Insight News ::: 5.24.10

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May 24 - May 30, 2010 • MN Metro Vol. 36 No. 21 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com

HAITI SLAVERY: The Creation of non-persons Notes on the Struggle

By Mahmoud El-Kati

Candy Pettiford:

Part 2 After the arrival of Christopher Columbus to Haiti in 1492, the heralded “Captain of the Ocean Sea” became the centerpiece of a turning point in the history of a new age in human life. This pristine island of native people would never be the same. They, along with the Africans who were forced to come to Haiti would now and hereafter be defined as units of labor and articles of merchandise. In short, non-persons. It can be convincingly argued that the four “discovery voyages of Columbus is what triggered the unfolding drama that begins with wanton violence, spread of certain diseases, brutality, death and genocide. This is a critical part of understanding a naked, tell-all background of what we know today as the modern world.

By the turn of the 18th century (the 1700s) Haiti had become the most prized possession in the French

HAITI TURN TO

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Screens dominate children’s lives

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Suluki Fardan

Nii Ora Hoakes, granddaughter Terrachel Smith, 3, and University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks at UROC open house.

Nurturing our own future

By Ivan B. Phifer Technology Reporter

africanancestry.com

Gina Paige

AfricanAncestry.com

Discover your African roots

By Al McFarlane and B.P. Ford, The Editors This Spring, a television series called, “Who Do You Think You Are?” which is based on a popular BBC Television series of the same name in the United Kingdom, aired in the US further fueling the unquenchable thirst for knowledge about personal identity and family history.

The American version was the work of producers Sarah Jessica Parker and Lisa Kudrow.

An African American firm that specializes in DNA-based genetic research participated in the television series enabling Emmitt Smith, the football player and “Dancing with the Stars” contestant to trace his ancestry.

Using DNA, AfricanAncestry.com was able to determine Smith’s family origins in a present day country on the continent of Africa.

Gina Paige is vice president and co-founder for AfricanAncestry.com and was my guest via telephone interview on “Conversations with Al McFarlane” on KFAI FM90.3.

University of Minnesota's Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center (UROC) officially opened Wednesday, May 12, with an Open House Information Fair and Ribbon Cutting ceremony.

The community gathered at UROC in honor of this achievement and to "celebrate a very tangible milestone in advancing the urban vision laid out by President Bruininks and Senior Vice President Jones" said University Board of Regents chair, Clyde Allen.

Allen, Dr. Robert Bruininks, Dr. Robert Jones and UROC founding director, Dr. Irma McClaurin, proclaimed and welcomed a future of service and change for North Minneapolis.

"It is rare to have the opportunity to translate a vision into reality," McClaurin said. "I feel privileged to have been a part of this process."

She said she was honored "to have had the opportunity to put my spin on the development of the first Urban Research and

Outreach/Engagement Center as an anthropologist, as a creative thinker, as a poet, a writer, a scholar, and of course, University of Minnesota administrator."

McClaurin gave special praise to the Regents, to Bruininks and Jones. "In my travels to other Universities who are doing this type of partnership, I have found that it is leadership from the top that makes the difference."

She acknowledged the UROC staff, consultant Erline Belton of the Lyceum Group, Alicia Belton of Urban Design Perspectives, Chuck Levin of Charles Levin Architects, Stahl Construction, and MN Best, a workforce company, all of whom "worked with me in the trenches to make this vision a reality."

McClaurin's strongest praise, however, was for the residents of North Minneapolis.

"None of what we see here today, and the possibilities for UROC in the future, would have been possible without the community of North Minneapolis" she said.

"I thank you for your criticisms, and for holding us accountable; I thank you for the

Amtrak’s National Train Day blues connection

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Mahmoud El-Kati (left) and William English hopes and dreams you have held forth for this community, and which have inspired us all," she said.

Calling UROC a new model for public, land-grant, urban universities, Allen said it "is exciting to see a renewed emphasis on engaging the community so University faculty and staff can better understand the needs of Minnesotans while also being enriched by their knowledge and perspectives.

"Through UROC we will have a hub for collaborative activities that makes it easier UROC TURN TO 9

Suluki Fardan

Childhood Obesity Task Force unveils action plan Tom Foley

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Dr. Irma McClaurin

Ivan Phifer reports on broadband initiative Ethnic media technology news beat examines broadband opportunity

Al McFarlane: Like most other African Americans I have always yearned to know more about my past. The middle passage and enslavement destroyed a certain amount of knowledge of lineage.

ANCESTRY TURN TO

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Award-winning broadcast journalist, Ivan B. Phifer

Suluki Fardan

Ivan B. Phifer this week joins McFarlane Media as a technology reporter supporting efforts to expand broadband awareness and utilization in communities of color. Phifer’s work will appear in newspapers serving African and African American, Latino, Asian and American Indian communities.

The newspapers are members of Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium, which, in partnership with University of Minnesota’s innovative Urban Research and Outreach Engagement Center (UROC), and the U’s Office for Business and Community Economic Development, have created a network of community public computer centers (PCC) that provide jobs, training and access to high speed internet technology.

A 5th ward resident, PHIFER TURN TO 3

Forget ‘wet hair’ worries... teaching Black children to swim is not optional, but mandatory

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U commits resources and research to solving urban problems

By Al McFarlane and B.P. Ford, The Editors Part 3 of 3 AM: The University has said it will create a world-class learning environment. You’re helping guide that initiative. What are the goals?

What’s the vision you have been articulating for our state?

RJ: One of the things that has happened over the last five years is that the University of Minnesota initiated a strategic planning process with the goal of becoming one of the top three research universities in the world. And I know that might sound a bit arrogant to Minnesotans, but at the same time we felt it was very, very important that we didn’t maintain the status quo, because to stay even means to slip behind in this global economy and this global society in which we live, and so we knew if we were going to remain competitive and retain our ability to drive economic development in this state, we needed to start thinking strategically about the University of Minnesota and what it needed to do to become one of the top public research universities in the world. It was very clear that we not only need to be one of the best at the research I’ve been talking about in medicine, physiology, plant biotechnology or nanotechnology, but we also have to

become a leader, do a better job and be more strategic and intentional about our role as an urban university located in the heart of a major metropolitan area. Not many major land-grant research universities are in large cities, and we need to acknowledge that and serve these communities. President Bruininks and I were asked by a member of the community, “Well what is the University’s urban agenda?” And the President looked at me and I looked at him and we realized that we really didn’t have an institutional-level urban agenda. We have outstanding faculty members who have been doing innovative work to address issues of early childhood education, social services, healthcare, poverty, you name it, but as an institution we hadn’t declared urban contemporary issues as a major priority that we want to partner with others to resolve.

And so we made a commitment to develop an urban vision, to use University resources and research to help solve complex problems that plague urban society. We have just as much obligation to help urban communities as we do to help rural farmers or to help the business community. We are a land grant university and we have obligations to do all of that. But we knew that our new land grant mission for the 21st century clearly has to include a very intentional, strategic focus on partnering with the community, city and county government, the

Suluki Fardan

Scientist and administrator, Dr. Robert Jones, Ph.D and business mogul, Archie Givens, Jr. philanthropic community, the business community to bring resources to bear on these complex urban problems that are rooted in poverty. The University has something unique to offer, but so do all our public and private partners. So we’re trying to create innovative strategies and partnerships that will bring all these resources together to bring about substantive and

sustainable change that will drive greater economic benefit to the community.

AM: The specifics, what are you doing in North Minneapolis?

RJ: We’re using North Minneapolis as a starting point for this urban agenda. The Northside has incredible resources and community spirit, but also has been historically

underserved. And specifically what we’re trying to do in North Minneapolis is create a model for working together to leverage academic research expertise to meet needs identified by the community.

We asked the community, through our University Northside Partnership, what are the problems? And then we started, with lots of help, to create the partnerships to launch this work. We knew we needed to be physically present in the community, and so purchased and renovated the former shopping center on Penn and Plymouth Avenue. We call this facility UROC, the Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center; this title parallels other Research and Outreach Centers we operate around the state to emphasize that this effort is just as much a part of our land grant mission as they are.

Another reason we chose North Minneapolis is that I lived there for almost 20 years. I know how serious the problems are and how much promise this community has. We have chosen, again in partnership with the community, to focus on key issues that are important to the community and in which we have a lot to offer. So some of the problems that we’re going to be working on will include out of home placement, urban wellness, business development, and education. Out-ofhome placement, for example, costs Hennepin County $50 - $90 million a

year, and is devastating to families.

We have to revitalize and reinvigorate the family structure and support young people and young children at the very early stages of their development. So we will be working on out-of-home placement and on early childhood education.

There is a project called 500 Under 5 where we’re going to be demonstrating the outcome of investing resources in 500 kids under five years of age and see what impact that is going to have in stabilizing these kids as they progress through first, second, and third, fourth grade all the way through junior and high school. We will demonstrate that if you invest the resources in children early in life you can avoid problems such as very low graduation rates from high school and high rates of teen pregnancy.

We will be focusing very heavily, too, on out-of-school time, because our research shows that how children spend their evenings, weekends, and summers has a profound impact on their development and educational achievement.

We are providing assistance to women and minorities and small businesses through an empowerment zone grant from the City of Minneapolis, and have many other business assistance programs through our Office of Community Economic Development, which is headed by Craig Taylor. We want to help contribute to the future cohort of entrepreneurs so they can become the business leaders of the future, so we have a center for youth entrepreneurship.

