Insight News ::: 7.22.19 by Insight News, Inc

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Insight News July 22, 2019 - July 28, 2019

Vol. 46 No. 29• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Toni Morrison

“Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am” By Stacy Dwight Brown NNPA Newswire Film Critic She’s a literary icon whose accolades include a 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature. For the AfricanAmerican reader who has been glued to her books since 1970, starting with her poignant debut novel “The Bluest Eye,” a new documentary is an opportunity to see how the pieces of Toni Morrison’s life have made her whole. For those who came to the party late, ‘Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am’ is a recounting of her evolution and explains why, when you see a photo of this amazingly young looking 88-year-old, you can discern a certain brilliance hiding in her

eyes, an extreme intelligence behind her disarming smile and a stately aura that is somewhere between that of queen and goddess. One of the most interesting facts in this bio is that Morrison grew up in Lorain, Ohio, a multicultural immigrant town. Even if people didn’t fraternize much with each other in their homes (and that’s only a guess), shopping, town activities and education threw everyone into the same mix. It’s no surprise that when Morrison entered Howard University and confronted segregation in the South that her perspective on life and race changed dramatically. Her evolution on the subject is as interesting to watch as her development as a writer. As she recounts her experiences, Morrison is poised, resolved and reﬂective; somewhat

akin to an intelligent philosopher or an academic who patiently teaches a class of inquisitive but slow-learning freshmen. We discover she started her editing career as a divorced woman with two young boys, but that is about as deep as the footage goes into exploring her personal life. There are glimpses of Morrison behind closed doors, but nothing explicit, controversial or negative. In that way, this doc feels a bit like a promotional reel, which isn’t a detriment, as any details about Morrison are better than none. Many of her books come up for discussion; “Sula” (1973), about a deep female friendship, “Song of Solomon” (1977), perhaps her best piece of storytelling and certainly her most accessible novel and winner of the National

Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. The ‘80s brought “Tar Baby” (1981), then the somewhat controversial “Beloved” (1987), which was turned into a ﬁlm by Oprah Winfrey, whose Book Club and television show catapulted Morrison into the consciousness of middle America. Still, some of her most illuminating thoughts on race were established in “The Bluest Eye.” This profound novel chronicles the indoctrination of Blacks into a white society to the point that self-esteem is tied to white characteristics that most Blacks don’t have, like blue eyes. Among other revelations in the book, her astute analysis of cultural manipulation that results in low self-esteem is enlightening. The writer-turned-editorturned-novelist stood up to any-

one who had a misconception about Black literature and who it was written for or how it should be received. She ripped preconceived notions and fallacies apart by revealing the problem: “The assumption is that the reader is a white person.” She put that misguided viewpoint to bed. Morrison seems at peace with the battles she’s fought – or that were fought for her. Her history growing up in an integrated city undoubtedly forged her persona. Even with that multicultural background raising her consciousness, she had to disavow some of the misconceptions she was getting from home, to become the person she is today. “My father thought all white people were unredeemable,” mused Morrison. Director Timothy Greenﬁeld-Sanders pulls together an

interesting group of fans and friends who have witnessed Morrison’s rise and have praised her including decades-long editor Robert Gottlieb, fellow novelist Walter Mosley, activist Angela Davis and essayist Fran Lebowitz. There are also glimpses of legendary poet Sonia Sanchez, Winfrey and others. This documentary that genuinely explores Toni Morrison’s ascendance into the upper pantheon of the literary world does a nice job revealing her wonderful persona, uncovering her backstory and establishing her ﬁrm place in American history in a way her followers will appreciate, and others will admire. Visit NNPA News Wire Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com and BlackPressUSA.com.

