Latanya Daniels, a former math teacher and engineer, has made significant strides in improving graduation rates and reducing racial disparities as assistant superintendent at Richfield Public Schools.
Keith Schubert
Keith Schubert is a contributing writer at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. He can be reached at kschubert@spokesman-recorder.com.
Posted inNews
Youth Link provides life-changing support for young people
Rich Melzer, CEO of Youth Link, is leading the organization in providing a wide range of services to young people ages 16-experiencing homelessness.
Posted inNews
NAZ takes a collaborative approach to poverty reduction
NAZ, a nonprofit organization in Minneapolis, has successfully replicated the Harlem Children’s Zone model to combat violence and improve education for underserved Black youth.
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Ujamaa Place helps Black men overcome life’s challenges
Christopher Crutchfield, CEO and President of Ujamaa Place, is dedicated to helping young Black men overcome life’s challenges and reduce recidivism rates.
Posted inEducation
UNCF director prepares for next level of student engagement, fundraising
The financial assistance is where UNCF comes in. Established in 1944, the organization provides 10,000 students with scholarships worth more than $100 million each year. It also provides financial support to 37 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and advocates for equitable education for students of color, according to its website.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Minneapolis’ Catch 22: Regulating landlords without punishing tenants
Those concerns have been exacerbated with cases like North Minneapolis landlord Mahmood Khan, whose rental license revocation last December left hundreds of tenants facing displacement.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Mayor Frey’s budget acknowledges underserved Black community
Innovative investments proposed for housing, safety, racial equity Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is “putting our money where our mouth is” with his inaugural $1.55 billion budget proposal. This includes holding true on his promise for a historic investment in affordable housing. “Our city’s population continues to grow at a rate not seen since the early […]
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First-time candidate brings working-class realities into her politics
My run for office is really an extension of work that I’ve been doing within our community for well over a decade, and some of the issues I have been working on that I think have a real impact on the African American community are things like maternal birth outcomes within the African American community.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Entrepreneur works to curb Minnesota’s POC retention problem
Not everyone will get a job at the career fair, but that is not the end of access to opportunities. “Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, you can go on POCCareers.com and see which companies are trying to market to you. So, you want to keep your profile active, you want to stay engaged.”
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Elections 101: Hennepin County Races
Much of the intrigue came from the DFL endorsing convention, where Angela Conley nearly secured the party endorsement over longtime incumbent Peter McLaughlin. While neither candidate ultimately received the necessary 60 percent votes for endorsement, Conley was the frontrunner with 57 percent of delegate votes.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Bad landlords put City back in public housing business
Run by the Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) department, the Emergency Stabilization Pilot Program (ESPP) will provide affordable housing to 10 family tenants over the next five years.
Posted inLocal & State, News
2018 Elections outlook: record-breaking primaries and what’s next
The overall voter turnout was about 22.7 percent, the highest percentage since 1994, according to Steve Simon, Minnesota Secretary of State. More than 100,000 people either voted early or submitted absentee ballots, helping make the 902,119 statewide votes the most in a primary since 1982. Minneapolis also broke its 48-year-long record with 93,500 votes.
Posted inLocal & State, News
A new image of rural Minnesota: Cheniqua Johnson on her historic run for MN House
“Yes, there are Black people in rural Minnesota… We’re parents, teachers, educators, nurses, labor workers.”
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2018 Election Snapshot: Hennepin County Commissioner District 2 Candidates
The Hennepin County board is comprised of seven district commissioners, the county attorney, and the county sheriff. All are White, despite the board’s vision to “be a diverse, learning organization.” But the District 2 race, with four candidates of color running, seems to be on track to retroactively add some truth to the vision of the board.
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The ‘bad guys’ invest in trusted community groups
A Minneapolis city government program is shedding light on how to help communities deal with government-related trauma. Since 2016, Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma (ReCAST) Minneapolis has partnered with area organizations to assist high-risk youth and families who have been affected by such issues as police-involved shootings of unarmed Black men.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Photo Galleries
Protesters decry lack of prosecution in Blevins shooting (photos)
On August 3, the Justice for June Committee held a news conference at the Minneapolis City Hall Rotunda, citing the officers’ complaint history and their aggressive behavior on the call as reasons why they should be terminated. The committee pointed to the Blevins shooting as part of a bigger cultural problem within the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). They are calling on a third-party investigation.
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Make “politics work” for the people
“My goal is to continue to be a part of leadership so that my voice – and the voice of my community – is part of the decision-making process in order to bring more equitable support to district 65A,” said Moran. “What keeps me up is working hard to make sure people know how politics impacts their lives. We have to use the power we have in our vote and our voice.”
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No charges filed in Blevins shooting
“You have justified police murder since you’ve been in office Mike Freeman,” she said while commandeering the conference alongside Blevins’ family and community members.
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City releases bodycam footage of Blevins shooting
The video, released Sunday night, starts with the officers approaching Blevins, who is seen sitting on a curb with a woman and child. “He’s got a bottle of gin,” one officer can be heard saying. Then an officer says, “He’s got a gun!” and the officers get out of the car and order Blevins to put his hands up.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Vying for the hot seat: Minnesota primary and general elections overview
There is a lot of focus on congressional races across the country as it gives Democrats a chance to flip the House from Republican to Democratic control. Of the 435 congressional districts in the country, Minnesota is home to eight of them.