WINNER: 2020 T YPOGRAPHY & DESIGN, 1ST PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY (PORTRAIT & PERSONALIT Y), 1ST PLACE, WEBSITE, 3RD PLACE
Insight News
July 26, 2021 - August 1, 2021
Vol. 48 No. 30• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
TRAUMATIZED
A SECOND TIME DARNELLA FRAZIER, ACCOMPANIED BY HER NINE YEAR OLD COUSIN, WAS 17 WHEN SHE FILMED VIDEO OF GEORGE FLOYD’S MURDER. STORY ON PAGE 3
Iamge via Court TV
Page 2 • July 26, 2021 - August 1, 2021 • Insight News
Your neighborhood bank is here to stay.
U.S. Bank branch mural by Juxtaposition Arts, Minneapolis, MN
We’ve just reopened the branch at 1030 West Broadway with the help of some local artists. U.S. Bank knows there’s still much work to be done after last year’s protests — so we’re also committing $100 million to bring capital and opportunity directly to the communities that need it most. Find out more about the commitment we’re making to the neighborhoods of our home city, at usbank.com/diversity
Member FDIC. ©2021 U.S. Bank
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Insight News • July 26, 2021 - August 1, 2021 • Page 3 WINNER: 2020 T YPOGRAPHY & DESIGN, 1ST PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY (PORTRAIT & PERSONALIT Y), 1ST PLACE, WEBSITE, 3RD PLACE
Insight News July 26, 2021 - August 1, 2021
Vol. 48 No. 30• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Guest Commentary
Big tech distraction By Brett Buckner, Managing Director, OneMN.org
KFAI
DJ Spider J Hamilton
Spider J Hamilton, Double OO
The vibe of the time Columnist
By Brenda Lyle-Gray It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing - doo wah - doo wah - doo! Duke Ellington, 1932 Since June of 1979, many Americans have celebrated Black Music month honoring the contributions of African American songwriters, musicians, composers,
and singers have made to the diverse cultures of our society. On Tuesday, the 22nd of June, “Conversations with Al McFarlane”, co-hosted by KFAI Radio, virtually sat down with a legend, that of Spider J Hamilton, OO (Original Old School). Along with being a master musicologist and communicator and a renown deejay, Hamilton is also the station’s Golden Boy having been in the music business for 50 plus years. “My career actually got started at KWKI 92.3, in Kansas City where I connected with the celebrated deejay, Freddie Bell. Jerry Bowling, known as the Doctor of Urban
Radio, came up with my name and it stuck. Both Bell and I discovered we were alumni of Central High School, so that connection gave me a foot in the door. This was the station that came after KPRS which is the oldest Black radio station in the country. After completing the company’s year-long Youth Talent Program at the top of my class, I eventually enlisted in the Army, following having gone to jail for my involvement in the 1968 riots. When I came out of the Army, I decided to move to Minneapolis where I could study electronics at Control Data. That was August of 1979.” The music Double
Melvin Carter
By Irma McClaurin, PhD By Irma McClaurin, PhD https://corporate. target.com/article/2020/09/lakestreet-letter
Andrea Jenkins
OO and musical geniuses such as Teddy Riley, Bobby Brown Jr., the late Michael Jackson, and Belle Bev DeVoe have held on to for decades is known as ‘New Jack Swing’. Riley describes it as the most refined example of R&B; a steady infectious sound - a mixture of mental hip hop, smoothed out on the tip with a pop feel appeal to it. “Do you remember when James Brown would turn to the band, point, and yell, ‘Take It to the Bridge’! And then the dance crowd would explode into a crescendo of excitement putting together their best dance steps,” Hamilton asked?
With the pandemic finally waning, the months ahead will be crucial in ensuring a successful economic recovery. There are important priorities on the line right now, as we look towards administering more COVID-19 vaccines, re-opening the economy, resuming normal life, and continuing critical conversations In Minnesota surrounding the global reckoning on racial equity. But the recent focus on anti-technology rhetoric from Republicans has distracted many government leaders from these more pressing concerns. Over the last year, there has been a growing conservative movement against tech companies. Most recently, when Facebook’s Oversight Board upheld the company’s decision to keep Former President Trump off its platform this month, the GOP backlash was immediate.
Brett Buckner Many Republicans decried the ruling, calling to “break up” tech companies and enact stricter content moderation policies. President Biden clearly recognizes this as well, recently revoking a Trump executive order that attempted to limit liability protections for all online platforms. A conservative-driven agenda, coupled with potential economic consequences, is a combination that should give legislators pause; and with recovery on the horizon, it distracts from the real needs of our communities.