We hope to be able to do something about food and nutrition in this community. There is a striking urban health disparity issue in Minnesota, and poor nutrition is part of that problem. Our extension office has a nutrition program that has been operating here and providing educational programs for folks to show them that it is more cost-efficient to prepare a nutritious meal than to go down the street to the corner store and buy a bag of potato chips and some French fries or high fat, high carbohydrate food.

We want to teach people how to prepare more nutritious food items and how to shop for nutritious food.

These are just a few of the programs we have launched at UROC - and this is just the beginning.

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Insight News • May 24 - May 30, 2010 • Page 3

BUSINESS Ramsey County WorkForce Centers: Finding the best and brightest The real cost of hiring a person who cannot learn and perform a job is prohibitive, both for the employer and the worker. The National Career Readiness Certificate solves that problem.

It is a work-related skills credential issued by ACT, the nationally-known testing service based in Iowa. The Certificate provides fair and objective measurement of workplace skills.

“A skills mismatch is eating away at productivity and revenue across all businesses, industries and government agencies,” says John O’ Phelan, Business Services Representative for WorkForce Solutions of Ramsey County,

“To not fall further behind, we must address skills deficiency with urgency.”

Ramsey County WorkForce Centers are taking the lead by offering a nationally recognized assessment and development system for job seekers and businesses.

Since it began offering the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) assessments in August of 2009, the North St Paul WorkForce Center has issued almost 400 certificates.

Job seekers are tested in the foundation job skills of reading comprehension, applied mathematics and locating information.

They are encouraged to quickly build

their skills and confidence through the parallel online learning account Keytrain, also available free-of-charge at these two WorkForce Centers.

Through a very successful partnership, teachers from the local Adult Basic Education centers are onsite at the WorkForce Centers to provide individual skills improvement help.

“These three skill areas are critical to job performance and lay the foundation for job related communication, critical thinking and problem solving abilities”, says Barb Jordahl, Human Resources Manager at Cerenity Care Center of White Bear Lake.

“The quality of candidate we

hire, and his or her potential for success on the job, is much greater than before we began relying on the assessments.”

Businesses who partner with the local ACT- NCRC programs save time and money in screening, hiring, training and promoting employees.

Minnesota’s Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has also just recently announced their decision to utilize two of the NCRC assessments in their hiring process for Transportation Associates and Generalists.

MnDOT’s Project Manager, Christine Fisher, indicates, “We are excited about the possibility of working with the MN WorkForce Centers on pre-

employment testing. This will allow us to use our human and monetary resources wisely.”

ACT’s significant research base has determined that the three skills comprising the NCRC are essential across a range of jobs-from entry-level to professional. Certificates are issued in four levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum.

Although some job seekers express apprehension before taking these strictly timed, content-rigorous assessments, most are pleased with the results.

Comments, Jim Anderson, former customer services representative in the midst of a career change: “Besides proving I have the

critical thinking and adaptability skills needed for changing careers in mid-life, the National Career Readiness assessments were a super shot-in-the-arm for my self-confidence.”

For more information about the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate visit www.workkeys.org.

For job seekers who want to complete a certificate, register online through the workshops registration tab at www.jobconnectmn.us.

Businesses desiring assistance with employee screening, please call Karyn Berg at the North St Paul WorkForce Center at (651) 7795652.

Fashion or distraction? Dress your best at work this summer Plan your career

By Julie Desmond julie@insightnews.com The recent string of perfect summer days has many people trying on flipflops and short shorts. Who doesn’t want to be comfortable? When dressing for

Phifer From 1 Phifer, graduated from the University of Minnesota on May 16, 2010, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies. Phifer is also an alumnus of North High School, which is where he began his study of Broadcast/Journalism Media in the Arts and Communications

work success this summer, remember that the most common and most often overlooked fashion rules apply whether you work indoors or out, in a professional office or a casual art studio: cover your backside… and your shoulders and your toes.

At work, always cover your back. When planning office outfits, ladies, that means no elephant ears where your waistline falls below your thong; wear a long-enough shirt and tuck it in or pull it down in back.

And men, you’ve heard it before, pants on the ground is a good song, but a bad look for anyone

hoping to keep a job through the summer.

Cover your shoulders, too. A sleeveless top is fine, as long as you put a sweater or jacket over it when working inside. If your office isn’t air conditioned, find shirts with short sleeves or cap sleeves that have a rounded neck or collar. The point is to stay cool without looking hot during the workday. Save the really interesting necklines and strapless sundresses for weekends and afternoon happy hours.

The “no toes” rule has changed over the years. Socks or

nylons are not always a requirement in the workplace now, but they are a good option if you want to project a smart, pulled-together, professional image. Sling back heels or peeptoe shoes are okay, too. For interviews and big presentations, however, go old school and wear something that covers your feet on both ends. This applies to men and women both. Save your sandals for the beach.

Every workplace has a dress code, whether it is published or just understood, and breaking the rules can be inconvenient, at best.

Kenesha was sent home from

work recently because she wore shorts. Other people’s skirts were shorter than her khaki walking shorts, but the no-shorts rule meant she had to go home and change. Embarrassing.

If your employer does not give you a uniform or a dress code, look at your co-workers for clues. The person with the shortest skirt or wildest tee shirt could be the best worker in the place, but the boss is probably noticing clothes instead of capabilities. Don’t let your fashion be a distraction to the people working around you.

Fashion evolves. There was

probably a career counselor somewhere millions of years ago who advised cave-people to wear the appropriate animal skin over their mid-section during the hunting season. These days, it pays to keep your fashion statement subtle. When you own the place, your style can reflect more of your personality. Until then, let people focus on your job performance, not your wardrobe.

Magnet program.

He has volunteered in pledge drives for Jazz88, KBEM FM, the Minneapolis Public Schools’ radio station. In addition to earning two broadcasting trophies, Phifer was named one of the top Black seniors in EBONY magazine in 2005 for these efforts.

As a long time North Minneapolis resident, Phifer says he is fully aware of the problems that exist in his community, and

has taken it upon himself to make a change in the community that has brought him up. He said he remains positive as he seeks to inspire others through his community involvement, and determination.

UROC recently enjoyed its formal opening to the public in ribbon cutting ceremonies and an open house. UROC community outreach programs include the Broadband Access Project a $3.6 million initiative, geared to

ensure expanded broadband access and utilization by underserved communities.

UROC’s Broadband Access Project (BAP) seeks mainly to serve in the most underserved and economically strained “poverty zone” communities.

The targeted areas where centers are currently placed include four centers in three north-side neighborhoods (Jordan, WebberCamden & North Loop), three locations in two south-side

neighborhoods (Peevey Field & Powderhorn), Glendale Public Housing in southeast (Prospect Park) and Frogtown in St Paul.

Although it was created in 2006, the initial concept was developed in 2005 between University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak.

This proposition came about when the two were brainstorming ways to become involved more in the urban community through

outreach development to create opportunity for “the most underserved communities in the metro area”.

UROC’s Broadband Access Project will create 24-36 jobs within the community. In addition, this program will finally give access and training to those who may have lacked the resources, provide information on job opportunities, and enhance the use of public computer facilities.

Julie Desmond leads Career Planning and Job Search workshops in the Twin Cities.

Write to julie@insightnews.com.

Page 4 • May 24 - May 30, 2010 • Insight News

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EDUCATION Candy Pettiford: Screens dominate children’s lives

By Maya Beecham Children sprawled out on couches, recliners, or floors; nearly hypnotized by a variety of images and messages projected from a television screen. The image has become all too familiar. Increasingly, young children are adopting habits of a sedentary lifestyle, at a stage in life when activity is imperative to growth, mentally and physically. Oh The Things You Can Do! (When You Don’t Watch TV), a children’s book written by Candy Pettiford and illustrated by Andres Guzman, is one step in Pettiford’s mission to reclaim youth.

It all began with a personal revelation. “I have grandkids.

And I realized we were losing them because they were watching too much TV. Not only that but they are into these different electronic games. I thought: ‘If I am having problems with my grandkids I know people must be having problems with their children and their grandchildren.’ I really almost stumbled upon writing the book,” said the author.

One day Pettiford’s husband David overheard their granddaughter Egypt reading the entire story aloud. He

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 Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Production Intern Andrew Notsch Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Elliot Stewart-Franzen Web Design & Content Associate Ben Williams Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Technology Reporter Ivan B. Phifer Contributing Writers Brenda Colston Julie Desmond Marcia Humphrey Alaina L. Lewis Rashida McKenzie Ryan T. Scott Lydia Schwartz Stacey Taylor Photography Suluki Fardan Tobechi Tobechukwu Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. MinneAPOlis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC) Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI) National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55411.

Courtesy Candy Pettiford

Author Candy Pettiford

encouraged his wife to publish the book. Pettiford realized the universal need of all children to maintain physical activity, and she was a testament to the importance of exercise. “I’m passionate because we are losing our children to the many screens in their lives. Screens like: Facebook, Twitter, text messaging, smart phones, Flixster, YouTube, My Space, Nintendo DS, the Internet, and of course TV and movies. I also realized, in having Rheumatoid Arthritis, you need to exercise. I know that I am a person that is on the go all the time and I know television just really isn’t in my forecast, so that’s how [the book] came about.”

