Insight ::: 06.05.2023

Former

Vice President Harris talks debt ceiling, maternal health, and small biz in exclusive Black Press interview

Vice President Kamala Harris was as integral to the negotiations as anyone else in helping to reach a bipartisan deal so America could avoid defaulting on its debt obligations.

Also, in two-plus years in office, the nation’s first Black and woman vice president already has carved an indelible mark on many impactful policies that have seen significant increases in small and minorityowned businesses and record low Black unemployment.

Harris, a force during her years in the U.S. Senate and as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, also has spearheaded work to help women retain autonomy over their bodies despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial ruling to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade legislation. In an exclusive interview, the vice president pledged more of the same going forward from the Biden-Harris administration.

“One of the most important aspects of where we are – and our goal was to avoid the kinds of losses [Republicans] had initially proposed – and that’s very significant,” Harris said of the bipartisan budget deal reached earlier in the week.

The deal places caps on spending for the next two years, claws back about $28 billion in unspent COVID relief money, and strips $20 billion of funds earmarked for the Internal Revenue Service.

President Biden had slotted $80 billion for the IRS to help curtail tax cheaters, but the GOP sought to protect wealthy taxpayers who primarily seek loopholes to avoid paying federal taxes.

The debt ceiling agreement restarts federal student loan payments even as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to rule on the legality of the Biden-Harris forgiveness plan.

Congress hopes to vote this week on the deal, which also added new work requirements for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Association Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits.

Veterans and

the unhoused are exempt from such requirements.

“We’ve been able to maintain what we needed to do to preserve social security, Medicare, and veterans’ benefits. As a result, we actually see increases there,” Harris stated. With a steady eye on the present and future, the vice president noted the administration sought to protect the economic gains made during its first two years.

“In two years, we’ve created 12.7 million jobs and 800,000 manufacturing jobs,” Harris declared.

“A lot of these issues were what we were fighting to preserve. For example, if they required [new] work requirements, we would preserve many exceptions to the requirements.”

For example, Harris noted that any requirements for veterans and those who are housing insecure were non-starters.

“Veterans and housing-insecure people, not just the homeless, would be exempt. We were not willing to compromise,” she insisted.

The debt ceiling crisis

George Floyd murder reckoning falling short?

The murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, and the fervent protests that erupted around the world, looked to many observers like the catalyst needed for a nationwide reckoning on racism in policing. For more than nine minutes, a white officer pressed his knee to the neck of Floyd, a Black man, who gasped, “I can’t breathe,” echoing Eric Garner’s last words in 2014. Video footage of Floyd’s May 25, 2020, murder was so agonizing to watch that demands for change came from across the country.

But in the midst of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, economic uncertainty and a divisive U.S. presidential election, 2020 ended without the kind of major police reforms that many hoped, and others feared, would come. Then, 2021 and 2022 also failed to yield much progress.

and subsequent deal reminded voters of the significance of choosing candidates who have their constituents’ best interest, Harris remarked.

“So many of the issues have to do with who is in elected office. It comes down to the power of the people to elect representatives who reflect their values,” the vice president proclaimed.

“When the majority of people on legislative bodies understand that you shouldn’t create policies on the backs of poor people, that’s policy that most respect our values,” she continued. She pledged that the administration would keep pushing forward, stand up, and speak up about the needs of working people and families whom she said have been on the outside of politicians’ priority lists for too long.

“We’ve had to keep them on the inside of the priority list,” she said of the Biden-Harris administration. In the fast-paced 20-minute interview, the vice president declared small business a passion.

Governor Tim Walz signs ‘One Minnesota Budget’ as Democrats celebrate their top goals becoming law

As hundreds of people cheered on the lawn around him, Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed a document to symbolize the passage of his $72 billion “One Minnesota Budget” at a celebratory ceremony on the front steps of the State Capitol Wednesday morning.

Earlier that day, Walz signed twelve bills into laws that are part of the One Minnesota Budget. The wide-reaching set of measures includes funding for: free school meals to children, free tuition at public colleges for students whose families earn less than $80,000 a year, a paid family and medical leave program, health insurance regardless of immigration status, gun violence prevention, abortion rights protections, voting rights expansion and more.

“It’s gonna mean a fairer, more inclusive, better and more prosperous Minnesota,” Walz said.

Democrats took full control of state government when the Legislature convened for its 2023 session, marking the first time in eight years they have held the trifecta of both chambers plus the governor’s office. This put them in position to pass a long list of legislative priorities that the previous Senate Republican majority had blocked.

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said to the crowd, “Today is a celebration — not only of the work of the last five months, but it is a celebration of the last several decades of organizing.”

Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, said the record-setting diversity among lawmakers this session was a reason that Democrats were able to secure so many big wins. “Our democracy thrives, our democracy functions better, when it accurately reflects the people that it seeks to represent,” she said. “And so, we don’t need folks who say, ‘I wonder how this community feels,’ because those communities are now at the table in a major way.”

