Insight News ::: 04.29.13

Artrepreneur Kevin Kaoz Moore MORE ON PAGE

5

Photo courtesy of the artist

April 29 - May 5, 2013

Vol. 40 No. 18 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Johns leaves mark on SBA

By George E. Curry NNPA Editor-in-Chief

Scott Gray

More Blacks must become entrepreneurs;

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Marie Johns, the retired president of Washington Verizon, was busy managing a consulting firm when she received an unexpected call three years ago from the White House.

MUL chief takes area corporations to task

Despite Minnesota supreme court ruling Dunning fights to get custody of her grandchildren

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer

Harry Colbert, Jr.

Dorothy Dunning (center) is consoled by Willie Mae Demmings (left) as Hattie Bond addresses Dunning’s supporters during a rally at the Hennepin County Courthouse. Dunning is fighting to get her grandchildren out of the state’s foster care system.

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer NNPA

Marie Johns took care of business at the Small Business Administration.

“I got a call one day from White House personnel to come in and talk about a position with the administration,” she recounted. “Of course, given the historic nature of President Obama’s ascendancy to the presidency, I was honored to answer that call.”

That call was to become Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration, a federal agency that provides small businesses with access to capital, federal contracting as well as training and counseling. The Senate unanimously confirmed her for the post on June 22, 2010.

At the end of May, Johns plans to return to her consulting firm, proud of the record she is leaving behind.

“Coming to the SBA was a natural for me,” she said during a recent interview at her office in Southwest Washington, D.C. “I had been focusing on small business for many years.”

She had been around small businesses all of her life.

“During the 1950’s my grandfather started a small landscaping company in our hometown of Indianapolis,” she said in a Feb.7 note to the SBA staff notifying employees of her intention to return to the private sector. “It went on to become one of the first African American-owned businesses to win a state contract in

JOHNS TURN TO 12

Even though the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled against her, Dorothy Dunning is fighting on in her quest to gain custody of her

granddaughters.

Dunning has been in a nearly three-year battle to get her granddaughters, Princess Knox, 3, and Dorothy Knox, 2, out of the foster care system and away from their foster parents, Steven and Liv Grosser. The Knox girls were placed in the Hennepin County foster care system when their parents – both battling

substance abuse at the time – relinquished their parental rights. Dunning, the girls’ paternal grandmother, has been certified fit to care for her two grandchildren. The children are African-American. The foster family,

DUNNING TURN TO 12

Harry Colbert, Jr.

Sisters and daughters of South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Naomi Tutu (left) and Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe were in north Minneapolis to discuss maintaining faith during troubling times.

Faith and hope in the wake of tragedy

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu is revered a symbol of strength and courage during a time of great strife and

New Jim Crow

“New Jim Crow” discriminates against people with a criminal record

PAGE 2

upheaval.

During one of the ugliest periods of human history – South African apartheid – guided by his faith, Tutu stood firm against the oppressive rule by white South Africans. Tutu’s nonviolent resistance is credited

Business

If you have to

PAGE 3

with bringing the cause of Black South Africans to the world stage, and during that time of great oppression, Tutu’s faith seemingly never wavered.

Tutu’s daughters, Naomi Tutu and Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe, faiths were also tested during

the struggle for freedom. But both claim it was their faith in a higher power and a greater calling that helped them get through such horrid times.

TUTU TURN TO

Full Circle

Iyanla vs. DMX: Analysis

PAGE 9

4

Economic empowerment is the next phase of the civil rights movement.

That is the message Minneapolis Urban League President Scott Gray is trying to convey to the area’s AfricanAmerican community. Gray, who came to Minneapolis from Milwaukee, said he is accustom to seeing a plethora of African-American owned businesses in other major metropolitan cities and thinks it’s past time that Minneapolis and the surrounding areas produce more AfricanAmerican entrepreneurs.

“There’s a lack of ownership in this area when you look at financial services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment; you see very few people of color, specifically AfricanAmericans owning businesses of sizable scale that employ more than themselves,” said Gray. “I grew up in Milwaukee and in my neighborhood there was a Black dry cleaner, a Black grocery store; you could feel a sense of ownership.”

Gray said the AfricanAmerican business void actually presents unique opportunities for enterprising individuals willing to strike out on their own.

“The question is, as the Urban League, what role do we play in this. We should have a role in economic development and fostering business growth.

Maybe at some point the Urban League is a business investor or partner in creating some of these businesses,” said Gray. “That’s certainly a way to create jobs. We can’t rely solely on others to employ us.

There’s a lot of opportunity, but a lot of work to be done.”

Gray speculates that one of the reasons that so few AfricanAmericans own businesses in this area is because the landscape is dominated by

MUL TURN TO

4

Health

Awareness is key to diagnosing rare diseases

PAGE 11

Page 2 • April 29 - May 5, 2013 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Students blockade Macalester administration building On Thursday, April 25, 19 Macalester students sat down, physically blocking all five outside doors to Weyerhaeuser Hall, to protest the administration’s continued refusal to move the College’s business out of Wells Fargo. Students continue to demand that administrators cut the contract with Wells Fargo in response to the bank’s negligent and immoral practices during the ongoing foreclosure crisis.

The occupation began on Tuesday morning, April 23

directly outside President Brian Rosenberg’s office before moving down to the ground floor of the building by Tuesday evening.

The latest escalation comes in response to a continued refusal by both the President and the Provost to meet with students about the Wells Fargo contract.

“Students don’t want to be a human blockade, but even more than that we don’t want to be complicit in the epidemic of foreclosures sweeping our community,” said Alisha

Roopchand, one of the students blocking the doors. “President Rosenberg needs to show the kind of leadership we expect from Macalester College and meet with us to resolve this crisis.”

Anyone inside the building is welcome to leave, but students are refusing to allow anyone entry into the building until the President meets with them in good faith and takes steps towards cutting Macalester’s contract with Wells Fargo.

“President Rosenberg has

gone to extraordinary lengths to dodge the Wells Fargo question.

If the President can’t swallow his pride and meet with us, then he can’t expect the administration of Macalester to go about business as usual,” said Liza Gorkova, another student blockading the building.

The campaign is run in solidarity with Occupy Homes MN’s efforts to mobilize homeowners to defend homes from foreclosure by big banks like Wells Fargo. The group is also

a member of Minnesotans for a Fair Economy, a coalition that brings together faith, labor, and community groups who recognize that big banks stand in the way of every Minnesotan’s well-being.

Last year, Macalester students joined the fight for housing justice in Minnesota by launching the campaign demanding the school cut its ties with Wells Fargo.

Currently, Macalester College runs its purchasing card system through Wells Fargo. Students and administrators have been meeting

for months to explore feasible banking alternatives, and have identified a community bank that reflects Macalester’s values and can handle the school’s business.

Kick Wells Fargo Off Campus is a coalition of Macalester College students dedicated to ending their school’s relationship with Wells Fargo. The campaign is part of Minnesotans for a Fair Economy and the national student group United Students Against Sweatshops.

“New Jim Crow” discriminates against people with a criminal record

By Christina Cerruti, TC Daily Planet Minneapolis resident Manu Lewis has spent the past four years working to turn his life around and give back to society despite his criminal record. “I do a lot of volunteer work. I do a lot of community work,” he said. “I do a lot of organizing within the community that I reside in, but the fact still remains that society still sees me as a convicted felon.

So no matter how much time I volunteer, no matter how many good deeds I try to do, I always have that stigma attached to me.”

He looks to people like Michelle Alexander who are “trying to

overthrow some of these policies that are keeping the community held hostage.”

Michelle Alexander is an author, professor, civil rights lawyer and advocate, who has represented hundreds of victims of racial profiling and police brutality during her career. With ten years experience advocating for change in the criminal justice system, she visited the St. Thomas campus in St. Paul on April 8 to share the thesis of her book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.

She explained that the idea of “the New Jim Crow” has emerged since “it is no longer permissible to use race explicitly as a justification for discrimination,

Michelle Alexander

Courtesy of TC Daily Planet

exclusion and social contempt.

We use our criminal justice system to label people of color criminals, and then engage in practices that we supposedly left behind.”

Alexander outlined how it appears to be “perfectly legal to discriminate against criminals,” and that “once you’re labeled a felon, the old forms of discrimination, employment discrimination, housing discrimination, denial of the right to vote, exclusion from jury service are suddenly legal.”

According to Alexander, Minnesota has the second lowest incarceration rate in the U.S. However that doesn’t mean that there aren’t families and communities in the state who

are being affected by a broken criminal justice system.

Neal Dalton was an audience member who knew what it was like to return to the community after serving time in prison. After a decade behind bars, he had to work to create opportunities to start over. Since 2009, he has worked with the local group Power of People to offer support to men transitioning from prison back into the community. According to Dalton, Minnesota has one of the highest recidivism rates in the nation. He said that is due to a number of factors, including not having access to basic necessities

CROW TURN TO 10

Felony disenfranchisement is Jim Crow era holdover

By Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO, NAACP Recently, the Delaware State legislature approved a constitutional amendment to all

but remove the last Jim Crowera voter suppression law from its books.

The amendment, passed at the urging of the Delaware NAACP, allows people with nonviolent felony convictions to vote after their release from

prison. This is a major victory for voting rights and a strike against the practice of “felony disenfranchisement”. But it is also a major step forward for a nation still struggling to heal old racial wounds.

Felony disenfranchisement

has direct roots in the Jim Crow Era. In the late 19th century, states above and below the Mason-Dixon Line began to find new and creative ways to keep black voters away from the polls. Banning people with felony convictions was one of

the solutions.

For example, in 1901 the Commonwealth of Virginia had 147,000 black voters on the rolls. But many lawmakers saw this growing political block as a threat. At that year’s Constitutional Convention, they

hatched a plan to disenfranchise African Americans through a combination of black codes and felony disenfranchisement. One legislator said on the record that

JEALOUS TURN TO 10

6 straight year of 20,000+ foreclosures th

Op-ed by Lyndel Owens The tragedies of foreclosures for the family involved are no mystery. Yet, the burden foreclosure creates also rests squarely, and silently, on the shoulders of local and state taxpayers. Minnesota municipalities expend nearly $20,000 per vacant property each year for maintenance costs, and houses within an eighth of a mile of a foreclosed home loose almost $2,000 in equity simply because of proximity.

To discontinue the trend of Minnesota having three times as many foreclosed homes in “post-crisis” 2012 compared to 2005, or 20,000 foreclosures per year for the sixth year in a row, I support enacting the Homeowner’s Bill of Rights, currently in the legislature. The bill enacts common sense laws to give basic rights to families who face foreclosure.

Critics may object, stating that the crisis has passed and regulation stunts development, but the facts stand that regulating banks’ foreclosure will safeguard the state’s economic recovery. For example, a Californian bill is credited with lowering foreclosure levels by 39.5% from December 2012 to January 2013, when the bill took effect. If such a bill had been made law in Minnesota in 2008, at the peak of the crisis, approximately 140,000 more Minnesota families would be in homes, and an estimated 94,000 Minnesota school children would have remained in stable living situations.

