Insight ::: 07.05.21 by Insight News, Inc

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Insight News

July 5, 2021 - July 11, 2021

Vol. 48 No. 27• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

$132 Million to Support Students Recovery from COVID-19

State government bill includes end to peacetime emergency By Mike Cook In a bit of irony, one of the last bills heading to the governor that would prevent a partial state government shutdown is the omnibus state government finance and policy bill. Sponsored by Rep. Michael Nelson (DFLBrooklyn Park) and Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake), SSHF12/SSSF2* provides funding — and some increases — for some state agencies, boards and commissions. It also contains elections provisions, including a process for absentee ballot drop boxes, and policy issues related to veterans. It was passed 7063 by the House, as amended, early Wednesday morning and 54-12 by the Senate about an hour later. It was expected to be acted upon by Gov. Tim Walz later in the day. When passed by the Senate June 25, the bill included an end to all of Walz’s current peacetime emergency declarations on July 1. While the discussion was occurring, the governor announced he plans to end the peacetime emergency after reaching a deal with the federal government to protect emergency food payments. “The peacetime emergency also made Minnesotans eligible for federal hungerrelief funding for 15 months. Our agreement with our federal partners to extend those benefits for Minnesotans, coupled with the thoughtful plan outlined in the House Democrats’ amendment to wind down the emergency response in state government, means that we can close this chapter of our history and celebrate the brighter days ahead,” Walz said in a statement. Funding The bill calls for nearly $1.25 billion in General Fund spending in the 2022-23 biennium, a $78.5 million increase over the current biennium. Among its increases, the Office of the Attorney General is to receive $7.86 million: nearly $5 million for investments in critical litigation technology resources necessary in modern litigation for a public law office, $1.03 million for security upgrades, $700,000 for wage theft enforcement, $600,000 to help maintain experienced staff and $578,000 for enhanced antitrust resources. Other changes include an $11.03 million increase for the Department of Revenue, mainly for an operating adjustment; $4.52 million for Minnesota Management and Budget; $4.38 million for MN.IT, mostly to implement recommendations from the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Council on Information Technology; $4.25 million for the Office of the Secretary of State, with $2 million for local grants for ballot drop boxes and $1.5 million for election equipment grants; $2.8 million for the state auditor’s office, including almost $1.49 million to create a School Finance Accountability team; and $2.39 million more for the Administration Department. Many smaller agencies would receive slight operating adjustments. The Market Bucks program, which matches Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program spending dollar-fordollar (up to $10) at participating farmers markets, would again be funded at $650,000 for the biennium. Funding for the program that helps lowincome residents to make more purchases at farmers’ markets was formerly funded in the agriculture bill.

FINISHING SESSION BUSINESS House Photography file photo

EXCLUSIVE — Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework Advances Economic and Public Health Opportunities for Communities of Color By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia The President Joe Bidenled bipartisan Infrastructure Framework released on Tuesday, June 29, addresses economic disparities in America’s economy and the consequences of decades of disinvestment in the nation’s infrastructure that have fallen most heavily on communities of color. Through critical investments, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework increases access to goodpaying jobs, affordable highspeed internet, reliable public transit, clean drinking water and other resources to ensure communities of color get a fair shot at the American dream. “These critical investments are first steps in advancing equity and racial justice throughout our economy,” senior White House officials said. “The President believes additional investments are needed in our nation’s caregiving infrastructure, housing supply, regional development, and workforce development programs to ensure that communities of color and other underserved communities can access economic opportunity and justice.” Earlier this month in Tulsa, Oklahoma, President Biden announced a whole-ofgovernment effort to increase the share of federal contracts going to small, disadvantaged businesses by 50 percent over the next five years, leveraging the government’s purchasing power to help more Americans realize their entrepreneurial dreams.

The President followed through in announcing the bipartisan Infrastructure Framework which includes delivering high speed internet to every American household. Access if vital, particularly for African Americans whom the White House said are 9 percent less likely to have high-speed internet than their white peers (Latino Americans are 15 percent less likely). About 35 percent of individuals living on Tribal lands also lack access to broadband service. The Framework invests $65 billion to make high-speed broadband available to all Americans, to bring down high-speed internet prices across the board, and to close the digital divide. The President’s plan will also invest in long overdue expansion of broadband on Tribal lands, in consultation with Tribal Nations. “With the 1936 Rural Electrification Act, the Federal government made a historic investment in bringing electricity to nearly every home and farm in America, and millions of families and our economy reaped the benefits,” White House officials noted. “Broadband internet is the new electricity. It is necessary for Americans to do their jobs, to participate equally in school learning and health care, and to stay connected.” The Framework will drive down prices for internet service and close the digital divide by making broadband more affordable, including in low-income communities and communities of color. It also will eliminate lead pipes and deliver

clean drinking water to every household, the White House official asserted. “Across the country, pipes and treatment plants are aging and polluted drinking water is endangering public health. There are up to 10 million homes with lead service lines and pipes. Children in up to 400,000 schools and childcare facilities are at risk of exposure to lead,” the officials continued. “Across the country, families of color are at the highest risk for lead exposure at home and in schools. Communities of color in cities like Chicago, Milwaukee, and Newark are also at particular risk.” For kids, higher exposure to lead can negatively affect academic performance, and can lead to cardiovascular disease later in life. By some estimates, each lead service line replaced at a cost of $5,000 per line leads to $22,000 in health savings. The Framework makes the largest investment in clean drinking water in American history, replacing all of the nation’s lead pipes and service lines. It also invests in more public transit options and address the backlog of repairs. Asian American and African American workers commute by public transit at nearly 4 times the rate of white workers. For example, lowwage Black residents in Chicago spend 70 additional minutes commuting to work than their white peers. In New York City, the average Black resident spends 110 minutes more per week commuting to work than the average white resident. “The Framework’s

historic investment in public transit – the largest federal investment in history – will reduce commute times and create more economic opportunities in communities of color,” according to a White House Fact Sheet. The Framework invests $48.5 billion to modernize transit and improve accessibility for older Americans and people with disabilities. Significant portions of the interstate highway system were built through Black neighborhoods, destroying homes, schools, churches, and parks and causing lasting disconnection and disinvestment for residents who stayed. “More broadly, historic investments in transportation infrastructure, especially highway construction, cut too many Americans off from opportunity, dividing and demolishing communities, and perpetuating economic and racial injustices,” The Fact Sheet noted. The Framework creates a first-ever program to reconnect communities divided by transportation infrastructure. The program will fund planning, design, demolition, and reconstruction of street grids, parks, or other infrastructure. Further, the Framework will make a critical down payment on helping the more than 25 million children and thousands of bus drivers who breathe polluted air on their rides to and from school. “Diesel air pollution is linked to asthma and other health problems that hurt our communities and cause students to miss school, particularly in communities of color and Tribal communities,” officials wrote in the Fact Sheet.

