The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder launched its 90th Anniversary Celebration weekend in style this past Friday night on its annual Legacy Yacht Cruise. Setting sail down the St. Croix, the historic Majestic Star was at full capacity, and a few early spells of rain ultimately gave way to bright sunshine and a beautiful night sky high above one of America’s original National Scenic Riverways.
No matter the weather, nothing would dampen this party, the first of two fabulous nights paying homage to the vision of founder Cecil E. Newman and the force of nature known as the MSR.
Phyllis “Showtime” Braxton, the evening’s emcee, kicked off the evening, introducing current MSR CEO and Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard, who shared a few short stories about Newman and why, in 1934, he established what today remains the oldest African American-owned business in the North Star State.
“My grandfather moved here from Kansas City, thinking it would be different. But
it wasn’t, and he knew the African American community in Minnesota needed a voice.”
Years later, when Hubert H. Humphrey was to become vice president of the United States, he asked Newman, who’d been his confidant and, in Humphrey’s words, the one that “brought him up to speed on civil rights,” to join him in the White House.
“My grandfather politely declined,” explained Williams-Dillard, noting that Newman said to Humphrey, “‘There is still too much for me to do in Minnesota.’”
Related Post: 90th Anniversary Legacy Yacht Cruise photo highlights
Related Post: 90th Anniversary Gala photo highlights
Minneapolis City Council President Andrea Jenkins also contributed brief remarks in tribute, as did Dr. Benjamin Chavis, president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).
Chavis, who, as a teenager, began his legendary and wide-ranging career as a youth coordinator and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s youngest staffer at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, told the assembled passengers, “The MSR has long been the eyes, ears, heart, and soul not only of this community in Minnesota but nationally as well,” before referring to the MSR’s recent NNPA Messenger Award.
Those fortunate enough to be on the boat were treated to an all-you-can-eat buffet, the chance to shop with Black-owned vendors and take their commemorative MSR 90th Anniversary portrait, purchase brand new MSR merchandise, participate in games and a raffle competition, and even engage Legacy Yacht Cruise sponsors Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, Hue-Man Partnership, U.S. Bank, and Andersen Windows and Doors.
Bukata Hayes, vice president and chief equity officer with Blue Cross Blue Shield, the weekend’s premier sponsor, stated, “We are so proud to support an institution in Minnesota celebrating a 90-year legacy. The MSR has always been at the forefront, ensuring our voices are heard and valued.”
Executive Director of Hue-Man Partnership Clarence Jones, speaking to why it is important to support the MSR, talked about building authentic relationships and the need to have “all hands on deck.”
“The MSR is essential. It is an invaluable resource, providing accurate, culturally appropriate information about health and other vital issues in our communities.”
As always, the Legacy Yacht Cruise featured first-class entertainment, including composer and pianist Wenso Ashby, talented and emerging singer Tiana, and DJs William “BakeShow” Baker and Christopher “Godxilla” Taylor, who kept the third-deck dance floor full all night long. Not to mention Braxton herself, who, before officiating the Best Dressed contest to close the evening’s festivities, showed off her impressive vocal skills, performing two songs from her debut album “Feels So Good.”
As everyone began to disembark from the boat, the conversation was already shifting in anticipation of Saturday night’s event, the MSR’s 90th Anniversary Gala in downtown Minneapolis.
A night to remember
A few days before MSR’s celebration, WCCO-TV’s Reg Chapman and Fox 9’s Maury Glover broadcasted news stories that focused on the paper’s colossal legacy here in Minnesota and around the country while forecasting the amazing 90th Anniversary celebration weekend. Nonetheless, it’s hard to imagine that anyone could have anticipated the magic of what was in store beforehand.
Hundreds of guests, decked out in their best formal wear, began arriving early Saturday evening at the Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel-The Depot. Among them were local luminaries such as Judge LaJune Thomas Lange, Don Shelby, St. Paul City Council Member Anika Bowie, and Gary Hines.
The reception, held in the Great Northern Ballroom, hosted a silent auction and also featured the premiere of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder’s Traveling History Exhibit, chronicling nearly a century of the MSR and including in-depth displays that showcased, among many things, Black firsts in Minnesota; MSR legends like Gordon Parks and Carl T. Rowan; the worldwide influence of the Minneapolis Sound; the African American experience in both St. Paul and Minneapolis, and, of course, the Newman family and the three generations that have made the MSR what it has long been and remains to this day—the “voice of Black Minnesota.”
Things then moved to the Pavilion Ballroom, where Gala host and renowned Twin Cities journalist Angela Davis welcomed the crowd. Mayor Jacob Frey was on hand to deliver a proclamation, making August 17, 2024, “Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Day” in Minneapolis. And St. Paul Mayor Melvin W. Carter, III, sent a heartfelt video message before guests were served an elegant dinner while listening to the genre-defying sound of internationally acclaimed harpist Mariea Antionette. She performed several of her standards, such as “Africa” and “Sekmet: The Lioness Goddess,” and covers of all-time classics by Minnie Ripperton, Luther Vandross, and Lauryn Hill.
The highlights from this extravagant event are far too many to mention in the space allowed. That said, among the remarkably nice touches during the night were a series of video presentations interspersed throughout the evening where a litany of individuals,
Both old-school and younger attendees shared the indelible impact that the MSR has had on their lives and the larger community.
