Insight News ::: 03.02.15

Ashley Dubose Out with new album, ‘Be You’ MORE ON PAGE 10

Insight News March 2 - March 8, 2015

Vol. 42 No. 9 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

KG returns Minnesota Timberwolves, fans energized

Courtesy of U.S. State Dept.

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 nominated Katherine Simonds Dhanani as US ambassador to Somalia, the first in 24 years since the US embassy there closed in 1991 as civil war descended on Somalia.

Obama nominates Katherine Simonds Dhanani as first U.S. Ambassador to Somalia in 24 years

By Tom Gitaa, Mshale Newspaper, Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium President Barack Obama has nominated the first U.S. ambassador to Somalia in 24 years. She is Katherine Simonds Dhanani, a Foreign Service veteran who has previously served in five other African countries in various capacities.

Dhanani will be based in neighboring Kenya until the situation in Somalia stabilizes to allow the U.S. embassy to reopen.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, said in a statement to Mshale that the nomination was a sign of the “deepening relationship” between Somalia and the United States. “Somalia has considerable work ahead to complete its transition to a

Trayvon Martin

Feds close investigation into Trayvon Martin death

I

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer

t seemed just like old times.

The atmosphere inside the Target Center was electric like it was back some 10 years ago when Kevin Garnett led Minnesota Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals. And though the Timberwolves are far removed from those days with the team dwelling at the bottom of the West, it didn’t seem to matter to the sold-out crowd who came to see its favorite son return, power forward and future Hall of Famer, Kevin Garnett.

KG TURN TO 3

Keith Allison

Kevin Garnett playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2007

SOMALIA TURN TO 5

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced Tuesday, February 24, that the independent federal investigation found insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights charges against George Zimmerman for the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida. Prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, officials from the FBI, and the Justice Department’s Community Relations Service met today with Martin’s family and their representatives to inform them of the findings of the investigation and the decision.

“The death of Trayvon Martin was a devastating tragedy. It shook an entire community, drew the attention of millions across the nation, and sparked a painful but necessary dialogue throughout the country,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.

“Though a comprehensive investigation found that the high standard for a federal

MARTIN TURN TO 5

Leadership forum crafts united urban agenda

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer They came together for the greater good.

A one-day gathering of several hundred at the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs was convened by the African American Leadership Forum (AALF) and it brought together some who may have had diverging thoughts but common goals. These goals are to put into plan actions that will empower area AfricanAmericans – many of whom have been marginalized and are not seeing the same economic, educational and political gains

African American Leadership Forum executive director Jeffrey Hassan addressing the attendees of the recent Crafting a United Agenda conference. as their white neighbors.

At a time when Blacks in the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota are woefully

Insight 2 Health Healthy shopping at Mississippi Market

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lagging behind in areas of jobs, housing, education, health and political leadership, and are encountering the criminal

justice system at near epidemic proportions, Jeffrey Hassan, the executive director of AALF, said the issues facing Blacks

The Rev. Jerry McAfee gets applause for his call to come together despite differences within the African-American community. are at a critical level.

“It’s been critical for 400 years,” said Hassan, underscoring the persistent

struggle from slavery to current day for Blacks in America.

FORUM TURN TO 6

Maya Angelou

Education

Community

Forever Stamp honors poet Maya Angelou

Student Noah Branch named to Minneapolis Board of Education

Coalition creates unified Bloody Sunday march

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HEALTHY SHOPPING AT MISSISSIPPI MARKET ROUND 5, WEEK 5 I2H Blog

By Carmen Robles What started out as a New Year’s resolution has turned out to be a life changing, lifesaving event for me.

My blood pressure at the Kick Off of the Insight2Healh Fitness Challenge V (I2H) on Saturday, January 17th read 194/92. Five weeks later, almost to the hour, my blood pressure reading was 112/74.

I won’t lie. It’s been a very difficult five weeks. The training the sessions are grueling. I credit the motivation and inspiration of the other participants for my sticking to it. We’re in it together! There’s comfort in knowing I’m not alone.

The weather certainly hasn’t helped. But snow, ice, wind and below zero temperatures did not deter the F.I.T. Lab gurus from facilitating the structured sessions. Let me share one small example of a warm-up (3 rounds of each): 25 Jumping Jacks; 25 Mountain Climbers; 25 Plank Jacks; 25 Air Ropes. Here’s a snap shot example of the actual work out: 15 Burpees; 50 Crunches; 25 pushups and 50 Lunge Exchange (25 on each leg). Week five got me using weights.

On Saturday morning the last day of week five, after a full workout, more than ten participants took a field trip to the Mississippi Market on West 7th Street in St. Paul. The “Shopping on a Budget” tour was led by Krysta Tanico of Mississippi Market Coop and also I2H Nutritionist, Julie

McMahon, owner of Sound Nutrition.

We talked about: • choosing foods that are organic and local • which are more nutritious than foods that travel a great distance • and the purchase of which supports our local growers; • -selecting foods from a whole rainbow of colors, remember the ‘green’; • buying foods in bulk to avoid paying for packaging and branding.

• This is also good for the environment as less packaging will end up in the trash; • reading labels • just because it is at the co-op doesn’t mean it’s a health food!

The Mississippi Market has locations on West 7th Street and on Selby Avenue, both in St. Paul. They are great about making sure everyone is welcome and that food is affordable and well-sourced. You are invited to become a member and reap the many benefits of this health minded coop. In addition to food items, the Mississippi Market has a wide array of cleaning and personal products.

Bring your own bag for an added discount.

When I asked my team mates what was their motivating factor for participating in the I2H Fitness Challenge, Jaime Stampley and James Garret, Jr. shared their story, which I am sharing with you. As an FYI, Jaime just got back from taping an appearance on the TV game show «The Family Feud» and will dish all details in an upcoming article.

The fifth round of the Insight 2 Health Fitness Challenge finished up the fifth week with vigorous workouts, stimulating yoga core stretching, thought provoking assignments from

Krysta Tanico (far right) of Mississippi Market Co-op led participants through The “Shopping on a Budget” tour mental health coach, Dr. Darren Moore and nutritional recipes, a rap session and field trip to the Mississippi Market on West 7th Street in St. Paul.

It takes a village to bring change.

Next week I’ll be introducing you to the team of supporters behind the I2H Fitness Challenge team of innovators.

Be sure and follow my blog where I share my personal experiences as I take on the health fitness challenge.

Your comments are welcome. (http://insightnews.com/i2hc-blog)

Jaime Stampley “It is very hard to believe that we are already in week 6. J Very exciting too!

I know Tyrone and Jamie from mutual friends a long while back, but came to know of their new endeavor and the challenge from a group of

ladies on Face Book. They were doing a PHAB (Physically Health And Blessed) page and invited me to a workout with Tyrone. From there I got connected and learned about the challenge. I have seen the results from many of my friends who have gone through it before and was very excited to get involved myself. I had been struggling with weight loss, lack of energy, and thought the challenge could be the jump start I needed.

As for the “Family Feud.” I am the oldest of 5 children and I saw the “Feud” was having auditions in the Twin Cities. I took the opportunity to get my siblings together and tryout.

I thought it would be fun to play the game other than at home on the couch and hopefully we could win some money. It was a wonderful experience and we had fun doing it. We got a trip to Atlanta, got to meet Steve Harvey, and I got to be together with ALL my siblings, which never happens. Who could ask for a better trip”. – Jaime Stampley Director of Housing and Supportive Services, YWCA St Paul.

James Garrett, Jr. “I learned about the challenge through my ongoing involvement with the F.I.T. Lab (been participating in various training events since it opened and working out with Tyrone Minor for the past 10 years).

My goals are to continue supporting Tyrone/F.I.T. Lab and to stay active.

Unfortunately I’ve had a series of personal /family challenges and work conflicts that have limited my ability to participate in the 1st half of this challenge (I was able to do a lot more during the last one) but I hope to get myself back on track during the 2nd half”. – James Garrett, Jr., AIA managing partner | architect 4RM+ULA

Black women endure menopause longest

By Elaina Johnson Special to the NNPA from Howard University News Service

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Sarah Finney, 57, said she gets hot flashes throughout her body at least once an hour. She even wakes up in the night with so much perspiration that she looks

like she just left working out at a gym, she said.

“Hot flashes are very annoying,” said Finney, a married mother of two who declined to use her real name. “A surge of heat goes through my body, sometimes accompanied by nausea. As the energy builds, I begin to sweat from my hair, neck, chest and underarms.”

Finney, a vegetarian, said she hoped eating healthy and her intense daily routines as a marathon runner would alleviate the symptoms, but no luck.

Finney, who lives in Alexandria, Va., is experiencing the results of menopause, a natural decline in reproductive hormones that affects millions of woman annually when they reach their 40s or 50s.

