Insight News ::: 10.10.11

Two Trains Running

by August Wilson Directed by Lou Bellamy Runs now through October 30th at Penumbra Theatre, 270 North Kent Street, Saint Paul. For more information or tickets, visit penumbratheatre.org or call the box office at 651.224.3180

Ann Marsden

James Craven as Memphis (center) with Abdul Salaam El Razzac as Holloway and Dennis W. Spears as West

INSIGHT NEWS October 10 - October 16, 2011 • MN Metro Vol. 37 No. 41 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com

Brother Ali I

t was a day of dignity in Minneapolis and around the nation as Muslim communities reached out to the general community in brotherhood and solidarity. In North Minneapolis the Masjid Al-Nur, 1729 Lyndale Ave. North, treated the community to a day of hip hop and unity. The event included a health and information fair, food and games for children. Twin Cities-based international recording artist Brother Ali emceed and headlined the event. His last album, the criticallyacclaimed, The Undisputed Truth, was a landmark in hip-hop, an album that carried weight equally with critics and fans alike. Entertainers included Kenna Cottman and Voice of Culture, Amirah Sackett, and emerging Somali hip hop artist Kay, who’s humble beginnings go back to surviving war-torn Somalia.

Suluki Fardan

Brother Ali

Builder goes green

By Natonia Johnson

Devina Moore

Left to right: Anthony Carter Jr., President of Green Task Construction Inc.; Jerry Steele, CEO of Green Task Construction Inc.; and Mitchell Adams Jr., President and CEO of Greenworks Minnesota.

A local north Minneapolis Construction Company is turning the concept of going green into a profitable reality. Green Task Construction Inc., just recently showcased its products and services to over 50 people who stopped by their open house last week.

Those in attendance learned everything from how to lower energy costs to insulating your home with recycled cotton denim, which is totally safe to touch, breathe and live with compared to other insulation

products that are currently out on the market.

“I haven’t seen anything like this before, said Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Stenglein, who participated in touring the new business facility. “Insulation made out of shredded blue jeans is going to be the wave of the future. The beauty of having Green Task Construction right here in north Minneapolis is they will be employing people from our part of the city.”

Almost every industry has been affected by the emerging green economy from green cars to green

roofs. As more and more homeowners and employers gain interest in living healthier and greener lives, in saving costs, and in meeting recognized environmental standards, the growing demand for comprehensive premises efficiency inspection will continue to rise.

“We want to create a comfortable living in balance with the environment,” said Jerry Steele, who is CEO of Green Task Construction.

Steele has over 50 years’ experience in the trades. He said the idea to

GREEN TURN TO 10

UROC, community greet Eric Kaler

By Adolfo Cardona, Publisher, Latino Midwest News Last September 20th, the University of Minnesota’s Urban Research and OutreachEngagement Center (UROC) took center-stage as it celebrated its second annual Community Day with an Open House event in North Minneapolis.

To a background of live music, and over refreshments provided by community-based businesses, visitors had the opportunity to interact with the university and community partners involved in UROC’s research and outreach programs, which include early childhood education, communitywide computer training, youth entrepreneurship, smoking cessation, and obesity research.

Other activities included cookery demonstrations by U of M Extension’s Simply Good Eating program, free health screenings by the Center for Health Equity (CHE), and dropin computer classes with trainers from the Broadband Access Project (BAP). The event also

Courtesy of Latino Midwest News

U of M President Eric Kaler at UROC Community Day greeting community members and UROC staffer Naima Richmond. offered the chance to sample basil ice cream developed by the U of M Arboretum’s Urban Garden Youth Employment Program, a UROC-based project.

Additionally, award-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Pierce Bergin offered a sneak peek of the upcoming University of Minnesota/TPT documentary “Cornerstones: Stories of Place on the North Side”. Following this, visitors were able to record

Education

A newly renovated library creates an inspiring space for kids to learn

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personal memories of life in North Minneapolis.

The day also marked the opening of “Profiles in Partnership”, a photographic exhibition in UROC’s gallery comprised of large-frame portraits of community and university research-outreach partners, including North Point Health and Wellness CEO Stella Whitney West and UROC Executive Director Heidi Lasley

Aesthetics

Motown comes alive on Vegas Strip

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Barajas, Sabathani Community Center Manager Bob Lay and BAP Apprentice Hawa Omar, De La Salle High School Sophomore Demarjoin Murry and CHE Director Dr. Jasjit Ahluwalia, and Harrison Neighborhood Association President Maren McDonell and Center for Urban and Regional Affairs Coordinator Jeff Corn.

The Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center is an initiative of the university’s Office of the Senior Vice President for System Academic Administration, and links the university with urban communities in a vital public partnership to advance learning, improve quality of life and discover breakthrough solutions to critical urban problems.

After touring UROC’s collaborative research facility and meeting Northside residents and community leaders at a reception, University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler praised the center, saying it had become “a model for excellence” in the engagement of a major research university with its community.

Representative Betty McCollum (MN-04)

McCollum says GOP needs to stop stalling on American Jobs Act

By Lydia Schwartz Contributing Writer The economic security of the American middle-class has been under attack for decades.

And the recent Wall Street financial rescues from the federal government have left

Health

The psychology of racism and the right to be stupid (part I)

PAGE 5

many of us wondering, where’s my bailout?

President Barack Obama’s American Jobs Act (House Resolution 12/Senate bill 1549) is an attempt to bring together the broad goals of lowering unemployment,

JOBS TURN TO 4

Lifestyle

Alafia Turner’s guide to healthy relationships

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EDUCATION Celebrating our successes; working together to achieve more Building Creative Capital

By Bernadeia H. Johnson MPS Superintendent I am pleased to announce that for the first time in six years, Minneapolis Public Schools has made progress in narrowing the achievement gap between students of color and white students. We could not have hoped for more encouraging state test results. Significant across-the-board gains were

made in reading for American Indian, African American, Asian and Hispanic students.

The gap was also narrowed for all groups except American Indian students in math.

These results validate the hard work and focus of our staff members, community partners, volunteers and our families who make important contributions to student achievement every day. We still have significant gains to make, but this progress in the right direction motivates us even further to continue carrying out the work of our strategic plan.

