African, African American and Caribbean foods now available at Cub By James L. Stroud, Jr. Contributing Writer According to an agreement between Cub Foods and Minnesota-based Global African Foods, Inc. (GAF), food items familiar to people from the continent of Africa, the Caribbean islands and African Americans will be distributed by GAF to 30 different […]
MSR News Online
Posted inNews
Conference brings Black environmental thought to Twin Cities
Everyday Black folks missing from the eco-dialogue By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Tuskegee University hosted the first-ever Black Environmental Thought (BET) conference in 2007. The University of Minnesota’s Hubert H. Humphrey Center hosted last weekend the second such event on September 21-23. The U-M’s African American and African Studies (AAAS) department, the Institute for Advanced […]
Posted inNews
Five million people of color made voting history in 2008
Will voting trend continue in 2012? By Charles Hallman Staff Writer According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) approximately five million more voters, including Blacks, Latinos and Asians, went to the polls in the historic 2008 presidential election in which America’s first Black president was elected. However, with the rise in voter suppression laws […]
Posted inOpinion
Police officers need to live among the people they serve
During one of my summer breaks from college, I was sitting outside enjoying the summer breeze. In one hand I held a mayonnaise jar full of red Kool-Aid and ice. In my other hand I held a book on Egyptian culture. While reading, the sounds of a car creeping by and indistinct chatter from a […]
Posted inOpinion
Chuck Wexler in town, security plan in place
While Democratic and DFL Party heavy hitters were in Charlotte, NC for the Democratic National Convention, including Mayor R.T. Rybak, the legendary Chuck Wexler, executive director of the powerful Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) was in meetings in Minneapolis (see my September 5 column, “Status quo fixes won’t stop the frightening violence”). Mr. Wexler was here to evaluate and sign off on a new security plan to deal with Minneapolis African Americans (read […]
Posted inNews
What has President Obama done for Blacks?
Affordable Care Act, HBCU investment top some advocates’ lists By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Since Barack Obama took office four years ago as the first Black president in U.S. history, he has been criticized by many Blacks for not doing enough for the Black community. The MSRspoke with an author and political leaders who say […]
Posted inGo Green, News
The ‘Fiscal Cliff’ will hurt all of us
Economy faces devastation without action from Congress Ignorance is not bliss. However, there are too many of us who are ignoring the discussion about a legislative maneuver known as “Sequestration.” This is also known by a more descriptive term — the “Fiscal Cliff” (Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke coined this phrase). Unless this is updated, […]
Posted inNews
Marriage amendment divides Black Christians
Local Black clergy on opposite sides express their views By Charles Hallman Staff Writer The issue of same-sex marriage has been a controversial one for Black people, especially after President Barack Obama expressed his opinion on it last spring. The MSRspoke with two local Black ministers, one feels that the amendment represents “the Bible’s way,” […]
Posted inNews
From Selma, Alabama to Minneapolis
MPS superintendent reflects on voting rights, proposed voter ID amendment By Alleen Brown Contributing Writer At a recent anti-voter ID amendment rally, Minneapolis Public Schools Supt. Bernadeia Johnson spoke to the crowd about her family’s fight for voter rights in Selma, Alabama, in the 1960s. Although she can’t speak for the district, Johnson is decidedly anti-amendment, […]
Posted inOpinion
Lysistrata move: Sex strikes could stop violence against women
Take a page from the ancient Greek play Lysistrata, in which women figured out how to stop their men from waging war. Women across America start withholding sex and see how fast men in Congress get busy making domestic abuse and rape their number-one priority. To read more about this story, pick up a copy […]
Posted inOpinion
Black organizations received funds to rebuild N. Mpls
Why is the area still impoverished? Okay, Facebook friends and family. It’s lesson time. Wake up and listen because you are being robbed without a gun. I really understand why North Minneapolis has no place where families and children can enjoy themselves in their own community, because you are all sleeping on the money and […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Freeing the spirit involves reunion with the ancient self
There is no doubt that as a people we have come a long way in our struggle to overcome some of the most brutal experiences in the history of humankind; social movements as well as legal and political avenues have given us the means to overcome slavery, Jim Crow, and a host of other oppressive […]
Posted inArts + Culture
Black short films emerge from underground festival
By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Talibah L. Newman wrote and directed Busted on Brigham Lane, and Jesse Atlas and Aaron Wolfe co-wrote Record/Play, directed by Atlas. The two short films were included in the “Relationships” shorts program at the recent Minneapolis Underground Film Festival hosted by the Film Society of Minneapolis/Saint Paul at St. Anthony […]
Posted inArts + Culture
Twin Cities lost funk and soul collection brings back the old-school jams
A music review By Demetairs Bell Contributing Writer Twin Cities Funk & Soul: Lost R&B Grooves from Minneapolis/St. Paul 1964-1979 (Secret Stash Records) allows you to time travel to the days of live instruments, tight horn sections, heavy bass lines and percussions along with raw, uncut funk. The CD features 21 songs that take you […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
U of M medical school lectures improve skin care for people of color
The University of Minnesota Medical School Crutchfield Lectureship was created in honor of the personal conviction and professional commitment of Charles and Susan Crutchfield, two of the first African American physicians in Minnesota. The first annual lectureship was held by invitation on Wednesday, August 8 at the U of M Campus Club, fourth floor of […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Your authentic vocation: finding career success and satisfaction
If you ask six people the meaning of career success, you will probably get six different answers. One dictionary defines success as “the satisfactory accomplishment of a goal sought for.” To be successful, you must achieve the goal and be satisfied with the outcome. With this definition, one wonders if “success” that does not include […]
Posted inSports
Live sports fan experience too costly for average folks
And losing teams don’t add up to a big bang for your buck The Twins has a three-year-old downtown ballpark, and the Vikings in a few years will have new digs. The Wolves want new improvements to the city-owned arena to keep up with newer NBA arenas, and the Wild brag about its state-of-the-art hockey […]
Posted inSports
WNBA sets the standard while Lynx falls behind on race
First in an occasional series The WNBA recently scored its 10th top grade for race in the 2012 Racial and Gender Report Card (RGRC), which is published annually by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES). TIDES director and the report’s principal author Richard Lapchick and his staff uses data from the WNBA team […]