WINNER: 2018 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 3RD PLACE BES T COLUMN WRITING
WINNER: 2019 GENERAL EXCELLENCE, 3RD PLACE, COLUMN WRITING, 2ND PLACE
Insight News February 18 - February 24, 2019
Vol. 46 No. 7• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Fletcher & Finney Ramsey County Under Sheriff Bill Finney and Sheriff Bob Fletcher
Uche Iroegbu/ui.photographic LLAW AWM MEEN N 3
Page 2 • February 18 - February 24, 2019 • Insight News
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Insight News • February 18 - February 24, 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 18 - February 24, 2019
Vol. 46 No. 7• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Fletcher & Finney By Al McFarlane Editor-In-Chief Carmen Robles Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Al McFarlane and Carmen Robles interviewed the new sheriffs in town: Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher and Under Sheriff Bill Finney. Fletcher: I just want to say, Bill, thank you again for accepting this challenge because there’s a lot of work to do out there. (To Insight News) I’m so thankful and so glad that he’s here. Bridging the gaps between some communities and law enforcement is the key thing. Since the Ferguson (Missouri) incident in
2013, this gap has been widening … whether it’s the Jamar Clark incident or Philando Castile. We are losing the trust and confidence of a significant segment of our community. We can’t afford to do that. If it continues the way it is, policing will never recover. Bill Finney’s relationships with the communities in St. Paul is just extremely valuable. And he and I visited for the last year or so and I just told him, “We need you. You have too much talent.” And really, there’s a benefit in this particular culture, police culture, of remembering how things used to be, because we didn’t have all this tension years ago. We’ve gone through phases of tension, the 60s and 70s, but we didn’t have the distrust. And of course, it’s not just law en-
Uche Iroegbu/ui.photographic
Ramsey County Under Sheriff Bill Finney and Sheriff Bob Fletcher forcement, it’s... Finney: Authority. Fletcher: ... Institutions that people trusted have been challenged. And it really comes down to relationships. If you have intact and strong relation-
ships like Bill does in many communities, when a crisis hits, there’s an opportunity for conversation. Finney: I always say, you have to constantly make deposits into the bank of community trust, because one day you’re going to
Calling out isms except for their own isms
Hypocrisy at the top of Minnesota GOP By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor harry@insightnews.com So it seems calling out isms is a partisan activity. Well, at least for Republicans it is. Now of course that’s nothing new for the people over at Fox News (or as I like to call them, Faux Noise), but I’m being reminded it’s pretty much a part of the overall Republican playbook. Let’s take Jennifer Carnahan Hagedorn, chair of the Minnesota Republican Party and her new BFF, President Donald Trump. In a flurry of Feb. 11 posts on her social media (personal and official GOP pages) Carnahan Hagedorn railed against Rep. Ilhan Omar, representative of Minnesota’s 5th District, for a retweet where some felt the freshman congresswoman implied a pro-Israel lobbying group’s support for the MiddleEastern nation is motivated by money. Here caption for the original tweet was “All About the Benjamins.” The implica-
Donald Trump and Jennifer Carnahan Hagedom tion was seen as anti-Semitic because throughout the years those of the Jewish faith have been accused of being inordinately motivated by money. Omar almost immediately apologized for the remark stating, “Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jew-
ish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes. My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole. We have to always be willing to step back a think through criticism, just as
I expect people to hear me when others attack me for my identity. This is why I unequivocally apologize.” Omar’s apology wasn’t enough for Carnahan Hagedorn nor Carnahan Hagedorn’s buddy, Trump – a man who began his campaign for president by stating Barack Obama was born in Kenya, who used racist language against Native-Americans, called white supremacists “very fine people,” called Haiti and Africa “sh*thole countries” and said his celebrity status was license for sexual assault. Despite all that, both Carnahan Hagedorn and Trump called for Omar’s resignation. To quote “Saturday Night Live” character, The Church Lady, “Well isn’t that special.” Carnahan Hagedorn has quickly ascended the ranks of the GOP. Asked to run against Sen. Bobby Joe Champion (DFL-59) in 2016 so Champion wouldn’t run unopposed, Carnahan Hagedorn obliged and fell into the good graces of the state Republican Party, pulling of a surprise win in her bid to chair
GOP 7
take a withdrawal. If you want to do something bone headed or something the public doesn’t understand, and then we have to say, “Trust us, we’ll fix it.” I want the community to feel, instead of saying, as a squad guy goes by, “There goes the police,” I want them to say, “There goes
In the early nineties in Youngstown, Ohio, sixth grader Shawntera Hardy made a contractual investment that would change the trajectory of her life. She became a participant of the Ohio State University (OSU) Young Scholars program. The contract stipulated she maintain a 3.0 grade point average or better through 12th grade, participate in summer programming at OSU and volunteer. She accomplished the goal and received full-ride scholarship to OSU. The decision was easy. “My entire town was in poverty. No matter what race you were you were dealing with the residual effects of the collapse of the steel industry and the fact
that the city could never figure out its way. So for me looking around wanting what I saw in other places from a community building perspective was always in the back of my mind. I had family members they (had) the only house occupied on the block. Then it went to the only house on the block because they (demolished) the entire city block. Can you wrap your mind around that? That for me was home.” Hardy graduated from OSU and worked for the Ohio House of Representatives. At the time, OSU was buying land for a capital improvement project. As she learned more about the process she became connected to urban planning. Hardy moved to upstate New York to pursue a master’s degree in urban planning at University of Buffalo. In 2004 she graduated and arrived in
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Opioid deaths study points to opportunities for earlier intervention to prevent fatalities
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Bush Foundation
Shawntera Hardy Minnesota as a new city planner. She had never been to the state. She was impressive enough to hire over the phone by the city of St. Paul. One thing Hardy always had was a plan and a strategy to navigate her way to success regard-
less of the setting. She attributes her grounding in the state that eventually helped build momentum in her accomplishments, to community. “I was fortunate to have a couple key people early in my career, that I respected, not only pull me under their wing from a professional standpoint but pulled me under their wing as family. That was a game-changer for me in being able to connect to the Minnesota culture,” said Hardy. Those immediate points of connection were the late Angela Burkhalter, former communications administrator for the St. Paul Human Rights Department and community elder and former St. Paul City Council member Debbie Montgomery.
HARDY 7
Fletcher: And we want to change the culture. Bill and I have talked about how to change the culture at the bottom of the organization. When I started in 1977, Bill Finney was already there as a sergeant. 1,891 took the test. John Herrington was in
LAWMEN 9
Online event looks at community-centered financial stability Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Prosperity Now has partnered with the Northwest Area Foundation to share findings outlining the work of six community-centered financial
Initiative (AAFCI), an initiative funded by the Northwest Area Foundation. RWDI helped 30-plus partnering organizations to build and implement community-centered financial
Gary Cunningham
Ambreasha Frazier stability projects to address the racial wealth divide. On Feb. 20 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Prosperity Now’s Racial Wealth Divide Initiative (RWDI) will host an online event to reveal the insights of the three year-long African American Financial Capability
Profile in Excellence: Shawntera Hardy By Maya Beecham Contributing Writer
our police.” There’s a difference when people take ownership. “That’s our police.” And I know that’s our police because I know the leadership and I know they listen to the things that are important to me and my family. So, then it becomes very, very personal and then you get the support you need in order for us to be able to do our jobs effectively. And so, we have very like minds in that we’re policing and what we’re going to try to accomplish. We can start by opening up the inner sanctum which used to be the third floor of the sheriff’s office, where even deputies were not necessarily wanting to come and talk to the people with the big badges. Now, under this leadership, it’s going to be a place they can come and talk to the Sheriff. They can talk to his under sheriff. People from the public can come in and say, “Hey, I got a problem with this. What can we do to fix it?”
