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Insight News
January 20, 2020 - January 26, 2020
Vol. 47 No. 3• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
TIFFANY HADDISH:
‘Like a Boss!’
Making boss moves, superstar comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish brings the funny to Mystic Lake.
TiffanyHaddish.com STORY ON PAGE 2
Page 2 • January 20, 2020 - January 26, 2020 • Insight News
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Tiffany Haddish bringing stand-up show to Mystic Lake Tiffany Haddish is running things “Like a Boss.” The comedian and actress who currently stars in the comedy “Like a Boss” with Salma Hayek and Rose Byrne is bringing her stand-up comedy show to Mystic Lake in Shakopee on Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. Haddish is also staring in her own Netflix stand-up special, “Tiffany Haddish: Black Mitzvah,” which is garnering rave reviews. In 2017, the “Girls Trip” star made history by becoming the first Black female stand-up comedian to host “Saturday Night Live” – a role that earned her the 2018 Emmy
Award for “Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.” Haddish also plays opposite of Tracy Morgan (who is coming to Mystic Feb. 28) on the TBS comedy series “The Last O.G.” and as host of “Kids Say the Darndest Things” on ABC. Her additional upcoming film and television projects include “Down Under Cover,” “Here Today” and the drama, “Madam C.J. Walker,” thus further solidifying her “Like a Boss” status. Tickets for the Jan. 30 are available by calling the Mystic Lake Box Office at (952) 496- 6563 or online at www.mysticlake.com.
TiffanyHaddish.com
Kicking in the door, Tiffany Haddish is on top of the entertainment world with television shows on multiple networks, a slew of topgrossing movies and a critically-acclaimed Netflix special.
A media mogul, Cathy Hughes celebrates 40 years of leadership at Urban One By Keith L. Alexander OXON HILL, Md. – Inside the illuminated MGM National Harbor towering over the Potomac River, the 3,000seat theater slowly fills with people donned in tuxedos and gowns as Hollywood’s and New York’s top entertainers mix with some of Washington, D.C.’s bourgeoisie including politicians and business leaders. All have gathered to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Urban One, Inc., the nation’s largest distributor of news and entertainment aimed predominately at Black consumers, which also includes the largest African American owned television network. The media company that for decades was known as Radio One, Inc. for its stable of radio stations across the country, changed its name in 2017 to Urban One, a new name that reflects its owners mission of providing media content to urban audiences via all forms of media through its divisions including radio, television programming with its TV One cable network and now the Internet.
At the helm of Urban One is the legendary woman with the mic, camera and now computer keyboard, founder and chairwoman, Cathy Hughes. On this recent night, the 72-year-old energetic and spirited Hughes is also serving as co-host for the 40th anniversary “Urban One Honors” awards show with comedian Chris Tucker, which airs on Hughes’s TV One network Monday (Jan. 20). Urban One also owns nearly 7 percent of the $1.4 billion, MGM casino, hotel and resort, a purchase the company made when the resort opened three years ago. As the nation celebrates the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this month, those who knew King well, say Hughes and Urban One are the epitome of King’s dream. Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Jr., who worked as a youth leader for King in the 1960s, said Hughes was able to break through the historically, white male controlled world of media ownership and create her own media company that she uses to not only to reach millions of people around the world to ensure that the voices of African Americans continue
Urban One. Inc.
Cathy Hughes (left) and Chris at the Urban One Honors Red Carpet. to
be
shared and visible. “Urban One continues to fulfill Dr. King’s dream,” Chavis said. “The best way to celebrate black history is to make more history. Cathy Hughes continues to make Black history.” The Hughes media story is well archived. She began her career in 1969 at an AM radio station in her native Omaha, Neb. but left for Washington, D.C. when she was offered a job as a lecturer at Howard University. In 1973 Hughes was named general sales manager
of WHUR, Howard’s FM radio station. Two years later she was promoted to general manager. There she created the late night, slow-jam formatted staple called “The Quiet Storm,” a signature sound that expanded to radio stations around the country. In that short time, Hughes had taken annual revenues at the station from $250,000 to more than $3.5 million. In 1979, Hughes and then-husband Dewey Hughes sought financing to purchase their own radio station and were rejected by 32 banks
until 1980 when they secured lending to buy WOL-AM, a tiny Washington, D.C. station. That first station led to the acquisitions of dozens of radio stations around the country. Then in 2004, with her son Alfred C. Liggins, III, a Wharton School of Business MBA graduate as chief executive officer his mother’s company, Radio One branched into television by creating TV One, a cable network reaching more than 40 million American households. In 2017, TV One changed its name to Urban One after it acquired a collection of Internet media websites, now known as iOne Digital, that focus on news, sports and entertainment stories about and for Black audiences. Today, Urban One is worth, according to Wall Street estimates based on stock price about $98 million. It owns 57 broadcast stations in 15 urban markets, two cable networks and some 80 websites. Hughes works closely with her son who she credits with diversifying Urban One beyond radio and TV. “This company has a commitment to serving our audience that is evidenced beyond just the mission of
making money. It is to build an organization that represents the needs and interests of a community that for the majority of this country’s history, hasn’t had a voice to fight for it,” Liggins said recently. “Today, we reach 92 percent of black households,” Hughes added. “We plan to get to 100 percent. If the Black audience that we serve decides that they want to receive our messages via carrier pigeon, then I’m getting ready to go into the bird business. I don’t know what it will take in the future in order to reach that goal. That will depend on what advances occur in technology.” Urban One’s plan, Hughes says, is to ensure the company will be at the center, the premiere go-to media outlet for Black households. “It’s important for us to have Black-owned and controlled, particularly in the media, business ventures. Nobody is going to tell our stories from our perspective, except us,” said the mogul. “Nobody is going to do that for us. Why should they or would they? It’s our responsibility to do that.”
