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Insight News January 2 - January 8, 2017
Vol. 44 No. 1• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
THANKS OBAMA! TURN TO PAGE 3
Charles Caldwell
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aesthetically speaking
Aesthetically It!: Events, concerts, venues in the Twin Cities
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WINNER: 2016 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 1ST PLACE COMMUNIT Y SERVICE, 3RD PLACE BEST USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS
Insight News January 2 - January 8, 2017
Vol. 44 No. 1• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
GIVING THANKS By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor
Eric Bridiers/Wikimdia Commons
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. says President Obama’s most historic contribution was to understand the clear and present danger of catastrophic climate change.
Jaskson says Obama transformed America By The Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. President and Founder/ Rainbow PUSH Coalition The final days of the Obama presidency are upon us. His popularity is rising with the economy, and with the increasingly stark contrasts to his successor. It is worth being clear about the legacy that he leaves behind. Obama came to office facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The global financial system teetered on collapse; the auto industry faced bankruptcy; the
economy was shedding 400,000 jobs a day. He also inherited the catastrophe George W. Bush had created with the debacle in Iraq and government misrule dramatized by the shame of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Now, eight years later, the economy nears full employment, with more than 15 million jobs created and private sector job growth at a record 81 consecutive months and counting. Wages are beginning to rise, after long years of stagnation or worse. The auto industry has enjoyed some of its
OBAMA 5
Renowned artist Charles Caldwell painted his powerful tribute to our nation’s 44th president, Barack Obama, following Obama’s 2012 Inauguration. Caldwell said memories of growing up in the South inspired the moving creation. “Being from the South, when little Black kids in school would say ‘I want to be president when I grow up,’ white teachers would tell them ‘You can’t be president’ and on the day of his first Inauguration (in 2008) … on that day it made it possible for those children. It made it real,” said Caldwell. “That was my inspiration.” Prints of Caldwell’s painting of President Obama, along with other works, are available at the artist’s gallery, C. Caldwell Fine Arts Gallery and Studio, 125 W. Broadway Ave., Minneapolis. For more information on Caldwell or the gallery call (612) 386-5114.
The Twenty-Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution suppressed the will of the people. It reads, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once.” The amendment was passed by Congress in 1947, but not ratified until 1951. It was our nation’s first president, George Washington, who voluntarily declined to run for a third term who set a precedent of presidents serving no more than two years, but the framers of the Constitution never wrote that in the original document. And because no president had been elected to more than two terms, there was little need for a Constitutional amendment until Franklin Delano Roosevelt came along. Roosevelt, a pragmatic Democrat, was elected in the throes of the Great Depression. Roosevelt’s New Deal, with its creation of several labor and housing agencies and policies, guided the country from despair
GIVING THANKS 8
Cora McCorvey leaving Minneapolis Housing Authority after 25 at the helm
Bobby Joe Champion
Jeff Hayden
Rena Moran
Cora McCorvey
By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority will be losing the only leader it has ever known with the retirement of outgoing executive director, Cora McCorvey. McCorvey, whose last day is Feb. 10, leaves the authority after 25 years. For 14 years prior, she worked in public housing with the city before being named the authority’s first
executive director in 1991 when the agency was in danger of being taken over by the federal government. McCorvey will be succeeded by Greg Russ, who comes to the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority from Cambridge, Mass., where he served as that city’s housing authority executive director. Taken from the brink of failure, McCorvey built up the Minneapolis authority to one that has become a national
MCCORVEY 12
Business
WomenVenture Executive Director Elaine Wyatt to keynote Encourage January event
PAGE 4
Ilhan Omar
Erin Maye Quade
Transitions and gains Preserving and growing political power By Ingrid Ferlo Congressman Keith Ellison last month announced he would resign as elected representative for the Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, which covers Minneapolis and western suburbs, if he is named chair
of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). If elected to head the DNC, Ellison would be the most influential player in the Democratic Party. Currently cochair of the Progressive Caucus, he is seen as a valuable and influential member in the House. Elected in 2006 to represent the 5th District, Ellison became
the first Muslim Congressman to serve in the Legislature. In November he was re-elected capturing more than 69 percent of the vote. Minnesota State Sen. Jeff Hayden (D-62) said if Ellison makes that decision he will need to start a conversation with family and friends of possibly succeeding him. “But that
TRANSITIONS 9
Community
Commentary
Trump
Trump staffers target EPA and the State Department for ‘the purge’
Voter suppression laws might have helped Trump take the White House
PAGE 6
decision is still a long way off,” said Hayden. Minnesota State Sen. Bobby Champion (D-59) said if Ellison resigns, “Our next move should be determining who would be the best person to build on the investment that Congressman Ellison has already constructed.”
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Remembering Diane Witherspoon
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Business
The FUNdraising doctor is in FUNdraising Good Times
By Mel and Pearl Shaw The board of directors of an organization is responsible for its financial health. What does this mean? How do you measure the fundraising health of the board? We suggest a visit to the FUNdraising doctor. A check-up may be in order. Ahead you will find
symptoms of board health. Use these to evaluate the health of the boards you are involved. Join with your fellow board members to evaluate how healthy you are as a group. If you need to improve your health, you can. The following are items to examine to maintain good of FUNdraising health. Board members should represent a diverse cross section of individuals with power, wealth and influence. The participation of people who can make a difference in the financial health of your organization is critical. The organization and its mission are a priority in the
personal and professional lives of board members. Those who know you should know just how important board service is to you. Board members, volunteers and staff work together from a fund development plan. Coordinating all fundraising activities allows your institution to secure the maximum yield on its fundraising efforts. Board members should make meaningful financial gifts. As a board member it is your responsibility to make a “stretch” gift each year. Your donation should be one of the largest that you and your family will make during the year. An
organization cannot expect others to give if the leadership is unwilling to do so. Board and staff should evaluate their efforts and outcomes on an annual basis. Evaluation helps all members determine what impact they are making and how they can best contribute to the organization’s financial health. Board members and volunteers should use their contacts to secure meaningful gifts and to open doors. As a board member you can personally introduce new supporters to the institution and encourage their involvement. The organization should be
included in the estate plans of board members and volunteers. As you plan for the financial future of your family members, consider also including a gift to benefit the organizations you serve. Board members need to be accessible and involved. Don’t just sit on a board – get involved. Give of your time, attend meetings and engage others. Members need to recruit new board members who are equally or more influential. It is up to you to ensure that future board members can provide the leadership and funding required for the fulfillment of your mission.
Discuss these health indicators with your fellow board members. How would you assess your fundraising health? What do you want to focus on in the coming year? Change is possible. There are many resources available to help you “get in shape.” Part two of this series will identify those symptoms of “compromised” health. Copyright 2016 – Mel and Pearl Shaw This column is an excerpt from “FUNdraising Good Times Classics” available on Amazon. com For more information visit www.saadandshaw.com or call (901) 522-8727.
