Insight News ::: 2.04.19 by Insight News, Inc

WINNER: 2018 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 3RD PLACE BES T COLUMN WRITING

WINNER: 2019 GENERAL EXCELLENCE, 3RD PLACE, COLUMN WRITING, 2ND PLACE

Insight News February 4 - February 10, 2019

Vol. 46 No. 5• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Framing the past

WLOL broadcasters Kenneth Wilson (standing) and Albert Vant “Flash” Washington.

Newly discovered negatives - images captured by photographer John Glanton - offer a rare look into Black life in Minnesota. Hennepin County Library and the children of John Glanton.

PHOTO OS S 8

Page 2 • February 4 - February 10, 2019 • Insight News

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Insight News • February 4 - February 10, 2019 • Page 3

WINNER: 2018 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 3RD PLACE BES T COLUMN WRITING

WINNER: 2019 GENERAL EXCELLENCE, 3RD PLACE, COLUMN WRITING, 2ND PLACE

Insight News February 4 - February 10, 2019

Vol. 46 No. 5• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Meda entrepreneurs challenge awards $1.475 million in financing Nine ethnic-minority business owners from across the country competed in the finals event for Meda’s $1 Million Challenge Powered by Chase at the Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) Studios in St. Paul. A total of $1.475 million in financing was awarded to HabitAware, St. Louis Park, Ilerasoft, Chicago, Vemos, Minneapolis, Cytilife, Minneapolis, Mobility 4 All, St. Paul, PopCom, Columbus, Ohio, LegacyArmour, Minneapolis, SquarePac, Austell, Ga. And Virtue Analytics Inc., Woodbury. HabitAware offers wearable technology that helps people with body-focused repetitive behaviors, such as compulsive hair pulling or nail biting, take control of their condition. It was awarded $400,000 in financing. Ilerasoft provides a software solution that aids hospitals in optimizing their medical equipment utilization by improving their capital planning and budgeting. It was awarded $200,000 in financing. Vemos enables hospitality venues to manage, understand, and grow their business from a single dashboard. It was awarded $200,000 in financing. Cytilife provides the Smart Campus platform to help students and college administrators make data-driven decisions to help

Meda

Meda’s CEO Gary Cunningham (front row middle) and Pat Mahoney of Chase (to the left of Cunningham) with the winners of Meda’s $1 Million Challenge Powered by Chase. reduce college dropouts. It was awarded $125,000 in financing. Mobility 4 All is a ride hailing service for seniors and people with disabilities. It was awarded $125,000 in financing. PopCom, makes vending machines and kiosks “smart” with software and artificial intelligence capabilities at the point-ofsale. It was awarded $125,000 in financing.

LegacyArmour is a secure online asset protection platform to organize information in encrypted vaults that is automatically delivered to designated recipients on a scheduled date or life event. It was awarded $100,000 in ﬁnancing. SquarePac uses design and metal fabrication expertise to create solutions that help clients maximize space, reduce freight,

save money and promote safety. It was awarded $100,000 in ﬁnancing. Virtue Analytics Inc. provides an eEnrollment Management platform that allows educational institutions to leverage the power of machine learning and predictive modeling to make better decisions across the admissions process. It was awarded $100,000 in ﬁnancing.

The challenge was held by the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (Meda), one of the nation’s top minority business development agencies and headquartered in North Minneapolis, and the City of Saint Paul. Chase was the presenting event sponsor. “We are very excited to award

more than a million dollars in financing to all nine companies,” said Gary Cunningham, president and CEO of Meda. “The competition was stiff for the top prizes, but these companies rose to the challenge, and we look forward to seeing how they all leverage this investment in their businesses.” Coinciding with the finals event, Chase announced an additional $250,000 investment to the initial $1 million Program Related Investment from the NEXT Fund for Innovation. After the judging, an additional $225,000 investment from Meda was announced, bringing the total amount of financing awarded to $1.475 million. “We know the importance of investing in minority-owned small businesses, so increasing Chase’s commitment in this program was the easy decision,” said Gavin Borowiak, managing director at Chase. “Selecting the top winners from among these creative, innovative, passionate entrepreneurs – now that was hard. We congratulate all the participants and can’t wait to see the positive impact their work will have on their lives, business, and communities.” In all, more than 200 businesses across the country applied to participate, and 19 semi-finalists competed.

