Insight News ::: 11.21.16

Aesthetically It! Upcoming venues, events, outings in the Twin Cities MORE ON PAGE 10

aesthetically speaking

Photo: Senior Airman George Goslin

Stokely Williams

Insight News November 21 - November 27, 2016

Vol. 43 No. 47 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Choi charges Yanez in Philando Castile killing

Harry Colbert, Jr.

Ramsey County Prosecuting Attorney John Choi announced second degree manslaughter charges against Officer Jeronimo Yanez in the July 6 killing of motorist Philando Castile.

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor In what many see as a first step towards justice in the killing of motorist Philando Castile, St. Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez has been charged with second degree manslaughter.

The announcement came last Wednesday (Nov. 16) as Ramsey County Prosecuting Attorney John Choi laid out the set of facts that led him to

file charges against Yanez in the highly-publicized July 6 shooting death of Castile, who was driving in Falcon Heights when he was pulled over by Yanez for a supposed broken taillight. What ensued was Yanez shooting Castile seven times while Castile’s girlfriend Diamond Reynolds and her 4-year-old daughter were in the car. Immediately following Castile being shot Reynolds live streamed the now-viral video on Facebook.

Castile, who was

still in his seatbelt, was legally armed with a handgun and informed Yanez of this before he was shot. Yanez claimed Castile reached for his weapon.

Choi’s announcement of charges said Castile never reached for a weapon and his hands were visible to Yanez during the entire interaction.

“Philando Castile announced calmly to Officer Yanez that he had a gun and Yanez said , ‘OK, don’t reach for it.’ Then Castile responded, ‘I’m not reaching for it’ before being

again interrupted by Yanez, who said, ‘Don’t pull it out.’ Castile responded, ‘I’m not pulling it out,’ and Reynolds also said, ‘He’s not pulling it out.’ Yanez screamed, ‘Don’t pull it out’ and quickly pulled his own gun then fired seven shots in the direction of Castile in rapid succession,” said Choi.

According to Choi, Castile’s last words after being shot were, “I wasn’t reaching for it.”

“Based on the evidence, Castile never reached or tried to remove his gun,” said Choi, who said the magazine of Castile’s gun was loaded but there was no round in the chamber. He also said at the time of his death Castile was carrying with him his permit to legally carry a firearm. “No reasonable officer would have used deadly force under these circumstances.

I cannot let the death of a motorist legally carrying a firearm go unpunished.”

The Ramsey County prosecutor said the decision to charge Yanez with a crime was his and his alone to make.

“My conscience tells me it’s wrong for me to ask a grand jury to make this decision when I know what in my heart is the right thing to do,” said Choi. “Based on review, it is my conclusion that use of force was not justified.”

Choi also questioned the reason for the stop in the first place, citing Yanez’ own words saying he pulled Castile over for his “wide-set nose,” saying he fit the description of a robbery suspect. Many said that would have been virtually impossible

CHARGES 5

Photo by: May and Bria Horsley, Howard University News Service

Obama press conference

Obama recounts Trump White House meeting

By Bria Horsley Howard University News Service WASHINGTON D.C. – President Barack Obama, in his first comments on the Nov. 8 election following the selection of Donald Trump as president, told those marching in protest and others upset over the nation’s choice for president something he has been saying throughout his eight-year term.

“It’s a reminder that elections matter and voting counts,” he told reporters during a White House press conference.

“I don’t know how many times we have to relearn this lesson,

because we ended up having 43 percent of the country not voting who were eligible to vote, but it makes a difference.”

African-Americans and other groups failed to vote at the record numbers generated by their opponents.

While most thought that Obama wouldn’t spare negative comments about the incoming president, he stayed away from critical statements.

“I don’t think he is ideological,” said Obama. “I think ultimately he’s pragmatic in that way. That can serve him well as long as he’s got good people around him and he has a

OBAMA 4

Challenging whiteness

Contractors laud successes; weigh Trump impact

AFP File Photo

Many African countries had high hopes that Barack Obama would bring transformative benefits to the continent and were left disappointed as he winds down his time in office. Trump’s victory poses fresh questions.

Africa waits and wonders on Trump’s foreign policy

Photos by David Bradley

Gov. Mark Dayton (center) flanked by Insight News founder and editor-in-chief Al McFarlane (left) and Dwayne Etheridge, president of NAMC-Upper Midwest, at the chapter’s annual awards dinner.

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor Although the hundreds of people inside U.S. Bank Stadium November 12 were there to celebrate each other’s successes

in building the state-of-the-art facility, there was still a sense of angst in the room.

That angst was expressed with each speaker or awardee who took to the podium during the National Association of Minority Contractors Upper Midwest (NAMC-UM)

Chapter’s annual awards dinner, but keynote speaker Tim Wise was the most aggressive in addressing the elephant in the room… the election of Donald Trump as the next president of the United States.

The event celebrated the exceeding of participation

goals on the newly-opened stadium. The project workforce reached 36 percent people of color, surpassing the 32 percent goal. Several minority

NAMC 4

JOHANNESBURG – Across Africa, the approaching presidency of Donald Trump has provoked deep uncertainty over how the United States will pursue policies ranging from counter-terrorism and trade, to aid and climate change.

Many African countries had high hopes that Barack Obama would bring transformative benefits to the continent and were left disappointed as he winds down his time in office. But Trump’s rise to power poses fresh questions that reveal the lack of concrete detail on his foreign policy plans

– while the president-elect himself has seldom addressed African issues directly.

One possible pointer is Trump’s often repeated vow to kill “terrorists,” which may lead to more aggressive U.S. intervention against Islamist forces such as Nigeria’s Boko Haram, linked to the Islamic State group, and Shabaab militants in Kenya, Somalia and elsewhere.

“Donald Trump can be described as a strongman leader, and strongman leaders tend to only see military solutions,” said

AFRICA 6

Health

Business

Commentary

Community

Increasing diversity in healthcare is essential

Too late for year end fundraising

No permanent enemies, no permanent friends, just permanent interests

Ujamaa Place adds US Bank sponsored financial literacy training

PAGE 3

PAGE 5

PAGE 6

PAGE 9

Page 2 • November 21 - November 27, 2016 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Remembering Jamar Clark

Mayor Hodges issues statement; Levy-Pound announces mayoral bid

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor For many, the message was even in death there is life.

One year following the killing of 24-year-old Jamar Clark – an unarmed AfricanAmerican – at the hands of Minneapolis Police officers, community members honored his memory with a candlelight vigil at the site of his Nov. 15, 2015 death. Clark’s killing sparked weeks of protests that included the occupation of the space outside of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Fourth Precinct Headquarters on Plymouth Avenue North. Clark was shot less than two blocks away on Plymouth Avenue North.

Hennepin County

Attorney Mike Freeman refused to charge the officers responsible for Clark’s death.

More than 100 people came out on the anniversary of Clark’s killing to mourn his loss, but also to celebrate his life.

“It hurts everyday waking up and I don’t see him anymore,” said James Clark, Jamar Clark’s father. “But I know in the end it’s going to be alright.”

“His (Jamar Clark’s) name needs to continue to reign in these streets. Not just his name but Philando Castile, Terrence Franklin… we want justice for them all. In the end, love will win,” said Chauntyll Allen, an organizer with Black Lives Matter. Castile and Franklin were both killed by area police.

The day after the vigil Ramsey

Harry Colbert, Jr.

County Attorny John Chois filed 2nd Degree Manslaughter charges against Jeronimo Yanez, the St. Anthony police officer who shot and killed Castile.

While Freeman declined to file charges against the two officers who were responsible for Clark’s

death, some are hopeful for an alternative outcome.

“There’s no statute of limitations for murder,” said Loretta VanPelt, one of the vigil’s organizers. “Justice will be served for Jamar.”

Earlier in the day, former Minneapolis NAACP

president, Nekima LevyPounds went to the Minneapolis Fourth Precinct to announce her candidacy to become the city’s next mayor. LevyPounds was a leading voice in the protests that occupied the precinct headquarters and that shut down a stretch of Interstate 94 and several streets throughout Minneapolis. LevyPounds has been highly critical of Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges in her handling of the Clark shooting.

Hodges, who did not attend the vigil, released a statement on the anniversary of Clark’s death.

