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Mpls & St. Paul NAACP chapters unite to target state’s racial wealth gap

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN-RECORDER — A new plan is being formed to help address the racial wealth gap in Minnesota

Published

8 years ago

January 26, 2019

By Stephenetta (isis) Harmon

A new plan is being formed to help address the racial wealth gap in Minnesota. Last month, the National NAACP announced the creation of an Economic Inclusion Plan (EIP) for the Twin Cities. The forthcoming plan aims to address the myriad racial disparities and issues affecting Black communities in the Twin Cities — from mass incarceration and economic injustice to entrepreneurship and rising education costs.

The national organization previously released plans for three cities in February 2018. “Minneapolis and St. Paul were chosen due to the recent social unrest surrounding the police shootings of Philando Castile and Jamar Clark,” said Joel Franklin, JD, NAACP Minnesota/Dakotas Area State Conference President.

A who’s who of Black leadership gathered Dec. 10, hosted by the organization’s Minneapolis and St. Paul chapters, to begin the work and gather community input for the plan which is set to be released this spring.

Moderated by Minneapolis NAACP President Leslie Redmond, panelists shared their expertise with the more than 100 attendees who packed the house at the Minneapolis Urban League in North Minneapolis.

Redmond told the MSR that they handpicked panelists from both Minneapolis and St. Paul areas “recognizing that these economic disparities are impacting both of us and that we need to be able to work together and move forward.”

Their conversations focused on solutions and pathways towards change, including Attorney General Keith Ellison’s call to end the war on drugs.

“I think it’s incredibly horrible to deprive someone of their freedom for something that is absolutely legal in three or four states of our union, [and] Mexico and Canada,” said Ellison. We have “to always oppose these mandatory minimum sentences, particularly in the drug area.”

“As an attorney, I can tell you it is more difficult to address when somebody is entangled in the criminal justice system than stopping them from ever getting there,” added Dr. Artika Tyner, associate vice president of diversity and inclusion, University of St. Thomas.

Ellison noted how systems use incarceration as a tool for certain populations “to be economically stronger” while draining Black communities and other communities of color. “What happens to the household economics when a parent goes to prison? What happens to that kid’s income?

“I know a guy who has not seen his dad face-to-face in over 11 years,” Ellison said. “He’s coming home. What will that mean to the family even if Dad just makes minimum wage? That kid’s income will go up.”

Bridging the wealth gap

Dr. Bruce Corrie, planning and economic development director for the City of St. Paul, explored the gap between the average income of St. Paul’s Black households and their housing costs, making most neighborhoods unaffordable to them. “We have a serious income problem that needs to be addressed. How do we build wealth? We really have to focus attention on very practical ways of building wealth at every level.”

Gary Cunningham, president and CEO of Meda, shared his visions for activating Black and communities of color to access entrepreneurship capital, referring to a report that it would take over 240 years for Blacks to accumulate the wealth of a White family today.

Tyner noted that when she received the same report in 2016, it was 228 years. “The gap will continue to grow because it’s like me telling you to get from home plate to a home run and I’m already on third base.”

“If we really want to change the game,” said Cunningham, “we have to open up the opportunities, and we’ve got to be ready to compete with those opportunities once they open up. But, we can’t do it just sitting in here.

“We got to go to the legislature, city hall, the County, because when you look at the numbers, there’s no way, statistically, this can happen,” he continued. “It’s just impossible to have that kind of outcome unless there’s something else happening in the system that keeps you from getting opportunities.”

Holding the system accountable

Me’Lea Connelly, Blexit founder and co-founding director of Black-owned credit union Village Financial, called for more than new laws to be passed. She challenged attorneys to sue for equitable treatment based on current laws.

“There’s a lot of data that we heard earlier that…Minnesota has been studied to death [for its] inequities, but there aren’t a lot of lawsuits,” said Connelly. “If there’s no accountability, no fear of consequence, then institutions like Wells Fargo — who preyed on Black communities and were the reason why we lost a huge amount of generational wealth — only get a slap on the wrist,” she said.

“I look back at ‘Nader’s Raiders’ and how that small initiative shaped corporate accountability for our country for generations to come,” Connelly continued, referring to a group of law students led by Ralph Nader in the ’60s and ’70s.

“[They were] a group of attorneys that sued the pants off of corporations to make them create regulations to make sure people were safe, specifically in the car industry. I would love it if the Black community in the United States became one of the most litigious communities in the world, because we’ve got plenty of reason to expose everybody,” she said.

Working together

The panel also called for those working toward change to build bridges across organizations and to lead by example.

