Insight News ::: 07.07.14

Somali museum a part of ‘Made Here’ downtown arts showcase TURN TO PAGE 8

Karen Nelson

Osman Ali working on the Somali Hut Assembly

Insight News July 7 - July 13, 2014

Vol. 41 No. 28 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

President Barack Obama

President Obama makes northside visit to HIRED President Barack Obama just might consider taking up a third residence in the Twin Cities.

The president, in his final term, has visited the area three times within two years – twice within the past few months. The president’s most recent visit was an extended two-day stay

with visits to Minnehaha Falls, Matt’s for a Jucy Lucy and Lake Harriet. Less talked about was Obama’s unexpected stop at the job training center, HIRED, 1200 Plymouth Ave. N., in north Minneapolis.

OBAMA TURN TO 3

Sisterhood Boutique expands Business is good for the participants in the Brian Coyle Center Youth Entrepreneurship Program.

The store they opened in February is already expanding, thanks to donated space from Fairview Health Services. The new, larger Sisterhood Boutique is located at 2200 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis and celebrated its re-launch last week.

The Sisterhood Boutique was developed by East African women between the ages of 14 and 23 years who reside in the CedarRiverside neighborhood of Minneapolis and participate in the Brian Coyle Center Youth Entrepreneurship Program. More than a year

ago, program participants decided they wanted to build something positive in the neighborhood for other girls and women.

After a successful grand opening in February at the African Development Center, Fairview Health Services stepped forward to donate needed additional space at their Smiley Point building in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.

An agreement was reached within one month, through the leadership of Amano Dube, director, Brian Coyle Center; Paul Pribbenow, president, Augsburg College; Rulon Stacey, president and CEO, Fairview Health Services and Paul Onufer, Fairview system executive for facility operations.

“Fairview’s willingness to be a leader and open their doors has truly inspired our youth to do even more. (It) has begun drawing more youth to join the venture, and has helped attract even more

Matthew Little (c) with brothers Jamie Little (l) and Arthur Little, Jr. (r)

BOUTIQUE TURN TO 12 Pillsbury United Communities

Above: The Sisterhood Boutique interns with Brian Coyle Center Director Amano Dube, Augsburg College Director of Community Engagement Mary True Laurel, and Brian Coyle Center Youth Social Entrepreneur Coordinator Laurine Chang.

Fires of the 60’s vs the deity of daddy part IV

Left: Sisterhood Boutique on 2200 Riverside Avenue.

Matthew Little: Global perspective Immigration office move abandoned

By Azaniah Little In the middle of a world that was radically changing, a world that for a child was on her own block, my father imparted a global perspective to my brother and sisters.

Once, he brought an African student home for dinner when I was about 10 years old. I had never seen a human being as

WASHINGTON, DC – After a major push from Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken and Rep. Keith Ellison, the General Services Administration (GSA) announced it has abandoned its original plan to move the Twin Cities U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office and will instead restart the process and seek an alternative site that is accessible by public

Black as the smiling medical student who sat at our dinner table. When he left, I asked, “Daddy why was he so Black and we are not?” My father sat back in his chair, crossed his arms, looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling, then told me, “Honey, we are American Negros and he is African.”

With the fires, the word

LITTLE TURN TO 7

Meet an election judge Erica Mauter

PAGE 2

Senator Amy Klobuchar

Lifestyle Big Daddy’s Old Fashioned Barbeque

PAGE 7

Senator Al Franken

Representative Keith Ellison

Moments in Sports The Williams sisters nearing historic career twilight

PAGE 10

OFFICE TURN TO 2

Education Youth Congress commemorates Mississippi Freedom Summer

PAGE 11

Page 2 • July 7 - July 13, 2014 • Insight News

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Meet an election judge: Erica Mauter

By Sheila Regan, TC Daily Planet Since beginning graduate school, blogger Erica Mauter has gotten more involved in the political process by volunteering for different campaigns, but now she’s ready to take her civic engagement to the next level by becoming an election judge. We talked to Mauter about her reasons for making the decision, and what she expects.

Is this your first time being an election judge?

Erica Mauter: Yes, it will be the first time.

What made you make this decision?

I have spent the last couple years in grad school as a full time student, which has afforded me some free time. Part of how I spent that free time was to volunteer for a few political campaigns. So I spent a lot of time on the Minnesotans

Office

What are you expecting as far as what being an election judge will be like?

I’m expecting a pretty interesting gap in turnout between the primary and the general election, so I’m curious to see what that actually looks like in that realm.

The other thing I’m expecting is to learn more about the same day registration process. I’ve used it myself in the past- but I’m interested to see what that kind of looks like from the other side

transportation.

Last year, the GSA announced it planned to move the USCIS office to a location that lacked public

From 1

So you’re going to be a judge for the primary and the general elections?

Yep.

United campaign and spent a lot of time last year volunteering on the Betsy Hodges for Mayor campaign. The combination of doing those things and meeting people that also do those things led me to pay more attention to the administration of the election.

Also I have friends who have been election judges, and I just realized during the Hennepin County special elections we just had that I know one of the judges in my own precinct, so it just seemed like a different way to get involved.

Erica Mauter of the table as far as making sure you have what you’re supposed to have. Frankly I’m looking forward to seeing people who are interested in voting show up and be able to do so even if they just moved or haven’t registered.

Have you ever had issues yourself with same day registration?

I have not. I actually one time

transportation options. Since then, Klobuchar, Franken and Ellison have repeatedly pressed GSA and USCIS leaders to find an alternative site with adequate

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What kind of commitment is it?

It’s a two-hour training, and then the day of the election, I will be there from open to close. You can choose all day, the first half of the day, or the second half of the day, and I committed to the whole day, so it will be six in the morning to set up, until poll close and things are cooling down, whenever that is. So for the primary it might be very late, for the general it could be a lot later.

used the “have your neighbor or roommate vouch for you” method of registering. I was skeptical about whether that was actually going to work, but it totally did.

Even though I knew I met the requirements, and the person that was vouching for me was actually my roommate, I was like, really?

This is really a thing? And it went fine, it was no problem.

And do you have any idea what specific task you’ll be doing?

I don’t know actually. I can recall from my experience that there’s somebody at the end handing out the stickers, there’s people who give you your ballot, there’s people that verify your address, so I’m assuming it’s going to be one of those things.

public transportation options.

Klobuchar recently introduced legislation – cosponsored

by Franken in the Senate and introduced by Ellison in the House – to prevent the act from happening again.

The Government Services Accessibility Act would require GSA to verify that the public transit requirement specified in a lease solicitation is met and that public transportation runs regularly throughout the business hours of the building.

“Moving the Twin Cities office to an out-of-the-way location made no sense and would have placed a needless burden on families who need USCIS’s services the most,” said Klobuchar. “While the proposed relocation should never have gotten this far in the first place, I’m pleased that GSA responded to our calls to restart the process, and I will continue pushing to pass my legislation to prevent similar mistakes from happening in the future.”

Franken echoed the senior

senator’s position.

“Immigration Services helps so many people in Minnesota every year, and we need to make sure that their offices are actually accessible to those they serve,” said Franken. “I’ve been working hard to make sure that the relocated Immigration Services building is in an area convenient to public transit, and I’m very glad the GSA listened to my concerns. As this process continues, I’ll keep pressing for our commonsense bill to stop this from happening again.”

Ellison said, “I applaud GSA’s recent decision to relocate the USCIS St. Paul Field Office to a transit friendly location.

The decision to keep the USCIS office in an accessible location reflects GSA Administrator Dan Tangherlini’s responsive and cooperative leadership.

He has assured me he is eager to find a new location that is accessible by public transportation and makes more sense for our community. In the course of my advocacy, I’ve encountered systemic problems

Why do you think elections are important and this process is important?

