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THE VOICE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1934 November 5-11, 2020 Vol. 87 No. 14
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“AS IT WAS SPOKEN ... LET US RECORD.”
Now What?
T
he voting turnout nationally has been unprecedented. Amidst concerns about the spread of the COVID pandemic, protests against police violence, and increasing poverty and homelessness, people took to the ballot box for relief. Over 100 million had cast their ballot by press time, and absentee ballots have been cast in record numbers. In New York City about 20% of eligible voters cast their ballots early. As a result of early voting and mail-in balloting that was encouraged because of COVID, there
were not a lot of long lines at the polls as usually occur during presidential elections. “This election, regardless of the outcome, will not lessen the need for continued, relentless pressure for change,” said a Minneapolis voter who wished to remain anonymous. “Otherwise there is great risk of all-too-quickly losing whatever ground may have been gained toward racial justice after the death of George Floyd. That’s just the reality of how the system works, how it’s always worked, and how it always will work until we get it right.”
Voters lined up and voted at the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center in Minneapolis. Many already voted early, making the numbers of voters smaller than usual on Nov. 3, 2020. Photos by Chris Juhn
Combating the hidden biases in data
Local organization seeks to demystify data use and emerging technologies
By Marquis Taylor Contributing writer As technology continues to advance, the need to create and make transparent ethical practices can at times be an afterthought, especially when understanding the use and importance of big data. Leading the charge is the Twin Cities Innovation Alliance (TCIA), a social venture that serves as a co-creation space for coalitions, organizations, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and policymakers interested in thinking about innovation with a diverse lens, not as a silver bullet.
Central to this work is TCIA’s focus on SMART Cities and Connected Communities. A critical component in SMART Cities is education. At the foundation of TCIA’s success is engaging communities in learning about emerging technological trends and their impact on society and linked to action. Founded in 2017 by community organizers and leaders Aasim Shabazz and Marika Pfefferkorn, the Twin Cities Innovation Alliance is at the Marika Pfefferkorn forefront of change in this Submitted photo big data moment by raising awareness, educating, engag- ing individuals, communities ing, equipping and activat- and organizations in ensuring
TCIA has partnered with local organizations like Koinonia Leadership Academy, Macalester College, Civic Eagle, and the University of Minnesota and with national organizations like Communities for Just Schools Fund, Data for Black Lives, Data Funders Collaborative, Center for Democracy and Technology, Brookings Institute, Project Evidence, and Dignity in Schools Campaign A long list of community leaders, entrepreneurs and Dr. Ruha Benjamin academics are focused on the Submitted photo ultimate objective of transforming the Twin Cities into data serves the public good. In its three-year existence, an inclusive, forward-think-
ing, innovative, global Smart City that is anchored in community through a humancentered approach. As a part of national and local problem solving eco-systems, TCIA invests in inspiring others to be part of transformative change through learning exchanges, anchored in restorative justice, data for public good, and SMART City governance. “At the Twin Cities Innovation Alliance, our work is about raising awareness, educating and equipping folks about the impact of big data. This is particularly important for BIPOC and rural communities, but it has implications ■See ALLIANCE on page 5
‘Avid protester’ begins long walk for justice
Black women caught where sexism and racism intersect By Charles Hallman Contributing writer
Black women too often are both misunderstood and marginalized compared to their White counterparts. Dr. Nefertiti Walker calls this “intersectionality.” “The reason why I use intersectionality to view issues and organizations in society is because it forces you to talk about how people are marginalized,” said Walker, an UMass vice chancellor and chief diversity officer. She was among six Black women scholars who virtually appeared at the October 19 U of M Tucker Center Fall Lecture. Walker, who also is an associate sport management professor, specifically studies intersectionality as it applies to race, gender and culture in sport. During a post-event phone interview, Walker explained, “Being Black and being a woman, you have a uniquely different experience because of these intersecting identities and marginalized identities of being both Black and a woman. You are not going Activist and artist Lavish Mack Submitted photo to have the same experiences as Black men or as White women.” However, Walker advised, By Tiffany Johnson “If we don’t consider the issues Contributing writer that impact Black women at the intersection of racism and sexOn Sunday, October 31, loism, we will never have equity or cal activist and artist Lavish even inclusion in sport for Black Mack started a one-month women.” journey from Minneapolis, A prime example of Walker’s Historically, walking has where George Floyd was Minneapolis welcomed Terry murdered, to Louisville, Ken- Willis on his 1,000-mile trek been one of the most power- intersectionality can be found in tucky, where Breonna Taylor from his home in Alabama to ful forms of peaceful protest. the WNBA, America’s longest running women’s professional was murdered, both at the the George Floyd memorial One of the most famous was basketball league. Even though it in protest against racial in- James Meredith’s “March hands of the state’s police. will celebrate its 25th season next Walking as a way of pro- justice, and specifically police against Fear” in 1966 in which he walked 220 miles test is nothing new. In July, brutality.
“You don’t have to be in the streets. If you don’t want to give up your time, give up your money.”
■See PROTESTER on page 5
year, the league still struggles for acceptance beyond its faithful fan base. Sue Bird, who stars for this year’s W champions Seattle, said in a recent CNN interview that a possible reason is that her league is “tall, Black, gay” as opposed to other women’s sports, such as soccer. “To be completely blunt,” Bird said, “soccer players generally are cute little White girls. We have…70 to 80 percent Black women. A lot of gay women. We’re tall. We’re big.” Walker said she totally agrees with Bird’s assessment “because [women soccer players] fit the stereotypes of being physically appealing…that meet the taste of society when they are thinking about women. “The WNBA is Black, and they are dealing with the racism,” she reiterated. “They are women that don’t fit the general standard of feminism—they are bigger and taller. Then you have a lot of gay women in the league.” Since late May, America’s
Dr. Nefertiti Walker Photo courtesy of U-M Tucker Center finally be answered “I’m not sure or that optimistic, because over time and over history we’ve had those moments of social unrest and social reckoning around racism, a lot of attention, and then we go quiet. “I think for me this moment, we had organizations coming out and making commitments and promises to becoming more anti-racist…in ways they haven’t
“I think there needs to be a group of people that are constantly pushing organizations and people in leadership to keep their promises.” typically blind eyes and deaf ears opened to a new awakening, a widespread call for change, equity and inclusion. Walker was asked if she thinks this call will
before,” Walker said. “I think it is up to us as society and people who care about these issues to hold these organizations accountable.” ■See WOMEN on page 5
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November 5-11, 2020
Bloomington HRA appoints new administrator The City of Bloomington announced that Aarica Coleman has been appointed as Bloomington’s next housing and redevelopment authority administrator. Coleman emerged from a strong pool of candidates as the individual best suited to take on this important opportunity in a moment of great community and organizational need. She comes to Bloomington from the City of Minneapolis, where she served as a senior project coordinator in community planning and economic development, working to manage home-
projects, technical assistance and community engagement. Prior to her time in government, she served in the private sector as a compliance technician and manager for Sand Companies. “The HRA has an important dual function in Bloomington, serving the present-day needs for housing by individuals and the future revitalization of the entire community through redevelopment,” Bloomington City Manager Jamie Verbrugge said. “Aarica will bring a unique blend of professional experiences combined with tremendous lead-
The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on October 27 to move forward with a $1.2 million lease agreement with M Health Fairview to utilize Bethesda Hospital in Saint Paul as an emergency shelter for those experiencing homelessness. The lease would be in effect from Dec. 1, 2020, through May 31, 2022. With an unprecedented number of people now unsheltered during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ramsey County and its partners have been working to add at least 100 shelter beds by this winter. The Bethesda site uniquely offers a turnkey facility that will provide safe and dignified shelter for people
mental and chemical health, housing stability, workforce and veteran assistance. Another area of the building will be used to provide COVID-19 respite care and symptom monitoring currently provided for a small number of individuals at the former Boys Totem Town site. Safety and security To enhance the safety of shelter residents and the surrounding community, around-the-clock security services will be provided by Ramsey County and the HealthEast Care System through a security services agreement. Outreach staff will also work in the surrounding area, connecting people already in the neighborhood to the fa-
To date, the county and its partners have added 194 new beds through lease agreements with hotels and Mary Hall; expanded the Ramsey County Safe Space for yearround use; and converted other facilities into respite sites for those who are exposed to or test positive for COVID-19. Even with these additional resources, hundreds of residents continue to sleep outside and unsheltered on any given night in Ramsey County, and county leaders will continue to urge state and regional partners to take further action to address this urgent issue as winter sets in. Ramsey County intends to continue to engage the surrounding community and
Submitted photo
Aarica Coleman buyer programs; coordinating community engagement; serving as a liaison for public-private development initiatives; and managing federally funded programs and City-owned rental property. Coleman also served Hennepin County as a property manager specialist in the Tax Forfeited Land unit, working with municipalities and community organizations in land development
“Aarica is joining an exceptional team of professionals. Her experience, knowledge and leadership skills will be an important addition to our staff at the Bloomington HRA and the City of Bloomington,” HRA Commissioner Mark Thorson said. “We are excited to have her on board as we continue with our important work in redevelopment, affordable housing, and neighborhood revitalization.” Coleman’s first day as Housing and Redevelopment Authority administrator will be on or around November 9.
Bethesda Hospital to become emergency homeless shelter
ership and people skills to continue moving the HRA forward.” Coleman is a licensed real estate broker and a certified Housing Development Finance Professional through the National Development Council. She has served on the Commercial Land Trust Initiative Advisory Board, Minneapolis Area Realtors Board of Directors, and the National Association of Real Estate Brokers.
