December 26, 2019 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

THE VOICE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1934 PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391

December 26, 2019—January 1, 2020 Vol. 86 No. 21 www.spokesman-recorder.com

COPS GONE GONE WILD Police recklessly sprayed bullets in Vue shooting

NEWS ANALYSIS By Mel Reeves Community editor

In

the early morning hours of Sunday, December 16, Minneapolis cops fired what appeared to be at least several dozen shots at 52-year-old Chiasher Fong Vue at his residence on Thomas Avenue North. When it was over, the house looked like a residence after gangbangers had shot it up. The incident has prompted some to ask, “Why did it take that many shots? Were the police simply trigger happy? Why were the cops so wildly inaccurate?” According to police reports, the officers were called because they got a 911 call report-

An estimated 120 shots were fired at the Vue house.

“Officers are routinely inaccurate in their use of deadly force.”

Police initially reported that when they arrived they got everyone else out of the house and sought to have Vue come out as well. “After an extensive phone call, the suspect agreed ing that shots had been fired inside a house at cause the police reports have been inconsis- to come out,” said a police spokesperson im3100 Thomas Avenue North. It is unclear ex- tent and the witness reports are unclear as mediately after the shooting on Sunday. “In fact, he did come out. Shots were fired. Offiactly what happened after police arrived be- well.

National

NEWS

Iconic photo goes viral

Briefs

■ See wiLd on page 5

Housing Authority says none of this is happening

On the afternoon of November 23, several activist groups gathered at North High School in Minneapolis to educate public housing residents about their housing security and the potential threat of privatization It has been said that a picture speaks a thousand words. The photo above of Black medical students at Tulane University posing in front of a former slave plantation in Wallace, Louisiana has captured the attention of the nation partly because it sits in stark contrast to the place Africans held in America 400 years ago. It spans four centuries, years of unspeakable hardship, and captures just how far we descendants of slaves have come. “Just thinking about being a Black doctor in America—I think more people should see this,” said Russell Ledet in a recent television news interview. “Standing in front of the slave quarters of our ancestors at The Whitney Plantation, with my medical school classmates, we are truly our an-

cestors’ wildest dreams,” Ledet wrote on Twitter. “You will rarely find an image of Black medical students in a classroom, regardless of the makeup of the kids in the classroom,” Ledet said. “That’s our goal now, to get 100,000 of these pictures framed, and put them in classrooms.” Ledet said he and his Tulane classmates planned the trip and photos hoping that others would be inspired by the image of Black doctorsto-be. Merle Carter, an emergency medical doctor in Philadelphia, tweeted, “The hopes and dreams born inside that house are inside of you now.” Photo by Brian Washington Jr. and Doyin Johnson

Lawsuit threatens right to protest

DeRay Mckesson Photo courtesy of Facebook

The suit alleges that Mckesson failed to prevent the protester from throwing it. The suit does not claim that Mckesson, who attended the protest, threw the object. Contrary to all previous First Amendment precedent, the suit claims that the activist owes him damages because he did not prevent the unnamed protester from ■ See Lawsuit on page 5

Mass graves detected in Tulsa

Olivia Hooker

cers returned fire and hit the individual.” Vue’s daughter said that she had coaxed her father to come out, but when he saw the police with their guns drawn he ran back into the house and later came to the door with a weapon.

Public housing advocates decry privatization, rising rents By Aleezeh Hasan Contributing writer

One of the most important First Amendment cases in decades is on the docket to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court next month. In Mckesson v. Doe, a Louisiana cop attempted to sue DeRay Mckesson for damages. According to the cop, who is using the pseudonym Doe, he was hit by an object and injured during a protest in Baton Rouge on July 9, 2016.

Photo by Chris Juhn

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

In Tulsa, Oklahoma, scientists have revealed that they have found inconsistencies and irregularities in the city’s grounds that may be an indication of mass graves of Black victims of the 1921 Tulsa Greenwood massacre are buried. Using groundpenetrating radar, scientists have zeroed in on two sites that they believe are consistent with massive burials. The massacre claimed the lives of over 300 Black people and was sparked when local Blacks tried to fend off a gathering mob from one of their own who had been falsely accused of assaulting a White woman. Tulsa’s Black Wall Street, as it has ■ See tuLsa on page 5

Minneapolis city council members’ and Mayor Jacob Frey’s contact information was prominently displayed on the stage throughout the event. The organizers emphasized that it was important for residents to contact their elected officials about housing concerns. Kaaha Kaahiye, Glendale

“At a time when people are struggling, we shouldn’t be increasing rent.”

resident and activist, spoke to the crowd with a PowerPoint presentation explaining the implications of upcoming public housing plans in the city of Minneapolis. Handouts were distributed about how the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) was spreading fictitious statements about housing security. Claims made by the MPHA that “no residents will be displaced” and “rents will stay the same” were disputed by Kaahiye through a fact sheet available on Defend Glendale and Public Housing ■ See Housing on page 5

The event was organized by the Defend Glendale and Public Housing Coalition (DGPHC) along with the Northside Neighborhoods Council and Keep Public Housing Public Minneapolis Coalition. DGPHC was launched in 2014 by Ladan Yusuf after her neighborhood was threatened by privatization. After winning that fight five years ago, Yusuf and the DGPHC are still actively organizing around public housing issues throughout the city of Minneapolis. Volunteers from the group spoke about a variety of concerns, hoping to educate residents currently living in the impacted public housing units.

Kaaha Kaahiye

Photo courtesy of YouTube

Harrison Neighborhood Assn. alleges ‘hostile treatment’ from MPS By Aleezeh Hasan Contributing writer The Harrison Neighborhood Association (HNA) has been around for 35 years. The organization aims to improve the lives of residents within the North Minneapolis neighborhood, occupied by mostly people of color. Headquarters of the Harrison Neighborhood Association are located within the same building as Harrison High School, known as the Harrison Education Center. The Laos Assistance Center is located in the same building. The Harrison Center was designed for students that are underperforming in a traditional school settings or have behavioral issues. To increase accommodations for student mental health, the school intends to expand their classroom space to include the offices of the HNA.

“We were completely shut out of any decision making.” For Nicole Buehler, executive director of HNA, this is difficult news. “It’s no way to treat a community,” she stated. Buehler and other board members at the HNA are scrambling to find a solution. “It’s gonna be hard to try and find the money to be able to pay a lease here in Harrison at this point,” she said. Since the association is struggling to afford a new space, they are trying to reason with the ■ See Harrison on page 2

2

December 26, 2019—January 1, 2020

Minneapolis Schools postpones action on Harrison Education Center eviction By Vickie Evans-Nash Contributing writer

Community members feel their concerns are being unfairly ignored

M

inneapolis Public Schools’ redesign plans are stirring up plenty of controversy. Since the Comprehensive District Design (CDD) was released on April 30 this year, school board meetings have drawn impassioned responses from members of the community, families, students and educators. The Tuesday, December 10 meeting was no exception. Over 30 community members were listed to speak about their concerns. Although a few parents were concerned about how the district was handling students who were exposed to sexual assault, bullying, and being subjected to racial slurs, most comments focused on the proposed changes suggested in the redesign plan that would affect the district’s Spanish and dual immersion schools. Windom Dual Spanish Immersion School is currently very diverse because of its success in bringing in native Spanish speakers and other students of color to a neighborhood not nearly as diverse as the school. The school has achieved a more racially and economically diverse environment than would likely occur with a traditional school, but some parents, students and staff feel that proposed changes would upset that balance. This is important particularly because of the board’s resolutions to “reduce the number of racially isolated schools,” according to the study and design parameters that support the CDD. Tabled for the next agenda in January was a discussion about the building that houses Harrison Education Center in North Minneapolis. Although high schools have not yet been addressed in the CDD, changes made at elementary- and middle-school levels could affect their enrollment. Alexis Mann, a teacher and case manager at Harrison, said during the public forum, “There are students there that have been identified as having special needs that required them to be educated separately than their same-aged peers.” Harrison is currently a level IV special

Photo by Ed Kohler via Flickr

“Our treatment in this process has been very different.” education high school, the only one in the district. It helps students with a need for a higher level of behavioral and emotional support to be successful in their education. “One of the strategies that have worked well in the past is to provide an accommodation that allows a student to work independently in alternative learning spaces,” said Mann. She says that recently a family removed their child from Harrison and opted for another school

Tis the Season for Giving!

Buy one and get one free

to give as a gift!

Simply fill out the subscription form below and mail with payment to: Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, PO Box 8558, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55408 (All subscriptions must be pre-paid. One year subscription $35, out-of-state $40.)

Address: City/State/Zip: Phone:

Email Address:

Name: Address: City/State/Zip: Phone:

Email Address: Payment Options

Check

because of concerns directly linked to their space constraints. Harrison’s enrollment is currently low, with a staff-to-student ratio much lower than most other schools in order to meet the needs of their student population. Under a proposed expansion, programming for special education that is currently provided by three high schools will expand to seven, all with lowerlevel special educational services than those at Harrison. Mann advised the board to prepare for the impact of that change by putting adequate resources in place beforehand. Inadequate resources could result in more referrals to Harrison. “It’s important to note that Harrison is not a setting where the students have the skills to walk away from or avoid conflict, which makes having alternative learning spaces available for our kids critically important.” Another community member representing Harrison Neighborhood Association (HNA), frustrated that discussion of Harrison was moved to the January agenda, said, “Twenty 20 years ago the Harrison community made a $983,000 investment into the construction of the facility.” HNA is also housed in the building. “Should MPS decide to follow through with Vickie Nash welcomes reader responses to its current plan to take over Harrison’s portion of the building, you will single-handedly be vnash@spokesman-recorder.com. putting back into place the key barriers of eqSee the story “Harrison Neighborhood Assn. aluity that the community’s investment was designed to address, which is lack of communi- leges ‘hostile treatment’” on this week’s front page for further information on this issue. ty space.”

