Insight News ::: 04.10.17

WINNER: 2016 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 1ST PLACE COMMUNIT Y SERVICE, 3RD PLACE BEST USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS

Insight News April 10 - April 16, 2017

Vol. 44 No. 14• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

On the Shoulder of Giants The artwork of Mackenzie Owens TURN TO PAGE 2

Saint Harriet Mackenzie Owens

Page 2 • April 10 - April 16, 2017 • Insight News

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Mackenzie Owens: On the shoulders of giants

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor Mackenzie Owens isn’t formally trained as an artist.

In fact, she’s only been practicing her craft for about five or six years. But her art is that of the ages. It honors the past, speaks to the present and offers hope for the future. With her series of futuristic ancestors, she reminds us that we are standing “On the Shoulders of Giants.”

A multi-medium artist, Owens uses paints, acrylics, pencils, gold foil and more to create her otherworldly pieces, which pay homage to Black activists and scholars. The series, “On the Shoulders of Giants,” presents the likes of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass with celestial backgrounds and accents that connect the past to the future. Owens said the series is divinely inspired.

“The cosmos and stars (in her artwork) represent infinite space and infinite ideas,” said Owens. “My artwork is expressionistic with realism. It allows me to connect with my ancestry and Black culture in ways that I hadn’t before.”

The “On the Shoulders” series is resonating with others as well. The art featuring Tubman and Douglass (titled “Saint Harriet” and “Saint Frederick”) was on display at a City Wide Artists gallery showing and purchased by Neighborhoods

Courtesy of Mackenzie Ownens

Mackenzie Owens Organizing for Change (NOC) executive director, Anthony Newby.

“Having my work hanging at NOC; that’s who I make

these pieces for (Black people),” said Owens. “(The purchase) was brokered by a Black man who owns the gallery and a Black person purchased (the

Saint Frederick Douglass

paintings).”

Owens’ work is also the artwork for the upcoming opera, “Mother King,” the story of Alberta Williams King, the mother of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. The play that features an all-people of color cast opens July 20 at the Public Functionary, 1400 12th Ave. N.E. in Minneapolis.

Owens’ art is also wearable.

A jewelry maker, Owens shares her gift with others.

“I also teach jewelry making workshops in North Minneapolis to middle and high school students. Not only do we make earrings for them to take home to family members, but I really try to discuss with them the possibility and reality of being business owner. As a woman of color I understand the importance of representation, and being able to see that this (owning a business) can be done,” said Owens.

Indeed Owens is succeeding at business as well. When she’s not creating art that sells from $30 for a print to $300 for an original, she’s selling homes in the area as a licensed realtor.

Owens’ artwork is being featured in the Black Magik Woman III show at Norseman Distillery, 451 Taft St. N.E. No. 19, Minneapolis, on April 24 during Minnesota Fashion Week.

To view more works by Owens visit her website at www. ogknz.com.

Community leadership social hour with twin cities, African-American professionals

Dr. Jacob Gayle

Shawntera Hardy

Jason Sole

Sondra Samuels

The Medtronic Foundation in partnership with the Make It MSP initiative is hosting

a happy hour for AfricanAmerican professionals to discuss community leadership

and its role in career development.

The event takes place

Wednesday (April 19) from 5p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

Admission is free. Those interested can register at w w w. e v e n t b r i t e . c o m / e / community-leadership-socialhour-with-msp-africanamerican-professionals-tickets33186035325X. The event will feature a cross-sector group of African-American leaders including Shawntera Hardy, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Jason Sole, president of the Minneapolis NAACP, Sondra Samuels, president and CEO of the Northside Achievement Zone and Dr. Jacob Gayle, president of the Medtronic Foundation. The event will

highlight the work of United Negro College Fund of Minneapolis and there will be an onsite volunteer activity to benefit the students of Project Success.

All attendees will be entered in a drawing to win tickets to the 2017 UNCF Minneapolis Masked Ball.

In February the Make It MSP initiative revealed insights gathered from more than 1,000 local professionals of color. A consistent theme was the need for culturally-relevant spaces for professionals of color to meet one another and discuss issues important to them.

Thor’s Art Gardner named a ‘40 Under 40’ business star in Twin Cities A Twin Cities business journal named Art Gardner, director of project management with Thor Construction, to its 2017 “40 under 40” list of outstanding young business professionals in the Twin Cities.

“It’s a privilege to be included among such a distinguished list of young Twin Cities professionals,” said Gardner. “I have to give a lot of credit to Thor for providing me with the opportunities to grow in my career and achieve professional success.”

The Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal presented Gardner with his “40 Under 40”

award earlier this month.

“Art’s in good company with the 40 Under 40 selection,” said Ravi Norman, chief executive officer of Minneapolisbased Thor. “He earned his place on this list. He works extremely hard and always goes the extra mile to deliver value to our clients, which makes him one of our key employees.”

Gardner kicked off his career with Thor in major-league fashion, as the company assigned him to work on the construction of Target Field, the $400 million baseball stadium built for the Minnesota Twins.

From there, Gardner worked on

Art Gardner, THOR Construction

projects including a new $35 million headquarters facility for the Minneapolis Public Schools, the $1 billion Green and Blue Line light rail transit connector between the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul where Thor placed all the structural concreteand then on to a threeyear stint in the construction of U.S. Bank Stadium, the $1.1 billion home of the Minnesota Vikings football team completed in July 2016.

Gardner served as concrete quality control manager for both Thor and its co-construction management partner, Mortenson Construction, on the stadium

build-out, working to ensure quality standards were met for the placement of 100,000 cubic yards of concrete. He also took on responsibilities for overseeing the installation of the entire food service operation at the stadium – a vast undertaking involving more than 40 individual concession stands, eight standalone bars, a fullservice restaurant and several high-volume kitchens.

Currently, Gardner handles project management responsibilities for Thor’s share of work on the $120 million renovation of Target Center.

PPGJ recognized as small business champion Local business Planting People, Growing Justice (PPGJ) has been chosen as a winner of The 2017 American Small Business Championship hosted by Score, the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors.

The award went to 102 entrepreneurs for their dedication to the success of their small businesses. The American Small Business Champions will each receive a $1,000 Sam’s Club gift card, an all-expense-paid trip to a training and networking event, and Score mentoring and publicity throughout the year.

PPGJ earned the title of American Small Business Champion by submitting an online application describing the most unique aspect of their small business that has contributed to their success, their positive impact on the community, and their plans to use the prizes to grow

their business. Nominations that garnered at least 100 votes were then presented to a judging panel of small business experts that determined 102 winners including PPGJ. PPGJ is an organization that is set on building strong communities by developing leaders and empowering them to discover their own leadership potential in order to make an impact in the world. PPGJ started in 2014 through the vision of Dr. Artika Tyner who is committed to planting seeds of change in order to make the world a better place. PPGJ is currently working on a youth education project that seeks to empower leaders of tomorrow by promoting literacy, cultural awareness, and leadership development.

“We are grateful to receive this recognition since it signifies a new chapter in PPGJ’s journey.

From our humble beginnings of teaching one student at a time

Artika Tyner to building an expanded global reach of touching the lives of

thousands, each day we are planting seeds of social change,”

said Tyner.

Tyner is an Insight News contributing columnist.

“Score is very pleased to honor the hard work and accomplishments of these 102 small business owners. They come from all across the United States, and provide diverse products and services for their clients, but all share in their dedication to making their dreams a reality,” said Score CEO Ken Yancey. “It is our pleasure to provide the mentoring, tools and resources that will help them continue to grow their businesses and enhance the communities they serve.”

“At Sam’s Club, we proudly support and celebrate the unique experience of the small business owner,” said Tracey Brown, senior vice president of operations and chief experience officer at Sam’s Club. “We are inspired daily by their ability to navigate challenges and

triumphs on the road to success.

And now, hopefully, the rest of the nation will be, too, as they get to know some of the nation’s most promising small business owners.”

PPGJ is also eligible to win one of three additional $25,000 grand prizes by being named Grand Champion. A judging panel of small business experts will select three Grand Champions from the group of Small Business Champions this summer. Selection is based on how effectively awardees utilize the Sam’s Club gift card and the Score regional training events to grow business revenue, as well as other criteria.

