Insight News ::: 10.26.15

Lula Washington Dance Theatre returns to the Ordway aesthetically speaking

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Insight News October 26 - November 1, 2015

Vol. 42 No. 43 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Creating the world’s best workforce

By Al McFarlane & B.P. Ford, the Editors Nearly 1,000 business, civic, and political leaders at the Minnesota Business Partnership’s (MBP) Annual Dinner, Oct. 8 at the Minneapolis Convention Center heard Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ) president and CEO, Sondra Samuels, challenge and invite Minnesota to support NAZ initiatives to eliminate disparities as an example of Minnesota innovation.

The Business Partnership presented NAZ with its 2015 Minnesota’s Future Award for its efforts to close student achievement gaps in north Minneapolis.

“Our state is known across the country for innovation,” said Samuels. “It’s gratifying to see visionary business leaders promoting this same level of problem-solving on behalf of low-income children of color, who face egregious disparities.”

Samuels then presented an opportunity proposition.

“Minnesota once more has an opportunity to lead the nation and create the world’s best workforce.”

She said NAZ engages

NAZ TURN TO

Target CEO Brian Cornell and General Mills CEO Ken Powell present the Northside Achievement Zone’s Sondra Samuels with a check for $6 million to support NAZ’s work in North Minneapolis.

6

Gaye Adams Massey

Curry bringing back ‘Emerge’ online

Adams Massey takes lead at YWCA St. Paul

via George Curry Media

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer

Harry Colbert, Jr.

The YWCA St. Paul is hosting an open house on Oct. 27 to formally introduce its new CEO, Gaye Adams Massey.

Massey took over as CEO this past July following the retirement of former CEO, Billy Collins. The open house welcoming Massey takes place from 4 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. at the YWCA St. Paul, 375 Selby Ave. Coming from UnitedHealth Group, where she served as senior deputy general counsel and chief administrative officer, Massey founded and chaired that company’s pro bono legal services program.

Born in Waco, Tex., Massey is a graduate of Wellesley College (Mass.) and holds a law degree from Harvard University.

YWCA TURN TO 9

With members of the African American Leadership Forum behind them, Minneapolis Urban League Interim President Steve Belton (left) and Ramsey County Commissioner Toni Carter outline strategies to combat the state’s vast economic gap experienced by Black Minnesotans.

AALF outlines plan to combat economic disparities

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer Blacks living in Minnesota are in economic crisis – a crisis so urgent one community leader likened it to South African apartheid.

“Minnesota, we have an apartheid problem,” said Steve Belton, interim president

of the Minneapolis Urban League. “Despite our carefully crafted and maintained image of forward thinking government, progressive corporate leadership, generous philanthropic partnerships and active civic engagement on matters of equality, fairness and quality of life, AfricanAmericans and African immigrants in Minnesota live a separate reality where poverty is

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Former Emerge magazine Editor-inChief George E. Curry has announced that he is reviving the award-winning publication online, possibly as early as midNovember.

Curry resigned as editor-inchief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) News Service as of Oct. 2

EMERGE TURN TO 8

14 percent drop in household income from 2013 to 2014.

Blacks were the only ethnic group in the state to not post an economic gain during that time period. Census data showed that white Minnesotans posted a $64,281 median home income whereas that figure was just $27,026 for Black households.

three times greater than that of white Minnesotans.”

Belton’s message was delivered flanked by members of the African American Leadership Forum (AALF) during a recent press conference at the Minneapolis Urban League headquarters. The press conference was called in the wake of recent U.S. Census numbers that showed Black Minnesotans experienced a

AALF TURN TO 3

Health

Commentary

Lifestyle

Community

Specific protein in the blood can be early predictor of end-stage kidney disease, death

Why we must fight for environmental justice for people of color in 2016

Your emotional clock is ticking

Appetite for Change gets federal grant

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Page 2 • October 26 - November 1, 2015 • Insight News

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Insight News • October 26 - November 1, 2015 • Page 3

HEALTH Specific protein in the blood can be early predictor of end-stage kidney disease and death Mayo Clinic researchers in Rochester, Minnesota, collaborated with the University of Mississippi Medical Center on a recent study, “Troponin T as a Predictor of End-Stage Renal Disease and All-Cause Death in African-American and Whites From Hypertensive Families.” For the first time, this study identified the presence of a specific protein in the blood used to look for heart damage. This protein can be an early indicator of end-stage renal disease -- and ultimately death -- in people with hypertension, regardless of race or baseline kidney function.

The study was published online last week, and will be in the November issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

According to LaTonya Hickson, M.D., lead author on the study and a Nephrology and Hypertension physician at Mayo Clinic, an increased level of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in the blood can be an early indicator of disease and accurately identify patients who need intervention, regardless of race. Dr. Hickson says this is important, because, while previous studies have shown a higher incidence of death and kidney failure among

AALF From 1 “In other words, median white income was 138 percent higher than (Black) income,” said Belton. “Black people living in Minnesota are now worse off economically than Blacks in Mississippi, a state perennially at the bottom of the 50-state ranking of socio-

African-Americans compared to whites, doctors now know that, regardless of race or baseline kidney function, having an elevated level of cTnT can be a warning of impending kidney failure and/or early death.

“Early intervention and treatment can be key to stopping kidney disease progression and, potentially, preventable death events,” says Dr. Hickson.

“This study demonstrates for physicians everywhere that we are getting closer to accurately predicting future disease and death by examining this one marker. This is important, because, as with many diseases, accurate, early detection means we can more quickly recognize and efficiently treat the disease before it fully manifests --

potentially improving a patient’s quality and quantity of life.”

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common cardiovascular disease in the U.S., with current estimates predicting that more than 40 percent of the population will have some form of disease, including hypertension by 2030.

End-stage renal disease or end-

stage kidney failure often is associated with hypertension and affects approximately 600,000 people at a cost of nearly $50 billion annually. Screening for kidney disease in the general population is not recommended, but may be beneficial in patients with other medical conditions.

Previous research showed African-Americans have a higher

occurrence of hypertension and end-stage renal disease, and generally live three to eight years fewer than their white counterparts.

Mayo Clinic researchers studied patients from these racial groups using blood samples from people enrolled in the Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy (GENOA) study between June 1996 and August 2000. The GENOA study was designed to identify the relationship among genetics, race and hypertension in the community. In this cohort, more than 70 percent of patients had hypertension, and all others were from hypertensive families.

Mayo Clinic researchers examined baseline data from 3,050 patients enrolled in GENOA and conducted followup assessments of death and endstage kidney failure events nearly 10 to 12 years later.

“Among the overall cohort, we found that, at 10 years, those with an abnormal cTnT had a high cumulative incidence of death totaling 47 percent, compared to those with a normal cTnT (7.3 percent),” says Dr. Hickson. “In addition, 10 years after the initial testing, the cumulative incidence of end-stage kidney failure was

economic indicators.”

The interim MUL president said the economic despair facing Black Minnesotan is all the more distressing considering the state is home to some of the nation’s wealthiest corporations.

“Not only do their (major corporations) shoe shiners and janitors come from our community; their nuclear physicists and presidents and vice presidents are going to

come from our community,” said Belton. “We need the corporate and philanthropic community in the area to make this Job One.” Ramsey County Commissioner Toni Carter outlined a five-step program to address the economic issue, which was characterized as dire.

The steps outlined by Carter include defined hiring goals for the state’s public and private employers, support of Black-

owned businesses, legislative acts, having philanthropic organizations demonstrate a greater commitment to the issue and better monitoring and reporting of state employers.

“We can and must do better,” said Carter. “We can ensure opportunities for equity and prosperity for all.”

Confronted with the staggering economic numbers earlier in the month, Gov. Mark Dayton said his administration

is anguished by the Census numbers, but has already taken steps to address the issue.

“The disparities are very distressing and show we need to do much more,” said Dayton, who this past January convened a Diversity and Inclusion Council. The council released a report this past July outlining strategies to close the economic gap the state is facing. To that effort, Dayton hired a statewide recruiter

LaTonya Hickson, M.D.

27 percent among those with an abnormal cTnT, compared to the substantially lower rate found in those with normal cTnT (1.3 percent).” These findings are reassuring and supportive of future investigations into cTnT as an important biomarker for predicting death and kidney failure.