Harrison Continued from page 1

Name:

Money Order

Credit Card (circle & complete info below): Visa

Master Card

Discover

American Express

Card Number: _________________________________________________________ Expiration Date: _______________________________

Important note: Gift giver must supply their name, address and telephone number. Please put information on line below.

One-year gift subscriptions from: *This offer expires January 31, 2020.

According to a MPS’s communication spokesman, the district will not be renewing HNA’s lease but will use the space to expand the high school, and HNA will be forced to find another space. “The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board contributed only a third of what the community contributed for the cost of construction of the facility,” said the speaker. “A large institution such as theirs is allowed a permanent place in the building while the community is being asked to leave.” Although HNA is in support of the concerns over Windom school addressed at the meeting, the speaker noted that the Windom Community Council had been in a similar position in the past. “Our treatment in this process has been very different,” she said. “Windom Community Council, an organization located in Southwest Minneapolis, that represents a community that is majority-White and affluent, was afforded the opportunity to enter negotiations with the district and ultimately allowed to stay in their space. An organization that is located in North Minneapolis that represents a community that is majorityPeople of Color and low-income has largely been ignored. “I think the fact that the resolution that would be addressing Harrison’s ability to stay in the neighborhood, the fact that that was blocked from tonight’s agenda just goes to show how Harrison continues to be ignored in this process.”

of their ability, mainstreaming these students. They’re not supposed to be growing their numbers. The goal, as I understand it, is to shrink those numbers so that students are in the mainstream as much as possible.” Harrison has come under the scrutiny in the past over its effectiveness in addressing the needs of its student population. Two previous principals of the Center who say the environment is dangerous and there is no focus on academics have recommended the school be closed. Administrators from Harrison did not respond to MSR’s request for comment. “Our lease has expired,” said Buehler. “We were going month to month. Technically, they could have us out by the end of the year. They did offer us the ability to stay until the end of June of 2020 because they say they don’t need the space until next school year. “Hopefully they won’t try and force us out in the next couple of weeks. It doesn’t look like that’s going to happen, but you never know.”

school board. “I asked principal Hampton if he’d be willing to sit down with me to see what that partnership might look like, and how we can maybe come to some sort of solution. Buehler said. “Initially he agreed, and then I heard back from him that I should direct all meeting requests to the COO [chief operating officer] of MPS.” The Minneapolis School Board was set to address the issue at its last meeting (see story on page 2), but that did not happen. Buelher feels that the HNA has not been treated fairly throughout this process. “We’ve been receiving pretty hostile treatment from the district. We were completely shut out of any decision making.” HNA is trying to fight its looming eviction by spreading awareness. According to HNA, there is enough room in the alternative high school to accommodate new stuAleezeh Hasan welcomes reader responses to dents. The Center already has 50,000 square ahasan@spokesman-recorder.com. feet of space. HNA questions why there is a need for more room, since the school is currently not at capacity. Buehler also feels that the school needs to focus more on reducing the number of students. “They’re supposed to be, to the best

December 26, 2019—January 1, 2020

3

How to decide when you’re too sick to work may end up causing more harm than good. Workplace illness at a glance $234 billion in lost productivity from absenteeism (staying home) and presenteeism (going to work sick), with the latter accounting for an estimated $150 billion in loss. • Typical flu outbreaks cost employers $10.4 billion. • Three out of 10 workers have stayed home because of stress. • One quarter of workers have stayed home as a result of fatigue from being overworked. • 50 million U.S. workers don’t have paid sick leave. • There are no federal legal requirements for paid sick leave. It’s important to know your company’s policies. • Studies show that if the national average of sick days (2.41 days/ year) were used, the cost to business would be minimally affected.

•

By Dr. Tamiko Morgan Guest contributor To go to work or to stay home? That is the question that many people face when feeling sick. This question is often met with feelings of guilt, especially if this means extra work for your co-workers; feelings of frustration or disappointment when you

Illness is not always visible. cannot afford to miss work due to lack of sick pay benefits; or, feeling overwhelmed at the thought of how much work will be waiting for you when you return! When you’re not feeling well, the focus should be on getting better; however, this is often not the reality. So, you ask yourself, “How sick am I”? Sometimes this is not even a question—you’re sick and you know that going to work is not an option. At least medically, it shouldn’t be. Sometimes it’s not an option: You have to show up. Other times are not as straightforward, so you question the benefit of showing up versus taking time off to get better. Although the workplace culture is slowing changing, there continues to be an expectation to show up no matter what, and you should when you are able. Accountability in the workplace is vital. However, I’ve never seen a special award for the employee who always comes to work sick. In fact, your presence in the workplace

Presenteeism Presenteeism is the practice of coming to work while sick. Research has shown that showing up sick or not fully functioning causes losses in productivity or the ability to do one’s job fully, increases in mistakes, poor health, exhaustion, and potential for spread of illness. It is also critical to recognize mental health issues and stress as illness. Illness is not always visible. Many companies have policies on mental health days as awareness regarding the importance of changing the conversation and stigma grows. What causes sick days? • New physical or mental illness, injury • Chronic medical condition flareups • Stress and workplace exhaustion or burnout • Unhealthy lifestyle choices leading to inability to function (e.g. staying up late, hangover) • Care for sick family members

• Workplace avoidance (e.g. low sat- • Need for intervention (such as a procedure, surgery, specific testing isfaction, problems with co-workor treatment) ers or boss, bullying) • Suspicion of serious illness (e.g. chest pain, worsening headache, When to consider staying home high fever, inability to take liquids S = Sense of impending doom (genby mouth, excessive sleepiness or eral feeling of not feeling well), exconfusion) cessive sleepiness, safety concerns, • Worsening of symptoms over time side effects of medications or no improvement. I = Intolerable pain or discomfort • Chronic medical condition that (e.g. fever, chills, migraines) may be made worse by illness (e.g. C = highly Contagious or communithe flu in someone who has asthcable illness (easily spread; transma) mitted from one person to another) K = difficulty Keeping up with • Thoughts of harming yourself or others symptoms (e.g. nausea, vomiting, • Any new or concerning symptoms diarrhea) you are unsure about D = Doctor’s orders or need to see a doctor A = Ability to do your job greatly af- Staying well fected, accessibility issues (e.g. • Proper nutrition; nutritious foods as medicine new injury requiring workplace adjustments in order to do your • Plenty of water • Adequate sleep work) Y = You and your symptoms are the • Exercise focus; difficulty concentrating or • Stress and mental health management completing tasks (e.g. agitation or • Wash hands anxiety) • Limit unnecessary contact with others who are ill When to see a doctor (examples) • Take preventive measures (take • Difficulty breathing prescribed medications, dress for • Pain that is worsening or persistent weather, take time off to heal) without relief

Tamiko Morgan, MD, MPH, is a board-certified pediatrician, medical director at a national health plan, and former Minority Health Policy Fellow at Harvard. Her work has primarily focused on caring for medically and socially highrisk populations. She is the founder of the health and wellness company 2 E.D.I.F.Y., LLC and author of the book “VIP Very Important Patient: The African American Woman’s Guide to Health Care, Healing, & Wellness.” Contact her at 2edifyllc. com.

KEEP IT MOVIN’

Winter is here—beware of hand eczema!

5. Purchase an over-the-counter hydrocortisone 1% cream if hands remain itchy even with good moisturization. While this is a very mild topical steroid, there are miniThe characters on the HBO series “Game of mal corticosteroid-related side effects from Thrones” are not the only ones who dread the using it for the season. If this does not help, winter. Your hands also may be gearing up for you may need a prescription-strength topthe insult of harsh winter weather. ical corticosteroid to treat hand inflammaHand eczema (an irritation rash) is a very tion, irritation and itch. common skin condition that is aggravated by Mimics of common hand eczema include dry, cold, irritating environments. The word “eczema” refers to dehydrated, rough and in- allergic contact dermatitis and psoriasis. If diligent moisturization and avoidance of agflamed skin. While young children and some adults have gravators do not improve the quality of your chronic eczema conditions year-round, a sub- hands, consult a healthcare provider to betset of people develop hand eczema in the right ter confirm the diagnosis or prescribe needed environment. Signs and symptoms of hand anti-inflammatories and/or antibiotics. eczema include itch, superficial small itchy Margareth Pierre-Louis, MD, MBA is a boardbumps under the skin, dryness, cracks and fiscertified dermatologist and dermatopathologist sures, and possibly pain or soreness. Secondary skin infections of the affected and medical director of Twin Cities Dermatology skin are also possible if the skin barrier is com- Center. Dr. PierreLouis promotes visible wellness and treats skin, promised enough. Here are some steps you should take to help protect your hands this hair, and nail disorders affecting patients of all ages, skin types and backgrounds. She has cared cold season: 1. Avoid over-washing your hands with oil- for thousands of patients in consultation through stripping soaps, cleaning wipes, and alco- academic and private practice and via telemedihol-based hand sanitizers. Liquid soaps can cine. Her expertise lies in the diagnosis and treatbe more moisturizing and hydrating over ment of inflammatory skin conditions, pigmentation disorders, and hair loss. Learn more about Dr. bar soaps. 2. If frequent hand cleaning is necessary at Pierre-Louis at twincitiesderm.com and contact home or work, hydrate the hands immedi- her at TCD@tcdermmn.com or 612-268-5005. ately afterwards with a good topical moisturizer or hand cream. 3. Good hand moisturizers typically have good hydrators that protect the skin barrier and minimize water loss (ceramides, urea, or soothing oatmeal). Examples of brands with these ingredients include Eucerin Smooth Repair, Cetaphil, Aveeno, and Cerave. Heavy creams and ointments will provide more hydration to protect the skin barrier than lotion-based moisturizers. 4. Protect your hands with cloth-lined gloves in dry, windy, cold weather. If possible, avoid wool-lined gloves since these can promote hand dehydration and itch.

