Insight News ::: 03.12.18

W I N N E R : 2 017 N N PA M E R I T AW A R D S : 2 N D P L A C E B E S T S P E C I A L E D I T I O N

Insight News March 12 - March 18, 2018

Vol. 45 No. 11• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Mama D’s

Soul food restaurant opens in Midtown Global Market TURN TO PAGE 2

Destiny Brooks (left), owner of Mama D’s with (front row, left to right) Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, daughter Delisa Rawls, son Kholby Stevenson and father Fred Bobo (back).

V. Rivera Garcia

Page 2 •March 12 - March 18, 2018 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Mama D’s comes to Midtown Global Market

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor @HarryColbertJr How delicious it is, the taste of success.

And for patrons of a new soul food restaurant inside Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis, they’re finding success isn’t the only tasty item on the menu at Mama D’s Kitchen.

With a Feb. 13 grand opening … a grand opening attended by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey … the dream of Destiny Brooks, owner of Mama D’s, is now a reality with the soul food restaurant serving up Southern cuisine 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday - Saturday and 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Catering for 20-plus years, Mama D’s (www. mamadskitchen.com) is Brooks’ first physical location. Brooks said to have her own location is in many ways surreal.

“It’s an amazing feeling.

Sometimes I can’t believe it has actually happened,” said Brooks. “And to have the mayor at our grand opening, that was a great addition.

It shows he’s supportive of local small businesses.”

“Beyond bringing more amazing food and a taste of soul food to the Midtown Global Market, Mama D’s opening is a reminder that Minneapolis’ diversity is an asset – one that fuels

V. Rivera Garcia

Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey was one of Mama D’s first customers. entrepreneurship,” said Frey.

“When local and minority-

owned businesses thrive, Minneapolis thrives. In

City Hall, we need to work with local leaders to expand

opportunities for those businesses to grow and make

sure they have the resources to be competitive in our city.”

Brooks received assistance from the Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) in achieving her dream. NDC provided Brooks a loan, offered business and credit training and helped design the space inside of Midtown. NDC also owns Midtown Global Market.

Shahir Ahmed, Business Lab director for NDC, said Brooks’ model fit NDC’s mission.

“She’s (Brooks) a woman of color who had a successful catering business but needed help to grow.

She’s the type of client we want to support and help get to the next level,” said Ahmed.

Brooks said when she found out space was available at Midtown Global Market, 920 E. Lake St., she knew the location would be a great fit for Mama D’s; offering comfort food, or what she calls “a little South for your mouth.” On the menu are traditional soul food items such as ribs, catfish, chicken wings, collard greens, mac and cheese and more, which can be paired with lemonade, sweet tea or Kool-Aid. Brooks said none of her side items contain pork and many dishes are gluten free.

“A lot of people didn’t know you could make soul food healthy and taste good,” said Brooks.

Northside Achievement Zone students aim to participate in Washington DC march Young activists from several North Minneapolis high schools will travel to Washington D.C. to participate in the national March for Our Lives on March 24.

Since the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida on Valentine’s Day, students across the country have led the movement for sensible gun laws. However, young Black activists have been advocating for gun reform for decades without much media attention or mass appeal. The goal of this trip is to make sure the concerns of diverse communities – which go beyond school shootings – are heard.

“Black youth are victims of violent crime at significantly higher rates than their white peers,” said Protect Minnesota Executive Director the Rev. Nancy Nord Bence. “They are five times more likely to be victims of gun homicide, now the leading cause of death among African-American youth. As many as one-quarter of lowincome, urban youth have witnessed a murder, and 75 percent have heard gunshots.

This makes the Northside students’ leadership in the youth movement for gun reform especially vital.”

Two Northside Achievement Zone scholars who are going on the trip, Damon Brown and Timothy Brown, spoke at a March 6 press conference. The Brown brothers attend North Community High School.

Both have been impacted by gun violence. They said this issue is particularly timely for them, having tragically experienced the loss of a cousin by gun violence over the weekend in Chicago.

Protect Minnesota, #MNeverAgain, and Northside Achievement Zone are working together to raise $25,000 for the trip. The students and adult chaperones who go on the trip will be chosen for their leadership skills and commitment to gun violence prevention by Northside Achievement Zone. Protect Minnesota will assume responsibility for raising the funds and providing liability insurance. Tax deductible gifts of any size can be made at www.protectmn.org.

Asata Photography

Students from North Minneapolis will take place at a rally such as this in Washington D.C. March 24 to protest gun violence. This photo was taken Feb. 21 at Minneapolis City Hall when students from Minneapolis held an areawide walkout.

Running for Mayor of Brooklyn Park

Hollies Winston sees ‘ton of opportunity’

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor @HarryColbertJr Later this year residents of Brooklyn Park will cast their ballots for mayor and Hollies Winston is making the cast that the bubble circled should be the one next to his name.

Chair of the Minnesota African-American DFL Caucus, Winston is seeking to become mayor of a city made up of a majority people of color (52 percent), but one that has never elected a mayor of color, and only one, Susan Pha, a HmongAmerican, to the city council.

Winston said the city just north of Minneapolis needs fresh leadership.

“We have a city with a ton of opportunity, but in Brooklyn Park we

don’t feel as though all of us are connected to that opportunity,” said Winston at a March 7 fundraiser and meet and greet in Brooklyn Park. “In some areas of Brooklyn Park people are doing really well and I want that to continue, but we have other areas we need to bring up.”

Winston said in many ways 85th Avenue, which runs the length of the city east and west divides the city economically, with those north of 85th seeing greater prosperity than those south of the major road. The mayoral candidate said his vision for Brooklyn Park is to attract more commercial and corporate residents.

“We see the great development that happened right next to us in Maple Grove and Brooklyn Park can

experience that same type investment,” said Winston.

“We want to bring middleclass jobs to Brooklyn Park.”

Winston said he envisions a Brooklyn Park with a more diverse police force as well. That is one of the issues that attracted Ian Oundo to his campaign.

Oundo, Winston’s campaign manager, said Winston will serve the interest of all the city’s inhabitants, not a select few.

“In Brooklyn Park we need someone who will fight for us and put our interests first,” said Oundo. “With current and past leaders, what they talk about and what they do don’t match. Hollies will be a mayor for everyone, and that’s what Brooklyn Park needs.”

Harry Colbert, Jr.

Hollies Winston envisions a more prosperous, inclusive Brooklyn Park.

insightnews.com

Insight News • March 12 - March 18, 2018 • Page 3

aesthetically speaking

Aesthetically It!: Events, concerts, venues in the Twin Cities

MORE ON PAGE 10

W I N N E R : 2 017 N N PA M E R I T AWA R D S : 2 N D P L AC E B E S T S P E C I A L E D I T I O N

Insight News March 12 - March 18, 2018

Vol. 45 No. 11• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

First African-American to sit on the council

Thomas Randle diversifies St. Anthony City Council

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor @HarryColbertJr In many ways St. Anthony is like any other quiet suburban town in the U.S. … and in many ways that’s not a good thing.

Quiet can be a good thing, but quiet (by any means) comes with a cost. And one person’s quiet is deafening sirens in the ears of another. For St. Anthony, the cost of “quiet” was the life of Philando Castile.

Philando Castile was killed in Falcon Heights July 6, 2016 at the hands of then St. Anthony police officer, Jeronimo Yanez. At the time, Falcon Heights had a contract with St. Anthony to have its officers patrol the neighboring municipality. Castile was pulled over for a supposed broken taillight in a now infamous incident where the aftermath of the shooting was captured on

a Facebook livestream. Yanez was charged with manslaughter but found not guilty. He was let go from the force following the trial and St. Anthony entered into a settlement agreement with Valarie Castile, Philando Castile’s mother. But as Valarie Castile will tell anyone listening, no amount of money will bring her son back. But she will also tell anyone listening, her son’s death was not in vain.

In large part (maybe exclusively), Philando Castile’s death lead to St. Anthony’s appointment of Thomas Randle to its city council. Randle is the first African-American to sit on the council in the city’s 73year history. Randle’s December appointment came as a shock to many – even Randle – who ran to fill one of two open seats just a month earlier. In that race he finished fifth. But citing a need to “bring the community together,” when another seat became vacant it was Randle who was chosen by the council

to sit among the rest of the body.

“Being appointed showed me some, if not all, members of the council saw there were issues at play that needed to be resolved. My thought is the members on the council were looking for a different voice … a voice that would be welcoming to the community. I feel my voice will make a difference,” said Randle. “There are real issues about racial equity going on in St. Anthony. Many of the issues were being discarded on a government level prior to the shooting (of Philando Castile).”

Though only about 5 percent of St. Anthony’s residents are Black, of the 2016 tickets and arrests up until Philando Castile’s killing, 47 percent were of Black people, which critics say demonstrated clear bias on the part of the department. Philando Castile, only 32, had no criminal record, but was stopped by area law enforcement 52 times.

Valarie Castile said her

son’s killing was a wake-up call to St. Anthony and other such municipalities.

“Change comes from within. We see these cities need new leadership, fresh ideas and diverse ways of looking at things,” said Valarie Castile.

“When we talk about what happened to Philando, it isn’t about him anymore. It’s about continuing to fight for change.

We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’re progressing.”

Randle said his priorities on the council are issues of racial equity and police reform.

