MSR News Online

By Vickie Evans-Nash Contributing Writer Route will go through community — but do the residents welcome it? On Wednesday, November 17, members of the community met at UROC (University of Minnesota: Urban Research and Outreach Center) located just off Plymouth and Penn Avenues in North Minneapolis to discuss a new addition to the North Minneapolis […]

By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Twin Cities’ storeowners participate in effort to combat obesity Ten corner stores throughout Minneapolis have launched a new city-sponsored effort to provide their customers with healthier, fresh foods. These stores — five from North Minneapolis, and five from the city’s South Side — are located in “areas where primarily low-income […]

By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Johnson contends she’s trying to provide better academic options Despite her most recent recommendations being put on hold for the time being, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson contends that her overall goal that all children succeed has not been detoured. The Minneapolis School Board last week voted 5-2 […]

News Analysis By Brandie Hill and Regetta Webber Contributing Writers We are young women who are part of WE WIN Institute’s “Women of Distinction” at Cooper High School. The program started three years ago to help African American girls help themselves be successful in school and go on to college. The program has been fantastic. […]

By Charles Hallman Staff Writer There are at least 642 children living in group homes, foster homes, residential treatment facilities and shelters in Minnesota, waiting to be adopted, Ramsey County officials estimate. “Sometimes when our children come to this building, it is not such a happy occasion,” Ramsey County Commissioner Toni Carter said last Saturday […]

By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer The first Thanksgiving Day feast is generally believed to have taken place in 1621 at Plymouth Colony in an area that eventually would become the state of Massachusetts. It was their second winter away from England, and the Pilgrims were not in good shape. Accounts vary: Some historical sources say they were […]

By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Ellison offers new legislation, but support uncertain The nation’s public housing system has been needing reform for several years, said the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) secretary during a Twin Cities visit last week. But just when it looked like such reform might finally take place, in comes a […]

By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Southern Poverty Law Center battles bullying of gays Bullying is a hate crime that, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), is dangerously on the rise nationwide. Hate crimes against LGBT students and those persons perceived to be gay also have been on the rise: Over 84 percent get […]

by Issa A. Mansaray Contributing Writer Twin Cities Somalis’ business and educational pursuits inspire visitors Minnesota is home to about 25,000 Somalis, about half of the more than 50,000 Somalis in Sweden. The Somalis are considered one of that country’s largest refugee populations. Harald Fredriksson, manager and council member of the Southern Småland Region, said […]

By Vickie Evans-Nash Contributing Writer On Tuesday, November 2, Major Topps, Jr., a well-known North Minneapolis community member and advocate for youth and adults alike in furthering their education, passed away. MSR spoke with family members Sharon Pierson, his sister, and son Major Topps III, who were not surprised by the number of people who […]

Parents, students and community members last week successfully caused the Minneapolis School Board and superintendent to change their minds and allow North High School to stay open to new students next year. However, the victory comes with a caveat. The North Side community, principally the Committee to Save North High, has been challenged to recruit […]

By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Current all-White membership must undergo significant change to fairly represent the city’s diversity Every 10 years, Minneapolis redraws its political boundaries based on the census count. When the next redistricting, as it is called, takes place in 2012, the task will for the first time fall to the Minneapolis Charter […]

By Charles Hallman Staff Writer But shift in political winds could stall progress Putting students first is among the most important things to be done if ever the Black-White student achievement gap is to be closed, several education professionals and advocates agreed at a recent public exchange of ideas on the subject. Higher Ground Academy […]

Membership in Congressional Black Caucus uncertain Election Day victories for two Black Republicans raise a rare question in the House of Representatives in the 112th Congress: How will two African American members of the Grand Old Party interact with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)? Fourteen Black Republicans ran for Congress in the Nov. 2 mid-term […]

The midterm elections resulted in increased racial and ethnic minority diversity in the U.S. Congress, including expanded African American representation in the House and the election of increased minority representation from both political parties. Sadly, the new Congress will be without any African Americans in the U.S. Senate, although there will be a newly elected […]

By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Black college graduation rates lag well behind Whites’ in Minnesota Minnesota’s Black-White achievement gap extends well beyond the state’s high schools into its post-secondary schools, a 2010 report shows. The combined graduation rates after six years of college at seven Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) for Black students who […]

By Charles Hallman Staff Writer According to the NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) report released October 27, the U of M claimed a record-high 79 percent graduation rate (GSR) for its student-athletes, which matches the 79 percent national GSR for Division I student-athletes. However, a closer analysis by the MSR of GSR data on the […]

By Issa A. Mansaray Contributing Writer Many express disappointment; all are hopeful Although Malians make up one of the smallest West African communities in the Twin Cities, many do not know each other. Many of them are students, and most live in St. Cloud according to Moussa Diawara, president of the Minnesota Malian Association. “Compared […]