I think that despite Minnesota’s relatively high culture and civic engagement, we tend to not really realize the impact of local elections on our daily lives.

Federal elections are obviously a lot higher profile, and more exciting for various reasons, but I think voting is the one way that we all have to have a say in what happens. And sometimes it may not feel like it’s effective, but it’s what we got and we should use it.

Have you ever had the experience where you felt someone you voted for or something you voted for had a direct impact on your life?

I think the closest connection I can think of that’s really at a local level is that I live in Southwest Minneapolis, and airport noise is a thing. My council member, John Quincy, has been really effective, I think, advocating for residents with the airport presence.

regarding public outreach and input, transparency and communication by the GSA Great Lakes Region office in Chicago. I shared these concerns with Mr. Tangherlini and am confident he will address them. I will continue to remind and encourage GSA and all government agencies to engage with local communities when considering action that will impact the public.”

The Government Services Accessibility Act would require the GSA to verify that the building location meets any public transportation distance requirement specified in its lease solicitation and that public transportation runs regularly throughout the normal business hours of the building before entering into a lease. Klobuchar, Franken, and Ellison were also recently joined by several other Minnesota representatives in sending a letter calling on the GSA to halt the proposed move and explore alternatives.

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Insight News • July 7 - July 13, 2014 • Page 3

BUSINESS

How real is your resume?

Plan Your Career

By Julie Desmond julie@insightnews.com Job seeker “Joe” told me his resume is an “approximation” of his background. “You mean, you lied on your resume?” “Just a little,” he replied, adding, “Nobody cares.” Well, I do.

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

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane CFO Adrianne Hamilton-Butler Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Assistant to the Publisher Shumira Cunningham 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 Production Intern Sunny Thongthi Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Contributing Writers Harry Colbert, Jr. Julie Desmond Fred Easter Abeni Hill Timothy Houston Penny Jones-Richardson Toki Wright Alaina L. Lewis Darren Moore Photography Michele Spaise David Bradley Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55411.

And I’m guessing other hiring managers might care, too. Just a little.

Joe might think he has to lie because he has a gap between jobs. He’ll list Independent Consultant as a job title and the dates will neatly fit in between his other positions. When I see this, I’m going to ask Joe who his clients were, where the companies were located and whether they have endorsed him on LinkedIn. If Joe really had been an independent consultant, he would have a more specific, descriptive title and (a little

hint here) many successful consultants list dates that overlap other jobs because they did that work on the side until it started to pay off.

Instead, Joe could be more creative. He could leave the gap (I’m going to find out anyway) or he could account for time off by listing information about whatever he did during that span. Did he volunteer with a professional association? Did he write a book or blog to set himself apart as an expert? Did he take a class? Managers are used to seeing gaps, especially

with the recession just behind us.

The question is, What did Joe do when he wasn’t going to work?

People like Joe sometimes list big titles that don’t make sense in the context of their careers. If Joe’s first job out of high school was CEO, I am going to have a few questions about that. Instead, he could be realistic. If Joe really is the next Tiger Woods or Bill Gates and got his start early in life, without paying his dues in the same way everyone else does, then he has a great story to tell and I’m all ears.

If not, then Joe might want to include some kind of explanation on his resume, such as, “Inherited family business” or “Small Company, four employees.” Some people really do start out at the top; but it has to make sense for me. Showing a logical progression up the ladder is a good way to avoid this red flag.

Joe might think he’ll have an easier time getting hired if he lists every conceivable technology on his resume.

Instead, he might as well be honest. People expect people to

know what they claim that they know. This “approximation” is easy see through and it’s guaranteed to backfire the day Joe starts the new job.

The biggest obstacle between Joe and a great new position is his “fake it ‘til you make it” attitude. Word of advice? Don’t.

Julie Desmond is IT & Software Engineering Recruiting Manager with George Konik Associates, Inc. Write to Julie at jdesmond@georgekonik.com.

Compromise, relationships and faith quit until the miracle happens!

Many times along it way, it did not seem that it would happen,” Davis recalled. “Never lose sight of why the partnership exists in the first place. There are people depending on you to come through. At some point the project becomes bigger than you and bigger than your agency.

It takes a strong partnership with the community to make a big project happen.

Insert yourself and ask questions. It is important not to sell out your principles for the easy way or for money that has too many strings attached. You have to believe it will happen before it happens.

When all else fails, your faith and passion for the mission will carry you through.”

Learn more about BHPMSS at http://bhpmss.org/

FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw Securing $58 million for a senior housing project is not easy. Cathy Davis, executive director of Bayview Hunters Point Multipurpose Senior Services, Inc. (BHPMSS) in San Francisco, CA speaks eloquently about compromise and engaging with the political system. “Everything will not go your way, and you have to be willing to compromise. Political connections are important for public partnerships that involve governmental assistance. ” It’s all about relationships.

“Partnerships are long term relationships that develop over time. They are with agencies, not with personnel of any of the partners because individuals change jobs,” she advised. You must get everything in writing, so when individuals leave, the commitments remain.

For example, due to his passing, we lost our executive director in the middle of the process. Our agency remained committed and I was selected as the new executive director. Having worked hand-in-hand with Dr. Davis, my husband, I knew what was required. When personnel changes, you enroll the next person on the importance of the project and the previous promises made.”

In Davis’ experience, the partnership begins at the top.

“The executive director needs to begin the conversation and enroll others in why the partnership is needed and who will benefit.

Dr. Davis decided on the vision and then found people who would help. He bypassed people who said it wouldn’t work and went to those who supported the idea. You find the help you need by following through on leads and making friends along the way. Political allies need to be cultivated and connected to your agency’s mission. The

Bayview Hunters Point seniors more we put it out there, the more opportunities came our way. It was important to us as a community-based organization that we solicit the partners we wanted to work with. We interviewed our development partners and ensured that we were considered their partner, not their charity.”

Regarding board

involvement, Davis speaks from experience. “Board members have to be willing to accept greater scrutiny and more responsibility for understanding the legal implications of the partnership(s).

There are many changing parts, so board members have to be willing to utilize legal consultants and move forward at critical

Obama From 1 Sen. Al Franken and Labor Sec. Tom Perez joined the president on his visit to HIRED where he met with a room full of women taking a three-week Project CARE course on customer service. Obama praised the women for seeking additional job training skills and offered a personal word of encouragement.

“All of us start in different places. I was basically raised by a single mom,” said Obama.

“My mom was in a similar place as a lot of you guys.”

Obama said his mother benefited from help and programs and he wants to makes sure all of the women there have opportunities and a chance to thrive.

The president spent about 20 minutes talking privately with the women in the HIRED training program. The Project CARE class provides young mothers training in customer service and sales for four weeks, followed by paid internships. HIRED uses Federal funds from the Workforce Investment Act and administers the Minnesota Family Investment Program funded by Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

HIRED has business partnerships in sectors such as healthcare, construction and manufacturing.

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stages. They need to increase fundraising capacity and promote the agency.”

We closed our interview with lessons learned. “Don’t

Copyright 2014 – Mel and Pearl Shaw 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.

Page 4 • July 7 - July 13, 2014 • Insight News

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HEALTH Healthy kids equals healthy minds show documentation if the school requests it.

Did you know that vaccines help keep children and teens healthy?

And staying well helps them stay in school! Healthy students are able to pay better attention and participate in class.

Make sure your kids are ready for child care or school.

Starting September 1, 2014, there are new immunization requirements for school and child care.

What do parents need to do?

• Check your child’s immunization history. For copies of your child’s immunization records, talk to your clinic or call the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC) at 651-201-5503 or 1-800-657-3970.

• Compare your child’s records to the new shot requirements.

Have they had the Tdap and Meningococcal vaccines?

• Schedule an appointment if your child needs additional vaccines.

