‘Commentary’ Archives
Something I Said: September ’23
Black Women Changing the Narrative on Film By DWIGHT HOBBES Dwight Hobbes Perception may not be all but it is important, and black girls need to perceive as positive a self-image as possible. Not that they are any more special than anyone else. They just face their own set of circumstances. You’ve got reality shows about as far from real life wives as here to the moon, attitudinal self-absorbed glamour gals who think they do the world a favor by breathing. You’ve got dumb as a bag of rocks ghetto-style gals on stereotypical sitcoms. At length, entertainment media has a serious lack of role models that inspire personal strength. Those that come along are few and far in-between. For instance, The Woman King is based on Africa’s actual amazons, never mind Wonder Woman. They comprised the Agoji, an elite Dahomey fighting force formed in the early 1700’s. No sooner was it released than nay-sayers carped that it wasn’t wholly accurate. King Ghezo, unlike his [...]
From the Desk of State Representative Hodan Hassan: September ’23
Rep. Hodan Hassan. Photo Credit: MN House Photography Neighbors, I hope you are enjoying these summer months in our beautiful city. I’ve been incredibly blessed to get to spend more time with my family during this interim while hitting the ground running to begin preparing for next year’s session. On July 1st, many of the transformational laws we passed this legislative session took effect, including increases in funding for education, renewable energy, public safety, and elections. Included are free school breakfast and lunch for all K-12 students, protecting healthcare workers against violence, limits on no-knock warrants, free college tuition for income-eligible students, and more. On August 1st, more went into effect, including the legalization of cannabis and expungement for many affected by the prohibition. Included in these new laws are a handful of items relevant to the upcoming start of the 2023-2024 school year. With back-to-school just around the corner, I [...]
Raise Your Voice: September ’23
By PETER MOLENAAR Peter Molenaar Yes, the City’s plan to concentrate diesel fumes in our neighborhood has been stopped, and the focus has shifted to the implementation of the Urban Farm business plan. To this end, I have engaged Mayor Frey regarding the Urban Farm to school market connection, and he was receptive.Meanwhile, activists have contacted me for insider information about Smith Foundry’s contribution to our diminished air quality.Note: At Smith Foundry, iron is cast in molds made of sand, the sand is composed of grains of quartz, quartz is crystalline silica (silicon dioxide) and fine silica particles make dust in the air we breathe. When concentrated, silica dust will, over the course of time, accumulate in the lungs. Having worked inside the bowels of Smith Foundry for 35 years, I should know. Hey, the community has a right to know. Hennepin County Commissioners get a message. Source: Peter Molenaar Smith Foundry, 1855 E 28th Street…Once upon a time, there [...]
