Rosario's Article: "A Eulogy for the Living, a Beloved St. Paul Teacher & Civil Rights Advocate"

The following Article was shared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press By RUBÉN ROSARIO || Pioneer Press, September 22, 2018 at 9:43 pm - also it was shared in Sam's unpublished blog in 2019 

[personal photo of Sam(right), his brother with The Starlighters]

*(Photo not included here) Sebastian Joseph Hernandez looks through papers at his Stillwater home in Sept. 2018. The 88-year old longtime St. Paul educator and social justice advocate suffered a life-threatening stroke Aug. 25, 2018. He remains in hospice care at his Stillwater home. (Rubén Rosario / Pioneer Press)

If there are thoughts and prayers for the dying, there should also be eulogies for the living.

So when I heard that 88-year-old Sebastian Joseph “Sam” Hernandez — child migrant worker, Air Force veteran, jazz band musician, Macalester College grad, St. Paul assistant school principal, social worker and pioneering civil rights educator in the Twin Cities — was in hospice care after a recent devastating stroke, I figured he might be worthy of a toast before the final roast. Others thought so, too.

“Sam is one of the few truly colorblind individuals I have ever met in my lifetime — and I am not talking about paint colors,” said Yusef Mgeni, a longtime friend, educator, activist and former first Vice President of St. Paul NAACP. “He is a one-in-a-million guy who radiates credibility, has an addictive smile and is constantly involved in 101 different projects.”

Added Daniel Rodriguez, executive director of Merrick Community Services on St. Paul’s East Side:

“He’s forgotten more about the importance of culture and diversity and Mexican history than most people will ever know. He has this commitment to equity that also includes gender and anyone who might be different from someone else. He has a strong moral compass about right and wrong.”

A handwritten sign taped to the front door of the Hernandez residence in rural Stillwater informs visitors of the serious aftermath of the Aug. 25th cerebral stroke: “Please limit visitors at a time to 1-2 people and visits to only 15-20 minutes if sleepy …”

I found Hernandez seated at a table waiting for me, wearing a gray cap with a P-38 Lockheed Lighting fighter plane patch sewn to it. He could barely utter a word right after the stroke. A few days ago, though he was difficult to understand at times, we chatted for nearly an hour about his life and views.

He was born in a boxcar in Fort Dodge, Iowa, in 1930 to Vicente Hernandez and Magdalena Medina Hernandez.

As a child, Hernandez and kin picked or tended cotton, fruits, flowers, vegetables, potatoes, sugar beets, grapes, berries along a seasonal route from Texas to California, up the coast to Oregon and Washington, then east to Idaho, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan, then back to Texas.

“Sometimes, we would get paid with one or two tomatoes,” he recalled during our chat.

In order to make a few bucks on the side at weddings, birthdays and other migrant-family occasions, the family formed a musical band. Little Sam learned to play the violin, string bass and mandolin. He later learned to play the tuba, baritone, trombone and percussion.

At the age of 9, he accompanied his guitar-playing brother to Minneapolis and competed in a radio program called “Stairway to the Stars,” headed by Cedric Adams at WCCO.

“We won an award for our performance,” he notes in a short autobiography.

Hernandez answered the call in response to a severe shortage of semi-truck drivers in 1944-46 as a result of men drafted into military service. He drove the truck all over Midwestern states for various farms. He was 14 when he began trucking.

“Not exactly legal or proper, but war brings about innovation,” he noted.

The family ultimately settled in Delavan, a small town in southern Minnesota where he graduated from high school. A year later, he enlisted in the Air Force and served four years during the Korean War conflict.

* Sebastian Joseph “Sam” Hernandez during his Air Force days. 

He joined the local musician union upon his relocation to the Twin Cities and played trombone for visiting jazz cornet player Doc Evans and local artists such as Jose Cortez and the Nick Castillo band.

Along with an older brother, he moved to Tallahassee, Fla., and enrolled in Florida State University under the GI bill.

He graduated in 1959. Along with a second brother, the three siblings formed the Starlighters, a jazz combo, and subbed regularly with bands backing Ray Conniff, Stan Kenton and Dixieland jazz type groups.

He returned to the Twin Cities, enrolled at Macalester College, graduated with a master’s degree in education and pursued a doctorate in secondary school administration.

