Insight News ::: 08.17.15

A Ving thing MORE ON PAGE 10

aesthetically speaking

Insight News August 17 - August 23, 2015

Vol. 42 No. 33 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Live free without violence flag raised for second week

Associate Justice Alan Page

Justice Page leaves another Hall of Fame legacy

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer After 23 years, Associate Justice Alan Page’s second illustrious career is coming to a close.

The justice, who endeared himself in the hearts of many Minnesotans as the leader of the Purple People Eaters – the defensive unit of the Minnesota Vikings of the 1970s – is retiring

from the Minnesota Supreme Court on Aug. 31. The retirement is mandatory as state rules say no justice can serve after the month of his or her 70th birthday. Page turned 70 on Aug. 7.

Page, who was elected to the state’s high court in 1992, was the first African-American to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court. And while Page was named NFL MVP in 1971 (the first for a defensive player) and

has been enshrined in both the college and pro football Halls of Fame, it may be his second career as a lawyer and jurist for which he is most known. Page’s election and subsequent reelections to the Minnesota Supreme Court speak volumes to how highly he is respected; not as a football hero, but as a great legal mind.

Also of significance is the fact that throughout his career, Page was a vocal advocate for

African-American causes – mostly centered on education.

In 1988, Page and his wife Diane Page launched the Page Education Foundation with a goal of introducing more students of color to higher education. To date the foundation has awarded more than $12 million is scholarships.

Page said once his service to the state concludes he will

PAGE TURN TO 7

To honor the lives of Krista Ambers and Kelly Ann Anderson, Minnesota’s 13th and 14th known victims of domestic violence homicide in 2015, more than 300 agencies, organizations, businesses and individuals from across the state will raise the Live Free without Violence flag – a public awareness campaign spearheaded by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women.

Ambers, 36, was murdered on Aug. 6 in her Brooklyn Park home. When police arrived at the home in response to a report of an unconscious person, Ambers was found without a pulse and had injuries to her neck and arms. According to the medical examiner the cause of death was strangulation.

The suspect, Amber’s former boyfriend, is said to have had a history of domestic abuse charges and an order for protection filed against him.

Ambers’ family stated that they had seen visible marks of abuse on her in the past, and expressed concern. She was the mother of three children.

Anderson, 45, was stabbed to death in South St. Paul. Early in the morning of Aug. 7, the suspect is said to have called 911 and told a dispatcher he

Krista Ambers

FLAG TURN TO 7

PACs and Politics: Who’s your Rich (white) Daddy? the proverbial political kitchen, because money is the fuel driving political elections today.

America used to decry the political culture of Latin America that seemed embroiled in the politics of money and family connections, to the point of creating political aristocracies. But reading the WSJ article reveals we can no longer point the finger (of integrity or without impunity) at the idiosyncrasies of other countries’ politics. We have our own political aristocracy.

Jeb Bush is heir apparent to the Bush political aristocracy.

Even if he hadn’t had a long tenure as governor of Florida,

Commentary

By Irma McClaurin, PhD Culture and Education Editor A recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ), “Billionaires Put Their Stamp on Campaign,” makes it clear that we are watching a new political era in the United States-an era of Big Bucks Politics. If you don’t have millions in your coffers, or rich friends, get out of

his name alone would have cleared a path for him to take any political office and open the pockets of the wealthy.

That today’s political candidate can garner contributions of a $1M a pop or checks of $5M signals that the days of Obama and the average person single digit contribution making a difference are over-obsolete!

To run for high stakes political office today, you need a Rich (white) Daddy! Most of the high stakes contributors to Super PACs are wealthy white men. Even Hilary Clinton is

PAC TURN TO 7

Injustices represent staggering violations of the fundamental human rights of Black America

Call for U.N., international response to human rights violations Black Press of America

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., President and CEO, NNPA Almost daily there is another fatal case of racially-motivated police brutality that occurs against a Black American woman, man or child. What is happening to Black people in America? What is causing this resurgence of bigotry, violence and brutality?

The occurrences of other

serious injustices are also growing: voter suppression, economic inequalities, mass incarceration, as well as racial discrimination in education, housing, environment, employment, and health care.

Taken together, these injustices represent staggering violations of the fundamental human rights of Black America.

I believe it is time once again to petition the United Nations for an international response to the violations of the human rights of Black Americans, just as Malcolm X had proposed.

Human rights may defined as those universal rights that are inherent to all human beings. In

1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The preamble states,” Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.”

Thus, our chant today “No Justice, No Peace!” is rooted in international law.

There are some who will question the effectiveness of calling upon the United Nations to introduce and pass a resolution to stop the human rights violations of Black people and others in the U.S. We live in a global economy and a geopolitical world. I

believe, therefore, if international sanctions were to be imposed by the U.N. on the U.S. because of systematic and racially-motivated human rights violations, it would serve as an effective deterrent.

We should recall that back in 1947, W.E.B. DuBois led the NAACP to petition the United Nations to protest the deadly and discriminatory treatment of Black Americans. The document that Dubois and the NAACP presented to the U.N. was titled, “An Appeal to the World.” They cited in their U.N. petition a litany of facts detailing widespread lynching, racial discrimination, as well as documenting the inequalities in housing, employment, education,

voting rights and health care.

The new form of lynching today is the use of deadly police force and actions that lead to the unjustifiable deaths of Black Americans, most of them unarmed. Not only are our civil rights being denied, but also our human rights are being systematically violated.

It is relevant to today’s state of affairs in Black America to read the following quote from the NAACP U.N. petition 68 years ago: “At first [the American Negro] was driven from the polls in the South by mobs and violence; and then he was openly cheated; finally by a ‘Gentlemen’s agreement’

with the North, that Negro was disfranchised in the South by a series of laws, methods of administration, court decisions, and general public policy, so that today, three-fourths of the Negro population of the nation is deprived of the right to vote by open and declared policy.”

Twenty-one states have implemented some type of voter suppression law or policy that is directly targeted at Black Americans and others who have been historically denied equal justice. There are 113 voter suppression proposals pending in 33 states. This action comes

U.N. TURN TO 6

Insight 2 Health

Business

Commentary

Community

Fresh summer salad

STEP-UP announces 2015 Employer, Intern and Supervisor of the Year Awards

One year after Ferguson: Change still must come

From Minnesota with solidarity: Humanitarian aid to Cuban hospitals

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Page 2 • August 17 - August 23, 2015 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Fresh summer salad

By Julie McMahon CHHC Sound Nutrition LLC Looking for a quick fresh salad recipe for these hot summer days?

This is one of my favorite times of the year when the harvest is bountiful whether I’m in my garden or at the local Farmer’s Market. There are plenty of fresh herbs and the zucchini seems to be endless. In looking for ways to use it all I ran across this family favorite recipe that uses zucchini noodles made by

using a spiralizer, mandolin or even a regular box grater. The noodles are so lovely and fresh and perfect for those trying to get off too much pasta or grains in their diet. By using coconut oil mayonnaise, this recipe is also vegan. It’s very quick to make and fun to bring to your next gathering, or just munch on at home!

• • • • •

Zucchini Noodle Salad For the Salad: • 1 pound zucchini made into

•

noodles (spiralize or grate, leave fresh and raw) 3-4 white or brown mushrooms, sliced 1-2 mini cucumbers or ½ of a long English cucumber, sliced ¾ cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved 1 large avocado, cut into small chunks ¼ cup fresh herbs (basil, chives, cilantro, etc), minced 4 radishes, sliced

For the Dressing: • ¼ cup coconut

oil

mayonnaise • 1 T coconut or apple cider vinegar • Sea Salt and Fresh Black Pepper • 1 T almond milk • 1 tsp Dijon mustard *Make the Salad: Slice the zucchini with a spiral slicer, grater, or mandolin into long, thin strips. If using a grater, squeeze out excess liquid.

Place in a large bowl with remaining salad ingredients. *Make the Dressing: Mix the mayonnaise with the vinegar, salt, pepper, almond milk and

Dijon. Whisk to combine and toss with the salad. Serve immediately. If storing or bringing to an event, keep salad and dressing separate until just before serving.

Recipe from: Cooking with Coconut Oil by Elizabeth Nyland, which is a fabulous cookbook!

Julie McMahon, Founder/ Owner of Sound Nutrition, is a Certified Holistic Health Coach and Raw Food Nutrition Educator who is passionate about Nutrition,

Health and Wellness. Julie believes in the power of whole foods to create optimal health and maximum energy flow and works with her clients in a step by step approach to achieve their personal vision of health. For more information, or to schedule a free initial nutrition consultation, visit www.mysoundnutrition.com or call NutritionJulie at 612270-9344.

Health habits: I learned them from my dad

By Meri Raffetto, RDN As a mother of 5-year old triplets I’m starting to see exactly how children learn healthy habits.

It doesn’t always come from talking at them or trying to explain by reading child friendly stories or using carrot shaped puppets to get the message out about developing healthy habits.

They learn from observing our behavior.

Our generation seems a bit different than our parents’ in that we make life busier than it needs to be, pushing out time for exercise, relaxation and eating properly. A recent study published July 21 in the American Journal of Men’s Health tracked 10,000 men from adolescence to adulthood and found that men are gaining weight after becoming first time fathers while non fathers are losing weight in the same time frame.

Whether the weight gain is coming from a decrease in time to exercise, eating off your kids’ plate or living a stress filled existence, the thing is… your kids are watching your actions and it’s making an impact on

their own choices. As the old saying goes, “actions speak louder than words.” Instead of just focusing on telling children how to eat or stay active I believe it’s time to look inward and see if we’re setting our kids up for success. What do they witness on a daily basis from our own actions? What did we learn from our parent’s actions?

The above questions made me reflect on my own childhood and the lessons I learned from simply observing my dad and I’m happy to report they were some good ones.

He never used the term exercise; he just enjoyed certain activities. My dad was always active. He was an avid outdoorsman who loved any type of fishing whether it was lake, river, ocean fishing or even ice fishing… he did it all.

