INSIGHT NEWS IS AUDITED BY THE ALLIANCE FOR AUDITED MEDIA TO PROVIDE OUR ADVER TISER PAR TNERS WITH THE HIGHES T LEVEL OF MEDIA ASSURANCE.
Insight News
April 18 18,, 2022 - April 24, 2022
Vol. 49 No. 16• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Ramadan Mubarak
Lou Michaels/ Insight News photo
Imam Makram El-Amin at Masjid An-Nur, the gold-domed mosque at 1729 Lyndale Avenue in North Minneapolis.
By Al McFarlane, Editor I interviewed a dear friend and elder in our community, Imam Makram El-Amin on last Wednesdays edition of Conversations with Al McFarlane. The interview is available on the Insight News Facebook Page. Imam El-Amin leads Masjid An-Nur, the golddomed mosque at 1729 Lyndale Avenue in North Minneapolis. The city recently approved an ordinance allowing mosques to do daily calls to prayer over external loudspeakers. Imam El-Amin says soon that public call to prayer will be heard from Masjid An-Nur. Masjid An-Nur means The Mosque of the Light in Arabic. In talking with the Imam, you get the sense that he is the Light as well, and that his work enables the Light in others, in neighbors and community. He says it’s all about relationships. He reveals a vision and raison d’etre that celebrates the sacred functionality of the family,
and its role in sustaining humanity across generations. The Wednesdays program included an interview with John Wilgers, CEO of Greater Twin Cities United Way, who was announcing that the United Way would be making $12.1 million in grants to partner organizations whose work disrupts racial inequity and fuels lasting change. A story on the grants announcement is on Page 4 of this edition. The excerpts of the Imam’s remarks, are infused with pull-quotes describing the rare occasions when Ramadan, Passover and Easter overlap on the calendar. Some say it is a special time to focus on the essential sameness of the human family. Imam Makram El-Amin: It’s really challenging to talk about the Islam in America, particularly among African Americans, without acknowledging, the freedom movements in this country. The guiding idea is that people really, want to be free, and be liberated, and they want to serve God in living
their best lives, unencumbered. You mentioned the transatlantic slave trade, but also in the days of Jim Crow,
there were various movements in the fight for the civil rights. The emergence of Islam in the Black community has to be
seen with within that context. It was not in a vacuum. You know, I remember as a child sitting around the
Ramadan, Passover and Easter By Victor Ghalib Begg, Excerpted from TC Palm.com, April 12,2022 Lent, Passover and Ramadan converge in April. It’s a time for prayers and family gatherings for Jews, Christians and Muslims. In their own ways, the three Abrahamic faiths seek to remind us of our responsibility for each other and for the world. What brought these religious observances together? And, what is the significance of it? The answer to the first question is in the lunar cycle that plays an important role in aligning the calendars. The dates change due to the monthly phases of the moon. Therefore, the convergence of these holidays around the same time doesn’t happen every year. Ramadan is the ninth month on the Islamic lunar calendar, which is roughly 11 days shorter than the solar year. The first of the month of Ramadan was April 2 — it lines up this close to the Jewish and Christian holidays every three decades. At the time of Jesus and the Biblical prophets, people followed a lunar calendar, not a solar calendar. Lent, for the Christians, marks the 40 days leading up to Easter. Easter usually occurs on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring, the paschal full moon. Passover is always on the 15th of the Jewish month of Nissan, which is also a full moon in the spring. These holidays often end up close on the calendar. The answer to why this unusually holy month is significant would be to recognize that there’s more in common between the religious practices than we know. We live in religiously diverse communities — another sign of an inclusive America. Victor Ghalib Begg is a Muslim community activist and interfaith leader who lives in Fort Pierce, FL.
kitchen table with my parents, my mother, my father, really teaching us and orientating us. And they would always lead in, my father particularly, and say, Islam is about freedom, justice, and equality. This idea of those three principles was really ingrained in me and my siblings and our extended family. So it was really always about a justice movement. It was always about allowing people to be, be free again, to serve their best life, to show up in their best way and to serve God. So I think that the different iterations that we’ve seen in Islam and other movements besides the Nation of Islam were, all were striving in this vein. All of them were really reaching towards allowing people to be free and to really, to live the ideals of what this country was built upon. And it continues to challenge this country to be who we say we are on our label -with the content consistent with the label and the label consistent with the content. So the idea of us
RAMADAN TO PAGE
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Hallie Q. Brown and partners Easter hams distribution ”Last Monday, Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, partnering the Saint Paul Police Department and Hy-Vee for their One Step Hams for the Holidays event, distributed 500 hams out to the community for the Easter Holidays as part of HQB’s Basic Needs program. The Hallie Q. Brown Food Shelf gave out 1.5 Million pounds of food in 2020 and 2021, helping families across the state of Minnesota. While other food shelves closed or transitioned to a pre-packed box, HQB innovated and created an online form for individuals and families to
select the food that was right for their own households, allowing them to maintain a Client Choice model. This innovation resulted in clients coming from across Minnesota to HQB. The Center saw a 4000% increase in new clients in 2020, and remained open throughout the pandemic to ensure families had the nourishing food their household needed. HQB continues to provide food to anyone in need regardless of where they’re from and work with their strategic partners like Hy-Vee to make the Holidays happy for the community.”
