The Minneapolis Story -- Columns 2013 Quarter 1

March 27, 2012 Column #13: Will the Vikings stadium be a repeat of Target Field?

"Through My Eyes, the Minneapolis Story Continues"
A weekly column by Ron Edwards featured in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

"Through My Eyes, the Minneapolis Story Continues"
A weekly column by Ron Edwards
Featured in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Question: Will the State/City and Vikings/NFL allow the “Blacks need not apply” motto of Twins Field be applied to the Vikings stadium?

Recall my columns:
• “Stadiums go up while compliance system breaks down” (June 4, 2008).
• “City failed to monitor hiring during Twins stadium construction” (May 12, 2010).
• “MN attorney general was supposed to monitor Twins stadium hiring” (June 16, 2010).
• “‘The Plan’ revealed: no more jobs for Black Minnesotans in 2011 and beyond” (March 9, 2011)
• “Black jobs promised on Vikings stadium construction. Who will ensure the promises are kept?” (February 15, 2012)
• By law: “Hiring mandates must be in place for Viking stadium project.” (April 4, 2012).

Back to the past: August 3, 2007, I filed a civil rights complaint with the Minnesota Department of Civil Rights [MDCR] File # A6392-BS-1F-7, later dismissed due to “lack of jurisdiction.”

My May 12, 2010 column: I “vigorously opposed the breaking of employment compliance law” by the Twins Ball Park Authority. Ironically and tragically, at the same time, the MDCR “allowed the Mortenson Construction Company to self-report (like putting the fox in charge of the lock on the hen house door).”

What Mortenson and the MDCR did with Twins Field was illegal, immoral and unjust. But companies like Mortenson can’t flout the law or morality or justice without official approval from the State and City, whether granted publicly or behind closed doors, as seen in the columns listed above.

Back to the future: For several weeks, serious, fruitful and transparent discussions have developed between the construction-skills-qualified Gentlemen of the Round Table (of Kansas City) and the two owners of the People’s Stadium (the MN Vikings and the MN Sports Authority). But not by Sports Authority staff, as seen when they assigned the task of talking with the Kansas City Group to a representative of the Met Council (Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities).

We repeat again: The Met Council has no statutory relationship with the construction, design and operations of the People’s Stadium. It has no contracting authority.

Two representatives of the Met Council were earlier hired as contract workers to develop an Equity Plan, which, in the final analysis, leaves out African Americans. As of the writing of this column, they have not acted in the best interest of the Sports Facility Authority, nor of the citizens of the state of Minnesota, nor the African American community.

During discussions with the Kansas City group, the Met Council representatives were unyielding and, in fact, bordering on hostile to the Kansas City group and its chief negotiator (who was a general contractor in the State of Minnesota for 23 years).

One of the most disturbing positions of Wanda Kirkpatrick, director of equal opportunity for the Met Council, an African American herself, was that she had no intention of yielding on the setting of specific goals for African Americans. She and others had no problem setting a six-percent goal for White females within the 32 percent minority goal (some have said 38 percent).

And yet there was fanatical resistance, absolute refusal, to embrace a specific goal for African Americans, all the while knowing that the Kansas City group is positioned and has the workers to fill positions for which there are no African American stadium-qualified workers in the state of Minnesota for work beyond sweeping up and doing manual labor. I have reason to believe this is not the position of the Minnesota Vikings nor the Sports Facility Authority (and specifically not its chairwoman, Michele Kelm-Helgen).

So, what about the attempt to use the Target Field’s “no Blacks” game plan for the “People’s Stadium” (hence the resistance to having clear percentages and numerical numbers for Black workers). The People’s Stadium represents a clear and present opportunity for African Americans to move from the back of the bus to a place of equality seated at the table of opportunity.

Racism didn’t end with laws allowing public accommodations, public access, and public education. Racism ends when discrimination ends regarding access and participation in work leadership and ownership in private and public sectors.

It is not right nor acceptable for African Americans to again be denied participation in the full fruits of prosperity and opportunity. It is troubling and historically dangerous for African Americans to aid and abet the demise of their own people (be they in foundations, nonprofits, government agencies, churches, corporations, etc).

In preparation for our next column, we don’t wonder why Mortenson is so silent, for they are known for endorsing and applauding the rebuffing of the dreams of African Americans. Mortenson’s representatives must understand this is not Manchester England of the 1960s and 1970s. This is America, a land of meaningful opportunity. Biases have no place on these beloved shores of the United States of America.

Editors note:

(1) From February 6, 2013 column: “The Michael Jordan doctrine”: still in place. The former executive director of Minneapolis Civil Rights Department, an African Americn, said five years ago that Minneapolis can meet its equity and diversity goals without hiring a single African American.

(2) See columns of May 9 and Dec. 26, 2007; May 14, 2008; blog entry of Dec. 4, 2007.

Ron Edwards hosts “Black Focus” on Channel 17, MTN-TV, Sundays, 5-6 pm, and hosts Blog Talk Radio’s “Black Focus V” on Sundays, 3-3:30 pm and Thursdays, 7-8:30 pm, providing coverage about Black Minnesota. Order his books at www.BeaconOnTheHill.com. Hear his readings and read his columns, blog, and solution papers for community planning and development, at www.TheMinneapolisStory.com. Columns are archived at www.theminneapolisstory.com/tocarchives.htm.

Ron Edwards is the former head of key civil rights organizations, including the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and the Urban League. He continues his "watchdog" role for Minneapolis, and his work to contribute to the planning discussions in order to help mold a consensus for the future of Black and White Americans together in Minneapolis.

Ron's investigative reporting media message platforms:
(1) Column (since 2003): "Through My Eyes: The Minneapolis Story Continues", published weekly in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.;
(2) TV: Host of weekly Black Focus, Sundays, 5-6 pm, on Channel 17, MTN-TV;
(3) Blog Talk radio podcasts: host of “Black Focus V,” Saturdays, 3-4:00 pm, Sundays, 3-3:30 pm, and Thursdays, 7-8:30 pm; Archives here and here; On Point,
(4) Books: The Minneapolis Story Through My Eyes (2002); and A Seat for Everyone (2008); Order here.
(5) Solution Papers: for community leadership, planning and development;
(6) Blog: "Tracking the Gaps"
(7) CD: Hear his readings;
(8) Archives. (Columns, Blog entries, Solution Papers).

Posted Wednesday, April 3, 2013, 2:30 a.m.

March 20, 2012 Column #12: White unions get $1 million to train workers of color to build stadiums? It’s time for the B.S. to end.

"Through My Eyes, the Minneapolis Story Continues"
A weekly column by Ron Edwards featured in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Pullquote: Let’s not let our Black and White elites continue to gamble with the lives of future generations.

Which legacy for the Vikings Stadium? Only qualified White workers or qualified workers regardless of color? Employment apartheid or inclusiveness? Employment inclusiveness and fairness, or employment apartheid and unfairness?

The 100 qualified Gentlemen of the Roundtable of Kansas City, Missouri, journeymen construction workers introduced in a previous column, have since talked with the Vikings. Next: the Sports Facility Authority and the State of Minnesota.

Revelations and clarifications were made in the conversation with the Gentlemen of the Roundtable. The Vikings confirmed $1 million is being awarded to White unions in Minnesota to train African Americans and others of color in stadium construction skills.

Really? Isn’t the real goal to train White workers, who will come from the White union rolls? There is not enough time for trainees to meet stadium construction industry requirements and still meet the scheduled opening date. As the Gentlemen made clear: The BS has to end.

Recall that no provisions are in the legislation that mandates “Minnesota only” residents to be employed on the stadium project. Both White and Black contractors’ associations have said such skilled laborers don’t exist in Minnesota. It is clear the most qualified and experienced workers will come from out of state, just as in the construction of the Metrodome 31 years ago.

