Insight ::: 08.14.2023

Publishers Weekly

Harry Jonas Lerner: A legacy of activism and leadership

Harry Jonas Lerner: A legacy of activism and leadership

By Susan Curnow Breedlove, a North Minneapolis historian

Harry Jonas Lerner is Chairman of Lerner Publishing Group which he founded in 1959. It is one of the largest independent and family-owned children’s book publishers with over 7,000 titles in print and with 15 imprints and divisions. The Lerner Company is recognized for the high caliber of the books it publishes and for the interests they cover in so many diverse arenas. Harry’s son, Adam, is now the CEO and publisher of this successful company started by his father 64 years ago.

Family Background

Harry Lerner’s mother and father immigrated to the United States from the Bessarabia region of Eastern Europe following a wave of Anti-Jewish pogroms (massacre of Jews). Family members lived in the Pale of Settlement, where Jewish people were contained by czarist Russia. Today, about two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, the rest in parts of Ukraine. Harry’s mother, Lena Schwartz, 16, came to the United States in 1912 with her brother, 21. They traveled to Aitkin, Minnesota where their Uncle Mendel resided and worked on the railroad. The two siblings next moved to the small town of Rhame, North Dakota. An entrepreneur, Lena traded a cow for a cream station and started her own business.

Harry’s father, Morris, was the eldest of six children. Born in Moldova, he moved to Liverpool, England and eventually to the United States. He landed at Ellis Island where he applied for land under the Homestead Act. Next it was to Minneapolis, where he supported himself by working at the West Hotel. In 1909, at age 21, he was assigned 50 acres near Ludlow, South Dakota. There, he met his wife-to-be, Lena. The family moved to Minneapolis after the birth of Harry’s sister, Miriam.

Morris and Lena had three more children, Harry being the youngest, born in 1922. They lived at 827 Oliver and 915 Morgan Avenues in North Minneapolis. They began the Morris Island Grocery on Nicollet Island in about 1921. The grocery store was open seven days a week, early mornings until 8PM Sunday through Friday, and Saturday until 10PM. The Lerners took

streetcars on Plymouth Avenue or the buses on Olson Highway to the family store. In 1933 they got a liquor license, one of only two to be issued to a Minneapolis grocery at that time. Morris and Lena were active in social groups including Arbeter Ring (Workmen’s Circle, a Jewish socialist group) and Labor Zionist groups such as Poole Tzion and the Farband.

Harry’s father’s activism and union leadership is evidenced by his name being carved on the cornerstone of the former Labor Lyceum on Olson Highway. Attendees discussed issues here which became part of the platform for the DemocraticFarmers-Labor Party (DFL). The building is now La Creche, a childcare center. Morris Lerner is also commemorated on the cornerstone of a building on Plymouth Avenue that was a location of the Workman’s Circle. He passed away in 1948 at the age of 60 when Harry was 15 years old. The day-today ledger-style journal written by Morris Lerner from 19151949 is now at the University of Minnesota (U of M) in the Lerner Publishing Media Lab in Pillsbury Hall.

Harry’s mother, Lena, was a member of the Ladies Cultural League on the Northside. The group was set up in the 1930s as a fellowship for Jewish living, informing dedicated Jews while expressing themselves through social justice. Harry’s mother was both a homemaker and a working woman at the family’s Nicollet Island grocery until 1960 when a son took over. Urban renewal took that building down and the liquor license was transferred to a nephew who has East Liquor in south Minneapolis. Lena reluctantly moved from the Northside after prompted by family members concerned about racial tensions. She also noted that she missed shopping at the Jewish grocery store on Knox and Plymouth which had been a victim of the rebellion of some youth in the late 1960s. She lived to the age of 101.

Harry Lerner’s Youth Harry was a student at Hay Elementary School on Penn Avenue. While a student at Lincoln Junior High he showed some interest in printing as he was pictured in The Minneapolis Star assisting staff prepare for the school’s 25th anniversary. He helped in the family grocery store and as a budding entrepreneur sold football pins before University of Minnesota games. He also earned the

privilege of free movie tickets and $1 a week by being a canopy setter, hanging from rafters to change the names of films of The Homewood Theater on Plymouth Avenue.

The Lerner family joined the congregants of Tifereth B’nai Jacob also known as The Elwood Shul on 810 Elwood Avenue North. It was founded in 1890 by fellow immigrants from the town of Filishter in Bessarabia and served the community for seventy years before merging with other synagogues and moving to St. Louis Park. Congregants of First Church of God and Christ now worship in this building.

Harry attended Talmud Torah four days a week through his Bar Mitzvah. This Hebrew school was where Northside Jewish children came together to learn their heritage. He went to Zionist summer camps in Waupaca, Wisconsin and to conferences with other teenagers in the Labor Zionist Movement. Harry was active in the Habonim whose goal was to reclaim the Holy Land as a socialist paradise.

Harry went to North Community High School, class of 1951, and began studies at the U of M. In 1953-54, at the age of 20, he traveled with a group to Israel where he studied at Hebrew University.

Publishing Begins in the Army Drafted by the U.S. Army, Harry had to curtail his education in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota. He was classified as a linguist for the Army, as he knew some Hebrew, Arabic, and German languages. He was assigned to the clerk typist school in Fort Dix, New Jersey. Later, he was shipped to Europe, ending in Germany, where Harry’s publishing career began when he wrote the C-Plate Car and Travel Guide for servicemen and women stationed overseas that were interested in buying cars and getting travel advice.

The guide was distributed by Stars and Stripes, the U.S. military independent news source, and was sold in the Army PX stores. Fulfilling his armed service duties, Harry returned to Minnesota and resumed his studies at the University of Minnesota, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Relations in 1957. Interest in publishing was fueled by trade industry magazines and he began publishing The Sporting Goods Journal with his long-

time friend and mentor Don Goldfus.

Harry’s Family Sharon Goldman and Harry met in 1960, married in 1961, and eventually moved to Plymouth, Minnesota where they had four children, named Adam, Danny, Leah, and Mia. The couple were a part of the Soviet Jewry Action Committee organized to support Jews who wanted to leave the Soviet Union. The organization grew into the Minnesota-Dakotas Action Committee for Soviet Jewry. Sharon also served as an author and illustrator for Lerner Publications. She passed away in 1982. Harry and Sandra Karon Davis met in 1985. She worked as an editor and proofreader at Lerner Publications. They were married in 1996. Son Adam and daughter Mia began working at Lerner Publishing in 1998. Mia is an author and illustrator, and Adam is now the publisher and CEO of the company. Harry serves as Chairman of the Board of Lerner and Sandy is an editor and proofreader.

The Beginnings of Lerner Publishing Group Harry began publishing children’s books collaborating with his sister-inlaw Margie who was writing children’s stories about medical topics such as chickenpox, mumps, and measles. She featured a female doctor in the books, at a time when there were few of them. The first significant award Margie received was for a book she wrote about the scientific explanation of skin color titled Red Man, White Man, African Chief. Henry began attending book fairs as a young publisher. There he noticed that textbook companies had a monopoly on what was being published. He wanted to provide alternatives.

Harry Lerner Today Mr. Lerner continues to go to the office on 241 N 1st Street every week. He has a wide circle of friends and acquaintances, both personal and professional. When asked the question: “How do you and Lerner Publishing decide what to publish?”, he responded, “I am sort of a historian. My interest and the company’s interest are in social history. Those are the kinds of books we like to publish. We look for stories that are timely and of current interest of readers.” And when probed further with the questions,

“How is it that so many are about social issues? How is it that there is such a wide range of diverse voices in your 7,000 books?” Harry replied, “I grew up on the Northside. I went to North High School. And I am a long-time DFLer.”

Lerner Publishing September 20, 2021, the Lerner Publishing Media Lab opened in Pillsbury Hall at the University of Minnesota, established to honor founder Harry Lerner. May, 2019, the city of Minneapolis officially proclaimed the month of May as Lerner Publishing Group Month in honor of its 60th anniversary.