Lou Michaels/Insight News photo
In the Food Shelf from left to right: Jessica Jereczek, Food Shelf Assistant Phoebe McGowan, Executive Assistant Althea Lankford, Food Shelf Coordinator, Jonathan Palmer Executive Director.
Page 2 • April 18, 2022 - April 24, 2022 • Insight News
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A day on the water is always a win. Know what else is? Proceeds from the Minnesota Lottery that help improve our lakes’ water quality. So, Go Fish.
MNL202100094_FY22 Beneficiary_Print_Rain_10.625x21.indd 1
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Insight News • April 18, 2022 - April 24, 2022 • Page 3
Insight News
INSIGHT NEWS IS AUDITED BY THE ALLIANCE FOR AUDITED MEDIA TO PROVIDE OUR ADVER TISER PAR TNERS WITH THE HIGHES T LEVEL OF MEDIA ASSURANCE.
April 18 18,, 2022 - April 24, 2022
Vol. 49 No. 16• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Vice President Kamala Harris to announce reforms to ease the burden of medical debt By Stacy M. Brown, The Washington Informer
Courtesy KSTP News
Peter Wogbah
Banking While Black:
Customers, employees charge discrimination at U.S. Bank KSTP investigative reporter Eric Rasmussen, last month filed a story about another Black U.S. Bank customer, Peter Wogbah, who had difficulty withdrawing his money from his account at U.S. Bank. The Edina businessman asked tellers for a $30,000 cashier’s check from his business account. Wogbah told Rasmussen that he gave a teller his ID and said “I’m here to withdraw some money.” The teller looked at the ID, checked his account in the computer and asked him how much he was trying to withdraw. He said the teller asked, “How much are you trying to withdraw?” Wogbah said the Bloomington branch teller told him the money was “unavailable.” But when he called U.S. Bank’s 1-800 number he confirmed the funds
were available. Wogbah said bank employees eventually told him to go to a different branch to get the cashier’s check. Like in a previous case, bank employees called the police, who stopped Wogbah in his car as he was exiting the bank parking lot. He said he did not know police were looking for him until an officer tapped the side of his SUV as he was about to leave the U.S. Bank branch parking lot. “We regret the frustration this caused the customer,” Cheryl Leamon, a senior vice president with U.S. Bank, said in a statement. KSTP obtained body camera video of the incident that shows officers questioned Wogbah in that parking lot for about seven minutes before letting him go and reporting that “no crime” had been committed. Wogbah said a white
person would not have been treated that way. He said someone from U.S. Bank called to apologize a few days after 5 INVESTIGATES contacted the company. A bank spokesperson said the bank’s internal review of the situation revealed an “inconsistency” in its wire transfer disbursement process and has provided clarity to all of its branch employees. Wogbah says he is still considering legal action and is looking for a new bank to handle his business. “I didn’t think I did anything wrong,” he told Rasmussen. Tellers told police that Wogbah had been yelling at staff – an allegation Wogbah denies. U.S. Bank has not responded to requests to release internal video from the branch that would show what happened before
tellers called the police. The body camera video of Wogbah’s interaction with police shows officers reported to dispatch that he was “cooperative,” Rasmussen reported. “I don’t know what the confusion was, but it didn’t go well apparently,” said one officer after spending less than a minute inside the bank. Bank records confirm the money that Wogbah wanted to withdraw was available that day. After police let him go, another U.S. Bank branch issued him a cashier’s check less than 15 minutes later, the news story reported. “Whatever treatment I was getting, I didn’t deserve it,” Wogbah said. “I mean, it’s not like I was there trying to steal. It was money that I put in the account.”
U.S. BANK 4
DC Justice Lab helps create The Racial Equity Impact Analysis, a gun violence prevention tool By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia Data shows that Black males ages 15 to 34 are shot at 21 times the rate of their white counterparts, including being shot by law enforcement at disproportionately higher rates than white Americans. And according to several community groups, including the DC Justice Lab, unarmed African Americans are over three times more likely to be shot and killed by police than white people. The organization noted that amid an unprecedented surge in gun violence, primarily concentrated in Black and Brown communities, solutions that do not exacerbate the longstanding inequities are urgently needed. With that, the DC Justice Lab joined groups like Cities United and March for Our Lives to develop a new tool they said could help ensure
solutions to gun violence become centered in equity. The Racial Equity Impact Analysis – or REIA – uses a set of questions to help decision-makers, including legislators, government officials, and advocacy organizations, identify and assess racial equity impacts before implementing a policy. The organizations said the goal is to develop effective and equitable policies.