“The shooting itself, and the aftermath of it, caused all of us to ask questions over the last year about who we are as a people and a city, and where

we want to go together,” said Hodges. “I know — we know — that police-community relations in Minneapolis have been in need of transformation for long time, much longer than the past year, especially in, for and with communities of color. In Minneapolis, one of our greatest strengths as a people is that we put aside our differences and our fears to come together for the common good. This is why I know that we can have these difficult conversations, feel this discomfort, and come together through it all to find solutions that benefit all of us. Yes, change is hard and yes, there is more to do. But we are sticking with it, for the good and the humanity of all of us. There is no going back.”

Bringing America together for our children’s sake Child Watch

By Marian Wright Edelman If there is anything that we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves. – Carl Gustav Jung What kind of people do we want to be?

What kind of people do we want our children to be?

What kind of moral examples, teachings, choices – personal, community, economic, faith and political – are we parents, grandparents, community adults, political leaders and citizens prepared to make in this new century and millennium to make our children strong inside and empower them to

seek and help build a more just, compassionate and less violent society and world?

More than 2,000 years ago Jesus taught that “Man shall not live by bread alone.” His message is in danger of being lost as so many of our children of privilege and poverty chase material idols that fade, and stuff themselves with the cultural junk foods of violence, drugs, greed and material things that fail to fill the deeper hunger for community and purpose all humans share.

The 20th century was characterized by stunning scientific and technological progress. We split the atom, pierced space, walked on the moon, landed on Mars, and broke the genetic code. Instant communication led to an information explosion and daily money trading in the trillions.

We witnessed astonishing and unjust increases in wealth for a few resulting from a tiny microchip and we can fly through the air faster than the

speed of sound and cruise the seas quicker than the creatures inhabiting them. We created the capacity to feed the world’s population and to prevent the poverty that afflicts millions of humankind. But something is missing. Our scientific and military progresses have not been accompanied by comparable moral and spiritual progress.

Every child today is endangered by our violencesaturated culture and excessive consumerism and greed. Buying is equated with happiness.

Possessing things is equated with success. Children are marketed sex, alcohol, tobacco and guns as the way to be accepted and hip. And a child or teen dies every three hours and 28 minutes from gunfire and is injured by a gun every 35 minutes in a nation where guns, other than toy guns, are the only unregulated consumer product although they take 30,000 lives a year; more than 2,500 of them child and teen lives.

I believe the Old

Great care never gets old Our expert care teams know that age is just a number. We personalize care – including preventive colon cancer screenings and mammograms – to help you live well and age well.

Visit makegoodhappen.com to find care near you.

We welcome most insurance plans.

Testament prophets, the Gospels, the Koran, other great faiths, history, moral decency and common sense beckon us to examine anew as individuals and as a people what we are to live by and teach our children by precept and example.

Parents, grandparents, teachers, preachers, neighbors, people of conscience and people of faith must lift a strong counter voice to the corrupting messages of our culture and political process and teach our children that they can and must make a difference and be bridges between people of all colors, genders, sexual orientation, politics and cultures.

I believe each of us is put on this earth for a purpose and with the duty to make our world a better place. My parents and Black community elders taught, by word and deed, that service is the rent each of us pays for living and that the only thing that lasts is what is shared with others. They passed down the habit of service by creating opportunities for children to serve at very young ages. They took us to help the poor with them. They taught us about the duty of citizenship by taking us with them to vote. And they made sure we met great role models including great Black college presidents like Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, Dr. Mordecai Johnson; great singers Richard Hayes, Dorothy Maynor and Marian Anderson. And they taught us about our historic sheroes and heroes like Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass to let us know there was a big world of opportunity beyond our segregated small town Jim Crow southern existence by following their courageous examples. They also taught that service and charity are not enough – that we must also raise our voices for justice and freedom for all. And through their examples, they taught us that if we don’t like

the way the world is, we can and must do our part to change it.

Success is never guaranteed, but contributing to the struggle is a responsibility and a privilege.

And never has the call to moral and political struggle for justice been more urgent in our nation and world as now when forces of regression seek to erode – indeed destroy – racial and gender progress and dash the hopes of millions of children for a life free from poverty, hunger, homelessness, unequal education, health care and a chance to get ready for school through quality early childhood supports.

How can we make a difference? By remembering and respecting the sanctity of all human beings – created by and equal in God’s sight – whatever their race, creed, color, gender, sexual preference or disability. In this time of racial, gender, economic and political divisiveness, coarsening of political rhetoric, and fraying of America’s democracy, I hope we adults can transmit respectful messages of hope and decency that build and not tear down our community, national and world civility and mutual respect.

So in the aftermath of this 2016 election I urge adults in America of all races, faiths and political persuasions to make a difference by being an example for teaching our children to love themselves and others as God loves us and treating others respectfully and fairly. To our children, I hope they will make a difference as they grow by being courageous; by aiming high, and holding on to ideals of mutual respect; by caring and serving; by being honest and telling the truth; by persevering and not giving up no matter how difficult the challenge; by being determined and resourceful; by being grateful for the gift and wonders of life; by working together with others; by being compassionate

and kind; by being nonviolent and working for community, national and world justice and peace and by being faithful and struggling for what they believe.

All of our children need to know that goodness and wisdom come in all colors and countries and genders and sizes and do not belong to any single person or group or nation. In this time of national transition laced with racial, gender, economic and political discord, I hope our political leaders across the spectrum will be worthy examples for our children to emulate. I also hope all parents, teachers and people in every sphere of life from top to bottom in our nation will by example help build children who are strong on the inside, with spiritual anchors to meet challenges with resiliency, knowing always what Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

We all can and must make a positive difference in helping America become America – one people under God. Never has there been a more urgent time for all of us to help bind our wounds and heal our divisions and work for a nation and world where all are respected and welcome as God’s sacred children.

Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund.

For more information go to www.childrensdefense.org.

II N NE EED T o B U Y HEALTH G R O C E cSe.. r Insu aRnIE You can do both. MNsure is the only place to find out if you qualify for financial help to pay insurance premiums - which most people do. See what you qualify for at mnsure.org, or call 1-855-3MNSURE.

insightnews.com

Insight News • November 21 - November 27, 2016 • Page 3

Health Increasing diversity in healthcare is essential

Patricia Maryland says it is critical for healthcare organizations to have leaders who reflect the diverse populations they treat.

By Dr. Patricia Maryland NNPA Newswire Guest Columnist

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 Managing Editor Harry Colbert, Jr. Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Associate Editor Culture and Education Dr. Irma McClaurin Associate Editor Leadership and Social Enterprise Dr. Anita Davis-DeFoe Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed

Diversity is good for communities, companies and our nation.

A plurality of viewpoints, experiences and beliefs has the potential to foster both understanding and innovation. And in the healthcare field, the need for diversity is evident every day. Providers in the U.S. serve people from all

walks of life, and each patient’s personal background plays a significant factor in the way care is delivered.

There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to keeping people healthy.

That’s why it is critical for healthcare organizations to have leaders who reflect the diverse populations they treat, and who understand that different communities can have different health needs – leaders who know, for example, that breast cancer tends to appear in Black women at a younger age, and in more advanced forms, than in other racial and ethnic groups; and who are committed to eliminating disparities when it comes to prevention, detection and treatment of this disease.

We need leaders who understand the foundation of person-centered care is trust, and who are acutely aware of the need to broker trust in AfricanAmerican communities where, historically, the healthcare system has been underutilized for a number of reasons.

Unfortunately, the reality today is both women and minorities are underrepresented in healthcare leadership positions. While almost 80 percent of healthcare workers are women, they accounted for just

43 percent of hospital executives in 2014. Last year, a mere 11 percent of executive leadership positions at U.S. hospitals were held by members of minority groups, and in a 2015 survey of healthcare executives, less than 20 percent of respondents said that minority executives were well represented in management teams.

There are myriad reasons for the shortage of women and minority leaders in healthcare, but one glaring challenge is the lack of a strong talent pipeline. Simply put, women and minorities continue to be significantly underrepresented in the business and clinical areas from where healthcare organizations usually draw their executives. AfricanAmericans, for example, make up just over three percent of practicing physicians nationwide, and a 2014 survey of 5,300 MBA candidates in the United States found that only six percent identified as Black.

Working toward greater representation of women and minorities in healthcare leadership roles is not only the right thing to do, but it’s also a care imperative. Consider that 32 percent of hospital patients in the U.S. belong to racial and ethnic minorities, and that

each patient experiences the healthcare system differently based on his or her unique history, environment, cultural background and personal beliefs.

If healthcare providers are serious about offering culturally competent, community-based solutions, having leaders who can implement organizational strategies that meet patients where they are and advocate for the needs of diverse populations is mission critical.