Prestigious recent awards include a Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King Author and Illustrator Awards, Robert Fl Sibert Informational Book Award and honors, Sydney Taylor Book Award and honors, a Pura Belpre’ Honor, an American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award Honor, an Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize Winner, a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book, and a National Book Award Finalist. In 2022 Lerner Publishing Group received 33 starred reviews from prestigious journals including Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and others.

Lerner Publishing Group is proud to have recently hit the independent bookstores’ best-seller list with Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults by Robin Wall Kimmerer, adapted by Monique Gray Smith, and illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt. Harry Lerner’s Contributions, Recognitions, and Memberships

1961-Kay Sexton award in recognition of longstanding dedication and outstanding work in fostering books, reading, and literary activity in Minnesota. Kay

Sexton awards are part of the Minnesota Book Awards presented annually.

1970-Member, Board of Directors Foreign Policy Association, Minnesota

1974-Member, Minnesota Book Publications

Roundtable

1979-Delegate, White House Conference on Library and Information Services

1972-1979-Chairman, North Loop Business Association, Minneapolis 1991-1994-Children’s

Book Council, New York City

1996-Board advisor, Books for Africa

1997-Minnesota Library Association Foundation

2004-Minnesota Innovative Communicator Award, Minnesota State University

Affiliations: Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, St. Paul-Minneapolis Committee on Foreign Relations, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) and the University of Minnesota Press

Lerner Family Philanthropy

The Loft; Books for Africa; The Minnesota Library Association Foundation; Hennepin County Public Library; University of Minnesota libraries including the Kerlan Collection; PJ Library Minneapolis; scholarships including the Vaunda Micheaux Nelson Scholarship for Writers of Color at Hamline University. Thank you to Natalie Hart, Sumner librarian, and Joni Sussman, publisher of Karben Publishing, a division of Lerner Publishing, for assisting in proofreading and editing this document. For additional information please contact Susan Breedlove at smcbreedlove@ gmail.com or call at 612-5888470

The following resources about the history of Northside Minneapolis are available through libraries and/or online: Tenacity Well

Directed: The Inside Story of How a Publishing House Was

Created and Became a Sleeping Giant in Its Field-Well, Not Exactly (40th anniversary book) by Harry Lerner, Lerner Publishing Group, copyright 2009

Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis, University of Minnesota and TPT, copyright 2011. (Call or e-mail TPT for purchase or viewing times)

The Heart of Bassett Place: The story of an African American settlement house and the woman who made it possible, South Hill Films, copyright 1999 We Knew Who We Were: Memories of the Minneapolis Jewish North Side, The Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest and The North Side Committee, copyright 2008. Jewish Community of North Minneapolis, Rhoda Lewin, Arcadia Publishing Company, copyright 2001

Harry Lerner and son Adam Lerner

By Joshua Holzer Assistant Professor of Political Science, Westminster College

On Jan. 20, 2021, Kamala

Harris became the first African American, the first person of South Asian descent and the firstwoman to serve as vice president of the United States.

More recently, she made history again by casting her 31st tie-breaking vote in the Senate, matching only one other vice president’s record for such votes. John C. Calhoun, who was vice president from 1825 to 1832, needed all eight years of his term to reach that number. In contrast, Harris has only been in office for two and a half years.

If her tie-breaking continues, Harris could end up as one of the most consequential vice presidents in history, casting the deciding

votes on several laws, judicial nominations and spending plans. However, this distinction says more about the Senate than the amount of power the vice president actually wields.

The ‘most insignificant’ office?

The role of vice president is only mentioned in the U.S. Constitution a handful of times.

Article I, Section 3 says that the vice president “shall be President of the Senate but shall have no Vote” except in the event of a tie. Historically, ties have been rare. Since 1789, only 299 tie-breaking votes have been cast, and 12 vice presidents, including current President Joe Biden, never cast a single one.

The beginning of Article II, Section 1 explains how vice presidents are elected, which was later revised by the 12th Amendment. The end of that section states that presidential power “shall

devolve on the Vice President” in the event of the president’s “Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office.”

As written, it is unclear whether this meant that a vice president became the new president or was simply serving in an acting capacity. This was later clarified with the passage of the 25th Amendment, which states that “the Vice President shall become President.” The 25th Amendment also outlines how to fill a vacancy in the vice presidency, and it provides a mechanism for the vice president to serve temporarily as president if a president becomes “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”

Finally, Article II, Section 4 states that vice presidents, like presidents, can be “removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high

Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

So, other than staying out of trouble to avoid impeachment and waiting around to serve as – or replace – the president, vice presidents are really only obligated to occasionally cast a tiebreaking vote in the Senate. This means that the great majority of the time, vice presidents have no real job to do.

John Adams, the first U.S. vice president, once complained to his wife that the vice presidency was “the most insignificant Office that ever the Invention of Man contrived or his Imagination conceived.”

However, not all have been upset about such inactivity. Woodrow Wilson’s vice president, Thomas Marshall, quipped after he retired: “I don’t want to work … [but] I wouldn’t mind being Vice President again.”

Feeding the Freedom to Grow

Ford is honoring Black Business Month by supporting entrepreneurship, culture and cuisine to the table. We’re celebrating those who inspire us through their stories like Peace Tree Parks, a nonprofit that works to convert vacant land into gardens allowing them to beautify the city while feeding the community.

The founders are proud Ford owners dedicated to increasing access to fresh produce in the community they know and love.

“To repurpose the land, our goal was to feed the community once we discovered Detroit was pretty much a food desert at the time,” said Eric Andrews, Cofounder of Peace Tree Parks. Peace Tree Parks plays a vital role in increasing access to fresh organic produce in Metro Detroit. In 2015, when the nonprofit was established, the city had been a food desert for almost a decade.

High school best friends Eric Andrews and D’Andre Riggins began this movement after noticing an increase in vacant land, lack of grocery stores, and realizing the need for more access to fresh organic produce and healthy food options.

It began as an awareness campaign for

Peace Tree Parks to educate community members on the variety of produce that could be grown in Detroit. Each month, they hosted volunteer events where they taught others how to plant, maintain their garden, and harvest crops. They worked with the Detroit Land Bank Authority to begin repurposing vacant land throughout the city into community spaces. This partnership led to a process that now allows neighborhoods across the city to duplicate the concept that was developed at their first community garden site.

“So, we started growing produce – we grew everything from watermelon, pumpkins, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and strawberries. It was more of an awareness thing, we wanted to show the community that this is the variety of produce that you can grow in your backyard,” said Andrews.

Planting the Future Peace Tree Parks has two initiatives which work together to reach those in need, regardless of race, age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Their community garden program is for residents in the surrounding area to pick produce at no charge. The organization has converted

“To repurpose the land, our goal was to feed the community once we discovered Detroit was pretty much a food desert at the time,” said Eric Andrews, Co-founder of Peace Tree Parks (pictured left), with Brianna Andrews, Director of Marketing and

a total of 13 vacant lots into community gardens which has inspired many to begin growing their own produce. The organization’s other initiative is the residential garden program which was created as an extension of the community garden program to provide access to those that don’t live nearby. The program’s mission is to bring organic gardening to the backyards of those who want direct access to produce options. Those

Governor Tim Walz recently chaired the Council of Governors’ 27th plenary meeting in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The meeting focused on the progress made on issues of cybersecurity, emergency management and disaster response, issues impacting the Air and Army National Guard, workforce matters, and strategic defense budget trends.

“As a 24-year veteran of the National Guard, it was an honor to convene the bipartisan Council of Governors meeting today and discuss how we can work together to advance our common interests in homeland security and emergency management,” said Governor Walz. “Our country is better off when we come together in a bipartisan manner to solve problems. I am grateful for the opportunity to build on this state-federal partnership.”

The President’s bipartisan Council of Governors was established by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 as a forum for governors

to exchange views, information, or advice with the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security, and the White House Homeland Security Council on matters of national security, homeland defense, and disaster response and recovery. Governor Walz, a 24-year veteran of the Army National Guard, was appointed by the President in 2021 to lead the council along with co-chair Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

interested in joining this program should begin by completing an online application. Although the program is free for local residents, donations are encouraged to support its growth.

