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photo/Patrick Semansky_AP
President Joe Biden signs the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, March 29, 2022, in Washington.
Biden signs bill making lynching a federal hate crime By Darlene Superville, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Presidents typically say a few words before they turn legislation into law. But Joe Biden flipped the script Tuesday when it came time to put his signature on the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act. He signed the bill at a desk in the White House Rose Garden. Then he spoke. “All right. It’s law,” said the president, who was surrounded by Vice President Kamala Harris, members of Congress and top Justice Department officials. He was also joined by a descendant of Ida B. Wells, a Black journalist who reported on lynchings, and Rev. Wheeler Parker, a cousin of Till. Biden said it’s “a little unusual to do the bill signing, not say anything and then speak. But that’s how we set it up.” He thanked the audience of civil rights leaders, Congressional Black Caucus members and other guests who kept pushing for the law for “never giving up, never ever giving up.” Congress first considered anti-lynching legislation more than 120 years ago. Until March of this year, it had failed to pass such legislation nearly 200 times, beginning with a bill introduced in 1900 by North Carolina Rep. George Henry White, the only Black member of Congress at the time. Harris was a prime sponsor of the bill when she was in the Senate. The Emmett Till AntiLynching Act is named for the Black teenager whose killing in Mississippi in the summer of 1955 became a galvanizing moment in the civil rights era. His grieving mother insisted on an open casket to show everyone how her son had been brutalized. “It’s a long time coming,” said Parker, who was onstage with Biden when
photo//nmaahc.si.edu
Emmett Till and his mother Mamie Till. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Mamie Till Mobley family. the president signed the bill. Parker, two years older than Till, was with his cousin at their relatives’ home in Mississippi and witnessed Till’s kidnapping. In his remarks, Biden acknowledged the struggle to get a law on the books, and spoke about how lynchings were used to terrorize and intimidate Blacks in the United States. More than 4,400 Blacks died by lynching between 1877 and 1950, mostly in the South, he said. “Lynching was pure terror, to enforce the lie that not everyone, not everyone belongs in America, not everyone is created equal,” he said. Biden, who has many Black men and women in key positions throughout
his administration, stressed that forms of racial terror continue in the United States, demonstrating the need for an anti-lynching statute. “Racial hate isn’t an old problem — it’s a persistent problem,” Biden said. “Hate never goes away. It only hides.” The new law makes it possible to prosecute a crime as a lynching when a conspiracy to commit a hate crime leads to death or serious bodily injury, according to the bill’s champion, Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill. The law lays out a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and fines. The House approved the bill 422-3 on March 7, with eight members not voting, after it cleared the Senate by unanimous consent.
Rush had introduced a bill in January 2019 but it stalled in the Senate after the House passed by a vote of 410-4. The NAACP began lobbying for anti-lynching legislation in the 1920s. A federal hate crime law was passed and signed into law in the 1990s, decades after the civil rights movement. “Today we are gathered to do unfinished business,” Harris said, “to acknowledge the horror and this part of our history, to state unequivocally that lynching is and has always been a hate crime and to make clear that the federal government may now prosecute these crimes as such.” “Lynching is not a relic of the past,” she added.
“Racial acts of terror still occur in our nation, and when they do, we must all have the courage to name them and hold the perpetrators to account.” Till, 14, had traveled from his Chicago home to visit relatives in Mississippi in 1955 when it was alleged that he whistled at a white woman. He was kidnapped, beaten and shot in the head. A large metal fan was tied to his neck with barbed wire and his body was thrown into a river. His mother, Mamie Till, insisted on an open casket at the funeral to show the brutality he had suffered. Two white men, Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam, were accused, but acquitted by an all-whitemale jury. Bryant and Milam
later told a reporter that they kidnapped and killed Till. During a video interview after the bill signing, Parker credited current events for helping the anti-lynching bill move through Congress and to Biden’s desk. Parker specifically mentioned the police killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in May 2020, which sparked months of protests in the United States and other countries after videotape of the officer’s actions circulated. He drew a connection between Floyd and Till, saying, “That’s what caused Rosa Parks to not give her seat up and that sparked the civil rights movement, because she thought about Emmett Till.”
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In settlement of AG’s June 2021 lawsuit, Pamela Fergus ordered to pay back all funds unaccounted for; permanently banned from managing charitable money
Attorney General Ellison secures $120K repayment from fundraiser who did not properly spend funds raised in Philando Castile’s name
Minneapolis American Indian Center
Twin Cities American Indian organizations
The $83.9 million equity-focused proposal addresses persistent disparities
Twin Cities American Indian organizations rally at the capitol in support of bill to fund 12 new facilities Sixteen Twin Cities American Indian organizations and their supporters filled the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda Friday afternoon to highlight a bold, “all in” proposal to construct 12 new, capacity-building facilities. The community’s needs are great, but so too are the state’s resources, said Dr. Joe Hobot, president and CEO of American Indian OIC. “We call on legislators to join us on this.” The COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest of the past two years have highlighted
the disparities that continue to burden the urban Indigenous community. American Indian employment, for example, is down 13.7 percent since 2019, and American Indians have the highest COVID-19 death rates per 100,000 than any other group in the state. “We stand today, strong together and united in advocating for the resources needed in our communities,” said Marisa Miakonda Cummings, president and CEO of the Minnesota
Indigenous Women’s Resource Center. Passage of the Clyde Bellecourt Urban Indigenous Legacy Initiative (SF 3648/HF 3918) also will allow the organizations to “honor the trailblazers who went before us,” she noted. Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, urged support for the legislation, which expands capacity on issues ranging from housing to healthcare, workforce development to food security. “This is an investment that
is important for the future … of all Minnesotans.” Speaking at a press conference earlier in the day, Rep. Hodan Hassan, DFLMinneapolis, noted that each of the 16 organizations plays a vital role in our community. “I stand with you today, and I will fight for this,” she said. The Urban Indigenous Legacy Initiative is a collective of 16 renowned American Indian nonprofit organizations in the Twin Cities.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today his office has reached a settlement agreement that requires Pamela Fergus — the organizer of an online charitable fundraiser called “Philando Feeds the Children”— to pay back $120,000 in charitable funds that were supposed to be used to pay down local students’ lunch debts, but that the Attorney General’s office alleged she instead put in her own pockets. The agreement, filed today in Ramsey County District Court, also permanently bans Fergus from handling charitable funds. Per the terms of the consent judgment, Ms. Fergus will pay back the $120,000 charitable funds she collected to the Attorney General’s Office, who will distribute it to Saint Paul Public Schools for the restricted purpose of paying off lunch debts of children in need — the purpose for which Minnesotans donated the funds in the first place. “This settlement helps to ensure that the money donors gave in Philando’s
Attorney General Ellison name will go back to where it was intended — to help Saint Paul kids who struggle to pay for school lunches,” Attorney General Ellison said. “Philando Castile cared deeply about the children he served, and the children loved him back. Failing to use every dollar raised to help those children was an insult to Philando’s legacy and all who loved him. This settlement helps right that wrong by continuing Philando’s commitment to serving students in need and ensures that the powerful impact he had during his life will continue to live as his legacy to the children and all of us.” “You should put that money where it’s supposed to
ELLISON 4
Senate District 38 DFL convention ends with no endorsement By Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mshale Reporter Story and photo courtesy Mshale BROOKLYN PARK, MN - For over five hours last Saturday, Democrats met in a middle school gym in Brooklyn Park to endorse a candidate to carry the party banner in Minnesota’s Senate District 38, an open seat currently held by Chris Eaton who last year announced
Mshale File Photo by Richard Ooga/Mshale
Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley led each round of balloting during the Minnesota Senate District 38 Senate Convention on Saturday, March 26, 2022, but was unable to secure the 60 percent of delegate votes needed for party endorsement.
she will not be seeking reelection. She represents the current District 40 which after redistricting following the 2020 Census became District 38. In the end, DFL delegates couldn’t reach a consensus as neither of the two candidates running reached the required 60 percent threshold of delegates to win the party’s endorsement. In the first round, Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley garnered 52% of the
HILTSLEY 4
The Healing Circle
Senate KBJ hearings: A metaphor for the George Floyd murder Columnist
By Brenda Lyle-Gray Nobody in the world, nobody in history has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them. Assata Shakur Billie Holiday’s famous song performed first in 1939 and written by a Jewish teacher from the Bronx who ironically was said to be a member of the Communist Party.
Ketanji Brown-Jackson It was a shocking metaphor for bodies hanging from trees, the
victims of racist lynch mobs in the U.S. in the early decades of
Education
Free two-year state college grant program proposal receives hearing
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HEALING 4
Richard Copeland
Becoming an esteemed ancestor
Richard Allen
COPELAND Richard Allen Copeland, born August 5 1955, died March 20,2022. He was president and owner of Thor Construction and the Thor Companies, and principal in the family legacy business, Copeland Trucking. Among his many phenomenal accomplishments, his work on the Minnesota Vikings US Bank Stadium and on the creation of Regional Acceleration Center, adoringly referred to as the Thor Building, at Plymouth and Penn in North Minneapolis, typify the game change role he played in creating opportunity for Black business development in Twin Cities and around the nation and internationally. Insight will present a major reflection and celebration of Richard Copeland’s life and contributions in the weeks ahead. Copeland is survived by his wife Cassie Copeland,
sisters Melinda Anderson, Pamela McNeal, and Jolayne Vijil, his children Leo, Laura Derick, Rachael (Copeland), Donovan, Brandon and Cameron (Jackson) and grandchildren Micaiah, Christian, Ava, Robert, Meric, Bo and Cai. He is preceded in death by his mother Laura Mae, father John, Brothers Daryl and David, and daughter Brittany. Many people know the Richard Copeland story as it has been told in the media and shared in Celebration of his monumental achievements and contributions. He was a businessman, civic leader, philanthropist, and most of all a family man. Copeland was known for his passion in “making a good deal” and lived by the creed that “your word was your bond”. He was straightforward
COPELAND 5
AI
On Judge KBJ, judging Smith & Rock, and Hunter Biden’s legal jeopardy
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Business
Seeking $1 million by end of April
Black led credit union seeks pledges Minnesota residents are being urged to pledge their support for Black-led community credit union. The organizers of Village Financial Credit Union (VFCU) ask the public to show their support by completing a community survey pledge form. According to organizers, regulators gauge
the community interest by responses to the form. The charter application process is being managed by the Association for Black Economic Power (ABEP). “The community’s support is absolutely critical. We need them to voice their support by going to www.pledgevillage.
The Business Journals
Debra Hurston, ABEP Executive Director
org, and completing the Community Survey form today. The process of bringing in a credit union requires a tremendous amount of effort and input. However, the single most important ingredient is the support of the community said Debra Hurston, ABEP Executive Director.
The organization is looking to have $1 million in pledged deposits by the end of April. They are currently at 25 percent of their goal. For more information www. learnaboutvillage.org or email Admin@abepmn.org.
On Tap! For fans and customers the 200+ small and independent craft breweries in Minnesota, the upcoming Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America®, will be the spot to be at in the Twin Cities from May 2-5. Local breweries will join more than 11,000 brewing industry professionals who will have the opportunity to meet with 500 exhibitors and hear from a wide range of speakers
Ellison From 3 go,” said Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile. “These things are not for your personal gain. It’s not right.” In June 2021, the Charities Division of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office sued Fergus for failing to properly spend all the money she raised in the name of Philando Castile. The lawsuit alleged that of approximately $200,000 that Ms. Fergus raised to relieve student lunch debt for Saint Paul Public School Students — which began as a one-semester, in-class service project for an undergraduate class she taught — only about $80,000 was donated to Saint Paul Public
Hiltsley
during seminars across eight different relevant educational tracks ranging from brewery operations to sustainability and government affairs. The tracks, led by top minds in the beer and business worlds, will allow local craft breweries to refine their craft, learn from critical findings over the past year, and improve brewery quality and performance.
Among a full day of activities will be the THRIVE workshop. The program was launched in 2021 as a passport program and invites attendees to take a deep and integrated dive into diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), human resources (HR), and wellness topics tailored for craft breweries of all sizes.
Schools for the purpose of relieving student lunch debt, leaving approximately $120,000 unaccounted for. The settlement requires Fergus to pay back that $120,000 and prohibits her from being in charge of charitable money ever again. The terms require Ms. Fergus to make smaller monthly payments in the short term, then pay the balance in a lump sum within two years when she gains access to her retirement funds.
to be subject to charitable giving laws. In fact, any person raising money in Minnesota for a charitable purpose can be a “charity” under the law. Under Minnesota law, those who raise money for a charitable purpose have important duties. For example, they cannot mislead or deceive donors about how funds will be used, must use the money for the exact purpose that donors intended, and must have procedures in place to make sure the money is used properly. In addition, those who raise more than $25,000 or meet some other conditions must register and file specific paperwork with the Attorney General’s office. “Minnesota has long been a national leader in charitable giving. In recent years, Minnesota has also
become a national epicenter of activism and fundraising for social and racial justice — and with the ease and speed of raising money online, more money is flowing into charitable causes in Minnesota than ever before,” Attorney General Ellison continued. “This is a good thing — and it’s why it’s more important than ever that fundraisers know their responsibilities under the law to report and account for the money they raise and spend. These laws and regulations protect everyone: fundraisers, donors, and the public that is supposed to benefit from charitable donations. The Charities Division of my office is here to help: we’re ready, willing, and available to educate everyone raising money for good causes in Minnesota about
their responsibilities,” Attorney General Ellison concluded.
increased her lead to 54%. It will now take an August 9 primary determine which of these two Democrats
gets a chance to compete in the November general election, unless one of them decides to drop out.
Candidate filing will start on May 17 through May 31 while vote by mail or in person will start on
June 24 through August 8. This is a developing story and will be updated.
on a tree. It has truly been a modern- day lynching. The way ‘they’ see it, she is ‘strange fruit’ and does not belong. We all commend her for her poise, for her grace, for her confidence, for her faith, for her hard work accomplishing so much in the face of such vile, mean-spirited people. ‘They’ are so fearful of the loss of white supremacy ideology and the browning of America, that they would stoop to the lowest degree of pathetic malice. Political activist, author, and academic scholar, Angela Davis, wrote, “Black women have had to develop a larger vision of our society than perhaps any other group. They have had to understand white men, white women, and black men. And they have had to understand themselves. When black women win victories, it is a boost for virtually every segment of society. The anger of white people post slavery and well beyond, comes from a place of resentment because of our success in this country and our resilience. We were never expected to make it across the Atlantic, never out of the cotton fields, to the voting booths, to desegregated schools, and into 1400 Pennsylvania Avenue. ‘They’ never accepted that
