Half Native, half Asian, all service to the people: A profile of Daniel Yang

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Daniel Yang is part of a new cohort of young leaders in the Native American community in South Minneapolis, a half-Native, half-Asian grassroots activist with a passion for public service and a special compassion for refugees. The experience of being lost, exiled and afraid is one his family knows well: Yang’s father was a Hmong refugee who, along with his Ojibwe mother, instilled a commitment to social justice and community service in his son.Uptake Editor’s note: This is the first in an UpTake series of profiles on community leaders. By “community leaders,” we mean men and women whose names may not be widely familiar but whose work makes our neighborhoods, our cities, our states more engaged, more connected and more just: Work that makes us aware of the power we have as citizens and as members of a community. Please write and let us know how we’re doing, and be sure to tell us of any community leaders you think we should profile next time. Thank you! Continue Reading

Can St. Paul’s College of Visual Arts be saved?

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On January 16, St. Paul’s College of Visual Arts (CVA) announced that due to financial difficulties, the institution, which was founded in 1924, will close its doors. The announcement spurred an outcry among students, alumni, staff, and the greater visual arts community in the Twin Cities, who wondered why such a drastic step has been taken and what can be done to save the school. While some point to missteps by CVA’s leadership—in particular to the former president Ann Ledy, who has since resigned from her position—others want to stay focused on steps that need to be taken to make sure the college can stay afloat, even if it means drastic changes.The CVA familyCVA is known for its small, personal feel that allows students to be a part of a real community, not just a number. Tara Ellen Shaffer, a current student, loves how small the school is, with the number of student mailboxes being able to fit within the span of her arms.Hannah Frick, who graduated from CVA in 2011 and who was employed in the admissions office for eight months in 2011-2012, was a transfer student at the school, having previously attended Normandale and Anoka Ramsey Community College. Continue Reading

Bdote Learning Center plans 2014 launch in Minneapolis

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In January, a small gathering of interested parents met at Migizi Communications to learn and ask questions about Bdote Learning Center, a new charter school that aims to offer Dakota and Anishinabe language immersion as a key part of its curriculum. Organizers hope the school, which would be the only school in Minneapolis to offer immersion courses beyond kindergarten, will open in the fall of 2014, starting enrollment for K-3 students (with a goal of 100 students) and then adding grades each year. At the meeting, organizers served wild rice hot dish, corn bread and salad, and described the meeting as a place “where we can all learn together,” said Roxanne Gould, co-chair of the board of directors.  According to Louise Matson, another board member, the idea for Bdote Learning Center developed as part of Phillips Indian Educators. The group looked into self-governed schools option, but as Minneapolis Public Schools had already granted Pierre Bottineau French Immersion self-governed school status, they went in a different direction. A couple of years ago, there was a reboot to the rules for charter schools, and their authorizer went out of business, so there was some rethinking that needed to happen. Continue Reading

Comparing Dayton’s sales tax proposal with taxable sales in other states

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Governor Dayton’s sales tax proposal has drawn considerable scrutiny and some criticism. The most common complaint is that the Dayton budget would expand the sales tax base to include many goods and services that were previously tax exempt. However, for the most part, there is ample precedent in other states for the sales tax base broadening that Dayton is proposing. Continue Reading

Mortgage banking double-cross leaves some homeowners out in the cold

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Homeowner Caylin Crawford had been paying the mortgage on her St. Paul home on time since she bought it in the spring of 2009. Then, in January 2011, she had a snowboarding accident. Told that she would be unable to work for the next three months, she called US Bank, her mortgage servicer, to see if they could make adjustments until she was back on her feet.“They didn’t skip a beat,” Crawford said. “They said they could help only if I was in default and that I should stop paying my mortgage.” She stopped payment and filled out the modification papers they sent.What US Bank didn’t tell her was at the same time she was applying for the modification, they were moving to foreclose on her house. Continue Reading

PFLAG’s Cultivating Respect conference promotes safe schools for LGBT and all students

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Close to 250 people gathered in St. Paul on January 18 for the second annual Cultivating Respect: Creating Safe Schools for All Students conference. Organized by the Twin Cities chapter of PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), the day-long event featured presentations and breakout sessions, followed by an awards dinner and entertainment in the evening. Hamline University’s Hedgeman Center for Student Diversity Initiatives and Programs hosted the conference, donating space at the campus’s Anderson Center to PFLAG. Attendees pick up programs and name badgesPFLAG-Twin Cities president, Carol Curoe, said that last year’s conference demonstrated the importance of holding such gatherings. It came together as stories about teen suicides in the Anoka-Hennepin School District were making the news. “There is nothing else like this for teachers. Continue Reading

Gay and lesbian athletes and allies speak out against homophobia in sports and schools