Peace Tree Parks also offers farm-to-school programming and has collaborated with various schools in the Detroit Public School District (DPSD) to implement aspects of their programming.

By Chuck Hobbs

Early this morning in Tallahassee, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his suspension of Orlando area State Attorney Monique Worrell (D) for what he alleges is her refusal to pursue “appropriate” charges in serious cases.

In full disclosure, I have known State Attorney Worrell since our school days at the University of Florida Levin College of Law in the late 90’s, so I can personally vouch for her perspicacity and commitment to justice.

That said, Worrell becomes the latest democratically elected prosecutor to draw the ire of a Republican governor using racial dog whistles to intimate that Democratic prosecutors, in general, and Black elected prosecutors,

specifically, are “soft on crime.”

As with most things these days, the truth—or lack thereof—of these Republican talking points is sorely lacking! You see, the main issue in these matters over the past decade has been prosecutors using their constitutionally based discretion to seek alternative sentences on drug possession crimes, or, to limit instances within which the death penalty is sought for capital murder charges, who have drawn the ire of Republicans who like to see those charged with such offenses—disproportionately Black or Brown—face long prison sentences. Indeed, self-styled “tough on crime” types like DeSantis and his predecessor, now Sen. Rick Scott, have used their executive branch authority to suspend prosecutors who were reticent to lead legal lynch mobs against defendants accused of first degree murder.

Curiously, Sen. Scott, while governor, meddled in the affairs of Worrell’s prosecutorial predecessor, Aramis Ayala, allegedly due to her refusal to

State Attorney Worrell responding to Florida’s petulant governor,

could flip any day — we could get a Democratic governor who then decides to go around suspending all Republican prosecutors because we are not in alignment in ideology. It has to stop. This is a dictatorship. This is not

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to cast a tiebreaking vote in the U.S. Senate.

Kamala Harris has tied the record for the most tie-breaking votes in Senate history – a brief overview of what vice presidents do

AFRICA ...THE REVENGE OF SUNDIATA KEITA

many many.

Special from Caracas VZ Special Caracas, VZ

- Today, some countries in Af- - some countries in Africa have risen up to reclaim rica have risen up to reclaim their sovereignties Niger, Mali, their sovereignties.

Burkina Faso and Guinea lead Burkina Faso, and Guinea lead the list of countries that have decided to rise up and lead their decided to rise up and lead their historical processes against all historical processes all types of oppression they have of have been subjected to First, the been to. the shameful African slave trade and slavery which were declared slavery, which were declared crimes against humanity at the crimes at the third World Conference Against third World Conference Racism in Durban, South Africa Racism in South Africa in 2001 Second the irreparable in 2001. Second, the irreparable damage caused by the colonial caused the colonial partitioning of African territory of African by colonial powers at the Berlin colonial powers at the Berlin Conference (1884-1885) in Ger- Conference in Ger-

In an arbitrary and criminal

In an and criminal manner, Belgium, France, Spain, manner, Portugal the Netherlands and Portugal, the Netherlands, and England distributed African terri- distributed African territories through bloodshed, turning tories them into “protectorates” since them into since, according to Europeans, Africa to Africa could not govern itself could not govern itself.

Guyanese researcher Walter researcher Walter Rodney wrote an extraordinary wrote an book titled How Europe Un- book titled “How Underdeveloped Africa?” in which Africa?” in which he explains the painful historical he the historical process of intensive exploitation process of intensive that African countries were sub- were

Today countries like Mali Today, countries like Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Guinea Burkina and Guinea as they did in the past when lead- as did in the past when leader Sundiata er great Mandingo territory in great in 1235 in a place called Kangaba 1235 in a called Kangaba. groups in an extraordinary docu- groups in an extraordinary document called THE CHARTER OF KURUKAN FUGA which ex- KURUKAN FUGA, which expressed respect for women, fami- for women, families water and human rights lies, water, and human rights.

Since the European colonial Since the colonial penetration and the division of and the division of the African continent at the Ber- at Berlin Conference in 1885, African lin Conference in African territories have been distributed among Europeans in a criminal among in a criminal and arbitrary manner The Afri- and manner. The African peoples have never submitted can have never submitted to colonial aggression, and their to colonial and their struggles against colonialism colonialism have been ongoing In the 20th have been ongoing. In the 20th century many countries sought century, many countries full independence from colonial- full from colonialism Some leaders, like Modibo ism. Some like Modibo Keita in Mali or Thomas San- or kara in Burkina Faso, attempted kara in Burkina

to build their independence but to build their independence, but both were assassinated by the both were assassinated the French military-political system French system known as France-Afrique known as “France-Afrique.”

Today, countries like Mali, countries like Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Ni- Burkina and Niger which produces 80 percent ger, which 80 percent percentage of gold for Western percentage of gold for Western powers, have risen up demand- powers, have risen up demanding their autonomy These four their autonomy. These four countries belonged to the great countries to the great Mandingo Empire led by Sundi- led Sundiata Keita The spirit of Sundiata ata Keita. The of Sundiata Keita has returned to support his Keita has returned to his children in this new stage of the children in this new stage of the

AFRICA…LA VENGANZA DE SUNDIATA KEITA

Especial desde Caracas VZ desde Caracas, VZHoy, algunos países de Africa se de Africa se han levantado para reclamar sus han levantado para reclamar sus soberanías Niger, Mali, Burki- soberanías. Burkina Faso y Guinea encabezan la na Faso y Guinea, encabezan la lista de países que decidieron lista de países que decidieron levantarse para liderizar sus levantarse para liderizar sus procesos históricos contra todo procesos históricos contra todo tipo de opresión ha que han sido de ha que han sido sometidos primero por la vergo- sometidos, por la vergozosa Trata Negrera, la esclavi- zosa Trata la esclavitud las cuales fueron declaradas tud, las cuales fueron declaradas Crimen de Lesa humanidad en en la tercera Conferencia Mundial Contra el Racismo en la ciudad Contra el Racismo, en la ciudad

de Durban, Sudáfrica en el año de Sudáfrica en el año 2001 Segundo, el daño irrepa- 2001. el daño rable causado por el reparto colo- rable causado por el reparto colonial del territorio africano por las nial del territorio africano por las potencias colonialistas en la con- colonialistas en la conferencia de Berlin (1884-1885), ferencia de Berlin en Alemania en Alemania. De una manera arbitraria y De una manera arbitraria y criminal Bélgica Francia Es- criminal Bélgica, Francia, España, Portugal, Holanda e In- Holanda e Inglaterra fueron distribuyendose fueron a sangre y fuego los territorios a sangre y los territorios africanos convirtiéndolos en africanos, en protectorados ya que según los ¨protectorados¨, ya que los europeos Africa no podía gober- europeos Africa no

narse por si solos narse por si solos.

El investigador Guyanes El Walter Rodney escribió un ex- Walter escribió un extraordinario libro titulado ¿Como traordinario libro titulado Europa Subdesarrollo a Africa? Subdesarrollo a Africa? donde nos explica ese doloroso donde nos ese doloroso proceso histórico de explotación proceso histórico de intensiva a que fueron sometido intensiva a que fueron sometido los países africanos durante mas los africanos durante mas de cinco siglos de cinco siglos.

Hoy los países como Mali, los como Niger Burkina Faso y Guinea Niger, Burkina Faso y Guinea Conacri han levantado sus ban- Conacri, han levantado sus banderas libertarias como lo hicieron como lo en el pasado cuando el líder Sun- en el cuando el líder Sun-

el gran territorio Mandinga en el gran territorio en el año 1235 en un lugar llamado el año 1235, en un llamadoerentes etnias con documento ex- erentes con extraordinario llamado LA CARTA DE KURUKAN FUGA la cual DE FUGA, expresaba el respeto a la mujer la el respeto a la mujer, la familia, las aguas y los derechos las aguas y los derechos humanos humanos.

