AND A HARD PLACE by Dwight Hobbes To look at Lucas Wynn standing outside his South Minneapolis residence, he could be any one of several professionals. Neatly groomed in slacks, shirt and tie and jacket, he might be a coach. Or accountant. A counselor, maybe. When you meet him, his demeanor is reserved but cordial, […]
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White privilege: It’s designed to kill you
By Stephani Maari Booker Community Editor The 12th Annual White Privilege Conference (WPC) will be held April 13-16 in Bloomington. MN. According to the conference website, “WPC is a conference built on the premise that the U.S. was started by White people, for White people [WPC] is…designed to examine issues of privilege beyond skin color. […]
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Black parents get what they deserve — credit for a job well done
By Charles Hallman Staff Writer A single father of five children, Jerron Riley also finds time to volunteer in his community. Dinella Mason, a single mother of a teenage son, works with teens. Both were among 16 local parents honored February 25 at the State Capitol as part of National Parent Leadership Month. Created to […]
Posted inOpinion
Still calling yourself Democrat or Republican? Wise up!
VOICES OF THE VILLAGE by Lissa Jones “After I was placed in the cell, I began to hear sounds of licks…and screams. I could hear the sounds of licks and horrible screams, and I heard somebody say, ‘Can you say yes sir, nigger? Can you say yes sir?’ and they would say other horrible names. […]
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Will the Libyan people ever see their $245 billion?
THROUGH MY EYES by Ron Edwards During his address to the nation on Libya on Monday, March 28, 2011, at National Defense University in Washington, D.C., President Obama made mention of the $80 billion in Libyan funds that have been seized in the United States. This is in addition to the $165 billion seized so […]
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Turning over a new leaf
SOMETHING I SAID by Dwight Hobbes After careful consideration, this column might, on occasion, be, shall we say, a bit abrasive. “Something I Said” may have been a little hard on its subjects, some well-known, widely admired figures a few readers would just as soon not see raked over the coals. Past missives have railed […]
Posted inArts + Culture, News
This Week’s Spotlights, April 7-13
Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-332-1010 or www.dakotacooks.com Thurs., Apr. 7, 7 pm: Foodie Night feat. Irv Williams CD release Cover is $5. Mon.-Tue., Apr. 11-12, 7 pm & 9 pm: Kevin Eubanks Quintet Tickets are $45 for the 7 pm show and $30 for the 9 pm show. Wed.-Thurs., Apr. […]
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Avenue Q: Adults-only puppet musical-comedy hits and misses
A play review By Stephani Maari Booker Community Editor Avenue Q, the 2007 Best Musical Tony winner, premiered at Mixed Blood Theatre on March 25. -Photo by Rich Ryan I have been curious about Avenue Q ever since I first heard about the puppets-and-people-performed musical play in the early-to-mid-2000s. As a member of the first […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
MN city school leaders unite against state education cuts
By Bernadeia Johnson Late in the month of March, both the State House and Senate education committees approved legislation that will deal devastating blows to city schools by divesting State support for low-income learners while simultaneously raising property taxes in our three cities. Why would the legislature turn its back on its population centers? We […]
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LeBron James, Miami Heat right on schedule
Not since the heyday of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the late 1990s has the NBA had a lightning-rod team like the 2011 Miami Heat, that one team that moves the sports fans VU meter of curiosity like the Jordan-led Bulls, the Philadelphia 76ers of Dr. Julius Erving and Moses Malone in the […]
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2011 WNBA Draft: one sure thing and a bunch of ‘buts’
As was the case five years ago when Seimone Augustus, now a sixth-year veteran, clearly was the best player in the WNBA draft, University of Connecticut forward Maya Moore holds a similar distinction this year. The Minnesota Lynx holds the WNBA’s top overall pick for the third time in franchise history. In a recent interview, […]
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It was Green over Gold at Coaches All Star Game
ESTAN TYLER (St. Paul Johnson), ROOSEVELT SCOTT (St. Paul Johnson), BRETSON MCNEAL (DeLaSalle), JONAH TRAVIS (DeLaSalle), LUCAS BROWN (Roseville), DAVID STANLEY (Roseville), MALIK EL-AMIN (Minneapolis North), CALVIN JENKINS (Minneapolis Roosevelt), CLARENCE THOMAS (Minneapolis Washburn), MARVIN SINGLETON (Hopkins), T.J. OKAFOR (Champlin Park), ZACH LOFTON (Columbia Heights), MARCUS ALIPATE (Bloomington Jefferson), MARQUEL CURTIS (Robbinsdale Armstrong), and TEREZ […]
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Is a career in sports the road to freedom?
Many young people are led to believe that a successful career in sports will subsequently lead to freedom. Much of that notion emanates from the fact that the high salaries from playing professional sports are a sure path to freedom. Nothing could be further from the truth. Few people, regardless of race, creed or color, […]
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Patti Austin leaves Dakota fans loving her music — and laughing
Soul veteran channels Ella Fitzgerald and Bette Midler By James L. Stroud, Jr. Contributing Writer Anyone who follows music knows that there is a big difference between a career singer with signature-hit songs and a singer classified as a one-hit wonder. Patti Austin’s performance at the Dakota Jazz Club on Tuesday, March 8, thoroughly entertained […]
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Agency serving troubled youth has troubles of its own
By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Freeport West is a 41-year-old nonprofit human services agecy that provides programs and services to at-risk youth and young families, with offices in Minneapolis and St. Paul. After several years of turmoil and the recent firings of its executive director and other staff, the agency may be currently facing its […]
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Wrecking ball to claim more Mpls affordable housing
By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer The apartment building at 1205 S. 7th St. in Minneapolis used to be basically a one-building ghetto. It was a stereotypical, dilapidated eyesore, complete with a scarred, refuse-strewn lawn, filled with drunks and junkies on welfare plus an honest working tenant or two. Butch (not his real name), who has […]
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No quitter, Jessica Wright struggles to get a fresh start
By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer As if Jessica Wright doesn’t have enough on her hands dealing with today’s economy, in her case there are, to say the least, complications out of the ordinary. On the drawing board, commit a crime and you’re punished, serve time, and you have paid your proverbial debt to society. In […]
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KMOJ transmitter bound for Nigeria
By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Benny King and Kelvin Quarles have known each other for years, dating back to the 1990s. The two met years ago when Quarles, now KMOJ’s station manager, was a radio executive in Atlanta and King was just starting out in radio. “I follow his footsteps,” admits King, who visited Quarles […]
Posted inOpinion
The history of special education legislation
PASTOR’S CORNER By Mary Flowers Spratt Is special education failing your child? What are you doing about it? These are questions that were asked by N.A.P.S.E.A. (National Association for Professional Special Education Advocates). This article is the first in a series I will call ”A Voice for Children with Anxiety Disorders.” Special education is difficult […]
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Minnesota Not-So-Nice reveals Black unemployment stats
“Our Black-White jobless gap worst in the nation,” a recent Star Tribune headline read. “Worst in the Nation” stood out like a neon sign. The article pointed out that in 2009 over 20 percent of all Black folks in Minnesota were unemployed, while only 6.6 percent of Whites were unemployed. The article seemed to imply […]