Commentary by Dr. By Aarohi Narain By Mecca Dana Randall Harry Maya Alexa Starks Colbert, Beecham Spencer, Bos Bradley Jr. Josie Johnson By Global Latisha Information Townsend Contributing Architect Howard Mayo Managing Clinic University Editor Staff Writer Contributing Network (GIN)Writer News Service harry@insightnews.com
HAMILTON 4
THE HEALING CIRCLE:
Traumatized a second time By Brenda Lyle-Gray Columnist “Traumatic events, by definition, overwhelm our ability to cope. When the mind becomes flooded with emotion, a circuit breaker is thrown that allows us to survive the experience fairly intact, that is, without becoming psychotic or frying out one of the brain centers. The cost of this blown circuit is emotion frozen within the body. In other words, we often unconsciously stop feeling our trauma partway into it, like a movie that is still going after the sound has been turned off. We cannot heal until we move fully through that trauma, including all the feelings of the event.” Susan Pease Banitt, “The Trauma Tool Kit” “We have to keep up
the fight, and in order to do that we must stay informed with the right information,” says Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. “And I would add, as President Biden often attest, ‘silence means consent’. We do not consent to be marginalized, living in peril on city streets, not having a seat at the table of decision making, and being a target people of mis-education, police brutality, incarceration, centuries of ‘trauma beyond words’, and a wealth gap that will take generations to close.” Ellison addressed the regional and national audience of Conversations with Al McFarlane, which is now also streamed on the Black Press USA Facebook page. Black Press USA is the social media platform of National Newspaper Publishers Association, NNPA,
Moriah Pye
Moriah Pye
Women United to Win Sharing Our Stories
Attorney General Keith Ellison which McFarlane has served as a board member and as chair of the NNPA Foundation. Joining the Friday “Healing Circle” edition of the virtual daily public policy town hall forum, Ellison reviewed the state’s successful prosecution
Dr. BraVada Akinsanya of former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, who was found guilty on three counts, for the murder of George Floyd a year ago in South Minneapolis. He said the court operates within Minnesota
TRAUMATIZED 4
All out mobilization on August 6th to keep the nine votes needed to override Mayor Frey’s threats to Veto the Renter-led option
11 of 13 Minneapolis city councilmembers vote for both pathways to passing rent control After six months of grassroots organizing, eleven of thirteen Minneapolis City Council Members voted in favor of both charter amendments establishing a process for passing rent control in Minneapolis. They rejected bureaucratic opposition from the City Attorney’s office and the Minneapolis Charter Commission, who recommended that the City
RENT 7
I2H
Blacks vaccination rates much higher than publicized
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By: W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor On June 5, I had the honor of attending the Women United to Win luncheon, a program of National Empowerment Group, Inc. Featured in a previous article, this luncheon recognized the contributions of women in multiple fields— nonprofit, for-profit, community service and activism, to name a few. It was a day of recognition, music, dance, and empowering speakers. This was also the first luncheon in its 13-year history to honor both women and girls, and I would like to take a moment to spotlight one of the honorees, Ms. Moriah Pye. Moriah is in her junior year at the Math and Science Academy in Woodbury, Minn. A Girl Scout and an A-honor roll student, Moriah has a passion for art and community services, winning prizes for her artwork at the Minnesota State Fair and packing COVID-19 care packages for seniors in her community. At her school, she currently leads the International Club, which informs people about the different cultures and
diversities worldwide. In her commitment to impacting and changing lives, Moriah’s Girl Scout project and initiative, Beauty Through the Lens, has a mission: to provide visual health care information and services to people in developing countries to address the issue of visual impairment. Partnering with Project Safety Nets, she is collecting new and used prescription and reading glasses in good condition, as well as sunglasses. They will be sent to people in Senegal, West Africa and other countries on the African continent, along with information about proper eye care for the recipients. Readers, if you or someone you know has glasses you no longer need, please consider donating them. You can also support Moriah’s effort by collecting glasses as well. In the words of author Sharon Botts Garth, “When you change the narrative, you change the perception.” Moriah Pye is a young Black woman who is actively changing the narrative in her effort to provide access to proper eyewear for populations in need. Moriah’s project, along with information on common eye diseases, can be found on her Beauty Through the Lens website at https:// kipconsult.wixsite.com/mysite-1 . Heartiest congratulations to you, Moriah, for making a positive difference!
