Incoming 2025 United Black Legislative Caucus of Minnesota including incumbents. Clockwise from top left: Huldah Hiltsley, Esther Agbaje, Anquan Mahamoud, Athena Hollins, Mohamud Noor, Cedric Frazier, Mary Frances Clardy and Samakab Hussein. Photo: Candidates’ Campaign Websites
Incoming 2025 United Black Legislative Caucus of Minnesota including incumbents. Clockwise from top left: Huldah Hiltsley, Esther Agbaje, Anquan Mahamoud, Athena Hollins, Mohamud Noor, Cedric Frazier, Mary Frances Clardy and Samakab Hussein. Photo: Candidates’ Campaign Websites
On Sunday, the African Diaspora Coalition, gathered to give a financial boost to African diaspora candidates on the ballot next week in Minnesota House of Representative races. The fundraiser comes in the homestretch of the November election, where their victories will be vital in maintaining Democratic control of the Minnesota House.
The event, held at the Brooklyn Park Small Business Center, was cohosted by Brooklyn Center businessman Jude Nnadi and Lauren Feiersinger. The Coalition operates under the auspices of the DFL – as Democratic Party is called in Minnesota. It saw participation from influential local DFL leaders, including Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies Winston, who before his election as Mayor was the Brooklyn Park DFL Chair. The fundraising focus was on Minnesota House candidates as the Minnesota Senate is not on the ballot this year.
Black House members, known as the United Black Legislative Caucus of Minnesota, in the 93rd Minnesota Legislature which wrapped up its two-year session in May 2024 were Reps. Esther Agbaje, Cedrick Frazier, Mary Frances Clardy, Hodan Hassan, Athena Hollins, Mohamud Noor and Samakab Hussein. All, with the exception of Rep. Hodan Hassan, are on the ballot next week. Rep. Hassan is not seeking reelection, but her favored successor, Anquan Mahamoud, is expected to win.
Jude Nnadi and Lauren Feiersinger, who cohosted the African Diaspora Coalition fundraiser for Democratic candidates in 2024 Minnesota House races, and Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies Winston make remarks at the Brooklyn Park Small Business Center where the event took place on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. Mshale Staff Photos by Jasmien Webber
Anquan Mahamoud and Huldah Hiltsley are expected to be the newcomers to the caucus. Like Mahamoud, Hiltsley is favored to win her race to represent District 38A which includes Brooklyn Park and Osseo.
Nnadi, who is active in DFL politics, expressed pride in the fundraising endeavor and its importance. “To run a successful campaign, you need money for printing and people all around the country come together to support their own and those that can advance their agenda,” Nandi said in an interview with Mshale as the event concluded. “That’s why we came together as African immigrants and said we should come together and support those that have our back with some money, especially as the campaign period wraps up.”
Feiersinger highlighted the importance of continuous organizing even after the election, and the advantages that come with having cash on hand after all the campaigning is done. She said leaders in the African community through experience have learned things don’t just stop on Election Day. “We recognized that once elections are done, the efforts that are needed at the Capitol to get also need money” Feiersinger added, saying that even though the DFL has funded those activities before its time for the African community to contribute.
“We need to learn how to engage political systems in the United States and this (fundraiser) is a big part of that,” said Mayor Winston.
Suggested donations on the circulated flier ranged from a minimum of $500 to $10,000 and donations were being collected online on the ActBlue website, the processor for donations to the Democratic Party.
Habib Koité, guitarist and composer from Mali makes a return appearance on the Cedar stage in Minneapolis on Nov. 13, 2024 joined by balafon player from Côte d’Ivoire, Aly Keita, and kora master Lamine Cissokho. Photo: Courtesy of Habib Koité
Habib Koité, guitarist and composer from Mali makes a return appearance on the Cedar stage in Minneapolis on Nov. 13, 2024 joined by balafon player from Côte d’Ivoire, Aly Keita, and kora master Lamine Cissokho. Photo: Courtesy of Habib Koité
The traveling route from Mali to Côte d’Ivoire to Senegal form an isosceles triangle and would take days if not weeks to travel. The Cedar Cultural Center is making it easy on us to figuratively book the trip by hosting an evening in the middle of the week featuring musicians from all three countries.
On Wednesday, November 13th, Habib Koité, guitarist and composer from Mali makes a return appearance on the Cedar’s stage. He will be joined by balafon player from Côte d’Ivoire, Aly Keita, and Lamine Cissokho, kora master whose roots dig deep into Senegalese soil, drawing on a rich family history of other kora players. An added bonus will be Koité’s longtime percussionist, Mama Kone on djembe, calabash, and electronic pad providing an extra dash of Malian flavor.
The three headliners are collaborating to celebrate Mandé Sila, as described by Rolling Stone, “the way of the Mandingo empire, symbolizing languages, cultures, music, and the organology of West Africa.”
