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Alright – so, let’s make one thing clear. No dfler can win any local, statewide or national election without the votes of black and brown people. What does this mean exactly? It means we are the ones giving them the power to help or screw with us. So ask yourself this question when Gov Walz was running for governor 4 years ago, what did he promise black and brown voters?

1. Has he accomplished them?
2. Did he hire people who look like us in a position of authority and influence in his administration?
3. has that produced fruitful results in policy and prosperity?

I say no, no, and heck no. Here are the reasons.

First, he ran on one Minnesota, I call it one Minnesota hoax. He promised our kids will stay in school, not fail, and not be kicked out. Has he done that? Nope. Fact, every year he has put non-exclusionary methods before a kid is kicked out of school in his education bill, but his office never pushed it – ever. They always sided with the teacher’s union (aka today’s modernized mafia). It is the teacher who fails our kids and creates Minnesota to have the worst education gap for black, brown, and Native American students. Nothing happens to those teachers. No one holds them accountable, fires them, or even disciplines them. Over 95% of Minn teachers are white which means they do not reflect us. Oh and, he is against charter schools. There are so many Somali and other minority charter schools. Yep, if Walz wins again, we can kiss those goodbyes. He will decrease their funding drastically. We take our kids to charter schools after districts fail them. I took my son to a charter school in Minneapolis after the Bloomington school district suspended him.

2nd question – did he hire black and brown folks. Yes, but only for community outreach, community liaison, outreach coordinator, and my favorite senior community engagement & outreach coordinator. This is when they add all of the pretty words to make the person think he/she has an important job. They only use them to get more votes. Can’t our people be just regular – oh I don’t know policy adviser, director, manager, and so on and so forth? No to MN Dflers. Has he hired all of the black and brown campaign helpers who helped him win? heck no. They (MN dlfers) never do. If you get data from his office and see the make-up of his staff, you will notice most of his senior-level staff were in his campaign. You will also notice any black/brown person is just a community engagement coordinator. Seriously, if I see another black and brown highly educated and experienced person with these stupid and useless titles, I am going to scream.

3. The 2 black and brown folks he hired as commissioners or maybe asst comm, have they produced fruitful policies and prosperity? Well – ask yourself. I would say no because they are usually the go-along-to-get-along ones. Anyone with a spine and a backbone in this administration has been fired and scolded. For example, DHS has fired more black and brown people under Gov Walz than in the last 3 prev administrations combined. That is not an accident.

Now, this is the amusing (Jay Leno) and funny part. His office has been holding what they are calling “Focus on Black Minnesotans” zoom meetings. They break them into several categories such as education, health, home ownership, employment, etc. I have attended the ones that I thought related to autism. The education commissioner and her all-white staff told us years-old numbers from the Dayton administration that said – yeah it is true Minnesota has horrible racial disparities for black and brown students and students with disabilities. Shocker! Not really. You see that is old, old, old data. What has Walz done about these school districts? he went to sleep. He did not fund his human rights department to sue their ass off, he did not propose policies to take funds away such as not getting the funds for the kids they kick out. He did nada, nothing, zip, zero. Then he has the nerve to come back and give us the same data and pretend he cares. Are you bleeping kidding me. Anyone who believes this then please go back to living under the same rock.

Then his health department (you know the do nothing about autism agency) talked in another zoom meeting. They said black babies are not doing well, black mothers are suffering, black people are struggling with health issues. What in Minn? come on? It is like some white clueless dude telling us we are black or it snows in Minn. We already know this. What has MDH done in this area? Lunch on me for anyone who can say Walz put funding in his MDH budget for the last 4 years to address these health disparities. Remember, the highly educated Somali doctor from Mayo applied to work at MDH. He was interviewed by Commissioner Jan M a hundred times. She did not hire him. Yet, this woman hired Dan Pollock – you know the white lawyer who knew nothing about health. Oh please. I dare anyone to tell me this is not pure racism. You remember years ago under MDH’s prev commissioner Ehlinger and the elderly issues they had. Wait for it…..This will show you how Minn dflers screw with black and brown Minnesotans. Anyway, Dan P was there at MDH and everyone fled MDH after that including the commissioner. Guess where they hired Dan P at? waaiiiiit. DHS hires him and puts him in charge of the elderly. Imagine a black or brown person in charge of the elderly and things going so bad. That person would’ve become the scapegoat. Not in MN DFL land. They just re-shuffle their cousins. I knew Pollock when he was just a committee administrator for Rep Huntley who chaired the health and human services committee in MN House. Oh man, he was sooooooo against us. Huntley wanted to subsidize with millions of dollars for private insurance companies to cover autism therapy.

