FAMU graduate Melvin Carter, Mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota has been thrust into the national spotlight as he leads his city through civil unrest and violence resulting from the brutal murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, on Monday after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for about eight minutes.
St. Paul is the Capitol of Minnesota is just 12 miles from Minneapolis. St-Paul is a part of the greater Minneapolis, together the two cities are known as the “Twin Cities”.
Carter, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from FAMU was elected as St. Paul’s first African American Mayor in November 2017.
On Thursday, Carter called for a National Guard presence in his city as demonstrations spilled across the river into his city.
He said looters were using the protests as an opportunity to spread destruction and take attention away from Floyd’s death.
“The anger, the anguish, the sadness and the rage that we’re seeing in our community, that’s understandable. And I think it’s shared by a whole lot of people,” said Carter.
By Thursday, more than 170 businesses had been damaged or looted and dozens of fires had been recorded in St. Paul.
By yesterday, the protests and demonstrations had expanded to more than 30 U.S. cities including Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Houston, Atlanta, Tallahassee, and Miami.
By yesterday, the protests and demonstrations had expanded to more than 30 U.S. cities including Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Houston, Atlanta, Tallahassee, and Miami.