We must continue working effectively to increase student success. The key components

to attaining our goals include effective teaching, strong school leadership and high expectations for all students.

Our staff members hold our students to high expectations in the classroom each day, which is why it is important for our families and community members to influence, encourage and support our children in their neighborhoods and at home each day.

Adequate student attendance is consistent with academic achievement and provides students with greater opportunities later in life. High expectations help students achieve. By adhering to attendance guidelines early,

A newly renovated library creates an inspiring space for kids to learn Pillsbury Elementary School students, families and staff along with Target Corp.

(NYSE:TGT), The Heart of America Foundation and volunteers celebrated the unveiling of the school’s newly renovated library.

As a result of the makeover process, the library at Pillsbury Elementary, located at 2250 Garfield Street NE in Minneapolis, features 2,000 new books, eco-friendly design elements, a complete technology upgrade, as well as new furniture, carpet and shelves.

In addition to the remodeled library, the

Pillsbury Elementary community received a Target Meals for MindsSM schoolbased food pantry, which was incorporated as part of the renovation process. The pantry allows students and their families to choose from a variety of staple foods and fresh produce to take home.

As part of the 2011 Target School Library Makeover season, Target will renovate a total of 42 school libraries nationwide. The Target School Library Makeover program is part of Target’s commitment to help more U.S. children read proficiently by the end of third grade.

Suluki Fardan

Photo: Pillsbury Elementary Students and new library

students will develop good habits that will help them be successful in high school and work toward graduation.

The impact of consistent student attendance reaches further than just the student; it reflects upon the performance of the school district and correlates with safe and healthy communities, too. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) also supports the Minneapolis Public Schools through a county-wide truancy program, be@school, which aims to reduce juvenile crime, increase graduation rates and improve academic achievement.

The Minneapolis Public

Schools will aim for 95 percent of our students to be at school 95 percent of the time (missing eight or fewer school days a year). We are close to that goal, and I believe we can reach it.

Anyone and everyone can play a role in this effort.

Children need to hear that someone wants them at school. Ask your child or the young people that you have interactions with each day if they are going to be in school tomorrow.

Give young people a reason to be excited about coming to school each day. Tell them how important their education is to you.

Help your child manage and

prioritize their work. Plan to tackle school assignments with a notebook, schedule, calendar or daily planner. It’s a good habit they will use for life.

Celebrate the successes of our students, which can range from doing well on a test or feeling good about their accomplishments each day.

We still have a long way to go, but it’s great to see progress. We are also grateful for the dedication of our staff members, community partners, volunteers and families. On behalf of the Minneapolis Public Schools, thank you for all you do to support the young people in our community each day.

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Insight News • October 10 - October 16, 2011 • Page 3

Photos: MUL

Youth get eye exams, glasses at MUL clinic More than 600 youth received free vision care including full vision exams and new eyewear last week during a OneSight Clinic held in Minneapolis. The weeklong event was sponsored

by Target Optical.

OneSight worked with MUL staff to reconfigure the Minneapolis Urban League building at 2000 Plymouth Ave. into a temporary clinic during the week of October 3-7. The

OneSight “Vision Van” was parked prominently in the lot, and served as an auxiliary clinic for making specialized eyewear.

The entire building was buzzing with activity: volunteers completing intake assessments, conducting eye exams, and cutting and making lenses right onsite. Busloads of students from area charter schools, as well as community

youth groups, took advantage of this great opportunity.

“The impact that OneSight is making across the world is incredible, and we appreciate Target Optical for sponsoring this clinic and partnering with us locally to help 600 youth have a clearer vision,” said Minneapolis Urban League president Scott Gray.

According to the American Optometric Association

(AOA), up to 94 percent of children with reading problems have reduced visual skill.

“OneSight provides important opportunities that help children succeed in school and, ultimately, in life,” said Crystal Schintz, Target Optical Manager and OneSight Captain.

“The impacts on a child’s life can include improved academic performance, improved self confidence, and parental

confidence. The organization Prevent Blindness reports that a child that is struggling in school as a result of poor vision will return to grade level in about 6 weeks on average when vision is corrected.”

A team of over 200 volunteers from Target Optical, local doctors, community partners, and employees from other Luxottica-affiliated brands LenCrafters, Sunglass

Hut, Pearle Vision, and Sears Optical made the Minneapolis OneSight Clinic a huge success.

“Ensuring that our youth are equipped to succeed is a key priority of our Gateway to Opportunity model,” Gray said. “We need more partners like OneSight and Target to join with us in providing other meaningful opportunities to the residents in our community.”

Easing into something better Plan Your Career

By Julie Desmond julie@insightnews.com “I’ll probably wake up at two in the morning and realize I know exactly what to do,”

Tim remarked.

His Career Coach was surprised. A fan of getting a good night’s sleep, she responded, “How about I just tell you what to do?” Tim had lost enough shut-eye already, worrying about his transition out of a negative big-company situation. He had so many possible paths to take, yet making the first step seemed impossible.

Transitions are terrifying right now. What if I take the

wrong position? What if I get fired before I find something better? What if this dirt hole I’m working in is not really so bad?

What if I make a mistake? What if you do? What if you don’t?

How will you know, if you don’t at least explore your options?

The Tim-Cycle is easy to apply to many situations. It goes like this: You call someone, you get some information, you repeat. Specifically, set a goal to reach out to one person this

week who does exactly what you do, but for a different company.

Ask for a half hour and buy the coffee if you have to.

Ask two relevant questions and let the person you’re meeting with take it from there. Your first question can be something like, “What’s it like to work here?” Or, “How does your current role compare to other positions you’ve held/ other companies you have worked for?”

Your second

question, since you share similar positions, is a “best practices” question: “How are you dealing with that new regulation?”

Let your new friend know you are considering making a change and ask if they know of anyone you should be talking to. Take that name and number, reach out to the next person, ask your questions, repeat.

After two cycles, you will become comfortable getting the conversation started. After three

cycles, you will know where you want to work next. After six cycles, you will probably have a new job with a company where your interests, needs and values align with those of the organization. Is this a good time to transition? The Tim-Cycle is an excellent way to find out.

Julie Desmond is a contract recruiter for a Fortune 500 company in Minneapolis. Write to Julie@insightnews.com.

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AESTHETICS Motown comes alive on Vegas Strip

By John Singleton Those of us who first heard the classic Motown hits that made groups like the Temptations and Four Tops music industry icons might be getting older, but one thing is obvious – those rhythmic hits will be forever young.

Not only did many of the Detroit-based musical groups of that era shape our lives and create everlasting memories, but they continue to have appeal that crosses generational lines.

Their songs combine hypnotic rhythms, unforgettable lyrics and, of course, choreography that will be emulated, but never duplicated.

Those who want to be temporarily re-immersed in that magical musical era should be sure to see a Las Vegas production called “Hitzville – The Show.”

This musical features high-energy performances by headliner Jin-Jin

Jobs From 1 encouraging small businesses, and stabilizing our debt as a share of the economy. It offers veterans the opportunity to secure employment when they come home, and will provide massive tax relief for Minnesota workers.

Politicians agree that more needs to be done than just recover from our economic crisis. The United States needs to rebuild its economy based on balance, fairness, and with the same set of rules for everyone.

To restore the economy now, we cannot afford to outsource America’s jobs overseas and continue to encourage reckless financial deals that put middleclass security at risk. This country was built on the backs of working men and women and Congress must accept that this

Hitzville - The Show deep recession was not created overnight; it will not be solved overnight.

The House version of the bill is traveling though multiple committees, but ultimately rests at the mercy of the Republican Speaker of the House, John Boehner (Ohio). The Senate bill has been placed on the floor calendar, but Democratic leaders remain doubtful that they garner enough votes.

US Representative Betty McCollum (Saint Paul) says that Republican Congressional caucuses have become dominated by the simple rhetoric of making sure that President Obama does not get reelected on Tuesday November 6, 2012 at the expense of serving their constituents. Republican legislators are often afraid to speak up in Congress when they do want to vote against party lines. Any sign of weakness against anti-Obama rhetoric, even attempting to make compromises across the aisle,

runs a large risk for Republican politicians of losing their next primary elections.

“The GOP is willing to crush the system in order to get what they want,” McCollum says. “They do not value the working people of this country.

What they want is for Obama to be a one-term president. What’s not important is an election in fourteen months; what is important is putting millions of Americans back to work.

Obama is our President for the next fourteen months, with a fragile economy we need to stop stalling.”

One Republican supporter of the American Jobs Act, US Representative Louie Gohmert (Texas), approves of the bill because it eliminates the corporate tax. He says corporate taxes act as a tariff on goods produced here in America.

They are essentially paid by the consumer—built in to the cost of the good or service— and by employees in the form

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of lower wages, less money paid out in dividends, and smaller retirement accounts.

Gohmert argues that we need to support those who are willing to risk their capital in business ventures because jobs come from small businesses.

“This bill will actually create jobs in America,” he says, “because right now, American manufacturing jobs are being shipped overseas.”

The Minnesota State Building and Construction Trades Council, an advocate voice for unionized construction workers, and the Minnesota AFL-CIO, say they support the American Jobs Act because it makes immediate investments in highways, transit, rail, aviation; rehabilitating vacant homes and businesses; and modernizing our public school infrastructure.

Many Minnesota construction unions also say that they support a mandate for the state government to ensure

Reeves and a cast that could have been teleported directly from a 60’s era Motown recording studio to the stage at the V Theater in the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The singing and dancing of Reeves and the outstanding cast is backed up by the Hitzville Band, seven accomplished musicians who clearly understand and appreciate the magic of the music they are recreating.

Performers such as Mary Wells, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, The Temptations, Four Tops, and Tina Turner (who receives a surprise visit from Ike) are recreated with an authenticity that makes feet tap, hands clap and heads bob in time with beats that have become as etched on our memories as the our first stolen teenage kisses or our first time behind the wheel of dad’s car.

From the multiple costume changes that pay homage to the

flashy costuming we remember so well, to the tightly choreographed dance steps that wowed audiences from coast to coast, the Hitzville performers don’t miss a beat.

The cast of Hitzville recreates the music of the Motown era so faithfully and with so much energy and enthusiasm that audiences are left with memories that will last long after they leave the theater and travel back to their family and friends.

As a bonus, the cast mingles with the audience as they leave the show, giving fans an opportunity to get up close and personal for memorabilia and autographs.

They are a gracious group of performers who treat everyone like a long lost visitor from home.

Hitzville is staged six days a week, Monday thru Saturday, at 5:30 p.m., and tickets can be ordered by going to their web site – www.varietytheater.com -- or by calling (702) 617-0672.

that construction contractors on public projects use materials made in the United States.

Many business owners may see such a proposal as just another restriction. But what better way to support the United States’ economy than to buy American manufactured products?

The American Jobs Act also makes significant investments in the future of small business entrepreneurs. It offers a clear path forward for companies to succeed, grow, and hire. If passed, the federal payroll tax will be cut in half, to 3.1% for companies on their first $5 million paid in wages.

According to the White House, 98% of American businesses have a total annual payroll of less than $5 million.

In Minnesota, the bill will save almost seven thousand educator and emergency firstresponder jobs. Investments will also be made in education to help schools meet 21stcentury student needs, and

to address current workforce demands in today’s highly technical fields. These enable the next generation to make the high-quality products that the rest of the world wants to buy.

President Obama also hopes to make sweeping reforms to Unemployment Insurance programs to expand benefits, and to better connect jobseekers with employers looking to hire. McCollum says that she would prefer that people did not need to receive unemployment benefits but unfortunately, she asserts, state unemployment programs have become a vital lifeline for too many American families.

“If we invest in America the way our parents and our grandparents did,” McCollum says, “we will begin to see a new country. George W. Bush’s Administration dug us into a deep economic hole. We are slowly making our way out, but we still have a long way to go.”

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Insight News • October 10 - October 16, 2011 • Page 5

HEALTH The psychology of racism and the right to be stupid (part I) 8-foot high wooden fences on either side of her home to block the flag from view.