We still await answers to our questions of who will monitor the equity plans and commitment to end apartheid in the construction industry in Minnesota. The experienced 100 African American Gentlemen of the Roundtable journeymen are in place, ready to exercise their constitutional right to work anywhere in the United States of America.

This newspaper has been in the forefront exposing truths, keeping Minnesota’s eye on the prize of Black inclusion. Recall Charles Hallman’s articles in the spring of 2010 (especially “City Confirms Ball Park Minority Goals Met, but Participation by Black Workers Remains Undocumented”).

Velma Korbel, Civil Rights Department director, sent an email to City Council Member Elizabeth Glidden on June 7, 2010, at 9:23 am, attacking and falsely accusing both Mr. Hallman and myself of providing inaccurate information (despite the council’s own paid report by NERA of the City’s purposefully submitted inaccurate numbers, as we reported).

While Ms. Korbel was misleading the council member, 32-year Civil Rights Department staff member Eddie Caideron had earlier sent a confidential communiqué on May 20, 2010, at 9:41 am, to Mr. Michael J. Rumppe, City Department of Human Resources, in which Mr. Caideron reflected on orders given to Corky Taylor, James Patterson, and himself about the discrepancies Ms. Korbel was denying.

All three are no longer with the Civil Rights Department, having been transferred or fired. But the content of Mr. Caideron’s communiqué was forwarded to the NERA group who was conducting the City’s $500,000 disparity study.

It speaks to the power of Mortenson and Kraus-Anderson to get the City to say it was monitoring them when, in fact, the City was not doing so. These are the extremely frightening, disturbing, and chilling patterns and practices of the City and its contractors, who purposefully ignore the bedrock principle: “Of the people, by the people, for the people.”

These patterns and practices are also seen in the minutes of a meeting presided over by Mr. James C. Burroughs II, regarding documents reviewed by the Minority, Women and Diverse Business Oversight Committee, on which Ms. Korbel was a member. The numbers within the documents that were circulated the morning of March 10, 2011 were worthy of being reviewed by a federal grand jury, as it had outrageous falsehoods regarding Black participation in the school district HQ construction in North Minneapolis.

Let’s not play this game. Let’s not ignore these charges. Let’s not be blind to purposeful unfairness. Let’s not let our Black and White elites continue to gamble with the lives of future generations.

A million dollars has been given to White trade unions to do something they have never been successful doing — training and qualifying Black Minnesotans for construction work (nor have Black training counterparts been successful in doing so).

The questions remain: How say you, Governor Dayton, Minnesota legislature and Sports Authority? How say you, mayor and city council? How say you, Minnesota Vikings and the NFL?

A significant number of Black players are on the Minnesota Vikings and all NFL teams. There are also qualified Black American construction workers. We expect farness and opportunity for them as well. So no more B.S.: It is a question of race. (“We can hire minorities without hiring a single Black,” in the infamous words of a former civil rights director).

Respect must be for the abilities of all races. Will Minnesota respect Black stadium construction workers or only White ones? Only time will tell.

(2) See my columns of May 9 and Dec. 26, 2007; May 14, 2008; blog entry of Dec. 4, 2007; Solution Paper 46 of Nov. 22, 2011).

March 13, 2012 Column #11: When will MN’s ‘no Black workers need apply’ policy end? Who will monitor and enforce Black participation on the so-called ‘People’s Stadium’ project?

"Through My Eyes, the Minneapolis Story Continues"
A weekly column by Ron Edwards featured in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

My concern is for the ending of the discrimination patterns and practices that prevent access for Black men and women to the opportunities of Minnesota (education, jobs, housing), with discrimination led by White and Black elites (City agencies, nonprofits, foundations, churches, corporations, the NAACP, Urban League). My Solution Paper #46, Disparity and Non-Compliance Record of Not Job Hiring and Contracting with African Americans (purposefully practicing disparity and avoiding compliance), is on my website (www.TheMinneapolisStory.com) lists my columns providing details, enough to launch a dozen lawsuits. [Editors note: todate: 47 solution papers}

Minnesota’s discrimination molehills have been easy to sweep under the rug. But the discrimination mountain looming on the horizon, the billion-dollar stadium, will take the “easy” away.

The task of continuing these discriminatory patterns and practices falls prominently to Mortenson, one of the most blatantly discriminating companies in Minnesota, as it was picked as the Vikings Peoples’ Stadium construction manager.

The discrimination patterns and practices are simple: Redefine any special interest as a “minority” except Black workers. Minnesota keeps letting non-Black races, creeds, orientations, women and other interest groups cut into the head of the line, forcing Black workers to stay at the back of the bus.

No mystery. No puzzle. Mortenson has practiced its skill at excluding Black workers and hiding the fact with false figures and failed outside monitoring. It is as clear as the fingers on your hands, as seen in this roll call of Mortenson discrimination for Minneapolis: TCF Stadium, Target Field, Children’s Hospital of the University of Minnesota, the Minneapolis Public School District Headquarters in North Minneapolis, and now the Vikings “People’s Stadium.”

The Minneapolis Civil Rights Department leads the way — “Minneapolis can meet its minority hiring requirements without hiring a single Black worker,” in the words of a former department head. They are followed by the backing of Black and White Minneapolis officials (City agencies, nonprofits, the NAACP, Urban League, foundations, churches, corporations).

Thus, it is no accident nor surprise that the equity legislation for the Vikings’ stadium does not specify how the hiring of Black workers will be monitored, documented, authenticated and certified.

The complaint filed by Marvin “Corky “Taylor with the federal government and the EEOC that I wrote about last week clearly identified these patterns and practices. I’ve asked at meetings and hearings: How many Black workers will be hired? The stadium legislation carefully has no mandate, only “best effort,” meaning, “Hey, none, but we 'tried.'”

State officials, such as Wanda Kirkpatrick of the Metropolitan Council, and the representative of Ryan Construction have made it clear: The universal agreement is that there will be no percentage or numbers assigned in the state of Minnesota to any racial group, and specifically African Americans, who are the most deprived of all. So “minorities” does not mean Blacks.

This doctrine of benign neglect includes reporting hours and funds paid to Blacks that actually went to Whites. The April 14, 2009 letter from Lynn Littlejohn of Mortenson to Dick Strasburg of the Minnesota Twins contains a “SWMBE Participation Summary.” One of the firms identified is J.R. Jones, a company that did finishing carpentry. It claimed J.R. Jones received $5,300,000, of which, at page six, it states the subcontractor, Tri-Construction, was paid $795,000. Where did the rest of that money go?

In a similar document, $1.4M was on the books as paid to Tri-Construction. But it was not paid to Tri-Construction, even though it was identified as a minority business enterprise. In all, it was reported that over $2,000,000 was paid to Tri-Construction. But it was not.

Mr. Taylor and Mr. James Patterson brought this to the attention of the Ball Park Authority. Mr. Patterson was discharged. Mr. Taylor was demoted. Is it coincidence that Tri-Construction had a direct business relationship with Mortenson Construction?

In a confidential communiqué to Velma Korbel, Mr. Taylor explained the nature of his illness and the air he had to breath in the closed, dank, basement office they demoted him to, which contributed to his death (“My health issues…prolonged hours in that air”). He reported summaries of the disparity study, the Twins report, Security Update Validation Program (SUVP), the Central Certification (CERT) Program, Section 3/Certification, the Community Planning & Economic Development (CPED) Program. When will the department release his reports?

City officials knew that Mr. Taylor was being pushed to the limit of his health, that his condition was perilous. In a word, they were helping to kill him. He was one of five identified to be purged, four of whom are now gone (two have died).

Minneapolis makes it clear: Get in our way and we’ll make sure you are dealt with by any means necessary. I did not just stand by and watch. I filed a complaint with the Civil Rights Department against Mortenson and its role in the construction of the Twins stadium. The department denied it.

Their power and authority to make things go away is part of Mortenson’s chilling legacy and power.