Most people want to be well and work, but when you’re sick, you’re sick. Try to accept this without guilt and take the responsibility to take care of yourself. Communicate early and often with your job and do your part in getting better. Be familiar with your company’s policy on sick days, and make sure to get a letter from your doctor regarding your illness and expectation of absent days if needed. Stay well!

HEALTH FAIR

By Dr. Margareth Pierre-Louis Contributing writer

$5 BRING A SISTA!

Join us as Sister Spokesman curates your one-stop-shop for fitness tips, cooking demos, shopping and more!

SATURDAY JANUARY 4, 2020 12-4 sponsored by

NORTHPOINT HEALTH AND WELLNESS CONFERENCE CENTER 1256 PENN AVE. NORTH SUITE 5100, MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55411 IN THE BUILDING FORMERLY KNOWN AS THOR

4

December 26, 2019—January 1, 2020

The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder (MSR) welcomes and values commentary and feedback from the community. The articles found here are edited for clarity and/or space, but the opinions are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of the MSR.

Black voters are not beholden to the Democratic Party By Danny Haiphong

Philosophical ‘do goodism’ is simply hypocrisy MELLANEOUS By Mel Reeves One of the Biblical stories surrounding the birth of Jesus tells about his family being told there was no room for them. The fact that it is added in the Advent tale about the birth of a Messiah raises concerns about whether there was really no room or no room for them. Minnesota is infamous for being a place in which when bad things happen or social problems are ignored, no one is the bad guy, everyone has good intentions or, as the leader of a developer company said recently, most are philosophically interested in doing the right thing. But good intentions, it has been said, pave the road to hell. The Minneapolis City Council passed a new housing policy requiring those developing apartment buildings with 20 or more units to meet certain criteria. They must make for 20 years, 4-8% of their units available to people who make certain amounts below the area median income. Or, if they commit to making 20% of their units affordable for 30 years, they can apply for financial assistance from the City. The City also allowed developers the option not to build affordable housing units in their new buildings if they create or preserve them nearby, or they can pay a fee or donate land to the City. Kelly Doran of Doran Cos was quoted in the Minneapolis Star Tribune responding to the measure. “There’s nobody in the industry that is philosophically against this. There’s nobody that says, ‘We don’t want those people.’ That doesn’t exist. It’s about… money.” Doran is right; nobody will publicly say they do not want “those” people. And who are “those” people? Those people go to work every day, they catch the bus or the train to work, or drive a car that

they hope doesn’t break down cause they can’t afford the repairs. They pray that they or their children don’t get sick because they might not be able to afford the co-payments and some simply don’t have insurance because they don’t make enough to afford it, but make too much to take advantage of programs for those with low income. Those people serve us our food, stock our shelves, make our beds, drive the buses and trains, teach our children, care for our children and fix our cars. He may also be referring to those people who don’t look like him or don’t share his gender and aren’t making the money they should because of their skin tone or their sex. Though those people go to work every day, they cannot afford the $1,500 to $1,800 asking price for just a studio in one of the newer developments in downtown, near downtown or uptown Minneapolis. A young hipster making $20 an hour would pay more than half his wages for little more than 577 sq. feet. But Doran is not catering to those people, he is catering to those who make upward of $60,000 because, as he said, it is about the math—the numbers that add up to big profits. And despite his protestations about not being philosophically opposed, he is opposed in reality and that makes him a hypocrite because he is saying one thing and doing another: the real American way. Unfortunately, when it comes to doing the right thing or what needs to be done to alleviate human suffering and pain, there is a short supply of will. And the people affected most by these problems are those people that the rich developers don’t want to take less in profit to house. The MinnPost wrote an article about the effect of inclusionary zoning and demonstrated that it was a good idea. Yet there

LETTER TO THE EDITOR POLICY The MSR welcomes letters to the editors. Letters should be typed, double-spaced, in 12 point font and must be signed. Anonymous letters will not be printed. A telephone number or email address must be included for verification. Letters of 250 words or less are more likely to be published. The editor reserves the right to edit letters for length.

SEND LETTERS TO: Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder- Letters to the Editor P.O. Box 8558 * Minneapolis, MN * 55408-0558 Or email your letters/commentary to mreeves@spokesman-recorder.com

READER SERVICE • Circulation Department/Billing Department If you have any questions regarding your invoice or subscription, call 612-827-4021. 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Thursday. • News Department To report a news event, call 612-827-4021 or email to sgustavo@spokesman-recorder.com • Advertising Department To reach our advertising departments call 612-827-4021 or email to: display@spokesman-recorder.com

CORRECTION POLICY If we make an error, we want to correct it. If you believe that an error has been made email sgustavo@spokesman-recorder.com. If a correction is warranted, it will be printed the next week.

was much weeping and gnashing of teeth by the “but we have the right to make large profits at the expense of our fellow man” crowd and the “I worked hard to afford these expensive places why can’t they?!” folks. “Why should society tolerate anyone trying to “maximize their investment” on something as fundamental to human wellbeing as housing? Why should anyone agree that this is a good thing? As we enter the holiday season in the Twin Cities and speak philosophically about giving to others while giving to those close to us, a few issues continue to haunt us: homelessness, lack of affordable housing, public safety in transportation, public safety officers acting recklessly and the haunting inability of the Twin Cities to close the gap in disparities between White folks and just about everybody else, but especially Black people. They are all interconnected. When Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum sought to address the problem of safety on the light rail she told more truth than she likely meant when she wrote, “They are the result of complex factors, including inadequate funding for human services, education, structural inequality.” She added, “An affordablehousing shortage has led to an increase in homelessness; the opioid epidemic and the burdens of addiction continue to grip countless families, and resources for those suffering from mental illness are stretched. “These social issues all have contributed to significant human-services challenges for our region.” Unfortunately, our transit system bears a significant impact from these issues.” She notes that the problems on the green line light rail are at bottom social and economic problems, primarily resulting from social and structural inequality as well as the failure of this society to provide a safety net for human beings who, through no fault of their own, are physically or mentally handicapped, and the spiritually defeated. Yet McCollum concluded that the issue had to be solved by more law enforcement. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said at an event on homelessness in Minneapolis, “It is completely unacceptable to the governor and to me that anyone is sleeping outside, especially at this time of year.” Wanting to do the right thing and doing the right thing are not the same, as many seek to celebrate this holiday season that focuses on giving, we should focus on ways in which our society gives to people on a regular what they need to enjoy life to the fullest, along with liberty, and hopefully, the pursuit of a bit of happiness. Mel Reeves welcomes readers’ response to mellaneous19@yahoo.com.

African revolutionary and scholar Frantz Fanon warned us of the likes of Kamala Harris in his seminal work, “The Wretched of the Earth.” Fanon placed a great deal of emphasis on the development of the national bourgeoisie in the African independence struggle. “The national bourgeoisie discovers its historical mission as intermediary. As we have seen, its vocation is not to transform the nation but prosaically serve as a conveyor belt for capitalism, forced to camouflage itself behind the mask of neocolonialism. The national bourgeoisie, with no misgivings and with great pride, revels in the role of agent in its dealings with the Western bourgeoisie,” wrote Fanon. The Democratic Party has spent the last five decades integrating its ranks in order to strangle the strivings for liberation that emerged from the occupied ghettos and streets of Black America in the 1960s and 1970s.

same city where Hillary Clinton was notoriously rejected by Black American voters as a pawn of corporate power. Barack Obama has made his presence felt very early in 2020 by taking every opportunity to warn younger voters of the dangers of veering too far left from the Democratic Party establishment. Obama has every right to worry about the future political behavior of Black America. The Democratic Party’s race problem is a real threat to the preservation of the U.S. imperial order. Black Americans have for the last few decades understood that the Republican Party is the White Man’s Party (taking the place of the Dixiecrats). Absent of an independent Black left, Black Americans in the main have held their noses and voted for the Democratic Party to prevent Republican Party presidential victories. But the Democratic Party has dutifully taken orders from Wall Street and the war machine. White supremacy is its guiding logic. It was only a matter of time before the 40-plus year Race to the Bottom and the centuries-

White corporate elites at the head of the DNC have made their fear of Black Americans abandoning the sinking Democratic Party ship well known.

As Roberto Sirvent and I concluded in our book, more and more people are realizing that diversity does nothing to fundamentally change the White supremacist character of the Democratic Party. The 2020 election cycle is an anti-Black political affair. Wall Street’s new favorite candidate Pete Buttigieg is polling at 0% approval with Black voters and for good reason. Buttigieg has time and time again shown his disdain for Black America, whether by telling a Black woman in South Bend he didn’t need her vote when she questioned him on his support for racist policing or by faking Black political support in South Carolina. Joe Biden is the co-author of nearly every piece of legislation behind the mass Black incarceration state, including the 1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act and the 1994 Crime Bill. While not sporting the same lengthy record as Biden, Elizabeth Warren posed as an indigenous person to win a prominent tenure position at Harvard Law School and has shown that she is malleable enough to serve the interests of the White corporate oligarchy in charge of the Democratic Party. Bernie Sanders has maintained a classfirst approach to round two of his “democratic socialist” campaign but has managed to inspire young Black Americans to dump the likes of Kamala Harris and Cory Booker in favor of universal healthcare, education, and housing. This is a positive development and a direct challenge to the pro-austerity posture of the Black misleadership class. White corporate elites at the head of the DNC have made their fear of Black Americans abandoning the sinking Democratic Party ship well known. The 2020 DNC convention is being held in Milwaukee, the

long racist war on Black America would converge to spur a crisis of legitimacy in Washington. The Democratic Party is principally responsible for the crisis, which culminated in the rise of Donald Trump and Sanders in the 2016 presidential election. Sanders’ meteoric rise in popularity was predicated upon his willingness to challenge the American “exceptionalist” ethos that presumed neoliberal capitalism to be the most effective means of economic governance worldwide. Democratic Party elites have fiercely defended the racist logic of neoliberal capitalism and have made life more insufferable for key sections of its captive base in the process. Democratic administrations are just as much to blame for the end of welfare, the near end of public education, and the rise of mass Black incarceration as their Republican counterparts. Since as far back as the 1960s, the Democratic Party has operated as the most effective branch of the War Party by finding more covert, yet no less bloody, methods from which to devastate and annihilate humanity. Black Americans and other oppressed people don’t owe anything to the Democratic Party. Danny Haiphong is an activist and journalist in the New York City area and a contributing editor for blackagendareport.com.

