Insight News ::: 12.16.13

Sounds of Blackness: ‘The Night Before Christmas’ delights MORE ON PAGE 5

December 16 - December 22, 2013

Vol. 40 No. 51 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Biracial instructor accused of being racist for discussing race at MCTC

Roy Lewis

Nelson Mandela at the James Madison Hotel in Washington, DC during a press briefing in 1991

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer Shannon Gibney is both Caucasian and African-American.

But to a couple of white students at Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC), Gibney, a professor of English and African diaspora studies, is apparently not white enough – or maybe too Black. Two white male students accused the professor of racism during a recent classroom lecture. Gibney strongly denies the accusation and says she was simply pointing out the

MinnesotaArtists.org

Shannon Gibney

GIBNEY TURN TO 2

Ernestine Walton: Angelic warrior

By Al McFarlane Editor-in-chief

The U.S. Revolution that supported Mandela

By Jazelle Hunt NNPA Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Nearly three decades ago, a handful of prominent Black activists began organizing a movement that would eventually help break the back

of apartheid in South Africa and force the U.S. government and American companies to end their support of White minority rule on the continent.

What was called the Free South Africa Movement began on Thanksgiving Day 1984, when then-U.S. Civil Rights Commissioner Mary Frances Berry, TransAfrica executive director Randall Robinson,

then-D.C. Congressman Walter Fauntroy, and currentD.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (then a law professor at Georgetown University), were granted a meeting at the South African Embassy in Washington, D.C. The group called for an end to apartheid and the release of all political prisoners in South Africa. When their

demands were ignored, the activists staged a sit-in at the South African embassy on Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. All but Norton were arrested for trespassing, and their actions made national, then international news.

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Ernestine Shalema WaltonBrailsford was buried last Friday, the day after Nelson Mandela died. Friends and family mourned her loss and celebrated her life at midday funeral services at Trinity Tabernacle Church in North Minneapolis, where she was an active member.

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Ernestine Walton

A tribute to Madiba Notes on the struggle

By Professor Mahmoud El -Kati If I had my time over I would do the same again, so would any man who dares call himself a man. – Nelson Mandela

There are a lot of words that we can associate with the life, work and struggle of Nelson Mandela. Some of them come to mind immediately: Courage, endurance, faith. Love, forgiveness, redemption: the core of the Christian creed. Still more: patience, reason, confidence, empathy, truth, humility and grace. All of these words would be considered as virtues by most thoughtful people.

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Nelson Mandela timeline 1918 - July 18: Rolihlahla Dalibhunga Mandela is born a member of the Madiba clan.” He is later given his English name, Nelson, by a teacher at his school

Nelson Mandela

1937 - Moves to Healdtown attending the Wesleyan college in Fort Beaufort

Fort Hare University: Studied for a B.A. and met his lifelong friend Oliver Tambo 1939 - Asked to leave Fort Hare due to his involvement in a boycott of the Students’ Representative Council against the university policies

Moves to Johannesburg to escape an arranged marriage and experiences the system of apartheid which forbade the black population to vote, travel without permission or own land Worked as a guard at a mine and then clerk at a law firm

Completed his degree via a correspondence course at the University of South Africa Studies Law at the University of Witwatersrand whilst living in Alexandra

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Man Talk

Business

Insight 2 Health

Health

Are you really a friend?

Remember to network at networking events

Self-esteem: 4 steps to feel better about yourself

Six out of ten uninsured African Americans may be eligible

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Page 2 • December 16 - December 22, 2013 • Insight News

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Are you really a friend?

Man Talk

By Timothy Houston My friend Pastor Lawrence Knighton posted this on his Facebook page and I was so impressed with his question and answers that I thought I would share it. Pastor Knighton’s question of the day was: “Are you really a friend?” Because the word friend is used so freely in relationships and in general, he wanted to share what attributes a real friend has. Pastor Knighton

went on to say that a real friend does what he calls the 3 E’s. Real friends educate, evaluate and elevate you.

First, real friends educate you.

In other words, a real friend gives you knowledge. I agree with this wholeheartedly. Would a true friend have some knowledge that could make their friend better and not share it? Two heads are better than one. A real friend will not only bring balance to your thinking, they will also bring an expanded prospective based on their life’s experience. Skills, knowledge, and ability are freely shared from friend to friend.

In this exchange, both friends are educated, and both friends become better.

Secondly, real friends evaluate you. In other words, real

Real friends elevate you.

I believe this is the greatest value a friend can bring.

friends check you when you are wrong. They don’t mind giving you constructive observations.

I believe that a critical eye is necessary for real evaluation

to take place. A real friend will never let you say, do, or wear the wrong thing without saying something. They will check you in a friendly way. This does not

mean that you will always like the evaluation, but you will at the least consider it because you know they are your friend.

Finally, real friends elevate you. I believe this is the greatest value a friend can bring. When they go up, they take you up with them. When you are elevated, you are put into a safe position. This safety will aid in your success. A friendship that builds you, your esteem, will always lift you above harm and danger. You no longer fear failure because they will be there to lift you when you are down.

Because they are watching your back, you are free to run with the wind.

Are you really a friend?

This is the true question of the day. Before you look outward,

look inwardly. Evaluate yourself as a friend. Do you educate, evaluate, and elevate? If so, you will attach those of like mind and spirit. What kind a friends you have will be a reflection of what kind of friend you are. If you are elevating the friends in your life, those whose standards and values are below yours will be too far down to reach you, and those whose values are the same will on the same level of success.

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

Time to think of goals for next year Motivational Moments

By Penny JonesRichardson During this season so many of us go out of our way to bring

Gibney From 1 ramifications of structural racism in the United States. The two students in the communications class not only disagreed with the professor, but they took it a step further and filed a formal racial harassment complaint against Gibney.

The 38-year-old professor was in fact reprimanded and is in the process of appealing the reprimand. In the reprimand, Lois Bollman, vice president of Academic Affairs, wrote, “Shannon, I find it troubling that the manner in which you led a discussion on the very important topic of structural racism alienated two students who may have been most in need of the learning about the subject.” The reprimand went

Walton From 1 Like many in our community, I knew Walton-Brailsford as an angelic warrior. Her disposition was bright, her countenance filled with compassion and empathy, her bearing, indefatigable. She died the Saturday before from complications of cancer. She fought for life, and, I believe, did not surrender to death, but with her warrior’s spirit, simply moved on to the next battleground.

I met Walton-Brailsford over 40 years ago, when all of us were in our early 20s. She kept company with other angelic Black women, whose Afros, like living halos, crowned their exquisite beauty. Walton-Brailsford was a member of the Feast of the Circle African Drummers and Dancers. She was part of a social club called Midwest Express.

In conjunction with Sabathani Community Center and the African American Cultural Center on 31st Street and 1st Avenue in South Minneapolis, WaltonBrailsford created phenomenal cultural celebrations, community arts festivals at the MLK Park. I am indebted to Walton-Brailsford and her events for guiding me toward the woman I married, my life partner and soulmate, B.P. Ford, who was part of this circle of conscious Pan-Afrikanists women.

Through the years, WaltonBrailsford followed her passion

happiness to others, be it through holiday get-togethers, giving presents to loved ones, or giving to others in need. But this season as you do all those wonderful things, I want you to remember to also think about yourself. All too often, we spend so much time making sure everyone else’s needs are met, that we forget about our own needs.

During this time of year I often think of all of the goals I will set

and accomplish the following year to come. I don’t make resolutions, however I set goals for myself that I will work on during the year. And each time that a goal is accomplished, I remove it from my list and add another one.

This keeps me focused on what I need to do to help me reach my greatness.

Also this is the time of year to finish what you started before the year is out. Not that you are

in competition with anyone, but it’s just nice to complete those projects. Think about all the things you said you would do at the beginning of this year. Have you completed those things as of yet? Did you go back to school, did you finish your first novel, did you start that business that you often dream of and have done all of that research on? All of these things are goals that you could complete (or start) before the end

of 2013.

So this year, as you are sharing and spreading joy this season with loved ones and friends, save some of that joy for you. This year spend time thinking about what you would need to do to make your dreams come true. Instead of hoping for something great to happen, have faith that it will. For there is a huge difference between hope and faith; hope is a feeling of expectation and desire of a certain

thing to happen and faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

And as always remember, stay focused, stay determined and keep striving for greatness.

on to read, “While I believe it was your intention to discuss structural racism generally, it was inappropriate for you to single out white male students in class.

Your actions in tergeting (sic) select students based on their race and gender caused them embarrassment and created a hostile learning environment.”

The reprimand seems to contradict the Nov. 25 statement issued by MCTC. “The college has taken no steps to prohibit faculty members from teaching about racism, including structural racism.

MCTC has never disciplined a faculty member for teaching or discussing structural racism.

Conversations about race, class and power are important and regular parts of many classes at MCTC and have been for years,” read the statement. The statement continued, “At MCTC,

we believe it is essential for our faculty to actively engage students in respectful discussions in the classroom regardless of topic and to create an atmosphere in which students may ask questions as an important part of the classroom experience. Questions from students in classroom discussions are an essential part of the learning process. We expect that faculty will have the professional skills to lead difficult conversations in their classrooms and will teach in a way that helps students understand issues, even when students feel uncomfortable or disagree with particular ideas. We also expect that students act appropriately in the classroom; a student who does not do so may be subject to removal by the faculty member.

“We want to stress to all of our students, staff, faculty and community members that MCTC remains deeply committed to

promoting an understanding of the important issue of racism in all its forms. We acknowledge that we must work hard to eradicate the effects of historical and institutional racism. We understand that privilege often shields members of the majority from the realities and experiences of people of color and that the college environment provides an opportunity to learn more deeply about all of these issues.”

In prior statements, Gibney insists she did not target the students and tried to make it clear she was not singling out anyone, but citing the appeals process, Gibney declined to comment further on the matter and referred inquires to her local union president, Barbara Hager. Though Gibney would not speak on the issue, Hager did not mince words and said the professor is not the perpetrator of racism – she is the

victim. “(Gibney) is just one of probably 100 cases of racism at MCTC and it’s endemic of institutional racism at the college,” said Hager. “In the last three to four years 15 administrators and facility of color have left the college.”

Hager said the turnover of faculty of color is alarmingly high, especially for a two-year institution. The staff losses seem more glaring considering MCTC has a close to 60 percent nonwhite student population.

According to Hager, though Gibney’s case has gained the most attention, faculty of color have been subject to a less than welcoming work environment for quite some time. The environment became so hostile that the former vice president of student affairs and chief diversity officer, Dr. Joi Lewis, resigned in April due to the

climate on campus. Hager said the union gave MCTC president Phil Davis a vote of no confidence due to a lack of racial and cultural understanding on the downtown Minneapolis campus. The union has called for Davis to resign.

