PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID MINNEAPOLIS MN PERMIT NO. 32468
FEATURING: Dianne Reeves Sunday, June 7 6pm to 9:30pm Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant 1010 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis.
June 1 - June 7, 2009 • MN Metro Vol. 35 No. 22 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com
First person:
Mestre Yoji Senna By Al McFarlane and B. P. Ford, The Editors Afro-Brazilians are more in number than African Americans. They are the largest body of Africans outside of Africa. Mestre Yoji Senna carries the heart and spirit of Afro Brazil in his work as a Capoeira master, instructor of the Afro Brazilian martial art that is infused with drumming and dance. He spoke to the “Conversations with Al McFarlane” broadcast recently. Here are excerpts from the broadcast interview: I’m from Bahia. It is a state in Brazil with a population of almost 20 million that is 80% Black. Bahia is where the first Portuguese arrived. The city of Salvador, our state capital, has about 3 1/2 million residents, and I would say 90% are Black. The peculiarity of Brazil, is that it is the single country in the world with the largest population of Africans, after Nigeria. So the only country where there are more Black people is Nigeria. And then it’s Brazil. Brazil’s total population is 190 million, and approximately 60% are of African descent. So we are, I think, bordering 100 million
crowcreeklongriders.blogspot.com/
Crow Creek Longriders www.abcapoeira.com/
Mestre Yoji Senna’s (bottom right) Afro-Brazilian Capoeira Association is the first capoeira school in the Twin Cities.
Black people in Brazil. To survive and emerge intact has been our cultural imperative. The culture and our art serve the function of grounding us. The art and culture provide a psychodrama which gives us sanity to face oppression. So we are a culture of new world Africans and our
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Remembering Minnesota’s ethnic cleansing By Al McFarlane Editor-In-Chief
Ipso Facto, singer/guitarist Mitch Walking Elk, historian Collette Hyman and Maestre Yoji Senna, Saturday May 16th, performed and lectured at St. Paul’s Como Park Pavilion, to help raise funds and awareness for the 2009 Crow Creek Longriders Ride, a commemorative motorcycle ride to the Crow Creek South Dakota Reservation. The event raised money to support the
motorcycle riders in their effort to do good work with their motorcycles by riding and raising money and help for families that, according to Wain McFarlane, “sometimes feel like they were tied to the whipping post.” Daniel McGinley and Terry Alex were guests on “Conversations with Al McFarlane” to promote the event and the work. I asked Terry Alex to talk about the events in history that the Long Riders seek to call attention to.
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Suluki Fardan
Book readings and signings Join Elder Arthur C. McWatt as he presents his book Crusaders for Justice: A Chronicle of Protest by Agitators, Advocates and Activists in their Struggle for Civil and Human Rights in St. Paul, Minnesota, 1802-1985. Friday, June 5th, 2009 Rondo Community Outreach Library 461 N. Dale Street, St. Paul, MN, 55103 11:30 am - 1:00 pm Friday, June 19th, 2009 Golden Thyme Coffee & Cafe 921 Selby Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55104 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Flying High Eagle
The Healer: Dr. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya Dr. BraVada GarrettAkinsanya By Al McFarlane and B. P. Ford, The Editors Akinsanya is a healer. She talks about healing both for individuals and for the community, and we think healing is what we need right now in our community. We are going through a period of contentious allegation and accusation. We asked Dr. Akinsanya to preface the conversation with Scott Gray,
Minneapolis Urban League’s new President and CEO. We asked Dr. Akinsanya to explore the notion of resilience and growth for our community. How do we create a protocol, a Code of Conduct, that gets us from Point A to Point B intact, without painful, selfdestroying implosion. She said: “We are progressing in our community. The movement that the Urban League is making towards change says this is our time, as a community, to change. And change is not always bad, although it is difficult to make. As a clinical
psychologist with almost 30 years of experience, I know people change. I know people go through stages of change. One of the first stages is called pre-contemplation, where you don’t even know you need to change. Remember how we used to feel about salt and pork, until we started realizing it was giving us high blood pressure? Well, some of us have to understand you move from places of not knowing to knowing. One of the biggest strengths we have as an African people is our ability to survive. We have survived on cornbread, collard greens, ham
hocks, turkey legs, chicken wings, way before they got popular. The reason we survived is because we have Kuumba: creativity. We know that through our creative selves we can create a new reality. The strength that we have as an African people here in Minneapolis is that we have overcome oppression. Often we experience setbacks because of the Willie Lynch Syndrome, that put us one group against another. But right now we know that our greatest struggle is to
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Incendiary film provides a probing look at the legend
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Dr. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya
First person: SCOTT GRAY I have never been a man that didn’t like to talk about things that are for real. The time is now for us to look at daunting challenges. That 70-80% of kids in the school district are receiving free and reduced lunch, means we know what is going on when they get home. Mom is unemployed or underemployed. Now is the time for innovative
responses to these challenges. This Urban League has been a great Urban League, but we’ve got to start looking at making ourselves more relevant for the 21st century. We have to make sure that folks who come in the door get world-class services. That’s what this is all about. It’s not about me. It’s not about
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Art for Healing & Celebration
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The Urban League movement Part 3 of 4 A history from www.mul.org After the Brown decision, racists throughout the South sought to destroy the Urban League by conducting smear campaigns and cutting them off from support by their local Community Chest (now known as the United Way). Without that support, they could not survive. At a critical time, the movement was in a weakened state both financially and as a leader in the civil rights movement. As the decade of the sixties began, the entire nation was forced to come to grips with the results of
its long toleration of unchecked segregation and discrimination. For the Urban League, the old way of conducting relations between the races was dying. The League now had to meet the demands coming from its own people. Despite the hundreds of thousands they had helped over the past 50 years, the Urban League was now perceived as not aggressive enough for the new civil rights movement. The League elected Whitney Young, Jr. to lead a bold new strategy. Young believed that the Urban League needed to reestablish its national identity. It needed a rallying point for its members. In his first speech, he said, “. . . we will be at war - at war
Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7, 2009 at the Midtown Global Market
Suluki Fardan
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Fancy Ray McCloney
Fancy Ray still the best
www.templeton-interactive.com
Whitney Young, Jr.
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Fancy Ray McCloney unabashedly declares “I am the best looking man in comedy!” The comedian and television pitchman dropped in on a “Conversations with Al McFarlane” broadcast recently, and added, poetically: “They tell the world. They tell the sea. They’ll never find a comedian as pretty as me.” McCloney was back home here in Minnesota celebrating his 20th year in the comedy business. “It’s my 20th anniversary doing standup comedy, traveling
all over the United States. I spent the last five years in Los Angeles, working with the biggest names in talent personalities. I’ve opened for Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, and the great Little Richard,” he said, strolling down memory lane. “And I’m back here in Minnesota to blow up my act in East St. Paul at Scott Hanson’s Comedy Gallery.” McCloney performed every Friday and Saturday last month at Scott Hanson’s Comedy Gallery .