The story, written “in rhythmical rhyme,” profiles the life of a young boy named Barack who navigates life after discovering his television is broken. As explained in one of the book’s passages: “The family television is broke and Barack has to learn to change his lifestyle. He begins to exercise, meet friends and make money. All this happens because his television is broke…... He says I was getting fat because I was sitting around watching too much television, now I am skateboarding. He is getting out and exercising.”

Pettiford is part of a nationwide movement to mobilize physical activity in the lives of young people, to save them from disease and early death. In February 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama launched the “Let’s Move” campaign which led to President Obama commissioning a Taskforce on Childhood Obesity.

The taskforce developed The Childhood Obesity Task Force Plan, an interagency plan to end childhood obesity and promote physical activity, unveiled by the First Lady on May 11, 2010.

Pettiford believes the tradition of oral history and the legacy of passing on honored family values through consistent family time has been destroyed by various forms of media, and she has statistics to prove her theory.

• Research shows that children spend between five and six

hours per day watching TV, playing video games, or using a computer for recreation; • Time spent in front of a screen is second only to the amount of time children spend sleeping; • Metabolism rates while watching TV are lower than resting rates; • The more time youth spend in front of a screen, the more likely they are to be overweight; and • Overweight is highest among children who watch TV or play video games for four or more hours per day.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Children spend a considerable amount of time with media. One study found that time spent watching TV, videos, DVDs, and movies averaged slightly over 3 hours per day among children aged 8-18 years.

Several studies have found a

positive association between the time spent viewing television and increased prevalence of obesity in children.”

Pettiford visits local schools to read to students and she finds, “most of the students raise their hands when I ask the question do you have a television in your bedroom. We are talking about Kindergarten through 3rd graders. Sometimes the teachers say the students are coming in so tired. Well it’s because they may be watching television from 1 am - 2 am in the morning and they leave it on all night because parents don’t make them turn the television off.”

Interaction and conversation became a vital component of Pettiford’s relationship with her grandchildren, as she worked to wean them from television.

“Every Wednesday night I have my grandkids over for dinner; we’ve been doing this for the last 10 years. We are playing games, dominoes, cards, checkers, and all these fun things. There is so much interaction because we are laughing and talking and sharing and there is no television. Television stunts conversation. So when my grandchildren come over they don’t ask me to watch television. You have got to replace television with fun activities,” said Pettiford.

Pettiford offers the following advice to guide parents as they train their children not to be heavy consumers of television.

• Limit screen time to no more than 2 hours per day; • Set reasonable limits for cell

phone use and text messaging; • Do not put a TV in a child’s bedroom; • Make meal time, family time turn off the TV during family meal time. Better yet, remove a TV from the eating area; • Make screen time active time by doing simple exercises during commercial breaks; • Help your kids be savvy media consumers by teaching them to recognize a sales pitch; • Create family memories by planning fun alternatives to TV time for your family; • Develop a fun and creative curriculum; • Have children read a book to you and/or you read to them; • Record children reading stories on a voice recorder so they can hear how they sound and • Be a good role model - limit your TV watching and recreational computer use to less than two hours per day.

Pettiford continues, “have a gamut of things for them to do.

Be interactive with your kids.

Have a conversation with them, and you will find out a lot of information. I am on a mission to get these parents to wake up because we are losing a whole generation of kids.”

Oh The Things You Can Do! (When You Don’t Watch TV), is now available at Common Good Books at 165 Western Avenue North, Saint Paul, MN 55102; Red Balloon on 891 Grand Avenue, St Paul, MN 55105, or by contacting Candy Pettiford at (651) 646-6737, or candygram2008@ive.com.

Metropolitan State appoints interim affirmative action officer Truly Webb, Minneapolis, has been appointed interim affirmative action officer by President Sue K. Hammersmith.

The appointment is effective for one year beginning May 3.

Webb is responsible for developing the university’s affirmative action plan; for monitoring compliance within all aspects of university work; and for investigating student or employee complaints of discrimination, harassment and retaliation brought under MnSCU’s 1B.1 policy.

She also works with the Human Resources Office in the administration and monitoring of hiring practices and provides training and professional development related to nondiscrimination, equal employment opportunity, and affirmative action.

Webb previously worked for Accenture HR Services as employee relations specialist, and for Kaiser Permanente as workforce diversity programs manager and EEO/affirmative action manager. She attended American University, Washington, D.C., for her professional human resources

Courtesy Metropolitan State

Truly Webb

certifications.

Metropolitan State University, a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, provides high-quality, affordable academic and professional degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate levels. It is the only state university in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

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Insight News • May 24 - May 30, 2010 • Page 5

AESTHETICS Amtrak’s National Train Day blues connection For National Train Day 2010 Amtrak celebrated the connection between the history of blues music and America’s railroads. To commemorate, Amtrak took the sons of Muddy Waters, “Big Bill” and Mud Morganfield on a musical tour through the Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the blues, and the birthplace of their father.

The tour started in New Orleans, toured Blues Markers in Mississippi, picked up blues great Bobby Rush in Memphis

and ended at National Train Day festivities at Union Station in Chicago May 6-8.

Photos: Top: From right, Mud Morganfield, “Big Bill” Morganfield (in hat) and unidentified sign language interpreter performing at National Train Day festivities at Union Station in Chicago.

Right: From left, Amtrak Chairman of

the Board Tom Carper, Mud Morganfield and “Big Bill” Morganfield at the Union Station in Chicago.

Left: From left, “Big Bill” Morganfield, Bobby Rush, Mud Morganfield, and in front: Amtrak Director of National Advertising Darlene Abubakar at the Memphis Amtrak station.

Photo credit: Tabia Parker

Page 6 • May 24 - May 30, 2010 • Insight News

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HEALTH Childhood obesity task force unveils action plan First Lady Michelle Obama Tuesday joined Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes and members of the Childhood Obesity Task Force to unveil the Task Force action plan: Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity Within a Generation.

In conjunction with the release of the action plan, Cabinet Members and Administration Officials announced events across the country to highlight the importance of addressing childhood obesity. “For the first time, the nation will have goals, benchmarks, and measureable outcomes that will help us tackle the childhood obesity epidemic one child, one family, and one community at a time,� Obama said. “We want to marshal every resource - public and private sector, mayors and governors, parents and educators, business owners and health care providers, coaches and athletes to ensure that we are providing each and every child the happy, healthy future they deserve.�

In February, the First Lady launched the Let’s Move! campaign to solve the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation. As part of this effort, President Barack Obama established the Task Force on Childhood Obesity to develop and implement an interagency plan that details a coordinated strategy, identifies key benchmarks, and outlines an action plan to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation.

The action plan defines solving the problem of childhood obesity in a generation as returning to a childhood obesity rate of just 5 percent by 2030, which was the rate before childhood obesity first began to

rise in the late 1970s. In total, the report presents a series of 70 specific recommendations, many of which can be implemented right away. Summarizing them broadly, they include: • Getting children a healthy start on life, with good prenatal care for their parents; support for breastfeeding; adherence to limits on “screen timeâ€?; and quality child care settings with nutritious food and ample opportunity for young children to be physically active. • Empowering parents and caregivers with simpler, more actionable messages about nutritional choices based on the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans; improved labels on food and menus that provide clear information to help parents make healthy choices for children; reduced marketing of unhealthy products to children; and improved health care services, including BMI measurement for all children. • Providing healthy food in schools, through improvements in federally-supported school lunches and breakfasts; upgrading the nutritional quality of other foods sold in schools; and improving nutrition education and the overall health of the school environment. • Improving access to healthy, affordable food, by eliminating “food desertsâ€? in urban and rural America; lowering the relative prices of healthier foods; developing or reformulating food products to be healthier; and reducing the incidence of hunger, which has been linked to obesity. • Getting children more physically active, through quality physical education, recess, and other opportunities in and after

First Lady Michelle Obama school; addressing aspects of the “built environment� that make it difficult for children to walk or bike safely in their communities; and improving access to safe parks, playgrounds, and indoor and outdoor recreational facilities.

Like the Let’s Move! initiative, the Task Force report recognizes that government alone cannot solve this challenge.

Achieving the goal will require strong partnerships with the private sector. The First Lady will work with groups such as the Partnership for a Healthier America, a new foundation that will draw upon the experience of honorary vice chairs former Sen. Bill Frist and New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker, to cement private sector commitments towards the shared goal of reducing childhood

White House photo

obesity, including but not limited to the action steps in the report.

