Home Blog Page 85

Watch globalFEST hosted virtually by Angélique Kidjo

0
globalFEST which is usually held at different clubs in New York in January had to go virtual in 2021 due to the pandemic and was hosted by Angélique Kidjo. Photo: YouTube Screengrab
Kidjo
globalFEST which is usually held at different clubs in New York in January had to go virtual in 2021 due to the pandemic and was hosted by Angélique Kidjo. Photo: YouTube Screengrab

globalFEST which is usually held at different clubs in New York in January had to go virtual this year due to the pandemic. The organizers teamed up with NPR’s Tiny Desk to present a virtual concert hosted by Angélique Kidjo and featured artists such as Edwin Perez, Elisapie, Nora Brown, Rokia Traoré among others.

Kidjo was among the performers at the inaugural launch of globalFest in 2004.

This year’s online festival included four nights of concerts featuring 16 bands from all over the world. From Monday, Jan. 11, through Thursday, Jan. 14.

You can watch it at this link.

Amanda Gorman captures America’s heart at Biden-Harris inauguration

0
Amanda Gorman
Inaugural poet Amanda Gorman at the inauguration ceremony of President Joe Biden. U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2021. Photo: MCCV/Shutterstock
Amanda Gorman
Inaugural poet Amanda Gorman at the inauguration ceremony of President Joe Biden. U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2021. Photo: MCCV/Shutterstock

Inaugural poet Amanda Gorman captured the hearts of Americans with her standout performance at President Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony on Wednesday.

Google announced that “Amanda Gorman,” “poet laureate” and “The Hill We Climb” were among the top five searches in the U.S. on Wednesday.

Watch her recite her poem in full above and below you can read the transcript:

When day comes we ask ourselves,
where can we find light in this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry,
a sea we must wade
We’ve braved the belly of the beast
We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace
And the norms and notions
of what just is
Isn’t always just-ice
And yet the dawn is ours
before we knew it
Somehow we do it
Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed
a nation that isn’t broken
but simply unfinished
We the successors of a country and a time
Where a skinny Black girl
descended from slaves and raised by a single mother
can dream of becoming president
only to find herself reciting for one
And yes we are far from polished
far from pristine
but that doesn’t mean we are
striving to form a union that is perfect
We are striving to forge a union with purpose
To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and
conditions of man
And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us
but what stands before us
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,
we must first put our differences aside
We lay down our arms
so we can reach out our arms
to one another
We seek harm to none and harmony for all
Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
That even as we grieved, we grew
That even as we hurt, we hoped
That even as we tired, we tried
That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious
Not because we will never again know defeat
but because we will never again sow division
Scripture tells us to envision
that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree
And no one shall make them afraid
If we’re to live up to our own time
Then victory won’t lie in the blade
But in all the bridges we’ve made
That is the promise to glade
The hill we climb
If only we dare
It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit,
it’s the past we step into
and how we repair it
We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation
rather than share it
Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy
And this effort very nearly succeeded
But while democracy can be periodically delayed
it can never be permanently defeated
In this truth
in this faith we trust
For while we have our eyes on the future
history has its eyes on us
This is the era of just redemption
We feared at its inception
We did not feel prepared to be the heirs
of such a terrifying hour
but within it we found the power
to author a new chapter
To offer hope and laughter to ourselves
So while once we asked,
how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?
Now we assert
How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?
We will not march back to what was
but move to what shall be
A country that is bruised but whole,
benevolent but bold,
fierce and free
We will not be turned around
or interrupted by intimidation
because we know our inaction and inertia
will be the inheritance of the next generation
Our blunders become their burdens
But one thing is certain:
If we merge mercy with might,
and might with right,
then love becomes our legacy
and change our children’s birthright
So let us leave behind a country
better than the one we were left with
Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,
we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one
We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west,
we will rise from the windswept northeast
where our forefathers first realized revolution
We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states,
we will rise from the sunbaked south
We will rebuild, reconcile and recover
and every known nook of our nation and
every corner called our country,
our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,
battered and beautiful
When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it

President Biden’s first day executive orders include protections for Liberians and DACA

