Election Circle probes underlying assumptions about government
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Last month the Twin Cities Daily Planet embarked on a new experiment.
Immigrant couple applies Tejalpa business experience to Twin Cities opportunities
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Armando Ocampo calls himself “an optimist, someone who’s always looking forward.” His wife, Lilia Zagal, “has more new ideas every day.” Together, the two have opened fourContinue Reading
New transit oriented housing coming to Seward
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Part of Seward’s industrial western edge will soon get a dramatic facelift.
Minneapolis Community Connections Conference emphasizes diversity and equity
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Around 450 neighborhood activists converged at St. Mary’s University Event Center on Saturday for the first City of Minneapolis Neighborhood and Community Relations (NCR) Community Connections Conference. It was a rare opportunity for people involved in neighborhood associations and related organizations to share experiences, ideas, and strategies.PolicyLink’s Angela Glover Blackwell Sets ToneBuilding diversity and capacity was the day’s main theme. The conference opened with a keynote address by Angela Glover Blackwell, founder and CEO of PolicyLink, an organization devoted to advancing economic and social equity. PolicyLink organized November’s fourth annual Equity Summit in Detroit, which attracted a delegation of 150 from the Twin Cities, the largest from anywhere in the nation.Blackwell’s talk and a panel discussion she moderated set the tone for a full day of workshops, “neighborhood café” discussions, networking, and informal conversation. Continue Reading
Talking politics — and elections
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Who’s up? Who’s down? Who’s expected to win the next contest? If this or that candidate wins (or loses), what are the implications for the race going forward? These are the types of questions that mainstream media reporters and analysts are fixated on as another presidential race ramps up.As entertaining as all of this speculation may be, the Twin Cities Daily Planet wants to steer clear of treating the election like a sports competition. Continue Reading
The view from City Hall: Melvin Carter talks about equity and race in St. Paul
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Melvin Carter III was elected to a second term as Ward 1 St. Paul City Councilmember in November.
Waite House director sees more people in need in South Minneapolis
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Francisco Segovia, director of Waite House Neighborhood Center, fled his native El Salvador in 1990 during the civil war there. When he arrived in the United States he was undocumented and spoke little English, which limited the opportunities available to him. Segovia’s personal experiences have deepened his understanding of the needs of those seeking services at Waite House. Segovia is one of the people we interviewed as part of TC Daily Planet’s coverage of the huge racial equity gap that impacts nearly every realm of life, in Minnesota as well as nationally. His work brings him in daily contact with people struggling to overcome the gap.
Language, culture reinforce inequality on East Side of St. Paul
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Mai Lor Xiong grew up in a Hmong family that spoke no English, and has lived much of her life on St. Paul’s East Side. Today, Mai is Housing Resources Coordinator for the East Side Neighborhood Development Company (ESNDC). ESNDC works on housing, economic development, and community engagement initiatives. Skills Mai developed at a young age, assisting her parents as a translator and helping them locate resources, are serving her well in the work she does. Continue Reading
Is increasing inequality “The New Normal”?
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The Challenge: Numerous studies show that a huge racial equity gap impacts nearly every realm of life, including: levels of education, incarceration, unemployment, income, net worth/wealth, mortality, and health. Minnesota Compass notes that people of color comprise the fastest growing segment of the state’s population so will be an increasingly large part of the workforce. Yet, it’s this segment that’s most likely to live in poverty and suffer from chronic illnesses, and least likely to graduate from high school or own a home. Indications are that inequality is only getting worse.The Daily Planet’s New Normal Project is a series of news stories and community conversations devoted to identifying community priorities as we face serious economic challenges. Every month we’ll tackle a different topic, including neighborhoods, the state budget, education, health care, public services, immigrant communities, the environment, work and inequality. Continue Reading
Accountability and the Achievement Gap
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Those promoting accountability as the best way to close the “achievement gap,” focus their sights on what they identify as educational reforms. With Republicans in control of the legislature, and Reps. Sondra Erickson (R-Princeton), Pat Garofalo (R-Farmington), and Sen. Gen Olson (R-Minnetrista) in leadership positions, several measures were front-and-center during the last session. Other groups also advocate for accountability, but may not agree with the entire agenda.Student testingReform advocates promote setting high standards and establishing measurable goals to hold schools and teachers accountable to specific outcomes. Through testing, schools are to demonstrate measurable improvement on standardized test scores. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), adopted in 2001, requires all students to achieve proficiency, as measured by standardized tests, in all subjects by the year 2014. Continue Reading