Additionally, Federal agencies will be moving quickly to implement the recommendations in the report that require federal action. In the coming year alone: • HHS will release new guidance for standards for physical activity and nutrition in child care settings, and help consumers make informed choices at restaurants and grocery stores, by getting calorie counts onto menus and by working with the food and beverage industry to develop a clear, standard “front of packâ€? food label; • USDA will update the Dietary Guidelines and Food Pyramid to provide parents and caregivers with helpful information about nutrition, and work with Congress

to pass a child nutrition reauthorization bill that improves food in schools; • FTC will continue monitoring how food is marketed to children, with a follow-up study to its 2008 report on industry practices; • USDA, Treasury, and HHS will work with Congress to bring grocery stores and other healthy food retailers to underserved areas by supporting more than $400 million in investments in a Healthy Food Financing Initiative; • DOT and EPA will promote walking and biking to school, with a new best practices guide from the DOT-funded National Center for Safe Routes to School and new proposed voluntary “school sitingâ€? guidelines from EPA. • Federal agencies will also make funds available to local communities, including $25 million from HHS to support obesity prevention and screening services for children, and $35 million in physical education program grants to schools from the Department of Education, which will also be working with Congress to create a Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students initiative as part of a reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act. In the coming weeks, Cabinet members and Administration officials will hold events that highlight the ways in which each respective agency can do its part to address the childhood obesity epidemic. Below is a summary of upcoming events. For more details, please contact cabinet agencies directly: • HUD Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing Sandra Henriquez will travel to New Haven, CT this week to highlight

a partnership between the New Haven Housing Authority and KaBOOM!, a nonprofit dedicated to providing playgrounds for children. • HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will join Rep. Baron Hill in visiting an elementary school in Bloomington, Indiana, and will host a discussion with parents, area health officials and childcare providers on obesity prevention and healthy practices for children, of all ages, including creating an environment conducive to breastfeeding and guidance for child care settings. Assistant Secretary for Health Howard Koh will travel to Chicago to highlight the role of health care providers in addressing childhood obesity. • DOI National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis, along with USDA Forest Service officials, will visit Fort Dupont Park in Washington, D.C. with students from nearby Kimball Elementary School. The park has a vast network of recreational trails and a community garden. • Education Secretary Arne Duncan will visit Tyler Elementary School in Washington, D.C. to participate in their after-school physical activity period and highlight their efforts to improve health, wellness and nutrition at school. • USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack will join D.C. Council Members in celebrating the unanimous passage of the Healthy Schools Act at Alice Deal Middle School.

The legislation will improve the nutritional quality of D.C. school meals, support farm-to-school and school gardening opportunities, and expand access so that more children get a healthy school breakfast or lunch.

Health reform makes healthcare a civil right in America

By Dr. Henrie M. Treadwell ATLANTA-When health reform was signed into law, Vice President Joe Biden was ridiculed for his use

of an off-color adjective in describing the legislation to President Obama. But lost in the rhetorical battle over health reform is the fact that Mr. Biden’s words were accurate: This is a big deal!

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By getting the landmark legislation enacted, President Obama has transformed his presidency and ushered in fundamental changes to America’s healthcare system, changes that will have a profound

impact on millions of African Americans and other people of color.

Lack of health insurance is a factor in one of the biggest inequities in American society - the health disparities that prematurely end lives and cause undue pain and suffering in minority communities across the country.

In a savvy move to gain mainstream support for the bill, the administration promoted provisions such as requiring most US citizens and legal residents to have health insurance, preventing insurance companies from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions and creating state-based exchanges that enable the uninsured to purchase health insurance at reasonable rates.

At the same time, supporters purposely downplayed other provisions that may have been unpopular, such as one of the largest expansions of social programs that benefit the nation’s poor.

Let’s not be mistaken. The health reform legislation may be the most important Civil Rights legislation since the 1960s: Under health reform, 32 million uninsured Americans will receive coverage.

The new law mandates that every American must obtain health insurance, while providing significant government assistance for those who cannot afford it. This will save lives. It virtually gives all Americans a right to health insurance and provides ways for the poor to obtain it.

Since 1965, Medicaid has provided health services for the poor.

The new law will expand eligibility to include all individuals under age 65 with incomes up to 133 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) -nearly $15,000 a year. It means that low-wage earners without children

or disabilities will now be eligible for Medicare, allowing them to receive a health benefit package that will cover essential medical services and provide many with their first health insurance. In addition, people earning more than $15,000 may qualify to receive government subsidies to help pay for health insurance.

A disproportionate number of African Americans will qualify for these benefits. Already, 24 percent of African Americans are covered by Medicaid, and that number will increase significantly with the program’s expansion. In total, just more than half of those who currently qualify for Medicare are racial or ethnic minorities, meaning that many poor white families will also benefit. African Americans are 12 percent of the nation’s population, but 16 percent of the uninsured, so a disproportionate number of the 32 million uninsured who will receive coverage will be people of color.

The real-life benefits of health insurance are substantial.

In 2003, the Institute of Medicine issued a report saying that the effects of being uninsured extend far beyond the health of family members to their financial stability and general well-being. It noted, for instance, that a major health problem in an uninsured family can cause a financial disaster, while also greatly increasing stress and anxiety in an uninsured household.

Research has shown that the lack of health insurance has been a contributing factor in many of the health disparities that ravish communities of color. For instance, people without health coverage are less likely to seek preventive care and more likely to receive a late diagnosis of serious illnesses. In fact,

the health outcomes diverge so much that adults without health coverage have a 25 percent greater chance of dying and dying prematurely than those who have private health insurance, according to one study that monitored people over a 17-year period.

Delays in screening for and diagnosing serious illnesses have contributed to higher mortality rates for African Americans compared with whites who suffer from breast cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Healthcare reform should prevent the kind of tragic loss suffered by Alyce Driver of Maryland, whose 12-year-old son, Deamonte, died in 2007 from an infected tooth because she didn’t have health insurance. Deamonte was taken to a local hospital where he was diagnosed with a tooth abscess and sinusitis. He was given antibiotics and sent home. But his unemployed mother didn’t have health insurance or the $80 to have the tooth extracted. Bacteria from the tooth migrated to Deamonte’s brain, killing him.

With healthcare reform, President Obama has given children like Deamonte a chance. He has changed the landscape. Healthcare will be a Civil Right in America.

Ancestry

DNA somewhere else in the world. When we find it on the continent of Africa, we are able to connect you to the people living on the continent today

25,000 indigenous African lineages. We find matches of your DNA in our database then we find people that you share ancestry with. We can do that for your maternal line mother to mother to mother all the way back anywhere from 500 to 10,000 years. We can also do it for paternal line father to father to father all the way back for the same time period. It really is exciting because people react in so many different ways.

Generally they are overwhelmed, because, as you mentioned, this is information that we never thought we had. And so there is an overwhelming feeling and then there is a feeling of excitement, of empowerment, of transformation because now we have something we can add to our identity. We have something that adds to our sense of self in a very positive way.

For further information go to: africanancestory.com or call (877) 397-6687.

From 1 Now you all are able to use science and technology to reconnect the links that were severed?

Gina Paige: Absolutely. We actually are the pioneers of using this technology to bridge the gap for Black Americans telling them where their ancestry was before the middle passage. We can use genealogy tools, you know, census records and marriage records and even family stories.

But that’s only going to take us back so far because we weren’t even recorded as people until the 1870s. So we are using the advances in technology to look at DNA that you have inherited only from your mother or DNA that you have inherited only from your father and then finding that same

Al McFarlane: So it really is an exciting time for us as Black people because we can now reconnect to our roots.

Gina Paige: We sell test kits and the test kits are very simple and easy. They include swabs that are like long Q-tips and you simply rub inside of your cheek to collect the DNA. We have all seen this now on CSI and law and order, it is very familiar and then you return those swabs to us in confidential packaging. Our labs then extract the DNA and “unlock the code� if you will. Co-founder Dr. Rick Kiddle, a geneticist who is an African-American, does an analysis looking for your DNA within our database. Our African lineage database contains over

(Dr. Henrie M. Treadwell is director of Community Voices of Morehouse School of Medicine, an organization working to improve health services and healthcare access for all. Media seeking interviews with Dr. Treadwell please contact Nicole Germain at (443) 540-3121 or ngermain@mjgcommunications.co m to schedule.)

insightnews.com

Insight News • May 24 - May 30, 2010 • Page 7

Incentives programs help transform consumption and costs

By Al McFarlane Editor-in-Chief This Spring Minnesota consumers could apply for a rebate if they purchased an appliance under the Minnesota trade-in and save appliance rebate program. The program was funded with more than $5 million in Federal Stimulus funds and enabled some 25,000 Minnesota households to earn up to $200 for replacing their refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, or clothes dryer with a qualifying Energy Star model purchased from a Minnesota retailer.

On rebate program launch day, Jeff Haase, who is with the Energy Efficiency Program of the Minnesota Department of Commerce, the Office of Energy Security; Julie Ketchum, Director of Government Affairs at Waste Management, Inc.; and Julie Warner, marketing director at Warner Stellian company joined me and co-host, Nghi Huynh, president of Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium, to discuss how Minnesota reaches our communities of color on energy matters.

Nghi Huynh: We have to make an effort to reach out to people but also we have to create the opportunity to train them to understand the issue. So we need to work with government agencies and companies to provide more educational training programs for our communities. Minnesota should engage our ethnic media to serve as a bridge to communicate about opportunities, research and the news to our audiences and listeners.

Jeff Haase: This rebate program was a first-come-first-served program.

The challenge that we faced was how to spend the five million dollars and no more, because that was the budget that we had to work with.

And so we were running the program essentially until all the funds were exhausted.

Al McFarlane: There is a bigger awareness mission, isn’t there.

Though rebate funds are limited, getting Minnesotans to be aware of energy consumption challenges is what this is really all about, right?

Jeff Haase: Yes. For example, people buy new appliances and the old refrigerators get shifted down to the basement or shifted out to the garage. They might sit there with

several cans of soda in them. It’s easy to forget about it. It’s easy to get into the habit of just, ‘oh well, you know, throw this down in that second fridge.’And you forget about it.

And the reality is that those cases of soda are costing you a good deal of money over the year to keep them cool. So these programs are really trying to work with those customers who have secondary refrigerators and provide them with an incentive to get them decommissioned and to pull them off of the grid.

