Minneapolis, MN
OPINION EXCHANGE | Minneapolis Park Board must stop exploiting artists
Opinion editor’s note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes a mix of national and local commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.
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When I moved to Minneapolis, my first week in the city, I went to a concert at the Lake Harriet Band Shell. I had relocated from Kansas after college seeking a place to call home, and that evening in the park was a powerful signal that I had made the right choice. The park felt welcoming, creative and like there was room for me here.
Since that concert 25 years ago, I have attended countless concerts and outdoor performances in Minneapolis parks, and they always engender a feeling of belonging that renews my love of this community. I was dismayed to learn from the Feb. 14 article “Musicians not feeling love from Park Board,” referring to unpaid performances, that all this time these experiences were being created by extracting resources from our local creative workers.
Creative work is work. Labor deserves to be compensated. A budget is a reflection of values, and not including artists in the budget for these park events is an ethical failure on the part of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. By asking musicians to play for free at more than 200 events, the board is telling us that it is fine with extracting hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid labor from its own citizens. I know that some readers might point out that many artists have been willing to do this work for free. But just because someone is willing to do something for free does not make it ethical to exploit them.
Artists are our neighbors and community members who need to eat, put food on the table and pay their rent just like everyone else. Artists are often piecing together dozens of contract gigs to make ends meet, and they often fall through the cracks of contract protections and small-business support. Economic conditions like widening wealth gaps, systemic inequity, and a lack of safety nets like health care, housing and unemployment benefits also impact artists. As most people know, the pandemic was particularly devastating for artists and creative workers, and those sectors have been among the slowest to recover.
And yet we also know that we have never needed our artists and culture makers more than we do now. The U.S. Surgeon General declared an epidemic of loneliness and isolation last May, and recently spoke at length about the power of art to help us address this crisis. In Minneapolis specifically, we need spaces of belonging, connection and healing if we have any hope of addressing the many crises and challenges facing our city. We can’t create those spaces and experiences by extracting labor from the people who bring us together. If anything, the Park Board should be expanding its budget to increase support of our artists because of their impact on our community’s health, economy and well-being.
Dismissing these concerns by offering that artists should pass the hat or be grateful for the exposure is, frankly, offensive. As many artists have pointed out over many years, you can’t eat exposure. Minneapolis could be setting an example for other cities, yet here we are, behind many other cities in our own state that have recognized the value of creative work.
We have the power to change this, and we should. I hope that everyone who has enjoyed a summer evening in the park, listening to music, feeling a sense of belonging, and marveling at the beauty, creativity and potential of our city will call on the Park Board and our elected officials to behave in an ethical manner and value the labor of our musicians, artists and creative community.
Laura Zabel is executive director of Springboard for the Arts.
Minneapolis, MN
Woman dies in Minneapolis hit-and-run crash, driver still at large
Minneapolis police respond to a hit-and-run that left a woman seriously injured, (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A woman hit by a vehicle that fled the scene in Minneapolis over the weekend died Monday from her injuries, according to Police Chief Brian O’Hara.
Minneapolis hit-and-run crash
The backstory:
Police say they responded to reports of a hit-and-run crash involving a pedestrian at about 3:10 a.m. on Sunday in the 1600 block of Marshall Street Northeast.
Officers then found a woman in her 20s suffering from potentially life-threatening injuries. She was taken to the hospital.
Investigators say the woman was crossing Marshall Street while carrying a bag of food when she was struck by a speeding vehicle.
Driver still at large
What you can do:
Police say no arrests have been made in connection with the incident. The vehicle is described as a dark-colored sedan that was possibly driven by a man.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Minneapolis police by emailing policetips@minneapolismn.gov or calling 612-673-5845 to leave a voicemail.
Minneapolis, MN
ICE at US airports: No sign of agents at MSP
ICE at airports on Monday: No sign of agents at MSP
There are no signs of ICE agents at MSP Airport on Monday morning. ICE is being sent to some airports to help TSA during the partial government shutdown, which has led to long lines to get through airport security.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – ICE agents are set to assist TSA officers at airports nationwide due to staffing shortages caused by the ongoing partial government shutdown.
However, it remains unclear whether Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport will be among the locations receiving additional personnel.
ICE agents to assist TSA at airports
What we know:
The decision to deploy ICE agents comes as TSA officers have been working without pay for more than a month, leading to widespread staffing challenges. Hundreds of TSA employees have reportedly resigned, while others have called in sick, contributing to long security lines during the busy spring break travel season.
Federal officials say ICE agents will not replace TSA officers but would likely assist with certain tasks, such as monitoring exit lanes or checking passenger identification. The goal is to free up trained TSA officers to focus on more specialized duties like X-ray screening.
The Department of Homeland Security has not released a list of airports that will receive ICE support. In a statement Monday, the agency said in part, “President Trump is using every tool available to help American travelers who are facing hours-long lines at airports across the country.”