Others contributing to this study are: • Andrew Rule, M.D., Mayo Clinic • Gary Schwartz, M.D., Mayo Clinic • Allan Jaffe, M.D., Mayo Clinic • Stephen Turner, M.D., Mayo Clinic • Adam Bartley, Mayo Clinic • Kenneth Butler Jr., Ph.D., University of Mississippi Medical Center • Thomas Mosley Jr., Ph.D., University of Mississippi Medical Center This research was made possible in part by the Mayo Clinic Robert B. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery.

Dr. Jaffe has consulted with, or presently consults with, most of the major diagnostic companies (troponin).

charged with identifying minority candidates for leadership positions within state agencies.

Farhio Khalif, who was in attendance at the AAFL press conference said she is cautiously optimistic.

“This is needed, but not a one-time event in front of the cameras,” said Khalif. “It’s got to continue. This has to be an everyday issue.”

Four new providers and a newly remodeled clinic.

North Memorial Clinic – Camden is committed to making your community a healthier place to live. We’ve recently hired four more providers and remodeled the clinic to better serve the needs of the neighborhood. It is our mission to provide you with high-quality care in a comfortable clinic—close to home—so you can take control of your health.

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At Medica, you’re not just part of a health plan.

You’re part of a community that believes in better health for all.

Learn more at medica.com

4209 Webber Pkwy Minneapolis, MN 55412 northmemorial.com/clinics

Page 4 • October 26 - November 1, 2015 • Insight News

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Out of the boardroom and into the streets: Managing crises today

By Paula Thornton Greear, Strategic Business Communications Consultant

Bob McNaney

Lena Michaud

Jon Austin

Paula Thornton Greear

an agenda of industry best practices, I was privileged to join a distinguished panel of crisis communication experts, including: • Jon Austin, Reputation Management Specialist, J.

Austin & Associates • Lena Michaud, Strategic Communications Consultant • Bob McNaney, Vice President, PadillaCRT • Blois Olson, Founder & Principal, Fluence Media and

Contributor, WCCO-Radio • and me … Paula ThorntonGreear, Communications and Marketing Strategist Moderated by Marsha PittsPhillips, Director of Media Relations, Greater Twin Cities United Way, six key themes emerged: Stretch and Reach Michaud stressed that “It’s important to develop relationships with your leaders, reporters and influencers before you need them. Regardless of where people are on an issue, never underestimate the power of a face-to-face conversation.

You may not agree with others’ perspectives, but you should be able to understand and empathize with them.

Your relationships will endure beyond the issue and possibly your job. That’s a good thing!”

Stakeholder relationship management before, during, and after a crisis helps an organization navigate through the crisis and potentially mitigate its impact.

Walk Toward the Crisis “It is important to walk toward the crisis,” stressed McNaney.

“Take responsibility right away and begin the process of managing the situation. You are not expected as an organization to fix the issue entirely on day one, but you are expected to start trying to fix it. The faster you act, the better the outcome tends to be.”

It only takes one person and a six-second Vine clip to cast a once venerable company into the crisis spotlight. Within 24 hours a video could accumulate 50,000 views and millions over the course of the week. How fast are you prepared to act?

This is Not a DIY Project “Doctors don’t treat themselves in the hospital, lawyers don’t represent themselves in court and CEO’s and executives shouldn’t represent themselves in a crisis,” reminded Olson.

Having the the right partner by your side is an important first step to navigating through a crisis effectively. Enlisting an outside communications expert provides the analytical and critical perspective that is often difficult to see from inside the proverbial lion’s den.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words (or 140 characters) Austin offered a cautionary tale, holding up the front page of a recent Wall Street Journal to display an article about Air France executives who fled their offices as employees chased them after cut jobs were announced.

“The front page of any large city’s newspaper is a daily lesson in crisis and issue management,” he said. “When you’re a business executive and you’re photographed literally climbing a fence to avoid have your clothes literally torn from your body, you are in the midst of an issue and possibly a crisis to be managed.”

Images are an important part in the construction and framing of crises.

What will yours be?

Rise Like a Phoenix: From Crisis to Opportunity For anybody who has ever been in a room full of executives during the height of a crisis, inviting them to view it as an opportunity is likely a counterintuitive approach for many.

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CRISIS TURN TO 9

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Insight News • October 26 - November 1, 2015 • Page 5

BUSINESS Stand Beside Her: Powerful advocacy FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw Stand Beside Her is an example of a powerful new advocacy campaign launched

by Girl Scouts Heart of the South. This national campaign encourages women and girls to support each other. It’s a bold move to reduce comparisons and competition amongst

women. The goal: changing our culture so every girl and woman can reach her fullest potential.

There’s something wrong when women are more than 50% of the population and we still ask ourselves “why are women underrepresented in so many aspects of our society?”

At a minimum change requires new public policies, new ways of interacting with each other, new roles for men, and a change in consciousness.

Stand Beside Her focuses on how we treat each other as women and encourages us to change negative behaviors we have internalized, normalized

and may not even be aware of.

This is no small goal. Like most advocacy campaigns it’s about a big vision. It’s right up there with curing HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. Securing marriage equality. Eliminating racism.

Here are a few things we learned: 67% of women rate mentorship as highly important in helping to advance and grow their careers, yet 63% of women never has had a formal mentor. 39% of girls have been put down or discouraged when trying to lead. And, 92% of teen girls would like to change something about the way they look, with their body

weight ranking the highest.

Girls are watching us and listening to us. How do we treat each other? And how do we treat ourselves? Each of us can be part of the solution.

Invite a junior colleague for coffee. Introduce something new to your daughter. Create a mentoring program at work.

Ensure you are an informed voter. Avoid negative words and phrases. Encourage others through your words. Volunteer and donate to help girls and women.

Advocacy is critical nonprofit work. It advances the work of a nonprofit in ways that direct services

can’t. Advocacy opens up our thinking to new perspectives.

It encourages those of us who may feel powerless to join together and make our voices heard. It is a way to engage donors in the ongoing work of a nonprofit. It is more than writing a check: it is an opportunity to open our homes to talk about an important issue.

It helps build relationships within our community – and nationally. Advocacy makes the case for change.

We have the opportunity to tell a compelling story and encourage others to take actions large and small, and to give. Advocacy can open

up your nonprofit to energy, something most of us need.

Advocate for girls and women October 25th – 31 st.

Let’s choose to Stand Beside Her. Learn more at www. standbesideher.org Copyright 2015– Mel and Pearl Shaw Mel and Pearl Shaw position nonprofits, colleges and universities for fundraising success. For help with your fundraising visit www. saadandshaw.com or call (901) 522-8727.

How vulnerable to hackers are mobile-payment apps?

By Gary Miliefsky Making a purchase or other payment is not like it used to be.

These days, cash and credit cards aren’t the necessities they once were because alternativepayment options are just a tap or two away on a mobile device through apps such as Google Wallet, Apple Pay, Square, Levelup, Kash and PayPal. But just how secure are those mobile-payment apps and who makes sure that the companies behind them are doing all they can to keep your personal data safe?

The Clearing House, an advocacy group owned by the world’s largest commercial banks, is raising those questions and others in a new report titled “Ensuring Consistent Consumer Protection for Data Security: Major Banks vs. Alternative Payment Providers.”

The report argues that while these providers, operated by both established companies and start-up firms, are subject to some data-security

Gary Miliefsky requirements, they don’t face the more extensive regulatory oversight banks do when it comes to cybersecurity. That makes it easer for security flaws to go undetected until a breach actually happens.

The Clearing House report raises legitimate concerns, says Gary Miliefsky, CEO of SnoopWall (www.snoopwall. com), a company that specializes in cybersecurity.

“These alternative-payment methods certainly are providing something that consumers want, which is a convenient way to make payments,” Miliefsky says. “But I don’t think most of those consumers would be too thrilled to know that these

companies might not be subject to the same demanding datasecurity requirements their banks deal with.”

It’s serious business when companies don’t do enough to protect their customers’ data, Miliefsky says. Waiting to act after a breach happens is too late because at that point customers are at risk of becoming victims of fraud or identity theft.

“Unfortunately, a lot of companies don’t realize just how vulnerable their apps are and what the potential is for leaking their customers’ personal information,” Miliefsky says.

