Insight News ::: 07.28.14 by Insight News, Inc

“A Brown Tale” returns to the Twin Cities Sept. 6 MORE ON PAGE 10

Allen Weeks

James T. Alfred

Insight News July 28 - August 3, 2014

Vol. 41 No. 31 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Photos: David R. Gonzales

Mamie Singleton, executive director of the Youth Initiative Aviation Academy

Lt. Col. Dr. Harold Brown and Keith Baker, chairman of the MnDOT African American Employee Resource Group

Exhibit celebrates Tuskegee airmen By Lydia Schwartz Contributing Writer To celebrate 50 years since the passage of the Civil Rights Act

of 1964, the Minnesota Dept. of Transportation (MnDOT) Aeronautics division and their African American Employee Resource Group honored surviving Minnesota Tuskegee

Airman Lt. Col. Dr. Harold Brown and the rest of the Commemorative Air Force Red Tail Squadron. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, who was unable to attend the July 16 reception, also passed along a

proclamation declaring July 16, 2014, as Tuskegee Airmen Day. “We’re here to honor a particular group of people of African-American descent who fought for the freedom

of this country,” said MnDOT commissioner, Charles Zelle. “The Civil Rights Act didn’t just happen, and over the last 50 years we’ve continued to expand on that legacy.”

The Commemorative Air Force Red Tail Squadron event featured its Rise Above Traveling Exhibit on the capitol grounds and

TUSKEGEE TURN TO 2

Green Line illuminates Rondo story By Sean McDonnell, Special to Insight News After its first month of service, Metro Transit’s new Green Line light rail line is exceeding ridership expectations – and opening new learning opportunities for its passengers. The 11-mile Green Line, which opened on June 14 between the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul, was projected by Metro Transit to carry an average of 27,500 weekday riders by 2015. Yet already, average weekday ridership on the Green Line is more than 30,000 passengers – even before fall classes at the University of Minnesota have begun, presumably swelling the

Metropolitan Council

Gordon Parks’ niece and nephew, Dorothea Burns and Kofi Bobby Hickman, admire a likeness of their famous uncle immediately following the artwork’s installation in 2013.

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Michael Walker heads Minneapolis Public Schools Black Male Student Achievement initiative Dr. Bernadeia Johnson, superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), has selected Michael Walker as the director of the Office of Black Male Student Achievement, effective July 28. Walker is a longtime MPS employee, having held multiple roles at Roosevelt High School

since 1999. In his new position, Walker will report to CEO Michael Goar and lead efforts on behalf of the school district to eliminate the achievement gap between Black, male students and their MPS peers. “The current academic performance statistics for our Black, male students here in

North Minneapolis BUILDing strong leaders, BUILDing strong communities

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Minneapolis are unacceptable. We simply must do better,” said Johnson. “This office is one I have long pushed for, and I am glad it has finally become a reality. Together with CEO Goar, I am optimistic that Mr. Walker will support positive outcomes for our Black, male students.” Goar said, “Mr. Walker’s

STAR TRIBUNE / MINNEAPOLIS -ST. PAUL 2014

Azaniah Little

Fires of the 60s vs the deity of daddy part VII

Matthew Little’s primary motivation was love of wife and children By Azaniah Little At my father’s memorial, his obituary stated that he had five children. My father had six. His firstborn son was Arthur, named after his father. Arthur was born with muscular dystrophy – the debilitating kind. He would never walk and would remain

history of working with young people as a coach and mentor will allow him to thrive in this new role. I share the superintendent’s excitement about having Mr. Walker on board, and I am eager to get started on the important work that lies ahead.”

WALKER TURN TO 2

Michael Walker

LITTLE TURN TO 5

Business

Health

Commentary

Payday lender ACE Cash Express fined $10 million

City may restrict flavored tobacco products

What about the other border?

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Page 2 • July 28 - August 3, 2014 • Insight News

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BUILDing strong leaders, BUILDing strong communities Good things are happening in North Minneapolis. If one watches the local news one would think there is only bad news about the cities Northside. Yes, there have been many losses to violence, and those losses bring great sadness to the community. While we mourn the losses, we also vow to do better for those left behind. It is in this spirit of healing and working to improve things for the future that EMERGE, The City of Minneapolis Health Department and the Northside Youthwork Collaborative have launched a new pilot project named the BUILD Leaders Initiative. With funding from the United Way the group has hired eight 18–24 year olds that were referred to the initiative because of their strong histories of leadership in the community. These young leaders spent a week being trained in the evidencebased, BUILD curriculum, which was named by the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Walker From 1 The Office of Black Male Student Achievement is a new department created specifically to address the needs of the largest demographic group within MPS. According to the district, it represents an equitable approach to tackling the challenges that exist

Tuskegee From 1 featured a short film displayed on a 160-degree panoramic mobile

Courtesy of EMERGE

L-r: Soldon Armstrong BUILD leader, Marsha Pitts Phillips United Way, Tacarra Durrah Build leader, Javonte Kelly BUILD leader, Meghan Barp United Way at the Sumner library BUILD program site.

as a promising practice to be replicated. BUILD has been very successful in many neighborhoods in Chicago and is an important part of The City of Minneapolis’ youth violence prevention efforts. BUILD leaders will now go out to sites in the community to teach these same lessons to –12 year olds, at North Commons Park, Sumner and North Regional libraries, as well at EMERGE’s own Villages housing program. BUILD lessons and activities teach important anti violence and pro health messages that will now be delivered by the some of the young adults that these younger kids look up to and want to emulate. The potential and power of this program design cannot be over looked. While so many images of our beloved Northside look dire and sound hopeless it is important that we also recognize that there are many young people in the neighborhood that truly want to be a part of making things better, if only given the chance to do so.

for the school district’s Black, male students. Some of the stated goals for the department and the young, Black men it will serve include reducing chronic absenteeism, remedying the disproportionate suspension and expulsion rates, raising persistently low graduation rates and increasing the number of students in advanced placement and honors courses. “Words cannot express my gratitude to Dr. Johnson and

CEO Goar for this opportunity,” said Walker. “I am truly humbled by the selection and will work each day to justify the faith they have shown in me. I have made it my life’s work to help young people and prepare them for the future. This role will allow me to continue that work and partner with community members and organizations similarly dedicated to assisting those students who need the most support right now.”

Supporters of Walker say in his new role, Walker will bring a career focus on youth development and helping Black youth achieve success. Walker earned his undergraduate degree in physical education from Southwest Minnesota State University and his master’s degree in education from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls. From 1998 to 2006, Walker served as community outreach, program

and youth development director at the YMCA of Greater St. Paul and Minneapolis, where he developed programs for social, academic, athletic and employment skills for youth and served as the coordinator of the Black Achievers program, an academic achievement and career development initiative for middle school and high school youth and teens. Walker worked as a career and college coordinator for AchieveMpls at Roosevelt

High School from 2006 to 2009 before serving Minneapolis Public Schools as Roosevelt’s dean of students from 2009 to 2011 and assistant principal from 2011 to the present. Walker is a product of MPS, having attended Holland Elementary, Franklin and Sanford middle schools and Roosevelt High School. He and his wife have three children, two of whom are school-age and attend MPS.

movie theater. The exhibit was created in hopes of educating audiences by sharing the inspiring legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. The exhibit was designed to tell the story of how America’s first Black military pilots and their support personnel triumphed over

the adversity of legal racism can inspire people of all ages to rise above any obstacle. The Tuskegee Airmen program was the United States Army Air Corps’ program to train African-Americans to fly and maintain combat aircraft during World War II. It included 996 pilots and more than other 15,000 Black men and women who supported them in roles such as navigators, bombardiers, maintenance and support staff, and instructors. The planes were painted with a signature red tail to distinguish them from the rest of the fleet. It is also the reason Brown, a prisoner of war, says that he always wears the color red on special occasions. Eight of the Tuskegee Airmen pilots called Minnesota home. Unfortunately, all are deceased with the exception of Brown. Kenneth Wofford, one of the other Tuskegee pilots from Minnesotan, was inducted Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame in 1999 and had once been the director of MnDOT aeronautics. In the mid-1990s, volunteer members of the Commemorative Air Force Red Tail Squadron were able to successfully restore

a P-51C Mustang to flying condition. The rare airplane has a bright red tail that mirrors how the Tuskegee Airmen’s squadrons painted their aircraft during World War II. Together with the mobile theater, they make up the Rise Above Traveling Exhibit. The airplane had to be rebuilt in the mid-2000s after a tragic crash that took the life of the pilot, the founder of the project Don Hinz. Brown, who was involved with the Commemorative Air Force Red Tail Squadron since its founding, is very happy with how

the traveling documentary turned out. “Rise Above is a wonderful exhibit,” said Brown. “And (it) represents exactly what Don Hinz would have wanted.” Also present to honor Brown was Mamie Singleton, executive director of the Youth Initiative Aviation Academy (YIAA), a program conducted by the Youth Initiative Mentoring Academies. The non-profit organization develops specially focused academies for at-risk youth to increase their confidence through

engagement in educational and leadership training. YIAA is a rigorous program consisting of hands-on flight training and learning about career options in aviation with an adult mentor. “Without you, Dr. Brown, and all that the Tuskegee Airmen and support crew have done, there would not be a Youth Initiative Aviation Academy,” Singleton said. “I thank God for the Civil Rights Act, and I thank God for all of these young people because they can become whatever they want to be.”

Cathy Rajtar

Pictured is a replica of the actual P-51C Mustang airplane flown by the Tuskegee Red Tail 332nd Fighter Pilots. The actual P-51C is housed at the South St. Paul Airport (when it is not in flight shows) and is available for viewing.

David R. Gonzales

Pictured with Dr. Brown is 15 year old Harrison Baker (Keith Baker’s son).

Readus Flechter, deputy director of Human Rights, City of Saint Paul holds a conversation with Dr. Brown.