Attorney General Keith Ellison
Interview series: Part 6
Justice is justice Framing environmental injustice as a civil and human right issue Al McFarlane: You’ve been way out front in the environmental justice movement. Sometimes people did not see the connection between classic civil rights and
stability pilot projects to improve and protect the economic security of African-Americans in six cities Minneapolis and St. Paul, Des Moines, Portland, Seattle and Tacoma, Wash. The AAFCI Communities of
PROSPERITY NOW 7 human rights work, and our identity as African-Americans, and the environmental movement. They were parallel, seemingly separate silos for activists’ energy and engagement. You were able create the bridge that revealed these issues are one of the same. What does your personal history in this area mean from the vantage point that you’re now working from as the chief law enforcement officer of the state of Minnesota? Keith Ellison: Clean water is something we all have a right to, we all deserve. This earth had clean water, and then we started industrial production, and it got dirty. So, my first commitment is to make sure the people have the benefit of the resources of this state. My position is that any industrial production project must meet environmental standards, and all environmental laws will
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News
College: Best solution for regional workforce crisis
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Legacy: Deep Muddy Waters
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Insight 2 Health Nonfatal opioid Opioid deaths study points to opportunities for earlier intervention to prevent fatalities overdoses A large proportion of Hennepin suggests that for every overdose Rhode Island offers a model continue to rise County opioid-related deaths death, there are more than 20 Other agencies’ work has in 2015 and 2016 occurred nonfatal overdoses. Hennepin in Minnesota after a jail stay, accordCounty is applying for grant shown that intervention for ing to a collaborative study by Hennepin Healthcare and Hennepin County. The finding, reached after an analysis of death and jail records, confirms county officials’ suspicions and suggest opportunities for overdose prevention. The study found that more than one-third of opioid deaths in Hennepin County (71/252) occurred within one year of release from custody. Almost a quarter of those occurred within two weeks of release, and more than half were within 90 days. Among people who died from an overdose after a jail stay, 81 percent were incarcerated for at least 24 hours. The findings point to the need for a shift in how officials in corrections, health and human services offer recovery services, said Dr. Tyler Winkelman, a physician-researcher at Hennepin Healthcare. “Most people with an opioid use disorder will
Dr. Tyler Winkelman spend time in the criminal justice system,” Winkelman said. “This report shows that correctional facilities can and should play a critical role in the public health response to the opioid epidemic. Expanding treatment options for this population could substantially lower opioid deaths in Hennepin County.” Currently in Hennepin County, social workers con-
nect people with behavioral and chemical health resources for follow-up after release. However, diagnosing opioid use disorder and beginning medical treatment while in custody could have positive outcomes for people, reducing the number of deaths and the traumatic and expensive overdose-hospitalization-jail cycle that usually precedes them. Previous research
funding available through recent federal legislation, which in combination with county funding, will include substance use disorder screening in jail health intake and create a system to help get people started with treatment, or to support those who already are using medications like naltrexone, buprenorphine or methadone to control their disorder. “This report highlights exactly how local government should be operating, using data available to us to inform decisions and interventions that make sense in our community,” said Julie Bauch, the county’s opioid response coordinator. “The reality is staggering. But this data presents a real opportunity for us to make targeted and impactful change that improves the lives of our residents and improves the systems that create better long-term sustainable outcomes.”
opioid use disorders is effective. Rhode Island implemented treatment for opioid use disorders across every jail and prison in the state. A year after they implemented the program, overdose deaths following release decreased by 60 percent. Overdose deaths statewide decreased by 12 percent. In Minnesota, treatment for opioid use disorder is rarely available during incarceration or immediately after release. “We can save lives by administering medical treatment to people who are struggling with an opioid use disorder before they are released from detention facilities,” said County Board Chair Marion Greene. “I am extremely pleased that Sheriff Hutchinson’s team and Community Corrections staff are moving forward to implement recommendations made in the report.”
New data on nonfatal overdoses have been added to the MDH Opioid Dashboard. Nonfatal all-opioid-involved overdoses rose 26 percent from 1,619 in 2016 to 2,036 in 2017. For every one opioid overdose death in 2017, there were approximately five emergency room (ER) visits for opioid overdoses. Data is available for ER visits by opioid category and various demographic characteristics. Males saw greater numbers of ER visits for heroin and all-opioid-involved overdoses than females in 2017. Individuals 15 to 34 years of age had the most ER visits for all-opioid-involved overdoses in both 2016 and 2017. Visit the MDH Opioid Dashboard at www.health.state. mn.us/divs/healthimprovement/ opioid-dashboard to learn more about responding to an opioid overdose emergency, lifesaving naloxone and preventing the demand for drugs.
Computer science faculty member breaks barriers, encourages women to be ‘unapologetically dope’ Originally published on BlacksInTechnology.net Dr. Nicki Washington doesn’t want to be known as a “unicorn” – someone who’s a rarity in his or her field. As the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in computer science from North Carolina State University, Washington feels a responsibility to be a wonderful example for those who will ideally come after her. “Not just because I’m the first, but because I’m one of the few,” said Washington, a Winthrop University associate professor of computer science. “I was blessed with certain things, so I do feel a lot of onus to make sure I don’t remain one of the few or
Dr. Nicki Washington only. If you’re one of the only, then there’s still a problem.” Following the mantra of “lift while climbing,” Washington recently published her book “Unapologetically Dope: Lessons for Black Women and Girls on Surviving and Thriving in the Tech Field,” which she calls a “love letter to Black women and girls.” The book touches on Washington’s experiences from a young age all the way to her distinguished career, which includes tenures at IBM, the Aerospace Corporation in Chantilly, Virginia, and Howard University. She highlights the important lessons that aren’t taught in class – holding people accountable, facing the imposter syndrome, owning and trusting your “dopeness” and more. One section, “Keep Receipts,” emphasizes the importance of documenting everything, determining if a situation needs to be escalated and if so, finding the right person to address while remaining professional because “No one will fight for you like you will.” Another section, “Closed Mouths Don’t Get Fed,” encourages women to speak up for themselves and others, and for students, to participate in class and make sure professors know their names. The idea came when Washington moderated a panel at the inaugural meeting of www.blackComputeHER. com. Hearing other women tell their stories reminded her of similar personal situations. “I thought, ‘If I was 19-22 again, what would I want someone to tell me to prepare me for what’s coming?’” she explained. Take her lessons on codeswitching, in which Black women and men feel more
comfortable being relaxed and their authentic selves when speaking amongst themselves, but differently in front of nonminorities, and facing failure when it seems unacceptable. “We live by this idea that we have to be ‘twice as good,’” Washington said. “But how can I be OK with failure if I’m always taught to be twice as good as everyone else?” But the book doesn’t just speak to black women and girls: she’s received positive reviews from people of all demographics who found it insightful and helpful. She’s also participated in numerous national efforts to increase diversity in her field with Google, the S.C. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Homeland Security and more. ‘Chosen to be myself’ Washington grew up in Durham, N.C., with a mother who worked at IBM and a K-12 administrator father. “I’ve always tinkered with computers,” she said. “I started programming in the eighth grade.” What’s the first thing she remembers programming? A tic-tac-toe/Hangman game. Her mother was one of about five Black employees who started at IBM on the same day, so Washington and her parents frequently hung out with those other engineering families and their children. “It was a representation that we didn’t realize at the time was so important,” she said. “We saw it in the people who raised us. We didn’t realize how deep that was until we got to college and entered the work force.” After earning a degree from Johnson C. Smith University (North Carolina), Washington, at the insistence of former JCSU President Dorothy Yancy, went on to earn her master’s and Ph.D. at North Carolina State. She joined the Winthrop faculty in 2015 and is known in class for the easy way she interacts with students. “I’ve always chosen to be myself,” Washington said. “That’s what makes people relate. If you can’t be yourself, then you don’t need to be there.” “Unapologetically Dope” is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble online and NickiWashington.com.
