Download - Vol. 2 No. 7 · RHINO REPORT Special Edition: Rename Ramsey February 6th, 2017 Ramsey Middle School Minneapolis, MN Volume 2 No. 7 Rename Ramsey Finalists Announced On Friday, January

RHINO REPORT Special Edition: Rename Ramsey

February 6th, 2017 Ramsey Middle School Minneapolis, MN Volume 2 No. 7

RenameRamseyFinalistsAnnounced

OnFriday,January27th,agroupof23panelists(students,staff,parents,boardmembers,historiansandcommunitymembers)metforsixhourstonarrowdownthetop14newnameideas(fromhundredsofnominations!)toafinalfive.WewillpresentthesenamestotheRMScommunityforfeedbackatourFebruary28thevent.HerearetheTop5finalists.

DorothyVaughnMiddleSchool

DorothyVaughanwasapioneermathematicianwhenAmericawasfightingWorldWarII.Withmostofthemenofftofight,thereweremanyjobsnowavailabletoAfricanAmericansthatwerenotusuallyoffered.ThePresidenthadissuedanorderthatcalledfordesegregationofallgovernmentagencyjobs.TheNationalAdvisoryCommitteeforAeronautics(NACA/NASA)neededtofilljobstoprocessaeronauticaldata. In1943,Dorothywasahighschoolmathteacher,whichwasjustabouttheonlygoodpaying,highstandingjobthatacollegeeducatedwomancouldget.Thedayshetookatriptothepostofficetolookatthebulletinboard,shesawthenoticeforamathematician.Itwouldchangeherlife,andshewouldfindherpurpose.

Notonlydidshetaketheriskofapplyingforajobnotnormallyofferedtoblackpeople,shetookthepositionknowingthatshewouldhavetofacethechallengesofworkingwithinafielddominatedbywhitemen.Withthatinmind,shemadeitherbusinesstoexcel,whichinturn,setherplaceinhistory.Dorothyworkedwithanallblack,femalegroupofcomputers,inthesegregatedsectionoftheNACAfacilitycalledtheWestGroup.Duringher28yearsofemployment,Dorothyadvocatedforallofthewomenofhersegregatedgroup,aswellaswhitewomeninotherareasofNACA,forpromotionsandpayraises.

DorothyVaughanwasnotonlyabrilliantmathematician,butwasalsoanexceptionalmachinist.Withthosecombinedskills,shewasabletomastertheFORTRONcomputerandshareherknowledgewiththeWestGroup.

AlongwithhermanypositivecontributionstoNACA,sheiswellknownasoneofthekeypeoplewhohelpedlaunchthefirstUSsatelliteintospace.

DorothyJVaughanwasapassionaterisk-taker.Shebelievedinherselfandsurpassedwellbeyondthelimitsthatsocietyhadplacedonallwomen.Hersuccessopenedthedoorforblackwomen,totheworldofmathematiciansandscientists,sothattheywouldbereadilyacceptedasengineers.

GoVaughnRhinos?

MarthaRipleyMiddleSchool

MarthaG.Ripleywasaphysicianwhosupportedandfoughtforequalrightsforwomenandthewelfareofchildren.Marthalearnedearlyinlifehowimportantitistohelpothers.HerparentsmaintainedanUndergroundRailroadstationinacavebehindtheirhome,andMarthahelpedbybringingtheirfugitivefriendsfooduntiltheycouldsafelysendthemontheirway.

MarthaRipleyMiddleSchool(cont.)

MarthaisbestknownforbeingthefounderofamaternityhospitalhereinMinneapolis,in1888.RipleyMemorialHospitalprovidedmedicalcaretowomenwhowerepregnant,andwouldotherwisebeturnedawayatotherhospitals,becausetheywereunmarried,orlivedlivesthatdidnotfollowsociety’sdecidedrulesforwomenatthetime.