Black America’s success is not a threat, but colorful threads and designs in the fabric of American democracy.” Rather than celebrating the nominee’s prodigious professional achievements in the field of law, they have resorted to brutal attacks on court expansion, the Sentencing Commission, the 1619 Project, and lawyers who defend detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Because they realize there’s little they can do to prevent her from being confirmed, they are using the hearings to rev up their base and prepare for something much less settled in the midterm election cycle. What such criticism discounted was the fact that Brown-Jackson’s scholarly legal foundation is built on a constitutional requirement to provide representation for those who are unable to provide for their own defense. In a criminal justice system long needing reform, Jackson would be the first justice to have experience as a public defender since Thurgood Marshall 30 years ago. As a columnist, I always enjoy writing about Friday’s ‘Healing Circle’ presented by “Conversations with Al McFarlane” and cohosted by Dr. BraVada Garrett
Akinsanya, founder and CEO of the African American Child Wellness Institute (AACWI). Dr. B’s master classes encouraging physical and mental health have been such a boast for me personally. Last week’s show was exceptional. Highly respected and admired psychologist, Dr. Harriet Haynes, the former director of the University of Minnesota’s Student Counseling Services before retiring in 2011, noted that she had watched the nominee answer questions with such great dignity although she could sense Brown-Jackson’s anger as she answered the same irrelevant questions over and over. The questions had nothing to do with the job of upholding justice. “She was writing notes and probably praying, ‘Get me through these personal attacks”. It was the same kind of pain I experienced decades ago. It appeared her brain had switched into resisting oppression, and she would have to focus on her inner resources. I was traumatized watching her, a warrior, a creator, a visionary, and a mother, suffer the unwarranted indignities,” Dr. Haynes said. “I couldn’t watch anymore, but their inhumanity made me thank God for the spiritual strength of my faith passed down by our ancestors which cannot be taken away. The brazen audacity of these people proves America has not come as far as we thought we had. It also highlights even more how the solution of our continued progress lies within our community,” she said. The attacks on Judge Jackson were metaphorically
Charitable fundraisers’ responsibilities and obligations under the law “Charitable” donations can be for a wide variety of causes, including social services, education, the public interest, or the arts. A fundraiser does not have to be a 501(c)(3), a nonprofit, or other organization delegates while Susan Pha received 48%. In the second round, Momanyi Hiltsley
From 3
Brauwelt
Healing
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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From 3 the 20th century. It was a poem about racism and hatred. It was what the world saw in the face of Derek Chauvin, with his knee on George Floyd’s neck as Floyd took his last breath, and it has been what the world has heard in the vicious rhetoric and screaming of the GOP Senate Judiciary Committee members making mockery of the confirmation hearings of Ketanji Brown-Jackson, Biden’s nomination for the Supreme Court. Although she has been the wife of a distinguished and devoted white surgeon for twenty-six years and the mother of two beautiful daughters and has received well-deserved accolades from the American Bar Association and so many others, she might as well have been swinging from a rope
Tips for fundraisers The Attorney General’s office provides tips for fundraisers in its free publication, “You Might Be a ‘Charity’—Yes, You! What Individuals Need to Know When Raising Money for a Charitable Cause.” Fundraisers with questions of any kind can contact the Attorney General’s office at (651) 296-3353 (Metro area) or 800-657-3787 (Greater Minnesota), or search for the help they need on the “Charities” pulldown menu on the front page of the Attorney General’s website. Tips for donors The Attorney General’s office provides tips
to donors to charitable causes on its website and in its free publication, “Don’t Just Follow the Crowd on ‘Crowdfunding’ Websites.” If you believe someone may be defrauding the public through a GoFundMe campaign or other fundraiser or misusing charitable donations, Attorney General Ellison’s Office would like to hear from you. Please fill out a Charities/ Nonprofit Complaint Form or contact the AGO as follows: Office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison 445 Minnesota Street, Suite 1400 St. Paul, MN 55101 (651) 296-3353 (Metro area) (800) 657-3787 (Greater Minnesota) (800) 627-3529 (Minnesota Relay)
HEALING 5
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Education Free two-year state college grant program proposal receives hearing The House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee last week discussed a proposal to establish a free college grant program created to cover full cost of state tuition and fees for Minnesota’s two-year colleges. “Minnesota reaps the rewards when our students are able to pursue higher education without accumulating crushing debt,” said Rep. Mohamud Noor (DFL-Minneapolis), author of the bill. “By lending a helping hand to students at our state colleges, we’re better ensuring that regardless of income, any Minnesotan
Rep. Mohamud Moor
can earn a degree that can then be used to improve themselves and our state.” Rep. Noor’s legislation would determine grant eligibility using a sliding scale based on the recipient’s reported family income. In the bill, 100 percent of the costs are covered if the family reports an adjusted gross income of less than $100,000 and 50 percent if the student reports a family adjusted gross income greater than $125,000 and less than or equal to $150,000. “Minnesotans deserve every opportunity to achieve their hopes and dreams, and
the cost of college and skills training programs should not be a barrier to access,” said Rep. Connie Bernardy (DFL-New Brighton), chair of the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee. “I am grateful for Rep. Noor’s collaboration. Our committee is committed to enacting solutions that ensures these opportunities are accessible to all students who want to pursue higher education in Minnesota.” The bill was laid over for possible inclusion to a later higher education finance bill.