He also was known to golf and play handball. Some of these activities are slow moving but the point is I always witnessed him enjoying being active.

What I took from this was that movement can simply be enjoyable and not a chore we have to do to stay healthy.

He didn’t label foods healthy; he just enjoyed and

ate them. We didn’t hear the message that we needed to eat vegetables or the opposite, that vegetables aren’t tasty. We watched my dad eat vegetables and thoroughly enjoy them.

Every single night of my childhood whether we had spaghetti, hamburgers or pizza we always had a salad with oil and vinegar dressing. Most often that salad was accompanied by an additional vegetable serving.

My dad simply enjoyed his vegetables and needless to say it rubbed off on us kids. All four of his children enjoy vegetables and it seems very normal to us to have several servings with our dinner.

He didn’t speak of stress management; he simply took a morning walk and observed nature. We lived near a large wooded lot growing up and my dad typically got up early and stood in front of the sliding glass door with his cup of coffee and observed the various wildlife that congregated in the back yard. He was very peaceful and still. It seemed almost meditative and you felt the need to quietly tip toe past him so you didn’t disturb this peaceful interlude.

Nearly every day he took

his dog for a morning walk in the wooded lot. When I’d join him we didn’t do a lot of chit chatting. Just walking and taking in the cool crisp morning and the smell of the pine needles crunching beneath our feet. There is a great gift of stress management I received in learning how to be still and quiet, especially in the non-stop loud world we live in today.

Dads, you have a great opportunity to teach your kids by your actions. It doesn’t have to be monumental. It’s the simple things they’ll learn like eating veggies each day, taking a walk, or enjoying a fun physically active game.

Your actions are what they’ll remember the most and adopt into their own lives.

Meri Raffetto is a Registered Dietitian and founder of Real Living Nutrition Services, an online weight loss and wellness program inspired by the Mediterranean Diet. She’s the author of the “Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Dummies,” the “Glycemic Index Cookbook for Dummies” and “Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies.” Meri is also a member of Men’s Health Network Board of Advisors.

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Insight News • August 17 - August 23, 2015 • Page 3

Hodges details Minneapolis budget priorities Mayor Betsy Hodges set forth her vision for transforming Minneapolis into a leading city of the 21st century during her 2016 budget address.

The mayor proposed investments focused on growth and improving basic city services for all residents.

“We have entered a time when we are being asked to face and meet the changes of the 21stcentury,” said Hodges. “We must not only match, not only meet, but we must precede the challenges these changes create with innovation, vision and the bone-deep knowledge that to become the city of the future we must be a city that leads and weathers the transition and is in it for the long haul. Being a 21st-century city means we

transform our work to meet the needs of the people and economy of the new century.”

Highlights of Hodges’ proposed investments include $13 million in affordable housing largely spurred by the mayor’s Cradle to K cabinet’s proposal to focus on housing as a strategy to ensure a healthy start for kids. This includes investments in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, $1 million flexible dollars to help create affordable housing options for large families and targeted rental assistance for families leaving shelters. The mayor proposed $10 million for the city’s portion of the 10th Avenue bridge rehabilitation and $400,000 to accelerate Minneapolis’ conversation of city-owned streetlights to LED

technology. The funding will implement approximately 900 LED fixtures which, according to Hodges will save about $113,400 a year over their life cycle and pay for itself in three and a half years.

Hodges’ budget also called for additional police officers and funding for 30 TechHire Initiative scholarships that will provide women and people of color with job training to meet employers growing demand for a workforce educated in technology skills.

In recent years, the city’s non-property-tax revenue increased in ways that outpaced expectations while at the same time, some city departments underspent their budgets. These two factors allowed Hodges to increase the

projections of non-propertytax revenues to match what the city has seen over the past few years.

According to the mayor’s office, to maintain current service levels Minneapolis provides and account for inflation in 2016, a 4.4 percent levy increase would have been required.

However, Hodges proposed a 3.4 percent increase to the levy, a full percentage point lower. Moreover, because a levy increase does not mean all taxpayers pay more property taxes, two-thirds of Minneapolis homeowners will see the city portion of their property taxes go down; this according to the mayor.

“That 3.4 percent levy increase I proposed is one

full percentage point lower than the city would have needed had we not made smart choices to right-size revenue and spending,” said Hodges. “These choices not only brought down the levy increase by one full percentage point, they gave us the flexibility to make changes to how we do business and make transformative investments in what it takes to be a great 21stcentury city.”

The Mayor noted in her speech that no city service is more basic than public safety and no city service needs to shift to meet the demands of the 21st century as much as public safety. To continue her efforts to make that shift she proposed several significant investments, including funding

for two new sworn police officers who will focus on youth outreach downtown, and $300,000 for police to hire a recruit class to help fill the 862 sworn officer positions. She further proposed $435,262 in funding for two additional analysts in the Crime Analyst Unit and two additional forensic scientists in the crime lab. Of concern to many, Hodges proposed funding for the implementation of police body cameras, storage of data, two video analysts.

Hodges also proposed $15,000 for the city attorney’s office to increase the reach of their driver’s licenses diversion program which aims to reduce the negative impact driving related offenses has on communities of color.

GOP: How not to pursue women’s vote Black Press of America

By George E. Curry NNPA Editor-in-Chief WASHINGTON (NNPA) – This is the kind of stuff that you can’t make up. During the first debate with front-runners for the Republican nomination to become president, Megyn Kelly, one of the moderators for Fox News, pressed Donald Trump on some clearly sexist comments he had made in the past.

However, it was later revealed that Kelly has a long history of “out-of-touch comments about minorities.”

Reacting to Trump’s demeaning comments about Megyn Kelly, the host of a conservative gathering of GOP presidential candidates, disinvited Trump from the event.

But the host, Erick Erickson, had his own set of problems. He was described as exhibiting “a pattern of being disrespectful to women.”

Like I said, you can’t make up this kind of nonsense.

Debate night began badly for Trump and his supersized ego. He was booed out of the gate for refusing to declare that he will not run a third-party campaign for president should he fail to capture the Republican nomination.

In the first round of questioning, Kelly took direct aim at Trump.

KELLY: Mr. Trump, one of the things people love about you is you speak your mind and you don’t use a politician’s filter.

However, that is not without its downsides, in particular, when it comes to women.

You’ve called women you don’t like “fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals.”

(LAUGHTER) Your Twitter account…

TRUMP: Only Rosie O’Donnell.

(LAUGHTER) KELLY: No, it wasn’t.

(APPLAUSE) Your Twitter account…

(APPLAUSE) TRUMP: Thank you.

KELLY: For the record, it was well beyond Rosie O’Donnell.

TRUMP: Yes, I’m sure it was.

KELLY: Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women’s looks.

You once told a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president, and how will you answer the charge from Hillary Clinton, who was likely to be the Democratic nominee, that you are part of the war on women?

TRUMP: I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct.

(APPLAUSE) I’ve been challenged by so many people, and I don’t frankly have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn’t have time either. This country

Megyn Kelly is in big trouble. We don’t win anymore. We lose to China. We lose to Mexico both in trade and at the border. We lose to everybody.

And frankly, what I say, and oftentimes it’s fun, it’s kidding.

We have a good time. What I say is what I say. And honestly Megyn, if you don’t like it, I’m sorry. I’ve been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me. But I wouldn’t do that.

(APPLAUSE) The next day, Trump retweeted a comment calling Kelly a “bimbo” and in an interview with Don Lemon on CNN, Trump said, “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever,” which was widely interpreted as a reference to Kelly’s menstrual cycle.

Trump denied that, saying he meant Kelly’s “nose” when he said “wherever,” and “only a deviant would think anything else.”

Erick Erickson, an archconservative, disinvited Trump from his annual Red State Gathering (RSG), which

was featuring Republican presidential contenders on August 8.

“I just don’t want someone on stage who gets a hostile question from a lady and his first inclination is to imply it was hormonal. It just was wrong,” Erickson wrote on his website.

He explained that “while Mr. Trump resonates with a lot of people with his bluntness, including me to a degree, there are just real lines of decency a person running for president should not cross.”

He invited Megyn Kelly to attend the event in Trump’s place.

To borrow one of Kelly’s phrases, she’s no saint.

Media Matters, the watchdog group, published extensive research showing, “GOP Debate Moderator Megyn Kelly Has Long History of Offensive, Out-Of-Touch Comments About Minorities.” It noted, “Kelly Has Repeatedly Belittled Minority Concerns About Discrimination.”

For example, “During the December 11, 2013 edition of Fox News’ The Kelly File, Megyn Kelly insisted that

Jesus and Santa Claus were ‘white,’ brushing past Fox host Jedediah Bila’s suggestion that a non-white Santa Claus makes non-white kids feel included in holiday celebrations.”

On May 20 of this year “Megyn Kelly criticized First Lady Michelle Obama’s commencement speech at the historically black Tuskegee University, arguing her recollection of racial discrimination played into a ‘culture of victimization.’”

The following month, “Kelly questioned whether a white McKinney, Texas police officer’s excessive use of force while arresting a 14-year-old black girl at a pool party was a ‘race thing…where is the evidence that this is a race thing, not an excessive force thing?’

Kelly added, ‘The girl was no saint, either.’”

On March 10, 2015, “Kelly downplayed a Department of Justice report that found racial bias and stereotyping in the Ferguson, Missouri Police Department. Kelly said it is unfair to ‘tar the entire organization’ because ‘there are very few companies in America, whether they are public or private’ where ‘you won’t find any racist emails [or] any inappropriate comments.’”

After disinviting Trump from his political event over his treatment of Kelly, it was revealed that Erick Erickson holds stereotypical views of women.

On May 30, 2013, he said on his website, Redstate.com: “We should not kid ourselves or scream so loudly in politically

correct outrage to drown the truth – kids most likely will do best in households where they have a mom at home nurturing them while dad is out bringing home the bacon,” according to Media Matters.