Then, Ms. Caddell raised a flagpole higher than the fences to display the flag. In return, her neighbors purchased a similar pole with an American flag and placed it across the fence in the yard of her black neighbor.

In her defense, Ms. Chambers stated that she was not “intending” to be offensive to the neighbors in her predominantly black neighborhood.

She emphatically stated that she was not a “racist,” but merely wanted to celebrate her proud heritage as a daughter of the confederate south, which of course, fought against the abolition of slavery. Later, the neighbors took Ms. Caddell to court, where the judge ruled that the neighbors had the right to protest and Ms. Caddell had the right to fly her flag. Therein lies proof of my husband’s theory that in America, we have the right to be stupid!

If you don’t like somebody simply because of their race, that is stupid. But if you don’t like somebody simply because of their race, and you have the power to do something about it, that is dangerous.

While “racism” is not a

Murua (Swahili for ‘Respect’)

By Dr. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya, Ph.D., L.P. My husband, who is a naturalized citizen from Nigeria, often talks about his love for this country.

He believes that anything is possible in America, and goes on to say that “If people work hard enough, pray hard enough, and prepare well enough (eventually despite circumstances and obstacles), they will be successful.” The sense of self-efficacy (belief in one’s own personal agency and ability to affect one’s own life) is a core part of the African belief structure that we recognize during Kwanzaa as the value of “Kujichagulia” (Self-Determination).

Having Kujichagulia means that we have the right to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.

Thus, with this value comes the need to assume personal responsibility for one’s own wellness - whether it be physical, emotional, financial, social, emotional, vocational, spiritual, intellectual or cultural. Most importantly, this value provides us the right to make decisions (good or bad) involving our politics.

This leads to another one of my husband’s favorite sayings, which is: “Americans have so many rights and freedoms.

America is one of the few places in the world where you have the right to be stupid and get away with it!”

Encarta Dictionary describes the word “stupid” as referring to someone who is regarded as unintelligent: regarded as showing a lack

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of intelligence, perception, or common sense. Similarly, Webster’s dictionary defines “stupid” as the behaviors exhibited by someone who is slow of mind: obtuse, or given to unintelligent decisions or acts : acting in an unintelligent or careless manner.

As a mental health provider, I have

seen some pretty “stupid” decisions in my day—well, I have even made some of them.

But, some of our decisions just plain ‘take the cake!”

Consequently, my husband’s statement about our right to act in stupid ways implies that one of the key liberties of our freedom as Americans is our

right to be self-determined— even if the decisions we make seem unreasonable.

I thought about our American freedom this morning as I awoke to an article about a white American woman, Annie Chambers Caddell, who lives in Summerville, South Carolina.

Apparently, a year ago, dozens of her neighbors marched to protest the confederate flag that she flew from her porch in a historically black Southern neighborhood. As the story goes, someone threw a rock at her porch and she put up a wooden lattice. Then her neighbors built two solid

“white thing,” unfortunately “discrimination” often is.

You see, racism plus power leads to discrimination and the privilege of being white in America means that more often than not, someone from your ethnic/racial group will be placed in the position of power, trust or authority.

One group of people in our society that has traditionally been placed in positions of power, trust and authority are legislators.

Legislators propose laws that make life easier or harder for those constituents who are the “most deserving.”

Social psychologists tell us that people possess a “self-serving bias” which creates greater empathy for those groups with whom we can identify.

Consequently, when we view people as being “more like us,” then we tend to experience more positive feelings toward them, make more affirmative decisions, and create more positive explanations for their behaviors. Thus, if a lawmaker has greater empathy toward your group and can easily identify with you, she or he will create laws that support you because she or he shares your values and can identify

HEALTH TURN TO 6

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Health From 5 with you. On the other hand, if a legislator holds an implicit bias against poor people, disabled people, women, gays, ethnic minorities or other groups, he or she will more than likely create laws that marginalize the needs of those groups. Thus, racism or other forms of “isms” among legislators is dangerous.

Tactical politicians often pit one group against the other so that the groups will be so busy fighting over the lone drumstick that they miss the fact that somebody else is running off with the rest of the chicken! However, many folks have bought into the notion that their troubles are due to sharing limited resources with

“...the psychology of politics and prejudice, will lead an individual to vote against his/ her best interest in order to make sure that a member of the “other” group does not gain a foot hold over him. ” poor or minority groups.

The code word for sharing is “socialism.” People who hold a negative view of socialism believe that there is “lack” in a land of plenty. Their “anti-socialistic” attitudes mean that they believe the people ought to take care of themselves without any consideration of our social responsibility to each other.

The social experiment called “taxes” (which means that everybody should chip in to take care of common interests, infrastructure, programs, people and values) is something to which they are ideologically opposed.

While the self-serving nature of not paying taxes or helping others may be a personal choice, it is morally

unjustified and certainly in direct conflict with the values that many of us purport to hold. I often think that if he were alive today, Jesus would have been labeled as being one of the “biggest socialist” who has ever lived. I heard that he took the few resources available to him (a couple of fish and a few loaves of bread) and actually shared them with

a multitude! He also warned that the way we treat the most vulnerable among us, reflects directly on him. He said “The least you do to these my little ones, you do also unto me.”

Unfortunately, people within diverse groups may see each other in a negative light.

For example, a poor white man may hold a prejudice against a black affluent person and consequently, he may believe that any law that “puts black folk” in their places is a good law—even if the law hurts him. It is true, therefore, that the psychology of politics and prejudice, will lead an individual to vote against his/ her best interest in order to make sure that a member of the “other” group does not gain a foot hold over him.

My theory of why people often vote against their best interest is that their interests are transient and fluid. For example, two key areas (social issues and economics) are front and center in the minds of most Americans. African Americans, as a group, tend to hold socially conservative views, however, our voting pattern tends to reflect our higher order priorities—those of economics and access to the American dream. So, our voting patterns follow those who provide more economic stability for us all.

One professor from Columbia University recently was quoted as saying that Caucasian Americans, on the other hand, tend to vote on more social issues and minimize their need for economic justice.

Consequently, according to him, they will vote for a person who is against gay marriage before they will vote for a person who endorses a program that gives poor people jobs.