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College: Best solution for regional workforce crisis Commentary by Dr. Sharon J. Pierce President, Minneapolis College At a Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce event held recently on our campus, business representatives in attendance were asked, “How will businesses solve the region’s dual problem of having an overall shortage of technical workers and an increasingly complex work environment?” One of our academic deans responded simply, “College.”
Dr. Sharon J. Pierce
Approximately 60 percent of the Minneapolis area’s current job postings require “some college or more.” Minneapolis College provides access to excellence and pathways to opportunity by offering two-year degree and shorter-term diploma and certificate programs that prepare our students for work. Because we are a public college, our tuition is more affordable than many other options. Yet, most community college students are balancing hefty workloads while attending classes, caring for family members as well as managing a vast array of life challenges. Thank-
fully, many area businesses recognize Minneapolis College as a resource for their workforce needs. Last year, Delta Air Lines partnered with us to recruit students for our aircraft maintenance technician degree program. Graduates will meet Delta’s increasing need for licensed airplane mechanics. In 2017, Zero Zone, Inc. helped us acquire state-of-the-art supermarket refrigeration equipment for our HVAC students resulting in the creation of our new supermarket refrigeration course. Graco, Inc. awarded four of our CNC machine tool students
$2,500 scholarships this year. Target Corporation collaborates with our apparel technologies instructors to provide training, job shadowing and internship opportunities for our students and then hires several of our graduates in its Product Development and Design department. These businesses recognize the benefits, to them as well as to the community, of having high quality workforce education available at an affordable cost. Supporting Minneapolis College and other Minnesota State colleges and universities helps the region’s college students
achieve their higher education goals affordably. In turn, our area reaps multi-generational benefits through workforce development, bridging socioeconomic gaps, economic development and retaining business and industry. Minnesota State’s biennial budget request is an important investment in the success of our students and Minnesota’s future workforce. As the state legislature makes decisions this session about how to spend our state’s income, I urge our elected officials to choose to provide funding to invest in today’s college students.
The struggle for Black power continues Commentary by James Trice, Public Policy Institute The term Black power was coined in 1954 by Richard Write, the African-American
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 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 Intern Kelvin Kuria Contributing Writers Maya Beecham 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,
author of novels, short stories, poems and non-fiction. The term was made more popular by Stokely Carmichael (who changed his name to Kwame Ture) at a rally during the Meredith March against Fear in Mississippi in 1966 when Carmichael began chanting “we want Black Power.” Ture was at that time the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating (SNCC), and later became a leader of the Black Panther Party. The term Black power is used to mean self-determination for Black people/people of African descent in America and anywhere Black people are being oppressed in the world. It stands for self-empowerment, grass roots activism, rights and political power, equality and the
destruction of the white power structure and the false ideology of white supremacy for Black people who have been denied voice, vote and opportunity. Power is and has always been the ultimate goal for Black people; the descendants of African slaves in America. But what is power? How do we, as Black people define power for ourselves? Have we achieved the political, social, economic and self-sufficient power to determine how we live, move, act, and control our own lives? Are we truly self-determining the way we choose and how we interact with society on our own terms? Some say yes, while others believe we still have a long way to go. Black people are not a
monolith, but we cannot ignore that we’ve come a long way since slavery. We are no longer enslaved, we can own property (generally without fear of retaliation), virtually live where we choose, marry whom we choose, work and make a living for ourselves, sit anywhere on the bus we choose and to certain extents we have rights that enable us to enjoy “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” However, there still remain glaring, debilitating systemic racial disparities and inequities in wealth, housing, employment, education, health, criminal justice, access to opportunities, benefits, rights, privileges and punishments between Black and whites. These important factors prove that while we have come far, we still need to de-
mand Black power. These pernicious disparities are a measure of the power the false ideology of white supremacy has on the world. If we want “power” we need to have a clear definition of what power is and how we can take it. I define power as the ability to act; move; decides; and have options, the ability to preserve self or self-preserve, develop and regenerate and as Dr. Naim Akbar says, “The ability to obtain and achieve within the context of your environment those things that maximize your survival and continuation of yourself . . . The ability to influence the environment consistent with your self-interests.” Power is never given, it is always taken. Someone said “people in power don’t teach
powerless people how to get power.” I see Black power as an acronym meaning Base Leadership Acting Consciously, cooperating to build Knowledge and Possibilities through joint Ownership to realize both shortand long-term Wins and deep Empowerment to sustain us to get Results according to our vision. It is now 2019 and the fight for Black power continues. Black lives matter is a demand for Black power. Until we achieve our goal of deconstructing the white power structure, which continues to oppress us and deny us of equal opportunity, access, benefits and rights, we will continue to hold our fists up high and demand Black power.
Equity Experience: Seeing life from another point of view The YMCA recently opened a new Equity Innovation Experience, developed with the Science Museum of Minnesota and community partners. The new Equity Innovation Experience, located in the YMCA Equity Innovation Center on 651 Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, is described as an interactive exhibit providing an opportunity to see life from another’s point of view and challenge a person’s mental models of the world. “In an increasingly connected world, organizations must adapt to better meet the needs of diverse teams and communities,” said Glen Gunderson, president and CEO for the Y. “The YMCA’s Equity Innovation Center provides unique opportunities for building transformational leaders and engaging di-
verse stakeholders from all sectors. By experiencing hands-on training designed to help foster innovative solutions to challenges regarding equity, diversity and inclusion, teams can create a safe environment for authentic conversation and build a lasting culture that values all perspectives.” Dr. Hedy Lemar Walls, chief social responsibility officer for the Y added, “Organizations are looking for experiences where diverse communities come together for participating in problem solving to shape their own future. The Y’s Equity Innovation Center offers a customized engagement process based on the outcomes the organization wants to achieve.” Recently 160 students and staff from North Central University participated in the Y’s
Ellison From 2 be rigorously enforced. Now, it might not be my call actually on whether certain projects go forth or not. But my point is, I will enforce all environmental laws. If you’re trying to get away with something, it won’t happen on my watch. So, that’s what we’re going to do. Let me also mention you are right. I remember when I started a group called Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota, and I had some folks thinking, “Well, Keith, this is not about housing discrimination, job discrimination, discrimination in contracting. It’s not in the traditional wheelhouse of how we fight discrimination.” But I walk into Bethune Elementary or Lucy Laney, both in North Minneapolis, and ask the principals how many inhalers they’re going to pass out this morning. Then ask yourself whether environmental protection is an issue for the Black community. How many kids have elevated levels of lead? What does lead do? Lead is a neurotoxin can damage a developing brain. When the body is constructing the brain, the brain cannot distinguish between a lead molecule and a calcium. In an environment with unsafe lead levels, you are literally building the brain, not with the calcium molecule, but with lead. Calcium develops a healthy brain. Lead short-circuits that. People who have elevated levels of lead as small children will have cognitive disabilities.
Equity Innovation Experience as part of its student leadership development program. The goal of the training was to heighten student cultural awareness and leadership skills in the community. “The customized learning process provided current and historical lessons and information about personal and institutional behaviors, and systems of racial discrimination and injustice which challenge our ability to live, work and play in ‘CommUnity’,” said Bill Green, director of multicultural engagement and support at North Central University. “The outcomes of our experience have been greater conversations and discussions as well as more activities for personal and institutional opportunities to enhance cultural awareness, inclusion and equity.”