“You can have all the skills and talent in the world as an entrepreneur, as a college graduate, but if someone does not show you the way, it does not matter,” said Tyner. “A job and a degree cannot bridge everything — build a ladder and help to create new opportunities.”

“I think the time has come for us to collectively go beyond our own egos and our own interest and our own visions to work together to build and take advantage of this momentum and make something really happen,” said Corrie. “But it can happen only if the whole village is involved.”

“But we got to be organized,” Cunningham added. “We’ve got to be on point and we’ve got to demand what we want or it won’t happen.”

The conversation continues at the Minneapolis NAACP’s State of Minneapolis inaugural address on Mon., Jan. 28, 6-8 pm at North Community High School,1500 James Ave. N., Minneapolis.

For more information, visit mplsnaacp.org.

This article originally appeared in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

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Misty Copeland Shapes Ballet’s Tomorrow

THE POSITIVE COMMUNITY — Misty Copeland will curate the 2026 Joyce Ballet Festival, a two-week event in New York City from August 4-16. This role allows her to influence the future of ballet by showcasing a wide range of dancers, choreographers, and companies. The festival will present both established and contemporary works, blending classical traditions with new artistic expressions.

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3 days ago

August 9, 2026

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Misty Copeland at the 2026 Met Gala, wearing fashion in theme of "Costume Art" Date 4 May 2026, 19:39:21

This summer, Misty Copeland will step into a different kind of spotlight. Instead of taking center stage as a dancer, she will help determine what audiences see onstage as curator of the 2026 Joyce Ballet Festival. Taking place August 4 through August 16 at The Joyce Theater in New York City, the two-week celebration will bring together dancers, choreographers and companies representing a broad spectrum of ballet. The festival gives Copeland an opportunity to share not only her appreciation for ballet’s traditions, but also her vision for its future.

Copeland understands better than most how powerful a ballet stage can be. Her historic career with American Ballet Theatre changed the conversation about representation in one of the world’s most traditional performing arts. When she became the company’s first Black woman to reach the rank of principal dancer, her achievement carried significance far beyond a personal milestone. It gave young dancers of color a new image of what was possible and challenged the industry to reconsider who belonged at the center of ballet.

That history informs the perspective she brings to the festival. Copeland has spent much of her career moving between performance, mentorship, advocacy and storytelling. Her curatorial role allows her to bring those interests together by creating a program that does not treat ballet as a museum piece. Instead, the festival presents dance as an evolving language capable of carrying classical traditions into new cultural and artistic territory.

Audiences will encounter a mixture of established works and contemporary creations during the festival. Classical ballet vocabulary will share space with choreography that pushes dancers toward different physical, emotional and theatrical possibilities. The result is intended to give audiences a broader understanding of the art form while demonstrating that tradition and innovation do not have to be competing forces.

The lineup also provides an opportunity to see dancers from different artistic environments. Performers connected to organizations including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Houston Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem and Complexions Contemporary Ballet are among those represented in the festival. Each company carries its own history and artistic identity, making their participation part of a larger conversation about the many ways ballet can be performed and interpreted.

The presence of Dance Theatre of Harlem is particularly meaningful within the larger story of Copeland’s career and the evolution of Black representation in ballet. Founded during a period when opportunities for Black dancers were severely limited, the company helped demonstrate that excellence and classical training could flourish in a Black cultural environment. Its legacy continues to influence dancers and audiences, making its connection to a festival curated by Copeland especially resonant.

The program also reaches beyond a single definition of contemporary ballet. Choreographers with different backgrounds and artistic philosophies contribute to an evening that can move from recognizable classical structures to works shaped by modern dance, theater, popular culture and new approaches to movement. That diversity reflects a generation of artists who increasingly see ballet not as a rigid vocabulary but as a foundation from which they can explore.

For New York audiences, the festival offers something that is increasingly valuable: the opportunity to experience outstanding dancers in an intimate setting. The Joyce is known for presenting dance in a theater where audiences can see movement and artistry up close. That environment can make a familiar ballet work feel newly personal while allowing experimental pieces to communicate with unusual immediacy.

Copeland’s role as curator also sends a message about the importance of artistic leadership. The people who select performers and choreography help determine which stories receive attention and which artists receive opportunities. By bringing a range of voices into the festival, Copeland is using that responsibility to broaden the conversation around ballet. Her choices can introduce audiences to artists they may not otherwise encounter while encouraging longtime ballet followers to look at the form from a different perspective.