“I don’t want the impression that a Black man or woman can’t drive in the community I live in without getting pulled over,” said Randle. “That perception has got to change.”

Other than that, Randle said his concerns are like most anyone else’s.

“In the end, we all want the same things; good schools, safety, economic opportunity and such,” said Randle.

St. Anthony’s City Councilman Thomas Randle

Black Futures Lab mounts largest survey of Black people in recent history

Uchechukwu Iroegbu

Lisa McNair talks about her sister, Denise McNair, who was killed along with three others in a Birmingham church bombing in 1963 by members of the Ku Klux Klan. The talk took place Feb. 28 at Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC).

Denise McNair was one of the four girls killed in the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing

Lisa McNair keeps her sister’s legacy alive

By Abeni Hill Lisa McNair is Denise McNair’s sister.

Her sister, Denise, was one of the four little girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing on Sept. 15, 1963 in Birmingham. Even though she was born a year after her sister’s death, McNair will never forget her sister.

“It is the sole thing that encompasses (my life),” said McNair.

“Everything that McNair name means speaks to the fact that Denise was killed.

I don’t think I would be here if she hadn’t died.”

McNair said her parents didn’t directly tell her about her sister’s murder.

“I’ve never not known that my sister was killed in the bombing by Klansmen,” said McNair. “Adults talk around

Business

Black and Despitepride Unequal positive vibes at Treatment, Black Heritage Tea House Women Will Rise Boutique

PAGE 4

children. I think it just came up in conversations.”

Four years after her birth, Lisa’s little sister, Kimberly, was born. Even though her older sister’s murder had a huge impact on her life, McNair said her parents didn’t let their grief affect how they raised their other children.

“They didn’t wash our faces with Denise,” said McNair. “They let us be our own people.”

News 2 Health Insight Heed the Don’t complain, wisdom activate from within

5 PAGE 6

McNair’s father, Chris McNair, was a professional photographer and his favorite photo of Denise was one he took with Denise’s brownie camera.

In the photo, Denise is holding a doll and smiling at the camera.

The family later put that picture on t-shirts with the slogan, “She loved all but a mad bomber hated her kind.”

MCNAIR 4

Alicia Garza, co-creator of Black Lives Matter, launched the Black Futures Lab, a new mobilization effort that will engage Black people, legislators and communitybased organizations to build political power and push for policies that help strengthen Black communities.

Launched in partnership with Demos, Color of Change, Center for Third World Organizing, Socioanalitica Research and the Tides Foundation, the Black Futures Lab will develop strategies that help Black people imagine the political, social and economic alternatives needed at the local, state and federal level, while also building the political power needed to implement those alternatives.

“If we’ve learned anything from this past election, it’s that Black folks drive the progressive political power in this country, but rarely benefit from the fruits of our labor. We are launching the Black Futures Lab as a way to mobilize around our needs, hopes and dreams,” said Garza.

“For too long, people have spoken for us and perpetuated false representations of the issues that drive our votes.”

As its first initiative, Black Futures Lab also launched the Black Census Project, a national data collection effort to hear directly from 200,000 Black people in 20 states about the issues directly affecting them in their communities. Designed by a group of sociologists and social science researchers, the Black Census seeks to capture a more precise and holistic picture of the issues affecting

I2H News

Relationship War on opioids 101: hurts No sickle big ‘I’ or cell little disease you patients

6 PAGE 9

Twi er

Alicia Garza Black communities.

Unlike the U.S. Census, which polls only for population count, the Black Census will be conducted online as well as through a coordinated onthe-ground, door-knocking effort. The survey will collect information about key issues impacting Black communities, including generational oppression, mass incarceration, police violence and inequities in healthcare and economic access.

Garza said this information will then help organizers better understand how to build and mobilize Black power within their communities and nationally.

“For a country built on the exclusion of Black votes, the Black Census Project is a vital step towards asserting the power of our community’s voices in an era where our president

BFL 4

Commentary AS

‘Cordur The Chronicles oy’ playing of at Miss Freedom Children’s Theatre Fighter, Esquire: Ending mass incarceration

7 PAGE 11

Page 4 •March 12 - March 18, 2018 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Business

Black pride and positive vibes at Heritage Tea House Boutique

By Nadvia Davis Vintage furniture, Afrocentric apparel and an assortment of tea are just part of what makes the warm atmosphere at the newly founded Heritage Tea House Boutique, 360 University Ave. W., St. Paul.

The restaurant and retail boutique is led by the mother daughter duo, Rosemary Nevils-Williams and Raeisha Williams.Mother, Nevils-Williams paved the way for the launch of Heritage Tea House with her entrepreneurial background, selling African inspired gifts and clothing. As natives of St. Paul, the women had a vision to design a community space that showcased Black pride and share some of the untold stories about African-American history in Minnesota.

“It’s about creating a space for social justice and highlighting African-American

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

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

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Managing Editor Harry Colbert, Jr. Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Associate Editor Culture and Education Dr. Irma McClaurin Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Staff Writer Abeni Hill Contributing Writers Nadvia Davis Fred Easter Timothy Houston Michelle Mitchum Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography David Bradley V. Rivera Garcia Uchechukwu Iroegbu Rebecca Rabb Artist Donald Walker Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55411.

culture,” said Williams.

The family driven business opened its doors on Dec. 23, and is modeled after the Washington, D.C. chain-based restaurant, Busboys and Poets. The name of the business derived from Williams’ desire to pay homage to her family.

“I wanted to honor my grandparents, my great grandparents and my mother.

I wanted to really honor the Black pioneers that came before us,” said Williams.

Unlike mainstream coffee shops, tea is the primary focus at The Heritage.

“We have more than 20 different flavors of tea.

You can walk up and smell each one,” said Williams.

In addition to tea, Heritage has a full liquor license as well.

Both owners credit Isabel Chanslor, chief program officer of the Neighborhood Development Council (NDC) for her help and support as the company’s business advisor.

“Isabel saw our vision from the very beginning.

She was probably one of the few who was able to really envision what we were explaining. Now she is able to see the vision come to realization,” said Williams.

Williams acknowledged the Heritage Tea House Boutique is going through some transitions as a new business, but at the end of the day she is seeing the glass half full.

“I wouldn’t say so much of a challenge, but lessons already learned,” said Williams.

One of the lessons learned thus far is how to create an appropriate sized menu.

“When we first started, we had a really big massive menu. We downsized the Menu from 35 items to 15 items,” said Williams.

Since the grand opening,

Heritage Tea House Boutique Facebook page

Heritage Tea House Boutique co-owner Raeisha Williams, with community icon, Mahmoud El-Kati at the grand opening for the St. Paul business.

the Heritage Tea House Boutique has been well received by community members and customers alike. Latosha Cox has visited and eaten at the Heritage Tea House often.

“I’ve been here for their brunches, Zetas (Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.) had an event here and I was present,” said Cox. When Cox was asked how she would describe the food at the Heritage Tea House Boutique, she replied “To sum it up in one word; delicious.”

Cox recently founded a book club with an emphasis on reading AfricanAmerican literature. She then partnered with the owners to use the space at Heritage for her book club.

“If we want to be

intentional about the books that we are reading, we should also be intentional about where we’re going to locate as well as where were going to spend our dollars,” said Cox. Leveraging and transforming the space for events, is something the owners encourage and want to promote.

“We always knew we wanted it to feel like a living room when people came.

We wanted people to feel at home,” said Williams.

The establishment currently hosts four weekly signature events which include Thursday Open Mic Night, Friday Groove Happy Hour, Soulful Saturdays with the band Gods Queen lead by Jamela Pettiford and a Sunday Soul Food Brunch. Pettiford,

who grew up singing in the Twin Cities, shared how she received an invitation from the owners to be the house band for Soulful Saturdays.

“Ms. Rae (Raeisha) and I have always crossed paths and always had a good vibe.

She told me she has always loved my voice and said I want you to be my house band at Heritage,” said Pettiford.

Soulful Saturdays is drawing a steady, laid back crowd that adds to the ambience of the Heritage Tea House.

“You can count on being here and having a good time. Great soulful fellowship,” said Pettiford.

To further enrich the interior design and vision, the tea house uses collection of photos to tell the stories of African-Americans in

Minnesota. In the far-right corner sits the largest black and white photo of a 1968 debutant ball. This 50-yearold photo features ladies and gentleman from across the Twin Cities including Nevils-Williams and the first Black St. Paul police chief, William Finney.

“He (Finney) was one of the escorts,” said Nevils-Williams.

In just four short months of being open, the word continues to spread about the vibrant layout, welcoming staff and chill vibe that any guest will experience at the tea house.

“I’ve been very impressed. It’s more than I expected for the time frame,” said Nevils-Williams.

Blexit takes on payday lenders Minneapolis-based Black economic empowerment collective, Blexit, released the first of a series of articles on the predatory nature of payday lenders.

The article, “Introducing Blexit’s Payday Lending Fellowship,” available at www.blexitmn.org/payday_ lending, is a look into the problems with payday loans, including high interest rates, cycles of debt and the extraction of wealth from communities of color.

Blexit, a collaborative project started in the wake of the Philando Castile shooting in 2016, was created to fight Minnesota’s worst-inthe-nation racial disparities through economic activism.

Their work has ranged from economic boycotts, to helping to start Village Trust Financial Cooperative, North Minneapolis’ first Black credit union.