Not only is this approach good for patients, it’s good for the continued strength and sustainability of healthcare organizations. In a 2015 survey of healthcare executives, 72 percent reported that diversity enhances care equity, 71 percent believed cultural differences within management teams foster successful decision-making, and two-thirds said diverse leaders can help an organization reach its strategic goals.

To take advantage of these benefits, healthcare providers should consider a number of measures to boost the share of women and minorities in their executive ranks, from making stronger efforts to advance female and minority candidates from

within to promoting healthcare management as a career among diverse audiences. And all along the talent pipeline, it’s critically important to communicate an inclusive organizational culture – one that ensures diverse candidates are welcome and successful at the organization.

As an AfricanAmerican woman, I know the road to the executive suite can be a difficult journey, and even uncertain. But a willingness to take risks and step outside one’s comfort zone is critical for aspiring executives. Embracing one’s role in an unfamiliar or challenging environment is the only way to grow and gain respect from senior leadership.

When it comes to diversity among healthcare leaders, we have much more work to do. But if organizations commit to pulling the best and brightest diverse talent to the top, and if promising minority candidates continue to strive upward, we can create a healthcare system in which our leaders better represent the backgrounds and interests of the patients we serve.

Dr. Patricia Maryland is the president of Healthcare Operations and Chief Operating Officer of Ascension Healthcare, a division of Ascension.

Chase ‘N Yur Face

Autistic teen chef Chase Bailey, whose www.chasenyurface. com cooking show has become an online hit, launched his first cookbook with the aim of celebrating life as well as raising money to help other people with autism.

Featuring 75 simple, quick and easy recipes that 15-year-old Bailey has developed, all accompanied by photography, fun facts and anecdotes, “The Official Chase ‘N Yur Face Cookbook” includes an endorsement from Chef Mario Batali, who Chase cooked alongside on “The Chew.”

Using part of the book’s

proceeds, Bailey has decided to set up his own foundation www.chaseyurdreams.org to provide grants to people with autism to help them with their dreams of living independently.

“When Chase was little, he had some serious food aversions, which is common among people with an autism diagnosis. He would only eat five different foods. Then one day I noticed how drawn he was to TV cooking programs. Long story short, food became his world. He started overcoming his aversions and even started trying exotic foods. He also decided he wanted to be a chef and have his

own cooking show,” said Mary Bailey, Chase Bailey’s mother.

Chase Bailey’s success began as organic as some of his dishes.

“It began simply enough with me filming Chase cooking at home and posting the results on YouTube. People loved it,” said Mary Bailey. “Soon Chase started inviting chefs and other foodies to join him on the show. Roy Choi, Becky Reams, Galia Orme, Anne Scioscia, and Fuschia Sumner are just

some of the stars who have shared their recipes with him.”

Chase Bailey was then asked to be a guest speaker and chef at the 2015 Autism Speaks Los Angeles Celebrity Chef Gala, followed by appearances on “The Chew” and the “Meredith Vieira Show.”

Recently, Chase Bailey decided he wanted to help people like him achieve their dreams and that’s when the idea of the cookbook and the foundation came into being. He felt it to be the perfect

combination to raise money to start the foundation as well as share his passion for life and good food with people too.

Available on amazon. com, barnesandnoble.com and in bookstores across the country, “The Official Chase ‘N Yur Face Cookbook” combines recipes, uplifting anecdotes and fun facts. Further information on Chase Bailey and his cookbook are available at www. chasenyurface.com.

Memory Loss Support AFRICAN AMERICAN CAREGIVER SUPPORT KEEPING FAMILIES TOGETHER

Lill’s Angels Support Group

Caregiver

You belong.

The health plan with you in mind.

HOLIDAY GATHERING

Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Contributing Writers Melvin Carter, Jr. Julie Desmond Fred Easter Gloria Freeman Timothy Houston Penny Jones-Richardson Michelle Mitchum Darren Moore Artika Tyner Toki Wright

Thursday, December 15 at 5:30 – 8 pm VOA – MN Southwest Center 3612 Bryant Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55409

Featuring: Fea Fe eaat atur tur uriri : A caregiver panel \ Ethylon (E.B.) Brown, ordained Minister of Music, ensemble, and instrumental music. Her passion for inspirational and interactive choral music draws audiences of every age in expressive, enthusiastic rhythms and melodies that celebrate life given by God the Creator.

Be prepared to share your favorite Christmas tunes to sing along.

Lift your spirits with the joy of music.

By RSVP only – 952-945-4173

Dinner served at 6 pm

The Holiday Gathering will replace the December support groups

Photography David Bradley Rebecca Rabb Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55411.

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

Page 4 • November 21 - November 27, 2016 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Leadership redefined: The business case for leadership Women Leading Change

By Dr. Artika Tyner Oftentimes, leadership is hard to describe.

Is there a difference between being a leader and a manager? Are you required to have a title or position before leading? Are leaders born or made? What are the essential characteristics of an effective leader? How do you measure leadership success?

The fact that there are more than 65 classifications systems, 38 theories and 100 definitions of leadership further complicates the challenge of defining leadership. The range

of definitions and types of leadership add to the complexity of identifying your leadership characteristics and building your leadership platform. One simple way to identify a leader is by an individual’s ability to build a followership.

Effective leaders inspire and attract others who share a similar vision and seek to align their visions together to unveil future possibilities. For instance, leadership is needed to cultivate the innovation for new product development or improvement of service delivery.

Despite the range of descriptions of leadership, there are a few core characteristics of leaders. In essence, leadership is about recognizing your strengths and leveraging your influence, which in turn will empower others to discover the leader within.

Traditionally, leadership

has been viewed as a position and identified by title. This definition inherently creates a hierarchy of power where the leader is positioned on top of the ladder above his subjects giving orders. It also has been limited to focus on leadership being endowed upon a “few great men” due to their innate capacity to lead. This follows the notion of leaders being born and not made. However, this leadership definition limits the true essence of leadership to an exercise of individual power.

When truly, leadership emerges through the exercise of influence and leadership skills can be developed through experience.

Emerging research has characterized leadership as a process of influence that moves beyond the constraints of positional or hierarchical leadership. It recognizes the possibility that everyone has the capacity to lead because

each person has the power of influence. There is a continuum of influence. Some may have more influence than others but the question is the same for everyone. How will you use your influence to leave the world a better place than how you found it?

This brings us to ageold debate of whether leaders are born or made. The notion of leaders being born follows the essence of a select few wielding positional authority or leaders being born with innate leadership skills (trait theory). Past research classifies leadership as 30 percent genetics (identifying traits that are perceived to align with the image of a “leader”).

The other 70 percent of leadership is based upon lessons learned through experience.

However, contemporary research has shown through training and experience, you can develop the core competencies

needed to become an effective leader. You can develop skills like reflective listening, creative problem solving and emotional intelligence. As you develop these skills, you will unveil the leader within.

Leadership is about influence. Influence is defined as causing change in the character, thought, or action of another. Influence is evidenced by having an effect upon a circumstance or situation.

Leaders cause change wherever they go. They promote change in perspectives, which leads to creativity. They foster change in their respective industry and professional pursuits which lays the foundation for growth and development.

Most importantly, leaders can change an organizational culture which promotes effectiveness, responsiveness, and efficiency.

Leadership is identified by character. Leaders

serve as mirrors. People tend to follow leaders who reflect their values and vision for the future. They can see a reflection of the present and future. This is the type of vision needed to create, build, and strengthen organizations.

Leadership promotes collective power.

Leaders recognize the wisdom of the proverb, “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Leaders help others unveil their talent and leadership potential in order to reach a shared vision of the future for their organization and the betterment of society.

Dr. Artika R. Tyner is the associate vice president for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of St. Thomas, She is an award-winning author, speaker and advocate for justice.

NAMC From 1 companies were awarded major subcontracts. Black-owned Thor Construction, for instance, was responsible for pouring all the concrete for the foundation and installing all 66,655 seats.

Still, speakers said, more work needs to be done to achieve economic parity.

“This is not a normal day, this is not a normal week, this is not a normal month, this is not a normal year in this country,” said Wise, an author and advocate for ethnic justice who described himself as a white ally to Black and Brown people in America.

Wise said this was his first public speech since the Presidential election earlier in the week.. He said while Trump’s victory has emboldened some racists, it should also renew the resolve of people of color.

He said whites – even wellintentioned whites – need to understand when their privilege is in play.