News
Twin Cities Jazz Festival Returns to Mears Park Sept. 17–18
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Page 4 • July 26, 2021 - August 1, 2021 • Insight News
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Agreement to potentially bring more than $300M to Minnesota over 18 years for opioid epidemic treatment and prevention; also requires data transparency, industry changes to ensure crisis never happens again
Attorney General Ellison, states reach $26B agreement with major opioid manufacturer, distributors Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison today joined a large multistate coalition in announcing a historic $26 billion agreement with major opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson and the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors — Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen — that will bring much-needed relief to communities in Minnesota and across the country that have been devastated by the opioid crisis. Minnesota’s share of this agreement could be as much as $337 million over 18 years, with significant payments frontloaded in the first five years. The spending of State of Minnesota funds from the agreement will be overseen by the State’s Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council. The agreement also requires data transparency and significant industry changes that will help prevent this type of crisis from ever happening again. The agreement would resolve investigations and claims against these companies of the nearly 4,000 states and local governments across the country that have filed lawsuits in federal and state courts. “There is no amount of money that can ever make up for the death and destruction these companies caused in the pure pursuit of profit. No amount of money can bring back the nearly 5,000 lives we lost in Minnesota or fully restore the communities devastated in every part of our state,” Attorney General Ellison said. “But it is still critically important to hold these companies financially accountable for their role in creating and extending the opioid crisis, and this agreement does that and more. I’m especially pleased it requires them to turn over data that will help us learn what they did to
Traumatized From 3 sentencing guidelines. The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled sentencing must reflect the facts of a criminal case, as it sought to prevent historical and normal racial bias in sentencing. “Chauvin’s sentence had nothing to do with revenge or sending a message. It was about the cruelty of George Floyd’s execution and the abuse of the senior officer’s authority,” Ellison said. “But to discount; to minimize the trauma of what we all saw that happened on the
us, and puts in place controls to ensure that they can never do it again. I will continue to fight to make transparency part of any and all future agreements with opioid companies. “We have worked hard for many years to secure this agreement. I await the final terms, but assuming they are acceptable, I encourage every Minnesota community to sign onto this agreement so that we can continue the process of healing and accountability,” Attorney General Ellison concluded. Following today’s agreement, states have 30 days to sign onto the deal and local governments in the participating states will have until January 1, 2022 to join to secure a critical mass of participating states and local governments. States and their local governments will receive maximum payments if each state and its local governments join together in support of the agreement. Funding overview • The three distributors collectively will pay up to $21 billion over 18 years. • Johnson & Johnson will pay up to $5 billion over nine years with up to $3.7 billion paid during the first three years. • The total payments will be determined by the overall degree of participation by both litigating and non-litigating state and local governments. • The substantial majority of the money is to be spent on opioid treatment and prevention. • Each state’s share of the funding has been determined by agreement among the states using a formula that takes into account the impact of the crisis on the state – the number of overdose deaths, the number of residents with substance use disorder, and the number of opioids prescribed – and the 25th of May, 2020 and the surreal nature of what the young girls witnessed was inappropriate.” In documents sentencing Chauvin, Judge Peter Cahil, said the prosecution did not prove that the young children who witnessed the murder were traumatized by what they saw. The judge said some video presented in trial include incidences of some of the children laughing. That characterization of the children’s experience is what Ellison objected to in statements to the press and to the community. “There were no intentions of disrespect directed toward the court, but we made
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Johnson misled patients and doctors about the addictive nature of opioid drugs.
population of the state. Injunctive relief overview The 10-year agreement will result in court orders requiring Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen to: • Establish a centralized independent clearinghouse to provide all three distributors and state regulators with aggregated data and analytics about where drugs are going and how often, eliminating blind spots in the current systems used by distributors. • Use data-driven systems to detect suspicious opioid orders from customer pharmacies. • Terminate customer pharmacies’ ability to receive shipments, and report those companies to state regulators, when they show certain signs of diversion. • Prohibit shipping of and report suspicious opioid orders. • Prohibit sales staff from influencing decisions related to identifying suspicious opioid orders. • Require senior corporate officials to engage in regular oversight of antidiversion efforts.
