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THE VOICE OF BLACK MINNESOTA SINCE 1934
February 19 - 25, 2026
Vol. 92
No. 29
Phone: 612-827-4021 www.spokesman-recorder.com
Midwest roots of infamous From Black history to global struggle and the work ahead Dred Scott decision By Tom Emery
Recently, historian Gerald Horne emphasized the construction of the Black Radical Tradition as a means of connecting with the African continent NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH and the diaspora to advance the struggle for human rights. Leadacations are times ers such as Henry McNeal Turnthat hold special er, Mary McLeod Bethune, Paul meaning for Black Robeson and W.E.B. Du Bois Americans. The opened new doors for liberachance to see new places and tion through relationships with enjoy time with family and Aimé Césaire, Léopold Senghor, friends relieves some of the Miriam Makeba and Kwame weight that we carry every day. Nkrumah, among many others. Whether it is a cruise, a beach After the successful camtrip, or a flight to a distant city, paign to liberate South Africa that freedom of movement is and elect Nelson Mandela as one of the symbols of the largthe nation’s first president of er freedoms won since 1865. a free society, attention to Stories of Josephine Baker these international partnerand James Baldwin in Paris ships has faltered. Icons inhave taken on mythological cluding Randall Robinson, Bill importance, reflecting the Fletcher, Angela Davis and Asways the pressure of American sata Shakur laid a foundation racism can be escaped, even if for contemporary Black leadonly for a few days or weeks. Dred Scott portrait, an 1888 oil-on-canvas painting by Louership that too often misses is Schultze based on an 1857 daguerreotype Missouri History Museum
he controversial Dred Scott case of 1857 is one of the most infamous legal decisions in U.S. history, a landmark moment in the national debate over slavery. Few realize that Scott once lived at Fort Snelling in St. Paul, in present-day Minnesota. The Supreme Court decision on Scott determined that Black people could not be U.S. citizens, and therefore had no right to sue in federal court. The majority opinion, written by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, became a flashpoint in the national slavery debate. The events leading to the case began in the early 1830s. Scott, a slave from St. Louis, was sold to Dr. John Emerson, a civilian doctor who in 1833 received a U.S. Army appointment as assistant surgeon. Later that year, Emerson was assigned to Fort Armstrong at Rock Island, Illinois, where he between the Great Lakes and served until May 1836. the Mississippi and Ohio riv“Dred Scott came with Em- ers, but slavery was also barred erson as his valet,” said Virgil under the Illinois Constitution. Mayberry of Rock Island, an au- However, Scott did not sue for thority on Black history. “That’s his freedom, for reasons that what they were called at times, remain unclear. rather than slaves. He was illitWhile most sources report erate, but he was not dumb. He Scott as an Illinois resident, assisted Emerson with surgery, Mayberry disputes that claim among other things.” based on his own research. Two factors should have en- “Dred Scott actually built a log titled Scott to his freedom. Not cabin and homesteaded a piece only did the Northwest Ordi- of property near the I-74 bridge nance of 1787 prohibit slavery in what is today Bettendorf,
Iowa,” said Mayberry. “Emerson owned the land, and Scott was farming it for him. I don’t know that Dred really ever lived in Illinois.” Bettendorf is one of the communities that make up the Quad Cities region, divided by the Mississippi River, which includes Rock Island and Moline, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa. Emerson was later assigned to Fort Snelling in the Wisconsin Territory until October ■ See DRED on page 5
Families priced out of phone calls at county jails
By Damenica Ellis Staff Writer any families with incarcerated loved ones rely on phone calls to sustain connection, show support, and send love, but the price of these calls can make it difficult to do so. Katie Adama’s partner was recently transferred from Hennepin County Jail to Sherburne County Jail. Adama now only speaks to him for five to 10 minutes each day, as it’s all they can afford. At the new facility, in-state phone calls are 16 cents per minute, much higher than the previ-
In county jails like Sherburne, incarcerated people rarely earn meaningful wages, often only pennies per hour if they work at all, meaning families must shoulder most communication costs themselves. When Adama’s partner calls with $1 on the line, the couple have just over five minutes to talk. At Hennepin County, that same dollar would allow for 20 minutes. Adama, now a single mother, said she cannot afford substantial calls because of the price along with $3 fees. “I only have a certain amount of income right now, and now ous five cents per minute at Hen- it’s just really tough,” she said. nepin County, Adama said. “[At Hennepin] I would put $4 “For families trying to stay con- on there and that would last us nected, this increase is financially like two days. Now this place, punishing and functionally limits I’m putting $10 to $20 a day. I communication with loved ones,” can’t even afford that.” she said. “For many, the cost is Going from being able to so high that regular contact be- talk for hours to just minutes comes impossible.” has affected both the incarcerThe recent Federal Commu- ated person and their family on nications Commission decision the outside. rolling back nationwide rate “The phone calls become recaps for jail and prison phone ally almost like a luxury to talk to calls could be a factor in this, our families,” Adama said. “This making it even more expen- is the way we talk to our families, sive for families in Minnesota’s to support their mental health county jails to stay connected and prepare for reintegration.” with incarcerated loved ones Phone calls between ineven though state prisons al- mates and families improve moready offer free calls. ■ See JAIL on page 5
opportunities to expand the roles African American institutions can play in global society. At the heart of this absence is an unresolved assessment of the impact of Barack Obama as a world leader and cultural icon. Most insights into Obama’s rise as a transnational figure through Illinois politics focus on the fictional creation of Black American presidents in films such as “Deep Impact” and television shows like “24.” Almost no one mentions the importance of Kofi Annan as secretary-general of the United Nations, despite his critical role in bridging global leadership from Mandela to Obama. Annan’s achievements deserve sustained study: shifting the institution from a focus on peace through negotiations among European nations and the Security Council to ■ See FREEDOM on page 5
Ramsey County reimagines youth justice
Restorative circles cut recidivism, build hope By Jasmine McBride Editor hen a 17-yearold faced consequences for a school-related incident, they expected the cold formalities of the court system. Instead, through Ramsey County’s Reimagining Justice for Youth (RJY) initiative, they joined a restorative circle, a structured space where they could take accountability, repair harm, and learn skills to avoid future mistakes. "It was better than I expect-
ed," the youth said through their circle keeper, Juliette Mitchell of Generation 2 Generation. "I learned to be more careful, improved many skills, and now I know who to trust. I’m on track to graduate and join the military. I hope other young people can have the same opportunity." Since July 2021, RJY has been reshaping how Ramsey County responds to youth justice cases. Instead of relying solely on an adversarial legal system, the initiative employs collaborative review teams: prosecutors, public
defenders, and trained community members who consider the needs of the youth involved, the people harmed, and the underlying factors that contribute to legal system involvement. Additionally, RJY utilizes partnerships with organizations like Generation2Generation, Face2Face, Northeast Youth and Family Services, Restorative Justice Community Action, Legal Rights Center, and Center for Multicultural Mediation to meet their objective: involving the community that is ■ See RECIDIVISM on page 5
Ramsey County Attorney John J. Choi, alongside contributors at the County Attorney’s Office Feb. 17, discusses how the Reimagining Justice for Youth Initiative is transforming youth accountability. Jasmine McBride/MSR