Insight News ::: 08.21.17

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Vol. 44 No. 34• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Seitu ‘Studies in Blue, Howlin’ Wolf’ painting by

2017 McKnight Foundation Distinguished Artist Awardee TURN TO PAGE 2

Page 2 • August 21 - August 27, 2017 • Insight News

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Leading with art: McKnight Foundation Annual Award

Seitu Jones named 2017 Distinguished Artist The McKnight Foundation has named visual artist Seitu Kenneth Jones as the 2017 McKnight Distinguished Artist Award winner.

The annual honor, now celebrating its 20th year, provides a $50,000 cash award to individual Minnesota artists who have made significant contributions to the quality of the state’s cultural life.

“With grand-scale designs that have been built into the foundation of Minneapolis’s Nicollet Mall and St. Paul’s Green Line transit system, Seitu Jones’ artistic vision has become an indelible part of Minnesota’s cultural landscape,” said McKnight president Kate Wolford. “Over the course of a wide-ranging career in painting, sculpture, theater arts, public works, and environmental design, Seitu Jones has demonstrated what’s possible when an artist with a hopeful vision and a generous spirit sets down deep roots in his community. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of this award, it’s especially exciting to be honoring an artist like

Seitu, who has contributed so much to our sense of place here in Minnesota.”

Born in North Minneapolis in 1951, Jones was deeply influenced by the Black Arts Movement’s determination that artists have an obligation to leave their communities “more beautiful than they found it.”

Over the course of a five-decade career, Jones served as the firstever artist-in-residence in the City of Minneapolis, transported audiences with set designs as an original company member of Penumbra Theater and other stages and recently set the table for a diverse cast of 2,000 guests who came to “CREATE: The Community Table,” a halfmile public art installation designed to spark conversation about access to healthy food.

A fixture in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood for more than 20 years, Jones has also been one of the guiding forces behind fiveacre Frogtown Farm and other urban “greenlining” initiatives, growing awareness about environmental justice and access to greenspace in one of the Twin

Seitu Jones Jones is a master gardener who’s also helped to cultivate new intersections between nature, art and civic infrastructure. Jones is

Cities’ most culturally diverse neighborhoods. Part of a network of green activists working to plant 1,000 trees in Frogtown,

currently serving his third term of the board of managers for the Capitol Region Watershed District. He is also one of the

founders of Urban Boatbuilders.

With a national reputation as a dynamic collaborator and a creative force for civic engagement, Jones has been recognized with numerous awards and fellowships, including a Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship, a McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship, a Bush Artist Fellowship, a Bush Leadership Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts/Theater Communication Group (NEA/TCG) Designer Fellowship, and a Loeb Fellowship at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Jones recently retired from the faculty of the Interdisciplinary Arts MFA program at Goddard College in Port Townsend, Wash. Jones lives and works in St. Paul with his wife, Soyini Guyton, a poet and fellow master gardener.

Jones was selected as the 2017 McKnight Distinguished Artist by a panel of community members with broad perspective and knowledge about the region’s diverse arts and cultural landscape.

Ayler recounts downward spiral into drug abuse, sex trafficking Part two in a series

By Tonique Ayler

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One day my mother stopped by my house. As usual she always wanted to straighten and tidy up my home. My stash of cocaine was under the couch in the living room. She found it when she was sweeping the floor. My mom threatened to call child protection services on me and took my son that very same day right after flushing my drugs down the toilet. The sad thing was I was angrier at her for flushing my dope down the toilet than her taking my son.

Disappointment overwhelmed me but I remained high so I wouldn’t have to face reality of yet another failure due to my addiction.

My best friend encouraged me to not worry and make some money. We went shopping, which was another addiction that I gained quickly. I went on “dates” with her through her “on call massage” agency.

She guided me through my massages, which turned into unwanted sex. I wasn’t proud and I felt cheap. As the men left with a “happy ending,” I was left ripped and sore. I took so many showers and never felt clean, but it paid the bills and for all materialistic possessions that I needed to hide behind. I could always turn to cocaine, weed and alcohol to numb everything that I didn’t want to feel. This was my escape that seemed to work no matter what situation I was facing. I was aggressive and had little respect for people and my community.

I no longer wanted to pay my best friend and her boyfriend over half the money I made doing massages because it was taking away from money that I could be spending on drugs.

So I left. I stayed at a different friend’s house that night, and she was also in “the sex industry lifestyle.”

The next night I was so depressed and wandered the cold, rainy streets of downtown Minneapolis. I was disappointed … lost … hopeless … alone and

Tonique Ayler almost reached what I thought was my bottom. Within hours I met my trafficker. He was so articulate, well-dressed, got so much attention and everyone liked him. You would have liked him. Most importantly he was eager to listen to me and to help me out. He boosted my confidence and told me I was worth so much more than giving massages. As he handed me a bag of cocaine and rolled up dollar bill he told me I was made to be an escort. I would go to fancy restaurants in elegant dresses with richest of rich.

