The special city council meeting to order roll call, please.

Yang Bowie.

Here.

Coleman.

Johnson.

Joest.

Kim.

Council President Naker.

Here.

We have one item.

Item one.

Resolution 26-996 recognizing June 2026 as Black Music Month in the City of St.

Paul and honoring the third annual Black Music Month honorees.

Booy.

Oh, I think we have a video for our song.

Okay.

Okay.

Yep.

I think it's on.

There it goes.

Thank you.

And you the straight and home.

Your mind and descendants of kings and queens.

Royal blood flows to your veins.

Children of the dream.

Hold your head up.

No matter what.

No way you can sing it.

No matter what, no more to make it go.

You got a message from above, you can go for the royalty.

If you've never been told, time for you to know your royalty.

Don't stop till you reach the car.

Hold your head up high.

No matter what, no way you can take it.

No more than it's no longer.

Oh, yeah, you are.

If you've never been told, time for you to know your voice.

So beautiful.

So do you know?

You got a message from above, we know the voice.

And your mouth.

If you've never been told, time for you to know your boy.

We got a message for.

We got a message from above the boy.

My brother, my brother, my young team.

You've never been told that time to the boy.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Koksa If we went out.

Got this message.

I'm spreading the most high.

Upon my kings and queens of all time.

Blessed met a color.

Original K ruler.

Slave that made it way metaphorically.

We got a message from the bug.

Children of the tree.

If you've never been told, time for you to know your good.

Time for you to know your good.

Your royalty.

You've never been told.

Tell me to know your good.

If you've never been told, time for you to know your words.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Welcome.

What you just heard earlier was from Sounds of Blackness featuring the high school for recording art students.

Especially if you live anywhere.

Okay.

Thank you, OTC.

From uh Sounds of Blackness featuring high school for Recording Arts students and faculty.

Myself, and also Pierre Fulford had the pleasure and honor uh to not only be uh educators there, but also to be students there as well.

And uh we both had uh co-taught the class royalty.

Uh so this is really a full-circle experience uh when we think about the full full circle experience when we think about just uh you know the people who are contributing not only to the vitality and the culture and the arts um and the growth and development for our city.

Uh also I want to recognize uh Sounds of Blackness was our second annual Black Music Month honorees.

Uh so you know it's a really amazing opportunity to keep uplifting um so many artists in our community.

Uh this is the third annual Black Music Month celebration, and I just want to thank my colleagues for being president in full attendance on this day.

This uh year we are actually hosting it as a special meeting just so we can have more time and be able to recognize our amazing artists.

Uh, it's also important that we celebrate Juneteenth and honor not only the talents but the major contributions of our neighbors who are committed to growing the arts, culture, and legacy of black music.

Music is a universal language, and the power of art is the greatest unifier.

And as this country is currently celebrating its 250-50th year anniversary and reckoning with the question on who belongs and who can be called an American and whose history matters.

It's important that we it's excuse me, it's critical that we uplift the voices whose blood, sweat, and tears continuously sacrifice to build our capital city.

Black music is American music, and as we are honoring many of the artists and leaders and organizations today, it is important that we commit um our values to what we do here inside of the chambers uh towards uplifting our programs.

I'm going to also transition uh here where I'm going to uh promote the get down program from the parks and recs.

When we think about um in the city of St.

Paul, where we are striving to not only close racial wealth gaps and design programs that uh are for our young people to have opportunities to actualize their power and to build trusted relationships and mentorship to actually invest in their dreams.

I can't think of another program outside of the Get Down program that really um uh utilizes not only hip hop but all genres and performing arts and really cultivate our young folks.

So I'm gonna invite uh some of the uh staff here.

We have Andy Rockwood and Shayna here from the Get Down program uh to speak a little bit about the program um and as well as some of the exciting events coming up, and then we have a video uh from Director Andy Rodriguez.

Good afternoon.

Thank you, Council President, thank you, Council Bowie, thank you, council members, for this opportunity.

My name is Shana Abraham.

Um, I have the privilege of being the rec services manager for St.

Paul Parks and Recreation.

Um, the get down is one of our newest programs and uh a spectacular way for young people to get mentorship and support in finding their voice through music.

We have a lot of team members who are very passionate about music on our team.

Um so it's also a great way for us to give our team opportunities to tap into their passions while they work.

Um I'm gonna turn it over to Andy, who's gonna talk on behalf of the young people who we couldn't get to join us today because they actually have their first meeting in about a half hour.

So um, thank you for joining me, Andy.

Hi, everyone.