Mshale caught up with Habib Koité recently. He has not performed in the Twin Cities in many years. As was true for nearly everyone, the global pandemic impacted Koité, too. “In my country, in Mali, Covid left its mark everywhere. All planes stopped flying. All the immunization campaigns were difficult to put in place,” he said, his voice resonate and somber. “Especially for those of us who wanted, or needed, to travel, these were difficult times. All the damages caused by it, material, financial, and human. There were a lot of deaths, especially in the Occident.”
Koité persevered, “So for musicians like me, from West Africa, from Mali, I had to stay home, for a very long time.”
For many artists, musicians especially, home-made projects and productions became the norm. Some musicians simply offered gigs for free via YouTube or Facebook. Some sequestered themselves and delved deep into their passions.
“I took advantage of that time to enjoy my home. Make music, too, yes. We had requests for music from the living room. We made music in my living room,” said Koité. “People who had to stay home, who were not allowed to go out. There were shows for them, so they could watch their favorite bands and musicians, from their living rooms. We had offers like that. We made recordings, in my living room, and then we sent them to the TV station [for broadcast], of course.”
He acknowledged, “We still need to tighten the belt, because after all that, the gates of Heaven are far. We are trying to stay patient and hope for better days.”
Now the better days have come.
While the album Koité and his band released directly before the pandemic “was not at all what we would have wanted it to be” as it was, due to the pandemic, “completely far-fetched, completely straining for me,” he’s writing new music now.
“My music, the music I write, is inspired by local music from Mali. For people who make music, there is a curiosity, an inquisitiveness that needs to be satisfied. As a Malian, there is an inquisitiveness to satisfy.”
Koité finds that the music from Mali is so diverse, so varied, “we do not need to go look anywhere else.”
On the horizon…Koité laughed softly at the question. “What I am working on now…easy question to ask, but my thoughts go everywhere, trying to know what to feel or what I should be working on. I think, should I do a solo album, an instrumental album? Ideas go by, I have to decide, make a choice.”
Lamine Cissokho identifies himself as a musician without borders. But with a musical tradition that encompasses his family back to the 14th century, he’s not able to shed his Senegalese roots. He’ll join Koité to create an amalgam of sound and rhythms.
Cissokho has so far composed and arranged about 200 own songs which are inspired by the Mandingo tradition but are revisited by touches of jazz, oriental music and Nordic folk chords.
The third mainstay of this tour, Mandé Sila, is Aly Keita playing as his father did on the balafon. His family is also a griot family from Côte d’Ivoire. While Keita was born in Abidjan, he now lives in Berlin, Germany where he performs solo and with several other groups. He teaches balafon to all ages.
Tickets for the November 13th show, which starts at 7:30 pm are available here.
George Mason University alum Mohamed Omar was on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024 appointed the chair of the Board of Directors at Hennepin Healthcare System which oversees Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) and other county clinics. HCMC is Minnesota's largest and busiest Level 1 Trauma Center that also serves as a teaching hospital for the state. Photo: Courtesy Washburn Center for Children
George Mason University alum Mohamed Omar was on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024 appointed the chair of the Board of Directors at Hennepin Healthcare System which oversees Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) and other county clinics. HCMC is Minnesota's largest and busiest Level 1 Trauma Center that also serves as a teaching hospital for the state. Photo: Courtesy Washburn Center for Children
Hennepin Healthcare System has appointed Mohamed Omar as its first Somali Board of Directors chairman since the system began operating as Minneapolis City Hospital in 1887.
Mr. Omar is the chief administrative officer for the 141-year-old Minneapolis-based Washburn Center for Children, and was previously the controller and chief accountant at the Metropolitan Council.
Hennepin Healthcare System (HHS), is a public corporation established by state statute. That statue says HHS as a public corporation will operate “as a subsidiary of the county of Hennepin.” It is governed by a corporate board, of which two members are Hennepin County commissioners. It also oversees Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), and other county clinics in cities like Brooklyn Park and Golden Valley.
HCMC is the state’s largest and busiest Level 1 Trauma Center and also serves as a teaching hospital. Among the duties the Legislature has given it is that of operating the state’s poison control hotline. In addition to serving the general public’s healthcare needs, the specific statue that setup HHS says that the public includes “the indigent as defined by state and federal law and as determined by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners.”
An HHS board member’s term is three years and they are eligible to serve up to three successive three-year terms.
“Three years ago, I chose to serve on the Hennepin Healthcare board because I share this organization’s commitment to deliver high-quality, equitable care to all our patients,” Mohamed said in a statement. “We can do this by building a board and leadership team that reflects the diversity of our patients and our community. My commitment is to deepen our community engagement, build more authentic connections between patients and team members, and build a confident future together.”