Other measures in the newly signed budget bills include: a child tax credit that will provide up to $1,750 per child

to families with low incomes; increased funding for schools to boost resources; climate resiliency grants to help people prepare for extreme weather and upgrade old infrastructure; and improvements to roads, bridges and electrical vehicle infrastructure.

Republican House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, of Cold Spring, said in an interview that the One Minnesota Budget is more like a “One Democrat Minnesota” budget,

because it does not represent a unification of both parties.

Referring to the percentage of Republican lawmakers in the Legislature this session, Demuth said 48% of Minnesotans were not represented in many of the policies that Democrats championed and passed with their slim majorities in the Senate and House.

Now, three years since Floyd’s murder, proponents of federal actions — such as banning chokeholds and changing the so-called qualified immunity protections

for law enforcement — still await meaningful signs of change. The beating death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of Memphis police officers in early January underscored just how long it could take. Democratic U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, of Massachusetts, said during a recent press conference convened by a Black Lives Matter collective that she sees no evidence of a “racial reckoning.” “I don’t play with words like ‘reckoning,’” Pressley said. “That needs to be something of epic proportion. And we certainly have not seen a response to the lynching, the choking, the brutality, (and) the murder of Black lives.”

WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN MINNEAPOLIS?

Soon after Floyd’s

Rock legend Tina Turner dies at 83

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

Tina Turner, the “Queen of Rock ‘n Roll’ whose legend grew after she overcame a bitter divorce to musician Ike Turner that was filled with violence, has died at the age of 83.

The superstar’s family confirmed her death in a statement on Wednesday, May 24, noting that Turner died “peacefully” at her home near Zurich, Switzerland.

“Starting with her performances with her exhusband Ike, Turner injected an uninhibited, volcanic stage presence into pop,” Rolling Stone’s Brittany Spanos declared in a tribute.

“Even with choreographed backup singers — both with Ike and during her own career — Turner never seemed to reign in,” Spanos, who co-authored the tribute with David Browne, asserted.

“Her influence on rock, R&B and soul singing and performance was also immeasurable.

“Her delivery influenced everyone from Mick Jagger to Mary J. Blige, and her high-energy stage presence (topped with an array of gravitydefying wigs) was passed down to Janet Jackson and Beyoncé.

“Turner’s message

— one that resounded with generations of women — was that she could hold her own onstage against any man,” Spanos and Browne recalled.

Born Anna Mae Bullock in Tennessee in 1939, Turner started her career in 1958 as the lead singer for Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm band.

Later, the couple changed the name to the Ike & Tina Revue and spun out hit after hit with songs like “Nutbush City Limits,” “River Deep,” and the seminal “Proud Mary.” Following a tumultuous and abusive relationship, Tina escaped from Ike’s clutches in 1976 with no money and just the clothes on her back that reportedly were bloodied following Ike’s latest assault. During divorce proceedings, Tina simply demanded that she keep her stage name which the judge granted. With assistance from rock stars like Mick Jagger and David Bowie, Turner rebounded several years later and topped the pop music charts with her 1984 solo album, Private Dancer

The album included a bevy of hit singles, including a remake of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” and “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” which became the title of her successful

Photo: @WhiteHouse on Instagram

Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman vice president.

A capoeira como resis tência criativa A capoeira como resistência criativa

Introdução

Há três meses, fiz uma resolução de ano novo para estar mais comprometido com os princípios que a Capoeira me ensinou. Mal sabia eu que a Capoeira estaria atingindo a mídia na América do Norte e seria o assunto da cidade. Chinwe Oniah, um estudante de Oakland, Califórnia, lançou recentemente um belo vídeo chamado “Por que mais negros americanos deveriam experimentar a capoeira” no Festival de Cinema de São Francisco. Eu não poderia concordar mais. Enquanto ensino a arte para jovens de 5 a 12 anos, tenho refletido sobre como a Capoeira mudou minha vida quando jovem. Tem sido o fio condutor do meu desenvolvimento pessoal, criativo e profissional. Eu até fiz uma música sobre o que isso significa na minha vida. (https://azmeramusic. bandcamp.com/track/know-justiceknow-peace)

A capoeira é uma válvula de escape que nos permite maximizar nosso potencial, em uma sociedade comprometida em subestimar nossa existência, principalmente como afrodescendentes.

Origens

A capoeira, pronuncia-se Cah-poo-eh-rah, é uma forma de arte marcial afro-brasileira que hoje é um fenômeno global. Com mais de 6 milhões de praticantes e contando, esse ofício foi apresentado em videoclipes de artistas como Little Wayne, série de Hollywood, e fez inúmeras aparições em filmes como Disney’s Rio. Talvez um dos videogames mais conhecidos com o ofício seja Tekken, apresentando os formidáveis lutadores e jogadores (jogadores) Eddie e Christina. Quando a maioria das pessoas vê a Capoeira pela primeira vez, assumem que é uma dança.