In addition to the transient nature of our interests, the psychology of the American voter is also influenced by a need to maintain the status quo (which means not rocking the boat). People who are in the majority and who have held social position and power for years (no matter how little power they have) seek to maintain it. By embracing change and sharing power there is a risk that the status quo will be upset and that they

may end up holding the shortend of the stick.

This dependency is welldocumented in a psychological phenomenon known as the “Stockholm Syndrome.” Years ago, in Stockholm, Germany, some bank robbers held the bank employees in a vault as hostages. While in captivity, the hostages began to be dependent on the bank robbers for their basic needs. When they were shown the least bit of kindness, the hostages were grateful, and when they were finally released they defended those who had held them captive or abused them.

A similar pattern is well documented when slaves were to be released from plantations upon Emancipation. They had become so dependent that they stayed on the plantations as slaves, when it would have been in their best interest to leave. Thus, the psychology of politics, and the practice of making relatively stupid decisions out of fear has led many of us to hold on to proracist beliefs and practices.

In Part Two of this article, I will continue to discuss the psychology of how racism is created, destructively maintained and overcome in our personal and political lives.

BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya, Ph.D., L.P. is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice and serves as President of Brakins Strategic Initiatives Consulting and Psychological Services.

Brakins Strategic Initiatives (BSI) Consulting & Psychological Services has the mission of “providing excellent, culturally competent consulting and mental health services to meet the needs of children, adults, families and organizations.” Dr. GarrettAkinsanya warns that this column should in no way be construed as constituting a therapeutic relationship through counseling or advice.

To forward a comment about this article or to make an appointment, please contact Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya by email @ bravadaakinsanya@ hotmail.com or by telephone at 612-839-1440.

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Insight News • October 10 - October 16, 2011 • Page 7

LIFESTYLE Alafia Tyner’s guide to healthy relationships

By Alaina L. Lewis Contributing Writer Minneapolis has its own relationship expert in a man named Alafia Tyner. The entrepreneur turned book author has spent years inspiring his digital audience with relationship advice, engaging conversation, and offering up authentic wisdom to the masses— a practice that he has now translated itself into a book entitled “The Guide to a Healthy Relationship.”

“Guide”, set for release early next year, was written

by Tyner in an effort to repair the outlook the world has on love, life and relationships, an emotionally journey that seems to have lost its adhesiveness over time. Tyner’s ultimate quest is to keep families together, but he promises that the book will also offer mountains of advice for single individuals as well.

In order to maintain a healthy relationship, the book will teach

Alafia Tyner you to have to be a healthier “you” first.

“I think we put to much pressure on relationships.” Tyner states.

“They’re not supposed to be hard or tough at all. I think where we fail ourselves is not realizing that as we grow, we need to make sure our relationship grows with us. When you meet someone, they’re going to change over

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the years, but people forget to love someone for who they are tomorrow, not just who they are today.”

Experiencing both good and bad relationships, and then finally finding someone whom he feels he could spend the rest of his life with, gave Tyner the

foresight and knowledge to decipher the road map to healthy love. “When you’ve been with the wrong person, you have to learn from that situation in order to allow the right person to come into your life. Once you know what the right thing feels like, instinct would have you do whatever it takes to not be on the wrong side of the field again,” he shares.

Tyner intends to self publish the book, a decision that is definitely a testament to his entrepreneurial nature. He’s the founder and CEO of Mecassino Entertainment, a company that sends him all over the world to put on events for individuals like Mike Epps. When he’s not setting up parties for the “stars” you’ll find him spending his winters in the Virgin Islands, where he assists his uncle in the family business and gets the opportunity to pen his many thoughts.

“I do a lot of writing in the Virgin Islands,” he says, “I’m

able to clear my mind down there and get what I have stored in my memory bank down on paper.”

With a passion for the people, Tyner hopes that this book will restore and rejuvenate the meaning of love and truly impact the lives of others.

“Entertainment fades out,” he says, “Ultimately my goal is to change lives, whether it is to inspire people, simply make their day better, give them some information— anything. When you’re doing God’s work, it never fades out. That’s what I’m doing.”

“The Guide to a Healthy Relationship” by Alafia Tyner will be available for purchase in 2012. This is only the beginning of a series of books and films Tyner hopes to put out in his lifetime. Through his words, he definitely gives us something to hope for.

For more information: https://www.facebook.com/ AlafiaTynerFanPage

Page 8 • October 10 - October 16, 2011 • Insight News

insightnews.com

COMMENTARY Safety nets fail to catch millions of children Child Watch

By Marian Wright Edelman The Children’s Defense Fund has launched a new series of stories on our web site featuring

children and their parents who have fallen on very hard times.

They are the real faces and fears behind our disgraceful national child poverty statistics—16.4 million poor children living in the richest nation on earth.

In 2010, over a million more children fell into poverty, over half a million more into extreme poverty. Forty-three states saw increases in poverty for children under six, the most critical years for brain development. Extreme

poverty, defined as an annual income of less than half the poverty level, means less than $30 a day for a family of four.

Forty-one states saw an increase in extreme child poverty in 2010.

Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Julia Cass traveled to Michigan for the Children’s Defense Fund to meet families with children our national and safety nets had failed to catch.

One of the families she met

was the McKees—and as she noted, “Shoes tell the story of the McKee family’s descent into poverty.

The shoes belonging to Skyler, 10, and Zachery, 12, are falling apart. Their sister, Jordan, 14, wears the varsity coach’s shoes when she plays on her school’s volleyball team.

Less visible is hunger. The children and their parents, Tonya and Ed McKee, of Dowagiac, Michigan, sometimes went

without food this summer when Ed’s unemployment insurance ran out and the family was not yet receiving food stamps.

Skyler told Cass he gave the birthday money he got at church to his mom for groceries, “and I told her she didn’t have to pay me back.” Skyler confided that sometimes his stomach has growled. “It’s hard, not easy like it was before where we had money and could do stuff.

Now we don’t go anywhere…

Sometimes we don’t have food and we just don’t eat.”

