On May 26, the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder hosted the 21st annual Graduation Celebration at the Metropolitan Ballroom in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Known for its unifying theme “It’s A Family Affair,” each year the Graduation Celebration brings together proud parents, mentors, teachers, community members and African and African American graduating high school seniors for a free dinner, entertainment, […]
James L. Stroud Jr
James L. Stroud, Jr. is a contributing writer and photographer at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.
Posted inNews
MN Teacher of the Year: ‘Belief is so important’
On May 15, 2016, the Minnesota Teacher of the Year program announced that Abdul Wright, a language arts teacher at Best Academy in North Minneapolis, was selected as Minnesota Teacher of the Year. Wright is the 52nd recipient of this prestigious award and makes history as the first African American male, as well as the […]
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Twin Cities UNCF exceeds fundraising goal
On Saturday, May 14, the Minneapolis United Negro College Fund (UNCF) hosted the fourth annual Twin Cities Masked Ball at the Mall of America’s Radisson Blu Hotel ballroom. The UNCF black-tie dinner affair was sold out by May 2 at $150 per ticket.
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Watchdog group opens closed doors in St. Paul government
St. Paul Strong (SPS) is a nonpartisan, community-led group that advocates for open and representative government in Saint Paul by encouraging transparency in public processes at City Hall.
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Campaign challenges kid-targeted marketing in schools
Jasmine Ruddy of Corporate Accountability International (CAI) is an organizer for the Value [the] Meal campaign.
Posted inArts + Culture
Blackout’s First Annual Black & Funny Improv Festival a huge hit!
On February 20, 2016, the Twin Cities-based improv troupe Blackout — the first all-Black improv troupe in Minnesota — made local history by producing, directing, hosting and headlining the first Black improv festival in the Twin Cities.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Local organization gives 5,000 books to kids
On Friday, February 19, in honor of Black History Month, the Network for Development of Children of African Descent (NdCAD) hosted a special book giveaway.
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People of color demand to share in union leadership
The AFL-CIO eight-city racial and economic justice tour across America included Minneapolis as one of the eight.
Posted inArts + Culture, Theater
‘The Snowy Day’: a warmhearted children’s story for the family
In 1963, the book The Snowy Day, by writer and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats was released and made history by becoming the first children’s book to feature an African American as the main character.
Posted inLocal & State, News
LeVar Burton fires up Augsburg fans for literacy
On Saturday, February 13, from 1-2 pm, author, educator, producer, director and actor LeVar Burton, well known for his debut acting role as Kunta Kinte in the 1977 award-winning television miniseries Roots based on the novel written by Alex Haley, was the keynote speaker for the Augsburg College annual scholarship weekend of activities.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Wage theft surprisingly common
At 7:30 am on January 22, Minneapolis City Council Vice President Elizabeth Glidden and staff hosted a roundtable conversation with the public as one of the monthly Early Mornings with Elizabeth meetings.
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Vivian Jenkins-Nelsen: a modern day renaissance woman
The dictionary’s definition of a renaissance person — someone who is well-educated, sophisticated, and talented and knowledgeable in many fields of study — describes Vivian Jenkins-Nelsen to a tee.
Posted inLocal & State, National, News, Photo Galleries
PHOTOS | Bernie Sanders’ fiery message heats up River Centre
On the evening of January 26, presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders first stopped in Duluth, Minnesota earlier in the day for a “Future to Believe In” campaign rally. Later that evening Sanders came to the St. Paul River Centre to address more than 10,000 people in the main area, along with close to 5,000 additional people in the overflow room.
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Former Mass. Gov. Patrick keynotes MLK Breakfast
Monday morning, January 18, at 7 am, former two-time governor of Massachusetts and author Deval Patrick delivered the keynote speech for the 26th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Breakfast at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
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Former Council on Black Minnesotans has new name, new director
In November of 2015, just before the Thanksgiving holiday, Dr. Louis Porter II began working as the new executive director of the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage (CMAH), formerly known as the Council on Black Minnesotans.
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Award recipient urges community members to ‘just do something’
On the evening of December 4 at the Wilder Foundation in St. Paul, the Minnesota Chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) hosted a recognition dinner for Frances Virginia (Lyons) Harris, their 2015 Minnesota volunteer of the year who received the organization’s Andrus Award.
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What’s killing so many Black mothers and their babies?
On November 12, the “Maternal Child Health, Safe Mothers, Safe Newborns Global Conference” was held at the Hubert H. Humphrey, School of Public Affairs on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus.
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NAACP Minneapolis host peaceful #Justice4Jamar concert for healing
The NAACP Minneapolis chapter hosted a successful #Justice4Jamar concert, in the name of peace and community healing. The concert, which was planned prior to Monday night’s shooting of five people at a Black Lives Matter protest, felt especially poignant in light of the violence the night before.
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#Justice4Jamar candlelight vigil and march draws a diverse crowd
In the name of solidarity, the NAACP national office, the NAACP Minneapolis chapter, along with Black Lives Matters Minneapolis and other community organizations and members, came together Friday, November 20, to honor the memory of Jamar Clark and all victims of police violence.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Congressman Ellison holds economic summit
As a response to U. S. Census Data and analysis of the data by the Star Tribune and the Minnesota Population Center, which showed a recent and significant drop in household income for Black Minnesotans as one of many statistics, Congressman Keith Ellison organized a community meeting to address related economic issues.