Recent content from Myron Medcalf
Medcalf: Dialogue about school resource officers failed our kids
Our children deserve a more holistic approach to their well-being than the one presented in this conversation. Instead of chokeholds and policing, what about relationships and resources?
Medcalf: My quest to read more books led me to 'reading therapist' in St. Paul
Limit Netflix viewing, go on reading dates with friends and other advice to get back to reading more.
Medcalf: As a new school year begins, Minnesota's teachers and students need our support now more than ever
Aftershocks of pandemic have made a tough job even more challenging for teachers, and it will take all of us to fix it.
Medcalf: What Minnesota's wealth gap says about opportunity and power structure
If we are to see real progress in addressing gender and racial economic disparities, companies must do more to recognize and reward the impact of women and BIPOC individuals.
Medcalf: Minnesota's new policy banning school suspensions for our youngest students is progress
Law aims to curb discipline bias in schools, especially during the critical early years.
Medcalf: An apology was in order, Mayor Frey
Why did it take a federal investigation into Minneapolis police conduct to confirm for city leaders what Black Minneapolitans have been saying for years?
Medcalf: On embracing the wonderful, imperfect journey of fatherhood
Fatherhood is a responsibility and a chance to embrace growth.
Medcalf: Decision to remove hoops from park to fight crime is cruel
The decision follows two recent shootings in six weeks at River Bend Park in Savage. Officials do not shut down baseball diamonds and hockey rinks. But basketball rims are an easy target,
Medcalf: At George Floyd Square and beyond, the vow to never forget continues
The "Rise and Remember" event to mark the May 25 anniversary of Floyd's murder is a testament to a community's strength and perseverance.
Medcalf: Join us for a timely discussion with the author of 'Solito'
When I started the Mary Ann Key Book Club two years ago — with the support and partnership of the Star Tribune, the Hennepin County…
Medcalf: How much should parents post about their children?
A Minnesota mom who rewarded her son for staying off social media weighs in.
Medcalf: Is gun violence really the legacy we want to leave for our children?
Those who live with the pain of that violence watch headlines about the tragedies disappear in 24 hours.
Medcalf: The legacy of Minnesota artist, thinker Beverly Cottman
The loss of BIPOC elders carries impact in their significance to the foundations of the community.
Medcalf: Javier Zamora's 'Solito' is spring reading selection for anti-racism book club
The memoir explores the complex story of the immigrant experience.
Medcalf: Nothing like a Minnesota snowstorm to unite us
Drama aside, tough winters here remind us that we're all in this together
Medcalf: Aldi's closing is a reminder of how north Minneapolis community is starved of key resources
For some, the store's decision to leave is not just an inconvenience — it's a death sentence.
Medcalf: No woman should have to live in fear for her life for rejecting a man
We should not allow ourselves to become desensitized to the ongoing partner violence by men that cost women their lives.
Medcalf: On rethinking the way we approach New Year goals
I no longer believe in resolutions, only growth.
Medcalf: Do social media posts of good deeds actually spur others to do good?
I worry these public displays have turned random acts of kindness into an exploitative ambition.
Medcalf: Therapy is a valuable tool in dealing with life's struggles
Many men could benefit from mental health treatment, but are reluctant to seek help
Medcalf: Minnesota woman who suffered in prison discovered writing was her therapy — and her talent
Barbara Currin put pencil to paper and found herself.
Medcalf: Minnesota designer seeks to uplift people with clothing line sporting positive messages
The 22-year-old started working on his streetwear brand during the pandemic to bring light to those around him.
Medcalf: The anti-racism book club meets Thursday in Minneapolis. Join us!
It will be the first in-person gathering since the Mary Ann Key Book Club began in the wake of George Floyd's murder.
Medcalf: What Steve Sviggum's question reveals about the University of Minnesota
The vice chair of the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents just made the system's institutions less safe for its BIPOC students.
Medcalf: Why I wanted to allow people to post comments on my column
The comments can lead to fruitful dialogue in real life.
