A Jan. 28 panel discussion about Somali Muslims in Minnesota will feature two St. Cloud State alumni and a prospective St. Cloud State student.
Hosted by MPR News and moderated by Tom Weber, the panel will be 5:30 p.m. at Great River Regional Library, St. Cloud. Weber hosts “MPR News with Tom Weber,” which is heard 11 a.m. weekdays on MPR News. Reserve a free ticket.
Meet the panelists:
Haji Yusuf ’09 is set to participate in the Jan. 28 panel discussion about Somali Muslims in Minnesota. Photo courtesy AM 1240 WJON.
Haji Yusuf ’09 is a community advocate and the founder and CEO of Orange Oak Advertising. Yusuf is co-founder of the St. Cloud Somali Radio web stream and is community director for #unitecloud, a group working to reduce racial and religious tension in the city. He graduated from St. Cloud State and is the father of two children.
Hafsa Abdi is a senior at Technical High School in St. Cloud. She was among the students who walked out of Tech last March. Abdi will graduate in May and plans to study nursing this fall at St. Cloud State.
Lul Hersi is a community advocate and the mother of four children. Hersi has lived in St. Cloud since 2001. She works as an interpreter.
Hassan Yussuf ’09 recently ran for a seat on the St. Cloud school board and owns a tax business in St. Cloud. He graduated from St. Cloud State and has a master’s degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Yusuf is one of the founders of Eradicating Achievement Gap & Learning Empowerment. He is the father of four children.
MPR News host, Tom Weber.
The reasons for the panel discussion are several, according to MPR spokesperson Meggan Ellingboe:
“Muslim Somalis now make up at least 15 percent of school-aged kids in St. Cloud. Local officials have been accused of not doing enough to counter racism and discrimination against the city’s Muslim residents. Last year, 100 students walked out of Tech High School, saying they were tired of feeling harassed about their race and religion. Since then, anti-immigrant speakers from outside the city have stirred up debate, and the Somali community held a public forum offering to explain its religion to the larger community. Global events and presidential politics have further heightened tensions.”
Weber is expected to talk with the panelists about what it’s like to be Muslim in St. Cloud and how relationships among Muslim residents and other community members can be improved.
The audience will be invited to ask questions and offer perspectives. Online listeners to the livestream on the MPR News website can interact via a live blog.
For more information, contact Julie Siple, senior producer, at 651-290-1158 and [email protected].