WomenVenture’s Elaine Wyatt keynotes Encourage Her Network event WomenVenture’s Executive Director Elaine Wyatt will share some of her tips on becoming an entrepreneur during the upcoming Encourage Her
Network event, Jan. 23. The luncheon and networking event will take place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Bloomington; 3200 E. 81st St. There will be an open question and answer session with Wyatt after her presentation. Wyatt is a Twin Cities businesswoman who has extensive leadership experience, both in the public and private sectors. Prior to joining WomenVenture, she was the chief advancement officer at Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys. Encourage Her Network is a professional community of women encouraging women. Tickets to this month’s event are $30 for members, $50 for guests and $60 for walk-ins. All ticket prices include lunch, access to member marketplace, and a $5 donation to WomenVenture, a nonprofit organization that provides women of all ages, cultures, races and income levels with the tools and resources to achieve economic success through small business ownership. To register, go to encouragehernetwork.com.
womenventure.org
Elaine Wyatt, WomenVenture Executive Director
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Insight News • January 2 - January 8, 2017 • Page 5
Insight 2 Health
Young Blacks benefit from HPV vaccine, experts say By Stacy M. Brown The Washington Informer/NNPA Member Higher rates of cancers associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV) occur in African-Americans compared to whites, according to a nationally renowned physician Dr. Alison Moriarty Daley. While some Black parents have concerns about vaccines for HPV, including that their children are too young to even consider sex, health experts say that the vaccine – particularly Gardasil 9 – does more than help prevent the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV).
Obama From 3 most prosperous years. This isn’t an accident. Obama helped rescue the economy by passing the largest stimulus in history, the most ambitious financial reform since the 1930s, and daring and direct intervention to save the auto industry. Economic growth helped lower the annual budget deficit to less than half the level he inherited. Obama also passed the largest health care reforms in six decades, providing health insurance for 20 million Americans. His reforms saved those with pre-existing conditions, provided the young with protection under their parents’ programs and, although most Americans don’t realize it, slowed the rise of health care costs dramatically. Running for re-election in 2012, Obama recognized that income inequality had become “the defining issue of our time.” With his progressive tax reforms both in his health care
“It’s a safe and effective form of cancer prevention,” said Daley of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, an organization with is headquarters in New York. HPV, according to Daley and other health experts, is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Of the estimated 79 million Americans, currently infected with HPV, half of those newly infected with HPV are between 15-24 years of age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The vaccine is recommended for girls and boys between 11 and 26 years old. “Acquisition of the HPV
virus happens pretty quickly after the initiation of sexual activity. So, that’s why it’s important to vaccinate early to prevent the virus before anyone’s exposed to it,” said Daley, saying the link between HPV and cervical cancer is irrefutable. “We know that HPV is the cause of cervical cancer. And even just last year, there were 12,900 new cases of cervical cancer and 4,100 deaths attributed to cervical cancer.” Reportedly, HPV is also linked to certain cancers of the mouth, throat and genitals in both men and women. The original recommendation of three doses of the HPV vaccine was amended in October to just two doses for children younger than age 15. Older teens and young adults still require
three doses. The rate of those contracting HPV-associated cancers varies by race and ethnicity, but African-Americans are hit hardest. Black and Latino women had higher rates of HPVassociated cervical cancer than white and non-Latino women. Black women had higher rates of HPV-associated vaginal cancer than white women, while African-American and Latino women had lower rates of HPV-associated vulvar cancer than white and non-Hispanic women, according to the CDC. Rates of anal and rectal HPVassociated cancers were also higher in Black men when compared with white men, but lower in Black women when compared with white women.
plan and in the partial repeal of the top-end Bush tax cuts, and with expanded tax credits for low-income workers and families with children, Obama made a significant beginning in addressing that inequality. Abroad, Obama struggled against great opposition to reduce America’s exposure in the wars without end in the Middle East. His nuclear agreement with Iran, not only dismantled its nuclear weapons capable facilities, it also provided the most comprehensive and aggressive verification mechanisms in the history of arms control. In opening relations with Cuba, he helped reduce America’s isolation in our own hemisphere and made the historic turn from a policy of embargo that had failed for five decades. His most historic contribution was to understand the clear and present danger of catastrophic climate change. The agreement with China and subsequent Paris Accord cemented a global consensus on the need for bolder action on global warming. On his watch, America began to reduce its reliance on coal and its greenhouse gas emissions. Obama won a majority of
the votes in both his election and re-election, something neither his predecessor nor successor achieved. He governed with grace and dignity, despite grotesque and too often racist provocations. His family provided a model for all Americans, with Michelle Obama winning hearts across the country. He and his administration were remarkably free of scandal. His administration demonstrated once more that competence could be valued in Washington. He did all of this while facing unprecedented, unrelenting partisan obstruction, with the Republican leader of the Senate opposing him at every turn, intent on making him a one-term president. In part because of that opposition, much remained undone. The stimulus would have been larger and the recovery stronger except for Republican opposition. The national minimum wage would have been raised. A national infrastructure project to rebuild America would have been launched. Progress on making America the leader of the green revolution, the next global industrial revolution, would have been greater. Guantanamo,
the shameful prison in Cuba, would have been closed. The Voting Rights Act would have been revived, and much more. For most Americans, the recovery was slow; for many it was invisible. Donald Trump won election promising working people a better deal. He played upon divisions, rousing fears about immigrants and Muslims. He pledged to “Make America Great Again,” in part by undoing everything Obama. So it is worth marking what Trump will inherit, as we head into what is already a rocky and tempestuous presidency. Unemployment is under 5 percent. We are at 81 months of jobs growth and counting with average wages rising at 2.4 percent over the last year. Growth was at 3.5 percent over the last full quarter. Inflation is at 2 percent. Twenty million more Americans have health insurance. America is one of the global leaders in the green industrial revolution. We have president respected at home and abroad, known for his thoughtfulness and his great eloquence. Let us hope that Trump can build on that legacy, and not lead us into a far deeper hole.
In all races and ethnicities, men had higher rates of HPVassociated oropharyngeal cancer than women while Black and Latino men and women had lower rates of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancers than white and non-Latino men and women. Noel Brewer, a health and behavior scientist at the University of North Carolina said in order to boost HPV vaccination, doctors should be more assertive when bringing up the topic with parents. “Doctors should be more assertive when bringing up the topic with parents,” said Brewer. “The HPV vaccine is an amazing tool to protect our younger generation against many types of cancer,” said Dr.
Margaret Stager, a pediatrician with Metro Health Medical Center in Cleveland and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. Strains of HPV can also cause cancer in the back of the throat, so it’s an important vaccine for both girls and boys, said Stager. She added preventing cancer should be the critical take-home message for parents. “HPV prevalence has already decreased as much as 65 percent among vaccinated youth, dramatically lowering the odds they will face a lifethreatening form of cancer in adulthood,” said Stager.
