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THE VOICE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1934
See more — Black Panther on pg. 8
February 22-28, 2018 Vol. 84 No. 29 www.spokesman-recorder.com
Black history exhibit just scratches the surface Spiritual leaders
In
the basement of the Hennepin Melvin Carter and Andrea Jenkins, both of County Government Center, two whom recently made history by becoming, stories beneath the main entrance, in Carter’s case, the first Black mayor of St. you’ll come off the escalator and walk into the gallery, which is currently featuring the Black History in Minnesota 101 exhibit. The exhibit is on display until March 28, Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 6 pm. The exhibit is beautifully curated by Hawona Sullivan Janzen and Christopheraaron Deanes and demonstrates a great job in telling the story of Black history in Minnesota in such a limited space. The exhibit features well over 150 pictures, artifacts, and memorabilia sectioned into themes to tell the story of African Americans in Minnesota. While Janzen and Deanes used the limited space very well, the artifacts displayed leaves those who are interested wanting more and wishing it was in a more interactive area. Some of the prominent faces visitors can expect to see are the newly elected officials Artifacts from Sounds of Blackness, Doris Hines, and Prince ■ See Exhibit on page 5 Photos by Khymyle Mims
By Khymyle Mims Contributing Writer
George Bonga, first Black Minnesotan
called to unite against gun violence
By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Last week’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that left 17 dead needs to convince elected officials that gun violence in this country must be seriously addressed, says a national church leader. During a speak(l-r) Presiding Elder Stacey Smith, ing visit in St. Paul, BishAME Church Bishop John F. White op John Franklin White Photo by Charles Hallman told the MSR, “If we don’t get a handle on the gun issue…we are going to lose a tremendous number of ■ See ViolEncE on page 5
New EcoVillage offers ‘deep affordable housing’ to some Hawthorne families Much more needed to address the crisis
By Keith Schubert Contributing Writer Mayor Jacob Frey held a press conference on February 6 to publicly announce the opening of a new 75-unit affordable housing complex in the Hawthorne Neighborhood on Minneapolis’ North Side. The new Hawthorne EcoVillage Apartments, located at 617 Lowry Avenue North, was developed by Project for Pride in Living (PPL) and has been over 15 years in the making. The $18 million complex marks the largest development on Lowry Avenue in over a decade. “Right now, we have an affordable housing crisis in our city,” Frey said. “So, we need to be providing more affordable housing and affordable housing at deeper levels to accommodate [the need].” To be eligible to rent an apartment at Hawthorne EcoVillage, residents cannot make more than 50 percent of the area median income (AMI). In the Twin Cities, 50 percent of the AMI is around $40,000 for a family of four. However, that AMI does not reflect the income levels of residents specifically in the Hawthorne neighborhood. According to data collected by Minnesota Compass, the AMI for the Hawthorne Neighborhood is $22,561. “This is an area that is really economically depressed, so when you use 50 percent of the AMI that is not what many people in my ward and on
EcoVillage front entrance the North Side are making,” Council them that is not an opportunity for Member Phillippe Cunningham said. them,” Samuels said. To make sure the EcoVillage is inCunningham represents Ward 4 on
“One of the things we don’t talk about a lot is dignity in attainable housing.” the North Side. He said the City must think more innovatively to get housing that is more deeply affordable. Sondra Samuels, president and CEO of the Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ), an organization focused on ending multigenerational poverty in North Minneapolis, said the 50 percent AMI guideline is a barrier for families who live in the area. “[Our families] are seeing stuff being built around
clusive to the people of the North Side, PPL included 16 apartments to be set aside for the North Side’s most economically challenged residents. Of the 16 apartments, four are designated for previously homeless people with Group Residential Housing (GRH) subsidies, and 12 are for families working with NAZ. Families who are on GRH receive a base rate subsidy of $893. Out of the
$893, the EcoVillage takes $610 for rent, said the senior director of real estate development for PPL, Chris Wilson. For families working with NAZ, EcoVillage takes 30 percent of their income for rent, which is considered “deep affordable housing.” The other 59 apartments, labeled as “workforce housing,” will have rents ranging from $670 to $950. Housing is one of the biggest challenges impacting the health and prosperity of the North Side, Samuels said. She said 12 units for the poorest people on the North Side aren’t enough, but she noted, “There aren’t 12 families in any of the other developments that have gone up.” “I didn’t think I would be blessed to have something like this,” said Vereicha Winfield. “There’s barriers that have got in the way, so I just consider it to be a blessing.” Winfield is one of the 12 families working with NAZ that live in the apartment complex. Before she lived in the EcoVillage she was paying $840 in rent. Now she pays $657 for an apartment in the EcoVillage that would normally cost more than $900 to rent. The complex will include studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments as well as four three-bedroom town house units. The “Eco” part of the complex includes a number of green amenities like community gardens, solar panels, and a state-of-the art rain treatment and infiltration system.
Cunningham toured the complex and was pleased with the quality of apartments. “One of the things we don’t talk about a lot is dignity in attainable housing,” he said, adding, “Lower rent should not mean lower quality.” PPL’s work is focused on developing affordable housing for low-income families throughout the Twin Cities area. When PPL first started conceptualizing the EcoVillage in the early 2000’s, Hawthorne had more empty lots than any other neighborhood in the city, Wilson said.
Vereicha Winfield with her 7-month-old baby, Christian
Frey pointed out that the fourblock radius occupied by the EcoVillage Apartments adds families and residents to an area that was a “previously underutilized parcel that was fraught with crime.” Council Member Jeremiah Cunningham, who represents Ward 5 where the EcoVillage is located, did not ■ See housing on page 5
Workshop untangled knot of credit, wealth and race By Ivan B. Phifer Contributing Writer Have you attempted to obtain a loan for a home or business, but you were denied because of where you live? Has your credit score been affected by paying a phone bill a week late? Have you found out that manager or executive position was given to a candidate who was less qualified? These topics and concerns were discussed among others during the workshop “The Color of Money: Bad Credit, Wealth & Race.” The event, held on January 18 at the Minneapolis Urban League, was a collaboration of the Minneapolis Urban League and the African American Financial Capability Initiative Community of Practice (AAFCI), which is composed of Hope United CDC, NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, and Summit Academy OIC. The program was moderated by Steve Belton, president of Minneapolis Urban League. Guest
Dr. Samuel Myers, University of Minnesota Photo courtesy of Univ. of MN website speakers were Dr. Mahmoud ElKati and Dr. Samuel L. Myers, Jr. Employers, landlords and insurance companies now use credit reports and scores to make decisions that have a major bearing on our social and economic opportunities. This workshop presented racial discrimination myths among lenders and cultural events in the Black community that affect the lending process. For decades, banks have systematically redlined Black and La-
tino neighborhoods, refusing to make conventional loans or locate branches in lower-income areas. Kimberly Smith-Moore, vice president of Wells Fargo, a North Minneapolis resident born and raised there, manages a down payment assistant program for homeowners. Smith-Moore reported that she became interested in real estate in order to help the Black community realize they could become homeowners. “Purchasing a home is about building wealth. Equity in a home is wealth,” Smith-Moore said. “We need to give our people the right information and proper tools and sources to grow.” Dr. Samuel L. Myers, Jr., a professor of human relations and social justice at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, stated that the average credit score for African Americans is 599, just short of the fair FICO credit range, which is considered to be 630 to 689, according to analysis by Freddie Mac, who buys loans from Wells Far-
go. “Thirty-nine percent of Whites have been turned down for loans as opposed to 59 percent of African Americans,” Myers reported. “Wells Fargo will not tell you ‘I’m turning you down because you are Black,’ Dr. Meyers stated. “What they will say is, ‘I’m turning you down because the secondary market buyer will not buy.’” He also made the case that a lot of African Americans believe
college graduate today faces different circumstances than when he grew up. “When I graduated from college, people used to go to a job, started it, and stayed at that job for years. Now you go through different jobs [after graduation]. Sometimes, however, the change in job is upward mobility and more income.” As Myers stated the various requirements for loans and prop-
“We need to give our people the right information and proper tools and sources to grow.” their credit is worse than it actually is, or do not know the validity or benefits of credit. “African Americans are two to three times more likely to get turned down. If they don’t, they end up paying higher insurance and interest rates, even with a house paid off. The equity is already there. Why are we still being turned down?” Myers also pointed out that a
er credit, he mentioned another thing creditors look for: “One of the questions is, how long have you been at your job. In some cases, if you haven’t been at a job no longer than two years, you can forget about it,” Myers said. “Up until 2005, a good majority of credit lenders did not even use credit scores.” Other factors that predict re-
quirements of a loan include but are not limited to college education, family background, where you live and how long you’ve lived there, equity, business ventures, even family wages. Dr. Mahmoud El-Kati presented the historic racial entities that play a part in current day socioeconomic factors regarding lending and credit. “The problem is White supremacy. The solution to the problem is to defeat that ideology.” “Race is not real. It is a modern idea,” said El-Kati, “not a discovery, but an invention. America is not White. The world is not White.” He said race is really used as indicator of individual ability for cultural achievement. “You can look at me and tell that I’m dumb,” ElKati stated sarcastically. El-Kati pointed out that image-making plays a part in the construct as well. “Black children cannot imagine living in the time of George Washington; they can■ See Workshop on page 5
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February 22-28, 2018
Parents are the First Teachers and Home the First School
In the aftermath of a shooting Help your children manage distress
As a parent, you may be struggling with how to talk with your children about a shooting rampage. It is important to remember that children look to their parents to make them feel safe. This is true no matter what age your children are, be they toddlers, adolescents or even young adults. Consider the following tips for helping your children manage their distress. Talk with your child. Talking to your children about their worries and concerns is the first step to help them feel safe and begin to cope with the events occurring around them. What you talk about and how you say it does depend on their age, but all children need to be able to know you are there listening to them. • Find times when they are most likely to talk, such as when riding in the car, before dinner or at bedtime. • Start the conversation. Let them know you are interested in them and how they are coping with the information they are getting. • Listen to their thoughts and point of view. Don’t interrupt — allow them to express their ideas and understanding before you respond. • Express your own opinions and ideas without putting down theirs. Acknowledge that it is okay to disagree. • Remind them you are there for them to provide safety, comfort and support. Give them a hug. Keep home a safe place. Children, regardless of age, often find home to be a safe haven when
the world around them becomes overwhelming. During times of crisis, it is important to remember that your children may come home seeking the safe feeling they have being there. Help make it a place where your children find the solitude or comfort they need. Plan a night where everyone participates in a favorite family activity. Watch for signs of stress, fear or anxiety. After a traumatic event, it is typical for children (and adults) to experience a wide range of emotions, including fearfulness, shock, anger, grief and anxiety. Your children’s behaviors may change because of their response to the event. They may experience trouble sleeping, difficulty with concentrating on schoolwork or changes in appetite. This is normal for everyone and should begin to disappear in a few months. Encourage your children to put their feelings into words by talking about them or journaling. Some children may find it helpful to express their feelings through art. Take ‘news breaks.’ Your children may want to keep informed by gathering information about the event from the Internet, television or newspapers. It is important to limit the amount of time spent watching the news because constant exposure may actually heighten their anxiety and fears. Also, scheduling some breaks for yourself is important; allow yourself time to engage in activities you enjoy.