David R. Gonzales

Fall Fitness Challenge begins September 13

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Insight News • July 28 - August 3, 2014 • Page 3

BUSINESS Payday lender ACE Cash Express fined $10 million By Charlene Crowell NNPA Columnist For the second time in as many years, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has fined a major payday lender. On July 10, Director Richard Cordray announced that one of the nation’s largest payday lenders, ACE Cash Express, will pay $10 million in restitution and penalties for directing its employees to “create a sense of urgency” when contacting delinquent borrowers. This abusive tactic was used to perpetuate the payday loan debt trap. CFPB has ordered ACE

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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 Assistant to the Publisher Shumira Cunningham Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Vice President of Sales & Marketing Selene White Culture and Education Editor Irma McClaurin Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Ben Williams Production Intern Sunny Thongthi Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Contributing Writers Harry Colbert, Jr. Julie Desmond Fred Easter Abeni Hill Timothy Houston Penny Jones-Richardson Toki Wright Alaina L. Lewis Darren Moore Photography Michele Spaise David Bradley 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.

Charlene Crowell Cash Express to provide consumers with $5 million in refunds and the same amount in penalties for its violations. The firm operates in 36 states and in the District of Columbia with 1,500 storefronts, 5,000 associates and online loans. “We believe that ACE’s aggressive tactics were part of a culture of coercion aimed at pressuring payday borrowers into debt traps,” said Cordray. “Our investigation uncovered a graphic in ACE’s training manual that lays out a step-bystep loan and collection process that can ensnare consumers in a cycle of debt. When borrowers could not pay back their loans, ACE would subject them to illegal debt collection threats and harassment.” Commenting on CFPB’s actions, Mike Calhoun, president of the Center for Responsible Lending, said, “This enforcement action also

[ACE’s] business model intends to create a debt cycle that becomes increasingly difficult to break

aggressive. Across the country, the South has the highest concentration of payday loan stores and accounts for 60 percent of total payday lending fees. Missouri is the only state outside of the South with a comparable concentration of payday stores. Last year, another large payday lender, the Fort Worth-based Cash America International, faced similar enforcement actions when CFPB ordered it to pay $5 million in fines for robo-signing court documents submitted in debt collection lawsuits. Cash America also paid $14 million to consumers through one of its more than 900 locations throughout the United States,

confirms what our research found long ago: payday lenders depend on keeping vulnerable consumers trapped in an endless cycle of debt of 300-400 percent interest loans. . . .It’s real, it’s abusive and it’s time to stop.” CRL research shows that payday loans drain $3.4 billion a year from consumers. Further, CRL has long held that the payday industry preys on customers who cannot repay their loans. Now, with CFPB releasing an item from ACE Cash Express’ training manual, that contention is proven to be true. The ACE graphic shows how the business model intends to create a debt cycle that becomes increasingly difficult to break and urges its associates to be

Mexico and the United Kingdom. On the same day that the CFPB’s enforcement action occurred, another key paydayrelated development occurred. Missouri Gov. “Jay” Nixon vetoed a bill that purported to be payday reform. In part, Gov. Nixon’s veto letter states, “allowing payday lenders to charge 912.5 percent for a 14day loan is not true reform. . . Supporters point to the prohibition of loan rollovers; but missing from the legislation is anything to address the unfortunately all-too-common situation where someone living paycheck-to-paycheck is offered multiple loans by multiple lenders at the same time or is encouraged to take out back-to-back loans from the same lender. . . .This bill cannot be called meaningful reform and does not receive my approval.” Speaking in support of Gov. Nixon’s veto, Pastor Lloyd Fields of Kansas City added, “The faith community applauds Governor Nixon’s moral leadership in holding lawmakers to a higher standard on payday lending reform. Missourians deserve nothing less.” On the following day, July 11, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fined a Florida-based payday loan

‘broker’ $6.2 million in illgotten gains. According to FTC, the firm falsely promised to help consumers get payday loans. After promising consumers to assist them in securing a loan in as little as an hour, consumers shared their personal financial data. However that information was instead used to take money from consumers’ bank accounts and without their consent. Speaking on behalf of the FTC, Jessica Rich, director of FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said, “These defendants deceived consumers to get their sensitive financial data and used it to take their money. The FTC will continue putting a stop to these kinds of illegal practices.” Looking forward, CFPB’s Cordray also sees a need to remain watchful of payday developments. “Debt collection tactics such as harassment and bullying take a profound toll on people – both financially and emotionally”, said Cordray. “The Consumer Bureau bears an important responsibility to stand up for those who are being wronged in this process.” Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@ responsiblelending.org.

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TURNOVER:

Are fundraising fables getting in your way? FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw Why is it so hard to retain fund development professionals? That’s the polite version of the question that has executive directors pulling their hair out, and nonprofit board members wondering “what’s going on?” “One of the reasons we continue to see so much turnover in fundraising staff is the pervasive misunderstanding of how fundraising works, shares Leyna Bernstein, founder of Leadership Search Partners. With this column we bring you excerpts from her column on Fundraising Fables. Fable 1: We hire a development director to do our fundraising for us. Fact: Success in fundraising comes from building a shared responsibility for cultivating and stewarding donors throughout the organization. The board and the executive director share accountability with the chief development officer. The job of your development director is to create the organization’s fundraising plan and oversee its implementation, not to make all of your asks. For this role, planning, coaching, managing and mentoring are more important tasks than solicitation.” We couldn’t say it more succinctly. In our experience it is a lack of understanding of the fundraising process on the part of the executive director and board that leads to a harmful disconnect between nonprofit executive directors and development directors. Fable 3: We will hire a fundraiser who will bring his donor rolodex with him. Fact: Really? Do you give your money to the fundraiser, or to the cause? Ethical fundraisers are not going to “bring their donors with them”. While fundraisers may have existing relationships that can open some doors, and while having a fundraiser with exceptional relational skills is critical, it is your cause and impact that will attract investment. There are two faces to this fable: sometimes the nonprofit who wants to “hire a rolodex” and other times a development professional is “selling” her rolodex. When making a hire don’t look to use another organization’s relationships build your own, for most are not transferrable. We know

of too many instances where candidates promote their relationships with donors/ funders, forgetting that the relationships are really between donors/funders and the organization not the individual. Fable 4: A track-record of big asks is an indicator of ability to be a development director. Fact: Executive Directors and board members get in trouble when they hire major

gifts officers and expect them to manage a department and build infrastructure. Many accomplished major gifts fundraisers are specialists and outstanding individual contributors. They are not necessarily suited to running a department and managing systems This fable is also present within institutions of higher education. Failing to provide increasing levels of compensation and recognition

Come have lunch at the Dakota 11:30 - 2 Monday through Friday From Chef Derik Moran, ﬁnd daily specials, salads, sandwiches and more, and never forget dessert by Pastry Chef Katie Elsing. Prices starting at $8 View our complete menu at

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to talented major gifts officers can lead them to apply for vice president positions which may not necessarily be a match for their skills. Learn more by reading Fundraising Fables at http:// leadershipsearch.com/blog. Copyright 2014 – Mel and

Pearl Shaw Mel and Pearl Shaw position nonprofits, colleges and universities for fundraising success. For help with your campaign visit www. saadandshaw.com or call (901) 522-8727.

Page 4 • July 28 - August 3, 2014 • Insight News

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HEALTH City may restrict flavored tobacco products By Lydia Schwartz Contributing Writer The City of Minneapolis could be changing its ordinances to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products. Local activists argue that despite recent statewide tax hikes, the tobacco industry continues to target inner-city youth with cheap, candy flavored tobacco products. Cigarillos in particular, cost significantly less than a regular pack cigarettes and are better at covering up the harsh taste, even though they are more detrimental to one’s health. And despite restrictions on advertising, smoking cigarillos continues to play a heavy role in hip-hop culture and social media. Many hope that the City of Minneapolis will emulate an initiative taken by Brooklyn Center to make it more difficult for youth to purchase flavored tobacco products. The city ordinance changes had originally been recommended by Brooklyn Center Police Chief Kevin Benner because of the frequent use of cigarillos as drug paraphernalia. On April 28, the Brooklyn Center City Council voted to replace existing ordinances relating to the sale of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It went into effect June 1 and states that, “it shall be a violation … for any retail establishment to sell, offer for sale, or distribute a single cigar unless the cigar is sold in an original package of at least five cigars” unless the smaller cigars were individually sold at a minimum price point of $2.10. It replaces all of the language with updated provisions, including tightened language on the definitions of tobacco-related products and terms, procedures need to procure a license, legal restrictions relating to the sale

“

BFN Youth Educators with LaTrisha Vetaw, the Breathe Free North program manager of tobacco products to underage consumers, and mandatory compliance checks. Also added to the ordinance was a ban on the sale of individual cigarettes, which have traditionally been a cheaper means of tobacco use over purchasing an entire pack. A summer tobacco summit was hosted on July 17 by the Breathe Free North Youth (BFN) at the University of Minnesota’s Urban Research Outreach-Engagement Center (2001 Plymouth Ave. N) to discuss the results of a youth tobacco use survey and whether the ordinance changes in Brooklyn Center could work in Minneapolis. BFN is a tobacco education program that is working with youth to help reduce the number of stores in north Minneapolis that sell flavored cigarettes, singles cigarettes, and other tobacco product that disproportionately increase tobacco use among residents in north Minneapolis. During the last year, BFN surveyed 530 youths in north Minneapolis on their tobacco use. 279 of them were under the age of 18 and said that they had used a tobacco product at some point. Thirty-five percent of those

who admitted to regularly smoking say that they use flavored tobacco products “most of the time.” While 31 pecent said they have used and electronic cigarette. Twentyeight percent of those surveyed admitted to having tried their first tobacco product between the ages of 11 and 13; some of them even younger. Traditional surveys tend to under represent youth tobacco use because of the fear that an answer may not remain confidential. Starnisha McClellan, 18-years-old, said she has been involved with BFN since she was 12 and was one of the leads in the youth survey. “I so am grateful to be a part of this program because I love being able to work in the community,” said McClellan. “(Our surveys) show that youth prevention needs to start earlier.” The survey also included assessing the marketing tactics of the 30 retailers selling tobacco products within north Minneapolis. They found that regular cigarettes and flavored cigarillos have the most shelf space and are most frequently given price promotions. However, the surveyors also

BFN Youth educator leading group breakout session discovered that three of the stores did even not have a tobacco license. In addition, many of the youth respondents admitted to having personally bought a tobacco product from a store while under the age of 18. Minneapolis City Council Member Blong Yang (Ward 5), the first Hmong-American elected to the Minneapolis City Council and whose ward includes the North Loop area up to the Jordan neighborhood, believes that the change made by Brooklyn Center is a good stepping stone for other cites to follow with similar initiatives. “We have to create a world where smoking is the exception and not the norm,” said Yang. “It’s disturbing to me that there are retailers selling tobacco without a license. It means that we aren’t doing our job. My fear is, however, that when you create these types of regulations it has the tendency to disproportionately affect

Photos courtesy of NorthPoint

Blong Yang 5th Ward councilman answering questions from tobacco Summit attendee people of color, but the health risks are too great for us to not do anything. I am committed to

passing some type of ordinance to address this issue in the coming year.”

