MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN-RECORDER — “We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., quote from his “I Have a Dream” speech, August 28, 1963.
Tina Burnside
Most people only remember the last lines of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. But the quote above, also from that same speech, is what I want to focus on in thinking about the future of the City of Minneapolis and the State of Minnesota.
Our community, city and state face serious problems of poverty, racial inequality and economic disparity. Minnesota ranks as the second-worst state for racial inequality for Black people with glaring disparities in which Blacks are incarcerated at higher numbers, have lower incomes, higher unemployment, and lower home ownership than Whites.
We can no longer take the “luxury of cooling off” to study the problem. We already know there is a problem. What we need are real solutions. Policies must be crafted in partnership with business, government and the community. This partnership must include Black voices and leadership.
We can no longer create solutions without listening to the people who are experiencing the problems, and we can no longer tell Blacks and other people of color that change must come gradually, or to wait.
It is 2018 — 55 years after Dr. King delivered his famous speech. As Dr. King said, we must be reminded of the urgency of now. There is no time to “cool off” or proceed gradually. Now is the time to make the promises of democracy a reality and not just a campaign slogan, soundbite or hashtag.
Tina Burnside is a civil rights attorney and writer.
MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN-RECORDER — “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps perpetrates it. He who accepts evil without protesting it is really cooperating with it.” —Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King
[/media-credit] Andrea Jenkins
What is evil in this world? Racism, sexism, poverty and war. These are the evils that I am concerned about, protest about, and work each and every day to eliminate.
Last month, I had the amazing opportunity to visit the Smithsonian Museum of African History, in Washington D.C. with my family. When you enter the building you embark onto a large elevator that holds about 75 people, and it’s not until you go down three and half stories that you realize it was designed to replicate the feeling of being crammed into a slave ship. Then you actually enter the bowels of a replicated slave ship; I tried holding back the tears, and did for a while.
The journey goes through slavery, the Civil War, and reconstruction (which is where the tears began to fall). I learned that during this period there were many Black elected officials all over the country, prolific in the South. Blacks (more than 100 Blacks held public office after the Civil War) served on city councils and as state legislators, and there were mayors, congressmen and U.S. Senators.
Having recently been elected to serve on the Minneapolis City Council, it really hit me hard what an enormous responsibility I have taken on. Because about five years after the Civil War, the KKK was born, and gerrymandering and voter suppression through violence created an environment that made it impossible for Blacks to continue to build political power.
Each generation has a responsibility to move human history forward. Witnessing the journey that African Americans have been on since arriving on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean was a deeply moving moment. We have consistently, persistently and diligently tried to bring America closer to realizing the true meaning of its creed.
Those hopes, dreams and prayers were manifested in Dr. King’s life and work. But the work continues, and this is the vision I have for our “Beloved Community.”
“Reconstruction,” in Encyclopedia of African American Culture and History. v.4. New York: Macmillan Library Reference USA, 1996.
MILWAUKEE COURIER — When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. helped organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott, he was not hoping to win a Nobel Peace Prize.
When his family was in danger and their house was bombarded with bottles and flames, having a street named after him wasn’t even a thought.
When he marched amongst thousands and gave his monumental “I have a Dream Speech,” he wasn’t speaking to go into the history books.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for peace and justice in a country where freedom rang, yet separate but equal was the norm.
There were plenty of people that wanted to kill him and the other “colored folk” reversing the racist tides of Jim Crow, yet he worked until the last seconds his life was taken.
In 1983, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday became a national holiday. The day is observed every third Monday in January, and it focuses on keeping King’s legacy alive. The day is meant to teach our youth about the strides we have made and the struggles we still face, and to celebrate Dr. King’s life and legacy.
Just as Milwaukee’s own Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive inches closer and closer to its full potential, it is a beacon of hope for other neighborhoods in the city that also emit positive energy for long-awaited change.
As for MLK Day 2018, there are several meetings and events scheduled across Milwaukee, which happened to be one of the first cities to originally celebrate the National holiday.
Some are using the day to celebrate, others to educate and also to congratulate.
The Marcus Center for the Performing Arts will be hosting the 34th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 14. The program will take the stage at Uihlien Hall and highlight the communities’ youth, who every year interpret Dr. King’s words through an art, speech and writing contest.
Other organizations celebrating include: United Indians of Milwaukee, Latino Arts Strings, Milwaukee Flyers Tumbling Team, O.N.F.Y.A.H, MPS’ Milwaukee High School of the Arts Jazz Ensemble and more. The event will conclude with the Paulette Y. Copeland Reception in Bradley Pavilion.
The MLK Library will host a day’s worth of family friendly events including: arts and crafts, voter rights presentations, and live events like spoken word poetry with Kavon Cortez Jones and traditional African dance with Ina Onilu Drum and Dance Ensemble.