“Those of us who are white act like we know what’s best for people of color and we have never taken the class,” said Wise, during his 30 minute talk.

“White people say all the time they personally are not racist, but it’s not about white people, it’s about whiteness. Whiteness means you don’t have to know what other folks have dealt with.”

Obama From 1

clear sense of direction.”

Photos by David Bradley

Keynote speaker Tim Wise (center) with Knutson Construction staff members (left to right) Tanner Menge, Candice Menge, Steve Wilson, Ramona Wilson, Katya Pilling, Kathleen Hornaday and Lance Hornaday.

Wise said the system of whiteness is intentional.

“Everything is about opportunity. Black folks with a college degree are two times more likely to be out of work than whites. It’s not an accident,” he said. “That’s why what you here in the room are doing is so important. You are creating opportunity. We know it to be true that minority contractors hire more minority workers.

This is not charity. This is radical self-help.”

The author of “White Like Me,” “Dear White People” and “Under the Affluence” got a laugh of approval when denouncing the proposed policy of building a wall at the southern U.S. border to curb immigration.

“In 30 years, half the country is going to be people of

color due to current birth rates in the U.S. and no wall is going to stop that,” said Wise. “And any fool knows that a 30-foot wall can be beat by a 31-foot ladder; so building a wall doesn’t make a bit of sense.”

The event honored Gov. Mark Dayton and Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey for their efforts in surpassing minority workforce goals on the U.S. Bank Stadium project. Dayton said he is committed to seeing a new reality when it comes to inclusion in Minnesota.

“We need to change the narrative about what opportunity is here in Minnesota,” said Dayton.

Trump, who has made harsh statements about the Obama administration throughout his campaign, has appointed as key White House strategist Steve Bannon, a major proponent in the

ultraconservative alt-right movement. Bannon will be Trump’s right-hand man and senior advisor.

Civil rights activists, Democrats and some Republicans said Brannon, the

Photos by David Bradley

(Left to right) Art Garner, director of Special Projects for Thor Construction, Alex Tittle, equity director for Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority and Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey at the NAMC-Upper Midwest awards dinner.

head of conservative Breitbart News, would bring racist, antiSemitic and white nationalist views to the government.

Obama did not comment on Brannon’s appointment.

“I think it’s fair to say that it would not be appropriate for me to comment on every appointment that the presidentelect starts making if I want to be consistent with the notion that we are going to try to facilitate a smooth transition,” said Obama.

The president described Thursday’s hour and a half-long meeting with Trump as “cordial.” Many wanted to know if the president’s opinion of his

successor had changed.

“My advice to him, as I said when we had our discussions, is that campaigning is different from governing. I think he recognizes that. I think he’s sincere in wanting to be a successful president and wanting to move this country forward,” said the president.

Obama said he did have some concerns about Trump, particularly around the signature Obama legislation, the Affordable Care Act, and Trump’s proposed immigration policy.

Throughout the press conference, Obama continued to urge discouraged

Democrats to realize that things in a democracy change rapidly, but not inevitably. He said he wants them to maintain their core values as America makes the transition to a new administration.

The president finished the conference by saying what he will do whatever is needed to help Trump direct the country in the right direction.

“We will try to share the lessons that we’ve learned over these last eight years with the incoming president, and my hope is he makes things better,” said Obama. “And if he does, we’ll all benefit from it.”

insightnews.com

Insight News • November 21 - November 27, 2016 • Page 5

Business Charges From 1 for Yanez to see considering the stop occurred at 9:30 at night and Castile was traveling in a moving vehicle. Choi

said Castile had no connection whatsoever to any robbery.

In addition to the second degree manslaughter charge, Yanez, a four-year veteran of the St. Anthony Police Department, was also charged with two felony counts of discharging a firearm that endangered the safety of

others. Those charges stem from Reynolds and her daughter being in the car at the time of the shooting. The manslaughter charge comes with a maximum sentence of 10 years if convicted and the endangerment charges carry a five year sentence each. Choi said he decided

to charge the lesser charge of manslaughter rather than second degree murder based on what he felt would be the most winnable case in front of a jury.

Just a day after the anniversary of the Jamar Clark killing by Minneapolis police – a case where the officers involved

were not charged – Choi’s decision to charge Yanez came as a shock to some.

“It feels weird. In most cases officers don’t get charged, so for (Choi) to actually validate us; it’s huge, but it’s strange,” said newly elected Minneapolis NAACP president, Jason Sole,

who had been a leading protester following both shootings and who was outside of Choi’s office during the announcement.

“But it was the right decision.

It shatteres the narrative that Philando Castile did something wrong.”

Too late for year end fundraising FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw “How can we raise money before the end of the year?”

We have received several calls like these.

Established and emerging organizations want to make sure they communicate with, and solicit donors before the end of the year.

It’s too late.

Fundraising is something that goes on yearround. If you’ve kept an open eye you will have noticed that large national nonprofits began launching their campaigns the week before Labor Day. By the time you are reading this if you haven’t launched your year-end giving campaign it’s time to take a few small steps today and plan big for tomorrow. Here’s what we mean.

First, be sure to send a personalized message of thanks to those who have given time, resources and funding to your organization throughout the year.

Let them know what happened

as a result of their giving and involvement. Invite them to an event your organization is already planning. Include an insert with options for how to give, and a return envelope.

Keep it simple. Personally sign each message. Modify for use via email and social media. When gifts are received, immediately thank each donor.

Set your sights on the coming year. Look at how your organization makes decisions and how programs are developed. Is fundraising – or the development plan – an afterthought? Are there a few individuals or a committee responsible for fundraising while everyone else focuses on the “important work?” Begin with a list of employees, board members, volunteers, clients and advocates who you could invite to participate in organizational and fundraising planning for the coming year(s). We will talk more about how to use that list in future columns. For right now, just start your list.

Consider a culture shift.

Successful fundraising has at its heart a culture of fundraising where all parties are part of fundraising planning and activities. We’ve been preaching this because we have found

it is at the heart of successful fundraising, especially for those organizations that are not launched with the committed support of major philanthropists or foundations. It’s being talked about more now, and studied.

“Generally, a culture of philanthropy is one in which everyone – board, staff and executive director – has a part to play in raising resources for the organization. It’s about relationships, not just money. It’s as much about keeping donors as it is about acquiring new ones and seeing them as having more than just money to bring to the table. And it’s a culture in which fund development is a valued and mission-aligned component of everything the organization does,” wrote Cynthia Gibson in her report, “Beyond Fundraising: What does it mean to build a culture of philanthropy?”

We want you to be successful and want you to know what is really at the core of successful fundraising. It’s more than a program, it’s a way of being in the world.

Mel and Pearl Shaw are authors of the new book “FUNdraising Good Times Classics Vol. 1” now available on Amazon.com.

THANKSGIVING

SALE NOW-THURS, DEC. 1

3O%-75% OFF STOREWIDE PLUS, FREE SHIPPING ONLINE & FREE RETURNS

TAKE AN E XT RA

% O

OFF WITH Y % 5 OU 1 R OR M EXTRA

2O% OFF

OR PASS ARD SC Y’ AC

2

FREE SHIPPING WITH $99 PURCHASE. EXCLUSIONS APPLY; SEE MACYS.COM/FREERETURNS

SELECT SALE & CLEARANCE CLOTHING EXTRA 15% OFF SELECT SALE & CLEARANCE JEWELRY, WATCHES, SHOES, COATS, SUITS, DRESSES, LINGERIE, SWIM FOR HER, MEN’S SUIT SEPARATES & SPORT COATS & HOME ITEMS

MACYS.COM PROMO CODE: FEAST EXCLUSIONS MAY DIFFER ON MACYS.COM NOT VALID IN PHOENIX, AZ, PORTLAND, OR AND ST. LOUIS, MO AND SURROUNDING AREAS. Excludes ALL: cosmetics/fragrances, Deals of the Day, Doorbusters/web busters, electrics/electronics, Everyday Values (EDV), furniture/mattresses, Last Act, Macy’s Backstage, rugs, specials, Super Buys, Breville, Coach, Dyson, Fitbit, Frye, Hanky Panky, Jack Spade, Kate Spade, KitchenAid Pro Line, Le Creuset, Levi’s, Locker Room by Lids, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors Studio, Michele watches, Natori, Sam Edelman, Samsung watches, Shun, Stuart Weitzman, The North Face, Theory, Tumi, Vitamix, Wacoal, Wolford, Wüsthof, Tory Burch, UGG, littleBits, 3Doodler, Movado Bold, M by Macy’s Marketplace, athletic clothing, shoes & accessories, designer jewelry/ watches, designer sportswear, gift cards, jewelry trunk shows, previous purchases, select licensed depts., services, special orders, special purchases, tech watches/ jewelry/accessories; PLUS, ONLINE ONLY: baby gear, kids’ shoes, Allen Edmonds, Brahmin, Birkenstock, Hurley, Johnston & Murphy, Merrell, RVCA, Tommy Bahama, toys. Cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer except opening a new Macy’s account.