CAPITALISM THE ROOT CAUSE OF SO-CALLED HOUSING CRISIS By Frank Erickson On Friday night, December 13, Native American activists marched towards the former South Minneapolis homeless encampment known as the “Wall of the Forgotten Natives” to bring attention to the need for more emergency shelter beds and fewer barriers to housing. America could easily solve its housing crisis, but that would go against capitalism. Capitalism purposely does not provide enough housing to keep prices going up, and then higher rents create some construction of new units—but not enough. Since renters have nowhere to go, they are at the mercy of this wicked process. Using capitalism, and with our escalating construction costs for building units, the only way the job is going to get done is if rents keep rising. Who is going to build if they can’t profit off renters? Landlords are more than happy to play their part—draining renters’ bank accounts with higher rents. How can China provide housing for 1.25 billion people, but the U.S. with only 330 million citizens cannot provide enough? In China you have so many high rise apartment buildings the landscape looks like a barcode. Where are the high rise apartment buildings in America outside of New York City? How quickly the U.S. government could save this housing crisis by building high rise apartment buildings the way China does? But the U.S. would rather spend billions on military weapons and make sure they protect capitalism. We certainly don’t want anyone coming home and doing something humane, like building enough housing. Frank Erickson lives in South Minneapolis.

December 26, 2019—January 1, 2020

wiLd Continued from page 1

Later, police reported that there was a brief standoff and that Vue walked outside and pointed what they said at the time was a “long gun” at them, and they subsequently opened fire. The Star Tribune reported that “a source familiar with the investigation said that nine officers have been placed on standard administrative leave— eight of them fired their service handguns, while one shot a less-lethal weapon.” One of the officers who fired his weapon was Jason Wolff, who shot and killed Mario Benjamin in August. “He had no business being near a gun after shooting somebody just a few months ago,” said Michelle Gross of Communities United Against Police Brutality. According to Gross, family members said they estimated 120 shots were fired and that the house, according to them, is uninhabitable. Gross added, “Family members said they notified officers that family members were still in the house.” One neighbor who did not want to be identified told the MSR that it sounded like the Wild Wild West. Another neighbor, Jimmy Jackson, who lives on the other side of the block from where the shooting occurred, told MPR News that he and his wife had just gotten back in town when they heard shots being fired. “It was pop, pop, pop, pop, pop… and then you heard a pause. Then it was another pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. So it was like they just, you know, killed a guy,” Jackson told MPR. The conflicting police reports make it unclear who fired first. Judging from one report, it appears open and shut that

tuLsa Continued from page 1

come to be known, was filled with Black-owned businesses, including restaurants, grocery stores, and tailors and was a selfcontained community. Many Blacks who survived said the murders and wanton destruction of their community was motivated by jealousy and that the riot served as an excuse. Tulsa Blacks enjoyed a measure of economic and social independence that offended the sensibilities of Whites at the time, who

police were fired on and they returned fire. But later reports indicate that Vue may not have fired at police but simply had a weapon and, according to them, aimed it at them. This also leaves open the possibility, judging from past police and civilian confrontations, that Vue may have just had the weapon in hand and police may have shot at him simply because he had a weapon. Police reported that bullets were found in the residence directly across the street from the Vue residence, but this is not conclusive proof that Vue fired first. The fact that there is no clear picture of what exactly happened leaves the door open to speculation involving different scenarios. One possibility the police have not given is that Vue came to the door with a weapon to defend his daughter after seeing police in such large numbers with weapons drawn. It appears likely that he did not fire first, but rather police fired first and he shot back in self-defense. The police recklessly continued to fire. This scenario may explain why one officer inexplicably fired a non-lethal weapon at the man in his doorway. Either way, the shooting has been hotly debated and contested by Vue’s relatives, friends, activists and others on social media who have publicly asked why the police fired their weapons so many times at Vue. Family members said their 70-yearold grandmother was still in the house as bullets apparently aimed at Vue struck the house instead. Police have not been forthcoming about why so many shots were fired, and why, if they were indeed aiming at Vue, so many missed their target. “Given the amount of firearms training the police receive, it would be assumed that they hit their target more often than not,” explained researchers Dr. Christopher Donner and Nicole

considered Blacks beneath them. “It was May 31, 1921,” said Olivia Hooker, who died in 2018 at the age of 103. “At first, we saw a bunch of men with those big pine torches come through the backyard. It was a horrifying thing for a little girl that’s only six years old, trying to remember to keep quiet so they wouldn’t know we were there. They were trying to destroy anything that they could find. They took a huge axe and started whacking at my sister Aileen’s beloved piano. They thought that was something we shouldn’t have. “They tried to destroy every Black business, school

View into the front porch from front window. Family members said their 70-year-old grandmother was still in the house as bullets apparently aimed at Vue struck the house instead. Photo by Chris Juhn Popovich at Loyola U. in Chicago, who compared studies of various police departments’ accuracy. Their research indicated that in reality “officers are routinely inaccurate in their use of deadly force.” They observed that “although the amount—and quality—of firearms training received by officers over the last century has increased considerably, there appears to have been little improvement in shooting accuracy.” Studies conducted on police accuracy looking at large city police departments reveal that police are amazingly inaccurate, hitting their target on average about one-third of the time. An article in “Force Science Institute” titled “New Study on Shooting Accura-

and church,” Hooker continued. “Our school, Dunbar School, was blasted with dynamite, and my father’s store was destroyed. To me, I guess the most shocking thing was seeing people to whom you had never done anything to irritate, who just took it upon themselves to destroy your property because they didn’t want you to have those things… They were teaching you a lesson.” Hooker was the last living survivor of the massacre.

cy. How Does Your Agency Stack Up?” states, “Previous research conducted over a 15-year period with Dallas Police Department revealed that in nearly half of their encounters in which officers fired at a single suspect, officers missed their target completely. In 15 incidents, the total number of rounds fired could not be determined. But in the 134 cases where researchers could establish that figure, they calculated the hit rate, incredibly, at merely 35%.” In other words, more than six out of 10 rounds fired were misses. In South Florida recently, police chasing robbery suspects who had taken a UPS truck and its driver as hostage shot and killed the suspects and the UPS driver along with an innocent bystand-

er sitting in his car in rush hour traffic. Ironically, the South Florida incident, along with others like it such as the shooting and killing of the elderly Vue, raises grave questions about police accuracy and whether the general public’s safety—which presumably the police are protecting—is actually taken into account when police discharge their weapons. Mel Reeves welcomes reader responses to mreeves@spokesman-recorder.com.

Obituary

Linda Mitchell

June 21, 1951 - December 21, 2019

In

loving memory of Linda

Mitchell, 68, born June 21, 1951, who has gone on to

Glory on Saturday, December 21. She

leaves behind a loving daughter, Avis, and son-in-law Robert; sister Cecelia

Guy; brothers Jimmy and Gary Daley;

grandchildren John, Jaylah, Jamia and Jianna; along with a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

National news briefs are compiled and written by the MSR editorial staf

Please join us at Linda’s Home

Going Saturday, December 28, 2019 at Estes Funeral Chapel, 2201 Plymouth

Avenue North, Minneapolis Minnesota 55423. Visitation begins at 11 am and funeral services begin at 12 noon. If

Housing Continued from page 1

5

tionately impact the lives of the elderly, and would put an immense strain on the residents of public housing.” Several residents spoke about their experiences and asked questions to gain clarity about their housing situation. Many contended that they weren’t interested in renovations. One woman stated through a translator, “Section 18 is not in our best interest. I want to call on the politicians, the mayor, the city council members. They work for us, we elected them, they shouldn’t stand for this.” A single mother explained that she had recently been evicted, leaving her and her four children homeless. She said she felt that she was pushed out and discriminated against because one of her children has a disability. An audience member and resident explained that she was being charged excessive amounts for small fixes and inspections. “They came out to do labor and I was charged eight different times,” she said. “I pray to God that all y’all are taking this information here, because we can stand together, we can overcome all this,” the woman continued. “Everything they’re saying, it seems scary, but it’s not. Don’t let them put our backs against the wall. We got this!” The audience broke out into cheers. A quick rally ended the event with people holding up signs that read “People over Profit” and “Keep Public Housing Public” while chanting in Somali and English.

Coalition’s (DGPHC) website and Facebook page. However, representatives of the MPHA have stuck to their statements and dispute the activist claims. Interim MPHA Director Tracy Scott stated at a previous scattered site meeting last summer that the intentions of Section 18 are to preserve public housing for as long as possible and to make it livable. Sanjeev Mishra, a representative of Twin Cities Musicians Against Gentrification, one of many groups associated with the Keep Public Housing Public Minneapolis Coalition, explained how the new housing proposals will convert housing units to Section 8 project-based housing, which is “heavily discriminated against… The nature of these vouchers is that they are pushing people out of Minneapolis.” Haaris Pasha, a fair housing advocate and attorney, said, “Without any warning, they [MPHA] are increasing the rents by a ridiculous amount. At a time when people are struggling, we shouldn’t be increasing rent.” Pasha had previously written a letter to MPHA commissioners, Minneapolis City Council members and Mayor Frey stating Aleezeh Hasan welcomes reader responses to his concerns over rent increases. In his letter he pointed out that his one-bedroom high ahasan@spokesman-recorder.com. rise unit rent will increase from $691 to $874. He wrote, “These rent increases would be a devastating burden. It would dispropor-

you would like to send cards or flow-

ers, please forward those to Avis Shepherd, 255 West 96th Street, Apartment 1G, Bloomington, Minnesota 55420.

