Community

Council member on racism, changing face of Brooklyn Center

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN – RECORDER — Brooklyn Center City Council Member April Graves is looking to change the face and landscape of the city’s political system.

Published

7 years ago

February 19, 2019

Dwight Hobbes

By Dwight Hobbs

Brooklyn Center City Council Member April Graves is looking to change the face and landscape of the city’s political system by working within it. Now into her second term, she has learned to appreciate the virtues of deliberation and consensus-building in governing.

According to RoadSnack, Brooklyn Center has the largest Black population in the state. Nearly 30 percent of the city’s residents are African American or are of African descent. Yet, Graves noted, until recently the council did not look like its residents.

“When I first ran [in 2014], there was no one of color on the council or running. No women — especially single mothers like myself, which make up a fair amount of the population. It didn’t make sense in a city this diverse.”

That diversity is something she feels well qualified to appreciate and served as her impetus to run. “I’m used to being a bridge builder between different views or perspectives. I come from a very mixed family. My mom’s White, my dad’s Black. I also have cousins and niece and nephews who are Native and Asian American,” she said.

“The council should be representative of the city in which we live. I thought I could bring a voice to the conversation that hadn’t been there in its history.”

Growing up in St. Paul’s historic Rondo neighborhood, she was a teen mother of four who persevered, obtaining a bachelor of the arts degree in social science and creative writing from Metropolitan State University. In 2013, she served a term of service through AmeriCorps at Brooklyn Center High School.

People of color in political positions are in a system that [remains] racist and was set up to keep us out. It’s not easy to automatically make changes.

In addition to serving on the council part-time, Graves also whets her social-political engagement skills at the Minneapolis Health Department Adolescent Health and Youth Development Division, preventing youth and teen dating violence in North Minneapolis. She has also worked as a youth engagement coordinator at a North Minneapolis youth arts organization and on the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board’s Outreach and Engagement team.

Graves spoke recently with the MSR about critical issues, reflecting on her first term. Here is our conversation, edited for clarity.

MSR: As an incumbent, what are your greatest challenges?

April Graves: A lot of the first term was about building relationships with other council members. Getting them to feel comfortable talking about issues that tend to be uncomfortable for White people, like racial equity, the intersections of economics, opportunity and accessibility.

MSR: What have been some successes?

AG: We passed a resolution around racial economic equity. I was able to push an initiative related to the community center and youth. It wasn’t very welcoming to young people and families. We now offer more free programming through the center for families, where in the past there wasn’t much of that going on. [We needed] to get them to utilize this resource and not have the cost be a barrier. We expanded our youth jobs program.

We’ve increased the diversity of our leadership. More people of color are on the staff. We have a Black city manager, Curt Boganey — he’s been there awhile. There are also Deputy City Manager Reggie Edwards; African American and Communication Coordinator Angel Smith, who is a Black woman; [as well as] Neighborhood Engagement Liaisons Cindy Devonish, Sheku Samba and Corey Weatherspoon.

MSR: Anything else?

AG: I advocated for liaisons for the Park & Recreation Commission. We also have community engagement specialists through the City Hall office. Those are some of the big things I was able to push through long conversations and building trust [and] bringing other council members to realize it’s something needed to effectively serve the diversity of our city.

MSR: That’s a pretty impressive list. What are you working on now?

AG: We recently hired a small business and development workforce coordinator. That was something I advocated hard for: to have a small-business incubator.

When I ran the first time, I talked about [having] a mini-global market, where small business owners and entrepreneurs who lack the resources to open a storefront could build businesses and share the rich cultural foods, traditions, music [and] art that really make Brooklyn Center a cool place to live. We need to work in these areas.

Small business growth will be a huge part of how the City continues to be viable as an attraction to people that don’t live in the city, as well as a resource for those who do. I hope to see the small business incubator. I don’t know exactly how it will look, but I’m optimistic that it will happen.

MSR: What more do you want to see take place?

