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THE VOICE OF BLACK MINNESOTA SINCE 1934
March 9 - 15, 2023
Vol. 89
Phone: 612-827-4021
No. 32
www.spokesman-recorder.com
Minneapolis safety commissioner asks for community’s trust By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer
Neighborhood Safety. All five department heads report directly to Dr. Cedric Alexn 2021, Minneapolis ander, the city’s first public voters approved a new safety commissioner, who was form of city government, hired and sworn into office which explicitly defined last August. the mayor as the city’s chief executive officer. Mayor Jacob Frey’s new government structure now has four people reporting directly to him on city administration. One of them is the commissioner of the Office of Community Safety. Since his swearing-in The newly created Office of Community Safety is responsi- last summer, Alexander has ble for five departments—the endured criticism over his Minneapolis Police Depart- qualifications, his salary, and ment (MPD), the Minneapo- unfortunately his part in a lis Fire Department (MFD), brief but heated exchange on Emergency Management, Twitter with some of his critics. 911 emergency communica- He later apologized for it. Sitting in his City Hall office, tions, and the newly created
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community safety departments. The Minneapolis Fire Department hopes to hire an additional 15 firefighters as part of the federal SAFER grant the city received last year. In addition, the city’s National Incident Management System (NIMS) will include dozens of preparedness trainings for Emergency Management leadership and staff. Also, several call takers and dispatchers are expected to be hired in the 911 commuwoes and what he is going to nications center in the coming months. do about them. The new Neighborhood But he also wants everyone to know that his office is Safety department is actively responsible for five depart- participating in the Biden ments, not just the MPD. administration’s Community One of Alexander’s biggest Violence Intervention Colchallenges is ongoing staffing laborative (CVIC). The MPD, shortages in many of the city’s ■ See TRUST on page 5
Alexander recently talked about being on the job for less than a year and the challenges of his new role. Since his title is public safety commissioner, most people have seemed focused on the city’s policing
“This has to be a police department, quite frankly, that belongs to the people.”
Community Safety Commissioner Dr. Cedric Alexander Photo by Charles Hallman
Rondo land bridge gets federal boost By H. Jiahong Pan Contributing Writer
$2 million grant brings community closer to reunification
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eConnect Rondo has become the first and only Minnesota recipient, so far, of a federal grant to address the Interstate 94 freeway that divided the Black neighborhood of Rondo in St. Paul decades ago. The funding is made possible by the Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities pilot program, a five-year grant initiative created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress in 2021. Rondo is one of about 950 disadvantaged communities throughout the country that were economically crippled due to the construction of the federal highway system. “It is incredibly validating to see the federal government take responsibility for the lasting harm on communities all these years later with hard dollars that can materially help Land bridge rendering
“There’s great opportunity for amenities to come to this community without disrupting or taking away homes again.” Courtesy of Design by Melo and Visuals by James
us today in our effort to springboard into a more healthy and planful future,” said ReConnect Rondo Executive Director Keith Baker in a statement. The organization plans to use the $2 million grant, in addition to $500,000 in matching city and state funds, to conduct a traffic study of their proposed land bridge. The funds will also support a federally required environmental review and help ReConnect Rondo get input from more community members. The idea for a land bridge first came up for discussion in 2009. However, actual planning for the project did not begin until 2014, when local community organizations came together to ensure the Metropolitan Council built stops on the Green Line to serve them. In 2017 Reconnect Rondo was formed on the premise that its proposal to build a land bridge over Interstate 94 could help rebuild a ■ See RONDO on page 5
Voting rights restored to formerly Seven Black leaders incarcerated Minnesotans selected for self-care grants Pohlad Foundation and Cultural Wellness Center launch three-year pilot
By MSR News Service
Governor Walz signing the Minnesota Restore the Vote law
By MSR News Service On Friday, Governor Tim Walz signed into law legislation that restores voting rights for more than 55,000 formerly incarcerated people in Minnesota, alongside legislators, faith leaders, labor, and community advocates. The Restore the Vote Act is the largest expansion of voting rights in the state in 50 years.
Photo courtesy of Twitter
“Minnesotans who have completed time for their offenses and are living, working, and raising families in their communities deserve the right to vote,” said Governor Walz. “I am grateful to the community members, organizers and legislators who are committed to strengthening the freedom to vote and ensuring every Minnesotan has a voice in our democracy.”
■ See VOTING on page 5
On March 3, the Cultural Wellness Center (CWC) and the Pohlad Family Foundation announced the seven people invited to join the Black Legacy and Leadership Enrichment Initiative. A first-of-its-kind community-designed effort, the initiative’s goal is to give Black activists resources and support to recharge themselves, so they can better serve the community. The seven activists selected will each receive an unrestricted grant of $55,000 for their own self-care and revitalization. The seven inaugural awardees, called “initiates,” include Melvin Giles, DejaJoelle, Farji Shaheer, Anura Si-Asar, Corenia Smith, Princess Titus, and Antonio Williams. “Investing in leadership and legacy from our cultural perspective is about building up people to be a source of strength for the community,” said Elder Atum Azzahir, the founder and executive director of the Cultural Wellness Center. “These seven leaders represent the community’s process of rejuvenation and sense of resiliency, themes this particular model incorporated from
Antonio Williams
Photo courtesy of Facebook
the start as we welcomed community leaders to apply for this novel initiative.” The ‘initiates’ Melvin Giles, a veteran peace and diversity educator and activist, co-leads Urban Farm and Garden Alliance, a St. Paul network of
■ See GRANTS on page 5