Minnesota is home to the largest community of Somali immigrants in the United States, with a population of nearly 90,000 who trace their origins to the East African country, according to a Minnesota Compass analysis of 2021 U.S. Census Bureau data.
Omar said the fact that the state is home to the largest number of Somali Americans in the nation is what makes his new role a great honor.
Omar has been serving as interim chair of the board since September 14 after the previous chair, Babette Apland, stepped down after making racist comments about Somali immigrants during an August 8 closed door joint meeting with the Hennepin County Board and Hennepin Healthcare leaders.
Prior to his short tenure as interim chair last month, Mohamed served on the HHS board’s finance, investment, audit and compliance committees, according to the news release announcing his ascension to permanent status.
A George Mason University graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in accounting, Omar, upon graduation started his career as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers before moving on to Goldman Sachs in London, as well as Marriott International.
He has an MBA in finance and entrepreneurship and an MS in information systems, both from The Johns Hopkins University.
Hennepin County Board Chair Irene Fernando made history of her own in 2023 when she became the first person of color to be chair of the County Board. In a statement congratulating Omar on his new role, Fernando said “As the first Hennepin County Board Chair of color, I know how impactful it is for our communities to see themselves represented in public leadership.”
Councilmember Boyd Morson, right, joins other councilmembers for a photo after the new council was sworn in on January 9, 2023. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Councilmember Boyd Morson, right, joins other councilmembers for a photo after the new council was sworn in on January 9, 2023. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Brookly Park City Councilmember Boyd Morson censure came up for a six-month review at the October 14 council meeting. He has been censured twice – in March 2022 and again in April 2024.
At the Council meeting last week, after a lengthy discussion, members decided to keep the censure in place because Councilmember Morson has continued to violate terms of the censure, they said.
The city’s attorney, Jim Thomson, told members a vote was not necessary to keep the censure in place but one will be needed to lift it. The Council consists of seven members which includes the mayor. Five of them said it should be kept in place. One Councilmember Maria Tran was absent.
His censure bars him from having direct contact with city staff with the exception of the city manager and the director of the Economic Development Authority.
Following his second censure in April, Morson wrote a hard-hitting Op-ed in Mshale where he claimed the censuring was curtailing his First Amendment rights. He has also previously called on the city attorney and city manager to be investigated by the FBI.
Morson who represents the Central District is up for reelection in November but was redistricted to the East District where he is facing political newcomer Amanda Xiong. Morson and Xiong are vying to replace Councilmember XP Lee who chose not seek reelection.
With him being redistricted away from the Central District to the East District, Shelle Page and Teshite Wako are squaring off in November to represent the district on the Council.
Should Morson win in November his next censure review is expected to be shortly after he is sworn-in in January.
Mayor Hollies Winston summarized the sentiments of most members when he said the censure should stay in place as Morson has not changed his behavior.
“The things we ask to be addressed have not been addressed. In fact, more egregious behavior has been in place in terms of trying to destabilize people’s belief in their actual government,” Mayor Winston said.
Brooklyn Park Assistant City Manager Dr. Angel R. Smith, presents the city's first Global Empowerment and Connection Award to Nigerian actor, writer and producer, Richard Mofe-Damijo for his role as an ambassador in the Brooklyn Park and Udu sister city relationship, during the two year celebration of the ties between the two cities held at North Hennepin Community College on Friday, October 4, 2024. Photo: Courtesy City of Brooklyn Park
Brooklyn Park Assistant City Manager Dr. Angel R. Smith, presents the city's first Global Empowerment and Connection Award to Nigerian actor, writer and producer, Richard Mofe-Damijo for his role as an ambassador in the Brooklyn Park and Udu sister city relationship, during the two year celebration of the ties between the two cities held at North Hennepin Community College on Friday, October 4, 2024. Photo: Courtesy City of Brooklyn Park
The city of Brooklyn Park celebrated the second year of its relationship with Udu, a Nigerian urban center that became a sister city in 2023.
The ceremony, which took place recently at Hennepin Community College, featured various performances including dance, spoken word, and a townhall-style conversation with award-winning Nigerian actor, writer and producer, Richard Mofe-Damijo. Mofe-Damijo, who in the past served in government as Delta state’s commissioner for culture and tourism, was also honored for his service as an ambassador in the relationship between the two sister cities.
Mayor Hollies Winston said the relationship with Udu was the third Brooklyn Park had established with a city from the African continent. The first was Kakata, Liberia in 2012, followed10 years later by Banjul, the capital of The Gambia.
“These partnerships are based on mutual respect, cultural exchange, and a shared commitment to growing together,” Winston said. “This means creating opportunities for our entrepreneurs and learning from each other’s experiences. Celebrating our communities [with] events like tonight’s strengthens our ties and bring us closer together.”
Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies Winston, middle,speaks with Nigerian actor Richard Mofe-Damijo during the two-year celebration of the sister city relationship between the Nigerian city of Udu and Brooklyn Park held at North Hennepin Community College on Friday, October 4, 2024. Photo: Courtesy City of Brooklyn Park
Located in Nigeria’s Delta state, Udu became Brooklyn Park’s sister city on Feb. 27, 2003, when the government of the Minnesotan city signed documents approving the relationship. The two cities agreed to have a relationship that promotes cultural, professional, and innovation exchange. They also agreed to co-operate on tackling issues like climate change, international migration crises, pandemics, and conflicts arising from scarcity of resources.
Brooklyn Park is one of the most diverse cities in the United States, with more than 60% of its population being people of color, according to Minnesota Compass, a research organization that analyzes census data to help policymakers make informed decisions. In 2022, more than 29% of residents of the city identified as Black or African American, the analysis shows. There is no specific data on the number of Nigerians, but the city hosts Minnesota’s largest Igbo Fest, a cultural celebration of Igbos, one of Nigeria’s largest ethnic groups.
“Brooklyn Park is no longer a city that is landlocked in the state of Minnesota,” Winston said. “We are blessed to have that wonderful mix, and this is what it looks like to have people from across the world [living] in our humble city.”
Cultural performances of dance and spoken word preceded a conversation between Dr. Angel R. Smith, the assistant city manager of Brooklyn Park and Nigerian actor Richard Mofe-Damijo during the two-year celebration of the sister city relationship between the Nigerian city of Udu and Brooklyn Park held at North Hennepin Community College on Friday, October 4, 2024. Photo: Courtesy City of Brooklyn Park
After cultural performances of dance and spoken word, Dr. Angel R. Smith, the assistant city manager of Brooklyn Park, sat down for a conversation with Mofe-Damijo, who talked about his decorated decades-long career in film and public service.
“For young people aspiring to enter public service or government roles, what advice would give them about navigating the complexities of those careers?” Smith asked.
Mofe-Damijo said his main concern was that many youths might be discouraged from seeking leadership positions in government because it was a “tough terrain” to navigate.
“Young people are not in the least attracted to public service, yet it is one of those areas we must get into because they say people get the leadership they deserve,” he said. “So, if you feel like there is a need to have a better society, you must throw your weight in by participating in governance.”
Mofe-Damijo said mentorship played a significant role in the success of his career. He said he emulated his mentors and followed their values. He urged young people to do the same, adding that technology had made it much easier to find and follow mentors than it was during his youth.
Nigerian actor, writer and producer, Richard Mofe-Damijo engages in conversation with Brooklyn Park Assistant City Manager, Dr. Angel R. Smith, at North Hennepin Community College during the two-year celebration of the sister city relationship between the Nigerian city of Udu and Brooklyn Park on Friday, October 4, 2024. Photo: Courtesy City of Brooklyn Park
“Thank God for social media, you don’t have to meet [your] mentors,” Mofe-Damijo said. “Find someone who is in your profession that you look up to … keep studying and looking at what kind of life they’ve led professionally and from the point of view of family.”
But Mofe-Damijo challenged young people to go far beyond what their mentors had achieved.
“There is a prayer we [say] in Nigeria when somebody says, ‘Oh, I want to be like you when I grow up,’” he said. “We say, ‘No, when you grow up, you will be bigger than me. You will be better than me.’”
The celebration of the sister city relationship followed a recent city council proclamation declaring Oct. 1, 2024, as Nigerian Independence Day in Brooklyn Park. In a written statement to Mshale, Smith, the assistant city manager, said that in 2023, the city council of Brooklyn Park reviewed its annual holiday calendar to consider adding several holidays for official recognition through proclamation. Nigerian Independence Day was identified, reflecting the growing community of people from the west African country who call Brooklyn Park home, she said. The sister city partnership with Udu, was also a key factor, according to Smith.
“We plan to continue this tradition in the years to come.”
Rep. Hodan Hassan, first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018 and is finishing her third term this year and is not seeking reelection, was awarded the Legacy of Service award by the Minnesota Somali Community Center during its Samafal Gala in Columbia Heights on Saturday, October 12, 2024. Photo: Siyad Salah/Somali TV of MN
Rep. Hodan Hassan, first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018 and is finishing her third term this year and is not seeking reelection, was awarded the Legacy of Service award by the Minnesota Somali Community Center during its Samafal Gala in Columbia Heights on Saturday, October 12, 2024. Photo: Siyad Salah/Somali TV of MN
The Minnesota Somali Community Center hosted its annual Samafal Gala on Saturday night in Columbia Heights.