A partir de la penetración A de la colonial europea y repartirse el colonial europea y el continente africano con la Con- africano, con ferencia de Berlin en 1885 los ferencia de Berlin en 1885, los territorios africanos fueron repar- territorios africanos fueron repar-

tidos entre los europeos de una tidos entre los europeos de una forma criminal y arbitraria De forma criminal y arbitraria. De los pueblo africanos nunca hub los africanos nunca hub sumisión las luchas han sido per- sumisión las luchas han sido permanentes ante las agresiones co- manentes ante las coloniales En el siglo XX muchos loniales. En el XX muchos países buscaron su independen- buscaron su cia plena contra el colonialismo cia contra el colonialismo. Algunos líderes como Modibo líderes como Modibo Keita en Mali o Thomas Sankara Keita, en Mali o Thomas Sankara en Burkina Faso intentaron con- en construir su independencia ambos struir su independencia, ambos fueron asesinados por el sistema fueron asesinados por el sistema político militar francés llamado militar francés llamado la Francia-Africa Francia-Africa.

Hoy los paises como Mali, los como Burkina Faso, Guinea y NIger de Burkina Guinea y de donde sale el 80 por ciento del donde sale el 80 por ciento del Uranio y otro gran porcentaje en Uranio y otro gran en Oro para las potencias occiden- Oro para las occidentales, se han levanto exigiendo se han levanto sus autonomías Estos cuatro sus autonomías. países pertenecían al gran Impe- al gran rio Mandinga dirijo por Sundia- rio por Sundiata Keita El espíritu de Sundiata ta Keita. El de Sundiata Keita ha retornado para apoyar a Keita ha retornado para apoyar a sus hijos en esta nueva etapa de sus en esta nueva etapa de lucha por sus autonomías lucha por sus autonomías.

AFRIQUE...LA REVANCHE DE SUNDIATA KEITA

Spécial de Caracas VZ de Caracas, VZ - Aujourd’hui, certains pays - certains pays d Afrique se soulèvent pour d’Afrique se soulèvent pour revendiquer leur souveraineté leur souveraineté.

Le Niger, le Mali, le Burkina Le le le Burkina Faso et la Guinée sont en tête et sont en de liste des pays qui ont décidé de liste des pays ont décidé de se soulever et de mener leurs se et mener processus historiques contre tous processus contre tous les types d oppression dont ils les d’oppression dont ils ont été victimes Premièrement ont été victimes. Premièrement, la honteuse traite des esclaves africains et l’esclavage qui africains et l’esclavage, ont été déclarés crimes contre

l humanité lors de la troisième l’humanité Conférence mondiale contre le contre racisme à Durban, en Afrique du racisme à Durban, en du Sud, en 2001 Deuxièmement, les en 2001. les dommages irréparables causés causés par la partition coloniale du ter- par la coloniale du territoire africain par les puissances ritoire africain par les coloniales à Berlin Conférence Berlin.

(1884-1885) en Allemagne en Allemagne. De manière arbitraire et criminelle la Belgique la France inelle, la Belgique, la France, l Espagne, le Portugal, les Pays- l’Espagne, le les Bas et l’Angleterre se sont dis- Bas et se sont distribués dans le sang les territoires tribués dans le sang les territoires africains les transformant en africains, en “protectorats” car selon les Eu- car, selon les Eu-

ropéens, l Afrique ne pouvait pas l’Afrique ne pas se gouverner se gouverner.

Le chercheur guyanais Wal- Le chercheur Walter Rodney a écrit un livre ex- ter a écrit un livre extraordinaire intitulé « Comment traordinaire « l’Europe a-t-elle sous-développé a-t-elle l Afrique ? dans lequel il expli- l’Afrique ? dans il que le douloureux processus his- que le douloureux processus historique d’exploitation intensive intensive auquel les pays africains ont été les pays africains ont été soumis pendant plus de cinq siè- soumis de siècles cles.

Aujourd hui, des pays com- Aujourd’hui, des pays comme le Mali le Niger le Burkina me le Mali, le Niger, le Burkina Faso et la Guinée ont hissé leurs et ont

drapeaux de libération comme ils de libération comme ils l ont fait par le passé lorsque le l’ont fait par le passé le et a construit le grand territoire et a construit le territoire mandingue en 1235 au lieu-dit en 1235 au lieu-dit groupes ethniques dans un doc- groupes dans un document extraordinaire appelé ument extraordinaire LA CHARTE DE KURUKAN LA DE FUGA, qui exprimait le respect exprimait le respect des femmes, des familles, de des des de l’eau et des droits de l’homme et de l’homme.

Depuis la pénétration colo- la coloniale européenne et la division niale et la division du continent africain lors de la Conférence de Berlin en 1885 Conférence de Berlin en 1885,

les territoires africains ont été répartis entre les Européens de répartis entre les Européens de manière criminelle et arbitraire et arbitraire.

Les peuples africains ne se sont Les africains ne se sont jamais soumis à l’agression co- soumis à coloniale et leurs luttes contre le colonialisme se poursuivent Au colonialisme se poursuivent. Au XXe siècle, de nombreux pays XXe de nombreux pays ont cherché à se libérer totale- se libérer ment du colonialisme Certains ment colonialisme.

dirigeants, comme Modibo Keita comme Modibo Keita au Mali ou Thomas Sankara au au ou au Burkina Faso, ont tenté de con- Burkina ont tenté de construire leur indépendance mais struire leur indépendance, mais tous deux ont été assassinés par tous deux ont été assassinés par le système militaro-politique le

français connu sous le nom de « connu sous le nom de « France-Afrique » ».

Aujourd hui, des pays com- Aujourd’hui, des pays comme le Mali le Burkina Faso me le Mali, le Burkina Faso, la Guinée et le Niger, qui pro- la Guinée et le produit 80 % de l’uranium et un et un pourcentage important de l or pourcentage de l’or pour les puissances occidentales pour les occidentales, se sont soulevés pour réclamer se sont soulevés pour réclamer leur autonomie Ces quatre pays leur autonomie. Ces pays appartenaient au grand Empire au mandingue dirigé par Sundiata par Sundiata Keita L’esprit de Sundiata Keita Keita. de Sundiata Keita est revenu pour soutenir ses en- est revenu pour soutenir ses enfants dans cette nouvelle étape du fants dans cette nouvelle du combat pour leur autonomie combat pour leur autonomie.

ÁFRICA ... A VINGANÇA DE SUNDIATA KEITA

Especial de Caracas VZ de Caracas, VZHoje alguns países na África se Hoje, alguns países na África se levantaram para recuperar suas levantaram para recuperar suas soberanias Níger Mali Burki- soberanias. Níger, Mali, Burkina Faso e Guiné lideram a lista na e a de países que decidiram se le- de países que decidiram se levantar e liderar seus processos vantar e liderar seus processos históricos contra todos os tipos históricos contra todos os de opressão a que foram sub- de a que foram submetidos Primeiro, o vergonhoso metidos. o comércio de escravos africanos e escravos e a escravidão, que foram aescravidão,queforamdeclaradeclarados crimes contra a humanidade

na terceira Conferência Mundial na contra o Racismo em Durban contra o Racismo em Durban, África do Sul, em 2001 Segun- África do Sul, em 2001. Segundo os danos irreparáveis cau- do, os danos causados pela partilha colonial do sados colonial do território africano pelas potências território africano coloniais na Conferência de Ber- na lim (1884-1885) na Alemanha lim na Alemanha. De forma arbitrária e crimi- e nosa Bélgica França Espanha nosa, Bélgica, França, Espanha, Portugal, Holanda e Inglaterra Holanda e distribuíram territórios africanos através de derramamento de nos de sangue, transformando-os em sangue, transformando-os em “protetorados” já que segundo

os europeus, a África não poderia os europeus, a África não poderia se governar se governar.

O pesquisador da Guiana O da Guiana, Walter Rodney, escreveu um Walter escreveu um livro extraordinário intitulado “Como a Europa Subdesen- “Como a Subdesenvolveu a África? , no qual ele volveu a África?”, no qual ele explica o doloroso processo o doloroso processo histórico de exploração intensiva histórico de intensiva a que os países africanos foram a que os países africanos foram submetidos por mais de cinco submetidos por mais de cinco séculos séculos.