Some, with healthy foods and good clean water and everything, can overcome it, but you’re overcoming something. Nobody wants their kid to have to overcome anything. You want your kid to be healthy and strong with no barriers. Look, up until 1976/77 this country allowed gasoline and paint to contain lead, which helped take the knocks out of engine. You used to have cars that would make a loud knocking sound. Lead took that away. Lead in paint used to make it more durable and harder. Today, you haven’t been able to use lead in paint or gasoline since the mid-70s. But It’s half-life is thousands and thousands of years. It’s not going away. The paint chips that are falling in your windowsill, that are falling on your stairs, lead is still there, and in the dirt that your kids are playing in. Environmental injustice is part of the over-riding question of environmental health. I think the great Ben Chavis, CEO of National Newspaper Publishers Association and former head of the NAACP, coined the term “environmental racism.” We saw Love Canal come along, and that was white people. Now we say environmental injustice because we know that industrial production can hurt people of all colors and all cultures. But you can bet one thing: the trash, the dirt, and the bad stuff is usually located near minority communities or low-income communities. It’s more associated with race than it is with class, but it is associated with class. There’s plenty of white folks living next to toxic waste dumps and super fund sites.
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Insight News • February 18 - February 24, 2019 • Page 7
Kevin Ross
Angelique Kidjo
1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis 7 p.m. $25-$30 Three and one-half octave range jazz vocalist Bruce Henry plays at the Dakota in downtown Minneapolis.
has collaborated with the likes of Mary J. Blige, Billy Joel, Aretha Franklin and Wynton Marsalis. Hear her and her quartet in a special two night showing. Thursday, Feb. 21 R&B/SOUL
Minneapolis 9 p.m. 18-plus $10
The Cabooze 917 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis 10 p.m. 18-plus $10 Hip-hop band Blvck Madonna headlines The Cabooze with Baby Shel, Tek, Dutch Rugar, Karson Blu and K Park.
Join Godzilita, January, Avaava with DJs Taye Drina, Bleak Roses and Ysheyellin for this synthesized dance party hosted by Puffy.
Saturday, Feb. 23
Monday, Feb. 25
NETWORKING
WORKSHOP
HWMR Presents: For the Love of Coffee Sip and Shop HWMR 1500 44th Ave. N., Minneapolis 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Teach-In 101: Understanding Our Legacy University of Minnesota African American and African Studies 810 Social Sciences, 267 19th Ave. S., Minneapolis 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 19 WORLD
Monday, Feb. 18 – Sunday, Feb. 27
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 harry@ insightnews.com Monday, Feb. 18 JAZZ Bruce Henry Dakota
Prosperity Now From 3 Practice were each tasked with designing and implementing pi-
GOP From 3 the state GOP. Initially viewed as a moderate Republican, Carnahan Hagedorn quickly pivoted hard right and fell in line behind the party’s national leader; a man known as Individual One in criminal documents. Her loyalty to Trump was rewarded this past January when she was named to his Advisory Council on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. So for sure, Carnahan Hagedorn’s star is on the rise despite the fact Republicans lost the state House this past November,
Hardy From 3 Montgomery and Hardy worked on major development projects together in Ward 1 of St. Paul, such as Amherst H. Wilder Foundation on Lexington and University Avenues; Episcopal Homes; acquiring land for senior housing on Kings Crossing at Dale and University Avenues; employment opportunities and transportation for employees of
Angélique Kidjo’s Remain in Light The Cedar Cultural Center 416 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis 7:30 p.m. $45-$50 (SOLD OUT)
Failure to Publish & Honor This on All Public Dockets to Ensure Public Announcement & Legal Notice Access To All Sectors Will Result in Further Liabilty Interest, Fees, Termination, Imprisonment, of Public Trials. This Universal Affidavit Certificate acts as a Document Request to locate all Assets to Retrieve 42.7 Billion+ in Assets to be made available to the Secured Party Creditor Tamika Latoi Suttles who owns and conduct all affairs and business to the TAMIKA LATOI SUTTLES ESTATE including All Birth Certificate Bond
Thee Urbane Life presents Grammy-nominated soul star Kevin Ross live at the Uptown VFW. Kevin’s single, “Long Song Away,” was No. 1 on the Billboard Top R&B Songs Chart.
Join the students of WE WIN as they share their knowledge of artists and figures in the Harlem Renaissance. They will perform poetry, sing, dance, and tell stories inspired by and from the movement. Wednesday, Feb. 27 R&B/SOUL Ashley DuBose Icehouse 2628 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis 9 p.m. 21-plus $10 advance, $13 door
*Thee Urbane Life is co-owned by Insight News managing editor, Harry Colbert, Jr.
Enjoy coffee and conversation at HWMR with the official release of their North Minneapolis variation of the classic “Mixtape.” It features, “Side (A) “Juicy” a fruity Ethiopian blend and Side (B) “King Kunta,” a bass heavy punch of a Columbian blend.”
Friday, Feb. 22
Sunday, Feb. 24
HIP-HOP
DANCE NIGHT $i$ Pimento Jamaican Kitchen 2524 Nicollet Ave. S.,
Tuesday, Feb. 26
Jazz violinist Regina Carter
Blvck Madonna w. Baby Shel, Tek, Dutch Rugar, Karson Blu & K Park
lot projects to strengthen assetbuilding services, sharpening policy advocacy strategies and growing leadership capacity to benefit local communities. Prosperity Now’s RWDI team will also showcase its approach to technical assistance for local organizations working to inno-
vate economic systems through a racial equity lens. The event will feature Andrea Levere, president, Prosperity Now, Lillian Singh, director of Racial Wealth Divide Initiative, Prosperity Now, Kevin Walker, president and CEO, Northwest Area Foundation,
Dr. Kilolo Kijakazi, Urban Institute fellow and director, Integrated Financial Coaching Project, Dr. Darrick Hamilton, executive director, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, Pierre Joseph, program officer, Solidago Foundation, Gary Cunningham,
president and CEO, Metropolitan Economic Development Association, Leon Garnett, Chief Operations Officer, Byrd Barr Place, Deidre DeJear, owner, Caleo Enterprises and Ambreasha Frazier, project manager, Minneapolis Urban League. The event is moderated by Cat
Goughnour, senior program manager, Racial Wealth Divide Initiative, Prosperity Now. To learn more, visit www. prosperitynow.org/africanamerican-financial-capabilityinitiative.
Democrats won all statewide seats (both U.S. Senate seats, governor/lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and auditor) and Republicans lost U.S. House seats in Districts 2 and 3. Republicans did, however, pick up seats in Districts 1 and 8, so a net wash there, but some within her party were critical, wondering if too much time was focused on the race in District 1, the seat vacated by Tim Walz, who successfully ran for governor. In that race Carnahan Hagedorn’s husband, Rep. Jim Hagedorn prevailed. Nonetheless, Carnahan Hagedorn has a strong voice in the Republican Party, and she’s
using it … well sometimes. Although Virginia is more than 1,000 miles away, it wasn’t far from Carnahan Hagedorn’s thoughts when she released an official statement calling for a Democrat’s resignation. Rightfully so, Carnahan Hagedorn called on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to resign when it was revealed a photo on his medical school yearbook page contained one man in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood. “Elected officials hold the trust of those they serve and are held to a higher standard than the average American – a standard that Governor Ralph Northam no longer fits. Follow-
ing Northam’s spin, denials and pivots, it is evident he refuses to take responsibility and step aside. But enough is enough. We must stand united as Minnesotans, as Americans, and show that this sort of racism will not be tolerated. We call on Minnesota’s delegation, regardless of political affiliation, to speak out against Governor Northam’s actions and words, and urge him to step down,” wrote Carnahan Hagedorn. Showing “this sort of racism will not be tolerated” seems to be quite selective. Much closer to home, Minnesota’s southern neighboring state of Iowa has its own unabashed racist who Carnahan
Hagedorn (and Trump) refuses to condemn; Republican Rep. Steve King. King, thought of throughout his tenure in office as a racist, made it plain last month when he told the New York Times there’s nothing wrong with being a white nationalist and white supremist. But shockingly (insert sarcasm), Carnahan Hagedorn (nor Trump) has yet to offer the same condemnation offered for those who have a “D” as their party affiliation. Let’s be clear, Omar and Northam should not be viewed through the same lens. Omar made a statement, “All about the Benjamins,” which could be interpreted –and has been by some within the Jewish faith – as a
Jewish slight. Northam appeared either in blackface or a Klan outfit. Also, keep in mind Northam admitted to at least one other time wearing blackface; and during an interview with Gayle King that aired Feb. 9 on CBS, the Virginia governor referred to the brutal practice of American slavery as a time of “indentured servitude” – a characterization King corrected and called it what it was; slavery. But if we’re in the business of calling out isms, let’s be consistent and call them all out – Trump’s and King’s included. Jennifer Carnahan Hagedorn, are you willing to use your elevated platform to do that?