Governor Tim Walz last week outlined how Minnesota will spend $132 million in flexible federal education funds the state received as a part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Minnesota received a total of $1.3 billion for E-12 education under the ARP, 90 percent of which was allocated directly to schools through a federal formula. The $132 million represents the remaining 10 percent. “Minnesota’s students and families faced so many challenges throughout the pandemic and supporting every one of them remains a top priority, especially as we head into the next school year,” said Governor Walz. “This funding allows us to invest in things that did not find agreement in the education budget, but that we know our students need in order get back on track and stay on track in school.” “As a mom of a soonto-be third grader, I know how hard this school year was on our students and families,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “We owe it to them to do everything we can to support not only their academic learning recovery, but also their social-emotional and mental health.” “We know that this pandemic has impacted all Minnesotans differently,” said Education Commissioner Dr. Heather Mueller. “These investments will give every public school in the state resources to build a foundation for supporting the students in their schools that need the most help. With this federal funding, we have an opportunity to change our education system to better meet the needs of each and every student.” Under the federal law, Minnesota is required to spend most of the $132 million in four areas of focus: learning recovery, after-school programs, summer enrichment and other state activities to support students and schools. A small portion can be used for grant administration. Learning Recovery In the area of learning recovery, MDE will allocate $66 million directly to public schools to support our students using evidencebased strategies. Schools are also encouraged to partner with community organizations to support students. After School Programs The $13.2 million dedicated to after-school programs will be allocated to Ignite Afterschool, an organization and network leader with expertise in evidence-based after school programing, for grant distribution. Fifty percent of the funds will be directed to community organizations. The other half of the funds will be directed to culturally specific community organizations to ensure their expertise is recognized and supported. Summer Enrichment Another $13.2 million dedicated to summer enrichment will be allocated through grants with 50 percent going to community organizations. The remaining 50 percent will be dedicated to culturally-specific community organizations to ensure students can access programming where they will be represented in their learning and enrichment experiences.

Page 2 • July 5, 2021 - July 11, 2021 • Insight News

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Insight News • July 5, 2021 - July 11, 2021 • Page 3 WINNER: 2020 T YPOGRAPHY & DESIGN, 1ST PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY (PORTRAIT & PERSONALIT Y), 1ST PLACE, WEBSITE, 3RD PLACE

Insight News July 5, 2021 - July 11, 2021

Vol. 48 No. 27• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Candidates say city leaders are failing in their obligation to inform, empower residents By Brenda Lyle-Gray Columnist

Derek Chauvin

The rule of the law Columnist

By Brenda Lyle-Gray Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was June 24th, a day before the sentencing of Derek Chauvin. “Conversations

with Al McFarlane” focused on Derek Chauvin’s imminent day of reckoning, with lawyer/ legal scholar guests, Minnesota Attorney Clinton Collins, Jr. and Dean Emeritus, Professor Burnele V. Powell, University of South Carolina. Collins’ predicted Judge Peter A. Cahill would sentence the convicted former police officer to at least 15 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd last year. “The judge will probably base his decision on unnecessary cruelty, abuse of authority, and continuing the fatal, heinous act in front of children (9 and 17) for almost 10 minutes. But we also have to consider this officer is a first-time offender, and

although he’s been behaving like this for quite some time and just not being accused, the tables turned this time. I was surprised Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts,” Collins said. Interestingly, and undeniably, the composed and remoreseless demeanor of the convicted murderer as he took George Floyd’s last breath away stays in the public psyche. As does the stark black-white disparities in wealth, health care, housing, and education. Collins was right. Cahill levied a sentence of 22.5 years. At least 15 years of the 22.5-year sentence would have to be in prison before the convicted oﬃcer would be eligible for supervised release

Melvin Carter

By Irma McClaurin, PhD By Irma McClaurin, PhD https://corporate. target.com/article/2020/09/lakestreet-letter

Andrea Jenkins

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

leading to parole short of the full sentence. “It was the video which demanded accountability,” Collins said, “and a police chief’s testimony against his own officer, and a pulmonologist’s detailed medical analysis that clearly determined how the victim’s life was taken.” He said he wondered if it would have made a difference had Derek Chauvin testified in his own defense. Many wondered what could have possibly been on the senior officer’s mind and that of the other three charged officers. “It’s a unique

“Equality says we treat everyone the same, regardless of headwinds or tailwinds. Equity says we give people what they need to have the same access and opportunities as others, taking into account the headwinds they face, which may mean differential treatment for some groups.” Dolly Chugh, The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias The spirit of the late George Floyd has been the nation’s tailwind since May 25th, 2020. With each chapter of the Chauvin trial, the conviction, and sentencing, the upcoming trials of the three accompanying police officers who did nothing to stop the televised murder of an unarmed Black man citing ‘following the chain of command’, and pending federal civil rights charges against all four officers, the city and its people must move forward with that nudge behind them gaining strength enough to face the headwinds that will certainly lie ahead. Leadership Monday, presented by “Conversations with Al McFarlane” and cohosted by the Hawthorne

Jeremiah Ellison

Teqen Sjoberg Zea-Aida Neighborhood Council welcomed City Council candidates incumbent Jeremiah Ellison of Ward 5, Teqen Sjoberg Zea-Aida, Ward 7, and Mickey Moore, Ward 9. Two subjects emerged: Candidate; impressions of the Derek Chauvin sentencing; and research aﬃrming that the racial homeownership gap in the Twin Cities is the highest

CONVERSATIONS 5

CHAUVIN 4

Leading change, inclusion The Center for Economic Inclusion (Center) last week announced three new staﬀ appointments: Nathan Arnosti to Director of Products and Analytics, Ashley Johnson to Director of Research, and Nadia Shaarawi to Interactive and Digital Media Coordinator. Arnosti will lead the Center’s product design and analytics, developing proprietary tools to analyze