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Commentary Trump staffers target EPA and the State Department for ‘the purge’ Commentary
By Bill Fletcher, Jr. NNPA Newswire Columnist
INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com
Insight News is published weekly, every Monday by McFarlane Media Interests. Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Assistant to the Publisher Shumira Cunningham Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Managing Editor Harry Colbert, Jr. Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Associate Editor Culture and Education Dr. Irma McClaurin Associate Editor Leadership and Social Enterprise Dr. Anita Davis-DeFoe Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Contributing Writers Melvin Carter, Jr. Julie Desmond Fred Easter Gloria Freeman Timothy Houston Penny Jones-Richardson Michelle Mitchum Darren Moore Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography David Bradley Rebecca Rabb Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55411.
There have been several disturbing developments over the past several weeks that give us a clue to the approach of the incoming administration. The Donald Trump transition team asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the names of staffers involved in global climate negotiations. It did not appear that they were getting ready to offer them awards. On Dec. 21, the Washington Post reported that the transition team was asking the State Department about grants it provides to global environmental groups. With former Texas Gov. Rick Perry as the nominee for Secretary of Energy and with Scott Pruitt the nominee to head up EPA, it is as clear as day that the incoming Trump Administration seeks to take the country, if not the
world, back about 50 years when it comes to addressing climate change and other
there is actually a debate in scientific circles regarding this matter. I hate to break
Bill Fletcher, Jr., says the Trump Administration appears to be prepared to throw science to the wind and reject facts, as Donald Trump did throughout his presidential campaign.
environmental catastrophes currently unfolding. The disingenuousness of Trump and his allies when it comes to climate change is outstanding. Trump would like to play agnostic on whether climate change is unfolding and suggests that
it to the president-elect, but there is no more a debate in scientific circles about the validity of climate change (and the human role in it) than there was about the connection between smoking and lung cancer. It is worth noting that
the long delay in getting recognition of the connection of smoking to lung cancer was directly related to the obstruction emanating from the tobacco industry. Much the same is the case when it comes to climate change. The fossil fuel industry fronts suppressed scientists to confuse the debate, despite the fact that they know of the human connection to climate change. The Trump Administration appears to be prepared to throw science to the wind and reject facts, as Trump-the-candidate did throughout his presidential campaign. But what is worse is that, it appears they want to take action against those who have rung the bell about the danger of human-induced climate change. This would be the equivalent of the tobacco industry taking over
what is now the Department of Health and Human Services at the height of the debate on the connection between smoking and lung cancer. Key elements of the Republican Party have made it clear that they wish to overturn the 20th century. In other words, they seek to reverse the myriad gains won throughout the last century and return us to the reality of the late 19th century, with all that that involved. We simply cannot let that happen. The fights we are about to engage with the new administration will decide everything. Bill Fletcher, Jr. is the former president of TransAfrica Forum, a talk show host, writer and activist. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and at www.billfletcherjr.com.
Look forward, take courage, and think positive courage, and think positive.
Man Talk
By Timothy Houston The New Year is here. You are here for a reason, so you have to believe that in this New Year your future will be bright. You are here for a greater purpose than you may have realized. Your future goals in life should be connected to your divine purpose that can and will be revealed to you by God. “I know the end from the beginning ... my purpose will stand,” (Isaiah 46:10). God’s plan for your life has established your end from your beginning, which allows you to look optimistically in to the New Year. Your future is bright. Look forward, take
Look forward Finding your bright future is a forward thinking activity. Your past failures are no longer relevant. They will only cause you to focus on your mistakes and that will take away from your future potential. Your brightest days are ahead of you. You will always be greater in the future because there, you can benefit from your current choices. Looking forward may also require you to look up. Life will knock you on your back, but if you can look up, you can get up. In 2017, let go of last year’s mistakes and focus on your brilliant future. Take courage Don’t try to be something that you are not. The real you is the most powerful version of yourself
that you can share with the world. We all have our
Think positive Positive thinking comes
I know the end from the beginning ... my purpose will stand,” (Isaiah 46:10).
strengths. Some can run like the wind, sing without trying, or do complex math in their heads. Others like me have to look harder to find their gifts. Take courage. I was 40 years old before I realized that I could write something worth sharing. Stay true to yourself, the real you is still your most valuable possession.
from God because he has established your end from your beginning. He is the only one that can give you the thoughts that lead to prosperity, hope and a future. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declared the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” (Jeremiah 29:11). God has
positive thoughts about you. Now you must have positive thoughts about yourself. This is a new year. What you have done in the past will always be minuscule in comparison to what you are able to accomplish now and in the future. Be encouraged. Your greatest days are truly ahead of you. Be optimistic. Real success in life can only be measured by the maximizing your potential. Be hopeful. God is not through with you yet, so your future will always be bright. In 2017, look forward, take courage, and think positively. Timothy Houston is an author, minister, and motivational speaker committed to guiding positive life changes in families and communities. For questions, comments or more information, go to www.tlhouston.com.
HUD’s new rule highlights need for smoke-free housing By Gretchen Musicant Commissioner of Health – Minneapolis Health Department The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced a new rule requiring all public housing to adopt a 100 percent indoor smoke-free policy by mid-year 2018. Fortunately, our own Minneapolis Public Housing Authority adopted a smoke-free policy in 2012. As a result, thousands of residents in 42 high-rise buildings are free from secondhand smoke exposure in their homes. Resident surveys found that six months after the smoking ban, weekly or daily exposure to secondhand smoke dropped by 50 percent. Unfortunately, many low income renters are still exposed to secondhand smoke on a daily basis, putting them at higher risk for cancer, heart disease and asthma. In fact, lowincome residents are exposed to secondhand smoke at a higher rate than other renters. Part of the problem is the difficulty securing smoke-
free housing in the private sector. The Minneapolis Health Department recently surveyed 888 Minneapolis rental property owners, and gathered information on 1,300 properties. The survey found that only 45 percent of properties with subsidized units are smoke-free, compared to a 71 percent smoke-free rate in the properties that do not accept low-income subsidies. This means that thousands of lowincome residents have fewer options for safe and healthy housing. The Health Department routinely receives calls from tenants experiencing secondhand smoke entering their home. They are concerned about their health and want assistance talking to their property owner about a smoke-free policy. Property owners stand to gain more than satisfied, healthier tenants. Smokefree properties are safer from fire and far cheaper to clean and maintain. The Health Department is ready to help tenants and property managers create smoke-free housing so all Minneapolis residents, regardless of where they live, can breathe free.