AG: Now that we have more staff to focus on community engagement, we need to be intentional and strategic about involving our community in the decision-making process. Often, it’s not about hosting events at City Hall, but about going out into the community and connecting with [citizens] — whether that’s partnering better with the schools, with other parks, libraries, and other businesses to make sure there’s a sense of belonging and community and collaboration on issues the city is facing.

I would also like to see improvement in our policing. I don’t get the data I’d like from our police department, and that’s something I’ve talked at length about at the council and with the city manager. I’m optimistic the city manager and Police Chief Tim Gannon are working on it, but a lot more can be done.

MSR: Like what?

AG: The multicultural advisory committee is important, but there are ways it could be better utilized. For instance, to get our officers to be more culturally competent and to help problem solve when culture is a barrier between the officer and who they’re interacting with.

Also, immigration issues, particularly [as it concerns] the Liberian community. A lot of them are scared under DED and Temporary Protected Status. Both are about to expire.

Other immigrant communities are affected as well. It’s putting a lot of families in fear. It economically impacts our community, strongly, because they pay taxes. They go to schools. They live in and contribute to our community in multiple ways.

A huge section of our population just [might be] unceremoniously kicked out of the country, [told] you don’t have the right to be here anymore, particularly after people have been here for decades and put down roots.

MSR: Where do you see the impact of President Trump’s prevailing attitudes and procedures in this?

AG: That’s the problem. If you think about it, the attitude toward immigrants from people like our current president is ridiculous, because none of us would be here besides the indigenous people of America without immigration.

I prefer to focus on solutions we can bring at the local level, [like] who I can work and collaborate with to help the community. Every year, we take our legislative priorities and send them to our representatives at the state level. This issue of immigration status, which affects all of us, should be one of the highest priorities.

MSR: How has your perception of the position changed since you first took your seat?

AG: The first couple of years, I did a lot of watching and listening. I spoke up when it was necessary. I’ve always hated that government moves slow. I now understand it better. Sometimes, I still feel we need to stop talking and act. Other times, it’s important to be deliberate, discuss matters, and build consensus on how things will impact those who are most affected.

MSR: How do you see yourself serving the community now?

AG: I always considered myself to be a community organizer and activist, not a politician. I still feel that way, though I’m an elected official. Especially for communities of color, it’s difficult to support a candidate and then be frustrated when you don’t see the changes you want to see.

What powers, what controls do we have to switch this corrupt system that’s been in place for years that disproportionately, negatively impacts people of color? And as soon we get leadership of color, we want to see things change immediately.

I do, too. But, we need to recognize that people of color in political positions are in a system that [remains] racist and was set up to keep us out. It’s not easy to automatically make changes.

All types of approaches are needed. There are those who need to be calling out racism and discrimination, shutting down traffic. There is also the need for people to sit at the table and say things that need to be said in a way the opposition can hear in order to move issues forward.

This article originally appeared in the Minnesota Spokesman – Recorder.

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Marin City Public Housing Residents Demand a Voice in County’s Renovation Plans

Representation has been a continuous struggle for the Residents Council, she said in an interview with the Post News Group. In 2014, the tenants took the county to federal court over this issue, and prevailed, resulting in an MOU that was in effect from 2014 to 2024, said McLemore. “Now, they are not responding to our rightful requests to participate. They are not giving us a legal justification for their position.”

Published

5 days ago

May 10, 2026

Oakland Post

The largest housing complex in Marin County, Golden Gate Village residents are for predominantly Black and low-income. Courtesy image.

Tenants say the County of Marin is ignoring federal law requiring resident council participation

By Ken Epstein

Marin City public housing residents say the County is illegally depriving them of their rights to participate in renovation decisions that affect the future of their housing, raising deep concerns over whether the county ultimately will find a way to displace them.

According to regulations established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Marin City public housing residents have the right to organize, elect resident councils, and hold public housing agencies accountable for involving them in management decisions.

Without resident participation, the Board of Housing Commissioners, made up of the five Marin County Board of Supervisors and two resident comissioners, has approved a $226 million project. The plan calls for renovation of the 296 units in Golden Gate Village (GGV) and focuses on interior improvements. The project is scheduled to start in July.

