INSIGHT NEWS July 25 - July 31, 2011 • MN Metro Vol. 37 No. 30 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com
RONDO DAYS
What a glorious gathering! Photos and story next week Suluki Fardan
MBMA honors our stars By Harry Colbert, Jr.
Harry Colbert, Jr.
Minnesota Black Music Awards founders, husband and wife Pete Rhodes, III and Kim Rhodes.
Though the weather on July 15 was a bit ominous, eventually the sun came out and later the stars began it shine— both outside and inside the Pantages Theatre. The 20th presentation of the Minnesota Black Music Awards (MBMA) paid homage to several musical pioneers and offered the receptive crowd a glimpse into the future of what talents Minnesota has to offer. National icon, Alexander O’Neal, rebounded from a less than stellar showing at the BET Awards, belting
out a medley of his hits. Ann Nesby, on stage with her sister Shirley Marie Graham, daughter Jamecia Bennett, and granddaughter Paris Bennett took the audience on a musical journey that offered Paris Bennett belting out a stirring rendition of the Nina Simone classic, Four Women. And R&B trio, Next, clad in all white, showed their hits are standing the test of time as the crowd danced and sang along to songs such as Butta Love and Wifey. Next, who were honored with the Legacy Group Award, acknowledged a fellow awardee, disc jockey Brother Jules, for pushing their music to
the record labels which eventually garnered the group a national recording contract. Jules received the MBMA Star DJ Award. O’Neal, who had success in the 1980s with songs Fake and the Cherrelle duet Saturday Love, received the MBMA Founders’ Award. Nesby, along with her sister, daughter and granddaughter, received a Legacy Award in recognition of each generation’s contribution to music. Nesby and Graham were members of the Grammy Award winning gospel ensemble, Sounds of Blackness while, Jamecia Bennett, also of Sounds, sang
AWARDS TURN TO 11
Sinfonia performances at Farwell Park and North Commons at North Commons Park on Thursday, July 28. Performing prior to the Sinfonia is the Unlimited Next Level Dance and Drill Performing Arts. The festival on July 28 will also
Over fifty North Minneapolis children will join the Sinfonia to dance and narrate a performance of Peter and the Wolf at Farwell Park in North Minneapolis on Wednesday, July 27 and again
feature performances by vocalists from the Sounds of Blackness, displays of works by other local artists and children’s activities from the Walker Art Center. The programs will focus on
how music is used to describe magical moments and evoke a wide range of emotions. Music will be taken from Harry Potter, Peter and the Wolf, and favorites from ragtime,
marches, dances and more. The concerts will be held Wednesday, July 27, 1:00 pm at Farwell Park, 1201 Sheridan Ave N, Minneapolis. *Rainsite at Bethune Elementary, 919 Emerson
The ‘what next’ challenge
Champion legislation funds tornado relief for residents and businesses
State Representative Bobby Joe Champion (DFL-58B) State Rep. Bobby Joe Champion (DFL-58B) and other DFL legislators introduced a bill during the special session that would provide relief dollars for families and businesses impacted by the tornado earlier this summer in North Minneapolis. The relief package includes $4 million federal emergency management agency (FEMA) state match, which was passed in the House omnibus tax bill. Champion said the federal match will help North Minneapolis residents continue to recover from the May tornado. “Our recovery from this
devastating tornado is far from complete,” said Champion. “We are working to deliver needed resources to families and businesses in our community as soon as we can. This federal match is a positive step forward.” Champion said the tax bill also includes language that will allow Minneapolis to transfer extra money from TIF districts and use these resources for tornado disaster relief in North Minneapolis. The bill also allows abatement and allowance for Minneapolis to include 200 more homes in a redevelopment district. Elements of the relief package include general fund and bonding appropriations for economic development, infrastructure repairs, and housing assistance. Champion said he will continue to pursue relief efforts next session for provisions that are not passed during the special session. “I will continue to work with stakeholders and local leaders to respond to the ongoing need to recover,” said Champion. “I won’t rest until every family has been made as whole as humanly possible from this disaster.”
Youth
Judge Mathis: Reach beyond your limitations
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Ave. N. and Thursday, July 28, 5:00 pm, North Commons Park, 1801 James Ave N, Minneapolis. Always free admission and children always welcome!
Will growing disparities continue to diminish America’s global competitiveness?
Gateway to excellence By Scott Gray MUL President/CEO
Governor Dayton signs state budget bills Governor Mark Dayton (r) and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie on Wednesday, July 20 signed into law the budget bills and bonding bill passed by the Minnesota Legislature.
State of Minnesota
Plan Your Career
Creating a workplace people want to join
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Aesthetics
The Sounds of Blackness on Malaco label
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It took 19 days and laying off over 20,000 state workers before Governor Mark Dayton signed a $35.7 billion budget on Wednesday, July 20th. This feat was accomplished as a result of an agreement to delay payments, borrow funds, and apply the use of ‘creative’ accounting maneuvers. Sadly, in the end, neither Democrats or Republicans were pleased. Disparities in taxation remain firmly in place. Further budgets cuts were made to already underfunded programs, and now it is back to business as usual.
NEXT TURN TO 2
Gone to Ghana The world stood still
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Page 2 • July 25 - July 31, 2011 • Insight News
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Judge Mathis: Reach beyond limitations By Rhoda McKinneyJones Judge Greg Mathis has a story to tell and he tells it well, because his tale is one he owns. So it was fitting and appropriate that he shared his story in a recent Youth Town Hall Meeting with those gathered to hear about the systematic mass incarceration of people of color. Now a retired Michigan 36th District Court Judge turned television arbitrator, Mathis, a previously imprisoned teenager, challenged the youth audience to reach beyond their limited expectations, to find a higher calling, to make a difference and to ultimately stay out of jail. He knows of what he speaks because he did it. “Many in our communities hear about and see the poverty, drug abuse and dealing,” Mathis said. “We see and hear about the violence and killings. But we don’t try and analyze how it all connects and why it is at such a high proportion. Education is the number one tool against oppression; if you are not educated you don’t know how to fight back against oppression. If you don’t get educated you don’t even know you are being oppressed.” The meeting was sponsored by the Chicago-based Samuel Dewitt Proctor Conference, Inc., (SDPC) a national social justice organization that has partnered with acclaimed attorney Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. In an effort to educate and inform people, especially youth, about
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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 Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Ben Williams Production Andrew Notsch Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Facilities Support / Assistant Producer, Conversations with Al McFarlane Bobby Rankin Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Staff Writer Ivan B. Phifer Contributing Writers Maya Beecham Brenda Colston Julie Desmond S. Himie Marcia Humphrey Alaina L. Lewis 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.
