WINNER: 2018 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 3RD PLACE BES T COLUMN WRITING
WINNER: 2019 GENERAL EXCELLENCE, 3RD PLACE, COLUMN WRITING, 2ND PLACE
Insight News
December 30, 2019 - January 5, 2020
Vol. 46 No. 52• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Looking back, pressing forward
STORY ON PAGE 2
Page 2 • December 30, 2019 - January 5, 2020 • Insight News
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Decade in review Page 2 • March 2 - March 8, 2015 • Insight News
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By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor
Naked Stages premieres the work of three fellows at Pillsbury House Theatre
harry@insightnews.com
MORE ON PAGE 10
aesthetically speaking Photos: Sarah White
A decade ago, the iPad was yet to hit the market, Instagram and Snapchat didn’t exist and the nation was being guided at the capable direction of its first Black president, Barack Obama. At the same time – and in a bit of foreshadowing – our nation’s current president, Donald Trump was telling impeached and disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich “You’re fired” on the reality television show “Celebrity Apprentice.” My, how things have changed within the past 10 years. Here are some of the many happenings – in no chronological order – of the past decade. Black man, White House While not working in chronological order, it’s hard not to first look back to 2010 for one of the most seminal events of the past decade; passage of the landmark healthcare legislation – the Affordable Care Act, more affectionately known as Obamacare. Fought bitterly by Republicans in Congress – and in fact blamed for Democrats losing control of both the House and the Senate – Obamacare became the law of the land in March of 2010, thus covering some 20 million Americans according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, ensuring insurance companies cannot discriminate against those with preexisting conditions and allowing children to remain on a parent’s policy until 26 years of age. Though considered unpopular at the time by Republicans, recent polls have shown the Affordable Care Act is wildly popular among Republican voters (even if some love it; except when it is referred to as Obamacare). Political power America not only got used to a Black man in the White
HEALTHY SHOPPING AT MISSISSIPPI MARKET
Insight News November 30 - December 6, 2015
Vol. 42 No. 48 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
5 shot
ROUND 5, WEEK 5 I2H Blog
By Carmen Robles What started out as a New Year’s resolution has turned out to be a life changing, lifesaving event for me. My blood pressure at the Kick Off of the Insight2Healh Fitness Challenge V (I2H) on Saturday, January 17th read 194/92. Five weeks later, almost to the hour, my blood pressure reading was 112/74. I won’t lie. It’s been a very dif¿cult ¿ve weeks. The training the sessions are grueling. I credit the motivation and inspiration of the other participants for my sticking to it. We’re in it together! There’s comfort in knowing I’m not alone. The weather certainly hasn’t helped. But snow, ice, wind and below zero temperatures did not deter the F.I.T. Lab gurus from facilitating the structured sessions. Let me share one small example of a warm-up (3 rounds of each): 25 Jumping Jacks; 25 Mountain Climbers; 25 Plank Jacks; 25 Air Ropes. Here’s a snap shot example of the actual work out: 15 Burpees; 50 Crunches; 25 pushups and 50 Lunge Exchange (25 on each leg). Week ¿ve got me using weights. On Saturday morning the last day of week ¿ve, after a full workout, more than ten participants took a ¿eld trip to the Mississippi Market on West 7th Street in St. Paul. The “Shopping on a Budget” tour was led by Krysta Tanico of Mississippi Market Coop and also I2H Nutritionist, Julie
McMahon, owner of Sound Nutrition. We talked about: • choosing foods that are organic and local • which are more nutritious than foods that travel a great distance • and the purchase of which supports our local growers; • -selecting foods from a whole rainbow of colors, remember the ‘green’; • buying foods in bulk to avoid paying for packaging and branding. • This is also good for the environment as less packaging will end up in the trash; • reading labels • just because it is at the co-op doesn’t mean it’s a health food! The Mississippi Market has locations on West 7th Street and on Selby Avenue, both in St. Paul. They are great about making sure everyone is welcome and that food is affordable and well-sourced. You are invited to become a member and reap the many bene¿ts of this health minded coop. In addition to food items, the Mississippi Market has a wide array of cleaning and personal products. Bring your own bag for an added discount. When I asked my team mates what was their motivating factor for participating in the I2H Fitness Challenge, Jaime Stampley and James Garret, Jr. shared their story, which I am sharing with you. As an FYI, Jaime just got back from taping an appearance on the TV game show «The Family Feud» and will dish all details in an upcoming article. The ¿fth round of the Insight 2 Health Fitness Challenge ¿nished up the ¿fth week with vigorous workouts, stimulating yoga core stretching, thought provoking assignments from
Jamar Clark protest continues By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer
Krysta Tanico (far right) of Mississippi Market Co-op led participants through The “Shopping on a Budget” tour mental health coach, Dr. Darren Moore and nutritional recipes, a rap session and ¿eld trip to the Mississippi Market on West 7th Street in St. Paul. It takes a village to bring change. Next week I’ll be introducing you to the team of supporters behind the I2H Fitness Challenge team of innovators. Be sure and follow my blog where I share my personal experiences as I take on the health ¿tness challenge. Your comments are welcome. (http://insightnews.com/i2hc-blog)
Jaime Stampley “It is very hard to believe that we are already in week 6. J Very exciting too! I know Tyrone and Jamie from mutual friends a long while back, but came to know of their new endeavor and the challenge from a group of
ladies on Face Book. They were doing a PHAB (Physically Health And Blessed) page and invited me to a workout with Tyrone. From there I got connected and learned about the challenge. I have seen the results from many of my friends who have gone through it before and was very excited to get involved myself. I had been struggling with weight loss, lack of energy, and thought the challenge could be the jump start I needed. As for the “Family Feud.” I am the oldest of 5 children and I saw the “Feud” was having auditions in the Twin Cities. I took the opportunity to get my siblings together and tryout. I thought it would be fun to play the game other than at home on the couch and hopefully we could win some money. It was a wonderful experience and we had fun doing it. We got a trip to Atlanta, got to meet Steve Harvey, and I got to be together with ALL my siblings, which never happens. Who could ask for a better trip”. – Jaime Stampley Director of Housing and Supportive Services, YWCA St Paul.
Photos: Harry Colbert, Jr.
