Insight News ::: 03.16.15

Director Junauda Petrus: ”There Are Other Worlds” MORE ON PAGE 10

Insight News March 16 - March 22, 2015

Vol. 42 No. 11 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Conference develops leaders for next generation Commentary

By Carmen Robles Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Unveiling yet another generation of leaders, the 39th Annual Dr. Michael T. Fagin Pan African

L-R: Michael T. Fagin, Mahmoud El-Kati, Tonya Fagin

Student Leadership Conference crowned Black History Month observances last month with presentations and programs that were described as electrifying, motivating and inspirational.

More than 70 students attended the Minnesota State University Mankato Edina campus and the Hilton Hotel meeting rooms. Students traveled from as far as New Orleans, and Las Vegas, and Madison.

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© Can Stock Photo Inc. / ammentorp

Leading Millennials in the 21st century:

What will it take?

Analysis

By Irma McClaurin, PhD Culture and Education Editor Part 1 of a 3 part series “Shallow,” “multi-taskers,” “spoiled,” “entitled” and “No respect for the boss” are just a few of the adjectives and descriptive phrases some senior executives in the federal government attribute to the group dubbed the “Millennials,” also known as “Gen Y.” This cohort is generally represented by those

born at the beginning of the 1980s and continue through the early part of the decade marking the millennial (2000), give or take a few years plus or minus on either side. They are the largest generation since the Baby Boomers (those born in the forties and fifties) and comprise 70 million of today’s population, ranging in age from puberty to their early thirties.

Given the size of this future labor market, Millennials are a force to be reckoned with and, given their youthful age, must be accepted as here to stay.

The anxious discussions, debates and distress that senior executives have concerning Millennials in the workforce often begin with the acknowledgement

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Insight 2 Health

Fitness challenge includes cooking class at Mississippi Market

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Courtesy of Dr. Artika Tyner

Dr. Artika Tyner in Selma, Ala. just before crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in observance of the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday.”

Selma: Remembering Bloody Sunday

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer A contingency of up to 70 Twin Cities residents took part in the march on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama to commemorate the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” a seminal moment in

Black Lives Matter Mall protesters plead not guilty

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the Civil Rights Movement.

Bloody Sunday occurred on March 7, 1965 as civil rights advocates were marching from Selma, Ala. to Montgomery, Ala. – the state’s capital – to demand voting rights. The marchers, which included the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., members of the Southern Christian Leadership

Conference (SCLC), Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and others, were brutally beaten by state troopers and “possemen.” Two days later marchers again tried to cross the bridge – this time successfully. Later that night civil rights leader, the Rev. James Reeb – a white minister from Boston – was beaten by

segregationists. He died two days later from the beating.

The events of the marches from Selma to Montgomery were key in bringing national attention to the violent racism in the South and in large part lead to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

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Obituary

Community

MUL, community mourn the death of Lee Tillman

Real class at North High

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Page 2 • March 16 - March 22, 2015 • Insight News

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ROUND 5, WEEK 7

Fitness challenge includes cooking class at Mississippi Market I2H Blog

By Carmen Robles Week seven of the ten week challenge ended with a hands-on veggie cooking class facilitated by I2H Fitness Challenge nutritionist Julie (all about the food) McMahon of My Sound Nutrition. Using the spacious cooking classroom at the Mississippi Market on West 7th Street in St. Paul, Julie led Fitness Challenge members through a culinary journey with vegetables.

Thanks to the Insight 2 Health Fitness Challenge I’ve lost a chin, found my waist, can jump rope (first time in 40 years) and fell in love … with yoga. I have a new group of supportive friends, can climb 435 steps to the 34th floor in my building, broke my coffee addiction; have stayed away from sugar, white flour, dairy and the hardest thing to give up (besides the Café Bustelo) white rice.

By the way, a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health shows people who eat lots of white rice may significantly raise their risk of developing type 2-diabetes. So all you arroz blanco (white rice) aficionados should consider turning to brown rice.

Under the guidance of the expert fitness and yoga team assembled by Tyrone Minor, owner of F.I.T. Lab; Julie McMahon, My Sound Nutrition and; Dr. Darren Moore, The Moore Therapy Movement! Need I say Moore?, week seven ushered in a sense of accomplishment and a can do

Leading From 1 that these new employees are part of a “multi-generational workforce.”

A thoroughly detailed description of what such a workforce looks like can be found in Susan Hannam’s and Bonni Yordi’s “Transforming the Workforce Series. ” In their report “Engaging a Multi-

attitude that enveloped the group of twenty plus participants.

Week seven reinforced friendships and helped build team momentum which strengthened our bond and commitment to make it to the finish line on March 28th. It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. The fifth round of the I2H participants will surely finish on top! I’m in it for the long haul and look forward to measuring my results at the end of the ten week challenge.

Fitness challenge in alignment with NorthPoint community health priorities NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, a dynamic, innovative organization which aims to improve people’s lives, is a multi-specialty medical, dental and mental health center and human service Stella agency located at Whitney-West 1313 Penn Avenue Chief North in North Executive Minneapolis. Stella Officer Whitney-West NorthPoint has been its Chief Health & Executive Officer Wellness since December Center 2007 and continues the four decades long legacy of providing critical services to North Minneapolis and the broader community.

Supporting the I2H Fitness Challenge is directly in line with the agency’s mission and vision’s core

Generational Workforce: Practical for Government Managers,” Hannam and Yordi provide a clear delineation of the different generational characteristics and how they affect working styles; they also discuss several trends they predict will transform the workplace as we know it today thereby challenging managers and leaders. One is the infusion of a new breed of human talent who bring

Left: Julie McMahon, My Sound Nutrition (2nd on right) Below: Roasted Beats Bottom: I2H participants in week 7

principles of values and humble beginnings (as Pilot City) that the organization was founded upon. The Insight 2 Health Fitness Challenge mirrors the commitment and vision of NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center as a highly desirable place for healthcare, where an emphasis on teaching and supporting healthy lifestyle choices weaves NorthPoint into the total fabric of the community.

The NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center is unique in that it has The NorthPoint Community Board which governs, oversees, sets strategic direction and establishes policies and procedures to ensure the effective operation of the organization. The majority of the board members must be patients or clients of NorthPoint. This important partnership between Hennepin County and the community board sets a new precedent for co-ownership of resources and assets in the community.

For more information on NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center call 612) 543-2500 or visit their website on www.northpointhealth.org

with them different attitudes, work ethics and approaches to career development. The shifts in organizational culture, which may encompass work schedule, training, work assignments, work styles and reward structures demand that organizations develop new ways of thinking about employees and that senior executives adopt new ways of managing/ leading a multi-generational organizational culture that is effective at bringing new talent into the fold.

Hannam and Yordi assert that as organizations prepare for the coming generational shift, they need to take full advantage of the knowledge of their experienced workers, while at the same time rethinking old paradigms about what work is and how it gets done. …A major challenge for today’s Traditionalist and Baby Boomer managers is to figure out how to develop younger workers into tomorrow’s managers under a new model. (my emphasis) And, time is running out. Most federal agencies anticipate a rapid turnover in the next decade, if the data from some of the recent polls and surveys are correct. In that time, the majority of Baby Boomers working in federal services will retire and leave a “human capital crisis” according to the briefing, “Minding the Leadership Gap: Attracting Millennials to the Federal Government.” Why bother? Because the sun is setting for the current Baby Boomer federal employees and the next largest group of potential federal government employees, the Millennials,

who should replace them, don’t want to work in the federal government.

Federal Employment is No “Field of Dreams” for Gen Y In the movie, “Field of Dreams,” Kevin Costner is told by an angel that if he builds a baseball field in the middle of his cornfields, he will get the audience he needs. His field of dreams materializes—he builds it and they do come.

But that’s the movies. In the real world, the huge cohort of future talent known as Gen Y does not view federal service as its field of dreams.

They are not drawn to it; as a result, federal agencies in the future may find themselves challenged by the lack of an adequate pool of human talent from which to hire. The myth of the never-ending supply of potential federal employees is vanishing because while the Millennials may value public service and are committed to serving their communities locally and globally, they do not view government as the “go to” place for jobs.

The Atlantic writer Ron Fournier drives this point home in his provocatively titled article, “The Outsiders: How Can Millennials Change Washington If They Hate It?” (Aug 26, 2013). Using the results of an extensive survey, Fournier describes a serious disconnect between the future needs of the federal government for employees and the lack of desire among Gen Y’s to become civil servants.

Referencing the results of a Harvard study on Gen Y attitudes, Fournier

points out that today, “…

Millennials are increasingly negative and cynical about the political process.”

He goes on to illustrate the depths of the Millennials’ disappointment with Washington, D.C. and federal government service: How deep is the disengagement? I spent two days at Harvard, and couldn’t find a single student whose career goal is Washington or elective office.

One wouldn’t expect to hear this at the Kennedy School of Government. ‘Government and politics,” said graduate student Sara Estill, ‘hold little or no attraction for us.’

This disenchantment with federal service is not due to the absence of civic commitment.

According to Fournier, this generation of “Millennials have an outsized sense of purpose.” In fact, he cites a 2009 report by The National Conference on Citizenship that says the Millennials “… lead the way in volunteering.”

Almost half (or 43 percent) have engaged in some form of volunteer work in contrast to the Baby Boomers with only 35 percent.

The Pew Research `Foundation’s extensive report “Millennials: A Portrait of Generation Next,” draws some of the same conclusions. Gen Ys are not disengaged with their role as civic-minded individuals; in fact, they may be more involved than previous generations at the same age. However, they are not convinced that government offers any solutions and have recovered from their political crush on President Barack

Obama, whose success can be attributed to the large Millennial voter turnout that the Obama campaign effectively tapped through the use of technology and social media. The Millennial perspective of some who churn employment in the government can be summed up in the words of Chike Aguh, a Kennedy School graduate student interviewed by Fournier: “Politics just doesn’t seem … [relevant] to a lot of us and the world. Since the Great Society, tell me one big thing that has come out of Washington.