“I am excited to join the HRA team,” Coleman said. “I look forward to working with the community and our stakeholders for equitable outcomes, where impact matches our intent.” Courtesy of Wikipedia
Bethesda Hospital through the next two winters. The facility will be staffed 24/7 to provide about 100 beds for unsheltered individuals referred to the site through outreach teams made up of community partners and law enforcement. Once referred, residents can stay for multiple days in their own rooms with access to meals, bathroom and shower facilities, as well as day services. This provides a stable environment and opportunities to connect with on-site support services for
cility and related services. M Health Fairview maintenance staff will be retained at Bethesda to care for the building and grounds.
neighbors as plans for the site progress and services come online in the weeks and months ahead. To learn more about the project and future community meetings, visit Commitment to housing ramseycounty.us/Bethesda. stability To share your immediRamsey County and its ate feedback and questions, partners have invested mil- email Ramsey County. For lions of dollars since the be- comments regarding the cloginning of the pandemic to sure of Bethesda Hospital, reduce the spread and impact email M Fairview Health. of COVID-19 and address the risks and pressure the exist–Information provided by ing housing crisis has put on Bethesda Hospital the East Metro.
November 5-11, 2020
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Voting as if our children’s lives depend on it
A pediatrician reflects on the election of 2020
By Andrew W. Kiragu, MD, FAAP, FCCM Guest contributor “Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” ― Barack Obama This year has been marked by significant upheaval. Climate change has taken center stage with large and destructive fires and stronger and more destructive hurricanes and other weather phenomena. This has also been a year marked by loss. We have lost famous people including Kobe Bryant, Chadwick Boseman, John Lewis and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Many families have also suffered personal losses of their own loved ones. However, two pivotal events have defined 2020: the death of George Floyd and the coronavirus pandemic.
The murder of George Floyd by the police sparked a conflagration of national and global protests by people of all backgrounds, seeking a reckoning on racial injustice and an end to police violence. However, nothing has changed life across the globe more than the coronavirus pandemic. COVID 19 has wrought havoc in the lives of millions of people around the world by causing illness and death. But more than that, it has impacted almost every single facet of our lives from how we work, play, go to school and interact with others. Through all this chaos, what has become clear is the importance of leadership in helping communities and our society as a whole navigate these turbulent waters. The failure of leadership in our own country has contributed to a staggering loss of more than 225,000 American lives to COVID-19. The politicization of the response to this pandemic in our country means that this number continues to climb. We are now well into election season. Early voting in person or by mail is ongoing and will culminate on November 3, 2020. As a pediatrician I am guided by what will make the lives of my patients better. In Minnesota, there are over one million children under the age of 18. They are relying on the adults in their
lives to vote their interests. It is incumbent that we vote for leaders who will make policies and pass laws that benefit children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently released their latest “Blueprint for Kids.” This document is meant to guide lawmakers about issues pertinent to the welfare of children. It outlines a comprehensive child health policy agenda. According to the AAP, “the Blueprint reflects on the State of Children in 2020, and recommends policies to promote healthy children, support secure families, build strong communities, and ensure our role as a leading nation for youth.” There are multiple issues facing our children, and who we vote for will have an impact on the health of children and their families. Currently 18 Republican-led states are challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the Supreme Court. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, “If all or most of the law ultimately is struck down, it will have complex and far-reaching consequences for the nation’s health care system, affecting nearly everyone in some way. A host of ACA provisions could be eliminated, including protections for people with pre-existing conditions, subsidies to make individual health insurance more
Coping with ‘ambiguous loss’ is part of the new normal
JEGNA Brandon Jones
COVID-19 has ushered in a new cultural paradigm. Since the adjustments required by COVID-19, our society has taken a massive shift, a shift that is unprecedented and unexpected. We have all been forced to make these adjustments. On top of COIVD-19 has come the ongoing racial injustices that are occurring all across the nation at alarming rates. This complex reality, on top of our intergenerational and historical trauma, has left many of us in a place where we can only take so much. We have been saying, “I can’t breathe” for years now, and it has become a slogan to bring awareness to the murders of Black bodies, a mantra of our everyday life. We are dealing with all of this at once and it is causing significant pressure and complicated grief. What is an “ambiguous loss”? Unfortunately, being in this consistent state of frustration, confusion and stress ultimately highlights how much grief we have to process consistently. This grief can be understood as an ambiguous loss. Ambiguous loss is defined as the natural emotional response resulting from a significant disconnection.
This loss has to led to a grieving process that many of us are not aware of being in. Think about the number of people you know who are consistently in shock, distress, sadness, have trouble sleeping, have poor eating habits, and spend insufficient time concentrating. These are all common symptoms of ambiguous loss. Over time, the hope is that these symptoms will go away. The challenge is this: If the symptoms do not go away, you may have to seek professional help. What have we lost? During COVID-19, we have lost more than we realize. Our entire lives have been shaken up. Here are just some of the things that we have lost: • Access: You can’t just go anywhere you like. There has been a considerable shift in when, where and how we can move. • Our Normal Routines: Think about distance learning, Zoom calls, social distancing. All of these things highlight a new way of life. Our practices of life may have forever been changed. • The Ability to Choose: The options we once had are now different. Some of our former options are still not available to us. The choice of doing what you want now comes with restrictions. Oh, and don’t forget your mask. • Connection: Some of us have lost relationships with others physically, spiritually, emotionally and socially. You can’t even be in a social setting and sneeze without feelings of guilt or shame. • Opportunities: Some of the things we thought were there for us at the beginning
of 2020 are no longer there. This has created hardships for many during this time. • Lives of Loved Ones: The unfortunate reality is that people have passed during this pandemic. Whether the death has been from the pandemic or other reasons, processing death has been disturbed during this time. Think about how funerals have been—they are limited in attendance and often being live-streamed for others to attend. How can we adjust? If the stress and anxiousness have become too overpowering, it might be useful to connect with a mental health professional right away. Attempting to power through the emotions is not the healthiest or smartest thing to do. Currently, there is not a clear end in sight from the pandemic or the racial injustices that we’re bombarded with. Therefore, we have to make sure we are taking the best possible steps to take care of ourselves. Make sure you are regularly checking the state of your mind. Be honest with yourself. If the past few months have been abnormally hard for you to bear with, please seek out help from someone you trust or a professional. Brandon Jones, M.A. is a mental health practitioner. He welcomes reader responses to Brandon@jegnainstitute.com, or follow him on Twitter @UniversalJones.
affordable, expanded eligibility for Medicaid, coverage of young adults up to age 26 under their parents’ insurance policies, and coverage of preventive care with no patient cost-sharing.” Protecting the ACA as well as Medicaid and, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is key to ensuring affordable and comprehensive health coverage for children. According to the AAP, providing for secure families means that policymakers need to enact policies aimed at reducing poverty and ensuring food security. This means increasing funding for federal and state food programs like SNAP and WIC as well as increasing opportunities for families to get out of poverty by raising the minimum wage and strengthening tax credits. Programs that expand federal rental assistance and increase loan and rental availability are important for our leaders to champion. To build strong communities it is important for policymakers to ensure all children and families live in safe communities where public housing standards are enforced to combat housing inequities and the environmental racism that has led so many communities of color to live in areas where they are exposed to toxic waste.
At all levels of government, the AAP envisions “efforts to reduce the violence children experience and witness in their communities, including through measures to ensure that firearms do not get into the wrong hands such as universal background checks and supporting the implementation of evidencebased violence prevention programs.” It is critical that we vote in leaders who support police reform efforts that aim to reimagine public safety, reduce the role of police in solving societal problems, hold abusive police officers accountable, and eliminate police violence against people of color.. Too many of our children have suffered or died at the hands of those meant to protect them, and this has to stop. We must also vote in leaders who will work to address the challenges of immigration and improving global health. The separation of children from their parents at the border and the caging of these children is a stain on the conscience of our nation. As many as 545 of these children may never be reunited with their parents. This must never again happen in this land of the free. We must vote in leaders who are champions of global health and work collaboratively with other nations through
organizations like the World Health Organization to combat diseases that affect us all, including the current coronavirus pandemic. Elections are also local. Who gets voted onto your city council and school board has implications for your children. They will determine local zoning and housing laws, policing, and taxes among other things. The school board may impact what and how your children are taught and by whom. Our vote is precious, and unfortunately there are ongoing efforts to disenfranchise people of color. It is vital that we vote to prevent the further erosion of the rights we hold dear. Vote. Our lives and those of our children depend on it! Dr. Andrew Kiragu is the medical director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Hennepin Healthcare. He is also an associate of the Children's Respiratory and Critical Care Specialist's group and provides pediatric critical care at Children's of Minnesota. Dr. Kiragu is a passionate advocate for children and is a past president of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a past president of the Minnesota Association of Black Physicians. He is an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota.
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November 5-11, 2020
The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder (MSR) welcomes and values commentary and feedback from the community. The articles found here are edited for clarity and/or space, but the opinions are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of the MSR.
