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Men of Color

Mohamed Salah Abdi

Educator and English Language Learner (ELL) Coordinator

Born: State of Jubaland, Somalia
Heritage: Somali
Songbook: View PDF
Themes:

Said Salah Ahmed

Award-Winning Author, Playwright and Teacher

Born: Somalia
Heritage: Somali

Benjamin Akhigbe

Nigerian native who is a business owner and building contractor

Born: Bendel State, Nigeria
Heritage: Nigerian
Themes:

Albert Alexander

Banker and College Athlete

Born: Meridian, MS, United States
Heritage: African American

Adan Amin Awil

Adan was raised in a nomadic family, yet able to secure a college degree in London, England. He worked for the Somalian government, but was forced to flee with his family from the Civil War to the United States in 1996. Adan worked in the Minneapolis Public School District until retiring.

Born: Somalia
Heritage: Somali
Themes:

Mohamed Barkhale

Somalia Native and Recent Immigrant

Born: Mogadishu, Somalia
Heritage: Somalian

Shlomo Berinhun

Born: Kaheh, Ethiopia
Heritage: Ethiopian Jew

Antoine Berryman

Agent Berryman is the officer in charge of all of the Safety Patrols in Minneapolis. He has had a lot of experience in law enforcement and business.

Born: Randolph, MA, United States
Heritage: African American
Themes:

Paul Besseck

Cameroon-Born Firefighter and Father

Born: Cameroon
Heritage: African

George Booker

Chemical Dependency Counselor and Volunteer Coach

Born: Minneapolis, MN, United States
Heritage: African American
Themes:

Lawrence Brown

Tuskegee Airman and North Minneapolis Native

Born: Minneapolis, MN, United States
Heritage: African American

Stanley Brown

Harlem Boys Choir Member & School Teacher

Born: Harlem, NY, United States
Heritage: African American

Luis Campoverde

Navy Veteran, Security Guard and Machinist

Born: Lima, Peru
Heritage: Peruvian

Kelly Chatman

Pastor for Redeemer Lutheran Church in North Minneapolis

Born: Jackson, TN, United States
Heritage: African American
Themes:

Samuel Wagner Cooke

Graduated with a Secondary Education Degree. Fled during the Civil War and settled in Minnesota, where he received a Masters degree and works in the Robbinsdale School District.

Born: Talla, Liberia
Heritage: Liberian
Themes:

Mauricio Córdova

Industrial Engineer with Sara Lee

Born: Quito, Ecuador
Heritage: Ecuadorian

Henry Crosby

First African-American male in a Fortune 500 company. Currently the Executive Director of the North Community YMCA Youth and Teen Enrichment Center.

Born: Chicago, IL, United States
Heritage: African American
Themes:

Francisco Mendez Diaz

Steel Worker, Medical Student and Navy Veteran from Mexico

Born: Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Heritage: Mexican

William Lewis Dye, Jr.

African American alumnus of Sanford Middle School who chose to serve his country as a Sergeant in the Marines and later became an anesthesiologist.

Born: Minneapolis, MN, United States
Heritage: African American

Leslie Ellis

African-American Army Veteran and Medical Researcher

Born: Richmond, VA, United States
Heritage: African American

Mehdi Eslamou

Persian Historian and Sufi Immigrant from Iran

Born: Tehran, Iran
Heritage: Iranian

Mohamed Essa

Somalian Immigrant and Community Worker

Born: Yemen
Heritage: Somali

Michael Favor

Born in Athens, Georgia during the Civil Rights Movement. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971. Graduated with a degree in Sociology, Social Work, and Coaching.

Born: Athens, GA, United States
Heritage: African American

Willie Fort

Principal of Valley View Elementary School

Born: Nashville, TN, United States
Heritage: African American

Mario Galindo

Physical Education teacher at Hiawatha Elementary and Hennepin County Juvenile Corrections Officer.

Born: El Paso, TX, United States
Heritage: Mexican-American
Themes:

Albert Gallmon

Reverend of Missionary Fellowship Baptist Church

Born: Tampa, FL, United States
Heritage: African-American

Shedrick Garett

KMOJ Radio DJ, Actor and Comedian

Born: Denver, CO, United States
Heritage: African American
Themes:

Russell Craig Gary

NFL Football Player and Youth Worker

Born: Minneapolis, MN, United States
Heritage: African American

Charles Garjay Goah

Born in Monrovia, Liberia. Immigrated to the United States in 1988. Father. Husband. Ordained minister.

