Insight News Sports is back! The new home for

By Leahjean M. Denley Sports Editor

I’m Back!!! And super excited to be rejoining my Insight News family as Sports Editor.

It’s been about 20 years since I last appeared here and had the honor and opportunity to share my thoughts about local and national sporting news with all of you. In those 20 years… oh my… In addition to a slight name change, so much has happened since then! My perspective as a sports professional has grown exponentially and is much more multi-dimensional.

I look forward to sharing those experiences, as well as interviews with newsworthy celebrities, sports figures, and cultural icons in the coming weeks. Here’s a snapshot of what you can expect from CoachLeahTM and Insight News – Sports. What is

The Mayo Clinic is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious and well-respected medical institutions in the United States. It is a destination for patients seeking complex medical treatment and attracts patients from all over the world. I was fortunate enough to utilize their resources and world-class care for my mother when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2008. While cancer fatalities are uniquely common in Black communities, we continue to experience the highest rate of cancer deaths and high rates of chronic illness. Therefore, high-quality patient care, cutting-edge medical research, and expert specialists have become undeniably necessary.

However, not everyone can go to the Mayo Clinic to receive treatment. So, for the 60% of Minnesotans who suffer from chronic illness, many must take advantage of alternative care and treatment options. Moreover, chronic illness occurs more often within our Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities, which are all up to two times more likely than White counterparts to have major long-term conditions. While chronic illnesses are often complicated when it comes to treatment options, specialty medications are often recommended to treat rare or complex medical conditions. These have grown by leaps and bounds over the past 10 years—which is great news for people suffering from chronic illnesses like cancer, ALS, cystic fibrosis, or rheumatoid arthritis. Newer treatments help manage symptoms and can extend life expectancy by close to a decade. But just like any new

PhD

A Longer version of this was published on Medium (https:// bit.ly/zoraonmymind), Jan 25, 2023

I count myself among that generation of Black anthropologists and writers strongly influenced by Zora’s example. I cannot say that I followed Zora’s path consciously.

Nor can I say for sure now whether it was Zora who brought me to Florida to teach in the anthropology department at the University of Florida, or whether it was the warm weather, and the fact that azaleas bloom madly in the spring, and the Spanish moss drips off the oak trees lending a delicate beauty to the Florida landscape.” Irma McClaurin,

From “Belle Lettres: ‘Dear Langston, Love Zora’”, FlaVour: Black Florida Life &

Style, Autumn 2000. It is hard to believe that I penned those words and published the article it comes from 23 years ago. For over the last three decades, I have conducted research on Zora Neale Hurston (ZNH); directed the Zora Neale Hurston Diaspora Research Group when I was tenured faculty at the University of Florida (1995-2006); written both academic and nonacademic articles and blogs about her; done radio commentary (https:// bit.ly/zorafhc ), and delivered talks and keynote presentations about her (https://bit.ly/ HurstonHorizon). Suffice it to say that Zora has been on my mind for a VERY LONG time.

Teaching Zora My love affair with Zora began in the late 1970s when I designed and taught Black/African American literature courses. All before I ever thought of becoming an anthropologist. I recall taking a road trip from Amherst, MA to South