(2) See my columns of May 9 and Dec. 26, 2007; May 14, 2008; blog entry of Dec. 4, 2007; Solution Paper 46 of Nov. 22, 2011).

March 06, 2012 Column #10: Gentlemen of the Round Table ready to work on People’s Stadium

"Through My Eyes, the Minneapolis Story Continues"
A weekly column by Ron Edwards featured in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Pullquote: African Americans will now have a meaningful, productive, and profitable seat at the table of inclusion.

Sometime in late March of 2013, an African American construction trade association, Gentlemen of the Round Table, will be looking forward to its meeting with the Sports Facilities Authority to present its members’ credentials qualifying them to work on the Viking’s People’s Stadium. What a difference a plan makes to enable meeting a dream and vision of minority inclusion.

This group of 100 Black men in the construction trades, based in Kansas City, Missouri, was formed seven years ago. All are journeymen. Over half own their own businesses. Some are currently officers in their unions. All are prepared to come to work in Minnesota, just as their White stadium construction counterparts do: working anywhere in the USA where their major construction specialties are needed. They meet and exceed the high standards of the industry.

Some of these Gentlemen of the Round Table have previously lived in Minnesota. They follow the events of the Twin Cities, know the Minnesota scene, are well versed on Minnesota politics, and are prepared to make up for the lack of skilled African American stadium construction trade journeymen in Minnesota.

They are aware that statements by Mortenson that all workers on the stadium project must be residents of Minnesota are legally and constitutionally open to challenge. Given poor workmanship on some major projects, particularly our bridges, everyone should expect — demand — the best, most qualified construction journeymen to work on the Vikings People’s Stadium. We welcome highly qualified artisans, qualified to work and to engage in honest and productive workforce negotiations.

The Star Tribune reported that Mortenson told the Sport Authority it will utilize Minneapolis’ Uni-Systems, a leading firm in retractable roofs (they have done five of the last seven for NFL stadiums). The Gentlemen of the Round Table are extremely aware of the philosophy and mechanical reputation of Uni-Systems.

Does that mean the Vikings People’s Stadium will have a retractable roof? If so, where is its funding? And where will the workers come from given that Uni-Systems outsources, as it only has 37 permanent employees?

This will be an historic marriage of professionals: Mortenson with Uni-Systems, the Gentlemen of the Round Table, the Sports Facilities Authority, the Minnesota Vikings, and the NFL. Ted Mondale, after admitting there was no equity plan for Target Field, asked, "Give us a chance,” meaning a chance to bring meaningful equity hiring diversity for the Vikings stadium.

African Americans will now have a meaningful, productive, and profitable seat at the table of inclusion. The Kansas City, MO group, 440 miles down I-35 as the crow flies, is to be commended for having a plan for the inclusion of all. This workforce will enable Minnesota to meet its human rights policy goal of 32 percent participation by minorities and women on such projects.

This is huge. As we have reported before, Minnesota contractor associations, Black and White, have stated Minnesota doesn’t have laborers in the construction specialty categories for stadiums. We confirmed this in January when we reported no African American participation in those categories.

The Gentlemen of the Round Table, through meaningful and honest negotiations, will bring wonderful change and be on the Vikings People’s Stadium site as part of the 7,500 construction work force. Maybe now it can be completed by July 2016.

Problems remain that have nothing to do with workers. Neither retractable roof in Texas (Cowboys, Oilers) works well; they don’t fully close due to mechanical problems. And the Indianapolis (Colts) retractable roof is limited by not being waterproof. These issues would be huge in Minnesota where climate is a monster.

Another question: Given how this state was unable to verify racial numbers in past stadiums and arenas, what tracking software will they use to verify that 7,500 workers are from this state? And if hiring only Minnesota workers, what about those in Wisconsin who drive into Minnesota to go to work? And where is the financing for the heating pipes to be put under the Gophers’ playing surface, as directed by the NFL? And where is the financing/funding for a retractable roof and for the Vikings Plaza?

The Kansas City group understands the attempts in Minnesota to deny African Americans on major projects. Hence, they have retained legal counsel and are prepared to mount a legal challenge if denied.

And if serious questions haven’t been answered by the $100M paid in, do the Vikings spend yet more money? Or do they cut their losses and move to L.A.?

(2) See my columns of May 9 and Dec. 26, 2007; May 14, 2008; blog entry of Dec. 4, 2007; Solution Paper 46 of Nov. 22, 2011).

Posted Wednesday, March 6, 2013, 3:50 a.m.

Ron Edwards is the former head of key civil rights organizations, including the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and the Urban League. He continues his "watchdog" role for Minneapolis, and his work to contribute to the planning discussions in order to help mold a consensus for the future of Black and White Americans together in Minneapolis.

February 27, 2012 Column #09: The legacy of Marvin “Corky” Taylor. Rest in peace, Black Warrior, one of the Honest Five who refused to lie.

"Through My Eyes, the Minneapolis Story Continues"
A weekly column by Ron Edwards featured in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Marvin “Corky” Taylor was recognized by NERA (National Economic Research Associates) for his contributions to the completion of NERA’s October 21, 2010 report to the City of Minneapolis on the City’s purposeful failure to meet its diversity, equity and affirmative action responsibilities. NERA’s crack global research team of Wainwright, Holt, Kim Stewart and J. Wesley Stewart wrote: “This study would not have been possible without the assistance and perseverance of Mr. Marvin Taylor of the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights.”

In Mr. Taylor they found a dedicated and persevering professional refusing to join in the sabotage of the research report. The response of his bosses at the City and its Civil Rights Department was his b.

The things that were done to Mr. Taylor after his demotion were calculated to break him. He was put into a dank basement office surrounded by asbestos. Then came terminal cancer. Then death.

The department and City were purposely involved in this rendition (polite word for torture) of Mr. Taylor. This bureaucratic rendition helped draw life from his body but not his spirit, nor his courage, nor his commitment to pursuing fairness and justice.

He sued. The City fought back. The City lost. On June 27, 2012 the Minneapolis City Attorney’s office notified Corky Taylor’s attorneys that a settlement agreement with the City was reached. A few hours later, Mr. Taylor died.

The City, relentless in its anger for its lawlessness exposed, decided to renege on the agreement. His wife, family and lawyers tenaciously kept the faith and fought the good fight until on November 14, 2012 Hennepin County appointed his wife personal representative of his estate. On February 4, 2013 the City of Minneapolis finally agreed to pay the settlement to his heirs.

A major legacy of Mr. Taylor is that, unlike his city and his City department, he never took his eyes off the prize. His fight reminds us that our city is for everyone, not just the Black and White elites.

The mayor’s office and Velma Korbel’s Civil Rights office should not have been concerned. No one protested that they did nothing about NERA’s findings. The City lost some money, but so what? It was taxpayer dollars, not theirs.

Black Minnesotans continue not to be hired. The City continues to support the Mortenson Construction Company, one of the biggest compliance violators identified in the report. The NERA research team declared against the character assassination directed toward Mr. Taylor and against four other members of the department: Mr. Brandon, Mr. Calderone, Ms. Maker, and Ms. Crossland.

They were called the Honest Five for refusing to be silent when they uncovered a very troubling system of false information, false figures, and shredding of documents. The NERA project team became very concerned about the validity and authenticity of information and statistical data received from the City. The Honest Five refused to lie; they refused to support the corruption of the City and its department of civil rights.

Tragically, two of the five are now deceased; another — threatened by City officials — is considering legal action. One has received a lucrative settlement from the City in exchange for his silence; and the fifth, Ms. Crossland, is slated for late spring termination.

From late July 2011 until late April 2012, Mr. Taylor fought his wrongful discharge, finally filing, on May 7, 2012, an employment discrimination charge with the federal government. The filed charges of this courageous American make for interesting reading, laying out his allegations, charges of corruption, and other illegal acts of the City and its Department of Civil Rights. The number of the file with his charges is #444-2012-00970.