Responding to the controversy over Ginni Rometty, the CEO of IBM, being denied admission to the Augusta National Golf Club because of her gender, Erickson said in 2012, “Who cares that she wasn’t invited into the club?

She’s a woman. Women aren’t allowed.”

Following a controversial anti-abortion ad aired during the 2010 Super Bowl, Erickson tweeted, “That’s what the feminizes were enraged over?

Seriously?!? Wow. That’s what being too ugly to get a date does to your brain.”

After the 2012 Democratic National Convention showcased a long line of women, including Michelle Obama, Erickson said, “First night of the Vagina Monologues in Charlotte going as expected.”

One woman was deeply offended by the fact that Lou Dobbs assembled an all-male panel to discuss a report in 2013 finding an increase in women who were the high earners of their family.

According to Media Matters, “During that conversation, Erickson said that ‘when you look at biology’ the ‘male typically is the dominant role.’

The woman said she found Erickson’s remarks about male dominance “ offensive.”

Her name? Megyn Kelly.

Ferguson: One year later

By Jazelle Hunt NNPA Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON (NNPA) -- It’s been one year since the murder of Michael Brown galvanized the Ferguson, Mo. community and forced the nation to face the horrors of police violence. And as the activist slogan asserts, the ensuing protests have become a movement, not just a moment.

“One of the most powerful things about the movement is how it started. It started with people coming out of their homes in mourning, and their state being aggressive. And those people… made a decision to stand up in the face of state terror, and not go home,” said DeRay McKesson, a well-known Ferguson protester and organizer, whose website WeTheProtesters.org has served as a hub for Ferguson-related information.

“And then more people joined, and more people joined, and it became a living movement without needing a committee to start it, without one charismatic leader to start it. The people started it. That is the enduring strength of the movement.”

On August 9, 2014, Cheeraz Gormon was in her hometown of St. Louis, just south of Ferguson, when people began texting her about the shooting.

“My baby brother was murdered on August 13, 2013.

So right before the one-year anniversary of his transition, I’m getting all these text messages looking at Michael Brown laying on the ground all night,” she said.

Her brother was 27, and was

killed in the crossfire of a friend’s domestic violence troubles.

“I was already grieving, but basically this needed to be done. We needed to be out in the streets, we needed to organize.

So my grieving actually got put on hold.”

The artist, activist, and awardwinning writer took to the streets, like hundreds of other ordinary people in the Ferguson area.

They first gathered that evening

at the site where Brown’s blood still congealed on the asphalt.

The following nights brought tear-gas and rubber-bullet police assaults on protesters, 33 arrests for looting, and the torching of a QuikTrip gas station at the protests’ ground zero.

The following week brought curfews, more military-like responses, media crackdowns, and mass arrests. Successive nights of protest followed days

of community cleanups and service. The first day of school in the Ferguson-Florissant district was delayed a week. A grand jury failed to indict Wilson, and the National Guard was called in even before the announcement.

The movement went national, with shutdowns of major roadways, commercial boycotts, activist disruptions of White

FERGUSON TURN TO 5

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Page 4 • August 17 - August 23, 2015 • Insight News

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BUSINESS STEP-UP announces 2015 Employer, Intern and Supervisor of the Year Awards at 12th Annual Intern graduation event The Minneapolis STEP-UP youth employment program announced the recipients of the 2015 STEPUP Employer of the Year, 2015 STEP-UP Intern of the Year, and 2015 STEP-UP Supervisor of the Year awards.

The award winners were announced during the graduation of its 12th cohort of interns, a group of more than 1,600 youth ages 14 to 21 who worked at more than 220 Twin Cities’ nonprofits, government agencies, small businesses and corporations this summer. The celebration, themed

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Insight News is published weekly, every Monday by McFarlane Media Interests.

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Assistant to the Publisher Shumira Cunningham Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Associate Editor Culture and Education 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 Melvin Carter, Jr. Harry Colbert, Jr. Julie Desmond Fred Easter Timothy Houston Penny Jones-Richardson Alaina L. Lewis Darren Moore Carmen Robles Lydia Schwartz Ryan T. Scott Toki Wright Photography 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.

Photos by Larry Retzlaff

2015 Achieve Employer of the Year – Xcel Energy Chairman, President and CEO Ben Fowke accepting the award Jobs Today - Skills for Life, took place at the Guthrie Theatre.

The awards were presented

by Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges and STEP-UP co-chairs R.T. Rybak, executive director of Generation Next and Richard Davis, president and CEO of U.S. Bank.

“I am so proud of each and every STEP-UP intern for meeting and exceeding the work challenges they faced this summer here at the City, in businesses across Minneapolis and in their communities. The number one indicator of future workforce success is early exposure to work experience,” said Hodges. “This is why I am committed to continued investment in programs like STEP-UP that provide our driven young people with opportunities that set them up for future career success.”

Award winners included

2015 Discover Employer of the Year – President and Chief Executive Officer Chanda Smith Baker accepting the award

Iny Asian Dance Group and Asian Media Access perform a ribbon dance during the STEP-UP 12th annual graduation ceremony

When do you re-solicit?

FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw When is the right time to solicit a gift from a current donor?

Do you send a letter once a year and hope for a gift? That’s one strategy. Some nonprofits believe it is a good one. Their logic: “we don’t want our donors to feel we’re always asking for a gift” Here’s our guidance: begin the solicitation process when you say “thank you.”

You want to create awareness, provide opportunities for engagement, report on your progress, and encourage donors to make additional gifts.

Touch your donors with three solicitations throughout the year: two should occur before your year-end solicitation. Each donor should hear from you throughout the year, regardless of the size of their gift. Tailor your communication to meet their method of giving.

Here are 11 suggestions for your consideration.

1.

When you receive a gift send a thank you note and receipt within 48 hours.

2.

Take a moment to create a connection: depending on the size of the gift and the location of the donor follow up with a visit, phone call or personal email.

3.

Keep your donors informed. Send a progress report on the organization, your campaign and impact. Include photos and quotes. Share

upcoming events and dates.

Keep it short – make every word count. Send via U.S. mail or email. You can also post to social media, but don’t let that take the place of personalized communication.

4.

Extend an invitation to visit your facilities and see your programs in action. Invite donors by phone, or with an electronic or print invitation.

Again, keep it personal.

5.

Encourage donors to become involved. Share information about one-time or ongoing volunteer opportunities.

Be as personal as you can, inviting people to volunteer for programs or activities you believe are a match with their interests.

6.

When you have events take the time to send an invitation. Pick up the phone for an extra personal touch for long term supporters (regardless of gift size) and major donors.

7.

Send another progress

report. Consider highlighting a specific program. Include a solicitation. Don’t worry – you are not “over asking.” People cannot give if you don’t give them an opportunity to support your work.

8.

If you haven’t yet made a personal call, have someone from your organization call to share information and provide an update.

9.

Send a “state of the organization” report. Written by the executive director, this is an annual review sharing the strengths, challenges and opportunities facing the organization. Go ahead, include a solicitation.

10. In early November send out your year-end solicitation.

11. Start the cycle again with thank you.

Think of this: 30% of this year’s donors may not give again next year. Can you afford that?

Pillsbury United Communities and Xcel Energy (Employer of the Year), Interns of the Year, Imani Evege, Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, Logan Allen, Little Earth of United Tribes, Jessie Vang, Ebenezer and Juan Sanchez Garcia, U.S. Bank. Supervisors of the Year are Marques Bates, Community Bridge, Tina Johnson, Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, Diane Collins, HealthPartners and Colin Owens, Metropolitan Council.

“Xcel Energy is honored to receive this year’s STEP-UP Achieve Employer of the Year award,” said Xcel chairman, president and CEO, Ben Fowke.

“As a participating employer since 2004, we’ve worked with some very bright and energetic young people. Best of all, we’ve had an opportunity to help shape our workforce of the future, which I think is going to be very impressive.”

“As a STEP-UP employer since the program started, Pillsbury United Communities is honored to be named the 2015 STEP-UP Discover Employer of the Year award winner,” said Julie Graves, director of Youth Development for Pillsbury United Communities. “We sincerely value the opportunity the partnership provides to help youth contribute to their own communities as leaders and influencers, and the alignment of values for career and college access make STEP-UP a program like no other.”

The graduation featured a performance by former City of Minneapolis intern, now internationally renowned musician, radio host, educator, and community organizer, Toki Wright. Wright is also a writer for Insight News’ Aesthetically Speaking. Iny Asian Dance Group and Asian Media Access performed two Asian-American dance fusion numbers featuring six STEP-UP interns.

The Minneapolis STEP-UP program is a partnership with AchieveMpls, the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and Project for Pride in Living. STEPUP serves Minneapolis youth and young adults age 14-21 who face barriers to employment, including youth from low-income families, youth of color, and youth with disabilities.

Since the program was launched in 2004, it has provided more than 20,000 internship opportunities.

insightnews.com

Insight News • August 17 - August 23, 2015 • Page 5

Farewell and hello to Jackie Cooper At-Large

By Melvin Carter, II It was St. Paul evening at Kings Crossing, Community Room.

Peoples from every walk of life poured out to say farewell, thank you and hello; expressing love and appreciation, wishing Jackie Cooper, the very best. It was good-bye and hello in the

same event.

Trailblazer, Jacquelyn “Jackie” Cooper, was the first African-American to serve (eight years) as executive assistant to a county commissioner in Ramsey County.

The ceremony was kicked off with prayer, African drumming and food. County Commissioner Toni Carter greeted a jam-packed audience with Cooper seated in the “place of honor” at the head of the room.

Mary Boyd, and Pat Lamb embellished the welcoming, establishing the grass-root tone. Official and unofficial outpourings were too “you had

to be there” to capture. The mood was sentimental with reflections, laughs, hugs and kisses, memories and tears.

Everyone commented on Cooper’s relentless energy, how working with her is filled with fun and laughter, and how much she will be missed.