The worst decision in NBA history
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EDUCATION As long as I still can dance... By Titilayo Bediako Nonprofit organizations from Minneapolis and St. Paul joined together to sponsor a poetry and spoken word contest for students. The collaboration between WE WIN Institute, Arts Us, and Illuminadas Performing Arts lead to a dynamic event on Thursday, May 14. The contest was held at Dunning Recreational Center in St. Paul. WE WIN Institute is committed to the academic and social success of all children. WE WIN uses African and African American history and culture as a method to assist young people in being successful in school and in life. Illuminda is dedicated to making performing arts accessible to underserved Minnesota communities. Arts and education programming is developed for and presented to youth and families at risk, the deaf and hard of hearing, communities of color and survivors
of domestic abuse and sexual assault. Arts-Us develops young leaders in and through the arts by providing high-quality African diaspora arts programs for youth to help them develop knowledge and skills in the arts. Spoken word artists and poets judged a Twin Cities-wide contest. The names of those who submitted poems or spoken word entries were covered to assure equity for all contestants. The pieces were judged for creativity, quality of the art form and the ability to address the themes of the contest, which included: Peace begins at home, how can I make a difference in the world, and how can I change the world? The winners received cash prizes and read their original works in front of an audience of over 100 students, parents and community members. Several of WE WIN Institute’s students attending its Rites of Passage program took top honors. Fourth grader DeJauntae Boswell took second place in the elementary
category for his poem entitled “How to Change the World.” WE WIN Institute students took all the top honors in the middle school category. Sixth grade student, Erika Burns took first place for her poem, “Peace.” Seventh grader, Todd Riser won second place for his poem, “How?” Sixth grade poet, Ranea Hester won third place for her original poem entitled, “Dance.” All three winners are from Olson Middle School in North Minneapolis, DeJauntae Boswell attends Sullivan in South Minneapolis. Erika Burns and Ranea Hester are part of a special education program called CLASS. It is a program for students who have the greatest difficulties academically and socially. Through WE WIN’s Rites of Passage program they have learned nothing can stop them from being successful if they remain committed to giving their best. Many CLASS students don’t believe they are capable of competing at the same level as students in mainstream classes. The
DeJauntae Boswell success of Erika and Todd shows that they too can be successful academically and socially. Erika Burns, a sixth grader, took first place with her poem “Peace.” Erika was also a contestant in the Black Storyteller and Black Excellence contest this past year. She has recited the readings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sojouner Truth. Watch for Erika Burns in the future as an inspiring author and playwright. Todd Riser is a seventh grader in the R.O.P. program at Olson Middle School, he was the second place winner in the fifth through eighth grade category. Todd was the first to submit his poem and application. Todd is quiet and loves to read; this young man strives for Black excellence in everything he does. Todd’s poem “How,” showed
(L-R) Ranea Hester, Erika Burns and Todd Riser his strength as a young poet. Third place winner, sixth grader Ranea Hester, was all smiles when asked to read his poem “Dance” at the program. Not expecting to win anything because of his shyness, his only concern was to hurry home to feed his cat. All of the students that entered their poems received a certificate of participation. Some of them got to perform their work in front of the audience. Even though they weren’t place winners, all of them have the hearts of winners. Dance By: Ranea Hester I will stop looking back with regrets or looking forward with fear
and give the best I have today while I still can dance I will always treat others with dignity, honor, and respect I hope you know that in my heart and dreams nothing can change me as long as I can still dance I will do all that I can with whatever I have wherever I am I’ll let good enough be good enough as long as I can still dance
Outstanding students win U of Minnesota Leadership and Service Award Jasmine Omorogbe of North Minneapolis, Ernest Comer III of St. Paul and Wobo Bekwelem of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, have received a prestigious University of Minnesota 2009 President’s Student Leadership and Service Award. This award is presented to approximately one-half of one percent of the student body for their exceptional leadership and service to the University of Minnesota and the surrounding community. Only 46 students on the 50,000-student Twin Cities campus receive this award this year. A junior honors student majoring in communication studies, Omorogbe is active in community service. She is a member of the Black Student Union, the Vice President of Voices Merging, a lead student ambassador for the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence, a Community
Engagement Scholar Program participant, a Students Today, Leaders Forever Pay It Forward Tour participant, a Student Ambassador for the College of Liberal Arts, and a Peer Advisor in the Career & Community Learning Center. She is also Vice President of Voices Merging, a student organization dedicated to the urban arts, a member of Impact Christian Outreach group, the Black Student Union, an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program Scholarship recipient, Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity (SEED) Award recipient, a two-time time “MCAE Ambassador of the Year” Award recipient, Zeta Phi Beta Scholarship recipient, a volunteer preschool teacher, an INROADS (Professional Development Program) Intern, and a four-time Dean’s List Scholar. Comer III, son of Ernest Comer
Jr. and Sharon Comer of St. Paul, Ernest, a senior majoring in communication studies with a minor in African and African American studies, is President of Poised Revolutionaries Interested in Saving Media (PRISM), an organization for students of color in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. He organized several networking events that connected JSchool students with professionals in the communications fields. He is Founder of “Make It Stop,” a student organization aimed at bringing community groups and the police departments together to fight violent crime. Ernest is a member of the U of M Black Student Union and won General Member of the Year Award for his work on a Historical Restoration Project that outlined the history of the formation of the U of
Jasmine Omorogbe
Ernest Comer III
Wobo Bekwelem
M African American Studies Department and the Black Student Union. Ernest also writes a blog for the “Your Voices” section of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and is a volunteer at Ames Elementary School. Bekwelem, a first-year master’s
degree student in Public Health, is the International Student Representative to the U of M Student Health Advisory Committee. This past fall, he was a co-organizer in the U of M’s drive that broke the Guinness Book of World Record for the most flu shots taken.
Bekwelem is also a Member of the UDS Advisory Committee and the National Public Health Film Festival Committee, a Mentor for Arlington High School students interested in health care professions and a Volunteer Community Health Worker at the Phillips Neighborhood Clinic.
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BUSINESS Recession economy demands visionary decisions for business leaders Plan your career
By Julie Desmond julie@insightnews.com A recession is an outstanding time to assess and manage your business and your career. A recession changes the future; organizations need to update their strategies to address changes in the marketplace.
Making right decisions now will pay off later by improving your career prospects long-term and ensuring a prosperous future for your organization. To succeed during and after recession, your company’s focus may need to change. If you are selling automobiles or building single family homes, you know what I’m talking about. If you are a leader in any industry, you will benefit from reviewing and revising your business plan in light of recent changes. You do not have to pay huge bucks to analysts to learn how to improve your bottom line. Tough times are ideal for utilizing your
most paramount resource: your people. Lean on your best players’ familiarity with customers and expert product knowledge for input on making process improvements. Managers sometimes miss out on the insights of direct reports, hearing only their complaints and not their underlying recommendations. Realize that most people are proud of their work and their workplace. They want to add value and have thought a great deal about how to improve their organizations. Listen and be open to suggestions from the people whose success depends on yours.
Now is the time to study trends and follow hunches. Try to uncover new opportunities in the marketplace. Survey current customers and find out how they have been impacted. Consider altering payment plans or cutting prices if you have to. Listen aggressively to learn about new needs your customers have due to the changing times. You may be strategically poised to service your already loyal customer base in new ways. If you haven’t already made some tough cuts, it is time to start running lean both in head count and in processes. Lean means increasing efficiency, decreasing
waste, and placing value on whatever your customers are willing to pay for. Renegotiate leases and vendor contracts. Create valuable work for your employees, or give them the opportunity to find something new. Actually, reconsider everything. If you are not gaining value financially, motivationally or in some other way, make a change. But don’t shoot yourself in the foot. A long-term, loyal employee may need a new role, rather than an exit interview. With an eye toward your new future as an organization, consider upcoming staffing
needs. Take advantage of the lucrative hiring market to bring on fabulous employees who are feeling less secure than usual in their current positions. Good people are willing to move right now; hire them. In a down economy, you do not have to stop selling; you just have to sell differently. Take calculated risks and make the right choices now, and you will be positioned as a leader when the market turns around. Send your career management and job search questions to Julie@insightnews.com.
Study reveals $50 billion African immigrant market segment emerging Los Angeles, CA – The African Chamber of Commerce Released First African Consumer Segment Study with 50 Billion Dollar Purchasing Power. African immigrants are a separate and unique group that is growing in number in the U.S. These consumers maintain connections to their friends and family in their native countries as well as maintain ties to native traditions, including food, music, and entertainment. These insights come from an exciting new comprehensive study by Los Angeles-based multicultural research firm New American Dimensions in conjunction with The African Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Bruce Corrie, The Minneapolis Foundation and Aguilar Productions. From multiple focus groups in Los Angeles, New York City and Minneapolis to a four-market quantitative survey of 393 African immigrant adults in California, Minnesota, Washington D.C. and New York, this study captures unique insights into the daily lives and thoughts of this highly educated and successful group. The study is supplemented by a video snapshot of Africans to personify the findings from the research and bring them to life. Highlights of the study, which are available at www.africanchamber.org or
Gray From 1 anything, but the folks who walk in this door being able to walk out with their heads up, and headed in a direction that can build this community. I have a three-pronged plan for building our organization and for building our community by building the families that we serve. It is important that families build equity in workforce development. Individuals must get career ladder opportunities. Second, all of our children, whether they are starting at elementary, middle school or high school, must be getting prepared for college and getting ready for careers in this
http://africanchambermn.org/acc /governor-awards/ include: • The African immigrant consumer market in the U.S. is a unique cultural market segment which is largely untapped. Within this market, there is a unique Islamic market segment which is also untapped. Marketers have an opportunity to deliver culturally appropriate products to this sub-segment such as in the food and beverage category. • African immigrants prove to be sensible shoppers, shopping around for the right price and the right product. Younger shoppers are more prone to shopping for products recommended by family and friends. Supermarkets lead the list of stores patronized by African immigrants. Discount stores and low-end department stores are the top shopping venues for clothes and accessories. • Most African immigrants have their own checking and savings accounts and about twothirds have credit cards. They also tend to have auto and medical insurance and a few have long-term care insurance. • Email and international calls are heavily used for keeping in touch. Younger Africans are also the heaviest visitors to internet social groups.
