Insight News ::: 3.26.12

CALL TO ACTION

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The US Department of Justice and the FBI have opened an investigation into the “facts and circumstances” surrounding the shooting of Trayvon Martin, the Justice Department announced Monday.

“The department will conduct a thorough and independent review of all of the evidence and take appropriate action at the conclusion of the investigation,” Xochitl Hinojosa, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said in a statement. “The department also is providing assistance to and cooperating with the state officials in their investigation into the incident.”

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INSIGHT NEWS March 26 - April 1, 2012 • MN Metro Vol. 38 No. 13 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com

Michelle Obama

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer

First Lady Michelle Obama made an official visit to the Twin Cites on Friday, March 16.

The trip was part of Obama’s and Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative, where the First Lady met with National Guard families and local community leaders.

The First Lady was met

at the 133rd Airlift Wing by Gov. Mark Dayton, Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken and Mayors R.T. Rybak (Minneapolis) and Christopher Coleman (St. Paul) as well as several members of the

Harry Colbert, Jr.

First Lady Michelle Obama meets with military families

military and their families.

Later, in a roundtable discussion about Minnesota’s practices that can be replicated nationally, Obama joined military family members, representatives from Serving

Our Troops, and three Joining Forces Community Challenge finalists from Minnesota – the Armed Forces Service Center, Defending the Blue Line and GreenCare for Troops.

“We live in a great nation

and people will step up when asked,” said Obama when she addressed participants of the roundtable discussion. “We’ve got one-percent serving

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ELLISON:

Why we must oppose a call to war

By US.. Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) A little more than 9 years ago, I wrote the opinion piece below regarding the foolishness of George Bush’s decision to invade Iraq. I hope you read my opinion piece of March 2003 with an eye towards the war some people are trying to sell us today. Specifically, the campaign for war with Iran. Check out Matthew Kroenig’s piece in Foreign Affairs Magazine (Jan./ Feb. 2012) entitled, “Time to Attack Iran.”

It brings me no satisfaction to say that I was right about the Iraq War in 2003. It brings me no joy to stand up to the forces lobbying for war with Iran now. But Walter Jones (R-NC) and I are seeking

our colleagues’ support on a letter to the President, urging a robust diplomatic initiative as opposed to war. It is time to stand for peace again, and if we fail to stand up soon, it may be too late. Recently, Senator Mitch McConnell called for an authorization for use of force against Iran if intelligence suggests that it has decided to build a nuclear bomb, but about a decade ago Congress authorized the president to use force “as he determines to be necessary and appropriate” against Iraq. Déjà vu all over again.

Not a single justification for the Iraq war had merit.

No yellow cake uranium from Niger, no link between Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda, and no

President Obama Expressing Love to NNPA publishers

Black press

Not just doom and gloom Opinion

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By George E. Curry

Wikimedia Commons

Car bomb in Iraq

Education

Youth program in East Phillips produces collegebound scholars

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NNPA

Aesthetics

Review: Tuskegee Love Letters

PAGE 5

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – President Barack Obama expressed admiration for the balanced picture AfricanAmerican newspapers present of the Black community each week, saying such portrayal not only helps Blacks but Americans of all races and ethnicities.

Health

The benefits of the Affordable Care Act in Minnesota

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“One of the things that I always love about AfricanAmerican publications is that it’s not just gloom and doom,” the president told members of National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) last Thursday at a private gathering at the White House. “Part of what you guys do is you lift up that kid who’s overcome barriers and is now succeeding, or that family that has pulled together and helped to strengthen a community, or that church that is the bedrock of a neighborhood.

“Those stories of success and hope, that’s what sustains us,

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Lifestyle

Black woman, what makes you so strong?

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Page 2 • March 26 - April 1, 2012 • Insight News

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Health exchanges create affordable care

By Patricia Thomas This week, two years ago, President Obama passed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. By doing so, he started states down the path to creating Health Benefits Exchanges, or marketplaces that will help Americans find affordable health care. The state of Minnesota has chosen to create its own exchange, drawing on our history of leadership and excellence in the area of healthcare.

But, Minnesotans needs to ensure that the Exchange doesn’t fall victim to party-line politics.

Some legislators want to put the Exchange into the hands of the

health insurance companies and insurance brokers.

Real people’s lives are at stake and if created with real people in mind, the Exchange will positively affect them. An Exchange created for the people will prevent dire situations, like the one I found myself in when this bill was being passed.

I ran my own daycare and was insured by Minnesota Care when my mother became gravely ill. In order to take care of her, I closed the daycare to become her official personal care assistant.

This way, I could keep her in the comfort of her own home, not a nursing home. This was her final wish.

As her Personal Care Assistant, I no longer qualified

for Minnesota Care because I made too much money – at less than $10.50 per hour. As a result, I couldn’t afford my diabetes medication.

Without insulin,

When I was discharged, the hospital gave me enough insulin for two months. I had no idea what I was going to do when I ran out of that medication. I

“Real people’s lives are at stake and if created with real people in mind, the Exchange will positively affect them.” my blood sugar climbed and climbed until one day, I ended up in intensive care with dangerous diabetes complications.

would end up right back in the emergency room and this time the complications could be worse.

Ironically, my mother died

within that timeframe and I, newly unemployed, qualified again for Minnesota Care. In other words, my mother had to die for me to have access to affordable health insurance.

The state of Minnesota is currently debating how our Health Benefits Exchange will function. Had a consumerfriendly Exchange been in place at the time of my mother’s illness, I could have had access to an affordable health plan and prevented an expensive, dangerous and scary hospital stay.

Now, I am looking to re-enter the workforce. Lack of access to health care is a huge barrier. If I make too much money, I won’t be eligible for Minnesota Care. I

won’t be able to afford a private plan, if I can even get one with my pre-existing condition.

I am just one example of someone who is falling through the cracks of our current health care system.

We need an Exchange that is going to close those cracks and build a strong foundation for an equitable healthcare system, so people like me can go back to work with affordable health care options.

Pick up the phone and call your Minnesota legislators. Tell them that you want a Health Benefits Exchange that works for you, not for the insurance industry. Without one, the lives of thousands of Minnesotans are at risk.

Obituary: Chief Samuel Inyang

Chief Samuel Inyang

Courtesy of the family

Announcing the passing away of Chief (Dr.) Samuel Inyang.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” – Revelation 14:13 With sadness, but with total submission to the will of God, we announce the passing unto glory of Chief Samuel Akpan Inyang.

Chief Inyang passed away suddenly on March 5th, 2012 following a brief illness.

Chief Samuel Akpan Inyang was born on November 24th, 1948 as the first son to Chief Johnny Inyang-Akpan and Madam Lydia Inyang-Akpan (Nee MaMa) at Ikot IbiokEket, Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. Chief Samuel Akpan Inyang, leaves behind friends, children, grand-children, and several relatives to treasure his memories among which are: Children through union of Late Madam Ann Abraham

Eka, Christopher Samuel Inyang (son) and Lydia Inyang (daughter). Stepsons through union of his beloved wife, Madam Brightstar HarmonInyang: Jesse Harmon, Tristan Harmon and Raymond Harmon.

Chief Inyang had a passion to help and support his community.

He would never return to his village without large suitcases of needed medical supplies and/ or clothing. Chief Inyang was also an active member of Akwa Ibom State Association of Nigeria, USA (AKISAN-TC).

He will greatly be missed by his family, friends, and the Akwa Ibom community in Minnesota.

Funeral Service will be on Saturday, March 31st, 2012 at Brook’s Funeral Home - 862 Concordia Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55104 at 6:00 PM to 12:00 AM. The Memorial Service will be on Sunday, April 1st, 2012 at Apostolic Church - 510 Prior Avenue St. Paul, MN 55104 at 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Transportation of Dr. Inyang’s body to Nigeria will take place couple of days following the services.

Great communities come together to assist one another in times of difficulty.

Given the huge financial burden due to funeral cost and impending transportation of Chief Inyang to Nigeria, every Akwa-Ibomite is encouraged to give generously to help meet the estimated expenses of $10, 000. Let’s come together to help give Dr. Inyang a befitting burial.

A memorial fund account has been setup to help in offsetting the cost of funeral services and transportation of Chief Inyang to Nigeria. The account details are as follows: Account Name: Samuel Akpan Inyang Memorial Fund Account Number: 2606460562 Bank name: Wells Fargo Bank Routing Number: 091000019 Bank Swift Number for NonWells Fargo Wire Transfers: 121000248 (Domestic)

WFBIUS6S (International Wire Transfers) Bank Location: 670 McKnight Rd. N., Saint Paul, MN 55119 Bank Phone: 651-205-5275 You can contribute to Chief Inyang’s Memorial Fund using any of the following options: Account to account transfer (see account info above).

Make a deposit to the account at a Wells Fargo branch Wire transfer your contribution to the Wells Fargo account.

Mail your contribution to Akwa Ibom State Association of Nigeria, USA - Twin Cities Chapter, Minnesota. Care of: Dr. Stella Ekong, 3419 124th Circle NE, Blaine MN, 55449.

For more information or updates, please contact any of the following family members: Madam Brightstar HarmonInyang - 612 961 7651 Mr. Nse Umana – 651 319 0038 Mr. Jim Akpan - 612 309 0962 Mr. Robert Inyang - 510 209 3883 Dr. Peter Odouk - 678-3686482.

Zion’s pastor Curtis A. Herron dies We rejoice in the celebration of Curtis A. Herron born April 27, 1931 in Kansas City, Kansas the eighth of twelve children of Samuel and Morrell (Cunningham) Herron. His parents, three sisters, and two brothers all preceded him in death.

At a young age, Curtis confessed a hope in Christ at the Eight Street Baptist Church, Kansas City, Kansas under the leadership of Rev. I. H. Henderson. In 1953 he married his loving wife, Minister Viola F. Herron also of Kansas City.

He was a product of Kansas City public schools, Dunbar Elementary, Northeast Junior High, and Sumner Senior High School. He earned a bachelors degree at Kansas University and received his Masters of Divinity from Midwestern Baptist Seminary in Gladstone, Missouri.

He began his pastoral ministry at The First Baptist Church of Quindaro, Kansas City, Kansas. In 1970 he was called to the pastorate of Zion Baptist Church in Minneapolis. His 37 years as senior Pastor was the longest in Zion’s history.

During his tenure, Zion became known for its sound biblical teachings and acknowledging the liberationist theme in the sacred scriptures. It was also known for its strong community outreach.

He involved the church in many of the social and civil rights struggles of the day.

Though small in stature his passion for his God, his church and community made him seem like a giant in the Twin Cities metro area. His opposition to injustice was well established.

He marched against South African Apartheid, local discrimination in housing, education and employment as well as protested police misconduct and predatory lending. He worked with a large number of local organizations in this effort to stand up for the “least of these” in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities metro area.

Curtis A. Herron Many still recall the impassioned leadership he provided when he worked with Northside Neighbors for Justice in their efforts to prevent the near North side of Minneapolis from being gentrified in 1999.

Calling itself the “The Church That Dares to Care” Zion and its pastor were like a beacon of light on a hillside.