The unfinished business left is the future of hiring Vikings People’s Stadium’s Black contractors and workers. The stadium authority knows about Mortenson’s history of noncompliance. Ted Mondale admitted it.

Ted Mondale askeds, “Give us another chance.” Of course. But will they take it or place more under Minneapolis’ version of rendition?

Stay tuned.

Ron Edwards is the former head of key civil rights organizations, including the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and the Urban League. He continues his "watchdog" role for Minneapolis, and his work to contribute to the planning discussions in order to help mold a consensus for the future of Black and White Americans together in Minneapolis.

Editor’s Note: (1) From February 6, 2013 column: “The Michael Jordan doctrine”: still in place. The former executive director of Minneapolis Civil Rights Department said five years ago that Minneapolis can meet its equity and diversity goals without hiring a single African American. (See my columns of May 9 and Dec. 26, 2007; May 14, 2008; blog entry of Dec. 4, 2007; Solution Paper 46 of Nov. 22, 2011). (2) See: About JOBS: The Corrupt and Racist Construction Contract System, Resulting in Jail not Jobs; The War on Drugs as A War on Black Men: Blacks as Inmates not as Contractors or Workers; Another Example of Black Corruption Selling Out to White Corruption.

Posted Wednesday, February 27, 2013, 7:31 p.m.

Ron Edwards is the former head of key civil rights organizations, including the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and the Urban League. He continues his "watchdog" role for Minneapolis, and his work to contribute to the planning discussions in order to help mold a consensus for the future of Black and White Americans together in Minneapolis.

February 20, 2012 Column #08: Will Blacks finally get a fair share of work on this stadium? Chair of stadium authority raises serious questions about past inclusion.

"Through My Eyes, the Minneapolis Story Continues"
A weekly column by Ron Edwards featured in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Michele Kelm-Helgen, chairwoman of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA), who oversees design and construction of the Vikings’ “People’s Stadium,” told Minnesota Public Radio, in interview, February 8, 2013, that serious questions have been raised about the Equity Plan implementation passed by the MSFA that same day.

Three City-commissioned studies by two separate research groups support Chairwoman Kelm-Helgen’s observations. The last study was issued on May 15, 2012, by NERA (National Economic Research Associates) at a cost to Minneapolis of $500,000. These studies expose the City’s serious and purposeful noncompliance with Minority and Women Business Enterprises (M/WBE) utilization requirements.

NERA’s report provided evidence that supports the investigative reporting in this column for a decade. We appreciate Chairwoman Kelm-Helgen’s KARE-TV interview. We welcome her aboard.

We also welcome aboard Ted Mondale, who stated to us at a closed meeting October 10, 2012, with the chairwoman that although there was no Equity Plan for Target Field, and that they had no numbers for compliance, it will be different for the Vikings stadium; just give us a chance, Ted Mondale said. NERA’s report will help facilitate preventing future cover-ups and provides an opportunity to stop the misrepresentation of the plight of African Americans in Minneapolis.

Pages 205-208 show just how little inclusion there has been for African Americans in the area of utilization in construction and other aspects of economic opportunity: less than one percent. At page 209 of the October 22, 2010 report we see that on City-funded construction projects for the period 2003-2007, African Americans were awarded and ultimately paid less than one percent of the total.

It took NERA and the National Research Institute of Washington, D.C. an average of six-to-seven years to get the information, statistics, numbers, etc. due to the City stalling, “losing” data, and sending incomplete and false information from the City’s Civil Rights Department in their attempt to hide their noncompliance.

Here are some of many statistics that would have caught the attention of Chairwoman Michele Kelm-Helgen and her research department, especially the astonishingly complete lack of trained African Americans in job category after job category, as listed on pages 210 – 232:

• Architectural- and structural-metals manufacturing: 0
• Building exterior contractors: 0
• Building finishing contractors: 0
• Machinery and supply merchants: 0
• Other specialty trade contractors: 0
• General freight trucking: 0
• Utility systems construction: 0
• Engineering construction: 0
• Building equipment contractors: 0
• Highway, street and bridge constructions: 0
• Cement- and concrete-production manufacturing: 0
• Lumber and other construction materials merchant wholesalers: 0

Zero in so many categories — this exposes the true nature of so-called Minneapolis job training programs. Only the size of this new stadium project is exposing the true nature of the Minneapolis condition of purposefully not training African American workers and of hiring minorities defined as not Black.

Claims of certification and hires are false. Despite computers able to collect data, unlike the old paper-and-pencil days, the City cannot authenticate African American hiring for the construction at TCF Stadium, Target Field, Target Center, Fairview Children’s Hospital at the University of MN, or the Minneapolis Public Schools District’s new HQ.

I’m often asked by folks who have passed by work sites, whether walking or riding, where are the workers we are told are involved, as they have seen no African Americans, including at highway sites. This is tragically sad and unnecessary. The jokes about "ghost" workers are not funny.

People of color need to have the doors of opportunity held open for them, not barricaded shut, to make up for not being allowed to apply. Can something be done?

The opportunity and the timing are still here. There is time, especially if attached to university training programs, to train young men and women of color in apprentice and journeymen programs in time to enable Minnesota workers to get jobs building the stadium.

Without new, legitimate programs, and without changes to other “business as usual,” including financing the stadium, I have heard it said that the opening could be delayed to 2017 or later. That is unacceptable to the Vikings, the NFL and the fans. But at least the Black and White leaders will have maintained the desired status quo: getting away with getting paid to exclude African Americans.

Without African American workers from Minnesota in the stadium employment/contractor mix, there is no hope for the stadium to contribute to getting the African American community back on its feet and once again having a meaningful place at the Minnesota table of economic opportunity.

Posted Wednesday, February 20, 2013, 2:44 a.m.

Ron Edwards is the former head of key civil rights organizations, including the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and the Urban League. He continues his "watchdog" role for Minneapolis, and his work to contribute to the planning discussions in order to help mold a consensus for the future of Black and White Americans together in Minneapolis.

"Through My Eyes, the Minneapolis Story Continues"
A weekly column by Ron Edwards featured in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

"Through My Eyes, the Minneapolis Story Continues"
A weekly column by Ron Edwards
Featured in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Pull quote: It will be of great interest in the coming weeks to see who will receive significant funding in support of the so-called Minneapolis Plan…that identified African American males as the source of many of the criminal problem.”

What joy and excitement energized the Black community, individuals and organizations alike, anticipating seeing and meeting the first African American president, Barrack Obama, in North Minneapolis when he was in town Monday, February 4 to make a major speech on guns and violence in America.

Although disappointed in what the president’s administration has not done for communities of color, and skipping North Minneapolis as a campaigner, expectations still ran high until they gave way to high disappointment when his visit turned out to be a PR drive-by, as his motorcade sped to and from the well-fortified police academy building at 41st and DuPont in North Minneapolis, leaving many bewildered and upset.

The gun and crime statistics didn’t match ours of columns past nor address the concerns Harry Belafonte expressed at the February 1 NAACP Awards show: that Black Americans are the “most incarcerated, most unemployed, and most hunted in America,” nor the question Belafonte asked earlier regarding why contemporary discussions continue “to ignore decades of urban gun violence.”

The courtesy and respect denied the community in general spilled over to key leaders such as the Assistant Majority Whip of the Minnesota Senate, Jeff Hayden, who received none of the considerations that should be accorded to a man of his political stature (he stands fifth in the line of succession for governor). All during Black History month. The President and his advisors and local Democrats have sent a disturbing message that could potentially backfire on the Democrats involved.

One wonders how many were behind Senator Hayden being so disrespected by his own. Senator Hayden is known within the Black community for his significant expertise and experience. He would have brought a seriousness to the roundtable discussions.

But whether old or newly anointed leadership, the group of 15 who met with the president in a pre-speech, closed-door meeting/photo op — including Rev. VJ Smith, the Minneapolis Police Department chaplain and the national leader of Mad Dads — should have included Senator Hayden.