I remember one vivid conversation with Dan P during the conference committee. If you know state legislature procedures then you have seen the conference committee is like an African meat market. It is do or die. It is the wild card. You never know what the conferees will do and it is final. Pollock says to me if I convinced the Senate to take their language then next year they will help low-income autism families. I did the opposite. The senate was majority democrat at that time. Sen. Linda Berglin was the chair of the health and human services committee. Now, that was one good dfler. She called it from the hip, knew health legislation better than everyone in her head, and can shred anyone into small pieces with facts and data. I met her Sen. Berglin in a restaurant in Mpls and told her all about our autism advocacy, our struggles, and our needs. She was so kind and receptive. Long story short, she killed Huntley House version. She did it with sheer Berglin style and in your face. I remember, I sat on the floor in case we lost and I fainted or something, I wanted to be close to the floor. I closed my eyes and listened to their votes. I remember it like it was yesterday. After we won and the house’s stupid and discriminatory version that Pollock drafted was voted out, I looked at the Star Tribune’s reporter Warren Wolf whom I begged to do the story and breathed with a sigh of relief. You get a kind of a high that probably one could not get from any drug when you win in a conference committee. There is no better feeling. Sorry, I got off track here. My point is that guy is now at DHS in charge of EIDBI. How do you like them apples?

Then it was DHS’ turn and we were told all of the things happening in the human services. Well, actually they left out how DHS goes after providers of color for sneezing the wrong way, while white providers who take millions of dollars are never mentioned.

Finally, they asked us what would we like Gov Walz to put in his 2023 budget? what? how presumptuous of him. Of course, I told them what I would like in the 2023 budget is for Walz to lose the election.

Where the heck has he been the last four years? The audacity of Gov Walz asking black and brown people to hire him again and this time he will help us. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me another election, shame on us. 

Black and brown folks will always be at the bottom of every pit unless we vote differently, we learn how to negotiate with our voices and we hold them accountable for what they did, not what they will do the second time. It is like an abusive husband who beats his wife but says come on – baby, give me another chance and I will not beat you up this time. If you know the answer to that question then you know how to vote this election cycle. We need to vote out Gov Walz – one Minn hoax.

The above words do not reflect any candidate, agency, or committee.

Idil – Somali Autism Mom & Advocate

Alright – so, ever since my son with autism who does not understand what suspension is was suspended by union-protected teacher Kelly Morris and lobbyist-protected principal Jaysen Anderson; I have been trying to advocate this issue. The key word is “trying”. I have testified in every education committee in both the Minnesota house and senate. I have contacted more legislators than I can count including the committee chairs. I have spoken and sat through committees. And, I am sad to report, nada has been accomplished.

This happened back in 2018 on a Thursday afternoon at 5:18pm in May. I remember this date and time like it was yesterday. It has left a white stain on my heart, brain, and soul. I am not going to repeat in this blog my journey in this area as I have written and posted my testimonies here. I will simply say neither political party gives a flying hoot about keeping our children in the classroom. To the democrats, it is a show and to the republicans – well they don’t even think this is a problem.

In light of the above; I contacted the superintendent of Bloomington – Dr. Eric M. I knew Eric way back when he was the director of special education. He and I have a long history through mediation, conciliation, courts, and so on and so forth. For some reason, we have always been able to come to a compromise. Clearly, I am not a big fan of this district, but I found Eric to be reasonable and apologize when the district was in the wrong. In fact, one time we were in front of an education judge and Eric made sure the teacher apologized for what she did to my kid and like magic, I dropped the case. You see it is not always about winning, losing, or even lawsuits. It is owning mistakes and correcting them.