Page 2 • July 22, 2019 - July 28, 2019 • Insight News

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‘Rondo: Beyond the Pavement’ shines a light on the intentional destruction of a thriving Black community By Josh Cobb Twin Cities Association of Black Journalist/ Insight News Intern In the early to mid-20th century, Minnesota’s state capital was the epicenter of a thriving, local Black community; the Rondo neighborhood. It was an essential gathering place, as it was home to businesses, political organizations such as the Urban League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and there was a strong sense of family among its community members. The community was destroyed and because a shell of itself by the late 1960s due to the construction of Interstate 94. In a process that lasted more than a decade, homes, families and businesses were removed from the heart of the Rondo neighborhood. Through the years, many have scrutinized the decision to place the highway in the center of a predominantly Black neighborhood instead of a route that would have been by abandoned railroad tracks. Bianca Rhodes, the production manager and venue coordinator at St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN) decided to document the history of the community through the stories of people who lived through this time with the ﬁlm, “Rondo: Beyond the Pavement.” Rhodes’ love for ﬁlm began when she, along with her best friend, got to work for the relaunch of a Twin Cities PBS show called “Don’t Believe the Hype.” She got to work as on-air talent and a behind the scenes mentor, while also keeping learning from her mentors Daniel Pierce Bergin and Robin Hickman. “They were the executive producers of ‘Don’t Believe the Hype,’” said Rhodes. “They

Melessa Paynter, MN Daily

Filmmaker Bianca Rhodes were the dynamic duo. They are my mom and dad of media.” Rhodes’ family ties to the Rondo community led to her being approached by the St. Paul Almanac to participate in an intergenerational conversation about Rondo. The ﬁlmmaker said the conversation fueled the

decision to make the documentary. “They’ve (Rondo residents) always looked out for me. It was a way for me to give back by doing that ﬁlm,” Rhodes said. “I would be honoring the people who always cared about me in their own little ways.”

While also paying homage to the elders in the Rondo community, Rhodes also used the ﬁlm as an opportunity to teach the youth about the history of Rondo. She partnered with the High School for Recording Arts to get a group of students who wanted to learn

about ﬁlmmaking and their local communities. Rhodes taught the youth – many who conducted interviews and operated the cameras – about the history of the community, and after learning about what the construction did to the once thriving community, she said they were eager to

get to work. “They almost turned into investigative reporters,” Rhodes said. Rhodes said one of the hardest parts of making the documentary was getting people to talk about their personal experiences with the destruction of Rondo. “That’s the part that a lot of people don’t understand,” Rhodes said. “There’s a lot of pain behind this. We’re asking people to talk about stuff that they haven’t talked about in many years.” To combat that obstacle, her team would share a meal at the subject’s home before conducting the interviews. She said this delicate method made the process more genuine and created the space for elders to speak more candidly about their experiences. After making the film, Rhodes said her love for Rondo has intensified and there is a special place in her heart for the Rondo community. “I will always be in Rondo and spend money in Rondo,” Rhodes said. Since the rollout of the film, Rhodes and her team have received tremendous positive feedback. “What I’m most proud of is being able to do the work that I said I was going to do,” Rhodes said. “I wanted to take both of my passions in social justice and film and tie it together. It inspired me on how I need to do films for the rest of my life.” In addition to the documentary, there is also a “Rondo: Beyond the Pavement” podcast. The podcast includes extended interviews and addition stories told from Rondo residents. “Rondo: Beyond the Pavement” is available on Amazon and the podcast is online at www.rondobeyondthepavement. org.

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Insight News • July 22, 2019 - July 28, 2019 • Page 3

Insight News WINNER: 2018 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 3RD PLACE BES T COLUMN WRITING

July 22, 2019 - July 28, 2019

WINNER: 2019 GENERAL EXCELLENCE, 3RD PLACE, COLUMN WRITING, 2ND PLACE

Vol. 46 No. 29• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

House condemns Trump’s racist messages By Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Newswire Contributor The U.S. House voted 240-187 to condemn the racist language of Donald Trump in a series of twitter communications over the July 13 – July 14 weekend. All 235 Democrats voted yes in condemning Trump and they were joined by four Republicans and one Independent – Reps. Will Hurd (R-TX), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Rep. Justin Amash (I-IN), who recently left the Republican party. The vote was in response to Trump targeted series of racist vitriol on social media aimed at four female congresswomen of color, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rep. Aynna Pressley (D-MA) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). The President responded on Twitter to the vote writing, “Those Tweets were NOT Racist. I don’t have a Racist bone in my body! The so-called vote to be taken is a Democrat con game. Republicans should not show ‘weakness’ and fall into their trap.” “I know racism when I see it. I know racism when I feel it, and at the highest level of government, there is no room for racism. It sows the seeds of violence and destroys the hopes and dreams of people. The world is watching; they are shocked and dismayed because it seems we have lost our way, as a nation, as a proud, great people. We are one Congress, and we are here to

