Insight ::: 01.09.2023

PRESIDENT

Shortly after winning re-election, Sen. Bobby Joe Champion of North Minneapolis was elected as the new Senate president, becoming the first Black person to hold this title. The Senate president presides over Senate business and ensures members follow parliamentary procedures.

The move came two days after the state elected Black women for the first time to the state Senate and Democrats won back the upper chamber by a one seat majority.

“I think one of our biggest things is ensuring that we’re talking to Minnesotans about what their needs are, so we can go to those events and we testify in committee or the floor we can say, ‘Here’s what Minnesotans are telling us’,” Champion said.

Champion has served in the Minnesota Senate Since 2012 after having served two terms in the House after he was first elected in 2008.

He is a practicing attorney and has previously served as an assistant attorney general under two Minnesota attorneys general.

“Even though I have the skills and qualifications, it was not lost on me that the Minnesota Senate has never had a president who was a person of color,” Champion said.

Education investment

By Steve Karnowski Associated Press

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz pledged Monday to make the largest investments in public education in Minnesota history as he took the oath of office for his second term.

Minnesota has a “historic opportunity” with its $17.6 billion projected budget surplus to become the best state in the country for children and families, the former teacher said during inauguration ceremonies at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. He’ll unveil his two-year budget plan in three weeks but is expected to roll out some major proposals sooner.

“Now is the time to be

bold,” Walz said. “To build that bright future for Minnesotans. And now is the time to deliver. We can lead the nation in ending child poverty, making sure that every child receives that world-class education. And in doing so, we’ll continue to make sure that Minnesota is the best place to raise a family.”

Walz said his administration made “historic strides” in its first four years despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, the nationwide and international racial reckoning that followed the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020, and an era of deep political divisions. But he said much more work lies ahead.

The governor said his agenda for the 2023

Legislature, which will convene Tuesday, will include free school lunches, more funding for special education and mental health, incentives for increasing teacher diversity, a ban on so-called conversion therapy for LGBTQ kids, and paid family and medical leave for their parents. Walz said the Democratic takeover of the Legislature after eight years of divided government makes him optimistic about succeeding.

“The era of gridlock in St. Paul is over,” Walz proclaimed. Also sworn in Tuesday were Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon for a third term, and Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan, Attorney General Keith

Ellison took his oath from new U.S.

Hennepin names Irene Fernando Board Chair

Floyd’s murder.

“In prosecuting the people who killed George Floyd, we showed that no one is above the law, and no one is beneath the law,” said Ellison, the state’s first Black attorney general. “We believe in equal justice before the law.”

Diversity, inclusion and racial justice were major themes of the festivities, which

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Ben Jealous to lead Sierra Club

Scholar, journalist, civil rights leader, and philanthropist, Ben Jealous has been unanimously selected to lead the Sierra Club as its next Executive Director.

A modern-day advocate for human rights and justice, Jealous is the the son of a White father and a Black mother whose ancestors include Robert E. Lee and Thomas Jefferson.

Jealous draws on lessons from his life, his family, and his work in a deeply personal and timely new book, NEVER FORGET OUR PEOPLE WERE ALWAYS FREE: A Parable of American Healing (Amistad, an Imprint of HarperCollins; January 10, 2023; $27.99 Hardcover; ISBN: 9780062961747). Hailed by the Washington Post as “one of the nation’s most prominent civil rights leaders,” Jealous has devoted his life and career, including his tenure as President of the NAACP, to ending injustice and racism by strengthening the bonds among Americans of all races, creeds, colors, and political ideologies.

In his book, Jealous draws inspiring lessons and hope for restoring our country’s strength and unity from stories of his ancestors, both Black

and White, as well as his pathbreaking partnerships with conservative leaders and Republican governors, including Jack Kemp, Newt Gingrich, and Bob McDonnell.

He recently served as President and CEO of People For the American Way, and Professor of the Practice,

University of Pennsylvania. He was formerly President and CEO of the NAACP, Director of the Human Rights Program at Amnesty International USA, and Executive Director of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. He is also the New York Times bestselling author of REACH: 40 Black Men

Bobby Joe Champion voted Senate president

By Tom Gitaa Publisher, Mshale

Sen. Bobby Joe Champion of

Minnesota Public Radio elects Bo Thao-Urabe to board of trustees

Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) is pleased to announce the election of Bo Thao-Urabe to its Board of Trustees. She is the founder and president of Seed.