In its report, the Clearing House made several recommendations and observations, including these related to legislation that would establish additional data-security requirements for alternative-payment providers: • Data Security Act of 2015. This proposed law would establish flexible and

common-sense standards for firms of all sizes to follow in order to secure consumers’ sensitive financial information and prevent breaches. The law would also give the Federal Trade Commission express enforcement authority in this area, while making clear that the standards are not applicable to financial institutions already subject to similar requirements from banking regulators.

• More resources. To exercise any new authority successfully, the FTC would need more resources to properly staff investigations and enforcement actions, the report said.

• Better security. Additional legislation might make it clear that alternative-payment providers are subject to the same type of scrutiny with respect to data security as banks. That could be done by directly giving the FTC or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau examination authority,

or by directly requiring the CFPB to enact rules defining larger participants in the alternative-payment industry.

If they aren’t already, and regardless of any proposed legislation, the alternativepayment providers should look into better ways to protect their mobile apps from hackers intent on doing harm, Miliefsky says.

There are several ways to do that. Miliefsky’s company, for example, offers the AppShield SDK, which can secure any mobile app on all major platforms.

“What the AppShield SDK basically does is make your company’s app invisible to any other app on the mobile device that otherwise might be able to eavesdrop on it,” Miliefsky says.

“I liken it to the way a B2 bomber employs stealth technology to evade radar detection.”

Failing to act isn’t good for the customers – and ultimately the business, Miliefsky says.

“These alternative-payment

apps are a great convenience,” he says. “But if they aren’t secure, the result could be a huge inconvenience for their users.”

Gary S. Miliefsky is CEO of SnoopWall (www.snoopwall. com) and the inventor of SnoopWall spyware-blocking technology.

His company produces AppCrusher, which gives companies a detailed analysis of any vulnerabilities or risks in their mobile apps.

Miliefsky is a founding member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and serves on the advisory board of MITRE on the CVE Program, and is a founding board member of the National Information Security Group. He’s also the original inventor of the NetBeat NAC product line which was recently acquired by SnoopWall to protect networks from the inside and against bring your own device (BYOD) mobile threats.

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Page 6 • October 26 - November 1, 2015 • Insight News

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COMMENTARY Why we must fight for environmental justice for people of color in 2016 Black Press of America

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., President and CEO, NNPA The Civil Rights Movement in the United States identified a long list of issues that were broadly considered the historical and contemporary evidence of systematic racial discrimination and injustice. With the 2016 presidential election rapidly

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

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

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Assistant to the Publisher Shumira Cunningham Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Associate Editor Culture and Education Dr. Irma McClaurin Associate Editor Leadership and Social Enterprise Dr. Anita Davis-DeFoe Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Ben Williams Production Intern Sunny Thongthi Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Contributing Writers Melvin Carter, Jr. Harry Colbert, Jr. Julie Desmond Fred Easter Timothy Houston Penny Jones-Richardson Alaina L. Lewis Darren Moore Carmen Robles Lydia Schwartz Ryan T. Scott Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography David Bradley 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.

approaching, the critical importance of environmental justice for Black Americans, Latino Americans, Native Americans and for other people of color must be reasserted.

As a young statewide coordinator for the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in my home state of North Carolina from 1963 to 1968, I saw first-hand how movements for change have to first define the issues from the perspective of the oppressed in order to have a chance of overcoming longstanding systems of racial injustice.

Golden Frinks, the SCLC North Carolina State Field Secretary, once told me, “Son, you gotta use our own definitions about these massive racial inequities without getting the permission of the perpetrators.”

The wisdom that I learned from my mentor Brother Frinks has helped to guide my career over the past decades.

Thus, in 1982 during a gamechanging civil rights protest led by the United Church of Christ’s Commission for Racial Justice in Warren County, N.C., I remembered what Golden Frinks had taught me. A devastating racial injustice was taking place in the state and it needed to be challenged.

I was the first person to coin and define the term “environmental racism.” This was in response to a decision

by North Carolina to dump

There is an inextricable linkage between poverty, economic inequality and environmental injustice.

over 400 tons of cancercausing PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) hazardous waste into a state-made landfill in the middle of a Black American farming community in Warren County. Over 500 of us were arrested and jailed, but we were very successful in bringing national and global attention to another serious life-threatening manifestation of racial injustice.

Environmental racism is defined as racial discrimination in the deliberate targeting of ethnic and minority communities for exposure to toxic and hazardous waste sites and facilities, coupled with the systematic exclusion of people of color in environmental policy making, enforcement, and remediation.

By 1994 President Bill Clinton had issued Executive Order 12898 on Environmental

Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations “to focus federal attention on the environmental and human health effects of federal actions on minority and low-income populations with the goal of achieving environmental protection for all communities.”

Subsequently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opened up a full-time Office of Environmental Justice.

President Barack Obama in 2014 issued a Presidential Proclamation to observe the 20th anniversary of the Clinton E.O. 12898. President Obama emphasized, “As we mark this day, we recall the activists who took on environmental challenges long before the federal government acknowledged their needs.

We remember how Americans — young and old, on college

campuses and in courtrooms, in our neighborhoods and through our places of worship — called on a Nation to pursue clean air, water, and land for all people.”

Today, people of color are still facing the consequential horrors of exposures to environmental pollution that have led to disproportionate public health disparities and the unprecedented increase in cancer and asthma, as well as other respiratory illnesses. There is an inextricable linkage between poverty, economic inequality and environmental injustice.

But there is some good news about these challenges.

Van Jones and a team of young, dedicated environmental justice leaders and activists have established an effective national organization called Green For All. The mission of Green For All is to work “to build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.” I have supported and admired Van Jones’ leadership in helping to bring people of color together to advance the cause of equal justice and sustainable development.

It is also relevant to note The Guardian article titled, “Pollution isn’t colorblind: environmental hazards are killing more Black Americans,” that was coauthored by Congressman Keith Ellison and Van Jones.

Ellison and Jones explained, “Thanks to people’s movements like Black Lives Matter and the Fight For 15, the call for

NAZ From 1 43 organizations and schools working together with 870 Northside families with 1,870 children to support these families’ efforts to lift themselves out of mutigenerational poverty, using education as a lever. NAZ is working to enroll a total of 1,000 families with 2,500 children in the next year.

NAZ provides each family with a coach to help navigate challenges in housing, healthcare and employment, so families can help children focus on their education.

NAZ’s youngest participants are the college class of 2038, and they represent Minnesota’s future business leaders, MBP said in making the award.

“Minnesota’s large and persistent achievement gaps threaten our state’s future economy, workforce, and quality of life,” said Charlie Weaver, executive director of the Minnesota Business Partnership.

“NAZ is demonstrating the importance of believing that all students can and will succeed.

Their innovative, collaborative and data-driven approach is driving student success on the Northside.”

“NAZ is making great strides to close the achievement gap in Minneapolis through an innovative model that emphasizes a holistic approach to education and a growing focus on wellness, areas that play a critical role in Target’s community efforts. We’re proud to support the inspiring work by Sondra and NAZ partners to ensure children and families are prepared for the workforce and to reach their full potential,” said Brian Cornell, Target’s chairman and chief executive officer.

Cornell was joined by General Mills CEO Ken Powell in presenting Samuels with a check for $6 million to support NAZ’s work in north Minneapolis. The commitment represented $1 million a year for three years from Target and General Mills.

A recent Wilder Research study projects a societal gain of $6.12 for every dollar invested in NAZ. Key factors driving the projected rate of return include increased lifetime earnings from higher educational attainment, improved health, reduced mortality and increased tax revenues, in addition to savings to the justice system, the K-12 education system, and the public assistance and child welfare systems.

The results of the Wilder study underscore how Minnesota’s achievement gap impacts the economic vitality of the region.

“Our state has always led the way,” said Samuels. “We’re known to be number one for everything. Tragically we are also number one for the widest racial disparities around academic achievement, employment, and income.”

Governor Mark Dayton addresses the Minnesota Business Partnership’s Annual Dinner on October 8, 2015.

For Samuels, the daunting statistics represent an opportunity, not an indictment.

“Together we can lead the nation in eradicating the achievement gap and preparing the world’s best workforce,” said Samuels.

Evidence she cited to back up her claim included data that shows NAZ kids are more ready for kindergarten – by 14 percentage points and its third graders showed a rise in reading at four times rate of their peers. Samuels said data also shows the longer kids are enrolled in NAZ, the better they perform.

