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The Experience of Ron Edwards

A Renaissance Black Man in a White Man's World

A Beacon for Freedom in the City

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Solution Paper #54: "What Changed?"

Ron died January 2020. His column appeared in the oldest continuing Black newspaper in Minnesota, The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, for 17 years, 2003 – 2019. (His web site includes his columns, his blog entries, and his solution papers.) He also hosted long running TV programs and a world-wide blog radio program, co-hosted with Don Allen.

The Minneapolis Story was the brain child of Dennis Green, former NFL Coach of the Minnesota Vikings, and later Head Coach of the NFL Arizona Cardinals and UFL Sacramento Mountain Lions. He shared Ron's vision of "equal access and equal opportunity" for all, and the need to expose the blocking of "equal access and equal opportunity" by both sets of leadership," Black ones and White ones, separately and together.

Following Ron's inaugural column of March 26, 2003, are the columns and blog entries from 2003 - 2019, posted in his Archives. They reflect the continuous ongoing discussions between Dennis Green, Ron Edwards, and Peter Jessen.

One of Ron's last considerations for a column was to be based on this "What Changed?" question raised at the end of 2019 in The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder:

When asked in mid-June what is the greater problem for the communities of color, white racism or the absence of dads in black families, Kweisi Mfume, former head of the national NAACP replied without missing a beat that the biggest problem without question is the absence of fathers in the home, a topic which has also been a long term concern of Ron Edwards.

Ron's goal was to reaffirm the relevance and importance of his two books as well as his website, his column archive of 17 years, and his blog entries. These words speak volumes regarding not only the continued relevance of Ron's books, website, and columns, but also their continued urgency, for he never took his eyes off the prize of liberty's freedom and equality and the opportunities for economic development and community and personal prosperity.



Ron Edwards 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 columns, his solution papers and his "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, and his work to contribute to the planning to help mold a consensus for the future of Black and White Americans together of 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

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