Ashley Johnson

Nadia Shaarawi

Nathan Arnosti

CENTER 4

Partners will Commission and Develop 16 New Plays for Multigenerational Audiences by Writers who are Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian American Pacific Islander

Five-Theatre partnership receives $1.5 million Andrew W. Mellon foundation grant to create “Generation Now” Five nationally respected theatres announced today that their landmark partnership has received a generous $1.5 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to create Generation Now. This partnership, Penumbra (Saint Paul, MN), Ma-Yi Theater Company (New York City, NY), Latino Theater Company (Los Angeles, CA), Native Voices at the Autry (Los Angeles, CA), and Children’s Theatre Company (Minneapolis, MN), will commission and develop 16 new plays by Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian American Paciﬁc Islander writers for multigenerational audiences. The output of Generation Now promises to radically expand the inclusiveness of each theatre, expand the canon of work produced for multigenerational audiences, and create a model of transformative partnership for the theatre ﬁeld. “From its inception, Native Voices has been dedicated to supporting Indigenous

playwrights and theatre artists and sharing Native stories with audiences of all ages,” states Native Voices at the Autry Artistic Director DeLanna Studi. “We are excited to collaborate with these incredible cohort theatres on Generation Now to reach across generations and geography, bringing multigenerational, diverse audiences together to appreciate the universal human experience

DeLanna Studi

José Luis Valenzuela

Peter C. Brosius

Ralph B. Peña

Sarah Bellamy

and collectively shape an inclusive, shared future.”

These partnerships are expected to bring a richer cultural context

News

Keep your garden looking its best all summer long

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PARTNERSHIP 4

Greg Cunningham

Funds go to African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs, Grameen America and LISC

U.S. Bank launched $25 million fund to support more than 30,000 women of color-owned microbusinesses U.S. Bank in May laid out the details of the $25 million U.S. Bank Access Fund – a fund for women of color microbusiness owners, which was ﬁrst announced in February. The fund, a collaboration between U.S. Bank Foundation and U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation (USBCDC), includes longterm investments of grants and capital funding to three partners: the African American Alliance of Black CDFI CEOs (the Alliance), Grameen America and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). The fund is part of U.S. Bank Access Commitment, the company’s long-term approach to help build wealth while redeﬁning how the bank serves diverse communities and provides more opportunities for diverse employees. The Access Fund will support more than 30,000 women of colorowned microbusiness owners

over three years, prioritizing Black women business owners. Microbusinesses, defined as having 10 or fewer employees, led by women of color are among the fastest growing in the country, yet face tremendous barriers. This fund will help sustain and create new job opportunities and provide access to capital, technical assistance and networking opportunities. U.S. Bank leaders will also share expertise with business owners through a series of customized seminars and roundtables. “The U.S. Bank Access Fund recognizes the economic power women business owners represent to their communities and to the economy,” said Greg Cunningham, chief diversity officer for U.S. Bank. “This fund is different because it works to break down structural barriers for women of color business

US BANK 5

I2H

Study: AstraZeneca, Pfizer vaccines effective against Delta COVID-19 variants

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Page 4 • July 5, 2021 - July 11, 2021 • Insight News

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5 tips for on-the-go business owners (StatePoint) Does your business take you places? Whether you work remotely or you’re on the road often, here are ﬁve tips to better manage operations from anywhere. • Treat yourself: When traveling for business, it’s important to arrive at your destination energized and ready to meet clients, investors and partners. With that said, it’s worthwhile to consider strategies for streamlining the logistics of getting from point A to point B. For example, you may want to apply for TSA PreCheck, a convenience that comes at a cost, but one that can save you signiﬁcant hassle at the

Chauvin From 3 criminal case,” Professor Powell said. “We’re not looking for retribution or rehabilitation, but we do want those like Chauvin to know George Floyd’s murder was unacceptable behavior and could have been prevented. We want others to know they just can’t get away with it. In Colorado, the Enhanced Law Enforcement Integrity Act (SB202-17) states that oﬃcers who violate people’s civil rights can

Center From 3 employee, resident, and business data to leverages best practices in antiracism, policy research, and systems change to inform the actions that business leaders, publicsector employers, and policy makers take to close racial employment, income, and wealth gaps and improve their bottom-line results. Previously, Arnosti worked at the Brookings

Osaka From 3 to the work and to collectively amplify each communities’ voices. Generation Now is guided by a deep respect and advocacy for the intelligence and agency of younger audiences. The consortium also strongly believes that if we are to have an extraordinary theatre culture in this country, we must start young, and it must be

airport. Or, if you frequently hit the road, consider acquiring an electronic toll collection pass for the highways and byways you use most often. This can save you money and help you avoid time-consuming bottlenecks. • Lean on new tech: Whenever you’re away from your home base, it’s especially important to keep a ﬁnger on the heartbeat of your company. New technology can help. For example, Motiv powered by Eturi Corp., is the world’s ﬁrst mobile app delivering productivity metrics to CEOs, managers and leaders. The app features analytics in concise graphs that collectively function

as a virtual corner oﬃce vantage point. This can help to smooth out communication and collaboration, and give you insights into whether your team is running eﬃciently. Easily adopted by small- and mediumsized businesses, which have been underserved by existing productivity solutions, Motiv is available through the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. To learn more, visit motivapp.com. • Maintain your “open door” policy: The same open door approach to management that works when you and your team are sharing a physical space can be virtually replicated when you’re on-the-go or otherwise

away from your staff. Make sure key members of your team know how and when they can best reach you. • Stay connected: Most business owners can’t afford to go off the grid for too long. When you’re on-the-go, be sure to bring chargers for all your devices, a battery pack and a WiFi hotspot. This way, you leave nothing to chance. • Schedule your social: If social media plays a big role in your customer engagement or marketing strategy, be sure to schedule your social media posts when you know you’re going to be out-of-pocket for a long stretch. Using a social media

dashboard like Hootsuite, you can set it and forget it. If you’re like many business owners today, you’re regularly on the go. Be sure to take

advantage of the latest tools and strategies to avoid the most common bumps and snags that can occur with remote management.