The Homeowner’s Bill of Rights is needed to protect families and the larger community. This bill guarantees that people going through the foreclosure process have a single point of contact within their banking institution when they are seeking loan modification or facing foreclosure. It also bans dual tracking, a deceptive procedure in which banks continue to foreclose on a house despite the homeowner having a petition for loan modification under review. (In some circumstances banks such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America asked borrowers to purposefully miss payments so that they could qualify for a modified loan, only to be foreclosed on instead). Basically, this bill codifies the foreclosure process and guarantees clarity and due process for both banks and homeowners.

Consider the impact of

File photo

one vacant home. On average, a municipality pays $19,227 to maintain the utilities, fire suppression, inspections, etc. of a vacant foreclosure. If this home is in the 5th ward, where 1,530 homes have been foreclosed on since 2008, that amounts to $29,417,310 of public money being spent. Obviously that money would be better spent elsewhere, and obviously it’d be better to have a family in the home thereby reducing the risk of neighborhood blight caused by multiple vacant properties in an area.

Negative equity is also a problem as surrounding homes loose an average value of $1,971 simply by being within an

The Homeowner Bill of Rights ensures that the foreclosure process is fair, transparent, and clear for both the bank and homeowner.

eighth of a mile of a foreclosed home. That means $3,015,630

of lost home value in the 5th ward since 2008, a circumstance

that makes it more difficult for families to use their homes as equity to fund everything from retirement to tuition.

The Homeowner Bill of Rights ensures that the foreclosure process is fair, transparent, and clear for both the bank and homeowner. For maximum effectiveness, the Homeowner Bill of Rights should include these four points: Single point of contact.

As homeowners navigate the system and try to keep their homes, they are guaranteed to work with a single point of contact who knows the facts of their case.

Ban on dual tracking. The banking institution is forbidden

from advancing a foreclosure while the homeowner is working on a loan modification or while a loan modification is under review.

Option for mediation.

This allows the homeowner a face to face meeting with a bank representative to discuss alternatives to foreclosures such as a loan modification or refinancing.

Enforceability. Homeowners have a right to take the bank to court if the above three guidelines are not met.

The version of the Homeowner Bill of Rights

RIGHTS TURN TO

3

insightnews.com

Insight News • April 29 - May 5, 2013 • Page 3

BUSINESS

If you have to Plan Your Career

By Julie Desmond julie@insightnews.com If 440,000 Americans are doing it, is it something you ought to be doing, too? Sure.

If 440,000 people are eating fat-free yogurt, maybe you should, too. If 440,000 people use PowerPoint, maybe that’s something you should explore.

If 440,000 people watch The Voice, you might as well

check it out, right? So, what are 440,000 Americans doing every year? What really cool thing should you be trying to be a part of? They’re dying. From smoking.

When you smoke in your car with the windows closed, consider yourself one of the 440,000 invited to the party in the sky. When you stand outside the pharmacy smoking a cigarette while you wait for your bronchitis or COPD medication, you already know you’re in the IN crowd of 440,000 folks who have paid the ultimate price to be included.

When you walk into my office with a smoky cloud

swirling around you, I assume a couple of things about you that may or may not be true, but experience shows me, they’re probably safe assumptions. I assume it’s almost impossible to quit; if it were easy to quit smoking, fewer people would choose to continue.

Some would smoke on, but many would not. So, I assume you’re in a tough spot. But I also assume that if I hire you, my company’s insurance premiums are going to go up. I assume you’re going to take more breaks than your non-smoking colleagues, and more sick days, too. Basically, I assume you’re going to cost me something.

I don’t care if you smoke. I

won’t refuse to hire you because you smoke. I might even stand outside the restaurant with you while you have one after dinner.

All I ask is that, when you meet me for a job interview, you refrain from lighting up in your car on the way, you don’t stop for one on the sidewalk outside my window before the meeting, and you smell like everybody else when you come in.

I don’t care if you smoke, but I wish you wouldn’t.

Julie Desmond is IT Recruiting Manager with George Konik Associates, Inc. Send your career planning and job search questions to JDesmond@ georgekonik.com.

Photoxpress

Nonprofit partnerships: Dollars and sense FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw Woman and minority owned businesses can benefit from welldefined relationships with select nonprofits.

Partnering with nonprofits makes good business sense for emerging and established woman or minority-owned businesses.

Board service puts a human face on your business; donating goods and services extends your brand.

Creating a culture of philanthropy helps your business better compete for well-educated potential employees seeking a meaningful career and the opportunity to give back. Building a brand that communicates “we” instead of “me” opens the door to new networks and relationships that can help you meet your business objectives.

Other benefits include increased exposure to people of different cultures, races, ethnicities, geographic areas and professions; and learning from diverse leaders in a most intimate setting: that of a nonprofit grappling with management, marketing, or budgetary issues.

People who are involved with nonprofits are civic-minded people who are willing to open doors for others, and to extend their network.

They will have the opportunity work with you, get to know you, and refer your business. You can extend similar opportunities.

Be strategic about your involvement.

Engage with nonprofits that impact or are supported by your customer/ client base, and the community you operate in. Customers and clients are more loyal to businesses that engage with nonprofits they believe in. Find out which nonprofits resonate with your clients/customers; look for those with similar values; evaluate how they could help you meet your business objectives. Interview the leadership of potential partners to

People who are involved with nonprofits are civic-minded people who are willing to open doors for others, and to extend their network.

learn their expectations of your business, and the opportunities they could provide. Done right, nonprofit service, sponsorship, and underwriting are cost-effective

ways to build, sustain and expand a brand.

Things to consider. Identify a specific nonprofit to support with time, talent and finances over a multi-year period. Make the

selection in collaboration with your leadership and employees.

Increase your impact with planning and preparation. For example, identify what you want to achieve for your business, the nonprofit and the community. Determine how much money and time will you invest annually. Where will the money come from? Who will give their time? How do these numbers match to your nonprofit partner’s expectations?

Encourage employee giving.

Implement a “matching gift program” that matches employee giving dollar-for-dollar up to a set amount each year. Encourage “on the clock” volunteering by employees. Incentivize customers and clients to support your nonprofit partner with time and money.

Include your nonprofit partnership strategy in your

business plan to help ensure your business follows through on commitments. Over-deliver on your promises. Attend meetings and actively participate. Make an annual gift. Purchase a table at all events. Take advantage of sponsorship and underwriting opportunities.

Ask other businesses to “meet or beat” your contribution. You demonstrate leadership – and increase your impact – when you engage other businesses in the work of your nonprofit partner.

Copyright 2013 – Mel and Pearl Shaw.

Mel and Pearl Shaw are the authors of “Prerequisites for Fundraising Success.” They position nonprofits for fundraising success. Visit them at www.saadandshaw.com.

Rights From 2 currently before the legislature contains the first two points.

However, the second two points, which have been proven to be the most effective, are not yet included in the bill.

Taxpayers … Community members … School children …

We are all adversely impacted by the fallout of foreclosures in our communities, so we should all have a voice in fixing the problem. In fact, a bill similar to the Homeowner Bill of Rights passed the Minnesota legislature in 2009. At that time bank lobbyists from outside of our state flew in to trim the bill and ultimately defeat it. It worked; their voices trumped the voice of the citizen, Governor Pawlenty vetoed the bill, and the adverse economic impact continues to be borne by those within the state.

Currently, foreclosures levels are three times higher than they were before the subprime mortgage bubble burst in 2008.

This is why I support the Homeowner Bill of Rights as a set of laws for both banks and homeowners that provide transparency and clarity to the process. Ultimately it protects our communities against faulty lending practices that imperil all of us. By enacting this bill and including the mediation and right to action measures, Minnesota can clearly outline the process of foreclosure, thereby giving peace of mind and due process to all involved.

Lyndel Owens, an elementary school teacher in north Minneapolis, is an active supporter of fair housing and banking practices. She can be reached at lyndelowens@ gmail.com.

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/PublicPrograms

Page 4 • April 29 - May 5, 2013 • Insight News

insightnews.com

EDUCATION State cuts to college aid exacerbate affordability issue

By Freddie Allen NNPA Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON (NNPA) – As President Obama continues to underscore the need to increase the college-educated workforce significantly by 2020, all except two states have slashed their funding for higher education.

“Cuts to state funding for higher education, since the start of the recession, have been severe and very widespread,” said Phill Oliff, a policy analyst for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan think tank that analyzes government policy

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

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

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane CFO Adrianne Hamilton-Butler Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Vice President of Sales & Marketing Selene White Culture and Education Editor Irma McClaurin Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver

and programs.

According to a report by the center, from fiscal year 2008 to fiscal year 2013, every state slashed spending on higher education except for North Dakota and Wyoming.

“States and to a much lesser extent local governments provide just over half of the revenue that can be used to support instruction at these schools. When the funding gets cut public colleges and universities, generally must raise either tuition cut spending or a combination of both to fill the gap,” said Oliff. “That is exactly what’s happened since the start of the recession.”

The CBPP report found that states are spending $2,353 or 28 percent less per student on higher education, nationwide, in the current 2013 fiscal year than they did in 2008, when the recession hit.

Louisiana, Alabama Florida South Carolina and Mississippi

The 16th annual Julian Parker Lecture will be held 7:00-8:30 pm on Thursday, May 9, in Opus Hall on the Minneapolis campus of the University of St. Thomas. This year’s program is titled “Schools Without a Majority: Implications and Opportunities.”

“Public perception lags far beyond reality in the public policy arena,” said Bob Brown, coordinator of the Julian Parker series. “For those of us in education this is a particular problem since many adults in our area think of the schools as being like they were years ago – in this case overwhelmingly white with a smattering of various minority kids. Now Minneapolis, St. Paul, and

some of the suburbs no longer have a white majority and are composed of a wonderful blend of black, white, Asian, Latino, and American Indian students.

This has implications for hiring policies, curriculum, cultural awareness, etc.,” Brown stated.

The lecture series is cosponsored by the Minnesota Alliance of Black School Educators who use the occasion to present scholarships to outstanding students and to give an annual award to a person who has made significant contributions to diversity in Minnesota education. Other cosponsors are the St. Thomas MA in Public Policy Program and Generation Next, a partnership which seeks to leverage research

and available funding to tackle the achievement gap between students of color and their peers in St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The Julian Parker lecture honors the memory of the longtime head of education at Xavier University in New Orleans by bringing nationally recognized speakers on urban education issues and values to St. Thomas.

The national speaker this year, Dr. Joe Scherer, is Executive Director of the Superintendents’ National Dialogue. He will be followed by a local multicultural panel representing the numerically significant minority communities in our schools - Latino, African, Asian, and

American Indian. Moderator of the panel will by Patricia Jensen, Director of the St. Thomas MA in Public Policy and Leadership Program.

