Insight News ::: 04.11.16

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Aesthetically It! Upcoming venues, events, and outings in the Twin Cities

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Insight News April 11 - April 17, 2016

Vol. 43 No. 15 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

BroSun: Light of The Neighborhood Impressions compiled from Facebook by Al McFarlane

Photos: Harry Colbert, Jr.

Witness to the shooting of Jamar Clark, Teto Wilson calls for Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to reopen his investigation of the cops who killed Clark.

Community leaders call for reopening of the case in the shooting of Jamar Clark; initial 911 caller speaks out

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer With the initial 911 caller speaking out for the first time, community leaders are calling for a reopening into the investigation of two Minneapolis police officers involved in the killing of Jamar

Clark.

RayAnn Hayes, the initial 911 caller on Nov. 15 – the night Clark was killed – said not only was the nature of her relationship with Clark mischaracterized, she was never the victim of a domestic incident and Clark was never aggressive

Left: Initial 911 caller RayAnn Hayes said Jamar Clark did not assault her as it has been claimed in the media and Clark was not combative towards ambulance workers the night he was killed by police.

CLARK TURN TO 3

Facebook says almost 70,000 people are talking about Kirk Washington, Jr. At 41, he died April 6 in a car crash on I94 at Hwy 280.

A westbound car crossed the median and crashed into his station wagon, pushing it into a Metro Transit bus.

It can’t be that simple.

Gone. Just like that.

I choose to see this differently. I choose to envision the jarring collision of space and time, an eternal instant through which a royal and gallant soul took flight, returning to Forever.

A multi-disciplinary artist from North Minneapolis, Washington was a 5th

WASHINGTON 7 TURN TO

Freeman played dog-whistle politics in communicating Jamar Clark narrative

By Steven L. Belton, MUL President & CEO

Hennepin County Attorney Mark Freeman

Forty years ago when I was in law school, one of my professors went out of his way to integrate and sometimes code inappropriate remarks, including

everyone else, I had to listen to his lectures for substance, but also for offense.

I was reminded of that experience this past week when Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman explained his rationale for not prosecuting the two Minneapolis police

racist commentary, in his lectures. Over the course of the semester I finally had enough and asked him to stop. I argued, unsuccessfully, that I was burdened with twice the work of my classmates (who were either outside the scope of his vitriol or oblivious to it) because like

officers responsible for shooting and killing Jamar Clark. That announcement has divided and polarized the community like no other legal argument in recent memory. Radio and television reports, newspaper

FREEMAN TURN TO 3

March for justice Preparing students to become drum majors for justice Women Leading Change

By Dr. Artika Tyner During a recent spring break visit to Tennessee and the Mississippi Delta, University of St. Thomas undergraduate students explored the history of the Civil Rights Movement and heard the clarion call to become drum majors for justice. The inaugural spring break trip was created and led by Cynthia Fraction, Excel! Director, who envisioned challenging students to explore the question: How important is it to study the

Civil Rights Movement in 2016? Fraction embarked on this learning journey with six students and three faculty members (Drs. David Willard, Todd Lawrence, Artika Tynermyself) to explore this timely question as the issues of civil rights are relived today in many ways from the lack of livable wage jobs and widening wealth gap (March on Washington) to the myriad of impediments to the ballot box due to voter discrimination and felon disenfranchisement (Voting Rights Act 1965).

Our group began the journey by visiting the National Civil Rights Museum where we learned about the transformative power of students who were determined-

Jeff Hassan

Leaders unveil united Black legislative agenda Leaders from across the Twin Cities Black community unveiled a united Black legislative agenda to address Minnesota’s racial disparities.

“We are at a pivotal moment in this state, both with some of the largest racial disparities in the country, and in a movement

Group in front of the National Civil Rights Museum

JUSTICE TURN TO 3

AGENDA TURN TO 7

Education

Business

Lifestyle

Community

The Mastery School of Harvest Network moving north

Double check: Why you need a proofreader

Joy and happiness

Forging equitable communities

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Insight News • April 11 - April 17, 2016 • Page 3

Justice From 1 not to let segregation turn them around. Young people were committed to continue marching for justice and freedom through sit-ins, Freedom Rides and activism. They marched for fair employment, meaningful civil rights laws, quality education, end of Jim Crow and decent housing, to name a few.

Our group also traveled the trail of terror which chronicled Emmett Till’s final hours.

The trail began in Glendora, Mississippi at the Emmett Till Intrepid Center. The City Mayor Johnny B. Thomas served as our tour guide. The visit explored the blood stained chapter of American history when a 14 year old Black boy, Emmett Till’s life was cut short for allegedly whistling at a White woman at the Bryant’s Grocery Store in Money, Mississippi. An all-white jury acquitted Roy Bryant and J.W. Millam for the murder of Till however they later admitted their guilt in Look magazine.

The death of Till catapulted the civil rights movement. One hundred days later, Rosa Parks took the courageous action to challenge segregation in public transportation.

We also had the honor and privilege of meeting three foot soldiers who actively participated in the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike. This strike compelled Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King,

Clark From 1 towards her or paramedics.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman mentioned Hayes by name when he announced he would not be filing charges against Minneapolis Police Officers Dustin Schwarze and Mark Ringgenberg – the officers involved in the 61-second encounter with Clark that ended with Clark being shot in the head. Clark was unarmed during the incident, but Freeman chose not to indict Schwarze and Ringgenberg citing the officers’ claims that they “feared for their lives” because, they said, Clark reached for Ringgenberg’s gun during a struggle that appeared to have been initiated

by Ringgenberg. A portion of the encounter was captured on videotape. There is no known videotape of the actual shooting.

Freeman From 1 editorials, commentary and letters to the editor, social media and old-fashioned water cooler conversations have figuratively blown up with contention over the merits or lack of merits of Freeman’s decision.

I am among those who believe there are significant and obvious flaws in the county attorney’s analysis of the evidence and law.

Sign near the site where Till’s body was found

Mural near the National Civil Rights Movement

Student leaders at the “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” Monument

4, 1968 exactly two months before his assassination. In this sermon, “The Drum Major Instinct,” Dr. King delivered his own eulogy and left a lasting admonishment for generations to come by challenging each of us to leave the world a better place than how we found it. He compelled everyday people to pick up the mantle of leadership through collective engagement, strategic action, and service.

“If you want to be important—wonderful.

If you want to be recognized— wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful.

But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s a new definition of greatness.”

These words are a reminder of our mission at the University of St. Thomas to train students to become morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good.

According to Fraction, “today we stand on the shoulders of a mighty group of people from the south and the north who are expecting us to continue the work needed for the equal rights of all people.”

The student participants have committed their work and future vocation to making an impact by becoming drum majors for justice.

For more information about the civil rights research program, visit http://www. stthomas.edu/gro/students/ excelresearch/

Jr. to join in the struggle for economic and racial justice in Memphis. Dr. King brought National attention to labor rights as fundamental civil rights.

“But let me say to you tonight, that whenever you are

engaged in work that serves humanity, and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity, and it has worth. One day our society must come to see this,” stated Dr. King.

One foot soldier, Elmore Nickleberry encouraged the

students to take action and follow the legacy of Dr. King.

“If everyone stood up like Dr. King, this country would be better.” Baxter Leach encouraged future generations to: “get an education, we didn’t have a chance. [you] don’t have

to go to the cotton fields. Go to school to learn.”

The trip concluded with a lecture on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s final 48 hours. My lecture focused on Dr. King’s soul-stirring sermon which was delivered on February

“The presentation by Mike Freeman has left us with more questions than answers,” said Minneapolis NAACP President Nekima Levy-Pounds. “The testimony of more than 20 African-American witnesses who came forward was discounted and it has resulted in a miscarriage of justice.”

Hayes said in no way was Clark combative towards her or paramedics and she never indicated Clark struck her, a claim made by Freeman during his March 30 press conference when he announced his decision not to indict.

“When you hear the 911 call, I was calm, I wasn’t hysterical or anything,” said Hayes. “I never said Jamar hit me, so I don’t know where they got that from. All these stories that are going around are not true … I’m just sick of the rumors.”

According to Hayes, she called 911 because she injured her leg trying to break up

an altercation between two individuals at an apartment party. She said Clark was not involved in the altercation. She said she was quoted as giving a statement in the ambulance saying Clark hit her, but paramedics gave her a strong sedative for pain and she does not recall saying anything. The injury to Hayes’ leg was severe enough to require emergency surgery. She said she was so sedated and that she was unaware of Clark’s death until two days later when she was told by a family member.

Hayes said the rumors of her being romantically linked to Clark are also untrue. She said the two were friends and nothing more. According to Hayes, Clark told ambulance workers he was her son in order to ride with her to the hospital.

“That’s why he was knocking on the door, he was just trying to check on me,” said Hayes. “You can plainly see he

wasn’t hysterical, he wasn’t out of control, he was just standing there. He was never trying to hurt me or anybody else.”

Hayes said she was stunned to hear her name on the news following Freeman’s press conference. She said prior to that she had never heard of Freeman.

“I never had an interview with Mike Freeman. I’ve never seen him until the other day when I saw him on the news and I still didn’t know who he was, so I don’t know where he gets his story from,” said Hayes.