Under Pastor Herron’s administration numerous people were led into ministry, and Zion serves as the Mother Church for over sixteen documented churches. In his latter years, Pastor Herron focused on creating “A Vital, Nurturing, Praying, and Healing Community.” God. In 2006 Pastor Herron retired and was bestowed the title of Pastor Emeritus as he passed his legacy to his son.

Some of his affiliations include: Board of Partners in Ecumenism, Board of The American Baptist Churches,

Courtesy of the family

The National Baptist Congress U.S.A. Inc, President of The Minnesota State Baptist Convention, The Midwest Black Caucus of the American Baptist Churches, and Board member of The Black Resource Center at The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis NAACP, Minneapolis Urban League and many more.

Left to cherish his memory are: his four children, Rev. Dr. Yolande Herron-Palmore(Joe C.) of Houston, Tx, Rev. Brian Herron Sr., Dedra HerronSlack(Paul T.), and Min. Dana Herron, Houston, Tx. Three brothers, Sam Herron, Los Angeles, CA, Harold Herron, Cleveland OH and David Herron, Kansas City, MO. Three Sisters, Celestia Fraction, Chicago IL, Claudia Orr, Cleveland, OH, and Jackie Jackson(Ray), Houston, Tx. Eleven grandchildren and a host of great-grand children, nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives.

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Press From 1 that’s what has driven us, that’s what has given people a sense that no matter how tough things get sometimes, there’s always a better day ahead. And you’re part of telling that story. So I very much appreciate you.”

President Obama spoke to publishers who were in the nation’s capital to celebrate NNPA’s annual Black Press Week. In a 10-minute speech, the president gave the publishers a preview of the case he will be making to voters as part of his campaign to get re-elected.

“Now we’ve obviously gone through three challenging years but, whereas we were losing about 800,000 jobs per month, the month that I took office, we’ve now seen job growth over 23 consecutive months, almost 4 million jobs created, jobs in the manufacturing sector for the first time since the 1990s.

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

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

Insight News • March 26 - April 1, 2012 • Page 3 “We have seen consecutive quarter after quarter after quarter of economic growth and so we’re starting to turn the corner and make progress. But all of you know that too many people, where folks are still struggling that were struggling before this recession and they’re struggling now even more. Folks who can’t find a job, if they have a job, they’re underemployed or not making a living wage.”

A recent report by the Department of Labor titled, “The African-American Labor Force in the Recovery,” noted: “Aggregate numbers show that the AfricanAmerican community as a whole has exhibited poorer labor market outcomes than other races even prior to the recession and during the recovery, demonstrating that they often face different and greater challenges.”

Overall unemployment stood at 8.3 percent in February.

For Whites, it was 7.3 percent, compared to 10.7 percent for Latinos. Black unemployment under Obama peaked at 14.9 percent in June 2009, at the end of the recession, before settling at 15.8 percent last December. It dipped to 13.6 percent in January before rising to 14.1 percent in February.

White unemployment, which has been half the rate of Blacks for the past 40 years, peaked at 8.7 percent in June 2009. It fell to 7.4 percent in January and to 7.3 in February.

In his speech, President Obama tried to show that he is aware of the sharp racial disparities.

“African-American communities and Latino communities were disproportionately affected by subprime lending, so a lot of people have lost their homes,” he said. “And so everything that we’ve been doing over the last three years is designed to grow the economy overall, put more people back to work across the board.

But also to figure out how we create those foundation stones for helping people get into the middle class and stay in the middle class.

What’s required to create the sense of security and possibility and opportunity that a lot of people have felt slipping away for decades now. And in some ways, some of the trend lines that have happened across the country happened in the African American community first.”

To help lower the

unemployment rate, Obama said he has directed federal departments and agencies to streamline systems in place to match the unemployed with jobs.

He said he has asked them to place particular emphasis on the longterm unemployed.

Black youth unemployment is extremely high.

“In many of the communities that all of you all represent, we’ve got youth unemployment at 50, 60 percent so one of the things that we’ve discussed is that we’ve urged, as a part of my jobs plan that congress pass a robust summer jobs program so they can put young people to work but we’re not waiting for Congress,” President Obama stated. “What we’ve decided to do is we’re just going to go ahead and pull together employers and not for profits and colleges, universities,

any institutions that are out there all across the country and get pledges and commitments and organize ourselves a summer jobs initiative. Our goal is to get to 250,000 young people that are gonna have opportunities, internships, apprenticeships, you name it. And I think we’re already at 180,000 so we’re making progress.”

He said he realizes publishers are small business owners and as such need more support from the federal government.

“All of you are news people, and that’s the reason we brought you here [to the White House] but you’re also business people and entrepreneurs, and that’s always been the history of AfricanAmerican publishing,” President Obama said. Publishers laughed when he said, “You don’t start off with a big bank roll, most of you, right?”

When the laughter subsided, he continued, “You don’t have a trust fund that helps you set up that newspaper. You guys are out there hustling, scrapping, and so our initiative on the small business side, to provide tax breaks and tax cuts to the small businesses to help them grow, to make sure that the SBA is responsive, to make sure that the federal government in terms of its procurement policies, and that includes notices and things like that, that is reaching out extensively to make sure that everybody has opportunities to go after that business. Financing, technical assistance, you name it.”

President Obama spoke to Black publishers the day before

in over 12 years.

In fact, the United States never stopped making war against Iraq and it is obvious that Iraq is in no position to defend itself. For the last 12 years, the United States has imposed “no-fly-zones” in the north and south of Iraq –about half of the country. Iraq has no naval forces, and no air force.

The United States bombs Iraq at will now, and in fact has made numerous bombing raids over the past 12 years. Iraq’s ability to sell oil on the international market has been carefully rationed over the past 12 years. In fact, for the past 12 years, Iraq has been under a microscope. Maybe there’s nothing for the UN inspectors to find.

Yet Bush craves war. If there

is no war, then the American people have just witnessed the biggest and most expensive bluff in the history of the world. Bush needs war. Here is a president who has no legitimate claim to power. He lost the election in every state in the union, including Florida. Bush inherited a bullish economy with budget surplus.

He has brought forth recession, and budget deficits. Bush needs war to reward his friends in the oil industry, to distract Americans from his abysmal management of the economy and to settle his father’s old scores.

War works for Bush, but what about for the American people and the rest of the world?

After Bush unleashes hell on the near defenseless Iraqi people,

he will posture in the press and congratulate himself for having saved the world form the evil ones, but the aftermath of Bush’s “victory” will be 500,000 more dead Iraqi children. According to US and UN officials, direct civilian casualties range from 100,000 to 500,000 people.

Sadly, there will be even more people around the globe who so utterly despise the United States that they are willing to kill themselves for the chance to kill innocent Americans. Other causalities of the Bush War will be the UN and NATO. Allies like Germany, France, China, Russia and Belgium know that this war is wrong. The Vatican knows that this war is wrong. Not only do the governments know that war

President Obama says he is a fan of the Black press

NNPA

the 185th anniversary of the founding of Freedom’s Journal, the nation’s first Black newspaper established by John B. Russwurm and Samuel Cornish.

The NNPA has its roots in a 1941 meeting of major Black newspapers organized by John Sengstacke of the Chicago Defender.

Representatives from 22 newspapers attended that organizing meeting. The organization was initially known as the National Negro Publishers Association. It was renamed the National Newspaper Publishers Association in 1956.

“Over the years you’ve gone from 22 African-American publications to more than 200 newspapers across the country and in so many cities and towns you’ve got readers that depend on you to report on some of the stories that never get told by anybody else,” President Obama said.

“But also to be able to give people a sense of how the stories that everybody reports on impacts the African-American community in particular. And that obviously is a critical role. And that’s not just important to the African-American community, that’s important to the American community because it’s my belief that when everybody’s engaged, when everybody’s involved, they’re going to make better decisions and ultimately we end up having better governance.”

Read more: http://www. nnpa.org/news/lead/presidentobama-expresses-love-forblack-press-by-george-ecurry/#ixzz1paupiC00

is wrong, but the people, even in England, Italy and Spain, know it as well. Some of the weaker governments, like Poland, are willing to go along, but if Turkey’s position reflects anything, it is that Bush is using threats, bribes and payoffs to make nations get in line with his immoral war.

War is not about settling scores for your father, or about enriching your friends with oil profits. War is not to divert the public’s attention away from your ineptitude as a leader and a manger of the economy. War is to defend the nation. This is why Bush’s war is immoral and will come to no good end. And it is why we must all oppose it.

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane CFO Adrianne Hamilton-Butler Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Vice President of Sales & Marketing Selene White Culture and Education Editor Irma McClaurin Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Ben Williams Production Intern Natalie Benz Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Facilities Support / Assistant Producer, Conversations with Al McFarlane Bobby Rankin Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Staff Writer Ivan B. Phifer Contributing Writers Cordie Aziz Maya Beecham Harry Colbert, Jr. Brenda Colston Julie Desmond Fred Easter S. Himie Oshana Himot Timothy Houston Marcia Humphrey Alaina L. Lewis Lydia Schwartz Stacey Taylor Photography Suluki Fardan Tobechi Tobechukwu Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55411.

Ellison From 1 weapons of mass destruction.

Yet in Iraq, America has paid dearly. Americans dead numbered 4,409 and the injured numbered nearly 32,000. As we count American lives lost, Iraq lost even more. According to the Associated Press, as many as 110,000 Iraqis died including 15,000 civilians. The soldier who recently killed 16 unarmed Afghans in Kandahar was on his fourth deployment, three in Iraq.

I was right to oppose war against Iraq in 2003, but so were many people. Millions of people all over the world and in the United States protested, to no avail. You didn’t have to be privy to a top secret briefing to conclude that attacking Iraq was wrong. And you don’t need special knowledge to know war against Iran would be wrong today. Just like Iraq was not threatening to attack us in 2003, Iran is not threatening to attack us today.

No signs point to Iran preparing an attack on the United States today, and yet the drum beat for war gets louder and louder. Even Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says an attack on Iran would be destabilizing to the region and could only delay, not stop, an Iranian nuclear weapons program.

It is common knowledge that there are no signs that Iran has decided to begin a program for nuclear weaponization, and the experts agree that it would take a year at least for Iran to have a testable nuclear weapon – if and after Iran makes a decision to weaponize.

As you re-read “Why we must oppose Bush’s war call” (Insight News, March 2003), please keep in mind that the horrific losses in America’s Iraq war were avoidable, but we can learn something as a nation: war is savage and destructive; it is easier to start a war than to end one; and diplomacy is usually the best security.

Why we must oppose Bush’s war call

As this nation barrels towards war, let us not forget that war is killing and death. It is exploding bodies; it blood; it is funerals; it is unmarked and shallow graves.

War is refugees and orphans.

War always means innocent casualties –women, children, elderly. War always comes with the indiscriminate destruction of infrastructure like roads, power and water supply.

In other words, war equals humanitarian consequences including, lack of drinkable water, energy or sanitation. In war, after the bombing stops, the disease starts, and the death continues.