Temporary financial safety net set to expire December 31
“The economic downturn has not fallen equally on all Americans and those least able to shoulder the burden have been hardest hit.”—Jerome Powell, Federal Reserve chairman
Don’t despair about who controls the Supreme Court Fundamental change comes only from an aroused citizenry. By Howard Zinn Let us not be disconsolate over the increasing control of the court system by the right wing. There is enormous hypocrisy surrounding the pious veneration of the Constitution and "the rule of law." The Constitution, like the Bible, is infinitely flexible and is used to serve the political needs of the moment. When the country was in economic crisis and turmoil in the '30s and capitalism needed to be saved from the anger of the poor and hungry and unemployed, the Supreme Court was willing to stretch to infinity the constitutional right of Congress to regulate interstate commerce. It decided that the national government, desperate to regulate farm production, could tell a family farmer what to grow on their tiny piece of land. When the Constitution gets in the way of a war, it is ignored. When the Supreme Court was faced, during Vietnam, with a suit by soldiers refusing to go,
the Indigenous and People of Color, against dissidents, we cannot become dependent on the courts, or on our political leadership. Our culture—the media, the educational system—tries to crowd out of our political consciousness everything except who will be elected president and who will be on the Supreme Court, as if these are the most important decisions we make. They are not. They deflect us from the most important job citizens have, which is to bring democracy alive by organizing, protesting, engaging in acts of civil disobedience that shake up the system. The courts have never been on the side of justice, only moving a few degrees one way or the other, unless pushed by the people. Those words engraved in the marble of the Supreme Court, "Equal Justice Before the Law," have always been a sham. No Supreme Court, liberal or conservative, will stop the war in Iraq, or redistribute the wealth of this country, or establish free medical care for every human being. Such fundamental change will depend, the experience of the past suggests, on the actions of an aroused citizenry, demanding that the promise of the Declaration of '60s, the right to public accom- Independence—an equal right to modations was quietly given life, liberty, and the pursuit of hapconstitutional sanction in 1964 piness—be fulfilled. by the Court. It now interpreted Howard Zinn (1922- 2010) was a the interstate commerce clause, whose wording had not changed famous radical, critic, author, activist since 1787, to mean that places of and historian best known for his “A public accommodation could be People’s History of the U.S.” penned regulated by Congressional ac- this editorial in 2005 in the wake of the tion and be prohibited from dis- liberal panic over the appointment of Justice John Roberts. It first apcriminating. The right of a woman to an peared in the Progressive Media abortion did not depend on the Project. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. It was won before that decision, all over the country, by grassroots agitation that forced states to recognize the right. If the American people, who by a great majority favor that right, insist on it, act on it, no Supreme Court decision can take it away. The rights of working people, of women, of Black people have not depended on decisions of the courts. Like the other branches of the political system, the courts have recognized these rights only after citizens have engaged in direct action powerful enough to win these rights for themselves. This is not to say that we should ignore the courts or the electoral campaigns. It can be useful to get one person rather than another on the Supreme Court, or in the Presidency, or in Congress. The courts, win or lose, can be used to dramatize issues. Still, knowing the nature of the political and judicial system of this country, its inherent bias against the poor, against Blacks, ment which won the eight-hour day, and caused such commotion that Congress was forced to pass a minimum wage law, and Social Security, and unemployment insurance. The Brown decision on school desegregation did not come from a sudden realization of the Supreme Court that this is what the Fourteenth Amendment called for. After all, it was the same Fourteenth Amendment that had been cited in the Plessy case upholding racial segregation. It was the initiative of brave families in the South—along with the fear by the government, obsessed with the Cold War, that it was losing the hearts and minds of People of Color all over the world—that brought a sudden enlightenment to the Court. The Supreme Court in 1883 had interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment so that nongovernmental institutions, hotels, restaurants, etc., could bar Black people. But after the sit-ins and arrests of thousands of Black people in the South in the early
The courts have never been on the side of justice unless pushed by the people. claiming that there had been no declaration of war by Congress, as the Constitution required, the soldiers could not get four Supreme Court justices to agree to even hear the case. When, during World War I, Congress ignored the First Amendment's right to free speech by passing legislation to prohibit criticism of the war, the imprisonment of dissenters under this law was upheld unanimously by the Supreme Court, which included two presumably liberal and learned justices: Oliver Wendell Holmes and Louis Brandeis. It would be naive to depend on the Supreme Court to defend the rights of poor people, women, People of Color, dissenters of all kinds. Those rights only come alive when citizens organize, protest, demonstrate, strike, boycott, rebel, and violate the law in order to uphold justice. The distinction between law and justice is ignored by all those Senators—Democrats and Republicans—who solemnly invoke as their highest concern "the rule of law." The law can be just; it can be unjust. It does not deserve to inherit the ultimate authority of the divine right of the king. The Constitution gave no rights to working people: no right to work less than 12 hours a day, no right to a living wage, no right to safe working conditions. Workers had to organize, go on strike, defy the law, the courts, the police, create a great move-
Roughly seven months have passed since the effects of the coronavirus outbreak began to reverberate through the U.S. economy. The first three months of the outbreak resulted in tens of millions of jobs lost, and the stark reality is that economists expect it will take several years for those losses to be replaced. While the labor market has shown some signs of recovery this fall, the pace of the recovery has slowed in recent months. Employment gains declined for three consecutive months in the third quarter. As of September, the economy had recovered just over 11 million of the 23 million jobs lost during the pandemic. The number of workers unemployed for 27 weeks or longer rose by 781,000 in September to 2.4 million. And if that data weren’t concerning enough, the traditional metrics for measuring unemployment fail to capture the fact that a growing number of Americans have ceased looking for work. Whole sectors of the economy, such as the service and travel industries, have experienced major disruption, and with it, expanding job loss. Some researchers estimate that 40% of jobs eliminated in the first few months of the pandemic may never be replaced. In March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, the federal
government passed the CARES Act. This $2.2 trillion legislation provided direct financial relief and also put in place a temporary financial safety net that ranged from eviction and foreclosure protections, utility shut-off moratoriums, expanded unemployment benefits, paid time off programs, and a pause for student loan payments. The additional money and the range of assistance available helped soften the pandemic’s financial blow for many people. In recent weeks researchers have published the results of two studies examining the results of the COVID-19 pandemic on poverty in America. One study published by Columbia University, which looked at monthly poverty rates from October 2019 through September 2020, found that the number of families in poverty has been
Center found in a recent survey that as many one in four adults has had difficulty paying their bills since the outbreak started, with a third dipping into savings or retirement accounts to make ends meet. Roughly one in six people surveyed has borrowed money from family or friends or has obtained food from a food bank. These experiences are even more prevalent for low-income adults. Many of the available protections and assistance provided by the CARES Act have either expired already or are set to expire on December 31. Given the current state of the economy, the consequences of this aid expiring will be significant for individuals, families, and businesses. While negotiations continue in Washington, it appears less likely that any significant eco-
The consequences of this aid expiring will be significant for individuals, families, and businesses. gradually rising since March. The study indicated that the economic relief provided by the CARES Act prevented 18 million families from going into poverty in March and April. It also found that the number of Americans in poverty has grown by eight million since May. Another study published jointly by the University of Chicago and the University of Notre Dame has shown a similar rise in poverty in recent months. Their study utilized data from the Census Bureau’s monthly Current Population Survey to estimate that the number of poor Americans grew by six million people in the past three months. These researchers also found a direct relation between poverty rates and the CARES Act. While the economy is recovering, albeit slowly, many Americans continue to face deep financial hardship. Pew Research
nomic stimulus will be signed into law soon. The House and Senate have each advanced differing aid packages in the months since the CARES Act was passed; however, both chambers of Congress have been unable to reconcile their differences. Without action, the economy, and more importantly, the American people will continue to struggle, and the number of people in poverty will continue to increase. Dr. Clarence Hightower is a visionary leader with more than 37 years of nonprofi experience in the Twin Cities. He is the current executive director of the Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County, one of the largest anti-poverty organizations in the area and the state’s largest Energy Assistance program. He welcomes reader responses to chightower@caphennepin.org.
Letters to the Editor Don’t be part of the negative mish-mash I agree with many things Sasan Fayamanesh says in the MSR editorial section in the October 1-7 issue. Yes, either main party presidential candidate is a capitalist since this country is a capitalist country. To run as anything else means making a statement and then facing certain defeat. Yes, there are socio-economic
classes in America and those on the bottom are tuned to desire an expensive lifestyle and teased into thinking that they or their children might get rich, and if they don’t something is wrong with them. But both candidates being “evil?” No way. I can see that Fayazmanesh has swallowed some of Trump’s branding when he uses “retardation” in reference to Joe Biden. He is plenty intelligent enough to be our leader. (Only Lincoln and Obama come to my mind
as presidents who might have had I.Q.s in the stratosphere.) Biden had a moral compass, experience and empathy—essential qualities for a good president. My most important point is that not voting at all shows nothing except that you are part of a negative mish-mash that just says, “Do what you want, I don’t care.” Jane Thomson St. Paul
Bone up on finance, not sports This is in response to the article about the Black Lion Foundation in the October 8-14 edition of the MSR. I liked the article and agree with the goals of James R .Holmes Jr. It reminded me of an article that ran in the Star Tribune earlier in 2020 titled, “As stocks soar most Black people miss out.” I did not grow up in a family with dinner table discussions about “investing or high finance.” I learned investing by listening to my collegiate peers and determining that this information was more important than knowing the latest NFL or NBA lineups and stats. In my several decades of life, I have focused on mutual funds and financial things and have been able to benefit my
family and myself. Having grown up in the segregated (by law) South, I am aware of the social and economical constraints that are imposed on us as African Americans. However, I am also aware that we can be detriments to ourselves if we spend too much time discussing nonsense things like sports instead of self-educating ourselves on financial subjects. There is a book titled “Mutual Funds for Idiots” (that I have read); it can help anyone get started. Don’t whine and blame “the Man” for everything. A.B. Smith Roseville
November 5-11, 2020
AlliAnce Continued from page 1 for everyone. As a result, we need to fully engage people to work together to put measures in place that will protect us and ensure that when our data is used, it is used in service to the public good and with our permission,” said Pfefferkorn Advocating on behalf of BIPOC communities has long been a focus for Pfefferkorn, who spent many years tackling issues of inequity across nonprofit and education arenas. Since then, she and cofounder Shabazz have looked at the intersection between policy, economics, technology, and data and its impact on communities. “When it comes to technology, data, and design, often times BIPOC folks are left out of design, feedback loops and decision-making. TCIA is shifting this paradigm, this outdated notion, ensuring that no data and no policy is designed for us or about us without us.” Pfefferkorn explained. “We are working with colleges like Macalester and Michigan Tech to ensure that data scientists are skilled in working with community in understanding their role and responsibility in shaping the meaning and context in and with communities. Ultimately, we have to make sure there are levers in place for data scientists and researchers to
understand how their decisions can impact folks on the ground.” Amid the pandemic of COVID-19, remote learning has become a hot topic of discussion for parents and educators alike. With this comes the discussion of data and how it’s used and collected within the virtual learning space. For Pfefferkorn, this timely discussion further illustrates why it’s important to discuss the effects of data and technology in BIPOC communities. “For parents and caregivers, especially during this time of remote learning, it’s important for families to understand that new technologies are being used across schools to monitor social media, track attendance, and flag students suspected of certain behaviors. It’s important to understand that this comes with a cost and is often layered with bias. “The problem is that most of the time, families are not even aware nor do they have the option to opt out. This is a critical conversation that we’re elevating. We need everyone at the table to bring their perspective and lived experience to answer the question, ‘Why are we doing this?’” Another critical conversation taking place is around FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act law), which is supposed to protect student and family privacy. In our TCIA research we’ve uncovered that FERPA does not do enough to protect
students and families, leaving communities with a false sense of security based on a law that hasn’t kept pace with the emerging technologies of the 21st Century.” Extended dialogue about emerging technologies and data practices will also take place during the organization’s inaugural and virtual Unconference November 5-7. Under the theme of “Data 4 Public Good,” the conference aims to bring together a collection of community leaders, policy makers, creators and designers as well as students, parents, and school administrators. Pfefferkorn describes the Unconference as a milestone in a larger movement to raise awareness, engage, equip and activate everyone to be in relationship with the use of their data. “We may not know all the ways our data is being used, but now is the time to find out and now is the time to weigh in. “As we say at TCIA, ‘No data about us without us!’ Our goal for these [conference] sessions is to build the muscle across stakeholders and communities so we all can engage in a vision for the future where data is in service to the public good.” For more information or to register, visit tciamn.org. Marquis Taylor welcomes reader responses to mtaylor@ spokesman-recorder.com.