Dr. Bruce Corrie • African immigrants spend more hours watching English language media than African language media, most probably due to availability of inlanguage options. Overall, CNN tops the list of favorite Englishlanguage TV channels followed by ABC, Fox and NBC. Yahoo and Face book top the list of favorite websites. • Most African immigrants own a personal computer and a DVD player. Younger immigrants are high consumers of English-language movies.
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Almost all Africans interviewed own cell phones. • Success is often described in meaningful, far-reaching terms. African respondents emphasized the need to give back to their community. Most send money to relatives back home on a regular basis, but when talking about success, they mean giving on a larger scale, more often in terms of the community-at-large. “There are over 1.4 million Africans living in the U.S. and these consumers possess very high educational attainment and
incomes. Additionally, this is a segment with a powerful sense of identity and pride in being African”, said David Morse, President and CEO of New American Dimensions, a firm which provides customized multicultural consumer research. “USACC is the leading advocate organization for African businesses and entrepreneurs. This is a growing consumer segment within the multicultural market – one that cannot be overlooked”, said Martin Mohammed, President of the African Chamber of Commerce. This study was commissioned by Martin Mohammed of the African Chamber of Commerce and led by David Morse and his team at New American Dimensions of Los Angeles and Dr. Bruce Corrie, Dean of the College of Business and Organizational Leadership at Concordia University, Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Minneapolis Foundation was the major funder of the study. Minneapolis-based Aguilar Productions is the major promoter of the study. New American Dimensions (NAD) is a multicultural marketing consulting, research, and trends company based in Los Angeles, CA. Its aim is to be nothing less than a rich resource
community in the emerging sectors. – We must accept nothing less than what our dreams, ability and preparation enable, be that an astronaut, a doctor, a lawyer, a nurse or a construction worker. This is what I want for my own son. I want what I want for my own
I embrace the remarks of Dr. Akinsanya, and implore that we all recognize the contributions being made. Think first that people who are on the battlefield are trying to do good work. Then let us find a way to embrace the good work. I would so much rather talk about supporting the good work, than looking backwards to anything. –Alfred Babington-Johnson, the Stairstep Foundation.
son for you and your children and for this community. Third, we must build equity in homeownership and in business development. I stopped this morning at the barbershop right down the street and got a haircut and met
the owner of the barbershop. He was for real. He said, “When you look at North Minneapolis, you see my business. I’m one of very few.” We’ve got to come up with a new model, a new way, whether it’s social enterprise, whether
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Insight News is published weekly, every Monday by McFarlane Media Interests. Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane CFO Adrianne Hamilton-Butler
Everybody moving forward In the spirit of Barack Obama, forward is better than backwards. Where we are is in a place of great need. We face extraordinary challenges, and we need all hands on deck. If somebody else is on the battlefield, I thank God for the other folk on the battlefield. There’s so much to be done. It’s unfortunate when we allow innuendo or mistrust to destroy the possibility of everybody moving forward, everybody being supportive. Let’s find a way to win.
of actionable marketing intelligence for its clients— helping them to shape effective strategies leading to greater success by capturing the rapidly expanding markets of U.S. ethnic consumers and emerging youth markets. David Morse, NAD President & CEO, presented highlights of this study on April 28 at Aguilar Productions’ 5th Annual Multicultural Marketing Conference in Minneapolis For more information on the study, to receive a copy of the detailed report, Contact Martin Mohammed at (612) 813-0501 martin@africanchambermn.org.
Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Vice President of Sales & Marketing Selene White
Alfred Babington-Johnson it’s latching onto businesses here that need to grow, and figuring out a way to put the Urban League brand around them, where we can grow them. In exchange for growing businesses, we create jobs. Building equity simply means layering on top of what this Urban League is doing already. I first want to thank the Minneapolis Urban League board of directors for saying that I’m the person who they want to lead this organization forward. I want to thank our MUL staff who have, during this period of nearly a year since the departure of former president Clarence Hightower, have really stepped it up and held this organization together. What Dr. Akinsanya said, in my opinion, is that it’s about us. It’s about what we want to do together. We can do this collectively. The Urban League doesn’t have to be everything to everybody because we’ve got partners that can come together and help us face some of these daunting challenges. From Day 1, June 1, when I come aboard this organization, I want to make it clear to everybody in this community that we will be about partnership. We will be about making this a world-class Urban League. We will work to move world-class folks into good jobs, and our children into getting a good education, moving on to college and other aspirations. We will build wealth through home ownership and business development opportunities.
Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Elliot Stewart-Franzen Web Design & Content Associate Ben Williams Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Contributing Writers Brenda Colston Julie Desmond Marcia Humphrey Mehgaan Jones Alaina L. Lewis Rashida McKenzie Ryan T. Scott Photography Suluki Fardan Tobechi Tobechukwu Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Mpls., 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.
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AESTHETICS Unsubtle Wayans brothers more shocking than funny By Kam Williams Times sure have changed when a film featuring a character wearing tights which emphasize the outline of her oversized private parts can be rated PG-13. But that’s what we have with Dance Flick which, just to make sure you get the dirty double entendre, further hits you over the head by having Ms. Cameltoe (Amy Sedaris) utter lines like “I bet you’ve heard I have a big [C-word].” And “I’ve inserted tampons bigger than you.” The unsubtle Cameltoe teaches at mythical Musical High School where her overexposure works hand-in-crotch with Thomas Uncles (Damon Wayons, Jr.), a prized pupil who announces his plans to become a “vaginacologist.” Such bad taste is par for the course in this Wayans Brothers production superficially patterned
after Scary Movie, their hilarious spoof of horror films that inspired a host of take-the-money-and-run parodies of other genres, including Not Another Teen Movie, Date Movie, Epic Movie, Superhero Movie, Meet the Spartans and Disaster Movie. Unfortunately, Dance Flick fails to measure up to the Wayans’ original, being more in league with the litany of mostlymediocre also-rans. At least the picture does follow a rudimentary plotline, although it’s real reason for being is to satirize familiar scenes from such movies as Save the Last Dance, Fame, Step Up, Stomp the Yard, Roll Bounce, Dreamgirls, Black Snake Moan, Hairspray, Singing in the Rain, High School Musical, ATL, Twilight, Flashdance, The Little Shop of Horrors, Edward Scissorhands and Final Destination. In 25 words or more, Dance Flick revolves around Megan
(Shoshana Bush), a white girl from the suburbs who moves to the slums to live with her slacker father (Chris Elliott) following her mother’s fatal car accident. After transferring to Musical High, the Juilliard-bound ballerina is befriended by a classmate, Charity (Essence Atkins), who leaves an infant in her locker during the school day. Somehow, the single-mom does have plenty of time to show the newcomer how to survive in the ‘hood, and to introduce Megan to her big brother, Thomas. We know that Megan finds him handsome, when she admits, “I like his big fat butt.” Needless to say, lust, if not love, blossoms between Megan and Thomas as the subsequent series of skits inexorably build up to a couple of big finales: the senior dance showcase and the senior prom. En route, however, bottomfeeding Dance Flick repeatedly crosses a line whether it’s by calling a basketball team comprised of Black females the “Nappy-Headed Hos,” by depicting a Black toddler catching a sexually-transmitted disease because he didn’t wear a condom, or by showing the same baby packing a pistol. Ditto for the skit where Megan dons Blackface to enter the Violence Club, a place which is popular because “all the ballers get shot there.” In case you haven’t noticed, the movie basically relies on a running joke linking African Americans with a variety of depraved behaviors. To get away with such an outrageous theme, the material had better be so relentlessly funny that nobody stops to think about what they’re laughing at, which, sadly, is rarely the case with Dance Flick. A good indication as to how general audiences are actually likely to respond to this film is the fact that six out of the 10 people at the screening I attended walked out early. Granted, some were probably shocked parents who first covered their youngsters’ eyes in response to the sight of Ms. Cameltoe and then
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had to drag the kids out of the theater when the crude antics only escalated. Coarse, adult-oriented fare guaranteed to induce more groans than guffahs.