To learn more about The American Small Business Championship and to view the complete list of Champions, visit www.championship.score. org.

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Insight News • April 10 - April 16, 2017 • Page 3

aesthetically speaking

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

MORE ON PAGE 10

WINNER: 2016 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 1ST PLACE COMMUNIT Y SERVICE, 3RD PLACE BEST USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS

Insight News April 10 - April 16, 2017

Vol. 44 No. 14• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Protect Black women

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor To quote a most eloquent modern-day poet, Ice Cube, “Oh yeah, it ain’t over.”

The actual quote ends with a more colorful word choice that I will not use … but I’m sure thinking it when it comes to Sean Spicer, Bill O’Reilly and anyone else who thinks for one minute we will allow the demeaning, belittling and dehumanizing of Black women.

Not on my watch.

Cube’s words are the opening salvo to the most vicious and eviscerating dis track of all time, “No Vaseline.”

Cube’s former bandmates, NWA, lobbed a couple of disses at the artist who jettisoned the group. Cube dropped a couple

of projects before choosing to respond, but reminded NWA and the world that he had not forgotten.

A lot has happened since March 28 when on separate occasions white men decided it was somehow OK to belittle and berate US Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and esteemed White House correspondent April Ryan. But trust, it ain’t over … it’s far from over. I have not forgotten. And quite frankly, I’m ashamed at myself and certainly at others that it took so long for brothers to come out and say with the clarity of the most precious diamond, “Black women will not be subject for your rage and we will defend them to the hilt.”

We will not accept it in regards to any women, and accordingly, we denounce your

verbal slaps of Rep. Maxine Waters and esteemed White House correspondent April Ryan.

Waters and Ryan demonstrate daily what it is to be strong, intelligent, assertive … and yes, beautiful Black women.

In the family of Blackness, we, Black men, will protect them like our mother and our sister.

And yes, I know both are beyond capable of handling such affairs by themselves, but we, Black men, are saying “we know you can, but you don’t have to … we got this.”

Bill O’Reilly, you have shown time and again that you don’t value any woman – as evidenced by the multiple allegations of sexual harassment wikipedia.com

BLACK WOMEN 4

Rep. Maxine Waters

twitter.com

April Ryan White House Journalist

Pfizer, National Newspaper Publishers Association (Left to right) Anika Robbins, Keith Downey, Al McFarlane, Hollis Winston and Susan Bower discuss political empowerment during a taping of “Conversations with Al McFarlane.”

collaborate to raise awareness of sickle cell disease and need for improved patient care Washington D.C. – the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), a trade association of more than 200 African-American–owned community newspapers from around the United States and Pfizer, Inc. are collaborating to raise awareness of sickle cell disease, a lifelong and debilitating genetic disorder that affects red blood cells.

The first initiative under the collaboration will be a national poll, conducted in partnership with Howard University’s Interdisciplinary Research Team in Washington, D.C. The goal is to assess the awareness of sickle cell disease, the challenges of living with the disease and the importance of clinical trial participation in helping researchers succeed

DFL, Republicans

need to work to attract Black voters

By Ingrid Ferlo In the November 2016 general election as important as the number of votes that were cast for

Harry Colbert, Jr.

The Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis, president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, announcing a partnership with Pfizer to help find treatment for sickle cell disease. in developing potential new treatments. In a review of 174 sickle cell disease trials, difficulty enrolling patients was

the stated cause in nearly half of the 30 percent of the trials that were terminated early.

“This collaboration with

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump was the number of votes that we not cast at all.

While Clinton garnered more

BLACK VOTERS 5

Pfizer provides an opportunity for NNPA to inform and educate

SICKLE CELL 4

Community rallies to support radio legend ‘Q Bear’ KMOJ personality Walter ‘Q Bear’ Banks, Jr. dealing with health issues

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor For almost as long as there’s been Black radio in Minnesota “Q Bear” has been bringing it to us.

Now the community that he loves so much is returning that love in the form of donations to assist him as he deals with multiple health issues.

Walter “Q Bear” Banks, Jr. has been on leave from his beloved KMOJ evening drive-time slot as he deals with complications from rheumatoid arthritis, congested heart failure and slight kidney failure. With mounting medical bills, a GoFundMe campaign was

created on April 1 with the hopes of raising $5,000. As of April 6 the campaign had generated $6,150 – a testament to how much the gentle giant means to the community.

“When you think of Black radio in Minnesota the first name people should think about is Q Bear,” said Freddie Bell, program director at KMOJ. “Q Bear is everybody’s best friend. People have a special relationship with Q Bear.”

One of those special relationships was formed with his former drive-time co-host, Shed G. “Q Bear was one of the guys

David Bradley

Raeisha Williams (front), candidate for Minneapolis City Council, Ward 5, talking to reporters during an April 4 press conference announcing she and Nekima Levy-Pounds, candidate for Minneapolis mayor, will not seek the DFL endorsement.

Levy-Pounds, Williams announce decision to not seek DFL endorsements Courtesy of Q Bear’s facebook

Walter “Q Bear’”Banks, Jr.

Q BEAR 6

Business

USDA director: Agriculture census important for Black farmers

PAGE 4

Being endorsed by the people is more important than being endorsed by the DFL. That was the message of two candidates running for office

Lifestyle

May your children grow up and out

PAGE 5

Health

Does it cost to urinate without pain under Obamacare?

PAGE 6

in Minneapolis.

Nekima Levy-Pounds and

DFL 5

Community

North High boys meet Edina on ice

PAGE 9

Page 4 • April 10 - April 16, 2017 • Insight News

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Business

USDA director: Agriculture census important for Black farmers

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Contributor At first glance, King Whetstone might present an unusual visual.

First, he appears younger than his 40 years – but that’s not why he might stand out.

Whetstone once played basketball at Prairie View A&M University, a historically Black university and the second-oldest institution of higher learning in Texas, renowned for its engineering and agriculture. On the basketball court, Whetstone helped his team to its only NCAA Tournament appearance in 1998 and played against NBA greats such as Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce. But instead of competing

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

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Assistant to the Publisher Shumira Cunningham Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Managing Editor Harry Colbert, Jr. Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Associate Editor Culture and Education Dr. Irma McClaurin Associate Editor Leadership and Social Enterprise Dr. Anita Davis-DeFoe Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Contributing Writers Melvin Carter, Jr. Julie Desmond Fred Easter Gloria Freeman Timothy Houston Penny Jones-Richardson Michelle Mitchum Darren Moore Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography David Bradley Rebecca Rabb 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.

in the NBA, Whetstone is promoting agriculture. And, he’s also trying to reach out to farmers – particularly farmers of color – as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) prepare for the Census of Agriculture.

The census includes the number of farms by size and type, inventory and values for crops and livestock, operator characteristics, and other analysis.

“It’s a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them,” said Whetstone, a Greenville, Texas native who has spent more than 20 years at the USDA in various locations including in New York, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Arkansas and Washington, D.C. Whetstone said even small plots of land – whether rural or urban – growing fruit, vegetables or some food animals count during the census if $1,000 or more of those products have been raised and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year.

NASS has created a new

web form for the census to make it easier for respondents to participate. Also, mailings, telephone calls and other forms of contacting farmers are planned for the census, taken every five years. It looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures.

“Our goal is to make sure that we have a complete count,” said Whetstone. “The census (data) is used to help shape the future of agriculture now and in the years to come, so farmers are helping themselves by participating.”

Through the census, producers can show the nation the value and importance of agriculture, and they can help influence the decisions that will shape the future of American agriculture for years to come, according to the USDA. By responding, producers are helping themselves, their communities, and all agriculture across the country and they’re also in line to receive various grants and other benefits that might be available for farmers. Officials stress that accuracy in reporting is key.

Shalyn Whetstone

King Whetstone stresses the importance of the USDA Census for Farmers.

African-American and other ethnic farmers are of interest to Whetstone, an AfricanAmerican who oversees a diverse department of about 45 individuals.