0
President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, her husband Doug Emhoff at the president's inauguration on January 20, 2021. Hours after his swearing-in, President Biden's signed a host of executive orders including DED extension of Liberians and ending the ban on entries from mostly African and Muslim-majority countries. Photo: MCCV/Shutterstock
Biden Inauguration
President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, her husband Doug Emhoff at the president's inauguration on January 20, 2021. Hours after his swearing-in, President Biden's signed a host of executive orders including DED extension of Liberians and ending the ban on entries from mostly African and Muslim-majority countries. Photo: MCCV/Shutterstock
Biden Inauguration
President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, her husband Doug Emhoff at the president’s inauguration on January 20, 2021. Hours after his swearing-in, President Biden’s signed a host of executive orders including DED extension of Liberians and ending the ban on entries from mostly African and Muslim-majority countries. Photo: MCCV/Shutterstock

A few hours after being sworn-in as president, Joe Biden made good on his campaign promise to immediately start reversing Trump’s anti-immigrant policies. In total, Biden signed 17 executive orders on his first day with six of them dealing with immigration.

For Liberians, Biden extended the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) through June 30, 2022. This will provide Liberians temporary protection from deportation and give them work authorization until that date. In a memorandum issued after the signing of the various executive orders, Biden said “there are compelling foreign policy reasons to reinstate DED for an additional period for those Liberians presently residing in the United States who were under a grant of DED as of January 10, 2021.”

Biden also issued a memorandum directing officials to “preserve and fortify” the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and urged Congress to pass permanent protections for the over 700,000 young undocumented immigrants. Biden’s immigration reform proposal which he has already sent to Congress would provide DACA recipients a three-year path to citizenship.

The US Citizenship Act of 2021 was sent to Congress yesterday.

Besides the above two actions on immigration, Biden also took action on the following:

Repealed Trump’s Muslim and African Travel Ban

Biden issued an executive order repealing Trump’s ban of travel from African and Muslim-majority countries. In his executive order, Biden instructed the state department to begin visa processing for the affected countries.

The order however does allow for increased screening and vetting of travelers through information sharing with other governments.

The affected countries under Trump’s ban were Libya, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Nigeria, Tanzania, Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, North Korea, and Venezuela.

Paused construction of Trump’s border wall

President Biden issued a proclamation pausing the construction of the Trump border wall with Mexico. This is a temporary pause while his administration determines the way forward and how to best direct the resources elsewhere.

Stopped Trump exclusion of immigrants from 2020 Census

Former president Trump in a controversial move directed the Census Bureau to exclude undocumented immigrants from the just concluded census. Biden issued an executive order stopping that move. The Census Bureau will now include all persons c9unted last year as required by law.

Biden stops Trumps’ “harsh and extreme immigration enforcement”

One of the executive orders Biden signed marks a return to Obama-era prioritization of immigration action against those who pose a threat to national security and those convicted of serious crimes and away from those that pose no danger to the United States such as families and the undocumented that have lived in the US for years but have committed no crime.

Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Pilot Program: How to make an appointment

0
The Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine pilot program is underway at nine sites but state health officials reminded Minnesotans to ensure they have an appointment befeore showing up as no walk-ins are accepted. Photo: oasisamuel / Shutterstock.com
Moderna Vaccine Web
The Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine pilot program is underway at nine sites but state health officials reminded Minnesotans to ensure they have an appointment befeore showing up as no walk-ins are accepted. Photo: oasisamuel / Shutterstock.com
Moderna Vaccine Web
The Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine pilot program is underway at nine sites but state health officials reminded Minnesotans to ensure they have an appointment befeore showing up as no walk-ins are accepted. Photo: oasisamuel / Shutterstock.com

Minnesota health officials have asked the public not to visit health care providers for the COVID-19 vaccine unless they have a scheduled appointment as no walk-ins are accepted. On Tuesday, Minnesotans 65 and older crashed a state website that opened to avail a limited supply of vaccines.

During their daily COVID-19 briefing yesterday, state health and technology officials said they are working to make the web system robust to handle the volume.

