Opinion

By Donald W.R. Allen, II Contributing Writer   After the election of President Barack Obama, civil rights spokespersons have become too Black or too radical to address White America on the ongoing and ever-rising list of disparities facing Black America. Usually, being too Black or too dark is something we experience in room lighting. The […]

Only painful sanctions will make these tales come true by Ron Edwards “There they go again” — what more can we say about Minneapolis as the City again demonstrates its fairy tale that it meets its own compliance laws? In reality, it continues to deny African Americans equal access and equal job opportunity. Despite the […]

Their struggles signal an entire educational system in trouble by Sondra Samuels “Nothing should be overlooked in fighting for better education. Be persistent and ornery: this will be good for the lethargic educational establishment and will aid the whole cause of public education.” — Roy Wilkins, civil rights leader Sometimes, when it comes to public […]

Thanks for Dwight Hobbes’ “Something I Said” column. His Thanksgiving column was totally on the mark, meaning that I agreed with it — and I’m White. But he also can ruffle my feathers, as in his recent dissing of Keith Ellison for daring to defend his religion. What’s important is that Hobbes sparks my thinking, […]

by Dwight Hobbes Picked up The Last King of Scotland. Always liked it as a big-time Forest Whitaker fan. Also, there’s a solid script and tight ending. The cast includes Kerry Washington along with Gillian Anderson in one of her few featured roles since X-Files. Always didn’t like, though, that the story is more about […]

by Matthew Little Much has been written, broadcast, simulated, tweeted, and otherwise expressed through every medium of communication in existence since November 2 regarding the tremendous upset surprise Republican Party victory. I am sure that we have had our fill of the excuses, explanations and reasons by now. But for some reason, we have heard […]

By Ron Edwards Contributing Writer Sometimes you get what you did not wish for. We watched with great interest over the last three weeks as local fans and media called for the firing of Brad Childress. We wondered if the Vikings faithful understood what they were asking for: the promotion to head coach of the […]

By Booker T Hodges Contributing Writer It’s time for them to go The recent talk about closing North High has revealed a troubling division within the leadership of our community, one that has been in existence for a long time. The division that I am speaking of is that between those who put their personal […]

By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer U.S. Congressional Representative Keith Ellison has become a Muslim mirror image of reactionary right-wingers. I refer to the kind of Bible-thumping, soapbox grandstanders who condemn as hell-bound heathens and disloyal traitors to the nation anyone who says anything that happens to rub these self-righteous soldiers for God and country the […]

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Originally posted 12/1/2010 Bernadeia Johnson, T. Williams, Chris Stewart, Tom Madden, Carla Bates, Jill Davis, Lydia Lee and Peggy Flanagan: ONE THOUSAND, EIGHT HUNDRED is the number of Black students who have formally requested tutoring support from the Minneapolis Public Schools, but have been told to wait. ONE THOUSAND, EIGHT HUNDRED is the […]

By Matthew Little Contributing Writer Volumes have been written regarding last month’s elections and the impact that it could have on the country. The news-making story has been the Republican Party, with the aid of the Tea Party, and how it was able to perform an unprecedented sweep of victories in both the federal and […]

By Robin James Contributing Writer Hometown hero should support hometown arts Will he or won’t he? That is still the question. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the exciting news of Prince’s upcoming Welcome 2 America tour, which he announced at the famed Apollo Theater. As reported, the December concerts kick off in […]

By Ron Edwards Guest Commentator Result for Blacks: shameful loss of jobs and income My last column of November 18 was Part I of my examination of one of the most outrageous misrepresentations and miscarriages of racial justice (the denial of jobs) in the history of the City of Minneapolis. I refer to the “disparity […]

By Sondra Samuels Guest Commentator Their well-being belongs at the center of all our decisions After living in Botswana, Africa for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer, I visited Kenya, where members of the Masai tribe greeted me warmly. The Masai are known for their elaborate adornment and fearless warriors. Little did I know […]

By Sheletta Brundidge Guest Commentator My momma called me the other day with tears in her voice. Her words broke up as she tried to explain the reason for her sorrow. And if my momma is crying, that means somebody is dead and she is in jail for killing them. The woman is strong, and […]

By Frank Erickson Guest Commentator “The case against defendant Johannes Mehserle has provoked racial unrest at every turn, and police in Oakland, the scene of the killing, were on alert for more problems following a sentence that many thought was too light.” (Pioneer Press, November 6) The community’s reactions to the Oakland Transit officer’s sentence […]

By Ron Edwards Guest Commentator It took 15 years to tell us what we already knew “Disparities Found in Contract Awards” was the Friday, Nov. 5, 2010 headline in the Star Tribune about a study kept under wraps for five years, a study which cost $500,000 and took five years to complete. The disparity problem […]

By Deepak Bhargava Guest Commentator What a difference two years make. In 2008, President Obama swept into office on a platform of hope and change. All across America, there was a groundswell of voices calling for an end to a political system that upholds the powerful special interests that ran America into the Great Recession. […]

By Ron Edwards Guest Commentator This election highlights the continuing impact of race on our politics As I write late on election night, November 2, 2010, Republicans have won back control of the U.S. House and Democrats have retained control of the U.S. Senate. It could mean the opportunity for the compromise voters obviously are […]

By Dwight Hobbes Guest Commentator I remember well last year’s accusations that the hit film Avatar has racist overtones. Undertones. Something. Never thought about it twice. Hollywood making a racist movie is not exactly man-bites-dog news. And didn’t go see Avatar. My loss. Until I swung by my favorite DVD dealer — the pawn shop, […]