Lawsuit Continued from page 1

the beginning… The Sons of Liberty were dumping tea into Boston Harbor almost two centuries before Dr. King’s Selmato-Montgomery march (which, of course, occupied public roadways, including the full width of the bloodied Edmund Pettus Bridge).” Black folks have historically had to resort to non-violent protest and civil disobedience to secure and guarantee rights. Any threat to those rights would effectively stifle protest for fear of being sued if something goes awry. It is doubly alarming considering that police have been known to deploy undercover agents in an attempt to provoke violence, helping law enforcement discredit organizers while also allowing the police to justify the use of force against protesters.

throwing the object. The Supreme Court ruled in 1982 that leaders of protests could not be held liable for the actions of others unless those bringing suit can prove that the organizer incited violence or directed the violence. This case, which is unique in its claim, was upheld in April by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled rather National news briefs are compiled and broadly that “the First Amendment does written by the MSR editorial staff not protect violence.” However, Judge Don R. Willett of the 5th Circuit Court reversed himself recently. He wrote, “In America, political uprisings, from peaceful picketing to lawless riots, have marked our history from the beginning—indeed, from before

6

December 26, 2019—January 1, 2020

Gift-giving to children

8 etiquette tips By Juliet Mitchell Contributing writer

As

the year comes to a close, I take this time to say thank you for reading my column; I appreciate your feedback and encouragement. Although many of us are blessed (privileged) enough to receive gifts throughout the year, during the holiday season, we are particularly mindful of giving to others. I recall growing up in Louisiana and my mother saying, “Christmastime is a time for babes.” We didn’t have much and compared to today’s standards we were poor. But regardless of what we received or didn’t receive throughout the year, my parents extended themselves to make sure each of us (nine children in the household) had at least one gift for Christmas.

I remember toys hidden in closets, under beds, and left in my father’s truck. I also remember my dad staying up half the night, thinking we were asleep, assembling bikes and toys. During those times, if each family member received one gift, you were blessed, so receiving a gift from someone else outside of your family was not very likely. We shared food, fun and fellowship. Most people did not have the means to give gifts beyond their immediate family. Today, however, gift-giving among friends, relatives, and even casual friends and organizations is commonplace. Since a gift is a present or deed that someone gives to another without expecting anything in return, are there any special considerations around what to give and how to present the gift? Of course, there are! This is what we call gift-giving etiquette.

Order Your 2020 Minnesota SpokesmanRecorder Calendar Now!!!

Since Christmastime is a time when we give special attention to our “babes,” this column will focus on gift-giving to children, specifically children who are not your own. I polled parents and grandparents alike from around the country asking them to share with me what people should consider when giving gifts to their children—gift-giving etiquette with children in mind. I have narrowed the suggestions to eight major considerations. I have also taken the liberty of including some gift ideas for this holiday season.

HOLIDAY GIFT-GIVING ETIQUETTE WITH CHILDREN IN MIND Ask parents first: Unless you know the child and the child’s parents very well, ask the parents first and let them know what you are considering before giving to the child.

Black entrepreneurs selected from our popular Black Business Spotlight series. Proudly display one of these keepsakes in your home or office for only $15! (Add $6 for postage and handling, if mailed).

Call 612-827-4021 today or send a check or money order with $15.00 (plus a $6.00 S&H fee)

• • • • • • • • •

Cajun Twist New Rules Heritage Tea House & Café Fresh Cuts Barbershop Bladed by Hair Love Caribbean Smokehouse Bella Beauty and Hair Selby Wine & Spirits E.bazz Hair Loft & Beauty Supply

• Pimento Jamaican Kitchen

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder P.O. Box 8558 Minneapolis, MN 55408

No pets please: Cute puppies and kittens may be a few of your favorite things, but as a parent frankly stated, “I would not be okay with someone giving my child a pet without my permission first.” Really? Would someone do that? Someone somewhere must have done it and it was not okay. Not even a betta fish; although considered low maintenance, even bettas need care.

No violent toys, please! These include guns of any type or violent video games. “I don’t even care for water guns. So would I be offended if someone brought my child a Is giving money or a gift card acceptable? ‘toy’ gun without asking me? You bet I would,” Money and gift cards are certainly acceptable, said one parent. but consider the age of the child when deciding to give money or gift cards. Some people What’s the magic word? Thank you: Alsay that parents do not need to be informed ways teach your child to graciously accept if the cash or gift card is for a teenager. Um- gifts, no matter how small and regardless mmm! I’m not so sure. Many parents want of what they perceive the value to be. Teach to know what is coming in and out of their them to say “thank you.” house, so if a child (teenager even) comes inAnd on that note, here’s sending a thankto the house with a gift with a value over $25, you to the parents and grandparents who rewould that parent want to know? Would you sponded to the survey. In addition to the tips want to know? shared above, I have compiled a list of gift

Featuring: Celebrate local Black Revolutionary Catering businesses all year long! •• K’s Tommie’s Pizza Our 2020 calendar shines a light on

cultural background. One parent shared, “Keep the child’s cultural background in mind when purchasing gifts. I respectfully ask all of my friends and family members to purchase gifts that are reflective of my daughter’s brown skin. I want her to see positive representations of herself, especially as a toddler.”

Photos courtesy of MGN Even with teenagers, parents want to make sure that “healthy” boundaries are maintained between other adults and their children. Parents also want to be involved in helping their children learn how to use money wisely.

suggestions for kids of all ages: books and educational games; craft and building kits that encourage and stimulate creativity; outings and experiences.

I hope that you will find these holiday giftgiving etiquette tips and gift ideas helpful. Always consider the child’s age: Check the There is joy in giving. Give from your heart, packaging; toys and games are marked with give from your abundant blessings; but when the recommended age group. Just because the giving to a child, check with the parent first. child wants a particular toy or game, it may That’s good gift-giving etiquette; that’s good not be age-appropriate. You wouldn’t want to life etiquette. cause friction or an all-out battle of wills between the parent and the child because the child can’t have what Auntie Tricia gave her. Juliet Mitchell welcomes Give the gift of an experience: A movie readers’ responses to date, a trip to the museum or a special event. jmitchell@spokesmanAgain, check-in with the parent. Make sure recorder.com. you get approval on the type of movie, the movie rating, or the type of experience you are planning before the child knows. Cultural considerations: Consider the child’s culture and heritage, and purchase gifts that are a positive reflection of the child’s

December 26, 2019—January 1, 2020

7

BEST FILMS OF 2019

trayals and raw emotions. As primal in ways Best Documentaries “After Parkland” as “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Full of life “Miles Davis: The Birth of the Cool” at its worst and people struggling to take their “David Crosby: Remember My Name” next steps. “Pavarotti “ “Queen & Slim” (****) – Easily the most talked“Tony Morrison: The Pieces I Am” about black movie of the year. Director Melina Matsoukas (HBO’s “Insecure”) and screenwriter Lena Waithe (TV’s “Master of None”) weave a Best Supporting Actors Jamie Foxx = “Just Mercy” very modern crime tale and a poignant love stoAldis Hodge = “Clemency “ ry together. Hints of social relevance are threadJoe Pesci = “The Irishman” ed in. Lovers on the run are played by Daniel Brad Pitt = “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith. So thoughtful. Bokeem Woodbine = “Queen & Slim” So cool. So romantic. “Uncut Gems” (****) -- A gregarious, Jewish NYC jeweler (Adam Sandler) is deep in debt to Best Supporting Actresses Indya Moore = “Queen & Slim” thugs. His schemes dig him into a deeper hole. Florence Pugh = “Little Women” Gritty, sewer-level urban drama written and diDa’Vine Joy Randolph = “Dolemite Is My rected by the very talented brothers Benny and Name” Josh Safdie. Sandler deserves an Oscar nom. Jennifer Lopez = “Hustlers” Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, Julia Fox, and Shuzhen Zhao = “The Farewell” LaKeith Stanfield round out a powerhouse cast. Best Screenplays “Ad Astra” = James Gray, Ethan Gross “The Farewell” = Lulu Wang “The Lighthouse” = Max Eggers, Robert Eggers “Little Women” = Greta Gerwig “Queen & Slim” = Lena Waithe

By Dwight Brown Contributing writer

2019

offered a diverse array of superb talent— in front of and behind the camera. These movies entertained, educated and often inspired us. They challenged our opinions. They made us contemplate our fate and become more aware of the world around us. Take a look at the best of 2019. Enjoy. BEST FILMS “Booksmart” (***1/2) – Two coeds (Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever, high-school outcasts, find refuge in their close friendship. Animated performances. Funny and thoughtful dialogue. Astute comic direction by first-time filmmaker and noted actress Olivia Wilde. Who knew nerdy teen angst could be hilarious? “Dolemite Is My Name” (****) – King of comedy Eddie Murphy rises like a phoenix in this ohso-hysterical ode to comedian and pioneering indie filmmaker Rudy Ray Moore. Dream team cast includes Keegan-Michael Key, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess, Wesley Snipes, Mike Epps, and scene-stealer Da’Vine Joy Randolph. “The Farewell” (***1/2) – An Asian family handles the last-chapter of life process with charm to spare. Writer/director Lulu Wang digs into her own experiences in a premise and script filled with colorful kinfolk. Star turns by Awkwafina, Shuzhen Zhao and Tzi Ma make the characters lifelike.