Armed agitators opened Àre at the corner of North 14th Avenue and Morgan Avenue following a confrontation with protesters late Monday evening (Nov. 23). Protesters have been camped out since Nov. 15 in front the fourth district headquarters of the Minneapolis Police Department, just a block away from the intersection. James Garrett, Jr. “I learned about the challenge through my ongoing involvement with the F.I.T. Lab (been participating in various training events since it opened and working out with Tyrone Minor for the past 10 years). My goals are to continue supporting Tyrone/F.I.T. Lab and to stay active. Unfortunately I’ve had a series of personal /family challenges and work conÀicts that have limited my ability to participate in the 1st half of this challenge (I was able to do a lot more during the last one) but I hope to get myself back on track during the 2nd half”. – James Garrett, Jr., AIA managing partner | architect 4RM+ULA
Black women endure menopause longest By Elaina Johnson Special to the NNPA from Howard University News Service
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Sarah Finney, 57, said she gets hot Àashes throughout her body at least once an hour. She even wakes up in the night with so much perspiration that she looks
like she just left working out at a gym, she said. “Hot Àashes are very annoying,” said Finney, a married mother of two who declined to use her real name. “A surge of heat goes through my body, sometimes accompanied by nausea. As the energy builds, I begin to sweat from my hair, neck, chest and underarms.” Finney, a vegetarian, said she hoped eating healthy and her intense daily routines as a marathon runner would alleviate the symptoms, but no luck. Finney, who lives in Alexandria, Va., is experiencing the results of menopause, a natural decline in reproductive hormones that affects millions of woman annually when they reach their 40s or 50s. For women going through menopause, just one day of hot Àashes can be too much. Imagine 14 years. A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, a medical journal of the American Medical Association, found that women could experience hot Àashes for up to 14 years, and that African-American women like Finney typically experience the symptoms longer. Finney has been going through it for 10 years. The 17-year study of 1,449 women across the U.S. found that while on average, the women endured the symptoms for about seven and a half years, Black and Hispanic
House, it got used to Blacks serving throughout government. Currently there are 56 Black representatives in the House and three U.S. senators. Among those serving in the House is Minnesota’s Rep. Ilhan Omar. Omar, who represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, made history in 2018 when she became the first Somali-American to be elected to national office. A member of the “Squad” – Omar and her fellow freshmen Squad members have been influential in shaping the Democratic agenda while serving as a focal point for Trump and the radical right. Infamously in a racist Twitter rant, Trump called on Omar and the other members of the Squad – Rep. Alexandria
Alamy
women experience hot Àashes for signi¿cantly longer than White or Asian women. The median was 10 years for African Americans, nearly nine years for Hispanics, six and a half years for White women, about ¿ve and a half years for Chinese and nearly ¿ve years for Japanese. “This is the only study that has looked at a very diverse population, ”said Dr. Ranit Mishori, associate professor of Family Medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. “No one knows for sure why African-American women are
at risk for a longer duration of hot Àashes. There could be a relationship between hormone levels, genetic differences, body mass index, the number of children you have or the age you began having children.” Though the study’s results may not give the quick relief women hoped for, but it allows doctors and medical professional to give patients realistic expectations and ¿nd ways to help alleviate the hot Àashes. “This is not a fun thing for the doctor or the patient to realize,” Mishori said.
“However, there are ways to manage the symptoms including hormone replacement therapy.” Hormone replacement therapy is medication containing female hormones to replace the ones the woman’s body no longer makes after menopause. This method can be a good choice for certain women, depending on their health risk, Mishori said. Women who consume estrogen pills are alleviated from hot Àashes and other symptoms of menopause, she said. The down side is that hormone therapy has been linked to increased risk of breast cancer, stroke and heart disease for some women. Lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, may help some women, health of¿cials said, and there are also nonhormonal medication and supplements that can help. These things may not shorten the duration of hot Àashes, but it may lessen the affect and intensity of them. If the symptoms are unbearable, health of¿cials suggest you consult with your doctor. Finney said she is resigned to the day-to-day struggle with the condition. “Menopause is just something we have to deal with as women,” she said. “We all must continue to move forward. This is a part of life.”
Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) – to “go back” to the “crime infested places they originally come from.” With the exception of Omar, who escaped war-torn Somalia as a young child, all other members of the Squad are from America. Another first was the 2017 election of St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter. Carter was overwhelmingly elected to lead Minnesota’s capital city. Along with Brooklyn Center’s Mike Elliot, the two are a part of a group of at least 35 first-time Blacks (or firsttime Black women) elected mayor throughout the nation within the decade; some in the most unlikely of places such
A group of protesters huddle around a Àre on Plymouth Avenue about 2 a.m. on Tuesday (Nov. 24) following the shooting of Àve protesters near that location. The Àve who were shot were in a confrontation with three men who opened Àre on the group that has been protesting around-the-clock since the Nov. 15 killing of Jamar Clark, at the hands of police.
Mica Grimm (with microphone), organizer with Black Lives Matter leads a march from the 4th Precinct to the spot Jamar Clark was killed as supporters march with locked arms. Locked in arms are (left to right) Cornell Boone (black jacket, gray hat), national president of the NAACP, James Hall (black jacket, black hat), father of Clark and Nekima Levy-Pounds (blue shirt), president of the Minneapolis branch of the NAACP.
Violence against protesters erupted on the ninth day of around-the-clock protests which have been in response to the killing of 24-year-old Jamar Clark by Minneapolis police on Nov. 15. Clark was slain on Plymouth Avenue, just blocks from the 4th Precinct where protesters have been since the incident. The violence occurred late Monday night (Nov. 23) as a group of three white men described as agitators clashed with protesters on Plymouth and Morgan Avenues, just half block from the 4th Precinct. According to multiple sources, the agitators were being asked to vacate the area when an altercation ensued and the agitators opened ¿re on the crowd wounding ¿ve. According to police, all ¿ve wounded were treated at area hospitals and are expected to survive. According to a statement released by the Minneapolis Police Department, as of Wednesday morning, three men – all white – were taken into custody in relation to the attack. While not con¿rmed, there is wide speculation the agitators are part of the white supremacist movement. The speculation follows the online appearance of a video of two white men saying they were heading to the protest site to stir things up. “Our ¿rst thoughts are with the victims of this terrorist attack on our community,” said Anthony Newby, president of Neighborhoods Organizing for Change (NOC), a North Minneapolis-based grassroots, member-led organization.
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Northside non-proÀts decry large gaps As community resources and partners, we stand together to acknowledge the homicide of Jamar Clark in north Minneapolis last weekend. To not recognize the heightened,
palpable anxiety, frustration, anger and agitation in our community right now would be inauthentic. The gravity of the situation is very real and apparent.
First and foremost, our hearts go out to the family and friends of Mr. Clark, our community of friends, neighbors and police of¿cers. We are saddened
and concerned by the tragic escalation of events which happened in close proximity to our of¿ces and homes. We live and work in north Minneapolis. We are deeply embedded in the
community. We are residents, family members, community leaders and allies and we want to acknowledge what we do know. The facts are that there are
large gaps. Achievement gaps, homeownership gaps, wealth
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Black Lives Matter: History repeating itself By SaraÀna Wright Special to the NNPA News Wire from the Washington Informer For many elders who participated in the Black Liberation Movement of the ’60s and ’70s, the burgeoning Black Lives Matter movement is history repeating itself — in
Ben Chavis
Insight 2 Health Insight-2-Health Round 7 Wrap-up
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a good way. Benjamin Chavis, famed civil rights leader and president of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, emphasized on Thursday, November 19 the need to support the youth on the front lines during his first of 10 lectures in a series at the Thurgood Marshall Center for Service and Heritage in Northwest, Washington, D.C.
“This lecture series will be a part of an accumulation of archives and documents to be made available to those in D.C. and around the world,” Chavis said. “It’s our responsibility to make sure our young people know more then what we know.” Chavis spoke of the significance of the lecture series being held at the Thurgood Marshall Center.
“Thurgood Marshall was much more than the first African-American on the Supreme Court. He was a freedom-fighting lawyer and intellectual,” Chavis said. “Everybody talks about the Brown decision, but you have to look at all of the struggle before that. “What does Thurgood Marshall have to do with Black Lives Matter? Everything,” he
said. Sam P.K. Collins, journalist and founder of All Eyes On D.C., a grassroots public affairs program, joined Chavis for his discourse, insisting that the movement must be all-encompassing for everyone who is part of the African diaspora.