Clark would have never wanted to die according to Hayes. Freeman quoted Schwarze and Ringgenberg saying Clark told them he was, “ready to die.”

“He (Clark) loved life. He was fun, he was a good person.

He was life, he would have never said he was ready to die,” said Hayes.

Teto Wilson, an eyewitness

to the shooting, also has issues with the police account.

According to Wilson, at no time was Clark a threat to officers and he was pinned and completely subdued by officers when Schwarze fired the fatal shot.

“The story that they (police) gave was far different than what I witnessed,” said Wilson.

“They had him thoroughly pinned down and he wasn’t moving. One of the cops had his knee pinned to Jamar. He wasn’t moving at all. The report that they put out was not true.”

Wilson also takes issue with the statement that Clark reached for Ringgenberg’s gun and proof was in Clark’s DNA being in the gun.

“Well of course there’s going to be DNA, this kid just got shot in the head so there’s going to be DNA matter everywhere,” said Wilson. “Why can’t we get (Clark’s) fingerprints on anything?”

The Minneapolis NAACP, Minneapolis Black Lives Matter and others are calling for Freeman to reopen the investigation into Clark’s shooting. Freeman issued a statement that said under the laws that he was bound by he had to come to the decision to not indict either officer.

“The prosecutor’s job is to answer the narrow question whether the police reacted unreasonably and without justification at the moment they used deadly force,” said Freeman in his statement. “If the answer to this question is that the officers acted reasonably in fear of their lives or lives of others, the prosecutor, under Minnesota Statutes and Supreme Court cases, cannot bring charges against them.”

At this time it has not been determined if the officers will face federal charges as a result of the killing.

The fact that the decision not to prosecute has been so divisive is strong indication Freeman’s reasoning was neither clear nor compelling.

But, while the text was unpersuasive, the subtext was quite clear. Whether intentional or unintentional, Freeman’s narrative was peppered with gratuitous coded language designed or defaulted to dehumanize Jamar Clark—and by extension, African-American men, in general—and provides subliminal justification for his

killing.

The county attorney’s timeline paints a picture of Clark as inebriated, violent, profane, irrational, unstable, morose, homicidal and finally, suicidal, based on a 61 second encounter with police and a somewhat longer interaction with emergency medical personnel.

This dog-whistle subtext activated the stereotype of the angry and violent black man who is tone deaf to reason and must be controlled by force, even deadly force.

Why else would the narrative include a graphic and unabbreviated description of Clark allegedly calling the EMS staff profane names? Freeman’s statement of those words didn’t advance his legal rationale, but were foundation for the subtext that Clark was a loud and uncouth person who needed to be silenced.

The timeline included uncorroborated statements from EMS staff that Clark was “acting kind of odd,” he “alternated between putting his hands on his head and putting his hands in his pockets,” and his “emotions appeared to be rapidly changing.” Each of these observed behaviors occurred before the police arrived and again, do not advance the narrative of why Clark was shot, but are helpful if the objective was to characterize him as abnormal.

Freeman stated as fact the police officers repeatedly told Clark to take his hands out of his pockets, even though none of the estimated 50 or so folks standing nearby reported hearing the officers state that command, which is surprising because police are taught to communicate in a loud and commanding voice. In codespeak, an African American man who refuses to cooperate with police is by definition unstable and/or a threat and must be put down.

The clearest example of coded commentary is Freeman’s unqualified assertion that Clark told the officers, “I am ready to die,” while he was in their clutches and one of them had pressed his pistol against Clark’s mouth. Freeman stated that salacious cypher twice in his chronology, despite the fact that none of the 20 plus eyewitnesses

to the shooting heard Clark make that utterance. The two police officers who are responsible for Clark’s death corroborated each other. The inference is Clark desired—and accomplished— suicide by cop.

Freeman’s exercise of prosecutorial discretion to make the charging decision in this case himself rather than refer it to a grand jury may have been a win for public transparency, but it was a loss for public confidence and accountability.

In their search for truth and justice, the community, and certainly the grieving family of Jamar Clark, should never have to muddle through the narrative of evidence and legal reasoning once for substance and again for coded offense.

Registration is Open!

Steven Belton is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Minneapolis Urban League

Young Women’s Issues Forum An African American Perspective Young Women Ages 12 - 18

African Americans – Is it memory loss or just aging?

FREE CONFIDENTIAL

memory loss screening

Saturday, April 30, 2016 Check-in starts at 9:00 am

Get screened for possible memory changes

Program begins promptly at 10:00 am Program ends at 3:00 pm Minneapolis Community & Technical College Technical Building Plaza

• Free screening by trained health educators.

It takes only 10 minutes.

1501 Hennepin Avenue – Downtown Minneapolis

The Young Women’s Issues Forum is FREE and includes lunch!

Forum Highlights:

An informative and interactive introduction of the day by nationally renowned author of Black Lives Matter and Black Feminist Politics from Clinton/Obama, Duchess Harris, JD, PhD.

• Learn the difference between typical age-related memory loss and Alzheimer’s.

Register before April 27, 2016 go to:

http://ywif2016.eventbrite.com

Call to schedule a confidential screening.

Empowering discussion exploring Activism in Art, led by Actress, Traci Shannon.

Informative workshops on education, leadership, health & wellness, self-esteem and more.

Register now at:

For questions or more information, call (763) 772-5319

http://ywif2016.eventbrite.com

Caregiver Services for African American Families www.voamnwi.org/caregiver-services-afam

Presented by the Minneapolis – St. Paul (MN) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated

Supported, in part, by a grant from the Minnesota Board on Aging

952-945-4173 | 952-945-4175

Page 4 • April 11 - April 17, 2016 • Insight News

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EDUCATION The Mastery School of Harvest Network moving north

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer The Mastery School of the Harvest Network of Schools is moving north.

The Minneapolis magnet elementary school is moving from its shared space at 1300 Olson Memorial Highway to 4021 Thomas Ave. N. The move takes place at the start of Harvest Network’s next school year, Aug. 1.

The relocation is part of the Harvest Network’s strategic growth plan to reach 2,800 students by 2025, up 1,500 students from its current enrollment of 1,300. The move also widens the network’s geographic footprint in North Minneapolis, expanding further north. The Mastery School, along with Harvest Preparatory, which will remain at the 1300 Olson Memorial Highway location, serve as feeder schools for Best Academy, a kindergarten through eighth grade school.

Mastery and Harvest are kindergarten through fourth.

Eric Mahmoud students of color, gaining national acclaim along the way.

Mahmoud said early learning centers are most important when addressing the achievement gap among students of color in Minneapolis.

“When we talk about the achievement gap, we’re really talking about a preparation

There are plans to open another middle school in the network within the coming years.

“The reason for the move is we want to make the greatest impact in North Minneapolis,” said Eric Mahmoud, founder of the Harvest Network.

The Harvest Network has been successful in educating

James C. Burroughs gap,” said Mahmoud. “So we have an early childhood program that addresses those concerns.”

Some of the things the Harvest schools are doing to better educate students are offering longer school days and school years, in addition to putting high emphasis on

teacher development.

“Our teachers start school four weeks before our students do, so they can be best prepared to educate our students,” said Mahmoud.

In addition to regular classroom learning, Harvest Network students will have increased interaction with

professionals from outside of the school. This is according to the network’s new start-up coordinator, James Burroughs.

Burroughs is formerly the director of the Office of Equity and Diversity for the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS).

“We are building strong partnerships with the community. We want our young people to get early exposure to the village who cares about them and their wellbeing,” said Burroughs.

Burroughs said his 100 Strong mentoring initiative, which he started at MPS, will transfer to the Harvest Network.

Parents interested in enrolling a child or learning more about the Harvest Network Schools are encouraged to visit www. harvestnetworkofschools. com or call (612) 876-4105.

Burroughs said they also plan a series of open houses and meet and greet events at various locations throughout north Minneapolis.

Metropolitan State signs partnership to extend bachelor degree options to students at North Hennepin Community College

Metropolitan State Interim President Dr. Devinder Malhotra and North Hennepin Community College President Dr. Barbara McDonald on March 3, sign an agreement that will allow students to work toward their bachelor’s degree at the NHCC Brooklyn Park campus.

A Metropolitan State University partnership to offer students bachelor degree major options at North Hennepin Community College’s (NHCC) Brooklyn Park campus was signed at a commemoration event March 3.

The partnership provides the offering for higher education to students in the west metro, where demand is increasing for degrees at the baccalaureate, bachelors and masters levels. The partnership currently offers students nursing and business administration as bachelor’s degree options at NHCC’s Brooklyn Park campus. Economics, English and human services are scheduled to be available in fall 2016.

Communication studies and health systems studies will be offered in fall 2017, with psychology to be offered in fall 2018.

Audua Pugh, a NHCC student studying human services, praised the partnership.

“I have had a wonderful experience at North Hennepin.

When I found out that Metropolitan State was offering on campus bachelor’s degree programs, I

was so happy,” said Pugh. “I specifically chose those classes at North Hennepin because I knew there was a direct path to Metro State.”

Pugh in February 2015 won all the All-USA Community College Academic Team scholarship and the Phi Theta Kappa New Century scholarship. She completed her two-year degree in May 2015 and will work toward her bachelor’s degree under the new partnership.

