By March there could be three teams from the Minneapolis City Conference and one from the St. Paul City Conference representing at the state boys’ basketball tournament while being led by some of the state’s top players. St. Paul Johnson, ranked No. 2 in Class 3A, is led by point guard Jalen Mobley’s 17.5 points per game. Tyler Johnson leads Minneapolis North, ranked … [Read more...]
Annie Marie Riley
Annie Marie Riley, age 79, of Minnetonka, MN passed away February 14, 2015. She will be deeply missed by her husband of 57 years, Alvin Sr.; children Mardonna, Alvin Jr. (Victoria); grandchildren Marcus, Isabella, Alexandra, Spencer; her sister Phelecia (Richard) McCall; and many other family members and friends. Memorial Service will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, February 21, … [Read more...]
Jail population overlooked in reform efforts
In a system that is often overlooked by the public and misused by law enforcement, Blacks account for more than one-third (36 percent) of the jail population, according to a new report from the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonpartisan research and policy group. The report titled, “Incarceration’s Front Door: The Misuse of Jails in America,” details the practices and policies … [Read more...]
Black unemployment dips to 10.3 percent
The Black unemployment rate fell slightly from 10.4 percent in December to 10.3 percent in January and is still on track to hit single digits by the middle of the year. Last month, Valerie Wilson, the director of the Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy for the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a nonpartisan think tank focused on low- and middle-income workers, made the … [Read more...]
A call to the ‘occupied seats’ for help
A biweekly column in which various contributors from both sides of prison walls explore common ground for effecting change. Last year I wrote an article titled “Empty Seats” published in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. In this article I raised to attention the need for us men to be present and involved in community matters. I highlighted the parallel between the empty seats … [Read more...]