Hundreds gathered to honor community healthcare providers and healthcare entrepreneurs involved in addressing the opioid epidemic facing the Somali community, as well as elected officials that have championed the interests of the community at the Legislature.
The honorees were recognized for embodying the spirit of “Geesinimo” – Somali for bravery. Samafal means charity in Somali.
Minnesota Somali Community Center (MSCC) is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that provides support and resources for the livability issues that Somalis in the state face.
The organizations and individuals MSCC honored on Saturday have been on the forefront in addressing the complex web of challenges such as the opioid epidemic by investing time and resources, and in the case of legislators such as state Rep. Hodan Hassan, political capital.
One of those honored was a non-Somali, Dr. Benjamin Swart, an internal medicine physician that MSCC executive director Hassanen Mohamed said has been particularly crucial in the community’s efforts to address the opioid epidemic because of how Dr. Swart has lived his life.
“Dr. Ben graduated from the University of Minnesota but decided to live in the Cedar-Riverside area, just to be close to the community, he has visited Somalia and learned our culture and chose to raise his children in our community,” said Mohamed. He said it was Dr. Swart’s presence and hands on approach in the community that made their parts cross. He described late night visits with Dr. Swart to help those who have overdosed in places many consider unsafe.
Farhia Budul was among those honored Saturday with a “Champion of Recovery” award. She is a Somali woman in long-term recovery from opioid addiction that has garnered prominence in her mission to help others overcome the stigma associated with addiction. On Saturday, she accepted her award on stage in the company of others that have also triumphed over addiction.
“Recovery does work, recovery is possible, this is how recovery looks like today” said Budul as she pointed to the four people that accompanied her on stage.
She said Minnesota has the worst disparities in the nation when it comes to substance abuse and that the state needs to do better in addressing those disparities.
“This is a disease that is killing us, it is killing our youth and we need to reduce the stigma and shame because it takes a village (to address it), for us we are recovering out loud as that is what is helping others,” Budul said.
Rep. Hodan Hassan who is serving her third term in the Minnesota House of Representatives was among three state legislators honored. Rep. Hassan, who is not seeking reelection in November, was honored with the “Legacy of Service” award.
“Our community is struggling in many ways but also thriving in many ways, but there is a silver lining in every cloud – community work is hard, it takes a toll on you and your family so we should thank all these folks that are doing the work,” said Rep. Hassan. She said while she will no longer be in elective office after January, she will still be active in community service.
Samafal Gala 2024 Honorees
Community Caregiver: Dr. Benjamin Swart Geesinimo Award: State Senator Omar Fateh Champion of Recovery: Farhia Budul of Niyyah Recovery Initiative Recovery Leadership: Abdirahman Warsame of Generation Hope Community Impact: Musab Adam of Access Healing Center Legacy of Service Award: Hodan Hassan Service Provider of the Year: Yussuf Shafie of Alliance Wellness Center Voice of Change: Mariam Said aka Mama Sahra Friend of the Community: State Senator John Hoffman Resilience in Recovery: Sundus Ali
Richard Bona during his concert at the Dakota on September 26, 2024 where he made his Minnesota debut. Mshale Staff Photo by Jasmine Webber
Richard Bona during his concert at the Dakota on September 26, 2024 where he made his Minnesota debut. Mshale Staff Photo by Jasmine Webber
While Twins fans were watching their team lose to the Marlins a few blocks away, fans of Richard Bona were luxuriating in his winsome music at The Dakota on Thursday, September 26th.
Watching Cameroonian Bona and his band play was equally as exciting as watching a sporting event. There was constant communication—a smile, a raised eyebrow, a shoulder shrug—between Bona on electric bass and Jesus Pupo on two sets of keys, a grand piano and an electronic keyboard. Their playing was dynamic and engaging.
Ludwig Afonso hails from Cuba as does Pupo. Playing the rhythm section of the show, he laid the foundation for his bandmates’, rising up to shine on solos in turn. True jazz performers, they read one another on stage, mixing up their sounds into a perfect blend.
All three filed onto stage, opening with the irresistible Muntula Moto (The Benediction of a Long Life). Dressed in earthy colors of greens and browns, Bona strummed and picked his electric bass while singing in Douala.
They followed the first number with Three Views of a Secret, starting smooth and easy then segueing into a more syncopated rhythm with a dash of vinegar. This piece crescendoed into peerless piano-playing by Pupo and then an equally accomplished drum riff.
A danceable, though no one did, number was third in the set, Bilongo. Bona plays his guitar imbued with a sense of humor, sometimes exaggerating the motions and flashing a huge smile at the audience. He calls out, “This is the first time I’ve ever been in Minneapolis.”
Then, like a cat walking on stage, the band began to play Eyala, slow and intimate. This was one of my favorites. It’d be easy to close my eyes and lose myself to the sound, but I don’t want to do that because seeing the performers ping off one another and bolster one another is also part of the beauty of live-music.