For Bush, war is the inescapable consequence of Iraq failing to prove that is has disarmed. But does it make sense to rain down untold destruction, loss of life, and global destabilization absent an attack on the people of the United States?

The world and a great many Americans say, “No.” The simple fact is that Iraq is not aggressing against the United States. Iraq has not aggressed against any nation

Page 4 • March 26 - April 1, 2012 • Insight News

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EDUCATION Youth program in East Phillips produces college-bound scholars

By Lauretta Dawolo Towns, Community Coordinator at the Banyan There’s a big reason to celebrate in East Phillips! Four high school seniors from the Banyan Community in South Minneapolis are going to college.

So far, they have received a total of 16 college acceptance letters.

The University of Minnesota, Yale University, Swarthmore, and Marquette University are just some of the colleges waiting to hear from these scholars. Although many Twin Cities students are preparing to enroll into college this fall, these students don’t fit the conventional profile for success.

Abby Mohammed, Seng Ye Xiong, Nathanael McNair, and Tyler Moore are graduating seniors at DeLaSalle High School through the Banyan’s Higher Ground scholarship program. They’ve made a commitment to their education and used the 4-year scholarship as a stepping stone to higher education. These students come from neighborhoods where low educational outcomes are commonplace. They were not expected to graduate from high school, much less attend competitive colleges and universities. Mohammed explains it best in her college entrance essay, “Minneapolis is a city of arts and diversity.

However, my neighborhood is

L-R: Tyler Moore, Abby Mohammed, Nathanael McNair, and Seng Ye Xiong one of the less savory sections of this metropolis. People here are born into a caste in which they will stay from birth to death.

They are trapped in their class… and remain relatively uneducated

throughout their lives.”

Although the social realities of their neighborhoods are challenging, Banyan students are beating the odds with school success. “I am

seeking emancipation through education,” Mohammed continues. The Banyan is breaking down barriers that exist within low income communities while creating

The Banyan

a path of success for K-12 students through their innovative community youth development programming. Banyan youth are graduating from high school at an astonishing rate of 100

percent. This pattern directly challenges the Minneapolis Public Schools’ 4-year high school graduation rate which is below 49 percent. (www. startribune.com) Low-income students of color continue to fall through Minnesota’s notorious achievement gap, yet these high school seniors have written a new story for themselves and their families.

On March 20th, Banyan staff, students, parents, community and city leaders joined together to celebrate the accomplishments of these young scholars at the 1st Annual College Acceptance Party. Younger Banyan students witnessed hard evidence of their peers’ accomplishments, parents expressed pride in a job well done, and stakeholders recognized the results of the Banyan’s hard work and high expectations for each youth.

Every college acceptance letter received represents real possibilities and more options for the future.

“I realize college is both a challenging opportunity and a great privilege and I am prepared to fight for my education. I will do whatever it takes to escape poverty and to overcome the challenges life will hurl at me.

I want to prove to myself, to the community, and to the world that poverty does not have to be a barrier to success,” writes Mohammed.

For more information about the Banyan Community, contact Lori Nissen at (612) 865-6527 or lori@banyancommunity.org.

Audrey McKay: An HBCU experience Born and raised in the powerful District of Columbia – Metro area, home to the legend President Barack Obama; Audrey McKay, an accomplished author, CEO

of Two Shoes Publishing House, former scientist, and graduate of Spelman College has decided to take a few moments from her successful life to share her famed “HBCU

experience”.

Where are you from? How did you first hear about HBCUs? I grew up in the D.C. Metro

levels with her leadership.

She is a phenomenal woman that really changed the way I looked at myself.

area, and I had always known about HBCU’s but I hadn’t really planned to attend one over any other type of school in the beginning.

What made you choose an HBCU over a PWI? When I visited the school, (Spelman), it just touched something in me and I felt like it was the only place I wanted to spend my college years in.

How did you decide to become a student at Spelman College?

A girlfriend of mine, that had gone to the same high school, convinced me to apply. At first I was dead set against it because I attended an all-girls high school and thought there was no way I would be doing the same for college, but my friend came back from her first semester and laid my fears to rest. lol What professors at Spelman College left the most impression upon you as a

HBCU Alumni Interviews

Audrey McKay

student and/or person? What did they do that continues to mean so much to you to this day?

There were several professors that made a positive impression on me while I was there, but I think the person that left the most impact was Johnnetta B. Cole. She was elected as the first ever black woman president of my predominantly black woman’s college. I was so impressed with how she came in and took us to higher

What is the story of your “experience” at Spelman College given its heralded status as a stellar and prestigious institution?

I love my school and I’m so glad we chose each other. The network of alumna is amazing and extremely helpful.

In the past couple of years I’ve been able to go back and talk to some of the incoming freshmen and it was a very rewarding experience.

What was your major? and Why did you choose it?

My major was biology and I chose it because I like to cut things up (In the lab). At one point, I thought I wanted to be a doctor.

It was between that and something to do with writing, but I chose science because I listened to people who kept saying that writers didn’t make money.

What was your proudest moment at Spelman College?

It would have to be graduating.

Accomplishing something that took several years of time and effort made me feel good.

How many “firsts” did you have at Spelman College?

What were they? (e.g. first road trip, first job interview, first love, first “F or A”, etc.)

I think most of my “firsts” occurred at college. It’s a time where you get to stretch your wings and step out from under your parents oversight to see who you really are, or who you want to be. I think those years at college really helped me form my sense of myself. I’m very grateful for those years.

If you could only speak two sentences to the youth coming after you what would you say?

Believe in yourself. Never give up.

So many things will come against you when you try to move on to the next level. You just have to persevere and push through it. Don’t let anything from your past or what anyone says about you deter you. You can make it to your next level if you keep pushing.

If you have questions about attending an HBCU, namely Spelman you can reach Audrey McKay on Facebook and Twitter. Be respectful in your quest for knowledge.

For the full interview visit, http://www.myhbcuinterview. com/

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Insight News • March 26 - April 1, 2012 • Page 5

AESTHETICS Review: Tuskegee Love Letters

By Kam Williams Book Review

“My father was a pilot with the all-Negro Tuskegee Airmen; my mother a steno-typist…

Separated by war and duty, they shared the events of their lives through letters. They wrote about their joys, their dreams and their individual struggles.

Thankfully, each preserved their letters…. This collection is

a glimpse of their lives between 1942 and 1956… These letters are my parents’ legacy. They tell about a difficult but wondrous journey filled with obstacles and opportunities… [and] remind us that all young Americans begin

Courtesy of the author

Bernard and Luana Knighten’s wedding photo their lives with dreams.”

-Excerpted from Introduction (pg. 5)

the

If you saw the recent World War II film Red Tails, you were treated to a riveting reenactment of the heroic exploits of the Tuskegee Airmen over the skies of Europe. But a glaring omission from the movie was any mention of the AfricanAmerican pilots’ pining for their loved ones back in the States.

In fact, the only romance featured in the film revolved around an ill-fated, interracial liaison between an airman and a local girl he met while stationed in Italy. For that reason, a book

like Tuskegee Love Letters couldn’t have come along at a more timely moment.

This bittersweet memoir is essentially conceived as a play constructed from the notes which Bernard and Luana Knighten exchanged by mail while he was serving his country as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen. The passages were culled by their daughter, Kim, from a collection of over 400 missives she found after her father passed away in 2000 at the age of 79.

The initial entries were written when the Knightens were still newlyweds in the full bloom of youth, and exhibiting an endearing combination of bravado, exuberance and vulnerability. Though their subjects of conversation ranged from safety to racism to ambitious plans for making their mark on the world upon reuniting, every message invariably included a passionate reaffirmation of their love.

For instance, Luana signs one note with a heartfelt, “Please, please, please be careful and come back to me,” well aware that some members of her hubby’s squadron had already perished in action.

Bernard, in turn was just as ardent, not only naming his plane after his wife, but admitting that “I dream of you all night long.”

He also describes his reaction to Nazi POWs ‘enjoying better accommodations than black GIs. “It is really disgusting.

It makes my blood boil to see how nice they treat the German prisoners… It really hurts.”

But discrimination didn’t discourage him after the war from publishing with the help of “a talented young writer named Alex Haley” the debut issue of Essence Magazine, a shortlived precursor of the popular periodical for black females.

Meanwhile, equallytalented Luana started pursuing her acting career, only to die of a heart attack two days before she was set to make her Broadway debut co-starring in Take a Giant Step opposite a teenager named Lou Gossett, Jr. Because Kim was only a couple monthsold at the time, she never really got to know her mother.

That makes her all the more grateful to her parents for having the inclination to save their intimate love letters and to her long-widowed dad for preserving them for posterity, knowing just how much they might mean to his darling daughter the day she discovered them in a dusty trunk in the attic after he was no longer around.

A priceless slice of AfricanAmerican history that can’t be read without crying and which undoubtedly deserves to be on display in the Smithsonian.

To learn more about Kim Russell, visit: http://www. speakersontour.com/index.html Tuskegee Love Letters

by Kim Russell 702 Entertainment Paperback, $8.00 38 pages, Illustrated ISBN: 978-0-615591544

Page 6 • March 26 - April 1, 2012 • Insight News

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HEALTH The benefits of the Affordable Care Act for Minnesota For too long, too many hardworking Americans paid the price for policies that handed free rein to insurance companies and put barriers between patients and their doctors.

The Affordable Care Act gives hardworking families in Minnesota the security they deserve. The new health care law forces insurance companies to play by the rules, prohibiting them from dropping your coverage if you get sick, billing you into bankruptcy because of an annual or lifetime limit, or, soon, discriminating against anyone with a pre-existing condition.

All Americans will have the security of knowing that they don’t have to worry about losing coverage if they’re laid off or change jobs. And insurance companies now have to cover your preventive care like mammograms and other cancer screenings. The new law also makes a significant investment in State and community-based efforts that promote public health, prevent disease and protect against public health emergencies.

Health reform is already making a difference for the people of Minnesota by: Providing new coverage options for young adults Health plans are now required

through a new Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan that was created under the new health reform law. To learn more about the plan available in Minnesota, check here.

to allow parents to keep their children under age 26 without job-based coverage on their family’s coverage, and, thanks to this provision, 2.5 million young people have gained coverage nationwide. As of June 2011, 32,189 young adults in Minnesota gained insurance coverage as a result of the new health care law.

Supporting Minnesota’s work on Affordable Insurance Exchanges Minnesota has received $31.3 million in grants for research, planning, information technology development, and implementation of Affordable Insurance Exchanges.

Making prescription drugs affordable for seniors Thanks to the new health care law, 66,833 people with Medicare in Minnesota received a $250 rebate to help cover the cost of their prescription drugs when they hit the donut hole in 2010.

In 2011, 57,610 people with Medicare received a 50 percent discount on their covered brand-name prescription drugs when they hit the donut hole.

This discount resulted in an average savings of $590 per person, and a total savings of $33,963,871 in Minnesota. By 2020, the law will close the donut hole.