Uh, it's an honor to be here.

Um I did not know I would be speaking so or earlier today, though I did wear the get-down shirt.

Um, so forgive me if I'm a little ill prepared.

Um like Shana was saying, the get down um began two years ago as uh youth uh focused hip hop concert series.

Um we've since expanded that into a concert series and weekly mentorship program, um collaborating with local artists such as DJ Big Mike and Terrell X, city staff that are artistically inclined, including myself.

Um it's been a real one of my greatest uh joys working with this program uh with the parts department.

Um seeing kids really come into their own as artists, build confidence.

Um I always live for that moment uh when they get off stage and have this that glow on their face.

Um I really feel as like we're creating lifelong artists.

Um a lot of them have returned and done it again, or are coming back now as instructors themselves, and I see them out in the world collaborating and making music together on their own.

So it really feels like we're we're literally building a music scene in St.

Paul, which is just a beautiful, amazing thing.

Um just amazing experience that came to mind.

Um we culminated the second year with a show at Harriet Island.

Um D, the rapper was our headliner, and one of my kids came up to me and was like, hey, can can I talk to him?

And I was like, This is also your show.

Yes, you can go go talk to him.

Um but they also get to have their music played on Frogtown Radio.

Um they have access to a recording studio now, um, and it's just an awesome thing to see them get these opportunities.

I'll go quickly through um the list of shows that we have this summer.

Um they've played at uh places like 825 Arts, done the big festival show down at Harriet Island.

Um this year we have a show on July 9th at Arlington Hills on July 30th at Dayton's Bluffrex Center, uh August 4th at MLK, and then our big all-day kind of music fest is on August 29th at Raspberry Island.

All that's on St.

Paul.gov if you don't remember it.

Uh honored to be here.

Thank you for letting us talk.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Paul get down is an opportunity for up and coming young artists who have had some experience with music but want to get their chops a little sharper.

They get the opportunity to write, record, own their own music, and perform at different venues all over St.

Paul.

I am a facilitator who's coming in to talk to them about live performances, how to get their merch game right, how to be the best collaborators.

I've been part of the St.

Paul Get Down for two years.

I think music is really a big thing when it comes to connections.

I got to meet a lot of cool people, being able to help them with beat making, rapping, and have them being able to perform it too.

It's just uh amazing honor, a lot of youth this age, they have talent, but they're also in these streets.

And hopefully they can come to a program like this and say to themselves, you know what, I don't have to be in the streets.

I can invest in the talent that I have and turn that into something that allows me to live a better life.

So I feel really privileged to work with these youth, and I've learned so much important with them.

So we take the writing aspect to a very great level.

We're able to listen to everyone's emotions, feelings, and be able to express that not only outside of their home, but also on the stage.

For me as an artist, I'm able to vent more on the stage on the microphone with people like the same podcast.

You want to come up with just to give young people an opportunity to play on a stage that epic and with professional sound equipment, professional lighting, everything that happened for like a manifestation to be on that moment, to be on that stage.

It just felt right.

I've learned how to really focus on your craft, your stage presence and all of that.

It was very life-changing.

I think that the age range 14 to 24 is lacking programming.

So to have this space not only to have artists, but then encourage their friends and their fans to gather in a positive space.

It's like so many times we see young people at that age group gathering and people get concerned about it, and it's like they just want a place to belong.

Families and people of all ages need to experience positive hip hop because it gets such a negative rap, no pun intended.

Music knows no age, it knows no community, it knows no color, it just connects people.

I just I just love it.

Next year we're gonna make it bigger and better.

I can't wait to do it again.

Yes.

I think we need some of the young people to get down to help us with our professional sound.

Yes, yes.

Well, now you see it, you see it.

Um the get down program is one of my favorites.

I know myself and council president Naker had a chance to go last year.

It was so much energy.

Um, even the year before last, I believe um Brother Ali was one of the headliners, international artists, so right here in the Twin Cities.

So if you have a chance, please go out and support our young artists and um also you know support support our artists, not only in our programs, but outside uh when they go to, you know, if they're in Minneapolis or some of them are performing outside of the state of Minnesota as well.

So uh we're now getting into the meat and potatoes of our uh honorees here.

I'm going to just begin by reading our resolution that just lays out the groundwork in the background on why this Black Music Month is important.

Um, and also I'm gonna go into reading out our categories.

And then after I read the categories, we're going to honor or recognize some of the honorees, and I'll be reading the bios and passing it over to uh some of the honorees or their designees to to present.

Uh so we're gonna just get into it.