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Mali
Education
Lifestyle
19 die in Radisson Blu hotel attack in Mali
DUBS: Dads, Uncles, Brothers who Serve
The power of purpose
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as Knoxville, Tenn., Little Rock, Ark., Jacksonville, Fla. Montgomery, Ala. and Meridian, Miss. Omar’s first was made possible by another first. Keith Ellison vacated his Congressional seat to run for Minnesota Attorney general in 2018. Already a political pioneer – Ellison was the first Muslim elected to Congress – he again made history becoming the state’s first Black attorney general and first Black person to hold statewide elected office. Though Minnesota has elected two African-Americans to serve (after being first appointed) on the state Supreme Court, they do not serve in a legislative/ policymaking capacity.
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Black Lives Matter Another less celebratory trend was being noticed across the nation this past decade … the barrage of police (or pseudo police) killing Black people. On Feb. 25, 2012 Trayvon Martin was another 17-year-old boy doing what 17-year-olds do. On Feb. 26, 2012 he became the birth of a movement … the Black Lives Matter movement. Martin was walking to his Sanford, Fla. home on an early Sunday evening, having just purchased Skittles and an Arizona Iced Tea, when he was profiled, accosted and shot and killed by self-appointed neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman. Zimmerman, armed with a 9 mm handgun,
profiled Martin for being in a hoodie, approached him and within seconds of making contact, Martin was dead. And while Zimmerman was acquitted using the now infamous “Stand Your Ground” defense, out of the killing emerged the first major movement since the 1960s, the Black Lives Matter movement. Black Lives Matter is mobilized in cities throughout the nation and has been an prominent player in fighting for justice following the killings of the likes of Mike Brown (Ferguson, Mo.), Freddie Gray (Baltimore), Sandra Bland (Waller County, Texas) and in the Twin Cities with the killings of Jamar Clark and Philando Castile. On Nov. 15, 2015 Minneapolis Police officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze killed an unarmed Clark responding to a disturbance call. Following the killing, hundreds of citizens took to the streets and began an 18-day occupation of the Minneapolis Fourth Precinct headquarters. It was during the occupation that a nowconvicted white supremacist shot five protesters. The next day the protesters – including some of the wounded – were joined by hundreds more in a march from North Minneapolis to the Minneapolis City Hall shutting down traffic for miles. In March of 2016, despite video evidence showing Clark was pulled down from behind by one of the officers, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freemen announced he would not bring charges against the officers. On the converse, Freeman saw that there was sufficient evidence to bring murder charges against Mohamed Noor for the July 2017 killing of Justine Ruszczyk. Unlike the Clark killing, the offending officer was Black and the victim white. Also, in a civil matter the family of Ruszczyk was awarded $20 million by the city of Minneapolis. In between the killings of Clark and Ruszczyk there was the killing of Philando Castile.
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Insight News • December 30, 2019 - January 5, 2020 • Page 3
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WINNER: 2019 GENERAL EXCELLENCE, 3RD PLACE, COLUMN WRITING, 2ND PLACE
WINNER: 2018 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 3RD PLACE BES T COLUMN WRITING
December 30, 2019 - January 5, 2020
Vol. 46 No. 52• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Creating your narrative: Co - creating the universe By Dr. Sylvia Bartley Minnesota is known for many things. Good living, a good education system, the weather and home of iconic musicians like Prince. For some in the Black community the Twin Cities is known as the “Tale of Two Cities.” Did you know Minneapolis/St Paul was ranked by 24/7 Wall St. as the fourth-worst city in the country for Black Americans to live in 2019? And for four consecutive years prior, was ranked the second-worst city in the country for black Americans to live? This ranking is based on the racial disparities gap between white and Black Americans for social factors like homeownership, median household income, education attainment, incarceration rates, unemployment rates, and poverty. These are considered social determinants of health that are used to predict health outcomes. Your life expectancy can be estimated based on your zip code. If you live in a thirdring suburb like Edina, your life expectancy is eight years longer than if you live in North Minneapolis. Why is that? Edina is rich with resources and amenities that determine a good lifestyle and health. North Minneapolis and other inner cities are not. Unfortunately, some learn about the negative statistics about North Minneapolis and other inner cities and believe this is a permanent socio-economic condition for those residents. Some people experiencing hardship in such cities believe their circumstances, due to no fault of their own, will determine their fate. They believe the hype, suck up the statistics and have little or no hope in a bright future. Every time I hear this narrative or read another negative statistic about Black communities it brings me back to my early adult years when I was a research technician in a medical school in London; my first full-time job. I was one of two Black people in the department of physiology. We both had a working-class background. Most of the academics I worked for had a private education and were white middle class. During my 13-year tenure at the medical school, I developed strong working relationships with my supervisors and other academics. We became familiar with each other’s lifestyles and differences. It was during this time that I got married, divorced,
had my two children and struggled to make ends meet as a single parent on a low but steady income. I’ll never forget one of my supervisors who I worked hard to develop a respectful working relationship with (let’s call him Matthew for the sake of this article) considered me to be working class, disadvantaged and uneducated. Matthew felt this was my fate and wanted me to remain in this position for as long as I was working for him. He tried to push my buttons one day with his negative attitude towards me and then the next day he would exhibit kindness by teaching me basic principles of neurophysiology. I never understood this dichotomy. Matthew was an exceptionally smart, gifted and well-respected academic. I was in awe of his high level of intelligence. I worked hard to gain his respect, yet he messed with my head feeding me a negative narrative about myself, which I quietly fought and refused to believe. Conversely, another supervisor, my professor, saw potential in me and my thirst to learn. He encouraged me to do my Ph.D. in neurophysiology. I thought he was crazy because I too believed the narrative, I was frequently fed. I asked Matthew for advice despite the way he treated me. He advised me not to register for a Ph.D. simply because he wanted me to remain “his technician.” At that moment something inside of me stirred, causing me to straighten my back. From that moment on I stopped listening to him. I stopped believing the hype, the negative statistics, the narrative about single parents being the bane of society. From that moment on I started my journey of creating my narrative. If my professor believed in my ability, then I had to start doing the same. I created a long-term sustainable plan for my path out of scarcity to one of abundance. I began daydreaming about my graduation. I saw the smiles on my children’s faces as they ran around the auditorium. The proud look on my mother’s face as her smile beamed from ear to ear; how elated I would feel when the flat cap was placed on my head as I searched the crowd for my family. I felt it, smelled it to the point I believed it was not only possible but inevitable. I was determined no-one was going to write my narrative based on their prejudices or desire to keep me in my place. This was a major driving force during the four years it took me to complete my Ph.D. in neurophysiology part-time while working full time and raising my children singlehandedly.
Gov. Tim Walz
Walz calls on Trump Administration to withdraw proposed cuts to hunger relief
Dr. Sylvia Bartley Looking back, I was not aware of visualization techniques. I instinctively practiced them. And I’m always amazed at the power created when opportunity meets self-belief, potential, and an open mind. The same applies to Minnesota. What do you think is possible if everyone turned a blind eye to the statistics, stopped believing the hype and started to believe in uninvested cities, providing opportunities and investments similar to Edina? Imagine the ripple effect created if everyone believed in their potential and took control of their power despite their circumstances. I, like many others, see a lot of potential in North Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Cedar-Riverside. These are hotbeds of untapped talent, creativity and areas full of possibilities. I’m encouraged by the emergence of young gifted Black talent e.g. entrepreneurs and residents running for and/ or in public office. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter III, St. Paul Public School Board Member Chauntyll Allen, Anika Bowie, and Minneapolis City Councilman Jerimiah Ellison to name a few, are committed to the journey of changing the narrative for residents in the Twin Cities. They and many
others believe in what’s possible. By doing so they’re creating a different more positive narrative for the cities they serve that will change the trajectory of people’s lives for the better. As the year draws to a close and we embark upon a new decade, if you’re not already doing so, why not start empowering your future by creating your narrative and visualizing what’s possible? Once you know where you want to be and see it happening, no one person or statistic will have the power to distract you from your path and glory. I’m so grateful I defied the statistics, stopped believing the hype and co-created with the universe a narrative that was more aligned with my path and purpose. I wish the same and much more for you in 2020 and beyond. Dr. Sylvia Bartley, a senior global director for the Medtronic Foundation, is well known for her community work in the Twin Cities and her voice on KMOJ radio. She was recently listed in Great Britain’s Powerlist 2020, of the top 100 most influential Black people in the U.K. The Powerlist included The Duchess of Sussex, Megan Markel, and actor Idris Elba. She was also named as one of Pollen Minnesota’s 2019 50 over 50.