Following the panel there will be the audience followup discussions at tables where students from the St. Thomas in Public Policy program will be serving as recorders.

Prior to the program there will be a reception with light refreshments at 6:30 and following the program there will be coffee and conversation which will provide an excellent opportunity for networking.

In addition to interacting with Scherer and the panelists, there will be opportunities to mingle with government

officials, higher education faculty, school superintendents, other administrators and school board members, community organization leaders, and others.

Data from the State Demographer’s office will be distributed to those attending the event to not only give the audience some basic demographic data showing the change in our population over time in our Metropolitan area and the state, but also get people to think of the opportunities these changes make.

The program is free but registration is requested by sending an email to rjbrown@ stthomas.edu.

Additional information is available by contacting Brown at (651) 9624992.

MUL

for a Cargill, Target, Best Buy; they have the tools to be entrepreneurs. In many ways they are running a business within a big corporation.”

Gray said the area’s giant corporations are not doing enough to foster the creation and growth of African-American businesses. The Minneapolis Urban League head said in asking corporations to invest in business start-ups it’s not about creating their own competition, but about being a good community partner.

Gray said corporations in other communities are already investing in minority-owned businesses as a part of their overall growth strategies.

“In places like St. Louis, there’re a lot more (AfricanAmericans) so an AnheuserBusch or an Enterprise; they see us as an emerging customer,” said Gray. “And I can say in the places like Chicago and Milwaukee (large corporations) have a different level of community involvement. Here you see

corporations that are doing business across the world and the question isn’t, ‘are they doing things in this community,’ the question is, ‘are they doing enough.’” If a company is satisfied with the amount of work they are doing in our community with the type of disparities we have here, then shame on them, added Gray.

Gray said with so many major corporations centered in the Twin Cities and the economic disparities what they

are; it’s easy to see how it can affect the mindset of many if the area’s African-American community.

“It’s got to be frustrating to be so close to the opportunities but not be able to achieve it.

It’s spirit killing,” said Gray.

“Target headquarters is right downtown (in Minneapolis).

You can almost walk to the headquarters of General Mills from north Minneapolis and you as a Black person living here is saying, ‘Why can’t I get in?’”

The two were in Minneapolis to discuss faith in times of despair and to share their perspectives with the residents of Minneapolis – north

Minneapolis in particular.

The Tutu sisters were in the area as a part of the University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC) Critical Conversations series. The purpose of the visit was to examine the role faith, consensus-building, and reconciliation play in healing a community spirit that’s been wounded by violence, natural disaster or catastrophe.

And though daughters of a man of the cloth, the sisters admitted that at times they, like many, have had reasons to question their faith. But the Tutu sisters said ultimately, their faith in God prevails.

“I know there are times when I have questioned my faith,” said Naomi Tutu. “My

father told me it’s completely OK to be angry with God and to let God know when you’re angry. We know that it doesn’t make God push away from us.”

Naomi Tutu said when people begin to question their beliefs in God, it’s not another person’s job to scold them for questioning, but the job is to support them through their period of questioning.

“When someone questions God, as a caring human being, we need to give that person our support and allow them to go through their process of understanding their faith,” said Naomi Tutu.

Naomi Tutu, who is a human rights activist focusing on race and gender, said being a person of faith does not mean life

will always be easy but, that a person with faith can persevere through times of hardship.

“Faith does not guarantee that only good things will happen to you, but rather in those dark places, you are not alone,” said Tutu. “This is the guarantee that faith gave me; that as a person of faith I could remain strong and loving through all of that dark time (of apartheid).

Tutu-Gxashe said when evil occurs, whether it is the Boston Marathon bombing or a homicide in North Minneapolis, it is important to not blame God, but the perpetrator of the deed.

“God was not the one who held the gun or put the bombs together; that was a man who did that,” said Tutu-Gxashe.

“Sometimes you don’t give God credit for some of the good things that happen; you shouldn’t blame God for the bad.”

Naomi Tutu said as human beings, we have free will and it is that free will, not God that can cause a person to do heinous things. Conversely, she said man’s free will can be to commit good, positive acts.

“It (free will) can be used for amazing good or amazing evil,” said Naomi Tutu.

In the sisters’ visit to the Twin Cities, the two cautioned against being called experts in the conversation of faith.

“There’s no way I’d consider myself an expert, but like anyone else, I have advice and an opinion,” said Tutu-Gxashe. “We’re here to have a conversation and in conversation, if it’s one-sided it’s no longer a conversation.

The people here also have something to offer to us.”

UROC Critical Conversations is a series of public discussions bringing together scholars, activists, historians, artists, and community leaders on urban issues and ideas.

From 1

Production Intern Sunny Thongthi Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed

Tutu

Receptionist Lue B. Lampley

From 1

Staff Writer Ivan B. Phifer

New human service hub coming to North Minneapolis

Contributing Writers Cordie Aziz Harry Colbert, Jr. Julie Desmond Fred Easter Oshana Himot Timothy Houston Alaina L. Lewis Alysha Price

See our plan, share your voice

Photography Suluki Fardan Michele Spaise Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55411.

COLLEGE TURN TO 10

No majority: Implications and opportunities

large corporations and many get indoctrinated with a corporate worker mentality; not one of an owner mentality.

“It’s very hard to think ownership outside of the corporate culture,” said the Minneapolis Urban League president, who moved to the Twin Cities in 2009. “In a lot of respects the people working

Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Ben Williams

Freddie Allen (NNPA)

NAFEO President Lezli Baskerville speaks to the media about the National Anti-Hazing/ Anti-Violence Task Force at the National Press Club, January 17, 2012.

– where 41 historically Black colleges and universities are located – have cut higher education spending by 30 percent or more in the last five years.

Louisiana schools experienced the steepest cuts of the southern states, shaving 41.2 percent from higher education budgets and North Carolina was least impacted with 14.6 percent.

Georgia, home to 10 HBCUs, has cut spending by nearly 30 percent in the last five years. The lack of resources at the state and local level and a fall in enrollment recently forced Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga. to furlough its entire faculty and staff over spring break.

“Our states have a history of not investing in our historically Black colleges so that they will be comparable to the White schools,” said Lezli Baskerville, president

Hennepin County ounty is bringing access to services like financial and child care assistance and senior supports closer to the neighborhoods— around the county— where our clients live and work.

The county and the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council are hosting three meetings where you can learn about a proposal for a human service hub in North Minneapolis, and tell us what you think.

Come to a community meeting English and Spanish

Tuesday, May 14 6–9 p.m.

Hmong

Wednesday, May 15 6–9 p.m.

English and Somali

OWN A HABITAT HOME

Wednesday, May 22 6–9 p.m.

FOR WHAT YOU PAY IN RENT

All meetings will be held at PICA Head Start 700 Humboldt Ave. N., Minneapolis, 612-377-7422 For more information check out our website, www.Hennepin.us/ northhub or call 612-348-4831

FREE Homeowner Exploration Session Saturday, May 4, 1 – 3:30 p.m.

New Salem Baptist Church 2507 Bryant Ave. N., Minneapolis Questions? 612-331-4090 | tchabitat.org SPONSORED BY THE NORTHSIDE PASTORS’ COLLABORATIVE

Artrepreneur Kevin Kaoz Moore

By Alaina L. Lewis

H

ailing from Cleveland, but far bigger than any zip code, Kevin “Kaoz” Moore is one of few artists out here who embodies the highly effective, yet rarely used term, of “Artrepreneur.”

As a musical artist, activist, actor, spoken word aficionado, LGBT crusader, playwright and all around businessman, he marks the crossroads where artistic prowess meets a finely tuned business acumen.

Currently, Kaoz is making his media rounds with the

homosexuality, especially in the African-American community.

But why should being who you are, be such a risk? Welcome to hip-hop.

“One of the biggest challenges for my music is the stigma around homosexuality in the Black community. I don’t carry my orientation on my sleeve, but I am a man living my truth. So I won’t lie in my rhymes or make up stories about the girls I used to sleep with just to get airplay or approval from hetero, hyper-masculine emcees or consumers.

release of his current CD “EnterSexTions,” a 24-track collection of stories, realities, pains and pleasures.

To say “EnterSexTions” is a racy disk is to call a spade a spade. However, what more can someone expect after merely reading the title; one’s eyes can’t help but exhale before your ears even get a listen. Well played. However, titles aside and eyes forward to the bigger situation, what should be most admired about “EnterSexTions” is the bravery and risk behind exposing and exploring a theme that a lot of artists, athletes, and Average Joe’s fear discussing –

KAOZ TURN TO

6

Photo courtesy of the artist

‘Magic’ Johnson’s ASPiRE network presents familyfriendly programming

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer If a person were to only judge African-American culture based solely on the majority of television programming currently being offered, the representation would be quite sad.

Much of the programming targeting the African-American viewer is reality-based shows featuring often dysfunctional, emotionally unstable characters who are in chaotic situations and relationships. Regardless of the network, whether it’s “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” “Love and Hip-Hop,” “Single Ladies” or even the disjointed BET Awards, the portrayals have

been far less than positive. Even the wildly popular ABC series, “Scandal,” which features a strong African-American lead, Olivia Pope, played by Kerry Washington, has the character relegated to being the “side chick” of a married white man.

With so much negative imagery of AfricanAmericans, what many are asking is, “Where can we go to see positive images of AfricanAmericans?” Earvin “Magic” Johnson asked that very question, and when he couldn’t come up with a consistent source for positive AfricanAmerican programming, he created one.

ASPiRE TURN TO

Laurence Fishburne, host and narrator for the ASPiRE show “UNCF, The Next Generation”

MORE

• African American literature websites launch “power list”

• Crime caper recreates real-life kidnapping plot

• Snapshots

7

Page 6 • April 29 - May 5, 2013 • Aesthetically Speaking

insightnews.com/aesthetics

African American literature web sites launch “power list” of best-selling books Three leading African-American literature web sites announced the launch of the Power List, a quarterly compilation of bestselling books written or read

by African Americans. The Power List is a joint project of AALBC.com, Cushcity.com and Mosaicbooks.com, three Web sites which have promoted African-American literature for more than a decade.

The founders of these companies believe there is a need for a comprehensive list of best-selling African-American books. “Currently, the data is dispersed over a wide variety of sources,” said Gwen Richardson, co-founder of Cushcity.com.

“We wanted to compile and analyze the data across the board and present those findings to the public.”

In addition to collecting data from online book sellers and random samples on relevant Facebook pages, the Power List has a unique feature: Its findings include a quarterly survey of 1,200 African-American book clubs.

“African-American book clubs are well-established in urban communities across America,” said Troy Johnson, founder of AALBC.com. “The survey results tell us not only which Black authors are gaining traction among Black readers, but they also let us know

which non-Black authors have garnered their attention.”