Soaring: My Improbable Life Sharing Our Stories
By: W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor By Major Alphonso B. Jones and Kim Nelson For far too long, we have been fed the stereotypes of Black men and witnessed them played out in the arena of education, family, and careers. Sadly, despite evidence to the contrary, those have been the images that get the attention and the energy. Today, however, I have the pleasure of reviewing Soaring: My Improbable Life, co-authored by Maj. Alphonso B. Jones and his daughter Kim Jones Nelson (Kim’s beautiful book On Life: Things I Should Have Told You was reviewed in last week’s edition of Insight News). Born in Washington D.C. in 1932, the oldest of six children, Alphonso and his
Healing From 4 reminiscent of Derek Chauvin’s knee on George Floyd’s neck -villainous and murderous. It was like we all wanted to scream, take your knee off this very powerful woman’s neck and let her breathe! Alicia D. Smith, vicepresident and commissionerat-large for the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board and executive director of the South Minneapolis’ Corcoran Neighborhood Association, and proud mother of two sons, said, “The hearings are hard to watch, and it’s even harder to live in a constant state of siege. It’s like 10 million micro aggressions while 10,000 non-profits haven’t learned how to serve the people in need. We know how to live in a space where you don’t have to like us, but we can work together to make our communities and our city better and less divisive, especially for our children. This conversation, where there are six intelligent, committed, and non-apologetic individuals in meaningful conversations is liberating, and that makes us dangerous.” Smith said, “I was so proud of President Obama when he did not hesitate to declare that Trayvon Martin could have been his son. That was a bold move for a President. And thank you, Corey Booker, for having Brown Jackson’s back. She is indeed worthy. It’s so sad when young people and millennials ask ‘why do people have to be this way?’ We need to be praying for our survival against Russia and North Korea who are hellbent on removing the West from
Copeland From 3 in his business interactions and was the embodiment of integrity. He was generous and a fun person; the person everyone
twin Aloysius were raised to a standard of excellence. He met with his share of naysayers in school—including teachers--but it only takes one person to say “You’ve got this. You can do this.” He found such a teacher, who encouraged him to become an officer in the military. While participating in the Navy cadet program in school, he excelled both academically and in sports. During his college years, he attended the University of Michigan and became a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. There is truth in the saying “When a door closes, God will open a window.” When the Navy wouldn’t accept him to become an officer, the Air Force presented him with the opportunity, and he ran with it. In his ambition to become a navigator, he knew Black officers were regarded in two camps: doubt that they could do it, or “damn good.” Jones stated he was “damn good,” and he had the credentials to back it up. Subsequently, his skills also translated into his assignments as squadron
commander, wing commander, and flight records officer, not to mention his travel to different parts of the world in wartime and peacetime. During his stint in the Air Force, he was often the only Black commissioned officer on a base or division. The U.S. military was desegregated in 1948, hence he bore witness to the dichotomy between life on base and the segregation off base when he was stationed on the mainland. He married the love of his life, Muriel Warren, in 1956. They raised three successful children and weathered the challenges that came with the territory of a military family. Though his duties as an Air Force officer kept him traveling and away from his family for long stretches of time, Hawaii was their home for over 40 years, and they thrived in its multicultural environment. Jones learned some hard lessons, including “the convenience of the government.” Before the 20-year mark of his service and a promotion from captain to major during the Viet Nam years, he was faced with
the planet. Derail and destroy. That’s their intention, but also the intentions of the white power structure.” “Our ‘Healing Circle conversations every Friday have synergy, wisdom, and healing, and help us negotiate challenges that must be handled collectively and not in silence, said Dr. Oliver J. Williams, a clinical therapist and professor in social work at the University of Minnesota. “It’s uplifting because Brown-Jackson is there spotlighting the growth and progress Black America has made. Each generation moves a step or two up from the previous; a few more opened doors and a few more cracks in what Professor Mahmoud ElKati refers to as the destructive forces of the white privilege and supremacy doctrine. The nominee just kept saying, look at the laws and guidelines. Each individual case is taking a person’s life into account.” Williams applauds the emotions of Senator Booker as a way of ‘telling whiteness off.’ He said “It would be good to have Senator Mitch McConnell answer for his transgressions when he would not allow Merrick Garland to be considered as a qualified nominee for the Court in 2016. Josh Hawley (R-MO) has not been held accountable for his behavior in the January 6th insurrection, and now I would ask, as would others, what will happen to Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife, Ginni.” Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in an interview with Jonathan Karl on ‘This Week’ said “You have a wife of a sitting Supreme Court justice advocating for overturning a legal election to the sitting president’s chief of staff. She
also knows this election and these cases are going to come before her husband. This is a textbook case for recusing or removing him from these decisions.” Klobuchar said the entire integrity of the Court is on the line here and that she is looking to leadership from Chief Justice John Roberts and the rest of the bench to speak out on this issue. Speaking again of the confirmation hearings, said Shirlynne LaChapelle,“They did everything they could to attack and smear, to enflame her, but Brown-Jackson is hard to discredit, and they know it, They expected her to explode like that label of ‘the angry Black woman’. But what did she do? Checkmate! They looked stupid, like vicious animals in hunt for a piece of fresh meat. They tried to make it appear she was a beneficiary of affirmative action; as if she had not earned her plethora of accomplishments and inspired so many law students. And just a reminder. Clarence Thomas wasn’t fully investigated in the Anita Hill case, either.” LaChapelle went on to thank Corey Booker, as well, and briefly touch upon the twice impeached failed President. “Don’t think Trump didn’t have a hand in the Ukraine tragedy in an effort to break up NATO. Until George Floyd’s televised execution, and what those of us can tolerate watching in the confirmation hearings, many didn’t want to see raw ugliness at its highest level. With thousands attempting to escape death as Russia continues to bomb hospitals and schools, even in the Ukraine, people of color were not allowed to get on the train.
wanted to be around. Those who knew him well attest to how much he valued family and friends. He embraced the community with an open door policy. Holiday celebrations and weekend gatherings in his home enlivened the community and reflected both compassion
and brilliance – the joy he exuded in being a pillar of our community. He was a person people would lean on for advice - in business and in life. He was a fighter who fought the good fight until the moment came for him to transition into eternity as a new ancestor.
Major Alphonso B. Jones
the choice of being forced out of the Air Force or being demoted to the rank of staff sergeant for the duration of his time before he could retire. Ironically, this happened around the same time he received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the highest honor he could receive from the Air Force for his service. It was a humbling experience, but he did it, and retired with the rank of major. The grass didn’t grow under him after his retirement.