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Insight News • January 2 - January 8, 2017 • Page 7
Education Northside Achievement Zone cited as outstanding Promise Neighborhood The U.S. Department of Education announced the six winners of the 2016 Promise Neighborhoods competition, which will award $33 million to help communities launch, scale, and sustain educational supports and communitybased services to meet the complex needs of children and families. “These grants will provide cradle-to-career support for at-risk children in communities across the country, offering meaningful resources that will help them achieve their potential,” said U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr. “Promise Neighborhoods draw on the best of communities, bringing together non-profits, schools, and local institutions to meet the needs of their local
communities.” The Promise Neighborhoods program launched in 2010 to support strategies that bring together public and private partners to help break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Promise Neighborhoods grantees provide comprehensive education, health, safety, and family support services to children and families in high-poverty neighborhoods. To date, the Promise Neighborhoods program has awarded more than $286 million, spanning nearly 700 schools and 1,000 community partners. An existing Promise Neighborhood grantee, the Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ) in Minneapolis, brought together more than
30 partner organizations to build a supportive ecosystem for families in their neighborhood. Their Family Academy, which provides family and academic support, has been linked to significant increases in kindergarten readiness, and communitywide investments in strategies such as afterschool learning opportunities have led to increases in students’ reading proficiency. In communities such as San Antonio, for example, the Eastside Promise Neighborhood has implemented a series of supports to address the lack of opportunity for young men of color as part of their Promise Neighborhood grant. They have provided access to 21st century learning
opportunities, such as providing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education for all students in grades pre-K-8 to improve problem-solving abilities, and created a partnership between young men and police to play basketball together to build trust and improve community safety. Partnerships like this have helped increase student perceptions of safety from 71 percent to 76 percent in one year. This year’s grantees include organizations that will implement Promise Neighborhoods in urban and rural areas. For the first time, one grantee will serve a Native-American tribe. The Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Native-Americans (awarded $2,705,168) will reorganize
their community’s elementary and high school programs to ensure all students are prepared to master grade-level content. “The Paskenta Band of Nomlaki received a smaller grant in 2012 that helped them lay the groundwork for improved outcomes for children and families,” said Nadya Chinoy Dabby, the department’s assistant deputy secretary for innovation and improvement. “We are excited about their continued progress toward establishing highquality educational, mental health, and housing services for tribal youth.” Among the winners are three grantees who will
build on their prior Promise Neighborhood-funded efforts by partnering with new communities – Berea College in Kentucky (2011 grantee), Delta Health Alliance in Mississippi (2012 grantee and Youth Policy Institute in California (2012 grantee). Each was awarded $6,000,000. The award amounts reflect the first year of funding, with additional years subject to future Congressional appropriations. Additional 2016 grant winners are Center for Family Services, Inc. (N.J.), $6,000,000 and Drexel University (Penn.), $5,999,814.
Page 8 • January 2 - January 8, 2017 • Insight News
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Voter suppression laws might have helped Trump take the White House By Barrington M. Salmon NNPA Newswire Contributor Shortly after the United Sates Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013, Republican state lawmakers began a calculated assault on the ballot box at the expense of Black and poor people across the nation. Now critics of those laws say that those measures may have tipped the Nov. 8 presidential election in Donald Trump’s favor. Ari Berman, a political reporter and investigative journalist with The Nation, calls the GOP’s attack on voting rights the most under-reported story of 2016 and his reporting during the election campaign encapsulates the fallout from Republican lawmakers’ relentless and sustained voter suppression tactics on the election. “There were 25 debates during the presidential primaries and general election and not a single question about the attack on voting rights, even though this was the first presidential election in 50 years without the full protections of the Voting Rights Act,” noted Berman in a post-election story. “Fourteen states had new voting restrictions in place for the first time in 2016 – including crucial swing states like Wisconsin and Virginia – yet we heard nary a peep about it on Election Day … This was the biggest under-covered scandal of the 2016 campaign.” Berman continued, “We’ll likely never know how many people were kept from the polls by restrictions like voter-ID laws, cuts to early voting, and barriers to voter registration. But at the very least this should have been a question that many more people were looking into. For example, 27,000 votes currently separate Trump and Clinton in Wisconsin, where 300,000 registered voters, according to a federal court, lacked strict forms of voter ID. Voter turnout in Wisconsin was at its lowest levels in 20 years and decreased 13 percent in Milwaukee, where 70 percent of the state’s AfricanAmerican population lives, according to Daniel Nichanian of the University of Chicago.”
Giving Thanks From 3 to prosperity. Overwhelmingly popular, Roosevelt was elected to an unprecedented third … and an astonishing fourth term as president. Proving that partisan shenanigans are nothing new, a Republican led Congress figured
Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons
Critics of restrictive voting laws, championed by Republican lawmakers, say those measures may have tipped the Nov. 8 presidential election in Donald Trump’s favor. The Rev. Dr. William Barber, II has called his home state of North Carolina ground zero for voter suppression. “The court ruled on the most sweeping, retrogressive voter suppression bill that we have seen since the 19th century and since Jim Crow, and the worst in the nation since the Shelby decision,” said Barber, the president of the North Carolina state branch of the NAACP and also one of the lead plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the state of North Carolina that led to a federal court striking down the law. “The ruling in North Carolina was intentional discrimination of the highest
order. They were retrogressing racially through redistricting. The macro question is that after Shelby, we’re in a different place in that there was no protection for civil rights. Shelby took us back across the Edmund Pettis Bridge. If preclearance was in place, they wouldn’t have passed these laws. To have the loss of the Voting Rights Act is an affront to the country.” Berman said North Carolina is a case study for how Republicans have institutionalized voter suppression at every level of government and made it the new normal within the GOP. He fears the same thing could soon happen in Washington, D.C.
when Trump assumes power. Going forward, Scott Simpson, the director of media and campaigns for the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said that civil rights groups have a daunting, but not impossible task before them. “The important thing to note about this election is that it started in June 2013,” said Simpson. “For all the laws, statewide and locally, the vast majority, the wheels were set in motion well before Election Day.” Simpson was referring to the number of voter suppression laws passed by Republican lawmakers in the aftermath of the
2013 Supreme Court decision to invalidate a key section of the landmark Voting Rights Act. Wisconsin, Georgia, Texas, Kansas and North Carolina were among those states that passed laws that made it harder to vote. “It’s so clear that the loss of the Voting Rights Act had an impact on the election,” explained Simpson. “People were scared off, turned away from polling places, saw long lines and left without voting and with all the changes, some were left confused. It was a travesty. In North Carolina, you had a razor-thin election and in Wisconsin you had a very close election, because of the voter ID law. You shave a couple of
percentage points in an election, say one or two percent, and there will be an impact.” Berman said that we can already glimpse how a Trump administration will undermine voting rights, based on the people he nominated to top positions, those he has advising him, and his own statements. “(Trump’s) pick for attorney general, Jeff Sessions, wrongly prosecuted Black civil rights activists for voter fraud in Alabama in the 1980s (and) called the Voting Rights Act ‘a piece of intrusive legislation,’ and praised the Supreme Court’s gutting of the Voting Rights Act in 2013,” said Berman.
if you can’t beat ‘em, cheat ‘em, thus they passed the 22nd Amendment. Damn the will of the people. Fast forward some 50 or so years and the same deregulatory policies that led to the Great Depression were in effect under the leadership of Republican President George W. Bush and a Republican House and Senate. For those old enough to remember (which is pretty much anyone capable of reading these words), 2008 wasn’t the
smoothest of times. Economically we were in the throes of the Great Recession … the worst economic time in the U.S. since … you guessed it, the Great Depression. Unemployment was almost double what it had been in previous years. The American auto industry was on the verge of collapse. The pre-election price of gas was above $4 a gallon. We were also in the midst of a costly (lives even more so than the $2 trillion cost to American taxpayers) and unpopular war. The deregulated housing market was in chaos – in some cases with entire neighborhoods in foreclosure. Things were so bad that when on Sept. 29, 2008 the Dow Jones Industrial Average had a record-breaking single day drop of 777.68 points, Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain wanted to cancel the debates with
then-Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama to focus on the national crisis. Citing hope and change as the reason, Americans elected Obama over McCain in a landslide. The election was historic … and would forever alter the course of America … both good and bad. With Michelle Obama at his side, Barack Obama would spend the next eight years as a Black man in the White House. For some it was the dream we thought would never become reality. For others it was their worst nightmare … and they would stop at nothing to ensure his political demise with a level of disrespect and obstructionism never before seen. Through all of it, President Obama remained stoic … presidential. But more importantly, like a trusted mailman in blizzard-like conditions, he delivered.