Extra savings % applied to reduced prices.

VALID 11/20-11/23/2016

Don’t miss the 90th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® Thursday, November 24 at 9am EST, live from New York City or on NBC or Telemundo.

FOR DETAILS, VISIT MACYS.COM/PARADE #MACYSPARADE

Page 6 • November 21 - November 27, 2016 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Commentary No permanent enemies, no permanent friends, just permanent interests BET founder calls on Black voters to rethink election strategies BETHESDA, Md. (PRNewswire) – How should Black American voters respond to the tectonic political rift and the stress of a permanently divided nation that the election of Donald J. Trump have laid bare?

This national and irrational divisiveness, if left unanswered, could render African-Americans a declining voice in the increasingly zerosum game of the electoral process that is today’s American political system and I fear that of the future. In my opinion, for far too long, African-Americans have failed to draw upon and exercise our historically unified voting clout and bloc to become “the balance of power” between the two parties before deciding to support or oppose either party based solely on our unique and special interests.

The times demand that we take the necessary and urgent steps to address this reality.

Based on the outcome of this election, if we feel a need

to protest and raise our voices to draw attention to both our fears and concerns, we should do so.

However, as the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement did so effectively, we should protest with peaceful confrontation and in full recognition that the greatest strength of this country is the peaceful transfer of power and governance based on free and open elections. This governance is regulated by the checks and balances and the separation of powers enshrined by the rule of law of the U.S. Constitution. Most importantly, as a minority population, we want the assurances that a peaceful transfer of power will be sustained when the president or political party that we support comes to power.

We must realize, this is not the last election in America and that elections at every level of government – federal, state and local – will continue to take place. Our job now is to continue to mobilize in these elections whenever and wherever they occur. We should, as before, educate and inform our voting community about the critical social and economic issues that impact our families,

our community and this nation.

We are required to challenge and to demand that all candidates or parties in pursuit of our vote, whether they are Republican, Democrat or Independent, explain in comprehensive terms what they propose to do for us to make our lives better. Remember, the most precious and powerful asset we possess in this democracy is the right to vote in favor of or against those who seek to govern us.

Let us not give away that right; let us make them earn our vote.

Finally, and this is most critical, it is time for Black American voters to return to a political ideology and an engagement strategy with the two party system that was proposed to us almost 45 years ago at the founding of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). Why shouldn’t we, as Black voters, reject the notion that we are locked into one party, which undoubtedly limits and dilutes our voting power? We should, instead, use the power of our vote to support and elect whichever party that best serves our interests. I am convinced that this is what Congressman William Clay of Missouri had

in mind when the CBC was formed in 1971. Clay, who I had the honor of knowing, was bold, astute and showed amazing insight when he declared, and I quote, “Black people have no permanent friends, no permanent enemies; just permanent interests.” That was the CBC motto then and Black Americans should embrace it as our rallying cry today.

To the Republican Party, we say to you, even though you have ignored us or often times actively conspired against our rights, “we have no permanent enemies.” To the Democratic Party, we say to you, even though you have taken our vote for granted and often patronized us, “we have no permanent friends.” What we do have are “permanent interests” and we invite both parties to demonstrate your understanding of and willingness to respect and address our interests.

Robert L. Johnson is the founder and Chairman of The RLJ Companies and the founder of Black Entertainment Television.

Obama used AGOA as a tool to promote human rights, cutting Swaziland out of the deal in 2015 over alleged oppression in the small southern African nation.

In contrast, Trump’s victory acceptance speech suggested a more protectionist approach to international relations, stressing, “We will always put America’s interests first.”

Trump’s potential pivot to isolationism could also impact the aid money that the U.S. spends on health, education, agriculture and humanitarian crises across Africa.

USAID spent $700 million in Malawi alone over the last five years on a program to improve quality of life in one of the world’s poorest countries.

“Isolationism is implicit in all of his ‘make America great again’ rhetoric,” said Zachary Donnenfeld, researcher at the Pretoria-based Institute of Security Studies.

“There is also evidence to suggest that he may have support for rolling back America’s commitments to improving human development abroad.”

Africa is seen as especially vulnerable to drought

and floods caused by climate change, and Trump’s election has shaken the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

He has dismissed alarm about global warming and threatened to renegotiate or cancel U.S. backing for the landmark Paris climate deal signed last year.

As African leaders rushed to congratulate the incoming president, Peter Vale, a professor of humanities at the University of Johannesburg, advised them to try to build whatever relationship they can with the Trump government.

“Africa is likely to

slide down the list of foreign policy priorities of a Donald Trump administration,” Vale wrote in an analysis briefing.

“He is going to be intolerant and disinterested in issues around the domestic politics of African countries. The worst that African countries can do, however difficult it will be politically, would be to show their displeasure and hold their noses.”

By Robert L. Johnson

Bob Johnson

Africa From 1 Ryan Cummings, director of the intelligence firm Signal Risk in Cape Town. “The U.S. directly deploying in Africa or having a more overt presence would be a salient recruitment tool for many armed groups. The question is whether he is going to assist on reforms and other projects that help stop extremism.”

Any increased

U.S. intervention would, however, go against Trump’s isolationist stance; a paradox that highlights increased unpredictability under his watch.

One of Trump’s clearest themes on the campaign trail was his opposition to international trade deals that he says have put millions of Americans out of work. That could spell trouble for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which gives 39 African nations duty-free access to the U.S. market on about 7,000 products including textiles, cars, fruit and wine.

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

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

insightnews.com

Insight News • November 21 - November 27, 2016 • Page 7

Young, Black and trans:

CeCe McDonald tells her story in new film

By Maryama Dahir Twin Cities Daily Planet

On Oct. 28, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision to take on the case of Gavin Grimms, a shy 17-yearold transgender student whose use of the boy’s school bathroom outraged the small county of Gloucester, Va., and thrust him into the center of the fight for transgender rights.

The next day CeCe McDonald, LGBTQ activist, took the stage at Minneapolis’ Intermedia Arts to discuss the documentary about her own perilous fight titled “Free CeCe!” “Why do I have to live a life where I have to constantly defend my right to live?” McDonald said to a mixed audience of activists, artists and educators on Oct. 29. Alongside her sat Andrea Jenkins, Laverne Cox and the documentary director Jac Gares.

Five years ago, on a warm June night, McDonald was attacked by two white men and one white woman outside of a bar while McDonald and her friends were walking to a grocery store. With a beer bottle smashed against her face and racist transphobic slurs thrown her way, McDonald, found a pair of scissors in her purse to protect herself against her attackers as they charged towards her. The coroner later identified that Dean Schmitz, one of the attackers, had a swastika tattooed on his chest and – according to his brother – also had a problem with controlling his temper. This altercation led to McDonald’s unjust imprisonment.

A 2010 report submitted by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence showed that when it came to sexual orientation and genderidentity based violence, 70 percent of the victims were people of color and 44 percent of the victims were transgender.

In the following 19 months of her sentence, McDonald slowly grew into a leader for a national campaign that not only brought awareness to her situation but also to a movement that was much broader than her – all while being behind bars in a correctional facility in St. Cloud.

Photo by Sarah White Photography/Fotos for Barcelona, courtesy of Intermedia Arts

From left, Andrea Jenkins, CeCe McDonald and Laverne Cox participate in a Q+A at Intermedia Arts for a showing of the film “Free CeCe!”

Photo by Sally Nixon

CeCe McDonald and Laverne Cox.

Photo by Sally Nixon

Performers, filmmakers and activists involved in the creation of “Free CeCe!” pose together at Intermedia Arts on Oct. 29, 2016.

What made McDonald’s case of self-defense against a system that privileges racist, transphobic, white males important were the headlines that appeared in numerous news outlets rejecting McDonald’s right to exist as she is – a phobia that persists even within the queer community.

“It’s a part of a growing controversy on whether the T should be a part of LGB or not,” said Cox, noting of the

$100 million in heating assistance for Minnesota seniors and families

stockvault.net

importance of the film during a post-screening discussion.