Hoje, países como Mali, como Níger Burkina Faso e Guiné Ní er, Burkina Faso e Guiné têm erguido suas bandeiras de

no passado quando o líder Sun- no o líder Suno grande território Mandinga o território em 1235 em um lugar chamado em 1235 em um chamadoentes grupos étnicos em um doc- entes grupos étnicos em um documento extraordinário chamado CARTA DE KURUKAN FUGA CARTA DE KURUKAN FUGA, que expressava respeito às mul- que expressava às mulheres famílias água e direitos heres, famílias, água e direitos humanos humanos.

Desde a penetração colonial Desde a colonial europeia e a divisão do conti- e a divisão do continente africano na Conferência

de Berlim em 1885, os territóri- de Berlim em os territórios africanos têm sido distribuí- os dos entre os europeus de forma dos entre os europeus de forma criminosa e arbitrária Os povos criminosa e arbitrária. Os povos africanos nunca se submeteram nunca se à agressão colonial e suas lutas à colonial e suas lutas contra o colonialismo têm sido contra o contínuas No século XX, muitos contínuas. No século muitos países buscaram a independência buscaram a total do colonialismo Alguns total do colonialismo.

líderes como Modibo Keita no líderes, como Modibo Keita no Mali ou Thomas Sankara em ou em Burkina Faso tentaram construir Faso, sua independência mas ambos sua independência, mas ambos foram assassinados pelo sistema

militar-político francês conheci- francês conhecido como “França-África” do como “França-África”. Hoje países como Mali Hoje, como Mali, Burkina Faso, Guiné e Níger, que Burkina Guiné e que produz 80 por cento do urânio e 80 por cento do urânio e ouro para as potências ociden- ouro para as ocidentais se levantaram exigindo sua tais, se levantaram sua autonomia Esses quatro países autonomia. Esses pertenciam ao grande Império ao Mandinga liderado por Sundia- liderado por Sundiata Keita O espírito de Sundiata ta Keita. O de Sundiata Keita retornou para apoiar seus Keita retornou para seus por sua autonomia

By Jesus Chucho Garcia

Translated from Spanish by Yoji Senna

Special for Insight News

Traduit par Macdonald Anyanwu

Traduzido do espanhol por Yoji Senna

Photo Credit: Ahmed Nahshal (Pinterest)

AFRIKA ...AARGOOSIGA SUNDIATA KEITA

Gaar ka yimid Caracas VZ Gaar ka Caracas, VZMaanta, qaar ka mid ah dalalka qaar ka mid ah dalalka

Afrika waxay u kaceen inay la Afrika waxay u kaceen la soo noqdaan madax-banaanidoo- soo madax-banaanidooda Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, da. Burkina iyo Guinea ayaa hogaaminaya li- Guinea ayaa liiska wadamada go’aansaday inay iska wadamada

kacaan oo hogaamiyaan geedi kacaan oo

socodkooda taariikheed ee ka ee

dhanka ah dhammaan noocyada

dhanka ah dhammaan

dulmiga ee lagu sameeyay Ugu ee sameeyay.

horrayn ka ganacsiga addoonsi- horrayn, ka addoonsiga iyo addoonsiga ceebta ah ee ga ceebta ah ee

dhawaaqay dambiyo ka dhan ah ka dhan ah bini aadminimada Shirweyni- bini’aadminimada hii saddexaad ee Adduunka ee ee ee ka dhanka ahaa midab-takoorka ee lagu qabtay magaalada ka ee Durban ee dalka Koonfur Afrika ee sannadkii 2001 Midda labaad, sannadkii 2001. Midda waxyeelladii aan laga soo kaban aan soo kaban karin ee ka dhalatay qaybintii gu- karin ee ka gumaystaha ee dhulka Afrika ee ay ee dhulka Afrika ee ay gumaysigu ku sameeyeen Berlin ku sameeyeen Berlin Shirkii (1884-1885) ee Jarmalka Shirkii ee Jarmalka.

Si badheedh ah oo dambi ah, Si badheedh ah oo dambi

iyaga oo ka dhigay ilaaliye oo ka “ilaaliye” maadaama sida ay qabaan reer maadaama, sida ay reer Yurub Afrika ma awooddo inay Yurub, Afrika ma awooddo iskeed isu maamusho maamusho.

Cilmi-baaraha Guyanese Cilmi-baaraha

rique rique.”

Afrikaanka ah, kaas oo

Afrikaanka ah kaas oo lagaga

Belgium, France, Spain, PorPortugal Netherlands iyo England tugal, Netherlands waxay u qaybiyeen dhulalka waxay u dhulalka Afrika iyaga oo dhiig ku daatay Afrika oo ku daatay,

Walter Rodney ayaa qoray buug Walter ayaa qoray aan caadi ahayn oo cinwaan loo- aan caadi oo cinwaan looga dhigay Sidee Yurub hoos ugu ga “Sidee Yurub hoos ugu dhacday Afrika? taas oo uu ku Afrika?” taas oo uu ku sharaxayo geedi socodka xanu- socodka xanuunka badan ee taariikhiga ah ee unka badan ee ah ee ka faa’iidaysiga degdega ah ee ka ah ee ay wadamada Afrika ku hayeen ay wadamada Afrika ku in ka badan shan qarni in ka badan shan qarni. Maanta dalal ay ka mid yihi- Maanta dalal ay ka mid in Mali Niger Burkina Faso in Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, iyo Guinea waxay kor u qaadeen Guinea waxay kor u

calankooda xornimada sidii hore sidii oo kale markii hogaamiyihii Sun- oo kale markii Sundiata Keita uu mideeyay oo uu ka diata Keita uu oo uu ka dhisay dhulkii weynaa ee Mand- dhulkii weynaa ee Mandingo sanadkii 1235-kii meel lagu sanadkii 1235-kii meel magacaabo Kangaba Halkaasi Kangaba. Halkaasi waxa uu ku mideeyay qoomiya- waxa uu ku do kala duwan qoraal aan caadi do kala duwan aan caadi ahayn oo loogu magac daray Ax- oo magac Axdiga KURUKAN FUGA kaas KURUKAN FUGA, kaas oo uu ku muujinayo ixtiraamka oo uu ku ixtiraamka haweenka, qoysaska, biyaha iyo xuquuqul insaanka insaanka. Tan iyo markii uu soo galay Tan markii uu soo gumaystihii reer Yurub iyo kala reer Yurub kala qaybsanaantii qaaradda Afrika Afrika ee shirkii Berlin 1885-kii dhu- ee shirkii Berlin 1885-kii, dhu-

lalka Afrika waxa loo qaybiyay lalka Afrika waxa loo reer Yurub si dambi iyo sharci reer Yurub si dambi sharci darro ah Shucuubta Afrikaanku ah. weligood uma hoggaansam- uma in duullaanka gumeysiga hal- in duullaanka gumeysiga, halgankoodii gumeysiga waa uu waa uu socday Qarnigii 20-aad, wadd- socday. waddamo badan ayaa doonayey in amo badan ayaa in ay xornimo buuxda ka qaataan ay xornimo buuxda ka gumeysiga Hogaamiyayaasha gumeysiga. qaar sida Modibo Keita ee Mali qaar, sida Modibo Keita ee Mali ama Thomas Sankara ee Burkina ama ee Faso waxay isku dayeen inay Faso, waxay isku dhistaan madax-banaanidooda, dhistaan laakiin labadaba waxaa dilay laakiin labadaba waxaa nidaamka siyaasadeed ee Faran- nidaamka ee Faransiiska ee loo yaqaan France-Af- siiska ee loo yaqaan “France-Af-