Students and staff being led out of Marjorie Stonemason Douglas High School, the site of the Valentine’s Day school shooting. Photo courtesy of MGN Online.
Take care of yourself. Take care of yourself so you can take care of your children. Be a model for your children on how to manage traumatic events. Keep regular schedules for activities such as family meals and exercise to help restore a sense of security and normalcy. These tips and strategies can help you guide your children through
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the current crisis. If you are feeling stuck or overwhelmed, you may want to consider talking to someone who could help. A licensed mental health professional such as a psychologist can assist you in developing an appropriate strategy for moving forward. It is important to get professional help if you feel like you are unable to function or perform basic activities of daily living.
-Information provided by the American Psychiatry Association
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Gene research offers hope for those with brain disorders
D
By Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD octors are getting a much better understanding of the causes of mental illness and other brain disorders. Researchers, for the first time, are discovering the genes that are active in different types of common neurologic diseases. Let’s first review some common neurologic disorders: • Schizophrenia: a long-term mental disorder of a type involving a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion and behavior, leading to faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion, and a sense of mental fragmentation. • Alzheimer’s disease: a progressive mental deterioration that can occur in middle or old age due to generalized degeneration of the brain. It is the most common cause of premature senility. • Bipolar affective disorders: a mental disorder marked by alternating periods of elation and depression. • Alcoholism: an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic liquor or the mental illness and compulsive
behavior resulting from alcohol dependency. • Autism: a mental condition, present from early childhood, characterized by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts. • Parkinson’s disease: a progressive disease of the nervous system marked by tremor, muscular rigidity, and slow, imprecise movement, chiefly affecting middle-aged and elderly people. It is associated with degeneration of the basal ganglia of the brain and a deficiency of the neurotransmitter dopamine. • Depression or depressive disorder: a mental condition characterized by feelings of severe despondency and dejection, typically also with feelings of inadequacy and guilt, often accompanied by lack of energy and disturbance of appetite and sleep. Research scientists have come to a better understanding of many brain (neurologic) conditions and diseases that were common, yet poorly understood. These disorders include the likes of depression, autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and alcoholism. Unlike other neurologic conditions like Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease, many neurologic conditions were classified and diagnosed based on a patient’s behavior. If one looked at their brains, there were no apparent changes. In Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, the analysis of brain tissue shows remarkable differences from those of healthy brains, so that these conditions can be diagnosed anatomically by just looking at them, and not just based on a patients behavior. In
these diseases, the brain demonstrates obvious and dramatic physical changes. Fortunately, doctors’ understanding of the causes of mental illness and other brain disorders is rapidly improving. In a recently published report in the journal Science, Dr. Geschwind and colleagues at UCLA decided to evaluate diseased brains not by how they look at autop- Scientists are studying gene “expression patterns” in sy, but rather by the human brain. what was happening in the brain cells when they ferent types of RNA, produced by had a specific disease. Scientists can genes, inside brain cells.) Scientists are now looking at the do this by looking at what genes are turned on and what genes are turned gene expression patterns in brain diseases like autism, depression, off inside brain cells. Humans have about 25,000 dif- schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, ferent genes. All 25,000 genes are and they have made some fantastic contained in (almost) every human discoveries. Many brain disorders cell. The reason why a kidney cell is have similar patterns of gene expresentirely different from a muscle cell sion. Interestingly, in addition to simiis in what genes are turned on and what genes are turned off. Scientists lar patterns of gene expression, they also have unique patterns of gene excall this “gene expression.” The reason we have different tis- pression that may allow, for the first sues and organs in the human body time, to better diagnose brain diseasdepends entirely on the gene expres- es based on what is happening inside sion in that organ. That is why the the brain cells at the molecular level heart and brain are completely dif- instead of relying solely on the way a patient is behaving. ferent. The molecular gene expression is (Technically, scientists measure gene expression by analyzing dif- a new “signature of a disease” and is
Who reads – and doesn’t read – Nutrition Facts food labels?
U of M School of Public Health study explores frequency and use
Almost every packaged food product has a Nutrition Facts label listed on the back, giving consumers a glimpse of what they’re actually eating. It can help Americans make healthier food choices, but recent research from the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health and Medical School reveals that many people check Nutrition Facts infrequently, if at all. Only about one-third of young adults reported frequent use. “Using Nutrition Facts can help with comparing packaged foods, but we didn’t see a high level of usage,” said Mary Christoph, Ph.D., M.P.H., lead author of the study and post-doctoral fellow in the Medical School’s Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health. “However, young adults who did read Nutrition Facts had better dietary patterns, including eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.” The study was recently published in the Journal of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The omnipresent Nutrition Facts on the backside of packaged foods have changed little since the Food and Drug Administration introduced them in 1990. While some studies have found an association between using Nutrition Facts and eating more produce, little was known about how many people actually pay attention to them and how they impact dietary patterns. “We wanted to understand which young adults used nutrition labels, what parts of the label they read, and how label use was related to food intake. These questions are important for understanding how to better support young adults in making
food choices, and how to meet consumer preferences in terms of label content,” Christoph said. In a cross-sectional population study that was part of the larger Project Eat study led by Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, UMN researchers surveyed nearly 2,000 young adults aged 25-36, primarily located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, to better understand how the labels are used.
The survey data showed people with the following demographics were more likely to read Nutrition Facts: • women • people with high education and income • people who regularly prepare food • people who are physically active • people classified as overweight • people who were trying to lose, gain or maintain weight The research also showed adults who did read Nutrition Facts labels more frequently
were most interested in sugars, calories and serving size. “This is interesting because even though our study took place before the FDA announced the new Nutrition Facts panel in May 2016, our results broadly aligned with the new guidelines, which will highlight calories and serving sizes in a larger bold font, and break out added sugars from total sugars. This is a good sign because it suggests the new FDA guidelines seem to fit the preferences of the young adults in our study,” Christoph said. However, she adds, there are still gaps to fill. “Only about a third of our study sample used labels frequently when buying a food product for the first time, so there’s room for improvement,” she said. She said researchers should continue to study nutrition label usage and how that correlates to eating choices, as well as investigating effectiveness of label design and messaging. That information, paired with the results of this study, could guide public health programming and educational efforts to encourage consumers to use Nutrition Facts. “While older adults might be prompted to eat better due to health conditions, we need to find a way to provide support and motivation to young adults to eat well since your diet throughout life can have a major impact on long-term health,” Christoph said. -- Information abstracted from a University of Minnesota Research Brief
a breakthrough for doctors to assist in diagnosing neurologic disorders and mental illness. As a result, scientists can develop new research programs for better future treatments. Although very promising, this research will take some time to become available for daily use by doctors. This study looked at the gene activity of brains in deceased patients. It is now essential to be able to transfer this research into evaluating gene expression in living patients. This brain disorder research is just a first, yet monumentally critical step in the better diagnosis and treatment of devastating neurologic diseases that affect so many people. Kenneth Kendler, a psychiatrist and geneticist at Virginia Commonwealth University, commented: “This [research] is changing fundamental views about the nature of mental and psychiatric illness.” As a result, the future appears very bright when it comes to a better diagnosis of and treatment for mental illness and brain diseases. Source: NPR, Science. Reference: American Academy of Dermatology Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD is a board-certified dermatologist and Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He also has a private practice in Eagan, MN. He has been selected as one of the top 10 dermatologists in the United States by Black Enterprise magazine and one of the top 21 African American physicians in the U.S. by the Atlanta Post. Dr. Crutchfield is an active member of the Minnesota Association of Black Physicians, MABP.org.
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4 February 22-28, 2018 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.