The Spring 2013 list is divided into separate categories: Hardcover fiction, hardcover non-fiction, paperback fiction and paperback nonfiction. Bestselling ebooks and classics will be added in future editions. The list will be released on the fourth Monday in the month following each calendar quarter.

Notable information about the Spring 2013 list: • Urban fiction author duo

Ashley & Jaquavis have a total of four books among the top ten paperback fiction best sellers • Author Sister Souljah has titles on both the paperback and hardcover fiction lists • Best-selling author E. L. James’ Fifty Shades of Gray was a top seller among African-American readers • Two titles by politicallyconservative African Americans were among the best-selling titles in paperback non-fiction books “Our ultimate mission is threefold,” said Ron Kavanaugh, founder of Mosaicbooks.com.

“To promote African-American literature; to assess the reading habits of African Americans; and to report those findings to the public.”

The Spring 2013 lists may be viewed at the Power List web site: www.powerlist.info.

Updates will be included on the Power List Facebook and Twitter pages. For more information, contact one of the individuals listed above.

The titles for the first list, Spring 2013. The list is also available online: http://aalbc.it/ plbooks

Spring 2013 Paperback Fiction #1 - Friends & Foes by ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Victoria Christopher Murray #2 - The Cartel 4 by Ashley & Jaquavis #3 - The Cartel 3 by Ashley & Jaquavis #4 - The Cartel 2 by Ashley & Jaquavis #5 - Animal by K’Wan #6 - Murderville 2 by Ashley & Jaquavis #7 - Midnight: A Gangster Love Story by Sister Souljah #8 - The Hot Box by Zane #9 - Fifty Shades of Gray by E. L. James #10 - Payback Ain’t Enough by Wahida Clark

Spring 2013 Paperback Non-Fiction #1 - Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey #2 - America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great by Ben Carson #3 - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca

Skloot #4 - The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander #5 - The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson #6 - Better Than Good Hair: The Curly Girl Guide to Healthy, Gorgeous Natural Hair! by Nikki Walton #7 - The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore #8 - Blacklash: How Obama and the Liberal Left Are Driving Americans to the Government Plantation by Deneen Borelli #9 - Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative AfricanAmerican Cuisine by Bryant Terry #10 - Where Did Our Love Go: Love and Relationships in the African-American Community

by Gil L. Robertson IV

Spring 2013 Hardcover Fiction #1 - The Man In 3B by Carl Weber #2 - The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis

#3 - If I Can’t Have You by Mary B. Morrison #4 - The Perfect Marriage by Kimberla Lawson Roby #5 - A Deeper Love Inside: The Porsche Santiaga Story by Sister Souljah #6 - The Reverend’s Wife by Kimberla Lawson Roby #7 - God Don’t Make No Mistakes by Mary Monroe #8 - An Accidental Affair by Eric Jerome Dickey #9 - The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore #10 - Maintenance Man II: Money, Politics & Sex: Everyone Has A Price by Michael Baisden

Spring 2013 Hardcover Non-Fiction #1 - Manology: Secrets of Your Man’s Mind Revealed by Tyrese Gibson

Kaoz From 5 The fact that I am talking about issues, and real situations our community needs to face in itself is a challenge. But I refuse to feed the world more of this misogynistic, gang/drug related garbage that is mainstream music,” said Kaoz.

The debate on homosexuality and hip-hop is a longstanding battle that always puts forward the theory that LBGT artists should be contained in a box, or that there’s no space in hip-hop music for people to be themselves.

Activists behind the mic such as Kaoz, have spent years bridging this divide and continue to fight for mic freedom, and universal avenues to be heard.

“I’ve always been about carving out my own lane. I hope to break away at this plastic ceiling that has been created

#2 - Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Night the Music Stopped by Cissy Houston #3 - Mom & Me and Mom by Maya Angelou #4 - The Wealth Choice: Success Secrets of Black Millionaires by Dennis Kimbro #5 - The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks by Jeanne Theoharis #6 - Living and Dying in Brick City: An E.R. Doctor Returns Home by Sampson Davis #7 - It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership by Colin Powell #8 - Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party by Joshua Bloom #9 - One Day It’ll All Make Sense

by Common #10 - Shred: The Revolutionary Diet: 6 Weeks 4 Inches 2 Sizes by Ian K. Smith The Power List (http://www. powerlist.info) is compiled quarterly by AALBC.com, Cushcity.com and Mosaicbooks. com.

in the music game that keeps GLBTQ artists behind the scenes as ghostwriters and contradictory executives,” said Kaoz. “I want to be able to live off of my art and activism. I’d like to perform and connect with people across the world, in and outside academia, and disprove the myth that we don’t exist. I want to show the world that hip-hop is way more than what’s popular now and that its essence originally was all-inclusive. I want to show other rappers that the time has come to either step it up or step over. We are not gonna hide as many gay emcees currently are in mainstream hip-hop.”

There’s no doubt the gap will eventually close, but it’s likely that when it does, there will be a whole world of Kaoz at the center of it all.

To hear more from Kaoz Moore or to pick up a copy of “EnterSexTions,” visit www. kaozonline.com.

insightnews.com/aesthetics F I

Aesthetically Speaking • April 29 - May 5, 2013 • Page 7

Crime caper recreates real-life kidnapping plot

L M

Paramount Pictures

By Kam Williams Michael Bay is a director whose name has mostly come to be associated with mindless, stunt-driven action flicks such as “Armageddon,” “Bad Boys” and the “Transformers” franchise.

His latest offering, however, “Pain & Gain” represents a relatively-cerebral departure in that it tones down the

special effects and pyrotechnics in favor of credible plot and character development.

Based on a true tale that transpired in Florida back in the Nineties, the alternately comical and gruesome crime caper revolves around the felonious exploits of a trio of bodybuilders who hatched a kidnap for ransom plot that went terribly awry. The mastermind of

the ill-fated scheme was Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg), an ex-con employed as a personal trainer at Sun Gym in Miami.

A regular there was Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub), an arrogant businessman from Colombia with an oversized ego and a temper to match. That condescending attitude makes it easy for Daniel to consider extorting cash

from his client, especially given how rich the guy is.

So, he enlists the assistance of couple of equally-buff cronies, recently-paroled Paul (Dwayne Johnson) and steroid-addicted Adrian (Anthony Mackie).

But the seat-of-the-pants plan has little chance of success, despite the pea brains of the operation’s assurances that “I know what I’m

doing” because “I’ve watched a lot of movies.”

One complication is Born Again Paul’s reservations, since he’s turned his life over to Jesus. Meanwhile, Adrian himself is very distracted himself by a case of juice-induced erectile dysfunction.

Nevertheless, the three still proceed with the conspiracy, abducting Victor and taking him to an abandoned warehouse where they torture him mercilessly to figure out where his fortune is hidden.

The grisly goings-on are repeatedly presented as humorous onscreen, effectively masking the fact that the participants in truth landed stiff prison sentences for their evil deeds.

Credit the convincing performances by the leads, especially Dwayne Johnson (cast against type here as a fairly sensitive soul), for actually inducing the audience to empathize and laugh at the wacky antics of some despicable miscreants.

Ditto Tony Shalhoub who plays such a dislikable victim that he makes it easy to root for his captors.

A reminder ripped right out of the tabloids that while crime does not pay, it sometimes serves as fodder for lurid headlines and hilarious hijinks.

Very Good (3 stars) Rated R for graphic nudity, bloody violence, crude sexuality, drug use and pervasive profanity Running time: 129 minutes Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Tips to create a perfect lawn this season

By Melinda Myers The extreme heat and drought of 2012 was hard on lawns and gardens.

“Many gardeners are facing a blank slate of bare soil, masses of dead patches that were once lawn or a bit of grass interspersed in a sea of weeds,” says gardening expert Melinda Myers.

Myers recommends following these steps to improve lawns this season.

Start this spring to renovate or improve your weather-worn lawn.

Remember that water is critical to get newly seeded and sodded lawns to survive.

So be prepared to help nature along with the recovery effort.

Evaluate the damage.

Then use the check list below to find the best course of

ASPiRE From 5 Johnson, former NBA star turned business mogul, launched ASPiRE – a joint venture with Comcast and GMC Network – in June of last year and by years end, the family-friendly network targeting African-Americans will be in 18 million households.

For Johnson, where others saw despair, he saw opportunity.

“One of the reasons Magic partnered with GMC is because we had a lot of positive programs featuring African-Americans,” said Ty Johnson, vice president of Multicultural Sales and Development for GMC and ASPiRE. “Magic thought this type programming should be available 24/7. That’s what we do.

We celebrate our past, our now and our next.”

ASPiRE, which can be seen locally on Comcast 171, offers a diverse programming mix of movies, series and specials featuring music, comedy, drama, faith and inspiration, theater/performing arts, lifestyle and news/information. The burgeoning network has also partnered with the African Black Film Festival (ABFF) to present original movies and documentaries.

Some of the original programming that can be found on ASPiRE includes the reality program, “UNCF, The Next

action to aid the ailing lawn.

If the lawn is more than 60 percent weeds or bare soil, it’s probably time to start over. Use this opportunity to create a great foundation for growing a healthy lawn. Kill off the existing vegetation, add several inches of organic matter such as compost or peat moss and a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil, and rake smooth.

Select more drought tolerant grasses like rhizomatous (turf-type) tall fescues, buffalo grass, and Habiturf® native lawn mix. Make sure the grass is suited to the climate and plant according to the label.

Then sow the seeds, lightly rake and mulch or lay sod.

Water often enough to keep the soil moist until the seeds sprout or the sod roots into the soil below. Then

water thoroughly when the top few inches of soil are crumbly, but slightly moist to encourage deep roots.

Fertilize new, existing and stressed lawns with a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer like Milorganite. It won’t harm stressed lawns, young seedlings or newly laid sod. It will encourage slow steady growth. Southern lawns can be fertilized in April and again in early June.

In the north fertilize around Memorial Day. And if 2013 turns into another hot dry summer, it won’t burn the lawn.

Mow high to encourage deeply rooted grass that is more drought tolerant and pest resistant. And mow often, removing only a third of the total height. Be sure to leave these short clippings on the lawn. They return moisture, nutrients, and

organic matter to the soil.

Repair small dead and bare patches as needed.

Use a lawn patch kit, grass seed and mulch. For small spots, loosen the soil surface, sprinkle grass seed and lightly rake. Or mix a handful of grass seed in a bucket of topsoil. Sprinkle the mix over the soil surface.

Do a bit more soil preparation when renovating larger dead areas in the lawn.

Remove or kill any weeds that have filled in these areas.

Till two inches of compost, peat moss or other organic matter into the top six inches of soil. Sow seed, rake and mulch or lay sod.

Overseed thin and sparse lawn. First, core aerate the lawn to improve soil conditions and increase seedto-soil contact. Spread grass seed over the aerated lawn and water as needed. Or

rent a slit seeder or hire a professional with this type of equipment. These machines slice through the soil and drop the grass seed in place, increasing the seed-to-soil contact which is needed for good germination.