For women going through menopause, just one day of hot flashes can be too much. Imagine 14 years. A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, a medical journal of the American Medical Association, found that women could experience hot flashes for up to 14 years, and that African-American women like Finney typically experience the symptoms longer.

Finney has been going through it for 10 years.

The 17-year study of 1,449 women across the U.S. found that while on average, the women endured the symptoms for about seven and a half years, Black and Hispanic

Alamy

women experience hot flashes for significantly longer than White or Asian women. The median was 10 years for African Americans, nearly nine years for Hispanics, six and a half years for White women, about five and a half years for Chinese and nearly five years for Japanese.

“This is the only study that has looked at a very diverse population, ”said Dr. Ranit Mishori, associate professor of Family Medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine.

“No one knows for sure why African-American women are

at risk for a longer duration of hot flashes. There could be a relationship between hormone levels, genetic differences, body mass index, the number of children you have or the age you began having children.”

Though the study’s results may not give the quick relief women hoped for, but it allows doctors and medical professional to give patients realistic expectations and find ways to help alleviate the hot flashes.

“This is not a fun thing for the doctor or the patient to realize,” Mishori said.

“However, there are ways to manage the symptoms including hormone replacement therapy.”

Hormone replacement therapy is medication containing female hormones to replace the ones the woman’s body no longer makes after menopause.

This method can be a good choice for certain women, depending on their health risk, Mishori said. Women who consume estrogen pills are alleviated from hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause, she said.

The down side is that hormone therapy has been linked to increased risk of breast cancer, stroke and heart disease for some women.

Lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, may help some women, health officials said, and there are also nonhormonal medication and supplements that can help.

These things may not shorten the duration of hot flashes, but it may lessen the affect and intensity of them.

If the symptoms are unbearable, health officials suggest you consult with your doctor.

Finney said she is resigned to the day-to-day struggle with the condition.

“Menopause is just something we have to deal with as women,” she said. “We all must continue to move forward.

This is a part of life.”

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Insight News • March 2 - March 8, 2015 • Page 3

BUSINESS Lion King actor gives back to cities across the country FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw You’re trying to raise money.

You know who could provide the funds. You set personal appointments, talk with people in person. You know you have a good project that will make an impact. And all you hear is “no.”

When do you give up? Russell Joel Brown heard no 75 times before he got to “yes.”

He could have given up earlier, but he didn’t. It’s just not who he is. A singer, dancer, and actor he didn’t give up when auditioning for Disney’s “The Lion King.” Russell auditioned

KG From 1 And while Garnett’s stat line in his first game back was pedestrian at best – just five points on 2 – 7 shooting, eight rebounds, two assists and one block in 19 minutes played – his impact on the team and the fan base cannot be overstated. In his first game back with the Wolves since being traded from the Brooklyn Nets, the team cruised to a 20-point, 9777 victory over the struggling but formidable Washington Wizards.

There’s no telling how long the “KG Effect” will last with the team’s play, but if first glance is any indication, the team could become relevant again as soon as next year – that is if Garnett commits to beyond this year, which he’s been reluctant to do thus far. But the change in the play of the team was more than evident with a hustle and intensity – especially on defense – that

10 times over ten years. The “yes” was elusive. He toured the United States, Europe, Mexico, and Japan with “Smokey Joe’s Cafe,” “The Scarlet Pimpernel” and “Ain’t Misbehavin.’” But each time he auditioned for “The Lion King” the producers couldn’t figure out how to cast him.

A member of the Brown family from Augusta GA, Russell is also committed to his parents and siblings. When it came time to care for his father and then his mother he took a break from touring and became a caretaker.

He also continued to perform, this time in local productions, fundraisers and cabarets. His unstoppable creativity expressed itself in “From Mozart to Motown” the one-man show he developed in 2002 in Augusta.

It’s one thing to create a show, it’s another thing to secure the resources required to produce it.

had the Target Center at its most electric since Garth Brooks was in town.

“It feels good to be back, it actually felt like my rookie year with all the energy in the building,” said Garnett during the postgame interview after the team’s best performance of the year. “I never knew that Minnesota had so much love for me and it was just over the top.”

And while in the team’s first game during the new KG era was all about Garnett (with the hype, multiple press conferences and even fireworks during Garnett’s introduction), it was another Kevin that shined in this past Wednesday’s contest against the Wizards. Guard Kevin Martin took over the contest, scoring 16 points in the second quarter and finishing with a game high 28.

Wolves coach Flip Saunders said Wednesday’s game is a prime example as to why the team traded for the 38-year-old veteran.

“We’re playing with more energy and more intensity and

Russell Joel Brown That’s where Brown’s vision and determined optimism made a

that’s why we got him (Garnett),” said Saunders.

Saunders said having the “Big Ticket” – as Garnett is called – back has electrified the city.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever been in an NBA regular season game with that much energy and it’s all because of one guy,” said Saunders.

Beyond the results of one or a few games, the team is hoping that Garnett’s return will bring the struggling franchise back to prominence on the NBA landscape. While filled with young talent, what’s been missing is that veteran leadership that transforms talent into victories. Saunders said Garnett’s on-the-court leadership is just what his young team needs.

“He’s (Garnett) the best competitor I’ve ever been around.

He makes his teammates play better and that’s why we brought him here,” said Saunders. “There’s no question that when KG looks at a young guy like (Andrew) Wiggins he sees himself when he first started.”

difference. After getting his 75th “no” he didn’t give up. Number

76 was Peter Knox, IV, the owner of D Timms Jazz Cafe. Knox said yes, but not as an investor or underwriter. He wanted his cafe to be the sponsor. And so D. Timm’s and Comcast proudly present From Mozart to Motown – An Evening with Russell Joel Brown sold out the Imperial Theatre in Augusta, bringing an integrated audience to Brown’s one-man revue.

Brown is committed to the arts and to ensuring young people can grow their talents. When on the road he takes the time to bring his Project Inspire program to schools and arts organizations. He shares videos from the Lion King, tells his story, and encourages children and youth to focus on their talents.

He offers guidance in the business side of life as an actor, talking with them about preparation, reputation and how to negotiate.

Brown is a Morehouse man,

It was all smiles for Kevin Garnett (right) as he returned to Minnesota to once again don his familiar number 21 jersey, here showing it off with Wolves coach, Flip Saunders. The team won 97-77 in Garnett’s first game back with Minnesota playing against the Washington Wizards.

“I’ll be honest, (the talent of the young team) is one of the reasons

I wanted to come back here,” said Garnett. “This is probably the

and while in college was a member of the Morehouse College Glee Club and Morehouse Quartet.

Before that he began his dance training as a young child at the Augusta Ballet School, following in the footsteps of his sister Karen Brown who went on to become the principal ballerina for Dance Theatre of Harlem from 1973 – 1995. His life is committed to theatre and the next generation.

You can reach Brown at THREATS3@aol.com .

Copyright 2015– Mel and Pearl Shaw Mel and Pearl Shaw position nonprofits, colleges and universities for fundraising success. For help with your fundraising visit www. saadandshaw.com or call (901) 522-8727.

most talent on the team since the franchise was assembled.”

Garnett has stated that he has hopes of ownership of the Wolves once his playing days are done and said he always wanted to end his career with the team that drafted him out of high school back in 1995. Still with deep ties to the area, Garnett said he never sold his Minnesota home and spent each offseason following his 2007 trade to Boston here in the West Minneapolis suburbs.

The Monday night (March 2) home game against the Los Angeles Clippers will be another game of significance for Garnett as the power forward will face off against the team coached by the man he won a championship playing for while in Boston, Doc. Rivers. It had been rumored that Garnett wanted to play for Rivers in Los Angeles, but Garnett said that was never the case.

“The only place I was going to waive my no trade clause for was to be here in Minnesota,” said Garnett.

Did you know…

African Americans make up 5.7% of Minnesota’s population, and yet the community represents 13% of the organ transplant waiting list and 16% of the kidney waiting list.

You belong.

The health plan with you in mind.

There is a great need for more African Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors. #TalkDonation promotes donation in the Twin Cities community through conversation, art and events. #TalkDonation presents:

The Best of Us event series

Stories From Our Community Sunday, March 22, 2015 | Noon–7pm LOCATION: Public Functionary 1400 12th Avenue Northeast, Minneapolis Join us for a conversation about donation and how we all can save lives. The #TalkDonation team will be in Northeast Minneapolis to capture stories, answer questions, and feature the work of local artists, interactive art stations, The Gift of Spirit Painting Workshop with Ron Brown, storytelling, children’s activities, music and food.

This family-friendly event is free and open to the public. For more information, please visit talkdonation.org or call 612.800.6100.

Donation begins with a conversation #TalkDonation: The #TalkDonation campaign is funded by the generosity of everyday people who participated in the Department of Public Safety’s “You and $2” program which allows Minnesotans to contribute $2 toward organ, eye and tissue donation education on their driver’s license or state ID card application. The #TalkDonation campaign team is a collaboration of LifeSource, Minnesota Lions Eye Bank, American Donor Services and bfreshproductions.

