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August 8, 8, 2022 - August 14, 2022
Vol. 49 No. 32• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Vice President Kamala Harris
Addressing NAACP National Convention
VP Harris urges Black voter participation By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia Vice President Kamala Harris appeared at the NAACP convention in Atlantic City on Monday, July 18, declaring that freedom, liberty, and democracy are on the ballot in the upcoming midterm elections. She implored the large gathering at the Atlantic City Convention Center to make sure that all voices are heard. “We’re not going to be able to get these days back, so each one of these days we must, with a sense of urgency, ensure that the American people know their voice and their vote matters,” Harris declared.
“It is their voice. The right to vote is something that the leaders of this organization and its founders knew to be at the core of all of the other rights and freedoms to which we are entitled,” she further implored. “So, we know what we need to do. And, in particular, to protect the freedom to vote and a women’s right to make decisions about her own body, we need people who will defend our rights up and down the ballot, from district attorneys to state attorneys general, from local sheriffs to governors.” The vice president received several standing ovations as she spoke of the need to vote. The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), a trade associa-
tion representing 235 African American-owned newspapers and media companies, has teamed with the Transformative Justice Coalition in an effort to register 10 million more Black voters ahead of the midterm and 2024 general elections. As Harris arrived in Atlantic City, Mayor Marty Small greeted her as she descended from Air Force Two. NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson spoke to the vice president and railed against politicians and the U.S. Supreme Court for “the erosion of constitutional freedom, including the right of a woman over her own body.” Harris also decried the sharp increase in mass shootings and gun violence in the United States.
“There is no reason for weapons of war on the streets of America,” she asserted. With West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin repeatedly stopping the BidenHarris administration agenda, Harris called on voters to participate in the U.S. Senate election. “We will not, and the president has been clear, we will not let the filibuster stand in our way of our most essential rights and freedoms,” Harris declared. “I visited Buffalo, New York, to attend the funeral of an 86-year-old grandmother who went to the grocery store after, as she often did, spending the day with her husband who was in a nursing home – Mrs. Whitfield.” Harris continued: “I went to Highland
Park, Illinois, where there were strollers and lawn chairs scattered up and down a street where there was supposed to be a parade for July 4th. There – as in Uvalde, Texas; as in Greenwood, Indiana, just last night; and in so many communities across our nation – scenes of ordinary life have been turned into war zones by horrific acts of gun violence. “Mass shootings have made America a nation in mourning. And it’s not only the mass shootings. We see it in our communities every day, and it is no less tragic or outrageous.” “Think about it: Black people are 13 percent of America’s population but make up 62 percent of gun homicide victims. “This issue of the
need for reasonable gun safety laws is a real issue when we are talking about the civil right, the right that all communities should have, to live in a place that is safe without weapons of war running those streets.” She concluded that the number of guns manufactured in the country tripled over the last 20 years. “Today we have more guns in our nation than people,” Harris said. “Earlier this month, the president signed the first federal gun safety law in nearly 30 years. And it was an important and necessary step. But we need to do more. We must repeal the liability shield that protects gun manufacturers. And we must renew the assault weapons ban.”
White House announces actions to address mental health in schools By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia The White House announced the awarding of the first grant from the nearly $300 million in funding allocated to expand access to mental health services in American schools. President Joe Biden secured the funding through the bipartisan omnibus agreement to expand access to school mental health services. Biden also plans to encourage governors around the country to invest more in schoolbased mental health services, administration officials said. “Our nation’s young people are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis. Even before the pandemic, rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts among youth were on the rise,” administration officials said in a release. “The pandemic exacerbated those issues, disrupting learning, relationships, and routines and increasing isolation – especially among our nation’s young people.” Officials said more than 40 percent of teenagers have reported that they struggle with persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and more than half of parents and caregivers express concern over their children’s mental well-being.
President Biden also plans to encourage governors around the country to invest more in school-based mental health services. “To address this crisis, President Biden put forward in his first State of the Union a comprehensive national strategy to tackle our mental health crisis, and called for a major transformation in how mental health is understood, accessed, treated, and integrated – in and out of health care settings,” officials stated. Beginning in August, the Department of Education
plans to start the process to disburse the nearly $300 million Congress appropriated through both the bi-partisan Safer Communities Act and the Omnibus to help schools hire more school-based mental health professionals and build a strong pipeline into the profession for the upcoming school year. According to the news release, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act will
invest $1 billion over the next five years in mental health supports in our schools, making progress towards the President’s goal to double the number of school counselors, social workers, and other mental health professionals. The administration has allocated the funding to two critical programs. Those include the Mental Health Service Profes-
sional (MHSP) Demonstration Grant Program, which will provide over $140 million in competitive grants to support a strong pipeline into the mental health profession, including innovative partnerships to prepare qualified school-based mental health services providers for employment in schools. Additionally, the School-Based Mental Health (SBMH) Services Grant Pro-
gram will provide over $140 million in competitive grants to states and school districts to increase the number of qualified mental health services providers delivering school-based mental health services to students in local educational agencies with demonstrated need. The White House said this will increase the number of school psychologists, counselors, and other mental health professionals serving our students. Some schools will gain mental health staff for the first time. They said others will see this critical workforce expand. “By increasing the number of qualified mental health professionals in our schools, and thereby reducing the number of students each provider serves, this program will meaningfully improve access to mental health services for vulnerable students,” officials asserted. Other programs receiving funding include Fostering Trauma-Informed Services in Schools, Expanding Mental Health Services Through Full-Service Community Schools, and Responding to Childhood Trauma Associated with Community Violence. “In just 18 months, President Biden has invested unprecedented resources in addressing the mental health crisis and providing young people the supports, resources, and care they need,” administration officials stated.
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Vol. 49 No. 32• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Project Success
Students define their own success and connect with purpose By Brenda Lyle-Gray Columnist
Wikipedia
Keith Ellison and Ilhan Omar
The Conversation
Keith Ellison, Ilhan Omar champion public safety reform; women’s reproductive rights Columnist
By Brenda Lyle-Gray It was the middle of the day on Tuesday, July 23th. There were sounds of music coming from Nicollet Avenue’s popular downtown entertainment venue. The Dakota Jazz Club, first opened in St. Paul almost 40 years ago, had moved from St. Paul to the other Twin City in 2003. Known for bringing world class artists who had performed both national and globally, the Dakota also was among the first ‘farm-to-table’ cuisine establishments to work with Minnesota growers. Minneapolis-based reggae/funk/jazz master Wain McFarlane, was setting up for a show that evening. Through
the magic of modern-day technology, Al McFarlane, host of ‘The Conversation with Al McFarlane’ and editor of Insight News, interviewed two of Minnesota’s most influential political figures as part of a program that featured the genius musical compositions and performance of Wain McFarlane & Friends, getting double duty out of the midday sound check in preparation for the evening’s headlining show at the Dakota. “There’s the extraordinaire Ryan Bynum at the keyboard; Charles Hayes on bass; Jorgen Linn on the upright contra bass; Kevin Washington on drums; and a lifetime member of the Ipso Facto band, Jose James on saxophone,” Wain McFarlane announced as the show went live on KFAI 90.5FM and across multiple social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. McFarlane’s son, Miles, named for the late legendary jazz trumpeter, joined in on vocals.