Braxton Haulcy named executive director at Walker West Music Academy By Maya Beecham Seven-year-old Braxton Haulcy was a subject of concern to his second-grade teachers. So much so they suggested to his mother he be held back to repeat second grade. His mother agreed but made a point to broaden her son’s horizons outside of the classroom setting. She enrolled him in music lessons and changed the course of his life for the better. Fast forward to high school and he graduated with honors. In college, again, he graduated with honors. Haulcy attributes his academic awakening and eventual success to music. Today, Haulcy has garnered another achievement as the recently named executive director of Walker West Music Academy (WWMA). He has hit the ground running; combining his extensive experience as a musician, parent of former WWMA stu-

Braxton Haulcy dents, non-proﬁt board member of various community organizations such as Gillette’s Children’s Hospital, Model Cities, and Phyllis Wheatley Community Center. Additionally, Haulcy led a successful career in general management within sales, marketing and ﬁnance. He has a driving principle for success that he plans to apply in his work at WWMA.

“I am a ﬁrm believer within any organization; you grow or you die. If you are not focused on growth you will wither away. Best practices for me are that you are always looking to enhance, improve and ﬁnd relevancy in what you are doing,” Haulcy said. WWMA founders, the Rev. Carl Walker and Grant West laid a musical foundation that has remained relevant with intergenerational reach and led some students to celebrity status and international acclaim. They believe Haulcy will be key in building on the organization’s longevity from which they built 30 years ago. In 2018, the state acknowledged WWMA’s longevity with a proclamation from Gov. Mark Dayton in honor of the organization’s 13th year of existence as a Minnesota institution “(Haulcy) is a musician. I think that makes him a little more valued. Any time you can get a musician that is an admin-

istrator, it expresses an understanding about what we are as an organization,” said West. Even as the organization gains more accolades with time the work continues with an urgency. “I hope he will be a voice in the community especially a voice in those areas where we have kind of missed out on getting new blood into the community. Our outreach needs to be expanded now,” said Walker. Haulcy has a broad vision of expanding WWMA’s historic and cultural value and reach within the Twin Cities and beyond to global proportions, all while remaining rooted at its home location on Selby Avenue in St. Paul. “Walker West is in a unique position to play a pivotal role in aligning its capability in music education and performance with community needs around several initiatives targeting diﬀerent generations and collaborating with various organizations,” said the new director.

For Haulcy, collaboration is paramount to carrying on WWMA’s legacy. To address critical issues in the community he has taken a boots on the ground approach to the work. To support music education to improve academic performance, WWMA is in dialogue with St. Paul Public Schools to start a music mentor program, in addition to doing direct work with elementary and middle schools. WWMA is working with MacPhail Center for the Arts for guidance and support in developing a WWMA early childhood music initiative to focus on introducing children of color to music programming. To enrich seniors, WWMA is working on an initiative with Rondo Community Land Trust to provide music lessons to residents of the new senior housing units on Selby. In turn, WWMA students will perform for seniors and seniors will have opportunity to volunteer for recitals and other activities at WWMA. In 2019, WWMA will start a new strate-

gic planning process with a plan to increase its weekly enrollment numbers from 188 students to 250 students. Haulcy continues to lead his work with questions regarding growth and relevancy. “How do you become more relevant to millennials and Generation Z who want an ecommerce platform? How do you become more relevant to seniors? Who can we reach out and be more relevant in more geographical areas like Minneapolis? How can we partner with diﬀerent groups like the Promise Neighborhood, High School for Recording Arts, or Northside Achievement Zone in Minneapolis? How can we build alliances and partnerships that beneﬁt both parties? How do we help close the achievement gap through music because that is a really big issue here? And we have a solution,” said. Haulcy. For more information on Walker West Music Academy visit www.walkerwest.org, or, call (651) 224-2929.

