Insight News ::: 03.09.15 by Insight News, Inc

Children’s Theatre Company presents a spirited adaptation of Huck Finn MORE ON PAGE 10

Photo: Dan Norman

Reed Sigmund (left) and Ansa Akyea.

Insight News March 9 - March 15, 2015

Vol. 42 No. 10 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Peal leads U business program By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer Darryl Peal has hit the ground running as the new executive director of Business and Community Economic Development (BCED) at the University of Minnesota. The department falls under the university’s Office of Equity and Diversity. Peal takes over for Craig Taylor, who held the post since the department’s creation in 1999. The department’s mission is to create programs and services that provide solutions to social and economic problems that impact urban communities. Peal comes to the U of M from Ohio where he most recently served as the president and CEO of the Ohio Minority

Mohamud Noor

Solutions to violent extremism must come from within the community Interview by Al McFarlane, EditorIn-Chief, transcribed by Carmen Robles, Associate Editor, Afrodescendientes.

PEAL TURN TO 9

E C I L O P A F O S N I THE ORIG N O S U G R E F N I S A I B F CULTURE O Jeffrey Hassan

Mohamud Noor, Executive Director Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota, discussed recent White House initiatives to address preventing violent extremism being embrace as a viable alternative by our youth. He talked with me Tuesday, February 24 on the Conversations with Al McFarlane Public Policy Broadcast on KFAI, 90.3fm. You can hear the entire interview at kfai.org/archive. Part 1 of 2

Josie R. Johnson Leadership Academy launches year-long training program

MCFARLANE: You were part of the discussion at the White House examining strategies and resources for the Somali community to create positive pathways for young people.

Justspeak

By Irma McClaurin, PhD, Associate Editor, Culture and Education

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer

NOOR: The Washington D.C. meeting was an initiative called Building Community Resilience. We were looking for ways to help the youth so they can get engaged and avoid being recruited to join extreme groups. There are so many challenges and so few opportunities for young people. Sometimes we comingle many issues to look as one, but what we know is that there is huge number of young people who are unemployed, especially in the African American and African community at large. Unemployment is very high. And we’re not looking good in terms of education and health either. So we have to look at things from the global perspective. The conference was about how to address the rise of violent extremists but it may get comingled with the issues that the community is expressing at large.

The conclusion reached at the end of the recent federal probe on the Ferguson Police department should come as no surprise: a culture of bias exists in the Ferguson Police department. According to the Wall Street Journal, “...the Justice Department probe concluded... Police in Ferguson routinely violated the civil rights of the city’s Black residents.”

It has often been said that as a leader dies, so does the movement. In the struggle for advancement among AfricanAmericans there have been a myriad of leaders in various arenas who have carried the baton of progress, but far too often that baton never gets passed on. It has been seen in politics, business, civic engagement and other areas where African-Americans have struggled to gain a foothold. Many times in the process of trying to fill the void of leadership the movement stalls and by the time other leaders emerge the momentum is lost. With the newly created Dr. Josie R. Johnson Leadership Academy (JRJLA) the African American Leadership Forum (AALF) is hoping to avoid any

FERGUSON TURN TO 6

AALF TURN TO 9

NOOR TURN TO 5

Insight 2 Health It takes a village

PAGE 3

Education

Lifestyle

Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project launches the Mobile Jazz After School program

Award-winning Robin Wilson releases “Clean Design: Wellness for Your Lifestyle”

PAGE 7

PAGE 8

Coming Next Week Leading Millennials in the 21st Century: What will it take? Part 1

Page 2 • March 9 - March 15, 2015 • Insight News

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COMMENTARY

Make me a woman Child Watch

By Marian Wright Edelman One of my sheroes is Sojourner Truth. A brilliant but illiterate woman, she was a great orator and powerful presence who possessed great courage and determination. I often wear a pendant with her image and words: “If women want any rights more than they’s got, why don’t they just take them, and not be talking about it.” An unwavering defender of women’s rights and an abolitionist, Sojourner continues to fuel my determination to fight for equality for women, people of color, and children left behind. She was born into and lived nearly three decades in slavery but dedicated her life to combating slavery and gender

inequality and second-class citizenship. She never gave up talking about or fighting for justice and equality. Sarye Huggins is a high school senior who knows her Black history and has also been inspired by Sojourner Truth. Read a few lines from her spoken word poem “Make Me a Woman”: Make me a woman in this world of poverty and deceit. They’ll know I’m a woman by the sounds of determination coming from my feet . . . Just make me a woman. Don’t you think the time has come? I can hear my ancestors summoning me by the sounds of their drums. A woman, me? Imagine that. Once you grant me this wish, I’m never turning back. She also writes that she knows “strong women run through my blood”—but her journey towards becoming a strong, confident young woman has not been easy. Sarye lives in Brooklyn, New York’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, a community disproportionately plagued

Sarye Huggins by poverty and violence. Her teacher explains, “She’s survived ‘Bed-Stuy, do or die’—that’s the motto of our neighborhood.” Sarye’s mother, a teacher, died from a brain tumor when Sarye was two. Her father was frequently part of her early life, and she was raised by a beloved aunt. As a smart, shy girl attending some of the poorest and roughest schools in New York City Sarye didn’t always feel she fit in. Although she won awards in elementary school for being an outstanding student she also endured a lot of teasing and bullying from her peers and harbored much of the pain inside. In middle school things got worse when her father stopped calling and visiting. For the first time her grades started slipping, causing her to lose her confidence, and she began trying desperately to change herself to gain acceptance by her peers. When the inner turmoil reached a

breaking point she started cutting herself and described some of the pain she was feeling in another poem: I didn’t want to be smart anymore. I was no longer myself. I got angry, and placing blades to my skin just did not help. I knew that what I was doing to myself wasn’t a felony, nor was it a crime, but at the same time I didn’t realize that I was just destroying my heart, my soul, my body, and my beautiful mind. The odds were stacked against Sarye as they are against so many of our Black girls and boys today. Black children are the poorest children in America; every other Black baby is poor and every two minutes a Black baby is born into poverty in our wealthy nation. Black children are less likely to live in twoparent families, are more likely to be abused or neglected or enter foster care, and suffer worse health outcomes than White children. Black students

fall behind in school early and do not catch up; more than 80 percent of fourth and eighth grade Black public school students cannot read or compute at grade level, and a Black high school student drops out every 33 seconds during the school year. Black children and youths are at greatest risk of being funneled into the prison pipeline and are at highest risk of gun violence, the leading cause of death among Black children and teens ages 1-19. For many of the children in Sarye’s neighborhood, these odds have already proven too much. Sarye was blessed by her aunt’s unfailing support and by caring teachers during her freshman year of high school who began nurturing her potential. She says: “They just saw something in me that I didn’t even really see in myself at the moment, and I think that’s what I really needed.” After Sarye attended the Summer Bridge Program at Boys & Girls High School, her English teacher recommended she apply for the Smart Scholars Program, which would allow her to take classes at Long Island University beginning in 10th grade. She surprised herself by testing into collegelevel English during the entrance exam. Though still in high school, she’s maintained a 4.0 in her college classes while excelling in her high school courses. Unsurprisingly, English has remained one of her strengths—and she’s embraced writing as a way of expressing some of the feelings she struggled to hide inside. From her poem “I’m Free From It”: “I didn’t have to hide behind the bars of shame, hurt, or declaration. I could build on

the things that were given to me and renovate the parts that were taken. My dreams that were deferred had me shaken up, but only to produce a better me in the making . . . I can look in the mirror and smile, embracing all my scars, marks, and imperfections, perfectly imperfect, not stressing to make the perfect impression, not ashamed, scared, nor confused because I am who I am for a reason.” Sarye is one of five extraordinary high school students the Children’s Defense Fund-New York will honor next week for beating the odds. A scholarship will help ease their way on the path to college. She knows she’s already made great strides and says, “I feel like allowing people to actually help me and to influence me to do better is what saved me.” What a privilege it is to help young people like Sarye become the strong Black women and men they want to be. All of us must change the odds and help of all of our Black girls—and boys, and all children—become the strong and contributing adults they want to be and we need them to be as we look at the security of future generations and our nation. Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. For more information go to www. childrensdefense.org.