Anyway, to make a long history short, I reached out to Eric with an olive branch about this suspension and requested a meeting. He and I met and had a long chat. I also asked to meet with the principal – Jaysen who is the person that sent me the email suspending my kid four years ago in 2018. I met with Jaysen and Eric on May 3rd, 2022 – four years later to the date.

In summary, I believe the principal and the superintendent know suspending my kid did no good for anyone, and did not hold any educational value. I asked the principal if he had any remorse and what he now does differently. He replied – yes and that he pays attention to how and who he suspends to make sure it makes sense and the parents are involved.

So, I am done; that was good enough for me. The teacher – Kelly, I did not ask to speak with her even though Eric offered. I am too hurt to face her. I trusted her with my child and she failed him and me. While it was the principal who sent me the suspension email, it was the teacher who denied my kid his communication device which is essentially his voice, disrupted his daily routine, and subsequently called the principal on him. I don’t know if I ever will forget or even forgive her but I am at peace with the principal and the superintendent. For what it is worth, both the principal and the teacher make more money than they did in 2018, and the district got more money in 2022 than it did in 2018. In other words, as I have said in my kazilian testimonies there are no consequences for school districts to not kick our kids out – period.

In terms of the school board; I have been able to help and campaign several of them newly elected ones. Sadly, they are no different. I think I still would like to make sure Dawn S loses and will try to get her voted out. Their board has one minority member who incidentally also apologized to me for what they did to my kid and even testified in the senate for a bill that would’ve banned suspension which did not pass last year. I wish there were more black and brown people running for school board in Bloomington. I am sure we will get there. For now, this is good enough for me. I will not be going back to that exhausting state capitol and testifying in education committees as that has not produced any fruits. I may try at the federal level and maybe see if I can get a congressperson to amend the IDEA law by adding one line next to the 10-day rule before manifestation determination kicks in.

I am just tired of this now. I think I will take a break for now in this area.

The above words do not reflect any candidate, agency, or committee.

Idil – Somali Autism Mom & Advocate

Alright – so, if you read my blog then you know, I am not a big fan of any county. There is no good county at all. I came across Dakota county recently after a couple of autism families asked me to help them. Actually, I advocated for an autism mom, maybe a couple of years ago. She had to go to Minn Disability Law Center to get adequate support and resources from this county.

I have seen many counties that have biased and/or racist low-level staff. Usually, when I contact the commissioners or the director, things move a bit smoother, not Dakota. Top to bottom and bottom to top from their county commissioners to the receptionist and vice versa – they are all bad to the bone. I mean BAAAAAAAAD as in cold, heartless, useless, arrogant, ignorant, malicious, and cold. Did I say cold?

I wanted to know why so I looked into their county commissioners. Remember State Rep Halverson and Atkins? Well, let me remind you. They both voted against EIDBI. Well, actually back then we were not calling it EIDBI. It was simply asking state legislators that Medicaid covers autism therapy for low-income autism families. Yep, these two yukies voted against that. They also voted to dismantle the state autism task force we had back then.

Now, they did not win in either bill. Eventually, we (autism parents) won. But these two are now Dakota county commissioners. Imagine the level of bias and heartless crap flowing through there now. The commissioner that is in charge of the families I have been trying to advocate for live under Liz W. She is even worse than they are. Akhhhh.

This is why we need to diversify county commissioners. They hold so much power and are as ice as Minnesota snow. I remember Atkins when he was a chair in the House. I testified against a bill that wanted to only help autism families with private insurance while low-income autism families with Medicaid were thrown under the bus. He was as cold, rude, and heartless back then as he is a county commissioner. Why do we keep voting for these people. Insanity is voting for the same politicians and expecting different results.

The question of at least the funding and support this county refuses to provide to autism families needs to be addressed by DHS and/or CMS. This county needs to be held accountable for neglecting and screwing with autism families which is never acceptable and should never be tolerated.

The above words do not reflect any candidate, agency, or committee.