Insight News wins three Minnesota Newspaper Association Best Newspaper Contest awards For the second year in a row Insight News was honored by the Minnesota Newspaper Association (MNA) in the Better Newspaper Contest. Insight earned a third-place award for General Excellence, for weeklies with more than 5,000 papers distributed. General Excellence is the top overall category. Harry Colbert, Jr., Insight’s managing editor, earned a second-place award for Best Columnist, weeklies more than 5,000 distribution and Insight graphic artist Donald Walker was awarded thirdplace for Use of Information Graphics & Graphic Illustrations, weeklies 2,500 and

above.

Devonda Scott

Insight News managing editor, Harry Colbert, Jr. (left) and graphic artist, Donald Walker, walked away with a total of three Minnesota Newspaper Association Best Newspaper Contest awards.

I2H

Fletcher, Finney sound alarm about opioids, addictions

PAGE 4

Lifestyle

Alpha Kappa Alpha hosts Inaugural Biennial Winter Cotillion

PAGE 6

Donald Walker’s awardwinning artwork.

The awards were handed out Jan. 24 at the Doubletree by Hilton, Bloomington. More than 4,000 entries from newspapers throughout the state were submitted, with winners selected by professional journalists in Colorado. This is the second year in a row Insight has been honored by the MNA. Last year Insight took the top prize in the General Reporting category and Colbert was awarded second-place Best Columnist, an honor duplicated this time around. In the General Excellence category judges re-

AI Calendar Bas

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marked, “Well-curated content, phenomenal front page art.” It was that front page art that earned Walker his award. Judges said his win for graphic illustration – the March 5 – March 12, 2018 cover of Insight – “was all about the visuals.” That cover story and corresponding visual was “Numbers Don’t Lie,” an exposé of Minnesota government spending with Black-owned businesses. The article and image pointed out that only 0.5 percent of $4.63 billion spent by seven Minnesota government agencies went to Black-owned businesses.

John Glanton photos reveals 1940s Twin Cities

PAGE 8

Page 4 • February 4 - February 10, 2019 • Insight News

Insight 2 Health

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Fletcher, Finney sound alarm about opioids, addictions Afrodescendientes

Commentary by Carmen Robles According to a recent “CBS This Morning” two-part breaking news report, “the opioid epidemic is the deadliest drug crisis in America.” We already know that, so what’s the breaking news all about? It’s about Massachusetts joining forces with 35 other states (Minnesota included) and

Puerto Rico, who are filing lawsuits against the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, numero uno drug pusher, accusing them of being “personally responsible” for deceptively selling OxyContin. The breaking news is that Purdue Pharma is a carbon copy of the tobacco industry, engineers of deceptive sales. Typical of these Goliath-type giants, they are the temple of greed. Difference is, according to an Esquire article dated October 2017 entitled “The Secretive Family Making Billions from the Opioid Crisis,” “the company that makes Oxy and recaps the billions of dollars in profits it generates is owned by one family.” Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey’s lawsuit contends, “The Sackler family hired ‘hundreds of work-

Sheriff Bill Finney

Sheriff Bob Fletcher ers to carry out their wishes’ – pushing doctors to get ‘more patients on opioids, at higher doses, for longer, than ever before’ all while paying ‘themselves billions of dollars.’”

The “CBS This Morning” report said Healey alleges they micromanaged a deceptive sales campaign. In the conclusion to the complaint, Healey said “the Sackler family used

the power at their disposal to engineer an opioid crisis” citing the grim news that almost 400,000 people have died from opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2017, according to the CDC. In 2017 Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman worked collectively against the opioid crisis. “We’re all trying to unite together to quietly but forcefully say ‘Enough is enough.’ They’ve got to stop this crap,” said Freeman in a November 2017 Minneapolis Star Tribune article. Ramsey County’s newly re-elected Sherriﬀ Bob Fletcher, who held the position for 16 years, losing a run in 2010 and taking back the seat in 2017 elections, has a personal interest in this drug war. In one of the ﬁrst interviews while back in the saddle Fletcher spoke candidly

about the personal impact opioid has brought upon his family. “Three and a half years ago, I lost a son to opioid overdose. I’ve experienced the whole spectrum of opioid use and abuse. It’s a top priority to fix this,” said Fletcher. Reflecting on the county’s effective attack on the meth problem, Fletcher plans to use the same strategies; grassroots, identify key stakeholders and educate, educate, educate. “We have to keep sounding the drum,” added Undersheriff Bill Finney. “We need to have a penal appeal legislation at the capital so that extra money can be put into treatment programs.” “The people who walk