At Medica, you’re not just part of a health plan.

You’re part of a community that believes in better health for all.

Learn more at medica.com

Page 4 • March 2 - March 8, 2015 • Insight News

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York College ISLGP

Maya Angelou

Forever Stamp honors poet Maya Angelou WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service will honor Maya Angelou — the beloved author, poet, actress and champion of equality — with a Forever Stamp.

“Maya Angelou inspired our nation through a life of advocacy and through her many contributions to the written and spoken word,” said Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan. “Her wide-ranging achievements as a playwright, poet, memoirist, educator, and advocate for justice and equality enhanced our culture.”

The Postal Service will preview the stamp and provide details on the date and location of the first-day-of-issuance ceremony at a later date.

Angelou secured her legacy as one of the most revered voices of our time as an agent for social change. National and world leaders sought out the wisdom of Angelou, who offered her succinct and unfettered words.

Words were at the core of Angelou, which is remarkable because for several years following traumatic rape,

Angelou either refused or was unable to speak. But when the poet and author did gain her voice it was clear she was a gifted and prophetic wordsmith.

Her autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” written in 1969 is considered one of the great literary works of modern times. Her poem, “Phenomenal Woman” has become the anthem of liberation for women of all ethnicities worldwide. Her works such as “And Still I Rise” continue to offer hope, inspiration and motivation to scores upon

scores of individuals.

In 1993, Angelou recited her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at President Bill Clinton’s first inauguration, making her the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost at President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961.

Angelou is the 39th AfricanAmerican to be honored with a stamp by the U.S. Postal Service. Harriett Tubman was the first to be honored. Her stamp was first issued in 1978.

USPS dedicate Black Heritage Stamp for architect Robert Robinson Taylor Believed to have been both the first African-American graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the country’s first academically trained Black architect, Robert Robinson Taylor (1868–1942) becomes the 38th inductee into the Postal Service’s Black Heritage stamp series.

For more than three decades Taylor supervised the design and construction of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama while also overseeing the school’s programs in industrial education and the building trades. The Feb. 12 dedication ceremony at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C. coincided with the opening

of the museum’s new exhibit, “Freedom Just around the Corner: Black America from Civil War to Civil Rights.” This also was Megan Brennan’s first stamp dedication ceremony in her role as Postmaster General.

Those on hand for the dedication included Brennan, Taylor’s great granddaughter and senior advisor to the President of the United States, Valerie Jarrett, MIT president, Dr. Rafael Reif, Tuskegee University president, Dr. Brian Johnson, noted author, professor and historian and Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee member, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Smithsonian National Postal Museum director, Allen Kane.

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Insight News • March 2 - March 8, 2015 • Page 5

St. Paul honors historic Selma march A march to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic and bloody Selma marches of 1965, catalytic events that led to the passage of the U.S. Voting Rights Act will be held Sunday, March 8, 2 p.m. at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul. This march is open to the public.

Cheryl Chatman, Executive Vice President and Dean of Diversity at Concordia University-St. Paul, one of the organizers, said that many local religious, academic, and civil rights institutions have come

together to plan the march. “We feel it is critically important to remember this major turning point in the U.S. Civil Rights struggle—and to underscore the Civil Rights work that still needs to be done,” she said.

People interested in joining the march are asked to arrive at the Minnesota State Capitol at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 8, for a brief introductory program. The half-mile route will cross the Cedar Street Bridge over I-94, recalling the Selma marchers who crossed the Edmund Pettus

Bridge en route to protest laws and practices that denied Black people the right to vote. The St. Paul march will end at Central Presbyterian, 500 Cedar Street, followed by a program at the church beginning approximately 3 p.m. Information on the event also is available at Crossing Bridges MN website: http:// crossingbridgesmn.com/ As recounted in the recent film “Selma,” there were three Selma Marches in the spring of 1965.

The first one, March 7 (Bloody Sunday) ended when local law

enforcement brutally attacked 600 nonviolent marchers after they crossed the Pettus Bridge.

The second march happened two days later. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. invited faith leaders from across the country to join.

While this march reached several thousand participants, King turned the marchers back at the bridge rather than risk another attack. The third march, the Selma-to-Montgomery March, started on March 21, bolstered by a federal court ruling affirming the marchers’ right to protest.

On March 24, 25,000 people entered Alabama’s Capitol city in support of African American voting rights.

This event is but one of many marches planned across the country, including those in Selma, one of which will be attended by a large group from the Twin Cities at the same time as the St. Paul event. These many efforts acknowledge the fact that we are stronger together in bringing justice to this broken and hurting world. The St. Paul march will be a moment to pause

and celebrate the work of Martin Luther King Jr. and countless others who have fought for desegregation, voting rights, and civil liberties. It is also a moment to pause and reflect on all the work that still needs to be done.

Now is the time for us to inspire each other to new levels of action and solidarity for justice, specifically related to addressing racial disparities in everything from incarceration rates and voting rights, to education, employment, and economic wellbeing.

Somalia

Two years ago, the U.S. recognized the new U.N.-backed Somali government which continues to battle al-Qaeda linked al-Shabab.

Other African countries that she has served in: Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe from 2007 to 2010 as well as at the U.S.

Embassy in Libreville, Gabon from 2005 to 2007. Additionally, she was the Political and Economic Section Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Lusaka, Zambia from 2002 to 2005 and Economic Section Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1999 to 2002.

Dhanani also served as Staff Assistant in the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs at the Department of State, as Consular Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.

Dhanani received a B.A. from Kenyon College and an M.A. from the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology.

The U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu closed in 1991 when Somalia’s government collapsed as civil war ensued.

“As security conditions permit, we look forward to increasing our diplomatic presence in Somalia and eventually reopening the U.S.

Embassy in Mogadishu,” Psaki said.

Dhanani’s nomination requires senate confirmation. She is currently the Director of the Office of Regional and Security Affairs in the Bureau of African Affairs in the Department of State, a position she has held since 2013.

Federal investigators reviewed all of the material and evidence generated by the state of Florida in connection with its investigation and prosecution of Zimmerman, including witness statements, crime scene evidence, cell phone data, ballistics reports, reconstruction analysis, medical and autopsy reports, depositions, and the trial record. Federal investigators also independently conducted 75 witness interviews and obtained and reviewed the contents of relevant electronic devices.

The investigation included an examination of police reports and additional evidence that was generated related to encounters Zimmerman has had with law enforcement in Florida since the state trial acquittal. In addition, federal authorities retained an independent biomechanical expert who

assessed Zimmerman’s descriptions of the struggle and the shooting.

The federal investigation sought to determine whether the evidence of the events that led to Martin’s death were sufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman’s actions violated the federal criminal civil rights statutes, specifically Section 3631 of Title 42 of the U.S. Code or Section 249 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code, as well as other relevant federal criminal statutes.

Section 3631 criminalizes willfully using force or threat of force to interfere with a person’s federally protected housing rights on account of that person’s race or color. Section 249 criminalizes willfully causing bodily injury to a person because of that person’s actual or perceived race.

Courts define “willfully” to require proof that a defendant knew his acts were unlawful, and committed those acts in open defiance of the law. It is one of the highest standards of intent imposed by law.

The federal investigation examined whether Zimmerman violated civil rights statutes at any point during his interaction with Martin, from their initial encounter through the fatal shooting.

This included investigating whether there is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman violated Section 3631 by approaching Martin in a threatening manner before the fatal shooting because of Martin’s race and because he was using the residential neighborhood.

Investigators also looked at whether there is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman violated Section 3631 or Section 249, by using force against Martin either during their struggle or when shooting Martin, because of Martin’s race.

“Although the department has determined that this matter cannot be prosecuted federally, it is important to remember that this incident resulted in the tragic loss of a teenager’s life,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division. “Our decision not to pursue federal charges does not condone the shooting that resulted in the death of Trayvon Martin and is based solely on the high legal standard applicable to these cases.”

After a thorough and independent investigation into the facts surrounding the shooting, federal investigators determined that there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt a violation of these statutes.

Accordingly, the investigation into this incident has been closed. This decision is limited strictly to the department’s inability to meet the high legal standard required to prosecute the case under the federal civil rights statutes; it does not reflect an assessment of any other aspect of the shooting.

The Justice Department is committed to investigations of allegations of bias-motivated violence and will continue to devote the resources required to ensure that allegations of civil rights violations are fully and completely investigated.

The department aggressively prosecutes criminal civil rights violations whenever there is sufficient evidence to do so.

From 1 peaceful, democratic, and prosperous nation. The United States is committed to supporting Somalia on this journey as a steadfast partner,” she added.

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

Insight News is published weekly, every Monday by McFarlane Media Interests.