The programs transported both brothers back to the beginnings of ‘The Conversation’ which was produced as a live audience radio and public access television show at the legendary Lucille’s Kitchen in North Minneapolis. The show was broadcast on KMOJ-89.9FM and KFAI, sister stations committed to social change and elevation of people power in the challenge to hierarchies and strategies that worked to keep Black people and progressive ideas at the margign. “There was always this vibe, an energy, and an ancestral presence guiding Wain,” Al McFarlane said. “The programs examined public policy our people’s right and duty to bring our voices to the table of decision where we could see and hear ourselves and where we could tell ourselves and the world how the futures we envisioned looked. My brother Wain, guided by the spirit, always brought forth the exact right
song and message, lyrics and tempo shaping and amplifying rich conversations, fueling the sense of agency, determination in the community.” True to its name, ‘Ipso Facto’, declared the inevitable result of an existing state of affairs. There remained in the end messages of truth and commitments to trustworthiness, rightness, wisdom, and challenges along with the admiration of the masterful knowledge of the band’s craft and the reality of troubled times. In one of the band’s popular songs, ‘You’ve Got to Get Ready’, McFarlane leans back, strums his guitar with magical precision, turns to greet his musical companions, and tells the story of a police officer who once detained him, informing this Black man that he was in the wrong predominantly white neighborhood. “That house is mine, the driver declares. I own that house!” Can we agree that
ELLISON/OMAR 4
Black family sues Sesame Place, alleging discrimination A Baltimore family is suing a Sesame Street-themed amusement park for $25 million over claims of racial discrimination, alleging multiple costumed characters ignored a 5-year-old Black girl during a meet-and-greet event last month. The lawsuit comes in the wake of a video, shared widely on social media, showing two other Black girls apparently being snubbed by a costumed employee during a parade at the park in Langhorne, outside Philadelphia. Sesame Place apologized in a statement and promised more training for its employees after the video went viral earlier this month. The suit, which seeks class action status, was filed in a federal court in Philadelphia against SeaWorld Parks, the owner of the Sesame Place, for “pervasive and appalling race discrimination.” The lawsuit alleges four employees dressed as Sesame Street characters ignored Quinton Burns, his daughter Kennedi Burns and other Black guests during the meet-and-greet on June 18. The lawsuit says “SeaWorld’s
Adrienne Diercks stood in a grocery store check-out line paying little attention to the young woman standing at a safe distance behind her. The unfamiliar face recognized the P.S. insignia on Diercks bracelet. ‘Project Success’, she said, surprising the founder and executive director of an almost 30-year academic enrichment initiative that has augmented the lives of 210,000 students and their families in the Minneapolis Public School District. “I loved ‘Project Success’, the young lady continued probably much to the chagrin of hurried other shoppers standing behind her. I graduated from South High two years ago. I loved the college tours and the theater. And my facilitator was right there with me.” Diercks’ heart cried out, “Validation! We’ve been doing a good thing, and our purpose continues to be fulfilled.” Diercks, founder of Project Success, was born in Minneapolis and raised by a single mom of four and attended Minneapolis Public Schools throughout. Her mom is still an actress today at almost 90. “I grew up in theater. I grew up
photo/Jodi Brown
performers readily engaged with numerous similarly situated white customers.” During a press conference held Wednesday,
one of the family’s attorneys, Malcolm Ruff, called for transparency from SeaWorld and for the company to compensate the Burns family.
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AfroColombians: Rebuilding Hope
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The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
with struggles like many of the children and families we serve. I grew up with great lights from my mom and grandparents. They told me they couldn’t put me through college but were confident I could do it on my own. They challenged me to figure out what I was going to do to make the world a better place by using my skills,” she said. “At 11 years old, I was asking myself, ‘What if every young person starting at age 11 could explore useful workshops, talk with trusted others about their lived experiences, explore who they really were, and began to discover where they wanted to go in this big, wide, beautiful world?’” “What if every young person who’s as unique as Laura
DIERCKS 8
photo/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Boston Celtics’ coach Bill Russell is seen during a press conference in Boston, April 18, 1966.
Russell was a champion of activism before winning NBA titles By Kyle Hightower AP Sports Writer Bill find He way
In this image from video provided by Jodi Brown, posted to Instagram on Saturday, July 16, 2022, a performer dressed as the character Rosita waves off Brown’s daughter and another 6-year-old Black girl at the Sesame Place amusement park in Langhorne, Pa.
projectsuccess.com
Adrienne Diercks Founder and Executive Director
Russell never had to his voice as an activist. didn’t know any other but to speak his mind. It’s what made the winningest athlete in team sports one of the greatest champions of activism. His belief in equality and the stances he took helped create a pathway that athletes today continue to walk in. Len Elmore, who played 10 seasons in the NBA and is a senior lecturer at Columbia University where he’s taught on athlete activism and social justice in sports, called Russell’s social contributions “immortal.” “He showed many of us in the game how to be,” Elmore said. Before Russell, who died Sunday at age 88, developed the skills that would make him an 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics, two-time Hall of Famer and an Olympic gold medalist, he had a front row view of the racial indignities endured by
his parents as he grew up in segregated Monroe, Louisiana. In a time when Jim Crow laws in the South existed to silence the views of Black people, he was groomed to be an unapologetic thinker. “I have never worked to be well-liked or well-loved, but only to be respected,” Russell wrote in his 1966 book “Go Up For Glory.” “I believe I can contribute something far more important than mere basketball.” That conviction was rooted in what he observed as a child in the late 1930s and early 1940s in Louisiana, where his father, Charles, worked at a paper bag company. Russell was with him at a gas station one day when the attendant ignored them as he talked to a white man and then proceeded to provide service to other cars that had arrived after them. Charles was about to drive off when the attendant pulled a gun and said, “Don’t you try that, boy, unless you want to get shot,” Russell recalled in his book.