“Faculty is constantly asking for leadership. We don’t have leadership at the presidential level to guide this conversation (of diversity),” said Hager. “At this time the president is incapable to do so.”

Hager, who is white, even likened the atmosphere at MCTC to the pre Civil War South.

“It’s like you can have a plantation that’s diverse, but all of the people of power are white,” said Hager. Speaking of the Gibney situation, Hager said, “There are white male faculty that have told me they’ve had the same conversation in their classrooms and nothing has been said.”

for art and culture, and for celebration and elevation of Black people. An avid photographer, she documented, for her own private collection, the personalities and events that reflected the emergence of Minneapolis and St. Paul as wellsprings of world-class talent and creativity.

So as I sat in the memorial service with friends and neighbors, reviewing the arc of her ascent, it made sense to frame this day of celebration in the context of the global story of Nelson Mandela’s passing. They and we are all fortunate to have shared the same space and time in creation.

Ernestine Shalema WaltonBrailsford was born in Chicago, Illinois on November 18, 1952 to her parents Mamie Lee Bullock and Hosie Walton, Jr. She attended Manley Jr. High School and later Westinghouse and Tilden Technical High School in Chicago. She married Warrenell Pugh in 1969. They divorced in 1973. From this union a precious daughter was born, Felicia Ann. Ernestine moved to Minneapolis in June of 1969.

She traveled to Trinidad in the West Indies in 1976. There she met and fell in love with Christopher Mohammed from Trinidad, West Indies, and in 1978 had a daughter, Shanita Christina (deceased). Later she met and fell in love with Jerry Hilton Smith and had a precious son, Johnny Terrell Nicholas Walton, in 1979. She met and fell in love

with Gerald Edward Hubbard, Sr., and had a precious son, Michael Ashanti Walton in 1984.

In 1994, she fell in love and married her cherished and beloved late-husband of 10 years, Ernest “Ernie” Brailsford.

In eulogy, the family said, “Ernestine was a child of God and gave her life to Christ at a very early age. She found a church home when she united with her friends and neighbors at Trinity Tabernacle Assembly of God in Minneapolis under the anointed leadership of Pastor Louis and Co-Pastor Gloria Walton in 1999.”

Walton-Brailsford received her G.E.D. in 1977, attended Sawyer School of Business and

graduated in 1978 and went on to attend the University of Minnesota graduating with honors in 1984.

She worked in community and corporate environments in administrative support. Her employers included Phyllis Wheatley Nursery School, Zion Baptist Church, The AfricanAmerican Cultural Arts Center, Honeywell, Best Western Hotels, The Way Community Center, The Place Restaurant in San Fernando, Trinidad, West Indies, Insight News, Minneapolis SpokesmanRecorder, Star Tribune circulation department, WMOJ/KMOJ Radio/Center for Communication and Development, Control Data, Dayton’s Contract Division, Dayton’s Computer Operations,

Pilot City Regional Center, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. She also spent many hours volunteering in the community. Her most recent employment was with AllisonWilliams Company.

Walton-Brailsford was very active in the community. She danced with the Feast of the Circle African Drummer and Dancers in the early 70’s and 80’s. She later taught African and Modern Dance at the African-American Cultural Center/Sabathani, Phyllis Wheatley and The Way Community Centers. She loved music and formed a singing group with her best friend and God sister Dorrie (Teeny) Dailey in the 60’s.

They later formed a female group

and sang with the band “Black Magic” in North Minneapolis.

Walton-Brailsford is survived by daughter, Felicia Ann “Pinky” (Mark)Taylor of Houston, Texas; sons Johnny Terrell “Pepper Red” Nicholas and Michael Ashanti “Little Jellybread” Walton of Minneapolis, grandson: Amir Terrell “Jumbo” Walton; brothers Willie (Ruthie) Blue, Robert James Blue, Johnnie L. Walton, Sr., Jimmie Walton, Hawthorne (Robbin) Vinson, Terry L. Vinson, Nathaniel (Leslie) Vinson, Sr., and Michael Jones.; and sisters: Shirley Blue, Hattie (Mark) Schley; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and many extended family relatives and friends.

Penny Jones-Richardson is a published author and life coach.

She can be reached via her website at www.thequeensproject. com or email at penny@ thequeensproject.com.

insightnews.com

Insight News • December 16 - December 22, 2013 • Page 3

COMMENTARY Mandela on U.S. terror list until five years ago By the Minnesota Cuba Committee December 6, 2013 Dear Friends: In a statement at the White House, President Obama paid tribute to Nelson Mandela who died Thursday at age 95: “Today, he has gone home.

And we have lost one of the most influential, courageous, and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth. He no longer belongs to us -- he belongs to the ages.

“For now, let us pause and

give thanks for the fact that Nelson Mandela lived -- a man who took history in his hands, and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice.”

Nelson Mandela earned these beautiful words and even greater accolades long before President Obama was elected.

But, the President’s comments were noteworthy because they were a sharp departure from how Mandela and the anti-apartheid movement he represented had been regarded

by U.S. foreign policy.

“Until five years ago,” as

was reported this morning, “(Mr.) Mandela and other members of the ANC remained on the U.S. terror watch list because of their armed struggle against the apartheid regime.”

In what it considered to be Cold War battlefields, in places like South Africa and Angola, where the battles were actually being fought over colonization and racism, Washington drew a tough line. South Africa and its ally Cuba fell onto the other side. For decades, Mandela and his African National Congress (ANC) were considered

terrorists by the United States.

This also worked to the convenience of the hardline anti-communist opponents of the Cuban government.

Beginning in the early 1980s, Cuba was put on the State Sponsors of Terror List; punished, in part, for its intervention in southern Africa. This has done enduring damage to Cuba’s economy, with the sting of sanctions still being felt every day by Cubans and by international businesses engaged in commercial transactions with

their government.

At times, Washington’s Cold War preoccupation with Cuban troops in Angola led it in odd directions. One of President Reagan’s National Security Decision Directives, dated May 7, 1987, contemplated using U.S. information efforts “to undermine Cuba’s ability to deploy troops in Angola through specially focused radio programming broadcast to Cuba by Radio Martí,” which suggests that the National Security Council had no idea the signals were jammed and

that no Cuban could be affected by propaganda they couldn’t hear.

Cuba’s alliances in southern Africa meant something entirely different to people like Nelson Mandela. He called Cuba’s decisive role in Angola “a victory for all of Africa.” In a speech Mandela delivered in Cuba not long after he emerged from his 27-year imprisonment, he said: “We in Africa are used

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Power to forgive: Mandela’s death and Babri Demolition anniversary Commentary by Sandip Roy, New American Media Dec 07, 2013 - He was going for a long time. It was time, indeed well past time. But still the heart catches when the news finally comes.

Waking up to a world without Nelson Mandela is not unimaginable. We have come perilously close to it over and over again. The idea of Nelson Mandela was strong. But the reality of Nelson Mandela had been on life support for a long time.

Now only the idea remains.

Nelson Mandela 1918 - 2013.

“He was, and by the time of his death was universally held to

Nelson Mandela be, a great man; he may well be the last of the great men, as the

concept of greatness retires into the historical shadows,” writes JM

Coetzee.

I am grateful for Nelson Mandela in life because he gave us something to look up to. But I am also grateful to him in death.

Nelson Mandela died on 5 December. But in India by the time we woke up to news of his death it was already 6 December.

For us that day marks a different anniversary. 6 December 1992 was the day the Babri Masjid* came down and brought in its wake a communal horror whose ghosts still haunt Indian politics.

No truth. No reconciliation. Just bitterness.

This 6 December, Narendra Modi**, the man who remains the most polarizing symbol of the legacy of Ayodhya in Indian politics today, mourned Mandela on Twitter with not one, but three

tweets.

“RIP Nelson Mandela. The world has lost an apostle of peace & non-violence who redefined the journey of his nation for the good of humankind.”

“Many of us are not fortunate to see Gandhi ji alive. We are blessed to see the life of Nelson Mandela, who embodied his values & [sic]ideals.”

“My heartfelt condolences to Nelson Mandela’s family & the people of South Africa. We stand by them in this hour of grief.”

Words are easy. Boilerplate words of condolence are even easier. But perhaps our politicians can stop for a moment, to remember on this bloody anniversary for us in India, Mandela’s greatest gift to the world - forgiveness as a political

strategy.

Nelson Mandela stares out of the window of the prison cell he occupied on Robben Island for much of his 27 year incarceration in this 1994 file photo. Reuters Mandela has been turned into a saint in his latter years. His death will only add to that halo. But as Tony Blair reminisced on BBC people forget that he was not above politics. On the contrary he was a very shrewd politician. And he used forgiveness not to turn the other cheek but as an extremely effective political strategy.

In an excellent piece about Mandela for The Globe and Mail, Stephanie Nolen writes that when Mandela went to Robben Island,

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Nelson Mandela: Tolerance in an intolerant time

By Roger Thurow *This article originally appeared on Roger Thurow’s Outrage and Inspire blog.

What will he say? What will Nelson Mandela say after 27 years in prison?

That was the feverish question infecting the multitudes who had gathered in the center of Cape Town on the glorious February afternoon in 1990 when the leader of the African National Congress walked to freedom. I was in the crowd, as the South Africanbased correspondent for The Wall Street Journal. For hours we waited as Mandela, who had been freed earlier that day, reunited with his family, friends and comrades in the struggle against apartheid.

Suddenly, he appeared – a thin, gray stranger, for nobody

except a precious few had seen him in nearly three decades.

And then he spoke, and a familiarity settled in.

In a deliberate, thoughtful cadence, he uttered pretty much the same words that had landed him behind bars all those years earlier. He repeated the tenets of the ANC’s Freedom Charter, the words he spoke the last time he had been heard in public, at his treason trial: Above all, the end of exclusive white rule, the abolishment of apartheid and racial oppression and the government that enforced it, the demand for equality, dignity, freedom; but also, the continuation of the mass struggle until a new democratically elected government would be formed and the economy reordered to share the country’s great natural wealth for the benefit of all races. Though more than one-third of his life had been taken away from him, he

spoke not of revenge but of reconciliation. South Africa needed to come together, not remain apart.

It was a masterful performance, I thought, a demonstration that he hadn’t lost his touch. Mandela needed to convince his supporters, and his foes as well, that he hadn’t changed during all those years away.

Physically yes, but in substance certainly not; he was still the same. This was imperative to maintain the support of the ANC’s hard-edged youth, who knew Mandela only as an imprisoned myth and who had been raised on a campaign of resistance to authority. Here standing before them now wasn’t an old man who had sold out, who had gone soft. The white government hadn’t gotten to him. Nelson Mandela would still be their champion; like the boxer he had once been, he hadn’t backed down. Now

he exhorted his countrymen of all races to seize the moment, to be strong and move forward with him.