AFRIKA ...KISASI CHA SUNDIATA KEITA

Maalum kutoka Caracas VZ Caracas, - Leo hii baadhi ya mataifa ba- - Leo hii, baadhi ya mataifa barani Afrika yamesimama kurud- rani Afrika kurudisha mamlaka yao Niger Mali isha mamlaka yao. Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso na Guinea zina- Burkina Faso, na Guinea zinaongoza orodha ya nchi ambazo ongoza orodha ya nchi ambazo zimeamua kuinuka na kuongoza zimeamua kuinuka na michakato yao ya kihistoria dhi- michakato yao ya kihistoria dhidi ya kila aina ya ukandamizaji di ya kila aina ya ambao wamekuwa wakifanyiwa ambao wamekuwa wakifanyiwa. Kwanza, biashara ya aibu ya biashara ya aibu ya utumwa na utumwa wa Kiafri- na wa ka ambayo ilitangazwa kuwa ka, kuwa

uhalifu dhidi ya ubinadamu ka- uhalifu dhidi ya ubinadamu katika Mkutano wa tatu wa Dunia wa wa dhidi ya Ubaguzi wa rangi huko dhidi ya wa huko Durban Afrika Kusini mnamo Durban, Afrika Kusini mnamo 2001 Pili, uharibifu usioweza 2001. uharibifu usioweza kurekebishwa uliosababishwa na kugawanywa kwa kikoloni na kwa kikoloni kwa eneo la Kiafrika na wakolo- eneo na ni huko Berlin Mkutano (1884- ni huko Berlin. Mkutano 1885) huko Ujerumani huko Ujerumani. Kwa njia ya kiholela na Kwa ya kiholela na ya uhalifu, Ubelgiji, Ufaransa, ya Uhispania Ureno Uholanzi Uhispania, Ureno, Uholanzi, na Uingereza zilisambaza mae- na zilisambaza maeneo ya Afrika kupitia umwaga- neo ya Afrika umwagaji damu na kuyageuza kuwa damu, na kuwa

“walinzi” kwani kulingana na “walinzi” kwani, kulingana na Wazungu, Afrika haiwezi kuji- Afrika haiwezi tawala yenyewe tawala yenyewe.

Rodney aliandika kitabu cha aliandika kitabu cha ajabu kiitwacho Jinsi Uropa Il- kiitwacho “ Jinsi Ilivyopunguza Maendeleo ya Afri- Maendeleo ya Afrika?” ambamo anaelezea mchakato mchungu wa kihistoria wa to wa kihistoria wa unyonyaji mkubwa ambao nchi mkubwa ambao nchi za Kiafrika zilikabiliwa nazo za nazo kwa zaidi ya karne tano kwa zaidi ya karne tano. Leo, nchi kama Mali, Niger, nchi kama Burkina Faso na Guinea zime- Faso, na pandisha bendera zao za ukom- bendera zao za ukombozi kama zilivyofanya siku za bozi kama siku za

nyuma wakati kiongozi Sundiata nyuma wakati Sundiata Keita alipoungana na ku- Keita na kujenga eneo kubwa la Mandingo eneo kubwa la mnamo 1235 mahali paitwapo mnamo 1235 mahali Kangaba Huko aliunganisha Kangaba. Huko, makabila mbalimbali katika hati isiyo ya kawaida inayoitwa hati ya kawaida MKATABA WA KURUKAN FUGA, iliyoonyesha heshima heshima kwa wanawake familia maji na kwa wanawake, familia, maji, na haki za binadamu za binadamu. Tangu kupenya kwa wakolo- kwa wakoloni wa Ulaya na mgawanyiko wa ni wa na wa bara la Afrika katika Mkutano wa wa Berlin mwaka 1885 maeneo ya Berlin mwaka 1885, maeneo ya Afrika yamesambazwa miongoni Afrika

mwa Wazungu kwa njia ya uhal- mwa kwa ya uhalifu na ya kiholela Watu wa Ki- ifu na ya kiholela. Watu wa Kiafrika hawajawahi kujisalimisha afrika kwa uchokozi wa wakoloni na kwa uchokozi wa wakoloni, na mapambano yao dhidi ya ukoloni yao dhidi ya ukoloni yamekuwa yakiendelea Katika yakiendelea. Katika karne ya 20, nchi nyingi zilitafuta karne ya nchi zilitafuta uhuru kamili kutoka kwa ukoloni Baadhi ya viongozi kama ni. Baadhi ya viongozi, kama Modibo Keita nchini Mali au au Thomas Sankara huko Burkina Faso walijaribu kujenga uhuru Faso, uhuru wao, lakini wote wawili waliua- wao, lakini wote wawili waliuawa na mfumo wa kijeshi na ki- wa na mfumo wa na kisiasa wa Ufaransa unaojulikana siasa wa Ufaransa kama Ufaransa-Afrique kama “ Ufaransa-Afrique.”

AFRIKA ...IGBESAN TI SUNDIATA KEITA

Pataki lati Caracas VZ

Pataki lati Caracas, VZ

ní Berlin Apero (1884-1885) ni ní Berlin ni Germany Germany.

tugal, Fiorino, ati England pin ati pin

ju nigbati adari Sundiata Keita adari Sundiata Keitaingo ni 1235 ni aaye kan ti a pe ni 1235 ni aaye kan ti a pe kan nínú ìwé àjèjì kan nínú ìwé n pè ní ORIKI KURU- n ní ORIKI KURUfún

Lati inu ilaluja amunisin ti Ilu Lati inu amunisin ti Ilu

Maanta dalal ay ka mid Maanta, dalal ay ka mid yihiin Mali, Burkina Faso, Burkina Guinea iyo Niger oo soo saara Guinea, Niger, oo soo saara boqolkiiba 80 Yuranium-ka iyo 80 Yuranium-ka boqolkiiba wax badan oo dahab wax badan oo dahab ah quwadaha reer galbeedka ah reer galbeedka, ayaa u kacay iyaga oo dalbanaya ayaa u oo madax-bannaanidooda Afartan madax-bannaanidooda. Afartan waddan waxay ka tirsanaay- waddan waxay ka een Boqortooyadii weynaa ee een weynaa ee Mandingo ee uu hoggaaminayey ee uu Sundiata Keita Ruuxa Sundiata Keita. Keita ayaa soo laabtay si uu u Keita ayaa soo si uu u taageero caruurtiisa marxaladan taageero caruurtiisa marxaladan cusub ee dagaalka loogu jiro cusub ee madax-banaanidooda madax-banaanidooda.

Leo hii nchi kama Mali Leo hii, nchi kama Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, na Niger, Burkina na ambayo inazalisha asilimia 80 ya inazalisha asilimia 80 ya uranium na asilimia kubwa ya uranium na asilimia kubwa ya dhahabu kwa mataifa yenye ngu- dhahabu kwa mataifa yenye nguvu za Magharibi zimeinuka ziki- vu za Magharibi, zimeinuka zikitaka uhuru wao Nchi hizi nne zi- wao. nne likuwa za Dola kuu ya Mandingo likuwa za Dola kuu ya iliyoongozwa na Sundiata na Sundiata Keita Roho ya Sundiata Keita. Roho ya Sundiata Keita imerejea kusaidia watoto Keita kusaidia watoto wake katika hatua hii mpya ya wake katika hatua hii mpya ya kupigania uhuru wao uhuru wao.

n kéde n dá ènìyàn ní dá ní yà ní Durban South Af- ní Durban, South Af-

Mali Niger Burkina Faso ati Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, ati

olori, bi Modibo Keita ni Mali bi Modibo Keita ni Mali tabi Thomas Sankara ni Burkina Mali Burkina Faso Guinea ati Mali, Faso, Guinea, uranium ati ipin pataki goolu fun uranium ati fun ni ipele tuntun yii ti ija fun om- ni tuntun ti fun om-

DAAWADA COVID-19

Daawada afka laga qaato ee ka hortagta fayraska

Daawada KOFID-19 ee kahortagta fayraska waxay ka caawiyaan dadka inay iska caabiyaan jirrooyinka. Paxlovid waxaa loogu talagalay dadka jira 12 sanno iyo ka weyn; molnupiravir waxaa loogu talagalay dadka waaweyn ee

Haddii aad la jirran tahay KOFID-19, daawada ka hortagta fayraska waxay kaa joojin kartaa inaad sii xannuunsato waxayna yaren kartaa muddada aad jirran tahay. Waxa laga yaabaa in aad daawadan hesho haddii afartan shay run yihiin:

Haddii lagaa helay cudurka KOFID-19.

Astaamahaagu bilowdeen wax yar 5 maalmood kahor.

Haddii aad halis ugu jirto KOFID-19 daran iyadoo ugu wacan tahay inaad da’ weyn tahay ama aad

Haddii aan isbitaal laguu dhigin sabab la xiriirta KOFID-19.