That’s how we are able to achieve some level of market transformation. Ever since the mid80s the Federal Government has been developing codes and standards for these appliances. When you look at it from a national prospective, the amount of energy that’s being saved is something on the order of a 60,000 megawatt power plant. But we don’t realize those savings until we get rid of that old equipment and get the newer equipment that complies with new energy efficiency standards.

response. No one wants a power plant. No one wants a transmission line running through their property, their land.

But the fact that is, by reducing the amount of energy that we are consuming incrementally, one household at a time, one appliance at a time, it does add up.

One of the major policy initiatives of Minnesota is to realize energy reductions that are equivalent to 1.5% of the total retail energy sales from all the utilities to all customers. And 1.5% does not really sound like a lot but it really is an enormous amount of electricity and enormous amount of natural gas that comprises that amount of energy.

Al McFarlane: What is the dollar value?

Jeff Haase: It’s hard to say exactly...

Suluki Fardan

Nghi Huynh because there is variability in costs from utility to utility. But what these

programs attempt to do is to provide some incentives for customers when

REBATE TURN TO

11

Julie Warner: For example, there are still some top load washing machine models that use a lot of water and don’t really wring out the clothes as much so you must to dry them forever. And they don’t clean very well. And then you have, high efficiency machines that may cost a couple hundred dollars more. But when you step up, you get that high efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and save money.

Al McFarlane: How about in refrigerators; what’s the difference in technology in refrigeration?

Julie Warner: Energy Star refrigerators have to be 20% more efficient now.

Al McFarlane: Do ranges come into this at all?

Julie Warner: They don’t. Cooking appliances are not rated by Energy Star because there is not enough differentiation among models in energy use.

Jeff Haase: I used to do some permits for power plants, pipelines, transmission lines. I really came to understand that the population of the state ultimately shoulders the burden of infrastructure. And when you are talking about building a power plant or building a transmission line, you often hear the “not in my backyard”

For over 80 years, Hallie Q. Brown has been the Lighthouse of the Community...

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The Hallie Q. Brown Early Learning Center is currently accepting applications for enrollment.

We are a licensed daycare and preschool program with a 4 Star Parent Aware rating. We feature licensed and trained staff, Project Early Kindergarten (PEK) curriculum and a sliding fee scale. We gladly accept Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Contact us today for a tour and more information.

Hallie Q. Brown Community Center 270 N. Kent Street St. Paul, MN 55102 651-224-4601 www.hallieqbrown.org

Page 8 • May 24 - May 30, 2010 • Insight News

insightnews.com

LIFESTYLE Forget ‘wet hair’ worries... teaching Black children to swim is not optional, but mandatory

Choosing a bathing suit that delivers style and flair!

Style on a dime

By Marcia Humphrey The weather is warming up and that means one thing-time to pull out the bathing suit. If your old one can’t make it through another summer, then it may be time for a shopping trip.

I know what many of you are saying right now; “I’m in no rush to get a new bathing suit-I’m not trying to get my hair wet!” Here is my

Haiti From 1 empire. It became known as “the pearl of the Antilles,” the richest colony in the world, surpassing the wealth of all English speaking colonies. It was the centerpiece of the Atlantic slave system. During those years, up until the revolution (1791), it exported almost as much sugar as Jamaica, Cuba and Brazil combined.

Rice, indigo and rum were among other import and exports. The wealth of Haiti was produced by the seemingly endless supply African labor. In this labor system of largely African born population the workers toiled in St. Domingo (Haiti) under the broiling sun an average of fifteen hours a day. They were routinely worked to death, starved to death, or beaten to death (with a thick thong of cowhide).

The social and political structure of Haiti was a three tier society, the blanco Frenchmen at the top of the pyramid, an intermediate group labeled gen de coleur (gentlemen of color) or mulattoes, and Blacks at the base of the pyramid. This was a rigid caste-like system for most Africans.

The enslaved population had no political or economic rights.

Mulattoes or gen de coleur were given certain privileges, such as owning land. They could wear fine dress clothes, like whites, but they could not wear shoes, walking on their bare feet. This silly code was in place to assert white supremacy. At its height the Haitian population was comprised of 500,000 Black people, perhaps 100,000 mulattoes or

response. Did you know that nearly 60% of African American children can’t swim? If that statistic is true, then I suspect that aside from the bathtub, the survival rate for our folks encountering a challenging situation while in a body of water (pool, lake, pond, or ocean) has to be pretty low.

Furthermore, teaching our little Black children to swim should not be thought of as optional, but mandatory.

Encourage the sisters in your life to stop letting hair or fear be the boss, and get in the water (and bring the babies too)!

Okay, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, I can go on. For those of you still reading (thanks for not being overly offended by my controversial, but true comments) I want to invite you to take notes on choosing the bathing suit that makes

you look your best. So whether you are just learning to swim or you swim like a fish, you might as well do it with style and flare!

Minimize wide hips by considering the fashionable coordinating cover-up options. They look like a skirt, are available in varied lengths, and provide easy-on and easy-off versatility. If you want permanent coverage, another option is the one-piece swimsuit with a built in skirt.

Create a waist by opting for suits with “V” and halter necklines. This helps to create visual balance and make the waist seem smaller. In addition, midsection criss-cross pleating, color-blocking, and belting all create a more slimming waistline.

Pick a Two-piece if you, like me, are smaller on the top and bigger on

the bottom. That way you can mix and match. I got my skirted black bottom at Walmart at the end of last summer, and I picked up a top (the full-coverage kind) on clearance at Kmart last summer. The two pieces cost around $15.

Hopefully you now feel equipped to go out and purchase a fun, flattering swimsuit (on sale, of course).

However, I pray that I conveyed a much more important message that causes you to think a bit; everyone should learn the basic (survival) skill of swimming. It’s not only a fun family activity and great exercise; it could one day save your life or the life of your loved one. Whether your summer plans include splashing around with your kids in the backyard blow-up pool, lounging by a hotel pool during this year’s family

Afranchis, and nearly 100,000 Frenchmen. When in 1789 the revolution broke out for “liberty, fraternity, equality” against the rule of monarchy and the elite bourgeoisie, it struck a chord in Haiti. What was happening in France resonated with the ruling class in Haiti. They began to agitate for more as Frenchmen. The mulatto/Afranchi class began to join the agitation for their rights. This is the context from which the true Haitian Revolution was birthed. The slave revolt began in August of 1791, two years after the French Revolution.

The tumult in France ignited the chemistry in Haiti. As the privileged class quarreled among themselves, the enslaved revolted, leaders emerged, like the storied back country Haitian leaders Boukman and MacKendal, who inspired the people at the foothills of Port-au-Prince and Cape Haitian, and the mountainous regions from afar. To amass the people they drew on African traditions, religions and rituals.

MacKendal was believed to be from Trinidad, and Boukman originally from Jamaica. MacKendal was a voodoo priest. Samba Dutty Boukman was a skillful soldier leader, who allied with Defile, a Dahomean woman with great spiritual powers.

Together they were able to organize the Maroon communities. Maroons were Africans who ran away from the slave institutions and founded communities of free social space in the woods, the mountains or anyplace on the island where they were able to defend themselves, successfully warding off their oppressors for years.

There were Maroon enclaves among the enslaved in the United States, but

not as successful as the peoples of the Caribbean Islands and Brazil and other parts of South America.

The next stage of this mighty struggle against French imperialism was assumed by three extraordinary military leaders. The first was Toussaint Louverture, an ex-slave, about 45 years old, a carriage driver, who spoke and understood the language of the French, in addition

abducted by the French and taken to a French dungeon where he died in isolation, removed from the revolution to which he had devoted his life.

Jean Jacques Dessalines, who succeeded Louverture was of a different temperament and philosophy, and was very different in his attitude towards France.

Dessalines was called “the tiger from

“...most Haitians were African born (about 60%) and many were veterans of warfare in African armies...” speaking the patois or Kreyol.

Louverture ran the first leg of Napoleon Bonaparte’s humiliating defeat.

Louverture was delicate in appearance, a sound intellectual, an African humanist, and a clever military strategist, an administrator, and not insignificantly a conciliator. It was he who drew the strains of the African revolt together that was initiated by Mac Kendal and Boukman. It was he, an Ashanti who led to the defeat, not only of France, but of Europe’s third most powerful armies, Great Britain and Spain.

Because he also believed in diplomacy and was drawn to the charms of French culture, Louverture was deceived into coming to “a peace parley,” at which time he was

the fields.” He was first and last, a hard-nosed soldier, who believed in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, and that an enemy was unsalvageable, and where ever possible should be obliterated. The revolution was at its bloodiest under the leadership of General Dessalines.

Haiti owed her successful revolution to the leadership of both men. It was Dessalines who replaced the tri-color flag with the red and colors of Haiti.

In January 1804, he declared his country a free independent republic (like the USA) and severed ties with France, and the land that had been called St. Domique (by the French) and gave it a new name, Haiti (its original Tiano name). In addition he introduced land reform for the

Landon Humphrey

Marcia Humphrey

reunion, or wading through the waters of the Atlantic or Pacific on your vacation getaway, double your pleasure by remembering that safety always comes first, and style (a close) second. Enjoy!

Marcia Humphrey is an interior decorator and home stager who specializes in achieving high style at low costs. A native of Michigan, she and her husband, Lonnie, have three children.

masses, and began the process of education for all. The writing of the Haitian constitution was done under his watch. A good part of the hidden success of the revolution was the fact that most Haitians were African born (about 60%) and many were veterans of warfare in African armies before they were captured and brought to “the new world.” Most Africans were not acculturated. In short, in attitude and outlook, belief systems, habits and customs they were more African in make-up than “new world Negroes.” In all revolutions, internal conflicts abound. Haiti was no different. Tragically, Dessaline was assassinated by one of his own men.