Idil Abdull – Somali Autism Mom & Advocate

Alright – so, this is the final do-or-die part of this year’s legislation. The Senate and House chairs and members are meeting in what is called conference committees. I have testified in the Education Conference Committee in what will probably be the last time we are able to testify. Below is my testimony. Fingers crossed that this bill will pass this year!

Minnesota Senate & House

Education Conference Committee

Chairs: Sen. Chamberlain and Rep. Davnie

May 13^th, 2022

      Re: Keeping children in the classroom and in school; K-3 Suspension

Dear Chair Chamberlain, Davnie, and conferees,

Many thanks again for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Idil Abdull; I am a Somali autism mom and advocate.

First, I would like to thank Rep. Richardson for her relentless focus and tenacity in this issue. I come before you today to ask to keep students in the classroom to learn. I know that you all want children to succeed in school. We all want to eliminate Minnesota’s shameful education gap.

It is humanly impossible for any student to learn when they are not in school. I understand the administrators’ and principals’ perspectives in wanting to have suspension in their toolbox. I also understand teachers not being equipped to handle and just go for the low-hanging fruit which is kicking the kid out of their learning environment.

I want you all to understand these are the needs of adults. And, yes, we should support and provide needed resources to all educators, but we must, and we shall put students first. After all, education is about students, not adults who chose this profession.

What Richardson is asking is to keep young minds in the classroom to learn. These are 5- and 6-year-olds. They are babies. If we cannot come up with creative ways to teach children and help them when they make mistakes, what does that say about us?

I respectfully ask you all to put students first and above everyone. Please negotiate and find some common ground on this issue.

Thanks much as always and I look forward to a fruitful outcome this legislative session.

Idil Abdull

Alright – so, if you read my blog or know me, then you understand why I am not a big fan of any union most of all teacher’s union. Why? unions are good, right. Yes, if they are reasonable and protect the worker from big badass corporations. In the education system, this is not the case. Education Minnesota represents thousands of teachers who suspend and fail our kids with no accountability. Teachers are the people who refer the student to be suspended not the principal. The principal pushes the kid off the ledge, but the teacher is the person who puts the child on the suspension ledge. You dig? 

At any rate, Rep. Richardson has a bill that essentially would keep kids up to 3rd grade in the classroom, and wait for it…..drum roll pls……..teacher’s union (aka Education Minnesota) has finally supported it. No, not behind the scenes but with action. They actually sent someone to testify in support of this bill. Wow, I must be drunk or hell has frozen. Ok – kidding I do not drink, not yet. Kidding again. And, the bonus…more drum roll pls…….Commissioner of Minnesota Department of Education and their government relations person also testified in support of keeping kids in school. This better not be an election year hoax from the democrats.  

To those that may not yet understand the state legislative process. This language is now included in the big education omnibus bill which has the kitchen sink from the democrats in the house and the republicans in the senate. Then there will be what is called conference committee members. They will meet publicly and sometimes off the record to negotiate what ends up in the final bill that passes the conference committee. Finally, the governor signs it and that is how ladies and gentlemen laws are created.

Below is my testimony. 

Minnesota House of Representatives

Education Finance Committee

Chair: Davnie

March 31, 2022        

Re: HF 3401 – Keeping children in the classroom to learn 

Dear Mr. Chair and Members,

Many thanks again for the opportunity to testify for keeping young students and all students for that matter in the classroom. First, I want to thank the author of this bill – Rep. Richardson for her tireless leadership in education and equity.

I understand the principals do not support this bill, but I want to emphasize the principal is not the person who is in the classroom and refers the child to be suspended, it is the teacher. So, if the teachers support this language and want to keep kids in the classroom to learn then please do it. The teachers are the ones who are choosing to refer our kids to the principal’s office. The principal mostly agrees with the teacher and does the actual suspension.

I say this because often in politics we concentrate on what divides us, but in this case, the principals and the teachers are one in the same.

Mr. Chair, I humbly ask you to carry the suspension language this legislative session to the finish line. Please do not allow it to fall off during the conference committee negotiations.