Additional speakers included Julie Kleinschmidt, Gene Nichols, Marvin Anderson, Willie Cook, Dora Jones and Dennis Presley, Sr. Cooper was presented with a formal proclamation noting an exhaustive list of accomplishments, and contributions such as graduated with honors, a degree in social

work/psychology, Human Rights Commissioner in 1973, St Paul’s Police and Fire Department Affirmative Action Officer, manager for the Metropolitan Transit Commission, director of Office of Equal Opportunity for Minnesota’s Metropolitan Waste Control Commission, and director of the Office of Diversity Development/ Community Outreach for Regions Hospital.

In 2007, Cooper became Commissioner Toni Carter’s principal legislative aid for eight years.

Aug. 3 was declared Jacquelyn Cooper Day in

Ramsey County.

The recognition stirred a buzz in the room about county seats being the ground zero focal point in which lives are most directly impacted; particularly low income and people of color, even more so than city council or state government (also being the best hidden).

So the farewell/thank you segment rapped up. In came the hello segment. Jeffrey Hassan, the executive director of African American Leadership Forum stepped up to welcome her in her new assignment as his new administrator. Cooper, emotionally moved, graciously acknowledged and thanked each

and every well-wisher, assuring us that in her new assignment she will still be with us, doing grassroots community-building, and really not leaving at all.

In closing, Dr. Josie Johnson spoke affectionately.

She remembered seeing Cooper’s potential back in her youth, and honored her for the promises fulfilled.

The grand finally; the Rev. Gloria Thomas brought the congregation up front, surrounding Cooper, covering her in prayer, thanking her for all that she has done for so many, and empowering her for her mission in the future … and amen.

Free computer repair, support at upcoming “Fix-It Tech” event Free computer repair and technology support at an upcoming “Fix-It Tech” event happening Friday, Aug. 21 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Minnesota Resource Center 2438 27th Ave. S. offered by The City of Minneapolis and community

partners.

If you have a computer or laptop that is running slow, not working or appears to have a virus, bring it in (with power cords) for free tech support.

Volunteers at these events will teach valuable repair skills,

answer questions, and give technical advice about computers and laptops. The consultation and labor are free and volunteers can offer advice on purchasing parts online or at local repair stores. The City of Minneapolis developed the Fix-It Tech events

with community partners in response to the Minneapolis Community Technology survey results and experiences working with residents on their technology needs. The 2014 survey results showed that residents overall are not very

comfortable troubleshooting computer problems, installing software or backing up files, or protecting themselves online.

These events offer handson technical experience that help residents get their items fixed, provide a place to get tech

questions answered and get tips on how to maintain and protect personal devices.

An additional event is planned for later this year on Tuesday, September 29, 3 – 7 p.m. at North Regional Library, 1315 Lowry Ave N.

Ferguson

“It was surreal…to see that the [United Nations Committee] delegates were actually saying Michael Brown’s name, and recognizing his parents being in the room. But the United States government [representatives] didn’t mention his name, didn’t mention his parents, none of that,” Gormon said. “The part that was jolting was to see how our government could lie. The lack of accountability is telling, and you could see why we’re in the predicament we’re in.”

Today, the Ferguson movement has changed the way the nation talks about police violence and the system that enables it.

Samuel Sinyangwe and his

knack for statistics are helping fuel this change. His first creation, MappingPoliceViolence.org, is a crowd-sourced database of all reported police killings since 2013. Launched in December 2014 in collaboration with We The Protestors, it also includes police homicide data by state and city; the races, identities, and death circumstances of each victim (starting in 2014); and national trends over time with monthly breakdowns.

“I think [data] changes people’s perspective. When we first launched Mapping Police Violence, it really made it clear that Ferguson is everywhere….

Very visually, we’re able to show that this is happening all over

the country, it’s happening on a scale that a lot of people didn’t believe,” he said.

Sinyangwe said while storytelling is helpful in appealing to people’s conscience, data will be a key to institutional change.

“People in positions of power and influence are more receptive to data than stories. In their positions they hear all kinds of stories from all kinds of people, and they have to sift through what the trends are in order to set policy,” he said, adding that data coupled with activism is a “language” that gets the attention of the powers that be.

Over the past year, Sinyangwe and a team of

volunteers have launched other sites. CheckThePolice.org is a still-developing registry of police union contracts, in effort to examine how police departments investigate themselves and hold their officers accountable. There’s also ProtesterProgress.org, which details the movement’s gains and victories, in terms of public opinion polls, legislation, and other wins.

And there certainly have been victories.

Sinyangwe, McKesson, and Gormon all say that people are much more politically engaged and aware, both in the St. Louis area and across the nation.

“There’s a new political community,” McKesson said.

“People came together…a new community was born, with all the joy and drama of a family. That is a seemingly simple thing, but powerful.”

In Ferguson and other places, voter turnout and informed civic participation is up. The Justice Department has issued two reports on the area’s systematic racism, discrimination, and civil rights violations. And several states have passed laws addressing police conduct and accountability.

But much has remained the same. McKesson said the Ferguson Police Department has gotten worse. Gormon adds that

From 3 communities, community service efforts, and celebrity benefit concerts across major cities. It went international with trip to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, to charge the U.S. government with human rights violations for police violence and the militarized response in Ferguson.

Gormon was on that trip as part of the Ferguson to Geneva delegation, along with Brown’s parents and a team of human rights lawyers and activists of color.

FERGUSON TURN TO 9

Page 6 • August 17 - August 23, 2015 • Insight News

insightnews.com

COMMENTARY One year after Ferguson: Change still must come

By Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. NNPA Columnist After three days of peaceful demonstrations marking the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s fatal shooting in Ferguson, Mo., yet another African American man was shot by police there. While the facts are still unclear, the tragedy will surely add to the national protests challenging our racially biased structures of criminal injustice A week earlier, a young, unarmed man was shot to death by a police officer in Seneca, S.C. Only this young man was not Black, but White.

According to CNN, Zachary Hammond was fatally shot while in a Hardee’s parking lot. He was 19 years old and on a date. The police officer was conducting a drug investigation and claims that he shot Hammond in self-defense when the unarmed teenager drove his car at him. A small amount of marijuana was found in the front passenger compartment.

Police said the target of the investigation was not Hammond but his date. An independent autopsy showed, however,

Jesse Jackson that Hammond was shot in the back, contradicting the official story. “He was a 19 year old, 121 pound kid killed basically for a joint,” family attorney Eric Bland said.

CNN reported that if this had been an African American victim, it would have received national attention. That is true now, but only because an active movement of demonstrators have made it so. In fact, virtually the only protests to Hammond’s death were issued by #BlackLivesMatter activists on social media.

One year after Michael Brown’s fatal shooting in Ferguson, unarmed Black men are still seven times more likely than Whites to die by police gunfire, according to a new study by the Washington Post.

Excessive force puts White lives at risk, as well as those of Blacks and Hispanics. But the silence of the White community and of the white Church is deafening.

So far this year, the Post reports, 24 unarmed Black men have been shot and killed by police – one every nine days. The Post reports that 585 people in total have been shot and killed by police through August 7. [The Guardian database reports 700 have been killed by police].

There is no question that African American men are a greatest risk. After the Michael Brown killing in Ferguson, national protests have forced reform of the police and of mass incarceration policies onto the national agenda. The names of those who died from police violence – Michael Brown, Eric

Garner, Samuel DuBose, Walter Scott, Tamir Rice, Freddy Gray, Sandra Bland and more– are etched in public memory because demonstrators have demanded justice for them.

The non-violent protests of demonstrators and the Black church have forced community after community to respond.

After Ferguson, and with the spread of cameras that have caught the police in lies, the police are no longer completely immune. In 24 states, reform measures – many focused on requiring body cameras – have been introduced. These are merely the first stirrings of

change. But the killings haven’t stopped.

While African Americans are at disproportionate risk from the structural and human biases of our criminal justice system, we should not forget that working and poor people of all races suffer from police excessive use of force. Police kill more Whites than Blacks. Of the 700 killings it has recorded, the Guardian reports that 340 were White, 179 Black and 101 Hispanic. The Post reports that African American men were 40 percent of the unarmed deaths, but Whites and Hispanics made up the majority.

The system has a class bias, as well as a race bias. An investigation by Alternet’s Zaid Jilani revealed that in the first five months of this year, 95 percent of police killings occurred in neighborhoods with average incomes under $100,000. There were no killings in neighborhoods with incomes of $200,000 or above.

Not surprisingly, lower income Whites are more likely to say police abuse of authority is on the rise than middle or upper income whites.

Excessive force puts White lives at risk, as well as those of Blacks and Hispanics. But the

silence of the White community and of the white Church is deafening. The victims of police abuse are left to seek justice on their own.

We need people of conscience in the White community to join with the growing movement grounded in the African American community to demand reform.

Too often, police don’t live in the communities they patrol.

They are armed to the teeth, but often receive too little training in how police can help build a community rather than simply occupy it.

People of all races and all incomes care about safe streets. They want their children protected; their parents able to walk outside with security. This is as true of impoverished African American neighborhoods as it is of upscale suburbs. But one year after Ferguson, it’s clear we all have a stake in dramatic reform of the American way of policing, if the police are to be trusted as protectors and not threats.

Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. is founder and president of the Chicagobased Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

You can keep up with his work at www.rainbowpush.org

Sandra Bland’s life mattered To Be Equal

By Marc H. Morial

“Many people see this situation escalating, and I think it shows the frustration that many minority communities feel when they feel that, you know, maybe it wouldn’t have escalated in a different community. I hope that that can bring this situation to light as well, so that people understand the frustration that many minority members feel

when they’re stopped by the police.”

– United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch, July 2015 For many of us, it was with a sickening sense of familiarity that we watched the video recording of the violation of the welfare and rights of yet

Sandra Bland another person of color at the hands of law enforcement.

Unfolding right before our very eyes, we witnessed as another routine traffic stop would come to a tragic and fatal end.

