Minor’s Mali Center grand opening a great beginning

Prep Scene

Tyrone Minor’s invitation was hard to turn down.

Minor, who I covered during his track and field days as a state champion sprinter and jumper at St. Paul Central High School during the late 1980s, called me about a month ago to invite me to the grand opening of the Mali Center located in the North End section of St. Paul.

During an interview with Fox 9 News hours prior to the grand opening, Minor, who has taught physical education at Osseo High School for over two decades, described the Mali Center as a facility for everyone to embrace.

“The Mali Center is a holistic wellness hub that empowers health and diverse entrepreneurs for all communities,” he said during the interview while stressing the close relationships of all involved. “Although we are a health and business hub, we really function more like a family,” he continued. “A lot of the relationships I have with members of the ecosystem predate the Mali Center by 20, 30, and even 40 years.

After leading St. Paul Central to the Class AA state track and field championship in 1989, Minor went on to outstanding collegiate careers at Drake University and the University of Minnesota. When he entered the adult world as an educator, businessman and physical fitness coach, we stayed connected every now and then. So when he called, I couldn’t turn him down.

Oh! I left something out.

My relationship with Minor was about more than that of a reporter/athlete. We, like most Black people during the 1950s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, grew up in the Rondo neighborhood in St. Paul. I grew up close friends with Minor’s older brother Roy Lee Griffin. Minor, being six years younger, was in elementary school when we first met.

Though I covered him in high school and remained friends with his brother until his untimely death in 1995, it was my father, Kwame McDonald, whom Minor identified as one of the community elders, who influenced him the most. That was his motivation for the personal invite.

“At the opening I want to honor your father and other pillars in the community that were influential not only to myself but the entire Rondo community,” he said. “I wanted to invite you personally.”

The grand opening, held last Saturday from noon-12 p.m., was a memorable event as Minor predicted it would be. He paid homage to the community elders and thanked family, friends, and everyone who was involved, including older brother Rodney Griffin.

At the conclusion, he paid tribute to his wife Jamie Minor and mother Willer Pearl Minor, whom Tyrone Minor identified as the “two most important women in my life.

The event was great. I must admit that I teared up when my father’s name was called. Minor’s prediction of the event two hours prior came to fruition.

“It’s going to be an opportunity for the community to get to know the entrepreneurs and nonprofits that will operate out of the space,” he said. “It’s going to be a celebration. You can expect to have fun, hear some great music, and have some tremendous food by local and Rondo entrepreneurs.”

Minor did add one more prediction with emphasis: “This is only the beginning!”