RUSSELL 8
I2H
UN health agency chief declares monkeypox a global emergency
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Comcast RISE, national initiative to support small businesses, awards another 100 Twin Cities businesses with $10,000 grants Comcast announced it will award an additional $1 million in total grants as well as technology and marketing resources to more than 100 Twin Cities small businesses owned by women and people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Asian American owners, among others. The recipients are among more than 9,500 entrepreneurs nationwide who have been selected through the Comcast RISE program, which provides marketing, technology, and capital support to small business owners. Comcast RISE and the Comcast RISE Investment Fund initially launched in 2020 as a response to help small business owners of color who were hardest hit by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2021, Comcast announced a major expansion to eligibility, enabling all women-owned small businesses nationwide to apply. This expansion built on
Ellison/Omar From 3 obviously and especially since the televised execution of George Floyd, and in the aftermath when disturbing disparities were unearthed, that Black America and other BIPOC populaces have perhaps taken two steps forward but have been gradually thrust three to four steps backward during the Trump regime? Fear and hate mongers still have the potential of destroying democracy with the insane addition to the doctrine of white supremacy of Christian nationalism. Two of Minneapolis’, the state, and the nation’s most astute, dedicated, and accomplished political figures joined what the host called ‘a powerhouse collection’ of genius and an appreciation for their service and decades long performances. “Attorney General Keith Ellison and I celebrate a long friendship. We were always there supporting one another, our families, and our communities,” said Al McFarlane. The two reflected on the 80s decades that followed. “I applaud you for publishing a book, winning elections to the Minnesota House of Representatives and to the U.S. Congress, and now, to Attorney General for the state of Minnesota. What a phenomenal career, and just to think, you’re still a young man! A lot of your community organizing came from our beginnings at Lucille’s Kitchen’. It was where you became ‘a man of and for the people’.” Images of George
the program’s success and aims to help address the persistent inequities women continue to face in accessing the resources and funding that are critical to success. Selected businesses will each receive a $10,000 grant, bringing the total to $2 million in grants awarded to Twin Cities small businesses since the program’s inception. An additional 48 small businesses will receive marketing or technology support such as a TV campaign, production of a TV commercial or consulting services from Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, or computer equipment, internet, voice or cybersecurity services from Comcast Business. Twin Cities grant recipients include: Ambiance Spa and Salon, Burnsville Hijab Shack, Maple Grove Mad Clean, Champlin Primitiva LLC, Minneapolis ROMI LLC, St. Paul Floyd taking his last breath and of the mutilated body of young Emmett Till displayed in an open casket 67 years ago will never be erased in my mind. Had it not been for Attorney General Ellison and his team of legal scholars a different outcome in the Derek Chauvin murder trial might have resulted in another miscarriage of justice and a city and a country divided even more than it currently is. Ellison and his team delivered a victory in one of the country’s most important trials in recent history. And Ellison continues to win for the people of Minnesota protecting consumers from astronomical gas bills increases over the frigid winter months and from price gauging by companies seeking to profiteer under the cloak of the Coronavirus Pandemic. “Don’t suffer in silence,” he says. “Call my office. We’ll do all we can to help.” Ellison told The Conversations audiences that COVID had not gone away. “It’s morphing and we are still at risk. We must be mindful and pay attention. Bottom line, it’s a lethal disease and people are still dying from it. I urge people to get vaccinated and get a second booster. We’re still unpacking the psychosocial impact of the pandemic and the quarantine. We’ve seen so many measures of human wellness going in the wrong direction. Domestic violence is on the rise; opioid and drug overdose are at epidemic proportions, and alcohol use and addiction are spiraling upward. Crime is up. For many, anxiety is difficult to control because they see no light at the end of roads they must travel. We have to constantly
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 Editors Afrodescendientes Jesús Chucho Garcia Mestre Yoji Senna DaBahia Columnist Brenda Lyle-Gray Book Review Editor W.D. Foster-Graham Content & Production Manager Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Charles Royston Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Intern Naomi Thomson Photography Uchechukwu Iroegbu
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A full list of Comcast RISE recipients from the Twin Cities can be found at https:// newsdirect.com/. “I am so thankful to be a recipient of the Comcast RISE Investment grant,” said Amy Wagner, owner of Mad Clean in Champlain. “The $10,000 will help me tremendously as I grow my business. It will help me
hire employees as my business expands and to put a down payment on a more reliable work vehicle. At the moment, I am only able to take on so much work on my own. Being able to hire someone will allow me to take on more clients in the community and expand my business to more commercial clients.”
ask ourselves, are we okay? What about our children, other family members, friends, coworkers, and neighbors? Ask them if they’re okay or if they need help,” Ellison said. No one has seen anything like this kind of pandemic since the improperly named 1917 ‘Spanish flu’, an international influenza pandemic that took millions of lives worldwide, Ellison said. “There were no medical preventions like vaccines or ventilators. World War I, disease, and the most vitriolic racism in our country were raging. In 1920 three Black circus workers in Duluth were lynched from a light pole for a crime they did not commit. The Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial now stands there in downtown Duluth.” The current iteration of white supremacist hate groups, spurred on by the former President Donald Trump, remain a threat to democracy and human rights, he said. “Do you think anyone could go to a person like Trump and appease them? They will read that as a ‘we win; you lose’ scenario. When it comes to Trump and his followers, the only way to deal with him and them is to confront them and stand up to them. If we don’t, they will never stop. In my opinion, we must prosecute their illegal conduct. Interestingly, when it comes to the world of white supremacy, more and more old white supremacists are abandoning the movement. Yet at the same time, when the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security said white supremacist violence is the number one type of violence the country needs to be worried about, the right wing in Congress said, ‘You’re picking on us.’ Ellison says the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, was not just about women. “It’s about all of us,” he said. “The 1972 case was based on the Supreme Court finding that there was a right to privacy. That meant a person could make decisions about things affecting them intimately, especially of a family nature, and it was their constitutional right to make those decisions and the government could not interfere.” That decision stood a long time and was reinforced by a case called the Casey case. One of those rights was the
1968 Loving vs. Virginia case where a Black woman and a white man got married in that state. The Court found that no state had a right to inject itself in marital decisions. Then there was Connecticut vs. Griswold, a case where some folks bought contraception. They wanted to regulate whether they were going to have kids or not. There have been a lot of decisions based on that right to privacy, Ellison said. In 1995, Minnesota decided under a case called Doe vs. Gomez, that individuals have a constitutional right to seek and get an abortion and get government assistance to pay for it. Recently, the U. S. Supreme Court, packed with right wing jurists made a sixthree judgment to overturn Roe vs. Wade. In that decision, Judge Alito went back to the 1800s stating that unless it was written in the constitution or unless the right was recognized in 1791 when the Bill of Rights was established, then there is no right to an abortion, Ellison said. Representative Ilhan Omar, who represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, joined 17 other lawmakers in recent protests outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. They adamantly disagreed with the decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade. “It was like these right wing conservatives never considered how detrimental their decision is and what it actually means in the moment,” Omar said. “The original decision was basically about privacy and about bodily autonomy. It was about women and all people in this country having the right to make personal decisions for themselves.” “As you know, we follow the long tradition of our beloved former colleague, John Lewis in creating ‘good trouble’. In this day and age, this 50-year statute should never have been overturned. But every good idea we have tried to legislate has died in the Senate. Now, it’s about keeping the urgency of the moment in the spotlight,” Omar said. “One thing that connects my race to the Attorney General’s race is that most of the people who are funding and supporting Keith’s opponents
“As we continue to rebuild from the effects of the pandemic, small businesses still need our support. They are the backbone of our local communities, and we must take every opportunity to help them not only survive, but to thrive,” said Kalyn Hove, Regional Senior Vice President, Comcast Twin Cities. “When we launched Comcast RISE in 2020, we knew a profound need existed in many of the communities we serve, and we have now seen firsthand how the resources from Comcast RISE are continuing to benefit small businesses two and a half years since the program’s inception.” To date, Comcast RISE has awarded more than $16 million in grants and $75 million in in-kind support for marketing and technology services, impacting more than 9,500 entrepreneurs in 704 cities across 37 states. By the end of 2022, 13,000 businesses across the country are expected to benefit from the Comcast
RISE initiative, either through the grant program or from the resources provided through Effectv, the advertising division of Comcast Cable, and Comcast Business. In addition to the financial and business support services provided, a key part of the program is ensuring the long-term sustainability of businesses. To help address this, Comcast invests in and partners with organizations such as Ureeka to provide ongoing mentorship and resources to help small businesses succeed over the long term. Comcast RISE stands for Representation, Investment, Strength, and Empowerment and is part of Project UP, the company’s comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities. More information and the applications to apply for either the grant program or marketing and technology services are available at www.ComcastRISE.com.