Cass reported, “Cass County in southwestern Michigan, where Dowagiac is located, is a pretty area of lakes and farmland. Ed McKee comes from a farming family, and was working as a breeding manager at a large hog farm when he was laid off in July 2009. Ed said ‘to save money,’ the company replaced him and several other employees with new workers earning a lower wage. ‘There are other farms around here but they just aren’t hiring,’ he said. ‘If they are, you better be the first to know. There’s a lot of people waiting in line to get that job.’ Factory work? ‘They closed most of them around here. There’s a tool and dye

plant that makes parts for Ford and Chevy that closed and just opened back up, but you have to be on their call list to get hired.

It’s frustrating to walk into a place and they say they’re not hiring or they say they are hiring and you put in an application and never hear from them.’”

Meanwhile, Tonya baked cakes in their home to supplement their income; their son Zachery is a special needs child who didn’t speak until a few years ago, and Tonya hadn’t worked at a job since he was born. This summer, Cass notes, everything got even worse: “Ed’s unemployment insurance ended in May, and there was a month and a half gap before the McKees began receiving food stamps. Their only income was the monthly Social Security disability check for Zachery.

‘Ed and I went hungry some nights so we could feed the kids,’ Tonya said. ‘A lady here in town has brought us food several times and went shopping for us several times. And our parents helped when they could.

Otherwise, we didn’t know where the next meal would come from. One of my friends

CHILDREN TURN TO 10

insightnews.com

Insight News • October 3 - October 9, 2011 • Page 9

North Minneapolis Neighborhood beat...

By Ivan Phifer, Staff Writer Shingle Creek The Shingle Creek Neighborhood Association (SCNA) will hold a board meeting 6:30-8pm Tuesday, October 11.

Residents discuss activities, projects and events in the neighborhood. All meetings are free and open to the public.

For more information, Amy Luesebrick 763-561-1616 or scan@stribmail.com Victory The Victory Neighborhood Organization will hold a neighborhood meeting 7-9pm Wednesday October 26 at St Johns Missionary Baptist Church 4301 Thomas Av. N. For more information: Debbie Nelson 612-529-9558 or info@ victoryneighborhood.org

Camden North United Methodist Church (NUMC) has a Church Clothes Closet 9am-Noon the first Saturday of each month and 6-8 p.m. the first Monday of each month at 4350 Fremont Av. N. Donations are accepted. For further information: 612-522-4497.

Cleveland The Cleveland Neighborhood Association will hold a board meeting 7-9pm Monday, October 17 at the Cleveland Neighborhood Association office at c 3333 Penn Av. N. For more information call 612-588-1155.

Jordan The Jordan Area Community Council (JACC) will hold an annual board meeting 6:30-8pm Thursday, October

Classifieds/Calendar Send Community Calendar information to us by: email, andrew@insightnews.com, by fax: 612-588-2031, by phone: (612) 588-1313 or by mail: 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis, MN 55411, Attn: Andrew Notsch. Free or low cost events preferred.

LEGAL NOTICE STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF HENNEPIN

Breast Cancer Awareness In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, the Heritage Park Neighborhood

PHONE: 612.588.1313

POSITIONS The Minnesota DFL Party is now accepting applications for the positions of Executive Director and Communications Director. For more information, please visit dfl.org. The deadline for applications is Friday, October 14th, 2011.

TOWNHOME RENTALS SUMMONS

THE STATE OF MINNESOTA TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENT.

Newer 2 and 3BR townhomes next to park and walking trails available for immediate occupancy in the heart of Farmington. Townhomes feature attached garages, laundry in apartments (machines provided at no charge), on site play area, on site manager and maintenance.

WARNING: YOUR SPOUSE, FADUMA A. IBRAHIM HAS FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST YOU FOR DISSOLUTION OF YOUR MARRIAGE. A COPY OF THE PAPERWORK REGARDING THE LAWSUIT IS SERVED ON YOU WITH THIS SUMMONS. THIS SUMMONS IS AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT FROM THE COURT THAT AFFECTS YOUR RIGHTS. READ THIS SUMMONS CAREFULLY. IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT, CONTACT AN ATTORNEY FOR LEGAL ADVICE.

Income guidelines apply. Please contact Claudia at (651) 460-3686. Professionally managed by Hornig Companies, Inc. www.hornigcompanies.com EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

1.

The Petitioner, Faduma A. Ibrahim, has filed a lawsuit against you asking you for dissolution of your marriage (divorce). A copy of the petition for Dissolution of Marriage is attached to this summons.

1. State the exact assumed name under which the business is or will be conducted: Beauty Express

2.

You must serve upon Petitioner and file with the court a written Answer to the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, and you must pay the required filing fee. Answer forms are available from the Court Administrator’s Office. You must serve your answer upon Petitioner within thirty (30) days of the date you were served with this summons, not counting the day of service.

If you do not serve and file your Answer, the Court may give your spouse everything he is asking for in the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.

2. State the address of the principal place of business: 3505 Penn Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55412

This proceeding does not involve real property.

NOTICE OF TEMPORARY RESTRAINING PROVISIONS UNDER MINNESOTA LAW, SERVICE OF THIS SUMMONS MAKES THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS APPLY TO BOTH PARTIES TO THIS ACTION, UNLESS THEY ARE MODIFIED BY THE COURT OR THE PROCEEDING IS DISMISSED: (1) NEITHER PARTY MAY DISPOSE OF ANY ASSETS EXCEPT: (i) FOR THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE OR FOR THE NECESSARY GENERATION OF INCOME OR PRESERVING ASSETS, (ii)

