The Man in the Garden: Celebrating the Legacy of St. Paul’s Melvin Giles

Transcript

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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.

ANCHOR: Today, The Department of Justice is investigating Minnesota's hiring practices. Then, we celebrate the life of a beloved community member from St. Paul. And, a new law you need to know about if you're heading to a Minnesota lake this summer.

I'm Chantel SinGs.

The federal government is investigating Minnesota's hiring practices. The Department of Justice (or DOJ), says it's trying to determine if the state has been engaging in race-and-sex-based discrimination. The DOJ is pointing to a policy that it says requires supervisors to justify when seeking to hire a non-underrepresented candidate. The Minnesota Department of Human Services says the state follows all state and federal hiring laws. The Department says state law requires that an agency that does not meet its hiring goals must justify its non-affirmative action hires.

In today's main story, St. Paul's Rondo and Frogtown neighborhoods have lost a beloved community member. Melvin Giles was a peace advocate and community organizer. Britt Aamodt talks with friends about the enduring legacy of the man whose motto was, "Bubbles, Not Bullets."

Hawona Sullivan Janzen: The day he died, we gathered in the garden and ate and sat and cried and shared some stories about him.

Britt Aamodt: Hawona Sullivan Janzen couldn't believe it. Melvin Giles, the peace-loving, bubble-blowing St Paul community elder had unexpectedly died in his sleep, July 1. He was 66.

Hawona Sullivan Janzen: You know, at that point, we were still just completely in shock.

Britt Aamodt: For years, if there was a worthy project, especially in Frogtown and Rondo, Saint Paul's historically black neighborhood, Melvin was there. In 2004, he founded the Peace Sanctuary Garden in Rondo. So it only made sense that friends would gravitate to this green space to remember the man who had lived for bringing people together around a good cause and growing things.

Hawona Sullivan Janzen: We gathered at the Peace Garden, gathering his stories in the same way that he lived. And I can tell you, I don't think that there was ever a time when I said, "Hey, Melvin, can we check in?" that he wasn't like, "Oh, here's eight other people who should also come."

Britt Aamodt: Hawona, a Twin Cities artist and organizer, got to know Melvin through a project to create an inviting and safe neighborhood around St Paul's Rice Street. One of his many accomplishments was bringing more gardens into urban neighborhoods.

Hawona Sullivan Janzen: He wanted people to recognize that if they were renters or couldn't farm the land in their own yard, that there were places where other people would teach them.

Britt Aamodt: And wherever he went, he blew bubbles.

Derek Johnson: All the time.

Britt Aamodt: Derek Johnson works in community engagement at Macalester College, whose students volunteered with Melvin. Derek says the bubbles were meant to offer an—

Derek Johnson: Alternative to violence and war, and kind of really believed in walking and talking peace and how do you disrupt cycles that lead to violence?

Britt Aamodt: Melvin's motto was "Bubbles, not bullets." He installed peace poles with "May peace prevail on Earth" in multiple languages around the city. His impact was far reaching. He worked for Catholic Charities, where he was director for seven years. He championed anti-racism initiatives and organ donation. So much else. He wasn't in it for the awards, though, those came his way, including the Martin Luther King Dream Keeper Award. He did it for the community. When Melvin Giles's friends came together at the Peace Sanctuary Garden, they shared their grief over his loss and their commitment to carry on, says Hawona Sullivan Janzen.

Hawona Sullivan Janzen: How do we make sure his work is never forgotten? How do we build a legacy of community and fresh food and gardening and peace?

Britt Aamodt: This is Britt Aamodt for North Star Stories.

ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories.

Starting this summer, more Minnesotans will need a watercraft operator's permit to legally drive motorized boats or personal watercraft. The new law applies to anyone born after June 30, 2004, as well as those renting motorized watercraft or supervising unlicensed operators. The goal is to improve safety by ensuring operators know the rules and are properly trained before they hit the water. The law will impact even more boaters when it goes into full effect in three years.

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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.