I reflected often on that speech in the weeks and months that would follow as I

observed Nelson Mandela on the national and international stage, leading the ANC and the government into a postapartheid era. And I’ve been thinking of it again in recent weeks as Mandela’s health

deteriorated.

Those words, followed up by resolute action, seem even more masterful today. If ever there was a right

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Page 4 • December 16 - December 22, 2013 • Insight News

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BUSINESS Remember to network at networking events Plan Your Career

By Julie Desmond julie@insightnews.com On a recent blogpost, Organizational Development pro Laurie Glover (qstsinc. com) bemoaned the fact that

people attend networking events and then… don’t network. This happens all the time. People (or their companies) pay big bucks to meet people they don’t already know, but then squander their connecting time by hanging out with friends. Is that so bad?

I mean, these are friends in the industry, right? I hardly ever get to see these people, right?

They might be in town just for the convention and, heck, would you snub your buddy if

he wants to join you for lunch?

No, of course not. But what about networking?

In her post, Glover suggests friends and personal networks offer “breadth” or expansiveness to a professional network. This is exactly right.

Friends are people who know you, know what you do, and willingly refer you to others.

You would not want to ignore your buddy, risk insulting him and miss out on a good conversation. Instead, do two

things: find out how your buddy might be able to help you meet others at the event, and, more importantly, find out who your buddy wants to meet, so you can make an introduction. Most organizers of conferences, trade shows and other events publish a list of attendees which they make available either prior to or during the event. Pick out a couple of people you definitely want to meet, and let your buddy know.

If you attend a new event, if your buddy doesn’t show or if the only people you know are the people you walked in with, challenge yourself to step away from your colleagues, politely take the last empty seat at a table and smile as you get to know some new contacts… contacts who might someday be old friends.

Working together is what makes networking work all the way around. Bonus: if other people see you having

a relaxed, open conversation with someone, they might be interested in getting to know you both. Now you’re networking!

Julie Desmond is Recruiting Manager for IT and Software Engineering with George Konik Associates, Inc. Send your resume and your best networking story to jdesmond@georgekonik.com.

Civil Rights museum success FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw “To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heavens.”

This is the biblical quote Beverly Robertson, president of the National Civil Rights Museum used to begin our conversation.

She quickly followed with its special relevance to her at this point in time. “I recently announced my retirement from the museum because I believe it is time. On March 14, 2014, the National Civil Rights Museum will re-open the historic Lorraine Motel after an 18 month, $28 million renovation.

An additional $12 million is being raised to support the first ever major endowment for the museum to secure the life of the

Beverly Robertson

institution. This tremendously challenging accomplishment along with so many other successes and challenges over the past 16 years have led me to realize that I have had my season. It has been an honor to work at this sacred place, but even the best of leaders must know when it is time to go.

People who lead understand that they have a season. They also understand that exits are better done when individuals are at the pinnacle of their success.”

The National Civil Rights Museum showcases the history of the African American struggle for civil rights within the context of a global struggle for human rights. It holds a vision for us of a world dedicated to creating opportunity for the disenfranchised.

Located in Memphis, Tennessee at the former Lorraine Hotel - the site of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, - the National Civil Rights Museum has steadily expanded and updated exhibits and curriculum. Over

3.5 million people have visited since its opening in 1991 - an annual average of 200,000 visitors. It is an educational and cultural site of conscience for visitors from around the world.

Under Robertson’s leadership the museum has stayed focused on fundraising.

To date, $25.2 million has been raised for renovations, and $2.2 million for endowment.

Robertson has also grown the museum’s annual fundraising which includes direct mail, personal solicitations, and The Freedom Awards, their annual gala. The Freedom Awards, honor individuals who have made significant contributions in civil rights and have laid the foundation for present and future leaders in the battle for human rights. This year awards were presented to Mary Robinson, first female president of Ireland and human rights champion; Geoffrey Canada, CEO and president of Harlem Children’s Zone and a leading advocate for education reform and equality; and Earl Graves, founder and

publisher of Black Enterprise Magazine, activist for black consumer and black business power. The event raised over $490,000 and was one of their most successful.

“I have always wanted to leave people and organizations for whom I have worked much better than I found them,” Robertson said. “I can only hope and pray that this is part of the legacy I leave when I depart the National Civil Rights Museum on July 1, 2014.” Beverly Robertson – we salute your leadership.

Learn more about the National Civil Rights Museum at www.civilrightsmuseum.org.

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

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

Fantasy sports scores with mobile and online users Dissecting Diversity

By Cheryl Pearson-McNeil When it comes to defining that which is “typically American,” I think we’re going to have to add “sports” to the old expression, “As American as Mom and apple pie.” We are a country full of sports fanatics. (While I might not exactly fall into that category, I am the mother of an extraordinary 17-year-old athlete and lover of all things sports. So, I have to

roster how you see it in your own personal league. Fantasy points are awarded to the players, based on their performance in the actual games being played. You and your friends can compete or bet against each other while watching the real game. While you can organize a fantasy team in any sport, football is the most popular, with more than 10 million Americans using fantasy football apps on their smartphones.

So, who’s playing all of these Fantasy Sports? AfricanAmericans are the second largest group who engage in this cultural phenomenon and make up 12 percent of fantasy sports players.

And, there’s no shocker here, but 67 percent of fantasy players are male, which accounts for most of

Our insights show that 32 percent of adult fantasy sports players online are female

• 66 percent more likely to purchase insurance online • 60 percent more likely to purchase home electronics online • 58 percent more likely to purchase event tickets online So, how is all of this fantasy playing going on? According to research, more than 87 million Americans visited sports websites from April-June this year. In addition, 36 million smartphone owners use sports apps. Fantasy football apps are by far the most popular of the fantasy sports apps, with more than 10 million Americans using them and that number is up 15 percent from last year. The two most popular football apps used are Yahoo! and ESPN, with about 5 million users each during a one month period in 2013. That period also showed that fantasy players spend an average of two hours and 14 minutes per person using these apps. And, the average person opened these apps 27 times. That’s some serious dedication.

Here’s a look at the top five sports websites among fantasy sports players from April – June this year based on the number of site visitors: Yahoo! Sports: 1.3 million

admit, that I need to step up and try to keep up)! Nielsen numbers bear this out. Sports programs are among the top watched in AfricanAmerican households as well as those of the general population, with the Super Bowl consistently ranking as the most-watched program across the board. In fact, Super Bowl XLVII drew 108 million viewers nationally.

African – Americans made up a whopping 12.5 million of those viewers. (Personally, I enjoy the parties and the commercials, the game? Not so much.)

With football and basketball season in full swing, Nielsen has identified and measured a phenomenal, growing niche industry, Fantasy Sports. Now, for those of you who, like me, were not familiar with this popular trend – Fantasy Leagues are places where you can use the web, smartphones and/or tablets, act as sports general managers, to draft professional athletes from your favorite pro teams to make up the

those who participate in fantasy sports. The average fantasy player is between the ages of 25-34.

But, hold on fellas! What was a surprise to me, though, is that so many women are getting in on the action. Our insights show that 32 percent of adult fantasy sports players online are female.

That’s every man’s dream, right?

A woman who loves her sports.

And of course, advertisers are hip to this trend as well. In 2012, $13.3 billion was spent on sporting event programming all in an effort to capture the eyes and win the hearts of fantasy sports players.

Fantasy sports players are: • 12 percent more likely to have children • More likely to earn $50,000 – $75,000 a year • 84 percent more likely than the average U.S. adult to buy movie tickets online • 67 percent more likely to purchase credit cards online

ESPN Digital Network: 1 million FOXSports.com on MSN: 957,000 MLB.com : 614,000 Big Lead Sports by FSV Network: 609,000 So with all these insights on fantasy sports, it shows that Americans are die hard sports fans. I mean truly die hard. But, even though it’s “fantasy” remember you are still flexing your consumer muscles.

You have the power to choose, so make those picks wisely and strategically. That’s one bit of advice that I can offer. Good luck with your teams!

Cheryl Pearson-McNeil is senior vice president of Public Affairs and Government Relations for Nielsen. For more information and studies go to www.nielsen. com.

Sounds of Blackness: ‘The Night Before Christmas’ delights Encore show added for Dec. 21 at Sabathani

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer For nearly 43 years the threetime Grammy award-winning musical ensemble, Sounds of Blackness, has been a fixture of the “Minneapolis Sound.”

And though the players and voices have changed, the essence and soul of Sounds has remained solid. Much of that could be because many of the new voices have connections to the past, as Sounds has birthed three generations of singers and musicians.

The latest incarnation of Sounds of Blackness took to the stage at the Guthrie Theater this past Monday (Dec. 9) for its 35th year of the annual production of “The Night Before Christmas – A Musical Fantasy.”

And like the group itself, though the story remains the same, each year the Sounds’ take on the classic poem gets a newer, hipper update.

For the past four years I’ve been attending the annual holiday

Photos: Harry Colbert, Jr.

Order top to bottom: 1. Charles Cooley (center) leads members of Sounds of Blackness, including Paris Bennett (right of Cooley) in the number “Children Go.” 2. Gregory Sears, narrator of Sounds of Blackness’ “The Night Before Christmas.”

3. Chreese Jones singing “Born in a Manger.”

4. “Arms of joy” Carrie Harrington (foreground) leads in the Sounds’ rendition of “The Joy of Christmas.”

MORE

• Shifting the lens on race

production, this year presented

by Sue McLean and Associates (McLean passed away earlier this year, but the company continues to produce a multitude of events), and each year I’m delighted by not only the singing, but by the update the tale gets. Though the backbone of the production remains the same, each year the musical numbers and the dialogue are tweaked to reflect songs and sayings current in popular culture.

References such as “Yolo” and “Ain’t nobody got time for that” and plays on the differences of culture provide for humorous and sometimes uproarious moments throughout the performance. This year’s most memorable comical moment came when Santa, played

by David Hurst, explained that indeed Santa is Black.

“That man right there in row 4, he’s white,” said Hurst. “You, sir (pointing to another audience member), you’re white. The president is …”

And with that line and pause, the capacity crowd in the theater broke into hysterical laughter and applause.

“That’s right, the president is a Black man,” said Hurst, to even louder laughter and applause.

“Well the president used to be white.”

It’s no wonder that the theater nearly sells out each year for this show. While the updated humor is a welcomed delight, the true star of this show; and the reason the play has been able to run for 35 consecutive years, is the singing.

The voices that have come through the Sounds of Blackness continue

• Maya Angelou pens Mandela tribute, ‘His Day is Done’

to be some of the greatest in the region. The tones that come from each member makes one wonder how Sounds is not still as revered as it was in the late 1980s and early 1990s. And with stars such as Jamecia Bennett and Paris Bennett – second and third generation members of Sounds (the two are daughter and granddaughter of the great Ann Nesby), Sounds is poised to reclaim its thrown as the premiere ensemble in soul/ gospel/jazz. Jamecia Bennett also served as the play’s director. And though Paris Bennett is in her 20s, she plays the most convincing 8-year-old ever. One would easily believe she was a kid, but her fully developed vocal talent is a dead giveaway that the younger Bennett is one, of the Nesby lineage and two, that she is in no way a child.