Results are important to us, and sadly, politics isn’t a place for results.”

Part 2 of 3 next week © 2015 McClaurin Solutions Irma McClaurin, a writer and anthropologist is the Culture and Education Editor at Insight News. From May 2013October 2014, she was a senior faculty member at the Federal Executive Institute, housed in the Center for Leadership Development (https:// leadership.opm.gov/index. aspx ), Office of Personnel Management, United States Government. Established by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968, FEI ‘s mission is to provide senior executives with leadership education through its residential program.

McClaurin also coordinated FEI’s leadership programs for USAID during her final months, which included teaching courses on leadership and resilience and being an Executive Coach.

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Insight News • March 16 - March 22, 2015 • Page 3

COMMENTARY

Systematic racism in America Opinion

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., Interim President, NNPA The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) report on the Ferguson, Mo. Police Department sheds a brighter light on a serious racial injustice malignancy that is not isolated or unique to that besieged city. What the Justice Department concluded in Ferguson, after months of intense investigation, exposes a systematic pattern of injustice and inequality that can actually be found in many cities across the nation.

This federal report presented facts with years of supporting data that revealed how racism was the decisive phenomenon in how the police and courts dealt disparagingly with Black Americans.

Racial disparities in police departments and in judicial systems are not just local problems in a few municipalities that have been

exposed as a result of a pattern of racial discrimination. This is a national problem that has persisted for decades in the United States. The absence of a cumulative national database on racially motivated police brutality and on judicial racial inequity is a contributing factor to this disgusting yet persistent societal contradiction.

The Justice Department report concluded, “These disparities occur, at least in part, because Ferguson law enforcement practices are directly shaped and perpetuated by racial bias.”

The good news is that in the aftermath of the details made public by the Justice Department provides a second opportunity for a more thorough national investigation. Racial justice activists and organizations should demand that the federal government perform a national investigation and audit of all major police departments and judicial systems concerning racial profiling, discrimination, abuse, police violence, prosecutorial misconduct and other forms of injustice based on race.

Of course, most of us already know what the outcome of such

The antidote to systematic racism in America is to support and empower Black Americans and other people of color in the transformation of the system of injustice a new national study would surely reveal. Black Americans and other people of color in the United States continued to endure long-term patterns of racial injustice not just in the so-called “criminal justice system,” but also in systems of health care, employment, housing, education, finance, and in exposures to multiple environmental hazards and toxicities.

Systematic racism in America has not and does not occur my osmosis. It is intentional and deliberate. It is the result of the “power” of imposed and unabridged

institutionalized racial bias, discrimination, bigotry, hatred, stereotyping and ignorance.

Another important and remarkable “revelation” of the DOJ report on Ferguson was the economic greed of that form of systematic racism.

The report stated, “Ferguson’s law enforcement practices are shaped by the City’s focus on revenue rather than by public safety needs. This emphasis on revenue has compromised the institutional character of Ferguson’s police department, contributing to a pattern of unconstitutional policing, and has also shaped its municipal

court, leading to procedures that raise due process concerns and inflict unnecessary harm on members of the Ferguson community.”

The “harm” to the Ferguson community was and continues to be overwhelmingly targeted on Black Americans.

Millions of dollars have been unjustly taken from the Black community in Ferguson and surrounding areas of St. Louis County as a direct result of the “unconstitutional” and illegal acts of police and court officials. Will the victims of the racism in Ferguson who have been financially fleeced and extorted by the law enforcement system be repaid or compensated?

The family of young unarmed Michael Brown who was unjustly killed by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson is going forward with a massive civil suit against Wilson, the police and the court system in Ferguson. The DOJ report should be used as conclusive evidence of the pattern and system of racial wrong doing in Ferguson.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder did the right thing by ordering the DOJ investigation.

Holder kept his public promise

to stand by the people of Ferguson. In fact to the credit of his outstanding leadership at the DOJ, there have been more that 20 DOJ civil rights investigations into various other police departments in the U.S. during Holder’s tenure as Attorney General. Holder reaffirmed, “I again commit to the people of Ferguson that we will continue to stand with you and to work with you to ensure that the necessary reforms are implemented.”

Thus, the struggle for racial justice continues in Ferguson and across the nation. The antidote to systematic racism in America is to support and empower Black Americans and other people of color in the transformation of the system of injustice in the U.S. into a fair and unbiased system of justice and equality for all people.

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

Our failure to measure up Child Watch

By Marian Wright Edelman

Too much and for too long, we seem to have surrendered personal excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our Gross National Product, now is over $800 billion dollars a year. If we judge the United States of America by that, Gross

National Product counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage…

Yet the Gross National Product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does

Currently, there are 427 African Americans in Minnesota waiting for organ an transplant. #TalkDonation promotes conversations in the Twin Cities through art, media and events to ensure donation information, resources, and support are available to all people.

We want you to be a part of the conversation about organ, eye and tissue donation

#TalkDonation presents:

The Best of Us event series: Stories From Our Community

Sunday, March 22, 2015 | 2–7pm LOCATION: Public Functionary 1400 12th Avenue Northeast, Minneapolis Join us for a roundtable discussion to share your stories and questions about organ, eye and tissue donation.

2:00 pm: Open House with food, children’s activities, music 4:00 pm: Roundtable discussion 6:00 pm: The Gift of Spirit Painting Workshop with Ron Brown This family-friendly event is free and open to the public. For more information, please visit talkdonation.org or call 612.800.6100.

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.

not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials.

It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country, it measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it can tell us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans.

–Senator Robert F. Kennedy What do we stand for as a nation and who do we wish to be? In a 1968 speech at the University of Kansas, Senator Robert Kennedy correctly worried too many used our nation’s wealth as the standard of greatness rather than the human values that should matter most.

Our Gross Domestic Product – now $17.7 trillion – includes many things for us not to be proud of. So we should ask ourselves how well America is doing on the things that should matter most – the well-being of our children and families and the quality of justice and life in our communities and nation?

Among high-income countries, the United States

ranks first in Gross Domestic Product and first in the number of billionaires, and second worst in child poverty rates – ahead only of Romania whose economy is 99 percent smaller than ours. It is a national disgrace that children are the poorest group of Americans with 14.7 million living in poverty.

We are first in military spending — $11.1 billion a week — and first in military weapons exports.

We are first in the number of people incarcerated and worst in protecting our children against gun violence.

A Black boy born in 2001 has a one in three chance of going to prison in his lifetime and a Latino boy a one in six chance of the same fate. Children and teens in America were 17 times more likely to be killed by gun violence than those in 25 other high-income countries combined.

We are 30th in preschool enrollment rates and 17th in reading, 23rd in science, and 31st in math scores for our 15-year-olds. Nearly 60 percent of all fourth and eighth grade public school students in the U.S. and more than 80 percent of Black and almost 75 percent of Latino children in those same grades could not read or compute at grade level in 2013.

We rank first in health expenditures but 25th in low birth weight rates, 26th in child immunization rates, 31st in infant mortality rates, and second worst in teenage births – just ahead of Bulgaria.

If we compare Black child well-being in America to child well-being in other nations, the U.S. Black infant mortality rate exceeds that in 65 nations, including Cuba, Malaysia, and Ukraine. Our incidence of low-birth weight Black infants is higher than in 127 other nations, including Cambodia, the Congo, and Guatemala.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child spells out the basic rights children should have everywhere and is the most widely and rapidly ratified international human rights treaty in history. The United States stands only with new U.N. member state South Sudan as the two countries that have not ratified it – and South Sudan has started working towards ratification.

The United States stands alone, despite recent progress, in still permitting life-withoutparole sentences for juvenile offenders who were under 18 at the time of the offense.

The U.S. Supreme Court has banned capital punishment for crimes committed by juveniles but America remains one of 58 nations that continues to use capital punishment for adults. In 2013 the U.S. had the sixth highest number of executions — after China, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea.

If America wants to be a truly great nation on the world stage, it’s time to redefine the measures of our success.

The litmus test I propose is that of the great German Protestant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer executed for opposing Hitler’s holocaust, who said “the test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.” The great South African president Nelson Mandela agreed with him and believed “there can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”

On the Bonhoeffer-Mandela measure of success, we must do much, much better.

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

Page 4 • March 16 - March 22, 2015 • Insight News

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Mall protesters plead not guilty

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer Inside a packed courtroom at the Hennepin County Division IV (Southdale) Courthouse in Edina there was marked silence, but outside the atmosphere was anything but as supporters for the dubbed “MOA 11” showed their support for the group.

The 11 defendants pled not guilty to misdemeanor charges of trespassing, disorderly conduct, and aiding and abetting trespass.

The charges stem from a Dec. 20 demonstration at the Mall of America as a part of the Black Lives Matter movement sparked by several killings of unarmed African-Americans by police throughout the nation, including the killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., Eric Garner in Staten Island, Tamir Rice and John Crawford, III; both of Ohio and other killings throughout the land. During the Dec. 20 demonstration, up to 3,000 protesters descended on the nation’s largest shopping mall in a vocal, but peaceful protest.

In addition to the MOA 11, 25 other protesters were arrested in connection with the event. The 11 defendants in court on March 10 are accused of being the “ringleaders” of the mass protest that occurred on the Saturday before Christmas. During the demonstration MOA officials chose to shut down for a period of time and many stores shuttered their doors, while at the other end of the spectrum, many workers at the mall showed solidarity with the protesters.

And while inside the courtroom, the defendants and supporters remained silent – many taping their mouths shut with Mall of America stickers – outside it was quite a different story. More than 300 people

Photos: Harry Colbert, Jr.