the Super Target on Hamline and University Avenues. “She’s a worker, she’s intelligent, she’s got vision and clarity, and she knows how to get through minutia,” Montgomery said. Hardy’s career has included economic development, workforce development, environmental sustainability, transportation, healthcare and urban planning. She served as government relations manager at Health Partners; policy director at Fresh Energy; deputy chief of staff for former Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, and commis-
sioner of Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development under the same administration – an opportunity where she led 1,300 public service employees, and convened with international leaders to discuss policy and trade. Her leadership is evident as well in business ventures she has launched. They include Policy Grounds, a public policy and urban planning strategy firm focused on helping organizations navigate public policy and place-making, Fearless Commerce, a publication and platform focused on elevating Black
women business owners, Power Moves, a gathering that provides networking space to build the presence, power, and purpose of women of color and Civic Eagle, a technology company focused on civic tech with a platform to help policy organizations track policy smarter at the federal, state and local levels. Additionally, Hardy was named a 2018 fellow by the Bush Foundation. “She is someone who puts her head down and gets it done. She’s not flashy, but you will see her hand in a lot of policy in not just the state but in the country,
said Acooa Ellis, senior vice president of Community Impact at Greater Twin Cities United Way. Hardy’s imprint has been evidenced in full circle. To honor the investment made in her life at 6th grade by OSU, she seeds two scholarship funds she started at OSU in partnership with sorority sisters from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. The Pioneer Scholars Award grants funding to OSU students from Youngstown or Cleveland to participate in study abroad opportunities. The Fatima Kinshasa Carter Memorial Scholarship
Fund, grants funding to students from Columbus, studying journalism, in honor of Hardy’s late sorority sister who was a journalist that died at the age of 33. Hardy’s intentions for legacy are clear. She is committed to developing thriving communities through policy, business development, and women’s empowerment. “I hope that is something that will be seen through my work and I have been bullish about that and willing to make hard decisions to ensure that trajectory,” said Hardy.
Three-time Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo brings her global sound to the Cedar with Remain in Light. Wednesday, Feb. 20 JAZZ Regina Carter Quartet Dakota 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis 7 p.m. $30-$40
Classifieds Supreme Common Law Public Service Announcement TAMIKA LATOI SUTTLES ESTATE OFFICE OF THE EXECUTOR GENERAL POST OFFICE C/O 2106 25TH AVENUE NORTH Minneapolis, Mn near [55411] Current Temporary Residence C/O 5101 56th Avenue North # 3 Crystal Mn near [55429] Corner of Bass Lake Rd & Regent [Non-domestic] {763)-951-9882 Uc7PrivateInvestigations@gmail.com Uc7GalacticProductions@gmail.com UniversalConnection777@gmail.com Case No.0000000742247478-A 0000000742247487-A 12/13/2018-12/14/2018 1/04/2019 Notice of Acceptance to the General Executor’s Office From: the Office of the General Executor For, TAMIKA LATOI SUTTLES ESTATE TO: CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE/ Certificate of Service Universal Affidavit Certificate Of Letter of Intent for Seizure and Asset Location Through Levy, Liquidation, and Consolidation of All Assets
Kevin Ross* James Ballentine Uptown VFW 2916 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis 7 p.m. 21-plus $15 advance, $20 door
POETRY/STORYTELLING Harlem Renaissance WE WIN Institute, Inc. 3751 17th Ave S, Minneapolis 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. All ages No cover
Phone: 612.588.1313
Cusip Numbers and Social Security Card Account numbers associated with the name even in multiple variations also verifying and asserting her heirs and heiresses of current and future generations included in these Affidavits as a Private Person/Individual, State National, with many other titles Asserted with Full Diplomatic/International Immunity as a Freewoman/Freeman invoking are Creator given from birth Unalienable Rights domiciling on Earth Lands, Waters, Seas, Rivers, etc., exercising, asserting, and opting to enforce and Conduct all Business/Personal Transactions in the Supreme Common Law of all Lands, Rivers, Seas, Waters, etc., Jurisdictions only and due to “Major Conflict of Interests” of all Sectors Globally in violations of Major Laws being enforced opt to enforce the Original Organic Supreme Common Law Methods used before any Queens, Kings, Vatican’s, Popes, Elite Families, any other Private/Public Sectors to Assert including any and all Government Sectors Globally was ever enacted and with these Affidavits that went uncontested, unrefuted, unrebutted, that is Standing as Truth in Fact in any court of law enforces as a Writ of Prohibition, Writ of Mandamus, and final Order. Petitioner with Multiple Investigations being conducted discovered there is “Major Conflict of Interests” throughout the Judicial Systems of Local, City, State, Federal, International, and Global Jurisdictional Sectors that has been intentionally acting under [Incompetent Jurisdictions including policies, regulations, rules, ordnances, codes, statutes, regulations, laws, etc.], with violations of failure to follow “Proper Protocols and Procedures” of what is being illegally and forbiddingly enforced on others knowing what’s listed above is to be followed and enforced to those who opt to hold Public Seats in Office or any other Public and Private Positions in Governmental Sectors through Affirmation of Oaths that also was violated and Flawed Authenticity also violating following of “Proper Protocols and Procedures” throughout all administrations of when history began on Earth to be documented.
This Affidavit Petitioner that is a Private Investigator researched every fact inserted and noticed that all sectors listed throughout all Affidavits took and used similar approaches and methods that has been documented throughout history including how each past, present, governmental administrations, Elite Families, all Public/Private Sectors, Popes, Vatican’s, Kings, Queens, and any other sectors to list and to insert came into Rulership, and Power in the first place and Petitioner opted to use same Unalienable Birth Rights and followed all “Proper Protocols and Procedures” to the best of her abilities knowing all sectors failed at following the same order of how all public, private, personal, business, transactions are supposed to be conducted so Petitioner asserted, invoked, and enforced all Affidavits Through Supreme Common Laws Methods before any Rulers or Governments was ever enacted the same way they did through Affidavits and once again it went uncontested, unrefuted, unrebutted, and all is Affirmed Standing as Truth in Fact in all court of Laws and all Sectors must comply with these Affidavit orders or prosecution, and other harsher course of methods asserting 18 U.S.C 241, 242 and many others will occur from all these violations that took place listed throughout Affidavits also invoking all the “Cease and Desist Notices and Orders”, “Restraining and Protection Orders”, “Letters of Intents”,Etc., that all sectors must “obey and honor” as Petitioner had obeyed and honored until the discovery of the “Major Conflict of Interest” amongst the governing Sectors and their failure to follow to enforce or have enforced back once these violations are proven, and Petitioner through precise measures followed every “Proper Protocol and Procedures” to the best of her abilities with everything that was available and majority of the information being restricted from her access to all files available even Identity Theft. Petitioner also requested and it is requiring all Affirmations of Oaths, Oath in Office Bonds, all Surety Bonds that can be listed, and all Professional Liability Insurance Bonds to insert and assert to be listed, for bartering of Services
Join the Department of African American & African Studies, celebrating its 50th anniversary as it explores the past, present and future of Black protest, activism and community with a symposium featuring Dr. Horace Huntley, the catalyst behind the 1969 Morrill Hall Takeover at the University of Minnesota.
