Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars performed live at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall, 6 W. 6th Street in St. Paul on February 10 to help raise funds so Books For Africa (BFA) can ship 22,000 school books to Sierra Leone in West Africa. Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars was formed in 1997 in the Kalia […]
MSR News Online
Reach the MSR staff at msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.
Posted inEducation
Future leaders in training at T.R.U.T.H.
“Our goal is for them to be prepared to be service leaders.” These are the words of Jermain Cooper, superintendent and executive director of T.R.U.T.H. Preparatory Academy in St. Paul. It is a relatively new school — the academy doors were opened in the fall of 2016. It is currently serving just under 200 K-5 […]
Posted inBlack History Month
The man who created an army of Black engineers
WASHINGTON — Most people have never heard of Eugene M. DeLoatch, but all over the world, they have seen the fruits of his labor, across the United States, in Puerto Rico, the Middle East, Japan, Germany, Korea, across Europe, Africa and South America. The people he trained have built buildings and other structures, molded rivers, solved […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
The importance of modeling healthy relationships
The BeMore Campaign knows that Black M.E.N. C.A.N be the solution. BeMore has become the front runners in increasing healthy, nonviolent relationships, decreasing teen dating violence, and engaging men and young men to end violence against women and girls inside of homes and in communities around the world. The pledge goes hand in hand with […]
Posted inBlack History Month, Special Editions
Shirlee Callender is proof you can flourish at any age
Shirlee Callender has enjoyed a life of many good things, and she has many more to look forward to. Callender, a mother of three, grandmother of six, and great grandmother of two, was born and raised in Des Moines, IA, and came to Minnesota in 1951 right after high school. Things didn’t come easy at […]
Posted inObituaries
Marion Mildred Majors McElroy
Marth 16, 1922 — January 22, 2017 Marion Mildred Majors McElroy passed away on January 22, 2017. Marion was born to Andrew and Ruth Majors on March 16, 1922 in Minneapolis, MN. She was a trailblazer and her accomplishments are many. In 1940, as an employee of Strutwear Knitting Company, she became the first African American […]
Posted inGo Green
The “Myth of the Climate Change 97%”
Skeptics dispute number of scientists who believe humans cause global warming The so-called “Myth of the Climate Change 97%” refers to the argument made by climate skeptics who dispute the notion that 97 percent of climate scientists have achieved consensus that global warming is occurring and is caused by human activities. Oklahoma Republican Senator James […]
Posted inSister Spokesman Highlights
Listen up, sista! Sister Spokesman addresses HIV/AIDS awareness
“You don’t have to die from HIV in this day and age…in 2017,” said Dr. Omobosola Akinsete from Health Partners when answering a question about treatment at the “Sister Spokesman: HIV/AIDS Awareness” event Feb. 4. Akinsete’s message mirrored the remarks from the other panelists who spoke to the strides in medicines and survival rates, and […]
Posted inOpinion
A job well done by the MPD and the Beeks family
Ever since the tragic events of May 2016, when Birdell Beeks, “the grandmother struck and killed by gang crossfire as she drove her teenage granddaughter to an appointment,” the Beeks’ family has carried out a tenacious and passionate quest to bring about justice for their beloved grandmother and mother. Minneapolis Police Department Chief, Janeé Harteau, […]
Posted inOpinion
Voter fraud is a myth — voter suppression is not
On January 25, President Donald Trump called for the federal government to spend resources investigating alleged “voter fraud” in the 2016 elections. Unable to accept the fact that he lost the popular vote by some 2.8 million votes, President Trump has repeated his naked and reckless claim that three-to-five million illegal votes were cast in […]
Posted inOpinion
Sharpton visit has ulterior motives
Thanks to the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder for its article “Sharpton straddles fence on menthol cigarette ban” that ran on Feb. 2. Along with several advocates of the Menthol Coalition, I attended this meeting. I am part of a coalition of health and community organizations committed to reducing the harm caused by menthol-flavored cigarettes and other tobacco […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Flu fighting tips for seniors
Since flu activity is rising across the United States and there’s been a slight uptick in the number of deaths, extra care should be taken to avoid and resist the infection. Weaker immune systems make seniors more vulnerable to the flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 90 percent of all flu-related […]
Posted inNews
Emmett Till’s accuser admits it was all a lie
More than six decades after the horrific, racially motivated murder of Emmett Till, the White woman who accused the Chicago teenager of verbally and physically accosting her in Money, Miss., in 1955 has admitted she lied, according to a new book. Till had allegedly whistled at and groped Carolyn Bryant, a 21-year-old White woman, while […]
Posted inLocal & State, News
Police presence in schools alarms parents, students
“Given the life-altering consequences and racially disparate impact of school-based arrests and police referrals, this forum will shed light on how students, community members, schools [and the] State are [dealing with] this issue, said,” Kenneth Eban, managing director of Students For Education Reform (SFER) Minnesota. The public forum titled “Why Are Police in Our Schools?” was […]
Posted inLetter to the Editor
In response to “Gentrification plans of MPHA and Sherman Associates”
In response to “Gentrification plans of MPHA and Sherman Associates,” MSR, January 19 issue A letter published in a recent issue of the Spokesman-Recorder discussed gentrification in the Twin Cities, as well as the writers’ concerns about possible changes at the Glendale Townhomes owned by the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. Given MPHA’s mission to provide […]
Posted inSpecial Editions
A Black History month special: Honoring the accomplishments of Minnesota’s Black medical community past and present
In celebration of Black History Month, a presentation giving honor to Minnesota’s Black medical community past and present will be held on Saturday February 18, 2017 from 11 am to 1:30 pm at the Hennepin County Library, downtown Minneapolis campus, in the Doty Board Room on the second floor. This presentation is free and open […]
Posted inOpinion
Doing time in segregation
A biweekly column in which various contributors from both sides of prison walls explore common ground for effecting change. From my own experience doing time in segregation, some prisons hand time out like candy. My first time getting into a fight in Rush City I received 45 days, and that was a deal. I had […]
Posted inUncategorized
Minnesota dentists offering free dental care for 4,000 children in need Feb. 3 & 4
Press release Minnesota dentists are offering free dental care to children in need on February 3 and 4, 2017. Appointments can be booked now. The Minnesota Dental Association has over 2,000 dental professionals volunteering at more than 125 clinics across the state for Give Kids a Smile. Locating a clinic with open appointments is as […]
Posted inLocal & State, News
Shirlee Callender chosen to bring ‘goodwill’ to St. Paul Winter Carnival
The St. Paul Winter Carnival kicked off Jan. 26, carrying on its 130-plus years tradition of celebrating the history of St. Paul through winter fun and educational events and experiences. With the goal of bringing “wisdom and goodwill” to the St. Paul Winter Carnival festivities, Shirlee Callender was selected as 2017 Queen of the Northlands […]