(lively music begins) - Hello and welcome to Prairie Pulse.

Coming up a little bit later in the show we'll hear Valley City, North Dakota musician, Greg Hager.

But first joining me now is our guest, Wess Philome, CEO of OneFargo.

Wess, thanks for joining us today.

- Thank you for having me.

- Well, as we get started we always do tell the folks a little bit about yourself and your background.

- Well, my name's Wess Philome.

I'm originally from Miami, Florida, little Haiti a small part of that community.

I played high school football, got a scholarship offer to Valley City State University without doing any research whatsoever.

I knew it was cold (laughs).

Without a visit, I committed and started playing football at Valley City State and North Dakota and found out about our winters, but most importantly about the culture and the love that, you know, our community and the state has, and ended up getting married.

And, you know, let's see, it's on going on 17 years later, I'm still here and just enjoying being a member of this community.

- Well, you answered all the questions I had.

Miami to North Dakota.

But we're here today to talk about the upcoming Martin Luther King holiday on January 16th.

But first, Wess, you're the CEO of OneFargo.

What is that?

Tell us about that.

- So, OneFargo started as a grassroots movement that came to be just after the murder of George Floyd.

4,000, 5,000 people marched on the streets of, you know, Fargo, North Dakota.

And, you know, after that, I guess it begins before that.

But in my personal perspective as the founder, I've always felt that when it comes to activism and protest there was not the consistent piece that came with actual systemic change.

And so, creating OneFargo, that's what I wanted, not just to be a spur of the moment thing but something that was active and engaging and actually focused on systemic change.

And so that's how OneFargo came to be was to be a grass movement organization that brought the community together in order to focus on the things that improve conditions for marginalized people.

- Do you have, is it a membership organization type of...?

- No.

If I'm being honest with you right now, it's three board members and myself doing the every day to day work.

But the focus is now to grow more into doing more community engagement.

But for the last two to three years it's been more focused on working with city and state leaders in order to improve and pass legislation.

- Okay.

So we're here to talk about Martin Luther King observance.

What is the significance to you of that day?

- I think the significance of it is it's another opportunity for us as a country to reflect on the past and also the future, to see where we've come from and also where we're going and the people who have played a vital role within that timeframe.

Most importantly, the focus is Martin Luther King but there are so many other freedom fighters that all play a role in that that came before him and those who came after.

So I think it's an important day for us to focus on those who have and continue to fight for equality.

- Well, can you talk about the origin of the holiday a little more and and maybe even the struggle to get it recognized?

- Yeah.

You know, Martin Luther King is probably one of the greatest speakers and community uplifters of all time.

He put his life on the line in order to create a better world for all people.

You know, I read something, whether true or not where it said that at his death, his heart was analyzed.

And although he was in his thirties he had the heart of a 60 some year old because of the amount of stress he had dealt with.

He sacrificed any and everything in order for the advancement of people.

And I think someone who makes a sacrifice like that, who puts others before him, dually deserves the recognition.

And although it took some time to make that happen I think it was truly important that he got that recognition not just in a time, but throughout all time, to remember that his name isn't forgotten and also his sacrifices.

- Absolutely.

You know, Martin Luther King, what is his legacy in your view?

I mean, many people, if you talk about it, would remember you know, I have a dream speech that he gave but, so what's his legacy though?

- It's tough.

It's, it's, I really struggle with that one especially as a person of color and especially as an activist, because his legacy, what it might mean to me and what it might be for me and others, I feel in the current sense, it's used as a weapon.

As an activist, I can't tell you how many countless times I've heard you should be more like Martin Luther King.

You should.

It's been created and formed in a way of what they believed to be a docile man, which he wasn't, a passive man when he was more of an agitator.

He believed in making people uncomfortable to actually confront, you know, truths.

And I feel in its current stance, it's not the true legacy of Martin, the fierce fighter, the one who went to jail, the one who got beaten, the one who stood in harm's way to really be a voice for marginalized people.

But what it means to me is an inspiration to stand for what you believe in.

What it means to America is a watered down version of a freedom fighter that people can, all people can be accepting of, without having to feel uncomfortable.