He began teaching with Spanish and history in St. Paul schools from 1961 through 1970. It was not surprising at all that he embraced the civil rights, human rights and cultural diversity movements that surfaced during this time.

He helped spearhead a public awareness and fundraising program at Harding High School and throughout the St. Paul district that helped send local students on student exchange programs throughout the world.

In 1968, he was honored as Teacher of Excellence and a finalist for Teacher of the Year.

He played a major role in a bill passed that required state teachers to take 60 hours of diversity and multicultural training in order to be licensed.

Though he retired from teaching in 1995, he later worked as an adjunct professor at Hamline University until 2001.

“He was the most organized instructor I ever met,” recalled Tim Klein, a former student during Hernandez’s Hamline days, who later became a fellow St. Paul teacher.

Klein recalls the stunned and puzzled looks on the faces of Hazel Park junior high students one day when both he and Hernandez found themselves about to teach in the same classroom.

“Mr. Klein, he’s my brother,” Hernandez told the students. Klein is seven foot tall. Hernandez barely tops five feet.

“It made for a fun and light-hearted moment,” Klein said.

* Sebastian Joseph Hernandez played a major role in a bill passed that required state teachers to take 60 hours of diversity and multicultural training in order to be licensed. (Photo Courtesy of Peggy Hernandez, photograph by Xavier Tavera)

Hernandez, who also served as a multicultural consultant for major Twin Cities corporations, was working on a documentary about migrants in America and other projects when he was felled by the stroke. Doctors told his wife, Peggy, that things did not look good. They advised keeping him in a hospital setting for the remaining days. Sam wanted to go home. It’s been two weeks now.

“He has fought a long fight for equality and cultural understanding in education and employment, and he will not give up this fight easily,” she shared in an email a day before my visit. “I believe he’s going to be around for a while longer.” The couple raised two adopted children, both now adults. Hernandez has a daughter from a previous marriage.

Don’t ask him what he thinks about negative portrayals of migrants and immigrants in recent years. Well, do ask him because, though frail, he perks up and gives you a “let’s cut the BS” look, followed by a few choice words about bigots and fear-mongering politicians. That’s why, though facing a dire prognosis, he is adamant he wants to hang around until he finishes his migrant project, among others. “I’m still here so I want to finish it,” he told me as he stood up, smiled, shook my hand, and began heading for the makeshift first-level bedroom with the aid of a walker.  “Thanks for coming.”

My pleasure, Sam.

Ruben Rosario

·        

*photos were omitted rather than be concerned with copyright of them here

OPENING this as PUBLIC Blog

[graphic by Leonel MT for Sam]

My wife of almost 50 years (next year) began a blog for me in 2016 and it remained unpublished to gather the many articles that I have written. Since I was not able to use computer technology, she began this for me. 

Today, she will begin again to publish one on my behalf and share what I have written, little by little; because I am no longer abiding here on earth. I took my last breath at 3:16 pm on September 6th, 2025. So this has not yet been made public through an obituary because there are many details to gather and finalize.

Truly, the best culmination of my life was celebrated recently on June 21, 2025 in a town in southern Minnesota - Delavan. On this day, Delavan High School was celebrating an All School Reunion that was postponed during COVID to this year. My remaining siblings and I gathered together because I had been preparing for years to present a plaque to the community in Delavan, because my siblings and I graduated from there, so I wanted to thank the community for their mentoring all of us. 

The best way to read the details would be through an article written in the local newspaper:

https://www.faribaultcountyregister.com/news/local-news/2025/06/29/hernandez-family-honors-city-of-delavan/

and my personal thank you afterwards:

"Thank you so much for all that you did for me and my siblings. It went off fantastically well. The 4-year help of those of your community volunteers was astounding. You met all of my needs. I will never forget that. Those of you who helped me up here in the cities were equally great. Some of you that helped during the interim of putting all together also came down to Delavan to celebrate with us, it gave special heart and light to the situation. My siblings and I thank you from the bottom of our heart. None of you and the special event will be forgotten. Con Dios, Sam Hernandez "

I have many photos in my iphone but at this time they are not loaded into the computer so we are unable to share. But here are a few:

 

My wife will need to still make adjustments to add my own writings and also to this new website from the previous one, colors, fonts, sizes, etc. Sun Sol Enterprises was my multicultural consulting business title. On this day, she has shared an ABOUT ME post and this one. It was too difficult for me to continue writing and holding a pencil even more difficult. My health has been declining since last summer, but I made it to this celebration in Delavan, Minnesota with many from my family in support, dear friends accompanied me & special ones in the community still with us as well as key leaders noted on plaque and the Mayor gave the brief speech I had written. This was the best way to say goodbye and I held on since 2018 when I had my first stroke and was sent home to die on Hospice. 