Minnesota has opened nine pilot sites to administer the vaccine to those 65 and older starting this week. Educators and child care providers are also included in the pilot. The federal government is expected to avail more vaccine supplies to the state.

The nine pilot sites are: Andover, Brooklyn Center, Fergus Falls, Marshall, Mountain Iron, North Mankato, Rochester, St. Cloud, and Thief River Falls.

Appointments are currently fully booked. According to MDH, additional appointments will be made every Tuesday at noon.

The nine pilot sites are: Andover, Brooklyn Center, Fergus Falls, Marshall, Mountain Iron, North Mankato, Rochester, St. Cloud, and Thief River Falls.

To make an appointment or to get on the waiting list, call 612-426-7230 or toll free at 833-431-2053. Online registration is at https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/

New Dollar General format store opens in downtown Minneapolis

0
The DGX store on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis opened on Monday, January 11, 2021. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
DGX Minneapolis by Tom Gitaa
The DGX store on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis opened on Monday, January 11, 2021. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
DGX Minneapolis by Tom Gitaa
The DGX store on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis opened on Monday, January 11, 2021. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale

Nicollet mall in Minneapolis which recently underwent a $50 million makeover is now home to a DGX store, a new Dollar General store concept meant for city centers with merchandise geared towards instant consumption.

The new store is located at 520 Nicollet Mall on the corner of Nicollet Mall and Fifth Street.

A news release from Dollar General announcing the opening said the downtown store will provide customers with approximately 3,800 sales floor square feet of convenient, easy in-and-out retail space while providing a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, an expanded health and beauty section, frozen and refrigerated food offerings.

Dollar General already operates 163 stores in Minnesota but the Minneapolis store is the first DGX store in the state for the company and brings the number of DGXs nationwide to twenty stores.

“We are excited to bring our DGX format to the Minneapolis community to help support the needs of customers in the city’s vibrant downtown community,” said Dan Nieser, Dollar General’s senior vice president of real estate and development. “Through our DGX Minneapolis location, we look forward to serving customers with value and convenience on quality products to help them save money on the everyday, essential items they need.”

A new TV network, Oromia 11 launches in Minneapolis

Oromia 11 which launched on Monday, January 11, 2021 will broadcast globally from its studios in downtown Minneapolis. Photo: Zoom Screen Grab
Oromia 11 Set
Oromia 11 which launched on Monday, January 11, 2021 will broadcast globally from its studios in downtown Minneapolis. Photo: Zoom Screen Grab
Oromia 11 Set
Oromia 11 which launched on Monday, January 11, 2021 will broadcast globally from its studios in downtown Minneapolis. Photo: Zoom Screen Grab

A consortium of Oromo business owners and community leaders today launched a Minneapolis based news and entertainment television network that will be beamed globally with programs showcasing original programming from the Twin Cities, Ethiopia and other markets.

During a Zoom news conference to mark the launch, the new network’s general manager Safi Geleto said “we don’t have enough [platforms]. There’s so much yet to be told. Many stories die with elders.”

Geleto said initial programming will be delivered digitally on platforms like Facebook and the network’s website with a plan to move to satellite delivery within the next six months.

General Manager Safi Geleto
Safi Geleto is the General Manager at Oromia 11 which launched on Monday, January 11, 2021 and will broadcast globally from its studios in downtown Minneapolis. Photo: Zoom Screen Grab

The Oromo who number over 50 million globally inhabit Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia with the largest concentration outside of Africa being in Minnesota.

Programming will originate from its main studio in Minneapolis. The studio will be named Hachalu Hundessa, in honor of the Ethiopian musician who was shot dead while driving in Addis Ababa last June. Hundessa was considered a powerful political voice of the Oromo people. A painting by Twin Cities Oromo artist Binyam Raba was unveiled at the launch.

Also appearing virtually at the news conference was Lea Hargett, the former president and CEO of the Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce and a principal at JOG Associates LLC, who described the launch as an “important first step.”

You can view Oromia 11 at this link.