be held personally responsible in state court. One can’t assume everyone is a professional or that they are following orders. We have to stop misconduct among those who have been charged to uphold the law. Through a much clearer and more intense training window, leadership must admit we’re just not there yet. Like most professions, there are standards. And it doesn’t change if someone’s been on the job one day or 352 days,” said Powell. “An employee of some certiﬁed entity took an oath, and that means something. In the legal world, there are certain duties of a subordinate; mainly

to relay directly to a superior if the behavior of a supervisor was not reasonable. Attorney Collins added if Lane, one of the three officers facing charges, participated in the preparation of the report pertaining to the Floyd murder (immediately refuted by the video and other witnesses’ recollections), his case quickly weakens.” Powell and Collins examined the question of “qualified immunity.” What if, McFarlane asked, “sworn officers had to purchase their own liability insurance? Would the threat of personal cost increases mitigate ability of bad

actors to operate with impunity? What if insures rejected highrisk applicants based on their record of complaints or charges made or sustained. What if you couldn’t get or keep a job in law enforcement if you couldn’t get personal professional insurance?” Professor Powell had a few reservations. He said he understood the need for a reasonable deterrent to bad behavior. Still taking into consideration what police oﬃcers and other public servants are paid, he questioned the fairness of that option. “Perhaps a state-wide insurance policy

could be economically more eﬃcient. We might also think about the role of police unions in criminal cases, and whether they should focus more on issues like fair pay and supportive and conducive working conditions,” Powell said. Collins said Judge Peter Cahill “has been in the public realm most of his career. He takes the law seriously and has had well-rounded professional experiences. Cahill made it quite clear his sentence had nothing to do with any pressure of public opinion and that the sentence would reﬂect accountability, abuse of

authority, and the fact that the murder was carried out in front of children.” The Floyd family attorney Ben Crump asked, “After the guilty verdict on three counts against Derek Chauvin and the fall of the blue wall of silence, will this be the new precedent as it relates to policing in America and interactions with people of color?” We will see what happens next. Will ‘true’ leadership and instrumental change please rise?

Institution, as a consultant to the McKnight Foundation, and in state and local government in New York. He holds a Master’s in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in Geography and History from Middlebury College. Johnson leads the Center’s applied, participatory, and client-centered research initiatives and oversees local and national research partnerships. She ensures that the Center’s strategies are grounded in rigorous, relevant research and informed by

Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian peoples’ experience with the economy, employers, and systemic oppression. Prior to joining the Center, Ashley was Principal Planning Analyst/ Senior Program Evaluator for Hennepin County, and Director of Research and Innovation for MN Alliance with Youth. She holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the Humphrey School of Public Aﬀairs at the University of Minnesota and presently mentors public policy students at the Humphrey School of Public Aﬀairs. Johnson is a regular contributor and consultant to

the Humphrey’s Public and Nonproﬁt Leadership Center. Shaarawi supports the Center’s mission to foster a culture of shared accountability to accelerate inclusive growth through storytelling and narrative change. She leads the Center’s digital strategy across all channels to amplify its impact in driving racial equity, inclusion, closing racial wealth gaps, and building an economy that works for everyone. Prior to joining the Center, she held communications responsibilities for the MN DFL. She served as

Communications Assistant for the Minnesota Budget Project and Production Assistant for Line Break Media. Shaarawi is a past President of STUDIOU, a University of Minnesota campus media group. She holds a Bachelor’s in Strategic Communication and minor in Social Justice from the Hubbard School of Journalism, University of Minnesota. About the Center for Economic Inclusion / The Center for Economic Inclusion is the nation’s ﬁrst organization created exclusively to close racial wealth gaps and accelerate shared accountability

for achieving regional inclusive economic growth. Through the Center’s research, thought leadership, employer inclusivity and inclusive growth consulting services, advocacy with policymakers, narrative change campaigns and experiential learning events, the Center is committed to increasing the number of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian workers earning family-sustaining wages in the Twin Cities region by 10 percent over the next ﬁve years. Learn more at CenterforEconomicInclusion. org.

inter‐generational, inclusive, inspiring, transformative, and lifelong. “Not only is Penumbra excited to work with such esteemed partners, but really hopeful about the collaborative model that we are developing together,” stated Penumbra’s Artistic Director Sarah Bellamy. “For the ﬁeld to change, the canon must be diversiﬁed and young people in particular need to see themselves lovingly and authentically represented onstage. When we imagine the impact of

this project, the possibilities are myriad and so vitalizing.” The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Through their grants, they seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. “This is an amazing gift from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation,” states Ma-Yi Theater Company’s Artistic Director Ralph B. Peña. “An opportunity to work with Children’s Theatre Company to develop new works for multigenerational audiences is a long-held dream for Ma-Yi Theater, made even sweeter by a cohort of culturally specific theaters we have long admired.” “Theaters serving multigenerational audiences are often the first places audiences encounter live theater,” states The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Arts and Culture Program Officer Susan Feder. “Yet despite decades of activity that has resulted in the commissioning of original stories and adaptations of classical and contemporary ones, the field lacks a repertoire that includes a plurality of voices and stories from emerging and established artists of color. The Mellon Foundation is delighted to be supporting the 16 artists who will be working with these five eminent theaters to co-develop new plays and musicals serving audiences for whom culturally relevant voices and stories could be formative. We look forward to the development of a significant body of artistically rigorous new work to be produced in multiple venues across the country.” Due to the scale and ambition of Generation Now, the grant also includes the creation of an annual arts administration fellowship to add support for all the partner theatres in the implementation of Generation Now. “Children’s Theatre Company is grounded in the deep respect we have for our audiences, our partner theatres, and the desire to create powerful new work,” states CTC Artistic Director Peter C. Brosius. “We look forward to continuing to learn from each other with Generation Now. We know that our distinctive work and practices will profoundly inform and inspire us as we move these plays from conception, through commission and development, and into production for our audiences.” Playwrights—both established and emerging—will be selected by Latino Theater Company, Ma‐Yi Theater Company, Native Voices at the Autry, and Penumbra, all with expertise in creating artistically excellent, culturally specific

theatre, in collaboration with Children’s Theatre Company as the co‐ commissioner with expertise in creating dynamic and powerful multigenerational theatre. All decisions will be grounded in learning, respect, and celebrating the perspectives of all organizations. Collectively, the partners are acutely aware of the absence of marginalized voices in the canon of plays for multigenerational audiences. Latino Theater Company Artistic Director José Luis Valenzuela states, “This collaboration gives the Latino Theater Company the opportunity to advance our mission and to engage in a national dialogue with culturally speciﬁc theater companies in the development and creation of new works for the American theater canon for young and culturally speciﬁc audiences.”