Core aerate lawns that have more than one half an inch of thatch, those growing in compacted soils, or before overseeding. By removing plugs of soil you break through the thatch and create channels for water and fertilizer to reach the grass roots.

Spot treat weeds on lawns that need minimal repair.

Wait at least until fall to treat new and overseeded lawns.

Spot treating minimizes the use of chemicals and reduces the stress on already stressed lawns. As always read and follow label directions carefully.

Proper maintenance and a bit of cooperation from nature will help transform a lawn from an eyesore to an asset in the landscape.

Generation,” which follows a group of students from their junior year in high school all the way through their first year of college. And though the United Negro College Fund, which supports historically Black colleges and universities, presents the program, the students attend a diverse variety of colleges from junior colleges

to Harvard University. The show is hosted and narrated by Laurence Fishburne.

“Laurence Fishburne was so passionate about this series that he insisted he had to be the voice and host,” said Ty Johnson, who was in Minneapolis this past week to promote the network.

For music lovers, ASPiRE is the new home of the iconic

“Soul Train.” The network also offers “Groundbreaking Music,” hosted by Esperanza Spalding, who connects the dots from early spirituals to gospel, Broadway, jazz, R&B, rock & roll, soul, funk, disco, pop and hip-hop.

And for fans of comedy, ASPiRE offers “We Got Next,” a series of stand-up comedy featuring up and coming “urban” comedians.

“We Got Next” is the creation

of Russell Simmons and Bob Sumner – the duo that birthed “Def Comedy Jam.” “The twist here is these kids have got to be clean,” said Ty Johnson.

The network also features “I Aspire” vignettes focusing on the accomplishments of everyday African-Americans. “I Aspire” presents stories of everyone from a fireman to a set of male

and female twins who both became Olympic gold medal fencers.

“We want to speak to the urban professional who says there’s nothing on TV for me. And we stay true to our core values of family,” said Ty Johnson.

For more on ASPiRE, check local listening or visit www. aspire.tv.

Gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Can’t Miss Small Space Gardening and The Lawn Guide – Midwest Series.

She hosts the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment segments, is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and has a column in Gardening How-to magazine.

Myers has a master’s degree in horticulture, is a certified arborist and was a horticulture instructor with tenure. Her web site is www. melindamyers.com

TEN THOUSAND THINGS presents Will Power’s hip hop retelling of Aeschylus’ The Seven Against Thebes, the story of two brothers who try to rule their kingdom peacefully despite their father’s curse.

April 26–May 19 “Pay What You Can” Saturday, Apr. 27, 3pm

FEATURING Katie Bradley, Aimee K. Bryant, H. Adam Harris, Kinaundrae Lee, Brian Sostek, Ricardo Vazquez, Joetta Wright, AND Bruce A. Young

FEBRUARY 15 – MARCH 10, 2013 OPEN BOOK $25 (Students $15 on Sundays with valid ID)

www.tenthousandthings.org 1-800-838-3006

www.SteppingStoneTheatre.org 55 Victoria Street North | Saint Paul | 651-225-9265

Page 8 • April 29 - May 5, 2013 • Aesthetically Speaking 1

insightnews.com/aesthetics

Snapshots

2

3

4

5 6

1) BoomBox’s Ashley Commodore shows she has heart while performing for the American Heart

Association fundraiser at Insert Coin(s).

2) Bringing the beat, BoomBox and Mint Condi-

tion tour drummer Brandon Commodore at Insert Coin(s) for the American Heart Association fundraiser.

3) Spinnin’ the wax: DJ Dudley D spinning at Insert Coin(s) 4) Painting the stage red, Bree Turner (left) and Beeph rock to the beat as BoomBox performs for the American Heart Association fundraiser at Insert Coin(s).

5) Chiropractics Dr. Ashpal Kent and Dr. Carson Benjamin hanging out at Seven.

6) Black love: husband and wife Jason and Romaya Burns hanging out at Insert Coin(s) during the American Heart Association fundraiser.

insightnews.com

Insight News • April 29 - May 5, 2013 • Page 9

FULL CIRCLE

Iyanla vs. DMX: Analysis The Moore Therapy Movement

By Dr. Darren D. Moore Ph.D., LMFT Many of you watched the episode of “Iyanla Fix My Life” which featured rapper/super star DMX (Earl Simmons) and his son Xavier. When the show aired, I became bombarded with text messages, phone calls, facebook messages, etc. Everyone wanted to know my opinion of the episode, as people are aware that addictions is one of my areas of specialty. While I missed the original airing, I did manage to catch the re-run and will share with you some of my thoughts/ reflections. However, first let me share with you, what some of my peers have said about the show. Many of my therapy friends and non-therapy friends alike critiqued the show and expressed some negative feelings about what was depicted. People questioned Iyanla’s intentions, her ethics, her interventions, and many reported feeling as if DMX was exploited. I think some clarification is needed.

First and foremost, Iyanla Vanzant is not a licensed mental health professional. She is not a psychiatrist, psychologist, marriage and family therapist, clinical social worker, or a psychiatric nurse practitioner.

She is a life coach. I say this not to throw “shade” at her. I say this to explain to you that what she does is different than what most licensed mental health professionals do. I do not want you to get the idea that what she is doing is therapy, while it could be therapeutic and it definitely is entertaining.

With Iyanla being a life coach, she has more flexibility in terms of the way that she interacts with clients and she is not bound by the ethical guidelines of any of the mental health licensing boards. Now that I have clarified a few things, let’s

DMX get into the good stuff. While many of the folks I know dislike Iyanla, I like her. I actually think she is interesting to watch. Would I do some of the things that she did in her meeting with DMX… absolutely not. I think she can be a bit harsh, abrasive, and tends to blame people for their problems. While this makes for good television, I am not sure that it makes for good therapy.

However, as I mentioned before she is not doing therapy, she is “coaching.” When working with clients, it is extremely important to develop a solid therapeutic rapport. In order to do this, one has to be careful about how they interact with clients. Blaming clients is not the way to get it done, even if the client actually is in the wrong. I would have started off with just getting Mr. Simmons perspective about his problem, with less focus on blaming him for not being the father and husband that he should have

been. In addition, I would have focused on what DMX wanted to get accomplished during our time together as opposed to projecting my own desires onto DMX. One of the things that stood out to me was Mr. Simmon’s demeanor during the session.

Throughout the entire episode, I was wondering if DMX was in fact, high or intoxicated. He appeared to not be of a sound mind. If he in fact was high then it would have been futile to have a therapeutic session. If a person is intoxicated, they need detox prior to any real work being done in the therapy room. If I was working with DMX, I would focus on Detox through a longterm residential treatment facility where he could get intensive rehabilitation. I would focus substantially on, one-on-one sessions, before getting anyone else involved.

I personally do not believe Iyanla should have met with

John Mueller / Wikimedia Commons

DMX. He obviously is not ready to change. I am not blaming him; I am simply saying that when a person becomes addicted to a drug, it is very hard for them to make that decision to get off drugs. DMX is what we call in the therapy world, somewhere between the precontemplation and contemplation stage of change. He has not yet necessarily identified that he has problem and he is not interested in changing. Until he is ready to change there is nothing that any person can do to help him. I am an avid believer that addicted individuals must find something inside of themselves to motivate them to change. External forces such as ultimatums given by friends and family typically do not work. I have seen individuals lose jobs, people get their children taken away, and people lose their marriages, among other things, and still continue to use.

Unfortunately addictions can be

extremely powerful. Addictions are difficult to break due to the fact that they not only affect individuals mentally, but also physically. Through repetitive drug use, the brain is altered, which contribute to increase cravings and the need to use.

During the session, Iyanla made the mistake of thinking that DMX was going to declare that he would stop using drugs by waving his son (Xavier) in his face. While she thought this was going to help DMX make the decision to get off drugs, it actually backfired in her face.

The horrible part of this situation, is that she “drug” his son into a volatile situation. I think she had good intentions by getting the Xavier to verbalize his perspectives about addiction.

However, she ended up making the Xavier solely responsible for Mr. Simmons motivation for change. I think that this is too much responsibility for any young person to have to bear alone. The message that a child gets when their parents refuse to get off drugs, despite their plea, is that “I am not good enough or worthy enough, for you to change.” This type of message can destroy a person. While Mr. Xavier appeared to be ok after the intervention, I promise you he will need to continue getting help to deal with the harsh reality of his father’s addiction. After the show everyone was talking about #Support DMX…what about #Support Xavier?

I imagine that there are some remnants of this situation that play out in Xavier’s life… in his interpersonal and/or intimate relationships. I can almost guarantee that unless he gets additional help, Xavier’s experiences will haunt him…the need for approval, the need to be loved, the need for acceptance, etc. will play out into his adult life.

During the session, Iyanla made reference to the Xavier, teaching his father. While that sounds poetic, once again I do not agree with that perspective. In my opinion a son should not have to teach his father, how to be parent. This should not be his responsibility. To be honest, I feel bad for the young man. I can identify with him on a certain level

in terms of the phenomenon of what Iyanla refers to as “growing up fatherless.” I’ll be sure to explain what I mean by this in one of my future articles.

In summary, I want to say, I like Iyanla, she is fun to watch, dramatic at times, but this makes for good television ratings. She does things with clients that I definitely would not do. However, I will give her credit…she speaks her mind. She sometimes says things that I might be thinking in my head, but cannot say due to general professional standards. I also want to reiterate that she is not a licensed mental health profession, but she has talent. When people were contacting me, everyone was asking me about how I would work with DMX. It is hard to tell you exactly how I would handle the situation…I can show you better than I can tell you. Perhaps, you will get a glimpse of how I would work with DMX and other clients when my television show comes out! Please stay tuned… and until then, “stick around, there’s MOORE to come.”

Darren D. Moore, Ph.D., LMFT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and an assistant professor in Marriage and Family Therapy at a University in Georgia. He works with individuals, couples, and families regarding mental health and relationship concerns. His research, teaching, and clinical interests include general mental health, obesity, weight loss, eating disorders, and addictions, within couple and family relationships, with an emphasis in working with men, African American families, and marginalized populations.

He is a north Minneapolis native, obtained his Bachelors’ degree in African American Studies from the University of Minnesota, his Masters’ degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Valdosta State University, and his Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Virginia Tech….Want “MOORE?” Dr. Darren D Moore can be reached by email at ddmoore@vt.edu or via talk/text at 612-296-3758….

THE MOORE THERAPY MOVEMENT!