A special acknowledgement needs to go to founding member of Sounds of Blackness, Gary Hines, who wrote and produced “The Night Before Christmas.”

Hines has been an active member of the group since its inception in 1971. Another acknowledgement goes to Gregory Sears, who with his deep, baritone voice served as the play’s narrator.

Typically, the play runs one time during December, but a second showing has been added for Saturday, Dec. 21 at 3 p.m. at Sabathani, 310 E. 38th St., Minneapolis. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for kids. Visit the Sounds web page at www. soundsofblackness.com for more information. Trust, the seconds showing is a welcomed encore.

• Tyler Perry’s back in drag for adaptation of “A Madea Christmas”

Page 6 • December 16 - December 22, 2013 • Aesthetically Speaking

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Shifting the lens on race

By Kam Williams “What exactly is Blackness and what does it mean to be Black? Is Blackness a matter of biology or consciousness? Who determines who is Black and who is not— the state, the society, or the individual? Who is Black, who is not, and who cares?

In the U.S., historically a Black person has come to be defined as any person with any known Black ancestry. This definition has been… known as the one-drop rule, meaning that one, single solitary drop of Black blood is enough to render a person black…

(1)ne Drop seeks to challenge narrow perceptions of Blackness as both an identity and a lived reality… [The book] takes the very literal position that, in order for us to see Blackness differently, we have to see Blackness differently.”

-Excerpted from the

Introduction (pg. 4) Traditionally, in America, if you were just a teeny-weeny bit black, you’d always been considered black. This arbitrary color line was even codified by

the Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, an 1896 case brought by an octoroon light enough to pass who sued for the right to sit in the “white only” section of a segregated train traveling through the South.

Much to Homer Plessy’s chagrin, the Court sided with the State of Louisiana, taking judicial notice of the “one-drop rule,” ruling that “a Negro or black is any person with any black ancestry.” In other words, you could be black without looking black.

Fast-forward to the present, the arguably post-racial age of Obama, a time when the country has a biracial president, who nevertheless refers to himself to African-American.

The nation’s population has more mixed ancestry than ever nowadays, which is reflected in the latest census offering over a dozen race options to check off, as well as “Other,” if none of the above is to your liking.

This means that folks, who only a generation ago would’ve been forced to identify themselves simply as black, now feel much more freedom to avail themselves of an array

of alternatives along the ethnic spectrum. (1)ne Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race is a collection of essays reflecting on racial identity by 60 introspective individuals who until relatively recently would’ve been labeled black in the eyes of the law.

This enlightening opus was edited by Dr. Yaba Blay, a professor of Africana Studies at Drexel University, and each contributor’s entry is accompanied by a proud portrait photographed by Noelle Therard, a professor at Florida International University.

The book breaks down the contributors by three categories: “Mixed Black,” “American Black” and “Diaspora Black.”

Although “Black” Kathleen Cross has a black father and a white mother, she has resisted the invitations to join the “Multiracial Movement, which she sees as divisive. By contrast, Harlemite Jozen Cummings

describes himself as “Mixed,” with parents who are Japanese, Puerto Rican and AfricanAmerican.

Particularly fascinating are the two albinos participating in the project, Sean Gethers and Destiny Birdsong, who embrace being “Black” in spite of their white skin. Each person’s earnest explanation proves to be rather revealing and touching, leaving the lasting impression that in the 21st Century blackness is no longer defined by the government but by the eye of the selfie.

(1)ne Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race Edited by Yaba Blay, Ph.D. with photography by Noelle Theard BLACKprint Press Hardcover, $40.00 288 pages, Illustrated ISBN: 978-0-9896645-0-9

Maya Angelou pens Mandela tribute, ‘His Day is Done’ (GIN) – A video tribute to Nelson Mandela by poetess Maya Angelou is being distributed widely over the internet.

Angelou reads the poem with deep feeling on the video, which was recently aired on the news show DemocracyNow! The American novelist, in an interview with CBS New York, described meeting Mandela in the 1960s. Mandela and Angelou’s husband were members of rival liberation movements when Mandela came to Egypt, where Angelou was living.

“I had been so used to these

rivals arguing and shouting in the living room and shouting in the street against each other,” Angelou recalled. “But when Mr. Mandela came, he never had a cross word to say to anyone. I was amazed.

He had a compliment to give to everybody, including my housekeeper and the doorman. A gentle giant he was.”

“He was a magician,” said Desmond Tutu, former Archbishop, “turning South Africa, a poisonous caterpillar, into a beautiful butterfly.”

“He came out of prison to set us free from hatred and

racism,” Tutu continued. “The world expected a bloodbath and atrocities, what we now have, instead, is this wonderful multicultural rainbow.”

“Mr Mandela himself must not be adored on a pedestal,” the cleric stressed. “One of the wonderful things about him is that he is so human. He is aware of that, in a way, there are feet of clay.”

The Archbishop headed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate crimes committed at the time of apartheid, at the request of Mandela.

Meanwhile, Father

Maya Angelou

Sebastian J. Rossouw of the Regina Mundi Church the epicenter of the Soweto township uprising in 1976 against white rule - described Mandela as “moonlight,” saying he offered a guiding light for South Africa.

Hundreds of people attended the Mass.

“Madiba did not doubt the light,” Rossouw said. “He paved the way for a better future, but he cannot do it alone.”

A link to the video: http: //dailyoftheday.com/mayaangelous-touching-tributepoem-nelson-mandela/

Tyler Perry’s back in drag for adaptation of “A Madea Christmas”

By Kam Williams Mabel “Madea” Simmons is the moralizing, motor-mouthed senior citizen created and first introduced on stage by the incomparable Tyler Perry. The compulsive granny is a selfrighteous vigilante who can’t help but intervene on the spot whenever she sees an innocent victim being bullied by a sadistic villain.

At the point of departure in “A Madea Christmas,” the eighth screen adventure in the popular film series, we find her working as Mrs. Santa

Claus in a downtown Atlanta department store. The seasonal job affords the politicallyincorrect impersonator an opportunity to shock kids and their ears-covering parents with a profusion of her trademark off-color asides and Englishmangling malapropisms.

Soon after she’s unceremoniously relieved of her duties, Madea decides to drive with her niece, Eileen (Anna Maria Horsford), to tiny Bucktussle, Alabama to spend the holidays with the latter’s daughter, Lacey (Tika Sumpter), the local schoolmarm.

What neither of them knows © Lionsgate Films

Tyler Perry in “A Madea Christmas” is that Lacey recently eloped with a likable local yokel, but failed to inform her mom

about the marriage because Conner (Eric Lively) is white.

She fears her mother might

object to the interracial liaison.

Complicating matters further is the fact that coming along for the ride is Oliver (JR Lemon), Lacey’s ex-boyfriend who’d like to rekindle a little romance.

Meanwhile, Oliver has told his parents, Buddy (Larry the Cable Guy) and Kim (Kathy Najimy) about the nuptials, and they are arriving soon from Louisiana, so something’s gotta give. But rather than come clean, Lacey enlists her new in-laws’ help in hiding the truth.

Unfolding in accordance with the age-old “One Big Lie” TV sitcom formula, “A Madea Christmas” is a pleasant, if predictable, modern parable peppered with plenty of humorous asides. Tika Sumpter and Eric Lively manage to generate just enough chemistry to be convincing as the shy newlyweds.

But the production is at its best when Madea and equallyoutrageous Buddy are trading barbs toe-to-toe. For instance, when he tries to tell “the one about the two rabbis and the black dude,” he’s cut off by Madea asking if he’s heard “the one about the stray bullet that kills the redneck for telling the story about the two rabbis and the black dude.”

Sassy sister squares-off against backwoods hillbilly for lots of harmless laughs!

Very Good Rated PG-13 for profanity, crude humor and sexual references Running time: 105 minutes Distributor: Lionsgate Films

insightnews.com

Insight News • December 16 - December 22, 2013 • Page 7

Mandela, pacifist or rebel?

Analysis by Diana Cariboni MONTEVIDEO, Dec 6 2013 (IPS) - Perhaps it’s a false contradiction.

But today there are many who stress the pacifist message with which South Africa’s Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) emerged from prison in 1990, while few put an emphasis on his rebellion against apartheid, including armed rebellion, which landed him in prison.

Mandela was a political activist and a revolutionary at least since 1942. Two years later he joined the African National Congress, becoming a founding member of the Youth league, and leading the movement, which had been inconsequential for decades, to more radical positions.

Mandela was a rebel when he headed the civil disobedience campaign against the unjust laws of the white segregationist regime in 1952, and when, although he was a poor student, he qualified as a lawyer and set up the country’s first black law firm.

Because he was a rebel he was banned more than once, arrested and prosecuted in the Treason Trial, before he was finally acquitted in 1961.

He was a rebel when he went underground.

But above all he stayed true to his rebelliousness after the Sharpeville massacre of 69 unarmed demonstrators during a Mar. 21, 1960 protest

Nelson Mandela in 1937 against the apartheid laws, the subsequent state of emergency, the arrest of 18,000 people and the banning of the ANC and other organisations.

He understood then that demonstrations, strikes and civil disobedience were

not enough to shake the foundations of apartheid, whose structure had become more sophisticated, to the absurd extent of creating the Bantustans or territories set aside for blacks.

It was an act of rebellion to

lead the armed struggle in 1961 and help create the military wing of the ANC, Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation). And to secretly leave the country and seek support and guerrilla training.

South Africa was a useful

bridgehead for the Western powers – the same ones that today honour Mandela as a hero – in a region convulsed by anti-colonial liberation struggles and the Cold War. In the 1970s the United States, France and Britain, trading partners of the regime, vetoed a motion to expel South Africa from the United Nations. And although the United Nations Security Council established a voluntary arms embargo against South Africa in 1963, it only became mandatory in 1977.

By the 1980s, apartheid had made South Africa an international pariah. But it wasn’t until 1985 that the authorities in the United States, Britain and the European Community adopted economic sanctions against the regime – in large part to appease the growing public outrage in their countries.

Mandela spent years in prison, starting in 1962. In 1964 he was tried for sabotage and sentenced to life. His rebelliousness sustained him for 27 years in prison, during which time he turned down three offers of parole.

The universal right to rebel against oppression has often been the object of suppression and above all of distortion and misrepresentation.

In the case of South Africa, it took the United States a long time to think it through.

Not until 2008 did it remove the ANC from the State Department list’s of terrorist

organisations – nine years after the end of Mandela’s term as president.