pursuing artistic excellence; a laboratory where both tradition and innovation are honored and honed; and a place where the convergence of people, cultures, and ideas contribute to a more vibrant future. LTC was founded in 1985 with the goal to establish a theater company dedicated to contributing new stories and novel methods of expression for the American theater repertoire and to increase artistic opportunities for underserved communities. As the company has evolved, its role as the lease‐holder of the Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC) has become critical to their mission. With a continuing exploration of the U.S. Latina/o/x experience in bold and contemporary terms, LTC programs its seasons with work by local playwrights that speaks to important issues and highlights new voices within the Latina/o/x, First Nation, Black, Asian American, Jewish American, and LGBTQ+ communities. This project will allow writers to create Latina/o/x stories speciﬁcally for multigenerational audiences, solidifying LTC’s outreach eﬀorts and strengthening their relationship with the thousands of students they serve every year.

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By Lee H. Jordan Minneapolis Juneteenth Committee - 2018 National Juneteenth Film & Bicycling Commissions

ABOUT THE PARTNERS Native Voices at the Autry Founded in 1993 and in residence at the Autry Museum in Los Angeles since 1999, Native Voices provides an artistic home for Native American theatre artists, supporting the development and production of new works for the stage written by American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations playwrights. Native Voices is the only professional theatre company – deemed such for its aﬃliation with the Actors’ Equity Association, the union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers – dedicated exclusively to Native storytelling. From the beginning, Native Voices has put Native narratives at the center of the American story in order to facilitate a more inclusive dialogue on what it means to be American. The company ﬁlls a tremendous need for more diverse representation among playwrights, actors, and theatre professionals and for the exploration of a broader range of themes and issues on the American stage. In the long‐ term, Native Voices remains committed to developing Native playwrights and theatre artists, to telling Native stories by and about Native people, and to providing the public access to these plays and playwrights – all with the goals of fostering greater understanding and respect and of showcasing artistic voices that might otherwise not be heard. With this project, Native Voices looks forward to having their playwrights seen by audiences in theatres that have historically produced little to no Native work. Latino Theatre Company’s mission is to provide a world‐ class arts center for those

Ma‐Yi Theater Company is an award‐winning professional theater based in New York City, renowned as the premier incubator for new works by Asian American playwrights. They encourage their artists to engage communities in vigorous dialogues that challenge popular prescriptions for culturally specific theater, and that reexamine the immigrant histories that shaped our country. Ma‐Yi Theater Company is one of the very few BIPOC‐led theaters in the country whose original works have transferred to major regional theaters around the country. Ma‐Yi’s Writers Lab has 34 professional writers, including Michael Lew and Rehana Lew Mirza who are on their fifth year of residency at Ma‐Yi Theater, through the Mellon’s NPRP initiative. Many of the most produced Asian American playwrights today are members of the Lab, including Lauren Yee, Kimber Lee, Jiehae Park, Lloyd Suh, Qui Nguyen, Sam Chanse, and Madhuri Shakar to name a few. These playwrights are changing the landscape of American Theater to redraw the boundaries for what it considers part of the American canon. While there has been progress in creating a body of new plays by Asian American writers, many of them cater to mature audiences; very few are for multigenerational consumption. This opportunity to co‐develop new works for multigenerational audiences will allow Ma‐Yi to offer communities a new genre of theater that is more inclusive.

Penumbra is recognized nationally and internationally for its artistically excellent and socially responsible art that illuminates the human condition through prisms of the Black experience. As their mission statement reads, “We open hearts, rehearse strategies for change, and dispel dehumanizing narratives of people of color.” Founded in 1976 by celebrated scholar Lou Bellamy in St. Paul, Minn., their legacy institution has earned national accolades, producing nearly 200 plays, over 30 premieres, and cultivated generations of artists of color now working across the nation. Since 2011, Artistic Director Sarah Bellamy has been testing multigenerational educational programs that spark empathy and drive engagement with public conversations, screenings, and community meals that engage patrons across Minnesota. Through her leadership, Penumbra brings vibrant communities together to shift the ground under some of the most deeply entrenched issues of equity and justice. Penumbra is now embarking upon its next life cycle: a performing arts campus and center for racial healing that nurtures black artists, advances equity, and facilitates wellness for individuals and community. Children’s Theatre Company is the nation’s largest and most acclaimed theatre for young people and serves a multigenerational audience. It creates theatre experiences that educate, challenge, and inspire for more than 250,000 people annually. CTC is the only theatre focused on multigenerational audiences to win the coveted Tony Award® for outstanding regional theatre. Its vision is to unleash the power of curiosity, empathy, and imagination. CTC serves its community through professional productions on its stages, high‐quality arts education programs at the theatre and in schools, and access opportunities that ensure its theatre is a home for all families. CTC’s ACT One is a platform for justice, equity diversity, and inclusion that strives to ensure the theatre is a home for all people, all families, reﬂective of its community. These values extend to CTC’s commissioning and development activities, which are a mix of wholly original stories and adaptations of classic and contemporary stories. In the last 25 years alone, CTC’s commitment to new work has yielded 50 commissions and world premiere productions. CTC is now serving its most diverse audience in its 55‐ year history; as such, CTC recognizes the needs to deepen its cultural competencies while it expands the canon of new work.

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Insight News • July 5, 2021 - July 11, 2021 • Page 5

Community Garden opening-day celebration Artist Jordan Weber is partnering with Minneapolis youthdevelopment organization Youth Farm to transform a vacant lot into a new public artwork in the form of an urban farm. Designed for use by neighborhood residents, the farm will grow fresh produce and pollution-mitigating plants; vegetables, fruits, berries, and herbs will be available for free; and a community gathering table will create a space for reﬂection, meditation, and respite. Despite being beset by many challenges during COVID-19 and following the murder of George Floyd, the artist and community persisted in realizing this vital public space for use by the community. “I have learned collaboratively with communities deﬁned by geographic and economic disadvantage, and I work against this to help create healthy regional landscapes of resilience and sustainability through the arts, supporting social programs that operate within oppressive systems. My projects seek to collectively open up community landscapes in restricted environments,” said Weber. A celebration of the new community garden in North Minneapolis, takes place Saturday, July 10, 11 am–3 pm at 2310 Lyndale Ave N,

Image courtesy Aune Fernandez Landscape Architects.