Easy enough I thought. Dates were simple. Now I became “Deja.” My trafficker took me shopping, got my nails and hair done and allowed me to use one of his many cars. I thought he was being nice and giving me presents. But these were all gifts that I would later pay for and more. I went on my first date and after dinner I retired to this lavish condo with the client. He started making sexual advances toward me but I declined, not knowing that this was my first test. The man was a “regular” customer of my trafficker. When I returned home after handing over all my money my trafficker hit me so hard that I spun around in a circle and hit the floor. He yelled at me to get up or he would kick me. Apparently I didn’t move fast enough because he kicked me so hard in the stomach I peed on myself, before standing to my feet. He shouted, “You give friendly conversation with the obligation to buy.” I would never make that mistake again.

From that moment on I knew my life would never be the same.

My trafficker would be in the closet at the customer’s houses, down the street from their homes or around the corner.

I never knew where he was but I always knew he was watching.

I was chaperoned to different states for weeks on end and forced to perform sexual acts for 15 men a day sometimes. When I returned back to Minnesota I was watched very carefully and was followed on every date I went on. I know now why sex trafficking is called “paid rape” and “modern day slavery.” I was forced to work no matter what day it was or how I felt.

I was trapped with emptiness of my soul that no amount of money and no expensive outfit could fill. Addiction was the only thing that accepted me with all my shame, guilt, anger and sadness. I was always smiling on the outside but on the inside I was broke down, lost and full of fear. With the help of drugs and alcohol I would turn off my emotions that were gently trying to escape as tears and guided the little Tonique to a safe place within the pit of my stomach desperately screaming for help.

The author, Tonique Ayler, shared her story of being trafficked on a recent edition of “Conversations with Al McFarlane.” The audio from that show is available online at kfai.org/ conversationswithalmcfarlane and by clicking the Listen Now tab for Aug. 8.

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Insight News August 21 - August 27, 2017

Vol. 44 No. 34• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Trump must go Insight News Editorial Board The violence this past weekend in Charlottesville, Va., further underscores the urgency of rooting out domestic terrorists who have become more emboldened during the political rise of their chosen leader – now president – Donald Trump.

The “Unite the Right” rally was no less a threat to America and its citizens than ISIS or any other terrorist group seeking to do harm to the men, women and children of this nation. And while we at Insight News hold paramount the tenets of the First Amendment, understand

that freedom of speech is not limitless.

The famous analogy of limits to free speech is yelling “fire” in a crowded theater. We submit that this past weekend’s gathering of white supremacists – armed with guns, knives, pipes and torches – was akin to yelling fire in that crowded theater.

Their words of hate indeed put the public in imminent danger.

Look no further than Heather Heyer, killed by a hateful individual fueled by the words of hate mongers David Duke, White House Strategist Stephen Bannon and yes, by the words of the nation’s president, Donald Trump.

Over the weekend there were calls for Trump to

admonish the racists by name – something he reluctantly did Saturday (Aug. 12) several hours after Heyer was brutally killed by the charging car of James Alex Fields, Jr. only to retract his condemnation the following Tuesday and again blame “many sides” for the violence that left nearly 40 injured. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brandon McCarthy took to Trump’s favorite method of communication, Twitter, to shut down Trump’s false equivalency of “many sides.” McCarthy wrote, “On one hand you had the Nazis who were violent (and) on the other the allied soldiers

CHARLOTTESVILLE 4

Washington Examiner

A combative Donald Trump during an Aug. 15 press conference where he said there were “good people” participating in the violent “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va.

Part five in a series on the new Thor headquarters at Penn and Plymouth Avenues North

Transformation: The structure

By Randall Bradley Architect This date of Aug. 21 is construction week number 21.

Once, a long, long time ago people lived in caves. And trees.

When they climbed down and crawled out, they began looking for building materials because they knew that all human beings needed shelter. Stone and wood were first utilized. Then later on, metals and even later, brick.

These materials are ubiquitous and are used throughout the world in all cultures.

Most brick is made from clay and is kiln-fired. Some brick is made from concrete.

Brick has a singular special characteristic over other construction materials. It is the size of your hand. This makes it the most intimate of all building

Harry Colbert, Jr.

A Thor Construction crane operator maneuvering steel at the site of the new Thor Companies headquarters at the corners of Penn and Plymouth Avenues in North Minneapolis.

materials. The tallest, widest, or deepest brick building that you have ever seen was constructed one brick at a time, by human beings.

Now let’s fast forward from the Stone Age, to the 21st century with two small stops along the way. The first stop, somewhere between 300 B.C and 200 B.C., the Romans invented concrete.

They called it “imitation stone.”

They were tired of splitting, cutting, lifting and hauling stone from the quarry to the building site. These new ingredients could be transported separately, mixed and poured on site.

This invention was a technical improvement with a labor and cost saving result.

The second stop describes the process of making steel as invented by Henry Bessemer in

TRANSFORMATION 4

Wirth Co-op opens in North Minneapolis

By Abeni Hill Wirth Cooperative Grocery held a soft opening at their location on the southwest corner of Penn Avenue North and Golden Valley Road on Aug. 10.

Even though the grand opening isn’t set until October, the new co-op offered a small yet diverse variety of organic and locally and/or ethically sourced produce. Ground and whole bean coffee from Peace Coffee is offered inside as well.

“I’m excited to be open and let people know (about the co-op),” said Sonnie Wilson, cashier. “Everyone can shop here.”

According to Wilson,

current selections at the store are helping Wirth Co-op “gauge what people want.” With community feedback and sales, the store will have the products they believe are the most popular stocked on the shelves.

“We’ll know what products people are looking for by the grand opening,” said Wilson.

The store’s general manager, Winston Bell, said he looks forward to building a community through the co-op and everyone is welcome.

“It’s about people coming together,” said Bell.

He also hopes patrons will engage in conversations with each other. “People who have never spoken before might find out their neighbors,” said Bell.

Cathy Spann, shopping at

Business

Eastside Financial Center expands career development opportunities

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Harry Colbert, Jr.

Wirth Co-op cashier, Kimberly Jones (right), rings out Cathy Spann, who said the new grocery store is a welcome addition to North Minneapolis.

News

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Major Body Fitness revolutionizing exercise

Back to school rules 2017

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Wirth this past Tuesday (Aug. 15), said the co-op is a welcomed addition to the neighborhood.

“It’s long overdue and much needed,” said Spann of the new grocer. “I can get everything I need right here.

Who wouldn’t want this in their neighborhood?”

Wirth is a member-owned co-op, but is open to the public.

Lifetime member ownership is $100 and there is a payment plan of four $25 yearly installments.

Needs based plans are also available. While membership enrollment is not yet available in the store, sign-up is available online at www.wirthcoop.com.

Wirth is open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily.

News

Diversity is a theme with this year’s State Fair

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Page 4 • August 21 - August 27, 2017 • Insight News

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Business Eastside Financial Center expands career development opportunities for job seekers Jennifer Davis loves helping people by working in the healthcare industry.

Through a special career development program at the Eastside Financial Center in St. Paul, she mapped out her career path that started with certification as a nursing assistant and more recently, a phlebotomist. Her long-term goal is to become a nurse.

The Eastside Financial Center, a program of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS), is helping more people like Davis by expanding its Bridges to Career Opportunities program with support from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The $100,000 grant is designed to

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help eliminate educational and training barriers to ensure more people of color, women and people with disabilities have opportunities for successful careers.

“Many we serve on St. Paul’s Eastside are proud, hard-working people, however low-paying jobs can make it hard for families to make ends meet,” said Viva Yang, senior program manager at LSS Eastside Financial Center.

“Increasing access to training and education opportunities for people who want more fulfilling and higher-paying jobs, coupled with financial counseling can help people achieve financial wellness.”

Yang said while most people served by the Eastside Financial Center live on the Eastside, anyone who is age 18 and over can participate.

Participants are matched with a career counselor to help them

create and implement an action plan that fits their unique skills and interests, and they receive financial counseling to set customized financial goals.

In addition to training, Davis has already made strides to improve her credit score, address her debt and is working on a college fund for her daughter.

“This is about more than just the job for now, it’s about your career, your future, your family, your financial wellness,” said Yang. “Our career exploration and personal development program is a great way to help people work toward their career and financial aspirations and live secure and rewarding lives that they envision for themselves.”

For more information about the EFC’s employment services, visit www.lssmn.org/ efc/employment.

Charlottesville

It was Trump who said it. As we see now, he might as well have been yelling “fire” in a crowded theater.

Sadly, we know we cannot count on the Trump Administration, nor his Justice Department, to quell the level of vitriol being spewed by the so-called “alt-right,” or as they have been known throughout the years by their other affiliations – the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazi, skinhead, John Birch Society, birthers, etc. Equally as sad is the truth that this violence will not end under the current leadership.

From 3 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 Managing Editor Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer Abeni Hill Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Associate Editor Culture and Education Dr. Irma McClaurin Associate Editor Leadership and Social Enterprise Dr. Anita Davis-DeFoe Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Contributing Writers Melvin Carter, Jr. Julie Desmond Fred Easter Gloria Freeman Timothy Houston Penny Jones-Richardson Michelle Mitchum Darren Moore Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography David Bradley Rebecca Rabb 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.

were very violent. So it’s a draw.

Many sides you see.”

But let’s not forget when it comes to spewing hate Trump is the lead antagonist. It wasn’t Duke who said at a 2016 Trump rally, “I’d like to punch him in the face” to a protester and, “in the old days” protesters would be “carried out on stretchers.”

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota

Phlebotomist, Jennifer Davis (standing) prepares to draw blood from a patient.

Again, the current leadership has time and again encouraged violence against United States citizens.

Let us not forget that it was Trump advisor, Michele Bachmann, who last month stoked the flames of racism by calling a Minneapolis Somali police officer an “affirmative action hire by the hajib wearing mayor.” It is seen as no coincidence that less than two weeks following that proclamation a Dakota County Muslim cemetery was vandalized and a Bloomington Islamic center and mosque was bombed.

Transformation From 3 the mid-19th century. Steel is not a natural material. It evolved from iron and other materials and was preferred because it was lighter and stronger than iron. Steel was credited in aiding in the rapid expansion of the Industrial Revolution.

Again, technology has improved our lives as this is its’ primary purpose.

Technology, architecture, engineering and construction methodologies have been evolving to build the tallest, thinnest, longest spanning, strongest, safest and environmentally compatible structures that we can inhabit.

While these are conflicting agendas, they all have been necessary as actual components of the building construction industry throughout history.

The purpose of these writings is to help you visualize Thor Construction’s new building at 1228 Plymouth Ave. N. in Minneapolis. All of the building technologies and materials previously mentioned

Again, fire in a crowded theater – or as fate would have it, a crowded mosque.

The incidents of the recent past have led to one conclusion.

Based on this issue alone, President Donald J. Trump is in fact a root cause of violence against this nation’s citizens and his unwillingness to denounce – and more importantly, take actions against – the violent white supremacists terrorizing inhabitants of this land makes him unfit to lead.

Therefore, Insight News, an institution dedicated to the freedoms, liberties and wellbeing of all of this nation’s

inhabitants, calls for the immediate resignation of President Donald J. Trump. We do not make this call lightly, nor in haste. This call is in direct response to the refusal by the Trump Administration and its Justice Department to protect its citizens from numerous acts of domestic terrorism occurring under the current administration’s watch; and in many instances, carried out in the name of Donald Trump.

It is past time we douse the fire in the theater named America so we can truly become the United States.

will be utilized in this new structure. The description of the work efforts will delineate the process of constructing this building. When this process is completed there will be a new building in the community. This building will become part of the fabric of this neighborhood.

There will be new people coming here to work every day.

Some will live here. Others will not. Some will seek to move into the community and become your neighbors. This construction effort will bring new changes; something that we have not seen in a long time.

This will be an exciting addition to our community.

So here’s the story. The structure of a building is identical to the skeleton of your body. The structure holds up everything that follows.

Everything in this building is dependent upon the structure – the walls, the doors, the paint, the carpeting, the lighting, the switches, the air-conditioning, the windows, the door knobs, the furniture, the television, the refrigerators, the bathrooms, the cars, the people and you and I. After the excavation phase was completed, the initial concrete pours started at the B-2 (lowest) parking

level after the installation of the perimeter footings. Then the column footings were dug, formed and poured as indicated by the gridlines on the architectural design and structural engineering drawings.

The contractor coordinates the information from these two drawings. The concrete columns are poured to the next floor level and stopped. The tops of the columns then allow for the placement of the beams and floor slabs. The connection of the columns, the beams and the floor slabs allow the structure to become more monolithic. All concrete members will then act as one, thereby strengthening the building.

The next several weeks will accommodate many more concrete pours. This work will be accomplished carefully and methodically. The steel shoring, the formwork, the inserts, floor drains, electrical boxes and conduits, imbeds, pipe sleeves, coil inserts, post-tensioning cables will all be installed repeatedly as required. Many additional pours of columns, beams, and floor slabs will be installed until the project is completed.

is partnering with Medtronic to fill 20-30 medical assembly positions • Med dtronic, a global medical tech hnologyy, ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƐŽ ŽůƵƟŽ ŽŶƐ ĐĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ͕ ŝƐ ŚŝƌŝŶŐ mediccall assemb blers from North h Minneapolis and the Cedar Riverside e neighb borhoo od • ϮϬͲϯϬ ŵĞĚŝĐĂů ĂĂƐƐĞŵďůLJLJ ƉŽ ŽƐŝƟŽ ŽŶƐ ĂĂǀĂŝůĂĂďůĞ at Brookklyn Center faacility • WĞĞŽƉůĞ Ž ŽĨ ĨƌŝĐĂŶ ĚĞƐĐĞŶƚ ĂƌĞ ĞĞŶĐŽƵƌĂŐĞĚ Ě ƚƚŽ ĂƉ ƉƉůLJ

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Insight News • August 21 - August 27, 2017 • Page 5

Insight 2 Health Major Bounce fuses tribal dance, power yoga

Major Body Fitness revolutionizing exercise

By Nadvia Davis Ne-Yo’s song, “Champagne Life” blasts through the speakers getting participants warmed up for a Major Bounce dance workout on a Friday night in a class called Champagne, Strawberries and Stilettos.

Major Bounce is defined as a new movement practice that fuses power yoga, tribal dance and plyometrics into a high-intensity workout that transforms the body from the inside out. This unique class is just one of many action-packed workouts offered at Major Body Fitness, 560 Como Ave., St. Paul. The independent studio is lead by fitness entertainers Melissa Levingston and Chloe Shovein.

Owner and St. Paul native, Levingston, 38, founded Major Body Fitness in 2014 with the hopes of building on the positive impact that movement had on her life.

“I’ve always been involved with movement, not necessarily fitness,” said Levingston.

While attending St. Paul’s Central High School, Levingston participated in cheerleading, a dance group called “Full Momentum” and various drill teams including the Majorettes.

Levingston’s experience as a Majorette is also how the name Major Body Fitness was created. Upon completing high school and graduating with her bachelor’s degree in education, Levingston never forgot about the power movement created for her. She soon became inspired to get involved with the fitness community on a larger scale.

Before opening her own studio, Levingston taught fitness classes at LA Fitness to gain experience in the industry.

However, she often felt restricted by the rules and regulations of the classes.

“They kept on telling me that I couldn’t move my hips, I couldn’t play my music. So, that’s what pushed me to open this facility,” said Levingston.

Over the course of two

W. Ortiz Photography

Blow the whistle. Melissa Levingston (right), founder of Major Body Fitness, and business partner, Chloe Shovein are out to make fitness and fun synonymous. years, the development and of Major Body Fitness took greater shape after it moved to a new location carrying over a following of participants from Levingston’s previous classes.

One participant, Chloe Shovein, 26, from Shoreview, started out as a member of Major Body Fitness and enjoyed the classes so much that she inquired about teaching. Prior to Major Body, Shovein had an athletic background playing competitive sports such as hockey and lacrosse. After asking Levingston to lead and exercise to a song in class and

completing multiple fitness certifications, Shovein became a lead instructor.

“She just opened and I was like, ‘Do you need help teaching’” asked Shovein.

In roughly two years,

Levingston and Shovein have formed a close bond.

“We are Ebony and Ivory,” said Levingston.

There is no doubt that Major Body Fitness has a unique fitness culture that is fostering relationships among the participants.

“Members in class are connecting,” said Shovein.

Together, Levingston and Shovein are also trying to break racial barriers co-teaching classes.

We’re “trying to put ease to the race (tensions) by having one white instructor and one brown instructor,” said Levingston.

Both Levingston and Shovein share an abundance of energy and passion for being instructors at Major Body

2017

Fitness. They are hoping to start a trend of fitness entertainers.

Today there are a total of four instructors at Major Body Fitness. The other two instructors are Kathy Jo Ware and Emily Blau. This staff has contributed to the growth of the studios participants, with roughly 90 percent of Major Body Fitness participants being gym members.

The vast majority are women.

Levingston said upcoming plans for the studio include adding new instructors and possibly collaborating with cruise lines to expose the world to major bounce style classes.

For more information or to view the complete list of scheduled classes, visit www. majorbodyfitness.com.

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Plus Labor Day & Festival Friday, Sept. 29th Rain or Shine • 9am – 7pm • FREE PARKING 952.445.7361 • #MNRenaissance

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Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 2017 Minnesota State Fair Commemorative Art

Creater of the 2017 Commenorative Art, Ta-coumba Aiken is an artist, arts administrator and educator who focuses on public art and collaborative projects. His acrylic-on-canvas interpretation captures the spirit of the fair with vibrant colors and layers of imagery that display a tapestry of life.

“In preparation, I visited last year’s fair 12 times over nine days and found myself concentrating on the enormous amount of energy and positive spirit I felt all over the fairgrounds,” Aiken said. “I observed people of every race, culture, gender, physical and mental challenge, and they were all exploring. Just like the fair, my piece has your eyes moving from one place to another until they settle in on something familiar. I had hoped to embrace this magical place in a whimsical way, and I believe I accomplished just that.”

Commemorative merchandise featuring Aiken’s art is available at State FairWear Gift Shops and Bargain Book and State Fair Poster Carts on the fairgrounds during the fair and year-round at statefairwear.com. Proceeds support the Minnesota State Fair Foundation 501(c)(3) and its mission to preserve and improve State Fair buildings, grounds and educational programs.

The original piece will be displayed in the Fine Arts Center during the fair.

Ta-coumba Aiken

Aug. 24 - Sept. 4 mnstatefair.org

Page 8 • August 21 - August 27, 2017 • Insight News

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Insight News • August 21 - August 27, 2017 • Page 9

Back to school rules 2017 Man Talk

By Timothy Houston A new school year is upon us, and parents will be scrambling to get all the remaining needed items to make their children’s school year a success.

Beyond the clothes, books, paper, pencils and other learning tools, there are some behavioral traits that are needed as well. To help you along the way, here are New Frontiers in Learning’s “Five Keys to a Successful School Year.�

Start o (and stay) organized Having a system for keeping track of all notes, papers, grades, homework and assignment descriptions is an important start to any school year. Some students find it helpful to have separate notebooks and folders for each class. In this case, all books and folders can be color coded and labeled for easy identification. Another method of organization is to use a single binder with separate sections for each class. Each section should be labeled and should contain loose-leaf paper for note taking.

All papers and handouts for the class should also be added to the section on a daily basis.

Organizing all papers and notes daily allows students to be able to find class materials more easily.