When he emerged from his years behind bars in 1990, and especially when he was sworn in as president in 1994, Mandela knew that dismantling apartheid would serve no purpose if the country fell apart in the process as a result of divisions and a thirst for vengeance.

And he then became the most active and dedicated of pacifists, taking his rebelliousness into a new terrain – the exercise of democracy and of dialogue as a solution to conflicts.

As an IPS article states, many South Africans today are still bogged down in poverty and inequality. And the ANC is widely accused of falling prey to nepotism and a lack of transparency.

It is no simple task to shake off a legacy that dates back to British colonial times.

Segregation and its economic causes leave deep marks. It’s not enough just to have a black president, as illustrated by the United States, whose prisons still hold a disproportionate number of blacks.

But now South Africans can channel their rebelliousness against those scourges in a democratic state under the rule of law – for which Mandela, the rebel, must be thanked.

Diana Cariboni is IPS coeditor in chief.

President must eliminate wage inequality

By William E. Spriggs Last week, President Barack Obama delivered an address, starting a dialogue on how the long path to America’s current level of inequality has led us to the wrong place.

The president said that Americans’ frustration with Washington is “rooted in the nagging sense that no matter how hard they work, the deck is stacked against them.” His timing coincided with the nationwide spread of strikes by fast-food workers, showing they cannot wait for Washington to act on raising minimum wages.

Unfortunately, the day also saw the loss of Nelson Mandela, a world-class standard bearer for justice. The passing of Mandela is a time to reflect on how the world can change if people just stand up, eventually justice wins out.

The president can do two things to add real meaning to his speech on inequality. First, he should sit down and meet with the workers who protested on Black Friday and with the fast-food strikers. His meetings with corporate heads to talk about creating jobs have yielded little. He should show America that now he is listening to those who labor to build this country.

Their daily struggle to make ends meet will give a better understanding of what is wrong with our economy.

America cannot stand tall if multibillion-dollar

Thurow From 3 man for the right time, it was Nelson Mandela.

When I’m asked what Nelson Mandela was like then, I answer with one word: “Serene.” Not the serenity of a man leaning back in a chair with his feet on the desk, good heavens no. When he left prison, he developed the habit of frequently checking the time; he was a man in a hurry, for too much time had already been wasted in building a new country.

Rather, it was the serenity of a man resolute in his convictions, confident in the correctness of his ideas, his words and his works.

The first year after his release was particularly trying.

The apartheid government sought to use the negotiations to cling to some vestige of power.

An upsurge of violence, especially among black factions stirred by white conservatives, convulsed the country. Mandela held steadfast.

multinational giants like McDonald’s, the world’s second-largest employer behind Walmart, gives its workers few hours and low pay. The workers at the two largest employers should be the customers that drive an economic engine.

Instead, McDonald’s share of the billions spent by the federal government on Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, Medicaid and housing assistance to support the lives of fast-food workers is a little higher than $1 billion. Generally billion-dollar subsidies are used to produce more of something we need-like education-not more of something we don’t need, like heart stopping, bottom spreading fattening foods.

Everyone wants to ask if a McDonald’s worker got $15 an hour, what would that do to the price of a hamburger? Instead, what people need to be asking is how much in SNAP, Medicaid and housing assistance does a hamburger cost? Tragically, people in America are far more sensitized that if McDonald’s polluted rivers from chicken farm runoff to make McNuggets to ask how much it costs to clean up McDonald’s environmental mess than they are to the human sacrifice we demand to eat cheap hamburgers.

Our national inability to relate demands for cheap food, or cheap Chinese electronics with the human sacrifice of America’s workers needing

SNAP benefits to eat is at the heart of how our policies have drifted to create increasing inequality rather than rising lifestyles. At Walmart, the majority of associates don’t even make a living wage of $25,000 a year.

But, the tide is turning.

Black Friday sales were down this year; in large part because corporate America overplayed its hand at cheapening the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Similarly, the fast-food strikes this week are just the beginning of a march to economic justice.

America has lost touch with the value of work. If the minimum wage of 1968 had kept pace with American workers’ productivity, then today it would be more than $21; had it kept up with only half the growth in productivity it would be more than $15.

The productivity of America’s workers continues to climb, while the wages of our workers sag-all workers, even those with four-year degrees and those who went to high school.

And that gap between what America’s workers make and what they take home is the fuel of the rising inequality, because it tracks the rise in pay of the top 1 percent. We cannot close that gap through more education or training.

The striking fast-food workers and the Walmart workers know that gap will be closed when workers stand up to fight for their share.

The second thing the

“Let the people themselves decide who is going to represent them in government,” he told me in slow, forceful words.

The first anniversary of his release was approaching. I was due to leave South Africa and transfer to a new assignment for the Journal after nearly five years in the country. The ANC and Mandela invited me for an interview; it would turn out be my last in South Africa during that extraordinary time.

“The entire nation is ready for reconciliation,” Mandela said from behind a neat desk in his elegant Johannesburg office; it was still a couple of years before he would be elected president.

But, he noted, “old attitudes die hard, very hard.”

He worried that the legacies of apartheid – the hate, the intolerance, the culture of violence – were becoming more entrenched each day the new South Africa failed to dawn. Whether negotiating with the white government behind closed doors or speaking to tens of thousands at open-air rallies, he forged a new legacy.

“I have at numerous rallies

raised this point specifically: that the right of people to differ from us must be preserved,” he said. ”We are attacking the government for the fact that they are showing this political intolerance. We mustn’t be accused of the same thing.”

Think of those words: “The right of people to differ from us must be preserved.”

It was the ideal antidote to decades of constitutionally sanctioned discrimination and brutal oppression of differing voices in South Africa. And it’s what the world needs to hear today. Surely, the poisoned political discourse in the U.S. could use such wisdom: Disagree, yes, but come together to do what’s best for your country and your people.

Tolerance in the face of intolerance. That was what Nelson Mandela preached, and practiced. A legacy to resound through eternity.

president can do is produce a budget that talks about more than the fiscal deficit. He should score his budget to see how it reduces inequality. He should score his budget to see how it reduces child poverty.

In January at the State of

the Union, he should point to a fast-food striker up in the gallery and tell how the budget being submitted will close the gap between America’s promise and the reality of years of policies that work against fulfilling that promise. That is

the deficit we want closed.

Follow Spriggs on Twitter: @ WSpriggs. Contact: Amaya Smith-Tune Acting Director, Media Outreach AFL-CIO 202637-5142

You can’t stuff a big screen into a stocking.

Or can you?

Give the gift of anything they want.

Scratch games from the Minnesota State Lottery.

Roger Thurow is a Senior Fellow on Agriculture and Food Policy at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

Must be 18 or older.

PL_MSL_TechHalls_525x105_BW.indd 1

11/15/13 10:07 AM

Page 8 • December 16 - December 22, 2013 • Insight News

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Choose well New choices in health care are here. Introducing UCare ChoicesSM, affordable new health plans from a leader in Minnesota health care, with coverage for young adults, families, empty nesters and everyone in between.

Find out more at UCareChoices.org, and look for us on the MNsure health insurance marketplace. Choose well. Choose UCare Choices.

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Insight News • December 16 - December 22, 2013 • Page 9

SELFESTE ESTEEM 4 steps to feel better about yourself Low self-esteem can negatively affect virtually every facet of your life, including your relationships, your job and your health.

But you can take steps to boost your self-esteem, even if you’ve been harboring a poor opinion of yourself since childhood. Start with these four steps.

Step 1: Identify troubling conditions or situations Think about the conditions or situations that seem to deflate your self-esteem.

Common triggers might include: • A business presentation • A crisis at work or home • A challenge with a spouse, loved one, coworker or other close contact • A change in life circumstances, such as a job loss or a child leaving home Step 2: Become aware of thoughts and beliefs Once you’ve identified troubling conditions or situations, pay attention to your thoughts about them.

This includes your self-talk — what you tell yourself — and your interpretation of what the situation means.

Your thoughts and beliefs might be positive, negative or neutral. They might be rational, based on reason or facts, or irrational, based on false ideas.

Step 3: Challenge negative or inaccurate thinking Your initial thoughts might not be the only possible way to view a situation — so test the accuracy of your thoughts. Ask yourself whether your view is consistent with facts

long-standing ways of thinking about their lives and themselves. These longheld thoughts and beliefs can feel normal and factual, but many are actually just opinions or perceptions.

Also pay attention to thought patterns that tend to erode self-esteem: • All-or-nothing thinking.

You see things as either all good or all bad. For example, “If I don’t succeed in this task, I’m a total failure.”

• Mental filtering. You see only negatives and dwell on them, distorting your view of a person or situation. For example, “I made a mistake on that report and now everyone will realize I’m not up to this job.”

• Converting positives into n e g a t i v e s .

You reject your achievements and other positive experiences by insisting that they don’t count. For example, “I only did well on that test because it was so easy.”

• Jumping to negative conclusions. You reach a negative conclusion when little or no evidence supports it. For example, “My friend hasn’t replied to my email, so I must have done something to make her angry.”

• Mistaking feelings for facts. You confuse feelings or beliefs with facts. For example, “I feel like a failure, so I must be a failure.”

“I don’t deserve anything better.”

As your self-esteem increases, your confidence and sense of well-being are likely to soar.

and logic or whether other explanations for the situation might be plausible.

Be aware that it’s sometimes tough to recognize inaccuracies in thinking, though.

Most people have automatic,

• Self put-downs. You undervalue yourself, put yourself down or use self-deprecating humor. This can result from overreacting to a situation, such as making a mistake. For example,

Step 4: Adjust your thoughts and beliefs Now replace negative or inaccurate thoughts with accurate, constructive thoughts.

Try these strategies: • Use hopeful statements.

Treat yourself with kindness and encouragement.

Pessimism can be a selffulfilling prophecy. For example, if you think your presentation isn’t going to go well, you might indeed stumble through it. Try telling yourself things such as, “Even though it’s tough, I can handle this situation.”

• Forgive yourself.

Everyone makes mistakes — and mistakes aren’t permanent reflections on

© PhotoXpress

you as a person. They’re isolated moments in time.

Tell yourself, “I made a mistake, but that doesn’t make me a bad person.”

• Avoid ‘should’ and ‘must’ statements. If you find that your thoughts are full of these words, you might be putting unreasonable demands on yourself — or on others.

Removing these words from your thoughts can lead to more realistic expectations.

• Focus on the positive.

Think about the good parts of your life. Remind yourself of things that

have gone well recently.

Consider the skills you’ve used to cope with challenging situations.

• Relabel upsetting thoughts. You don’t need to react negatively to negative thoughts.

Instead, think of negative thoughts as signals to try new, healthy patterns.

Ask yourself, “What can I think and do to make this less stressful?”

• Encourage yourself.

Give yourself credit for making positive changes.

For example, “My presentation might not have been perfect, but my

colleagues asked questions and remained engaged — which means that I accomplished my goal.”