Like many home care workers, I am a woman of color and a single mom. For generations, we have struggled to make domestic work be recognized as “real work,” a legacy that is rooted in slavery and in women’s unpaid household work.

Make no mistake: our struggle continues today. Being a PCA has been a great challenge to myself and my family. I am voting YES to form a home care workers union because I will keep my strength and independence.

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I am voting YES to form a home care workers union because my voice will be heard. — Shaquonica Johnson, Brooklyn Park 81,7('

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Insight News • July 28 - August 3, 2014 • Page 5

Twins Titilayo Bediako and Kinshasha Kambui, Stanley Little and Matthea Little-Smith

mnhs

Matthew Little, circa 1981.

Little From 1 unable to lift his head, chew food, talk, raise his arms or

legs. He would remain in the state of an infant for the rest of his life. My father was a soldier in the Civil Rights movement. His family at that time also included four small children,

including twins. After trying to care for Arthur at home he and my mother, who just experienced the death of her mother, felt forced to make the decision to place him in a nursing home in Cambridge. Arthur was a miracle. Doctors told my parents he would not live beyond a few years, but he made it into his teenage years … and then the calls began to come from Cambridge. First, a nurse from Cambridge called my parents reporting Arthur had broken his nose. He had no movement in any of his limbs, but he had broken his nose. Next my parents received a call saying that Arthur had broken his leg. And then, the final call saying that Arthur was dead. I describe what happened to our family in my book “Purpose For Your Pain” as I documented a dream that characterizes what happened to our family during this period.

MNsure ENROLLMENT FOR CURRENT ADULT MINNESOTA CARE RECIPIENTS As of June 18, 2014 MNsure has issued notices to current adult Minnesota Care recipients notifying them to transition to a Health Plan in the MNsure Health Exchange before July 31, 2014. If you have received a notice in the mail and need assistance with switching to MNsure, please contact:

Angela Williams, MNsure Outreach Navigator Minneapolis Urban League 2100 Plymouth Avenue North Minneapolis, MN

(612) 302-3145 awilliams@mul.org

In one of the dreams, I was a little girl, playing with brother and sisters in our two-

LITTLE TURN TO 6

Page 6 • July 28 - August 3, 2014 • Insight News

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COMMENTARY

What about the other border? Nobody Asked Me

By Fred Easter Nobody asked me, but there seems to me to be some major omissions in the discussion surrounding “The Border.” First, this country has two borders. By far, the larger of the two is the border with Canada. Let’s look at Canada. Ninety percent of all Canadian citizens live within

50 miles of the U.S. border. I was in Detroit a while ago. I watched, from the hotel balcony, a steady stream of cars coming into Detroit from Windsor, Canada, through a tunnel built to speed them along. The folks in those cars weren’t sneaking across the border; they were just coming to work. This was the morning commute. Moreover, they weren’t coming to clean hotel rooms, wash restaurant dishes or pick cauliflower in 107-degree heat. They were coming to work at jobs 80 percent of Detroiters would love to have. At the end of the business day, those cars reverse stream and carry their occupants back home to Canada – Canada,

a country with universal health care … a country where guns are used for hunting. Google firearm homicides per capita in Canada. Personal safety does not seem to be an issue on the streets of Canada’s large cities. Of course, Americans can readily tell Canadians from Latinos in a line up. And that’s the crux of all the vitriol. The population of darker peoples continues to increase. Republicans do not send their children on 1000-mile walks to avoid danger at home. They send them in the Hummer with their man, Charles at the wheel. Everyone assumes these young children will vote Democrat if/ when they get the chance. So

think of this as preemptive voter suppression. This is a country that would rather have a white president lie its sons and daughters into war to serve the interests of corporate leeches; and then hate a Black one just because he’s Black but who’s bringing the sons and daughters home. Ta Nehisi Coates lays this construct bare in his piece in The Atlantic. In chronicling the real estate fraud and terrorism of 20th century urban America, he writes, “As late as 1950, the National Association of Real Estate Boards’ code of ethics warned that ‘a realtor should never be instrumental in introducing into a neighborhood

… any race or nationality, or any individuals whose presence will clearly be detrimental to property values.’ A 1943 brochure specified that such potential undesirables might include madams, bootleggers, gangsters and a colored man of means who was giving his children a college education and thought they were entitled to live among whites.” Too many Americans are apoplectic over the repeated spectacle of a Black man coming to a podium behind the U.S. seal and speaking to America and the world as if he is “entitled” to do what “great” white men have done for centuries. So, it is only too easy to sell them

the lie that President Obama – the Muslim, Kenyan fraudulent president – is responsible for all their unhappiness. It saddens and embarrasses me, as an American, even as a Black one, to watch “adult” Americans screaming at little Latino kids on busses and blocking their path. Images of Alabama Gov. George Wallace flood to mind. That they do this standing on soil stolen from Mexico, in a town founded by a Latino puts the toxic icing on the cake. Saddens and embarrasses, but, does not surprise, even a little. The Statue of Liberty should be melted down and fashioned into bayonets.

Andrew Young: Follow positive purpose Child Watch

By Marian Wright Edelman “None of us had any real education in social change. I was a biology major and a preacher. And yet we found ourselves in positions where we had to change the world . . . and what you will find is that it is easy if you listen to that still, small voice within. That’s where you hear God.” These wise words were shared recently by civil rights warrior and former Atlanta mayor and United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young with nearly 2,000 college students and teachers gathered together to prepare to conduct summer Children’s Defense

Little From 5 story home in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The house was completely dark, and all five of us were either playing with our toys or watching our black and white television. Out of nowhere, the deafening sounds of a helicopter above our heads tore us away from our activities. As we ran to the window to investigate, we were stopped in our tracks by bright beams of huge floodlights coming from the helicopter, which began hovering lower and lower over our home. The intensity of the lights blinded us as an avalanche of bright white lights illuminated our entire home. All five of us children took off running, but our legs became rubber, and we just bumped into each other and collapsed to the floor. As soon as we managed to stand, we would tumble to the floor again. I began screaming for my father at the top of my voice, but he never answered me. I continued screaming for both my parents then abruptly, an eerie, screeching voice spoke through a loud speaker, proclaiming, “Surrender the children or we’re coming in. Surrender the children; surrender the children.” Fear turned to terror as we all dived under beds, dressers and behind furniture. The more vigorously we tried escaping, the brighter the light and the closer “the voice” and the helicopter propellers. Suddenly we heard a huge crash on the roof, and we all screamed at once, realizing that the helicopter had landed and we would all die or be taken by “the voice.” The fires captivated our family as forces beyond my father’s control seemed to swallow each one of us up; each in our own way. What me and my “burn baby burn” “fathers” did not understand as the fires continued to madly rage through the 1970s is that real strength is shaped by character, which is molded in another type of fire – the fire of affliction. Since the beginning of time men and women with mantles of leadership were mandated

Fund Freedom Schools® programs. They are literacy rich child empowerment programs for pre-K-12th grade students to staunch summer leaning loss. Andy Young reminded all of us how critical it is to find significance and purpose in one’s life’s work—one worth living and dying for: “Now, Dr. King used to tell us all the time, ‘You’re going to die, but you don’t have anything to say about where you die, how you die, when you die. The only choice you have is what it is you die for.’ So each day you need to chart your life so that if your life were taken on that day, people would say, ‘This is what he gave his life for’ or ‘This is what she gave her life for.’” He said that as young people already committed to serving as educators and mentors and advocates for children, they were already on their way: “If you listen to what’s going on in the news, it’s easy to despair

and give up. But you are God’s children . . . You are vessels of the love of God or you wouldn’t be here. Somebody loved you somewhere and told you you

were somebody. And because of that, at least for a little while, you have enough dedication to stop whatever else you were doing, to come here to try to share

to walk through a wilderness experience that served to shape, prune and develop the person for ones destiny. What we did not understand was the slow (seemingly mundane) walk that men like my father took. Day after day he woke up at four in the morning, punched his time

clock and worked for eight hours. From there he came home and prepared for his second job … his landscaping business that was nothing short of sun-scorching back breaking hard labor. His motivation was not to get proclamations from four presidents of the United States, mayors of Minneapolis

and St. Paul, the State of Minnesota, and honorary Doctorate of Laws from the State of Minnesota, and on and on. His motivation was not to receive a Ghanaian chief’s stool from the Asantehene in Ghana. He did not aspire to be wealthy, nor did he teach any of his children that this was

Photographer

Congressman John Lewis, civil rights strategist the Rev. James Lawson, and former Ambassador Andrew Young

your blessings with others . . . So God bless you, and you pass on God’s blessings to the people and children with whom you work all summer long… Make them believe in themselves, and it doesn’t take much. Just sometimes say to them—‘You know, you are a wonderful person.’ ‘Golly, you write well.’ ‘You recited that beautifully.’ It’s positive reinforcement, and so much beats us down and we beat each other down that if we can lift each other up, we lift up the world.” Andy Young emphasized that allowing a positive purpose to direct your path can be much more powerful than just having a plan. His decision as a young minister to return to the South in 1961 to dedicate himself full time to the civil rights movement seemed impractical by any logical standard: it required quitting his job with the National Council of Churches in New York and moving his

family to an unknown future while his wife Jean was pregnant with their third child. But they stepped out in faith, especially Jean: “She was one of these crazy women who believed that God would lead you, and you didn’t need to know where you were going.” Following that calling and continuing to go where he felt led even when it wasn’t originally part of his own plan shaped his life: “I didn’t want to be in the movement. I wanted to observe, analyze, write about it, and all of a sudden I’m right in the middle of it, and everything that has happened to me has happened without any plan, without knowing anything about it.” “I didn’t want to go to Congress. I didn’t want to go to the U.N., but going to the United Nations—I told Jimmy Carter, I said, ‘Look, if it comes

important. My father’s prime motivation was not even the Civil Rights Movement. My father’s motivation was the love of his wife and children and on our behalf, he placed himself “on the altar” over and above his personal aspirations.