The 2026 annual Black Music Month honorees.

In June of 1979, President Jimmy Carter established the Black Music Month alongside advocates as Kenny Gamble, Diana Williams, Ed Wright, and the Black Music Association to recognize, celebrate, and strengthen the contributions of black artists in the black music industry.

The city of St.

Paul has been enriched by generations of black musicians, composers, vocalists, producers, educators, DJs, promoters, and cultural institutions whose contributions have strengthened neighborhoods, activated commercial corridors, and enhance public life.

On June 24th, or excuse me, on June 2024, the City of St.

Paul established an annual Black Music Month recognition.

This year marks the third annual St.

Paul City Council Black Music Month celebration to recognize the talent and contributions of individuals and organizations whose artistic expression enriches the cultural vitality of St.

Paul.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the St.

Paul City Council hereby proclaims June 26th as Black Music Month celebration.

The St.

Paul City Council acknowledges the recipients and categories.

So the categories that we have this year actually were derived by our former uh honorees who had seven different categories that encompasses the wide range of impact that many of the artists and organizations have on St.

Paul, which are the Next Verse Award, which recognizes an emerging youth artist whose talent, creativity, impact represents the future of Black music.

The second award is the Vibe Alchemist Award, which recognizes a musician, producer, composer, vocalist, band leader, or DJ whose artistry transforms sound into culture and connection.

The third award is the Stage Builder Award.

Recognizing a curator, venue, promoter, producer, or organizer who creates space where black music and artists can thrive.

The community harmony award, recognizing an individual or group that uses music to heal, unite, inspire, and strengthen community.

The 651 Sound Award, recognizing an artist whose work authentically represents St.

Paul, elevates its neighborhoods, and carries the city's culture of identity to broader audience.

In the Rhythm and Roots Award, recognizing an organization, educator, mentor, historian, or culture keeper who's dedicated to preserving, teaching, and advancing black musical traditions.

And last but not least, we have the living legacy award, who recognizes an individual who has decades of contributions have left in our enduring impact on black music, culture, and community.

So those are the seven awards that we have.

And when we think about just how it started as just a resolution and now it's growing into not only, you know, a selection committee of people who are excited and looking for it every year in June for these awards.

So I'm super excited.

I just want to say thank you for everyone who's nominated artists.

Thank you for everyone who are who you know is here.

And thank you for everyone who's just been promoting this great opportunity.

So I wish we kind of had like a drum roll, like some dramatic effect going on.

Okay.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

So we're gonna get started here.

So the next verse award, we are recognizing Yevra Brantley, and I'm gonna just read his bio real quickly, and then we'll have the applause after.

Fusing elements of hip hop, trap, and alternative RB, his sound is both infectious and unpredictable.

Originally from East St.

Louis, East St.

Louis, and now performing out of the twin cities, he represents the Midwest sound with a raw, unfiltered edge.

His music resonates with fans of artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, Smino, and Mac Miller.

Let's give it up to Yevrah Brantley for the next first award.

And as Yevra's coming up, I had a pleasure to work with Yevra.

He and um and I uh started off doing voter registration um back in 2020.

So he's very active when it comes to the civic organizing.

So, yeah, bro, congratulations.

Oh, thank y'all.

Thank y'all so much.

I'm not gonna lie.

My heart is running like crazy right now.

Um, I was gonna go off the top, but I'm a little uh jet lagged, actually.

Just came back into the city last night, so I had written something.

Um there's no black culture without a black future to build it.

In the culture, we come from a lot of pain and violence that we ain't asked for.

The art that's being made is to liberate that, to evolve where we came from.

This is what I do it for.

I do it for the legacy.

I feel like as an artist, I have an obligation to share culture with the world, to share the different faces of humanity.

Art is one of the purest forms of education for humanity, and true art must be recognized and protected for the power that it holds in community.

This is bigger than me.

And I got one thing to say from Miss Badu.

If we were made in his image, then call us by our names.

Most intellects do not believe in God, but they fear us just the same.

Come on, y'all know the song.

Congratulations.

Congratulations.

Amazing, amazing.

I love when Erica Badu is just in the present.

So, you know, in the midst.

Thank you for bringing that.

Uh, so our second award is the Vibe Alchemist, which goes to drum roll.

DJ Mickey Breeze.

So DJ Mickey Breeze was nominated several times by uh great demand.

DJ Mickey Breeze is a DJ producer, artist, and educator who represents a generation of truly exceptional musical talent hailing from the city of St.

Paul with over 15 years of experience in this industry.