Their new payday lending

McNair From 3 One of Lisa McNair’s favorite stories about her sister is when Denise hosted a Muscular Dystrophy fair.

BFL From 3 is leading a white nationalist

fellow, Tony Williams, was brought on to fulfill a community mandate to do something about predatory payday lending in Black communities.

Williams, a veteran researcher and community organizer, will be releasing a series of blog posts on Thursdays in March analyzing the problems of payday lending and proposing solutions.

“We’re excited to be supporting Tony in this work.

Payday lending has extracted billions of dollars from Black communities around this country by taking advantage of the fact that Black people often don’t have access to the same low-cost loans that other communities do. We’re working hard to change that,” said Blexit core team member, Jonathan Banks.

Blexit will be announcing further action around disrupting payday lenders in the coming months.

Minneapolis-based Black economic empowerment collective, Blexit, is educating the public to the danger of payday loans.

“She heard that kids were doing that on TV,” said McNair.

“She wanted to do that, so she could give back to the kids who weren’t well.”

McNair also said her sister wanted to attend protests and school walkouts.

“Denise had a very tenacious personality,” said McNair. “She believed in right

and wrong and she had a good soul.”

In 2013, the four girls killed in the bombing – Denise McNair, 11, Addie Mae Collins,14, Carole Robertson,14 and Cynthia Wesley,14 – were posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal marking the 50th Anniversary of the bombing.

In 1983, At the 20th anniversary of the bombing, the 4 Little Girls Memorial Fund was established by AmSouth Bank (now Regions) and The Birmingham News. The fund awards six scholarships every year. “(It’s) The only living legacy of the girls and it gives students an opportunity to do

something that the girls didn’t get an opportunity to do.” said McNair.

McNair offered her remarks Feb. 28 at Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC) as a part of the school’s Black History Month programming.

movement against us,” said Rashad Robinson, executive director of Color of Change.

“Never before has there been such a concerted effort to survey the concerns of Black voters and shore up Black political power.”

Forms for the Black Census

Project are available online.

Black Future Lab’s organizers will begin conducting in-person surveys starting this month. The survey will be available online and in person through August, when the data will be compiled, analyzed and revealed by the

end of 2018.

The 20 states the survey will be targeting to include Alabama, California, Delaware, Washington, D.C. area, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,

Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

To access the Black Census survey, go to www.blackcensus. org.

Occupy.com

insightnews.com

Insight News • March 12 - March 18, 2018 • Page 5

Page 6 •March 12 - March 18, 2018 • Insight News

Insight 2 Health

insightnews.com

Holistic health through the eyes of Femi Akinnagbe

Heed the wisdom from within Afrodescendientes

By Carmen Robles There’s something to be said about inner serenity.

It enables the ability to focus on one’s internal center; to get past those layers and layers of crust that hold our inner strength. Inner serenity helps us get past that thing that cages our emotions, causing us to second guess our decisions.

We may have limited control on external factors, but we have unlimited control and unlimited access to our internal self.

“Impossible is a big word thrown around by small people” said Insight2Health Fitness Challenge yoga coach Femi Akinnagbe on his Facebook page. “All things are possible. They just need to be taken step by step.”

The yoga class led

by Akinnagbe, who has committed his life to the study and practice of the healing arts, is a mind-blowing experience allowing participants to tap into their inner strength.

Akinnagbe completed his 200-hr yoga teacher training at Your Yoga in 2014. He is currently enrolled in the two-year-long Mindfulness Yoga and Meditation Teacher Training through Spirit Rock Insight Meditation Center in Woodacre, Calif., where he will receive his 500-hr yoga teacher certification.

Described on his website

as a Shaolin Kung Fu black belt and former Division I athlete, Akinnagbe has been practicing yoga and Buddhist meditation since 2004 according to the site. Presently, he is a medical student at the University of Minnesota where he “hopes to serve as a bridge between Eastern and Western healing modalities for both mind and body.”

I’ve attended many yoga classes. I love the concept so much I was ready to go to Cuba and take a week-long yoga retreat. I wanted to learn this unique technique of inner peace. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I decided to put my energies into fighting this devil.

Since then I’ve had a yoga class here and there. Always the instructor was knowledgeable, engaging, helpful, but I never actually grasped the concept. I was always too busy trying to figure out what pose was what.

I was getting all contorted and confused, never really doing the deep inhaling and exhaling required because I was too busy trying to scope the room, seeing what everyone was doing so I could follow suit.

Yet I have never, ever felt that rush, that feeling of “getting it” until a recent Saturday morning at the Cora McCorvey YMCA. Akinnagbe was leading the 9 a.m. Insight2Health Fitness Challenge yoga session. I entered the workout room that morning with a bad attitude, it had been a long, difficult week.

I left with a new attitude.

Linking every move, every breath, every motion to the connectiveness of our body as a whole was an

V. Rivera Garcia

(Left to right) Al McFarlane, editor-in-chief of Insight News, Stella Whitney-West, CEO, NorthPoint Health and Wellness and yoga instructor Femi Akinnagbe following a yoga session of the Insight2Health Fitness Challenge at the Cory McCorvey YMCA. academic anthropology class of epic proportions. Everyone engaged at their own pace, their own modified version achieving the same results.

Akinnagbe was a conductor bringing a symphony of bodies together, in perfect breathing, stretching moves. The synergy among participants was almost

like a harmonic melody of energy and peace.

Registration has begun for the next session of the Insight2Health Fitness

Challenge, which begins in May. To register or for more information call (612) 5881313.

Teri/stock.Adobe.com

Fish tacos are a flavorful way to eat healthy and satisfy your taste buds.

Seafood: Food for thought during National NEW ROUTINES Nutrition Month ANOTHER REASON Y. Keep your mind, body and spirit nourished with an affordable membership and programs designed to help you live a healthy lifestyle.

• Start with a FREE Wellness Consultation to set goals • Relieve stress when you work out in our FRPSUHKHQVLYH ½WQHVV FHQWHU *HW ½W DQG EH VRFLDO LQ RXU JURXS H[HUFLVH FODVVHV Scholarships Available

Cora McCorvey YMCA

18-BM47

1015 4th Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55405 (P) 612 230 3987 (W) ymcamn.org/mccorvey

(StatePoint) We hear a lot about the important nutrients in vegetables and fruits, but the health benefits of eating seafood are not regularly in the spotlight.

It should be a no-brainer when it comes to seafood, which is packed with omega-3s. Yet, most Americans only eat one serving of seafood a week. Here are some evidence-based facts to help set the record straight during National Nutrition Month.

Studies show that seafood benefits the heart, eyes and brain, and may also help fight chronic diseases and memory loss.

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines encourage all Americans to eat at least two servings of seafood each week. That’s double the amount most people currently eat. To reap the range of nutrients found in seafood, try to get a variety of fish, including shrimp, salmon, tuna and pollock.

Seafood is especially

important for pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as young children, since it is one of the only natural food sources rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA are critical for brain and eye development, supporting the adage that fish really is “brainfood.” One recent study shows that moms-to-be who ate fish two to three times each week had babies that reached milestones – such as imitating sounds, recognizing family members and drinking from a cup – more quickly than children born to mothers who didn’t eat fish regularly during pregnancy.

Another recent study found that pregnant women who ate at least two seafood meals each week helped boost their child’s IQ up three points by age 9.

Incorporating more seafood into one’s diet doesn’t need to be a challenge. It’s easy to get the recommended two to three

servings each week by simply swapping out the protein from favorite dishes with seafood. For example, chicken tacos become fish tacos, and grilled steak salad becomes grilled shrimp salad.

What’s more, seafood is just as healthy whether it’s fresh, frozen or canned, making it a convenient item to stock up on when shopping, and ultimately helping you eliminate wasted food in your household.

Nutrition experts recommend incorporating protein into breakfast as a way to boost metabolism and balance blood sugar levels for the entire day. Kicking off the morning with tuna avocado toast or salmon on a bagel will help keep a person feeling fuller for longer, prevent cravings before lunchtime.

More nutrition facts, recipes and other resources can be found at www.AboutSeafood. com.

insightnews.com

Insight News • March 12 - March 18, 2018 • Page 7

Obituary: Jordyn Elizabeth Owens She’s now dancing with the King.

Jordyn Elizabeth Owens, a young lover of the arts entered this world on May 17, 2011 in Wilson, North Carolina and departed on March 1, at Hennepin County Medical Center. She was truly a God-given gift and child to her parents, the Rev. Fred Owens and Minister Tonya Owens. Jordyn Owens loved to dance, sing, paint and draw. She was lovable and carried a smile everywhere she traveled. Even at 6 years old she dreamed of becoming a dancer and cardiologist.

She was truly a daddy and mommy’s girl.

Jordyn Owens is survived by her parents, two

brothers, Justin and Malcom (Colorado Springs), and her sister and best friend Jada Owens, her grandparents, Jimmy Richardson and Ornedia Richardson of Roanoke Rapids, N.C. and her aunts, Tiffany Richardson of Greensboro, N.C., Marchelle Marshall (Bill) and Gwendolyn Owens of Trenton, N.J., Sarah Foreman, Willingboro, N.J and a host of cousins, friends and other relatives.