Two days before authorities would discover Sandra Bland’s lifeless body in her Texas jail cell, the 28-year-old called a friend after her first court appearance and left a 22-second voicemail asking, “How did switching lanes with no signal turn into all of this? I don’t even know.” The details of her arrest and her untimely death have left her family, friends, and those concerned about the treatment of people of color in our nation’s criminal justice system, wondering the same: how a traffic stop could “turn into all of this?”

On Friday, July 10, Bland was pulled over by State Trooper Brian Encinia for the minor traffic violation. As seen on the officer’s dashboard camera video, Encinia ordered Bland to step out of her car after she refused his order to put out her cigarette. The confrontation between the two continued to escalate as Encinia attempted to pull Bland out of her car and then threatened to use his Taser gun on her. The remainder of the confrontation, and her

eventual arrest, is not caught on camera, but we can hear her screaming during the arrest that the trooper is about to break her wrist and that he has slammed her head into the ground. She was taken to the Waller County Jail on a charge of assaulting a public servant during a traffic stop.

Three days later, on Monday, July 13, Bland was discovered dead in her jail cell after allegedly hanging herself with a garbage bag. A medical examiner has ruled the death suicide by hanging, but her family and protestors are disputing the autopsy results.

Bland’s relatives have ordered a private autopsy and Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis has opened up a probe into Bland’s death and has said that his office will treat her case like a murder investigation.

We don’t yet know how Sandra Bland died in her jail cell, but the video of her arrest is cause enough for grave concern.

And for those committed to reforming our nation’s broken criminal justice system, it is an urgent call for action. As the litany of names of unarmed Black and Brown men and women brutalized and killed by law enforcement multiplies, so does the skepticism and distrust

U.N.

groundwork for the building of the modern Civil Rights Movement. We are challenged yet again to speak out, organize, mobilize, and to protest. But we must also build stronger institutions and businesses that we own. Going back to the U.N is a tactical move to reassert our human rights.

Yes, we affirm that “Black Lives Matter!” We have an obligation to generations past and future to demand that federal and state governments take more action to stop the injustices that we face. We all should now be preparing for the massive “Justice Or Else” mobilization in Washington, D.C. on October 10 that will be webcast and video

From 1 on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court gutting a key section of the1965 Voting Rights Act that requires jurisdictions with a documented history of racial discrimination to pre-clear and voting laws with the Justice Department or a federal judge in Washington, D.C. The audacity of W.E.B. Dubois, the NAACP, and in particular Black newspaper publishers who were members of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) in the 1940s helped to lay the

so many feel for a system that has proven time and again to be stacked against them and their communities at every level of justice.

Encinia’s behavior at the traffic stop was incendiary, unjustified and beyond unprofessional. The Texas Department of Public Safety must not tolerate this disrespectful and provocative method of policing from Encinia – or any officer. Officers who are supposed to be trained to de-escalate tense situations, not escalate them.

We cannot limit our concern and anger to motionless outrage. While we mourn the loss of countless victims of police violence and injustice, we must be loud and engaged advocates for the sort of change that will save lives and rebuild that much-needed trust between law enforcement and all communities entrusted to their care and protection.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch has expressed her hope that the tragic loss of Sandra Bland will galvanize more law enforcement departments to institute de-escalation training.

This is the kind of training that could have saved Bland’s life.

We reiterate our call – as we have in the wake of far too many incidents of police violence – for the comprehensive retraining of all police officers, the review and strengthening of police hiring standards and the widespread use of body and dashboard cameras. We will continue to hold law enforcement accountable when it fails to treat all citizens fairly and with dignity. We will work to bridge the widespread and dangerous distrust between law enforcement and too many communities of color. And we will dedicate ourselves to this mission for our nation’s sake, for Bland and for the innumerable others taken by police violence that are no longer here to fight for us or with us.

Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League. streamed to millions of people throughout the world in different languages. It’s time to stop our human rights from being so carelessly violated. (#BlackLivesMatter # J u s t i c e O r E l s e #BlackPressUSA) Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and can be reached for national advertisement sales and partnership proposals at: dr.bchavis@nnpa.org; and for lectures and other professional consultations at: http:// drbenjaminfchavisjr.wix.com/ drbfc

insightnews.com

Insight News • August 17 - August 23, 2015 • Page 7

EDUCATION Robbinsdale Area Schools receives prestigious financial award Robbinsdale Area Schools received the Association of School Business Officials International’s (ASBO) Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting award for having met or exceeded the program’s high standards for financial reporting and accountability.

The district was recognized for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending 2014.

“We are pleased to have been

through the COE program can help strengthen a district’s presentation for bond issuance statements and promotes a high level of financial reporting.

Founded in 1910, the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) is an educational association that supports school business professionals who are passionate about quality education. ASBO is committed to providing programs and services that

recognized for this high honor from ASBO,” said Jeff Priess, executive director of business services. “We are committed to being good stewards of the resources provided to us and ensuring all of our investments support academic achievement for our students.”

The Certificate of Excellence (COE) award confirms the school business office’s commitment to financial accountability and transparency.

Recognition

promote the highest standards of school business management, professional growth, and the effective use of educational resources. Through its programs, services, advocacy, and global network, ASBO International is the voice of school business officials.

Robbinsdale Area Schools has been recognized each year for the past 14 years for excellence in finances.

New guide helps parents teach teenagers safe driving habits The Safe Roads Alliance, Cenex and West Bend Mutual Insurance have partnered with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) to produce a new guide that provides parents and guardians with a simple, easy-to-follow plan designed to help teens to get the experience they need to be safe, smart drivers.

“Drivers between 16 and 19 years old are more than twice as likely to be involved in a crash as drivers in other age groups,” said Donna Berger, director of the DPS Office of Traffic Safety.

“Parents play a critical role in their children’s education. This guide encourages parents to expose teenagers to a variety of enhanced supervised driving experiences that will help them

Flag From 1 killed a woman. When police arrived, they found Kelly dead in the living room with a large kitchen knife in her hand. The suspect claims the two had been drinking when a disagreement occurred involving a bottle of alcohol. According to the medical examiner, Kelly had cuts on her right jawline, chin, neck and a fatal wound to the base of her neck. Scratches on her stomach and swelling to her lips and right eye were also present. The medical examiner stated that Kelly had two deep cuts to the outside of her hand, which were consistent with defensive wounds.

The Live Free without Violence flag campaign serves

PAC From 1 reliant upon this group. Only one woman is listed in the WSJ article as being worthy of mention among this elite group-Shahla Ansary, “the wife of Iranian-American diplomat Hushang Ansary.” She and her husband seem to be on the Bush side. Thus, while Ms. Ansary may be a woman, she is spending her money like a man, backing the Bush political aristocracy.

So where does that leave those of us without a Rich (white) Daddy to bank roll us?

Without such financial backing, funneled mostly through super PACs, it’s highly unlikely that a political candidate of minimal or modest means will stand any chance of getting into the political race, much less being elected.

What that means my fellow and sister Americans is that our political system is no longer represented by the people, for the people and of the people. It’s a super PACs game and only the wealthy know (and make) the rules (with their check books).

Page From 1 devote much of his time to the foundation.

“I’m looking forward to the next chapter in my life,” said Page. “I will be more involved in my foundation because I’m no longer bound by judicial conduct rules that limited how much contact I could have (with the foundation). I want to look at how we can do a better job at educating children of color, particularly males of color.”

A graduate of Notre Dame and the University of Minnesota

become knowledgeable and safe drivers.”

The Parent’s Supervised Driving Guide is filled with information and lessons on driving basics, parental pointers, and licensing qualifications that are helpful to parents of new drivers.

The guide is supplemented by the Safe Roads Alliance RoadReady mobile app, which can track the required supervised driving time of 50 hours, including 15 hours of night driving.

The enhanced Graduated Driver Licensing law took effect earlier this year in Minnesota. It increases the minimum number of hours teens must practice driving before licensure and requires a supervised driving

log. It also requires all driver education programs to offer parent awareness classes which provide information on teen driving risks, laws, and the important role parents play in influencing teen safe driving behaviors.

West Bend President and CEO Kevin Steiner stated, “The skills outlined in this guide are meant to help teens learn to be better drivers. It is one of the many ways West Bend works to help Minnesota families.”

The guide focuses on the role of the parent in the teen driver education process and encourages parents and teens to drive together in a variety of weather conditions and unfamiliar settings, city and heavy traffic routes, and

to honor those who have lost their lives due to intimate partner violence; increase community awareness of domestic violence and engage communities in proactive efforts to address violence.

Flags, banners, yard signs and window decals have been placed in the public eye to memorialize the lives of Ambers, Anderson, and the lives lost to domestic violence in Minnesota.

For more information about the Live Free without Violence campaign and domestic violence, contact Becky Smith at bsmith@mcbw.org or visit the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women’s website at www.mcbw.org.

For those experiencing abuse, contact Day One at (866) 223-1111 for assistance.

Maybe it’s time for Congress to do something and revisit the role of the super PACs, put them on a restrictive diet of regulations (with a daily vitamin regiment of humility), or simply level the political playing field by setting a limit on campaign spending.

Whatever the remedy, Super PACs need reigning in if Joe Blow or Suzie Ann Ordinary Citizen are ever to have a fair shot at throwing their hat in the political arena (on the order of our current President’s campaign model, which now is more likely to be the subject of a Smithsonian exhibit on political strategies of the past than actually replicated in the current political arena).

Today’s candidates are all about that money (compliments of Super PACs).

We need a new direction, if we ordinary people are truly to have a say in who will be our next President of these United States of America.

The clock is ticking, the checks are flowing and ordinary citizens like you and I are losing.

To Read More: h t t p : / / w w w. w s j . c o m / articles/jeb-bush-super-

School of Law, Page said his academic accomplishments far outweigh what he was able to achieve on the gridiron.

“My parents instilled in me a strong sense that education was an important tool to achieving success,” said Page, who has received numerous awards and honorary doctorates for his legal accomplishments. “Education is a tool no one can ever take away from us.”

When Page retired from the NFL in 1981 he said he never looked back. Asked if he missed the game, Page said not in the least.