Valerie Jensen named St. Paul’s Director of Human Rights & Equal Economic Opportunity St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter announced Valerie Jensen as the new director of the city’s Department of Human Rights & Equal Economic Opportunity (HREEO). “Valerie Jensen’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion has been the foundation of her work in our community,” said Carter. “As HREEO Director, this commitment and her broad range of experience will be an incredible asset to our city.” “I am honored and
Valerie Jensen humbled by this amazing opportunity to serve the
mayor and St. Paul,” said Jensen. “I am excited to step in and lead HREEO in its work to create true access and opportunity for all residents.” Jensen is the president and founder of Azon Consulting, a firm focused on diversity and inclusion, leadership coaching, talent development, strategic planning, and business development. Born and raised in Minnesota, she has a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in African/ African-American studies
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from Carleton College, and a J.D. from Mitchell Hamline College of Law where she has taught for the past 12 years as an adjunct professor. She also has previously served as chair of the Board of Directors for United Family Medicine. She will start with the city on Jan. 6. St. Paul’s Department of Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity deals with issues of justice, equity, accessibility and economic opportunities.
Gov. Tim Walz today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue calling on him to immediately withdraw the department’s latest series of cuts to funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a program that provides food assistance for low-income individuals and families. Walz said the rules could take away food support from thousands of Minnesotans, most of whom are children, seniors, or people who have disabilities, as well as causing the low-income families who do meet the qualifications to face significant reductions in support. “This critical program provides food to thousands of Minnesotans – the majority of whom are children, seniors, and people living with disabilities. Let me be clear: These misguided policy changes will increase hunger across Minnesota,” Walz wrote in the letter. One in 12 Minnesota families are food insecure. Of the three million visits per year to Minnesota’s food shelves, one in three food shelf visits are children. “Having spent 20 years in the classroom, I see these cuts through the lens of a high school teacher. I taught students experiencing hunger. And I will tell you: a child cannot learn when they are hungry,”
the letter continues. “Antihunger programs like SNAP are critical to student success and lay an essential foundation for building a competitive economy and next-generation workforce. Ensuring that families in need can access these programs is not only a moral imperative, it’s an economic one.” “Food insecurity is continually highlighted by parents, educators, child advocates and communities as a serious barrier impacting opportunity for children in our state,” said Lt. Gov. Flanagan. “SNAP provides basic, critical support for thousands of children in this state, and it is our job to advocate for the thousands of families who rely on assistance to make it through hard times. As a kid, my family relied on SNAP. It is a critical program that literally keeps food in the bellies of Minnesotans.” “SNAP is a vital safety-net program that supports people through tough times and can help boost families out of poverty,” said Allison O’Toole, CEO of Second Harvest Heartland. “These rule changes mean more kids will go to bed hungry, more parents will stay up late worrying about where their next meal is coming from, and Minnesota’s alreadystrained hunger relief network will be left to try to fill the gaps.”
Artist rendering of the Philano Castile Peace Garden
Community Peace Garden honors Philando Castile The Philando Castile Peace Garden Committee announced the launch of a fundraising campaign to enhance the Falcon Heights Peace Garden created in honor of Philando Castile, who was killed by a police officer in Falcon Heights. The communityled effort is supported by a $45,000 grant from the St. Paul Minnesota Foundation. The Philando Castile Peace Garden Committee is advancing Castile’s humanitarian legacy of giving to the community he loved, especially of feeding children in his role as a school cafeteria supervisor at J.J. Hill elementary. Castile’s mother, Valerie Castile, has been a major force in honoring her son’s legacy of love of community. “Philando’s legacy of love is global and lives on forever in the hearts of children. No one can take that away from us. Phil understood that many children In Ramsey County,
where J.J. Hill is located, live well below the poverty line and cannot always afford to pay for their lunch,” said Valarie Castile. Commenting on her brother’s legacy, Allysza Castile said, “Phil viewed his community as culturally-rich and knew that communities must work together to take care of one another.” The Philando Castile Peace Garden Committee is hosting fundraisers to raise $500,000 to build and maintain the garden. All funds raised through GiveMN will go directly to support the Philando Castile Peace Garden Fund, managed by the St. Paul Minnesota Foundation, to build and maintain the space, where community can come to heal and find peace. For further information go to www. philandocastilepeacegarden. org/ways-to-help.
I2H
Should you avoid meat for good health? How to slice off the facts from the fiction
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Page 4 • December 30, 2019 - January 5, 2020 • Insight News
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Task force recommends changes to child support guidelines The Child Support Task Force has issued its final report to the Minnesota Legislature, laying out recommendations for updating the state’s child support guidelines, something that hasn’t been done in more than a decade. In 2016, the Minnesota Legislature created the task force to review the guidelines and advise the Minnesota Department of Human Services on how to update them to ensure that they best serve Minnesota families and help parents work together to support their children even when they don’t live together. Task force members included parents, legislators, professionals who work with families and others. They solicited and accepted public comment from hundreds of parents, grandparents, child support professionals and community members. Changes recommended by the task force include bringing Minnesota’s guidelines in line with the current cost of child-rearing, so child support obligations for parents with low incomes (combined monthly incomes of $6,000 and below) don’t exceed 16 percent of gross income of parents who owe child support and consistently calculating child support obligations for families with higher incomes (combined monthly incomes of $15,000 and above). Also recommended was adjusting slightly the current method of calculating child support when parents have other children they are supporting, so that their income is more fairly divided among all of the families and allowing courts to deviate from standard child support guidelines if the court determines paying the suggested amount in the guidelines would be a barrier to
family reunification for families who have children in out-ofhome placement. The task force also proposed creating a permanent advisory body to address remaining priority issues, providing a venue for public input and developing a process for routinely updating the guidelines. Additional recommendations can be found in the report, “2019 Minnesota Child Support Task Force: Activities and Recommendations.” All task force recommendations will require legislative action. “We value the outside perspective of knowledgeable experts who can help us better serve children and families,” said Acting Assistant Commissioner Lisa Bayley. “After carefully considering each recommendation, we will work with the Governor’s Office, Minnesota Legislature and other partners on how to best move forward to ensure equity in our child support guidelines.” Any changes to the guidelines would affect not only families with a court order to pay or receive child support in the future but families with existing child support orders if they file a motion with the court to modify their order under the new guidelines. The majority of the economic model underlying Minnesota’s current guidelines is based on a 2001 study on the cost of child-rearing conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Minnesota’s guidelines have not been updated since 2007, when they changed from a model based on a percentage of one parent’s income to a model based on both parents’ incomes. In federal fiscal
Possible changes could be coming to child support in Minnesota following task force recommendations. year 2018, county and state child support offices provided services for 340,452 custodial and noncustodial parents and
their 235,564 children. For every $1 spent on Minnesota’s child support program, $3.26 was collected in support of
Minnesota children, according to the “2018 Minnesota Child Support Performance Report.” Look for more
information on the department’s website about child support services as well as parents’ rights and responsibilities.