Protester Continued from page 1 Memphis to Jackson, Mississippi. Meredith was shot along the way, but the march was picked up and continued by others led by SNCC and the SCLC. Marches have played a significant role in the fight for justice throughout U.S. history, like the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the 1965 Selma to Montgomery Marches. Mack is a product of this history himself. “I have a grandfather that was a Black Panther, another great-great uncle that was a Tuskegee Airmen. I have a great auntie that was an attorney on the [Brown vs. Board of Education] case; I have a lot of activism on my mom’s side. I’ve always had that background,” he said. Mack is a resident of South Minneapolis, growing up just a few blocks away from the George Floyd memorial. “I used to go to Cup Foods all the time.” He said it was the tragedy of George Floyd’s death in the place that Mack has called home that sparked a new fire in his outreach. Previously an impassioned recording artist, Mack responded
Women
to this particular moment in time with a surge of purpose, sparking an entirely new way of life. “The Rock says sometimes your biggest blessing is failing at what you wanted most,” he said as he explained the personal courage that it took for him to transition from music into more intentional social justice work. “Timing is everything,” he said. “It’s divine timing.” Mack has positioned himself as a police violence activist for the better part of 2020, following the protest that was a direct response to the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd back in May. “I just had to go. It felt like it was my responsibility. Then I just never stopped. I just kept staying outside.” Not only has Mack been on the front lines in both rallies and riots, but he’s also had his own encounters with the criminal justice system in these recent months. “I got arrested on the Washington Avenue Bridge right by Bobby and Steve’s, and we were on this jail bus for like seven hours. They processed us but didn’t have enough room to put us all in jail,” he said. “But I was back at it again the next day.” While Mack is just one indi-
group of people that are constantly pushing organizations and Continued from page 1 people in leadership to keep their Walker also believes that once promises, to keep their commitso-called normalcy returns, so ment because if not, it is very easy will the status quo. “When we to go back to where we were.” Nonetheless, Walker saw have status quo, we have Black women completely miserable, commitments made to change, and the Black experience for the although they may have been perfunctory given the turbulence most part being marginalized. “I think there needs to be a times. “I’m still happy that they
5
vidual, many other millennials are also responding to the call of social justice in 2020. Mack encourages other young people and the community at large to get in where they fit in. “There are different ways to do it. You don’t have to be in the streets. If you don’t want to give up your time, give up your money,” he suggested. Mack also offered some key advice when it comes to activism, especially as individuals. “Think about what it is you want to do, and then think about the how and why.” Although an avid protester, he pointed out that it’s important to pay attention to the establishment. “People don’t like politics,” he said. “But politicians bet on the fact that you don’t know politics. And if you don’t understand politics, then they can do anything to you. “Sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do in order to get what we need to get.” Follow Mack on his journey via his social media platforms or by following Journey of Justice on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ JourneytoJusticeMN.
did it, because now we have an artifact forever that these organizations made promises to Black folk and all of society to do better.” Next, the Angry Black Woman Syndrome on next week’s Sports page Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.
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Business
November 5-11, 2020
Offering a bit of comfort food in an uneasy time Peach Eatery
Black Business SPOTLIGHT
range from $10-$25 in price. Customers have a wide variety of options, from freshly fried chicken, baked chicken and smothered chicken. Smoked turkey legs are available on occasion. Every meal comes with a dinner roll, and patrons can also order sides mac and cheese, sweet po-
By Ashley Lauren Contributing writer Local businesswoman Allena Dancer, owner of the Peach Eatery pop-up restaurant, inherited her cooking skills from her mother who died in 2000. Around that time, she carried on her mother’s soul food legacy, and several years later, the Peach Eatery concept came to fruition. Dancer is from Iowa, but grew up in St. Paul. She graduated from Northwestern Bible College and earned a degree at the Culinary Arts Institute in Minneapolis. Although she worked hard to earn her degrees and is wellversed in culinary arts, shelearned how to cook from her family. Her dad is from Arkansas and her mother is from Mississippi. That Southern influence is prevalent and magnified throughout her flavorful food. “I’ve always been told I should cook. One day I was cooking for my pastor,” Dancer recalled. She initially asked the First Lady at her church about the business and what the name should be. It’s been Peach Eatery ever since. “[The Pastor and First Lady] would encourage me to keep go-
The Dancer family ing. It built my skills and I got better,” said Dancer. Dancer’s unique pop-up restaurant is known for its mouthwatering peach cobbler. She said,“We have a signature peach tea, and a hint of peach in barbecue sauce.” The eatery also offers an array of Southern dishes that
tatoes, cabbage, red beans and rice and more. The eatery recently introduced a new item on the menu: “My husband came up with the brisket grilled cheese,” said Dancer. To their surprise, it’s becoming very popular. “Customers have been re-
questing it almost every day,” she noted. Dancer recently expanded her territory. The Peach Eatery pop-up restaurant is also located at the Mall of America’s Community Commons. At this location, there’s a limited menu. Only peach cobbler and pound cakes are available. In business there are ups and downs, but Dancer has been powered by resiliency and faith. She cited one challenge as “Time. There seems to never be enough time,” she said. She noted that an up-side to being a business owner is witnessing customer satisfaction and being able to serve as a positive role model for her daughter. “[There’s] gratification that I’m working for myself. I can leave a legacy for my children. My daughter is proud.” The business is essentially geared toward creating generational wealth. When asked about the importance of supporting local Black-owned businesses she said, “A lot of them are small. Word-of-mouth is the best advertisement.” Customers continue to show their support for Peach Eatery while adhering to COVID-19 protocol. Dancer explained that the pop-up restaurant is the first stop for some since the pandemic began. She recalled the first visit from a customer who tried the peach cobbler. “He was nervous at first but still came
out to enjoy every bite,” said Dancer. There have been setbacks. “We were supposed to start this months ago,” said Dancer. “We were grateful we didn’t lose our job. We’ve been really blessed in that.” She offered this advice for the youth: “Whatever you do, you should be excellent at it. Once you get your time management down, everything is good.” Overall, the Peach Eatery restaurant is serving up comfort food at a time when many people could use it. Customer satisfaction is how Dancer best gauges success. “Just the love of people—seeing people’s faces.”
The Peach Eatery is located at 1124 Payne Avenue in St. Paul.. The shop is open Thursday-Friday from 4 to 9 pm and Saturdays from 12 to 7 pm. The Mall of America’s Community Commons location is open Monday-Wednesday, from 11 am to 7 pm, Thursday- Saturday, from 10 am to 8 pm, and Sundays 11 am to 7 pm. For more info, visit www.facebook.com/thepeacheatery or call 612-547-9665. Ashley Lauren welcomes readers’ responses to alauren@spokseman-recorder.com
Submitted photos
November 5-11, 2020
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Gospel legend Rance Allen dies at 71 By Chris Rizik Contributing writer The word “legend” only begins to tell the story of Bishop Rance Allen, one of the greatest artists of his time, and a singer who became iconic in both soul and Gospel music. He died in the hospital Saturday, Oct. 31 while recovering from a medical procedure, according to a Facebook post from his wife Ellen Marie Allen. He was 71 years old. One of 12 children of Thomas and Emma Pearl Allen, Allen was born in Monroe, Michigan (near the Ohio border), and began performing at a young age. He was gifted as a pianist and guitarist, and of course as a singer. Billed as “Little Rance Allen—the Boy Preacher,” Allen preached and sang throughout Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania until he was 14. He said in a Stax interview, “It was almost like a route that I had every year. As part of his ministry, he formed the Rance Allen Group with his brothers Steve, Tom and Esau. The group was signed by Stax Records and began a string of
gospel and crossover hits on that label, including “Just My Salvation,” “There’s Gonna Be a Showdown,” and “Ain’t No Need of Crying.” He also discovered that he was singing to much larger audiences. “The first show Stax booked us on was not a gospel show. I had reservations about it. I prayed about it and I found that my answer was, ‘Yeah, you should play anything you get; Isaac Hayes or whoever, you should play it.’ The first thing they put us on was as a great big coliseum thing with Isaac Hayes. “It was the first time we had played before an audience that big—something like twelve thousand people. We lit up ourselves and lit up the audience too. It was a new experience for us. It overwhelmed me to have Isaac Hayes tell you that you’re great.” In the mid-80s, Allen became the pastor of New Bethel Church of God in Christ in Toledo and was later named Rance Allen a Bishop. He continued to record with success and to per- tion in Detroit three years ago, form regularly, particularly and he lit the room on fire. Allen was only weeks from in the Midwestern U.S. I last saw him perform at a celebra- celebrating his 50th wedding
Courtesy of MGN anniversary with his wife, Elsoultracks.com. We thank Soul Chris Rizik is the publisher Tracks for sharing this story len Marie Allen, and we will be praying for her consola- of Soul Tracks. He welcomes with us. readers’ responses to chris@ tion at this difficult time.