MarthaRipley’shospitaldidsowellatsavingthelivesofinfants,andpreventingthespreadofdisease,thatshewasaskedtogivespeechesnumeroustimestoothermedicalprofessionalsaroundthecountry.Attheselectures,shespokeofwhatitmeansto“healthewholeperson”,byprovidingsocialservicesalongwithmedicalcare.Shealsogaveinstructionsonsomeofthethingsdoctorscoulddotopreventinfectionsandepidemics.

Alongwithhertirelesseffortinthefieldofmedicine,andsocialreform,MarthaRipleyadvocatedforfemaleofficersonthepoliceforce,shelobbiedforaunionforfemaledomesticworkers,(maids)andpushedforupgradesinsanitationandcleanwater.ShewasalsonominatedforDirectorofPublicSchools,butshewasnotelectedbecauseshewasawoman.ShedidallofthesethingswhilesheservedasPresidentoftheWomen’sSuffrageAssociationfrom1883to1889.

MarthaG.Ripleywasawomanwhowasdetermined,outspoken,andthroughoutherlifefoughtforwhatwasmostright.Sheisafineexampleoftheprinciples,andmission,ofourschool.

GoRipleyRhinos?

RenameRamseyFinalistsAnnounced(cont.)

JusticeAlanPageMiddleSchool

JusticeAlanPagewasthefirstAfrican-AmericanSupremeCourtjusticeinMinnesota.Priortobecomingalawyer,AlanPageplayedmanysuccessfulseasonsfortheMinnesotaVikings.Throughouthiscareeronthebench,Pagewasknownforhishumilityandlevel-headeddecisionmaking.Heretiredattheageof70saying,“IthasbeenanhonortoservethepeopleofMinnesota.”Henowwriteschildren’sbooksandsupportseducationalcauses. AlanPageplayed218gamesover15seasonsintheNFLandnevermissedagame.HeisintheProFootballHallofFameandplayedineachoftheVikingsfourSuperBowls.However,thoseaccoladesarenotwhatMr.Pagewillberememberedfororwhyhisnameshouldbeonourbelovedschool.ItisMr.Page’sdedicationtopublicservice,justiceandstudentsinMinnesotathatmakehimstandout. JusticePage’sgreatestcontributiontosocietyandeducationisthePageEducationFoundation.FoundedbyPageandhiswife,Diane,thePageFoundationhasprovidedover$12millionworthofscholarshipstoover6,000studentssince1988.PageScholarshavebecomeafixtureinMinneapolisschoolsandthefoundationcontinuestosupportstudentsofcolorinMinnesotaschools.Inaddition,Pagecontinuallydoespublicspeakingengagementsaboutraceandeducation.

AlanPage’sspiritisaliveandwellinMinnesotaandwehopethatheisabletoaccomplishmoreintheyearsahead.However,thefactthatheisstillaliveshouldnotdeterusfromcelebratingandacknowledginghislegacytoMinnesotahistory.Helivesonasareminderofhowdetermination,resolve,hardworkandcompassionrepresentthemostMinnesotanofvalues.Hesayshewouldbehonoredtohaveourschoolnamedafterhim!

GoPageRhinos?

JusticeAlanPageMiddleSchool(cont.)


PrinceRogerNelsonMiddleSchool

Princeisthemostcommerciallysuccessfulmusicianofalltimesellingover100millionalbumsandmore-

buthedidn’tmakeartjusttomakemoney.Hismusicpromotedmessagesofblackpride,self-love,lovinglifeandbeinghappywithwhoyouare.AtthecoreofPrince’smusic,hestoodforthemarginalized,thevoiceless,andthosewithcomplicatedidentities.Hereshapedhowweperceiveblackness,malemasculinity,andsexuality.

Princeredefinedmusicasweknowit,andcreatedadefinitive“Minneapolissound”throughouthisventures.Heraisedmoneyforover100,000low-opportunityyoungadultstogettechjobs.Hewasatruebelieverinadvancingtechnologyandsoughtwaystobenefityoungpeopleofcolorfromlowincomebackgroundstogetgainfulemploymentandknow-howintheindustry.

Princealsoanonymouslyraisedover1.5milliondollarsforBlackLivesMatterand$250,000totheEauClairePromiseZonetohelpfundpreschools.Hewasneveronetoboastorreporthischaritableaction.This,alsospeakstohischaracter,generosityandlegacy.

