"We declare our rights on this earth…to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY." -Malcolm X
The recent wave of protests against police brutality and systemic racism has inspired numerous comparisons with the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Lately, the phrase ‘unprecedented times’ has been so widely used that much of the world around us feels alien in comparison to our previous “normal.” Throughout the sanitation frenzy and social distancing mandates, one of the main beacons that keeps our spirits high and sanity in check is mu…
Merriam-Webster defines reform as an amendment of what is defective, vicious, corrupt, or depraved. It defines transform to make a thorough or dramatic change in form. Something altogether new. A significant change in form, nature, or function.
“The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is considered ‘summer’ for most people. For Black people, this is when the Amy Coopers of the world show up in the park and Black men like George Floyd can't breathe. The disregard for Black Lives was terrible before Covid-19.”
That will never be your son! Calling for his mother as a police officer presses his knee in his neck. That will never be your brother, struggling to breathe as a police officer presses his knee in his neck. That will never be your husband bleeding and unconscious on the ground as the police …
How do I know about the need for decisive leadership?
We have endured (and grown to loathe) the mandated social distancing required to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. But during these scary times, we have embraced a digital togetherness, connecting with loved ones and clients across platforms from Facebook to Zoom.
There are many feelings about what is ahead for the African American community in Minnesota during this time of uncertainty. We’re worried about the high rates of infection and death, like what our brothers and sisters have experienced in Chicago and Detroit. We are concerned there will be l…
The Equity Lens is a popular term in the field of equity, diversity and inclusion. The Equity Lens is not available in stores. The Equity Lens is not something you can actually touch and feel. The Equity Lens does not come with instructions or a score sheet to assess whether you are using it…
The current COVID-19 crisis has me thinking a lot about leadership.
Looking down a soccer field, you take stock of the obstacles between you and the goal. There’s no one set way to progress, no certain path that will close the distance between you and the goalkeeper. The object is never to let them stop your forward momentum.
There’s a lot to cover here, so please allow me to conflate a few things.
September 2019 I was elected onto the Augsburg University Board of Regents, a position I accepted with pride and joy. I’m passionate about education as I believe everyone should have access to a high-quality education irrespective of their circumstance. At the second board committee meeting…
In a most unusual endorsement, the New York Times has endorsed both Senators Elizabeth Warren (MA) and Amy Klobuchar (MN) for the Democratic nomination for President. Apparently, the Editorial Board of the Times disagrees with Senator Bernie Sanders (VT), who allegedly told Warren that a wom…
Many of us have secret dreams at Christmas. Some want a toy, or computer, a renewing of traditions, or a reunion of loved ones from far away. Part of the holiday for many Christians, though, is a desire for something beyond any of these: a society marked by the fairness, gentleness and justi…
Shortly after arriving in Minnesota in 2010, a work colleague invited me to a Black gathering spot in the Twin Cities. I was excited to experience Black America in Minnesota. I was welcomed with open arms. As a newcomer, I was constantly asked questions about my accent, my experience living …
When President Franklin Roosevelt signed the GI Bill into law on June 22, 1944, it laid the foundation for benefits that would help generations of veterans achieve social mobility.Formally known as the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, the bill made unprecedented commitments to the nati…
Giving birth is one of the most magical moments in life. But when you slam dunk and bring twins into the world, it’s double magic.
The case of Amber Guyger and Botham Jean is the most sobering example of implicit bias and the need for a retraining of police throughout our nation.
Jeffrey Epstein has been headline news since his now definitive suicide on Aug. 10 at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York.
I woke from a crazy dream at about 4 a.m.
Months after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam came under fire for the racist images on his yearbook page from Eastern Virginia Medical School in 1984, he remains in office, a battered and chastised, public figure.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines environmental justice as, “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulat…
“Over the past 12 years there have been some 12,000 police shootings … only 95 have been prosecuted and less than half of those successfully prosecuted … this was one.”
“I’m A Rican” my brother Luis Mario Robles, Jr. use to say with his strong Brooklyn accent and a bit of swagger and attitude for effect.
Recently, I had the chance to experience a life-changing event. That’s right, I had that chance and I’m only13-years-old and in the 8th grade. What did I do, you may ask? Well, it was something I had looked forward to since I was five-years-old.
Politics is certainly a contact sport, but for Rep. Ilhan Omar it’s turning into a blood sport and we must speak out in support of Minnesota’s Fifth District representative.
Our recent journey to Egypt put us in Cairo during the Coptic Christian New Year celebration. It was as an emotionally stirring time. A large bustling city in the North, Cairo was on high alert with armed guards and military tanks positioned throughout the city.
Since 2006 Angie Hall Sandifer has been creating fashionable unique designer hats from her studio in Lowertown St. Paul.
At this point I'm convinced these so-called luxury brands are intentionally coming out with racist concept lines (that they really didn't plan on releasing) just to get the free press that comes with the controversy.
So it seems calling out isms is a partisan activity.
The term Black power was coined in 1954 by Richard Write, the African-American author of novels, short stories, poems and non-fiction.
I was in the middle of writing another commentary – one on the need to retrain police on how to deal with calls on those suffering from mental breaks – but I had to stop in the middle to type this instead.
There’s no question that education quality has an extraordinary impact on the future lives of students.
In 2019, we will commemorate 400 years since the first 20 slaves were transported by ship from Africa by white slave traders and landed in Jamestown, Va.
Editor’s note: Victor Martinez, a Henry High School student leader a little over a decade ago, shares a lifechanging message of life lessons he learned as he searched for the love of his life. He reveals a framework for getting everything you want out of life and more. Martinez now pastors a…
Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday, which acknowledges the achievements of Black people, yet it is more.
Minnesota African American Heritage Calendar Committee (MAAHC), announced the MAAHC Honorees for 2019.
Linda Radimecky holds the key to another world, one that’s accessible only part of the year.
Like any chef, Jametta Raspberry’s fondest food memories stem from childhood, and from heritage.
NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) presented Resmaa Menakem, author and trauma specialist, with a Professional of the Year Award at its annual conference, held Nov. 3 in St. Paul.
The 2018 midterms were of the most historic election cycle of our lifetimes.
The ACLU of Minnesota will honor Eric Janus with its 22nd annual Earl Larson Award and the NAACP Minneapolis with its first Changemaker Award.
Summit University Planning Council
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) cleared the path for construction to begin on the Southwest Light Rail Transit Project (SWLRT).
Elliot Park Neighborhood, Inc. (EPNI) Board of Directors sent its official recommendations to the Minneapolis Parks Planning Department for 2019 park improvements.
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