She hopes to earn her doctorate.

“This has been a wonderful opportunity and door-opener for those that may not have continued toward their bachelor’s degree.

This will create new possibilities for students. I am excited for this partnership, and I’m so grateful for it,” said Pugh.

In a prerecorded video address presented at the event, Sen. Amy Klobuchar praised and thanked the education community for this important step in helping Minnesotans obtain higher education.

“Everyone attending knows that education is the path to a better life. You’ve seen it in your own

lives and the lives of your students and families,” said Klobuchar, recounting her own family’s experience in being improved and lifted through education. “That’s why this new partnership is so powerful.”

“This is our best Metro strategy and a great day which gives manifestation to ‘Charting the Future’ for all the students who come to the institution.

A harbinger of great things to come,” said Metropolitan State Interim President Dr. Devinder Malhotra.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Metro State University to offer four-year degree completion to our students,” said NHCC President Dr. Barbara McDonald. “These options provide a clear and accessible pathway to achieve a four-year degree. Through the collaborative and aligned efforts of our faculty, staff and administration, students can now take these high-level courses right here at NHCC without having to commute or relocate across the state.”

‘Walking Dead’ actress Danai Gurira to join Gary Hines of Sounds of Blackness as Macalester’s commencement speakers Actress and playwright Danai Gurira will join Gary Hines, music director and producer of the Sounds of Blackness, as the 2016 commencement speakers at the Macalester College graduation ceremony.

Gurira and Hines are both graduates of Macalester.

Commencement will be held at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, May 14, at the college.

“As a playwright, an actress, and an activist, Danai Gurira has been an extraordinary success since graduating from Macalester,” said Brian Rosenberg, school president.

“When she agreed to speak at commencement with Gary Hines, we simply could not pass up the opportunity to have two artists of their caliber, whose work has so clearly embodied the values of the

Gary Hines college, celebrate commencement with us.”

Gurira is best known for her character Michonne in the popular AMC television series, “The Walking Dead.” In early March, two of Gurira’s plays opened in New York. “Eclipsed,” which

is on Broadway, is set amidst the Liberian civil war and tells the story of five women brought together by upheaval in their homeland. It is the first Broadway play whose creative team is entirely female. Her play “Familiar” is about a

Our Schools

Harvest Network of Schools

The Harvest Network of Schools is a group of high-performing K-8 public charter schools, which include the The Mastery School, Harvest Preparatory School, and Best Academy.

THE MASTERY SCHOOL leverages the strengths of boys and girls in single gender classrooms. Boys will learn in an atmosphere that encourages self control and focus on achievement. Girls will learn in an environment that gives them confidence to shine.

HARVEST PREPARATORY SCHOOL is the flagship school of the Harvest Network of Schools. Harvest was established by Eric and Ella Mahmoud in 1992, after the success of their SEED Academy preschool. Initially a private school, it was chartered in 1998 to give more north Minneapolis children a great education.

BEST ACADEMY is a national award-winning school.

Opened in 2008 with an initial focus on educating boys, today it has both single gender and co-ed classrooms.

All Harvest Network Schools are tuition free.

Class of ’29 & ‘27

K - 8 S ch ool s i n N or t h M i n n e a p ol i s 3 -yea r Avera ge MMR f o r 2011- 2013 Area Schools City View WISE Lucy Laney Bethune Nellie Stone Johnson Hall Hmong Int’l Sojourner Truth New Millennium Jenny Lind Bryn Mawr Noble Loring State

7 10 15 17 19 19 20 24 29 33 33 44 45 58

Best Academy Harvest Prep

80 82

Love chapter books Aspiring astronaut & businessman

0

20

40

60

80

100

Danai Gurira Zimbabwean-American family in Minnesota preparing for the wedding of their daughter.

Grammy winner Hines is among the most accomplished musicians ever to graduate from Macalester.

“Since he founded the Sounds of Blackness at Macalester over 40 years ago, Gary Hines has been responsible for making the kind of music that both lifts people up and brings them together,” said Rosenberg.

Hines has recorded, performed, toured, written for and appeared with Quincy Jones, Jimmy “Jam” Harris, Terry Lewis, Prince, Usher, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Johnny Gill, Patti LaBelle, Sting, Dolly Parton, and Jordin Sparks to name just a few.

Sounds of Blackness began on Macalester’s campus more than four decades ago and in the group’s honor, last year Turck Formal Lounge was renamed The Sounds of Blackness Lounge.

Macalester College, founded in 1874, is a liberal arts college with a full-time enrollment of just over 2,100 students.

insightnews.com

Insight News • April 11 - April 17, 2016 • Page 5

BUSINESS Double check: Why you need a proofreader FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw Communication is the name of the game. It’s not just what we say it’s also what we write.

How are you communicating with the written word? Do you read your reports, emails, and letters before hitting send?

Does the thought of grammar and sentence structure make you roll your eyes and think back to days in English class?

Verb, adverb, present tense, commas vs. semi-colons... We know it’s a lot. Like you we try to “hit the mark” with our written communication, and yet there are so many errors and

typos just waiting to be made.

Unfortunately assessments – even judgments – are quickly formed based on one’s writing.

It happens unconsciously, in the blink of an eye. People – including potential donors and funders – make decisions about how to value you, your leadership and the nonprofit you represent based on your writing.

Some try to be conscious of their bias, asking themselves, “how did I form this opinion?” but that’s not true of everyone.

There is one way to overcome potentially negative assessments: have someone else review what you write. An extra set of eyes helps ensure your words communicate your intentions. Here are three steps you can take: 1. Designate one person on your team as your “proofreader.” Make sure to schedule your writing

An extra set of eyes helps ensure your words communicate your intentions.

so there is enough time for this person to review and edit your work. Don’t ask your proofreader to drop everything and edit. They should have time they can dedicate to your writing, giving it their complete attention.

2. Contract with a copyeditor. This is a worthwhile investment.

Be sure to communicate your expectations, and the audience you are writing for so they can look for nuances that can “make or break you.” Over time they

will find the right balance between over-editing and under-editing; they will learn your voice; and you will begin incorporating their suggestions into your first drafts.

3. Write proposals that clearly respond to a funder’s guidelines. As with letters and reports, be sure these are reviewed in advance of submission.

Your reviewer should have a copy of the funding guidelines, and ideally should be from outside your organization. When we are close to a project we don’t realize that a reader may not understand acronyms, processes, or the need for specific services. We’ve also noticed a tendency to “throw in the kitchen sink” when writing a proposal.

Filling a proposal with too much information that is not

relevant, and not presented in a logical fashion, can be overwhelming for a reader causing one’s eyes to glaze over!

We close with two suggestions you can implement immediately.

Use the spell check function in all programs, including email.

Plan your important writing so you can set it aside for a few days, coming back to it with “fresh eyes.” You will be amazed by what you see when re-reading a document.

We want your writing to be right on.

Copyright 2016– Mel and Pearl Shaw For help growing your fundraising visit www. saadandshaw.com or call (901) 522-8727.

Shady job offer targets area college students Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota ® (BBB) has received the first local report about an employment scam targeting college students nationwide. This scheme first came to the attention of BBB of Cleveland last fall, when they began receiving reports from concerned college students about possible employment opportunities from questionable entities such as Geneve Leasing Company, Worldwide Shipping Solutions and HYDROCK Inc LLC, which is the entity a University of Minnesota student recently reported has been in touch with them about a suspect job offer.

The U of M student recognized the posting from HYDROCK Inc LLC as problematic and some online research led him to a press release issued by BBB of Cleveland last November. A representative from that Better Business Bureau reports that in addition to the report from our region, they’ve received calls about this same scam from Ohio

State University, Arkansas Tech and Arkansas State just in the last few weeks. BBB notes there is a legitimate company called Hydrock; however, they are located in England and are not associated with these questionable job offers.

“Many college students are looking for work to bring in money while they earn their degrees and others are looking for their first post-graduate job,” said Dana Badgerow, president and CEO of BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota. “Fraudsters, unfortunately, know there’s opportunity for them, as well, which is why it’s vitally important for students to thoroughly research any employment offers they receive.”

Based on information submitted to BBB, a number of University of Minnesota students received emails from HYDROCK Inc. LLC claiming ‘the position will only require 4-6 hours weekly between Mon- Fri.’ The email further states that the position offers flexibility that allows applicants to

choose their hours during the day to avoid conflicts between classes or other employment. However, as with most suspect job offers, scant details are offered as to what the position actually entails.

Bogus job offers have been victimizing job seekers for as long as there’s been a job market.

Hopeful applicants typically run across these companies while searching for employment online or through unsolicited job offers after posting their resumes on job sites. While some of the scammers concoct business names, others mimic legitimate companies based here in the US or abroad.

Addresses typically provided by the bogus companies either do not exist or are valid addresses at which the scammer is not actually

located.

People should always be leery of situations where they receive a check upfront, as this is not how legitimate job offers take shape.

In particular, avoid situations where you’re asked to deposit a check and send funds back to the ‘employer’ or unknown thirdparties. You should not have to pay for an employment opportunity.