the unrelenting long-term effects of life within the criminal justice system, SDPC has started a national movement and declared that, “The New Jim Crow Gotta Go! & The Race4Justice Is On!” The need for such a declaration can be easily found in the numbers of persons incarcerated. African American males are just six percent of the total United States population, but make up 40 percent of the all those incarcerated, according to national statistics. If the trend continues, however, one out of every three African American boys currently born in the US can expect to go to jail in his lifetime. So the system, according to Attorney Alexander’s book, is not just simply broken. It was intentionally designed as a new racialized and permanent form of legalized discrimination—hence the book’s title, The New Jim Crow. “It is the conscious and unconscious belief that some people, defined largely by race, are fundamentally unworthy or disposable that has led to the rise of successive new systems of racial and social control,” Alexander has said. “Only a major shift in attitudes that occurs simultaneously nationwide will sustain the major structural reform we seek, and inspire a commitment to education, not incarceration; jobs, not jails.” Alexander’s work points to a clear, present and internal danger to the concept of democracy in America. When President Richard Nixon declared the War on Drugs forty years ago, according to John Ehrlichman, Special Council to the President, “He [President Nixon] emphasized that you have to face the fact that the whole problem is really the blacks. The key is to devise a system that recognizes this while not appearing to.” Mathis moderated an afternoon conversation allowing experts and educators in the criminal justice field to explain,
Next From 1 That leads me to ponder “What Next?” a question I’m sure is also on the minds of educators, workforce and economic development specialists, social workers, older worker program managers, health and wellness clinicians, and countless others working to provide service. The What Next Question
Judge Greg Mathis
Submitted photo
step-by-step, just how that “system” to which President Nixon referred—“worked.” Presenters talked about how once someone is arrested they are caught in an unyielding and complicated web that is not easily untangled. Bennie Lee, a formerly incarcerated person, who was a leader of a 1960s Chicago-based gang and now uses his life as a cautionary tale, helped to lead that discussion. Paul Ford, a pastor and University of Chicago scholar added to the commentary. Students were on the panel with Judge Mathis and others asked questions from the floor. During the question and answer period, one young participant wanted to know how to get Alexander’s book and the study guide as part of their high school’s curricula. The students seemed to understand the need for their own early interventions. Their questions, which ran the gamut, were singularly focused on personal survival and the desire for something better in their lives. Listen to them speak: “How can we introduce the youth to steps to escape?” “Slavery has not really changed.” “This is a modern day disaster.” “Given the circumstances of many African American males without fathers in their lives,
how do we bring more male role models into our lives?” “How can we make the media more responsible in their betrayal of urban youth? They only focus on the negative, not the positive.” Over the last few months the SDPC has sponsored a number of events focused on the issue of mass incarceration and its implications. The group recently published a 76-page companion piece to Alexander’s book entitled, “The New Jim Crow Study Guide.” SDPC also held a national brain trust meeting, bringing together various religious leaders, social workers and criminal justice specialists to support the planning of a national educational and mobilization campaign. SDPC sponsored a special Juneteenth Sunday (June 19, 2011), which included litanies and prayers with local churches throughout the country participating. Scores of congregations used the SDPC initiative to educate people on the collective consequences of the penal system as it is presently organized and how it is destroying African American families. SDPC Board President, the Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III of Friendship Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, recently spoke to the annual convening of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA),
In the state of Minnesota, and across this nation, deriving a sustainable solution to the “What Next?” question is becoming our greatest challenge as we navigate and prepare for the globalization of the present and into the future. In the 2010-11, Global Competitiveness Index Report (World Economic Forum), the United States is ranked fourth, trailing Switzerland, Sweden and Singapore respectively. The report commented that “a lack of macroeconomic stability” and a lack of a “clear exit strategy” from
significant stimulus spending and repeated fiscal deficits severely weakens the U.S. position going into the future. What is it going to take for the realization to become crystal clear that until we adequately invest in the human development of all segments of a community, of this nation, that no aspect within that community - even those flowing with great wealth - can be assured of ongoing vibrancy. This nation, and now the global community, is an intricate ecological system that is highly interdependent. What Next and The Talent Gap The World Economic Forum warns of a “talent crisis” and believes that the United States will need to add 26 million workers to the employment marketplace over the next 20 years to maintain its current levels of economic growth. Additionally, the highly regarded, Washington-based think tank, the Brookings Institute, notes that in 2011, 80% of American workers are now in service jobs, up from 65% in 1960; jobs that can be performed anywhere in the world due to technological advancement. Skillbuilding is the answer to these forecasts of shortfalls in human assets, and equipping workers with 21st century work readiness tools can minimize mounting fears of
Black newspaper owners. Haynes pointed out that it was, “imperative for NNPA to take the lead in helping educate readers on the implications of the mass incarceration of our people. You have a responsibility to our community, to tell the truth, and tell the story, the lives of our Black brothers and families are at stake.” Alexander was a featured speaker at the SDPC annual conference last winter where she challenged pastors and lay leaders with prison ministries to work as a first line of defense in training themselves to assist transitioning formerly incarcerated persons and people who have been recently released from prison. “The New Jim Crow system has become so deeply rooted in our nation’s political, social and economic structure that it is not going to vanish without a major upheaval, a dramatic shift in our public consciousness,” said Alexander. “It is the conscious and unconscious belief that some people, defined largely by race, are fundamentally unworthy or disposable that has led to the rise of successive new systems of racial and social control. Only a major collective shift in attitudes across the nation will sustain the major structural reform we seek, and inspire a commitment to education, not incarceration; jobs, not jails.” Mathis was in the penal system until a Wayne County judge gave him a life-changing choice to either enter a maximum-security facility or earn a GED. He earned his high school diploma and much more. Alexander’s book illustrates how such an outcome today would be extremely unlikely because of the diminished sentencing powers of judges and the increased capacity of prosecutors. “Mathis’ journey within the system is a success story that needs to be repeated and shared with young people to help them understand the system’s agenda
and to see its responsibility in making sure they know how to navigate around, between and in spite of the system,” said Iva E. Carruthers, General Secretary of the SDPC. Mathis’s opportunity allowed him to make a marked shift in directions. He altered the course of his life and he continues to change the courses of the lives of others. That is exactly what Alexander and SDPC are trying to do with their partnership and their advocacy. They are trying to change the system and the lives of incarcerated persons by “speaking truth to power, working with grassroots organizations and training young seminarians how to intervene positively in the lives of black youth because the work is never done,” said Carruthers. “Most of us do not understand the ingrained design of The New Jim Crow in the criminal justice system,” Carruthers continued. “As a result, we carry the burden of responding as individuals, often with shame and in silence. We do not see the racial setups and outcomes of a prison system that have so deeply undermined our families and communities. Social control programs like the War on Drugs—which exemplifies The New Jim Crow—uses the criminal justice system to establish legal precedents and policies against African Americans and other people of color. For the sake of our community and the country as a whole, many around the nation are joining forces to help educate people on The New Jim Crow. “Jim Crow’s face has changed and so our strategy must as well. So the struggle simply continues and our fight for justice will not cease.” For more information on the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. and the New Jim Crow Initiative, please visit our website at www.sdpconference. info or http://www.facebook.com/ sdpconference
massive offshoring of jobs. With the projected talent gap and skyrocketing cost of postsecondary education, the competitive edge of every community across this nation is certain to be tested. The Brookings Competitiveness Initiative offers four strategies that it views as “musts” on the local and national levels if as a nation we hope to compete globally or to ever regain our competitive edge. These are: Investment in the Infrastructure, Investment in People, Investing in Ideas, and Investing in Green Transformation. Brookings researchers comment, “Our nation’s policies have failed to keep pace with the rapidly changing global economy, and today American workers and students are inadequately prepared to compete effectively.”
will continue to decrease in light of the requirements of a global stage, and in the absence of education and training, the slightest competitive edge will eventually fade. The Brookings Competitive Initiative report comments, “The United States has long underinvested in its people. Its workers—of today and tomorrow—are the bedrock of its economy and the best tool to rebuild its competitiveness. America must reinvest in its workers, at every phase of their lives, in three basic ways: by providing affordable health care, lifelong learning opportunities, and economic security. Healthy workers are productive workers. Like health care, failure to provide good-quality education not only puts the individual student or worker at a major disadvantage but also impairs the long-term competitiveness of the U.S. economy. The U.S. job-sector safety net remains one of the weakest among advanced economies. Today, only about 40 percent of jobless workers receive benefits under federally mandated unemployment insurance.” We now have a state budget, and after months of filibustering, efforts are being made to craft a federal budget; but in the end how do these budgetary instruments align with strategic vision, and how do we truly move forward as a nation? Five percent of a country flourishing and amassing all of the wealth, while 90% teeter between extreme poverty and glimpses of the middle class lifestyle is not a healthy mix and is certainly not a cornerstone for sustainable nation-building, because in the final analysis, the question “What Next” remains.
What Next and The Least of These Dr. George McKenna, one of the pre-eminent educators of our time, transformed the George Washington Preparatory High School in Los Angeles from its notorious reputation for gang affinity, access to drugs and gun violence, to a school where 80% of graduates are enrolled in college. McKenna often shared his philosophy that until adequate investment is made in people, especially addressing the least of these - the most challenged, we are all in peril. By 2020, demographic trends indicate that 30% of the workingage population will be AfricanAmerican and Latino. Locally and nationally, are we fully investing in equipping these future employees to meet employer needs in a global world? Wealth, both personal and corporate, will erode over time if there is inadequate investment in human assets. Worker capacity
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Insight News • July 25 - July 31, 2011 • Page 3
BUSINESS Creating a workplace people want to join Plan Your Career By Julie Desmond julie@insightnews.com NASA Administrator and Astronaut Charles Bolden Jr is living an industrious and adventurous life as the first African American to travel into space. He spoke recently about the future of the evolutionary and evolving NASA. What caught my interest was that people apply for work with NASA by the thousands every week. And yet, NASA is a space-focused organization which very recently sent its last ship into space. One reporter asked him the obvious, “Why would anyone
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want to work there?” Bolden’s response to that question was a surprisingly upbeat rendition of, “Why not?” He explained that people want
Affiliation: they to work where they can be a part of something wildly impactful and important. Also, people want Opportunity: they want to be confident that
opportunities for advancement will be there as they progress through their careers. With the number of great
employees available right now, and the high cost of hiring (and firing) employees, good companies and good people can create environments that will attract quality employees regardless of the work at hand. Do top employees want to be affiliated with your company or team or department? Hiring people with both skills and personality is the first step to becoming a group people want to be a part of. Add training and encourage interaction and teamwork. Employees who are allowed to try new things and interact across various job descriptions become flexible, trainable, promotable employees. These are exactly the people that attract other good employees. Work on that. Do current employees perceive long term opportunities within your company or department? Even in small organizations,
opportunities for growth can be horizontal. Not everyone needs supervisory responsibilities. Many excellent performers will be satisfied long term in their current role if they are given new projects occasionally. Allow employees to offer input on initiatives. Opportunity does not have to mean Promotion. Opportunities come in all shapes and sizes. Your organization does not have to be NASA strong to be a place people want to work. Create an environment people want to be a part of, and give employees new opportunities consistently, and your ability to attract and keep great people will be out of this world. Julie Desmond is a Recruiter with Specialized Recruiting Group in Minneapolis. Write to Julie@ insightnews.com.
