THE VOICE OF BLACK MINNESOTA SINCE 1934
September 14 - 20, 2023
Vol. 90
PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391
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Racism takes a toll
The challenges to African American longevity By Niara Savage Contributing Writer
“Minnesotans of color, Native American el- include social isolation, loss of ders, certainly do not fare as well as White old- independence and illness. Black Americans face chaler adults in terms of life expectancy,” said Kari he lifespan of the average American is Benson, director of the Minnesota Department lenging odds from two dideclining. And although the downward of Health Services Aging and Adult Services Di- rections when it comes to trend is impacting people of all races, vision. mental health. On one hand Black people continue to face steeper there’s exposure to stress— declines and live considerably shorter lives than Rise in ‘deaths of despair’ inequality, discrimination Whites and Asians. The decline in life expectancy is due both and trauma can exacerbate Though the wave of COVID deaths acceler- to the loss of life across young and middle age mental health concerns. On ated the downward trend from 2019 to 2021, populations and to chronic conditions in older the flip side, barriers to menthe decline in life expectancy from 2014 to adults that chip away at lifespans in later years. tal health care include so2017 ignited concern that far predates the pan- In some cases, the same tragedies command- cioeconomic and healthcare demic. For decades, Americans enjoyed general ing national attention that claim young lives disparities and a lack of Black increases in life expectancy. But now public — drug overdoses and suicides, which have psychologists, psychiatrists and health experts are tracking ongoing trends that been deemed “deaths of despair” by Princeton other providers. Some people resort to using subcontinue to shave off years from American lives. economists — are affecting older adults. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data, “In terms of suicide we do see that it is really stances to deal with mental health based on deaths through 2021, places projected impacting older adult males,” Benson said. “It’s disorders. In one 2015 study involving life expectancy at birth for Whites at 76.4 years. alarming.” people in treatment for prescription For Blacks that figure is 70.8. Analyzing the data The suicide rate for Black Americans in- opioid dependency, over 94 in the context of gender reveals a more compli- creased by 19 percent between 2018 and 2021. percent of participants recated story: life expectancy for Black women is In that same time period, the suicide rate for ported using opioids to White Americans fell by 3.9 percent. For adults self-medicate negative 74.8, and 66.7 for Black men. Even in Minnesota, where life expectancy is over 75, White men have the highest suicide affective states like the third-longest in the nation, Black Minneso- rates compared to other groups. Nationally, anxiety, depression tans don’t enjoy the same projected outcomes older adults make up 12 percent of the popu- and anger. as White residents in the state. lation, but 18 percent of suicides. Risk factors ■ See TOLL on page 5
Corrections to give Stillwater prisoners bottled water
Met Council details Blue Line extension funding plan
By H. Jiahong Pan Contributing Writer
By H. Jiahong Pan Contributing Writer
he Minnesota Department of Corrections (MnDOC) plans to commission further testing of water at the Stillwater prison and is issuing bottled water to prisoners in light of recent complaints during the standoff over water quality at the prison, an ongoing issue with inmates for years. In a press release issued on Saturday evening, September 9, MnDOC stated it plans to commission a new round of water testing by the Minnesota Department of Health and a third-party lab this coming week to determine what sediments are in the water supply. That testing includes water that inmates use in their prison cells. Until the testing is complete, MnDOC plans to issue prisoners seven bottles of water per day. Although organizations and Black-owned water suppliers have offered to donate bottled water to Stillwater inmates, the DOC is refusing the offer for now. “We appreciate the
Ahead of the Met Council members’ vote on September 14, to decide whether or not to accept funding to move forward with the Blue Line extension project, the Met Council staff detailed a structure that they developed to ensure fu-
nepin County on August 22, as nepin County calls for Metro well as to postpone allowing a Transit to use 65 percent of contractor to draft more engi- the capital funds it receives neering drawings for the Blue from the federal government Line extension, because some to close 45 percent of the members say they did not deficit. Hennepin County will have time to understand what make up the difference usthe agreement comprised. ing its existing transportation Some members were upset sales tax revenue. They hope that they were not consulted this means construction costs, by staff as they negotiated a including cost overruns, will
Intersection of Lyndale Ave. N. at 21st Ave. N., where Metro Transit’s proposed Blue Line extension project calls for a light rail station. Photo by H. Jiahong Pan Families protesting prison conditions at Stillwater Photos by H. Jiahong Pan Nonetheless, the news offer, but it’s more efficient for us to secure it ourselves,” said is welcome for activists and spokesperson Andy Skoogman. ■ See STILLWATER on page 5
ture project partners pay their fair share. The recent meeting was in response to the Met Council’s vote to postpone the acceptance of $75 million from Hen-
funding agreement to patch a $272 million deficit in the $2.8 billion Southwest light rail project to Eden Prairie. The Southwest light rail agreement reached by staff with Hen-
be covered. Met Council Chair Charlie Zelle said such an agreement was a miracle in its own right, in part because it helps the ■ See BLX PLAN on page 5
Part II of a special report:
Plan for community safety Crowder said in an interview. “So many now have armed guards as a result of the increased threats. Many also have machines and metal detectors that you have to go By Hazel Trice Edney sylvania, witnesses the carnage now have armed guards be- through just like at the airport. TriceEdneyWire.com up close on a regular basis. And cause there have been threats Patients are sometimes wanit’s gotten so bad that while against emergency medical ded. Those things never used Dr. Valda Crowder, director treating victims, she and other physicians, nurses, and hospi- to occur 20 or 25 years ago. of Emergency Medicine at the medical professionals must tals. There have been actual I think people should realize University of Pittsburgh Medi- also protect themselves. shootings where emergency that any person or entity that “Many emergency rooms medical physicians were killed,” anyone could get mad at is a cal Center in Harrisburg, Penn-
potential victim.” Crowder is one of those struggling to end the carnage. Among her list of unique initiatives to end gun violence are the following: • Crowder recalls how the historic photo of the mutilated body of Emmett Till, published in Jet magazine, stunned the world and has been credited with sparking the civil rights movement. Crowder believes
that same kind of stunning moment could work again by placing on display bodies that have been mutilated by gun violence. “In 1955, the open-casket funeral of Emmett Till drew international attention to the savagery of Jim Crow, spurring a national civil rights movement,” Crowder wrote in an op-ed early this year. “Now ■ See VIOLENCE on page 5