Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison visited FAIR School in Crystal Friday to speak to students about careers, leadership and civic engagement during a “Youth Pathway to Civic Education and Careers (YPCEC)” event organized by The Inner Hero, a Twin Cities nonprofit that provides mentoring programs for the youth.
FAIR is a magnet school that is part of the Robbinsdale Area school district.
Ellison, who is also a former congressman, told students during an interactive question and answer session in a packed school auditorium that in his younger days while exploring career options, a career in law or one that involved helping society, was at the top of his mind.
“I knew I didn’t want to be a doctor or an engineer,” he said. “I admired people like Thurgood Marshall and folks like those, so I was drawn to something where I could serve as many people as possible.”
Ellison told the students that in his previous stints as a civil rights lawyer or congressman, he did not let the job he held at any given time define him as that would have detracted from the service he wanted to provide to the community.
“I want you to practice what you are passionate about,” he said. “I want you to practice that passion so much that when the moment comes for you to do the job, you can do the job.”
He added that even as one chooses what to pursue for a career, to excel in your chosen field it is important to make yourself aware of and familiar with other disciplines so that “you are well rounded in whatever you choose to do.”
Ellison fielded a number of questions relating to his work and role as attorney general, and his high-profile prosecution of the police officers that killed George Floyd in Minneapolis, and Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center. Crystal shares a border with Brooklyn Center and FAIR school is just five miles from where Wright met his death.
The attorney general, who is the first Black person to win a statewide race in Minnesota, said strong family ties and an upbringing that emphasized a strong moral character by his parents – for him and his siblings – is what prepared him for this moment.
A strong moral character will allow you to do the right thing even when it is not popular, he told the cheering students.
“If I did not have a strong moral character there is no way I would have prosecuted the George Floyd case, as win or lose someone was going to be mad at me,” Ellison said.
Ellison said his prosecution of the Floyd and Porter cases spurred the police unions to spend upwards of $3 million to defeat him in his reelection campaign. He said that did not make him dislike the police.
“We are friends, we are good (with the police),” he said. “I really admire the police, and I think you should admire the police, and I hope some of you join the police department.”
Ellison said students should not underestimate their power even at their young age, giving the example of Darnella Frazier, who was 17 when she recorded George Floyd’s murder.
“What they did is what they are allowed to do legally, they stood at a distance and videotaped what they saw,” he said. “If it hadn’t been for what they did, I don’t know if George Floyd would have had any kind of justice, it just goes to show that it is not the elected officials or the big shots that make the difference.”
The Inner Hero founder and executive director, Mr. Ambrose Russell, told Mshale at the Friday event that it was the first in a series of upcoming YPCEC events that aim to foster leadership skills and personal development among the youth, with a goal of steering them away from violent activity.
In the last 10 years, the organization has worked on building trust between the community and the police, with an emphasis on youth programming. In 2017 as a young non-profit, it shot to prominence in the Twin Cities after winning “Non-Profit Organization of the Year” at the African Awards. The award is given for “excellent management of a non-profit organization and innovative programs that addresses issues and challenges pertinent to the African immigrant community.”
“I truly believe this is going to be a transformative experience for many of the youth that will participate in future (YPCEC) series. Someone like Keith – you saw the great reception the students gave him here today – we intend to build on that by bringing other respected leaders to share their leadership stories,” Russell said.
About Tom Gitaa Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief
Born and raised in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, Tom is the Founder, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Mshale which has been reporting on the news and culture of African immigrants in the United States since 1995. He has a BA in Business from Metro State University and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He was the original host of Talking Drum, the signature current affairs show on the African Broadcasting Network (ABN-America), which was available nationwide in the United States via the Dish Network satellite service. On the show, he interviewed Nobel laureates such as 2004 Nobel Peace prize winner, Professor Wangari Maathai, the first woman from Africa to win the peace prize and heads of states. Tom has served and chaired various boards including Global Minnesota (formerly Minnesota International Center), the sixth largest World Affairs Council in the United States. He has previously served as the first Black President of the Board of Directors at Books for Africa. He also serves on the boards of New Vision Foundation and the Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium. He has previously served two terms on the board of the United Nations Association. An avid runner, he retired from running full marathons after turning 50 and now only focuses on training for half marathons.
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