Residents’ concerns have a long history, said Royce McLemore, president of the Golden Gate Village Residents Council and a 50-year resident of Marin City,

With no current MOU mandating training and participation of residents, the legal basis for all the redevelopment decisions made by the county since 2024 is questionable, said Terrie Green, executive director of Marin City Climate Resilience. “We are experiencing voicelessness. If residents had a voice, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” she said.

County decisions include a plan, in line with federal regulations, to convert GGV from public housing to a public-private enterprise that allows for private investment. The Marin Housing Authority has created a limited partnership that includes Burbank Housing – which will renovate the units and manage the property – and Wells Fargo Bank, the investor.

This change in federal policy regarding public housing, which includes a shift to a Section-8 voucher system, has resulted in gentrification across the country, particularly affecting African Americans in cities such as San Francisco.

Shifts in criteria of what is considered affordable could also end up pricing residents out of their living units. At present, low income in Marin County is officially considered $156,000. But the median household income in Marin City is significantly lower at $68,846.

Damian Morgan, a community advocate with Marin City Climate Resilience, questioned why the county is renovating apartments without fixing toxic infrastructure that is impacting the lives of people in GGV.

Morgan said tenants have filed a class action lawsuit because of unsafe conditions at Golden Gate Village.

Residents are also concerned that the County still does not have an adequate family plan for temporary displacement while their apartments are being renovated. Although the County has suggested other community apartments as alternatives, nothing concrete has developed except vacant public housing units that have the same toxic conditions, such as mold and mildew.

Green said it doesn’t make sense. “…Why are we moving people around into temporary housing that’s uninhabitable, when you should be dealing first with the infrastructure, the foundational work, replacing old and rusted water pipes and new sewers.”

Morgan questions the County’s motivation for neglecting infrastructure repairs. “They’re remodeling the units but leaving the decayed infrastructure in place. I feel like they’re just setting this up for it to fail.”

“What slowed it down a little is that GGV is a historic preservation district, but I think what they’re striving for is demolition by neglect,” he said. “The neglect has always been on their part.”

Architect Ora Hatheway said her concern is about cutting corners. “You have to deal with the land issues. You have to deal with grading and drainage, and that’s being brushed under the rug.”

In an interview with KGO TV, Marin County Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters responded to some of these concerns. She said residents are guaranteed the right to return to their homes.

“This is a concern that we take seriously,” she said. “Every resident will move back into their own unit, and we’ve given this to them in writing. Before they leave their unit, we will sign a document together that guarantees their right to return.”

In response to residents who feel left out of the planning process, she said community input has focused on those affected by the first phase of the project. “So other residents may not have heard quite as much or felt like they had as much contact. But if there are residents who have concerns, we’re happy to hear from them. You can contact my office or the housing authority directly,” she said.

While County leaders may be giving some updates to some tenants, they are not sitting at the table with the Residents Council nor giving residents a voice in decision-making, said McLemore.

Without a voice in decisions, tenants are worried that Black people may be forced out of public housing, resulting in gentrification, she said in an interview with ABC 7. It’s still paternalistic, she said. “It’s still that ‘We know what’s best for you.’’’

Several years ago, the Residents Council proposed a land trust plan that would give tenants homeownership rights. Though the plan had broad support throughout the county, it was rejected by the Board of Supervisors

In the final analysis, Green said, for Marin City tenants the fight is not just for decent housing but to maintain their community with dignity under conditions of mutual respect.

“We’re talking about people who came here to work in the shipyards during World War II to bring about peace and safety to this country,” she said. “Look at the discrimination we’ve faced down through the years. Look at the life-span issue of Marin City folks – almost 20 years less than the rest of the County.”

“We want educational equity so our children will have decent schools. We need a land trust, property ownership, so we can have wealth creation. Marin City needs the same quality of life as other communities in Marin County.”

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Oakland Post: Week of May 6 – 12, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of may 6 – 12, 2026

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5 days ago

May 10, 2026

Oakland Post

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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