OPIOIDS 6

African introduced practice of immunization against smallpox By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia “I didn’t know I was a slave until I found out I couldn’t do the things I wanted.” — Frederick Douglass While some may never tire of hearing about the greatness of Civil Rights leaders, famous Black athletes and renowned entertainers, Black History Month also represents a time to focus on the unsung. In an email, Laurie Endicott Thomas, the author of “No More Measles: The Truth About Vaccines and Your Health,” said the most important person in the history of American medicine was an enslaved African whose real name we do not know. “His slave name was Onesimus, which means useful in Latin. The Biblical Onesmius ran away from slavery but was persuaded to return to his master,” Thomas said. “The African-American Onesimus was the person who introduced the practice of immunization against smallpox to North America. This immunization process was called variolation because it involved real smallpox. Variolation led to sharp decreases in the death rate from smallpox and an important decrease in overall death rates,” she said. “He was presented to Cotton Mather by his congregation as a gift, which is, of course, extremely troubling,” Brown University history pro-

Face2FaceAfrica.com

Onesimus and his inoculation account. fessor Ted Widmer told WGHB. Mather was a true puritan. A towering if controversial ﬁgure, especially following the Salem witch hysteria to which his preaching and writings greatly contributed. “Mather was interested in his slave whom he called Onesimus, which was the name of a slave belonging to St. Paul in the Bible,” explained Widmer. Described by Mather as a “pretty intelligent fellow,” Onesimus had a small scar on his arm, which he explained to Mather was why he had no fear of the era’s single deadliest disease: smallpox. “Mather was fas-

cinated by what Onesimus knew of inoculation practices back in Africa where he was from,” said Widmer. Viewed mainly with suspicion by the few Europeans’ of the era who were even aware of inoculation, it’s beneﬁts were known at the time in places in places like China, Turkey and Onesimus’ native West Africa. “Our way of thinking of the world is often not accurate,” said Widmer. “For centuries Europe was behind other parts of the world in its medical practices.” Bostonians like Mather were no strangers to smallpox. Outbreaks in 1690

and 1702 had devastated the colonial city. And Widmer says Mather took a keen interest in Onesimus’ understanding of how the inoculation was done. “They would take a small amount of a similar disease, sometimes cowpox, and they would open a cut and put a little drop of the disease into the bloodstream,” explained Widmer. “And they knew that that was a way of developing resistance to it.” The Harvard University report further cemented what Onesimus accomplished after a smallpox outbreak once again gripped Boston in 1721. Although inocula-

tion was already common in certain parts of the world by the early 18th century, it was only just beginning to be discussed in England and colonial America, according to researchers. Mather is largely credited with introducing inoculation to the colonies and doing a great deal to promote the use of this method as standard for smallpox prevention during the 1721 epidemic, Harvard authors wrote. Then, they noted, “Mather is believed to have first learned about inoculation from his West African slave Onesimus, writing, ‘he told me that he had undergone the operation which had given something of the smallpox and would forever preserve him from it, adding that was often used in West Africa.’” After confirming this account with other West African slaves and reading of similar methods being performed in Turkey, Mather became an avid proponent of inoculation. When the 1721 smallpox epidemic struck Boston, Mather took the opportunity to campaign for the systematic application of inoculation. What followed was a fierce public debate, but also one of the first widespread and well-documented uses of inoculation to combat such an epidemic in the West. “A few people who got inoculated did die – roughly one in 40 did – and roughly one in seven members of the general population dies, so you had a much worse chance of surviving small pox if you did nothing,” according to WGHB’s research. Mather and Boylston both wrote about their find-

