• Advertise
  • Donate
  • Subscribe
    • Become a print subscriber
    • Sign up for e-Newsletter
    • e-Editions
Friday, September 22, 2023
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
      • Photo of the Week
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Notices
      • Legals
      • Announcements
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
      • Photo of the Week
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Notices
      • Legals
      • Announcements
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
No Result
View All Result

St. Cloud Times’ history as The Union

by MSR News Online
November 18, 2015
12
SHARES
245
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedIn

 

St. Cloud
St. Cloud

According to long denied but sudden grudging admissions from the St. Cloud Times, community pride-filled racism has become embarrassing, expensive and explosive. After promoting slavery, ignoring “sun-down town” conditions, limitations on Black St. Cloud State students and other obvious examples of racism for 158 years, the hometown newspaper suddenly realizes racism’s high costs. (“Protests aren’t bringing solutions, only strife;” editorial, St. Cloud Times, August 9, 2015)

St. Cloud’s unabashed racism has attracted enough attention from Minnesota ethnic councils, federal agencies, independent study groups and national news sources to be considered the state’s most racially volatile community. Support for St. Cloud’s pathological racism originated with the Times.

Today’s St. Cloud Times began as Minnesota’s first and only proslavery propaganda rag deceptively called The Union. Its publisher, Sylanvus Lowry, was St. Cloud’s best boy, first mayor, illegal slave holder and political conniver. Lowry and Confederate relatives fled Kentucky to escape impending civil war. They smuggled slaves up the Mississippi River at night defying Minnesota’s “Free State” status and Constitution.

Abolitionist Jane Grey Swisshelm exposed the illegal slaves. In retaliation, Lowry’s “Committee of Vigilance” destroyed her printing press. When Minnesota troops entered the Civil War, St. Cloud’s slaves were freed and The Union was renamed St. Cloud Daily Times, then later (circa, 1990), the St. Cloud Times.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Since St. Cloud has always been considered one of Minnesota’s more insignificant communities culturally, economically and politically, the combination of defensive insularity yet desperate community promotion was adopted by the St. Cloud Times. Objective journalism, using the term with ridicule, is avoided as much as possible since the community is often criticized by outsiders. (“St. Cloud’s history of friction with outsiders;” Minnesota Public Radio, July 7, 2010; “Whites only?” Diverse Issues in Higher Education, December 8, 2011)

Although the St. Cloud Times, mentioned a study of local racism initiated by the Aspen Institute’s Roundtable on Community Change, the studies scathing findings were carefully ignored. (“Institute to study area’s race efforts;” St. Cloud Times, May 30, 2008) “Conclusions: Saint Cloud, MN, a historically White urban hub surrounded by farm communities, saw an influx of residents of color during the 1980s due to demographic shifts in migration. It subsequently experienced one of the state’s highest rates of hate crimes.”

Similarly ignored by City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce, three public relations agencies, SCSU, various area economic development groups and the St. Cloud Times were damning criticisms by Ohio State University’s Kirwan Institute. (“Shining the Light: Revealing choice in the St. Cloud region;” Ohio State University, Kirwan Institute, September 2010) The St. Cloud Times covers St. Cloud racism cautiously and reluctantly. Embarrassing City Hall, local politicians and SCSU, however documented and guilty, are reporting no-no’s.

Other St. Cloud Times avoidances include: (1) SCSU’s suspiciously complicated, convoluted and highly guarded Black student graduation rates (the opinions editor claimed that, since “everybody spins the numbers,” no reports result; and (2) one would think periodic surveys concerning local racial hostilities would be expected.

 

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Myrle Cooper is retired from SCSU but continues to closely monitor racism and expose a community resisting change. He welcomes reader responses to kobenhavnk@yahoo.com.

Support Black local news

Help amplify Black voices by donating to the MSR. Your contribution enables critical coverage of issues affecting the community and empowers authentic storytelling.

Donate Now!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Hot Vikings win 5th straight!

Next Post

Protesters demand action over police shooting, not more talk

MSR News Online

Reach the MSR staff at msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.

You Might Also Like

Biden administration to ban medical debt from Americans’ credit scores
National

Biden administration to ban medical debt from Americans’ credit scores

Hamline’s Jones claims season’s first individual MIAC award 
Sports

Hamline’s Jones claims season’s first individual MIAC award 

College hockey undergoing ‘significant transformation’
MN Wild/NHL

College hockey undergoing ‘significant transformation’

A child dhould be seen and heard
Bulletin

A child dhould be seen and heard

reparations x broken chains
Opinion

Call for Reparations

Stanley Nelson’s doc ‘Sound of the Police’ dissects police in Black communities
Arts & Culture

Stanley Nelson’s doc ‘Sound of the Police’ dissects police in Black communities

Next Post
Protesters demand action over police shooting, not more talk

Protesters demand action over police shooting, not more talk

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ADVERTISEMENT

Upcoming Events

Sep 12
September 12 @ 6:30 pm-December 18 @ 9:30 pm Recurring

Vic Volare Presents MUSIC FOR MARTINIS ft: Vic’s Fabulous Nightclub Academy

Sep 22
September 22 @ 5:00 pm-September 23 @ 8:30 pm

9th Annual Lantern Lighting Celebration at Lakewood Cemetery

Sep 22
7:30 pm-9:00 pm Recurring

Michhil Amra | We Are The Procession

Sep 23
10:00 am-1:00 pm

Expanding Diversity Career Fair

View Calendar
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Read our latest e-Edition!

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Subscribe

  • Home/Office Delivery
  • Weekly e-newsletter
  • e-Editions

Support

  • Donate
  • Subscribe
  • MSR Newsstand Locations

Connect

  • About
    • MSR Staff
  • Contact
  • Send a news tip
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

No Result
View All Result
  • News & Features
    • Local
    • National
  • All Sections
    • Arts & Culture
    • Health & Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • MN Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Business
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
      • Small Business Month Celebration
    • Opinion
    • Sports
  • Events
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • Donate
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: