Insight News ::: 07.25.16

FLOW crawls through North Minneapolis

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July 25 - July 31, 2016

Vol. 43 No. 30 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Ellison said he took Castile, Sterling shootings personally

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor When news of Alton Sterling’s killing at the hands of Baton Rouge police spread … and then the next day killing of Philando Castile here in Falcon Heights – again at the hands of police – Rep. Keith Ellison took them personal.

Ellison, who represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, said when he heard the news he thought: “That could have been one of my three sons.” In fact, in the wake of the uprising following the killing of Jamar Clark at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, it almost was one of his sons.

“My son came face-to-face with an officer pointing a riot gun at his head,” said Ellison, discussing the freighting incident involving his son, Jeremiah Ellison, who was protesting the killing of Clark. “That was a deeply disturbing moment for me.”

Thankfully, Ellison’s son survived his encounter with police. Countless others have not. And because of the all too common killings of Black, Brown and Native people at the hands of police, Ellison is calling for change. But the legislator admits the change he seeks won’t come easy.

“We didn’t get here overnight,” said Ellison, who looked visibly tormented when discussing the issue. “This is a problem with a lot of history. It sparked the riots of the 1960s; then we had Rodney King and it continues today. But it seems it’s a problem no one really wants to solve. I mean these things happen (issues of police brutality) and we may get a civilian review board

Photos: Rebecca Rabb

Office of Black Male Student Achievement (OBMSA) summer interns (left to right) Earnest Funches - Edison High School, Travis Moore - Edison High School, Malik Riley – Patrick Henry Senior High, Royaire Holliday - South High School and Malaysia Hayes -Edison High School (center front).

The truth unheard A collaborative commentary by Office of Black Male Student Achievement (OBMSA) interns Historical perspective It is an undeniable fact that when the constitution was signed, written in it was a clause that declared Black Americans as 3/5 of a human.

This clause was titled “The Three-Fifths Compromise.”

It was not until 1865 that this clause was nullified. The question still remains … “Are Black Americans truly viewed as true human beings in the eyes of America?”

The beginnings of the police force are in the slave patrol that surfaced as early as 1704.

TRUTH TURN TO 4

Office of Black Male Student Achievement (OBMSA) summer interns (left to right) Malik Riley, Malaysia Hayes and Earnest Funches take part in a discussion on police brutality in the wake of the killings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling.

U.S. Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) to hold police accountable, but the second you take your eye off the problem, the board somehow goes away and it’s business as usual.”

Ellison said he knows it is not all police that are committing acts of brutality … and in many cases … homicide, but he said the actions of few have soiled the entire image of law enforcement when it comes to communities of color; and in particular, poorer communities of color.

“Most police go to work to help people. I truly believe that,” said Ellison. “But at the same time, in economically disadvantage neighborhoods we continue to have these instances of abuse of power. We don’t see that in Kenwood (an exclusive neighborhood of Minneapolis) or in Edina … unless it’s against a Black person, who they don’t think has the means to be in those areas.”

Ellison said Castile’s stop was most likely solely based on Castile’s skin color. Falcon Heights is a city that is more than 90 percent white.

ELLISON TURN TO 8

Stakes high in state primary elections With much of the focus on the recent Republican National Convention and this week’s Democratic National Convention, it is important to not forget about the upcoming primary election in Minnesota, Aug. 9.

The Aug. 9 primary will decide several party races and a Minnesota Supreme Court judgeship as well, with the lone African-American on the state’s High Bench facing off against two challengers.

Associate Justice Natalie Hudson, who was appointed to the court by Gov. Mark Dayton this past October, is seeking her first voter selection when she faces off against Craig Foss, an associate professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law and Michelle MacDonald.

In the 5th Congressional District, which encompasses much of Hennepin County, Rep. Keith Ellison faces two DFL challengers – Lee Bauer and Gregg Iverson. The winner faces off in November against Republican Frank Drake, who is running unopposed.

Eliot Kamenitz

Alden McDonald, Jr., President and CEO of New Orleans’ Liberty National Bank.

Black dollars pour into black banks

By Michael H. Cottman, Urban News Service Baltimore-based attorney Jelani Murrain plans to transfer his hardearned money to an institution of financial empowerment – a Blackowned bank.

“The fact that Black people have dealt with financial discrimination is a matter of record,” Murrain, a father of three young children, told Urban News Service.

Murrain, 38, said he and his wife decided last week to open

ELECTIONS TURN TO 6

Irma McClaurin Black women still rare as law professors

PAGE 2

Women Leading Change

BANKS TURN TO 7

Lifestyle

Community

Preparing the nest

Thor Construction served multiple roles on build-out of U.S. Bank Stadium

Carol McCullar

PAGE 6

an account with Atlanta’s Citizens Trust Bank.

“A strong, vibrant Blackowned bank will hopefully ensure Black people have an alternative if faced with financial discrimination in the future,” said Murrain.

“A strong Citizens Trust Bank, of course, will provide better financial services to all people of Atlanta, not just Black people,” he said. “The success of Citizens Trust is a win for the Black community and the United States.”

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Page 2 • July 25 - July 31, 2016 • Insight News

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Black women still rare as law professors Dr. Irma McClaurin Culture and Education Editor IOWA CITY, Iowa – Amazing what you can find in Iowa.

From July 6 – July 12, nearly 120 Black women law faculty from across the nation descended upon Iowa City, Iowa to attend the 10th Annual Commemorative Lutie A. Lytle Black Women Law Faculty Workshop at the University of Iowa College of Law. The faculty who attended the workshop constitute almost a third of the Black women who serve as law school faculty, administrators and librarians in the United States. According to 2013 American Bar Association’s (ABA) statistics, Black women comprise only 9.9 percent of law school faculty, administrators and librarians.

The small percentage of Black women in the legal academy suggests that not much has changed since the days of Lutie A. Lytle, for whom the workshop is named.

Lytle became the first female law professor in the nation, and likely the world, when she joined the faculty at Central Tennessee College of Law in 1897. She was the daughter of a former slave, earned her law degree in the late 1800s, became the first Black woman to become a member of the Kansas bar, and was bold enough to try and practice law before women were granted the right to vote.

According to this year’s conference host, Angela Onwuachi-Willig, the founder of the event and the Charles M. and Marion J. Kierscht Professor of Law at the University of Iowa, Lytle herself “could not have imagined 125 Black women law faculty gathering in her name in 2016.” After all, Lytle began teaching courses at a time when just the idea of a Black female lawyer astonished people.

According to Adrien Wing, associate dean and the Bessie Dutton Murray Professor of Law at the University of Iowa College of Law, this 2016 gathering of Black women law faculty is all the more

Irma McClaurin

Thomas Langdon

Participants of the 10 Annual Commemorative Lutie A. Lytle Black Women Law Faculty Workshop at the University of Iowa College of Law. The workshop was held July 6 – July 12. significant and extraordinary when we consider the fact that “there are only 4 percent Black lawyers (nationally), yet 40 percent of the people in prison are Black.” Wing welcomed the workshop attendees by detailing both the state of Iowa’s and the University of Iowa’s history of racial firsts as well as the university’s longstanding commitment to diversity.

In light of recent volatile and too often violent encounters between Black citizens and our country’s police departments and justice systems, the role of Black lawyers today cannot be understated. These Black women law faculty carry on Lytle’s tradition in the face of contemporary odds that include lack of diversity in law faculty nationwide, a decline in the numbers of Black students admitted to law school, the rising costs of law school tuition, and the gap between starting pay and the debt incurred to complete a law school education. Also, trying to teach and interpret the law through a racial justice lens and in front of an increasingly non-receptive, and sometimes hostile, group of students is a very tricky proposition in these times.

Most of the Black women participants attend the

workshop because of the sense of community and support they derive from it. Top law schools such as Stanford Law School still have only one Black female law professor. Being what Rachel Moran, a professor, calls “a society of one” can make law school hallways an isolating place for Black female academics. To this day, Stanford Law School has never had a tenured Black woman on its faculty, but Stanford is hardly remarkable in this regard. Just this year, the first Black female law professor was tenured at Southern Methodist University Dedman College of Law. Other women at the workshop can lay claim to being the first Black women to serve on their law faculties as well as the first to receive tenure.

The workshop’s program centers on providing its participants with the opportunity to write in a collective environment, prepare for publication in law journals, practice job talks, map strategies for dealing with the isolation of being “the only one” at many law schools, and network, network, network.

In the isolating contexts of many law schools, today’s Black female law professors must contend with micro-

aggressive behavior from students and colleagues. They also must learn to navigate the academy with savvy and craft a respected public voice, since too often they are called upon to explain the law or comment on the conflicts between police, the legal system, and Black citizens and many other issues of public concern.

Given how Black women law faculty must confront such harried academic and social spaces on a daily basis, the Lutie A. Lytle Workshop has become a place of refuge and respite, a sanctuary filled with like-spirited Black women who understand why each of them is “tired of being sick and tired,” as Fannie Lou Hammer used to say.

At the workshop, Black women law faculty engage in community building, networking, and professional development as they learn they are not alone. At Lutie A. Lytle, they receive support, encouragement, nurturing, inspiration, and time devoted to incubating ideas and writing rigorously while they embrace Lytle’s own words, “Quote me, I will be heard.”

And, the success of the workshop is more than evident.

In the 10 years since the first

Adrian K. Wing, associate dean and the Bessie Dutton Murray Professor of Law at the University of Iowa College of Law (left front) and Angela Onwuachi-Willig (center), workshop host, flanked by other attendees at the 10 Annual Commemorative Lutie A. Lytle Black Women Law Faculty Workshop at the University of Iowa College of Law. workshop in 2007, the collective productivity of this group of fierce women has culminated in 652 law review articles, 72 book chapters, and 34 books.

I personally found the group to be an eager and receptive audience to my keynote presentation on the Irma McClaurin Black Feminist Archive, which is being launched in collaboration with the Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) Department of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst.

The McClaurin Black Feminist Archive will offer a home for the papers of many Black female academics, helping to ensure that their important contributions – their words – will not be lost, forgotten or unquoted. After my talk, many Lytle workshop participants commented that they would now look at their own papers and correspondence with a renewed sense of importance, commitment, and understanding of the need to preserve.

My collaborator, Robert Cox, director of SCUA at the UMass Amherst Du Bois Library, reminds us that “bringing the writings of Black feminists into the conversation

has transformative potential not just for academic research, but for the lives of women and men across the globe facing the challenges of life in the 21st century.”

The Lutie A. Lytle Workshop, (www.law.uiowa. edu/tenth-annual-lutie-lytleblack-women-law-facultywriting-workshop) has proven its transformative value for the women who attend and write their vision and lives. What I learned from these powerful women during the workshop is that they are determined “to be heard” through their writings, and now to have their contributions preserved in archives.

Irma McClaurin is an award winning syndicated columnist.

In 2015, she received the Black Press of America’s Emory O. Jackson Column Writing Award from the NNPA. She is the Culture and Education Editor for Insight News, an activist anthropologist, writer, motivational speaker, champion of diversity and inclusiveness leadership and founder of the Irma McClaurin Black Feminist Archive at UMass Amherst. Find her at www.irmamcclaurin.com and imcclaurin@gmail.com.

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Insight News • July 25 - July 31, 2016 • Page 3

COMMENTARY

Racism and the RNC

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor Now … let’s talk about the overt racism of the Republican National Convention.

Yeah, we had a little fun on social media with Melania Trump’s theft of Michelle Obama’s speech, which we’ll just chalk up to another example of cultural appropriation, but something far more sinister was afoot at the RNC and within the Republican Party as a whole. With the candidacy of Donald Trump it is being proven that at the core of his support is a racist ideology that should be as concerning as it is appalling. And let’s quit dancing around the topic. At this point, if a person is voting for Donald Trump, that person is either, racist, willing to turn a blind eye to racism or suffering from the mental illness of self-hatred.

Now we’ve watched for more than a year as Trump gatherings have devolved into a step above Klan rallies and very few have called it for what it is. Many dismissed followers of Trump as “fringe” voters, but these “fringe” voters now make up almost half of the Republican Party – 13,300,472 primary and caucus votes to be exact. That’s 13,300,472 votes for racism.

Now I know labeling someone as “racist” or a supporter of racism is a serious charge and I understand what comes with making such a charge. I unequivocally stand by my charge. Dare I say, the hoods are coming off?

In just the first night of the

Dare I say, the hoods are coming off?

RNC alone there were very clear examples of blatant racism being spewed from the lips of Trump supporters … one a United States Congressman.

In an exchange on MSNBC, Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa launched into a racist diatribe that offered zero doubt as to where he (and Trump supporters) stands.

King said (and I’m paraphrasing here) anyone who is not white is somehow less than human and has offered not one contribution to humanity. His actual words were “I’d ask you to go back through history and figure out, where are these contributions that have been made by these other categories of people … where did any other subgroup of people contribute more to civilization (than whites)?”

Now I’m not going to run through the list of contributions and innovations non-whites have offered because one, we’d be here all day and longer, and two, I no longer feel I should have to

Melania Trump’s speech – comedy or horror

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor Thank you Republican National Convention … thank you, thank you thank you.

Going into the week I wasn’t sure what, if anything, I was going to write in terms of a commentary/editorial.

But in just one day, the RNC has offered up material to last at least a month … probably longer. So, where to begin?

OK, let’s begin with what’s being talked about, mocked, ridiculed most … the “speech” of Mrs. Melania Trump‬. So, um, well, um … so it seems Mrs. Trump may have borrowed a bit of her opening night speech from an obscure speech given

Marc Nozell (Creative Commons)

Melania Trump

by a not so well known person at a far, tucked away venue to an audience of two or three people.

TRUMP TURN TO 8

Vehemently opposed to humans being shot Nobody Asked Me

By Fred Easter Nobody asked me, but I am unalterably and vehemently opposed to humans being shot.

I am opposed to spouses, gang members, peace officers and regular citizens being shot. I am even opposed to heavily armed Special Forces ops being shot in Iraq and Afghanistan. I really think shooting people is an idea that has outlived its usefulness.

The only difference I see between the Orlando and Dallas and Baton Rouge shooters is that the Dallas and Baton Rouge shooters were fed up with something I’m fed up with too.

I do not condone what they did, but, I understand their frustration.

All three shooters were mentally unbalanced.

Gov. Mark Dayton was right when he said Philando Castile would be alive today if he was white. He could’ve said that about more than one hundred Black men who have been killed by police in the past few years or the thousands who breathed their last at the end of ropes in centuries past.

I was amused by Rudy Giuliani and Fox News talking heads blaming Black Lives Matter and even President Obama for the murder of Dallas and Baton Rouge’s finest. Not worthy of rebuttal.

What I do know is that if Palestinian policemen were pulling over Israeli motorists and the motorists ended up dead; Israel would bomb a crater into Palestine and the world would shrug. Why are Black folk expected to make cardboard signs and march and chant when our loved ones are gunned down?

Why shouldn’t the sight of good Black people bleeding out drive some of us crazy enough to kill indiscriminately?

The Dallas Police Chief was right when he invited our young folk to get out of the protest line and apply to the Dallas Police Department.

He promised to assign them in their own communities. Our communities would be healthier and safer if our young people were the police rather than the current occupying force that loathes and fears us.

Poor police work, as was exhibited in Falcon Heights, must be driven out of police forces across the country. Sub par work on the job must be identified and eliminated. We do it with bus drivers, truck drivers, pilots, professional athletes and nonprofit execs. We can do no less with our police forces.

somehow prove my worth as a human being in America. I don’t need the 13th Amendment to tell me I’m a person and I don’t need to prove it to half-wit from Iowa.

But I present King’s words to again say, if you can align yourself with this type of thought – as Trump and his supporters have – then, again you are a racist, plain and simple.

And let’s not let King be the lone racist we call out. Flipping networks to ABC, actor Antonio Sabato, Jr. – a D-list actor famous for “Celebrity Wife Swap” and “Dancing with the Stars” – threw

out the racist lie that Trump supporters love: calling President Obama a Muslim. Now let’s be clear … crystal clear … if President Obama were Muslim, so freakin’ what? But given the fact that our president (and he is our president, and by our, I mean America’s) has repeatedly asserted that he is a Christian, why the persistent claim that this man is somehow “other” and somehow not legitimate as our nation’s leader? Again, when it comes to his (or anyone’s) religion, I could care less. But without hesitation this two-bit actor went on to

disparage our president because of his last name and when offered the opportunity to backtrack, he instead doubled down. When asked why Trump repeatedly retweets statements from white supremacists Sabato said, “I’m not going to focus my vote on a tweet; I really could care less.”

Exactly. He really could care less.

At worst, this clown, who was a convention speaker, is a devout racist. At best, he chooses to turn a blind eye to racism.

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Page 4 • July 25 - July 31, 2016 • Insight News

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EDUCATION 2016 legislative session brings $78 million in education investments New education funding passed by the Minneapolis Legislature and signed by Gov. Mark Dayton means the state will invest an additional $78 million in prekindergarten through 12th grade education this school year.

This new funding includes the establishment of Minnesota’s first voluntary pre-kindergarten program, investments that address statewide teacher shortages, and funding to expand implementation of schoolwide behavioral interventions and supports.

“The investments in education this session will expand educational opportunities for thousands more Minnesota students, and help alleviate our state’s ongoing teacher shortages,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith.

“New investments in voluntary pre-K will help more children attend pre-kindergarten free of charge. Minnesota has much, much more work to do and next legislative session we need to make more progress, so every child and every family has the opportunity to participate in high quality pre-kindergarten.”

Access to high-quality early learning programs has been a high

priority for Dayton and Smith.

Twenty-five million dollars in new aid will be available annually to school districts and charter schools to establish voluntary pre-kindergarten programs within their communities. According to the governor, this investment will help 3,700 more 4-year-olds across the state attend pre-kindergarten programs, regardless of a family’s ability to pay.

A provision signed into law this session allows districts to repay certain capital loans early and without interest, which will save taxpayers money and increase the state’s general fund by $53 million. These one-time funds will be reinvested in Minnesota’s education system, supporting students and educators ranging from student teachers to those who have been in the workforce for years.

“If we are serious about closing achievement gaps in Minnesota, we must continue to invest in our students, our schools, our teachers and our communities,” said Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius. “These investments are critical to our work in supporting every student to succeed.”

Truth

to relatively unconscious and relatively automatic features of prejudiced judgment and social behavior. Using this definition we then know that many individuals may not tell you that they’re afraid of us but their actions will.

And worse, they might let their biased mindset determine if you are going home tonight to see your loved ones.

Media now shows you what they want you to hear and see, not the real truth about what’s happening. It’s crazy because even before you interact with an officer, as a Black male, they already have a preconceived opinion about who you are. This is based on our looks.

Let’s look at it in a different way of understanding. If my other kings and queens (terms we use to describe ourselves) who are writing this article and I, who are all African-American, were standing on a corner and a police officer drives by, that’s when the implicit bias comes into play. Without thinking about it, what may come to mind is, “I wonder if they’re selling drugs,” or “I bet one of them has a gun on them” because, isn’t that what is stereotyped about us? We’re seen as thugs and bad people.

From 1 Slave patrols and night watches, which were both designed to control and lock up minorities, laid the foundation for the modern-day American law enforcement.

Knowing the negative foundation that the current American police force was established upon, is it farfetched to think that those same negative principles that were the normality in the days of the slave patrol are still in existence in today’s modern-day police force?

Implicit bias Implicit bias is a term used to describe how people engage one another without really thinking about their actions. Police officers have this same implicit bias when dealing with Black males. To elaborate more, we, as a group, would say that officers, like everyone in this world, are prejudice against certain things or people.

Now let’s define implicit bias, for this conversation.

By definition implicit bias is described as, a term of art referring

Justice for Philando David Bradley

Jetta Roberts (center), an educator with the Madison County Education Association (Fla.), holds a sign detailing the number of gun deaths in the United States in 2016. Roberts, who was in Minneapolis for the American Federation of Teachers conference, took part in a July 19 march through downtown Minneapolis to protest the police killing of Philando Castile. Castile worked as a food service supervisor with the St. Paul Public Schools. He was killed during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights on July 6.

What we see as the problem One of the issues at hand is that police officers may have a shoot first, ask questions later, mentality, when it comes to Black males. There is no second option … no thinking twice.

It has become shoot first, and shoot to kill. The object is not to stop the “problem” but rather to eliminate the threat. Tasers are a second option that can be used effectively. However, it seems that officers choose the most fatal option. Is law enforcement scared of us? We believe there is a certain fear factor, when engaging Black males, not just mentally, but physically.

The Willie Lynch Syndrome may be one explanation for these issues. That is, the elimination or weakening of the Black male as to help dominate and break down the Black family, may be at play.

Most officers don’t normally interact with Black males or the Black community outside of their working as an officer. This means most of their interaction with us is negative. There must be ways that law enforcement can socialize with our community outside of their work environment. This may help the issue. Most of these officers do not live in our

communities. Meaning they don’t see Black faces in their dayto-day lives. This is the root of the problem. Allowing the truth about the Black community to come through the negative view of the media is a problem.

What happens to our community?

The shootings happening all over this country with officers and Black males has a huge impact on Black women and families.

It is sad to lose someone you care about and love to a situation in which law enforcement is supposed to protect and serve.

It seems that we are entering a racial war between officers and the Black community. This is a losing option for the Black community.

Once they begin to kill more and more of us, where will we turn?

Who will we call? It feels like sides are being taken between officers and Blacks. We have to watch our backs as a community.

We don’t know how any specific officer feels about us and it seems like we are seen as one big threat.

For instance, racial profiling.

They think of Black males as thugs, when we are not. There

are successful Black men in our community but they are seldom recognized or acknowledged as such.

The Black Lives Matter movement has been fought back with the All Lives Matter (ALM) conversation. It really feels like the ALM conversation is not really a movement but just a way to offset the BLM movement. With the BLM movement, a change must come from our Black community.

Our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers are counting on it.

As a community we are becoming hopeless. We are continuously worried about if our loved ones will come home safe.

Officers’ killing innocent people has to stop.

Community action We must change the way that officers are being trained. It seems that officers see Black males as animals and less than human. We seem to be killed as if our lives don’t matter. Training officers on how to react to us in certain situations is mandatory.

Another problem that we discussed earlier in this article is that officers are not from this

community. One way we may find a solution is to have officers participate in more community events. This way they get a feel for who we are and how we operate.

Our community is different than theirs and they must learn more about that.

Finally, we know that most of the officers policing our community are not from our community. If these officers were from our community and a part of this community there may be less violence between officers and the Black community. We are seen as a threat and must be better understood. We need to feel safe when the cops come into our community, not feel threatened.

The Office of Black Male Student Achievement, headed by Michael Walker, is a department within Minneapolis Public Schools dedicated to narrowing the Black male achievement gap. The office seeks to close the gap by remedying the disproportionate suspension and expulsion rates, raising persistently low graduation rates and increasing the number of students in advanced placement and honors courses.

Important

Dates

The Week of

WoW!

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AUGUST 1 Welcome!

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AUGUST 2

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AUGUST 5 Movie Day!

Round off the week with movies & popcorn!

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Insight News • July 25 - July 31, 2016 • Page 5

BUSINESS Nonprofits can help America heal FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw We are no different from you our readers.

We have been grappling with emotions, engaged in conversations, and reflecting on our role – and the role of the nonprofit sector – during these times of protest and grief. With this column we share a few of the questions on our mind. We don’t have the answers, but we know the answers lie within our hearts and minds, and within the work we engaged in over the years to

help create justice and equity. As a sector we have been engaged in advocacy, research, and direct service. We have proposals for how to move forward, and are ready to partner with city, state and federal leaders to address policies and biases.

At the same time, we know that all of us are part of this American conversation. No answers are written in stone. We must proceed with open minds and hearts, putting forth our solutions, and simultaneously questioning ourselves. Here are a few things we have been questioning.

Do we need to examine our mission, goals and priorities?

What are we doing to educate others about the needs within our community? How are we inviting diverse groups to hear our case and offer solutions? Are we open to diverse leadership on our boards

As African-Americans, we can educate and invite others to join us in the work we have been engaged in for years.

and management teams? Are we serving the total community, or a segment of the community?

Are we taking optimum advantage of our resources and those to which we have access?

If increased resources are directed to our nonprofits, how are we prepared to use these? Do we have plans that effectively speak to the needs of our young people?

Do we have projected outcomes

and measurements? Do we know how to ask for help to build our infrastructure so we can truly make an impact?

Can we stand up to scrutiny and transparency as we build trust and support? Are we open to collaboration and partnerships to best serve the total community by sharing resources and skills with others?

History has shown that when America faces these types of crises, the nonprofit sector has been a platform for making the case and finding solutions. Because of our history, commitment and compassion, nonprofits can serve as the sanity and the bridge to bring together all segments to best serve the community. Are we up to the task? Are we ready to offer specific solutions?

As African-Americans, we can educate and invite others to

join us in the work we have been engaged in for years. We can reach out to those who may be reluctant to use our services or accept our leadership because we are African-American. We can let people know we are ready to link arms and to lead.

As people who are not African-American, they can reach out to African-American leaders and learn from their experience in the realms of social justice, economic development, education and job training.

The bottom line … nonprofit leaders can provide solutions.

Mel and Pearl Shaw are the authors of “Prerequisites for Fundraising Success” available on Amazon.com. For more information visit www. saadandshaw.com or call (901) 522-8727.

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT

Mikisha Nation, executive director of Breakthrough Twin Cities

Mikisha Nation

RNC From 3 Let’s be clear. No person who is not racist or who is not willing to support racism, could ever support a man who says he wants to build

Arriving in the United States from Jamaica at the age of six, Mikisha Nation was raised in an inner-city community in Bridgeport, Conn., where she “witnessed firsthand the challenges that families face trying to provide for their child’s future in environments where violence, poverty and inequitable access to education are the norm.”

Nation credits the support of her family, a few great teachers, and education enrichment programs like Horizons, Upward Bound, and Connecticut Scholars with helping her navigate the college process. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Nation has dedicated a significant portion of her life to public service, by “taking action to address

disparities and inspiring others to do the same.”

Nation is currently on the board of directors for CaringBridge and is a member of the Greater Twin Cities United Way Women’s Leadership Council. Prior to joining Breakthrough Twin Cities, Nation held leadership roles in corporate America, the nonprofit world, higher

education and the public sector. She received Target Corporation’s Strategic Priority Award for Organizational Effectiveness for pioneering engagement and benefit programs for more than 365,000 employees. She was also awarded the Director’s Innovation Award for launching a Native-American economic development program and

summer institute at the Tuck School of Business for diverse high school students. Nation also received the Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service for her leadership and contribution to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Nation has been the executive director of Breakthrough Twin Cities since July 2014.

a wall to keep out immigrants because they are Brown, but who is perfectly fine with white immigrants such as his current wife. No person who is not racist or who is not willing to support racism, could ever support a man who has proposed a ban on Muslims entering the country and whose close friend, Newt

Gingrich (who was on Trump’s short list for running mate), said we should test American citizens who are Muslim to see if they are patriotic. No person who is not racist or who is not willing to support racism could ever support a man who refers to AfricanAmericans as “the Blacks.”

No person who is not racist or who is not willing to support racism could ever support a man who mockingly calls a woman “Pocahontas” because she proudly acknowledges her Native-American heritage.

The question to the 13,300,472 of you who do support Trump is, which are

you? Are you a racist? Are you just willing to support a racist while somehow absolving yourself of being a racist (in other words, a closet racist)?

Or are you as a person of color so filled with self-hate that you will align yourself with the people who view you as a “subgroup” at best? And that’s

giving their thoughts of you a lot of credit. At worst (and most likely) they view you with the same sentiment they view their family pet … good for fetching, amusement and when needed, to attack on their behalf.

If you support Donald Trump you must be one of the three.

There are no other options.

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Page 6 • July 25 - July 31, 2016 • Insight News

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Women Leading Change: Carol McCullar

By Dr. Artika R. Tyner “Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” – Kofi Annan Leaders recognize young people are the future.

Therefore, it is critically important for leaders to take a stand for children. Early in her life, Carol McCullar made a commitment to address the educational needs of children in her home country, South Africa. Her mission is to transform struggling readers into exceptional learners through compassionate connections among students, teachers, family and community.

Day by day she is advancing this goal by creating beneficial learning environments for the children of South Africa.

Throughout her lifetime, McCullar has always understood the importance of education.

Education is not only a learning mechanism, but also an empowerment tool that inspires individuals to reach their dreams and fulfill their destinies. It is also

Carol McCullar and students in a school (South Africa) where she implemented the Butterfly Readers Program. the key to a just and inclusive society.

Educators have a responsibility to exemplify leadership in a way that serves as inspiration for all students to become leaders and change agents. McCullar began her vocational journey as a school principal who served children with special needs. In this role, she witnessed firsthand the deficiencies of the education system in South Africa.

At that time, there was no

scientific measurement available for assessing how many students in South Africa were unable to read. This created a leadership challenge for McCullar. How could children succeed without the foundation of basic literacy? She combined her training, expertise, and passion for justice to make an impact in the educational system.

She introduced a new scientific reading assessment method which measured the reading and writing levels of South African students.

What she found was astonishing.

In one second grade classroom, 100 percent of second graders read below grade level and 50 percent could not read at all. As McCullar traveled across South Africa, she documented similar outcomes related to literacy rates and educational obtainment.

“One fifth grader just started crying (because he couldn’t read at all),” said McCullar.

These experiences compelled her to take action. She created her own comprehensive program that would combat these figures.

This was the beginning of the Butterfly Readers Program. The purpose of the Butterfly Readers Program is to empower students by developing their reading and writing skills which will in turn improve the lives of the students.

The global citizen empowers others to discover the leader within

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In Minnesota’s 4th District that includes St. Paul and most of Ramsey County, Rep. Betty McCollum is pitted against Steve Carlson on the DFL side while three Republicans vie for the chance to compete in November.

A bit further north in Minnesota’s 6th District, Rep. Tom Emmer will be seeking reelection for the first time as he faces primary challenges from Republicans A.J. Kern and Patrick Munro. On the DFL side in the 6th, Judy Adams, Bob Helland and David Snyder are running for the chance to move on as the party’s November candidate.

Sen. Bobby Joe Champion faces a DFL challenge in the form of Patwin Lawrence in Senate District 59. Lawrence is the former board chair of the Minnesota State Council on Black Minnesotans.

In Senate District 62, Sen. Jeff Hayden sees a DFL challenge from Mohamoud Hassan. Hassan is former co-host and producer of “Somali Voices,” a program aired on KFAI radio. Hayden is the

After conducting research on South African students’ reading and writing levels, McCullar decided she must take action in order to help students learn, grow, and prosper.

Leaders not only understand the issues, but they also create a plan that will fight the injustices at hand.

McCullar launched the Butterfly Readers Program at Athlone Girls High School in Johannesburg, and it proved to be successful. In one school, after completing a 12-week reading program, seventh grade students began reading at ninth and 10th grade levels. Schools across South Africa are now seeking to implement this reading program into their schools due to its’ remarkable success.

A global citizen makes a lasting impact Although McCullar no longer resides in South Africa, she is still an important advocate for South African schools. She moved to

Senate’s deputy majority leader.

Maybe the most interesting race to be decided Aug. 9 is the DFL race for state representative in District 60B. Rep. Phyllis Kahn, who has held her seat since 1973, faces stiff challenges from SomaliAmericans Mohamud Noor and Ilhan Omar. District 60B has the highest concentration of Somali residents in the state and Noor serves on the Minneapolis School Board and Omar has garnered the support of several politicians and organizations, including that of former Minneapolis mayor, R.T. Rybak. The district is strongly Democratic, but the winner will have a Republican challenger in Abdimalik Askar.

In State Representative District 59A incumbent, Rep. Joe Mullery sees a DFL challenge from Hmong-American, Fue Lee. Lee is a graduate from Patrick Henry High School and Carleton College.

Polls in Minnesota open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 9 and early absentee or in person voting is available now until Aug. 8.

Individuals are eligible to vote in Minnesota if they are a U.S. citizen at least 18-yearsold who have resided in the

Minnesota and began teaching at the Lighthouse Project, a program specifically for children with special needs. She still travels to South Africa and works with schools in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Due to the success of her reader program, McCullar has submitted a proposal to the Department of Education in Gauteng District of South Africa, which would fund 100 tutors to teach students how to read and write in South African schools.

A leader never stops until the goal is completed. McCullar moved more than 8,000 miles away from South Africa but still leverages her time, resources and talents for improving the quality of education in her homeland. Through her efforts, she exemplifies the qualities of a transformative educator who answered the call to leadership and took a courageous stand for children.

state for at least 20 days before the election. Any voters who have moved or changed their name since they last voted must re-register. Unlike some other states, felons who have had their convictions completed, expired or discharged are eligible to vote.

Election judges needed for Nov. 8 election Election judges are needed for the Nov. 8 general election.

Election judges are paid $13.30 per hour for their service, which includes training. Judges who are fluent in a second language are especially needed to provide additional language support in the polling place, including Spanish, Somali, Hmong, Oromo, Lao, Vietnamese, Russian and American Sign Language.

Selection and placement of judges is based on qualifications of applicants and party balance within the precinct. Preference will be given to those willing to serve a full day in a precinct with a vacancy. For more information on becoming a judge, finding a polling place or finding voter registration, visit the secretary of state’s Website at www.sos.state. mn.us/elections-voting.

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Insight News • July 25 - July 31, 2016 • Page 7

HEALTH Could you be going through a midlife crisis?

By Micah Dorfner, Mayo Clinic News Network Is a midlife crisis real, or is it a common myth where one may feel significant uncertainty or discontent at a certain point in one’s adult life?

“People often wonder if someone can have a midlife crisis,” said Jennifer Wickham, a licensed professional counselor for Mayo Clinic Health System. “It’s a good question

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to ask, as all of us go through personal issues and transitions in our lives.”

The term midlife crisis was coined in 1965 by Dr. Elliot Jacques, a Canadian psychoanalyst, used to describe challenges during the normal period of transition and self-reflection many adults experience from age 40 to 60.

During these years, adults may commonly question who they are in this world and in their life, what their purpose is, and

how have they used their time thus far. These questions can be triggered by the realization of the passage of time or changes that may occur with the physical body, such as a health scare or a diminished ability to perform physical tasks.

“Your midlife crisis, or transition, may occur around significant life events, such your youngest child moving away or finishing college,” said Wickham. “You may feel it when you’re entering a new decade or

after the death of a parent.”

Wickham explains the emotions these questions and changes prompt may cause discomfort, stress and confusion, and may lead one to feel that he or she are in a crisis. Despite this stress, one might experience this time as the beginning of a new and exciting stage of life.

Occasionally, midlife transitions might invoke depression, and Wickham says it is important you recognize the symptoms. They include

changes in eating or sleeping habits, feelings of pessimism or hopelessness, feelings of restlessness, anxiety or irritability, a loss of interest in activities that one once enjoyed, including sex and hobbies, thoughts of suicide or attempts at suicide and physical symptoms, such as headaches or other physical aches or pains, that don’t respond to treatment.

Wickham suggest one dealing with a midlife crisis

combat the ill affects by staying active, encouraging daily walks, keeping engaged with friends and family and even taking time to meditate.

“Though this is a normal transition of adult development, if you or a loved one believes that you are engaging in outof-character behavior or making sudden changes to major life areas, such as work or relationships, it can be helpful to seek the support of a professional,” added Wickham.

The day Mom didn’t know me Commentary by Deb Taylor The day is seared into my memory – Oct. 22, 2015.

I was with my Mom at her doctor’s appointment when she was asked, “Who is with you today?” My mom looked at me and smiled, but couldn’t recall my name. Mom had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s eight years earlier, and I knew the day would come when she would no longer recall the names of those most dear to her.

I understood the disease, but experiencing this new reality left me with palpable feelings of

sadness and grief.

Mom has always been there for me … loving me, encouraging me, always accepting me for the person I am. I decided long ago that I must now lovingly reciprocate and be there for my Mom. I had to learn how to communicate with her differently. It took an abundance of patience and understanding because foremost was her comfort and dignity.

About one in three seniors will eventually face a degree of dementia. These older adults eventually become incapable of self-managing their daily routines. They need support with bathing and meal

preparation. In time, as the memory fails, the degree of help needed only increases until constant skilled nursing care may be required.

As the number of Minnesota seniors increases, we need to find better and additional ways to support them, because many caregiving loved ones have little additional capacity to do more, as they juggle family and jobs with the caregiving duties.

In the news recently, we’ve read about companies that are developing small living units dubbed “Granny Pods.” These small, handicapped-accessible units, can be placed on the residential property adjacent to

a family member’s home. The proximity offers convenience to caregivers and senior, as well as a measure of security and enhanced well-being. These senior housing units are so new that many communities are evaluating this housing option and how residential zoning rules might need to be modified to accommodate them.

As the need for innovative care solutions grows, we need a community dialog about ways to reimagine aging to make life more dignified and comfortable for elders and their caregivers. Senior Community Services is planning a dialog, an Independent Living Technology

Banks From 1 While Washington’s Industrial Bank is Blackowned, Murrain prefers to invest in Citizens, since his father lives in Atlanta.

Murrain is not alone.

More than 8,000 people opened accounts at Citizens Trust between July 13 and July 18, according to news accounts. New customers flooded the bank after hip-hop artist Killer Mike urged Black residents to transfer their money there.

And officials at Houston’s Unity National Bank say more than 700 new customers have opened accounts in the past week.

“It’s fantastic. It’s a beautiful thing.

We’re blessed,” said John Scroggins, president and CEO of Unity.

“It’s been overwhelming.”

Scroggins said eight to 10 people open accounts in a typical week.

Scroggins said a local pastor told him he would withdraw his money from Chase Bank and handed over a check for $250,000.

“I’ve been in the lobby shaking hands and thanking customers,” said Scroggins.

He described them as AfricanAmerican men and women professionals. “One customer told me, ‘The cause is worth the wait.’”

The cause, Scroggins said, stemmed from recent, highprofile police shootings of Black men.

“But the cause quickly turned to a social consciousness about black empowerment and supporting Black-owned businesses,” said Scroggins.

Scroggins said he plans to continue re-investing

Citizens Trust Bank

Herman Perry (middle) a co-founder of Atlanta’s Citizen Trust Bank confers with (left) music publisher Harry Pace and (right) businessman Alonzo Herndon in 1921.

Citizens Trust Bank

Herman Perry (middle) a co-founder of Atlanta’s Citizen Trust Bank confers with (left) music publisher Harry Pace and (right) businessman Alonzo Herndon in 1921. in the Black community by approving more smallbusiness loans.

The surge in new accounts at Citizens, Unity and other Black-owned banks also springs, in part, from civil rights leaders who consistently have pleaded with Black Americans to support blackowned financial institutions.

But this sudden interest in Black-owned banks also coincides with Black Americans’ protests against the police killings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge

and Philando Castile near Minneapolis.

So, aside from symbolism, what does money in a Black-owned bank achieve for the Black community that it doesn’t deliver in a mainstream establishment?

Some Black Americans believe that investing in a Black bank will help circulate more money in the community, revive crumbling neighborhoods, secure a Black economic power base and enhance Black customers’ chances of receiving small-

Help for caregivers...

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business loans.

There were 21 Blackowned banks in America with approximately $4.7 billion in assets in 2013, according to HBCU Money. But times have changed. There were 54 such banks in 1994 according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Murrain said he likes the stability of Citizens Trust Bank, which was founded by five Black businessmen in 1921. The nation’s thirdlargest African-Americanowned bank’s assets exceed $350 million, according to published reports.

Meanwhile Patrice Gaines, 67, said she will follow her daughter’s lead. Her daughter, Andrea Carter of Atlanta, 47, transferred her money to Citizens. Gaines plans to open an account with Blackowned, New Orleans-based

Conference on Oct. 14 at the Minnetonka Senior Center, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd. The discussion will bring together elected officials, city staff, and community members to engage in a dialogue on this topic of broad relevance for all Minnesota seniors and their families.

Deb Taylor is CEO of Senior Community Services (www. seniorcommunity.org) and its Reimagine Aging Institute, a nonprofit that advocates for older adults and helps seniors and caregivers maintain their independence through free or low-cost services.

Liberty Bank. It was founded in 1972 with assets of $2 million. Alden McDonald, Jr. has led Liberty since day one and has grown its holdings to $374 million, according to the bank’s website.

“Andrea’s actions reminded me that I have a much longer view of this country and its history,” said Gaines.

Gaines said she is proud to invest in Liberty Bank, which has opened branches in Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas.

“There was a pride that came over me when I walked on U Street (in Washington, D.C),” Gaines said. “So, maybe this time is the time when my daughter can experience a fraction of the pride I felt when I lived in a neighborhood surrounded by Black-owned businesses, and I followed my mother into the Black-owned bank to get money out of her account.”

Several African-American celebrities also plan to open accounts with Black-owned banks. Performers Usher, Killer Mike and Jermaine Dupri joined Citizens Trust Bank in February.

Meanwhile, Gaines focuses on the big picture.

“My daughter has reminded me of the simple truth — that our money can still be used as a tool of power to make a point,” said Gaines. “Sometimes in a seemingly integrated business environment, we forget this. It’s not lost on me that my daughter and a younger generation had to remind me of this.”

Page 8 • July 25 - July 31, 2016 • Insight News

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LIFESTYLE

Volunteers help make rooms at Project Home comfortable and homey for shelter guests.

Suzanne Gappa found many empty nest.

Preparing the nest

By Sara Liegl, Director, Project Home This past June, Messiah Episcopal, 1631 Ford Pkwy., St Paul, hosted Project Home.

Long before volunteers stacked tiny chairs, pushed small tables aside, and swept clean their religious education classrooms for Project Home families, they were preparing.

This year, veteran shelter volunteers, Suzanne Gappa and Becky Schauer, committed to leading the program. And they didn’t just start planning right before the families arrived, they began planning last fall.

First, they gathered fellow congregation members and formed a Project Home

Trump From 3 Huh? What’s that you say?

Oh, my bad. Let me rephrase that.

So it seems Melania Trump, wife of Donald Trump, stole … completely ripped off … a major portion of Michelle Obama’s 2008 Democratic National Convention speech. Obama’s speech was seen by millions and resonated with many because of its tone and depth … and because of the moment. Remember, the nation was on the cusp of electing either its first Black president or first woman vice president. Prior to the speech Michelle Obama was being characterized as the “angry Black woman.” At the time, the speech was lauded as one of the more powerful, authentic, speeches given by the spouse of a presidential candidate. It struck a chord with much of the nation.

Living out Interfaith Action’s vision

People of faith will relieve the effects of poverty and address its causes through the transformative work of thousands of volunteers.