Inta badan daawooyinka KOFID-19 waa lacag la’aan laakiin waxaa jiri kara kharash iyo khidmada kale.

$1.2 Million in grants support Ramsey Child Protection Act

In a groundbreaking move towards improving child protection systems, Transforming Systems Together (TST) announced its first series of community grants, distributing $1,228,550 to 26 local entities. This child protection act initiative marks a significant step forward in ensuring the well-being of children potentially at risk in Ramsey County’s child protection system. Recognizing the urgent requirement to overhaul the child welfare system, TST, in conjunction with Ramsey County, marked child welfare system enhancement as its premier priority in 2021. With the county’s support, TST created a more streamlined and community-centric grant distribution system. The collaboration was fruitful, and by 2022, the county commissioners sanctioned a $2.5 million budget dedicated to these child protection grants.

Director of TST, Danny Givens commented, “Our collective hard work has led to an equitable community investment strategy emphasizing preventive measures. This initial grant distribution signifies a pioneering shift in system reforms that will, hopefully, resonate for years.”

Data indicates a systematic bias in child protection act, with Black and American Indian communities disproportionately affected in Ramsey County. Such disparities are evident when considering the ten times higher likelihood of out-of-home placements for American Indian children than the broader county demographic. The same risk is twice the likelihood for multiracial and African American children. Tonya Long, a TST community member, elaborated, “These TST Grants are a beacon of hope, channeling community and cultural resources to heal American Indian and Black

families affected by the child protection system.”

The main objective of the TST Grants of child protection policy is to transition from solely system-heavy investments to more communityled, proactive strategies that address early intervention and

prevention. This shift aims to fund community-guided resources to decrease child protection system involvement and reduce the aftermath of outof-home placements. Trista MatasCastillo, Ramsey County Board Chair, highlighted the county’s

Trees need water

Trees – especially young trees – need watering any time it doesn’t rain an inch in a week. Yard and boulevard trees need at least an inch of water every week all through the summer-fall season. Watering is especially important for the

Harris

From 3

The ‘last voice in the room’ Wilson’s successor as president, Warren Harding, had unconventional views about the importance of the role of the vice president. He thought that “the vice president should be more than a mere substitute in waiting,” and he wished for his vice president, Calvin Coolidge, “to be a helpful part” of his administration. Coolidge later became the first vice president in history to attend Cabinet meetings on a regular basis.

In 1923, Harding

Walz

From 3

first three years after planting a tree. Lack of water can make trees vulnerable to insects and disease and cause permanent damage. The Park Board plants boulevard trees, relying on residents to water them. An effective way to

died, likely of a heart attack, and Coolidge succeeded him as president. “My experience in the Cabinet,” Coolidge later recalled, “was of supreme value to me when I became President.”

After Harding and Coolidge, many later presidents reverted back to the tradition of keeping vice presidents an arm’s length away, even on key matters. Franklin D. Roosevelt, for instance, kept the atomic bomb a secret from Vice President Harry S. Truman, who didn’t find out about it until Roosevelt’s death.

For the 1960 presidential election, twoterm Vice President Richard Nixon faced off against Sen. John F. Kennedy. At one point

Walz was first appointed to the council in 2019. The 27th plenary meeting was attended by leaders across the federal

They currently partner with four local educational institutions in Detroit where they provide supplies and teach students skills needed to grow their own produce. Peace Tree Parks

water a tree is to run a garden hose at a slow trickle, placed at least 6 inches from the tree trunk for a few hours. Watering in the evening works best because the water evaporates less, and trees tend to take in most of their water during the night.

during the campaign, reporters asked then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower: “Can you think of a major contribution that Nixon has made to your administration?” Eisenhower replied: “Well, if you give me a week I might think of one.” Nixon lost that election.

In 1976, Jimmy Carter picked Sen. Walter Mondale as his running mate. In a memo sent to Carter after winning the election, Mondale argued that “[t]he biggest single problem of our recent administrations has been the failure of the President to be exposed to independent analysis not conditioned by what it is thought he wants to hear or often what others want him to hear.”

government: the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretaries of the Army and Air Force, the Assistant Secretary

actively collaborates with Black-owned food businesses like local chefs to cook at their community events.

Driving for Change Through Entrepreneurship

Healthy trees are an important part

commitment: “Upon inviting the community for shared decision-making, we pledged to reshape systems for racial and health equality. Today, these child protection grants are a testament to child protection policy to our dedication, fueling community-led projects to meet demands and innovate.”

Ryan T. O’Connor, County Manager, further emphasized the TST Grants’ role as a blueprint for other community projects. The lessons from this endeavor will influence future investments and community collaborations in Ramsey County.

Among the grant recipients, prominent community nonprofits received Innovation Grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000. Some notable awardees include:

● Alia and YMCA were both awarded $100,000

● The ANIKA Foundation, receiving $55,000

● ICWA Law Center

awarded $77,650

Micro Grants, spanning $10,000 to $35,000, were given to community organizations and individual entrepreneurs. Accountable Cultural Brokers LLC, LOGO Community Support Services, and Montessori American Indian Child Care Center each received $35,000. Lastly, Individual Grants of up to $10,000 were granted to private citizens offering unique cultural services. Awardees include Alfreda McClain, Latoya Ealy, and Patricia Azu-Domike. To see all TST Grant Awardees, check here.

About Transforming Systems Together: TST is an innovative shared decisionmaking initiative from Ramsey County. It aims to revamp the county’s service delivery and community investment approach, placing community voices at the forefront of decision-making.

Mondale’s vision for the role of vice president was “to offer impartial advice” so that Carter wouldn’t be “shielded from points of view that [he] should hear.” Carter agreed and subsequently made Mondale an integral part of his inner circle. Biden served 36 years in the Senate before leaving to become Barack Obama’s vice president. When he agreed to be Obama’s running mate, Biden said he wanted to be the “last man in the room” whenever important decisions were being made so he could give Obama his unfiltered opinion. When Biden picked Harris as his running mate, he said he “asked Kamala to be the last voice in the room,” to “[c]hallenge [his]

for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern

Peace Tree Parks is one of many with a drive for change, and Ford is proud to be their vehicle of reliance as they go out and make things happen. They started out building residential garden beds for

assumptions if she disagrees,” and to “[a]sk the hard questions.”

An ally in an increasingly divided Senate

Under the rules of the U.S. Senate, if just one lawmaker doesn’t want a bill to advance, they can attempt to delay its passage indefinitely via the filibuster. A supermajority of three-fifths of the senators, or 60 of the 100, is required to stop the filibuster – or signal that one would not succeed – and proceed to a vote.

Over the years, the Senate has made various proceduralchanges to the filibuster, limiting when it can be used.

The end result of these

Command General, the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Atlantic Area Commandant of the Coast Guard, the White

friends and family, and it was their Ford Explorer that allowed them to load the vehicles up with enough bags of compost to complete two residential gardens per day. They now own a Ford F-150®, helping

reforms is that the Senate is now empowered to do more with just a simple majority. In addition, in recent years, the Senate has become increasingly divided. Together, this has created the conditions that have empowered Harris to cast so many tiebreaking votes so quickly, solidifying both her place in history and her place alongside Biden in the 2024 election. This is an updated version of an article initially published Jan. 19, 2021. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

House Homeland Security Advisor, and the Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs.

them to tow heavy equipment to and from their current job site, and their Ford Expedition® SUV which allows them to tow while still arriving in

“Charles”

wisdom, history, and sisterhood. I enjoyed Cisco’s ability to weave past and present, fantasy and science fiction overlaid with worldbuilding, and his power of imagination to bring us this unique collection.

I can easily picture him sharing this book as a Spoken Word presentation, or as stories one would share around a campfire in the woods with the possibility of something that went bump in the night.

Before Asleep

You Fall is available through Amazon. Thank you once again,

T. Aaron, for your amazing gift of storytelling. And readers, if you are sharing these poems at bedtime, just for good measure, take a peek under the bed first.

