Tales from the Sahel
African artist and social activist Baaba Maal will be coming to Minneapolis on October 15 at Cedar Cultural Center (416 Cedar Ave.) for an intimate night of Q&A with music journalist and author Chris Salewicz. For more information, call (612) 338-2674 or visit www.thecedar.org
ifest.org
OCTOBER 15th
INSIGHT NEWS October 3 - October 9, 2011 • MN Metro Vol. 37 No. 40 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com
President and Black Caucus demand jobs By Julianne Malveaux NNPA Columnist
President Obama at the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference
Earl E. Gibson III
I don’t know how many African American people came to Washington for the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference, but there were more than 5,000 gathered at the dinner that featured President Obama as a speaker. Though the halls of the Washington Convention Center were full, and it did my eyes good to see people lined up to buy books, some say that the economy may have dampened attendance. To be sure, the corporate presence did not seem as strong as it has been in the past, yet it is always gratifying to see Ingrid Sanders Jones and the Coca-Cola company sponsoring the prayer breakfast, which sizzled this year when the Rev. Freddy Haynes totally threw down.
The high point of the conference may have been President Obama’s strident and almost angry speech, challenging Congress to pass the jobs bill, and explaining why it must pass. Watching the President, he appeared to be undaunted, but certainly frustrated, by the legislative gridlock and the total lack of cooperation he has been experiencing from Congress. If those assembled reach out to their legislative representatives, not all of whom are CBC members; perhaps it will make some difference. Another high point of the dinner was the range of wonderful honorees present. They included EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, and also the indomitable Rev. Joe Lowery, who at nearly 90 has as much fire in his belly as he did 50 years ago.
CBC TURN TO 10
Minneapolis Urban League provides SROI even in tough times In this time of heightened economic uncertainty, rapidly shifting priorities, and fiscal cutbacks, the Minneapolis Urban League (as I am sure has been the case at countless other nonprofits), has been continuously reevaluating its programs, processes, and performance management to make certain
Gateway to excellence By Scott Gray MUL President/CEO
that our organization is operating efficiently and effectively. A key area of this organizational reflection is examining social return-oninvestment (SROI), program implementation efforts, and associated outcomes in comparison to program dollars received. We evaluate these
parameters on a daily basis. One of our core values is to be a good steward for all of the funding our organization receives. What is SROI and why is it important? SROI is a fancy way of calculating extra-financial value by calculating the social value
of a program relative to the resources invested. Developing positive SROI in non-profit programs is extremely important because it means that the dollars invested in a particular program has a multiplying beneficial effect across the community. Additionally, we want to ensure that all of our stakeholders
understand the positive SROI provided by the MUL because our partner support is helping to change lives and plant seeds that can foster generational benefits. Currently in our Workforce Solutions intersection, for every dollar invested the MUL
SROI TURN TO 5
Building the next generation of transportation By Lydia Schwartz Contributing Writer The beautiful and historic downtown St. Paul Union Depot Station is being restored and brought to new life as a transit hub for the entire Twin Cities community, serving as the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit (CCLRT) line’s eastern terminus. Rail cars will be cleaned and housed a few blocks east in the new Operations and Maintenance Facility, which is currently under construction on the corner of East 4th and North Broadway Streets. CCLRT is scheduled to be operational in 2014 and construction of the line has created almost four thousand jobs across the Twin Cities. Government officials agree that the construction of the Union Depot Station is a wonderful example of public and private-sector partners working together toward a shared vision. Minnesota’s transportation investments in light rail will last for much longer than just the next quarter, or next year, but for upcoming generations of transit
Suluki Fardan
Ray LaHood
users. In the future, this station will be a benefit to people that we may never meet. It is our friends and neighbors that are moving transit technology forward, and making something that benefits everyone. US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says that the working men and women making renovations to the depot, and
CCLRT TURN TO 3
Aesthetics
Review: The Devil Didn’t Raise You
PAGE 2
De’Andre Cook, Megan Prebeg, Fatima Cook, Perrell Williams, Keiona Cook, Aicheria Bell, Crystal Badio, Ken Cook, Adrianne Ferguson, and Alejandra Barajas.
Suluki Fardan
Keiona Cook: Fashion star rising North Minneapolis based fashion design house, Qe’Bella, hosted its 2nd Annual Fashion Show Saturday, September 17, 2011, at the Historic Capri Theater, in North Minneapolis. The presentation of extraordinary garments created by head designer and
Wangari Maathai
Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai dies of cancer
PAGE 3
owner Keiona Cook provided a lively and inspiring evening of elegant fashion and supported community projects as well. A portion of proceeds of the event went to scholarship funding for young boys and girls to learn the art and fundamentals of sewing and surface embellishing at
Education
Klobuchar congratulates Principal Efe Agbamu
PAGE 4
Homewood studios, located in North Minneapolis, and also to support the Lupus Foundation and the Cervical Cancer Foundation.
QE’BELLA TURN TO 12
Farview Riverfront
Minneapolis Parks Board seeks input
PAGE 7