Bona tells us that Miles Davis was a huge influence on his music. He then plays a song by Davis, All Blues, though cautioning us not to try to clap along on this intricate, “ninja” number. Pupo plays simultaneously both keyboards, his fingers striking out at the keys as if the piano keys were on fire and he can’t rest his hands for long. The musicians are so hot, so in-tune, so intense and electrified that I wanted to jump up and cheer them on.
Bona quips after the song, asking the audience, “Was that good?” Not waiting for an answer, he laughs and cuts in, “Of course, I know it’s good.” Anyone with ears can hear how polished the band played.
His bandmates exit the stage momentarily and Bona pulls out his Black Magic Voodoo Machine also known as a looper. He lays down tracks interspersed with regaling us about the history of the machine and how he likes to use it in his music both to create and to perform.
Bona uses some call-and-response with a very enthusiastic audience. He butters us up telling us we’re “better than Miami.” I’m not sure if he’s improvising on the spot, but the music he puts out, all his own original work, is layered and rich and complex. Every good thing you’ve ever heard about jazz is embodied in Bona’s playing.
“I see a lot of Cameroonians here tonight,” he calls out and the crowd cheers back at him because he’s right. The entirety of the Dakota has been opened with few empty seats in sight.
“I feel like dancing,” Bona says, and rejoined by his bandmates, they launch into O Sen Sen Sen. It’s fun and playful. The crowd spontaneously claps and cheers as they play. Toward the end of the song, they jump up onto their feet demanding an encore.
Bona steps off stage to grab a beverage and Pupo lays down a solo on piano. Pupo nearly eclipses Bona in sheer skill, his playing is inspired leaving us breathless. But Bona’s deep, deep knowledge of what he’s playing and the permutations he takes with each song, his love for the music and how he shares it with his audience elevate Bona into the maestro that he is.
With an encore imminent, Bona obliges, returning to the stage singing in Spanish, Alfonsina y el mar – Mercedez Sosa, leaving the audience satisfied and certain to return for his next engagement.
Vice President Kamala Harris greets Gov. Tim Walz when she last visited Minnesota on March 14, 2024 before becoming the Democratic nominee for president. On Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, Somali American imams and scholars announced their endorsement of the Harris-Walz ticket. Photo: Adam Bettcher/AP
Vice President Kamala Harris greets Gov. Tim Walz when she last visited Minnesota on March 14, 2024 before becoming the Democratic nominee for president. On Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, Somali American imams and scholars announced their endorsement of the Harris-Walz ticket. Photo: Adam Bettcher/AP
A group of Somali American imams, scholars and other leaders have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president because another Donald Trump presidency would be too devastating to their community, they said.
The coalition of 35 religious leaders and scholars endorsed Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, following a recent three-day summit in St. Cloud, about 75 miles northwest of St. Paul, the state capitol.
“Donald Trump is actively promoting division and hatred, from his racist Muslim travel ban to his extremist Project 2025 plan,” said Imam Mohamed Mukhtar, one of the leaders. “We cannot stand by while he threatens our brothers and sisters in Palestine and fuels Islamophobia.”
Minnesota is home to the largest community of Somali immigrants in the United States, with a population of nearly 90,000 people who trace their origins to the East African country, according to a Minnesota Compass analysis of 2021 U.S. Census Bureau data.
Somali American imams, scholars and other leaders pose for a group photo after their meeting in St. Cloud, Minnesota that arrived at a decision to endorse the Harris-Walz ticket. Photo: Courtesy of Xidig TV
Somalis began arriving in the United States as refugees after a civil war broke out in their country in 1991. Most of them ended up in Minnesota partly due to the midwestern state’s reputation as a friendly and welcoming place. Even with the wave of Islamophobia that swept the nation after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, Minnesota remained a relatively tolerant state. However, things began to get worse when Trump began targeting Somalis with Islamophobic attacks, as he sought to win the Democratic-leaning state in the 2016 presidential election.
“Here in Minnesota, you’ve seen first-hand the problems caused with faulty refugee vetting, with very large numbers of Somali refugees coming into your state without your knowledge, without your support or approval,” multiple media quoted Trump saying at a campaign rally.
When Trump became president, one of the first executive orders he signed was to ban travel from predominantly Muslims countries, including Somalia. Throughout his presidency, he continued his assault on the Somali community, often through racist rants against Rep. Ilhan Omar, a U.S. congresswoman from Minnesota, who was born in Somalia.
Since Trump entered politics, there have been more blatant racist and Islamophobic attacks on Somalis in Minnesota, including dozens of incidents of violence and vandalism of mosques. In 2020, Imam Mukhtar himself was the victim of violent assault by two teenagers, who attacked him outside his mosque in Bloomington, a suburb of Minneapolis. The attack left him with two fractures on his left shoulder.
