WINNER: 2018 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 3RD PLACE BES T COLUMN WRITING
WINNER: 2019 GENERAL EXCELLENCE, 3RD PLACE, COLUMN WRITING, 2ND PLACE
Insight News May 20, 2019 - May 26, 2019
Vol. 46 No. 20• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Uche Iroegbu/ui.photographic
Citizen Awards honorees (left to right) Brendon Adams, Coventry Royster Cowens, Tsehai Wodejo, Dr. Robert Johnson, Dr. Josie Johnson (on behalf of Patrice Johnson), Christine Stark and Fartun Weli.
Twin Cities International Leadership Institute
Citizen Awards celebrate service to Africa By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor harry@insightnews.com Those promoting the connectedness of the African diaspora and revitalization of the continent were celebrated during the Twin Cities International Leadership Institute’s Citizen Awards. The May 9 awards ceremony at the Minneapolis Club in downtown Minneapolis recognized seven honorees for their efforts to serve the world’s largest landmass, and more importantly, its inhabitants. Honored were Coventry Royster Cowens, International Citizen Award, Patrice Johnson (posthumously), International Citizen Award, Fartun Weli, International Immigrant Achieve-
ment Award, Dr. Robert Johnson, International Educator Citizen Award, International Social Justice Citizen Award, Christine Stark, International Social Justice Citizen Award, Tsehai Wodejo, International Social Justice Citizen Award and Brendon Adams, International Arts and Culture Citizen Award. Accepting the award on behalf of Patrice Johnson was her mother, renowned human and civil rights icon, Dr. Josie Johnson. Dr. Josie Johnson said her daughter’s actions were guided by caring and compassion. “I’m fortunate because I have children who live out our mission to spread compassion. Patrice did things all parents hope their child will do.
She shared her life freely and taught us to live with compassion and caring,” said Dr. Josie Johnson. Patrice Johnson was killed in a plane crash in 1989 while on a humanitarian trip to Ethiopia to aid those suffering from famine. Also killed was Rep. Mickey Leland of Texas and 14 others. The co-pilot’s daughter was also on hand for the May 9 celebration. Royster Cowens said her work in Africa is part of her life’s destiny. “After my first trip to Tanzania I found out I had colon cancer; a serious situation,” said Royster Cowens. “I was going through treatment and I went to the doctor and said it was on my heart; I was going to go to South Africa. From there on I have traveled to Africa. It
is a purpose for me.” Wodejo, the executive director at Resources for the Enrichment of African Lives, dedicated her award to the young women her organization serves. “I had a girl who, because of circumstance, attempted suicide several times; today she is now a mechanical engineer,” said Wodejo. “This award goes to them (the girls served by Resources).” Dr. Robert Johnson, a recently retired professor from St. Cloud State University, was honored for establishing an immersive study abroad program at the university that sends students to South Africa. Dr. Robert Johnson said his goal is to have students realize the commonality of the human experience.
“The whole purpose, the whole mission is about self-discovery,” said Dr. Robert Johnson. “We’ve had the opportunity to introduce hundreds of students to cultures abroad. This in not academic tourism. We get these students involved at a grassroots level.” Adams, co-founder of New Hope International Exchange, an organization serving and supporting communities in need in Cape Town, South Africa, also said the honor was not just for him, but for others. “This award is for my whole community back in Cape Town,” said Adams, who was instrumental in the Minnesota Orchestra’s recent trip to South Africa. “People said apartheid is over, but we’re still fighting. The fight has really just begun. Our fight is not against flesh
and blood, but the evils of this world.” Established in 1994, the International Leadership Institute was formed to increase and strengthen international interchange and understanding between Minnesota and the world, with the goal of empowering communities of color by promoting leadership, justice, peace, and democracy. Retired Hennepin County Judge LaJune Lange presides over the Twin Cities International Leadership Institute. Weli said Lange has been there for her and many others throughout the years. “All women of color, we’re told you have to have help; and I appreciate Judge LaJune for being there in my many times of need,” said Weli.