Hundreds rallied outside an Edina courthouse to show support for 11 defendants accused of being “ringleaders” of the Dec. 20 Black Lives Matter mass demonstration at the Mall of America. gathered, sang and chanted and called for a boycott of the mall unless charges are dropped against those accused.

“We won’t back down from Sandra’s overreach of power and we’ll continue to bring the message,” said Michael McDowell, one of the defendants referring to Bloomington prosecutor Sandra Johnson, who chose to bring charges against the 11. “We will continue to show that Black lives matter.”

Another defendant, Mica Grimm, was just as defiant in the face of prosecution.

“This is family, this is community … this is what it looks like when people come out and support each other,” said Grimm, speaking on the steps of the courthouse to the hundreds of gathered supporters. “This is what it looks like when people

Members of the “MOA 11” and their supporters hold hands in a moment of silence for the many unarmed African-Americans killed by police. are fed up with the status quo.

This is what it looks like when

we decide we want a brighter future for our babies. Do we

want our children to be facing the same discrimination and the

same sadness and the same pain that we feel in this generation? Do we want to pass that down to our babies? That’s why we’re here, right? That is why we do this. We ain’t gonna take this no more.”

Grimm’s words were met with thunderous applauses from the noticeably racially, and age mixed supporters.

One supporter, Greg Hagen, said as a military veteran he was continuing his service to country by supporting the MOA 11 and the Black Lives Matter movement.

“I’m out here because of what’s happening around this country (with the killings of African-Americans by police),” said Hagen, who is white and who held a sign that read Black Lives Matter. “I’m also here as a Veteran for Peace. When I went into the military I took an oath to defend America against threats to the Constitution. What I’m seeing across this country is a threat to the Constitution.”

Nekima Levy-Pounds, one of the 11 defendants, was visibly moved by the outpouring of support.

“It’s awe striking to see so many people stand here with us all and with the 25 people who were arrested,” said Levy-Pounds who is also a professor of law at St. Thomas University. “We know we’re on the right side of history. The same thing happened in the 1960s with laws being stretched to limit the voices of our community.”

Levy-Pounds said even the dean of the St. Thomas law school took to Twitter to support her and the other defendants.

The 11 will be back in court on May 1 to face the charges levied against them. In the interim, supporters are calling for a full boycott of the Mall of America and asking mall officials to have the Bloomington prosecutor drop all charges in the matter.

Report shows unemployment rate in Twin Cities 4x higher for Blacks than Whites; NOC calls on Federal Reserve to prioritize full employment in all communities At a press conference and rally last week, NOC released a report as part of a national day of action, showing that the unemployment rate for Blacks in the Twin Cities is four times higher than for whites, calling on the Federal Reserve to prioritize full employment in all communities.

“Minnesota is a great place to live, if you’re white,” said NOC executive director Anthony Newby.

“The unemployment rate is 2.8%. But for black folks, unemployment is over ten percent--crisis levels. The Federal Reserve is considering raising interest rates because Wall Street thinks the economy has recovered. But that would only increase unemployment, especially in communities of color.”

The report, “Wall Street, Main Street, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard: Why African-Americans Must Not Be Left Out of the Federal Reserve’s Full-Employment Mandate,” authored by the Center for Popular Democracy and Economic Policy

Sunday From 1 Fifty years later, more than 70,000 people descended on the bridge to commemorate the now iconic moment in American history. Among those 70,000,

Fagin From 1 The 39th Dr. Michael T. Fagin Pan African Student Leadership Conference made this year moved to the metropolitan area at the request of community leaders, students and the planning committee members.

The conference was housed on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato for the past 38 years. The change of location was in response to requests of community leaders and educators in the metro area.

The inspiration and vision behind the success of the Pan African Conference is accredited to Professor Emeritus Mahmoud El-Kati who motivated the founder Dr. Michael T. Fagin to institutionalize the program and offer the conference on an

of the African-American community and other lowincome communities, by keeping interest rates low so that we can rebuild the wealth that was stolen from us through this recent economic crisis.”

Joe Elliott worked at the Target Center for five years until he was unexpectedly laid off. “I liked the job--I met a lot of great people, and went to concerts and games. But I didn’t like the money. I deserve more than $8.40/hour. It wasn’t supporting my daily living-bills, kids, transportation. But it’s hard looking for a job as an African-American male.”

“The Minneapolis Fed President, Narayana Kocherlakota, has expressed support for keeping interest rates low,” said Anthony Newby. “That’s great. But he’s also retiring in a year. We need an open and transparent process for community input on the next Minneapolis Fed president.”

The Federal Reserve has a key policymaking meeting coming up in mid-March.

Institute, shows that in the Twin Cities metro area, the black unemployment rate is 10.9%, compared to 2.8% for

whites. Statewide, the black unemployment rate is 11.7%, compared to 3.2% for whites.

The Federal Reserve

regulates “ideal” levels of unemployment and raises interest rates when it calculates that the employment rate

has reached its target. As the economy slowly starts to recover, some elite voices are saying that the Federal Reserve should raise interest rates to prevent wages from rising. Such a move would increase unemployment and have disastrous consequences for working families across the region, particularly in communities of color, who are still struggling to recover from the Great Recession.

“Historically, the AfricanAmerican community has been cut out of opportunities the government was supposedly providing to everyone--for example, homeownership programs that AfricanAmericans could not participate in, public education programs that AfricanAmericans were either cut out of or cut short, livable wage jobs that African-Americans would not be considered for,” said Pastor Paul Slack, pastor of New Creation Church in Minneapolis and President of ISAIAH. “It’s time for the Federal Reserve to act specifically in the interest

there were about 70 who went to Selma as a part of an area delegation. The St. Paul to Selma delegation was organized through Unity Church in St. Paul.

For Dr. Artika Tyner, an assistant professor of public policy and leadership at St.

Thomas University, the journey to Selma was awe inspiring.

“Initially when I came (my mood) was excitement, but as I stayed it was a sense of renewed hope,” said Tyner upon her return from Selma. “For me it was a sense of where do we go from here.”

Tyner said she wrestled with the juxtaposition of how far America has come and yet how many African-Americans are still being disenfranchised.

“Fifty years later there’s much more work to do. Just look at the reality of life (for AfricanAmericans) who live around the

Edmund Pettus Bridge,” said Tyner, describing the conditions as impoverished.

Tyner said last year she also participated in the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Summer.

“For me it’s taking part in all of this to see how we can

advance change right here in St. Paul,” said Tyner, who said she is working to reestablish voting rights for those who have felony records. “The message is that there’s more to be done so hopefully in the next 50 years we can see monumental change.

annual basis.

This year’s theme was Sankofa An African concept that states “We must go back and reclaim our past so we can move forward.”

In 1976 Dr. Fagin hosted the first Pan African Student Leadership Conference on the campus of then Mankato State University. Mankato State’s small contingent of African and African American students rallied around the concept of unity and solidarity of African and African peoples of all corners of the diaspora.

A primary objective of the conference was to instill in students the need to respect the diversity among the many different cultural backgrounds of African peoples and to build a sense of unity and common bond working towards eliminating the negative forces of neocolonialism, white racism and white supremacy

throughout the world.

The conference was also designed in structure and content to be multigenerational, allowing the wisdom of elders and youth to interact and have students learn from those that have paved the way towards equal rights and justice for Black people in America and others of African descent throughout the world.

Over the past four decades the conference has brought to the state of Minnesota a number of national and international scholars and leaders that have fought for the freedom and civil rights of African people.

Tonya Fagin, daughter of Dr. Michael T. Fagin, from the time she could walk grew up listening to the words of African and African American leaders of civil rights. She remembers leaders such as Bobby Seales sitting in her father’s kitchen making the statement “In

the struggle for civil rights, everything has changed and nothing has changed.” She also recalled the wisdom of Stokely Carmichael “Kwame Tuoure” addressing the profound impact of psychological, cultural and institutional racism and its impact on whites and Blacks in America.

She remembers being exposed to the words and wisdom of the great African American poet Amiri Braka and legendary civic leaders such as Shirley Chisholm and the great Black feminist Flo Kennedy which shaped her life and the lives of thousands of African American youth over the history of the conference.

In taking a quick glance at this Pan African institution we find that in Fagin’s youth she developed her student leadership by being exposed to civil rights activists such as Randall Robinson who was at the forefront in the struggle

to dismantle apartheid in South Africa.

The current state of the conference closing its 39th year nationally known leaders a major keynote speaker who not only provided a brilliant and intellectual keynote address extended his self to meet with community and students discussing issues that affect youth, public school education and other topics that affect the well-being of African descent Reverend Dr. Benjamin Chavis.

Tonya Fagin closed the conference with the continued tradition of the Mr. and Ms. Pan African Talent Ceremony that helps to build positive selfconcepts and confidence in Black leader.

The excitement for me was the role the students themselves played during this four day conference. Most conferences boast youth as their priority but never actually have the young

people take a leadership role and experience the hands-on work that goes into putting on a conference of this caliber. The 39th Annual Dr. Michael T. Fagin Pan African Student Leadership Conference is indeed a Student Leadership event.

Among this new generation of young leaders is John Harper, who is working on his master’s in Education Leadership.

Harper radiated an aura of confidence and determination that is not easily found in this day of poor verbal and face to face communication skills.

During an era of instant gratification and social media, text, emails, face book, twitter and so on, Harper captivated the audience with his professionalism, his enthusiasm and his smile. It was refreshing to witness the power of the young, the educated…the future. I walked away full of hope and inspiration.

Pastor Paul Slack (center)

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Insight News • March 16 - March 22, 2015 • Page 5

Summit Academy completes house rehabilitation project A special group of construction workers is breathing life into an abandoned Minneapolis house while also forging a new path for themselves.

The workers, who are construction students from Summit Academy OIC, are part of a program designed to teach them a marketable skill and in the process turn their lives around so that they don’t reoffend.