New leadership is emerging within the Black ecumenical community of Minneapolis. The leadership of Shiloh International Ministry under the Rev. Dr. Howell is a new and emerging giant according to high-level gossip during the president’s visit. And the presence on the president’s speech dais of former Republican state senator and now Sheriff Richard Stanek, reflects significant new coalition-building between the Obama administration and a rising new star within Minnesota law enforcement.

It will be of great interest in the coming weeks to see who will receive significant funding in support of the so-called Minneapolis Plan, the 2009 position paper offered by the outgoing administration of Mayor R.T. Rybak that identified African American males as the source of many of the criminal problems in the city of Minneapolis and in Hennepin County. I call your attention to pages 58 and 59 of that 2009 report, “The State of City Leadership for Children and Families,” published by the National League of Cities, Institute for Youth Education and Families.

The comprehensive action plan President Barack Obama made reference to Feb. 4, as well as his reference to the University of Minnesota’s Plan, also raise the question of what will be the role of UROC. These plans will reveal who’s in and who’s out of leadership, who will and who won’t get funded.

Will these plans directly address the war on young Black men and what Harry Belafonte called “The consequences of our racial carnage”? Belafonte further asked: “Where is the raised voice of Black America? Why are we mute? Where are our leaders? Our legislators? Where is the church?”

Nellie Stone Johnson’s answer remains: education, jobs, housing, community-family. That is what it is all about, isn’t it? Or will the status quo remain, a select few paid to consult on how to leave out the community?

February 06, 2012 Column #06: So much for 32 percent Black participation in stadium construction. When will the State deposit its $50M statutory requirement?

"Through My Eyes, the Minneapolis Story Continues"
A weekly column by Ron Edwards featured in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

So much for 32 percent Black participation in stadium construction. When will the State deposit its $50M statutory requirement?

Vikings People’s-no-new-taxes stadium is unraveling for the African American community. “It’s ours” ballyhoo regarding Minnesota has become “it’s mine” for NFL, the Wizard of Oz behind the Vikings’ curtain.

• 32 percent minority participation goals of Minnesota’s State Department of Human Rights Director Kevin Lindsay were pulverized into dust. My estimate of 1-1.5 percent African American participation: too high. Actual and factual: unless there is unanticipated change, less than half of one percent, including employment and contracts.

•“Every effort:” the rug under which all promises are swept, as promises are not legally mandatory.

• “The Michael Jordan doctrine”: still in place. The former executive director of Minneapolis Civil Rights Department said five years ago that Minneapolis can meet its equity and diversity goals without hiring a single African American. (See my columns of May 9 and Dec. 26, 2007; May 14, 2008; blog entry of Dec. 4, 2007; Solution Paper 46 of Nov. 22, 2011).

• Panic began when NFL patience ended in 2012: the NFL Commissioner told our governor and key legislators that if no new stadium is built, the Vikings are free to move in 2013.

• Panic result: Minnesota hastily scrambled, putting the construction cart before the finance horse. Our decade of warnings: a decade lost.
• Panic result: half of land promised team owner Ziggy Wilf for development is not yet attained and may be unattainable.

• Panic result: Neither Minnesota nor Minneapolis committed funds from viable sources.

• Panic result: roof still debated. How to finance it? From the beginning Ziggy has been opposed.

• Panic result: quick slight of hands exposed, “people’s stadium” for soccer (legislation Section 15), baseball (400 college and high school games scheduled for 2013), and other community events. Vikings want to sacrifice them for 20 feet of Vikings seats for their 8-12 uses a year.

• Panic questions: As Vikings want sell outs for seat money, how many will want to sit in cold weather, with no roof? And how will baseball be played without a roof? b

• Panic solutions:
(1) As the DFL controls both houses of the Minnesota legislature, just raise taxes, as California did.
(2) Assign a Super Bowl to Minneapolis to cover roof costs and any shortages.

“Blacks need not apply” doctrine was on display at the January 24, 2013 public hearing in the Halsey Hall Room of the Metrodome. Had the Authority not held the legislation-mandated public hearing, there would have been no “public” discussion.

Timeline: We still expect at least a year delay, roof or not, baseball or not, people’s stadium or not people’s stadium.

Financing/funding (roof/no roof) quandary: Unless Dallas architects pull architectural rabbits out of their architectural hat, with the state budget shortfall combined with the far lower than expected electronic pull tab revenue, the state won’t meet its financing obligation under stadium legislation Section 19, Article 473J.15 (specifically lines 22.1 through 22.9). Nor will the city meet its $150 million contribution (grows to $800 million over the course of the loan according to City’s own calculations). How will Minneapolis meet its obligations? Answer: Raise taxes again, leading to more delay.

People’s Plaza: How long will delays take trying to obtain plaza land, including property owned by Minneapolis Star Tribune?
Fifty million dollars initial payment from Vikings: on the table, in the bank, in the proper account. When will Minnesota and Minneapolis be able to put in their initial amounts?

Significant financial issues, serious stress and strain in relationships within the Sports Facility Authority and with the community continue to reduce hope for diversity and inclusion of African Americans and others of color.

Stadium legislation, Section 17, 473J.12, “employment,” Subdivision 1, “hiring and recruitment,” states at Line 19.1: “The Authority shall make every effort to employ and cause the NFL team and the construction manager to commit to a good faith effort.” “Effort” means “not mandatory,” so the Jordan doctrine lives enabling Minnesota to continue to be all talk and no walk.

Opportunities for Black leadership to develop strategy and protect African American interests are lost. Even their pay-for-leaders-not-for-people scam has failed. It's now Black History Month. This purposefully missed opportunity has become a part of a tragic legacy seen in the subtitle of a 2000 book on Minnesota stadiums, Boondoggles — no real commitment, no real plan, no real strategy except for money-pocketing failure.

What a sad day for Minnesota and the dream of full inclusion in both construction and operation of the “People’s-no-new-taxes stadium.” In the name of the People’s-no-new-taxes stadium, God bless the Black people of Minnesota being left behind. Give us strength to muster up at least one percent.

Ron Edwards hosts “Black Focus” on Channel 17, MTN-TV, Sundays, 5-6 pm, and hosts Blog Talk Radio’s “Black Focus V” on Saturdays, 3-4:00 pm, providing coverage about Black Minnesota. Order his books at www.BeaconOnTheHill.com. Hear his readings and read his columns and blog, and solution papers for community planning and development. All are are archived at www.theminneapolisstory.com/tocarchives.htm. His second book, 2008, is A Seat for Everyone.

Posted Wednesday, Febdruary 5, 2013, 12:10 a.m.

Ron Edwards is the former head of key civil rights organizations, including the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and the Urban League. He continues his "watchdog" role for Minneapolis, and his work to contribute to the planning discussions in order to help mold a consensus for the future of Black and White Americans together in Minneapolis.

January 30, 2012 Column #05: Let the Games Begin: The Selection of the Construction Manager. Fraser, Davis, and Tomlin: Quota Guys?

"Through My Eyes, the Minneapolis Story Continues"
A weekly column by Ron Edwards featured in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

The Push Black Americans In Football To The Back Of The Bus Games have begun, raising “Blacks need not apply” signs not only for stadium construction jobs but also NFL team Head Coaching jobs. This is not about quotas. It is about statistical probabilities not being met due to intentional skewing out of contention a specific group of people. In this case, Black American Workers, whether on stadiums or on stadium field sidelines.

On or about February 1, the Sports Facilities Authority will select Vikings’ Stadium Construction Manager. I’m making two predictions (bets, if you will): there will be at least one-year delay from July 2016 to 2017, and the builder will be Hunt Construction, of Scottsdale, Arizona if a roof is being seriously contemplated, Skanska of Sweden if it is not.