“Historically the way oppression has worked, we have been lumped together. That is the way oppression has worked even though they are very separate concepts.”

The documentary depicts how some news outlets reported what happened between McDonald and Schmitz on the night of June 5, 2011, contributing to biased

narratives. Minnesota’s media and law enforcement have a sordid history of playing on the stereotypes of Black bodies as inherently violent or lifethreatening, despite reality or real witness account.

Notably Mike Freeman, the Hennepin County Attorney who brought about the non-indictment of Minneapolis Police Officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze for the shooting

death of Jamar Clark, made an appearance in the documentary.

In his video statement, Freeman said that McDonald wasn’t defending herself because there existed an opportunity for her to flee the scene of her attackers.

Freeman’s victim blaming elicited jeers and heckling from the audience.

In the film, McDonald describes the judiciary process of fighting for her freedom as dehumanizing – it seemed the

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken announced $101,494,836 in critical heating assistance for Minnesota seniors and families through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which many Minnesotans rely

on to help keep their heat on during the winter months.

“As Minnesota braces for winter, families shouldn’t have to choose between heating their homes or buying groceries,” said Klobuchar. “This funding from the (Obama) Administration

will provide support to help Minnesota families keep their homes safe and warm.”

“With another Minnesota winter just around the corner, we need to make sure that our seniors and families are prepared for the cold weather,” said Franken.

harder she defended herself the more, she says, prosecutors tried to, “stick it” to her. At one point, McDonald was placed in solitary confinement, a practice disproportionately used on transgender inmates; and known to cause or exacerbate severe mental health effects.

The trial took place over a yearlong process. McDonald was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, which finally ended in her accepting a plea bargain that reduced her sentence to second-degree manslaughter.

The film was a project that Gares began in 2011 with the campaign to free McDonald.

Cox, actress and activist, was featured in the film and shown waiting eagerly to finally speak with McDonald who, at the time, was still serving her sentence.

“I’m really emotional about this project we are about to embark on,” said Cox in the documentary. “CeCe is someone I have thought about everyday when I showed up on set to film ‘Orange is the New Black.’

I thought about CeCe and so many women who, like her, are transgender women serving in men’s prisons all across the country.”

In 2011 the National Transgender Discrimination Survey showed that 35 percent of Black transgender men and women were disproportionately incarcerated compared to 4 percent of white transgender people. The survey also reports that Black transgender women are at a higher risk of being victims of sexual violence while incarcerated.

The Minnesota prison system not only denied McDonald the right to be incarcerated with her gender, but the only extra step they took to protect her from sexual violence was to police what she wore. They wouldn’t provide her with shorts that were given to everybody else because, according to the film, shorts “showed her shapely figure.”

Director Gares noted that this particular screening was important because there are deep emotions attached to it.

“This is where it all happened,” said Gares.

As the film drew to a close, McDonald stepped to the stage and received a standing ovation.

“That’s why we fight every year to secure strong federal support for heating assistance programs. This funding will help Minnesotans who are struggling to afford to keep the heat on during the coldest months.

Page 8 • November 21 - November 27, 2016 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Lifestyle

Understanding divine purpose Man Talk

By Timothy Houston Why am I here?

What is my divine purpose? These are questions we all ask ourselves. I believe that were all created to do something greater than the accumulation of wealth. Real success in life should only be measured by the accomplishment of your intended purpose. Until we truly understand why we are here, we can never put the energy needed to bring it to pass. We are greatest when we know our

divine purpose.

To begin with, divine purpose can only be known in the mind of the creator. Dr. Miles Monroe stated in his book, “Understanding Purpose,” “If you want to know the purpose of a thing, never ask the thing.”

The created can only tell you what it can do. The bird may know that it can fly, but it cannot tell you why it can fly. To get the “why” you have to go back to the creator, God. God is the only entity that can give you the object towards which you should strive. You need God’s help to know why you are really here, and what you are here to do. This is the first step to understanding divine purpose.

Divine purpose is reveled in nature. The things that we do naturally are a part

We are greatest when we know our divine purpose.

of our divine purpose. A fish swims naturally because it was designed to swim, and a bird flies naturally because it was designed to fly. They are both happiest and successful when they are in their natural

environments. The things that we are able to do naturally (without much effort) help to illuminate what we are here to do and will bring us the greatest amount of contentment and achievement.

Divine purpose leads

to true happiness. When you use your God-given abilities to work towards the goals that you were created to accomplish, you will experience true happiness.

The dictionary defines purpose as the object toward which one strives or for which something exists; an aim or a goal. It is necessary that we know the goal that we are working towards or the “why” we are here. The “why we are here” will always be greater than the “what we are capable of doing” because the “what” speaks to our present, but the “why” speaks to our future. Understanding divine purpose gives you something to live for, and will make your future bright.

Your goals in life should be connected to your divine purpose. You are here for

a greater reason than you may have realized. You are more than your occupation or educational achievements. You are more than a husband, wife, son or daughter.

Whatever your divine purpose may be, it will be natural to you as water is to a fish. Fulfilling your divine purpose is the only true measure of success. Spend some time with God and find your true purpose and happiness.

1.

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

Is it time to quit your day job and start your own business?

julief514 - Fotolia.com

(StatePoint) – Many people dream of quitting their jobs and starting their own businesses, but in a time when only half of new small businesses survive five years or more, how do you know if you have what it takes to withstand a competitive market?

“Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle choice. It is not for everyone and it doesn’t come easy. Even with a great idea you need intelligence and drive to make it happen,” said Michael Palumbo, author of “Calculated Risk: The Modern Entrepreneur’s Handbook.”

Palumbo has built multiple businesses from the ground up, including Third Millennium Trading, which grew from initial capital of

$250,000 to more than $100 million. As a venture capitalist and real estate investor, he’s invested in multi-billion dollar enterprises, including Getco, a financial services company that was sold at a valuation of $1.7 billion in 2007, and a medical business with a current valuation of more than $100 million.

With his track record in identifying what makes a winning business, Palumbo shares insights into identifying whether your great idea is solid enough to quit the day job and start your own company.

Is there a need?

A truly great business idea takes into account where the marketplace is heading and anticipates technological innovations. Moreover, a great idea usually gives the world something it didn’t know it needed. Once deployed, though,

the world cannot live without it.

Also, you need to assess where technology is going to be five years from now when your company is launched.

Will your idea still be relevant?

The geography test Is your idea relevant on a mass scale? Is it not only timely and relevant, but hugely needed and scalable?

The feasibility test When the idea is great, but revenue or some other growth-related metric is not there, something under the hood is likely broken.

Unfortunately, it often isn’t the idea, it is management. Investors and venture capitalists aren’t always looking for profitability.

Sometimes they are looking for traction. Increasing revenue, rising subscriber-bases and organic user-growth are all things that offset profitability.

Another aspect of the feasibility test is determining whether adequate technology infrastructure exists, while questioning whether the world is ready for the concept.

The competency test Ask yourself, “Am I the right person to make this happen?” This is crucial and should be answered with complete honesty. Evaluate your skills, passion and level of competency for this task. The hardest person to criticize and evaluate will always be you.

Those who truly understand themselves and their skills are some of the wisest people.

“Starting a company is one of the most challenging things you can do,” said Palumbo. “If successfully done, it can also be one of the most rewarding.”

612.377.2224 / guthrietheater.org

Give the gift of thanks this season.

Give thanks for the healthy kids in your life, and give to those who are not.

Support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® at any Best Buy® store.

by JAMES GOLDMAN directed by KEVIN MORIARTY

Now – December 31

by CHARLES DICKENS adapted by CRISPIN WHITTELL directed by JOE CHVALA

Donate Now

St. Jude patient Mohammad

Now – December 30

©2016 ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

© 2016 Best Buy. All rights reserved.

insightnews.com

Insight News • November 21 - November 27, 2016 • Page 9

Community Ujamaa Place adds US Bank sponsored financial literacy training

John Hope Bryant

Ujamaa Place recently added financial literacy training in a program sponsored by U.S. Bank, to its suite of career readiness services intended to help more men find success in creating stable, productive lives for themselves and their families.

To date, nearly 1,000 men have been

served by Ujamaa Place – a Minnesota nonprofit organization in addressing the disparities in the AfricanAmerican community.

The organization celebrated growth and success at its annual Ujamaa Transformation Breakfast on Oct. 13, hosted by the University of St. Thomas

Office for Diversity and Inclusion.