- So what parts of his vision and goals have sort of been achieved and what parts still need work do you think?

- Being here in Fargo and being a community leader where I've seen, I've been part of protests where there were at least three times more white folks than Black people involved.

My mom sat back and watched an event we did for Elijah McClain, a memorial, and she was overwhelmed with the amount of white people that she saw who brought flowers and actually cared about a young Black boy who was murdered.

Seeing people come together of all races, colors, and creed to push forward for equality, I think that's the part of his legacy that continues to live on, is that although we still have a lot of work to do, I think we are moving slowly towards a more unified world and that is what Martin always wanted to see come true.

- Hmm.

You know, growing up as a boy, when were you first made aware of Martin Luther King?

- I don't know that I could have not been made aware.

I can say that it kind of started with Malcolm.

I remember we had the three set of VHS collection of the Martin, Malcolm movie.

And it was through that, that I was really first as a kid introduced into what was really activism.

At the end of the movie, you know, after Malcolm has been killed there's an end scene where kids in Africa are in a classroom, and one by one, the teacher had just gotten done teaching about Malcolm.

One by one, each kid stands up and says, I am Malcolm X, I am Malcolm X.

And so at the end of the movie, I would stand up and say I am Malcolm X with the kids, you know?

And that introduced me into the world of activism.

And from there I started to research a little bit more and then start learning about the other freedom fighters like Martin, Marcus Garvey and so many others.

And from there, I just fell in love.

And I will say that Martin's greatest trait of being able to speak to all people and not just a certain few, to be able to bring together all people, his message and his voice transcended color and that's an extremely difficult thing to do.

And so that skill, I feel like I've taken a little bit of from him, and I just really appreciate it.

- Hmm.

So where do you see the state of things currently in the country in regards to race?

- I think that it's something that can be really hot and really cold at times.

And I think that it's something that still needs to be worked on.

I don't feel like it's at the forefront like it was back in 2022.

I feel like politics has kind of just taken over from there but I still believe that we have a lot of work to do.

But I do feel like, as a society, that we have acknowledged that.

And I think that we just still need to make sure that it remains a focus moving forward until equality is achieved.

- What about the Fargo (indistinct) area for a moment since that's where you live and what is the state of race relations and the relationship with the, say the Fargo Police Department?

- In the city of Fargo, we are more of a progressive base.

I do still believe that there are parts of this community that still, we live in a polarized society and so media drives a lot of this stuff.

I recently had a situation where a local publishing company released an article where I didn't even interview and claimed that I wanted a police investigation in regards to a fatal shooting based off if race was a factor, which was something I had never said.

And it really kind of exposed how media can use polarized subjects like race in order to get the clicks and different things that they need.

And it's very damaging.

But I feel like in our city, there is a connectivity there is support, but I also feel like there was a city leader who made racially insensitive comments.

It's still there, but it doesn't have to be the overwhelming voice.

I think the majority of our city is inclusive, and it does accept other people.

- Yeah.

You made a comment that you said media drives and the next, you know do you think the media coverage of police encounters with suspects and the presence of body cameras in the long run will help in terms of transparency?

- I think it depends.

You know, you asked about, you know the current situation with the city of Fargo at the Fargo Police Department right now, they're really...

There's no communication whatsoever.

Talks really have broken down after the two fatal shootings that occurred this past July you know, in trying to obtain body camera footage, you know when we created the police oversight committee during talks with the chief, he discussed how footage could be released, portions of it within 72 hours.

And every instance since that time which there have been several, at least three to four, it's taken months in order to obtain, if not be able to obtain the footage at all.

And so the body camera pieces are a great tool if used without discrimination in a sense that when what I notice is that when it supports the police, it's almost out the next day.

When it kind of shines a negative light on them, there tends to take a longer time as far as the release of it.

And so I'm just hoping that that transparency piece, you know, it gets worked on.

- Hmm.

Okay.

I understand the US Supreme Court might be considering the fate of affirmative action soon in a big case.

Can you talk a little bit about what is affirmative action and what are your views on the law?

- Sure.

Affirmative action is pretty much ensuring that there is, you know, pretty much equitable circumstances within hiring and within schooling in different areas as far as, you know the public and people are concerned.

