Insight News ::: 05.05.14

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May 5 - May 11, 2014

Vol. 41 No. 19 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

FOOD JUSTICE A Q+A WITH LADONNA REDMOND PART I OF A SERIES TED

Food + Justice = Democracy.

LaDonna Redmond at TEDxManhattan 2013

By Al McFarlane Editor-in-Chief The following is a transcript of a recent Conversations With Al McFarlane with Insight founder, Al McFarlane and food justice advocate, LaDonna Redmond.

Al McFarlane You are a colleague in the radio industry. You have a regular and celebrated program on our sister station KMOJ. Your program is called “It’s Your Health.” It’s a great service to our community, a great

program. It’s an important topic.

LaDonna Redmond I talk about food as well as health. We take an approach to health that empowers people – not just things that you can do or make yourself as an individual; we examine the public policy issues that impact your health. We help our listeners get more engaged in their personal health by making choices on the ground and also making political and policy choices.

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DNA: The truth of our identities featured a presentation by Gina Paige, president of African Ancestry, a firm that uses DNA analysis to connect people with their ancestral roots.

Miller, who earlier had purchased the African Ancestry DNA test, got her results during the event. She is Yoruba and Fulani, the test revealed.

Paige says African Ancestry transforms the way that people of African descent view themselves and Africa.

“Identity is a constantly evolving narrative of self. At any given time, we look at ourselves through various identity lenses including religious, ethnic, political, educational, relationship and family,” said Paige. “Family

By Al McFarlane Editor-in-Chief

Joy Marsh Stephens

SEIU Minnesota State Council endorses Joy Marsh Stephens for Brooklyn Park Mayor The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Minnesota State Council, endorsed Joy Marsh Stephens for Brooklyn Park mayor.

Following a memberdriven screening process, SEIU members, including 800 members who live and work in Brooklyn Park, chose to endorse Joy because of what the union called her extensive professional experience and her proven history fighting for working families in Brooklyn Park.

“After our screening, SEIU members enthusiastically recommended endorsing Joy for Mayor of Brooklyn Park,” said Javier Morillo-Alicea, President of SEIU Local 26.

“She comes from the business world, but she has the instinct and passion of an organizer.

Members were impressed by her work leading the fight in

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Callie Riser and Norma Miller were among the hundreds of Twin Cities residents engaged in a two-day event on AfricanAmerican genealogy at the beginning of last month at downtown Minneapolis Central Library.

For Riser, a community organizer and elder, it was a day to affirm the mushrooming interest in Black Americans in reconnecting to ancestral families, tribes and nations of Africa. Riser led the steering committee, which created the Minnesota African American Historical and Genealogy Society.

The conference

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(l-r) Norma Miller, Gina Paige, and Callie Riser

Disparities in marijuana enforcement widen Minnesota’s equity gap for communities of color marijuana possession, including lost economic opportunity, property forfeiture, and being removed from social safety net programs.

For example, drug-related activity can result in a three to five year eviction from public housing. A Hennepin County family forced to move from public to private housing will end up paying at least $14,300 over three years and at least $23,900 over five years for private housing. A marijuana possession arrest will also potentially impact access to federal student loans and

By Nicole Simms, Ph.D., Minnesota 2020 Fellow Blacks in Minnesota are 6.4 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites, one of the nation’s highest disparities, according to FBI statistics. Minnesota 2020’s latest report, Collateral Costs, finds these disproportionate arrest rates further exacerbate equity gaps for individuals and neighborhoods in communities of color.

The research set out to determine costs beyond fines and attorney fees to individuals arrested and/or convicted for

Ampersand Families Bridging foster care and adoption

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Illustration: Ben Williams

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Commentary

Community

Lifestyle

How the Army ostracized me for my own hair

Help fight hunger by gardening

50+ Travel: Tips on choosing the perfect tour or cruise

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Page 2 • May 5 - May 11, 2014 • Insight News

insightnews.com

PUTTING IN THE WORK

By Al McFarlane Editor-in-Chief

M

aster trainer Tyron Minor keeps the Insight2Health F i t n e s s Challenge participants on track with praise (where deserved) and the promise of pain.

He recently wrote: “Hello all. You’re five weeks into your new life and there is no turning back now. Whether you’re seeing tremendous results on the scale, in the way your clothes fit or in the changes you’ve made with your eating, now is the time to focus on the positive strides you’ve made thus far.

Often times in our quest to change for the better, we tend to only focus on the destination while failing to enjoy the journey. My request of you is to look back on the first five weeks, jot down all the positive things you have done since starting the challenge and what great things lie ahead over the last five weeks.

Also know that all of us at the F.I.T. Lab care about your success and are pulling for you to make the lifestyle change that you all are hoping to attain.

Here are some of the highlights that we have documented over the first five weeks: Our top three lifestyle points earners are: Women Adero - 23 Chardae - 22 Jelanna & Rosanna - 21

Men Jeff - 18 Al - 17 Brandon - 16

For the ladies, Adero has made it to an amazing 24 out of 25 workouts, and on the men’s side, Jeff has been flawless attending 25 out of 25 workouts. As a collective bunch, you have attended a combined total of 298 workouts.

So when you think you should be further along at this point, instead I challenge you to focus on how far you have come.

Now it’s my job as the head trainer to turn it up and raise the bar.

Rest up peeps. Tomorrow will be special!”

Eric Goodlow – we know him as G-Rock – responded by saying, “My thoughts are on us being in the second half and from a sports mindset it is, as they say, the most important half.

It’s not how you start but how you finish. As I have been here before, I know it is at this point that our minds are most determined to provide excuses or reasoning for why we would be OK with letting a significant monetary investment in the Fitness Challenge participation fee, go to waste.

“As Chizel (Tyrone Minor) himself always says, ‘our minds will give up way before our bodies will.’ This is the time at which this lifestyle change can truly become one in which your body craves the activities and healthy food options you are starting to embrace. So at this point I offer two suggestions and words of encouragement for

our minds. Our bodies have already accepted the change.

“My suggestions from experience, one, keep focusing on drinking water, and two, schedule your time for fitness just like you do work, meetings, children’s activities, etc. (even on the weekends) on your calendars, smart phones, work calendars or whatever. Nothing wrong with having an appointment for your health even if for a few minutes a day.”

Goodlow offered these

words of encouragement.

“Success stops when you do ... don’t stop. If you don’t start you certainly won’t arrive. Remember, we are already past the halfway point. We often fear the thing we want most. I can see how much this is wanted. Don’t be afraid. Life is what’s coming, not what was. How we got here no longer is a concern.

No one can ruin your day without your permission.

When things go wrong, don’t go with them.”

In Goodlow’s note

to me, he wrote, “Mac, thanks for your role, encouragement and support in our efforts to change our lives.”

My note to Goodlow and Minor and all the fitness challenge participants is, “Your comments are 1000 percent on point and, truth be told, the act of making the statement is what this fitness challenge is all about. We are changing the conversation among us and changing the conversation in our community. We

Photos by: Alaina L. Lewis

Top: Eric Goodlow.

are defining the problem and by our determination, demonstrating the solution.

We are the paradigm shift.

Thanks brothers.

Keep working and keep writing.

In the old days we called it kicking (butt) and taking names. Peace.”

insightnews.com

Insight News • May 5 - May 11, 2014 • Page 3

AMPERSAND FAMILIES

Bridging foster care and adoption

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer Each year, nearly 250,000 children nationwide enter the foster care system.

Of that, about half remain in the system for a significant duration of time. And the older the child, the less likely are the chances for adoption. In many ways, these kids are part of a forgotten population, but one area organization is seeking to bring greater awareness to these sometimes forgotten children; and most importantly, find permanent adoptive homes for the kids.

“We believe every kid needs to be parented by parents, not by foster care families or by institutions,” said Michelle Chalmers, co-founder of Ampersand families, an area non-for-profit seeking to find permanent adoptive homes for foster kids ages 10 years and older. “Even the most loving temporary care is not a family; it’s not designed to be.”