Rendered site plan of urban farm Prototype for poetry vs rhetoric (deep roots) planned for 2308/2310 Lyndale Ave, Hawthorne, Minneapolis. Minneapolis and features music, poetry performances, and food as Jordan Weber’s public art project, Prototype for poetry vs rhetoric (deep roots), opens in the neighborhood. The vacant plot adjacent to the garden will also be activated with a popup farmer’s market featuring neighborhood vendors. Weber’s large-scale,

socially engaged projects support the struggle of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) communities. His works establish healthy places to live and thrive, while supporting green environments, food access, and well-being with public programs. Through this process, the artist builds spaces for people to ﬁnd respite, healing, and care. Weber’s Prototype

for poetry vs rhetoric (deep roots) (2021) was developed during his two-year artist residency at the Walker. and created in collaboration with Twin Cities organization Youth Farm. The work addresses self-empowerment and determination; soil and air cleansing; spiritual reﬂection and meditation; and medicinal and food supply.

The new project features two rain gardens addressing the high pollution in North Minneapolis, and a public gathering space. The layout is based on the form of a basketball court to visually invite young people into the garden. Hooplike sculptures and obsidian boulders are also included among plantings of fruiting shrubs, pollinators, and native grasses. Using utilitarian materials, Jordan Weber produces sculptural social objects and spaces that speak to ways in which racially oppressed peoples are restricted physically, geographically, and socially. Adapting to the architectural spaces they inhabit, his works attempt to create inclusive environments where visitors might test or practice forms of sustainable urbanism. These public works are often modified to specifically fit their environments—whether an arts center, private home, museum, or public space. “I always want to expose elements within the work that are relatable to people in my community,” says Weber. “I like to have these ‘openings’ within the work— those elements people can relate to—so they can feed into the psychology of the work.” The artist’s work has been exhibited at White Box, New York; the Union for Contemporary

Art, Omaha; the Des Moines Art Center; the Soap Factory, Minneapolis; Smack Mellon, New York; Manifest: Justice and Gallery 38, Los Angeles; Charlotte Street Foundation and 50/50, Kansas City, Missouri; Open Engagement, Chicago; and Truth to Power, Philadelphia. Weber was also recently selected as a 2022 Loeb Fellow through Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, and received the inaugural joint Loeb/Art Lab Fellowship. Youth Farm is a nonproﬁt organization that utilizes food and farming as a catalyst for social change, community engagement, and leadership development. During the growing season, the organization oﬀers programs that help educate and train young people across Minneapolis in gardens and greenhouses. They also teach leadership skills yearround with programming focused on planting, cultivating, and distributing the food they grow. The artwork is realized in collaboration with Marcus Kar, Youth Farm’s director of North Minneapolis programs. Lease of the site is held by Youth Farm, and following the Opening-Day Celebration, the farm will be turned over to Kar and Youth Farm for incorporation into their community capacity building programs.

Keep your garden looking its best all summer long By Melinda Myers Summer means hot and often dry weather for many gardeners. Keep your garden looking its best with less water and maintenance throughout the summer. Spread a layer of organic mulch like leaves, evergreen needles or woodchips on the soil surrounding plants. This helps keep plant roots cool, conserves moisture, suppresses weeds and improves the soil as it decomposes. Use a threeto four-inch layer of coarser material like wood chips and a thinner, one-inch layer of ﬁner materials like leaves. Pull the mulch away from the trunk of the tree, stems of shrubs, and base of ﬂowers and vegetables. Water thoroughly to encourage deep, drought tolerant roots. Light, frequent watering promotes shallow roots, making plants more

Conversations From 3 in the nation. The research revealed a surge in single-family rentals in Hennepin and Ramsey counties is eliminating options for minority and low-income buyers. The study said only 20% of minorities own their homes in comparison to 75% of whites. Regarding the Chauvin sentencing, Mickey Moore suggest we ﬁrst look at the unprecedented events having transpired over the past year all in context. “We’ve made a lot of progress over time. If this had been 10 years ago, or even 5 years, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. This person who committed this heinous crime would not have served any time. The legitimate jail time handed down by the judge gives us hope. We must stay the course continuing to push for justice.” Moore said the 22.5 year prison sentence generated

US Bank From 3 owners, prioritizing Black women, and focuses on the smallest, but most common type of businesses – microbusinesses. Investing in these women and their businesses will not only help build wealth but will have a multiplier eﬀect on the communities hardest hit by the pandemic.” The fund includes $20 million in USBCDC debt capital and $5 million in U.S. Bank Foundation grants and focuses on creating systemic change by ensuring both CDFIs and microbusiness owners have the support and capital they need to

susceptible to drought and other environmental stresses. Check new plantings every day or two and water often enough to keep the root area and surrounding soil slightly moist. Gradually extend the time between watering. Most plants thrive with an inch of water each week. Let soil moisture not the calendar be your guide. Adjust your watering practices based on temperature, soil type and rainfall. Water gardens early in the day to reduce water lost to evaporation and the risk of disease. Consider using drip irrigation or soaker hoses to apply water directly to the soil where it is needed. You will conserve moisture and help reduce the risk of spreading disease with overhead watering. Check container gardens daily. Water thoroughly, until excess water exits through the drainage hole, whenever the

top few inches of potting mix are dry. Succulents like to go a bit drier while moisture-loving plants prefer evenly moist soil. Continue weeding throughout the summer. These unwanted plants compete for water and nutrients. Many are hosts for insects and disease, attracting them to the landscape and putting your garden plants at greater risk. Remove faded ﬂowers (deadhead) to improve the plant’s appearance, encourage more ﬂowers or prevent reseeding. Self-cleaning plants like impatiens, cuphea and calibrachoa need no deadheading to keep blooming. Columbine, Amsonia and bee balm are a few perennials that produce lots of seedlings. Deadhead these and other plants that produce more seedlings than you desire. Stop deadheading perennials in late summer or early fall to allow seed heads to form. The seed heads

