Milking the Rhino Bell Museum Auditorium, 10 Church St. SE, Mpls., 612-331-3134 or www.bellmuseum.org Thurs., Feb 17, 7 pm: Filmed in some of the world’s most magnificent locations, this documentary offers complex, intimate portraits of rural Africans on the forefront of community-based conservation — a movement that’s turning poachers into preservationists and local people into […]
MSR News Online
Reach the MSR staff at msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.
Posted inArts + Culture
Jazz builds bridges at U.S.-China state dinner
Channeling enthusiasm: After reading these two words somewhere, I stopped and thought about how one channels enthusiasm. All I had to do was review the previous week’s news items for several powerful examples, many of which I believe could apply to the jazz world. Channeling enthusiasm: President Obama did just that during not one but […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Celebrating the arts and academics in our schools
Last month, I was given the opportunity to participate in a series of Young People’s Concerts presented by the Minnesota Orchestra. They invited me to narrate a popular story, “Tubby the Tuba,” as they filled Orchestra Hall with the beautiful sound of music. The story is about a tuba trying to find his place in […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Painful choices necessary to close budget deficit
We are one month into the 2011 legislative session. It’s been invigorating to get back to the State Capitol to represent our community and to work on the important challenges facing our state. There is a lot at stake this session. We need to address a record $6.2 billion budget deficit, and there are still […]
Posted inSports
Black History Month inspires ‘best-ever’ speculation
Rene Pulley Rene Pulley inspired this year’s series of Black history columns. While watching a boys’ basketball scrimmage back in November, Pulley was talking to a bunch of us, telling hoop stories. Those recollections gave me the idea to do a time-honored barbershop tradition: debating who the “best ever” is in some sports. Since we […]
Posted inSports
Concordia women, men win two each on the road
The Concordia women’s basketball team picked up wins at Winona State and Upper Iowa over the last weekend. As did the men. The Golden Bear women moved to a 12-5 record after a one-and-five start in the tough Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. In the WSU game, Jineen Williams and Maurika Hickman finished with 22 and […]
Posted inSports
Hoops practice facility tops Tubby’s wish list
Indiana says its new center is ‘the only way to go’ By Charles Hallman Staff Writer A new basketball practice facility for University of Minnesota basketball? Is it needed? According to U of M Men’s Coach Tubby Smith, wanting one isn’t a case of being a copycat or keeping up with the Joneses — although […]
Posted inSports
Packers take Vince Lombardi Trophy home
DALLAS — How do you like that? The Green Bay Packers are the champions of football again after surviving the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 at the spectacular Texas Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Yes, the Packers are taking the Vince Lombardi Trophy back home to Green Bay, the NFL’s smallest city. The thrilling Packers win was seen […]
Posted inNews
‘Ban the box’ advocates could help ex-offenders find legal employment
Former governor Al Quie (l) and Sondra Samuels (r) of the PEACE Foundation joined ex-offenders in advocating for Second Chance legislation. Kathy Sublett DeAngelo Chester James Cannon -photos by Charles Hallman The State Capitol rotunda was packed both with politicians and ex-offenders, speaking last week on the importance of second chances. “I don’t see the […]
Posted inNews
Report links racial equity with a vigorous MN economy
By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Jermaine Toney is lead researcher for the Organizing Apprenticeship Project. -Photo by Charles Hallman The Minnesota legislature and Governor Mark Dayton are now debating how to solve a $6.2 billion budget deficit. However, a new Organizing Apprenticeship Project (OAP) report says that racial equity and the state’s long-term economic vitality […]
Posted inNews
With work scarce, student’s debts keep mounting
Sasha Morris -photo by James L. Stroud, Jr. “…And A Hard Place” is primarily devoted to a focus on folk who would be feeling a financial crunch even without this recession, people who, as a rule, once the necessities in life are met, find themselves pretty much broke. Well, nobody gets any “broker” than college […]
Posted inNews
Egyptian protests supported in U of M demonstration
Demonstration participant joins protesters in support of the Egyptian people. By Sheila Regan Contributing Writer An ad-hoc group of students, many from Egypt, organized a protest on Friday afternoon at Coffman Memorial Union in support of the protesters in Egypt who have recently been met with violence by the Egyptian government and President Hosni Mubarak, […]
Posted inOpinion
Bipartisan bill for ‘alternative teacher licensure’ can help close achievement gap
By Rep. Bobby Joe Champion Guest Commentator Education is, and remains, the central threshold for improving quality of life for all. History has demonstrated this to be the case. I remember growing up in a family with deep southern roots. Every time I headed south, I was frequently reminded of the sacrifices made by many […]
Posted inOpinion
Questions about Spokane after MLK Day
Why has there been such little coverage of the attempted bombing along the MLK Parade route in Spokane, Washington, January 17, 2011? Is it because of the Eastern Washington and close-by Idaho hot beds of White supremacists, Aryan Nation types, survivalists, and other American fringe White groups? Is it another negative outgrowth of the terrorist […]
Posted inOpinion
International artist Mina Agossi mistreated at Minneapolis airport
It isn’t hard to fathom what angers so much of the world about America: its galling arrogance. This fuels a sense of impunity against being accountable for mistreating others. Hence, the term “The Ugly American” used to describe U.S. citizens who travel abroad and refuse to respect the sensibilities of the countries and cultures they […]
Posted inArts + Culture
Brian McKnight at the Dakota: one man, two instruments, four great shows
By James L. Stroud, Jr. Contributing Writer Brian McKnight Brian McKnight fans defied the cold weather, went to downtown Minneapolis, stood in the lobby of the Dakota Jazz Club, and waited with excitement and anticipation for McKnight’s 7 pm performance to end so they could take their seats for his 9:30 pm performance. This was […]
Posted inArts + Culture
Givens Black Books celebrates Family
By Eartha Bell Contributing Writer Family is at times powerful, tragic, hopeful, and wrenching. In her first novel, J. California Cooper manages to capture a breadth of emotions as she guides the reader through the lives of a family born into slavery during the Civil War era. Published in 1991 (Anchor Books, $13.95), Family illustrates […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
U.S. Blacks should heed the lesson of Haitian dictator’s return
Baby Doc has returned to Haiti. He is the son of Papa Doc and called “Baby” because he succeeded his ruthlessly despotic father with equal venom at age 19. The prospect of Duvalier (his real name) recapturing power, adding political tyranny to crushing disaster and ambient misery, is frightening. But many who are too young […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Fifth graders raise funds, give buffalo to family in Asia
Who would donate money to buy a water buffalo that they’ll never see, for a family that they’ll never meet, in a country that is thousands of miles away? Hila Dipman’s fifth-grade class at Richard Green Central Park School voted to do just that. The animal is purchased through Heifer, International, an organization that provides […]
Posted inSports
NFC dominates AFC stars 55-41
Fitz Beat Larry Fitzgerald HONOLULU, HI — For the 31st time, the Pro Bowl returned to Hawaii but this time before the Super Bowl. Two years ago, the NFL decided to move the Pro Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl and rotate the game. The NFC stars forced six turnovers in a 55-41 […]