Summit Academy’s Residential Rehabilitation Technician Program makes it possible for Hennepin County residents to earn a pre-apprentice construction certification through a 20-week program offered at Summit Academy OIC – a vocational training center in north Minneapolis, which requires no tuition from students and there are no loans to pay back. The Rehab Technical Program, which began in 2011 with a partnership between Summit and Hennepin County, has graduated 126 individuals and put many on a new career path for the future.

Seventy students from Summit have worked on seven crews since September, 2013 on a home located in the Powderhorn neighborhood of south Minneapolis. The home had been vacant and boarded up for several years and received a complete renovation inside and out. This house has just been finished and will soon be sold to an income-qualified borrower.

Louis King, Summit Academy OIC president and CEO, with Summit Academy students

Why are you running a capital campaign?

FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw Let’s be honest. Do you really know why your nonprofit is running a “capital campaign?”

Does your institution have specific capital needs such as buildings or equipment that it needs to invest in? Could it be your nonprofit is really running a “we need a lot of money campaign” or an “everyone else has done it” campaign?

Here’s what we’ve learned.

The most well-intentioned of people are often afraid to question the assumptions underlying a capital campaign.

While many of us have a strong drive to “save face,” that urge can put the organizations and institutions we believe in at risk.

Our advice: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Here are a three to consider.

Have there been conversations at the board level with reports from the finance committee on the costs,

variables, timeframes, and projected impact? Is there a budget to support the operations of the campaign, or will staffing, marketing, technology, events, and consultants be paid for “as the money comes in.”

Is your executive director – or college president – seeking to leave a legacy by launching a capital campaign? Our question – will she or he launch a campaign or successfully complete the campaign? There is a slight difference, one that usually reveals itself when the books are presented to the incoming executive.

How exactly are you counting the money? Is your institution counting progress towards its building campaign with annual gifts that were spent last year? You know our question: who can spend a dollar twice? Don’t be afraid to question the numbers or ask for a detailed report instead of a summary report.

Here are some cues you need to start asking questions: The board is being asked to approve borrowing money that will be paid back with funds from the capital campaign.

Your organization is unable to meet its annual fundraising goal. There is no pool of

current or prospective major donors. The board is being asked to approve a campaign in spite of a feasibility study that recommends against doing so because of a lack of identified donors, capacity, infrastructure, resources and leadership. The board is not a fundraising board, fundraising

staff is minimal and turns over regularly. Your questions are answered with statements such as “we can’t afford the time it will take to conduct a feasibility study, develop a case, recruit volunteer leadership... [fill in the blank]....” Another dangerous response: “I feel we can do it... we just have to step

Your final four from Social Security

By Rhonda Whitenack and Jim Czechowicz Social Security public affairs office in Bloomington and St Paul Since 1939, March has meant one thing in the world of sports: March Madness. In this tournament, 68 college basketball teams compete through the month until only the final four teams remain. Coaches gather their teams to drive home the gravity of the moment, reminding them that they’ve worked hard and that how they respond to the pressure directly determines the outcome.

When it comes to retirement, you can secure your own winning outcome by teaming up with Social Security and taking advantage of services offered online. Start by opening a my Social Security account at www. socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

What can you do with a my Social Security account? Allow us to introduce you to my Social Security’s own final four.

• Use your account to view your Social Security Statement and verify your earnings history each year. Your future benefits

are based on your recorded earnings.

• Stay focused on your financial future by getting estimates of your retirement, disability, and survivor benefits, if you are still working.

• Keep up the full-court press by managing your benefits, if you already receive them.

• Get immediate proof of your current Social Security benefits or a replacement SSA-1099 or SSA-1042S for tax purposes.

While everyone focuses on college basketball, create your own March Madness with Social Security. You can open your online my Social Security account during one of the commercial breaks.

Don’t wait until crunch time. Your moment is now. Take advantage of your own personal my Social Security account to stay on top of your annual earnings history and future benefit estimates. Staying ahead of the game is key to having a winning future in retirement.

Social Security is a dependable team player, assisting you to your retirement championship, and my Social Security is the Most Valuable Player on the court. Check out your final four at www.socialsecurity.gov/ myaccount.

outside our comfort zone.”

We have seen churches, colleges, and community-based nonprofits plunge into capital campaigns only to awaken years later as if from a nightmare.

That doesn’t have to be the fate of your nonprofit: ask questions, and then ask some more.

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 16 - March 22, 2015 • Insight News

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MUL, community mourn the death of Lee Tillman The Minneapolis Urban League mourns the death of Lee Tillman who passed away on Feb. 27, 2015. Mr. Tillman, or Lee-T to close friends and colleagues, was a longtime employee of the League’s Employment and Training Division, serving as director of the Labor Education Advancement Program (LEAP). He went on to lead the division for a short time when director, Laura ScottWilliams, took over the reins of the agency for an interim period after the untimely death of League president and CEO Gary Sudduth.

Mr. Tillman was an integral part of the city’s employment and training initiatives as well.

In the mid 1990s he worked closely with Chip Wells, then the city’s Employment and Training director, on a partnership that involved the Minneapolis Urban League, the city and Hennepin County. The

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

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

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to lend his expertise in the area of on-the-job training and recruitment to the League’s Adult Placement program. His guidance helped the newer staff team reconnect and expand its relationship with employers throughout the metro area.

Ultimately it was Mr. Tillman’s genuine personality and tenacity that drew people to him and made him such an effective relationship builder.

Employers had confidence in his judgment and would react favorably to his ideas for creating a more diverse workforce without question.

At his retirement celebration, more than 50 employers (some – including Mike Bauman of Hoffman Enclosures – who had become more than just business associates) came to offer their congratulations and well wishes.

Mr. Tillman’s service to the Minneapolis Urban League is part of the organization’s richest history. He will be remembered fondly by all who knew him as a colleague and as a friend.

initiative was called the Job Links program, which helped recruit, train and place workers for jobs offered by park tenants of the newly developed Jobs Park project. Mr. Tillman helped Wells decide whether a prospective firm could provide jobs that would be a good fit for the local area.

Anyone who worked with Mr. Tillman for any amount of time knew that he was a tough task master – he believed in thoroughness, attention to detail, follow-through and results-results-results. If a person could live up to all those conditions, that person was rewarded with the ultimate opportunity … the chance to join Mr. Tillman and the entire Employment and Training division on its annual campfire/ fishing trip.

Tillman retired from the Urban League in 2002, after 25 years of service – qualifying him for induction into the National Urban League’s Quarter Century Club. He came out of retirement for a short time at the request of current Minneapolis Urban League president, Scott Gray,

Lee Tillman

Ferguson increased revenue by targeting Blacks

By Freddie Allen NNPA Senior Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON (NNPA) – The Justice Department’s recent investigation of the Ferguson, Mo. Police Department not only revealed widespread racism in its operation, but described how poor Blacks were targeted to boost the sagging revenues of small municipalities.

“Ferguson police officers issued nearly 50 percent more citations in the last year than they did in 2010 – an increase that has not been driven, or even accompanied, by a rise in crime,” Attorney General Eric H. Holder said at a press conference to release finding of its investigation of Ferguson.

“Along with taxes and other revenue streams, in 2010, the city collected over $1.3 million in fines and fees collected by the court. For fiscal year 2015, Ferguson’s city budget anticipates fine revenues to exceed $3 million – more than double the total from just five years prior.”

Holder said that Ferguson police officers were pressured to deliver on those revenue goals, some even competed to see who could write the most citations in a single stop.

“Once the system is primed for maximizing revenue – starting with fines and fineenforcement – the city relies on the police force to serve, essentially, as a collection agency for the municipal court rather than a law enforcement entity,” Holder explained.

He told the story of one woman, who received two

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

Eric Holder’s departing press conference parking tickets in 2007 for $152 and has paid more than $500 in fines and fees to Ferguson. She was arrested twice for failure to pay tickets and even spent time in jail and she still owes Ferguson $541.

Beyond the compounding fines and frequent traffic stops, Ferguson police, charged with upholding the law, ran roughshod all over it, routinely violated the civil rights of African American residents.

Holder said that the Justice Department’s investigation found “a community where deep distrust and hostility often characterized interactions between police and area residents.”

He said that the Justice

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

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Department’s investigation showed that Ferguson police officers “routinely violate the Fourth Amendment in stopping people without reasonable suspicion, arresting them without probable cause, and using unreasonable force against them. According to the Police Department’s own records, its officers frequently infringe on residents’ First Amendment rights.”

Holder added: “And even in cases where police encounters start off as constitutionally defensible, we found that they frequently and rapidly escalate – and end up blatantly and unnecessarily crossing the line.”

Holder recounted a 2012 arrest in which a Ferguson police

Iyanla Vanzant Photo credit: Harpo Inc./Chuck Hodes

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officer approached a 32-year-old African American man while he sat in his car after playing basketball at a park.

“The car’s windows appeared to be more heavily tinted than Ferguson’s code allowed, so the officer did have legitimate grounds to question him,” said Holder. “But, with no apparent justification, the officer proceeded to accuse the man of being a pedophile. He prohibited the man from using his cell phone and ordered him out of his car for a pat-down search, even though he had no reason to suspect that the man was armed. And when the man objected – citing his constitutional rights – the police officer drew his service weapon, pointed it at the man’s head, and arrested him on eight different counts. The arrest caused the man to lose his job.”

These types of incidents were anything but isolated, according to Holder.

Even though Blacks account for 67 percent of the population in Ferguson, they comprised more than 85 percent of the traffic stops, between October 2012 and October 2014. Once they were stopped, Blacks were twice as likely to be searched than Whites, but 26 percent less likely to possess contraband or illegal substances.

Nearly 90 percent of the incidents where police officers used force involved Blacks, and in all 14 uses of force involving a canine bite in which the race of the person bitten was reported, the person was African American. Between October 2012 and July 2014.

