Transformation, Not Tinkering, Needed For Real Equality

PUBLISHED BY STAR TRIBUNE FEBRUARY 19, 2022 6:00PM

By Alfred Babington-Johnson

For years Minnesota has been thought to be one of the most livable locales in the United States. That is a true report for European descendants living and working in the land of 10,000 lakes. There is another, harsher reality for African Americans. A June 29,2021 article in US News and World Report by Joseph Williams calls this phenomenon the Minnesota Paradox. In the words of Professor Samuel Myers at UMN’s Humphrey school, “Minnesota’s reputation as a great place to live has overshadowed the struggles of Black and other people of color in the state.” The typical black family in Minneapolis earns less than half as much as the typical white family in any given year; and homeownership among black people is one-third the rate of white families.