He said that it’s historically been a tough task getting Blacks and other ethnic groups to respond, but stresses that it’s a priority.

“Part of my job includes making sure farmers want to respond to our surveys and censuses and that researchers

choose to use our data because it is the most accurate and unbiased,” said Whetstone.

In 2012, the census revealed that the number of Black farmers in the U.S. stood at 44,269, a 12 percent increase over the previous survey five years earlier. Nationally, Black farmers made up 1.4 percent of the country’s 3.2 million farmers; while 33,371 African-Americans counted as principal operators – the individual in charge of the farm’s day-to-day operations, a nine percent increase over the previous census while principal operators of all farms declined by four percent.

Although farms with Black operators tend to be smaller than others and with fewer acres and lower sales, Black principal operators sold $846 million of agriculture products in 2012, including $502 million in crop sales and $344 million in livestock while operating 3.6 million acres of farmland.

Still, getting farmers, especially those of color, to respond to the census is important to Whetstone who, despite his hardwood success, has farming in

his blood. Recently, he discovered a World War I draft card of ancestor Neal Whetstone, which listed his occupation as “farmer.”

Whetstone’s paternal grandfather also farmed in Lincoln, Texas and a maternal grandfather, Lafayette Garrett, raised cattle in the south.

“I’m the grandson of a cattle rancher, so intrepid that even after my then 70-something yearold grandfather was kicked by a horse, he continued to ranch,” said Whetstone in a posting on the USDA website. “I like to think I’ve inherited that tenacious nature and apply it to everything I do, even building awareness of the relevance of agricultural statistics. I have found that farmers respond to my agency’s requests for information when they understand how official government statistics help them manage risks, conserve natural resources and promote a healthy agricultural production and marketing system in which they benefit.”

To sign up for the agricultural census, visit www.agcensus.usda. gov.

CBC delivers ‘We Have a Lot to Lose’ paper to President Trump

and violence that plagues some neighborhoods while neglecting the stories of Black achievement and success.

Despite his parade of Black celebrity friends, Trump’s relationship with the AfricanAmerican community is often defined by the incendiary media campaign he ran against the “Central Park Five,” four Black and one Hispanic youth, who were charged and convicted for the brutal sexual assault of a young, White investment banker in New York City’s Central Park in 1989. Trump paid for ads in four of the city’s newspapers.

Trump and his father, Fred Trump, also faced housing discrimination allegations in the 1970s, when it was discovered that Blacks were routinely blocked from living in some of

the apartments operated by the Trump Management Company.

The case was settled, “with no admission of guilt.”

So why meet with Trump?

Members of the Black Caucus were pointed.

“President Trump has met with various African-Americans, however we’re the only AfricanAmericans that are elected to the United States Congress that can develop policy and offer a different viewpoint,” said Richmond, as he left the White House. “The CBC represents 78 million Americans, we consistently fight poverty, no matter who it affects.”

Lawrence, who represents parts of Detroit, said that the CBC doesn’t have the luxury of passing on a meeting with president.

“If there’s an opportunity to

improve life for our constituents, we will take it,” said Lawrence.

The congresswoman spoke with Trump about recent news that the Environmental Protection Agency has set aside $100 million to address the water crisis in Flint, Mich. Lawrence said she was surprised that Trump knew the details of the situation and asked her who was at fault.

“It was a meeting where both sides listened and it was a meeting where we were very candid about disagreements,” said Richmond. “The surprising part is when we talked about the goals; there were more similarities than differences.

The route to get there is where you may see differences. Part of that is just education and life experiences.”

Each member at the meeting said that there were several direct and blunt exchanges with the president.

Bass said that she told the president that his comments about African American communities were not only hurtful, but also had the potential to perpetuate negative stereotypes about Blacks and to shape the discourse surrounding mass incarceration and police reform.

Carson, a former police officer who is the second Muslim elected to Congress in 2008, said that he confronted Trump about some of the negative comments that Trump made about Muslim-

Jr., NNPA president. “Together with Pfizer, we look forward to providing sickle cell disease education that can underscore the importance of improving quality of care in the community.”

Sickle cell disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States, affecting nearly 100,000 Americans.

Although it affects many different ethnic groups, the majority of people with sickle cell disease

are of African descent. In the United States, sickle cell disease occurs in approximately one out of every 365 African-American births. Access to care and delivery of innovative treatments prove to be among the most significant challenges faced by people living with sickle cell disease in America.

“At Pfizer, we are committed to delivering lifechanging therapies to people living with rare diseases, like

sickle cell disease,” said Kevin Williams, chief medical officer for Pfizer’s Rare Disease unit.

“Our commitment also goes beyond clinical research to supporting the rare disease community through innovative collaborations.

Working together, we hope to improve awareness and ultimately address the unmet medical needs of sickle cell disease patients.”

The poll results and

By Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Newswire Contributor Carrying a 130-page document titled, “We Have A Lot To Lose: Solutions to Advance Black Families in the 21st Century,” members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) sat down with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence to discuss a range of issues affecting the Black community.

CBC Chairman Cedric Richmond (D-La.), and the CBC executive board, which includes Reps. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.), Andre Carson (D-Ind.), Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) and Anthony Brown (D-Md.) attended the meeting. Senior CBC member Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) also attended the meeting.

The CBC delegation discussed with the commanderin-chief proposed federal budget cuts, Historically Black Colleges and Universities and jobs.

There has been a lot of discussion about whether the CBC should take a meeting with Trump, because of the president’s rhetoric regarding Black communities. On the campaign trail, he often painted the Black community with a broad brush, sensationalizing the poverty

Sickle cell From 3 the readers of our 211-member Black-owned newspapers in more than 70 markets across the country on sickle cell disease, an often misunderstood disease that has a profound impact on the health and well-being of those affected,” said the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis,

Lauren Victoria Burke/NNPA

CBC members take questions from journalists outside of the press briefing room at the White House.

Americans and Islam during his 2016 presidential campaign.

CBC members said they were surprised when Trump offered to meet with the group on a regular basis, perhaps quarterly. The members noted that it would take more than scheduled meetings in the Oval Office to affect systemic change in the U.S. The members also talked to the president about the impact of his recent budget blueprint that includes cuts to education and urban development.

With Republicans in control of the U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives and the White House, the Black Caucus is gearing up for a series of tough legislative battles over the next 19 months, until the midterm elections in November 2018.

“We never thought we’d agree on everything in this meeting, but the one thing we did ask for is (candor),” the CBC chairman told reporters at the White House after the meeting with Trump. “He listened, and we talked, and we proposed a lot of solutions, many of which, I think, he had not heard before, and we’re going to keep advocating.”

Lauren Victoria Burke is a political analyst who speaks on politics and African-American leadership. She is also a frequent contributor to the NNPA Newswire and BlackPressUSA. com.

information about sickle cell disease will be shared with the NNPA network and incorporated into educational programs at NNPA events. More information about sickle cell disease can be found at www.pfizer.com/healthand-wellness/health-topics/ sickle-cell-disease. For more information about the NNPA visit www.nnpa.org.

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Insight News • April 10 - April 16, 2017 • Page 5

May your children grow up and out Man Talk

By Timothy Houston Children not only need to grow up, they also need to grow out.

Transitioning children into adulthood can be challenging and rewarding. I have firsthand knowledge of the stages and

DFL From 3 Raeisha Williams, candidates for mayor and 5th Ward city council respectively, held a joint press conference on the steps of City Hall this past Tuesday (April 4) to announce they would not seek the DFL endorsement – an endorsement that holds significant weight in Minneapolis politics. April 4 was the date of endorsing caucuses in the city.

“The city of Minneapolis has been under the governance and control of the DFL Party

Black voters From 3 than 65 million votes and Trump more than 62 million, according to government statistics, more than 91 million elected not to vote at all. This week on “Conversations with Al McFarlane” political experts Keith Downey, head of the Republican party of Minnesota, Hollies Winston, leader of the African-American DFL Caucus and Susan Bower, demographer at the Minnesota State Department, discussed how to engage votes and the changing demographics of the Minnesota electorate.