Fax: 612.588.2031 and or operating in UCC Commerce, especially with all Sectors listing themselves as “Fiduciary Entities” governing the Public and Private Trusts, Assets, Securities, of all Public, Private, Business, Affairs of the “We the People” also known as the “Township People” before any Ruler-ship was enacted, that is in major violation of all libre codes, Original 13th Amendment, Trading with the Enemy Act, Unfair and Deceptive Practices Act, 42 U.S.C 1983 Act, R.I.C.O Act, 18 U.S.C 241,242 Act, Prohibited Research and Experimentation Act, including Weapons of Mass Destructions Acts, of Illegal Body Surveillance, and many more to list and will be inserted violating Minnesota Reviser Statute 574.24 and any others to Assert with different statue codes to list but all reference to the same result to resolutions of remedies for compensation owed to the Petitioner any this is asserted and enforced to all law enforcement agencies to “affirm their oaths” and carry out orders of and to service all sectors with these orders listed to located all assets and securities, through all methods of Consolidations, levies, Liquidation, Garnishment, and Seizure to settle all “Delinquent Debts Owed” to the Petitioner and failure to” honor” any job duties and requirements will result in immediate termination of jobs, removal and impeachment of public/private office and seats, and seizure of all pensions, assets, and securities of all sectors listed throughout Affidavits and a “Stand Down Order” so that petitioner can come through the same methods all [Corporate Fiduciary Entities] did and confiscate any and all Assets and Securities necessary to recover the 42.7 Billion+ in Assets and Securities that is a “Delinquent Debt Owed” invoking Donald Trump Executor Order December 21st, 2017 human rights abuse order on all sectors with compliance to these orders and a “Cease and Desist” of all threats, harm, illegal detainments, that has been coming from all Sectors, Petitioner Discovered that she is one of those 1980’s human rights abuses Rape babies from “Illuminati” degrees and chapters that took place in Indiana and in Minnesota and possible other locations with “high Profile in
Topping of a four-week residency at Icehouse, the powerhouse songstress highlights her own catalogue of music, including fan favorites, sneak peaks to unreleased tunes, and music from her upcoming collaborative EP, “Back to Reality.”
Email: info@insightnews.com Power” Sources with robes naked underneath in underground locations of Astronomical Date rape rituals and channeling of God’s using technology with DNA Tampering involved, including illegally using my DNA and Body to “Prove that all Research Projects ever conducted since birth and domiciling on Earth was successful through my DNA”, even if their results didn’t give them what they fully expected but it proved it worked results not good though, especially “MK ULTRA Project” and “Crucifixion Implants” of an Extraterrestrial Origin Artifact findings of technology inserts in humans that still to this very day is “Prohibited” without consent or the becoming of age for the illegal researched participants to choose whether they consent or not to consent that caused damages, liabilities, and harm to Petitioners Health and body and Request Compensation Resolution Remedy effective Immediately, including total nullification of all records on all global databases, and Vindication of Petitioner whole life in order for Petitioner to become the “Queen” she is “Destined” to be. This Affidavit acts with all other Affidavits as Final Order and with assistance from those who “Affirmed their Oaths” to be carried and acted upon all sectors verify all Affidavits with Compliance to all Truth in facts including arresting all those connected to “Politically Connected Pull Gains and Moves” to all those connected to Minnesota 4th and 2nd Judicial court sectors case numbers 27-CR-14-11423, 62-CR-10-1465, and 54 other cases listed on TAMIKA LATOI SUTTLES background records to List or any other locations cases may have been illegally wagered against the ESTATE of TAMIKA LATOI SUTTLES, Globally to be immediately nullified and if there is noncompliance with the “Cease and Desist Orders” removal of all records there will be dire consequences enacted if you have any questions contact information is above and more Information will Be Asserted to Clear All Damages. The Assets and Securities will be retrievable
in Gold, Diamonds, Silver, Jewels, Property, Bank Accounts, Pensions, All Bonds, All Professional Liability Insurance, Technology, Organic Harvesting Seeds, Organic Healing Herb Seeds, All Medical, Science, Technology, Equipment, Devices, Instruments, Data Bases and Banks, any and Every Where Assets, Securities, Sureties, Can be Confiscated and Retrieved, in All Formats it can be Obtained, including All Land Patents, Titles, Deeds, of Illegal Ownership Null-N-Voided everywhere Globally on Earth Planet and all other Locations throughout the Universes and Galaxies to List, Assert, & Enforce. This includes Total Economic Reset of All Currencies and force All Assets, Sureties, Securities, Precious Metals, Energy Conductors, and any other forms of All Assets to be Retrieved to Correct all Past Collapses of the Economies and Go Back to the Organic Original Universal Supreme Common Law of All Lands, Waters, of all Titles, Labels, and Variations and as the Beneficiary, and Over Seer to Help Restore Order to the People and Species of all nature of existence and all returned that was Damaged and those Sources know what I mean of My DNA Abilities and Capabilities and position the whole planet of all DNA of Species and God’z here Restoring Order. So Help Us God, In God We Trust, and The True Title Names of Creating Existence. All other Phone Numbers & Emails , and all other Accounts to Assert and Assert, Insert, Associated with Petitioner, Petitioner Family, & Affidavits Lawsuits have Been hacked By Authority Abusers of all Law Enforcement Sectors and this Reserve No other Sources can own Any of them they are being Trademarked and Copyrighted Through This Affidavit & Petitioner Rights who Opened Them. Dates Published Here: 2/18/19, 2/25/19
Page 8 • February 18 - February 24, 2019 • Insight News
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Legacy: Deep Muddy Waters By Toki Wright Where would we be could we not respond to the joy and pains of the Black experience through our music? Muddy Waters was born McKinley Morganfield sometime between 1913 and 1915 in extreme poverty in the American south. He grew up a sharecropper picking cotton alongside his family members on Stovall Plantation in the Mississippi Delta. His grandmother gave him the name “Muddy” because he frequently played in the mud of the nearby Mississippi River. This is the story of the Black experience that has deep roots in the blues and permeates through today’s hiphop. It is the ability to find joy and make the most out of your surroundings. Muddy Waters upbringing, surrounded by working class Black people just out of slavery, gave him a deeper relationship to the true blues ideology that made him a standout early in his career. Library of Congress archivist Stephanie Hall defined this genre of music that arose in the late 19th century as, “usually one singer accompanied by a guitar and characterized by ‘bent’ or ‘blue’ notes, not on the standard scale. The songs expressed a longing, loss,
or desire.” Muddy was able to soak up not only the ability to play extraordinarily but also had the soul of the people of around him and dripping from his vocal cords. Ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax spent decades traveling across the United States and neighboring islands gathering the sounds of the people. He had already exposed the world to legendary folk singers Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie when he arrived on Muddy Waters doorstep in 1941. He was given $20 and two test vinyl record pressings in exchange for sharing his songs. Muddy recalled hearing his voice back on record and recognizing that he could play just as well as the other albums he had heard. The songs were later released on Testament Records garnering a huge response including a write up in Rolling Stone magazine. Unable to find the means to record in the Delta, Muddy made a move first to St. Louis and later to Chicago. The modified location would change his life forever. While he kept a job as a truck driver, Muddy Waters was also cutting records and making his way through the club scene in Chicago. In March on 1947 his longarchived songs finally saw the light of day on the famed Chess Records.