Embora a Capoeira realmente envolva uma série de movimentos belos e fluidos, muitos não conhecem sua história rica e profundamente libertadora.

História da Capoeira

Em 1888, o Brasil foi o último país das Américas a abolir a escravidão e, enquanto quase 400.000 pessoas escravizadas foram trazidas para os Estados Unidos, cerca de 4,9 milhões foram traficadas para os portos do Brasil. Como os escravos não podiam praticar a autodefesa, eles disfarçavam seus movimentos como uma dança, e assim nasceu a Capoeira. Conheci a Capoeira aos sete anos de idade e considero uma bênção ter aprendido, treinado e ensinado desde então. Aqui estão três maneiras pelas quais a Capoeira me mudou: 1. Melhorei meu relacionamento com meu corpo. Como uma jovem com muita energia e que

também testemunhou muita raiva e violência crescendo, meu corpo estava receptivo a cada interação. Precisava liberar essa energia de forma produtiva, e a Capoeira era essa saída. Vindo da pobreza, onde abuso de substâncias, falta de moradia e disfunção eram a norma, treinei 3 horas por dia para processar as emoções confusas como um mecanismo de enfrentamento. Como resultado, aprendi a valorizar dar ao meu corpo o tempo que ele precisa para descansar, se recompor, se alongar e se expressar livremente. Agora vejo isso como uma necessidade, e não como uma obrigação, e sempre me sinto melhor depois de fazer algum movimento. Isso me ensinou que posso confiar em meu corpo para saber como me mover e como responder a qualquer circunstância.

Enquanto eu estava no segundo ano na University of Southern California (USC), matriculei-me em uma aula de português para minha exigência de idioma e logo depois tive a oportunidade de estudar no exterior, no Brasil por um mês. Para arrecadar fundos para minha passagem de avião, decidi juntar meu Spoken word com a Capoeira e, em 1º de março de 2015, criei um vídeo de poesia Spoken word chamado “Capoeira” (https://www. youtube.com/watch? v=Yx9KnkbxU-c) onde refleti sobre o que esse ofício significou para mim em minha jornada de cura.

Como você verá, a Capoeira envolve musicalidade no canto, inovação com instrumentos feitos de arame de pneu e madeira, para fazer o instrumento pulsante chamado berimbau, e movimentos que soltam, e fortalecem o corpo. Essa inovação e capacidade de fazer algo do nada é um elementochave ao qual invoquei ao longo da minha vida. Os princípios aprendidos foram ajustados e ensinados nos workshops CaPoetic, que moldam o Método CapoEthic ™ que agora ensino a líderes e alunos de todas as idades para melhorar seu relacionamento com a mente e o corpo. Durante meu tempo na faculdade, concluímos mais de 150 workshops dentro e fora do campus e atendemos mais de 250 membros da comunidade. Conduzimos oficinas criativas de CaPoetic com alunos dentro e fora do campus da USC e na grande Los Angeles, Oakland, Califórnia, Salvador Bahia, Brasil e até Jerusalém Oriental e Ramallah, Palestina.

2. Aumentou minha autoconfiança e capacidade de me relacionar/engajar com os outros. Há um diálogo na Capoeira – uma troca de energia que cura, revela e aprofunda o relacionamento de cada um consigo mesmo e com os outros. Na aula de capoeira nos trabalhamos em dupla, então tive que aprender a ouvir o outro. Parte da prática exige que você forme pares e faça contato visual com a pessoa contra a qual está jogando. Quando eles te derem um chute, você deve responder com uma fuga ou outro chute, e assim vocês estão falando um com o outro sem dizer uma palavra. Aprendi a ler a linguagem corporal e também percebi que às vezes um diálogo entre dois corpos pode ser ainda mais poderoso do que uma conversa verbal.

A energia fala e é importante praticar a autodisciplina em vez de reagir. Se alguém acidentalmente chutar seu rosto, você não pode perder a compostura ou então isso é considerado falta de maturidade e disciplina. Sua resposta precisa ser melhorada protegendo seu rosto ao jogar. Sempre há espaço para crescimento. Meu filme favorito enquanto crescia era Only The Strong, não apenas porque a trilha sonora é uma infusão da música Capoeira e Hip Hop.

O filme destaca como essa forma de arte, quando levada a sério, pode transformar vidas.

Luis, um ex-formado do Lincoln High School, retorna a Miami de sua missão militar no Brasil em busca de novas oportunidades de trabalho; ele visita seu professor de estudos sociais do 11º ano, que precisa desesperadamente de ajuda para chamar a atenção de seus alunos.

Ele convida Luis para ensinar Capoeira a doze jovens envolvidos com o sistema que estão “no fundo do poço” em Lincoln. Luis encontra resistência tanto dos alunos quanto da direção da escola e da comunidade, mas com persistência e visão ele prevalece.