“We collaborated with other organizations and received insight and support from many experts in the field,” said Dr. Bethany Young, the DC Justice Lab deputy director. “Black people and Latino people and other BIPOC communities are disproportionately affected by police gun violence and community gun violence. So, we were looking for tools that would allow communities to address
Education
Troy Johnson: Black literature is for everyone
PAGE 5
the gun violence epidemic while ensuring that they’re not contributing to or exacerbating existing racial inequities.” The Racial Equity Impact Analysis (REIA) is the result of a year-long collaboration among gun violence prevention groups, including Cities United, March for Our Lives. Led by the
REIA 5
One-in-three adults in the United States are saddled with medical debt, which now counts as the largest source of debt in collections – more than credit cards, utilities, and auto loans combined. According to a White House fact sheet, Black and Hispanic households are more likely to hold medical debt than white households. As part of the fight to help people contend with high costs, Vice President Kamala Harris plans to announce reforms to help ease the burden of medical debt. The White House said this should help provide more families the opportunities to thrive. “Together, these actions will help hold medical providers and debt collectors accountable for harmful practices, reduce the role
As part of the fight to help people contend with high costs, Vice President Kamala Harris plans to announce reforms to help ease the burden of medical debt. that medical debt plays in determining whether Americans can access credit – which will open up new opportunities for people with medical debt to buy a home or get a small business loan, help over half a million of low-income American veterans get their medical debt forgiven; and, inform consumers of their rights,” the administration said in a release. The White House said medical debt isn’t just
VP HARRIS 5
I Am “HER” Sharing Our Stories
By: W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor Healed. Empowered. Renewed. This is an ongoing journey, one of awareness, change, striving to be the best person one can be. This is Latrina Caldwell’s story, I Am “HER,” shared in sisterhood, hope, positivity, common sense, and love. In this narrative of one woman’s life experiences to other women, the HER serves as an acronym for what a woman needs to fully be what God wants them to be. Thus, awareness leads to an understanding of your purpose. As a guide to this journey to HER, Caldwell takes us to the following checkpoints: 1) what our “normal” is 2) our unconscious searching (thought life) 3) “getting yo life” 4) how to own a backseat 5) getting to know yourself by uncovering your layers 6) switching things up 7) mind control (the good kind) 8) suffering and sacrifice 9) taking your power back and 10) your HER. Because this is a process, there is no timeline involved. It boils down to whatever works for the individual. Different facets of Caldwell’s book stood out for me. First and foremost is the spiritual element; God is always
in the mix, guiding us to make good decisions along the way. Next is the importance of time and time management. I know of a quote that says, “You can get back money. You can get back possession. What you can never get back is time.” Third is the effect of habits, reminding us that we’re not locked in by old destructive ones. It only takes 30 days to replace it with a new habit that adds value to you. Caldwell illustrates with power the importance of our thought life, in changing what we don’t like in our lives, continually educating ourselves, surrounding ourselves with positive, supportive people. In our thought life, feeding ourselves only that which helps us grow is crucial. She reminds us that this is a journey, not a destination, adding “If something isn’t right along your journey, change it.” What we give is what we receive. What we do now will impact our future selves. Through this process, a higher purpose and motivation will be revealed, and women will be Healed, Empowered, and Renewed. By no means does Caldwell state that this will happen in a day; by doing the work on a daily basis, the rewards will be great for mind, body, and spirit. I Am “HER” can be purchased on Amazon or through the Minnesota Black Authors Expo website. My deep appreciation to you, Latrina, for the inspirational example of your life and sharing your story.
I2H
Hardeman and Karbeah talk Black Maternal Health Week
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Page 4 • April 18, 2022 - April 24, 2022 • Insight News
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Business
Greater Twin Cities United Way
Grants support local non-profits that disrupt racial inequity Greater Twin Cities United Way announced it is awarding $12.1 million to 90 nonprofits aligned with its vision of a community where all people thrive, regardless of income level, race or place of residence. Funding will support people experiencing poverty and communities disproportionally impacted by poverty, including Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American, Pacific Islander and People of Color. United Way’s funding includes: Multi-year grants for nonprofits focused on equitable access to housing, food, education and the workforce. Grants for partnerships between schools and businesses providing purpose-driven work experiences and increased pay for youth through United Way’s Career Academies innovation initiative. Grants to support training in trauma-sensitive care for early childhood education providers through United Way’s 80x3: Resilient from the Start innovation initiative. “In the Greater Twin Cities region, we have grown more widely aware over the last two years that race and ethnicity sit at the intersection of disparities in income, housing, education and overall wellbeing,” said Acooa Ellis, Senior Vice President of Community Impact, Greater Twin Cities United Way. “Our grantmaking strategies are based on evidence that shows investing more heavily in organizations with strong racial equity practices and responsive, community driven programming, leads to deeper impact on life outcomes.” Ellis further explains United Way’s grantmaking strategy in this video. Dorothy Bridges, Board Chair of Greater Twin Cities United Way in 2020 and 2021 and current member of the Board of Directors said, “United Way is leading the way in advancing racial
Ramadan From 1 really pushing that envelope and doing it in a way that in a way of integrity, a way of truthfulness,
equity with intentionality and accountability. Over the last few years in particular – amidst the backdrop of COVID and the racial reckoning – United Way has thoughtfully responded to emergency and long-term needs of our community with racial equity at the forefront.” “Addressing disparities in access to household stability, educational success and economic opportunity ultimately will drive more economic success for our state,” said Tiffani Daniels, Managing Director, Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity. “I’m thrilled by the leadership demonstrated in Greater Twin Cities United Way’s approach to community investment toward greater racial equity in our region, and excited for our continued partnership in the work to eliminate systemic inequities.” “Our latest investments reflect the evolution of our fundraising and grantmaking models based on changing donor behavior, the changing needs of the nonprofit sector and our commitment to equity,” said John Wilgers, President and CEO, Greater Twin Cities United Way. “They also reflect the giving strategies of donors who want to directly address specific community needs through our innovation work like Career Academies and 80x3,” added Wilgers. United Way’s 2022-2025 Community Investments Through its 2022-2025 Community Investments Request for Proposals (RFP), United Way will award grants to local nonprofits that are committed to racial equity, with a focus on housing stability, food security, early childhood education, career and future readiness, and economic opportunity. Funding starts July 1, 2022. A larger percentage of the funding will support housing. Stable housing is critical in the nine-county region as disparities a way of showing up, always caring about the folks that we live amongst, and that we serve. We don’t, we don’t serve food that we won’t eat. We won’t house people in places we won’t live. We won’t give clothing that we won’t wear.
INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com
Insight News is published weekly, every Monday by McFarlane Media Interests. Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Culture and Education Editor Dr. Irma McClaurin, PhD. Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Columnist Brenda Lyle-Gray Book Review Editor W.D. Foster-Graham Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Manager Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley
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XChange
Organizations Receiving Funding from Greater Twin Cities United Way 30,000 Feet African Development Center of Minnesota African Economic
Development Solutions Ain Dah Yung Center Al-Maa’uun American Indian Development Corporation American Indian Family Center American Indian OIC, Inc. Amherst H. Wilder Foundation Appetite for Change Asian Economic Development Association Avenues for Youth Avivo Baby’s Space: A Place to Grow Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Twin Cities Breakthrough Twin Cities CAPI USA Catholic Charities - Northside Child Development Center Centro Tyrone Guzman Children’s Defense Fund - Minnesota Clare Housing Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio, Inc. Connections to Independence Division of Indian Work Dream of Wild Health Emma Norton Services Esperanza United FamilyWise Frogtown Farm Frogtown Neighborhood Association Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, Inc. Hmong American Farmers Association Hope Community, Inc. International Institute of Minnesota Irreducible Grace Foundation Isuroon Jeremiah Program Minneapolis Joyce Preschool Juxtaposition Arts Ka Joog Karen Organization of Minnesota Keystone Community Services Latino Economic Development Center Launch Ministry Liberty Community Church Merrick Community Services Merrick Community Services-East Side Employment
the damage that has been done. And one of the things it did was give a level of confidence. Those men and women dressed in a way dignified us, and ingrained in us the idea that we are to show up as dignified human beings, not what the world has said of us. That was as much about resistance as anything that we ever have done. That was much about how we showed up. We controlled our own our own body, our own vessel. It was a paradigm shift in the minds of African Americans at that time. There were other efforts, like those led by Marcus Garvey, and others, that had very similar ideas. It wasn’t unique in that way. It’s part of the tapestry. I wanted to be very clear about that. We don’t own the narrative. We, are part of the story. We understand the
psychological damage that takes place over generations attempting to indoctrinate to believe the saving force was from somewhere outside of us, not within us. We are in a very incredible moment right now. From a visionary standpoint, I see how we are turning moments into movements through institution building and, and, creating infrastructure. It’s about mutual benefit. Ultimately as a man, I want my children and now my grandchildren to see me benefiting by my own work and my own sweat. My own, my own, my own. Work that I’m putting forth is to create the life that I’m calling them to have. Not only my life, but in my son’s life and my grandson’s life and, and so on and so forth. And that’s when our communities get healthy.
That’s when our communities are growing and thriving and institutions like United way, other corporate partners and others can’t have a hand in doing this. They can partner with us but in a way that builds our ability to be self-sustaining, protecting on our own rights, acknowledging own merit and creating our own narrative. A hundred years from now, they can look back at the contributions, that collectively, we were able to make out of a very difficult moment. Out of a very tenuous moment we were able to create something that’s beautiful. People that we won’t even know… we won’t know their names…we won’t know who they are, their identity. Their ethnicity won’t be known to us., But they will benefit from the work we’re doing today.