2021 ‘Jazz Masters’ unveiled James on Jazz by Robin James Contributing Writer
The National Endowment for the Arts announced on Wednesday, Oct 21 the 2021 class of NEA Jazz Masters. They are drummers Terri Lyne Carrington and Albert “Tootie” Heath, and reedist Henry Threadgill. Radio host Phil Schaap will receive the A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for Jazz Advocacy. The NEA Jazz Masters fellowship is the nation’s highest honor reserved for living jazz artists and advocates. In addition to their titles as NEA Jazz Masters, the four honorees will each receive $25,000. They were selected by a public nomination process and an expert panel review. In a press release, Mary Anne Carter, chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts, said, “Following up on 2020’s joyful and inspiring virtual concert, we look forward to working with SFJAZZ to celebrate
these honorees next April in an evening that will showcase their incredible contributions to jazz.” Heath, 85, performed alongside Nina Simone, Dexter Gordon, and John Coltrane, to name a few. He is a remarkable bandleader in his own right. Late greats saxophonist Jimmy Heath and bassist Percy Heath were his brothers and also named NEA Jazz Masters. At 55, Carrington—the founder and artistic director of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice—is an impressive drummer, bandleader, and activist. She has also served as musical director for the 2019 NEA Jazz Masters tribute concert. Carrington responded to the NEA award announcement via Twitter, and said, “I am so honored to receive this prestigious award, along with so many heroes, mentors, and, of course, masters of the music. I will continue my work in furthering the music, and in teachings, mentoring, and advocating for the generations behind me.” Composer, saxophonist, and flutist Threadgill, 76, remains an
Courtesy of NEA in-demand artist. He is an original member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians hailing from Chicago. In 2016, Threadgill was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his album, “In For A Penny, In For A Pound” (Pi Records), which features his band Zooid.
Schaap, 69, is a well-known jazz historian who has hosted a jazz show “Bird Flight'' on the Columbia University radio station WKCR for 50 years. He is also the founder of the educational program Swing University at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, a celebration of NEA Jazz Masters is scheduled to take place in a free online broadcast on April 22, and will be presented by SFJAZZ. 2020 honorees included bassist Reggie Workman, saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell,
vocalist Bobby McFerrin, and producer Dorthaan Kirk. For more info, visit arts.gov. Robin James welcomes readers’ responses to jamesonjazz@ spokesman-recorder.com.
November 5-11, 2020
BULLETIN Black Mamas Breathe A space dedicated to Black mothers "Mama gotta have a life. too!" Every fourth Sunday from 2-4 pm, Black Mama’s Breathe offers a space for some much-needed time to talk through the highs, lows and everything in between of motherhood—particularly what it means to be a Black mother in MN. This group is dedicated to building a community of Black mothers to share life stories as women and mothers, using writing and discussion as a way to heal, find joy and move toward liberation on our own terms. This event is free and will have artistically activated childcare provided by Kenna Camara-Cottman who has worked in the field of dance and art for over 20 years, and has been a full-time artist since 2005.
MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN-RECORDER 3744 4th Ave. South • Minneapolis, MN 55409 Phone: 612-827-4021 • Fax: 612-827-0577
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cecil e. NeWmaN
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Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church
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451 West Central
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Church School 9:30 am Morning Worship 8:00 & 10:45 am Prayer Service:
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At the Old Landmark 1118 So. 8th Street Mpls., MN 55404 612-332-5904 www.bethesdamnonline.com bethesdamn@prodigy.net
Sunday Service Times: Early Morning Service 9 am Sunday School 10 am Sunday Worship 11:30 am Wednesday
Prayer Meeting, 6 pm Adult Bible Class 7 pm Children's Bible Class 7 pm
2600 E. 38th Street Minneapolis, MN 55408 www.greatfriend.org Phone: 612.827.7928 Fax: 612.827.3587 info@greatfriend.org Sundays 8:00am Sunday School 9:30am Worship Service The Friendly Church Where Everybody Is Somebody
Pilgrim Baptist Church Rev. Doctor Charles Gill 732 W. Central Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 Sunday Worship Service: 9:45 AM Sunday School: 8:45 AM
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B.U.O.Y. FOUNDATION IS HIRING FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS B.U.O.Y. Foundation is launching a Learning Pod to provide support for families and young scholars who are facing challenges in this virtual/distance learning environment. We are hiring for the following positions: Site Coordinator – The Site Coordinator will • Work 32- 36 hours • Coordinate support for students and families • Implement programs and activities based upon the specific needs of the program site.
From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder PHONE: 612-827-4021 FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS PLEASE CONTACT ACCOUNTING DEPT EMPLOYMENT DISPLAY SIZE: 2 COL X 8 INCHES = 16 FLAT RATE $250.00
• Manage Academic Coaches and their daily schedules • Manage Arrival and Dismissal Procedures • Follow up and onboard new students and families by laying out clear program expectations • Maintain an inviting, safe, and orderly environment • Maintain clear and consistent lines of communication with program staff and parents • Track student participation and attendance throughout the year utilizing pre-populated google sheets • Oversee the day to day operations, including making sure all participants practice safe COVID-19 procedures Academic Coach – The Academic Coach will • Work approximately 30-34 hours per week • Oversee the success of a cohort of students by Inspiring, guiding and coaching scholars towards academic success. • Ensure that scholars are on task and on schedule with classes. • Troubleshoot technical difficulties to decrease the amount of idle time • Serve breakfast and lunch to students at designated times • Ensure students are practicing Covid-19 Procedures Interested and qualified candidates should email their resume and a cover letter indicating the desired position to info@buoyfoundation.org. Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder November 5, 2020
Please proof, respond with email confirmation to dis play@spokesman-recorder.com. For more exposure: We are also inviting our clients to advertise on our web site for 2 weeks for a flat net fee of $150 per position with purchase of print ad.
November 5-11, 2020
10
Feeling stressed? Try a walk in the park. By Jason Maddock Contributing writer Taking a walk on a wooded path, spending an afternoon in a public park, harvesting your backyard garden, and even looking at beautiful pictures of Hawaii can all make us feel good. Certainly, for many of us, it’s beneficial to have time outside in natural environments. Being cooped up inside can feel unnatural and increase our desire to get outside. The renowned biologist E.O. Wilson created a theory called the biophilia hypothesis, where he stated that people have an innate relationship to nature. On an intuitive level, this makes sense. Humans evolved in an open, natural environment, and removing us from this environment could have a negative effect on our health. But what does the research say? Is there actually evidence that being in natural environments can promote our well-being, prevent disease and speed recovery? Nature and healing The pioneering work in this area started in the 1980s with Robert Ulrich, who was a professor at Texas A&M University. His work looked at surgery patients who had
ter illness, can it actually help us keep healthy? Researchers across the world have been asking this question. From forest bathing (“shinrin-yoku”) in Japan to the 30 Days Wild campaign in the United Kingdom, which encourages people to connect to wild places, people have been examining the healing powers of nature. While walking is well established as a health-promoting behavior, studies are now examining if walking in natural environments is more beneficial than indoors or in urban environments. Results have shown positive effects for mental health, improved attention, mood, blood pressure and heart rate. Several programs across the country have been formed to expose military veterans to natural spaces to combat symptoms of PTSD. In children, playgrounds with greenspace increased vigorous physical activity and decreased sedentary time, and even has led to fewer fights. While there is growing evidence that exposure to natural environments is beneficial to health, there are still many questions to be answered. What is nature? While this may seem simple at first glance, there are many differences between a national park, A preventive effect? While nature appears to be an urban pocket park, and a helpful in restoring health af- picture of waves crashing on
a view of trees out of their window compared to those who had the view of a wall. Those with the natural view reported less pain and spent less time in the hospital. Since then, several studies have shown a reduction in pain both through viewing natural scenes as well looking at nature videos and pictures. Other studies have looked at the effect of exposure to daylight on patients and found they experienced less pain, stress and use of pain medications than patients who did not have exposure to natural light. There is also preliminary evidence that hospital gardens can alleviate stress in both patients and their families. In the area of designing health care facilities, there appears to be consistent evidence that exposures to natural environments have a positive effect on pain, stress, anxiety, blood pressure and heart rate. In the Center for Health and Nature, a joint venture between my university Texas A&M, Houston Methodist Hospital, and nonprofit Texan by Nature, our new studies are assessing if these effects extend to the virtual world, including immersive VR and virtual windows.
the beach. What is the dose of nature needed? In physical activity, there is scientific consensus that people need 150 minutes a week for good health. How much and how often is exposure to nature needed for better health? How do longer doses—such as a weekend camping in a forest—and shorter doses—such as a walk through a park—affect us? What sensory part of nature is affecting us? Is it sight, sound, smell, touch, or a combination of them? A recent paper proposed enhanced immune function as the central pathway for the variety of positive health outcomes received from nature exposure. This needs to be tested. Despite the need for more research, the need for more nature exposure is urgent. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans, on average, spend 90% of their time indoors. A study in the U.K. found that children spend only half the time outdoors that their parents did. There are signs that a nature movement is beginning to take hold. The 30 Days Wild program run by the Wildlife Trusts in the U.K. encouraged people to engage with nature every day for a month. In its first year, more than 18,000 people signed up. It starts
Photo by Sven Vee/Unsplash again June 1, 2019. Doctors in Scotland are now able to give nature prescriptions to their patients. The educational leaflet they provide describes numerous monthly activities including touching the ocean, taking a dog for a walk, and following a bumblebee. In the U.S., the Park Rx America program has been working to connect publicly available outdoor space to physicians to have them prescribe nature. It can be harder in the cold-
er months, but it is time to make a commitment to spend more time in nature. Better health could literally be as easy as a walk in the park. Jay Maddock is a professor of public health at Texas A&M University. This story is republished by permission from The Conversation.