Americanentrepreneur, author and prominent thought leader on financial dignity, John Hope Bryant keynoted the event.

Bryant is the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE, Inc.,

chairman and chief executive officer of Bryant Group Ventures and co-founder of Global Dignity. He currently serves on the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans.

Bryant is the author of bestsellers “Love Leadership: The New Way to

Lead in a Fear-Based World,” and “How the Poor Can Save Capitalism: Rebuilding the Path to the Middle Class” – a book about empowering the poor and disenfranchised with the right tools, policies and inspiration to lift themselves out of poverty.

Omar Washington trains youth for the big leagues

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Contributor Omar Washington, a former Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox professional baseball player is on a mission to increase minority participation in Major League Baseball.

It wasn’t long ago that comedian and actor Chris Rock referred to AfricanAmerican baseball fans as an endangered species, in part, he said, because the game was a sport for the rich.

Earlier this year, USA Today released an updated report on the demographics of Major League Baseball, which revealed that 69 of the 862 players on 2016 opening day rosters and disabled lists were African-American. Just eight percent MLB players are African-American.

Rock’s comments and the raw numbers underscore challenges faced

by Washington, who heads Citius USA deemed the most successful minority youth baseball academy in the nation,.

“We have a rich history of moving young ballplayers to the next level to play college and, or, professional baseball,” said Washington, who was drafted in 1990 by the Philadelphia Phillies. Washington’s son, Ty Washington, plays for the Cincinnati Reds.

“There are trials and tribulation,” said Omar Washington. “The challenge of making things happen is always tied in with the economics of it and the biggest problem in dealing with the youth in our innercities is finances, because parents are forced to choose whether to pay their rent, their car note or for their child to participate in baseball.”

Still, Washington and his staff have maintained a willingness to stick to it.

With the rising cost of all-important tournaments that aspiring baseball stars must participate in, Washington estimates that he’s spent more than $27,000 of his own money to ensure that his young players

Former professional baseball star Omar Washington, leads Citius USA, one of the foremost minority youth baseball academies in the nation. (Omar Washington) were able to compete and showcase their skills.

Citius USA began in Texas, but has now expanded to New York, Florida, California and Chicago with a total of 63 teams that contain as many as 16 kids per squad.

“The tournament prices have risen to $6,400 (and) for a bunch of kids (their parents) can’t afford it,” Washington said. “We’ve been doing this for the last few years and you (have) a bunch of kids and their parents (who) are worried about keeping their lights on, paying for their car that they need to go to work and then you tell the kid’s parent that they need $1,000 to play in a

Classifieds

love to tell them to stop being naïve and that these kids are you. They are who you were once and they are striving to get the same opportunities that you got.”

Even the various urban youth academies run

by Major League Baseball itself have failed to flourish – or at least they’ve been unsuccessful in establishing a rapport with young AfricanAmericans.

“The programs really are nonexistent for us in the areas that we are in,” said Washington. “They don’t consider the hardships that the kids go through and they don’t address that at all. Those academies are not nearly enough to make a

tournament.”

Tournament fees don’t include hotel accommodations, gas and food money, as well as costs for any family member who desires to travel with the player. Washington has resisted the temptation of calling on past or present superstars.

“I’m trying hard to help and, right now, we’re the number one ranked minority-based organization in the whole country and with that, you’d think those guys who have made it would look at this situation because of the economics and do something,” said Washington. “I can’t make them do anything. I would

Phone: 612.588.1313

Fax: 612.588.2031

RENTAL PROPERTIES INH Properties manages Section 8, Section 42 and Rural Development projects in the following MN cities: Anoka – Bridge Square, 763-421-6772 Big Lake – Autumn Winds, 320-258-6000 Brainerd – Mississippi Terrace, 218-829-0274 Cold Spring – Cottage Court, 320-685-3888 Coon Rapids- Coon Creek, 763-767-7755 Eden Valley – Hillside, 320-453-5968 Fergus Falls – Kaddatz, 218-205-0644 Glenwood – Glenview, 320-634-3188 Hawley – Northside Terrace, 218-483-4524 Hutchinson – Clinton House, 320-587-5458 Isle – Isle View, 320-676-8624 Isle – Mille Lacs Manor, 320-676-8624 Mankato – Dublin Road, 507-345-3351 Minneapolis - Holmes Park, 612-378-8817 Morris – Crystal Lake, 320-589-3662 Onamia – Oakwood, 320-532-4321 Onamia – Onamia Shores, 320-532-4321 Pierz – Kamnic Lane, 320-468-2581 Rice – Benton Place, 320-630-1201 St Michael -Countryside Cottages, 763-497-4901 St Paul – Parkway Gardens, 651-771-0267 Virginia – Alice Nettell, 218-741-3650

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HOPE COMMUNITY, INC. Hope Community, Inc., a 501(c)(3), creates connections that strengthen the power of community members and communities in the Philips neighborhood, Minneapolis, and beyond.

See position description at http://www.hope-community.org/node/327 .

Cookie Cart Volunteer Opportunities

edge,” said Washington. “I bet you that 90 percent of Black kids in Texas, who have played professional baseball came through my organization. We are trying to do something here and we definitely want to make sure that we reaching out to help these kids. Our track record is really good. We have 75 kids who have been drafted out of the program and over 400 who are now in college.

It’s a strong program and we’re doing it with very little because we’re old school and these kids deserve this opportunity.”

Email: info@insightnews.com

We’re seeking an Executive Director who is visionary, strategic, and collaborative, with experience advancing racial equity.

Residents must meet income guidelines.

Rent based on income at some locations.

INH Properties is an equal opportunity housing company

difference.”

So, Washington continues to push on – seeking to hit homeruns where he can, but taking it one base at a time, which he notes is the only reasonable alternative. The goal of Citius USA is to improve the talent level of the minority youth and, in doing so, providing a platform to college or pro baseball for athletes at the high school level. Mostly, Washington said he continues to promote sportsmanship, hard work, competitiveness and knowledge and respect for the game of baseball.

“The competition we surround our players with is unmatched and it really gives our kids an

Cookie Cart welcomes individuals and groups of up to 25 to volunteer in the bakery at any time of the year and especially during the busy holiday season – this year the bakery expects to bake approximately 25,000 dozens of cookies between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Volunteer shifts are available weekdays, weekday evenings, and Saturday and Sunday. It’s a fun way for family, friends and colleagues to give back to the community while working alongside the talented and dedicated Cookie Cart teens. For information about volunteer opportunities, contact Sara Ernst at 612-843-1942 or sernst@cookiecart.org.

STAFF ATTORNEYS Central Minnesota Legal Services seeks 2 full-time attorneys for its Minneapolis office. Fam. Law; with some work in housing/govt benes. Licensed in MN pref’d. Post-law school pov. law exper., fam. law or clinical exper. pref’d. Spanish or Somali language a plus.

Salary $47,000+D.O.E. Excellent benes. Resume with references and writing sample to Lynelle Wells, CMLS, 430 First Ave. No., #359, Minneapolis, MN 55401. Appl. deadline: 11/14/16 or until filled. EOE.

Client Accounting Specialist Dynamic Economic Dev. Org. working with Small Businesses seeks a Client Accounting Specialist to provide clients with financial reviews and assessments, cash flow projections, sales tracking and inventory control. Bachelor’s degree in business management or accounting. Experience working with small businesses.

Ability to communicate effectively with diverse groups.

Bi-lingual skills a plus. Send resume to: NDC, 663 University Ave, #200, St. Paul, MN 55104 or email to HR@ndc-mn.org. EOE/AA

Staff Accountant Dynamic Economic Dev. Org. working with Small Businesses seeks a Staff Accountant to provide support to the Accounting department. Gather and analyze financial information, support budgeting and funding activities, prepare financial reports and develop best practices. Bachelor’s Degree in accounting or business administration. Previous experience in nonprofit financial management. Ability to communicate effectively with diverse groups. Bi-lingual skills a plus. Send resume to: NDC, 663 University Ave, #200, St. Paul, MN 55104 or email to HR@ndc-mn.org. EOE/AA

Page 10 • November 21 - November 27, 2016 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Tank Nov. 21 – Nov. 27

Monday, Nov. 21 MUSEUM

Nov. 21 - 27

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

The Lost, Stolen and Forgotten Works of Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel Jean Stephen Galleries 4811 Excelsior Blvd., St. Louis Park 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Free Want to see some of Dr. Seuss’ lesser known works? Head down to Jean Stephen Galleries through Dec. 3.