Bower forecasts that although the largest voting population is still largely white in Minnesota, at more than 80 percent, there are signs that in five to 10 years, there will be drastic shift in the Minnesotan population. She said changes in population will eventually affect what candidates receive support at the polls and what issues are given predominance.

The question is then, what are the respective Republican and Democratic parties doing to court diverse voters. According to Downey, government programs that are seen as benefiting people of color are actually hurting them.

“When government expanded its welfare, minority groups did not benefit from it,” said Downey.

Winston said although Downey’s may look good on paper, in practice, the shifting of funding from government welfare directly into the hands of people of color has not happened during Republican administrations. He admitted that the Democratic Party has to be more intentional in engaging ethnic communities at a more personal level and not only through policy making. For that effect, according to Winston, the DFL is serious in its intention to foster diverse leaders, noting the historic election of Rep. Ilhan Omar as a candidate that the party fully supported. Stories like hers need to become more common in the party, according to Winston.

Neutralizing the political

Black Women From 3 and the millions of dollars (reportedly $13 million thus far) that your employer Fox News has paid out to settle claims of harassment against you.

Your comments regarding the physical appearance of Waters were out of bounds, juvenile and smacked of racism and your sense of white male privilege.

Your “jest” about her hair as you called it, wasn’t just “dumb” as you described it, and for once, I agree with you; it was cruel and demeaning. And it will not again be tolerated.

Sean Spicer you long ago lost my respect with your constant berating and lack of decorum when it comes to your interactions with White House journalists. Your chastising of Ryan takes it up a notch.

April Ryan is a respected journalist of more than 30 years.

trials that parents progress through as their child moves into maturity. This will only get more complicated as times goes on. Those of us who were successful were able to move from parent, to life coach, mentor, and counselor. Here are a few key tips to consider.

Take off your parenting hat and put on you coaching hat.

Think about the role of a coach.

They are usually on the sideline giving directions. They help the individual to see things that are not always apparent to those that are in the game. The coach

is usually the one with the game plan. Your child may be an adult, but they can still benefit from you as an instructor. Share your wisdom and insight. You have experiences that will help them score big in the game of life.

Also take off your parenting hat and put on your mentoring hat. Help to foster a healthy sense of self, and recognize and respect different views of the world. They have their own thoughts and their view of the world is all their own. But every day, they are bombarded with things that negatively impact

their self-worth. Your words will help them develop their own style, likes and dislikes.

This positive outlook will help them obtain the tools needed to bring dreams into fruition. As a mentor, you can show them how to respect the differences in others by the way you respect the difference in them. Promoting a positive sense of self is an essential role of a mentor.

Finally take your off your parenting and put on your counselor hat. Wise counsel always points to God. Adult children are too big to remain

in your hands, so you have no other choice but to place them in God’s. Once you place them in his hands, you will no longer feel compelled to carry their emotional baggage. You will be free to focus of your future dreams and desires.

Releasing them into God’s hands is essential for your own wellbeing and theirs.

It is time to help your children grow up and out.

Don’t feel bad about it. The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us there is a time for every purpose under heaven. This

is the season to release. Seeds cannot grow in your hands. I pray the Lord’s blessing over you and all of your children.

May they grow up and out to live strong, productive lives.

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

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

for decades. Despite this fact, people of color, immigrants and indigenous populations in Minneapolis face some of the worst racial, social and economic disparities in the country,” said the candidates in a joint statement. “One major reason for the persistent racial disparities is the difficulty that communities of color face in gaining and maintaining political power. Political power is further restricted by DFL caucus and convention processes that are often confusing and unwelcoming to newcomers, immigrants, and young DFLers.

Beyond that, resources including time and money are wasted when the DFL convention process

lasts for several hours and fails to result in the endorsement of a candidate, which occurred prior to the last mayoral election.”

Levy-Pounds, former president of the Minneapolis NAACP, went further to say the DFL was unwelcoming to women of color seeking office.

“Women of color especially, are often discouraged and sometimes even blocked from pursuing political office

by DFL leaders and insiders,” said mayoral candidate and civil rights attorney LevyPounds. “The DFL endorsement process reinforces the notion of political exclusivity and severely limits the possibility of viable candidates of color from

competing for office during November elections. In the advent of ranked-choice voting, it makes little sense to keep in place an antiquated process that limits voter choices and keeps power in the hands of the few. As a true progressive, I have made a conscious decision to no longer participate in an endorsement process that limits access to electoral power and often results in inequitable outcomes.”

Levy-Pounds is not the only African-American female candidate who has concerns about the DFL endorsement process.

“I have chosen to not seek the DFL endorsement because I am the people’s candidate,

not the system’s, not politics as usual, not the DFL party, but the people’s candidate,” said Williams, candidate for Ward 5 City Council. “Through my experience with the DFL, I have witnessed the means that they will take to silence the voices of Black women running for political office. I refuse to allow my voice to be silenced and I am committed to running for office to uplift and revitalize the North Minneapolis community. Win or lose, it will be by the hands of North Minneapolis residents who turn out at the polls on Nov. 7 and not by a small group of people who participate in the DFL Convention.”

According to Cathy Jones,

a longtime member of the DFL Party and labor union member, “The DFL party has long secured the voting power of people of color, but has failed to deliver on its promises of producing equitable outcomes for those on the margins of society. Indeed, 68 percent of residents favor a phased-in $15 an hour minimum wage and yet the DFL mayor (Mayor Betsy Hodges) and DFL city council members have refused to respond to the will of the people. Low income workers and workers of color need the support of true progressives in office and not politicians who are focused on maintaining the status quo.”

rhetoric, Anika Robbins the president of Black Votes Matter, said both parties must learn from the recent election in which the absence of the voter was more notable than the ones that voted.

She said from her interactions, people feel that the issues that affect them are opportunities for pandering and quickly discarded after elections. She said the inability to connect with voters, and in particular Black voters, cost the Democrats the elections.

“This election taught us that folks are recognizing that you cannot fall asleep at the wheel” said Robbins.

When it comes to disparities in voter engagement Winston said it goes back to historical involvement. He pointed out that while white people have been allowed to be politically involved for more than two centuries, in practice, Black people have only had the ability to vote for a half a century.

The power of voters of color has been recognized by both parties. Winston said the DFL understand there is an urgent need to reintegrate diverse voters, and the party is working on its identity.

“How do we strategies and put ourselves in a position to put more minorities in leading positions,” asked Winston.

The feeling of disenfranchisement has caused many African-Americans to consider “Blackxit,” a scenario in which African-Americans form their own party to represent the issues that affect them.

Robbins said the best way to engage Black voters is with sincere, intentional conversation.

“Having one-on-one conversations and building around common ground is where you can expect to see some changes,” said Robbins.

This episode of “Conversations with Al McFarlane” airs Tuesday (April 11) at 9 a.m. on KFAI Radio (90.3 FM and online at www. kfai.org) and on television on SPNN (Channel 19, St. Paul) at 9 p.m. on Tuesday and again on Thursday and MTN (Channel 16, Minneapolis) on Friday; also at 9 p.m.

She is a bestselling author. She has covered four presidents; and up until now had the respect of each one and each one’s administration.

You don’t have to like her, but you must respect her. I demand that you do.

Your boss has changed the tone in America, and it’s time we change the tone as well. While Michelle Obama – in all her regality – said “when they go low we go high,” I’m reminded of the words of Iyanla Vanzant when she said “you’ve got to meet people where they’re at.”

I would prefer that we not verbally jostle in the mud and manure. For goodness sakes, you are the spokesperson for the White House … act like it. Show some class. Elevate the civility of the conversation.

Sisters Waters and Ryan, again, my apologies for coming so late to your defense. And again, I know you don’t need your brothers’ backing, but I promise, you got it.

Page 6 • April 10 - April 16, 2017 • Insight News

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Insight 2 Health Does it cost to urinate without pain under Obamacare?

Health

By Peter Musimami The 2009 health disparities report from the Minnesota Department of health shows a disparity ratio of 42.6 for gonorrhea incidence in Black Minnesotans, which means they experienced rates of gonorrhea at least 42.6 times greater than

the group with the lowest rate, Asian-Americans. In fact, four of the 15 indicators had rates above 10, meaning that Black Minnesotans experience rates of these conditions that are at least 10 times greater than the group with the lowest rate.