Still the revolution had taken on a life of its own. And the revolutionary struggle continued under the brilliant leadership of Henri Christophe, the third rail of this magnificent military leadership. As committed as his predecessors to defending Haiti’s right to “the rights of man,” as his brethren, Chritophe solidified some of the gains of the revolution. As an administrator and builder, Christophe continued the process of nation building against tremendous odds.

The whole of the western world was opposed to any effort on the part of African people to self government.

This attitude is a profound part of the white supremacy belief system that Blacks cannot govern themselves.

Cristophe strengthened the military, fortified the protection of the key

cities of Port-au-Prince and Cape Haitian, and refined the palace, Sans Souci, the showplace of the new republic. Perhaps Christophe’s finest achievement was the building of the citadel, in the mountains, three thousand feet above sea level. The top level of the cathedral was lined with cannon guns; behind walls these weapons were pointes towards Europe, as an act of vigilance, to defend against attempts by France to recapture the island. The citadel was the place where Christophe died by his own hand, rather than surrender to counter-revolution forces on the island. The sum of this monumental achievement, in the midst of white supremacy ideology and dominance is beyond measure. This feat on the part of Haiti remains a miracle. How did a ragtag collection of African ethnic groups merge into a class of warriors become bold, clever and strong enough to contest and win independence from the most powerful armies on Earth? The voice of Toussaint Louverture echoed to other patriots throughout the struggle.

When Napoleon sent his brother-inlaw, as head of 30 thousand crack troops -France’s finest- to retake the island, Louverture’s words rang true: “Burn the cities. Poison the wells.

Scorch the earth. Show the white man the hell he came to make” Next week. Unforgivable Blackness and Unbroken Agency

insightnews.com

Insight News • May 24 - May 30, 2010 • Page 9

Letters to the editor: Unions have done much for people of color In response to: Article by William English published May 17 - May 23, 2010 entitled, A Minneapolis School Board without Black participation?

As someone who has dedicated her life to the children of the north side both as a teacher and neighbor in the Hawthorne area, I am anxious to tell a different story and correct the assumptions floating around the community about the union. What I find interesting, is that unions have done much for people of color over the years regarding fair treatment on the job, use of due process for employee issues, improved hiring practices, improved wages/working conditions, and so on, and, yet now seem to be considered the enemy.

We fought for social justice for all workers for decades. Now, we are also fighting for educational justice for students.

Please allow me to correct information in the editorial written

by Mr. English regarding the school board race: 1. The MFT endorsed Hussein Sumatar, Alberto Monserrate’, David DiGrio, and Richard Mammen. We gave thumbs up to both Marcia Thomas and Jenny Arneson even though we did not endorse either. It was a split vote and

after much discussion decided to let the community select who they want.

2. We did not select Chanda at this time for a number of reasons although we felt her to be articulate and credible. Her deep roots with the charter school movement was one thing that held us back. Only 95% of charter schools have had success in Minnesota. Many of the students who come back to MPS from a stint in charters have fallen far behind MPS students. Charter school [sic] authorized by MPS are also not doing that well. I did, however, have several substantive conversations with Chanda both before and after her interview with the MFT endorsing board and let her know I was very interested in working with her regardless of the outcome of the School Board race.

The same invitation was put forward to Shirlynn LaChapelle (via her campaign manager). We also found her to be a good candidate but not ready given she entered the race very late. Her campaign manager, Tonia, agreed and said they were prepping for the race in 2 years when another seat will open up.

3. MFT did not endorse T. Williams based on answers he gave in both his one to one interview and

written Q & A. That said, we most likely would not have endorsed any of the current members who were up for the election had they run. Why? We feel the School Board has been poorly run for the past four years and a new direction is needed.

4. The tension around negotiations was not a part of our consideration when selecting the SB candidates but it would have been perfectly fine if it was.

The MFT is considered a very progressive union and has worked hard to improve teaching and learning in MPS. It is considered an important cornerstone of our work. When a School Board tries to dismantle years of good work that supports improving student achievement, this is of concern for us. Our contract can be found online at mft59.org. We invite you to read Article 5 on Professional Development to see all the things we have put in place over the past 15 years.

5. Seniority does is not the cause of the lack of enough teachers of color in the Minneapolis school district. Let’s look at what are the causes: a) MPS hires the teachers. At the last New Teacher Orientation, there were only a handful of

teachers of color out of 160 new teachers. This was a similar count the year before. b) MPS says that there just are not a lot of teachers of color applying for jobs. c) Statistics show that there are not many college students of color entering teaching. d) When it comes to layoffs, the U.S. Supreme Court will not allow any employer to skip over one group in favor of another. We cannot say all black teachers keep their jobs and all asian teachers get laid off.

Or, all white teachers get laid off and all latino teachers stay. Or, all men stay and all women are laid off.

We have made special provisions in our contract for certain skills (e.g. - heritage language, teachers with Autism certificates, Montessori trained, etc.) that are difficult to come by.

6. The MFT created a special program to bring in more teachers of color called the CUE program.

We recruited people of color from the business community and other professions to become teachers.

Bernadeia Johnson is a graduate of that program as is the principal at Hall - just to name a few of many. Funding and a change in district leadership ended up having the program come to an

end. We are very interested, however, in starting it up again.

7. The MFT recruited an African American Business agent 8 years ago and replaced her when she retired by recruiting another African American Business agent.

I have also personally recruited an African American elementary teacher to be our MFT Executive Board (he won and is running again this election) and supported an AA teacher to be on the Regional Labor Federation as our representative. Each year, we recruit and pay for 3-5 AA teachers to go to our national assemblies and sponsor their participation in the Human and Civil Rights Caucus. Finally, we have teachers of color on some our MFT committees.

8. Over a decade ago, through the MFT efforts led by me, student surveys and family surveys were created so that both students and families could provide teachers meaningful feedback. They are handed out annually and teachers must take the results of the surveys to their professional development team to review and discuss.

We consciously asked questions regarding treatment of students by

teachers around equity specifically race, gender, etc. We asked students about their own treatment and how they thought other students were treated. We believed it was important for teachers to have a better understanding the perceptions of their students and families of all cultural backgrounds.

9. I have made dozens of requests of other AA teachers to participate in our work but the answer is usually that they are honored to be asked but already over committed to other major efforts. Teachers of color often burn out because they are so frequently asked to be on so many things and then usually end up taking on too much. Of course, I know we can do better and are always working to improve our efforts.

We welcome any assistance.

I appreciate the opportunity to start a conversation that I hope will lead to improved relationships and successful partnerships in the future throughout the African American community and our school district.

Lynn Nordgren, MFT president

Unions pursue their own self-interests In response to: Article by William English published May 17 - May 23, 2010 entitled, A Minneapolis School Board without Black participation?

Don Samuels, 5th Ward City Council; Barbara Milon, Executive Director, Phyllis Wheatley Community Center; Mark Stenglein, 2nd District County Commissioner and State Senator Linda Higgins.

UROC From 1

Suluki Fardan

Top: Craig Taylor, Director of the U’s Office for Business and Community Economic Development, Dr. Yvonne Cheeks, and master artist Seitu Jones; CitySongs, teaches children the healing art of music; and Terrachel Smith, granddaughter of Nii Ora Hoakes, surveying the world she will inherit and command.

to both establish and maintain mutually beneficial relationships; a place the community can come to address problems, explore solutions, and celebrate victories," he said.

Allen said UROC provides an ongoing forum for discussions among University faculty and staff and community partners "about how we can each use our assets to support North Minneapolis and other urban communities as they retain their sense of community while promoting education, wellness, and community and economic development."

Jones described the event as a "momentous occasion."

"This is a great day that has been a long time coming, but the wait has truly been worth it," he said. "It is the result of a vision that evolved more than five years ago as the University of Minnesota, under the leadership of President Bruininks, embarked on a strategic planning process to position the University as one of

the top public research Universities in the world."

He said University leaders realized it was "necessary but insufficient" to just focus on becoming best in the bioscience and other cutting edge disciplines. "We also needed to be more strategic and intentional about our role as a premier urban research university by expanding our historic and land-grant mission to create authentic partners that would more effectively leverage our academic resources with those of urban communities to solve complex issues facing urban society."

"We decided to focus on the Northside and over the last five years held meetings and dialogue sessions with the community, city and county government, and the philanthropic sector. We listened to both supporters and detractorsand we adjusted our plans accordingly," Jones said.

The University Northside Partnership and a strategic planning process were created to ensure that everyone had a voice, that the partnership was authentic, and that the plan reflected a shared vision and set of beliefs and principles, Jones said.

The project proceeded when "we obtained the consent of the community and approval of the Board of Regents to purchase this building."

Jones said the partnership with the architects, contractors, and community agencies like the Urban League and Summit Academy Opportunities Industrialization Center (SAOIC) resulted in the completion of the renovation of this facility on time and on budget while attaining a women and minority business enterprise participation level of 34% -- the highest in the history of the

Mr. English, as always, is entitled to his opinion. Also, as usual, some attention to the facts is in order.

His ringing endorsement of T. Williams and Chanda Baker Smith may be wise. T. Williams has been an excellent board member and deserves reelection.