North Suburban Emergency Assistance Response receives grant from Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless has granted North Suburban Emergency Assistance Response (NEAR) with $3,437 to provide more food to families facing food insecurity. Funding from Open Your Heart will provide NEAR
with a new refrigerator and freezer. NEAR was founded as a food shelf in the early 1970s by community members who were concerned about the hunger and health of local lowincome families. The mission of NEAR is to help alleviate
food and clothing shortages in the north suburban area of the Twin Cities. NEAR serves an average of 330 families and 1,200 individuals every month. Open Your Heart looks for gaps in funding of services based on geographic
or demographic considerations and reaches out to agencies serving those communities. They support programs in communities where many traditional funders do not reach – volunteer run domestic violence shelters, homeless programs in
sparsely served remote corners of the state, inner city programs dedicated to serving the poorest among us, and hunger programs serving clientele with special needs. Their primary goal is to ensure that front line providers of crisis services have the tools,
equipment, and infrastructure necessary to carry out their work. Grants are awarded on a bi-monthly basis and are considered only through the application process. Applications can be obtained at www.oyh.org/grant-programs/.
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NASA engineer Christine Darden. Darden is posed holding a wind tunnel model of a proposed aircraft while kneeling inside the test section of a wind tunnel at the NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia.
‘Hidden Figures’ inspiration, Dr. Christine Darden, honored WASHINGTON, D.C. – Dr. Christine Darden, Congressional Gold Medal recipient and former NASA mathematician, data analyst and aeronautical engineer, “Hidden Figures” author Margot Lee Shetterly, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) headlined a reception, hosted by the Sloan Foundation, in recognition of the women mathematicians and engineers who contributed to the success of NASA and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics during the Space Race.
The Dec. 9 reception celebrated the passage of bipartisan legislation, introduced by Coons and Johnson, along with Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), that awarded Congressional Gold Medals to Katherine Johnson and Darden and posthumously award Congressional Gold Medals to Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. The bill also awarded a fifth Congressional Gold Medal to honor all women who contributed to NASA during the Space Race.
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Insight News • December 30, 2019 - January 5, 2020 • Page 5
I was just thinking … Mama in the classroom By Norma Adams-Wade Founding member of NABJ I Messenger Media welcomes veteran journalist Norma Adams-Wade. We hope you will enjoy her insightful, informative and entertaining columns. I wrote my first column in 1988 for a local Dallas newspaper. I wrote about a beloved Dallas guidance counselor and teacher that most students called “Mama.” Chew on that for a minute. A teacher that students called “Mama.” There is so much meaning in that thought that I can hardly contain it. Many of you, some of you, may remember her – Mable M. Jackson Chandler, better known as Mama Chandler. She began teaching and counseling during World War II and did so for 39 years before she retired in 1980 and died some years later. She loved it when students called
her Mama. She acted the part, but she wasn’t acting. She was real. She cared. She disciplined with a look, a firm reprimand, a take-no-prisoners persona that commanded respect, with no need to demand it. The funny thing is that with all of her “tough-guy” demeanor, I don’t remember any students who seemed to doubt that beneath that exterior was genuine love. So, I was just thinking... about Tiffani Lankford. She’s the 32-year-old substitute teacher who was arrested earlier this month for fighting back after a 16-year-old student allegedly hit her in the face. The encounter – that happened at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas just outside of Austin — was caught on cell phone video recorded by another student. The video shows the teacher repeatedly punching the student, pulling her from the desk and slinging her to the floor where the teacher appears
Photo ©The Black Academy of Arts and Letters
Mable M. Jackson Chandler, better known as Mama Chandler. to stomp on the student’s head. Initial news reports said there was no immediate information as to what prompted the encounter. The substitute teacher was arrested, fired, and charged with aggravated assault. But back to Mama. I was just thinking ... How would Mama Chandler have handled that situation? First of all, though,
Tiffani Lankford, the 32-yearold substitute teacher who was arrested earlier this month Norma Adams-Wade I Was Just Thinking for fighting back after a 16-year-old student allegedly hit her in the face.
the thought seems inconceivable that any student during Mama’s time would ever have imagined hitting this maternal figurehead. I remember quoting Mama’s explanation of how she got the endearing title, though she had no children of her own. She had said, “During the war
Norma Adams-Wade years, fathers were in service, mothers had to work. I told my students, ‘I’m your Mama now, while you’re here. You have a problem, come talk to me.’” So, how did we get here – from Mama Chandler to a fist fight? Many people who commented on social media sided with the teacher. Commenters also described modern school systems as out-of-control with student violence, blatant disrespect,
and disdain for learning. There was once a popular 1950s television series, called “I Remember Mama,” about a Norwegian immigrant family. One reviewer described Mama, the main character, as “one of the warmest characters ever to grace television.” You could not describe Mama Chandler as warm. But she was certainly loved and respected. She also helped finance many students’ college education, and they floated her with cards, letters and visits over the years. When asked the clue to her success, she answered, “Accepting other people’s children as my own.” So, it’s fair to say that those children, her students, could utter with conviction the television show’s familiar tagline: “I remember the big white house ... my little sister ... big brother ... and Papa. But most of all, I remember Mama.”
Write Your Own Obituary. Your Life Depends on It: Spiritually Speaking By James A. Washington Publisher, Dallas Weekly My immediate reaction to a recent sermon I heard was to share it. Although this was not the topic of the message, the pastor’s comment about life and death made me think about my own obituary. It seems that the inventor of dynamite got an unusual chance to read his own obituary and was very irritated about what it said about him. The question that this littleknown fact made me think about was, “How will God respond to mine?” Better yet, “How would I respond to my own obituary?” I mean if you could design and write your own epitaph, wouldn’t you want it to reflect in some way a life with God at the center of it?
I once heard that one’s greatest enlightenment is to know the will of God. The greatest achievement is to do the will of God. If you could draft the truth about your life today and make sure that when people spoke at your funeral, they spoke of your service to the Lord, would you have to change course, or could you stay the course? What would you need to change or do differently? In the case of Alfred Nobel (of the Nobel Prizes) he didn’t want to be eulogized as the guy who invented wholesale slaughter for a profit. Because he supposedly read a premature obituary about himself, he established the Nobel Prize (in his will) to leave a gift to mankind that the world celebrates every year. That dynamite thing almost never comes up. My point is if
You hold the pen to your own obituary. they wrote your obituary today, would it please you? Would it please God? If not, do you know why not? In this instance, the thought of my own death prompted me to think, “What had I done for God lately that others might see
and
maybe appreciate?” At a very personal level, I began to wonder how much I was doing simply out of the love for God, rather than the fear of monumental consequence. Do I follow the Lord out of faith in unconditional grace or because I’m afraid
of what will happen to me if I don’t? If you’re talking about God’s rules, that becomes a very interesting question. Is my obedience to God based on fear or is my obedience based on love? You see whatever anyone says in my obituary, I’m pretty sure God will know the truth of it all. We all want to be remembered fondly. The thing that made me think about this was the reality that new life, eternal life begins at death. The quality of that life might just begin with what your spiritual obituary says. If you know that then you also know you can start to rewrite your obit today, starting right now. I just thought that it might be a beneficial exercise to commit, from today forward, to crafting a life that, when spoken of at its celebration, you would be proud to show it to God.
