By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer Renee Barron believes in self-help health. Firmly. And will tell you how to go about it. From the ground up. In a most matter-of-fact, comfortably casual tone, Barron explains the importance of taking personal responsibility and accountability for what goes on with your body. “If you don’t take care of […]
Health + Wellness
Find stories and resources by some of the state’s top Black physicians that aim to address current disparities in prevention and treatment within our communities.
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Placement critical in special education
Parents need to ensure their child’s best interests are served Placement of a child who is eligible for special-education services is likely one of the most misunderstood aspects of special education, despite the fact that for many African American parents it can have a great impact on their child’s education. It is crucial to know […]
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African heritage central to HER Center — Clinic provides ‘culture care,’ specializing in HIV
By Charles Hallman Staff Writer The main objective for Pam White to starting her own clinic was to better provide culturally specific health care for Black women and girls. White, a local certified nurse practitioner who started the Health Empowerment Resource (HER) Center in the city’s North Side two years ago, says she believes in […]
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Abuse of men draws little sympathy or funding for services
Increasingly, perception of domestic abuse broadens. It now includes abuse against men, abuse in same-gender relationships and more. This renders the Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men and Women (DAHMW) a forward-thinking informational and support resource. The Maine-based nonprofit says in its mission statement, “[We provide] crisis intervention and support services to victims of Intimate Partner […]
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First steps toward getting help for a child
Having a child with challenging behaviors can at times seem overwhelming. It can seem even more so if the child is having difficulties in school. Parents and caregivers may receive frequent calls or letters from school regarding their child’s behavior, as well as requests to meet with school staff. The following steps can start you […]
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Mom finds mentors for son, becomes a mentor herself
Dimitri Culpepper is a lucky 16-year-old. He is well-prepared for both school and life success. His mother, LaWanda Spears, has made sure of that. “It takes a village to raise a kid, and each person in that village plays a different role,” said Spears, who has spent 16 years tirelessly building the village that now […]
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Conference encourages women to embrace their power
The “Embrace Your Feminine Power” conference will be held Saturday, March 24, 9 am — 2:30 pm, at St. Nicholas Church, 7227 Penn Ave. S. in Richfield. The following subjects will be presented at the conference: • “You are Energy/Energy is Your Power”: Understanding personal energy as your power to create the results you want […]
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Make your voice heard through the MPS annual survey
Dear MPS partners and friends, It has been said — and I firmly believe — that education is the greatest civil rights issue of our time. I also believe that education is our greatest opportunity to eradicate the inequities that exist in our communities. The right for every individual in our community to access a […]
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Acclaimed journalist on civil rights and politics, past and present
By Elizabeth Ellis Contributing Writer Eugene Robinson, a Pulitzer Prize winner for his Washington Post newspaper election coverage of President Obama and a National Association of Black Journalists member, spoke at House of Hope Church in St. Paul this past January, courtesy of the Weyerhaeuser Foundation. If Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were still […]
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Kids behaving badly: Misbehavior at school may mean a child needs help
This new series of articles is intended to help parents and caregivers learn how they can help their child with challenging behaviors successfully navigate through the services and supports available in the public school system. It is also intended to give information about the process to get appropriate help, who to contact if you disagree […]
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Civil rights activist keynotes for nonprofit’s Black History Month event
Youthprise uses history to engage, motivate young people By Maya Beecham Contributing Writer Statistics paint a bleak picture of modern-day segregation unfolding within the classroom. African American youth areexperiencing the negative impact. In October 2011, the African American Leadership Forum Education and Lifelong Learning Work Group (AALF/ELL) released a position paper entitled “A Crisis in […]
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Helping prepare our high school seniors for college
Dear MPS partners and friends: January 20 was an exciting day in Minneapolis, as national leaders visited to focus on the work that we do every day to prepare students for college and career. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited South High School to talk with the senior class and their parents about college […]
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2012 Black History Month Calendar of Events
Saturday, February 11 11 am — The Spirit of the Blues, Galaxie Library, 14955 Galaxie Ave., Apple Valley Celebrate Black History Month as KFAI’s Lady Griot uses storytelling and live music to show the roots blues have in the music brought with the slaves from their homeland. Hear the spiritual side of this tribal music […]
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Aftermath of abuse: The end is only the beginning of healing time
HOBBES IN THE HOUSE By Dwight Hobbes If you’ve left an abusive relationship, congratulations, first and foremost. It could not have been easy. Unless it was a situation where, soon as he or she put her hands on you, you said “Adios,” grabbed your coat and hit the bricks, you were mired quite some time […]
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Denial, delusion run deep in political and personal matters
What Republican Herman Cain’s presidential hopeful bid, former President Clinton’s Lewinsky affair, O.J. Simpson, and Clarence Thomas have in common is you asking, “What were they thinking?!” The French call it Mauvaise foi — “lying to oneself.” The teenager Ricky Fitts said it in the movie American Beauty: “Never underestimate the power of denial.” In […]
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Brian Herron: Embracing forgiveness and service
Brian Herron has lived and breathed the practice of forgiveness in his lifetime. It is only recently, after years of personal struggle, that he has made the choice to be free of the anger that often led him to destructive choices in life. Herron was raised in Kansas City in an all-Black community until the […]
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Positive attitude gives Mpls’ business owner power to thrive
By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer Treacherous as the economic waters have been, destroying lives and careers literally left and right with no sign of respite to come, what wouldn’t anyone give to have his or her business prove to be recession proof? That is the reality of V.I.P. Hair & Nail Salon of Minneapolis’ owner/proprietor, […]
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Women’s Housing Partnership Holiday Party
The Women’s Housing Partnership, which provides services for women who have experienced long-term homelessness, held a holiday party last December. (See “Holiday party planned for long-term homeless women” in MSR’s Nov. 24-30 issue.) The generosity of over $2,000 in community donations was appreciated by the 43 program participants who attended the party. For many, these […]
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On loss, or letting go: Leaving the past behind is never easy
This summer at a free public outdoor concert in the park, the concertmaster told the audience that author Malcolm Gladwell estimates it takes 10,000 hours to learn a skill, to master a craft. Can’t you just hear the staff at Walker West Music Academy tell their students, “Practice, practice, practice!” As a child, virtuoso Scottish […]
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Time to choose the right school for your children’s success
Dear families, This is an exciting time of year. Teachers and students are settling back in their classrooms after winter break and have important work ahead in the last semester of the school year. Our kindergarten students are striving to meet literacy goals, MCA-II tests are right around the corner, and many of our students […]