The 2026 Joyce Ballet Festival ultimately arrives at an important moment for the art form. Ballet is carrying centuries of tradition into an era defined by changing audiences, broader representation and increasingly adventurous choreography. Copeland’s festival reflects that transition. For two weeks in August, The Joyce will become a meeting place for the familiar and the unexpected—a celebration of where ballet came from and a preview of where it may be going. And with Misty Copeland helping shape the conversation, the future of ballet promises to be as expansive as the dancers who are defining it.

Based on reporting by The Positive Community.

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As Part of Your Back-to- School Checklist, Vaccinate

POST NEWS GROUP — Vaccines protect your household and also limit the spread of diseases such as measles and polio. The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the greater the protection for everyone – especially the most vulnerable.

Published

3 days ago

August 9, 2026

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By City of Berkeley, California

Berkeley Public Health recommends families catch up on immunizations before the new school year begins

Parents, check that your children return to school up to date on vaccinations. If necessary, schedule a visit with your family’s doctor or with the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic to catch up.

Vaccines protect your household and also limit the spread of diseases such as measles and polio. The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the greater the protection for everyone – especially the most vulnerable.

Families are encouraged to:

Check their child’s vaccination records. Ask their health care provider or check California’s Digital Vaccine Record portal.
Schedule a check-up with your child’s doctor.

If your child doesn’t have a health care provider, you may be able to access free vaccinations through the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic. Make an appointment by calling (510) 981-5350, emailing phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov, or booking online.

See what shots are required for pre-kindergarten or TK-12th grade, and check that your kids have all their recommended vaccines.

FREE VACCINE CLINICS AUG. 4-13

Children without health insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover vaccines can get them for free:

City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
1900 Sixth St.

Hours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Closed 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Make an appointment between Aug. 4–6 or Aug. 11–13 for back-to-school vaccine clinics:

Call: (510) 981-5350
Email: phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov
Book online

Children 18 years and under are eligible for free City vaccines if they are:

Medicaid-eligible
Uninsured
Underinsured (insurance does not cover vaccines)
American Indian or Alaska Native

If you are unsure whether you or your child is up to date, the City of Berkeley Vaccination Clinic can help review records and provide recommended vaccines.

FAMILY WELLNESS RESOURCES

Vaccines are just one of the many public health services you can access at the West Berkeley Family Wellness Center. The center is home to the Women, Infants, and Children program, nutrition support, case management services, and a variety of family support services, plus free classes throughout the year.

Vaccinations aren’t just for kids. Throughout adult life, everyone should keep up with their vaccination needs. See recommended vaccines for adults.

Get a healthy start to the school year. Check your child’s vaccinations. Make an appointment with your doctor or get free vaccines at the City clinic.

VACCINE INFORMATION AND FAMILY RESOURCES

City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
TK–12 school vaccine requirements:
Family support services:
- West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
- Women, Infants, and Children program

Get trusted information about the City of Berkeley by bookmarking berkeleyca.gov, subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Bluesky and Instagram.

bpusa-syndication

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Community

As Part of Your Back-to- School Checklist, Vaccinate

Published

3 days ago

August 9, 2026

bpusa-syndication

By City of Berkeley, California

Berkeley Public Health recommends families catch up on immunizations before the new school year begins

Families are encouraged to:

Check their child’s vaccination records. Ask their health care provider or check California’s Digital Vaccine Record portal.
Schedule a check-up with your child’s doctor.

See what shots are required for pre-kindergarten or TK-12th grade, and check that your kids have all their recommended vaccines.

FREE VACCINE CLINICS AUG. 4-13

Children without health insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover vaccines can get them for free:

City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
1900 Sixth St.

Hours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Closed 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Make an appointment between Aug. 4–6 or Aug. 11–13 for back-to-school vaccine clinics:

Call: (510) 981-5350
Email: phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov
Book online

Children 18 years and under are eligible for free City vaccines if they are:

Medicaid-eligible
Uninsured
Underinsured (insurance does not cover vaccines)
American Indian or Alaska Native

If you are unsure whether you or your child is up to date, the City of Berkeley Vaccination Clinic can help review records and provide recommended vaccines.

FAMILY WELLNESS RESOURCES

Vaccinations aren’t just for kids. Throughout adult life, everyone should keep up with their vaccination needs. See recommended vaccines for adults.

Get a healthy start to the school year. Check your child’s vaccinations. Make an appointment with your doctor or get free vaccines at the City clinic.

VACCINE INFORMATION AND FAMILY RESOURCES

City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
TK–12 school vaccine requirements:
Family support services:
- West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
- Women, Infants, and Children program

Get trusted information about the City of Berkeley by bookmarking berkeleyca.gov, subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Bluesky and Instagram.