This past year I have gone through Hospital, Homecare, Hospice, Palliative Care to my passing, but I was able to do this from our home. I am beyond grateful to the many who have dedicated their life and service to serving me and my health needs from these wonderful services - far too many to list - and to all my friends, colleagues, special visitors & family and the 2 best dedicated home caregivers, anyone could have: Leonel (since 2003) and my wife (1976-2025, but especially 2018 until now) to be sure I was able to celebrate 95 years of living and present this plaque. 

About Me

 BIOGRAPHICAL BRIEF of SEBASTIAN (“SAM”) J. HERNÁNDEZ

Born into a migratory, agricultural, manual labor family that in the 1930s migrated via the then traditional path of working in seasonal truck-farming crops like cotton, fruits, flowers, vegetable, potatoes, sugar beets, grapes, berries, etc. The circular route was from Texas to California, up the coast to Oregon and Washington, then east to Idaho, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan, and back to Texas. The family finally settled out in a small (population 200+) southern Minnesota town (Delavan) in which I graduated in 1949.

Early childhood talents

I learned to play violin at about age six. My family put together a family string musical combo to which I became a member. By age 9, I also learned to play string bass and the mandolin.

About 1939, my brother (a guitar player) and I (mandolin and violin) came to Minneapolis to compete in a radio program called Stairway to the Stars, headed by Cedric Adams at WCCO. We won an award for our performance. During my junior and Senior High School years, I turned to percussion instruments and learned to play the tuba, baritone and trombone. I became a professional trombonist (union) and performed professionally until 1961 when I quit the profession. My brother (trumpet player) and I were selected to play taps for the returning dead soldiers during World War II for the Veteran’s organizations. That was a great honor for us. I also excelled in gymnastics and feats of physical strength due to my daily heavy physical labor in the fields and warehouse of truck-framing. Between 1944 and 1946, there was a severe shortage of semi-truck drivers due to men being taken by the military draft. So, at age 14-16, I drove semi-trailers all over the Midwestern states for the truck farms. Not exactly legal or proper, but war brings about innovation.

Service in the military

I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force soon after graduation (1950) and got my honorable discharge in 1954. I served my stint mostly in administration and records inspection. I finished my tour in the then active Air Force Weather Detachment at a corner of today’s Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. I studied photography during my service time, played string bass and trombone with a jazz combo at the base (Landsberg, Germany) NCO Club and learned to seek talent from the USO circuit in Europe and enticed many of them to come and perform at our small base on their way to the big ones. Met and dialogued with many famous movie stars, singers and dancers of the 50’s era. Upon my return to Minneapolis, I joined the musicians union and played trombone with such groups as Doc Evans (Dixieland) and Mexican (West Side) conjuntos (combos) with such groups as Jose Cortez and the Nick Castillo Band.

College record and some related experiences

Upon receiving my military discharge (1954) I enrolled at Mankato State. After two semesters, I dropped out, sold my house and moved to Tallahassee, Florida to join my oldest brother who, like me, had gone to Florida State University under the G.I. Bill, and had graduated with a Master’s in Hotel and Restaurant Management. He owned a second-hand auto car lot. I went into business with him and started and finished my undergraduate at FSU in 1959. My brother (trumpet and guitar player) also came down and joined us. He and I put together a jazz combo (The Starlighters) and performed throughout the regional area of Tallahassee and neighboring Georgia. I was, again, a union member and subbed regularly with visiting orchestras and combos such as Ray Conniff, Stan Kenton and many Dixieland Jazz groups. Due to my auto involvement, I also got involved in dirt-track and stock car racing, and eventually into the sport car racing circuit here in Minnesota. I finished my undergraduate at FSU, and returned to Macalester College for my major in Education. I went on for my Ph.D. in Secondary School Administration at the University of Minnesota, but never finished the program. While still at FSU, I had continued my avocation of recruiting musicians who performed at Florida’s major campuses, colleges and bistros for excessive fees to come to FSU for a more nominal fee on their way to the big ones. I got my cut.