or having the police called on them for conducting simple transactions, including a recent case involving a Hollywood movie director, Rasmussen wrote.. Late last year U.S. Bank publicly apologized after KSTP News obtained video of a Black customer who was handcuffed and falsely accused of fraud for trying to cash his paycheck. Millions of people viewed the video of Joe Morrow being questioned by police and a bank manager inside a U.S. Bank branch in Columbia Heights. Despite U.S. Bank CEO Andy Cecere’s promise of expanded employee training after “recognizing the need to
be culturally sensitive,” the Minneapolis-based company is now facing additional allegations of discrimination from Wogbah and some of its own employees. Rasmussen said Cecere has repeatedly declined interview requests over the past three months, but in an emailed statement last month, said the bank is launching a newly formed advisory committee of Black leaders from the Twin Cities and “expanded training for conflict resolution for all branch and 24 hour banking employees.” Rasmussen reported that U.S. Bank is facing new complaints and lawsuits from Black employees who describe a culture of racial discrimination
at the company. Shirley Hunt, a manager from Lakeville, sued the company in February alleging it offers inadequate training on diversity and awareness. “U.S. Bank pays lip service to the concept of diversity, but when it comes time to actually provide Black employees the same perks that white employees enjoy, there is no follow through for the Black employees,” the lawsuit states. Rasmussen reported that John Span is also suing U.S. Bank for racial discrimination and retaliation after working at the company for 24 years. Span started as a teller for U.S. Bank in Illinois in 1996 and worked his way up to become a car loan underwriter before he was fired in July 2020. Span says he was terminated after reporting concerns about a new manager to the company’s human relations department. Span says the recent allegations made by Black customers are not a surprise to him. In his lawsuit, he said the company still redlines Black customers, freezing them out of auto loans because of where they live.
spokesman-recorder.com
along racial lines continue to deepen. Additionally, housing support continues to be the most common reason people connect with United Way’s 211 resource helpline. New to funding in economic opportunity is a specific strategy to support entrepreneurship. United Way and community members with lived and professional experience cocreated the RFP and reviewed the proposals. Applicants were evaluated based on the following criteria and weighting: programming and impact in community (50 percent), responsiveness to community needs (30 percent), leadership representation (15 percent) and a financial assessment (5 percent). United Way’s 80x3 Investment Research shows 80 percent of brain development happens by age three. Healthy growth is highly dependent on enriching and nurturing experiences. Incidents of adverse childhood experiences can result in trauma and impair brain development along with executive functioning into adulthood. In May 2022, United Way will award grants to its first cohort of early childhood education providers dedicated to increasing their capacity to offer trauma-sensitive care for children up to three years old and their families. Through the United Way 80x3: Resilient from the Start initiative, funding will support an intensive year of training, coaching, peer learning and organizational change focused on addressing These are just value statements that we bring forth. And it comes out of that tradition that sees everybody as a human being valued by God. If you are created by God, which we all are, then you have inherent value and worth that Islam recognizes, and we all should recognize. One of the things that my parents instilled in us is the idea of service; that if there is no service, there is no Islam It’s never been just one voice, one narrative. All the movements, from from Malcolm X to Martin Luther King, Jr., are trying to reach the same ultimate goal of freedom, liberation, and self-awareness identity. The paths that were taken varied. The nation of Islam was a movement that came to African American people at a time when we were in a very broken state. The idea was to where repair
U.S. Bank From 3 Rasmussen said, “Wogbah’s allegations of racial profiling are among the latest that fall under the national phenomenon widely known as ‘Banking while Black.’” Black customers across the country are sharing stories of being accused of fraud
early childhood trauma through healing-centered and resiliencyfocused approaches. United Way’s Career Academies Investment In May 2022, United Way will fund eight to ten partnerships between schools and businesses that honor student accomplishments and experience through increased pay and opportunity. These grants, part of United Way’s Career Academies Purpose Driven Paychecks program, will fill the gaps that exist in the educational system so more students can access wealthbuilding, purpose-driven careers. United Way’s Career Academies partners with school districts across Minnesota to build equity-centered career pathways for grades 9-14, ensuring students have access to meaningful work experiences, college credits with zero debt and wealth-building careers. In addition to grantmaking and innovation initiatives such as 80x3 and Career Academies, Greater Twin Cities United Way addresses community needs through its 211 resource helpline and Suicide Prevention Lifeline, advocacy efforts with legislators, as well as nonprofit and business partnerships.