Chalmers, who founded Ampersand with Jen Braun, said too often children enter foster care and the population at large tends to not notice these children as in need of a permanent home.

“We sever these kids from their homes, oftentimes because of abuse or neglect, and we place them in the foster system,

Redmond From 1 Al McFarlane Define “food justice.” What’s the concept? It’s a great combination of words – food plus justice.

LaDonna Redmond It means a couple of things for people. One is that there is no justice around food for some people. At the core of food justice, the definition addresses any issues around access to food or the food system for anyone, whether they have limited access or whether they have all the access in the world. Everyone should have access to food. So the human right to food defines the topic of food justice. I also want to separate the two, food and justice, because I think food is a tool for organizing communities for justice. It’s something that everyone does.

Everyone eats; we all have some food some place at some point during the day. And even when you’re struggling with access, still food is a part of the conversation in your family. So food justice is really about how do we acquire food that is economically, socially and politically just for all.

Al McFarlane What does that mean for our community? We are Africans in the New World.

LaDonna Redmond For African Americans I think it means something very special.

It is something that is not really well discussed in our community.

And that’s the reclaiming space, particularly land space in our urban communities where many of us live. In the Food Justice Movement African Americans are at the forefront of reclaiming vacant space and converting it to urban farm sites. One level of work is really expanding this notion of access to not just include people who are passive recipients

Stephens From 1 Brooklyn Park to hold Target accountable for the local jobs they promised when the city granted them enormous tax subsidies. As Mayor, her experience bringing together diverse groups of people will benefit all the residents of Brooklyn Park.”

SEIU members are employed in a variety of occupations at facilities throughout the state, including hospital, clinic, nursing home and in-home support workers, public school support staff and early childhood education workers, commercial and public building maintenance employees, security officers and other property service workers and Minneapolis Public School maintenance employees.

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pat ourselves on the back and say we’re done and we wipe our hands of them,” said Chalmers.

“Ampersand fundamentally disagrees with that premise.”

According to Chalmers, a

great number of older children waiting for adoptive homes are African American. She said while there are several African Americans willing to serve as foster parents, that same

enthusiasm does not exist when it comes to adoption.

“There’s a desperate need for families of color to step up and adopt,” said Chalmers. “A lot of families of color are doing foster

care, but they’re not getting the message to become permanent families.”

Chalmers theorized that one reason more families opt to participate as foster parents as

of food, but enabling people to envision themselves becoming entrepreneurs again, being able to sell their produce and create a local food system that’s vibrant. It also means reclaiming soul food.

I hear lots of people say soul food is bad food.

without. We’ve moved away from our agrarian roots. We all came out of the South.

It reminds me that several years ago when Lucille’s Kitchen was in north Minneapolis, we did this show called the Insight/KMOJ Public Policy Forum at Lucille’s Kitchen. It was a great live radio show every week that used video conferencing to connect people around the world to our audience in north Minneapolis. One show we did with people in Crookston, Minn. Crookston are farmers connecting with people from my neighborhood, north Minneapolis.

They had this presumption that we in north Minneapolis didn’t know anything about farming or the plight and the challenges facing farming communities. They sounded as though they saw our people living comfortably, getting our regular allotments from the government and that we had no connection to food production.

I remembered Prof. Mahmoud El Kati reminding them and us that we are here in this hemisphere because of farming. He challenged them and us to discard any ideas questioning our natural affinity to – and knowledge of – the land, whether we’re practicing it right now or not. It’s in us and of us, he declared.

Likewise, LaDonna, you want us to connect to the knowledge of our story, our history and the oneness that I think you believe our community has with the soil

and with farming, with food. Am I right or am I wrong?

contemporary agricultural system.

So my perspective in food justice also uses historical trauma as the platform to understand the impact of enslavement on Africans particularly taking someone from another land and placing them on this land, as well as moving our Native American brothers and sisters off the land by policies of extermination against them for the purposes of cultivating land.

So reclaiming our space means healing from that trauma. And part of the reason that they don’t know about our history is because we don’t tell them and we don’t talk about it.

Al McFarlane They say soul food will kill you.

LaDonna Redmond But that’s not true. What’s killing us is the industrialized food system that has replaced our food in our community. So you can get fried chicken from Kentucky Fried Chicken or Popeye’s or any other mainstays that are in our community. But very few people are going home and eating a “mess of greens,” as my grandmother used to say, with cornbread and drinking the pot liquor or baking a chicken. So there are some misnomers that we’ve accepted and internalized about our African American cuisine. Food justice for African Americans means reclaiming our food as well as our land.

Al McFarlane LaDonna Redmond, founder, lead organizer for the Campaign for Food Justice Now. Their motto – Unite and Organize. LaDonna, you talked about the need to deal with our urban reality and a lot of our story is about pain and anguish and deprivation, doing

LaDonna Redmond You’re completely on point. I have had that experience myself.

I’m from Illinois and I’ve sat on a number of committees with largescale farmers who are mainstream farmers, farming corn and soybean and what not. They would look at me like, “what would be your interest in farming? Surely Black people don’t know anything about farming.”

I did the same thing. I reminded them that Africans were captured, enslaved and brought to the United States to create the

opposed to adoption is resources.

“Families are worried about support – rightfully so,” said Chalmers. “Foster families have 24-hour access to services.

Once you make a commitment to adopt, they’re your kid and those services just aren’t there for adoptive families. The child welfare system doesn’t work. Just trying to get kids in permanent homes is an up hill battle.”

Ampersand Families seeks to be a bridge between foster and adoptive care, connecting families to resources and services and even matching adoptive families with “buddy” or respite families to offer additional support.

Respite families oftentimes take the adopted child or children on outings to give adoptive parents a short break away from their child or children.

“We’re there for the long haul,” said Chalmers. “It’s only ethical to make an unconditional commitment to that family. No way we’re going to place a kid with a family and not answer their call five years after.”

For more information on Ampersand Families or to discuss becoming an adoptive family to an older foster child, visit www. ampersandfamilies.org or call (612) 605-1904.

May is National Foster Care Awareness Month and throughout the month Insight News will spotlight stories and organizations dealing with area foster care.

Al McFarlane So we forget.

LaDonna Redmond And so we forget. And it’s convenient that we forget but we are reminded every day when we have the kind of health disparities that we have. You asked me earlier what does food justice mean.

It also means reclaiming our history and being able to make a connection between the historical trauma of the past and our health disparities of today and the things that we have to do right now to remedy the situation: reclaim our land and reclaim our food.

insightnews.com

Insight News • May 5 - May 11, 2014 • Page 4

COMMENTARY How the Army ostracized me for my own hair

By Kristie Mitchell, MD The Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia covers every aspect of soldiers’ grooming and appearance — from fingernail length to tattoos. Last month, the Army proposed updates to this regulation that scrutinize African American female hairstyles more than ever before. Previously AR 6701 only briefly commented on uniquely African American hair styles. It banned “dreadlocksâ€? for being “unkempt, twisted, matted‌hairâ€?. While cornrows were authorized as long as “conservativeâ€?.

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

Insight News is published weekly, every Monday by McFarlane Media Interests.

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane CFO Adrianne Hamilton-Butler Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Vice President of Sales & Marketing Selene White Culture and Education Editor Irma McClaurin Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Ben Williams

Now, greater numbers of African American women are allowing their hair to remain natural, and the proposed regulation microanalyzes these hair styles (braids, twists, cornrows, and locs) and effectively eliminates many of the natural styles African American service women have been wearing for years.

I am an African American woman, a Psychiatrist, and a former US Army Major, and I am dismayed by this.

When I read the regulation and endured words like “unkempt� and “matted� used to define my natural hair, I was reminded of the pain and humiliation I, too, endured five years ago before I voluntarily departed the Army. Since then I’ve enjoyed the simple dignity of wearing my natural hair to work in a neat and professional manner.

My deployment The Army recruited me during medical school. They paid for all four years of my medical school training. Then gave me world-class residency training at the flagship military medical centers of the time: Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda National Naval Medical Center. All totaled, the military likely devoted close to one million dollars preparing me to provide expert medical care to its service members.