To legislators who say, there are laws against racial discrimination. Yes, you are right – it is illegal to discriminate against any student because of their color or disability. So, then what is the problem? Why do we have un-even numbers when the behaviors are the same but the color and/or disability status of the student is different?

Mr. Chair and Member, you see, discrimination does not happen blatantly like George Wallace’s days of segregation today, tomorrow, and forever. It happens in subtle manners that are extremely hard to prove in courts even when factual numbers are clear. Let me give you an example:

A white female teacher can have two students of the same age, same height, same weight, same grade, even same disability; the only thing different is one is black, and one is white. When they display the same behaviors – the white teacher sees the black child’s behavior more severely than the white one. Why? Because from her lenses, from her experience, from her background, from her world – she is able to relate to the white kid. This is not right or wrong. It is actually human. We all can relate to those that we have experience with better and more comfortable.

My airport story with my kid with two different people in a similarly situated situation is the perfect example of how we as humans relate to those that we have something in common with. (I will tell this story if I am allowed as it may take another minute or so).

In summary, I commend what Rep. Richardson is trying to do which is leveling the playing education field so that every child has the same opportunity to learn and there is no room for unconscious biases. I applaud her for that and hope that you are able to agree and support this legislation.

Thanks as always!

Idil Abdull – Somali Autism Mom & Advocate

The above words do not reflect any committee, agency, or candidate.

Idil – Autism Mom

Alright – so, ever since my son was suspended by the union-protected teacher, Kelly Morris, and lobbyist-protected principal Jaysen from Bloomington school district, I have been advocating for a law that would prevent them from doing it to another kid. Rep. Richardson who chairs the MN House of Reps Education Policy committee has been a champion in this issue. She was able to pass pre-K suspension ban legislation a couple of years ago. Richardson has another bill this year – HF 951 which will prohibit K to 3rd-grade kids to be kicked out of school. It will have a hearing tomorrow in the Education Finance committee chaired by Rep. Davnie. Below is my written testimony. I plan to testify orally as well.

Thursday, May 3rd, 2018, 5:18pm @neverforget.

Minnesota House of Representatives

Education Finance Committee

Chair – Rep. Davnie

March 23, 2022

Re: HF 951, Keeping K to 3rd-grade students in the classroom and teaching them

Dear Mr. Chair and Members,

Many thanks for the opportunity to testify today in support of this important legislation. I want to thank Rep. Richardson for her focus and tenacity in our children’s education.

This is a political body, and I would like to speak to you as such.

• I want to say to all of the legislators in this committee that Minnesota has the only divided legislative body in the country. What this means is that your voters have mandated you to work together and get along for the benefit of all your constituents.
• I want to say to the Democrats – you control two of the government bodies here which means you slightly have the upper hand. You have been supporting this bill from last year and this year, but you have got to come out stronger by saying what you mean and meaning what you say.
• You must get Education Minnesota and the teachers to support this bill with no reservation. You know that black and brown voters have supported you. Now it is your turn to support their children and ensure they are kept in the classroom to learn and be nurtured. I respectfully and humbly ask you to carry this bill to the finish line and not let it become a casualty during the conference committee hearings.
• Now to the Republican legislators – yes, the principals and administrators need to have a toolbox at their disposal. Kicking young students out of school does not have to be a tool in the box. Maybe this toolbox can have compassion, competency, and kindness
• Finally, I know you are aware that racism and discrimination exist in the education system and elsewhere. It was Sen. Coleman who first helped us, Somali autism families, back over a decade ago when we were advocating for autism awareness in our community. It was Abeler and Hann who helped us with DHS’ inequalities and ensured Medicaid covered autism therapy. Please help us now with the education gap by keeping the kids in school so that they can learn and prosper.

I beg all of you in this committee to validate parents’ pain and children’s despair by standing with us, for us, and by us. Please support HF 951 this year like your life depended on it because it does.

I thank you for your time and listening as always

Idil Abdull

Alright – so, there was a hearing for HF 951 again today in the MN House of Reps’ education committee. We heard this legislation last year, it was added to the education omnibus bill but it failed in the conference committee. Chairs Chamberlain and Davnie were not able to come to an agreement on their overall education items and this bill became a casualty.