Recently I did some research into our City of Fargo government to see what the demographic makeup of city employees were.

I was astounded to find that although Black people make up 8% of Fargo's community, we only make up 1% of Fargo City's government.

So out of what they provided me at the time was 1,691 employees, only 17 of 'em were Black.

And when you think about something like that and you try to analyze it, well, you know, how can this happen?

It's not like people don't realize, hey, the workplace that we are taking care of or we're involved in, we're not seeing the diversity there.

I think people tend to be comfortable in a workspace like that and it's definitely something that needs a lot of work.

Am I sure that affirmative action is the answer?

I'm not, because I feel that it can be performative in nature as well, but I do believe that it still needs to be a focus, but I think accountability needs to be there for employers who partake in practices that are discriminatory in nature.

- Yeah.

The new, I guess I shouldn't say new.

The thing that you hear more about nowadays is diversity, equity, and inclusion.

So do you think there's been progress made in the companies that have taken on this type of program that have been instituted in recent years?

- Still a struggle.

I believe that a lot of DEIs are kind of the new wave and buzzword, but the actions behind them are still not pushing the pace forward.

The City of Fargo hired its first diversity, equity, and inclusion officer.

He's been around for two years, and truth be told, he's kind of outmanned in a sense that he's one man within a city government of a lot of people of power.

And so speaking out and making them feel uncomfortable is a very difficult and tall task, you know, to have.

And I just stated those numbers and these numbers are two years into having a DEI.

So it's not showing the results that one would hope it would have.

And again, having some kind of independent accountability piece in nature is so necessary in regards to this work.

- Yeah, we should maybe back up just a moment, you know, so what is diversity, equity, inclusion and what does it mean to you?

- Sure.

So I, what it is, is it's supposed to be this trained professional who has this knowledge and education as far as functions, identifying bias, identifying different things and mechanisms within the system that produces results as far as having a diversified workforce, having a diversified way of thinking for those who may not have been as exposed, you know, to diversity.

So sharing those ideas and insight that provide a more inclusive workspace where everyone feels empowered.

- So talk about maybe what's been your reaction to the various trials that have taken place since George Floyd Minneapolis case?

- I think it's been a reckoning, but I, outrage comes to mind.

I just driving over here and even yesterday, I keep saying to myself, we're in the age of outrage.

That's what's driving our country right now.

I don't know that it's about, I don't know that it was even about George Floyd.

I don't know that it's really about anything other than people feeling outraged.

You know, if you give people a piece of positivity, you might get a minor reaction, but if you show somebody something that upsets them and makes them angry, they're going to stay on that for a few days at least.

And I believe that the media, social media, they've identified this, right?

And that's what they perpetuate.

I remember after the murder of George Floyd, my Facebook feed, my timeline, every other video that was being recommended to me was another video of a cop beating or killing, you know, a person of color.

And this is just what I was seeing and sure, what a lot of others were seeing.

And this stuff is inflaming and it's destroying our society.

- I agree.

Well, can you talk about any observances I guess OneFargo might be having on Martin Luther King Day?

- We're not having any.

For myself, I tend to avoid the performative as best as I can.

I like to focus more on being intentional and creating sustainable actions and not just individual events where everybody show up, they have a good time, and they go home and not much is taken from it.

And so for me, I got offered to do a few things.

I kind of stayed away from 'em.

This is kind of the one that I took and I'll be at home and watching videos on freedom fighters and just educating myself and probably just sharing a few things online for others to be able to see as well.

I got a big month ahead of me, so just staying focused.

- So what is the message you would want to give for people from around Martin Luther King Day?

- You know, what I would from the heart, love to share is that it's not just a day to loaf around and hang out.

It's a day to educate yourself on the freedom fighters of the past and maybe even the future.

I think that researching the freedom fighters of the past will open up a pathway and door for you and then to maybe do some research on those who are fighting for change now and doing what you can to support them is critical as well.

But education is the big piece.

Not just taking the simple surface level of things of the I Had a Dream speech about Martin.

Even if you just focus on Martin, my challenge is to go on YouTube and maybe type in MLK Jr. documentary, learn a little bit more, go a little bit deeper, and just become a little more educated on who he truly was.