Over the past 14 years, through their work with Project Home, Messiah Episcopal Church has provided emergency shelter for 219 families, including 442 children and 274 parents. While it is a small congregation, its service is no small endeavor in our community – however, it cannot do this important work alone. Neighbor congregations, Immanuel Lutheran and Fairmount Avenue United Methodist, join forces each year to provide additional volunteers.

The majority of Project

Home host congregations do not have the capacity to staff all the needed volunteer shifts during their host month. Partner congregations – who might not have space to host Project Home, but help provide needed volunteers – are vital to the success of the Project Home model. Two shifts of two to four volunteers are needed each day.

Many congregations have realized that they don’t need to physically host Project Home in order to engage families facing homelessness and garner the energy for further work on this justice issue.

Dave Hokanson, a longtime Project Home volunteer from a partner congregation said, “At Fairmount Avenue United Methodist Church, the

congregation has identified addressing homelessness and helping individuals experiencing homelessness as a priority ministry. As a Project Home partner, we have a way for our members to act in a very tangible way to address this priority. Our volunteers not only offer hospitality to families, but take away from the experience a much deeper and personal sense of the challenges facing the families staying at Project Home, as well as sharing just a bit of fellowship with the families. Plus, since we are collaborating with other congregations in this effort, we get a better sense of how other faith communities are engaged, making new connections and building new relationships.”

promise, that you treat people with respect.”

Now poor Melania stole more of Michelle’s Obama’s speech, but let’s focus on this part for a minute and in particular the phrase, “that your word is your bond.”

I’ll admit, I wasn’t really watching … I was listening.

While Melania Trump was speaking, on my tablet the St. Louis Cardinals were in the middle of a great offensive inning and my attention was mostly focused on back-to-back homers from my hometown team. But while listening I heard something that caused my neck to turn so fast that I’m sure it caused mild whiplash. What I heard was a favorite saying of my grandmother … it was a favorite saying of many Black people’s grandmothers – your word is your bond. I’m sure Jarrett Hill, the African-American journalist who is credited with first reporting the word “theft,” heard it from his grandmother.

Hill, who contributes to the Huffington Post and others, called out Trump via his Twitter account. Over the years the phrase has been shortened to the hip-hop vernacular, “word is bond.”

When Michelle Obama offered the line she was talking to the nation, but she was speaking to us. It was sort of code to let us know she and Brother Barack were still down. We caught on, but the masses probably didn’t have a clue to the hidden message. Hell, I feel I’m offering up too much information now. In the streets, it’d be called out for dry snitching.

But I offer this up only to say that of all the lines Melania could have ripped, she (OK, let’s be real, her speech writers) stole that line. And I’m sure it was that line that alerted Hill to the outright plagiarism of Donald Trump’s wife.

Following Melania’s speech, commentators remarked that the woman born in Slovenia speaks five languages,

but it’s clear she’s not yet versed in the language of my people.

But to quote Kevin Hart, “you gon’ learn today.”

If the moment weren’t so big and the stakes weren’t so high, I could fully revel in the comedy … the absurdity of it all. But the moment is this big … the stakes are so high. To dismiss Melania Trump’s speech as an “oops” moment is to dismiss and downplay Trump and his team’s lack of readiness and downright incompetence.

Speaking on CNN, Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort said … and I quote … “To think that she would do something like that knowing how scrutinized her speech was going to be is just really absurd.”

And that’s exactly my point.

Knowing the importance of that speech and that moment, you mean to tell me no one vetted the words Mrs. Trump was to utter? And … to my point earlier, it wasn’t like she stole some obscure passage.

She stole from our current first lady who masterfully delivered those exact words during the 2008 Democratic National Convention. If this is the level of intelligence gathering we’d see in a Trump administration when it comes to far more serious matters of say … national security, then God help us all. This was the simplest of tasks and Team Trump failed miserably. This man is not ready to lead … period. And to think he is, is idiotic.

For comedians, the Trump campaign is the gift that keeps on giving. For the rest of us, it’s our worst nightmare. It’s a horror movie with a farfetched plot and in the end no one survives. Oh how I wish this was just another Hollywood flop. But in reality, this is the 2016 presidential campaign; and in Donald Trump, this is the man Republicans selected to lead their party and possibly the nation.

Again, God help us all.

Ellison

his co-sponsored Police Accountability Act along with other legislation concerning body cameras, prompt release of any video footage of alleged brutality and uniformed training guidelines for law enforcement.

Ellison said he will be drumming up support for legislation this week during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

committee. Their goal was simple. Evaluate what worked well last June, and plan for what they could do differently to better support the families that will be staying with them this year.

Gappa felt personally and spiritually called to serve as Project Home volunteer coordinator. Each morning, she makes time to walk and pray.

Throughout last summer, she kept finding empty nests.

She took notice of the nests in her path, because after years of this morning ritual, she had never seen so many. She felt this was God’s way of telling her to prepare for Project Home just as birds prepare for their young. Build the nest in a safe place – host shelter at Messiah

Episcopal. Gather and meld items for a strong foundation – find eager volunteers, access their gifts, and weave them together. Stuff the nest with soft, comfortable materials – thoughtfully prepare the space for shelter guests’ comfort.

This year, Messiah Episcopal Church was as welcoming as ever – new families have been given small welcome baskets filled with comfort items, families enjoyed an activity night hosted by the Cub Scouts, a pizza party and movie night organized by the youth group, a Saturday hot breakfast and a barbecue and more.

Craig Crawford of CQ Politics called her speech, “Masterful.”

Andrew Sullivan of the Atlantic said it was “One of the best, most moving, intimate, rousing, humble, and beautiful speeches I’ve heard from a convention platform.” He later went on to say, “Maybe she should be running for president.”

And within that speech, Michelle Obama said … and I quote … “And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values … like you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond, that you do what you say you’re going to do, that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don’t know them and even if you don’t agree with them.”

Monday night, Melania Trump said … and again, I quote … “From a young age, my parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your

From 1 “I think the officer thought he could pull Philando over and it wouldn’t matter at all. No one would care,” said Ellison.

“People perceived as lower income bear the brunt of this.”

Legislatively, Ellison is calling for Congress to pass

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Insight News • July 25 - July 31, 2016 • Page 9

COMMUNITY Thor Construction served multiple roles on build-out of U.S. Bank Stadium Victory, it is said, has a thousand faces.

Or, as with U.S. Bank Stadium, about 5.4 million faces – pretty much the entire population of Minnesota.

“All Minnesotans can take pride in the stadium, just as we who helped build it take great pride in the workmanship that went into it,” said Ravi Norman, chief executive officer, Fridley-based Thor Construction Company. In Thor’s case, the pride in performance extends to the company’s workforce diversity numbers.

Involved from the start of the $1.1 billion project as construction management partner to Mortenson Construction, Thor took on jobs such as pouring the concrete foundations supporting the stadium’s massive structural steel towers and interior decks – in tandem with Mortenson crews; pouring all exterior concrete paving, walkways and the two-acre west plaza; and seating installation (65,000-plus individual seats).

Thor and Mortenson shared responsibilities for the structural concrete build-out, combining work crews into integrated work teams to pour 110,000 cubic yards of concrete. Thor self-performing crews also poured an additional 8,000 cubic yards of concrete on the exterior finish and public areas of the stadium.

Courtesy of Thor Construction

Steps to success: Workers with Thor Construction lay steps leading to the newly constructed U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. Black-owned Thor Construction was one of the contractors selected to participate in the $1.1 billion dollar project.

“Throughout the construction of U.S. Bank Stadium, Thor’s integrity, professionalism and work ethic were outstanding,” said Vikings Chief Operating Officer Kevin Warren. “While the company’s consistent commitment to Minneapolis-St. Paul’s diverse community allowed this project to far exceed hiring goals for women and people of color, what is equally impressive is Thor’s focus on building a talent pool of women and people

of color for future construction projects in the state of Minnesota.

We sincerely appreciate the relationship we have established with Thor and the incredible contribution Thor has made to the construction of U.S. Bank Stadium.”

Thor also brought an ethnically diverse workforce to the site, one that helped the stadium owners comply with state-imposed minority inclusion requirements. The numbers speak

for themselves. Thor employed 178 people on the project, working a total of 121,000 hours. Structural concrete work accounted for 61 employees, 45 percent minority hires, seating installation required 64 employees, 43 percent minority hires and exterior site work employed 53 workers, 35 percent minority hires.

“We more than achieved our share of the contracted inclusion targets,” said Martin Matheny, Thor project supervisor on the

site, and then lift them up to place into the building.”

Gardner also took on the job of managing the final build-out of all the food service facilities within the stadium. The stadium features more than 40 concession stands, eight or more standalone bars, several large kitchens for club space with serving stations and a full-service restaurant and warehouse-sized coolers tucked into its nether-reaches.

