Insight News ::: 12.28.15

Insight News December 28, 2015 - January 3, 2016

Vol. 42 No. 52 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

A great day in hip-hop

By Dj Stage One I’m writing this commentary from College Park, Ga. as I reflect on my past accomplishments and history in the Twin Cities.

The countless memories flow like water … the good times, the bad times and even the times of sheer terror are all things I hold fondly to my heart because they helped to shaped me as a person early on in life.

I spent much of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 trying to figure out a way that I could give back to the hip-hop community in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

I knew and admired so many people who paved the way for the culture to where it is at this point, but many of them went unsung and were excluded from the oral history of what we now call “Minnesota hiphop.” Many have died along the way while some “grew out of it” and became disillusioned with its true meaning, but their contributions remained intact and immortally respected in my mind and heart.

I remembered a picture Bro Sun (Kirk Washington, Jr.) had shown me years ago with prominent jazz musicians

Keegan Xavi

The anniversary in a whole was a great look for Twin Cities hip-hop, as we paid homage, respect and love to our honorable comrades who went back to the essence but were still with us in spirit.

HIP-HOP TURN TO 5

Report condemns lack of diversity in U.S. Senate

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Contributing Writer Long before this month’s damning report from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies that revealed a stunning lack of diversity among top staff in the U.S. Senate, Nevada Democratic Senator Harry Reid had formed a means to assist offices with identifying and hiring a more diverse workforce.

Reid started the Democratic Diversity Initiative that, in addition to assisting with a more diverse workforce, would help those who want to work on Capitol Hill with understanding and navigating the job search process.

“A Senate workforce that reflects the diversity of our nation and is demographically representational of the constituents we serve,” Reid said of the initiative.

“Our concept of diversity and inclusion embraces differences in race, ethnicity, religion, disability and sexual orientation as well as recognizes the military service of our veterans.”

On December 8, the D.C.based Joint Center – an African-

Lawrence Jackson/White House

President Barack Obama delivers remarks at an event commemorating the 150th anniversary of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Dec. 9, 2015.

President Obama celebrates 150th Anniversary of the 13th Amendment

By Janelle Berry Special to the NNPA News Wire from the HU News Service WASHINGTON – Ask Americans what the Emancipation Proclamation is and most who know of President Abraham Lincoln’s executive order will respond like 20-year-

old Ebony Harris, a student of Howard University from Chicago, Ill., and say, “Isn’t that the thing that freed the slaves?”

But, the Emancipation Proclamation did not actually free the slaves. It freed three of the four million slaves in states that were in revolt against the Union during the Civil War, and it was not permanent.

Ask them about the 13th

Amendment to the Constitution, and most responses sound like Josephine Jacob-Cox, a schedule manager for the New York City Transit Authority.

“Does it have something to do with voting,” Jacob-Cox asked.

Actually, this was the law that freed the slaves.

Had it not been for that amendment 150 years ago, there may not be a U.S.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, billionaire Robert Johnson, Xerox President Ursula Burns, music impresario Sean “Diddy” Combs, “Empire,” R&B music, hip hop or rap, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser or President Barack Obama.

13TH TURN TO 9

SENATE TURN TO 8

Senator Harry Reid/Courtesy Photo

Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has put together a diversity initiative that he hopes will increase the number of minorities in senate leadership positions.

Senator Cory Booker/Courtesy Photo

New Jersey Democratic Senator Corey Booker is one of just two African-Americans in the U.S. Senate.

HBCUs

Commentary

Lifestyle

Community

Group honors outstanding college athletes

RushCard empowers people to help manage their money

Happy New Year!

YouthCARE partners with Help-Portrait to provide free photos to 150 individuals

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Page 2 • December 28, 2015 - January 3, 2016 • Insight News

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HBCU group honors outstanding college athletes High School - Houston, TX • Johnta Hebert, All-Purpose/ RB. Senior, Prairie View A&M University (SWAC). Glen Oaks High School - Baton Rouge, LA • Cornelius Henderson, Defensive Lineman. Junior, Jackson State University (SWAC) Duncanville High School - Duncanville, TX

Special to the NNPA News Wire from the Houston Forward Times Staff On December 2, The Heritage Group Sport Business Academy, Inc. (THGSBA) held its inaugural Ben L. Cavil, Sr. “Big Ben” Awards dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Houston-Medical Center, in conjunction with the HBCU-Athletic Research Consortium (HBCU-ARC) Conference.

The Ben L. Cavil, Sr. “Big Ben” Award is an award presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding HBCU Football Player of the Year who meets the THGSBA, Inc. selection criteria and who also exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Ben L. Cavil, Sr., which are: determination, diligence, integrity, performance, familial, teamwork, fraternal, and community engagement. The Ben L. Cavil, Sr. “Big Ben” Award recognizes a football player attending a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the State of Texas or was born or played high school football in the state of Texas and/ or played at a Texas-based junior college and continued their career

Kenyatta Cavil/HBCU-ARC

Ben L. Cavil, Jr. and William Campbell Cavil, sons of Ben L. Cavil, Sr., hold The Big Ben Trophy. playing for an HBCU. Known as the “Galloping Fullback,” Ben L. Cavil, Sr. helped grow the sport in Texas among the SWAC fans and the greater African American community, until it transcended into the fabric of the HBCU

cultural identity as part of the growing legendary sporting HBCU Diaspora.

The finalists of the inaugural award this year were: • Corey Carter, Kicker/ Punter. Senior, Texas Southern University (SWAC). Callaway

High School - Raymond, MS • Trey Green, Quarterback R-Junior, Prairie View A&M University (SWAC). Ozen High School - Beaumont, TX • John Gibbs, Jr., Quarterback Senior, Alcorn State University (SWAC). Booker T. Washington

The winner of The Ben L. Cavil, Sr. “Big Ben” Award for 2015 was Johnta Hebert of Prairie View A&M University. Hebert led Prairie View in rushing, receptions and was tied for most scoring TDs in SWAC. Several other awards and recognitions were handed out during the evening.

Cornelius Henderson of Jackson State University and John Gibbs, Jr. of Alcorn State University were both battling neck-and-neck to become the winner of the Online Fan Vote.

Henderson was able to hold off Gibbs by securing 12,433 votes or 52 percent of the vote. Gibbs finished a close second, garnering over 10,000 votes for the honor.

In recognition of HBCUs that have made a significant impact, the 1952 Texas Southern University Black College Football National Champions were honored at the event. Texas

Southern University claimed the nation’s Negro college football championship in 1952, after defeating Prairie View 13-12 on Thursday in the annual Prairie View Bowl game.

The Community Service Award was also given out to an individual who over an extended period of time tirelessly gives of himself/herself to the HBCU community in order to help others obtain equal access, equity, and inclusion in those that influence our lives. The winner of this year’s Community Service Award was none other than radio veteran personality Ralph Cooper. It was announced that the Community Service Award would be named annually after Cooper because of his many contributions to the world of sports, in particular the HBCU community.

On hand to celebrate the inaugural event were the two sons of Ben L. Cavil, Sr. (Ben L. Cavil, Jr. and William Campbell Cavil) and a host of other family members.

Dr. J. Kenyatta Cavil, Executive Director of THGSBA, is excited about the response to this year’s inaugural kickoff of The Ben L. Cavil, Sr. “Big Ben” Award, and is looking forward to an even greater response next year.

DOJ issues new guidance for police in domestic violence and sexual assault cases WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued new guidance to law enforcement agencies detailing how certain police responses to domestic violence and sexual assault violate victims’ civil rights.

The guidance comes on the heels of DOJ investigations of gender-biased policing in New Orleans, Puerto Rico, Missoula, Mont. and Maricopa County, Ariz., which documented the systemic failure of police departments to properly investigate domestic violence and sexual assault cases or to hold police officers accountable when they commit domestic or sexual violence.

“Domestic violence-related calls constitute the single largest

category of calls received by police departments, so how police officers respond to domestic violence and sexual assault has a huge impact on the lives of women, families and communities across the United States,” said Sandra Park, senior staff attorney in the ACLU Women’s Rights Project.

“Police practices can either help end the cycle of violence or they can perpetuate it.”

According to DOJ officials, even when an assault clearly qualifies as criminal activity, survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault may face disbelief, victim-blaming, and hostility from law enforcement. The ACLU and its partners recently released a report – “Responses

from the Field: Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Policing” – documenting biases against survivors as reported by advocates and attorneys who work with them.