Other Great Films “1917” “Ad Astra” “Avengers: Endgame” “The Beach Bum” “Giant Little Ones” “Good Boys” “A Hidden Life” “Hotel Mumbai” “Hustlers” man who purportedly murdered Jimmy Hoffa. Brilliant performances. Strong direction, writing, and editing. An ingenious use of CGI. The crowning achievement of Scorsese’s career. “The Lighthouse” (****) – Two workers (Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe) and a bunch of seagulls are engaged in a melodramatic relationship at a desolate New England lighthouse, circa the 1890s. Brutal allegory. Totally engaging. Director/writer Robert Eggers and co-writer Max Eggers make riveting cinema on a black and white canvas (cinematographer Jarin Blaschke). “Little Women” (****) -- Actress turned director Greta Gerwig gives the classic Louisa May Al-

Best Directors Noah Baumbach = “Marriage Story” Robert Eggers = “The Lighthouse” Greta Gerwig = “Little Women” Melina Matsoukas = “Queen & Slim” Martin Scorsese = “The Irishman” Best First Films Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre = “The Mustang” Mati Diop = “Atlantics” Melina Matsoukas = “Queen & Slim” Olivia Wilde = “Booksmart” Phillip Youmans = “Burning Cane”

“Harriet” (***) – Depicting the legendary life of the courageous abolitionist Harriet Tubman is a task few are worthy of. Director Kasi Lemmons (“Eve’s Bayou”) is the chosen one. Her epic bio tale catalogs the inhumanity and humanity of the 1800s. Cynthia Erivo (“Widows”) infuses Tubman’s spirit in every frame. Terence Blanchard’s emotionally charged musical score is haunting. “The Irishman” (****) -- Martin Scorsese, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino team up for an impressive crime/drama/thriller about a

Best Foreign Language Films “Ash Is Purest White” “Atlantics” cott Civil War novel her own feminist spin with “Corpus Christi” relatable three-dimensional characters. Fiery re“Les Misérables” lationships among sisters, parents, and friends. “Transit” Feels like you’re on a long buggy ride with lots of bumps in the road. Superb performances by Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet and Laura Dern. “Marriage Story” (****) -- Writer/director Noah Baumbach captures the angst of thirtysomethings (Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson) going through what should have been a friendly D-IV-O-R-C-E that turns into a war of threats, be-

“The Mustang” “Never Grow Old” “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” “The Report” “Rocketman” “Sauvage” “Skin” “Us” “The Two Popes” “Woman at War” Dwight Brown is a film critic and travel writer. As a film critic, he regularly attends international film festivals including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto and the American Black Film Festival. Read more of his movie reviews at DwightBrownInk.com. Images courtesy of NNPA

YOU AND A GUEST ARE INVITED TO AN ADVANCE SCREENING OF

MONDAY, JANUARY 6

SHOWPLACE ICON ST. LOUIS PARK, MN Bring in this week’s paper with your mailing label on it to THE MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER beginning MONDAY, DECEMBER 30 AT NOON for your chance to pick up passes to the screening (while supplies last). 3744 FOURTH AVENUE SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55409 SEATING IS LIMITED AND NOT GUARANTEED. PASS ADMITS TWO. WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.

IN THEATERS JANUARY 10 Soundtrack Available Now

JustMercyFilm.com #JustMercy Group Sales: JustMercyFilm.com/groupsales

8

December 26, 2019—January 1, 2020

BULLETIN BOARD

Pamela Russ

ell Photo courte sy of

Anoka Techni cal College

ge welcomes new le ol c Al ic hn ec T A Anok or pAmelA russell developmenT direcT

Courtesy of

MGN

Safety tips to make your holidays happy this season The next two weeks will be fille d 3. Protect against home fire risk s. Put with travel, cooking, gifting and toworking smoke and carbon mon oxgetherness for many Americans , but ide (CO) alarms on ever y level of there are also risks that come along your home and inside and outs ide with the hustle and bustle of the seasleeping areas. Before guests arri ve son. for the holidays check your smo ke “The holidays can be a busy tim e and CO alarm batteries. Also, kee p for many people, but don’t let it disin mind: more than half of hom e tract you from taking simple prec audecoration fires in December are tions to ensure your family stay s safe started by candles. Thin k about usinto the new year,” said FEMA Reg ion ing battery-operated flameless can V Administrator James K. Joseph. “Be dles this season. If that isn’t an opa prepared traveler, and if you’re staytion, place candles at least 12 inch es ing home for the holidays, prev ent away from anything that burns and house fires with smart decorati ng, ensure they can not be reached by heating and cooking practices.” children or pets. Keep the stress at a min imum this holiday season by following a few simple safety tips:

4. Practice smart cooking. Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, gril ling, broiling, or boiling food and turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so they won’t get bumped . Clean cooking equipment after each use —crumbs in a toaster or grea se on the stove can catch on fire.

1. Be a prepared traveler. Know the risk of inclement weather for you r trip before you leave home. List en to the radio or television for the latest weather forecasts and road con ditions. If bad weather is forecast , 5. Heat your home safely. Kee p anydrive only if necessar y and kee p thing that can burn at least thre e your gas tank at least half full at feet away from fireplaces, woo d all times. Talk with family abo ut stoves, portable heaters and radi awho to call and where to meet in an tors. When you leave a room or go emergency. Visit www.ready.gov / to bed, turn heaters off or unp lug plan for tips to get started. them. 2. Pack an emergency supply kit. If you’re driving, keep an emergen cy supply kit in your vehicle with necessities you may need in case you’re stranded somewhere. If you’re packing for a flight or trai n ride, consider a small kit in case of emergency: flashlight, batteries, &a spare USB power ban k.

For more readiness tips, visit ww w. ready.gov, www.usfa.fema.gov , or download FEMA’s free app, ava ilable for your Android, Apple or Blac kberry device. —Information courtesy of FEM A

Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church

Worship Mount Olivet Missionary Baptist Church

St. Paul, MN 55103 651-227-4444

Church School 9:30 am Morning Worship 8:00 & 10:45 am Prayer Service:

Wednesday 7 pm "Welcome to Mt. Olivet Baptist Church"

Are you or do you know of a pet owner that is feeling the pinch? Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, People & Pets Together is a monthly food shelf helping pet owners who have fallen on hard times. The nonprofit also offers veterinary assistance program and other initiatives that contribute to pet wellness. The pet food shelf serves South Minneapolis residents with enough food to last 30 days, as well as such items as supplies, litter and toys. Pet owners outside of the area can make a one-time visit as no one is turned away. People & Pets Together is located at 3745 Bloomington Ave. in Minneapolis. For more info, call 612-722-9998 or go to www.peopleandpetstogether.org. —Information provided by People & Pets Together

Photo by Jovana

Askrabic/Unspl

ash

The Metropolitan Council will receive public comments on the proposed Metro Transit Police Department’s use of body cameras until January 30, 2020, 5 pm.

Rev. Arthur Agnew, Pastor

451 West Central

People & Pets celebrates 10 years of helping pets & owners

METRO COUNCIL SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENTS ON BODY CAMS

Bethesda Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Billy G. Russell, Sr. Pastor

Rev. James C. Thomas, Pastor

from dopo- capital gifts is Th s. er rn lea ong the cash Technical all Anoka Tech nors. Am a ok An at ion wel- sit , Russell alCollege recently h for donations atc m t ea gr a s Rus- wa out in-kind, comed Pamela Rus- so seeks id sa n,” sio vi at tions lop- th equipment dona sell as its new deve ll. ssell se academic proment director. Ru vision that for at th is It Tech s such as steno came to Anoka ssell. She gram Ru s ive ex dr after machines, in November, ep Ano- graph ke to s ive d str her tables an moving back to llege amination ka Technical Co Ta m fro s. cle te home sta to be a lead- vehi s here strong and Russell also hope coma, Wash., w urce for so re er re ca g ct in varher impa she worked with and to extend learners of all ages ni oka Tech ga or An fit nd ro beyo ious nonp ibackgrounds. into the commun zations. ing can be and ais dr un e “F sh of says The University o ty. While she rd work, but it’s als ha settled te ua ng tti ad ge gr ll Minnesota g,” Rus- is sti in rd wa re ry ve e corher new neighgot her start in th . “It’s re- into ed ain pl ex ll se workd, she hopes to porate world, ow that borhoo kn to g in rd wa 500 lved with her ing with Fortune gh re- get invo ou en e ar e er th sociawritneighborhood as companies, but .” re he s ce ur so already on osals ing grant prop back- tion and is ’s ell ss Ru lped e Victim Needs for nonprofits he nprofits a Crim no in nd ou gr to a ent commither transition in respon- Assessm lly cia so d an ment ch is run by career of develop a clear tee, whi is rk wo le sib came te’s Office of Juswork. “When I for the the sta n tio da un fo ta, I ms. back to Minneso pes tice progra work that she ho rk wo to ed nt really wa on at Anoka cially to expand For more informa for a college, espe lopment ve de As . ch ’s Te ch Te mmuAnoka a technical or co onsi- tion about director, her resp or to learn n tio . da ge un nity colle de gener- Fo clu in ies lit bi en to make a gift, vis “They are very op e for aca- how nu ve re ng n/ ati u/e all AnokaTech.ed and affordable to and it: demic programs y all re ’s TC/Foundation. at tA Th ou learners. as well as Ab s ip sh lar ho sc here my vision—to be nual and for to receive an ce ur so re a and be

At the Old Landmark 1118 So. 8th Street Mpls., MN 55404 612-332-5904

www.bethesdamnonline.com bethesdamn@prodigy.net Sunday Service Times: Early Morning Service 9 am Sunday School 10 am Sunday Worship 11:30 am Wednesday Prayer Meeting, 6 pm

Adult Bible Class 7 pm Children's Bible Class 7 pm

2600 E. 38th Street Minneapolis, MN 55408 www.greatfriend.org Phone: 612.827.7928 Fax: 612.827.3587 info@greatfriend.org Sundays 8:00am Sunday School 9:30am Worship Service The Friendly Church Where Everybody Is Somebody

Pilgrim Baptist Church Rev. Doctor Charles Gill 732 W. Central Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 Sunday Worship Service: 9:45 AM Sunday School: 8:45 AM

YOU CAN SUBMIT A COMMENT BY: Hard mail: Metropolitan Council, Public Information, 390 N. Robert St, St. Paul, MN 55101 Phone the public comment line: 651-602-1500; TTY: 651-291-0904 Email: public.info@metc.state.mn.us Community members can also speak to the Met Council directly during the regularly scheduled Met Council meeting on January 8, 2020, which begins at 4 pm. To register to speak, call 651-6021500 or email public.info@metc.state.mn.us. NEXT STEPS Following the public comment period, the Met Council will prepare a summary of comments and responses, along with the final version of the policy recommended for adoption by the Met Council. The item will be submitted for consideration of finalization by the Met Council in early 2020. For more info about Metro Transit body cam policy, go to http://bit.ly/MetCouncilBodyC am Printed copies are available at no charge at 390 N. Robert St., St. Paul. Call 651-602-15 00 or email public. info@metc.state.mn.us. —Information provided by Met Council.