BY AN AGREEMENT IN WRITING, OR (iii) FOR RETAINING COUNSEL TO CARRY ON OR TO CONTEST THIS PROCEEDING (2) NEITHER PARTY MAY HARASS THE OTHER PARTY; AND (3) ALL CURRENTLY AVAILABLE INSURANCE COVERAGE MUST BE MAINTAINED AND CONTINUED WITHOUT CHANGE IN COVERAGE OR BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION. (4) PARTIES TO A LEGAL SEPARATION PROCEEDING ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEMPT ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION PURSUANT TO MINNESOTA LAW. ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION INCLUDES, MEDIATION, ARBITRATION, AND OTHER PROCESS AS SET FORTH IN THE DISTRICT COURT RULES. YOU MAY CONTACT THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR ABOUT RESOURCES IN YOUR AREA. IF YOU CANNOT PAY FOR MEDIATION OR ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION, IN SOME COUNTIES ASSISTANCE MAY BE AVAILABLE TO YOU THROUGH A NON-PROFIT PROVIDER A COURT PROGRAM. IF YOU ARE A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC ABUSE OR THREATS OF ABUSE AS DEFINED IN MINNESOTA STATUTES CHAPTER 510B, YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO TRY MEDIATION AND YOU WILL NOT BE PENALIZED BY THE COURT IN LATER PROCEEDINGS. IF YOU VIOLATE ANY OF THESE PROVISIONS, YOU WILL BE SUBJECT TO SANCTIONS BY THE COURT. Dated: September 19, 2011 __________________________________ Signed by Petitioner: Faduma A. Ibrahim 11275 Westwind Dr., #E Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Association is partnering with Community Health Source to provide information on lowering the risk of breast cancer. The informational takes place 6pm Thursday, October 20th in the Heritage Community room 1000 Olson Memorial Highway. Tips for detection and prevention will be provided. For more information: Community Liaison Alecia 612-767-1055.

Weight loss classes Weight loss classes for Black men take place every Friday from 6:30-8:30pm at Kwanzaa Church 2200 Emerson Av. N. The class is a 12-week course for Black men who live with obesity, type II diabetes, high blood pressure and hypertension. The cost ranges from $100 to $300 depending on training materials. Space is limited to the first

FAX: 612.588.2031

Jamaica Heritage Celebration 2011 - Oct 10 The goal of this event is to increase awareness and understanding of Jamaica’s rich history and culture, through the arts. The event will be held at the Hopkins Center for the Arts on Mon. Oct. 10 (Columbus Day) starting at 4:30pm. The Main Door Prize is a Hotel Stay for Two, in Jamaica. For Tickets, call the box office at 952-979-1111, option 4.

In Re the Marriage of Faduma A. Ibrahim, Petitioner

Esse Alasow Hussein, Respondent

Heritage Park The Heritage Park Neighborhood Association (HPNA) will hold a safety meeting 6:30-8pm Wednesday, October 12 in the Heritage Park Community Room 1000 Olson Memorial Highway.

Residents will get the chance to discuss concerns regarding safety, and taking steps to fight crime in the neighborhood.

For more information: Kristy Clemons 612-767-1061 or kristy_clemons@ hotmail.com

Events

DISTRICT COURT FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT FAMILY COURT DIVISION Court File No. : 27 FA 11 4907

and

20 at Parkway United Church 3120 Washburn Av. N. For more information: Lynn Riskedal 612-886-4539 or info@ jordanmpls.org

Assumed Name

3. List the name and complete street address of all persons conducting business under the above Assumed Name OR if an entity, provide the legal corporate, LLC, or Limited Partnership name and registered office address. Attach additional sheet(s) if necessary: Destiny’s Expressions Inc., 3315 River Bluff Dr. Eagan, MN 55412 4. I certify that I am authorized to sign this certificate and I further certify that I understand that by signing this certificate, I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Minnesota Statues section 609.48 as if I had signed this certificate under oath.

Waiting List

City

Phone #

Buffalo Court Apartments Unity Place Park Plaza Apartments Olson Townhomes Woodland Court Apartments Franklin Lane Apartments Evergreen Apartments Hopkins Village Apartments Diamond Hill Townhomes Lincoln Place Apartments Vadnais Highland Townhomes

Buffalo Brooklyn Ctr Minneapolis Minneapolis Park Rapids Anoka Hutchinson Hopkins Minneapolis Mahtomedi Vadnais Heights Minneapolis Eden Prairie St. Paul Burnsville

763-684-1907 763-560-8808 612-377-3650 612-377-9015 1-888-332-9312 763-427-7650 1-800-661-2501 952-938-5787 612-726-9341 651-653-0640

open closed open closed open open open open closed open

651-653-0640 612-824-6665 952-941-5544 651-292-8497 952-435-7111

closed closed closed closed closed

Albright Townhomes Prairie Meadows Hanover Townhomes Chancellor Manor

Please call individual site for specific building information Professionally Managed by BDC Management Co.

Ending Youth Violence The Urban Research and Outreach Engagement Center is hosting a conference for ending youth violence.

The conference will be held 8-4pm Tuesday, October 18 at the Holiday Inn 1500 Washington Ave S. There is no cost for attendance, but it is recommended to RSVP by Wednesday, October 12. . For more information; Makeda Zulu-Gillespie 612-626-9829 or zulug001@umn.edu

EMAIL: andrew@insightnews.com

Dietrich Sieling: Artist - Oct. 10 Curator Reggie Prim will discuss Sieling’s prolific career and exciting future with gallery owner and artist’s rep, Todd Bockley, filmmaker and mother of the artist, Shelli Ainsworth and Chris Atkins from the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program.

Oct. 10 6-9pm @ The Center for Changing Lives - 2400 Park Ave S. Mpls, MN. Candidate Forum - Special Election for Senate District 61 - Oct 11 This Candidate Forum will serve as an opportunity for community members to get informed of the candidate’s social and political positions and leadership potential. Whittier Park Recreation Center - 26th St. W. & Grand Ave. S. - Tue. Oct. 11. For more info: jen@whittieralliance.org Out of School Time Learning Summit Planned - Oct. 13OLearn, Lead and Grow. The Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth, a newly formed group from the areas of Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center, will be sponsoring a community summit from 9am to 3:30pm Oct. 13 at Edinburgh USA Clubhouse, 8700 Edinburgh Crossing in Brooklyn Park. The purpose of the summit is to shape an action plan for out-of-school opportunities in the Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center areas. Leaders from schools, government, youth organizations, and community members.

For more information contact: Jan Ficken, Recreation Programs Manager at 763-493-8340 or jan.ficken@brooklynpark.org Gospel Concert and Health Fair to Raise Stroke Awareness - Oct 13 Join the American Heart and Stroke Association in song to heighten awareness about stroke at the third annual Power To End Stroke “Most Powerful Voices” Gospel Concert featuring national songstress Dorinda Clark-Cole along with local singers and performers, Thur., Oct. 13, at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in St. Paul.