Security at MSP Airport
Local perspective:
At the MSP airport, operations appeared to be running smoothly. However, some passengers are skeptical about the effectiveness of using ICE agents. “Yeah, not a fan of that, I don’t think it will make the situation any better,” said a couple.
MSP officials would not confirm or deny if ICE agents would be deployed locally, but emphasized that wait times at MSP have remained relatively low.
“During the partial government shutdown, wait times have consistently remained under 30 minutes at MSP Airport, despite heavy spring break travel. The relatively low wait times are a testament to the commitment of the local TSA team,” a statement read. “We’re grateful for the TSA’s continued service to maintain smooth and secure travel for MSP passengers.”
What we don’t know:
It’s still unclear how many ICE agents will be deployed or which locations will be impacted.
The Source: This story uses statements from DHS and MSP Airport officials.
Minneapolis, MN
Heartbreak in Minneapolis: Ole Miss Falls to Minnesota 65-63 in Final Seconds – The Rebel Walk
MINNEAPOLIS — Ole Miss women’s basketball had the type of game expected against Minnesota in a NCAA Tournament Round of 32 game — on the opponent’s home court. As anticipated, Sunday’s contest was a low-scoring game with big momentum swings, decisive moments and a large, loud crowd. Sure enough, it came down to last second — the final .8 to be exact — and within mere inches of being an epic moment in Ole Miss’ history. Alas, it’ll go into Minnesota’s history books as a 65-63 victory.
First Half
With both teams being so strong on defense, the expectation that this game would be a defensive battle was indeed correct.
Both sides had a combined 14 turnovers in the first 20 minutes and each forced the other’s offense into several awkward possessions. Ole Miss had two fewer turnovers but spent most of the half trailing the Gophers.
Having star player Cotie McMahon on the sideline for most of the first quarter with two fouls didn’t help the Rebels’ offensive struggles. In the first half, she played just ten minutes of the 20. Half. That’s it.
After the game, Coach Yo talked about what it meant to have her out for what ended up being almost 20 minutes of the 40-minute game.
“I was in the locker room, just thinking about other star players on teams. I haven’t seen them foul out in a March Madness game. Paige, Caitlin…I just haven’t seen the best players get fouled out. From my point of view, the last call was incorrect We watched it 1500 times. One of the things I do understand is officials are human….I don’t think that is why we lost the game. I just know that Cotie is the leading scorer, the Newcomer of the Year, all the things — and she plays 20 minutes (of the game). It’s disappointing because these fans deserved more than that, the game deserves more than that. I just feel officiating as a whole needs to be looked at. I’m not just talking about this game..”
Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin
Minnesota ended the first quarter on a 15-6 run while McMahon was on the bench.
The Gophers shot 50% from the field in the first two quarters, including 4-for-6 on three-pointers. One of those threes was a halfcourt, buzzer-beater that gave them a five-point lead.
The second quarter was better for the Rebels, but even McMahon’s return to action couldn’t help fully close the gap. Several trips to the charity stripe (10-of-12) helped make the deficit just three points at halftime.
Second Half
McMahon’s foul trouble ended up being very costly.
Ole Miss had its chances in the final four minutes after McMahon fouled out of the game with the Rebels leading 59-54. She was a big reason, when in the game, Ole Miss played more like its usual “dictate and disrupt” style, going fast, forcing turnovers and getting to the foul line.The Gophers were the ones who looked out-of-sync. But once McMahon left, so did a key part of the Rebels’ offense.
Minnesota ended the game on an 11-4 run — yet only regained the lead back with 14.2 seconds remaining in the game.
Ole Miss had its chance and they nearly won the game that would have sent them to the Sweet 16.
Latasha Lattimore’s baseline drive for a layup was well drawn up and executed even better. However, it left 3.2 seconds on the clock which was more than enough time for the Gophers to inbound, dribble a few steps and drain the game-winning bucket.
Even then, Ole Miss wasn’t beaten. With 0.8 seconds on the clock, the Rebels drew up another play that gave Tianna Thompson a good look for a three. The shot, though, bounced off the front of the rim and the season comes to an end with the 65-63 loss.
Give Coach Yo’s Rebels credit. They never quit. When the regular season ended with a four-game losing streak and everyone had written them off, they dominated at the SEC Tournament, easily handling Gonzaga in the first round and come up just inches short of another Sweet 16 trip.
Team 51 didn’t achieve all of its goals, but it should be proud of the season it had and look towards a bright future for this program.
Ole Miss Leaders vs. Minnesota
- Points: Sira Thienou, 18
- Rebounds: Christeen Iwuala, 6
- Assists: Cotie McMahon, 4
Next Up
The NCAA transfer portal opens April 6 for 15 days. With seven seniors on the current roster, look for Coach Yo to be very active — and very successful — yet again. Of course the Rebels do have some very talented players — like sophomores Sira Thienou and Tianna Thompson — who will be anchors for Team 52.
Related
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception. Email Evie at: Evie@TheRebelWalk.com
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