The Milwaukee YMCA will host the largest Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event in Wisconsin. The 21st Annual Celebration Breakfast in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. brings together elected officials, advocates and the community to celebrate those pushing the envelope for change and opening doors for everybody in every community.
“Today we celebrate those who have demonstrated a longstanding commitment to making our community a better place for all. Now more than ever the spirit of community service can help heal our differences through a common cause—giving back and strengthening the places where we live, work and play is something we all can agree on,” said Shaneé Jenkins vice president, social responsibility & strategic partnerships for the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee.
Both the Hunger Task Force and Employ Milwaukee will be honored for their longstanding commitment to making the city a better place for all by supporting health, wellness, diversityand inclusion.
The breakfast program will also recognize the winners of this year’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Spoken Word Contest. The three finalists in each age category (5-9 years, 10-13 years and 14-18 years) were selected after writing an original spoken word piece based on the theme, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
Keeping the Dream Alive
As we celebrate MLK Day this year we are also on the verge of the 50th Anniversary of his assassination, and while the dreamer died, this drum major for justice mission lives on as today we see progress in so many areas of Black life in America.
Things we would have never dreamed possible have come to pass where African-Americans occupy positions thought unobtainable 50 years ago. A culmination of this moment happened in 2008, when a nation with a history of racial exclusion elected the nation’s first African-American President Barack Obama. At this time there was talk in the U.S. as the world celebrated that King’s Dream of a Colorblind America had become a reality. There was even talk that the nation was moving in a direction of being post-racial.
King’s Dream in Trump’s America
Fast forward eight years and while there continues to be significant progress on the racial front; there’s been a backlash among a segment of the White population who feels that inclusion, equality and justice for those who were once considered vulnerable is a problem. So as some felt anxiety about social change in response as 2016 Donald Trump won the Electoral College and became the President of the United States.
Donald Trump, whose political ascendance began with him fanning the flames of racial resentment by attaching himself to the racist myth that Barack Obama was not born in the U.S. as part of the birther movement, that attempted to delegitimize the country’s first African-American President. And in his first year as president he and his coterie of Whites in his top cabinet positions are seeking to dismantle Barack Obama’s legacy and his “Make America Great Again” slogan may as well be “Take us back to a White America again.”
This is evidenced in how in this administration they are reshaping the courts by appointing conservative justices to lifetime appointments in the federal judiciary; something that can overturn decisions and have an adverse impact on Civil Rights gains. These include issues around environmental and criminal justice, housing, employment, affirmative action, voter rights and other things centering on the pursuit of justice and equality.
Re-Investing in the Dream
Today it is important that citizens become reinvested in fighting to keep the spirit of the dream alive. Today is a time to re-engage as not only Trump on a national level but on a state level some are trying to turn back the hands of time on the gains that’s given citizens access to equal rights. It is time for those today to fight in the spirit of those who came before them who have persevered the slights, the dogs attacking innocent children, the unfulfilled dreams and in spite of that they found a way to keep their eyes on the prize. Today this spirit must be renewed in this fight to continue to move America in the right direction.
King’s words of a colorblind society still ring true today as it did in 1963 at the March on Washington, even if today it is a far cry from a reality. But the struggle must continue as this nation’s problems with race continues, in addition to turning itself inward threatens America’s position not only nationally but its place as a beacon of hope and freedom across the globe.
And while many know King’s words as idyllic as they are, within his words he speaks of an imperfect nation trying to correct itself. This is what the dream is about people working together correcting our society so that all citizens can share in the dream. That all people regardless of their background can have a seat at the table of power and this is a day many Americans felt had arrived when it elected Barack Obama President in 2008.
But today on MLK Day in 2018, we are seeing a president who is trying to erase Obama’s legacy and a history of progress of all the great freedom fighters. This backlash of Trump and the Republicans who were obstructionist for 8 years must be met with force. Today this does not mean simply marching and protesting, it means being informed, it means voting in high numbers, it means getting an education, it means being better parents to our children, it means holding elected official accountable for how they vote on legislation. It is this that will continue to move the dream forward and make it a reality in the age of Trump.
KANSAS CITY CALL — The Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Kansas City will host its annual Martin Luther King, Jr., celebration beginning Saturday, Jan. 6, and ending on Wednesday, Jan. 17.
The celebration begins on Saturday at 7 p.m, with the Gospel Artist Tribute held at Victorious Life Church, 3400 The Paseo. Artists will include Stellar award winner Bishop Jason Nelson, Isaac Cates and Ordained, Eric Ashby and VP3. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 and are available online at the SCLC website @www.sclcgkc.org
On Sunday, Jan. 7 at 3:30 p.m., an Interfaith Service will be held at the Community Christian church, 4601 Main St. The keynote address will be given by Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr., one of America’s most influential religious leaders.