My predictions are based on the legislation governing the new stadium construction and the patterns of action on it so far by the Vikings “people’s” “no new taxes” “Stadium Powers” (Minnesota Legislature, Minneapolis City Council, Vikings, NFL and the Minnesota Facilities Sports Authority).

I refer you to the stadium legislation, Section 15, Article 473J.11, Lines 14.32 through 17.21. This section clearly enables the 1 to 1.5% Black participation that I discussed in my column last week. This is no surprise to those who wrote or have read the legislation (despite my urgings, few have read it and thus seen how it has been a big freight train of nullification and reversal coming down the tracks to block any meaningful inclusion of African Americans). Other “minorities” yes, African Americans no).

Read/re-read Lines 15.34 through 16.11. Analyze Lines 16.28 through 17.6. Two significant committees (think barricades) to an equitable Equity Plan are established: Stadium Equity Oversight Committee, and the Compliance Monitoring and Reporting Committees. . See pages 6-12 of the Equity Plan. Who will explain how this provides the Black community with any voice whatsoever, as no enforceable provisions are contained within the 39-page document?

Timing is everything. The schedule timing has enabled the commitment to diversity and equity to be a formula for failure and obstruction of Black community participation. This column will monitor these two barricade committees.

Maybe we should create a 3rd committee and call it The Fairy Tale Committee to report to those of us in the Black community as to why we will not have an equitable part of the building of the Peoples’ Stadium.

Fraser, Davis, and Tomlin: the Quota Guys?
This title is not intended as an insult or put down of these National Football League Head Coaches, but as an alert regarding the intentionally diminishing number of Black Head Coaches in the NFL.

In 2010 there were six African American Head Coaches and two Interim Head Coaches, for a total of 8. One Interim became a Head Coach. With the 2013 season the NFL will have 3 Black Head Coaches. It is clear that the Rooney rule that Black candidates for Head Coach have to be interviewed too is no longer practiced. The owners, many of whom have not hired a Black Head Coach and have no intention of ever hiring one, have destroyed the Rooney rule, have “retired it,” hanging like a banner to the past, high above their stadium fields, as Black NFL Head Coaches are purposely made an endangered species.

It raises the question of how many NFL owners were secret contributors to the Super Pac campaign fund raising groups that were obsessed with defeating a Black president and putting Black America back in its place. When winner-candidates are locked out, some teams will remain losers. This is why a Black as President is a scandal to the NFL’s “Blacks aren’t smart or competent enough” crowd.

Look at the patterns in Major League Baseball the National Basketball Association, on the court and behind the bench. Well thought out actions and policies rein in Black excellence at all levels. It is still the race elephant in the middle of the NFL living room. “New” NFL and college Head Coaches come from the ranks of existing or fired Head Coaches or Offensive/Defensive Coordinators. With coordinators promoted, continuity is maintained and players don’t have to learn a new play book. If NFL and college teams are serious about equality, they’ll hire African American coordinators. And as most coaches are former players, and teams are half African American, then statistically, a third to half of Head Coaches would be African American.

Ron Edwards hosts “Black Focus” on Channel 17, MTN-TV, Sundays, 5-6 pm, and hosts Blog Talk Radio’s “Black Focus V” on Saturdays, 3-4:00 pm, providing coverage about Black Minnesota. Order his books at www.BeaconOnTheHill.com. Hear his readings and read his columns and blog, and solution papers for community planning and development. All are are archived at www.theminneapolisstory.com/tocarchives.htm. His second book, 2008, is A Seat for Everyone.

Posted Wednesday, Posted Wednesday, January 30, 2013, 1:31 a.m..

Ron Edwards is the former head of key civil rights organizations, including the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and the Urban League. He continues his "watchdog" role for Minneapolis, and his work to contribute to the planning discussions in order to help mold a consensus for the future of Black and White Americans together in Minneapolis.

January 23, 2012 Column #04: Sports Authority 2013 Legislative Report on Vikings Stadium

"Through My Eyes, the Minneapolis Story Continues"
A weekly column by Ron Edwards
Featured in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Pull quote: The Back community’s so-called Black leaders only have negotiation skills for their own pockets, not for the people they claim to represent, and they received neither.

It is an unintended but very real sad irony of history that on the birth date of Martin Luther King, Jr., January 15, the Vikings, the NFL, and the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA) sent its first annual report to the state legislature carrying the message that there may be some room in the People’s Stadium construction bus, but only in the back, a Minnesota refrain I’ve steadily warned about since 2005. Our community has not believed. Will they now?

On page six of the MSFA report to the legislature, we can see how the MSFA blindsided Commissioner Kevin Lindsay and the African American leadership of Minnesota. The highly touted, well-publicized PR charade of 32 percent minority participation evaporated. Disappeared. A sun that went nova. Exploded. Disappeared into a black hole. Black leadership and forecasters too.

The Authority and the Vikings reported stadium participation goals of 11 percent women-owned businesses and nine percent minority-owned businesses. Not stated: for Blacks. I’m hearing 1-1.5 percent. The 32 percent doctrine won’t be heard from again. Again: Minority no longer means Black.

The report says the Dallas architectural firm HKS is on target to meet these goals. Question: Who is monitoring these goals and certifying near-compliance of these goals? The Metropolitan Council? The Civil Rights Department of Minneapolis? The State Human Rights Department of the State of Minnesota?

Why ask? The report’s language: “An equity plan is being developed by the Authority, based on the City of Minneapolis’ goals.” Bye bye, Commissioner Lindsay. Bye bye, Metropolitan Council.

So the question that emerges: If you are using the City of Minneapolis’ goals as required by statute, why were two representatives of the Metropolitan Council employed to develop the Equity Plan as well as an Implementation Plan? Implement what? The Equity Plan will be unveiled on January 18, as this column goes to press.

It appears that the only group that was on top of their game were Minnesota’s Native American business operations. Give credit to the White Earth Band and the Mdewakanton Sioux Band and their construction company in Lakeville, MN. They were sitting in closed sessions putting their plan for submission together while Black leadership was stuffing themselves with hors d'oeuvres and steaks at JD Hoyts and Monte Carlos, filled with delusions of contracts that were only phantoms, not plans.

The construction manager, as we reported last week, will be announced February 1, 2013. What I’m hearing is this: 1-1.5 percent Black participation. The Black community’s so-called Black leaders only have negotiation skills for their own pockets, not for the people they claim to represent, and they received neither.

That, my friends, was the heart and soul of the 2013 legislative report issued on January 15, 2013. I wonder what Martin would say. I wonder what Cecil would say. I wonder what Nellie would say. I wonder what anyone who fought the real civil battles (as opposed to past and present posers) would say when they look at the continuous failure of Minneapolis’ self-professed Black leadership.

One to 1.5 percent — and there won’t be any more time wasted on training people. Enough money has been poured into the Black community that they should have been trained and standing ready to work in the doorway of stadium access. But it didn’t happen. What did all that training money get?

So, receive and file the legislative report of 2013, place it in a drawer, in a cabinet, where it will gather dust and be joined by similar reports in 2014, 2015, 2016, and the final report of 2017. That is the legacy that will exist when history is written about the participation of African Americans in Minnesota in helping to build the people’s stadium.

How long will our community continue to bet on leaders so wrong they disappear our dreams into a black hole? How much of our future did they take with it?

Those who were trusted betrayed us, letting us down again. That has become the legacy of Black participation in “the people’s no new taxes” stadium.

Three final questions: (1) How will the stadium without a roof (despite renditions with roof — it’s not in the legislation) serve youth, local schools, other groups year round? (2) Per MinnPost, 12-7-12: “Is there enough money to finance the Vikings stadium?” See also our Jan. 10 2012 column. (3) How many more sucker punches will the “people’s no new taxes” stadium deliver to taxpayers?