NAZ’s executive director said NAZ families are “the next Minnesota Miracle and they live on the Northside of Minneapolis – but we can’t get there without you.”

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton set the stage for acknowledging, honoring and promoting the need for NAZ’s important work. In remarks welcoming the gathering of civic and business leaders, he affirmed the good news.

“Overall, Minnesota’s economy is doing very well. In 2014 our per capita income was the 10th highest among the states.

That is the best ranking we’ve enjoyed since 2004. Our median household income of $61,481 also ranked us the 10th highest state, 15 percent above the national average (and) 222,600 more Minnesotans are employed today from when I took office in January, 2011,” said Dayton.

“Our statewide unemployment rate has been at or under 4 percent for over a year. State government ended last spring’s legislative session with an unobligated balance of $865 million. Revenues during the past seven months have exceeded last March’s forecast by some $698 million. And CNBC ranked Minnesota the Top State for Business in 2015,” said the governor.

Unfortunately, Dayton said, not everyone in Minnesota is prospering noting that 38 percent of Black Minnesotans live in poverty, almost five times higher than the percent of white Minnesotans, while median household income of Blacks is only 40 percent that of whites. He said similar gaps were found in measures of housing, healthcare and education achievement and

among Hmong, Latino, NativeAmerican populations.

“To reduce them will require more from all of us. Many of your businesses are already making impressive efforts to increase diversity in your workforces, and your management hierarchy.

Some of you can do more,” said the governor.

Dayton took ownership for less than stellar performance of Minnesota state departments in leading by example.

“I fault myself for not starting this initiative sooner. I guarantee, however, that it will be a top priority from now on. I ask that you make it one of your top priorities as well. Not only is it the right thing to do, it is also critical to our state’s economic future,” said Dayton.

“There will not be enough Minnesota-born, white, B+ average, high school and college graduates in the years ahead to replace retiring workers and expand our labor force. Our continued economic growth will depend upon our better assimilating and training new immigrants and current outliers. It will also depend upon improving our health, education, and social services to produce more B+ students and fewer outliers,” said Dayton.

The governor praised his administration’s successes in education, and acknowledged its shortcomings.

“In 2011, the Minnesota legislature funded $4 million for early childhood scholarships. This year we provided $104 million.

That’s tremendous progress.

When I ran for Governor in 2010, I proposed state-funded, all-day kindergarten for 5-year-olds. In 2013, the legislature passed that authorization and funding, and the response has been astounding.

In the program’s first year, 99.6 percent of Minnesota 5-year-olds attended all-day kindergarten.

Every school district but one offered it,” said Dayton. “At the other end of the education continuum, we need to do a better job of interesting high school and college students in the jobs of the future, and preparing them for those careers. Currently, there are 118,000 people unemployed in Minnesota. At the same time, there are 98,000 job vacancies.

What a huge missed opportunity.

There are multiple reasons for this disconnect, but there’s also much that we can and must do to reduce it.”

The governor also highlighted a greater need for investment in infrastructure.

“Public transit also lags behind the needs of our growing metropolitan areas, and adds to highway congestion. The two truths about transportation … almost everyone agrees we need to invest more, and almost no one wants to pay for it. We urgently need this established, dedicated source of revenue that will be sufficient to repair and improve our transportation systems. Not just for the following year, but for the following decade, and beyond.

If we don’t, I’m certain that they will continue to get worse and become even more expensive to improve in future years,” said Dayton.

The governor said, reducing racial inequality, expanding early childhood learning, and improving transportation systems all have

racial and economic justice is getting louder and stronger. But while we are out on the streets fighting for equality, our kids are being poisoned by the air they breathe. Environmental injustices are taking Black lives – that’s why our fight for equality has to include climate and environmental justice too.”

I predict that one of the key political issues in next year’s presidential election will be the issue of environmental justice.

We have to keep on making progress. The health and quality of life of our communities are at stake. While people color now make up over 30 percent of the population of the United States, our issues, demands and interests cannot be triaged on the table of political expediency.

Witnessing so many new young leaders and activists stepping forward to gain more ground makes me optimistic that 2016 will be the year of advancement for all people of color and for all those who stand for freedom and equality.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and can be reached for national advertisement sales and partnership proposals at: dr.bchavis@nnpa.org; and for lectures and other professional consultations at: http:// drbenjaminfchavisjr.wix.com/ drbfc.

one common characteristic – they require spending more money, which collides with those in the private and public sectors who believe that our number one priority, or even our only priority, should be to cut taxes.

“Many of you are in the top 2 percent (income bracket), as am I. I thank you, because you helped me turn this state’s fiscal situation around from a $6 billion budget deficit when I arrived to a current $865 million surplus today … from $2.7 billion (in debt) to our own school districts, to a clean slate now … from declining credit ratings, to a positive outlook and potential upgrade from Standard & Poor’s.”

However, Dayton said, “The primary reason for our fiscal reversal is not more taxes, it’s more jobs. It’s more profitable businesses. It’s more economic growth. Minnesota’s economic recovery led the nation’s. Our employment growth surpassed most other states until, it was an employment rate below 4 percent, and we literally ran out of enough employable workers.”

Dayton said business owners and executives, and Minnesota’s reliable and productive workers deserve great credit for Minnesota’s economic growth.

“So I ask you now to ask yourself, ‘What do we most need to continue that growth in the years ahead?’ Do you need a couple hundred dollar tax cut, more than a 4-year-old child needs a year in pre-kindergarten … more than you and your family need safer highways to drive on; or the safer state that better equity provides? Please think carefully about what would most benefit Minnesota, because it’s your state,” said Dayton.

insightnews.com

Insight News • October 26 - November 1, 2015 • Page 7

EDUCATION Sequestration damages our community

CBC Chairman G. K. Butterfield (at podium), seated House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chairman G. K. Butterfield (NC), House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC) Tuesday hosted a student roundtable at Howard University where they discussed sequestration and the disproportionate impact arbitrary cuts will have on minority communities, particularly to Pell Grant funding and student financial aid.

“Sequestration puts into place automatic across-the-board federal budget cuts which amount to cuts of nearly $3 billion to our nation’s education funding,” Butterfield said.

“Sequestration would cut jobs in education by reducing funding for teachers and staff, decrease funding for student services such as work-study programs that assist families with paying for college, and would dramatically slash financial aid, specifically Pell Grants. Nearly 46 percent of African American undergraduate students use Pell Grants to cover college tuition,” he said.

“The sequester will immediately impact you,” Butterfield said. ”Overall, sequestration will have a negative impact on the future of education and our ability to develop a skilled workforce that is ready to compete in a global economy.”

He said the CBC has long

emphasized its commitment to making education accessible for every American, especially minority and African American students.

“Our goal is to increase opportunities for our students through significant and sustained investments in education, and sequestration is not the answer!”

More than 50 percent of African American and 40 percent of Latino college students rely on Pell Grants. In 2008, 155,000 Pell recipients were enrolled at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Also in 2008, 90 percent of students at just eight HBCUs received Pell grants and 80 percent of students at 17 of our nation’s HBCUs received Pell Grants.

Since its establishment in 1971, Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) have joined together to empower America’s neglected citizens and address their legislative concerns. For more than 40 years, the CBC has consistently been the voice for people of color and vulnerable communities in Congress and has been committed to utilizing the full Constitutional power and statutory authority of the United States government to ensure that all U.S. citizens have an opportunity to achieve the American Dream. To learn more about the Congressional Black Caucus, visit http://cbcbutterfield.house.gov.

States continue to improve graduation rates, particularly for underserved students New preliminary data released by the U.S. Department of Education shows that states continue to increase high school graduation

rates and narrow the gap for traditionally underserved students, including low-income students, minority students, students with

Empowering Students to Academic Excellence Re-Elect

KEIITH

Saint Paul School Board Labor Endorsed

Keith Hardy listens and acts: • Advocates for and holds SPPS accountable for implementing the racial equity policy.

• Works daily to decrease education equity and opportunity gaps for black students.

• Pushes for practices and measures to reduce suspensions of black students.

• Voices expectations of higher graduation rates and enrollment in higher academic tracks.

“Keith believes that children of all communities can learn. He will not tolerate the failure of our children. Our region needs his vision. Our children deserve his commitment.”