“Faeries

Peace Tree

From 6 From 6

style. Their Ford vehicles have helped the organization increase the number of people able to provide produce from local food businesses to homeless shelters. This nonprofit

Worrell

From 3

seek the death penalty against Markeith Loyd, a Black man accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend and Orlando Police Lt. Debra Clayton in 2017. Ayala was the first Black person elected prosecutor in Florida’s long (and mostly segregated) history, but she ultimately lost her legal challenges to Scott’s removal of her cases when the Florida Supreme Court, in a 5-2 decision, sided with the governor.

Earlier this year, DeSantis removed Tampa State Attorney Andrew Warren, a Democrat, because the twice elected prosecutor indicated that his office would not pursue abortion related charges in the wake of Florida’s draconian anti-abortion laws that were passed not long after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade via the Dobbs decision last summer.

Since announcing his presidential bid earlier this year, Gov. DeSantis has deliberately chosen to stake his Oval Office ambitions on being farther to the right of even Donald Trump on “culture war” issues. To be clear, that means that DeSantis is seeking to “out-bigot” Trump, arguably the most outwardly bigoted president that America has had since Woodrow Wilson a little over a century ago! Whether it has been Desantis’ ill advised and unwinnable war against the Disney Corporation—Florida’s most prominent private employer—for its refusal to back down on criticizing his homophobic agenda, or his doubling down on refusing to teach real Black historical facts,

strives to help community members appreciate the value of volunteering by allowing them to have a hands-on therapeutic and inspiring experience. Their aim is to remind others that when you plant a seed… a plant will grow when given the time, consistency, and care. A concept in which their organization was founded on from taking their

DeSantis, trailing Trump by nearly 40 percentage points, is too tone deaf to hear that even among Republican Primary voters, the majority DO NOT CARE about his “anti-woke” agenda. As Donald Trump, of all people, pointed out several weeks ago, DeSantis “can’t even define woke”—and is making a fool out of himself as his campaign has struck ice and is going down faster than the Titanic!

Thinking himself clever, DeSantis tapped Orange County Judge Andrew Bain, a former star football player at the University of Miami and graduate of the Florida A&M University College of Law, as Worrell’s replacement.

What you must know is that Judge Bain is a member of the Federalist Society, a hard core conservative group that has backed recent Supreme Court judicial nominees Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett, among others. Meaning, Judge Bain is cut from the same ideological cloth as DeSantis, a fact that now allows the governor to say, “see, how can I be called a racist if I appointed a Black replacement prosecutor?” But the simple reality is that State Attorney Worrell, elected with better than 67% of the vote, has been replaced with someone who will do the governor’s ideological bidding!

Over two decades ago, I served as an assistant state attorney in Tallahassee and I can attest that one of the best aspects of the job was the ability to use my own judgment in determining just outcomes in thousands of cases. Because of that, I cannot imagine the frustration that State Attorneys Worrell, Warren, and Ayala must have felt in knowing that a sitting governor, playing politics, was there lurking and waiting to usurp their authority.

idea (a seed) and now harvesting what they’ve produced in the last decade through consistency and care. Like Peace Tree Parks, Ford believes in the power of Black businesses. Learn more about their organization at peacetreeparks.org.

Similarly, as one who tried countless murder cases across Florida after I left the State Attorney’s office, including multiple capital murder cases where the death penalty was sought, I can attest that the principal purpose of the death penalty, which is to deter future murders and murderers, simply DOES NOT work; even a cursory glance at the local news each night shows that folks are being killed every single day in cities and towns across Florida. Thus, who can blame elected state attorneys for seeking ways to address crime in Florida as the old ways surely have not lessened crime rates one bit? Now, if you are wondering “what can be done,” I remind my readers now, as I always do during election season, to get out and VOTE! Yes, presidential and gubernatorial races are important, but local prosecutor races are critically important, too! If you do not know the name of your local district, state, or state’s attorney, find out who they are and if you’re living in a red state with a blue prosecutor in your district or circuit, be prepared to write letters to the federal or state level appellate courts in support of the person you helped elect should they find themselves compromised by some ambitious (if not mischievous) Republican governor.

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“Real Politics in Real Time”

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.

“FREEDOM”

By David Rabb

Freedom

Some of us cant’ see it. Some of us can hardly believe it, that we don’t have nothing to lose, except these old rusty invisible chains.

` Freedom

Some of us can’t understand it.

Some of us wont’t even accept it, that we have nothing to lose except these old rusty invisible chains.

`` Freedom

Yes, freedom, yes, freedom rings. We don’t have nothing to lose, no…no, no, nothing to lose except these old rusty and dusty invisible chains.

Power, you misused it. Guilt, you refute it. Shame, you abused it.

Now, we don’t have nothing, no, no, no, nothing, to lose except these old rusty chains.

We are forever free!!

DDR

Alice in Wonderland open audition



Story by Lewis Carroll

Adapted for the stage by Sharon Holland Musicby Victor Zupanc

Directed by Peter C. Brosius

Synopsis Take a tumble down the rabbit hole with Alice and you’ll land in a wonderfully wacky world of rhymes and ridiculousness, checkerboards and cheeky cats, Mad Hatters and mayhem. In this headspinning show, Alice chases the White Rabbit through the audience, attends the most absurd tea party in history, and faces off with the ragingly red Queen of Hearts, all amidst a melee of teeny tiny songs. Humpty Dumpty on a ladder — what could possibly go wrong? Curiouser and curiouser...

Roles

 Alice (Student Actor)- Sweet, Kind-hearted, curious

 White Rabbit (Student Actor)- High Strung, Energetic, Panic Stricken and deperate to please.

 Ensemble (Student Actors) - Our Ensemble plays a plethora of roles in our whimsical and curious world.

 Queen of Hearts (Adult Actor) - A Dictatorial and imperious persona who sets the rules, controls the agenda, and dangerously challenges any and everyone.

 Dutchess, Edith (Adult Actor) - Other than being driven and controlling, the Dutchess leads with intenseness and suffers no fools.

 King of Hearts

(Adult Actor) - Subservient and Meek, the King is kind at his center, but has no problem

fighting for his dignity.

 Cheshire Cat (Adult Actor) - Uncontollably full of laughter! As a professional “Know it all” he is mischievous and also finds himself hilarious.

Caterpillar, March Hare, White Knight (Adult Actor)(Caterpillar) - Stern, self possessed, and easily insults (March Hare) - A pretentious trickster who will not hesitate to judge or break out into song or dance at the drop of a hate. (White Knight) - An old veteran warrious who is easily confused and an epic storyteller.

*Come as you are.

Audition for the role you want. Whatever your gender expression — you are welcome and will be considered.*

Dates First Rehearsal:

1/4/24

2/13/24

First Preview:

Opening: 2/17/24

Closing: 3/31/24

Audition When: AUDITION

DATE: August 23rd, 2023 4:30pm to 9:30pm

Where: Children’s Theatre Company, 2400 3rd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404

What: To audition for Alice in Wonderland, please read and follow the following the instructions carefully. - Please select the role you would like to audition for and Prepare the following material. Please prepare all sides for the track you selected: (To access the sides, https:// drive.google.com/drive/folders /1V8VBcLbrY3BfYQujCZ15 bskAaPGpDR3x)

- Please fill out Audition Form (To access the form, https://airtable. com/appHAo4eFPO5rxLyT/ shrFA5aCeeU0rfB2g)

- Sign up for Audition Time Slot (To Sign Up, https://www.signupgenius. com/go/70a054fabaa23a5fa7alice1#/)

NOTE: Student Actors auditioning for an

ensemble role should sign up for one of the four group slots at the beginning of the day. Please do not sign up for these slots if you are not a student actor auditioning for an ensemble role If there are any questions please feel free to email auditions@ childrenstheatre.org

CTC CASTING

STATEMENT: Children’s Theatre Company is

actively recruiting and seeking performers of color, performers with disabilities, and LGBTQ performers for all casting, recognizing the value and importance of reflecting the diversity of our audience on stage. As a national leader in the field, Children’s Theatre Company serves our region’s intergenerational audience of over 265,000 children, teachers, families, and community members.

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