Job seekers should also watch out for offers to take part in reshipping schemes. Many times, individuals accept these positions not knowing they’re participating in illegal schemes to reship merchandise paid for with stolen credit cards out of the country.

In some cases, fake employment ads or phony job offers are nothing more than

attempts to gather the personal information of job seekers for the purpose of identity theft. You should never provide your Social Security number - or sensitive personal information - to any company until you’ve interviewed with them in person, vetted both the business and the offer thoroughly, and formally accepted the position.

“There are definitely red flags people should be looking for – such as being offered a position without so much as a job interview,” added Badgerow.

Other warning signs of potential employment scams include: • The position involves transferring money or reshipping goods

• The company is or claims to be located in another country • The position does not list education or experience requirements • The offer promises significant earning potential for little effort • Emails contain grammatical and typographical errors • Company claims to be in business for many years but their website was only recently created Job seekers are encouraged to contact BBB in regard to suspect job offers or to research businesses where they’re seeking employment by visiting www.bbb. org or calling 800-646-6222.

You don’t have to move to get that new-home feeling.

Anoka-Ramsey hosts career resources fair to encourage applications from underrepresented communities The Anoka-Ramsey Community College is seeking candidates from underrepresented communities for internal faculty and staff positions.

To encourage applications, the college’s Human Resources Department and Office of Diversity and Multiculturalism are hosting a Career Resource Fair, Thursday, April 14, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Coon Rapids campus, 11200 Mississippi Blvd.

Community members who attend will have opportunities to get help navigating job application systems, receive resume and cover letter tips, receive individualized resume feedback, learn about successful interviewing strategies and apply for available positions.

For more information about employment or diversity at AnokaRamsey Community College, visit www.AnokaRamsey.edu.

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Page 6 • April 11 - April 17, 2016 • Insight News

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COMMENTARY Senator Bobby Joe Champion: Responding to Jamar Clark decision

By Senator Bobby Joe Champion, (DFL) District 59 The Jamar Clark decision has left a lot people with a lot of feelings that we need to process in order to heal, and it’s going to take some time. However confusing or disappointing the decision may be, I have to admit I’m not surprised. I’m not surprised at all, and that makes me sad.

And to be completely honest with you, a lot of things make me sad right now.

I’m sad for Jamar and I’m sad for all the people who

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loved him, his family most of all.

I’m sad for the involved police officers and their families. I’m sad for good police officers who risk their lives daily to protect our communities.

I’m sad for the good, hardworking people who live in places like North Minneapolis that are often stereotyped and seldom valued as contributing members of society.

I’m sad for our community and the wounds that never seem to heal.

I’m sad that we live in a justice system that stacks the deck against us, one that pits communities against the people intended to protect them.

I’m sad that our justice system doesn’t seek or promote the truth but instead works like an impetuous revolving door.

I’m sad that for so long, we’ve been trying to play nice in a world that doesn’t want to play with us.

I’m sad for all the people in our community who – more than anything – just want to be heard.

I’m sad that when we try to be heard, we’re told we’re too loud, too disorderly, too

We’ve got too much to do, and we know it’s up to us to do it.

brazen, and too angry.

I’m sad that we’re told we’re not supposed to be angry. Instead, we’re supposed to keep to our disenchanted selves until we’re too cynical to care. It’s frustrating and unfair.

We have every right to be angry. You have every right to be angry.

But our anger, frustrations, and sadness must be channeled in a way that creates progress in our communities and betters our situations. We’ve got too much to do, and we know it’s up to us to do it. For too long,

we’ve been left behind.

Jamar Clark’s death, and the decision to not charge the officers involved, has united a lot of people who have been hurting for a very long time.

His death stirred up complex emotions that many have tried to bury, but now they’re very much alive.

People are hurting for good reason, and what happened to Jamar has pushed people to a point where being wellintentioned is no longer enough. The Black community in Minnesota – and quite frankly, communities of color

By Art Serotoff, Administrative Services That Tell Your Story For me, the issue is JUSTICE and JUSTICE was NOT served by Mike Freeman’s decision. I searched for a way to describe what I felt and why.

Other articulate people chose words very well: “Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther

King Jr. Dr. King reminds me about the role of power (at its best). In Mr. Freeman’s decision, we had the power but in service of an abusive and oppressive system. Mahatma Gandhi had this to say, “There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts.” Conscience says that killing an unarmed person is wrong. Period! We know about hundreds of police extrajudicial executions where the same excuse was offered, “he went for my gun”. If we hear this once or twice, it might

be credible. After literally hundreds of such statements and no prosecutions, this statement seems empty.

There are no number of details about handcuffs, DNA, who said what and the executed man’s final words that can block out the bare truth: a life is gone and cannot be retrieved. A black man’s life was cancelled because an injured woman needed to get into an ambulance. In fact, by the time police got to the scene, Ms. Hays was already in the ambulance with the doors closed and Jamar

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succeeded.

People are awake. YOU are awake.

Jamar Clark’s death has left us with a lot of uncertainties, a lot of sadness, a lot of cynicism, and a lot of emotions we’re still processing. Know that when you hurt, I hurt. We all hurt, and we’re all in this together.

Throughout the healing process, let us operate as a support system with a collective goal of bandaging a wounded community. From there, we can work together and utilize our shared experiences to lift up our communities and the people who need us the most. There are many different emotions that will drift through the Minneapolis air in the coming days, and it’s important we channel them into something positive for the Black community.

I’ll end by saying Black Lives Matter. YOU matter. Thank you for your commitment to what’s right.

If we work together and power ourselves with a positive energy, we’ll make it to the top of that hill.

Commentary on justice and Mike Freeman’s decision

Associate Editor Leadership and Social Enterprise Dr. Anita Davis-DeFoe

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across the state – faces social and economic disparities that only seem to get worse, creating the demoralization that ultimately and inevitably leads to civil unrest.

There’s a lot to do to lift up our communities of color, and we need to work together to accomplish a seemingly impossible feat. I joined the state legislature to try to push this effort, and there are others like me, but we can’t do this without your continued participation.

Our struggles in a way remind me of the Greek myth of Sisyphus, the man who spent his days pushing a boulder uphill, only to have it roll back downhill each time he neared the top. The Black community keeps pushing forward, only to have its efforts pushed back down.

But in present day America, present day Minnesota, present day Minneapolis, we refuse to be pushed back any longer.

What Sisyphus had was a mythical nightmare from which he could never wake up. What we have are people waking up from a nightmare, ready to push until we’ve

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Clark was standing nearby in a calm manner. This begs the question: In how many other ways could officers of the law, sworn to protect and serve, have helped in this situation?

These circumstances are repeated across the country.

In New York, a black man is dead because he sold cigarettes one by one. In Ferguson, a black man is dead because he stole some Slim Jims. The list goes on. If we look at the whole set of events that led up to the tragedy, we often see that the initial events should not have triggered deadly force. Yet, from a responding police officer’s point of view, things escalated until they were “afraid for their lives”.

The escalation came from the way the police responded. It doesn’t have to be this way.

To me, this is a systemic issue. Fredrick Douglas said, “Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.”

Mike Freeman’s decision brings home, to me, the confines of our current legal system. If indeed, he could not charge the officers within the legal system, this signifies how broken the system is. In fact, the craziness is underscored by the concurrent Federal investigation on whether Jamar Clark’s civil rights were violated. WHAT??? Why do we need two investigations apparently under different aspects of “the law” to know that what happened was wrong? That a life should not have been taken. This decision also stands as only the most recent of a four hundred year history of a system of law and “enforcement” that created and promoted white supremacy and also selectively oppressed people of African descent, indigenous people and other people of color. In my analysis, it is this system of laws that helped to create and formalize the structure of white supremacy in the USA. No wonder people of African descent, indigenous people, and other people of color as well as many of us white people feel unsafe in the USA. My heritage is Jewish. Our people know that when laws are unjust it is only a matter of time before you are next to feel the abuse.

There must be hope. Dr. King described a long term strategy: “Our only hope today lies in our ability to recapture the revolutionary spirit and go out into a sometimes hostile world declaring eternal hostility to poverty, racism, and militarism. With this powerful commitment we shall boldly challenge the status quo and unjust mores, and thereby speed the day when “every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and

the rough places plain.” And the time to act is now. Dr. King reminds us, “We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today.

We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight.”

In the short term, I believe that we, as a community need to heal. Healing, to me, is grounded in openly declaring and owning your part in causing the pain, the tension, the gulf.

If we can openly declare the truth, we may get to reconciliation. We need to begin to construct a new relationship between police and communities of color, and the whole community.

Telling the truth publicly will be difficult and painful for people in the community and for the police. Still, this is the beginning. I believe that telling the truth is linked to accountability. In the case of a “truth and reconciliation” commission, accountability needs to be defined. In South Africa, the standard was public admission to specific acts. A “truth and reconciliation” commission for Minneapolis, with commitment from the City, Police and community might have a chance. What is key, to me, is that whatever happens should be open and public. This is not a behind the scenes activity.

