Street to be named Bernadette Anderson Way
The legendary Bernadette Anderson—affectionately known as “Bernie” and “Momma Bernadette” and considered by some “the mother of The Minneapolis Sound”—will receive well-deserved recognition for her profound contributions to the Minneapolis community. The city will officially rename a portion of Russell Avenue North as Bernadette Anderson Way, a significant tribute to her legacy.
On Friday, September 13, from 3 to 8 p.m., the Anderson family will host a commemorative street-naming ceremony and block party to honor Bernadette’s life and legacy. Speakers include Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Spike Moss. The celebration will feature an “Old School” musical jam session featuring local artists Andre Cymone and Sue Ann Carwell.
This event is inspired by the decades of dedication Anderson devoted to the well-being of youth in North Minneapolis. Her life of service was grounded in her commitment to eliminating racial disparities. She brazenly called out injustice, drawing on her personal experience as a Black woman and mother in Minneapolis, witnessing racial inequities in education, housing, employment, and health care.
Throughout her journey, Anderson marched, protested, and prayed on the front lines. She also served on several boards, including the PTA for the Minneapolis Public School System, where she worked to close the educational opportunity gap for Black students.
Along with her passion for fighting for equality, Anderson held the care of youth close to her heart. For over 22 years, she worked at the Ruth Hawkins YMCA, where she focused on empowering children through initiatives and programs she developed, such as Bernadette’s, a teen club that incentivized academically successful youth with leisure and creative programs.
Beyond that, Anderson worked at the Minneapolis Urban League Street Academy, where she coordinated the lunch program and served as a mentor to numerous individuals, a role that underscored her impact on the community. She was also president of the Guild, an auxiliary arm of the Urban League that raised money for youth.
Jellybean Johnson, founder of the Minneapolis Sound Museum, was one of the many adolescents impacted by Anderson back in the day. He confided, “I looked at this woman as a mother figure. I want to say I think I called her Mom as that was what she was to us all, the neighborhood mom. That was the only way I saw her. She was the one person supporting all the neighborhood musicians around the North Side, and within her block on Russell and a few more blocks radius, she was the birthplace of the Minneapolis Sound without a doubt.”
Although many people may rightfully remember her for her contributions to the music scene in Minneapolis, her true legacy is that of a woman who understood kids and did her part to ensure they got the chance to live up to their potential.
The MSR asked Andre Cymone about his mother’s impact on the community. He shared, “The open-door policy that she had. She allowed me to bring a lot of friends in. Some people would come from all over the neighborhood, a lot of kids that didn’t really fit in. When I first moved into the neighborhood, I didn’t fit in, but she allowed me to have people like Prince and other kids in the neighborhood come and hang out. That was one of the main things.”
He added, “Her philosophy stuck with me and the other kids. You know you gotta finish what you start. We would be downstairs practicing, and we would always talk about writing songs, and she would always say, ‘Anybody can start a fight, but anybody can’t finish a fight.’”