President Trump wants to arm teachers to prevent or reduce the carnage from future school shootings like the one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida this month. “A teacher would have shot the hell out of him before he knew what had happened,” Trump said last week about the attacker in Florida. […]
Post
Posted inOpinion
In the matter of Mohamed Noor: A misinterpretation of the Minnesota constitution
Mohamed Noor, a Minneapolis police officer and a person of color, awaits determination by the Hennepin County Grand Jury of his fate whether he will be charged or not charged in the July 15, 2017, shooting death of Justine Damon. According to the Minnesota state constitution, whether to indict or not indict is the purview […]
Posted inObituaries
Thomas M. Brown
Thomas M. Brown passed peacefully on January 22, 2018, while in hospice care at his daughter’s home. Thomas had been a former resident at Augustana for about three years. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa on March 22, 1930, and lived a full life. He married his wife of 66 years, Dolores Cordell, whom […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Why changing your skin color is a common but dangerous move
There are few things in this world that have caused more controversy, confusion, social challenges, chaos, pain and suffering than skin color. People seem enamored with the desire to change their skin color. Caucasians strive to darken their skin with the “perfect tan.” I see so many patients who are headed to a sunny vacation and […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Empowering communities of color with disabilities
Alison Canty and Mai Thor are two of the persons working to increase the awareness of civil rights to persons of color with disabilities and the general public. Together, they have convened a group for people of color with disabilities to address the many complicated issues our culture faces as a marginalized community. Our purpose […]
Posted inSports
Needed NCAA reforms appear unlikely soon
It might be March Madness now, but it’s been non-stop madness for the past 12 months, from assistant coaches getting arrested and charged with bribery in a federal probe to a former team doctor sentenced to quadruple life sentences for sexual assaults against female gymnasts. NCAA President Mark Emmett last fall established a 14-member “Commission […]
Posted inSports
‘Fab Five’ prep stars of the week
This week’s “Fab Five” photos feature five former metro area boys’ basketball players who played well this season in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), one of the top Division III leagues in the country. They include a former Mr. Basketball finalist who played in the MIAC tournament title game (Riley Dearring), a former all-conference […]
Posted inSports, Timberwolves/NBA
Warriors’ sparkplug brings ‘emotional edge’ to team
Since the Golden State Warriors began their current winning ways in 2013, I try not to miss them whenever they are in town. I love watching the Warriors, the NBA’s assists leader (30.3 apg). They move the ball better than any other pro club. The last team I remember dishing the ball around so selflessly […]
Posted inSports
Controversy alive and well in Mpls Public Schools
There are problems in River City, and again, the source as always is education. The Minneapolis Public Schools District in recent years has seen an explosion of success, growth and positivity. Ninety-eight percent of student-athletes in Minneapolis public schools have been graduating. This has been led by the remarkable comeback of success at North High […]
Posted inLocal & State, News
MPS board passes gun control resolution
The Minneapolis Public School Board passed a resolution that supports school safety and gun control legislation at its monthly board meeting Tuesday night. It stated the board’s support of a ban on the sale of assault weapons and extended magazines, an increase in criminal background checks, and extension of the gun-free zone around schools. The resolution […]
Posted inLocal & State, News
New Mpls chapter NAACP president aims to change hearts and minds
From an early age, Leslie Badue knew she wanted to be an influencer and community activator. Her earliest recollection of questioning injustices was when she was in fourth grade and she asked her grandma who decides if one of her favorite cousins goes to jail. Badue was young, but she knew her cousin wasn’t supposed […]
Posted inNews
Less than one percent: That’s Black businesses’ share of MN public sector spending
The African American Leadership Forum (AALF) two years ago asked several public entities about their spending with Black-owned businesses. Last weekend, the group released their report showing what at least seven public entities have spent in recent years with Black businesses. The results fell far short of a recommended six percent minimum to reflect the […]
Posted inLocal & State, News
When kids don’t feel safe at school
In the weeks following the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, there have been at least 21 threats made against Minnesota schools, according to Gov. Mark Dayton’s office. Dayton called these threats and the Parkland shooting a “grim warning” to lawmakers in Minnesota. In response to the recent violence, Dayton […]
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
Beer on wheels picks up speed
Contrary to an age-old witticism, youth isn’t always wasted on the young. Moses Tut, 24, is a sterling exception to that rule as vice president of Strategic Partnership at Running Tap. The new venture, a boutique distributorship, is a flourishing success that has, in a year and a half, innovated one of the world’s most popular businesses: buying […]
Posted inOpinion
Remembering Memphis
Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the start of the 1968 sanitation workers’ strike in Memphis, Tennessee, a unionization attempt by public sector workers that drew support from civil and labor rights leaders across the nation. Martin Luther King, Jr., in town to organize a march in support of those strikers, was assassinated on […]
Posted inOpinion
A mother’s counsel to her daughters
To my beautiful, brilliant Black daughters: I have so many hopes and dreams for you, that if I tried to say them all, they would run longer than the entire Harry Potter series! My hopes for you, my two beautiful Black girls, are so simple and yet also entirely grandiose. My dreams for you, beautiful […]
Posted inOpinion
‘Black Panther’ showcases the power of STEM
As I sat in the theater mesmerized by Marvel’s record-breaking Black Panther, there were so many moments and messages that filled me with an overwhelming sense of pride. The “Black Girl Magic” was palpable. King T’Challa was a strong, thoughtful king who loved and respected all of his leading ladies. Erik Killmonger was the best […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Now is the time to address old views on aging
Older Minnesotans today serve as workers and volunteers in government, our schools, faith communities, civic organizations, the arts, and other places that make our communities vibrant, enjoyable places to live. Older adults already are helping to alleviate a caregiver shortage likely to become more severe in the years to come. Many are not only supporting […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Facing up to untreated trauma
Some say it and other mental ills have been ignored too long On February 27, Hope and Healing Counseling Services (HHCS) hosted a conversation entitled “Mental Health: Breaking the Stigma.” The event was moderated by Rev. Nekima Levy-Pounds and featured panelists Marques Armstrong, owner of HHCS; Dr. Peggy Elliott, author and counselor; and Rev. Dr. […]