Immediately, police continue to patrol, protect and serve. To begin healing and demonstrate good faith, the police could: • Change policy, procedure and training to emphasize de-escalation technique, • Understand and develop procedure and policy for interacting with people who have mental health and drug related issues, • Dig deeply into the critical role of “implicit bias” and how that plays out in day-today encounters • Change training, policy and procedure based on new understandings of “implicit bias”, • Institute a civilian review board with power to subpoena evidence and impose discipline, • Promulgate wide-spread use of body cameras with policy and procedure that enhance civilians’ civil rights and creates more police accountability as described by the NAACP and Color of Change, • Forge honest connections with the community “There really can be no peace without justice. There can be no justice without truth. And there can be no truth, unless someone rises up to tell you the truth.” - Louis Farrakhan. I think we need to cut to the truth and as minister Farrakhan says, move toward justice.

insightnews.com

Insight News • April 11 - April 17, 2016 • Page 7

Bethany Christian Services hires new Regional Director Bethany Christian Services, a global nonprofit located in 36 states and working in more than 15 countries around the world, hired Lynn Lewis as branch/ regional director for Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The branch offers domestic infant adoption and international adoption, foster care and foster care adoption, and pregnancy and postadoption support.

Agenda From 1 when Black people from communities across the state are demanding not only equal treatment but equal opportunity and equal investment,” said Anthony Newby, executive director of Neighborhoods Organizing for Change. “The legislature had three priorities starting out this session – Real ID, Iron Range unemployment, and racial disparities. The first two have been addressed. Today, organizations from across the Black community have come together in an unprecedented way to present the united Black legislative agenda in a pragmatic proposal to improve the quality of life for Black Minnesotans.”

The three core priorities outlined in the group’s agenda are economic justice, criminal justice and Black immigrant justice.

“For decades, economic

Washington From 1 generation Black Minnesotan.

He worked over the last 25 years in education, literature, theater, video, music, design, cultural theory, critique, photography, digital, sculpture, paint, bookmaking and community development.

Here is some of what people are saying: …“wellknown as an activist, artist, and phenomenal human being, he had such a dynamic presence and was a strong advocate for social justice. He stood for greatness and had impacted his community in countless and profound ways. Simply put, he was an inspiration to many.

A GoFundMe me site is set up to receive donations for his family. “Today, we begin to grieve the loss of our dear brother/husband/father/best friend, the phenomenal Mr. Kirk Washington, Jr., world traveled artist, community advocate, scholar of our people, and lover of the truth.

May we all celebrate Kirk’s life work and his unwavering leadership and commitment to his communities, especially North Minneapolis.

This fund is to ensure a bright future for his family, to cover his expenses and be sure that Kirk’s family has what they need in this time of grief and growth.”

Sam Grant wrote: “If you believe that we need to never stop creating, and you honor the artists who inspired you to be MORE creative, please give to support the family of this beloved amazing, deeply generous artist who called us to be greater than we yet know how to be.

“Stand in the greatness he called out in you. Honor his brilliance. Lift up his name and support his family, now and forever. It would take years to detail all that he has worked so hard for, surely his legacy is in our freedom and the truth that so many would hide. It is in his poetry, his teaching, his installations, his word, his heart, his voice, and every person he has invested in on a daily basis.”

He has toured nationally and internationally with allblack male experimental theater company (The Hittite Empire-Los Angles) as a performance artist/playwright/ poet/educator.

He also spent several years in the United Kingdom, working with National Black Arts Alliance (ManchesterLondon-Liverpool) as an educator/poet/artist-inresidence/theater artist.

He was working to create spaces that combine community art, cultural value, civic engagement, proximity and scale. He designed and was working on a series of quarterly art festivals in Harrison Neighborhood Association, over on the Northside of Minneapolis.

Lynn Lewis

“We’re incredibly excited to gain Lynn’s deep expertise in child welfare,” said Brian DeVos, senior vice president of child and family services for Bethany Christian Services. “She also brings strong organizational and community development experience.”

For over 10 years, Lewis worked at Hennepin County as an area manager for Child Protection Service operations

including screening and investigations, children’s case management, family assessment, permanency, Indian Child Welfare, foster care, adoption, and children’s mental health. Prior to Hennepin, Lewis served as the senior director of community services for the Professional Association of Treatment Homes, which included foster parent education, federal projects, and youth

transition programming. She was also director of family services at the Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery. Lewis has an undergraduate degree in Business and Computer Technology, from Cameron University, and a Master in Social Work from Augsburg.

She has completed Ph.D. coursework at the University of Minnesota.

“I’ve always been an

advocate for women and children,” said Lewis. “To now lead an organization with a Christian ministry is an obvious next step for me.”

Bethany is committed to equipping families to be the answer for children in need. For more information on how you can help serve the children and families in your community, visit https://www.bethany.org/ plymouth.

priority has been given to many other communities and regions of the state,’ said Jeff Hassan, executive director of the African American Leadership Forum. “We can no longer afford to allow the crisis of chronic unemployment and lack of access to capital in Black communities to continue.

It must change. This agenda will help put us on a path of more inclusive and just Minnesota for its Black residents.”

Organizers with Black Lives Matter and Neighborhoods Organizing for Change spoke of the need for a ban on private prisons, a ban on grand juries for police-involved criminal proceedings, sentencing reform and voting rights restoration.

“Minnesota has one of the highest rates of people under correctional control in the country.

It’s time to end Minnesota’s alarming trend of criminalization of Black people,” said Asha Long, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Minneapolis. “Our communities need economic

investment and opportunity, not prisons. We need policies that will hold the police accountable, not allow them to escape responsibility. This agenda will allow us to begin investing in economic opportunity for Black communities, restore voting rights to those with a previous criminal history, and begin to address police accountability.”

“To many, the Somali and East African community are seen as threats, problems, or communities that don’t share the values of Minnesotans. This is far from true,” said Mohamed Farah of the Somali Community of Minnesota. “The Somali and East African community aspires for the things all Minnesotans aspire to – economic opportunity for themselves and their kids, safety in knowing they can go to dinner at a restaurant without fear of being harassed or assaulted, and security in old age. This package helps ensure that the immigrant Black community here in Minnesota has equal access to all that Minnesota

has to offer.”

Leaders stressed that the list did not claim to represent every need of the Black community saying education, housing, environmental justice and many other issues are also important.

“This is not a definitive list of what the Black community needs, but a starting point for the 2016 legislative session,” said Newby.

Numerous supportive legislators were also in attendance, including Minnesota’s three Black state legislators, Sen. Jeff Hayden, Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, and Rep. Rena Moran. Following the April 6 press conference, legislators and community members joined a discussion to talk about legislative priorities.

More than a dozen legislators joined the discussion including House DFL Leader Paul Thissen.

“Many Minnesotans came to the legislature to raise up their voices in unison to demand that their legislature take action this session to address the unacceptable racial disparities

in our state. We must listen. And more importantly, we must act,” said Thissen. “It’s not enough to merely acknowledge that racial disparities in our state are a problem. We must follow through with real solutions that create opportunity and economic security for Minnesotans of color who are being squeezed in an unbalanced economy that favors the wealthy few. With the clock ticking on the 2016 session, we call on the House Republican

Majority to get serious and get moving on this vitally important priority for Minnesotan’s future.”

Organizations that cocreated the legislative agenda include African American Leadership Forum, Black Lives Matter Minneapolis, Council of Minnesotans of African Heritage, Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, the Somali Community of Minnesota, and the Minneapolis Urban League.

He was also commissioned to produce a site specific piece, as a CreativeCityMaking Artist, working with The City of Minneapolis (Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy & IT Department) and Intermedia Arts Minnesota. He just released a series of chapbooks (“The Poverty of Language....

The Violence of Poverty”) and is presently shopping his oneman piece, ‘Black Genius’ and also collaborating with “Jazz” musicians in the Twin Cities.

B. Parker said, “Last September 26, I was rear ended at 70mph on I35W while at a dead stop. I am still dealing with the resulting injuries, but getting better. As an artist and equity advocate myself, I mourn the loss of Kirk Washington, Jr. May his memory inspire an army of others and may his memory be for a blessing.”

Pearll Warren wrote: I met BroSun for the first time at The Red Room on Lyndale and had the chance to hear him share his poetry. I was amazed because it was more like a conversation with the listeners. He was very passionate about his writings.

In our last conversation two months ago he said ‘Pearll it’s not many of us left so we have to do this real work for the community and most important for the children.’ He encouraged me to keep love

in everything I do. I told him I would be in touch and he congratulated me again... Rest in Poetry and may your words continue to travel and breathe inspiration to us all... There is not many of us left... Let us prepare our youth to exceed us...”

Antonio A. Muhammad wrote: “One of my fondest memories of my brother is the meetings he would host on Glenwood Ave. He was the light of that neighborhood; always opening a way to enlighten our youth in that community. He always wanted it inclusive; inviting myself and many others to say a few words with our youth.”

Chelsea Anne called Washington “an amazing artist, activist, and youth mentor. I looked up to him.

His thoughts were deep and he always had meaning behind the words he said. I am so lucky to have worked with Kirk and witnessed what he did firsthand. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

“I watched Kirk give small affirmations to everyone he spoke to, especially the kids he worked with. Always positive, always meaningful.

I ask that everyone to go out of their way to make someone feel good whether it’s today, tomorrow, and/or the next, just like Kirk did and would have continued to do.”

