THE VOICE OF BLACK MINNESOTA SINCE 1934
August 17 - 23, 2023
Vol. 90
PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391
To Subscribe Scan Here
Inside this Edition...
Read about the Prince Highway on page 7.
Phone: 612-827-4021
No. 3
www.spokesman-recorder.com
Community to DOJ: Diversity on campus post-affirmative action Look beyond policing By Niara Savage Contributing Writer n a few short weeks, millions of young Americans will set foot on college campuses around the country as first-time freshmen students holding a unique distinction—they are the last class of university students admitted under race-conscious affirmative action policies. The Supreme Court struck down affirmative action policies in a 6-3 decision in late June. For the past 40 years, racial
California, Berkeley and UCLA fell by 40 percent according to Princeton University economist Zachary Bleemer. Data from other states with bans tell a similar tale. The 2022 entering freshman class at the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus was the most racially diverse in the institution’s history. Black Kristina Yeboah, University of students are just slightly unRaie Gessesse, Hamline Minnesota’s president of the derrepresented and make up University and Harvard about 9 percent of the overall Black Student Union Kennedy School graduate student body in a state with a Photo by Chris Juhn Photo courtesy of LinkedIn Black population of 12 percent, according to 2022 census data. diversity increased on college tion tell a different story. The year California voters campuses with each decade. But diversity figures in the approved an affirmative action Diversity is an afterthought handful of states that previ- ban at public universities in the Kristina Yeboah is a rising seously banned affirmative ac- state in 1996, Black and Latino nior at the University of Minnetion policies in higher educa- enrollment at the University of sota and president of the Black ■ See AA on page 5
University of Minnesota revised its admissions after the Supreme Court decision.
KMOJ General Manager Freddie Bell whose station could be displaced
fter a year of engagement with community members, the Met Council has decided on a route through North Minneapolis for the Blue Line extension that they want to vet as part of the federally-required environmental impact review. The route, which will not be finalized for another year, avoids Lyndale Avenue and much of West Broadway at the request of area business owners and residents concerned about the effects on their neighborhoods such as parking, loading for those with limited mobility, and generational wealth. Kim Smith, who over the last year rallied her Lyn-Park neighbors to prevent the light rail from being built in their neighborhood, was relieved yet cautious about the recommended alignment because it is not yet final. She and her neighbors pledge to continue to monitor
o far this summer, the Department of Justice has held at least 20 meetings around Minneapolis to better understand, from the community’s perspective, what to include in the consent decree with the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). A recent DOJ community meeting addressing discriminatory policing at Farview Park in North Minneapolis was attended by a small group of about 15 people. And, according to Dr. Chaunda Scott of the Minnesota’s Black Community Project, most of the attendees have been to past meetings the DOJ held. “It’s the same White people that come,” said Scott.
you moderate your behavior,” reasoned Akhtar. “If you have these kinds of things available in the public domain, then 90 percent of this problem will disappear. [Police] have unlimited power right now because everything is [hard to access],” he said. One White woman at the meeting thinks police should be gradually defunded, with surplus funding to go to policing alternatives, saying that the police are less likely to cause problems if they are given less to do. Still, others at the meeting believe the opposite—giving them more to do—would result in them causing less problems. “Let’s do something where they’re not doing eight hours of policing,” said Southsider
Photo courtesy of U of M Facebook
Met Council recommends Blue Line route through North Minneapolis By H. Jiahong Pan Contributing Writer
By H. Jiahong Pan Contributing Writer
the project as it develops. “You actually listened to us,” said Smith after she learned of the recommendation at a Blue Line Extension Corridor Management Committee meeting last Thursday. “This is potentially the best route of the options they have given so far.” Despite the relief, business owners remain concerned over displacement, and some residents are worried about how the line would alter the North Side, particularly the West Broadway corridor. The recommended alignment With Lyndale and most of West Broadway out of the picture—for now—planners are proposing to take the Blue Line up Washington Avenue and 21st Avenue to West Broadway. As previously proposed, the extension will start at Target Field Station and end in Brooklyn Park, near Target’s North Campus office park. Planners envision the Blue Line emerging from Target Field Station, heading north-