ClassiÀeds RENTAL PROPERTIES INH Properties manages Section 8, Section 42 and Rural Development projects in the following MN cities:

Anoka – Bridge Square, 763-421-6772 Big Lake – Autumn Winds, 320-258-6000 Brainerd – Mississippi Terrace, 218-829-0274 Cold Spring – Cottage Court, 320-685-3888 Coon Rapids – Coon Creek, 763-767-7755 Eden Valley – Hillside, 320-453-5968 Fergus Falls – Kaddatz, 218-205-0644 Glenwood – Glenview, 320-634-3188 Hawley – Northside Terrace, 218-483-4524 Hutchinson – Clinton House, 320-587-5458 Isle – Isle View, 320-676-8624 Isle – Mille Lacs Manor, 320-676-8624 Mankato – Dublin Road, 507-345-3351 Minneapolis – Holmes Park, 612-378-8817 Morris – Crystal Lake, 320-589-3662 Onamia – Oakwood, 320-532-4321 Onamia – Onamia Shores, 320-532-4321 Pierz – Kamnic Lane, 320-468-2581 Rice – Benton Place, 320-630-1201 St. Michael – Countryside Cottages, 763-497-4901 St. Paul – Parkway Gardens, 651-771-0835 Virginia – Alice Nettell, 218-741-3650 Residents must meet income guidelines.

Rent based on income at some locations.

INH Properties is an equal opportunity housing company

Budget and schedule time We all face diďŹƒculties managing our time, but students can set themselves up for success by using and maintaining a daily schedule. This schedule should include all class names, locations and times, plus any other outside responsibilities that the student may have, such as work hours, sports practice and family obligations. By maintaining a weekly schedule, the student can keep track of not only unchanged repeated responsibilities, but also any one-time obligations for each week (concerts, special afterschool group study sessions, etc.). Once a schedule is made, students should be encouraged to stick to it.

identifying who and/or where to turn to receive help. Students need to review the help-seeking process in the beginning of each school year. If something is confusing, if they don’t know how to start or structure a project or assignment, or if they have any other questions about class requirements, students should be reminded to ask for help. Some teachers reserve the beginning or end of the school day for students’ questions, while others encourage students to email them. Once students know what their individual teachers prefer, they should be encouraged to follow such systems as a resource to clear up any questions that may arise.

Ask for help Many times, students have a diďŹƒcult time recognizing when they need help, as well as

Write it all down To prevent students from forgetting key information in class, they should be encouraged

Phone: 612.588.1313

to write everything down – even the things that they think they will remember later. Of course, writing everything down can be diďŹƒcult for some students, so an alternative could be to record their classes or to use some form of assistive technology, such as a smart pen.

Set reminders Having a system in place to help remind students of important dates is essential. Sometimes teachers announce due dates infrequently during a course, or due dates for assignments and exams may be outlined far in advance and then not discussed again. In such cases, students may panic on the day an assignment is due or an exam is given because they aren’t prepared. To avoid such situations, students need to learn to set reminders in their daily

Fax: 612.588.2031

planner or on their smart phones, which they can use to set timers that will go o several times as the assignment deadlines and exam dates approach.

The 2017 school year will be a great time for learning and social interactions. To make it a success in both areas, the student must adhere to the keys to success. Print out this column and review these simple back-to-school rules with your student. A new school year is a wonderful time of the year, and using these simple rules will make this year one of great success.

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

Email: info@insightnews.com

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Page 10 • August 21 - August 27, 2017 • Insight News

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Yasiin Bey

Illism

Monday, Aug. 21 JAZZ Steven Hobert Quartet Icehouse 2825 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis 9:30 p.m.

21-plus $8 JT›s Jazz Implosion series welcomes the Steven Hobert Quartet with special guest John Penny on guitar.

Tuesday, Aug. 22

August 21 Sep. 3, 2017

HIP-HOP/R&B

ILLism – “Love & Loyalty” Release Party First Avenue 701 N. 1st Ave., Minneapolis 8 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

18-plus $7 ILLism has been steadily making noise this year and is set to release its project ,“Love & Loyalty” at First Ave with with DJ Huh?? What??, Jay Hollywood and Destiny Roberts.

FILM/R&B

Friday, Aug. 25

TCBFF Selection featuring Ray Covington Father Hennepin Bluffs Park 500 S.E. Main St., Minneapolis 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.

All ages Free

DANCE NIGHT

The Twin Cities Black Film Festival has a movie in the park with performance by singer Ray Covington.

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

Thursday, Aug. 24

Wednesday, Aug. 23 HIP-HOP

Love on Top: Beyoncé Rooftop Party Crave 825 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 9:30 p.m.

21-plus $10 The popular ode to all things Beyoncé returns to the Crave in downtown Minneapolis.

Saturday, Aug. 26

Sunday, Aug. 27 GOSPEL «We Are Better Together” Concert Shiloh Temple International Ministries 1201 W. Broadway Ave., Minneapolis 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. $50 2nd Chance Outreach and the Minnesota State Baptist Convention bring present this event featuring Dottie Peoples, Alexis Spight, saxophonist, Antonio Allen and the Minnesota State Baptist Convention Choir.

The concert is hosted by Shed G. HIP-HOP Yasiin Bey Skyway Theater 711 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 8 p.m.

18-plus $30 advance One of the great musicians of our time and member of the “I thought he retired” club, Mos Def returns as Yasiin Bey to perform his classic “Black on Both Sides” front to back.