The DOJ guidance calls on local police departments to examine their practices and policies relating to policing of domestic violence and sexual assault, which disproportionately impact women and LGBT people. It lays out eight principles that should guide police departments including recognize and address biases, assumptions, and stereotypes about victims, treat all victims with respect and employ interviewing tactics that encourage a victim to

participate and provide facts about the incident, investigate sexual assault or domestic violence complaints thoroughly and effectively, appropriately classify reports of sexual assault or domestic violence, refer victims to appropriate services, properly identify the assailant in domestic violence incidents, hold officers who commit sexual assault or domestic violence accountable and maintain, review, and act upon data regarding sexual assault and domestic violence.

“The new DOJ guidance is a critical tool welcomed by both law enforcement and community advocates that empowers them to work together to improve how

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domestic violence and sexual assault cases are handled,” said Park. “Survivors must have equal access to an unbiased criminal justice system that offers them protection and ensures that perpetrators cannot act with impunity.”

Courts and the DOJ have concluded that victims of domestic and sexual assault crimes are denied equal protection under the U.S. Constitution when these crimes are treated less seriously than other offenses based on gender bias. DOJ officials also say victims’ due process rights are also violated when police commit acts of violence, such as sexual assault, or when a victim

is put at greater risk as a result of police conduct.

The ACLU, along with other civil rights and anti-violence groups, sought DOJ guidance on gender-biased policing, and more than 180 national, state and local groups joined a letter reinforcing this request in June.

Domestic violence and sexual assault are two of the most prevalent forms of gender-based violence. In the U.S., more than one million women are sexually assaulted each year, and more than a third of women are subjected to rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime, with women of color disproportionately affected.

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Insight News • December 28, 2015 - January 3, 2016 • Page 3

HEALTH New strain of norovirus hits Minnesota A new strain of norovirus, the most common cause of sudden intestinal illness, has shown up in Minnesota, and that could mean more norovirus illnesses this winter, state health officials warned today.

The new strain, called GII.17 Kawasaki, caused many outbreaks in Asia last winter before arriving in the U.S. MDH has investigated more than 20 outbreaks caused by norovirus since the beginning of September. The new strain first showed up in sporadic cases in the state earlier this year and the first outbreak caused by the new strain was reported last week. Reports of norovirus-like illnesses in the community have also increased in the past week.

“Every few years, a new strain of norovirus emerges and causes many illnesses. We don’t know yet if this new strain

will lead to an increase in the number of outbreaks reported, but it could,” said Amy Saupe, a foodborne disease epidemiologist at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

“If we’re meticulous about washing our hands and handling food properly, we may be able to limit the impact.”

Illness caused by norovirus is often mistakenly called “stomach flu,” which is a confusing term because norovirus is not related to influenza. Influenza is a respiratory illness, with symptoms that include high fever, chills, body aches, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, and/or coughing.

Norovirus is not a respiratory illness, and is not spread through breathing or coughing.

“When people say that they have ‘stomach flu,’ referring

to a short illness with diarrhea and/or vomiting, what they generally have is a norovirus infection,” said Saupe.

Norovirus can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, body aches, a general run-down feeling, and a mild fever. Symptoms typically begin 24 to 48 hours after swallowing the virus, and usually last one to two days.

The virus passes from one person to another by the fecaloral route. That means the virus comes from the feces or vomit of people who are sick or were recently sick, and can make someone else sick if they get the virus in their mouth and swallow it. A tiny amount of virus can make someone sick.

“Fecal-oral transmission sounds gross, but it’s important for people to understand that they may have gotten their

norovirus from food, and that they could pass the virus to others by handling food, even after their symptoms are gone,” Saupe said.

Norovirus is the most common cause of food-related illness in Minnesota. In a recent outbreak example, employees who had been sick with diarrhea prepared food items that were eaten by restaurant patrons and at least 25 patrons became ill from norovirus.

The majority of norovirus illnesses and outbreaks can be prevented through good handwashing and appropriate food handling. Always wash your hands well before preparing food, and do not prepare food for others (at home or for your job) at all if you have been sick with vomiting or diarrhea in the last three days. If you are sick with

vomiting or diarrhea, wash your hands very carefully after using the restroom. Norovirus can be present in your stool for several days even after you are feeling better, so continue to be extra careful about handwashing.

Always wash your hands before eating. Do not eat food prepared by someone who is ill with vomiting or diarrhea. If someone in your household is sick with vomiting or diarrhea, have them use a separate bathroom, if possible. Clean surfaces with soap and water and sanitize with a bleach solution to kill any norovirus that was spread to bathroom or kitchen surfaces. Launder soiled clothing in hot water promptly. Wash your hands after helping children in the bathroom or touching surfaces that may have vomit or feces on

them.

Thorough handwashing includes washing your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, rinsing under running water, and drying with a towel.

Handwashing helps remove norovirus and other germs from your hands (see Hand Hygiene).

You can report suspected outbreaks of norovirus illness – or other food-related illnesses – to the MDH Foodborne Illness Hotline at 1-877-FOOD ILL (366-3455). For more information about norovirus, visit the MDH website at Norovirus Infection.

“No one likes to get vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach aches, especially during the holidays,” Saupe said. “Norovirus tends to hit especially hard during the winter season, so now is a good time to get in the handwashing and norovirus prevention habit.”

Council of Economic Advisers releases report highlighting new research on SNAP’s effectiveness and the importance of adequate food assistance through the end of the month, according to the CEA. New research has linked diminished food budgets at the end of each month to high-cost consequences, including a 27 percent increase in the rate of hospital admissions due to low

A new report released last week from the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) finds that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, is highly effective at reducing food insecurity— the government’s measure for whether households lack the resources for consistent and dependable access to food.

The report highlights a growing body of research that finds that children who receive food assistance see improvements in health and academic performance and that these benefits are mirrored by long-run improvements in health, educational attainment and economic self-sufficiency.

The report also features new research that shows benefit levels are often inadequate to sustain families through the end of the month, resulting in highcost consequences, such as a 27 percent increase in the rate of hospital admissions due to low blood sugar for low-income adults between the first and last week of the month, as well as diminished performance on standardized tests among school age children.

Each month, SNAP helps about 46 million low-income Americans put food on the table. The large majority of households receiving SNAP include children, senior citizens, individuals with disabilities even and working adults. Twothirds of SNAP benefits go to households with children.

The CEA report draws on a growing body of research about food insecurity and SNAP, finding that SNAP helps in reducing both poverty and food insecurity in the United States— especially among children.

According to the CEA, SNAP benefits lifted at least 4.7 million people out of poverty in 2014— including 2.1 million children.

CEA also says SNAP lifted more than 1.3 million children out of deep poverty, or above half of the poverty line (for example, $11,925 for a family of four).

The temporary expansion of SNAP benefits under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) lifted roughly 530,000 households out of food insecurity – this again according to the CEA.

SNAP has particularly large benefits for women and their families. Studies conducted show maternal receipt of SNAP during pregnancy reduces the incidence of low birthweight by between 5 and 23 percent and exposure to food assistance in utero and through early childhood has large overall health and economic self-sufficiency impacts for disadvantaged women.

A prevailing thought is those receiving SNAP are not working, but many are contributing to the labor force. The majority of working-age SNAP recipients

already participate in the labor market. Fifty-seven percent of working-age adults receiving SNAP are either working or looking for work, while 22 percent do not work due to a disability.

According to federal data, nearly one in seven American households experienced food insecurity in 2014. These households—which included 15 million children—lacked the resources necessary for consistent and dependable access to food. In 2014, 40 percent of all food-insecure households—and nearly 6

percent of U.S. households overall—were considered to have very low food security.

This means that, in nearly seven million households, at least one person in the household missed meals and experienced disruptions in food intake due to insufficient resources for food.

Another misconception is people receiving SNAP and other government assistance are living well at the expense of other Americans. While SNAP benefits allow families to put more food on the table, current benefit levels are often insufficient to sustain them

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blood sugar for low-income adults between the first and last week of the month and diminished student performance on standardized tests, with performance improving only gradually again after the next month’s benefits are received.

Page 4 • December 28, 2015 - January 3, 2016 • Insight News

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EDUCATION College scholarship opportunity for Twin Cities high school students Wallin Education Partners is now accepting applications from current high school seniors.

Wallin Education Partners selects students with high potential and financial need from 28 Twin Cities high schools to receive financial aid, professional advising and additional scholar services – providing money for college and additional resources

to help students succeed at the next scholastic level. According to Wallin officials, the program has resulted in more than 90 percent of its scholars graduating from college.

Selected scholars receive financial aid – up to $4,000 per year for four years, professional advisors and college to career programming including

corporate mentors, internships, specialized career nights and more to help lead scholars toward fulfilling careers after college.

More than half of Wallin’s scholars are students of color and 62 percent of the students are the first in their family to attend college. Scholars can use their aid for any cost of attendance at

an eligible college or university, including tuition, fees, books, room and board, etc. Financial need is determined by family taxable income (must be less than $75,000 a year) and low to moderate assets. Any majors are accepted, but students are required to attend an eligible four-year public or private college within Minnesota,

Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota or Wisconsin or one of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Applications will be accepted until Feb. 1 and can be submitted online at www. wallinpartners.org/apply.

The mission of Wallin Education Partners is to enable college and career success

for high-potential Minnesota students with financial need through one-to-one advising and financial aid. Founded by Win Wallin and Maxine Wallin in 1992, Wallin Education Partners has given more than $44 million in aid to Minnesota students from traditionally underserved groups who want to attend college.

McGregory to serve as executive director of Strategic Communication and Accountability at Robbinsdale Area Schools Dr. Richard McGregory has been hired as the executive director of Strategic Communication and Accountability at Robbinsdale Area Schools.

Before joining the district, McGregory provided planning and evaluation for programs aimed at enhancing the achievement of underrepresented multicultural, first generation and economically disadvantaged students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

In addition to serving as UWWhitewater’s assistant vice chancellor of Multicultural Affairs and Student Success, McGregory also lectured with the school’s economics

Dr. Richard McGregory department and taught business calculus, finite math and college algebra.

McGregory holds a Ph.D. in economics, an MBA in management/marketing.

His postgraduate education includes a diversity initiative for tenure in economics at

Duke University and the management development program at Harvard University.

“I am delighted to be joining Robbinsdale Area Schools and having the opportunity to work with outstanding colleagues,” said McGregory. “I look forward to getting to know the people in the district and being able to make a contribution to such a fine community.”

“I am thrilled to have Dr. McGregory joining our team,” said Dr. Carlton Jenkins, superintendent of Robbinsdale Area Schools.

“I look forward to the leadership and experience he will bring.”

McGregory will be formally introduced at the Jan. 4 school board meeting.

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Insight News • December 28, 2015 - January 3, 2016 • Page 5

BUSINESS Creative Christmas gifts for your favorite nonprofit FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw Its Christmas time! And soon to be Kwanza. Then New Years!

It’s time to celebrate and share gifts. We give to our families and friends. Many of us have already made a gift to nonprofits we hold closest to our hearts. But, there’s

INSIGHT NEWS

always time for more giving.

Here’s a holiday gift idea that can extend into the new year: Give a non-financial gift. Here’s what we mean.

First, let us be clear: nonprofits cannot operate without money. That is a fact.

But, we also know there are many other things nonprofits need, and you just might be the right person to fill that need. Think about it this way: nonprofits are busy delivering on their mission and vision. Each also has to raise money, market their organization, and take care of business operations such as human resources, accounting, and facilities. They have a lot to focus on. Your non-financial gift can make a big difference.

If you are an attorney, you can donate legal services. If you are an accountant, you can

review your favorite nonprofit’s bookkeeping processes and help update if needed. Computer professionals can conduct a technology assessment, and – if you want to “double your

giving” – you could invite others to provide some of the products or services that might be needed to help the nonprofit increase its efficiency or, in some cases, get up-to-date.

There’s something for everyone to offer: basic maintenance, repairs or painting can make a big difference for a nonprofit that has been deferring property maintenance. A team of two administrative specialists could install new office systems and organize those never-ending piles of paper in an afternoon or weekend.

Marketing is a need for most nonprofits, and something that few can afford. If you have marketing-related skills you could make a meaningful impact on a nonprofit. If you have a circle of colleagues that want to work with you, you could help a nonprofit change its future.

Imagine this: web redesign, setting up a social media program, creating a marketing plan, crafting standard messages that engage donors and the

I decided that I wanted to organize the same kind of gathering in the Twin Cities with the hopes of bridging the gap between age and ethnic groups around the area.

I came to prominence during the mid-1980s writing and painting graffiti during my junior high and high school years in Minneapolis, but many of my peers disappeared by the time I graduated from Patrick Henry High School in 1990. Drugs, gangs and personal growth clouded the

timeline of the local hip-hop scene, which unfortunately left the new generation in the dark about the early graffiti writers, DJs, B-Boys and MCs, such as myself, who struggled to bring the culture to the forefront back then. I wanted the new and old hip-hop heads to see each other in the flesh as a testament to how large the hip-hop family tree has grown since its inception in the 1980s.

In May of 2010 I put this idea in motion by word of mouth, emails and Facebook

hoping to connect with artistic peers from the past and the young and budding talent of the future and bring them all together for the love of hiphop, which has surpassed merely being a subculture for teenagers in the inner cities of the world. My dear friend Leah Nelson suggested that we shoot the photos on the steps of the Minneapolis Institute of Art located in south Minneapolis, which was a super idea. My first choice was the bleachers of the North Community High

Remember, Christmas is about more than one day.

community.

Here’s how you could launch your project. First, reach out to the executive director at the nonprofit you want to give to.

Let her or him know what you are thinking about and ask if your project could be a match for what the nonprofit needs.

If it’s a fit, schedule the project for a time that works for all.

Remember, Christmas is about more than one day. With this type of gift you can bring joy throughout the year.

School football field in honor of my stomping grounds, but I was getting the run around from individuals who didn’t understand my vision at the time so Leah’s idea was right on time. MC and spoken word artist Desdamona was another friend of mine who helped me in contacting many of the new artists that I didn’t know or had information on to make the event a success.

Copyright 2015– Mel and Pearl Shaw Mel and Pearl wish you a Merry Christmas! For more ways you can make a difference in your community visit www. saadandshaw.com

www.insightnews.com

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

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Assistant to the Publisher Shumira Cunningham Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford

From 1 from the 1940s posing for a picture shot by a novice photographer named Art Kane in Harlem during its historical renaissance. The concept of the “great day photo” was recreated by XXL magazine in 1998 paying homage to iconic hip-hop greats from the past and present in New York City and from across the country.

RATE INCREASE NOTICE

Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles

XCEL ENERGY MINNESOTA ELECTRIC PRICES Interim Change in Electric Rates Starting January 1, 2016 Until Final Decision is Made

Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Associate Editor Culture and Education Dr. Irma McClaurin Associate Editor Leadership and Social Enterprise Dr. Anita Davis-DeFoe

HIP-HOP TURN TO 7

XCEL ENERGY’S RATE INCREASE REQUEST

PROPOSED CHANGES FOR MONTHLY ELECTRICITY BASE RATES

Xcel Energy has asked the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) for a three-year increase in electricity rates. For 2016, the requested increase is for $194.6 million, or about 6.4 percent. For 2017, Xcel Energy requested an additional $52.1 million, or about 1.7 percent. For 2018, Xcel Energy requested an additional $50.4 million, or about 1.7 percent. The total increase requested for the three-year period is $297.1 million, or about 9.8 percent. (Xcel Energy has also offered an option for a five year rate plan.)

This chart shows the current and proposed electricity base rates for each customer type.

AVERAGE MONTHLY BILLS Average monthly kWh usage

Customer type

Current monthly cost

2016 Interim monthly increase

Proposed 2017 final monthly increase

Proposed 2018 final monthly increase

Residential – Overhead line service

544

$71.11

$4.20

$7.92

$9.24

While the MPUC reviews Xcel Energy’s request, state law allows Xcel Energy to collect higher rates on an interim (temporary) basis.

The interim rate increase for 2016 is $163.7 million or about 5.5 percent over total current rates. This appears on customer bills as an interim rate adjustment. It is calculated from a change to the “Basic Service Charge,” “Energy Charge,” and, if applicable, the “Demand Charge.” The interim rate adjustment is billed as a 7.75 percent increase, or about $5.06 per month, for a typical residential customer using 675 kWh.

Residential – Underground line service

800

$102.82

$6.04

$10.71

$12.59

Municipal Pumping

Production Intern Sunny Thongthi

Because Xcel Energy is requesting a multi-year rate plan, it also requested an increase to the interim rate starting January 1, 2017.

If approved, the company will provide additional details before this increase happens.

Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed

The MPUC will likely make its decision on the overall rate request in 2017. If final rates are lower than interim rates, Xcel Energy will refund the difference. If final rates are higher than interim rates, Xcel Energy will not charge customers the difference.

Receptionist Lue B. Lampley

WHY IS XCEL ENERGY ASKING FOR AN INCREASE?

Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Ben Williams

Contributing Writers Melvin Carter, Jr. Harry Colbert, Jr. Julie Desmond Fred Easter Timothy Houston Penny Jones-Richardson Alaina L. Lewis Darren Moore Carmen Robles Lydia Schwartz Ryan T. Scott Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography David Bradley Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55411.