- Don Samuels, Minneapolis School Board

Re-elect Keith on Tuesday, Nov. 3

www.Hardy4Education.org

Prepared and paid for by Hardy for Education, 380 Wheelock Pkwy, St. Paul, MN 55130

Difference in Achievement Gaps between 2012-13 and 2013-14: Number of states where gap decreased between 2012-13 and 2013-14

Number of states where gap increased between 2012-13 and 2013-14

Number of states with no change between 2012-13 and 2013-14

Black-White gap

28

10

12

Hispanic-White gap

32

12

6

Economically Disadvantaged/All students

23

7

20

Limited English Proficient/All students

23

21

6

Children with one or more disabilities/All students

21

17

12

Source: U.S. Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

disabilities and English learners.

The report is an important first look at preliminary graduation rates reported by states for the 2013-14 school year. The National Center for Education Statistics is expected to release final graduation rate data – including the nation’s newest graduation rate – in coming months. The nation has posted record graduation rates for the last two years, with the highest rate ever of 81 percent announced in March and improvement across all student subgroups.

“The hard work of America’s educators, families, communities and students is paying off, particularly after several years of intense work by educators transitioning to new, higher

standards. This is a vital step toward readiness for success in college and careers for every student in this country,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said.

“While these gains are promising, we know that we have a long way to go in improving educational opportunities for every student – no matter their zip code - for the sake of our young people and our nation’s economic strength.”

The vast majority of states – 36 – saw increases in overall graduation rates, while 6 states saw decreases and another 8 saw no change since 2012-13. The majority of states also shrank

the achievement gap for black and Hispanic students, as well as students with disabilities, English language learners and low-income students.

States that saw the biggest gains include Delaware, Alabama, Oregon, West Virginia and Illinois.

Since 2010, states, districts and schools have been using a new, common metric—the adjusted cohort graduation rate— to promote greater accountability and develop strategies that will help reduce dropout rates and increase graduation rates in schools nationwide. The new data reflect that more accurate measure.

Today’s economy calls for critical skills that go beyond the basics. To ensure the economic strength of our country, students must graduate high school ready for college, careers and life. The Department has invested more than $1 billion in early education; implemented strategies that improve achievement and close opportunity gaps, and awarded billions of dollars through such grant programs as Race to the Top, Investing in Innovation, and School Improvement Grants; and expanded college access and affordability for families.

Jokes about having gas are funny.

Until they find a tumor in your colon.

Julia, age 58, Mississippi

Most people don’t know that smoking can cause colorectal cancer. For Julia, it was a lesson she’ll never forget. The good news? Quitting tobacco decreases your chances almost immediately. For free help – including nicotine patches, gum or lozenges – call 1-888-354-PLAN or visit quitplan.com.

1-888-354-PLAN

quitplan.com

Page 8 • October 26 - November 1, 2015 • Insight News

insightnews.com

LIFESTYLE Your emotional clock is ticking Man Talk

By Timothy Houston Every year about the time as we are being reminded to set our clocks back, I like to talk about resetting your emotional clock.

The very busy holiday season is approaching, and if you are not careful, you could become overwhelmed. What do you do when you get overwhelmed?

How do you deal with the stress and the pressure that each day brings? Every day, a little more pressure is added to your emotional reservoir. Every day it gets closer to capacity.

Without some way to reset your emotional clock, you may explode. You must learn to reset your emotional clock and refresh your spiritual reservoir.

To begin with, everything requires a reset. When I turn on my home computer in the morning, it goes through a series of bleeps and flashes, which it does every time it starts up.

It checks to make sure all of the drives and the cylinders are operating correctly. It also

checks the main memory to make sure none of the data has been corrupted since it was shut down on the night before. The computer then makes the minor adjustments necessary to keep it running smoothly. It checks itself against itself. These daily adjustments and alignments keep the computer from crashing.

These adjustments are an essential part of the well-being and longevity of the computer.

Next, your emotional clock must be reset. You are more complex and complicated than a computer. If your home computer needs to check itself daily, you also need to check daily the computer that is in

your brain. Daily self-evaluation and adjustments keep your life’s hard-drive running smoothly.

Many people skip this allimportant function for a few extra minutes sleep in the morning.

Important self-checks are not being performed. As a result of this, their cylinders are skipping, their main memory is failing and their systems are headed for a crash. Quiet time leads to selfexamination, and examination is necessary to remain healthy.

We all must regularly check our mental and emotional condition.

Finally, your spiritual clock must also be reset. Men and women need daily quiet time with God. The man often carries

the weight of the world on his shoulders, and the woman often carriers the family calendar, schedule and details on hers. They are both complicated system that are comprised of a spirit, soul and body. This complexity is further complicated by the combination of their divine destiny, the things they have experienced in the past and the present consequences for their actions. Without God to sort through their emotional baggage, men and women will explode emotionally and physically, and the whole world will suffer. When this happens, our community as a whole will be at risk.

The need to calm down and slowdown is all around us. When

you reset your internal clock, you reset your emotional clock as well. Inner peace produces outer peace. You are able to face the world and the things in it without losing perspective on what is important. Our families benefit from this peace. This peace is like a river that flows from the heart of God into the hearts of men and women.

Timothy Houston is an author, minister, and motivational speaker who is committed to guiding positive life changes in families and communities.

For questions, comments or more information, go to www.tlhouston.com.

The art of sitting with Grandma’s loving hands

By Aja King, N.C.C., L.P.C.C. Growing up in the south during the 1990s, I lived with my mother, great-grandmother, and sister.

During this period I was 5-years-old, and as a young girl, my life had rapidly changed once my mother left my father in Frankfurt, Germany. Embracing her shifted life as a single parent, my mother took refuge with my great-grandmother, LaFronza Bonner King. Grandma was born March 14, 1905, and she lovingly gave me 100 years of life experience, which filled my mind, and later created a woman who has compassion for the life of others.

My grandmother was above the word remarkable. She was not like any other woman I had ever known. Grandma’s skin was the comparison of a white woman from the black-and-white movies I watched as a young child. Her skin was fair, her hair was shoulder length, silver and silky. The silver of her hair always reminded me of the fancy Crayola crayons

with glitter added to them to help pictures sparkle. This was at least the crayon I used to color her hair in my stick figure drawings. Her eyes were also gray and deep.

Grandma’s medium build also represented a woman who had worked her entire life. Grandma made fresh sweet potato pies, peach cobblers, chicken and dumplings and drank coffee with matching saucers with the pink flowers painted around them every morning. These wonderful memories of my grandmother have carried me through the years of trials and triumph, but one solid memory that I used to keep me grounded was the one memory I pray I never lose.

In the South as a young girl in the 1990s, I learned the importance of keeping life slow.

My grandmother’s favorite pastime activity was “sitting.”

Sitting is an art that I have not lost and plan to pass to my children. I can remember my grandmother calling me when I became a young adult and asking when I would “sit” with her. Sitting consisted of more than literally sitting.

LaFronza Bonner King Instead, “sitting” is the form of encompassing a state of being and taking in the moment of living.

I developed this definition as I became older and realized what my grandmother was prepping me for.

Sitting with my grandmother was an experience and lesson in life that shaped my thinking.

Grandma’s porch was the place to sit. The long stretched porch with flooring that consisted of plastic green lining that mimicked grass.

On the left side of the black rodironed door was a wooden rocking

Emerge From 1 and immediately directed his attention toward bringing back Emerge as an online publication.

chair, and the other side was a faded green rocking chair that was able to seat three people. When sitting in the chairs, you could look across the street and see the row of houses that told the stories of families that lived there for 20plus years.

As a young child you are embraced with this magical moment in life when nothing matters because sitting with your grandmother becomes the “bee’s knees.” No words are said. No unnecessary small talk was made as the warm Alabama heat snugged your body. No cell phones, laptops, Facebook, Twitter or any social media. At this moment in life none of these existed or mattered for this young girl raised in the South. Just holding the frail, fair-skinned hand of my grandmother as we watched the cars drive by only mattered. I remember how I would compare her fair skin against my chocolate brown hands and wonder how we became so different on the crayon scale.

I would put her hands on top of mine and gently play with the veins in her hands as her gold

wedding ring would gently hang onto her index finger. Sitting on the porch, watching life, thinking what her frail hands had accomplished within her 80 years was the “art of sitting.”

