‘History’ Archives
Phillips Voices: Derrick Herod
from the series Phillips Oral History Project... Derrick Herod at Franklin Library. SOURCE: Phillips Oral History Project Partners The Phillips Community Oral History Project aims to document, amplify, and empower the multicultural and multi-generational voices of those in the Phillips Community to tell their own stories on their own terms. This month, the alley will begin featuring voices from the Project in our monthly papers. To start, we are sharing excerpts from an interview with community member Derrick Herod, who was interviewed at Franklin Library. Okay so could you just introduce yourself, your name, and your age if you want? Derrick: My name is Derrick. They call me black. I’m 45. Perfect. And what’s your relationship to this library or the area? The community? D: I was uh, I ain’t got no relationship with this building but I come here often to charge my phone up or just get out and get away from the riff-raff outside.Totally, totally. D: I’ve [...]
A Window into the Legacy of South Minneapolis’ Black Community
History is alive and well and local … in South Minneapolis By SABATHANI COMMUNITY CENTER SOURCE:SABATHANI COMMUNITY CENTER Editor’s Note: Every place has a story, but in our society, the most important stories are usually erased unless there is a deliberate effort to tend to them. Read on about a treasure in South Minneapolis that preserves the stories of dozens of amazing people who defined and strengthened (and continue to define and strengthen) the community that is South Minneapolis, as well as the world beyond its borders. The Sabathani Living History Museum offers an immersive journey through the rich history of the Black community in South Minneapolis, celebrating resilience, artistry, and community triumph.The museum’s corridors are lined with exhibits that celebrate trailblazers like Sharon Sayles Belton, the first African American mayor of Minneapolis, and Carl Eller, NFL Hall of Famer turned community advocate. They also honor educators like Dr. Richard [...]
Fire and Ice
By HARVEY WINJE December 20th -- Now in its second year, the Winter Solstice Lantern Parade brought light and delight to South Minneapolis on the longest night of the year. Community lantern making workshops and the parade event are organized by Phillips’ own Semilla Center for the Arts and Barebones Puppets, along with In the Heart of the Beast Theatre, and Artstart. PHOTO: Laura Hulscher This Wendell Phillips quote was a response to a friend, Brother May, who had asked, “Wendell, why are you so on fire?” after a fervent speech against the moral outrage of slavery. Phillips’s reply highlights the immense challenge he and other abolitionists faced in changing the deep-seated apathy, indifference, and resistance to their cause. The “fire” represented his passion and moral clarity, while the “mountains of ice” symbolized societal inertia and opposition to abolishing slavery.There is societal inertia and opposition to “Peace if possible, Justice at any [...]