Xcel Energy’s last request for a rate increase was in 2013.

Xcel Energy continues to invest in maintaining and upgrading its system. A multi-year rate plan provides customers more predictability and rate stability for a longer period of time than is achievable under a single year rate request.

HOW WILL THE RATE CHANGE AFFECT MONTHLY BILLS? The proposed rate increase will affect individual monthly bills differently depending on electricity use and customer type. The proposed rate increase mainly affects the “Basic Service Charge,” “Energy Charge,” and, if applicable, the “Demand Charge.” These charges cover the cost of providing electric service to our customers, representing about 70 percent of your total bill. This rate increase does not affect the Fuel Cost Charge.

WHAT IS XCEL ENERGY DOING TO CONTROL COSTS? • Providing energy conservation options. This helps customers manage energy use and save money on their bills. This also helps to delay generation investments.

• Reviewing and monitoring our business to minimize operating and maintenance cost increases.

• Operating power plants efficiently.

• Using a variety of fuel sources to manage costs and protect the environment.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR REVIEWING XCEL ENERGY’S REQUEST? The MPUC, the Minnesota Department of Commerce, the Office of the Attorney General-Residential Utilities and Antitrust Division, public interest groups, and large commercial and industrial customer groups will investigate our proposal.

The MPUC will hold public hearings and accept written comments about our rate request. Customers and others will be able to comment on our rate request at the public hearings. You may add verbal comments, written comments, or both into the record. Notice of the public hearing dates and locations will be published in local newspapers, included in monthly bills, and at: xcelenergy.com/rates, select “Minnesota” in top right-hand corner, select “Rates” then select “2016 Minnesota Electric Rate Case”

Energy-Controlled (Dual Fuel) Small General Time-of-Day Service General Service General Time-of-Day Service Peak-Controlled Service Peak-Controlled Time-of-Day Service

Customer type

Current

Phone:

651-296-0406 or 1-800-657-3782

$4.90

$6.04

$7.95

1,417

$147.06

$7.89

$11.45

$13.91

17,014

$1,677.48

$89.86

$103.54

$130.74

168,653

$13,535.11

$667.95

$879.51

$1,081.99

66,550

$8,200.22

$467.83

$524.81

$670.09

582,250

$56,211.88

$2,961.60

$3,768.58

$4,681.73

658

$82.89

$4.80

$4.88

$6.31

4,826

$557.31

$31.53

$32.88

$42.40

ENERGY (PER KWH) AND DEMAND (PER KW) RATES Proposed 2017

Proposed 2018

Residential Overhead line

Customer type

Current

Proposed Proposed 2017 2018

Residential $8.00

$10.00

$10.20

Energy: Summer (June- Sept)

9.395 ¢

10.865 ¢

11.085 ¢

Overhead line – electric heating

$10.00

$12.00

$12.24

Energy: Winter (Other months)

8.040 ¢

9.285 ¢

9.473 ¢

Underground line

$10.00

$12.00

$12.24

Energy: Winter – electric heating

5.819 ¢

6.394 ¢

6.524 ¢

Underground line – electric heating

$12.00

$14.00

$14.28

Energy: Summer

8.787 ¢

9.655 ¢

9.851 ¢

Energy: Winter

7.432 ¢

8.076 ¢

8.240 ¢

Energy: On-Peak Summer

15.123 ¢

15.443 ¢

15.756 ¢

Small Commercial Small General

$10.00

$12.00

$12.24

Small General Time-of-Day

$12.00

$14.00

$14.28

Commercial and Industrial

Small General

Small General Time-of-Day

General

$25.75

$25.78

$26.30

Energy: On-Peak Winter

12.280 ¢

12.118 ¢

12.364 ¢

General Time-of-Day

$29.75

$29.78

$30.38

Energy: Off-Peak Summer

3.015 ¢

4.420 ¢

4.510 ¢

Energy: Off-Peak Winter

3.015 ¢

4.420 ¢

4.510 ¢

Energy

3.201 ¢

3.619 ¢

3.692 ¢

Demand: Summer

$14.07

$15.79

$16.11

Demand: Winter

$9.96

$11.09

$11.31

Peak-Controlled

$55.00

$55.00

$56.11

Peak-Controlled Time-of-Day

$55.00

$55.00

$56.11

Note: For 2018 rates, Xcel Energy proposed a 2.026 percent General Rate Surcharge instead of an increase to the per kWh energy rates and the per kW demand rates. If approved, this will be applied to rate components specified in the “General Rate Adjustment Surcharge Rider” to service provided beginning January 1, 2018.

HOW TO LEARN MORE Xcel Energy’s current and proposed rate schedules are available at: Xcel Energy

General

General Time-of-Day Energy: On-Peak

4.482 ¢

5.158 ¢

5.263 ¢

Energy: Off-Peak

2.233 ¢

2.487 ¢

2.537 ¢

Demand: Summer

$14.07

$15.79

$16.11

Demand: Winter

$9.96

$11.09

$11.31

Web: xcelenergy.com/rates (see previous instructions) Phone: 1-800-895-4999 414 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN 55401 Minnesota Department of Commerce Web: https://www.edockets.state.mn.us/EFiling/search.jsp Select 15 in the year field, enter 826 in the number field, click on Search, and the list of documents will appear on the next page.

85 Seventh Place East, Suite 500

121 7th Place East, Suite 350, St. Paul MN 55101

$3.70

$6.41

MONTHLY CUSTOMER CHARGES

Minnesota Public Utilities Commission

U.S. Mail:

$3.87

$112.24

Note: Proposed lighting rate changes vary according to the type of lighting. The proposed final increase is 15.9 percent for full service street lighting, 8.6 percent for energy-only street lighting service, and 11.2 percent for residential and commercial protective lighting.

Phone: 651-539-1534 or 1-800-657-3710

Visit mn.gov/puc, select Speak Up!, find this docket (15-826), and add your comments to the discussion.

$82.58

923

Small Municipal Pumping

SUBMIT COMMENTS Online:

1,050

Small General Service

St. Paul, MN 55101 Citizens with hearing or speech disabilities may call through their preferred Telecommunications Relay Service.

IMPORTANT Comments will be made available to the public on the MPUC’s website, except in limited circumstances consistent with the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. The MPUC does not edit or delete personally identifying information from submissions.

www.xcelenergy.com © 2015 Xcel Energy Inc.

Page 6 • December 28, 2015 - January 3, 2016 • Insight News

insightnews.com

COMMENTARY RushCard empowers people to help manage their money Black Press of America

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., President and CEO, NNPA The financial services industry is a vast matrix of banks, credit and debit cards products, venture capital and mortgage companies, investment firms, and other financial institutions that compete to provide services to 326,346,200 people in the United States and millions more around the world. There is a very old saying that posits: “How you manage your money will determine how well your heart will beat.”

For 100.4 million African Americans and Latino Americans combined that spend in access of $2.4 trillion annually as consumers in the U.S. marketplace, the daily and hourly financial management of our money is an important issue. The RushCard developed

by Russell Simmons is an effective and efficient money

management tool potentially for millions of “unbanked” and “underbanked” people throughout the United States.

According to a 2014 FDIC report, 22% of unbanked households used a prepaid card, compared with 13% of underbanked households.

I have always emphasized and promoted greater diversity and inclusion in the financial services industry.

But inclusivity also means more than limiting involvement primarily to be only customers or users of financial products and services. We also need more people of color and others to be owners and entrepreneurs in the growing financial services industry.

Russell Simmons is a global entrepreneur. I have personally known Russell for more than three decades. He continue to have the highest possible integrity and commitment to help people improve their quality of life. His entrance into the financial services industry was timely and providential.

For over the past ten years the RushCard has steadily emerged as an invaluable money management prepaid debit card for hundreds of thousands

It is my opinion that the RushCard today will be a productive and very useful prepaid debit card to use for each member of your family.

of card users across the nation. RushCard is owned by Simmons’ company, UniRush, LLC. Notwithstanding recent computer software glitches that have now been resolved concerning the use of the RushCard, it is my opinion that the RushCard today will be a productive and very useful prepaid debit card to use for each member of your family. Why? First, because the RushCard meets the Visa Clear Prepaid standards for clearly communicated fees and consumer protections.

Secondly, if you go to www.RushCard.com you will see a very user friendly online process that explains how you can apply for the prepaid debit card. The mission of the RushCard is publicly affirmed to “Empower our members by providing products and services that enable them to achieve control and realize their personal hopes and financial goals.”

Thirdly, the RushCard has been around longer than most prepaid cards and has achieved over the past decade a number of innovative first in the

industry to better serve its card users including but not limited to the following: • One of the first prepaid cards to offer Direct Deposit.