“I haven’t had time to miss it,” said the retiring justice. “When

pac-rakes-in-cash-frombillionaires-1438372919 http://www.theskanner.com/ news/usa/23017-wealthydonors-give-millions-to-superpacs-for-2016-election Irma McClaurin is an award winning columnist, who is now syndicated. She recently earned the 2015 Best in the Nation, Emory O. Jackson Column Writing for the Black Press of America, presented by the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) at the 75thAnniversary of its annual convention. The award is named after Emory O. Jackson, a Civil Rights activist and editor of the Birmingham News from 19411975. She is the Culture and Education editor for Insight News, an activist anthropologist, writer, motivational speaker and proponent of diversity and inclusiveness leadership.

Contact: imcclaurin@gmail. com Find her at: www. irmamcclaurin.com, @ mcclaurintweets ©2015 McClaurin Solutions, All Rights Reserved. Do not reprint without permission.

my (football) career ended I was ready to move on. Long before football I had interest in the law.

Law is about solving problems and helping people; and that was my passion.”

While Page said he did not miss football all that much, he did say he would miss serving on the state’s High Court.

“There’s nothing like struggling with a difficult and complex legal question along with six people and then writing an opinion that is concise and hopefully helpful to the public,” said Page. “And I will miss that.

That’s the hardest part of the job, but that’s the part I will miss the most.”

various times of day. According to a Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia study, Driving Through the Eyes of Teens, teen drivers whose parents are highly involved in the teen driver education process were half as likely to get in a car crash, 71 percent less likely to drive intoxicated, 30 percent less likely to use a cell phone while driving, and twice as likely to wear seatbelts.

As part of its commitment to safety education, CHS Inc. – and its Cenex® brand – also helped fund The Parent’s Supervised Driving Guide through sponsorship. “Getting a driver’s license is an exciting moment in a teen’s life, but it demands a new level of responsibility. Practice and

preparation are key components to new driver success,” said Akhtar Hussain, CHS refined fuels marketing manager.

“Research tells us the single most important thing parents can do to help their teens stay safe on the road is to allow as much supervised practice behind the wheel as possible.

Driving with a parent builds a new driver’s confidence, and we hope this new resource will help parents and teens make the most of this time together.”

The free guide is available at driver licensing offices around the state. The RoadReady mobile app is available at the Apple Store.

Minnesota Teen Driver Facts • Traffic crashes are the

second leading killer of Minnesota teens. (In 2013, 33 teens ages 13-19 were killed in traffic crashes.)

• Teen drivers are overrepresented in crashes due to factors like inexperience, distractions, speeding and taking risks. (In 2013, driver inattention/distraction was the leading contributing factor of crashes involving teen drivers at 20.5 percent.)

• The greatest crash risk occurs during the first months of teens driving independently.

(In 2013, driver inexperience contributed to 12.9 percent of single-vehicle crashes involving drivers ages 16-19, compared to just 4.1 percent of drivers ages 20-23.)

Page 8 • August 17 - August 23, 2015 • Insight News

insightnews.com

LIFESTYLE When I change, the world changes with me Man Talk

By Timothy Houston I do not need permission from anyone to be better. When I change, the world changes with me! This is my personal affirmation. The positive change that I make in my personal life makes my public life better. It is within this hope that I am able to deal with life’s up’s and down’s.

This is a personal responsibility.

Some people mistakenly look for change to take place outside of them. They wish that others would be different. They believe that this will make their life

better. The truth is that real change takes place within us. In order to live life to its fullest, we must change what we see, say, and do. When we change, the world changes with us!

First, change your point of view. I am not referring to the way you see the things outside of you, but rather, the way you see yourself. You are blessed and highly favoured, so see yourself as greater than your circumstances. This is a spiritual necessity. If you see yourself as small, unattractive, limited, or defeated, nothing in life will be of much value. Real value starts within. When you see yourself as great, beautiful, unlimited, and full of potential, you will cause the whole world to bend in your direction, and your life will change for the better.

Next, change your conversation. You say what you

You will not get far in life with a conflicted heart. When this happens, you will only make bad choices. These choices will lead to consequences that will take away from your quality of life. believe. As you establish positive belief in yourself, you will speak positive words and your actions will change. Words create actions. They are the catalyst for positive achievement. “... if anyone says to the mountain,

go throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in their heart, but believes what they say will happen, it will be done for them” (Mark 11:23). Your conversation is an outward sign of the condition of your heart. What

type of things are you saying?

Your words are a reflection of who you are within.

Finally, change your actions.

Your actions must line up with your words, and your words must reflect the sincerity of your heart. Your heart, words, and actions must be in agreement.

When you say one thing and do something else, your heart is conflicted. You will not get far in life with a conflicted heart. When this happens, you will only make bad choices. These choices will lead to consequences that will take away from your quality of life. You will be become unbelievable, unreliable, and undependable. On the contrary, when your actions line up with your words your heart will be at peace, and your life will be full of prosperity because you will act on the good in your heart.

When you change, the world

is forced to change with you.

Those who are living a positive life already know this. They take ownership and responsibility for their life. They do not look to or blame anyone for they present condition. They own it.

You can live this positive life as well. Make sure your heart and actions line up, and you will be empowered to make changes for the better. “For I am what I am because of the decision that I made on yesterday, but today, I choose to do otherwise.”

Timothy Houston is an author, minister, and motivational speaker who is committed to guiding positive life changes in families and communities. For copies of his book, questions, comments or more information, go to www.tlhouston.com.

Working your true passion A Non-Traditional, Cutting Edge Experience! Be Ready for Truth, Healing, Teaching and Transformation!

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Pastor Roslyn Harmon Sundays 2-4pm

1015 4th Avenue North|Minneapolis, MN 55405

Visit Us: Circleofhealingministry.org For More Info: 612.564.9962

Are there times when you look at your life and feel like something is missing? Statistics show that over fifty percent of working adults are not satisfied with their jobs and the work that they do. Many people feel like they are working just to pay bills, not working their passion at all.

I know of a person who goes to work every day and also makes a pretty good living doing the work she does. She has a staff of twenty five and is highly respected by all of her staff and coworkers. But the

amazing thing is that she hates her job! She stated that she goes to work and gives it her all every single day of the week.

She works long hours and never complains about it to anyone.

But at the end of the day, when her work is done, she said she wants to scream and run away.

She feels like she is trapped in a job and will never be able to live her true passion of opening her own clothing store.

Here is a situation that so many others experience on a daily basis. They work and go through life never experiencing how great it feels to wake up and know that you are working your true passion and loving it.

So how do you start to follow your heart and follow your dreams is something that you have to map out. When you set your mind on a certain path and not let anything deter you from it, that’s when things will start to turn around.

Lots of us are doing what we need to do to get where we need to be. Many individuals work jobs that they dislike or hate just until they can get to where they need to be. Sometimes it can be hard to step out there on faith but many times that’s the only way to get to your greatness. “YOU HAVE TO MOVE YOUR FEET!” A key ingredient is to never believe anything but positive things about your life. You deserve to be in a place of peace within your work environment and in working your passion!

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.

Dating longer before marriage does not always lead to a happy marriage – relationship expert explains why In her recent bestselling book titled “Hellen Chen’s Love Seminar,” author and relationship expert Hellen Chen revealed that 85 percent of dating ends up in breakups and dating longer does not always mean a more stable and happier marriage.

For over a decade, Chen has played the role of matchmaker and counselor to numerous singles and couples. She has conducted seminars and workshops around the world on how to have a satisfying and happy marriage.

“Dating longer does not equal to improving the chance of a happy marriage. I have seen couples divorcing even though they have dated each other for 6 to 8 years before the marriage.” said Chen.

Chen has seen singles delaying marital commitment in order to “make sure” the person in front is the right one.

“Yet, like a self-fulfilling

Hellen Chen prophecy, the unwillingness to fully commit opens the door for an eventual breakup. Most people who only date and don’t commit will end up separating with their partners.” said Chen.

Jonathan K, a sales executive in the insurance field, shared his first-hand experience of having wasted time to “check out” a partner.

“I thought the smart way to go about selecting a partner is to date first for a few years. But after 3 girlfriends over a period of 10 years, I was exhausted emotionally and financially and ready to give up my dream of having my own family.” said Jonathan.

Jonathan got smarter and applying the concept taught at one of Chen’s workshop, he found his current wife shortly and is now a father of two children.

“The feeling of settling down in marriage is such a world of difference than the surreal relationship of dating with no goal in mind. If you want the real thing, don’t waste your time dating someone who does not share your idea of commitment.” said Jonathan.

At a workshop given in Los Angeles, Chen also pointed out that despite more and more dating tools available to really get to “know” a person’s

background and profile, the rate of divorce is increasing globally nevertheless.

“People change. You may think you know someone very well but 5 or 10 years later, they change their habits and behavior. Rather than focusing on who the right partner may be, why not work on learning how to manage changes and thus make a marriage lasting and satisfying anyway?” Chen shared.

Hellen Chen will be holding a Love Seminar in Los Angeles on October 24th and 25th.

At this event, Chen shares the biggest secret to make a marriage lasting and deep.

And she will talk about how to how to use the strength of a relationship to increase career, prosperity and even health.

She invites single adults, whether divorced, separated or never married, who are looking for love, as well as those who are married and would like to learn how to manage their relationships to attend the popular event.

For more information, please visit the event page for singles: smarturl.it/ findloveseminar-lp and for married individuals smarturl. it/lamarriageseminar-lp

insightnews.com

Insight News • August 17 - August 23, 2015 • Page 9

COMMUNITY

Microscopes donated by Matter to the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba due to arrive in Havana this month.

Roberto Fonts volunteers sorting items.

From Minnesota with solidarity: Humanitarian aid to Cuban hospitals The official opening of the U.S. embassy in Havana, and the Cuba embassy in Washington, D.C. in July, after 54 years without diplomatic relations marked a historical event heralding a new beginning in the process of normalizing relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

Many other issues will have to be resolved in the months ahead – among them ending the trade embargo – but both countries are committed to discussing them in a climate of mutual respect, equal footing and acceptance of their differences.