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Insight News • January 20, 2020 - January 26, 2020 • Page 3
Insight News WINNER: 2018 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 3RD PLACE BES T COLUMN WRITING
January 20, 2020 - January 26, 2020
WINNER: 2019 GENERAL EXCELLENCE, 3RD PLACE, COLUMN WRITING, 2ND PLACE
Vol. 47 No. 3• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Senator Doug Jones tells Black Press of America
Black voter turnout critical The importance of Black voter turnout, the Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, bipartisan politics, the Futures Act and environmental justice, counted among the topics candidly tackled during a fireside chat between National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Jr., and Alabama’s Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat. During the discussion, Jones said voter turnout – particularly that of African Americans – was crucial to his stunning upset of Republican Roy Moore in the 2017 Alabama Special Election. “The right to vote was hard fought for AfricanAmericans in this country, and I think too many people take that for granted. I think we proved that in the special election in 2017, that every vote counts,” said Jones. Jones said voting rights had been under attack since the 2013 Shelby v. Holder decision, which eliminated a lot of voter protections. “It’s not the same as the old Jim Crow laws, but there’s still efforts out there to suppress votes and keep people from having that free access to the booths,” said Jones. He noted he’s working to restore “teeth” in the Voting Rights Act, but doubts that the current GOP-led Senate and President Trump’s administration would approve. “I don’t see it happening, so it’s all the more important to get out and vote in the 2020 elections,” Jones said. Chavis asked Jones about the role Black women played in his winning election to the Senate. “It was critical. We focused on making sure that we got the African American vote out,” Jones said. “We did get more African-Americans as a percentage out than even when President Obama did in his first race, a fact that I was very proud. The Black community
came out and worked hard. It’s community engagement; it’s a 365-days a year job. And, that’s why the Black Press is so important because it keeps the community engaged.” Late last year, Trump signed the Futures Act, a bipartisan measure that would put more funding into Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions. “It was incredibly important. When it comes to federal dollars, there are two pots of money HBCUs get: Mandatory funding and discretionary funding,” said Jones. “The mandatory funding is absolutely critical so they can plan each year. There’s a lot of budgetary tugs that fought us, it wasn’t easy, but we were just persistent, and that’s the key in legislation in Washington, to be persistent. So we were able to get that mandatory funding so that a base amount of money would go to HBCUs. In my two years in Washington, we have been able to get about a 30 percent increase in discretionary funding for HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions. Providing that base is important to them and the economy of states like Alabama and North Carolina, and others.” Chavis spoke to Jones about race relations and asked about the senator’s forecast for the South and whether he sees a more inclusive and diverse South rising. “So many of the divisions we see in the country started in the South. It can also be a place of healing and bringing people back together, and I see tremendous opportunity in the South,” Jones said. “I think my election was something that people looked at and said the South was changing. The demographics are changing to some extent, but I think people’s hearts and minds are changing. We went from a one-party state in Alabama with Democrats, to a one-party state with Republicans. There
CTUL representatives giving statements to reporters following the sentencing.
Ricardo Batres sentenced to 270 days in the Workhouse and five years probation
Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) and Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association meet for an Exclusive Fireside Chat on Black voter turnout, the Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, bipartisan politics, the Futures Act, environmental justice and the administration’s current military actions. was never anything in between. When you get competitive political parties, you get people who have to talk to each other, and that’s what you need. These young people coming up don’t have the same kind of biases and prejudices you saw when I was growing up. They also are beginning to see that the state is better off when everybody in that state benefits from it. I think the South can lead the nation in healing.” Jones also spoke of the importance of closing the achievement gap, although he said it’s a complicated issue. He said education and getting broadband into rural communities are keys to helping close the gap. The senator also noted that he’s a proponent of raising the federal minimum wage but conceded it couldn’t be done overnight. He said Trump’s 2017 tax cuts have helped to provide businesses with the needed resources to make a minimum wage hike possible. With climate change a serious and growing issue, Jones stated the importance of the Black Press to continue to cover topics of environmental justice. “A lot of work needs
to be done,” said the senator. “But I don’t have much confidence in the Environmental Protection Agency under this administration, which is why the 2020 election is very important.” He included farming and Trump’s trade and tariff wars as other vital issues for the 2020 election cycle. Jones concluded the chat by noting the critical role of the Black Press, his disappointment in mainstream media, and his message to veterans in the wake of the new conflict with Iran. “I think the press, in general, is critical. Overall, I’m a little disappointed in mainstream media, and I think the Black Press has a unique role, so the Black Press must stay focused on the issues,” Jones said. He noted his appreciation for the U.S. military. “I’m going to do everything that I can to continue to show appreciation. We eliminated the military widow’s tax … we’ve got to demonstrate our commitment in more words … we’ve got to put our words into action,” Jones said.