Rep. Ilhan Omar recounts terror in U.S. Capitol, announces plan to impeach Trump

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar addresses the crowd at the Youth Climate Strike outside the U.S. Capitol on March 15, 2019. The U.S. Capitol was breached on January 6, 2021 by a mob of Trump supporters. Photo: Mike Jett/Shutterstock
Ilhan at Capitol in 2019
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar addresses the crowd at the Youth Climate Strike outside the U.S. Capitol on March 15, 2019. The U.S. Capitol was breached on January 6, 2021 by a mob of Trump supporters. Photo: Mike Jett/Shutterstock
Ilhan at Capitol in 2019
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar addresses the crowd at the Youth Climate Strike outside the U.S. Capitol on March 15, 2019. The U.S. Capitol was breached on January 6, 2021 by a mob of Trump supporters. Photo: Mike Jett/Shutterstock

President Donald J. Trump spent much of 2020 demonizing Rep. Ilhan Omar and ridiculing Somalia, the Minnesota congresswoman’s country of origin, for being a failed state.

“How is your country doing?” Trump asked at a rally in Minnesota in September.

But on Jan. 6, the day Omar and other lawmakers gathered at the Capitol to count electoral votes and certify Joseph R. Biden Jr. as the next president of the United States, it was Trump who tried to turn America into a lawless country. And if Omar has her way, she might get the last word by cutting his remaining time in the White House shorter than it already is.

Omar is one about 60 members of the U.S. Congress who came together to draft articles of what, if successful, would be the second impeachment of Trump for “high crimes and misdemeanors.

Trump has received criticism from both sides of the political sphere for inciting mobs of his supporters to storm the halls of the US Capitol. The president’s supporters overpowered security forces and violently broke into Congress believing they could reverse his loss by stopping the final certification of what he falsely claims was a rigged election. Members of Congress were forced to suspend the exercise and evacuate the building as the mob vandalized various offices, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. A police officer and four other people were killed, including a woman who was shot by police. Several law enforcement officers were injured during what many have called an attempted coup.

“What happened yesterday was unmistakably a violent attempt to interrupt our democratic process,” Omar told reporters via Zoom in her first press conference since the attack. “And it was directly and specifically incited by the President of the United States.”

Pelosi said in a press conference Thursday that she was open to starting impeachment but only if Vice President Mike Pence and the cabinet failed to invoke the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The law stipulates that if the vice president and a “majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may” declare the president “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office” they can remove him from office. But Omar and her colleagues think the best way forward would be impeachment.

“Those who have been complacent in his crimes cannot be relied upon to hold him accountable,” Omar said. “As much as we all know that it can be an easier process to invoke the 25th Amendment than to proceed with impeachment, we must do what we are obligated to do as members of Congress and not delegate our responsibility to this nation on to others.”

Omar offered an emotional account of the threats she’s received from Trump and his supporters throughout her career as a member of Congress, and the fear she felt when she was informed that the president’s mob had breached the Capitol.

“For a really long time, I have felt the threat of what it meant to be targeted by the president of the United States,” she said.

Insurrection at US Capitol
Supporters of US President Donald Trump, including Jake Angeli (C), a QAnon supporter known for his painted face and horned hat, enter the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. – Demonstrators breached security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the 2020 presidential election Electoral Vote Certification. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Omar said that although she had received with gratitude a lot of support from her constituents and the public, she didn’t think many of her colleagues in Congress understood the ordeal she endured. They did not fully understand just how inciting and dangerous President Trump could be, and that one day his words could be as threatening to them as they had been for her, she said.

“Yesterday,” she said, pausing for sometime to compose herself during what was apparently an emotional moment, “to sit in my office and to watch buildings being evacuated and to hear about bombs and explosives being found and being disposed of, and to be rushed out of my office, and to later go to the Capitol and speak to my colleagues who were in the Capitol and found themselves face to face with very dangerous mob, it’s really was something to behold.”

Omar said “we should all be angry and ashamed” that mobs could walk into the U.S. Congress and unleash terror in an attempt to subvert the will of the people.

She said if what happened yesterday was in another country, American leaders would offer support to the people and demand the resignation of that country’s president.