L-R: Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Aynna Pressley (D-MA) serve one house – the American house, the American people,” said civil rights legend and Georgia Congressman John Lewis on the House ﬂoor during debate. Debate grew heated as Republicans attempted to bring up a measure to condemn Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) which failed. Demo-

crats moved forward as they defended not only their colleagues but immigrant communities Trump often viliﬁes. “Some of us have been victims of the stain, the pain, the hurt of racism. In the ‘50s and during the ‘60s, segregationists told us to go back when we protested for our

rights. They told ministers, priests, rabbis, and nuns to go back. The told innocent, little children seeking just equal education to go back,” Lewis added. “Like the vast majority of Americans, I’ve grown increasingly frustrated with the childish rancor of our public discourse. Our inability to conduct

ourselves in a civil and respectable fashion has paralyzed the most powerful government in the history of the world, and for what? A 10-second soundbite on primetime news and a few thousand twitter followers?” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (DMO), who presided over part of the debate over the resolution

Black Business Week through July 27

City highlights Black business A first for Minneapolis, the city is celebrating Black Business Week. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minneapolis City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins announced the city will host Minneapolis Black Business Week running until Saturday (July 27). The City of Minneapolis along with local nonprofits and businesses will host a series of events for employers, would-be entrepreneurs, and jobseekers. Frey and Jenkins kicked off the 13-event, nine-day stretch with a panel discussion at Mama Sheila’s restaurant in South Minneapolis. City officials will also highlight procurement opportunities along with restaurant,

Andrea Jenkins retail, and professional service businesses throughout the city. This past week Frey met with staﬀ and leader-

ship from H&B Elevators, a participating business on the Northside, and discussed the what to expect during Black

Business Week. Jenkins stressed the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses. “This is a historic endeavor in the city of Minneapolis, and we invite you to help us lift up these businesses,” said Jenkins. Black businessowners can sign up to have their businesses highlighted in an online directory at www.minneapolisblackbusinessweek. com. Frey will attend several events for Black Business Week, including Monday at 6 p.m. at Sabathani Community Center, 310 East 38th St., the Black Business Expo & Career Fair, Tuesday, (July

BLACK BUSINESS 6

Eddie Frizell new chief at Metro Transit Police A veteran Minneapolis police oﬃcer with decades of experience in multiple aspects of law enforcement will be the next chief of police of the Metro Transit Police Department. Minneapolis Police Inspector Eddie Frizell will ﬁll the position Aug. 5. Frizell has been serving as the inspector of the First Precinct in Minneapolis, which covers the downtown area, since 2017. He played a key role in the public safety planning for the Super Bowl in 2018. In his 26-year career with the Minneapolis Police Department Frizell has also worked as deputy chief of police, a SWAT

negotiator, an internal aﬀairs investigator, and as the inspector of the Fifth Precinct in South Minneapolis. He is also a 30year veteran of the Minnesota Army National Guard, including two overseas deployments to Bosnia and Kuwait/Iraq. He currently holds the rank of colonel. “Inspector Frizell is a proven leader who knows how to work with communities to ﬁnd solutions,” said Metropolitan Council Regional Administrator Meredith Vadis. “Our buses and trains don’t just travel through our neighborhoods; they are a

FRIZELL 6

Eddie Frizell

News

Minneapolis residential upzoning risks unintended consequences: Alissa Luepke Pier

PAGE 5

News

Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage holds session wrap-up

PAGE 5

SPMCF

Kedar Hickman

Hickman named Foundation program officer Kedar Hickman has joined the St. Paul & Minnesota Foundations (the Foundations) as its newest program oﬃcer. Hickman joins the Foundations after having served as program manager and interim COO at Ujamma Place, a St. Paul-based nonproﬁt providing support services to formerly incarcerated African-American men. He also served as instructor, programming director and board member at Skills for Tomorrow Charter High School in St. Paul. Hickman currently

condemning Trump’s words. Shortly after debate ended and the measure condemning the President passed, Rep. Al Green (D-TX) called for Trump’s impeachment but fell short of the votes. Green and called for impeachment in the past. Each time he has gained votes on the question.