For more information, contact Ngia Mua at 952278-7934 or ngia.mua@heart.org.

Westside band celebrates 30 years of live performance - Oct. 14 Westside Band, a long-time staple on the Twin Signed by: Petite Powell Cities R&B music scene celebrates 30 years Date Filed: 08/24/2011 of continuous live performance this October.

Insight News 10/10/2011, 10/17/2011 The anniversary celebration is at Robert’s in Mounds View, Friday October 14th. For more information, visit www.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING - Professionally Managed by BDC Management Co. westsideband.com.

Apartment Name

10 qualified participants. For more information: Kwasi Nate Russell 612359-0077 or Kwasinate.russell009@ gmail.com

Family Senior 62+ or Disabled X X X X X X X X X X

Bedroom size (s) 2, 3 2, 3 1, 2, 3 2, 3 1,2 1,2 1,2 1,2 2, 3 2, 3 2, 3 1,2 1,2.3 1,2,3 1,2,3

Multicultural Senior Health & Wellness Fair - Oct 19 A community health fair that focuses on prevention and wellness will be held Wednesday, October 19th, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Park ElderCenter, 1505 Park Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55404. Admission to the fair is free.

Andrew Loo (Chef Instructor) and MyTiesha Simmons.

jEM

Be Your Own Boss jEM Workshops start Oct. 24th

The University of Minnesota’s Office for Business & Community Economic Development announced three after school programs to be offered this fall. jEM Global Entrepreneurship Workshops are designed to introduce Twin Cities high school students to the business world and enhance leadership skills, each with a specific focus. These free weekly workshops will begin October 24th: Entrepreneurial Entrées blends culinary arts with restaurant management. Learn how to cook healthy new dishes and create your own concept for a restaurant.

Strong Suit: Sports-Minded Entrepreneurs can turn their passion for athletics into a viable career. Students will focus on one sport-related profession, participate in interactive session with special guests and tour TCF Bank Stadium.

MyProduct Inventors’ Challenge provides students the chance to create new products limited only by your own creativity. This workshop is a perfect fit for youth with especially lively imaginations.

Schedule: Mondays: Strong Suit, located at 2221 University Ave SE - UofM Campus Tuesdays: myProduct Inventors’ Challenge, located at 2001 Plymouth Ave. N - Urban Research Outreach/Engagement Center (UROC) Thursdays: Entrepreneurial Entrees, located at 2001 Plymouth Ave. N - Urban Research Outreach/Engagement Center (UROC) All interested Twin Cities high schoolers are welcome and encouraged to participate in one, two or all three workshops.

For more information, please email jem@ umn.edu or call (612) 626-3122.

You can also register at: http://www.bced. umn.edu/JEM-Registration.html

Page 10 • October 10 - October 16, 2011 • Insight News

Green From 1 partner with other construction companies came about when he attended a Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) meeting. It was at this meeting where he learned that MNDOT wants to utilize small contractors who can handle heavy work. “I discovered that I needed to team up with other people in the business to develop a good work force and management team.”

Green Task Construction Inc., was created in 2011 as a vision of Jerry Steele, Mitchell Adams Jr., President and CEO of Greenworks Minnesota, who is the distributor of the shredded blue denim insulation and who also conducts commercial and residential audits; and Anthony

Carter, Jr., who has worked in construction since 1998 and was owner of Frameworx Construction, but since has closed his business to join Green Task Construction earlier this year as its President.

“There is a need to have a high quality African American owned construction company that has a vision of becoming a national player. We don’t just push the concept of green, instead we educate our customers about how your home or building will perform with the products we provide versus how it is performing without our products,” Carter said.

Dr. Sylvia Adams, a Golden Valley, MN resident, recently had to contact Greenworks Minnesota after a water leakage damaged several rooms in her home. “Our bathroom had to be completely gutted,” said Adams.

“Greenworks and

Green Task worked with us to upgrade the damaged areas of our home. They conducted an energy audit and as a result they put in recess lighting and their green insulation. I can feel the difference now. It’s no longer damp and cold in my downstairs family room,” she said.

Owners of Green Task Construction and Greenworks Minnesota pride themselves on providing competitive products and exceptional customer service that is second to none.

Mitchell Adams stated that he doesn’t want people to think that we are a nickel dime company.

“We have a goal of becoming one of the largest construction companies in the country, with a focus in sustainable design and construction.”

Green Task Construction and Greenworks Minnesota are located at 1401 West River Road in north Minneapolis.

Green Task also specializes in single and multi-family dwellings, additions, decks fences, basement finishing, kitchen, baths and basic handy man services.

insightnews.com

Devina Moore

Jennifer Powell, Administration Assistant; Mitchell Adams Jr., and Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Stenglein, District 2.

Children From 8 brought over some cereal and milk one day and the boys said, “Wow! We get cereal!”’

The McKee children are three of the new faces of child poverty in America. But as families like the McKees know, poverty hits children of all colors, all ages, and in all states. Children of color are disproportionately poor. Over one in four Black children were poor in 41 states and the nation’s capital, and over one in four Hispanic children were poor in 43 states. In many states, the news was even worse for the youngest children: 40 percent or more of Black newborns to kindergartners were poor in 30 states and the nation’s capital, including 15 states where half were poor, and 40 percent or more of Hispanic newborns to kindergartners were poor in 14 states.

Is this the best America can do? Is this the reflection of our values as a nation? These child poverty statistics are morally and economically indefensible.

The toxic cocktail of poverty, family joblessness and stress, food insecurity, lost homes, and growing hopelessness are a national human disaster requiring the most urgent response from our political and business leaders in every party and place. Children deserve more than intransigent political grandstanding. They need shoes to protect exposed toes from the cold and food to soothe their growling stomachs.

Shame on those who seek to rip out more threads from our rich nation’s tattered safety net while protecting tax cuts for millionaires. Skyler, Zachery, and Jordan McKee and the millions of children like them deserve more from our country.

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.