Founder and Executive Director of Project SUCCESS Adrienne Diercks formed the program in 1994 with the goal of helping students reach their dream. This is a Community Voices submission and is moderated but not edited. The opinions expressed by Community Voices contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the TC Daily Planet. “Our mission…is to inspire young people to dream about their future and help them take the steps to get there,” she said. “Give them the tools to take them through the rest of their lives. Continue Reading
When I was young, I worked with other kids in Phillips and Powderhorn putting murals up in lots and on buildings that might have otherwise just represented more of the same grime and decay that went on in much of the rest of these neighborhoods. I also took part in the Free Mumia rallies at Cedar-Riverside in the mid-nineties, only kind of understanding then what it all was supposed to mean in my life.
If our nation is to be changed for the better, ordinary citizens will have to intervene aggressively in their own fate. The tremendous power in the hands of the moneyed interests will not be relinquished voluntarily. – Bob Herbert in Losing Our WayThis is a Community Voices submission and is moderated but not edited. The opinions expressed by Community Voices contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the TC Daily Planet.I just read Herbert’s painful book about the reality of life in America and her decline. This readable book examines crumbling infrastructure, the willful destruction of the middle class, the corporatization of public education, failed wars in which America met evil with evil and shamed our nation, and the disastrous national and political leadership of incompetence and malfeasance by those trusted to lead our nation. Continue Reading
Over past weekends, leaders of statewide nonprofit La Asamblea de Derechos Civiles have been gathering at local churches, meeting with the community, discussing the impacts of President Obama’s recently announced immigration relief.This is a Community Voices submission and is moderated but not edited. The opinions expressed by Community Voices contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the TC Daily Planet.President Obama recently announced immigration relief for over five-million undocumented immigrants. The fight continues, however, and so does the work of groups such as ours. Antonia Alvarez, Asamblea co-founder and organizer, explains “The President’s announcement gives with one hand, but it also takes with the other hand. It is a victory, but there are more victories to be had.”Asamblea’s platform is one of Emancipation, the Emancipation of all immigrant peoples. Its tenets are:comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship,access to higher educationjustice for all workersthe right and opportunity to participate in civic societymedia justiceWhile Asamblea leaders and leaders continue to fight for comprehensive immigration reform and pathway to citizenship, its leaders also believe all immigrant communities must have access to the education, jobs, and resources they need to thrive in this state and in this country. Continue Reading
If we were color blind we would identify each other as one race, and we wouldn’t have to stereotype and make assumptions. If officer Darren Wilson or George Zimmerman were color blind, would they have made the same choices? Stereotypes that police and others make affect more than a person’s pride, these stereotypes are taking peoples lives and livelihoods.This is a Community Voices submission and is moderated but not edited. The opinions expressed by Community Voices contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the TC Daily Planet.In my local area of the Twin Cities one victim to racial stereotyping is Navell Gordon who was at the center of what was dubbed the Pointergate controversy. In early November KSTP ran a story accusing the Mayor of Minneapolis of flashing gang signs. Continue Reading
Minnesota’s forests helped to build the state we know today, but the forests we see today are far smaller than what used to exist. In 1858, over half of Minnesota land was covered in deep sha
For nearly 25 years, I’ve been trying to get people to pay attention to and act on the very serious issue of police brutality, 14 of those years as part of Communities United Against Police Brutality. Mostly it’s been an uphill battle. White folks largely have responded with disbelief and the idea that the victims “must have done something to deserve it.” People of color have been much more aware of the issue but often resigned to the idea that little could be done to effectively take it on.
I’ve always thought of December as a glittering month. Twinkling lights appear around buildings and swirl around trees, while festive music is played and coffee drinks mixed with eggnog or pe