“This deeply alarming statistic points to one of the most pernicious aspects of the conduct our investigation uncovered: that these policing practices disproportionately harm African American residents,” said Holder. “In fact, our review of the evidence found no alternative explanation for the disproportionate impact on African American residents other than implicit and explicit racial bias.”

Even though city officials and Ferguson Police Department (FPD) officers attributed the individual experiences of residents trapped in the maze of the municipal enforcement system to a lack of personal responsibility, they seemed to

ignore the gaps in their own professional accountability to the system.

The Justice Department reported that, Ferguson police omitted critical information from the citations, making it impossible for a person to know what offense they are being charged for, “the amount of the fine owed, or whether a court appearance is required or some alternative method of payment is available,” the report said.

“In some cases, citations fail to indicate the offense charged altogether; in November 2013, for instance, court staff wrote FPD patrol to ‘see what [a] ticket was for’ because ‘it does not have a charge on it.’

In other cases, a ticket will indicate a charge, but omit other crucial information. For example, speeding tickets often fail to indicate the alleged speed observed, even though both the fine owed and whether a court appearance is mandatory depends upon the specific speed alleged.”

Not only did Ferguson police officers submit incomplete citations they also gave people the wrong dates and times for court appearances, increasing the likelihood that they would face additional fines for failing to appear at the correct time.

“It is often difficult for an individual who receives a municipal citation or summons in Ferguson to know how much is owed, where and how to pay the ticket, what the options for payment are, what rights the individual has, and what the consequences are for various actions or oversights,” said the report. “The initial information provided to people who are cited for violating Ferguson’s municipal code is often incomplete or inconsistent.

Communication with municipal court defendants is haphazard and known by the court to be unreliable. And the court’s procedures and operations are ambiguous, are not written down, and are not transparent or even available to the public on the court’s website or elsewhere.”

The Justice Department recommended that Ferguson implement a robust system of community policing, prohibit the use of formal or informal ticketing and arrest quotas, and encourage de-escalation and the use of minimal force necessary. The department also recommended that police officers seek supervisory approval before issuing multiple citations and making arrests in certain cases.

In the wake of the report, two Ferguson police officers were forced to resign. The fate of Tom Jackson, the chief of police, is still uncertain.

Holder said that dialogue, by itself, will not be sufficient to address these issues, because concrete action is needed. However, initiating a broad, frank, and inclusive conversation is a necessary and productive first step.

“It is time for Ferguson’s leaders to take immediate, wholesale and structural corrective action,” Holder said.

“Let me be clear: the United States Department of Justice reserves all its rights and abilities to force compliance and implement basic change.”

insightnews.com

Insight News • March 16 - March 22, 2015 • Page 7

EDUCATION Breakfast smoothies a hit at Cooper High School Students at Cooper High School were given a new option on the breakfast menu last week, and if the first few days are any indication, smoothies have hit the spot.

The fruit and yogurt smoothies were first served on March 4, when 100 of the beverages sold out in the first eight minutes of serving. During breakfast on March 6, 175 smoothies sold out in less than 10 minutes.

“This week is National School Breakfast Week, and it was our goal to serve the smoothies for the first time this week,” said Child Nutrition Program Assistant Michelle Sagedahl. “Cooper has worked hard to get the program up and running. Child Nutrition works hard to offer choices that are popular with students and that coincide with current trends.

A wide variety of options were already being offered daily for breakfast, but smoothies offer one more choice for students.”

The school is able to provide the smoothies due to a partnership with the Action for Healthy Kids, a national nonprofit that fights childhood obesity, undernourishment and physical inactivity by helping schools become healthier places.

General Mills Corporate Chef Monica Coulter and Cooper SevenHour Cook Kim Anderson work the smoothie station at Cooper High School during breakfast on Friday, March 6. The school recently started offering the smoothies, and Coulter helped develop the recipe being used.

The nonprofit worked with the district’s Child Nutrition Department to apply for a School Breakfast Grant to pay for the industrial-sized blender used in the preparation of the smoothies.

“What is nice about a smoothie is that you can incorporate different types of ingredients in it,” said Ann Kisch, the MN State Coordinator for Action for Healthy Kids. “If you

look at Caribou and McDonald’s, they are all serving smoothies and there is a reason for that. It’s a hot trend. The whole point of this is that we are trying to get students to eat breakfast. Research shows that students who eat breakfast do better in school.”

Child Nutrition teamed up with General Mills Corporate Chef Monica Coulter to help with recipe development and staff

The new smoothies have proven a popular menu item at Cooper High School. During breakfast on March 6, 175 smoothies sold out in less than 10 minutes. training. The fruit is pureed the night before, and when it is time to prepare the smoothies, the pureed strawberries, blueberries and peaches are mixed with yogurt, she explained. Smoothies have

many positive points, Coulter said, including that there are many fruit combinations that can be tried, they are filling menu options and can cut down on fruit waste from the day before by giving that fruit a new use.

“Students see smoothies in other places, so to have them at school makes sense,” Coulter said.

“You have unlimited combination possibilities with these. I think it is fun for everybody.”

Robbinsdale Area Schools celebrates Read Across America

Noble Elementary media specialist, Mary Kunesh-Podein poses with students while holding a $500 grant for library books from CenterPoint Energy as part of Read Across America day on March 2.

Students and adults in schools throughout Robbinsdale Area Schools took time out of their days Monday, March 2, to celebrate Read Across America.

Six CenterPoint Energy retiree volunteers read to students at Noble and Robbinsdale Spanish Immersion elementary schools.

Since 2012, the company has donated $3,500 for the purchase of library books. Noble and RSIS each received $500 this year. In addition to the grant, each school receives a Dr. Seuss book which is read to a group of students at the school by the VIP volunteer on event

day. Students also received special hats to wear resembling the one worn by “The Cat in the Hat.” “Since 2009, CenterPoint Energy has been a valued partner with VIP and our district,” said Volunteers In Partnership Coordinator Jill Kaufman. “They are committed to enriching the community we live in through engaging volunteers in our schools as tutors and special event helpers.

In addition to promoting literacy through grants to purchase library books, CenterPoint Energy also provides matching funds to VIP for the volunteers’

service hours which allows for additional financial resources to support our program.”

At Robbinsdale Middle School, adults and students alike took 20 minutes out of their days from 8:30-8:50 a.m. to read as part of the thirdannual Robbinsdale Middle School Read Across America Day. Read Across America was created by the National Education Association in 1998 as a way to motivate students and teens to read more. March 2 is the birthday of Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss.

Blacks now finishing high school at record levels WASHINGTON (NNPA) – After 30 years of little to no progress, Black youth are completing high school at the highest rates in history.

This is the finding in a new issue brief titled, “Young Black America Part One: High School Completion Rates are at their Highest Ever,” published by the Center for Economic Policy Research, a Washington-based think-tank. The report examines Census Bureau data for 20 to 24 year-olds, and compares high school completion rates around the country over the past 30 to 40 years.

“All in all, young blacks have experienced significant gains in high school completion rates during the past 13 years,” the report reads. “Given the importance of educational attainment in determining future wages, higher completion rates should, in theory, translate to higher wages.”

In 1975, Black Americans finished high school at a 75 percent rate, compared to 88 percent for Whites and the overall 86 percent rate. In 2000, Blacks completed high school at a 14 percent lower rate than their White counterparts. However,

Literacy consortium hosts St. Paul learning fair Everyday, St. Paul’s free adult basic education classes are helping adults to move ahead in their lives and careers.

But many other people are not aware that these classes, including GED, job skills, computer skills, college prep and English as a Second Language, are available to them at no cost, at convenient community locations throughout the city.

The Saint Paul Community Literacy Consortium (SPCLC) is hosting the Saint Paul Adult Learning Fair, Tuesday, March 24, noon-2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. at Rondo Community Library, 461 North Dale, St. Paul.

At the Fair, representatives of St. Paul agencies that offer free adult classes will be on hand to provide information about their classes and other helpful resources available at their agencies. The Minnesota Literacy Council, Hmong American Partnership, International Institute of Minnesota, MORE, Vietnamese Social Services and the Hmong Cultural Center are among the

agencies participating in the event.

“Anyone who is interested in learning about these great free learning opportunities should stop by the Fair,” said Tesa Johnson, SPCLC community engagement coordinator. “It’s a one-stop shop for free adult classes.

You can ask questions and get information from the various agencies, all at once and in one location.”

Everyone is welcome to attend this kid-friendly event.

Refreshments will be served and there will be a drawing for gift cards.

“We invite everyone to stop by, and to bring family or friends along as well,” said Johnson.

Started in 1994, the Saint Paul Community Literacy Consortium works to increase adult literacy and to expand the availability of adult basic education services. Learn more at SPCLC.org.

To learn more about the Adult Learning Fair, call 612524-9965.

by 2013, the Black completion rate rose to 86 percent, its highest-ever level, shrinking the Black-White gap to less than 7 percent.

“I’m a young Black woman and I wanted to answer the question of what’s going on with young Blacks in America,” says Cherrie Bucknor, a Center for Economic Policy Research assistant and author of the paper.

“Sometimes there are too many negative portrayals and negative stereotypes on young Blacks, and I like the fact this was something positive to focus on.”

The gender break down also shows a noteworthy trajectory.

In addition to slightly outpacing the rate for Black boys (a trend that holds for all girls, across race), the completion rate for Black girls is 89 percent, only five points lower than the rate for White girls.

While the gains of Black

girls were more gradual, Black boys have experienced a rocky road to improvement in helping close the Black-White high school completion gap.

“The completion rate for black males followed the same trajectory, but 3 to 8 percentage points lower. Although black males experienced noticeable gains in completion rates during this century (an increase of 18.1 percent since 2000), their gains were not enough to offset the gains of other groups, leaving noticeable gaps in completion rates between black males and other groups,” the report stated.