He has comprised an impressive, impressive, excuse me, list of accomplishments, including DJing at both local and national events, such as South by the Southwest, woohoo.

Sound sets, we've been sound sets in Twin Cities Pride, as well as instructing at the Electronic Musical School, Slam Academy, and DJing for the Minnesota Timberwoods.

Let's go.

Hello, everybody.

Hello.

I'm sure a few of you, uh, especially family members may be wondering uh what the hell I'm wearing.

Uh and your thoughts are not unwarranted, but I would like to take a couple minutes to illustrate a little bit about how my attire is representative of what uh the Vibe Alchemist Award and honor truly means to me.

My understanding is that Vibe Alchemy is putting out the vibe or the energy that you want to see in the venues you're playing, or that you want to see in the world that you inhabit.

Since a young age, I've wanted to express myself in the only way I knew how.

And through music, I found a lot of people who truly show me the cultural benefit of what it means to support someone who has any desire to create something for themselves.

As I grew older, I learned the value of being able to share my light with others and bearing witness to the amazing things that can happen when encouraging other people to explore their creativity and self-expression.

The way I present myself, perform my music, and teach others to create is all a result of my community truly seeing and nurturing the potential in myself that I try to see in the youth and other amazing minds like mine who find ways to express themselves through their art form and create a vibe.

Whether it be music, fashion, physical or digital arts or education, I want to continue to encourage those who seek to positively express themselves in the hopes that it will inspire more amazing people to do the same.

And most importantly, all of my artistry, all of my efforts, including writing this speech, were not generated by AI.

Lastly, and this is this is the long run.

I would like to thank my mom, Richard Moody, Amber Cleveland, my grandfather, and the Walker West Music Academy, the Minnesota Dandies for getting my style up to point, uh, Roxanne Anderson, Rare Productions, True Heads Clothing, the Omega Zulu Minnesota chapter, hip hop history and the arts program, mobile jazz, experience jazz, high school for recording arts, slip mats crew, urban lights, huge music, slam academy, generation now entertainment, my wonderful soon-to-be wife of nine years, and all of my family for truly letting me express myself to the fullest.

Thank you.

Double congratulations.

Marina Trinity Productions nil.

Yes.

Trini Trini C is a seasoned event producer, former dance hall and reggae artist and cultural promoter who founded Trinity C Productions in 1979.

Flip that over here.

Yes, yes.

She has led major Afro Caribbean music and cultural events across the Midwest, Canada, Jamaica, and collaborating with leading venues and industry partners.

Deeply rooted in the community.

She serves on multiple cultural and nonprofit boards and amplifies local talent through media and live events.

Through her work, Marina, or excuse me, Marina continues to bridge music and community, creating platforms that uplift Afro Caribbean heritage and bring diverse audience together.

Let's give it up to Trinity.

Every time I take the stage, I have to big them up, Camelita Deliana and Colita Schamberg because I continue to do what I do in honor of those beautiful women in Trinidad and Tobago that lost their lives.

So on that note, thank you to Councilmember Anika Bowie, who does amazing things in our Rondo community and the St.

Paul City Council for allowing me to be part of this historic moment.

I'm deeply humbled and honored to receive the Stage Builder Award today.

Not only is it Black Music Month, but it's also Caribbean Heritage Month.

So this makes this as a Trinidadian Canadian moment even more special for me to be celebrating this achievement.

I've had the honor to curate events for over two decades, not three, but two.

Whether I'm involved as a promoter, a radio host for KMOJ, on stage MC, project manager, community member, a board member, such as for Rondo Days or Caribbean Disaster Relief.

I take great pride in being able to bring joy to people's lives through music and entertainment.

I'm truly passionate about bridging music and community while creating platforms that uplift our beautiful Rondo community, our West Indian communities, and our Afro Caribbean heritage.

Me being here in front of all of you amazing humans wouldn't be possible without my beautiful mother Idris, who's in Canada, my amazing sons Cecil and Justin, as well as my bonus children, Darren, Keely, Ashley, Bryden, and Yashi, my beautiful cousin Christy May, special big ups to Aunt Cammy and Colita.

And if it wasn't for all of you, I wouldn't be able to find the motivation each and every day, especially my sons to keep going hard.

To my chosen family members like Annie, Mary Lou, Jaton, Chrissy, Tasha, Okoi, Rich, Gail, Ola, Ola, Trevor, and many more.

Thanks for lifting me always in answering the call over the years as being a woman in this industry is not easy.

