Minneapolis, MN
Out to Lunch: Bishop Richard Howell leads north Minneapolis with forgiveness and love
On Minnesota Now, we hear from many different people in Minnesota over the phone and in the studio. But we don’t often meet them in the community, where news — and life — happens. In our ‘Out to Lunch’ series, MPR News host Nina Moini sits down for a meal with people from Minnesota news and culture to get to know them better.
Our lunch guest: Bishop Richard Howell
The restaurant: Good Day Café in Golden Valley
The following has been edited for length and clarity. Use the audio player above for the full conversation.
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Your family has a long history in Minneapolis. You were the first Black child to integrate Northeast Junior High School.
In the 1960s the Civil Rights Movement was going strong. But up here in Minnesota, we were ignorant and behind the times when it came to understanding integration and civil rights. So when I went to Northeast Junior High School, I was scared. I was in seventh grade. A lot of people at my school in Northeast had never seen an African American before.
It was a cultural shock for myself, and so it took a long time for us to get adapted and adjust to a new school system.
Kids would ask me if I was the son of Early Battey. Earl Battey played for the Minnesota Twins. He was the African American catcher, and he was very popular. The Twins went to the World Series playing the L.A. Dodgers around that time. So when they asked me if I was Earl’s son, I said yeah. And it worked! I was like a celebrity. I didn’t give it up for a long time.
Bishop Richard D. Howell, Jr. takes a bite of quiche during lunch at the Good Day Cafe in Golden Valley, Minn., on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. Ben Hovland | MPR News
What led you to ministry?
My mother’s parents were pastors of Shiloh Temple. They founded Shiloh Temple in 1931. So that’s the church I grew up in, and it’s the church I still pastor today.
When they learned that I was the first Black person that integrated Northeast Junior High School, the Minneapolis Star Tribune interviewed me. In that article I said I wanted to be a bible teacher. That was my first time announcing that. After that announcement was made as a 14 year old kid, there was something moving in my spirit. It wasn’t really about civil rights. It was like something was going on spiritually that was impacting my conscience and my destiny.
Give me more of an idea of what Shiloh Temple does. You’re not just showing up there on Sunday mornings.
There’s a lot going on in the community. I believe that the church should be open 24/7. And I think the best products we have to give to the community are love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.
We’ve had to deal with funerals galore. We have people that came from around the country, high profile people, who came for funerals. We’ve dealt with little children being molested, bullets flying through windows and killing children. We’ve had funerals after very traumatic events. The ability to open the doors, to hold something like that, is a lot of work. That’s ministry. It’s not a performance or a national broadcast. It’s dealing with life and nature.
MPR News host Nina Moini wipes away a tear as she chats with Bishop Richard D. Howell, Jr. during lunch at the Good Day Cafe in Golden Valley, Minn., on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
Ben Hovland | MPR News
How are you processing five years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and George Floyd’s murder?
That was one of the most unusual seasons that I’ve ever experienced in ministry. I think ministers need to stop being superhuman and tell people that I cry too. I hurt, I’m angry. It’s okay not to be okay sometimes, right?
During that period, I had to say something that was not easy to say. I had to say that the person that put his knee on the neck of George Floyd, we need to pray for him too and love him, and perhaps forgive him. That was not easy. I couldn’t believe I said it. Yes, we had a Black man that was killed. But do we go around hating? Or can we try to try to find some justice of love? There is a lot of hurt, hate and anger there. But we just can’t keep living in a attitude of hate and divisiveness. And so can we have hope in a world of hate? Can we have love in the midst of hate? So I think that’s what we need to understand, the power of bringing hope, faith and love to a very painful situation.
Time for our Last Bite: What are the ingredients to a life of service?
You gotta love people. Here’s what I’ve learned: celebrate people on every journey they’re on. There are so many people on edge, and what better service can we give than to sit where they sit, work with them, cry with them, speak with them, laugh with them, rejoice with them and give them hope? That’s God’s will. If you can do that, you’ve got a foot in the door.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis salon is turning heads by mixing rock and roll with haircuts, creating a one-of-a-kind experience for music lovers.
