Insight News ::: 7.02.12

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Threads dance project to “iDENTiFY” itself at Minnesota Fringe Festival THREADS TURN TO 2 Photo credit: William Cameron

Left photo: Dancers from L-R: Orlando Hunter, Jennifer Pennaz and Karen Gullikson Right photo: Choreographer Karen Charles

INSIGHT NEWS July 2 - July 8, 2012 • MN Metro Vol. 38 No. 27 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com

Knowing the value of history By Abeni Hill, Insight Intern Minnesota African American Museum (MAAM) and Cultural Center, 1700 Third Avenue S., Minneapolis, strives to educate the community about the accomplishments of African Americans in Minnesota and throughout the country. “Our community is so without knowledge about the footprints that came

Photos: Bob Holder

before us,” said founder Roxanne Givens. “In order to spring forward and move ahead we need to know the value of our history. If we don’t know it we continue to lag behind.” MAAM held its inaugural legacy festival on Jun. 2. Outreach Coordinator Shvonne Johnson said the festival helped showcase the museum and celebrate the legacy of African-Americans.

Founder Roxanne Givens (left) and Elder Naima Richmond Below: 1700 Third Avenue South Minneapolis, Minnesota

Nizzel Anthony George

Courtesy of MADDADS

Gunshot kills Nizzel George, 5

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By Ivan Phifer Staff Writer Police continue their investigation into the circumstance of the death of 5-year-old Nizzel Anthony George. Homicide investigators, officers from the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team and Fourth Precinct officers are working to find answers and to try and identify the responsible party. George was killed Jun. 26 when a bullet struck him while he laid sleep on a living room couch. The incident occurred around 8:00 a.m. that morning on the 4500 block of Bryant Ave N. in the Camden neighborhood.

According to investigators, about 10 shots were fired at the house. At least one bullet went through a wall and struck the boy, killing him. The shooting was six months after 3-year-old Terrell Mayes was killed by a stray bullet that entered his home on 26th and Colfax on Dec. 26, 2011. His mother, Marsha Mayes, came to the scene of the most recent shooting to help console George’s family. “It’s an outrage,” said Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. “Yeah, I’m pissed off. I’m plenty pissed off. But I’m not a parent of a child who’s dead.

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What more can we do?

Murder pierces hearts and souls

BLACK MUSIC MONTH PROFILE

Gateway to excellence

The Commodore family: A musical legacy

By Scott Gray

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer

MUL President/CEO

The clichés are endless. Like father like son (like mother like daughter), the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree, etc. But when it comes to the Commodore family – two generations of musical excellence, the question begs itself, is it nature or nurture? The patriarch of the family, Bobby Commodore is the talented drummer who from 1974 until 1986 was the drummer of the legendary soul, jazz, gospel

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Harry Colbert, Jr.

Two generations of musical excellence, the Commodore family on stage recently at the Dakota Jazz Club. Ginger Commodore (far left), Bobby Commodore (Center), Ashley Commodore (right) and Brandon Commodore (seated behind the drums).

Outrage, dismay, sadness… As our community mourns the death of another young life gone too soon, I imagine we have each experienced some or all of these emotions. The murder of five year old Nizzel George, while he lay sleeping on the couch, pierces our hearts and souls much like the untimely death of little Terrell Mayes, Jr. six months ago. My heart and sympathy goes out to the families. To myself and to the community at large; the leaders, the politicians, the educators, the preachers, the funders, the

organizers, the activists, the workers, and the watchers, we must ask... has anything changed? How could this happen again? Sadly, the reality is not much has changed. Many of us begin the year vowing not again, not in our community, but what power do we have to halt a retaliatory gunman? These questions have been heavy on my mind the last few days. As a leader of a full service non-profit based in North Minneapolis, I’m challenged to figure out what more can I do. What more can we do to strengthen our community. Our charge is vast and there is a call to do more. A Brewing Crisis A recent Pew report revealed that the wealth gap between Blacks and whites had widened even further. What was once a

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Bill Tompkins named president and CEO of NNPA By George E. Curry Editor-in-Chief NNPA News Service WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Highly-respected media and entertainment executive William G. Tompkins, Jr. has been name president and chief executive officer of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a

William G. Tompkins, Jr., President and CEO of NNPA

Education

Bill Cosby supports charter school movement at national conference

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federation of more than 200 Black-owned publications. NNPA Chairman Cloves Campbell, publisher of the Arizona Informant, said Tompkins was selected from an impressive field of candidates screened by Carrington & Carrington, a Chicago-based executive search firm. “Bill is an accomplished, nationally-known executive who

Natural Hair Symposium

African Americans buy 30% of all hair care products

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will be responsible for executing the vision of the NNPA Board of Directors,” Campbell said. “Because the Board chair is elected every two years, having a president and CEO in place will provide the organization with smoother operations and greater continuity.” Campbell described Tompkins as “a true visionary who will make an immediate impact on the

organization.” Tompkins worked at the Washington Post for 19 years in a variety of top-level positions, including vice president of marketing, director of national advertising and manager of corporate and financial advertising sales. He left the newspaper to join Kodak as chief marketing officer of its entertainment imaging business unit. Tompkins was also vice

Business

Best practices: Decide, delete, decline

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president and general manager of the Motion Picture Film Group for the Eastman Kodak Company, managing a $700 million global distribution operation. In addition, he was chief marketing officer of Next Gen media Group, the firm that launched the social media news site ReportN.

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Artspeak

The “despair” of college reunions

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