And finally, to my supporters who have attended to the events over the years, those who I serve on the board with as like JMO, Rondo Days, as well as Caribbean disaster relief, the DJs, the musicians, the artists, the AV, the soundmen, the amazing volunteers, the amazing videos, the city department personnel, the city council, the community partners, security, our amazing law enforcement.

There would be no events without all of you, whether private, in the venues, or in the beautiful parks, merci beaucoup.

Happy Juneteenth weekend, and I hope to see you all at Rondo Days, July 18th, and Carrie Fest, July 25th.

Amazing.

See you at Rondo Days.

And we have the next honoree here for the Community Harmony Award.

Drum roll, please.

So Georgia Ford and the Power 104.7 FM Radio.

And we have the whole crew.

Yes.

Thank you so much.

I don't do this work alone, so I asked our team to join us.

They worked so hard behind the scenes.

Thank you.

I will keep my remarks short so we can also hear a few words from our vice president Harry Colbert.

I am Georgia Ford, an independent journalist.

I also serve as the president of Center for Broadcast Journalism and Power 104.7 FM.

Our mission is to mobilize the next generation to advance representation in media.

Power 104.7 symbolizes a reclamation of power.

After all our community has been through, we are a reminder that power belongs to the people.

As a St.

Paul native, our vision has always been for Power 1047 to center our music, our culture, and to keep our community informed by amplifying community-centered news.

So to receive recognition from the city of St.

Paul for doing that work, it is truly an honor.

A huge thank you to the many people who helped our nonprofit CBJ assume stewardship of the station.

Lyssa Jones, Eric Zidliki, Miss Brenda, the entire board of directors at Dayton's Bluff Community Council, Indigenous Roots, and the countless staff, our board of directors, who volunteer month after month, year after year to make sure we can keep the lights on, and to our volunteers and our staff who keep us on air every day.

People like Glow, Pharrell, Serenity, Naya Harris, our amazing morning show, Shardet, and DJ Intense and so many others.

We want to dedicate this award to our beloved community, to the brave men and women of Minnesota, and in St.

Paul, to the east side, the best side, we are powerful.

Thank you.

Hey.

Good afternoon, and thank you, Council, for this wonderful award.

Uh, and most importantly, thank you, Georgia, for bringing me on this past November and truly changing my life.

I cannot say what it means to be in this powerful, I use that word specifically position.

It's been an amazing two days for us.

Uh Georgia yesterday was honored with the Peter Popovich Award from the Society of Professional Journalists, and one of our students, Lizzie Nweke, was also given a $2,000, not given, awarded, earned a $2,000 scholarship from the Society of Professional Journalists.

So this has been an amazing couple of days for us, but it's not a couple of days of recognition, it's about the five years of work that Georgia and the entire staff has put in in making Power 104.7 what it is.

Understanding that we are your home, the Twin Cities home for Minnesota music.

We made that abundantly clear this past April 21st when we celebrated our beloved brother Prince Rogers Nelson and having a full day of Minnesota programming.

And we made it clear again this past uh Friday on June the 6th, numerically June 6th, or excuse me, June the 12th.

Numerically June 12th is 612.

I promise you, if numerically there was a 651 on the calendar, we'd have that day too.

But we played nothing but Minnesota music, and a lot of that music is homegrown right here in St.

Paul.

We are so appreciative of this award, and we want to remind you that on August 8th, we will be celebrating our love with you as we have 7th Street Live on the corner of 7th Street and Hope, and we invite you all out to this free event.

And also, because we're continuing with our mission of uplifting youth and transforming the next generation, we're teaching journalism.

I have a cohort that will start July the 6th.

Applications are still open on our website, Power1047.fm.

And that's where you can also listen to this amazing lineup of music and talented host.

Thank you.

Okay.

So amazing.

Also, I want to shout out the 7th Street Live Festival is returning to the east side this Saturday, or not this Saturday, excuse me, Saturday, August 9th, 2026.

So we'll just make sure we'll hear some good news from Ward Seven around August.

So moving accordingly, there's so much energy in the room.

So our next uh honoree goes to the 651 Sound Award.

Uh so this person again um has the 6'5 sound award and drum roll, please.

Alan Kingdom, Alan Kingdom.

Alan Kingdom is a three times Grammy nominated St.

Paul bass rapper.

Let me say that again.

Three times Grammy nominated.

St.

Paul based rapper, singer, producer with South African and Tanzanesian roots.

We he gained international acclaim in 2015 with his feature on Kanye's all day, alongside Paul McCartney.

He has released acclaimed projects, including Future Memoirs, Northern Lights, and Alisteen.

