MINNEAPOLIS -- Racial disparities in Minnesota were getting more focus before the police killing of George Floyd. Black entrepreneurs hope the increased awareness raised by national and worldwide protests will turn the heads of larger banks so communities of color will see more investment.

A number of bank presidents in Minnesota have issued statements pledging to help end any systemic racism within their sector. Kenya McKnight, CEO of the Black Women's Wealth Alliance, said regional banks do well helping nonprofits, but she said there's not enough direct help for black business owners.

"I just feel like there's a lack of value that some of these larger institutions have on our cultural market," McKnight said. "They look at the businesses and they go, 'Is it a viable business?' And the viability of it is based on the broader market. And the broader markets are determined greatly by the dominant culture."

Unlike home loans, where the financial system also has a history of discrimination, banks say regulations prevent them from collecting the racial background of business loan applicants. They point to high grades they earn under the federal Community Reinvestment Act, which urges banks to invest in low- to moderate-income communities.

But McKnight said the act doesn't do enough to spur investment in black neighborhoods that have struggled to build wealth.

Making a Pledge

Jeanne Crain, CEO of Bremer Bank, said there's no denying the nation's banking system has a history of redlining, a practice now considered illegal due to federal laws such as the CRA.

Locally, Crain said her company has made strides through partnerships with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity in serving minority communities. She added the Bremer's board has a presence on the Metropolitan Economic Development Association, which supports businesses of color.

Moving forward, Crain said Bremer is establishing a plan that includes increased investment in businesses owned by historically underrepresented groups. And they plan to identify ways to better serve areas where they have lacked a presence in the past.

"I'm very interested in trying to understand how Bremmer determines a geographic presence that really speaks to and leans into serving black-owned businesses," Crain said.

Despite its "outstanding" rating under the Community Reinvestment Act, their most recent evaluation noted Bremer has only two branches in low-income communities in the Twin Cities.

Digital Presence is Not Enough

McKnight said in North Minneapolis, where she's based, having only a small handful of banks in the area prevents black residents from accessing useful information about loan criteria. Though banks may offer multiple options online, she said, it can be difficult for business owners to navigate the process by themselves.

"[The banks] need a marketing campaign to talk to businesses about the services they provide," McKnight said.

She added images and marketing inside the branches could better reflect the communities in which they're located so as to make customers feel welcome.

Jermaine Toney, assistant professor of economics at Rutgers University, has studied banking access issues in the Twin Cities. He said the lack of services opens the door to non-traditional options that can leave black residents in a never-ending cycle of debt and prohibit them from building wealth.

"Payday loans, auto-title loans, check-cashing institutions," Toney said.

Economists have repeatedly cited these kinds of lenders as contributing to a system in which the accumulation of generational wealth becomes near impossible in black communities.

A number of studies have shown that even when black business owners meet the criteria for a loan, they are still denied at higher rates or are approved for smaller loan amounts than white applicants. A 2017 report issued by the U.S. Federal Reserve showed less than 47% of loans applications submitted by black business owners got approved.

Long-term Accountability

Another of the larger bank chains based in the region, U.S. Bank, said it has made investments in areas lacking economic infrastructure, and they intend to do more in light of growing demands for racial equality.

Like Bremer, U.S. Bank touted its "outstanding" rating under the Community Reinvestment Act. But the bank also received a "D+" grade in the Economic Opportunity Report Card issued by the NAACP. That report, from 2011, praised U.S. Bank for having diversity in its governing body and having a solid presence in African-American neighborhoods, but said the chain needed more diversity in its overall workforce, not just at the top.

U.S. Bank officials have pointed to recent investments made by the bank in communities like North Minneapolis - including a $50,000 grant to Camdentown and Houston White Men's Room earlier this year to support entrepreneurs and small businesses.

But like Bremer, U.S. Bank is also making a public pledge to enhance its work for communities of color. Bank President Andy Cecere said, "If we are truly going to draw strength from diversity, we have to do better. We have to create opportunities that bridge gaps, that generate economic prosperity, and that allow people to achieve their potential."

But economists like Toney say all stakeholders, including residents and local governments, need to ensure banks follow through on these commitments, or he said, black communities will continue to question the promises of American economic mobility.


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Missouri residents are gaining new insights into the powerful role of food in health care as experts and organizations advocate for a shift toward food-as-medicine initiatives.

Kelsey Gardiner, assistant professor of nursing and health studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, emphasized the critical link between access to healthy food and improved health outcomes. She noted individuals facing food insecurity often experience higher rates of chronic diseases, highlighting the urgent need for systemic changes to enhance food access.