How committed is new mayor to Minneapolis affordable housing? TRYING MY BEST By Frank Erickson Contributing Commentator Good to see the MN Spokesman-Recorder keeping the homeless crisis on the front page with Charles Hallman’s article, ”Advocates use Super Bowl to highlight housing crisis,” (February 1-7). But the approach talked about in the article is shortsighted. For organizations to pay peoples’ rent without holding landlords accountable is a form of codependence. Currently, landlords addicted to raising rents without addressing their addiction only makes the situation worse. They’ll just keep raising the rent and organizations will have to pay even more to keep poor people in their apartments. Mayor Frey said affordable housing is [his] number one priority. Rents are going through the roof. If this is true, that affordable housing is his number one priority, then getting to the root cause is what he should focus on, and that would be landlord
greed. But the mayor knows if he goes after the landlords he will be labeled a ”radical,” and it will jeopardize his oh-so-bright political future. So, he will play nice. Affordable housing is a predatory issue. It is a civil rights issue. Renters are not getting the same equal protection under the law as property owners. Non-property owners have nowhere to go; they are at the mercy of rental property owners. Property owners prey upon them, and take advantage of them financially. If the mayor really believes ”this is the crucial issue of our time,” then he needs to get down in the trenches and fight for real justice that will help renters in the long run. Frank Erickson lives in Minneapolis.
PimPing King By Rev. Irene Monroe Contributing Commentator With 2018 being the 50th anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination, commemorations honoring the man were taking place across the country. But who would think a Super Bowl ad with a King voice-over would be used to sell pickup trucks? The pitch for Dodge Ram trucks’ “Built to Serve” volunteer program did just that, it also provoked a fast and furious backlash on Twitter and a rebuke from the King Center. Adding insult to injury, the commercial’s narrative arc from beginning to end misappropriated MLK’s essential message in his 1968 speech, “The Drum Major Instinct.” King’s speech rails against materialism; he used cars as a classic example. “Do you ever see people buy cars that they can’t even begin to buy in terms of their income? You’ve seen people riding around in Cadillacs and Chryslers who don’t earn enough to have a good T-Model Ford,” King said in his sermon. Black misrepresentation in commercial advertising, however, is not new. The exploitation of Black talent and the objectification of Black bodies and images to pad the pockets of profit-making corporations under the guise of helping underserved populations and communities is also not new. For example, we all re-
member the 2017 Pepsi commercial fiasco starring Kendal Jenner. The ad preyed on racial and ethnic stereotypes in its attempt to expand the brand to a multicultural consumer base. Also, it misappropriated the iconic and viral photo of Ieshia Evans, the 28-yearold African American mother who, in 2016, during a Black Lives Matter protest in Baton Rouge, stunned the nation, as well as the world, when she silently walked to the front line of heavily armed police and offered her hands to be arrested. Jenner, however, with the reenactment of the White hero/rescuer trope thwarts a possible riot in the commercial simply by offering a White cop a Pepsi. The Dodge Ram truck commercial is not so egregious. The mission of the Ram Nation volunteer program is supposedly not to sell their trucks, but rather to highlight how its Ram Truck owners are a special breed serving all of humanity “from disaster relief to blood drives or even just cutting a neighbor’s grass.” The Dodge webpage uses MLK’s quote to bolster its claim: “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.” Though the ad was tone-deaf in mixing King’s speech with its product promotion of the Ram Nation volunteer program, it didn’t, however, undermine its goals, and that was to sell trucks. The use of revered dead historical figures to pitch products has become a pop-
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ular advertising strategy to instantly attract consumers’ attention given their high level of recognition even if there’s a backlash. In a 30- to 60-second television spot, like the Super Bowl that draws annually one of the largest viewership, revered dead historical figures make the sale for commercial products because their iconic stature in society and the story behind their image easily resonates with viewers. For example, the 2012 Red Bull commercial mocking Jesus’ miracle of walking on water received an outcry from Christians across the country, myself included. The energy drink maker dropped the ad immediately, but its sales soared nonetheless. While I find the Dodge Ram truck commercial disrespectful and dangerous in this political era of fake news, alternative facts, and revisionist history, the commercialization of King suggests that money made from King is more important than his message. Sadly, the ad is not the first time King has been repackaged to sell a product. In 2001, King’s world-renown “I Have a Dream” speech was used in print and TV for Alcatel Americas, a telecommunications and networking equipment company. Alcatel wanted to co-opt the speech to give it a “Forrest Gump”-like spin. Can you imagine? When it comes to pimping a profit from King’s legacy, however, King’s youngest son, Dexter, aids the dilemma. He treats his father’s speeches as commercial literary works, charging license fees for their use. Regrettably, Dexter runs the intellectual properties management arm of the King Center, which appears not to distinguish between commercializing King from communicating King to younger and wider audiences. Its aim is to maximize revenue by any means that presents itself. This time it was the Dodge Ram truck ad. Rev. Irene Monroe is a Huffington Post blogger and freelance journalist.
Trump Era ushers in anti-consumer actions By Charlene Crowell Contributing Commentator In the wake of a recent series of anti-consumer actions taken by Mick Mulvaney, the Trump-appointed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s acting director, a bicameral call for accountability was released on January 31. The effort was led by Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, two other Congressional Black Caucus members, Congressmen Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and Al Green (D-Texas) joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) as signatories. Together, the group of lawmakers seek to know what prompted Mr. Mulvaney’s actions, as well as his ties to the payday lending industry. A January 31 letter calls into question the following specific actions that have occurred over the past month: • Halting implementation of the agency’s final rule preventing abusive payday lending (the ‘Payday Rule’); • Announcement of the Bureau’s intention to initiate a rulemaking process that appears designed to weaken the Payday Rule; • Withdrawing a Bureau lawsuit against four online payday lenders who allegedly misled customers on interest rates that spanned a low of 440 percent to as high as 950 percent; and • Ending an investigation of World Acceptance Corporation, a high-cost installment lender that began in 2014 after consumers complained of unaffordable loans and aggressive collection practices. “For too long, some payday, auto title, and installment lenders have taken advantage of American workers who need a little extra money to pay an unexpected medical bill or [to] fix their car,” wrote the lawmakers. “For too many families, one unexpected expense or tight week traps them in a cycle of debt that lasts months or years…The rule finalized by the CFPB last October was carefully balanced to end that cycle of debt while ensuring that borrowers retain access to needed credit.” The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act that created the CFPB intended for it to be an independent agency, charged with serving as the consumer’s financial cop-on-the-beat. Its director was to be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate to a five-year term of service. Additionally, CFPB was to secure its funding directly from the Federal Reserve Bank, rather than through Congress’ annual appropriations process that could enable powerful special interests to restrict necessary funding. Even though the Dodd-Frank Act also defined a succession plan for an acting director in the event of personnel changes, two people were appointed to this same role. Leandra English was lawfully appointed by the former Director Richard Cordray; while another, Mr. Mulvaney, was appointed by President Trump. The lawmakers’ letter is addressed to both appointees. An appellate federal court will eventually decide who should be the legal acting director, but
in the interim, Mulvaney leads CFPB while retaining his position as director of the Office of Management and Budget. In his prior role as a South Carolina congressman, he co-sponsored a bill to eliminate the CFPB and accepted nearly $63,000 in campaign donations from payday lenders. These donations included $4,500 from World Acceptance Corporation’s political action committee. ”The CFPB spent five years honing the Payday Rule, researching and reviewing over one million comments from all types of stakeholders: from payday lenders, to state regulators, to faith leaders,” wrote Ranking Members Warren and Waters. Now Mr. Mulvaney oversees the daily operations of the same Bureau that returned $12 billion to nearly 30 million consumers in about six years. Instead of regulating financial services, this acting director prefers allowing private enterprise to determine consumers’ choices — including those that are harmful and predatory. He also wants financial businesses to have more input on determining what regulations CFPB should use in their supervision and monitoring. As CFPB’s acting director, Mulvaney also wrote a letter to Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen, advising that “for Second Quarter of Fiscal Year 2018, the Bureau is requesting $0.” Mulvaney added, ”While this approximately $145 million may not make much of a dent in the deficit, the men and women at the Bureau are proud to do their part and to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.” When the federal deficit is hundreds of trillions of dollars, it strains credulity to believe that $145 million will lighten the nation’s debt. But an emerging pattern of the current administration is to allow lengthy delays that could eventually become denials. Key consumer protections in student loans have been delayed as well, and through the Congressional Review Act, a rule that would have allowed consumers to have their own day in court to resolve financial and credit issues has also been rejected. Moreover, Mulvaney directed the CFPB to delay implementation of its prepaid card rule that was designed to help stop abusive fees for users. “I certainly understand the desire to protect taxpayer dollars,” said Debbie Goldstein, executive vice president with the Center for Responsible Lending, “but I think the mission of the CFPB is to protect the taxpayers, the American people, from lenders who target them for highcost and unaffordable loans. And the best way to save Americans millions of dollars is by preventing predatory lending, not by draining the CFPB’s resources.” Charlene Crowell is the Center for Responsible Lending’s communications deputy director. Thank you, Charlene Crowell and NNPA for sharing this story with us.