Azaniah Little lives in Seattle. She works as a freelance writer, minister and consultant, and is currently seeking publication for her first book, “Purpose for Your Pain...” She is the proud mother of Namibia Little who lives in Minneapolis.

EDELMAN TURN TO 8

insightnews.com

Insight News • July 28 - August 3, 2014 • Page 7

LIFESTYLE Sheriff’s office hosts Hooked on Fishing; Not Drugs The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of the Twin Cities, and the Hennepin County Sheriff Foundation, recently hosted the 7th annual Hooked on Fishing; Not Drugs event. Nearly two dozen kids ages 10 – 17 spent the morning fishing while learning about the importance of making positive life choices. The kids teamed up with HCSO special deputy volunteers in an effort to build trusting relationships and reel in a big catch. “I really value the contribution of the special deputies for their commitment to public safety. This is an example of how the special deputies donate their time to interact with kids and to facilitate positive events for children in our community,” said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek. The focus of the annual sheriff’s office tradition is to keep at-risk youth from experimenting with drugs by promoting fun, recreational activities as a healthy alternative. The fishing event took place at Sheriff’s Water Patrol Headquarters in Spring Park on Lake Minnetonka. Nearby marinas donated the use of three pontoon boats for the day. For some of the children, this was their very first time fishing. “I want to thank the sheriff’s

Sgt. Melissa Field pinning a Jr. Deputy badge on a child with the Boys & Girls Club

office for giving these kids the opportunity to go fishing and the chance to really get to know many of the deputies. Today will definitely have a lasting impact and I know many of the children will also leave with new role models to look up to,” said Keith Henslin of the Boys & Girls Club of the Twin Cities. In January, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Community Engagement Team hosted the first ever winterized Hooked on Fishing; Not Drugs. The Hennepin County Sheriff Foundation (HCSF) in partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities has sponsored all previous Hooked on Fishing; Not Drugs events. The Hennepin County Sheriff Foundation assists the 120 volunteer special deputies throughout the sheriff’s office while providing programmatic support for youth programs in the community. While entirely independent of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the HCSF collaborates with the sheriff and his staff to identify and prioritize special needs that are not funded through Hennepin County’s ordinary budget process. Hooked on Fishing; Not Drugs is a national program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice with support from Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the county.

Can a man really be faithful? Man Talk

By Timothy Houston Women who have been cheated on often find themselves asking the question, “Can any man be faithful?” More and more from what we hear in the news, it appears that all men are cheating. From love and hip hop, to Hollywood husbands, we are bombarded with images of cheating men. With social media at its peak, and everything that a man does is on public display, can a man really and truly be faithful?

Yes, a man can be faithful. In the past articles, I have said this that I don’t believe that all men are unfaithful. Most surveys still show that the number of men who are faithful are greater than those who are not. Although I do believe that there are men out there who are cheaters, they do not represent the whole. According to MSNBC survey conducted of 70,000 adults, 44 % of married men and 36% of married women admitted to being unfaithful. Although these numbers are alarmingly high, they do not reflect all. 56% of the men surveyed indicated that they kept their commitment to their relationships. Because there is a high percent of men who are unfaithful, women everywhere want to know if a man can be faithful. This question has been

presented to me at just about every speaking engagement or book signing I have attended. Many of these women believe that once a cheater, always a cheater. Unfortunately in many instances, this is the case. Serial cheaters move from woman to woman and perpetuate the impression that all men cheat. In reality, a faithful man will be faithful and an unfaithful man will not. Once a woman has been cheated on, she may see all men through the lens of unfaithfulness. To get a better understanding of the factors that impact if a man can be faithful, I like to use the analogy of a man running a marathon. At some point in the race, the man will hit what runners call the wall. The wall is a point in the runners psyche where his body begins to rebel

against him. His mind, body, kidney, liver, feet, legs, and all other connected body parts scream at him that he cannot go any further. What he sees, feels, and touches tells him that he cannot finish the race. Despite all of these things, the man finishes the race because his heart compels him to do so. So it is when it comes to a man being faithful. What is in a man’s heart will override what he sees and feels. If “do right” is in him, he will do right. If faithfulness can be found in a man’s heart, so can unfaithfulness. The heart of a man is the key because cheating comes from the heart. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:19). Men that are unfaithful act out what is in their heart. You

cannot make a cheating man be faithful. Cheating is the symptom. It reflects the spiritual condition of his heart. What is in his heart determines his course of actions. His biggest problems are within him. Women who believe that all men are unfaithful have probably come in contact with serial cheaters. Their cheating is not your fault or responsibility. A serial cheater will cheat regardless of whom he is with. It is the condition of his heart and not the woman’s actions that control and dictate his actions. These serial cheaters have often blamed their wives or girlfriends for their unfaithfulness. They try to lead us to believe that the source of their problem is outside of them. This is not true. Like a man running a marathon, outside influences may impact our actions, but they do not

control them. What is in his heart will be the final determination. There are faithful men out there who have faithfulness in their heart. Despise the fact that they are often lumped in with the unfaithful and treated like cheaters, they remain faithful. These men will probably never be featured on a reality TV show, or be the topic of a bestselling book, but they exist. Because faithfulness is in their hearts, they cannot be anything less than who they are, faithful. Timothy Houston is an author, minister, and motivational speaker who is committed to guiding positive life changes in families and communities. For questions, comments or more information, go to www. tlhouston.com.

Set time and date for completing every goal Motivational Moments

By Penny JonesRichardson Do you still have goals that you have been working on for some time now? Are these goals ones that you work on daily, or are

you working on them in your spare time? If completing your goals is something that you are serious about then you have to be consistent. You have to find the time daily to put your goal plans to work. I talk a lot about goals and the time it may take to complete them, but you also have to remember that in order to complete any goal, you have to find the time to work on it. I remember when I first started writing. I wanted so bad to

have my first book completed in a timely manner. But it took me years to complete it. Not because it wasn’t important, but because this was a goal that I wasn’t constantly working on. I would work on my book every other month or so. There was always something that I needed to do first. That behavior is why it took me so long to finish. When you set goals for yourself, you should also have a time limit for them to be

completed. Again, I know that completing goals take time. But it shouldn’t take forever! If it is important enough you will find the time to complete it. If you set a goal of finishing your degree, then there should be a date of completion placed by that goal. Same as any other goal, there should be a time and date that you plan to have this goal completed and checked off your list. When you give your goals a time in which you plan to complete them, then you are

making room to start working on your next goal. Yes I said next goal! Anytime you finish something you started is cause for celebration! Be it a short term goal or long term goal. You should reward yourself! Again I say, accomplishing goals is hard work and it takes determination plus the ability to believe that you are capable of finishing anything you set out to do. The key is to first believe and then as you work

Worried that your past will determine your future? A new law may help you to make a fresh start. Recent changes in Minnesota’s Expungement Laws may allow you to have your records sealed from public view. The newly expanded eligibility for a legal expungement of some misdemeanor and felony convictions may apply to you.

New rules mean new options. The new Minnesota law also requires that background check companies promptly remove the record of a case once they know it has been expunged. Expungement of records can bring new options for employment, housing and other opportunities.

Time to put your past behind you? Call us today to learn more.

612.333.7309 www.fctyler.com STRAIGHT TALK. HONEST ANSWERS. PROFESSIONAL REPRESENTATION.

on your goals, keep believing that you will complete them! You will feel great as each goal you set for yourself is knocked off your list! And as always, stay focused, stay determined, and keep striving for greatness. Penny Jones-Richardson is a published author and life coach. She can be reached via her website at www.thequeensproject. com or email at penny@ thequeensproject.com.

