A biweekly column in which various contributors from both sides of prison walls explore common ground for effecting change. While conducting interviews with formerly incarcerated men for a community-based research project about health equity during incarceration, I have heard many examples of how these men have had their humanity undermined during the time that they … [Read more...]
Editorial:
The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder (MSR) welcomes and values insightful commentary and feedback from the community. The articles found here are edited for clarity and/or space, but the opinions are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of the MSR. Send your commentary to msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.
Is America at war against its poor?
Today, the lines are blurring between the middle class, the working poor and those unable to find work. The housing crisis, the lengthy recession, wage stagnation and a “recovery” in which the well-paying jobs that evaporated have been replaced by low-wage, contingent jobs have led to more Americans slipping down the rungs of the economic ladder. – Randi Weingarten We … [Read more...]
Terror attack in Minnesota: Why didn’t the media identify the mosque attack as an act of terror?
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton accurately called the August 5, 2017 bombing of Dar Al Farooq Islamic Center, Minnesota’s largest mosque, an “act of terrorism.” However, Minnesota media did not use the term until after the governor used it in his press conference. As Americans of color, we understand better and more quickly, that terrorists are acting with malice whether … [Read more...]
Who was the intended ‘Detroit’ movie audience?
Fifty years ago, this summer, an urban rebellion took place. One hundred and fifty-nine riots erupted in African American cities across the country. The civil unrest took place in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Birmingham, and Boston, to name a few. The worst riots that summer were in Newark, New Jersey and Detroit, Michigan. The movie Detroit attempts to capture … [Read more...]
Why Black men must become Black feminists
It is time for some honest talk about gender politics in Black America. With the rise of “Trumpism,” our community needs all hands on deck to engage in the struggle. All available human resources are needed, requiring that we not push women to the background in order to maintain male dominance as the preferred social order. Very few Black men can truthfully deny that they … [Read more...]