Mid Minnesota Legal Aid Minneapolis American Indian Center Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center Model Cities of St. Paul, Inc. Muslim American Society of Minnesota Neighborhood House Network for the Development of Children of African Descent New Vision Foundation NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, Inc. Northside Achievement Zone Northside Economic Opportunity Network Partnership in Property Commercial Land Trust Initiative People Serving People Phyllis Wheatley Community Center, Inc. Pillsbury United Communities Prepare + Prosper Project for Pride in Living, Inc. Sabathani Community Center, Inc. Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood Scott-Carver-Dakota CAP Agency, Inc. Simpson Housing Services, Inc. Solid Ground Somali Success School Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, Inc. Southside Family Nurturing Center St. Paul Youth Services, Inc. Summit Academy OIC The Bridge for Youth The Center for Victims of Torture The Family Partnership The Link Tubman Ujamaa Place United Cambodian Association of Minnesota, Inc. Urban Roots MN Urban Strategies Way To Grow Wayside House Wellshare International YouthLink Youthprise YWCA of Minneapolis YWCA of St. Paul
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Insight News • April 18, 2022 - April 24, 2022 • Page 5
Education A list of Black-owned book distributors and wholesalers
Troy Johnson: Black literature is for everyone
Troy D. Johnson is the founder and webmaster of AALBC. com (The African American Literature Book Club), and President of AALBC.com, LLC. He started AALBC.com in October of 1997, and today it is the oldest, largest, and most frequently visited website dedicated to books written by or about people of African descent. In addition to AALBC.com, Johnson has launched several other internet based businesses including; Edit 1st, a manuscript editing service. As a website consultant, Johnson shares his wealth of experience and knowledge about managing websites with individuals and groups. He also writes and advocates for books, publishing, independent websites, and Black culture. Johnson spent over 20 years of corporate settings designing wide area networks for defense contractors and managing international projects for Wall Street firms. An educator, Johnson has been an Adjunct Lecturer at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business since 2014 and he has presented at conferences internationally and throughout the United States including, Book Expo America, The National Black Writers Conference, The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference, Sacred Circle/Spoken Word International Festival, The Antigua & Barbuda International Literary Festival, The Kingston Book Festival, Small Press
VP Harris From 3 a financial issue – it can have negative health effects. One study found that almost half of individuals with medical debt intentionally avoided seeking care. “Getting sick or taking care of loved ones should not mean financial hardship for American families,” administration officials stated. “That is why the Administration is taking new action to ease the burden of medical debt and protect consumers from predatory collection policies.” The White House said the planned actions build upon President Joe Biden’s April 5th Executive Order on strengthening access to affordable, quality health care coverage, which directed federal agencies to take action to reduce the burden of medical debt. “[On April 11], Vice President Harris is announcing reforms in four areas that will lessen the burden of medical
REIA From 3 Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, organizations included the Community Justice Action Fund, Consortium for Risk-Based Policy and the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. According to a news release, REIA builds on a public health model that identifies the social determinants of health as a critical factor in violence. These include lax gun laws, concentrated poverty, environmental lead, and alcohol abuse. Specifically, REIA identifies and assesses factors bearing on racial equity before implementing policy. Officials could evaluate these factors to promote racial equity, reduce victimization, and minimize arrests and incarceration. If a policy already exists, this REIA tool can help guide ongoing implementation and amendments to that policy to address identified equity concerns. Ideally, this tool should be a collaborative
Center’s New York Round Table Writers’ Conference, The National Black Book Festival, Harvard African American Student Union and many others His radio and television appearances include C-SPAN2’s BookTV, and the What’s The 411 television program in New York City. Johnson has been recognized in articles that have appeared in Publishers Weekly, The Amsterdam News, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, Black Issues Book Review, The Network Journal, The New York Beacon, Emerge Magazine, Black Enterprise, The Philadelphia Sun, and many other publications. He has written articles and provided content to publications ranging from Mosaic Literary Magazine, the Electronic Urban Report, and the Black EOE Journal. Johnson has served on numerous advisory boards and committees including Bookshop. org, Syracuse University’s Alumni Association Board, the Literary Freedom Project, Harlem World Magazine, The Sacramento Black Book Festival, The Harlem Book Fair, Black American’s in Publishing, and New York is Book Country. His website AALBC. com was listed by EarthLink as one of “The 100 Best Websites for African Americans.” In 2005 he was named one of the 50 Most Powerful African Americans in Publishing by Black Issues Book Review magazine. Johnson holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from
the exclusive distributor of my book, Voices of the Harlem Renaissance: Originally Published as The New Negro an Interpretation.
Kassahun Checole Africa World Press & The Red Sea Press Syracuse University, an MS from Polytechnic University, and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. He has also completed Stanford University’s Publishing on the Web course. He has two adult daughters and lives in Tulsa, OK. Johnson is promoting the premier, Black-owned, book distributors in the country. He said AALBC.com, buys books for resale from the businesses below and encourages consumers to know and purchase from these Black owned businesses. They have titles, including many AALBC bestselling books, that are simply unavailable from any other distributors. Working behind the scenes, with little fanfare, these businesses are crucial to the “Black Book Ecosystem” and are responsible for ensuring important Black books are available for sale to booksellers around the world, he said.