We all know we’ll be held accountable for our new life as we conclude our old one: the physical one. I’m reminded that I often refer to our ability to influence that dash; that thing between when we are physically born and when we physically die. We have no say about the beginning and a little at the end. But how we handle the dash in between will serve us well for eternity. It will be what makes up our obituaries. Pay attention to your life. You cast a wider net than you could possibly know. May God bless and keep you always. James A. Washington is a father, husband, Christian, writer, entrepreneur and the owner/publisher of the Dallas Weekly.
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Page 6 • December 30, 2019 - January 5, 2020 • Insight News
Insight 2 Health
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Should you avoid meat for good health? How to slice off the facts from the fiction By Dariush Mozaffarian Dean of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University TheConversation.com
More than half of Americans who make New Year’s resolutions resolve to “eat healthier.” If you’re one, you might be confused about the role meat should play in your health. It’s no wonder you’re confused. One group of scientists says that reducing red and processed meat is a top priority for your health and the planet’s. Another says these foods pose no problems for health. Some of your friends may say it depends, and that grass-fed beef and “nitrite-free” processed meats are fine. At the same time, plant-based meat alternatives are surging in popularity, but with uncertain health effects. As a cardiologist and professor of nutrition, I’d like to clear up some of the confusion with five myths and five facts about meat. First, the myths. Myth: Red meat is good for health Long-term observational studies of heart disease, cancers or death and controlled trials of risk factors like blood cholesterol, glucose and inflammation suggest that modest intake of unprocessed red meat is relatively neutral for health. But, no major studies suggest that eating it provides benefits. So, while an occasional serving of steak, lamb or pork may not worsen your health, it also won’t improve it. And, too much heme iron, which gives red meat its color, may explain why red meat increases risk of Type 2 diabetes. Eating red meat often, and eating processed meat even occasionally, is also strongly linked to colorectal cancer. Myth: prioritize
You lean
should meats
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Meat is a very popular food for most Americans. Its nutritional value is a topic of much debate. For decades, dietary guidance has focused on lean meats because of their lower fat, saturated fat and cholesterol contents. But these nutrients don’t have strong associations with heart attacks, cancers or other major health outcomes. Other factors appear more important. Processed meats, such as bacon, sausage, salami and cold cuts, contain high levels of preservatives. Sodium, for example, raises blood pressure and stroke risk, while the body converts nitrites to cancer-causing nitrosamines. Lean or not, these products aren’t healthy. Myth: Focus on a ‘plant-based’ diet “Plant-based” has quickly, but somewhat misleadingly, become a shorthand for “healthy.” First, not all animal-based foods are bad. Poultry and eggs
appear relatively neutral. Dairy may have metabolic benefits, especially for reducing body fat and Type 2 diabetes. And, seafood is linked to several health benefits. Conversely, many of the worst foods are plant-based. Consider white rice, white bread, fries, refined breakfast cereals, cookies and so on. These foods are high in refined starch and sugar, representing 42 percent of all calories in the U.S., compared to about 5% of U.S. calories from unprocessed red meats, and 3 percent from processed meats. Either a “plant-based” or omnivore diet is not healthy by default. It depends on what you choose to eat. Myth: better
Grass-fed beef is for your health Conventional livestock eat a combination of forage (grass, other greens, legumes) plus hay with added corn,
soy, barley or grain. “Grassfed,” or “pasture-raised,” livestock eat primarily, but not exclusively, forage. “Grassfinished” livestock should, in theory, only eat forage. But no agency regulates industry’s use of these terms. And “free range” describes where an animal lives, not what it eats. “Grass-fed” may sound better, but no studies have compared health effects of eating grass-fed versus conventional beef. Nutrient analyses show very modest differences between grass-fed and conventionally raised livestock. You might eat grass-fed beef for personal, environmental or philosophical reasons. But don’t expect health benefits. Myth: Plant-based meat alternatives are healthier Products like Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat are clearly better for the environment than conventionally raised beef, but their health effects remain uncertain. Most nutrients in plant-based alternatives are, by design, similar to meat. Using genetically engineered yeast, Impossible even adds heme iron. These products also pack a lot of salt. And, like many other ultra-processed foods, they may lead to higher calorie intake and weight gain. So, what are the facts? Fact: are
Processed meats bad for health Processed meats contain problematic preservatives. Even those labeled “no nitrates or nitrites added” contain nitrite-rich fermented celery powder. A current petition
by the Center for Science in the Public Interest asks the FDA to ban the misleading labeling. Besides the sodium, nitrites and heme, processed meats can contain other carcinogens, produced by charring, smoking or hightemperature frying or grilling. These compounds may not only harm the person who eats these products; they can also cross the placenta and harm a fetus.
Fact: Plant-based meats are better for the environment Production of plantbased meat alternatives, compared to conventional beef, uses half the energy, one-tenth of the land and water, and produces 90 percent less greenhouse gas. But, no studies have yet compared plant-based meat alternatives to more natural, less processed options, such as mushrooms or tofu.
Fact: A meatless diet is not, by itself, a healthy diet Most diet-related diseases are caused by too few health-promoting foods like fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, vegetables, whole grains, plant oils, seafood and yogurt. Additional health problems come from too much soda and ultra-processed foods high in salt, refined starch or added sugar. Compared to these major factors, avoiding or occasionally eating unprocessed red meat, by itself, has modest health implications.
Fact: Many questions remain Which preservatives or other toxins in processed meat cause the most harm? Can we eliminate them? In unprocessed red meats, what exactly increases risk of Type 2 diabetes? What innovations, like feeding cows special strains of seaweed or using regenerative grazing, can reduce the large environmental impacts of meat, even grass-fed beef? What are the health implications of grass-fed beef and plantbased meat alternatives? Like much in science, the truth about meat is nuanced. Current evidence suggests that people shouldn’t eat unprocessed red meat more than once or twice a week. Grass-fed beef may be modestly better for the environment than traditional production, but environmental harms are still large. Data don’t support major health differences between grass fed and conventional beef. Similarly, plant-based meat alternatives are better for the planet but not necessarily for our health. Fruits, nuts, beans, vegetables, plant oils and whole grains are still the best bet for both human and planetary health.
Fact: Beef production is devastating the environment In terms of land use, water use, water pollution and greenhouse gases, unprocessed red meat production causes about five times the environmental impact of fish, dairy or poultry. This impact is about 20 times higher than that of eggs, nuts or legumes, and 45 to 75 times higher than the impact of fruits, vegetables or whole grains. A 2013 UN report concluded that livestock production creates about 15 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions, with nearly half coming from beef alone.
