Minnesota has a storied history when it comes to African Americans. The police shooting of George Floyd is a glaring example of the turmoil the state has experienced over the last year and a half.
While police reform is in a constant state of improvement and evaluation, one resolution from the US Minnesota delegation has received unanimous bipartisan support, H.R. 5718.
This bill, led by U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in the Senate and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) in the House, seeks to award Prince Rogers Nelson, Prince or The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously for his contributions to well, everything.
“Prince is a Minnesota icon,” said Omar. “I remember when I first came to America being captivated by Prince’s music and impact on the culture. He not only changed the arc of music history; he put Minneapolis on the map. Places like First Avenue, Uptown are landmarks because of Prince.”
Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns
There’s no other musician like Prince, living or dead. At age 19, Prince signed a contract with Warner Brothers Records, writing, producing, arranging, and playing all 27 instruments on the recordings.
To date, the Congressional Gold Medal, has only been award 173 times since the American Revolution in 1776, with George Washington as the first recipient. It is the highest civilian award bestowed by the United States Congress.
“I couldn’t be prouder to join the bipartisan effort to ensure that one of the finest musicians in history gets the recognition he deserves,” said U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D-MN).
If awarded, Prince’s Congressional Gold Medal will be placed in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in the icon’s honor.
Tell Us: Do you think Prince will receive the Congressional Gold Medal?
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