Gonorrhea is a highly contagious sexually transmitted infection most commonly transmitted through sexual contact. It’s also important to know that ejaculation does not have to occur for the disease to be transmitted or acquired.

About 50 percent of men with gonorrhea do not experience any symptoms at

all. If symptoms do present themselves, it is often in the form of painful urination or a yellow or green tinted white discharge from the penis. Less common symptoms include itching or burning around the urethra. In women, gonorrhea symptoms are usually undetectable, extremely mild or often confused for other conditions.

If left untreated, gonorrhea can spread into the uterus or Fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

Gonorrhea is treatable and can be cured in seven days or less.

Under section 2713 of the ACA (Affordable Care Act)

or Obamacare, private health plans must provide coverage for a range of preventive services and may not impose costsharing such as copayments, deductibles, or co-insurance on patients receiving these services.

Obamacare’s free preventive services help to put the focus on wellness, early detection, and prevention, instead of treatments and cures.

Interestingly for chlamydia and gonorrhea screening, for the population of sexually active men, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that the current evidence is insufficient

to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea in men and gives this guidance a rating of “I” for insufficient.

While health insurance does not translate to being healthy, access to comprehensive, quality health care services is important for the achievement of health equity and for increasing the quality of a healthy life for everyone.

While STI prevention counseling and HIV screenings are some of many free preventive care benefits under the Affordable Care Act, the tests themselves may cost you.

The price of STI testing depends on where you live, whether you have insurance, whether you’re visiting a private or public health facility and whether that facility offers financial support.

In Minnesota, Planned Parenthood offers STI testing and treatment at no cost or at reduced costs depending on income.

Peter Musimami is a Twin Cities based healthcare analyst and health informatics professional. He is passionate about health literacy and patient engagement.

African-Americans less likely to get flu vaccine than whites MCLEAN, Va. – Fewer than half of American adults get vaccinated despite strong recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and widespread availability of free and low-cost vaccines.

Furthermore, AfricanAmericans are less likely to get the flu shot than white Americans, and concerns about side effects from the vaccine play a large role in this disparity. According to the CDC, only 41 percent of AfricanAmerican adults received the flu vaccine compared with 47 percent of white adults.

For those who opted not to get vaccinated, the risk of suffering side effects from the vaccine seemed greater than the risk of getting the flu itself, according to the new study, “The role of risk perception in flu vaccine behavior among African American and white adults in the US,” published in the latest issue

Q Bear From 3

of the journal Risk Analysis. One of the reasons white participants decided to forego vaccination was because they did not view getting sick with seasonal flu as a “big deal.” Many AfricanAmericans said they worried about the safety of the shot itself.

The study included 800 white and 800 African-American participants. The researchers contracted with Gfk, an international research firm that uses a probability-based online panel, to conduct the survey, which took place in March after peak flu season had ended. The survey instrument was developed based on initial insights gathered from interviews and focus groups with the target audience.

While flu vaccine campaigns often focus on the dangers of the flu, the results of this study suggest that flu vaccine campaigns should also address the perceived risks of vaccination

who fully first got Shed G. Shed much of Banks.

embraced me when I to Minnesota,” said G. said he models what he does after

Flu vaccinations are down among African-Americans

by highlighting how vaccines work.

“The trust of the American people in government is at an alltime low, which also feeds into fear of vaccines,” suggests Vicki Freimuth, lead author of the study and professor of health and risk communication at the University of Georgia. “Most people have very limited understanding of the way vaccine recommendations are determined and how vaccines are made and distributed.

Perhaps increasing knowledge about the process and its many contributing organizations may decrease perception of risk from the vaccine.”

Six researchers at the University of Georgia, the University of Maryland and the University of Pittsburgh conducted the research, which was supported by the Center of Excellence in Race, Ethnicity and Health Disparities Research of

the National Institutes of Health.

While the researchers found disparities between the two races as a whole, they also found trends that were common between certain demographic characteristics. For example, women and older individuals within both races were more likely to view getting the flu as a bigger risk than vaccine side effects. The researchers found that in the white sample, older, more educated individuals and those with a higher income were less likely to worry about side effects of the vaccine. In the African-American sample, older individuals and those with a higher level of education were also less likely to worry about the risk of side effects, while women viewed the side effects of the vaccine as a bigger threat.

The researchers noted that the results of the study may have been different if they had studied

outbreaks such as the H1N1 virus or bird flu. Seasonal flu did not trigger the same emotional reactions as these emergency flu outbreaks, perhaps leading to survey respondents giving greater weight to perceived risks from vaccination.

“One implication for flu vaccine campaigns is very clear. Messages must address both kinds of risk, disease and vaccine,” said Freimuth. “Since flu vaccination is routine and may not stimulate the kind of emotional reactions that an emergency does, the public may be more concerned about vaccine risk than disease risk.”

The researchers say larger studies are now needed to take a closer look at the role risk plays in people’s decisions to get or skip vaccines but they also see immediate opportunities for action.

“When you work with him and see how he interacts in the community, it truly inspires me,” said the comedian and entrepreneur. “He’s one of those guys that as soon as you meet

him he’s like your brother and family for life.”

On air at KMOJ since 1977, Banks has been a constant at the station and in the community.

Bell credits Banks with his rise

in radio.

“He actually gave me my first opportunity when I got here in the mid (19)90s,” said Bell.

In addition to the GoFundMe page (www.gofundme.com/

walters-medical-and-healthchanges), Bell said the radio station is planning a fundraiser for Banks for some time is June to coincide with his birthday.

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Insight News • April 10 - April 16, 2017 • Page 7

Page 8 • April 10 - April 16, 2017 • Insight News

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Insight News • April 10 - April 16, 2017 • Page 9

Community

North High boys meet Edina on ice North Minneapolis meets Edina – on ice.

The North Community High School championship boys basketball team will partner with two Braemar Panache Edina synchronized skating teams and Olympian Surya Bonaly and Minnesota State and Adult ISI World champion Jane Barrash to honor North Minneapolis leaders and celebrate community pride.

The event takes place Saturday (April 15) from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. at Parade Ice Garden, 600 Kenwood Pkwy., Minneapolis.

Tickets are $10, $5 seniors 65plus or children under 13. There will be a reception from 6 p.m.

– 7 p.m. following the skate.

Barrash has served as the Polars’ vision, focus and mindset development coach since 2013, along with Polars coach Larry McKenzie.

The event features a routine where the Edina girls skate with the championship Polars (to a medley of Carly Simon, Earth, Wind and Fire and Kool and the

going to the state championships.

Proceeds from the event go to the Heritage Youth Sports Foundation. Heritage Youth Sports Foundation trains youth through sports and recreation to develop mind, body and character. A True North award of $2,500 goes to each new inductee.

We are leveraging the positivity that has been emanating from North and the

WED • APR 12 • 7PM St. Cloud–Halenbeck Hall

Tim Davis

North High School basketball champions.

Gang in a show and statement of bridging divisions and of how sports and recreation can model unity.

The show will also serve as the launch of the True North Award, given to an outstanding leader who came from North Minneapolis and gives back to revitalize and improve the community.

The inaugural recipient will be Careino

power of sports to widely engage people,» said Barrash.

Gurley. Gurley is the first in his family to go to college, earning a degree from Mankato State University. He returned to North Minneapolis after graduation and in 2001 started a football and a basketball team for youth in the Harrison neighborhood – which had no teams at the time. He has since grown the effort to eight basketball and eight football teams – six times

SAT • APR 15 • 1PM & 7PM Tickets on sale now at HarlemGlobetrotters.com Save $7 on tickets with code: COURT

Make a Splash grant funding COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.

– To help swim lesson providers nationwide offer lessons to children who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford them, the USA Swimming Foundation has awarded more than $342,000 through its 2017 Make a Splash grant program.

