Talitha V. Anyabwele’s Black Girl Speaks, makes its area premiere, launching the 2012-13 national tour, at a most appropriate venue, North Minneapolis’ Capri Theater. After all, where better to honor African American women with this celebrated production than the heart of the Black Twin Cities. Author-director-performer-producer Anyabwele states this theatrical experience is, “a series of […]
MSR News Online
Reach the MSR staff at msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.
Posted inOpinion
Vikings stadium officials promise 32 percent diversity hiring!
But no one seems to have a copy of the equity plan At a small, special meeting I attended at the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA) Wednesday, October 10 that included MSFA Chairwoman Michele Kelm-Helgen and Executive Director Ted Mondale, we discussed the so-far nonexistent equity plan for the Vikings stadium that would include African […]
Posted inOpinion
We must challenge and change our system of mass incarceration
“Police!” The shout from outside the front door was followed by the house shaking violently from a stampede of police exploding through the door. I was a terrified four-year-old in Spiderman pajamas staring at high-powered assault rifles aimed at me and my mother. After ransacking our home, the police soon realized that they had raided […]
Posted inOpinion
Power is in your person
By Marian Wright Edelman Guest Commentator “You know, when we started the farm workers movement, I remember going to many conferences, and people [kept asking] how do we do this?… We had to convince people that they have power. “Of course, when you say to a farm worker who doesn’t speak the English language, doesn’t […]
Posted inOpinion
What if Romney wins?
By Raynard Jackson Guest Commentator With the presidential election right around the corner and most of the pundits saying the race is Obama’s to lose, I have begun to ponder the possibility that Romney might win and the impact that would have on the Black community. Romney has been polling around zero percent of the […]
Posted inSports
WNBA President Laurel Richie Photo by Sophia Hantzes
It was “a terrific summer for women’s sports,” proclaimed WNBA President Laurel Richie in her second “State of the League” address on Sunday prior to the first game of the 2012 Finals. From Title IX’s 40-year celebration to the USA women’s basketball team’s fifth consecutive gold medal, “We were very, very proud that all 12 […]
Posted inSports
Fitzgerald second-fastest ever to 10,000 yards
PHOENIX — Two teams off to good solid starts and looking to bounce back after tough losses, the 4-2 Vikings and the 4-2 Cardinals, meet Sunday at Mall of America Field. The losses: Washington 38-Vikings 26 and Buffalo 19-Arizona 16 in overtime. The Cardinals started 4-0 and have lost two straight. The Vikings and Cardinals […]
Posted inSports
Central, Washburn keep winning championships
St. Paul Central captured its fifth-straight City Conference football title, and Minneapolis Washburn won its 11th consecutive crown last Friday. But that is only part of the story. Both teams are coached by former players who went on to play at the collegiate level and then chose to give back to their alma maters. To […]
Posted inSports
Major League Baseball earns top grade for racial hiring practices
Twins’ diversity lags far behind league progress Second in an occasional series The 2012 Major League Baseball Racial and Gender Report Card (RGRC) released earlier this year gave the league an A for its racial hiring practices. “MLB has done an excellent job in continuing to increase the number of people of color in the […]
Posted inNews
Scholars discuss Emancipation Proclamation at University of Minnesota
Dr. John Wright, Morse-Amoco Distinguished Teaching Professor of Afro-American & African Studies and English at the University of Minnesota, presented his perspective on the preliminary release of the Emancipation Proclamation (1862) and President Lincoln’s strategy as the Civil War was ending. Dr. Wright’s segment of the discussion was presented to an audience of over 115 […]
Posted inNews, Opinion
Fragments of the Ark: Civil War saga tells of Black soldiers and survivors
Gifted novelist Louise Meriweather followed Daddy Was a Number Runner with Fragments of the Ark (Pocket Books/Simon and Schuster) a fascinating work of “faction” — well-crafted, fictional characters in an exciting tale steeped in a setting of historic fact. It’s something of, as it were, a blast from the past, having been published in 1994. […]
Posted inNews
Geoffrey Canada creates ‘A Small Army of Love’
Harlem Children’s Zone founder gives feedback on Northside Achievement Zone By James L. Stroud, Jr. Contributing Writer If a revolutionary is a person dedicated to change in any establishment, like a school system, business, or a government agency, then one might consider the appointment of Geoffrey Canada as the commander and chief of an education […]
Posted inNews
Local businessman seeks to enliven entrepreneurial spirit
Solutions to Black unemployment lie in more Blacks buying Black By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Local Black entrepreneur Duane Johnson believes that the issues that vex the Black community, such as unemployment, can be addressed by stronger support of Black-owned businesses. He and his business partner Sean Armstrong have developed a way to get this message […]
Posted inNews
Short films’ premiere celebrates voting power of communities of color
By Vickie Evans-Nash Editor-in-Chief On Thursday, October 11, between 6:30 and 8:30 pm, the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis will host a unique red-carpet event. Guests will be greeted at the door, and as they arrive their entrance will be streamed live on the theater screen. Entertainment will include local performers, and community members will introduce […]
Posted inNews
Black farmers fight to retain land ownership
Modern-day struggle renews, redefines 40-acers-and-a-mule promise By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Land ownership, which signaled both privilege and power, was a European concept brought to the country. “The way we think about property is a European tradition,” notes Maria Wiseman, an assistant solicitor in the Division of Indian Affairs with the U.S. Interior Department. Wiseman […]
Posted inArts + Culture
This week’s Entertainment spotlights
When a Man Loves a Diva Every Thurs.-Sat., Oct. 18 — Nov. 10, 8 pm The Lab Theater 700 N. 1st St., Mpls., 612-333-7977 or http://thelabtheater.org Sanford Moore leads Dane Stauffer, Ben Bakken and Julius Collins, III in singing songs about love that made divas of the women who recorded them. Tickets are $29.50 […]
Posted inArts + Culture
Wenso Ashby releases latest CD with classy listening party
Longtime collaborator Zsamé featured at party, on album Wenso Ashby featuring Zsamé, premier Twin Cities neo-soul purveyors (Midnite Walkin’, Wenso Ashby Live and Love Is So Amazing) are in transition. Namely, on the newest offerings, The Moment of Truth and Signature, ace pianist-composer-producer Wenso Ashby goes solo. Sterling vocalist Zsamé Morgan and sax wizard Willie […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Lack of oral healthcare a crisis for poor children, children of color
Current supply of dental providers inadequate to meet provisions of new healthcare law Twelve years after issuing a landmark report that offered a framework for improving access to oral health, former Surgeon General David Satcher said that profound oral health problems still exist for large portions of the population. He issued a renewed call for […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Join me on a journey to a new and better self
Years ago, after I delivered my wonderful daughter, I found myself eating out of depression; love of course played a part, but so did broken dreams. I also felt anxious, overwhelmed, and at times hopeless. When my daughter was three months old we would wake up in the middle of the night, and I would […]