Medcalf: Join us for our anti-racism book club talk about late author's prophetic lessons
Octavia E. Butler's writings — suggesting involving young people and connecting through our shared humanity — are key to curing societal ills.
Medcalf: Give Minneapolis teachers of color a chance to be there for students who need them most
The toxic dialogue around the Minneapolis teachers' contract ignores the impact teachers of color have on the school district and students who resemble them.
Medcalf: A survival guide for teen girls and their loving parents
Six wise Minnesota women offer advice to their younger selves about navigating high school.
Medcalf: Rethinking masculinity for the next generation
Altering the perception of masculinity among our young men is key to shepherding them to the future.
Medcalf: Fall selection for anti-racism book club offers a measure of promise
Octavia Butler's "The Parable of the Sower" is a dystopian novel that speaks to today's challenges, offers remedy for change
Medcalf: Minnesotans who are experiencing homelessness deserve to be seen, heard
A walk with two outreach workers offered an introduction to those living in tents and on the streets — and to their hopes and dreams
Medcalf: The lasting damage of Mpls. Council Member Rainville's rant
In ways he cannot understand, Michael Rainville has hurt the Somali American community in Minnesota and beyond.
Medcalf: Take a vacation this summer, Minnesotans — you deserve it
Unplugging from work occasionally is healthy, and a choice we don't make as often as we should.
Medcalf: Black outdoorsman wants BIPOC Minnesotans to see state's parks, trails as theirs, too
He has hiked around the world in places accessible to all, but not always viewed as inclusive.
Medcalf: It's OK to laugh, even in these tough times, Black comedians in Minnesota say
Black comedians in Minnesota talk about their art and the power of laughter
Medcalf: How to reconnect with friends you've lost touch with during the pandemic
It can be a struggle to find our social stride now that the world has opened up again.
Medcalf: Minnesota artist's work is a form of activism and connection for Native American community
Marlena Myles is among the featured speakers at an upcoming anti-racism book club community discussion
Medcalf: Inside the world of Minnesota sneakerheads
A growing community of sneaker aficionados sees footwear as a mode of self-expression
Medcalf: An invitation to learn U.S. history from an Indigenous perspective
Upcoming Mary Ann Key Book Club event features former teacher who helped adapt popular book for young people.
Medcalf: Next book club selection to focus on 'America's most overlooked community'
Mary Ann Book Club's next selection is "An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States For Young People."
Medcalf: What happened to Amir Locke feels like it could happen to any Black Minnesotan
If it happens to me, what happens to us, investigate the investigation.
Medcalf: Friendly encounter with war veteran in greater Minnesota is a reminder of empathy's power
The pandemic has contributed to an erosion of our collective empathy – a tool that helps unite us.
Medcalf: Getting to know the real Martin Luther King Jr.
Let's honor him by studying the full story of his struggle and not just excerpts from his famous speeches.
Medcalf: Minnesota women speak about bell hooks' impact on their lives
The late scholar and author birthed a generation of Black women who were empowered by her ideas.
Medcalf: Verdict won't end the pain for those closest to Wright
Testimony showed the trauma friends and family have suffered
Medcalf: What Black Minnesotans are feeling hopeful about
'The greatest privilege of this space is the people I've met through this journey'
Medcalf: A letter to Daunte Wright's family
Let's not lose sight of the fact that we will never know his potential because his life was cut short.
Medcalf: For many Minnesotans, hunger is part of their new normal since pandemic
Hunger is closer to all of us than we may realize.
Medcalf: Why I chose not to attend Dave Chappelle's Minneapolis show
The comedian, an influential voice on racism, has the power to shape the perception of the LGBTQ community, another marginalized group that is full of Black folks he claims to defend.
Medcalf: Minneapolis election result feels like the start, not the end, of police reform fight
To ignore that view is to dismiss the diversified push to create systemic change and to avoid another tragedy.
Medcalf: Minnesota book club to encourage solidarity with Asian American communities
"Minor Feelings" has been filled with reflections on the parallels between the Asian American and the Black communities.