“At the end of the day, the food service is one of the two critical components comprising the entire reason for building the stadium – to generate revenue. The owners make money from the revenue generated by tickets and the food service concessions, so you have to get the food service right. And I’ll say this, it is a magnificent food service operation, one that will be the envy of any other stadium food service operation in the world,” said Gardner.

Thor also installed the 65,000plus seats that fans will occupy.

“It’s a great stadium, and we’re very proud to have played such a major role in its construction,” said Sterling Sanders, Thor’s labor foreman on the project. “I think we’ve demonstrated once again that Thor has the proven capability to handle any type of construction project, and that’s because we have the people that owners can rely on to do the job right, and on schedule.”

U.S. Bank Stadium project.

“We are a minority-owned company, and we have developed an expertise in recruiting skilled tradespeople among minority groups that provides us a unique edge in terms of fulfilling government diversity requirements for hiring,” said Matheny.

Thor’s prowess in recruiting skilled workers from among minority groups helps offset one of the big issues in the construction industry right now – a national labor shortage that can delay and even derail large projects with their massive needs for qualified workers. “We’ve developed relationships over the years that allow us to bring together a bigger talent pool for any job,” said Matheny.

Working in extreme weather conditions – cold winters, hot summers – requires exacting attention to detail in concrete work. As the project’s concrete quality manager, Thor’s Art Gardner made sure that all work was performed according to code standards.

“This was probably one of the most complex structural concrete jobs ever undertaken,” said Gardner, who said quality issues came up, such as dealing with the challenge of pouring concrete in places as high as 250 feet aboveground. “We had to erect the rebar cages off-site, truck them to the

Hawthorne EcoVillage apartments bringing affordable housing to North Minneapolis Elected officials, community and business leaders and neighbors came together at 617 Lowry Ave. N. to celebrate the official groundbreaking of the Hawthorne EcoVillage Apartments.

Hawthorne EcoVillage Apartments, developed by Project for Pride in Living (PPL), is new construction featuring one apartment building and four townhouse units that together create 75, affordable rental homes.

“Transit-oriented, workforce housing is a critical need on the city’s Northside.

We’re thrilled to get started on this unique project that will

EcoVillage Rendering help stabilize the Hawthorne Neighborhood,” said Paul Williams, president and CEO of PPL. “This expansion of the Hawthorne EcoVillage is another great investment in North Minneapolis and will help reinvigorate the Lowry

corridor,” said Minneapolis City Council Member Blong Yang. “These lots have sat vacant for many years and I welcome Project for Pride in Living’s commitment to North Minneapolis. We are getting 75 new units of affordable housing where we used to have

rampant drug dealing, dozens of foreclosures and crumbling houses.”

Hawthorne EcoVillage Apartments will be the first major redevelopment along Lowry Avenue since the street was renovated in 20072008. The project will feature a number of green elements including a state-of-the-art system to treat and infiltrate rainwater. This system includes a holding tank to reuse water as well as a weeping wall, raingarden and pervious pavers that filters rainwater above ground before it enters a below ground infiltration system.

Other sustainable

by Associated Bank, city of Minneapolis, Hawthorne Neighborhood, Home Depot Foundation, HUD, Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, Mississippi Watershed Management Organization and National Equity Fund.

Construction is expected to be completed in September 2017 with the first residents moving in later that same year.

features include a green roof on a portion of the main apartment building, efficient mechanical systems and a ground floor bike storage room to encourage use of alternative transportation modes.

Other amenities include onsite property management, a playground for children, patio with grills, underground parking and a fitness room.

The project is supported

Tyus Jones named summer league MVP LAS VEGAS, July 17, 2016 – Timberwolves’ Tyus Jones was named Most Valuable Player of the Samsung NBA Summer League.

The 11-day, 67-game event featured 23 NBA teams and the NBA D-League Select team.

Jones led Minnesota to four consecutive wins during the tournament to advance to the league’s championship game after losing the opening three games in Las Vegas. In seven games in Las Vegas, Jones averaged 19.4 points on 45.7 percent shooting to go with 6.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals.

NBA Summer League featured a tournament-style schedule for the fourthconsecutive summer, with the Golden State Warriors having won the inaugural championship in 2013, the Sacramento Kings being crowned champions in 2014, and the San Antonio Spurs taking home the title in 2015.

Each of the participating teams played three games apiece between July 8 and

Community InvitaƟon Want to learn more about the

a celebration of street lit

NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center’s Campus Expansion?

You are invited to join NorthPoint and the

at hennepin county library

Northside Residents Redevelopment Council at a Community Open House on Tuesday, July 26th at UROC Located at 2001 Plymouth Ave North

Open House: 6:30—7:00 pm

PresentaƟon: 7:00 Ɵll 8:00 pm

HEAR FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR Ed (Flickr/Creative Commons)

Tyus Jones

12 before being seeded in the tournament, which tipped off on July 13. The Wolves were longshots to advance to the finals, being seeded dead last –even below the D-League team. In the finals the team lost a nail biter 84-82 to the Chicago Bulls. Jones finished the game with 27 points and 10 assists.

Joy Deja King

This is an opportunity to learn more about NorthPoint’s exciƟng new campus

Thursday, July 28, 6 – 8 p.m.

expansion plans and to share your

Brookdale Library 6125 Shingle Creek Pkwy., Brooklyn Center

thoughts with us.

Saturday, July 30, 2 – 4 p.m.

For more informaƟon contact

Minneapolis Central Library Pohlad Hall, 300 Nicollet Mall

Michael Noonan 612Ͳ348Ͳ8537

www.hclib.org/events

Classifieds Architect/ Project Architect Candidates must be graduates of accredited architecture programs with 5-15 years of experience and licensure in process or completed.

Architectural Intern/Designer Candidates must be graduates of accredited architecture programs with 3-5 years of experience and licensure in process or completed.

We are looking for creative, energetic team players who are passionate about design to join our multi-studio practice. Professional growth opportunities are available in aviation, academic, civic/cultural, lifestyle and workplace. Experience with Revit is required. Experience with AutoCAD is desired.

Please submit cover letter and resume to Stuart Stephens at careers@alliiance.us. Portfolio excerpts or electronic links are also welcomed. AA/EOE Employer. www.alliiance.us. We thank you in advance for your interest!

Phone: 612.588.1313

Accounting Assistant Central Minnesota Legal Services seeks parttime or full time accounting assistant - located in its Minneapolis office. Acctng degree or 3-4 exper. pref’d. Diverse economic, social or cultural experiences a plus. Salary $32,809+D.O.E. Benes.

Resume with references, cvr letter to Lynelle Wells, CMLS, 430 First Ave. No., #359, Minneapolis, MN 55401 or cmls@centralmnlegal.org . Appl. deadline: 7/29/16 or until filled. EOE.

Mail Room Assistant

Help this large social service agency’s mail room operation by processing returned, incoming and out-going mail. Flexible daytime shifts available Monday through Friday. Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age. Contact Ramsey County—Volunteer Services at 651266-4090 for additional information or e-mail to HumanServicesVolunteer@co.ramsey.mn.us.

Fax: 612.588.2031

Email: info@insightnews.com

Child Care Assistant Volunteer/ Volunteer Drivers Make a difference in the life of a child. The Mothers First program provides prevention and intervention services for pregnant women who are abusing chemicals. Mothers First is seeking a Child Care Assistant volunteer to help agency staff in providing supervision and care for the children with our Mothers First program while mom is attending counseling sessions. Volunteer Drivers are also needed to provide transportation to mothers in recovery to/from groups with our Mothers First program. Reimbursement for mileage is provided. Contact Ramsey County Health & Wellness Service Team — Volunteer Services at 651-266-4090 for additional information or e-mail to HumanServicesVolunteer@co.ramsey.mn.us.

Foster Care

Volunteers of America, MN Would you like to gain 140 pounds after the Holidays? Not physically gain this weight, but weight in the sense of another person!

Volunteers of America-MN is looking for skilled, dedicated parents to provide care for at-risk youth, ages ranging from infants to teenagers. We provide foster parents with lots of friendly training, 24-hour support, and a monthly stipend.

For more information, please contact Brittani Walker at 952-945-4064 or visit our website http://www.voamnwi.org/foster-care

Page 10 • July 25 - July 31, 2016 • Insight News

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Courtesy of the West Broadway Coalition

FLOW crawls through North Minneapolis This weekend, West Broadway Business and Area Coalition’s FLOW Northside Arts Crawl will once again shine a light on North Minneapolis through the arts.

Initially imagined as a oneday, small studio crawl with 20 artists at a handful of sites, FLOW 2016 includes an estimated 300 visual and performing artists from a variety of genres showing at 34 different studios, galleries, theaters, businesses and indoor and outdoor vacant spaces during the span of three days, July 28 – July 30, with the bulk of activities taking place Saturday. Attendance has grown from 1,000 in 2006 to 10,000 this past year.