SBA disaster assistance still available The Disaster Loan Outreach Center located at the Lucy Laney School, 3333 Penn Avenue North in Minneapolis closed, July 19, but survivors from the May 22 severe storms and tornados can continue to apply for assistance through the U.S. Small Business Administration low-interest disaster loan program. Although the Center is closed., homeowners, renters, businesses and non-profit organizations of
all sizes may obtain information on loan applications by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800877-8339 for people with speech or hearing disabilities), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET or by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba. gov. Loan applications can also be downloaded from www.sba.gov. Completed applications should be
returned to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. Those affected by the disaster may also apply for disaster loans electronically from SBA’s website at https://disasterloan.sba. gov/ela/. “Loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and
renters are eligible for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East in Atlanta. “Businesses and non-profit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets,” Skaggs added.
Grants address homelessness Grants to fund Housing Stability programs in the Twin Cities region in an effort to address the underlying issues which may cause homelessness, was announced by Greater Twin Cities United Way. With an annual commitment of $4.6 million, the grants will support individuals, families and youth who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The three-year grants – awarded after an open and competitive review process – total nearly $14 million and supports 38 of United Way’s highest-rated housing stability programs in the metro area. Funding ensures individuals will have housing, be
provided shelter and intervention services, and immediate emergency assistance. United Way’s Director of Basic Needs Marcia Fink says investment in these programs focuses on providing housing services. The faster we can move families from shelters to an apartment or sustainable housing, the better. Stable housing means having a mailing address when seeking employment or for children going to school.” More than a half-million people in the metro area live in poverty, which signifies an above average demand for social services. “We recognize the
number of people in need remains high. Youth homelessness increased 40 percent since 2006. Experts attribute this to a number of factors including the Recession and unemployment,” explains United Way Chief Operating Officer Ben Knoll. He continues, “Our donors expect United Way, as stewards of their contributions, to invest in the highest quality programs. Program funding, which goes into effect January 2012, will also aid north Minneapolis residents impacted by the recent tornado which devastated some areas that were already struggling.
“These grants are for long-term housing needs and legal services. A community’s recovery from a natural disaster doesn’t happen in a matter of weeks or months – it can take years,” says Basic Needs Committee Chair Dave Vander Haar. It means having the support services to stay in the home and to break the generational cycle of poverty,” says Marcia Fink. She stresses, “Families, children, racial and ethnic minorities, youth; all of the aforementioned deserve stability, which is a step towards self-sufficiency.”
For small businesses, and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage. Interest rates are as low as 2.688 percent for homeowners and renters, 3 percent for nonprofit organizations and 4 percent
for businesses with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition. The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is September 6, 2011. The deadline to return economic injury applications is April 9, 2012.
Page 4 • July 25 - July 31, 2011 • Insight News
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EDUCATION McCarthy named dean of Hamline School of Business
Courtesy of Hamline University
Anne McCarthy
Hamline University welcomes Dr. Anne M. McCarthy as dean of Hamline University School of Business. McCarthy brings with her 30 years of experience in business and higher education and particular expertise in the areas of entrepreneurship, economics, management, and marketing. “With broad academic experience and innovative leadership, Dr. McCarthy is uniquely qualified to build on the current success of the Hamline University School of Business and to significantly advance its
programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels,” said Dr. David Stern, vice president for academic and student affairs. “With her high aspirations and a deep commitment to entrepreneurism, she is the right person at the right time to lead the business school.” McCarthy comes to Hamline from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School where she has served as associate dean of community outreach for academic programs. She has been integral to the school’s
development since its 2007 launch, serving in a variety of leadership positions, including acting associate dean for academic affairs, associate dean for professional programs, and interim chair of marketing. “It is an honor to be named as the dean of Hamline School of Business,” McCarthy said. “I believe the strategy of integrating business, public administration, and non-profit management in one school has the potential to create interdisciplinary synergies that address the critical societal
challenges of this century.” Prior to Johns Hopkins, McCarthy served as dean of the Merrick School of Business and professor of management at the University of Baltimore from 2002-2006. While there, she was instrumental in moving the school forward toward reaccreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and in strengthening the faculty’s research productivity. She served as a faculty member at Colorado State University from 19962002 and at Indiana University
from 1992-1996. At Colorado State, McCarthy was the founding director of the Center for Entrepreneurial and Family Enterprises. McCarthy earned her doctorate from Purdue University, her master of business administration from the University of Connecticut, and her bachelor’s degree in economics from Georgetown University. McCarthy assumed her duties at Hamline on July 1, 2011.
Saint Paul Public Schools takes school enrollment to the community New and returning Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) students and families are invited to begin the school enrollment process earlier and more easily this year. The Student Placement Center (SPC) will host several community enrollment sites throughout Saint Paul during July and August 2011, to
recruit and enroll new and returning students. This exciting opportunity brings this important service to the communities and closer to our families. Services at the community sites will include assigning and updating student numbers, language assessment for students who have a home language other than English,
determining enrollment options and a review of each student’s health history. Students and their families are encouraged to stop by at the designated dates/times to meet with members of the SPC team. Friday, July 29 - Neighborhood House, 179 Robie Street East,
8 a.m. -1 p.m. Saturday, July 30 - Hmong Village, 1001 Johnson Parkway, 9 a.m. - noon Sunday, July 31 - Hmong Village, 1001 Johnson Parkway, 9 a.m. - noon Monday, August 1 Neighborhood House, 179 Robie Street East, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Friday, August 5 - Ramsey County, 160 E. Kellogg, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Friday, August 12 - Ramsey County, 160 E. Kellogg, 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. In addition, the District’s Student Placement Center offers a number of resources to help find the best fit for SPPS
families. At any time, families are welcome to come to the SPC located at 2102 University Ave. W. (651-632-3700) to speak with a staff member who will explain the enrollment process, answer questions and help fill out application forms. Students and families can also visit apply.spps.org for more information.
Keeping children busy this summer (StatePoint) Summer is a welcome respite from the hectic days of the school year. Yet no matter how peaceful the long, lazy days of summer can be, parents and teachers know that all play and no learning can make the transition back to school extremely difficult for children. According to the National Campaign for Summer Learning, most students lose more than two months of math skills over the summer. But a break from the academic rigors of the school year doesn’t have to mean a learning loss come fall. Parents can take simple steps to encourage their child’s learning throughout the summer months. This can be a simple as turning classic summer activities
such as learning to swim, outdoor picnics, and family trips to museums into teachable moments. Another option is to enroll children in educational summer camps. “When teachers test children’s abilities after summer break, we often see the steepest decline in skills like reading and math,” said Megan Riede, senior director of education programs for KinderCare Learning Centers. “Fun and engaging summer activities that encourage learning not only help combat summer learning loss, but can positively affect children’s motivation, selfesteem, and confidence.” A vast majority of preschool parents (69 percent) choose to send their children to day
Keep kids’ minds active with fun learning this summer. camps according to the second annual national “Summer Fun” survey conducted by KinderCare Learning Centers, the nation’s largest private provider of early childhood education.
Here are some other tips parents can use to keep kids’ minds as sharp: • Turn a grocery store trip into a math lesson by having your child compare prices and tell you
the best deal. • Change the classic road trip “Are we there yet?” question into a challenge by giving the vehicle’s speed and remaining trip distance, and having your child estimate your arrival time. • Enroll your child in a program that balances interesting and educational content with group play. For example, KinderCare Learning Centers created 12 uniquely themed camps like “Scienteriffic” and “Wilderness 101” that offer a balanced approach to learning and fun. • Make meal and snack preparation a chance to practice reading (recipes) and working with fractions (have older children double or halve a
recipe). • Develop a summer reading plan with your child. Make weekly trips to the library and help your child create a list of books to read based on their interests. Parents can find more information about how to give their children a fun, educational summer at www.kindercare.com/ camp. Learning doesn’t have to be a solo activity. Have your child grab a friend or two and set them up for a summer of exploration. Come fall, they (and their parents and teachers) will thank you. Letting your child include their friends in their reading activities will make it seem less like school and more like fun!
