PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391
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Counting down to our 90th Anniversary
June 27 - July 3, 2024
Vol. 90
Phone: 612-827-4021 www.spokesman-recorder.com
No. 48
MSR wins prestigious NNPA Messenger Award
By Al Brown Assignment Editor The Minnesota SpokesmanRecorder (MSR), a cornerstone of the Twin Cities Black community for nearly a century, has once again demonstrated its commitment to impactful journalism. At the prestigious National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Messenger Awards 2024, held in Baltimore, the MSR proudly claimed first place in the Faith & Religion category. This accolade, awarded for Associate Editor Abdi Mohamed’s insightful article on the spiritually based non-profit ARAHA, stands as a powerful testament to the MSR’s dedication to showcasing the stories that matter most to its readership and the collective ■ See MSR on page 5
Cherrelle’s connection to the Minneapolis Sound
H i s to r i
ca l Capsule
n this week’s MSR 90th An- with legendary producers Jimniversary countdown His- my Jam and Terry Lewis. From her breakout 1984 altoric Time Capsule, we shine a spotlight on the career of Cher- bum “Fragile” to the chart-toprelle, a celebrated R&B and pop ping hits like “I Didn’t Mean To vocalist who made waves in the Turn You On” and “Saturday a p s u l e voice H i s t o r i c a l Csoulful 1980s and 1990s. Our featured Love,” Cherrelle’s article, originally published on and dynamic performances October 31, 1991 in the Con- captivated audiences. cordia College newspaper and reprinted in our publication, To read this article and more delves into Cherrelle’s musical historic articles,l Cplease apsule visit i ca H i s to r journey and her collaboration www.spokesman-recorder.com.
MS
Publisher/CEO Tracey Williams-Dillard (second from left) accepts MSR’s award. Also pictured from left to right are Bobby R. Henry, Sr., chair, NNPA publisher, Westside Gazette; Karen Carter Richards, CEO /publisher, Houston Forward Times, NNPAF chair; and Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., NNPA president/CEO. by Kimerlie Geraci
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MSR Newspaper Archives
André Cymone to rekindle timeless funk in new music By Tony Kiene Staff Writer “My goal with this album is to reintroduce funk music. Give it the respect that it deserves. Get the world to reconnect,” noted André Cymone in describing his latest project, “The Resurrection of Funk.” “That was the foundation of what we did with Grand Central,” he continued. “And from a Minneapolis standpoint, as we came of age, we had a lot to do with funk in the eighties, putting our own stamp on it. But it seems that music is slipping away from people’s consciousness. I want to go back
to that energy, those sensibilities, that attitude. The spirit of funk, so to speak.” Cymone, who celebrates his 66th birthday on this week’s MSR publication date (June 27), is one of the most seminal figures in shaping what history has come to know as the Minneapolis Sound. While he’s eternally humble and gracious, it’s likely not lost on Cymone that he doesn’t always get his due. “André was every bit as talented as Prince,” says Pepé Willie, who worked closely with Grand Central, the band Cymone and Prince played in together as teens. “They both played all the instruments.
Even at that age. Whatever one of them could do, so could the other. It was unbelievable.” Cymone’s contribution runs much deeper than talent alone; he helped put the whole Minneapolis Sound thing together from the very start. For André Simon Anderson, the youngest of six children born to Fred and Bernadette Anderson, it didn’t take long to get a sense of what he might want out of life. “My dad was a musician, and he had this upright bass around the house, which I learned to play by the time I was seven or eight.” Although music came naturally to Cymone, he wasn’t ■ See ANDRÉ CYMONE on page 5 André Cymone
Photo by Katherine Copeland Anderson
V3 Sports Center opens in N. Minneapolis
An Olympic-sized pool will provide competitive opportunities for inner-city youth By Cole Miska Contributing Writer
V3 Sports Center swimming pool
Photo by Cole Miska
weather, hundreds of community members attended the ceremony, which included a The V3 Sports Center, a dance party, fitness demos, state-of-the-art pool and food trucks, and activities for sporting complex in North kids. The facility currently inMinneapolis, held its grand opening ceremony on Satur- cludes a 25-yard pool, a fitday, June 6. The facility had ness center, and a childcare been running limited hours center, with a restaurant for the past month and is opening soon. Director of now open daily. Despite rainy Facilities Luke Day says that
MN election process safest in U.S By League of Women Voters Minneapolis
made it easy to register. In 1974, we became the second state in the nation to allow for s Minnesotans, we un- same-day registration (Star Triderstand that exercis- bune, October 14, 2022). You ing our right to vote is can register to vote online with fundamental to a healthy democ- your mobile phone or computracy. In the 2020 National elec- er. The LWV sponsors registration, MN was #1 in turnout, with tion events where you can regjust under 80% of eligible voters ister using a paper application. casting their ballots. Let’s look at Paper applications can be key features of Minnesota voting printed from the Secretary of laws that help increase our citi- State’s office or requested by mail by calling 311. More rezens’ trust and participation. cently, Minnesota has passed legislation to make registraAccessibility Minnesota historically has tion even easier with Auto-
matic Voter Registration (AVR) when you apply for or renew your driver’s license or interact with other state agencies like MNCare or Human Services. Voter security is part of voter registration regardless of the method used. To register online, you must provide your address, driver’s license number, State ID information card number, or the last four digits of your social security number. This information is sent to election officials to create a new voter record or update your registration. Shutterstock All data is
verified using state and federal databases. If you do not have these identification numbers, you can still register to vote using the paper form—election officials will still verify your voting eligibility. You can vote by mail using an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots are only available to MN voters who complete and return an application to their local election official. Your eligibility is confirmed using state and federal databases to verify information ■ See VOTING on page 5
the grand vision for the facility goes much further—when phase two of the building is complete, it will also host four basketball courts, a 300-meter indoor track, additional banquet space for events, and an Olympic-sized pool. The pool, shipped from Omaha, where U.S. athletes used it to train for the Olympics in 2021, will ■ See V3 CENTER on page 5