He went on to become an educator, a director in the Catholic youth ministry, a world traveler, and made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. What stands out for me, in addition to his love of family, is Jones’ outstanding commitment to service, during his military career, as an educator, and in his faith community, throughout his life. His story also resonates with me because I am the son of an Air Force officer; both Jones and my father were born in the same year. This review would
only scratch the surface of what Maj. Alphonso Jones has accomplished in his life and the lives he has touched, and his legacy lives on in his children Angie, Al Jr., and Kim, each becoming successful in their own right. When I finished this book, all I could say was, “Wow.” Soaring: My Improbable Life is available through Amazon and the Minnesota Black Authors Expo. Thank you for being a living embodiment of the motto, “Believe in dreams and never give up.”
COVID-19 Vaccines and Pregnancy COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for pregnant people • We know that pregnant people are at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease compared to non-pregnant people. • There is growing data about the safety of Ks/ Ͳϭϵ ǀĂĐĐŝŶĂƟŽŶ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ƉƌĞŐŶĂŶĐLJ ĂŶĚ how well the vaccine works in pregnant people. • WƌĞŐŶĂŶĐLJ ŽƵƚĐŽŵĞƐ ĂƌĞ ŶŽƚ ĂīĞĐƚĞĚ ďLJ ǀĂĐĐŝŶĂƟŽŶ͘ dŚŝƐ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞƐ ŽƵƚĐŽŵĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĂīĞĐƚ ƚŚĞ ďĂďLJ͘ ĂƚĂ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚƐ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ ďĞŶĞĮƚƐ ŽĨ receiving a COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any ŬŶŽǁŶ Žƌ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů ƌŝƐŬƐ ŽĨ ǀĂĐĐŝŶĂƟŽŶ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ƉƌĞŐŶĂŶĐLJ͘ • If you are pregnant, get vaccinated to help protect you from severe illness from COVID-19. • dĂůŬ ǁŝƚŚ LJŽƵƌ ŚĞĂůƚŚ ĐĂƌĞ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƌ ŝĨ LJŽƵ ŚĂǀĞ ƋƵĞƐƟŽŶƐ͘
COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for people who want to have a baby one day • If you are trying to become pregnant now or want to get pregnant in the future, it is recommended that you get a COVID-19 vaccine. • dŚĞƌĞ ŝƐ ŶŽ ĞǀŝĚĞŶĐĞ ƚŚĂƚ ĨĞƌƟůŝƚLJ ƉƌŽďůĞŵƐ ĂƌĞ Ă ƐŝĚĞ ĞīĞĐƚ ŽĨ ĂŶLJ Ks/ Ͳϭϵ ǀĂĐĐŝŶĞ͘
mn.gov/vaccine Minnesota Department of Health | health.mn.gov | 651-201-5000 | 625 Robert Street North PO Box 64975, St. Paul, MN 55164-0975 Contact health.communications@state.mn.us to request an alternate format. 10/15/2021
Page 6 • April 4, 2022 - April 10, 2022 • Insight News
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Dan Barreiro
Freddie Bell
Lynn Ketelsen
Dave Lee
Cathy Wurzer
Steve Patterson, Emcee
2022 Inductees
Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame SUMMARY: The Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame will induct five new members in 2022. Inductees are selected based on their unique and outstanding contributions to broadcasting in Minnesota. 2022 INDUCTEES: Dan Barreiro – KFXN / KFAN-Radio Sports Talk Personality -Known as
“The Big Ticket”, due to longtime high ratings. Freddie Bell – KMOJRadio Executive, Author, and Speaker – Manages two radio stations and hosts three radio shows. Lynn Ketelsen – Linder Farm Network Executive and Radio Personality – Owner, GM, of Linder Farm Network. 45-year career at Linder
Broadcasting Group. Dave Lee – WCCORadio Morning Radio Personality – 32-year career on WCCO Radio and TV. Cathy Wurzer – TPTTV and MPR Radio Personality – Morning Edition on Minnesota Public Radio, Almanac on TPTTV, journalist, and author. Steve Patterson, Emcee – KTMY / myTalk Radio
INDUCTION . CEREMONY: Saturday evening, September 17, 2022 at the Pavek Museum in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota. The ceremony not only celebrates the careers of these distinguished broadcasters, but also raises operating funds for the Pavek Museum. Tickets go on sale April 5, 2022 and are $200 each. BACKGROUND:
The Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame has 191 inducted members beginning with the inaugural class of 2001. The Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame is a service of the Pavek Museum. The Pavek Museum was established in 1988 to preserve and promote the history and science of electronic communication, as well as the values of Minnesota’s
broadcast industry. The Pavek Museum and the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame are located at 3517 Raleigh Ave, Saint Louis Park, MN 55416. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Visit pavekmuseum.org/hall.htm or call the Museum at 952-9268198. Contact: Daniel Henry, danny@pavekmuseum.org
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Insight News • April 4, 2022 - April 10, 2022 • Page 7
Aesthetically It One Book program features Brian Farrey The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, as the Minnesota Center for the Book, announces the seventh chapter of One Book | One Minnesota, a statewide book club that invites Minnesotans of all ages to read a common title and come together virtually to enjoy, reflect, and discuss. The seventh title for the program is The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse by Minnesota author Brian Farrey. Presented in partnership with State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education, the program aims to bring Minnesotans together during a time of distance and adversity and highlight the role of libraries as community connectors. From March 28 through May 15, through their local libraries, Minnesotans will be invited to read the featured book selection and will have access to reading guides and virtual book club discussions. Readers can access the ebook and audiobook for free on Ebooks Minnesota for eight weeks. All Minnesotans are invited to participate in a statewide discussion with the author: Virtual Author Discussion, featuring Brian Farry