positive feelings from the people who live or have come to 38th and Chicago. “They really didn’t have high expectations.” “If you read Judge Cahill’s explanation as to how he came to decide on the punishment to match the crime, there were laws in place that prevented him fromadding more time even if he wanted to,” said Andrew Bornhoft, Housing Administrator for HNC. Politicians must step up, analyze the rules in their areas of charge, and change what’s not working and hasn’t for quite some time. The state can no longer be removed. Cahill put a lot of emotion into his decision, especially in light of the torture George Floyd experienced at the end of his life and probably the life-long eﬀects of the children standing by watching as the events unfolded. For many, the judge exceeded expectations. In response to the question of racial gaps in homeownership, Bornhoft cited the density ﬁndings in Minneapolis’ 2040 Plan

which said there will be whiter, wealthier people in single family homes. “In the Hawthorne neighborhood, we want our residents to believe they can own perhaps a duplex or tri-plex, live in one unit, and rent out the other. That’s the beginning of wealth building. Seventh Ward candidate Teqen Sj-Aida said Judge Cahill could have and should have done more. “But there are policies with barriers attached to guidelines preventing caring and competent people from making righteous choices positively changing the direction of reform winds in the cities of our fragile nation. Minnesota shouldn’t go around patting itself on the back,” SjAida said. “‘The worst racial disparities in the nation in home ownership.’ How will leadership respond? It’s not just this incident or one aspect of being alive but not given fair opportunities to live. It’s a question of truth-telling about how we’ve gotten to this dismal state of aﬀairs; and explaining

be successful. Over the next three years, the Alliance, Grameen and LISC will work with their local oﬃces and nonproﬁt partners to build capacity within the CDFI network, and to provide capital, technical assistance and mentorship to local microbusinesses across U.S. Bank’s footprint. “The African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs is excited about its partnership with U.S. Bank,” said Donna Gambrell, Alliance board chair. “This multi-year capital commitment through US Bank’s Access Fund is the largest investment in the Alliance since its formation in 2018. We could not be more pleased about working with U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation

and U.S. Bank Foundation to direct capital and business advisory services to women of color-owned microbusiness owners, focusing particularly on Black women business owners. The Alliance members participating in the initiative look forward to supporting this segment of the microenterprise sector to help close the racial wealth gap in the United States.” “This critical partnership with U.S. Bank invested through its Access Fund will advance our shared vision to provide equitable capital to women of color as they recover and rebuild their communities in the wake of COVID-19,” said Andrea Jung, President and CEO of Grameen America. “Through this new investment in California, Chicago and Omaha,

add winter interest and many attract songbirds to the garden. Use twigs, decorative stakes, or other supports to keep tall, floppy plants standing tall in the garden. Take time to mask functional supports so staked plants still look their best. Consider decorative stakes or convert found items into garden art that adds interest while keeping your plants upright. Don’t fret when some of your annuals stop blooming during the hotter days of summer. Lobelia, French marigolds, and sweet alyssum are a few annuals that may stop flowering (heat stall) during hot weather. Continue to water and trim back as needed. Then wait for cooler temperatures and flowers to return. Add a few hanging baskets or containers for extra color and pizzazz. Place containers and hanging baskets in lackluster garden

Mickey Moore what

will happen next?” Sj-Aida said, “Leadership has an ethical responsibility to inform residents in meaningful ways about issues affecting their livelihood, their children’s safety and education, health care discrimination, and hurdles preventing people of color from gaining generational wealth through land ownership and other investments.” He said there’s a bigger concern involving public safety and the surge in youth and young adult violence. Police departments nationwide are reporting they are having a difficult time finding officer recruits to join their forces due we will accelerate our proven model across the United States to elevate more underserved minority women, with the goal to support over 29,000 womenowned small businesses over the next three years.” “If we want to fuel a broadly shared prosperity, especially as we emerge from COVID-19, then we have to expand access to flexible, affordable capital for business owners that can’t otherwise get the financing they need to grow,” said Lisa Glover, president and CEO of LISC. “U.S. Bank is helping CDFIs like LISC bridge the capital gaps that keep minority women from building their businesses—creating new opportunities for them to expand their incomes, create jobs and contribute to the vibrancy of the

photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com

This properly cared for garden continues to provide colorful blossoms. areas like the front entrance, next to the patio or anywhere a bit of fresh color is needed. Employ a few or all of these strategies to keep your garden looking its best. You will be amazed at the big impact such small eﬀorts can provide. Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including The Midwest

Gardener’s Handbook and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.

to low morale following a year of racial justice demonstrations against law enforcement. Moore said leaders must shift their priorities. “The city council members appear to be focusing on politics, selﬁshness, and greed wanting funding to go to their particular ward. They are still redlining in certain communities of color, and not opening avenues where a new generation can have a head start with an inheritance provided by a passing generation,” Moore said. “We need to have a public awareness campaign on the beneﬁts of homeownership which is a fundamental remedy for so many ills of our city, including public safety and crime prevention, education, and heath care disparities. It’s hard work. It takes discipline, and perseverance.” “I’d like to hear a well-rounded, city message to the people,” said the Ward 7 candidate. “That’s what’s been missing all along. They need to connect with the people immediately and frequently

describing what we plan to do about public safety, reforming the police department and the criminal justice system, improving our schools and teacher training, and equity distribution of funds available for economic development and commercial land ownership. We don’t need just documents that say what we’re going to do to change things. We need immediate action, figuring out how we can ‘un-disenfranchise’ hardworking, deserving people who just want day to day living to be safe, free, and more joyful and fulfilling.” 5th Ward incumbent Jeremiah Ellison, said North Minneapolis has always been the target for investment groups that come with cash in hand. “But there are also programs in place that can assist in credit worthiness to enable renters to purchase homes and assire existing tenants first rights to purchase when landlords sell,”. Ellison said.

communities where they live and work.” U.S. Bank has been a strong supporter of CDFIs for decades, recognizing the critical role these institutions play in bringing investment and resources to underserved communities and those who may not be eligible for traditional small business ﬁnancing. Through end of 2020, U.S. Bank has helped ensure that more than $450 million in capital was available for CDFIs and their customers. “We recognize that serving microbusinesses is critical work,” said Reba Dominski, chief social responsibility oﬃcer for U.S. Bank. “That’s why this fund intentionally focuses not just on capital, but on the capacity

building CDFIs, focusing on Black led CDFIs, need to succeed and expand. By leveraging the power of philanthropy with business investments and employee volunteerism, we can facilitate greater support for our communities across the country.” Microbusiness owners looking for more information on the fund can contact: the Alliance (aaacdﬁ.org/contact), Grameen America (info@ grameenamerica.org) and LISC (lisc.org/covid-19/smallbusiness-assistance/). For more detail on U.S. Bank Access Commitment, visit usbank.com/diversity.