FLOW 2016 will have the greatest impact on West Broadway Avenue

with 42 pieces of public realm infrastructure being installed that include benches, planters, bike racks and information kiosks designed and fabricated

by Northsiders. The jewel in this new crown will be Freedom Square, a public plaza being installed at 2034 W. Broadway Ave. This vacant city-owned lot will be transformed into an active public space for one year that will be home to artist-led programming and community events.

“The city of Minneapolis has a long history of working with the West Broadway Coalition to bring investment and engagement to the corridor. The West Broadway Arts Initiative’s public plaza will not only beautify and activate a city lot but also serve the growing residential

Courtesy of the West Broadway Coalition

FLOW attendees browse local artwork. communities coming to that section of West Broadway,” said Jim Terrell, senior project coordinator with Minneapolis’ Community Planning and Economic Development.

This year, one of the more intriguing exhibits is a documentary film shown

on a unique screen.

Bully Creative Shop and West Broadway Coalition will present the premier of “Fire in the Heart,” a documentary about the devastating fire that consumed three buildings on West Broadway Avenue this past year. The showing

Lundstrum Performing Arts students perform a selection from “The Boy Friend” at the organization’s Fall 2015 Showcase performance.

is a special pop-up outdoor screening on the very site of the April 2015 fire. The piece will be projected on the wall of one of the remaining, vacant and damaged buildings at dusk on Friday.

“It is vitally important that we collect our own history, tell our own story; we should always be the first word in the events that shape our neighborhood,” said filmmaker and Northside artist D.A. Bullock. “This is the story of the fire that erupted within the heart of our main commercial corridor, told from the voice of residents and small business owners. This is the story of how we rally to support each other, help each other heal. This is the story of how we envision the future of our West Broadway.”

On Thursday (July 28)

there will be performances during the Asian Media Access Block Party, which closes down Plymouth Avenue for Iny Asian Dance Theatre. Saturday, the annual FLOW parade kicks off in a procession down West Broadway Avenue at 2 p.m. FLOW also features a community mural at 2064 W. Broadway Ave., an outdoor photography installation at 800 W. Broadway Ave., the KBEM Stage (2033 W. Broadway Ave.) featuring Chicago Avenue Project, student DJs and Voice of Culture Drum and Dance and at the KMOJ Stage (1800 W. Broadway Ave.) features local acts, KMOJ personalities, food and vendors. For more information on the 11th annual event, visit www. northmpls.org/flow2015.

Lundstrum Performing Arts students perform a selection from “The Boy Friend” at the organization’s Fall 2015 Showcase performance.

Lundstrum Center presents ‘The Boy Friend’ A diverse cast of 30 teenage students of dance, voice and drama will present Sandy Wilson’s musical spoof “The Boy Friend” Aug. 5 – Aug. 7 at the Lundstrum Center for the Performing Arts in North Minneapolis, 1617 N. 2nd St.

The play, set in the French Riviera, presents a review of courtship in the “Roaring 20s,” with amusing characters, mistaken identities and up-beat dance numbers, including “Won’t You Charleston with Me?”

The production is directed and choreographed by Chrissy Fournier, who danced for Bob Fosse and Jerome Robbins on Broadway and more recently has been involved in musical productions in the Twin

Cities including assistant director of “Urinetown” at the Jungle Theatre. “The Boy Friend” will also feature local performer Herbert Johnson, III, a Lundstrum Center alum who is also a dancer and choreographer

appearing most recently in the Ordway’s production of “A Chorus Line.”

“The Boy Friend” was first performed in 1953 and ran for 2,567 performances in London and New York over a five year period. In

1971, “The Boy Friend” became a Golden Globe Award-winning movie.

Tickets, priced at $11($11.38 including service fee), are available at www. brownpapertickets.com.

insightnews.com

Insight News • July 25 - July 31, 2016 • Page 11 Brian McKnight

July 25 - 31

Aesthetically It! is a list of picks from the editors of Aesthetically Speaking.

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

Monday, July 25 R&B/CONCERT Brian McKnight Dakota Jazz Club 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. $45-$75

David Liebe Hart

Destiny Roberts

Award winning singer/ songwriter Brian McKnight brings his blend of R&B, pop, and jazz to the Dakota.

Monday’s shows are part of a special three night engagement ending Tuesday.

Tuesday, July 26 COMEDY David Liebe Hart Bedlam Lowertown 213 E. 4th St., St. Paul 8 p.m. $15 Known for his bizarre style of comedy, David Liebe Hart has landed on “Adult Swim” with the show “Tim & Eric.” At Bedlam he is joined by the band Th’ Mole.

Wednesday, July 27

Fresh of tour with Ani Difranco, the Twin Cities’ own Chastity Brown plays a special set in St. Anthony.

Thursday, July 28

Soul Sounds is a weekly open mic at the Black- owned Golden Thyme in St. Paul.

Friday, July 29 TELEVISION TAPING/ PERFORMANCE

OPEN MIC BLUES/FOLK/ PERFORMANCE Chastity Brown Silverwood Park 2500 County Rd. E., St. Anthony 6:30 p.m.

Soul Sounds Open Mic Golden Thyme Coffee and Cafe 921 Selby Ave., St. Paul 6 p.m.

Free

“Candy Fresh” One Year Anniversary SPNN 550 Vandalia St., Ste. 170, St. Paul Free

Crown Lens Media and SPNN celebrate one year of the groundbreaking televised showcase, “Candy Fresh” with performances

by Vie Boheme and Destiny Roberts. “Candy Fresh” is hosted by Miss Brit and Sanni.

Saturday, July 30

First Avenue & 7th St. Entry 701 N. 1st Ave., Minneapolis $7 Hometown hero Mac Irv performs his first headlining show at First Ave and it is officially sold out. Maybe you can put a call in to a friend for a ticket?

Sunday, July 31

HIP-HOP/PERFORMANCE Mac Irv: The Misfit 55411 Release Show (SOLD OUT)

NEO-SOUL/ PERFORMANCE

The Avant Garde One Year Anniversary Celebration Party Tangiers 116 1st. Ave. N., Minneapolis 8 p.m.

21-plus $5 Chadwick “Niles” Phillips celebrates the first year of his renaissance arts, music and entertainment company with performances by DJ Dan Speak, Cassandra Telae, Traiveon Dunlap, Dahlia Jones and Legacy.

Ronnie Baker Brooks at The Minnesota Music Café The Minnesota Music Café, in conjunction with Insight News, presents the return of visionary Ronnie Baker Brooks.

Brooks will bring his band to The Minnesota Music Café, 499 Payne Ave. in St. Paul, on Friday July 29. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door.

As the son of blues legend Lonnie Brooks, Ronnie Baker Brooks grew up steeped in tradition. He came of age watching the fieriest guitar players and most soulful singers of a previous era express their deepest feelings through their music. As in the Olympic tradition, when the torch gets passed on, the idea is to keep it burning, while at the same time move it forward. It’s a fitting image for Brooks. Not only does he sing with soulful fire and play with a white-hot intensity; he’s also carrying the torch from the previous generation of soul and blues greats and moving

Ronnie Baker Brooks

the music into the future.

“I grew up among the best of the best,” said Brooks.

“Every time I play, I feel like I’ve got to do it with the authenticity and passion that I saw in guys like Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, B.B. King and my father. But I also have to put my twist on it.

None of those guys repeated what came before them.”

Brooks’ twist involves enlivening blues-rock with deep soul and modern hiphop vocals and funk rhythms.

Working with Minneapolis producer Jellybean Johnson (the original drummer of The Time), Brooks takes roots sounds and transforms them into something that spans the ages. He draws on the choppy, hip-shaking rhythms of funk, the emotional truth of soul and the forcefulness of rock to bring a distinctive dimension to his groundbreaking sound.

“I wanted to do something that would bring young people to the blues, and then

give them the real hardcore thing at the same time,” said Brooks. “When I grew up, all my friends listened to rap and funk, and I listened to the blues. So I heard their music and they heard mine.

I think we both saw some connection between them.

I like that line in the movie ‘Hustle & Flow’ when they say this new rap song ain’t nothing but ‘Backdoor Man’ written for modern streets.

It’s a hip-hop world right now, but I want to bring a little blues to the party.”

Brooks solo debut, 1998’s “Gold Digger” was named Best New Blues Album by Real Blues Magazine. With the release of his second album, 2001’s “Take Me Witcha,” Brooks hit the road for what turned out to be a seemingly non-stop three-year tour.

In 2006 he released “The Torch,” which the Boston Herald declared “ferocious and unrelenting and may be the year’s best blues album.”

Page 12 • July 25 - July 31, 2016 • Insight News

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