A litany of those involved in the Interfaith service will represent Protestant, Muslim, Catholic, Jewish, Unitarian, Baha’I, and Sikh faiths. Music will feature The Soulful Phase Ensemble, music from the Jewish Tradition, The Kansas City Girls & Boys Choirs, Tim Whitmer and Millie Edwards.
This event will also honor Melissa Robinson, president of the Black Health Care Coalition and Board President of the Kansas City Public Schools, who will receive the 2018 Evelyn Wasserstrom award. This event is open to the public at no charge. For more information, please visit www.sclcgkc.org
On Sunday, Jan. 7 at 3:30 p.m., an Interfaith Service will be held at the Community Christian church, 4601 Main St. The keynote add
or contact Arlana Coleman (913) 522-7526.
The MLK celebration continues Tuesday, Jan. 9, with the Rev. Dr. Nelson “Fuzzy” Thompson Community Luncheon at the Sheraton Crown center, 2345 McGee.
Keynote speaker will be Leonard Pitts Jr. renown newspaper columnist, and author who also will host a book signing.
Also during the luncheon, The President’s award will be presented to Phil Glynn, president of Travois and The Community Service award will be awarded to Councilwoman Katheryn Shields, former Jackson County Executive and current 4th District City Councilwoman. Tickets for the luncheon are $60 and are available online at www.sclcgkc.org
On Sunday, Jan. 7 at 3:30 p.m., an Interfaith Service will be held at the Community Christian church, 4601 Main St. The keynote add
On Friday, Jan. 12, at 8 a.m. at the Kauffman Conference center, 4801 Rockhill Road, high school students from the Greater Kansas City area will gather for a Youth Leadership Development workshop. This “invitation only” event will feature Rahiel Tesfamariam, Founder and Publisher of Urban Cusp and District Attorney Mark Dupree.
On Saturday, Jan. 13, at 9 a.m., the celebration continues with the annual scholarship prayer breakfast, hosted at the College Basketball Experience, 1401 Grand Blvd.
College and Career Readiness Standards require that students be able to apply the knowledge and skills that they learn during academic instruction. One way for students to demonstrate the skills that they have learned, in a safe environment, is through games. Games require critical thought, strategic thinking, and rapid responses. Games motivate students by making learning fun, they promote teamwork that identifies each team members’ strengths, and they encourage exploration of new concepts. These are skills that employers say they need the youth of today to possess, so I would like to suggest some strategies that allow teachers to easily incorporate games into their daily content.
Use old board games as a way to incorporate academic content.
Do you have an old Monopoly board, Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land, or a checker board? Convert these board games into learning games within the classroom by using Velcro to attach vocabulary words, phonics sounds, math facts and formulas to the board. As students move around the board, they interact with the content that they land on, providing drill and practice in a fun way.
Play war with a deck of playing cards.
Use a deck of playing cards to play war for math facts. Students work in pairs for this activity. Each student draws a card, places it face up, and the first student to add or multiply the numbers that are face up, gets the cards. The “winner” is the student with the most cards.
Use choice boards to encourage creativity and exploration.
Choice boards can also be used to create a “game-like” environment for learning. Choose the standards that you want to address, create a theme, and then give students a choice of how they learn the content. For example, if the standards to be addressed are reading for understanding, perspective taking, and understanding historical events, then the theme could be based around Dr. Martin Luther King. Students could choose from activities that allowed them to read and write about Dr. King, read and re-enact an event from Dr. King’s life, create a game based on the life of Dr. King, or conduct video interviews with people that lived in Dr. King’s era.
Use drama as an option for expressing ideas
Have students create a monologue for an historical or contemporary figure and then enact the monologue for the class. Another option for this is to have them use mime instead of a monologue when they present their character. This is a great activity for students that have limited language skills. As students present their monologue or mime, the audience (the rest of the class) tries to guess the name of the character they are presenting. This can be done and points awarded or simply for the challenge. Think of this as a game of charades.
Use video games as learning tools
Mind Craft for the Classroom is one tool that could be used to provide students with elements of choice and exploration. Within the game, students are encouraged to “build” in various environments. When building, students are learning about architecture, proportion and ratios, and programing skills.
By using MAP data, Learning Continuum statements, and Skills Navigator’s Skill Locators to determine the content that students “play” with, teachers can rest assured that students are working on the appropriate skills that are in their zone of proximal development, so that they can make growth.
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By Edwin Buggage
College and Career Readiness Standards require that students be able to apply the knowledge and skills that they learn during academic instruction. One way for students to demonstrate the skills that they have learned, in a safe environment, is through games. Games require critical thought, strategic thinking, and rapid responses. Games motivate students by making learning fun, they promote teamwork that identifies each team members’ strengths, and they encourage exploration of new concepts. These are skills that employers say they need the youth of today to possess, so I would like to suggest some strategies that allow teachers to easily incorporate games into their daily content.