PrinceisaveryworthyschoolnamenominationbecausehechallengedourperspectivesonwhatitmeanstobeAfrican-American,aman,anartistandaMinnesotan.Heisagreatexamplestudentsaswelooktowardsafuturewherewewillrefusetobeafraidofourdifferencesandembracewhowetrulyare.PrincegrewupinMinneapolis,learnedmusicinMinneapolisandwenttopublicschoolsinMinneapolis.Althoughhediedlastsummer,hislegacywillliveonaslongasthereismusicintheworld.Prince’smessagecarriedananthemofboth“it’soktobewhoyouare”and“it’soktoexpresswhoyouare”-adviceeveryyoungmindshouldlive bywhileseekingknowledgeandgrowth.

GoPurpleRhinos?


BdeOta (Buh-dayOh-tah) MiddleSchool Bdemeans“lake”andOtameans“many”intheDakotalanguage.BdeOtaisalsothenamethattheDakotapeopleusetorefertoMinneapolis.Ourschoolislocatedbetweenthe“manylakes”ofourcity.Didyouknowthat“MinneorMni”meanswaterinDakotaand“polis”meanscityinGreek?Manyresidentsofourcityandstateareunawarethatsomecommonlyusednamesforplaces,streets,lakes,andneighborhoodshavenamesthatoriginatedwiththeDakota. AlthoughBdeOtaisnotafamiliarword,itiseasytosay.Bdeisalsobecomingmorecommon.LastyearLakeCalhounwasgiventhealternatename-BdeMakaSka(oneoftheoriginalnamestheDakotapeoplecalledthelakebeforeEuropeanAmericansettlement). NamingourschoolBdeOtawouldbeachanceforustofocusinontheenvironmentandappreciatethebeautythislandoffers.InDakotaculture,itismoretraditionaltonameaschoolorplaceafterthelandscapearounditinsteadofaperson.Byhighlightingtheuniquenessofourmanylakes,wearehonoringourplaceonthislandthatpeoplehaveenjoyedformanyyears.Waterisanessentialpartoflifeandjustblocksfromourschool,theMinnehahaCreekconnectsournumerouslakes. Finally,thenameBdeOtawouldhelptellthecounterstorytothatofAlexanderRamsey.For85yearsourschoolhashadanamesakethatrecognizesthemanwhohelpedsettleanddevelopourstate.Thoughweliveheretodaybecauseofthisdevelopment,itwasaccomplishedattheexpenseoftheDakotapeoplewhowerepushedoffthisland,forcedtochangetheircultureanddrivenontobarrenreservationsandconcentrationcamps.FortheDakota,AlexanderRamseyrepresentsgenocide,brokenpromisesandtheattempteddestructionoftheirculture.NamingourschoolBdeOtacouldcontinuethis85-yeareducationaldialoguearoundthemanyfacetsofhistoryandhelprecognizetheoriginalpeoplesofthisplacethatAlexanderRamseytriedto“exterminate”.

GoBdeOtaRhinos?

RenameRamseyMeeting

Toprovidefeedbackontheseoptions,pleasejoinusonTuesday,February28at6:00pmfordinner,followedbyaprogramat6:30.Allareinvited:neighbors,alumni,students,families,historians&communityleaders!TheeventwillbeheldatRamseyMiddleSchool.Dinnerandchildcarewillbeprovided.

ComeforapresentationbystudentsoutliningourtopnewnamechoicesassubmittedandchosenbytheRamseyMiddleSchoolcommunity.Then,attendeeswillparticipateinsmallgroup-listeningsessionstodiscusstheirnamepreferences.

PleasespreadthewordaswellasRSVPtoPaulSommers([email protected])orMissElissa([email protected])fordinner/childcare.

FormoreinformationaboutourRenameRamseyefforts,seeourwebsite:RenameRMS.weebly.com

ThankyoutoEVERYONEthathascontributedtotheRenameRamseyinitiative!–Ed.