Covering preventive services with no deductible or co-pay In 2011, 424,007 people with Medicare in Minnesota received free preventive services – such as mammograms and colonoscopies – or a free annual wellness visit with their doctor. And 54 million

Ben Williams / Stock.xchng

Americans with private health insurance gained preventive service coverage with no costsharing, including 1,056,000 in Minnesota.

Providing better value for your premium dollar through the 80/20 Rule Under the new health care law, insurance companies must provide consumers greater value by spending generally at least 80 percent of premium dollars on health care and quality improvements instead of overhead, executive salaries or marketing. If they don’t, they must provide consumers a rebate or reduce premiums.

This means that 1,553,000 Minnesota residents with private insurance coverage will receive greater value for their premium dollars.

Scrutinizing unreasonable premium increases In every State and for the first time under Federal law, insurance companies are required to publicly justify their actions if they want to raise rates by 10 percent or

more. Minnesota has received $3.9 million under the new law to help fight unreasonable premium increases.

Removing lifetime limits on health benefits The law bans insurance companies from imposing lifetime dollar limits on health benefits – freeing cancer patients and individuals suffering from other chronic diseases from having to worry about going without treatment because of their lifetime limits. Already, 2,043,000 residents, including 754,000 women and 553,000 children, are free from worrying about lifetime limits on coverage.

The law also restricts the use of annual limits and bans them completely in 2014.

Creating new coverage options for individuals with pre-existing conditions As of the end of 2011, 244 previously uninsured residents of Minnesota who were locked out of the coverage system because of a pre-existing condition are now insured

• $1 million in Planning Grants: This grant provides Minnesota the resources needed to conduct the research and planning necessary to build a better health insurance marketplace and determine how its exchange will be operated and governed.

Learn how the funds are being used in Minnesota here.

• $30.3 million in Exchange Establishment Grants: These grants are helping States continue their work to implement key provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Learn how the funds are being used in Minnesota here.

Preventing illness and promoting health Since 2010, Minnesota has received $18.3 million in grants from the Prevention and Public Health Fund created by the Affordable Care Act. This new fund was created to support effective policies in Minnesota, its communities, and nationwide so that all Americans can lead longer, more productive lives.

Increasing support for community health centers The Affordable Care Act increases the funding available to community health centers in all 50 states, including the 73 existing community health centers in Minnesota.

Health centers in Minnesota have received $11.5 million to create new health center sites in medically underserved areas, enable health centers to increase the number of patients served, expand preventive and primary health care services, and support major construction and renovation projects.

Strengthening partnerships with Minnesota The law gives states support for their work to build the health care workforce, crack down on fraud, and support public health. So far, Minnesota has received more than $78 million from the Affordable Care Act. Examples of Affordable Care Act grants not outlined above to Minnesota include: • $100,000 to support the National Health Service Corps, by assisting Minnesota in repaying educational loans of health care professionals in return for their practice in health professional shortage areas.

• $472,000 for school-based health centers, to help clinics expand and provide more health care services such as screenings to students.

• $600,000 to support outreach to eligible Medicare beneficiaries about their benefits.

• $191,000 for Familyto-Family Health Information Centers, organizations run by and for families with children with special health care needs.

• $1 million for disease demonstration projects, to test approaches that may encourage behavior modification among Medicaid beneficiaries and determine solutions.

• $4.5 million for Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs. These programs bring health professionals to meet with at-risk families in their homes and connect families to the kinds of help that can make a real difference in a child’s health, development, and ability to learn - such as health care, early education, parenting skills, child abuse prevention, and nutrition.

• $4 million from the Pregnancy Assistance Fund to provide pregnant and parenting teens and women with a seamless network of supportive services to help them complete high school or postsecondary degrees and gain access to health care, child care, family housing, and other critical support.

Source: White House Press Office

Ellison hails second anniversary of Health Care Reform Act

U.S. Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) Only two years after its enactment more than half of Metropolitan Minneapolis residents are already benefiting from the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as the Healthcare Reform bill.

The landmark bill, signed March 23, 2012, made comprehensive health care available to millions of Americans and gave them more control over the coverage they can receive.

Because of ACA insurance companies cannot refuse to cover children with pre-existing conditions like asthma or diabetes.

In addition young adults can stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until age 26 and seniors get discounts on prescription drugs, as well as free preventative services.

Estimates are that almost half of the people in the Minneapolis area have improved health insurance coverage as a result.

“Just two years since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law millions of Americans have been able to take control over their health from insurance bureaucrats and roughly 200,000 people in Greater Minneapolis are already seeing lower costs and better coverage,” Rep. Ellison

stated. “What’s more, the 410,000 people in our district who have private health insurance can’t be kicked out of their plan if they become ill. This law is truly proof that ‘when we all do better, we all do better.’”

“As the new benefits of the health care law continue to be implemented, I will stand against partisan efforts to repeal this critical law,” Rep. Ellison added. “Republican attempts to repeal reform will only put the insurance companies back in charge of people’s health, increase individual costs and return us to the days of reduced healthcare for millions of Americans.”

The Affordable Care Act means in the Minneapolis area: • 5,300 young adults under age 26 now have health insurance; • 4,900 seniors received prescription drug discounts worth $3.1 million, an average discount of $630 each.

• 40,000 seniors have Medicare preventive services at no outof-pocket cost.

• 20,000 children and 110,000 adults now have health insurance that covers preventive services • 620 small businesses received tax credits to help maintain or expand health care coverage for their employees • 7,000 to 31,000 children with preexisting health conditions can no longer be denied coverage by health insurers • $4.6 million in grants went to community health centers, hospitals, doctors, and other healthcare providers in the district to improve the community’s health.

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Insight News • March 26 - April 1, 2012 • Page 7

Advances in HIV mean something for everyone

By Healthy Living News Boston Chilly Boston temperatures and a freshly fallen snow couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of attendees at this years Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). The meeting revealed important data on HIV prevention and treatment. There was also a significant break-through in curing another viral infection, hepatitis C. In addition, there was promising early data on an experimental gene therapy procedure that could lead to new ways of controlling, and perhaps someday, even curing HIV infection. Yet in a meeting that provided something useful and promising for everyone, it also left unanswered questions.

Prevention: A well stocked toolbox Until recently the tools in the HIV prevention toolbox have included condoms, clean needles and viral suppressive HIV drugs.

But looking back, last year may be viewed as a turning point.

Significant advances in HIV prevention were seen in vaccine research and new pills and gels for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis.

Furthermore, data published late in 2011 confirmed that after three years, the now famous Berlin Patient was in fact cured of HIV. This year there were no vaccine breakthroughs at CROI, but a new phase of perfecting and planning the use of other prevention tools and advances has begun. The hope is that doing so can at last put an end to the HIV pandemic.

Presentations at CROI that the drug Truvada can prevent HIV infection (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, or oral PrEP) confirmed that to some degree it works, at least in a clinical trial setting. How to make it work in a real world setting is now the challenge at hand. Already the CDC has produced preliminary guidelines on oral PrEP as studies like the open-label, non-placebo controlled study run their course.

Those studies will take several years however. In the meantime, public health experts are debating using oral PrEP outside a clinical trial setting now. It’s possible that even before the next set of trials end the FDA will change Truvada’s labeling to include oral PrEP, at least so members of at risk communities can get the drug prescribed. Yet there were concerns and questions at CROI about it being used before it’s best known how to.

One concern is developing drug resistance in those who take PrEP just after they have unknowingly become HIV infected. PrEP study data showed this still a possibility, especially when so many infected with HIV are on a Truvada regimen. One CROI study, presented by Ume Abbas of the Cleveland Clinic, examined the resistance risks verse the benefits of oral PrEP. It used a mathematical model of large scale distribution of oral PREP to uninfected South Africans along with distribution of an HIV Truvada antiviral regimen for infected ones. The model showed that doing both at once would prevent 838,860 new infections over 10 years and result in only 3300 cases of drug resistance. By comparison, either an antiviral or oral PrEP distribution alone

would have far less success.

Other researchers at CROI noted a paper recently published in PNAS demonstrating widespread use of oral PrEP would actually lead to less all-around HIV drug resistance. That computer model showed, in short, the following: Access to oral PrEP = fewer HIV infections = fewer on antivirals = less antiviral resistance.

Still, there is the issue of ahealthy, uninfected people taking HIV drugs. According to several CROI presentations on oral PrEP, one side effect of regularly taking Truvada was slight bone density loss. Truvada has some mild kidney related toxicities as well.

And what about the cost? At $36 a day, how many people can afford to take Truvada everyday? What’s more, will they even need to? The new CDC guidelines mention that intermittent oral PrEP and “disco dosing” are not yet recommended as they have not been studied in clinical trials. Intermittent oral PrEP trials are underway though.

The public relations obstacles for oral PrEP were also discussed at a PrEP strategy meeting at Boston’s Fenway Health Center. One participant wondered whether people who are already distrusting of drug companies will blithely take oral PrEP, especially when HIV drugs like Truvada are widely, and justifiably, thought of as having side effects.

Data was also presented on Community Viral Load (CVL).

CVL is a measure of HIV viral load from either a location, a demographic group, or patients of a specific clinic. Previous studies have shown that a high Community Viral Load means that community has higher rates of HIV transmissions.

Data from several U.S. cities showed that when those in high CVL communities are tested and then treated, rates of HIV infections decrease. That “those that get measured, get managed,” according to CVL researcher Moupalis Das. For CVL testand-treat to work, however, more people in these communities need to realize they are at risk and get tested. The CDC’s George Gillet revealed some hurdles in making that happen. His study examined two hotbeds of the epidemic, Black and Latino men seeking sex with men. The study revealed participants sought partners within their own ethnicity or race, mistakenly believing doing so lessened the risk of exposure to HIV. The study also revealed that as members of high risk groups the men did not receive HIV testing through their regular care providers.

Yet despite all the stumbling blocks and unanswered questions at CROI, there was optimism.

Optimism that was also fueled by presentations on male circumcision and prevention gels, including one that stops anal transmission. Pile on recent advances in vaccines and the prevention tool box begins to look pretty well stocked. At the moment, however, none of these new, or even old prevention tools provide 100% protection against HIV (some provide even less than 50% protection). Yet using them all together could result in impressive advances in stopping the HIV pandemic. As Robert Grant of the Gladstone Institute put it, “there are many new opportunities available, so now is the moment to invest in them.”

Thus discussion was rife with calls for a race to the moon commitment to end the pandemic that made CROI seem like a NASA meeting.

And there was also good news on the growing size, quality, and new ways to better utilize whats inside the HIV antiviral toolbox.

Antiviral tools: Breakthroughs and new approaches One way to use whats inside that toolbox is during primary infection (just after becoming HIV infected). Studies have shown that a relatively short course of antivirals during primary infection can lower the longterm viral load set-point, slowing down disease progression toward AIDS. Marlous Grijsen presented data showing that lowering the set point with a 24 week course of antivirals can also delay the need to go on them by two years.

At a press conference Marty Markowitz and conference John Coffin commented on Grijsen’s data. To take advantage of this early treatment benefit they emphasized the importance of test and treat during primary infection and that it needs to be put into wider practice. Doing so could postpone going on HIV drugs and the later drug toxicities and side effects, as well as the overall cost of treatment.