Ele pega alguns dos jovens mais “mal comportados” e dá a eles ferramentas para controlar a raiva, resolução de conflitos e relacionamentos saudáveis que fazem até mesmo membros de gangues rivais dispostos a trabalhar juntos e, finalmente, fazer o que ninguém acreditava ser possível –terminar o ensino médio. Eu ressoei com o filme porque, embora nunca tenha me envolvida com uma gangue ou sido presa, lutei contra a raiva enquanto crescia. 3. Me conectou a uma comunidade global afro-diaspórica que começou no Brasil. Com 20 e poucos anos, eu estava apenas começando a processar traumas complexos de infância quando decidi me comprometer novamente com a forma de arte da Capoeira. Isso me deu a comunidade e uma saída positiva que eu precisava para me curar de maneira saudável.

Na época eu treinava com o instrutor afro-francês Saracuru, através da Capoeira Brasil Downtown LA, uma escola contemporânea com grupos em mais de 6 países.

Comecei a ver o impacto global que a Capoeira teve nas pessoas de todos os setores. Conheci pessoas do entretenimento, educação, música, organizações sem fins lucrativos, consultoria privada, governo, todos que treinavam Capoeira. Perguntei o que os trouxe para a arte, e inúmeros relataram que a Capoeira deu mais sentido à vida deles, e os ajudou a trilhar um caminho melhor. Para alguns foi a comunidade que os atraiu, para outros foi o exercício e a diversão, para outros foi uma conexão espiritual. Todos tinham uma razão diferente, mas todos tinham o mesmo fundamento; A capoeira os mudou. Isso me lembrou da minha própria jornada.

Ao visitar o Brasil, o que me surpreendeu ainda mais foi que conheci, treinei e aprendi com Capoeiristas feministas negras. Há mulheres praticando e

contribuindo para a Capoeira desde que a Capoeira existe, mas os documentários e a história nem sempre mostram isso. Quando eu estava concluindo uma bolsa Fulbright Creative and Performing Arts em Salvador Bahia, Brasil (Fulbright) em 2017, pela primeira vez encontrei Capoeiristas feministas negras que também eram professoras universitárias. Estudei com Mestra Janja e Mestra Paula Barreto, fundadoras do Instituto Nzingha de Estudos da Capoeira Angola (http://nzinga.org.br) e professoras do departamento Cor da Bahia da UFBA, Universidade Federal da Bahia. Foi abrir os olhos e afirmar a vida. Tive que ir até o Brasil para conhecer a teoria da interseccionalidade da Kimberly Crenshaw, que é o que a gente lê na aula da Mestra Paula. Ver a Capoeira através das lentes feministas negras pela primeira vez transformou minha relação com o ofício. Uma questão atemporal surgiu nessa jornada - a Capoeira transforma as normas sociais ou apenas reflete as normas sociais existentes? Ainda não sei a resposta para essa pergunta, mas a vi transformar minha própria compreensão do poder. Vejo mulheres continuando a iluminar o caminho para um futuro de cura e justiça, dispostas a enfrentar as formas de sexismo, racismo e classismo que dividem nosso mundo, em vez de gerar mudanças positivas. Na Capoeira liderada pelas feministas negras, as mulheres tiveram a oportunidade de tocar o berimbau, compor a maioria da bateria e cantar músicas que controlavam o ritmo do jogo sem impedimentos ou interrupções pelo patriarcado prejudicial. Além da mera inspiração, essas Capoeiristas Feministas Negras criam ativamente novos mundos. Aqueles de que precisamos tão desesperadamente - um mundo cheio de carinho, nutrição, suavidade, ternura e uma vontade de enfrentar a dor necessária para curar. Conheci mulheres negras praticantes dos EUA como a brilhante treinel Miriam, que organizou o primeiro evento anual de empoderamento feminino em 2019 em Atlanta, Geórgia. No Centro de Libertação de Socorros Mútuos, vi um espaço lindo, terno e sagrado cultivado para que todas as pessoas, jovens e velhos, homens e mulheres na Capoeira venham como são, joguem, dancem, cantem e chorem sob o bálsamo da autêntica engajamento da comunidade, como o Dr. Irma o chamaria. A liderança das mulheres negras na Capoeira me ajudou a ver como as mulheres realmente são poderosas, quando nos fortalecemos e criamos espaços corajosos onde podemos simplesmente ser. Este evento me lembrou que quando as mulheres estão presentes e apoiadas, um mundo de mudanças positivas é possível. As mulheres veem o que muitas vezes permanece invisível, porque tivemos que viver no espaço intermediário. Estou ansioso para compartilhar mais sobre o trabalho deles nas próximas peças.

Capoeira Hoje: Hoje, o Brasil tem a maior população de descendentes de africanos fora da África. Segundo o Diretório Mundial de Minorias e Povos Indígenas

no Brasil, mais de 48% da população tem ascendência africana. O mundo dos praticantes está crescendo e sempre mudando à medida que a forma de arte continua a evoluir. Como a maioria das outras coisas na cultura negra, ao longo do tempo a Capoeira foi apropriada de maneiras diferentes, mas é animador ver como os negros, especialmente as mulheres negras, fizeram o seu próprio ofício.