Page 2 • May 20, 2019 - May 26, 2019 • Insight News
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UNCF celebrates 75 Years of impact at the 7th annual Twin Cities Masked Ball Hosted by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter; event raised more than $400,000 for historically Black colleges and universities and scholarships for Minnesota students UNCF hosted the 7th annual Twin Cities Masked Ball on May 11 at the JW Marriott, Mall of America. Nearly 400 community influencers, business, civic, and education leaders, including event honorary chairs, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, came out and; according to local officials, raised more than $400,000 for historically Black colleges & universities (HBCUs) and for scholarships to help Minnesota students get to and through college. As the largest and most effective minority education organization in the United States, the United Negro College Fund also actively supports 37 private HBCUs and advo-
cates for minority higher education. During the past 75 years, UNCF has helped nearly half a million students earn college degrees. “With the continued support of mayors Carter and Frey and the Twin Cities community, UNCF is able to make a greater impact in the lives of area students,” said Laverne McCartney Knighton, area development director, UNCF. “In order to secure thriving communities, we must build a bridge to quality education for all.” Every year, UNCF honors individuals who advocate for a quality education for all. HBCU alums and husband and wife duo Cornell and Wenda Moore and UNCF longtime supporter U.S. Bank received the 2019 Masked Award for their commitment to changing the narrative of HBCUs and the students that attend them. McCartney Knighton said through the contributions made from event sponsors Cargill, Delta, U.S. Bank, Pohlad Companies, 3M, Allianz, Ecolab, Best Buy, Mortenson, General Mills, Medtronic Foundation, Target, Dorsey & Whitney, LLP and Wells Fargo, UNCF will con-
(Left to right) Laverne McCartney Knighton, area development director, UNCF Minneapolis, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, Katherine Quinn, vice chairman and chief administrative officer, U.S. Bancorp, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Michael Cox, UNCF regional development director at the May 11 UNCF Masked Ball. tinue its work of providing a path to success for the next generation of leaders.
“In order to secure thriving communities, we must build a bridge to a
quality education for all. The tremendous support from our sponsors helps UNCF con-
tinue this mission,” said McCartney Knighton.
John Wilgers to head Greater Twin Cities United Way Greater Twin Cities United Way announced John Wilgers will join the organization as President and CEO. “John has the tremendous ability to build strong, trust-based relationships, focused on listening, learning and leading,” said Tim Welsh, chair of the Greater Twin Cities United Way Board and
vice chairman of Consumer Banking Sales and Support at U.S. Bank. “Over the past year, United Way has achieved great momentum aligned with its long-range plan, and it’s an ideal time for John to lead the organization through the next phase of its transformation.” Wilgers joins United Way after 35 years
John Wilgers
at Ernst & Young where he most recently held the position of managing partner of the Minneapolis office. Over the past nine years Wilgers has served in several United Way roles including board chair, member of the executive committee of the board, volunteer, fundraiser and donor. A native of Kansas,
Wilgers has lived in the Twin Cities region for the past 14 years. “I believe everyone has a responsibility to serve others and United Way is a great place for me to fulfill that responsibility in a community that I’ve grown to love,” said Wilgers. “I’m excited to work with a great community of impact-
focused partners, generous donors and United Way’s strong leadership team.” Wilgers takes over for Trent Blain, who served as interim president and CEO during the search for a permanent leader. Blain will serve as senior vice president of marketing and engagement at United Way.
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Insight News • May 20, 2019 - May 19, 2019 • Page 3
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Vol. 46 No. 20• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
It’s all about caring More than 400 local Comcast NBCUniversal employees and their families, friends and community partners volunteered to assemble resource kits for kids and families in-need as part of the 18th annual Comcast Cares Day, the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event. The event took place May 4 at the Glover-Sudduth Center inside the Minneapolis Urban League, 2100 Plymouth Ave. N. Each year Comcast NBCUniversal employees volunteer during this celebration and throughout the year in efforts to make a lasting impact. According to the company, to date, more than 1 million Comcast Cares Day volunteers have contributed over 6 million service hours in local communities at more than 10,000 projects. “We are delighted to partner with Greater Twin Cities United Way to give back to our local community here in the Twin Cities,” said J.D. Keller, regional senior vice president, Comcast. “It is incredible to see how we can drive meaningful change by bringing together our employees, their friends and families, and our community partners, both on this day and throughout the year. We are thankful for the participants and volunPhotos courtesy of Comcast
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Making cards
Center for Economic Inclusion names Christopher Romano new chief operating officer Christopher Romano has been named the new chief operating officer for the Center for Economic Inclusion (the Center). Romano most recently served as the director of Strategic Operations for Thrivent Holdings, a division of Thrivent Financial. “The COO role with the Center for Economic Inclusion embodies the alignment of my work experience, professional strengths and personal passions in a way that is extremely exciting to me,” Romano said. “I truly believe the Center is poised for great impact and success and I feel blessed to
Christopher Romano be part of developing and implementing its vision for a just and
equitable environment for all.” Prior to his tenure at Thrivent, Romano served as executive director for the Riverview Economic Development Association. He also led youth programming at La Oportunidad (Minneapolis) and served with the Peace Corps in Nicaragua as a Small Business Development Consultant. “Chris’ operations experience, authentic approach to leadership and experience advancing racial and economic equity will advance our work in myriad of ways as we accelerate the path toward an inclusive and equitable regional economy
that works for everyone,” said Tawanna Black, founder and CEO of the Center for Economic Inclusion. “I am honored to welcome Chris to our team and look forward to working with him to develop a nimble and rigorous infrastructure to support our dynamic vision.” Romano currently serves as chairman of the Latino Economic Development Center and is on the board of directors for Exodus Lending. He is a former Bush Fellow and was recognized as a National Society of Hispanic MBAs Fellow as well as a Sunquist Global MBA Fellow.