Linda Henderson, feeling heartbroken, said, “I always made sure I sat by Kirk in our Program Evaluation Class at Metropolitan State University not because of the class, but because I was in a dark place in my life going through a transition from a relationship.

He would address the issue of pain, hurt and healing and moving forward. He was the reason I started a healthy healing process by saying we all hurt, we all have pain, and then we heal and move forward!”

You belong.

The health plan with you in mind.

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

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

Learn more at medica.com

Page 8 • April 11 - April 17, 2016 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Joy and happiness Man Talk

By Timothy Houston In the song “I will always love you,” Whitney Houston melodically sings out the words “I wish you joy and happiness, but above all this, I wish you love.” Who does not want the joy and happiness that comes

from being loved? We all do, but finding and maintaining it is not always easy. Joy and happiness are two sides of the same coin. Happiness is the temporal and conditional part of your emotional state. It is the measurement of what is going on now. On the other hand, joy is the permanent side of your emotional state. To truly feel loved, we must learn how to obtain and maintain joy and happiness. Here are a few tips.

First, to have happiness, you must simplify your life.

Happiness is conditional so you must manage your present

state. Say goodbye to anything in your sphere that impacts your happiness. These things will only clutter your emotional closet.

Get rid of unhappy things and the emotional baggage that come along with them. The better you manage your “now”, the more you increase the possibility of being content.

Secondly, happiness is not just what you do; it is also what you think. You must think happy thoughts. Your thoughts create your environment. They are the building blocks for your actions.

Your thoughts are the greatest defence against life’s adversity.

They feed off of your emotional state so you must be emotionally healthy. This requires you to get rid of un-forgiveness, anger, bitterness, and worry. Clearing these things out will make room for joy and happiness.

Finally, seek out joy.

Unlike happiness, it does not need the support from external things. It is independent. Joy is the permanent side of your emotional state, and to get it, you must make peace with God. This is a spiritual necessity. The permanency of joy is predicated on a permanent relationship with God. A healthy relationship

with Him will bring continued strength. “The joy of the Lord is our strength” Nehemiah 8:10.

Joy must come first. Joy can exist without happiness, but happiness cannot exist without joy..

Don’t let temporary things in your life impact your joyfulness.

When negative things happen that is beyond your control, don’t worry; be happy because you still get to choose your response. Always think the best. Choose joy. The steps to choosing joy and happiness are these: Simplify your life, think happy thoughts, and

make peace with God. When you do this, the permanency of joy will overtake any sorrow and make the possibility of continued happiness a reality. In the words for Whitney Houston, I wish you joy and happiness, but above all, I wish you love!

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.

Photos: Lisa Joyslin

Heroes from left to right: Kylo Ren (Todd Murray), Spider-Man (James Konicki), Wolverine (Tymm Brown), Black Cat (Alicia Dalbec), Batman (John Whitt), Captain America (David Elwyn Traylor), Captain HQB/ Greatest American Hero (Jonathan Palmer). The young lady next to Spider-Man is his daughter Bella and her character is Harley Quinn.

Heroes group shot with kids, from left to right: Spider-Man (James Konicki), Wolverine (Tymm Brown), Captain America (David Elwyn Traylor), Kylo Ren (Todd Murray) The superheroes are from MN Superheroes United, the Star Wars character is from the Central Garrison-501st Legion. Both are volunteer groups who participate in charitable and public events for the benefit of children and families.

Hallie Q. Brown Community Center fights hunger with superheroes It’s not often that you attend an event where the honored

guests are named Spiderman, Captain America, Batman and

Catwoman.

But local kids had the opportunity to do just that at Hunger-Con, a family-friendly event organized by St. Paul’s Hallie Q. Brown Community Center. Over 120 community kids and their families came by on April 2 to meet superheroes, make their own capes, play superhero BINGO and draw their own comics. Kids even had the opportunity to learn comicdrawing basics from local comic artist Christopher Jones.

“What we’re trying to do is combine social activism with fandom so that people can have

fun while making a difference,” said Jonathan Palmer, Executive Director of Hallie Q. Brown Community Center. “If you can ‘be a hero in the fight against hunger’ how great is that?”

As kids showed up in costumes ranging from Wonder Woman to The Hulk, their eyes got wide upon seeing the reallife version of their favorite superhero. The heroes and characters were volunteers from Minnesota Superheroes United and Central Garrison-501st Legion who generously donated their time to the cause.

Admission into the event was

one non-perishable food item per person, with all donations going to the Hallie Q. Brown Food Shelf to help families in need. Kids also had the opportunity to learn about local hunger issues and statistics through trivia games.

Hunger-Con served as the wrap-up event for Hallie Q. Brown’s March Campaign, a month-long food collection and fundraising effort. All donations during the month of March were matched by Minnesota FoodShare, allowing each donation to go further in the fight against hunger. The Hallie Q. Brown Food Shelf served over

14,000 families in 2015.

Hallie Q. Brown Community Center’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our community by providing access to critical human services, fostering and promoting personal growth, and developing community leadership. The organization operates five core programs: Basic Needs, Early Childhood Education, Youth Enrichment, Senior Programming, and Martin Luther King Center Administration. Hallie Q. Brown Community Center has been a staple of the Rondo community in St. Paul since 1929.

Sue Wagner joins YouthCARE staff Introducing HWMR a lifestyle brand whose mantra is Excellence, more specifically, Black Excellence.

HWMR was born out of the barbershop in the Camden section of North Minneapolis. It’s founder, Houston White, believes the barbershop is the mecca for black men across America.

It’s a place where black men from diverse backgrounds converge. It’s for us, by us – the music, the incense burning, and the pictures on the wall – a reflection of our greatness. The networking potential is unbelievable.

In fact, it’s the very place where H. White laid the foundation for the wildly successful H. White Custom Homes.

The HWMR brand is a reflection of our times; it borrows from the past, yet aims to propel the classic style of yesteryears into the future. It’s vintage modernism.

“It feels like the men of my generation have dropped the ball when it comes to the way we as a whole present ourselves to the world. As stated

by G. Bruce Boyer, we make decisions based on peoples appearances.”

— H. White

Photo: Rebecca Rabb

“It is both delusional and stupid to think that clothes don’t really matter and we should all wear whatever we want. Most people don’t take clothing seriously enough, but whether we should or not, clothes do talk to us and we make decisions based on peoples appearances.”

— G. Bruce Boyer

The goal of HWMR is to provide superior products with excellent service while inspiring greatness. Please join in as we realign with the awesomeness of our forefathers vision and forge the new frontier of Black Excellence.

A portion of every dollar earned by HWMR will go towards the HWMR Scholarship fund for future entrepreneurs. •

Sue (Brague) Wagner will join the staff of YouthCARE as Coordinator of Development and Marketing. Her first day on the job with YouthCARE, a 41-year-old Twin Cities youth development agency that serves more than 600 urban youth annually, will be April 11.

Wagner began her connection with YouthCARE as a camper at Camp Sunrise in 1980. She went on to be a junior counselor in 1982 and assistant counselor in 1983 and 1984. Following her graduation from Minnesota State University-Moorhead in mass communications, Wagner worked for 10 years in college athletics communications at Ferris State University (Big Rapids, Mich.) and at the Mid-American Conference office (Toledo, Ohio). She then served as a communications

Sue Wagner and technology consultant for several non-profit organizations in Ohio while rearing her children.

Wagner joins the YouthCARE staff after working for an independent Montessori school in Toledo

as the technology teacher and, most recently, as the communications coordinator.

Wagner looks forward to returning to the Twin Cities area and working with YouthCARE. “Sue brings an understanding of our agency and superb communications and technology skills. Her role will include grant writing, donor relations, special events, and marketing for our organization,” said Dr. Willie Dean, YouthCARE Executive Director. “We are proud to have Sue return to the YouthCARE family as a member of our staff team,” said Dean.

West Broadway Farmers Market has new location This season, West Broadway Farmers Market will be located at 718 West Broadway Ave. N., at the intersection of Aldrich Avenue and West Broadway.

According to a statement, the new location will provide more spaces for vendors, programming and increase visibility on the corridor. The market runs consecutive Fridays from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. beginning June 17 and runs until Oct. 7.

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Insight News • April 11 - April 17, 2016 • Page 9

COMMUNITY Forging equitable communities

By Gary L. Cunningham President and CEO, Metropolitan Economic Development Association Editor’s note: This article is the third of a three-part series on creating new structures of opportunity. It was first published by PRRAC in the March 2016 issue of P&R. Solution: No Easy Answers It seems that many people want a neat, one-size-fitsall solution. Our western culture nudges us to look at these problems from a linear perspective of cause and effect.

However, the issues we face are much more complex. They are deeply rooted in the structures of our systems.

The structural issues of racial disparities fit the definition of “wicked problems.” An expert in dealing with complexity and uncertainty, Simon J. Buckingham Shum wrote, “Wicked problems cannot be tackled by the traditional approach in which problems are defined, analyzed and solved in sequential steps. The main reason for this is that there is no clear problem definition of wicked problems.”

People of goodwill in nonprofit organizations and social services have been working for decades to address some of the “wicked” problems within urban America.

However, the problem of systemic intergenerational poverty persists.