Human toll of the opioid crisis In 2020 alone, opioid overdose deaths nationally rose to a record 93,000, a nearly 30 percent increase over the prior year. According to the Minnesota Department of Health Drug Overdose Dashboard, 4,821 Minnesotans died of opioid overdoses from 200019. The crisis is far from over today: preliminary reports show 654 opioid-involved deaths in Minnesota in 2020, a 59% increase from 2019. Emergency room visits for opioid-involved overdoses increased from 1,618 in 2016 to 3,990 in 2020. Native Americans in Minnesota are seven times more likely than white people to die of a drug overdose, and African Americans are twice as likely.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison across the country, in one of the largest amounts that individuals have paid to resolve a law enforcement action in U.S. history. Minnesota’s share of those payments is expected to exceed $50 million over nine years. • In February 2021, Minnesota settled an investigation against consulting firm McKinsey related to the firm’s role in helping Purdue “turbocharge” opioid sales. As a result of that settlement, McKinsey will pay almost $8 million to Minnesota to fund abatement efforts. As part of the settlement, McKinsey is required to publicly disclose documents detailing its work for opioid companies. • In October 2020, Minnesota was part of a multistate settlement with opioid manufacturer Mallinckrodt that requires Mallinckrodt to put $1.6 billion into a trust that will be disbursed over a period of seven years to all the states and jurisdictions once it emerges from bankruptcy. In addition, MNK will stop marketing its opioids and will put systems in place to prevent opioid misuse. Significantly, MNK will also publicly disclose internal
documents that show how it misrepresented the risks and benefits of opioids and failed to curtail problematic orders for its opioid products, among other things. • In January 2020, Minnesota was part of a multistate plan that liquidated opioid manufacturer Insys Theraputics, Inc. in federal bankruptcy court. Along with Purdue Pharma, Insys was one of two manufacturers of highly addictive opioids that the Attorney General’s Office sued. The plan requires public disclosure of millions of Insys’s internal documents related to its marketing of the opioid Subsys, and provides monetary relief to states, local governments, and tribes. State negotiations of today’s agreement were led by North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, and Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery, a Republican, and a bipartisan executive committee comprised of the attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
The 10-year agreement will result in court orders requiring Johnson & Johnson to: • Stop selling opioids. • Not fund or provide grants to third parties for promoting opioids. • Not lobby on activities related to opioids. • Share clinical trial data under the Yale University Open Data Access Project. This settlement comes as a result of investigations by state attorneys general into whether the three distributors fulfilled their legal duty to refuse to ship opioids to pharmacies that submitted suspicious drug orders and whether Johnson &
Fifth Minnesota resolution with opioid companies, all including transparency Today marks the fifth time that Minnesota has reached agreement with opioid companies to hold them accountable for their role in creating and perpetuating the devastating opioid epidemic. All of the agreements reached so far have included the disclosure of documents or data. Attorney General Ellison has been a leader in the fight for transparency in agreements with opioid companies. • On July 7, 2021, Minnesota resolved its lawsuit against Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family that controlled Purdue in a multistate agreement that will make public tens of millions of documents related to Purdue’s role in the deadly opioid crisis. It also requires the Sacklers personally to pay $4.325 billion over nine years for prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts in communities
a decision we felt we could live with and not be regretful. We asked these young ladies to testify. That meant they would be traumatized a second time. We had to had to stand up for them and let others understand why we did.” Most believe that without the video, the outcome might not have been as favorable for the Floyd family and people who were sickened by what they witnessed and wanted to do something about it. Ellison said his team thought long and hard about the decision to have the children testify in the trial. He said his office even sought expert academic evidence to support what they knew to be true: Young Black women in the criminal justice system are looked upon as being five to ten years older than their actual age. “The theory is referred to as ‘adultification’, Ellison said. “But these were kids doing kid things with different colored hair and false eyelashes. Did the judge address their cries asking to let someone check for Floyd’s pulse or for Chauvin to stop
torturing the victim who cried out for his mother?” Ellison said, “No one could have walked away from that atrocity playing out right before their very eyes and not be traumatized. As you recall, the young girls and other witnesses cried as they began to testify.” “The Healing Circle’s co-host, Dr. Bravada Garrett Akinsanya, founder and CEO of the African American Child Wellness Institute (AACWI) said our children are the most vulnerable and adults and caretakers are the stewards of their bodies and their spirits. “What Judge Cahill did in negating the fact the young girls were at all traumatized diminishes the value of their pain. What they were told as they witnessed a horror was that their bodies meant nothing. Not surprising that this kind of devaluation is linked to centuries of trauma carried in our DNA.” “We are a collective, communal people but the lack of connection killed our spirit,” Dr. B. said. “We created strong, morally based, respectful villages in the past intertwined
with the future hopes for our babies and where no one was left alone. We saw ourselves as able and obligated. Our needs and desires have not changed despite the oppressive white hatred that preys upon us. We declare that we are entitled to safe social and physical wellness and justice by any means necessary.” Ellison discussed several additional initiatives being prosecuted by his office. He said Minnesota joined the class action anti-trust lawsuit against mega companies such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon. He said, “We pay more for internet access than any country in the world and that’s because we’ve got 5 or 6 monopolies controlling the market for consumer buying power. We just can’t become a monopoly country. Somehow, we need to find a way to limit their size and market concentration and bring in more women and other cultures into the board rooms. Ever think about why the minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 for 12 years. There is no way the net income of a large majority of Americans
after taxes can cover livable expenses.” Ellison said the threat of COVID-19 is not over. “Hospitals are filling again, this time with the unvaccinated.” He invited residents who had received exorbitant gas bills they just can’t handle to call the Attorney General’s office. “We will fight for the residents. The Public Utility Commission didn’t do what it could have and should have done to keep individual bills manageable.” As a final comment, Ellison said he left Congress for that very reason; to be able to do more good for the community such as a victory for his team and the Floyd family in the Chauvin case and resulting sentencing and continuing to fight for racial, criminal, economic, and environmental justice reform. “We didn’t get everything we asked for in the George Floyd Public Safety and Policing Bill, but we can take what we can get for now, and come back next year. Police accountability has consistently been a long-time struggle.