Os estilos primários praticados são considerados Capoeira Angola (movimentos mais lentos), Regional (movimentos mais rápidos, mais acrobáticos) e Contemporâneo. Um mestre (um mestre de Capoeira) é aquele que tem experiência em nível de especialista, demonstrou compromisso com sua comunidade e mantém uma reverência contínua pela herança cultural deste ofício sagrado. Eles trabalham para preservar a história da Capoeira por meio de seu ensino, muitas vezes enraizado na narrativa oral, e também elevam ativamente a comunidade por meio de projetos de mudança social.

Se você quiser saber mais sobre a Capoeira, além de uma rápida pesquisa no Google, você pode ouvir parte da minha jornada com o Mestre Cleber Pety do Bantos Capoeira no podcast Break The Boxes nos links abaixo. (https://open.spotify.com/ episode/3nvjXRKp6mgBoalVBY6EG)

Links para mais recursos

1. Saiba mais sobre a história da Capoeira e o número de praticantes https://larc.ucalgary.ca/publications/ professionalizing-and-regulatingcapoeira-brazilian-dilemma

2. Saiba mais sobre o tráfico de escravos e a história do Brasil (https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzFxCBP4M0)

3. Saiba mais sobre a população demográfica do Brasil https:// www.refworld.org/docid/49749d4d32. html

4. Saiba mais sobre minha jornada na Capoeira https://open.spotify.com/ show/70lCY9s8ekQMB484hxKcbV

5. Assista ao meu vídeo Spoken Word de Capoeira

6. Saiba mais sobre a Black Capoeira org em Minneapolis (https:// www.abcapoeira.com/about/mestreyoji-senna

7. Saiba mais sobre uma das escolas de Capoeira mais antigas de Los Angeles, liderada por um Mestre Negro https://www.brasilbrasil.org

8. Saiba mais sobre Mestre Batata em Culver City, LA https://capoeirabesouro. com/about-us/mestre-batata/

9. Incluído na foto - Courtney Woods, PhD e Azmera HammouriDavis, foto tirada por Irma McClaurin (2022)

(c) 2023 Azmera HammouriDavis Biografia: Azmera, MTS (também conhecido como The Poetic Theorist) é um poeta, mestre de cerimônias e fundador e apresentador do Break The Boxes, que tem um álbum de estreia Young Spirit Old Soul agora no bandcamp (azmeramusic. bandcamp.com). Ela trabalha para elevar a sabedoria através das gerações e tradições de fé. Twitter e Instagram: @azmerarhymes site: azm-era.com

Por Azmera Hammouri-Davis Translation by Yoji

Photo by: Gia Trovela

Long Beach, California 2017, practicing Capoeira.

A light in the community event update

On June 10, St. Peter’s AME Church, 401 East 41st Street in Minneapolis, is holding the following events: A free paper shredding

event from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Bring your sensitive papers, old tax returns, etc. Limit 2 paper boxes or 3 white plastic bags per person.

From 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

BBQ dinners will be for sale. Plates are $25 each and you can get ribs, chicken, or rib tips. There will also be mustard

three times the rate of others.

greens and peach cobbler available for $5 each. You can also buy full slabs or rib tips only.

From 11:00 a.m. to

2:00 p.m., there will be free haircuts for anyone who uses the services of a barber for hair, beard, and mustache grooming. Please join us!

to make those decisions.

She said her mother and “second mother,” Ms. Shelton, who lived two doors down and ran a nursery school above her childhood home, helped show her the importance of small businesses.

“Ms. Shelton was a small business owner, matriarch to the community. She was a community leader, a civic leader, who mentored people in the community,” Harris recalled.

“I was raised with an understanding of the importance of small businesses. They aren’t just business owners. They are civic leaders and community leaders and are so much a part of the community’s cultural fabric.

“When I was in the U.S. Senate, I was able to work with my colleagues to get an extra $12 billion put into

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murder, Minneapolis adopted a number of changes, including bans on chokeholds and neck restraints, and requirements that police try to stop fellow officers from using improper force.

Minnesota lawmakers approved statewide police accountability packages in 2020 and in 2021, as well as tight restrictions on no-knock warrants this month.

The city is still awaiting the results of a federal investigation into whether its police engaged in a “pattern or practice” of unconstitutional or unlawful policing. A similar investigation by the state Department of Human Rights led to what it called a “court-enforceable settlement agreement” in March to revamp policing in the city.

Mutual aid keeps George Floyd’s community together

Man who witnessed George Floyd murder by police suing Minneapolis over officers› actions

The federal investigation could lead to a

One MN Budget One MN

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community banks, which are banks that are in the community who understand the community and its needs and who will create access to capital often where the big banks don’t give access to capital for our startups, young entrepreneurs, and small businesses.”

She maintained that the work has continued in her role as vice president.

Harris helped to create the Economic Opportunity Coalition, where private sector funders put money in community banks and where access to capital has increased for small business owners.

Harris gushed about a recent gathering she convened that consisted of young entrepreneurs and business leaders in tech, space, and climate work.

“They were mostly young Black men doing such innovative and good work,” she said.

similar but separate agreement with the city. Police in several other cities already operate under such oversight for civil rights violations.

“We are shifting the culture of our police department — to ensure that our officers strengthen and hold the trust of our entire community,”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement Thursday.

There were immediate cries after Floyd’s murder to defund the police — and instead fund public housing and other services. But a ballot measure that had roots in that movement failed, even in some heavily Black neighborhoods.

An AP review of police funding found that some municipalities elsewhere made modest cuts that fell far short of activists’ calls.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MINNEAPOLIS THIS WEEK?

Minneapolis activists have planned a candlelight vigil Thursday night at George Floyd Square, the corner where Floyd died. A festival at the square Saturday will celebrate change in Minneapolis.

At the square, hundreds of flowers and signs swayed in the wind between towering statues of fists. Kendrick White and Georgio Wright, two Black men, said they visit the site

As for the new budget, Demuth said she’s concerned. “When you look at a higher budget than what we had, that’s a tax increase. So I think the reality of what that means is going to hit Minnesotans over the next weeks,

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“I convened to let them know what’s available to them in terms of support, access to capital, and helping them get market access. Those are some of the old barriers to those being able to achieve great success.”

Finally, the vice president demanded that women have autonomy over their bodies despite the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. She said her mom had always displayed passion and anger about existing disparities for women of color, particularly Black women.

“When I was in the U.S. Senate, we began proposing legislation to address this crisis, which is a crisis,” Harris exclaimed.

“The United States of America is one of the world’s wealthiest, if not the richest, nations. [But], we have one of the highest maternal mortality rates, particularly Black women who are dying at

every day and lead “pilgrimage guides” — or tours — to spread awareness about what happened. About 20 high school students and teachers from California were in their group Thursday. Lee Fertig, head of school at The Nueva School in the Bay area community of San Mateo, said they wanted to see how the community is rebuilding.

Gov. Tim Walz declared Thursday “George Floyd Remembrance Day” in Minnesota, proclaiming, “True justice for George Floyd will come only through real, systemic change to prevent acts like this from happening again.”

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OFFICERS?

Derek Chauvin, the white officer who killed Floyd, and the three other officers who failed to stop him, are all in prison. Chauvin was sentenced in state court to 22 1/2 years for second-degree murder. Two of the three other officers pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting manslaughter and received shorter terms, while the third was convicted of that count by a judge and awaits sentencing. All four of the officers were also convicted of violating Floyd’s civil rights.

WHAT HAPPENED AFTER PROTESTS?

months and years,” she said. The newly signed bills include a 0.75% sales tax increase in the Twin Cities metro area, a 50-cent fee on non-food deliveries over $100 and higher driver’s license and vehicle registration fees. They also include tax increases on companies with global income and some reduced deductions for wealthy individuals.

“When you look at Black women in connection to childbirth, it has nothing to do with economic status or educational status. It literally has to do with so often she walks into that hospital or clinic, and she is a Black woman who is not always taken seriously.

“So, I’ve been working to address a number of issues, including racial bias. We need to train medical professionals about racial bias so they can take these women seriously.

“One of my particular joys is that I’m proposing that we rely on Doulas to help teach all the other medical professionals. Doulas are women from the community who understand the importance of community health approaches to healthcare.”

Harris added that U.S. Democratic Reps. Alma Adams of North Carolina and Lauren Underwood of Illinois, among others, helped to pass

Around the world, protests against racial violence and police brutality erupted after Floyd’s murder, reigniting the Black Lives Matter movement. Videos circulated on social media of U.S. police using tear gas and less-lethal munitions like rubber bullets, fueling calls for accountability, which so far has largely come in the form of civil settlements. New York City found 146 officers had committed misconduct at protests, including one officer who drove a car into protesters. Independent reviews in Philadelphia, Minneapolis and Los Angeles also found those departments had mishandled their responses. In some cities, a handful of officers were fired. Some faced criminal charges: In Austin, Texas, 19 officers were indicted. Few have been convicted. Minneapolis has agreed to millions of dollars in settlements with people who alleged they were victims of excessive police force during unrest that followed Floyd’s killing, which included the burning of a police station. Few officers were disciplined.

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL? In 2020, federal legislation called the George

The budget bills are already facing at least one legal challenge.

A group of Christian parents and schools filed a lawsuit Wednesday to challenge a provision in a bill governing the state’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options program, which lets high school students earn college credit tuition-free. They said the change

the Momnibus Act of 2021, which helps protect women from bias in the medical field.