Our president delivered on saving the auto industry. Our president delivered on providing healthcare for all with the Affordable Care Act. Our president delivered on bringing down our national debt while at the same time raising our international image. Our president delivered on ending the war in Iraq, and even after the war was ended, our president again delivered in bringing Osama Bin Laden to justice. Our president … Barack Obama, did that. By the way, the unemployment rate is at its lowest level in nine years. Housing is robust. The stock market has soared to all-time highs. The U.S. Supreme Court has added its first LatinaAmerican to the bench. Gas dipped under $2; and until the election of Donald Trump, was holding steady. To quote a popular social media meme, “Thanks Obama.” First Lady Michelle Obama served as the perfect complement to her husband. Intelligent, poised, sophisticated and regal, Michelle Obama presented as a role model to children of all ethnicities. Her initiative to end childhood obesity will have lasting positive impacts for generations to follow. Her Democratic National Convention speeches will be remembered as some of the greatest speeches in American history. Her sense of style had forever changed the way we visualize a first lady. For many, there are dreams of a 2020 President-elect Michelle Obama. Again, “Thanks (Michelle)
Obama.” If it were not for the 22nd Amendment, President Obama, whose popularity is the highest it has ever been, would most likely have sailed to victory in pursuit of a third term. It seems again that the Republicans have obstructed him … even if it was a pre-imposed obstruction. We knew going in that we’d get eight years at best. But oh how we long for more. When we talk about the legacy of our outgoing president, of course it will be properly noted that he was the nation’s first acknowledged AfricanAmerican president (we’ll save the debate on President Dwight Eisenhower for another date), but in totality, that is not how we should remember President Obama. President Obama wasn’t a great Black president; he was a great American president. His body of work – in the face of fierce Republican obstructionism – is the story that should be told in history books to come. The fact he did it as a Black man – though a source of pride for nearly every Black person in America – should only be an aside to his amazing legacy. If I may speak for all of us, on behalf of our entire nation … and the world, we say thank you to two great Americans, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
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Insight News • January 2 - January 8, 2017 • Page 9
Community Remembering Diane Witherspoon Diane Janine Witherspoon, a talented and internationallyknown jazz singer, who was born and raised in Minneapolis, transitioned on Dec. 14. A graduate of North Community High School (’66), Witherspoon attended St. Olaf College before relocating to California and later Las Vegas. Witherspoon taught music before embarking on her own musical career that took her to Moscow, Dubai, India, Japan, Chile, Africa and other areas of the globe. Witherspoon is preceded in death by her parents, Harvey Witherspoon and Frances Witherspoon, and siblings Gloria, Shirley and William Witherspoon. She is survived by her children, William Lasley, III (Cassie), Asha Saddik and Daliia Witherspoon; grandchildren Jahee, Ciara, Bryanna and Hannah and siblings, Juan Turner, Patricia Lott, the Rev. Eleanor Hunsberger, the Rev. Dr. Harvey Witherspoon, Jr. (Lorraine), twin brother Duane Witherspoon, Sr. (Sarah) and Neil Witherspoon. A memorial service for Witherspoon will be held Saturday (Jan. 7) at Zion Baptist Church, 621 Elwood Ave. N., Minneapolis.
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Diane Janine Witherspoon
Emmy-winning documentary examines intersection of culture and banking Twin Cities PBS (TPT), ECHO, Wells Fargo and numerous community partners and leaders came together on Dec. 15 to celebrate a film project aimed at drawing insight from diverse communities within the Twin Cities to better understand barriers that can hinder financial literacy. “Make Money Work – Financial Freedom” takes a closer look at improving the African-American community’s historic and contemporary interaction with the financial services industry. Those who were in attendance at the event held at the TPT headquarters in downtown St. Paul not only celebrated the recent TPT/ ECHO Upper Midwest Emmy for the documentary; they participated in a panel discussion around financial security, financial education, empowerment, empathy, money, banking and ways to bridge the financial literacy gap in diverse communities. The film was made possible through a Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT Local
Initiative grant. “Financial education is an important ingredient to strengthening communities,” said executive director of Wells Fargo Housing Foundation, Martin Sundquist. “This documentary is a great example of how corporate, public and private partnerships working with the community, nonprofits and public television can yield wonderful results.” TPT/ECHO worked alongside Wilder Foundation and many other community leaders and partners to conduct thorough research of best practices and challenges within diverse communities and traced their navigational experiences in the financial services industry. Additionally, the documentary team interviewed community members to give voice to the struggles and success of dealing with money and financial institutions. Staff members from financial institutions as well as many community support organizations were interviewed to provide frank and honest
Transitions
show airs 9 a.m. Tuesdays on KFAI FM 90.3 and reaches global audiences live online at www.kfai.org. Host Al McFarlane, Insight News editor-in-chief, said it is important that the Black community implement mechanisms to maintain seats currently held by Blacks, and to expand the number of Blacks in elected offices. He said that includes nurturing candidates to run to succeed Blacks who vacate seats for different opportunities. “Our job is to create that discussion, with the expectation that as transitions occur, we experience gains, not losses of power and position,” said
From 3 When it comes to elected officials, Champion said, it is important to observe not only how they vote, but their leadership when having to make unpopular decisions. “You want to have a good sense of what their principles are,” said Champion. Hayden and Champion addressed the question of transitions in the political landscape on the Dec. 20 “Conversations with Al McFarlane” broadcast. The
Classifieds
(Left to right) Lillian McDonald, manager director of ECHO MN, hip-hop artist Toki Wright, MayKao Fredericks, Wells Fargo Foundation Project Advisor Nicole Knuckles, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Project Advisor Kim Smith-Moore, Daniel Bergin of Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT and Martin Sundquist , executive director of Wells Fargo Housing Foundation pose with the Emmy trophy awarded for the documentary, “Make Money Work – Financial Freedom.”
McFarlane. Champion agreed and said that that there has to be direct intention to make it happen. He said he has intentionally hired qualified people of color to occupy staff positions in his office, to train and prepare them and in doing so, expand the possibilities of Black people prepared to take political leadership and jobs. Hayden added that from his experience he has noticed that people who are running are doing so for the right reasons, which is to serve the community, but he would advise them to seek advice from more seasoned representatives to guide them in their campaigns.