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Assistant to the Publisher Shumira Cunningham Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford

Martin From 1 hate crime prosecution cannot be met under the circumstances here, this young man’s premature death necessitates that we continue the dialogue and be unafraid of confronting the issues and tensions his passing brought to the surface. We, as a nation, must take concrete steps to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.”

Following the shooting, a team of some of the department’s most experienced civil rights prosecutors and FBI agents conducted a comprehensive, independent investigation of the events of Feb. 26, 2012. The federal investigation was opened and conducted separately

“Although the department has determined that this matter cannot be prosecuted federally, it is important to remember that this incident resulted in the tragic loss of a teenager’s life” - Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta from the state of Florida’s investigation of the shooting under local laws. Once the state initiated the seconddegree murder prosecution, federal investigators began monitoring the state’s case and halted active investigation in order not to interfere with

the state’s trial.

Federal investigators provided reports of interviews and other evidence they obtained to the state’s prosecution team.

Shortly after Zimmerman’s acquittal in state court on July 13, 2013, federal investigators resumed active investigation.

Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Culture and Education Editor Irma McClaurin Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Ben Williams Production Intern Sunny Thongthi Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley

Get your remodel rolling today.

Contributing Writers Harry Colbert, Jr. Julie Desmond Fred Easter Timothy Houston Penny Jones-Richardson Alaina L. Lewis Darren Moore Carmen Robles Lydia Schwartz Ryan T. Scott Toki Wright Photography David Bradley Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55411.

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Page 6 • March 2 - March 8, 2015 • Insight News

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EDUCATION Student Noah Branch named to Minneapolis Board of Education The Minneapolis Board of Education welcome Noah Branch to the school board as its first student representative.

Branch is a sophomore at Patrick Henry High School and a proud north Minneapolis resident. He is actively involved in City Wide Student Government and The Movement, Patrick Henry’s student council. Branch credits The Movement with helping him develop a more critical and conscious lens on the world around him and a passion to address issues and challenge injustices.

Branch will serve as a nonvoting member of the school board, providing student

Noah Branch

views and suggestions for the development of educational policies and programs. He will attend monthly school board meetings with the primary goal of giving input on issues that affect all students and working together with the school board to improve the quality of Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS).

“We are very excited to welcome Noah to the board,” said Jenny Arneson, chair of the Board of Education. “I am confident that he will bring diverse student perspectives to our conversations so we can better serve our youngest constituency.”

A committee that included

students, MPS leaders and board members selected Branch after a month long application process that was open to sophomores and juniors involved in the MPS City Wide Student Government program.

Students were evaluated based on their leadership skills, ability to set and follow through on goals, public speaking ability, dedication to public education and other relevant experience.

The student’s term ends on Dec. 31, 2015, at which point he will be presented with a $5,000 college scholarship.

“Serving on the Minneapolis Board of Education offers my school, student council and me an opportunity to engage with

other stakeholders to identify issues and find solutions,” said Branch. “I hope to make the best of it by addressing issues of gender, race and socioeconomic inequities within Minneapolis Public Schools.”

The Minneapolis Board of Education is a policymaking body responsible for selecting the superintendent and overseeing the school district’s budget, curriculum, personnel and facilities. The school board is granted authority to carry out these duties by the state of Minnesota and the Minnesota legislature.

Robbinsdale Area Schools unveils bus tracking application Robbinsdale Area Schools recently rolled out MyStop, a web-based application that allows parents and students to access live bus GPS information.

Using a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer, parents and students can view the current location of their bus on its route, along with an estimated time of arrival at their neighborhood bus stop. MyStop displays the school

bus’s approximate location on a map, as well as the estimated time of arrival (ETA) to a specific student’s bus stop. The school bus’s location is automatically updated twice a minute, and the ETA is recalculated to accommodate any delays due to traffic while the bus is en route.

“By pairing existing GPS location software and routing software with new industry

standard notification systems, MyStop allows all Robbinsdale school district parents to have a clearer picture of where their student’s bus is and if it is running on time,” said Jerrold Anderson, the transportation manager at K12 Transportation Management Services for the Center for Efficient School Operations (CESO). “Over the past two years, the district’s

Transportation Department has been exploring technology innovations to provide district families with the ability to better track their student’s bus location in times of inclement weather, bus breakdowns and other route contingencies. In those circumstances, MyStop will give parents a clearer indication of their student’s bus arrival time.”

Parents have a username

and password associated with their student or students’ routing information. When they log in, their student’s name will be displayed in the box in the top menu bar. The yellow arrow represents the bus’s current location and direction. The orange icon represents the student’s stop.

The box at the bottom of the map provides system messages and lists the current location of

a student’s bus, as well as the estimated time the bus will arrive at the student’s bus stop. MyStop is not available to private schools and Fair School, and does not work for after-school activity routes since there are no students assigned to them and no set stops.

More information, along with a step-by-step user guide, is available at rdale.org.

Forum

well.

“There are also some folks who went to (college) and moved on and somehow you forgot how you got there,” said McAfee.

Following the plenary session of the Feb. 21 forum, more targeted conversations were had in various breakout sessions on the topics of economic empowerment, health, criminal justice and education. During a presentation and discussion of economic advancement Kevin Lindsey, Minnesota Department of Human Rights

commissioner, explained why it is imperative to have people of color in authoritative roles within business and government. He used the current construction of the new Vikings stadium as a prime example of positive change that is taking place just by having those committed to diversity and equality in positions of authority.

“As it initially stood, the mandate for minority participation was 11 percent people of color. I changed that to 32 percent,” said Lindsey.

“I didn’t ask anybody … I did

it because I have that power within my job. Not everything requires a vote; and that change is better for all of Minnesota.”

Lindsey said the more Minnesotans who are benefiting from employment the better it is financially for the state and businesses within the state.

Hassan said the event was the first of many events AALF is coordinating to move forward with a united urban agenda and pointed to upcoming leadership training sessions for emerging leaders within various sectors of the community.

From 1 “But at this time – at this moment – we have everything we need to move forward. So as Kim (Nelson, a speaker at the forum) said, if we don’t get things done now, it’s on us.”

In addition to Nelson, a senior vice president at General Mills, forum attendees heard from Congressman Keith Ellison; Minnesota’s only Black state legislators, State Sens. Bobby Joe Champion and Jeff Hayden and State Rep. Rena Moran; Harvest Network founder and CEO, Eric Mahmoud; the Rev. Jerry McAfee and a host of others.

McAfee did not mince words when talking about the need to work together to push the AALF agenda forward, calling for an end to the many divisions within Black communities.

“There are some folks who didn’t go to college and have the nerve to be upset with the people who went and got an education,” said a spirited McAfee. “Now our grandmothers and grandfathers who couldn’t read or write fought for us to be able to get an education and you’re mad that people went out and did that.

What sense does that make?”

McAfee was equally critical of some of the educated middle class African-Americans as

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Minneapolis/St. Paul Alumnae Chapter presents its

19th Annual Literary Luncheon Iyanla Vanzant Photo credit: Harpo Inc./Chuck Hodes

Inspirational Speaker Author of 16 books 5 New York Times Best-Sellers Executive Producer and Host of the critically acclaimed reality series Iyanla: Fix My Life

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Iyanla Vanzant Saturday, April 11, 2015 11:30 a.m.

Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront Hotel 11 Kellogg Boulevard East St. Paul, MN 55101 Admission $75 For ticket purchase information, please visit www.dstmsp.org Event inquiries may be directed to: mspliteraryluncheon@gmail.com Tickets are non-refundable

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Insight News • March 2 - March 8, 2015 • Page 7

LIFESTYLE 7th Annual Women UNITE to Win: Women’s Appreciation Banquet Man Talk

By Timothy Houston On March 14, 2015, the National Empowerment Group, Inc., a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization & J. MOST are hosting the 7th Annual Women Unite to Win - Women’s Appreciation Banquet at the luxurious Radisson Blu Mall of America Hotel. Each year they select an important cause involving women in the community that have motivated, educated and empowered others.

This year they are honoring some of Minnesota’s prominent musical legends.

These phenomenal women, who have paved the way for many musicians have agreed to collaborate with the National Empowerment Group, Inc. and use this event as a platform to bring HIV/AIDS awareness to the community. I am honored to share information about this grand event.