Page 8 • July 28 - August 3, 2014 • Insight News

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EDUCATION Saint Paul Public Schools backs White House Initiative to improve the achievement of young men of color Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) Superintendent Valeria Silva joined President Barack Obama and leaders from the largest school districts across the country to pledge to improve the academic and social outcomes of young men of color. The release of “A Pledge by America’s Great City Schools,” on Monday by the White House, the U.S. Department of Education and 60 big-city public school districts represents a unified stance by the school systems to improve achievement of young males of color. The pledge calls for the school districts to boost efforts to prepare males of color for college and careers, reduce the disproportionate suspensions and dropouts of males of color and to help them succeed. The pledge is one component of President Obama’s five-year, $200 million initiative My Brother’s Keeper that addresses persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color. With roughly 32 percent of the nation’s school-age African American males and 39 percent of the country’s school-age Hispanic males enrolled in large urban districts, leaders agree that they have an obligation to teach all students at the highest academic standards and prepare them for today’s global society. “We are committed to

eliminating the racial achievement gap in Saint Paul Public Schools,” said Supt. Silva. “This is work that must happen, important work that makes a difference in the lives of our youth for generations to come. This pledge only deepens my commitment to end racial disparities in SPPS.” Supt. Silva, who has served as the Chair of the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS) for the past year, focused her leadership on racial equity and the racial achievement gaps in public education. The pledge is the Council’s call to action for its member districts and others that are willing to commit to the pledge. The pledge has 11 specific actions and seeks support from the nonprofit and private sectors that are being coordinated by the Council of Great City Schools. A Pledge by America’s Great City Schools: • Whereas, some 32 percent of the nation’s African American males and some 39 percent of the nation’s Hispanic males attend school each day in one of the Great City School systems; and • Whereas, the academic achievement of Males of Color in the nation’s urban school systems and nationally is well below what it needs to

•

Valeria Silva be for these young people to be successful in college and careers; and • Whereas, disproportionate numbers of Males of Color drop out of urban schools and often have low attendance rates; and • Whereas, Males of Color disproportionately attend under-resourced schools and are taught by the least-

SPPS

effective teachers; and • Whereas, the nation’s Great City Schools have an obligation to teach all students under their aegis to the highest academic standards and prepare them for successful participation in our nation; Be It Therefore Resolved that: • The Great City Schools pledge

•

to ensure that its pre-school efforts better serve Males of Color and their academic and social development, and That the Great City Schools will adopt and implement elementary and middle school efforts to increase the pipeline of Males of Color who are succeeding academically and socially in our urban schools and who are on track to succeed in high school, and That the Great City Schools will keep data and establish protocols that will allow it to monitor the progress of Males of Color and other students in our schools and appropriately intervene at the earliest warning signs; and That the Great City Schools will adopt and implement promising and proven approaches to reducing absenteeism, especially chronic absenteeism, among Males of Color, and That the Great City Schools will develop initiatives and regularly report on progress in retaining Males of Color in school and reducing disproportionate suspension and expulsion That the Great City Schools will develop initiatives and regularly report on progress in increasing the numbers of our Males of Color and

Rondo From 1 ranks of weekday riders. “What we’ve seen is people who have never taken a train before coming out and exploring,” said Brian Lamb, general manager for Metro Transit. “They are finding all those great destinations on the Green Line, and great destinations are what makes light rail work.” Besides more than 800 retail businesses located immediately along the Green Line, light rail passengers are discovering facets of the Twin Cities they may not have fully known before, such as the more than century-old legacy of Rondo, the historic center of St. Paul’s African-American population. To many, the Green Line has opened a gateway to learning about the Rondo community in ways unavailable to car riders on University Avenue or Interstate 94 over the past several decades.

Metropolitan Council

Dorothea Burns with her terra cotta panel on the Victoria Street Station

The heritage – and demolition – of Rondo The history of St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood goes back to the years just after the Civil War, when African-Americans began settling on and around Rondo Avenue. By the 20th century, the area was home to thousands of residents who had opened businesses, established schools, founded churches and built a tightly knit community that was

in many ways independent of the white community around it. Rondo was made up of generations of families who had lived in Minnesota for decades as well as newcomers from the South who came for new opportunities. Some of Minnesota’s most prominent men and women in arts, athletics, civil rights, education, law and politics trace their roots to Rondo. These

include NAACP executive Roy Wilkins, “Days of Rondo” book author Evelyn Fairbanks, worldrenowned photographer Gordon Parks, St. Paul civil rights pioneer Katie McWatt, Hall of Fame baseball great Dave Winfield and former Hallie Q. Brown Community Center assistant director Dorothea Burns. “There’s a really rich history of achievement in the Rondo area,” said Ramsey County

Commissioner Toni Carter, whose father-in-law Melvin Carter grew up in Rondo, and, with his wife Billie, raised their family there. “The history of Rondo is not just about the people of this one area, but about Minnesota, U.S. and even world impact.” Indeed, many of the Twin Cities African-American community’s current most prominent elders either grew up in or have significant family ties

to Rondo. For example, former St. Paul NAACP head Nathaniel C. “Nick” Khaliq and Nieeta Presley, executive director of St. Paul’s Aurora/St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation (ASANDC), were both born and raised in Rondo, until much of the neighborhood was demolished and some 650 families displaced as part of the construction of Interstate 94 in the early 1960s.

Edelman

to a choice between the State Department and what Martin Luther King taught, I’m not going to listen to the State Department. I really would

rather stay in Congress,’ and he said, ‘No. That’s why we need you at the U.N., because we need to take some of the vision of human rights from Martin

Luther King and the nonviolent movement, and we need to share it with the world.’” Trying to discern and follow God’s purpose in his life helped Andy Young make a huge difference in our country and around the world. Encouraging young leaders to seek and follow their own passion and purpose, however, requires overcoming the love of wealth and need for security he warned: “You can be enslaved by your ambitions and your greed for status and material things, or by your fears. But when you overcome those and really free up your spirit, the power of God flows through you in such a way that the world has to change around you. Now, it doesn’t change automatically, and you don’t see it—but it’s changed.” After I was arrested with about 90 other Black college students during my senior year at Spelman College in March 1960 for helping organize and participating in student sit-ins at Atlanta’s racially segregated restaurants—I got arrested for sitting in the restaurant at Atlanta’s City Hall—I wrote in my diary when I returned to Spelman’s campus: “SOMETHING WORTH LIVING AND DYING FOR!” I never lost that conviction— especially during the four years I served in Mississippi as a civil rights lawyer during and after the 1964 Freedom Summer Project.

Although I never cranked up my car in the morning without leaving the driver’s door open having been instructed that if a bomb had been planted I had a chance that way of being thrown from the car injured rather than killed, and occasionally realized a bullet had whizzed by into a wall just passed, these things were not paralyzing. It’s amazing how you learn to live with danger if you feel you’re doing the right thing and connected to a higher presence. I marveled repeatedly at the courage I could not hope to match of poor Black Mississippians, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) leaders, and the young civil rights workers in Mississippi—Black and White—who served in the Freedom Summer project and day in and day out risked their lives for justice. I also learned that change is almost never instant or obvious but can take time from many many seeds that are faithfully sown. How rewarding it was when Andy Young became mayor of Atlanta 21 years after my arrest at City Hall— succeeding Maynard Jackson, who had been the first Black mayor of a major Southern city—and I visited him in his City Hall office. Doing the right thing matters even when you don’t see the immediate consequences. I hope and pray that a new

From 6

•

other students participating in advanced placement and honors courses and gifted and talented programs, and That the Great City Schools will strongly encourage colleges of education to adopt curriculum that addresses the academic, cultural, and social needs of Males of Color, and that the district will maintain data on how these teachers do with our Males of Color, and That the Great City Schools will develop initiatives and regularly report on progress in increasing the numbers of Males of Color and other students who complete the FAFSA, and That the Great City Schools will work to reduce as appropriate the disproportionate numbers of Males of Color in special education courses, and That the Great City Schools will work to transform high schools with persistently low graduation rates among Males of Color and others and to provide literacy and engagement initiatives with parents. That the Great City Schools will engage in a broader discussion and examination of how issues of race, language, and culture affect the work of our district.

The Minnesota History Center describes the effect of the interstate construction on Rondo by saying, “(It) shattered this tight-knit community, displaced thousands of African-Americans into a racially segregated city and a discriminatory housing market, and erased a now-legendary neighborhood.” The experience left a lasting effect on Khaliq and Presley, who were children at the time. “I lived at 304 Rondo Ave., but stayed with my grandparents, the Rev. George and Bertha Miller Davis, at 449 Rondo Ave., until I was about 12 or 13 years old, when they forced my grandparents out of their home,” Khaliq said. “I didn’t fully understand then what was going on, but I recall it was a very traumatic experience.” Presley has similar recollections of growing up in Rondo in the 1950s. “We lived on Rondo Avenue, and all of my family, including my aunts and uncles, all lived within a few blocks,” she said. “I believe I was about 10 or 11 years old when we had to relocate. We found new places to live, some still in the area, but it was never quite the same after that.” Remembering – and celebrating – Rondo When plans began to shape more than a decade ago proposing to build a new light rail line down the center of University

RONDO TURN TO 9 generation of young people in America and around our world will catch the passion for justice and engagement and find their own calling to end indefensible child poverty, racism, ill health, illiteracy, unjust incarceration, violence plaguing our nation and world, and greed. My daddy always told us children that God runs a full employment economy and that if you just follow the need you will never lack for a positive purpose in life. I hope young people and all of us will follow the need and find ways to stop the backwards drift of our nation: resegregating and unequally funded schools; zero tolerance school discipline policies that push huge numbers of children into the juvenile justice and adult criminal justice systems; racial profiling; a range of new voter suppression measures; guns, guns, guns everywhere; and growing wealth and income inequality. There is no greater need. Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. For more information go to www. childrensdefense.org.

insightnews.com

Insight News â&#x20AC;˘ July 28 - August 3, 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 9

COMMUNITY Opportunities to learn of Rondo Crews install a terra cotta panel with a likeness of Gordon Parks as part of the Victoria Street Stationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Faces of Rondoâ&#x20AC;? artwork.