My teaching career and related experiences.

I started to teach for the St. Paul Public Schools upon completion of my Master’s at Macalester in 1961. I taught History and Spanish from 1961-1970. During these years, I started my pro-action in civil rights advocacy of the Chicano Movement, focusing on civil rights, human rights and culture diversity. I became active with student exchange programs and issues related to multicultural education and the new Affirmative Action energy. In the three years of 1967-1969, I, along with a very active student multi-language club at Harding High School, put together one of this nation’s most successful clubs that generated three years of multicultural/multi-language International Festivals hosted at Harding, that brought language students and teachers state-wide, hosted an sponsored by major metro corporations, mayors, politicians and sundry civil engagements, such as churches veteran clubs, entertainment units, student exchange programs the State Fair and the MEA and foreign-food restaurants. The thousands of dollars we garnered was then used to send language students on student exchange programs all over the world. As a result, these students propelled me to earn the honor of receiving the Teacher of Excellence and Teacher of the Year finalist in 1968—the only Latino teacher to reach that position to this date in the history of Minnesota education.

During these years, I became part of a Minnesota DOE Committee that wrote a proposal for the mandatory teaching of potential teachers and teachers needing re-licensure to take 60 hours on Human Relations Training. This was training on the history, culture, heritages and contributions of people of color to the U.S. way of life, including women’s issues, cross-cultural communication and alternate life styles. It was finally accepted by the state congress and became the HR 521 Bill. All of us on that committee, as well as may others, quickly became well-paid consultants within the state school districts and taught the content and related implementation of it. It soon became part of the package of the new affirmative action movement of school desegregation-integration state and nation-wide energy of civil rights. Colleges and universities joined the movement, as did many of the major corporations. I soon was chosen by Control Data to teach the trainers on Human Relations and Cultural diversity to their managers. The package earned a higher acceptance and market and Control Data packaged it for sale to national corporations. I was hired as a traveling consultant and could accept such contracts because by that time I had left teaching, pulled two years as Assistant Principal and had become a District consultant on Hispanic Affairs and could take days off without pay to take these Control Data contracts. I flew to the nation’s major cities in all the states and presented the package called Minority Group Dynamics to corporate offices of many of this nation’s major companies. This brought on solicitations from colleges to assist them in recruiting minority students to enroll at their campuses. The college at which I concentrated most of this energy was Mankato State. This experience identified me via national search to be invited to join the Affirmative Action funded national program called the National Educational Task Force de la Raza, housed at the University of New Mexico, and piloted at other national colleges. I was designated as the Ombudsperson for the Midwestern School Districts, assigned to Chicago State, and dealt with Latino issues related to AA, EEO, human relations, desegregation/integration, as well as bilingual education in accordance with the legal decision of the Lau vs. Nichols case. I presented at many of the major districts of the Midwestern states. I ended up starting my own consulting firm called SUNSOL Enterprise. A few years before I retired from teaching (1995), I started doing more of this consulting at the colleges of Minnesota and Wisconsin. I finally started teaching the subject content as an Adjunct Professor at Hamline University, retiring from that in 2001. I have continued being active, primarily advocating on the dilemma of the educational achievement gap between students of color and their Anglo counterparts. I recently helped coordinate a conference on the Achievement Gap (Sept. 2014), which included participation of the MN Commissioner of Education. I am planning for a state-wide conference in the near future.

Sometime early in the 1980’s I was asked to train parents about to adopt Minnesota and international children of color, on how to better prepare to deal with the challenge. As I progressed in this, I ended up becoming a licensed Social Worker, focusing in the areas of adoption and mental health issues. I still do work in this area. I became a co-chair on a MN Dept. of Human Services committee that helped pass the legislative bill called the MN Heritage Act on adoption. (It eventually was eliminated from enforcement.)