Although Cuba has been able to provide free universal health care to its population,

an achievement unsurpassed in Latin America, the combined impact of the “Special Period� in the 1990s due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the 50-plus year old embargo by the U.S. has impacted the health care system in Cuba. As a consequence of this, Cuba has not been able to fully attend the needs for medical equipment and supplies, and medicines of hospitals and clinics. Despite this, Cuba has achieved an impressive record on preventive health care, such as lowering infant mortality, longer life expectancy and according to the World Health Organization, the first country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child HIV

transmission.

Due to the embargo, some medicines manufactured in the United States are not accessible to Cuba. No country can sell to Cuba if a product or merchandise, machinery or equipment containing more than 10 percent of North American components.

In the first part of 2015, concerned citizens Roberto Fonts and Franklin Curbelo from Minneapolis, discussed ways to effectively help Cuba’s hospitals and clinics to have the necessary medical equipment and supplies in order to meet the growing health care needs of the Cuban population.

After evaluation, the choice was made to invite Matter

from Minnesota and Global Links from Pennsylvania – both non-profit organizations – to manage the donations and logistics associated with sending medical equipment and supplies to Cuba.

Matter, a St. Louis Parkbased nonprofit with a mission to expand access to health and food around the world, is poised to bring repurposed medical equipment to Cuban hospitals. Matter has a 15 year history of shipping medical equipment and supplies to developing hospitals and clinics to 41 countries. This month, Matter is partnering with Pittsburg-based Global Links, a nonprofit with 20plus years of experience in

Cuba, to provide supplies and equipment to a medical school in Havana.

The first shipment from the United States to Cuba is scheduled for this month and will contain training and medical items, many of which will be sent to the Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina (ELAM) in Havana. It will include items such as an IV training arm (currently there is only one in the entire medical school), adult and infant CPR dolls, a heart model, a lung model, an anatomy mannequin, spirometers and lab microscopes.

Matter and the Hispanic community in the Twin Cities are raising awareness and

resources for future shipments.

Two containers with items such as hospital beds and laboratory equipment for hospitals in Santiago de Cuba are scheduled for September/October 2015.

A fundraising campaign has been launched to raise enough funds to defray the costs of medical equipment and supplies, and freight. On Aug. 29 an event will be held at Du Nord Craft Spirits, 2610 E. 32nd. St., Minneapolis, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.mm, so potential contributors can learn more details about what Matter and Global Links are doing to help Cuba hospitals and clinics. For further information call (612) 824-6109 or (612) 363-8000.

Celebrating the work of sculptor Michael Bahl A Lowertown artist’s studio, museum and laboratory will play host to a gala event to celebrate the work of sculptor Michael Bahl.

The event takes place Thursday Aug. 27 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the Northern Warehouse (just above The Black Dog CafÊ), 308 Prince Street, Studio 222, St. Paul.

For years, Bahl’s studio has been a fixture on the St. Paul Art Crawl. Inside,

Ferguson From 5 most of the officials involved in allowing Darren Wilson to evade justice are still in place. And although police killings have declined since the movement began, police have killed 320 Black people over the past year;

Mesohippus Mirabilis of the unarmed Black people killed in 2014, six were younger than 18 years old.

Over the weekend, many cities remembered Michael Brown with ceremonies, rallies, activism, religious services, and community service. “A year isn’t enough time – we’re still in the throes of it. With everything that we’re dealing with‌all the Black

Classifieds Administrative Assistant Brakins Consulting & Psychological Services Brakins Consulting& Psychological Services, LLC & the African American Child Wellness Institute seeks a highly motivated individual for a full-time position as an Administrative Assistant to work in a community-based private practice clinic that primarily serves African American children, adolescents and adult. We are seeking an energetic Administrative Assistant who can show initiative and leadership skills, has strong computer technical abilities, has their own transportation, has flexible hours and is willing to grow professionally with the company. The Administrative Assistant (AA) will be responsible for performing moderately complex to complex administrative tasks in support of the Executive/Clinic Director and the Mental Health Service Delivery Treatment team. Duties include extensive meeting scheduling, providing assistance to coordinate larger and complex meetings. Compiling information and preparing moderately complex documents, spreadsheets and reports using appropriate software; assisting, screening and/or selectively referring callers; handling complex and sensitive inquiries/calls from external/internal sources.

The AA is also responsible for confirming travel arrangements and managing payments for payroll and expense report reimbursement. The AA will also provide support within areas of reporting for business documentation and team/individual goals, personnel changes and department record keeping processes. The successful candidate proactively tracks procedures and deadlines. The candidate may work closely with both internal and external customers to meet service needs. The AA will also act as an onsite assistant for the Treatment team for miscellaneous duties such as equipment assistance, delivery support and supplies. Performing special projects as requested.

The successful candidate must have a minimum of 2 or 4 years of college plus 2 years experience as an administrative assistant; possess strong written and verbal communication skills and have experience with interacting with ethnically diverse mental health consumers. Versatility in web-based electronic health information software such as PROCENTIVE is a huge advantage for the successful candidate.

Interested candidates should send a resume, interest letter and at least 3 references to: BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya, Ph.D., LP, Clinic Director Brakins Consulting& Psychological Services, LLC & The African American Child Wellness Institute 4050 Olson Memorial Hwy # 195 Golden Valley, MN 55422 (Phone) 763-522-0100 (Fax) 763-588-0100 Email: bravadaakinsanya@hotmail.com

people that have died in police custody, recently – it’s just a lot,�

Gormon said. “The trauma has not stopped. It’s weird how it just feels like one long day.�

Those on the ground have an eye toward the future.

Sinyangwe wants to create a database that analyzes police departments’ policies and procedures against their homicide rates to see what the

he displays skeletons of imaginary prehistoric creatures and artifacts created from the actual bones of contemporary mammals. “I think everybody carries around that first experience of being in a museum and being awestruck by a prehistoric skeleton,� said Bahl. “They may not be aware that they’re carrying it, but when they walk into the gallery or see one of my creatures, it all comes

back.�

In 2014, Bahl received an Arts Challenge matching funds grant from the John S. Knight and James L. Knight Foundation to create one of his most ambitious projects yet, a 12 foot long, four foot high bronze skeleton of a large prehistoric mammal in repose, with a ribcage that will function as a bike rack.

During the fundraising event, Bahl will show sketches

of this work in progress, and talk about the concept. He will also present the skull of his bike rack mammal as a visual aid for all to see and handle. “I’m hoping someone at the neighborhood level of government or one of the schools, colleges, or private companies will see this story and become as passionate about finding the perfect spot for the bike rack as I am to create it,� said Bahl.

best department policies are in preventing police violence. “And developing a misconduct database of police officers would be huge, because again with these union contracts, a lot of times the records are expunged after a certain time,� he added. “A lot of these officers have committed the same sorts of brutality in the past, but they’re not being held accountable for

that [and] they’re being rehired.�

McKesson believes that the next step is figuring out how to use new tools and collective voice to end police violence. “We are all close to trauma in Blackness – in many ways we’re all on the frontline,� he said, giving thanks for his friends and stating that all Black people should practice selfcare, regardless of their level of

activism. “I believe that we will win.

I don’t know what that looks like. I want to believe that the police may look back, and might reflect on their role, but I have no indication that that will happen. I am tired, but not weary. The same spirit that began this movement in August and sustains it is the same spirit that I know will be pivotal to us.�

Phone: 612.588.1313

Executive Director Northside Residents Redevelopment Council has an opening for Executive Director. For more information at: www.nrrc.org and click on the Jobs Link or email cover letter and resume to: bpropes@nrrc.org . No Phone calls please.

Fax: 612.588.2031

Email: info@insightnews.com

VACANCIES Cokato Apts, Cokato, MN (a seniors complex 62 or over or handicapped) has vacancies on 2nd Floor for one BR apts. Waiting list open. Contact Don at 320-286-2758. E-Mail cokapts@embarqmail.com

DUMP TRUCK DRIVER

North Memorial Needs Volunteers to Help Victims of Domestic Abuse

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SafeJourney, a program serving North Memorial Medical Center and Maple Grove Hospital, helps patients and individuals in the community who are experiencing domestic abuse. Volunteer advocates are needed to provide a listening ear, support, safety planning, information and referral. You do not have to have previous knowledge or experience, but rather looking for people who are sensitive to the issue, caring, and non-judgmental. Advocates sign up for 2 on-call shifts per month. Flexible scheduling - daytime, overnights, and weekends. Training is provided.

Deadline to apply and schedule a short interview is January 26. Please call Suzy at 763-581-3942.

PART-TIME INTERVIEWERS Part-time interviewers needed to conduct face-to-face and/or telephone interviews for social science/human service related survey research projects. Bi-lingual applicants must speak and read Somali, Karen, Spanish, Hmong, or other languages commonly spoken in Minnesota. Submit a cover letter with your resume at wilder.org/careers. Job code 209.

Wanted experienced dump truck driver.

Only experienced need apply: Call Jesse Green (651) 815-7197 or email jessegreen625@ yahoo.com

Townhomes

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

Volunteer Greeters Hennepin County is seeking volunteer greeters for its North Minneapolis human service center at 1001 Plymouth Avenue North to welcome and guide visitors, answer questions and assist with special projects. Reliable adults who enjoy working with people and who are available for a few hours twice a week are encouraged to apply.

Ideal candidates will be able to volunteer for a minimum of three months. Volunteers are integral to Hennepin County’s mission of enhancing the health, safety and quality of life of its residents and communities in a respectful, efficient and fiscally responsible way. Get involved by visiting http://www.hennepin.us/humanservicevolunteer and submitting a volunteer application.

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Page 10 • August 17 - August 23, 2015 • Insight News

insightnews.com

A Ving thing Jeremy Renner (left) and Ving Rhames in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

By Kam Williams Ving Rhames was born and raised in Harlem, New York.