While I maintained my primary focus on my medical education, soldier training, and physical fitness, the nagging question that pulled at my attention day after day was ‘how do I keep my tightly curled hair within Caucasianbased hair standards?’ Though most African American service women struggle silently, it is a daily battle for thousands of these women trying to stay on the right side of an increasingly convoluted hair regulation.

Committed

Kristie Mitchell today. Right: Kristie’s natural locs during her time in the Army.

For years, like many African American service women, I attempted a straight hair style, which required me to chemically and thermally straighten (i.e., relax) my curls on a regular basis. Other African American women attached hair extensions to their scalps to attain longer straight hair or braids. In either case we’ve dedicated time, financial, and emotional resources fostering an appearance we hope will escape scrutiny. Ultimately we’ve exposed ourselves to countless chemicals and techniques wellknown to cause scalp damage.

Many of these chemicals are now suspected of disrupting the normal functioning of our hormones. After years of straightening my hair into submission, and watching it fall out in retaliation, it occurred to me that I could attain peace by cutting my hair off.

The “big chop� as it is known in the African American

Driven

community, allowed me the freedom to actually wear my hair in its natural state. But the compromise was that I could leave very little hair on my head. For years I wore my hair close to my scalp like my African American male counterparts and my hair became a non-issue – a very important thing, as my busy schedule in the hospital left no excess energy to devote to this hair riddle. Over time, though, I discovered a style that would allow my hair the dignity of its natural state and permit the styling flexibility my Caucasian female counterparts took for granted.

This began my journey with locs.

In the loc’ed state, my hair met all the Army’s professionalism standards — it did not touch my collar, my Army headgear and masks fit properly, and my hair was as well groomed as any of my other female colleagues. I felt

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the riddle had been solved.

So effortlessly did my hair fall within the Army hair regulations that I finally had no greater hair-anxiety than my Caucasian colleagues. I went about my true business of doctoring and soldiering with confidence and freedom.

Then I deployed to Iraq.

In the midst of war, while I was doctoring in a combat zone, a lower ranking soldier identified my locs as “dreadlocked� and therefore,

by Army definition “unkempt and matted� hair. He notified my supervisor who gave me an official (though somewhat apologetic) reprimand for not meeting hygiene standards.

The bitter irony was not only did my hair fit all the required professionalism standards, but it was very easy to keep clean and neat.

After the reprimand, I made one futile attempt to hide my locs by covering them with a wig (an authorized option).

But this was too distracting, and with temperatures soaring to 140 degrees daily, one could imagine that option did not last long. So I conceded. I cut off my locs. I returned to the neutral state where no natural hair was acceptable natural

Kristie Mitchell

hair. But the peace was uneasy, to say the least.

Coming home When I returned from war, I filed official requests to change the regulation. I wrote letters appealing my case, I sent pictures showing my hair firmly within regulation, but my efforts fell on deaf ears. It was not until I beseeched my congressman, Ciro Rodriguez, that I finally got a response from the Army. It came two years after I was forced to cut my locs and two months after I chose to leave the Army. I received a simple letter from the Deputy of the Human Resources Policy Directorate stating that it appeared that my loc’ed hair was not in violation after all.

The concession came too late. I had already left, already realized that I did not have to continue to suffer these indignities to practice my profession. While I loved caring for soldiers, the personal toll of being a psychiatrist for the Army was too great a burden. So now I’m using my training to serve the civilian healthcare sector, where no one

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Support venerable institutions Brenda Bell Brown You can tell the state of a community by noting the state of its bricks and mortar institutions.

Survey the conditions of the most venerable institutions of socio-political importance to be found in Minnesota’s predominantly Black communities today -- Hallie Q. Brown and Sabathani Community Centers, African American Family Services and so on -- you will find

them budget tight and closed on weekends. These are the places where communities rallied for politics and justice.

These are the places where families gathered to celebrate growth and achievement.

These are the places where first jobs were won, honors were bestowed, children were nurtured, elders were cared for -- I hate to be writing about these places in the past tense.

They need your attention, our elected heroes.

Rally for the resources to keep these institutions strong, and so go the community.

Page 5 • May 5 - May 11, 2014 • Insight News

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BUSINESS Fundraising reports: clarity or obfuscation?

FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw Fundraising reports can clearly communicate progress towards agreed upon goals and milestones.

They can also take a lot of time to produce. They can be confusing.

They can have too much detail, or too little. They can engage and energize. They can also obfuscate.

Through our work we have been exposed to the diversity of fundraising reports. We have seen staff focus all their attention on producing reports per board requests, only to have board members request different information in the meeting. We have watched board members’ heads nod trying to stay awake during fundraising presentations that include slide after slide of comparisons against prior years, goals, and other benchmarks.

We have flipped through binders that include copies of proposals

submitted, detailed gift reports that list each gift from $1 to $1 million, and lists of potential donors. We’ve heard board members complain, “with all that paper I still don’t know how much we need to raise.” And we’ve heard the exasperations of staff, “They want to know why we didn’t meet goal, but when we explain they aren’t interested.”

Producing fundraising reports can consume valuable time for a small, emerging or underresourced nonprofit. Yet these reports are vital to the fundraising and oversight responsibilities of a board. The challenges and frustrations that arise when producing or reviewing reports can reflect an organization’s fundraising capacity and infrastructure.

Examples include software or a database that can’t produce reports the board requests, or gifts that are entered incorrectly or categorized inconsistently. Frustrations over reports can also underscore an underlying tension between the board and executive. Streamlining the fundraising report process can help clarify an organization’s health and expose challenges and

at the full board level? As a development professional, what will help you support and engage board members and volunteers?

In your opinion, what are the five things board members or fundraising volunteers should track? What are your pet peeves?

Your suggested solutions? Do reports engage board members and volunteers, or push them away?

Do your reports include acronyms, language and references that people don’t understand? Are there guidelines for how gifts are categorized and credited? Tell us how your organization improved its reporting.

We want to know your thoughts and will share them in a future column. Please email us at news@saadandshaw.com Copyright 2014 – Mel and Pearl Shaw

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opportunities. Taking the time to identify the important information the board or campaign committee wants to review and measure, and determining how to succinctly present that information can help

increase organizational health.

We want to know about your experiences. As a board member, development professional, volunteer or staff person, what are your thoughts on the types of

fundraising reports that support transparency and accountability?

As a board member, what are your expectations when attending a development committee meeting, or hearing a fundraising report

Mel and Pearl Shaw position nonprofits, colleges and universities for fundraising success.

For help with your campaign visit www. saadandshaw.com or call (901) 522-8727.

Minneapolis approves $200,000 in Grow North funding On Friday, April 25, the Minneapolis City of Council approved $200,000 in Grow North funding and a Tax Increment Financing package of $451,500 to support the DC Group’s expansion in North Minneapolis. The DC Group plans to renovate and expand its facility located at 1977 West River Road, Minneapolis. DC Group, a 2013 “Best in Business” award recipient from the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, is the first recipient of Grow North program funding. The City investments are expected to

assist in bringing 33 new jobs to North Minneapolis with 15 of the jobs targeted to local Northside residents. Minneapolis has set a goal of attracting 1,000 new jobs to North Minneapolis in the next five years.

“DC Group is very excited about expanding our corporate headquarters at the corner of West Broadway and West River Road,” said Charlie Kramer, Chief Financial Officer of DC Group. “In the early stages of planning, it became clear to DC Group management that there were going to be financial hurdles

that may have prohibited moving forward with this project. It is only through the cooperation and pro-active efforts of City staff and officials that we were able to find a solution that allowed us to remain at this location. We are grateful for the help and support throughout this process and DC Group is looking forward to continuing to be a productive, contributing member of the Minneapolis business community.”

Grow North is a financial incentive package offered by the City of Minneapolis aimed at bringing jobs-intensive business

investment to North Minneapolis.

The program is focused on connecting North Minneapolis residents with jobs created by new and expanding North Minneapolis companies.