Did you know… One donor can save and heal up to 60 lives through organ, eye and tissue donation.

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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 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.

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Insight News • March 9 - March 15, 2015 • Page 3

ROUND 5, WEEK 6

IT TAKES A VILLAGE I2H Blog

By Carmen Robles

William (Bill) Tendle, Executive Director Southside Community Health Services

Neither snow nor sleet nor freezing temperatures could stop us from attending the Insight2Health Fitness Challenge (I2H) workouts sessions this past week. Six weeks into the ten week Fitness Challenge has built our stamina, helping us gain increased endurance and strength, and is showing fitness results. It’s the end of week six and it’s all making sense; the cardio workouts, hitting the weights, doing strength routines and taking one day off of exercise per week, free Friday, to allow the entire body to rest and recuperate from the workouts. The comprehensive workout routines are designed to fool the body and work all areas, the delicious refreshing energy producing meals and stimulating personal reflection assignments come together in perfect harmony. Al McFarlane, of McFarlane Media and Tyrone Minor, owner of the F.I.T. Lab are helping our multi-ethnic, multi-cultural community break the habits that are destroying us and giving us the tools to make adjustments towards a quality of life. But it takes a village … literally. That’s where the supporters of the program come in…. among them, The Southside Community Health Services (SCHS). Their Dental & Vision and Administration offices are located at 4243 4th Avenue South in Minneapolis. Southside Medical is at 324 East 35th Street in Minneapolis and the newly opened Southside Medical Clinic in Richfield is at 1550 East 78th Street. The SCHS Outreach Department’s

integral involvement in various health fairs is headlined by its state of the art “Q”mmunity Mobile Medical Unit. The “Q”munity Mobil Medical Unit takes center stage at signature events such as Good Food Good Fathering, UCare’s Hue-MAN Partnership Project, Twin Cities Healthy Start/ Birthing Project, National Children’s Study, Brief Risk Overview (BRO) and MENgaging. These health oriented collaborations reflect Southside Community Health Services’ vision of helping to bridge the gap that often exists between underserved communities and primary healthcare resources. Services are available to people of all ages, income levels, and occupations. SCHS’s goal is to connect patients to a medical home, inform uninsured patients about health care programs available to them, help keep people out of emergency rooms, and emphasize the importance of having a primary care doctor. Call the main phone number (612) 827-7181 for information or to make an appointment. Bill Tendle, Executive Director of SCHS is a visionary who prides himself in the progressive work the agency addresses and the innovative partnerships developed among diverse stakeholders. He is especially proud of the Dental Van and the “Q”mmunity Mobile Medical Unit—so-named because of its community focus and commitment to “quick” and “quality” service, which has a fully functional private exam room and space in which staff and volunteer health personnel

provide a variety of free preventive health services. With SCHS staff, volunteers, and community partners, medical screenings are offered on the unit and include checking blood pressure, BMI, cholesterol, and glucose. The SCHS dental van currently outreaches to nursing home facilities in the Metropolitan area, bringing vital oral health services to a population that would either not receive these services, or would represent a hardship to the resident and family member in transporting them a long distance to receive this care. The Southside Dental Van has two dental chairs. This means that a dentist, an oral hygienist, and a dental assistant can go out at the same time, instead of alternating visits. According to Tendle “Supporting the Insight 2 Health Challenge is a natural fit for the Southside Community Health Center and falls in line with our mission statement of …collaboration, empowerment, and communication with patients with the goal of improving their health.” I2H Round Five Participant’s Corner Wide Awake …

EJ, Isaiah, Jaime, Steve Harvey, Sheri and Jake has been just sitting there. The bloat is gone. I am still a bit tired but that has slowly been changing. Adero noticed that I am not yawning as much as I was before so that’s good. I tend to sweat more now than I did in the beginning of the challenge, which is good. I think that we have a good group of people in our class. We cheer each other on and that makes me want to come back. The smoothies are great and now I am hooked. The music is great, the routines can be hard, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I feel comfortable in knowing that this is now a lifestyle change and it is actually kind of hot. I do realize that in order to get different results I have to do some things that I have never done. I still have a long way to go, but I am ok with it. I have plenty of support. So it will be interesting to see where I am by the end of the challenge. I am not going to let lbs. worry/deter me. I will simply go off of how I feel overall and right now I feel pretty good.” The Early Bird …

Tanya Milton

Sheila Sweeney

Tanya Milton “I am down a notch in my belt. Also I am wearing a pair of jeans right now that I bought in the beginning of summer and couldn’t fit them after a few wears. I am also not feeling so full. It used to feel like when I ate, I was still piling food on top of old food that

Shiela Sweeney “I have so much energy with this challenge” said Sheila Sweeney, MSW, LICSW Psychotherapist. Sweeney is working on her dissertation for her PhD Psychodynamics and Psychotherapy and needs the energy to complete her thesis by the end of 2015. You go girl!

Sweeney learned about I2H Fitness Challenge by watching people she knew participate and when she ran into one of them at the Rondo Celebration, she decided to join. This is her 2nd challenge. During her first challenge Sweeney lost 11lbs and literally watched her body change. Prior to the challenge Sweeney was taking ‘tons’ of vitamin D for internal motivation. Since the challenge she has gained energy… energy to prepare at night for the next day, energy to be on time and even energy to get up early in the morning. During this challenge, Julie McMahon, the nutritionist, has been phenomenal “in helping to get my gut health together!” In the first challenge Sweeney won 3rd place, which was inspirational. She knew winning was losing the weight but coming in third place was an unexpected incentive and continues to motivate her. A FAMILY THING … Insight2Health Fitness Challenge participant Jaime Stampley is the best big sister ever! She initiated and coordinated a journey of a life time for herself and her four younger siblings… an appearance on “Family Feud.” Hosted by comedian Steve Harvey, “Family Feud” is a TV game show featuring a competition in which two families must name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people in order to win cash and prizes. Even though Stampley and her sibling did not win the competition, they were the big winners since sharing the once in a lifetime memorable experience brought them closer than ever … priceless.

Colon cancer screening saves lives By Dr. Greg Mevissen, North Memorial Health Care March is National Colon Cancer Awareness Month. It is a good

time to stop and think whether you and your loved ones are up to date on colon cancer screening. Taking a few simple steps can save lives. A startling fact is that colon cancer is the second leading

cause of cancer deaths in the United States for both men and women. According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates are highest in African American men and women; incidence rates are

about 25% higher and mortality rates are about 50% higher than those in whites. But there ‘s good news. Most of these cancers – and deaths – are avoidable if people follow recommendations regarding regular screening tests. In fact, here are now more

Dr. Greg Mevissen

THANK YOU, HENNEPIN COUNTY! Thank you Commissioner Linda Higgins and the Hennepin County Board for protecting clean indoor air! Your common-sense ordinance treats electronic cigarettes the same as other tobacco products and keeps them from being used in indoor spaces, such as work places, bars and restaurants.

Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota

www.ansrmn.org

Breathe Free North www.NorthPointHealth.org

than 1 million survivors of colorectal cancer in the United States. In the colon, cancer usually arises over time from abnormal polyps. Polyps are small growths on the inner surface of the colon and pre-cancerous polyps do not always cause symptoms, which highlights the need for screening. With regular screening these polyps are can often be found early and removed before they have a chance to turn into cancer. Regular screenings also detect early cancers, when it is most likely to be curable. There are a variety of tests available for colorectal cancer screening. As a gastroenterologist, I believe that colonoscopy is one of the best tests because we are not only able to detect early cancers, but also to identify and remove pre-cancerous polyps. During colonoscopy we use a lighted flexible viewing scope to inspect the surface of the colon

and remove polyps before they become big enough to cause a cancer. Regardless of your age, you should discuss any symptoms you are concerned about with your healthcare team. If you are without symptoms, screening with colonoscopy should start at the age of 50. You may be advised to start screening at the age of 40 if you have a parent or brother or sister who had colon cancer (or an “adenomatous polyp” which is the type that can go on to form colon cancer) under the age of 60. There are other conditions that increase the need for screening, so feel free to ask your healthcare team if you have questions about when you should be screened based on your health history. Finding any diseases early when they are easier to treat can make all the difference so taking time to pause in the month of March to schedule a screening is great way to observe Colon Cancer Month. The Department of Gastroenterology at North Memorial has a team of doctors, physician assistants and nurses dedicated to providing exemplary care to you and your family. Our four BoardCertified Gastroenterologists have the training and experience to offer you a safe and complete exam. Colon cancer screening saves lives. Learn more by visiting www.northmemorial. com/gi or call 763-581-5600 to schedule an appointment.

Page 4 • March 9 - March 15, 2015 • Insight News

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Since 2010, 9.4 million people with Medicare have saved over $15 billion on prescription drugs According to the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Minnesotans saved $206,734,902 since the Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010. In 2014 alone, 69,234 people with Medicare in Minnesota saved $59,170,865 -- an average of $855 per Medicare beneficiary -- thanks to the Affordable Care Act closing the Part D prescription drug donut hole, DHHS said. Use of preventive services under the health care law has also expanded among people with Medicare. In Minnesota, an estimated 388,438 people with Medicare (including those enrolled in Medicare Advantage) took advantage of at least one preventive service with no cost sharing in 2014. DHHS last week released new information that shows that millions of seniors and people with disabilities with Medicare continued to enjoy prescription drug savings and improved benefits in 2014 as a result of the Affordable Care Act. Since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, 9.4 million seniors and people with disabilities have saved over $15 billion on prescription drugs, an average of $1,598 per beneficiary. In 2014 alone, nearly 5.1 million seniors and people with disabilities saved $4.8 billion or an average of $941 per beneficiary. These figures are higher than in 2013, when 4.3 million saved $3.9 billion, for an average of $911 per beneficiary. Use of preventive services has also expanded among people with Medicare. An estimated 39 million people with Medicare (including those enrolled in Medicare Advantage)

took advantage of at least one preventive service with no cost sharing in 2014. In contrast, in 2013, an estimated 37.2 million people with Medicare received one or more preventive benefits with no cost sharing. In 2014, nearly 4.8 million people with traditional Medicare took advantage of the Annual Wellness Exam, which exceeds the comparable figure from 2013, in which over 4 million took advantage of the exam. “Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, seniors and people with disabilities have saved over $15 billion on prescription drugs, and these savings will only increase over time as we close the Medicare coverage gap known as the donut hole,” said HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell. “By providing access to affordable prescription drugs and preventive services with no cost sharing, the Affordable Care Act is working for seniors to help keep them healthier.” As part of the Department’s “better care, smarter spending, healthier people” approach to improving health delivery, providing affordable prescription drugs and certain preventive services with no-cost sharing are some of the many initiatives advanced by the Affordable Care Act. To achieve better care, smarter spending and healthier people, HHS is focused on three key areas: (1) linking payment to quality of care, (2) improving and innovating in care delivery, and (3) sharing information more broadly to providers, consumers, and others to support better decisions while maintaining privacy. Today’s news comes on the heels of Secretary Burwell’s

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Insight News • March 9 - March 15, 2015 • Page 5

BUSINESS

Women and philanthropy FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw “Women rock!” “Women rule!” “If you want something done, ask a woman.” “Women hold up half the sky.” Its women’s history month and time to highlight women’s role as philanthropists and fundraisers. Join us in paying tribute to women and girls who nurture and support families and communities

Noor From 1 MCFARLANE: about that.

Let’s

talk

NOOR: It’s a very complex issue. I think we have to be very careful because we’re trying to gain the trust of the young people who are disengaged, disenfranchised. How do they define their identity? We know government agencies are looking for ways to integrate them into productive society. But when we combine everything under one umbrella, we may lose the purpose of bringing programs to help young people. By and large, young people are good, but they are some few who are out there who many need the help the most. How do we engage them? That’s the bigger question. How do we provide them equity? We talk about equity

across the country and around the globe. Sometimes we are recognized, often we are not. We are the grandmother putting money in her granddaughter’s pocket as she heads off to college. We are girl scouts selling cookies, sorority sisters raising money for scholarships, and girls running in St. Jude’s fundraising marathons across the country. We are Oseola McCarty, a Hattiesburg Mississippi washerwoman, giving $150,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi, and Wylodine Taylor Patton the alumna leaving $487,500 to LeMoyne-Owen College. We are Helen LaKelly Hunt and Ambassador Swanee Hunt launching “Women Moving

Millions,” encouraging women to give $1 million gifts and raising over $500 million to change the lives of women and girls. We are Gayle Rose creator of Team Max, a “vigilante philanthropy” group of young people giving to others in honor of her generous son Max who lost his life in a car accident. We give as individuals, and we give collectively through women’s foundations and giving circles. We are the Women’s Funding Network, founded 30 years ago, and now the largest philanthropic network in the world devoted to women and girls with 160 members from 30 countries on six continents. We promote philanthropy, encouraging others to give

through online portals such as Black Gives Back, started by Tracey Webb, a woman of course. We are presidents and CEOs of regional and national foundations, setting the philanthropic agenda, funding research and making grants that affect every aspect of life. We are Jan Young (The Assisi Foundation of Memphis), Judy Belk, (The California Wellness Foundation), Risa LavizzoMourey (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), Carol S. Larson (David and Lucile Packard Foundation), Patricia E. Harris (Bloomberg Philanthropies), Audrey Yamamoto (Asian Pacific Fund) and Helene D. Gayle (CARE).

As professional fundraisers we raise funds for social organizations, political parties, hospitals, schools, colleges and universities, arts institutions and more. We are Jann Honore, a fundraising executive with more than 30 years experience with UNCF raising money for generations of college students. We are Maricar Boyle, focused on health, education and the environment; Dionne Jackson with Lehigh University; Gurdeep Sihota He’Bert, executive director State Center Community College Foundation; and Iris R. Ramey, Vice President for Development, Hampton University. We are Marianne G. Briscoe, President and Managing

Director of Brakeley Briscoe, a leading fundraising consulting firm that provides services across the Americas. The list of women who make a difference is longer than long. If you want to meet a woman philanthropist, look in the mirror or into the eyes of the women and girls in your life.