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February 22-28, 2018
Exhibit
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donated to the exhibit aren’t being featured. The process of Continued from page 1 – along with Democrats Colin Pe- shouldn’t have to do that in this Continued from page 1 elimination was a tough one. terson and Tim Walz ($2,000 each). day and age… We shouldn’t have In fact, the curating team comTwice, following mass shoot- to pray that nothing happens to posed a collection of several potential leaders in this country,” ings in Sandy Hook in 2012 and our children, that they come back Paul, and in Jenkins’, one of the #BlackLivesMatter yard signs no matter the race, creed or col- San Bernardino in 2015, the U.S. the same way we sent them out. first openly transgender Black to show its role in the history of or, adding, “If children aren’t safe Senate rejected a bill to tighten “As a pastor, I am concerned women to be elected to public Black folks in Minnesota. After in school, this speaks volumes on background check requirements, about our nation,” Smith continspending countless hours, the what this country is [now] about.” the Center also noted. ued. “As a presiding elder, I want piece had to be scrapped be- Bishop White is the presiding bishHouse Speaker Paul Ryan said, people to wake up. I want peocause the exhibit is housed in op of the African Methodist Epis- after last week’s Florida shooting, ple to get involved. I want people a government building where copal Church, Fourth Episcopal that there shouldn’t be a rush to ac- to stand up and shout to the roof rules don’t allow display of any District. The Florida shooting is tion, “We have a system to prevent that they must all stop. I want our political or campaign signs. the sixth school shooting this year people who aren’t supposed to get churches to stand up and speak In the religious section, vis- in this country, according to Edu- guns from getting guns. And if truth to power about our gun isitors can read about Pilgrim cation Week. The FBI also reported there are gaps there, then we need sue in our nation, about the menBaptist Church, St. Peter Claver, that there have been 135 U.S. mass to look at those gaps.” tal health issue in our nation.” and the growing Muslim popu- shootings from 1966 to 2017. White said that the time has When the bishop was asked if lation in Minnesota. Artifacts in White says of the February 14 elected officials appear to be be- come for non-political action. “I this part of the exhibit include incident, “Children must be a sa- holden to the NRA, he replied, “I think it’s time for religious peoa robe from Father Stephen cred trust. We must do all that we Theobald, the original pastor can to protect them.” of St. Peter Claver; a pew from What happened last week Pilgrim Baptist church; and again brought to life the gun rights Artifacts from Pilgrim Baptist Church stained glass from St. Thomas vs. gun reform debate in this counEpiscopal Church. try among politicians and others. Viewers will also see rep- Many gun reform advocates ar- think it’s time for us to be more re- ple to call this nation together in office. Visitors will also see im- 32nd state. Within the brief his- resented all the major sports gue that the National Rifle Asso- alistic than political. Our leader- prayer. What we saw last week ages of the Minnesota Vikings tory transcribed lies the stark teams in the Twin Cities, from ciation’s (NRA) anti-gun reform ship has to be sensitive to all peo- says something to us that we have Purple People Eaters and WN- fact that Minnesota was once Vikings jerseys to photos of cur- lobbying efforts have virtually ple. We can’t be great if we are lost the spirituality that we need. It rent Timberwolves players like eliminated any meaningful state divided. We have become a divid- is time for the president to call this BA Minnesota Lynx star Seim- home to 20 enslaved Blacks. nation’s religious people to prayer, The centerpiece is a tribute Minnesota’s own Tyus Jones or federal gun control legislative ed nation.” one Augustus. And, no tribute Last week’s shooting also trou- and to dialogue on how we can to women throughout the his- and Andrew Wiggins. The cu- proposals. tory of African Americans in rators also highlighted the The Center for Responsive Pol- bled Saint Paul Minneapolis Dis- make this country be the counMinnesota. This was a pleasant Twins and their legends Dave itics reports that in 2017 the NRA trict Presiding Elder Rev. Stacey try for all people regardless of race, surprise as they are often over- Winfield and Kirby Puckett. spent nearly $5 million in lobby- Smith. She admitted to the MSR, creed and color.” Spectators end their exhibit ing and spent over $30 million in “I find myself, once again, as a “I am asking that the leaderlooked, and many that are featured are still alive and active, experience with music with re- support of Donald Trump’s 2016 mother, outraged about what has ship of this country call the spirihighlighting just how recent a spect paid to key components of presidential campaign. The group taken place.” tual leaders together,” said White, the famous Minneapolis Sound. also contributed $22,400 in 2015Smith, who is also pastor of St. to help solve the country’s many lot of this histoy is. One of the women featured Sounds of Blackness Music Di- 16 to six Minnesota U.S. congress- James AME Church in St. Paul, issues. is MSR’s very own Launa Q. rector Gary Hines donated an men’s campaigns, four of them Re- said, “As a mother, I have a child Newman, publisher of MSR NAACP award and a plaque publicans – Stewart Mills ($9,900), who goes to high school. I pray evCharles Hallman welcomes (then the Minneapolis Spokes- they received for The Evolution Jason Lewis ($3,500), Erik Paulsen ery day for her when she goes out reader responses to challman@ man and St. Paul Recorder) from of Gospel and Africa to America; ($3,000) and Tom Emmer ($2,000) of the house that she is safe. We spokesman-recorder.com 1976 to 2007. Other well-known the Journey of the Drum. Hines names are Penumbra’s Sar- also donated some visual piecIncludes Launa Q. Newman, ah Bellamy, Minneapolis May- es honoring his late mother, DoSharon Sayles Belton, and or Sharon Sayles Belton, and ris Hines, and her career as a Sarah Bellamy the only woman to play pro- jazz singer. Continued from page 1 The exhibit is packed with to Black history in Minneso- fessional baseball in the Negro too much for one article to ta would be complete without Leagues, Toni Stone. Janzen wanted to highlight name. The curators did a specpaying homage to Minneaponot imagine the man with Washington was Black. lis-born music pioneer and legWhen Thomas Jefferson woke up in the morning, end Prince Nelson. most of the people he saw were Black. Blacks were a “I want [visitors] to come part of the first U.S. Census in 1790. and find connections to stories “We have Black people right now who resist bethat they already know about ing taught their own history. Not the history writBlack life in Minnesota,” says ten in the book, but your family history, your culturexhibit curator Janzen. “[I alal history. “I’m one of the people who embraces the so] want them to see someone past,” El-Kati said. new, someone [like] a rising star “There are different interpretations of our history. or a story that they never knew This is my interpretation of what history is. No one about that shows what early since 1619 has more invested in this country than Black inhabitants of the state Dr. Mahmoud El-Kati Black Americans. Five thousand [Black Americans] were doing here and how they Uniform of Angela Steward-Randle, colonel in fought in the Revolutionary War. I dare you to tell me were living their lives, and how MN National Guard Photo from El-Kati’s website go back to Africa.” long we have been a part of the El-Kati encouraged patrons of the workshop to history of Minnesota. Ivan B. Phifer welcomes reader responses to “And then I hope that they Angela Steward-Randle, who is tacular job capturing Black his- become more inclined toward community support will come and experience this currently serving as a colonel in tory in Minnesota, as it is truly and knowledge. “Support your local Black busi- ivan.b.phifer@gmail.com. with a friend, and probably tell the Minnesota National Guard. a crash-course exhibit. Janzen nesses. Read the Black press. If you don’t have history, you’re not a human being. History is just another word for humanity.” first African American born in the territory of Minnesota. While visitors read Bonga’s story, they’ll also read about very early African American history prior to and during the process of Minnesota becoming the
“I find myself, once again, as a mother, outraged about what has taken place.”
Workshop
“I want visitors to come and find connections to stories that they already know about Black life in Minnesota.”
us what they think should be in In telling the story, Janzen exthe show but is not. That means plains that she holds the highest that they are engaged, that they position ever held by an African are interested, and that they feel American woman in Minnesoinvested in the legacy of Black ta’s National Guard, and points Minnesota, and that makes me out the maternity uniform that was donated to the exhibit. excited,” Janzen says. Jansen explains why many The exhibit begins with the story of George Bonga, the artifacts and photos that were
puts it best, stating that it’s not really 101 but rather 001 and just scratching the surface.
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February 22-28, 2018
REVIEW: Marvel’s Black Panther is near perfect
(l-r) Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan star in Black Panther. By Dwight Brown Contributing Writer
T
he Black Panther character was first introduced into the Marvel Studios pantheon back in 1966. The launch took place in the comic book “Fantastic Four Vol.1” issue 52. So why did it take 52 years for that character to make its solo debut on the silver screen? Well, apparently it takes five decades to make a nearperfect Black Marvel film. And it is worth the wait. Audiences got a taste of the newest incarnation of the character when T’Challa/Black Panther debuted in the previous movie Captain America: Civil War, the saga in which Avenger characters battled against each other. With filmmaker Ryan Coogler (Creed, Fruitvale Station) as its director and spiritual guide and a script he cowrote with Joe Robert Cole, this Marvel chapter is decidedly and unapologetically Afrocentric — it’s all about
The crooks intend to sell the relic to a CIA Agent (Martin Freeman). For some reason, Erik has an unbridled anger for T’Challa and his deceased father. He seeks their throne, which he feels is rightfully his. The king is led into a dangerous Korean casino where the artifact purchase will go down. His guides are his love interest Nakia (Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years A Slave), who is a Wakandan international spy, and Okoye (Danai Gurira, The Walking Dead), the fearless head of Dora Milaje, the Wakanda Special Forces. The success or failure of their mission holds a key to Wakanda’s future. Coogler’s rich and dense script features a plethora of characters who have varied relations with the king: There’s W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out), head of security for the Border Tribe; Shuri (Letitia Wright, Urban Hymn), T’Challa’s tech wiz sister, who is also a scientist and inventor who supplies her brother with weap-
ons and gadgets; M’Baku (Winston Duke, TV’s Person of Interest), leader of the Jabari Tribe, who once challenged T’Challa; and the Queen Mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett). Once the plot and characters are set in place, the storyline winds its way through various countries, highlighting strong rivalries, a touch of romance and some comic moments. What’s different about this Marvel episode is that there are also themes that debate whether wealthy African countries should stay self-contained or become an active part of the diaspora and advocate for social and economic justice in other places. That’s not the kind of subplot or character motivation audiences will find in a Thor, Iron Man or a Captain America movie. Kudos to Coogler for being a courageous filmmaker able to handle social issues, as well as cartoon characters. Also, the dialogue can be
■ See Black panther on page 7
the Motherland and a bit about urban America too. Upon the death of his father, the king of Wakanda, T’Challa, (Chadwick Boseman, Marshall, 42), the prince, comes home to the mythical and modern, high-tech metropolis hidden somewhere in Africa. To ascend to the throne, the heir must take on challengers in a public ritual, witnessed by his people. He does. As the new king, vested with superhuman powers, Black Panther is the protector of his nation. In short time, he is pulled out of his comfort zone when he is asked to track down Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), a South African illegal arms dealer, who is involved with dastardly American mercenary Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan). The two have a precious Wakandan artifact made of “Vibranium,” a powerful, mystical, precious metal that empowers the kingdom and was the founda- Lupita Nyong’o (left) and Letitia Wright star in Black Panther. tion material for Captain America’s shield.
