“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. Liberate the minds of men and ultimately you will liberate the bodies of men.” -Marcus Garvey 

Over this past weekend, rapper Jay-Z was interviewed by CNN’s Van Jones, where he responded to comments made by President Trump "Everyone feels anger, but after the anger it's really hurtful, he's looking down on a whole population of people, and he's so misinformed," JAY-Z says. Think about it, we are talking about Billionaire Vs. Billionaire and even on that level, a black man is not seen as an equal. 

The President responded to Jay-Z’s comments on Twitter. He highlighted lower unemployment rates for African Americans across the country, but ignored the impact of his hurtful statements the President used to refer to our people. Also, it is a fact that unemployment is still a BIG problem for our community. 

In 2016 Minnesota’s gap between working age white adults and working age black adults was 17%. The third largest racial employment gap behind Illinois and Wisconsin (MN Compass). We also know that targeted strategies connected to outcomes work to address this problem. Investments in equity and working with industries to ensure Minnesotans from communities of color are targeted for specific projects (See report from MNDHR) produce real outcomes. Hurtful rhetoric from our leaders in office does not. 

Without the diversity of all black people in the state of Minnesota, our state is in trouble. Issues such as high unemployment, affordable housing, transportation, affordable childcare and a quality education are not just “Black issues” and yet we find they impact us at higher rates than our white counterparts. Our fight to address these issues is not just for our community but for all Minnesotans who are struggling and don’t have time to debate billionaires. 

Our path forward is together and for these reasons, we request your presence at the Capitol for our , African Heritage Day on the HillTuesday, February 27th, 1:30pm - 4:30pm at the Capitol Rotunda. Come out and have the conversation with our lawmakers about what is best for our community and our State! We will rally together and celebrate our community, and then meet with legislators to discuss the issues that impact our community and all Minnesotans. 

We look forward to having you join us. 

Event Details:

2018 African Heritage Day on the Hill
Tuesday, February 27th 1:30pm – 4:30pm (rally is at 1:30pm followed by visits to legislators)
Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Saint Paul, MN 55155
RSVP at EventBrite
Facebook Event can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/1157095641092945/

In solidarity,

Mr. Patrice Bailey, M.S.
Outreach Coordinator
Patrice.bailey@state.mn.us
O: 651-757-1754
C: 612-270-5570
Twitter @CMAHMN
Twitter @sigmahurricane