• One of the first prepaid cards to offer check-writing capabilities to its members.

• One of the first prepaid cards to offer cash loading at more than 35,000 MoneyGram® locations, nationwide.

• One of the first prepaid cards to offer comprehensive money management tools that make it easier to track balances, create monthly budgets, and analyze spending.

There are a wide variety of prepaid debit cards available for people to have an opportunity to select for their personal and family use. My family members use the RushCard because it is user friendly, but importantly we use the RushCard because of Russell Simmons trustworthy leadership in the financial services industry. The Consumer Report recently named the RushCard the 4th highest rated prepaid card used as a substitute for a bank account.

Russell recently stated, “As a thank you for sticking with us and to support your cash needs during the upcoming Holiday

season, we’ve declared a Fee Holiday Season, meaning from November 1, 2015 to February 29, 2016, you can use your RushCard without incurring any fees from our Fee Schedule.

You don’t need to take any extra steps to participate in this special offer. Just pull out your RushCard and use it for all of your holiday needs.”

The no-fees for use of the RushCard from now until February 29, 2016 applies to both current and new RushCard holders. Again, we all should strive to get better control over how we manage our money.

I have found that using the RushCard does in fact help to manage savings, investments and spending.

Financial empowerment will be the result of proper financial management.

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

Why are children less valuable than guns in America?

Child Watch

By Marian Wright Edelman Three years after the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Connecticut where a lone 20-year-old gunman wielding an assault weapon snuffed out 26 child and teacher lives, our nation has done shamefully little to protect children instead of guns. This week more than ten thousand people attended over 100 Orange Walks in 43 states to stand up and deliver a rallying cry that we must and can end gun violence in America, according to Moms Demand Action – a cry that must continue and get

louder and louder until our tone deaf political leaders hear or are retired from office.

New data this month from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show 2,525 children and teens died by gunfire in our nation in 2014; one child or teen death every 3 hours and 28 minutes, nearly 7 a day, 48 a week. What is this moral perversity in our midst that values guns more than children and human life?

In the three years since Sandy Hook’s nightmare we have not passed even one common sense federal gun law to reduce gun violence and deaths and protect children from our outof- control scourge of violence.

Universal background checks work. The evidence is clear. The overwhelming majority of gun owners and non-gun owners support stricter background checks, yet the Congress has done nothing. How do we

change this?

Seventy-eight children under 5 died by guns last year – 30 more than the 48 law enforcement officers killed by guns in the line of duty. Is there no shame in the shooters or in the lawmakers who protect the shooters or in the industry who makes profits off the blood of children? Shouldn’t Republicans, Democrats, and Independents of every race, income, color and faith be able to agree that child gun deaths are a moral blight on our nation which we have the means but not the will to prevent and change course?

Last month our hearts at the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) were broken by the death of our extraordinarily generous, creative, and decades-long partner and board member Pat Fallon, co-founder of the awardwinning Fallon Worldwide advertising agency. Some of his agency’s most searing images

depicted the relentless carnage of gun violence that kills and maims thousands of children year after year. CDF began our antiviolence campaign in 1994 after Peter Hart Research Associates conducted intergenerational focus groups of Black youths and adults.

We were shocked to learn their number one concern was gun violence: Black male youths didn’t believe they’d live to adulthood and Black parents saw gun violence as the number one threat to their children.

Then came Columbine with two White teen boys wearing trench coats who shot and killed 13 people and injured 21 others in a rampage at their school that shocked the nation.

Shouldn’t it be illegal to sell and buy these weapons of war in America that turn our streets, schools, and workplaces into killing fields? Surely we are better than this. How can we let

our lawmakers stand by and do nothing to stop the slaughter of innocents? Since 1963, over three times more children and teens have died from guns in America than U.S. soldiers killed in action in wars abroad.

Pat Fallon and his creative colleagues did everything in their power to help bring us to our senses over the years to staunch the tide of gun violence with these and other powerful violence prevention campaigns urging us to value our children more than our guns. Why is a child’s right to live less important than a gunman’s right to kill and the gun manufacturers’ profits?

Children are certainly not the only ones in danger in our gun-saturated nation, which accounts for less than 5 percent of the global population, but owns between 35 to 50 percent of all civilian-owned guns in the world. Recent estimates of U.S. civilian gun ownership are

as high as 310 million — about one gun for each person. U.S. military and law enforcement agencies possess approximately 4 million guns. Isn’t there something horribly wrong with this picture? A gun in the home makes the likelihood of homicide three times higher, suicide three to five times higher, and accidental death four times higher. For each time a gun in the home injures or kills in self-defense, there are 11 completed and attempted gun suicides, seven gun criminal assaults and homicides, and four unintentional shooting deaths or injuries. Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native children and teens are disproportionately likely to die from a gun.

These horrendous facts are not acts of God. They are our indefensible choices as Americans. We must urgently

GUNS TURN TO 7

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

One year later, what’s changed between the U.S. and Cuba

By Minnesota Cuba Committee A year ago on Dec. 17 both Cuba President Raúl Castro and President Barack Obama announced the decision to begin the process of normalizing relations between Cuba and the United States.

With this announcement, Obama acknowledged the United States policy aimed at destroying the Cuban revolution has failed. Since then embassies

have been opened in both countries, Cuba was removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and ongoing dialogue between the two countries has taken place.

Despite the rhetoric of President Obama, the same U.S. policies of the economic, commercial and financial blockade continue to be enforced. The right of the U.S. people to travel without restrictions to Cuba continues to be denied, opportunities for Cuban citizens to travel to the United States in order to

participate in conferences and other cooperative activities are impeded by the denial or delay of visa requests, regime change programs continue to operate with full funding and support of U. S. Congress, the establishment of bilateral trade and commerce has not taken place, the United States has imposed multimillion dollar fines on financial institutions doing business in Cuba, the “wet foot/ dry foot” immigration policy continues and inexplicably, humanitarian organization IFCO/Pastors for Peace is again

being harassed and threatened by the Department of Treasury.

As clearly demonstrated by the October vote in the United Nations, the United States remains isolated from the rest of the world in its policy toward Cuba.

Congress has failed to act and, to date, President Obama has not utilized executive authority to lift certain provisions of the blockade. For example, President Obama has the powers of the executive branch to close the prison at Guantanamo and additionally

return the illegally occupied territory to Cuba. The Minnesota Cuba Committee believes there is much more that can be done utilizing executive authority.

Polls show the majority of the American public does not agree that the United States government should continue

with its 54-year-old failed policy to destroy the Cuban Revolution. This December, the American public again demands that the United States lift its illegal blockade and respect the sovereignty and self-determination of the Cuban people.

insightnews.com

Insight News • December 28, 2015 - January 3, 2016 • Page 7

Leading national disability organization and hip-hop duo work to cut disability poverty rate in half by 2025 Washington, D.C. – National Disability Institute (NDI), a leading nonprofit organization advocating a better economic future for individuals with disabilities and their families unveiled recommendations to realize the “unmet promise” of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The promise that many say is unmet is to advance economic self-sufficiency The recommendations seek to accomplish two overarching goals by 2025 – to reduce the poverty rate for working-age adults with disabilities by 50 percent and increase access to and the use of traditional financial services and products by 50 percent and move from unbanked to banked status.

The hip-hop duo, 4WheelCity debuted its new song, “Mainstream,” which is

about the challenges of poverty and disability and the struggle to achieve the American Dream.

“Mainstream” will be used

by NDI to begin a year-long conversation to engage diverse cultural communities, financial institutions, community nonprofits and government to examine more deeply the challenges of disability, economic instability and limited pathways to financial inclusion.

“To reduce the incidence of poverty, achieve financial inclusion and advance economic self-sufficiency for the 22 million working-age adults with disabilities, will require focus, commitment and collective action,” said Michael Morris, NDI executive director.

“There is no single agency or organization in the public or private sector that can marshal the resources needed to achieve

Lauren Reynolds

Rodney Hood (center), Corporate Responsibility Manager, Office of Non-profit Engagement, JPMorgan Chase, posing with Namel “Tapwaterz” Norris and Ricardo “RickFire” Valasquez of the Hip Hop group 4WheelCity at the National Disability Institute’s (NDI) forum on advancing economic self sufficiency among persons with disabilities. Hood outlined JP Morgan’s support at NDI’s forum and indicated the importance of affordable and accessible financial services for the disability community.

Hip-Hop From 5 We all met at eight in the morning on a breezy Saturday with Ralph X from Freedom Radio filming the whole time with his video camera.