Grow North offers forgivable loans of up to $200,000 to businesses locating or expanding in North Minneapolis who provide 15 jobs to residents of North Minneapolis and pursue a high level of green construction for any new construction and/or building renovations.

“DC Group is an important business in North Minneapolis and I appreciate their commitment

to investing in their plant, their employees, and hiring Northside residents,” said City Council Member Blong Yang, who represents Ward Five where the DC Group is located. “I am very excited they have chosen to stay and grow on West River Road, and I am proud to support this investment with City financial assistance. This is our first step toward our goal of 1,000 new Northside jobs in five years.”

Additional Grow North tools include homebuyer down payment assistance grants to Grow North company employees who buy a

home in North Minneapolis, as well as recruitment and workforce training resources to assist Grow North businesses develop and retain a skilled labor force.

Founded in Minneapolis in 1969, DC Group is one of the nation’s largest providers of maintenance and repair service to users of uninterruptible power systems, such as government, hospitals, critical data centers, and similar users. The DC Group has outgrown its West River Road facility, but wants to remain in its

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Page 6 • May 5 - May 11, 2014 • Insight News

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COMMUNITY

Help fight hunger by gardening Even though spring is off to a chilly start, gardeners are already planning their gardens.

The City of Minneapolis is encouraging gardeners to help fight hunger by planting an extra row of produce at home or in a community garden to donate to neighborhood food shelves. The Minneapolis Health Department’s Healthy Food Shelf Network is seeking to unite gardeners with food shelves to help get healthy food into everyone’s kitchens.

In 2013, more than 114 gardeners donated 730 pounds of produce to 17 Minneapolis food shelves. In 2011, there were more than 3 million visits to food shelves in Minnesota.

People who rely on food shelves appreciate the same healthy eating options afforded to many, but healthy foods are often in short supply at many local food shelves. Instead, donations are often high in fat and calories and low in nutritional value, said a Minneapolis Health Department source.

According to the source, in

Drugs From 1 immigration status.

Even a low-level marijuana conviction can cost someone up to $76,000 over a decade using fairly conservative estimates. As a result, Minnesota 2020 is joining

Ancestry From 1 is one of the first constructs in which we form our identity. If we don’t know our family, then there is a huge void in our knowledge of self. If we don’t know who our great-grandparents are and where they lived here in the Americas, then we certainly don’t know where in Africa they came from.”

Paige said that in general, human migration patterns were from East Africa to the Middle East to Europe and Australia, and to Asia and the Americas.

“Our migration to the Americas and the Caribbean was a different migration pattern.

During the Transatlantic Slave Trade, we lost our names, our languages, our religions; our families were torn apart and millions of us lost our lives,” said Paige.

But AfricanAmericans did not lose their DNA. DNA analysis works along either the mother’s lineage or the father’s lineage.

Ancestry African Ancestry uses mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to determine maternal ancestry.

Both men and women inherit mtDNA from the mother.

Paige said the African Ancestry MatriClan Test looks strictly at DNA that is maternally inherited. Therefore, that analysis is not influenced by any of the men anywhere in a family tree.

Both men and women can trace maternal ancestry.

Maternal ancestry is shared by all

PhotoXpress

Minneapolis, only 28 percent of low-income residents eat the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables each day. When people donate

healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat, low-sugar or lowsodium items, they help food shelf recipients eat healthier and

prevent chronic health issues such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

According to the department, by making healthier foods available

a growing body of legal experts and community activists in calling for marijuana law reform. The report’s recommendations range from fairer seizure laws and more accountable enforcement strategy to full legalization.

We must put all the options on the table if we’re going to have an honest discussion about this issue.

Most deterrents to marijuana

use have been ineffective and have disproportionately harmed communities of color.

A variety of factors contribute to the disparities in arrest rates.

Over-policing in communities of color, cultural differences in where and how marijuana is used and purchased, and grants and seizure policies that incentivize volume over quality in drug

arrests are major factors for the disparity.

As a result, blacks in Ramsey County are 8.8 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites, the state’s highest disparity for 2011.

Hennepin and Steele counties follow, with blacks in both places 6.4 time more likely to be arrested.

When state and federal

Founded in 2003 by Dr. Rick Kittles and Gina Paige, African Ancestry, Inc. (www.AfricanAncestry. com) is the pioneer and world leader of tracing maternal and paternal lineages for people of African descent. Having helped more than 150,000 people reconnect with the roots of their family tree, AfricanAncestry.com helps Black people transform the way people view themselves and the way they view Africa.

African Ancestry boasts the industry’s largest and most comprehensive database of more than 30,000 indigenous African DNA samples. With that broad and expansive database, AfricanAncestry.com is able to determine specific countries and – more often than not –specific ethnic groups of origin with an unrivaled level of detail, accuracy and confidence.

African Ancestry’s business is providing a unique service to the AfricanAmerican community that can improve the cultural, emotional, physical, spiritual and economic well-being of people across the African

the descendants of a woman on the mother’s mother’s mother’s line.

“Our MatriClan Test results tell you the ancestry of this one line of your family tree,” said Paige.

African Ancestry uses

Townhomes

Available Fieldcrest in Moorhead, MN Rent based on 30% of income

2 & 3 bdroms open MetroPlains Management

701-232-1887 www.metroplainsmanagement.com

low cost events preferred.

EVENTS Brake for Breakfast - May 6 As part of Minneapolis Bike Walk Week, hop on your bike and join the Greenway Building tenants

Gina Paige, cofounder and president of African Ancestry, Inc., traces her own roots to Nigeria. Prior to creating African Ancestry, Paige was the founder and president of GPG Strategic Resources, a boutique consulting firm based in New York specializing in strategy development, new product development and project management. With her signature entrepreneurial approach, some of the nation’s leading blue-chip companies benefited from her leadership

and management skills for improved profitability. Sara Lee and Colgate-Palmolive are among the Fortune 200 companies she has served.

Paige resides in Washington, D.C. and holds a degree in economics from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of Michigan, Ross School Of Business.

Dr. Rick Kittles, Ph.D., associate professor at University of Chicago Department of Medicine, is African Ancestry’s co-founder

the Y chromosome to determine paternal ancestry by identifying in men and women the Y chromosome from the father.

Paige said The African Ancestry PatriClan Test looks strictly at DNA that is paternally inherited; resulting in an analysis

Community Calendar • Classifieds Send Community Calendar information to us by email: info@insightnews.com, by fax: 612.588.2031, by phone:( 612)588-1313 or by mail: 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis, MN 5 5 4 11 .

Free or

Diaspora.

Dr. Rick Kittles Scientific Director, African Ancestry, Inc. Country of origin: Senegal and Nigeria

Gina Paige President, African Ancestry, Inc. Country of origin: Nigeria

is not influenced by any of the women anywhere in a family tree. Only men can trace paternal ancestry. Women need a male relative to take the test for them.

Paige said African Ancestry’s exclusive African Lineage Database is the largest,

Phone: 612.588.1313

in partnership with the Lake Street Council on Tuesday, May 6th, 2014 7:00am-9:00am at the Greenway Building Parking Lot, 2801 21st Ave S, Minneapolis for: free peace coffee, a chance to purchase breakfast from local food trucks, bike safety checks

by The Hub and gather resources from local organizations to get you

check http:// email with

PACER Center Workshop May 7 PACER Center is offering “Transitioning to Employment and Independent Living,” a free workshop for parents of youth with disabilities, and for

Bergstad Properties is accepting application for Seniors 62 and older. Applicant must be income eligible and must qualify for Section 8 Housing. Please visit our web site at www.bergstad.com for a virtual tour and application.

The following sites are currently accepting application.

Park Street Apartments 321 West Park St. Cannon Falls, MN. 55009 507-263-4773 200 Levee Drive Apartments 200 Levee Drive Shakopee, MN. 55379 952-445-2001

Saturday, May 17 at Grace Center for Community Life, 1500 Sixth St. NE; 9 a.m. - noon, Saturday, May 17 at Redeemer Center for Life, 1800 Glenwood Ave. N. and 9 a.m.- noon, Saturday, May 17 at the Minneapolis American Indian Center, 1530 E. Franklin Ave. Non-gardeners are encouraged to donate purchased items such as fresh fruits and vegetables as well as monetary donation. It is also suggested that non-gardeners can host healthy food drives at schools, worksite or places of worship.