Did I say that right?

Alan Alistine, thank you.

He found Yibo Life, a nonprofit focused on arts and culture to uplift communities through creative initiatives in the Twin Cities.

Looking ahead, his music and leadership continues to enrich St.

Paul's vibrant cultural landscape.

And you probably remember him here, testifying and support of supporting the Ujama place as well, where he is leading there as well, mentoring our young people.

Let's give it up to Alan Kingham.

Thanks everyone.

I didn't prepare a speech, I'm just gonna speak from the heart.

One thing that came to me when I learned that I was receiving this award was that even Jesus Christ was not honored in his own hometown.

No matter what your religious background is, so I don't take this lightly, and I know for a lot of artists, it means a lot to be honored and to be recognized.

That's one of the things we do it for, especially when you start your journey.

You know, the finances aren't there.

Even the support isn't there, you have to be your own biggest fan.

So to be able to use art to open these doors for me in community and entrepreneurship means a lot to me.

And uh personally, I feel like the 651 sound award was very fitting of my goal from the beginning.

My goal was always to take St.

Paul and the community I grew up in, this beautiful little city, and present that to the world.

That was that was always the vision.

Was this this is so cool when I have my community here, but I want to do some bigger things.

So to be able to present that to the world and come back here and be honored in this way means a lot to me.

Um, to be able to be at organizations like Walker West Music Academy to be on the board there, to be able to give back and serve at Ujama Place at High School Recording Arts, it means a lot to me.

And to start my own organization as well, Yebo Life and mentor youth and young adults means a lot to me as well.

So I just want to say, I want to thank you guys and commend you for giving artists this space because we are the voice that's unfiltered, right?

We don't have to be political.

We don't have to, we don't have to be filtered.

We can say exactly what's on our heart, and we don't have to think about all of the I guess bureaucracy and all of that.

But to be honored in a space like this still means a lot to us.

So I want to thank you for doing that, and much love.

Thank you very much.

Wonderful.

We're down to our last honorees, our last two honorees here.

We have, excuse me, the Rhythm and Roots Award.

And just for a reminder, this is recognizing an educator, a culture keeper who's dedicated to preserving and teaching and advancing black musical tradition.

So with drum roll, please.

The rhythm and roots award goes to Elder Mahmoud El Khati.

Elder Mahmoud Elkati.

I'm going.

Yes.

So we have uh Sister Rakette here to receive this award.

Uh, but before then, I'm just going to read Elder Mahmoud Elkati, who's just been my life lifelong mentor.

Uh, he has just contributed endless amounts of value when it comes to not only St.

Paul, but just our community globally.

So, Dr.

Mahmoud Elkati is a lecturer, author, and commentator on the African American experience.

El Khati is a professor of history at McAllister College in St.

Paul.

Professor Elkati is the author of several books, such as The Myth of Race and The Reality of Racism, Critical Essays.

And also I want to include the Hip Hop Dictionary.

That was the first book, Hiptionary, which I read.

It actually inspired me to attend Hamlin University.

And that's when I decided that I was going to go to Hamlin.

Didn't know that he actually was teaching at uh McAllister.

So, but um his uh his current work includes being an instructor for the New School of African American Thought, a monthly community forum held every fourth Friday of the month at High School for Recording Arts.

You can stay in touch with Elder via his Facebook page at Dr.

Mahmoud Elkati Books Events and Speaking Engagements.

And we have here Miss Sister Riquette with us to give some remarks.

Thank you.

Actually, I am not Elder Mahmoud.

I thought y'all, y'all thought he was here, right?

But he said, do not accept anything unless I say what he wrote.

So I have to read verbatim.

But thank you, Rickette C.S.R.

I'm actually the director for In Black Inc.

have worked with as a mentee of Elder Mahmoud for years, over 30 years actually.

So it's an honor.

Um Elder Mahmoud, through the words of one of America's greatest heroes, Frederick Douglass, would like to address the plight of African people that have been here in the United States of America since 1619.

In 1853, in a letter to Harriet Beacham Stowe, Douglas wrote and answered this question about whether or not African people should return to Africa after they obtain their freedom.

Douglas wrote, individuals immigrate, nations never.

African people in the United States are a nation within a nation.

We are here before this republic was ever even an idea.

We have grown up in this republic, and I see nothing in her character, or even in the character of American people as yet, which compels the belief that we must leave the United States.

So here we are, and here we are likely to be.

To imagine that we shall be eradicated is absurd and ridiculous.

We can be changed, modified, or even assimilated, but never extinguished.