Rondo From 8 Avenue in St. Paul, the project quickly stirred comparison to the construction of Interstate 94 and destruction of Rondo. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were very skeptical of the plans,â&#x20AC;? Khaliq said. Community concern arose out of initial plans, based on federal funding guidelines on construction costs, ridership and travel times, for the new light rail line to bypass some of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most transitdependent neighborhoods, including around Historic Rondo, with stations as far as a mile apart. But through a concerted effort led by groups such as the NAACP and ASANDC, federal authorities changed their guidelines to allow additional Green Line stops to be built, including at Western, Victoria and Hamline Avenues. Today, these added Green Line stations in Historic Rondo

have proven continuously busy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and a draw for visitors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I smile to myself when I see all of the faces and ages at the Victoria Station. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of diversity â&#x20AC;&#x201C; some in suits, some in shorts, some with babies, some senior citizens,â&#x20AC;? said Dr. Beverley Oliver Hawkins, longtime CEO of Model Cities, a nonprofit human service and community development organization that has been active on University for nearly 50 years. Hawkins, whose office is just north of the Victoria Street Station, sees the station activity from her window. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I see it every day; many new faces coming here, some just out of curiosity,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now, we just need to give people reasons to get off at these stations and visit our businesses.â&#x20AC;? Hawkins is working hard to help achieve that goal. In 2015, Model Cities hopes to start construction on two sites near the Victoria Street Station â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Model Cities BROWNstone and

Central Exchange projects would bring 60 new units of family and workforce housing as well as two new pocket parks, public art and a reading room that focuses on the role African-Americans played in St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s early railroad industry. The latter is personally poignant to Hawkins. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parents came to St. Paul to work on the railroad, and settled in Rondo,â&#x20AC;? Hawkins explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I grew up in Kansas City, but as a child, I would take the train to St. Paul every summer, to see and stay with my extended family here.â&#x20AC;? Enriching learning about Rondo Ironically, just as one federally funded project â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Interstate 94 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; helped extinguish Rondo, another federally funded project â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Green Line â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is serving as a gateway for people to rediscover Rondo and the many new businesses and faces that now populate the area.

Calendar â&#x20AC;˘ Classifieds Send Community Calendar information to us by email: info@insightnews.com, by fax: 612.588.2031, by phone:( 612)588-1313 or by mail: 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis, MN 55411. Free or low cost events preferred.

24) 5:00pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7:30pm August 7 and August 21. Cook new recipes, get to know new people, and learn from your community! Email info@afcmn.org or call/ text 612-616-9040 to RSVP. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK www.facebook.com

EVENTS

Celebrate Minnesotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Summer of Civil Rights - June 14 - July 31 July 2, 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Help celebrate the golden anniversary of this landmark legislation by taking part in the many events that are part of Minnesotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Summer of Civil Rights. Police Conduct Oversight Commission listening session, 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, June 14, Minneapolis Urban League, 2100 Plymouth Ave. N., Minneapolis, Loving Day, 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, June 14, American Burger Bar, 354 Wabasha St. N., Saint Paul, Voting Rights Act: Act to Remember, Act to Restore, 2 p.m.-4 p.m., Sunday, June 22, Interfaith event at Shiloh Temple, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis, 50th anniversary

Appetite For Change host Monthly cooking workshops â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from Jul 29 on Community Cooks brings people together to cook and share a healthy and delicious meal together, while learning about cooking and ways to build health in themselves in their community. Location: The Neighborhood Hub @ Christ English Church, 3210 Oliver Avenue North (enter on Lowry come to the lower level). Community Group (all are welcome) 5:00 pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7:30pm FREE Child Care, August 6 and August 20. New Moms Group (expecting moms and those with babies up to 23mos) 5:00 pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7:30 pm FREE Child Care, July 29, August 12 and August 26. Youth Intern Group (14 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

Metropolitan Council

opening ceremony, 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, Minnesota State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Saint Paul, RSVP, CAIR-MN Ramadan dinner, 7 p.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, July 12, University of Minnesota Coffman Memorial Union, 300 16th Ave. SE, Minneapolis, Key reflections on the Civil Rights Act from Minnesota judges, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 23, William Mitchell College of Law, 875 Summit Ave., Saint Paul, and 50th anniversary closing ceremony, 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Thursday, July 31, Location TBD. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination in the United States based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It also provided voter registration protections and ended racial segregation in schools, workplaces and facilities that serve the general public. Neighborhood Development Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Free Business Workshops - June 17 - July 29 All workshops held at the Rondo Community Outreach Library, 461 N Dale St., St. Paul 6-8 p.m.

FOOD SERVICE

Line Supervisor for Senior Dining. Serve the noon meal to Seniors M thru F -3110 Blaisdell Ave S, Mpls Hours 8:30-1:30 Pay $11.79 Apply: clarew@voamn.org

Weekly African Dance Classes - July 15 - Aug. 28 Location: Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cabaret, 3010 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis, MN, $13/ Class - All dance classes are drop-in, Tuesday, 7pm-8:30pm , Open Level w/ Whitney (note: we are moving to Thursday after the 15th) Summer Session Weekly African Dance Class - July 24 - Aug. 28 Every Thursday 7pm - 8:30pm w/ Whitney McClusky & Nafi Diabate. A thorough and invigorating workout which incorporates traditional West African dance movement with live drumming. This class offers a variety of dynamics and all levels are welcomed. Choreography is

broken down to accommodate new dancers and the pace is heightened for those wanting more challenge. It is a friendly and inviting environment to experience a new dance form. 16th Annual Hosmer Library Talent Show â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Aug. 9 The Hosmer Libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 16th Annual Talent Show with host and emcee Fancy Ray McCloney will be held on Saturday August 9th 2:00 P.M. Fancy Ray and The North Regional Library invites ALL singers, dancers, poets, rappers, all ages, and all levels of talent at this wonderful community event where you can let your star shine! Come perform, come watch, come be a part of this unique blend of talent and audience interplay featuring Fancy Ray McCloney, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Looking Man in Comedy,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; TV personality, and showman extraordinaire. Big Fun, Big Laughs, and a good time to be had by all. Hosmer Library is located at 347 E 36th St., Minneapolis MN 55408. Call 612-543-6900 to register.

West Falls Estates

International Falls, MN. 56649 Rent based on 30% Of adjusted income Call Patricia Brown At 218-283-4967 TDD 800-627-3529

Foreclosure Sale

Operations Generalist â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jury Specialist

36 Unit Apartment Complex Lamberton, MN

The U.S. District Court, District of MN is accepting applications for a full-time Operations Generalist â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jury Specialist in our St. Paul location. Salary range is $40,617 - $66,019. For complete job description, visit the courtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website www.mnd.uscourts.gov, Employment. An Equal Opportunity Employer

3URSHUW\ 9DOOH\ 9LHZ $SDUWPHQWV WK $YHQXH (DVW /DPEHUWRQ 01

University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality

To learn more about these positions and to apply, visit: @ http://www1.extension.umn.edu/about/employment/ or call 612-624-3717

diversity. They believe the Green Line can help boost economic growth as well as create diverse and distinctive destinations that are both aesthetically pleasing and vital to the development and overall growth of the community. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re from the Twin Cities or from out of town, and want to come to a place that celebrates diversity and all the benefits it offers, you should come here,â&#x20AC;? said Hawkins.

Email: info@insightnews.com

Explore different sectors, ideas and opportunities that may spark a flame inside. Be sure to register for these free workshops, they fill up fast. The limit is 12 participants. Contact Cicely Corbett at 651-379-8113, or email at ccorbett@ndc-mn.org. To find more, visit the Workshop page at http://www.ndc-mn.org/

Delton Manor located in Bemidji, MN is accepting applications for future 1, 2, & 3 Bedrm apartment openings. Delton Manor has 3 twobedrm handicapped accessible units located in the building. Delton Manor promotes equal housing opportunities for all perspective residents regardless of race, color, creed, sex, sexual preference, religion, handicap, marital status, familial status, national origin or source of income. For applications and qualifications, contact NANCY at 218-759-2523. AN EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

Volunteers of America, MN

Application Review: The review of applications begins on August 18, 2014. Position will remain open until filled.

Fax: 612.588.2031

Tuesday, June 17- Demographics Now: Learn the demographics as well as purchasing patterns of the households who live in a selected area. Monday, June 23- Understanding Accounting: Learn about financial analysis, ratio analysis and how to read and understand financial statements. Tuesday, July 8- First Steps of Starting Your Small Business: Learn the basics of a business plan and get introduced to the resources NDC has available to help you start and finance your small business. Tuesday, July 15-Branding Your Business: Learn the basics of branding and how it can help strengthen relationships with your customers, gain more recognition in the marketplace and give your customers a unique experience. Tuesday July 22Internet Marketing: Learn about internet marketing and receive different tools and strategies. Tuesday, July 29- My Small Business Brainstorm: Want to start a business and do not know where to start? Come brainstorm and find out your talents and gifts that could be profitable.

exhibit that features several exhibits, panels and photographs exploring facets of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history. Additionally, the St. Paul Public Libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rondo branch, 461 N. Dale St., offers several print and audiovisual resources about the Rondo neighborhood. The Aurora/St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation (ASANDC) offers two immediate opportunities to learn about Rondo with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Voices of Rondoâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an oral history of Rondo, presented by residents and organizers in the Rondo neighborhood, and the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Points of Entry Players Programâ&#x20AC;? provides, which youth with a direct opportunity to learn about and present written monologues about Rondo. For more information about these programs, contact the ASANDC at (651) 2220399. Additionally, Nieeta Presley, executive director of the ASANDC, recommends reading the book â&#x20AC;&#x153;Voices of Rondo: Oral Histories of Saint Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Historic Black Community,â&#x20AC;? edited by Kate Cavett.

those who remember and honor the Red Caps and other leaders who anchored the community in earlier times with newer residents and businesses along the Green Line, including Southeast Asian and African immigrants. People come to live, work and build together here in Rondo.â&#x20AC;? A common thread in the thinking of community leaders such as Carter, Khaliq, Presley and Hawkins is the power of

APARTMENT OPENINGS

Provide support to the Controller with general accounting, accounts payable/receivable, disbursements, financial reporting. Open until filled. http://www.mnchurches.org/about/employment.html 612-230-3204