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Insight News • July 25 - July 31, 2011 • Page 5
AESTHETICS The Sounds of Blackness on Malaco label Minnesota supergroup The Sounds of Blackness, announced recently it has signed a recording deal with the historic Jackson, Mississippi recording company, The Malaco Music Group. Fly Again the debut single from their self-titled CD, The Sounds Of Blackness will hit the airways next week, Malaco said in a statement announcing the recording contract. Fly Again features the phenomenal vocals of Jamecia Bennett, daughter of Ann Nesby, mother of Paris Bennett, American Idol Season 5, Top 5 Contestant.
The release of the full length CD The Sounds Of Blackness coincides with the 20th anniversary celebration of the of their classic CD Optimistic and 40th Anniversary of the group’s inception. Gary Hines, music director / producer Sounds of Blackness states, “Sounds of Blackness and I are extraordinarily overjoyed to have the honor of signing with Malaco. Sounds of Blackness and Malaco have a lot in common - bringing Black music to all people, celebrating four decades of existence, and
remaining true to our roots. Sounds of Blackness dedicates Fly Again the first Single from our forthcoming new CD, to Malaco and to all of the people of the cities across America and around the world, who have recently suffered unfathomable devastation. Together we will all soon be able to “Fly Again!” Tommy Couch Jr, vice president, Malaco, Inc, said, “We are so exited to work with a group of this magnitude. The Sounds Of Blackness are still about the music and the message while maintaining their unique
creativity.” Fly Again is a great record. Radio stations across the country should just play it!” said Lionel Ridenour, who heads Malaco’s Urban Division. “Much like Bebe & Cece Winans, The Sounds Of Blackness was extremely instrumental in crossing gospel/ inspirational music over into the mainstream in the 90’s and it is great to see them return stronger than ever.” said, D.A. Johnson, chief of Malaco’s Gospel Division.
The Sounds of Blackness
Interview: Dr. Derek on call was a signal to me loud and clear, as a person who cares about what type of message the show was going to deliver, that this was going to be a great opportunity.
Interview
KW: How would you describe your character, Dr. Miles Bourdet? DL: As a man juggling a number of different responsibilities. He’s a husband, a father, and a professional. And what he’s discovering is that it’s necessary for him to manage and balance all three roles.
By Kam Williams kam@insightnews.com Independent Spirit Awardwinner Derek Luke (for Antwone Fisher) has joined the cast of TNT’s HawthoRNe, the powerful medical drama starring and executive-produced by Jada Pinkett Smith. In a multi-episode arc that began with the June 14th season premiere, Derek is playing the role of Dr. Miles Bourdet, a young surgeon who arrives at James River Hospital to become the protégé of Dr. Tom Wakefield (Michael Vartan). Currently in the midst of a divorce, Miles will attract the attention of Camille Hawthorne (Hannah Hodson), daughter of Jada’s character Christina Hawthorne. In addition to the title role in Antwone Fisher, Luke’s feature film credits include Friday Night Lights, Miracle at St. Anna and Notorious. Here, he talks about HawthoRNe as well as his new
KW: How are people reacting to seeing you on a TV series instead of in a movie? DL: Word on the street is that
Derek Luke movie, Captain America: The First Avenger. Kam Williams: Hey Derek, thanks for another interview. Derek Luke: No doubt! Same here, Kam.
KW: How you been? DL: Things are great! I been blessed, bro. KW: So, what interested you in joining the cast of HawthoRNe?
DL: First, a project has to speak to my heart. When I got the call to do HawthoRNe with Jada, I appreciated the fact that they were very open to collaboration and building my character. That
people are really excited and, secondly, I’m learning how many people already love HawthoRNe. KW: Harriet Pakula Teweles says: Currently, you’re appearing in Captain America, a summer blockbuster, and you have this new ongoing role on the TV series. Which type of work do you prefer? DL: [Laughs] Which do I prefer? I started in movies, and that has given me a license to go into TV. If I have to pick one, I’d have to say movies, since that was my first love.
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HEALTH Bullies come in all shapes and sizes Murua (Swahili for ‘Respect’) By Dr. BraVada GarrettAkinsanya, Ph.D., L.P. When I was in the first grade in Texas (before they integrated schools), there was this boy named Robert (a 3rd grader),
who pushed me down and took my lunch. He said if I told anyone, he’d do it again. That day, I tearfully walked home two blocks to find something to eat. When I got home, my dad was there and asked why I had unexpectedly come home for lunch. I told him about Robert. He quickly helped me make a sandwich and told me that ‘nobody had a right to hurt me-ever!” My dad, who was a relatively big man and stood around 6’4”, grabbed my hand
and walked me back to school. Kids were still outside during recess. He quietly asked me, “Which one is he?” Then, he slowly approached the teacher on the playground (still holding my hand), and told her what had happened. She called Robert over and my dad told him in his firm booming voice. “My daughter told me what you did and you’d better never let me hear about you hitting her or any other person again…I’ll be talking to your mother tonight!” Robert never approached me again. When I think of how bullies operate, I think of a couple of factors. First, bullies come in all shapes and sizes. For example, they are adults, children, bosses, romantic partners, husbands, wives, legislators, leaders and even co-workers. A bully is someone who takes advantage of another individual that he or she perceives as more vulnerable. The goal is to gain control
over the victim and/or over the bully’s social group. There are two types of bullies (socialized and under-socialized). Those bullies who are socialized tend to “hang out” with other bullies who share their values and practices. Those bullies who are not socialized tend to be loners. A nationwide poll conducted by the Employment Law Alliance revealed that 45 percent of American workers say they’ve experienced workplace abuses by bullies. Whereas men are more often identified as bullies, over 40 percent of workplace bullies are women, and women bullies pick on other women more than 70 percent of the time. The study also demonstrated that female bullies tend to undermine, berate and intimidate the weaker women in their midst. We know that being a target of a bully not only affects your work life, but can also affect your health, possibly causing headaches, loss of appetite, high blood pressure,
insomnia, clinical depression, panic attacks and even PTSD. If victims of bullying experience chronic intimidation, they may learn to expect intimidation from others and may also develop a pattern of compliance with the unfair demands of those that he or she perceives as stronger. In fact, victims of bullying may eventually identify with the bully and become bullies themselves. As one of my clients said during a recent therapy session: “Hurt people hurt people, and freed people, free people.” Victims of bullying report that they: (1) are often isolated and have few friends; (2) afraid of going to places such as schools, work or organized activities; (3) take a long, “illogical” routes to avoid the bully; (4) lose interest and begin to perform poorly at school or work; (5) feel sad, moody, teary, or depressed; (6) frequently have nightmares, trouble sleeping, headaches, stomachaches, or other physical ailments; (7) experience a change of appetite; (8) feel anxious and suffers from low self-esteem; and (9) experience a heighten sense of impending doom. On the other hand, if bullies are allowed to continue their behavior unchecked, their bullying becomes habitual. Children who are bullies may hit or push other children, have trouble following the rules and are enabled by those in charge of the systems of control to have more power than they deserve. Consequently, both adult and child bullies tend to take advantage of rules or will re-write those rules that they do not like. Additionally, bullies tend to surround themselves with friends who condone and promote their aggressive behaviors. In fact, bullies often think highly of themselves, have a positive spin/view on their aggressive actions and are likely to develop a “rationalized sense
of justice” believing that if they intimidate others, then they will be able to cover up their desire to get their way or to provide cover from their own insecurities, fears and anxieties. Researchers say that children and adults who bully often lack empathy and do not think about how their actions may impact others or how their behaviors make other people feel. To me, the recent political climate of legislation is very much akin to bullying behavior. Given this personality profile, it is not at all surprising that a majority of the cuts in the budget affect the most vulnerable in the population: multicultural populations, women, children, the mentally and physically disabled, and the poor. As a psychologist, I realize that what is being practiced is a well-established social-psychological principle of bullying and aversive or modern day, covert racism. The concept of aversive, modern day, or covert racism was demonstrated through a study conducted by an esteemed psychologist, Dr. Jack Dovidio. He explored aversive racism and helping behaviors among black and whites. In this study, Dr. Dovidio had two conditions under which he had either a white or a black student pretend that he was choking while a single white on-looker was present. Dr. Dovidio found that the white on-lookers helped the AfricanAmerican student slightly more often than they helped the white student. When interviewed, the on-lookers said that they helped the choking victims because they, as onlookers, were the only ones personally responsible for the person’s welfare --and besides-- when the choking person was Black they did not want people to think that they were prejudiced because they failed to help
HEALTH TURN TO 8
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Insight News • July 25 - July 31, 2011 • Page 7
The world stood still A local stand in Accra. The names of businesses in Accra are often inspirational messages.