This year the honorees are: • Mary Jane Alm is an eight (8)-time Minnesota Music Award winner and is one

Clockwise (from topleft) Mary Jane Alm, Ginger Commodore, Debbie Duncan , Cynthia Johnson, Barbara LeShoure, Gwen Matthews, Patty Peterson

of only seven (7) women in Minnesota music history to have been inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame. • Ginger Commodore is a featured soloist in the Minnesota Orchestra Pops series at Orchestra Hall with Doc Severenson. • Debbie Duncan may be considered the upper Midwest’s “best keptmusical secret.â€? Debbie has

received various awards such as the Best Female Jazz, Best Jazz Vocalist and several others. • Cynthia Johnson - is an International singer, songwriter and musician, whose international career took off with the worldwide smash-hit Funkytown. Her unmistakable vocal talent has brought her widespread recognition across the globe. • Barbara LeShoure

established herself among the top Blues singers in Chicago before relocating to the Twin Cities; and received the Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame Legend award in 2013. • Gwen Matthews is a broadly talented vocalist who has performed with famous artists as Kenny Rogers, Philip Bailey, and Jennifer Holiday. • Patty Peterson hails from Minnesota’s First Family of

Music, The Petersons. Patty has released four (4) solo recordings and has received the coveted Minnesota Music Award seven (7) times for best vocalist. • Honorary Chairs: Doris Hines and Kathleen Johnson • Testimonial Speakers: Kevin Jackson and Kecia S. Johnson • Alumni Honoree: Yvonne Townsend-Gaskins

Over the years, National Empowerment Group, Inc. has honored more than 60 women and approximately 3,000 people have attended their educational events. This year, they will bring HIV/AIDS awareness and resources to the Minnesota area and donate a portion of the proceeds to the Aliveness Project, a local HIV/AIDS organization. Dr. Wendy Johnson, founder of the National Empowerment Group and the Women’s Appreciation Banquet, has marked this year’s event as very special because her 30-year-old daughter is HIV positive. As a parent, this issue really hit home for Dr. Wendy because she thoroughly understand the importance of educating the community about this disease. Your support and participation is needed to make this event a success.

Sponsorship and vendor table opportunities are available - For more information call 612237-5118 or Go to their website for more information: www. nationalempowermentgroup.org Timothy Houston is an author, minister, and motivational speaker who is committed to guiding positive life changes in families and communities.

For questions, comments or more information, go to www. tlhouston.com.

The four reasons you are stuck in your past it will continue to determine your destiny. Or will you face the reality of it and be triumphant over your adversities?

Motivational Moments

By Penny JonesRichardson Lately, I’ve been dealing with some individuals who are constantly talking about the things that happened to them in their past.

I am comfortable with this because this happens to be something that I write about occasionally. I share with my readers the importance of letting go of their past and how to move on from past experiences that may be preventing them from achieving their goals. But truthfully, there are so many individuals who are not able to

Believe in yourself and know that you can achieve anything you set your mind to!

move on very easily. So after much thought and insight into this, I discovered some of the reasons why so many are drawn to events that have already happened to them and why they reminisce on the past and why their past has such a hold

Live at Orchestra Hall

Chris Botti with the Minnesota Orchestra Sat Mar 14 8pm Sarah Hicks, conductor / Chris Botti, trumpet GrammyŽ $ZDUG ZLQQLQJ WUXPSHWHU &KULV %RWWL PRYHV HŲRUWOHVVO\ IURP MD]] WR SRS DQG³WR SXW LW VLPSO\³WKLV FDW FDQ play. He may VSHQG PRUH WKDQ GD\V RQ WKH URDG HYHU\ \HDU EXW WKLV VLQJXODU SHUIRUPDQFH ZLWK WKH 0LQQHVRWD 2UFKHVWUD LV D FDQ¡W PLVV

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on them. Whether they’re thinking about the good times or bad times, there is something that draws them in.

Here are some of the reasons I believe that so many people won’t let go of their past and why achieving their goals have been so hard for them.

Afraid of the unknown Lots of people live in the past because they seem to be afraid of facing an unforeseen future. They set goals, but often think about what went wrong in the past when they set out to accomplish those same goals before. They are afraid to step out there because they are not sure of themselves and all the while they are being haunted by past experiences and setbacks.

The past seems to be easier for some people to move on from and very hard for others. I have found that if you concentrate on the negative events of your past, you will never know how wonderful and complete your life could be once you move on.

Not wanting to face reality A lot of people think of the things that happened in their past and it can prevent them from doing what they need to do to have a productive future. Truth is, not everyone had a great past. Some people had things happen to them that may have determined the individual that they became. But the reality is, whatever happened to you in your past, in order to move on you must face it and decide if

You believe what was said about you Being stuck in the past sometimes has nothing to do with you, but is related to what was said about you in your past. If you were constantly told hurtful things by people who were supposed to lift you up and make you feel special, it’s possible that those words ring in your head and may prevent you from working on your goals.

Believing that you will never amount to anything because of what you were told in your past could make you not have faith in yourself and your ability to achieve those goals you’ve set for yourself.

Don’t believe what someone else said about you in your past, but believe in yourself and know that you can achieve anything you set your mind to!

cheering you on and giving you the space you need to complete your goals and achieve your greatness.

And as always, stay focused, stay determined, and keep striving for greatness.

Penny Jones-Richardson is a published author and life coach.

She can be reached via her website at www.thequeensproject. com or email at penny@ thequeensproject.com.

You don’t want to be alone You probably have someone in your life who knows everything about you. They’re probably someone you’ve known for years and most likely have shared lots of time with. Sometimes when we decide to set goals for our future they may include time and a lot of hard work. This could take up the time that was usually spent with friends. Often individuals find themselves stuck in their past because they don’t want to lose the friends that they have spent so much time with. Working hard on your goals may take time and require determination. Therefore you may find yourself spending that time by yourself. Don’t worry about being alone or not having time for your friends. Real friends will understand and be the ones

2014 // 15 SEASON Northrop Presents

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COMPAGNIE KĂ„FIG Tue, Mar 10, 7:30 pm Correria Agwa

An energetic combination of hip-hop, capoeira, samba, acrobatics, and bossa nova inspired by the favelas of Rio de Janiero.

CCN de CrĂŠteil et du Val-de-Marne/Compagnie KĂ¤ďŹ g in Correria Agwa. Photo Š Michel Cavalca.

Page 8 • March 2 - March 8, 2015 • Insight News

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COMMENTARY Twin evils: Terrorism and racism Opinion

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., Interim President, NNPA There are two related violent phenomena in that are now getting renewed public attention and research around the world, as well as considerable debate and denial.

The twin evils are terrorism and racism.

President Barack Obama’s recent White House Summit on “Countering Violent Extremism” reminded many of us in Black America that violent acts of “extremism” have not been isolated just to the Middle East or to the perversion of one religion.

At the conclusion of the White House meeting on extremism, President Obama affirmed the national resolve and resilience of the United States in surmounting and overcoming terrific challenges in the past.

The president said, “For more than 238 years, the United States of America has not just endured, but we have thrived and surmounted challenges that might have broken a lesser nation. After

a terrible civil war, we repaired our union. We weathered a Great Depression, became the world’s most dynamic economy.”

It is undeniable that the United States has made progress for more than two centuries toward a “more perfect union” with promises of liberty, equality and justice for all. But for millions of Black Americans, however, the contradictions of racial inequality, racially motivation violence, disproportionate mass incarceration, and numerous other forms of institutionalized racism and extremism are all still realities that we face daily. That, too, is undeniable.

After the White House summit, a larger gathering of international governmental leaders, civil society groups, diplomats, religious leaders and others convened at the State Department. Again, President Obama reiterated his call to action for a more coordinated global effort to courter violent extremism.

He stated, “We come together from more than 60 countries from every continent. We speak different languages, born of different races and ethnic groups, belong to different religions. We are here today because we are united against the scourge of violent extremism and terrorism.”

It was a welcomed display of

Black America has had to challenge and endure centuries of violent acts of extremism in the forms of domestic terrorism and racism.

a growing, diverse international coalition of governments and organizations emerging to make public their collective intention to work together to confront violent extremism wherever it exists.

Given the changing demographics fueled by the “browning of America,” the extremist violence attacking Black Americans and other people of color should be on a decline. On the contrary, there appears to be a national resurgence of racial violence against people of color inside.

Black America has had to challenge and endure centuries of violent acts of extremism in the forms of domestic terrorism and racism. The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) even to this day claims

to be a Christian organization.

But no one refers to the KKK as Christian extremists or terrorists.

Within a week, there will be the 50th anniversary recognition of “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Ala., where violent law enforcement “extremists” attacked unarmed civil rights marchers who were nonviolently demanding voting rights for Black Americans in 1965.

It is ironic that a new study concerning the systematic lynching of Black Americans was recently released. The study, produced by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), was titled, “Lynching in America: Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror.” The findings of the EJI

report documented that there were at least 3,959 lynchings of Black Americans in 12 Southern states between the Reconstruction Era and World War II: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Florida, and Texas.

And those were just the documented cases. There were many others that were never documented or reported in the news media because during that period, racist lynchings were the socially accepted norm and not the exception in the South.

That type of extremist terrorism against Black America was commonplace. Yet, there were no international commissions or conferences by major powers to end the practice.