A salon where music and haircuts go hand in hand
What we know:
HiFi Hair and Records sits on the edge of downtown Minneapolis, marked by a leopard print awning and a vibe that’s all about community through music.
“I tried to model it after a barbershop,” said Jonny Clifford, owner of the salon.
Clifford opened the shop in 2011, inspired by his father who introduced him to music and was battling terminal cancer at the time.
The salon brings together the hum of blow dryers and the sounds of rock and roll, with Clifford saying, “Music is the uniter. Most everyone who is alive today grew up on rock and roll.”
He added a record store the following year, letting customers browse new and used vinyl and CDs while waiting for their appointment.
“I jokingly refer to it as the coolest waiting room in the city,” said Clifford.
The shop is filled with memorabilia from music legends like Elvis, David Bowie and The Monkees. There’s even a wall dedicated to Minnesota’s local music scene.
Clifford said, “We’ve got Bobby V who I think never gets enough credit for his contributions to music in Minnesota.”
Clifford’s journey from punk haircuts to community hub
Why you should care:
Clifford started cutting hair in the early 1980s because he and his friends in southwest Minneapolis couldn’t afford the punk haircuts they wanted.
Now, he not only looks the part—”Ronny Wood, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, I’m always like old Keith Richards or young Keith Richards”—but he helps others feel like rock stars too.
“People are like make me look like a rock star and that is sort of a universal term right. Everyone wants to look like a rock star,” said Clifford.
His goal is simple:
“If I can make a living and raise my family, pay my bills, have a business and be a part of a community, that is important to me. I win. That’s everything,” said Clifford.
He is passionate about giving a boost to local musicians, saying, “I think they need it more. I love Lady Gaga and The Rolling Stones, but they are doing fine. Our local people haven’t made it national yet. They could use a voice. They could use a boost, and they need to be heard.”
The salon’s rhythm is all about joy, music and community, and Clifford plans to keep it going.
“Til I kick over. I’ll probably be back standing behind the chair. And someone will complain I didn’t finish their haircut,” said Clifford.
HiFi Hair and Records continues to be a place where music and style meet, giving Minnesota’s music scene a little extra volume.
EDINA, Minn. (FOX 9) – A deadly shooting in Edina sparked a massive police response and forced a lockdown at nearby businesses at Southdale Mall on Wednesday as police are searching for the suspects.
Deadly Edina shooting
What we know:
Edina police responded around 12:30 p.m. to the report of a shooting along West 66th Street near Southdale Mall.
At the scene, officers found one victim with a gunshot wound. Officers tried to revive the victim but say they ultimately died from their wounds.
Local perspective:
Police say the suspects ran from the scene. As a precaution, they advised nearby businesses to go into lockdown. FOX 9 learned that MHealth Fairview also went into lockdown procedures as a precaution.
Aerial video from the scene showed the investigation appeared to be focused around an apartment building across from the mall. Police say the apartment building is described as a transitional housing.
Avoid the area
Big picture view:
Police are asking the public to avoid the area as the investigation is underway. Officers have blocked off West 66th for the time being.
Police say they are looking for more than one suspect involved in the shooting.
What we don’t know:
Police say some people were taken into custody at the scene but it’s unclear what their role was in relation to the shooting.
Law enforcement near the 3300 block of W. 66th Street in Edina. (FOX 9)
Minneapolis, MN
Ellison, Minneapolis, St. Paul update lawsuit against Operation Metro Surge with new data
(ABC 6 News) – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis and Saint Paul updated their lawsuit over Operation Metro Surge with new survey data on economic harm.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego conducted two surveys tied to the amended lawsuit. The lawsuit says the federal operation violated the Constitution and caused lasting economic damage.
The first survey was done between February and March and included nearly 1,400 residents. It found workers lost more than $240 million in wages during the operation.
A separate newly released survey of about 900 businesses found more than $600 million in lost revenue. The updated lawsuit from Keith Ellison and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul adds that new data to its claims.
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