And I think that people will find inspiration in that.

- If people want more information, where can they go?

- For Martin, go on YouTube, type in MLK Jr. documentary, and that would be a start.

That's where I always start whenever I want to educate myself on anything.

YouTube is an entire university that is full of knowledge and its visual knowledge.

So you, you're not bored by simply just reading.

But I think that'd be a great way.

- All right, Wess, thanks for joining us today.

- Thank you for having me.

- Stay tuned for more.

(music returns) Greg Hager hails from Valley City, North Dakota and is an accomplished songwriter and musician, especially in the world of western music.

He presents a heartfelt message in every original tune and tours the country representing North Dakota.

Here he plays Northern Land and State of Mind.

(The Northern Land by Greg Hager plays) - ♪ Mysteries of nature ♪ ♪ Cannot be explained by man ♪ ♪ The same thing goes for love ♪ ♪ Oh, they tried, but no one can ♪ ♪ Just take a look around you and see the way ♪ ♪ That things are here ♪ ♪ And notice how the skyline ♪ ♪ Always seems so far from here ♪ ♪ And it's in the northern land ♪ ♪ Oh, the sights are grand ♪ ♪ Come take me by the hand and we will walk ♪ ♪ Together ♪ ♪ For when you are here with me, ♪ ♪ More than the land is free ♪ ♪ And I hope you now can see ♪ ♪ The way that life can be ♪ ♪ The babbling of a small brook ♪ ♪ And the swaying of the trees ♪ ♪ The meadows with her flowers ♪ ♪ And the whispers of the breeze ♪ ♪ I'll paint a perfect picture ♪ ♪ On the canvas of the ground ♪ ♪ A finer place on earth for love to grow ♪ ♪ Can never more be found ♪ ♪ And it's in northern land ♪ ♪ Oh, the sights are grand ♪ ♪ Come take me by the hand and we will walk ♪ ♪ Together ♪ ♪ For when you are here with me ♪ ♪ More than land is free ♪ ♪ And I hope you now can see ♪ ♪ The way that life can be ♪ ♪ It's in the northern land ♪ ♪ Oh, the sights are grand ♪ ♪ Come take me by the hand and we will walk ♪ ♪ Together ♪ ♪ For when you are here with me ♪ ♪ More than land is free ♪ ♪ And I hope you now can see ♪ ♪ the way that life can be ♪ (State of Mind by Greg Hager plays) ♪ It's not just the state of Texas ♪ ♪ The whit could be ♪ ♪ Out in Oklahoma that you will see ♪ ♪ In Utah or Dakota, where they tend the land, ♪ ♪ Wyoming and Montana or the desert sand ♪ ♪ From Arkansas to Michigan you'll find ♪ ♪ What makes you a cowboy is the state of mind ♪ ♪ State of mind ♪ ♪ You don't have to go that far ♪ ♪ And you'll find it no matter where you are ♪ ♪ It's more than just the place you hang your hat, ♪ ♪ My friend, it's really so much more than that ♪ ♪ It's the state of mind ♪ ♪ I've seen it in Nebraska, but not only there, ♪ ♪ Iowa and Illinois have got their share ♪ ♪ In fact crosses land of ours from sea to sea, ♪ ♪ from Florida to Washington there will be ♪ ♪ Through Canada and New Mexico you'll find ♪ ♪ What makes you a cowboy is the state of mind ♪ ♪ State of mind ♪ ♪ You don't have to go that far ♪ ♪ And you will find it no matter where you are ♪ ♪ It's more than just the place you hang your hat, ♪ ♪ My friend, it's really so much more than that ♪ ♪ It's a state of mind ♪ ♪ State of mind ♪ ♪ You don't have to go that far ♪ ♪ And you will find no matter where you are ♪ ♪ It's more than just the place you hang your hat ♪ ♪ My friend, it's really so much more than that ♪ ♪ It's a state of mind ♪ ♪ It's a state of mind ♪ - Well, that's all we have this week on Prairie Post.

And as always, thanks for watching.

(lively music returns) - [Speaker] Funded by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4th, 2008, and by the members of Prairie Public.