Lynching was the impetus for the creation of the NAACP. As it states on its Website, “The NAACP was formed partly in response to the continuing horrific practice of lynching and the 1908 race riot in Springfield, the capital of Illinois and resting place of President Abraham Lincoln.”

Among the founders were W. E. B. Du Bois, Ida B. WellsBarnett and Mary Church Terrell along with a group of White liberals, including Mary White Ovington and Oswald Garrison Villard. The founding of the NAACP was predated by the

DuBois-led Niagara Movement of 1905.

The “Lynching in America” report concluded that “lynching of African Americans was terrorism, a widely supported phenomenon used to enforce racial subordination and segregation.

Lynchings were violent and public events that traumatized black people throughout the country and were largely tolerated by state and federal officials.”

Today, the lynching and terrorizing of Black America is also done via the rope of the socalled criminal justice system.

Prosecutorial misconduct in the cases of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. and Eric Garner in New York are contemporary manifestations of lynching.

Racially-motivated lethal violence by police officers is another form of extremist terror and violence against Black America that must be stopped – now!

Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and can be reached for national advertisement sales and partnership proposals at: dr.bchavis@nnpa.org; and for lectures and other professional consultations at: http:// drbenjaminfchavisjr.wix.com/ drbfc

Let’s protect all kids from toxic chemicals—not just some!

By Kathleen Schuler, Dr. Rose Brewer and Senator Bobby Joe Champion The lack of effective policies to regulate the use of chemicals in everyday consumer products impacts everyone’s health.

The Toxic Substances Control Act, the law that regulates industrial chemicals in the U.S., fails to control the flood of toxic chemicals into consumer products, resulting in thousands of little regulated, potentially toxic chemicals ending up in everyday consumer products from hand soap and cleaners to children’s nap mats and clothing. These include hormone-disrupting chemicals such as phthalates, bisphenol A, flame-retardants and more. Widespread exposure to toxic chemicals contributes to rising rates of reproductive problems, developmental disabilities and cancer.

While everyone is exposed to toxic chemicals, communities of color and low-income communities experience unequal exposures. Historical environmental injustices have placed more industrial sites, incinerators, superfund sites and other pollution sources in these communities, with accompanying increased exposure to air, water and soil contamination.

So routine exposure to the thousands of chemicals in consumer products is on top of already high

Kathleen Schuler

Rose Brewer

Bobby Joe Champion

environmental exposures and underlying health and economic disparities.

Other factors also contribute to disproportionate environmental impacts for low income and communities of color. In North Minneapolis, over 75% of the homes were built before 1978, putting local children at higher risk for lead poisoning. Medicaid enrollment data indicates that low-income children are threetimes more likely to have elevated blood-lead levels than children from higher income families. Low income families are more likely to live in rental housing, which can be poorly maintained, subjecting families to mold, poor indoor air quality, and insect and rodent infestations.

Pesticides are routinely applied to subsidized housing with or without the consent of residents. In addition, one study found that higher body burden dichlorophenols – probable carcinogens used in pesticides, room deodorizers and a variety of other household products - was correlated with lower income in both Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic blacks. Adjusting for race/ethnicity, those living in a multi-family housing, which is correlated with lower income levels, were one and half times more likely to have the highest levels of these chemicals in their bodies.

Low income and communities of color also have higher exposures to toxins in food. For

example, low-income groups had higher levels of urinary bisphenol A (BPA) than higher income groups, likely due to consumption of canned food. Exposure to BPA, a chemical used on food can linings, is linked to higher risk for problems with development and learning. Food dyes frequently used in processed food are associated with hyperactivity and behavioral disorders. Children of color and low-income children are at higher risk because of the availability of fast food restaurants in their communities and reduced access to healthy whole foods without added dyes.

African American and immigrant populations face unique product exposures. For example, African-American and

African-Caribbean women are more likely to use hair products with hormonally active chemical ingredients compared with white women, which may place them at higher risk for premenopausal breast cancer. Many Somali women use skin-lightening creams, which can contain high amounts of mercury, a brain toxin that can adversely impact the health of fetuses and young children.

Low-income families also encounter barriers in accessing healthier products, including the time or access to information necessary to research safer products. Products free of toxic chemicals are often more expensive and the stores selling them are not located in their neighborhoods.

Low-income families might not be able to afford to replace older furniture and electronic products that contain toxic flame-retardants.

They also might have increased exposure to phthalates, lead and other chemicals regulated in new products, through purchasing secondhand toys and baby products or cheap products sold at “dollar stores.”

In the absence of federal action to better regulate chemicals, Minnesota has taken action to protect families at all income levels from unnecessary exposures to chemicals found in everyday consumer products.

The Minnesota Department of Health has determined that nine chemicals found in

children’s products potentially place children’s health at risk.

A bill being introduced in the Minnesota legislature, the Toxic Free Kids Act of 2015 would require that manufacturers report to the Pollution Control Agency if they use any of the nine toxic chemicals in their products. The state agencies would then create consumer education programs to inform parents about which products contain these chemicals, so they can be better-informed consumers.

The Toxic Free Kids Act won’t address all of these historical inequities and environmental injustices, but it’s a positive step to protect our children from preventable exposures and lighten the burden on parents trying their best to give their children a healthy start in life. It’s time to protect all of our kids.

Kathleen Schuler, MPH is CoDirector of Healthy Legacy and the Healthy Kids and Families Program Director at Conservation Minnesota.

Dr. Rose Brewer chairs the Board of Directors of Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota and teaches African American & African studies at the University of Minnesota.

Senator Bobby Joe Champion represents SD 59 in the Minnesota legislature.

insightnews.com

Insight News • March 2 - March 8, 2015 • Page 9

COMMUNITY Coalition creates unified Bloody Sunday march Black Press of America

By George E. Curry NNPA Editor-in-Chief WASHINGTON (NNPA) – A very public conflict between the Bridge Crossing Jubilee, Inc., the local group that has been commemorating the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery March for more than four decades, and the largely Whiterun The Faith & Politics Institute, a Washington-based group that had organized competing marches in Selma and Montgomery on the weekend commemorating the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,� has been resolved with both groups agreeing to participate in a single march in Selma, a coalition of organizations has announced. “The organizations in the unified committee will sponsor one march, the sacred Bloody Sunday reenactment march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Sunday, March 8, 2015,� the 10 major organizations said in a joint press release. “No organizations in the unified committee will sponsor and or participate in any other march.�

The Faith & Politics Institute, which focuses on bringing people together to reflect on spiritual values and hold conversations across racial, religious, ideological and party lines, had announced plans to hold a march led by President Obama in Selma on Saturday, the day before the big march, and a separate march and rally on Sunday in Montgomery that would have competed directly with the annual bridge-crossing ceremonies. Rep. Johns Lewis (D-Ga.), who was brutally beaten on “Bloody Sunday,� is closely affiliated with the Faith & Politics Institute.

In an “Open Letter� to the group, dated Feb. 11, Alabama State Senator Hank Sanders of Selma wrote, “It appears to me that Faith and Politics has set out to not only diminish but to destroy Bloody Sunday. You not only scheduled another march on Saturday in Selma

but you scheduled a march and rally in Montgomery on Sunday during the afternoon when the sacred Bloody Sunday March takes place in Selma. It would have been so simple to hold your events in Montgomery on Saturday and join the events in Selma on Sunday. However, the arrogance of power has caused you to try to diminish the sacred Bloody Sunday March and Commemoration and change history.�

After publication of Sanders’ letter, representatives from 10 organizations – including the Bridge Crossing Jubilee, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Rainbow PUSH, the National Action Network (NAN), The Faith in Politics Institute, and the National Voting Rights Museum in Selma – came together to resolve the conflict.

The end result is that President Obama will speak in Selma on Saturday, March 7, the actual anniversary of the Bloody Sunday, but there will be no march in Selma that Saturday or in Montgomery on Sunday. The Faith in Politics Institute and local organizers have clashed before. “This was not the first time I am sorry to say that the issue of who will be among those on the front lines has recently become a bone of contention.

Faith and Politics has insisted that only members of the Faith and Politics delegation be on the front lines,� Sanders wrote. “We have insisted that some of the nearly 600 other individuals who were also on the Bridge on Bloody Sunday in 1965 be included. In 2013 when Vice President Biden was here, Faith and Politics wanted to allot only 30 places for survivors of Bloody Sunday with 270 places for members of their delegation, including congressional staff members. When an agreement was worked out that it would be half and half, Faith and Politics then had the Secret Service give virtually every place to members of the Faith and Politics delegation. It seems that you value status, power and money far more than you value blood, sacrifice, struggle and history.�

According the Sanders, “In the 17 or so years that Faith and Politics has been coming

Hank Sanders

Bernard Lafayette to the Bridge Crossing Jubilee, not once have you organized a March or contributed in any way. You raise millions of dollars by claiming to sponsor the Bloody Sunday March but never paid for even a chair, a porto-toilet, water or anything else. You never organized other people to come if they were not in your delegation.