Sitting and admiring Grandma’s hands has taught me as a mental health professional that life can easily become complicated without a moment of apology. But when I became overwhelmed and life became too much, I would close my “mind’s eye” and go back to the art of sitting and reflecting on Grandma’s hands. I will never forget the serenity, happiness and joy of just being in the moment.

Two days after Grandma died in February 2004, I came back to the house that was later sold. I sat on the soft green rocking chair one last time as I stared into the row of houses across the street. The night was clear and the stars looked as if God had dusted it with glitter.

The stream of tears flooded my eyes and flowed down my face because Grandma’s hands were gone. Or were they? I closed my eyes on the porch one last time and remembered the pale frail hand

that squeezed the little girl’s hand to remind her, “When life becomes too tough, just sit and remember Grandma’s hands.”

Mental health tip number one: Life is challenging and has become more complicated, but reflect and remember to sit, close your eyes, and remember the hands that embraced your life so tenderly. Sitting is the art of being mindful and this is more than helpful when you become overwhelmed. Love life when it was simple, and continue to create a life that is simpler to help you stay grounded.

Until next time y’all … peace and love.

“For the most part, I have enjoyed my nine years as head of the NNPA News Service,” said Curry, who was with NNPA from 2001-2007 and 2012-2015. “I will always cherish the wonderful experiences I shared with most of the publishers, many of whom

remain good friends. Now, I am looking ahead with excitement as I bring back Emerge magazine on a digital platform.”

A GoFundMe drive has been inaugurated to obtain seed money to get the Emerge venture off the ground (http:// www.gofundme.com/mg5qtr44).

In addition, an EmergeOnLine Facebook page has been created (www.Facebook.com/ emergenewsonline).

On his GoFundMe page, Curry said, “EmergeNewsOnline. com will continue the uncompromising journalistic tradition of its namesake, combining a vibrant website that carries the latest national and international news each day with an in-depth monthly digital magazine component that both reports and analyzes news of interest to Blacks and other people of color.”

Before taking over as editorin-chief of Emerge: Black America’s Newsmagazine in 1993, Curry was New York bureau chief of the Chicago Tribune. He began his career as a reporter for Sports Illustrated magazine and worked as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He served as a Washington correspondent for the Chicago Tribune

before accepting the New York assignment.

Curry was editor of Emerge for the last seven of its 10-year existence. Less than six months after taking over Emerge in 1993, the Philadelphia Daily News described Emerge as “a feisty, slam-’em-to-the-wall publication for African Americans that’s quickly gaining a reputation for taking no prisoners in its search for truth.” The Washington Post observed that Emerge “gets better with each issue.”

During his tenure at Emerge, Curry was elected president of the American Society of Magazine Editors, the first African American to hold that post. In 2000, he was awarded the University of Missouri’s Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism, an honor previously presented to such luminaries as Sir Winston Churchill and Walter Cronkite.

After Black Entertainment Television was sold to Viacom, the magazine division of BET was placed in the hands of Vanguarde Media CEO Keith T. Clinkscales, who immediately closed Emerge in 2000 and replaced it with short-lived Savoy magazine. When Vanguarde filed for bankruptcy in 2004, it had killed seven Black publications.

Writing in Time magazine when Emerge closed, Jack E. White said: “No matter what George Curry accomplishes during the remainder of his journalistic career, he will be remembered for one thing: he was the editor who slapped a portrait of Clarence Thomas wearing an Aunt Jemima-style handkerchief on a 1993 cover of Emerge magazine. That shocking image outraged Thomas’ supporters, of course, but it crystallized the disgust that many African Americans had begun to feel about the ultraconservative legal philosophy of the U.S. Supreme Court’s only black member.”

Curry was initially hired at NNPA by Chairman John “Jake” Oliver, publisher of the Afro Newspapers, and the second time by NNPA Chairman Cloves Campbell, Jr., publisher of the Arizona Informant.

While serving as editor of the NNPA News Service in 2003, Curry was named “Journalist of the Year” by the National Association of Black Journalists for his work improving the quality of journalism in the Black Press.

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Aja King is an independent licensed professional clinical counselor providing counseling services since 2001 in multi-cultural sensitive therapy, individual/ family therapy, child/adolescent therapy and domestic abuse. King holds a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Masters of Art in Community Counseling from Argosy University in Atlanta.

insightnews.com

Insight News • October 26 - November 1, 2015 • Page 9

COMMUNITY Appetite for Change gets federal grant Appetite for Change, a nonprofit organization that uses food as a tool for promoting social change in Minneapolis communities, was awarded more than $374,000 in federal grant money from the United States Department of Agriculture.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), a sub-agency of the USDA, announced it was awarding more than $8 million to select organizations across the country that will help “develop local solutions to food insecurity and increase access to local and independent food systems for low-income communities.”

Appetite for Change is collaborating with the West Broadway Business and Area Coalition, Northside Economic Opportunity Network and other community partners to reinvigorate the Northside Fresh Coalition, an initiative incubated by Northpoint Health

North Minneapolis organizers from Appetite For Change and the West Broadway Farmer’s Market meeting with Representative Keith Ellison in Washington D.C. The trip was organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists. (From left) Michelle Horovitz, Devon Nolen, Congressman Keith Ellison, Princess Titus, Princess-Ann Nelson, Jenn Yates. and Wellness Center with support from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Center for Prevention. The USDA grant will breathe new life into Northside Fresh to create a fresh food corridor on

West Broadway Avenue.

“These funds will help us make an even greater impact in north Minneapolis, where access to healthy food has been a challenge,” said Appetite for Change co-founder Michelle

Photos: Appetite for Change

North Minneapolis youth bring produce they grew to sell at the West Broadway Farmers Market: Latyra Cunningham, Sabrina Lee, Cheyenne Buckanaga.

Horovitz. “We look forward to creating long term solutions that will help meet the needs of the residents here.”

“These projects allow communities with traditionally limited access to food systems

to implement local and community-oriented solutions,” said Sonny Ramaswamy, NIFA director.

“Improved food systems in these communities have positive impacts on sustainability, health,

economics and security for both consumers and producers.”

Appetite for Change was started in 2011 by north Minneapolis residents under the leadership of its co-founders: Princess Titus, Latasha Powell and Horovitz. Appetite for Change’s mission is to bring people together around growing food, cooking and eating as tools for creating health, wealth and social change. In 2014 Appetite for Change also took over ownership and management of the Kindred Kitchen, a shared commercial kitchen business that incubates small food entrepreneurs. Earlier this year, it opened Breaking Bread Cafe, a restaurant and catering service featuring global comfort foods.

The café also hosts communitycooking workshops, supports urban agriculture, and employs north Minneapolis residents via Appetite for Change’s training and employment program.

Healing police community relations The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Richfield Police and Bloomington Police partnered to hold a community conversation about the relationship between the community and police departments.

The Oct. 18 conversation started with a moment of silence for Aitkin County Sheriff’s Deputy Steven Sandburg, shot and killed earlier that morning in St. Cloud.

The discussion was held at Richfield Middle School. Police chiefs and representatives from both cities shared their respective community engagement initiatives. This meeting is in line with Pillar Four of the

President’s 21st Century Policing Task Force recommendations – Community Policing and Crime Reduction. Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek facilitated the discussion.

“This past year has been difficult for police-community relations both national and here at home,” said Stanek.

“I commend everyone who came out this evening to be part of a difficult conversation.

Dialogue is a great first step on the path to healing the damaged alliance of law enforcement and community.”

“Tonight’s event was about building relationships and bridges with our citizens

Crisis

And last, but not least, an area in which I am increasingly helping clients navigate ….

Forget Rose Colored Glasses; Invest in Multi- and CrossCultural Lenses An often overlooked aspect of crisis communications is the necessity to look at the situation through multi- and cross-cultural lenses.

A prescription is not necessary for a culturally competent crisis response, but a plan is highly recommended.

• History is full of examples where the reputational and financial wellbeing of companies has fallen due to an inadvertent or willful lack of cultural contextualization and sensitivity.

• Hurricane Katrina stands as a seminal lesson in the danger of first responders utilizing cultural neutral messaging and

planning. An American Journal of Public Health article noted that for African American families facing catastrophic events such as Katrina, “The important influence of extended families and social networks demand community-based communication and preparation strategies.”