Grow.Bloom LLC, a consulting company that partners with executives and organizations to design and advance systems change solutions. ThaoUrabe is a former member of the President’s White House Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders under the Obama administration.

“We are grateful to add the talent and experience of Bo Thao-Urabe to the MPR Board,” said Jean Taylor,

CEO of MPR and American Public Media Group. “Her entrepreneurial spirit and eye for system-wide change, as well as her passion and commitment to our community will be invaluable as we move into the future of public media. I am energized to work with Bo and anticipate she will make significant contributions.”

Thao-Urabe has a long track record of leadership in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. She is the founder and former executive director of the

Ellison and State Auditor Julie Blaha for their second terms.

District Judge Jerry Blackwell, who was a star of the prosecution team that the attorney general assembled to convict former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin of

Speak on Living, Leading, and Succeeding. A Rhodes Scholar and a past Democratic nominee for Governor of Maryland, he lives on the Chesapeake Bay with his children, Morgan and Jack, and their dog, Charlie. As Jealous shares, his book’s title was inspired

Coalition of Asian American

North Minneapolis was on Thursday named as the new Senate president, becoming the first Black person to do so. The Senate president presides over Senate business and ensures members follow

parliamentary procedures. The move came two days after the state elected Black women for the first time to the state Senate and Democrats won back the upper chamber by a one seat majority.

During a media briefing Thursday to announce their new leadership, Sen. Kari

Photo: Courtesy of the Minnesota State Senate Sen. Bobby Joe Champion

Bo Thao-Urabe

Gage_Skidmore

Ben Jealous

photo/Abbie Parr

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, right, shakes hands with Judge Johnathan Judd, Seventh Judicial Circuit, after being sworn in during his inauguration for his second term, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, in St. Paul, Minn.

The Hennepin County Board voted to appoint District 2 Commissioner Irene Fernando as chair. Fernando has served as county commissioner since 2019. She is the first woman of color to serve as board chair in Hennepin County.

Her district includes Golden Valley, Medicine Lake, North and Northeast Minneapolis, Southeast Plymouth, and St. Anthony.

Irene Fernando I N S I G H T N E W S I S A U D I T E D B Y T H E A L L I A N C E F O R A U D I T E D M E D I A T O P R O V I D E O U R A D V E R T I S E R P A R T N E R S W I T H T H E H I G H E S T L E V E L O F M E D I A A S S U R A N C E INSIGHT NEWS IS AUDITED BY THE ALLIANCE FOR AUDITED MEDIA TO PROVIDE OUR ADVERTISER PARTNERS WITH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF MEDIA AS SURANCE.

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Business St. Paul food video agency celebrates building’s 115-year history with big plans for the future

By Wendy Tzou Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Damar Hamlin, a safety for the Buffalo Bills, collapsed on the field during a Monday night football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2, 2023.

Medical staff gave Hamlin CPR and shocked him with a defibrillator, restarting his heart’s normal rhythm. News outlets immediately began speculating that Hamlin may have suffered from commotio cordis – a potentially lethal stoppage of the heart caused by a strong impact to a person’s chest. The next day, the Bills announced that Hamlin had indeed experienced “cardiac arrest” but did not confirm whether the cause was commotio cordis.

Dr. Wendy Tzou is Associate Professor of Medicine and the Medical Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and was watching the game when Hamlin collapsed. The Conversation asked Tzou four questions about what may have

happened. Her answers are adapted below.

1. What is commotio cordis? Commotio cordis can happen to a person with a normal heart and occurs when a blunt trauma to a person’s chest – often while playing sports – leads to cardiac arrest where their heart stops pumping blood. Commotio cordis typically occurs in children and adolescents. The impact needs to be forceful and occur at a very particular moment in the heart’s electrical cycle. When this happens, the normally wellorganized electrical signals that control the heart become chaotic. The uncoordinated electrical pulses cause the heart, and in particular the large blood-pumping chambers called the ventricles, to twitch and spasm in what is known as ventricular fibrillation, a type of heart arrhythmia.

When a heart is in ventricular fibrillation, it is no longer able to pump blood throughout a person’s body, and their organs begin to suffer damage due to lack of oxygen. Heart attacks, abnormal heart or artery structure, and many other issues can lead to ventricular arrhythmia. Regardless of the cause, if a person’s heart stops beating, the result can be deadly.

2. How can a physical impact cause a lethal arrhythmia?

A single heartbeat is a very coordinated series of muscle contractions that are all controlled by precise electrical signals. After the muscles in a heart contract, they need to reset and prepare for the next beat. This process, called repolarization, involves moving electrically charged ions to different parts of a cell so that the cell can effectively contract when it receives an electrical signal.