Photos courtesy of Marvel
Take 6 and Manhattan Transfer joust in fun at the Ordway Produced by
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(l-r) Alvin Chea, Mark Kibble, Joey Kibble, David Thomas of Take 6 and Alan Paul of Manhattan Transfer. Photo by James L. Stroud, Jr.
By James L. Stroud, Jr. Contributing Writer Two Grammy Award-winning groups — one delivering four-part harmonies as the quartet Manhattan Transfer, and the other being one of the most versatile a cappella groups in the music business as sextet Take 6 — performed live to a sold-out auditorium at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul on Feb. 15. According to both groups, who shared the stage for the opening number, Minnesota was one of the coldest stops of their collaborative tour entitled The Summit. After the groups performed three songs for the opening of the show, they introduced each other to the audience and Take 6 left the stage. Thus began the stage rotation of each group until close to the latter half of the show. Both groups’ music was tight, and their voices sounded well-preserved and crystal clear. Manhattan Transfer left the stage for Take 6, and then it was time to get funky. Leading off with the crowdpleasing funky groove was Take 6 bass man Alvin Chea. Once he started the bass line and drum sounds, Khristian Dently moved to piano, and both Joey Kibble and David Thomas picked up folk guitars to display yet another facet of the group’s versatility and talents. Later, both groups returned to the stage for some friendly musical jousting that led to both groups going back and forth — Take 6 would sing a few of Manhattan Transfer’s hit songs and vice versa, while pretending to outdo each other. It was all in fun. The audience loved every minute of it. These two musical giants have racked up 20
Grammy Awards between them. Manhattan Transfer has earned 10 Grammys to date as they celebrate the 40th anniversary of their debut album on Atlantic Records. Original group members Janis Siegel, Alan Paul and Cheryl Bentyne have added newest member Trist Curless — a replacement for the group’s founding member Tim Hauser, who passed away in October 2014. Take 6, on the other hand, celebrates their 28th anniversary. The group started in 1980 at Oakwood College in Alabama and has since racked up 10 Grammy awards out of 24 nominations in a variety of categories ranging from R&B to soul, jazz and Gospel, including 10 Dove Awards. Both groups came back together for the final number to a standing ovation. After the show, Take 6 made themselves available behind the tables where they signed copies of their CDs. The Summit Tour has been selling out all over the country for going on two years now, said Chea of Take 6 to MSR after the show. Asked what’s next for the tour, Chea said, “We have a special coming out that will be available on video soon, just checkout the website.”
Directed by Lou Bellamy Assistant Directed and Choreographed by Patdro Harris
To learn more about The Summit Tour Concert Special, go to the Take 6 website at www.take6.com. James L. Stroud, Jr. welcomes reader responses to jlswriter@gmail.com.
childrenstheatre.org/TheWiz | 612.874.0400
February 22-28, 2018
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Remembering trailblazing playwright and writer Lorraine Hansberry
Courtesy of PBS By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer On Broadway (1959), in movie houses (1961), and afterward on television, Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun increasingly held Black audiences — as well as White — rapturously spellbound. As hasn’t been done since, the American landmark helped usher this nation into the civilized world. The August Wilson of her day, Hansberry’s phenomenally unprecedented success
came by rendering the culturally specific completely universal in a story rich in immediacy to convey a saga of humanity. Dramatizing that Black folk, yes, are people, too, whose lives matter. Said social statement galvanized via artistic genius, crafting a masterpiece, indeed blueprinting how to structure a flawless script — seamless, subtly immediate, so powerfully convincing it felt like real life. As well, her depiction of the Younger dispelled stereotypes with authentic portrayals seldom seen in an era accus-
tomed to caricatures. Warring with and wounding one another — as families do — ultimately bonded and strengthened by love, they pull together against adversity and valiantly prevail. Hansberry thus made history. At 29, African America’s first winner of the still highly coveted New York’s Drama Critic’s Circle Award, launching celebrity she leveraged to fight for civil rights. Recalling that tumultuous era, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were iconic on the front lines; Hansberry doesn’t readily come to mind. She had her shoulder to the wheel, though. She raised unadulterated hell at a White House summit, castigating President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Then, storming out, leaving with James Baldwin, Kenneth Clark, Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne and others, all of whom she realized were invited not to inform and influence racial policy but as figureheads whose participation would take the heat off a foot-dragging administration more interested in reelection than ensuring the equality it supposedly championed. Early on, hers was a courageously uncompromising spirit. She integrated a University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1949, becoming so politically active, a classmate, pioneering future television news luminary Bob Teague, called
Black Pearl ‘intimate discussions’ give voice to the plight of Black men
Hansberry “...the only girl I knew who could whip together a fresh picket sign with her own hands at a moment’s notice for any cause or occasion.” She left without graduating from New York City where she attended socially progressive institution The New School. She lived in Harlem and, continuing her activism, fought evictions by which slumlords routinely with or without reasonable cause tossed tenants and their belongings on the sidewalk. In 1951, she joined the staff of Paul Robeson’s Freedom newspaper working alongside W. E. B. DuBois. In addition to supplying articles and contributing commentary (supporting among other causes the Mau Mau revolt in Kenya), she pitched in as subscription clerk, receptionist, typist and editorial assistant. Next year, Hansberry attended an Uruguay peace conference, subbing for Paul Robeson who the U.S. Department of State denied travel rights. This put her on a Federal Bureau of Investigation watch list, which, still spying on her 10 years later, noted A Raisin in the Sun as containing “dangerous” Pan-Africanist themes. On January 15, 2018, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, American Masters — Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart (PBS) premiered, looking in depth at the life of this enduring icon. Narrat-
Continued from page 6
By Dalia Taha Contributing Writer Black Pearl, LLC kicked off its first “An Intimate Discussion with Black Men” gathering on February 15, with the goal of dissecting the current experiences and history of Black men in America. Established in 2016 by local power couple Marques Armstrong, president and CEO of Hope & Healing Counseling Services, and Civil Rights Attorney Nekima Levy-Pounds, Black Pearl aims to serve as “a catalyst for racial, social, and economic justice” according to the organization’s website. In addition to Armstrong and Levy-Pounds, the panel included Pastor Brian Herron of Zi-
on Baptist Church, Teto Wilson of Wilson’s Image Barber Shop and Ricky Kinchen, a member of the Grammy Award-winning group Mint Condition. “’An Intimate Discussion with Black Men’ focused on empowerment,” Levy-Pounds told the MSR after the event. The discussion included people of multi-cultures, religions, ethnicities, and backgrounds. LevyPounds predicted that the series of discussions will “break down the walls” and provide a platform to dig deeper into issues. One such topic was the need for better policing — specifically in light of the killing of Jamar Clark by the Minneapolis Police Department in 2015. Wilson was a witness to the shooting yet
his account wasn’t used during prosecution. Black Pearl hopes to continue these candid discussions and welcomes anyone of any ethnicity who may be looking for the company’s services, which includes training and workshops, consultations and more. The date for the second discussion has yet to be announced. Black Pearl is located at 1011 W Broadway Suite 105 in Minneapolis. Check www.blackpearlmn. com for updates and more information. Dalia Taha welcomes reader responses to dtaha@spokesmanrecorder.com.
WIN ADVANCE SCREENING PASSES!
Bring this ad to the offices of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder (3744 4th Ave. S., Minneapolis) starting Monday, February 26, for a chance to win a screening pass (admits 2) to
Screening is Wednesday, February 28 at 7:30 P.M. Winners will be chosen at random from entries received. One pass per person. Each pass admits 2. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Employees of all promotional partners and their agencies are not eligible.
IN THEATERS MARCH 2
To see PBS’ Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart, go to http://bit.do/ LorraineHansberryPBS. To see A Raisin in the Sun on the local stage, see Park Square Theatre’s production running from Feb. 22 to March 16. For more info, visit parksquaretheatre.org. Dwight Hobbes welcomes reader responses to P.O. Box 50357, Mpls., 55403.