“We need to give all women access to quality care,” Harris said.

“Since I’ve been doing this work, we’ve challenged states to extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum care from two months to 12 after birth. So far, 33 states and the District of Columbia have answered the call to extend postpartum care.

“These mothers need help and assurance that they are doing ok and that we care for all their needs.”

On Roe v.

Wade, Harris concluded:

“One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held belief to agree that the government should not tell that woman what to do with her body. That’s between her and her pastor, priest, rabbi, or whoever she decides. But, again, it’s about people’s freedom

Floyd Justice In Policing Act showed signs of promise. It would ban chokeholds and noknock warrants, like the one that enabled Louisville police to kill Breonna Taylor. It would also create a database listing officers who were disciplined for gross misconduct, among other measures.

The House passed it in 2021 but the Senate failed to reach a consensus.

Last year, President Joe Biden signed an executive order that applied key elements of the bill to federal law officers.

On Thursday, Biden renewed his call for Congress to act to bring “real and lasting change at the state and local levels.”

“I urge Congress to enact meaningful police reform and send it to my desk. I will sign it,” he said in a statement, adding that he will fight for police accountability and work with both parties to reach solutions.

Meanwhile Pressley, the Massachusetts congresswoman, has been promoting the Ending Qualified Immunity Act, a measure she has reintroduced every year since 2020.

WHAT ABOUT THE FLOYD FAMILY?

Over the last three years, George Floyd’s family members have appeared at rallies and spoken out against

unconstitutionally makes religious colleges ineligible to participate if they require a statement of faith from students, as the University of Northwestern – St. Paul and Crown College do. The change was meant to restrict the program to schools that admit all students regardless of their beliefs.

Trisha Ahmed is a corps member for the

“We are seeing states across the country where they are criminalizing health care providers, giving them jail time. We see women being punished in awful ways. In Southern states, they have to pull together money to travel.

“Most women who receive an abortion are [already] mothers. So, they need money, childcare, and transportation just to exercise their right over their own body. This is a movement.

“Let’s build a coalition because these so-called leaders attacking women’s reproductive rights are the same ones attacking voting rights.

“We need federal legislation. We need Congress to put back the protections of Roe. A woman’s choice, not the government, decides what happens with her body.”

police violence. Within days of his brother’s death, Philonise Floyd testified at a congressional hearing about police reform. While relatives and reform advocates urged for legislation changes, George Floyd’s youngest daughter, Gianna Floyd, met Biden at the White House in 2021. A photo of a Marine holding the door for the 7-year-old went viral. New York City-based Terrence Floyd, who became an activist after his brother’s murder, planned to hold the third-annual memorial event at a Harlem church on Thursday evening. He has supported get-out-thevote efforts and promoted music paying tribute to his brother. “You have to have the faith that it will happen, because it didn’t happen overnight for Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X. It didn’t happen overnight for Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson, he said about meaningful social change. “You can’t expect it to happen overnight for us, but it will happen. Morrison reported from New York. Associated Press writers Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia, Colleen Long in Washington and Trisha Ahmed in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow

Trisha Ahmed on Twitter: @ TrishaAhmed15

Turner

From 3

1993 biopic starring Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne. She then enjoyed the starring role alongside Mel Gibson in the 1995 movie, “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.”

In 1986, Tina wrote her memoir, “I, Tina,” which writers used to create the film, “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” Over her career, Turner earned 11 Grammy Awards, and sold an estimated 180 million records globally.

In 2001, Turner earned induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and, in 2008, after having taken a hiatus from performing, toured the world for her 50th anniversary in show business.

“Heaven has gained an angel,” singer Ciara tweeted.

“Thank you for the inspiration you gave us all.”

The Defender Network’s Twitter account praised Turner as “an unstoppable musical force who exuded grace and resilience. “ And hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash said Turner would be missed.

“My condolences to the Turner family,” Flash said. “Rest in peace Tina Turner you will be missed.”

Floyd

Minnesota governor signs bill to legalize marijuana, effective this summer

By Trisha Ahmed Associated Press/Report for

Surrounded by dozens of people wearing green clothes, Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill Tuesday to legalize recreational marijuana for people over the age of 21, making Minnesota the 23rd state to legalize the substance for adults.

Former Gov. Jesse Ventura, who supported legalization when he served

from 1999-2003, attended the signing ceremony. Walz said in November that Ventura would be invited because Ventura was one of the first governors in the country to support legalization.

Under the new law, it will be legal by Aug. 1 to possess, use and grow marijuana at home. Possession of cannabis flower will be limited to 2 pounds (0.9 kilos) at home and 2 ounces (56 grams) in public. Stricter caps will be placed on cannabis products with concentrated THC.