You just show up and insist on privilege even though you refused to be a co-sponsor because you could not be the sole sponsor. This is about your privilege and power. Bloody Sunday is about sacredness, sacrifice and struggle.�

Other organizers said that in the annual jousting for positioning in the march, attempts were made to remove Charles Steele, Jr. president of SCLC, from the front of the line even though Dr. Martin Luther King’s old organization organized the original march.

Messages seeking comment were left Tuesday for both the interim president and communications director of The Faith & Politics Institute but were not returned by press time. The federal government, schools, and many offices in the nation’s capital were closed Tuesday because of

inclement weather.

Event organizers said Bernard Lafayette, board chairman of SCLC and an early organizer in Selma, played a key role in brokering an agreement between the sparring groups. Lafayette, an ordained minister and longtime civil rights activist, has credibility in both camps and conducts conflict resolution training around the world.

With a truce now in place, march organizers are looking to the future with a list of activities that will span five days, from Thursday, March 5,

through Monday, March 9.

Thursday’s activities will include a play about Jimmie Lee Jackson, whose death was the impetus for the SelmaMontgomery March, and a memorial for the martyrs of the Civil Rights Movement.

Friday’s activities will include a session on women in the Civil Rights Movement, an educational summit, a session on organizing tactics, and a mock trial.

Saturday’s highlights include a parade, a voting rights workshop, breakout sessions on such topics as environmental justice and mass incarceration, a film festival capped by the Freedom Flame Awards Gala and an Old School blues show and dance.

The Sunday schedule begins with a Martin Luther and Coretta Scott King Unity Breakfast, a pre-march rally at famed Brown chapel AME Church with the bridge crossing at 2:30 pm, followed by a rally and salute to the movement’s foot soldiers.

The march from Selma to Montgomery will take place on Monday, ending with a rally at the Alabama State Capitol.

A complete listing of events is posted on the website www.selmajubilee.com.

The joint press release stated, “The Living Legends Dialogue on Saturday, March 7, 2015 will feature Diane Nash, Bob Moses, Claudette Colvin, Dr. Bernard Lafayette and the youth leaders of the Black Lives Matter Movement.�

The coalition said it was also welcoming back “the foot soldiers and leaders of the Voting Rights Movement,â€? including former Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) President John Lewis, Amelia Boynton, Dick Gregory, and former SCLC stalwarts Joseph Lowery, C.T. Vivian, Andrew Young, Diane Nash, Bernard Lafayette and Jesse Jackson. “Ten major civil rights organizations have unified to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the Selma-to-Montgomery Marches,â€? they said in a joint press release. “We have jointly created more than 40 events for this historic anniversary weekend‌â€?

CenturyLink may exclude service to minorities, critics say

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer Competition is good, right?

Of course it is. Competition in business is so needed that there are rules in our nation that guarantee a competitive marketplace. So it may come as a shock that when CenturyLink announced it wants to compete against Comcast – Minneapolis’ only cable provider since 1983 – the communications company was met with opposition. But those opposed to CenturyLink

business and programming opportunities and a fair and equitable distribution of services.�

In its application to the city CenturyLink has said it will launch via new and existing lines with a 15 percent minimum coverage, but at issue is the low threshold and the company’s unwillingness to say where that area of coverage will be. “We do have maps of coverage, but we don’t want to show them in a public forum because they’re competitively sensitive and Comcast would love to have that information

say they agree with competition in a free marketplace, what they don’t agree with is CenturyLink being able to cherry pick where to compete – especially if CenturyLink chooses not to service areas of lower income that tend to be minority concentrated. “I would support cable competition,� said Pete Rhodes, who operates BMA Network, a channel dedicated to multicultural programming and distributed through Comcast. “It’s good for our consumers and minority communities as long as it provides minority

Classifieds

Phone: 612.588.1313

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as well,� said CenturyLink executive, Jim Campbell during a hearing of the Minneapolis City Council Ways and Means Committee.

Ward 8 Councilwoman Elizabeth Glidden said the 15 percent coverage was too low of a threshold to start and called for a minimum 30 percent city coverage and a growth plan beyond that. Campbell balked at the suggestion, but said in other cities such as Denver and Colorado Springs, Colo., the coverage reached up to 60 percent within eight months in Denver and two years in

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U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, District of MN, is accepting applications for a fulltime Support Specialist for the Minneapolis, Minnesota Office. Salary range is $37,143 – $60,368. For a complete job description please visit our website, http://www.mnp.uscourts.gov , Career Opportunities. EOE

Executive Director NASW – Minnesota Chapter The NASW Executive Director must have comprehensive knowledge of and commitment to the social work profession, social work values, and the NASW Code of Ethics. The position requires a person who is adept with regard to organizational administration, membership engagement and growth, membership service provision, financial management and fundraising, and political acumen. For the full job posting, including application instructions, go to: www.nasw-heartland.org/?page=MNExecPost.

STAFF ATTORNEYS Central Minnesota Legal Services seeks 1 or 2 full-time attorneys for its Minneapolis office. Fam. Law; with some work in housing/govt benes.

Licensed in MN pref’d. Post-law school pov. law exper., fam. law or clinical exper. pref’d. Spanish or Somali language a plus. Salary $45,000+D.O.E. Excellent benes. Resume with references and writing sample to Lynelle Wells, CMLS, 430 First Ave. No., #359, Minneapolis, MN 55401. Appl. deadline: 3/20/15 or until filled. EOE.

Colorado Springs. “Our track record shows we go well beyond our commitment,� said Campbell.

In other cities where CenturyLink has entered the cable market, the company has been accused of not offering initial coverage in minority and low income areas. While Campbell and other CenturyLink executives vehemently denied discrimination in offering coverage, Campbell did admit the company has a bottom line approach as to how it enters various markets. “We look at where the price

Fax: 612.588.2031

is the cheapest to offer coverage and areas with the most density,� said Campbell. “If you’re going to spend $1,000 you want to hit 1,000 homes instead of 10.

As we’re successful, we’ll expand.� “My key concern is the community I serve and the equitable opportunity to get services,� said Rhodes. “If any new cable franchise is not mandated to cover the entire market, it places an economic disadvantage to my community.�

The council has yet to decide on CenturyLink’s application.

Email: info@insightnews.com

ClearWay Minnesota Seeks Board Candidates ClearWay MinnesotaSM is seeking candidates for our Board of Directors. The ClearWay Minnesota Board oversees operations of an independent, nonprofit organization that works to eliminate the harm tobacco causes the people of Minnesota. ClearWay Minnesota's work encompasses cessation services, public policy activities, research, media campaigns and community outreach.

ClearWay Minnesota is committed to expanding racial/ethnic and geographic diversity among its Board of Directors. Applicants from Minnesota’s diverse communities and/or from outstate regions are particularly welcome. The Board is also currently seeking candidates with significant financial expertise. Board terms are three years.

Board Members serve without compensation. Please submit applications and resume to Amy Henderson at ClearWay Minnesota by March 27.

Qualified candidates must have: ƒ Expertise in areas related to Board governance ƒ No conflict of interest with ClearWay Minnesota vendors, grantees or contractors ƒ No affiliation with the tobacco industry or related trade associations within the last 10 years

For an application visit our website www.clearwaymn.org/board-openings or email ahenderson@clearwaymn.org.

Family Advocate

Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative is hiring a Family Advocate for our Families Moving Forward program center in Minneapolis. Help us end homelessness! Visit: www.beaconinterfaith.org/careers for details.

President and CEO Minnesota Communities Caring for Children/Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota announces a search for the position of President and CEO. We are a strong, mission-driven state-wide organization.

Our mission: We empower individuals and communities to stop child abuse and neglect before it starts through education, advocacy and family support. We are accepting resumes and cover letters until March 28, 2014 which may be sent to ceoposting@pcamn. org. Full posting information is available on our website, www.pcamn.org. Please no phone calls.

Page 10 • March 2 - March 8, 2015 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Ashley Dubose Out with new album, ‘Be You’ By: Toki Wright Twitter - @mrwrighttc

R

ecently on a six hour drive back from tour I got time to check in with one of the nation’s most talented musicians, Ashley DuBose. As she prepares for the release of her second album, I got to ask in-depth questions about the new direction her music, her album release party (Saturday, March 7 at the Bedlam Lowertown in St. Paul) and life after NBC’s “The Voice.”

Aesthetically Speaking: Can you tell the people out there about your upcoming project?

Ashley DuBose: I have an album coming out called “Be You.” “Be You” is my second project following “Something More,” and I came out with an acoustic version of it in 2013.

I’m working with same executive producer, Jimmy Easy and Wisdomatic. Wisdomatic is an executive producer on this project along with myself.

“Be You” is a compilation of feel-good music that I drew from my life experience in the last two and a half years.