PRODUCTION

Summer Send Off Driftwood Char Bar 4415 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis 9 p.m.

21-plus $5

Dubb Scientist and Heptress Sativa Triple Rock Social Club 629 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis 8 p.m.

21-plus $5 advance

Summer is coming to an end but the music keeps going all year long. Hear sounds from Malaci, Dee Bomb and more at Driftwood.

Kingston’s Dubb Scientist headlines a night of production at Triple Rock curated by Totally Gross National Product and Red Bull.

Monday, Aug. 28 HIP-HOP/OPEN MIC Pass the Aux #OpenMicMonday The Red Sea 320 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis 10 p.m.

18-plus $15 Scarr hosts an open mic night hip-hop style in the Riverside neighborhood.

Tuesday, Aug. 29 ANIME/BAR

Ghost in the Shell at Geek Date Night Clubhouse Jäger 923 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis 7-12PM Catch this “geek” dating night with a viewing of the classic anime film, “Ghost in the Shell.”

Wednesday, Aug. 30 CHOIR African Children›s Choir The Basilica of Saint Mary 88 17th St. N., Minneapolis 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Free This amazing choir is made up of children 7 to 10 years-old who have lost one or both of their parents to war, famine or disease.

Thursday, Aug. 31 HIP-HOP Studio Sessions Skyway Theater 711 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 9 p.m.

18-plus $10 DJ Snuggles brings you his monthly with performances by Tek, Student 1, Travis Gorman, Pilot Jonny and ECG along with a special guest set by Dwynell Rolland

Friday, Sept. 1 REGGAE

Damian Marley Music Hall Mpls 111 N. 5th St., Minneapolis 7 p.m.

18-plus $32 Arguably the best live show in music, Damian Marley returns to Minneapolis to promote the “Stony Hill” project.

Saturday, Sept. 2 FILM SCREENING/GALA “The Government Gang” Screening and 1920’s Gala Public Functionary 1400 12th Ave. N.E., Minneapolis 8 p.m. $10 advance, $15 door Step back into time as Soul Tools Entertainment hosts a retro 1920s/1930s style gala and screening of its short film “The Government Gang.”

Hosted by Timberwolves legend Troy Hudson and Miss Brit.

Live music from the Kevin Washington Trio and event DJ Willie Shu. For more information visit www.eventbrite.com/e/thegovernment-gang-viewing-galatickets-36963093608.

Sunday, Sept. 3 JAZZ Jazz Brunch: Walter Chancellor The Pourhouse 10 5th St. S., Minneapolis 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

All ages Horn great, Walter Chancellor, headlines this monthly jazz brunch in downtown Minneapolis.

fresh • local • organic Your neighborhood source for local and organic foods and wellness products

2823 E. Franklin Ave. | Minneapolis & 317 E. 38th St. | Minneapolis w w w.seward.coop

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Insight News • August 21 - August 27, 2017 • Page 11

Usher, George Clinton, Pointer Sisters to perform

Diversity is a theme with this year’s State Fair

By Abeni Hill

It’s time for the annual “Great Minnesota Get-Together.”

Every year the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul celebrates the state and the diversity of its residents through food, games and performances. This 12-day celebration gathers people from all over the state with various cultures represented through a multitude of events, many of which are free (with a paid admission to the fair of course).

This year, there will be many performers and activities featuring people of color including African-American, Filipino, Native-American, Cuban and more. Performances featuring people of the African Diaspora are diverse, ranging from well-known to lesser known artists and local to visiting performers.

The biggest name for R&B fans at this year’s fair is multi-platinum artist, Usher, who will perform along with Black Coffee, Aug. 31 inside the Grandstand. In addition to fair admission, fans wanting to see the crooner will have to pay Grandstand admission of $72$97.

Representing a career that

spans more than 40 years, the Pointer Sisters will make an appearance the first two days at of the fair (Aug. 24 and Aug. 25) at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell at 8:30 p.m. The female R&B group achieved mainstream success in the 1970s and 1980s with single hits such as “Jump (For My Love)” and “I’m So Excited.” Another performer at the Leinie Lodge will be iconic George Clinton and his American funk, soul, and rock music collective, ParliamentFunkadelic. Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars perform on the Leinie Lodge stage Aug. 26 and Aug. 27.

While several well-known artists will appear at fair, local artists will too be showcased.

Wain McFarlane the Dreadlock Cowboy will perform at the International Bazaar Sept.1 and Sept. 2; 3:15 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.

McFarlane explores a music genre inspired by his mother, American Southern River Music, a category that emphasizes folkloric storytelling music.

Heiruspecs (pronounced high-roo-spex), a local hip-hop group formed at St. Paul Central High School in 1997, will be performing at the Schell’s Stage Sept. 3 and Sept. 4 at 8 p.m. The group has become known for its

live stage show.

Kazual is a band consisting of three brothers and one cousin.

The Georgia-based group performs a combination of R&B, pop, and hip-hop and are known for their acapella vocals. Kazual performs Sept. 1 and Sept. 2 at 10:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. on the Leinie Lodge stage.