Retail sales at dispensaries will probably

be at least a year away. Once licensed, stores will charge sales tax plus a 10% cannabis tax. Minnesotans who have been convicted of misdemeanor or petty misdemeanor possession will also get their records automatically expunged. However, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has estimated it will take until August of next year to process all cases. Others with more serious convictions, such as those with possession offenses that exceeded even the new limits, may also be able to apply for reduced sentences.

Democrats took full

KOFID-19 iyo Uurka

Tallaalka KOFID-19 waa

mid badqab u leh qofka uurka leh.

•Xarunta xakamaynta iyo ka hortagga cudurada faafa ee CDC qeybteeda gobolka Minnesota ee qaabilsan

inay iska tallaalaan cudurka KOFID-19. Dadka uurka leh uu sababay KOFID-19 marka la bar-bardhigo dadka aan uurka laheyn.

•Haddii aad uur leedahay, is tallaal si aad isaga ilaalisid inuu kugu dhaco xanuun aad u daran uu sababay KOFID-19.

• kale xilliga naas nuujinta.

• dhallaanka ay dhalaan ka yareeyaa khatarta ah inay isbitaal u galaan cudurka KOFID-19 lixda bilood ee ugu horaysa noolasha ilmaha dhashay.

•

• •Horay ma u qaadatay talaalka COVID-19? Hubi inaad heshay ugu yaraan hal qiyaas oo ah tallaalka la cusboonaysiiyay

Tallaalka KOFID-19 waa mid badqab u leh dadka doonaya inay mar un ilmo dhalaan.

• KOFID-19.

• mn.gov/vaccine

control of state government when the Legislature convened for its 2023 session, marking the first time in eight years they have held the “trifecta” of the Senate, House and governor’s office. With that power, they passed a long list of legislative priorities — including legalization — that the previous Senate Republican majority had blocked. Walz has long been a supporter of legalizing recreational marijuana for adults. In 2021, the Democratic-controlled House passed a legalization bill with several Republicans voting

yes, but the GOP-controlled Senate never gave it a vote.

Last year, the Legislature passed a bill legalizing THC in edible or drinkable form if it’s derived from hemp. Many lawmakers apparently didn’t realize what they were doing as it sailed through under the radar. Lowstrength gummies and beverages have been on sale since July.

Former Gov. Ventura said in November that Walz had called him up the day after his reelection and said he expected a new legalization bill to pass. Ventura, an independent

who doesn’t usually make endorsements, backed Walz over Republican Scott Jensen, and said legalization was one of the many reasons why. Trisha Ahmed is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow Trisha Ahmed on Twitter: @ TrishaAhmed15

photo/Glen Stubbe

greenhouse on May 5, 2015, in Otsego, Minn. Senators in Minnesota passed a bill Saturday, May 20, 2023, that would legalize recreational

making it the 23rd state

A Girl Like Me

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

A GIRL LIKE ME

By J. Nichole

Good love stories in romance novels get me every time, be they male/male, male/ female, or female/female. It’s even better when the two main characters represent Black Love; there can never be enough representation in this genre. That being said, this week’s Pride Month review is for J. Nichole’s A Girl Like Me.

Skylar Wilson is one of the token Black women at an established advertising agency. Though she has the skills and the talent, she is not getting the opportunities to fully shine as an ad exec. Constantly overthinking, Skylar is torn between wanting to rock the boat and go after opportunities for herself and the stifling security of a steady paycheck to keep her head down. In her personal life, boyfriends and potential men have come and gone, from the boring to the creepy. None of them have given her the butterflies-in-thestomach feels, like her first crush in high school did. Despite her single status, Skylar has a group of friends unofficially called The Art Crew, who from time to time have arranged dates for her, in particular her BFF Brooklyn.

Lauren (Lo) Taylor is an out-and-proud freelance journalist sistah who believes in going after what she wants, be that professionally or personally. She stands out wherever she goes. Her motto: “Don’t let anyone or anything ever dim your light.” Step by step, Lo draws Skylar out of her shell, and Skylar discovers

those high-school feels once again—only this time, it’s for a woman. However, Lo has been burned before by a woman who used her as an experiment and then left her for a man.

With pressure from work and her parents, will Skylar step out of the box and claim the authentic love standing in front of her? Will she branch out on her own professionally?

From Skylar’s firstperson point of view, the story chronicles her journey of discovery, from her unsatisfying work life and dating life, to her first meeting with Lo, to her reluctance to reveal she’s dating a woman, family issues, and ultimately her happily-ever-after with Lo. It has all the elements of a slow-burn romance that

keeps the reader turning the pages (yes, I read the book in less than two hours). I liked the contrast Nichole brings between Skylar’s urban relationships and those from her small hometown of Bentonville; only three hours away but worlds apart. In her words, Nichole “enjoys creating lively characters that are realistic, and demonstrate Black culture—the good, the bad, and the fabulous. Characters even with all their dramatics still find their way to a happy ending.” A Girl Like Me is available through Amazon. Thank you, J., for a great read and a satisfying happily-ever-after. Black Love wins!