We therefore repeat that we are here, that this is our country too.

We shall neither die out nor shall we be driven away.

But we shall, with you, either be a testimony against her or be as evidence in her favor throughout the generations.

Thank you all very much for this recognition.

Just amazing.

Thank you so much, Rickette, for that remarks.

We have last but not least, the Living Legacy Award, recognizing an individual who've contributed 30 plus years to the impact of black music culture in the community.

Drum roll, please.

David T.

C.

Ellis, founder of the Mr.

Ellis, Mr.

Ellis is not with us today, but he wanted us to uh send his sister, my mentor, my old boss, or actually my forever boss, I should say, an award one, um, um, Sonny the LS, known as Mama Shy.

Um, I will uh um I will have you give some words, but also I'll read his bio real shortly.

David Ellis is a founder and director of high school for recording arts, also known as Hip Hop High, was born and raised in St.

Paul and graduated at St.

Paul Open School.

He's also raised in Rondeau as well.

Mr.

Ellis established himself in the music business in the mid-80s as the first rap recording artist to release a record in Minnesota called the Twin City Rap.

After a couple of independent record releases with regional success, he was recruited by Prince and Warner Brothers to record and produce records at Paisley Park.

Eventually, Mr.

Ellis started his own production company called Studio Ford here in St.

Paul, where a number of young black artists who had dropped out of high school soon became a permanent presence, guiding them through the creative and business process of the recording industry.

Mr.

Ellis was struck by the way the youth naturally embraced academic subjects that supported their pursuit of a musical career.

With that realization, and after a two-year pilot program, the high school for recording arts was born.

It received a charter from the Minnesota Department of Education and emerging as the only public school of its kind in the United States, which also has a site in LA as well.

So we're going to hand it over.

Let's give it up for Mr.

Ellis getting the Living Legacy Award, and we're gonna hand it over.

Well, as you can see, I'm not him, like she said.

He was sick because he really wanted to be here.

I mean, not sick physically, but he was away at a conference.

And so I'm supposed to read exactly what he wrote as well.

So he says, dear members of St.

Paul City Council, Anika, we are so proud of you.

That's in pretty, I'm supposed to say that.

We are so proud of you.

And the esteemed guests, I am deeply honored to receive this living legacy award presented by the St.

Paul City Council for Music and Education, honoring my contributions to our community and to the advancement of music education and media pathways.

As the founder of High School for Recording Arts, we also call it HSRA, and the diverse media institute, that's DMI, my work has centered on empowering young people to pursue creative and technical careers in music, production, engineering, live sound, and audiovisual storytelling.

HSRA was the launch pad for DMI, a post-secondary program that extends more career pathways and opportunities for our youth addressing the cost and debt barriers that that too often limit students' futures in this industry.

While I am not available today to personally accept this living legacy award, I'm sending my sister, and I'm honored to have five remarkable DMI graduates from our community accompanying me to the Infocom Conference.

That's where he's at now.

This trip embodies our mission to connect students with industry professionals and real world opportunities.

Thank you again to the St.

Paul City Council for this prestigious recognition.

It validates the hard work of students, instructors, mentors, partners, family who help open doors and create lasting impact.

I am grateful for your trust in HSRA and DMI and myself to nurture creativity, resilience, and professional excellence in the next generation of music and media professionals in our community.

I look forward to celebrating with you upon my return and continuing to advance opportunities within St.

Paul's vibrant arts and media community.

With gratitude and respect, David TC Ellis, founder high school for recording arts, HSRA.

Okay.

You guys, these are all HSRA.

Nat Mama, I need to see you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Well, there we have it.

Can we just give it up for all of our honorees?

Also want to, I also want to recognize some of our former honorees.

We have Chadwick now's here.

We have also Paviel here, who was honored, was the first our inaugural honoree.

And we have so many people.

I see uh Kimberly here as well.

Thank you for being here.

And we have our our uh principal from Central High School.

Woo, woo, woo, woo, in the building, um, Dr.

Therese Ayers.

So thank you for everyone who's here.

Um, I also just want to to recognize uh that the fact there's been a lot of um conversations around just like what is the city council doing?

What is the stance that we're taking when we're um talking about like the hate that we're seeing all across the globe, particularly around communities of color, and particularly um also in the black community, and it's really important that when we take a stance against black hate crimes, and we're having conversations around how we are committed and dedicated to that work, that we drive out hate with love.

And I can't think of a most more powerful love language than music.