These steps might seem awkward at first, but they’ll get easier with practice. As you begin to recognize the thoughts and beliefs that are contributing to your low self-esteem, you can actively counter them — which will help you accept your value as a person. As your self-esteem increases, your confidence and sense of well-being are likely to soar.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Page 10 • December 16 - December 22, 2013 • Insight News

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HEALTH Six out of ten uninsured African Americans may be eligible for Medicaid, CHIP or tax credits in the Health Insurance Marketplace 95 percent of uninsured African Americans might qualify for lower costs on coverage if all states expanded Medicaid According to a new report released today by the Department of Health and Human Services, six out of ten (4.2 million) uninsured African Americans who may be eligible for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace might qualify for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or tax credits to help with the cost of premiums. If all states took advantage of new opportunities to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care

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

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

Act, 95 percent of uninsured African Americans who may be eligible for the Marketplace might qualify for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or tax credits to help with the cost of premiums.

“The health carel a w is working to address long standing disparities in health care coverage and improve the health of the African American community,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. “Through the Health Insurance Marketplace, 6.8 million uninsured African Americans have new options for affordable health coverage that covers a range of benefits, including important preventive services with no out-of-pocket costs.“ Today’s report also details uninsurance rates by state and provides several examples of what premiums might look like for African Americans living in major metropolitan areas. One fifth of uninsured African American citizens and permanent residents live the greater Atlanta, New York,

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Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and Detroit metropolitan areas. A 27-year-old in Atlanta with an income of $25,000 can pay as little as $105 a month for a bronze plan after applying the tax credit, while a family of four with an income of $50,000 could pay $148 a month for a bronze plan after applying the tax credit.

Nationwide, about 2 million uninsured African Americans may be eligible for coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

States have new opportunities to expand Medicaid coverage to include Americans with family incomes at or below 133

percent of the federal poverty level (generally $31,322 for a family of four in 2013). This expansion includes adults without dependent children living at home, who have not previously been eligible in most states.

An additional 2.2 million eligible uninsured African American adults with family

incomes below 100 percent of the federal poverty level live in states that are not expanding Medicaid. The number of uninsured African Americans who may be eligible for access to health coverage at a lower cost would increase from 60 to 95 percent if all states adopted the Medicaid expansion.

To read today’s report, visit: http://aspe.hhs. gov/health/reports/2013/ UninsuredAfricanAmericans/ i b _ U n i n s u r e d AfricanAmericans.cfm To learn more about the Health Insurance Marketplace, including to shop and enroll in coverage online, visit HealthCare.gov. You can also enroll by phone by calling our call center 1-800-3182596 (TTY: 1 855-889-4325) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week where help is available in 150 languages, or you can find in-person help from certified assisters in your area by visiting localhelp.healthcare. gov/. You can sign up for a health insurance plan through the Marketplace between now and the end of March 2014.

Nearly 365,000 Americans selected plans in the Health Insurance Marketplace in October and November Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced last week that nearly 365,000 individuals have selected plans from the state and federal Marketplaces by the end of November. November alone added more than a quarter million enrollees in state and federal Marketplaces.

Enrollment in the federal Marketplace in November was more than four times greater than October’s reported federal enrollment number.

Since October 1, 1.9 million have made it through another critical step, the eligibility process, by applying and receiving an eligibility determination, but have not yet selected a plan. An additional

803,077 were determined or assessed eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in October and November by the Health Insurance Marketplace.

“Evidence of the technical improvements to HealthCare. gov can be seen in the enrollment numbers. More and more Americans are finding that quality, affordable coverage is within reach and that they’ll no longer need to worry about barriers they may have faced in the past – like being denied coverage because of a preexisting condition,” Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said. “Now is the time to visit HealthCare.gov, to ensure you and your family have signed up in a private plan

of your choice by December 23 for coverage starting January 1.

It’s important to remember that this open enrollment period is six months long and continues to March 31, 2014.”

The HHS issue brief highlights the following key findings, which are among many newly available data reported today on national and state-level enrollment-related information: • November’s federal enrollment number outpaced the October number by more than four times.

• Nearly 1.2 million Americans, based only on the first two months of open enrollment, have selected a plan or had a Medicaid or CHIP eligibility determination;

o Of those, 364,682 Americans selected plans from the state and federal Marketplaces; and o 803,077 Americans were determined or assessed eligible for Medicaid or CHIP by the Health Insurance Marketplace.

• 39.1 million visitors have visited the state and federal sites to date.

• There were an estimated 5.2 million calls to the state and federal call centers.

The report groups findings by state and federal marketplaces.

In some cases only partial datasets were available for state marketplaces. The report features cumulative data for the two month period because some people apply, shop, and select a plan across monthly reporting

periods. These counts avoid potential duplication associated with monthly reporting. For example, if a person submitted an application in October, and then selected a Marketplace plan in November, this person would only be counted once in the cumulative data.

To read today’s report visit: http://aspe.hhs. gov/health/reports/2013/ MarketPlaceEnrollment/ Dec2013/ib_2013dec_ enrollment.pdf To hear stories of Americans enrolling in the Marketplace visit: http://www.hhs.gov/ healthcare/facts/blog/2013/12/ americans-enrolling-in-themarketplace.html

MNsure extends open enrollment Minnesotans, along with the rest of the nation will see most major provisions of the Affordable Care Act kick in at the first of the year and there is still confusion as to what the law mandates.

In Minnesota, for those who do not have health insurance through their employers, MNsure might be an option. For Minnesotans who are uninsured, underinsured, or looking for new coverage choices, MNsure touts itself as a one-stop health insurance marketplace where individuals, families and small businesses will be able to get quality health coverage at a fair

price. MNsure has extended its enrollment deadline to Dec. 23 for coverage by the first of the year.

To obtain coverage through MNsure by Jan. 1, consumers should visit www.MNsure.org and open an account, complete an application, select a plan and pay in full online by Dec. 23 by credit card or check.

“We strongly encourage consumers to complete these four steps to have coverage on Jan. 1, 2014,” said MNsure’s executive director, April Todd-Malmlov.

“The good news is that more than 40,000 individuals have

already completed steps one and two, and just need to return to MNsure.org and complete steps three and four.”

The Dec. 23 deadline does not apply to Minnesotans eligible for Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare. Minnesotans determined eligible for Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare through Dec. 30 will get coverage Jan. 1. Minnesotans already determined eligible for Medical Assistance through MNsure do not need to take any further steps for health insurance coverage to begin Jan. 1.

Minnesotans already determined

Roy

South Africa’s chronic problems of poverty, unemployment and AIDS. But the fact of his presidency was always more successful than his presidency.

Mandela saw forgiveness as the only way forward in a country where a majority and a minority had to learn to live together. He did not try to wrest an apology out of his oppressors. He was clear that just as it could not be a country of white domination, it could not be a country of black domination either. “(I)n any future dispensation, the majority would need the minority. ‘We do not want to drive you into the sea,’ I said,” he wrote in his autobiography.

That’s a lesson our politicians are loath to learn because in razing mosques, burning trains and pillaging villages, in driving the other into the sea, they see far quicker political gains. A divided electorate, whether cowed or triumphant, is seen as a more secure voting bank. Whether it’s 1984 or 1992 or 2013, we want to forget rather than forgive.

At a Delhi election rally near Kashmere Gate this November, a Congress leader warned the audience about Narendra Modi garlanding MLAs accused of fomenting communal riots in Muzaffarnagar. The fact that Modi was not actually present at the felicitation was less important than the rich irony of the fact that

the man delivering that warning was none other than Jagdish Tytler accused of organizing mobs that massacred Sikhs after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. The way forward for our politicians is to deny the past with a smile.

We are far away from forgiveness because we are far away from truth. Mandela in his death gives us occasion to think about this. Especially on this day in Indian history, on whose back many seek power when they should really seek forgiveness. Mandela reminds us that forgiveness is not weakness.

Ultimately there is power in forgiveness too, both in seeking it and granting it.

As a friend writes on Facebook, Rest in Power, Madiba Nelson Mandela.

From 3 guards ordered him to dig and then climb into a grave-shaped trench in the prison yard. Mandela surely thought that this was the end. But instead as he lay in the grave he had dug, they urinated on him. Years later, when drawing up the list of the select group to invite to his inaugural dinner as president of South Africa, Mandela invited many eminent figures from the fight against apartheid. But the one name he is said to have insisted on was that of a former jailer.

Mandela’s capacity to forgive is all the more powerful because it was not just a deeply held principle. “People have got the idea that we prisoners sat in prison and one day we said, ‘From now on, it’s reconciliation, forgiveness, no revenge’ - but that was just flowing from the policy of non-racialism; it was policy,” Mandela said.

It is precisely because it was policy and not just some saintly doggedness unique to him, that his message of forgiveness remains both powerful and worthy of emulation. It did not solve South Africa’s problems. We can argue that his one-term presidency was not the most effective in tackling

* The Babri Mosque was a mosque. It was destroyed in 1992 when a political rally developed into a riot involving 150,000 people, despite a commitment to the Indian Supreme Court by the rally organizers that the mosque would not be harmed. (source: Wikipedia) ** Narendra Damodardas Modi is the 14th and current Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party. (source: Wikipedia)

eligible for MinnesotaCare will get coverage even if they have not received a premium bill. Consumers with questions about their Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare coverage can call their caseworkers or the Minnesota Department of Human Services Member Help Desk at (651) 431-2670 or (800)

657-3739.

Minnesotans who are on Medicare are not eligible to participate in MNsure.

Open enrollment through MNsure began Oct. 1, and runs through March 31, though for coverage by Jan. 1 the deadline is Dec. 23.

insightnews.com

Insight News • December 16 - December 22, 2013 • Page 11

COMMUNITY Earth Talk: Greener holidays EarthTalk® E - The Environmental Magazine Dear EarthTalk: What are some ideas for being greener this holiday season?

- Beth Livingston, Camden, NJ While the holidays are festive and fun, they can take a toll on the environment. All that shopping, decoration, food preparation and travel adds up to more carbon emissions and more waste. But there are ways to minimize our impact and still celebrate the season in grand style.

For starters, buy fewer gifts.

Homemade, personal gifts are always appreciated as much or more than something storebought. Paint a painting, bake a cake, or make a playlist of favorite songs. EarthEasy.com recommends giving services instead of goods to cut down on the materialism of the holidays: “A great gift could be an hour’s massage at a local spa, or music lessons for a budding musician.”

Other service gift ideas include childcare or tutoring, dog walking, cooking, windowwashing, a car wash and vacuum

Flickr

Holidays are festive and fun, they can take a toll on the environment. One way to be greener is to get a real tree, especially a potted (living) tree, which you can keep for years after the holidays pass. or even Internet/computer lessons. Another way to cut down on the amount of stuff passing under your tree is by having a Secret Santa exchange among grown-ups so that every adult doesn’t have to get gifts for several others.