Imam Mohamed Mukhtar at a meeting of Somali American imams, scholars and other leaders that endorsed the Harris-Walz ticket. Photo: Courtesy of Xidig TV
In August, the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) reported that there were 33 incidents of attacks on mosques during the previous three years. And in the first half of 2024, there were nearly 5,000 complaints about cases of bias against Muslim communities, an increase of 69%, compared to the same period in 2023, according to CAIR-MN. Trump’s racist rhetoric has continued as he seeks to return to the White House, and Somalis now fear that another four years of him as president would be devastating to their community.
Mohamed Abdi Wardere, one of the men tasked with distributing the message of the leaders to the community through media, urged Somalis who are U.S citizens to turn up in numbers on Nov. 5 to exercise their constitutional right to vote. He said the stakes in the upcoming elections were higher than ever for the Somali community.
“If Trump comes back [to the White House, Somalis] will be the first people he will hurt,” Wardere said. “We have to participate and actually be a part of the decision-making process in America.”
Wardere said the 35 leaders were not part of any organization and only came together as individuals to make the joint statement. In their statement, they made it clear that their endorsement of the Harris-Walz ticket was not without reservation. The leaders said they were deeply troubled by the ongoing violence against the people of Gaza and Lebanon, and called for an immediate ceasefire, access to humanitarian aid, and an end to Israel’s occupation so that Palestinians may have the right to self-determination.
“While the coalition stands firmly behind the Harris-Walz ticket, [it] also vehemently opposes specific policies, particularly regarding Gaza and Lebanon,” the statement said. “Despite these disagreements, Trump’s policies pose an even more significant threat to the rights and dignity of marginalized communities, both in the U.S. and abroad.”
U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood pictured with Minnesota elected women of color, including Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar as they stumped for the Harris-Walz ticket in Minneapolis on Sunday, September 29, 2024. Mshale Staff Photo by Jasmine Webber
U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood pictured with Minnesota elected women of color, including Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar as they stumped for the Harris-Walz ticket in Minneapolis on Sunday, September 29, 2024. Mshale Staff Photo by Jasmine Webber
U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood visited Minneapolis last week to join U.S. Rep Ilhan Omar, who represents the area, to rally supporters for Vice President Kamala Harris in her White House bid. The two were joined by Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in a Sunday “Women of Color for Harris Brunch.”
“When we vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, we have an opportunity to reject Donald Trump and Project 2025 once and for all.” Underwood told a crowd that included almost all of the elected women of color in Minnesota during a brunch held at Parcelle, an eatery in Northeast Minneapolis. “So many of us that look up to her – myself included – looking at the way she tackles the challenges that we face, as strong women with bold ideas and a vision for America that is inclusive, and are inspired to step into our leadership, ladies let us wok together to elect Kamla Harris – Let’s get it done.”
Underwood, a member of the Illinois congressional delegation became the youngest Black woman to serve in Congress when she was first sworn-in on January 2019.
U.S. Rep Ilhan Omar, who also spoke at the event, said that electing Vice President Harris “sends a message, an opposite message of what happens if we elect Trump to a second term, because if we elect Trump, we are saying we are fine with liars being our president, we are fine with a fraudster that has filed for bankruptcy multiple times.”
Rep. Omar was full of praise for Vice President Harris, telling the audience that the vice president, then a U.S. Senator, was the first to reach out to her with valuable advice on how to hire staff when she was first elected in 2018 as the first Somali American member of Congress, “it is the sole reason I have 90 percent retention rate of my staff,” she said.
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, also urged those present to not only urge people and their friends to vote, but to knock on as many doors as possible.
A November win by Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz, who is the Minnesota Governor, will see Lt. Gov. Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Nation, becoming America’s first Indigenous governor. As Minnesota’s Lt. Governor, she is already the highest-ranking Indigenous woman elected to an executive office in the nation.
“You have that power to change hearts and minds, to get people to show up, so that a room like this one (with many elected women of color) is simply the norm?” Flanagan said. “This is our moment to show up for our next president, but more than anything, this is our moment to show up for each other.”
Shadrack Kimining, 28, of Kenya won the 2024 Twin Cities Marathon men’s race Sunday, October 6, 2024. Photo: Courtesy Twin Cities in Motion Facebook
Shadrack Kimining, 28, of Kenya won the 2024 Twin Cities Marathon men’s race Sunday with a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 17 seconds beating Eritrean Tesfu Tewelde by just four seconds. In the women’s race, Molly Bookmyer, 33, of Ohio, took first place with a time of 2 hours, 28 minutes, and 52 seconds.
The 26.2-mile race started outside the U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis and finished at the state Capitol in St. Paul.