And then we're here recognizing our artists, recognizing the people that use their gifts and their talents to drive out that hate and also committed not only just symbolically, but committed to the policy and committed to building those relationships and making sure that everything that we do here, every policy, every engagement, every practice, every vote that we take, we're thinking about you, right?

You are here um sharing your truth, sharing your your talents, and also sharing your love for humanity and the contributions that you have here in the city of St.

Paul.

But with that, I just want to say, I want to open it up for uh discussion, uh, but I also just want to end with the words of my favorite black artist, uh, Beyonce.

Um, and I don't want to, I can't, I didn't want to share the um video because we are YouTube living, so we may get it pulled down.

But uh just closing out with freedom, freedom, I can't move.

Freedom cut me loose, singing freedom, freedom, where are you?

Because I need freedom too.

I break chains all by myself, won't let my freedom rot in hell.

Hey, I'ma keep running because a winner don't quit on themselves.

And what we heard here today is people who did not quit on themselves.

They did not quit on their community.

They're not, they did not quit on us.

They did not quit on City St.

Paul, and we're gonna keep on striving and keep on going and making sure we're uplifting what the value and the legacy of freedom is.

So thank you so much.

Thank you so much, Councilmember Bowie, for your leadership, and thank you all and congratulations to all of our honorees.

We have a motion on the table uh for a resolution that makes this official.

The council member Bowie read earlier.

Um, but I would first look to see if there is discussion of the motion uh from my colleagues, vice president.

Thank you, Council President.

Um Councilmember Bowie, I want to say thank you so much for putting together this um wonderful event during the special meeting here.

I want to extend my gratitude to all of the incredible leaders, our black leaders who are recognized today.

The work that you do, it does not go on notice.

You truly make our city a better place to be.

Um, you are a building block of our city, and so I want to say thank you to you.

And I know the work that you do, it comes with an entire team behind you.

Um, and so I want to extend the my gratitude to all the folks who um are in your corner continuing to um support you and your leadership.

And so again, congrats uh congrats to all of you.

And it's really special to be able to to um to just really do the recognition in a place like this where we know that this is the people's home.

However, it was never built to work for our marginalized communities, and so day after day, it is truly up to everyone, you know, those of us um here who are a part of this community to continue changing um our systems to make it work for us, and you all are truly a testament to that very important work.

Thank you, Vice President.

Other discussion of the motion, Ms.

Johnson.

Well, I just want to say this has been the best council meeting that I've had in my tenure.

So um check.

No, but I really I I really enjoy all of it.

I think just I want to say congratulations to folks that were honored today, um, to those who uh rally the troops.

I think um DJ DJ Breeze, you've definitely had quite a few uh nominations, but also just quite a few folks today uh that came to support you.

I honestly had a front row seat to also watching how much this meant to your your mom too in the space, and um I just want to share how beautiful I think that this is.

Um, Councilmember Bowie, thank you for putting together.

I mean, we had a program.

We have folks coming through, like I felt like I was at the Grammys.

This is probably the closest I'll get to the Grammy, so I appreciate you.

Um I don't want the meeting to like, I don't want to, you know, all of you guys, I just want to say congratulations.

Uh, but Georgia Ford, can you please stand for me?

Yes, yes.

Um, you know, east side is the best side.

Um, but also like you guys like when we watch our queens get attacked on purpose.

I think it's important that we take some time and just share with our community and let our uh queens know that they're not fighting alone.

And so, um, I want to just share with you that I fully support you being able to do your role and to do your job.

I fully support you being able to be the mother that you are to your kids and and truly the advocate that you are to our community.

St.

Paul would not be the same without you.

And I'm really glad that of your talents and your tools, you've chosen to remain in St.

Paul, and you've chosen to invest here.

You've chosen to, you know, really truly like bring continue to have your family um invest in business, both you and your husband on the east side.

I want you to know that um I have your back, and I want to continue to support the work and uplift the work that you all do, not only um with the Power 104.7 FM team, but I just want to let you know we see you.

So thank you.

Any further discussion of the motion.

Seeing none, I want to thank everyone again.

I want to echo Vice President Yang's words of congratulations and also how important it is that we are doing this in this official space.

We hope that you will not just feel welcome here today but that you will feel welcome here every day.

And even though we may be politicians we we really welcome truth telling and unvarnished truth telling here in the space at our public hearings and in our offices that's how we get good work done.

So thank you for the work that you do telling that truth outside of here and we hope you will continue to do it here as well.

Congratulations and with that we will take a vote on the motion all in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed seven in favor none opposed the resolution is adopted.

And our special and our special meeting is adjourned.

Thank you all so much.