Great speech – now what are you going to do? Every year for as long as I can remember, the president of the U.S. gives a speech to us that is designed to make the working person feel as if the government works on their behalf. Of course it kind of does, but not really. […]
Posted inLocal & State, News
Sen. Franken: early childhood ed now a top priority
Despite some critics’ assessment that he wasn’t visible enough, Minnesota U.S. Senator Al Franken says he stayed busy during his first term in Washington…
Posted inOpinion
Let’s cry crocodile tears for Black Hollywood
Boo hoo hoo for Black Hollywood. Only one or two nomination for the 2015 Oscars out of dozens of candidates. What a crying shame. The whole world should come shrieking to a halt.
Posted inOpinion
Albert Lea and Duluth, MN: deserted islands unto themselves
Duluth and Alert Lea, MN have had African Americans since the 19th century.
Posted inOpinion
White, intellectual racism is called satire
If neo-Nazis in Paris were publishing racist caricatures of Muslims and then were murdered for doing it, would millions of French citizens take to the streets to show solidarity with the dead skinheads? I doubt it.
Posted inSports
Kwame McDonald recognized for leadership promoting girls and women in sport
There are only a precious few people in these twin towns who just the mere mention of their first name is enough identification: Kirby. Prince. Dessa. Maya. Kwame. “He had a presence when he walked into events. He wasn’t looking for the attention, but because of the way he carried himself and the way he […]
Posted inSports
Stringer racks up one more honor among many
C. Vivian Stringer is among several notables who will be recognized in Nike’s Black History Collection this year. Stringer, who’s in her 44th overall season as a women’s basketball coach, and others are being honored “for positively impacting sport with their courage and determination,” according to a Rutgers University press release earlier this month.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Bedwetting: What to do (and not to do) about it
Bedwetting is a common and well-known concern to many parents and children alike.
Posted inLocal & State
Pioneering woman DJ still fighting for respect
Ann Estis amazes with her ability to prevail. Original sistah soul, you could say, breaking ground to push past and stand as well as, if not better than, a man.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Sexual Violence Center heals wounds of ‘a rape culture’
Small, quaint, intimate, private, relatable — words to describe the space and the open house held by the Sexual Violence Center in North Minneapolis. Annex Teen Clinic, UROC, and the Minneapolis Police Department were all a part of the many groups and organizations that attended this event held January 13.
Posted inOpinion
Now is a good time to buy a house
To make owning a home more affordable, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will dramatically cut the costs associated with mortgages it backs. The premium for FHA mortgage insurance, which is designed to protect the agency in case a borrower defaults on a loan, will be cut from 1.35 percent of a loan value to about 0.85 percent, the White House said in a recent statement.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Council on Black Minnesotans announces ‘aggressive’ agenda during its ‘Day on the Hill’
The Black population in Minnesota has increased by at least six times since the Council on Black Minnesotans (COBM) was founded in 1980.
Posted inOpinion
The plantation bowl
White profit, Black poverty in college sports The “hoorah” is over for the January 12, 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship game. Ohio State University was crowned, salvaging the Big Ten’s reputation. The Pac 12’s Ducks of Oregon lost and must wait for another opportunity. But two injustices continue: racism in college sports and funding […]
Posted inArts + Culture, Music
Three divas of jazz praise their Detroit musical roots
Jazz is an important part of America’s musical history. Furthermore, jazz and Detroit historically have been linked, where legendary giants made the city a required stop in their musical tours over the years — some even got their starts there as well.
Posted inEducation, Local & State, News
MPS superintendent bids farewell to all-consuming job
She leaves proud of many achievements as ‘a fierce advocate for children’
Among the “frustrating challenges” she often faced during her nearly five years as Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) superintendent was the unfair “characterization” she received from some in the Black community, says Bernadeia Johnson, who announced her resignation last month. Her last day is January 31.
Posted inSports
Black women college coaches face a ‘tough situation’
MADISON, WI — A rare but welcomed sight: Two Black females, C. Vivian Stringer for Rutgers and Bobbie Kelsey for Wisconsin, coaching their respective women’s college basketball teams. There have been maybe 10 such coaching encounters thus far. Stringer and Kelsey, before this season concludes, will be involved in a combined nine “chess matches” as they coach against another coach with the same colored skin.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
What is radon and why should I care?
Radon is a radioactive, tasteless, odorless and colorless gas that escapes from the ground. It can build up inside homes, especially in the winter when ventilation is limited. Almost all homes contain some radon
Posted inArts + Culture
Keith enjoys an evening of Zsamé
Keith had always known New York wasn’t really Lesli’s kind of town. So far as he thought, it was a case of the other shoe dropping. She had, he guessed, got over the mystique.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Mall protester Levy-Pounds vows to fight charges
Bloomington presses ahead with effort to recover ‘lost revenues’
Despite written pleas by local and national elected officials and a petition with over 40,000 signatures against it, the City of Bloomington has announced it will seek “lost revenues” from 10 people associated with last month’s Black Lives Matter Minneapolis demonstration at the Mall of America.
Bloomington City Attorney Sandra Johnson, who filed charges last week, is seeking restitution, including at least $25,000 in police overtime, stated a Black Lives Matter Minneapolis press release last week.
University of St. Thomas Law Professor Nekima Levy-Pounds, one of the 10 persons charged with up to eight misdemeanors, told the audience at the January 15 Council on Black Minnesotans’ (COMB) Day on the Hill in St. Paul, “I was charged…because I have been outspoken against police misconduct [and] police brutality.” She characterized the action as “prosecutorial overreach and misuse of taxpayers’ dollars.”
Levy-Pounds, in a brief MSR interview after her scheduled appearance at St. Paul’s Christ Lutheran Church, said that the charges against her, if she were found guilty, carry a maximum penalty of two years in prison and an $8,000 fine, which “is retaliatory in nature because I have been outspoken in the media about the tactics being used by Johnson and Mall of America.”
Posted inHealth + Wellness
New year, new career?
I witnessed several acquaintances embark on new career journeys in 2014. Some returned to college, others obtained new jobs, and others switched to new careers. In each case, calculated risks were taken, values were identified, and transferable skills were marketed. To be exact, in every case they had to identify their next job or career […]