in sense of that there is something there for them to attain, to aspire to. But then you look at the poverty and high unemployment and graduation rates that we have school system and it is clear that something has to change. What I’m calling for is systemic change. System change that will bring a comprehensive approach to the needs of the whole community so we that can gain the trust of young people and also have the mothers and fathers getting more involved in what’s happening with the young kids. How do they track them? How do they know what they’re involved in? How do they help them? How do they seek help? Sometimes I get overworked. Right now there’s Section 8 (subsidized housing availability) which is open through metro. The Housing Authority is paid to do the work. But I’ve got almost twenty mothers sitting outside my office waiting to be

assisted because they have to use computer system to apply for Section 8 programs and they don’t have a computer or computer literacy, so they’re looking for help. So the equity issue and the lack of opportunity in society create more problems. This is why we have to address it as a comprehensive picture. Starting from the early childhood to youth development, to the school and post high school education, to giving the people the skills that they need for employment was what was presented by Minnesota at the White House. We said we have to start very early. The intervention doesn’t start when someone is already a youth, it starts from the early stages.

externally that are overlaid on our experience and sometimes not effectively and sometimes with a degree of arrogance or cultural chauvinism that creates an automatic and natural resistance to them.

what we’ve been doing… trying our best to involve the community locally with solutions to fit the needs of our society rather than focusing on structure and process. Additionally, there’s a segment of the community which sees any governmental engagement as a problem. They suspect it’s a process whereby the government wants to come in and do some surveillance and collect data, profiling us and creating suspicion of the whole community. We don’t want money coming from governmental entities with intent to collect surveillance to create suspicion of the whole community. Do I trust government to do the work that the community itself can do better? That’s what I’ve been hearing.

broadcast today, national radio host Amy Goodwin was talking with a reporter who was looking at the prison industry. The guest made it very clear that the business interest for keeping people in jail was maximizing profit for privately run prison companies. In this arena and others, it’s been my observation that we get the misery while white people get the money to manage our misery. I say we must position ourselves on solution side of the equation… and that’s what you’re talking about. How do we empower our communities to solve our own problems? We do that by having proper resources. That means jobs. It means education. It means intervention. Mostly, it means encouraging and developing that capacity within our community for our community to provide solutions and benefit from revenue streams associated with delivering those solutions and services.

MCFARLANE: You’re saying systems change must originate from within the community and that the problem, in part, is that the solutions that presently exist are solutions created

NOOR: At this moment the ‘one size fits all’ mentality prevails. People from outside our community say “This is how you’re going to do things. We see the same thing in our school systems. It’s the same thing that we see in many places whereby they deny you the opportunity to be employed, they deny you the opportunity to do the work yourself and you end up doing the work from a very small perspective. So you cannot have somebody bring programs from outside and expect to see a change. Let the community lead the process. We can solve our problems locally, from our own experience and from our own cultural perspective. That’s

MCFARLANE: I think it’s important to look at government as a reflection and conduit of specific interests. For example before our

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.

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Page 6 • March 9 - March 15, 2015 • Insight News

Ferguson From 1 Such a conclusion also raises further questions about the Grand Jury ruling that exonerated Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown. Before the Justice Department probe and despite conflicting stories by witnesses that now might be attributed to how they were treated or questioned within the prevailing police culture of bias, evidence of this bias was fully apparent in the composition of the majority white police force overseeing the majority Black protesters, and the police’s quickness to act harshly and punitively against all demonstrators for the aggressive acts of a few. It didn’t take rocket science or a federal probe to state the obvious. White policemen have been conditioned by their culture of bias to view Blacks with hostility and in need of punishment. In the context of such an acceptable racially charged belief system, violent

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acts against Blacks are always justified. The unwarranted death of Michael Brown was just one more notch in the belts of a police department that had little respect for Black life. It is the same department that sent anti-Black emails to each other routinely and without fear of any reprisal. Local Black residents didn’t need the Justice Department to ride in on its federal horse and state the obvious. They were already familiar with the findings of the probe, having experienced and lived them up close and personal. Black residents in Ferguson every day were subjected to what can only be described as a culture of racial violence perpetrated and perpetuated by the very state institution that is supposed to protect them. The daily fear of retribution that characterized their everyday lives is not unlike the fear southern Blacks experienced during the Jim Crow era when stepping out of line or for no apparent reason, except to entertain, thousands of Blacks were routinely lynched. During the protests in Ferguson, Black residents consistently described their personal experience with what now must be construed as modern-day lynching through a pervasive climate of policeinstigated racial profiling and routine coercion, intimidation and punishment. For these residents, the federal probe was spot on. Some residents have accrued thousands of dollars in tickets for infractions that can only be described as ludicrous. The Feds may have to also look into restitution and whether the Ferguson police force willfully financially exploited Black residents out of this proven racial bias; some residents lost jobs because of this police harassment and others incurred significant financial burdens. So the actions of all the Ferguson police force, including Darren Wilson, have to be viewed as having been heavily influenced by this culture

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This is what cultural bias does, it conditions members of the culture to overgeneralize and paint those for whom it harbors prejudice, resentment and racist ideology with a broad stroke of the same brush of bias toward Blacks often articulated in the emails that were circulated on the official police server without any fear of sanctions. Officer Wilson went to work everyday and was exposed to a cultural belief system that denigrated Black life and viewed the loss of Black life as socially acceptable. In such a climate, taking a Black life will always be acceptable and justified. More to the point, the unapologetic denial of the mayor of Ferguson and his weak explanation that the emails just reflect the behavior of a few rogue policeman (who have been scapegoated and suspended) only reinforces the way in which racism in Ferguson is normalized and accepted. This is what cultural bias does, it conditions members of the culture to overgeneralize and paint those for whom it harbors prejudice, resentment and racist ideology with a broad stroke of the same brush. This means that if you have encountered one example of criminal behavior by Blacks, then all Blacks are de facto criminals. This kind of group think is what Darren Wilson was conditioned by, alongside all the historical examples of Black stereotyping and criminalizing that exists in American culture, reinforced by monolithic media images of Black crime, popular rap music, videos, and media’s persistent coverage of negative Black

behavior. Because of this cultural mindset, it may have been more appropriate for the Grand Jury to have exonerated Darren Wilson by reason of racist insanity. It is the unfounded and irrational belief in white superiority that undergirds racist thought and behavior. But as Dr. Kesho Scott, a sociology professor at Grinnell College and practitioner of “Unlearning Racism” pedagogy, argues, people are not born racist, they learn it. There is no genetic predisposition among whites for racism. Rather racism, defined as the deliberate and systematic exclusion from strategic resources and intentional exercise of oppressive power over one group of people by another group, though learned, can also be unlearned. But dismantling the systems that support the racist behaviors won’t be easy. Why? The thinking that drives racism is not logical but deeply rooted in folk beliefs that harken back to the days of Social Darwinism and Judeo-Christian religious interpretations used to justify social and class stratification and colonialism. The so-called “natural” imperative to conquer and colonize was not always prevalent in human history. As hunter-gatherers, our ancestors in Africa (the cradle of human origins) were fairly egalitarian.

Conflicts were resolved by people breaking off and establishing new groups. It is with the rise of agricultural production and state-level societies that we begin to see the disappearance of egalitarianism, the emergence of socially stratified societies and the hoarding of strategic resources (the beginning of capitalism as we know it today). Whereas hunter-gatherers roamed the land and used the resources at hand, in state-level societies, the idea of “ownership” comes into existence. In its earliest stages of development, priests were considered a privileged class with entitlements. Even as we have moved away from a social structure organized around priests, western civilizations and others societies have retained those historic vestiges of power, privilege and entitlements belonging to a few. White power and privilege are fundamentally rooted in a belief that white skin contains some magic alchemy that renders the individual and the group superior to others who lack it, and entitles them to greater access to strategic resources and power. The beliefs that justify this come from many sources historically-- the Bible where people with black skin are viewed as living embodiments of the “mark of Cain” and their lower status and subjugation justified (i.e., slavery and colonialism) as part of a divine plan. Differences in the social organization of societies that come in contact with each other has also been used to rationalize white supremacist thinking. Thus, the contact between the emerging industrial Europe and the communal societies of Africa led to the “civilized v. primitive” discourse that still informs how we view the world. Today the same ideology is cast as “developed v. nondeveloped” and “First world v. Third world.” What these concepts share is a fundamental belief in Eurocentric/white superiority and the “inherent”

From 4

Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips

recent announcement that HHS is setting measurable goals and a timeline to move Medicare toward paying providers based on the quality, rather than the quantity of care they give patients.