November 5-11, 2020
Legals
11
Employment
Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State Certificate of Assumed Name Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 333
State of Minnesota FromCounty Classified Ramsey
People of Color Careers
ASSUMED NAME:
PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS: 1150 Hennepin Ave., H2008 Minneapolis MN 55403 USA the rae mackenzie group, inc. 1150 Hennepin Ave., H2008 Minneapolis MN 55403 USA
NAMEHOLDER(S):
If you submit an attachment, it will be incorporated into this document. If the attachment conflicts with the information specifically set forth in this document, this document supersedes the data referenced in the attachment. By typing my name, I, the undersigned, certify that I am signing this document as the person whose signature is required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required who has authorized me to sign this document on his/her behalf, or in both capacities. I further certify that I have completed all required fields, and that the information in this document is true and correct and in compliance with the applicable chapter of Minnesota Statutes. I understand that by signing this document I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Section 609.48 as if I had signed this document under oath. Ellie Vilendrer None Provided sharon@rmgaccess.com
SIGNED BY: MAILING ADDRESS: EMAIL FOR OFFICIAL NOTICES:
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder October 29 & November 5, 2020
Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State Certificate of Assumed Name Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 333 ASSUMED NAME: PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS: NAMEHOLDER(S): Name: Jonathan Beller
Conscious Age 3312 16th Ave S Suite 1 Minneapolis MN 55407 USA
3312 16th Ave S Suite 1 Minneapolis MN 55407 USA If you submit an attachment, it will be incorporated into this document. If the attachment conflicts with the information specifically set forth in this document, this document supersedes the data referenced in the attachment. Address:
By typing my name, I, the undersigned, certify that I am signing this document as the person whose signature is required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required who has authorized me to sign this document on his/her behalf, or in both capacities. I further certify that I have completed all required fields, and that the information in this document is true and correct and in compliance with the applicable chapter of Minnesota Statutes. I understand that by signing this document I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Section 609.48 as if I had signed this document under oath. SIGNED BY: MAILING ADDRESS: EMAIL FOR OFFICIAL NOTICES:
Jonathan Beller 3312 16th Ave S Suite 1 Minneapolis MN 55407 jonathan@beller.com
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder October 29 & November 5, 2020
Virtual Legal Focus Group Attention Hennepin County residents: Interested in a fun way to make a little extra cash? If you are interested in participating in a Virtual Legal Focus Group on Thursday, November 12th, Monday, November 16th or Thursday, November 19th from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. please call Rochelle at 612.375.1707 or simply go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TVCLWVQ and fill out the form. We will call you with further details and to get you confirmed once your information is received.
District Court Second Judicial District Court File Number: 62-DA-FA-20-1081
Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder JAMESHA HATCHETT Notice of Issuance of Emergency PHONE: 612-827-4021 (Ex Parte) Order for Protection by Publication FOR BILLING (Minn. Stat. § 518B.01, subd. 8) INQUIRIES In Matter of Tennille Nicole Jackson and OBO minor child vs &theTEARSHEETS JAMESHA HATCHETT PLEASE CONTACT To Respondent: ACCOUNTING DEPT
From Classified LegalServer Support Attorney/Advocate Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid. Details at www.mylegalaid.org/employment.
PHONE: 612-827-4021
FOR BILLING INQUIRIES HR ASSISTANT & PAYROLL/ACCOUNTING & TEARSHEETS SPECIALIST PLEASE CONTACT From Classified Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid. ACCOUNTING DEPT Department/MN YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an Ex Parte Order for Protection has been issued inASSUMED this case. You may request a hearing if you contact the court administrator's NAME More info at www.mylegalaid.org/employment. Spokesman-Recorder office within 12 days of the date of publication of this notice. You may obtain FLAT RATE $150.00 PHONE: 612-827-4021 a copy of the Ex Parte Order for Protection and the form to request a hearing RAMSEY COUNTY 2 WEEK from the courtRUN administrator's office at the following address: FOR BILLING INQUIRIES 1WEEK RUN Supervising Attorney Ramsey County District Court 25 West Seventh Street & TEARSHEETS FLAT RATE $100.00 PREPAID Central Minnesota Legal Services seeks full-time supervising St Paul MN 55102 Please proof, respond with email confirmation to display@PLEASE CONTACT attorney for Mpls office. Licensed in MN pref’d. Family spokesman-recorder.com ACCOUNTING DEPT Failure to request a hearing or to obtain a copy of the Ex Parte Order will not be law exp req. Criminal expungement exp, public benefits exp a defense to prosecution for violation of the Court's order. Dated: October 26, 2020
Donald W. Harper Court Administrator
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder November 5, 2020
From State ofClassified Minnesota District Court Ramsey County Second Judicial District Department/MN 62-DA-FA-20-1081 Spokesman-Recorder Court File Number: Case Type: Domestic Abuse In The Matter Of Tennille Nicole Jackson PHONE: 612-827-4021 And Obo Minor Child Vs Jamesha Hatchett FOR BILLING Notice of Hearing by Publication INQUIRIES (Minn. Stat. § 518B.01, subd. 8) & TEARSHEETS To Respondent named above: PLEASE CONTACT An order has been issued directing you to appear to a hearing on November ACCOUNTING DEPT 25, 2020 at 8:15 AM before Referee Rebecca Rossow for an Order for Protection Hearing and explain why the relief sought in the Petition for the Order for Protection should not be granted. ASSUMED NAME
FLAT RATE $150.00 You must contact the Ramsey County Court Administrator’s Office at for hearing location details. 2 651-266-5130 WEEK RUN
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Ratings Continued from page 12 “This year was about momentum, exposure, and not about any single game rating,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told reporters, including the MSR. “Everything got packed into a very busy time of year, the NBA usually not playing during our playoff time. FromNHL Classified “The usually [is] not Department/MN playing in the Stanley Cup duringSpokesman-Recorder our time. It’s never easy, and PHONE:was 612-827-4021 particularly challenging BILLING thisFOR year because of all the other INQUIRIES sports on at the same time.” & TEARSHEETS But despite such positives,
(63) and MLB (62) coverage. Just 6.25% of its sports pages were devoted to the W although the Lynx made the league semifinals. As for coverage of the two Finals participants, champions Seattle and runners-up Las Vegas, only five percent of the Las Vegas Review Journal’s sports pages went to the Aces while nearly 43 percent went to the NFL. The Seattle Times treated the Storm far better with 28 stories. “I was surprised and disappointed to see that when we crunched the numbers, the WNBA was receiving only a paltry 3% of media coverage during the most important part of the season,” Gibbs told the MSR on Sunday. “It felt this summer like
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Fitz
Larry Fitzgerald is a longstanding contributing columnist at the Minnesota SpokesmanContinued from page 12 Recorder. He can to be dis heard weekPlease proof, respond with email confirmation play@spok day mornings on KMOJ Radio 1clients with to theadvertise season beginning on our web site for 2 weeks for a flat net fee on December 22, 2020.The 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, on WDGYtraditionally huge popularity AM 740 Monday and Friday at of NBA games on Christmas 9:10 am, and at www.GamedayDay would be a welcome rat- gold.com. He also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on “Almanac” ings boost. The NBAPA and the NBA (TPT channel 2). Follow him on owners are currently negoti- Twitter at FitzBeatSr. Larry welating a new league collective comes reader responses to info@ bargaining agreement. The larry-fitzgerald.com, or visit league start in December is www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com. contingent on them reaching an agreement.