business; the Nacirema, an elite, semi-private neighborhood club; the Elks’ Lodge on Plymouth Avenue and Cato’s on Golden Valley Road. When 1-94 intentionally cut straight through the Black communities in the late 60s, decimating Black homes and businesses, the O.G. of entertainment, Jimmy Fuller lost his popular Cozy Bar, but later created the thriving River View Club. There were few welcome mats for Blacks in the downtown. Black entrepreneurs created entertainment venues that supported elegant social lives and at the same time, facilitated relationships that reflected and supported fulfilling their civic responsibility. These venues afforded safe night life and they were well-managed. Artists seemed to be drawn to that Minneapolis Sound, so much so the Twin Cities were sometimes called the 3rd Coast. It was easy to make a demo, and then hope the artists could make a contact with the “circle” found in numerous club venues. There were big time players, a lot of talent, and possible contracts. The circles were tight knit, but often connections were made. The club scene provided for outlets of outstanding creative expression, and the dance music, clearly the infectious sounds of the New Jack swing, was brought by DJs Jimmy Jam Harris, Kyle Ray, Billy Bump, Pharoah Black, Dan Portier, and Spider Hamilton’ back in the day. “The Fox Trap was
the largest Black serving, but not Black owned, club in either of the Twin Cities. It was a classy environment to be at and to be seen. Surprisingly, in the 80s, Jimmy Jam had a deejay residency at this entertainment venue. On the first floor, there was always live music. On the second floor, there was the main disco with reflecting lights and full crowds. The third floor was where I found myself. We danced and we sang and we felt alive,” Hamilton said. “The music I grew up with was about connections; relationships,” Hamilton fondly recalled. “None of that destruction and death stuff; how somebody was going to ‘smoke’ someone out. But if you look at the top 10 contemporary picks, most are Rap and Hip Hop worldwide. The Dramatics and the Whispers wanted love back and they were convincing. We played this safe stuff. I still do.” Fifty plus years, and the infectious, rhythmic body twerks are still there. The SOS band is heard in the background. Double OO comes alive. Years gone by. The feel of the release of all the drama is remembered. The lights, the exhilaration of the live bands. Party slips being distributed. Classiness, love, and laughter fill the rooms. “I hope other bands keep the Minnesota Sound going. That’s going to be important. I’m going to do what I can, but I’m not going to be around forever,’ said Hamilton. Movies such as House Party with Kid N Play,
Boyz N the Hood, Boomerang, Ghostbusters II theme song (Bobby Brown) ‘On My Own’, and “New Jack City” all had a ‘swing’ cut in their soundtracks. The dance music was popularized by rappers Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff (However Do You Want Me), The Fresh Prince; and late 80s and early 90s television shows ‘A Different World’ and ‘In Living Color’ also helped to popularize the genre. To date, the most successful New Jack Swing album is ‘Dangerous’, released in 1991 and produced by Michael Jackson and Teddy Riley. The album has sold over 32 million copies worldwide, he said. For the past 5 years, Hamilton, an inductee into the prestigious Marquis Who’s Who, has awarded deejay scholarships to up-and-coming talents in the field. The winners of the two annual scholarships are then invited to come and watch the jocks at work. “It’s about giving back; passing the torch, Hamilton said. For further information: www. SlamAcademy.com/scholarship Look for Double OO this fall in “Millennium Magazine” Reference: “Purple Snow: What Came Before Purple Rain” - The Atlantic/11-13-2013. A compilation chronicling the influential Minneapolis R & B sound of the 70s and early 80s right before Prince.
Hamilton From 3 Swing beat or New Jack swing is described as a fusion genre blending the production techniques of hip-hop, jazz, funk, rap, rhythm and blues, and dance pop with the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle, New Jack swing movement was most popular from the mid-1980s to the mid-90s, and usually performed by Black musicians. The Minnesota Sound included Prince, Andre Simone, and Mint Condition along with a host of others. Mint Condition, a jewel of this genre, continues to perform live. From 1984-2011, Pete Rhodes showcased many undiscovered talents of the ‘Sound’ such as Jesse Johnson, T.C. Ellis, Paul Lawrence, and Sue Ann Carwell, Alexander O’Neil and Maserati during the celebrated Black Music Awards. Taking a walk down memory lane, McFarlane and Hamilton test each other’s memories of Minneapolis’ secure and joy-filled night life and the 70s and the 80s club scene. There was the street-level club at the Foshay Tower which started as King Solomon’s Mine, then morphed into The Establishment and later, Cork’s. The Spruce Club, owned by the Masons, was their place to do
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By Lee H. Jordan Minneapolis Juneteenth Committee - 2018 National Juneteenth Film & Bicycling Commissions
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Insight News • July 26, 2021 - August 1, 2021 • Page 5
Building stronger communities in the Twin Cities Bank of America is helping to meet the need for more affordable housing in neighborhoods across the country. Through Community Development Banking, we’re deepening our commitment to create more communities for people to call home. In 2020, we committed $5.87 billion for affordable housing and economic development financing, resulting in over 13,000 housing units for people and families in need — many of which were constructed by diverse developers. In addition, we’re joining Enterprise Community Partners to invest $60 million in capital to support minority developers and their work to build inclusive communities. My teammates and I remain dedicated to helping more people find a place to live they can both love and afford. What would you like the power to do?®
Working together We’re also collaborating with organizations that are supporting affordable housing options here in the Twin Cities. They include: City of Lakes Community Land Trust Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
Katie Simpson President, Bank of America Twin Cities
Go to bankofamerica.com/twincities to learn more about the work we are doing with our incredible partners.
Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender
© 2021 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.
Page 6 • July 26, 2021 - August 1, 2021 • Insight News
Insight 2 Health
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Improving access to SNAP in Minnesota
Hunger Solutions Minnesota last week issued a report outlining its findings and recommendations for improving and increasing participation in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Only two-thirds of Minnesotans eligible for SNAP are enrolled—ranking the state 39th in the nation in SNAP access. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 1 in 9 people in Minnesota currently experience food insecurity. Families across the state are choosing between housing, medical expenses, childcare costs and their grocery budgets. Last year, Hunger Solutions Minnesota undertook a project with The Food Trust and Food Research & Action Center with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
to explore barriers to SNAP enrollment and participation and identify solutions to improve the program. Two statewide surveys were conducted with over 600 individuals with lived experience. Feedback was also gathered through listening sessions and key informant interviews. A diverse mix of over 90 stakeholders were engaged for additional feedback through three virtual statewide meetings. “I was disqualified for help by $32 in a year. Literally, we were starving. We do use food shelves up here in Duluth […] that’s what we pretty much live off.” • Mother of two, Duluth Of the SNAP participants responding to the survey, 90% indicated they were food insecure even though
they received SNAP. SNAP participants also mentioned challenges with income and benefit fluctuations, and many commented that increasing the gross income limit would help many who are just above the eligibility threshold to qualify for SNAP. “I feel with the cost of living as high as it is here in Minnesota […] a lot of families like ours fall through the cracks; poor enough to almost starve but not poor enough to get help.” • Mother of four, North Minneapolis Hunger Solutions Minnesota and SNAP project partners developed several recommendations to improve SNAP by: • Improving SNAP awareness and reduce stigma • Introduce changes to
make the application process easier and more equitable • Increasing benefit levels • Increasing the gross and net income limits. • Allow SNAP recipients to use benefits for hot food purchases by seeking USDA SNAP hot foods waiver • Allow broader access to online grocery purchases • Engage people with lived experience to improve SNAP The struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic will have lasting effects on those in the state, and there has never been a more critical time to invest in, expand and improve SNAP. Implementation of the recommendations outlined in the report will not only help those struggling to put food on
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their tables, but help Minnesota become a healthier, more thriving state for all who live in it. “We look forward to working with the state, legislative leaders and our many SNAP project partners
to advance these improvements and work to reduce the number of individuals in Minnesota experiencing food insecurity. • Colleen Moriarty, Executive Director, Hunger Solutions Minnesota
Blacks vaccination rates much higher than publicized BlackDoctor.org (BDO), a health and wellness site for Black Americans reports success in getting Blacks vaccinated. In a recent poll on the website, 70% of nearly 2500 respondents reported being “fully vaccinated” with another 3% reporting having had their “first shot” (Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two shots to be fully vaccinated). The reported success in the fight against COVID-19 is significant, givin the widespread misinformation about the vaccines and reports of hesitancy in the Black community. BDO’s COVID awareness initiative has been built upon several pillars. First, the site has been the trusted source of health and wellness information for Blacks for over 15 years, boasting over 20
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million reach each month on its website and FB platform. Second, BDO brought the top experts to Facebook Live events and allowed their audience to ask them questions directly. Finally, the site listened to their audience and brought local, trusted physicians to talk about the specifics of vaccine acceptance in their respective communities. BDO did not tell Blacks to get vaccinated. Instead, they provided the most accurate and culturally relevant information so they could make an informed decision. A recent example of BDO’s successful endeavors is the Community Immunity Series. This was a ten-part Facebook Live series of programs that focused on specific states/regions that had low vaccination rates for Blacks
(Alabama, Mississippi, NC/SC, etc.) or areas that had high Black populations (Chicago, DC, Detroit). In all, the programs reached nearly 750,000 people. At the beginning of the pandemic, a poll on the site revealed that nearly 70% of their audience did not plan to get vaccinated. Now, fifteen months later, 70% are reporting being fully vaccinated, with nearly 60% of respondents reporting that BDO was “very helpful” in their decision to get vaccinated. BDO is dedicated to eliminating healthcare disparities, providing accurate and culturally relevant information, and eliminating the life expectancy gap. Black Americans have a mortality rate more than double that of Whites when contracting COVID. Reposted from PR Newswire
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Insight News • July 26, 2021 - August 1, 2021 • Page 7
Twin Cities Jazz Festival Returns to Mears Park Sept. 17–18
“TIME FOR REPARATIONS”
The Three-Time Grammy Award-Winning Sounds of Blackness is lending voice to the Reparations Movement with a groundbreaking new single. Inspired by 400 years of systemic injustice, inequality, and inhumanity, Sounds of Blackness Singers & Band express the perpetual pain and rage of Black People, who never received “40 Acres And A Mule” despite the centuries of free labor, exploitation, brutality, and dehumanization.