Celebration of Life services were held March 10 at the Woodlake Lutheran Church, 7525 Oliver Ave. S. Richfield. All cards and condolences may be sent to Brooks Funeral Home 862 Concordia Ave., St. Paul.

Jordyn Elizabeth Owens

Barbershop turned lifestyle brand and clothier promotes Black excellence

Northside Storyville releases HWMR featured story Northside Funders Group (NFG), a place-based collective impact funders collaborative, hopes to change the narrative about North Minneapolis through its video series, “Northside Storyville.”

“Northside Storyville” focuses on North Minneapolis as an asset to the region by amplifying the people, businesses and efforts that call North Minneapolis home.

Real stories of everyday people are at the center of this data archive project with 10 episodes slated for production this year in collaboration with Free Truth.

The latest episode features H. White Men’s Room (HWMR), an upscale barbershop turned lifestyle brand in the heart of North

CHRIS MCDUFFIE PHOTOGRAPHY

Houston White

Minneapolis. The founder and owner, Houston White, is a veteran entrepreneur, who, after the economic recession, shifted from building custom homes to creating a destination space for cultural connections in North Minneapolis with HWMR and his Black Excellence clothing. To view the HWMR episode go to www.vimeo. com/258121880. A new episode will be released each month in 2018.

“We’ve invested in “Northside Storyville” to shine a light on the cultural vibrancy of the North Minneapolis we know and love,” said Sarah Hernandez, co-chair of Northside Funders Group and Program Officer at The McKnight Foundation.

Page 8 •March 12 - March 18, 2018 • Insight News

insightnews.com

insightnews.com

Insight News • March 12 - March 18, 2018 • Page 9

Relationship 101: No big ‘I’ or little you Man Talk

By Timothy Houston In relationships, both men and women must be mutually respected, and they both must be seen as a value to the relationship.

There are no big “I� and little you. This value transcends into respect and consideration needed to support a healthy relationship. Mutual respect is the foundation for honesty, trust and meaningful communication.

In order for relationships to remain healthy, both the man and the woman must be equally respected and appreciated.

Mutual respect is deďŹ ned as a proper regard for the dignity of a person or position. It is the value we see in the other person.

For some, mutual respect is a new mindset. The old mindset gives little or no credit or appreciation to what the man or

woman is currently doing. It is based on an old script that was shaped during childhood and it is inuenced by the belief that that the man and woman have deďŹ ned roles and neither should receive or expect to receive any praise for doing what it is his or her job to do. The truth is, anytime anyone shares their hand or heart, they should be valued and appreciated.

Mutual respect is intentional. It is based on traditional values and simple acts of appreciation like a woman saying, “thank you� to a man who holds the door open for her, or responding to a simple “good morning,� and a man’s belief that it is still necessary to do these things. The modernday man and woman have been programmed to dislike each other. With statements like “there are no good men out there,� or “all men are dogs,� or in the case of men “women are gold-diggers� or the “woman’s place is barefoot and pregnant� it is inevitable that this frame of mind will result in a lack of respect. If a woman who believe all men are dogs, as some say, she will start treating men like

dogs. And if a man believes a woman’s place is in the home, he will not value her contribution outside of the home. When

may be caused by a shift in our culture. Men now have to deal with the fact the woman may earn more money, or in some

When situations occur, and the man is not working, a lack of respect for the man may surface. Don’t assume the other

Mutual respect is intentional. It is based on traditional values and simple acts of appreciation like a woman saying, “thank you� to a man who holds the door open for her, or responding to a simple “good morning,� and a man’s belief that it is still necessary to do these things.

mutual respect is intentional, all of these misconceptions are pushed to the side and a joyful relationship becomes possible.

Although mutual respect is intentional, it is not universally accepted. This lack of acceptance

cases are the primary provider for the family. Also, although most women have dispelled the notion that the woman’s place is in the home, many women still hold on to the idea that the man’s place is in the workplace.

person shares your same value.

Because each relationship is dierent, each couple should sit down and discuss what respect feels like and establish boundaries and expectations.

Mutual respect is a must.

When either the man or the woman in the relationship is not respected, the relationship as a whole suers. Men and women, who are disrespected will lose respect for the other person and the relationship. As a result, they will seek love, aection, aďŹƒrmation and respect in all the wrong places. This will result in more disrespect and a circle of disrespect will be created.

This must come to an end. The intention of the aforementioned is that mutual respect is critical for the enjoyment and survival of any relationship. It is, therefore, the responsibility of anyone entering a relationship to ensure this foundational building block of a healthy relationship is secured before continuing or allowing the relationship to advance further than it is at the moment.

Timothy Houston is an author, minister, and motivational speaker committed to guiding positive life changes in families and communities. For copies of his book, questions, comments or more information, go to www.tlhouston.com.

Chadwick Boseman rises to the occasion as African king/Marvel superhero

By Kam Williams Chadwick Boseman has already made quite a career out of portraying a variety of prominent African-Americans, from football star Floyd Little (“The Express�), to baseball great Jackie Robinson (“42�), to Godfather of Soul James Brown (“Get on Up�) to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall (“Marshall�).

The versatile actor’s eorts have been appreciated by the NAACP, which has seen ďŹ t to nominate him for ďŹ ve Image Awards.

Although Black Panther is a ďŹ ctional character, the role is ostensibly of no less

signiďŹ cance than the historical ďŹ gures Boseman has played in the past. That’s because Black kids have rarely had a superhero that looks like them to root for, even in Africa, where the “Lord of the Jungle,â€? Tarzan, too was white. “Black Pantherâ€? not only features a digniďŹ ed protagonist and a sociallyrelevant plotline, but it’s also a worthy addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise.

The picture was directed

by Ryan Coogler (“Creedâ€?), who made the most of his $200 million budget, between visually-captivating special eects and an A-list cast which includes Academy Award-winners Forest Whitaker and Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar-nominee Angela

ClassiĂ€eds 1RWLFH RI &RPPHQW 3HULRG RQ WKH 5HDSSRLQWPHQW RI 8 6 0DJLVWUDWH -XGJH 6WHYHQ ( 5DX 7KH 8 6 'LVWULFW &RXUW 'LVWULFW RI 0LQQHVRWD LQYLWHV FRPPHQWV IURP PHPEHUV RI WKH EDU DQG SXEOLF DV WR ZKHWKHU LQFXPEHQW 8 6 0DJLVWUDWH -XGJH 6WHYHQ ( 5DX VKRXOG EH UHFRPPHQGHG IRU UHDSSRLQWPHQW &RPPHQWV VKRXOG EH UHFHLYHG E\ S P &67 RQ )ULGD\ $SULO DQG PD\ EH GLUHFWHG WR 8 6 'LVWULFW &RXUW &OHUNÂśV 2ႈ FH $771 7ULFLD 3HSLQ &KLHI 'HSXW\ &OHUN 6RXWK )RXUWK 6WUHHW 5RRP 0LQQHDSROLV 01

PHULWVHOHFWLRQSDQHO#PQG XVFRXUWV JRY 7R YLHZ WKH IXOO SXEOLF QRWLFH YLVLW WKH &RXUWÂśV ZHEVLWH DW ZZZ PQG XVFRXUWV JRY

(Left to right) Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong’o and Letitia Wright in the Marvel blockbuster, “Black Panther.�

Phone: 612.588.1313 Email: info@insightnews.com

5REELQV :D\ 6HQLRU +RXVLQJ QG $YHQXH 1 5REELQVGDOH 01

127,&( 23(1,1* 7+( %(' 5220 :$,7 /,67 6HQLRUV \HDUV DQG ROGHU UHQW EDVHG RQ LQFRPH IRU TXDOLÂż HG DSSOLFDQWV $SSOLFDWLRQV PD\ EH GRZQORDGHG DW ZZZ FRPPRQERQG RUJ IURP DP )HEUXDU\ XQWLO SP 0DUFK

&RPSOHWHG DSSOLFDWLRQV PXVW EH UHFHLYHG E\ PDLO RQO\ WR 5RELQV :D\ RQ RU EHIRUH 0DUFK $OO TXDOLÂż HG $SSOLFDQWV ZLOO EH SODFHG RQ WKH :DLWLQJ /LVW LQ WKH RUGHU WKH\ DUH UHFHLYHG &RPPRQ%RQG &RPPXQLWLHV