Fair (1 star) Rated PG-13 for profanity, ethnic slurs, sexuality and crude humor. Running time: 83 minutes Studio: Paramount Pictures
To see a trailer for Dance Flick, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h PAFefgP23Q
Still from Muhammad Ali the Greatest, directed by William Klein, 1974. Klein’s extraordinary, incendiary film provides a probing look at the legendary and polarizing Muhammad Ali. Showing Saturday, June 6, 2009 - 7:30 pm at The Walker Art Center Cinema.
Book review
Something Torn and New: An African Renaissance By Kam Williams Something Torn and New: An African Renaissance by Ngugi wa Thiong’o Basic Civitas Books Paperback, $25.00 160 pages, illustrated ISBN: 978-0-465-00946-6 “Linguicide is the linguistic equivalent of genocide. Genocide involves conscious
acts of physical massacre; linguicide, conscious acts of language liquidation. This is precisely the fate of African languages in the diaspora… If history is replete with the death of languages, there have also been cases where languages have been resurrected from the dead. Israel, for instance, needed the resurrection of Hebrew to reconnect with the ancient memory… The African continent’s relationship to the world has thus far been that of donor to the West. Africa has given her human beings, her resources, and even her spiritual products… African languages are essential for the decolonization of African minds as well as for the African renaissance… All this calls for a very different attitude toward our languages on the part of African governments and the African intelligentsia.” Excerpted pages 17, 65, 127 & 128 The colonization of Africa and the Atlantic slave trade has left most people of African descent with a nagging sense of inferiority. This is the thesis of Ngugi wa Thiong’o who believes
that Europeans over the past six centuries or so succeeded in stripping the continent of its culture, natural resources, inhabitants and spirituality, while simultaneously spreading the belief throughout the world that Africans were godless savages and that blackness was “a mark of inferiority.” In his intriguing new book, Something Torn and New: An African Renaissance, Thiong’o argues that separating Africans from their native language played a critical role in not only their exploitation but in their continued capitulation to being regulated to second-class status today. The author goes on to say that Black folks today suffer from an unrequited “quest for wholeness,” a thirst for knowledge of self which can never be satiated so long as they speak and write solely in the languages of their former slave masters and colonizers. For English, Spanish, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese are rife with subtle color-coded symbols and messages which will only continue to reinforce racist notions of white supremacy for generations to come. At times, Thiong’o certainly sounds like an impractical
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dreamer, given the abject state of the African diaspora. For instance, in America, the bulk of Black children who never bother to master English. So, what makes anybody think they’d suddenly be the least bit interested in studying Swahili? That being said, Something Torn and New does nonetheless make a passionate, if not ultimately persuasive, case for the restoration of dignity to the Black man via the serious study of lost languages and a cultural roots renaissance.
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LIFESTYLE Earn extra cash just for doing what you love Style on a dime
By Marcia Humphrey Like most young girls around 10 years old, I remember spending hours combing my doll’s hair, giving haircuts, and making her outfits. After a while, I became the self-appointed hair stylist for all my neighborhood friends. I was the best around (at least in my own mind). When I went off to college, one of the ways I made a little extra money was by doing hair —applying relaxers, trimming, and styling. Although I never pursued a license in cosmetology, I still enjoy giving my friends mini makeovers (hair, makeup, clothes) when they ask for my help-and even sometimes when they don’t. I realize that God created me with certain gifts, interests and abilities in the makeover arena, and I have used these gifts to earn money while helping people. What’s your gift from God? What are you really good at? Are there particular skills or abilities which you possess that friends and family are always talking about? Well, this is a perfect time
Senna From 1 experience as victims of the greatest forced migration in human history, the TransAtlantic Slave Trade, is the foundation for the idea of globalization. The positive side of the experience is in the music, the rhythms of African descent, now from the Americas, that we now are passing from us to the other cultures. We have in Minneapolis,
to put it to work for you. If you are between jobs or need extra money to supplement your fulltime position, then listen up. There are many hobbies and skills that can earn you big bucks-here are a few ideas. Enjoy Gardening or Yard Work? Make $$ by offering your mowing and other green-thumb services to busy neighbors. If you do a good job, word will travel fast, and you could have more customers than you can handle! Also, if you are an avid gardener, consider selling some of your excess plants when they become too large for the space. A friend of ours just made over $100 by trimming, then (using recycled plastic pots) repotting some of his overgrown perennials (plants that come back year after year and multiply). Finally, if you like strategically arranging flowers and plants, offer a landscape design service. Enjoy Photography and Picture-Taking? Make $$ by offering lower cost services for graduations, family reunions, or family portraits. I know of someone who combined her love of photography and poetry to create a unique service that provides custom photo framing accompanied by original poetry fit for the occasion.
Central do Brasil, a Brazilian Cultural Center, located in South Minneapolis at 2609 Aldrich. We have a Brazilian Jujitsu class, Capoeira, Samba dance, percussion, West African dance, and Portuguese classes. The Center is Afro-centrist and inclusive. We are very social, gregarious. Zumbi do Palmares Zumbi is the greatest figure of resistance to Afro-Brazilians. He was the leader of the Quilombo of Palmares. Quilombo means community.
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Enjoy Piano Playing? Make $$ by playing at a local
church (or two). Regardless of the instrument you play, you could always teach lessons to beginners. Lastly, you may be inspired to play your heart out as a summer street-corner musician in the downtown area. Use your instrument case as the money collector-you may want to throw in a few of your own dollar bills to give passersby the idea to do the same. Are you feeling the stress of money at the end of the month? Spend a bit of time taking inventory of YOU – your skills, abilities, and gifts. Determine which are most marketable, and then get to work. What may start
The runaway slaves created communities that spread out throughout Brazil. Still today you find some remnants of actual Quilombos. They recently found three sisters… the youngest of which is 80years-old. They speak a Congo dialect that just those three can understand; It is a time capsule. So, Zumbi represents the
resistance that all Africans in the Americas have. He was the leader of the first experience of a real democratic state in America. That was Palmares which accept and embrace anybody who was fleeing persecution. It was an Afrocentric community, and it was inclusive. So we had the Jews who were living there, and
Enjoy Using Your Mad Baking (or Cooking) Skills? Make $$ by offering your famous pound cakes, cobblers, or pies during the holiday seasons. In addition, weddings and baby showers are always in need of baked goods. Our wedding cake was outstanding, and we saved a lot of money by passing up the fancy bakery and going with the lady who made cakes from her home. It even tasted good when we pulled it out of the freezer one year later to celebrate our anniversary.
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out as a way to help make ends meet may turn into a new and improved opportunity for you to earn a living pursuing your true passions. Enjoy!
Marcia Humphrey is an interior decorator and home stager who specializes in achieving high style at a low cost. A native of Michigan, she and her husband, Lonnie, have three children.
many Indians. The experience of Indians in Brazil is very similar to that of the Indian
brothers who live here. We have the same kind of demographic components.
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Insight News • June 1 - June 7, 2009 • Page 7
COMMUNITY CALENDAR Expressions of Stability and Change: Ethnic Dress and Folk Costume – Now thru June 14 The Goldstein Museum Gallery is on the second floor 241 McNeal Hall, 1985 Buford Ave., St. Paul. The exhibition will feature 30 ensembles of ethnic dress and folk costume from around the world. For more information contact: Lin Nelson-Mayson, 612-624-3292 or lnelsonm@umn.edu
Send community events to us by: email, ben@insightnews.com, by fax: 612-588-2031, by phone: 612-588-1313 or by mail: 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis, MN 55411, Attn: Ben Williams. Free or low cost events preferred. Visit www.insightnews.com for more events.
EVENTS HIRE Minnesota Community Gathering – June 2 Tues., 6:30 - 8:30 pm, Sabathani Community Center, 310 E 38th St, Mpls.
Free NDC business workshop: Customer Service - June 16 Tues., June 16, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at N MPLS Library, 1315 Lowry Ave N. Mpls. Learn how to give your business a boost by using superior customer service techniques. Cost: Free. Preregister with Bonita at 651379-8429.