Dakota Cooks
Wain McFarlane for the attorney general are the same people who are funding and supporting my Democratic opponent. That tells you two things. One, it’s really not about whether I’m delivering for the district or not. Republicans obviously have a vested interest in making sure people are not delivering for the 5th. Two, it’s about dwindling our resources so we’re unable to mobilize the way we’re supposed to in the 5th in order for Keith to get reelected.” “We’re faced with a recruiting shortage in Minneapolis because good police officers don’t want to be associated with a bad department. Bad policing erodes the relationship between the police and the community. That makes it harder for police officers who want to protect the community to do a good job. St. Paul’s police department isn’t perfect, but they haven’t had a ‘no knock warrant’ since 2016,” Ellison said. “The George Floyd Justice and Policing Act is clearly common sense lawmaking, Omar said. “I introduced legislation to ban ‘no knock’ warrants. Amir Locke’s life could have been spared. That’s why the Act has the approval of the Locke family. We also introduced legislation to create a national board to review police misconduct. That could have prevented the Derek Chauvins of the world to be on our police force 10 years after they did the same thing to some other victim. As you know, Chauvin did that to a 14-yearold before he used the same knee on George Floyd’s neck. Luckily, the young man is still alive. George Floyd is not.” “We absolutely believe everyone has the right to be safe, their property safe, and their loved ones safe. But we have stood up for reform of policing and some people have come against us because of this. It’s unfair. It’s unwise. It’s ill informed,” said Ellison. “I hope people in the 5th Congressional District and in Minnesota understand that we can have a higher quality of policing than we’ve been getting. This is not to criticize of the work of Rondo (former Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo) and other folks who have tried to improve the department. They have made good strides. We need to make some more strides, and we can.” Omar says it is unconscionable that the city has paid out almost 70 million dollars for police misconduct that included incidents resulting in the deaths of some victims. “Don Samuels, when he was a member of Minneapolis City Council, had the opportunity to reform the police department when he was the chair of the committee that oversaw it,”
Omar said. “What did he do? He made excuses using the police union as a scapegoat. The charter amendment the Attorney General and I advocated could have created a new slate and new opportunities for positive transformational changes in public safety for our communities. Now the mayor and the city council are pushing to create a public safety department.” St. Paul has a 90% solve rate on homicides. Minneapolis has 40%. Omar said Minneapolis residents deserve better. “A report came out that the Minneapolis Police Department was destroying rape kits. I think about the rape victims out there who have not gotten justice because they are being served by a police department that is negligent, that is not accountable to the people, and that includes city leaders like Don Samuels,” Omar said. “When we hold people like Keith and me accountable for saying we deserve better, we must also hold the people accountable who brought us to this moment by allowing police like Chauvin to stay on the police force. Not only did he murder George Floyd, but he caused so much pain, havoc, and unrest, and the city was forced to pay out millions,” Omar said. Omar said her accomplishments include passage of the Meals Act that has helped feed nearly 30 million children across the country. She said, “We’ve delivered 17 million dollars in community projects to invest in incubators for food entrepreneurs in North Minneapolis. We’re rebuilding the Lake Street Clinic and creating new ‘green’ jobs at North High School. We are out in the community and delivering these services and others directly to our constituents.” “We also know people in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District and in the state are some of the smartest voters in the country,” Omar said. “We have one of the highest voter turnouts in the country. People pay attention and they elect public servants who actually care. They are rooted in their communities, but more must act upon the urgency of the moment. Those legally prepared to vote must vote!” There was one last song before the band’s rehearsal and ‘The Conversation’ had ended. The words brought forward an important message. “Why are we waiting? What are we anticipating? The world is now. Why are we standing up not doing nothing? One person, one vote, yeah. All you got to do is go and vote. We could change the world. We can change it. One man, one woman. One vote, one destiny.” And so it is. And so it can be.
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Afrodescendientes
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Editor’s Note: This edition presents the first of two previously published articles by Venezuelan diplomat, activist and Afrodescendent cultural visionary, author and intelletual, Jesus “Chucho” Garcia, who is writing from Venezuela and Columbia, South America. Originally presented in Spanish, Portuguese and English, Afrodecendientes now presents those essays in Yoruba, Somali and French. Our plan is the regular presentation of relevant content that examines the crimnal enterprise of human trafficking and enslavement and its deliterious impact on African people, worldwide. More importantly, the multilingual presentations demonstrate our capacity to create new unifying narratives that reveal an African way of knowing, and that lean into our authorship of a future in which our people emerge resilient, whole and healed.
AfroColombians Ireti Títún
Nipa Jesu Chucho Garcia (Bogota, Colombia) Nibi ni Columbia, South America, Aare-Ayanfẹ Gustavo Petro ati Igbakeji Aare Ayanfẹ, Francia Marques yoo bẹrẹ ilana ti iyipada ni ọkan ninu awọn orilẹ-ede ti o ni iwa-ipa ati ẹlẹyamẹya ni South America. Lẹhin Brazil, Kolombia ni awọn olugbe abinibi ti iha isale asale Sahara ti o tobi julọ ni South America. Awọn olugbe Afro Colombian ni ifoju ni nkan bi miliọnu 15, eyiti o pọ julọ ninu wọn ngbe ni osi pipe. Pupọ julọ wa ni awọn agbegbe lẹba Pacific ati awọn eti okun Karibeani. Ilu ti Cali ni olugbe ilu Afro Columbia ti o tobi julọ. Itan-akọọlẹ ti Afro Colombians, lati igba ti wọn ji wọn lati Afirika fun ilokulo ọkan wọn ati iṣẹ wọn, jẹ ọkan ninu ija ailopin ailopin lodi si irẹjẹ ni awọn ọna oriṣiriṣi rẹ… ẹlẹyamẹya, baba-nla, ati iyasoto ti wọn wa labẹ ijọba amunisin. ati imusin kapitalisimu. Igbesoke ti Cimarron Menkos Bioho ati ẹda rẹ ti abule ọfẹ ti a mọ ni Palenque de San Basilio, ti o wa nitosi Cartagena de Indias, jẹ apẹẹrẹ ti o dara julọ ti resistance lodi si eto ẹrú, ati, imọlẹ ireti ni Igbakeji Igbakeji atijọ ti Santa. Fe nigba ti 17th orundun. Ikopa Afro Colombian ni Ogun ti Ominira ti Columbia ti o ṣakoso nipasẹ Simon Bolivar pẹlu iranlọwọ lati Haiti jẹ eyiti ko le ṣe ariyanjiyan. Laisi wiwa wọn kii yoo ti ṣaṣeyọri Itan Afro-Colombian ti Ijakadi ti pẹ ati idaduro, ṣiṣe ni 1993 Ofin ti Awọn agbegbe Dudu, eyiti o yori si awọn ẹtọ si nini ilẹ, awọn ẹtọ lati ni awọn agbegbe idibo Afro Colombian fun yiyan awọn oludije agbegbe ati awọn oludije fun Ile asofin ti Orilẹ-ede ati awọn igbimọ agbegbe, laarin miiran awọn ẹtọ. Ni Oṣu Kẹjọ ọdun 2013, ọdun 20 lẹhin igbasilẹ ti Ofin 70 (Law of the Blacks/ Ley de Negritudes) , Afro Colombians pe apejọ kan ni Quibdo labẹ akori Bantu African “Ubuntu: “Mo jẹ nitori a wa.” Eleyi jẹ akọkọ
National Congress of Afro Colombian eniyan, Black ati Carib. Oju-ọna fun Ile asofin Afro Colombian jẹ itọsọna nipasẹ ohun ti a pe ni Ijumọsọrọ iṣaaju, eyiti o jẹ ilana ofin kan ti o nlo pẹlu awọn ipinnu ijọba aringbungbun ti o le kan awọn agbegbe Afro Colombian. Awọn iṣẹ akanṣe ijọba orilẹ-ede ni lati ni atunyẹwo iṣaaju labẹ awọn ofin eyiti o bo ilẹ ati idagbasoke igberiko, ofin nipa awọn ile-iṣẹ agbegbe adase, awọn ofin ti o bo awọn ofin iwakusa ati ofin iṣe ifẹsẹmulẹ. O fẹrẹ to ọdun mẹwa 10 ti kọja lati igba ti Ile-igbimọ Afro Colombian ti a ṣe akiyesi pupọ. Ṣaaju Ile asofin ijoba, Afro-Colombians jiya nipo nitori awọn rogbodiyan ologun laarin awọn ọmọ ogun orilẹede, awọn ẹgbẹ ogun oogun, ati awọn ọmọ-ogun paramilitary. A ṣe iṣiro pe laarin wọn, o ju 200 awọn oludari Afro Colombia ni wọn pa ati/tabi sọnu. Ninu awọn idibo ti o kọja, Afro Colombians ni oniruuru awọn agbeka wọn ati atẹle ero ti Afro Colombian Congress ti iṣeto ni Quito ni ọdun 2013, ṣẹda adari iwe adehun itan nipasẹ Gustavo Petro, ẹniti o yan fun igbakeji alaga ti n ṣisẹ, alakitiyan Afro Colombian ati agbẹjọro , France Marquez. Marquez mu awọn ibaraẹnisọrọ media ati awọn nẹtiwọọki awujọ wa ni ipele agbaye, ti n ṣe afihan pe o jẹ jagunjagun obinrin laibikita awọn igbiyanju ijiya lati pa a nitori o tako awọn isediwon nkan ti o wa ni erupe ile eyiti o kan agbegbe. Ninu ipolongo idibo Colombia to ṣẹṣẹ ṣe, ẹlẹyamẹya ara ilu Colombia ati awọn eto agbaye ko foju ka Pero ati Marquez bi o tilẹ jẹ pe awọn alaye wọn han bi omi, ti o han gbangba, ti n ṣe afihan awọn ireti ti ko fi ẹnikan silẹ lẹhin… kii ṣe Afro Colombian nikan, ṣugbọn tun ti awọn olugbe Ilu abinibi ati awọn talaka alawo funfun. Francia Marques jẹ olubori Ayika Ayika 2018 Goldman, iru ẹbun Nobel ayika kan nitori o ṣeto awọn obinrin Afro-Colombian ti abinibi rẹ La Toma lati da iwakusa goolu arufin duro.