+RVSLWDO $GPLQLVWUDWRU 2SSRUWXQLWLHV LQ 0LQQHVRWD KRXUO\ DQQXDOO\ 7KH 0LQQHVRWD 'HSDUWPHQW RI +XPDQ 6HUYLFHV LV VHHNLQJ WDOHQWHG +RVSLWDO $GPLQLVWUDWRUV IRU WZR RI RXU EHKDYLRUDO KHDOWK IDFLOLWLHV LQ *UHDWHU 0LQQHVRWD ZLWK UHORFDWLRQ UHLPEXUVHPHQW DYDLODEOH &KLOG $GROHVFHQW %HKDYLRUDO +HDOWK 6HUYLFHV &$%+6 Âą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ÂśOO OHDG D GHGLFDWHG WHDP RI VWDII LQFOXGLQJ KRVSLWDOLVWV SV\FKLDWULVWV QXUVHV VRFLDO ZRUNHUV DQG UHKDELOLWDWLRQ ZRUNHUV FRPPLWWHG WR LPSURYLQJ WKH OLYHV RI \RXWK &RPPXQLW\ %HKDYLRUDO +HDOWK +RVSLWDO &%++ Âą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Â&#x2021; %DFKHORUÂśV GHJUHH LQ SXEOLF KHDOWK KRVSLWDO DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ EXVLQHVV DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ RU FORVHO\ UHODWHG PDQDJHPHQW ILHOG Â&#x2021; $W OHDVW WKUHH \HDUV RI PDQDJHULDO H[SHULHQFH LQ D KHDOWKFDUH VHWWLQJ Â&#x2021; .QRZOHGJH RI ODZV UXOHV DQG UHJXODWLRQV UHODWLQJ WR KRVSLWDO RSHUDWLRQV Â&#x2021; :RUNLQJ NQRZOHGJH RI FRPPXQLW\ UHVRXUFHV GDWD UHSRUWLQJ PDQDJHPHQW GRFXPHQWDWLRQ DQG UHFRUG NHHSLQJ V\VWHPV KXPDQ UHVRXUFHV DQG ODERU UHODWLRQV SUDFWLFHV IXQGLQJ UHVRXUFHV DQG IXQGLQJ UHTXLUHPHQWV Â&#x2021; .QRZOHGJH RI 4XDOLW\ $VVXUDQFH 3URFHVV ,PSURYHPHQW Â&#x2021; 3RVVHVVLRQ RI VWURQJ RUJDQL]DWLRQ VNLOOV Â&#x2021; $ELOLW\ WR FRPPXQLFDWH HIIHFWLYHO\ Â&#x2021; $ELOLW\ WR SURPRWH D WHDP RULHQWHG ZRUN HQYLURQPHQW Â&#x2021; 'HPRQVWUDWHG OHDGHUVKLS VNLOOV DQG DELOLWLHV 3UHIHUUHG 4XDOLILFDWLRQV Â&#x2021; /LFHQVHG DV D PHQWDO KHDOWK SURIHVVLRQDO Â&#x2021; 0DVWHUÂśV GHJUHH LQ SXEOLF KHDOWK KRVSLWDO DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ EXVLQHVV DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ RU FORVHO\ UHODWHG PDQDJHPHQW ILHOG $SSO\ RQOLQH WRGD\ DW ZZZ PQ JRY FDUHHUV &$%+6 $GPLQLVWUDWRU Âą -RE ,' &%++ $GPLQLVWUDWRU Âą -RE ,'

$1 (48$/ 23325781,7< (03/2<(5

+XPDQ 5HVRXUFHV *HQHUDOLVW

2DN 7HUUDFH +DGOH\ $YHQXH 1RUWK 2DNGDOH 01

7KH 8 6 'LVWULFW &RXUW 'LVWULFW RI 01 LV DFFHSWLQJ DSSOLFDWLRQV IRU D IXOO WLPH +XPDQ 5HVRXUFHV *HQHUDOLVW LQ 0LQQHDSROLV 01 6DODU\ UDQJH LV )RU PRUH LQ IRUPDWLRQ YLVLW WKH FRXUWÂśV ZHEVLWH ZZZ PQG XVFRXUWV JRY (PSOR\PHQW

127,&( 23(1,1* 7+( 21( %('5220 :$,7 /,67 3URMHFW %DVHG 6HFWLRQ 35$& 5HQW EDVHG RQ LQFRPH IRU TXDOLÂż HG VHQLRUV $SSOLFDWLRQV PD\ EH GRZQORDGHG DW ZZZ FRPPRQERQG RUJ IURP DP -DQXDU\ XQWLO SP 0DUFK RU SLFNHG XS LQ WKH PDQ DJHPHQW Rá&#x201A;&#x2C6; FH &RPSOHWHG DSSOLFDWLRQV PXVW EH UHFHLYHG E\ PDLO RU KDQG GH OLYHUHG RQ RU EHIRUH 0DUFK $OO TXDOLÂż HG $SSOLFDQWV ZLOO EH SODFHG RQ WKH :DLWLQJ /LVW LQ WKH RUGHU WKH\ DUH UHFHLYHG &RPPRQ%RQG &RPPXQLWLHV (TXDO +RXVLQJ 2SSRUWXQLW\

$Q (TXDO 2SSRUWXQLW\ (PSOR\HU

3$57 7,0( -$1,725 326,7,21 $9$,/$%/(

37 -DQLWRU SRVLWLRQ XS WR KUV SHU ZHHN DYDLODEOH DW 0W 2OLYHW %DSWLVW &KXUFK LQ 6W 3DXO 6XFFHVVIXO FDQGL GDWH ZLOO KDYH D GHPRQVWUDWHG ZRUN HWK LF MDQLWRULDO H[SHULHQFH WKH DELOLW\ WR OLIW OEV H[FHOOHQW DWWHQWLRQ WR GHWDLO DQG LV WUXVWZRUWK\ 'XWLHV 9DFXXPLQJ GXVW LQJ FOHDQLQJ DQG VWRFNLQJ EDWKURRPV HPSW\LQJ RI WUDVK FOHDQLQJ RI Ă&#x20AC; RRUV DQG JODVV WKURXJKRXW WKH EXLOGLQJ LQ FOXGLQJ RFFDVLRQDO EXá&#x201A;&#x2C6; QJ DQG ZD[LQJ 5HVXPHV PD\ EH IRUZDUGHG YLD HPDLO WR ORUHDQ #DRO FRP $SSOLFDWLRQV DUH DYDLODEOH DW WKH FKXUFK Rá&#x201A;&#x2C6; FH IURP DP WR SP %DFNJURXQG FKHFN UHTXLUHG

Bassett, as well as Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya and Sterling K. Brown.

At the point of departure, we learn that in ancient times the ďŹ ve tribes of Africa went to war over vibranium, a meteorite that imbues its holder with superhuman powers. Fast-forward to the present and we ďŹ nd Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Challa (Boseman) being summoned home to the ďŹ ctional nation of Wakanda to assume the reins of power in the wake of the passing of his father, King Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Chaka (John Kani).

Complicating matters is the fact that a number of other warriors covet the throne and a South African arms smuggler (Andy Serkis) is trying to get his hands on some vibranium.

Not to worry. Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Challa has

a capable CIA agent (Martin Freeman) and a trio of loyal females on his side in his 16-year-old sister (Letitia Wright), his ex-girlfriend (Nyongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;o) and a two-ďŹ sted bodyguard (Danai Gurira).

What ensues is an edge of the seat roller coaster ride every bit as entertaining as any Spider-Man, Wonder Woman or other superhero adventure.

Excellent (4 stars) Rated PG-13 for pervasive violent action sequences and a rude gesture R u n n i n g time: 134 minutes Production Studios: Marvel Studios / Walt Disney Pictures Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

*DUGHQ 7HUUDFH $SDUWPHQWV 0DUNHWSODFH 'ULYH /LWWOH &DQDGD 01

0DSOH +LOOV $SDUWPHQWV 0DSOH 6WUHHW 5HG :LQJ 01

127,&( 23(1,1* 7+( %(' 5220 :$,7 /,67 6HQLRUV \HDUV DQG ROGHU DQG TXDOLÂż HG LQGLYLGXDOV ZLWK GLVDELOLWLHV ZKR DUH \HDUV DQG ROGHU UHQW EDVHG RQ LQFRPH IRU TXDOLÂż HG DS SOLFDQWV

127,&( 23(1,1* 7+( $1' %' :$,7 /,67 &XUUHQWO\ DFFHSWLQJ %5 DSSOLFDWLRQV

$SSOLFDWLRQV PD\ EH GRZQORDGHG DW ZZZ FRPPRQERQG RUJ IURP DP 0DUFK XQWLO SP 0D\ 2U SLFNHG XS DW WKH 0DQDJH PHQW 2á&#x201A;&#x2C6; FH 7XHVGD\ DQG 7KXUVGD\ IURP $0 WR 30 &RPSOHWHG DSSOLFDWLRQV PXVW EH UHFHLYHG E\ PDLO RU KDQG GHOLY HUHG WR *DUGHQ 7HUUDFH $SDUW PHQWV RQ RU EHIRUH 0D\ $OO TXDOLÂż HG $SSOLFDQWV ZLOO EH SODFHG RQ WKH :DLWLQJ /LVW LQ WKH RUGHU WKH\ DUH UHFHLYHG &RPPRQ%RQG &RPPXQLWLHV

6HFWLRQ UHQW EDVHG RQ LQFRPH IRU TXDOLÂż HG DSSOLFDQWV $SSOLFDWLRQV PD\ EH GRZQORDGHG DW ZZZ FRPPRQERQG RUJ DW DP 0DUFK &RPSOHWHG DSSOLFDWLRQV PXVW EH PDLOHG RU GURSSHG Rá&#x201A;&#x2021; 0RQGD\ WKURXJK )ULGD\ IURP SP WR 0DSOH +LOOV $SDUWPHQWV 0DSOH 6WUHHW 5HG :LQJ 01 $OO TXDOLÂż HG DSSOLFDQWV ZLOO EH SODFHG RQ WKH ZDLWLQJ OLVW LQ WKH RUGHU WKDW WKH\ DUH UHFHLYHG &RPPRQ%RQG &RPPXQLWLHV (TXDO +RXVLQJ 2SSRUWXQLW\