“In 2013, the completion rate for black males (83.5 percent) was 5.9 percentage points lower than black females and 8.8 percentage points lower than white males.”

Regional analysis also shows a different trend. At 10 percent higher than the national rate

for Black students, the West has held the most promise for Black students since 1975. But the other regions have caught up in recent years. As of 2013, Black students in both the Northeast and the West have the highest completion rates (88.2 and 88.1 percent, respectively).

Further, all of the regions now have comparable rates for Black students, all within three percentage points of one another.

Although the report does not examine or speculate on causes for this breaks in these trends, Bucknor has a few theories.

“One factor that might be in play is increasing the graduation requirements for students in general, which makes the decision to drop out or stay in school a little bit different than before then,” Bucknor explains, adding that test scores for entering freshmen also been improving. “And since 2000,

The

some of the plausible factors that I’ve read about include declining teenage birth rates…[which] makes them more likely to be in school.”

The teenage birth rate is also at a historic low, particularly for Black teens. According to 2012 data from the National Center for Health Statistics, the maternity rate for Black girls age 15 to 17 has dropped 45 percent since 2000; for 18 and 19-year olds it has dropped 30 percent.

This report is the first part in a series that explores measures of success (or lack thereof) among Black people under 40.

“I feel like there’s a lot of attention on Blacks in general, but I wanted to focus on young Blacks like me,” Bucknor says.

“So I’m hoping to look at several issues related to education, jobs, and inequality as a way to answer that question.”

COMING SOON

West Broadway Education and Career Center

Live at Orchestra Hall

Learn more Tuesday, March 31, 2015 WƵďůŝĐ DĞĞƟŶŐ 6-8 p.m.

Capri Theater 2027 West Broadway, Minneapolis

Tickets start at $30

Preservation Hall Jazz Band Fri Mar 27 8pm

In the Crescent City, America’s tradition lives on with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, whose founding members played with the likes of Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong. And now, you can enjoy their glorious sound in Orchestra Hall.

Please Note: The Minnesota Orchestra does not perform on this program

612.371.5656 ¥ minnesotaorchestra.org

DĞĞƟŶŐ ŐĞŶĚĂ͗ ͻ WƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƟŽŶ ďLJ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞƌ ^ŚĞƌŵĂŶ ĂŶĚ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞƐ ͻ WƌŽŐƌĂŵŵŝŶŐ ƵƉĚĂƚĞ ͻ WƵďůŝĐ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƚLJ ĨŽƌ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ YΘ ůů ĂƌĞ ǁĞůĐŽŵĞ͘ &ŽŽĚ ĂŶĚ ďĞǀĞƌĂŐĞ ǁŝůů ďĞ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞĚ͘ ŽŶƚĂĐƚ ĞƚŚ ĨŽƌ ŵŽƌĞ ŝŶĨŽ͗ ϲϭϮ͘ϲϳϯ͘ϱϬϬϮ ǁǁǁ͘ŵŝŶŶĞĂƉŽůŝƐŵŶ͘ŐŽǀͬĐƉĞĚͬǁďĞĐĐ

,K^d z͗ DŝŶŶĞƐŽƚĂ ĞƉĂƌƚŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ ŵƉůŽLJŵĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ͻ ŝƚLJ ŽĨ DŝŶŶĞĂƉŽůŝƐ ͻ EŽƌƚŚWŽŝŶƚ ,ĞĂůƚŚ ĂŶĚ tĞůůŶĞƐƐ ĞŶƚĞƌ ͻ DŝŶŶĞĂƉŽůŝƐ WƵďůŝĐ ^ĐŚŽŽůƐ ͻ DŝŶŶĞĂƉŽůŝƐ ŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ Θ dĞĐŚŶŝĐĂů ŽůůĞŐĞ ͻ ^Ƶŵŵŝƚ ĐĂĚĞŵLJ K/ ͻ ^ŚĞƌŵĂŶ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞƐ ͻ EŽƌƚŚƐŝĚĞ ZĞƐŝĚĞŶƚƐ ZĞĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ŽƵŶĐŝů ͻ W/ ͻ >h ^ ͻ ^ŽŵĂůŝ ^ƵĐĐĞƐƐ ^ĐŚŽŽů ͻ >ĂŽ ƐƐŝƐƚĂŶĐĞ ĞŶƚĞƌ DŝŶŶĞĂƉŽůŝƐ hƌďĂŶ >ĞĂŐƵĞ ͻ EĞdžƵƐ ŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ WĂƌƚŶĞƌƐ ͻ DŝŶŶĞƐŽƚĂ ĞŶƚĞƌ ĨŽƌ EĞŝŐŚďŽƌŚŽŽĚ KƌŐĂŶŝnjŝŶŐ ͻ ůůŝĂŶĐĞ ĨŽƌ DĞƚƌŽƉŽůŝƚĂŶ ^ƚĂďŝůŝƚLJ ͻ ,ĂǁƚŚŽƌŶĞ EĞŝŐŚďŽƌŚŽŽĚ ŽƵŶĐŝů ͻ tĞƐƚ ƌŽĂĚǁĂLJ ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ĂŶĚ ƌĞĂ ŽĂůŝƟŽŶ

Page 8 • March 16 - March 22, 2015 • Insight News

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LIFESTYLE

Being with family lifts spirit Motivational Moments

By Penny JonesRichardson Sometimes being around family and loved ones can do wonders for your spirit! I recently had

the opportunity to spend time with my family who came in to celebrate my son’s birthday and we had an incredible time! I had forgotten how wonderful being around those who celebrate and uplift you can feel. This is a warm feeling that you carry in your heart and it makes you smile when you think about it.

This is what my family does for me.

Throughout your journey there will be those family

members that encourage you to be your best and those who are happy for you with each goal you set and achieve. And then there are those family members who are proud of you, but just not quite sure how to express their feelings. It may come across like they are jealous or envious of you. But in actuality they just may not want you to move on and forget about them.

This happens in a lot of families that I know of. When you set

goals for yourself, it may take away time that was usually spent doing family get-togethers and hanging out with loved ones.

The best way to make sure they know that you are not forgetting about them is to try and make time just for them. This will do wonders and give your loved ones a chance to share in your life and appreciate what you are doing.

I have had to make time to spend with my family during

the busiest times in my life.

When I make time for them, this is time that is not interrupted by anything. We need this to stay connected and stay strong as a family. Again, I really appreciate the time I get to spend with my family near and far. It is a blessing to have family that encourages you to be your best and understands when you are trying to reach your goals. I don’t take my family for granted and I appreciate all of their

support in everything that I do.

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.

HOME

Turn your bathroom into a relaxing oasis (StatePoint) Time spent in the bathroom can be precious, as it may be your only solo time.

When prioritizing home upgrades, consider first transforming a ho-hum, conventional bathroom into an oasis of comfort, style and ultimate relaxation.

Relax Replace outdated fixtures with new top-quality options that offer greater functionality.

Manufacturers such as Mansfield Plumbing, produce fixtures and fittings designed to work in tandem.

Such “suites” of a toilet, sink and bathtub can improve the look of a bathroom setting.

In a toilet, there are certain features to seek. A SmartHeight toilet allows for easier access. For those who are environmentally

conscious or looking for a pocketbook-friendly option, seek out a WaterSense rated toilet, signifying greater water conservation.

When it comes to relaxation, the bathtub is king. Luckily, manufacturers are innovating features to go beyond whirlpools.

New bathtub offerings include chromatherapy mood light systems, thermotherapy heated backrests and in-line heaters that keep water heated perfectly.

Explore your options at www.

Mansfieldplumbing.com.

Retreat Make your bathroom the perfect retreat from the rest of the house and the outside world with a few stylish accents that provide greater solitude. For example, privacy decorative glass windows and privacy

StatePoint

acrylic block windows offered from Hy-Lite are design elements that don’t compromise natural light. Available in four designer frame colors, you can

go beyond plain frosted glass with stylish windows that come either operable or fixed in place.

Offered in varying shapes and sizes, it’s easy to match windows to other bathroom elements,

such as tiles and countertops.

Full details are available at www.Hy-Lite.com.

Take your spa retreat a step further by piping music into your bathroom with humidity-

Special Invitation from Pastor Geoff and Pastor Nicole WHen: Sunday, March 29th, 2015 at 5:00pm Where: Brooklyn Center Embassy Suites Hotel (6300 Earle Brown Drive, Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, 55430)

resistant speakers unsusceptible to steamy showers and hot baths.

Beauty On a limited budget you can give the bathroom an elegant long-term facelift by investing in millwork products that resist humidity so you don’t experience warping. From crown moulding to trim around showers and bathtubs to ceiling medallions, polyurethane is a more practical material than traditional wood for these design elements. It’s lightweight, easy to install, and most importantly, designed to resist the humidity of bathing.

To get the look of a luxury hotel, the experts at Fypon, which produce thousands of pieces of polyurethane millwork, moulding and trim in a variety of architectural styles, recommend a few project ideas: • Install a set of pilasters on both sides of your shower stall and a door crosshead overhead to upgrade your bathroom’s look.

• Surround mirrors and decorative accent windows with painted or stained polyurethane mouldings that complement the room.

For any questions or comments please contact Ebonee Davis: 217-766-0899 Patricia McFarlane: 763-377-5480

www.blueoakscov.org

Blue Oaks Church

BlueOaksTweet

• Install chair rail moulding around the bathroom to add dimension. Paint above or below the moulding and use wallpaper, paneling or a different color paint in the other section.

Find more project ideas at www.

Fypon.com.

While many think of the bathroom as a place to take care of necessary business, you can easily give yours an upgrade that will transform it into a whole lot more.