This Leadership and Civic Engagement Extension Educator will be based in either the Morris or the Moorhead Regional Extension office and will primarily serve a region of 11 or more counties in west central Minnesota (which also has a Community Economics educator assigned to it.) The Educator meets program area outcome and impact goals through education, outreach, applied scholarship and by leveraging University of Minnesota resources for and with communities. The educator also serves as a member of a statewide program team that serves other regions and the entire state of Minnesota. Required: A Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree at time of appointment. Formal education should include significant course in leadership development or studies (personal and/or community); educational, counseling or clinical psychology; and/or in public or civic engagement, community studies, sociology, communication, adult learning or a closely related field.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something about light rail that draws people on to explore and learn more about other people, communities, and cultures.â&#x20AC;? said Carter, a strong advocate of light rail construction. She and her husband Melvin have already developed a routine of exploring the Green Lineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intercultural communities in the evenings and on weekends. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The train itself is a historical connector among people, bridging lives of

Phone: 612.588.1313

Minnesota Council of Churches ACCOUNTING CLERK, 20 hours

Extension Educator â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Leadership and Civic Engagement Morris or Moorhead, Minnesota

Wanting to learn about Rondo? A great place to start is by stopping at the Green Lineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Victoria Station. The stationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s walls celebrate the past and present of Rondo through a series of terra cotta glazed portrait and narrative tiles featuring historic people and landmarks of the Rondo community. The 17 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Faces of Rondoâ&#x20AC;? portraits, selected by community members, include such prominent figures as the late filmmaker Gordon Parks, former Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton, and Model Cities CEO Dr. Beverley Oliver Hawkins. At the Model Cities office at 839 University Ave., visitors will also see plans for the new Model Cities Redevelopment (MCR) project, a mixed-use (retail and residential) development that planners will be a destination point for consumers, visitors and local residents. MCRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public art and educational areas will blend historical elements of the African-American railroading experience. Rondo is featured within the Minnesota History Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s permanent â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then Now Wowâ&#x20AC;?

Central Minnesota Housing Partnership

Is currently accepting applications for Residency or the waiting list at the following property locations Granite Ledge Townhomes Tower Terrace Townhomes Ridgeview Court Townhomes Timberland Townhomes Grand Oaks Townhomes Grand Oaks Court Townhomes Meadow View Townhomes Northcrest Townhomes Braham Heights Johnson Apartments Gilmanor Apartments Groundhouse Apartments Randall Apartments Waverly Community Homes Eden Place Apartments Highland Court Townhomes River View Townhomes West Birch Townhomes Sprucewood Townhomes Brickstone Apartments Shoreline Commonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Apartments

Cold Spring, MN Cambridge, MN Paynesville, MN Brainerd, MN Baxter, MN Baxter, MN Zimmerman, MN Mora, MN Braham, MN Pine City, MN Foley, MN Ogilvie, MN Randall, MN Waverly, MN Eden Valley, MN Little Falls, MN Sauk Centre, MN Princeton, MN Baxter, MN Avon, MN Howard Lake, MN

320-685-8650 763-691-1091 320-243-2010 218-822-3701 218-822-3661 218-822-3661 763-856-8048 320-679-4592 320-258-0682 320-258-0682 320-258-0682 320-258-0682 320-258-0682 320-258-0682 320-258-0675 320-616-7094 320-352-5101 763-389-2400 320-822-3661 320-258-0675 320-543-2663

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Note: This advertisement is placed by HUD and does not constitute the legal notice of foreclosure sale.

RENTALS Tapestry Management, LLC has various sized apartments/townhomes for rent in the following locations: St. Paul, Golden Valley, Mankato, Red Wing, N. St. Paul, Rochester, Plymouth, Jordan, Winona, Olivia, and Redwood Falls. Rental assistance is available to qualified applicants in all locations. Please contact the appropriate location for availability and additional information. Birmingham Townhomes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; St. Paul 952-854-8800 Calvary Center Apartments â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Golden Valley 763-546-4988 Colonial Square Apartments â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mankato 507-345-1321 Cooperidge Apartments â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Red Wing 651-388-1500 Franklyn Park Apartments â&#x20AC;&#x201C; N. St. Paul 651-770-1504 Innsbruck Townhomes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Rochester 507-289-1319 Mission Oaks Townhomes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Plymouth 763-559-5770 Newbridge Apartments â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Rochester 507-282-8284 Northgate Community Housing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Rochester 507-289-1319 Oakridge Apartments â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Rochester 507-281-1031 Schule Haus â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jordan 952-492-2084 Wapasa Apartments â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Winona 507-429-9261 Westcourt Apartments â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Olivia 320-523-2101 Westfalls Townhomes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Redwood Falls 507-641-5933

FOR RENT 2 bedrooms, Hiawatha neighborhood, 1100 sq ft, hardwood flr, great for roommates, call 612-559-1043.

RENTAL UNITS AVAILABLE The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Housing Authority has rental units available in Cass County, MN. Please call 218-335-8280. Must meet certain qualifications.

Townhomes

Available Fieldcrest in Moorhead, MN Rent based on 30% of income

2 & 3 bdroms open MetroPlains Management

701-232-1887 www.metroplainsmanagement.com

Page 10 • July 28 - August 3, 2014 • Insight News

insightnews.com

“A Brown Tale” returns to the Twin Cities Sept. 6

Photos by Ray Baker, Graphics by Raymond Thomas

James T. Alfred’s comedic coming-of-age narrative, “A Brown Tale” returns to the Twin Cities Saturday, Sept. 6 at the Capri Theater in north Minneapolis. Directed by Lou Bellamy, Alfred’s “A Brown Tale” received rave reviews when it was premiered last September during Penumbra Theatre’s Claude Edison Purdy Festival for Individual Artists. Through “A Brown Tale,” Alfred takes his audience to the Southside of Chicago and inside Chicago Public Housing – before they were decimated by crack cocaine. The journey includes visits to Chicago Public Schools and the African-American Pentecostal church. The show is a comedic examination of the impact of community on an individual’s personal development. Chicago native Alfred is an award-winning actor and was last seen as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Guthrie Theater in Katori Hall’s “Mountaintop.” The writer and producer of “A Brown Tale,” James’ other Twin Cities

credits include “Fences,” “Two Trains Running,” “RedShirts” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Alfred played Kenya Taylor on the acclaimed STARZ original series “BOSS” starring Kelsey Grammer. This run of “A Brwon Tale” is presented in collaboration with the Capri Theater as part of a new initiative to support artist entrepreneurs. The Capri Theater is located at 2027 West Broadway. A gala opening night performance is set for 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6. Following opening night, each week’s performances are set for 7 p.m. (Thursday through Sunday), and additional shows at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Special school morning matinees will also be available. Tickets are priced at $32 for adults, $28 for senior citizens and $20 for students. Adults and seniors ordering tickets before July 31 will receive a $4 “early bird” discount on each ticket purchased. Tickets are on sale and are available online at thecapritheater.org or by calling TicketWorks at 612.343.3390.

insightnews.com

Insight News • July 28 - August 3, 2014 • Page 11

INTERVIEW

Here’s to you, Mr. Robinson! KW: Have you ever accidentally uncovered a deep secret? KR: Yep.

By Kam Williams In a world where talent takes you far, Keith Robinson is ahead of the game. He’s a true triple threat -- having already mastered acting and songwriting, he’s now positioning himself to take over the music world with a velvety voice. Before he made his way to Tinseltown, the Kentucky native set his sights on music, and attended the University of Georgia. Upon coming to Los Angeles, Keith had a chance meeting with a talent manager who jumpstarted his acting career. Since then, he’s thrived, landing an incredible 50+ projects in television and film while continuing to pursue his musical career-- often placing songs in the acting projects he stars in. Keith may be best known for his critically acclaimed performance as “C.C. White” in the Academy Award-winning feature film, Dreamgirls. His big solo in the musical, “Patience,” which he also performed live at the Academy Awards, earned an Oscar nomination in the Best Song category. After Dreamgirls, he released his debut album, Utopia. On the acting side, he subsequently starred in This Christmas, Dear John, 35 and Ticking, and Hopelessly in June. Here, Keith talks about his new film, the James Brown biopic Get on Up, where he co-stars opposite Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Jill Scott and Dan Aykroyd.. Kam Williams: Hi Keith, thanks for the interview. Keith Robinson: Thanks for having me. KW: What interested you in Get on Up? KR: As a musician, I was heavily

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid? KR: Yeah, I’ve been afraid-usually right before a movie drops. [Laughs some more] KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh? KR: Yesterday. KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure? KR: Twizzlers and naked body surfing. KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read? KR: Fifty Shades of Grey. I had to see what all the fuss was about… and learn a few new tips.

Keith Robinson influenced by James Brown’s music. KW: What was it like working with Tate Taylor and such a starstudded cast? KR: Tate is a really cool director because he has a clear vision of what he wants but still gives his actors freedom to collaborate in the process. That’s rare. Working with a cast where everyone is really talented puts you at ease, actually. KW: How would you describe your character, Baby Roy? KR: Baby Roy is the young exuberant one who just really loves to perform and be on stage as much as possible. He’s what I like to think as the artist who still has those stars in his eyes and believes it’s all about the music and hasn’t been tainted yet. [LOL] KW: What message do you

think people will take away from the film? KR: That James Brown is the epitome of perseverance. You can never underestimate the magnetic power of self belief.

“move” from one to the other. Acting came second once I moved to Hollywood on a chance audition for the “Power Rangers.” I’ve been doing both ever since.

KW: Are you a James Brown fan? What’s your favorite song of his? KR: Absolutely. “I’ll Go Crazy,” which I recently remade.

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would? KR: Hmmm... I think I’ve heard them all at this point. [Laughs]

KW: Your big break was when you landed the role on TV as the Green Ranger on the Power Rangers. Did you have a martial arts background? KR: Not at all. I was just a good athlete and I had been in a few fights.

KW: Would you mind saying something controversial that would get this interview tweeted? KR: [LOL] Reality shows disgust me. Specifically, the ones that make black people look trifling and super melodramatic. You know who you are.

KW: You were signed by Motown while you were still a student at the University of Georgia. What prompted your move from music to acting? KR: I never really made a

KW: Have you ever had a neardeath experience? KR: Only in my sleep, thank God.