• In 2013, Chicago-based Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway(MMA) was vilified after one of the deadliest train accidents Canada had ever seen. The tragedy occurred on a Saturday, but it took until the following Monday night for the company to appear publicly. The CEO was, as one journalist reported, “nowhere to be found”. Events unfolded in a French-speaking town; however, MMA did not recognize the need to publish

press releases in French and English. When they finally did issue a release in French, there were many translation errors.

MMA’s lack of understanding the culture conveyed a lack of compassion and respect.

• More recently, grassroots advocates such as Race Forward, National Youth Advocacy Coalition, and Black Lives Matter have changed the way organizations must address crisis management. With their savvy use of coalition building, compelling data and strategic communications, they are well adept at bypassing traditional gatekeepers such as news organizations.

Grassroots advocates have become experts at influencing the national dialogue. Additionally, they can mobilize their large membership bases very quickly.

This means that by the time an incident enters the national consciousness, your place of business may already have 2,000 people protesting at your front door, each with their finger on the tweet button.

It is essential to have someone on your crisis team that has expertise in this realm of communication.

Your team has to be able to quickly identify the different dimensions of culture in a crisis and use that knowledge as part of the crises response plan. Not doing so is tantamount to, in many cases, extinguishing the flame ...but not the fire.

How confident are you that your messages will be culturally appropriate to those affected by a potential crisis?

In sum, no organization big, small, for-profit, not-for-

profit, public, or private - is crisis-proof. There is a crisis in your future. Perhaps it’s a product recall, allegations of discrimination, or an incident in your place of business.

Perhaps it will happen tomorrow, possibly next week or next year, or perhaps not for several years… but it’s out there. The only real uncertainty is whether or not you will be prepared.

When the panel began, a handful of people raised their hands when asked if their organization had an existing crisis communications plan.

When Kathy Times, Founder of How to Wow One or 1,000 inquired at the end of the panel who will head back to the office to start working on a plan … every hand in the room was raised.

her career, Massey said she was drawn to the mission of the YWCA. “I have been so fortunate in my education and career. I wanted to do something that allowed me to directly impact lives and build

community,” said Massey. “I’m passionate about working with young people, supporting women and their families, and advancing education and health; and the opportunity to lead the YWCA St Paul aligned with my goals. It’s

very exciting for me to help drive the YWCA’s mission to eliminate racism and empower women, and to build on the YWCA’s already strong programs and services.”

The new CEO is no stranger to working in the nonprofit arena,

as she began her career working for the Children’s Defense Fund in Washington, D.C. and currently serves on boards of Way to Grow and the Institute for Food and Development Policy.

Massey previously served on the

boards of Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Twin Cities Diversity in Practice and Families Moving Forward.

Massey came to the Twin Cities in 2001. She is married with three children.

From 4 During a 2008 interview with the Wall Street Journal about how to manage the threat of the debt crisis in the United States, Rahm Emanuel was famously quoted as saying: “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that, it’s an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.”

Forward thinking strategists look to take crises and turn them into assets. Will your brand be prepared to rise like a phoenix from the ashes?

If not, you may be missing a viable opportunity to transform a crisis into new marketing and business developments.

YWCA From 1 Having worked in the corporate sector for much of

Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek

Classifieds FOR RENT Tapestry Management, LLC has various sized apartments/townhomes for rent in the following locations: St. Paul, Golden Valley, Mankato, Red Wing, N. St. Paul, Rochester, Plymouth, Jordan, Winona, Olivia, and Redwood Falls. Rental assistance is available to qualified applicants in all locations. Please contact the appropriate location for availability and additional information.

EHO Birmingham Townhomes – St. Paul 952-854-8800 Calvary Center Apartments – Golden Valley 763-546-4988 Colonial Square Apartments – Mankato 507-345-1321 Cooperidge Apartments – Red Wing 651-388-1500 Franklyn Park Apartments – N. St. Paul 651-770-1504 Mission Oaks Townhomes – Plymouth 763-559-5770 Newbridge Apartments – Rochester 507-282-8284 Oakridge Apartments – Rochester 507-281-1031 Schule Haus – Jordan 952-492-2084 Wapasa Apartments – Winona 507-429-9261 Westcourt Apartments – Olivia 320-523-2101 Westfalls Townhomes – Redwood Falls 507-641-5933

and community partners” said Richfield Police Chief Jay Henthorne. “We were able to show what our agency is doing in the community to continue our relationships and solicit community engagement.”

“The Bloomington Police Department places a very high value on community engagement activities just like this one,” said Bloomington Police Chief Jeffrey Potts. “We feel these events provide for more transparency and maintain open channels of communication with all of our residents.”

The Joint Community Police Partnership was a co-sponsor of the discussion.

Phone: 612.588.1313

Whispering Pines Apartments 7 NE 5th Ave. Forest Lake, MN 651-464-4406 Public Housing Waiting List Closing October 31, 2015

Administrative Assistant Brakins Consulting & Psychological Services Brakins Consulting& Psychological Services, LLC & the African American Child Wellness Institute seeks a highly motivated individual for a full-time position as an Administrative Assistant to work in a community-based private practice clinic that primarily serves African American children, adolescents and adult. We are seeking an energetic Administrative Assistant who can show initiative and leadership skills, has strong computer technical abilities, has their own transportation, has flexible hours and is willing to grow professionally with the company. The Administrative Assistant (AA) 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 AA is also responsible for confirming travel arrangements and managing payments for payroll and expense report reimbursement. The AA 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 AA 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 or 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.

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

Now Accepting Housing Applications Mission Oaks Townhomes is accepting housing applications for our waiting list for 2 and 3 BR apartments with Section 8 rental assistance. The waiting list will open on 9/7/2015 and close on 11/7/2015. Income limits apply. For a housing application, please call 952-876-9203. EHO.

Fax: 612.588.2031

Email: info@insightnews.com

Family Advocate

Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative is hiring a Family Advocate at our program center in North Minneapolis. Hours: 10am-6pm, Sun-Thurs. Visit www.beaconinterfaith.org/careers for details.

Program Center Assistant

Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative is hiring an assistant for our program center in North Minneapolis. Hours: 7am-9am, Mon-Fri. Visit www.beaconinterfaith.org/careers for details.

Minnesota Council of Churches Program Director 20 hours, Research, design, and evaluation of justice programs. OPEN UNTIL FILLED http://www.mnchurches.org/about/employment.html

Volunteer Greeters Hennepin County is seeking volunteer greeters for its North Minneapolis human service center at 1001 Plymouth Avenue North to welcome and guide visitors, answer questions and assist with special projects. Reliable adults who enjoy working with people and who are available for a few hours twice a week are encouraged to apply.

Ideal candidates will be able to volunteer for a minimum of three months. Volunteers are integral to Hennepin County’s mission of enhancing the health, safety and quality of life of its residents and communities in a respectful, efficient and fiscally responsible way. Get involved by visiting http://www.hennepin.us/humanservicevolunteer and submitting a volunteer application.

CLIENT SERVICES/INTAKE Central Minnesota Legal Services PT Client Services/Intake for Mpls office. Exc. Oral & written communication skills req. WORD+.

Second language+. Sal: D.O.E. up to $15,783.

Excellent benefits, generous vacation/sick.

Casual/friendly work environ. Resume, refs, & cover letter by 11/06/15 (late appls accepted until filled), specifying interest & skills to Lynelle Wells: CMLS, 430 1st Ave N, #359, Mpls, MN 554011780. EOE No calls.

North Memorial Needs Volunteers to Help Victims of Domestic Abuse SafeJourney, a program serving North Memorial Medical Center and Maple Grove Hospital, helps patients and individuals in the community who are experiencing domestic abuse. Volunteer advocates are needed to provide a listening ear, support, safety planning, information and referral. You do not have to have previous knowledge or experience, but rather looking for people who are sensitive to the issue, caring, and nonjudgmental. Advocates sign up for 2 on-call shifts per month. Flexible scheduling - daytime, overnights, and weekends. Training is provided. Deadline to apply and schedule a short interview is January 26. Please call Suzy at 763-581-3942.

Page 10 • October 26 - November 1, 2015 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Courtesy of Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

Lula Washington Dance Theatre returns to the Ordway

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer Choreographer for the films, “Avatar” and “Little Mermaid,” Lula Washington

brings her acclaimed company to the Ordway for an evening of dance, delivered with messages of cultural awareness.