By Cordie Aziz
in January 2011. Follow her adventures daily at goneiighana. blogspot.com
Cordie Aziz is a former congressional staffer who moved to Ghana after losing her job
For over a decade, I have had cell phone service, and throughout
my many travels and experiences, I have never lost a cell phone, never. Then I moved to Ghana. Over the past nine weeks, I have managed to lose, not one, but two cell phones. The only thing that
softened the blow the second time around, is that I only paid GH₵ 30 (around $20 US dollars) for the phone I lost. Some people will inevitable look at this experience and label it as bad luck; however,
I always take these opportunities to see what the universe is trying to tell me. You see, I believe in life, you create your own luck; you just need to be open enough to understand where the universe is trying to lead you. When I look back over my life, the universe has always given me some push in the right direction. When I refused to leave Jackson, Mississippi, after graduation because I loved it so much, every opportunity dried up, forcing me to leave. When I wanted to go to law school, my first LSAT score was horrible, despite acing the practice tests. Of course, refusing to be defeated, I took the test again; only to open the booklet to the wrong section and spend nearly the entire time answering questions to another section. Needless to say, the score came out even lower than the first time, and if it were not for the fact that I had such a tough time finding a job in the States, before I became unemployed, I probably would have never ended up here, in Africa. All of these experiences, no matter how disappointing they were, at the time, created opportunities for me that I never would have thought of. When I left Mississippi, I moved to Tennessee for a year, where I decided what I “really” wanted to do with my life. Looking back, I am extremely grateful I didn’t go to law school, especially since many people I know who have completed law school in the past few years are saddled with debt and unemployed. Not to mention, if I had gone to law school, I never would have had the privilege
of working on Capitol Hill, and well, since moving to Ghana I am amazed at the opportunities that seem to spring up daily. So, this weekend, while I had no form of communication (of course, the universe showed its power by ensuring every location of my cell phone provider was closed and the internet wasn’t working), I sat and thought about what the universe was trying to tell me, and at the end of the weekend, the lesson was to sit still. You see, both times I have lost my cell phone I was hurriedly exiting a taxi to attend to some aspect of my social life. In fact, I must admit, although I have been here for only nine weeks, I have an intense social schedule that ranges from happy hours to private parties to naming ceremonies and weddings. In the end, it really doesn’t leave a lot of time for me to sit still. In fact, I have noticed it is not just me; many of us don’t sit still for more than a moment. We often associate stillness with boredom, so we try to escape this feeling by needlessly entertaining ourselves with technology, electronics or friends. However, this weekend with the absence of all of these things, I was reminded that some of the greatest ideas and dreams come from just sitting still in silence. By the end of my solitary confinement, I had produced work I had been procrastinating on for weeks and had created a new master plan for success, talk about productive. Some may say an idle mind is the devil’s playground, but after this weekend, I believe boredom is the bearer of unexpected gifts.
UCLA student sheds light on shadow population By Caitlin Fuller New America Media Part two in a six-part series profiling the winners of the Freedom From Fear Awards. The night before he announced he was undocumented on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall, Freedom from Fear Award winner David
Cho wrote a farewell letter to his friends and family in case he was deported once it became known that he didn’t have the papers to live legally in the United States. “I didn’t know what would happen to me,” said the 21-year-old. After his announcement, he said, this fear was replaced by a feeling of liberation. The Freedom from Fear Awards, which commemorate the
50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides that mobilized young people to take down segregation in the South, honor 15 ordinary people who stood up for immigrants and refugees at great personal risk. Cho came out as undocumented at a rally for the DREAM Act during his second year at UCLA. “If I didn’t put a human face to [the issue], change wouldn’t come about,” said Cho. Cho didn’t know he was undocumented until he asked his parents for his Social Security number when filling out his UCLA application. His father reluctantly told him that the family’s visas had expired after
nine years of legal residence in the United States as a result of the family’s sponsor mishandling their renewal application. Cho did not tell anyone when he first found out about his immigration status. At the time, he had never heard of an undocumented Asian student speaking out on immigration. At UCLA, he eventually joined the student group IDEAS (Improving Dreams, Equality, Access, and Success), a support group for undocumented students. As he became more involved, he decided that he had to come out. Cho’s family came to the United States from South Korea,
David Cho pushed out by the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. As an elementary school student in South Pasadena, Cho struggled to learn English. Nonetheless, Cho mastered the language and graduated from high school with a 3.9 GPA. Cho worked 30 hours a week as an SAT tutor in order to pay his college tuition, as he was not eligible for financial aid as an undocumented person. He maintained a 3.6 GPA while working and also serving as the
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first Korean American and first known undocumented drum major for the UCLA marching band. He has continued his activist work since coming out as undocumented. He founded a new branch of the IDEAS group called ASPIRE (Asian Students Promoting Immigrant Rights through Education). Since the group’s founding, four more Asian American students at
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Facing Race Idea Challenge produces winning ideas for reducing racism work. “The heart of Project s.t.a.r.t. is that we can’t just rely on the adults in our schools to create the environment we want,” says Towle. “We have to engage students in making our schools safe, respectful and culturallycompetent.”
Project s.t.a.r.t. Leadership by Kate Towle (Minneapolis) Kate Towle, a Hamline University alumna, is an active racial justice facilitator for the
the white student choked, there were two white on-lookers and therefore the on-lookers could avoid taking personal responsibility for their actions. Dr. Dovidio tracked how often the on-lookers got up to help. He noticed that about 85% of the time, both on-lookers got up to help the white student who was choking. Then, he re-administered the same experiment--making sure that this time when the black student choked, there were two white onlookers. Remarkably, both white on-lookers got up only about 43% of the time—the choking black student was unassisted 57% of the time! When Dr. Dovidio asked why they did not get up to help, the white on-
lookers reported that neither of them got up because they thought “the other person” would do it. This process is called diffusion of responsibility and it occurs in gangs and among organized bullying events. Dr. Dovidio noted that the on-lookers explanations were inadequate because they obviously did not use the diffusion of responsibility paradigm when it applied to someone who they perceived as being white “like them” and diffusion of responsibility become an explanation only when the victim was Black. It was concluded, therefore, that people will couch their biased ideologies (racism, bigotry, classism or other types of “isms”) within the contexts
of “legitimized” “plausible” or “logical” explanations. Thus, researchers discovered that people will feel good about themselves when they can legitimately “hide their prejudices” through the implementation of policies, rules, procedures or laws. Examples of this practice have occurred in the past when racist people of our nation legally kept African Americans as slaves because we were “not classified as being fully human.” That way they could still see themselves as “good men” even though they could go to church on Sunday, sleep with the slave girl or Monday, sell her mother on Tuesday and beat her father on Wednesday. This problem
persisted when legalized bullying allowed people to take Native American children from their families because they needed to be “educated.” These dysfunctional and aversive rationalizations have been repeatedly played out in modern day policies that purport that it’s “God’s will” that men legislate women’s reproductive rights, or whether people can marry partners of their choice, or that we need to balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable. Bullies are not always gang members who wear colors, or boys like Robert from the first grade; sometimes they
Cho
media. “There’s pressure to showcase the good things in the [AsianAmerican] community, and hide the bad,” Cho said. Cho said that José Antonio Vargas, the Filipino American Pulitzer-prize winning journalist who recently announced that he was undocumented, has brought much needed attention to the issue of undocumented Asian Americans. “We need to improve on engaging the Korean American and Asian American communities to support students in coming out [as undocumented],” he said. A staunch supporter of the DREAM Act, the federal bill that would provide a path to
legalization for qualifying high school graduates enrolled in college or the military, he thinks the legislation is just the tip of the iceberg. “We should take it as a down payment for further reform,” he said, adding that he supports comprehensive immigration reform. Undocumented students, he said, are “a huge asset to this country.” Cho praised the U.S. Senate for holding its first hearings the DREAM Act last week but remained cautious about what the outcome of the hearings might be. “While we’re hopeful, we’re also realistic,” he said. Cho graduated from UCLA with a degree in international economics and Korean this
spring, and will return in the fall to pursue a Master’s degree in public policy. His goal is to become a U.S. Senator.
important effort to reduce racism in Minnesota.” The Facing Race Idea Challenge generated many inspiring ideas for creating communities where everyone feels safe, valued and respected. Citizens can view and discuss all the submissions, including the two winners at www.incommons. org/facingracechallenge. The two winning ideas had two things in common: both engaged youth and both had a connection to Hamline University. “It doesn’t surprise me that the two winners of the Saint Paul Foundation’s Facing Race Idea Challenge are both Hamline students—one an alumna and one
a current student—but it certainly delights me to hear that they have received this level of recognition for their embodiment of Hamline’s commitment to social justice, civic responsibility, and inclusive leadership and service,” said Dr. David Stern, vice president for academic and student affairs at Hamline University. The Facing Race Idea Challenge will award $2,500 implementation grants to fund the two winning ideas:
Health
outcomes of their decisions or if those decisions can be obviously perceived as racist, people will tend to do the right thing. Then, Dr. Dovidio readministered the experiment-this time making sure that when
From 6 him. Therefore, if people take personal responsibility for the
conversations about race with younger peer groups. The inspiration for his idea of youth engagement developed from his work at the Dispute Resolution Center in Saint Paul, made possible by a Phillips Family Foundation scholarship. “I want to help youth apply good communication and mediation skills to discussions about race,” says BranchaudLinsk. “Working with youth on this topic is exciting because we can make an early impact. They have their whole lives ahead of them to use the skills they’ll acquire through Youth Peacekeepers.”