Associate Editor Culture and Education 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

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inferiority of non-whites or people of color. This is a truncated explanation of the hostility, racism, and white supremacist thinking that fueled the culture of bias among Ferguson police. News flash: Ferguson is not an isolated incident. Across the United States and in Europe white supremacy thinking is resurfacing as a major lens through which people of color are being viewed and that is structuring how their lives are being shaped and damaged by systems of inequality. Here in America, the culture of bias is pervasive and deeply rooted. Some of the very architects of the democratic framework of the United States of America also operates out of a culture of bias. Despite his relationship with Sally Hennings, Thomas Jefferson held a strong belief in inferiority of his Black slaves and his mixed off-spring. He also held a class position and lifestyle that benefitted enormously from slave labor. Monticello is not simply a monument to Jefferson’s genius as the architect of the Constitution and the architect of the “academic village” and what we now call public universities; Monticello stands as a monument to the talented Black slaves that produced the bricks, carved the nails and laid the foundations and walls with such precision that we admire it hundreds of years later. It was slave labor that produced the wealth that enabled Thomas Jefferson to lead a gentlemanly life of leisure and to build and modify Monticello several times. Yet Jefferson believed his slaves to be inferior despite the fact that their ability to translate his architectural vision into brick and mortar made it real. The affirmation by the federal probe that Ferguson has an entrenched police culture of bias should not be surprising. White supremacy thinking is

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Closing the prescription drug “donut hole” The Affordable Care Act makes Medicare prescription drug coverage more affordable by gradually closing the gap in coverage where beneficiaries had to pay the full cost of their prescriptions out of pocket, before catastrophic coverage for prescriptions took effect. The gap is known as the donut hole. The donut hole will be closed by 2020, marking 2015 as the halfway point. Because of the health care law, in 2010, anyone with a Medicare prescription drug plan who reached the prescription drug donut hole received a $250 rebate. In 2011, beneficiaries in the donut hole began receiving discounts on covered brand-name drugs and savings on generic drugs. People with Medicare Part D who fall into the donut hole in 2015 will receive discounts and savings of 55 percent on the cost of brand name drugs and 35 percent on the cost of generic drugs. For state-by-state information on discounts in the donut hole, go to: http://downloads.cms.gov/ files/Part-D-donut-hole-by-state2014-YTD.pdf. For more information about Medicare prescription drug benefits, go to: http://www. medicare.gov/part-d/. Medicare preventive services The Affordable Care Act eliminated coinsurance and the Part B deductible for recommended preventive services covered by Medicare, including many cancer screenings and other important benefits. By making certain preventive services available with no cost sharing, the Affordable Care Act is helping Americans take charge of their own health. By removing barriers to prevention, Americans and health care professionals can better prevent illness, detect problems early when treatment works best, and monitor health conditions. For state-by-state information on utilization of preventive services at no cost to Medicare beneficiaries, please visit: http://downloads.cms.gov/files/ Beneificiaries-Utilizing-FreePreventive-Services-by-StateYTD-2014.pdf.

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Insight News • March 9 - March 15, 2015 • Page 7

EDUCATION

Mobile Jazz After School instructor Elizabeth Lassiter interviews Master Violinist Ernest Bisong from Nigeria.

Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project launches the Mobile Jazz After School program

Mobile Jazz After School team, Walter Chancellor Jr, Steven Price, Solomon Parham, Shaiwna Adams, Andre Fischer, Elizabeth Lassiter, and Jermain McKinley.

A new collaboration with The Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project and the Saint Paul Public Schools has formed. A new After School Program developed by Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project is offering world class music production, music history, multimedia arts training, sociology and 21st Century skills to students. Participants will work with leadership development staff from the University of Minnesota’s School of Social Work and Youth Studies, alongside high level music and multimedia instructors, teaching grades 6-12, learning team building, communication and how to work with iPads and

current music technology to create a “Soundtrack Of Their Lives” over the course of the project. Registration and further information is available at: www.creativearts.spps.org/ mobile_jazz_project The project will run through May 6th from 2:45-4:45pm on Mondays and Wednesdays at Creative Arts High School. Questions can be addressed to greg.anderson@spps.org. See more about the Mobile Jazz Project at: www. twincitiesmobilejazzproject.org or visit us on Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/pages/ Tw i n - C i t i e s - M o b i l e - J a z z Project/585787518114890

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT COLON CANCER. Bettie Mae Fikes

Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer fatalities in the nation. If caught early, it is also one of the most preventable and treatable forms of cancer. So, don’t be shy asking your doctor questions about your colon. If you’re 50 or older, you should schedule regular screenings—at which time, polyps can be found during a colonoscopy and removed before they become cancerous. Get screened for colon cancer at North Memorial Medical Center. Call 763-581-5600 to schedule an appointment. To learn more about colon health visit northmemorial.com/gi.

Civil rights icon Bettie Mae Fikes is the voice of Selma Bettie Mae Fikes, a civil rights icon who has been referred to as “The Voice of Selma,” recently returned to the Robbinsdale Area Schools to speak to students. Fikes got involved in the civil rights movement while she was a high school student in Selma, Ala. She became a student leader for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) at age 16, and was jailed for several weeks for protesting during the voting rights struggle in Selma in 1963. Bettie began singing with the SNCC Freedom Singers, and her passion and commitment garnered her the Long Walk to

Freedom Award, as well as a letter from then-California Gov. Gray Davis acknowledging her role in the civil rights movement. Fikes first visited the district last year. She returned Feb. 24 to share her experiences with around 250 students at Armstrong High School. “It started out as a civil rights struggle, but it became a human rights struggle,” Fikes told the Armstrong students. “We knew what we were fighting 50 years ago. We were fighting for the right of interstate transportation. A lot of people died for that. We fought for the right to go into

a restaurant, and just be able to order a meal. We fought for that. People died for the right just to register to vote.” Integration and Equity Program Director Marcellus Davis said he hoped that students would get an intimate account of “a freedom fighter who has helped put together mass change for America through the civil rights movement.” “I hope that students realize that the work is not done, and that they have a role to continue working for civil rights, for human rights, for all Americans in this country today,” Davis said.