This included heartfelt messages from Twin Cities icons Robin Hickman-Winfield, Nathaniel Khaliq and Vicky Davis, Debbie Montgomery, Yusuf Mgeni, Tonya Jackman, Jack Jackman, Mary Kay Boyd, Tyrone Terrill, Michael Diehl, James L. Stroud, Jr., Craig Rice, and Aaron Abram. The latter two noted how academic scholarships from the MSR helped them attend college.
It’s a family affair
The formal program commenced when Davis invited Williams-Dillard to the stage for an intimate interview. Later in the evening, Williams-Dillard remarked that this Gala turned out to be everything she hoped it would be and more. She shared cherished family photos and talked more, not only about her grandfather but equally about her grandmother, the late Launa Q. Newman, who successfully ran the MSR for a quarter of a century after her husband Cecil passed away in 1976.
“There were many people out there that wanted to take the MSR from my grandmother,” she explained. “They didn’t think a woman could lead the paper. They were wrong.
“My grandmother said, ‘My husband started this paper for a reason. He knew how much it was needed. And I’m going to keep it going. Whatever it takes.’”
She also spoke of how her grandmother picked her to become her successor upon retirement, recognizing that Williams-Dillard had the “energy to keep the paper going into the 21st century.”
William-Dillard’s daughter, educator Leticia Alvarez, who is her designated replacement when she decides to retire, whenever that may be, came on stage next and made it a point to mention the legacy of some additional footsteps she will be called on to fill one day, including those of her grandmother, the late Norma Jean Williams, and her great uncle Wallace “Jack” Jackman.
Then Davis asked recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jimmy Jam Harris, one half of the legendary duo Flyte Tyme Productions, to join Williams-Dillard and Alvarez on stage, where she asked him to share one of his favorite MSR memories.
“I went to Bryant Junior High School, where I first met Prince,” recalled Harris, “and I’d make the short walk after school to the MSR where my mom worked.
This paper is part of my mom’s legacy. That’s one reason it’s so important to me.” He then brought the audience to laughter when recounting how his birthday party at age seven in June of 1966 was featured in an issue of the paper before adding how important the MSR and the Black Press are to the world of Black music.
“We need to tell our stories, and those stories must be told through a certain lens,” said Harris. “Sometimes, the wrong decisions are made when you don’t have the right people in the room.”
Davis next sat down for a one-on-one interview with Dr. Chavis, who revealed other NNPA members in the room—including Black publishers from New York, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Florida, and other locales—while emphasizing the necessity for the Black Press to support one another.
Chavis also kept the audience in stitches with his wit and humor and leaked some advanced news: Beyoncé will perform on the final night of this week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago. “I have permission to share that with you,” he said before striking a more serious cord about the upcoming election.
“We’ve got to get the vote out in 2024. And the Black Press must lead the way. The vote is sacred to Black people in America. It’s something we’ve fought for, bled for, and died for.”
90 years of impact
Duchesne Drew, SVP of American Public Media Group, president of Minnesota Public Radio, and one-half of the power couple, including his wife and Gala host Angela Davis, delivered the evening’s keynote address. He shared just a few of the many occasions where the MSR distinguished itself, not to mention just how much the paper continues to accomplish every single issue.
Drew also highlighted the quality of journalism at the paper, citing two veteran MSR journalists: Al Brown for his coverage of the Million Man March in October 1995 and the conviction of George Floyd’s murderer, written by the late Mel Reeves in April 2021.
Observing that the MSR is every bit as important today as it was 90 years ago, Drew concluded his presentation by stating, “Let us thank this family for their gift,” which resulted in the first standing ovation of the night.
Perhaps the most touching moment, save for William-Dillard’s closing remarks, was a dramatic reenactment of a few memorable moments between Cecil E. Newman and Launa Q. Newman, portrayed respectively by two of the Twin Cities’ most notable artistic talents, Dennis Spears and Regina Williams. The performance culminated in a duet of Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable.”
The incomparable Shannon Paul then led the audience through the donation appeal before Williams-Dillard took the stage for the final time. She turned her attention first to the legacy of her mother, Norma Jean Williams, whom she lost only last year.
Next, she would give a heartwarming acknowledgment to her uncle, Wallace Jackman, whom she tenderly called “Uncle Jack” who served as the bridge between her and her grandmother and was the visionary who brought the MSR into the digital age.
Then, unsuccessfully fighting back tears, Williams-Dillard spoke about the MSR staff and some of the hard times the paper experienced before bouncing back. She said there were days when she was not taking home a paycheck just so her employees would be paid, and there were also times when they all went without paychecks.
“But my staff never left me,” she revealed. “They didn’t walk out.” And that is when her husband, the late Robert Dillard, whom she lost to Covid on December 19, 2020, stepped in and said, “If this paper means that much to you, I’m going to help you keep it going.”
“Robert got another job just so that I could make payroll,” she added before thanking everyone for their support of the MSR. “This is like a family reunion. I can feel the love.”
Williams and Spears returned once more to reprise “Unforgettable” before the party continued with dancing and cocktails.
It was indeed a night to remember.