Ron Edwards hosts “Black Focus” on Channel 17, MTN-TV, Sundays, 5-6 pm, and hosts Blog Talk Radio’s “Black Focus V” on Saturdays, 3-4:00 pm, providing coverage about Black Minnesota. Order his books at www.BeaconOnTheHill.com. Hear his readings and read his columns and blog, and solution papers for community planning and development. All are are archived at www.theminneapolisstory.com/tocarchives.htm. His second book, 2008, is A Seat for Everyone.

Posted Wednesday, January 23, 2013, 2:17 a.m.

Ron Edwards is the former head of key civil rights organizations, including the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and the Urban League. He continues his "watchdog" role for Minneapolis, and his work to contribute to the planning discussions in order to help mold a consensus for the future of Black and White Americans together in Minneapolis.

January 16, 2012 Column #03: Decision announcement days: January 15 & 18, February 1, 2013. Sports Facility Authority and the Minnesota Vikings

"Through My Eyes, the Minneapolis Story Continues"
A weekly column by Ron Edwards featured in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Will the “Stadium Powers” (Minnesota Legislature, Minneapolis City Council, Vikings, NFL and the Minnesota Facilities Sports Authority that oversees the stadium construction project), all regarding the Vikings (“people’s” “no new taxes”) stadium, stand up for fairness in employment and diversity or hide behind the skirts of a “best effort” calendar?

January 15, 2013: Today: The Sports Authority is to file its first annual report to the Minnesota State Legislature’s super-commission. Report only. No public hearing. No public comments. As it is three days before the Equity Plan report and two weeks before the Construction Management Firm selection announcement, what will be the impact on next year’s reporting? Are they saving the “in retrospect” report for next year, to then say they made the required “best effort”?

January 18, 2013: Sports Authority meeting. Two of the agenda items are the unveiling (or postponement) of the long-awaited Equity Plan, with its goal of 32 percent minority participation, and beginning the end of the process for selecting the Stadium Construction Management Firm that will coordinate the construction of the nearly $1 billion Vikings stadium (what the Star Tribune labeled as “The People’s Stadium” and “The No New Taxes stadium”).

February 1, 2013: when the Sports Authority will announce its formal selection of the Construction Management Firm. Then the real fun or real headaches begin.

Is this sequence of dates backwards? Is it for leverage? What did the Sports Authority mean when it told me all bidders have been asked to “embrace” the 32 percent minority hiring goal? Will “embrace” and “best effort” remain goals or be made mandates? Will the 32 percent create a constitutional battle, given that there has never been a time when such a number was imposed on a majority industry in the history of the United States or Minnesota?

Will the White Minnesota Association of General Contractors and some specific unions accept the 32 percent minority goal? If not, what kind of delays would result from a legal challenge regarding the constitutionality of the stated goal of 32 percent?

Of particular interest, what will be the racial breakdown within the 32 percent “minority” in terms of Black Minnesotans vis-á-vis women and other minorities within the Equity Plan? Will it be “Blacks need not apply” again?

On October 10, 2012, (see my October 17 column), Ted Mondale admitted in open session “This is not like the Target Field project. They had no numbers for compliance, nor was there a plan.” He then stated the heartening, “You need to give us a chance.” The Equity Plan offers that chance.

As both White and Black contractors have said that Minnesota lacks qualified workers with stadium construction skills, where will those in the skilled stadium worker categories come from, whether African American or White? Where will the money come from if it is decided to finally recruit and train local workers? How did the Metropolitan Council work out answers to these particular questions and goals with the State and City human rights departments on the one hand and the Sports Authority/Minnesota Vikings/NFL on the other hand?

Finally where will the money come from to meet the State and City stadium funding commitments? Will the Vikings/NFL have to pick up the City and State shortfalls or will the taxpayers be asked to pay more taxes (see my December 19 column)?

• Council Member Gary Schiff (KSTP, May 13, 2012) projected Minneapolis’ $150 million as $675 million.
• The Star Tribune (May 1, 2012) calculated the City’s actual stadium cost as $890 million.
• Other May 2012 Star Tribune stories placed the City’s cost as $1.170 billion over the next 30 years.
• City’s hole: Minnesota has reported it has a $1.1 billion fiscal shortfall.
• State’s hole: mis-projected electronic pull-tab revenue that would cover its funding commitment for the stadium (only 85 of 6,000 bars have electronic pull tabs).
• National trend hole: national average cost overruns, 1910-1998: 28 percent. For the stadium, that’s $210,840,000 to add to the above numbers.

Minnesotans are not enthusiastic about being taxed to raise revenue shortfalls. How will these figures impact on elections?

African American leadership offers no substantive recommendations to answer these kinds of questions. They seem happy to be window shopping, looking in at Ted Mondale expressing how happy they are “to get along.” We again invite leadership (Black and White, developers and investors, Vikings and the NFL) to review our planning suggestions (on my website’s Solutions Section, #45).

Ron Edwards hosts “Black Focus” on Channel 17, MTN-TV, Sundays, 5-6 pm, and hosts Blog Talk Radio’s “Black Focus V” on Saturdays, 3-4:00 pm, providing coverage about Black Minnesota. Order his books at www.BeaconOnTheHill.com. Hear his readings and read his columns and blog, and solution papers for community planning and development. All are are archived at www.theminneapolisstory.com/tocarchives.htm. His second book, 2008, is A Seat for Everyone.

Posted Wednesday, January 16, 2013, 12:11 a.m.

Ron Edwards is the former head of key civil rights organizations, including the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and the Urban League. He continues his "watchdog" role for Minneapolis, and his work to contribute to the planning discussions in order to help mold a consensus for the future of Black and White Americans together in Minneapolis.

January 09, 2012 Column #02: The abuse of Black children in MN’s education system. Highlighting the Minneapolis and Bloomington School Districts.

"Through My Eyes, the Minneapolis Story Continues"
A weekly column by Ron Edwards featured in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Thurgood Marshall wrote: “None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody — a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony or a few nuns — bent down and helped us pick up our boots.”

But what if you have no boots? The chilling reality in education is that some Black children are being denied boots in the first place. The only true way out and up for any child, Black or White, is education. But when purposefully denied, the eventual result is no job, and if no job, no housing for family.

The treatment of African American school children in Minnesota has too long been frightening and chilling. Far too many educational “leaders” choose to remain silent. The real “bosses” are the tails that wag the dog: the super-sized education bureaucracies spending budgets on themselves and not on students and their education.

In late November 2012, rumors began to emerge from Green Central that the school’s very respected and committed LPN, Mrs. Mia Meyers, in her letter of resignation, laid out serious allegations of acts of hostility directed towards her because of her calling attention to Green Central’s refusal to take into account student health. Mrs. Meyers could no longer stand by quietly as the school refused to address the volume and the severity of the students’ medical needs.

Terms she used, red flags anywhere else in the civilized free world, include “medical fragileness of students,” “volume and severity of student medical needs,” “to improve the medical condition to facilitate education goals is not her [the principal’s] priority.” The school district’s response? Cover up, suppress the investigation into the allegations, and break Minnesota law by withholding the allegations from the Board of Education.

Mrs. Meyers told me of her commitment and passion to both the children and to her professional obligations, which was met with an intimidating atmosphere inside Green Central directed to those who raise questions about fairness and inequality. I was involved in a direct conversation two weeks ago with an assistant superintendent who pretended they had no idea about the resignation, and attempted to convince us that the LPN was still on the premises.

Parents at Green Central have no clue as to how their children are being medically dealt with, mistreated, abandoned, and being subjected to a dangerous medical environment. Green Central has gained the reputation, medically, as Minneapolis’ Tuskegee Project of the 1930s.

The situation in the Bloomington Public School District is equally frightening and chilling. A Black guardian appointed by the court for a seven-year-old Black child who lives in the city of Bloomington was told two weeks ago that the child is not welcome in the Bloomington Public School District.