Whatever the course of treatment, it looks as if there is no added advantage in suppressing HIV with five drugs instead of three. A disappointed Marty Markowitz had hoped to prove that low-level HIV replication could be stopped using more drugs against different viral targets. But although those on the five drug regimen became undetectable sooner, there was no overall added reduction in viral load or differences in t-cells. The bright side? There will be no shift toward a standardized five drug regimen which will also keep side effects and drug costs down. Although the results probably won’t sway skeptics and conspiracy theorists who believe the HIV epidemic is a massively contrived plot to profit drug companies.

One clear highlight at this years CROI was the breakthrough on treating HIV/HCV coinfection. The new protease inhibitor telaprevir (TVR) is the first of several that will treat hepatitis C (HCV). When used in combination with standard treatment, the drug can actually cure HCV in about 70% of HIV/ HVC co-infected individuals.

A previously released study showed a 75% cure rate in just HCV infected individuals. Many in both studies were chronically infected by HCV yet were still able to be cured. At a press conference excited researchers actually sanctioned the use of the C word (“cure”) by journalists.

FDA approval of TVR is expected sometime this Spring. Other HCV

Stock.xchng

protease inhibitors and later, HCV polymerase inhibitors, will begin to come out regularly after TVR’s approval. That means even greater improvements in HCV treatment are not far off.

And speaking of cures, with the recent data confirming that the Berlin Patient is cured of HIV, the quest to wipe it out in everyone else infected seems to have become, along with an HIV vaccine, a holy grail of HIV research. Presentations at CROI in particular showed the grail may be a little closer at hand. Paula Cannon’s team will use HIV infected lymphoma patients to repeat the success of the Berlin Patient. That requires an immune system wipe-out, or ablation procedure, and bone marrow transplant that can have high mortality. So, instead, Jay Lalezari of Quest is attempting a “Berlin Patient Lite” gene therapy approach. Lalezari’s study hopes to instill and mimic the natural protection HIV long term nonprogressors have against the virus.

His partial immune makeover involves taking out a subjects t-cells and altering them to stop expressing the cell receptor CCR5

that HIV uses to enter the cells.

The cells are then re-infused back into subjects. Then hopefully the new cells will dominate as the older HIV vulnerable cells die or are killed by HIV. When the old cells are gone, HIV, in theory, will not be able to replicate and overtime it will just fade away.

The early data on the six study subjects who received the altered cells showed that five have already had increases in t-cell counts of around 200. It remains to be seen if these cells are both functional and impervious to HIV. And as the study subjects remain on HIV

meds it will be a while to see if the altered cells control or eliminate HIV. At a press conference the extremely cautious researchers downplayed the significance of the clinical data. It should also be noted that some types of HIV use other receptors like CCR4 to enter T-cells. Other researchers at CROI did present data on altering cells so that they don’t express these receptors. But despite all these hopeful efforts and the confirmation of the cured Berlin patient, a cure for everyone with HIV is still a ways off.

Page 8 • March 26 - April 1, 2012 • Insight News

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LIFESTYLE Black woman, what makes you so strong?

Murua (Swahili for ‘Respect’)

By Dr. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya, Ph.D., L.P. For most of my life, I have heard that Black women are strong.

But, rarely do we talk about what has made us so strong. Surely the old adage: “What won’t kill you will make you stronger” has applied to many of our lives.

Unfortunately, many of have not gotten stronger, but have been killed along the way. While our bodies may not have been killed, our spirits, our hopes, and our dreams have been shattered by what we have experienced.

We have buried our sons and daughters to needless, thoughtless violence.

We Black women have lost husbands, friends, and lovers because of what we have experienced.

We have lost our dignity, received black eyes, experienced infidelity, been riddled with insecurity, displaced by unemployment, and devastated by discrimination.

Yes, we have been challenged in ways that have destabilized and

shamed us for generations.

Although we have experienced the heavy weight of oppression, Black women have managed to not only survive, but thrive. Myrlie Evers, once said: “I have reached a point in my life where I can understand the pain and the challenges; and my attitude is one of standing up with open arms to meet them all.” It is this sort of resilient and defiant stance that sustains wellness and promotes mental health. In my work as a psychologist, I use an African-Centered Wellness Model that is centered in the value called, Murua (Swahili for “respect”). Having Murua means that a woman respects all areas of her life and seeks to maintain balance within them. Within the context of my model, each individual’s personal wellness (as well as the collective wellness of us as African people in the Diaspora) depends on having Murua. Throughout our history, despite multiple obstacles, African American women have made considerable contributions to our communities in the forms of promoting wellness in academic, social, emotional, economic, physical, spiritual, cultural and vocational life areas.

For example, I do not have to tell you that Black folks were legally forbidden from learning

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to read or write for centuries.

Think about it—not decades, but centuries. They told us that we could not read or write….but then we broke out with literary giants like Maya Angelou, Phyllis Wheatley, Audre Lorde, Nikki Giovanni, Alice Walker, Lorraine Hansberry, Toni Morrison and Gwendolyn Brooks. They told us we could not learn, but then we shattered stereotypes when educational institutions like Spelman, Morehouse, Howard, and Hampton Universities were founded. Additionally, we have created intellectual giants like

Mary Jane Patterson, Halle Q. Brown, Mary McCleod Bethune, Regina Anderson, and Marjorie Brown-- the one of the first African American women in U.S. history to get a doctorate in mathematics. These women have surpassed the low expectations of many, and have left the entire world asking: “Black women, what makes you so strong?”

Furthermore, we can not forget the courageous battles fought for social justice by Black women dating back to Harriett Tubman and Sojourner Truth.

Additionally, we can not overlook

the fact that issues of civil and social justice have been forged by the fires of resistance by women such as Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Angela Davis, Anita Hill, Daisy Bates, Marian Wright Edelman, Dorothy Height, and Fannie Lou Hammer. Political icons like Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, Carol Mosley Braun and even Michelle Obama have shown us that our roles as Black women activists also include working within the political arena. Our resistance has been further emboldened by the work of Black female

psychologists like Mamie Clark, Carolyn Peyton, and Ruth Howard. Furthermore, the economic presence of creative entrepreneurs like Madame C.J. Walker and Oprah Winfrey has made space for us to know that we can be wealthy and influential in our communities. These women and their fierce commitment to social and economic justice have left many asking, “Black woman, what makes you so strong?”

Additionally, our physical health and wellness has been challenged by a society in which Black women are more apt to contract HIV, die of heart disease, stroke and cancer because of poor and inadequate health care. We are often the last to seek help when we are sick and receive the most invasive and least efficacious practices when treatment is given. We are victims of experiments that led to the development of gynecological instruments, HeLa cells, and fertilizations against our will. Yet, we ended up with doctors and scientists like Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders, Mae Jemison, Marie Daly, the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Dr. Patricia Bath, inventor of cataract laser probe, and founder of the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness.

Despite the deep pain that has been thrust upon us by our

WOMAN TURN TO 9

Be a safe tourist when you go abroad

By Andrew Daniels The world today encompasses very real concerns of crime, health risks, natural disasters and terrorism that can disrupt the best planned vacations.

Travelers need to be aware of the risks they can face when vacationing to an unfamiliar territory.

Whether you are a student going on spring break, a family vacationing together or are traveling strictly for business, there are some items that you should ensure are checked off of your pre-trip list before you depart for your destination.

Protect Your Identity Proof of identity and citizenship are critical while traveling abroad. Your personal safety, and ability to travel, will be at risk if your passport and other identification are lost or stolen.

Remember to take a photocopy of your passport and other identification with you on your travels. Keep it in a safe place, in the event something happens

to the original.

As soon as you know you are going to travel abroad, locate your passport and make sure all of the information is correct. If you were over age 16 when your passport was issued, it is valid for 10 years.

If you were age 15 or younger when your passport was issued, your passport is valid for 5 years. If you need to apply for a passport, do so at least three months in advance of your trip to avoid fees associated with expediting the process.

Check for Travel Warnings and Advisories The U.S. Department of State’s website, www.travel.state. gov, should be your first stop when planning for international travel. The website will provide locations that currently have a travel warning or alert. There is also information about foreign countries’ laws and policies as well as other international travel resources.

Even if you don’t think the weather will stop you from a great vacation, it could delay

your travel arrangements or even cancel them altogether due to a natural disaster.

Check your destination’s local weather forecast for storms and warnings. Remember to check on your travel status before leaving if the weather is bad in your departure or arrival area.

Register with the State Department Register your travel plans with the State Department through a free online service at www. travelregistration.state.gov.

All U.S. citizens travelling or residing abroad can provide travel and personal information to the State Department so that in an emergency situation, you can be contacted.

Insure Yourself No one ever plans on getting sick or being hurt while traveling, but it could happen.

Be prepared by reviewing your health insurance to find out if it will cover you in a foreign country.

If your health insurance does not cover you, there is the option

of purchasing travel insurance.

This insurance provides health coverage, protects you if your trip is delayed or cut short, or if you need to cancel your trip for one of the covered reasons such as illness or a natural disaster.

Contact Your Credit Card and Cell Phone Company If you plan on using credit cards during your travel, alert your providers to your travel dates. This way they do not put a hold on or decline a purchase because they know that it is actually you using the card. It is also suggested to use credit cards rather than debit cards because credit companies offer fraud protection required by federal regulations.

If you plan on taking your cell phone with you, check with your provider to make sure your service will work wherever you go. There may be an extra charge for international or roaming calls or data services. Make sure that your

TOURISM TURN TO 9

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Insight News • March 26 - April 1, 2012 • Page 9

COMMENTARY Republicans attack labor, women, the poor, seniors, immigrants...

Nobody Asked Me

By Fred Easter Nobody asked me, but Republicans are acting so stupid that it scares me. I find myself worrying that they know something no one else knows.

I saw a great quote the other day: “Politics is the gentle art of

getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich by promising to protect the one from the other”.

Yet, here are Republican office holders and candidates attacking public sector Labor Unions, women, the poor, seniors, immigrants, college students and all people of color. And they are doing it in an election year. It is as if they only need the votes of the rich.

First, the new Republican Governor of Wisconsin moved to wipe away the collective bargaining rights of public sector employees and earned himself a recall effort. Across the nation states are rushing

to enact “right to work” laws.

Unions and other opponents of these efforts dub them “right to work for less” laws. Basically, the laws would give workers the “right” to be hired into “union” shops without joining the union.

Over a half century ago, when the right to bargain collectively was won, folks who went to work in union shops without joining the union were hired during strikes, and were called scabs. These laws would make union busting legal and easy.

Voter ID laws are aimed at suppressing the vote of college students, who often use absentee ballots, the elderly, who no longer drive, the poor

and people of color. All are folk who came out in force to support the President in ’08.

But, the most amazing effort is the attempt to roll back the clock on Roe vs Wade and strip contraception from health plans.

The simple fact is, like collective bargaining, women fought long and hard for these rights years ago.