*URXS 6XSHUYLVRU $VVLVWDQW

1856( (;(&87,9( )RUHQVLF 6HUYLFHV Âą 6W 3HWHU 01 :KR 0D\ $SSO\ 2SHQ WR DOO TXDOLÂż HG MRE VHHNHUV 'DWH 3RVWHG &ORVLQJ 'DWH +LULQJ $JHQF\ 'HSDUWPHQW RI +XPDQ 6HUYLFHV 'LYLVLRQ 8QLW 'LUHFW &DUH 7UHDWPHQW )RUHQVLFV 6HUYLFHV :RUN 6KLIW :RUN +RXUV 'D\ 6KLIW 'D\V RI :RUN 0RQGD\ )ULGD\ $YDLODELOLW\ ZKHQ DFWLQJ DV ([HFXWLYH 2Q &DOO WR ZRUN HYHQLQJV DQG ZHHNHQGV 7UDYHO 5HTXLUHG 2FFDVLRQDO 6DODU\ 5DQJH KRXUO\ DQQXDOO\ &ODVVLÂż HG 6WDWXV 8QFODVVLÂż HG -RE 6XPPDU\ )RUHQVLFV 6HUYLFHV D GLYLVLRQ RI WKH 0LQQHVRWD 'HSDUWPHQW RI +XPDQ 6HU YLFHV ORFDWHG LQ 6W 3HWHU 0LQQHVRWD LV VHHNLQJ D TXDOLÂż HG DQG G\QDPLF LQGLYLGXDO WR MRLQ RXU WHDP LQ DQ H[HFXWLYH OHDGHUVKLS SRVLWLRQ DV RXU 1XUVH ([HFXWLYH ZRUNLQJ WLWOH 'LUHFWRU RI 1XUVLQJ

7KH 1XUVH ([HFXWLYH LV WKH UHFRJQL]HG QXUVLQJ OHDGHU DQG H[SHUW ZLWKLQ )R UHQVLFV 6HUYLFHV DV ZHOO DV ZLWK RXU H[WHUQDO VWDNHKROGHUV DQG YDULRXV JRY HUQLQJ HQWLWLHV 7KH 1XUVH ([HFXWLYH LV UHVSRQVLEOH IRU D EURDG VHW RI SROLF\ OHYHO DFWLRQ GHFLVLRQ PDNLQJ SUREOHP VROYLQJ VWUDWHJLF PDQDJHPHQW DQG GLUHFWLRQ UHODWHG WR SODQQLQJ Âż QDQFH KXPDQ UHVRXUFHV FDSLWDO WHFKQRORJ\ FRPPXQLFDWLRQ DQG RWKHU UHVRXUFHV 7KH 1XUVH ([HFXWLYH OHDGV GLUHFWV DQG VHWV WKH VWUDWHJLF GLUHFWLRQ IRU RSWLPXP TXDOLW\ RI QXUVLQJ SUDFWLFH 7KH 1XUVH ([HFXWLYH RSHUDWHV DV D PHPEHU RI WKH )RUHQVLFV 6HUYLFHV ([ HFXWLYH 7HDP DFWLQJ RQ EHKDOI RI WKH ([HFXWLYH 'LUHFWRU ZKHQ LQ WKH IDFLOLW\ RQ FDOO UROO 7KH 1XUVH ([HFXWLYH PDNHV WKH Âż QDO H[HFXWLYH GHFLVLRQ LQ WKH DEVHQFH RI WKH ([HFXWLYH 'LUHFWRU LQ DOO GD\ WR GD\ RSHUDWLRQV ZKHQ DFWLQJ LQ WKH ([HFXWLYH 2Q &DOO UROH *The Nurse Executive is a Statutory UnclassiÂżed position, which means the incumbent serves at the will of the appointing authority and does not acquire permanent status.* 0LQLPXP 4XDOLÂż FDWLRQV x &XUUHQW OLFHQVXUH LQ 0LQQHVRWD DV D 5HJLVWHUHG 1XUVH x 0DVWHUÂśV GHJUHH LQ 1XUVLQJ 25 $GYDQFHG 3UDFWLFH &HUWLÂż FDWLRQ x 7KUHH \HDUV SURJUHVVLYH VXSHUYLVRU\ H[SHULHQFH LQ D ODUJH KHDOWKFDUH VHWWLQJ 3UHIHUUHG 4XDOLÂż FDWLRQV x 0DVWHUV LQ 3V\FKLDWULF 1XUVLQJ x &HUWLÂż FDWLRQ DV D SV\FKLDWULF PHQWDO KHDOWK QXUVH

$1 (48$/ 23325781,7< (03/2<(5

-RE ,' /RFDWLRQ 6W 3HWHU )XOO 3DUW 7LPH )XOO 7LPH 5HJXODU 7HPSRUDU\ 8QOLPLWHG :KR 0D\ $SSO\ 2SHQ WR DOO TXDOLÂż HG MRE VHHNHUV 'DWH 3RVWHG &ORVLQJ 'DWH +LULQJ $JHQF\ 'HSDUWPHQW RI +XPDQ 6HUYLFHV 'LYLVLRQ 8QLW 'LUHFW &DUH 7UHDWPHQW )RUHQVLFV 6HUYLFHV :RUN 6KLIW 5RWDWLQJ :RUN +RXUV 'D\ (YHQLQJ 6KLIW 'D\V RI :RUN 9DULHV LQFOXGLQJ ZHHNHQGV DQG KROLGD\V 7UDYHO 5HTXLUHG 1R 6DODU\ 5DQJH KRXUO\ DQQXDOO\ -RE &ODVV 2SWLRQ 1RQH &ODVVLÂż HG 6WDWXV &ODVVLÂż HG &RQQHFW 3URJUDP (OLJLEOH <HV 7KLV SRVLWLRQ ZLOO EH IRU WKUHH RSHQLQJV XQGHU WKH VDPH URWDWLQJ GD\ HYHQLQJ VKLIW ZLWK YDU\LQJ GD\V Rá&#x201A;&#x2021; -RE 6XPPDU\ )RUHQVLF 6HUYLFHV )6 LV ORRNLQJ IRU TXDOLÂż HG FDQGLGDWHV IRU D *URXS 6XSHUYLVRU $VVLVWDQW SRVLWLRQ LQ WKH $VVLVWDQW LQ WKH $GPLQLVWUDWLYH 2Q 'XW\ 6XSHUYLVRU $2'6 3RRO )6 SURYLGHV SV\FKLDWULF HYDOXDWLRQ DQG WUHDWPHQW VHUYLFHV WR LQGLYLGXDOV GLDJQRVHG ZLWK D PHQWDO LOOQHVV ZKR SUHVHQW D ULVN WR SXEOLF VDIHW\ 4XDOLÂż HG FDQGLGDWHV ZLOO SURYLGH WHDP OHDGHUVKLS WR DOO SURJUDPV DQG VWDá&#x201A;&#x2021; DQG ZRUN WR HQVXUH D WKHUDSHXWLF HQYLURQPHQW IRU FOLHQWV 7KLV LV D IXOO WLPH SRVLWLRQ ZRUNLQJ D URWDWLQJ GD\ HYHQLQJ VKLIW ZLWK YDU\LQJ GD\V Rá&#x201A;&#x2021; 3RVLWLRQ LV HOLJLEOH IRU IXOO EHQHÂż WV DQG LQVXUDQFH FRYHUDJH -RLQ RXU WHDP DV D 6WDWH RI 0LQQHVRWD HPSOR\HH 7KH *URXS 6XSHUYLVRU $VVLVWDQW IXQFWLRQV LQ D VXSHUYLVRU\ FDSDFLW\ LQ RUGHU WR HQVXUH FRQWLQXLW\ RI PDQDJHPHQW RI DOO )6 SURJUDPV 7KH TXDOLÂż HG FDQGLGDWH ZLOO EH LQ FKDUJH RI VXSHUYLVLQJ GLUHFW FDUH DQG WUHDWPHQW VWDá&#x201A;&#x2021; DQG SURYLGH GLUHFWLRQ WR DOO UHVLGHQWLDO VWDá&#x201A;&#x2021; 0LQLPXP 4XDOLÂż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ÂśV 'HJUHH LQ &ULPLQDO -XVWLFH /DZ (QIRUFHPHQW 5HKDELOLWDWLRQ 7KHUDS\ +HDOWK 6FLHQFHV %HKDYLRUDO 6FLHQFHV RU D UHODWHG Âż HOG PD\ EH VXEVWLWXWHG IRU PRQWKV RI H[SHULHQFH DW WKLV OHYHO 25 RQH \HDU RI VXSHUYLVRU\ H[SHULHQFH PD\ EH VXEVWLWXWHG IRU D PD[LPXP RI PRQWKV RI H[SHULHQFH DW WKLV OHYHO 127( 6XSHUYLVRU\ H[SHULHQFH GRHV QRW QHHG WR EH ZLWKLQ D VHFXUH HQYLURQPHQW 25 DQ HTXLYDOHQW FRPELQDWLRQ RI WKH DERYH +RZ WR $SSO\ &OLFN Âł$SSO\´ DW WKH ERWWRP RI WKLV SDJH ,I \RX DUH XQ DEOH WR DSSO\ RQOLQH SOHDVH FRQWDFW WKH MRE LQIRUPDWLRQ OLQH DW )RU DGGLWLRQDO LQIRUPDWLRQ DERXW WKH DSSOLFDWLRQ SURFHVV JR WR KWWS ZZZ PQ JRY FDUHHUV &RQWDFW ,I \RX KDYH TXHVWLRQV DERXW WKH SRVLWLRQ FRQWDFW 7RP &KULVWHQVHQ DW WRP FKULVWHQVHQ#VWDWH PQ XV ,I \RX DUH D &RQQHFW DSSOLFDQW SOHDVH HPDLO \RXU FHUWLÂż FDWH WR 5\QH /H\WHP DW U\QH M OH\WHP#VWDWH PQ XV E\ WKH SRVLWLRQ FORVH GDWH ,I \RX DUH DQ LQGLYLGXDO ZLWK D GLVDELOLW\ DQG QHHG DQ $'$ DFFRPPRGD WLRQ IRU DQ LQWHUYLHZ \RX PD\ FRQWDFW WKH 'HSDUWPHQW RI +XPDQ 6HUYLFHVÂś $'$ &RRUGLQD WRU DW IRU DVVLVWDQFH $1 (48$/ 23325781,7< (03/2<(5

Page 10 •March 12 - March 18, 2018 • Insight News

insightnews.com Jose James

Earth, Wind and Fire Omar Sosa and Seckou Keita

Monday, March 12 POP MUSIC P!NK Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul 199 Kellogg Blvd. W. 8 p.m.