“It important to understand the art of running for office” said Hayden. Hayden served as Deputy Leader of the Minnesota Senate, a position he surrenders as Republicans take control of the Senate later this month. In the November General Elections, Democrats retained only 33 Senate seats while Republicans won control of the Senate with a slim majority of 34 seats. Hayden said as the handing over of power takes place, Democrats should remember that Minnesota is in good shape financially and that business expansion is taking place. He said that when it comes to employment, there have been growing opportunities.
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“There are lots of opportunities, lots of jobs. But the issue is, are they skilled jobs,” said Hayden, saying he hopes the incoming legislators will recognize the work done in the past years and build on it. Currently there are five people of African descent in the Minnesota Legislature. Besides Hayden and Champion in the Senate, voters returned State Rep. Rena Moran (D-65A) to the House. She will be joined by freshman representatives, Ilhan Omar, (D-60B) who stunningly defeated 43 year incumbent Phyllis Kahn, and Erin Maye Quade (D-57A) who was elected from Dakota County. McFarlane said Black
Fax: 612.588.2031
representation in politics needs to be more intentional, aggressive and celebratory. “It ought to begin and end with us feeling confident and committed to our right and our duty to serve our community,” he said. Hayden said it is important to focus on the necessities and priorities of the Africa-American community and not let petty differences tear the community apart. “Our ability to mobilize together is the ticket for our success. If we don’t, it is the same divide and conquer game,” said Hayden.
Email: info@insightnews.com
Cookie Cart Volunteer Opportunities Cookie Cart welcomes individuals and groups of up to 25 to volunteer in the bakery at any time of the year and especially during the busy holiday season – this year the bakery expects to bake approximately 25,000 dozens of cookies between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Volunteer shifts are available weekdays, weekday evenings, and Saturday and Sunday. It’s a fun way for family, friends and colleagues to give back to the community while working alongside the talented and dedicated Cookie Cart teens. For information about volunteer opportunities, contact Sara Ernst at 612-843-1942 or sernst@cookiecart.org.
TUTORING OPPORTUNITIES Volunteer with Kids at East Side Learning Center. At East Side Learning Center build a life changing relationship by meeting the individual needs of diverse children on St. Paul’s East Side through one-on-one reading tutoring with K-2nd graders. Tutoring opportunities available Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Volunteers tutor a minimum of one child, once a week for about 45 minutes. Training, materials, and on-site support are provided. Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at 651-793-7364 for more information on this or other volunteer opportunities or visit www. eastsidelearningcenter.org
observations on the challenges diverse communities of color might encounter in the American financial system. Toki Wright – a wellestablished musician, songwriter, poet, emcee, organizer and community activist in the Twin Cities agreed to allow some of his music to add energy to the storytelling of this documentary. The documentary team also looked for visually engaging ways to convey the ideas that the film brought forward. In the spirit of discussing financial literacy, the board game Monopoly became a metaphor and a transitional device for this film. “This documentary focuses on cultural differences as it relates to banking along with highlighting the importance that financial education plays in building healthy communities,” said Wells Fargo Community Outreach Manager Kim Smith-Moore. “Through this documentary, you learn the hows of financial literacy, who is there to help in the journey and what to avoid.”
Child Care Assistant Volunteer/ Volunteer Drivers Make a difference in the life of a child. The Mothers First program provides prevention and intervention services for pregnant women who are abusing chemicals. Mothers First is seeking a Child Care Assistant volunteer to help agency staff in providing supervision and care for the children with our Mothers First program while mom is attending counseling sessions. Volunteer Drivers are also needed to provide transportation to mothers in recovery to/from groups with our Mothers First program. Reimbursement for mileage is provided. Contact Ramsey County Health & Wellness Service Team — Volunteer Services at 651-266-4090 for additional information or e-mail to HumanServicesVolunteer@co.ramsey.mn.us.
Volunteer Customer Service Assistants
Hennepin County is seeking volunteer greeters for its North Minneapolis human service center at 1001 Plymouth Avenue North to welcome and guide visitors, answer questions and assist with special projects. Reliable adults who enjoy working with people and who are available for a few hours twice a week are encouraged to apply. Ideal candidates will be able to volunteer for a minimum of three months. Volunteers are integral to Hennepin County’s mission of enhancing the health, safety and quality of life of its residents and communities in a respectful, efficient and fiscally responsible way. Get involved by visiting http://www.hennepin. us/humanservicevolunteer and submitting a volunteer application.
Volunteer Mentoring AchieveMpls Graduation Coach The single most important factor in a young person’s success is a consistent relationship with a caring, supportive adult. But one in three young people grow up without a mentor. You can make a transformative difference in the life of a Minneapolis high school student by becoming an AchieveMpls Graduation Coach during the 2016-17 academic year. Through six hours of volunteer time per month, you can offer personalized support to help students stay on track, graduate on time and make a great plan for life after high school. We provide the curriculum, structure and training. You bring the wisdom, encouragement and support! Apply by June 30 at www.achievempls.org/ GraduationCoaches. For more info contact Amy Shapiro at ashapiro@achievempls.org or 612-455-1550.
Page 10 • January 2 - January 8, 2017 • Insight News
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Terence Blanchard
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8
Monday, Jan. 2 JAZZ/SOUL Terence Blanchard & E-Collective Dakota Jazz Club 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis 7 p.m. $40-$55
Jan. 2 Jan. 8, 2017
Aesthetically It! is a list of picks from the editors of Aesthetically Speaking. Aesthetically It! features venues, events, outings and more that are worthy of “It” status. If you have a venue, event or outing that you feel is “It” worthy, email us at aestheticallyit@ insightnews.com
Witness a live album recording from Grammywinning trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard.
Tuesday, Jan. 3 JAZZ Dean Magraw and Davu Seru Black Dog Café 308 Prince St., St. Paul 7 p.m.
21-plus $5, $10 or $20 suggested donation (proceeds go directly to artists) Every first Tuesday of the month jazz impresarios Dean Magraw and Davu Seru bring you a night of upbeat jazz, fusion and more at the Black Dog in Lowertown.
Wednesday, Jan. 4 ECLECTIC Andrew Broder & People: A Residency for Music and Action Turf Club 1601 University Ave., St. Paul 8 p.m. 21-plus $6 Every Wednesday in January experimental DJ and
producer Andrew Broder curates a night of styles featuring the likes of Kill the Vultures, Crescent Moon, Dizzy Fae and more.
Fundraiser Amsterdam Bar and Hall 6th St. W. at Wabasha St. N., St. Paul 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 5
Take part in St. Paul politician Melvin Carter’s birthday with Heiruspecs, Toki Wright, PaviElle French, Yolande Bruce, Little Fevers and Ayvah..
PLAY “Cinderella: A Night of Black Excellence” Children’s Theatre Company 2400 3rd Ave. S., Minneapolis 7 p.m. $35 This adaptation of the classic casts actress Traci Allen as Cinderella and features a diverse cast of characters.