ings, which were circulated in America and impressed the scientific elite in London, adding invaluable data at a crucial time that helped lay the groundwork for Edward Jenner’s famed first smallpox vaccine 75 years later. “Even though most of the city was on the wrong side and didn’t want inoculation to happen, they were smart enough to realize afterward that they had been wrong,” Widmer said. “And so, there was a higher level of respect for science going forward.” The scourge of slavery would continue in Massachusetts for another 60 years, but as for the man whose knowledge sparked the breakthrough, “Onesimus was recognized as the savior of a lot of Bostonians and was admired and then was emancipated,” Widmer said. “Onesimus was a hero. He gave of his knowledge freely and was himself freed.” Thomas, who has worked as an editor in medical and academic publishing for more than 25 years, added that it’s important for AfricanAmericans to understand that immunizations were originally an African practice that Africans brought with them to America. “Since then, AfricanAmericans played an important role in making vaccines safer and more effective,” she said, noting that an African-American woman scientist named Loney Gordon played a key role in the development of the vaccine against whooping cough – or pertussis.

Traveling to another country? Don’t forget about immunizations Measles, a disease that spreads quickly, kills hundreds of children in the world every day. The disease is infecting people in Europe, Asia and Africa. There is something that can be done to protect against infection – get vaccinated. Officials say if traveling to another country, make sure all travelers are up-to-date on measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (called MMR). Officials say children as young as 6 months old should receive the MMR vaccine. It can be easy to think that measles will not affect hit close to home but one Minnesota mother found out how dangerous it can be while traveling. In a story told by officials with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), before traveling, the doctor recommended that

her son get his MMR vaccine earlier than usual because they were traveling to visit family in Kenya. She wanted her son

red eyes. Then he got a fever and became very tired. She took him to the doctor, and they said it was a virus and to watch him

To keep travels healthy, MDH says talk to a clinic representative or doctor about upcoming overseas trips. to get the vaccine, but he was ﬁnally sleeping. She decided it could wait until they came back. They were just going to visit family which didn’t seem like a big risk. The day they returned home, her son developed a cough, runny nose and watery,

closely. The cough got worse and the fever got higher so she took him to the doctor again. This time they put him in the hospital because he had pneumonia. The doctors did more tests and put him in a private room – he had measles. It was hard for her

child to breathe so they put him on a breathing machine. There were tubes in his mouth, nose and arms. The doctors warned that her son might die. For three weeks she watched a machine breath for her son. The little boy survived, but his mother will never forget his suﬀering. According to MDH, the disease also spread to other people on the airplane and among family members that were not vaccinated. To keep travels healthy, MDH says talk to a clinic representative or doctor about upcoming overseas trips. A doctor can advise about the shots and ways to stay healthy while traveling. MDH says to see a medical professional in enough time to get all the needed vaccines. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/travel.

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Insight News • February 4 - February 10, 2019 • Page 5

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Page 6 • February 4 - February 10, 2019 • Insight News

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Lifestyle Alpha Kappa Alpha hosts Inaugural Biennial Winter Cotillion Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Delta Phi Omega Chapter in conjunction with The Ivy Foundation, Inc., will host its Inaugural Biennial Winter Cotillion Feb. 16 at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest, 7025 Northland Dr. N., Brooklyn Park. The 2019 cotillion with the theme, “Pearls of Prestige,” will present young ladies from the Minneapolis, St. Paul and surrounding communities. Leading up to the cotillion the young ladies participated in workshops focused on personal and professional development, “charm school” focused on social and professional etiquette and events that inspired volunteerism, community service and cultural awareness. One highlight over the 10-month period was the cotillion kick-oﬀ event, a mother/

daughter tea at the Metropolitan Ballroom in Minneapolis. The debutantes invited their mothers/mother figures and arrived “charmed for excellence” in their tea hats and dresses. The menu included finger hors devours, desserts and a selection of iced or hot tea. The program consisted of debutantes’ reflections on the relationship with their mother. During the next month, the young ladies will prepare for the formal, blacktie cotillion event where they will be presented to society and recognized for their academic and service achievements. The proceeds from this event will be used to provide scholarships to high school students in the Twin Cities areas, and to support other educational, civic and charitable causes.