If a person gets hit in the chest during the fraction of a second that repolarization is occurring, the impact can trigger some of the electrical signals before the heart is ready. This disrupts the whole system, resulting in a chaotic electrical storm that throws the heart into spasms.

3. Are doctors sure it was commotio cordis?

Although Hamlin was able to stand upright immediately after the impact, it was only briefly. It was clear from the way he collapsed without making any effort to protect himself that no blood was getting to his brain. The fact that he received CPR and a shock from a defibrillator also showed that he was experiencing an arrhythmia or electrical disturbance

of the heart. But it is not possible to diagnose commotio cordis from a video alone. The reason many doctors are speculating that commotio cordis was the reason for Hamlin’s heart failure is that it occurred right after he collided with another player and that the impact could have been responsible. But, in most cases, a diagnosis is only made after an autopsy when all other potential causes of arrhythmia have been ruled out. Though more common among among children

and adolescents than adult athletes, commotio cordis is so rare that it is hard to get reliable information on the number of occurrences. In a registry of patients who died from sudden arrhythmia in Minnesota, only 224 cases over a 15-year period were caused by commotio cordis.

Usually when a healthy athlete experiences sudden cardiac arrest, the cause is one of two more common conditions.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is when the walls of a person’s heart thicken and can cause sudden arrhythmia with no prior symptoms. Roughly 1 in 200 U.S. residents have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

A person usually inherits the condition and multiple family members are often affected, so many people are diagnosed well before they begin playing competitive sports. However, some cases do slip through the cracks, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is responsible for about 21% of sudden arrhythmia deaths in athletes.

The second most common cause of fatal heart rhythms in athletes are abnormalities in the structure of a coronary artery. These abnormalities are present at birth and can compromise blood flow to the heart, sometimes resulting in issues during exercise. Around 1% of people have an

issue with the structure of their coronary artery, and the problem is responsible for about 14% of cardiac deaths in athletes.

4. How can people protect themselves from sudden and fatal arrhythmia?

Commotio cordis is a rare occurrence, but does happen in sports including boxing, baseball or football where blunt trauma directly to the chest is common. Appropriate precautions, like using chest padding, are the most effective way to prevent commotio cordis.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, coronary artery problems and other heart problems that may predispose someone to dangerous heart rhythms may be found through screening. Your doctor can offer advice on whether a screening could be beneficial to you or your family members. No matter the cause, if a person’s heart stops pumping blood and oxygen isn’t getting to their brain, time is everything. Call 911 and start CPR immediately to delay the onset of brain damage or death until a defibrillator can hopefully restart the heart’s normal rhythm. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Black cardiologists statement on NFL safety Damar Hamlin’s collapse and sudden cardiac arrest

As the highly disturbing images of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsing from a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) during a nationally televised football game are viewed and reviewed worldwide, the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) extends its sincere prayers and wishes to his family, friends, teammates, and fans for a prompt and complete recovery. At a time like this, so many are left wondering, “how could this happen to such a young, physically fit professional athlete?”

Based upon the information available at this time, it appears most likely that Mr. Hamlin suffered from a special case of cardiac arrest brought upon by blunt trauma to the chest, known medically

as commotio cordis. The energy transferred from a focal, highvelocity impact to the chest wall by an object such as a baseball, hockey puck, football helmet or even a fist or foot can, when occurring a at precise moment during the heartbeat [called the vulnerable period], lead to ventricular fibrillation - a chaotic, disorganized cardiac rhythm that results in cessation of effective pump function and loss of pulse.

This rhythm leads to sudden cardiac death, unless immediately reversed, typically as in this case, by application of an electric shock from a defibrillator.

While commotio cordis is a strong consideration for the cause of Mr. Hamlin’s arrest, many other underlying conditions must be assessed in

sports-related cardiac arrest, including inheritable diseases of the heart muscle itself, or of the proteins imbedded in its cell membranes which govern the heart’s electrical signals. The chances of recovery drop 10% for every minute spent in ventricular fibrillation.

Mr. Hamlin is unusually fortunate to have benefited from prompt and appropriate action from highly skilled medical personnel, which is not typically the case when a similar incident occurs in a lower profile setting.

The Association of Black Cardiologists strongly endorses exercise as a key pillar to living long and healthy lives. However, as we have seen, participation, particularly in competitive, contact sports is

not without its cardiovascular risks. Fortunately, such events are relatively rare and range in incidents from 1 in 40,000 to 1 in 80,000, depending on a variety of factors such as type of sport and age of the athlete.

As we wait to learn of Mr. Hamlin’s course, we hope that this sad and terrifying event leads to increased awareness of these risks, and the systemic steps that can be taken to minimize them such as provision of appropriate equipment and trained personnel at sporting events, and to a renewed appreciation of the importance of bystander CPR and automatic external defibrillator training in all communities.

Authors: G. Mark Jenkins, MD, Co-Chair, ABC Advisory Group and Former

ABC Board Member; Kevin F. Kwaku, MD, PhD, CoChair, ABC Electrophysiology Committee; Camille G. Frazier-Mills, MD, MHS, CoChair, ABC Electrophysiology Committee; Richard Allen Williams, MD, Founder of ABC; Jayne Morgan, MD, CoChair, ABC Communications Committee; Marlon E. Everett, MD, Co-Chair, ABC Communications Committee; Anekwe E. Onwuanyi, MD, President of ABC, and Barbara A. Hutchinson, MD, PhD, Board Chair of ABC.

About ABC Founded in 1974, the ABC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating the disparities related to cardiovascular disease and

achieving health equity such that all people can live long healthy lives. Membership is open to all interested in the care of people with or at risk for cardiovascular disease, including health professionals, lay members of the community (Community Health Advocates), corporate and institutional members. Today, the ABC’s public and private partnerships continue to increase its impact in communities across the nation. For more information, visit www.abcardio.org and wearethefaces.abcardio.org or connect with ABC on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Damar Hamlin, #3, collapsed on the field after making a tackle during a game on January 2, 2023.

Meta Description:

The lion’s share of the heroin imported during the notorious French Connection era in New York City was shipped directly to Harlem and was therefore likely sold by Bumpy Johnson and his Genovese mafia family associates. Minister Malcom X didn’t like it. Congressman Rev. Dr. Adam Clayton Powell Jr didn’t like it. But both remained Bumpy’s staunch allies. Arguably, Bumpy Johnson’s strongest supporter was the head of the Five Families crime syndicate in New York City who protected Bumpy when other commission members wanted to murder him. Johnson, who has published his own original poetry, has also been incarcerated 40 times in his criminal career. He has been known to be benevolent to a fault, then become treacherous and vicious on cue. The notoriously violent Harlem Godfather died of natural causes.

Excerpt: “Notorious Harlem crime kingpin, Ellsworth Raymond “Bumpy” Johnson, who in partnership with the Italian mafia lorded over illegal enterprises in the uptown Manhattan neighborhood for nearly 40 years.”

Godfather of Harlem, Ellsworth ‘Bumpy’ Johnson, 2023 - A Review

The highly acclaimed small screen biopic, “Godfather of Harlem,” will premiere its third season on Epix Cable Network, Sunday, January 15th, 2023, at 9 pm EST/8 Central. The 21st episode in the series is an historically inspired saga chronicling the exploits of Harlem kingpin, Ellsworth Raymond “Bumpy” Johnson, who with his Italian mafia partners controlled illegal business in uptown Manhattan for nearly 40 years.

This story is

compelling, checking all the boxes of Hollywood’s epic big screen successes, impeccable storytelling, imaginative writing, masterful acting, and improvised narratives cleverly woven into the historically fact-based record.

The outstanding performances delivered by an ensemble who are masters of their craft provide a caliber of entertainment that is very engaging. These performers’ acumen brings legendary characters to life with visceral intensity and passion; dramatized, but not inconsistent with historic facts.

The narrative picks up when Bumpy Johnson returns to Harlem after more than a decade in Alcatraz. The neighborhood was hardly recognizable. Long stretches in solitary confinement, a dark, dank cell (9 feet by 5 feet by 7 feet), for months on end, had warped his perception of space.

Bumpy’s former unbridled authority over the neighborhood’s illegal rackets had been taken over by his former Italian partners. Their previous arrangement including resuming his share would not happen without the fight Johnson was fully prepared to wage.

After all, Bumpy Johnson had first earned the mafia’s respect prior to his last incarceration by winning a threeyear turf battle with legendary Jewish gangster, Arthur “Dutch Schultz” Flegenheimer, who had attempted to muscle control of the Harlem “numbers” game, an illicit African American street lottery.

History confirms that Bumpy’s defeat of ‘The Dutchman’ resulted when he made a deal with then Italian mob chief, Charles “Lucky” Luciano, who assassinated Schultz and partnered with Johnson to end the war for a reasonable cut of Harlem’s bookmaking and drug businesses. In exchange, Luciano

provided

Forest Whitaker, executive producer, also featured in the lead role as Bumpy Johnson, portrays the enigmatic protagonist/anti-hero playing opposite Vincent D’Onofrio as Vincent “The Chin” Gigante, his murderous archenemy and one of the heads the Five Families, the ruling national Italian mafia syndicate based in New York City. Whitaker delivers a flawless portrayal as Johnson.

As Bumpy Johnson’s nemesis in perpetual combat, D’Onofrio, as Chin Gigante, delivers a stunningly realistic character portrayal, channeling a stellar theatrical iteration of

the real-life maniacal mobster. Vince D’Onofrio’s extensive acting credits include his debut major motion picture, Full Metal Jacket (1987), where he portrayed the iconic Private Leonard ‘Gomer Pyle’ Lawrence, who was eventually driven to madness from his Marine Corp experience and unceremoniously executed his perpetual tormentor, Gunnery Sgt. Hartman (Ronald Lee Ermey) before turning his M16 rifle on himself.

The Harlem Godfather, a poetry writer who doubled as a vicious, unrestrained gang enforcer was introduced in season one, episode one as he departed Alcatraz prison en route to Harlem after completing a

nearly 11-year heroin rap as the fall guy for his mafia partners.

For History buffs, Godfather of Harlem’s unsuspecting reveal of the powerful, personal relationships Bumpy Johnson enjoys is a fascinating glimpse into historically significant, publicly respected figures who brazenly exchanged favors with the heroin kingpin, two of whom were among Johnson’s triumvirate of power rooted in Harlem neighborhoods.

His two closest community allies were men who wielded considerable clout.

The Nation of Islam’s national representative, Malcom X (Nigel Thatch), second behind founder Elijah Muhammad of their 500,000-person organization, was a staunch Bumpy Johnson ally.

Malcom credits Bumpy with his move toward Islam because Bumpy advised him he didn’t have the makings of a successful career gangster. Johnson was X’s legit patron, providing him round-theclock professional bodyguards when death threats from within his masjid were confirmed.

Two weeks after Minister Malcom suspended Bumpy’s security detail, for moral reasons, he was assassinated.

Thatch’s depiction of Malcom X is uncanny. Not only is he a facial carbon copy, his stature, demeanor, vocal tone, and inflexion, are near pitch perfect. However, Thatch will not return for season 3, replaced by Jason Alan Carvell, an alum of NCIS: New Orleans.

Rev. Dr. Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr (Giancarlo Esposito), Bumpy Johnson’s second real-life powerful Harlem compatriot, was New York State’s first African American U.S. Representative, elected from that state in 1944. He would go on to gain the eventual chairmanship of the powerful House

Ways & Means Committee.

Powell, scion of wealthy Harlem minister, Adam Clayton Powell Sr, pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church, the largest African American Christian congregation in America of that era, assumed the reigns of the 10,000-member church upon his father’s retirement, which provided him the platform to handily win his Congressional seat.

As Rev. Dr. Powell, Giancarlo Esposito, gives a rousing performance, sometimes stealing the scene with his spoton mimicking of the flamboyant, sometimes bombastic Baptist minister. Anyone who is familiar with Adam Clayton Powell’s antics will recognize Esposito’s portrayal.

Among Bumpy Johnson’s coterie of mafia higher ups was the third member of his triumvirate, chairman of the Five Family mafia commission, Frank Costello (Paul Sorvino). The late Paul Sorvino [deceased July 25, 2022], needs no further introduction. Neither does the legendary, Academy Award–nominated, Chazz Palminteri, in the role of anti-Bumpy Johnson Italian mob commission member, Joe Bonanno.

The original Godfather of Harlem soundtrack by Swizz Beats is the icing on this production. The signature theme song of the series, “Just In Case,” a collaboration of Swizz Beatz, Rick Ross and DMX, speaks of preparation for confrontation and will whet your anticipation for the action and drama that is sure to follow.

Epic Records is distributor of the Godfather of Harlem soundtrack. Executive producer, Swizz Beatz pulled out all the big guns (this is a gangster movie) to create a score for Godfather of Harlem that has already earned itself a rank among classic film soundtracks.

Godfather of Harlem is A Must Watch!

Bumpy protection from police and rivals allowing him to operate their nefarious partnership unrestrained.

By Melinda Myers

It’s never too early to start planning new additions to this year’s gardens and containers. Start compiling your list now so you are ready to place your seed order or buy plants early when the selection is the greatest.

Consider including a few All-America Selections (AAS) winners. These plants have been “Tested Nationally & Proven Locally™” for their superior performance in home gardens and containers. Grow a few of these 2023 flower winners for a new look to some long-time favorites.

Coral Candy Coleus is part of the Premium Sun series of coleus. It is the first coleus grown from seed to be selected as an AAS Winner. This uniformly

compact coleus has unique narrow, serrated, multicolored leaves. The AAS judges found this variety maintained the color even when grown in full sun. It performed well all season and had almost no flowers. You will only need three seeds to fill a 14 to 16” container.

Bring a bit of the tropics to your garden, patio, or balcony with Royal Hawaiian® Waikiki colocasia. This beautiful elephant ear wowed the judges with its sturdy burgundy stems and large glossy leaves featuring pink veins and creamy white centers. Waikiki reveals these striking colors earlier than other variegated colocasia. This compact variety holds up well in wind and rain.

The stunning orange flowers of Doubleshot snapdragons will have you looking for spaces in the garden

and containers to include this winner. This 18 to 20” tall snapdragon features open-faced double flowers that start out in shades of orange and orange-red transitioning to a dusty shade as they age. Its strong stems produce lots of flower-filled branches all season long that don’t break off in high winds.

Blue By You salvia is bursting with bright blue flowers from late spring into fall when spent flowers are removed. This perennial blooms up to two weeks earlier than similar varieties already on the market. It was tested over three seasons, including winters and proven to be hardy in zones 4b to 9a. It is a favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies, makes a great cut flower, is suitable for containers, and is heat tolerant. All this and it’s less favored by deer and rabbits.

Originally constructed in 1907, this mixed-use building on St. Paul’s West Side has been home to dozens of families, hundreds of people. And below their home they ran the pharmacy, grocery store, soda shop, and tattoo parlor (pictures available). One hundred and fifteen years later, two people are continuing that way of life— living in the community they work; but now, instead of selling salted meat to their neighbors, they are selling food videos— and delivering them digitally, to clients around the world.

Walz

From 3

featured Ojibwe, Dakota and

Jealous

From 3 3

Foodist Films, launched in 2016, is a specialized food videography agency that works with household brands found in the grocery aisles to create recipe videos and food photography for web, social, and broadcast.

Their newly renovated studio, on the West side of St. Paul, has allowed them to expand their capabilities while cementing their foundation as the first farm-to-film solar powered food agency in the world!

Over the last year

African American speakers, singers and honor guards, and prayers from Muslim, Jewish and Christian faith leaders.

Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, took her oath from

by a truth instilled by his maternal grandmother, Mamie Todd Bland, the family griot, who recently died at the age of 105. Her belief in the inherent freedom and value of every

of renovation, Alex Connett and Steve Ray (owners of the building and co- founders of Foodist Films) strove to retain the building’s timeless characteristics like the hardwood floors, high ceilings, storefront windows, and mixed-use functionality while simultaneously bringing the building into the 21st century with fiber connectivity, improved energy efficiency, and (with a partnership through the Neighborhood Development Alliance) solar panels! We will be having

Judge Sarah Wheelock, the first Native American on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. The lieutenant governor celebrated “a government that looks more and more like the people of

human being was instilled by her maternal grandfather, Edward David Bland. An African American child enslaved by his White uncle, Edward Bland was a free man at the end of

an outdoor ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the building’s 115-year anniversary, our neighborhood, and Foodist Films becoming the first farm-to-film solar powered food video agency in the WORLD on January, 11th at 4pm in the building’s alleyway, 608 Smith Ave S. Steve and Alex are available to answer any questions at steve@foodistfilms. com or 651-216- 5608. Thank you!

Minnesota with each passing election.” She also highlighted the administration’s efforts to build lasting partnerships with Minnesota’s 11 sovereign tribal nations. Despite all the

the Civil War and became an itinerant preacher of freedom— economic and political. He went on to help lead a movement that culminated in the creation of Virginia State University and secured the future of free public education for every child in the state, as well as serve in the state legislature.

As Jealous also shares, his commitment to human rights and healing was inspired by his White father. Abused as a child and later disowned by his own father for marrying a Black woman in 1966, Ben’s quietly courageous dad created a 12step program to help abusive, often violent men break the cycle of domestic abuse.

Throughout NEVER FORGET OUR PEOPLE WERE ALWAYS FREE, Ben Jealous interweaves vivid anecdotes of family, friends,

Make space in the vegetable garden for the high-yielding Kabocha Sweet Jade winter squash. The fruit weighs between one and two pounds, making it perfect for single servings of squash, as an edible soup bowl, or added to a variety of Asian-style dishes where a sweet, earthy nutritious squash is typically recommended. Roast, bake, or puree Sweet Jade’s deep orange flesh that has a dry texture with a sweet flavor.

Grow San Joaquin jalapeno pepper when looking for big harvests in a short timeframe. This means you’ll have lots of peppers available for canning, pickling, and serving roasted and stuffed to large groups of guests. Leave them on the plant longer, allowing them to turn a beautiful red while maintaining their flavor. These thick-walled

peppers have just a hint of heat at 2,500-6,000 Scoville units. Make room in your gardens and containers for these and other winning varieties. Adding new introductions that have been trialed by horticulture professionals across North America helps increase your gardening success.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video and DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is www.MelindaMyers. com.

divisions of the last four years, Walz said he believes in his 2018 campaign theme of “One Minnesota” more than ever.

“I hope Minnesotans and all of you that are here and are listening saw yourself

mentors, colleagues, and strangers who have shaped his life’s mission and his faith in humanity—ranging from Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert E. Lee, and Desmond Tutu to Stacey Abrams, from his distant cousin Dick Cheney to a Klu Klux Klansman who wrestled with what Jesus actually said to his “godbrother” Dave Chapelle— with his informed, thoughtprovoking, and consciousnessraising views on racial profiling, the connection between social isolation and suicide, the toll of mass incarceration on our nation, and race and racism. Among his powerful takeaways: Three Big Lies About Race Lie #1: It has always been this way. “To end racism, we must agree there is nothing permanent about it,” Jealous stresses. As he shows, the

reflected on the people of this stage,” the governor said. “The sense of who we are as a state. The sense that you belong here. When you hear inclusion ... it’s being embodied right in front of you today.”

meaning of race has evolved from its roots as a synonym for tribe or nation to a label used to separate people into a caste system, with a chosen “super human” group at the top. Comparing politics to physics, where something in motion returns to its original state, he has hope that America will return to a state where we recognize and celebrate our diversity.

Lie #2: Only White people have paid the price for desegregation. While, as Jealous acknowledges, it is true that some White men lost jobs when people of color were no longer barred from consideration, it is also true that Black Americans lost thousands of businesses— as well as safe places to raise their children—when the walls of segregation fell.

Lie #3: Racism only hurts Black people and people of color. Racism has created a national delusion that poverty, gun violence, and drug addiction are exclusively Black problems—despite staggering facts to the contrary. “The hidden victim of American racism is that it makes White suffering invisible,” says Jealous.

“The ultimate antidote for the insanity that is racism is to deepen our knowledge of self and understand our national and ethnic origins,” Jealous asserts. He leaves readers with three big lessons: #1: We can end racism Why? Because we ended slavery and indentured servitude. Thus, the social caste system that was created to insulate them can be ended too.

#2: The path to do that is to truly be like King Following the example of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., draw as wide a circle of compassion as possible. Speak in the traditionally unifying American languages of aspiration, patriotism, faith, and love.

#3: Build “uncomfortably large coalitions.” Black, Brown, Yellow, and White; Conservative, Moderate, and Progressive; Republican and Democrat; Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and atheist. We’re all Americans and we all need to work together to make our divided and wounded country whole.

Honest, uplifting, and optimistic, NEVER FORGET OUR PEOPLE WERE ALWAYS FREE is essential reading for all Americans.

photo courtesy of All-America Selections The strong stems of Doubleshot snapdragons produce a plethora of stunning orange flowers all season.

District 6

the

District 6, as vice chair of

will serve again as vice chair of the board. Her district includes Bloomington, part of Chanhassen, part of southwest Minneapolis, South Eden Prairie, and Richfield. Commissioner Goettel joined the board in 2016.

Committee chairs

The board selected the

or the floor we can say, ‘Here’s what Minnesotans are telling us’,” Champion said.

following committee chairs: 

Administration,Operations and Budget: Commissioner Goettel, District 5 

Health and Human Services: Commissioner Conley, District 4  Intergovernmental Relations: Commissioners Conley, District 4, and Lunde,

Resident Services: Commissioner LaTondresse, Fernando From 3 3 Champion

From 3

Dziedzic, also of Minneapolis, announced she was elected as Senate Majority Leader while Sen. Ann Rest of New Hope will chair the Senate Tax Committee and Sen. John Marty of Roseville becoming the Finance Chair.

“I think one of our biggest things is ensuring that we’re talking to Minnesotans about what their needs are, so we can go to those events and we testify in committee

Thao-Urabe

Leaders (CAAL), where she led award-winning campaigns. Thao-Urabe has also served as executive director of Hmong National Development and the Women’s Association of Hmong and Lao and was senior director of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy.

“As a longtime listener and supporter of MPR, I have come to appreciate the power of public media to unite and influence a community,” said Thao-Urabe. “The oral tradition has a long and storied history, and it continues to be a vital part of our culture today. I am excited to bring my leadership and community experience to the table and support MPR’s ongoing commitment to inclusion in all aspects of its storytelling.”

Champion has served in the Minnesota Senate Since 2012 after having served two terms in the House after he was first elected in 2008.

He is a practicing attorney and has previously served as an assistant attorney general under two Minnesota attorney generals.

“Even though I have the skills and qualifications, it was not lost on me that the Minnesota Senate has never had a president who was a person of color,” Sen. Champion said.

In addition to her work at CAAL, Thao-Urabe cofounded several organizations, including RedGreen Rivers, BMPP Giving Circle, MaivPAC, Building Our Future: A Global Community Campaign and the Asian Pacific Islander Institute on Gender-Based Violence. Thao-Urabe has received numerous awards for her leadership and impact, including a Bush Fellowship in 2019, the Facing Race Award, the National Philanthropy Day Award, AZNS Most Influential Asian Americans,

Tom Gitaa Born and raised in Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa, Tom is the Founder, President and Publisher of Mshale. While he still does the occasional reporting, he now concentrates on the publishing side of the news operation. Tom was also the original host of Talking Drum, the signature current affairs show on the African Broadcasting Network (ABNAmerica), which was available nationwide in the United States via the Dishnetwork satellite service.

the Augsburg College Courageous Woman Award and the Governor’s MLK Day Commitment to Service Award.

She currently serves on the Board of Regents at the University of Minnesota, Drake Bank and The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.

Thao-Urabe received her bachelor’s from the University of Minnesota. She resides in Eagan and enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.

Regional

The

Debbie Goettel as vice chair District 5

Commissioner Debbie Goettel

By: W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor

Hockey Is For Everybody

By Anthony Walsh

When it comes to professions and sports, we as

African Americans already know we can be anything we desire to be, demonstrating this time and time again. It’s important that we let our children know this early on, and continuously. However, when it comes to sports, there are those who stereotype us into certain sports. Anthony Walsh superbly addresses this practice and the issue of acceptance in his children’s book, Hockey Is For Everybody.

12-year-old Anthony

loves hockey and playing for his team, the Monarchs. However, he has also been dealing with racism. Leading the pack of antagonists was Jason, a player from their rival team the Cardinals. Slurs, teasing, and comments implying that Black men belonged on a basketball court and not an ice rink were frequent, in an effort to get under his skin and throw him off his game.

It was hard for

Anthony to keep his cool in spite of the mean-spirited words that made him feel like less of a person when he knew otherwise, but he knew what the repercussions would be if he didn’t.

On the plus side, his best friend and teammate Matt is there to stand with him as they face the championship game against the Cardinals. As he faces down his archrival Jason, will Anthony and the Monarchs stand fast to triumph, and demonstrate a valuable lesson for all involved?

Walsh brings the

personal insight of one who has lived it, having attended Edina High School, a predominately white suburban high school. He challenged the profiling of Black athletes when Edina High’s hockey team became Minnesota’s 2013 AA State Champions. I liked the quote he included at the end by Ayesha Siddiqi, “Be the person you needed when you were younger.” By coaching youth hockey, this has been one of the ways he is paying it forward. This book is also another way to pay it forward. Walsh, with the marvelous

illustrations of Justine Allentree Ross, reminds us of the value of a strong, empowering support system. Indeed, hockey is not limited to an elite group; everybody can play and excel at it and any other sport.

Hockey is for Everybody is available through Strive Publishing and Amazon. Representation matters, Anthony, and you are representing well. Yours is another of the books I wished were available when I was a child, and I’m pleased that they are here now. Continue to change the narrative!