Retired Denver Nuggets center Dikembe Mutombo waves to the crowd as his jersey number was retired by the team during halftime of the Nuggets' NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, in Denver. The Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 from brain cancer. He was 58.
Photo: David Zalubowski/AP File
Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58.
His family revealed two years ago that he was undergoing treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor. The NBA said he died surrounded by his family.
“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.”
Mutombo was distinctive in so many ways — the playful finger wag at opponents after blocking their shots, his height, his deep and gravelly voice, his massive smile. Players of this generation were always drawn to him and Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, who was born in Cameroon, looked to Mutombo as an inspiration.
“It’s a sad day, especially for us Africans, and really the whole world,” Embiid said Monday. “Other than what he’s accomplished on the basketball court, I think he was even better off the court. He’s one of the guys that I look up to, as far as having an impact, not just on the court, but off the court. He’s done a lot of great things. He did a lot of great things for a lot of people. He was a role model of mine. It is a sad day.”
Mutombo spent 18 seasons in the NBA, playing for Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, New York and the then-New Jersey Nets. The 7-foot-2 center out of Georgetown was an eight-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA selection and went into the Hall of Fame in 2015 after averaging 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game for his career.
The Atlanta Hawks’ Dikembe Mutombo, left, drives to the hoop against the Chicago Bulls’ Dennis Rodman during the second quarter of their playoff game Thursday, May 8, 1997, in Chicago. The Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 from brain cancer. He was 58. Photo: Michael S. Green/AP File
He also was part of one of the league’s most iconic playoff moments, helping eighth-seeded Denver oust top-seeded Seattle in the first round of the 1994 Western Conference playoffs. That best-of-five series marked the first time a No. 8 beat a No. 1 in NBA history.
“It’s really hard to believe,” Toronto President Masai Ujiri said Monday, pausing several times because he was overcome with emotion shortly after hearing the news of Mutombo’s death. “It’s hard for us to be without that guy. You have no idea what Dikembe Mutombo meant to me. … That guy, he made us who we are. That guy is a giant, an incredible person.”
Mutombo last played during the 2008-09 season, devoting his time after retirement to charitable and humanitarian causes. He spoke nine languages and founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997, concentrating on improving health, education and quality of life for the people in the Congo.
And on occasion, LeBron James pointed out with a laugh on Monday, Mutombo didn’t necessarily improve the health of others.
“My fondest memory of Dikembe Mutombo? He fractured my face on my birthday in Cleveland with an elbow,” James, the Los Angeles Lakers’ star, said while taking several minutes Monday to pay tribute to Mutombo’s life. “I never even got an opportunity to tell him about that. But yeah. I don’t remember how old … I was in Cleveland, my first stint, and I think I was turning 22 maybe?
“I went to the hole and caught one of those Dikembe elbows, and if anybody know about the Dikembe elbows, they do not feel good. He fractured my face, and I went to the hospital that night, and I wore a mask for a little bit. That is my memory of Dikembe,” James said.
James was close on the details: Dec. 29, 2004, was when that play happened, late in the first half, one day before his 20th birthday.
Mutombo told reporters that night he wasn’t sure how James got hurt. “He was laying there and I was like, ‘What happened, what happened?’” Mutombo told the Houston Chronicle after that game. “All I know, I was running to the basket. … LeBron turned around to stop me going to the basket. The collision happened.”
Ryan Mutombo, the Hall of Famer’s son, said in a tribute posted on social media that his father “loved others with every ounce of his being.”
“My dad is my hero because he simply cared,” Ryan Mutombo wrote. “He remains the purest heart I have ever known.”
Mutombo served on the boards of many organizations, including Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation and the National Board for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
“There was nobody more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA’s first Global Ambassador,” Silver said. “He was a humanitarian at his core. He loved what the game of basketball could do to make a positive impact on communities, especially in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and across the continent of Africa.”
Mutombo is one of three players to win the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year four times. The others: reigning DPOY winner Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Hall of Famer Ben Wallace.
“He was always there to talk to me and advise me on how to approach the season and take care of my body and icing after games and stretching and trying different things like yoga,” Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “He will be always remembered and may his soul rest in peace.”
Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey — who was with Mutombo for many seasons in Houston — was informed of his friend’s death during the team’s media day on Monday. Tears welled in Morey’s eyes as he processed the news.
“There aren’t many guys like him,” Morey said. “Just a great human being. When I was a rookie GM in this league, my first chance in Houston, he was someone I went to all the time. … His accomplishments on the court, we don’t need to talk about too much. Just an amazing human being, what he did off the court for Africa. Rest in peace, Dikembe.”
AP Sports Writers Steve Megargee in Milwaukee, Greg Beacham in Los Angeles and Dan Gelston in Camden, New Jersey, and Associated Press writer Ian Harrison in Toronto contributed to this report.