All ages $62.95 and up

March 12 March 25, 2018

L.A. Reid and Babyface have always had great eyes for talent and saw P!NK was the breakout star of her original group, Choice.

Since signing with LaFace in 1995, P!NK has grown to become one of the biggest names in pop music. Her stirring at the Xcel is sure to delight.

Tuesday, March 13 SOUL Lean on Me: José James celebrates Bill Withers Dakota Jazz Club 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis 7 p.m. $30-$45 Aesthetically It! is a list of picks from the editors of Aesthetically Speaking. Aesthetically It! features venues, events, outings and more that are worthy of “It” status.

If you have a venue, event or outing that you feel is “It” worthy, email us at aestheticallyit@ insightnews.com

Jazz and hip-hop vocalist Jose James was born in Minneapolis but relocated to New York before signing to Blue Note Records. See a special set of Bill Withers classics Tuesday and Wednesday at the Dakota.

Wednesday, March 14 WORLD Omar Sosa & Seckou Keita The Cedar Cultural Center 416 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis 7:30 p.m.

All ages $28 advance, $30 door

“Transparent Water Trio” is the new CD and concert collaboration between seven-time Grammynominated pianist/composer/ bandleader, Omar Sosa and U.K.-based Senegalese kora master and singer, Seckou Keita, featuring folkloric Venezuelan percussionist Gustavo Ovalles.

Thursday, March 15 OPEN MIC Exposure Open Mic Lee’s Liquor Lounge 101 Glenwood Ave., Minneapolis 8 p.m.

18-plus $5 ($3 with college I.D.) Test your performance chops at Lee’s.

Friday, March 16 COMEDY/ RELATIONSHIPS Minneapolis Love Hour and Comedy Show University of Minnesota 100 Church Street S.E., Minneapolis 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.

21-plus $30-$50 The Love Hour is a live discussion on love, relationships and happiness.

The discussion is followed by a clean comedy show featuring Tony Baker, Tahir Moor and Kevin Fredericks.

Saturday, March 17 WRITING Black Lines Matter | Where Black Writers Meet Open Book

1011 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Wednesday, March 21

Black Table Arts presents a night for Black writers.

COMEDY

Sunday, March 18 FUNK Earth, Wind & Fire Treasure Island Resort & Casino 5734 Sturgeon Lake Rd., Welch 7 p.m.

21-plus $70-$90 The legends of funk, soul, and R&B hit Minnesota at Treasure Island.

Monday, March 19 KARAOKE The Return of Autotune Karaoke Mortimer’s 2001 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis 9 p.m. – 2 a.m.

21-plus No cover Sing some of your favorite songs, auto-tuned at Mortimer’s.

Tuesday, March 20 COMEDY Damien Lemon Acme Comedy Company 708 1st St. N., Minneapolis 8 p.m.

18-plus $15, $30 Star of MTV’s “Guy Code” and featured in “Spider Man,” comedian Damien Lemon stops through Acme Tuesday and Wednesday.

Shed G Comedy Series feat.

Keedar and Montee Rogers Rick Brunson’s House of Comedy – Mall of America 408 E. Broadway Ave., Bloomington 7:30 p.m.

21-plus $15 advance, $20 door Shed G’s popular monthly comedy series is back, this time with two headliners, Keedar and Montee Rogers

Thursday, March 22 CULTURE Black History 365 Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association 821 E. 35th St., Minneapolis 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

All ages No cover Black History 365 presents youth from throughout the Twin-Cities showcasing their talent with a focus on the greatness of Black history. The event also puts an emphasis on celebrating Black history year-round.

The event features poetry, monologue readings, hiphop, R&B, dance and visual arts.

Friday, March 23 COMEDY 3rd Annual Black and Funny Improv Festival Huge Improv Theater 3037 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis 6:30 p.m. $10

What started out as a small, one day workshop and panel has evolved into a weekend full of shows, classes, and celebration featuring performers of color from across the country – open to audiences of every ethnicity.

Saturday, March 24 WORLD BEAT Afriquency - Dancehall/ Afrobeats Party Pimento 2524 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis 9 p.m. – 2 a.m.

21-plus $10 general admission, $20 VIP Join Soul Tools for the follow-up to the popular new night Afriquency, featuring dancehall, Afrobeats, hiphop, and electro soul at the newly renovated Pimento Rum Bar.

Sunday, March 25 THEATER “Familiar” Guthrie Theater 818 2nd St. S., Minneapolis 1 p.m. $37-$72 There’s something old, something new and something borrowed in this feisty, heart-warming play about a ZimbabweanAmerican family preparing for their daughter Tendi’s wedding. “Familiar” is written by Macalister College grad and “The Walking Dead” and “Black Panther” star, Denai Guerrero. “Familiar” runs through April 14.

Minneapolis keeps it funky with opening of Funky Grits The Un-Bougie Foodie

By Wesley Wright

www.facebook.com/ theunbougiefoodie Imagine sitting with a group of friends and enjoying some soul food, as reminiscent old school funk/soul music like Brothers Johnson, Parliament, or Funkadelic plays in the background.

Well that’s just what general manager and chef partners Jared Brewington and Jordan Carlson will be introducing to the Twin Cities on April 1 with Funky Grits, 805 East 38th St., Minneapolis.

With an upbringing from his grandmother and father, Brewington’s life has been rooted on the south side of Minneapolis; so, when it came down to finding a location for their soul food inspired and chef driven restaurant, the general manager of Funky Grits (www. funkygrits.com) settled in the area that would tell stories of fond memories of his growing up in the neighborhood.

After working with a local interior/architectural designer studio, the aesthetic will consist of wood elements, yet bright and comforting, just like the cuisine.

Booths, round tables, along with a table for communal style dining will encourage patrons to gather together to enjoy great

food and rare funk music.

When asked how the restaurant’s name came to be, Brewington replied, “It hit me.

That was it. I was thinking of what a place like this would be called. Funk is my jam, you know as far as music goes. Then fast casual comfort food, soulfood inspired … Funky Grits.

Done.”

Yet, this was something long in the making; similar to that of a food truck that would play music, serving soul food right as downtown Minneapolis bars would be closing. But after researching, Brewington realized modern fast-casual dining was the right path to follow and still be able to provide the same type of vibe.

The cuisine promises to focus on food best for any individuals diet or lifestyle.

With chef/partner Carlson at the kitchen’s helm, he brings leadership and creativity that showcases his culinary expertise along with his passion for food.

Although not his initial career path, Carlson started cooking to help his family, specifically his grandfather. While cooking at an establishment that transitioned to a scratch kitchen bistro pub, his passion for cooking intensified. A world of creativity with food became apparent, and with his love to help his family, it motivated Carlson to become involved even more with food to share this gift with those that enjoyed what he prepared.

In creating the menu, Carlson and Brewington plan on taking a different approach

Funky Grits opens April 1 at 805 E. 38th St. in Minneapolis. when it comes to the southern style dishes that will be offered.

Historically, vegetables and grains have always been important to every culture.

Because the items on the menu

are soul food inspired, diners won’t find typical items such as fried chicken or barbeque on the menu. Rather, it’s the regular side staples from southern cooking (grits, greens, root vegetables)

that will be showcased as the entrees.

The creators of Funky Grits hope to provide a place where “everyone is welcome, all the time, forever,” while sharing a

common interest of enjoying great food.

The question remains, Minneapolis, are you ready to get “funky?”

insightnews.com

Insight News • March 12 - March 18, 2018 • Page 11

Aesthetically Speaking ‘Nora Chipaumire: Portrait of Myself as My Father,’ at Uppercut Boxing Fierce and charismatic Z i m b a b w e / N e w Yo r k – based choreographer Nora Chipaumire continues her investigations of the Black body, Africa and the self with “Nora Chipaumire: Portrait of Myself as My Father.”