I was very excited to have Uchechukwu Iroegbu as the photographer, since I knew of his work from shooting at previous events for local promoter E.G. Bailey. People were slowly but surely arriving so we didn’t shoot until the last hour of the gathering, which was 10 o’clock.

We broke the pictures down into the various elements of hip-hop and took a group photo towards the end. It was one of the happiest days for me in terms of hip-hop culture,

Guns From 6 push policymakers to confront and end our national gun violence epidemic as the huge public health crisis it is and there are some steps we can all take now: End the federal ban on gun research and fund research on effective gun violence prevention strategies. Why is the National Rifle Association (NRA) so afraid of the truth and why do our lawmakers and voters capitulate to NRA bullying? Almost 20 years ago Congress blocked the CDC’s gun research funding by 95 percent.

The agency’s budget that year was cut by the exact amount provided the previous year to study prevention of gun injuries and fatalities. Similar restrictions were put on research by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2011. Public health professionals continue to believe studying our epidemic gun violence crisis will lead to new understandings of its root causes and possible breakthroughs in new approaches to reduce the daily death toll caused by guns.

This is the same process that occurred after focused research on automobile deaths in the 20th century. In 2013, President Obama signed an executive order clarifying that the CDC and NIH are not prohibited from studying gun violence and included $10 million in funding to study prevention of gun injuries and fatalities. That funding was never approved

by Congress. Over the years, some academic institutions and organizations have stepped in to fund some excellent research but a much more coordinated and concentrated research effort is crucial to make gun violence reduction one of the first major public health goals of the 21st century. It is time to fire the NRA as our head of national security and of our national public health research agenda.

Even former Representative Jay Dickey (R-AR), author of the current language banning gun violence research recently noted that “doing nothing is no longer an acceptable solution.”

Continue to broaden the range of supporters for effective gun prevention action at the federal, state, and local levels. Transforming change is slow and very very hard.

It requires dogged, sustained effort from a critical mass of determined citizens. We cannot stay numb, cowed or intimidated by bullies who value profits over human life. Do not let your

Toki Wright (l) and Sol Rebel

Keegan Xavi

and many others expressed the same emotion. I thought it was really cool to see an original Northside rapper like

MC Sugarfree connect with a new school MC like Brother Ali and dialogue. Slug from Atmosphere, who I have

passion for stopping relentless gun violence wane however long it takes. Insist political leaders support common sense universal background checks including checks on private and internet sales. Restore the assault weapon ban and limit the size of ammunition clips.

Require that gun owners carry liability insurance. Promote the development of smart guns; and require guns be stored unloaded and locked in the home. And we must stop guns being the only unregulated consumer product in our nation while killing tens of thousands of children and adults every year.

Pledge to ASK about guns in the home where your children visit. Make clear that you will not let your child play in a house with unlocked guns just as you would not let your child ride in a car without a seatbelt. One in three homes with children in the United States has a gun. If you don’t own a gun, one of your child’s friends’ families likely does. It may be awkward to ask about guns in the home but it may help save a child’s life.

More than 19 million parents and grandparents have taken the Asking Saves Kids (ASK) pledge promoted by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the American Academy of Pediatrics to ask about guns in the homes where their children play. Join them today http:// askingsaveskids.org/content/ pledge and promote this

important message in your community and on social media.

Divest in gun companies. Don’t invest in violence and death. Are you one of the many Americans whose retirement plans include gun manufacturers’ stock? There are tens of millions of Americans with 401Ks. Let’s ask and check now to see whether our 401K retirement funds are invested in gun and ammunition companies and make a change if they are. Let’s ask if our religious, philanthropic, nonprofit organizations and universities with endowments are supporting gun violence through investments. Learn more. http:// www.campaign2unload.org/ In this season when Christians

known since the late 80s, came with a huge box of doughnuts while graffiti writer Roger Cummings, a co-founder of Juxtaposition Arts and good friend, brought markers and a huge piece of white cardboard for attendees to sign in with. I was so happy to see it all come to fruition from just an idea in my basement apartment two blocks away.

But it wasn’t enough.

I got the idea of writing a book about my misadventures as a young B-Boy in Minneapolis so I could expound on the iconic individuals I met along the way and I decided to organize the fifth year anniversary of “A Great Day in Twin Cities Hip-Hop” during the course of writing my story “The Bridge Is Over.”

My sister in hip-hop, Keegan Xavi, shot the

profess to believe God entered history as a poor child seeking peace in our world, let us protect children, not guns. As tireless fighter Pat Fallon reminded us— we can and must do better.

Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. For more information go to www. childrensdefense.org.

A Non-Traditional, Cutting Edge Experience! Be Ready for Truth, Healing, Teaching and Transformation!

Circle of Healing Ministry The Only “Worship in Circle” Church Experience

Pastor Roslyn Harmon Sundays 2-4pm

1015 4th Avenue North|Minneapolis, MN 55405

Visit Us: Circleofhealingministry.org For More Info: 612.564.9962

these important objectives alone.

However, with the collaboration of 4WheelCity, NDI will work to build a post-ADA collective action agenda – a new frontier where no working-age adults with disabilities are left behind.”

In the quarter century since the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act into law, many acknowledge the gains in access that have been made, yet little economic progress has been made for the 22 million workingage adults with disabilities. In fact, nearly one in three persons with disabilities lives in poverty in the United States – nearly double the rate for those without disabilities. Further, recent FDIC data indicates that 46.5 percent of households headed by an individual with a disability are unbanked or underbanked.

Further, according to NDI, almost 40 percent

of African-Americans with disabilities are living in poverty as compared to 28.4 percent of all people with disabilities who live in poverty.

With regard to education, cited statistics say more than half (53 percent) of AfricanAmericans with a disability and with less than a high school education are living at or below poverty and only one in four Blacks with disabilities are working, compared to 33 percent of all people with disabilities.

NDI officials say regardless of education level achieved, the racial disparity persists concerning unemployment status and with regard to banking, two-thirds of AfricanAmericans with disabilities are unbanked or underbanked as compared to the 46 percent of all adults with disabilities.

pictures this year and I asked Desdemona and Step Child from the Minneapolis chapter of the Universal Zulu Nation to spread the word to all those that I couldn’t reach. I saw many new faces and I was really glad to see some of the people who missed the past event five years ago. The anniversary in a whole was a great look for Twin Cities hip-hop, as we paid homage, respect and love to our honorable comrades who went back to the essence but were still with us in spirit. My goal was to have the photos donated to the Minnesota Historical Society, but they didn’t seem as interested as I was in getting it done and the idea ended up fading to black. I wasn’t upset because I knew that I impacted the people who really mattered to me, the Twin Cities hip-hop community and the residents

from my home base in North Minneapolis.

This colorful array of people cared about the greater good of the culture, the youth and their environment as we all strived to stay afloat in it socially and physically. My heart will always be in Minneapolis even though I now reside in a different state.

I hope events like the “Great Day” and my upcoming book can influence the upcoming youth and urge my peers to take pride in a culture we helped to create when we were just young kids running around the Twin Cities. I hope the readers enjoy the pictures. More photos and video will be available for viewing on my blog, www. thesureshotsection.blogspot. com. Thanks for making art my life one love. Peace and stay gold.

Page 8 • December 28, 2015 - January 3, 2016 • Insight News

insightnews.com

LIFESTYLE

Happy New Year!

Man Talk

By Timothy Houston The New Year is upon us. It is not too late to begin the necessary work to get great things done in the upcoming year. Real success in life should not be measured by the accumulations of things, but rather by the accomplishment of your personal goals. But until you fully understand why you are here, you can never put the energy needed to bring your goals to fruition. Spend some time during this month to determine what you truly need to accomplish in the upcoming year. Here are some steps to

Senate From 1 American think tank – revealed that just 7 percent of the top staffers in the U.S. Senate are people of color, far below minorities’ representation in the population of the United States.

The report found only 24 staffers of color out of the 336 top Senate staffers working in Washington.

Further, minorities make up over 36 percent of the U.S. population, and over 28 percent of the citizen voting-age population, according to the study.

Minorities are also underrepresented among U.S. senators.

There are two AfricanAmerican senators, three Hispanics, and one AsianAmerican.

“I salute the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies for their long standing commitment to ensure the voices of all Americans especially the voices that are too often not represented in the legislative debate,” Reid

help guide you along the way.

First, begin the New Year by focusing on improving your strength while understanding your weakness. Some people unwisely focus on their areas of weakness thinking it will make them a better person. A fish would never spend time trying to figure out how to survive outside of water. It will not make him a better fish. An eagle would make a terrible fish because its strength is in flight. So it is with you.

You are who you are by the grace of God. Focus on your strength. Your strength is tied to the things you are able to do naturally (without much effort), and they will bring you the greatest amount of success and satisfaction. In the upcoming year, focus on your strength and soar with the eagles.