Page 6 • July 5, 2021 - July 11, 2021 • Insight News

Insight 2 Health

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Study: AstraZeneca, Pfizer vaccines effective against Delta COVID-19 variants By Ludwig BurgerAishwarya Nair  Variants may cause few breakthrough infections in vaccinated  Researchers find no evidence of widespread virus escape  Past infection with B117/Alpha confers broad protection June 22 (Reuters) - COVID-19 vaccines made by AstraZeneca (AZN.L) and the Pfizer-BioNTech (PFE.N), (22UAy.DE) alliance remain broadly effective against Delta and Kappa variants of the COVID-19 causing virus, which were first identified in India, according to a scientific study, underpinning a continued push to deliver the shots. The study by Oxford University researchers, published in the journal Cell, investigated the ability of antibodies in the blood from people, who were vaccinated with the two-shot regimens, to neutralize the highly contagious Delta and Kappa variants, a statement said. “There is no evidence of widespread escape suggesting that the current generation of vaccines will provide protection against the B.1.617 lineage,” the paper said, referring to the Delta and Kappa variants by a commonly used code. However, the concentration of neutralising antibodies in the blood was somewhat reduced, which may lead to some breakthrough infections, they cautioned. Last week, an analysis by the Public Health England (PHE) showed that vaccines

stockvault

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Vials labelled “Astra Zeneca COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine” and a syringe are seen in front of a displayed AstraZeneca logo, in this illustration photo taken March 14, 2021. made by Pfizer and AstraZeneca offer high protection of more than 90% against hospitalization from the Delta variant. “We are encouraged to see the non-clinical results published from Oxford and these data, alongside the recent early real-world analysis from Public Health England, provide us with a positive indication that our vaccine can have significant impact against the Delta variant,” AstraZeneca executive Mene Pangalos said in a separate statement. The Delta variant is becoming the globally dominant version of the disease, the World Health Organization’s chief scientist said on Friday. read more The Oxford researchers also analysed the likelihood of reinfection in

people who had previously had COVID-19. Report ad Looking at the ability of antibodies in their blood samples to neutralize the variants, the risk of reinfection with the Delta variant appeared particularly high in individuals previously infected by the Beta and Gamma lineages that emerged in South Africa and Brazil, respectively. By contrast, previous infection with the Alpha, or B117, variant ﬁrst detected in Britain, conferred “reasonable” crossprotection against all variants of concern, lending itself as a template that next-generation vaccines could be molded on. “B117 might be a candidate for new variant vaccines to provide the broadest protection,” the researchers said.

Novartis prostate cancer drug receives U.S. FDA breakthrough designation ZURICH, June 16 (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG (NOVN.S) has received breakthrough therapy designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for an experimental treatment for advanced castration-resistant prostate cancer, the company said on Wednesday. Men with a deadly form of prostate cancer that has spread and who were not helped by other treatments on average survived four months longer after getting Novartis’ Lu-PSMA-617 - a tumourtargeting radiation therapy - than those who received standard care, data from a clinical trial released earlier in June showed. The therapy attaches a radioactive isotope,

lutetium-177, with a half-life of less than seven days, to a small molecule drug, PSMA617, that binds to an antigen expressed in large amounts by prostate cancer cells. It aims to kill cancer cells in a targeted way while limiting damage to surrounding, healthy cells. The FDA breakthrough designation is used to help expedite development and review of therapies that demonstrate the potential to be a substantial improvement over available treatments. Report ad Novartis, which acquired the therapy with its $2.1 billion purchase of Endocyte three years ago, has a growing portfolio of radioligand

medicines that includes already approved cancer therapy Lutathera. Prostate cancer can often be treated via surgery, radiation therapy or through hormone therapy that stops production of tumour-driving testosterone. Metastatic castrationresistant prostate cancer, however, has failed to respond to such hormone treatment, making it diﬃcult to treat - and a potentially lucrative market. Novartis has forecast eventual Lu-PSMA-617 annual sales topping $1 billion. Reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi Editing by Mark Heinrich

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Insight News • July 5, 2021 - July 11, 2021 • Page 7

Signing and singing - Thomasina Petrus, right, and Terryann Nash.

Photo courtesy of Terryann Nash

Thomasina Petrus elevates social justice with American Sign Language By Terryann Nash June 25, 2021 was the 88th birthday of Dr. James Meredith who was celebrated at the Minneapolis Machine Shop. It was a high night of formal attire and great entertainment. One of the evenings highlights was Minnesota’s own

female vocalist; Thomasina Petrus. She is most known as the Minnesota’s Song Bird - Billie Holiday and for her famous Thomasina’s Cashew brittle. Thomasina and her band (Walter Chancellor Jr.: Saxophone, Thomas West: Piano, Nathan Norman: Drummer and Terryann Nash: American Sign Language Performance Interpreter)

communities by bridging community and creating opportunity.Through her passion for inclusivity Thomasina totally embraced the persona of Nashinspired. Petrus used her platform to bring awareness to the pain and trauma historically felt by communities of color, yet oﬀer a message of peace

brought down the house! I was invited to perform along with Thomasina as her guest ASL performing interpreter and I was honored to do so. When I created my company (Nashinspired LLC. 2017), it was my mission to be a branding company dedicated to creating economic equity in the Deaf and Harding of Hearing

Make your holiday twice as nice 612.377.2224 / guthrietheater.org

A tenderhearted favorite

Steel Magnolias Now – Dec 15

by ROBERT HARLING directed by LISA ROTHE

A Christmas Carol Nov 12 – Dec 29 by CHARLES DICKENS adapted by CRISPIN WHITTELL directed by LAUREN KEATING