Of course, we’re fascinated by the problems, but we act paralyzed, hands tied, never effectively getting at the underlying causes, seldom agreeing on solutions. Meanwhile, racially concentrated areas of poverty continue to grow steadily in the Twin Cities and across the country. We need to start taming these wicked problems.

Using the theory of complex adaptive systems can help us to understand the balancing and reinforcing feedback loops that cause racial economic and social inequalities to persist (Senge M. Peter, 1990). To alter these complex systems will take more than technical approaches; it will require innovative systems of learning (Heifetz A. Ronald, 1994).

Stephen Menendian and Caitlin Watt have given us an excellent explanation of how to think about these systems.

In their Kirwan Institute publication Systems Primer, they wrote: “All systems have a structure, and those structures matter. It is the organization and relationships between a system’s parts as much as the components themselves that shape system outcomes and system behavior…. Systems behavior is different from the sum of its parts, and does not follow from intentions of the individual agents, but on how system agents are interacting with each other within the system structure.”

Menendian and Watt go on to suggest that, “Racial differentials in the United States are as much a product of system structure as they are of individual behavior” (Stephen Menendian and Caitlin Watt, 2008).

The systems thinking of Menendian and Watt suggests how we can start to coax out solutions that will fix our vexing wicked problems.

Leadership Matters As noted earlier, there has been a significant rise in African Americans who have moved into the middle class over the past two decades. Increasingly in this century, African Americans hold prominent positions in nonprofit organizations, government, arts, business, education, and philanthropy.

This healthy shift gives us the opportunity to push down on the levers of real change. To do so, we’ll need to combine the historic leadership of the African-American clergy with these emerging leaders in government, business, and the nonprofit sector. So gathered, we could repair the breaches between lower-, middle-, and upper-class African Americans that occurred so many years ago. As a new and potent force in America, these united leaders could forge a common agenda and help enact it to advance the wellbeing of African American communities.

To test this theory about the potency of a united African American leadership, as vice president of the Northwest Area Foundation in 2008, I hosted a series of meetings. The first

It is the time for all of us to wake up, to not just admit we have a problem but to name it and own it together.

were at my dining room table. I met with key individuals across class, education, and gender lines in the African American community in the Twin Cities. These conversations effectively gauged the will among these African American leaders to leverage opportunities and collectively address the challenges facing our community. This effort became known as the African American Leadership Forum (AALF)(Gary L. Cunningham, Marcia L. Avner, and Romilda Justilien, 2014).

The framework for the AALF is based on john powell’s targeted universalism, an approach that frames universal goals that are mutually agreed upon in the broader community.

As an example, the overarching AALF goal is “a just and healthy society that works equally well for everyone.”

This is an all-inclusive goal, which, if achieved, benefits all. To accomplish this goal, however, requires targeted strategies for different groups in society depending on how those groups are situated relative to the opportunities (j.a. powell, 2012).

The AALF’s work was also guided by the ideas of economist John Nash, who developed a game theory on how groups interact in noncooperative negotiations. In the case of the African American community and its interactions with broader society, we have reached what is known as a Nash equilibrium (J. Nash, 1951): Unless the broader society sees a benefit to itself for improving the conditions of African Americans, the allocation of resources and opportunities will remain

unchanged.

Encouragingly, the Nash equilibrium also suggests that groups that have enough social cohesion to negotiate a common agenda can improve their chances of transforming the playing field and changing the entire game.

In the intervening years, the AALF movement in the Twin Cities has grown with over 1,500 people participating. The forums have also assisted the nonprofit sector and religious and corporate communities to work toward common objectives that strengthen the African American community.

Inspired to Start a Fresh Narrative William Julius Wilson in his book, More Than Race: Being Black and Poor in the InnerCity (Issues of Our Times), put out a call for a new framing of the issue of race in America.

Inspired by Wilson’s call, the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (where I am now President and CEO) and the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society hosted a series of Convenings on Race and Economic (CORE). The primary purpose of CORE is to engage a diverse network of stakeholders in the development of a new framework and agenda that address racial wealth disparities and increase economic security for African Americans.

CORE has hosted full day learning labs with key stakeholders in seven cities throughout the US in the past two years. These working CORE sessions culminated in a three-day retreat held at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Conference Center in May 2015. The Bellagio CORE

retreat was attended by some of the leading practitioners, academics, and community activists working on the racial wealth gap in the United States and internationally (Bellagio CORE retreat).

From the Bellagio CORE retreat, here are key excerpts from a keenly debated working draft: Today powerful elites have rigged the system, capturing government and the marketplace. In their greed, they are hollowing out the middle class, stifling economic prosperity, limiting the mobility of current and future generations, and endangering our democracy.

We need a new approach, founded on the following principles: People first, and for each other.

People first—corporations, the marketplace, and government should serve people, and not the other way around.

People for each other— we owe each other a duty of care and respect and, seeing ourselves in others, we gain the power to create a society where all people can attain their full potential.

When I stepped back and looked at the preliminary findings of the CORE work, I was very surprised. I went into this work with the idea that African Americans needed to develop something separate and distinct in terms of an economic strategy and agenda.

I came away moved by the need for African Americans to not just coexist with whites on opposite sides of our cities but to interact regularly within a larger American social framework. To build opportunity structures that work for African Americans, the guiding principle must be that the structures in this larger framework will work equally well for everyone.

Coming Full Circle Fifty years after the initial riots in North Minneapolis, we sadly have come full circle. Once again many African Americans and their allies have taken to the streets of Minneapolis and other American cities to demand an end to police misconduct.

The police violence and mass incarceration are symptoms of a much deeper fundamental issue within our democracy.

As Martin Luther King so eloquently stated about African Americans, “We must frankly acknowledge that in past years our creativity and imaginations were not employed in learning how to develop power….

Although our actions were bold and crowned with successes, they were substantially improvised and spontaneous.

They attained the goals set for them but carried the blemishes of our inexperience” (Martin Luther King, 1967).

For over 50 years, African Americans have used the strategies of mass protest and civil disobedience. With limited success, they have brought to the nation’s attention the painful costs of African Americans’ exclusion from the circle of those who matter.

Unfortunately, we have not been able to translate these “bold and spontaneous” actions into sustainable power. In the heat of the moment, the system responds. Its newly wrought policy actions yield scattered and inadequate outcomes. So a few more short-lived programs appear; a few more Black people can climb up the elusive ladders of opportunity.

In contrast, the majority of African American people still live wrapped up, largely out of sight, in the vicissitudes of poverty. When the fundamental opportunities structures go unchallenged, the living conditions of low-income African American people remain the same.

Conclusion For too long, we’ve been caught up each in our own conscience-numbing dreams.

It is the time for all of us to wake up, to not just admit we have a problem but to name it and own it together. It’s time to change the old patterns that have wasted so much human potential. It is time for a new narrative that spells out how we can move forward together.

Gary L. Cunningham (gcunningham@media. net) is President and CEO of Metropolitan Economic Development Association, Minneapolis/ St. Paul, Minnesota. He is a Metropolitan Council Member, and chairs the Community Development Committee.

Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter of Links Inc. presents 2016 Young Women’s Issues Forum

Duchess Harris

Traci Shannon

Classifieds Reimbursed Senior Volunteer Positions Senior Corps is seeking volunteers aged 55+ willing to help seniors as friendly visitors in their homes and for outings in the community OR to help kids in schools as mentors. Tax free stipend, travel reimbursement, and other benefits. Contact Lisa Beardsley at 651.310.9450 or lisa.beardsley@lssmn.org

RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS The University of Minnesota is looking for African American cigarette smokers who are interested in quitting smoking. This study requires 12 visits.

Participants will receive up to $390.00. For more information, call 612-626-5981.

Karen L. Charles

Phone: 612.588.1313

Capitol Region Watershed District seeks a full-time Communication and Outreach Specialist. Performs complex professional work serving as the District’s spokesperson, raising awareness about the District’s work and the importance of water resource protection, working with all District programs to coordinate outreach activities, media relations, organizing special events, presenting to community groups, writing for local publications and related duties. Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of five (5) years professional work experience in journalism, communications, marketing, or related field is required. The salary range for the position is $49,800 - $74,800, depending on qualifications and experience, plus benefits. Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume by April 29, 2016 to: Michelle Sylvander, Capitol Region Watershed District, 1410 Energy Park Drive, Suite 4, St. Paul, MN 55108, michelle@capitolregionwd.org (651) 644-8888. For a full description contact our office or visit our website at www. capitolregionwd.org. Position Closes: April 29, 2016.

Fax: 612.588.2031

Parent Aware Quality Coach: FT

South Minneapolis salon is looking for a mature and responsible Stylist and Nail Technician.

Space available for booth rent. E. SHANELL SALON, 4118 Cedar Ave S Minneapolis MN. 55407. For more information: Call 612-724-4435.

$14.76 - $16.24 DOQ. Some Child Development college credit; 3 yrs. Exp.; 1 yr. RBPD; driver’s license; reliable transportation; Knowledge: Child development; early learning standards; community resources; Abilities: Work independently; meet deadlines; maintain confidentiality; team environment; PC computer; home visiting; work with diverse populations; Duties: Provide TA to providers in Anoka/Washington Counties; recruit child care programs; present recruitment information sessions; Full description app at www.accap.org.