west on 7th Street, following the D Line. At Oak Lake Avenue, the train will make a right, following 10th Avenue, where it might operate on its own lane or share it with buses and emergency vehicles. Planners may decide to use the remaining space for pedestrians, biking, or for northbound traffic towards the river. At Washington Avenue, the proposed route makes a left and heads north. It continues on Washington until 21st Avenue, where it makes another left and crosses a new I-94 bridge overpass. Planners envision the bridge overpass to carry traffic, as well as pedestrians and bikers. From the bridge, planners envision the train continuing west on 21st Avenue, crossing through a parking lot owned by Minneapolis Public Schools, and ultimately cutting across an area where several homes and a soon-to-open smoke shop exist, to return to West Broadway. The agency has proposed ■ See BLX on page 5
Sanneh Foundation’s brand is ‘We Step Up’ for the community By Charles Hallman Staff Contributor ony Sanneh, a former national and international soccer star, created The Sanneh Foundation (TSF) in 2003. Seven years after he retired as a player in 2010, the St. Paul native took on the full time job of running his foundation, as president and CEO, in order to create positive social change for youth. “Our brand is [that] we step up,” declared Sannah as we spoke recently at his headquarters on University Avenue (l-r) Sarai Hernandez, Sophia Hayden, Tony Sanneh in St. Paul. “That might not Almost from the beginning, to six programs and a $3.5 milsound sexy. But it means that we’re willing to be there for TSF has been involved in youth lion yearly budget. This past May, the foundathe community. It means that programming, such as sports we don’t give up and we’re not camps and other afterschool tion closed on its sixth house going to say no… So, I think and summertime programs. on St. Paul’s East Side and now our brand, other than working Since 2010, TSF has grown in offers affordable housing for hard, stepping up is also creat- five years from one program 14 employees who pay modest and a $60,000 annual budget rent and expenses. These working a culture of enjoyment.”
Photos by Charles Hallman ers are all entry-level workers or AmeriCorps members who are making around $17,000 a year in living expenses. The foundation is also proposing a $35 million Innovation Center to be located off ■ See SANNEH on page 5
Community members at DOJ-facilitated meeting on MPD consent decree. Photo by H. Jiahong Pan In June, the DOJ found the Terinda Love. “Let’s do, like, MPD engaged in patterns and maybe four hours of being practices of discriminatory polic- an emergency person, for ing, including that they are eager instance. Maybe a personal to use force, pull over people care assistant? You still have with darker skin colors, and retali- the gun and badge.” Love also ate against those who report on said at the meeting that offithem. Since they announced the cers should be serving people findings, the DOJ has been facili- meals and recounted when oftating meetings around the city ficers gave community memto understand what a consent bers haircuts ahead of their decree should entail. court appearances. Scott is not confident that Some contend that the DOJ the DOJ’s consent decree will is not looking at the bigger picamount to anything, citing the ture, saying that people in Minincompetence of the facilitators nesota can be racist and may as an example. “[The facilita- be making [MPD] do racially tors] are young, White kids that discriminatory things. A former are only just reading what they Minneapolis 911 dispatcher know. But they’re not really in- who was at the meeting revested,” said Scott. counted being reprimanded “[One of the facilitators, a for refusing to dispatch police White woman,] didn’t even want officers for a caller who wanted to write down ‘anti-racist train- a vehicle with a Black male reing’ until a White moved simply man said, ‘Could because they ap“The facilitators you write down peared to be susare young, White what [Scott] said?’” picious. kids that are Scott believes “A lot of times only just reading we had people the DOJ needs what they know. a Black facilitawho call in and But they’re not say, ‘There is a tor who is local and knows about really invested.” suspicious vepolicing issues in hicle and there’s Minneapolis. people in there. Some at the meeting believe I want the police to get them that people need to take police out of here.’ I was told if [it’s a] accountability into their own call for service, we have to send hands. Others think the police the police out. It happened four need to do less, while some think or five times a day,” said former the police need to be more in- Minneapolis 911 dispatcher Edvolved in the community. die Osorio. One of those who has lost To help the MPD, which confidence in the City being is short 300 officers, the disable to hold police accountable patcher will often ask questions in doing their job is Mansoor to clarify what the suspicion is. Akhtar, a Loring Park resident [When I ask], ‘What is suspiwho recounted being hassled cious? I need more information,’ by Minneapolis police officers. they will call and complain and I “[Minneapolis police] lost the will get in trouble,” said Osorio. videotapes of me getting asCommunity members who saulted [by their officers],” said are interested in attending future sessions or providing Akhtar. Akhtar suggested at the their feedback on the consent Farview Park meeting that decree can email community. people should start a web- minneapolis@usdoj.gov or call site where citizens can give 866-432-0268. Minneapolis police officers H. Jiahong Pan welcomes reader reviews, just like how people can review items on Amazon. comments at hpan@spokesman“If somebody’s watching you, recorder.com.