Blackout: Representation for Empowerment, local Twin Cities artists of color are drawing light to issues in the Twin Cities Black community. The event features performances by Joe Davis & the Poetic Diaspora, Nick Jordan and Destiny Roberts.
Sunday, Jan. 8
Saturday, Jan. 7
HIP-HOP/ PERFORMANCE
HIP-HOP/ PERFORMANCE
Melodic Flow 7th Street Entry 701 1st Ave. N., Minneapolis 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. 18-plus $7 advance, $10 door
PARTY/FUNDRAISER
Blackout The Cedar Cultural Center 416 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. All ages $10 advance, $12 day of show
Melvin Carter Birthday
In an event called
Friday, Jan. 6
Nitin Vadukul
Melodic Flow features performances by Doks, RÅDĮØ ÅHŁËË, Nick Jordan, Rich Garvey, Blamsiss, Phib and is hosted by Mica May Grimm.
“Hidden Figures” foxmovies.com/movies/hidden-figures
‘Hidden Figures’ belatedly credits contributions of unsung African-American mathematicians By Kam Williams All of the astronauts picked by NASA to participate in its maiden manned space programs, Mercury and Gemini, were white males. However, behind the scenes, there was a dedicated team of African-American, female mathematicians who
played a pivotal role in ensuring that they launched and returned safely, whether from orbiting the Earth or a mission to the moon. Equipped only with pencils and slide rules, these so-called “human computers” were among the best and the brightest minds recruited by NASA to do the critical calculations needed to win the space race with Russia. Author Margot Lee Shetterly gave these unsung
heroines their due in “Hidden Figures,” a best seller belatedly crediting their quantitative contributions to the cause. Besides chronicling their considerable accomplishments, the book also recounted the indignities these brilliant Black women simultaneously suffered, simply because they had the misfortune to be living in Virginia during the dark days of Jim Crow.
Directed by Theodore Melfi, the overlooked icons’ story has now been adapted to the big screen as an uplifting, overcoming-the-odds docudrama. The picture recounts the trials and tribulations of three members of the unit – Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe). Without complaining,
Katherine routinely has to run to a distant “colored” ladies room despite the presence of one for whites right nearby. On another occasion, we witness Mary’s frustration in furthering her education at a time when Blacks weren’t allowed to attend the local college. By film’s end, both the bathroom and school are indeed integrated, albeit after an emotional intervention by NASA
administrator Al Harrison (Kevin Costner). “Hidden Figures” is a worthwhile, teachable moment, correcting a shameful chapter in American history. Excellent (4 stars) Rated PG for mature themes and mild epithets Running time: 127 minutes
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Insight News • January 2 - January 8, 2017 • Page 11
ottentomatoes.com/m/fences
Scene from “Fences”
‘Fences’ delivers in poignant look back at life in the 1950s By Kam Williams It was an outstanding play and now it’s an outstanding motion picture worthy of Oscar consideration. Back in 1987, “Fences” won both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. The August Wilson classic, set in the Pittsburgh in the 1950s, chronicled the dayto-day struggle of a blue-collar, African-American family. The production was brought back to Broadway in 2010,
and it landed the Tony for Best Revival in addition to Tonys for Denzel Washington and Viola Davis in the Best Actor and Best Actress categories. Directed by Washington, the big screen version reunites him with Davis and most of the rest of the principal cast, including Mykelti Williamson, Stephen Henderson and Russell Hornsby. The faithful adaptation of the Wilson masterpiece doesn’t attempt to amplify the original beyond a few tweaks made in service of the cinematic medium. The story revolves around the unenviable trials
and tribulations of Troy (Washington), a 53-year-old garbage man who aspires to someday be promoted to truck driver. Trouble is, he’s “colored,” and that relativelylofty position has, to date, been strictly reserved for whites. So, Troy and his best friend and coworker Bono (Henderson) have to settle for grumbling about the racism that has kept them at the bottom of the totem pole. Now Troy didn’t always have such modest dreams. In his youth, he’d exhibited promise as a baseball player. However, his hope of turning pro disappeared
in a flash the day he was sent up the river for committing a murder. He did still try out for the major leagues when he was paroled at 40, but that belated attempt proved to be little more than an exercise in futility. As a result, Troy tends to soak his woes in alcohol, drinking hard liquor straight from the bottle. This doesn’t sit well with his long-suffering wife, Rose (Davis), who is understandably worried her man might drink himself to death. The picture’s other pivotal characters include the couple’s teenage son (Jovan Adepo),
Troy’s trifling adult son from his first marriage (Hornsby) and Troy’s mentally-challenged brother, Gabe (Williamson), a wounded World War II vet left with a metal plate in his head. The plot thickens when Troy informs Rose that he not only has a mistress but has knocked her up, to boot. Will this be the proverbial last straw that finally breaks the back of their shaky relationship? After all, putting up with an underachieving alcoholic is one thing, a flagrant philander, quite another. Refreshing familiar roles which are obviously second
nature to them, Washington and Davis deliver emotionallyprovocative performances likely to garner Academy Award nominations. “Fences” is a poignant period piece painting a plausible picture of Black life in the inner city prior to the Civil Rights Movement. Excellent (4 stars) Rated PG-13 for profanity, ethnic slurs, mature themes and sexual references Running time: 138 minutes
The best films of 2016
By Dwight Brown (NNPA Newswire Film Critic)
like a wizard on caffeine. The petulant mutate and his hijinks are the brilliant concoction of Marvel Comics.
As we go forward, movies guide us. They give us directions. They motivate us. They provide rest stops, comic relief and flashbacks to the past. And they reassure us that we will thrive. It’s a perfect time to reflect on the most inspiring films, performances and artistic achievements of this last year. Check out the best in film in 2016.
“Fences” — (***1/2) Opening up a play just enough to make it a viable film is not an easy task. It helps if Denzel Washington, the lead in August Wilson’s Tony Award-winning Broadway play, is the movie’s director and reprises his role. A father tries to hold his family together during the 1950s and the strife, friction and daunting social issues are amplified on the silver screen. Washington and Viola Davis, as the wife, excel.
Best Films “Arrival” — (***1/2) Director Denis Villeneuve (“Sicario,” “Prisoners”), creates a compelling sci-fi movie, based on Eric Heisserer’s thoughtful, feminist screenplay. Aliens arrive in massive floating pods in 12 locations around the world. A linguist (Amy Adams) tries to communicate with them and save humanity. Jeremy Renner and Forrest Whitaker co-star in a film filled with suspense, dread and brain-numbing science.
“I, Daniel Blake” — (***1/2) Working hard most of your life then becoming disabled and broke is not a pretty picture even in socialist-leaning England. That’s the hypothesis of British director Ken Loach and his writing partner Paul Laverty. Their film tracks a
weary carpenter, perfectly played by Dave Johns, who can’t navigate the welfare system in the town of Newcastle and drifts into despair.