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Insight News • March 16 - March 22, 2015 • Page 9

COMMUNITY LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Real class at North High

By Trent Witz Recently the Minneapolis North Community High Polars boys basketball team played Legacy Academy in a section semifinals game.

It was a hard fought and tough game by both teams. After the game was over both teams did something that was very uplifting and special to see. It was described by the Legacy coach, J.P. Lindgren as such in a letter to me (Trent Witz, North’s coach): “I just wanted to make sure you understand how good of a job you are doing with your young men. They battled hard and I was very impressed with them all night long. But I wanted to pinpoint something that deserves a compliment.

At the end of the game when the two teams huddled up at half

court to pray together there were some pretty cool moments. First, your guys decided to mix it up and not all stand together but intermingle with each of our guys.

This was a great moment.

Then one of your players came over to one of our captains and gave him the opportunity to pray for the group. He was very honored to be asked to pray. We know that not all schools even allow this, so we want to say thank you for allowing us to be a part of this great moment.

Then at the end, some of your guys told our guys to stay and chanted ‘family’ together with our guys. Your young men showed so much class and they deserve to be acknowledged for showing such good sportsmanship and class throughout the game and evening.

Please let them know that we have nothing but respect for them and we wish you all the best of luck going forward in the tournament.�

We need more teams like this. This is a good thing for all

sports and teaching to respect your opponent. These are the

kind of positive stories that are coming out of Minneapolis North

that need to be seen and heard.

Gala honors Wilderson, Goodlow, Smith

By Ray Richardson Turning Point’s third annual Honors event on April 17 will be a symbolic reminder of how three individuals have had different, yet everlasting impacts on the organization.

All three – Dr. Frank Wilderson Jr., David Goodlow and William “Bill� Smith – are instrumental in Turning Point’s growth over the past 39 years. “This year’s celebration is about how you never know how far a touch will go,� said Dr. Peter Hayden, founder of the Northside treatment facility. “You’re coming to see the legacy of three men. One (Wilderson) made a change in my life, Goodlow made a change in the clients’ lives and Bill (Smith) received that touch.�

Wilderson, a retired educator and administrator at the University of Minnesota, is regarded as one of the nation’s leading authorities on mental health among AfricanAmericans. Wilderson, the main honoree at this year’s event, helped Turning Point founder Hayden implement treatment

Dr. Frank Wilderson, Jr. programs that are still being used today.

Goodlow, a longtime St. Paul resident, was Turning Point’s first staff member when the culturally specific health organization opened its doors in 1976. Smith, a retired electrical engineer at Honeywell, is Turning Point’s first graduate. Smith, who graduated in 1977, is among more than 24,000 people in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area and around the country who have been served by Turning Point.

David Goodlow

William ‘Bill’ Smith of The Commons Hotel, 615 Washington Ave. S.E., near the University of Minnesota campus.

For tickets call (612) 520-9187 or e-mail michelle.edwards@ ourturningpoint.org.

Tickets can also be purchased on-line at www.turningpointhonorsevent. eventbrite.com.

Turning Point officials chose The Commons Hotel because of its proximity to the University of Minnesota, where Wilderson worked for 37 years before retiring in 1999. Wilderson

Previous Turning Point honorees the past two years include Hennepin County district court judge, Pamela Alexander, and renowned historian, Mahmoud El-Kati, a former professor at Macalester College and Metropolitan State University.

The significant impact of Wilderson, Goodlow and Smith on Turning Point is expected to attract more than 300 people to this year’s event, which will be in the Meridian Ballroom

was the school’s first AfricanAmerican vice president when he became vice president of student affairs in 1974. He also helped create the AfricanAmerican Studies department at the University of Minnesota. “This is such a wonderful honor to be remembered in this way,� said Wilderson, of Turning Point’s decision to pay tribute to Goodlow, Smith and him. “It’s a very humbling feeling. I have a lot of special memories of the work Peter and I did in the early days of Turning Point.

It’s gratifying to see how far the organization has come.�

Turning Point has expanded its services beyond chemical and substance abuse. The organization has implemented HIV/AIDS prevention and education programs, transitional housing resources and employment counseling.

A key development in Turning Point’s growth was the announcement this past October of a unique partnership with North Memorial Hospital. The partnership is part of Turning Point’s Culturally Specific Service Center and includes North Memorial providing a paramedic

staff on site at Turning Point two days a week. The paramedic staff is available for community residents to inquire about basic health needs and concerns. North Memorial has also agreed to refer patients to Turning Point and is leasing one of the organization’s off-site facilities to provide transitional housing.

Goodlow, who runs the boys golf program at St. Paul Central High School, is impressed with the growth and expansion at Turning Point. “I know I had a hand in where Turning Point is today, and I’m pretty proud of that,� said Goodlow.

Smith went through Turning Point’s treatment program for eight months before achieving the distinction of becoming the organization’s first graduate.

Later this year, on Aug. 20, Smith said he will celebrate 39 years of sobriety. “I owe a lot to Turning Point for where I am today,� said Smith. “When they told me they wanted to honor me, I said to myself ‘I deserve it’. I don’t mind telling people my story. No matter where you live, you can be sober.�

U.S. Bank invests $15.8 million in Hamline Station Apartments U.S. Bank invest $15.8 million in tax credit financing to help Project for Pride in Living Inc. build Hamline Station, a 108-unit affordable apartment building for families and the homeless next to a convenient light rail stop.

U.S. Bank’s Community Lending Division provided $15 million in construction loans and U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation (USBCDC), the community development subsidiary of U.S. Bank, invested $15.8 million in equity raised from federal lowincome housing tax credits in the $28.2 million project. The credits were allocated to Project for

Pride in Living (PPL).

Hamline Station, located at 1305 and 1309 University Ave. West, will comprise 15 studio units, 36 one-bedroom, 44 two-bedroom units and 13 three-bedroom units in two fourstory buildings. Fourteen units are designated as permanent, supportive housing for formerly homeless or disabled persons.

PPL and community partners will provide onsite services to help residents thrive.

Plans also call for shops and a restaurant that will provide outdoor dining in a courtyard between the two buildings. “We invested in Hamline

Hamline Station Station because it will spark other new development in the Midway neighborhood,� said Vihar Sheth, senior vice

Classifieds RENTALS Tapestry Management, LLC has various sized apartments/townhomes for rent in the following locations: St. Paul, Golden Valley, Mankato, Red Wing, N. St. Paul, Rochester, Plymouth, Jordan, Winona, Olivia, and Redwood Falls. Rental assistance is available to qualified applicants in all locations. Please contact the appropriate location for availability and additional information.

Birmingham Townhomes – St. Paul 952-854-8800 Calvary Center Apartments – Golden Valley 763-546-4988 Colonial Square Apartments – Mankato 507-345-1321 Cooperidge Apartments – Red Wing 651-388-1500 Franklyn Park Apartments – N. St. Paul 651-770-1504 Innsbruck Townhomes – Rochester 507-289-1319 Mission Oaks Townhomes – Plymouth 763-559-5770 Newbridge Apartments – Rochester 507-282-8284 Northgate Community Housing – Rochester 507-289-1319 Oakridge Apartments – Rochester 507-281-1031 Schule Haus – Jordan 952-492-2084 Wapasa Apartments – Winona 507-429-9261 Westcourt Apartments – Olivia 320-523-2101 Westfalls Townhomes – Redwood Falls 507-641-5933

Rending courtesy of U.S. Bank

president of USBCDC. “We are also committed to providing affordable housing that helps alleviate homelessness and

Phone: 612.588.1313

Fax: 612.588.2031

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serves those struggling with health issues.�

The apartments will be leased to individuals and families with incomes of between 30 percent and 60 percent of the area median income. Rent will range from approximately $550 to $1,190 a month. “PPL’s mission is to provide affordable housing for lowincome families and to help strengthen neighborhoods,� said Paul Williams, president and chief executive officer of PPL. “We are excited to have U.S. Bank as a partner to construct Hamline Station.

This is a powerful opportunity

Email: info@insightnews.com

Deputy Chief Probation Officer II

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to provide low-income families and individuals high-quality housing with a significant transit solution.�

This is USBCDC’s 61st affordable-housing development in the Minneapolis metropolitan area since the division began 20 years ago. Those developments produced 3,616 apartments from a total equity investment of $282.4 million by USBCDC. Anderson-KM Builders LLC is the construction contractor and Elness Swenson Graham Architects is the architect.

Construction is expected to be complete by January 2016.

U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, District of MN, is accepting applications for a fulltime Deputy Chief Probation Officer II for the Minneapolis Office. Salary range is $104,508 to $168,700. 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.

Church Administrator

Church Administrator position needed at Pilgrim Baptist Church in St. Paul. Send resumes to sdilworth@pilgrimbaptistchurch.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.

Vacancies Cokato Apts, Cokato, MN (a seniors complex 62 or over or handicapped) has vacancies on 2nd Floor for one BR apts. Waiting list open. Contact Don at 320-286-2758. E-Mail cokapts@embarqmail.com

STAFF ATTORNEYS

President and CEO

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.

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 16 - March 22, 2015 • Insight News

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Photo by Sway Heavy

Director Junauda Petrus: “There Are Other Worlds”

By Toki Wright Twitter: @mrwrighttc In a vision of the world what is seen and why?

Stop and ask origin of the thoughts and ideas that shape day-to-day choices in life.

Multidisciplinary artist Junauda Petrus’ world travels as well

as spiritual and creative study have culminated in the new play “There Are Other Worlds.”

The play is homage to Black people and how necessary it is to write works that show their absolute limitless beauty, power, sweetness, tenderness and humanity.” A group of artists came together through Petrus’ vision in this aerial presentation

of women expressing new ideas through stories of imprisonment and family.

AS: So what is “There Are Other Worlds?”

AS: Who is performing?

