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September 2 - September 8, 2013

Vol. 40 No. 36 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

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“Was Paul homeless? Was the blue ox uninsured?”

Unsure about MNsure

By Al McFarlane Editor-in-Chief Photos: Harry Colbert, Jr.

Nearly 200 marchers descended on the Minnesota State Capitol to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.

Commemorating

“We get the misery, they get the money,” said one elder, describing the frustration being voiced in the Black community at the lack of

genuine engagement of Black legacy institutions in connecting Black Minnesotans to the new insurance exchange created by the Obama administration for the purpose of improving access to healthcare.

MNSURE TURN TO 4

the march

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer

Nearly 200 marchers descended on the Minnesota State Capitol to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.

Rep. Keith Ellison reminds Twin Cities marchers of those who gave their lives in the struggle for civil rights.

Hundreds turned out in St. Paul to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The original march took place on the Washington Mall in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 28, 1963 and King delivered his now iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Speakers at this year’s tribute march and rally, which culminated outside of the Minnesota State Capitol, said though progress has been made, King’s dream has yet to fully materialize.

“Fifty years ago, Dr. King had a dream and 50 years later we’re still fighting for a lot of the same things,” said the Rev. Brian Herron of Zion Baptist Church in Minneapolis. “The dream has not been realized.

When we look at the situation, more Blacks are incarcerated than those enslaved in the

1800s. We still march for freedom. Though we have made gains, there are still those who are not free.”

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) reminded the crowd of about two hundred that the original march was as much about jobs as it was about fair and equal treatment.

“It (the 1963 march) was about labor and civil rights,” said Ellison, who is co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “It was labor that came together. And today, not only do we have racial disparities, but we also have a disparity in wages. We march for civil rights, absolutely, but also workers rights.”

The congressman also reminded the crowd to honor the many who sacrificed and gave their lives for the fight against oppression and injustice.

“People gave their lives so this country can be better than what it was. Let’s not

MARCH TURN TO 11

Reflections: Becoming a community again

By Josie R. Johnson Civil rights pioneer Dr. Josie Johnson Saturday, August 24 addressed a Twin Cities audience at Sabathani Community Center commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.

Today we look back at the historic 1963 March on Washington, for Jobs, Education, Housing, Equal Employment and Freedom.

This day offers us an opportunity to review what we, as a people, have done and what, we as a people must do to accomplish the Dream.

We have gathered here, at the

A long time coming The future of prison phone justice reform

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old Bryant Junior High School, renamed Sabathani Community Center, to focus and address the challenge to close the gap of educational opportunities for our children in the Minneapolis Public Schools.

We have come this day to understand the urgency of saving our children. That expression is repeated with some regularity

however, what do we mean and how do we save our children?

Many theories are written and tested in the schools across the nation. May I suggest what we say and pledge this day will have an impact on our living children and those unborn.

JOHNSON TURN TO 12

Tyrone Minor

PROFILES IN EXCELLENCE

Tyrone Minor

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer Close to four out of five African-American women are overweight or obese.

This alarming statistic is courtesy of the U.S.

Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Minority Health. The study concluded that African-American women have the highest rates of obesity compared to other ethnic groups in the

MINOR TURN TO 11

Hussein Samatar loses battle with leukemia, dies at 45 Hussein Samatar, the first Somali born citizen to hold public office in the state of Minnesota, died on Sunday, Aug. 25.

Samatar was elected as a member of the Minneapolis School Board and was the founder of the African Development Center. He was 45-years-old.

An outspoken and respected community leader, Samatar was a current member of the Minneapolis School Board and his term was to have run until 2015.

SAMATAR TURN TO 12

Hussein Samatar

Commentary

Business

Full Circle

O’Reilly’s view: Too blind to see

How to write a book

Using short and longterm goals to improve your life

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Page 2 • September 2 - September 8, 2013 • Insight News

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A long time coming: The future of prison phone justice reform

By Dr. Artika R. Tyner The FCC voted 2-1 to reform interstate phone rates policies.

The recent FCC ruling is a milestone in the road to victory in the arena of prison phone justice reform. This is one step forward in ensuring that the costs of prison phone calls are fair and reasonable.

Access to affordable prison phone calls will create opportunities for millions of family members to remain in contact with their incarcerated loved ones.

During the FCC hearing, Bethany Fraser, a mother and wife, shared her story about the challenges her family faces as she seeks to remain in regular contact with her incarcerated husband.

Fraser is the mother of two young boys, ages 5 and 10.

Artika R. Tyner “Losing their father to prison also meant losing over half of our family’s income, and gaining a painfully large phone bill,” said Fraser. “As you vote today I would like each of you to know that I would do anything, and pay any amount to keep my children connected to their father. But choosing between essential needs

and keeping kids connected to their parents is a choice no family should have to make.”

Fraser spoke truth to power as she shared the story of millions of children across the United States who are invisible victims of the injustice of egregiously high phone rates. Nationally, there are 2.7 million children who have an incarcerated parent. There are more than 15,000 children in Minnesota who share this experience. For each of these children, the high costs of prison phone calls limit their ability to communicate with their parent who is incarcerated.

Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel shed light on the social costs of this issue when she stated, “one number still haunts me, perhaps because I am a parent. Across the country there are 2.7 million children who have

at least one incarcerated parent.

That is 2.7 million children who don’t know what it means to talk regularly to their mother or father.”

This is especially problematic when for far too many families a phone call is the only viable means of communication. This is a harsh reality since most prisoners are incarcerated on the average of 100 miles from home.

Acting FCC Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn reiterated the imminent need for policy reform since interstate phone calls should be cost-based. Both Rosenworcel and Clyburn acknowledged the analysis of this dilemma should move beyond examining the market forces to understanding the social justice challenges experienced by families and communities. While on one hand, the market forces with unfettered

discretion had allowed for the cost of a 15-minute phone call to be upwards of $20. However, on the other hand, the social justice analysis acknowledges the difficult decision many families are forced to make as they must choose between remaining in contact with their incarcerated loved ones and meeting their basic household needs.

In her concluding remarks, Clyburn thanked Martha Wright, a grandmother who is the namesake of the “Wright Petition” (who began the journey toward prison phone justice reform). According to the chairwoman, Wright saw a great wrong and sought to make it right.

The recent victory serves as a key milestone on the road to prison phone justice reform.

This ruling will cap the costs of interstate (long distance) calls.

A change has come. However, there is still more work to be done. The next step is to begin local advocacy, which will focus on addressing the high costs of intrastate (local) calls in the state of Minnesota. Locally, a 15-minute collect prison phone costs about $17.

For more information on how to become involved in the advocacy efforts of the Campaign for Prison Phone Justice, visit www.nationinside.org/campaign/ prison-phone-justice/.

The Campaign for Prison Phone Justice is challenging prison phone kickbacks and the U.S. Prison Telephone Industry.

Dr. Artika R. Tyner, is a law professor and director of diversity at the University of St. Thomas School of Law.

What’s next for Minneapolis Washburn High School?

By Sarah Lahm, TC Daily Planet Washburn High School has had a tough year. During the 2012-

2013 school year, high profile student misconduct with racist overtones, student protests, and a dispute between the athletic director and principal led to the sudden removal of principal

Carol Markham Cousins. In the aftermath of these incidents, many in the Washburn community in Minneapolis anxiously wondered who would become the school’s new principal.

On August 1, the Minneapolis Public School district announced that Patrick Exner, who had been working as an administrator at Ubah Medical Academy charter school in Hopkins, would be Washburn’s new principal. By August 8, he was removed from the job amid allegations that he falsified test scores in his previous post at Ubah Medical Academy, and later disclosures that his résumé contained some exaggerations.

This rolling tide of events led the district to hold a community meeting at Washburn on Thursday, August 15, in order to address the hiring and immediate firing of Exner, and to assure community members that the school will be ready to welcome students for the 2013-2014 school year. About 200 parents and community members gathered in the Washburn gym to hear from Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson, parent leaders, and interim Washburn

Parent leaders speak at Washburn Community Meeting. principal Linda Conley, among others.

Parent leader Brenda Lynn spoke first, adhering to a carefully laid out agenda. Lynn spoke earnestly to the parents in attendance, telling them that the “community must get itself in order,” and that the “district has promised many

things, and we will hold them to it.” Bernadeia Johnson, new Assistant Superintendent and former South High School principal Cecillia Sadler, and current Washburn staff leaders then gave brief overviews of the situation, with Superintendent Johnson acknowledging that “2012-2013 has been a very

TC Daily Planet

difficult year,” and that the “district can and must do better.”

The meeting took a lessscripted turn when the floor was opened up for questions.

With moderator Radious Guess at the helm, many parents and community members spoke up

WASHBURN TURN TO 4

From left: DHS Community Relations Director Antonia Wilcoxon; Disparities Reduction Advisory Committee member Angelique Cooper-Liberty, staff member at Angel Eyes Foundation Inc.; and DHS Deputy Commissioner for Direct Care and Treatment Anne Barry.

Open Streets events bring together families, neighbors and friends to mingle, recreate, dine, play and shop in their community in a safe, car-free environment.

Participants can explore the street that is open only to foot, bicycle and skate traffic. This is not a race. This free event will encourage non-motorized bicyclists, walkers, skaters, scooters and others to enjoy the avenue like never before! Attendees will enjoy pop-up performances, a passport program, three stages of live entertainment, cooking demonstrations and recipes to take home.

For more information or to sign-up to volunteer, visit

www.stpaulopenstreets.org www.facebook.com/StPaulOpenStreets twitter.com/STPLOpenStreets

Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013 11:00am - 6:00pm University Ave between Hamline Ave and Marion St

DHS honors Disparities Reduction Advisory Committee members Angelique Cooper-Liberty was recognized at a celebration held Thursday, Aug. 22, to recognize the work of a committee that helped department leaders identify and address disparities in access and outcomes for cultural and ethnic communities served by DHS. Community members and department employees who served on the Disparities Reduction Advisory Committee members were honored at the event held at DHS’ 444 Lafayette location.

The 30-member committee concluded its work earlier this summer, providing the DHS Senior Management Team with recommended measures highlighting key programs to identify and track the gaps in results experienced by populations in Minnesota.

The Disparities Reduction Advisory Committee was formed in 2007. The advisory committee is succeeded by the newly created Cultural and Ethnic Communities Leadership Council, established by the 2013 Legislature with support from DHS. The council will begin work Nov. 15.

insightnews.com

Insight News • September 2 - September 8, 2013 • Page 3

COMMENTARY O’Reilly’s view: Too blind to see

By Dr. Lenora Fulani I was on a plane two weeks ago headed to California to visit my daughter when I first heard Bill O’Reilly’s televised rant justifying the killing of 17-year old Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman.

I watched as my fellow passengers, primarily white, received their daily dose of racial polarization. It was a very disturbing experience.