Mass Incarceration of women and minorities a new crisis By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia Although the number of people in prisons and jails in America has slightly declined, numbers released in April by the Bureau of Justice Statistics still show that nearly 1.5 million individuals were in prison by the end of 2017. The statistics also note that the U.S. continues to lock up more people than any other nation. And, despite a narrowing disparity between incarcerated Black and white women, females have emerged as the new face of mass incarceration. “I don’t think this should be much of a surprise as two of the main for-profit prison companies were founded around the same time,” said Ron Stefanski, whose website prisoninsight. com, works to hold prisons accountable for the treatment of current, former and future in-
Courtesy The Marshall Project/PBS
mates. “When these for-profit companies were created, they found a way to generate revenue off of inmates and this led to a huge influx of prisoners, both male and female.” In 2000, Black women were incarcerated at six times the rate of white women, but in 2017, Black women were imprisoned at less than double the rate of white women, according to the latest information. The number of white women in prison has increased by more
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Learn your numbers during Stroke Awareness Month
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than 40 percent since 2000 while the number of Black women incarcerated has fallen by nearly 50 percent. The most recent report from the Prison Policy Initiative revealed that, looking at the big picture shows that a staggering number of women who are incarcerated are not even convicted with one quarter of the women behind bars having not yet gone to trial. Sixty-percent of women under the control of local authorities have not been convicted of a crime and adding to the picture of
women in local jails, aside from women under local jurisdictions, state and federal agencies pay local jails to house an additional 13,000 women, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. For example, ICE and the U.S. Marshals, which have fewer dedicated facilities for their detainees, contract with local jails to hold roughly 5,000 women – so the number of women physically held in jails is even higher. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, avoiding pretrial incarceration is uniquely challenging for women. The number of un-convicted women stuck in jail is surely not because courts are considering women, who are generally the primary caregivers of children, to be a flight risk, according to the Prison Policy Initiative report. The far more likely answer is that incarcerated women, who have lower incomes than incarcerated men, have an even harder time affording
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Attorney General Keith Ellison
Ellison sues manufacturers of generic pharmaceutical drugs Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined 42 other states and Puerto Rico, in a coalition led by the State of Connecticut, in filing a lawsuit against 20 manufacturers of generic pharmaceutical drugs and 15 individual defendants. The suit filed May 13 alleges that between 2013 and 2015 the defendants conspired to illegally allocate markets and fix prices for 112 prescription
generic drugs that treat cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, anxiety, high blood pressure, bacterial infections, HIV and other conditions. Ellison said while many factors contribute to the high price of pharmaceutical drugs in America, a major factor is putting profits over people.
LAWSUIT 7
Public school districts can’t block graduation because of meal debt Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison issued a binding written opinion that under Minnesota law, “public schools are prohibited from denying students — who are eligible to receive their diploma — the opportunity to participate in graduation ceremonies due to unpaid meal debts.” The opinion relies on two Minnesota statutes — the Minnesota Public School Fee Law and the Lunch Aid Law — to support that conclusion.