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Esera Tuaolo, once an NFL defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers, is convinced that he’d be dead if he had come out as gay in high school. By contrast, Nick Kleidon, former player on the Breck School hockey team, and 25 years Tuaolo’s junior, did come out in high school, with no negative consequences. Tuaolo, who remains a Twin Cities resident, described “getting choked up,” when he first met Nick, standing alongside his partner, Colin.Some of the audience assembled at HamlineBoth athletes shared their stories at Cultivating Respect, a conference and awards dinner dedicated to work being done in the Twin Cities to create safe schools for all students. Organized by PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Twin Cities, the event was held at Hamline University on January 18. Also participating in the Invisible Athletes Forum was Becca Lindquist, a recent University of California Berkeley grad, Division 1 rower and winner of conference and NCAA championships.If you can play, you can play Moderator Patrick Burke, a scout for the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, set the tone and context for the forum. Burke is founder of the You Can Play Project, an effort to end homophobia in sports. He and two others launched the project last year in memory of Brendan Burke, a student manager for the Miami University Red Hawks hockey team, and Patrick’s younger brother. Continue Reading

The future of the Southeast Minneapolis Library, part 3: Marcy-Holmes loves its library

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This is the third article in a six-part series on the future of the Southeast Library in Minneapolis. Previously, part 2: Design library dreams for Prospect Park.The Marcy-Holmes board passed a resolution October 16 calling for keeping the Dinkytown library in their neighborhood because “it has always been an important part of our community and because it is accessible to all the Southeast neighborhoods via public transportation and serves our neighborhood’s 10,000 residents, including students at the University of Minnesota.”The board appointed a Southeast Library Task Force consisting of residents Bean, Kathleen Reilly, Ardes Johnson, Harriet Johnson, and Mary Kay O’Hearn.Jo Radzwill, co-chairwoman of the Marcy-Holmes land use committee, said small neighborhood focus groups consistently show strong use of the library and a demand for more hours.“One student likes the Chinese-lesson videos there,” Radzwill said. “Who knew? One of the sorority house directors said her residents frequently go there to do homework because of the wi-fi access. It is a more central location than the campus library on the West Bank and it’s so close to campus.”“It’s also easy to get to. Continue Reading

CORRECTED: 2013 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day calendar of events

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CORRECTION BY TC DAILY PLANET: Our apologies – we published the Insight News article below, but did not check its dates. It is in error. Here is the correct information about the Martin Luther King Day celebration in St. Paul: Martin Luther King Day CelebrationMoving Beyond Tolerance to AllophiliaSaint Paul Central High School Auditorium | 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM | January 21, 20138:30 AM Council on Black Minnesotans 2013 Legislative Agenda Discussion, sponsored by the State Council on Black Minnesotans10:40 Community March10:45 Program with music, prayer, welcome, presentation of colors, and keynote speaker, Mr. Kevin Lindsey, Commissioner of Minnesota Department of Human Rights, ” “Moving Beyond Tolerance to Allophilia”12:00 Community Telecast of the Presidential InauguralFollowing the Community Telecast of the Presidential Inaugural Address, please join us for a brief presentation of MLK Award Winners, a Casual Lunch, and Entertainment provided by Kennedy Barber and Arts Us The Pilgrim Baptist Church Youth Choir.2:00 PM AdjournOther observances of Martin Luther King Day include: Monday, January 21 Occupy the Hood 2nd annual march/rally for jobs, justice, housingAugsburg College will honor the calling of one of the United States’ visionary civil rights leaders on Monday, January 21, by hosting the 25th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation.The presentation, “Searching for MLK: A provocative exploration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” will take place at 1 p.m. in Hoversten Chapel and will include thought-provoking archival images, song, movement, and written excerpts from Dr. King.Sunday, January 20Martin Luther King Tribute Concert at University of Minnesota Ted Mann Concert Hall, 4-6 p.m.”Unforgettable”  On January 20 at St. Joan of Arc, local legend Dennis Spears pays tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. by singing songs made famous in the early Civil Rights era by another royal figure: Nat “King” Cole, who became a national celebrity at a pivotal time for African-Americans in popular entertainment. Continue Reading

Macy’s closing, another casualty of the recession

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CORRECTED 1/21/13 (see below)

I got my hair cut today. On the way home, I stopped at the St. Paul Macy’s to buy lemon pear marmalade. It’s closing in two months. Everything is on sale, and the normally quiet store was full of shoppers looking for deals. I’m not surprised that this Macy’s is closing. It’s always been marginal and has stayed open only because the original owners, the Dayton Corp., had a commitment to the Twin Cities and some kind of agreement with the city of St. Paul. The agreement has expired, and the store is now owned by an out of state corporation. So — poof! Continue Reading