Recording. The Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame included five of his songs as part of the “500 Songs That Shaped Rock n’ Roll.” His music has helped to shape the careers of Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, Van Morrison, the Black Crowes, and Doors. Walters was also featured on a 29-cent postage stamp in 1994. His legacy lives on through countless young people that decide to pick up a guitar, sing, or rhyme from deep down in their soul.
Muddy Waters “I think it released 10,000 (units) in Chicago on Friday evening. Saturday at one o’clock you couldn’t buy one,” Waters told an interviewer at the famed Ash Grove roots music venue in the early 1970s. Muddy didn’t feel his popularity with the youth of the city of Chicago was appreciated in midway through his career. With the Great Migration taking place between 1916 and 1970 America saw the largest population shift of all time. Six million Black people relocated from the South to the West, Midwest, and Northeast. With the cruel legacy of slavery and
Jim Crow weighing heavy on their conscience, many Black people wanted to shake any relationship to their past struggles. The sorrow you could feel in Muddy’s voice and guitar for many was too much of a reminder of their past. By the early 1970s Waters was playing mostly to young white college audiences thanks to being covered by white rock n’ roll acts like the Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley. The Stones actually got their name from a 1950s song by Muddy Waters titled “Rolin’ Stone.” When asked why Black youth weren’t as attracted to the mu-
sic during the Black Arts and Black Power movements Waters stated, “maybe they think if they play that music it’s like slavery times. Maybe they think it’s like Uncle Tom. I don’t know why they changed their mind on it.” In this you can see a direct relationship to how a lot of content heavy hiphop is disregarded in the mainstream today. Muddy Waters enjoyed extreme success throughout the late 1950s up until his passing from a heart attack in 1983 at age 68. He was a six-time Grammy Award winner for Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk
Essential listening: “Mannish Boy,” “Rollin’ Stone,” “(I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man,” “Got My Mojo Workin’,” “I’m Ready” and “I Just Want to Make Love to You” Essential viewing: “Muddy Waters Live at the Newport Jazz Festival – 1960” (youtu.be/fLTCIqfsefc) and “Muddy Waters: Live at The Forum – 1978” (youtu. be/3cWJsqAOKXQ). Legacy is a new series chronicling the many contributions of Black musicians and artists by writer, musician, and assistant chair of Professional Music at Berklee College of Music, Toki Wright.
Harry Waters, Jr. to direct provocative two-character play
MJTC to present regional premiere of ‘Actually,’ new drama about sexual consent “Actually,” a play by Anna Ziegler, is coming to the Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company (MJTC). The play is directed by Harry Waters, Jr. in his professional directorial premiere in the Twin Cities.
In “Actually,” two Princeton students – a white Jewish girl and an African-American guy – must recount their intimate evening together to a university panel charged with assessing whether sexual assault took place. This play explores per-
ception and reality concerning consent and social norms today. MJTC brings back University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program graduates Miriam Schwartz and JuCoby Johnson for this new work by the playwright of
“Photograph 51.” “Actually” runs Feb. 16 – March 10. Performances are Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 1 p.m. and Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. There are additional performances on Sunday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. and
Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $23 - $38. Tickets are available at www.mnjewishtheatre.org or (651) 647-4315. All performances are held in the theater of Highland Park Community Center at 1978 Ford Pkwy., St. Paul.
Harry Waters, Jr.
612.377.2224 guthrietheater.org
YET THEY PERSIST Celebrating women who change our world SUN, FEB 24, 2019 | 4-6 PM | Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis FEATURING VocalEssence Chorus Spelman College Glee Club VocalEssence Singers Of This Age
Former Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar
Council Member Andrea Jenkins
A gender-bending Shakespeare comedy
“They persisted. I am able to be here, and I am able to call out things now, because they paved the way.” —United States Congresswoman Ilhan Omar
As You Like It Feb 9 – March 17
by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE directed by LAVINA JADHWANI
vocalessence.org | 612-371-5656
Tickets start at $15 (February 9–14) and $29 (February 15 – March 17).
Sponsored by
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Insight News • February 18 - February 24, 2019 • Page 9
Fletcher & Finney: Changing the culture in law enforcement From 3 that group; Stevie Winfield was in that group. 1,891. We had a broader pool of people. Last year only 176 people took the test and what that tells you is the pool of people that either want the job or are eligible to take the test, is shrinking. We need to expand that pool so we can get people with judgment, with good communication skills, with wisdom and we want people that have compassion and kindness in their heart. I talk a lot about kindness … how we treat each other, how we treat our employees, and how we treat people on the street. Bill has always exemplified that in his career. Finney: Some people come in and want to serve as law enforcement officers. But we’re peace officers first. Our main job is to keep the peace. Sometimes we have to become enforcement officers. That’s when we have to police things. But when we open up that pool of people, to get people that may be educated, that may have their physical fitness as their personal priority, maybe they were a nurse and they got tired of that, maybe they were something in legal profession or in business. We want all that experience. They make better peace officers when they have a broader experience. And they also understand that we don’t have a monolithic community. We have a multi-cultural community now. Different experiences, different world experiences, we got countries, a lot of different languages. When I first became St. Paul Chief of Police in 1992 the percentage of people of color in the city of St. Paul was somewhere between 16 percent and 18 percent. Now it’s over 45 percent. So, we bring in these kids who want to be police officers … most of them are from middle class suburban neighborhoods. Now that means they’re not from the city anymore. They come from outside, middle class suburbia. So, we bring them into a multicultural, multilingual, multi ethnic area. But the biggest problem is that when you’re a middle-class person, you don’t understand poor people. And we have a lot of poor people. It can be a white
Uche Iroegbu/ui.photographic
Ramsey County Undersheriff Bill Finney and Sheriff Bob Fletcher kid coming from a suburb, when he comes into the city and encounters a poor white kid and he doesn’t understand him. Fletcher: Yeah, that’s a problem. Finney: The latest thing, before I left the police chief post, we were hiring young Black kids as police officers. They were suburban kids of color who didn’t understand people of color who were poor, who look just like them. Fletcher: That’s a very, very valid point. Al McFarlane: Sheriff Fletcher, Chief Finney, you both are consummate politicians as well as professionals in law enforcement. Take a minute to recount your intertwining careers, both as a recruits and young men interested in being in law enforcement to the political aspects of your career development to where you are right now. Finney: Well, Bob was the most successful in politics. Fletcher: We both look at ourselves at our core as public safety servants. And that’s what we really love, being out at the streets and making difference. Yes, we did chase bad guys. I don’t even use the term “bad guys” because what I found out in my lifetime is that 95 per-
cent of the time, the people that we’re arresting, I love talking to because they have great personalities and they’re fun people to be around. As I said, some of the people I arrested are more fun than my family members. But it’s that 5 percent of that time, they can’t control themselves … usually, because of drug addiction issue or a peer pressure issue or a mental health issue. So, what we really do is police that 5 percent of those problems. At our core, we’re both law enforcement. Over time, I think, you find that to get things done and to make things better which is your goal as a police officer, you need to be involved politically. So, I was on the city council for a while. Billy was school board. In our core DNA, what we’re doing now is what we’re all about. We’ve run against each other. Two guys running for the same office because we’re committed to the same goals. Not everybody has the same way of doing things. But here’s the unique thing about us. We’re both older than most people out there in law enforcement and we have the benefit of looking back, with a little bit of wisdom to say we got to stop fighting over stuff and work together collaboratively. It’s not the case that we’re going to seek any higher office. We’re here because we want to make a difference here.