“Minnesota law supports the principle that living with the dignity and respect that comes from participating in a graduation ceremony cannot be restricted by your ability to afford your life,” Ellison said. The attorney general’s opinion cites language of the Public School Fee Law that says that “no pupil’s rights or privileges, including the receipt of grades or diplomas, may be
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AS
News
St. Paulite, Seaman Azar Abdulkadir serves aboard USS Ronald Reagan
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‘Bolden,’ overdue biopic belatedly pays tribute to jazz pioneer
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Page 4 • May 20, 2019 - May 26, 2019 • Insight News
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Insight 2 Health Learn your numbers during Stroke Awareness Month Commentary by Roger Caldwell NNPA Newswire Contributor May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and it is very significant to me, because I am a stroke survivor. As a stroke survivor, I consider myself to be a miracle. One of my goals in life is to educate Americans (particularly Black men), that 80 percent of strokes can be prevented with knowledge and education. Strokes have the potential to be a silent killer, and nearly 85 percent of all strokes that occur show no warning signs. Although there are no major warning signs, there are risk factors, diseases, and health issues, which make an individual more susceptible to having a stroke. High blood pressure (hypertension) is the number one cause in the country for a stroke and it can be regulated with medicine, a proper diet, monitoring your blood pressure and a healthy lifestyle. As I said in my book, “The Inspiring Journey of a Stroke Survivor,” “Healthcare in one of the wealthiest countries on
the face of this earth is not a primary focus or concern. In this society, many people are not interested in improving their health. They prefer to take a chance and hope that health issues will resolve themselves. I was not taking care of myself and not taking the necessary steps to correct my health problems. This is a major crisis confronting this country today.” It is obvious with the recent news of the passing of actor Luke Perry (52), and director John Singleton (51), who both died suddenly of massive strokes, that something is wrong with the healthcare system. Both of these men were very successful, and if 80 percent of strokes are preventable, I would have expected these two men to have received the best medical care, but they are gone. When I had my stroke, I was well aware that I had hypertension, but I was still not taking my prescribed medication. I was walking around with a time bomb. At any time, I knew the bomb could explode but I took a chance. Eventually, it exploded but I lived, and now part of my responsi-
iStockphoto / NNPA
Know your numbers, take your medication, educate your children, and adult family members, and talk about your health. Visit a physician on a regular basis. Take control of your health, your life depends on it. Remember at any age a person can have a stroke, but as you get older you are more susceptible to having a stroke. bility is to educate Americans about strokes with a primary focus on African Americans. After having my stroke, I was completely paralyzed on the entire right side. I spent the next seven weeks in rehabilitation relearning basic tasks … how to dress myself, how to talk, how to write with my left hand, and how to graduate from a wheelchair to a
cane. My efforts paid off, but I did not recover 100 percent. All Americans must know more about stroke prevention and awareness, and they should know their personal numbers as well as their family members’ numbers. As a culture and community, Black Americans have the highest incidence of high blood pressure, with 1 out of
2 adults having some form of hypertension. May is Stroke Awareness Month, and it is essential to understand the mechanics of blood pressure and what the numbers represent. The higher number is the systolic number, and it represents the active portion of blood pressure, when the heart is pumping. This number should be around 120 or lower.
The lower number represents the diastolic number, or the passive or resting portion of blood pressure. This number should be around 80 or lower. Know your numbers, take your medication, educate your children, and adult family members, and talk about your health. Visit a physician on a regular basis. Take control of your health, your life depends on it. Remember at any age a person can have a stroke, but as you get older you are more susceptible to having a stroke. FAST is an acronym that everyone should know when they suspect that someone is having a stroke. The “F” stands for face, and one side of the face droops. The “A” stands for arm and the arm drop’s down. The “S” stands for speech, and check for slurred or strange speech. The “T” stands for time, and time is of the essence and call 911. To learn more about strokes contact the American Stroke Association, and go to my YouTube channel and view my documentary, “High Blood Pressure: A State of Emergency in the African American Community” (youtu.be/tiINtiXBLXw).
Viola Davis reveals diabetes diagnosis and campaign to raise awareness By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent @ StacyBrownMedia
Academy Award winner Viola Davis has opened up about her prediabetes diagnosis, sharing that she comes from a family with a history of type 2 diabetes.