Black Panther is a vibrant, empowering allegory hidden beneath the cloak of a comic book movie
Black panther (l-r) Pastor Brian Herron, Teto Wilson, Nekima Levy-Pounds, Marques Armstrong (with 7-month-old daughter Assata) and Ricky Kinchen. Photo by Dalia Taha
ed by LaTanya Richardson Jackson, featuring the voice of Anika Noni Rose as Lorraine Hansberry — both have acted in A Raisin in the Sun — the program, of course, pays homage to her hallmark achievement, interviewing original cast members Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, and Louis Gossett, Jr. Importantly, it also documents the playwright and essayist’s lifelong commitment to fighting injustice and how she embarked on theatre, emerging as a salient voice for civil rights at crucial time. There is, it goes without saying, no telling what monumental contributions she might’ve further made had she not succumbed to pancreatic cancer at age 34 in 1965. All the more important to honor her memory, celebrating what Lorraine Hansberry lived long enough to accomplish.
very royal and serious or completely cheeky, like when Shuri off-handedly refers to the CIA agent as a “colonizer.” It’s a joke, but it’s not a joke. As a writer/director, Coogler has firmly established that his strength is in creating and developing intimate relationships that capture the viewer’s attention. The innocent young man killed in Fruitvale Station and his mom were tight; the young boxer and elder pugilist in Creed had a strong bond, too. Whether it’s the king and his spritely little sister, his evasive lover or his archenemy, you never question the characters’ interpersonal dynamics. Also, the director has chosen a very theatrical ambiance. The pageantry is as thick as that in a Broadway play, and the actors seem to relish the grandeur. The overall look of the film is exceptional, though you have to get used to the potpourri of styles and effects: At times scenes feel like a hip Fast & Furious episode (the car chases) and other times like the Lion King (with a sweet Disney-ish tone). There are scenes of African landscapes that look like they are from an Abderrahmane Sissako film (Timbuktu), while some of the space travel and ships evoke Star Wars. That’s an observation, not a complaint, though it would have been cool if the footage looked completely different from anything audiences had ever seen.
The screen is ablaze with Africanesque costumes (Ruth E. Carter, Selma) and exotic sets (production designer Hannah Beachler, Moonlight; set decoration Jay Hart, L.A. Confidential). The beguiling musical soundtrack (Ludwig Goransson, Creed) and energized ultra-hip music (“All the Stars” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA) are candy for the ears. The footage is perfectly lit (D.P. Rachel Morrison, Mudbound). Boseman plays the stoic lead, and aptly balances vulnerability with an inner strength and determination. The overly confident and scampish Wright as his sis, the brave-beyondreason Danai Gurira and gorgeously beautiful Nyong’o are a joy to watch and far more animated. The male co-stars have charisma too: Jordan makes a fine, bitter villain. Kaluuya and Duke match warrior instincts quite well. Bassett and Forest Whitaker as Zuri represent a generation of wise elders with great dignity. It took forethought, intelligence, social consciousness, an understanding of Black history and great artistry to make one of the most anticipated films of the decade a success. Coogler and his crew don’t disappoint. This is one of the most entertaining Marvel movies ever made. Black Panther is a vibrant, empowering allegory hidden beneath the cloak of a comic book movie, where most of the characters are Black, large and in charge. Dwight Brown is a film critic and travel writer. Read more movie reviews at DwightBrownInk.com. Thanks to Brown and NNPA for sharing this review with us. EDITOR’S NOTE: Black Panther far exceeded expectations and smashed box-office records opening weekend with a stunning haul of $235 million domestically and $404 million worldwide, shattering the Hollywood myth that movies with predominantly Black casts perform poorly internationally. Also of note, in four days, Black Panther has earned more domestically than Justice League did during its entire run ($228.6 million). Look for more on the history-making success, reach and cultural significance of the Black Panther in coming issues of the MSR.
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February 22-28,2018
MnDOT clOsing 38Th sTreeT briDge Legendary referee reflects on triumphs and trials as local history maker
anD five raMps As a part of 35W@94, the Downtown to Crosstown project on I-35W between 43rd Street and downtown Minneapolis, the 38th Street bridge over I-35W is scheduled to close in lateFebruary/early-March for reconstruction and will remain closed through mid-summer 2018.
BRIDGE CLOSED
March 2 through Aug. 38th St. bridge closed over I-35W Intersections of Stevens Ave. and Second Ave. S. between 37th and 38th Streets will be closed to all but local traffic. 10 pm March 2 to 5 am March 5 NB I-35W closed from Hwy 62 to I-94 SB I-35W closed from I-94 to 46th Ave.
RAMPS CLOSED
10 pm March 2 to 5 am March 5 I-35 north to I-94 west I-94 east to I-35 south Hwy 62 west to I-35 north Hwy 62 east to I-35 north March 2 through 2021 36th St. ramp to I-35 south
For more info, contact info@35w94.com or call the hotline 612-284-6125.
Jim Robinson
Photo by Onika Nicole Craven tournament to decide the season’s state boys’ high school basketball champions. Although it was historic, Robinson said the game wasn’t without twists and turns. “My first one in the state tournament was not the prettiest,” he noted. First of all, he was assigned to work the game that featured then-Minneapolis Central, “who at the time was one of the few schools in the metro area that was primarily an all-Black team,” Robinson duly noted. And since he also was Black, as expected, some in the crowd hinted quietly or loudly that Robinson would be one-sided in his officiating. “Just about every call I made, whether it was [for] Central or against Central, I got heat from both coaches,” Robinson said.
By Charles Hallman Staff Writer
N
early 50 years ago this March, Jim Robinson made Minnesota boys’ basketball history. “I worked the [state] tournament three years in a row,” beginning in 1971 as a game official, Robinson proudly stated. The longtime referee, now a supervisor of officials for the Minnesota State High School League, reflected on his legendary career in a recent MSR phone interview. Robinson for many years was among the few Black officials who regularly worked boys’ basketball games in the area. “There were a number of African American men who both had been coaches at some time and did some refereeing, but not like I was doing,” he remembered. “I was probably doing more games than most of the other Black officials. I was a seasoned referee [but] it took me 15 years to get to work or be [considered and selected] to work in the state tournament.” Then sometime in February of 1971, he received a simplyworded letter inviting him to attend an officials’ meeting at the University of Minnesota. “It said, ‘Welcome, you have been selected to [work] the state tournament,” Robinson recalled of the history-making correspondence from the High School League. He would be a member of the eight officials who would work the annual
Then late in the contest, “I called the foul but I didn’t know who the foul was on, the number of the player and more importantly…I didn’t know if the ball [went] into the basket or didn’t go in,” Robinson said. There wasn’t instant replay then but the scorers’ ta-
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ble helped him out, and the foul stood as called. “I finally made the motion of a good basket. It appeared like five minutes when it was probably a couple of minutes,” Robinson remembered. In either case, the official became the most hated man in the place: “[Some might have thought] this African American referee doesn’t know what he’s doing,” he added as he survived and completed the game. “That was my first experience of refereeing in the tournament.” And his place in history was recorded as well. Working the state tournament “was a great challenge,” and it wasn’t about not being the same skin color of most officials that regularly got such plum assignments, Robinson pointed out. That first year, he was one of only two nonschool officials chosen — up to that point the referees were also school teachers or administrators. Robinson for many years was the director of the teen center at the Inner City Youth League in St. Paul. Also, he later learned that his name came up after being “scouted” by a High School League official to determine whether or not “I was worthy of being a state tournament official,” Robinson said. “I had some mixed feelings against this guy who was selecting officials for the state tournament for years” and the official once “made some disparaging remarks” about him. “I jumped up and got in his face. My friend separated me from him,” Robinson recalled. A high school athletic director also told Robinson that his name was being discussed in an athletic directors meeting after a St. Louis Park state legislator and the late James Griffin, one of the state’s first Black officials and Robinson’s mentor, “lobbied the legislators [who] wanted to know how come these many years that [the high school league] never had an official of color refereeing in the state tournament,” Robinson said. He looked back with pride — Blacks today working state tournament games are commonplace. But he easily remembered the time when it wasn’t this way. “I was the only Black official at the time that was of any note in the Twin Cities metropolitan area or the State of Minnesota,” Robinson concluded. “I could work every night if I wanted to.” Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.
go green! Stay Informed on envIronmental and SuStaInabIlIty topIcS!
Worship Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church
Mount Olivet Missionary Baptist Church
Bethesda Baptist Church
Rev. Arthur Agnew, Pastor
Rev. Billy G. Russell, Sr. Pastor 2600 E. 38th Street. Mpls., MN 55408 612-827-7928 fax: 612-827-3587 www.greatfriend.org Sunday Morning Worship: 8 am Sunday School: 9 am Morning Worship: 10:40 am N.B.C.: 5:30 pm Evening Worship: 7pm (1st Sunday) www.greatfriend.org The Friendly Church Where Everybody Is Somebody
Rev. James C. Thomas, Pastor 451 West Central
Pilgrim Baptist Church Rev. Doctor Charles Gill 732 W. Central Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104
Dr. Willa Lee Grant Battle, Pastor 1908 Fourth Ave. So. Mpls., MN 24 Hour Dial-A-Prayer: 612-870-4695 www.gtdci.org Sunday School 9:30 am Sunday Worship 11:30 am Prayer Daily 7 pm Evangelistic Service: Wednesday & Friday 8 pm
Sunday Worship Service: 9:45 AM Sunday School: 8:45 AM
St. Paul, MN 55103 651-227-4444 Church School 9:30 am Morning Worship 8 & 10:45 am Prayer Service: Wednesday 7 pm
"Welcome to Mt. Olivet Baptist Church" Grace Temple Deliverance Center
At the Old Landmark 1118 So. 8th Street Mpls., MN 55404 612-332-5904
www.bethesdamnonline.com email:bethesdamn@prodigy.net
Service Times: 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
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February 22-28, 2018
Legals
Employment University of Minnesota Extension SNAP-Ed Educator Hennepin and Ramsey Counties
State of Minnesota Certificate of Assumed Name Minnesota Statutes Chapter 333 ASSUMED NAME: PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS: NAMEHOLDER: Joshua P Johnson
The Law Offices of Josh Johnson 310 4th Ave South Ste 7000 Minneapolis MN 55415 USA 310 4th Ave South Ste 7000 Minneapolis MN 55415 USA
In whose signature is required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required who has authorized me to sign this document on his/her behalf, or in both capacities. I further certify that I have completed all required fields, and that the information in this document is true and correct and in compliance with the applicable chapter of Minnesota Statutes. I understand that by signing this document I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Section 609.48 as if I had signed this document under oath. SIGNED BY: Joshua P Johnson, Attorney/Sole Proprietor EMAIL FOR OFFICIAL NOTICES: megan@joshjohnsonlaw.com DATED: 1/16/2018 11:59 PM Minnesota Spokesman Recorder February 15 & 22, 2018 STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF HENNEPIN In Re: Estate of Adele Jane Swanson, a/k/a Adele J. Swanson, Decedent.