This is how we want to finish our careers and our lives. And we want to burn the candle as bright as we can until we walk out the door. Finney: That is so true. I got involved in law enforcement 50 years ago. In 1969, my senior year in college in Mankato, on a dare, after talking and giving a lot of blame to a police captain in Mankato about how he didn’t understand college kids and he said, “Well, do you think you can make it better?” And I said, “Well, yeah. I think I can do a job better than what you guys do.” And he said, “Why don’t you join us, then?” Well, that left me speechless for a minute. And I had my crowd fired up and saying, “Yeah, yeah. He’s going to join.” So, I joined the Mankato Police Reserve and I started with law enforcement, enjoyed it. After from graduating from Mankato (State University) with my bachelor’s I said I might as well go back to my hometown, St. Paul. I had a mentor on the St. Paul Police Department, a man who was very close to my family, James S. Griffin, who was a good friend of my uncle who was a firefighter. I was able to serve as St. Paul police chief for 12 years. I always say St. Paul’s a big small town. If you know 10 people that are in long term established families in St. Paul, you can pretty much get in touch with the whole city. It’s amazing that way
A renewed focus: you. 500
New customers can qualify for a $ bonus,* and get access to our team of personal bankers who are there to help you with your banking needs. In order to qualify, you must be a new Wells Fargo customer and: • Open a new, eligible consumer checking account with a minimum deposit of $25, and within 150 days set up and receive at least 3 consecutive monthly direct deposits of $500 or more a month, and • Open a new, eligible consumer savings account with a minimum deposit of $25, and within 10 days, deposit at least $25,000 in new money, and maintain a balance of at least $25,000 for 90 days • This limited-time offer expires March 22, 2019. Visit a participating* Wells Fargo branch and talk to a banker today! Your bonus will be deposited into your new consumer checking account within 45 days after eligibility and qualifications are met. Find a branch near you: wellsfargo.com/locator *Important things to know about this offer: Checking and Savings Bonus Eligibility: Only certain consumer checking accounts, including non-interest earning checking accounts, are eligible for this offer. Teen Checking,SM GreenhouseSM accounts, and the prepaid Wells Fargo EasyPay® Card are not eligible for this offer. All consumer savings accounts are eligible for this offer, excluding Time Accounts (CDs). This is an exclusive, non-transferable offer. A valid bonus offer code will be provided to each customer while meeting with a banker. You are not eligible for this offer if: you are a current owner of a Wells Fargo consumer checking account, you are a Wells Fargo team member, or you have received a bonus for opening a Wells Fargo consumer checking account or savings account within the past 12 months. Offer is only available to customers in the following states: MN, MT, ND, SD, WI. Bonus Qualifications: To receive a $500 bonus: 1. Open a new, eligible consumer checking account with a minimum opening deposit of $25 by March 22, 2019. All account applications are subject to approval. Within 150 days of account opening, receive a cumulative monthly total of $500 in qualifying direct deposits to the checking account opened for this bonus offer for three consecutive months. During this time, your new account balance must be $1 or more. A qualifying direct deposit is the customer’s salary, pension, Social Security, or other regular monthly income, electronically deposited through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network by your employer or an outside agency. Non-qualifying direct deposits for purposes of this offer include transfers from one account to another (for example, transfers between your own accounts, or person-to-person transfers using a transfer service such as Zelle®**), or deposits made at a branch or ATM, or through mobile deposit. AND 2. Open a new, eligible savings account with a minimum opening deposit of $25 by March 22, 2019. All account applications are subject to approval. Within 10 days of account opening, deposit at least $25,000 in new money into either the new checking or new savings account, and maintain a minimum combined balance of at least $25,000 total in your new checking and/or savings account(s) for 90 days. New money is defined as new deposits to the eligible accounts from sources outside of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., or its affiliates. Due to the new money requirement, accounts may only be opened at your local branch. Bonus Payment: We will deposit the bonus into your new checking account within 45 days after meeting all offer requirements. The new checking account must remain open in order to receive any earned bonus payments. You are responsible for any federal, state, or local taxes due on the bonus and we will report as income to the tax authorities if required by applicable law. Consult your tax advisor. Additional Important Information: Checking and savings accounts are subject to monthly service fees; please refer to the Consumer Account Fee and Information Schedule (available at www.wellsfargo.com/onlinebanking/consumer-account-fees) or speak to a banker for more details. The consumer savings accounts eligible for this offer are interest-bearing accounts with variable interest rates (which vary by account). For example, Wells Fargo Way2Save® Savings pays an Annual Percentage Yield (APY) of 0.01% on all balances and requires a minimum opening deposit of $25. The APY is accurate as of December 7, 2018 and may change at any time without notice. Fees may reduce earnings. Offer expires March 22, 2019. Offer subject to change and may be discontinued at any time without notice. Minimum new money deposit requirement of at least $25,000 is for this offer only and cannot be transferred to another account to qualify for any other consumer deposit offer. If you wish to take advantage of another consumer deposit offer requiring a minimum new money deposit, you will be required to do so with another new money deposit as stated in that offer’s requirements and qualifications. Those who take advantage of this bonus offer cannot also take advantage of any New Dollar promotional interest rate offer during the same promotional period. Offer cannot be: paid without a valid a U.S. Taxpayer Identification Number (W-9), combined with any other consumer deposit offer (limit one bonus per customer/account), reproduced, purchased, sold, transferred, or traded. **Zelle and the Zelle related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license. © 2019 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC.
because in city government, city jobs, I personally know people who worked there for many years whose families have worked there for generations. At police and fire, you may meet a great grandfather who worked for the water department, his son for the public works and that son work for the fire department and that’s just the guys who you can follow because their names don’t change. But the women, even if their names changed, once you ask them what their maiden name was, discover connections which really help you do your job because people know that you’re committed. Fletcher: I have a funny story about how I entered the police reserve because I had not intended to be a police officer. Today, young kids say they want to be cops from what they see on television. But I was at Hamline University, I was about to graduate with a degree in political science and government and finally going to law school. There was a Burger King at University and Pryor (Avenues). I think it’s a fish place now. I was there with my girlfriend, Deborah. I was standing in line, waiting for a Whopper. This is November of 1976. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was standing in line, waiting to get my Whopper and Deborah’s behind me and there’s a blue sign on the wall. It says, “Police officers wanted.” And this was during the time that
Judge Miles Lord had ordered recruitment in the inner city. I’m in Hamline. I’m not really the target audience but there’s the sign on the wall, “Police officers wanted. Apply here.” Deborah says, “Hey, Bob. You’d be a good police officer.” I said, “Right, Debbie.” She said, “No, you would be a good one. You should think about applying.” And she said, “I’ll drive you down there.” I didn’t have a car. So she drove me down to the civic center to take the test. Like I said, there were 1,891 people there. And low and behold, I did well on the test and by May, when I was graduating from Hamline, in May of 77, they offered me a job. I started November 1st and I fell in love with the job. So, this a chance to help people. Granted it was a different time. There wasn’t the guns and the crack and the cocaine and the meth. It was just a wonderful opportunity to help people. I have been a boy scout, so I had the concept to my mind of putting others first and it was so fulfilling. I got promoted to sergeant when Bill got promoted to lieutenant. I got promoted to lieutenant when Bill got promoted to captain. I was always one rank behind him, so I worked for him for many years. We need more police officers that didn’t plan on being police officers, that bring a different dimension of the community. So many of the young people who want to be officers now, get their image of police work from television. It’s a SWAT, militarization image and that’s not what police work really is. It’s that way, 2-3 percent of the time, but the rest of it, is just working with people and developing relationships. We need to change the culture. Finney: People that know us both know that Bob and I have been competitors. They will say, “Oh, they don’t like each other.” The truth is, we always respected each other. We were just competing, and I knew that if I ever needed anything in law enforcement and Bob was still there, I could certainly go to Bob and ask him, he would get done. And that’s the guy he was. And he knew that about me.
Page 10 • February 18 - February 24, 2019 • Insight News
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