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Vol. 90
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No. 37
Black families disproportionately affected by Child Protection Services By Abdi Mohamed Associate Editor illage Arms Founder Kelis Houston believes that African American families have been disproportionately impacted and possibly targeted by Child Protection Services (CPS) in Minnesota. This has led her to become a proponent of the African Ameri-
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can Family Preservation Act, a bill that aims to prevent out-ofhome placement and promote family reunification. Houston first saw how harmful CPS practices could be to families through the court process, where she would be present during the moment of separation between a child and their parents. These traumatic moments were often
the result of a parent simply struggling financially, such as a mother not having food in the refrigerator the day CPS stopped by. Seeing that the state was often a worse guardian than the parents, Houston took a full-time position as a cultural specialist with Dakota County. There, she served in the Guardian ad Litem pro-
gram advocating for children through the courts. “There, I saw how the county and the courts work together to perpetuate disparities,” she said. “Those prima facie cases, the judge just rubber-stamped whatever the counties bring in.” Houston has utilized her roles in several organizations, Kelis Houston testifies in front of the Senate legislative task ■ See CHILD PROTECTION force on child protection alongside Senate President Bobby on page 5 Joe Champion. Screengrab from live stream video
Family members denied visitation question Lino Lakes policies By Al Brown Assignment Editor
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Sharon Brooks ( C ) and others protest Lino Lakes visitor policies on March 21.
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As Ramadan ends, Muslims don celebratory attire By Binta Kanteh Contributing Writer
Photo by Chris Juhn
Brooks, says her daughter-inlaw told her that her grandson was whining and crying and hat should have that it was hard to get him been a routine visit to stop. “He’s three years old. by a three-year-old Sometimes they get agitated longing to see his father turned or want to have their way.” into, according to the family of Brooks continued, “And the Lino Lakes inmate Marquis Rol- guard, Officer Motyl, gave a lins, an unsettling experience in final warning standing over my son (Rollins), demanding that he December of 2023. Rollins’ mother, Sharon ■ See LINO LAKES on page 5
Race-based testing can harm Black patients Delaying kidney transplants is one deadly effect
and why it is essential for them to do so. Their perspectives might highlight some su l e MS context behind the Eid day styles you’ll R H i s t o r i ca l C a p he day is near, and its excitement come across at the mosques, restaurants, is palpable. After 30 days of fast- malls, and your social media timelines. ing from dawn to sunset and in- “This is an opportunity for us to show tentional commitment to spiritual and people where we came from,” Mariamu character improvement, Muslims world- Jagana asserted. “You’ll be surprised wide will close the month of Ramadan about how many different cultures are out there and how different ways people with the celebration of Eid Al-Fitr. Following the brief morning prayer, dress up.” A Gambian Minnesotan, Jagana many people will go to brunch or return home for a nap. From there, Muslims will prides herself on consistently dressing to likely spend the day with others in cel- the nines for every Eid. For her, the occaebration with lots of laughter and food. sion carries serious weight and is a time But before all the festivities begin, even to reflect on the blessing of being alive Blacks often get kidney failure diagnosis later than white patients. Courtesy of Freepiks before the morning prayer, Muslims wake to observe another holiday. By Chris Juhn up eager on a particular day, ready to “There are people who have died By Stacy M. Brown more confident that I will get a new kidney. On the other hand, it’s infuriatIt was an epic day for eclipse sport an outfit or two they’ll be wearing. [since the last Eid] that would’ve wanted Eid Day is a geography, history, and to spend another Eid with their families. ive years ago, Arlette Ebanks ing that we keep seeing how racism in enthusiasts who gathered in ■ See RAMADAN on page 5 experienced severe kidney pain medicine, bias in health care, is causing strategic locations along its culture masterclass through clothing. that she believed suggested a unnecessary pain and suffering among trajectory. The eclipse extend- According to the University of Minnecritical need for a transplant. Her doc- African Americans.” ed from the Pacific Coast of sota Extension, there are around 150,000 The U.S. organ transplant network tors disagreed, but the 52-year-old Mexico through Texas, cross- Muslims in Minnesota. From that populaNortheast, D.C. resident and mother of has ordered hospitals and care faciliing 14 additional states in the tion, a large cohort are of the Black Ditwo who worked for the Department of ties to use only race-neutral test results U.S. before reaching Canada. aspora. From my earliest memories of Eid Transportation for more than half of her when adding new patients to the kidney Enjoy photo highlights from life until her deteriorating health land- transplant waiting list. The National KidIndianapolis Motor Speedway. through the present day, I have never ed her on permanent disability, had ney Foundation and the American Soci■ See ECLIPSE on page 5 failed to be in awe and fascination with the vast backgrounds of Muslims within grown ever more anxious as healthcare ety of Nephrology also told laboratories the Black diaspora. Much of that admiproviders attempted various measures to transition to race-neutral equations ration is experienced through what our of maintenance. when calculating kidney function. eyes can see and the adornment we can Recently, physicians at George The policy shift has led to signifitouch, all in the colorful and magnificently Washington University Hospital told cant adjustments. Between January Jamillia Bryant and her friends pose structured garments. Ebanks that she should have been on 2023 and mid-March 2024, over Leading up to Eid Al-Fitr this year, I in- for a photo to showcase their henna, the transplant list, and understandably, 14,300 Black candidates had their terviewed a few people who shared their which is used to adorn oneself for Eid. Ebanks wondered why previous doc- wait times recalibrated, resulting in Courtesy of Jamillia Bryant experience dressing their best for Eid more than 2,800 successful transtors hadn’t done so. Now, Ebanks knows why: “All this plants, including Ebanks. time, all this stress and worry, was all Dr. Nwamaka Eneanya, an assistant because I’m Black,” Ebanks stated in an professor at the Perelman School of interview with the Washington Informer. Medicine at the University of PennsylAt issue is a once widely used vania Health System, emphasized the test that overestimated how well Black detrimental impact of race-based equapeople’s kidneys were functioning, tions on clinical decisions, particularly in making them look healthier than they assessing renal function. were. An automated formula calcuDr. Eneanya, a vocal advocate for lated results for Black and non-Black removing race from medical equapatients that were far different from tions, highlighted the lack of biological those of others, delaying organ failure differences between races and the indiagnosis and, ultimately, proper evalu- herent flaws in using race-based mulation for a kidney transplant. tipliers. She told her university’s newsThe disparity only exacerbated exist- paper that, despite mounting evidence, ing inequities, with Black patients be- many clinicians continue to rely on ing more susceptible to needing a new these outdated practices, perpetuating kidney but less likely to receive one. harm to Black patients. “Human genome studies have shown “On the one hand,” Ebanks remarked, “I Imam Makram El-Amin and his family pose for a photo inside the Masjid have not only been put on the waiting no inherent biological differences between Courtesy of Imam Makram El-Amin list but moved up to where I am now Photos by Chris Juhn Al-Nur Mosque. ■ See HEALTHCARE on page 5
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