Page 8 â&#x20AC;˘ March 9 - March 15, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Insight News

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LIFESTYLE Award-winning Robin Wilson releases â&#x20AC;&#x153;Clean Design: Wellness for Your Lifestyleâ&#x20AC;? Award-winning interior designer Robin Wilsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highly anticipated â&#x20AC;&#x153;Clean Design: Wellness for your Lifestyleâ&#x20AC;? is now available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The book will be available for purchase online and in-stores on April 7, 2015. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Clean Designâ&#x20AC;? encompasses 15 years of the Robin Wilson Home brand when, in 2000, Wilson spearheaded the clean design movement in response to having debilitating allergies as a child. Currently Wilsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s line of linens, pillows and quilts are sold at Bed, Bath & Beyond nationwide. Highlighting access to interior design elements that answer to Wilsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four principles â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sustainable, recyclable, hypoallergenic and nontoxic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the author demonstrates how to create a healthy home without sacrificing personal style. She credits eco-home brands such as FLOR, Kohler, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Clean Bedroom, Consentino and Panasonic Home, among others, as she weaves a cohesive blueprint for eco-friendly living options. The end result is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Clean Designâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the first comprehensive guide for limiting or eliminating health risks or allergen triggers in your living space â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with detailed information for each room in your home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m constantly approached by families and fellow designers to give advice on creating a wellness-oriented and â&#x20AC;&#x201C; most importantly â&#x20AC;&#x201C; accessible style for

these conditions cannot be cured, their symptoms can be managed by avoiding a variety of allergen inducing factors. For some, the home is full of allergy and asthma triggers instead of being a sanctuary. Some of these include the following:

Vanessa-Lenz

Robin Wilson everyday living,â&#x20AC;? says Wilson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Clean Design has allowed me to showcase images of my interior designs to give consumers the information they need to make conscious decisions when

designing their home, without having to sacrifice cutting edge style.â&#x20AC;? One in five (roughly sixty million) Americans suffer from asthma and allergies. Although

â&#x20AC;˘ Dust mites in beds and pillows. â&#x20AC;˘ Mold in bathrooms and basements. â&#x20AC;˘ Pollen infiltrating carpets and upholstery from outdoor trees and grass. â&#x20AC;˘ Fumes from chemical cleaners and cooking. Following the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Clean Designâ&#x20AC;? strategy helps families create an allergen-free environment to nurture good health and limit exposure to the substances

that activate allergic reactions and difficulty breathing. As a volunteer Ambassador for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), Wilson joins the call for families to focus on indoor air quality issues as an advocate for wellness and use of non-toxic products in an accessible manner. As an Ambassador to the AAFA, Wilson continues to spread news and information about developing healthy living spaces for families, especially children. Originally appearing in Oprah Winfreyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;O Magazine,â&#x20AC;? Robin Wilson has since appeared on numerous television shows and in national publications from â&#x20AC;&#x153;MSNBCâ&#x20AC;? and the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wall Street Journalâ&#x20AC;? to â&#x20AC;&#x153;HGTVâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;House Beautiful.â&#x20AC;? She is a frequent speaker at leading conferences

such as The Aspen Institute, Conservation International, Architectural Digest Home Show and DWELL on Design among others, where she shares her expertise with home design industry leaders and the general public alike. Robin Wilson Home (www. RobinWilsonHome.com) was founded with a focus on wellness and living healthy at home â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with designs to change the way people think and live. The brand philosophy: Creating a holistic lifestyle means understanding that there is a link between interior environments, chemicals and asthma, allergies and other disease. Insisting on clean construction methods from the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;foundation to the furnitureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x201E;˘ - she is a nationally recognized expert on healthy homes. As a businesswoman, she has licensed the eponymous brand to retail products such as furniture, textiles and custom cabinetry. She says her daughter is her inspiration, and keeps her focus on maintaining a safe, non-toxic home environment. Starting this March 2015 in New York City, Wilson will launch a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Clean Designâ&#x20AC;? national book tour followed by personal appearances at FLOR locations across the US to personally connect with fans, sign books and share her vision of stylish wellness design. To learn more about the book tour locations and dates, please visit www.cleandesignbook.com.

Real change begins with you Man Talk

By Timothy Houston In a couple of weeks, spring will be upon us and the weather will begin to change. For those of us in the Twin Cities, spring is a reminder that things will change for the better. It is within this hope that we are able to deal with lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s upâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and downâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

Some look for change to take place outside of them like the change in weather. The truth is that real change takes place within us. If nothing outside of you ever changes, if you change for the better inwardly, your live will be better. Like the upcoming spring season, your life is about to change for the better. First, to see real change, you must change your focus. You must have an honest look inwardly. Your perspective matters. If you see yourself as small, unattractive, limited, or defeated, nothing in life will be of much value. Even if

everyone in your circle tells you that you are beautiful, and you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think so, their words will have little value to you. Real value starts within. When you see yourself as great, beautiful, unlimited, and full of potential, you will cause the whole world to bend in your direction, and your life will change for the better. Next, to see real change, you must speak positive words about yourself. Your words are a reflection of who you are within. You say what you believe. As you establish positive belief in yourself, you will speak positive words.

Words also create actions. They are the catalyst for positive achievement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śif anyone says to the mountain, go throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in their heart, but believes what they say will happen, it will be done for themâ&#x20AC;? (Mark 11:23). You can speak to the mountains in your life, and they will give way to what you say and believe in your heart. Finally, to see real change, you must change your actions. Your actions must line up with your words, and your words must reflect your heart. The three must be in agreement. When you

say one thing and do something else, your heart is conflicted. You will not get far in life with a conflicted heart. When this happens, you will only make bad choices. These choices will lead to consequences that will take away from success you desire. You will be become unbelievable, unreliable, and undependable. On the contrary, when your actions line up with your words, your heart will be at peace and your life will be full of blessings and prosperity. Real change begins within you. If nothing in you changes, changing everything around you will have little or no effect.

You are the primary source and impact of how your life will be. Those who are living a positive life already know this. By honoring your words, you have the power to change your life. Once you change inwardly, by changing your words, actions, and view of yourself, you will achieve great success! Timothy Houston is an author, minister, and motivational speaker who is committed to guiding positive life changes in families and communities. For copies of his book, questions, comments or more information, go to www.tlhouston.com.

Work hard on seeing your goals through Motivational Moments

By Penny JonesRichardson Have you ever felt like you were working so hard and doing all the right things in your life to be a success, but nothing seems to be going as you planned? Are you at a point where you think that maybe you are working so

hard and maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time you gave up on this goal because nothing is happening fast enough for you? Remember just because you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see the end result right away, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t made any progress. Achieving any goal takes lots of focus and can take a long period of time. (Depending on the goal.) But the key is to never give up because you never know how close you are to completing anything if you give up before you completed it. I know of a person who gave up on a particular goal because it was taking too long only to

find out in the end that he was almost at his breakthrough. That is how it usually is most of the time anyway. We tend to give up right before our blessings are shown to us. Sometimes it can get stressful working on goals to the point of wanting to just call it quits! But if you put your all into anything, then it would be a shame to have wasted your time. See it through and know that you are almost there. Like I have heard so many times before, anything worth having is worth fighting for. This means that if you have made the decision to work hard on anything, then the key is to also work hard on seeing it through.

Remember you identified the goals you need to work on in your life to be a better person, or to improve you and your familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s situation, so why not keep going until those dreams and goals are fulfilled. Every day you should remind yourself that you are moving closer to your dreams and you are on your way to your greatness! Smile, because your breakthrough is ALMOST HERE! 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

Live at Orchestra Hall

Chris Botti with the Minnesota Orchestra Sat Mar 14 8pm Sarah Hicks, conductor / Chris Botti, trumpet GrammyÂŽ $ZDUG ZLQQLQJ WUXPSHWHU &KULV %RWWL PRYHV HĹ˛RUWOHVVO\ IURP MD]] WR SRS DQGÂłWR SXW LW VLPSO\ÂłWKLV 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 FDQÂˇW PLVV

612.371.5656 ÂĽ minnesotaorchestra.org PHOTOS Botti: Fabrizio Ferri, Hicks: Greg Helgeson

0HGLD 3DUWQHUV

via her website at www. thequeensproject.com or email

at penny@thequeensproject. com.