debt, protect consumers, and open up new opportunities for Americans looking to buy a home or start a small business,” the White House stated. The actions include holding providers and collectors accountable. “Providers have a responsibility to offer nonpredatory payment plans or financial assistance to all eligible patients,” the White House noted. “While many do, far too many eligible patients report not receiving help. Worse, lawsuits against patients over medical bills are on the rise. And when hospitals sell outstanding bills to third party debt collectors, patients can be subjected to persistent and aggressive collections practices.” The administration noted that the federal government pays roughly $1.5 trillion a year into the health care system to provide patients with quality care and services. Providers receiving that funding should make it easy for eligible patients to receive the financial assistance they are entitled to and should not directly or indirectly subject patients to illegal and harassing
debt collection practices, the White House stated. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra plans to direct the agency to evaluate how providers’ billing practices impact access and affordability of care and the accrual of medical debt. Officials said HHS will request data from more than 2,000 providers on medical bill collection practices, lawsuits against patients, financial assistance, financial product offerings, and 3rd party contracting or debt buying practices. The Department will, for the first time, weigh that information in their grantmaking decisions, publish topline data and policy recommendations for the public, and share potential violations with the relevant enforcement agencies of jurisdiction. Separately, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will investigate credit reporting companies and debt collectors that violate patients’ and families’ rights and hold violators accountable. The White House added that the administration
process within, and beyond the organization, the authors stated. “The tool aims to address the root causes of violence in communities and set parameters around when law enforcement is involved,” Dr. Young noted. “Gun violence affects every community differently, so we want to get to the root of the problem and avoid interaction with law enforcement.” The report accompanying the tool noted that the impact of gun violence on the lives of people within BIPOC communities remains devastating and that there is an over-reliance on the heavily punitive criminal legal system to address violence. The authors reported that Black men are arrested, denied bail, convicted or wrongfully convicted at higher rates, and issued longer sentences than their white counterparts. As a result, the authors concluded nearly half of all Black men would face arrest before 23. Beyond laws that only focus on firearms, the authors maintained that the policy agenda of gun violence prevention should work in tandem with other advocacy initiatives. Dr. Young noted that this includes addressing racial inequalities in housing, education, transportation, and
the criminal legal system, which all contribute to gun violence. As an example, the authors examined Colorado’s extreme risk protection order statute – or ERPO. The civil court orders are used to temporarily prohibit the possession and purchase of firearms by persons a court deems to pose a significant danger of harming themselves or others by possessing a gun. The goal of ERPOs is to reduce firearm homicides and suicides by removing firearms from individuals at high risk of committing gun violence. The lack of trust between law enforcement and African Americans in Colorado only deepened with the 2019 killing of Elijah McClain in Aurora. “Colorado has quite the high rate of gun suicides attributed to white men, and one of the communities most impacted by guns is white males,” Dr. Young stated. “Yet, you still see a situation where Black people are experiencing the brunt of harsh law enforcement tactics with a goal purportedly of reducing gun violence. But if they narrowly tailored it as we noted in the report, they can address the problem of gun violence in communities feeling the impact.”
Black-Owned Book Distributors: Africa World Press & The Red Sea Press (AWP & RSP) Kassahun Checole africaworldpressbooks.com kchecole@awprsp.com 609-695-3200 In been in business since 1983, Africa World Press & The Red Sea Press is dedicated to the publication and distribution of books on the African World. In a period in which the publishing industry, in the United States, is undergoing dramatic changes, these two publishing houses are fulfilling a great demand for “non-mainstream” academic texts, poetry, short stories and children’s books. Africa World Press is a “Top 100 Selling Publisher Imprints” on AALBC, with 5 Bestselling books including the classic, Stolen Legacy: Greek Philosophy Is Stolen Egyptian Philosophy by George G. M. James. Africa World Press & The Red Sea Press is also
Afrikan World Books Nati Kamu-Nataki (Afrikan World Books does not have a website) 410-383-2006 Afrikan World Books distributes Black book around the world. Readers who attend the African-American Children’s Book Fair may have seen “Brother Nati” in action as Afrikan World Books is the book supplier for the annual fair. Lushena Books, Inc. Luther Warner www.lushenabooksinc.com 773-783-8320 Lushena Books distributes all genres of books. In addition to books, they also distribute a variety of other African-American merchandize, including figurines, sorority/ fraternity products, journals, puzzles, and more. During the holiday season Lushena Books distributes Kuumba collectibles card, Kwanzaa sets, and calendars. Lushena Book is a wholesale/distributor to bookstores and corporate America Lushena Books offers drop shipment to both bookstores and online stores Lushena Books will wholesale your books to Ingram Visit Lushena Books’ website view their wide collection
also plans to improve government underwriting practices as the latest research found that owing medical debt is not a reliable predictor of overall financial health. They said an analysis of 5 million anonymized credit records found that consumers
who owed medical debt paid their bills at the same rate as those who did not. Including paid-off medical debt causes credit scores to underestimate creditworthiness by as much as 22 points. “As a result, the
AALBC.com
Troy Johnson
The following distributor is not Black-owned, but they are also of a source of books for AALBC: Ingram Content Group https://www.ingramcontent.com/ customerservice@ingramcontent. com (615) 793-5000 Ingram Content Group provides virtually every service in the publishing industry. With warehouses all over the United States, Ingram Content Group is the largest book distributor/ wholesaler in the country. While it is common for the terms “Distributors” and “Wholesalers” to be used interchangeably, there is a big difference between the two businesses. Both businesses enable booksellers to purchase a wide variety of books from a single source rather than establishing terms, and managing accounts, with potentially thousands of different publishers. A true book distributor, as opposed to a wholesaler, actively engages with booksellers to help market and promote books on behalf of the publisher — in much the same way a bookseller hand sells a book to a reader. The distributor understands the bookstores they sell to an can help them secure the books that would do well in their stores. Africa World Press & The Red Sea Press, listed above provides distribution services.
inclusion of medical debt on credit reports and in credit scores and loan underwriting can hold Americans back from financial opportunities while failing to improve the accuracy and predictiveness of lending programs,” the White House said in the release.