ACCAP is an Equal Opportunity Employer ACCAP is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Would you like to gain 140 pounds after the Empower older adults to manage their health!

Volunteer facilitator positions have opened at East Side Neighborhood Services (ESNS). ESNS, in collaboration with Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging and the Wilder Foundation, is hosting evidencedbased classes and workshops: Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance, A Matter of Balance, and Living Well with Chronic Conditions. We are seeking leaders who are comfortable and engaging in front of a small group. Experience working with diverse communities required. Facilitators must attend training (varies from two to four days depending on the class), commit to leading two entire sessions of a class or workshop (six to 12 weeks per session depending on the class), and adhere to established curriculum. We anticipate most groups will meet during the day. Classes and workshops meet either twice a week for one hour or once a week for two hours. To apply, contact Brenna Horn, Senior Health and Wellness Coordinator at ESNS: 612-787-4055 , bhorn@esns.org.

The keynote will be delivered

by Dr. Duchess Harris, author of “Black Lives Matter and Black Feminist Politics from Kennedy to Obama.” Students will also participate in an interactive session that explores activism through arts, led by local actress, Traci Shannon and Karen Charles, artistic director of Threads Dance Project.

The Young Women’s Issues Forum is free and includes lunch. Registration is required.

To register go to www. ywif2016.eventbrite.com. Onsite registration is also available the day of the event beginning at 9 a.m.

Email: info@insightnews.com

E. SHANELL SALON IS NOW HIRING!

Facilitator Positions (volunteer) Communication and Outreach Specialist

The Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter of the Links Inc. will sponsor the Young Women’s Issues Forum: An African-American Perspective on Saturday, April 30 at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College, 1501 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.

The forum takes place from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. and is for girls who are currently in grades six – 12.

The day-long event will offer breakout sessions that promote health and wellness, leadership, academic achievement and social responsibility. Local business women and educational leaders will facilitate these sessions.

Volunteer Greeters Hennepin County is seeking volunteer greeters for its North Minneapolis human service center at 1001 Plymouth Avenue North to welcome and guide visitors, answer questions and assist with special projects. Reliable adults who enjoy working with people and who are available for a few hours twice a week are encouraged to apply.

Ideal candidates will be able to volunteer for a minimum of three months. Volunteers are integral to Hennepin County’s mission of enhancing the health, safety and quality of life of its residents and communities in a respectful, efficient and fiscally responsible way. Get involved by visiting http://www.hennepin.us/humanservicevolunteer and submitting a volunteer application.

Foster Care

Volunteers of America, MN Would you like to gain 140 pounds after the Holidays? Not physically gain this weight, but weight in the sense of another person!

Volunteers of America-MN is looking for skilled, dedicated parents to provide care for at-risk youth, ages ranging from infants to teenagers. We provide foster parents with lots of friendly training, 24-hour support, and a monthly stipend.

For more information, please contact Brittani Walker at 952-945-4064 or visit our website http://www.voamnwi.org/foster-care

Page 10 • April 11 - April 17, 2016 • Insight News

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MSPIFF Film Festival “The Fits”

Santigold

Anthony David

Monday, April 11

The Best Damn Beat Battle Honey 205 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 21-plus

FILM FESTIVAL Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival St. Anthony Main Theatre 115 Main St. S.E., Minneapolis $13

April 11 - 17

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

The Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival is one of the largest spring arts events in the region, exhibiting more than 200 films from some 70 countries each year and drawing audiences of 40,000-plus. The festival runs through April 23.

Tuesday, April 12 HIP-HOP/COMPETITION

Twenty-four of Minnesota’s best producers clash in a battle of the beats tonight at Honey.

Wednesday, April 13 HIP-HOP/PERFORMANCE Homegrown: Local Hip-Hop at Bedlam Bedlam Lowertown 213 4th St. E., St. Paul 8 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Hear some of the new voices in Twin Cities hip-hop with a hint of soul and funk with performances by Aahsin, Destiny Roberts, OKnice Covenant, People Will Dance

and Spacebound Spike.

Thursday, April 14

Movement Tour Launch 7th Street Entry 701 1st Ave. N., Minneapolis 8 p.m. $10

R&B/PERFORMANCE

BLUE/PERFORMANCE/ COMPETITION

Carnage the Executioner performs with Ayvah, Jenessa Lasota, Katana Da Don, Andre Mariette and House of Dance.

Famous Dave’s Battle of the (Blues) Bands Famous Dave’s Uptown 3001 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 16

Three of the Twin Cities hottest Blues groups duke it out for the title of Best New Band.

Friday, April 15 HIP-HOP/PERFORMANCE Carnage the Executioner Presents: The MN Mean

Sunday, April 17

AFROFUTURISM/ PERFORMANCE Santigold Mill City Nights 111 5th St. N., Minneapolis $30 Santigold’s avant garde artistry has been at the core of releases by artists such as Jay-Z and Res and brings this one-of-a-kind show to Mill City Nights.

Anthony David and Ray Covington Amsterdam Bar and Hall 6th St. W. at Wabasha St. N., St. Paul 21-plus $20 Anthony David is best known his 2008 track “Words” with India.Arie and his chart topping single, “4evermore.”

He has sold out previous Twin Cities performances.

This time around he returns with Twin Cities’ own Ray Covington. The evening is hosted by Shed G.

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Insight News • April 11 - April 17, 2016 • Page 11

Journalist-filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas to discuss life as an undocumented immigrant Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and immigrationreform activist Jose Antonio Vargas will discuss “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” at the University of St. Thomas.

The event takes place Monday, April 25, at 7 p.m. in Woulfe Alumni Hall of Anderson Student Center on the St. Paul campus.

Vargas’ talk, sponsored

by St. Thomas’ University Lectures Committee, is free and open to the public, but tickets are required.

St. Thomas students, staff and faculty can get tickets online starting at 9 p.m.

Sunday, April 10. Tickets will be available to the public starting at 9 p.m.

Sunday, April 17. Tickets are online at www.stthomas. universitytickets.com.

Born in the Philippines, Vargas was 12 when his mother sent him to live with relatives in the United States. He discovered his undocumented immigrant status at age 16 when he applied for a driver’s permit.

After hiding his status from schools, employers, license bureaus and others for 18 years, he outed himself in a 2011 article. At the time, Vargas was a respected

Jose Antonio Vargas

journalist who shared a Pulitzer Prize for covering the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech. And while he has written for the Philadelphia Daily News, San Francisco Chronicle, Rolling Stone, the New Yorker and Huffington Post, it was the 2011 New York Times article about his life as an undocumented immigrant that attracted worldwide coverage and put him at the forefront of immigration-reform efforts.

He wrote the lead story and appeared with fellow undocumented immigrants on the cover of a 2012 Time magazine, testified at a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing and in 2013 premiered on CNN his documentary “Documented: a film by an undocumented American.”

Last year he directed “White People,” a documentary aired on MTV about the concept of white privilege and its effects on all cultures.

In his lecture he will share details of his journey to America as a child, his journey through America as an immigration-reform activist, the struggles of other undocumented immigrants, and the experience of seeing his mother for the first time in 20 years.

Miles Ahead

Cheadle channels legendary jazz great in warts-and-all biopic

By Kam Williams It’s no secret that Don Cheadle wanted to make a movie about Miles Davis (1926-1991) for over a decade. Well, the wait is finally over for jazz fans eager to see the warts-andall biopic chronicling some of the highs and lows of the legendary trumpeter’s checkered career.

Cheadle not only produced, directed, and cowrote his labor of love, but handles the title character in a haunting performance where he manages to channel the spirit of Miles oh so convincingly, from the gravelly voice to the mercurial temperament.

But while the impersonation might be spot on, the surreal screenplay leaves a lot to be desired.

The script eschews a conventional, chronological approach to storytelling in favor of a free form structure featuring a series of vignettes focusing less on the man’s music than his messy private life.

The picture’s point of departure is 1975, when we find Miles in the midst of a self-imposed, fiveyear break from the music business. He spends his days barricaded in his New York apartment consuming copious amounts of drugs to mask the pain caused by a chronic hip condition.

The plot thickens with

the intrusion into this fortress of solitude of a pushy Rolling Stone reporter (Ewan McGregor) in search of a scoop about a rumored comeback. Dave Braden proceeds to circumvent a very skeptical Davis’ disdain for journalists by agreeing to serve as his chauffeur and to procure cocaine on his behalf. Unfortunately, Dave also has a hidden agenda, namely, gaining possession of the master tape of Miles’ next album, if it exists.

Meanwhile, the icon is conveniently given to reminiscing about his past, which allows for intermittent flashbacks, most about his tempestuous relationship with his first wife, Frances (Emayatzy Corinealdi).

Don Cheadle as Miles Davis in “Miles Ahead” Too bad Miles’ impressive body of work is given short shrift. except for the handful of classics on the soundtrack.

An improvisational cinematic portrait of a jazz giant whose prodigious

cultural contributions play second fiddle to a plethora of his personal failings.

Very Good Rated R for drug use, nudity, sexuality, brief violence and

Sony Pictures

pervasive profanity Running time: 100 minutes Studio: Crescendo Productions Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics

Page 12 • April 11 - April 17, 2016 • Insight News

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