Ghana’s ‘Year of Return’ brings call to broaden scope (Global Information Network) – When Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo pronounced 2019 as the Year of Return, his words resounded with warmth and joy to all people of African descent. So began a year-long calendar of events including concerts, art shows, visits to heritage sites, fashion shows, movie premieres and creative economy and trade conferences, organized on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of African slaves in America. Thus far, Akufo-Addo’s call has been a great success, observed Ghanaian author and journalist Kwabena Agyare Yeboah in a recent online issue of African Arguments. Americans arriving in Ghana increased by 26 percent to their highest ever rate between January and September 2019. Similarly, the numbers of visitors grew from the UK (24 percent), Germany (22 percent), South Africa (10 percent) and Liberia (14 percent). All told, Ghana reportedly issued 800,000 visas this year and this week announced that all nationalities will be eligible to receive a visa
Global Information Network
Ghana’s call for African-Americans to “return” could be broadened to include Africans throughout the diaspora. on arrival for the next month or so due to the heavy demand. It was exhaustive, writes Agyare Yeboah, but could they have done more? Was the exclusive focus on the transatlantic slave trade, with the U.S. at the center,
a pardonable weakness? Or did it erase other crucially important aspects and legacies of Ghana’s history of slavery? Missing, he maintains, is the trans-Saharan slave trade in which an estimated 6-7 million people, including
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Parental leave laws are failing single parents
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from the Sokoto Caliphate and Borno, were forcibly transported to North Africa, Europe and the Middle East, a period ranging over 1,250 years. “The legacy of this trade is still palpable in Mauritania where slavery is still a present-day reality,” said Agyare Yeboah. “The country only formally abolished slavery in 1981 and local activists estimate that 20percent of the population - all black - are still enslaved. Where are the calls for these descendants to return? Where are the African descendants outside of the US, the Jamaicans, Cubans and Brazilians?” The failure to fully engage with the history of slavery and the focus on just a select portion of African descendants compromises its credibility, he charges. “The Year of Return campaign had the opportunity, and a whole year, to critically engage with the history of Africans and people of African descent in its entirety. On this, it must do more,” said Agyare Yeboah.
Man sentenced in first labor trafficking trial in Hennepin County Ricardo Batres was sentenced to 270 days in an adult correctional facility and five years of probation for labor trafficking, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced. “The sentencing today of Ricardo Batres for human trafficking was the right step for how labor trafficking cases must be prosecuted,” said Freeman. “His negligent and abusive treatment of his workers was unconscionable. His theft of government resources and charities to cover costs for an injured worker’s medical bills was disgraceful. Human trafficking is a serious crime that deserves legal action. Our office did a great job prosecuting this case, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute future ones which unfortunately will be forth coming.” During the Jan. 15 sentencing multiple victim impact statements were read to
the court by advocates. Each statement addressed the harsh injustices victims faced during their employment with Batres. One victim’s statement read, “I do not feel like I have the same freedom to go anywhere because I fear those connected with Mr. Batres. I must be careful wherever I go. I am always fearful. I am worried that Mr. Batres, or his connections, will come to hurt me.” A human rights advocacy group, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL), who have been involved with this case for numerous months, also provided a written statement from the co-director Brian Merle Payne which was read by prosecutors. “Batres’ victims, construction workers who only ever wanted to work
BATRES 4
30,000 customers affected
Attorney General reaches settlement with Comcast/Xfinity Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has settled the state’s lawsuit against Comcast/ Xfinity and obtained refunds for 15,600 Minnesotans, as well as debt relief for an additional 16,000 Minnesotans. Together, the refunds and debt relief are worth millions of dollars. The settlement also requires Comcast to change its advertising practices to disclose to its customers the full amount that they will be charged for service. “Part of being able to afford your life means knowing the full cost of what you’re getting, getting what you were promised, not being overcharged for things you didn’t ask for, and not being unfairly charged to get rid of things you didn’t ask for. But when people signed up for Comcast, that’s what happened to them,” said Ellison. “This settlement will help put money back in Comcast’s customers’ pockets where it should have been in the first place. Just as importantly, it provides millions of dollars’ worth of debt relief. And we’ve made sure that going forward, Comcast customers will know exactly how much they’ll pay for service before they sign up for it. That should put an end to unpleasant surprises.” The Consent Judgment filed in Hennepin County District Court settles the lawsuit that the attorney general’s office filed in December 2018. The lawsuit alleged that the company charged Minnesota consumers more than it promised it would for their cable services, including undisclosed “fees” that the company used to bolster its profits, and that it charged
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for services and equipment that customers did not request. The settlement also resolves the Attorney General’s allegations that Comcast promised prepaid gift cards as an inducement to enter into multi-year contracts, then failed to provide the cards. The announcement of the settlement of the Comcast lawsuit comes one week after Ellison announced the settlement of his office’s multi-year lawsuit against CenturyLink. Under the terms of the settlement of the Comcast lawsuit, Comcast will issue refunds to Minnesota consumers who did not receive their prepaid gift card as promised because Comcast did not record that they had accepted the terms of service between Jan. 1, 2013 through July 1, 2017, consumers who downgraded their cable services or who Comcast cut off from services and who paid an early termination fee between June 1, 2015 and July 1, 2017 and those who were charged for a modem after subscribing to a cable package that included internet service but returned
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How to use habit science to help you keep your New Year’s resolution
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Rep. Fue Lee chosen as NCEL’s Minnesota state lead Rep. Fue Lee (DFLMinneapolis) has been selected as the 2020 Minnesota state lead for the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL). “The National Caucus of Environmental Legislators is important to me because it brings together a diverse group
of legislators from across the country and political spectrum to share meaningful solutions to address the environmental issues we are facing in our states,” said Lee. “It’s an honor to take on this new responsibility with NCEL.” As an NCEL State Lead, Rep. Lee will serve as the main point of contact in
Rep. Fue Lee
the state, coordinating in-state engagements and recruiting their colleagues to join NCEL. Lee has been a member of NCEL for three years. “State leads are a crucial element of a thriving network like NCEL,” said Jeff Mauk, executive director of NCEL. “The Caucus is led by
legislators, so the State Leads provide an active conduit of engagement and information sharing with environmental state legislators across the country.” Created by and for state legislators, the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that organizes more
than 1,000 environmentallycommitted state legislators from all 50 states and both parties. NCEL provides venues and opportunities for lawmakers to share ideas and collaborate on environmental issues.
