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Inside this Edition... Read about Jazz Appreciation Month on page 6.
Counting down to our 90th Anniversary
April 25 - May 1, 2024
Vol. 90
No. 39
Phone: 612-827-4021 www.spokesman-recorder.com
Community mourns the sudden passing of North Mpls. entrepreneur By H. Jiahong Pan Contributing Writer
Sammy McDowell
Photo by Travis Lee
ing the benediction as Sammy ‘broke’ into a moment of praise as his lips rejoiced with words builder of sandwiches in an unknown language,” said and community died Shiloh Temple International suddenly on Sunday, Ministries Bishop Richard D. Howell Jr. in a Facebook post. April 21. His passing was first pubArthur “Sammy” McDowell, 48, reportedly passed during licly shared on North News’ Ina church service. “The praise stagram and Facebook pages. and worship team were singAbout 50 of his friends,
family, and elected officials—namely, Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Senate President Bobby Joe Champion—gathered on Monday afternoon to reminisce about McDowell’s life in the space on West Broadway where he opened his sandwich shop, Sammy’s Avenue Eatery, in 2012 after years of working
in the food industry. People shared many memories, including when he gave food to needy people. “When a homeless person came in, and they couldn’t afford to pay, he said, ‘Just make them a sandwich, don’t ask any questions,’” said Lillian Toins, who once worked at Sammy’s. ■ See McDOWELL on page 5
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Frat Honors Horace Bell H is tor ica l Capsul e
Political advocates from Minnesota’s Somali community took to the podium to address issues ranging from education and rideshare wages to autism awareness and workforce initiatives. Photos by Chris Juhn
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Somali Day returns to the State Capitol Leaders renew call for political advocacy
By Abdi Mohamed Associate Editor omali Day at the State Capitol returned for its second year on April 16, with dozens of community leaders, entrepreneurs, and advocates gathering with their representatives to spotlight legislative reforms relevant to the Somali community in Minnesota. Undeterred by a torrential downpour of rain, members of the Somali community came together in the afternoon under the rotunda of the State Capitol building to hear from elected officials representing communities in the metro and greater Minnesota. Organized by the Somali American Coalition (SAC), Somali Day at the Capitol aims to address issues pertinent to the needs of the state’s Somali diaspora and serves as a platform for several other organizations to spotlight legislation in the current session.
Nimco Ahmed, a founding member last March. She also shared that SAC of SAC, gave the opening remarks at had advocated for legislation such as the the capitol building. “For us to gath- Teachers of Color Act, Paid Family and Medical Leave, iner here today and hold prayer terest-free homehas a big meanbuyers, and anticrime bills. ing,” she said to Sheikh Ahmed the crowd. “We Anshur, a member thought estabof SAC and local lishing an orgamosque leader, nization such as stated that Somali Somali American Day at the State Coalition will acCapitol allowed tually help those the community to organizations that coordinate their are actually servmessaging and dising our community.” Ahmed highcuss imperative islighted SAC’s past sues with elected actions since its officials. founding over a year ago. She shared Anshur stressed the importance of that they had set a legislative agenda in advocating for social and economic jusearly 2023 and met with Governor Tim tice at the capitol and crafting legislaWalz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan tion allowing the community to achieve
Northside riverfront developers make big promises Not everyone is convinced
By H. Jiahong Pan Contributing Writer
We’re entrepreneurs naturally, and we’ve been discouraged by recent actions by the state.
This article from the SpokessuleprintMS pwas man-Recorder R H i s t o rarchives ca l C a i economic mobility. He underscored the ed on January 20, 1939. fact that Somalis often go into business To preserve their historical valfor themselves and have been impacted ue, these articles are reprinted in by negative stigma due to recent cases that era’s original text and gramof fraud and mismanagement by mem- mar. - MSR bers of the community. “We’re entrepreneurs naturally, and lpha fraternity men of we’ve been discouraged by recent acthe Twin Cities will gathtions by the state,” he said. “We feel in er on Thursday, January 26, at a our community that there is extra scru- banquet at the Phyllis Wheatley tiny, and we’re not supported.” House in honor of Mu chapter’s Anshur referred to an incident in favorite son —Horace Bell, Minrecent years in which 14 Somali day- nesota’s All-American guard care businesses were shut down on who, at the close of this season, the same day. Instead of this scrutiny finished three years of stellar and discrimination, Anshur proposed football for the U of M. that the state should provide more op■ See H. BELL on page 5 portunities for guidance and training for community members who have an entrepreneurial spirit but may be overwhelmed when navigating the different levels of compliance red tape. Several politicians stopped by the rotunda ■ See SOMALI DAY on page 5
Rep. Omar’s daughter suspended from college over pro-Palestinian protests
By Stacy M. Brown sra Hirsi, the daughter of Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, has been suspended from Barnard College for her involvement in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University. Hirsi, a junior at Barnard in New York City, announced her suspension on social media, stating she was one of three students penalized for supporting Palestinians. “I’ve received notice that ■ See HIRSI on page 5
Outreach-Engagement Center on Plymouth Avenue. Residents the MSR spoke lanners are undertak- with in previous weeks had ing a controversial plan never heard of the project, but to remake what used to they are excited nonetheless. be the Upper Harbor Terminal “If they did that, a lot of crime into an outdoor concert venue would go down,” said Paul This view from W. River Road N. will soon feature housing and an outdoor music venue. flanked by affordable housing, Johnson as he sat in his truck Photo by H. Jiahong Pan production and processing fa- in the McKinley neighborhood one recent afternoon. Others The city also says the site was minal, where commodities Moving from industry cilities, as well as a new park. The 2015 closing of the St. The project was approved in are worried about the project’s undeveloped or used for agri- were transferred and stored, which opened in 1968. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam, culture from the 1900s to the 2021, and construction of the impacts on the community Before the shipping termiwhich effectively ended barge 1960s. street grid is underway. The and the environment. shipping operations west of In the 1930s, the Minnenal closed in 2014, the city city anticipates the outdoor the Stone Arch Bridge, spurred planned to better connect the sota Legislature authorized amphitheater opening some- History of the site the discussion about the UpNorth Side with the waterthe creation of a harbor on time next year. City planners The Upper Harbor Terminal the Mississippi River on the front. From 2015 until 2020, per Harbor Terminal’s future. plan to provide an update on a has long served as a nexus of North Side. The harbor’s locks Mississippi Mushrooms, a As the mushroom farming proposed health and wellness industry after settlers took the hub on the site at a meeting land from the Dakota. Accord- and dams were built between mushroom farming operation, operation persisted, the city on May 2, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 ing to the city, a lumber mill 1948 and 1963. Minneapolis occupied one of the ware- asked residents about what to Isra Hirsi took to social media to p.m., at the University of Min- sat on the site for 20 years, then developed the adjacent houses until the city closed it do with the site and requested share news of her suspension. ■ See RIVERFRONT on page 5 Courtesy of Instagram nesota Urban Research and from the 1880s to the 1900s. site into a barge shipping ter- for code violations.