Secondly, throughout the New Year make adjustments

along the way. Life is not a single action or event. Things change constantly.

The environment that you live in is not static, so your life must continually evolve. In your life’s program, there will be upgrades, new versions, and corrections that are needed.

said. “The recent study by the Joint Center illustrating the lack of staff diversity at the most senior levels of Senate offices serves as an important reminder of how much work we still need to do, but, I remain as committed as ever to the concept of staff diversity and stand behind the work of the Senate Democratic Diversity Initiative and its efforts to help ensure that our offices are more reflective of the constituents we serve.”

Luke Bolar, a spokesman for Louisiana Republican Sen. David Vitter, said the senator’s staff includes three minorities among its senior members.

Vitter’s Deputy Chief of Staff and Staff Director for the Senate Small Business Committee is Native American; his Communication’s Director on the Senate Small Business Committee and his Capitol Region Director are AsianAmerican.

Vitter also employs five African-Americans which represent 12 percent of his entire staff, Bolar said.

Bryan Watt, a press secretary for Washington State Democratic Sen. Maria

Cantwell noted that the Joint Center’s report applauded Cantwell for having at least one individual of color in a top staff position.

“Since the report came out, our senior staff now includes two people of color,” Watt said.

Also, a spokesman for California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer said their office works with Reid’s Democratic Diversity Initiative, maintaining and sharing a database of candidates for open senate staff positions at all levels while holding professional development meetings, informational interviews, public forums and resume and cover letter tutorials.

Boxer’s office also helps with recruitment and placement of interns and job candidates while also promoting mentoring, networking, partnerships with outside organizations and other initiatives for individuals of color.

James R. Jones, who conducted the Joint Center study, told the Associated Press that researchers looked at top positions in senators’

God. This is where your inner strength resides. You will never achieve external greatness without internal character.

Internal character comes from God. He is the only one that can give you the object towards which you should be striving.

He will give you true moral and values that will lead to success.

True character is spiritual in nature, and spiritual strength can only come from God. This New Year, I pray that God will pour health, blessings, and joy into your life. May this New Year be your best and most prosperous year ever!

Mistakes happen. Bad things happen. Adjust. Those who rewrite their life’s story, rewrite it to have a happy ending. The quicker you are able to adjust to life’s mishaps, the sooner you can redirect it back on course. In the upcoming year, learn to adjust

and roll with the punches.

Thirdly, during the New Year feed positive information to yourself. You are the one who will ensure your brain has the information that it needs to make your life successful.

One of the sayings in computer lingo is “garbage in, garbage out.” This means if you only feed your brain junk, it can only produce junk. The things you listen to, watch, read, and the people you associate with are all a part of your success model. As you go into the New Year, take some direct action that will feed your heart, soul, and mind positive information.

When you discipline yourself to feed your mind the most powerful, positive information available, it will produce the most positive, powerful outcomes.

Finally, this New Year, focus on improving your spiritual relationship with

Washington offices, including chiefs of staff, legislative directors, and communications directors in personnel offices, as well as staff directors assigned to committees.

They were only able to find 12 Asian-American, seven Latino, three AfricanAmerican and two NativeAmerican staffers.

The top Senate staffers wield important influence with their bosses, and help shape legislation and policies that affect everyone, Jones said.

“You need to have people from all walks of life in the room making decisions,” said Jones, a Ph.D. candidate in the sociology department at Columbia University.

Working for the Senate also opens doors to other jobs in government, and by not getting those first congressional jobs, minorities find it more difficult to move up a government ladder that looks favorably upon Capitol Hill experience, he said.

Minorities make up larger numbers in the Democratic Party than they do in the GOP, but the study noted that the number of minority staffers

was not that different between the two parties.

It found that 8.1 percent of the Democrats’ top Senate staffers were minorities and 6.7 percent of the top Republican staffers were minorities.

The report noted that people of color make up about 37 percent of those who identify as Democrats, and 9 percent of those who identify as Republicans.

“Increasing the presence of people of color in senior staff positions in the Senate will amplify the voices and perspectives of communities of color and in the process enhance the quality of legislative deliberations,” said Spencer Overton, president of the Joint Center.

The think tank is calling on senators to increase diversity by interviewing more minorities for top positions, hiring more minority interns and starting fellowships for minority staffers.

It also called on the Senate to be more transparent in its staffing because — unlike many government agencies — Congress is not required to monitor the race and ethnicity

of its workforce.

Researchers said they combed online profiles, consulted with Senate organizations and called Senate offices to come up with their numbers.

However, not all U.S. senators were eager to put stock into the Joint Center’s finding.

“Instead of this narrow measurement, a real picture of diversity would include a senator’s staff in the state and their committee staff,” said John LaBombard, a spokesman for Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill.

“When the broader picture is taken, it demonstrates Sen. McCaskill’s strong commitment to diversity with almost one-quarter of her staff being people of color including several members of her leadership team, like her committee staff director who is the only African-American committee staff director in the Senate,” LaBombard said, adding that a “strong majority” of McCaskill’s senior staff is made up of women, and several LGBT staff members, including leadership staff.

The things you listen to, watch, read, and the people you associate with are all a part of your success model.

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

To get copies of his books, for questions, comments or more information, go to www. tlhouston.com.

insightnews.com

Insight News • December 28, 2015 - January 3, 2016 • Page 9

COMMUNITY

YouthCARE partners with Help-Portrait to provide free photos to 150 individuals Since 2008, Help-Portrait has been gathering photography volunteers in cities across 18 countries to provide free photos to individuals and families.

This year, YouthCARE partnered with Help-Portrait to bring the photography services to YouthCARE participants and families. A team of volunteer

photographers and assistants provided more than 150 youth and families with services from senior photos to family portraits to professional head shots.

The project took place at McDonough Homes, a YouthCARE program site in St. Paul. YouthCARE staff and volunteers brought

in participants from across Minneapolis and St. Paul for their photo sessions, which were also open to the surrounding community. All participants received a framed favorite photo and a disc with other edited images. A team of volunteer makeup artists and hair stylists was also working to prepare

individuals for their photos. All of the services were free, a gift to the community.

For many of those photographed, this was a first experience receiving professional portraits.

Since 1974, YouthCARE has led multicultural youth development programs to

It’s takes a village

By Robert McClain True to the African proverb “it takes a village,” Mychael and Stephanie Wright, the owners of the Golden Thyme Café, continue to demonstrate that their St. Paul business is a momentous part of the village. The Wrights continue to show their appreciation to the community through giving back in a variety of ways throughout the year.

Along with their modest staff and a number of faithful community volunteers Golden Thyme Café was able to give many neighborhood children a great start to their Christmas celebration by providing presents, books, candy and other treats, which also included a visit from Santa. There was a line of children halfway around the block excited to see Santa

13th From 1 Obama and Congress paused last week (Wednesday) to celebrate the moment 119 all White men in the U.S. House of Representatives would forever abolish slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.

“Today, the issue of chattel slavery seems so simple, so obvious — it is wrong in every sense, stealing men, women, and children from their homelands, tearing husband from wife, parent from child; stripped and sold to the highest bidder;

Eric Coleman as Santa.

shackled in chains and bloodied with the whip,” Obama said in Emancipation Hall at the U.S. Capitol.

“It’s antithetical not only to our conception of human rights and dignity, but to our conception of ourselves — a people founded on the premise that all are created equal.”

Fredette West, director of the African American Health Alliance and the chair of the Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Coalition, expressed her happiness to be a guest at the commemoration.

“This commemoration was deep and penetrating to the soul,” West said. “I wish everyone had the opportunity

Robert McClain

to be here, but it’s great that the media was here so the youth can hear it and take in the message that was given today.”

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) also voiced his gratitude.

“The 13th amendment is just 43 words long,” Ryan said. “It is so short that you can almost miss its whole significance.

Today we celebrate this 43-word amendment; this new birth of freedom. It is altogether fitting and proper that we do this.”

Although the amendment’s purpose was to abolish slavery, it was also a strategy to end the bloody and tragic fatalities during the Civil War of 1861 to 1865.

For four years, Black and White Union soldiers were fighting

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

presented with the Minnesota Nonprofit Award for Excellence.

Help-Portrait was founded

by Jeremy Cowart and Kyle Chowning n 2008. HelpPortrait’s mission is to empower photographers, hairstylists and makeup artists to use their skills and expertise to give back to their local communities.

St. Paul Strong to host inaugural community forum

and to have their picture taken.

Some of the parents seemed just as excited as the children.