Tank and the Bangas is a group of musicians and singers who integrate funk, rock, soul, hip-hop and spoken word into their live performances. The New Orleans band is also a recent winner of the National Public Radio(NPR) Tiny Desk Contest. The group perfoms Sept. 3 and Sept. 4 at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell.

Another New Orleans band, James Andrews and the Crescent City All-Stars, will perform after Tank and the Bangas.

Andrews and his band play New Orleans style jazz with a hint of contemporary. They perform Sept. 3 and Sept. 4, 3:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell.

For music that doesn’t have roots in U.S., the International

Bazaar stage has array of music spanning from Africa to the Caribbean islands. The stage will feature Caribbean dance band, Socaholix, Aug. 26 and Aug. 27 3:15 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. The Minnesota-based group consists of members from Africa, Caribbean, and the U.S. and its music, soca, is a blend of soul and calypso.

Ambassadors of Culture is a collaboration of musicians Dalmar Yare and Holly Muñoz.

The duo blends traditional Somali music with snippets of reggae, pop, and indie rock.

They will take the stage at the International Bazaar Sept. 3 and Sept. 4 at 8 p.m.

The various stages throughout the fair aren’t the only places to catch performances. Art’s A Fair will feature pop-up performances

by Minnesota artists throughout the fairgrounds. Performances include dance, theater and drumming.

Local performer and playwright Ifrah Mansour will perform her piece, “Somalia’s Balloon,” a short play about a young girl retelling of Somalia’s

colonial history using balloons and movement. Other non-music centered performances include C. Willi Myles, comedian and storyteller who will be performing at Leinie Lodge Bandshell.

Black Storytellers Alliance (BSA) will have several performances during the fair

on the Cosgrove Stage. Duniya Drum and Dance will perform traditional West African dance and drumming. Voice of Culture Drum & Dance will close out the Art’s A Fair at KSTP Heritage Plaza at West End Market.

For a complete list of performances, dates and times go to www.mnstatefair.org.

McNASTY BRASS BAND minneapolis sound with new orleans spirit

AUG 31 - 9 pm

Usher

George Clinton

Pointer Sisters

lower level 408 St Peter St. st paul, mn 55102

Reservations at Vieux-carre.com or call 651-291-2715

Page 12 • August 21 - August 27, 2017 • Insight News

Shed G’s “bestie,” Leslie Young celebrating the comic’s “birthday.”

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Jennifer McCray enjoying the show.

Harry Colbert, Jr.

#BlackExcellence and #BlackLove, husband and wife, David Jones (left) and Gwynn Jones.

Good friends sharing good times, Deedra Miller (left) and Buffy Moore.

S

J X TA D U R I Y B P NG TO

OPEN STREETS WEST BROADWAY

Saturday, September 9, 2017

The look Shed G gives when someone tells him he can’t celebrate the entire month of August as his birthday.

Throwing the “Yo,” it’s Kappa Man, Jamal Gipson

11pm—5pm 612. 332.5299 dakotacooks.com 1010 Nicollet Mall

presents LIVE AT THE GUTHRIE

The New Standards: “Is That All There is?” with Davina, Catherine Russell, Nellie McKay, & James Gavin

See | Make | Take Make your own button with youth apprentices from our Graphics Lab. Stop by the Textile print shop to see what’s new in our store.

Snap a pic in our Photobooth! Check out our new mural by the Contemporary and Public Art Lab. Take in our current Gallery Exhibit, Relics: An Investigation of Black August.

September 25

Irma Thomas w/ the Blind Boys of Alabama & the Preservation Hall Legacy Quintet October 23rd Tix at guthrietheater.org or 612.377.2224 AT ORCHESTRA HALL

LOOK FOR THE BUBBLES.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra w/ Wynton Marsalis September 24 Tix at minnesotaorchestra.org or 612.371.5656

JUXTAPOSITION ARTS 2007 Emerson Ave. N Minneapolis, MN 55411 612.588.1148

juxtapositionarts.org

Almost everyone celebrates their birthday. After all, it is that one special day that’s uniquely you (and the millions of others who share the same birthday, but we digress).

Some people celebrate their birthday weekend, or even birthday week. But leave it to comedian and radio personality Shed G to celebrate the whole dang month.

Keeping in mind the man’s birthday isn’t until Aug. 29 (also the birthday of Shed’s Kappa brother, Isiah Potts, who is having a gathering at Famous Dave’s in Uptown that day), Shed’s celebration is already in full swing. More than a hundred came out to the Parkway Theater in South Minneapolis this past Wednesday (Aug. 16) for the entertainer’s monthly comedy show, which next month is moving back to Rick Brunson’s House of Comedy in Mall of America.

Shed deserves major props for bringing the best in national touring comics and providing an audience to the area’s up and coming jokesters (even if some of them need to practice in the mirror a bit more). A couple of future stars to keep an eye on are Kwame and Ashley (both simply use their first names as stage names). The two up-and-comings had flawless sets during Shed’s birthday bash.

If you see Shed out tell him happy birthday (we’re sure he’s still celebrating).

Here are some of the sights from this past Wednesday night.