PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391
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THE VOICE OF BLACK MINNESOTA SINCE 1934 June 11 - 17, 2026
Vol. 92
Phone: 612-827-4021 www.spokesman-recorder.com
No. 45
Larry Fitzgerald Sr., a trusted voice in Twin Cities sports, dies at 71 By Charles Hallman, Contributing Writer
was never afraid to speak his mind about sports.” Fitzgerald’s print and broadcasting career began in 1978. It included arry Fitzgerald Sr. (1954– daily sports reports on KMOJ-FM and 2026), who died June 1 WDGY-AM, among others. His “Fitz at age 71, was born and Beat” was a longtime weekly column raised in Chicago. A high at the Minneapolis Spokesman and school football star and two-time St. Paul Recorder newspapers, conAll-American, he later played defentinuing after the two Black papers sive tackle at Indiana State Univermerged in 2000 as the Minnesota sity from 1975 to 1977. Spokesman-Recorder. He also hosted But once he relocated to Minand produced sports programming for neapolis in the late 1970s, “Fitz,” as local, regional and national outlets. he became widely known, made it Fitz co-hosted The Dennis Green his life’s work to be a trusted voice Show for five years on KMOJ, befor Black athletes and coaches. He lieved to be the first time an NFL was a consistent and visible fixture head coach had a show on Black covering Twin Cities pro sports in radio. Green was the Minnesota Vian environment where Black profeskings’ first Black head coach. sionals were seen mainly as athletes Fitzgerald’s presence became naFitzgerald made monthly appearand rarely as sports journalists. “He told me more than once that ances on Almanac, the weekly news tionally known when he criticized his work ethic came from emulating and public affairs program on TPT2 the Vikings for hiring play-by-play Sid Hartman,” recalled Twin Cities and the longest-running prime-time man Lee Hamilton from San Diego in 2001 after revealing the California Almanac co-host Eric Eskola, refer- TV program in Minnesota history. “He was on our show almost sports talk host had made racially inring to the late legendary sportswriter and broadcaster who died monthly for nearly 30 years,” said sensitive comments on air. His MSR in 2020 at age 100. “When he first Almanac supervising producer Kari column prompted a meeting between came to town, he scoped out who Kennedy. “His first appearance was local NAACP officials and team manthe big hitters in media were, who in 1997, and we consider him a part agement, which resulted in Hamilton were the most successful guys. He of the Almanac family. He was exu- resigning before the season. ■ See LARRY on page 5 soon learned that Sid kind of stirred berant. He had that big laugh. He the drink in the Twin Cities sports media, and he said he emulated Sid’s work ethic.” “I’m sure they weren’t on the same page on a lot of things,” Eskola continued, “but I think Larry learned some lessons from how Sid conducted his business, being everywhere and going to as many events as possible.”
“He was a door buster for Black sports journalists.”
Courtesy of X
Fitz was my best friend in Minnesota By Ray Richardson Contributing Writer n the week leading up to the 2009 Super Bowl in Tampa, Larry Fitzgerald Sr. had become the “Most Famous Father in America.” I wrote that line near the top of a story I did for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, a story on Larry being the first journalist to cover his son in a Super Bowl. At the time, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was in his fifth NFL season Larry Fitzgerald (left) and Ray Richardson Courtesy as a star wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals and well on biggest sporting event was ports. Sports bars welcomed his way to a Pro Football Hall the latest chapter in a unique him to do live shows. Michael of Fame career. The “Famous career that may never be Jordan and Tiger Woods put their busy schedules on pause Father” tag was a perfect de- matched. During my 30 years in to do interviews with him. scription for Fitz. He knew it Minneapolis-St. Paul, I had a People loved Fitz’s insights and embraced it. And why not? Fitz had al- close-up, behind-the-scenes in the columns he wrote for ready checked the box on so view of how Fitz built his ca- the Minnesota Spokesmanmany remarkable and trail- reer as a sports columnist and Recorder. Of all the things we’re reblazing achievements during broadcaster and turned it into membering Fitz for, one of my his 50-plus years as a jour- a media empire. Radio stations outside the highlights is how he always nalist. Watching his son from ■ See FITZ on page 5 the press box at the world’s Twin Cities carried Fitz’s re-
Trump DOJ tried to surveil Minnesota journalists. A judge said no. By Clint Combs Contributing Writer
for phone numbers allegedly to disclose the Privacy Proregistered to civil rights activ- tection Act, a 1980 law that ist Nekima Levy Armstrong shields journalists from having he Trump Justice and protester Ian Davis Austin. their work product and newsU.S. Magistrate Judge John room materials seized. Department twice “When the government pretried and failed to F. Docherty rejected all five obtain search war- applications, citing a lack of sented these warrants, both origrants for the YouTube accounts evidence and faulting govern- inally and for re-presentment, of journalists Don Lemon and ment prosecutors for failing ■ See TRUMP on page 5 Georgia Fort and for phone records tied to people involved in a Cities Church protest, according to unsealed court filings. Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Timothy Gerber submitted five search warrant applications to the court last February, asking Google to turn over the names, addresses and phone numbers of anyone who subscribed to or viewed the YouTube channels of Lemon, Fort and William “Da Woke Farmer” Kelly. Gerber also asked Apple to hand over account names, Independent journalist and BLCK Press founder Georgia Fort addresses, email addresses (left) interviews Rev. Anthony Galloway outside the federal and other contact information courthouse in St. Paul. Clint Combs/MSR
Families outraged after GOP delegates honor Chauvin at State Convention By Clint Combs Contributing Writer
he families and loved ones of Black men killed by police are outraged after Minnesota Republican delegates held a moment of silence for the disgraced former Minneapolis cop serving more than 22 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd. Valerie Castile (front left), mother of Philando Castile, and At the state endorsement Courteney Ross, in blue, listen as Toshira Garroway approach- convention in Duluth, delegate es the podium to address reporters at a press conference in Christopher Rocco called for Minneapolis, June 4. Clint Combs/MSR a 30-second pause, saying he
wanted “a moment of reflection for Derek Chauvin who should get a state retrial, who should get a federal pardon.” Kendall Qualls later secured the GOP endorsement for governor. A photo published the next day in the Pioneer Press shows Rocco embracing Qualls after his endorsement. Qualls dodged questions on whether he would have approved the moment of silence. “That was probably not the venue to do that, or the timing to do that,” Qualls told WCCO radio. “I do have my own
concerns about the trial itself and the condition of Derek Chauvin, how he was treated.” The Minnesota Republican Party didn’t condemn the vigil or issue an apology, though it did try to distance itself from the episode. “To be clear, party leadership did not support this motion,” the state GOP posted on social media. “The moment of silent prayer was a spontaneous motion brought forward from the convention floor. It was not part of the official convention program, it was
not proposed by Convention Chairman Danny Nadeau, and it was not a statement from party leadership.” But for families of Black men killed by police in Minnesota, the distinction offered little comfort. Courteney Ross, Floyd’s girlfriend at the time of his death, called out Republican delegates who didn’t object to the motion and remained silent. “You all had the opportunity to honor fallen soldiers or ■ See GOP on page 5