Of that, several area programs will receive funding including Brooklyn Center Community Center, Brooklyn Park Recreation & Parks, YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, Downtown Minneapolis Branch, YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, North Community Youth Branch, YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, Ridgedale Branch, YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, Northwest New Hope Branch, Great Wolf Swim Club (Minneapolis) and Robbinsdale Area Schools Community Education. Through Make a Splash funding this year, it is estimated that more than 25,000 children will be served through grants provided to 71 Make a Splash Local Partners across 25 states. The 71 Make a Splash Partners marks the most ever number of providers in a single grant cycle. According to the organization, over the past 10 years,

4.9 million children have received formalized swim instruction through program.

“Our goal is that by the end of this year, one million children will be given the opportunity to learn to swim through the Make a Splash Local Partner network, and the grant money we award will help those who otherwise would not have the opportunity,” said Debbie Hesse, executive director of the USA Swimming Foundation. “We couldn’t provide these grants without the support of donors, sponsors and foundations who help support our efforts to provide free and reduced swim lessons for children around the country.”

This year, the foundation received nearly 200 applications and awarded 71 grants totaling more than $342,000 to help fund learn-toswim programs across the country.

There are approximately 850 Make a Splash Local Partners who promote water safety education in their communities and provide scholarships for children to participate in their swim lesson programs.

The USA Swimming Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming. To learn more,

visit www.usaswimmingfoundation.org.

Classifieds

Regionally Presented by:

Phone: 612.588.1313

ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROPOSALS Project:

MINNESOTA UNITED MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER STADIUM

Owner:

MUSC Holdings, Inc.

Construction Manager:

Mortenson Construction

Architect:

Populous/Loucks Associates

Support Specialist

Bid Package #02 x SC 2.01 – Earthwork & Site Utilities x SC 2.02 – Site Trees Procurement 4/3/17 4/7/17 4/18/17 4/18/17 5/2/17

All dates are approximate and are provided as a courtesy to Proposers. Mortenson reserves the right, acting in its sole judgment, to modify this process or schedule.

Plans and specifications are available via www.isqft.com. For access to the plans and specifications on isqft.com, contact Jeremy Chouinard at jeremy.chouinard@mortenson.com (Phone: 763-287-5670).

Submit one (1) downloadable electronic copy of proposal via email to greg.huber@mortenson.com no later than 2:00 PM Central Time on May 2, 2017. x Proposals shall be valid for 90 days. x Prior to proposal submission, Subcontractor/Supplier shall submit information to be enrolled in the Mortenson Prequalification Program via Textura Corporation’s Pre-Qualification Management online system. Prequalification details to be provided in Proposal Manual.

Subcontracts will be held by M.A. Mortenson Company. The form of Subcontract Agreement and all associated attachments and exhibits will be provided in a published Proposal Manual. Proposal submission acknowledges acceptance of all provisions and requirements as outlined in the provided Subcontract Agreement and all associated attachments and exhibits.

The Owner has adopted a comprehensive Community Participation Program for the construction phase of the Project and consists of the following requirements: x Vendor Outreach Program Requirements o 10% construction spending with Small Business Enterprise (SBE) o 10% construction spending with Woman Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) o 5% construction spending with Minority Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) x Workforce Inclusion Requirements o 32% construction hours performed by minority craft employees o 6% construction hours performed by women craft employees The Community Participation Program requirements apply to all subcontractors and suppliers of all tier levels. Primary subcontractors/suppliers are responsible for all tier subcontractor/supplier requirements and goals.

The approved directory for Bid Package 2 is: x CERT Directory - https://stpaul.diversitycompliance.com/ All questions regarding this RFP shall be directed in writing to Greg Huber, Mortenson Construction Executive, via e-mail at greg.huber@ mortenson.com. Interpretations or clarifications considered necessary by Mortenson in response to such questions will be issued by Addenda to all parties recorded as having received the RFP documents. Questions received less than seven (7) days prior to the date for openings of the Proposals may not be answered. Only responses issued by formal written Addenda will be binding. Oral and other interpretations or clarifications will be without legal effect. Addenda may be issued to modify the Proposal Documents as deemed advisable by Mortenson.

Mortenson is an EOE/Affirmative Action/Minority/Female/Veteran/Disabled Employer.

END OF ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROPOSALS

Email: info@insightnews.com

U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, District of MN, is accepting applications for a full-time Support Specialist for Minneapolis or Saint Paul. Salary range is $38,425 - $62,503. For a complete job description visit our website, http:// www.mnp.uscourts.gov , Career Opportunities.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Mortenson Construction (the Construction Manager at Risk) is soliciting proposals for Bid Package #2 for the Minnesota United Major League Soccer (MLS) Stadium project. Notice is hereby given that responses to this Request for Proposals (RFP) will be received by Mortenson for the provision of Construction Services on the Minnesota United MLS Stadium project for the following subcontract categories:

The current projected process and schedule for selecting the subcontractors is as follows: x 100% Construction Documents Issued – Earthwork & Utilities x RFP Proposal Manual Issued x Subcontractor Information Session x Pre-Bid Meeting x Bids Due

Fax: 612.588.2031

LIL’S ANGELS MEMORY LOSS SUPPORT GROUP

Deputy Sheriff The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office is seeking candidates for Deputy Sheriff. If you are interested visit https://www.ramseycounty.us/jobs for more information.

St. Paul Central H.S. Class of 1967 50th Reunion

Northeast Minneapolis Monroe Village 1900 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis Meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 8-10, 2017 Facebook - St. Paul Central Class of 1967 50th Reunion or email address to: geministar1149@ comcast.net, Marie Braddock Williams, Committee

South Minneapolis Lunds & Byerly’s Grocery 1450 West Lake St., Minneapolis Meets the 2nd Friday of each month from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Childcare Aide/ Assistant Childcare Teacher

NEW LOCATION Brooklyn Center Jehovah Jireh Church 6120 Xerxes Ave. N., Brooklyn Center First meeting is Feb. 8 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month To RSVP, or for questions, please call Dorothea Harris at 952-945-4175 Volunteers of America MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN

Judicial Assistant to Chief Judge US. District Court, District of MN is accepting applications for a full-time Judicial Assistant to Chief Judge in Minneapolis, MN. This position is located in the U.S. Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The incumbent’s office is in the Chief Judge’s chambers. The incumbent is responsible for the daily operation of judicial chambers and provides a wide range of highly advanced executive support functions and senior-level secretarial and administrative assistant duties for the Chief Judge. The position requires confidentiality and discretion, and will include scheduling work flow, appointments and meetings, research and preparation of data and information, emailing, preparing reports, drafting correspondence, coordinating the hiring of law clerks and externs, organizing programs and receptions, arranging and maintaining the Chief Judge’s travel itineraries, copying, filing, and management of the day-to-day operations of the office.

The ideal candidate will display initiative, good judgment, professionalism, follow-through, the ability to multi-task and readily adapt to fastchanging priorities, excellent organizational skills and a strong work ethic.Salary range is $58,452 – $75,991. All applications will be given consideration commencing April 17 until the position is filled. For more information visit the court’s website http://www.mnd.uscourts.gov, Employment. An Equal Opportunity Employer

La Crèche Early Childhood Centers, Inc. seeks to identify qualified candidates for the following positions across our three sites: - Childcare Aide - Assistant Childcare Teacher Candidates will undergo new MN DHS background check process which includes fingerprinting. Candidates must also be willing to obtain ongoing child development training as required to fulfill La Crèche teaching standards.

Interested individuals should call 612-3771786 and apply at 1800 Olson Memorial Highway, Minneapolis, MN 55411. Please present with childcare experience

Assumed Name 1. State the exact assumed name under which the business is or will be conducted: All Around the World Ministry 2. State the address of the principal place of business: 3637 Newton Ave N, Minneapolis MN 55412 3. List the name and complete street address of all persons conducting business under the above Assumed Name OR if an entity, provide the legal corporate, LLC, or Limited Partnership name and registered office address. Attach additional sheet(s) if necessary: Martha Lee, 3637 Newton Ave N, Minneapolis MN 55412 4. I certify that I am authorized to sign this certificate and I further certify that I understand that by signing this certificate, I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Minnesota Statues section 609.48 as if I had signed this certificate under oath.