YWCA and consults with the Minneapolis Public Schools. Through Project s.t.a.r.t. Leadership, Towle sees herself as an “adult ally”, providing students the support and training to act as young equity leaders and “bridges” between cultural groups. s.t.a.r.t., named and created by students at South High School, stands for “students together against racial tension.” Towle will apply her $2,500 Facing Race grant to support curriculum development, outreach and the ongoing work of Project s.t.a.r.t. Leadership—a youthdriven initiative that engages Minneapolis Public School students as leaders in racial equity
Some 49 Minnesotans submitted fresh ideas to reduce racism in their communities for the 2011 Facing Race Idea Challenge. A panel of judges comprising community volunteers, shortlisted five finalists whose ideas were then put to public vote at the Facing Race Idea Challenge website, hosted in partnership with InCommons. “We were very pleased with the quality and creativity of the ideas submitted to the Facing Race Idea Challenge,” says Carleen Rhodes, president and CEO of The Saint Paul Foundation. “Congratulations to our winning grant recipients and to all who participated in this
From 7 UCLA have publicly come out as undocumented. Forty percent of undocumented UC students are of Asian descent, according to the Asian Pacific American Legal Center of California. The Korea Times reports that there were approximately 170,000 undocumented Korean Americans living in the United States as of 2010. Yet too often, Cho says, the immigration issue is portrayed solely as a Latino issue -- both in Asian-American and mainstream
Youth Peacekeepers by Jake Branchaud-Linsk (Saint Paul) Jake Branchaud-Linsk, a philosophy and political science major at Hamline University, will use his grant to provide conflict resolution and communication training to groups of diverse high school students for facilitating
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The first Freedom from Fear Awards honors “ordinary people who have committed extraordinary acts of courage on behalf of immigrants and refugees -- individuals who have taken a risk, set an example, and inspired others to awareness or action.” The Freedom from Fear Award was created by philanthropic leaders Geri Mannion and Taryn Higashi and administered and produced by Public Interest Projects.
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Insight News • July 25 - July 31, 2011 • Page 9
COMMENTARY
Has Black anger ended? By William Reed The worst abuses of the Jim Crow era have been eliminated, but the moral outrage inspired by a personal encounter with bigotry remains the most powerful vehicle for conveying the injuries and indignities of racial inequality. In the days since the great civil rights awakening, a revolution has occurred across America. Uptight suburbanites who couldn’t imagine socializing with, working for or marrying a “Negro,” have given way to a new and different generation. That process has cleared the way for a generation of “Black Believers” who fully accept that America means what it says when it promises to treat them fairly. Are these young African Americans naive about racism or basically more confident than their elders? Now, from a venerated and bestselling author on American life comes a tremendously important book about one of the most significant issues in the history of our republic – America’s race relations. The book, The End of Anger by Ellis Cose offers a fresh, original appraisal of our nation
Luke From 5 KW: Legist/Editor Patricia Turnier asks: How did you decide to play Gabe Jones? DL: In this case, we didn’t get to see the scripts until well after we’d signed on. But I knew that Gabe Jones was created by the legendary Stan Lee. And that Gabe happens to be one of the few African-American characters in the comic world, period. In the very first Marvel Comics issue he appeared in he was white, because the printer
at this extraordinary time, tracking the diminishment of Black anger and investigating the “generational shifting of the American mind.” Weaving material from myriad interviews as well as two large and ambitious surveys - one of Black Harvard MBAs and the other of graduates of A Better Chance, a program that has offered elite educational opportunities to thousands of young people of color since 1963 – Cose offers an invaluable portrait of contemporary America in which all agree that life is different for an African American than it is for a white American. Cose says that what is different is the perception of discrimination in terms of their life possibilities. Younger Blacks are more likely to believe that they can personally overcome institutional racism because there are ways to get around it that their parents didn’t have, and their grandparents could not even imagine. Cose sketches a picture of consistent historical and generational change in which growing optimism among Blacks is a natural response to waning racial bigotry among whites. In The End of Anger, Cose names each generation to reflect
assumed that the illustrator had made a mistake and changed his color. KW: Patricia also asks: What profession would be your second choice after acting, and why? DL: Wow! What a great question! It’s funny, because my acting career started with a question to God: What were you thinking when you made me? So, I would like to think my second career would be whatever His plan was. KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks: What does the role of Dr. Miles Bourdet mean
to you? DL: It means that there’s an opening for spirituality on television. What I love is that he gets to play a healer beyond basic medicine. He’s actually interested in changing people’s lives. Secondly, he’s a man of color with morals and integrity. I’m very proud of that. KW: Reverend Florine Thompson asks: What is your greatest source of inspiration? How important is spirituality to you and where do you find spiritual nourishment? DL: The Bible. There’s a verse in The Bible that says, “What
makes a man spiritual is ‘The Word.’” And I read a dose of The Word every day. KW: Florine’s follow-up is: Do you have a favorite quote which resonates with you that you’d like to share? DL: Yes: “Art without heart is cold and aimless.” KW: Judyth Piazza asks: Who was your mentor and how important do you think it is to have a mentor? DL: One of my first mentors was a Bahamian pastor by the name of Myles Munroe. I was given his book at a time that I was starving spiritually. Mentors are very important because they serve as the voices that help guide us on our journey. KW: Judyth also asks: What key quality do you believe all successful people share? DL: Now that’s an excellent question. All successful people share a determination and a will to refuse limitation. KW: What has been the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome on the road to success? DL: Believing that God had a plan for me bigger than my
improving race relations: the Black “Fighters” of midcentury America were succeeded by the civil rights “dreamers” of the late 20th century, who are now sharing power and prominence with the “believers” of the new millennium. Cose’s collection of intergenerational interviews provides tangible evidence of the improvement in racial dynamics over the past 50 years: the contempt and blatant discrimination suffered by the “fighters” and “dreamers” giving way to the interracial relationships and expanded job opportunities of the “believers.” The refreshing, readable and comprehensive book cites “a sense of optimism among African Americans” and in a interesting manner, attributes the increase of Black optimism to three factors: Barack Obama’s election; “generational evolution,” which sees each successive generation harboring fewer racial prejudices, suggesting that African Americans could be facing less racism than their parents; and the related rise of racial equality. The book provides a contemporary look at 21st century America and is a paradoxical portrait of race in America, where educated, privileged Blacks are
optimistic about their futures, but for Blacks at the lower end of the economic spectrum, equality remains as elusive as ever. Cose matches statistics to analysis in his comprehensive look at race in the 21st century. The End of Anger provides insight on young Black movers and shakers like the former Tennessee congressman Harold E. Ford Jr. and the N.A.A.C.P. president, Benjamin Jealous. Cose’s interviews with well-established leaders with relatively conventional platforms and constituencies produced predictable comments. Does hard-core and blatant racism still exist? Read Cose’s offering as he states “I think we will for generations, and maybe forever, be dealing with the impact of racism. But racism as a phenomenon itself is fading, but I don’t think we’ll reach a point where we can talk about it and deal with it when it’s still a problem.” Racism is a problem we still have to deal with in America, but The End of Anger may well be the most important book dealing with race to date.
abilities.
memory? DL: Growing up free from any responsibilities.
KW: Dante Lee, author of “Black Business Secrets,” asks: What business advice do you have for aspiring actors? DL: The first thing I’d tell an actor is to find out what you were destined to do in show business and make it a need that only you can brand.