The Lula Washington Dance Theatre performs,

Friday, Oct. 30 at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington St., St. Paul. Washington, along with her company, will present a multi-act performance with dance from disciplines

ranging from ballet to hiphop.

A product of the Nickerson Garden Housing Project in the infamous Watts area of Los Angeles, Washington didn’t begin

her formal dance training until she was 22 years of age. While still a student at UCLA, Washington caught the attention of Hollywood, and earned dance spots in movies such as “King Kong,”

“Sgt. Pepper” and “Funny Lady.” She also danced for the Academy Awards. Hollywood again came calling, this time hiring Washington and

LULA TURN TO 12

The uncomfortable silence of ‘johnbrown’

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer Dean Moss’ “johnbrown” is not entertaining.

Actually, I should say Dean Moss’ “johnbrown” is not just entertaining. Minus the opening ballet solo, which drags on for far too long, “johnbrown” is quite entertaining. But more than just a night at the theater, Moss, with his powerful work inspired by white abolitionist, John Brown, forces the audience to think,

Mark Simpson. The Walker Art Center

to reflect … to question.

In “johnbrown” there are very few literals, as the audience is forced to interpret much of the performance, which in itself is genius as, like much great art, interpretations vary. Thankfully, during a recent performance at the Walker Art Center, inside the William and Nadine McGuire Theater, I had a companion with me. I say thankfully, because had I gone alone I would have been forced to wrestle with my interpretations by

myself.

I’ll admit, I was more than a bit skeptical as to how a “dancer” would deliver a work based on such an enigmatic character and deal with the now unfortunately taboo subject of American slavery.

But through “johnbrown” it’s evident Moss isn’t a dancer, but an intellectual of great depth who displays his intellect through the medium of dance.

Moss holds a mirror (literally) to society and asks, “Do you really like what you see?”

JOHNBROWN 12 TURN TO

insightnews.com

Insight News • October 26 - November 1, 2015 • Page 11

Page 12 • October 26 - November 1, 2015 • Insight News

insightnews.com A&R

Psalm One and Rapper Chicks

Oct. 26 - Nov. 1

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

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

Monday, Oct. 26 FILM FESTIVAL Twin Cities Film Festival 2015 ShowPlace ICON Theater 1625 West End Blvd., St. Louis Park 5:30 p.m. $12 – $120 The Twin Cities Film Fest (TCFF) is a Minneapolisbased arts organization that culminates in a film festival in the fall each year at the ShowPlace ICON Theatre, located in St. Louis Park.

TCFF aims to show audiences the best films the industry has to offer while also showcasing the Twin Cities as a hot spot to premiere work. The full schedule and tickets are available at www. twincitiesfilmfest.org.

Tuesday, Oct. 27 HIP-HOP/PERFORMANCE

johnbrown From 10

Janet Jackson

Webster X

We Next Amsterdam Bar and Hall 6 W. 6th St., St. Paul 7 p.m. $7

LynLake Brewery 2934 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis 7:30 p.m.

Free

As a follow-up for the artists featured on the We Next Radio Show, We Next showcases the best up-andcoming hip-hop and R&B acts in the Twin Cities.

Tonight’s lineup includes Up Rock, Metasota & Tek, A&R, and Niles.

Chicago’s Psalm One returns to Minneapolis with The RapperChicks, The Palmer Squares, Longshot and host, Moonlight Grammar and DJ, Benny Motion.

Wednesday, Oct. 28 HIP-HOP/PERFORMANCE Psalm One w/The Rapper Chicks

To say Moss’ scene with performers using doublesided mirror/projector screen boards displaying images from

Thursday, Oct. 29 REGGAE/PERFORMANCE Les Exodus Cabooze 917 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis $7

prerecorded nudes of Moss and performer Kacie Chang synced with live movement along with on-the-spot video

Join Les Exodus, Lynval Jackson and Prince Jabba every Thursday night for live reggae at The Cabooze.

features Kweku Collins, WebsterX and Mally.

HIP-HOP/PERFORMANCE

HALLOWEEN/COSTUME PARTY/HIP-HIP

The Orbit Series Amsterdam Bar and Hall 6 W. 6th St., St. Paul 8 p.m.

18-plus $8 advance, $10 door

Scary, Sexy, Cool Pt. 2 Darby’s Pub & Grill 315 5th Ave. N., Minneapolis 21-plus $10

The Orbit Series is a threestop tour going through Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis in one weekend featuring up-and-coming Midwest artists from each city, headlining in their hometown. This show

Thee Urbane Life and Shed G’s CanIVent Entertainment have teamed up to bring one of the biggest Halloween costume parties catering to the urban professionals.

DJs Chuck Chizzle and Dan Speak are providing the

Saturday, Friday, Oct. 30 Oct. 31

sounds for the evening and Darby’s offers free ramp parking and $4 Jack Daniel’s drink specials. Prizes will be given for best individual and group costumes.

Sunday, Nov. 1 R&B/POP/CONCERT Janet Jackson Target Center 600 1st Ave. N., Minneapolis $29-$125 The Queen of Pop returns to her second home to deliver another high caliber performance from her extensive catalog.

shot by members of the cast (who in this case were Twin Cities-based), was visually stunning would be quite the understatement. Yes, I needed all those words to describe the brilliantly choreographed scene that was as powerful as it was entertaining. “johnbrown” is worth seeing for that scene alone.

However, the most poignant scene is one of intense interaction between Moss and performer, Asher Woodworth. Moss, who is African-American and Woodworth, who is white, have a highly emotional, nonverbal exchange that can be described as genius in its conception and powerful in its execution. During the scene, Woodworth, a much larger man than Moss, climbs the back of Moss in a symbol of white Americans achieving success on the

backs of African slaves. To witness Moss’ strength in holding Woodworth, for me, showed the strength of African-Americans enduring all the pressures heaped upon us. Later in the scene, Woodward rhythmically beats on the chest of Moss, only to have Moss turn and be again confronted by Woodworth and the beatings commence again. As I said, much of “johnbrown” is open for interpretation, but to me the scene was a clear representation of the “turn the other cheek” philosophy adopted by many during the 1950s and 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Somehow by scene’s end, we see the humanity of both and are given hope for reconciliation.

During most performances, following a scene, there is a round of audience applause.

Sometimes it’s out of appreciation, sometimes it’s out of courtesy. Not one time during “johnbrown” did the audience cheer. It wasn’t because the audience didn’t appreciate what it just saw, it was because the audience was still taking in what it just saw. “johnbrown” is as mentally exhausting to the audience as it is physically exhausting on the performers. “johnbrown” is a thinking person’s performance.

Oftentimes, when works come to town I’m offered or asked to interview a writer, director or cast member prior to a show’s performance. I’m glad that didn’t happen in this instance. I wouldn’t have done the performance justice. I wouldn’t have had the proper context. Some things must be experienced firsthand before one can speak upon them.

This is one of those things.

Lula

acclaimed academy in the inner city. “I wanted to make dance accessible.”

For her upcoming show at the Ordway, Washington said the audience should come ready to be entertained as well as educated. “(The audience) should expect an enjoyable, uplifting, informative event,” said Washington.

“One of the pieces – ‘Search for Humanism’ – is a very powerful and deals with the issue of Black Lives Matter.

People forget that back in the day, dance was used to convey powerful and important messages … to tell our history.”

“Search for Humanism” is performed to a live score written by Marcus L. Miller.

Another scene Washington said she’s excited to present is “Global Village,” which she said is like “really good gumbo” performed to the music of Fela. “It’s a joyous, uplifting piece inspired by various cultures of the African diaspora,” said Washington.

“Lula Washington’s ability to seamlessly fuse so many stylistic influences to create captivating and emotionallydriven pieces is unmatched,” said Dayna Martinez, the Ordway’s artistic director of World Music & Dance.

Tickets for the Lula Washington Dance Theatre range from $23 - $45 and are available by calling (651) 224-4222 or online at www. ordway.org.

From 10 her dance company, based on Crenshaw Boulevard in inner city Los Angeles, as choreographer and dancers for the wildly successful films, “Avatar” and “Little Mermaid.” And while those are wonderful feathers in her cap, Washington said her greatest joy is introducing Blacks and Latinos to the world of dance theater.

“That’s what’s most important to me because my community deserves to have cultural arts represented just like any other community,” said Washington when asked why she chose to open her