O’Reilly’s exoneration of Zimmerman was not based on Florida law, but on the rates at which Black males commit homicide – a rate he points out is ten times that of the Latino and white populations combined.

Never mind that Martin was the victim, not the perpetrator.

Of course, he throws in for good measure that 73 percent

of African-American babies are born out of wedlock. These circumstances, according to O’Reilly, have nothing to do with the history of slavery or decades of discrimination and poverty, but instead are the byproduct of “Black culture,” a code phrase, as we all know, for Black inferiority. O’Reilly appears to miss the fact that Black culture does not exist independently of American culture, even as the majority of African-Americans are relegated to the sidelines of America’s prosperity – living in poverty. Any indictment, true or false, of Black culture is an indictment of American culture.

In his rant, O’Reilly admonished African-American leadership for failing to run ads telling young African-American girls to avoid becoming pregnant. Why haven’t they advocated for strict discipline in

Dr. Lenora Fulani public schools – no matter, by the way, how lousy the system is – and insisting on mandatory student uniforms? Is he serious?

African-American kids and their families don’t need lectures.

They know very well how the

O’Reillys of the world see them.

And they carry the burden, physically, psychologically and emotionally of a poverty and deprivation that they are often accused of producing but which is instead the birthright of being Black in America.

The problem with traditional Black leadership isn’t their failure to engage Mr. O’Reilly’s fantasy of what he calls Black culture. No, it’s that traditional solutions – like the current organization of public education or the traditional partisan approaches to Black empowerment – do not yield development. If there’s anything about Black culture that needs to change, it’s the willingness to accept these old solutions.

I have spent the last three decades, along with my colleagues at the All Stars Project, in the poor

African-American and Latino communities of this country.

The so-called immorality of the Black community is not the issue as we are no more or less moral or immoral than any other community. At the All Stars, we engage a byproduct of poverty – underdevelopment. It is hard to grow and develop when one is relegated to the sidelines of a society, denied access to the mainstream.

We have also invested in introducing the poor, Black community to our white, wealthy donors to help to bridge the gap that the O’Reillys of the country exploit for political gain. That can be done. That is being done.

But the O’Reillys of the world are too blind to see it.

What each brings to the table – the young people’s struggles and their hunger to be included and the donors’ experience and

sophistication – creates a new kind of possibility for Black and white America to come together.

African-American kids who live in the projects and in impoverished areas don’t have the opportunity to be part of the larger world, to be part of the mainstream, as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said. However, if given the opportunities and the chance to grow, the toughest kids in our community embrace development. Poor AfricanAmerican and Latino kids want desperately to be successful.

They know that they’ve been earmarked to be left behind.

That’s a very painful and confusing and infuriating experience for both the kids and their parents. That’s the truth of Black culture. That’s the truth of American culture. That’s what we need to change.

“Where do we go from here?”

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

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

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane CFO Adrianne Hamilton-Butler Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Vice President of Sales & Marketing Selene White Culture and Education Editor Irma McClaurin Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Ben Williams Production Intern Sunny Thongthi Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Contributing Writers Harry Colbert, Jr. Julie Desmond Fred Easter Timothy Houston Alaina L. Lewis Darren Moore Alysha Price Photography Suluki Fardan Michele Spaise 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.

Child Watch

By Marian Wright Edelman In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check.

When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was the promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the ‘unalienable Rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.’ It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.

–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., address at the March on Washington, August 28, 1963 As the nation celebrates the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, many are discussing what Dr. King would say to the nation and world today and tell us to do. But his message to us today is as clear as it was 50 years ago if only we could hear, heed, and follow his warnings about what we need to do to make America America.

Just as Biblical Old and New Testament prophets were rejected, scorned, and dishonored in their own land in their times, so was Dr. King by many when he walked and worked among us. Now that he is dead, many Americans remember him warmly but have sanitized and trivialized his message and life. They remember Dr. King the great orator but not Dr. King the disturber of unjust peace. They applaud the Dr. King who opposed violence but not the Dr. King who called for massive nonviolent demonstrations to end war and poverty in our national and world house. They recite the “I Have a Dream” part of his August 1963 speech but ignore its main metaphor of the promissory note still bouncing at America’s bank of justice, waiting to be cashed by millions of poor and minority citizens. And while we love to celebrate his dream and great oratorical skills, we ignore his fears and repeated warnings about America’s misguided priorities and values. He worried that we were missing God’s opportunity to become a great and just nation by sharing our enormous riches with the poor and overcoming what he called the “giant triplets” of racism, materialism, and militarism.

In his last Sunday sermon at Washington National Cathedral, Dr. King retold the parable of the rich man Dives who ignored the poor and sick man Lazarus who came every day seeking crumbs from Dives’ table. Dives did nothing. Dives went to hell, Dr. King said, not because he was rich but because he did not realize

[Americans] remember Dr. King the great orator but not Dr. King the disturber of unjust peace.

his wealth was his opportunity to bridge the gulf separating him from his brother and allowed Lazarus to become invisible. He warned this could happen to rich America, “if we don’t use her vast resources to end poverty and make it possible for all of God’s children to have the basic necessities of life.”

At Dr. King’s death in 1968 when he was calling for a Poor People’s Campaign, there were 25.4 million poor Americans, including 11 million poor children, and our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was $4.13 trillion.

Today, there are 46.2 million poor people, including 16.1 million poor children, almost half living in extreme poverty, and our GDP is three times larger, and shamefully the younger children are the poorer they are. One in three Black and Latino children are poor. National wealth and income inequality are at near record levels while hunger, homelessness, illiteracy, fear, and hopelessness stalk millions of children and adults across our land who have been left behind in our economy. Isn’t it time to ask ourselves again with urgency whether America is missing once again the great opportunity and mandate God has given us to be a beacon of hope and justice for the least among us, beginning with our children, who are the poorest Americans?

The day he was assassinated in Memphis Dr. King called his mother to give her the title of his next Sunday’s sermon. It was “Why America May Go to Hell.” In his 1967 book Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? Dr. King stated that America hadn’t yet committed to paying the real price—in actual dollars and cents—of equality: “The practical cost of change for the nation up to this point has been cheap. The limited reforms have been obtained at bargain rates. There are no expenses, and no taxes required, for Negroes to share lunch counters, libraries, parks, hotels, and other facilities with whites.”

But, he said, “the real cost lies ahead . . . The discount education given Negroes will in the future have to be purchased at full price if quality education is to be realized. Jobs are harder and costlier to create than voting rolls.

The eradication of slums housing millions is far beyond integrating lunch counters.” He said the price would be great but so would the rewards. It would all come down to our will: “The great majority of Americans…are uneasy with injustice but unwilling yet to pay a significant price to eradicate it.”

That is the overarching issue our nation and every citizen must face today as we leave millions of children unprepared to become the competitive workers and

military, education, economic, and diplomatic leaders of tomorrow.

In his last week of life, Dr. King said to a group of close friends: “We fought hard and long, and I have never doubted that we would prevail in this struggle. Already our rewards have begun to reveal themselves.

Desegregation… the Voting Rights Act…But what deeply troubles me now is that for all the steps we’ve taken toward integration, I’ve come to believe

that we are integrating into a burning house.” “What would you have us do?” one shocked friend asked. Dr. King answered: “I guess we’re just going to have to become firemen.”

Dr. King knew then as we must know or learn today that our work was not done and that the successes of the Civil Rights Movement and integration were not alone doorways into a Promised Land. We were gaining access to a society riddled with poverty, inequality, violence, militarism, materialism, and greed. Dr. King made it very clear that he saw America and the world at a dangerous crossroads.

A Civil Rights Movement stalled short of true equality without a parallel opening up of economic opportunity. Poverty at home and around the world that led Dr. King to call for nothing less than a national and worldwide revolution of values: “When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism,

materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.

A civilization can flounder as readily in the face of moral and spiritual bankruptcy as it can through financial bankruptcy . . . A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies.

We are called to play the Good Samaritan on life’s roadside; but that will only be an initial act.

One day the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be beaten and robbed as they make their journey through life.”

In our nation and world desperately hungering for moral example, change, and hope and leaders who put national and community good ahead of personal and political gain, Dr. King gave Americans a special charge: “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.

EDELMAN TURN TO 4

Page 4 • September 2 - September 8, 2013 • Insight News

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BUSINESS

How to write a book Plan Your Career

By Julie Desmond julie@insightnews.com You wrote a book? People are amazed when they meet someone who has published a book.

I was filled with admiration for my older brother when his first book showed up on our parents’ coffee table. When I saw it in a bookstore, I thought, Wow! You. Wrote. A. Book.

My brother was already smart, but writing a book was genius.

Some studies indicate that publishing a book can increase a person’s credibility two times more than earning an advanced degree. In my brother’s field, law, credibility is critical to career success. Come to think of it, credibility is important in most fields. So everyone should publish books.

The challenge is in writing the book. What my brother learned during his book-making progress is that anyone can do it if they have the right tools. All a person needs is a pencil, paper, and a stapler.

Pick up a good, old fashioned

pencil. The yellow kind with the tiny number two up there by the pink eraser. Sit down and put the eraser end in your mouth. Bite down on the pencil, somewhere just below the little metal rings, at about the number two. As you gently sink your teeth into the wood, think about what you would say if you didn’t have that pencil between your teeth. Is it interesting? Is it smart? Is there a smattering of humor in there somewhere? If you removed the pencil from your mouth and said your thoughts out loud, would anyone care? Would anyone want to know more?

When your answer to those questions is yes, then you can

put the pencil to its intended use.

Start jotting notes on a piece of paper, in pictures, diagrams, an outline or word by word. When it’s all down there on paper, wad up that first sheet and throw it across the room. Good writers fill wastebaskets. Great writers just toss everything on the floor.

Take a second sheet and start writing all over again. Keep writing and wadding and throwing until you have a meaningful outline for your book: a title, chapter names and summaries and a few notes about why you are qualified to write this thing. Every leader has a strategy; every coach has a game plan. You need one, too.

When you are satisfied with your outline, post it where you can see it while you work.

Now grab the stapler and staple your backside to your chair in front of your computer because the only way your book is going to go from possible to published is through the hard work of editing, rewriting, more wadding and throwing and moving words around. A book should be enjoyable and easy to read, no matter what it’s about.

The best way to easy reading is through hard writing. Don’t quit now. Don’t back off because you’re a writer, not an editor.

Dive into the craft of making your book. Keep going back;

put in whatever time it takes.

Remember why you’re writing a book: you know something the world needs to know, and you are the most qualified person to share that information. Someday, when your book is displayed proudly in your parents’ living room or you see someone on the bus avidly reading the thing, you will know it was worth the hard work. All it took was a pencil, some paper and a stapler.

Julie Desmond is IT Recruiting Manager with George Konik Associates, Inc. Write to Julie at jdesmond@georgekonik.com.