serves as a co-chair of the Council for Black Male Success, an initiative funded by the Foundations to bring nonprofits and people together to discuss how philanthropy can better meet community needs. “At the Foundations we view the community as our compass, best positioned to articulate and effectively respond to today's challenges,” said Ann Mulholland, executive vice president at the Foundations. “Therefore, it is fitting to have Kedar join our team. He is a trusted community leader who will lend tremendous insight to our work. We are thrilled to welcome him.” “I am excited to join and contribute to the work of the St. Paul & Minnesota Foundations,” said Hickman. “Today our communities need to foster a commitment to and appreciation for human value for all, a commitment demonstrated by actions that bring about justice and equitable opportunity for all. My values and experience are firmly rooted in these ideas and ideals and in alignment with those of the Foundations as they support communities, cities and regions in their realization of community-led solutions.” Founded in St. Paul in 1940, the St. Paul & Minnesota Foundations is one of Minnesota’s largest community foundations. The Foundations support more than 2,000 charitable organizations and donor funds and manage nearly $1.5 billion in assets, including F. R. Bigelow Foundation and Mardag Foundation. In 2018, in partnership with its donor advised fundholders, the Foundations made nearly 8,300 grants to support community needs in 71 of 87 Minnesota counties.

Lifestyle

Sports icon launches platform that reshapes culture of youth athletics

PAGE 6

Page 4 • July 22, 2019 - July 28, 2019 • Insight News

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Recently, a few strategically

Transformation By Randall Bradley, Architect

Zoning ... and your house Zoning is the legal procedure of dividing land into parcels, shapes, and configurations for use by cities to allow for land uses that are permitted or prohibited to create a homogeneous environment. Small towns, villages and hamlets also use zoning. Land is divided into zones, for example, residential, commercial (including retail) and industrial (or manufacturing). Schools, churches (religious buildings), hospitals and other government or public buildings are allowed or “permitted” in primary zoning areas so as to not create a cumbersome zoning environment. Zoning codes, by their very nature are complicated documents. Attempts by most planning departments are to keep them as simple as possible. This is tricky, but always pursued. Additionally, there is a symbiotic relationship between the zoning codes and all the other construction codes – building, fire, mechanical, electrical plumbing and others. While these others come into play later, the zoning must be in order before the building permit is issued. Look around your neighborhood, the zoning has been in place and been effective for as long as you’ve lived here. If you live in a single-family house, you likely live in a neighborhood that has R1 zoning. This zoning classification denotes a single-family house on a single lot. In Minneapolis, the vast majority of single-family lots are 130’ deep x 40’ wide. This is approximately 5,200 square feet; adequate to build a 2,400 square foot, 2-1/2 story house, with yard setbacks (on all four sides) including a two-car garage. Your house likely sits on a city block that measures 274’ by 320’. This means that there are approximately 16 single family lots and houses, and from 16 to 32 private cars on your block. This zoning has probably been intact since this neighborhood was built in the early twentieth century. As part of the structure of government, and to keep abreast of the changes and dynamics of society, land use patterns are reviewed periodically. “The Comprehensive Plan for the City of Minneapolis,” (The 2040 Plan) is proposing an increase in affordable housing and an increase in density, city-wide. The proposal is to “up-zone” to achieve greater density. This will eliminate R1 zoning districts and allow, as a worst-case scenario, triplexes to be built where your house (and your neighbor’s) now stand. These changes will also affect residential parking from the alley. Each residential unit requires one parking space. That means three parking spaces will have to be accommodated on a 40’ wide lot. This is achievable, but when there are two cars per unit, for a total of six cars, on-site parking would be a challenge. The Northside has the lowest annual income of the city, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. The proposed up-zoning immediately creates three formidable problems – who can afford to build and own (and rent out) this new “affordable housing,” will these renters care as much about the homeowners and the neighborhood the way that you do and, will the “affordability” of these new units fit within the current low annual income measure of this community? Or stated another way, will this change the poverty that currently exists in the area? Will the 2040 Plan achieve both the density and affordability that it seeks in North Minneapolis? And, as a matter of arithmetic, will more poor people also be a result of this plan? How long then, into the future, will this community remain in poverty? All communities are not equal. However, the zoning code wants to be implemented equitably. Communities are not equal in population, culture, housing types and sizes, lot sizes, amenities, commercial and retail facilities, crime, educational achievement, employment categories, homeownership versus rental populations and economic profile and categories. But the realities of human life mean that all if this is seriously integrated, complicated and interdependent everything is impacted by everything else. And zoning will impact all these realities, through consequences both planned and unforeseen and unpredictable. The question for North Minneapolis is how will the 2040 Plan bring maximum benefit to our community?

