Summary
While African Americans comprise just five percent of the total population of Minnesota today, the state boasts many successful, creative, and influential African American residents who have left and continue to leave their mark in a wide range of professional and avocational pursuits. This book honors those individuals.
Minnesota's Black Community in the 21st Century shines a spotlight on African American individuals and organizations who are helping to build a better Minnesota. Continuing the tradition established by the pioneering books published by Walter R. Scott Sr. in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, the Minnesota Black Community Project highlights the contributions of contemporary black Minnesotans in the fields of the arts, beauty and fashion, community service, education, entertainment, finance, government, labor, law and law enforcement, media and communications, medicine and health care, religion, social services, sports, science and technology, and more. Through a collaborative effort of writers and photographers, the book profiles men, women, and youth from throughout the state and examines the myriad ways in which the black community is engaged in Minnesota politics, business, and culture. Providing a snapshot look at African Americans today, the book offers inspiration for the future and looks forward to where we are heading.
About the Co-editors of Minnesota's Black Community in the 21st Century:
Anthony R. Scott, President, Minnesota's Black Community ProjectAnthony R. Scott spent many years as a career counselor and vocational expert for the State of Minnesota Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Social Security Office, and his own private firm. He later spent 20 years as a supervisor with the Hennepin County Child Protection Unit. He continues to work as a consultant in employment issues. Scott also currently serves as the president of Minnesota's Black Community Project, a nonprofit organization that highlights and celebrates the accomplishments of blacks in Minnesota. He lives in Minneapolis.Dr. Chaunda L. Scott, Secretary, Minnesota's Black Community ProjectDr. Chaunda L. Scott is an associate professor, graduate coordinator, and diversity and inclusion specialist at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. She earned a doctorate in Adult Education/Organizational Leadership with a focus in diversity education from Teachers College at Columbia University and a master's degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Dr. Scott has co-authored seven scholarly books and numerous single authored and co-authored book chapters and articles on the topics of workforce diversity education, diversity education, eradicating racism, human resource development, and organizational leadership. Dr. Scott has also been the recipient of several academic teaching, research and service awards with the most recent award being the 2020 Monica Emerson Diversity Excellence Award. Most notable in 2015,. Dr. Scott was granted a prestigious Fulbright Specialist Award in Cape Town, South Africa, where she engaged in diversity education work focused in the areas of teaching and research. In addition to the above, Dr. Scott serves as the secretary for Minnesota's Black Community Project.Dr. Charles E. Crutchfield III, Vice, President, Minnesota's Black Community ProjectCharles E. Crutchfield III, M.D., is a board-certified dermatologist and graduate of the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine and a Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. Crutchfield is a Benedict Distinguished Visiting Professor of Biology at Carleton College. He is currently the Medical Director of Crutchfield Dermatology in Eagan, (serving the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area), Minnesota. Dr. Crutchfield has been selected as one of the "Best Doctors in America" by Castle Connolly and has been internationally recognized as an expert in skin-of-color disorders as well as acne, psoriasis, vitiligo, and atopic eczema. Dr. Crutchfield is the co-author of a children's book on sun protection and a textbook of dermatology. He is a member of the AΩA National Medical Honor Society, an expert consultant for WebMD and CNN, and a recipient of the Karis Humanitarian Award from the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine. Dr. Crutchfield was also given "first a physician" award from Twin Cities Medical Society, Healthcare Hero award, and selected as one of the 100 most influential healthcare leaders in Minnesota, and one of the Top 100 African -American Newsmakers in the United States by The Grio, an affiliate of NBC News. Dr. Crutchfield is also the past president of the Minnesota Association of Black Physicians and the Vice President of Minnesota's Black Community Project.Foreword by:Mahmoud El-Kati is a lecturer, writer, and commentator on the African American experience. He specializes in African American history and advocates institution building within cultural communities. He is professor emeritus of history at Macalester College, which has established the Mahmoud El-Kati Distinguished Lectureship in American Studies. El-Kati lives in the Rondo neighborhood, St. Paul's historic Black community.