Signed by: Martha Lee, Pastor Date Filed: 3/17/17 Insight News 4/10/2017, 4/17/2017

Page 10 • April 10 - April 16, 2017 • Insight News

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Prince SKNY1 9:30 p.m.

21-plus $5

Seaberg, Jysa, DJ Tiiiiiiiip and Chadwick Phillips join Fanaka at 7th Street Entry.

The 9th Annual Hitchcock Film Festival Riverview Theater 3800 42nd Ave. S., Minneapolis 7 p.m.

Plug into the aux cord and play your own originals tonight at Honey.

Monday, April 17

Every Monday through May watch some of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic films at the Riverview.

HIP-HOP

Monday, April 10 FILM FESTIVAL

Tuesday, April 11 OPEN MIC

April 10 April 23, 2017

Eclectica Reverie Cafe & Bar 1931 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis 9 p.m.

The Avant Garde presents a new open mic every Tuesday night.

Wednesday, April 12 THEATER

Aesthetically It! is a list of picks from the editors of Aesthetically Speaking. Aesthetically It! features venues, events, outings and more that are worthy of “It” status.

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

“West Side Story” Ordway Center for the Performing Arts 345 Washington St., St. Paul 2 p.m.

Sold out Teatro del Pueblo and the Ordway team up for an adaptation of this classic play.

Thursday, April 13 PRODUCTION Last of the Record Buyers Honey 205 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis

Friday, April 14 Minnesota Maeham Cabooze 917 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis 9 p.m.

18-plus $12 Come hear some of the best in Minnesota music at the Cabooze with Skny, J Plaza, Mac Irv, Mista Maeham and much more.

Saturday, April 15 HIP-HOP The Endowment Icehouse 2528 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis 9PM 21-plus $10 advance, $15 door Celebrate Tish Jones’ birthday with a full lineup of performances including I Self Divine.

Sunday, April 16 HIP-HOP Fanaka 7th Street Entry 701 1st Ave. N., Minneapolis 9 p.m.

18-plus $5 advance, $10 door

JAZZ/SOUL/FOLK Raul Midón Dakota Jazz Club 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis 7 p.m. $25-$30

April 19 TOWN HALL Professional Insurance for Police Town Hall Forum Rondo Public Library 461 Dale St. N., Saint Paul 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

The theory is that police brutality will decrease if officers have to carry their own insurance. Tonight join a forum on the topic at Rondo Library.

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Raul Midón has earned renown as one of music’s most distinctive and searching voices.

Midón has collaborated with Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder, along with contributing to recordings by Jason Mraz, Queen Latifah and Snoop Dogg, and the soundtrack to Spike Lee’s “She Hate Me.” The New Mexico native, blind since birth, has released seven albums since 1999.

Thursday, April 20

Tuesday, April 18

Friday, April 21

HIP-HOP

FILM/DANCE

Ced Linus “Summer Sessions” EP Release Party First Avenue 701 N 1st Ave., Minneapolis 9 p.m.

18-plus $10

Sistah Solo | Being Brothas Intermedia Arts 2822 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis 7 p.m. (Also Saturday)

Pledge Empire MC, Ced Linus, celebrates the release of his new “Summer Sessions” EP with performances by Baby Shel, BdotCroc, Mike Dreams and Sweetz P. Sounds by DJ Airman Heat.

Wednesday,

MUSICAL “Shrek the Musical” North High School 1500 James Ave. N., Minneapolis 7 p.m Check out the first ever North Community Theater Production of “Shrek the Musical” at North High.

Collectively celebrate women of color and their solo work through film, dance, music, spoken word and more, featuring Al Taw’am, Destiny Anderson, Djenane Saint Juste, Jess Pierce, Lieutenant Sunnie, May Lee Yang, Mimi Solis, Queen Drea Voice-Loops N Effects and Tish Jones.

The unique voices of men of color are uplifted through movement, music and more.

Being Brothas features A+, David Stalter Jr., Ellemaj, Frankie Hebres, GodSent, Joe Davis, Jus Herb, Mike Queenz, Nate Kay, Radio Ahlee and Ray Dow.

Saturday, April 22 DANCE PARTY Thee Beautiful Ones – Twolevel Prince dance party Five Event Center 2917 Bryant Ave. S., Minneapolis 9 p.m.

21-plus $15 advance, $20 door (free valet) Thee Urbane Life brings you a celebration to honor the legacy of Prince with DJ Chuck Chizzle and DJ Fundraiser (who DJed for Prince at Paisley Park).

A portion of the proceeds are to benefit the Billingsley School of Music & Arts. Tickets are available at www.VitalCulture. com.

Sunday, April 23 SHOE EXCHANGE Tcsax9: Twin Cities Sneaker Art Xchange The Cabooze 917 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis Noon – 6 p.m.

It’s that time of year again shoe enthusiasts. Studiiyo23 celebrates its seventh year in the community by hosting the ninth edition of the Twin Cities Sneaker Art Xchange.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS AN ORIGINAL FILM/ONE RACE FILMS PRODUCTION AN F. GARY GRAY FILM VIN DIESEL DWAYNE JOHNSON JASON STATHAM “THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS” MICHELLE RODRI GUEZ TYRESE GIBSON MUSIC CHRIS ‘LUDACRIS’ BRIDGES WITH KURT RUSSELL AND CHARLIZE THERON

BY BRIAN TYLER EXECUTIVE BASED ON PRODUCERS AMANDA LEWIS SAMANTHA VINCENT CHRIS MORGAN CHARACTERS CREATED BY GARY SCOTT THOMPSON DIRECTED PRODUCED WRITTEN

BY NEAL H. MORITZ p.g.a. VIN DIESEL MICHAEL FOTTRELL

BY F. GARY GRAY

BY CHRIS MORGAN A UNIVERSAL PICTURE © 2016 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS IMAX® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF IMAX CORPORATION.

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR STARTS FRIDAY, APRIL 14 THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

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Insight News • April 10 - April 16, 2017 • Page 11

Target Center, promoter offer full refunds despite all other headliners performing

Lil Wayne a no show … again

By Toki Wright

Let’s start with some full disclosure.

I’m not one of those people with blind hate for musicians and certainly not for Weezy (Lil Wayne). Lil Wayne is one of the most defining musicians of the last generation. I’d never want to try and discredit his music or influence on style. I don’t think I could if I tried … but c’mon.

How many times do we let musicians decide that performing in Minnesota isn’t big enough on their list of priorities?

For the second time in a row, Lil Wayne didn’t show up.

I was asked by the good

editors at Insight to cover the Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, and Young Jeezy tour stop March 31. As much as I appreciate all of their music, I was most interested in checking out Mista Maeham, DJ TIIIIIIIIIIP, DB the Rasta, Damien Lashaun and DJ City of Dreams. It’s good to see acts from the cities performing in front of the large crowds they work tirelessly to build.

This brings me to my big point. Minnesota can no longer accept being a flyover state.

If those off stage (followers, fans, gatekeepers etc.) put half the effort and funding put into mainstream acts into their Minnesotans there is no reason why we wouldn’t be able to have great artists that show

David Sherman

Jeezy

appreciation to the turf.

Right now we accept any kind of treatment from the superstars. I could start an endless list of all the acts that have either decided not to add Minneapolis/St. Paul as a tour date, shown up late, no showed, or given lackluster performances.

We take a lot of punishment, but guess what? We don’t have to.

There is way too much promise in this state to accept anyone disregarding our love for music.

Show recap 7:30 p.m. – Of course after flying across town to get in the building on time I end up missing the majority of the openers. I saw all of the hustle Mista Maeham

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‘T2 Trainspotting’ quirky, comically dark

By Dwight Brown NNPA Newswire Film Critic “Trainspotting” was a breakthrough film back in 1996; an edgy, eccentric blend of debauchery and rebellion set to one of the best British rock soundtracks ever made.

Twenty years later, the original director Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire,” “28 Days Later”) and screenwriter John Hodge assemble the same set of Scottish miscreants and make them deal with the aftermath of a betrayal that affected all their lives.