Rep. Richardson is presenting it again this year. All of the dflers voted for it and all of the Republicans voted against it. Don’t get too happy; this does not mean the democrats are for this. It is just a show. Let me tell you how.

1. It is the teacher who refers the child to be suspended.
2. It is the teacher who kicks the child from the classroom.
3. It is the teacher who complains about the child
4. It is the teacher who goes to the principal and the administrators to start with. Who supports the teachers and their unions – that is right the democrats. You see this is just to get black and brown votes; to pretend they care without caring to give us empty calories.

Then the republicans support the principals and the administrators while the democrats support the teachers and unions. Who supports the kids and families. No one. Yet, we all vote for these legislators who clearly do not give a flying hoot about our kids. They just give the same speech where the democrats say disparity this, racial this while supporting the very teachers who created this. Then the republicans live in la-la land and say – what racism in America? it can not be. They simply can’t see kids are getting kicked out of schools disproportionately because of their color and they have a disability. They always say – it is not happening in my neighborhood so it can not exist. And the dflers know it is happening because they create it and maintain it. The dflers are just more savvy with their words, are more charming and probably have more charisma.

My suggestion is this:

1. The black and brown legislators need to go to their leadership and tell them which bills are due or die this year. Tell them those legislations can not become casualties or decorations. They can not be used for negotiations. They need to pass – period. The democrats control two of the three government branches and should technically have the upper hand. I say let’s not let them play us again into voting for them while getting nothing back in return.
2. Pick maybe 5 to 10 bills in education, health, safety, employment, etc., and tell Walz and Hortman no deal if they don’t pass. You all need to have a backbone and stand up for your communities. You can not tell us it is the other side. That is not true.
3. For example, why can’t the dflers stand up to the teachers and their unions. They are the ones suspending us. Rep. Erickson does have a good point. If the teachers are trained in culturally responsive, are held accountable for their actions and all of the current rules are followed then discipline should decrease.

Here is my testimony. I must say I am not optimistic this year. The Senate did not even have a companion bill.

Minnesota House of Representatives

Education Policy Committee

Chair – Rep. Richardson

March 18, 2022

Re: HF 951 – dismissal of students from kindergarten to 3^rd grade prohibited

Dear Madam Chair and Members,

My name is Idil Abdull, and I am a Somali Autism Mom & Advocate.

Many thanks for the opportunity to testify again for this important legislation. As I thought about what I would say today, I have decided to do it differently. I am not going to tell you what happened to my son in the Bloomington Public School district because you already know it. I am not going to give you facts, data, and research because you know 2+2 is four.

Today, I want to appeal to your bottom line, to your wallet, and to your purses. I know you are thinking – what now? What the heck does this have to do with student dismissal. Let me line it up for you.

Imagine if you invested in Amazon, Google, Tesla, or Facebook when they first went public. If you knew back then what you know today, you all would have bought shares in these stocks. And you would be all reaping their benefits today. Investing in children today is tomorrow’s Amazon and Google.

If we keep children in school and educate them, they will pay the Medicare and social security benefits we will need tomorrow. Investing in kids today will only help and support you tomorrow when you need it.

Now, let me play you what the other side will say – what if a first-grader brings a weapon? If that is the case, then – Houston we have a problem bigger than discipline which this bill addresses if there is a serious safety threat to the student or others.

Some may say – well this is an unfunded mandate. Actually, school districts are funded to teach and educate children. In other words, keeping kids in school is funded and mandated. Please do not get distracted and focus on what is important. Keeping small children in the classroom is the biggest investment we can make today. Let us do it this year and carry it to the finish line.

I thank you as always

Idil Abdull – Somali Autism Mom & Advocate

The above words do not reflect any candidate, agency, or committee.

Idil

Alright – so, today I testified about HF 4112 which is about minorities giving advice to MN MDH and DHS about health racial disparities. Seriously, do you do know how many councils and advisory committees I have seen since I have been advocating for the past decade or so? more than I care to count. When we are at the leadership table then advice from a council is not needed because we are at the TABLE.