Page 10 • April 29 - May 5, 2013 • Insight News

insightnews.com

COMMUNITY Calendar • Classifieds

Phone: 612.588.1313

Fax: 612.588.2031

Send Community Calendar information to us by email: info@insightnews.com, by fax: 612.588.2031, by phone: 612.588-1313 or by mail: 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis, MN 55411. Free or low cost events preferred.

by: Stairstep Foundation, Breast Care - Center for Diagnostic Imaging, SAGE - Minnesota’s Cancer Screening Program, American Cancer Society. For more information contact Ms. Hokes at 612.521.3110 or ora@ stairstep.org

DAVID NOBLE LECTURE SERIES

EVENTS

13th Annual May Day Soiree May 2 The Whittier Alliance neighborhood association will host the 13th Annual May Day Soiree on Thursday, May 2, 2013 from 5:30-8:30pm. The Soiree features heavy appetizers from Whittier restaurants, cash bar, a raffle, silent auction and live entertainment. Proceeds from the Soiree support the outreach activities and advocacy by the Whittier Alliance on behalf of the businesses and residents of the Whittier neighborhood. This event is open to the public and all are invited to attend. Raffle and Event tickets can be purchased at the Whittier Alliance, 10 E 25th St., Minneapolis 55404 Event Tickets are also available on line at www.whittieralliance.org For more information contact Marian Biehn, Whittier Alliance, 10 E 25th St. Minneapolis, MN 55404 612-871-7756 marian@ whittieralliance.org

Tuesday, April 30, 7 p.m.

Metropolitan State University Library, Ecolab Room, 645 East Seventh Street Dr. Heather Ann Thompson writes on the history as well as public policy implications of today’s criminal justice system. Her talk will discuss the impact of mass incarceration on America’s cities, its economy, and its very democracy. Thompson is the author of numerous articles on the justice system as well as the book Whose Detroit: Politics, Labor and Race in a Modern American

Volunteers of America Foster Parent Information Meetings Ongoing Foster Parent Information Meetings for interested skilled parents desiring to provide care for troubled youth in the Volunteers of America foster care program.

Kids of all ages are in need of a stable home with dedicated parents. Information meetings are held at Volunteers of America Corporate Office every Friday from 10am-11:30am. To RSVP or for additional information on becoming a foster parent, contact Jolene Swan at 952-945-4064, email ftpfostercare@voamn.org or online at voafostercare.org Sisters Standing Up TO Breast Cancer Screening Event Apr. 30 The Sage Screening Program presents a breast cancer screening event for all women age 40 and older on Tuesday, April 30th, Shiloh Temple International Ministries, 1201 W. Broadway, Minneapolis from 9am to 6:30pm. Call 1-888-6432584 (Promo SF1) to reserve your spot; space is limited.

Please join us for a gift and light refreshments. This event is FREE and jointly sponsored

Make it Pop Now - May 4 Make it Pop features the works of twelve Native artists whose work responds to, is influenced by, or incorporates aspects of popular culture in their practice. These artists utilize their artistic abilities to express modern relationships with popular culture, especially as they relate to the unique circumstances of the Native American Language Arts Teacher experience. Artists: Heidi Concordia Creative Learning Academy in St. Paul is looking for a full time licensed 6-8 Language Arts Teacher for the 20132014 school year. This is a full time position with benefits. If you are interested please send your resume to lori@cclaonline.org or you may fax your resume to 651-793-6624.

Application deadline: Open until filled.

Classified Sales Representative Insight News is looking for a Classified Sales Representative to start immediately.

This is a part-time position perfect for a college student or someone looking for supplemental income. Candidate must be a motivated self-starter with the desire to grow the business. Candidate must be focused, must have the ability to work under deadlines and to meet or exceed set sales goals. Responsibilities include calling and emailing new clients and following up with past clients for classified sales. Please e-mail cover letter and resume to batalara@insightnews.com.

Please: No walk-ins and NO phone calls.

Crow From 2 like food, housing and money for transportation.

“If you lose your housing for whatever reason or if you can’t obtain housing once you’re already out, it’s a potential violation of parole,” he said. One of the key components to creating better opportunities for those looking for a second chance is raising

College From 4 the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO), an organization of the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities.

Even though federal financial aid and tax credits have also increased significantly, Oliff said that the federal government erred by cutting off emergency aid to states at a time when state revenues were far from fully recovered.

Some state schools were forced to raise tuition to try and make up difference, but the increases in tuition haven’t been able to keep pace with the changes

Jealous From 2 the plan would “eliminate the darkey as a political factor.”

Ninety years later, Kemba Smith-Pradia was an undergraduate student at Hampton University. She got involved with the wrong crowd and found herself behind bars as an accessory to a nonviolent drug offense. President Clinton granted Kemba executive clemency in 2000, six years

Heather Ann Thompson

Brandow, Frank Buffalo Hyde, Lisa Holt and Harlan Reano, Jason Garcia, Cannupa Hanska Luger, Cloud Medicine Crow, Doug Miles, Pat Pruitt, Rose Simpson, Jodi Webster, and Micah Wesley. Exhibit on view: Now - May 4th, 2013 at All My Relations Gallery, 1414 East Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55404. Phone: 612-2354970 or Email:arts@nacdi.org www.allmyrelationsarts.com.

Hours: Monday-Friday 11-6pm; Saturday 11-3pm. Free and open to the public.

Annual Spring Concert May 5 Wayman AME Church Adult Choir on Sunday, May 5, 2013 at Attention DBE 5:00 pm presents Subcontractors & Suppliers its Annual Spring Knutson Construction will be submitting a bid on the followConcert, featuring ing project and invites you to submit your subcontractor and guest soloist supplier quotations to us.

Tonia Hughes.

The theme, Highway 610 & Noble Parkway Park and Ride REBID Brooklyn Park, MN “It’s Turning Bid Date: May 1, 2013 @ 2:00 pm Around for Me” Isaiah 43:18Project Description: New 3 level, 500 car post tensioned concrete parking ramp. Scope includes site work, land19. The concert scaping, asphalt paving, walks and curbs, post tensioned will be held in concrete, concrete reinforcing, masonry, structural and The Wayman misc steel, glass railings, rough carpentry, waterproofing, AME Church spray insulation, expansion joints, EPDM roofing, sealants, doors, glazing, window film, gypsum, tile, fluid applied floorSanctuary, 1221 ing, painting, signage, elevators, fire protection, mechani7th Avenue North, cal, geothermal, solar, electrical.

Minneapolis, MN Please contact Jenny Gardner for additional information or 55411. For more assistance. information: 612374-4711.

Knutson Construction Services, Inc. 5500 Wayzata Blvd, Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55416 Phone: 763-546-1400 / Fax: 763-546-2226

City. She is currently writing the first comprehensive history of the Attica Prison Rebellion of 1971 and its legacy. Sarah Walker, cochair of the Second Chance Coalition, will serve as a local responder.

How Did I Get Here? (How Do I Get Back?!)

May 11 Join motivational speaker and empowerment coach Benita Edwards for the 90-minute coffee How Did I Get Here? (How Do I Get Back?!) on Saturday, May 11, 2013 from 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. at Park Avenue United Methodist Church located at 3400 Park Avenue in South Minneapolis The event will give individuals the courage to face their truths; and understand how their beliefs, behaviors, attitudes and values impact what they get out of life. Additionally, professionals will be on hand to share best practices for growth and success in the areas of wellness, finance, organizational skills and more!

Get out of ‘park’ by taking control of the keys to start you on the road to living life on purpose and on point! Grab a cup of coffee and come along for the ride of your life! For more information call (334) 270-2051.

Email: info@insightnews.com

this event can be found on the Hmong American Day facebook page: https://www.facebook. com/HmongAmericanDayMN U of M 5th Annual Plant Sale May 18 The University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener Program in Hennepin County will hold their 5th Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 18, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Hopkins Pavilion, 11000 Excelsior Blvd., Hopkins.

Come celebrate spring and the beginning of a new gardening season. Buy beautiful plants for sun or shade at great prices. Plants are grown by Master Gardeners.

Master Gardeners will answer your gardening questions and provide helpful information on the plants you purchase. Proceeds from this sale benefit University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener Program in Hennepin County community programs.

For more information on this sale and the Master Gardeners Program, visit our website at, www.hcmg.umn.edu, or call our office at 612-596-2130.

Pavia Winds Woodwind Quintet at Camden Music School June 1 The Pavia Winds Woodwind Quintet, one of the Midwest’s most exciting young chamber music ensembles will perform 4 pm Saturday, June 1 at Camden Music School, 3751 Sheridan Avenue North (Luther Memorial Lutheran Church), 55412. The concert is free and open to the public.

More information: 612-618-0219 or www. camdenmusicschool.com.

Hmong American Day May 14 Saturday May 11th the first ever Hmong American Day will be held at Fort Snelling State Park.

This event will commemorate the Hmong people’s contribution and sacrifices during the Vietnam War. Here, Governor Mark Dayton will proclaim May 14th “Hmong American Day” in Minnesota. The event is free and open to the public. More news and updates concerning

Spring and Summer Registration at Camden Music School Now thru June 15 Spring term at Camden Music School is on now through June 15. Students may enroll at any time.

Tuition will be prorated.

Lessons and classes are also offered this summer.

Choose from one of two 4-week terms (June 24 – July 18, July 22 – August 15) or an 8-week term (June 24 – August 15). CMS offers vocal and instrumental lessons, Musikgarten early childhood music classes (newborn to age 8), ensembles, music theory, songwriting and more. Family discounts are available. Summer scholarship applications are due by 5pm Friday, June 14.

Application online at www. camdenmusicschool.com. All ages.

Excellent instructors.

Joyful spirit. CMS in Camden: Luther Memorial Lutheran Church, 3751 Sheridan Ave. N., 55412. CMS in Northeast Minneapolis: Grace Center for Community Life, 1500 6th St. NE, 55413. More information: 612-618-0219 or www. camdenmusicschool.com.

Fix-It Clinic offer help to the unhandy June 15 Hennepin County, as part of its waste reduction efforts, is asking residents to sort through basements, closets and garages for clothing and household items that need repair. At the Fix-It Clinic, skilled volunteers will help you learn to disassemble, troubleshoot and fix your broken household items and electronics, clothing in need of mending, and more. The Fix-It Clinic is Sat. June 15: Noon – 4pm Bloomington Center for the Arts, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington. The clinic is first-come, first-served – no pre-registration. Items must be carry-in (no oversized items).

Please bring any tools that might be helpful, a digital camera to document the disassembly, and small boxes or bags to organize and carry home parts. This event is family-friendly. For more information, visit www. hennepin.us/fixitclinic or call 612-348-3777.

PROGRAMS & SERVICES HELPING SENIORS IN MINNEAPOLIS Seniors Program of Neighborhood Involvement Program assists elders aged 60 and over in North and Southwest Minneapolis with a variety of services so that they can remain safely in their home or apartment. Our services are specialized for each resident and we strive to provide as much as possible via the assistance of volunteers. To be eligible for seniors’ services, people must live within the following boundaries: south of 44th Avenue in North Minneapolis, north of West 36th Street in Southwest Minneapolis, 35W on the east, and France Avenue on the west.