To learn more about donating fresh produce and other healthy foods to food shelves in Minneapolis, visit www. healthyfoodshelves.org.

Support for the Plant an Extra Row project is provided by the Minneapolis Health Department’s Statewide Health Improvement Program with funding from the Minnesota Department of Health.

policies strip wealth out of communities, it’s time to reexamine our approach to social, economic, and criminal justice issues. By highlighting the collateral costs individuals and communities suffer from marijuana enforcement disparities, we hope to reframe the debate about marijuana reform.

MN 2020 is a nonpartisan, progressive think tank that focuses on the issues that really matter: education, health care, transportation and economic development. New content and analysis can be found daily at www.MN2020.org.

and scientific director.

A leading geneticist, Kittles received a Ph.D. in biological sciences from George Washington University in 1998. He is well known for his research on prostate cancer and health disparities among AfricanAmericans. He has also been at the forefront of the development of ancestryinformative genetic markers, and the use of genetic ancestry to map genes for common traits and disease.

Currently, Kittles is an associate professor of Medicine and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, associate director of the Cancer Center, and director of the Institute of Human Genetics at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Dr. Kittles was named in Ebony magazine’s “The Ebony Power 100.”

Ebony selected the nation’s top 100 African-American “power players” in sports, academia, religion, business, environment, science & tech, entertainment, arts and letters, fashion, politics, media, activism and health.

most comprehensive database of African lineages in the world.

“Dr. (Rick) Kittles (co-founder of African Ancestry) spent over 10 years collaborating with researchers on the continent, collecting samples himself, and incorporating data that is in the

Fax: 612.588.2031

moving. For more details out the event online: on.fb.me/1s9cCTF or dmckeown@gpisd.net questions.

Section 8 Housing for Seniors 62 and older

at food shelves, people are helping food shelf recipients eat better and become healthier in the process, which reduces demand for expensive health services.

Residents are encouraged to get involved by connecting with local food shelves about types of produce and gathering and planning seeds in the garden.

Forty gardeners have already committed to planting an extra row this year.

Health Department staff will attend upcoming events sponsored by the Local Food Resource Hubs to encourage gardeners to plant an extra row for food shelf recipients. Anyone who commits to participating will receive a free pack of seeds and help connecting with his or her closest food shelf.

The Local Food Resource Hubs Network helps residents grow their own fresh produce.

Hub members have access to free or low-cost classes, tools, volunteer opportunities and social events. The upcoming events are at 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.,

RENTAL UNITS AVAILABLE

The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Housing Authority has rental units available in Cass County, MN. Please call 218-335-8280. Must meet certain qualifications.

International Falls, MN. 56649 Rent based on 30% Of adjusted income Call Patricia Brown At 218-283-4967 TDD 800-627-3529

http://bit.

public domain,” said Paige. “He decided which populations to sample under the direction of historians and anthropologists to make sure that he targeted populations that contributed to the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

That is why you see the density of samples from west and central Africa.”

The company’s African Lineage Database has data from more than 30 presentday countries and over 400 populations. “Our extensive database allows us to determine African ancestry better than any other organization,” said Paige.

“We find African results for 92 percent of the maternal lineages we trace; 6 percent are European or Middle Eastern and 2 percent are NativeAmerican,” she said. “We find African results for 65 percent of the paternal lineages we trace; 34 percent are European; one percent are other.”

Some people take issue with the price of African Ancestry Test Kits, but Paige compared the cost of the DNA test to some popular items that many families consume. She said African-Americans comfortably purchase a Coach purse for $328, and spend $499 for the iPad Air and $170 for a pair of Chris Paul Air Jordan basketball shoes, so people should not fret the $375 fee for discovering their roots, lineage and ancestry.

Paige stressed the fact that African Ancestry is African-American owned and is co-founded by a world-renowned African-American geneticist who is an expert in African lineages.

Email: info@insightnews.com

professionals. It is on Wednesday, May 7, 2014, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Plymouth Creek Center (Meeting Room 1), 14800 34th Ave. N., in Plymouth, Minn. Advance registration is required. This workshop will provide information on career exploration and planning, and parents will gain knowledge about how to prepare their youth for employment and life skills after high school. A

West Falls Estates

(Link to report: ly/1jwpyg8)

vocational rehabilitation counselor will discuss eligibility and employment services, and participants will receive a packet of helpful information and resources. Parents of students in the 9th grade and beyond are encouraged to attend. To register for the workshop, call PACER at (952) 838-9000. In Greater Minnesota, call (800) 537-2237 (toll free) or visit PACER.org.

Vacancies Cokato Apts, Cokato, MN (a seniors complex 62 or over or handicapped) has vacancies on 2nd Floor for one BR apts. Waiting list open. Contact Don at 320-286-2758. E-Mail cokapts@embarqmail.com

APARTMENT OPENINGS Delton Manor located in Bemidji, MN is accepting applications for future 1, 2, & 3 Bedrm apartment openings.

Delton Manor has 3 two-bedrm handicapped accessible units located in the building. Delton Manor promotes equal housing opportunities for all perspective residents regardless of race, color, creed, sex, sexual preference, religion, handicap, marital status, familial status, national origin or source of income. For applications and qualifications, contact NANCY at 218-759-2523.

AN EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

insightnews.com

Insight News • May 5 - May 11, 2014 • Page 7

LIFESTYLE 50+ Travel: Tips on choosing the perfect tour or cruise (StatePoint) For many baby boomers, travel is their favorite leisure activity. Whether to cross something off their bucket list or to indulge in a passion, the 50 and older crowd is on the go.

Organized tours and cruises are among the top choices for vacation among boomers, and the good news is that there are hundreds of options to choose from with both. Clay Buckley, vice president, lifestyle, at AARP Services, Inc., a taxable subsidiary of AARP, says boomers should consider many factors when deciding on the perfect trip.

“Some travelers over 50 may prefer a relaxing itinerary among people their own age, while others want to be on the go with people of all ages,” says Buckley.

“Luckily, the options in cruises and tours are vast enough to suit any style, budget and need.”

Buckley recommends boomer travelers consider the following when planning a cruise or tour: • Trip activity level: Travelers should determine objectives for their trips. Is it to rest and relax?

Photo credit: (c) SpotmatikPhoto - Fotolia.com

Learn? Enjoy lots of activities?

Tours and cruises often have

themes and all have set itineraries, so it’s important to know what to

expect before you go.

• Destination: Some cruises

and tours head for far-reaching places and little-known ports of call, while others stick to more mainstream destinations. Others combine the two. Travelers should consider the appeal of all legs of their trip. Some also like to take trips that enable them to add on other destinations or more days to the end or beginning of the trip.

• Timing and budget: Prices for tours and cruises may be lower in off seasons such as spring and fall, and may also help travelers avoid weather extremes. Also, single travelers should be aware that some trips charge for lodging based on double occupancy. In addition, the cost to get to and from the trip should be factored into a trip budget. For example, you may have to fly to and from a cruise port.

• Size: From intimate, smallgroup excursions by van or small boat, to large tours via bus or cruise ship, size makes a difference. Travelers should be realistic about their desire to be around large or small groups for extended periods and their need for independent travel or time

alone. They should also be aware that some cruises and tours cater specifically to families.

• Physical limitations: Travelers with physical limitations or special medical needs should assess their ability to engage in the trip itinerary.

They should also check whether medical care is readily available or accessible while on the trip.

• Discounts: Vacationers should remember they can save on their trip by seeking out available discounts. For example, from cruises to rental cars, a variety of travel discounts are available to AARP members.

Discount providers are selected only after a rigorous process is performed to ensure AARP members receive a valuable offer they want and the quality service they expect, says Buckley. More information about discounts and limited-time offers on cruises and tours is available to AARP members at www. aarpdiscounts.com.