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Insight News â&#x20AC;˘ March 9 - March 15, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 9

COMMUNITY 22 emerging leaders address critical issues facing Black community AALF From 1 dearth of capable and qualified individuals ready to grab the baton from the previous holders. The academy, named for Minnesota human and civil rights pioneer, Dr. Josie Johnson (who continues to play an active role is Minnesota politics, education and human and civil rights), is a year-long training that seeks to engage identified emerging leaders in developing a united urban agenda that will address the critical issues facing those in the African-American community. From hundreds of applicants 22 emerging leaders were selected as fellows in the inaugural class of the academy. Those selected were Abdul Wright, Alida Abdullah, Amber Jones, Banna Kidane, Billy C. Russell, Brandon Jones, Cedrick Frazier, Danielle Jackson, Devonna Bentley, Jason Sole, Keith Brooks, Lamar Hylton, Maher Abduselam, Maya Buckner, Mike Hestick, Nicholas Styles, Nikki McComb, Rhonda Hylton, Tabitha Seyon, Tawakal Hire, Toni Newborn and Zeinab Jeylani. Jeffrey Hassan, executive director of AALF, said his objective in curating the leadership academy is to create leaders who put the needs

Nikki McComb of power and it has created a vacuum. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I continually heard from young people in particular that say thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no structure set up for them to get into positions of

of the community over the selfish desires of those seeking singular advancement. He said younger African-Americans in the Twin Cities have struggled to gain access to positions

leadership, and old heads donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see this as an issue so thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit of a disconnect there,â&#x20AC;? said Hassan, who took over as the executive director of AALF this past November. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Even at

our recent forum (that brought hundreds together to craft an urban agenda for the Twin Cities) my own administrative assistant said she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see opportunities for younger people to participate so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to be more intentional about providing opportunities for (young people) to participate.â&#x20AC;? Hassan said the recent forum was attended by mostly 35-55 year-olds, with several above the age of 55 years, while very few were younger than 35 years of age. In creating the JRJLA, Hassan said it will fill a critical gap in leadership by addressing culturally-specific needs of African-Americans, including racial pride, psychological development, collective consciousness and community building. According to the forumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website (www.aalf. us), the JRJLA will develop, connect, support, and train new African-American leaders through monthly meetings, quarterly trainings, mentorship and project-based learning. In addition, Hassan said the academy will address the needs of the AfricanAmerican community by identifying solutions through project-based learning, break down intergenerational barriers between established and emerging AfricanAmericans and prepare and facilitate JRJLA fellows to take on influential positions

in business, philanthropy, government and community action where their participation can advance the interests of the African-American community and improve racial equity. Nikki McComb, a parent engagement specialist with Pillsbury United Communities, said being selected as an emerging leader is a cherished honor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There were hundreds of applicants, so to be accepted (into the academy) means a lot,â&#x20AC;? said McComb. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been doing this for 17 years â&#x20AC;&#x201C; working with families and youth â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but I never took that next step in accepting leadership. This academy gives us the opportunity to come together and better affect change for those who have various barriers placed in their lives.â&#x20AC;? The expected measurable outcomes of JRJLA are to increase leadership capacity as measured by the number of African-American community members prepared to represent the community in employment, civic, advisory, decisionmaking, and/or elected positions and to increase the number of African-American leaders at tables of employment, appointments and commissions where decisions are made that affect the African-American community in the areas of education, employment and economic development, health, culture and spirituality.

Rights forum attacks racial income gap Nearly 200 community members gathered at the Neighborhoods Organizing for Change office for a forum on workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rights in Minneapolis and throughout the state, including a need for earned sick and safe time, fair scheduling, a living wage, and ending wage theft on Saturday, February 28. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I was working at McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, I had a baby and had to go back to work ten

days later or lose my job--even though I had a C-section,â&#x20AC;? said Octancia Adams, an organizer with Neighborhoods Organizing for Change. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give me paid time off. We need earned sick and safe time for all workers.â&#x20AC;? Rosa Garcia Perez, a cook at McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organizing with Centro de Trabajadores Unido en la Lucha (CTUL), spoke about the difficulties of raising a family in a low-wage job.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have to work the overnight shift by myself--and sometimes I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even have time to go to the bathroom or drink water,â&#x20AC;? said Rosa. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m currently four months pregnant, so I need to do both of those things a lot. We all deserve fair scheduling and higher wages, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re organizing to have our voice heard in the workplace.â&#x20AC;? NOC member Jeremy Little sometimes works the closing shift at Perkins until

2 am only to turn around and open at 7 am. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unless you get a chance to recharge you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be at the top of your game,â&#x20AC;? said Jeremy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A new law would allow me more flexibility with school--my grades would probably be better. I could perform better in my personal life. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be a happier person. Period.â&#x20AC;? Advocates are exploring a range of policy changes for workers at both the state

and city levels. The Working Parents Act, guaranteeing all workers earned sick and safe time and fair scheduling, among other changes, was introduced in the legislature this month. Seattle City Council Member Kshama Sawant, who helped pass a $15 minimum wage in Seattle, visited Minneapolis two weeks ago, fueling energy and buzz for a living wage in Minneapolis.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Minnesota has one of the worst racial income gaps in the country,â&#x20AC;? said NOC executive director Anthony Newby. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Continuing on the path weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on not only hurts hardworking families of color, but has serious implications for our shared future. The time is now to choose a different path that invests in building a state where we all have the opportunity to not just get by, but get ahead.â&#x20AC;?

Ferguson

justice system, in education, in healthcare, etc., are not only still in place, but that those that were dismantled because of the Civil Rights and other movements and legislation are returning with a vengeance, until we acknowledge this 800lb gorilla of rampant inequality in our American social fabric, the tragedies of Ferguson and other places will continue and cultures of bias among police and other

sectors (health, education, banking, court systems) will persist and become more even further entrenched. But there is hope, to return to Dr. Scott, racism is learned behavior. It also is not confined to white people. People of color can adopt the mindset of white superiority. Thus, simply putting Blacks on the police force in Ferguson will not automatically eradicate the

culture of bias. Black recruits can be sucked into it as well and become just as dangerous as white policemen. Also, we must be mindful that all white people have not drunk the white supremacy kool aid. Not all whites practice racism-and there are many who have devoted their lives to revealing white power and privilege and working to dismantle systems of inequality. We must not

reverse the culture of bias by painting all whites with the same broad brush stroke. In this struggle to dismantle racism and eradicate all forms of inequality, we will need every willing recruit we can enlist. The battle cry has been sounded--#Blacklivesmatter, #Indianlivesmatter, and in the absence of a hashtag, we must become a country that believes in America #alllivesmatter, and

make that truth we practice everyday.

Opportunity Division. Peals has a background in business, education and government. The new executive director said he and the university are committed to doing more business with minority and women businesses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; particularly suppliers. He said these efforts can help to level employment rates in the state. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People who have businesses tend to hire people

who look like them, so we want to grow our relationships with women- and minority-owned businesses,â&#x20AC;? said Peal, while addressing a room of wellwishers at a recent reception held at the U of Mâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC). Peal said under the stewardship of Taylor the

university had done a good job of promoting relationships with businesses owned by women and people of color and he plans to continue and advance on the work done by his predecessor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The well I drink from I did not dig,â&#x20AC;? said Peal, quoting an African proverb. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But I have a responsibility to keep the water clear. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud of these numbers (in working

with women and minority businesses), but we wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be proud of these numbers next year (implying greater outreach to women-owned and minorityowned businesses). I love supplier diversity and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be looking to spend money with women and minority owned businesses as much as possible.â&#x20AC;? In terms of real dollars,

according to Peal, from 2012 to 2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in construction alone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the University of Minnesota spent more than $156 million with women and minority owned businesses, with more than $88.7 million going to women owned businesses and $18.5 million being spent with African-American owned businesses.