For information about NIP Senior Services email seniors@ neighborhoodinvolve.org or call 612-374-3322. Our website is www.neighborhoodinvolve.org

awareness about these issues. “A crime shouldn’t define a person, because people can change,” he said. “The fact of the matter is that 90 percent of people will come out of prison at some point in time.

And the question is what kind of people do you want coming back out into your society?”

During her lecture, Alexander also pointed out the effect that the mass incarceration of African American males has had on African American women. She

cited an article titled, How the Mass Incarceration of Black Men Hurts Black Women, published two years ago by The Economist magazine that declared that the majority of black women in the United States are unmarried, including 70 percent of black professional women. The article explains that this is due in large part to mass incarceration of black men, which takes them out of the dating pool at the years that they are most likely to commit to a

partner or to a family.

This idea really resonated with DeVon Nolen, a mother raising three sons. She believes that there is a system in place that has created these conditions. “It’s no coincidence that my father, brother, husband... I can go on and on of the list of black men in my family who have been incarcerated whether justly or unjust,” she said.

As an activist and community organizer, Nolen says that she is really looking forward to the

action that will come from more people working to fight mass incarceration in society.

At the end of her lecture, Michelle Alexander sounded the alarm for a major social movement to fight to end mass incarceration in the U.S. “We’ve got to move beyond finger-pointing and wishful thinking and be willing to do the hard work of organizing on behalf of poor people of all colors,” she said. “That’s our job in a democracy, to do that work.

Not expect the politicians to lead and for us to follow. But for we the people to lead and demand that our politicians follow.”

To these words, Nolen said that she was “looking for people to put some power behind the words and really use our power as a collective voice of American citizens and say this is something that is against humanity. It’s a human crime. So I’m excited about that,” she said. © 2013 Christina Cerruti

in lost revenue.

As schools try to balance their books, Oliff said that the price of attending a four-year public college has grown significantly faster than the growth in median income over the last two decades.

“Tuition increases as steep, as they have been, have made up for only part of the revenue loss resulting from state funding cuts.

Public colleges and universities have often cut spending often in ways that threaten educational equality,” said Oliff.

According to the report, tuition at four-year colleges has increased by more than 50 percent in seven states; 25 percent in 18 states; and 15 percent in 40 states.

Because federal aid hasn’t kept paced with tuition increases, the cost of going to college has

fallen heavier on families who can barely afford day-to-day expenses, let alone thousands of dollars in college tuition.

Black families held less than $ $9,976 in assets compared to $117,486 for Whites, according to the 2013 “State of the Dream” report by United for a Fair Economy.

“The Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce projects that by 2018, 62 percent of all jobs will require at least some college education. That is up from 59 percent in 2007, 56 percent in 1992, and 28 percent in 1973,” said the CBPP report.

The report added: “By 2018 the county’s system of higher education will produce 3 million fewer college graduates than the labor market will demand,

Georgetown projects.”

Mary Frances Berry, a history professor at the University of Pennsylvania and former Assistant Secretary of Education, said some actions by the Obama administration are counterproductive.

“On one hand the Obama Administration says that they are trying to increase the number of people that are graduating from college in the United States,” Berry explained. “On the other, recent policy changes governing federal student aid and the continued erosion of state funding for higher education just don’t make sense.”

Even though some Black colleges and universities are experiencing challenges, Baskerville said others are

thriving and would be doing better if they had access to the hefty endowments that aid White schools in times of falling enrollment and budget shortfalls.

Baskerville said that HBCUs, as a collective, only have endowments of $15.8 million dollars, compared to the average endowment of $122 million dollars for White schools.

“Those are dollars that are used to cushion the blows,” said Baskerville.

In the absence of vast resources afforded to some predominantly White institutions, Baskerville said that HBCUs must seek out entrepreneurial opportunities to sustain and grow enrollment during tough economic times.

Baskerville said that NAFEO is leading an initiative to not

only provide greater access to entrepreneurial programs at HBCUs but to also turn cost centers into revenue-generating entrepreneurial opportunities as well For example, Baskerville said that Johnson C. Smith, a four-year research university in Charlotte, N.C., started a bed and breakfast and is using an oncampus arts center as a resource for the surrounding community to generate additional revenue.

She said, “We have to make our campuses and our goods and services work for us so that we can generate independent resources and have more flexibility to help students that are unable to meet the cost of college.”

into her 24 year sentence. She went on to become a college graduate, law student, mother and foundation president - but until 2012, when her rights were finally restored, not a voter.

Kemba’s story is just one example of how the legacy of the 1901 Convention lives on.

In today’s Virginia, 350,000 people are still disenfranchised by the 1901 law, and many of them are African Americans.

Nationwide, 48 states allow some form of felony disenfranchisement, and one out of every 13 voting-age African Americans is affected.

In four states - Virginia, Iowa, Kentucky, and Florida - disenfranchisement can be permanent.

When Virginia introduced felony disenfranchisement in 1901, they also expanded the list of felony crimes. By raising the penalty for a number of minor offenses, they planned to lock African Americans in the prison system - and out of the political system. A century later, our drug laws have the same amplifying effect. African Americans are far more likely to be arrested for minor drug crimes, and therefore more

likely to have their vote taken away.

The good news is that Delaware and other states are beginning to turn the tide.

In Virginia, Governor Bob McDonnell has sped up the review process for those who have finished the terms of their sentence. So far he has restored the votes of more than 4,000 citizens. And Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, who callously eliminated automatic restoration of voting rights early in his term, is now taking steps toward restoring those rights.

These are certainly steps in the right direction, but there is more work to do.

Virginia, Iowa, Kentucky, and Florida still allow permanent disenfranchisement, and 44 other states permit some level of felony disenfranchisement. You can learn about the law in your state at www.restorethevotes. org. If you or someone in your community is affected, you can use that information to educate your family, your community and your elected officials about why this is an important issue.

Felony disenfranchisement is an affront to our democracy.

Millions of people like Kemba Smith-Pradida parents, workers, and community leaders - pay taxes, raise families and contribute to society. But they cannot fully participate in our democracy.

If poll taxes, literacy tests, and gumball-counting tests could be outlawed because of their racist intent, then felony disenfranchisement laws from the same era should be overturned today.

Ben Jealous is president/CEO of the NAACP.

insightnews.com

Insight News • April 29 - May 5, 2013 • Page 11

HEALTH Awareness is key to diagnosing rare diseases (StatePoint) Nearly 30 million Americans -- or one in 10 -are currently affected by a rare disease. Many of these patients are now starting to speak out about the unique challenges they face daily.

“Rare disease patients worldwide face many similar challenges, but because their conditions are so rare, they often feel alone and isolated,” said Peter L. Saltonstall, President and CEO of the National Organization for Rare Disorders.

“By standing together and sharing our experiences with rare diseases, we can more effectively address these challenges and build a better world for rare disease patients.”

In the United States, a disease is considered rare if it affects fewer than 200,000 people.

Because of the rarity of their conditions, patients may often be challenged to find information, support, and knowledgeable doctors. Furthermore, it often takes five years or longer to receive an accurate diagnosis of a rare disease. According to the

(c) mangostock - Fotolia.com

More Americans suffering from rare diseases are joining forces to share their experiences and speak out.

National Institutes of Health, there are about 7000 identified rare diseases, 80 percent of which are genetic.

One such rare disease is Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic

Syndromes (CAPS) -- a serious, lifelong autoinflammatory disease affecting about one in one million people in the United States.

Because there are so few CAPS patients, online resources play

an important role in uniting the community. CAPSConnectsUs. com, a new educational Web site from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, enables CAPS patients in the United States to

connect online to share their stories, encouragement, and advice about managing daily challenges.

Dave Crawford of Dallas knows firsthand the importance of sharing his story with others.

He was diagnosed with CAPS in 2010 after suffering from the painful, mysterious symptoms since childhood. He shared his story with his hometown newspaper last year and was contacted by a local man who had read about his experience.

He explained that he and several family members had been experiencing the same symptoms that Crawford had described their whole lives, and following a referral to Crawford’s physician, the man was also diagnosed with CAPS. “I take every opportunity to speak out about CAPS, and it’s a great feeling to know that my story helped others to get a correct diagnosis,” said Crawford. “I remember the frustration of coping with the daily symptoms and not knowing what caused them, and I’m glad

I could help end that mystery for another family.”

For more than 50 years, Dave Crawford experienced daily red bumpy rashes, fevers, conjunctivitis, headaches, joint swelling, and muscle aches. The symptoms often occurred after exposure to cold or damp air, but also flared spontaneously. His mother, grandmother, and greatgrandmother had also lived with the same painful symptoms, but never received a diagnosis.

“CAPS is treatable, but often misdiagnosed or undiagnosed because few physicians are familiar with it, and its symptoms can resemble more common conditions,” said Dr. Barbara Baxter, an allergist in Dallas.

“Rare disease patients are often undiagnosed for years, and accurately diagnosing a patient who has been struggling to get answers is one of the most rewarding experiences for a doctor.”

Visit CAPSConnectsUS. com to see a video of Crawford’s journey and to learn more about CAPS.

Minnesota’s diabetes rates have nearly doubled in the last 20 years The Minnesota Department of Health estimates that about 80,000 adults in Minnesota may have diabetes without knowing it.

Given the seriousness of the disease, the Minnesota Department of Health is encouraging Minnesotans this Diabetes Alert Day, Tuesday, March 26, to ask themselves whether they are at risk for diabetes and to take steps to improve their health.

The percentage of adults in Minnesota who are living with diabetes nearly doubled between 1994 and 2010 and these numbers under-represent the true number of people living with the condition. About 290,000 adults in Minnesota, or 7.3 percent, say they have been told by their health care team they have diabetes.

National data show that only 75 percent of adults with diabetes know that they have the disease.

Given Minnesota’s population, about 80,000 Minnesotans might have the disease without being aware of it.

“Given the alarming increase

of diabetes, we are encouraging Minnesotans to use this day to think about whether they or someone they love might have diabetes or prediabetes and not even know about it,” said Minnesota Health Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger. “Diabetes is a very treatable disease and it is important that everyone with diabetes takes steps to get their blood sugar under control and lead a healthier life.”

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes and often does not have symptoms.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include being overweight, being older, and for women, having had gestational diabetes during a pregnancy, and having prediabetes. People of color and American Indians also have a higher risk of developing diabetes.

As a first step, Minnesotans can take a simple paper or online test to see if they are at risk for diabetes or prediabetes, at the website http://www. diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/ prevention/diabetes-risk-test/.

If you have a score of five or

more talk with your health care provider to decide if additional tests are needed. Prediabetes is a warning sign for diabetes and occurs when blood sugar is high, but not high enough to be considered diabetes. People with prediabetes are at increased risk of developing diabetes. National studies suggest about one-third of Americans have prediabetes, which translates to around 1.4 million adults in Minnesota.

Most people with prediabetes do not know they have it.