Written and produced by Sounds Music Director Gary Hines Sounds of Blackness Andrea Macklin & Yulanda are featured on ”Time For Reparations” was recorded at Atomic K Studios and Winterland Studios Minneapolis and, BabyHoney Studio Kansas City, MO. “Time For Reparations” is featured in the Sounds’ 50th Anniversary Special Edition Justice Package
which includes “Royalty” (NAACP IMAGE AWARD NOMINEE), “Black Lives Matter”,” and Sick & Tired”. The Special Edition Justice Package will be followed release of hit singles “You’re Gonna Win” and, “Hold Up Your Light”!!! The Sounds of Blackness donates a portion of the proceeds to The George Floyd Scholarship Fund.
St. Paul, Minn.– The Twin Cities Jazz Festival will see its return to Mears Park this September with two days of music in this beautiful urban park. This year’s festival will be headlined by award-winning pianist Kenny Barron and his trio, rising star Emmet Cohen, and trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet. A second stage will be set up on 5th Street. “Throughout the pandemic, the Twin Cities Jazz Festival has remained committed to our musicians, jazz fans and community. For the past sixteen months, we’ve been hosting Jazz Fest Live, a weekly virtual concert series and have watched our numbers soar. We have music lovers logging in from all 50 states and several countries,” said Steve Heckler, Twin Cities Jazz Festival’s Executive Director. “We appreciate all the donations that have allowed us to continue to bring live music into homes weekly. Together, we can help Minnesota rebound.” Our non-profit organization is proud of the impact we make on the community by employing 300+ local musicians throughout the pandemic. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of music fans who support our local businesses. Support for Twin Cities Jazz Festival means support for the many musicians, restaurants and businesses who have been hit hardest this past year. Friday, September 17 HIGHWAY CREDIT UNION MEARS PARK STAGE 5:30PM Emmet Cohen with Special Guest
Patrick Bartley 7:30PM Barron Trio
Kenny
XCEL ENERGY’S JAZZ ON THE 5th STREET STAGE 4:00PM to 5:00PM Maryann Sullivan & the Money Makers 6:30PM to 7:30PM Selby Avenue Brass Band Saturday, September 18 HIGHWAY CREDIT UNION MEARS PARK STAGE 12:30PM Walker West Music Academy & MacPhail Center for Music Youth Performances 3:00PM Twin Cities Seven 5:00PM Moore By Four 7:30PM Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet XCEL ENERGY’S JAZZ ON THE 5th STREET STAGE
2:00PM to 3:00PM Jack Brass Band 4:00PM to 5:00PM Katia Cardenas 6:30PM to 7:30PM Salsa del Soul The Twin Cities Jazz Festival, established in 1999, is a non-profit organization, with a mission to keep the art form of jazz alive and well in our community. Support for the 2021 Twin Cities Jazz Festival is provided by AARP, Xcel Energy, Hiway Credit Union, RBC Wealth Management, Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, Pillars Senior Living, Summit Brewery, and many other supporters. For more information, visit TwinCitiesJazzFestival. com, or follow @tcjazzfestival on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. To join Jazz Fest’s email list go to, . www3. thedatabank.com #tcjazzfest Musicians and schedule subject to change.
Faith Leaders lead charge for climate action Religious voters and faith leaders are voicing support for President Joe Biden’s agenda to address the climate crisis. A new issue brief from the Center for American Progress outlines the broad consensus among religious Americans that the world is facing a climate crisis. “Addressing the full scope of the climate crisis will require all religious leaders and activists—and elected officials of all faiths and no faith—to unite around climate
Rent From 3 Council block the charter amendment allowing for a renter-crafted policy, passed by a ballot initiative to voters. Today’s vote at the Policy & Government Oversight (POGO) Committee is an indication of how the City Council will vote at their Regular Meeting this Friday at 9:30am, though organizers are continuing the grassroots pressure campaign until every vote is counted. At today’s committee meeting numerous City Council Members said they had heard from renters concerned about getting priced out of the city, homeowners concerned about gentrification, unions concerned about their membership’s housing costs, faith communities, and more. Mayor Frey has indicated he will veto the charter amendment that establishes a renter-crafted pathway to passing rent control through a ballot initiative. However, in the end Minneapolis City Council has the power to override his veto at their City Council Meeting on Friday, August 6th at 9:30am. Only nine of the eleven “yes” votes today would be required to override the mayoral veto of the renter-led option.