His career as a thespian began at the New York High School of Performing Arts, followed by training at the prestigious Julliard School of Drama.

Soon thereafter, the talented actor landed his first role on Broadway in “The Winter Boys.” In 1985, he made his first TV appearance in Go Tell It On the Mountain.

Ving subsequently segued to feature films, and was eventually cast as a merciless drug dealer opposite Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. That performance helped him land the role of Luther Stickell in Mission: Impossible opposite Tom Cruise.

Ving has since starred in many other blockbusters, such as Rosewood and Con Air. In 1998, he won a Golden Globe for his powerful portrayal of Don King in Don King: Only in America.

From there, he went on to star in Out of Sight with George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez, Entrapment with Sean Connery and Catherine ZetaJones, and Bringing Out The Dead with Nicolas Cage, Patricia Arquette and Tom Sizemore.

Other films on his impressive resume include Baby Boy, Undisputed, Dark

Blue and Dawn Of The Dead.

And he ventured behind the camera in 2005 as a producer for the USA series “Kojak.” His producer credits also include: “Back In The Day,” “Animal” and “Shooting Gallery.”

Here, Ving talks about reprising his role as Luther in Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation.

Kam Williams: Hi Ving, thanks for the interview. I’m honored to have another opportunity to speak with you.

Ving Rhames: When did we last speak, Kam? KW: It was for the release of Mission: Impossible III. VR: Okay, brother.

KW: I will be mixing in my own questions with some sent in by fans. Kevin Williams says: You’ve been one of my favorite actors, ever since seeing Pulp Fiction. I’m glad to see you back in this latest installment of Mission: Impossible. Since you play weapons expert Luther Stickell on the IMF team, do you try to keep up with what is going on with military hardware in the real world?

VR: Quite honestly, I play a computer expert, not a weapons expert. Luther’s a computer geek, so I don’t know where Kevin got that misperception from. But I don’t really keep up with developments in quote “handto-hand” combat type weapons or other military technology,

except drones.

However, I do gang intervention in California, and there are a lot of those military weapons in the ‘hood with the Crips and the Bloods. I hate to say it, but you can find almost anything there in terms of military weaponry, even grenade launchers.

KW: How did you enjoy reuniting with Tom Cruise to make Rogue Nation?

VR: Kam, we did the first one eighteen years ago, so I feel very blessed and very privileged.

And outside of Tom Cruise, I’m the only person who’s been in all five films. And I think that I might have made history for an African-American. I don’t know whether any black actor has been in an original and four sequels. You know what I’m saying? So, I really have to thank Tom, and I’m glad to be a part of this process.

KW: Marilyn Marshall says: Why do you think the Mission: Impossible franchise has been so successful?

VR: I really think it’s because of Tom Cruise’s passion and energy, and the fact that he deals with every facet of production. He’s involved with the writers... he has a certain vision... and I think he knows what his audience wants, which I think is a by-product of his being in the business for over thirty years, since he started young as an actor. He really has a grasp of what both American and foreign audiences want to see. So, I give 95% of the credit

to Tom Cruise.

KW: Editor/legist Patricia Turnier asks: What was your favorite scene to shoot in Rogue Nation?

VR: The scene where the four of us, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, myself and Tom, are sitting in a bar. It almost looks like just four guys hanging out.

But it was really four friends.

The simplicity of that scene, which is surrounded by so much action, makes it special to me, especially given the good chemistry among the four of us.

KW: Professor/filmmaker/ author Hisani Dubose says: An African-American actor once told me that it is extremely difficult for black males with deep voices and a strong presence to get work. So, how did you manage to succeed in spite of that?

VR: First of all, I don’t agree with that assumption. But here’s how I feel about it. I attended the High School of Performing Arts, and I graduated from the Juilliard School. So, I believe in being trained, just like you have to do with any profession.

As a professor, she had to get a master’s degree. I find that a lot of aspiring actors never really train, and yet think they can just act. Being a black man with a deep voice is actually more of a plus. I do voiceovers for Arbys, ADT, and other companies. So, I make a lot of money by basically using

not only my voice, but also my size, as far as the camera is concerned. But train, go to school and train. Become a craftsman.

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles says: Giving your Golden Globe award in 1998 to Jack Lemmon was an amazing demonstration of generosity and respect for another actor.

VR: Thank you, Harriet. That was some years ago, but I always tell people: God laid it on my heart. Besides, awards don’t validate me, positively or negatively. It’s like reviews. You can get ten different opinions about the same performance, ranging from great to not so good. So, I don’t really listen to people’s opinions. Instead, I just set a standard for myself.

And what I was trying to do with the award was to show my appreciation of Jack Lemmon and, like I said, God laid it on my heart. To me, there’s really no such thing as a best actor, just as there’s no such thing as a best artist. Rembrandt... Van Gogh... Picasso... Who’s the best? You can’t really say. They each have a different style, and you might prefer one to another. But that doesn’t mean any one is the best. So, I don’t ascribe to the whole idea of voting one artist as the best. I think that tends to undermine the purpose of art.

KW: Harriet asks: With so many classic films being redone, is there a remake you’d

like to star in?

VR: Yes, Brother John, a very old Sidney Poitier film I caught one night It didn’t do well. It was barely seen. He plays a Christ-like character who returns to the small town where he was raised. You have to check it out.

KW: Will do. Steve Kramer asks: How would you describe your work ethic today?

VR: I’m learning to work now, and I’ll use the analogy of working out in the gym. When I was 25 or 30, I worked out one way. Now, at 56, I work out another way. What I think I’ve learned to do is use my energy more wisely. I’m a better actor now in terms of conveying the dramatic arc of a character and my overall intention. Because I’m more seasoned, I know my instrument better. And often, less is more. That’s the major lesson I’ve learned. A lot of young actors expend energy unnecessarily on things that don’t need that much energy.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

VR: Potential.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?

VR: Braiding my mother’s hair.

I was the baby in the family, and she taught me how to braid her hair. What she would do was give me a brush when

RHAMES TURN TO 11

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_

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, Aug. 17 JAZZ/ROCK Eric Harland and Rude Unkal Dakota Jazz Club 7 p.m. $15 - $20 Dubbed “garage jazz,” Rude Unkal is has a mixture of technical skill and the openness that gives them a unique swing. Grammy nominated drummer Eric Harland (Kevin Eubanks, Branford Marsalis and Wynton Marsalis) features for this performance.

Rhames From 10 she wanted to take a nap. That way, she could get some rest, and know I wasn’t getting into any trouble. That’s one of my fondest and most powerful memories.

KW: Who loved you unconditionally during your formative years?

VR: Mom! My mother has always been the one person on this planet who has always been supportive of me and believed in me when maybe a lot of other family members

Insight News • August 17 - August 23, 2015 • Page 11

Adora Tokyo

Wednesday, Aug. 19 HIP-HOP/PERFORMANCE Malamanya Mill City Museum 704 S. 2nd St., Minneapolis 6 p.m. $5 Mill City Live presents its outdoor concert series with Afro-Cuban band Malamanya.

Thursday, Aug. 20 ECLECTIC/ FUTUREWALL/ PERFORMANCE Igress feat. Sarah White, Adora Tokyo, Andthatsbreon and Enigma Icehouse 2528 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis 9:30 p.m. $8 advance, $10 door Igress (think tigress without the T) features the debut of Adora Tokyo’s live set and

didn’t. So, her faith in me is the main reason why I’m where I’m at today.

KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?

VR: Peace on Earth. I’m especially talking about all the violence we’re witnessing today with police officers and black youth. I would just say peace, an end to all violence.

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

VR: Yes, what is the secret to life?

Eric Harland and Rude Unkal

Debbie Duncan more.

Friday, Aug. 21 REGGAE/PERFORMANCE 2nd Annual Riddim Fest Eritrean Community Center 1935 University Ave. W., St. Paul 8 p.m.

18-plus $25 advance, $35 door Bout Dat Life Entertainment brings together big names in world music as Ce›Cile, the legendary Red Rat and Pascalle perform. The show is hosted by Trinny Cee, Flawda Killa-kai and DJ Sound-of Fujun. Parking available at Menards lot or on the back of the Eritrean Community Center.

Bethune Park 1301 10th Ave. N, Minneapolis Noon – 5 p.m.

WE WIN Institute presents its inaugural Griot Festival.

In a fun and artistic ways the Griot Festival tells the story of Africans in the diaspora through dance, drum, rap, storytelling and painting by professional artists from the Minneapolis community.

Performances include those

by Voice of Culture Drum and Dance, Debbie Duncan, MC Longshot (Chad Heslup), Daryl Boudreaux, Nothando Zulu and the Black Storytellers Alliance.

The event is hosted by Toki Wright.

(MNYC) presents its inaugural fundraising gala. MNYC is an outreach program helping youth in Minnesota communities experience extracurricular activities and enrichment programs through community support.

Tickets include a buffet dinner, two drink tickets, comedian Kevin Craft, live music by the Dan Ristrom Trio and a silent auction.

To purchase tickets, visit https://www.vitalculture. com/events/detail/2843.

Sunday, Aug. 23 HIP-HOP/R&B/FESTIVAL

Saturday, Aug. 22 FESTIVAL WE WIN Institute’s Inaugural Griot Festival

KW: Okay, what is the secret to life?

VR: I can’t speak for anyone else but, for myself, I have to help people and love people, sometimes, in spite of themselves.

KW: Lastly, what’s in your wallet?

VR: I carry very little cash.

Honestly, I don’t normally even travel with a wallet. So, I’d have to say just a credit card.

KW: Thanks again for the time, Ving, and congrats on the success of Rogue Nation. .

VR: Thanks a lot, Kam. God bless.

Minnesota Youth Community Gala Coup D’état 2923 Girard Ave. S., Minneapolis $85 Minnesota Youth Community

Events

Education

Spanish Broadcast

Opportunities

Connect

When we take the field, we play for

everyone

TWINSBASEBALL.COM/DIVERSITY

Page 12 • August 17 - August 23, 2015 • Insight News

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