From 6 wired into the social fabric of this country alongside its democratic principles. They contradict each other and until we acknowledge that beliefs of racial inferiority and white supremacy and the structures that support them politically, economically, in the

Peal From 1 Supplier Development Council. Prior to that, Peal served as the dean of students at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. He also served as deputy director of Ohioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Equal

Classifieds

Phone: 612.588.1313

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Support Specialist

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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 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; $60,368. For a complete job description please visit our website, http://www.mnp.uscourts.gov , Career Opportunities. EOE

Executive Director NASW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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 prefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d. Post-law school pov. law exper., fam. law or clinical exper. prefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

Fax: 612.588.2031

(c ) 2015 McClaurin Solutions Dr. Irma McClaurin is an anthropologist and writer residing near the DC metro area.

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 Minnesotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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: Â&#x192; Expertise in areas related to Board governance Â&#x192; No conflict of interest with ClearWay Minnesota vendors, grantees or contractors Â&#x192; 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.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/ ferguson-police-accusedof-racial-bias-by-federalinvestigation-1425411657

Rustic Creek Townhomes Now accepting applications for our Section 8 waiting list. Please call 218-595-1018 or email rusticcreek@metesbounds.com Equal Housing Opportunity

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 9 - March 15, 2015 • Insight News

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Photo: Dan Norman

Reed Sigmund (left) and Ansa Akyea. Sitting: Dean Holt.

Children’s Theatre Company presents a spirited adaptation of Huck Finn Based on Mark Twain’s classic, “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) presents Greg Banks’ adaptation of “Huck Finn,” March 3 – April 4. Banks, whose CTC credits include “Pinocchio,” “Robin Hood,” “Antigone,” “Romeo and Juliet” and more, will direct, with music composed by Victor Zupanc, set by Joseph Stanley, costumes by Mary Anna Culligan and lighting design by Paul Whitaker. “Huck Finn” premiered at CTC in the 2006-2007 season and is

part of the theatre’s ongoing commitment to reimagining classics for the stage. “When you adapt classics, you are always looking for an opportunity to enter into the story anew, to tease out what it continues to say about society and about ourselves,” said Banks. “Theater grants audiences a part to play in bringing the story to life. For me, that’s what makes it so exhilarating.” In this take on Twain’s classic story, acclaimed Twin Cities actor Ansa Akyea and CTC Company members Dean Holt and

Reed Sigmund take on multiple roles, from Huck and Jim to a bullfrog, a steamboat, fog and even the great Mississippi river itself. “Huck Finn” composer and CTC music director Zupanc will play live on stage alongside accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Joe Cruz. In creating this production, CTC and director Banks confronted the controversy that the book has courted since its publication in 1885. Originally banned because of Huck’s “coarse language”

and “crude behavior,” “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” has more recently come under fire for its use of the ‘n’ word. Carefully weighing the decision of whether to include the use of the derogatory word as it is used in the original text, the creative team ultimately decided that the word would prevent audiences from experiencing the extraordinary power of this story. The relevance of the story today is what attracted Akyea to this production. “I am doing this story

for my children, for them to see and understand the challenges of the world they are coming into,” said Akyea. “I am doing this piece because it captures Mark Twain’s American literary genius in reflecting man’s capacity for cruelty in the institution of slavery, man’s ability to love beyond skin color, and the importance of family beyond definition, country and freedom.” “Huck Finn” runs March 3 – April 4 on the UnitedHealth Group Stage. As part of CTC’s commitment to

programming for ages two through 18, “Huck Finn” is recommended for grades third and beyond. Single tickets range from $10 - $58. For more information, visit www.childrenstheatre. org or call the ticket office at (612) 874-0400. Children’s Theatre Company is the first theater for young people to win the coveted Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater (2003). As one of the 20 largest theater companies in the nation, CTC has created more than 200 new works.

insightnews.com

Insight News • March 9 - March 15, 2015 • Page 11 Organizing for Change (NOC) 911 W. Broadway Ave., Minneapolis

Ratking

MN NOC will bring together art and organizing at this open mic. Dinner is provided. The event is co-hosted by MPIRG and the NAACP.

Saturday, March 14 POETRY READING Saved by Faith & Verse – Poetic Voices from the Somali Diaspora The Loft Literary Center 1011 Washington Ave. S. Suite 200, Minneapolis $10 advance $15 door

Mar. 3 - Mar. 8

Sam U WherewasUlastnight

Phillip Morris

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

Nimo H. Farah

Monday, March 9

HIP-HOP/CONCERT Official Dopeness with Rich Lee, the Crxsh and Major G. 7th Street Entry 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis 8 p.m. 18-plus

HIP-HOP/CONCERT Trash Talk with Ratking Triple Rock Social Club 629 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis Doors: 5 p.m. / show: 5:30 p.m. All ages $15

Head down to First Ave for live hip-hop in the 7th Street Entry.

Sacramento’s Trash Talk is a hardcore band that has released music through Odd Future Records. Breakout New York band, Ratking, and Lee Bannon open.

Wednesday, March 11 DANCE/PERFORMANCE

Tuesday, March 10

“Aahvaan: Invoking the Cities” Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

345 Washington St., St. Paul 7:30 p.m. $20-$47

March 12

across the country such as the Immigrant Rights PMA in San Jose, Calif. and the May Day PMA in Brooklyn.

CONCERT/PARTY Commissioned by the Ordway specifically for the grand opening of its new concert hall, “Aahvaan: Invoking the Cities” is a freshly imagined, multi-disciplinary event – part participatory performance installation and part concert experience. The performance begins the moment audience members walk through the front doors of the Ordway – where they will find dancers performing in beautiful and unexpected places throughout the building.

Thursday,

ON STAGE AT THE GUTHRIE

People’s Movement Assembly Benefit at Honey Honey 205 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis $10 advance/$12 door In preparation for the U.S. Social Forum (USSF) this summer, Minneapolis is hosting a People’s Movement Assembly (PMA). The aim of People’s Movement Assemblies is to advance the USSF goal of building popular movements in this country and advancing people’s collective power. PMAs are happening

The event is hosted by “Niles” Chadwick Phillips with Kayde Takeiteasy, Brittany Lynch, Off 10 (Jacob and Spencer Virden), Phillip Morris, Herschel, DJ Bvrnadette, DJ Lady Em, DJ Sarah White and Mamadu all slated to perform.

Friday, March 13 OPEN MIC

The Somali Arts Language & Leadership Institute presents Saved by Faith & Verse (the Poetic Voices of the Somali Diaspora), a bilingual project the uses poetry and the spoken word to shed some light on the Somali Diasporic experiences. The show features Ladan Osman, Abdillahi Ganey, Amjet Kemet, Caasho Baraanbur, Abdi Phenomenal, Ahmed Assad, Asma Farah and Hersi. The show is curated by Nimo H. Farah.

Sunday, March 15 SPORTS/ENTERTAINMENT WWE Road to Wrestlemania Target Center 600 1st Ave. N., Minneapolis $22 – $112 See former WWE champions John Cena and Randy Orton duke it out against the Money in the Bank winners, Seth Rollins and Bray Wayatt.

Free the Vote Open Mic MN Neighborhoods

THE BEST-SELLING MAGIC SHOW IN BROADWAY HISTORY “A HIGH -TECH MAGIC

EXTRAVAGANZA” - NEW YORK TIMES

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE directed by JOE DOWLING and DAVID BOLGER

A fresh take on Shakespeare’s perfect play FEBRUARY 7 – MARCH 29

612.377.2224 GUTHRIETHEATER.ORG Sponsored by

MARCH 24-29 Tickets start at $36 651.224.4222 ORDWAY.ORG TH E I L L U S I O N I STS L I V E.C O M

Page 12 • March 9 - March 15, 2015 • Insight News

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