What to Do While You Wait for a COVID-19 Test Result If you take a COVID-19 test that needs to be sent to a lab, such as a PCR test, it may take several days to get your results back.
Stay home and away from others if: You have any symptoms of COVID-19 or start to feel sick. • Stay home (isolate) for at least five days and wear a mask around others for 10 days, even if you are up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including recommended booster shots, or had COVID-19 in the past three months. • For more information on isolation, visit If You Are Sick or Test Positive: (www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/sick.html).
You were exposed to COVID-19 and are not up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including recommended booster shots. • Stay home (quarantine) for at least five days and wear a mask around others for 10 days, even if you had COVID-19 in the past three months. • For more information on quarantine, visit Close Contacts and Quarantine: (www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/close.html).
COVID-19 HOTLINE: 1-833-431-2053 www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus
Minnesota Department of Health | health.mn.gov | 625 Robert Street North PO Box 64975, St. Paul, MN 55164-0975 | 651-201-5000 Contact health.communications@state.mn.us to request an alternate format. 2/ /2022
Page 6 • April 18, 2022 - April 24, 2022 • Insight News
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Hardeman and Karbeah talk Black Maternal Health Week University of Minnesota News Black birthing people face many unique challenges in the maternal health space. In observance of Black Maternal Health Week, Associate Professor Rachel Hardeman and Doctoral Candidate J’Mag Karbeah share how their work in the Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity strives to create equitable access to pre- and postnatal care. Q: What is Black Maternal Health Week, and why does it matter? Prof. Hardeman: Founded five years ago by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA), Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW) celebrates the resilience, advocacy and change-making of Black birthing people and their families. Due to structural racism, Black birthing people are three times as likely to die than white counterparts from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. BMHW raises awareness of this tragedy and the solutions to this fixable problem. Q: How does racism impact access and quality for health care for Black birthing people? Karbeah: There are intersecting issues regarding access and quality of pre- and postnatal care for Black birthing people. Our team has advocated for expanding Medicaid coverage of health care so pregnant people never lose access to coverage during their pregnancy or in the critical year after birth. However, just getting financial coverage to care isn›t enough. Studies have found that
photo/Prostock-Studio photo/U of M News
Prof Rachel Hardeman and Doctoral Candidate J’Mag Karbeah many birthing people of color, particularly those who are Black and Indigenous, report high levels of mistrust, experiences of disrespect and a lack of autonomy when receiving prenatal care. Prof. Hardeman: This is a huge problem. Infamous case studies like Serena Williams› near-deadly birth experience show what happens when care providers don›t listen to Black birthing people under their care. Birthing people know their bodies, but the concerns of Black birthing people are not treated equally. Q: How can health providers improve health outcomes for Black birthing people & their babies? Prof. Hardeman: These are fixable problems, and our research has shown
evidence-based models of care dramatically improve health outcomes for Black birthing people and their babies. We have a multi-year partnership with Roots Community Birth Center (Roots), a freestanding birthing center in Minneapolis. Karbeah: Roots has an antiracist care model that centers culture and relationships, has more and longer prenatal visits, and includes postpartum check-ups and support. And it works! From both the standard of health outcomes and selfreported feelings of autonomy and respect, the Roots model is a standard for excellence. We would love to see the Roots model expanded to other health systems with full funding. Q: What improve outcomes?
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Karbeah: Policy can create positive systemic change by re-allocating resources to the people and communities that have suffered the worst burdens and acknowledges centuries of underinvestment, which have led to today’s inequities. This should include expanding health coverage of pre- and postnatal health care, investing in implicit bias training programs for care providers and fully funding evidence-based models of care like the Roots model. Prof. Hardeman: We›re proud of the leadership in this area shown by the Minnesota state legislature. For example, the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act is taking great strides toward these kinds of solutions. One element of the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act will facilitate the
Due to structural racism, Black birthing people are three times as likely to die than white counterparts from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. creation of antiracist training for perinatal care providers in the state of Minnesota. We hope to see this momentum continue in the current and future legislative sessions. Q: How does your work help improve the current public health care landscape for Black birthing people? Prof. Hardeman: At the Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity (CARHE), we center the voices, insight and expertise of those closest to the pain in our research. That is what makes antiracism research revolutionary: it isn›t a paternalistic model of Ivory Tower scientists, it is a shift towards true power sharing and collaboration. Karbeah: Black birthing people know their bodies, they know how racism
impacts their lives and they know what they need to be healthy. As researchers, it›s not our job to tell them what is good but to amplify their self-identified solutions. As we continue to work with Roots and to continue our work to identify, understand and dismantle structural racism, we will push health care towards a more antiracist future. Rachel Hardeman is an associate professor in the School of Public Health and the founding director of the Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity (CARHE). J’Mag KarbeahSVs6p1roUY-3D is a doctoral candidate in the School of Public Health and a senior research advisor for CARHE. Hardeman and Karbeah use antiracism research, community engagement, and narrative change to identify, explore, and dismantle structural racism.
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