“It takes a village” is part of Golden Thyme’s business model and the cafe operates in the spirit of Old Rondo, at time when everybody knew each other and local businesses were part of the community family. People stop in Golden Thyme Café not only for refreshment, but to see who is there and to be seen there; it is a safe and friendly place to check in and to get the news.

People of diverse backgrounds and all ages have gravitated to this community gathering place and claimed it as sacred ground in the village.

This annual expression of giving back has taken place for a number of years. Hats off to the owners, staff and volunteers of Golden Thyme Café for making many children happy during this Christmas season!

in the war together against the rebellious Confederacy, causing over half a million deaths. Fear of more tragic fatalities caused Lincoln to threaten to free all of the slaves in the U.S with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

Even after the Senate passed the amendment April 1864, Lincoln aggressively pursued the favor of representatives in the House who opposed the amendment by bribing them, offering his support in their political careers and even convincing them that the amendment’s purpose had nothing to do with racial equality.

The fear of granting

Classifieds

empower youth in Minneapolis and St. Paul to thrive and lead.

YouthCARE. The goal of the program is that through various programming and relationships with adults, participants find the support, education and perspective to become global citizens and community leaders.

In 2014, YouthCARE was

St. Paul Strong (SPS), the citizen group that formed to call for greater transparency and accountability in city government, is kicking off 2016 by inviting St. Paul elected leaders to a public panel discussion on Thursday, Jan. 7.

The discussion takes place at 5:30 p.m. at Mai Village, 394 University Ave, W., St. Paul.

Questions will be taken from the public and the panel discussion is to be moderated by SPS member, Roy Magnuson.

St. Paul City Council members were invited in October to endorse St. Paul Strong’s six principles of openness, accountability, and a more vibrant public process.

According to SPS officials, all seven councilmembers endorsed

the six principles.

“Our goal for our first community dialogue is to generate consensus around greater outreach and public involvement in city government,” said SPS spokesperson John Mannillo. “Saint Paul Strong was formed because too many big decisions like the one to provide permanent property tax relief to major league soccer or the new Comcast long term contract happened with virtually no public input.”

“The public meeting on Jan. 7 allows us to work together with our city’s elected leadership to restore a vibrant public process to solve problems and accomplish great things in Saint Paul” said Magnuson.

African Americans the same constitutional rights caused fear, therefore, creating the constant battle to grant passage of the amendment. However, on Jan. 31, 1865, the House finally passed the bill, with 119 yes votes and 56 against.

Once the bill was passed in January, on Dec. 6, 1865, the bill was ratified, declaring the end of slavery. Eventually, several states began to ratify the amendment to their state constitutions, the first being Illinois on Feb. 1, 1865.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) presented first lady Michelle Obama’s remarks on her reverence of the progress of African Americans and

the United States since the abolishment of slavery.

“She said that ‘Today’ — and I carry this in my heart — ‘I hope that Sojourner Truth would be proud to see me, a descendant of slaves serving as the first lady of the United States of America,’” Pelosi said.

Obama also gave reverence to the African American leaders of the past who struggled and fought for the freedom that all citizens of America have today, such as Harriet Tubman, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Frederick Douglass. He also commended Lincoln for being the president that sparked the change that America needed to see.

Phone: 612.588.1313 Fax: 612.588.2031 Email: info@insightnews.com

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

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

CONTACT US TO ADVERTISE

612.588.1313

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

Second language+. Sal: D.O.E. per CMLS salary schedule. Excellent benefits, generous vacation/ sick. Casual/friendly work environ. Resume, refs, & cover letter by 01/04/16(late appls accepted until filled), specifying interest & skills to Lynelle Wells: CMLS, 430 1st Ave N, #359, Mpls, MN 554011780. cmls@centralmnlegal.org EOE No calls.

Joint Religious Legislative Coalition Executive Director 40 hours. Act as official lobbyist, promote and develop organization, develop policy positions.

Open until filled. www.jrlc.org/job-opportunities

Page 10 • December 28, 2015 - January 3, 2016 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Ballet Hispanico

Dengue Fever

ORDWAY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS PRESENTS

Dengue Fever and Ballet Hispanico The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts will welcome two special one-night-only performances in January as part of its World Music & Dance Series.

Dengue Fever will kick off 2016 on Jan. 9, followed by Ballet Hispanico on Jan. 14.

L.A.-based band Dengue Fever is widely recognized for its trademark blend of Cambodian pop, psychedelic rock and American garage-

rock. The band has received numerous accolades since its founding, including an Independent Music Award for Best World Fusion Album and, most recently, named one of the Top World Albums of 2015 by Mojo Magazine. Dengue Fever’s music has been featured in a number of films and television shows, including “City of Ghosts,” “Must Love Dogs,” “Broken Flowers”

and twice on Showtime’s hit series, “Weeds.” This event will include a dance floor for audience members during the performance.

Ballet Hispanico is an American dance company celebrating 45 years of repertory that reflects the diversity of Latino cultures.

Led by artistic director Eduardo Vilaro, the group presents a multifaceted array of contemporary works from

various choreographers, as well as up-and-coming artists. Ballet Hispanico has performed for audiences totaling over three million, throughout 11 countries, and on three continents. The Jan. 14 show will include performances of three popular Ballet Hispanico pieces – “El Beso” by Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, “Sombrerísimo” by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and “Club

Havana” by Pedro Ruiz.

“It’s exhilarating to see these two well-established groups continue to push the envelope in their respective fields,” said Dayna Martinez, Ordway’s artistic director of World Music & Dance. “Dengue Fever has expanded their signature style of (19)60s Cambodian pop and garage rock to incorporate influences like Khmer rap, Latin grooves

and Afro percussion. And Ballet Hispanico explores the experiences of Hispanic and Latino Americans through cutting-edge contemporary dance and emerging artists.

These performances are the perfect way to welcome the New Year.”

Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased online at www.ordway.org, by phone at (651) 224-4222 or in person at the Ordway ticket office.

DJ Jake Rudh at Walker Free First Saturday Local DJ, Jake Rudh, will present a new twist on his weekly Minneapolis-based post-punk, new wave and indie dance show “Transmission,” at Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.

Visitors of the Walker are invited to come show off their moves, dance under music videos on the big screen and join in a workshop as kids and

families take over the Walker Cinema for an all-day dance party.

With more than 20 years of experience in the Twin Cities music scene, Rudh’s reputation as a versatile DJ has become his calling card. He’s known around town as a host on Minnesota Public Radio’s 89.3 The Current and founder of locally lauded Transmission dance nights.

Rudh has won numerous awards, including from multiple area publications including being named Best DJ by Minnesota Monthly Magazine (2012).

Gallery admission is free for everyone on the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a variety of family activities scheduled until 3 p.m.

The dance party is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

insightnews.com

Insight News • December 28, 2015 - January 3, 2016 • Page 11

New art exhibit to open Jan. 15 in James J. Hill House A new art exhibit “Power Couples: Selections from the Permanent Collection” will open

in the James J. Hill House art gallery on Jan. 15.

The exhibit will feature

more than 20 portraits from the Minnesota Historical Society art collection exploring portraits of couples throughout history, including husbands and wives, fathers and sons, sisters and even an aunt and uncle. AfricanAmerican artists Alvin Carter, Melvin Smith and Rose Smith all have works that are featured in the exhibit.

Beginning in the 1840s, the exhibit presents portraits of Minnesotans from famous historic figures such as James Hill and Mary Hill and fur trader and politician, Henry Rice and his wife Matilda Rice.

According to Brian Szott, head of collections, viewers will be able to see a clear shift in portraiture style over the years,

New Year’s Eve with

noting that during the 20th century, portraits began to focus less on the sitter’s likeness and more on the personal expression of the artist.

“Power Couples” will be on display through May 15. Visitors can view the exhibit for free as part of a James J. Hill House tour or separately with a $2 art gallery admission. Tours are $10

for adults, $8 for seniors and college students, $6 for ages 5-17 and free for age 4 and under and Minnesota Historical Society members.

Completed in 1891, the mansion was the residence of Hill, builder of the Great Northern Railway. The James J. Hill House art gallery is located at 240 Summit Ave. in St. Paul.

New Year’s Eve at

5:30pm Dinner Show

Jazzland Wonderband

Top: Addie Pearl and Uncle Jimmie (Artist: Melvin Smith). Bottom: Father and Son (Artist: Alvin Carter)

Davina and the Vagabonds

6pm 10:30pm

Dinner Show Cocktail Show

612.332.5299 | dakotacooks.com 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis

10:30pm Cocktail Show

PaviElle

408 St Peter St. St Paul, MN 55102

Reservations 612.332.5299

Page 12 • December 28, 2015 - January 3, 2016 • Insight News

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