Medcalf: For joy on 8 wheels, roll onto Burnsville rink
At the roller rink, there is equality and diversity that illustrate the possibilities within the Twin Cities.
Medcalf: It's time to start seeing and valuing Black, single mothers in Minnesota
Single, Black mothers are held to an impossible standard without substantial support.
Medcalf: Minnesota's 'teen whisperer' humbled by support he's received during cancer fight
Accustomed to providing support for others, Jason Clopton recently displayed his own vulnerability as he discussed his next steps.
Medcalf: Black children continue to lose their lives to gun violence. It's a Minnesota problem.
There is a long line of young victims and, in many cases, young shooters.
Medcalf: In Minn., boarding school trauma inflicted on Indigenous communities must be acknowledged
Native American history has been buried by a country that knows it cannot be discussed without the admission of complicity.
Medcalf: Donut Trap owner offers a message of hope for a Black community navigating a turbulent world
Through his doughnuts, he has created a platform for dialogue.
Medcalf: Next book chosen for anti-racism book club focuses on Asian American reckoning
The goal of this choice is to demand respect for the perspectives of our Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
Medcalf: Changes to George Floyd Square threaten to scrub history
The city's move to reopen the intersection follows the playbook in a country that loves to move on when race is involved.
Medcalf: A love letter to the young Black men in Minneapolis I failed
Our children have a right to live.
Medcalf: Will powerful white Minnesotans live up to promises made after George Floyd's murder?
Until white people collectively commit to the empathy necessary to unravel systemic racism, this place will be ripe for more horror.
Medcalf: Antiracism book club explores caste in America
In Chris Rock's 2008 comedy special, "Kill the Messenger," he discusses the limited diversity in his affluent neighborhood in Alpine, N.J. At the time, the…
Medcalf: Compliance during Minnesota police encounters is only strictly required if you're Black
Reform, in the future, will be tested in a place now known for police killings,
Medcalf: Chauvin trial verdict offers glimmer of hope of what Minnesota can become
Although the darkness still lingers, the sun poked through the clouds on Tuesday.
Medcalf: Gawking at Black pain steals our humanity
What's the line between reporting atrocities and feeding fascination with Black trauma?
Medcalf: Blackness too often seen as act of resistance by Minn. police
Once again we are asked to tell the world how bad this feels.
Medcalf: In Minnesota and across country, Asian Americans are under attack and need our support
Minutes into my FaceTime conversation with Anthea Yur about the recent anti-Asian attacks around the country, I was struck by her vigor for change, as…
Medcalf: Join a local anti-racism book club for all Minnesotans
The Mary Ann Key Book Club is a collaboration with Hennepin County Library, the Friends of Hennepin County Library and the Star Tribune.
Medcalf: Security buildup before Derek Chauvin trial risks stifling voice of marginalized communities
If the line between protesters and opportunists isn't drawn and respected, it could create more challenges for all involved
Medcalf: Racism, not a highway, tore apart St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood
They didn't just build a major highway through a Black neighborhood in the 1950s and 1960s. They killed dreams.
Medcalf: Minnesota artists uphold, demonstrate the timeless power of Black music
I've loved hip-hop music since I was a kid. It's filled with vivid imagery, anchored by defiance. Local rapper Nur-D, real name Matt Allen, and…
Medcalf: For far too long, voices of Black women in fight for justice have been ignored
Throughout the history of the movement for equality, Black women have been denied the recognition they've deserved.
Medcalf: White Minnesotans who ask why BLM protests police shootings, not homicides, aren't being honest
Those who ask why BLM protests police shootings, not homicides, aren't being honest
Medcalf: In 2021, Minnesotans shouldn't need another tragic image to commit to change
I remember pressing a gray button to get my voicemail messages and hearing the menacing voice. I was 20 years old, serving as the editor-in-chief…
Medcalf: How can Minnesotans face the truth about racism, past and present? Start with a book
To ponder the past is not an optional quest for a Black person in this country.
