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“If the organizers of the tornado relief would provide a list of people who received money from the organizers, the city of Minneapolis and its residents would see why not much really got done.” I other words, “Jim Crow rules Step-n-Fetch-it.”
By Donald W.R. Allen, II – Editor in Chief/The Independent Business News Network
"The door of marginalization and missed opportunites."
Minneapolis, MN. (IBNN/North Minneapolis Tornado/May 6, 2012)…We’ve always said, “There’s was a storm in north Minneapolis long before the tornado.” This “storm” represented a practice of benign neglect for residents of Minneapolis’ north side. As we look at the past year, and what should have been the largest public works program in Minneapolis, it turns out the residents still struggle with the same disparities that were there before the May 22nd disaster created before by man, then multiplied by Mother Nature. Tuesday, May 22, 2012 should in all reality be a day of celebration, thanks and gratitude – but in reality the alleged underlying current of a corrupt system has failed residents of the northside.
The Northside Community Response Team was in charge of addressing not only human needs, but also the infrastructure needs of the community. When money was distributed by a major Minneapolis foundation, what markers were put in place to successfully track and develop a chart of successful engagement? We already know that grants given to northside “non-profit construction firms” and their ministries to assist local minority contractors to get them certified and start the rebuild fell on deaf ears. Is the National Association of Minority Contractors better off after a year of blue tarps and wind-scattered roofs? The assessment is no.
What happened to the $4,500.00 put out to create fundraisers at the Mall of America? Why hasn’t their been any concrete communication with the mainstream? These are but a few of the challenges that took place in the last year that we attest missed the mark. Where are the events? Who contracted with individuals with the capacity of a slug to bring awareness, funds and relief to an already battered community?
Hey, I understand running to our local Black radio stations and newspapers to advertise items of interest – but if you’re like me, you understand that a much broader participation is needed. What happened to organizational design?
As “celebrations” are planned for organizations that participated in the “money-grab” – some who did what they could, while others didn’t, we must look at the philosophy and ethics of what happened and ask those in charge, “How are you able to sleep when northside residents are hungry, jobless, homeless and in some cases don’t have the education to overcome disparities cast upon them by their own brothers and sisters?”
The clock is ticking to what will be one of Minneapolis’ most hypocritical events of “glad-handing” since city hall’s announcement that “crime is down” in the city.
In closing, if the questions that IBNN NEWS asks of foundations, community organizations and people involved in this heinous sickness aren’t answered, then it will never be answered and again, like the Empowerment Zone money, the Home Foreclosure monies and soon the $28 million dollar grant to a north Minneapolis non-profit will be just blank memories in the back of our minds on what could have been.
The storm continues…