Another way to save energy and waste is to tone down the

holiday decorating, especially with regard to lighting. A 2008 report commissioned by the Department of Energy found that holiday lighting across the U.S. uses up some six terawatt-hours of electricity per year, which is equivalent to the total electricity consumption of half a million homes in a month. If you do

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

EVENTS Holiday music at the Government Center – Dec. 2013 The Hennepin County Government Center seasonal and holiday performances, free and open to the public. All performances are noon – 1 p.m. unless otherwise noted. The performances will be held at the Hennepin County Government Center, Public Service Level (Skyway Level), 300 S. 6th St., Minneapolis, MN 55487. Dec. 10: City-County Chorus; Dec. 13: Parkview School, noon – 12:25 p.m. - 80 kindergartners perform cold weather and Spanish songs in an annual tradition; Dec. 17: Chippewa Middle School, noon – 12:50 p.m. - 8th grade orchestra plays to communicate a love for beauty in sound, an appreciation for

teamwork, and a sincere wish for the audience to have a happy holiday season; Dec. 18: CityCounty Chorus.

Holiday Potluck, Healthy Recipe Exchange and Free Massages - Dec. 18 There will be a Holiday Potluck, Healthy Recipe Exchange and Free Massages on Wed. Dec. 18, 2013 7-9pm, at Fuller Park Rec Center, 4800 Grand Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55419. Come celebrate the holidays with the Twin Cities Chapter of the Holistic Moms Network by bringing a favorite healthy dish and recipe(s) to share, and a healthy appetite. Relax with free chair massages by a certified massage therapist provided by Moe Bodyworks (http:// www.moebodyworks. com). We will all leave with relaxed bodies, full bellies and new healthy recipes to try at home! Holistic Moms Network is a non-profit national organization that connects parents who are passionate about holistic health and green living. The Twin Cities Chapter holds monthly meetings the third Wed of each month, 7-9pm,

at Fuller Park Rec Center, 4800 Grand Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55419. Children are welcome. To contact the Twin Cities Chapter, or for more info, a calendar of events, and a map to our meeting location, visit http://twincitiesmn. holisticmoms.org or e-mail tcholisticmoms@ gmail.com or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ HMNTwinCitiesMN Rock Your Socks Off at the Winter Wonders - Dec. 18, 19 A showcase filled with youth talent from all over the Twin Cities, Asian Media Access will be holding a Winter Wonders showcase housed at Concordia University’s Pearson Theater, 275 Syndicate Street North, St. Paul, MN 55104-5494 on December 18th and 19th 2013, both shows start at 7pm.. This showcase will feature many things from short films created by the Youth Media Force (YMF), to the rock band Scratch, to Asian styled dances from Iny Asian Dance Theater. Talk about a plate full of variety!

For more information, please check on www.

Committee Legislative Assistant The MN House of Representatives DFL Caucus has a full-time Committee Legislative Assistant position available.

The complete job posting can be found at: www.house.mn/jobs or call 651-297-8200 for a faxed or mailed copy. Cover letter and resume must be received by Friday, December 20, 2013.

EEO/AA EMPLOYER

Volunteer Coordinator Part-time Position – 2nd District GAL Volunteer Coordinator.

Visit website to apply: www.mncourts.gov , deadline 12/20/13.

still decide to indulge in holiday lights, try to go LED. The smaller “light emitting diode” bulbs don’t get hot to the touch (and are less likely to start a fire) and consume a fraction of the electricity of their incandescent predecessors while lasting 10 times longer. HolidayLEDs.com gives customers who recycle

Phone: 612.588.1313

amamedia.org or www. inyasiandancetheater. org. This unique project is sponsored by the MN State Arts Board and Asian Pacific Council’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (which was created by a vote from the people of Minnesota on Nov., 2008.)

Abuelita Rosa Art & Bodywork Social - Dec. 20 Rafa House~Mind & Bodyworks Holistic Network is hosting a massage, bodywork & art social experience on Wed., Dec. 20, 2013 at the JXTA 1108 W. Broadway Artists Cooperative with guest Emcee Robert Hayles from KBEM Jazz 88.5 FM radio, and guest DJ Matthew Mix. Well for a Nutritious Needs Food Drive benefiting the North Minneapolis Salvation Army, and fundraiser for the Abuelita Rosa Foundation. Everyone is urged to bring donations of fresh fruits, vegetables, or other nutritious food items to fill the need for healthy foods at our local food shelf. Relax with the chill vibes of DJ Mix.

Well, Live Jazz, positive Northside Community social interaction, and an open studio art & bodywork viewing & shopping experience.

A fund drive will take place for the Abeulita Rosa Foundation, an organization developed to provide holistic therapies to people with disabilities, the elderly, hospitalized, and hospice patients.

General admission is free. RSVP your VIP wristbands online today at www. rafahouse.com for your chance to sample a variety of massage, and other natural bodywork therapies.

VIP wristbands can also be purchased at the door.

Choo Choo Bob’s Great RiverCentre Train Show - Dec. 28, 29 The first-ever Choo Choo Bob’s Great RiverCentre Train Show, a two-day train extravaganza at Saint Paul RiverCentre held Saturday, Dec. 28 and Sunday, Dec. 29 9 a.m.

- 5 p.m. ADMISSION: $8 - Kids 7 and under are admitted free.

Families will enjoy live performances and meet-and-greets with

Townhomes Available Fieldcrest in Moorhead, MN Rent based on 30% of income 2 & 3 bdroms open MetroPlains Management

701-232-1887 www.metroplainsmanagement.com

their old holiday lights with them a voucher for 15 percent off a new order of LED lights.

Believe it or not, your choice of a Christmas tree affects your environmental footprint as well.

The Epoch Times reports that artificial trees are not necessarily the answer, as most are made out of petrochemicals, PVC, metals or sometimes even lead, and can’t usually be recycled so end up in landfills after a few years of useful life. Furthermore, some 80 percent of artificial trees are made in China, meaning shipping them on trucks, railways and container ships uses a lot of fuel and emits a lot of carbon dioxide accordingly.

Getting a real tree, preferably one that is organic and sustainably harvested by a local tree farmer, is a better choice. After all, real trees provide habitat for wildlife while they are growing, and they filter dust and pollen out of the air while producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide. The Epoch Times adds that typically one to three tree seeds are planted for every Christmas tree harvested in the U.S. And if you get a potted (living) Christmas

Fax: 612.588.2031

“The Choo Choo Bob Show” cast and the show’s band — the Holy Smokestacks Revue. For Thomas the Tank Engine fans, Sir Topham Hatt, owner of the North Western Railway on the Isle of Sodor, will be on hand showing videos, reading stories, meeting the crowd and taking photos with kids. The event will also feature exciting train layouts from local model railroading clubs — to watch and play with — as well as free jumping inflatables, a free rideon train for kids and plenty of merchandise from Choo Choo Bob’s Train Store and other train-related retailers.

For more information and the schedule, visit http://stpaultrainshow. com.

Tickets are available at the Saint Paul RiverCentre Box Office, Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, by calling 800-7453000 or online at ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone using Ticketmaster TDD/ TTY, call 800-3592525. Certain fees may apply.

International Ministries for WATCH NIGHT SERVICE 2013 on Tuesday December 31, 2013. Doors will open at 9:30 p.m. and Service is at 10:00 p.m. The Special Guest Speaker is Prophet Luther McKinstry with Guest Psalmist Jacqueline Dade. We will pray for families, health, prosperity, and safety for the new year! Mighty Fortress International Ministries Service Location: Excell Academy, 6510 Zane Avenue North, Brooklyn Park, MN. Bishop Tom R. Williams, Senior Pastor. We look forward to seeing you there!

Career Workshops Jan. 9 Attention all employed single moms! Trapped in a job that doesn’t pay enough?

Our career counselors will help you find ways to increase your income, get a promotion or develop a new career path. Women Achieving New Directions offers individual counseling and on-going career development WATCH NIGHT workshops. A workshop SERVICE 2013 - Dec. on “Feel the Fear and Do 31, 2013 It Anyway” is scheduled Join Mighty Fortress to be held on Thursday, January 9, 2014, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at 2143 Lowry Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55411.

On-site child Rent based on 30% care and a Of adjusted income light meal provided. For

West Falls Estates Call Patricia Brown At 218-283-4967 TDD 800-627-3529

tree, you can keep it for years after the holidays pass, either in its pot (or a bigger one as it grows) or in the ground outside.

Of course, another way to keep your carbon footprint down over the holidays is by just staying home. A third of the carbon emissions we generate in our daily lives come from driving our cars, so why not stay off the roads over the holidays?

And air travel is one of the biggest carbon splurges any of us indulge in, so not jetting across the country to visit in-laws might be the best environmental action you take all year.

CONTACTS: EarthEasy.com, www.eartheasy.com; The Epoch Times, www.theepochtimes. com; HolidayLEDs.com, w w w. h o l i d a y l e d s . c o m / holidayledscom_christmas_ light_recycling_program.

EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@ emagazine.com.

Email: info@insightnews.com

more information call Pat in Minneapolis at 612-752-8554.

PROGRAMS & SERVICES Share A Smile Ongoing Brighten the day of a senior citizen and have some fun. Hang out with an elder on a regular basis and do things that you both enjoy, like watching a movie, building stuff, playing games, conversation or whatever! Work with a partner and you can take turns visiting.

Families welcome; youth must be age 12 or older and accompanied by an adult. Volunteers age 55+ may qualify to become a Senior Companion and earn a stipend. Exact location TBD in Minneapolis, depends upon where the senior citizen resides.

A variety of one-time or ongoing unpaid volunteer opportunities are available. Please contact Jeanne the NIP Seniors Program, Volunteer Coordinator at srvolunteer@ neighborhoodinvolve. org or call (612) 746-8549 for more information.

Our website is www. neighborhoodinvolve. org. Senior citizens that reside in Minneapolis and wish to be matched with a Friendly Visitor should call 612-3743322 or email seniors@ neighborhoodinvolve. org for more information. Outside of Minneapolis, contact the Senior Linkage Line at 1-800-333-2433 for details.

Register at any time for lessons at Camden Music School Ongoing Looking for a place to play? You can enroll in lessons at CMS at any time! Tuition is prorated to the number of lessons you take.

All ages, abilities and experience levels are welcome. The CMS Fall Term runs through Saturday, January 18.

Recitals will be held on January 25. Spring Term starts the week of February 3. CMS offers vocal and instrumental lessons, Musikgarten early childhood music classes (newborn to age 8), hand drumming, community choir, music theory and more!

Family rates and discounts are available. Scholarship applications for the spring term will be available Monday, December 2. Classes in Camden: Luther Memorial Lutheran Church, 3751 Sheridan Ave. N., 55412.