"There are things we can do and there are certain shifts nationally that are happening, whether that be through policy or through infrastructure changes," Gardiner pointed out. "We can be doing more in the state of Missouri in order to help increase access to healthy food that can directly tie into better health outcomes."

Gardiner underscored the potential of food-as-medicine interventions in preventing chronic conditions and reducing health care costs. She said recent studies show such interventions can lead to $13.6 billion over one year in cost savings and several improved health outcomes, making them a valuable addition to health care strategies.

Kael Martin, people impact strategist for the Health Forward Foundation, said focusing on communities affected by structural racism, socioeconomic challenges and limited health care access is paramount. Food as medicine is seen as a strategic approach to promote health equity, particularly in areas where systemic barriers hinder optimal health.

"We know that eating healthy can prevent chronic disease, but it can be a treatment option as well," Martin stressed. "To have that connection within our health care system, to really integrate these interventions, can be really impactful for many patients."

While progress is underway nationally and in other states such as Massachusetts, California and North Carolina, Missouri is still developing its approach to integrate food as medicine into health care systems and policies. Efforts to push for legislation supporting these initiatives are in progress, with some federal legislation around medically tailored meals garnering support.

As many Wyomingites await their 2023 federal income tax refunds, a new National Priorities Project report breaks down how the money they won't get back is being spent.

Co-author Lindsay Koshgarian, program director for the National Priorities Project, said this year's Tax Receipt shows that - while many school districts in Wyoming and across the U.S. are facing major budget cuts - the average taxpayer is contributing thousands of dollars to military contractors, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon.

"So whereas the average Wyoming taxpayer was giving almost $2,300 to corporate pentagon contractors," said Koshgarian, "they were giving only $455 for public education in our K-12 schools."

The average American household paid over $5,000 for militarism and support systems, but invested just $110 in the Child Tax Credit - which cut child poverty in half during pandemic era changes.

The Pentagon has failed to account for money spent in audits for the past six years. But its defenders argue tax dollars create jobs and maintain global security in the face of competitors, including China.

Koshgarian said corporate contractors can create jobs, especially in key Congressional districts.

She pointed to Brown University research showing that $1 billion in military spending adds roughly 11,000 jobs.

By comparison, $1 billion would add nearly 27,000 education, and 17,000 healthcare jobs.

"But if we put that same money into other things like education or infrastructure or healthcare," said Koshgarian, "we could actually create more good jobs with the same amount of money."

The U.S. Department of Defense has known about the existential threat of climate change for decades, and wildfires now cost upward of $394 billion in damages each year.

But the average taxpayer invested just $14 in wildfire management.

Koshgarian said she believes concerns about protecting international security, which largely serve corporate interests, are overblown.

"The U.S. is already the top military spender in the world by far," said Koshgarian. "We spend more than the next 10 militaries combined. We have the most capable military by far in the world, and no one disputes that."




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A New Mexico resident will attend President Joe Biden's State of the Union address tonight as legislation is pending to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.

The measure was passed in 1990, with money going to residents of the Southwest who were harmed, either from uranium mining or atomic tests in 1945. The original legislation included "downwinders" in Arizona, Utah and Nevada. But New Mexico was left out, despite the state being home to the world's first atomic bomb testing and explosion.

Tina Cordova, co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, has made it her life's work to get New Mexico families compensated.

"I've been working for 19 years to bring attention to the negative health effects the people of New Mexico suffered," Cordova explained. "The Trinity bomb was detonated in the middle of our state and adjacent to a bunch of towns where 13,000 people lived in a 50-mile radius."

Cordova was invited to the annual Presidential address by Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M. In the coming days, the Senate is scheduled to vote on legislation to reauthorize the act, now scheduled to end in June.

Cordova pointed out the more than 30-year-old compensation program was an admission of guilt on the part of the government but left out many of those harmed. She knows families who have lost relatives to cancer, some within 10 years of the nuclear bomb testing.

"I just hope that people who know I'm present, realize that we will never give up the fight," Cordova asserted. "We will work very hard to get the RECA amendments passed this year, but if by some chance that doesn't happen, we will continue to fight this fight for justice as long as it takes."

This Sunday, the Hollywood blockbuster, Oppenheimer, about the creation of the atomic bomb, is a favorite to win best picture at the 2024 Academy Awards. The film did not address effects to those downwind of the bombing site.


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