positioned, sympathetic urban journalists have begun lauding the city of Minneapolis for spearheading a “breakthrough new trend” to address the aﬀordability of urban housing: the elimination of single-family zoning, in favor of by-right density in residential neighborhoods. As the California legislature debates the merits of statewide blanket upzoning and greater density by right, TPR spoke to Alissa Luepke Pier, an AIA-honored architect and Minneapolis City Planning Commission Vice President, about her city’s recent “bold” decision. She shares that the city’s “experiment” has not been fully examined, noting a number of unintended consequences that could accompany the sweeping planning decision. She is most concerned that the City Council’s decision could encourage land speculation by global investment firms and might well undermine the fabric of the very low-income communities of color its unprecedented provisions aim to assist.

precise solution. Somehow, that precise solution became a completely dull instrument that we slapped down on the entire city. Before further addressing Minneapolis’ new housing policies, share your professional background and current role with Minneapolis city planning. I am a practicing licensed architect and the vice president of the Minneapolis Planning Commission. I’ve served on the commission for over a decade and am currently its most senior member. I don’t work for the city; I’m an appointee and a North Minneapolis resident of more than 20 years who tries her best to institute good urban planning for the city. I did extensive research into the history

Minneapolis is now being cited by the New York Times and West Coast YIMBYs as the city that’s “boldly” tackling the housing crisis and inequality by ending single-family zoning. What’s the context for those news reports? Alissa Luepke Pier: What those headlines are referring to is the latest version of the city’s comprehensive plan. Every 10 years, the city is required to adopt a comprehensive plan that is approved by the Metropolitan Council. It’s a very extensive series of guidelines that shape the way we’ll build and recraft our zoning policies in order to create a more sustainable city for the decades to come. One major element of our latest comprehensive plan, which was recently approved by City Council, is the universal upzoning of all formerly single-family and duplex lots to allow triplexes by right. If the plan is approved by the Metropolitan Council, Minneapolis will no longer have any single-family zoning. To be clear, triplexes will not be the minimum density permitted on single-family lots; rather, anyone will be able to build up to a triplex on any single-family lot, regardless of context, lot size, or existing structures on the site. There will no longer be a situation in which a developer asks the city for a variance to create a triplex on a single-family lot, and the city has the option of saying no. Going forward, a triplex can be created on any residential lot in the city by right. What was the genesis of this sweeping component of the comprehensive plan? The Long-Range Planning Department wanted to approach this comprehensive plan in a diﬀerent way than we have in the past. It started from a good place: The city wanted to achieve equity, or at least stop contributing to further inequity. Research has shown that the impacts of our city’s historic racial inequities—in terms of redlining and how we regulated where people could or couldn’t live—have lasted for generations, impeding people’s economic stability and opportunities to build generational wealth. The problem is that I don’t think blanket upzoning will address these inequities in the way its advocates think it will. Mayor Frey was recently quoted as saying that these policies produced a precise harm, and therefore we need a

Alissa Luepke Pier

Minneapolis residential upzoning risks unintended consequences: Alissa Luepke Pier of zoning and planning and its impact on North Minneapolis when I wrote my graduate thesis on Architecture and Game Theory 17 years ago, and am convinced that complex problems that we are facing in our society today require creative problemsolving based in critical thinking and thorough analysis, with an eye to long-term impact and changemaking. Minneapolis is nationally respected as a center for regional governance and healthy civic debate. Before the vote to eliminate single-family zoning, was there much due diligence on the part of elected and appointed officials on whether this change would achieve its intended goals? No, I wouldn’t say so. We did a good job of sharing out information; the Long-Range Planning Department partnered with artists to create lots of innovative things, which they deployed through dozens of community meetings. But, as much as we’ve patted ourselves on the back for doing “authentic engagement” around the comprehensive plan, when it came to actually gathering information from stakeholders, there wasn’t a lot of wiggle room to incorporate community feedback into the final plan. Moreover, many of the most controversial policies in the plan, including the elimination of single-family zoning, have not been vetted through an economic lens. The policy took as its starting point that more units automatically equals more affordability, and there wasn’t any interest in delving into whether or not that was actually a factual equation on which to base major deci-

sions. The policy does not cite any research to support its assertion, nor does it even lay out any aspirational goals regarding the extent of the impact they hope to achieve (such as in anticipated added units, or even in theoretical decreases to housing costs). Without any sort of concrete metric, it is impossible to analyze the policy’s effectiveness in achieving its goal of improved housing affordability. That is convenient when what one is proposing is a vague, one-size-fits-all solution with no real statistical support linking it to its presupposed conclusion. Because we chose this false assumption as the foundation and justification for our crafting of city policy, however, this also meant that, if you spoke against the policy, the automatic assumption was that you were against affordable housing. For me, nothing is further from the truth. I’m very pro-density and pro-affordable housing. I’m not coming at this issue as a NIMBY from a wealthy neighborhood who is concerned about more people living nearby. I really believe that we need to look at whether this policy will improve housing affordability or have an equitable impact on our city’s residents. After all, as more people move into the city, we’re seeing housing prices continue to rise despite an increase in units being built, primarily in the downtown area. We don’t have any safeguards for this proposed policy, and once we enact these rights, they’re grandfathered in forever. There is no contingency plan, no method to test effectiveness, and no metrics for success. The consequences of a policy like this on a community like mine are far too harmful to be glossed over in the name of innovation. Let me be clear: Adoption of this policy without adequate safeguards will cause great, long-term harm to low income families and communities of color, and there is no way to undo the damage once Pandora’s box has been opened. As a seasoned planning commissioner, what policy and enforcement safeguards would you typically expect in a new residential zoning policy like this one? My concern is that it might be too late to dial this momentum back. Having touted this policy as an earth-shattering idea that no one has done before, the city may not want to backtrack. But, even if the city doesn’t want to back away entirely from the proposed upzoning, there are still a variety of safeguards they could put in place to mitigate the unintentional harm that this policy will cause to communities like mine. For example, they could amend the policy to allow triplexes by right, but only on currently vacant lots—of which there are hundreds throughout our city. This would add the desired density without some of the negative consequences to the community and it’s existing housing stock. The city could also explore the possibility of an eitheror: allowing developers to either build to the current zoning (single-family or duplex) or build a fourplex—with no option like a duplex or triplex in between. Why? Because a fourplex triggers the requirement for an architect and for sprinkling, which would indicate that the developer is thoughtfully improving the property and making meaningful investment, rather than just trying to maximize investor dollars while running an existing structure into the ground. The best safeguard, in my opinion, would be an owner occupancy requirement: allowing people throughout the city to build new or convert their own homes into duplexes or triplexes and rent out the

additional space. This idea is sometimes poopooed, but the fact is that many people succeed in getting a foothold into homeownership because of rental income from their home that supports their mortgage payments and improves their financial sustainability. Given your experience with land-use planning and citybuilding, are you concerned about outside investors without a long-term stake in the livability of these communities buying into Minneapolis neighborhoods? Over the two decades I’ve lived in North Minneapolis, I have seen the toll that absentee investor landlords have taken on our community. A lot of my neighbors are living paycheck to paycheck; they’re classified by the city as extremely cost-burdened, meaning that they spend a significant portion of their paycheck on housing costs alone. At the same time, North Minneapolis is home to over 40 percent of our city’s problem properties (those designated Tier 2 and Tier 3)—and a full 75 percent of the entities that own those problem properties don’t live in North Minneapolis. Unfortunately, the majority the data shows that a disproportionate percentage of owners and operators of rental properties in my area are not responsible landlords. We’re seeing investors come in, run the housing stock into the ground, treat the tenants like garbage, and immediately take all their rental income—money that could be invested in the community—out of the neighborhood. This is an immediate capital flight from the community, leaving local residents without the expendable income to invest in local opportunities or support local businesses. I’m fearful that blanket upzoning will exacerbate this problem, which, so far, our regulatory services haven’t been able to control. I also worry that it will deny homeownership opportunities to the very people whose housing problems we’re claiming to try to solve: lowincome families and people of color. Currently, a lot of absentee investors in Minneapolis shy away from single-family homes because they aren’t as profitable and they cost more money to maintain. But with the new policy, a potential first-time homebuyer in my community will suddenly have to compete with an investor from another state who’s looking to buy the place sight unseen, slice it up into three units with minimal improvements, and start renting it right away. Those investors are not looking for homes, but for cash flow opportunities. How can a first-time homebuyer who currently resides in my community compete with someone who views it as a triplex income stream? The answer is: They can’t. They will be out-bid every time, further denied the opportunity for home ownership in the community they live in. What will happen in the long run is that we’ll end up with smaller units (as we see existing housing chopped up to create triplexes in our less affluent neighborhoods), in poorer shape (because the goal of an absentee investor is to maximize profit, and there is little consequence for failing to properly maintain a safe living environment for tenants)—yet there’s no indication at all that they will go for a lower price. To summarize: In an effort to alleviate the affordable housing crisis, the city is offering my community smaller, crappier housing for no less money, with the added insult to injury of making it harder for them to buy a house

UPZONING 7

Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage holds session wrap-up Last week the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage held its session wrap-up event, which featured four of the six members of Minnesota’s United Black Legislative Caucus (UBLC). Sen. Jeﬀ Hayden (DFL-Minneapolis) and Reps. Rena Moran (DFLSt. Paul), Mohamud Noor (DFL-Minneapolis) and Ruth Richardson (DFLInver Grove Heights) spoke about bills they were able to get passed last session, the work that still needs to be done and their struggles to

get things moving. They put an emphasis on the need for our communities members to show up at the Capitol and talk to their legislators, saying legislators work for the people and it is up to the people to hold them accountable for bills that would have beneﬁted our community not being passed. There are 201 seats in the state legislature and members of the UBLC are only six in number. There are more than 400,000 people of African heritage residing in Minnesota.

Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage

Sen. Jeff Hayden (DFL-Minneapolis) talks about the most recent legislative session during the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage session wrap-up event. .

Page 6 • July 22, 2019 - July 28, 2019 • Insight News

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Lea Olsen seeks to shift the conversation from winning the game to winning in life

Sports icon launches platform that reshapes culture of youth athletics Lea Olsen, former collegiate athlete and current sports broadcaster, is seeking to change the way we talk about youth athletics through a platform called Rethink the Win. According to a recent study conducted by the National Alliance for Youth Sports, 70 percent of youth athletes will drop out of their sport by age 13 because they are no longer having fun due to a number of cultural, economic and systemic issues. From “win at all costs” attitudes to parents’ expectation that their child is the best player on the team, the pressure is greater than ever. The recently launched platform is dedicated to helping youth athletes and their parents navigate the world of sports, including these pressures and expectations, and to help them enjoy the experience to the fullest. Olsen has been immersed in the sports culture

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from a young age. She was a youth athlete a former captain of the University of Minnesota women’s basketball team and found her way to the professional sports world as a game analyst for the Minnesota Lynx and Timberwolves and ESPN’s WNBA coverage. Through all these avenues, and as a parent of children who went through the youth athletics system, she discovered that winning the game is often revered as the only positive outcome. Rethink the Win is working to change the narrative by championing the positive impact that sports have on youth athletes beyond the game. “Youth athletics is an enriching team experience and a huge commitment made by the athletes. And yet what we talk about most is the outcome of the game,” says Olsen. “We should be focusing on the personal wins, the skills developed that will propel these athletes to success in life after the game ends. The scoreboard can’t be the end of the conversation. We need to put the focus back on the kids.” Studies indicate that the toxic winning culture aﬀects

podcast, “Youth Sports Intervention,” where she uses her broadcasting background to go deep on various issues to connect the many pieces of the youth sports puzzle. With help from professional athletes, coaches, sports

we lose focus on what really matters – the greater impact the sport has on our lives.” The platform website is designed to be a gateway resource for athletes and parents, connecting them to

...toxic winning culture affects not just the athletes, but the industry as a whole

Lea Olsen not just the athletes, but the industry as a whole. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, 80 percent of high school officials quit after their second year. And a National Association of Sports Officials study shows that 40 percent of officials name parents as

the source of most unsportsmanlike behavior in games. Olsen is aiming to spread the Rethink the Win message to the many groups involved, including the athletes themselves, as well as parents, coaches and oﬃcials who can eﬀect change in the industry. Olsen is launching a

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psychologists, and parents, the podcast aims to show those involved in the youth sports industry that there is much more to gain from sports beyond winning a game. One of the guests to share their personal story is John Randle, former Minnesota Viking, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and member of the NFL Legends Community. “This is an important issue. I’m thankful Rethink the Win is tackling head-on,” said Randle. “Student-athletes, including myself at one time can get so bogged down in the challenge of the game and the pressure to succeed that

Frizell From 3

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane

part of the community. Ensuring that riders and operators are safe is one of our top priorities.” As chief, Frizell will be leading the growing police force. The department has 120 full-time and 60 part-time oﬃcers. “Our police department serves seven counties, about 130 transit routes, and riders who take more than 80 million rides every year,” said Metropolitan Council Chair Nora Slawik. “Eddie Frizell will take us into the future, working with a standard of service excellence for each of those riders and our growing system. His experience in working with a variety of communities will serve our entire region well, including partnerships that extend beyond Metro Transit’s rails and bus routes. Frizell’s being named chief comes amid community angst following a white man running over six Black pedestrians at a North Minneapolis bus shelter. The July 9 incident left two in critical condition

Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Managing Editor Harry Colbert, Jr. Culture and Education Editor Dr. Irma McClaurin Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed

video and written content designed to oﬀer inspiration and tangible skills to move away from the culture of winning. As part of the Rethink the Win platform, Olsen works with high school and college athletes to help them leverage their sports experience to succeed later in life. She also speaks at schools and league events, oﬀering athletes, parents and coaches guidance on how to ensure young people get the most out of their participation in sports. To learn more about the Rethink the Win platform, visit www.RethinkTheWin.com.

and the driver, George Reeves Jensen, 83, was only given a citation for reckless driving. Several witnesses maintain the act was intentional. The investigation is being handled by Metro Transit Police. Among the priorities Frizell stated in the public interview are community-based solutions and strong relationships with community to support policing on our transit system. He also cited continuing to hire diverse oﬃcers that reﬂect the communities served. “Under Inspector Frizell’s leadership, we will continue to improve by engaging with neighborhoods and people in the region,” said Vadis. “That feedback is essential to our success.” Frizell said he was both humbled and honored to be named the Chief of a department known for its diverse workforce. “I look forward to leading the group of law enforcement professionals at the Metro Transit Police Department as we continue to serve our region with respect, professionalism and a commitment to guardianship for our riders, employees and the communities throughout our transit system,” Frizell said.

Receptionist Lue B. Lampley

Black Business

Intern Kelvin Kuria Contributing Writers Maya Beecham Nadvia Davis Fred Easter Abeni Hill Timothy Houston Michelle Mitchum Inell Rosario Latisha Townsend Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography David Bradley V. Rivera Garcia Uchechukwu Iroegbu Rebecca Rabb

From 3

COMMUNITY BELOVEDEvent Saturday August 17, 2019 1pm – 4pm

4055 Nicollet Avenue S. Minneapolis

23) at 9 a.m., 800 W. Broadway Ave., Wednesday (July 24) a workout and breakfast at 8 a.m. at WeRow, 34 13th Ave. N.E. and a Black women networking event at 5 p.m. at Gold Room, 528 Hennepin

Ave., a Thursday (July 25) movie night at 7 p.m. at The Commons Park, 425 Portland Ave. S., FLOW Northside Arts Crawl on Penn Avenue and Lyndale Avenue on Friday and the Creative Minneapolis Business Resource Fair Saturday at Lyndale and Girard Avenues.

3rd Annual Hawthorne Neighborhood Council

Hosted by

“Back to School Community Give-a-Way” In conjunction with National Night Out

Music by Join HNC for this worthy cause to help our future leaders.

Artist Donald Walker Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis,

Sam Soulprano DJ Dime

Howard Jon Jones GiGi Gi Burnett Celena Celen a Lena

We will be collec ng NEW school supplies for grades K-12 between May 1st—July 31st to give families a li le extra support from HNC and the local businesses again this year. Last year we collected over 200 backpacks. Our goal is to make sure every child has a backpack, pencils, paper, pens, rulers, crayons, etc. when they go back to school. (Please bring or send all items to our oﬃce located at 2944 Emerson Ave. N)

Drop oﬀ site: HNC oﬃce—2944 Emerson Ave N. Unison Comfort Technologies-60 28th Ave N Discount Steel-216 N 27th Ave

The Give-a-Way will take place on: When: Tuesday August 6, 2019 Where: 2944 Emerson Ave N (HNC oﬃce) Time: 6:00p.m.—8:00p.m.

Call 612-529-6033 for more informa on! “Child MUST be present to receive backpack. NO EXCEPTIONS!”

For More Information: Lorna M. Pettis 612.442.4047 lmpevents2013@gmail.com Peter Jaeger 612.370.4908

Lite refreshments will be served!