I happen to think that there are worse things that can happen to you than death.
Opinion
The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder (MSR) welcomes thoughtful commentary and feedback from the community. All articles in this section are edited for clarity and space; the views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the MSR. MSR does not provide payment for commentary. To submit an opinion piece, please send inquiries and submissions to submissions@spokesman-recorder.com.
Posted inOpinion
Trump’s latest lawsuit further divides Congress
Will the Federal District Court represent a greater support platform for the president than the Congress and the American public?
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Let’s stand up for Black excellence at the U of M
On Friday, April 26, the U of M Board of Regents voted 14-1 against renaming any of the campus buildings.
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Omar and the ‘pseudotyping” of Israel
Since the election of two Muslim women to the United States Congress in 2018, there has been a heightened sensitivity to criticisms of the policies of the Israeli government.
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Are Black Americans close to receiving reparations?
From a historical perspective, approximately 4,000,000 Africans and their descendants were enslaved in the U.S. and colonies that became the U.S. from 1619 to 1865.
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We need to honor the ‘Nipseys’ in our own communities
Let his sudden loss remind us to honor the Nipseys right here in our own neighborhoods, schools, churches, recreation centers…
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We need safe spaces of worship
Holden Matthews, the son of St. Landry Parish’s sheriff deputy, was arrested as the arsonist, igniting a wave of panic throughout its Black community.
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Building a more humane world, one cup of coffee at a time
A monthly column in which various contributors from both sides of prison walls explore common ground for effecting change. Kevin: As the first day of spring rolls in and the favorable weather that goes along with it, I couldn’t help but think about the tumultuous winter that we just survived, with its record snowfalls and […]
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Access to driver’s license is basic right for all
It is time to restore a basic human right: the access to driver’s licenses for all immigrants, regardless of their country of origin.
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How digital media is putting a human face on poverty
Americans continue to view people living in poverty with either pity or scorn.
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From ‘40 acres and a mule’ to the 2020 election, a brief history of reparation promises
Reparations has emerged as a hot topic among Democratic candidates hoping to replace Trump in 2020. But until now, the issue has only rarely received national attention.
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Remembering Dr. King and Adam Clayton Powell
On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed in Memphis, Tenn. On April 4, 1972, the late Congressman Adam Clayton Powell of New York, died of cancer in a Miami, Fl. hospital. His death came four years, four months and four days after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, […]
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Will Mohamed Noor be found ‘Black’ or ‘blue’?
Local news outlets have claimed the whole world will be watching Minneapolis because of Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor’s trial. If that is true, then it will be to see the U.S. justice system jail one of its own. However, Black folks will likely not be as curious — they have a deep suspicion of […]
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WORD ON THE STREET: Are Black Americans due reparations?
With reparations being such a hot-button topic, the MSR was inspired to hit the streets to find out what our communities think.
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Shameful legacies, ongoing neglect
In most American cities throughout the 20th century, people of color, African Americans in particular, were relegated to separate and structurally unequal communities often by means of the practices briefly referenced above.
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There is no such thing as ‘Black Identity Extremists’
At a time when violence by White supremacists is on the rise, the FBI appears to be targeting Black people in a secret intelligence program concerning so-called ‘Black Identity Extremists’ — an inflammatory term for a group that doesn’t even exist.
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Resilience is not one of the R’s at North High
If words count, then the Star Tribune headline, ‘At North High lessons include reading, writing and resilience,’ and its accompanying article sent more than a few messages in one.
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Noor and Franklin trials to test scales of fairness and justice
Two important, high profile trials will soon take place in Minneapolis regarding Mohamed Noor and Terrance Franklin.
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Defunding Inter-American Commission on Human Rights would be terrible for women
The IACHR has served as a forum in which the U.S. has been called to account for its role in perpetuating violence against women and other human rights violations.
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We need to clamp down on tobacco and vaping access for youth
Nearly half a million people die every year from complications from smoking. About a tenth of them never put a cigarette to their lips — they die from exposure to second-hand smoke. Death from tobacco is, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the leading cause of preventable death. But too many people, enticed by […]