“There would be support from the United States to forcefully deal with the people who were responsible for the attempted coup,” she said.

Omar said that the events of yesterday were different from many that have happened in the last four years under Trump, many of which were blamed on a divided country.

“The response needs to be different.”

Hennepin County opens new round of pandemic relief for small business and nonprofits

0
Hennepin County has opened a new round of pandemic relief applications for small business and nonprofits that will close on January 14, 2021. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Hennepin County Government Center via Wikimedia Web
Hennepin County has opened a new round of pandemic relief applications for small business and nonprofits that will close on January 14, 2021. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Hennepin County Government Center via Wikimedia Web
Hennepin County has opened a new round of pandemic relief applications for small business and nonprofits that will close on January 14, 2021. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Businesses and nonprofits in Hennepin County affected financially by COVID-19 can take advantage of a funding opportunity from state funding given to the county totaling $24.6 million. The grant application deadline is January 14.

Since May 2020, Hennepin County has approved $44.75 million in small business relief grants through four application rounds.

Those applying must directly have been impacted by Governor Tim Walz’s executive orders that shuttered some businesses or partially closed them as the state addressed the coronavirus pandemic. Entities applying must also have a permanent location in Hennepin County.

Eligibility guidelines and how to apply can be found at this Hennepin County website.

Governor Walz eases restrictions as COVID-19 cases decline

0
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaking on Wednesday, January 6 2021 as he announced the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Photo: YouTube Screen Grab
Governor Walz at Press Conference on January 6 2021
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaking on Wednesday, January 6 2021 as he announced the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Photo: YouTube Screen Grab
Governor Walz at Press Conference on January 6 2021
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaking on Wednesday, January 6 2021 as he announced the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Photo: YouTube Screen Grab

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Wednesday announced he is relaxing COVID-19 restrictions that went into effect six weeks ago as the state sees declines in new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations.

Loosened restrictions will go into effect on Monday, January 11 and will affect bars and restaurants, movie theaters, gyms and places of worship.

“We are still at a fairly high rate of infection but much lower than we were in November and December,” Walz said during a press conference. As of the time of his press conference, COVID-19 has seen 427,587 people infected and caused 5,528 deaths in Minnesota according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

The governor’s announcement comes in the wake of state health officials’ announcement that 81,167 healthcare workers have received the first dose of the two-dose COVID-19 vaccines. An earlier announcement from MDH said 396,350 doses of the COVID-19 vaccines have been allocated to the state.

The following are new eased restrictions effective January 11, 2021:

  • Indoor dining at bars and restaurants can open at 50 percent capacity, with a maximum of 150 people. Parties of no more than six people must remain six feet from other parties; bar seating is open to parties of two; reservations are required; and establishments must close dine-in service by 10 p.m.
  • Gym capacity remains capped at 25 percent but maximum capacity increases to 150 and classes can increase to 25 people, assuming distancing can be observed. Machines and people must maintain 9 feet of distance. Face coverings are required.
  • Outdoor events and entertainment continue at 25 percent capacity, but maximum capacity increases to 250 people. Social distancing is required.
  • Indoor events and entertainment – like bowling alleys, movie theaters, and museums – may open at 25 percent, with no more than 150 people in each area of the venue. Face coverings are required, and they may not offer food service after 10 p.m.
  • Youth and adult organized sports have resumed practice as of January 4 and games resume January 14 with spectators, following the appropriate capacity limits for indoor or outdoor venues. Inter-region tournaments and out of state play are discouraged.
  • Pools opened on January 4 for some activity and may now open, like gyms, at 25 percent capacity.
  • Wedding receptions and other private parties may resume with limits. If food and drink are served at the event, then they are limited to two households or 10 people indoors and 3 households or 15 people outdoors. If there is no food or drink, they are covered by event venue guidelines. Any related ceremony – like a wedding or funeral ceremony – is guided by rules for ceremonies and places of worship.
  • Places of worship remain open at 50% capacity but without an overall maximum capacity.