20 for 20
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Insight News • December 30, 2019 - January 5, 2020 • Page 7
Highlights of Black art from the past decade
By Brittany Wright
Let’s take a look at some of the most memorable contributions of Black artists from the past decade. 2019
Lizzo -Time Magazine named her Entertainer of the Year after one of the biggest years of her career. In 2019 alone Lizzo earned eight Grammy nominations, two feature film credits (“Hustlers” and “Ugly Dolls”) and several Billboard hits. The greatest surprise of this year was Lizzo’s single, “Truth Hurts,” topping the charts at No. 1 due to its viral success two years after its initial release. “When They See Us” - Co-written and directed by Ava Duvernay for Netflix, this mini-series focuses on the 1989 Central Park Jogger Case. This series was significant not only for its lifelike portrayal of “The Exonerated 5” (and 11 Emmy nominations) but also of its political timeliness. The five boys falsely accused of rape in the trial were publicly defamed as being deserving of the death penalty by a then realestate investor Donald J. Trump, now the sitting president of the United States. 2018 “ Becoming” Affectionately known as “our forever First Lady,” former FLOTUS Michelle Obama released her biography “Becoming” in the fall of 2018. The memoir by the first and only African-American First Lady of the United States became the highest selling book of 2018, a New York Times Best Seller, and is set to be the highest selling memoir of all time. Within five months of its release the book had already sold more than 10 million copies with a portion of the proceeds donated to supporting children’s literacy. Kehinde Wiley Although his name is nearly as recognized as his work, this visual artist created works of art that will be talked about forever. In 2018 Wiley was selected by President Barack Obama to paint an official portrait of the (then) sitting president for the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. The painting depicts President Obama sitting in a chair amongst foliage, a stark contrast to other presidential portraits. The foliage represented the diversity of President Obama’s background with chrysanthemums (the official flower of Chicago where the Obamas are from), jasmine (symbolic of Hawaii where the president grew up) and African blue lilies (symbolic of the president’s Kenyan heritage). Wiley became the first Black
artist commissioned to paint a presidential portrait. “Black Panther” “Wakanda Forever” became a salute and symbol to Black excellence popularized by Chadwick Boseman in the Marvel film “Black Panther.” The film, its fashion, and many of its quotes will forever be staples in Black history and global cinema as the 2018 film grossed $1.347 billion in box office sales. “Black Panther,” directed by Ryan Coogler, was the most Googled fixture of entertainment in 2018, and the sixth most Googled overall. Starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker and Andy Serkis; the film won countless awards, several due in part to the lesser known players working behind the scenes to make the film as iconic as it was. “Black Panther” will return
2017 “Get Out” - A satirical horror film by Jordan Peele about an AfricanAmerican man who discovers a chilling secret about the family of his white girlfriend. Using nuanced symbolism so subtle you almost have to watch it a few times to catch the underlying messaging the film tackles themes of interracial dating, mental entrapment (now widely known in pop culture as “The Sunken Place”) and social issues such as racism, organ harvesting and underpublicized epidemic of trafficking missing Black bodies. This film was created on a budget of $4.5 million with a net profit of $124 million making “Get Out” the tenth most profitable film of 2017. 2016 Twin Cities Black arts renaissance - With the passing of one of the most prolific musicians of our time, Prince, a new and all-powerful generation of Black artists stepped forward showcasing their unique talents and honoring our dearly departed purple one. Although the renaissance of Black art can be traced to many different points of time in history, there was an undeniable resurgence within the Twin Cities. From open mics to art galleries, murals, pop up installations, performances, and more, local artists used their gifts to articulate the impact that Prince Roger Nelson had on the world and in their art in particular. 2015 Misty Copeland - June 30, 2015 Misty Copeland became the first bi-racial woman
Lizzo tops our list of best of the past decade. to be promoted to principle dancer in the American Ballet Theater. The American Ballet Theater is one of the top ballet companies in the United States and had been open for 75 years at that time. Copeland had been a part of the company for 15 years prior to getting promoted to principle dancer. In 2015 Copeland was also named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.
2014 Danez Smith - St. Paul poet Danez Smith made national history in 2014 when his book “[insert] Boy” was released with publisher Yes, Yes Books. “[insert] Boy” won the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry, Kate Tufts Discovery Award and was named one of the Boston Globe’s “Best Poetry Books of 2014.” Smith went on to be the youngest poet to win the Forward Poetry prize for “Best Poetry Collection” after publishing his second book “Don’t Call Us Dead” and was named one of Forbes 30 under 30 for his work in literary media. Smith’s work covers themes of police brutality, HIV diagnoses, community violence and Black culture. “Black-ish” - In the fall of 2014 “Black-ish,” the sitcom created by Kenya Barris debuted on ABC showcasing the intergenerational dynamics of an upper-middle class AfricanAmerican family . Starring Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Yara Shahi, Jennifer Lewis, Miles Brown, Marcus Scribner, and Marsai Martin, the show has run for six seasons, won countless awards, and donned two spin off shows –
“Grown-ish” and “Mixed-ish.”
launching Beyoncé’s career to unprecedented heights.
2013 Virgil Abloh - Born in Rockford, Ill. to Ghanian immigrants, Virgil Abloh made global history in 2013 with his contributions to the fashion world. The entrepreneur, DJ, and fashion guru founded his Milan based fashion label Off White in 2013 and is credited as the first American of African descent to become an artistic director of a French luxury house. Abloh interned at Fendi alongside Kanye West and went on to revolutionize streetwear within the Louis Vuitton brand. He still serves as the artistic director at Louis Vuitton and is the first man of African descent to lead the brands menswear line. “BEYONCE (the visual album)” - In 2013 global pop sensation Beyoncé Knowles-Carter released her fifth studio album, “BEYONCE,” with Columbia Records and Parkwood Entertainment. The “visual” album included themes of love, sex, feminism and selfworth all accompanied by short films/music videos. With no prior promotion, and (initially) an exclusively digital release, this album revolutionized the music industry shifting the release date for music from Mondays to Fridays and contributing to the reduction of physical albums distributed globally. “BEYONCE” became the fastest selling album in iTunes history selling more than 600,000 copies in the first three days nationally, and over 800,000 copies globally. The album became the third longest charting album on the Billboard 200 by a Black woman spending 185 weeks on the chart and
2012 The resurgence of Black jazz in mainstream music and media - Robert Glasper and Esperanza Spalding made unconventional history one night in 2012 by appearing on late night shows with Jay Leno and David Letterman. Both artists, African-American, under the age of 40, and known for their contributions to contemporary jazz had taken unconventional approaches to their creations, fusing together multiple genre’s rooted in Black expression that were commercially viable. Outside of television both artists found crossover success as Spalding’s “Radio Music Society” album peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard music charts and Glasper’s “Black Radio” sold more than 128,000 copies worldwide, both doing so without commercial radio success. Other artists who popularized contemporary jazz fusions during this time were Lakecia Benjamin, Nicolas Payton, Flying Lotus and Greggory Porter.
2011 “Awkward Black Girl” - Showcasing the nuances of Black womanhood, especially for introverts, Issa Rae’s web series “Awkward Black Girl” made history on YouTube filling a void of Black female characters on screen. The viral web series follows the character J (Issa Rae) who struggles to find her footing in love, friendship and in her career. Based on a series of real-life events, creator and star Rae was able to turn a
series of awkward experiences into a national platform that crowdfunded more than $50,000, won a Shorty award, and was picked up by Pharell’s umbrella company I Am Other. This web series launched Rae into becoming a prominent fixture in media for young Black female representation. Rae is now the writer, producer, and star of HBO’s “Insecure” and has a host of feature films and national awards under her belt. 2010 “Monster” - Rapper Kanye West released his fifth studio album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” on Def Jam and Roc-a-Fella records in 2010. With controversial lyrics, eclectic production, and a host of features, one of the albums greatest highlights is it’s sixth track, “Monster,” featuring Bon Iver, Rick Ross, Jay-Z, and Nicki Minaj. The star-studded track features braggadocious verses and chorus with each artist showcasing and/or dictating their lyrical ability, but no one did so more iconically than Nicki Minaj. Minaj’s verse features multiple cadences (alter-egos), that stole the show from her male counterparts whose resumes at that time were twice as long as hers. Nicki’s verse went on to be nominated for a Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse by BET, was named Best Rap Verse of the past five years by Complex, and ultimately launched her career to new heights where she would dominate the lane of women in hip-hop for the next decade. “Monster” was certified platinum, named one of the 100 “Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time” by Rolling Stone, and labeled one of 24 songs that shaped the decade by GQ.