Wednesday, May 11 | 1:00 p.m. Free and open to the public | Registration required In addition to the digital formats, hard copies of the book will be available through public libraries, and through independent stores across the state. Links to resources and more information can be found at thefriends.org/ onebook. In the center of the verdant Monarchy lies Dreadwillow Carse, a desolate bog the people of the land do their best to ignore. Little is known about it except an ominous warning: If any monarch enters Dreadwillow Carse, then the Monarchy will fall. Twelve-year-old Princess Jeniah yearns to know what the marsh could conceal that might topple her family’s thousand-year reign. After a chance meeting, Princess Jeniah strikes a secret deal with Aon, a girl from a nearby village: Aon will explore the Carse on the princess’s behalf, and Jeniah will locate Aon’s missing father. But when Aon doesn’t return from the Carse, a guilt-stricken Jeniah must try and rescue her friend—even if it means risking the entire Monarchy. In this thrilling modern fairytale, Brian Farrey has created an exciting
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Brian Farrey
new world where friendship is more powerful than fate and the most important thing is to question everything. Brian Farrey is a two-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award and the 2017 recipient of the McKnight Fellowship in Children’s Literature. His debut novel, With or Without You, was named a Stonewall honor book by the American Library Association and won the 2012 Minnesota Book Award for Young People’s Literature. The first book in his critically acclaimed middle grade fantasy trilogy (The Vengekeep Prophecies) was named a Junior Library Guild selection, appeared on the Winter 2012-2013 Kids’ Indie
Amazon
Next List, and was listed as one of Kirkus Reviews’ “Best Children’s Books of 2012.” The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse, won the inaugural Minnesota Book Award for Middle Grade Literature in 2017. His most recent book is The Counterclockwise Heart, released in February of 2022. He lives in the Twin Cities with his husband and their cats. One Book | One Minnesota is presented by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, as the Minnesota Center for the Book, in partnership with State Library Services and sponsored by SPIRE Credit Union. Program partners also include Algonquin Young Readers; Council of
Regional Public Library System Administrators; Mackin VIA; Macmillan Publishers; Minitex; the Minnesota Department of Education; and Recorded Books. This program is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, as well as through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library is the Library of Congress-designated Center for the Book in Minnesota. As our state’s Center for the Book, The Friends promotes reading, literacy, libraries, and books statewide. An independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1945, The Friends acts as a catalyst for libraries to strengthen and inspire their communities. The Friends invests in the Saint Paul Public Library through fundraising, advocacy, and programming; as a result, our Library is a nationallyrecognized leader in serving its community. The Friends also serves libraries across the country and internationally through its consulting services, Library Strategies. For more information, contact The Friends at 651-222-3242 or visit
thefriends.org. State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), partners with libraries to achieve equity and excellence in our collective work for Minnesotans. Division staff are consultants who help libraries plan, develop and implement high-quality services that address community needs. State Library Services administers federal grant, state aid, and state grant programs that benefit all types of libraries. Ebooks Minnesota is an online ebook collection for all Minnesotans. The collection covers a wide variety of subjects for readers of all ages, and features content from our state’s independent publishers, including some of our best literature and nonfiction. Ebooks Minnesota is a joint project of Minitex and the Minnesota Department of Education, State Library Services. It is hosted on the Mackin VIA platform, which helps provide barrier-free access to everyone in Minnesota. The collection was made possible in part by funding from the Minnesota Department of Education through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
On Judge KBJ, judging Smith & Rock, and Hunter Biden’s legal jeopardy Hobb servation Point
By Chuck Hobbs Since I spent the better part of
today traveling on business, I decided to inscribe a few Hump Day Hobbservations before retiring for the evening: ***While Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation was all but secured last week when Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) stated that he would vote “yay,” I was quite pleased to learn that Republican Sen. Susan Collins
of Maine will break ranks with her party and vote to confirm! Said Sen. Collins, “After reviewing Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s extensive record, watching much of her hearing testimony, and meeting with her twice in person, I have concluded that she possesses the experience, qualifications, and integrity to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court.”
