Floor SpeechNeutral2026-04-28

HONORING YUSEF MGENI

TaxesEnvironmentEducationHousingCrime & JusticeCivil Rights

Context

On 2026-04-28, Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN-4) delivered a floor speech titled "HONORING YUSEF MGENI" in the House. The speech addressed taxes and also covered the environment, education.

Full Text

HONORING YUSEF MGENI

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 74 (Tuesday, April 28, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 28, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E380-E381] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING YUSEF MGENI _____ HON. BETTY McCOLLUM of minnesota in the house of representatives Tuesday, April 28, 2026 Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the life of an extraordinary man and revered community leader, Mr. Yusef Mgeni. Yusef passed away on April 7, 2026, at age 77, following a lengthy illness. He is survived by his wife, Iva Jean Mgeni; his son, Victor Mgeni; and his daughter, Aisha Mgeni. Born Charles Anderson to parents Charles Crane Anderson, a shoe cobbler, and Theresa Agnes Baker Anderson, Yusef is a son of Saint Paul's Rondo neighborhood, a predominantly African American community, most of which was demolished to make way for Interstate 94 in the late 1950s. The grandnephew of former slave and civil rights leader Frederick McGhee, Minnesota's first Black attorney and founder of the state's first Black Catholic church, Yusef was keenly aware of and extremely proud of his lineage. In the early 1970s, Yusef changed his name from Charles Anderson to Yusef Mgeni in an African naming ceremony and later in a court of law. Yusef, a Yoruba name meaning ``God increases'' or ``a person seeking wisdom to benefit others,'' and Mgeni, a Swahili word meaning ``guest,'' ``visitor,'' or ``foreigner,'' were aptly chosen, foreshadowing the path that would define his life's work. Yusef graduated from Metropolitan State University in 1974 with a degree in journalism. He began producing programming for the University of Minnesota's radio station, KUOM, and later helped expand Minneapolis-based KMOJ, which began broadcasting in 1976 to serve Black residents of public housing in North Minneapolis. Over time, the station broadened its reach while continuing to provide community- centered programming led by Black residents. A brilliant historian, educator, community organizer, and activist, Yusef joined the Saint Paul NAACP in 1988, where he eventually became Vice President and Branch Parliamentarian. Yusef played a key role in landmark negotiations with the Saint Paul Police Department, resulting in a mediated agreement addressing racial profiling. Years later, Yusef successfully negotiated for body-worn cameras to be worn by officers, which became an amendment to this agreement. As a scholar and educator, Yusef was Director of the Office of Educational Equity for the Saint Paul Public Schools from 2006 to 2012. He was a champion for ethnic studies in Minnesota schools, believing that ethnic studies are American history and not a supplement to it--a way for everyone to see themselves reflected in what they are learning. [[Page E381]] Yusef's lifelong contributions to the Black community in Minnesota covered a wide swath, including his work with the African American Leadership Council, Saint Paul's Hallie Q. Brown Center, the Urban Coalition, the Saint Paul Urban League, the Sabathani Community Center, the Million Man March, and Saint Paul Strong. He was interviewed for the Rondo Neighborhood Oral History Project, preserved by the Minnesota Historical Society, in which he reflected on his life's work. Yusef was very special to me and to the constituents of Minnesota's 4th Congressional District. As a leader in Saint Paul's Black community and the Rondo neighborhood, Yusef reached out to me personally over the years, not only in his capacity as a local leader, but also as my neighbor. We were able to have many deep, valuable, and meaningful conversations about the history of the Rondo neighborhood and Saint Paul's Black community. I learned so much from those conversations, which repeatedly proved helpful to me in my work as a member of Congress. I fondly remember some of those conversations taking place on bitterly cold January mornings as we marched together in celebration of the life of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was my great honor and privilege to call Yusef a friend. He has been an inspiration to me, and his legacy will continue to inspire many for generations to come. Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating the remarkable life and powerful work of Mr. Yusef Mgeni. ____________________

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HONORING YUSEF MGENI Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 74 (Tuesday, April 28, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 28, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E380-E381] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING YUSEF MGENI _____ HON. BETTY McCOLLUM of minnesota in the house of representatives Tuesday, April 28, 2026 Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the life of an extraordinary man and revered community leader, Mr. Yusef Mgeni. Yusef passed away on April 7, 2026, at age 77, following a lengthy illness. He is survived by his wife, Iva Jean Mgeni; his son, Victor Mgeni; and his daughter, Aisha Mgeni. Born Charles Anderson to parents Charles Crane Anderson, a shoe cobbler, and Theresa Agnes Baker Anderson, Yusef is a son of Saint Paul's Rondo neighborhood, a predominantly African American community, most of which was demolished to make way for Interstate 94 in the late 1950s. The grandnephew of former slave and civil rights leader Frederick McGhee, Minnesota's first Black attorney and founder of the state's first Black Catholic church, Yusef was keenly aware of and extremely proud of his lineage. In the early 1970s, Yusef changed his name from Charles Anderson to Yusef Mgeni in an African naming ceremony and later in a court of law. Yusef, a Yoruba name meaning ``God increases'' or ``a person seeking wisdom to benefit others,'' and Mgeni, a Swahili word meaning ``guest,'' ``visitor,'' or ``foreigner,'' were aptly chosen, foreshadowing the path that would define his life's work. Yusef graduated from Metropolitan State University in 1974 with a degree in journalism. He began producing programming for the University of Minnesota's radio station, KUOM, and later helped expand Minneapolis-based KMOJ, which began broadcasting in 1976 to serve Black residents of public housing in North Minneapolis. Over time, the station broadened its reach while continuing to provide community- centered programming led by Black residents. A brilliant historian, educator, community organizer, and activist, Yusef joined the Saint Paul NAACP in 1988, where he eventually became Vice President and Branch Parliamentarian. Yusef played a key role in landmark negotiations with the Saint Paul Police Department, resulting in a mediated agreement addressing racial profiling. Years later, Yusef successfully negotiated for body-worn cameras to be worn by officers, which became an amendment to this agreement. As a scholar and educator, Yusef was Director of the Office of Educational Equity for the Saint Paul Public Schools from 2006 to 2012. He was a champion for ethnic studies in Minnesota schools, believing that ethnic studies are American history and not a supplement to it--a way for everyone to see themselves reflected in what they are learning. [[Page E381]] Yusef's lifelong contributions to the Black community in Minnesota covered a wide swath, including his work with the African American Leadership Council, Saint Paul's Hallie Q. Brown Center, the Urban Coalition, the Saint Paul Urban League, the Sabathani Community Center, the Million Man March, and Saint Paul Strong. He was interviewed for the Rondo Neighborhood Oral History Project, preserved by the Minnesota Historical Society, in which he reflected on his life's work. Yusef was very special to me and to the constituents of Minnesota's 4th Congressional District. As a leader in Saint Paul's Black community and the Rondo neighborhood, Yusef reached out to me personally over the years, not only in his capacity as a local leader, but also as my neighbor. We were able to have many deep, valuable, and meaningful conversations about the history of the Rondo neighborhood and Saint Paul's Black community. I learned so much from those conversations, which repeatedly proved helpful to me in my work as a member of Congress. I fondly remember some of those conversations taking place on bitterly cold January mornings as we marched together in celebration of the life of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was my great honor and privilege to call Yusef a friend. He has been an inspiration to me, and his legacy will continue to inspire many for generations to come. Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating the remarkable life and powerful work of Mr. Yusef Mgeni. ____________________