‘Cover Stories’ Archives
Holmes asks: Will you make a phone call?
By Tesha M. Christensen At 14, Trinidad Flores was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition in which an enlarged heart struggles to pump blood. His mom, Little Earth”™s Cassandra Holmes, watched him endure three surgeries and a failed heart transplant before he died in 2013 at age 16. Now she”™s leading a charge to decrease the pollution in South Minneapolis. She doesn”™t want to see any more neighborhood babies born in need of breathing tubes, or young people who”™ve succumbed to asthma and diabetes. During a community meeting about the Roof Depot site off Hiawatha and 28th St. on June 17, 2019 at the East Phillips Recreation and Cultural Center, Holmes walked through the crowd holding up maps that show how many kids in the neighborhood have been treated for lead poisoning, how many have visited the emergency room because of asthma attacks, and how many have dealt with arsenic poisoning. For every 10,000 [...]
Your concerns are her concerns
Photo submittedCommissioner Angela Conley, along with other leaders and community members, celebrate the completion of nearly two years of construction at Peavey Park on May 31, 2019.Hennepin County invested funding for a sidewalk at the park. Other improvements include new basketball courts, play areas, pavilion and more. Commissioner Angela Conley wants constituents guiding decisions from the 24th floor By Tesha M. Christensen Editor”™s note: This is the second in a two-part series reprinted courtesy of the Longfellow Nokomis Messenger. The first part ran in the June 2019 edition of The Alley. Addressing unsheltered homelessness is an issue Hennepin County District 4”™s new County Commissioner Angela Conley is passionate about, and one that local residents focused on when she was door-knocking during her campaign. Many years ago, Conley had to leave where she was living for safety reasons and was technically homeless. “That experience [...]
AIM: Work goes on because needs go on
By Laura Waterman Wittstock and Elaine J. Salinas In the 50 years of its formal history, the American Indian Movement (AIM) has given witness to a great many changes. We say formal history, because the movement existed for 500 years without a name. The leaders and members of today”™s AIM never fail to remember all of those who have traveled on before, having given their talent and their lives for the survival of the people. At the core of the movement is Indian leadership under the direction of NeeGawNwayWeeDun, Clyde H. Bellecourt, and others. Making steady progress, the movement has transformed policy making into programs and organizations that have served Indian people in many communities. These policies have consistently been made in consultation with spiritual leaders and elders.The success of these efforts is indisputable, but perhaps even greater than the accomplishments is the vision defining what AIM stands for. Indian people were never intended to [...]
