Billy Collins was first male E.D. in St. Paul, second in the nation William “Billy” Collins soon will begin his next phase of life. The longtime YWCA of St. Paul executive director is set to step down in April after 20 years of service. “I want to get away from working 50-60 hours a week,” […]
Local & State
A space for original local news with an emphasis on stories pertaining to African Americans
Posted inLocal & State, News
Where is Dr. King’s call for ‘community’ today?
There are several definitions for the word “community” according to Webster’s Dictionary. They include “a unified body,” “people with common interests,” and “society at large.”
These definitions seem to get at what the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once referred to, first in a speech at a church conference in Nashville, Tenn. in December 1962, and then reiterated a few months later in a published article he wrote for Religion and Labor in May 1963.
All humankind is part of a community, wrote Dr. King. “At the heart of all that civilization has meant and developed in “community,” King points out, “is the mutually cooperative and voluntary venture of man to assume a semblance of responsibility for his brother… Man could not have survived without the impulse which makes him the societal creature he is.”
Tragic incidents in Ferguson, New York City, Cleveland and elsewhere in 2014 have joined together Blacks and other people of color, as well as non-people of color, to loudly protest for change, for full respect of all in areas of justice in America. Do the emergence of these protests in the streets and public places of America serve as a cry for what the late Dr. King often suggested — assuming a responsibility for our brothers?
Posted inLocal & State, News
Newspaper Leaders See Truman at White House
As part of our celebration over the next several months of our 80 years of continuous publication, the MSR will be republishing notable stories from our extensive archives of more than 4,000 weekly issues of African American news in Minnesota.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Families urged to learn more about PSEO
Project offers ‘an amazing chance’ for high school students of color’
Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) classes allow Minnesota high school juniors and seniors to earn college credits that can be applied at most local colleges and universities around the state. These classes are offered on college campuses and are available “to all pupils in grades 8, 9, 10 and 11,” says the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) website, which also points out that most classes are only open to high school juniors and seniors.
Posted inLocal & State, News
The MSR 2014 year in review
December 4, 2014: In response to the Eric Garner ruling demonstrators organized an event that made its way to City Hall in Minneapolis. Between 1:20 and 2:30 pm, around 130 demonstrators took to 35W and closed it off. The march went from the 35th street exit on 35W and headed north to downtown Minneapolis. Photos for […]
Posted inLocal & State
CIVIL WAR VETERAN HENRY MACK, 107 YEARS OLD, DIES BURIED APRIL 11 [1945]
As part of our celebration over the next several months of our 80 years of continuous publication, the MSR will be republishing notable stories from our extensive archives of more than 4,000 weekly issues of African American news in Minnesota. Many of our readers will be sure to recognize friends, family and neighbors from the distant and not-so-distant past — such as the passing of one of the last surviving Black Civil War veterans reported in the April 13, 1945 issue of the Minneapolis Spokesman.
Posted inLocal & State
The Whole Gritty City promotes dialogue on youth engagement
Participants encouraged by young people’s resilience, desire to ‘step up’ By Charles Hallman, Staff Writer Young people still need encouragement, especially during turbulent times. This was the impetus behind last week’s free screening of a documentary about New Orleans at Oak Park Youth and Family Center. “Showing the film served a two-fold purpose,” explained Pillsbury United […]
Posted inLocal & State
St. Peter’s AME holds Black Lives Matter service
St. Peter’s AME Church, along with Black churches nationwide, asked its members to wear black to church on Sunday, December 14 to symbolize that Black lives matte “This action is in response to the failure of a grand jury in St. Louis County, Missouri to indict a White police officer in the killing of unarmed […]
Posted inLocal & State
Judge: Boy, 14, Shouldn’t Have Been Executed in U.S.
COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — More than 70 years after South Carolina sent a 14-year-old black boy to the electric chair in the killings of two white girls in a segregated mill town, a judge threw out the conviction, saying the state committed a great injustice. George Stinney was arrested, convicted of murder in a […]
Posted inLocal & State
Northside Achievement Zone gets mid-term report card
By Isaac Peterson Contributing Writer Almost three years ago, the Spokesman-Recorder reported on the origins and mission of the Northside Achievement Zone, or NAZ, which was described as “a $28 million social experiment” whose goal was “increasing educational outcomes so that kids and families have opportunities that they can point to” over the following five […]
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Students challenge who defines U of M diversity
President declines invite to meet off-campus By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Whose Diversity? is a diverse “collective” of University of Minnesota undergraduate and graduate students who came together at the beginning of the year to argue against what they call a “cosmetic” commitment to diversity at the school. After they presented a list of “diversity demands” […]
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MSR Archives: Motor Pool WAC’s Win Driver Badges, Brothers In France
From the MSR Legacy Archives As part of our celebration over the next several months of our 80 years of continuous publication, the MSR will be republishing notable stories from our extensive archives of more than 4,000 weekly issues of African American news in Minnesota. Many of our readers will be sure to recognize friends, […]
Posted inEducation, Local & State
Five big steps across the achievement gap
With 10 small, experimental ‘bright spots’ along the way Earlier this year, Generation Next held a kick-off event at the University of Minnesota to unveil what they believe are the five core initiatives to closing the achievement gap here in the Twin Cities. Curious as to how they intend to attack these five areas, I […]
Posted inLocal & State
National study: Young Black males 21 times more likely to be killed by police
How do local police measure up? By Isaac Peterson Contributing Writer Racial tensions in the U.S. have reached the boiling point in the wake of the deaths of two Black males at the hands of police officers and the announcements in the last few days that grand juries declined to bring charges against either […]
Posted inLocal & State
Sister Spokesman Honoring Sisters event
At this month’s Sister Spokesman event held on Saturday, December 6, several women were honored at the Honoring Sisters-themed event. Those honored were, (l-r) Sarah Walker, Christine Free, Dr. Sheronda Orridge, LaVonne Moore, Shirley Jones, Patricia Crumley, Tracey Williams-Dillard, Marguerite Winston-Glover, Luella Williams, Destiny Rose Holliday, Chi Ellis, Pastor Roslyn Harmon (for Rose McGee), Robin […]
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Links Introduce Debutantes
The home of Link Wenda Moore was the setting of the Welcome Tea to introduce and honor the young ladies selected to be the 1981 Link Debutantes. The Tea was the first official opening of the Link Debutante season. Each girl was individually introduced by Links Irece Winans and Fanny Posey as she made her […]
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Carolyn Smallwood named to foundation board
The Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi (RKMC) Foundation for Children has announced the appointment of Carolyn Smallwood to its board of directors. Carolyn Smallwood is entering her 10th year as executive director of Way to Grow, Inc., an early education and elementary organization that serves over 2,000 people each year. Prior to Way to Grow, she […]
Posted inLocal & State
Come spring, look for Debbie Montgomery Street
St. Paul honors one of its most dedicated citizens By Isaac Peterson Contributing Writer After a long career in public life and many achievements and distinctions, St. Paul’s Debbie Montgomery recently racked up another one: having a large section of a major St. Paul street renamed in her honor. The St. Paul City Council earlier […]
Posted inLocal & State
NPR media critic urges honest talk about race
Eric Deggans sees current network TV as ‘a great moment for diversity’ By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Although diverse casting is now seen in current TV shows such as Black-ish and Scandal, it’s all about profitability for network execs and key programmers, explains Eric Deggans, National Public Radio’s (NPR) first full-time media critic. Television “is all […]
Posted inLocal & State
Check Out Slaughter, Come Hell or High Water
Karin Slaughter is the New York Times and #1 internationally best-selling author of 14 thrillers, including “Unseen,” “Criminal,” “Fallen,” “Broken,” “Undone,” “Fractured,” “Beyond Reach,” “Triptych,” “Faithless,” and the e-original short stories “Snatched” and “Busted.” Here, the Georgia native discusses her latest opus, “Cop Town,” a riveting murder mystery set in Atlanta in 1974. Kam Williams: […]