MN DHS and MDH create, maintain and enhance racial health disparities. They are the grandmother, father, and mother of health disparities. They never hire black & brown middle management, directors, managers, and supervisors. The few who work harder than most are forced to leave because they create a hostile and retaliation environment. Yet, the state legislators keep funding them. Why?

I appreciate what Rep. Vang is trying to do in this bill, but as someone who has been around the block and old enough to know how state health and human service agencies operate – I would not trust them with a 10-foot pole. I hope you write a bill to hold or suspend the funding they get when they discriminate and treat us differently. I hope you write a bill that makes them collect racial data on the number of providers they go after and how differently black and brown providers are treated at DHS vs how white providers are. I assure you there is a big difference. They are biased at best and racist at worst. MDH is even worse if you can believe it.

Here is my testimony – sooooo frustrating to deal with MDH and DHS.

Minnesota House of Representatives

Health Finance & Policy Committee

Chair: Rep. Liebling

March 14, 2022

            Re: HF 4112

Dear Madam Chair and Members,

Many thanks for the opportunity to testify and give you my two cents on this bill and about health equity and health disparities in Minnesota. I feel like I have seen a bill like this too many times during my advocacy of over 10 years now. Many legislators in this body and the senate have created and passed health equity councils before. There have been recommendations and reports. Nothing fruitful has been produced from them because we never get to the production part; always the advice and council portion.

Black, Brown & Native Americans in Minnesota are at the bottom of every pit in health, education, and in-between. We do not need council members to tell us what we already know, feel, and live with. What we need is for state legislators to graduate from more meaningless councils to hold both the health and human services agencies accountable for creating disparities.

You see as a black woman, I do not say in the morning – I will have a cup of coffee, a bowl of cereal, and disparities. Racial disparities are created by both MDH and DHS leadership.

Here is how and what you can do about it.

1. Ask MDH why there are almost or maybe none now directors and supervisors who are black and brown. Ask the current commissioner why she interviewed a Somali Mayo research doctor many times but never hired him. Does it also take that many interviews to hire Ph.D. white employees? My guess is no.
2. Just in autism, ask MDH even though they are in charge of and get funded to do assessments and assurance – why they never do it. They are supposed to do outreach to all communities and let families know about autism signs and what supports, and services are available. They do not which creates disparities.
3. Ask the current governor or any previous governor – how many black or brown DHS/MDH commissioners have been appointed? And please do not tell us there are no qualified ones. There are plenty who are more qualified. That creates disparities – the inability to give equal opportunities that whites in Minnesota enjoy.
4. Ask DHS why so many black and brown employees quit or were fired? Some have sued for discrimination and won. Ask them why the culture inside DHS is toxic for black and brown employees.
5. Ask DHS why they disproportionately close and shut down black/brown agencies while the white ones are nurtured, trained, and supported. It is all public data and facts, yet DHS keeps doing it with impunity. Did you know DHS does not keep racial data on the providers whose livelihood they destroy? Write a law that requires them to track and keep racial data.
6. Ask the current DHS administration why more employees of color have been retaliated against, fired, or have filed discrimination cases. See data below.

In 2017 – 7 complained of discrimination against DHS; 2018 – there were 22; 2019 there were 31 and in 2020 there were 23. Why so many? Ask DHS.

You see Madam Chair and Members; we do not need another group to tell us what we already know. We need you to hold these agencies accountable for creating and sustaining health disparities. The disparities that MDH/DHS creates and maintains should be connected to the funding they get from you.

7. Even the U of MN which is a state agency, ask them how many health researchers of color they produce and nurture? Yet they keep getting millions of dollars; why should they do better when there are no consequences for the disparities they create and enhance?

https://www.startribune.com/minn-dept-of-human-services-accused-of-toxic-environment-for-workers-of-color/572350262/

https://accesspress.org/racially-based-biases-alleged/

https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2020-06-04/george-floyds-death-exposes-the-minnesota-paradox

Racial disparities in Minnesota are the worst because those with the power allow it, continue it, and benefit from it. It even has a name Minnesota Paradox.

https://www.twincities.com/2021/05/01/samuel-myers-jr-fixing-the-minnesota-paradox/

Thanks as always

Idil – Somali Autism Mom & Advocate

The above words do not reflect any candidate, agency, or committee.