NOTICE OF COMMON LAW COPYRIGHT Secured Party Stefannie Dyson reserves the right to make any and all necessary changes to this Private Common Law Copyright / Trademark Self Executing Contract. Including but not limited to adding or removing Copyrights/ Trademarks, terms and (or) conditions of Contract. Complete Private Contract will be made available upon written request. This Contract is active and in effect for 100 years from the Executing date of June 30, 2020 This Declaration is made without prejudice: 1. All rights reserved re common law copyright of trade names, artwork STEFANNIE DYSON ® , MARKEESA YVONEE MICHELLE AGNEW ® , RAJUAN MARQUICE JONES ® , MARK ROZELL JONES® , YANASIA ZAFONI ALLEN ® , ASIA MYANGEL ROSE HALL ® , EGYPT CHRISTINA HALL ® , IMANI KRISTEN HALL ® ROZELL KING JONES ® as well as any and all derivatives and variations in the spelling of said trade names/ trademarks, not excluding “Stefannie Dyson,” “Markeesa Yvonee Michelle Agnew,” “Rajuan Marquice Jones,” “Mark Rozell Jones”, “Yanasia Zafoni Allen,” “Asia Myangel Rose Hall,” “Egypt Christina Hall,” “Imani Kristen Hall,” “Rozell King Jones ” Respectively Said Common Law © 1978,1995,1998,2000,2008,2016,2015,2015,2020, respectively, by Stefannie Dyson ®. Said common law trade names/trademarks, I.e STEFANNIE DYSON ®, MARKEESA YVONNE MICHELLE AGNEW ® , RAJUAN MARQUICE JONES ® , MARK ROZELL JONES ®, YANASIA ZOFNI ALLEN ® , ASIA MYANGEL ROSE HALL ® , EGYPT CHRISTINA HALL ® , IMANI KRISTEN HALL ® , ROZELL KING JONES ® may neither be used, nor reproduced, neither in whole nor in part nor in any manner whatsoever, without the prior, express, written consent and acknowledgement LEGAL NOTICES of Stefannie Dyson ® as signified by the red-ink signature of Stefannie Dyson ® , hereinafter “Secured Party”. I/Me/Myself/Us/We/Ourselves am presenting this affidavit for truth in commerce and as a Contract SIZE: 2 COL X 8.25 = 16.50 INCHES Continued from page 12 for Waiver of Tort. 2. The public record being the highest form of evidence, I am creating a public record by Declaration of Said RATE $15.53 PCI Copyright by recording in the Public Record. With the intent of being contractually bound, any juristic person, as well as the agent of said DISPLAY juristic person, consents and agrees by this Copyright Notice that neither said EMPLOYMENT SUBTOTAL: $256.25 EACH RUN FOR 2 WEEKS football games, Maya said, “I juristic person, nor the agent of said juristic person, shall display, nor otherwise use in any manner, any of the common law trade marks. SIZE: 2 COL Xnames/trade 2.25 =INCHES =5 TOTAL: $512.50 think it was a combination of Secured Party neither grants, nor implies, nor otherwise gives consent for any unauthorized use of any of STEFANNIE DYSONPER ®, MARKEESA MICHELLE AGNEW ®, YANASIA ZAFONI ALLEN ® ASIA RATE $38.25 COL.YVONNE INCH both. MYANGEL ROSE HALL ® EGYPT CHRISTINA HALL ® IMANI KRISTEN HALL ® ROZELL KING JONES ® andTOTAL: all such unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. Secured Party is not now, nor has Secured Party ever SUB $172.13 more people were talking about WNBA print coverage in main“It didn’t hurt that [the been, an accommodation party, nor a surety, for any of the purported debtors, I.e “STEFANNIE DYSON,” “MARKEESA YVONNE MICHELLE AGNEW,” “RAJUAN MARQUICE JONES,” “MARK ROZELL JONES,” the WNBA than ever before. stream sports sections still bareBlack players] were the fastest “YANASIA ZAFONI ALLEN,” “EGYPT CHRISTINA HALL,” “IMANI KRISTEN HALL,” “ROZELL KING nor for any derivative of, nor for any variation in the spelling of, any of said names, nor for any +2JONES,” WEEKS ONLINE @$150 Please proof, respond with email confirmation to “While all men’s sports ly made a blip, according to a among the best Black men he other juristic person, and is so indemnified and held harmless by STEFANNIE DYSON ® , Debtor in Hold Harmless and$322.13 Indemnity Agreement No. SD001HHA dated the Thirtieth day of the sixth month in the year of TOTAL: display@spokesman-recorder.com leagues seem to be experiencing new analysis by Lindsay Gibbs could find,” she continued. “It our Lord Two Thousand Twenty against any claims, legal actions, orders, warrants, judgements, demands, liabilities, losses, depositions, summonses, lawsuits, costs, fines, liens, levies, ratings nosedives, WNBA ratand Tori Burstein. The two gave [Daugherty] an advanpenalties, damages, interests, and expenses whatsoever, both absolute and contingent, as are due and as might become due now existing and as might hereafter arise, and as might be ings are on the rise,” she pointed women tracked playoff covertage because other schools suffered by imposed on and incurred by Debtor STEFANNIE DYSON ® for any and every reason, purpose and causeproof, whatsoever. And shall become a security Agreement between the issuingto party ant the Affiant Please respond with email confirmation dis play@spokesman-recorder.com. For more exposure: Wesad aretoalso inviting our out. “It is so see so many age from September 15 through weren’t looking in the same and shall make the issuer liable for fees, damages and penalties. The person name known ason STEFANNIE DYSONsite ®, MARKEESA YVONNE MICHELLE AGNEW ® , fee of $150 per position with purchase of print ad. clients toandadvertise our web for 2 weeks for a flat net phenomenal stories be comOctober 7 in six newspapers— place he was.” RAJUAN MARQUICE JONES ® , MARK ROZELL JONES ® , YANASIA ZAFONI ALLEN ® , EGYPT CHRISTINA HALL ® , IMANI KRISTEN HALL ® , ROZELL KING JONES ® , and any/all derivatives thereof USA Today, Los Angeles Times, pletely ignored by some of the “Red Banks” also shows the being a legal fiction (s) without form or substance, and without any resemblance to any natural born living being, is entirely an intentional commercial Fraud created by the alleged de facto government officials and top newspapers in the country. Dallas Morning News, Chicago difficulties off the field that agents of the nul tiel. Commercial Corporation(s) doing business as, but not limited to: the UNITED STATES, USA, US, GOVERNMENT OF WASHINGTON DC. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (including These editors are truly doing a Tribune, Washington Post and Gene Washington and his any agencies/persons claiming jurisdiction over any US territories, possessions, enclaves, etc.) et al, FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM, DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS) disservice to their readers by igNew York Times. Black teammates still endured BUREAUOF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, AND FIREARMS (BATE), FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI),DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (CIA), NATIONAL noring what is happening in the Here is a brief breakdown of despite leaving the South, SECURITY AGENCY (NSA), AMERICAN BANKING ASSOCIATION (ABA), AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION(ABA), STATE OF MINNESOTA, STATE OF ILLINOIS, WNBA, and in women’s sports the W playoff coverage: WNBA simply because of their skin STATE OF GEORGIA, STATE OF WISCONSIN, etc. with subdivisions being CORPORATE MUNICIPAL COUNTIES, BOROUGHS, PARISHES, AND CORPORATE MUNICIPAL CITY(IES). The FICTION is created at large.” 3.1%; NBA 13.4%; NFL 28.1%; color. for the purpose of disenfranchising the living woman Stefannie Dyson her life liberty, property and the pursuit for happiness for the unjust enrichment of said CORPORATE and GOVERNMENTAL FICTIONS. A Gibbs’ entire study is found MLB 20.1%; college football The country throughout copyright, copy claim and trademark is hereby placed on the art work trade names STEFANNIE DYSON, MARKEESA YVONNE MICHELLE AGNEW, RAJUAN MARQUICE JONES, YANASIA on her weekly Power Plays 12.9%; NHL 6.0%. The Chicago the latter part of the 20th CenZAFONI ALLEN, ASIA MYANGEL HALL, EGYPT CHRISTINA HALL, IMANI KRISTEN HALL, ROZELL KING JONES newsletter. Tribune (with two WNBA stotury wrestled with change, Self-executing Contract/Security Agreement in event of unauthorized use: By this Copyright Notice, both the juristic person and the agent of said juristic person, hereinafter jointly and severally “User, “ consent and ries) was the worst, while the and that struggle continues agree that any use of any of STEFANNIE DYSON ® , MARKEESA YVONNE MICHELLE AGNEW, ® RAJUAN MARQUICE JONES ® MARK ROZELL JONES ® YANASIA ZAFONI ALLEN ® ASIA Globe-tracking the Lynx New York Times (19 stories) decades later in this year of MYANGEL ROSE HALL ® EGYPT CHRISTINA HALL ® IMANI KRISTEN HALL ® ROZELL KING JONES ® , other than authorized use as set forth above constitutes unauthorized use at the expense of any right, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan tops the six papers studied. deadly coronavirus, lockliberty, property, or any part of my estate, counterfeiting of Secured Party’s common law copyrighted property, contractually binds User, renders this Copyright Notice a Security Agreement wherein User is debtor (Turkey), Erica McCall (Hungry) Gibbs and Burstein also downs, and racial unrest. This and Stefannie Dyson is Secured Party, and signifies that User: (1) grants Secured Party a security interest in all of User’s assets, land and personal property, and all of User’s interest in assets, land and personal studied four local newspapers and Temi Fagbenie (Italy) all will prompted Maya to point out property, in the sum certain amount of $500,000.00 per occurrence of use to each of the Users any of the common law copyrighted trade names/trademarks. User’s unauthorized use of Secured Party’s common with WNBA teams who ad- be in action for their respective that her film “is still relevant law copyrighted property; consents and agrees with Secured Party’s filing of a UCC Financing Statement in the UCC filing office, as well as in any county recorder’s office, wherein User is debtor and Stefannie Dyson vanced in the playoffs: Star Tri- foreign teams this week. Herbert today. ® as Secured Party. Notice to the agents is notice to the principle, notice to all agents included but not limited to the 50 States of bune, Seattle Times, Las Vegas Harrigan posted a 16-point, 8-re“We are all trying to grapple the united states of America and all subdivisions thereof is made by the filing into the Public Records. Further affiant sayeth not bound, 3-block effort in a oneReview Journal and Hartford with the same concerns, and ALL RIGHTS RESEVED FOR COPY-CLAIM the art “STEFANNIE DYSON” ® MARKEESA YVONNE MICHELLE AGNEW” ®,” RAJUAN MARQUICE JONES” ®, “MARK ROZELL JONES” point win last weekend. Courant. how do we make sure that ®, “YANASIA ZAFONI ALLEN” ®,” ASIA MYANGEL ROSE HALL” ®, “EGYPT CHRISTINA HALL” ® , “IMANI KRISTEN HALL” ®,” ROZELL KING JONES” ® and/any/all derivatives thereof. The Courant had the best everyone has a fair shot in By:________________________________ Debtor, Grantor Charles Hallman welcomes the world, and in this country coverage—14% of its sports ACCEPTANCE BY:________________________________ no dolus Honourable Stefannie Dyson, living soul, sui juris, Agent, a lawful woman and article 9 entity. pages devoted to the WNBA. reader responses to challman@ to achieve their personal po-
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“It is so sad to see so many phenomenal stories be completely ignored by some of the top newspapers in the country.”