By taking several factors into consideration, you can make the most of your next vacation.

Enjoying the company of one Man Talk

By Timothy Houston Social media has given us unlimited access to others.

With all of our online friends, we never have to spend a minute alone. Although, you may constantly be in the online presence of others, I believe that you should be your own best friend. The ability to enjoy your own company is a necessity. If

you don’t like being around you, who else will? The statement “enjoying the company of one” means that you are OK with being alone. Being alone is the real test of how you feel about yourself.

Enjoying the company of one prevents you from being lonely. When you are lonely, you are thinking of the other, feeling that it would have been better if your friend, wife, mother, husband, were there. When you are lonely, you fail to realize the value of your own company. The difference between loneliness and aloneness is a matter of perspective. Loneliness is a feeling and not a reality. It suggests that you are less when

others are not present. It makes you dependent on others instead of using your time alone to work on yourself. This is an indication that you may be placing greater importance on others than yourself.

Enjoying the company of one is a choice. It is power and freedom. Relationship with others is a by-product of “self,” and as a result, strengthening yourself, strengthens your relationships.

When there is no significant other, when there is quiet time, you have the power to choose to use this time to develop yourself, to become greater. All your energy and effort – the time and energy that you might otherwise have to expend on others – can

be concentrated on you. This will help you to avoid relationships that will drain you. Time alone allows you the opportunity to gain the knowledge that will show you how to attract those that will add positive value to your life.

Men and women view the company of one differently.

Men often see time alone as an opportunity to do the things they enjoy. They will go hunting, fishing or on any other outings that will allow them time to get away. Women have a different view on this. They often see time alone as being absent from the ones they love. If this is your view of relationship, I strongly caution you to reconsider. The fear of

loneliness is one of the reasons some women allow themselves to be with men who are unhealthy for them. The belief that you need someone unhealthy in your life to keep you from feeling lonely is not good. This temporary relationship does not allow you the time alone needed to discover the real self-value that comes from reflecting within. In all cases, it is a necessity the men and women enjoy their own company.

Although you are in the company of one, you are never truly alone. Because of the Godgiven power within, you do not need anyone to make you whole. The Father has done that for you. He has declared you to be altogether beautiful and

fearfully and wonderfully made.

Never settle for less. This is the true knowledge of self. God has promised to light up your path and guide you into all truth. He also promised to never leave or forsake you and to be with you always even to the end of the age.

Because you are never truly alone, you can enjoy the company of one.

Timothy Houston is an author, minister, and motivational speaker who is committed to guiding positive life changes in families and communities.

To get a copy of his books, or for questions, comments or more information, go to www. tlhouston.com.

Celebrate your accomplishments Motivational Moments

By Penny JonesRichardson This past weekend I had the pleasure of spending it with my

Hair From 4 is analyzing the strands of my hair to see if they are twisted or loc’ed or braided. I continue to maintain a high professional standard of appearance — as it is understood all professionals must. I spend my time honing my skill set and caring for my patients, with no complex and pejorative hair regulation weighing me down.

And I am not alone. I know of other female physicians who have left the Army for similar reasons.

3-year-old granddaughter.

She is smart and I truly enjoy watching her grow. When I look at all the wonderful things she does while she is exploring her world, I think about how exciting each new lesson must be for her.

She is learning to read, she can count and she knows all of her colors. Each day brings more learning and new things into her world.

This reminds me of how it

feels to reach new goals. Think of it this way. Remember when you first decided to achieve that certain goal and how at first you thought maybe it wasn’t in your reach? Well that’s exactly how it feels to a small child when they achieve or learn something new.

They are excited with every new thing that they learn to do, and that is the kind of excitement that we should have every time we accomplish a new goal.

I like to make a chart of every goal I set for myself, and as I achieve them I mark them off my list with such excitement that you would think that I just won the lottery. When you achieve goals, (even the small ones) there is something to celebrate.

You should celebrate the fact that first you decided to identify a goal, and then second that you made the decision to achieve it.

Remember with hard work each

I applaud the United State Army, for setting high standards for appearance and hygiene, and expecting all service members to achieve them. But, it must recognize that the Caucasian hairstyles these regulations are based upon are not the only ways to achieve this professional, hygienic appearance. The Army must embrace the ethnic diversity within its ranks and stop placing undue hardship on its African American service women. It must understand the impossible choices it’s forcing upon its service women — either alter the structure of your hair with harmful

chemicals, wear someone else’s straight hair, cut all your hair off, or endure harassment from officers measuring the size of your braids.

As a psychiatrist and African American woman I am all too aware of the toll this needless expenditure of time, money, and mental energy has on self-esteem. This is a toll no other group in the Army must pay.

And it ultimately detracts from meeting the goals of the mission. Why must African American women fight these battles to serve this country?

Whether purposely or not, the result of these pejorative

regulations will be the loss of the very talent and skill the Army has spent so much time and money cultivating.

So, though I’m appalled at how far these proposed changes have gone, they have finally triggered the public outcry that may result in change. I am heartened to witness African American service women finally finding their voice in defense of their hair and raising it loud and clear against this injustice.

Dr. Kristie Mitchell was previously a psychiatrist and Major for the United States Army.

Grow From 5

GATEWAY TO OPPORTUNITY

MINNEAPOLIS URBAN LEAGUE

8 8 TH A N N I V E R S A R Y

current location. The renovation will include approximately 15,000 square feet of the existing facility and the construction of an additional 23,500 square feet of new space including an 86-stall parking structure. The addition and renovations are estimated to cost $6 million.

The DC Group also was one of the first recipients of the State of Minnesota’s new Job Creation Fund, administered by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). On April 4, 2014, DEED announced a Job Creation Fund grant award to the company of $535,000.

A NEW ERA OF

TRANSFORMATION

SAVE THE DATE June 19, 2014 Keynote Speaker

Marc H. Morial National Urban League President & CEO

Hilton Minneapolis Hotel

goal you set for yourself, you can reach and be proud of the fact that you did.

And finally, I believe that every time you learn something new, you too should add that to your goal list. I have a whole list of things that I still need to learn and things that I plan to explore.

Just like my granddaughter, I am excited with every new thing I learn. Every day is another day to get excited and anticipate the

greatness within you. Now it’s time to celebrate.

And as always, stay focused, stay determined, and keep striving for greatness.

Penny Jones-Richardson is a published author and life coach. She can be reached via her website at www. thequeensproject.com or email at penny@thequeensproject.com.

Page 8 • May 5 - May 11, 2014 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Choose well New choices in health care are here. Introducing UCare ChoicesSM, affordable new health plans from a leader in Minnesota health care, with coverage for young adults, families, empty nesters and everyone in between.

Find out more at UCareChoices.org, and look for us on the MNsure health insurance marketplace. Choose well. Choose UCare Choices.

Ooh la la!

Vocalist PaviElle has everyone speaking French

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer It seems that St. Paul soul songbird, PaviElle French, is somewhat of an overnight sensation.

To those who know the career path of French, to call her an “overnight sensation” might be a bit odd, considering the 29-year-old singer, writer and composer has been performing since she was just 5 years old. But with the release of her most recent single, “Be Right There,” French has become somewhat of a media darling and there’s talk of her being the next big thing to come out of the Twin Cities since … well, let’s just say she’s receiving the royal treatment.

Released in March, “Be Right There” (www.pavielle.

bandcamp.com/track/beright-there) was featured on indy radio station, 89.3 The Current and listeners and media immediately took notice. The song, a soulful love-note exalting her man, is a beautiful ballad that easily makes any man wish that he were the chosen one to receive such lofty praise.

“Let me tell you all about this Brother/Just if you don’t understand/I’ll never find quite another, bottom line he’s a hell of a man/All my heart takes him seriously/ Long-term possibilities/I’m day dreaming about being his Mrs/I love the king that he is.”

“Be Right There,” with it’s minimal production, does exactly what it’s supposed to do – allow the message

PAVIELLE B3 TURN TO

Passing Strange

May 5 - 11

Aesthetically It! is a list of picks from the editors of Aesthetically Speaking. Aesthetically It! features venues, events, outings and more that are worthy of “It” status. If you have a venue, event or outing that you feel is “It” worthy, email us at aestheticallyit@insightnews.com.

Monday, May 5 Comedy Open Mic Night Acme Comedy Co. 708 N. 1st St., Minneapolis 18-plus 8 p.m.

Have your friends told you, “you should be a comedian?” Want to try out your material in front of a live audience? Check out

set adolescent souls yearning for centuries – how to discover and be true to your convictions, how to live a meaningful life and still pay the bills, how to find the understanding you need without throwing away the love you’re offered.

Expect to hear everything from soul to funk to pop and electronica.

YG open mic night down at Acme Comedy Co. every Monday.

Minneapolis. No cover, and food is served all night.

Tuesday, May 6

Wednesday, May 7

That Dude Trey and DJ B-Rock Present: Because We Can Cause Restaurant and Soundbar 3001 Lyndale Ave. S. Minneapolis 10 p.m.

Free admission

“Passing Strange” Mixed Blood Theater (Through May 11th) 1501 S. 4th St., Minneapolis No Cost (reserved seats $20)

That Dude Trey has made a name for himself over the years throwing affordable parties across the cities. Check out this new free night in Uptown

Grammy Award Winning singer Jamecia Bennett, emerging singer/songwriter Eric Mayson and Nathan Barlow star in this 2008 Tony Award-winning musical.

“Passing Strange” follows an African-American

Thursday, May 8 Lavelle Crawford

musician across the world on a journey of self-discovery.

Spanning a wide range of

musical styles, “Passing Strange” dares, in a playful way, to honor those big questions that have

YG – My Krazy Life Tour First Avenue Mainroom 701 First Ave N, Minneapolis 8 p.m.

18-plus $22 advance, $25 door

IT! TURN TO B3

Page B2 • May 5 - May 11, 2014 • Aesthetically Speaking

insightnews.com/aesthetics

Children’s Theater Company extends ‘Shrek the Musical’ Acclaimed director Peter Rothstein, (“Cabaret,” “Theatre Latté Da”) has brought “Shrek the Musical” to life on the Children’s Theater Company (CTC) UnitedHealth Group Stage.

With a seasoned cast including Reed Sigmund (Shrek), Autumn Ness and Ansa Akyea, incredible scenic and costume designs, choreography by Michael Matthew Ferrell and Tonynominated music, “Shrek” runs at the CTC, 2400 3rd Ave. S., Minneapolis until June 15.

While the Broadway play “Shrek the Musical” premiered six years ago, audiences can look forward to a fresh production at the CTC, which will take elements of the Broadway, London and touring productions.

“Our version of the script and score is unique— it hasn’t been performed

Courtesy of CTC

Reed Sigmund

Autumn Ness

Ansa Akyea

in this iteration anywhere else.” Rothstein and team have been working with the show’s original writers, who, Rothstein enthuses, “have been incredibly collaborative,” said Rothstein.

Though Rothstein and Ferrell are excited to bring the spectacle of a big show to the CTC for spring, Rothstein is quick to point out the many complexities in “Shrek the Musical.”

“The central theme is a poignant one – ‘happily ever after’ shouldn’t only be for princes and princesses. The story celebrates the misfits and the outcasts in this fairytale world and expands the definition of beauty.”

“With all of the story’s irreverent humor and fairytale setting, people sometimes forget the important journey of self-discovery that all the characters embark on,” said

Artistic Director Peter C. Brosius. “There’s a number called ‘Let Your Freak Flag Fly.” The idea of celebrating one’s difference – it’s a brilliant message to send to young people.”

Sigmund, who plays Shrek, must have a thing for green as he was recently The Grinch in CTC’s “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” “(Shrek) is the role Reed Sigmund was born to play,”

said Brosius.

Sigmund is joined by his real-life wife, Autumn Ness, as Princess Fiona. Celebrated actor Ansa Akyea plays Shrek’s sometime-friend and loyal companion Donkey, and Adam Qualls, himself a former CTC performing apprentice, plays the evil Lord Farquaad.

“These actors have incredible comic chops but also know how to find the heart and the vulnerability in their characters,” said Rothstein.

“Shrek” first made a splash at the movie theater box office in 2001, and was hailed by critics as a witty fairytale mash-up with humor to appeal to all ages.

In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, the diminutive Lord Farquaad hires the unseemly ogre, Shrek, to rescue the feisty Princess Fiona to be his bride. But their journey back to Farquaad’s

home, Duloc, is anything but straightforward. Throw in a donkey who won’t shut up, a cookie with an attitude, a stage-sized Dragon and over a dozen other fairytale misfits, and you’ve got an imaginative adventure story about selfdiscovery and celebrating the ogre in all of us.

“Shrek the Musical” began April 22 and due to strong ticket sales was extended one week through June 15. Tickets for the all ages show are on sale at www.childrenstheatre.org or (612) 874-0400.

The Children’s Theatre Company is the only theatre for young people to win the coveted Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater (2003). Founded in 1965, CTC serves 250,000 people annually and is one of the 20 largest regional theater companies in the nation.

‘Bring It On: The Musical’ on Stage May 13 – 18 at the Ordway The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts recently announced that Bring It On: The Musical will perform on the Saint Paul stage May 13 18.

Bitingly relevant and sprinkled with sass, “Bring It On: The Musical,” inspired by the “Bring It On” film, takes the audience on a highflying journey filled with the complexities of friendship, jealousy, betrayal and forgiveness. “Bring It On: The Musical” tells the story of the challenges and unexpected bonds formed through the thrill of extreme competition.

The production earned Tony nominations for Best Musical and Best Choreography, and The New York Times called it, “Impossible to resist.”

“Bring It On: The Musical” features an original story by Tony Award winner Jeff Whitty (“Avenue Q”), music and lyrics by Tony Award-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (“In the Heights”), music by Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning composer Tom Kitt (“Next to Normal”), lyrics

by Broadway lyricist Amanda Green (“High Fidelity”) and music supervision by Tony and Grammy Award winner Alex

Lacamoire (“In The Heights”).

The production is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Andy Blankenbuehler (“In the Heights”).

The design team includes scenic design by Drama Desk Award winner David Korins (“Motown”), costume design

by Andrea Lauer (“American Idiot”), lighting design by Jason Lyons (“Rock of Ages”), sound design by Cody Spencer (“The Book of Mormon”) and video design by Jeff Sugg (“Magic/ Bird”). “‘Bring It On’ is a highoctane show that will dazzle you with theatricality and unbelievably intricate cheerleading routines. It’s a very cool way to kick off summer,” said James Rocco, Ordway’s vice president of

WALKER ART CENTER

programming and producing artistic director.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. with 2:00 p.m. matinees on May 17 and 18.

For tickets and more information, visit www. ordway.org and for more show information visit www. bringitonmusical.com.

Come have lunch at the Dakota 11:30 - 2 Monday through Friday

“Bring It On: The Musical” May 13-18, 7:30 p.m., with 2:00 p.m. matinee shows on May 17-18 Ordway Center for the Performing Arts 345 Washington Street, St. Paul w w w. o r d w a y. o r g Ticket Office: (651) 224-4222 Groups: (651) 282-3111 $36.00 - $105.00 (subject to change)

From Chef Derik Moran, find daily specials, salads, sandwiches and more, and never forget dessert by Pastry Chef Katie Elsing.

Prices starting at $8 View our complete menu at

dakotacooks.com

walkerart.org

“

AN ALBUM:

CINEMATHEQUE TANGIER,

OF THE SUMMER!

”

AIN’T IT COOL NEWS

“The

Funniest Thing I’ve Seen This Year!”

FINAL WEEKS — TH ROUGH M AY 18

GAMERFITNATION

“One of the highest compliments I can pay to any film is to say

I Can’ t Wait To See It Again Selection of posters (1953–2011) from the exhibition Album: Cinematheque Tangier, a project by Yto Barrada © Cinémathèque de Tanger

A PROJECT BY YTO BARRADA

THE COMEDY

Explore the history of cinema alongside the complexity of contemporary life in Tangier, Morocco through films, movie posters, home movies, and artwork.

Admission is free every Thursday evening from 5–9 pm and the first Saturday of each month from 11 am–5 pm. All ages are welcome.

and that is absolutely true of ‘Neighbors’. ” HITFIX

“‘Neighbors’

Delivers A Film Worthy Of Constant Laughter.”

STASHED

“Totally

Laugh Out Loud!”

BLACKFILM

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS A POINT GREY/GOOD UNIVERSE PRODUCTION A MUSIC NICHOLAS STOLLER FILM SETHCOSTUME ROGEN ZAC EFRON “NEIGHBORS” ROSEPRODUCTION BYRNE CHRISTOPHER MIDIRECTOR NTZ-PLASSE DAVE FRANCOEXECUTIVEBY MICHAEL ANDREWS DESIGNER LEESA EVANS OF EDITOR ZENE BAKER DESIGNER JULI E BERGHOFF PHOTOGRAPHY BRANDON TROST PRODUCERS NATHAN KAHANE JOE DRAKE BRI A N BELL ANDREWJAY COHEN BRENDAN O’BRIEN PRODUCEDBY SETH ROGEN EVANDIRECTEDGOLDBERG JAMES WEAVER WRITTENBY ANDREWJAY COHEN & BRENDAN O’BRIEN A UNIVERSAL RELEASE

BY NICHOLAS STOLLER SOUNDTRACK ON ATLANTIC RECORDS

© 2013 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

An Album: Cinematheque Tangier, a project by Yto Barrada is made possible by generous support from the Bentson Foundation.

STARTS FRIDAY, MAY 9

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

insightnews.com/aesthetics

IT!

Aesthetically Speaking • May 5 - May 11, 2014 • Page B3

Friday, May 9

From B1 Best known for a series of sexthemed songs with unprintable titles, the 19-year-old YG has swapped gang life for the recording booth and hasn’t looked back with a string of sold out performances. According to Max Gousse, the senior vice president of A&R at Island/ Def Jam who inked the rapper, the signing stemmed from a newfound emphasis on West Coast artists by label president/ CEO L.A. Reid, as well as, of course, YG’s skills and stage presence.

PaviElle From B1

910 Hennepin Minneapolis 8 p.m.

Theo Brown Music Release Party Amsterdam Bar & Hall 6 W. 6th St., Saint Paul 9 p.m.

21-plus $8 Poet/singer Theo Brown releases a brand new album “The Void” at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall in St. Paul. Brown will have physical copies on sale. You can also hear more at www.theobrownmusic. bandcamp.com.

The show also features The Not Guilty Band

and the messenger to shine.

PaviElle’s shine has been years in the making, but the polish is

Ave.,

St. Louis-born Lavell Crawford has been making audiences laugh for years on programs such as BET’s “Comic View.”

People may have also seen Crawford in television shows such as “Breaking Bad” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”

Other veteran comedians on the bill include Sheryl Underwood, Michael Blackson and Tony Roberts.

Saturday, May 10

Mothers Day Comedy Jam feat. Lavell Crawford and Friends Orpheum Theatre

coming through with dazzling brilliance.

“I really think (my current success) is divine order,” said PaviElle. “At 17, 18, 19 (years old), I wasn’t ready. I was good, but I wasn’t mature or focused enough at the time.”

Focus is certainly not lacking in today’s PaviElle.

The multi-talented artists is set to release her full-length project, “Fear Not” later this spring/early summer and is starring in the independent Brenda Bell Brown film, “Sing Blue, Think You.” Every third Wednesday of each month, PaviElle headlines to a regularly packed audience

SPECIAL

10

Sunday, May 11

at the Icehouse, 2528 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis.

Even though PaviElle, who was classically trained at the Walker West Music Academy in St. Paul, has been singing for most of her life, there’s a reason much of the area is getting to hear PaviElle for the very first time.

“I was never going to do this (sing) again,” said PaviElle.

“I stopped singing for five years. I stopped singing to go to nursing school to learn to care for my sick parents – both passed within five months of each other three years ago.

I took a hiatus and moved away – ended up in Hawaii, but the music was calling me back home and I just couldn’t ignore it.”

UnderBoss Fashion Comedy Show The Venue Minneapolis 315 1st Ave. N., Minneapolis General admission $20, advance. VIP, $40 advance Nelymesh & Finesse along with My Style with Paparazzi Flash Present the Underboss Fashion Comedy Show at The Venue in downtown Minneapolis.

Special Guests include “Love and Hip-Hop Atlanta” and “Flavor of Love” reality star Shay Johnson and “Love and Hip-Hop New York’s” Erica Jean. Up and coming comedy sensation Kwamedy is on the bill as well. Music is provided

by DJ Enferno and the event is hosted by Dunaste.

The beautifully soulful PaviElle said even though she quit performing, she never stopped making music and amassed a catalog of songs, some of which will be featured on her highly anticipated upcoming release.

While there are obvious comparisons that can and will be made when it comes to PaviElle’s sound (Jill Scott) the St. Paul singer said her sound predates her contemporaries.

“I’m straight up old school,” exclaimed PaviElle.

“I was raised on Rufus and Chaka Khan – P-Funk, Graham Central Station. I want to uphold the essence of Black soul music. That’s my torch to carry.”

TH

ANNIVERSARY PERFORMANCE

MAY 10 7:30pm

TU DANCE Step Afrika! African-American stepping De Temps Antan Traditional Quebecois music Alice in Wonderland Flying Foot Forum’s Interactive dance & theater Love Terrapin Puppet Theatre from Tasmania, Australia

indoor shows $5 free outdoor festivities Gantry Bike Performances 20’ pedal-powered circus spectacular Art-Making Activities Story Time Garden Regional Artist Performances on 2 outdoor stages Clear Channel Outdoor ARTwalk

FLINT HILLS 2O14

International $

TICKETS START AT 23

MAY 31 - JUNE 1 PHOTO: INGRID WERTHMAN

651.224.4222 WORLD MUSIC & DANCE IS SPONSORED BY

651.224.4222 ordway.org

Children’s

Festival Presented by

ORDWAY

Page B4 • May 5 - May 11, 2014 • Aesthetically Speaking

insightnews.com/aesthetics

Snapshots

2

1

3

4

5

For more than 25 years, every Sunday and Monday, Dr. Mambo’s Combo has been bringing the soul and funk to the Bunker’s stage. On a recent Sunday the Combo was in rare form (meaning they were even better than their usual outstanding selves). Must have been the many stars who came to check them out -- and sit in. An Aesthetically Speaking photographer caught a few of the faces in the crowd.

1) Horn man, Walter Chancellor, Jr., showing off his cool at Bunker’s.

Known as one of the best area horn players, Chancellor sat in with the Combo a couple of Sundays ago.

2) Newlywed, Combo front-man, G Sharp, and music legend “Jellybean” Johnson pose after bringing the funk with Dr. Mambo’s Combo.

3) Beauty, talent and brains, vocalist/actress Jamecia Bennett chunkin’ the deuces.

4) “Shrek” cast member Corey Pullam was all smiles while listening to the Combo.

5) (From left to right) Tracy Hendricks, Amina Mohamed, Ifrah Mansour, Jarhonda Cross and Gerald Buffett-Bey posing for a pic.

BMA Multicultural Channel 937 on Xfinity/Comcast service is Minnesota’s exclusive 24 hour urban video, music, arts and news channel.

Tune in for: Minneapolis Sounds Video Show Monday, Tuesday “Titans of Soul,” “Women Who Rock” Wednesday, Thursday “Old School Video Show,” 100 Black Music America Hits Friday, KMOJ TV Show Saturday, Conversations with Al McFarlane, Backstage at The Dakota, Gospel Vision Sunday.

Experience the Cities Best Looking Sounds on Xfinity/Comcast BMA Channel 937

Watch What We Play. find us online: www.BlackMusicAmerica.com

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