justice priorities,” said Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, a fellow at CAP and co-author of the brief. “Fortunately, religious Americans are backing congressional legislation that will make a significant investment in climate and infrastructure.” The brief notes that more than 3,400 faith leaders have signed a new statement organized by Interfaith Power & Light to support investments in climate action and climateready infrastructure. Faith-based
organizations are also working at the state level to call for national climate legislation. The brief cites support from leaders at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in Arizona, faith groups in West Virginia, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For more information please contact Sam Hananel at shananel@ americanprogress.org or 202478-6327.
“The renter-led pathway is not on the November 2nd ballot yet. We are calling on renters, working class homeowners, union members, and faith leaders to pack City Hall on Friday, August 6th at 9:00am” said Joe Hesla, member of Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America (TCDSA) and organizer with Minneapolis United for Rent Control, “we just saw how the City Attorney and the Charter Commission tried to do the dirty work of landlords and the real-estate lobby, and we need to keep up the pressure until the last vote is counted.” One of the main arguments the Charter Commission and the City Attorney tried to use against a renter-led ballot initiative was that it would establish a “majoritarian tyranny”. Organizers pointed out that when the Charter Commission says they want to protect minority interests, they mean the economic elite, like corporate landlords, developers, and out-of-state investors who continue to profit off this housing crisis. The feared majority in this case, are renters, working-class homeowners, and Black, Indigenous, and immigrant communities, who are the most impacted by these skyrocketing rent increases. The other argument they used was to say renters
would create a bad rent control policy. Organizers with Minneapolis United for Rent Control point out that their proposed policy, which caps rent increases at 3% annually and applies universally to all units, is actually in-line with the key findings of Minneapolis City Council’s own study conducted by the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA). See MURC’s statement on the CURA study here . Minneapolis United for Rent Control is supported by numerous organizations, including the Harrison Neighborhood Association, Socialist Alternative, the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA), Corcoran Neighborhood Organization, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL), Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE), Minneapolis Federation of Teachers and Educational Support Professionals (MFT 59), Unite HERE Local 17, the Restaurant Opportunities Center - MN, Black Visions, Reclaim the Block, Inqulinxs Unidxs por Justicia, Cedar Riverside Community Council, Seward Neighborhood Group, Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America (TC-DSA), and numerous faith based organizations, led by Shiloh Temple International Ministries.
AUG. 15TH, 2021 - EXTENDED DEADLINE!
Page 8 • July 26, 2021 - August 1, 2021 • Insight News
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JOIN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT’S REALLY HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOMS. Because our children are worth it. Real Talk, Real Change returns with a candid discussion, in episode three, on the racial disparities in our education system, and more importantly, what can be done to rebuild it.
WAYS TO EXPLORE AFRICAN AMERICAN
HISTORY WITH
SEE MORE PRINCE
In the photogr aphy exhibit Prince: Before the Rain , you can see iconic images of the artist tak en by Allen Beaulieu in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Prince’ s story continues in the First Avenue exhibit, where you can see his Purple Rain suit. Both exhibits now on view, Minnesota History Center, St. Paul. First Avenue presenting sponsor Baird. Prince sponsor Xcel Energy.
COME TO FAMILY DAY
SATURDAYS at the MUSEUMɨ Explore the history of St. Anthony F alls with a day of family-friendly activities during My Mighty Journey: A W aterfall’s Story Family Day, Nov 9, Mill City Museum, Minneapolis.
Storytellers, Activities and Fun! Sponsored by Xcel Energy.
Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery 1256 Penn Ave No, Minneapolis, MN 55411, 4th Floor
Saturday mornings from 10 - 11:30am • 240 pages
Hear Stories Read or Great Storytelling! EXPLORE THE HIDDEN Engage in coordinated HISTORY
activities and just have Fun!
Hear Dr. Christopher Lehman talk about his ne w book, Slavery’s Reach, which tr aces the mone y between Southern plantations and Minnesota’ s businesses. Slavery’s Reach Author Ev ent, Nov 17, North www.maahmg.org Contact us at: info@maahmg.org Regional Libr ary, Minneapolis.
Become a member!
MNHS Press
• $18.95
Local Children’s Book Authors and Storytellers! Treats!
All Are Welcome.
See us at
Free Admission.
____________________________________________________________________________ "The Children's Reading Circle is partially supported by The Givens Foundation for African American Literature through operating support funding from Target. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund."
PLAN YOUR VISIT 1-844-MNSTORY MNHS.ORG
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The MAAHMG is a fully qualified 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Minnesota.
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