How rich and old and white do you have to be to be blind to the fact that women, married and single, have the right to have sex without risking pregnancy?

Clearly, employers are wary of hiring women who might get pregnant and run up health

insurance costs. Pregnancies also mean awkward, hard to adjust for, leaves of absence.

Doesn’t it follow, particularly in this economy, that all working women would be as wary as employers are of all but the most carefully planned pregnancies?

It is as if, having driven huge numbers of young men of color out of the workplace and into prison; Republicans are now turning their attention to driving pre-menopausal women out of the work place and back into the American kitchens and bedrooms of 1945.

The logical extension of these right wing efforts is the Poll Tax and having Blacks

recite the Constitution in order to be eligible to vote.

I hope the election of this nice, brown President has simply thrown these teabaggers out of all touch with reality. If not, they may have found some way to steal the White House like W and his family did in ’00 and we won’t realize it until we’re busy memorizing the Constitution.

So, if you’re not registered, REGISTER. If you’re registered, be sure to VOTE. And, if you have $5, send 50 cents to the Democratic candidate of your choice.

Trayvon’s death demands outrage Child Watch

By Marian Wright Edelman Every parent raising Black sons knows the dilemma: deciding how soon to have the talk.

Choosing the words to explain to your beautiful child that there are some people who will never like or trust him just because of who he is—including some who should be there to protect him, but will instead have the power to hurt him. Training him how to walk, what to say, and how to act so he won’t seem like a threat. Teaching him that the burden of deflating stereotypes and reassuring other people’s ignorance will always fall on him, and while that isn’t fair, in some cases it may be the only way to keep him safe and alive.

But sometimes it isn’t enough. It wasn’t enough to protect Trayvon Martin.

Seventeen-year-old Trayvon’s English teacher said he was “an A and B student who majored in cheerfulness.” Trayvon loved building models and taking things apart, his favorite

Woman From 8 circumstances, our captivity has unleashed the spirit filled preaching of the likes of Black female ministers ranging from Reverend(s) Prathia Hall, Carolyn Knight and Vashti McKenzie to Renita Weems, Suzan Johnson Cook, Ann Lightner-Fuller and Juanita Bynum. These women have taught us that though we may feel puny, we serve a mighty God who loves us and will carry us through. Sometimes, when we get off our knees, we shout of praise and break out into a holy dance. So, there is nobody who can contest the fact that we have grounded ourselves in the deep roots of hope and creativity as exemplified through the exotic and impassioned dance of women like Josephine Baker, Katherine Dunham, Debbie Allen, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar.

Our soulful ability to translate our experiences to rhythm has produced songstresses like Billie Holliday, Lena Horne, Leontyne Price, Marian Anderson, Ella Fitzgerald, Pearl Bailey, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, Erica Badu, and Chaka Kan. Then we break out with a Beyonce Knowles, India Aire, Jill Scott, CeCe Wynans, Whitney Houston and Yolonda Adams. Our collective energies have led to women who have acted out our lives in ways that

Tourism From 8 phone is pre-programmed with important emergency numbers at home and you have a charger that will work where you’re heading.

Make Arrangements for your Home and Animals If you are leaving for a long period of time, it is best to alert a neighbor, nearby family member or friend of when you are leaving and returning.

subject was math, and he dreamed of becoming a pilot and an engineer. Instead, he was gunned down by a selfappointed neighborhood watch captain vigilante who profiled him, followed him, and shot him in the chest. His killer, George Zimmerman, saw the teenager on the street and called the police to report he looked “like he’s up to no good.” At the time Trayvon was walking home from the nearby 7-11 carrying a bottle of Arizona iced tea and a bag of Skittles for his younger stepbrother, leaving many people to guess that the main thing he was doing that made him look “no good” was wearing a hooded sweatshirt in the rain and walking while Black. George Zimmerman’s decisions made that suspicious enough to be a death sentence.

Now there is widespread outrage over the senseless killing of a young Black man who was doing nothing wrong and the fact that the man who killed him has not been arrested.

People are trying to make sense of the series of gun laws that allowed George Zimmerman to act as he did—starting with the Florida laws that allowed someone like Zimmerman, who had previously been charged for resisting arrest with violence and battery on a police

officer, to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon in the first place. Many more questions are being raised about Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which also has been described as the “shoot first, ask questions later” law, and gives the benefit of the doubt to Zimmerman and

have broken ground in new ways, that are both impossible, as well as authentic and true to our experiences. Women from the likes of Ruby Dee, Cicely Tyson, Alfre Woodard, Dorothy Dandridge, Hattie McDaniel, Whoopi Goldberg, and Angela Bassett to Halle Berry, Queen Latifah, Mo’Nique, Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis—just to name a few! Our songs, our melodies, our lyrics as well as our performances on stage and screen make people ask us: “Black Women, what makes you SO strong?”

Just when we finish singing, our stylistic and athletic abilities tantalize others and we engage in unprecedented ways through sports by producing a group of women like Wilma Rudolph, Althea Gibson, Venus and Serena Williams, Marion Jones, Florence Griffith Joyner and Jackie Joyner Kersee. We fool around and throw down with sisters like Laila Ali, Sheryl Swoopes, Cheryl Miller, Cynthia Cooper, Debi Thomas, Dominique Dawes, and Vonetta Flowers (the first Black athlete to win a Gold Medal in a Winter Olympics).

As I conclude this last article devoted to Women’s Month, I want to remind my sisters that when people ask us about the sources of our strength, we have to say that our strength comes from our strong sense of community, our deep faith in God, our integrity, our voices,

our minds, our bodies, our hopes, our dreams and our children. The faith that we will live through hard times and emerge resiliently comes from so many successful examples in our history - past and present - that it would be ludicrous to believe that we do not have the same powerful assets as our dynamic sisters.

So, now when people ask me: “Black woman what makes you so strong?” My answer is: “I am so strong because I have to be.”

Ask them to keep an eye on your property and outside belongings. You may also want to consider having your house sitter pick up your mail or you can put a hold on your mail being delivered at the post office.

If your house sitter and your animals are familiar with each other, they could keep each other company while you’re away. However, if not, a great alternative is sending your animal on their own retreat while you are gone. Many facilities offer great amenities to keep animals happy while

so far: that the story told by witnesses, phone records, and Zimmerman’s violent past and earlier complaints during his neighborhood patrols shows an overzealous armed aggressor who followed Trayvon even after police told him to stop, chased Trayvon down when

“The outcry over Trayvon’s death is absolutely right and just. We need the same sense of outrage over every one of these child deaths.” others claiming “self-defense” by allowing people who say they are in imminent danger to defend themselves. Some states limit this defense to people’s own homes, but others, like Florida, allow it anywhere.

As Josh Horwitz, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, says, this law “has turned common law—and common sense—on its head by enabling vigilantes to provoke conflicts, resolve them with deadly force, and avoid ever having to set foot in a courtroom.” The fear in Trayvon’s death is that this is exactly what has happened

BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya, Ph.D., L.P. is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice, serves as President of Brakins Consulting and Psychological Services, and is the Executive Director of the African American Child Wellness Institute. The mission of the African American Child Wellness Institute is to promote the psychological and spiritual liberation of children of African Descent by providing culturally specific mental health services and by developing culture-based, holistic wellness resources, research and practices.

Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya warns that this column should in no way be construed as constituting a therapeutic relationship through counseling or advice. To forward a comment about this article or to make an appointment, please contact Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya by email @ bravadaakinsanya@ hotmail.com or by telephone at 612-302-3140 or 763-522-0100

their owners are away.

Andrew Daniels is a Vice President at AlliedBarton Security Services. AlliedBarton, www.alliedbarton.com, is the industry’s premier provider of highly trained security personnel to many industries including higher education, commercial real estate, healthcare, residential communities, chemical/ petrochemical, government, manufacturing and distribution, financial institutions, and shopping centers.

the frightened boy tried to walk away from the stranger following him, and then shot the unarmed, 100-pounds-lighter teenager while neighbors said they heard a child crying for help. The prospect now that Zimmerman might never set foot in a courtroom for the shooting has caused widespread frustration and fury.

Just as sadly, Trayvon’s death was not unique. In 2008 and 2009, 2,582 Black children and teens were killed by gunfire. Black children and teens were only 15 percent of the child population, but 45 percent of the 5,740 child and teen gun deaths in those two years. Black males 15 to 19 years-old were eight times as likely as White males to be gun homicide victims. The outcry over Trayvon’s death is absolutely right and just. We need the same sense of outrage over every one of these child deaths. Above all, we need a nation where these senseless deaths no longer happen. But we won’t get it until we have common-sense gun laws that protect children instead of guns and don’t allow people like George Zimmerman to take the law into their own hands. We won’t get it until we have a culture that sees every child as a child of God and sacred, instead of seeing some as expendable statistics, and others as threats and “no

good” because of the color of their skin or because they chose to walk home wearing a hood in the rain. And we won’t get it until enough of us—parents and grandparents—stand up and tell our political leaders that the National Rifle Association should not be in charge of our neighborhoods, streets, gun laws, and values. In Trayvon’s case, his father Tracy speaks for what his family needs: “The family is calling for justice. We don’t want our son’s death to be in vain.” I hope that enough voices will ensure that it is not.

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 10 • March 26 - April 1, 2012 • Insight News

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FULL CIRCLE

Why do men cheat?

Man Talk

By Timothy Houston Why do men cheat? Let me begin by saying not all men cheat. According to MSNBC survey conducted in February of this year of 70,000 adults, 44 % of married men and 36% of married women admitted to being unfaithful. Although these numbers are alarmingly high, they do not reflect all. 56% of the men surveyed indicated that they kept their commitment to their relationships.

Because there is high percent of men who are unfaithful, women everywhere want to

Obama From 1 (military) and sacrificing for the other ninety-nine-percent; and that can be a daunting task.

I’m grateful to you all.”

Tracy Clark knows the sacrifice first hand. Her son, Pfc. Ryane Clark, was killed in 2010 while serving in

know why men cheat. This question has been presented to me at just about every speaking engagement or book signing I have attended. These women believe that if a man has a good woman at home that is taking care of his needs, there is no need for him to look anywhere else. Unfortunately this is not the case. The reason behind why men cheat is much deeper and internal.

To get a better understanding of the factors that impact why men cheat, picture a man running a marathon. At some point in the race, the man will hit what runners call the wall. The wall is a point in the runners psyche where his body begins to rebel against him. His mind, body, kidney, liver, feet, legs, and all other connected body parts scream at him that he cannot go any further. What he sees, feels, and touches

Afghanistan.

Clark tearfully read to the First Lady the last letter she received from her son. She said the support she and her family have received from the community have helped her cope with the loss. Clark said her son loved chocolate chip cookies and at his funeral community members brought more than 17,000 cookies. She said most of the cookies were shipped overseas to troops

tells him that he cannot finish the race. Despite all of theses things, the man finishes the race because his heart compels him to do so. What is in a man’s heart overrides what he sees

(Mathew 15:19). Men that are unfaithful act out what is in their heart. You cannot make a man cheat. Cheating is the symptom.