“I’m one of 84 million American adults living with prediabetes and I’m sharing my story for the first time in an effort to inspire others to
take action against the type 2 diabetes epidemic,” Davis said in a statement after narrating “A Touch of Sugar,” a new documentary about type 2 diabetes epidemic in America. Davis received her diagnosis despite having experienced no symptoms, she said. “None whatsoever. I felt totally healthy and able … I went in for a hormone test, and my doctor took an A1C test,” Davis said of the blood test that takes the average of your blood sugar levels for the past two to three months and is used to diagnose type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose (also called blood sugar) is too high, according to the National Institutes of Health. Blood glucose is the body’s main source of energy. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose get into your cells to be used for en-
www.violadavis.net
Viola Davis ergy. In type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use insulin well. Too much glucose then stays in your blood, and not enough reaches your cells. Over time, too much glucose in your blood can cause health problems, such as heart disease, nerve damage, eye problems, and kidney disease. Among the most recent
reports, a study published by MedScape revealed that 13.3 percent of all AfricanAmericans have diabetes and Blacks are 1.8 times as likely to have diabetes compared to non-Hispanic whites. Davis, who has won an Academy Award, an Emmy and a Tony, said she hopes her new documentary will shed light on the stigma around the diabetes and also help others be more productive about their health. “My sisters are both struggling with type 2 diabetes and my aunt also died from complications of the disease,” Davis said. “Growing up, we just said they had ‘the sugar’ which didn’t sound that concerning. But, when you look at the facts, there’s nothing harmless about diabetes – it’s a chronic disease that needs to be taken seriously if we’re going to get it under control.” Davis joined forces with the pharmaceutical company Merck to narrate “A Touch of Sugar,” which also depicts how the disease affects all communities. The film reportedly is part of a larger initiative led by Merck called “America’s Diabetes Challenge: Get to Your Goals.” “A Touch of Sugar” debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York last month. “There are 30 million Americans with type 2 diabetes and 84 million with prediabetes. There are 324 million people in this country, so that’s half the population right there,” Davis said. “I think this documentary is really wonderful because it’s confronting the stigma around diabetes, and it’s giving a voice to something that has been voiceless for way too long and that’s why the numbers are too high.”
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St. Paulite, Seaman Azar Abdulkadir serves aboard USS Ronald Reagan By Lt. Jake Joy, Navy Office of Community Outreach YOKOSUKA, Japan – Seaman Azar Abdulkadir, a native of St. Paul, joined the U.S. Navy to create a better opportunity to get herself to law school. Now, a year later and half a world away, Abdulkadir serves aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, patrolling one of the world’s busiest maritime regions as part of the leading-edge of U.S. 7th Fleet. “Life on a carrier can be overwhelming,â€? she said. “There’s a lot of people. People come at you from every angle. You don’t get much of a chance to think. You get to meet lots of dierent people from dierent backgrounds.â€? Abdulkadir, a 2015 graduate of William Nottingham High School, is a culinary specialist aboard the Yoko-
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Insight News is published weekly, every Monday by McFarlane Media Interests. Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Managing Editor Harry Colbert, Jr. Culture and Education Editor Dr. Irma McClaurin Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Intern Kelvin Kuria Contributing Writers Maya Beecham Nadvia Davis Fred Easter Abeni Hill Timothy Houston Michelle Mitchum Inell Rosario Latisha Townsend Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography David Bradley V. Rivera Garcia Uchechukwu Iroegbu Rebecca Rabb Artist Donald Walker Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis,
suka, Japan-based ship, the only forward-deployed aircraft carrier in the Navy. “I’m a records keeper. We order the food for all the galleys and keep track of the funding,â€? said Abdulkadir, who noted that the ship has to ďŹ gure out a way to feed its thousands of sailors on an annual $3 million food budget. Abdulkadir credits her success in the Navy to lessons learned in her move to St. Paul. “I’m from Kenya, so moving to America was a huge culture shock and I learned to be independent,â€? she said. “So, joining the Navy, I was already ready to deal with a major culture shift.â€? U.S. 7th Fleet spans more than 124 million square kilometers, stretching from the International Date Line to the India/Pakistan border; and from the Kuril Islands in the North to the Antarctic in the South. U.S. 7th Fleet’s area of operations encompasses 36 maritime countries and 50 percent of the world’s population with between 50-70 U.S. ships and submarines, 140 aircraft, and
Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward
Seaman Azar Abdulkadir
approximately 20,000 sailors. “We are forward deployed, so we rarely have breaks. We’re always going to deployment. I don’t think many of the eets are like that,â€? said Abdulkadir. With more than 50 percent of the world’s shipping tonnage and a third of the world’s crude oil passing through the region, the United States has historic and enduring interests in this part of the world. The Navy’s presence in Yokosuka is part of that long-standing commitment. “The Navy is forward-deployed to provide security and strengthen relationships in a free and open Indo-PaciďŹ c. It’s not just the ships and aircraft that have shown up to prevent conict and promote peace,â€? said Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer, commander, U.S. 7th Fleet. “It is, and will continue to be our people who deďŹ ne the role our Navy plays around the world. People who’ve made a choice, and have the will and strength of character to make a dierence.â€? Named in honor of former President Ronald Rea-
gan, the carrier is longer than three football ďŹ elds, measuring nearly 1,100 feet. The ship, a true oating city, weighs more than 100,000 tons and has a ight deck that is 252 feet wide. Two nuclear reactors can push the ship through the water at more than 35 mph. Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard the carrier. Approximately 3,200 men and women make up the ship’s crew. Another 2,500 men and women form the air wing responsible for ying and maintaining more than 70 aircraft aboard the ship. Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Abdulkadir is most proud of advancing quickly to petty oďŹƒcer third class, an achievement that takes some sailors years. “I was promoted out of ‘A school.’ It kind of gave me a jumpstart when getting to the eet,â€? said Abdulkadir, referring to the primary skill course an enlisted sailor attends after completing recruit training.