AfroColombians Dib u dhiska Rajada By Jesus Chucho Garcia (Bogota, Colombia) Halkan Colombia, South America, bishan Ogosto, Madaxweynaha la doortay Gustavo Petro iyo Madaxweyne ku xigeenka la doortay, Francia Marques waxay bilaabi doonaan geeddi-socod isbedel ah mid ka mid ah dalalka ugu rabshadaha iyo cunsuriyiinta ee Koonfurta Ameerika. Ka dib Brazil, Colombia waxay leedahay dadka ugu badan ee asal ahaan ka hooseeya Saxaraha Afrika ee Koonfurta Ameerika. Dadka Afro Colombia waxaa lagu qiyaasaa ilaa 15 milyan, kuwaas oo intooda badan ay ku nool yihiin faqri buuxda. Inta badan waxay ku yaalaan aagagga ku teedsan xeebaha Baasifigga iyo Kariibiyaanka. Magaalada Cali waxay leedahay dadka ugu badan ee reer Afro Columbia. Taariikhda Afro Colombians, laga soo bilaabo markii laga soo xaday Afrika si looga faa’iidaysto maskaxdooda iyo xooggooda, waa mid ka mid ah dagaalka aan dhammaadka lahayn ee lagula jiro dulmiga noocyadiisa kala duwan… iyo hantiwadaaga casriga ah. Kor u kaca Cimarron Menkos Bioho iyo abuuritaankiisa tuulada xorta ah ee loo yaqaan Palenque de San Basilio, oo ku taal meel u dhow Cartagena de Indias, waxay ahayd tusaalaha ugu fiican ee iska caabinta nidaamka addoonsiga, iyo, iftiinka rajada ee ku-xigeenka hore ee Santa Fe inta lagu guda jiro qarnigii 17aad. Ka qaybqaadashada Afro Colombia ee Dagaalkii Xornimada ee Colombia ee uu hogaaminayey Simon Bolivar oo gacan ka helaya Haiti waa mid aan muran lahayn. Joogitaankooda la’aanteed ma liibaanteen. Taariikhda Halganka Afro-Colombia waa mid dheer oo waara, oo la gaaray 1993 Sharciga Bulshooyinka Madow, kaas oo horseeday xuquuqaha lahaanshaha dhulka, xuquuqaha in la yeesho degmooyinka doorashada Afro Colombia si ay u doortaan musharaxiinta maxalliga ah iyo musharixiinta Congress-ka Qaranka iyo golayaasha beesha, oo ay ka mid yihiin xuquuqaha kale. Bishii Ogosto 2013, 20 sano ka dib markii la ansixiyay Sharciga 70 (Sharciga Blacks / Ley de Negritudes), Afro Colombians waxay shirweyne ku qabteen Quibdo iyagoo hoos imaanaya Bantu African theme “Ubuntu: “I am because we are.” Kani wuxuu ahaa Shirweynihii Qaran ee ugu
horreeyay ee dadka Afro Colombia, Black iyo Carib. Qorshe-hawleedka Congress-ka Afro Colombian waxaa hagaya waxa loogu yeero La-tashigii Hore, kaas oo ahaa hab sharci ah oo lagula tacaalayo go’aamada dawladda dhexe ee saameyn kara bulshooyinka Afro Colombia. Mashaariicda dawladda qaranku waxay ahayd in ay dib u eegis hore ku sameeyaan sharciyada daboolaya dhulka iyo horumarinta reer miyiga, sharciga ku saabsan shirkadaha is-maamul goboleedyada, sharciyada khuseeya shuruucda macdanta iyo sharciga waxqabadka. Ku dhawaad 10 sano ayaa ka soo wareegtay markii aadka loo qaddariyo ee Afro Colombian Congress. Koongareeska ka hor, Afro-Colombians waxa ay la kulmeen barokac ay sabab u tahay iskahorimaadyada hubaysan ee u dhexeeya ciidamada qaranka, ciidamada kooxaha daroogada iyo ciidamada qalabka sida. Waxaa la qiyaasayaa in dhexdooda, in ka badan 200 oo hoggaamiyeyaal Afro Colombia ah la dilay iyo/ama la waayay. Doorashooyinkii hore, Afro Colombians oo ku jira dhaqdhaqaaqyadooda kala duwan iyo iyagoo raacaya ajendaha Congress-ka Afro Colombian ee lagu aasaasay Quito 2013, ayaa abuuray hoggaanka heshiiska taariikhiga ah ee Gustavo Petro, kaas oo u doortay madaxweyne ku xigeenkiisa ku-xigeenkiisa, dhaqdhaqaaqa Afro Colombia iyo qareenka. , Francia Marquez. Marquez waxa ay keentay isgaadhsiinta warbaahinta iyo shabakadaha bulshada oo heer caalami ah, taas oo muujinaysa in ay ahayd haweenay dagaalyahan ah inkasta oo ay la kulantay isku dayo lagu doonayay in lagu dilo sababtoo ah waxay ka soo horjeeday mashaariicda macdanta laga soo saaro oo saameeyay bulshada. Ololihii doorashada Kolombiya ee dhawaa, nidaamyada cunsuriyiinta ee Colombia iyo kuwa caalamiga ah waxay dhayalsadaan Pero iyo Marquez in kasta oo hadalladoodu ay u caddaayeen sida biyaha, oo hufan, oo ka tarjumaya rabitaanka aan cidna ka tagin… ma aha oo kaliya Afro Colombians, laakiin sidoo kale dadka asaliga ah iyo caddaanka saboolka ah. Francia Marques waxay ahayd 2018 ku guulaysta Abaalmarinta Deegaanka Goldman, oo ah nooc ka mid ah Abaalmarinta Nobel Prize ee deegaanka ee la bixiyo sababtoo ah waxay abaabushay dumarka Afro-Colombia ee dalkeeda La Toma si ay u joojiyaan macdanta dahabka ee sharci darrada ah.