(William Reed is available for speaking/seminar projects via BaileyGroup.org)
KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer? DL: Nana Boateng. KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure? DL: Sugar.
KW: Jimmy Bayan asks: If you had five minutes of your life to live over again, which ones would it be? DL: [Pauses to think] Gee, I may have to come back to that one.
KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps? DL: It starts with a hunger to change.
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook? DL: I like baking pastries, especially sweet potato pie.
KW: The Flex Alexander question: How do you get through the tough times? DL: With worship.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see? DL: I see grace and mercy.
KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered? DL: As a man who fulfilled all his potential.
KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for? DL: Hmm….That everyone in the world be impregnated with a dream. KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood
KW: Thanks again for the time, Derek, and best of luck with both HawthoRNe and Captain America. DL: Hey Kam, thank you.
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COMMUNITY Neighborhood beat... By Ivan Phifer, Staff Writer Webber-Camden Neighborhood Association/Folwell Neighborhood Association The Folwell Neighborhood Association is holding “In The Community” meetings to discuss about the RiverFIRST vision for Upper Riverfront parks. Meetings are 7-9pm Thursday July 28 at the Bottineau Park Recreation Center 2000 2nd St NE, and Thursday August 4 at Farview Park 2700 Lyndale Ave N.
Community orchard in Frogtown/Summit-University Mary Brakke
Site of the new Victoria Garden where the orchard will go if Summit-U wins.
Frogtown/Summit-University is in the running to win a free community orchard for the empty lot/burgeoning community garden at Victoria Street & Concordia Avenue. The site at Victoria & Concordia was once a vacant lot. Over the past year, residents and community gardeners have been working to create a community green space. A community orchard will serve as a community asset and gathering place, helping neighbors and other community members
Calendar African and African American Ready for Rail Resource Fair - July 25 The purpose for this event is to ensure African and African American business owners, along University Ave. are informed and participate in the business mitigation program and other support resources. Mon. July 25, 10am-Noon or 4-6pm. Central Corridor Resource Center - 1080 University Ave. Mpls.
Unemployment Crisis in the African American Community - July 28 The Power Brokers Public Policy Forum. July 28, 6-8pm at Community Action of Minneapolis (2104 Park Ave. S. Mpls). Complimentary refreshments will be served! For more information about this event, please call 612.767.1734. Pollinator Party - July 28 Please join the Park Board at the Pollinator Party at Lake Harriet’s Lyndale Park Gardens on Thur., July 28! The event features educational games, art in the park, and live music followed by the movie “Queen of the Sun.” Participants are invited to dress like their favorite bee for a chance to win prizes! Learn more about the event
build stronger relationships with one another, grow healthy food and help the neighborhood have more green spaces. The contest is operated democratically, where the top 5 communities with the most votes each month win. There are two rounds left, July and August, so 10 more communities will receive orchards. Right now, we are 11th in the nation, one place away from winning an orchard! You can vote everyday through August at http:// www.communitiestakeroot.com/
Plant/Index. It takes less than a minute to vote. Each email address can vote once per day. Voters will not get junk mail or any emails from the website unless they desire to and opt to receive updates and newsletters. Our community is listed under Summit University Planning Council in St. Paul, MN. People can email me at m-mattsen@ bethel.edu<mailto:m-mattsen@ bethel.edu> if they want to receive daily reminders to vote.
PHONE: 612.588.1313 EMAIL: andrew@insightnews.com in the News and Events on the MPRB website! The 6th Annual FLOW Northside Arts Crawl - July 30 free, family event is a unique collaboration between business and arts organizations that showcases artists of all ages from the North Minneapolis community. FLOW is a self-guided art tour featuring visual and performing artists showing at businesses, studios and organizations along W. Broadway in N. Mpls. http://flownorthside.org/ for more details. Two Free Latin Music Concerts July 30 Tropical Zone Orchestra at 5pm and Charanga Tropical at 7pm, Sat., July 30 at the Capri Theater, 2027 West Broadway. The day will also feature free Latin rhythm and dance workshops for kids from 3-5pm onstage and in the dance room at the Capri Theater. Annual Day of Hope on Chicago Avenue - Aug 2 Yearly event that brings together recipients and providers of chemical, financial and mental health services
in the Ventura Village neighborhood while celebrating the spirit of hope and recovery. Tues. Aug 2 11am-2pm. Between Franklin Ave. and East 18 St., Mpls. Indigenous Music and Movies in the Park Series - Aug 2,9,16&23 Bring a lawn chair or blanket, pack a picnic basket and take in the view of Minneapolis’ downtown skyline as you enjoy Indigenous Music and Movies at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park. 420 Main St. SE. Concerts begin at 7pm; movies begin at dusk. For a complete list of musicians, artists and movies, visit www.minneapolisparks.org/IMM. Youth Peace Leaders Program - Aug 3 Youth interested in a more peaceful and safe community are invited to be part of the Youth Peace Leaders program that kicks off on Wednesday, August 3 at 5:30 pm at Green Central Park, and meets on Tuesdays for the rest of August (dinner included, meeting dates on Aug. 9, 16, 23 and 30). Students 11-18 will learn valuable conflict resolution skills and earn a $100 stipend and Youth Peace Leader certificate. Interested students should email heather@protectmn.org
Penn Ave Closing Penn Avenue from Dowling to 36th will be closed July 25 - August 8. Alternate routes will be Dowling and Lowry, east and west, and Lyndale or Fremont Avenues for north-south access. 37th between Penn and Queen Avenues will be excavated to receive an underground storage box. When the installation is complete the street will be paved for auto traffic. The Minneapolis Police Department, 4th Precinct and Traffic Control will have added patrols to ensure that traffic on the side streets and 36th Avenue North is appropriate. National Night Out The Webber-Camden Board of Directors has approved $50.00 stipends for 20 block events; for NNO activities in Webber-Camden neighborhood. It is on a first come, first-served basis. The event does have to be registered with the city and you will need to provide WCNO with your event registration number. Call 612.521.2100 for more information. Breakfast with 4th Ward City Council Member Barbara Johnson Council Member Johnson and Minneapolis Public Works staff will discuss 4th Ward Public Works projects: 49th Ave. resurfacing; 37th Ave. Greenway; tornado reconstruction; and Camden Bridge painting, 7:30-8:30am Tuesday, July 26 at the Lowry Café, 2207 Lowry Ave. N. Cleveland Neighborhood Association CNA committees meet at Lucy Craft Laney School, 3301 Penn Ave N. The CNA Crime and Safety Committee meets each first Monday of each month at 6:30pm; every second Monday of the month the Community Development Committee meets at 6:30pm. Every second Thursday of the month the Events Committee meets at 6:30pm, and every third Monday the Board meeting takes place at 7:00pm. For more information on meeting times and neighborhood events, contact Debbie Nelson at 612 588-1155 or visit http:// www.clevelandneighborhood.org/calendar.html Youth Conference The National Black Prosecutors Association Youth Conference is 1-5:30pm Thursday July 28 from at the Marriot City Center, 30 South 7th St., Minneapolis. Jordan Area Community Council JACC will host a Public Safety and Block Club Committee meeting Wednesday July 27 from 6:30pm – 7:30pm. This meeting takes place every last Wednesday of the month at the JACC House 2009 James Ave N. Willard Homewood/ Near North The Minneapolis Urban League will be hosting MUL Family Day Noon to 8pm Saturday August 27 2011 at 2100 Plymouth Ave. The highlight will be the Arms Around The Northside program featuring performances by Marshall Thompson of the Chi-lites, Andre Cymone, J-Most, Ray Covington, Faith Udeh and other artists. Willard Homewood Organization Each third Thursday of each month, Willard Homewood Organization meets 6-7:00pm at Northpoint Health and Wellness Center, 1315 Penn Ave N Free Produce 9am - Noon Every other Friday at Northpoint Health and Wellness Center parking lot, 1315 Penn Ave. North Dates: July 29; August 5 & 19; September 2, 16 & 30. For More Information: Call 612-767-9197. Harrison Neighborhood Association HNA housing committee meets 6:30-7:30pm Thursday August 4, at the HNA office, 503 Irving Ave N. General board meetings is 7-8pm August 12. Send your neighborhood association or block club event to Ivan Phifer – ivan@insightnews.com.