“Jackie” — (****) It must have been two weeks of pure hell. That’s the blueprint Noah Oppenheim provides in his woeful screenplay that follows First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (Natalie Portman) as she deals with the aftershock of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Chilean director Pablo Larraín (“Neruda”) perfectly manages a skillful tech crew. Portman’s performance shines brighter than a diamond. “The Jungle Book” — (***1/2) With a dazzling array of CGI technology, director Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”), screenwriter Justin Marks, a top notch tech crew and the brilliant voices of Lupita Nyong’o, Giancarlo Esposito,
Ben Kingsley and others craft together the ultimate kids fantasy/adventure film. Mowgli (Neel Sethi), a man-cub raised by wolves, is tasked with protecting the pack and lucky viewers get to watch.
“Loving” — (***1/2) Kudos to writer/director Jeff Nichols (“Mud”) for retelling the true-life story of a Black woman (Ruth Negga) and a white man (Joel Edgerton) who married and were jailed for it in Virginia, in 1958. Nichols’ approach is low-key and natural with few theatrics and lots of personal drama. The subtle performances by Negga and Edgerton are filled with grace. “Manchester by the Sea” — (***1/2) Dealing with a death in the family is so much harder when you’re a hopeless alcoholic (Casey Affleck, who
is brilliant) who’s divorced and running away from a tragedy. Screenwriter/director Kenneth Lonergan meticulously sets the blue-collar characters in motion, giving them everyday dialogue that unearths hurt and feelings that run deeper than the sea.
“Moonlight” — (***) Writer/director Barry Jenkins teams up with writer Tarell McCraney to tell a story about sexual repression and ambiguity through the eyes of a young, overly passive and emotionally abused gay child who becomes a distressed teen and then a
circumspect young man in inner city Miami. Mahershala Ali as a warm-hearted drug dealer and father figure steals every scene. This year’s worst movies were “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “Certain Women,” “The Dressmaker,” “The Girl on the Train,” “The Legend of Tarzan,” “The Lobster,” “Nina,” “Snowden,” and “Suicide Squad.” Dwight Brown is a film critic and travel writer. As a film critic, he regularly attends international film festivals including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto and the American Black Film Festival. Read more movie reviews by Dwight Brown here and at DwightBrownInk.com.
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Page 12 • January 2 - January 8, 2017 • Insight News
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‘I Am Not Your Negro’ connects James Baldwin to today’s fight for dignity By Dwight Brown (NNPA Newswire Film Critic) James Baldwin, the intellectual, civil rights activist and renowned author, left behind some biting and enlightening words about racism and the status of the Black community that are just as relevant today in this age of the Black Lives Matter movement. Baldwin was born in Harlem in 1924. He moved to Paris around 1950, eventually taking up residence in the south of France. At some point in his self-imposed exile, he came to the conclusion that he had to turn his attention back to his home country. “I could no longer sit around Paris discussing America. I had to come and pay my dues,” said Baldwin. In 1979, Baldwin started working on his book, “Remember This House.” The manuscript focused on the lives, views and assassinations of his three friends and colleagues – Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unfortunately, at the time of his death he had only completed 30 pages. Director Raoul Peck (“Lumumba”) took those few, initial pieces of Baldwin’s nonfiction tome and developed them into a searing documentary that examines the struggles of the 1950s and 1960s in a way that makes his thoughts on race incredibly poignant given today’s sociopolitical landscape in the United States. Peck assembles archival footage, photographs and contentious TV clips (particularly the fledgling “The Dick Cavett Show” where discussions of the state of the “Negro” got heated). He adds in modern day camera feeds of demonstrators angry over police shootings. The results are a blistering indictment of race relations both old and new. Voiceovers by Samuel L. Jackson verbalize passages from Baldwin notes. You hear the
McCorvey From 3 model with more than $1 billion in assets and a $100 million annual budget. Among her greatest accomplishments was
Photo taken in Hyde Park, London, England. (Allan Warren/Wikimedia Commons)
“I Am Not Your Negro,” examines the struggles of the 1950s and 1960s in a way that makes James Baldwin’s thoughts on race incredibly poignant given today’s sociopolitical landscape in the United States. author chide oppressors, confront Hollywood and challenge the American government. His words recount the intimate relationships and mutual respect he had with the iconic civil rights legends Medgar, Malcolm and Martin, effectively humanizing these political/social deities. He candidly explores their differences and similarities. He
reveals the absolute despair he felt each time he heard that one of them had been killed. His ruminations glow with a truth that is timeless. Raoul Peck and editor Alexandra Strauss have masterfully fulfilled the arduous and artful task of pulling all the pieces of Baldwin’s contemplations together and
forming a fiery narrative that makes audiences recalibrate their feelings about race in America. The musical score by Aleksey Aygi adds a piqued sense of urgency and gravitas. Medgar Evers was killed on June 12, 1963. Malcolm X was assassinated on February 21, 1965. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered on April 4,
1968. James Baldwin died of stomach cancer on December 1, 1987. Together, collectively, they left behind a tremendous sociopolitical legacy that finds its due respect in this very powerful and enlightening documentary. In 93 thought-provoking minutes, “I Am Not Your Negro” poignantly connects the past to
the present with no apologies. Dwight Brown is a film critic and travel writer. As a film critic, he regularly attends international film festivals including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto and the American Black Film Festival. Read more movie reviews by Dwight Brown here and at DwightBrownInk.com.
lobbying Congress to permit for senior-designated public housing. “We were having problems with mixing demographics so we came up with the plan for senior only public housing and Martin Olav Sabo (former 5th District Congressman) took it to Congress. He was very
supportive of public housing,” said McCorvey. “I was able to help shape federal housing policy not only locally, but nationally.” Under McCorvey the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority also created and built the first public housing memory care living, catering to
residents dealing with dementia and Alzheimer’s. The program and facility received a national housing award for excellence. Also of note is a partnership with Honeywell, which invested $34 million in energy efficient upgrades to the authority’s properties. According to McCorvey the upgrades have dramatically reduced the authority’s environmental footprint while at the same time saving almost $4 million in energy costs annually. McCorvey’s accomplishments are quite remarkable for someone who many thought was not the right person to head the authority.
“There are a lot of people who thought I couldn’t do the job,” said McCorvey. “They didn’t think I could do it because I am a woman and I am Black, but I knew I could do the job. At times it’s been frustrating, but never overwhelming.” In doing the job McCorvey opened doors for others to gain and maintain employment. Proud of her record for hiring diverse individuals, the outgoing executive director touts the fact that 52 percent of her staff is people of color. “It’s amazing what you can implement when you are doing the right things and truly paying attention,” said McCorvey.
After 25 years as executive director, McCorvey said what she’ll miss most are the people she was able to serve. “I’m going to miss my residents. I love my residents,” said McCorvey. “This is emotional … (the housing authority) is a big part of my life.” In honor of McCorvey’s service to the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority the Heritage Park Health and Wellness Center, 1015 4th Ave. N., will be rededicated as the Cora McCorvey Health and Wellness Center. The rededication ceremony takes place Jan. 26 at 1:30 p.m.
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