DISTRICT COURT FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT PROBATE DIVISION Court File No.: 27-PA-PR-18-86 NOTICE OF INFORMAL APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS
TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND CREDITORS: Notice is given that an application for informal probate of the Decedent’s will dated November 20, 2013, (“Will”), has been filed with the Registrar. The application has been granted. Notice is also given that the Registrar has informally appointed Lauren Kay Swanson, whose address is: 7326 Columbus Avenue South, Richfield, MN 55423 as personal representative of the Estate of the Decedent. Any heir, devisee or other interested person may be entitled to appointment as personal representative or may object to the appointment of the personal representative. Unless objections are filed with the Court (pursuant to Minn. Stat. 524.3-607) and the Court otherwise orders, the personal representative has full power to administer the Estate including, after 30 days from the date of issuance of letters, the power to sell, encumber, lease or distribute real estate. Any objections to the probate of the will or appointment of the Personal Representative must be filed with this Court and will be heard by the Court after the filing of an appropriate petition and proper notice of hearing. Notice is also given that (subject to Minn. Stat. 524.3-801) all creditors having claims against the Estate are required to present the claims to the personal representative or to the Court Administrator within four months after the date of this Notice or the claims will be barred Dated: February 15, 2018 ALONNA J. WARNS Registrar SARAH LINDAHL PFIEFER Deputy Court Administrator
ATTORNEY FOR APPLICANT BRUCE B. PHILLIPS 2805 Cliff Road East #300 Burnsville, MN 55337 651-208-2420
SNAP-Ed Educators promote and improve individual and community health by promoting healthy eating behaviors and physical activity in low income communities. REQUIRED: - Bachelor’s degree in health, nutrition or a closely related discipline OR a combination of education and related experience to total four (4) years. - Two (2) or more years of experience in teaching, community engagement, community health promotion, or community education within the African American community. To apply, go to the U of MN Employment System. http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/employment/ index.html Job Opening ID: 322271 Deadline to apply: March 24, 2018
Equal Opportunity Educator and Employer
Desktop IT Support CorVel Corporation is seeking regional desktop IT support. Desktop set up and support will require skills with MS Client OS, SCCM clients, iPads/mobile phones, hardware support; VPN – experience with EDI’s preferred. Associate’s degree or equivalent or one year of experience in providing IT support required. Highly organized individual with a positive attitude and the ability to multi-task switching back and forth between tasks at a moment’s notice is needed. Submit resume and salary requirements to: Michele_Swearingen@CorVel.com, or fax to: 866-910-4304 Equal Opportunity Employer
MN Spokesman-Recorder, February 22 & March 1, 2018
STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF HENNEPIN WITHOUT REAL ESTATE
CASE TYPE: DISSOLUTION WITHOUT CHILDREN DISTRICT COURT FOURTH JUDICIAL COURT CASE NO: 27-FA-18-53
ORDER FOR SERVICE BY ALTERNATIVE MEANS In Re the Marriage of: LaConya Lewis, Petitioner and William Thomas Lewis, Sr. 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. Date: 01/03/2018 Signed: LaConya Lewis MN Spokesman-Recorder, February 15 & 22, and March 1, 2018
Housing Holmes Greenway Housing Now accepting waitlist applications for 1 BR, Section 8 unit from February 20 to March 20, 2018. Designed for persons with mobility impairments. Send an email to ggomez@diversifiedequitiescorp.com, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope, or stop by the office Mon. – Thurs from 9:30AM to 1:00PM to receive application.
Holmes Greenway Housing 114 Fifth Street SE Minneapolis, MN 55414 612-378-0331 Equal Housing Opportunity
SOE Continued from page 10
STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF HENNEPIN WITHOUT REAL ESTATE
CASE TYPE: DISSOLUTION WITHOUT CHILDREN DISTRICT COURT FOURTH JUDICIAL COURT CASE NO: 27-FA-18-848
ORDER FOR SERVICE BY ALTERNATIVE MEANS In Re the Marriage of: Peter Keosya, f/k/a Petr Georgieyevich Keosya, Petitioner and Larissa Nikolyevna Desna, 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 involves,affects or brings into question the real property located at the following address 7068 Springhill Circle in Hennepin County, State of Minnesota, with the following legal description Lot 8, Block z, Edenvale 10th addition. 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. Date: 02/08/2018 Signed: Peter Keosya MN Spokesman-Recorder, February 15 & 22, and March 1, 2018
STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF HENNEPIN WITHOUT REAL ESTATE
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CASE TYPE: DISSOLUTION WITHOUT CHILDREN DISTRICT COURT FOURTH JUDICIAL COURT CASE NO: 27-FA-18-634
ORDER FOR SERVICE BY ALTERNATIVE MEANS In Re the Marriage of: Rahma Ahmed Yussuf , Petitioner and Khader Abdi Abdulahi, 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. Date: 01/26/2018 Signed: Rahma Ahmed Yussuf MN Spokesman-Recorder, February 22, and March 1 & 8, 2018
that will remain will be your memories, credentials, and newly established network. The latter of those will be the most valuable to you and your career. Don’t be afraid to utilize it. 3) Please share your favorite university or athletic event you’ve attended since you graduated and what made it so special to you. September 12, 2009 – First Gopher football game at TCF Bank Stadium vs. Air Force. The anticipation of the first game at the Bank, as well as the excitement of bringing Gopher Football back to campus, was something that I’ll never forget. Despite feeling a sliver of jealousy for not having the opportunity to play at TCF, just being there in that atmosphere along with other Gopher Football brothers from my era, and to witness a Gopher win, was enjoyable. 4) What are you grateful for? I’m grateful for the opportunities the university has provided for me. Coming from where I’m from, to experience the things I’ve experienced through my affiliation with the university is truly a blessing. I wouldn’t trade my experiences for any other. 5) What does Black History Month mean to you? Black History Month means everything to me… It’s a piece of me. I would be remiss to not acknowledge the pioneers who paved the way for my livelihood. Regardless of today’s climate, I can say that I’m here and firmly standing because of the efforts of those before me. 6) What occupies your time now?
When I’m not working, my time is spent with my family. I have a wife, seven-monthold daughter, and nine-yearold son who is into playing every sport you can think of. Needless to say, I spend a lot of time cheering on the sidelines for my little athlete. I also just concluded my eighth season of coaching varsity football for Robbinsdale Cooper H.S. this fall. Dr. Charles Sims Sport(s): Men’s basketball Years: 1971-75 Hometown: Barberton, Ohio Occupation: Retired dentist 1) What is it you honestly miss most about the university? Aside from the obvious comradery with other players, I was doing what I liked (playing basketball) and having fun doing it. Playing at the University of Minnesota kind of gave you a pep in your step. I was challenged on two fronts; I was playing basketball (Big Ten) and the challenge with school. I was working on my bachelor’s degree in French and trying to get into the School of Dentistry, where I also got my B.S. and DDS. So, the challenges are what I miss. 2) If you could give the current student-athletes any piece of advice, what would it be? Grab hold of the time and make the most of it, because the four or so years you have going to school and playing basketball goes by fast. It doesn’t seem like it, but it does. Take advantage of it. (Carpe diem.) 3) Please share your favorite university or athletic event you’ve attended since you graduated and what made it so special to you. Any time we’ve had alumni get-togethers and I am able to see former players and people I don’t get a chance to see every
ATTORNEY - DULUTH MN Disability Law Ctr. For more info go to: www.mylegalaid.org/jobs.
Human Resources Generalist The U.S. District Court, District of MN is accepting applications for a full-time Human Resources Generalist in Minneapolis, MN. Salary range is $47,652 - $77,483. For more information visit the court’s website, www.mnd. uscourts.gov, Employment. An Equal Opportunity Employer
Fitz Continued from page 10
The game was 78-76 at halftime, score 112-109. Kevin Durant, drafted by James, had 19 and Paul George added 16. Damien Lillard and DeMar DeRozen both had 21 each for Team Stephen. Of Minnesota’s own AllStars, Karl Anthony Towns was brilliant with 17 points and 10 rebounds while Jimmy Butler, for reasons unknown, did not play (DNP) for some reason. Team Stephen could have used Butler helping defend LeBron. A sellout crowd of 17,801 at Staples Center and a worldwide audience with 200 countries viewing around the globe saw Team LeBron win despite being out rebounded 68-49 by Curry’s squad. This new format is still evolving, but it turned the game into a thriller. Now for the second half of the NBA season. The 36-25 Timberwolves, fourth in the Western Conference, have 21 games left. Can they end this 14-year embarrassment of missing the playoffs? Stay tuned. Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, on WDGY-AM 740 Monday-Friday at 12:17 pm and 4:17 pm, and at www.Gamedaygold.com. He also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Follow him on Twitter at FitzBeatSr. Larry welcomes reader responses to info@ larry-fitzgerald.com, or visit www. Larry-Fitzgerald.com.
day or as often, then it is special to me. The actual game and athletic event becomes secondary to seeing everyone. 4) What are you grateful for? I am grateful for the people that came before me at the University of Minnesota and universities all over. Persons known and unknown paved the way for me. I was able to earn a scholarship and get my education because someone made a path for me. For that, I am grateful. 5) What does Black History Month mean to you? I always learn some new accomplishment of Black people that I didn’t know before. Again, it means the world to me that people have made a lot of sacrifices in order that my accomplishments may be made easier. And we still got some ways to go. 6) What occupies your time now? I spend a lot of time now watching my young sons play. I am retired as a dentist now. I had six boys and five of them play or played basketball or football in college. So, I fly or drive all over to watch them play.
