Race and disability go hand in hand in Twin Cities schools

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The 2011-2012 Civil Rights Data Collection from the U.S. Department of Education shows four to five times more African-American students in Minneapolis and St. Paul public schools identified with certain disabilities than any other race. According to the 2011 data, an especially large number of African-American students (mostly male) have what special education experts identify as emotional disturbance, intellectual and specific learning disabilities. These disabilities are defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The numbers for emotional disturbance disability are the most significant. Continue Reading

Frogtown landmark served German, Hmong and LGBT communities – fate is now before court

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In the 1890s, German immigrants gathered at Dietsch’s Hall in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood, and today a Somali immigrant couple wants to make it a gathering place for newer immigrants. Their plans have run into a problem: the City of St. Paul is trying to have the building at 601 N. Western demolished. Now the dispute is in the courts, with both a contest over the demolition order and a new lawsuit by the owners, Alex Jerome and Ameena Samatar, alleging discrimination. Continue Reading