Oballa Oballa sworn in as Austin City Council member

City Administrative Services Director Tom Dankert administers the oath of office to Oballa Oballa on Monday, January 4, 2021 for him to represent the First Ward on the Austin City Council. Photo: Bethel Gessesse/Mshale
Oballa Swearing in
City Administrative Services Director Tom Dankert administers the oath of office to Oballa Oballa on Monday, January 4, 2021 for him to represent the First Ward on the Austin City Council. Photo: Bethel Gessesse/Mshale

AUSTIN, Minn. – Ethiopian-born Oballa Oballa was sworn in Monday to take his seat as the new Austin City Council member representing First Ward. The city staggered the swearing in of new council members and the mayor throughout the day to adhere to coronavirus pandemic social distancing guidelines with Oballa taking his oath of office shortly after 2PM.

Oballa, who was elected in November, is the first person of color elected to the Austin City Council. The city, a 15-minute drive from the Iowa-Minnesota border is named after Austin R. Nichols, the city’s first European settler.

Following the oath of office – administered by City Administrative Services Director Tom Dankert – Oballa outlined his priorities for his next four years on the council.

WATCH: Video of Oballa Oballa Swearing-in.

“Less than 5 years ago, I was in a refugee camp hoping and praying that I would have the opportunity at a better life. A year ago, I became a US citizen. And now, I stand before you as a council member,” Oballa said.

“We got more work to do… For our city to thrive we have to work hard and build more housing, affordable daycare, bring more jobs, and keep people of Austin in Austin,” Oballa stated, sharing a glimpse of the platform that helped him win in November.

The state’s Democratic Party dispatched its director of civic engagement Ian Oundo to witness the historic occasion.

“As a party it shows that in addition to the work we are doing in the Twin Cities, we continue to work to expand our base in rural Minnesota,” Oundo said in an interview with Mshale after the brief ceremony. “We have to understand that the face of our community is changing all over the state of Minnesota and all those voices have to be represented.

Not even the mask that city administrator Craig Clark was wearing could hide the joy he was feeling, calling the day “historic” as he spoke with Mshale. According to Clark, the moment was not an accident.

“There is excitement out there that a new era is upon us, it is a culmination of a lot of work from a lot of people to be purposeful about being inclusive and this is a manifestation of that,” said Clark.

Due to the pandemic, only a few people could be allowed into the council chambers to witness the occasion but they made it clear they understood the significance of the moment.

Oballa’s Aunt, Adalg Ojullu, was ecstatic. She drove almost 200 miles from the neighboring state of South Dakota to witness his nephew taking the oath of office.

“His picture will remain in this building forever, I am so proud of him and the people of Austin that elected him,” said Ojullu.

Echoing her sentiments were two Austin community leaders, Ojoye Akane and Santino Deng. Both said Oballa’s election will help them in their on-going efforts to encourage more civic engagement from the African immigrant community.

Mike Dean is the executive director of LEADMN, a statewide community college association where Oballa honed some of his leadership skills.

Dean spoke to Mshale after the swearing in and said: “If you look out there and you see the pictures of the former city council members, they are all white, so this represents a sea change within the City of Austin and greater Minnesota, it’s amazing what Oballa has done here.”

MSR Forefront ends the year with a conversation about Covid-19, the vaccine and Ramsey County

0
MSR Forefront4 copy
MSR Forefront ends the year with a conversation about Covid-19, the vaccine and Ramsey County

MSR Forefront4 copyJoin MSR Forefront in partnership with Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) on Tuesday, December 29, for their last episode of the year and a conversation about the pandemic, Ramsey County and the vaccine.

Host Stephenetta Harmon and MSR’s network of physicians will discuss the initial COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan and how to build trust in the community to take the vaccine.

“COVID- 19: The Vaccine – Is it Safe?” will be live-streamed on Tuesday December 29,  6 pm CST from the MSR Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MNSpokesmanRecorder.

The event is sponsored by Ramsey County Racial Equity & Community Engagement Response Team (RECERT).

Follow MSR’s activity and this special partnership by subscribing to email updates on the Spokesman-Recorder.com website, following them on Facebook, and visiting Spokesman-Recorder.com/Forefront for more information.