Vol. 90
Inside this Edition...
Check out the Summer Guide on page 8.
THE VOICE OF BLACK MINNESOTA SINCE 1934
August 10 - 16, 2023
PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391
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Driving while Black: another fatal traffic stop
Activists, family members demand state troopers be fired and charged with killing By H. Jiahong Pan Contributing Writer
unredacted body camera footage of the incident from start to finish, and to outsource the olice have yet again killed investigation to another agency. another Black man in They have asked Gov. Tim Walz to fire all of the troopers inMinneapolis. This time, during volved, as well as for Hennepin the early morning hours of County Attorney Mary Moriarty July 31, Ryan Londregan, a to ensure the troopers involved Minnesota state trooper, shot are arrested and charged. and killed Ricky Cobb II, 33, of “This is just a tremendously Plymouth. According to the sad situation,” said Col. Matt Minnesota State Patrol, the Langer at a press conference shooting occurred as another in St. Paul as he announced trooper, Brett Seide, was exe- the release of the video footcuting a traffic stop. The entire age last Tuesday. incident was caught on body and dashboard cameras, with The incident Minnesota Department of Seide pulled Cobb over at Transportation traffic cameras around 1:50 a.m. on July 31, capturing part of the incident. on Interstate 94 at Dowling Local activists and elected Avenue in North Minneapolis, officials have denounced the because Seide noticed the Ford killing. “He was murdered unjus- Fusion Cobb was driving did not tifiably,” said Toshira Garraway, have its lights on. Cobb turned whose organization Families his vehicle lights on after he was Supporting Families Against Po- pulled over by state troopers. Body and dashboard camlice Violence is helping Cobb II’s next of kin as they grieve over era footage from that morning his death. Activists are calling released by the state patrol for the release of unedited and show Seide trying to coax
talk about,’ y’all finna take me to jail. But for what?” asked Cobb II. Seide, who was on the drivers’ side door, eventually placed him under arrest and tried to wrestle him out of the vehicle. Londregan, who was on the passenger side door, opened it, pointed a gun at him, yelled, “Get out of the car now!” before shooting him three times. Cobb drove off despite being shot, as the two troopers tumbled to the ground. They subsequently tried to run after Cobb’s vehicle, but ran back to their own vehicles to give chase. Eventually, Cobb crashed onto a freeway divider at 42nd Avenue N., when the troopers arrived and boxed in his vehicle. Cobb died at the scene about an hour after the enRicky Cobb II’s twin brother, Rashad Cobb, at the protest outside Hennepin County Center. counter began, with the HenPhotos by Chris Juhn nepin County Medical ExamCobb II out of his vehicle to We just have some stuff to request, a frustrated Cobb II iner ruling that he died from address what turned out to talk about,” said Seide. Court asked why, with Seide continu- multiple gunshot wounds. Although the Minnesota be a hold request by Ramsey records show that Cobb had ing to tell him to step out of the County for violating an order two expired domestic assault vehicle as Cobb tried to contact Bureau of Criminal Apprehenof protection. “I’m gonna need orders of protection. his lawyer. “Every time y’all talk sion (BCA) recovered a gun ■ See COBB on page 5 Upon hearing of the hold about ‘we have some stuff to you to step out of the vehicle.