AfroColombiens Reconstruire l’espoir Par Jesus Chucho García (Bogota, Colombie) Ici en Colombie, en Amérique du Sud, le président élu Gustavo Petro et la vice-présidente élue Francia Marques entameront un processus de changement dans l’un des pays les plus violents et racistes d’Amérique du Sud. Après le Brésil, la Colombie compte la plus grande population originaire d’Afrique subsaharienne en Amérique du Sud. (Bogota, Colombie) – Ici en Colombie, en Amérique du Sud, le 7 août prochain, le président élu Gustavo Petro et la vice-présidente élue Francia Marques entameront un processus de changement dans l’un des pays les plus violents et racistes d’Amérique du Sud. Après le Brésil, ColoLa population afrocolombienne est estimée à environ 15 millions, dont la majorité vit dans la pauvreté absolue. La plupart sont situés dans les zones le long des côtes du Pacifique et des Caraïbes. La ville de Cali compte la plus grande population urbaine afrocolombienne. L’histoire des AfroColombiens, depuis qu’ils ont été volés en Afrique pour l’exploitation de leur esprit et de leur travail, est l’une des luttes sans fin contre l’oppression sous ses différentes formes… le racisme, le patriarcat et la discrimination dont ils ont été victimes sous la colonisation. et le capitalisme contemporain. mbia a la plus grande population originaire d’Afrique subsaharienne en Amérique du Sud. La montée du Cimarron Menkos Bioho et sa création du village libre connu sous le nom de Palenque de San Basilio, situé près de Cartagena de Indias, a été le meilleur exemple de résistance contre le système esclavagiste et, la lumière de l’espoir dans l’ancienne vice-royauté de Santa Fé au XVIIe siècle. La participation afro-colombienne à la guerre d’indépendance de la Colombie dirigée par Simon Bolivar avec l’aide d’Haïti est incontestable. Sans leur présence, il n’aurait pas réussi. L’histoire de la lutte afro-colombienne est longue et soutenue, obtenant en 1993 la loi des communautés noires, qui a conduit à des droits à la propriété foncière, le droit d’avoir des circonscriptions électorales afro-colombiennes pour choisir des candidats locaux et des candidats au Congrès national et aux conseils communautaires, entre autres autres droits. En août 2013, 20 ans
après l’adoption de la loi 70 (Loi des Noirs/Ley de Negritudes), les Afro-Colombiens ont convoqué un congrès à Quibdo sous le thème africain bantou “Ubuntu : “Je suis parce que nous sommes”. Ce fut le premier congrès national des Afrocolombiens, noirs et caraïbes. La feuille de route du Congrès afro-colombien était guidée par ce qu’on appelait la consultation préalable, qui était un mécanisme juridique traitant des décisions du gouvernement central susceptibles d’affecter les communautés afrocolombiennes. Les projets du gouvernement national devaient faire l’objet d’un examen préalable en vertu des lois portant sur le développement foncier et rural, la loi sur les sociétés régionales autonomes, les lois sur les lois minières et la loi sur l’action positive. Près de 10 ans se sont écoulés depuis le très apprécié Congrès afrocolombien. Avant le Congrès, les Afro-Colombiens ont été déplacés en raison de conflits armés entre l’armée nationale, les armées des cartels de la drogue et les armées paramilitaires. On estime qu’entre eux, plus de 200 dirigeants afro-colombiens ont été assassinés et/ou ont disparu. Lors des élections passées, les Afro-Colombiens dans leur diversité de mouvements et suivant l’ordre du jour du Congrès AfroColombien établi à Quito en 2013, ont créé le pacte historique dirigé par Gustavo Petro, qui a choisi pour son viceprésident colistier, l’activiste et avocat afro-colombien. , France Marquez. Marquez a amené les communications médiatiques et les réseaux sociaux au niveau mondial, signalant qu’elle était une femme guerrière malgré les tentatives d’assassinat subies parce qu’elle s’opposait aux projets d’extraction minière qui ont affecté la communauté. Lors de la récente campagne électorale colombienne, les systèmes racistes colombiens et internationaux sous-estiment Pero et Marquez même si leurs déclarations étaient claires comme l’eau, transparentes, reflétant des aspirations qui n’ont laissé personne de côté… non seulement les AfroColombiens, mais aussi les populations autochtones et les Blancs pauvres. Francia Marques a été lauréate du prix Goldman de l’environnement 2018, une sorte de prix Nobel de l’environnement décerné parce qu’elle a organisé les femmes afro-colombiennes de sa ville natale, La Toma, pour mettre fin à l’extraction illégale d’or.
Page 6 • August 8, 2022 - August 14, 2022 • Insight News
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UN health agency chief declares monkeypox a global emergency By Maria Cheng AP Medical Writer The expanding monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries is an “extraordinary” situation that qualifies as a global emergency, the World Health
Organization chief said Saturday, a declaration that could spur further investment in treating the once-rare disease and worsen the scramble for scarce vaccines. A global emergency is WHO’s highest level of alert but the designation does not necessarily mean a disease is particularly transmissible or lethal.
Similar declarations were made for the Zika virus in 2016 in Latin America and the ongoing effort to eradicate polio, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the decision on calling monkeypox a global emergency
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despite a lack of consensus among experts on the U.N. health agency’s emergency committee, saying he acted as “a tiebreaker.” It was the first time a U.N. health agency chief has unilaterally made such a decision without an expert recommendation. “We have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly through new modes of transmission, about which we understand too little,” Tedros said. “I know this has not been an easy or straightforward process and that there are divergent views.” WHO’s emergencies chief, Dr. Michael Ryan, said the director-general declared monkeypox a global emergency to ensure that the world takes the current outbreaks seriously. Although monkeypox has been established in parts of central and west Africa for decades, it was not known to spark large outbreaks beyond the continent or to spread widely among people until May, when authorities detected dozens of epidemics in Europe, North America and elsewhere. Last month, WHO’s expert committee said the monkeypox outbreak did not yet amount to an international emergency, but the panel convened this week to reevaluate the situation. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 74 countries since about May. To date, monkeypox deaths have only been reported in Africa, where a more dangerous version of the virus is spreading, mainly in Nigeria and Congo. In Africa, monkeypox mainly spreads to people by infected wild animals like rodents in limited outbreaks that typically have not crossed borders. In Europe, North America and elsewhere, however, monkeypox is spreading among people with no links to animals or recent travel to Africa. WHO’s top monkeypox expert, Dr. Rosamund Lewis, said this week that 99% of all the monkeypox cases beyond Africa were in men and that of those, 98% involved men who have sex with men. Experts suspect the monkeypox outbreaks in Europe and North America were spread via sex at two raves in Belgium and Spain. “Although I am declaring a public health emergency of international concern for the moment, this is an outbreak that is concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners,” Tedros said. “That means that this is an outbreak that can be stopped with the right strategies.”