December 26, 2019—January 1, 2020

9

Legals STATE OF MINNESOTA RAMSEY COUNTY

DISTRICT COURT JUDICIAL DISTRICT: SECOND COURT FILE NUMBER: 62-DA-FA-19-1515 Case Type: Domestic Abuse

In The Matter Of Lashell Havis and Obo Minor Child HEARING Vs Lamontre Antoine Logan

NOTICE OF BY PUBLICATION (MINN. STAT. § 518B.01, SUBD. 8)

STATE OF MINNESOTA RAMSEY COUNTY

DISTRICT COURT JUDICIAL DISTRICT: SECOND COURT FILE NUMBER: 62-DA-FA-19-1548 Case Type: Domestic Abuse In The Matter Of Yeng Moua And Obo Minor Child Vs Seng Vang NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION (MINN. STAT. § 518B.01, SUBD. 8)

To Respondent named above: An order has been issued directing you to appear at the Ramsey County Juvenile and Family Justice Center, 25 W 7th St , St. Paul MN 55102 on January 03,2020 8:30 AM Order for Protection Hearing JFJC Court Room 5A Clysdale, Elizabeth and explain why the relief sought in the Petition for the Order for Protection should not be granted. You may obtain a copy of the Petition and any order issued from the court from the Ramsey County Court Administrator’s Office. If you do not appear at the scheduled hearing, the Petitioner’s request may be granted as a default matter. Failure to appear will not be a defense to prosecution for violation of the Court’s Order. Court Administrator, Ramsey

To Respondent named above: An order has been issued directing you to appear at the Ramsey County Juvenile and Family Justice Center, 25 W 7th St , St. Paul MN 55102 on January 13, 2020 8:30 AM Order for Protection Hearing JFJC Court Room 5A Shearen, Diane Clysdale, Elizabeth and explain why the relief sought in the Petition for the Order for Protection should not be granted. You may obtain a copy of the Petition and any order issued from the court from the Ramsey County Court Administrator’s Office. If you do not appear at the scheduled hearing, the Petitioner’s request may be granted as a default matter. Failure to appear will not be a defense to prosecution for violation of the Court’s Order. Court Administrator, Ramsey

MN Spokesman-Recorder, December 26, 2019

MN Spokesman-Recorder, December 26, 2019

State of Minnesota County of Hennepin Summons without Real Estate In Re the Marriage of:

District Court Fourth Judicial Court Family Court Division Case Type: Dissolution With Children Court File Number: 27-FA-19-7910 ORDER FOR SERVICE BY ALTERNATIVE MEANS

Roy L. Snell Jr., Petitioner and Sonya R. Snell, Respondent

THE STATE OF MINNESOTA TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENT: Warning: Your spouse (husband or wife) has filed a lawsuit against you for dissolution of your marriage. A copy of the paperwork regarding the lawsuit is served on you with this summons. This summons is an official document from the court that affects your rights. Read this summons carefully. If you do not understand it, contact an attorney for legal advice. 1. The Petitioner, (your spouse) has filed a lawsuit against you asking for dissolution of your marriage (divorce). A copy of the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is attached to this Summons. 2. You must serve upon Petitioner and file with the Court a written Answer to the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, and you must pay the required filing fee. Answer forms are available from the Family Law Facilitator Program, Family Court Self Help Center located in the Family Justice Center, 110 South Fourth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401. You must serve your Answer upon Petitioner within thirty (30) days of the date you were served with this Summons, not counting the day of service. If you do not serve and file your Answer, the Court may give your spouse everything he or she is asking for in the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. 3. This proceeding does not involve real property. NOTICE OF TEMPORARY RESTRAINING PROVISIONS: Under Minnesota law, service of this summons makes the following requirements apply to both parties to the action, unless they are modified by the Court or the proceeding is dismissed: (1) Neither party may dispose of any assets except (A) for the necessities of life or for the necessary generation of income or preservation of assets, (B) by an agreement of the parties in writing, or (C) for retaining counsel to carry on or to contest this proceeding. (2) Neither party may harass the other party. (3) All currently available insurance coverage must be maintained and continued without change in coverage or beneficiary designation. (4) Parties to a marriage dissolution proceeding are encouraged to attempt alternative dispute resolution pursuant to Minnesota law. Alternative dispute resolution includes mediation, arbitration and other processes as set forth in the district court rules. You may contact the Court Administrator about resources in your area. If you cannot pay for mediation or alternative dispute resolution, in some counties, assistance may be available to you through a nonprofit provider of a court program. If you are a victim of domestic abuse or threats as defined in Minnesota statutes, Chapter 518B, you are not required to try mediation and you will not be penalized by the Court in later proceedings. IF YOU VIOLATE ANY OF THESE PROVISIONS, YOU WILL BE SUBJECT TO SANCTIONS BY THE COURT. NOTICE OF PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS Under Minnesota Statutes, Section 518.157, in a contested proceeding involving custody or parenting time of a minor child, the parties must begin participation in a parent education program that meets minimum standards promulgated by the Minnesota Supreme Court within 30 days after the first filing with the court. In some districts, parenting education may be required in all custody or parenting proceedings. You may contact the District Court Administrator for additional information regarding this requirement and the availability of parent education programs. Dated: November 26,2019 Signed: Ray L. Snell Jr.

Minnesota Spokesman Recorder December 12,19 & 26, 2019

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN-RECORDER 3744 4th Ave. South • Minneapolis, MN 55409 Phone: 612-827-4021 • Fax: 612-827-0577

Tracey Williams-DillarD

cecil e. NeWmaN

Publisher/CEO

Founder-Publisher 1934-1976

Wallace (Jack) JackmaN Co-Publisher Emeritus

Senior Editor Jerry Freeman Community Editor Mel Reeves Digital Editor Paige Elliott

l auNa Q. NeWmaN CEO/Publisher 1976-2000

Norma JeaN Williams Vice President Emeritus

Vice President of Strategic Planning John Jamison

Tony Kiene

Account Representatives Cecilia Viel

Abdi Muhommed

Contributing Writers

Juliet Mitchell Khymyle Mims

Sports Writers Larry Fitzgerald Charles Hallman

Dr. Charles E. Crutchfield III

Administrative Assistant Lannette Stewart

Dr. Clarence Hightower

Contributing Photographers

Abeni Hill

Onika Nicole Craven

Dwight Hobbes

Steve Floyd

Tiffany Johnson

Chris Juhn

Brandon Jones

Travis Lee

Distribution Manuel Alvarez

Aleezeh Hasan

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Date of Auction January 9th, 2020 at 11:00am. According to the lease by and between (1063) Margaret Curry, (1132) Margaret Curry, (2278) Michael Donahue, (3268) Jessica Doocy, (2089) Keith Bourgoin, (2139) Brandon Husen, (2181) Mathew Brownlee, (1075) Adriane Jones, (2112) Gerald Mudgett (2102) Jeremy Rogness (2025) Vanessa Rojas (2059) Ronisha Stibbins (3235) Damarco Thompson, (3167) David Tomlinson Beyond Self Storage #812, and its related parties, assigns and affiliates. In order to perfect the lien on the goods contained in the storage unit The manager has cut the lock on the units and upon inspection, the units appear to contain dog kennel, boxes of cat litter, dishes, chairs, kitchen supplies, shelf dresser lamps, mirrors, trunk, flat screen tv’s, clothing, couch, rugs, pictures, games, children’s toys, bed, tv shelf, lawn chair, racking, books, model sailboat, speakers, seasonal decorations, records, hoverboards, boxes full, tubs full, bags full, and more. Items will be sold online via www.storagetreasures.com or disposed of on December 4th, 2019 at 11:00am or thereafter, at the location listed below to satisfy owners lien in accordance with the state statutes. All goods are sold in "as is" condition. Seller reserves the right to over- ride all bids. All items or spaces may not be available on the date of sale. Beyond Self Storage 1315 Cope Ave E. Maplewood, MN 55109 Beyond Self Storage 345 Industrial Blvd NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413 MN Spokesman-Recorder, December 19 & 26, 2019

Attention: Targeted Group Businesses (TGB) Knutson Construction will be submitting a bid on the following project and invites you to submit your subcontractor and supplier quotations to us. We seek to increase business opportunities with Minority Owned, Women Owned Businesses and Disabled. There is a 10% TGB Goal (Diversity) MAC MSP 2020 G Concourse Gate Infill (GCGI) Terminal 1 – MAC #106-2-910 Bid Date: January 14, 2020 @ 2:00 PM This project consists of a remodel of and addition to the existing G Concourse. The scope includes architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, and civil work. The approximate 71,300 SF building addition includes a restroom block, and infill of the space between Pods 4 and 5, which provide additional gate lobby, event space, food service, mercantile, two-story rotunda, and an addition of a second story to accommodate a Delta Sky Club. Four new exit stairs, two passenger elevators, moving walk, open stair, and service elevator are also proposed. The approximate 72,300 SF remodel includes removal of existing retail and concessions to provide additional gate lobby space, removal of the existing clerestory, and addition of new concessions. Concession spaces to be by others, not in this contract. The scope of the total project is approximately 143,600 SF. Please contact Amy Jansen for additional information or assistance. Knutson Construction Services, Inc. 7515 Wayzata Blvd Minneapolis, MN 55426 Phone: 763-546-1400 / Fax: 763-546-2226 Email: mplsbids@knutsonconstruction.com MN Spokesman-Recorder, December 26, 2019 January 2 & 9, 2020

Monica Zorilla

Desktop Publisher Joe Fahey Laura Poehlman

Dr. Deirdre Golden

NOTICE OF SALE

Dr. Mitchell P. McDonald

MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS

Minnesota Newspaper Association • National Newspaper Publishers Association The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Publications are published every Thursday by the Spokesman-Recorder Publishing Co., Inc. Editorial/Business office is at 3744 Fourth Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55409 POSTMASTER Send address changes to: Minnesota SpokesmanRecorder, P.O. Box 8558, Minneapolis, MN 55408

SUBSCRIPTION RATES:In-state $35 yearly • Outside Minnesota $40 yearly All subscriptions payable in advance.