It’s a collaboration between myself and other independent producers and songwriters. Over the last two and a half years I’ve been coming into myself and not feeling so restricted.

AS: What were some of the restrictions you felt you had in the past?

AD: I did the majority of the songwriting on this album, so I wasn’t limited to anybody else’s ideas. Not that I was limited on the last album, but I expanded on their ideas and added my own versus having a blank canvas to create. The other thing was being more open about emotions. I’m just exploring new topics still within the realm of loving life.

AS: Can you give an example of one of the new songs that goes into more of these new emotions?

AD: The song “Cry” I thought about how so many people get uplifted by songs from my first album. I think that’s amazing. I think that’s God working through me and my music. It talks about people, how people think I have all the answers and I don’t go through stuff. I wrote it on a day when I was feeling like “F my life.” Right now I could really

use someone to talk to and uplift me. “Cry” means I may not have all the answers right now but we could sit here and talk it out or cry together. I think it was a vulnerable thing to write about but I’m getting more comfortable talking about things.

At first I didn’t want people to know I smoke or drink.

People assume that you drink but there is a negative stigma on smoking because it’s not legal in some places. I don’t see it as a bad thing. I see it as a way to open up and relax. I put some of those references in my music and know I may be able to connect with someone that relates. Sometimes people hear music and create an image in their head. Some ask if I’m a gospel artists or secular artist. I don’t want to be labeled either way. If I just be myself I shouldn’t have to restrict myself.

I’m cool with who I am. I want to let my daughter know that but not just kids, adults.

AD: The release party is Saturday March 7 at the Bedlam Lowertown in St. Paul. Doors open at 9 (p.m.). It’s going to be hosted by the Avant Garde. That’s a new company that throws events incorporating music, visual arts and spoken word. Niles “Chadwick” (Phillips) is the founder.

DJ Advance is the DJ. Kenneth Caldwell will be doing live painting and will have it auctioned off. Vie Bohem is performing as well as Sankopheonix, Proper T, and Maria Isa. I’ll have a live band with me that night. It’s going to be a huge celebratory moment for everybody. We’ve been working since November 2013. It’s going to be a special moment for everyone involved. We’re real excited.

AS: Many people know about you from NBC’s “The Voice.” Where is that experience in your head versus how people interact with you?

AD: “The Voice” was a great experience and I’ll take this from Chadwick, “That’s just a snapshot of your life.” It’s a moment in time. You’re expected to take that and you are expected for it to shape you. And it has helped. When people ask I don’t mind telling them but my answers get shorter every time.

AS: We’re currently on tour leaving Michigan. What has your experience been like?

AS: So what’s the story behind the album title, “Be You?” AD: Growing up I never fit in in any circumstances.

Whether it be school, church, whatever, I was always the oddball out. Just coming into being ok with that. Why do we feel inadequate because we have these standards about ourselves and (about what is) cool? I’m cool with who I am. I want to let my daughter know that but not just kids, adults.

AS: You have an album release party coming up. What should people expect?

AD: You invited me out and that’s exciting because I want to get out to other places outside of Minnesota. Both shows were a lot of fun. I didn’t know what to expect. They showed a lot of love; just good energy. On tour people come out to see the band versus someone hiring you for an event and the energy is different. People want to be there and are open to the energy of the music. It’s cool to be on the road with like-minded individuals for an artistic experience.

Readers can pick up Ashley’s new project “Be You” on iTunes, at Electric Fetus in Minneapolis and online at www.

Ashleydubose.bandcamp.com.

insightnews.com

Insight News • March 2 - March 8, 2015 • Page 11

Threads empowers emerging artists Weaving together new voices in dance March 27, 28, and 29, Threads Dance Project will embark on their newest adventure entitled “Tapestries 1.0” - an opportunity for local and national emerging artists to choreograph on a professional dance company.

“Tapestries 1.0”at The James Sewell Ballet’s TEK BOX is an evening of four different choreographic voices, and will open Threads’ seventh performance season.

“Tapestries 1.0” weaves together a rich variety of works showcasing the diverse perspectives and

talents of Artistic Director Karen L. Charles and guest choreographers: Rae Charles (MPLS), Gierre Godley (NYC), and Julie Marie Muskat (MPLS). This evening of works will take you on a journey to the darker places of our humanity – exploring conflict within communities, the breaking point within oneself, and the mysterious freedom associated with night. “Malignant (2013)” will reprise the experiences of struggle, joy, and triumph of the human spirit.

“It has been an exciting

process to create work for Tapestries,” says Julie Marie Muskat, “I had 20 hours to create a piece, and the dancers at Threads have made this project hugely rewarding. Each of the three choreographers has vastly different backgrounds, and the dancers throw themselves into each of the different styles with graceful abandon.”

Founding Artistic Director Karen Charles says about Tapestries, “I know how difficult it is as a choreographer, especially for

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with this Irish entertainment sensation!

choreographers of color and women, to get opportunities to hone your craft. I have a great opportunity to support my fellow artist –connecting my audience to new, diverse, and very talented voices” Performances are March 27th and 28th 7:30 pm, March 29th at 2pm The TEK BOX | 2nd Floor, 528 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, 55403 For ticket information, please visit www. threadsdance. brownpapertickets.com

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Page 12 • March 2 - March 8, 2015 • Insight News Known as much for their off stage relationships as they are for music, Chris Brown, Trey Songz and Tyga planned to play the massive Target Center to promote their new joint album. In addition to having Canadian dates pulled due to Brown’s felony record, the entire tour has suffered due to possible probation revocation for Brown’s 1,000 hours of unfinished community service stemming from his conviction in the brutal beating of former girlfriend, Rihanna.

Mar. 3 - Mar. 8

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, March 2 R&B/CONCERT CANCELLED: Chris Brown with Trey Songz and Tyga Target Center 600 First Avenue N., Minneapolis

Tuesday, March 3

insightnews.com

Dismantling Rape Culture, Dismantling Capitalism University of MinnesotaBlegen Hall – Room 100, Minneapolis 7 p.m.

Join this discussion on women’s rights, racial equity, and the LBGTQ community in relation to capitalism.

Friday, March 6 First Avenue 701 1st Ave. N., Minneapolis 7:30 p.m.

18-plus $20

COMEDY Rickey Smiley State Theatre 805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 8 p.m.

Comedian and radio host Rickey Smiley has carved out a legion of followers across the United States. Born in Birmingham, expect to hear comedy from a Southern perspective.

The Wailers are living legends. Former backing band to Bob Marley, the group reformed after Marley’s untimely passing. Expect to hear classic Reggae and Ska music.

POETRY/PERFORMANCE/ FILM/FUNDRAISER

REGGAE/CONCERT

Honoring an American Revolutionary: A Celebration and Fundraiser for Grace Lee Boggs Penumbra Theatre Company 270 North Kent St., Saint Paul 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. $25

The Wailers

Grace Lee Boggs is an

Wednesday, March 4

Release Party Bedlam Lowertown 213 4th St., St. Paul 9 p.m. $10 advance, $15 door

DISCUSSION

Rickey Smiley

Asian-American social activist, writer, philosopher and feminist who focused her efforts on women and people of color for more than seven decades, specifically the struggles of the AfricanAmerican community during the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement.

Boggs is now 99-years-old, in hospice care and in need of assistance. Come for a night honoring the contributions of Boggs with a film screening of “American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs” and a silent auction with performances by Sha Cage, plus members of Million Artist Movement, Eva Song Margolis and Tom LaBlanc.

PLAY/MUSICAL

Thursday, March 5

R&B/CONCERT

Sunday, March 8

“Raisin’ Cane: A Harlem Renaissance Odyssey” O’Shaughnessy Auditorium 2004 Randolph Ave., St. Paul 7:30 p.m. $25 – $55 A musical set during the Harlem Renaissance, with performances by Jasmine Guy (“A Different World”) and the Avery Sharpe Trio, “Raisin’ Cane” is an adaptation of the classic 1923 novel, “Cane” written by Jean Toomer.

Saturday, March 7 The Avant Garde Presents: Ashley DuBose Album

Celebrate Ashley DuBose’s sophomore album, “Be You” with music performed by DuBose as well as Proper T, Sankopheonix, Maria Isa and DJ Advance.

Seating and VIP tickets can be purchased online at www. vitalculture.com/events/ detail/2700.

WORLD/PERFORMANCE George Kahumoku Jr. with Da ‘Ukulele Boyz The Cedar Cultural Center 416 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis 7 p.m. $22 – $25 Slack key guitar master, George Kahumoku Jr. returns to The Cedar stage for an evening of warm-hearted Hawaiian music. He’ll be supported by regular cohosts of his long-running Slack Key show on the island of Maui, Da ‘Ukulele Boyz.

First cousins, Peter deAquino and Garrett Probst are spirited and talented ukulele players with killer duet instrumentals, fun vocals and relaxed stage banter.

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