For overweight people with prediabetes, losing even a small amount of weight and increasing physical activity can make a big difference. These steps can reduce diabetes risk, delaying or preventing onset of the disease.

MDH also encourages people at risk to get involved with the Diabetes Prevention Program.

Individuals can participate in this year-long program that helps people to make lifestyle changes that can reduce diabetes risks. Many organizations in Minnesota offer this program.

Listings can be found at: www. icanpreventdiabetes.org.

They’re back and they’re gross, but bed bugs can be conquered ST. PAUL, Minn. (4/17/2013) —Bed bugs have resurged to become a significant pest of the 21st century, but an entomologist with University of Minnesota Extension has made it his goal to beat the bed bug through research and education.

North Americans have had a 30-year reprieve from this pest, after bed bugs were almost completely banished as a result of mass treatments with older types of insecticides. “Recently though, bed bugs have found ample opportunity to increase in numbers, due to changes in the way we use insecticides, lack of public knowledge about

the pest and increased mobility in society” said Stephen Kells, Extension entomologist.

Last year, the Let’s Beat the Bug! campaign began helping Minnesotans learn about bed bug prevention and control.

“Since then, we’ve expanded our reach by working with public health workers, landlords and others and producing videos and fact sheets in Hmong, Somali, Spanish and Arabic,” Kells said.

Kells also expanded his research base, for example, studying the natural chemical, or pheromone, the bed bugs use to attract other bed bugs to a location. Such information could lead to better

ways to disrupt the insect’s spread and lifecycle.

Kells is doing laboratory studies on insecticides to determine how to make them more effective. Insecticides are far from the only treatment, though. Kells and his team have studied ways that heat treatments can end infestations and worked with companies that develop the heat treatment machinery.

“Heat is a viable alternative to controlling these pests and Minnesota is a leader in using this technology to control bed

MDH efforts The Minnesota Department of Health’s Diabetes Program works in partnership with organizations throughout the state to prevent type 2 diabetes and improve care for people with diabetes. MDH increases awareness about diabetes and prediabetes, supports health care providers to identify and care for people with diabetes and prediabetes, offers effective programs like the Diabetes Prevention Program, and, through the Statewide Health Improvement Program, creates environments that make it easier for Minnesotans to eat healthfully, be physically active and not use tobacco. Together, these approaches support a

healthier Minnesota and reduce the risk for developing diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Diabetes background Diabetes is a set of diseases with many different causes. All people with diabetes have high levels of blood sugar. Diabetes develops when the body cannot make insulin, a hormone that helps cells to use blood sugar (glucose) for energy, or if the insulin cannot be used properly.

Most people talk about three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes.

Both type 1 and type 2 tend to be life-long conditions, but the causes differ. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and goes away after pregnancy for most women.

YOUR

However, women who had gestational diabetes are likely to develop type 2 diabetes after pregnancy.

Over time high levels of blood sugar from diabetes can damage the body and lead to problems like heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye problems, dental problems, and many other conditions. For people with diabetes, controlling blood sugar is a powerful way to prevent these health problems.

To learn more about diabetes and prediabetes in Minnesota, visit the MDH website and recently released fact sheets on diabetes and prediabetes at http://www.health.state.mn.us/ diabetes/.

VOICE IS STILL BEING HEARD.

WE’VE

BEEN EXPECTING YOU.

BUGS TURN TO 12

At UCare, we know Boomers. So as you make your move to Medicare, consider the health plan that hits all the right notes.

UCare for SeniorsSM lets you choose from plans that cover prescription drugs, travel, eyewear, dental, fitness programs like SilverSneakers® and more.

There are no co-pays for primary care visits with most plans. And you’ll get to talk to a real person 24/7 when you call customer service. It’s just what you’d expect from health care that starts with you.

Learn more about the benefits of UCare for Seniors in our new eGuide to Medicare at ucareplans.org/eguide. Or call (toll free) 1-877-523-1518 (TTY) 1-800-688-2534, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

UCare Minnesota and UCare Health, Inc. are health plans with Medicare contracts. ©2013, UCare H2459 H4270_101512 CMS Accepted (10202012)

Page 12 • April 29 - May 5, 2013 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Dunning From 1 the Grossers, are white.

Last month, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled 5-2 against Dunning and thus, the girls remain in the custody of the Grossers, who say they plan to permanently adopt the sisters.

But despite the fact that the state’s highest court ruled against Dunning, she has vowed to fight on and is pushing for legislative change in how children are cared for once parental rights have been terminated.

“I’m willing to take care of my grandchildren for free, and the state of Minnesota is charging you (tax payers) to take care on my grandbabies,” said Dunning, during a protest rally inside the atrium of the Hennepin County Courthouse in downtown Minneapolis

Johns From 1 Indianapolis. I saw firsthand how that business not only improved the lives of our family, but also created opportunities for his employees and our community.

My grandfather’s entrepreneurial spirit has inspired my work every day at the SBA.” Johns is proud of her accomplishments at the SBA. “All across the SBA, we have worked hard to address the needs of underserved communities,” she said in her note to the staff. “We have worked together to improve processes and programs with the goal of making the SBA one of the best places to work in the federal government. We have joined together after countless disasters to assist families and business

Bugs From 11 bugs,” Kells said.

In addition to homes and hotels, bed bugs may show up in

Harry Colbert, Jr.

Dorothy Dunning and her supporters held a rally at the Hennepin County Courthouse to bring attention to her fight for custody of her grandchildren.

about your money.”

Dunning has vowed to take her fight beyond the reach of Minnesota and is set to travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with legislators from Minnesota and her home state of Mississippi.

Members of the National Action Network, a civil rights advocacy organization, will accompany Dunning.

Lennox Abrigo of the D.C. branch of the National Action Network is calling on the United States Congress to intervene on Dunning’s behalf.

“Not only do we need a change of heart, we need a change in legislation,” said Abrigo.

“These rallies will continue until Mrs. Dunning gets her (grand) children. Those who took them must return them. The problem is the hearts of (Minnesota) government officials are as cold as the weather in Minnesota.”

Former Minneapolis NAACP president Leola Seals agreed.

“Minnesotans call it Minnesota Nice; actually it’s Minnesota Ice,” said Seals when talking about the state’s foster care system. “Minnesota is more racist than Mississippi, Texas and Alabama all put together.

They are snatching up our babies.

White folks are getting rich raising our children.”

Hattie Bond, who spoke during the 30-minute rally, said what is happening with the placement of African-American children in the foster care system is akin to the slave trade.

“It’s important to keep African-American families together,” said Bond. “We are human beings. We are not puppies; we are not cattle.”

Dunning said for her this issue is not merely about race; it is about family. “It’s not a Black or white thing, it’s about a grandmother who loves her grandchildren,” said Dunning.

Dunning claims the state is paying $1,400 a week to care for her grandchildren, including

hiring a nanny for the Grossers.

“Why would you (tax payers) pay somebody $1,400 a week

and I don’t want a dime,” asked Dunning. “This is what you should be appalled about; it’s

owners as they rebuild their lives and livelihoods. We have provided businesses the capital, counseling, and contracting they need to fuel economic growth and create jobs. And, together, we have helped restore confidence in the American Dream.”

If the American Dream is going to be realized, it will be partly as a result of growing in global markets.

“About 87 percent of the exporters in the country are small businesses,” she said. “But the majority of them export to one country.” She explained, “Ninetyplus percent of the consumer power in the world is outside of the United States. So, exports have to be part of the growth strategy for small businesses down the road.”

Michael A. Grant, president of the National Bankers Association, credited Johns with restoring trust between the NBA, most of whose

members are Black, and the federal agency.

“She actively and aggressively worked to include minority banks in all new programs,” he said.

“Instead of merely urging small banks to develop stronger ties to big banks, she made sure that happened. She brought five or six mega-banks to our meeting. She not only set up the meeting, she chaired the meeting herself. She is incredible.”

Harry C. Alford, president of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, is perhaps Johns’ fiercest critic. He uses another word – “terrible” – to describe her tenure at the SBA. “She has actually refused to meet with any of our 150 chapters,” he said via email. “Ignoring the largest Black business association in the world is a blueprint for failure. The numbers show it – 1% Black contracting and 1%

SBA guaranteed loans to Black business.”

Alford cites the SBA as the source of his figures. However, Johns says the SBA does not separate figures by race, though it hopes to eventually be able to provide a more detailed breakout. She says that over the past four years, SBA has supported more than $106 billion in lending to more than 193,000 small businesses and entrepreneurs, including two record years of providing more than $30 billion in loan guarantees.

In addition, she said, her agency has helped small businesses access more than $286.3 billion in federal contracts – $32 billion more than the preceding three years. That is more noteworthy because the increased spending with small businesses occurred as overall

federal contract spending was decreasing.

She said Black businesses have profited from that activity.

Ron Busby, president of the U.S. Black Chamber, Inc., has worked closely with Johns.

He drafted a letter on behalf of his organization, the National Bankers Association, the NAACP, the National Urban League, the National 8(a) Association and other groups urging President Obama to select her to head the SBA following the resignation of Administrator Karen Mills.

“Deputy Administrator Johns is one of the strongest advocates in the federal government for small businesses overall, as well as for small businesses owned by racial and ethnic minorities,” the letter said. It went on to praise her for increasing access to capital, expanding federal contracting

with people of color and helping create partnerships with other ethnic business associations.

Johns says she has also sought to build a greater sensitivity to what she calls underserved groups. By her count, she has met with staff in all 10 regions and visited 48 district offices, 41 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

Johns said she is pleased that capital is again flowing to small businesses, SBA paperwork has been reduced and that she has aggressively engaged business groups, not waiting for them to come to the SBA for support.

When pressed to cite her greatest accomplishment, Johns said, “I would say leaving a legacy of commitment to the underserved agenda for the SBA and really putting in place programs and initiatives that will carry on.”

in schools, retail facilities, office buildings, libraries and other public areas. Even hospitals have sometimes been challenged keeping them away. The Let’s Beat the Bug! campaign has developed guidelines to help schools and other facilities prevent and control bed bugs.

Insecticides available on store shelves are not effective.

If you want to control bed bugs with insecticides, you must call a professional. The website provides tips to control and prevent bed bugs via nonchemical practices. Apartment dwellers should contact their

landlords; property managers are responsible for keeping units free of infestations.

“Bed bugs spend 80 percent of their lives in hiding.

Sprays and bug bombs often reach everywhere in living spaces except for where the bugs are hiding,” Kells said.

Professionals are better able to determine where the pests hide, either through careful inspections or the use of dogs trained to smell out bed bugs.

They are also licensed to use controlled insecticides, and are trained to use them in a way that targets the bug populations

while protecting humans and pets from the chemicals.

For detailed information, visit www.bedbugs.umn.edu or call the Bed Bug Information line at (612) 624-2200 or 1-855644-2200, or email questions to bedbugs@umn.edu.