Alexis Fant

Ayo Olagbaju

Ciara Foster

Jada Martin

Lauren Cooper

Morgan Phillips

Robbie Grace

Tomi Ijiyode

Breah Banks

Di-Vada-Ka Mia Wilson

Jaydn Hayes

Lilyan Stuart

Nyila Green

Robyn Tisdale

Zharia Armstrong

Amisa Jones

Calonna Carlisle

Kennedy Harris

Michaela Thomas

Reid Funderburk

Tatum Morris

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

Alyssa Story

Insight News is published weekly, every Monday by McFarlane Media Interests. Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Managing Editor Harry Colbert, Jr. Culture and Education Editor Dr. Irma McClaurin Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley

Opioids

Intern Kelvin Kuria

From 4

Contributing Writers Nadvia Davis Fred Easter Abeni Hill Timothy Houston Michelle Mitchum Latisha Townsend Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography David Bradley V. Rivera Garcia Uchechukwu Iroegbu Rebecca Rabb Artist Donald Walker 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,

through our door have addition problem” said Finney. “Seventy-five percent have mental health issues that are related, and 70 percent can’t read very well. So the three things that we can really help them with (are) addiction, mental health and their ability to get jobs.” Healey said this is the most complete picture to date of how the opioid crisis began, and why the Sackler family itself should be held accountable. “They don’t want to accept blame for this. They blame doctors, they blame prescribers and worst of all, they blame patients,” she went on to say. Sounds just like the tobacco industry, doesn’t it? Purdue Pharma’s million emails, documents and files will tell the story. Just like the tobacco industry told theirs, in their own words. Yes, it’s true the tobacco industry is finding other ways to get customers. However, it is through grassroots movements where change begins. The breaking news for us? It’s good news. Minnesota, just like with the tobacco industry, is kicking butt and seeking justice for those afflicted by the gluttony of power, influence, control and greed of a few. The states and commonwealth territories are united for a common cause in the unprecedented fight against opioids.

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Insight News • February 4 - February 10, 2019 • Page 7

Bas

Tuesday, Feb. 5

drummer Michael Bland and others.

DISCUSSION

Friday, Feb. 8

States of Incarceration: Reﬂective Circle Minnesota History Center 345 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. No cover

Monday, Feb. 4 – Sunday, Feb. 17 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

Monday, Feb. 4 WRITING Playwriting I with Josh Tobiessen Guthrie Theater 818 S 2nd St., Minneapolis 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Discover the key ingredients of great drama and comedy and work towards creating your own short play in this six-week class with local playwright Josh Tobiessen.

Join activists and people who have experienced incarceration for a reﬂective circle led by Dr. Talaya Tolefree and Restorative Practices People of Color Collective.

Wednesday, Feb. 6 DANCE CLASS

HIP-HOP Bas: Milky Way Tour First Avenue 701 N 1st Ave., Minneapolis 8 p.m. 18-plus $22

Participants will learn body isolations, movements to the beat and coordination. Optional performance at the end of the session

Thursday, Feb. 7 FUNK/SOUL Dr. Mambo’s Combo James Ballentine Uptown VFW 2916 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis 8:30 p.m. 21-plus $10 The legendary soul and R&B band features former Prince

2820 E. 33rd St.., Minneapolis 7 p.m. $10 advance, $12 door

Challenge yourself to take your fitness to the next level. Come to reap the benefits of working out in a group in this five-week drop-in series with Myss Angie.

Before Oprah, before Arsenio, there was “Mr. Soul!” Ellis Haizlip makes television broadcast history with “SOUL!”, America’s ﬁrst “Black Tonight Show.” Featuring archive footage of James Baldwin, Sidney Poitier, Patti LaBelle, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Harry Belafonte, Nikki Giovanni, among others.

Monday, Feb. 11 WELLNESS

Dreamville rapper Bas hits the 7th Street Entry at First Avenue for the “Milky Way Tour” with performances by with Correy C, Innanet James and Rexx Life Raj.

Saturday, Feb. 9

Afrobeats Technique Ragamala Dance Company 711 W. Lake St., Minneapolis 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. $12 for one class, $60 for six

11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 18-plus $15

REGGAE Celebration of Bob Marley Earthstrong! Pimento Jamaican Kitchen 2524 Nicollet Ave S., Minneapolis 10 p.m. – 1 a.m. 21-plus No cover Celebrate the songs of Bob Marley with Innocent Reggae Band.

