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December 21 - December 27, 2009 • MN Metro Vol. 35 No. 51 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com
Demanding our share: Ellison, CBC threaten boycott By Hazel Trice Edney NNPA Editor-in-Chief WASHINGTON (NNPA) Decrying willful failure to acknowledge the crippled economy’s devastation to Black communities, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) joined Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) members demanding immediate action to include Black businesses in financial rescue and recovery initiatives. Ellison said he and CBC members are “receiving the calls and emails everyday” asking “when’s our turn?” He said business and institution leaders are demanding Congress and the Administration take note of hyper-crisis ravishing Black America. “We need real jobs programs. We need something to help small, minority businesses. We need to know that there is a vibrant, historic and very strong African American business community here
in the United States and in my state of Minnesota. It really struck me that every single industry is being severely impacted,” Ellison said in an interview with the Black Press of America. Ellison, one of 10 Black members of the powerful House Finance Committee, was applauded this week by the Black Press and Black leaders nationally for boldly boycotting a committee meeting in order to force a $4 billion allocation to benefit the Black community. CBC committee members are saying they plan to escalate protests if lawmakers continue to ignore the suffering of their constituents, including advertising discrimination against Black newspapers. “We’re out of the box, we’re full speed ahead and we are not going to sit back and watch our communities suffer in silence,” said U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), the ranking Congressional Black Caucus Member on the Committee, who led the December 2 boycott.
Chamber salutes Comcast for community outreach, investment
PAGE 2 The 10 Congressional Black Caucus Members of Congress who sit on the House Financial Services Committee are, from left, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (Mo.), Rep. Gwen Moore (Wis.), Rep. Mel Watt (N.C.), Rep. Al Green (Texas), Rep. Andre Carson (Ind.), Rep. Maxine Waters (Calif.), Rep. David Scott (Ga.), Rep. Gregory Meeks (N.Y.), Rep. Keith Ellison (Minn.), and Rep. William Lacy Clay, Jr. (Mo.). “The 10 African American members of the Financial Services Committee have cooperated with the leadership, we have cooperated with the administration, we have supported the bail out and now
we’re saying, what do we get for all of this cooperation? What are we delivering to our communities? And the answer is little or nothing,” said Waters. Describing horrid conditions in
their districts that clearly illustrate disparate suffering in the African American communities, each of the 10 members - in separate interviews
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Valeria Silva
Mission: Peace
takes leadership of St Paul Public Schools
in the Horn of Africa By Basha Saed African News Journal, Publisher Part 2 of 2 Sponsored by African News Journal, Eritrean Forum in Minnesota, and organized by Confederation of the Somali Community, Eritrean Forum and Gambella Relief Organization, The Horn of Africa Peace Forum examined pathways to peace in the Horn of Africa region and explored ways of empowering the grass root and civil society so that a lasting peace can be based on understanding and trust. Somalia experience: What the rest can learn Dr. Ahmed Samatar, Dean of the Institute for Global Citizenship at Macalester College, gave a stern
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warning to those in attendance: “I am warning you, Horn of Africa Africans, please, listen to me carefully, accept the principle of non-violence and you have a chance to survive in the Horn.” According to Samatar, Somali people “confront these elements” which can make for a very catastrophic environment. He said some Somalis are aware of this while other’s aren’t. The elements are, said Samatar, 1) Loss of Sense of Peoplehood (nothing else we have in common except we look alike, talk alike and meet in places like coffee shops); 2) the death of national institutions (lack the rule of law) and the bad odor of leadership (the absence of a leader capable of facing the current challenges through legitimacy, with wisdom and skills). “With those scenarios, I think we are
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Suluki Fardan
From left, Lulu Flores, President of the National Women’s Political Caucus, Tare-Sheika Larkins, Amirah Ellison, and Denia Larkins. Ellison announced the creation of Children for Change a nonprofit she and her colleagues launched to expand civic engagement among young youths.
The women’s equality imperative By Lydia Schwartz Contributing Writer The Minnesota Women’s Political Caucus’ (MNWPC) 31st Annual Luncheon, “Walking on Broken Glass…Shattering the Stereotype, Why Women’s Equality is still a Cause for Today,” was held on Thursday, Dec, 10, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in St. Paul. The MNWPC is a multipartisan organization comprised of members from across the state who are dedicated to identifying,
recruiting, training, and supporting pro-choice women for elected and appointed public office. They seek to be an expert resource for the women of Minnesota and women candidates supporting women’s issues. The MNWPC’s ultimate goal is equality and equal representation on all levels of government. The luncheon was a festive affair that included a poetry reading by St. Paul’s first Poet Laureate Carol Connolly, honored by St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman in 2006, whose wife was in
attendance. The event even included singing “Happy Birthday” to Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner, led by the MNWPC Executive Director Tonia Johnson. Johnson also pointed out that the MNWPC is heading a bill that will mandate paid sick days which includes if a parent needs to stay home when a child is ill. In attendance were men and women who have been champions of women’s issues in politics:
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By Lydia Schwartz Contributing Writer President Obama
Obama receives Nobel Peace Prize By Gloria J. BrowneMarshall; Special to The Black Press OSLO, NORWAY—The overcast skies did little to temper the excitement accompanying the arrival of President Barack Obama in Norway. His helicopter landed
on the roof of Norway’s Opera House. Traffic stopped. Police cars filled the streets. Usually staid Norwegians rushed to their windows to witness the Obama’s descent into Scandinavia with its history of Vikings and sea travel. Over 92 million Kroner was spent on security alone for this latest
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Morgan Freeman stars as Nelson Mandela in inspirational historical saga
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Pawlenty burdens cities, counties State Representatives expect the 2010 Minnesota Legislative Bonding Session, starting in February, to be intense and lively as the state faces a $1 billion shortfall and a gubernatorial election in November. Several State Senators and Representatives are planning on running for governor, including the Speaker of the House, Margaret Anderson Keliher. Almost $1 billion had been borrowed in the 2009 Regular Session. Now the Legislature must contend with a Capital Improvement Budget and make major cuts to deal with the deficit. According to State Rep. Bobby Joe Champion (DFL-58B), “The deficit could have been as high as $4.4 billion if we didn’t have the cushion from federal stimulus funding…We have to make sure it is used appropriately and adheres
“Do Good. Live Well.” campaign encourages social responsibility
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State Rep. Bobby Joe Champion (DFL-58B)
State Rep. Jeff Hayden (DFL–61B)
to federal requirements.” He said that the biggest issue this year is “jobs; getting Minnesotans back to work.” Even though this is a lameduck year for Gov. Tim Pawlenty, he has promised to veto any new revenue bill in what many say is an effort to preserve his image for his conservative friends across the country. According to State Rep.
Jeff Hayden (DFL–61B), the problem with a governor being able to say, “‘I didn’t raise any taxes,’ is that some else had to.” When the State denies funding for certain projects, the financial burden is then placed on counties and cities, which are forced to
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MN Vikings preparing for the Playoffs
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