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Inside this Edition...
Find Black History Month events on page 8.
THE VOICE OF BLACK MINNESOTA SINCE 1934
February 3 - 9, 2022
Vol. 88
www.spokesman-recorder.com
No. 27
Biden’s pledge is on the line
Will he appoint the first Black woman to the Supreme Court?
(l-r) Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, Judge Michelle Childs, and Judge Leondra Kruger By Niara Savage Contributing Writer
A
dvocates are calling on President Joe Biden to stick to his vow to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court as
Justice Stephen Breyer prepares to retire, potentially paving the way for the first-ever Black woman Supreme Court justice. Breyer, 83, is the oldest justice currently serving on the Supreme Court and one of three liberal jus-
tices. Only two Black justices, Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas, have served on the Supreme Court. “I’ve committed that if I’m elected president that if I have an opportunity to appoint someone to the courts, I will appoint the first Black woman to
the court,” then-candidate Biden said at a presidential debate in 2020. “It’s required that they have representation now. It’s long overdue.” Biden doubled down on that pledge at a White House briefing after Breyer’s announcement with a statement that mirrored his 2020 promise. “I made that commitment during the campaign for president, and I will keep that commitment,” he said. It’s past time for Biden to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court and help ensure she has a fair vetting and confirmation process, said Glynda Carr, president and CEO of Higher Heights of America, a political action committee dedicated to getting more Black women elected to public office at the local and national levels. “Our country is built on representation. And so, when there is zero representation, that hurts America [and] creates a void for the constituency
that doesn’t have a voice,” Carr said. But most Americans (76%) want Biden to consider “all possible nominees” for the vacancy on the Supreme Court, according to an ABC News/ Ipsos poll conducted after Breyer’s announcement. Less than a quarter (23%) want Biden to automatically follow through on his commitment to name a Black woman to the Supreme Court, according to the poll. That perspective changes significantly with the demographic. A Higher Heights poll shows that 86% of Black women voters say Biden should prioritize nominating a Black woman to the Supreme Court when a seat is available. “We need to have leadership in place—both elected and appointed—to be able to build an economically thriving, educated, healthy and safe community for Black women and our communities,” Carr said. ■ See COURT on page 5
Minneapolis Black history gains a new landmark Remembering Station #24, the city’s first and only Black fire brigade
By Julie Gordon Contributing Writer Minneapolis currently operates 19 fire stations throughout the city, deploying over 400 firefighters to protect lives and property and serve the safety needs of local communities. Recently the City has taken steps to preserve the memory of one such station that holds a special place in the history of Black people in Minnesota. Established in 1879, the Minneapolis Fire Department (MFD) was in high demand as the city rapidly expanded, often responding
The city’s first Black firefighter, John Cheatham, will be honored with a street named after him. Courtesy of Friends of The Cemetery
to structures built prior to approved building codes. One neighborhood in great need was along the Hiawatha corridor near Minnehaha Regional Park, where Fire Station #24 was completed in 1907. Led by Minneapolis’ first Black fire captain, John Cheatham, Station #24 drew attention as the city’s first—and only—Black fire brigade. Not only was Captain Cheatham’s appointment historic in nature, but the fact that he was born into slavery in 1855 rendered his life journey a symbol of hope for employment and social equality. While some residents saw the opening of Station #24 as controversial, others showed support for the assignment of all Black firefighters, including a petition signed by 60 women living in the neighborhood. “Station #24 is an important part of the narrative for the development of Minneapolis,” said LaJune Lange, president of the LTL International Leadership Institute and retired City Court judge. “African Americans were always present and making a positive contribution.” Lange is largely responsible for shining a light on the significance of Station #24, advocating for landmark status to preserve its place in history, especially in an area where older buildings have been torn down to make way for new development. Her passion is rooted in a 1970s federal court case, Carter v. Gallagher, to desegregate the Minneapolis Fire Department. Working as a paralegal alongside Luther Granquist, ■ See FIRE DEPT on page 5
Banning Black authors is nothing new
Station #24 then and now on 4501 Hiawatha Ave. in Minneapolis Courtesy of Google Maps and the Fire Hall Museum
Members of the African American Firefighters Association join Judge Lange in a visit to Station #24. Photo by Walter Griffin
Tracking COVID through wastewater Recent report predicts Omicron surge is in decline
The critical race theory furor is just its newest manifestation
MGN By Stacy M. Brown Contributing Writer
of George Floyd, a major publishing house turned down the opportunity to obtain Celeste Headlee paused as Headlee’s book “Speaking of she contemplated how Black Race: Why Everybody Needs authors have for decades to Talk About Racism—and endured the banning of their How to Do It.” The reason? “They said they books in schools, libraries, on shelves across the country, had enough books on race and that this topic is covered and even in prisons. In the summer of 2020 and for us,” Headlee recounted. “It the aftermath of the murder was very surprising since we
were offering it in the summer of 2020.” Headlee, who co-hosts the Retro Report on PBS and is affectionately known as “the light-skinned Black Jew,” ultimately sold her book to Harper Collins Publishing, which published it in 2021. She counts among dozens of Black authors whose works ■ See CRT on page 5
By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer The COVID-19 Omicron variant’s surge in the Twin Cities metro area is declining, a new study has found. The report is based on data from
13 metro wastewater plants surveyed by the University of Minnesota Medical School and the Minnesota Department of Health. Based on its statewide wastewater surveillance data, the prevalence of dis-
ease is predicted to decline significantly in the Twin Cities metro region sometime in February, said the report released last week. But the study also pointed out that the Omicron variant remains ■ See OMICRON on page 5