Community Orientation for RJCA – June 2 Tuesday, June 2nd, 5:30 pm at Dunn Bros. Coffee on Loring Park, 329 W 15th St, Minneapolis, MN 55403. Info: rprim@rjca-inc.org Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis sponsors a free event for people struggling with foreclosure. – June 4 Thurs., 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at St. Paul RiverCentre, 175 W Kellogg Boulevard, St. Paul. For more information, please visit: www.hopenow.com/www.hocmn. o r g / i n d e x . c f m , www.federalreserve.gov/consum erinfo/foreclosure.htm, or www.nw.org/network/home.asp The Neighborhood Show Opening Reception- June 5 Opening Night Reception on Fri., June 5 from 7 – 10 pm. Runs June 5 – 28. Steven’s Square Center for the Arts, 1905 Third Ave. S., Mpls. The SSCA invites you to come celebrate the diversity of the Stevens neighborhood and the local artistic community. www.stevensarts.org The Second Annual WAMM Walk Against Weapons – June 6 Saturday. Participants will meet at Bakers Square, 928 Prairie Center Drive, Eden Prairie for a threemile walk from Bakers Square to Alliant Techsystems (ATK) in Eden Prairie. Pledge forms are available at www.worldwidewamm.org. For more information, call 612-8275364. Minneapolis MOSAIC Opening Night Kick-Off - June 6 The seventh annual Minneapolis MOSAIC, a celebration of the city’s diverse arts and cultures, kicks off on Saturday, June 6 with a free, arts-packed evening between 8th and 9th streets and Hennepin and First Avenues in downtown Minneapolis. Info: www.minneapolismosaic.com. Foreclosure information workshops scheduled at Hennepin library in Crystal – June 8 6:30 p.m., Rockford Road
Blue jean mask
Art for Healing & Celebration - June 6 Dee Henry Williams welcomes you to her World of Ceremonial Art featuring Art for Healing & Celebration Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7, 2009 at the Midtown Global Market located on the corner of Lake Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis. Henry Williams will exhibit her blue jean mask making on canvass and will be featuring Your Mojo Bag. Your Mojo Bag is a spiritual concept where, according to Henry Williams “You can stop struggling and have what you want in life…the Mojo Bag uses the African concept of universal energy (Ashe).” Now through June 5, you Library, 6401 42nd Ave. N., Crystal. 952-847-5875. For more information about the workshops, call the individual locations or Ed Nelson, Minnesota Home Ownership Center, 651-6599336, www.hennepin.us. The BoyShow June 8 through 16 Bryant Lake Bowl Theatre, 810 W. Lake Street, Mpls. Doors open at 6:00. 612-825-8949. www.youthperformanceco.com. Mill City Live Returns with Outdoor Music and Museum Admission for One Low Price – July 9 through Aug. 13 Every Thursday, 6 – 8 pm at Mill City Museum, 704 South Second Street, Mpls. www.millcitymuseum.org
can find Your Mojo Bag at Rituals store located in the Midtown Global Market. Of the idea of working with this medium Henry Williams said: “I enjoy working with blue jeans because they can be crispy new, stressed, frayed and worn out, soft and holey. I love ‘em when they’re threadbare. As you view the art, you will see how a variety of jeans can be ‘woven’ together to create different energies.” Henry Williams’ website, www.shangospiritmarket.com, provides additional information on what blue jean art is all about. Free NDC Business Workshop: Choice of Entity – June 9 Tues., June 9, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at N. MPLS Library, 1315 Lowry Ave N. Mpls. Get advice on the advantages and disadvantage in choosing a sole proprietor, corporation, limited liability or partnership entity. Cost: Free. Preregister with Perla at 651-3798119. Unity East Grand Opening June 14 10 a.m. at Marcus Theatres at Highway 36 and 694 near Oakdale. 651-731-5330, www.unityeast.org
Celebrate 10 Years of Resistance to War – June 17 Weds., 5:00 p.m. (Vigil) Lake Street/Marshall Avenue Bridge Spanning the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and St. Paul. 6:30 p.m. (Potluck Dinner, Music and Storytelling) St. Albert the Great Church, 2836 33rd Avenue South, Mpls. FFI: Call TCPC, 612-522-1861 or WAMM, 612-827-5364. Dollar Works 2 trainings – June 17 June 17, 9 to 4 pm., at Bunker Hills Activities Center, 550 Bunker Lake Blvd NW., Andover, MN. Dollar Works 2 is a personal finance education program designed to help teach financial literacy concepts. Registration / More info at: http://www.extension.umn.edu/R esourceManagement. ‘9 Nights of Music’ Free Concerts Return to History Center - June 30 through Aug. 25 Every Tuesday at the Minnesota History Center, 345 Kellogg Blvd W., St. Paul. Info: 651-259-3000, www.mnhs.org/9nights 2009 July 4th celebration, “Red, White and Boom!” – July 4 Sat., July 4, 6 – 10 p.m. at Minneapolis Riverfront. A spectacular fireworks show concludes the event at 10 p.m. www.mplsredwhiteboom.com Arts of the Garden – July 11 Sat. July 11 at Minnetonka Center for the Arts, 2240 North Shore Drive, Wayzata, MN 55391. Registration: 952-473-7361 ext. 16. www.minnetonkaarts.org. Dragon Festival – July 11 & 12 Phalen Lake Park, St. Paul.. Food, performances, Asian vendors and lots of entertainment create a family friendly atmosphere. www.dragonfestival.org
The 4th Annual “Neighborhood Link-Up” – Aug. 15 Sat., Aug. 15, 12:00pm- 4:00pm at The Jordan New Life Hub, 1922 26th Ave No. Minneapolis (corner of Newton and 26th Ave No.).
Jamie Foxx’s “Intuition Tour,” – July 23 The “Intuition Tour” will come to the US Bank Theatre at Target Center, Thursday at 8 PM. Tickets are available through Tickemaster and the Box Office. Charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. FFI: 612-673-0900. Acme Comedy Company’s annual Funniest Person in the Twin Cities Acme is searching for 2009’s Funniest Person in the Twin Cities. Acme Comedy Company’s annual summer contest invites all Midwest dwelling folks to get on stage and give their best 3 minutes of comedy gold. Contestants can sign up online at www.acmecomedycompany.com/ 09.php ‘Minnesota on the Map:’ Four Centuries of Maps from the Minnesota Historical Society Collection – Now thru Sept. 7 Feb. 28, 2009 - Sept. 7, 2009, at Minnesota History Center, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. This exhibit features dozens of maps, atlases and artifacts from the Society’s collection, including an atlas from 1595, displayed along side current road, city and tourist maps. www.mnhs.org.
Get to Know Guild Hear from individuals served, family members, and staff about the work Guild Incorporated is doing to help people move along their paths of recovery. To RSVP or for more information, call George Broostin at 651-9258454. Visit www.guildincorporated.org/event s.htm for more info. Artists Quarter Open Mic – Ongoing Mondays (except the first Monday of the month) at The Artists’ Quarter, 408 St. Peter Street, St. Paul. Doors at 7 pm, Live Jazz by “Green” from 7 pm til 9:30 pm, Open mic at 9:30 pm. No cover – two drink minimum. ‘Soap Boxing’ poetry slam – Ongoing Every first Monday at The Artists’ Quarter, 408 St. Peter Street, St. Paul. (Under Great Water’s Brewery) $5 cover (free if you compete in the Slam) 18+. Doors @ 7 pm. Slam @ 8:00. FFI: 612-207-7991, www.soapboxing.com, www.myspace.com/soapboxingsl am Neighborhood Development Center business workshops – Ongoing NDC is a non-profit that works to empower low-income Twin Cities communities through successful entrepreneurship. Visit www.ndcmn.org or call 651-291-2480 for information. Workshops are free.