photo/Tatiana Buzmakova
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 74 countries since about May. Britain recently downgraded its assessment of monkeypox after seeing no signs of widespread transmission beyond men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with other men and noting the disease does not spread easily or cause severe illness. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was “supportive” of WHO’s emergency declaration and hoped it would galvanize international action to stamp out the outbreaks. The U.S. has reported more than 2,800 monkeypox cases and sent more than 370,000 vaccine doses to U.S. states reporting cases. Some experts had questioned whether such a declaration would help, arguing the disease isn’t severe enough to warrant the attention and that rich countries battling monkeypox already have the funds to do so. Most people recover without needing medical attention, although the lesions may be painful. Michael Head, a senior research fellow in global health at Southampton University, said WHO’s emergency declaration could help donors like the World Bank make funds available to stop the outbreaks both in the West and in Africa. In the U.S., some experts have speculated whether monkeypox might be on the verge of becoming an entrenched sexually transmitted disease in the country, like gonorrhea, herpes and HIV. “The bottom line is we’ve seen a shift in the epidemiology of monkeypox where there’s now widespread, unexpected transmission,” said Dr. Albert Ko, a professor of public health and epidemiology at Yale University. “There are some genetic mutations in the virus that suggest why that may be happening, but we do need a globally-coordinated
response to get it under control.” Ko called for testing to be immediately scaled up, saying there are significant gaps in surveillance. “The cases we are seeing are just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “The window has probably closed for us to quickly stop the outbreaks in Europe and the U.S., but it’s not too late to stop monkeypox from causing huge damage to poorer countries without the resources to handle it.” WHO’s Tedros called for the world to “act together in solidarity” regarding the distribution of treatments, tests and vaccines. for monkeypox. The U.N. agency has previously said it’s working to create a vaccinesharing mechanism for the mostaffected countries, but offered few details of how it might work. Unlike the numerous companies that made COVID-19 vaccines, there is only one maker for the vaccine used against monkeypox, Denmark’s Bavarian Nordic. Dr. Placide Mbala, a virologist who directs the global health department at Congo’s Institute of National Biomedical Research, said he hoped any global efforts to stop monkeypox would be equitable. Although countries including Britain, Canada, Germany and the U.S. have ordered millions of monkeypox vaccine doses, none have gone to Africa. “The solution needs to be global,” Mbala said, adding that any vaccines sent to Africa would be used to target those at highest risk, like hunters in rural areas. “Vaccination in the West might help stop the outbreak there, but there will still be cases in Africa,” he said. “Unless the problem is solved here, the risk to the rest of the world will remain.” Jamey Keaten in Geneva and Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report.
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Insight News • August 8, 2022 - August 14, 2022 • Page 7
Bare Essentials Sharing Our Stories
By: W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor All He Desires By Brenda Jackson Yes, I own it. My favorite recreational reading is romance novels, and I am all about Black Love. Before I read male/male and female/ female romance novels, the first ones that drew me in were the male/female novels written by celebrated and bestselling author Brenda Jackson. Book publishers didn’t take her seriously in the beginning, believing that love stories featuring African American couples wouldn’t sell. Needless to say, she proved them wrong. Jackson describes herself as a “die-heart” romantic. Not only does her work touch so many people; she also demonstrates that true love doesn’t depend on a woman’s dress size. In her anthology All He Desires, she beautifully and passionately portrays voluptuous, full-figured sistahs as sheroes, stirring the love and desire of their men. The All He Desires anthology includes four novellas: Bare Essentials, Tempting Fate,
The Perfect Seduction, and Simply Wonderful. Today, I will be reviewing Bare Essentials. Dominique Kincaid is a criminal court judge who was burned by her douchebag fiancé when he told her another woman was pregnant with his baby—a week before their wedding. She is a woman who is about settling down and ultimately commitment, but after having her breakup plastered all over the tabloids, she is still gunshy over a year later. Now, her loving but intrusive family has been weighing in on her love life or lack thereof. Jordan Prescott is a successful attorney who has sworn off marrying another attorney after his marriage ended in divorce, and he hasn’t dated a woman in months. While out jogging one day, he lays eyes on Dominique. The
chemistry is palpable, and he has set out to make her his— before he discovers that she is the presiding judge on a murder trial handled by his law firm. Will there be a conflict of interest? Will Dominique and Jordan be forced to take matters behind closed doors in judge’s chambers? Will the final verdict be in favor of love? On every level, Jackson delivers steam, heat, sexiness, and sensuality to her main characters. She leaves no doubt in a reader’s mind how badly Dominique and Jordan want each other, whether they’re together or apart. In a culture obsessed with weight, she paints with words a smokinghot portrait of beautiful, voluptuous, full-figured sistahs who own their curves. They are confident, independent women who don’t need a man to be happy; a man would only add to their happiness. Add to this recipe the ultimate ingredient to her stories: the power of love and family. In Jackson’s words, “Family is everything.” These kinds of stories are what place Jackson among the Best of the Best in the romance genre. All He Desires is available through Madaris Publishing Company, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Representation matters, and Brenda Jackson has insured that full-figured women are well represented in romance. Stay tuned for my next review in the anthology, Tempting Fate!
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COVID-19 dŚĞ Ks/ Ͳϭϵ WĮnjĞƌ sĂĐĐŝŶĞ ŝƐ ŶŽǁ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ ƚŽ ĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ ϱͲϭϭ LJĞĂƌƐ ŽůĚ͘ ƌĞĐŽŵŵĞŶĚƐ ĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ ϱͲϭϭ LJĞĂƌƐ ŽůĚ ƚŽ ŐĞƚ ǀĂĐĐŝŶĂƚĞĚ͘ ǀĞŶ ĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ ĐĂŶ ŐĞƚ Ks/ Ͳϭϵ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ǀĂĐĐŝŶĞ ŚĞůƉƐ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞ ƉƌŽƚĞĐƟŽŶ ƚŽ ŬĞĞƉ ĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ ŚĞĂůƚŚLJ͘
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Sister Mother Warrior by Vanessa Riley Acclaimed author of Island Queen Vanessa Riley brings readers a vivid, sweeping novel of the Haitian Revolution based on the true-life stories of two extraordinary women: the first Empress of Haiti, Marie-Claire Bonheur, and Gran Toya, a West African-born warrior who helped lead the rebellion that drove out the French and freed the enslaved people of Haiti. Gran Toya: Born in West Africa, Abdaraya Toya was one of the legendary minos—women called “Dahomeyan Amazons” by the Europeans—who
were specially chosen female warriors consecrated to the King of Dahomey. Betrayed by an enemy, kidnapped, and sold into slavery, Toya wound up in the French colony of Saint Domingue, where she became a force to be reckoned with on its sugar plantations: a healer and an authority figure among the enslaved. Among the motherless children she helped raise was a man who would become the revolutionary JeanJacques Dessalines.