The Strib’s coverage (13.5 sto- spokesman-recorder.com. ries) lagged far behind its NFL
sOE
tential in athletics or in other
fields,” she said. She hopes that viewers after seeing “Red Cedar” next week will be inspired to seek out more about her father’s generation. “I do think there is an urgency for all of us to not only find ways to spend time with our elders…but to be able to watch the film that really is about family, about giving back and finding your heritage, and figuring out who you are through your elders. I think it is important for us as Black people because there is a lot my dad’s generation, the Baby Boomers, have to offer. “There are so many stories. We really need to take the time and sit down with your aunties, your uncles, parents and grandparents and just ask them what you were doing in 1963,” Maya urged. “There are so many rich stories of contributions they have made, and they’ve done it outside of the limelight.” Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.
12
November 5-11, 2020
Timberwolves and NBA hurting
Fitz Beat Larry
T
FitzgeraLd
he numbers are still coming in. The 2020 NBA season was financially the worst in 20 years. True, it was played during a pandemic and President Donald Trump hates the league without question. That contributed big time. The Timberwolves again are not carrying their weight. They are dragging way behind. They missed the playoffs for the 15th year in the last 16, which is a league record. They were last in home attendance when the league shut down because of the coronavirus. They were unable to complete their schedule of 82 games during the re-start in Orlando because they did not qualify. One of their leading scorers, 23-year-old Malik Beasley, averaging 19 points a game, has been charged with several felonies that include threatening a family member with a gun and aiming a rifle at a couple and their child. Plymouth police seized a large stash of
marijuana from his possession and have filed charges. The NBA revenues were down 10% across the board in 2020. That's over one billion dollars. Much of the loss was due to losing China as a business partner. NBA ratings across the board were also down. Thirty teams lost 20-25 games with no fans or suite revenues for the league after the restart with no fans in Orlando, and especially during the playoffs and finals. Both the Los Angeles Lakers and Dodgers won World Championships. The Dodgers averaged a 27.5 viewership with a peak of 37.0. The Dodgers game six viewership in the World Series was 51% higher than game six of the Lakers’ NBA Finals (8.4 million viewers. Usually the NBA Finals are in June with only the MLB regular season games. MLB playoffs and World Series are usually in October, as they were even in 2020. The Timberwolves team has been rumored to be for sale by longtime majority owner Glen Taylor. Speaking of owners, NBA owners on average donate more than $4 million per federal election cycle. They donate to candidates ranging from the far right to the left. The NBA wants to start the 2021 season with a 72game schedule with training camps opening on December ■ See Fitz on page 11
Dave Roberts becomes second Black manager to win World Series By Stacy M. Brown
T
he Los Angeles Dodgers are the champions of baseball in large part because of a masterful managerial job by Dave Roberts, who becomes just the second African American skipper to win the World Series. The Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 in Game 6 at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, marking the first time Major League Baseball held the Fall Classic at a neutral site. “It feels great,” proclaimed Roberts, who joined Cito Gaston of the Toronto Blue Jays as the only Black managers to lead their team to a world championship. Gaston’s Blue Jays won backto-back titles in 1992 and 1993. The title is the seventh in franchise history for the Dodgers and first since 1988. It marked the second celebration in less than a month for a Los Angeles professional sports team—the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat on October 11 to win the NBA championship. The victory also comes 33 years after then-Dodgers General Manager Al Campanis appeared in a controversial and racially charged interview on ABC News’ “Nightline” with Ted Koppel. During the mostly forgettable 1987 broadcast, Campanis infamously told a live audience why he believed African Americans couldn’t succeed in managing a Major League Baseball team. “No, I don’t believe it’s prejudice,” Campanis blasted when
Film follows early integration of college football For daughter of Black trailblazer it was ‘a passion project’ as Bubba Smith, George Web- of the school’s all-time greats, ster and Clinton Jones. They among others, but Daugherty later formed the nucleus for the innovatively kept a pathway
“There is a lot my dad’s generation, the Baby Boomers, have to offer.”
Gene Washington as a Vikings player in the 1970s Photo courtesy of MN Vikings
winning Spartans teams of 1965 and 1966 at the peak of the Civil Rights Movement. Michigan State wasn’t the only Big Ten school that re-
open from the Jim Crow South to mid-Michigan that was first created in the 1940s. Asked last week during an MSR phone interview if the late
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts Courtesy of Arturo Pardavila III/Wikimedia Commons Koppel asked the reason for the lack of African American managers in baseball. “I truly believe that they may not have some of the necessities to be, let’s say, a field manager, or perhaps a general manager.” When Koppel responded by questioning whether Campanis believed that, the Dodgers’ boss didn’t relent. “Well, I don’t say that all of them, but they certainly are short. How many quarterbacks do you have? How many pitchers do you have that are Black?” Campanis retorted. To his credit, Koppel shot back: “I gotta tell you, that sounds like the same kind of garbage. That really sounds like garbage, if—if you’ll forgive me for saying so.” Unrelenting, Campanis volleyed: “No, it’s not garbage, Mr. Koppel, because I played on a college team, and the center fielder was Black, and the backfield at NYU, with a fullback who was Black, never knew the difference, whether he was Black or White, we were teammates. So, it just might be—why are
ning percentage. “No manager bats 1.000, as it were, and Roberts has made plenty of decisions this series and in the playoffs that have backfired or looked bad from the start,” Jon Tayler of Fangraphs wrote. “Yet it’s worth noting that, aside from [Ray’s pitcher] Blake Snell’s excellent Game 2 [and Game 6] start and the back half of Game 4 culminating in the Yakety Sax routine, that was the final play, the Dodgers have been firmly in control of this Fall Classic,” Tayler noted. “It all came together as he planned, as all of his moves worked.” After a COVID-shortened but challenging 60-game regular season and an extra playoff round that culminated into a world championship, Roberts said he’ll let it all sink in. “It means a lot for me personally, of course,” Roberts exclaimed as his players doused him and each other with champagne. “But also for the Dodgers organization, the franchise where they’ve always been forwardthinking and groundbreaking as far as race and color barriers,” Roberts continued. “So for the Dodgers and for me to be the manager of this ballclub to bring a championship back to Los Angeles, I think it’s well beyond bigger than me.”
Black men, or Black people, not good swimmers? Because they don’t have the buoyancy.” Roberts, like Gaston before him, proved his so-called buoyancy. With a deft-touch, Roberts guided the Dodgers from a 2-0 and 3-1 deficit in the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves. Just 14 teams out of 89 in baseball history have come back to win a best-of-seven series after dropping three of the first four games. Since 1992, 11 Black men have managed Major League Baseball teams, including Dusty Baker, who came out of retirement this year to manage the Houston Astros to the American League Championship Series. Roberts’ success is already legendary. Since he took over the Dodgers in 2016, he’s guided the team to three National League Championships. Now, he’s delivered the ultimate prize, defeating the relentless and talStacy M. Brown is an NNPA ented Rays in just six games. Roberts has compiled an im- Newswire senior national correpressive 436-273 won-loss record spondent. Connect with him on for a Hall-of-Fame-like .615 win- Twitter at @StacyBrownMedia.
As most sports ratings take a dive, WNBA’s on the rise WNBA Report by Charles Hallman The WNBA Finals’ television ratings showed much improvement this year while the NBA’s plummeted. According to a Sports Media Watch report, there was almost a 50% drop in television viewership of the 2020 NBA Finals compared to last year. 2020 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson of Las Vegas Aces got ESPN reported a 34% inlittle notice from the Las Vegas Review. crease for Game three of this Courtesy of Twitter year’s WNBA Finals from last year’s third game, and a 27% championship series com- MLS and MLB also experioverall increase of this year’s pared to last year. The NHL, enced drops in viewership. ■ See Ratings on page 11
The Big Ten Network (BTN) next week looks back at the “Underground Railroad of college football.” A 2018 film about the first fully integrated college football team in America, “Through the Banks of the Red Cedar,” makes its national television premiere on BTN November 10, 7 pm CST. Since it premiered at the Detroit Free Press Film Festival, local filmmaker Maya Washington’s film has made its rounds at colleges, universities and community groups around the country. The MSR attended a 2018 screening at the Capri on West Broadway. Her film, which Maya calls “a passion project” that took nearly a decade to complete from start to finish, features her Texas-born father, Gene Washington. “I got excited when I learned about his history,” the daughter said after the screening. Washington was recruited by then-Michigan State football coach Duffy Daugherty along with other Black players such
Gene Washington with daughter and filmmaker Maya Washington Photo by Charles Hallman cruited Black players in the Daugherty’s recruiting motives post-World War II years. Min- were more about integration or nesota signed the likes of Sandy that he simply wanted to win Stephens and Bobby Bell, two ■ See SOE on page 11