It reflects the spiritual condition of the heart. Internal desire

“What is in a man’s heart will determine his course of actions. His biggest problems are within him.” and feels. The heart has the final impact on what a man will say or do.

The heart of a man is the key because cheating comes from the heart. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander”

determines external behavior.

What is in a man’s heart will determine his course of actions.

His biggest problems are within him.

No woman should ever take reasonability for a man’s unfaithfulness. A man with a cheating heart will cheat

Harry Colbert, Jr.

Michelle Obama at the roundtable discussion

regardless of whom he is with. It is the condition of his heart and not her actions that control and dictate his actions.

Men have often blamed their wives or girlfriends for their unfaithfulness, citing such excuses as, “She doesn’t satisfy me sexually anymore,” or “She has gained too much weight.”

They try to lead us to believe that the source of their problem is outside of them. This is not true. Like a man running a marathon, outside influences may impact his actions, but they do not control them. What is in his heart will be the final determination. A man cheats because it is in his heart to do so.

Unfaithful men need to consider the long term consequences of their actions.

Cheating, like death and war, takes no prisoners, leaving whomever it touches, including

families, neighborhoods, and communities devastated. When relationships suffer, we are all lessened in some way. The church, work environment, and family structure are all also impacted. Cheating tears at the fabric of our society and diminishes the heart and creativity of the injured person. Unfaithfulness creates a battleground within the relationship, and it causes a tear in the esteem of the wounded partner. With these devastating negative impacts in mind, why would a man ever cheat?

serving abroad.

Joy Westenberg’s message to Obama was that everyone can do their part to make life a bit easier for troops and their families.

“If you’ve got a military family living next to you, ask if you can help,” said Westenberg, who is the project manager for GreenCare for Troops, a group dedicated to assisting military families with their landscaping needs. “You

don’t have to be a professional to mow a lawn for someone.

You can still make their lives a little easier.”

The roundtable was later closed to media and the participants spoke privately with the First Lady. Later in the evening Obama attended a private fundraiser for her husband’s reelection campaign. That fundraiser was held at the Walker Art Center.

Timothy Houston is an author, minister, and motivational speaker who is committed to guiding positive life changes in families and communities.

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

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Insight News • March 26 - April 1, 2012 • Page 11

Houston family showcases graceful honesty some have accused Brown of introducing Houston to drugs, leading to the singer’s downfall, sister-in-law Pat Houston said that was untrue, and both Pat and husband Gary Houston, had warm words for Brown.

“I loved Bobby Brown.

Oprah and Bobbi Kristina

Special to the NNPA from the St. Louis American NNPA News Wire - In a 90 minute special “Oprah’s Next Chapter” Oprah Winfrey talked with the family of Whitney Houston. Yesterday’s special was the first time the family has publicly spoken since the passing of the music icon at the age of 48.

The interview kicked off with Bobbi Kristina talking about how her mother’s spirit has been an unyielding presence in her life since her mother passed away on Feb. 11 of this year.

“She’s always with me… I can always feel her with me,” Bobbi Kristina told Winfrey while standing in an area of her Uncle Gary and Aunt Pat’s (Whitney’s brother and sisterin-law/manager) home. “She always asked me… ‘Do you need me?’ And I caught myself one day, out of nowhere, I didn’t even know I said it, but… I said, ‘I’ll always need

NNPA

you’. Her spirit is strong… I feel her pass through me all the time… Lights turn on and off and I’m like, ‘Mom, what are you doing?’ I can still sit there and I can still laugh with her… I can still talk to her. I can still feel her saying ‘I got you.’”

According to the family Bobbi Kristina is residing in the place she called home with her mother, but is supervised by her aunt and uncle.

“I still have all her clothes, everything that she has ever given me.”

She referred to her mother as “an angel” and touched upon the swirling tabloid headlines regarding Houston’s alleged lifestyle.

“I saw her hurt. I saw her cry,” she said. People “don’t know who she was.

Everything people are saying about her, all that negativity, it’s garbage. That’s not my mother.”

The special on OWN also covered Whitney’s exhusband, Bobby Brown, who had a tumultuous marriage with the singer. While

Bobby was a good guy,” said Gary Houston, Whitney’s older brother. “I don’t know how good they were for each other.”

They also denied that the Houston family had asked Brown to leave her funeral service or didn’t want him

to come; Brown showed up briefly but left after a dispute over seating.

“Bobby was supposed to be there,” said Gary Houston.

Pat Houston said Bobby Brown and his daughter have a relationship, but indicated they hadn’t spoken since at

least Houston’s funeral.

The special ended with Gary giving a musical tribute to his baby sister with a soulstirring rendition of “I Look to You” – his smooth tenor vocals held up until emotions took over halfway through the song.

Page 12 • March 26 - April 1, 2012 • Insight News

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BUSINESS You can do better, whoever you are Plan Your Career

By Julie Desmond julie@insightnews.com In the book The Question Behind the Question, John G. Miller describes the importance of taking personal responsibility and shifting blame statements like Who broke the copier? to solution statements, How can I fix this thing? Today’s job market has a lot of people playing the blame game: nobody’s hiring, I don’t have the right skills, and it’s too late to learn.

It is never too late. Taylor Cisco at Contata Solutions, a tech company in Minneapolis, wants people to know they can

be successful, no matter where they come from. Cisco suspects that lack of training is causing the deepening divide between the haves and have nots. A shift in thinking is the first step to bridging this dangerous gap.

Cisco is VP of Digital Content and Director of Interactive Marketing at Contata. He explains, “I’m a young guy, early thirties. I don’t come from a fancy background.

I was a musician in high school and wanted to be the next Jimi Hendrix. I never thought I’d end up in marketing.” But he did, and he knows the same success he enjoys can come to others, if people only open up to the opportunities around them.

Cisco knows that a few critical choices propelled his career forward. He had a job slinging boxes at a shipping company, but suspected he could do more. He knew how to type a bit, so he checked in

Taylor Cisco III at a temporary staffing agency, completed an application, took a typing test and was offered a clerical position. He says, “I was making the same money I would make in fast food, but I was in a professional

File photo

setting.” He believes working in offices taught him how to interact professionally; being surrounded by successful people enhanced his own potential for success.

There were obstacles, of

course. People don’t always expect a six foot two Black guy to be sitting there answering phones, for example. Cisco says It was worth it, for the experience, knowledge and contacts he was exposed to.

Willingness to learn has been another secret to Cisco’s success. Cisco discovered that people are willing to help, if he is willing to ask. Learning to use a computer should be a first step for anyone who feels down on their luck because so many positions require it. Even retail positions involve entering customer data and using computerized cash registers.

Computer knowledge just is not an add-on anymore.

Learning is possible, no matter your age or financial situation or experience. Cisco’s mother got along well in life never burdened with anything she didn’t need. But there came a time, after retiring as

a teacher, when she started a nonprofit organization and needed to communicate with people through email. She was nervous, so Cisco taught her one small thing at a time. Starting slowly boosted her confidence.

Resources to learn computers abound in Minneapolis and St. Paul, through the Urban League, Workforce Centers and libraries, as well as through community education. Choose something to learn, Google, email, or job searching for starters. Find a place to go, ask for instructions. It might not be easy at first, so keep at it. As the legendary Jimi Hendrix said it, “Sometimes you want to give up the guitar, you’ll hate the guitar. But if you stick with it, you’re gonna be rewarded.”

Julie Desmond is Talent Manager for Express Employment Professionals. Write to julie. desmond@expresspros.com.

Digital Shoppers R Us Dissecting Diversity

By Cheryl Pearson-McNeil

Remember back in the day when Yellow Pages encouraged everyone to: “Let Your Fingers do the Walking,” to quickly and efficiently thumb through its pages to locate any business or service imaginable? Which really came in handy when we were in the market for anything from pizza to electronics to

specialty shoes to a plumber (this catchy phrase, by the way, is cited by AdAge.com as an Honorable Mention in the listing of “The Top 10 Slogans of the 20th Century”). We have become spoiled rotten, since the not-so- long-ago heyday of the Yellow Pages – including the very people who work in the techno-wonder companies that keep upping the ante and changing the game, as well as those who track all of the subsequent trends in consumer behavior. Because as consumers, all of us need or want something – food, shelter, clothing, electronics, entertainment, etc. You name it.

But, our fingers still do the walking, alright – on our phones.

According to new Nielsen mobile research, in addition to talking and texting, American smartphone owners are whipping out these handy little devices and trolling retail apps and websites to shop, research products and product reviews, compare prices, find retail locations and redeem coupons. “Mobile shopping

has reached scale and is only going to grow as smartphone penetration continues to rise,” according to John Burbank, Nielsen’s president of strategic initiatives. Here’s what Nielsen data shows: During the 2011 holiday season, the top retail apps and websites combined – Amazon, Best Buy, eBay, Target and Walmart – reached nearly 60% of smartphone owners.

Both men and women prefer retailers’ mobile websites over mobile apps; though men are more likely to opt for the apps over women.

Female smartphone owners prefer Target and Walmart mobile websites, while Best Buy skews male. Amazon and eBay appeal to both.

While we, as shoppers, still use traditional forms of marketing like direct mail and newspaper ads, we are nearly twice as likely (60%) to read a retailers’ email than those colorful paper circulars in the stores (30%).

SHOPPERS TURN TO 13

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Insight News • March 26 - April 1, 2012 • Page 13

COMMUNITY

Northside neighborhood beat MADDADS Celebration VJ Smith of MADDADS will be honored as the new president of National MADDADS. The inauguration takes place 6-9pm Friday, March 30 at Shiloh Temple International Ministries 1201 West Broadway. Their will be snacks, music and speakers.

Jordan The Jordan Area Community Council will host a housing and committee meeting 6:30-8pm Tuesday April 3. They will also gather a board meeting 6:308pm Wednesday April 11 at 2900 Freemont Av. N Suite 108 and 109. For more information, Sandy Ci’Moua at info@ jordanmpls.org

Victory The Victory Neighborhood Association will host a board meeting from 7-9pm Wednesday April 5 at the VNA office 44th and Osseo Rd. For more information Debbie Nelson 612 529-9558 or info@victoryneighborhood.org Lind-Bohanon The Lind-Bohanon

Calendar • Classifieds Send Community Calendar information to us by: email, natalie@insightnews.com, by fax: 612-588-2031, by phone: (612) 588-1313 or by mail: 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis, MN 55411, Attn: Natalie Benz. Free or low cost events preferred.

Events Summer Seasonal Job Fair – Mar 28, April 12 The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board will hold job application fairs for summer seasonal positions including include Park Keepers, Mobile Equipment Operators and Park Patrol Agents. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Thurs. March 28 and Thursday, April 12 at the Minneapolis Urban League, 2000 Plymouth Ave. N., Mpls. Information sessions about seasonal jobs and working for the Park Board at noon and 5 p.m.. More info: Minneapolis Urban League (612-302-3100 / www.mul.org) or the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (612-2306429 / www.minneapolisparks. org).