Idil – Somali Autism Mom and really frustrated advocate

Alright – so, Robbinsdale school district athletic students were insulted with racist and hurtful remarks by New Prague students and adults. Oh boy. I testified regarding a bill in the MN House that was about this (MSHSL). Essentially, the bill does nothing to rectify this; it basically keeps the same rules which is not ok. There needs to be more black and brown members on this board that is too vanilla for my taste. Additionally, both the high school principals and the school board associations staff and board lack diversity. So depressing. When we are not at the table, we are on the menu.

Minnesota House Education Policy Committee

Chair Rep. Ruth Richardson

March 7, 2022

Dear Madam Chair & Members,

Many thanks for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Idil Abdull; I am a Somali Autism Mom and Advocate who would like to retire from advocacy as soon as our children are protected from unions and lobbyists.

I want to tell you today that I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. I am tired of constantly being told with facts and data that students who look like me are failing in publicly funded school districts, being suspended, being expelled, and being insulted.

I am tired of the adults who are in charge of these school districts having no accountability and consequences for their failures and hurtful policies. I am tired of state legislatures always playing politics with our children’s education and well-being. I am tired of legislatures we have elected to amend, change, add and delete education laws never do what is best for ALL kids.

I am tired of legislatures never taking away funds or disciplinary actions against school districts who keep failing our kids and cause long-term trauma and emotional pain for so many families including mine.

I ask you – why can’t you stand up for the students and hold these school districts accountable? Children are blank page and only repeat what they have heard from their environment, homes, and communities. It is the adults in their lives that need to be held accountable with tangible actions.

When will you finally do that?

House file #2246 asks to amend the board for the high school league is a promising idea. However, to have one parent represent all minorities is an insult and offensive. The sheer volume of minority students and families who have suffered and endured so much trauma caused by schools, particularly high schools should be taken into account. More minority parent representation is a must and necessary. I would also add one of the two secondary principals represent minorities. Currently, the current board for MASSP has no black or brown person. I think that is shameful.

MASSP Board: 10 white men and two white women.

https://massp.org/about-us/organizational-structure/

MASSP Executive Staff: 4 white men and 1 white woman.

https://massp.org/about-us/executive-committee/

Thanks

Idil Abdull

The above words do not represent any candidate, agency, or committee.

Idil – Somali Autism Mom & Advocate

Alright – so, arguably Hennepin County is my least favorite county to advocate. They are rude, arrogant, racist, bias, walk on a high horse, and enormously powerful. They are the biggest county in Minnesota and have the most racial disparities in almost every category.

I feel tired just writing the above sentence. Not because I am old and would really like to retire from advocacy, but we have been down this road before a decade ago. I along with other Somali autism parents have advocated in Hennepin so many years ago with the help of previous MN House of Reps Speaker Margaret Kelliher, and Hennepin County Commissioners Jeff Johnson and Gail Dorfman. Back then the county hired minority social workers including Somalis, helped autism families, and even did a video on autism and our community.

Unfortunately, all of these went out of the window as there are new people in charge now and here, we go again. It is painfully tiring and frustrating to keep advocating about the same thing. Why are equality and equity so hard in this county and even in this state? I am simply baffled why so many in this county create and promote biases. Some do it consciously and some are unconscious.

There are all new commissioners now, some are even minorities. Yet, this county is still notoriously racist and has a huge gap between whites and minorities. A white autism family in Minnetonka and a black autism family in north Minneapolis who have similar situations are treated so differently. What makes this county even worse is they do it with impunity and unapologetically.

I am not even sure where to start now, but nothing energizes more than racism and over-rated government employees whose responsibility is to help autism families not do what they are supposed to do.

So, here we go again. Elections have consequences. Everyone who lives in this county has a commissioner who represents them. I say to anyone who feels they are not being treated equally or fairly to start there.

The above words do not reflect any candidate, agency, or committee.

Idil – Somali Autism Mom