mn.gov/vaccine Minnesota Department of Health | health.mn.gov | 625 Robert Street North PO Box 64975, St. Paul, MN 55164-0975 651-201-5000 | Contact health.communications@state.mn.us to request an alternate format. 11/ /2021
Page 8 • August 8, 2022 - August 14, 2022 • Insight News
Diercks From 4 Garcia, my trusted colleague, could explore not alone, not in just one group of friends, but with every single child in their school? It’s about building on relationships, not just for one hour or one year, but from sixth grade all the way to graduation. We don’t tell anyone what to do. The team simply facilitates with our community and with our families, presenting relevant and engaging and challenging academic material enriched by new world findings,” Diercks said. Laura Garcia has been the Director of Schools and Curriculum at Project Success for the past 15 years. She grew up in Colorado and was influenced by a large educator family. At 10 or 11 years old, it wasn’t surprising that she became a youth leader helping young Mexican and Latino students be advocates for their own education. Moving to Minnesota 17 years ago in search of meaningful work in education and theater, she found Project Success. “I still have a passion for the arts, but here in this state I work specifically learning more about the difference between SEL, 21st century skills, the 40 developmental assets, and
Russell From 3 His father responded by grabbing a tire iron and chasing the man away. Decades before Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem demonstrations to raise awareness about police brutality, or the collective sports world advocating for justice following the 2020 death of George Floyd and others, Russell used his platform to hasten civil rights. It’s why when Russell later faced his own forms of discrimination decades
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all these incredibly robust initiatives around social and emotional learning that change up far too frequently,” she said. In a The Conversation with Al McFarlane interview last week both described the power of the hours needed to capture the innocent and hungry minds of curious youth. “For those who facilitate the programming in collaboration with students, teachers, and families, there has never been a doubt that our associates care deeply about our young people’s future. They encourage their charges to believe in possibilities. They have shown 210,000 MPS children that they are valued and no matter the circumstances, there is always hope. There is always tomorrow. And tomorrows are filled with ‘success’ and joy. Our students get information about what it is they might want to do in the future. They define their own success and connect to their purpose. They try things and decide what works and doesn’t,” Garcia said. “Our mission is simply propelled by ‘love’. It’s about community and peace of mind for students and their teachers.” “We started out with workshops in classrooms. All participated. There was no pulling students out of class or exclusion even for special needs. Some critics said not all students
needed our resources,” Diercks said. “But the reality that we all needed each other.” Al McFarlane said the conversation reminded him of sitting with his neighbors in the Willard-Homewood neighborhood back in the early 70s asking for support to launch his idea for a community newspaper. It was Willard-Homewood, the Jordan Area Community Council, Hawthorne Neighborhood Association, and Northside Residents Redevelopment Council all voting to use federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)funds to support advertising with Insight News that enabled the launch of the neighborhood based publishing business. “I know about having people in your corner who believe in your dreams,” McFarlane said.. With a gentle smile, Diercks added, “Dreams and community and doing it together. That’s what Project Success is all about. It is indeed an honor!” Students are excited to explore with each other both in discussion and also through experiences like going to the theater or on college tours. Project Success partners with 54 Twin Cities theaters. So, every month outside of school, students and families are invited to a play at Theater Mu, the Guthrie, or at the Penumbra. Over 5,000 kids got a chance to
see ‘Hamilton’, Diercks said. As a retired educator of almost 40 years, Project Success is ideal for today’s students, especially those not privileged and taught in prestigious school environments. My concern is the statistic our esteemed colleague, Dr. Irma McClaurin, Insight News Education and Culture Editor often reminds us of: 87% of public school teachers are white and they are teaching 50% of students of color. How are high schools recruiting students who might want to enter the education profession, especially Black Americans? How are we making the profession just as important financially as medicine or becoming a pilot? There were teachers who taught those who have managed success and prosperity in their lives. How are colleges and universities infusing cultural relevancy lined in a knowledge beneficial for all students and for those who care to know the truth and will fight to keep history from repeating itself? When I questioned Garcia about ‘culturally responsive teaching’, she offered the importance of a critical piece of Project Success training of “Our objective is to facilitate rather teach someone about true success. We want them to ease into their own discovery using their cultural background, their lived experience, their family, and
all they have learned growing up,” she said. “There’s no way we can present workshops or be immersed in important conversations without nonjudgmentally addressing and witnessing what is happening in the neighboring communities, the school community, and in the students’ personal lives,” Garcia says. “We work with teachers who work well with our students. You can see the connection because students want to come to school, and they try really hard. Then the teachers tell them how proud they are of the students’ work. They tell them they have high expectations for them, and they teach responsibility by stating that a bad day doesn’t give them permission not to be productive.” “So many things have changed in education due to the fragile mental health of our students, their teachers, and their families. Survival and the poverty level are real, Diercks said. “When we look at how many other things are needed on top of academic requirements and enrichment, it takes a lot more to get where we want them to be. The community consists of a much more diverse population, along with a number of new languages. There is more to share in the richness of cultural awareness and appreciation. I grew up on a street that required cultural understanding I didn’t
have at the time. But sitting on the stoop listening to great educators like Cynthia Tyson and Ida Lorraine Wilkerson, my perception of the system of education relating to people of color was more poignant than I could ever imagine.” Project Success relies heavily on volunteers to provide transportation and staff events as greeters. The organization accepts any financial contribution from donors. Addressing social media audiences and Insight News readers, Diercks said, “If any alumni are listening, we want to hear from you. We could use your help in expanding our work. This story must get out just like we’re doing today on ‘The Conversation’. We’re presenting new narratives and perhaps a new understanding as to what can be done successfully to improve the learning and inspiring experience for ‘all’ children, one that values their dignity and their history. We must walk in the work of our own reality and our existence treasuring it and expecting that the world honors who we are, what we know, and where we go ‘together’ as human beings.” For additional information: Project Success, 1 Groveland Terrace, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55403. Call (612) 874-7710. On the web at www.projectsuccess.org
later, he didn’t hesitate to challenge the status quo. One of the first examples was 1961 when the Celtics were in Lexington, Kentucky for an exhibition game. The team was in their hotel when teammates Sam Jones asked Satch Sanders to go to the lobby to get some food. They were refused service. Later they were met by Russell and K.C. Jones. After Sam told them what had happened, Russell suggested none of the Black players should participate in the game and informed Celtics coach Red Auerbach. The game would be called off after two more
players from the St. Louis Hawks joined the protest. When former President Barack Obama presented Russell with the Presidential Medial of Freedom in 2011, he called it an example of how he “stood up for rights and dignity of all men.” Russell didn’t just risk sullying his reputation, he put his life at risk in the wake of the 1963 assassination of civil rights activist Medgar Evers in Jackson, Mississippi. Just days after Evers was slain, Russell reached out to the leader’s brother, Charles Evers. He wanted to inquire about what he could do to help. Charles Evers asked
him if he’d be willing to visit the state and stage its first integrated basketball camp. It was a huge ask considering the very real peril Russell would be putting himself in by visiting a city riddled members of the Ku Klux Klan. Still, Russell accepted the invitation. “I didn’t want to go to Mississippi. I was like anyone else. I was afraid I might get killed,” Russell would later write. “My wife asked me not to go. Some friends said the same thing. A man must do what he thinks is right. I called Eastern Airlines and ordered my ticket.” Despite coming off his third MVP award and fifth NBA title, Russell
said “without hesitation” he’d have left the Celtics that season if his continued presence in Mississippi or anywhere else could have advanced civil rights push. “If my popularity depends on a thing like this, I don’t give a damn,” he said at the time. A star of Russell’s stature to show a willingness to put his convictions ahead of his athletic career put him in a small group during that time like Muhammad Ali, Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Jim Brown. And it was Russell, Alcindor and Brown sitting beside Ali in Cleveland in 1967
when the boxer announced he was refusing induction into the U.S. military to fight in the Vietnam War. Current Celtics star Jaylen Brown, one of several young NBA players who have used their own platforms to raise awareness and engage in social justice protests, said it was Russell who first taught him “it is OK to be more than just a basketball player.” It echoed what Russell wrote in 1966 about how he wished to be remembered. “In the end, I live with the hopes that when I die it will be inscribed for me: Bill Russell. He was a man.”