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER

To place your legal, housing or employment ad

call the MSR at 612-827-4021

Larry Fitzgerald’s column will return next week.

STATE OF MINNESOTA

DISTRICT COURT

HENNEPIN COUNTY

FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT FILE NUMBER: 27DAFA19-7988

In the Matter of Rachel Lewis, Petitioner vs Colin McAfee, Jr., Respondent

Notice of Issuance of Emergency (Ex Parte) Order for Protection by Publication (Minn. Stat. § 518B.01, subd. 8)

To Respondent named above: YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that an Ex Parte Order for Protection has been issued in the above matter. You may request a hearing if you contact the court administrator’s office within 12 days of the date of publication of this notice. You may obtain a copy of the Ex Parte Order for Protection and the form to request a hearing from the court administrator’s office at the following address: Family Justice Center 110 South Fourth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401 Failure to request a hearing or to obtain a copy of the Ex Parte Order will not be a defense to prosecution for violation of the Court’s order. Dated: December 18, 2019 Jessica Rahier, Court Administrator/Deputy

MN Spokesman-Recorder, December 26, 2019

Employment ADVOCATE – Temp to Perm MN Disability Law Ctr. More info: www.mylegalaid.org/jobs

SOE Continued from page 10

“It’s the same game,” the coach noted. “The teaching might be a little different, but it’s all the same game. “The biggest difference,” McGuire said as he compared college and pro ball, “is the athletes who are doing it and the time spent on it. That was a big eye-opener for me.” Despite the NFL’s claims that the Walsh Fellowship program creates and strengthens a pipeline for future non-White coaches, the numbers aren’t backing this claim up. The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport’s (TIDES) latest racial hiring report card shows that only three Black head coaches and two Black general managers began the 2019 NFL regular season. McGuire says he’s fully aware of the long odds if he does one day choose to pursue a pro coaching job. “I’m super grateful for that opportunity” of being in the Walsh program, he said. “I think the connections I’ve built will be one of the biggest things I will get from it.”

His first job in 2015 was assistant defensive backs and wide receivers coach. Now he can add his NFL fellowship to his resume. McGuire said of his time with the Vikings, “I learned how to look at things differently—how to run a practice, organize a practice. How to take a step back and how to evaluate people in a different way.” The Vikings internship isn’t passive, McGuire explained. “They don’t hold your hand. They give you a schedule and let you know where everything is. From there they essentially are watching you to see what you get out of it. “They told me one of the things they do is watch [interns] to see how you are absorbing everything… and putting yourself [into] a part of what they do,” he continued. “They got a job to do, but they are still watching.” He added Charles Hallman welcomes that surprisingly he also reader responses to challman@ learned that levels of foot- spokesman-recorder.com. ball, no matter how high you go, can be intrinsically similar in many respects.

View Continued from page 10

“It was concerning to learn that fans can’t easily find our games, whether they’re looking on cable TV, social media or sports websites,” Engelbert said. “You can find other sports with one click.” It shouldn’t be this hard, not after all these years. Save for a few dedicated women’s sports websites, finding W news specifically and women’s sports generally takes a great deal of intentional effort. The case of gender imbalance still exists. “The men’s sports make more money, so they deserve the most attention” is a wellworn explanation that simply can’t do. “That perception has to change,” Petersen said.

to the top 100 boys in the state and said how many of you want to play in the NBA, every hand would shoot up.” After over two decades of the W, there must be a marketing whiz out there who could do something similar to the way their men’s pro counterparts are promoted. Why not use the same folk that over-promote the NBA, that league’s television partners ESPN and Turner Sports, The W must abandon its “Field of Dreams” approach—they have built it, but still no one’s coming. Charles Hallman welcomes “I think it’s about grass- reader responses to challman@ roots,” Petersen said. “If the spokesman-recorder.com. young women in the United States don’t see the WNBA as a career path, that they can have a sustainable career and make money, [if that’s not] a dream for them, then that’s a problem.”

10

December 26, 2019—January 1, 2020

Still too hard to find women’s sports coverage season “radio silence,” says “The Athletic”’s Lyndsay D’Arcangelo, “really hurts the league’s momentum.” “What makes it a shame,” stressed current Minnesota Timberwolves Analyst Jim Petersen, a former Minnesota Lynx assistant coach, “is

ber. Since taking over last summer, Engelbert has touted her “three pillars” approach: “Further develop the economics of the league,” “more fans in our seats,” and “improving the player experience.” Will this finally solve the W’s woes? Thus far it’s been only talking points speak-

“If the young women in the United States don’t see the WNBA as a career path, that’s a problem.”

Jim Peterson (r) with retired WNBA player Taj McFranklin Photo by Charles Hallman

I

t’s been about four months since Washington won its first WNBA championship in September, the first team owned by a Black woman to do so. The players and the league

ANOTHER

VIEW Charles hallman

are currently in talks for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). And as usual, most league players are spread out across the globe playing off-season ball. The WNBA’s typical off-

Sports odds & ends By CHARLES HALLMAN

that players have to go to Europe to make money.” This fact, however, shouldn’t be a reason why the league can’t promote itself year-round as other leagues endlessly do. NBA all the time. NFL non-stop. Men’s college hoops wall-to-wall coverage. WNBA? Out of sight, out of mind, all the time. “I truly believe there’s no better time than now for us to take advantage and take this league to new heights,” Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said back in Septem-

when I retired from coaching [in 2017],” Petersen continued, “I talked to the top 100 [young] women players in the state of Minnesota. I asked them by a show of hands how many of them wanted to play college basketball, and every hand went up. “I [then] asked how many wanted to play in the WNBA, and you know how many hands went up? Three,” he noted, adding, “If I was talking ■ See View on page 9

ing to the choir. “We can’t thank you enough for all your efforts in telling the amazing stories and your in-depth coverage… We greatly appreciate it,” the Commish told us longtime W reporters. Because of consistent WNBA Casper-the-Ghostlike coverage, we might be seeing “collateral damage” among our youth, its future talent pool, as a result. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert “A couple of years ago Photo by Lorie Shaull

NFL fellowship grooms coaches of color So far the effect on pro coaching numbers is not impressive

The late NFL coach Bill Walsh in 1987 first brought college coaches of color to his San Francisco training camp. This idea eventually expanded league-wide into the Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship, which provides valuable experience for non-White college and high school coaches as well as former players. Nearly 2,000 coaches of color have participated in the 32-year-old program. Seventeen of 86 colleges and universities represented in this year’s program were from HBCUs. Adam McGuire was among 179 Walsh Fellowship coaches. A third-year assistant coach at Trinity (Texas) University, he was among three fellows at last spring’s Minnesota Vikings mini-camp and later training camp and organized activities. “I’m lucky enough to [know] a few coaches that have NFL ties, one being my head coach Jerheme Urban,” McGuire told the MSR. Urban encouraged the young man to apply for the fellowship. McGuire coaches Trinity defensive backs Adam McGuire, right, coaching Trinity players and special teams for Trinity, the San Anto-

nio school that finished 8-2 overall this season and 7-1 as Southern Athletic Association cochamps. He played football at Texas Lutheran University (2011-14), a two-year starter and a team captain. Before he earned his B.A. in social entrepreneurship in 2015, McGuire was a two-time all-conference performer as a safety/ outside linebacker.

“I learned how to take a step back and evaluate people in a different way.” He said he originally sought a business career, not coaching, which “was not something I was looking at. I could see myself go somewhere and make a lot more money,” McGuire admitted. “[Coach Urban] was pulling at my leg to get into it. I felt a call to go into coaching.” Courtesy of Trinity University

■ See SOe on page 9

2019 PREP SPORTS IN PHOTOS

With the holiday season here, let’s reflect on a few highlights of the year PreP Scene Dr. Mitchell PalMer McDonalD

Head Coach Travis Bledsoe leads DeLaSalle to the Class3W state boys’ basketball championship

Participants in the Triple Threatt Girls’ Basketball BeElite Clinic for middle-school girls facilitated by former University of Minnesota player and current Cretin Derham Hall girls’ basketball coach Crystal Flint

Brothers Kendall and Courtney Brown Jr. led Wide receiver Tyler Johnson (Minneapolis North) catches this East Ridge to the Class 4A boys’ basketball touchdown pass leading the University of Minnesota football tournament team to a victory over Penn State University

(l-r) Minnesota volleyball players Adanna Rollins, Stephanie Samedy, Alexis Hart and Taylor Morgan (Blaine) during Senior Night against the University of Iowa

All Photos by Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald