakotacooks.com J. Cole featuring Wale Sun., Oct. 13, 8pm • Myth, 3090 Southlawn Drive, St. Paul, 651-779-6984 or www.mythlive.com Flatbush Zombies with Bodega Bamz and Allan Kingdom Fri., Oct. 19, 8 pm • Triple Rock Social Club, […]
Posted inArts + Culture
Luis’ advice: Get with another woman
Keith looked lost. “Yeah, well, Louie, I thought she was the one, too. Then, well…” “Well?” his friend retorted. “Well is a hole in the ground.” He knew Luis meant well and only had his good in mind. His friend, though, would do well not to say one more smart-ass word. Good a time as […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
What are electronic cigarettes and why should I care about them?
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, but the creators of a breakthrough device are hoping to change that by encouraging smokers to use an alternative method. Commonly referred to as “e-cigarettes,” these battery-powered devices come in a variety of shapes and models, including those that resemble standard tobacco cigarettes […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Faith, mental illness, and the African American community
Commentary By Dr. Thomas Adams CEO, African American Family Services Faith and mental illness have been debated since B.C. (before Christ). As African Americans, we are a people who embody a tremendous amount of faith. A 2009 report found African Americans to be the most religious group of people in the U.S. For the majority […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
When it comes to health, place matters
By Dr. Brian Smedley America’s Wire Writers Group The implementation of the Affordable Care Act is an achievement Americans can be proud of. Making sure that all our brothers and sisters, children and grandchildren have proper health insurance makes us a stronger, more prosperous nation. Amid this important change, however, we cannot ignore the work […]
Posted inSports
Dribble to Stop Diabetes clinic
Photos from Dribble to Stop Diabetes clinic during the WNBA Finals in Minneapolis Current Minnesota Lynx players and WNBA Legend Teresa Edwards worked with students from Sojourner Truth Academy. [nggallery id=55] Photos by Charles Hallman
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Campaign launched to educate uninsured Minnesotans about Obamacare
Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota (PPMNS) is launching a campaign to help educate uninsured Minnesotans about the benefits and availability of new health insurance plans available through MNsure and help them get enrolled. “Thousands of Minnesotans without insurance will be able to enroll in more affordable, quality health insurance plans — but that’s […]