First Avenue was packed on Saturday night with a lively pre-Soundset bash. DJ Fundo, Blvck Spvce, Bobby can rap, Fashawn, and Prof provided the jams at the official Rhymesayers Soundset Before Party. DJ Fundo hosted the night and kicked a diverse mix of old and new school, from vintage A Tribe Called Quest to Bobby Shmurda. The crow warmed up to the alternating boom of 808s and trap snares. By the time he got to spinning some Snoop Dogg, the audience was ready to fill in words, and Flo Rida took the teens up with “Turn Down For What.” The venue filled up quickly, an even split of twerking youths and more somber adults, who mostly managed a respectably enthused head bop. Continue Reading
It’s hard to believe that nineteen Art-A-Whirls have gone by since the first one, in 1996. I almost missed that first Art-A-Whirl, but my state representative, Diane Loeffler, suggested I go and maybe do some videotaping. So I went out on the last day of that first Art-A-Whirl and asked a few people who they were and what was going on. I managed to run into several of the founders of the event, and I saw that those quietly large industrial buildings in my neighborhood were full of life and activity. This year, Debbie Woodward, the building manager of one of those buildings, the Northrup King, gave me the opportunity to use a space on the second floor of that building, right in the heart of the Northeast Arts District. Continue Reading
Much-awaited legislation allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses (HF97) was shot down in the House Transportation Committee as the 2015 legislative session hurtled to a close. All House Republicans voted against incorporating the language into legislation at a 5-5 vote. “The bill is included in a transportation bill, and the only thing that the house has to do is to agree with the bill that is being proposed by the Senate. The House simply has no excuse not to do this this year. They made a commitment last year. Continue Reading
As the school year comes to a close, lawmakers are considering an investment of $39 million to address homelessness and housing shortages in Minnesota, as proposed by the Homes for All alliance. Working every day in schools, my colleagues and I know how essential safe and stable housing is to our students and fully support this proposed investment. Each year, 13,000 students in Minnesota experience homelessness and lack a stable place to call home. Last school year, nearly 4,000 were enrolled in Minneapolis Public Schools. Research has shown the negative impact homeless can have on academic performance. Continue Reading
Minnesota has made some progress since the U.S. Department of Education published data in 2012, which ranked our state as the worst and near-worst in the achievement gap and HS graduation rates of disadvantaged children. The 2014 performance of these Minnesota students has improved and the achievement gap has been reduced. But we still have a long way to go to ensure equal opportunity for all children. One initiative that is likely to make a difference is the Early Learning Scholarship program, for which the Legislature appropriated $46 million dollars for 2013 and 2014, $4.6m for 2015 and $9.7m for 2016-17. The scholarships help thousands of children reap the benefits of high-quality preschool. Continue Reading
Well, the Minnesota Legislature is entering its last week, with a great deal of mischief in the pipeline and not much to feel good about. Most Minnesotans seem to have little real idea what’s going on and how their interests are threatened. How would they know? Who would tell them? I’m subscribed to the email newsletters of maybe six Senators and Representatives. Not one tells constituents what’s really going on. Even a casual visit to the Capital makes painfully clear that most legislators’ primary relationships are with each other, regardless of party, and with lobbyists, not with citizens. Let’s envision a discussion in a House Committee. Rep. Jean Wagenius points out that climate change is a serious threat to Minnesota and further steps need to be taken to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. She and her colleagues say the Republican plan to roll back energy efficiency and “green” energy quotas is irresponsible. Committee Chair Pat Garofolo, also Minnesota co-chair of ALEC, the Koch Machine, in Minnesota, responds: “Reputable scientists have established that the earth is really flat and the moon is largely made of green cheese.” One of his fellow Republicans responds “Definitely cheese, but possibly not *green* cheese; the flatness question needs further investigation.” A DFL member says: “This is silly, American astronauts collected rocks on the moon and brought them home. The moon is made of rock.” Garofolo interjects: “I wish my liberal friends would use a little common sense. You would not deny that both cheese and rocks are found on the surface of the earth, and the moon is an offshoot of the earth, so it follows that both cheese and rocks are also on the moon.”
A long discussion ensues, a hearing is scheduled, and the next day the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports “Legislators differ on how to protect Minnesota cheese makers from unfair competition.”
At the hearing, a lobbyist from the Farmers Union expresses concern about unfair competition from Mooncheese. He admits that none has yet been seen in Minnesota, but claims local producers need protection against such a serious threat. A lobbyist for the Farm Bureau says the highest authority on Earth, Monsanto, says Mooncheese is safe and healthy because any harmful organisms would be zapped by intergalactic radiation. And, each container of cheese can be dipped in Roundup [glyphosate] to ensure that no lunar superweeds sneak in. Committee members nod approvingly. Continue Reading
I was born and raised in the People’s Republic of China, a country without the basic freedoms allowed here in the United States. Though China’s constitution guarantees the freedoms of speech and belief, in reality, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) willfully disregards the written law. Over the past fifteen years, the CCP’s deceitful nature has been thoroughly exposed through the persecution of Falun Gong. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a Chinese spiritual discipline for the mind and body. It combines five physical exercises, meditation, and a moral philosophy centered on the tenets of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. Continue Reading
Photographer Anna Min, of Min Enterprises Photography LLC shares her footage and talks about shooting the Mall of America Black Lives Matter Protest last Christmas season. Video edited by Sheila Regan. Anna Min, of Min Enterprises Photography, LLC., went to the Mall of America for the pre-Christmas Black Lives Matter rally at MOA as a documentarian. Though trapped in the rotunda Starbucks with her fiancee and partner, Tina Cho for most of the main gathering, Anna still managed to capture the incredible footage that you’ll see here. You can hear Anna relay thoughts throughout the video. Continue Reading
Starting this week, the ongoing trial of Black Lives Matter protestors for allegedly organizing a December demonstration at the Mall of America will place a spotlight on free speech, racial inequality, and whether or not our shopping spaces shoudl be considered public space. A few weeks ago, we chatted with Teresa Nelson, the legal director of the American Citivl Liberties Unoin, about how these issues have played out in Minnesota. In a series of ways — privatization, design, legal challenges, and policing — free speech and the public realm has been under attack in the Twin Cities. As we think about protests, demonstrations, and how to raise awareness of issues like racial inequality or police brutality, pubic space has emerged as a central issue. We talked with Teresa Nelson and found out just where the ACLU, and the ongoing court case at the City of Bloomington, sits today. Continue Reading
Lena K. Gardner, one of the core leaders in the local Black Lives Matter movement, is about to graduate from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (UTS) with an M.A. in Justice and Peace Studies. Growing up, her family steered clear of the church intentionally. Her grandfather was a conservative Baptist preacher and some of his ideas were oppressive, she said. Still, her parents instilled in her the values of giving back to her community—specifically the black community. After undergraduate school, she began “dipping her toe” in politics, working on gubernatorial campaigns. Continue Reading
