PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391
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THE VOICE OF BLACK MINNESOTA SINCE 1934
October 27 - November 2, 2022
Vol. 89
No. 13
Phone: 612-827-4021
Encampment evictions to continue in winter Mpls votes down proposal to suspend them
O
n Thursday, Oct. 20, the Minneapolis City Council voted 9-4 against a proposal to suspend further evictions of unhoused encampments within the city, with
U.S. government has failed Black farmers Class action lawsuit demands billions for broken promises By Stacy M. Brown America’s “Black Attorney General,” civil rights attorney Ben Crump, announced on October 12 a class action suit against the United States government on behalf of the National Black Farmers Association. The lawsuit comes amid findings that Black farmers lost about $326 billion of land in America because of discrimination during the 20th century. During the announcement
Homeless tents outside of city hall By Cole Miska Contributing Writer
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some council members saying the issue was outside the scope of the council’s control. The council passed two measures that require the City to report on the past five years of health and safety inspections and the total cost of encampment enclosures in the past five years.
The latest action from the city council follows the eviction of four unhoused encampments in Minneapolis, which prompted protesters to set up tent encampments on the steps of city hall on Sunday, Oct. 9. Andy (who declined to give a last name but works with Sanc-
of the suit on the National Mall in Washington, Crump and the farmers claimed the federal government breached its contract with socially disadvantaged farmers under the American Rescue Plan Act. Farmers contend that the law included provisions to pay off USDA loans held by 15,000 African Americans, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics and Latinos in the farming industry. ■ See FARMERS on page 5
Photo by Cole Miska tuary Supply Depot) organized the encampment as a message to the City and Mayor Frey: “Stop the sweeps. We’re not trash, you can’t sweep us away.” After a night of having Sanctuary Supply Depot crew trailed by Minneapolis police, who Andy alleges immediately (l-r) John Wesley Boyd, Jr., founder of the National Black Farmer’s Association, and Attorney Ben Crump Courtesy of NNPA ■ See EVICTIONS on page 5
DEMOCRACY IMPERILED What Minnesota voters most need to know about election threats
News Analysis By Mary Turck Contributing Writer MSR’s “Elections Under Attack” series examined in depth four threats to our elections growing out of the Big Lie that the former president won the 2020 MGN election. Here the author provides a summary of these threats that Minnesota voters should keep foremost in mind when casting their ballots on November 8 or earlier and what to look for after the election. Georgia celebrated a record first-day early voting turnout of more than 131,000 on October 17. In contrast, armed and masked vigilantes intimidated voters at ballot drop boxes in Arizona. Georgia’s turnout represents the best of U.S. democracy. Arizona represents the dark future if election deniers and proponents of the Big Lie win. Here’s a quick round-up of some of the ongoing attacks on elections, including recent actions by election deniers propagating the Big Lie. The Big Lie about U.S. elections has two parts: first, that the former president actually won the election, and second, that widespread election fraud stole the election from
ernment, which included some Black Republicans. Like them, many of today’s Big Liars refuse to accept any election results that do not give them victory. Among them is Kim Crockett, who is running for Secretary of State in Minnesota. Crockett has repeatedly refused to say that she will accept the results of the election if she loses the race against Secretary of State Steve Simon. Sabotaging the election process Some attacks on the election process are direct. In Michigan, Macomb County officials hired an election denier to recruit and train poll workers. Genevieve Peters marched on the Capitol on January 6, and has posted many photographs of herself with Proud Boys at various marches. Now she is in charge of ofhim. “Big Lie” is a term that originated with Big Lie candidates running in November Election deniers are running for office across ficial election workers. the Nazis in Germany. The term means that if Ongoing efforts to sabotage the election you tell a big enough lie and repeat it often the country. The Washington Post analyzed the public statements of 569 Republican can- process include vicious, deceptive advertising enough, people will believe it. The truth: The former president lost the didates for the House, Senate, and statewide by dark money groups that hide the identities election and no significant election fraud has offices More than half refuse to acknowledge of their donors. Many outright lies in political advertising also sabotage elections. Dark been found anywhere. Even Republican inves- the legitimacy of the 2020 election. In 1898, White Democrats in Wilmington, money ads targeting Minnesota Attorney tigators, hired by Republican legislatures, have NC overthrew the legitimately elected govnot found fraud. ■ See ELECTIONS on page 5
Three down, one to go
A third officer involved in George Floyd’s death pleads guilty; the last stands trial By Henry Pan Contributing Writer The state trial of one of the officers involved in killing George Floyd began this week as another officer involved accepted a plea deal. According to MPR News, former Minneapolis police officer J. Alexander Kueng agreed to a plea deal where he admitted to aiding and abetting the second-degree manslaughter of Floyd. As part of the agreement, prosecutors will dismiss the murder charge. He will also face no more than 42 months in state prison. “J. Alexander Kueng is now the [third] officer involved in Floyd’s death to accept responsibility through a guilty plea,” said Attorney General Keith Ellison in a statement. “That acknowledgment hopefully can bring comfort to Floyd’s family and
bench trial, which would not involve a jury, on the aiding and abetting manslaughter charge. Attorneys on both sides are to get closing arguments to Judge Peter Cahill, who is presiding over the case, by the end of the week, with evidence to court by November 17. Thao will waive his right to testify and to cross-examine witnesses. Judge Peter Cahill will then have 90 days to evaluate the evidence and decide on a verdict. If he convicts Thao, the attorney general will withdraw the aiding and abetting murder charge and not seek an Former MPD officers J. Alexander Kueng (foreground) and Thomas Lane walk upward departure sentence. Thao would then face around 48 months outside of courthouse as protesters and photojournalists surround them. Photo by Henry Pan in prison. “We look forward to a swift resolubring our communities closer to a least 90 days, pending the outcome tion of Tou Thao’s stipulated bench new era of accountability and justice.” of former officer Tou Thao’s trial. trial,” said Ellison in a statement. MPR also reports Thao requestKueng will not be sentenced for at Thao and his attorneys requested a
ed to serve his time in Hennepin County, with the understanding that he will most likely be in solitary confinement. Both Thao and Kueng are also serving federal sentences for violating Floyd’s civil rights. Thao is assigned to a minimum-security prison in Lexington, Kentucky, while Kueng is assigned to a minimumsecurity prison in Elkton, Ohio, 42 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. “We must never forget the horror of what we all saw in that 9-minute video, and that there rightfully should be both accountability for all involved as well as deep lessons learned for police officers and communities everywhere,” said Floyd’s legal team in a statement. Henry Pan welcomes reader responses to hpan@spokesmanrecorder.com.