CMS in Northeast Minneapolis: Grace Center for Community Life (formerly Holland School), 1500 6th St. NE, 55413. More information: 612-6180219 or www.camden musicschool.com.

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

foster care program.

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

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

To RSVP or for additional information on becoming a foster parent, contact Jolene Swan at (952) 945-4064, email ftpfostercare@voamn. org or online at voafostercare.org Reduce Gym Membership Fees Save money, get in shape, and help your neighbor!

Develop strong muscles by shoveling the snow off a grateful senior citizen’s walkways and driveway. Adopt a yard until the weather warms.

Resident will provide the thankful smile.

Perfect opportunity for apartment/condo dweller that yearns to be outside. Work with a partner and you can take turns shoveling.

Family teams and small groups welcome; youth must be age 7 or older and supervised by an adult. Exact location TBD in Minneapolis, depends upon where the senior citizen resides. We offer unpaid volunteer opportunities year-round.

Please contact Jeanne the NIP Seniors Program, Volunteer Coordinator at srvolunteer@ neighborhoodinvolve. org or call 612-746-8549 for more information.

Our website is www. neighborhoodinvolve. org

Page 12 • December 16 - December 22, 2013 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Mandela From 1 “There were already protests before, but no one got any momentum,” Berry recalls. “We wanted to get arrested. And we tried to get people lined up to get arrested the next day.”

They got arrested the next day, the day after that and the following day. In fact, every day for a year, the Free South Africa Movement held demonstrations at the South African Embassy in Washington, D.C. The nascent movement attracted support from celebrities, members of Congress and other high-profile people, many of whom joined the protest and allowed themselves to be arrested in order to draw more attention to the issue. Before long, chapters of Free South Africa sprang up across the United States.

“Let us not forget that Britain, the U.S. and all of the western powers labeled Mandela a terrorist and steadfastly propped up the apartheid regime—they were on the wrong side of history,” says civil rights leader Jesse Jackson.

Mandela is not gone, he remains with us always. He’ll always be a chin bar to pull up on. He has left this earth, but he soars high among the heavens, and his eloquent call for freedom and equality is still

Timeline From 1 1943 - Joins the African National Congress (ANC) as an activist 1948 South African government (Afrikanerdominated National Party)

Roy Lewis

Randall Robinson (first), Winnie Mandela (second), Nelson Mandela (center) and Jesse Jackson (fourth) at the ANC Rally at the Convention Center in Washington, DC heard among the winds and rains, and in the hearts of the people the world over.”

Mary Frances Berry, a professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania, remembers the personal side of Mandela.

“In dealing with him in personal interactions — having the privilege to be with him and talk to him in an informal setting — he was very funny. Not at all full of himself, and completely down to earth even though he was

larger than life. He considered himself on the same level as an ordinary person, and he didn’t take himself too seriously. He loved a joke and always had witticisms.”

While maintain pressure on the streets, movement organizers organized a legislative assault on apartheid, resulting in passage of the Comprehensive AntiApartheid Act of 1986.

It took an entire year to get it passed by Congress and presented to President Reagan for his signature. Instead of signing,

however, Reagan vetoed it. But supporters had enough votes to override the veto.

Next in line were U.S. companies that profited from doing business in the White-ruled nation, including Shell Oil, which had been exploiting workers in South Africa. Boycotts were launched against Shell as well as the Krugerrand, a South African currency that would become an illegal import under the AntiApartheid Act. Even while the United

limits the freedom of black Africans even more when the apartheid policy of racial segregation is introduced across the country

when members break away to form the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) under Potlako Leballo and Robert Sobukwe

1962 - August 5: Arrested after living on the run for seventeen months and was imprisoned in the Johannesburg Fort

1960 - Sharpeville Massacre: Police kill 69 peaceful protestors and the ANC is banned

October 25: Nelson Mandela was sentenced to five years in prison but again goes on the run

Mandela goes into hiding and forms an underground military group with armed resistance

1964 - June 12: Captured and convicted of sabotage and treason and sentenced to life imprisonment at the age of 46, initially on Robben island where he would be kept for 18 years

1959 - Parliament passes new laws extending racial segregation by creating separate homelands for major black groups in South Africa The ANC loses most of its financial and militant support

1990 - February 11: Nelson Mandela is released from prison after 27 years

Madiba From 1

The MINNEAPOLIS URBAN LEAGUE GUILD Presents...

By virtues, I mean goodness.

However, it is the word “grace,” it seems, that most of the people who knew Mandela well, used to define his essential character.

It was grace, undoubtedly, which was the source of his charisma, or his charm. Let it be said then, that it was his grace that he used as a vehicle in his effort to empower humanity. All of his deeds seem to be underwritten by his sense of grace. One of the clearest examples of this trait was that Mandela invited one of his former oppressors at the dreadful Robben Island Prison to be a front row guest at his inauguration as President of the Republic of South Africa in 1994.

An important thing to note here is that none of these aforementioned virtues have a color. This makes Nelson Mandela pro-human, over and against racial classification.

In self-examination of his life he readily acknowledged his flaws, his youthful errors.

He humbly reflected that he was “a sinner” who would not stop trying to improve himself. It has

Cuba From 3 In the same speech he also said: “We admire the sacrifices of the Cuban people in maintaining their independence and sovereignty in the face of a vicious, imperialist-orchestrated

States and other governments had condemned Mandela and continued to support the South African government, antiapartheid movements gained traction. Something about South African apartheid had struck a chord, especially for people of African descent.

“There were chapters of FSAM all over the country and there were many White people in those chapters, but the leadership was always Black. People got involved because our message was simple. At that time, if people didn’t remember Jim Crow or the Civil Rights Movement, then their parents did,” says Berry. “We told people that the South African government passed laws just like what we did here. It resonated with people in this country.”

Melvin Foote, founder and president of the Constituency for Africa, has worked to foster African and African American relations for more than 35 years.

He remembers watching Mandela become a global symbol of injustice.

“When people of African descent learned about apartheid, it didn’t sound too much different than what happened with slavery,” he says. “And I think with Mandela – who would’ve thought you’d have this tall, very strong, powerful man come out of prison after 27 years with his fist up, and do the things he did. He got us to

think differently about Africa.”

Foote says, “He was one of the greatest people to walk the Earth, certainly in our lifetime.

There’s discussion of Mandela happening in China, India, all over the world.”

Foote sees parallels between Black South Africans’ regard for Barack Obama, and Black Americans’ regard for Nelson Mandela, especially for those who visited South Africa during Mandela’s presidency. “[South Africans] based their revolution against apartheid on us,” Foote says. “People, especially White people, try not to make that connection, try not to foster any relationship between Africans and Black Americans… but the South African revolution was very much based on the Civil Rights Movement.”

For Berry, Mandela’s life and anti-apartheid work taught her that movements require perseverance, especially during low moments.

And, she learned how to make movements effective.

“It reinforced the view that it takes grassroots movements working together with political action to make change,” she states.

“If you organize around a simple issue – and messaging has a lot to do with it – and if the issue is clearly one of morality, you can prevail.”

President De Klerk lifts the ban on the African National Congress (ANC)

prostate cancer with radiation

The ANC and the white National Party begin talks on forming a multi-racial democracy for South Africa 1993 - Nelson Mandela and Mr de Klerk are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 1999 - Founded the Nelson Mandela Foundation 2000 - Appointed as mediator in the civil war in Burundi 2001 - Nelson Mandela was diagnosed and treated for

Children ages 12 and under will get a free photo with Santa and a small treat from his elves!

2013 - December 5th. Nelson Mandela passes away http://www.nelsonmandela. org/content/page/about-thecentre-of-memory http://www.datesandevents. o rg / p e o p l e - t i m e l i n e s / 11 nelson-mandela-timeline.htm

as a central figure in the total enterprise for human freedom in the twentieth century simply cannot be overstated. It can be strenuously argued that Madiba is at least one of the three greatest real life moral leaders in the history of the modern world (since the 1400s.) Certainly, in the Western world there is no one to compare to them. And they are Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela, the first from India and two sons of Africa, King and Mandela.

Separately and together, they changed the social order of the world in their time and context.

The three, are modern prophets.

Spiritually they are joined at the hip. Like Ghandi and King, Mandela too, was once an apostle of non-violent resistance, until he was forced to armed struggle– by the interagents of the white supremacy regime. He had to take to the fields. All three were revolutionaries in thought and action. Mandela’s role in the struggle for freedom, justice and equality was broader.

A lawyer, civil rights activist, guerilla fighter, a prisoner of war, a politician, statesman and philosopher, he did it all, with grace.

campaign. We too want to control our own destiny.”

The same trip that brought Mandela to Cuba in 1991 also saw him come to the United States and brought him into contact with Americans who weren’t ready to canonize him.

An article published earlier this year, “When America Met Mandela,” relates a pointed exchange with Nightline Host

Ted Koppel who challenged his right to meet with leaders of “rogue states” like Fidel Castro, Yasser Arafat, and Col. Gadhafi.

“They support our struggle to the hilt,” Mandela told Koppel and proceeded to lecture him on gratitude and self-determination.

“Any man who changes his principles according to whom he is dealing,” he told Koppel to applause from the audience, “that is not a man who can lead a nation.”

Those comments, according to the Miami Herald, “caused an official welcome planned for him to be rescinded,” and led five Cuban- American mayors to cancel their meeting with Mr. Mandela, sending a letter instead calling his comments “beyond reasonable comprehension.”

As he edged closer to the end of his life, cooler heads at least in Washington prevailed.

In 2008, Congress passed, and President George W. Bush signed, legislation removing the African National Congress from the terrorist watch list.

Cuba was listed as a state sponsor of terror for reasons that included actions that Nelson Mandela believed led to his own freedom and the end of apartheid.

The president could hardly offer a more fitting tribute than by removing Cuba from the terror list in Mandela’s memory and name.

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2004 - June: Nelson Mandela announced that he would be retiring from public life at the age of 85

been said by Socrates that “an unexamined life is a life not worth living.”

Affectionately known as “Madiba” by his comrades in the African National Congress (ANC), Mandela and those in his close circle were and still are, quintessential heroes. Their struggle throughout most of the 20th century can be traced from 1912 to the fall of Apartheid (white supremacy); to Mandela and his fellow freedom fighters’ release from prison in 1990.

Mandela once declared that “real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.” His inner circle included the likes of Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo, and Govan Mbeki, the father of Thabo Mbeki, the man who became the president when Mandela retired. Winnie Mandela and Mrs. Walter Sisulu are among the noblest warriors who ever lived. These warriors smashed one of the most brutal systems of criminal domination that ever existed. In the modern world, only the United States, with its bottomless cruelty of the institutionalized slaverysegregation, and the 12-year reign of Hitler’s Nazi Germany can be compared.

The role of Nelson Mandela

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Made an honorary Canadian citizen

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