Mr. English’s contention that Alberto Monserrate and Hussein Samatar did not receive the University.

Jones declared the significance of the critical university-community partnership. "It is clearly not business as usual," he said.

"While today's celebration marks the formal inauguration of this building and its collaborative programs, UROC has been buzzing with activity for the last seven months," he said. "UROC has hosted more than 350 group meetings with over 9,000 visitors or meeting participants.

UROC has leveraged more $10 million in external support."

The event included community leaders who had supported and who questioned the University's motives, based on a history of broken promises.

Prof. Mahmoud ElKati said he questioned any imposition of any institution's will on the aims and aspirations of the community, and maintained an agnostic attitude about statements declaring "this time would be different." To the degree the will of the community is first and foremost in deliberations and decisions, this could be a true turning point, he said. "But historical experience

endorsement of the Minneapolis teachers’ union is not accurate.

Both did.

His message that there are only two African American candidates in the running is also inaccurate. It appears to me that Shirlynn LaChapelle, Mohamud Noor, Marika Pfefferkorn are also seeking the DFL’s at large endorsement.

Unions generally endorse consistent with their own perceived interests, not Mr. English’s. They are less likely to follow an externally set up quota system.

Dennis Shapiro, Minneapolis and common sense show that with large white universities, Black communities are always vulnerable. The university's appetite for power takes advantage of the vulnerable," he said.

Educator and businessman William English and other members of Black community leadership held ongoing negotiations with University administrations regarding acknowledgement, defining and serving the interests of Black Minnesotans and urban neighborhoods.

Two years ago, English wrote in Insight News: "It is inconceivable that we not secure this investment by supporting the University's initiative and by holding all of\ the partners accountable for the best possible results."

"I think for the first time in many years we have a unique opportunity to begin the critical work of redevelopment of Plymouth and Penn Avenues with a vital and necessary foundation by inviting the University to come in and be a positive neighbor and contributor to the rich heritage of the Northside," he said.

Page 10 • May 24 - May 30, 2010 • Insight News

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Lena Horne: One of the greatest performers ever

By Mahmoud El-Kati It is almost universally agreed upon that Lena Horne was one of the greatest performing artist ever to grace the American stage, screen, and television.

Lena was a heaven sent multifaceted talent who mastered the crafts of song, dance and acting. To add to this, she was a great conversationalist. She was one of those rare spiritual types who understood and possessed the ability to articulate her journey.

She put you there, making you feel a part of what she lived.

The work, the days, ties, hopes, disappointments, challenges, and triumphs. Lena lived high and at the same time broad and low, close to the ground.

Her legend on stage and in show business is widely known: at 16, she was in the chorus line at the famed Cotton Club.

She was the first Black person to sign a long term contract with a major Hollywood studio.

She endured some of the everyday snubs, slights and insults that great Black performers routinely put up with during the hey day of mad dog racism.

Through it all, Lena Horne survived, and indeed, thrived as one of the great lights, bar none, in the history of American entertainment. In a word, Lena was the bomb, for all of her 92 years. The mention of her name brings great joy, pride, courage, hope with optimism, to

people across generations and across the world.

There is also a side of Lena Horne’s life that is less generally known, and for which she was less appreciated. It is the side of her human generosity and deep love for Black people. At the onset of her career in Hollywood, she was given the option of “passing” because of her mostly “non negroid” features. It was requested by the movers and shakers of that day that she change her name so that she could pass, not as white—but as Mexican or some other exotic type, that was “non negro”. It was suggested that she change her name to perhaps Sanchez, Gomez or Rodriguez.

This offer revealed Hollywood for what it was: just another racist American institution and the long held strategy of the ranking the so called “races” under the doctrine of white supremacy. To be Mexican, Hispanic, or Latina was more acceptable to a race ridden American society than to be an American negro. This little-big episode gives us an appreciation of the immeasurable depth of racist thought in American life, of how it engulfs the thinking of even the most intelligent and “creative” among white Americans.

Lena Horne’s reply to this irrational thinking, this racial madness, was simply this: “My grandmother is a proud American Negro, that is what I am.” In the language of that day, she communicated a

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Lena Horne monumental life lesson for all persons of African descent, which teaches that, who you really are is not a color, or a

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Events Classic Black films at VOAPark Elder Center - Ongoing First and third Mondays of each month, 11 am - 12:15 pm. These films are free of charge and the public is invited. Popcorn, hotdogs and drinks are provided for a suggested donation of $1. VOA Park Elder Center, 1505 Park Ave. Mpls. 612-339-7581, parkcenter@voamn.org Stroke Risk Screenings – Tues. and Thurs. in May May is Stroke Awareness Month and Fremont’s Stroke Prevention Project is offering free stroke risk screenings all month on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9a-12p and from 2:15p-4p. Contact Carol @ 612-287-2433 Realizing the American Dream – Ongoing Home Buyer Program. First Thurs. of every month, 6-8pm. $25.00 per Family Minneapolis Urban League 2100 Plymouth Ave. N. Mpls. HYPERLINK “http://www.mul.org/”www.mul.o rg Contact Theresa (612) 8279268

Memorial Day at Lakewood Cemetery - May 31 Historic Chapels 100th anniversary open house & tours.

Free and open to the public.

10:30am-3pm at Lakewood Cemetery, Hennepin Ave. S 7 36th St., Uptown, Minneapolis Call (612) 822-2171 or visit lakewoodcemetery.com for more information.

Home Ownership: Tips for Buying and Keeping a House – May 26 This seminar will discuss housing and financial options, the process of securing financing, refinancing issues, and the different roles that mortgage lenders, real estate agents, appraisers and insurance representatives play. Wed., May 26 at 6:30pm. Hayden Heights Library, 1456 White Bear Ave., St. Paul.

Smell of God -May 27 - July 31 The after effects of meeting god is the memory of his/her scent. With the “The Smell of God” exhibition four emerging artists, working with noted artist Barthelemy Toguo, created a work that evidences the residual effect of having encountered god. Artists include: Nate Young, David Rich, Sankara Djeki, and Amanda Lovelee. 710pm @ 3501 Chicago Ave. S., Mpls.

The Memorial Weekend Special - May 28 & 29 Presented by African Global Roots & Tempo Afric. With Food, Music, Dance and More.

Fri. May 28th & Sat. May 29th 10pm - 2am. RAS - Restaurant & Lounge - 2516 7th St. W. St. Paul 651 278 0383

Edina Art Fair - June 4 to 6 Friday, June 4 through Sunday, June 6. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday.

50th & France neighborhood of Edina. www.edinaartfair.com, 952-9221524.

DEPT: Early Learning Center SUPERVISED BY: Youth Program Manager TITLES SUPERVISED: N/A FLSA: Non-Exempt SALARY GRADE: $10-13/hour POSITION SUMMARY: This is a substitute position designed to fill in as needed on a short or long term basis for permanent teaching staff. Substitute Teacher participates in long and short range activities for students in accordance with curriculum objectives and engages students in developmentally appropriate activities.

Assists with ensuring that the classroom is appropriately staffed and maintained to provide a safe and secure environment for each child.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES: 1.

Works with teaching staff to implement program curriculum and coordinate students activities.

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Plans and supervises the arrangement of the classroom environment in accordance to program goals and philosophy.

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Maintains a safe and healthy environment, including safely managing developmental activities for the participants.

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Keeps all appropriate records such as records, attendance, time sheets and accident reports.

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Maintains open communication with parents/guardians of the program participants regarding the developmental needs of the participants.

QUALIFICATIONS: Education: Associates degree or equivalent in early childhood development. B.S. in Early childhood Development preferred.

Licensing and Certifications: CPR and Meet all applicable licensing regulations. Valid Driver's License and proof of insurance. Minnesota Teachers' License (preferred).

Work Experience: 5 years of Child Care Center or related experience required.

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To apply, send a cover letter, resume, salary requirements and references to: Hallie Q. Brown Community Center ATTN: Human Resources 270 N. Kent Street Saint Paul, MN 55102 651-224-7074-Fax hr@hallieqbrown.org

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Hennepin County hosts open house for The Interchange - May 25 Tues., May 25 at 7pm at the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board headquarters, 2117 W. River Rd, Mpls, to update community members on planning efforts for The Interchange in downtown Mpls, a multi-modal 21st century regional transportation hub.

Hallie Q. Brown Community Center Substitute Teacher

nose shape, but a deeply lived experience, through time, space, history, culture, and personality.

Lena took a stand, defending the particular and beautiful humanity of African descended people in America, again in the racial nightmare of her times.

Lena Horne was a very intelligent and perceptive woman. Being in show business did not blind her to life that surrounded her.

Lena Horne was a product of a proud family from Brooklyn New York, where she was born, but also had deep family roots in Georgia. During the summers seasons of her youth, she visited her relatives, mingled with the southern whites who were of the same class as her people,—poor, isolated, and ignored.

Lena Horne’s political growth and development was not some sudden understanding that occurred in the 1960s. She was from a long line of distinguished family who had always fought for social justice.

She came from a family of staunch NAACP members when that civil rights organization was high on the “person of interests” list of the FBI. Lena Horne was a personal and loving friend of Paul Robeson, who during his time (the 40s and 50s) was considered “the most dangerous negro in America.” Robeson at that time was the most famous American in the world who dared to condemn American racism all over the world while commanding attention as a celebrated concert artist.

