MINNEAPOLIS — A prolific voice in the Twin Cities community, Mel Reeves, has passed away.
Reeves, who was the community editor and reporter for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, died from complications of COVID-19 on Jan. 6.
In addition to writing for the Spokesman-Recorder, Minnesota's oldest continuously operated Black newspaper, Reeves was a vocal community and civil rights activist in the Twin Cities.
In a Facebook post, the Spokesman-Recorder called Reeves "a true champion for the underdog with a heart for social justice."
On Dec. 20, 2021, Reeves posted a photo of himself hospitalized at the Hennepin County Medical Center on Twitter with the caption, "Still battling. Be safe folks mask up!"
Reeves remained hospitalized into the new year. In a Facebook post on Jan. 1, Reeves wrote, "I sit in this hospital bed today absolutely OVERWHELMED because the community I embraced and fought so hard for, saved my life."
"I didn’t want to alarm anyone but I had a serious brief setback last week, but I believed I pulled on through cause my friends, my comrades, my colleagues, my family, my community were praying and pulling so hard for me," he wrote. "It's really true that “it’s a long road when you face the world alone.” So thank you for not letting me face one of my darkest hours alone!"
Even while hospitalized, Reeves had multiple stories published in the Spokesman-Recorder throughout the final week of 2021.
Reeves' son Kellen and daughter-in-law Michelle have started a GoFundMe to raise money for funeral arrangements and celebration of Mel's life. As of Friday afternoon, contributions totaled nearly $7,000.
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