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened to? KR: “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper. It’s on in the background right now. KW: What is your favorite dish to cook? KR: Salmon. KW: The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you? KR: Progress. KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see? KR: A handsome dude that’s come a long way with a long way to go. KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for? KR: Permanent financial security. KW: Let’s say you’re throwing your dream dinner party—

who’s invited… and what would you serve? KR: Too many to name but it would be the fifty most influential people in the world. It’d be a potluck. I got the salmon and Twizzlers. KW: The Jamie Foxx question: If you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend the time? KR: Eating with family, making love to my girl, and praying. KW: The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal, what animal would you be? KR: A derby horse or a dolphin. Everybody loves them. KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory? KR: Me and my brother locking the babysitter outside. Still not sure how we did it. KW: The Melissa Harris-Perry question: How did your first big heartbreak impact who you are as a person? KR: It made me never underestimate the physical power a heartbreak can have on you. KW: The Viola Davis question: What’s the biggest difference between who you are at home as opposed to the person we see on the red carpet? KR: I have on nicer clothes. KW: The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which one would you choose? KR: Reading minds. I would always get what I want. KW: The Harriet Pakula-Teweles question: With so many classic films being redone, is there a remake you’d like to star in?

ROBINSON 12 TURN TO

BOOK REVIEW

“Blessed Experiences: Genuinely Southern, Proudly Black” Clyburn talks at great length about his deep roots in South Carolina. He considers the black Southern experience to be as deserving of recognition and respect as that of whites, which helps explain why he spearheaded the compromise whereby the Confederate battle flag was removed from the dome of the State of South Carolina’s capitol building. Through it all, he has remained a humble and deeply

By Kam Williams “From his humble beginnings in Sumter, South Carolina to his prominence on the Washington, D.C. political scene as the third highest-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, U.S. Congressman James E. Clyburn has led an extraordinary life. In Blessed Experiences, Clyburn tells in his own inspirational words how an African-American boy from the Jim Crow-era South was able to beat the odds to achieve great success and become, as President Barack Obama describes him, ‘one of a handful of people who, when they speak, the entire Congress listens.’” -- Excerpted from the dust jacket Whenever House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) calls a press conference, she is invariably accompanied at the podium by the next two ranking Democrats, namely, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer and Assistant Leader James Clyburn. Clyburn is a very visible and important historical figure as the first African-American to represent South Carolina in the House of Representatives since Reconstruction. During his tenure there, he has also done stints as Majority Whip and as Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. Still, not much has been known about his private life prior to the publication of “Blessed Experiences: Genuinely Southern,” Proudly Black, an intimate autobiography which leaves you with a lasting impression of just who Representative Clyburn is as a

person. We learn, here, that he was born on July 21, 1940 in Sumter, South Carolina, the eldest son of Reverend Enos and Almeta Clyburn, a fundamentalist minister and beautician, respectively. A versatile talent, James played not only on his high school’s baseball and football teams, but played the clarinet and saxophone in school bands, and starred as the leading man in a school play. At South Carolina State College, where he majored in history, he joined both a dance and theater troupe. Of far more consequence, however, he was arrested and convicted during

his junior year as a member of the Orangeburg Seven, the student leaders who had organized a demonstration against segregated lunch counters. With social activism and a dedication to justice thus seared into his bones, it is no surprise that he would eventually settle on a career in politics. Along the way, he met his life mate, Emily, to whom he has been married since 1961. They have three daughters, Angela, Mignon and Jennifer, two sons-in-law, and three grandchildren. Besides focusing on family and his considerable achievements in Congress,

religious man who is not above relying on Biblical verses for strength during times of adversity. That helps explain why he generously credits his success to “God’s good graces, several strokes of good luck, a caring and nurturing family, and a plethora of loyal and supportive friends.” A most welcome memoir by a remarkable role model of unquestioned character.

“Blessed Experiences Genuinely Southern, Proudly Black” by Congressman James E. Clyburn (D-SC) Foreword by Alfre Woodard University of South Carolina Press Hardcover, $34.95 386 pages, Illustrated ISBN: 978-1-61117-337-6

Page 12 • July 28 - August 3, 2014 • Insight News

insightnews.com DJ Willie Shu

Kiese Laymon

Bonecrusher Malamanya

Freez

July 28 August 3

Aesthetically It! is a list of picks from the editors of Aesthetically Speaking. Aesthetically It! features venues, events, outings and more that are worthy of “It” status. If you have a venue, event or outing that you feel is “It” worthy, email us at aestheticallyit@ insightnews.com

Monday, July 28 Party in the Park for Sarcoma Cancer Awareness Como Park 1225 Estabrook Dr., St Paul 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Sarcoma is a rare bone and soft tissue cancer. At the 14th annual Rein in Sarcoma, A Party in the Park, more than 1,000 people of all ages are expected to gather for the for the awareness celebration. In addition to free rides on the beautifully restored Cafesjian’s Carousel, the evening will feature a variety of entertainers, a large silent auction, children’s activities and a moving closing program at dusk.

Greg Grease

Tuesday, July 29

Friday, August 1

8 p.m. 18-plus $10

Open Field Walker Art Center 1750 Hennepin Minneapolis 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Free admission

Ave.,

Open Field is a summer gathering place that brings together relaxation and imagination, recreation, and exploration. Share what you know and invite others to join in. Whether you hang out with friends or make a program of your own, come experience and enjoy the creative spirit of our community.

Wednesday, July 30 Bonecrusher The Pourhouse 10 S. 5th St., Minneapolis

Though we haven’t heard much from the Atlanta rapper since 2003’s “Never Scared,” Bonecrusher has released two albums and been on more than 30 features. Catch him in concert with opening performances by Lil Skam, MC.AB and Tyler Darnell. There will also be live music by EDM DJ, Mr. FRIEN and DJ Mauller.

Thursday, July 31 The Bungalow The Record Room/First Avenue 701 1st Ave. N., Minneapolis 10 p.m. DJ Verb X leads the weekly dance night specializing in reggae, dancehall and hip-hop.

New Space w/ Greg Grease, Allan Kingdom, and more First Avenue 701 1st Ave N., Minneapolis 7 p.m. 18-plus $7 advance/$10 door Greg Grease headlines the First Avenue Mainroom with Shiro Dame, Allan Kingdom, Tiny Deaths, Manny Phesto, Ander Other, DJ Just Nine and Voice of Culture Drum and Dance.

Saturday, August 2 A Reading with Kiese Laymon The Lowry Cafe 2207 Lowry Ave. N,, Minneapolis 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Join Ancestry Books at The Lowry Cafe for a night of music, food, and reading with author Kiese Laymon (“Long Division” and “How to Slowly

Robinson From 11

Kill Yourself and Others in America”). There will be a reading and book signing.

The Phillips Community Center presents a full day of music, art, and exercise.

Soul Tools Radio 1st Anniversary Party Icehouse 2528 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis 9 p.m. $7

The day will start off with the Phillips Neighborhood pow wow from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. This year’s event will include a main stage showcasing a wide variety of musical styles from traditional folkloric music to contemporary hip-hop. An additional side stage will host a variety of interactive healthy workshops and exhibitions such as zumba, capoeira, and Puerto Rican bomba. Acoustic performances will also take place at the Buskers’ Corner on 24th Street. Come enjoy a family- friendly atmosphere for the whole community. Free food will be provided while supplies last.

Soul Tools Radio celebrates its first year on KFAI with a party and live broadcast at Icehouse in Minneapolis. Every Saturday night, Soul Tools Radio brings you soulful music from all genres. DJs Willie Shu and Big Cats will spin all night with special guests dropping in from the music, arts and culture scene. The show and event is hosted by Toki Wright, Miss Brit, and Reggie Reg and is sponsored by Insight News and KFAI Radio.

Sunday, August 3 Phillips Music Festival 2323 11th Ave. S., Minneapolis All ages Free

KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps? KR: Consistency, discipline, and self-belief.

KR: Uptown Saturday Night. KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share? KR: Consistency, discipline, and self-belief.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND IMAGINE ENTERTAINMENT PRESENT A JAGGED FILMS/ BRIAN GRAZER PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH EXECUTIVE WYOLAH FILMS ATATE TAYLOR FILM “GET ON UP” MUSIC CHADWICMUSICK BOSEMAN NELSAN ELLIS DAN EXECUTIVE AYKROYD VIOLA DAVIS CRAIG ROBINSON OCTAVIA SPENCER MUSIC PRODUCER MICK JAGGER BY THOMAS NEWMAN SUPERVISORS BUDD CARR MARGARET YEN PRODUCERS PETER AFTERMAN TRISH HOFMANN JEZ BUTTERWORTH JOHN-HENRY BUTTERWORTH JOHN NORRIS ANNA CULP PRODUCED STORY BY BRIAN GRAZER p.g.a. MICK JAGGER p.g.a. VICTORIA PEARMAN p.g.a. ERICA HUGGINS p.g.a. TATE TAYLOR BY STEVEN BAIGELMAN AND JEZ BUTTERWORTH & JOHN-HENRY BUTTERWORTH SCREENPLAY DIRECTED A UNIVERSAL PICTURE BY JEZ BUTTERWORTH & JOHN-HENRY BUTTERWORTH BY TATE TAYLOR SOUNDTRACK ON UNIVERSAL MUSIC ENTERPRISES

THIS FILM CONTAINS DEPICTIONS OF TOBACCO CONSUMPTION

STARTS FRIDAY, AUGUST 1

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: What is your favorite charity? KR: Boys and Girls Club. KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be

Performances include Malamanya, Nelson Valdés (Cuba), Sol Flower Collective, Abdi Phenomenal, Manny Phesto, Freez of Illuminous 3, Sister Species, GrowthSpert, Rupert Angeleyes, Dumpy Tub Bumpers, Afro Brazilian Capoeira Association and Rambo Salinas.

remembered? KR: As an amazing multitalented artist who told the truth, and as a humble brother who loved his friends and family unconditionally. KW: Thanks again for the time, Keith, and best of luck with the film. KR: Appreciate it, Kam.