Although he was considered as the first real Black movie

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star, Shakespearean actor, and spokesman for the world’s labor movement, the American government deemed Robeson persona non grata or not wanted in America. Many recognized Black leaders (Benjamin E. Mays was an exception) avoided him.

Lena Horne too, of course, was on “the persons of interest” list. After Paul Roberson, Lena was among the first Black entertainers to protest performing in front of Jim Crow audiences during the days when segregation was normalized like breathing. She practically single-handledly (until the likes of Harry Belefonte) desegregated the night clubs of Miami beach during the 1950s. There is simply too much to tell about Lena Horne as a fully fleshed, sensitive and caring, human being. She was one of a kind.

And those of us who knew her, love and honor her-even from afar- are blessed to have shared the God’s good earth with her.

Better than most humans, she defined herself.

Lena Horne’s own words best capture the weight and complexity of a marvelous, challenging, and beautiful life: I no longer have to be a credit, I don’t have to be a symbol to anybody, I don’t have to be a first to anybody, I don’t have to be an imitation of a white woman that Hollywood sort of hoped I’d become.

I’m me, and I’m like nobody else.

ben@insightnews.com http://insightnews.com

Pamela Key

Shangilia Youth Choir of Kenya with JD Steele June 5-6, 2010

Shangilia is a youth performance group from Nairobi, Kenya, under the direction of singer/director/composer J.D. Steele. Ranging in age from 10 to 21, the performers sing in English and Swahili with original music composed by Steele and Butch Heyward that blends African-American soul and gospel with East African rhythms like soukous and bongo. Shangilia also incorporates traditional African music and dance with acrobatics and colorful costumes, weaving messages of love, peace and harmony into this exciting musical presentation.

Shangilia will be joined onstage by the newly-formed MacPhail Community Youth Choir (MCYC), also under the direction of J.D. Steele. MCYC is a choir comprised of youth from around the Twin Cities Metro to meet and exchange musical traditions during the Shangilia Youth Choir’s visit to the Twin Cities area. MCYC will also perform on the outdoor stages through the weekend. shangilia.org

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E M P L OY M E N T / H O U S I N G ABA

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We are looking for college students majoring in Sports Management, Business, Public Relations, Marketing Sales, Broadcasting and Event Planning. We need 20 or 25 interns working with us for a (minimum of 8 hours a week) on a part-time basis. Interns will gain valuable experience, and in most cases college credits. Interested Parties please send resume to: The Minnesota ABA Team Attn: Internship Program 10125 Crosstown Circle #200 Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952-829-1250 Fax: 952-829-1040 www.minnesotablizzards.com

Accounting Clerk Flexible, part-time schedule at North Minneapolis nonprofit. Responsible for processing weekly payroll; coding and entering accounts payable; maintaining filing system for paid invoices and other documents. Three years experience required. Please submit resumes to: human.resources@thesbsgroup.net

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Insight News • May 24 - May 30, 2010 • Page 11

Building bonds of unity: Malcolm X and Haitian Flag Days

By Dr. Ron Daniels May 18 marks the 207th anniversary of the creation of the Haitian Flag by freedom fighters determined to defeat the formidable invading army of Napoleon Bonaparte to achieve independence, and declare Haiti the world’s first Black Republic. May 19 is the 85 birthday or Kuzaliwa of El Hajji Malik El Shabazz, Malcolm X, one of the most fierce, feared and revolutionary freedom fighters the African world has ever known. As the first Black Republic seeks to build a new nation out of the ashes of one of the most devastating earthquakes ever experienced in the Caribbean, it occurs to me that the proximity of these commemorations offers an excellent opportunity to promote unity between Haitians and African Americans.

I make this suggestion because as various Haitians have discussed efforts to build the new Haiti, I have been deeply disturbed by stories about how many of them were ridiculed, harassed and picked on, growing up as youth in African

American communities. Kangol Kid, the first Haitian American Hip Hop artist, recounts how he avoided being identified as Haitian among his peers for years so he could fit in. The musical/cultural icon Wyclef Jean tells a similar story. Equally troubling, I have received reports that this kind of behavior is still occurring in high schools in the greater New York/New Jersey area today. While hazing “outsiders” may be a kind of “rite of passage” for new students, it is a practice which is simply unacceptable among students of African descent. It is a sign of the low level of cultural/historical awareness and group self-esteem that African American young people would belittle their Haitian sisters and brothers. Therefore, a focus/emphasis on Haitian and African American solidarity/unity is critical.

Utilizing the commemoration of Haitian Flag Day and the birthday of Malcolm X could be part of the unifying process. In the final analysis, it is important to promote the Pan African ideal that we are African people with a common though varied history and culture.

Malcolm X

Library of Congress

The Haitian Revolution could not have succeeded without unity among the various African ethnic groups that comprised the enslaved population of Santo Domingo.

Boukman was from Jamaica, Henri Christophe was from Grenada, some were from Cuba and other Caribbean colonies. Despite differences of ethnicity and colonies of origin, these enslaved Africans found a way to forge bonds of unity to confront and defeat a common adversary/enemy, the invading French forces of Napoleon

Bonaparte. With the slogan “Liberty or Death” and a Flag bearing the motto “L’Union Fait la Force” (Through Unity There is Strength), Haitian freedom fighters rose to become the only enslaved people in history to defeat their slave masters creating an independent nation. This remarkable feat should not only be a source of pride for Haitians, but Black people throughout the Pan African world.

As a student, Malcolm Little, the man who came to be known as Malcolm X, may have been affected

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big the industry is. We take it for granted. But Julie, what is the value that your company and your industry brings to community and society?

From 7 they are at the point of making a decision on an energy consuming appliance, to make a decision that is as efficient as possible. The incentives and rebates that are out there are a way of trying to bring that incremental cost of that technology down so that it does become more economical for the household.

Al McFarlane: Waste Management services are the end of line for everything. People don’t realize how

Julie Ketchum: Recycling is very important here in Minnesota. There are a lot of resources dedicated to recycling and it means jobs and economic development opportunities with new end markets coming online for a variety of materials.

Waste Management works with a variety of customers, but we are really focusing on those customers that generate a lot of waste in particular. For example, for a health

by or engaged in the “rite of passage” referenced earlier. Not unlike some young Black males today who are trapped in America’s “dark ghettos,” he certainly got caught up in a life of crime and violence. As a consequence, Malcolm Little, AKA “Detroit Red,” landed in prison. Fortunately, under the tutelage of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam, Malcolm Little turned his life around; he was transformed from a petty hoodlum and menace to society to one of the foremost proponents of Black liberation in the history of Africans in America.

Malcolm X was a nationalist, pan-Africanist and internationalist.

He emerged as a relentless advocate of unity among Africans in America and the Pan African world. Malcolm believed unity was an indispensible ingredient in the formula for emancipation from de jure and defacto apartheid in the U.S. and colonialism and neo-colonialism in Africa and the Caribbean. He was an uncompromising opponent of white supremacy. In “Message from the Grassroots,” perhaps his most powerful speech, Malcolm reminded us that “you don’t catch hell because you’re a Methodist or Baptist, you don’t catch hell because you’re a Democrat or a Republican, you don’t catch hell because you’re a Mason or an Elk...You catch hell because you’re a Black man.... All of us catch hell for the same reason.” Malcolm could just as easily have said that we don’t catch hell because we’re Haitian or African American. A white supremacist system sees us as Black people. Abner Louima was not tortured because he was Haitian, nor was Amadou Diallo gunned down by the police because he was

from Guinea. The offending officers saw no difference. In their eyes they were inferior, scorned Black men.

Malcolm saw Black unity/solidarity as the counter and corrective of racism and white supremacy.

Near the end of his life Malcolm formed the Organization of African American Unity (OAAU) to promote unity among people of African descent in the U.S. He was also welcomed as a virtual head of State by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) on the continent where he conveyed the same message. So, as we celebrate Malcolm’s life and legacy, his vision of pan-African unity/solidarity must be shared with the younger generation. Malcolm would certainly smile on Haitian and African American young people, working together to control the politics, economics and social welfare of America’s dark ghettos, and working jointly to build the new Haiti. Indeed, as more and more immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean arrive to expand and enrich the Black community, Malcolm’s vision of unity/solidarity among all people of African descent should be the order of the day if we are to achieve full liberation.

“L’Union Fait la Force - Through Unity There is Strength!

care facility, we go in we look at what they are generating. We do a waste audit. We look at opportunities for waste reduction and recycling.

What that means in terms of the environment is that we are reducing the waste that these facilities are generating but we are also looking for opportunities for greater valueadded services and turning what used to be a waste material into a new product or new end product.

And so we are getting value from the waste but we are also, in essence and in an indirect way, creating jobs because these new end markets create new facilities, new ways of

processing these different waste streams and you end up with needing people to do that.

So, in a nutshell it’s about reducing energy by recycling materials and not going out and harvesting or mining new materials.

We use less energy when we recycle those materials, and we create jobs and spur economic development.

Our industry has gone through some hard times. But those commodities’ values are bouncing back. They’re rebounding and we are looking forward this year and seeing greater values for recycled material.

Dr. Ron Daniels is President of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century and Distinguished Lecturer at York College City University of New York. His articles and essays also appear on the IBW website www.ibw21.org and www.northstarnews.com . To send a message, arrange media interviews or speaking engagements, Dr. Daniels can be reached via email at info@ibw21.org.

Page 12 • May 24 - May 30, 2010 • Insight News

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