St. Peter’s AME Church has a legacy in Minneapolis’ Black community going back to its inception in 1880. At its current location of 401 East 41st Street in south Minneapolis, presently pastored by Rev. Dr. Jon Robinson, it has been a rallying point in matters of social justice. Resiliency is…
So many powerful reflections from some of the many astute and passionate minds in the Twin Cities as they looked back 20 years remembering where they were; what they were thinking minutes after evil snatched 3,000 plus lives; and if they had any idea that the horror of that morning of 9-11-2…
So, you are sitting on a park bench, just enjoying the weather. What is the likelihood that the next person that walks by you is of a different race than you? In 2010 the probability of another race person walking by was 54.9 percent, and it rose to 61.1 percent by 2020. We are more likely t…
Violence is a disease. You don’t cure it by spreading the illness to more people. Game of Thrones via Gecko Fly
Children must have at least one person who believes in them. It could be a counselor, a teacher, a preacher, a friend. It could be YOU! You never know when a little love and a little support will plant a small seed of home. MWE
Prayer is not an old woman’s idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action. Mahatma Gandhi
By Ava Freeman
“You cannot defeat darkness by running from it, nor can you conquer your inner demons by hiding them from the world. In order to defeat the darkness, you must bring it into the light.” Seth Adam Smith, Rip Van Winkle and the Pumpkin Lantern
Without education, your children can never really meet the challenges they face. So, it is vital to educate them and explain that they should play a role in their country. Nelson Mandela
By T. Aaron Cisco
“What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we shall reap in the harvest of action.” Mesiter Eckhart
ROCHESTER, NY, August 12, 2021 – The American Anthropological Association (AAA) Engaged Anthropology Award was recently awarded to Dr. Irma McClaurin, anthropologist, and the Rochester Museum & Science Center’s (RMSC) past featured exhibition, The Changemakers: Rochester Women Who Change…
On June 5, I had the honor of attending the Women United to Win luncheon, a program of National Empowerment Group, Inc. Featured in a previous article, this luncheon recognized the contributions of women in multiple fields—nonprofit, for-profit, community service and activism, to name a few.…
“Traumatic events, by definition, overwhelm our ability to cope. When the mind becomes flooded with emotion, a circuit breaker is thrown that allows us to survive the experience fairly intact, that is, without becoming psychotic or frying out one of the brain centers. The cost of this blown …
It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing - doo wah - doo wah - doo! Duke Ellington, 1932
The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn’t matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark. Marion Zimmer Bradley
Africa changes you forever like nowhere on earth. Once you have been there, you will never be the same. But how do you begin to describe its magic to someone who has never felt it? How can you explain the fascination of this vast, dusty continent whose oldest roads are elephant paths? Cou…
“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”. Angela Davis.
A version of this column appeared on Medium, June 19, 2021.
Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘it will be happier’. Alfred Lloyd Tennyson
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” Albert Camus
“I don’t run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run toward it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your feet.” Nadia Comaneci, gold-medal gymnast
By James Earl Hardy
Here., too, was the guide, the beacon for such times as humanity might be in danger; here was the Guardian of Whom all humans knew — not an exterior force, nor an awesome Watcher in the sky, but a laughing thing with a human heart and a reverence for its human origins, smelling of sweat and …
A version of this column was previously published in Medium on July 11, 2020.
Anglim, Dominic, The Secret Words
Unmasking has been pretty traumatic for me.
I am eager to see a brilliant Black woman serving as a U.S. Supreme Court justice. I hope to celebrate her swearing-in later this year. If you’re thinking, “Did I miss something?” the answer is no, there is no vacancy on the Court right now.But there has been talk that Justice Stephen Breyer…
The emotions of Black people in particular, and people all over the world were heightened as the horrific video of the heinous and appalling murder of George Floyd was played again during the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Matter: verb [no object] 1 (usually in the negative or in questions) be of importance; have significance…what did it matter to them?
Whether it is being among the most highly infected with COVID19, being forced out of jobs at an alarming rate due to lack of childcare and support, or making up a large portion of the essential workers who put themselves at risk to keep the country going, women of color continue to bear the …
Yesterday, another Black man was killed by law enforcement officers during an encounter over a minor offense. I say another, because we haven’t even gotten halfway through the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, we haven’t arrested the killer of Breonna Taylor, we’re still…
I celebrated my 69th birthday two days ago. I am neither “years old” — since aging is treated in this country with much disdain — nor do I desire to be “years young” — been there, done that!
As a rap artist who is also a professor of hip-hop, I always make it a point to have my songs reviewed by other artists I admire.
A Poetic Tribute to #The Amanda Gorman
W.D. Foster-Graham is a native son of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and an alumnus of Minneapolis Central High School’s Class of 1970. A graduate of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, he received a B.A. in psychology, with a minor in Black studies. He is an original member of the 3-time Grammy Award…
Once again, Black Americans have saved a presidential candidate with our votes, which President-Elect Joe Biden publicly acknowledged. He could NOT have won without us. Yet, his newly released “priorities” say Nothing about racial healing, reparations, or eliminating racial injustice.
Women will gain at least 14 seats in the 117th Congress, setting a new record for female representation.
Black voters have a powerful role to play in this year’s elections. That’s why we are being targeted by disinformation campaigns that are meant to discourage and suppress our turnout. We can’t let them succeed.
Accept what’s happening is happening. Nature is turning you inward to gain power through peace, rather than outward to gain power through activity. Until things improve and something starts to work, let’s lie down in the cool, shady valley . . . and rest.
There is a certain kind of reality created by our present days. A good portion of Americans might not be returning to what was ‘normal’ for quite some time. An unprecedented pandemic of a mysterious, relentless and killing disease where the shock of over 16,000,000 global cases to date has…
"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 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…
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…
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 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…
“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.
This week, I wanted to take a moment to shine a little “purple spotlight” on a brother doing important work by maintaining positivity, purple music, and philanthropy, wherever he goes, Craig Alexander of Prince Day Houston.
When is the right time to teach young Black children how to navigate through society?
“We bled, we got beat, we went to jail, we got murdered. Pay up.” said Harry “Spike” Moss. “Make sure they (young people) understand that there is a debt to be paid. We didn’t do any of this in vain.”
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Local Twin Cities artists Enzyrose, Eyenga Bokamba, Noah Lawrence-Holder, LeShon Lee, and Meadow Gillispie, talk about their reaction to the murder of George Floyd, the trial of Derek Chauvin, and life as a black artist during this time.
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