Minnesota’s African immigrant community’s economic rebound By Faaya Adem MSR Intern
Little Africa Celebration By Abdi Mohamed Contributing Writer
espite a momentary downhe 2008 recession left a large number of African pour, members of the Afriimmigrants in Minnecan diaspora gathered for the ninth annual Little sota unemployed and Africa Festival on Sunday at without the necessary resourcHamline Park in St. Paul. The es and services to survive. The event was marked by cultural downturn left many of these dances, musical performances, communities struggling to reand vendors sharing goods cover from the financial crisis. and food from the African conIt was then that Dr. Gene Gelgelu founded African Ecotinent and the Caribbean. The festival was launched by nomic Development Solutions African Economic Development (AEDS). As president and CEO Solutions (AEDS), a St. Paulof AEDS, Gelgelu sought to based organization created to provide services and bring assist African immigrants with much-needed change to the financing and services to help African immigrant community in their entrepreneurial journey. in Minnesota. Sunday’s festival was pre“While these problems were Dr. Gene Gelgelu, president and CEO of AEDS noticeable for years, the 2008 Photo by Chris Juhn ceded by a groundbreaking financial crisis exacerbated ceremony a few blocks away them. Many African immigrants St. Paul’s Little Africa Plaza is not just to have a place from the park at 678 Snelling did not have the resources The Little Africa Plaza will be for African immigrant business- Ave. N. where the new Little or systems in place to sup- located in St. Paul’s Hamline- es and art, but to fight gentrifi- Africa Plaza will be located. port themselves,” said Gelgelu. Midway neighborhood once con- cation in the area, said Gelgelu. The project was supported fiAEDS has put in place a multi- struction is completed in 2024. “The only way we can miti- nancially by several different tude of support systems for Af- The groundbreaking for the plaza gate gentrification is by owning groups including foundation rican immigrants in Minnesota, was on August 6, just before the buildings,” Gelgelu said. “So we support, private lending, and such as loans, grants and home- Little Africa parade and festival. encourage our business own- funds appropriated through ownership education. Calling it The community around Snelling ers to own more businesses the legislature to help foster a “system change,” Gelgelu said and University Avenues is known in the corridor. We create sys- economic development in diAEDS programs and services as the Little Africa Business and tems so that they get the sup- verse communities. work well because there aren’t Cultural District and is home to port they need.” Dr. Gene Gelgelu, the CEO cultural or language barriers. several African-owned businessThe plaza will host a Halal and founder of AEDS, opened Before the start of AEDS, es and restaurants. market (food prepared in ac- the event with some remarks Gelgelu noticed that many AfAs part of the organization’s cordance with Islamic teachrican immigrants had poor or economic development work, ings), a retail space, an African no credit and had no assets or Gelgelu and AEDS helped cre- museum and AEDS headquarloans. In 2015, AEDS partnered ate the Little Africa cultural ters. The African museum will with Concordia University and corridor in 2013. He wanted display African art to showcase Dr. Bruce Corrie, an economist to use art and culture to spur the rich culture and history of at the university, to conduct the growth of the community. the continent. By Terryann Nash an African market study. The As an Oromo immigrant from While there are museums in Contributing Writer research showed nearly 67 Ethiopia, he understands the Minnesota that showcase cerpercent of African immigrants importance of building up im- tain cultures in Africa, there are n a remarkable display of hisdidn’t have access to loans or migrant communities. tory, culture and achievement, none that are collective, said traditional business funding. the Minnesota Spokesman “Each immigrant, African im- Gelgelu. This museum is meant “There’s a great need in our migrant, has their own iden- to add to the art and culture of Recorder (MSR) marked the begincommunities to seek out or- tity, including myself. I have my the plaza and the Little Africa ning of its illustrious 89-year jourganizations that support our own Oromo culture,” Gelgelu corridor. ney with an extraordinary celebraculture. Someone who speaks said. “We created a space for He wants the plaza to be a tion aboard the opulent Majestic their language, someone who us, a space where we, as a col- place for people to learn from “Legacy Yacht Cruise.” The event, understands African culture, lective African diaspora, learn each other. Gelgelu hopes which anticipates next year’s someone who understands the culture that we normally people from outside of the 90th anniversary and was styled what it really means to be an don’t learn from each other.” community will visit and learn as an evening of Black elegance, immigrant,” Gelgelu said. The focus of the Little Africa ■ See AEDS on page 5 took place on Saturday, August 5,
This year’s Little Africa Festival
Photos by Chris Juhn
and acknowledged and thanked those parties involved in bringing the plaza to life. “Today is a big deal for us,” he said, “a big milestone for African Economic Development Solutions and the Little Africa Cultural Business and Cultural District. Our communities have been supported by philanthropy and government and individuals, and they were the key in reaching this milestone.” Among the financial contributors to the plaza are BMO Harris Bank, Bigelow, the Minnesota Foundation,
the McKnight Foundation, as well as other financial institutions and foundations. Gelgelu also thanked the officials at St. Paul’s Department of Planning and Economic Development for their coordination, as well as the elected officials who supported the project. Mitra Jalali of Ward 4 spoke at the groundbreaking and referred to a conversation she had with a developer of color. Although they acknowledged that development of the plaza is a challenge, it would be ■ See CELEBRATION on page 5
Legacy Cruise kicks off MSR’s 89th year
(l-r) Sharon Smith-Akinsanya (Rae MacKenzie Group), DeVonna Pittman (Nature’s Syrup Beauty), Tim Farrow (U.S. Bank), Rama McGraw (Tropic Trends), and MSR Publisher/CEO Tracey Williams-Dillard 2023, when the Majestic left Still- River, creating an unforgettable water to cruise down the St. Croix ■ See LEGACY CRUISE on page 6