The Black guardian, a representative of the court, was told that if the child was brought to school on Wednesday, January 2, that the African American child would be arbitrarily suspended and not allowed to cross the doorway. This heartbreaking story reminded me of George Wallace standing in the University of Alabama doorway, saying this child shall not pass. Can you imagine a seven-year-old White child being called a terroristic threat and denied by White educators?

This is happening in greater frequency in Minnesota. In the case of this seven-year-old child, the decision has been made that the Bloomington Public Schools will continue to receive state aid that follows every child, but that the Black child, in the tradition of Bilbo, George Wallace and Strom Thurmond, will be denied.

This Black guardian is willing to battle the system but needs support. Will Black leadership and Black organizations step up for Black children?

The Bloomington Public School District rationale to the student’s guardian and attorney: the [7 yearold] Black child is a "bad seed". Black America has heard that before. What is being said in Bloomington and in Green Central is that Black children are never too young to have their rights violated and their future abused.

For legal reasons, neither child nor guardian is being identified yet. We wait to see if any organization or leader, including legislative leadership, has the heart and the guts to support children that are being abused, whose rights are being trampled on and whose futures are no longer guaranteed.

God bless Black Minnesota, for we are in a titanic struggle for the life and future of our children, the future of us all.
Stay tuned.

Ron Edwards hosts “Black Focus” on Channel 17, MTN-TV, Sundays, 5-6 pm, and hosts Blog Talk Radio’s “Black Focus V” on Saturdays, 3-4:00 pm, providing coverage about Black Minnesota. Order his books at www.BeaconOnTheHill.com. Hear his readings and read his columns and blog, and solution papers for community planning and development. All are are archived at www.theminneapolisstory.com/tocarchives.htm. His second book, 2008, is A Seat for Everyone.

Posted Wednesday, January 9, 2013, 12:01 a.m.

Ron Edwards is the former head of key civil rights organizations, including the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and the Urban League. He continues his "watchdog" role for Minneapolis, and his work to contribute to the planning discussions in order to help mold a consensus for the future of Black and White Americans together in Minneapolis.

"Through My Eyes, the Minneapolis Story Continues"
A weekly column by Ron Edwards featured in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

The Vikings Stadium: a historic reckoning point in its history regarding the Equity Plan.

"Through My Eyes, the Minneapolis Story Continues"
A weekly column by Ron Edwards
Featured in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Vikings Stadium legislation called for an equity plan outlining Black participation in construction contracts and workers. Its absence is the story of continued injustice, discrimination, and official sneering at the idea of Black participation.

This major story of 2012-2013 will be a 2013-2014 albatross around the necks of the self-appointed and imaginary Twin Cities leaders and journalists who stand silent as the Equity Plan sinks in “best effort” cement boots to a lake bottom. In The People’s Stadium’s two big broken promises — equity plan and “no new taxes” — we see how the “rights culture” of the 1960s has continued too many aspects of the Democratic Party’s White rights Jim Crow culture in American cities, with the purposeful disobeying of the requirement to bring an Equity Plan for seating African Americans at the stadium construction economic table.

State legislature mandated an equity plan. City council promised it. Facilities Authority Commission admitted the lack of an equity plan with the Twins Stadium, saying that would not be repeated with the Vikings. Yet all three have let it die.

In a week’s time the Facilities Authority, according to their own press releases, will receive bids for the construction, management, and participation in the stadium, doing so without having given bidders equity-plan guidelines or direction. A $753 million contract to be signed January 25, 2013, without an equity plan is the same as posting signs: “Blacks need not apply.”

State Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey called for 32 percent participation. The issue is not about percentage, but about fairness. It’s as simple as that.

Both Black and White contractors have said there are few if any qualified stadium construction workers in the Twin Cities. Needed, therefore, is either a plan to train them now or a commitment that construction workers brought in from out of state will also include a fair number of qualified Black construction workers.

Realistic equity plans have been a running concern in this column since 2005. The continued silence and lack of public discussion is troubling.

The Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights punted the equity plan to the Metropolitan Council. Who is working with Commissioner Lindsay? No one will say. Who will hold to the fire of equity plan accountability the feet of the construction manager, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Minnesota Sports facility?

Lindsay’s goals for inclusion of Africa Americans in the construction of the People’s Stadium are ambitious. Korbel’s are treacherous. The City’s duplicitous. What word will fit the governor and legislature?

All we see are “leaders” posturing as primetime players in meetings that give cover for the silence. Their concerns are for contracts for their organizations, not jobs for workers. At draft time, professional sports leagues like to say everybody is on the clock. And yet, so far, “everybody” is being defined as “White only.”

Is the silence because leadership agreed, in return for lining their personal pockets, to fight neither additional taxes nor excluding Blacks? Think about the timeline once again: Bids are to be received and opened by January 8, with the winning bid announced January 25, 2013.

December saw a surge of stories regarding how teams and their owners and political flunkies all have a “sports welfare” safety net, but not the tax payers nor for minority workers (see www.sportsonearth.com/article/40595178, December 12, 2012). Expect more delays in the stadium opening.

But there is still hope for change; the stadium legislation decree of an annual report to its Special Legislative Commission (12 members sitting as a kind of super-committee, serving as official hiring fiscal cliff monitors). Without an equity plan, a Black hiring safety net, Blacks again get plunged into the dark pit of noncompliance and noninvolvement. It’s as simple as that.

So what will the Sports Facility Authority report to the legislative super committee regarding the legislative intent and expectation of Black participation in the construction of the People’s Stadium? Our final line of defense against exclusion is what our three Black representatives expect and will fight for in terms of full involvement of the African American community. It is now up to them.

Leadership has moved on to talking about light rail, another disaster, as they jump ahead to another project to keep meeting money flowing to them but not to workers. We still wait for one single public meeting regarding the future of the African American community in the construction of the People’s Stadium. Has the stadium already gone over the civil rights cliff?

Ron Edwards hosts “Black Focus” on Channel 17, MTN-TV, Sundays, 5-6 pm, and hosts Blog Talk Radio’s “Black Focus V” on Saturdays, 3-4:00 pm, providing coverage about Black Minnesota. Order his books at www.BeaconOnTheHill.com. Hear his readings and read his columns and blog, and solution papers for community planning and development. All are are archived at www.theminneapolisstory.com/tocarchives.htm. His second book, 2008, is A Seat for Everyone.

Posted Wednesday, January 2, 2013, 5:54 a.m.

Ron Edwards is the former head of key civil rights organizations, including the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and the Urban League. He continues his "watchdog" role for Minneapolis, and his work to contribute to the planning discussions in order to help mold a consensus for the future of Black and White Americans together in Minneapolis.

Ron hosts "Black Focus" on Channel 17, MTN-TV, Sundays, 5-6 pm, and co-hosts Blog Talk Radio’s “ON POINT!" Saturdays at 5 pm, providing coverage about Black Minnesota. Order his books at http://www.BeaconOnTheHill.com. Hear his readings and read his solution papers and "Tracking the Gaps" web log. Formerly head of key civil rights organizations, including the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and the Urban League, he continues his "watchdog" role for Minneapolis.

Permission is granted to reproduce The Minneapolis Story columns, blog entires and solution papers. Please cite the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder and www.TheMinneapolisStory.com for the columns. Please cite www.TheMinneapolisStory.com for blog entries and solution papers.

The Experience of Ron Edwards

A Renaissance Black Man in a White Man's World

A Beacon for Freedom in the City

2013 Columns
Quarter 1: January thru March ~ Columns #1 - #13

Pull quote: The Back community’s so-called Black leaders only have negotiation skills for their own pockets, not for the people they claim to represent, and they received neither.

The Experience of Ron Edwards

A Renaissance Black Man in a White Man's World

A Beacon for Freedom in the City

2013 Columns Quarter 1: January thru March ~ Columns #1 - #13

Pull quote: The Back community’s so-called Black leaders only have negotiation skills for their own pockets, not for the people they claim to represent, and they received neither.

2013 Columns
Quarter 1: January thru March ~ Columns #1 - #13