Page 8 • June 1 - June 7, 2009 • Insight News
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HEALTH In the richest country on earth
Parents wage major, constant struggle with insurers for child’s medical care Children’s Defense Fund
By Marian Wright Edelman Bill La Croix began singing to his daughter Anna as soon as she was born. Picking his banjo, he sang to his little blue-eyed girl about the mountains outside their Victor, Montana, home. But Anna didn’t hear her father’s music. When she was about 14-months-old, Bill and Anna’s mother, Amy, discovered their child was deaf. Doctors explained that the girl’s inner-ear structure, known as the cochlea, was malformed, and unless they took action, Anna would remain permanently deaf. What the couple didn’t know is that they would have to fight an insurance company to restore her
hearing. Bill and Amy quickly found out that taking action would be expensive. Their doctor in Missoula prescribed $2,000 hearing aids, which they had to pay for out-of-pocket because their private insurance plan wouldn’t cover them. The family’s stripped-down policy cost them $7,000 a year in premiums, plus a $6,000 deductible. Paying for the hearing aids wasn’t easy. Amy operates a vacation rental home business and Bill is an organizer for the Montana Human Rights Network, while also working as a musician. Their combined income is about $40,000—so one-third of it goes just to pay for insurance premiums and deductibles. As it turns out, the $2,000 hearing aids could never have worked anyway because they only amplify sound—sound that Anna couldn’t hear. The Missoula doctor later admitted he didn’t expect the hearing aids to work but prescribed them as part of the
“protocol.” For Anna to acquire any level of hearing she required at least one cochlear implant operation, and for her best chance at normal hearing she needed an operation for each ear. The implants are marvels of medical technology that convert external sound to digital signals that are sent to electrodes inserted in the inner ear, stimulating the brain to experience closely approximated sounds. The cochlear implant operations would cost $160,000, and surgeons in Missoula wouldn’t schedule them until Anna’s parents could demonstrate that the cost would be covered by insurance. But their insurance company twice denied the family’s claim to cover the implants, determining that cochlear implants are hearing aids; hearing aids aren’t covered under the plan. The claim was denied even after a surgeon certified in a letter to the insurer that the operations were “medically necessary.” Anna’s
parents then filed a grievance with the company through the State Insurance Commissioner. But time was running out. Anna was then 20 months old and needed the operations before she was three to avoid remaining deaf permanently. Continuing to fight, the couple found that Seattle Children’s Hospital could perform the operations at a lower cost. So they made plans to go to Seattle, even though they had not secured a commitment from their insurance company. That commitment finally came the day before they left for Seattle. Anna received her first operation in August 2007 and her second in August 2008. At three, Anna is a bright, active, happy child and a quick learner who expresses herself through sign language and drawing, and now she’s learning to talk. One magical day, she even signed to her parents that she could hear a bird singing. But Amy’s and Bill’s struggles are not over. If Anna is to have a
real chance to hear normally and make music of her own, she will need years of monitoring and therapy. She must travel often to Seattle for therapy with two specialists who are helping her learn to speak and checking and adjusting her implants. On top of the tremendous costs of travel and home therapy, Bill and Amy still must haggle constantly with the insurance company to recover any of Anna’s health care costs. Unfortunately, they have no other viable alternatives. Even the Montana Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is not an option. With the CHIP income eligibility limit at $38,555 for a family of four (175 percent of the federal poverty level), the family’s $40,000 income puts them just above the limit. And even though Montana is raising the limit to 250 percent of the poverty level, Anna would first have to go without any coverage for three months—Montana’s mandatory waiting period. Bill and Amy simply can’t risk three
months without coverage since Anna requires continual medical care. Moreover, a modest increase in Bill and Amy’s income could still result in an immediate loss of CHIP coverage, and since Anna would then have a “pre-existing condition,” the chance of their regaining private coverage would be remote. The question is: Why, in the richest country on earth, should parents like Bill and Amy have to wage a major, constant struggle with an insurer to provide their child with the medical care she so obviously needs? This is the moment for real health care reform for all children in America. The system can and must be made over so that every child has access to affordable, comprehensive coverage. No parent should live with the day-to-day struggles experienced by Amy and Bill just to get health care for their child.
Workshop teaches self-management of disease and pain Do you or a loved one have a chronic disease, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, or heart disease, and do you feel limited by it? Do you feel like you’re spending too much time with the doctor or at the hospital? The Living Well with Chronic Conditions workshops will teach you how to self-manage your disease so you start to feel better. The Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Foundation and the Minnesota Department of Health are co-sponsoring a series of six free weekly Living Well with Chronic Conditions workshops. Workshops take place 1 pm - 3:30 pm on Thursday, June 18 and 25, and Thursday, July 9, 16, 23, and 30. People who live and work in New Hope, Golden Valley, Crystal, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Plymouth, and other nearly
communities are encouraged to pre-register. The workshops will be hosted at Messiah United Methodist Church, 17805 County Road 6, Plymouth, MN, 55447. Class size is limited. “I see patients and their families so overwhelmed with their chronic diseases that they aren’t able to fully enjoy their lives,” said Dawn Blomgren, M.D., Family Physician at Northwest Family Physicians. “They may be feeling a loss of control over things. We wanted to partner with other organizations to offer the Living Well with Chronic Conditions workshops to patients. Research on this program has shown participants are able to manage their symptoms better and communicate more easily with their doctors and family. We can empower people and help them
feel better, be in control, and do the things they want to do.” Participants will learn how to manage their symptoms; get started with healthy eating and exercise; communicate effectively with their doctor and health care team; manage their fear, anger and frustration; make daily tasks easier; and get more out of life. These workshops are for people who have arthritis, asthma, high blood pressure, anxiety, chronic pain, diabetes, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, lung disease and/or any other chronic conditions that require ongoing care. To pre-register and get more information about this series of free workshops, contact Lynn Balfour at the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Foundation: (952) 224-3873 or workshop@mafp.org.
National Institutes of Health
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Insight News • June 1 - June 7, 2009 • Page 9
Dance group uses DMC’s song “I’m Legit” to shed light on open records in Minnesota By Michelle K. Johnson, M. A. Open records legislation is a national movement by members of the adoption community to grant access to original birth certificates and agency records to adoptees. Currently, when adoptions are finalized, the original birth records are sealed, including the birth certificate naming birth parents. A second birth certificate is issued for the adoptee, with the names of the adoptive parents. Images usually conjured up in this debate are that of private agency placements of infants relinquished at birth. In Minnesota, Catholic Charities, Children’s Home Society and Lutheran Social Services are the big three agencies most of the attention is focused upon. The Adoption, Foster and Kinship (AFK) Dance Troupe is attempting to shift the focus to where it belongs; on the majority of adoptees affected, who are placed through county agencies and are overwhelmingly children of color. AFK began in 2003 as a joint effort between the North American Council on Adoptable
MUL From 1 against prejudice and discrimination, against apathy and indifference, against rationalization, greed, selfishness and ignorance — and we will not hesitate to identify our enemies in this war, whether they be Negro or white . . . “ Members of the Urban League met with President John Kennedy in 1962, a meeting that opened the door to a new relationship with the federal government. From now on, the government would contract with the Urban League to carry out its programs for the disadvantaged. This was followed by a grant from the Ford Foundation for an eightcity housing program. A true success story was the Skills Bank, a national clearinghouse for highly skilled African Americans. Another was the on-the job training program which placed more workers in skilled jobs than anyone had ever expected. However, the basic problems afflicting black communities across the country unemployment, lack of economic opportunity, inadequate education
Crow From 1 Flying High Eagle My name is Terry Alex. My true spiritual name in Dakota means Flying High Eagle. The name of this event, in our language, means “when the Dakota suffered.” This ride commemorates and honors people who had to suffer through an exile from Minnesota. It was the aftermath of the 1862 conflict, generally called the Sioux Uprising. In May of 1863, people were loaded up onto boats and taken downriver on the Mississippi. One boatload of people went to St. Louis. They were disembarked there, and they were put on a boat that journeyed up the
Healer From 1 learn how to be well, and that wellness is a right of every human being. We were created divinely. It’s not because of stature, it’s not because of finances, it’s because we were created equally, with the divine
Children (NACAC) based in St. Paul and Collins Productions to promote adoption awareness through music and dance. I, as, MN Adoption and Foster Care Recruitment Project Manager and Mary Collins, Parent Liaison, who both spent time in foster care spearheaded AFK events. Their first performance was at the African American Adoption Agency’s annual fundraiser featuring actor/comedian Tommy Davidson and then Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who are both adopted. For two years AFK performed around the state until the grant funding ended. AFK was resurrected this April by Mary and me. AFK’s first event was May 4 at Forgotten Children’s Rally Day at the Capitol. This month is National Foster Care Month and CASA MN (Court Appointed Special Advocates for children, also known as the Guardians ad Litem (GAL) program, NACAC and other agencies raised awareness of issues affecting children involved in child protection, including open records. I now work as the Volunteer Coordinator for Hennepin’s GAL