June 8-14, 2017
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February 22-28, 2018
Gopher gymnasts strive to reach their highest potential
Players actually competed in 67th NBA All-Star game
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OS ANGELES – It’s not every day in an AllStar game you see millionaire NBA stars diving for loose balls and playing with heart. Last year’s All-Star game (192-182) was two hours of watching superstars play matador defense and pick up a check. Well, this year, the 67th edition, that changed; these stars, some with inflated egos, showed the world they can indeed compete. The NBA format did not deliver the NBA giant TV ratings numbers, but that’s because it’s 2018. People today have other things to do. With smart phones, iPads and apps, the ability to see replays, and YouTube, the days of sitting and watching an event for that length of time, unless you’re in a movie theater viewing Black Panther, are long gone. Team LeBron rallied to beat team Stephen 148-145 as the players put on quite a show at the NBA’s showcase event. Yes, the game was tied in the final minute 144-144, the new format worked, the players were engaged and seemed motivated to compete as star competitors. They showed some pride. Maybe raising the financial stakes and incentives helped also, but I liked what I saw. Now, as for the player pregame introductions, maybe not. Fergie singing the national anthem? Well, I’m not certain what that was — confusing and amusing come to mind. The Black Eyed Peas singer said, “I’m a risk taker artistically”; clearly her performance was not well received. NBA players showed vigor
and passion led by James, the game’s MVP for the third time and first since 2008, in his 14th All-Star game. This game had defense, blocked shots, and trapping defenses. James led all scorers with 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. James, pro sports’ closest athlete today to Muhammad Ali on the social issues stage, was in the middle of a firestorm created by conservative rightwing cable news commentator Laura Ingraham in her blatantly insulting and offensive attack on freedom of speech. She ignited a political fury with one of the NBA’s most powerful stars. When she challenged James and said in a report, “He should shut up and dribble” during these volatile times with Donald Trump in the White House, James demonstrated his remarkable passion for expression and fighting for right and substance on social and racial issues.
■ See Fitz on page 9
Karl Anthony Towns Photo by Larry Fitzgerald, Sr.
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There are approximately 100 African American and other student-athletes of color this school year at the University of Minnesota. In an occasional series throughout the 2017-18 school and sports year, the MSR will highlight many of these players. This week: senior gymnasts Ciara Gardner and Jalon Stephens
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ymnastics is a sport where its participants usually start out at young ages. Ciara Gardner and Jalon Stephens recently were asked what makes a good gymnast. “Someone who is humble and really a team player, and really uses their talent to the best of their ability to help their teammates,” Gardner responded. “I honestly think the people that we surround ourselves [with]” helps in this regard, Stephens added. A Shreveport, Louisiana native, Stephens virtually got his start in gymnastics in the bathroom as a preschooler: As a four-year-old, “I was trying to flip on the shower [rod] and it broke” Stephens remembers. His mother later enrolled him in a gymnastics class. “The coaches saw me and thought I had real talent. They put me on the team,” he said proudly. Stephens, one of 10 Gopher seniors on this year’s squad, won the vault at the 2013 USA Gymnastics Junior Olympics and then finished fifth on the high bar at the 2014 USA Gymnastics Junior Nationals. It was at one such national meet that the young man overcame a big hurdle and faced his biggest challenge at the time. “I hyperextended my knee before that competition,” Stephens pointed out. His par-
Ciara Gardner
Jalon Stephens
ents then offered him the choice to stay home or keep going, and he opted for the latter. “On the way there my leg was swollen,” and after a practice day “my leg had swollen to the point it was unbearable. I didn’t break anything. But I also had a goal – I wanted to do my best at nationals.” The Texas-born Gardner, one of four Gopher seniors, last month helped Minnesota post the program’s second-highest ever floor mark with a 9.825 on the beam in a meet against Ohio State. She also recorded a 9.928 for a third-place tie in the floor. “I would like to get 9.9-pluses in every event I compete in this season,” she told us. “I also want to accomplish all the goals we set as a team.” “I think we are going to thrive as a team and have a great last season for the 10 seniors,” Stephens declared. He and three teammates last weekend competed in the 2018 Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas, the second consecutive appearance for Stephens, where he finished 23rd last year. Both Gardner and Stephens expect to graduate this spring, him with a kinesiology degree and her with a communications degree. He plans to stay in the area after graduation “to pursue my dreams…hoping to make [the USA team in the] 2020 Olympics.” “I have about three more classes left,”
Celebrating Black Gopher student-athletes
Goaner Deng In recognition of Black History Month this year, the University of Minnesota is “Celebrating Those Who Made Us Great” by interviewing (via surveys) former Black student-athletes. In this month’s “Sports Odds and Ends” we will publish as many of these interviews as space allows. This week: Goaner Deng , Ukee Dozier, and Dr. Charles Sims Goaner Deng Sport(s): Men’s track & field Years: 2011-16 Hometown: Rosemount, Minn. Occupation: Supply chain consultant – software sales 1) What is it you honestly miss most about the university? Aside from the everyday grind that comes with being a student-athlete, I miss my teammates, coaches, and the many other connections I was blessed with over my five years at the U. The people are what made the journey such a great one. 2) If you could give the current student-athletes any piece of advice, what would it be?
Enjoy your time and do not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. Try new things, push yourself beyond athletics, and use these year to really mold and set yourself up for the future. The resources available are second-tonone at Minnesota, so it really is
Gardner added. After graduation, “What I hope to do with that [degree] is work with athletic communications either for a university or a professional sports team,” she said. “I want to do social media, but also do marketing for a team.” Both Gopher squads are in action this weekend – the men Saturday at Penn State, and the women Friday in a three-team meet in Ames, Iowa. The Larry Nassar case – the former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University team doctor who was sentenced earlier this month to 40 to 175 years in prison for over two decades of sexual abuse of women and girls gymnasts – was in the news at the time of our interviews. When asked her thoughts, Gardner said, “I’m glad that he got sentenced. It’s up to USAG (USA Gymnastics) to make sure that a situation like this don’t happen again.” Gardner believes there’s still some good gymnastics left in her despite her collegiate career winding down. “I feel I have not reached my peak,” she said. “I feel I have a lot more I can bring, way more potential I can reach.” Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.
‘FAB FIVE’ PREP STARS OF THE WEEK
Sports odds and ends up to you to utilize them. 3) Please share your favorite university or athletic event you’ve attended since you graduated and what made it so special to you. Since graduation I have been able to attend a couple football games, among other events, which are always a blast. What makes coming back to campus special is seeing old faces and the progress the athletics department is making as a collective. I am glad to see the Athletes Village finally coming together, too. 4) What are you grateful for? The opportunity to attend the University of Minnesota and be a part of the Gopher family will always stick with me. Not only was the athletic experience wonderful, but I truly was able to grow as a young man in all areas of life upon leaving. For that, I am grateful. 5) What does Black History Month mean to you? Black History Month is important to me because without the sacrifices of those who came before me, I could not possibly be where I am today. I believe it is a time to celebrate and recognize the progress we have made a people, but also continue to do our parts individually to ensure
Photos by Charles Hallman
the next generation is in better position for success than us. 6) What occupies your time now? These days a lot of my time is allocated to continuing to learn my new profession and grow where I can. Staying in touch with family and friends that are all around the country now is also at the top of the list. Ukee Dozier Sport(s): Football Years: 2000-04 Hometown: Bradenton, Fla. Occupation: finance/accounting 1) What is it you honestly miss most about the university? The youthful memories of dorm life. Some of my most memorable, comical and somber memories come from those years at University Village and Roy Wilkins Hall. After a long day of class, weights, practice and study, you could always count on having some kind of comic relief inside the walls of either of those two buildings. 2) If you could give the current student-athletes any piece of advice, what would it be? Learn how to build and foster relationships. Once your time at the U of M ends, the only things
PreP Scene mitChell Palmer mCDonalD
This week’s “Fab Five” photos feature a girls’ basketball player who signs a National Letter of Intent (Haley Moore), a boys’ basketball player who recently reached the 1,000 point mark (Cire Mayfield), the leading scorer for her basketball team (Monique Wooten), a former prep star leading his college team (Harry Sonie), and a valued contributor to her team (Elaina Jones).
(pictured right) Senior forward Haley Moore (Cretin DerHam Hall) recently signed a National Letter of Intent to play for Iowa Western. She is a four-year varsity player.
(pictured left) Senior guard Cire Mayfield (St. Louis Park) reached the 1,000-point career mark a couple of weeks ago. He’s averaging 18.4 points per game.
(pictured right) Senior guard Monique Wooten (Minneapolis North) averages a team-leading 17.8 points per game.
■ See SOE on page 9 (pictured left) Senior guard Harry Sonie is in his final season as point guard for Augsburg University. In 2013 he was in the starting backcourt for Class 4A champion Apple Valley.
(pictured right) Junior forward Elaina Jones (DeLaSalle) is averaging 10 points per game for the Islanders.
Dr. Charles Sims
Ukee Dozier
All photos by Mitchell Palmer McDonald Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses to mcdeezy05@ gmail.com. Photos courtesy of U of M