Tag: Black History Month

Minnesota POCI Caucus Black History Month Statement

House DFL logo

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today marks the beginning of Black History Month. The People of Color and Indigenous Caucus (POCI) released the following statement to commemorate Black History Month:

“It is important that we take this month to not only remember and celebrate the rich and meaningful history of Black people in our nation, but to take time to consider the future of Black lives. Black history is being written as we speak, from the incredible organization of Black voters in the 2020 election which resulted in the first female Vice President of color, to the ongoing cries for reform from the historic Black Lives Matter movement. There remains a harrowing distance between the level of Black excellence in this nation, and level of systemic racism that perpetuates cycles of discrimination and increased disparities. Let this be the Black History Month where we choose to elevate Black voices and value Black lives forever more. Let this month, and every month after, be the months where we fight to create a future where Black lives can be lived fully without the burden of oppression, racism, and inequity.”

The People of Color & Indigenous (POCI) Caucus includes Reps. Esther Agbaje (59B), Jamie Becker-Finn (42B), Cedrick Frazier (45A), Aisha Gomez (62B), Hodan Hassan (Vice- Chair 62A), Kaohly Her (64A), Athena Hollins (66B), Fue Lee (59A), Carlos Mariani (65B), Rena Moran (65A), Mohamud Noor (60B), Ruth Richardson (52B), Samantha Vang (Chair, 40B), Jay Xiong (67B), Tou Xiong (53B), and Senators Bobby Joe Champion (59), Omar Fateh (62), Melisa Franzen (49), Foung Hawj (67), Mary Kunesh (41), Patricia Torres Ray (Chair, 63)

DFL Party Statement on Black History Month

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement commemorating the beginning of Black History Month:

“This month, we commemorate and pay tribute to the incredible contributions that Black Americans have made to the rich tapestry of American life and the history of our nation. Leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nellie Stone Johnson, Roy Wilkins, Dr. Josie Johnson, Congressman John Lewis, and so many others worked, struggled, and sacrificed so much to lift up communities of color and help our nation live up to our ideals.

“If we are to follow in these leaders’ footsteps and carry on their work to build a truly just society, we must be honest about our successes and our shortcomings when it comes to racial equity. In January, I was both proud and moved to see Minnesota swear in our most diverse state legislature in state history, driven almost exclusively by DFLers. Our commitment to equity and fairness does not stop at building a more representative legislature, though. Ongoing racial disparities throughout our nation and significantly in Minnesota, from housing to education to the impact of COVID-19 and beyond, continue to erect barriers to achieving the American Dream for far too many Black and Brown Americans and that is unacceptable. As we celebrate Black History Month let’s honor the work of so many who came before us by rededicating ourselves to the fight for equity, fairness, and justice for all.”

A Black History Month Tribute to Nellie Stone Johnson

We are proud to pay tribute to Nellie Stone Johnson, an African American civil rights activist and union leader from Minneapolis, for everything she did to fight for labor and union rights. Johnson’s work was instrumental to the founding of the DFL and was fueled by her passion for working for the rights of working Minnesotans. We are proud to carry on her legacy as we work to build a better Minnesota.

While Johnson was growing up in rural Minnesota, her father was incredibly involved in the community as he served on the school board and organized fellow farmers into cooperatives to protect farming interests. It was at the University of Minnesota where Johnson began to get involved in labor organizing herself. While working at the Minneapolis Athletic Club, she encountered workplace discrimination and anti-union employers. In response, she and other employees unionized. Johnson went on to serve on her local union’s contract committee and end segregation in the club’s work facilities.  Continue reading “A Black History Month Tribute to Nellie Stone Johnson”

DNC on Black History Month

DNC Chair Tom Perez and Black Caucus Chair Virgie Rollins released the following statement on Black History Month:

“This month, we honor and celebrate the enormous contributions African Americans have made to our country. While we celebrate these accomplishments, we must also rededicate ourselves to the unfinished work of the civil rights movement. Whether in a classroom or a courtroom, a job interview or a traffic stop, African Americans continue to face systemic discrimination across our society. Nowhere is this more evident or more consequential than at the ballot box. In North Carolina, Ohio, and states across the country, Republicans have done everything in their power to block communities of color from exercising their constitutional rights at the ballot box. There’s no doubt that preventing people from voting is a key part of their playbook — from voter roll purges to discriminatory voter ID laws. Such tactics are clearly discriminatory and have no place in our democracy. Continue reading “DNC on Black History Month”

Trump’s Black History Month proclamation implies racism in the military is in the past. It’s not.

The following article by Eugene Scott was posed on the Washington Post website February 4, 2018:

Credit:Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post

The tension between black Americans and President Trump has been clear since his campaign, and it perhaps is most exemplified in his incredibly low approval rating with black voters — 6 percent, according to Gallup.

Comments about immigrants from black countries, blaming anti-racism activists for violence during the rally in Charlottesville, and feelings that he has pitted National Football League players protesting racism against veterans have led some to doubt whether Trump’s vision for a “great” America includes black Americans.

Well in Trump’s 2018 Black History Month proclamation, the president chose to highlight the contributions of one particular group of black Americans: veterans. Continue reading “Trump’s Black History Month proclamation implies racism in the military is in the past. It’s not.”

In which Trump discovers some guy named Frederick Douglass

The following column by Dana Milbank was posted on the Washington Post website February 1, 2017:

President Trump is capable of many a miracle. On Wednesday, after just 12 days on the job, he raised the dead.

Addressing a small group of African American aides and supporters to kick off Black History Month, the new president not only offered pro forma praise for the usual suspects — Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr. — but also singled out somebody who recently caught his attention. Continue reading “In which Trump discovers some guy named Frederick Douglass”