program. The group chose Darryl “DMC” McDaniel’s newly released single “I’m Legit” with British pop star Zara Phillips. Both are adoptees lobbying for open records in DMC’s state of New Jersey. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last month, McDaniels found out he was adopted at age 35. He shared his story through Vh1’s Rock Doc(umentary) “My Adoption Journey” in 2007 which won an Emmy. The crux of the song is “I’m legit, not illegitimate and I will not quit, to strive by my state until I get my ORIGINAL birth certificate!” The song highlights every adoptee’s search for a complete identity, which includes needing answers to all the questions that come when ties to birth family are severed. While there are added complexities for adoptees whose families were investigated for abuse and neglect, adoptees overwhelmingly want to know their origins and the sometimes sad truths that come with such revelations. Original birth certificates are the key to health histories and sometimes the
beginning of searches for long lost relatives. I lost my sister to foster care. While I was adopted before her second birthday, my elder sibling by two years aged out at age 18. As our birthmother had me at 15, I assume I also have other siblings and an extended birth family. My adoptive parents support my search for answers. I was born Evette Gail, last name unknown at Sauk Centre’s St. Joseph’s Hospital in 1969. On March 11, I celebrated my 40th birthday. This annual celebration is always bittersweet for me and most adoptees as we have questions about our first family, with answers currently denied from us by state law. Communities of color are overrepresented in foster care and adoption numbers nationally and in Minnesota, which currently ranks second in the disproportionate number of African American children under court jurisdiction. While Blacks make up only 14% of the population, they represent 45% of Hennepin County’s child protection cases. Almost half of these children end up with kin through adoption or transfer of legal custody, the other
and substandard housing had not changed since the days of Reconstruction. Whitney Young believed that special efforts were needed for black citizens and by black citizens if they were to ever catch up. This was the transition point. The Urban League had moved from being an organization that relied on persuasion and conciliation in race relations to one engaged in aggressive advocacy for social change. Yet, it had not sacrificed its commitment to helping individual people in need. In August of 1963, executives of the Urban League in white shirts and ties were accompanied by freedom fighters as they marched on Washington. Many felt, as they had when Roosevelt was elected, that now the tide was surely turning. On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was shot in Dallas. It was feared that the momentum for civil rights would be lost in the grief that the Movement and the rest of the country shared. However, President Lyndon Johnson declared his own commitment to the fight. His support of civil rights legislation would be the cornerstone of the
Great Society. Grassroots Black leadership would be able to use federal programs in employment, civil rights and anti-poverty legislation. It looked as though four hundred years of racial injustice were about to be corrected. That was before the Vietnam War. Suddenly, no one was talking about poverty programs and civil rights anymore. Liberals who had historically fought for domestic social programs were now obsessed with Vietnam. Others used the war as a convenient excuse to cut back their commitment to programs for minorities. The tension created by the interruption of the civil rights movement and the introduction of the Vietnam Protest movement destroyed families and communities - both black and white - and threatened to destroy the country itself. The summer of 1967 was the most violent in the history of American race relations. The Kerner Commission reported to the President that white racism was the root cause of the separate societies that existed in America. When Martin Luther King was assassinated the following April, there was no turning back. Riots
broke out in 125 cities across the country including Minneapolis and St. Paul. Whitney Young proposed that the primary responsibility of the Urban League Movement should now be nothing less than to help halt the nation’s selfdestructive course. There were then 85 local Leagues that assisted more than 500,000 people every year. The Urban League would shift gears from its traditional strategy of removing the barriers for individuals to bringing about change in the social, economic, and political arenas. The fundamental goal of the Urban League was now the equalization of life results between black and white America. Young called it the “New Thrust”. The League would use three tools to change the system: community organization, direct confrontation, and the strengthening of the internal power of the ghetto. By the end of 1968, local Leagues had opened storefront operations to organize the people to change their environment. The Minneapolis League was one of the first to move from its location in the downtown business district out into the neighborhoods. Affiliates established Street Academies,
Missouri River. There was a second boatload of people that took that same journey. They were taken off the boat in Hannibal, MO, and put on train cattle cars, 60 people per cattle car. The journey was two days west across Missouri to St. Joseph, MO. There, the two groups of people intersected and were taken to a place called Crow Creek, SD in 1863. At that time there was a huge reservation, south of Mankato, for the Winnebago people. They call themselves the Ho-Chunk. In our language we call them Ho-Tonka. They were also removed as part of the policies of the state of at that time. They arrived on June 24, 1863. So four years ago, when we did our first ride, we arrived there at
Crow Creek on June 24, to honor and remember the Winnebago people also. One of the hardest things is what happened to those people and what they’ve endured to still survive even today. They are true survivors. There’s nobody else who can say they survived as much. There is a really, really bad history there. We are trying to make some awareness to it yet in today’s time. We can’t change that history. What we are doing with our ride is we’re bringing hope to these people. We work with children’s groups; raising money for the Boys and Girls Club, and also Project Head Start, so that the little ones can have a little better chance.
right to be well. We have to claim our right to be well, as individuals, and as a collective group in this community. Now, what does wellness mean? Well, through our Afrocentric studies, we know that wellness means embracing each other and embracing the concept of consubstantiation. That means that all living things are connected. It
means that everyone is our brother and sister. Although we may come in different containers, we are mostly water. So we are more alike than we are different. We’ve got to remember where we came from. So to heal, to be well, we’ve got to understand that power, in the African community, is always in a circle, where there is no beginning and end, there is no top
half do not; sometimes leaving the community altogether, never to return or cultivate relationships in their birth culture. While people have divided opinions about cross cultural placements, the fact remains they are occurring. The AFK Dance Troupe is trying to shed light on all of these issues and engage all communities, especially those of color, in dialogue about solutions for our children, and adults living with the consequences of decisions made on their behalf. What folks can do: • Become informed about open records legislation by visiting the Minnesota Coalition on Adoption Reform (MCAR)’s website at www.adoptionreform.org They have been endorsed by MN Association of Black Social Workers and the African American Adoption Agency, • Write, e-mail or call your local legislators and Gov. Pawlenty and tell them you support open records, • Consider a donation to AFK or MCAR, • Contemplate becoming a volunteer court advocate for children, or a foster or adoptive parent,
Knowledge is power, and our community needs to become more informed and take a more proactive role in advocating for our children. Hopefully then, children like Evette Gail won’t end up in the child protection system, and if they unfortunately do, they will go home with family and their original birth certificates. Our village needs to live up to its potential and ensure safe and bright futures for all of our children, especially vulnerable youth in foster care!
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When Martin Luther King was assassinated there was no turning back. Riots broke out in 125 cities across the country including Minneapolis and St. Paul. launched voter education drives, undertook community health programs and neighborhood improvement programs. They demanded that white institutions respond. Social services alone could not eliminate the problems. Only changing the system would suffice. Yet blacks were more segregated, more concentrated in a physical space than ever before. The difference at the end of the sixties was that the inhabitants were now
2008 Crow Creek ride and bottom. There is the hierarchical structure that was imposed upon us as a people. But we need to step back and realize that every voice is of value, whether it’s a dissenting or consenting voice. So, in this process, as we rediscovered our “we-ness,” we have to know that I am because we are. We’ve got to understand that to love ourselves doesn’t mean we
• Come out and support AFK Dancers at the Juneteenth Parade June 14th, • Go to www.youbloom.com/web/zaradmc and download a free copy of “I’m Legit” and call your local radio stations and ask them to add it to their play lists, and • Plan on attending November Adoption Month happenings, including an event with DMC, TBA. For any assistance with these items, contact me at meeshahjaye@yahoo.com or (651) 341-9636.
have to not love our other brothers and sisters. To be pro-Black does not mean to be anti-white. To be prowoman does not mean to be antimale. You can love yourself without hating somebody else. So let’s move into this place of healing. Let’s think about what we have to do. Think about our babies that are waiting for us on the other side, hoping that praying every day
volatile, informed citizens who were not afraid of white political or economic power and they occupied key sections of the nations most important cities. Full story on line at http://www.mul.org/index.php?opti on=com_content&view=article&id =8&Itemid=3
crowcreeklongriders.blogspot.com/
as they struggle against drug abuse, HIV, low school success, poor – hope for themselves. We are the hope makers. We cannot give up. We cannot turn around. We cannot turn back. We cannot fight each other. We have to combine our strength. Every voice has value – every voice, from the smallest to the largest. And bring your voice to the table. Bring it for healing.
