Last week I told you about Dylan Alverson, the owner of Post Modern Times Cafe. Dylan had decided to turn his popular restaurant into an ALL FREE (and even more popular) restaurant. It was Dylan’s way to rebuke Donald Trump and Trump’s illegal occupation of Minnesota. Dylan was certainly not seeking press, so I was very happy when he allowed me to interview him. From the very beginning of our conversation, Dylan was clear about one thing. He wanted me and my crew to know that he is not the only story. He wanted us to talk to another small business owner in the neighborhood who is also putting himself on the line to support his community.
Kitty corner from Post Modern Times is Amigos One Stop. It is an extreme understatement to say that while it is on a corner, it is not the usual corner store. Technically, it is not a corner store at all. Ammar, the owner, describes it as a “tienda,” due to the fact that the store’s customer base is Latino immigrants. Ammar owns the store with his brother, and because of the brothers’ worldly upbringing, it was natural for them to cater to a Latino demographic who could not find the products that they wanted in mainstream stores. The brothers were born in Palestine, raised in South America, and eventually emigrated to the United States. And that’s how the brothers ended up speaking Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, and English. When Ammar first told me his path, I immediately responded, “Oh, you’re complicated.” We laughed. I’m sure I truly have no idea how complicated his path has been.
I’m guessing that the path that Ammar, his brother, and their family have taken informs how they run their store. I tried to make that connection with Ammar, but true to his reputation, he had no interest in building his own legend. While ICE, CBP, and who knows what other government goons roam the streets of the Twin Cities and beyond, Amigos One Stop remains determined to serve their Latino community.
“Yesterday, a little boy walked in here. He’s six years old. He’s a Latino. He came with no shoes. He came with three dollars in quarters. And he said, ‘My mom said she wants vegetables with this money.’ It was three dollars. I said, ‘Okay. Which vegetables?’ He said, ‘Plantain and whatever you can give me with that.’ Honestly, I took the boy. I said, ‘Whatever you need.’ And I fill up almost a hundred dollars worth of stuff. I said that three dollars was enough for all that. I gave it to him, because I know he needs it.”
Meanwhile, I can’t imagine Donald Trump responding positively to, “Please pass the salt.”
Obviously, giving your customers a 97% discount is no way to run a business. You woudl absolutely fail out of Trump University that way. (That is if Trump University hadn’t been sued into the dirt for fraud and shutdown.) While it might not be the best route to a profit, it IS the best way to run a community. Ammar admits that they can’t just make the store FREE like Post Modern Times did, but he also knows his customers, and he knows who needs help. Amigos One Stop takes the idea of helping one stop further. (Actually, several stops further.) Since so many of the store’s customers are (totally justifiably) afraid to leave their homes, the store has begun making deliveries, free of charge. And yes, you guessed it! Sometimes the food they drop off is free of charge, too.
When I asked Ammar how the store is able to do all of this, he divulged that while this time was the hardest time the store had ever been through, he just felt like he had to help. He also said that some folks who have heard about the store’s activism have dropped cash donations off at the store, so that the store doesn’t have to handle this on their own. And yes, this is activism. Activism of an anti-capitalistic nature. Ammar is so committed, he has even hired drivers so the store can perform more deliveries… more FREE DELIVERIES!
I shared a three minute excerpt of our conversation on social media yesterday. It is the best-performing clip by far out of all the clips I’ve posted from I SPENT 3 DAY IN MINNEAPOLIS! I think that right now people need a path forward. People need examples of someone doing their work in their own way. You have a way you can do the work in your lane, too. I promise you do. At a time when MAGA Christian Nationalists are Trump-eting everything that Jesus didn’t do, it feels perfect that we have another Palestinian who is a walking, talking Beatitude.
Enjoy the extended interview above. It has more of Ammar’s story and more of his own personal dealings with the occupation than I was able to fit in the three minute clip. After the clip began blowing up yesterday, Ammar reached out to me. We had a brief FaceTime where he expressed how happy he was with the video. Ammar and his wife saw that so many people were asking for a way to donate that they shared their Venmo. Use their handle: amigosonestop1
Luckily, Venmo is super easy to use, so don’t be intimidated if you have never tried it. And even though it was reported last week that ICE and CBP were being pulled out of Minnesota, I have it on lots (AND LOTS) of good authority that they have not left yet. That means life in and around the Twin Cities remains as hectic as when I was there. And that means the work of Ammar, his brother, Dylan, and so many other good folks goes on. If you support Amigos One Stop, then your money will help more good people. A one-stop friend shop, indeed!
WHO’S WITH AMMAR?
These are the only Bible Verses I regularly think about.
The Beatitudes are attributed to a Palestinian, Jewish, semi-professional carpenter. If Donald Trump read them out loud, they would probably burn him from the inside. You can find them in the Book of Matt 5:1-12.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Support Minnesota Students & Teachers with DonorsChoose
Of course my folks at DonorsChoose are figuring out ways to help teachers in Minnesota! TAKE IT AWAY, DONORSCHOOSE!
“The Twin Cities community is in a period of deep disruption. Teachers are stepping up to provide stability and strength. They need our support.”
How it works:
Make your donation to the Minnesota Students & Teachers Fund, and we’ll direct your gift to meet the most pressing teacher needs in the Twin Cities. These resources will be distributed quickly to support classrooms where support is needed most.
Mutual Aid with Stand With Minnesota!
While I was in the Twin Cities, I talked to many people about the power of mutual aid. Mutual aid is when you just give people money or goods or services without bringing American capitalism into it. Think of it as when you go out to dinner with a friend and you know that you can’t afford the meal, and your friend says, “I got you!” Right now, mutual aid is helping Minnesotans who can’t go to work for various reasons. It could be because their workplace is closed during the federal occupation OR because they were laid off due to business being down during the federal occupation OR because they are, understandably, afraid to leave their house during the federal occupation!
I met with organizer Ashley Fairbanks who built the website Stand with Minnesota. That interview will be out eventually, but don’t wait for that. You can help, today!
My WHO’S WITH ME TOUR
April 17 North Bethesda, MD at The Music Center at Strathmore
April 30 San Francisco, CA at 10th Annual Comedy Night for Immigrant Rights
May 22-24 San Diego at The Mic Drop Comedy Club.
Did You See The 3 Minute version of My Interview with Ammar?
I posted it Thursday on the Notes section of my Substack. I thought you all might be interested in seeing the differnce between how the two videos were edited. Social media proioritizers shorter videos, so I try to make a three minutes or less verison. It worked really well this time. Ammar is becoming a Tik Tok star. All for a good cause.
I basically wore nothing but Mahogany Mommies while I was in Minneapolis.
I’m even wearing one under my winter coat in this video. Joi, the owner of Mahogany Mommies, has an all-new line of shirts that she is calling Conversation Starters. Get yours below, and don’t forget to use my code WKB to get 20% off! The perfect purchase for Black History Month.