Born: Monrovia, Liberia
Heritage: Bassa
Themes:

Angel Gonzales

Born: Mexico
Heritage: Mexican
Themes:

Jose Gonzalez

Mexico Native and Jack-of-All-Trades

Born: Yautepec, MOR, Mexico
Heritage: Mexican

Manny Granroos

Police Liaison for Sanford Middle School

Born: Leech Lake Indian Reservation, MN, United States
Heritage: Native American

Jed Hamoud

Bedouin Immigrant and IT Specialist

Born: Lebanon
Heritage: Bedouin

Ruhel Islam

Follower of the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Owns Gandhi Mahal restaurant in the Longfellow community of Minneapolis.

Born: Bangladesh
Heritage: Bangladeshi
Themes:

Baldomero Jauregui

Cook at Julie’s Café and the Cookery in Door County

Born: Guadalajara, Mexico
Heritage: Hispanic
Themes:

Harry Jenkins

Ex-Chicago Gang Member & School Security Guard

Born: Chicago, IL, United States
Heritage: African American

Eric Jolly

First Nation storyteller, scientist, and President of the Science Museum of Minnesota. Widely recognized for his work with youth, families, communities and policy-makers, as well as contributions to mathematics and science education.

Born: RI, United States
Heritage: Native American
Themes:

Geneti Kumsa

Pharmacist who now works as a liaison for Minneapolis Public Schools

Born: Rural Western, Ethiopia
Heritage: Ethiopian

Leo Lara

Ecuadorian-born musician who grew up on a sugar plantation for African descendants.

Born: Cuajara, Ecuador
Heritage: African / Ecuadorian

M. Eprevel Law

Entomologist

Born: Chicago, IL, United States
Heritage: African American, German Irish and Jewish

Aydarus Abshir Mahamud

Studied to become a doctor, but fled to Kenya from the civil war. Husband and father of four children.

Born: Howlwadaag, Somalia
Heritage: Somali
Songbook: View PDF

Joaquin Martinez

Born: Teotlalco, Mexico
Heritage: Mexican
Themes:

Koffi Mbairamadji

African Storyteller and Author from Chad

Born: Moundou, Chad
Heritage: Chadian

Salvador Mendoza

Father and Restaurant Worker

Born: Zapotlan del Rey, Mexico
Heritage: Mexican

Harold Mezile

President and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis. As a child who grew up during segregation and the Civil Rights Movement, Mezile has dedicated his life to empowering youth in urban and suburban communities.

Born: Kansas City, MO, United States
Heritage: African American

Abdivizak Mohamud

Recent St Louis Park resident from Somalia

Born: Mogadishu, Somalia
Heritage: Somalian

Shrin Murthy

Vice President for Administrative Services, Dairy Queen & Hindu from India

Born: Small Village, India
Heritage: Asian Indian, Hindu

Melkamu Negeri

Oromo Minister & Refugee from Ethiopia

Born: Ethiopia
Heritage: Oromian

Thu Van Nguyen

South Vietnamese Veteran and Reeducation Camp Survivor

Born: Vietnam
Heritage: Vietnamese

Charles Nichols, Sr.

Advisor to President Johnson, Director of Vocational Education & Founder of Flying Club for Youth of Color

Born: Duluth, MN, United States
Heritage: African American

News & Events

Cashton, WI - 8th Grade Leadership will host a Cashton Community Celebration in honor of Mrs. Marian Sullivan Schwarz’s 104th Birthday at the Cashton Community Hall on Wednesday, October 18, 2017, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM.  

Community Celebration of Place is partnering with Little Free Library on Saturday, May 21, in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the first-ever Little Free Library Festival.

Join highly acclaimed author Kent Nerburn and Larry Long, Executive Director of Community Celebration of Palce for an evening of songs, stories and music.

Save Our History!

During 2017-2018, it is a primary program of Community Celebration of Place to transfer their collection into archives that will be open to the public for generations to come

We can not do this work without you.

Testimonials

My heartfelt thanks to Larry Long and all the voices from which our history continues to generate encouragement, enthusiasm and wisdom.

Arlo Guthrie, Songwriter, Son of Woody Guthrie

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