In the 1990s film, Mark (Ewan McGregor) and Simone, aka Sick Boy (Jonny Lee

Miller), were best friends since childhood. In their mid-20s, they hung out with the tall, skinny dullard Daniel “Spud” Murphy (Ewen Bremner) and the short, violent and temperamental Francis “Franco” Begbie (Robert Carlyle). The four of them, and other comrades, had one thing in common – heroin addiction.

It united them, broke them apart and caused death and destruction. Their depraved indifference to life and traditional mores ended with a dope deal gone bad. Mark, who flirted with sobriety, ran off with £12,000 (pounds). He left Spud £4,000, which went right into his arm. Simone got nothing.

Franco got a jail sentence and a grudge against Mark that was eating him alive.

In 2017, nearing middle age, Mark’s yuppyish job at

a Dutch software company ends. He returns to the scene of the crime, Edinburg. These days, Simone, a cokehead, is in love with a prostitute named Veronika (Anjela Nedyalkova).

The couple makes money by blackmailing clients, “Johns,” who are secretly videotaped as they bed Veronika, who dresses up as a dominatrix.

Spud is a bit of a depressed loner. In fact, Mark is banging at the door of his flat just as his dejected friend is attempting suicide. Mark saves his life and Spud’s sour response is, “You ruined my life, and my death.” Meanwhile, the fiercely vindictive Franco is plotting an escape from jail. The reunion of these four is fraught with

(From left-right) Jonny Lee Miller, Ewan McGregor and Anjela Nedyalkova in “T2 Trainspotting.” (Sony)

TRAINSPOTTING 12

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Explore art, race and a nation on stage through the prism of the African American experience.

NOW ON VIEW 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., Blvd St. St Paul Paul, MN 55102 adapted by LYDIA R. DIAMOND directed by LILEANA BLAIN-CRUZ

April 15 – May 21 612.377.2224 / guthrietheater.org

Page 12 • April 10 - April 16, 2017 • Insight News

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Lil Wayne From 11 was putting in and hoped to check out what he had in store.

Fortunately I still got a chance to check out one of the hometown emcees before the headlines.

Nationally recognized emcee Prof took the stage with Willie Wonka, known for his work DJing for Mac Irv. By this point in the night about a fourth of the main floor at Target Center was full with a healthy sprinkle of people throughout the stands.

At one point during the performance Prof asks the crowd to “make some noise if they hadn’t heard of him” to a big response. He followed his question by saying, “I’ll do a song that will destroy everyone in here.” Later he states, “Notice I’m rapping all of my lyrics,” a not so subtle jab at many in hip-hop that annoyingly rap over recorded vocals. Prof had certified fans that showed up to see him perform and I’d venture to say he made a few more that night. He backed up his cynical statements with a rowdy set full of clever wordplay 8:00 PM – As the DJs went back and forth between acts the crowd grew more lively with size. I have to tell you though, I’m not a big fan of mostly white crowds gleefully rapping along to all of the N-word in songs.

Who do you blame, the artists or the fans? I’ll save that debate for another article.

8:22 PM – There was a very long pause between all of the openers and Young Jeezy. Either this was simply the DJ taking his time to get to stage and set up, or the major label acts wanted to differentiate what they were doing with any of the openers.

Either way, people had to wait.

Minutes later Young Jeezy hits the stage to his hit track “Put On.” I made some careful observations during his set. One, most of the old school Young Jeezy fans seemed to be in the seats around the perimeter of the Target Center. Whenever he held out the mic for sing-along you heard most of the response from the back of the room. Two, there was and video image of a silhouetted stripper dancing awkwardly offbeat on the projector screen.

Jeezy ran quickly through

Trainspotting From 11 more anger, deceit, maleficence, apologies and ill will than a feud between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

It’s a hard task recapturing the dark humor and light spirits that made the original movie so shocking yet endearing. This script puts Mark and Simon on a mission to build a spa (brothel) that Veronika can operate. Mark, whose libido knows no bounds, flirts with Veronika, knowing that Simon loves her. But that’s Mark’s M.O. – he can’t be trusted with a friend’s girlfriend.

The character that gets the best facelift is Spud, who dares to dream big and finds an ounce of courage, when he had none in the first film. Franco, who makes a junkyard dog look like a prince, is so mean and violent he alienates himself from his family and goes after Mark with a sheer vengeance.

Boyle has a fun way with the footage. He will stop it cold; shoot scenes at odd angles (cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, “Slumdog Millionaire”); Cut in flashbacks (editor Jon Harris, “Kingsman: The Secret Service”) and add colorful and textured dreamy images over scenes (production design Patrick Rolfe and Mark Tildesley; art direction Patrick Rolfe). It is a pleasure to watch him weave his artistic magic.

And though the soundtrack doesn’t boast a song as catchy as the first movie’s hit tune “Lust for Life,” some of the kinetic music has a throbbing beat.

Boyle’s innovation helps greatly as you realize that this script is not as fresh as the 1996 one, which was based on a novel by Irvine Welsh. That screenplay treaded new territory that audiences couldn’t fathom – poor Scottish adolescents, living in and around wealth and middle-class amenities, unable to hold down a nine-tofive and relegated to a parallel world. Their degeneracy and irresponsibility had no limits, and they were so oblivious to

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Rick Ross

Prof

reality that a baby died while in their custody. That stream of decadence was a jolt to the senses. Nothing in this film is quite as shocking. But then again, what could be?

McGregor, Miller, Bremmer and Carlyle slip into their old characters, friendships, jealousies and rivalries comfortably – like they were

trying on a pair of old faded, torn jeans that still fit or dusting off old drug paraphernalia. At one point Veronika points out to Mark “You’re a tourist in your own youth.” That’s the way it feels watching these graying, saggy-eyed 40-somethings trying to get their mojo back.

They can’t relive their lives, but they can die trying.

In the end, there is something woefully nostalgic about watching McGregor, Miller, Bremner and Carlyle running down the cobblestone streets of Edinburg with an urgency and abandonment that is similar to the chaos they

wreaked in “Trainspotting.”

The guys are a few paces slower, and almost as reckless.

Just like “T2.”

Dwight Brown is a film critic and travel writer. As a film critic, he regularly attends international film festivals

hits like “I Love It” before the highlight of his set, a short dedication to recently deceased Bankhead legend Shawty Lo on his version of “They Know.”

9:05 PM - The room turned up a few notches for Rick Ross.

With an endless amount of hits Rozay has become a household name. Ross opened his set to the Meek Mill hit “I’m A Boss,” emerging on stage to perform his featured verse. Soon after he gives insight on the Meek/ Nicki Minaj relationship on the track “Apple of My Eye,” from the solid new album “Rather You than Me” with the line, “I told Meek I wouldn’t trust Nicki.”

At some point in Rozay’s set you could feel a wave of disappointment go over the crowd. Initially I thought that the crowd had lost steam or Rozay had given up on the city.

A few minutes later my friend Selph informed me that he got the inside word that Lil’ Wayne would not be showing up. A few days later I found out that a message had gone out from both Target Center and Weezy that he would not be showing up.

My big question was, how long was it going to take for the full announcement to come out?

10:36 PM – Wayne sends out the following Tweet from his @ LilTunechi Twitter account.

“Minnesota I’m sorry I kouldn’t (sic) make it tonight.

Had plane issues that was out of my control (sic). Will make it up to y’all and reschedule.”

Thirty-six minutes into when he was set to hit the stage he sends out a Tweet to people that traveled as much as eight hours, rented cars and hotel rooms, and took the night off work to be disappointed. It’s not OK. It’s not something you just forget with an apology.

The one glimmer of good that came out of the situation was that via Facebook the Target Center officially responded by stating, “Lil Wayne’s performance at Target Center on Friday, March 31, was unexpectedly cancelled due to mechanical issues with his private plane.

The promoter, Echelon Music Group, apologizes to all fans, and announced today that the show will not be rescheduled and refunds will be issued.”

Shout outs to Echelon Music Group and Target Center for doing the stand-up thing. Those kinds of moves are what get you continued support.

including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto and the American Black Film Festival. Read more movie reviews by Dwight Brown at www.blackpressusa.com and at DwightBrownInk.com.