• Keep a copy of your child’s records. You may be asked to provide proof of immunization before enrolling.

What are the new shot requirements?

• Hepatitis B - For all children over 2 months old enrolled or enrolling in child care or an early childhood program.

• Hepatitis A - For all children over 12 months old enrolled or enrolling in child care or an early childhood program • Tdap – For students entering 7th grade. Students in 8th through 12th grades must show documentation if the school requests it.

This replaces the Td immunization requirement.

• Meningitis (meningococcal) – For students entering 7th grade. Students in 8th through 12th grades must

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Healthy Men, Healthy Families, Healthy Communities

What other vaccines can protect my children?

There are other vaccines against serious diseases that are also recommended for your children and teens.

• Rotavirus vaccine for infants.

• Influenza vaccine for anyone age 6 months or older.

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which protects against HPV, a virus that can lead to certain types of cancer. The HPV vaccine is cancer prevention and the series of 3 shots should be started at 11-12 years.

Concerned about cost?

Free or low cost vaccinations may be available. Talk to your doctor or clinic about whether your child is eligible.

Set your child up for a successful school year.

Be sure they have received the required vaccines and talk to your doctor or clinic about what else you can do to keep them healthy and in school. For more information, including a chart showing which vaccinations your child should receive when and instructions on how to seek an exemption from the immunization requirements, please visit http://www. health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/ immunize/readykidswhento.pdf - MDH -

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Insight News • July 7 - July 13, 2014 • Page 5

Men’s health and the environment water contaminants (see EWG’s “Water Filter Buying Guide” to find the right one); • avoiding canned foods and plastic containers with the recycling code #7 to limit BPA exposure; • using personal care products that don’t contain phthalates, parabens or other potential contaminants (see EWG’s “Skin Deep” database that lists toxic chemicals in some 69,000 personal care products); • choosing conventionally grown fruits and vegetables that have the fewest pesticide residues and buying the organic versions of certain types of produce that otherwise rely heavily on chemicals (EWG’s “Dirty Dozen” guide lists apples, grapes, strawberries, celery, peaches, spinach

and sweet bell peppers as the worst offenders among others); and • using proper sun cover and getting regular skin checks with a dermatologist to reduce melanoma risks.

By following these guidelines along with eating a healthy, varied diet and getting regular exercise, men can significantly reduce their health risks and potentially add years to their lives.

CONTACT: Environmental Working Group, www.ewg.org/ research/mens-health.

EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@ emagazine.com.

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Research during the last few decades -- including a recent report by the Environmental Working Group -- has shown that environmental exposures may contribute to major diseases and health concerns that especially affect men, including heart disease, prostate cancer and infertility.

EarthTalk® E - The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: We often see and read reports about environmental threats

to women’s health, but aren’t there also concerns about which men should be especially vigilant? -- Jay Walsh, Boston, MA Indeed, women aren’t the only ones who should be worried about environmental threats. A recently released report (“Men’s Health: What You Don’t Know Might Hurt You”) by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) concludes that environmental exposures may have major negative impacts on men’s health as well, and outlines ways that guys can avoid some of the major risks.

“Most men understand that smart lifestyle choices— such as exercising regularly, eating a healthful diet and not smoking—make a big difference in staying healthy,” says EWG researcher and report author Paul Pestano.

“However, what many men might not know is that research in the last few decades has shown that environmental exposures may contribute to major diseases and health concerns that especially affect men, including heart disease, prostate cancer and infertility.”

He adds that toxic substances in drinking water, food, food packaging and personal care products have all been linked to serious health problems that affect millions of American men.

According to EWG, men’s heart disease risks are exacerbated by exposure to mercury in certain seafoods, Teflon chemicals in non-stick cookware, and bisphenol-A (BPA) in hard plastic containers and canned foods.

Additionally, arsenic and lead in drinking water supplies is a contributing factor in elevated heart disease risks

for men. Meanwhile, certain agricultural pesticides common on fruits and vegetables as well as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that build up in meat and dairy products have been associated with prostate cancer, the second most common cause of cancer for American men. And exposures to lead, pesticides and chemicals in personal care products contribute to low sperm counts, infertility and other reproductive issues for men. EWG also underscores the importance of limiting sun exposure, as men face a higher risk of developing melanoma than women.

“While genetics can predetermine certain health outcomes, there are a number of ways men can dramatically reduce their potentially harmful environmental exposures,” Pestano says. Some tips include: • investing in a water filter system specifically designed to reduce exposure to lead, arsenic and other drinking

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Page 6 • July 7 - July 13, 2014 • Insight News

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COMMENTARY

The incalculable cost of slavery Nobody Asked Me

By Fred Easter Nobody asked me but I think Ta Nehisi Coates’ piece in the June issue of The Atlantic should be required reading for every American.

I readily admit that it took me nearly a month to finish it. That wasn’t because I have to sound out each word. Rather, I’d get so angry I’d have to put it down and say all the short, crisp words I know. When other Americans’ blood returns to simmer, they should be ready to start Randall Robinson’s “The Debt.”

The exercise brought something home to me in stark relief. Most Americans, and certainly, most African-Americans have heard of slavery and of Jim Crow. It is generally conceded, excepting, perhaps by Tea Partiers, that neither was a high point in American history. But, we don’t really know intimately, in all it’s gory detail, what those centuries have done to the victims and to the perpetrators. There is a difference difference between knowing that people get shot and bombed in wars and having seen young men holding their intestines in their hands or looking, quizzically, at

Ta Nehisi Coates’ piece in the June issue of The Atlantic should be required reading for every American.

the place where their leg used to be.

Brother Coates does not deal much with slavery, or even Reconstruction but, he does lay out, in vivid detail, the insidious pervasiveness of what America did to its darker brothers and sisters in the last century. He chronicles how this country has cultivated its Black citizens like a cash crop and callously blamed them for not beating a stacked deck. So, Blacks have been doomed to fail and whites have been tricked into believing their successes were fairly earned. He points out very eloquently how American history, as it is taught, has tied itself into knots trying to remember and forget at the same time.

“The last slaveholder has been dead for a very long time.

The last soldier to endure Valley

Forge has been dead much longer.

To proudly claim the veteran and disown the slaveholder is patriotism a la carte. A nation outlives its generations. We were not there when Washington crossed the Delaware, but Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze’s rendering has meaning to us. We were not there when Woodrow Wilson took us into World War I, but we are still paying out the pensions. If Thomas Jefferson’s genius matters, then so does his taking of Sally Hemings’ body.

If Washington’s crossing the Delaware matters, so must his ruthless pursuit of the runagate Oney Judge,” wrote Coates.

I have a degree in history from Harvard. I passed my comprehensives in “American History since 1789.” Neither Hemings nor Judge were ever mentioned. Neither were scores

The ‘democratic’ origin and evolution of racism

By Ezrah Aharone Albert Einstein reasoned, one “cannot alter a condition with the same mindset that created it in the first place.”

In other words, solutions require thinking that transcends the mindset that caused and/ or contributes to undesirable conditions. Using this premise to examine racism in America, the questions become to what origin is modern racism anchored and how can existing bounds of thought be transcended for new national discourse to redress the causes and conditions?

First, some honest but controversial realities must be recognized since racism did not emerge unexplainably. Racism in America originated from democracy in America. But America finds this offensive since it makes America’s character appear no different than “undemocratic” people that America “won’t negotiate with” today. To deflect this onus, America maintains the flawed notion that the impact of slavery and segregation is inconsequential … that 50 years of desegregation somehow nullifies four centuries of dehumanization.

This popularizes the mistruth that racism is no longer structural nor intrinsic to society, but rather attitudinal and limited to “random” outbursts from “fringe” individuals such as Donald Sterling, whose proposed punishment involves forcing him to profit from selling the Los Angeles Clippers (with 12 of 14 players being Black) for $2 billion.

Modern racism is an extension of 1619 slavery, conjoined to profiteering. Despite the grandeur, July 4, 1776 is when racism was not only normalized in democracy, but also camouflaged through flowery language in America’s founding documents. This has furnished American democracy with a velvet-glove exterior that encases the racism of its interior.

Hence, no other contemporary people in a “democracy” have undergone more systemic racism longer than African-Americans.

And although slavery is immoral, it wasn’t quite immoral enough to discredit anyone from making Mount Rushmore.

To be fair, upon ridding themselves from what they deemed British tyranny, the founders could have genuinely become extraordinary by simply honoring their creed of equality.

But rather than condemn slavery, they used their sovereign powers to enforce slavery. This helped incubate a fixed ideopolitical environment for guiltfree racism to saturate society

inter-generationally, whereby reparations is still dismissed as near-laughable.

Based on “military necessity,” emancipation occurred in 1865 but without proper conciliatory or compensatory measures.

Democracy thereafter produced 99 more years of systemic racism that encompassed reconstruction failures, sharecropping peonage, Black Codes, convict leasing, thousands of uninvestigated lynchings, medical experimentations at Ivy League universities and Abraham Lincoln’s 13th Amendment that abolished slavery, yet provided wiggle-room for slavery to exist “as a punishment for crime.”

Moreover, the 13th Amendment insultingly comprises only 43 words. Think about it. How can two centuries of institutionalized slavery and racism be earnestly amended in merely 43 words? Paula Deen used more words to apologize for saying the N-word, and Imus for saying “nappy-headed hoes.”

Racism has also evolved over time, whereas racists norms once entailed having a man’s wife “borrowed” for the night; or being lynched to the delight of mobs for “being too big for ones britches” or being prohibited from drinking “white water” while policemen cannonball-blast said offender with white fire-hydrant water.

Today however, Barack Obama is president; Oprah Winfrey is a billionaire; the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has a holiday; Jay Z’s partnership with Barney’s remains intact, Denny’s serves Black people and the Clippers have a symbolic interim Black CEO. Racism now though is metaphorically like “death by a thousand cuts” from subtle but certain subordination and disparities in housing, healthcare, education, employment (firing, hiring, promotions, salary), wealth, profiling, arrests, incarcerations, etc. And even more problematic are the psycho-subliminal aspects of racism. Since the 1940s, the Clarks’ “Doll Experiment” proves that Black children are socially engineered (by age 5) to regard Black dolls (people) as inferior, uglier, and dumber than whites.

This confirms the pathologies of what W.E.B. Dubois termed “Double Consciousness” and Carter Woodson termed “MisEducation,” which stagnate original Black development and world contributions. Such engineering also constricts the boundaries of thought that require transcending to redress racism, as Einstein alluded.

In response, AfricanAmericans should aver to no longer allow the historiography of the Black experience to be politically

tortured with skewed idealisms until it falsely confesses the sanitized versions of democracy that anchor the structural, attitudinal, psychological racism of today. This perhaps can initiate new national discourse on racism to snip other pseudo-democratic tenants and tentacles that tie to more centuries-old falsehoods that African-Americans should also learn to unlearn.

This article was culled in part from Ezrah’s forthcoming book “The Sovereign Psyche.” Ezrah Aharone is an adjunct associate professor at Delaware State University and the author of two acclaimed political books, “Sovereign Evolution: Manifest Destiny from Civil Rights to Sovereign Rights” and “Pawned Sovereignty: Sharpened Black Perspectives on Americanization, Africa, War and Reparations.”

He can be reached at www.

EzrahSpeaks.com.

of others I’ve learned of since.

Charles Drew, James Griffin, Elijah McCoy and Jean Baptiste Du Sable were all from column B on the a la carte menu. Is it a surprise that, even today, spell-

check questions my spelling of Hemings and Oney.

The cumulative effect, on a people, of centuries of subjugation, brutalization, miseducation, thievery and all

forms of terrorism is almost incalculable. But, it is only half of what it would take to cleanse the hearts and souls of a country that could and would do this to so many, for so long.

insightnews.com

Insight News • July 7 - July 13, 2014 • Page 7

LIFESTYLE Big Daddy’s Old Fashioned Barbeque: “I would just like to see a better mix of things”

By Bruce Johansen, TC Daily Planet Historically, the Rondo neighborhood was the most vibrant African American community in St. Paul, until a new freeway, built in the 1960s, tore it apart. According to the Minnesota Historical Society, “The construction of I-94 shattered this tight-knit community, displaced thousands of African Americans into a racially segregated city and a discriminatory housing market, and erased a now-legendary neighborhood.”

Ron Whyte, one of three owners of Big Daddy’s Old Fashioned Barbeque (625 University West, St. Paul), has observed a shrinking African American presence since his arrival in St. Paul in 1980. He says, “…there were a few other black businesses on University when I got here, and I’ve seen that diminish, which is kind of bad, but it has diminished.”

Whyte points toward the shopping center kitty-corner to his shop. “There was a liquor store that was owned by a black guy.

There was a barbecue place down on the corner owned by a black guy. There was another barbecue stand right here on Dale owned by a black. I don’t know everything that was owned by them, I just knew that those were.”

The declining number of black businesses, Whyte says, has resulted in far less variety than he would like to see up and down the Corridor. “I look down there and I would just like to see a better mix of things.” He is pleased with the Daily Diner, which opened in 2013. “But before that, you look for fish, barbecue, chicken wings, there’s just fast food.”

Over the years, in various forms, Big Daddy’s owners have provided both some of the balance, and that link to University Avenue’s history, which Whyte would like to see more of.

From backyard hobby to business Like many of his Central Corridor neighbors, Whyte migrated from somewhere else.

He was born and grew up in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, where his mother was a homemaker and his father a cement layer.

Whyte followed the same path as a lifelong friend, Gene Sampson, who relocated to the Twin Cities to take a job at Honeywell. Whyte moved five years later and also worked at Honeywell.

A third partner, Bob Edmond, is a Georgia native. Edmond’s brother and Sampson were good friends in college. Edmond relocated to Minnesota for a

L-R: Ron Whyte, Bob Edmond, Gene Sampson position at Control Data. The three have now been barbecuing for close to 30 years.

Backyard barbecuing became a serious pastime when Sampson, Edmond, and Whyte converged in St. Paul. Whyte recalls: “We started cooking in Gene’s backyard…just, ‘mine tastes better than yours.’ And from there, friends and relatives kind of said, ‘Well, you know, you guys are pretty good.” This spurred the friends to pool their ideas, agree on the best way to do things, and start selling barbecue, first at festivals and in parking lots.

For the next 20 years the men did the circuit—Rondo Days in St. Paul was their first festival.

“We started doing that, and we became pretty popular….and then we branched out to Woodbury Days, St. Paul’s Grand Old Day, Stillwater Days….” Eventually they progressed to “bigger and better things, like the rib fest they used to have over in Minneapolis,” as well as Taste of Minnesota.

In the 1990s they started showing up at outdoor lots, including next to Tiger Jack’s shack on Dale Street near I-94, Payne Avenue, and outside a Cub Foods grocery. “We were approached by the manager of Cub Foods Market, up there in the Midway area,” says Whyte.

“He just thought it would be a good advertisement for him if we barbecued right there on his lot.”

Sampson took a big leap in the late 1990s. After deciding that he wanted to venture out on his own, he opened a restaurant (Big Daddy’s) in Union Depot downtown St. Paul. While Big Daddy’s got good reviews,

Big Daddy’s BBQ’s new entrance parking was an issue. “You know when you’re paying to park and then paying to eat it gets pretty tough.” As a result, the restaurant closed after two years.

Ending up where they started The partners returned to their roots and resumed barbecuing outdoors in parking lots. One of those lots was at Johnny Baby’s Bar on University Avenue. Then, in 2008, after a lease dispute ended that arrangement, the Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) entered the scene and helped the trio find a space.

“They (NDC) have always been in support of us,” says Whyte. “They’ve just been super helpful, anything that you would like to know, you can just go to them. It’s kind of like somebody being on your board of directors that’s steering you.”

Sampson took an

L-R: Matthew Little, his father Arthur Little, Sr. and his father’s brother Shade Little

Little From 1 Negro began to burn somehow, and tragically so did my symbiotic tie to my Daddy.

The fierceness of these fires came to a crescendo with the assassination of Malcolm X and then Dr. King, and the flames began lapping up what I had relied upon as my identity.

The entire notion of “father” began to have new meaning as did everything else. Out of no place new fathers sprouted from everywhere, but these “fathers” ruled with brute strength, hurled fists at the white man and held secret meetings with Mao’s red book. They taught that men like my father were counterrevolutionary … reactionary … enemies of the people ... Uncle Toms … step

Sylvia Little, mother of Matt Little’s children and fetch it Negros … house niggers who are at war with the field niggers who are our foot soldiers of the revolution.

My father’s words felt like a covenant promise.

“You’re going to make some lucky man a good wife

Big Daddy’s BBQ

occupied by West Indies Soul Cafe, in a building also owned by NDC, just a few steps west of Dale Street. Partner Gene Sampson has since left, returning home to tend to his mother.

“As far as what’s coming, it’s a guess” Light rail construction is the biggest challenge the business has faced, says Whyte. “It hurt us pretty bad last year….Nothing has hurt as much as that.” He offers an example. “One day we’re sitting here. When they pour a sidewalk, they don’t tell you, they just put a big plastic thing up and cover your doors and start pouring. So you’re kind of, ‘wow,’ and customers are coming and they can’t get in….”

With major loss of parking space, plus all of the other disruptions caused by construction, Big Daddy’s owners turned to staff of NDC’s U7 Project for assistance once again.

Navigating the challenges led to growing the catering side of the business, not something the partners had offered at their former location. Catering now stands at 15 to 20-percent of their business,

someday,” now felt like a curse, for like most teens my age, we had our sites set on larger – more clever things – that involved women in armed combat, side by side her soldier brothers, to topple the evil systems of the world, once and for all. We embraced romantic images of beautiful Angela Davis on the run from the FBI; Assata Shakur fighting armed combat with the Black Liberation Army.

I watched my father begin to shrink. But not just Daddy, the principal of “father” as hero of his home and community began to dissipate as well. And When the War On Poverty was declared throughout America, and teenaged girls began receiving welfare checks for children they had out of wedlock, “father” – in many circles did not seem necessary anymore … the county – the state – became “Daddy.”

entrepreneurship course from NDC in the 1990s.

The space NDC suggested, at 609 University Avenue, just east of Dale Street, had housed Lendways Bar from the 1930s until 2003. Whyte says, “I wasn’t around but it used to be, from what I’m understanding, a very, very popular bar. The city officials used to come up because they’d dine there, too.” NDC owned the property and had plans to tear it down, replacing it with a new complex, so this was to be a temporary home.

Big Daddy’s proved “very, very successful” at its first bricks and mortar site. When it was forced to move, the partners looked at a variety of locations, but, says Whyte, “we ended up right back almost where we started.“ In 2010 Big Daddy’s opened its doors at its current location, formerly

depending on the season.

The U7 staff also helped the business owners develop a marketing strategy, drawing from City of St. Paul Ready for Rail Forgivable Loan funds, working on Big Daddy’s web and social media presence, helping with signage during construction, and providing assistance in bottling and selling Big Daddy’s BBQ sauce.

With construction complete and the trains set to begin running, Whyte is unsure how sales will be affected. “As far as what’s coming, it’s a guess…. I really don’t know.

I have some customers that say we’re going to do great, and I have other customers that say, ‘I’m going to take the light rail to come see you’….”

Big Daddy’s will be prepared for a larger volume of customers.

Just as fires devoured everything in its path, I witnessed flames lap at the giant called my father. I watched him become smaller and smaller in my young eyes.

He was smaller in our home and it seemed in the world. But he kept marching forward, like David, armed only with five smooth stones, he steadfastly

retained his quiet, methodical battle stance, building within organizations such as the NAACP, the Urban League and the Democratic Party.

It was during the raging of these “fires” that he received a call that his father had died in North Carolina … and shortly after, his spiritual father, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

With NDC’s assistance, the partners leased the corner space next door. On March 21, 2014, it became the primary retail space.

The expansion means a seating capacity of 20 to 30, as compared to eight, plus an additional 12 to 20 seats on the patio during warmer weather.

Whyte says that Big Daddy’s hopes to do some grilling outside during summer months.

While construction has presented a host of challenges and lingering uncertainty, Whyte says he does like seeing the street being “cleaned up.”

“It really was kind of a bad area,” he says, “prostitutes, drugs, what have you.” Among the changes he’s happiest about are the Rondo Community Outreach Library on the site of the Faust Theater, a longtime neighborhood theater that became an adult entertainment complex from 1970 to 1983, and Frogtown Square, a mixed-use development with senior housing and retail that opened in 2011.

Now Whyte would like to see more variety and a larger African American presence once again. The number of Asian restaurants can be overwhelming, he observes. “I hope this doesn’t come out wrong, but if I was new to this area, I wouldn’t know where to start.”

Best product, best service, a winning combination Whyte says that Big Daddy’s prides itself on serving the best barbecue--Kansas City style as opposed to Texas bbq--in the Twin Cities.

To be honest with you, it’s in no way being cocky…but there’s really no competition as far as barbecue is concerned.

As you know, the man in St. Paul, and probably a lot of other places, is Famous Dave’s. And it’s just that we have a better tasting product than he does.

Still, it’s more than the food, Whyte contends. “We’re a familyoriented restaurant, very friendly in contact with the customer.

Those kinds of things help us.”

To learn more about Big Daddy’s Old Fashioned Barbeque, listen to an audio version of the interview and read the full transcript here, and watch a short video featuring Ron Whyte, produced by Jose Luis Morales Alegria. Additional assistance was provided by Luce Guillen-Givins and Mary Turck.

To see more photos and to keep up with news and future plans, visit Big Daddy’s website and Facebook page, and follow them on Twitter.

Big Daddy’s is located at 625 University Ave. W., St. Paul.

was assassinated in Memphis.

It was the first time I had ever seen him cry and seeing his eyes fill with tears alerted me that the fires had now taken a frightening new dimension.

Ralph Ellison, the acclaimed African-America novelist, described being

LITTLE TURN TO 10

Page 8 • July 7 - July 13, 2014 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Photos: Karen Nelson

Osman Ali working on the Somali Hut Assembly

Somali museum a part of ‘Made Here’ downtown arts showcase With several vacant properties throughout downtown Minneapolis the empty storefronts provide the perfect vehicle to showcase works – and in one case a whole museum’s worth of works – by area artists.

The “Parklot,” Minneapolis’ new, first-of-its-kind popup park, and “Made Here,” downtown’s new urban walking gallery, will launch from 7 p.m. to midnight, Friday, July 11, in the surface parking lot adjacent to the Orpheum Theatre between 9th and 10th Streets. The Parklot will be the center of the Hennepin Theatre Trust’s Summer in the City celebration, a public party featuring free walking tours of the newly installed “Made Here” window showcases, large scale projections on the Orpheum’s outer wall, a variety of street musicians, dancing, comedy improvisation by Brave New Workshop, a cash bar, a food truck and other highlights that organizers say will create a vibrant and welcoming city oasis.

One of the standout “Made Here” projects is a pop-up gallery located at 319 1st Ave. N. featuring works from the Somali Museum of Minnesota, highlighting two authentic huts shipped from Djibouti, Somalia, as well as artifacts, digital media and paintings

demonstrating nomadic Somali life. According to Joan Vorderbruggen, the Hennepin Theatre Trust’s cultural district arts coordinator, the inclusion of the museum works highlights the rich diversity of the area’s cultural community.

“I made diversity a strong part of our initiative,” said Vorderbruggen. “It should be everybody’s priority to be reflective of the entire community that we’re all a part of.”

Vorderbruggen credited Osman Ali, founder of the Somali Artifact and Cultural Museum, 1516 E. Lake St., with assisting in showcasing and moving most of the museum to the 1st Avenue storefront location. The Somali artifacts will be on display in the downtown location for 90 days.

The Cultural District is an initiative with partners including Hennepin Theatre Trust, Walker Art Center, Artspace and the City of Minneapolis.

“With the arts and artists on display we want to reflect the current population of Minnesota, which is changing,” said Karen Nelson, communications director for the Hennepin Theatre Trust in discussing the inclusion of the Somali museum display. “It’s a reflection of who Minnesota is

Somali Hut Assembly

becoming.”

Other displays include a project by artist Robin Schwartzman, a 2014 Jerome Grant recipient, who will install “No Vacancy,” a video projection of lights, shadows and other figures on the second floor of the “Chevy’s” building on 7th Street and Hennepin Avenue. In addition, artists Venus DeMars and Mach Fox

are mounting “Space Lounge” with music and film projections in the former National Camera Exchange Building at 930 Hennepin. Additional “Made Here” window showcases will commemorate the Minnesota Twins All Stars and celebrate photographer Edward Curtis and the Native-American.

In addition to visual artists, the showcase windows are

being created by a variety of organizations including the Arts Institute International Minnesota, the University of Minnesota College of Design, Dunwoody Institute and the University of Minnesota Duluth School of Fine Arts, the architectural firms of Perkins + Will, U + B and DLR Group and Minnesota-based companies including Andersen

Windows and Faribault Woolen Mill Company. The window displays encompass 16 mediums including painting, photographs, textiles and even an art vending station. The displays show up on some various 15 downtown blocks.

The “Made Here” July 11 launch kicks of at 7 p.m. at 930 Hennepin Ave.

insightnews.com

Insight News • July 7 - July 13, 2014 • Page 9

Be Heard Youth Poetry Slam Team

July 7 - 13

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

Audiyo Element

Monday, July 7 The Send Off !

Capri Theater 2027 W Broadway Minneapolis 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Ave.,

The Be Heard Youth Poetry Slam Team is heading to Philadelphia July 16 – 20 for the Brave New Voices national poetry slam. Between January and March TruArtSpeaks has held a series of Slams throughout the Twin Cities.

The teen poets representing Minnesota are Laresa Avent , Anders Billund-Phibbs, Lucien Parker, Vineetha Adams, Simone Williams and Isha Camara.

The Send Off is a night of hip-hop and spoken word featuring DJ Kool Akiem, No Projection K.Raydio, Medium Zach, Desdamona, Guante, B-Boy J-Sun, Crescent Moon, BDotCroc and St. Paul Slim.

Purchase tickets at www. truartspeaks.com/2014/06/17/ the-send-off.

Future

Luciano

Tuesday, July 8 Luciano & iKRONIK: The QABALAH MAN TOUR The Cabooze 917 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis 9 p.m. $20 – $23 With the release of his landmark CD “Where There Is Life” in 1995, Luciano emerged as one of the most important reggae singers in decades and the greatest hope for roots reggae’s survival in the digital dancehall era.

Wednesday, July 9 Future w/ Rico Love, Que, and Bando Jones Mill City Nights 111 5th St. N., Minneapolis 18-plus 8 p.m.

Advance tickets $29.50, doors $32.00 Autotune star, Future, is having a big year. He’s had consecutive hits, touring with Drake, and a new baby with R&B singer Ciara. See him on the Honest Tour when it hits town.

Thursday, July 10 Cedar Riverside Open Mic Night The Common Table 2001 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. $5 Common Table and Save The Kids Augsburg Chapter present an open mic for all genres with spoken word, poetry, comedy,

singing and more.

Friday, July 11 (also July 12) Whiz Bang Days Block Party Robbinsdale Watertower 4103 Hubbard Ave. N. Robbinsdale All ages Free 6 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Once a year thousands come together for this parade, carnival and fireworks display.

Whiz Bang Days is a non-profit organization that depends on fund raising, donations and corporate sponsorships to survive.

If interested in volunteering for any of Whiz Bang Days events or to sponsor visit www. whizbangdays.com.

Saturday, July 12

3rd Annual Naija Summer Cookout Brooklyn Center Community Center 6301 Shingle Creek Pkwy., Brooklyn Center 1 p.m. – 8 p.m.

This 3rd annual event for young Nigerian professionals is open to people of all backgrounds, with music provided by DJ Banke Elijah.

Sunday, July 13 Battle of The Bands ‘14 The Pourhouse 10 South 5th St., Minneapolis $15 8 p.m.

18-plus Gorilla Music Presents – the Twin Cities Battle of the Bands with Blood Cookie, 50 Foot Canoe, FM Riot, Audiyo Element, Ithomid, Jury Duty, Aivry, Benjamin Lau, Mother Earth, Sercing Size, Color Tab and 156.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS A PLATINUM DUNES/BLUMHOUSE/WHY NOTEXECUTIVE PRODUCTION “ THE PURGE: ANARCHY” FRANK GRILLO CARMEN EJOGO ZACH GILFORD KIELE SANCHEZ AND MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS PRODUCERS JEANETTE VOLTURNO-BRI LL LUC ETIENNE PRODUCED WRITTEN AND

BY JASON BLUM p.g.a. MICHAEL BAY ANDREW FORM BRAD FULLER SEBASTI ´ EN K. LEMERCIER p.g.a. DIRECTED BY JAMES DE MONACO #PURGEANARCHY A UNIVERSAL RELEASE © 2014 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

STARTS FRIDAY, JULY 18

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

Page 10 • July 7 - July 13, 2014 • Insight News

insightnews.com

COMMUNITY The Williams sisters nearing historic career twilight Moments in Sports

By Ryan T. Scott ryan@insightnews.com A generation of historic athletes is nearing its twilight.

The ouster of both Venus and Serena Williams in the early rounds of Wimbledon 2014 is one of the most impactful recent examples of this trend. They say Father Time is undefeated, and they are correct. That being so, if you are a connoisseur of athletic achievement, it’s about time to take your last good look at the generation who cleared out some elbow room for the masses, on the world stage of sports.

Serena Williams lost to 25thseeded Alize Cornet of France (1-6, 6-3, 6-4) in the third round of Wimbledon. The younger Williams sister, Serena, 32, also lost to Cornet, 25, in February at the Dubai Championship.

According to ranking Cornet is no slouch, yet when younger players start finding consistent methods to defeat aging champions, Father Time is whispering sweet something’s into the elders’ ear. “I don’t know what I did wrong,� exclaimed Serena Williams after the match. By contrast, the rising Cornet spoke

with a firm confidence in post match interviews, as if confirming early mastery over a school subject.

Serena Williams, currently still the No. 1 ranked player in the world, is a five time Wimbledon champion, trailing Martina Navratilova (nine) and placing her in a tie for eighth alltime. Navratilova won her final Wimbledon tournament at the age of 33, with a similar style – in terms of physical dominance – as Serena Williams.

Overall, Steffi Graf is the alltime leader (in the Open Era) in women’s singles tennis Grand Slam victories (U.S Open, French Open, Australian Open, and Wimbledon) with 22. During her most dominant stretch, the early 2000s, Serena Williams was easily seen as a candidate to surpass Graf and Navratilova as the most accomplished female tennis player of all time. With 17 major championships, Serena Williams has an arduous road ahead to surpass her predecessors.

Williams’ older sister Venus, held a strong moment of dominance in the sport before Serena’s reign truly gained footing. Venus Williams was the first American Black woman to achieve the World Tennis Association No. 1 ranking in 2002. The elder Williams, who lost in the second round of this year’s Wimbledon, is 12 on the all-time Grand Slam list with seven.

Edwin Martinez / Creative Commons

Serena Williams and Venus Williams Together the Williams sisters have a historic resume of singles

Little From 7 invisible, in his award winning “The Invisible Man.â€? In his prologue he wrote, “I am an invisible man. No I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allen Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood movie ectoplasms ‌ I am invisible because people refuse to see me. When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination ‌ everything and anything but me.â€?

Had my father disappeared

Firstborn Matthea Little

Classifieds Office Manager/Legal Assistant

The U.S. District Court, District of MN is accepting applications for a full-time Operations Generalist in our Duluth location. Salary range is $38,334 - $62,307. For complete job description, visit the court’s website www.mnd.uscourts.gov, Employment.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Central Minnesota Legal Services-St. Cloud Office Full-time position in our Saint Cloud office. Duties include: maintaining filing and storage sys.; compiling reports; client intake; drafting legal docs; referrals to com svcs; other duties as assigned.

Microsoft Word a plus. Salary: D.O.E. up to $32,816. Excellent benefits. Resume, references, and cover letter by 06/16/14 (late applications accepted until filled), Terri S. Thorson, Managing Attorney, CMLS, 110 6th Avenue South, Suite 205, 56301. No calls please. EOE.

HENNEPIN COUNTY Department of Human Resources Hennepin County Government Center 300 South Sixth Street Minneapolis, MN 55487

City of Minneapolis: Case Investigator –

http://hennepin.jobs INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR THE POSITION OF:

Job # 21506 /$49,369 to $67,861 Annually Under the supervision of the Director of the Office of Police Conduct Review, responds to complaints of alleged police misconduct by conducting preliminary and/or administrative investigations and summarizes the chronology of events and the evidence gathered for each assigned case. Qualifications: Education - Two (2) years of post-secondary education in Criminal Justice, Sociology, Psychology or a closely related field; Experience - two (2) years investigative experience including actual interviewing; Equivalency: equivalent combination of related education / experience may be considered. Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license while employed in the position.

Applications accepted June 23, 2014 through July 7, 2014. To review a complete job announcement, including requirements/instructions, and to apply online, visit www.minneapolismn.gov/jobs.

Administrative Assistant SALARY: $38,906.40 - $60,251.36 Annually OPENING DATE: 06/09/14 CLOSING DATE: 06/20/14 5:00 PM Central Time JOB TYPE: Full-time LOCATION: North Minneapolis, Minnesota DEPARTMENT: NorthPoint Health and Wellness An Equal Opportunity Employer

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seven, of all women contestants.

Various injuries and health

instantly it would have been less heartrending, but his invisibility occurred “little by littleâ€?(excuse the pun) however, true to the soldier that he was, he never broke rank and held fast to that which kept him alive ‌ to see the ideals of the Civil Rights Movement manifest fully within Minneapolis, and the United States.

In the same way I watched as my community fathers began to disappear, friends of my father such as Harry Davis, Sr., Robert Green, (father of FOX News anchor Loren Green) who lived right across the alley, Booker Daniels, who lived next door to him, Walter

Creighton, across the street and Mr. Kodadic who lived right next door to us. There were fathers in our direct family such as George and Bud Booker – my mother’s brothers – and my father’s younger brother, Jamie, who lived in Atlantic City and where my father hastily shipped me to at 15 when the “flames of the 60s� began to overwhelm me.

They served as watchmen in our neighborhood, in a time when the fires lapped away – even at clothing and I snuck a micro-mini-skirt into my school bag daring to strut down 4th Avenue knowing that my father was at work. With a certainty

Phone: 612.588.1313

Operations Generalist – Duluth

Administrative Assistant

and doubles titles, including the most Olympic gold medals,

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Fax: 612.588.2031

Program Director The Sexual Violence Center (SVC) seeks a Program Director to lead staff, programs and direct service delivery in Hennepin, Carver and Scott counties. Applications due July 14, 2014. Details: http://www.sexualviolencecenter.org/get-involved/index/

Section 8 Housing for Seniors 62 and older 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

Email: info@insightnews.com

RENTALS Tapestry Management, LLC has various sized apartments/townhomes for rent in the following locations: St. Paul, Golden Valley, Mankato, Red Wing, N. St. Paul, Rochester, Plymouth, Jordan, Winona, Olivia, and Redwood Falls. Rental assistance is available to qualified applicants in all locations. Please contact the appropriate location for availability and additional information.

Birmingham Townhomes – St. Paul 952-854-8800 Calvary Center Apartments – Golden Valley 763-546-4988 Colonial Square Apartments – Mankato 507-345-1321 Cooperidge Apartments – Red Wing 651-388-1500 Franklyn Park Apartments – N. St. Paul 651-770-1504 Innsbruck Townhomes – Rochester 507-289-1319 Mission Oaks Townhomes – Plymouth 763-559-5770 Newbridge Apartments – Rochester 507-282-8284 Northgate Community Housing – Rochester 507-289-1319 Oakridge Apartments – Rochester 507-281-1031 Schule Haus – Jordan 952-492-2084 Wapasa Apartments – Winona 507-429-9261 Westcourt Apartments – Olivia 320-523-2101 Westfalls Townhomes – Redwood Falls 507-641-5933

Is currently accepting applications for Residency or the waiting list at the following property locations Cold Spring, MN Cambridge, MN Paynesville, MN Brainerd, MN Baxter, MN Baxter, MN Zimmerman, MN Mora, MN Braham, MN Pine City, MN Foley, MN Ogilvie, MN Randall, MN Waverly, MN Eden Valley, MN Little Falls, MN Sauk Centre, MN Princeton, MN Baxter, MN Avon, MN Howard Lake, MN

Azaniah Little lives in Seattle.

She works as a freelance writer, minister and consultant, and is currently seeking publication for her first book, “Purpose for Your Pain...�

She is the proud mother of Namibia Little who lives in Minneapolis.

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.

Central Minnesota Housing Partnership

Granite Ledge Townhomes Tower Terrace Townhomes Ridgeview Court Townhomes Timberland Townhomes Grand Oaks Townhomes Grand Oaks Court Townhomes Meadow View Townhomes Northcrest Townhomes Braham Heights Johnson Apartments Gilmanor Apartments Groundhouse Apartments Randall Apartments Waverly Community Homes Eden Place Apartments Highland Court Townhomes River View Townhomes West Birch Townhomes Sprucewood Townhomes Brickstone Apartments Shoreline Common’s Apartments

one of these fathers alerted my father and I never tried wearing it again ‌ at least not down 4th Avenue.

All of these strong human pillars of subdued strength and love began to diminish in a sense, while a new generation of fathers began to emerge, amplify and multiply.

RENTAL UNITS AVAILABLE

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.

issues, as well as family tragedy, have interrupted the benefit of smooth career paths, but the core story of their door opening dominance in the historically monochrome tennis industry supersedes any criticisms or excuses directed their way.

Forerunners such as Bill Russell, Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, Jackie Robinson, Jack Johnson and innumerable others kicked open the diversity door for all athletes in the pantheon of modern professional sports.

The Williams sisters hold a unique place among the successive generations who have benefited from their forerunners leadership. Especially in the cases of the Williams’ sisters, and Tiger Woods in golf, the story of “train a child up� to be great in a specific sport became a more popular notion. The culture of youth sports development has heightened dramatically in recent decades, and those two family stories are the most celebrated benchmarks on display.

Thus, even more beneficial, the Williams and Woods stories of family and parenting provide clear examples of the overall commitment, vision, access and protection necessary to nurture children to greatness. Hopefully, twilight for these greats is the dawn for a larger generation to come. That’s usually how it goes. Courts are open.

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FOR RENT 2 bedrooms, Hiawatha neighborhood, 1100 sq ft, hardwood flr, great for roommates, call 612-559-1043.

West Falls Estates

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

insightnews.com

Insight News • July 7 - July 13, 2014 • Page 11

EDUCATION

Canton, MS March at Nissan Plant

Youth Congress commemorates Mississippi Freedom Summer

By Dr. Artika Tyner The 50th Anniversary of Freedom Summer was celebrated June 25 – 29 during a convening in Jackson, Miss.

More than 1,500 young people, community leaders and civil rights veterans gathered in Mississippi

to honor the legacy of those who sacrificed their lives for the cause of freedom in 1964, while setting the course for the future. This was an intergenerational assembly with youth traveling from across the nation and convening in the Youth Congress. Participants traveled from Minnesota, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and beyond. These young leaders were

taught civil rights history lessons from living legends including Bob Moses, Marian Wright Edelman and Hollis Watkins. There was also a transference of the mantle of leadership from the veterans of the movement to the youth of today. This was a mandate for the youth to return home and lead social change in their respective communities.

Freedom Summer 1964 represents the power of young people to lead us in becoming a more just society. This is an America where the words engraved on the U.S. Supreme Court building come alive – “Equal justice under the law.” As

FREEDOM TURN TO 12

Dr. Artika Tyner meeting with Danny Glover and members of the Youth Congress

Robbinsdale’s Aldo Sicoli gets Alliance’s award for equity and social justice

“Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.”

- Oprah Winfrey

Congratulations class of 2014!

Every child college and career ready

SYOSSET, NY – June 25, 2014 – The National Urban Alliance (NUA) for Effective Education will give Dr. Aldo Sicoli, superintendent of Robbinsdale Area Schools, the “Leadership Award for Promoting Equity and Social Justice” on July 7 in Minneapolis during its Summer Academy.

The award celebrates superintendents who have focused on equity and social justice through education. Sicoli is the third superintendent to receive this award since 2005.

“I am surprised and honored to be the recipient of this award that is a testament to the hard work and commitment of so many people in Robbinsdale

Aldo Sicoli Area Schools,” said Sicoli. “One of my greatest joys as an educator is to see students learning,

SICOLI TURN TO 12

Page 12 • July 7 - July 13, 2014 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Boutique From 1 businesses, corporations and individuals to support the vision of this Boutique,” said Brian Coyle director, Dube.

“The good location is drawing in more customers already,” said Sisterhood member Khadra Fiqi, after a soft launch in the new space at the end of May. The girls work on the project focuses on personal and professional development, women and youth empowerment and business skills from customer service to event planning. The colorful variety of clothing and accessories in various styles and sizes provide affordable clothing options for the students and others in the neighborhood.

Over the course of 2013, the teenagers worked with Brian Coyle and Pillsbury United Communities staff as well as Mary True Laurel, Augsburg College director of community engagement, to develop their business plan. They were

Freedom From 11 we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Freedom Summer, we are reminded of the young people who traveled from across the nation to Mississippi to fight for equal justice in 1964. They recognized that justice must begin with the end of segregation and access to the ballot box. Through their labor of love, some of the barriers to voting and political engagement have been eliminated.

Sicoli From 11 growing and achieving. If we are going to be effective as educators, we must celebrate and embrace the value that diversity brings to our schools.”

The NUA promotes student-focused advocacy and organizational guidance to accelerate student achievement

Pillsbury United Communities

The Sisterhood Boutique interns with Fairview Health Services President and CEO Rulon Stacey. mentored by professionals in the field, such as Stella Richardson, co-founder of Express Yourself

Second Hand Boutique, and supported by Augsburg MBAs and graphic design students.

Additional funding support was provided for this initiative

by Women’s Foundation of

Minnesota, Sundance Family Foundation, Marbrook Foundation and Women

Investing in the Next Generation (WINGs) Fund of Greater Twin Cities United Way.

As a result, Mississippi today has close to 1,000 Black state and local elected officials, which is the highest number of Black elected officials in the union. However, the struggle for freedom still continues today.

The legacy of the Freedom Summer movement continues today as member of the Youth Congress build a strategic action plan for addressing the civil rights issues in their communities, ranging from eradicating mass incarceration to protecting worker’s rights. The Youth Congress organized a criminal justice town hall forum to critically

analyze the racial disparities in the justice system and create change.

The United States represents 5 percent of the world population but 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in world with more than 2 million people who are incarcerated. According to the Sentencing Project, greater than 60 percent of the people in prison are from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds.

Mass incarceration has far-reaching impacts on the lives of many as they attempt to re-enter society. A criminal record can restrict access to voting, employment, college

admissions and obtainment of professional licenses.

The Youth Congress also led a powerful march at the Nissan plant in Canton, Miss. They stood in solidarity with Nissan workers to fight for organizing a union in order to secure labor rights. There are 3,300 workers employed at the plant and they do not have the protection of a union. The young people lifted their voices in harmony to declare, “What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now.” Students and actor/activist Danny Glover delivered a petition to Nissan officials which outlined

the immediate need for workers’ rights to be protected by having the ability to organize a union.

This was a reminder that labor rights are civil rights.

We left Freedom Summer with key marching orders – take action. Danny Glover called upon the young leaders to be architects of the future. The Youth Congress members committed to developing a policy agenda and preparing to run for office in their communities. Through their collective action, they are breathing life into the mission of the original Freedom Summer.

They too are fighting for the full

participation and citizenship rights of all people. This is a call for America to be true to its creed of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This is the very essence of a democratic society.

I am reminded of the words of Judge William Hastie, the first African-American federal circuit judge who said, “Democracy is a process, not a static condition.

It is becoming rather than being.

It can easily be lost, but never is fully won. Its essence is eternal struggle.”

The struggle continues in Mississippi, in Minnesota, and across the nation.

for all students. Sicoli has integrated the goal of social justice in his district’s strategic plan and worked to reduce academic tracking – the practice of grouping students for instruction according to past academic performance – due to the lowering of standards for some students while raising them for others.

“Dr. Sicoli is a tireless leader for diversity and recognizes the importance of student learning in

diverse schools and classrooms.

He focuses on the strength of students’ experiences and skills, rather than limiting student potential through remediation of weaknesses in learning and achievement,” said Eric Cooper, NUA president.

According to Cooper, Sicoli has fostered a unified district vision to embrace the large demographic shifts in the district, which has gone from 63.9 percent white in 2004, to

presently 47.3 percent white, 30.3 percent Black and 12.6 percent Hispanic.

The NUA has partnered with the district’s West Metro Education Program’s (WMEP) desegregation initiative, using the culturally relevant teaching and personalized learning for all students reflected in “The Pedagogy of Confidence” by Dr. Yvette Jackson, as well as engaging and empowering students through NUA’s “Student

Voices” project. Students in grades 3 through 7 who take buses to suburban schools have made three times the progress in reading and math as their peers who don’t, according to WMEP data.

Participation in ACT precollege testing is equally impressive in the district. The percentage of students taking the full battery of core courses to prepare them for college indicated that Robbinsdale had

gone from having 39 percent participation in 2007 to having 89 percent in 2013, which places it above statewide and national averages.

“Our partnership with NUA has strengthened our ability to provide an equitable education to all students by creating an environment in our district where there are high expectations for both staff and students,” said Sicoli.

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