Situated in a real boxing ring, Chipaumire trades jabs with the specter of her estranged father as he fights against prejudice, social pressures and the weight of history in this bright, loud and penetrating work. Outfitted with boxing gloves, African talismans, and football pads, they stagger between combat and jest in this symbolic dance-ritual that forces us to question stereotypes of race and gender.

All performances will be held at Uppercut Boxing Gym, 1324 Quincy St., in Northeast Minneapolis.

There will be three performances, Friday March 23, Saturday, March 24 and Sunday, March 25. All shows take place at 8 p.m.

“Portrait of Myself as My Father” is presented as part of the Walker’s performance series, Spot On: Site-Specific Adventures.

Please note, this show contains mature content.

Chipaumire will hold a talk in the Walker galleries, 725 Vineland Pl., Minneapolis, on Thursday, March 22 at 7 p.m. as she discusses the intersectionality of being Black, female, and African; the prominent thematic inquiry behind her choreography. The talk is free and open to the public.

Photo by Gennadi Novash, courtesy of Peak Performances at Montclair State University

See captivating images such as these at Uppercut Boxing Gym March 23 – March 25 as the Walker Art Center presents “Nora Chipaumire: Portrait of Myself as My Father.”

The Black girl magic of ‘A Wrinkle in Time’

present

ink

By Ronda Racha Penrice Urban News Service LOS ANGELES and ATLANTA — Black cinema and blockbuster are suddenly becoming synonymous.

“Black Panther” is already nearing a billion dollars in global box office receipts and Jordan Peele just became the first African-American to win an Oscar for best original screenplay for his surprise 2017 racially-tinged hit, “Get Out.” And this past weekend, Disney released its highly anticipated film, “A Wrinkle in Time,” a $100 million film with a Black female director and young Black female star.

Unlike “Black Panther” or “Get Out,” “Wrinkle” is a mainstream movie with an intentionally African-American face.

Madeleine L’Engle’s 1962 science fantasy novel of the same title, from which it is adapted, centers on a middle school-aged white girl, Meg Murray, who is battling with self-esteem issues. Through the help of three celestial guides – Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Who – she tries to find her missing scientist father, whom she mourns desperately, by traveling through other worlds with her brother Charles Wallace and her friend Calvin.

On the big screen, Meg is an African-American girl, with Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling portraying the guides.

What viewers see on the screen is the result in large part by decisions made behind the camera. That begins with trailblazing director, Ava DuVernay. Prior to being tapped to direct “Wrinkle,” whose $100 million budget is the largest ever for a Black female director in Hollywood, DuVernay was known for quiet films such as “Middle of Nowhere,” which garnered her the Best Director Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, the first for an African-American woman.

Before “Wrinkle,” “Selma”

CAMILLE A. BROWN & DANCERS

a co-presentation with The O'Shaughnessy

Atsushi Nishijima/Courtesy of Disney

Storm Reid as Meg Murray in “A Wrinkle in Time.” was DuVernay’s biggest budget feature film at $20 million.

But DuVernay took the leap only because of the opportunity provided by a Black Disney executive.

“It wasn’t a likely marriage but when you have a brother inside, Tendo Nagenda, who said ‘I can see this happening’ and he imagined what it could be before I imagined what it could be,” said DuVernay of Disney’s executive vice president of production during her acceptance speech for the African-American Film Critics Association Innovator Award in February. “The thing I really remember is Tendo saying, ‘Ava imagine the worlds you can build.’”

That conversation, she said, “started to get me to ask questions about what I wanted to assert in that story and the real core of it was: who gets to be the hero? Because, right now, we’re in this space where we’re on the cusp of ‘Black Panther’ and all its gloriousness and we get to reimagine who is at the center of the story. This story, our story, she’s not a superhero; she’s not royalty; she’s not a Disney princess. She’s just a girl with glasses in a plaid shirt who ends up saving herself and her family and the universe from darkness.”

The actress who plays that unlikely hero, Storm Reid, was familiar with the story but admits to not being personally invested in it until now.

“I read the book in sixth grade for a book report and I

never saw myself being Meg, especially because she was written as a young Caucasian girl, so I just really never thought about it,” said Reid during an interview at a posh hotel in her native Atlanta. “But once I got the script, it all clicked and I thought it was just an amazing take on Meg.” Even as young as she is, Reid, whose previous credits include “12 Years A Slave,” “American Girl: Lea to the Rescue” and “Sleight” has felt the sting of Hollywood limitations for actresses like her.

“There were fewer roles meant for me and fewer lead roles meant for me,” said Reid.

That reality is why Reid especially cherishes her role as Meg. “I feel like it was so important for me to play Meg because I’m basically representing little girls that look like me and I’m representing them in the right way because you don’t really get to see a little African-American girl with glasses and curly hair save the world without superpowers,” said the young actress.

Reid, who turns 15 in July, does see changes in Hollywood and hopes it will continue.

“I feel like we are breaking barriers, slowly but surely, but there needs to be more representation. I don’t feel like diversity should just be a thing right now. I feel like it should be a normal thing,” said Reid.

ONE NIGHT ONLY — RESERVE YOUR TICKETS NOW!

MAR 23 THE O’SHAUGHNESSY, ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY

TICKETS: 651.690.6700 | OSHAG.STKATE.EDU

GENEROUS SUPPORT FOR MUSIC & MOVEMENT PROGRAMMING IS PROVIDED BY THE SCROOBY FOUNDATION

MUSIC & MOVEMENT SERIES SPONSORED BY

Page 12 •March 12 - March 18, 2018 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Already extended one week due to demand

‘Cordur oy’ playing at Children’s Theatre Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) presents the world premiere of the classic children’s book “Corduroy.”

Ileri Okikiolu will debut at CTC playing the role of Lisa. Dean Holt will be playing Corduroy, Reed Sigmund plays the Night Watchman and Lauren Davis plays Lisa’s Mother.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of the book, “Corduroy,” by author and illustrator Don Freeman. Published six years after “The Snowy Day” (by Ezra Jack Keats) broke the color barrier in children’s picture books, Freeman decided to portray Lisa as an African-American girl at a time when children’s books featuring children of color was still relatively rare.

“On this 50th anniversary of the publication of Don Freeman’s classic ‘Corduroy,’ I’m incredibly honored to

help bring about its first stage adaptation,” said playwright Barry Kornhauser. “Who doesn’t remember a special childhood toy that we thought of as a real friend?

And one that came to life, if only in our imaginations?

I’m incredibly excited to build upon Freeman’s book, exploring what might have gone on the rest of that night with Corduroy and the Night Watchman in the department store, and also with Lisa and her mom in their apartment, in this beloved story of longing and friendship.”

“Corduroy” runs through May 20 at CTC, 2400 3rd Ave. S., Minneapolis. The show is recommended for preschoolers and up.

Individual show tickets and subscriptions can be purchased at www. childrenstheatre.org or by calling the ticket office at (612) 874-0400.

Photo by Dan Norman

Ileri Okikiolu as Lisa in ‘Corduroy’

Bill Cameron Photography

Threads Dance Project

SOULFUL JAZZ AND HIP-HOP

LEAN ON ME:

JOSÉ JAMES CELEBRATES BILL WITHERS MARCH 13 & 14 • 7 PM

Threads Dance Project commissions choreographic residencies for upcoming show, ‘Tapestries 3.0’ The Karen L. Charles Threads Dance Project’s 11th Season will open with “Tapestries 3.0” – a program dedicated to providing choreographic opportunities for local artists to see their works come to fruition in a produced show.

“Tapestries 3.0” features choreographers Alexandra Bodnarchuk, Vie Boheme and Jim Lieberthal.

The featured guest choreographers will expose many aspects of humanity – exploring mental and physical turmoil, women’s intuition and personal and group support.

Charles’ excerpt from “Humanity & Elysian Fields Avenue” is an ode to the Gulf Coast residents devastated

by Hurricane Katrina in

2007 and hurricanes in Houston, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean this past year – a journey of how the human spirit, though devastated by natural disaster, returns and remains an integral part of the cultural tapestry of America.

“The ‘Tapestries’ program is something I care deeply about despite the challenges of consistent financial support for it” said Charles. “We don’t always have the funding needed, but I continue the program because it is my way of paying it forward by creating an artistic opportunity for both the choreographers we’ve chosen and the Threads dancers.”

This year, the “Tapestries” choreographers

are both new and familiar faces to the Minnesota dance scene.

Bodnarchuk, formerly with Robin Stiehm’s Dancing People Company in Portland, has transplanted to Minnesota and is currently creating her own work and performing with Black Label Movement. Boheme, a former dance artist with TU Dance, currently performs her own vocal and dance works as well as dances with Camille A. Brown & Dancers. Lieberthal, a staple in the dance community, is a 2013 SAGE Award winner (Outstanding Performer) and 1988 McKnight Choreography Award winner.

“I love starting our year with ‘Tapestries,’” said Charles. “This program

infuses the entire company with new energy and ideas when we interact with the guest choreographers.

Tapestries affords all of us the opportunity to grow and connect in new and exciting ways.”

Threads Dance Project premiered its first show in April 2011 and is currently embarking on their 11th season.

“Tapestries 3.0” runs March 23 and March 24, 7:30 pm., at the JSB Tekbox, 528 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.

Admission is $22 and $25.

Tickets are available at www. thecowlescenter.org, www. bit.ly/tapestries3-0 or (612) 206-3600.

Please note, the shows contain mature content.