Tuesday, Nov. 22 REGGAE

Ginuwine International Reggae All-Stars Bunkers 761 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis 9 p.m. $6

Thursday, Nov. 24 FUNDRAISER/FITNESS

Made up of musicians from throughout the world, the AllStars bring you their weekly vibes at Bunkers.

9th Annual Walk to End Hunger Mall of America Rotunda 60 E. Broadway, Bloomington

Wednesday, Nov. 23

The Minnesota Hunger Initiative presents its ninth annual walk supporting multiple Twin Cities hunger efforts.

THEATER/HIP-HOP “The Hip-Hop Nutcracker” Ordway 345 Washington St., St. Paul 7:30 p.m. $25-$90 A new spin on an old Christmas classic, “The Hip-Hop Nutcracker” featuring rap godfather Curtis Blow runs Wednesday and Thursday at the Ordway.

Friday, Nov. 25 R&B Tank and Ginuwine The Venue 315 1st Ave. N., Minneapolis 10 p.m. – 2 a.m.

21-plus $40 advance R&B stars Tank and Ginuwine

slide through Minneapolis to play some of their classics Friday night at The Venue.

Saturday, Nov. 26 BOOK SIGNING Cavis Adams Book Release and Signing Sumner Olsen Library, Nellie Stone Johnson Meeting Room 611 Van White Blvd., Minneapolis Free Minneapolis Fire Captain Cavis Adams will be reading and signing his new novel, “Granddaddy.”

OPEN MIC The Free Black Table – Open Mic Illusion Theater 528 Hennepin Ave., 8th floor,

Minneapolis 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Free This week’s open mic is dedicated to women in the community. The event is hosted by Dua Saleh and Fatima Camara and features music by DJ Neeka Jackson.

Sunday, Nov. 27 ECLECTIC/PERFORMANCE Voices of Liberation Reverie Cafe + Bar 1931 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis 8:30 p.m. – 2 a.m.

This showcase focuses on liberation with a wide array of artists including Jayso Creative, Truth Maze, Pharaomones and Wash Your Dome.

One on one with Forest Whitaker

By Kam Williams

Forest Whitaker is one of the more accomplished actors in Hollywood.

With dozens upon dozens of films to his credit, Whitaker shows no signs of slowing down with two expected blockbusters added to his resume in “Arrival” and “Rogue One” – the latest installment in the “Star Wars” saga.

I was able to speak with the award-winning actor and talk about “Arrival” and “Rogue One” and what’s up next for him.

Kam Williams: Hey Forest, thanks so much for the time. I really appreciate it.

Forest Whitaker: Hey, Kam. Sorry for the early morning call.

KW: No problem.

What city are you in?

FW: London, but I’m on my way to South Africa later today after I finish this film.

KW: Which movie are you working on next, “Burden?”

FW: No, I already finished “Burden.”

That’s another interesting film, actually.

We just wrapped that up about a week ago. I liked the way they did it and I felt that the story was really powerful, so I’m hopeful.

KW: Then what movie are you shooting in South Africa?

FW: One about Archbishop Desmond Tutu called “The Forgiven.” It’s about the truth and reconciliation trials he conducted after the fall of Apartheid.

KW: It was a

Forest Whitaker remarkable way to resolve a civil conflict, to let perpetrators of war crimes off the hook, provided they confessed publicly.

FW: Yes, I think that was the interesting thing about what happened in South Africa.

It enabled them to change regimes peacefully, and not leave all the pain underneath the surface. It brought a little bit of it out, so they could address what really happened.

It was a very powerful solution.

KW: What interested you in “Arrival?”

FW: I thought it was really an interesting story. First of all, the whole notion of people

coming to the planet and trying to find ways of communicating with them. But I thought the understory of time, and of how time exists in our lives.

I also found my character, the cast and the director very interesting. So, it all made sense to give it a try.

KW: I loved both “Prisoners” and “Sicario” by this director.

FW: Yeah, Denis is a really good filmmaker.

KW: Here, he’s made a very sophisticated contribution to the alien invasion genre. How would you describe your approach

rottentomatoes

to playing Colonel Weber?

Did Denis suggest anything?

FW: Wow. (Pauses) I’m trying to remember what he might have suggested. We had some meetings and stuff where we talked about the character and worked on it. I think, first, I was trying to figure out where Weber was from. That sort of involved locking in his speech patterns and creating that back history. You know what I mean?

KW: Yeah.

FW: I’d played military men before, but this felt a little different, maybe because of my task. So,I was trying to understand that, as well as this

notion of running a team the way Denis wanted me to do it, by splitting powers. And then it all started falling into place and taking on a reality as I began to embrace the idea that I was trying to save the world.

KW: What would you say was the movie’s message?

FW: I think it has several messages. One is about communication, because the film does deal with trying to communicate with these beings.

Another message is about how communication can bring us together. And a third is about misconceptions in terms of how we read people and how we read circumstances. Meaning, are these people coming to create war or not? Are they our friends? How are we interpreting their actions? We look at people differently culturally, in this case, as different galactically, or however way you’d say it. How do we engage them? How do we judge them? I think another issue explored in the film is time. From a scientific pointof-view, it raises the question of whether it exists at all. And secondly, if it doesn’t exist, it asks are we nevertheless on this plane of a loop that still holds the universe up? I think it poses that question, too.

KW: How do you feel about aliens? Do think that life exists on other planets?

FW: I think it must, when they talk about how many other galaxies there are.

Even scientifically, they’re acknowledging that there are places where life could exist.

And we’ve already discovered

that there’s been life on certain planets that we’ve explored.

That may just be algae or whatever, but life on Earth began a certain way, too. So, yeah, I do believe there’s life other than on our planet.

KW: What do you care to share about playing Saw Gerrera in “Rogue One,” the next episode in the “Star Wars” series.

FW: I’m excited about it. I think he’s a really interesting character. It was a very exciting project to work on. He walks in the middle ground of trying to save the universe by any means necessary. He’s a freedom fighter and a rebel. The whole piece, which deals with those kinds of concepts, is really strong.

KW: What’s it like to join that franchise?

FW: I’m still discovering it. I’m looking at the toys and other releases that are coming out. It’s a big universe that I’m still learning to walk inside of. But I really enjoyed it when I walked out on the set for the first time. And I’ve remained excited during the entire process.

Just trying on my uniform was itself an exciting process.

KW: Did you meet George Lucas while working on the project?

FW: No, he came and met with the director, but I wasn’t there.

KW: Nice speaking with you.

FW: Take it easy, Kam. Good speaking to you, too.

insightnews.com

Insight News • November 21 - November 27, 2016 • Page 11

The Fathers Project Being present is the best present a father can give.

As a part of her Fathers Project series,

photojournalist Rebecca Rabb captured three more fathers being active, supportive and loving men in their children’s lives.

The purpose of the Fathers Project is to shine a positive light on the many wonderful fathers in our midst and to dispel the narrative

of the absentee father in the African-American community.

A rite of passage in becoming a man is learning to dress to impress. In this photo that in another era would be compared to a Norman Rockwell painting, young gentleman Kierce Rabb (left) gets assistance from his father, Dante Rabb, in putting on a bowtie.

Most days Marcus Owens, president of the Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON), is all business and on this day that business is playing with his kids (left to right Adella Owens, Jaelyn Owens and Carter Owens.

DOUBLE DOWN ON BLACK FRIDAY

With open arms Steven Rector reaches out for his daughter, Aya Rector, as she has come bearing gifts for her father.

Thanksgiving with Robert Robinson

Receive TWO $20 promo cards* as a gift from us with every $100 in gift cards purchased ON NOVEMBER 25.

Purchase online at www.dakotacooks.com, or through our Box Office in Person and over the phone 612-332-5299

THEN BUY ONLINE & GET FREE WINE. Buy online and receive a $20 promo card* and a bottle of blue note wine at the Dakota OR a bottle of any of our current by the glass pours at Vieux Carré as a gift from us with every$100 in gift cards purchased on November 28.

Purchase online at www.dakotacooks.com.

Available to redeem at &

*Promo cards are redeemable begining January 1, 2017 and expire March 31, 2017.

Redeemable in person only.

Glorious Gospel Vocals “A volcanic talent” - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

November 24th 7PM 1010 Nicollet Mall Mall, Downtown Minnea Minneapolis 612.332.5299 dakotacooks.com

Page 12 • November 21 - November 27, 2016 • Insight News

insightnews.com