Fundraising: What’s your policy?

FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw Most people who volunteer with nonprofits are ethical and deeply committed to the organizations and institutions they serve. But sometimes in the midst of doing good there may be a tendency to sidestep best practices that build credibility. One way to ensure credibility is for the board to

MNsure

From 1 In Minnesota, the exchange, called MNsure, is being rolled out this week at Minnesota State Fair in a promotional blitz that, in theory at least, would get Minnesotans excited to learn about and purchase health insurance. One of the target markets for health insurance is Black people. Almost 20% of Black Minnesotans don’t have health insurance, compared to only 7% of whites.

The purpose of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), or ObamaCare, as supporters and detractors call it, is to create a pathway to affordable health insurance by bringing more people into the health insurance system.

Minnesota, like other states taking of federal funds to enact ACA, is on a mission to explain what MNsure is and how MNsure works. Public forums have been held to explore how

Washburn From 2 and asked pointed questions about how and why Exner was chosen to lead Washburn.

craft, approve, and implement fundraising guidelines, policies, and procedures. These should be clearly worded and should support the work of board members, volunteers, staff, and donors.

We advise our clients to take the time to identify the full spectrum of guidelines, policies, and procedures needed to support their fundraising efforts — before launching a campaign. Choosing to adopt policies on an “as needed” basis is choosing to be reactive instead of proactive. When policies and procedures are clearly communicated, the work of fundraising is made easier.

groups can effectively connect people to MNsure, especially communities with the highest rates of health disparities and uninsured people.

Forums allow people to learn about the challenges and barriers to increasing health equity in Minnesota communities and how MNsure may be able to help.

MNsure could provide health insurance for the 300,000 Minnesotans who don’t currently have it. Open enrollment for MNsure begins October 1.

But it looks like Minnesota is bypassing Black people once again by failing to engage initiatives originating from legacy Black institutions. In the recent round of projects awarded contract grants to support getting the word out and community buy-in about MNsure, legacy Black institutions were conspicuously absent. (see chart) “The Affordable Care Act is important to us as a people, said Rev. Alfred Babington-Johnson, president of the Stairstep

When a parent asked why Exner was the only candidate interviewed for the position, Superintendent Johnson said that he seemed to have the appropriate qualifications, such as working with a diverse population of students, although

For example, if you do not have a pledge policy in place, it can be frustrating for a volunteer solicitor to learn that the threeyear pledge she secured from a local business leader requires a signed pledge form. If she had known, she would have informed the donor at the time she solicited the pledge. Having to come back to secure a signed pledge form means reopening negotiations. It provides the donor with an opportunity to reconsider her giving. It sends the signal that your organization does not have its house in order.

It can frustrate volunteers who are giving their valuable time.

Take the guesswork out

of fundraising. Define your policies and procedures. If unusual circumstances arise, respond to them. But have the fundamentals in place and apply them consistently. Nothing can lose the goodwill of an investor or volunteer more quickly than a situation where the rules are changing constantly. Take time and work with your board, staff, volunteers, and donors to develop guidelines, policies, and procedures that are credible and in line with your mission and culture.

Here is a three-step process you can use as you put policies in place. Step one: the development committee

of the board is responsible for drafting guidelines, policies, and procedures. They can work with your development staff, with a consultant, or with Internet resources to craft these. Step two: the documents created in step one should be brought to the full board for approval. Step three: once approved, the guidelines, policies, and procedures should be implemented by staff and referred to on an ongoing basis.

Details on policies and procedures for consideration are available from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) website www.afpnet. org. We also include examples

General

Outstate

Latino

Asian

Native

Refugees

Somali

Accountability MN

Communicating for America, Inc

Centro Chicano

Hmong American Partnership

MN Chippewa Tribe

Planned Somali Parenthood Health Solutions

MN Teen Challenge

Central MN Jobs CLUES & Training Generations Health Care Initiative Small Business Minnesota

International Inst. Of Minnesota MN Council of Churches

MN AIDS Project Portico

Healthnet ͒ResourceWest, Inc. Springboard for Community Resource the Arts MN Health Access Network Lyon-Dugin associates

Connections, Inc. Healthfinders Collaborative, Inc.

Women's Health Center of Duluth, P.A.

Clinics Health Center of Duluth Northpoint Health & Wellness Southside Community Health Services, Inc.

Community Action

County Entities

MN Community Action Partnership Western Community Action, Inc.

Dakota County

Women

African American

Women Venture

Foundation, which submitted a proposal to MNsure to engage the Black church to connect our

community with the MNsure health insurance exchange. “We are in a place where we cannot

afford to walk away. But, we should not be abused by not getting access to resources or

she later acknowledged that Ubah Medical Academy has a very “monolithic” student population. Also, she noted that there is a “national demand for principals,” and that it is especially hard to get a principal for an “urban school.”

Further audience questions were varied in nature, echoing the turmoil that has gripped Washburn since last winter.

Some spoke of a desire to move on and focus on Washburn’s strengths, with one man asking, “What can we do to recoup our image?” in order to prevent “our families from leaving.” A woman in the crowd, however, spoke of deep dissatisfaction with the Minneapolis school district, saying she had seen many principals come and go and wondered about the district’s ability to attract and retain quality candidates. A few other questions focused on what the district, and Washburn, were doing to make sure students

would be offered “challenging” coursework.

The need to rebuild trust, to bring “transparency,” and more “intentional” action to the school and the community at large emerged as a theme during the night. Finally, the meeting ended with both attendees and school and district officials seeming exhausted at the range of questions and concerns that were raised.

Those in attendance voiced several seemingly contradictory strains: Washburn is a great school, Washburn needs a PR person, Washburn is an unsafe school where punishments are handed out unfairly, Washburn is being run by a “tight team” that collaborates well, and so on.

The issue of whether or not Washburn is academically enriching enough came up, as did the desire to continue focusing on “equity for all.” Many have suggested

that former principal Carol Markham Cousins’ inability to meet both of these needs is what really led to her ouster. Any principal will face the challenge of leading a diverse school community and engaging not only the students who are ready to soar, but also those who may need a significant hand up in order to succeed.

Sarah Lahm attended the August 15 meeting both as a Washburn parent and as a reporter. This is her personal reflection.

Edelman

so the pursuit of peace will take precedence over the pursuit of war. There is nothing to keep us from remolding a recalcitrant status quo with bruised hands until we have fashioned it into a brotherhood”—and sisterhood.

Fifty years later, we must not give up on building a just America that ensures a level playing field for every child and person. We must not let anyone tell us that our rich nation’s vaults of justice and opportunity are bankrupt. And we must not tolerate any longer any resistance to creating jobs, jobs,

jobs which pay enough to escape poverty, public and private sector, and providing the education and early childhood development supports every human being needs to survive and thrive. I hope we will commit ourselves on this fiftieth anniversary to building and sustaining a powerful transforming nonviolent movement to help America live up to its promises and forge the will to translate America’s dream into reality for all. Let’s honor Dr. King and save America’s future and soul by hearing, heeding, and

From 3 America, the richest and most powerful nation in the world, can well lead the way in this revolution of values . . . There is nothing except shortsightedness to prevent us from guaranteeing an annual minimum—and livable— income for every American family. There is nothing, except a tragic death wish, to prevent us from reordering our priorities,

Speaking as a parent As a parent of an incoming Washburn freshman, I too felt tired and ready to put the situation to rest for a while by the end of the August 15 meeting. However, I can see how difficult that will be.

Washburn, to me, seems like a ship without a rudder. Too many distractions, as Bernadeia Johnson has said, have left the

of policies (and what they related to) in our recent book Prerequisites for Fundraising Success. Following the AFP Donor Bill of Rights and the AFP Code of Ethics are two items all nonprofits should review and consider adopting as part of their fundraising policies.

Copyright 2013 – Mel and Pearl Shaw Mel and Pearl Shaw are the authors of “Prerequisites for Fundraising Success.”

They position nonprofits for fundraising success. Visit them at www.saadandshaw.com.

decision-making.”

In broader context of health care reform, he said, “If you don’t get at the issue of disparity in health outcomes, you don’t win. Many issues driving the disparity in health outcomes relate to social determinants of health. So if the Governor and Legislature are serious about health care reform, the economic side of the solutions must find a place in the communities that have the disparity,” he said.

For instance, BabingtonJohnson said, the marketing campaign announcing the MNsure insurance exchange is built around the mythical Paul Bunyan and Babe, the blue ox. “Was Paul homeless? Was the blue ox uninsured? What audience is being spoken to?”

“For the insurance exchange to work, the uninsured must become insured. This marketing does not speak to our community.

Maybe it did not intend to,” he said, noting the trusted advisor network in our community is being ignored.

school without a clear direction, and this latest upsetting incident has opened the school up to more chaos and confusion.

Knowing the kind of tight rope act required for a principal, I wonder what kind of miracle worker is lurking in the shadows, ready to put the school on a clear forward path.

My hopes for Washburn are buoyed by my own student’s lack of concern or involvement in these personnel issues, proceeding instead with the normal bouts of excitement and nervousness that starting high school tend to bring.

We have talked with many of our neighbors whose children attend Washburn, and most of them say that their kids love the school. For my child, and perhaps for Washburn itself, that is enough to build on. ©2013 Sarah Lahm Washburn High School

following our greatest American prophet.

Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. For more information go to www. childrensdefense.org.

ARTIST PROFILE

Mankwe

Ndosi

By Abeni Hill Artist/musician Mankwe Ndosi strives to connect people to the community and to the Earth through her work as a cultural worker.

Ndosi’s work focuses on the creative expression and practice.

“The exercise of creativity helps people learn more about themselves and feel more a part of the world and the universe,” said Ndosi. “It helps people to be proud and clear about their own story.”

Ndosi works with many art communities throughout the United States and the world including within the Twin Cities, Chicago and Arusha, Tanzania.

“I ask myself what should my work be for,” said Ndosi, who felt the need to create something that made an impact on and benefited others.

“I felt the pressure to do something to make something.”

Ndosi was inspired by her father’s self-made mission to come to America to be successful.

Her father also worked at Augsburg College as the head of the International Student Association. “He brought people from Japan and different countries of Africa to host them in the house,” said Ndosi.

According to the artist, these interactions with people from all over the world have molded her to work as a culture worker and inspired her artwork.

NDOSI TURN TO 7

Strange Beauties: The Art of Amina Harper Of it all, the Haitian art was my favorite as it is of an aesthetic sensibility that is truly ancestral and pure.

In retrospect, the first time that I viewed the art of Amina Harper, I was taken to the same place of awe and inspiration. Mind you, I knew Harper long before she executed her first rendering of mind and heart into artwork that mattered. I knew her as a knobby-kneed girl, singing, smiling, and loving life as happy children do. She has not much deviated from that personal sense of joie de vivre. Now grown, her artistic inclinations reflect her special sense of beauty – strange beauty.

Allow me to revisit the

By Brenda Bell Brown

“Chimera” artist, Amina Harper

MORE

• Miss Black Minnesota pageant September 8

Within a few months after I moved to Minnesota in the early 1990s, I ran to view the Minnesota Museum of American Art’s exhibition, “Spirits: Selections from the Collection of Geoffrey Holder and Carmen de Lavallade.”

The museum’s collection of Haitian, African and African-American folk art treated me to a euphoric experience of color, form and phantasm.

HARPER TURN TO 6

• 4th Annual Fashion Show Benefit Who is Qe’Bella Couture?

• Snapshots

Page 6 • September 2 - September 8, 2013 • Aesthetically Speaking

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Miss Black Minnesota pageant September 8th at Cooper High

Krystle Igbo (Miss Black Minnesota Pageant)

The Miss Black Minnesota Pageant is set to crown a new queen – and she will have a lofty standard to maintain following the accomplishments of the current titleholder.

The pageant, in less than its second year under executive director Tiffany Ramm, is set to crown queens in its Princess, Talented Teen and Miss divisions on Sunday, Sept. 8 at Cooper High School Auditorium, 8230 47th Ave. N., New Hope. The pageant begins at 5 p.m. Tickets for the event are $10 in advance at www. missblackminnesota.org or $15 at the door.

Whoever takes the Miss title; the winner has some big shoes to fill. Outgoing queen, Krystle Igbo placed 1st runner up in what was called a “very close” judges’ decision during the recently held national Miss Black USA Pageant in Washington, D.C. “When I speak of the experience (of competing for the national crown) the first

thing I say is I was amazed at the caliber of women that were represented,” said Igbo, who is a past Miss Minnesota for the National American Miss Association. “A lot of the women are in graduate school or running a business or nonprofit. It was truly the best of the best.”

Amanda McCoy of North Carolina was awarded the crown of Miss Black USA. For director Ramm, the Miss Black Minnesota Pageant is a labor of love and a dream fulfilled – fulfilled at an early age, as Ramm is just 26-yearsold.

“I’m the youngest pageant director of the Miss Black USA network – probably one of the youngest of any pageant,” said Ramm. “I’m actually still young enough to compete in the pageant I direct.”

Contestants in the Miss Black Minnesota Pageant can compete up until the age of 27.

The young director took over the pageant in April of

last year, following a rocky few years for the organization, where for a time it looked as if it would go defunct. But Ramm, who volunteered as a pageant coach prior to her taking over as director, stepped up to help save the organization.

“My big thing is to bring back integrity to the pageant,” said Ramm, who said queens are required to volunteer at least twice a month to their chosen platform.

Contestants who compete in the pageant in the teen and miss divisions vie for the title and up to $500 in scholarships.

Ramm hopes to increase that amount in future competitions.

“The main thing is I want to be a strong role model for African-American girls and women,” said Ramm.

Igbo agrees.

“This title is a lot more meaningful than my other titles because I was able to positively represent young women of color,” said the reigning queen.

Opening this week: for movies opening September 6, 2013

by Kam Williams

BIG BUDGET FILMS “Riddick” (R for profanity, nudity, sexuality and graphic violence) Third installment of the otherworldly sci-fi series finds Vin Diesel reprising his role as an alien antihero now left for dead on a desolate planet where he ends up in a struggle for survival after the arrival of bounty hunters searching for him. Cast includes Karl Urban, Bokeem Woodbine and Keri Hilson.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS “99%: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film” (R for profanity) Class war documentary chronicles the

Harper From 5

birth of the Occupy Movement by following a motley assortment of activists camping out in lower Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park with hopes of creating a utopian alternative to the status quo.

“Adore” (R for profanity and sexually) Tale of forbidden love based on “The Grandmothers,” the Doris Lessing novella about a couple of lifelong best friends (Robin Wright and Naomi Watts) who seduce each other’s son (Xavier Samuel and James Frecheville). With Bob Mendelsohn, Jessica Tovey and Sophie Lowe.

“Best Kept Secret” (Unrated) Special Ed documentary, set at Newark’s JFK High School, and following the efforts of a dedicated teacher to find jobs for autistic students in the Class of 2012 so that they can be come productive members of society rather than end up institutionalized or on the streets.

Revealing expose’ relating the shocking story of how pharmaceutical companies conspired with Western governments to prevent subSaharan African nations from acquiring affordable HIV drugs, thereby leading to over ten million unnecessary deaths from AIDS. Includes appearances by Bishop Desmond Tutu and President Bill Clinton.

“Good Ol’ Freda” (PG for smoking and mature themes) Beatles documentary featuring the reminiscences about the Fab Four by their longtime secretary, Freda Kelly.

“Hell Baby” (R for sexuality, profanity, drug use, graphic nudity and gory violence) Horror comedy revolving around an expectant couple (Rob Corddry and Leslie Bibb) whose lives unravel after moving into a haunted house in New Orleans. Cast includes Alex Berg, Keegan Michael Key and Robert Ben Garant.

“Fire in the Blood” (Unrated) Holder/de Lavallade art collection to explain my “strange beauty” reference.

In the “Spirits” exhibit

catalogue’s foreword, Holder attributes his collector fancy to a belief of fairy tales and mythology, of magic. Amidst a variety of people’s distinct magic and culture, he found his treasures his. In essence, Holder’s term describes the art that Harper makes from the scape of her singular

“Out of the Clear Blue Sky” (Unrated) 9/11 documentary examining the fallout of the terrorist attack on Cantor Fitzgerald, a brokerage firm which lost 658 of its 960 employees when one of the hijacked aircraft crashed into the World Trade Center’s North Tower.

“Populaire” (R for sexuality) French farce, set in 1958, about an applicant (Deborah Francois) for a secretarial position at an insurance company who is informed by her prospective employer (Romain Duris) that she’ll have to win a speed typing competition in order to land the job. With Berenice Bejo, Shaun Benson and Melanie Bernier. (In French with subtitles) “Red Obsession” (Unrated) East meets West documentary, narrated by Russell Crowe between Bordeaux and Beijing, documenting how China’s burgeoning demand for the world’s best wines has created a soul’s heart and mind.

Harper creates from the mind and the heart, and both visceral landscapes are allegorically rich. Selfadmittedly, she creates from the many versions of herself that live in her head and “have great stories to tell.” Artwork featured at

market bubble waiting to burst.

“Salinger” (PG-13 for smoking, mature themes and disturbing images) Skeletons out of the closet biopic offering an inside look at the life and times of J.D. Salinger, the notoriously reclusive author of “The Catcher in the Rye.” Featuring commentary by 150 luminaries, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tom Wolfe, Gore Vidal, John Cusack and Martin Sheen.

“A Teacher” (Unrated) Jailbait drama, set in Austin, Texas, about a high school teacher (Lindsay Burdge) whose life falls apart after she crosses an ethical line by sleeping with one of her students (Will Brittain). Supporting cast includes Jennifer Prodiger, Julie Dell Phillips and Jonny Mars.

“Things Never Said” (R for sexuality and pervasive profanity) Dysfunctional family drama about a miserably-married woman her recent show “Chimera,” hosted by Minneapolis’ Smitten Kitten, illustrated what dances and twists around in that head of hers.

Billed as a “sex-positive” art show at this venue popularly known for its progressive adult sex toys, “Chimera” resonated with Harper’s signature provocative,

(Shanola Hampton) who uses poetry as an outlet to express her feelings about a miscarriage and about being beaten by her abusive husband (Elimu Nelson). With Omari Hardwick, Tamala Jones and Dorian Missick.

“Touchy Feely” (R for language, drug use and brief sexuality) Sibling rivalry drama about a massage therapist (Rosemary DeWitt) who develops a phobia about making any physical contact with human skin at the same time that her dentist brother (Josh Pais) discovers that he has a miraculous healing touch. Supporting cast includes Ellen Page, Ron Livingston and Allison Janney.

“Winnie Mandela” (R for violence and profanity) Jennifer Hudson portrays the title character in this biopic chronicling the life and times of Nelson Mandela’s (Terrence Howard) first wife. With Elias Koteas, Wendy Crewson and Angelique Pretorius.

often erotic style full of bright colors and fantastical storytelling.

Harper’s drawings, her paintings, her writing that she executes in a variety of genres all possess this flash of spirit … strange … beautiful.

insightnews.com/aesthetics

Aesthetically Speaking • September 2 - September 8, 2013 • Page 7

4th Annual Fashion Show Benefit

Who is Qe’Bella Couture?

Qe’Bella Couture is a forprofit and not-for-profit organization. The for-profit side creates custom pieces for little girls and women. Keiona L. Cook, the owner and head designer, creates jeans, club wear, prom dress, and over the top embellished wedding dresses.

The not-for-profit side of Qe’Bella Couture teaches young boys and girls, ages 6 to 16, the art of sewing and fashion design. Cook believes that all youth deserve the opportunity to learn different life skills that will enrich their lives.

“Sewing is one of those life skills, that is turning into a lost art,” said Cook.

The designer is a graduate of North Community High School and has a BFA in fashion design from the Savannah College of Art & Design. Cook established Qe’Bella Couture in August of 2004 and has been custom designing every since. In 2008 she started teaching youth how to sew at Homewood Studios located at 2400 Plymouth Ave. N., Minneapolis. Homewood

Ndosi From 5 “I am inspired by the environment,” said Ndosi, who said she is inspired specifically by the people in her life, such as her grandmother and mother.

Ndosi, whose album, “Afro-Soul” was released in 2012, hopes to relieve the

L-R front row: Tashi Burnett, Avey Couture, Ah’Zariah McFadden and Ahzaneia Cook.

L-R back row: Castro Love Luck, Fatima Cook, Princess Couture, Za’Vunjae Cook and Makylah Woods Studios is an art gallery owned

by Cook’s former English teacher, George Roberts.

The upcoming annual fashion show and benefit will help pay for youth to

continue to learn to sew for free at Homewood Studios.

The funds will pay for snacks, transportation, materials, supplies, and the space to teach the classes year round.

The Sept. 14 event has two shows – one at 6 p.m. and a second at 8 p.m. For more information contact Cook at (612) 384-1971 or (912) 604-1943.

world from prejudice through her works and to guide them, “past a place of exclusion, materialism, and racism and into the possibility of being appreciative of the beautiful garden that we were birthed into.”

The musician said she admires other musicians such as Nina Simone and Erykah Badu for their passion for music and making a

difference. “I like them because they are creative and are speaking to society, and talking about situation at the moment.

“Most people describe my music as soul or R&B,” said Ndosi. “It is very rhythmic and has lots of harmony.”

Along with being an entertainer, Ndosi also works as a community organizer with Hope Community

Inc., 611 East Franklin Ave., Minneapolis. On Saturday Sept. 7, an event will be held at the center as part of a multiple installment program called “Intersections.” This particular installment is titled “The Neighborly Living Room.”

The discussion is scheduled

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND ONE RACE FILMS PRESENT A ONE RACE FILMS PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH RADAR PICTURES A DAVID TWOHY FILM VIN DIESEL “RIDDICK” JORDI MOLLA` MATTEXECUTIVENABLE KATEE SACKHOFF DAVE BAUTISTA BOKEEM WOODBI NE RAOUL TRUJILLO PRODUCED AND KARL URBAN AS VAAKO PRODUCERS SAMANTHA VINCENT MIKE DRAKE GEORGE ZAKK BY VIN DIESEL TED FIELD BASED ON CHARACTERS WRITTEN AND CREATED BY JIM & KEN WHEAT DIRECTED BY DAVID TWOHY A UNIVERSAL RELEASE SOUNDTRACK ON BACK LOT MUSIC

© 2013 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

IMAX® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF IMAX CORPORATION

LOCAL LISTINGS FOR STARTS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 CHECK THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

B LAIR UNDERWOOD PREMIERES WEDNESDAY OCT 2

NBC

Photos: Keiona Cook

L-R: Fatima Cook, Tashi Burnett and Ahzaneia Cook

from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

The event is free to the public and food will be provided during the discussion.

Later this month Ndosi is working with Ananya Dance Theater. The performance is Sept. 20 and Sept. 21 at

the College of St. Catherine and in the O’Shaughnessy Auditorium.

For more information about Mankwe Ndosi and mentioned events, contact Ndosi at mankwendosi@ gmail.com or (612) 600-0482.

Page 8 • September 2 - September 8, 2013 • Aesthetically Speaking

Snapshots

insightnews.com/aesthetics 2

1

1) Power-couple, Sparkle and Mario Wemberly.

2) Jessica Rogers & Lisa Johnson on the patio at Tryg’s 3) Elaine Davis enjoying a Saturday night at Tryg’s

3

4

4) Amy Goodwin and George Montgomery read to sample the spirits at the Mr. Hooks Couvoisier tasting.

5) Russell Maruta enjoying himself at the Mr. Hooks Couvoisier tasting event at 7 Sushi.

5

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Insight News • September 2 - September 8, 2013 • Page 9

FULL CIRCLE Using short and long-term goals to improve your life Man Talk

By Timothy Houston I am not a big fan of the term time management. We do not have the power to move time from one day to the next.

We must therefore, manage ourselves against time. This self management is accomplished through goal-setting. People who set regular goals for themselves tend to attain at least a portion of them, which brings the self confidence needed to push further. Setting and obtaining goals is the vehicle that successful people use to improve their relationships and their lives.

To begin with, there are two types of goals you should create:

long term and short term. When you picture a long term goal in your mind, I recommend that you think of what you would like to accomplish in the next 3-5 years. Long-term goals keep you moving towards the big prize. However, you do not get the satisfaction of completing them right away.

Creating short-term goals is a way to keep yourself constantly moving toward your long-term goals. Short-term goals are the mile markers and highway signs that let you know that you are on the right path to reaching your long-term destination.

Next, I recommend that you begin with the end in mind.

Make a list of long-term goals you would like to complete.

Separate them by categories such as career, relationship, finance, and so on. Once you have long-term goals in each category, set short-term goals (mile makers) for each long term goals. Your short-term goals should be something

No matter what your current station in time, you can use goals to improve your life.

that you could accomplish in the next six months to one year. These short-term goals will prevent you from letting time pass you by without any actions. For those of you who have been out of high school for more than 10 years, believe it or not, if you had set a short term goal of taking only one college class each term, you

would have your 4-year degree by now. Short-term goals equal long term success.

Thirdly, set SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely).

Setting SMART goals is one of the most important parts of actually achieving them.

Goals should not necessarily be easy, but you should be able to

complete them with hard work, motivation and perseverance.

To help keep you on track, keep a goal notebook or journal.

Writing about your goals and progress will help you visualize your advancement. Consult your goal journal on a regular basis to keep you motivated and on track.

Finally, use goals as the building blocks for selfimprovement. The completion of one goal is the catalyst for the next. The goal of registering for a class must supersede the goal of completing the class.

Each completed goal lays the foundation for the subsequent one. Whatever your steps or short-term aspiration, make sure they serve as a solid foundation for completing your overall goal. For my personal weight loss target, I would not set a goal to lose 25 pounds. If I only lost 20 lbs, somehow I would still feel like a failure. I would rather set a weight loss goal to lose one pound and repeat that

goal 25 times. That way, I have 24 victories going into the final goal.

No matter what your current station in time, you can use goals to improve your life. The goals must motivate you to actions. Each short-term goal must serve as a catalyst and building block for the next.

This will make you a better and more reliable person, husband, wife, father, mother, or friend.

It will also give you the confidence to know that you can accomplish great things if you stay on the path to your longterm destination. Start today by setting some long and short term goals, and live the best life possible!

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

Rejoice at others’ successes Motivational Moments

By Penny JonesRichardson What is the difference between jealousy and envy? I’ve had to ask myself that question many times. Have you ever been jealous of someone or jealous of something that they had? Have you ever looked at someone else’s situation and wished it was yours? We all have! But is that jealousy or envy?

Often times we can look at our friends or associates and think that they just have it all together. They have the beautiful home, the nice car, the wonderful spouse, and all around perfect life. Everything they ever wanted has just been handed to them on a silver platter. You wonder why

couldn’t that be you, or why does it always happen to someone else and not you. Have you ever thought that maybe it’s just not your time yet?

When you think that good things are always happening to someone else and never you, you are placing doubt in your heart.

When you concentrate of the things that you don’t have and are jealous and envious of others, you tend to miss the big picture.

The big picture is to focus on the many blessings that you have right now.

Just think about it for a moment. You are blessed with so many great things in your life on a daily basis. Just waking up every morning is a blessing and another chance to make wonderful and life changing things happen for and your loved ones. Don’t concentrate on the negative, or what you are lacking. Think about what you are equipped with right at this present moment.

Any goal you set for yourself can be a reality. But first you

must be happy for those who are doing well. You must rejoice and have true happiness for other’s accomplishments. After all, you don’t know how hard they may have had to work to get that beautiful home. Maybe

they’ve been saving every extra dime they had to get that nice car after driving lemons most of their lives. And you never know, maybe they’ve been alone for a long time and have been praying for many years for that perfect

spouse. You never know what journey someone has been on just by looking at them. So don’t be jealous, rejoice and know that you’re next!!

Remember, stay focused….. stay determined….and keep

striving for greatness!

Penny Jones-Richardson is a published Author and Life Coach. www.thequeensproject.com penny@thequeensproject. com

Page 10 • September 2 - September 8, 2013 • Insight News

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Market bucks, EBT purchases make Farmers Markets accessible As we experience the abundance of the harvest in Minnesota, farmers markets are at their most lively.

In Minneapolis, nine farmers markets have purposefully worked to ensure all community members have access to their dizzying variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, local breads, honey and more. Thanks to a collaborative effort between these markets, the Minnesota Department of Human Services and the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross), lowincome Minnesotans who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) can use their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to purchase affordable and healthy food at farmers markets in every corner of the city, from West Broadway to Fulton.

SNAP participants can also stretch their dollars further with a special incentive funded by Blue Cross that matches EBT card purchases with up to an additional $5 in “Market Bucks” each market day. Market Bucks can be used during the same trip or anytime during the 2013 market season, on SNAP-eligible

purchases.

Twin Cities farmers markets have consistently been leaders in promoting access to fresh and healthy food. The Midtown Farmers Market (at Lake St E & 22nd Ave S) was the first market in Minnesota to accept EBT back in 2006. In 2010, the Minneapolis Health Department assisted the Minneapolis Municipal Farmers Market and the Northeast Farmers Market to set up systems to accept EBT and offer Market Bucks.

Today, the EBT and Market Bucks program is also implemented at the Augsburg College Farmers Market, Brian Coyle Farmers Market, Fulton Farmers Market, Kingfield Farmers Market, Mill City Farmers Market and West Broadway Farmers Market.

Locations and hours of operation are listed below.

The nine participating Minneapolis markets are leaders in the growing trend seen across Minnesota. In fact, more than 50 markets throughout the state are accepting EBT cards this season – almost doubling the number that participated in 2012 – and enabling more SNAP participants to purchase produce and

EBT and Market Bucks Augsburg College 625 22nd Ave S Tuesday 11:00am -1:00pm Brian Coyle 420 15th Ave S Tuesday 2:00pm 5:00pm Fulton 4901 Chowen Ave S Saturday 8:30am 1:00pm Kingfield 4310 Nicollet Ave Sunday 8:30am 1:00pm

West Broadway Farmers Market

L to R: Matthew McGlory, Justin Kader and Kitty Harris. other SNAP eligible products directly from local farmers.

“Offering EBT redemption at the farmers market helps us realize our goal to make healthy, local food available to people of all ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic positions. In turn, this supports our mission to be an open community and enhance the livability of our neighborhood,” says Brian Thielke, EBT Outreach Coordinator at the Northeast Farmers Market.

Farmers Markets are meant to be dynamic gathering spaces where community members from a variety of cultures and economic backgrounds come together and have positive interactions; making markets accessible to EBT customers supports this mission. The EBT and Market Bucks initiative is truly a “win-win” as it enables SNAP participants to purchase the healthy foods they need, while at the same time supporting local farmers and producers.

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

EVENTS Flow Art Space presents Me, Myself, and Eye self portraits Sept 4 -21 Flow Art Space hosts the national juried exhibition Me, Myself, and Eye, a group exhibition with local and national artists which reflects the many ways these 18 artists view themselves. A Friday, Sept 6 reception from 6-8 pm - free and open to the public - will be held at Flow Art Space in the Northern Warehouse in Lowertown, 308 Prince St., Suite 218 St Paul MN, 55101.

Light refreshments will be served. This date is set in conjunction with the Lowertown First Friday event, a monthly neighborhood crawl which features open galleries in studios throughout the Lowertown neighborhood.

Me, Myself and Eye runs at Flow Art Space Sept 4 - Sept 21, with general hours of Wed - Fri 1-6 and Sat 11-4 or by appointment by calling 612-564-3569.

Free entry. Metered street parking is free after 5 pm. 100% of all sales go directly to the artists.

For more information, please contact: Melissa Metzler at Flow Art Space, (612) 564-3569 or art@flowartspace. com.

Preview the exhibition at www. flowartspace.com Recovery Month event Sept. 4 A Recovery Month kick-off event to

celebrate veterans, service members and all Minnesotans in recovery, as well as friends, family and others who aid in the recovery from addiction and mental health disorders, is set for Wednesday, Sept., 4, in Rooms 2370/80 at the Elmer L. Andersen Human Services Building, 540 Cedar St, St. Paul. Resource tables will be open and a social hour will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by a program from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Free parking will be available in the Andersen building ramp, which can be entered from Minnesota Street between 10th and 11th streets. To help organizers with seating and other arrangements, those attending are asked to RSVP to dhs.adad@ state.mn.usor (651) 4313250.

Cabaret III – Sept. 7 St. Peter’s AME Church presents Cabaret III September 7, 2013.

Presented by the St. Peter’s AME Church Trustee Board, featuring Curt Boganey, Daryl Boudreaux and Thom West, from 5-8 pm at St. Peter’s AME church.

St. Peter’s is located at 401 East 41st Street, Minneapolis, MN where The Rev. Nazim B. Fakir is Pastor. Tickets are $15 in advance/$20 at the door. All proceeds will go to support the mission and ministries of St. Peter’s.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please call the church office at (612) 825-9750. Visit us on Facebook.

Target Free Thursday Nights Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26 The Walker Art Center’s Target Free Thursday Nights in September feature a Chef-in-Residence event with Peter Ireland (Thursday, September

Midtown 2225 E. Lake St Saturday 8:00am 1:00pm Tuesday 3:00pm 7:00pm

5); A Preview of the 2013-2014 Performing Arts Season (Thursday, September 5) and Music in the Garden featuring The Field of Medicine (Thursday, September 5). Target Free Thursday Nights in September also includes a Teen Art Lounge (Thursday, September 19), and Conversation: The Politics of Home with University of Minnesota history professor Tracey Deutsch (Thursday, September 19). Galleries open 5–9 pm.

Cabaret III – Sept. 7 St. Peter’s AME Church presents Cabaret III presented by the St. Peter’s AME Church Trustee Board, featuring Curt Boganey, Daryl Boudreaux and Thom West, September 7, 2013 from 5-8 pm at St. Peter’s AME church.

St. Peter’s is located at 401 East 41st Street, Minneapolis, MN where The Rev. Nazim B. Fakir is Pastor. Tickets are $15 in advance/$20 at the door. All proceeds will go to support the mission and ministries of St. Peter’s.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please call the church office at (612) 825-9750. Visit us on Facebook.

Choosing the Right Business Entity for Your Business Workshop Sept. 10 Do you have any questions about setting up your business entity?

Are you wondering what to choose? Do you have questions about how your choice affects your taxes or liability?

If so then attend the free workshop “Choosing the right business entity for your business” hosted by Fredrikson and Byron Law Firm and sponsored by the Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON) and The Neighborhood

SNAP is a public benefit program that also provides an economic stimulus, creating an economic boost that ripples throughout the economy when new SNAP benefits are redeemed.

Alicia Uzarek started and manages the West Broadway Farmers Market in North Minneapolis, which opened in 2011 and has always accepted EBT and Market Bucks. Like other market managers, Uzarek recognizes that markets, “benefit in

Mill City 704 2nd St S Saturday 8:00am 1:00pm

many ways by accepting EBT and welcoming EBT customers. The market becomes a gathering space for all community members, fresh local produce become accessible to all, and small farmers and startup businesses benefit greatly from the increased sales.”

Using EBT at the market is easy. Once

Phone: 612.588.1313

Development Center (NDC). The workshop will take place at North Regional Library (1315 Lowry Ave N. Minneapolis, MN 55411), Tuesday September 10th, 2013 from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM. For More information call (612) 302-1505 or email Ashley@neon-mn.org.

Harvest Gala Sept. 12 The Northeast Minneapolis Farmers Market and Chowgirls Killer Catering announce the second annual Harvest Gala on September 12, 2013, 6pm to 10pm, at Chowgirls Parlor.

Proceeds from the event will be used to fund the activities and mission of the Northeast Minneapolis Farmers Market.

The Gala features an innovative format that pairs Market vendors and local chefs.

Chefs and farmers team up to create tasty appetizers using ingredients sourced from the Northeast Farmers Market. The Gala also includes entertainment, by Dan Turpening, Adam Frank and ethnic dancing.

A silent auction will include donated arts, crafts, certificates and services from local artisans, businesses and individuals. Donations for the silent auction are now being solicited. A Donation Agreement with information about donating can be found below or at Northeast Farmers Market (www. northeastmarket.org).

All donations submitted

by September 7 will be promoted online. Each contributing donor will receive one free admission to the Gala.

Admission to the Gala is $10 in advance, and $15 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite (http:// harvestgalanefm-es2. eventbrite.com/.

The

Northeast Farmers Market is located on the corner of 7th Street NE and University Avenue, in the St. Boniface Church parking lot.

Chowgirls Parlor is located at 1224-2nd Street NE, Minneapolis, 55413.

Walking and Biking Tours through September 15 During the summer of 2013, Preserve Minneapolis will offer 27 unique tours that highlight the natural, built, and cultural treasures found throughout the City.

The 2013 schedule runs from May 19th through September 15th.

On each tour, guides with experience in fields like architecture, history, and preservation will tell the “stories behind the stories” and give participants a greater understanding of the area’s social and built history…with fun and a sense of humor. Tours typically cost $8 per person.

Participants must pre-register online. Tours fill up fast and will be held to their size limits; however, when space allows, we will accept last-minute additions and cash payments of $10 at the tour starting points.

Pre-payment/ registration and more information is available at: http://www.preserve minneapolis.org/wpfile/ tours/ Third Annual Big Gay Race Sept. 28 Last year, more than 7,000 people ran, jogged and walked to show their support for the freedom to marry. Join us this year on Saturday, September 28 at St. Anthony Main, 65 SE Main Street, Minneapolis, MN 55 to celebrate marriage equality and thank all the legislators who voted yes! This wasn’t the easiest thing to do

Midtown Farmers Market

EBT at Midtown Farmers Market

for some of our state lawmakers – but in the end, a bipartisan majority chose to follow their own consciences and do the right thing for all Minnesota families. Everyone is welcome at this fun and festive event! There’s no skill level required, and you can walk or run at your own pace.

The most important thing is that you show up and participate.

Check-in /Day of Race Registration 8:30 am Race begins at 10:00 am.

To register: mnunited. org/biggacerace. Follow the Big Gay Race on Twitter: @BigGayRace.

The Twin Cities Financial Planning Day Oct 5 Find answers to your money management questions at the Twin Cities Financial Planning Day with KSTP’s Joe Schmit Oct 5th, 2013 10am to 2 pm at Wilder Foundation, 451 Lexington Parkway North, Saint Paul, MN 55104. The Financial Planning Association of Minnesota (FPA) is giving the Twin Cities community a day of free financial advice.

FPA is teaming up with the City of Saint Paul, the Wilder Foundation, and Neighborhood House to bring this oneof-a-kind opportunity to people who have questions about money.

The free event is open to the public and will include workshops, one-on-one financial advising sessions, and a resource fair to learn more about programs and services that are available. Don’t miss this opportunity to get free, private advice on the financial issues that matter most to you from qualified professionals from FPA. For information visit www.Financial PlanningDays.org/

an EBT card holder arrives at a participating market, he or she should simply look for the EBT booth, buy market tokens with their EBT card and claim up to five dollars worth of Market Bucks each day they visit a market.

Market Bucks are valid anytime during the 2013 market season anywhere in Minnesota.

Nearly all of the participating markets also accept WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) coupons and WIC Fruit and Vegetable Vouchers.

Mini markets, or satellite markets hosted by one of the full markets listed below, exist throughout the city and also accept

Fax: 612.588.2031

TwinCities or (877) 861-7826.

call

Volunteers of America Foster Parent Information Meetings Ongoing Foster Parent Information Meetings for interested skilled parents desiring to provide care for troubled youth in the Volunteers of America foster care program.

Kids of all ages are in need of a stable home with dedicated parents.

Information meetings are held at Volunteers of America Corporate Office every Friday from 10am-11:30am.

To RSVP or for additional information on becoming a foster parent, contact Jolene Swan at (952) 945-4064, email ftpfostercare@voamn. org or online at voafostercare.org PROGRAMS SERVICES

&

HELPING SENIORS IN MINNEAPOLIS Seniors Program of Neighborhood Involvement Program assists elders aged 60 and over in North and Southwest Minneapolis with a variety of services so that they can remain safely in their home or apartment. Our services are specialized for each resident and we strive to provide as much as possible via the assistance of volunteers. To be eligible for seniors’ services, people must live within the following boundaries: south of 44th Avenue in North Minneapolis, north of West 36th Street in Southwest Minneapolis, 35W on the east, and France Avenue on the west.

For information about NIP Senior Services email seniors@ neighborhoodinvolve.

The Executive Administrative Assistant (EAA) will be responsible for performing moderately complex to complex administrative tasks in support of the Executive/Clinic Director and the Mental Health Service Delivery Treatment team. Duties include extensive meeting scheduling, providing assistance to coordinate larger and complex meetings. Compiling information and preparing moderately complex documents, spreadsheets and reports using appropriate software; assisting, screening and/or selectively referring callers; handling complex and sensitive inquiries/calls from external/internal sources.

The EAA is also responsible for confirming travel arrangements and managing payments for payroll and expense report reimbursement. The EAA will also provide support within areas of reporting for business documentation and team/individual goals, personnel changes and department record keeping processes. The successful candidate proactively tracks procedures and deadlines.

The candidate may work closely with both internal and external customers to meet service needs. The EAA will also act as an onsite assistant for the Treatment team for miscellaneous duties such as equipment assistance, delivery support and supplies. Performing special projects as requested.

The successful candidate must have a minimum of 2 to 4 years of college plus 2 years experience as an administrative assistant; possess strong written and verbal communication skills and have experience with interacting with ethnically diverse mental health consumers.

Finally, Punctuality, Reliability and Dependability are a must. Unqualified applicants need not apply.

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

YOU CAN PREVENT

DIABETES Diabetes is the 6th leading cause of

death in Minnesota, and African Americans die from diabetes at more than double the rate of whites.

If you are African American, 18 and older and overweight, you are at high risk for Type 2 diabetes.

org or call 612374-3322.

Our website is www. neighborhoodinvolve. org West African Dance & Drum Classes African Dance w/ Whitney $12 - All classes Drop-In. Every Saturday 1:00pm 2:30pm; Every Tuesday 7:00pm - 8:30pm. at Patrick’s Cabaret, 3010 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55406.

Foster Parent Information Meetings Find out about becoming a foster parent and changing a child’s life! Open information meetings are held every Friday from 10AM-11:30AM at 7625 Metro Boulevard Edina, MN 55439. Volunteers of America-Minnesota is looking for skilled parents to provide 6-9 months care for troubled youth in our new Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care Program (MTFC). We have kids, ages 1217, who are in need of a stable home with dedicated parents who appreciate the difficulties of childhood! Volunteers of America provides quality foster parents with lots of friendly training, 24 hour support and a monthly stipend. If you would like more information contact Jolene Swan at 952-945-4064 or ftpfostercare@voamn. org, or visit us online at voafostercare.org!

GED, ELL, College Prep and skills development courses offered Minneapolis Public Schools-Adult Education is offering free GED, ELL, College Prep and skills development courses. Prepare for

Loan Officer/Business Advisor Dynamic nonprofit organization working with small businesses seeks Loan Officer/Business Advisor. This position is responsible for loan underwriting, loan closing, and providing business support to small businesses located in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, or accounting, banking, community development, urban studies, or related discipline. Significant employment experience in business management, accounting, marketing, sales, retail, internetbased business, etc. Experience working with culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse communities. Two years of experience in small business lending and/or community development. Send cover letter, resume and salary requirement to hr@ndc-mn.org or NDC, HR Dept., 663 University Ave. #200 St. Paul, MN 55104 or EOE/AA

or delay diabetes. Lose a small amount of weight by being physically active 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week and eating healthier. Join a Stairstep Foundation/His Works United “I Can Prevent Diabetes” Program offered in area churches at no cost to you and receive $125 in gift certificates for completion. For more information call Sylvia Amos at 612-521-3110.

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Minneapolis Municipal 312 East Lyndale Ave N Daily 6:00am - 1:00pm EBT Booth Open: Thursday-Friday 9am-12pm, SaturdaySunday 7am-1pm Northeast 629 2nd St NE Saturday 9:00am 1:00pm

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West Broadway 900 West Broadway Ave Friday 3:00pm 7:00pm

GED exams; Increase Math, Reading, and Writing skills; Develop Computer skills; Job training and specific certifications; Comfortable learning environment; and Day and evening classes available! For more information, please contact staff at: Minneapolis Public School Adult Education, 1250 W. Broadway Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55411 or Abe.mpls. k12.mn.us or (612) 668-1863.

SUPER DUPER HANDYPERSON WANTED Help an elderly Minneapolis resident stay in their home.

Assist with MINOR REPAIRS to make certain that their home is safe. Snowbirds, retirees, and trainees welcome (over the age of 18). You must have some experience to ensure that the work is done correctly (license not required). Choose your own schedule.

Adult individuals, two-person teams, and small groups welcome.

Exact location TBD in North or SW Minneapolis, depends upon where the senior citizen resides. One time opportunities are also available. Please contact Jeanne the NIP Seniors Program, Volunteer Coordinator at srvolunteer@ neighborhoodinvolve. org or call 612746-8549 for more information.

Our website is www. neighborhoodinvolve. org Volunteer at Skyline Tower Conversation Group Reach out to your neighbors for an hour of coffee and conversation, Thursdays 5-6 pm!

Share your stories and learn about other cultures while helping English language learners gain confidence in their language abilities. Our participants are mainly Vietnamese, Somali and Ethiopian residents

of Skyline Tower at 1247 St Anthony Ave. For more information, contact lisa.vogl@ commonbond.org or (651)999-7528.

Volunteer as an English Teacher with the Minnesota Literacy Council.

Help adult refugees and immigrants learn the reading, writing and speaking skills needed to thrive in the U.S. Morning, afternoon or evening classes are available throughout the Twin Cities. The literacy council provides training and support.

Interested?

Contact volunteer@mnliteracy. org or call Allison at 651-251-9110. Or visit www.mnliteracy. org/volunteers/ opportunities/adults The Mu Rho Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc at the U of MN is searching for former members Currently, the sorority is collecting historical information to add to it’s archives. This includes information pertaining to former Eta Chapter members (1922-1964) and Mu Rho Chapter members (1979-Present).For more information please contact the Graduate Advisor, Peggye Mezile by email: ga@akadpo.org Hazelden Offers Free Educational Opportunity Concerned about someone’s alcohol or drug use? Addressing Concerns Together (ACT), Hazelden’s new outreach program, can help. Join us for a free event to learn more about addiction, intervention, assessment, and treatment. Hazelden’s St. Paul campus, 680 Stewart Ave., St. Paul.

2nd and 4th Mon. of each month at 6pm.

This is an open event and there is no need to register. If you have questions, please contact Hazelden at 800-257-7800.

RENTAL UNITS AVAILABLE

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

Executive Director

But the good news is “It’s not too late to prevent diabetes”. Recent studies show you can prevent

Minneapolis Farmers Markets that accept

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Email: info@insightnews.com

Executive Administrative Assistant Brakins Consulting& Psychological Services, LLC & the African American Child Wellness Institute seek a highly motivated individual for a full-time position to work primarily with African American children, adolescents and adults in a community-based private practice clinic.

EBT. For a full list of farmers markets in Minnesota that accept SNAP/EBT, visit z.umn.edu/ farmersmarkets.

To determine your eligibility for SNAP, call The MN Food HelpLine at 1-888-7111151.

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West Falls Estates Rent based on 30% Of adjusted income Call Patricia Brown At 218-283-4967 TDD 800-627-3529

Headwaters Foundation for Justice seeks experienced Executive Director. Responsibilities include fundraising, staff development, board relations, strategic partnerships and alliances. ED reports to 18-member board. The successful candidate will understand and be committed to community organizing as a model for social change. Will employ a participatory leadership approach and have the maturity, experience and skill to instill confidence and build a shared vision with stakeholders.

The ideal candidate must possess exceptional written/ verbal skills, excellent strategic planning abilities, solid management skills, and the capacity to translate vision into results. Require at least 5 years progressive leadership experience, BA or equivalent experience. Excellent benefits, salary commensurate with experience, to apply email resume, cover letter and salary history to search@ dendros.com by September 16 – position open until filled. No phone calls. EOE.

insightnews.com

Insight News • September 2 - September 8, 2013 • Page 11

Ellison, GutiĂŠrrez rally for immigration reform

By Lydia Schwartz Reps. Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Luis GutiĂŠrrez (D-IL) gathered the Latino community at Incarnation Catholic Church in south Minneapolis this past Sunday, Aug. 25 to rally support for a nationwide immigration bill that was passed by the Senate on June 27. “Today, we are fighting the civil rights movement of our time,â€? said Ellison. “We are helping to establish freedom and human dignity for everyone, making sure that no family is split apart, and making sure that a child who grows up here does not fear deportation.

The Latino community is not alone, Americans from every generation stand with you.�

US Senate File 744 (The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013)

Minor From 1 United States. And although African-American men fair slightly better than their white counterparts, according to the study that looked at numbers from 2007 – 2010, 70 percent of African-American men were considered either overweight or obese.

With statistics such as these, it has been said that the nation is in the midst of a public heath crisis. But one man in Minnesota is leading a crusade to change these statistics by changing the mindset of individuals, particularly within the AfricanAmerican community.

Tyrone Minor is on a mission to transform the shape of Minnesota, both physically and mentally. The personal trainer, who has been conducting private lessons and group classes for the better part of 10 years, is set to open his own fitness center just after Labor Day. The F.I.T. Lab is scheduled to open Sept. 3 at 1565 Como Ave. in St. Paul.

The acronym F.I.T. stands for fitness, innovation and

greatly enhances border surveillance – increasing fencing and nearly doubling the number of patrol agents – but it also offers a path to citizenship for undocumented workers residing in America.

The legislation adopts a pointbased immigration system that will allow the acceptance of immigrants based on professional skills, family relations, and work history in the U.S. Undocumented immigrants would initially need to apply for a newly created Registered Provisional Immigrant status so immigrants would have to pay a fine and fees, any back taxes owed, pass a background check and not have a disqualifying criminal record.

The bill also calls for the creation of a Blue Card program – a temporary legal status available to undocumented immigrants who can demonstrate that they have been in the U.S. performing

qualifying agricultural work for a certain amount of time. It removes green card quota limits, eliminating the decades-long wait time for some countries and many high-skilled immigrants and requires extensive use of the federal government’s E-Verify by businesses in order to ensure that their workers have

the legal right to work in the U.S. The legislation also creates a new INVEST visa, that would allow prospective foreign entrepreneurs to stay in the county and start companies more easily. It also allows for more visas to be allotted to foreign students and allows immigrants illegally brought in as children to apply for

transformation.

For Minor, being fit is as much mental as it is physical. “When it comes to fitness, we’ve got to change our perception,� said Minor, who also models. “Oftentimes African-Americans relate their health to cultural experiences and believe you can’t eat foods that taste good and still eat healthy. Eighty-plus percent of health is diet as it pertains to portion sizes and how food is prepared. Some are reluctant to change the way they eat because they feel that in some way they are giving up a part of their culture.�

Though Minor’s classes focus on physically challenging the body, he preaches an allencompassing approach to fitness. The workout guru said when it comes to diet; one need not completely cut out the foods that are less healthy – simply limit the consumption of the “bad� foods. “I believe in the 90/10 rule,� said Minor. “If 90 percent of

the food you take in is good, you can splurge 10 percent of the time – but of course, included with that is exercise. I feel many of the activities a lot of African-Americans take part in don’t afford us to be active.�

Minor, who said he travels to clients’ homes, jobs and to area parks and lakes to facilitate his training, blames too much television watching and social Internet for promoting a sedentary lifestyle. “I feel many of the activities that African-Americans enjoy do not involve or require much physical activity,� said Minor.

In addition to offering weight training, Minor and other trainers of The F.I.T. Lab will offer cardio training, boxing and even some yoga. “I believe you should use as many modalities as possible because it challenges the body,� said Minor. “The key for me was to provide a platform for other trainers to come in and bring their own unique expertise and

skills. With varying styles (of training) it will make my facility that much better. As a staff, we believe that there is a fitness activity that can motivate all people and help them achieve physical and mental harmony. Rather than utilize one method, we choose to use many different types of fitness modalities to give our clients balance and help them reach their fitness goals. By utilizing components from many fitness models, we will place our own unique footprint on the fitness industry.�

For one-on-one session, Minor charges up to $100 per session, but he provides more affordable group classes where rates are as low as $20 per session.

For more information on The F.I.T. Lab, call (612) 9160930, visit www.chizelinc.com or www.thefitlabinc.com, or email Minor at thefitlabco@ gmail.com.

“Today, we are fighting the civil rights movement of our time,�

Ellison said.

registered provisional status.

Because of the bill’s amnesty provisions that give undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) has decided not to introduce the bill to the House floor. “In Congress there is a discharge petition for people in the minority party,� said Ellison. “The Democrats need 218 signatures and then the bill automatically comes to the floor without the Speaker.

You have my commitment that we will work together to bring together those representatives who are against immigration reform.�

GutiĂŠrrez, the first Latino to be elected to Congress from the Midwest, is currently chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Immigration Task Force. “Keith and I are going to vote for comprehensive immigration reform,â€? said the

Illinois congressman. “And I believe Republicans will vote for this bipartisan legislation.�

GutiÊrrez gave up his position as a Ranking Member on the prestigious Financial Services Committee in order to serve on the House Judiciary Committee, which oversees jurisdiction for immigration, where he recently defended military families and their dependents facing separation because of America’s current immigration laws.

On Oct. 5, immigration advocates are planning marches and rallies across the nation to show support for this immigration reform bill. “People have to organize in Minnesota,� Gutierrez said. “Today I think a lot of people heard the message, a lot of people get discouraged and today gives them hope. We can win this thing. On Oct. 5, hit the streets all over America and we will have comprehensive immigration reform.�

March From 1 forget the sacrifices of those brave men and women of all colors. Let’s honor them today,� said Ellison. “So let’s remember Jimmy Lee Jackson (a civil rights protestor who was shot and killed by an Alabama State Trooper) and let’s remember (James Earl) Chaney, (Andrew) Goodman and (Michael) Schwerner (three civil rights workers killed in Mississippi for their voter registration efforts) and let’s remember Fannie Lou Hamer who said, ‘I question America’ (during a speech at the 1964 Democratic National Convention).�

The outspoken congressman also addressed the many youth who rallied and marched. He told them that because of the sacrifices of those before them, they enjoy freedoms that were not available to their elders. “You guys will never see a ‘whites only’ sign, because we got rid of them. Because we did that for you, you owe it to those behind you to make it better for them,� said Ellison.

St. Paul NAACP president, Jeff Martin, called on those within the AfricanAmerican community to be more accountable for some of the community’s current conditions. “We have to expect more out of government, but we have to expect more out of ourselves,� said Martin. “We need to be at the table when it comes to our rights. If you’re not at the table then you’re on the menu.�

The St. Paul march was one of many that took place throughout the nation, including a rally at the nation’s capitol featuring a speech

by President Barack Obama, America’s first AfricanAmerican president. Marches and rallies were also held this past Saturday throughout the nation, including at least two separate rallies in Minneapolis.

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Page 12 • September 2 - September 8, 2013 • Insight News

insightnews.com

High-stepping seniors lead off MAD DADS’ Senior Citizen Safety Pride Day in Minneapolis

By Paige Elliott, TC Daily Planet High-stepping seniors and hot dogs were among the attractions at the 12th annual “Senior Citizen Safety Pride Day” sponsored by MAD DADS and the Phillips West Neighborhood Organization on Friday, August 16, at Boom Island in Minneapolis.

Seniors ate grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, and enjoyed bingo and live entertainment provided by Sabathani Senior Center’s line dancers, “Still Kickin,’” and

blues and jazz local legend, James Samuel “Cornbred” Harris Sr., among others, which made for a lively afternoon. V.J. Smith, president and founder of the MAD DADS (“Men Against Destruction, Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder”) Minneapolis chapter, served as emcee.

“Senior Citizen Safety Pride Day” aims to show appreciation for seniors and better connect them to information and community resources. For more information about MAD DADS, visit their website at http://www. minneapolismaddads.org/. ©2013 Paige Elliott Paige Elliott

Picnic attendees join Sabathani’s “Still Kickin’” line dancers

Johnson From 1 Today we must remember and honor the struggle, hopes and dreams of our ancestors. We cannot close the education gap without the act of following in the footsteps of our ancestors.

Let me remind us and put into context our historical struggle. It would continue to be to our detriment if we overlooked our history and struggle for education.

We must take the time and teach our children the historical importance Blacks

Samatar From 1 “I join the rest of the Minneapolis Public Schools community in mourning the loss of Director Hussein Samatar,” said Dr. Bernadeia Johnson, superintendent of Minneapolis Public schools in a released statement. “Hussein was a passionate leader, a committed

have placed on the education of their children. Ignorance of this history affects how they are viewed, treated, taught, encouraged, or discouraged in the process of acquiring an education in this society.

“To supply their children with once-forbidden education became a sweeping movement.

The movement started with the Negroes themselves,” wrote Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois.

Because the history of Black people is often ignored or presented in an inadequate manner, the extent of the role Black parents and the Black community played in providing schooling for their children,

during the slavery years and beyond, has not been available to many.

It would be fatal for us to miss this opportunity, as we review 50 years after the March on Washington.

We have the statistics of the gap. We know, today, the impact on our children, alive and unborn, the meaning of the gap.

But until we become committed, this day, to changing those statistics we will continue to be victims to those who don’t know our history.

What is our charge this Day? Let’s not leave this place with out a plan. We too often

gather together, talk about our important issues, leave the gathering place, and return to business and behaviors as usual.

We, the adults in our communities, must study, know and teach our children their glorious history. We must do that now.

We can close the gap by supplementing what our children get in the classroom.

We must not rely on others to teach our children. All they need to know to be successful and achieve.

We must stop turning our backs on our children. We have become afraid of our own children. We must teach them

what is right and what is wrong.

They are capable of doing anything they are interested in doing. It is up to us to give them the reason and belief that learning is important to them.

We must become a community again. We must love our children.

We must help our young mothers with parenting skills.

Teach them their history. Tell them the historical stories of the role of mothering.

We must not rest, as a people, or be relaxed about the gap. We must not accept those statistics as a given. We are a strong people, we come from strong people and we have

avoided the destruction of us.

We must, this day, renew our strength and history in order to close the gap.

We adults must make a plan, this day.

We must teach our children their history.

We must overcome the fear of our own children.

We must remember our children learn what they want to learn and we must help them choose what is in their future.

We must become a community again. We must love each other again – lookout for each other again.

We must save our children and our future.

public servant, a dedicated collaborator and a valued friend.

My thoughts, prayers and the condolences of countless others at MPS and in our larger community are with his family as they grieve his passing and celebrate his legacy.”

As founder of the African Development Center (ADC), the organization emerged as a leader in micro lending to small businesses, outperforming even

the largest banking institutions in the state of Minnesota. According to the organization, over the past three years, the ADC has been recognized as the number one small business lender in the city of Minneapolis.

“Hussein Samatar was a shining example for every American,” said Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN). “His story is inspiring. His spirit was infectious.

He loved Minnesota and everyone

in it. He came here with nothing, learned English at a Minneapolis library and went on to serve our community with distinction. He will be greatly missed, but he lives on through the countless people he touched in our city and our state.”

Samatar immigrated to Minneapolis in the mid 1990s and quickly established himself as a community leader. In 2006, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak appointed Samatar to the

Minneapolis Library Board. Prior to his leadership with the African Development Center, Samatar worked as a commercial banker with Wells Fargo and Norwest banks. Samatar held a master’s in business administration from St. Thomas University and was fluent in five languages. He was selected as a Humphrey Institute Policy Fellow in 2003-2004 and a German Marshall Memorial Fellow in 2007.

In a statement released by the ADC, the organization said, “Hussein was a courageous and dedicated public servant, and will be missed by many – well beyond those who have benefited from his ambitious initiatives here at ADC, the Minneapolis School Board, and throughout the community.”

Samatar is survived by his wife, Ubah Jama and their four children.

LABOR DAY

LAST DAY! CELEBRATE WITH ALL-DAY SPECIALS - MON, SEPT. 2 PLUS, IT’S OUR BIGGEST DENIM EVENT OF THE SEASON!

SALE 3O%-75% OFF STOREWIDE MACY’S IS YOUR LEVI’S® HEADQUARTERS

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Exclusions apply; see macys.com for details.

WOW! $1O OFF

ALL SALE & CLEARANCE APPAREL AND SELECT HOME ITEMS VALID 9/2 ‘TIL 1PM.

1O OFF

$

YOUR PURCHASE OF $25 OR MORE.

VALID 9/2 ‘TIL 1PM. LIMIT ONE PER CUSTOMER. CANNOT BE USED ON SPECIALS OR SUPER BUYS Also excludes: Everyday Values (EDV), Doorbusters, Deals of the Day, furniture, mattresses, floor coverings, rugs, electrics/electronics, cosmetics/fragrances, athletic shoes for him, her & kids, gift cards, jewelry trunk shows, previous purchases, special orders, selected licensed depts., special purchases, services. Exclusions may differ at macys.com. Cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer, except opening a new Macy’s account. Dollar savings are allocated as discounts off each eligible item, as shown on receipt. When you return an item, you forfeit the savings allocated to that item. This coupon has no cash value and may not be redeemed for cash, used to purchase gift cards or applied as payment or credit to your account. Purchase must be $25 or more, exclusive of tax and delivery fees.

TAKE AN EXTRA 2O% OR 15% OFF† MON WITH YOUR MACY’S CARD OR PASS OR WOW! PASS

EXTRA SAVINGS ON ALL SALE & CLEARANCE APPAREL (EXCEPT SPECIALS & SUPER BUYS)

extra 2O% OFF

SELECT SALE & CLEARANCE APPAREL FOR HIM, HER & KIDS, PLUS FINE & FASHION JEWELRY EXTRA 15% OFF ALL SALE & CLEARANCE WATCHES, COATS, SUITS, DRESSES, IMPULSE, INTIMATES; MEN’S SUIT SEPARATES & SPORTCOATS AND SELECT SHOES & HOME ITEMS

Also excludes: Everyday Values (EDV), Doorbusters, Deals of the Day, furniture, mattresses, floor coverings, rugs, electrics/electronics, cosmetics/fragrances, athletic shoes for him, her & kids, gift cards, jewelry trunk shows, previous purchases, special orders, selected licensed depts., special purchases, services. Exclusions may differ at macys.com. Cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer except opening a new Macy’s account.

EXTRA SAVINGS % APPLIED TO REDUCED PRICES.

VALID 8/28-9/2/13

TAKE AN EXTRA $1O OFF† MON ‘TIL 1PM

TO GET A MOBILE PASS, TEXT “CPN” TO MACYS (62297) You'll also receive text alerts about our latest sales, events & more! Max 3 msgs/wk.

Msg & data rates may apply. Text STOP to 62297 to cancel. Terms & conditions at macys.com/mobilehelp Privacy policy at macys.com/privacypolicy

†EXCLUSIONS APPLY; SEE SAVINGS PASSES

³LABOR DAY SALE PRICES IN EFFECT 8/28-9/2/2013. “Biggest denim event of the season” refers to the fall season from August 1, 2013 through October 31, 2013. Prices may be lowered as part of a clearance.

OPEN A MACY’S ACCOUNT FOR EXTRA 20% SAVINGS THE FIRST 2 DAYS, UP TO $100, WITH MORE REWARDS TO COME. Macy’s credit card is available subject to credit approval; new account savings valid the day your account is opened and the next day; excludes services, selected licensed departments, gift cards, restaurants, gourmet food & wine. The new account savings are limited to a total of $100; application must qualify for immediate approval to receive extra savings; employees not eligible.