Sunday, Feb. 10 POLE DANCING/ WORKSHOP Pole Fit Fusion Challenge Series ExperTease Fitness 1620 Central Ave. N.E., Minneapolis

Intro to Yoga for People of Color One Yoga 721 W. 26th St., Minneapolis 8 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. All ages No cover James Orione presents a safe space for people of Color interested in exploring the practices of yoga.

Tuesday, Feb. 12 FILM Eat Street Cinema Pimento Jamaican Kitchen 2524 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis 7 p.m. – midnight Join Pimento for a monthly movie night with a DJ, drinks and food in the Rum Bar.

Thursday, Feb. 14

Saturday, Feb. 16 COMEDY Comedy Upstairs Pyrmd Nightclub, 2nd Floor, 418 3rd Ave. N., Minneapolis 8 p.m. 21-plus $10 Comedy Upstairs showcases some of the best up-andcoming comedians in the Twin Cities every ﬁrst and third Saturday.

DATE NIGHT Valentine’s Day Dinner: A Tribute to Johnny Mathis Dakota 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis 6 p.m. $115 (includes dinner)

Sunday, Feb. 17 HIP-HOP

A special Valentine’s Day dinner performance of “Kevin Sings Johnny: A Tribute to Johnny Mathis” featuring vocalist Kevin Kirkendahl and guest vocalist Debbie Duncan.

Friday, Feb. 15 JAZZ

FILM

Celebrating Henry: A Threadgill Festival Walker Art Center 725 Vineland Pl., Minneapolis 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.

“Mr. Soul!” Trylon Cinema

Some 20-plua Minnesota musicians (curated by cellist

Wednesday, Feb. 13

Michelle Kinney) perform Threadgill pieces from the past 40-plus years. Threadgill closes the festival on Saturday with his acclaimed quintet Zooid.

Freshly Dipped - Hip Hop Fashion & Music James Ballentine “Uptown” VFW - Post 246 2916 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis 8 p.m. – 1 a.m. 21-plus $10 Check out some of the Twin Cities up and coming hip-hop musicians and fashion vendors including Saint LaRon, Pilot Jonny, Kartel Bigs, Afro Preachah, Jayso Creative, True Headz Clothing, Ill Clothing and more.

MNHS.ORG

612.377.2224 guthrietheater.org

Family photos appearing in Diesel Heart: An Autobiography by Melvin Whitﬁeld Carter Jr., MNHS Press, $17.95.

MNHS: HISTORY FOR ALL When people think of history, they think of the celebration and commemoration of household names such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. While these stalwarts of the civil rights movement paved the way for many of the rights African Americans currently enjoy, we must also remember the men and women in our communities who are not household names, but who fought to save their communities. Melvin Whitfield Carter Jr. is one of those men. MNHS Press is proud to publish Diesel Heart: An Autobiography, by Melvin Carter Jr. Mr. Carter (the father of St. Paul’s current mayor Melvin W. Carter III) is a true son of Rondo, the city’s storied African American neighborhood. He was born in a city divided along racial lines and rife with cultural misunderstanding. Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, he witnessed the destruction of his neighborhood by the I-94 freeway—and he found his way to fighting and trouble. But Carter turned his life around. As a young man, he enlisted in the US Navy. He used his fighting

ability to survive racist treatment, winning boxing matches and respect. And as an afﬁrmative action hire in the St. Paul Police Department, facing prejudice at every turn, this hardworking, talented, and highly principled ofﬁcer for 28 years fought to protect the people of the city he calls home. After leaving the police department Carter founded the organization Save Our Sons and serves as its executive director. We invite you to join us for the Diesel Heart book launch event on February 20 at the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center in St. Paul. This free event includes a program and book signing (book available at the event or shop. mnhs.org). Find details at mnhs.org/ calendar. We hope to see you there!

A gender-bending Shakespeare comedy MELANIE ADAMS Melanie Adams, PhD, is the senior director of Guest Experience and Educational Services at the Minnesota Historical Society. In this role she oversees MNHS programs, exhibits, and historic sites located throughout the state, which serve one million people per year.

As You Like It Feb 9 – March 17

by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE directed by LAVINA JADHWANI Tickets start at $15 (February 9–14) and $29 (February 15 – March 17).