Page 10 • June 1 - June 7, 2009 • Insight News
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Hard times embolden identity thieves By Jason Alderman Unfortunately, as people become increasingly desperate during tough economic times, crime rates rise. What’s worse – those being targeted are often in Amendment to Certificate of Assumed Name 1. State the exact assumed name under which the business is or will be conducted: Passion Playhouze 2. State the address of the principal place of business: 6437 Lyndale Ave S, Suite 101, Richfield, MN 55423 3. List the name and complete street address of all persons conducting business under the above Assumed Name: Alina Rae Muellerleile, 325 6th Ave SE #104, Minneapolis, MN 55414 4.This certificate is an amendment of Certificate of Assumed name number: 3312815-2 originally filed on 4/23/2009 under the name: {List the previous name only if you are amending that name}. 5. I certify that I am authorized to sign this certificate and I further certify that I understand that by signing this certificate, I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Minnesota Statues section 609.48 as if I had signed this certificate under oath. Signed by: Alina Rae Muellerleile Date Filed: 5/06/2009 Contact Person: Alina Rae Muellerleile, owner/operator Daytime Phone Number: 612-227-7474 Insight News 5/25/2009, 6/1/2009
dire financial straits themselves. One of the most financially devastating ways people are victimized is identity theft, where someone steals your personal information and uses it to open accounts, take out loans, make purchases or rent an apartment, among other offenses. It might take months to discover you’ve been hit and by then you could be out thousands of dollars and have severely damaged credit – not to mention having to spend hundreds of hours sorting it all out. Here are a few precautions you can take to protect your personal identity: Think “low-tech.” Surprisingly, Accepting Applications Nicollet Towers will be accepting applications for housing June 25 & 26th from 9:am-3pm at our office at 1350 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN. Nicollet Towers is a section 8 housing community. Apply in person.
ATTORNEY Legal Aid Society seeks atty for tax unit (7 months; possible extension). Sal up to $55,695 DOE. Good benefits, incl family hlth ins. Cov let, resume & ref by 6/15/09. Pam Cunningham, Ad #985, LASM, 430 1st Ave N, #300, Mpls, MN 55401. EOE
THE BLAKE SCHOOL The Blake School, a PK-12 independent, nonsectarian, coeducational day school seeks the following for the position: • Lower School Physical Education PartTime Teacher, Grades K-5 Please visit www.blakeschool.org for more employment opportunities, job descriptions and application details. The Blake School actively seeks employees who value and contribute to a diverse community.
although high-tech crimes like computer hacking get more publicity, old-fashioned thievery accounts for the vast majority of identity thefts. Watch out for: • Pickpockets targeting your wallet, purse, checkbook and credit or debit cards. • Intercepted mail containing checks or personal information to and from banks, government agencies, retailers, medical providers or insurers. Some thieves even fill out change-of-address cards to redirect your mail, so pay attention when expected bills or correspondence don’t arrive. • People rifling through your trash. Always shred sensitive paperwork – and never leave purchase receipts behind at the store. • Strangers (and even personal acquaintances) who have access to your home or workplace – always lock up sensitive information. • People who “shoulder surf” while you enter passwords at ATMs or retail card machines. Always shield the keypad. Sound the alert. Keep handy phone numbers you can call to quickly report lost debit or credit cards or checks; also program them into your cell phone in case you’re away from home. In addition, if you are a victim of identity theft contact the three major credit bureaus and ask them to place fraud alerts on your files: They are Equifax (www.equifax.com, 888-7660008), Experian (www.experian.com, 888397-3742) and TransUnion
www.shreddinghouston.net
callers purporting to represent companies with which you do business: Before verifying or supplying any private information, call the main information number yourself (it’s usually toll-free) and verify that the call was legitimate. The Security and Exchange Commission’s Web site, www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/phishing.htm, discusses how to spot and avoid phishers. These are only a few of the precautions you should routinely take to protect your personal information. For more tips, visit Practical Money Skills for Life, a free personal financial management site sponsored by Visa Inc. (www.practicalmoneyskills.com/security).
(www.transunion.com, 800-680-7289). To monitor your credit and spot errors or fraudulent activity, order one free credit report per year from each of the three bureaus at www.annualcreditreport.com. Each bureau tracks slightly different information, so it’s a good idea to stagger ordering reports from each throughout the year. Say no to “phishing.” Be suspicious of realistic-looking emails – supposedly from trusted sources – that ask you to supply or confirm account information, log-in IDs or passwords. Legitimate businesses and government agencies will never ask you to verify sensitive information by email. When in doubt, contact the organization yourself: Never click on the link provided within the email – it could take you to a copycat website capable of infecting your computer. The same advice applies to phone
Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial education programs. Sign up for his free monthly e-Newsletter at www.practicalmoneyskills.com/newsletter.
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Insight News • June 1 - June 7, 2009 • Page 11
SPORTS The worst decision in NBA history Mr T’s Sports Report
By Ryan T. Scott ryan@insightnews.com As I go back and forth with people whose purpose in life seems to be squarely focused on criticizing all things associated with the Los Angeles Lakers, there is some criticism that I have to get off my own chest with concern to my favorite team. Seeing the struggles that the Lakers are having in this year’s NBA playoffs, I can’t help harkening back to the Lakers historical stretch of three straight championships during the 2000, 2001, and 2002 NBA Seasons. The combination of Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, head coach Phil Jackson, and General Manager NBA Great Jerry West, made for an absolute dynasty at the turn of the century. The relationship between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal on those teams has been publicized to nauseating extent. Kobe needs his shine and Shaq blocks out the Sun and the professional flashing cameras. Just like Danny Glover”s character in the movie The Color Purple said: “Sug got spunk,” everyone can see that Shaq got spunk and Kobe doesn’t. I guess that would oddly put Kobe as the character Celie in that movie (ha-haaa that might be my best comparison for Kobe yet!) Lately I’ve raved about Kobe’s ability on the court (though he still needs to pass the ball more). I’ve given him a lot of grief over the years (mostly for not passing the ball), but he has risen to the pinnacle of his abilities (minus passing the ball regularly). But as we see Shaq giving great interviews, break dancing, practicing sports casting, and laying down an occasional freestyle rap, we must accept the simple truth that Shaq is cool and Kobe is a nerd. Shaq is the Fonz on the television show “Happy Days,” and Kobe is Richie Cunningham. Shaq got spunk! Well just like Richie Cunningham would never willfully split with the Fonz, Kobe never should have split with Shaq. Kobe chose the split with Shaq simply because he never said, “Don’t leave big fella.” General Manager Jerry West, who left the team after the 2002 championship (which is the real reason the split ever happened and the dynasty ended), said that he would have dove in front of the door at the suggestion of Shaq leaving. Kane killed Abel, and Kobe was jealous of Shaq. I like to hang out with people cooler than me, because then the burden of cool is not fully upon me, or perhaps because I’m not cool (not). Either way, I say it
like Dirty Harry says it “Man’s gotta know his limitations.” It’s been a long hard road for Kobe since Shaq left. I’m pretty sure that Kobe didn’t envision the path being as humiliating as it has been. Whether his much publicized rape case, or basketball raping by the Boston Celtics, Kobe has gotten plenty of shine. Could have used a 7ft funny guy to soak up something in those occasions I imagine: rebounds, courtroom camera time, etc… But that was Kobe’s decision. He virtually said, “This is going to be about Me, not Me and Shaq. There ain’t no 7’2” funny sidekick in my fairytale career.” Michael Jordan had Scottie Pippen, but nobody confuses the two. There is no confusing Shaq for Kobe either. Shaq is bigger in every way, and if Kobe had asked him to stay then their title total would be a lot bigger, too. Kobe failed to factor in that Shaq would get old and that his own command over the team would increase consistently until he came out looking like the bigger star in the end…wait, I take that back: everybody would always like Shaq more. Those are things you just accept as a nerd though. Listen to Spike Lee’s short film Kobe Doin’ Work and you can hear a 100% Grade A U.S.D.A Certified Nerd going on and on about swimming in the details of basketball…though it was interesting. Well, just like Celie rose to her own personal power through
http://images.townnews.com/morningjournal.com/content/articles/2009/02/16/sports/mj624527.jpg
Shaq, Kobe winners again in the 2009 All-Star game gaining her freedom from Mister in The Color Purple, Kobe has finally risen to an (almost) championship level without Shaq. When Celie left Mister she said, “I’m poor…Black, I
may even be ugly! But dear God I’m here.” If Kobe can manage to (pass the ball enough to) win another championship then he can say, “I’m rich so money ain’t a thing.
I may be a nerd. I may not know how to handle my groupies and thus I am the only player that has to bring his wife absolutely everywhere. I may even be corny! But dear God I could have
had eight championships if Shaq stayed.” Dummy. Let’s teach the kids to share people.
Page 12 • June 1 - June 7, 2009 • Insight News
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