U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur J. Boylan Reappointment Comment Period A Merit Selection Panel has been appointed to advise the court on the reappointment of US Mag Judge Boylan whose term expires on October 31, 2012. Comments from the public are invited. See the full notice at: www.mnd. uscourts.gov or in the office of the Clerk, U.S. District Court.

Create A Band Auditions March 26 – April 25 Auditions for solo musicians and singers performing all types of music. Pre-registration is $25.00. To schedule an appointment by/before April 4 and/or April 25 contact Penny Wallace 612.333.6618.

High School Career Fairs March through May AchieveMpls Career Fair.

Connect with Minneapolis High School students and represent your career or industry.

Professionals from all sectors are welcome to participate.

Contact Rebecca Noecker at 612.455.1571 or rnoecker@ achievempls.org Annual Whittier Alliance Neighborhood Association Meeting Tuesday April 3rd 5:30 – 8:30 PM Whittier residents, homeowners, businesses, rental and commercial property owners as well as those interested in the outreach and activities of the Whittier Alliance and neighborhood are invited to attend the Whittier Annual Meeting. Meeting attendees must register and must be 18 years old

Insurance Agent Looking for people with a strong entrepreneurial mindset to own their own insurance agency. The average agent earns over $120,000 a year, with some earning over $500,000.

If you desire financial independence, call 651-204-3131 to set up an appointment.

Neighborhood Organization has a board meeting Thursday April 5 7-9pm at Shingle Creek Commons 4600 Humboldt Av. N. For more information: Amy Lussenbrick 763 561-1616.

Harrison The Harrison Neighborhood Association will have a housing and committee meeting 6:30-

Phone: 612.588.1313

to vote. This event is free and open to the public. 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm Whittier International Elementary School 315 W 26th St. For more information contact Jen Wendland 612.871.7756 or jen@whittieralliance.org The National Public Health Week Film Festival - Apr 2-6.

Nutrition, human rights, AIDS, end-of-life decisions, and sexual health are the topics of this year’s eighth annual festival, hosted by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

Doors open at 5 p.m. with the program and films starting at 5:30 p.m. Free admission, food, and beverages for attendees.

To view the film schedule, speakers, and locations, go to www.sph.umn.edu/filmfest.

Celebrate What’s Right With The World - Apr. 6 Join Women In Transition for an afternoon designed to help women take a fresh look at who and where they are, take the next steps toward reaching their potential and living their dreams out loud. You’ll view an inspiring video and engage in powerful dialogue to embrace

THE NETWORK FOR BETTER FUTURES IS HIRING Experienced Crew Chief – 1 Position Municipal Waste Sorters (sorting out post-consumer plastics for recycling) – 6 positions Current and past Network participants strongly urged to apply Contact Vicky McMillan at vmcmillan@ betterfutures.net for a full job description or 612-455-6133 ext.121

Martin From 1 The decision comes a week after the Florida NAACP State Conference issued a letter to the Department of Justice, requesting that it investigate the Trayvon Martin case at a federal level. A Seminole County grand jury will also investigate the Martin case.

The Florida NAACP State

Shoppers From 12 More than 30% of shoppers are actively researching online while shopping (talk about advanced multi-tasking).

31% of ALL purchase decisions (both consumer packaged goods, e.g. packaged food, beauty and personal care, baby care, household cleaning products; and NonCPG categories, e.g. consumer

Sinatra…Nice ‘N’ Easy Jason Richards Backed by Rick Carlson on piano and the

Fax: 612.588.2031

an attitude of celebration – personally and professionally.

Join us and discover new ways to lead a happier, healthier, more productive life. Workshop fee is $10 and will be held on Fri., Apr. 6 1–4pm. 6715 Minnetonka Blvd. #212, St. Louis Park, MN. To register call (612) 752-8444, Women In Transition.

U of M’s UROC hosts familyfocused Summer Resource Fair - Apr. 7 Summer opportunities for youth of all ages will be showcased at the second annual North Minneapolis Summer Resource Fair from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 7 at the University of Minnesota Urban Research and OutreachEngagement Center (UROC), 2001 Plymouth Avenue, North Minneapolis. Visit www.uroc. umn.edu for information.

Walker Art Center Free First Saturday family event, Flashback, Saturday April 7, 10 am – 3 pm.

Families can enjoy live performances, films, gallery adventures, and hands-on artmaking from 10 am-3 pm.

Special guests Kevin Kling and

LEGAL SECRETARY / RECEPTIONIST SMRLS (St. Paul legal aid) - Bi-lingual/ Bi-Cultural exp. pref’d, $25K + DOE, V. G. bens..Resumes to: Georgia Sherman, SMRLS, 55 E. 5th Street, Ste. 400, St. Paul, MN 55101. EOE/AA

7:30pm Thursday April 5 at the HNA office 503 Irving Av. N. and a board meeting 7-8pm Monday April 9. For more information: Larry Hiscock 612 374-4849 or info@hnapls. org

NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN That the personal property described as follows, To-wit: A 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix VIN -- 2G2WP55276123089 Will be sold at a public auction by the Hennepin County Sheriff on the 13th day of April, 2012 at 10:00 AM at T & J Auto, in the City of Brooklyn Park, County of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, to pay and satisfy a lien, due thereon from the repairs and storage as well as auction advertising plus necessary expenses of making the said sale, in the total amount of $15,452.50; and that the grounds of the said lien are as follows, to-wit: Anthony P. Morgan (Owner) T & J Auto Parts, LLC 3551 85th Avenue North Brooklyn Park, MN 55443 (763) 315-1179

Wolverines Jazz Trio, Richards will bring his swinging Sinatra tribute to the Capri Theater 7 p.m. Saturday, April 14, 2012, and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 15, 2012. Single tickets are $25, and $20 for groups of ten or more. Click the dates above to order tickets or call OvationTix at 866-811-4111.

Email: natalie@insightnews.com

Chris Monroe share their book, Big Little Brother. Activities recommended for ages 6-12.

Gallery admission is free from 10 am-5 pm on Free First Saturday.

Jamaican Activist to discuss LGBTI issues and homophobia in Jamaica Tuesday April 10 Maurice Tomlinson, David Kato Vision and Voice Award Recipient, will talk about issues facing the LGBTI community in Jamaica. Maurice Tomlinson is an attorney-at-law and has been involved in LGBTI and HIV and AIDS activism in Jamaica and the Caribbean for over 12 years.

The presentation, followed by a question-and-answer segment, is free and open to the public, but reservations are recommended.

A brief reception starts at 7:00 p.m. Discussion starts at 7:30 pm, in John B. Davis Auditorium at Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue. For more information or reservations call 305.299.5722 or visit www.jaminnlink.org.

ATTORNEY SMRLS (St. Paul legal aid) - Housing Law. $43K + DOE, V. G. bens. Resumes to: smrls.administration@smrls.org, Laura Jelinek, SMRLS, 55 E. 5th Street, Ste. 400, St. Paul, MN 55101. EOE/AA

NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN That the personal property described as follows, To-wit: A 2004 BMW X5 VIN -- 5UXFB33593LH48506 Will be sold at a public auction by the Hennepin County Sheriff on the 13th day of April, 2012 at 10:00 AM at T & J Auto, in the City of Brooklyn Park, County of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, to pay and satisfy a lien, due thereon from the repairs and storage as well as auction advertising plus necessary expenses of making the said sale, in the total amount of $14,402.50; and that the grounds of the said lien are as follows, to-wit: T & J Auto Parts, LLC 3551 85th Avenue North Brooklyn Park, MN 55443 (763) 315-1179

Conference has been actively involved in the Trayvon Martin case since February, when Florida State Conference President Adora Obi Nweze requested a meeting for U.S. attorneys in state of Florida to discuss the Martin case and similar cases in Florida where white assailants attacked black victims, with no arrest made.

In addition to the letter to DOJ issued on March 13, President Nweze and Seminole County NAACP President Turner Clayton have taken to

the media to call for justice for Trayvon.

On March 20, the Seminole County NAACP will lead a townhall meeting about the case. The townhall will begin at 7:00 PM at Allen AME Church in Sanford, Florida, where Trayvon was killed.

On March 31, the Florida NAACP State Conference will lead a march through the community to the Sanford police station, where the group will make a statement directed at the state attorney’s office.

electronics and technology, entertainment items and content, etc.), involve some online or mobile activity.

Digital shoppers spend 27% more per household per trip.

Shoppers cannot be classified simply as either digital or not.

There are specific shopper segments, based on our attitudes toward experimentation.

Nielsen Category Shopping Fundamentals Research breaks it down: 55% of shoppers are defined as “Occasional Trialists.” These are middle-

class people aged 50-59 who either live with a spouse or a partner and usually keep up with what’s going on; although they don’t go out of their way to try every new thing. The second group is the “Trendsetters” (27%). This is a more affluent group between 25 – 49. They have children or teenagers in the household and love to keep ahead of what’s happening; love to try the newest, latest and greatest and telling others all about it. Lastly, we have the “Satisfied & Sedentary” (18%). These folks are 60+,

The Miss Seventh Avenue Pageant arrives March 31 Over the last few years, North Minneapolis has undergone some tremendous hardships, such as the devastation from the tornado that tore through North neighborhoods last summer and increasing youth violence. However, there is an upcoming event that offers some hope. The Miss Seventh Avenue Pageant will take place on March 31 at 7:00 p.m. at Wayman AME Church, 1221 7th Avenue North.

The pageant supports young women in the area and gives them opportunities to achieve success.

Wayman AME Church embraces these young women with a sense of family and community.

The church provides coaching and guidance for the contestants as they prepare for pageant night and reaches out to the neighborhood to expand community involvement.

The pageant participants will be encouraged to focus on their strengths and their future as the leaders of tomorrow.

Local judges of the event include fashion designer Rosa Bogar, former model Roxanne Crossland and film producer Lee Jordan of “A Look Over Jordan Productions.”

All contestants will receive gift baskets from local businesses and are given complimentary gowns and beauty services from Minneapolis salons for pageant night. The crowned Miss Seventh Avenue will receive a scholarship.

The Miss Seventh Avenue Pageant is a great example of how a local church can support and encourage Minneapolis’ young women as well as the Northside.

less affluent and live alone. The S&S crowd knows what they like and don’t feel the need to keep up with new things. Any of those sound like anyone you know?

Know what all of this means? Well, yes, shopping can be crazy-easy: like taking your store right of your pocket.

But, it also means that retailers from your local grocery store to the biggest chains must think even more outside the box in getting your attention and your business, as the options for penetration and awareness are almost endless. It means they are going to have to hone in with even sharper, laser focus on you as an individual consumer – your likes, dislikes, preferences.

Retailers are going to have to work harder and more creatively for your business and your loyalty. They have to woo you. Because you have infinite choices; more than ever before – no matter what kind of shopper you are.

Ah, power. Use it wisely.

Cheryl Pearson-McNeil is senior vice president of public affairs and government relations for Nielsen. For more information and studies go to www.nielsenwire.com.

Page 14 • March 26 - April 1, 2012 • Insight News

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