To understand the unique spin local immigrants are putting on the smooth melodies and thick harmonies of traditional Lutheran music, one needs to look at the state of Lutheranism itself. Historically, the Lutheran church has not been bastion of ethnic diversity. It’s still one of the whitest religions around (the largest U.S. Lutheran body, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, is 97 percent white). However, Minnesota is becoming increasingly diverse at the same time that the world is becoming more Lutheran. From 1990 to 2000, the number of foreign-born residents in Minnesota increased by 130 percent. In 2006, Minnesota’s African population grew at five times the rate of the nation’s black population. Add to this picture a Lutheran membership outside of the Western world that is growing at an unprecedented rate thanks to its focus on mission schools, the provision of social services and respect for cultural identity. By contrast, Lutheran membership rates are falling in Europe and North America. As of 2009, Ethiopia had the second most populous Lutheran membership in the world, just behind Sweden.

Thus, the stage is set for the Twin Cities’ Lutheran immigrants to create their own unique cultures around worship music.

Lutheranism (and Minnesota, and Minnesota Lutheranism) has been historically really really white, but it is also really liberal as Christian denominations go, so this phenomenon makes sense to me.

Where did this story even come from?

Allison Adrian, a native Minnesotan, is a professor of music at St. Catherine University in St. Paul. As a first-year college student in New York, she felt snubbed when national programming insinuated that Minnesotans were nothing more than Scandinavian Lutherans. She satiated some of her curiosity about Minnesotan identity by focusing her dissertation research on Twin Cities Lutheran music while she studied at the University of Minnesota.

This is a great reminder of how integral music is to both cultural identity and to worship.

Date: Saturday, October 3, 2009
Show starts 8:00pm (doorsopen 7:30pm)
Location: Macalester College Kagin Commons
1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105

http://www.macalester.edu/about/mapbynumber.html

Suggested Donation: $5-$10 (all proceeds will to go to the family of Fong Lee to assist with attorney’s fees)

Up In Arms: A Night of Hip Hop and Spoken Word to Honor Fong Lee and End Police Brutality seeks to raise awareness and support of Fong Lee’s case while also uniting and activating communities around the issue of police brutality.

In July 2006, un-armed Fong Lee was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in front of a north Minneapolis elementary school. Last May, an all-white federal jury exonerated officer Jason Anderson of using “excessive force” on the teenager who was shot eight times in the back. Allegations that a gun was planted near Lee’s body were ruled irrelevant to the case. (For more information about the trial: http://www.hmongtoday.com/page11504436.aspx)

The Lee family’s quest for truth does not end with the ruling given in May, and the family has continued the long path towards legal justice.

The evening will be emceed by Tou Ger Xiong and Amy Hang. DJ Nak will be on the one’s and two’s with performances by Magnetic North (from New York City), Nomi of Power Struggle (from the Bay Area), Michelle Myers of Yellow Rage (from Philadelphia), Maria Isa, Blackbird Elements, Guante, Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria, e.g. Bailey, Tou Saiko Lee with PosNoSys, True Mutiny, Shá Cage, Kevin Xiong with Pada Lor, Tish Jones, MaiPaCher, Logan Moua, Bobby Wilson, Poetic Assassins, Hilltribe, and special guests.

This event is sponsored by: Speak!, Lealtad-Suzuki Center, Asian Student Alliance, Ua Ke, DJ Club, History Department, Coalition for Community Relations, The Loft Literary Center, Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network, Shades of Yellow, Take Action Minnesota, Communities United Against Police Brutality, and Minnesota Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign.

For more information please visit Coalition for Community Relations on Facebook or contact Tou Ger Xiong @ 651-738-0141or Jose Luís @ 612-986-0832.

It reminded me of how different it feels to watch a Tyler Perry movie, for example, in a theater full of white people vs a theater full of black folks. The jokes FEEL different. Watching with a white audience feels like white people laughing at black people, stereotypes reinforcing their (our) misguided reality, etc. When it’s black folks, it feels like people having a good time laughing together, getting the jokes on a whole different level, good fun….

Needless to say, while my tweets were not racist, I am so glad I listened to my gut and deleted them. My opinions were valid, and mine, but on a public feed on Twitter, they were part of an ugly, slippery slope. And the last thing I ever want to do is fuel that fire.

On the same topic, including screen shots of some tweets:
“OOOPS The Blacks Are Chatting On Twitter”
“BET Awards Dominate Twitter, Causes Racist Backlash”
OMG! Black People!

Twin Cities Radio’s new location is Corner Coffee beginning in January 2009. MJ and the Believers showcase on 1/15 will feature artist Alicia Leafgreen aka WLR. She will be doing songs from her recent EP which includes contributions from Producer Dr. Fink who is best known for his work with Prince. Also featuring acoustic soul and freestyle artist Ashley Gold. If you can’t be at Corner Coffee to see this live show, you can tune in at www.twincitiesradio.net where the show will be streaming in real time at 8pm. 514 North 3rd Street Minneapolis, MN 612-338-2002 www.yourcornercoffee.com

[facebook event page]

Lake City Browns! w00t!

Here, watch one of their music videos.

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