You, your family and the first day hike.
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One year later Celebrating the life and legacy of Prince
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Woke at the polls
2
Seismic shift signals rise of new dynastic political order
Melvin Carter
Carter, Ellison build family brands;
Uchechukwu Iroegbu
Cunningham, Jenkins
Jeremiah Ellison
build inclusiveness By Harry Colbert, Jr., Managing Editor Twitter @HarryColbertJr
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WINNER: 2018 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 3RD PLACE BEST COLUMN WRITING
W I N N E R : 2 017 N N PA M E R I T AW A R D S : 2 N D P L A C E B E S T S P E C I A L E D I T I O N
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Insight News June 25 - July 1, 2018
July 23 - July 29, 2018
Vol. 45 No. 26â&#x20AC;˘ The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts â&#x20AC;˘ insightnews.com
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Prince Unfortunately, the Twin Cities suffered additional losses throughout the decade, but perhaps none reverberated around the globe like the loss suffered on April 21, 2016. That was the day the music died. On a rainy Thursday morning, Minnesotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite son, Prince Rogers Nelson died of an accidental fentanyl overdose at his Paisley Park complex. The musicianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death sent shockwaves throughout the world, as mourners from as far away as Australia made the pilgrimage to the Twin Cities to pay respects to the man considered by many as the greatest musician of all time. Sites such as Paisley Park and First Avenue became gathering spots for thousands of fans wanting to say their final goodbyes to the man who gifted us with countless classic albums and songs and the iconic movie,
W I N N E R : 2 017 N N PA M E R I T AW A R D S : 2 N D P L A C E B E S T S P E C I A L E D I T I O N
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A motorist in Falcon Heights, on July 6, 2016 Castile was driving with his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds and her 4-year-old daughter when they were stopped by St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez for a supposed broken taillight. During the stop Castile alerted Yanez that he was legally armed and while trying to retrieve his identification Yanez shot seven times into the car striking and killing Castile. Within seconds of the shooting Reynolds livestreamed the events to Facebook capturing the dying moments of Castile. Following the killing protesters gathered at the Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mansion in several daysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; worth of peaceful protest and at one point took to Interstate-94 shutting down traffic in both directions. Although Ramsey County Attorney John Choi filed manslaughter charges against Yanez, Yanez was acquitted at trial in 2017 sparking another round of protest. That same day it was announced that Yanez was fired by the St. Anthony police department. In a direct correlation to the killing and subsequent protests, the formerly all-white city councils of St. Anthony and Falcon Heights are now diversified with each city electing a Black person to serve on their four-person councils.
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Vol. 45 No. 30â&#x20AC;˘ The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts â&#x20AC;˘ insightnews.com
En tre pre neur
ELECTIONS
WINNER: 2018 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 3RD PLACE BES T COLUMN WRITING
Uchechukwu Iroegbu
Andrea Jenkins
Uchechukwu Iroegbu
Phillipe Cunningham
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WINNER: 2019 GENERAL EXCELLENCE, 3RD PLACE, COLUMN WRITING, 2ND PLACE
Insight News February 11 - February 17, 2019
Vol. 46 No. 6â&#x20AC;˘ The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts â&#x20AC;˘ insightnews.com
Embracing winter
state-of-the-art stadium came in at a price tag of $1.061 billion, and due to intense lobbying and pressure, 36 percent of the workforce was comprised of people of color. Black-owned companies also participated in the construction of the stadium. Since opening in 2016, U.S. Bank Stadium has hosted both a Super Bowl and an NCAA Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Final Four.
Anthony Taylor-Theba (r) and son Aten-We Theba at Wirth Park bike race.
2019 Northside businessman, 13-year old Jaequan Faulkner, is the toast of the town Harry Colbert, Jr.
State Rep. Ilhan Omar won the DFL endorsement in her bid to become the next U.S. representative of District 5. Uchechukwu Iroegbu
Courtesy of Anthony Taylor-Theba MINNE-LOPPET 4
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Purple Rain.â&#x20AC;? Since Princeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death annual celebrations have taken place near the date of his passing and again in early June near the time of his June 7 birth. Paisley Park remains open to tourists and for select concerts. The beloved Purple Oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ashes are also located inside the complex.
Same place, different space The landscape of the Twin Cities has dramatically changed within the past 10 years. In April of 2010 Target Field became the new Home of the Minnesota Twins after moving from the Metrodome. The move could not have come
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at a better time because in December of that year the oddly designed domeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inflatable roof collapsed under the weight of a massive snowfall. The Minnesota Vikings, who also called the dome home, pushed for â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and received â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a publiclyfunded stadium, U.S. Bank Stadium. The 66,000-plus seat
The last year of the decade may contain what history will remember as the most important occurrences with the impeachment of President Donald Trump. With a presidency marred by scandal from the beginning â&#x20AC;&#x201C; several Trump associates and one administration official have been found guilty of a multitude of crimes; including Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former attorney Michael Cohen, who is serving three years in prison for a campaign financing scheme to hide payments to a porn star and a former Playboy Playmate â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both who claimed to have had affairs
with the real estate magnate and reality television star. In that case Trump was named as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Individual Oneâ&#x20AC;? in a federal indictment. In addition, Special Investigator Robert Mueller was tasked with determining if a foreign government â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Russia â&#x20AC;&#x201C; coordinated with the Trump campaign to influence the 2018 presidential election. While scathing in its final report, Mueller determined the campaign did not directly coordinate with Russia but found substantial wrongdoing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; some rising to the level of criminal. Yet with all that, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until a whistleblower came forward alleging Trump was bribing Ukraine to find dirt on political rival Joe Biden that Trump was impeached by Congress on Dec. 18. Though impeached, it is likely the Senate, which is Republican controlled, will not vote to remove the president. Trump is only the third president to be impeached and the first to have such a dubious distinction in his first term. This year will also be remembered for the death of hip-hop star Nipsey Hussle. Hussle was gunned down in broad daylight March 31 outside of his South Los Angeles clothing store. The emerging star had garnered a legion of adoring fans both for his music and for his civic engagement. The Grammy-nominated emceeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funeral was a BET televised event with dignitaries such as the Hon. Louis Farrakhan and hip-hop icons such as Snoop Dogg paying tribute. This past decade saw Black unemployment reach staggering highs and record lows. It saw former hero Bill Cosby and longtime suspected pedophile R Kelly imprisoned (Cosby convicted, Kelly awaiting trial) on sex-related charges. Not just a hashtag, MeToo has changed the way we address sexual harassment and assault. The decade saw the nation pay tribute in an epic memorial to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin while it shed tears for the woman thought to be Franklinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s successor, Whitney Houston. But mostly it saw what decades before have seen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a people with a resilience and resolve to ensure the succeeding decade is better for Africans across the diaspora than the previous decades have been. And together we move forward into the 2020s full of hope, love and determination.
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