East African PAC schedules voter forum

The first candidate forum of the general election campaign for Minneapolis school board will be held Sept. 6 by a political action committee for local East Africans. The session to which all candidates have been invited, whether opposed for election or not, will be held at the Brian Coyle Center, 420 15^th Av. S., from 6-8 p.m. An informal meet-and-greet session for candidates and voters will be held afterward. The forum is sponsored by the New Americans Political Action Committee, which works to encourage participation by East Africans in the state's political process. PAC representative Mohamud Noor said that issues of the achievement gap and equity in educational opportunity are important to East African families and voters. He said some specific issues include the lack of a breakout in test results and other academic measurements for students who are or are descended from East African immigrants, who typically are lumped in with American-born blacks. and the layoff of district teachers and other staff who are of East African descent. The election features two unopposed candidates, Tracine Asberry in southwest Minneapolis, and Kim Ellison on the North Side. There is a two-person contest for the citywide seat between incumbent Carla Bates, seeking a second term, and nurse Doug Mann. Patty Wycoff and Josh Reimnitz are competing for the district seat in the downtown-Isles area.