Coffee Break 28. Belonging to you 30. Uncivilized person 35. Affirm solemnly 37. Show of appreciation 39. Trickeries 40. “____ of thumb” 41. Iron+nickel 43. They’re on Freddy’s street 44. Relating to ilium 46. Sign of a saint 47. *It wasn’t built in a day 48. Holy Hindu 50. Taunt 52. Summer color 53. ____ code 55. Not safe in baseball 57. *aka Peking 61. Miranda rights occasion 64. *One of the twin founders of 47 across 65. First name of former child-actor turned director 67. Small body of land 69. Very angry 70. The Doors’ hit “The ___” 71. “London Calling” band, The _____ 72. They’re meant to get you in shape 73. Like Buzz in “Toy Story 3” 74. Hole for an anchor rope
8. Madison Square Garden, e.g. 9. USSR to USA during WWII 10. Type of list 11. Completed 12. Company car, e.g. 15. Cheap showy jewelry 20. Crocus, pl. 22. Half the width of an em, pl. 24. Virtuosity 25. *Split by the Seine 26. Palate lobe 27. Extremely cold 29. Bone in human forearm 31. Contender 32. Administer 33. Fashion designer Kahng 34. *Ruhr’s industrial center 36. Interpret writing 38. “For” in Spanish 42. Sweeney Todd’s tool 45. Daybed 49. Coffee pot 51. *A financial hub of Europe 54. White heron 56. _____ Motors, maker of stylish electric cars 57. Where pirates were often thrown S T A T E P O I N T 14. Broadcasting medium 58. Spooky CROSSWORD 15. Gauntlet 59. Prayer leader in mosque “I love America more than any other 16. Pirate Black_____ DOWN 60. Sticks out country in the world and, exactly for this THEME: WORLD CITIES 17. Start of a golf hole 1. Priestly vestment 61. Artist Warhol, e.g. 18. Senior 2. “____ Me in St. Louis” 62. Shredded cabbage reason, I insist on the right to criticize ACROSS 19. Medium’s seance state 3. At a great distance 63. “____ of the her perpetually.” 1. Collect 21. *”Sex and the City” 4. Bra holder? d’Urbervilles” 6. R&R hot spot locale 5. *Famous for its Opera 66. Lennon’s wife 9. Summit location 23. ___ capita House 68. Definite article — James Baldwin 13. Like Babe Ruth the 24. Gun shot sound 6. Fill to satisfaction pitcher, e.g. 25. Flat-muzzled little dog Answers on page 12 7. Type of chart
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Insight News • July 25 - July 31, 2011 • Page 11
Awards From 1
Photos by Harry Colbert, Jr.
with Patti LaBelle, Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross. Paris Bennett was a top five finalist on the fifth season of America Idol. Other awardees included Moore by Four, Bobby Lyle, Irv Williams, Arnellia’s, Kelvin Quarles, Rhymesayers Ent., Bobby Joe Champion and the rising star, Auburn. Auburn said receiving the award was a moving experience. “I got teary-eyed,” said Auburn, who performed Listen Baby and her radio hit, La La La before receiving her award. “I was so emotional I opened my mouth and the words wouldn’t come out. I’m so humbled and honored. I just thank God.” Auburn’s song, Perfect Two is a You Tube video sensation with over twenty six and a half million plays to date. The MBMA post party was held next door to the Pantages at Seven Ultra Lounge, with many of the performers and awardees mingling amongst the patrons.
Minnesota Black Music Awards Legacy awardees, The Bennetts. (left to right) Paris Bennett, Jamecia Bennett, Ann Nesby, Shirley Marie Graham
Next, (left to right) Raphael “Tweet” Brown, Robert Lavelle “R.L.” Huggar and Terry “T-Low” Brown accept their Minnesota Black Music Award.
Minnesota Black Music Awards Emerging Artist winner, Ashley Dubose, belts out a tune as songstress, Chantel SinGs looks on.
For over 80 years, Hallie Q. Brown has been the Lighthouse of the Community...
...this is why we shine so bright.
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 12 • July 25 - July 31, 2011 • Insight News
insightnews.com
SPORTS Washburn High School gets $200K grant Minneapolis Public Schools will receive a $200,000 grant from the Minnesota Vikings as part of the National Football League Grassroots Program. The grant, awarded by the Vikings, the NFL Youth Football Fund and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), is part of $2.5 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year. It will be used to replace the natural field at Washburn High’s MacQuarrie Field with synthetic turf as part of the MPS Team Up for Turf
campaign, a commitment to raise $2.2 million to convert the athletic fields at Henry and Washburn high schools to state-of-the-art synthetic turf fields. “The Minnesota Vikings are proud to continue to support local projects that improve fields, promote football development and bring families and communities together through football,” said Lester Bagley, Vikings vice president of public affairs/stadium development. LISC identifies nonprofit,
neighborhood-based agencies that have an interest in building or refurbishing football fields in schools and parks. The local agencies oversee construction, maintenance and programming of the fields. “These fields are a critical part of our efforts to create sustainable communities – places where people want to live, work and raise families,” said Michael Rubinger, LISC’s president and CEO. “Through its contributions, the NFL Youth Football Fund is
not only creating places for young people to compete in football and other sports, but also making countless neighborhoods better and stronger.” John Washington, MPS athletic director states, “Our student athletes work hard and deserve to play on state-of-the art facilities. This generous gift brings us one step closer to our goal of installing turf at two of our high schools, which will ultimately reduce maintenance costs; create a safer, uniform playing surface;
enhance the reputation of our athletic program; and provide our students with greater athletic opportunities in high school.” “The news about this grant is exciting and continues the legacy of A. E. MacQuarrie, Washburn’s first principal and an advocate for excellence in both academia and sports,” said Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman. “Artificial turf will provide Washburn students and the youth of our community with more and better recreational opportunities
and team sports experiences.” By 2013, MPS hopes the Team Up for Turf campaign will raise supplemental funds to cover the cost of additional synthetic turf projects. All fields would be available for use of schools, parks and Minneapolis youth organizations. New fields will support athletic activities that engage students academically and promote fitness and healthy lifestyle choices in the schools and in the community.
Black Chamber of Commerce golf tournament The Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce First Annual Golf Tournament Friday, July 29th at Heritage Links in Lakeville, MN supports the chamber’s College Scholars Fund. The Fund, launched in 2009, works to close the post-secondary completion gap and make young people a centerpiece of the community’s priorities.
The college scholars program includes employment/ internship opportunities, scholarships, and mentoring. “We appeal to you to support the development of our College Scholars Program by joining us at our 1st annual golf tournament,” said Lea Hargett, president of MBCC. “Many of our young business
leaders will be present, sharing their talents, and leading the festivities. We take our responsibility to teach, encourage and engage young people very seriously.” “We believe that all our work is for naught if it is not being done to embrace and educate the future leaders who will follow. Data provided
Health
Build a support network. Build relationships with leaders, teachers or colleagues at work. Document everything. Keep a journal (on your personal computer) or in writing, but never leave it at school or in the office). In the case of cyberbullying keep ALL emails and notes. Seek help. Find a mentor, advocate, seasoned/experienced friend, even an attorney. Get counseling. Get support in managing your physical and
emotional stress. Stay healthy. Maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle outside of work or school. Educate yourself about how to impact the system. Learn everything you can about the systemic policies so that you know how to fight against inappropriate bullying practices. Don’t expect to change the bully. Real behavior change is difficult and it takes time. Most importantly, bullies have to develop a sense of personal
From 8 wear well-tailored suits and sit in Congress. So here are some actions that you can take if you feel that you or your child are being bullied on individual or systemic levels: Do your best to focus on your doing your assigned tasks at school or work.
Lea Hargett responsibility and empathy for others. This is not likely to happen when they have no real life connection with the people they hurt. Finally, don’t blame yourself. Remember, hurt people hurt people. Like my dad said: “Nobody has the right to hurt you- ever.” You do not deserve mistreatment. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya, Ph.D., L.P. is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice,
by the U.S. Department of Education, shows that only 30% of Minnesota African Americans enrolled in an undergraduate program finished Bachelor degrees; 29% finished Associate degrees; and 41% completed certificate programs,” Hargett said. This event is for golfers and
non-golfers and promises to be a signature networking event for African American business owners, professionals, and consumers, she said. A shotgun start begins at 9am. Registration and sponsorship information is available by calling the Chamber at info@ minnesotabcc.org or call 651470-4881.
serves as President of Brakins Consulting and Psychological Services, and is the Executive Director of the African American Child Wellness Institute. The mission of the African American Child Wellness Institute is to promote the psychological and spiritual liberation of children of African Descent by providing culturally specific mental health services and by developing culture-based, holistic wellness resources,
research and practices. Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya warns that this column should in no way be construed as constituting a therapeutic relationship through counseling or advice. To forward a comment about this article or to make an appointment, please contact Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya by email @ bravadaakinsanya@ hotmail.com or by telephone at 612-302-3140.
Solutions From 10
WORLD CITIES