Sen. Collins with future Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson…
sunday, april 1 7 11am SOUTHSIDE ACES 1pm GINGER COMMODORE & T. MYCHAEL RAMBO Omar Sosa & Seckou Keita Trio: Suba feat. Gustavo Ovalles
American Roots Revue
Meditative, Mystical... Magic (NPR)
feat. Tonia Hughes Kendrick, Claudia Schmidt, Larry Long & Robert Robinson
APR 7
APR 8
Tommy Castro & The Painkillers
John Pizzarelli
30th Anniversary Tour
Charismatic Swinging Dazzling
APR 10
APR 12
Craig Taborn
Sonny Landreth
APR 13
APR 14
Eliane Elias
Larry McCray
APR 15
APR 16
Karrin’s Kaleidoscope
Sass & Class Vocal Jazz
Marquis Hill: New Gospel Revisited
APR 17
APR 19
Soul-Blues Rocker
Modern Music Keyboard Maven
Romantic Brazilian Jazz
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King of Slydeco
Feel-Good Soulful Blues
Thrilling Neo-Fusion Trumpeter
1010 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN
Kudos, Sen. Collins, for putting the petty politics of your fellow Republicans aside and voting for a wise young jurist who will bring a wealth of legal knowledge and judicial experience to the Supreme Court! ***During the 2020 election, those of us who spent time reading right wing news media were hard pressed to tell whether then President Donald Trump was running against Joe Biden or his son, Hunter, due to Trump’s obsessive chatter about probing the younger Biden’s business activities in Russia and Ukraine. Well, earlier today, CNN analyst Elie Honig reported that a federal investigation into Biden’s business activities is moving forward for “potentially serious federal crimes.” Now, what’s interesting here is, 1. The timing as far as mid-term elections looming later this year and the potential that a GOP base (which despises Hunter Biden) will turn out in even greater numbers with hopes of securing a conservative majority in the House and Senate; 2. Attorney General Merrick Garland answers to Hunter Biden’s father, the POTUS, a fact that screams “conflict of interest” that could set up the “I”-word— “Impeachment;” 3. The reality that federal criminal conviction rates are typically high because most defendants plead guilty, and those who don’t usually find themselves paddling upstream against federal prosecutors (and the FBI) who typically dot all “i’s” and cross all “t’s” before securing indictments. While Hunter Biden, if indicted, would be shrouded with the same presumption of innocence like other criminal defendants, should he eventually get convicted, would his father, the POTUS, commute or pardon his federal crimes? If such a commutation or pardon did occur, would a GOP led Congress (depending on the mid-term results) launch investigations and impeachment proceedings just to get some “get-back” to please the twice impeached Donald Trump? Feel free to drop your opinion on these questions in the comments! ***Speaking of the former president, I guess
Will Smith at Oscars
Biden the Elder and Biden the Younger it doesn’t matter too much to him that Russian Dictator Vladimir Putin has invaded Ukraine and placed the world on the verge of World War III—not if Putin can help him strike back at President Biden. While appearing on the Just the News show on Real America’s Voice Network this week, Mr. Trump wheezed, ”One thing, while I›m on your show, as long as Putin now is not exactly a fan of our country, let him explain, where did — because Chris Wallace (of CNN) wouldn›t let me ask the question — why did the mayor of Moscow’s wife give the Bidens, both of them, $3.5 million dollars? That’s a lot of money.” So, there was a time in Western civilization when men who praised, spoke to, or collaborated with enemy combatant leaders were pilloried by the press in the public square. Whether it was Nazi sympathizer Edward VIII of England being made a pariah among the British Royal family, or Joe Kennedy, patriarch of the Kennedy clan of Massachusetts, being roasted as a Nazi sympathizer while serving as American Ambassador to Great Britain, even the hint of being a traitor was dealt with swiftly! The problem is that these days, even a normally in lock-step Republican Party has a schism where Trump and his acolytes support (to differing degrees) Putin, while other Republicans are zealous in their support of Ukraine and its leader, Volodomyr Zelensky. I do not expect for Trump to dial back his request for Putin to intervene in the Biden inquiry while Putin battles
a hot war in Ukraine, and a cold war with the U.S. and her NATO allies. But I do point out, once more, how far some Republicans have fallen in less than a decade from anti-communist crusaders—to cheerleaders for unrepentant “former” communists in the Kremlin. ***I wrote earlier today on Facebook that what’s triggered me with regards to the Oscars incident between Will Smith and Chris Rock is that it reminds me of growing up in an extended clan of Hell raisers who occasionally ruined cook outs, reunions, weddings, funerals, and repasts. There are so many events in my past that I should be able to look back on with a smile but can’t because someone said something that pissed off someone else and shortly thereafter, the cussin’, the slappin’, the punchin’, and the whoopin’ commenced. Regrettably, I, too, have been in the middle of the “you’s a got damn lie/ no, mf’er, you’s the lie” arguments a time or two in my 49 years on Earth. Sadly, those were the vibes on display this past Sunday night and the major reason that three days later, I am still sitting here wishing that life had a rewind button for the times when we fall short of the mark and while needing grace, receive condemnation from kin, friends, or the public writ large. Thank you and please subscribe to the Hobbservation Point! Chuck Hobbs is a freelance journalist who won the 2010 Florida Bar Media Award and has been twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary.
Page 8 • April 4, 2022 - April 10, 2022 • Insight News
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She means business. And we’re here to help. Women-owned businesses power the American economy, employing more than 9 million people and creating revenue at nearly 5 times the average.* We’re proud to help them go even further by: • Committing more than $300 million to provide capital to diverse entrepreneurs and small business owners, including women • Doubling the number of women able to attend the free Bank of America Institute for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Cornell to 100,000 • Providing the financial tools, expertise and personal attention to help them start, run and grow their businesses
“I’m also proud that Bank of America walks the walk when it comes to hiring, supporting and promoting women within our walls. Our board of directors is 50% diverse, including 6 female directors. Our workforce is half women, just like the Twin Cities. And our management team is more than half diverse, including 7 female leaders.”
Katie Simpson President, Bank of America Twin Cities
What would you like the power to do?® Lean more at bankofamerica.com/twincities
*Source: The State of Women-Owned Businesses Report: Summary of Key Trends, American Express, 2019. Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Credit Opportunity Lender © 2022 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.