JP: “There Are Other Worlds” is an aerial performance poetic play that follows the experience of Amri Akenyemi, a Black

JP: Erin Sharkey of Free Black Dirt and I are producing it.

Sarah White is the soundscape artist. Nisreen Dawan plays

“Black-Ish” star Tracee Ellis Ross to receive 2015 NAB TV Chairman’s Award WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Actor, producer and motivational speaker Tracee Ellis Ross, who stars on the new ABC comedy series “Blackish,” will receive the 2015 NAB Television Chairman’s Award during the NAB Show Television Luncheon. Ross received a 2015 NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Dr. Rainbow “Bow” Johnson on the breakthrough comedy.

“Tracee Ellis Ross is a gifted talent who brings wit and style to the roles that she plays, most recently on ABC’s breakout hit

comedy ‘Black-ish’,” said Marcellus Alexander, NAB Executive Vice President of Television. “We are thrilled to honor her as this year’s Chairman’s Award recipient.”

Ross also starred in and produced the BET series “Reed Between the Lines,” which won her an additional NAACP Image Award.

Other credits include roles in ABC’s “Private Practice,” CBS’s “CSI” and HBO’s “Life Support.”

In the fall of 2014, Ross returned to BET to cohost the popular award show “Black Girls Rock” with Regina King.

Established to recognize individuals for

activist that’s incarcerated and her the relationship with daughters, Dreamah and Gospel.

significant achievement in one or more specific art disciplines in television, the Television Chairman’s Award first debuted in 2009 with four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe-winning actor Kelsey Grammar as the recipient. NAB Show, held April 11-16, 2015 in Las Vegas, is the world’s largest electronic media show covering the creation, management and delivery of content across all platforms.

The Luncheon will also include the induction of Shonda Rhimes, creator of the hit series “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal,” to the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

Amri, Shavunda Horsley plays Dreamh, Felecia Perry plays Gospel, Alissa Paris plays Sarya and there are many other ancestor characters.

AS: What is your role in the play?

JP: I am the playwright, as well the director … overall

orchestrator of everything, coordinating the movement, doing some aerial teaching.

In the previous production I performed in it and this time around I wanted to get deep in the content through being the director and standing apart from it. I realize not many people

PETRUS TURN TO 11

insightnews.com

Insight News • March 16 - March 22, 2015 • Page 11

Courtesy of Bill Peterson

They played for the love of the game

Courtesy of the Cotton Family

Top: This 1968 Atticus Brooks American Legion team from St. Paul won the state championship. Noted African-American baseball players, Steve Scroggins seated in the front row, and Steve and David Winfield standing in the back row, were teammates.

Left-top: Outstanding athlete John Cotton was the 2nd baseman for the Twin City Gophers.

Adding to the legacy of Minnesota Black baseball “They Played for the Love of the Game” is on exhibit at the Ramsey County Historical Society Gallery, Landmark Center, March 16 – June 7.

“They Played for the Love of the Game” traces the history of the Negro Baseball Leagues and local African-American players. First exhibited in the RCHS Gallery at the Landmark Center in 2010, the exhibit has been expanded and updated, highlighting players in the Twin Cities in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Special events during the exhibit will present stories of African-American baseball players and rivalries in this area, the challenges many players faced, the effect on many facets of AfricanAmerican life and livelihood and the outcomes for some local players.

“The exhibit that Ramsey County Historical Society has mounted is a tribute to everyday people who were also special athletes,” said Frank M. White, the historian and guiding force behind the exhibition. “They are some of the great baseball players who struggled to overcome racial indignities and the lack of recognition for their accomplishments. Their absence from baseball history until recently is communicated

Left-bottom: Reginald “Hoppy” Hopwood played leftfield for the Kansas City Monarchs for a short time in the late 1920s.

throughout the exhibit in their own words and in the words of those who knew them.”

He continued by saying, “In putting this exhibit together, and doing the research for it, what continues to amaze me is that this untold story of Minnesota Black baseball is only beginning to be shared.

I took on this project without knowing how important it would be to our history, to the history of African-Americans and to people of all races in the local community.”

White was the manager of Recreation Programs and Athletics for the City of Richfield for 32 years, until he retired in 2010. He is the Minnesota Twins RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) Coordinator.

White received the Minnesota History Award from the Minnesota Alliance of History Museums in September 2011, and was inducted into the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Honor in 2013. He is currently the owner of Respect Sports, and History Projects by Frank, focusing on local African-American history.

For more information on the exhibit call the Ramsey County Historical Society at (651) 222-0701 or visit www. rchs.com.

Courtesy of the Livingston Family

Courtesy of the Hopwood family

Petrus From 10 who are playwrights direct their work because you have such an intense relationship with the script. It’s a very different mind to transition into the director’s and for a person like me, I envision things so strongly. It was something that I felt ready this time to take it on.

AS: For people don’t know, what is your background?

JP: I’m from Minneapolis. I do a lot of things. Basically I’m a runaway witch, and a soul sweetener and a cosmic bag lady. I love creating things for the people. I get a lot of strong visions and a lot feelings and insights and I want to bring them out into the world through creative works where people can see themselves in ways they never have … where people can see their beauty, and power and magnificence. I went to Hamline University. I got a degree in

Social Justice and the African Diaspora. While in college I studied in Cuba, Brazil and went to New Orleans to do a lot of work around the experience of Black folks throughout the diaspora, specifically culturally and creatively and how to transcend and heal from the experiment of racism.

There are so many movements and causes I deeply care about and feel like my work is devoted there. I feel like my work has to be devoted to those things. The experience of the

African throughout the western hemisphere. Part of my studies in Brazil were in Salvador, Bahia.

I studied Afro-Curandeiras with Black healers. The women that I studied were the spiritually selected leaders of these communities. I got to see how they saw their roles as women, and leaders and priestesses. That experience really impacted my work by being able to see Black consciousness and creativity is indivisible. I experienced

PETRUS TURN TO 12

Right-bottom: O’Dell Livingston (on the left) played outfield in the Negro Leagues for the Kansas City Monarchs, the New York Black Yankees, and the Pittsburgh Crawfords.

He also played for the Minneapolis House of David team in the 1940s.

Page 12 • March 16 - March 22, 2015 • Insight News

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Chris McDuffie

Danami

“There Are Other Worlds” Intermedia Arts 2822 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis $15 advance, $18 door

“There Are Other Worlds” tells the story of Amri Akenyemi, a mother, Black activist, struggling yogi and a woman serving 15 years in a maximum security prison for a crime of passion. This production, written by Junauda Petrus, uses aerial arts, poetry and movement to embody Akenyemi’s journey of healing her broken relationship with her teenage daughters. Set in the year 1999, “There Are Other Worlds” utilizes hip-hop and jazz music, the vertical landscape of aerial arts and an all woman of color cast to tell a tale that is both complicated and deeply integrated into the fabric of our society.

Mar. 16 Mar. 22

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

_ J Hard

Friday, March 20

Monday, March 16 HIP-HOP/CONCERT

LIVE PRODUCTION/BASS/ DANCE

Sound of Fujun

Illa J and Moka Only First Avenue/7th Street Entry 8 p.m. $12 Cancelled

Tuesday, March 17

Foolish Kitty Cat Klub 315 14th Ave. S.E., Minneapolis 9 p.m.

21-plus $3 Producers J Hard, Xanja, Solaceloquent and Bvckwoods take part in the two-year-old night of beats and bass.

Saturday, March 21

HIP-HOP/PARTY Nomad St. Patrick’s Day Shenanigans Nomad World Pub 501 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis 10 p.m.

That Dude Trey, B-Rock and Mike the Martyr celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the Nomad.

Wednesday, March 18 PLAY “Death Tax” Pillsbury Theater 3501 Chicago Ave. S., Minneapolis 7:30 p.m. $25 “Death Tax” is promoted as a suspenseful and captivating dark comedy about the tensions between family and money, life and death. The play centers on a wealthy elderly woman that suspects her daughter is bribing her nurse so that she dies sooner.

Thursday, March 19 Petrus From 11 it growing up in the states in jazz, and soul and, and hiphop created after enslavement.

We came here not as slaves the way we were taught. We weren’t slaves. We were artists and musicians. We were still able to yield some of the most beautiful, scientific, musical, creative resources to the world.

From there after, I graduated college (and) I spent a lot my time with young people gardening, then moved to NYC (New York City) to work with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. I started training with Kiebpoli Clmek – she’s a Jamaican sister from NYC who got into aerial in her early 30s in corde lisse, which is the aerial rope. I studied in Vermont at a circus school. From there I moved back to Minneapolis and focused on being an artist.

I got a grant from Minnesota

REGGAE/DANCEHALL/ SOCA/PARTY Retro Part 2 The Red Sea 320 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis $10 (ladies free before 11 p.m.)

Reggae, dancehall, Soca, and hip-hop will be played on this special dance night DJed by Sound of Fujun and guest, Diamond One.

Sunday, March 22 HIP-HOP/SOUL/THEATER Soulnami (BTWEP release event) Intermedia Arts 2822 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis $25 Billed as a “theatrical concert,” Soulnami is the debut of Detroit-to-Minnesota transplant Danami’s new EP “Before the Wait.” The event is part theater, part concert.

Soulnami features guest performances by Lia Renee Dior, CJ Pitts and Chirch Crooner.

State Arts Board for “There Are Other Worlds.” It’s inspired by women who are incarcerated, the relationships of motherhood and sisterhood and how Black activism transforms through generations.

AS: Do you feel like you are filling a gap in our community?

JP: I don’t see it as filling a deficiency. I don’t think in those terms. I do feel like it is exciting to see a work where a lot of people on board are folks of color who are amazing artists, as well as some incredibly invested allies. I’m filling the gap of gaptoothed women doing gaptoothed things.

See “There Are Other Worlds” Thursday, March 19 – Saturday March 21 at Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available at www. intermediaarts.org.