Will your dream job ever become your reality? By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia A common New Year’s tradition is the list of resolutions for the upcoming 365 days. For some the list will be improvement-based, like losing weight or obtaining a new certification. Others may focus on different objectives, like a family vacation or finally saving more for retirement. Whatever items your list contains, all resolutions lists share two things in common; some of our goals are attainable, others not so much. If one of your resolutions for the start of the new calendar year is the pursuit of that ever-elusive dream job, you’re not alone. A survey of 2,000 American adults taken by the virtual phone company, TollFreeForwarding, revealed that only about 24 percent of respondents will ever get to become what they wanted to be when they were younger. And just a tiny fraction of us — only 10 percent — can make that claim right now. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of those that reported working in the job of their dreams, also said that the job lived up to the expectations they placed on it during childhood. Of the
Batres From 3
Ellison From 3 the modem within three months without otherwise changing their package between Jan. 1, 2014 through July 1, 2017.
remaining 76 percent that have never experienced working in their dream job or profession, over a third (39 percent) say they regret not pursuing their aspirations further. When asked to identify the most significant factor in never achieving those childhood dreams, 34 percent said that they “don’t have the required skill set or knowledge.” Other significant factors include “financial constraints,” (16 percent of respondents) and “I prioritized raising a family” (10 percent). Putting family first was significantly more prevalent among women, with 14 percent selecting it compared to just 3 percent of men. The survey also discovered significant differences in the aspirations of men and women during childhood. Women were much more inclined to select caregiving and public servicerelated jobs – with teacher, doctor/nurse, and veterinarian making up the top three. Science and engineering are among the most male-dominated industries, and video gaming has long been stereotyped as a male-oriented profession. “These statistics say something about the differences between men and women, and how different upbringings influence what we want to do when we grow up,” researchers concluded.
The survey noted that public service jobs, teachers, doctors, and nurses were the most popular childhood dream jobs of respondents. Those were followed by actors, athletes, writers and musicians. Scientists and lawyers also made the top 10. While those initial dreams may have changed significantly by the time that we achieve our high school or college diploma, it’s common for Americans to wake up one morning, get dressed for work, and realize that our work leaves us unfulfilled. “Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work, driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for, in order to get to a job that you need so you can pay for the clothes, car and the house that you leave empty all day in order to afford to live in it,” said Ellen Goodman. For AfricanAmericans, who are often still either the first or among the very few in their family to achieve an advanced degree, the current job or career path can have nothing in common the career they envisioned when they walked across the stage to accept the diploma. However, a few have adopted the long-held belief that doing work that we love – work that actually makes us happy – has benefits that far outweigh the financial rewards. In the
TollFreeForwarding survey, researchers noted the rise of digital technology and social media, which they said had formed a new type of celebrity. As children head for YouTube and video games such as Fortnite for entertainment, they search for idols that align with these interests, according to the researchers. “My dream job was to work in social services with children and families,” said Karen Akpan, a content creator for TheMomTrotter.com, a website that shares budget travel tips, homeschooling life experiences, and parenting information. “I graduated from college with my bachelor’s degree and couldn’t find a job to pay me over $12 an hour. I then decided to go back for my Master’s degree, hoping that it would help. Unfortunately, I still wasn’t making more than $12.50 an hour or so and, living in California, that was torture.” Akpan decided to start writing about travel and how she and her family were able to travel on points and miles. She said that’s worked out well despite lots of student loan debt, the economy, and not getting paid the wages she believed she deserved. “Little did I know that I was going to be able to turn my passion into profit. I absolutely love what I do know,” Akpan stated.
Robert Remak, who cofounded the men’s attire website, ArtoftheGent.com, said while in college, he dreamed of being a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. That dream became deferred when Remak said he realized that he didn’t want to become a part of an already established corporate culture filled with inequality. “I wanted to create positive change in the overall corporate culture,” Remak stated. “My purpose for wanting to be a CEO was to prove to the world by example that, if you truly put your employees first, you will become more profitable in the long term. Not squeezing out as much production from each employee and measuring them against rigid key performance indicators.” “My dream job when I
finished high school was going to med school. My dream job when I finished college was to be a nurse practitioner or physician assistant,” said author and public speaker, Lisa Swift-Young. While neither of those dreams became a reality, SwiftYoung said she did marry, and she now has two adult children. “My daughter and I run a business together, and I published a book. So, although my dream of becoming a physician didn’t come true, I feel like in a lot of ways, I was able to give back,” SwiftYoung said. “I think we’re fairly stable. We’ve both been employed consistently with ups and downs, but we are definitely in a position where we should be able to retire before the age of retirement. So, my dream job didn’t come true, but my dream life, I’m living it.”
hard and earn a decent living for themselves and their families, had to move past enormous fear to raise their voices and bring this situation
to light,” read the statement. Following the guilty plea, CTUL partnered with the Worker’s Social Responsibility (WSR) Network to publish
a report that highlights the systemic nature of exploitative practices in non-union construction work in the Twin Cities metro area, beyond the
Batres case. The report points out that CTUL is currently investigating four other labor trafficking cases involving dozens of construction workers
in the Twin Cities, details workers’ stories of abuse, and proposes a long-term solution to the problem through a new independent monitoring agency..
Comcast will send a claim form to all eligible consumers and will provide a refund check within 60 days after the claims period has closed. Under the terms of the settlement, Comcast is required to pay out $1.14 million in refunds. “Today’s settlement with the Minnesota Attorney
General reflects our ongoing efforts to improve the customer experience. While we disagree with the allegations initially made in the lawsuit – which do not reflect our policies and practices – we agreed to settle because we are committed to partnering with Attorney General Ellison and others who share our
commitment to improving the experience of our customers in all respects,” said Comcast in a statement. “We believe this settlement agreement furthers that shared goal.” The settlement also requires Comcast to pay $160,000 to Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, which can
also be used to provide refunds to consumers. Minnesotans that Comcast overcharged at any time since 2013 can complete a contact form on the Attorney General’s website as the first step in the refund process. In addition to refunds, Comcast will wipe clean the debt for approximately 16,000 former
customers that Comcast charged an early termination fee after they downgraded or canceled their services while they were locked into a contract. It will notify the credit bureaus that the debt was satisfied so that it no longer affects those customers’ credit history. This debt relief is expected to be worth millions of dollars to those consumers. Comcast is also required to change its advertising practices to alert customers to the full price they will pay when they receive their bill. Comcast charges several fees on top of its base price: in the past, it did not always disclose that those extra fees were charged on top of the advertised price. This will now change.
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Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of those that reported working in the job of their dreams as part of a survey of 2,000 American adults taken by the virtual phone company, TollFreeForwarding, also said that the job lived up to the expectations they placed on it during childhood.
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Parental leave laws are failing single parents By Deborah Widiss Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs, Professor of Law and Ira C. Batman Faculty Fellow, Indiana University TheConversation.com The two parties in Congress don’t agree on much these days. However, in the final days of December, they struck a deal that will give about 2 million federal workers paid time off following the birth of a baby, an adoption or the arrival of a foster child in their home. A growing number of states have passed similar laws. These new measures are aimed at addressing a major gap in American workplace policy. The United States is the only developed country that fails to guarantee paid parental leave to workers generally. As an expert on the laws and policies that govern employment and families,
also promote equality at work and home more generally.
I’ve studied parental leave laws around the world. In my view, the new U.S. laws are an important step forward, but I think they treat single-parent families unfairly. Promoting gender equality Most other countries have separate paid maternity and paternity leave guarantees, with mothers receiving much more time than fathers. Some countries supplement this structure with a gender-neutral paid parental leave, often awarded on a family basis. In general, women use most of such shared leave. To encourage men to take more time, a few countries, including Sweden and Iceland, make a portion of parental leave usable only by fathers. The U.S. model is very different. The federal and state leave laws provide each parent an equal and individual right to time off. For example, when the policy covering most federal workers is implemented, moms will get 12 weeks of paid leave,
own, even from birth. A
Half
shurkin_son/Shutterstock.com
Single-parent families are getting less paid leave but perhaps need more of it. and so will dads. Both members of a same-sex couple will be able to take time off, so long as each is recognized as a parent. Early evidence from states that have implemented paid leave laws suggests that fathers are taking advantage of the opportunity. In California and Rhode Island, men account for almost 40 percent of parental leave claims. This
rate is far above the average for industrialized countries of 18 percent, and very close to that of international leaders. There are documented benefits to encouraging fathers to take time off with a new baby. Studies of men who take parental leave suggest that those dads will be more engaged parents months, or even years, later. Having more men take leave can
as much The U.S. structure, however, disadvantages singleparent families, as they can claim only half as much leave as a two-parent family. This is a significant problem because about 40 percent of U.S. births are to unmarried parents. For some racial and ethnic groups, the numbers are even higher. There are also large disparities on the basis of education and income. In short, highly educated and relatively affluent adults tend to marry before they have children. Less affluent and less educated adults are more likely to have children outside of marriage. Where unmarried parents are living together, or otherwise both involved in childcare, it makes sense that each should be able to take parental leave. But many single parents, disproportionately women, raise children on their
better model Other countries that set aside parental leave time for each parent address this issue by having special rules that apply to parents with sole custody. For example, in Iceland, generally moms get three months of leave, dads get three months, and either parent can use an additional three months. Single parents, however, can use the full nine months. U.S. laws could be made more equitable by allowing single parents to take an extended leave, or to share benefits with a different family member – like the baby’s grandparent. As the cost of benefits would be spread through the tax system, this would not place an extra burden on individual employers. Without this change, laws designed to promote labor rights and sex equality within families will likely continue to have the unintended consequence of causing inequality between families.
Brooklyn Park Neighborhood News
Brooklyn Park host conversation about Alzheimer’s and dementia Learn about the 10 signs, treatment, stages and local support organizations for Alzheimer’s and dementia including resources for caregivers at a Brooklyn Park community forum Thursday (Jan. 23).
The discussion at the Brooklyn Park City Hall, 5200 85th Ave. N. will also discuss the myths and taboos for different cultural groups as well as talking about the city’s age friendly initiative. The event takes place from 5:45 p.m. – 8
p.m. with a light dinner served. Both residents and nonresidents of Brooklyn Park are welcome to attend. Registration is not required, but encouraged. RSVP at www.brooklynpark.org/bpca.
Black History Month event Brooklyn Park will host the 5th Annual Cities United Black History Month event on Feb. 7. The theme is year is “The Journey Continues … Reflect, Renew and Respond.” The event takes place 9
a.m. – 1 p.m. at North Hennepin Community College, 7411 85th Ave. N., Brooklyn Park. The free event will include a musical tribute, keynote address and breakout sessions. The city is partnering with My Brother’s Keeper
Brooklyn Park and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators Minnesota Chapter, who have a special presentation during the event.
DNR seeks to fill up to 200 paid summer internships The Department of Natural Resources is looking for college students interested in learning more about possible careers with the DNR through paid summer internship opportunities. The internship
opportunities, located throughout the state, run the gamut of agency operations – from accounting to wildlife management. Interns work 20 to 40 hours per week and receive a salary of $15 an hour.
As part of their internships, students must also fulfill an academic requirement or receive academic credit from their educational institution. To apply, visit the state of Minnesota careers website
and enter “intern” into the keywords field on the job search page. Select “Natural Resources Dept” in the “Agency” column on the left side of the page. Choose the internship(s) of interest and click the apply
button to submit an application. Applications will be open until Jan. 31. Positions will start in May and June. To request an accommodation or alternative format of the applications,
please contact DNR at www,ADAdiversity.DNR@ state.mn.us, (651) 259-5016 or call using a preferred telecommunications relay provider.
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Page 6 • January 20, 2020 - January 26, 2020 • Insight News
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Support the caregiver in your life By North Memorial Health With 90 million people in the U.S. providing care to a loved one, lending an ear or an extra hand can make all the difference. There are an estimated 585,000 caregivers in Minnesota alone who are caring for an older adult, person with disabilities or someone with a chronic illness. In the African-American community, one in five people are caregivers. According to a recent AARP study, the burden for caregiving is higher for African-American caregivers because of a lower average household income, and devoting more of that income to caregiving expenses, as well as the unpaid time off from work taken for caregiving responsibilities. Most caregivers are unpaid family members, and often what they do goes unrecognized. They help with everything from daily living activities, medical
can call the Minnesota Senior Linkage Line at (800) 333-2433 to get more information about support groups and caregiver education and support. There are many options for support through the internet and social media. Nationally, AARP has a webpage for family caregiving as well as a Facebook page for AfricanAmerican caregivers. Locally, MinnesotaHelp.info is a trusted website that has many resources.
care and shopping, to meal prep, housekeeping, transportation and more. A caregiver’s work can be isolating and overwhelming. Often they can be so focused on the person they’re caring for that they neglect their own health needs. Here are four ways you can help a caregiver in your life. Talk as a family Whether it’s at a family function or another time, have a discussion as a family with the caregiver. You can learn all the things they are doing which will help identify ways to support them. Having a conversation like this will also help the caregiver feel appreciated. Discuss with the caregiver what they need as self-care takes time and looks different for everyone. Locally, Volunteers of America has caregiver programs through their Culturally Responsive Caregiver Services, (952) 945-4034. Also call the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging to learn more about local
North Memorial Health
In caring for a loved one don’t forget your own self-care. and state-wide caregiver services. Encourage them to get support Research shows caregivers cope better over time when they get support and connect with other caregivers who understand what they are going through. Local support groups provide a space where they can
find a community to share and vent, advocate and get advice. The Metropolitan Caregiver Services Collaborative offers listings for local support groups and classes. An alternative to a regular support group is group education. Many local organizations offer a series called Powerful Tools for Caregivers (six-weeks). You
Help them with self-care Caregivers typically spend so much time caring for someone else they feel guilty taking time for themselves. Consider giving the caregiver a break and address any barriers that are getting in the way of the caregiver doing this for themselves. Consider taking the person they care for on a coffee date outside the home or staying in to do an activity while the caregiver takes time for themselves. Caregivers can have a hard time accepting help – make
it easier by giving them time for themselves. Self-care looks different to everyone, doing what seems right is what’s important. Respite care Respite care gives caregivers and the person receiving care a break from one another. Respite can be provided by family and friends staying with the person who needs care for a few hours or a few days. Assisted living and long-term care facilities also offer respite programs where the person who needs care can stay for a few days or a few weeks. Call the Minnesota Senior Linkage Line at 1-800-333-2433 to learn more about respite care as well as other community resources for caregivers. The primary care team at North Memorial Health is here to support both caregivers and their loved ones. To find a physician in your neighborhood, go to www.northmemorial.com or call (763) 581-CARE.
How to use habit science to help you keep your New Year’s resolution By Wendy Wood Provost Professor of Psychology and Business, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences TheConversation.com More than 80 percent of people who make New Year’s resolutions will give up on their goals by February. While there’s a lot of resolution advice on the internet, much of it fails to highlight the crux of behavioral change. To make individual decisions – whether it’s what to wear or which gift to buy for someone – you draw on brain systems involving executive control. You make the decision, add a shot of willpower and, voilà, it’s done. But most resolutions don’t involve a single decision. Eating healthier, exercising more and spending less all involve habitual behaviors that involve neural circuitry tied to unconscious thought.
Take eating. You can decide you want to eat healthier, but the memories of your eating habits persist. At around 11 a.m., you start thinking of muffins, your go-to morning snack. At 8 p.m., you automatically think of ice cream, your usual dessert. This is the way habits work. Certain contexts, like times of the day and locations, bring to mind thoughts of certain rewards – like the tasty foods you tend to eat. You can exert some willpower and stop yourself snacking over the course of one day. But denial can backfire. By quashing a desire, you give it extra fuel to plague you in the future. Over time, we tend to give up. The key to mastering habits is to understand how difficult it is to simply will them away. But you can deploy a kind of “reverse-engineering” based on the science of habits. The
facts of friction One way to reverse engineer bad habits is to create friction. Physical distance is a simple source of friction. A 2014 study involved a bowl of buttered popcorn and a bowl of apple slices.
Keep your gym bag always at the ready. My son, an avid bike racer, puts his indoor bike trainer in the middle of his living room before leaving for work. When he gets home, he finds it’s usually easier to do his planned workout. Out
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Willpower and habits involve different parts of the brain. One group of participants sat closer to popcorn than the apple slices, and the other sat closer to the apple slices. The first group ate three times more calories. The second group of participants could see and smell the popcorn, but the distance created friction, and they were less likely to eat it. For your own eating habits, the strategies can be as simply as putting junk food out of sight – off kitchen counters and into the pantry, so it’s slightly more difficult to access.
If you want to cultivate good habits, you can diminish the friction for the new behavior. For example, researchers looked at the GPS data of people with gym memberships. Those who traveled about 3.7 miles to a gym went five or more times a month. However, those who had to travel around 5.2 miles went only about once a month. Again, the strategy is obvious. Reduce friction to working out. Choose a gym that’s on your way home from the office.
with the old cues Another strategy to reverse-engineer your habits is to change the cues that activate them. Cues can include the time of day, a location and the routines associated with a behavior. If you regularly make coffee, your cues might be entering your kitchen shortly after waking up and seeing your coffee machine. Cues change naturally when you start new relationships, change jobs or move. These offer a window of opportunity to act on your goals and desires without being dragged down by the cues that trigger your old habits. For example, researchers found in a 2017 study that professional athletes whose performance had declined often improved after being traded to or signing with a new team. Another study found new residents of a small British town with strong environmental values mostly
took the bus or cycled to work. But people who were not recent movers mostly drove, even though they held similar values. When cues change, it becomes easier to switch up your habits and routines. Say you want to eat healthier. Try taking a new route to work instead of the one that takes you by the café where you buy double cream cappuccinos. When you’re chatting on the phone, do it in the living room instead of the kitchen. Even in food-rich contexts, cue control is possible. A 2012 study found that overweight patrons at all-you-can-eat buffet restaurants were more likely to sit facing the food, while thinner people tended to sit with their backs or sides facing the buffet. Thinner people were also more likely to put napkins on their laps, a minor way to add friction to getting more food. Breaking out of bad habits isn’t easy. It takes time and repetition. But as you work toward forming better habits, you can, at the very least, incorporate these simple reverse-engineering strategies to help you avoid becoming one of the 80 percent of people who throw in the towel.
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Insight News • January 20, 2020 - January 26, 2020 • Page 7
Sherri Orr
Sanford Moore
Courtland Pickens
Northside Celebration comes to the Ordway, North High The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) and the Capri Theater present Northside Celebration at 8 p.m. Friday Jany 2 ) at the Ordway Concert Hall, 345 Washington St., St. Paul and at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday Jany 25) at North Community High School, 1500 James Avee Nh, Minneapoli1. This is the second iteration of the Northside Celebration and new to this year’s celebration, one performance will take place at the Ordway Concert Hall in addition to two performances in
North Minneapolis. Music will be performed by the Northside Celebration Choir — a choir formed especially for this event –—the Courtland Pickens Community Youth Choir, The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Greta Oglesby, soloist. Co-presented by the Capri Theater,ethe performance brings the gospel choral tradition, orchestral music and spoken word together under the direction of Sanford Moore, Dennis Spears, Kevin West, Courtland Pickens and Sherri Orr.
“We deeply value our partnership with the Capri Theater and all the incredible artists that we are privileged to work with on this special event,” said SPCO Chief Community Value Officer Erin Jude. “We are delighted that, with the addition of the Ordway performance this year, even more people will be able to experience the spirit and talent that flows out of the Northside.” The Northside Celebration will feature familiar works as well ae original spoken word by Northside students, teachers and artists.
The inspiration for this concert originated five years ago during a luncheon with Northside community residents and representatives from the SPCO and the Capri. Amidst support for a continued SPCO presence at the Capri, several themes surfaced during the discussion, including intense community pride in the face of adversity, a desire for opportunities to collaborate and feature local artists, and a desire to emphasize connection and strengthen relationships in the community. In response to this
feedback, Dennis Spears, artistic director of the Capri’s “Legends” series, suggested the Capri and the SPCO collaborate to make music together, with the community, and with the support of composer, arranger and pianist Sanford Moore. “The inaugural Northside Celebration in 2017 proved that there is power in community members coming together from many different walks of life and rejoicing,” said Spears. “This year, in an even greater effort to foster unity, our concert will turn up the level of joy and togetherness
with the presence of even more strong, beautiful voices from the Northside. It will be electric. The three collaborative concerts will celebrate the North Minneapolis community through music. Tickets for the North Community High School performances are free, but reservations are required and can be made at www.thespco. org/northside, or by calling the SPCO Ticket Office at (651) 291-1144. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door on Saturday for the North High School performances.
Appetite for Change
Appetite for Change’s “Trap or Grow” hopes to capitalize off the viral “Grow Food” and promote healthy eating habits.
Appetite for Change Urban Youth release “Trap or Grow” album and video Appetite for Change (AFC) Urban Youth, the North Minneapolis-based group behind the 2016 viral video “Grow Food,” released their first album, “Trap or Grow.” Building on the success of their earlier music video that created a memorable rap about healthy eating and fresh food, the group continues to promote and popularize healthy lifestyle choices in the five-track rap album, including “Grow Food” and new music video for the “Trap or Grow” track. The rappers, dubbed AFC Urban Youth, are 14-17-year-olds from North Minneapolis. The youth developed the concept, lyrics, music and production for the album as part of the Youth Training and Opportunities Program (YTOP) run by local nonprofit Appetite For Change. “You can either ‘trap,’ falling into the streets and the lifestyle that comes with it,” said Princess Haley, co-founder and individual giving manager at AFC. “Or you can grow, which means to grow your own food and build your own business. The young people wanted to deliver a message and continue a movement encouraging young people notice and question issues they experience and start creating their own solutions. We wanted to make music that would be catchy and encourage young listeners to challenge what they know and take control of their lives, because we believe that youth are the truth.”
The “Trap or Grow” album and music video is a continuation of AFC’s work on health equity and food justice in North Minneapolis. It follows the success of AFC Urban Youth’s original song and music video, “Grow Food,” which has more than half a million views on YouTube. “After the success of ‘Grow Food,’ the youth wanted
to continue sharing music with a worthwhile message,” said Haley. “This time, they expanded the theme to not only be about healthy eating and living, but also about the opportunities that AFC programs provide to youth in North Minneapolis.” Trap or Grow can be streamed on all major platforms, including iTunes and Spotify.
Pieta Brown & David Huckfelt
FEB 29
MAR 1
Bill Frisell: HARMONY
BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet
MAR 2
MAR 8
David Sanborn Jazz Quintet
Special EFX All-Stars
From Mahalia & Ella to Whitney
Presented by:
A collaborative concert experience celebrating the North Minneapolis community through music.
Music by the Northside Celebration Choir, the Courtland Pickens Community Youth Choir, the SPCO, Sanford Moore, Sherri Orr and Greta Oglesby. Directed by Dennis Spears and Kevin West
Jan 25 — 2 PM & 8 PM
North Community High School 1500 James Ave N — enter door 18 on Irving Ave
Reserve your FREE tickets at: thespco.org/northside or
Greats Gone 2 Soon! Lady Greats
feat. Petra Haden, Hank Roberts & Luke Bergman Jazz Guitar Giant
UōƽƍĈōƇĭÝń "ŕōƇĈŋŴŕŸÝŸƪ Sax Giant
MAR 9-10
Ana Popovic
Blistering Blues Guitar
Louisiana French Music From Traditional to Modern
“All Stars” Album Release feat. Chieli Minucci, Eric Marienthal, Karen Briggs & Lao Tizer
MAR 11
Corky Siegel, Howard Levy & Ernie Watts
Masters of Musical Mirth
651.291.1144
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Ethereal Roots Songwriting
MAR 15
MAR 16
Altan
SFJAZZ Collective
St.Patrick’s Celebration
MAR 17-18
Davina and The Vagabonds
Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Miles Davis’ “In a Silent Way” & Sly and the Family Stone’s “Stand!”
MAR 20
Tinsley Ellis
ŕŕƇž ńƍĈž dÝƳƳ ŕŴ
”Ice Cream In Hell” Album Release Searing Blues-Rock Guitar
MAR 21
MAR 26
612.332.5299 dakotacooks.com
1010 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN
Page 8 • January 20, 2020 - January 26, 2020 • Insight News
won’t stop breaking barriers
Celebrating the Black History makers Wells Fargo proudly honors those who knock down walls, leap over obstacles, and blaze the trail for others. It is your courage and resilience that inspire us all to take a step closer to realizing our dreams.
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