Environmental justice as defined by North Minneapolis Commentary by James Trice, founder and CEO, Public Policy Project James_publicpolicyproject@msn.com www.PublicPolicyProjectonline.com The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deďŹ nes environmental justice as, “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. This goal will be achieved when everyone enjoys: Same degree of protection from environmental hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn and work.â€? In early 2017 the Public Policy Project contracted
with the McKnight Foundation to explore the connections between African-American perceptions and experiences of environmental issues in North Minneapolis. From late April through June the Public Policy Project interviewed several African-Americans and other leaders living and/or working in North Minneapolis. During the interviews we quickly realized we needed to expand our lens on what constitutes an environmental issue. No one questions the legitimacy of air, soil and water quality in the urban environment as appropriate environmental considerations. However, the impacts of dierential quality and the socio-ecological patterns in society that shape higher environmental injustice overburdens on African American communities tend to be invisible to and ignored by outsiders. As an example, one of the questions we asked was, “What do you see as the most important issues in north Minneapolis and how these can be
understood as environmental issues?â€? The answers were as follow. Large stock of substandard housing - We don’t have much environmentally sound, energy eďŹƒcient housing stock. Deep disparities in jobs, housing, health care and education - We have a higher incidents of environmental health hazards, and far lower access to high quality jobs, financial services, housing and education. Youth violence - Our youth feel “entrappedâ€? by the inequitable opportunity structure and this helps generate and reinforce youth violence patterns. Economy - The business mix we currently have will not help us build health or wealth. Corporations in our community do not interact with community - Corporations in the community do not typically hire community members equi-
tably. Racial justice, environmental racism and classism - economic marginalization, white supremacy and ecological marinization go hand in hand. Police/community relations - Relationship between police and community here has been one of containment, disrespect, and of individual and community peril. People are in survival mode - Energy goes toward trying to figure out where our next meal comes from and having to deal with basic needs before they can get to thriving objectives. School to prison pipeline - Too few teachers in our schools know how to touch each students’ learning light. Combination of divestment in us and attempts to gentrify community - Whenever people talk about “improving� things in North Minneapolis, many times we are not included in whatever they are thinking. Lower population
health and lower environmental health - Obesity, diabetes, asthma and less access to healthy local fresh food. People recognized more and more the deep intersectionality between the environment and the livelihood of residents in North Minneapolis. People see all of the above issues as environmental issues, believing that since we live in the environment – nothing can happen in our lives that is not an environmental issue. Environmental justice organizing never stops, and eventually will facilitate cracks in the armor of a paradigm that allows environmental injustice. As a result of the interviews, Public Policy Project created the Environmental Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC). More about EJCC coming soon. See the entire 2017 report on our website, www.pppejcc.com.
Jote Taddese recipient of Voices Magazine Leadership Award Jote Taddese, the president of the board of directors of Books for Africa (BFA), has been named a winner of the 5th Annual Voices Magazine awards. He won the award in the Non-ProďŹ t Leadership category at the awards ceremony April 20 in Brooklyn Center. The awards recognize African immigrants, AfricanAmericans and other commu-
nity leaders for their community achievements in non-proďŹ t, education, community advocacy, arts and culture and business. “Being the winner of the 2019 Voices Magazine Award has a special meaning to me as a member of the African diaspora communities I represent locally and globally,â€? said Taddese, a native of Ethiopia and a senior IT strategist at Medtronic.
“Jote has been a longtime advocate for literacy and book projects in his native region of Oromia, Ethiopia, and has established a successful project to revitalize the community library in the Nedjo community,â€? said Patrick Plonski, executive director of Books for Africa. “Jote is also taking a leading role in developing BFA’s partnership with the African Union and represented BFA at the African Union Summit in February in Addis, Ababa, Ethiopia.â€? Books for Africa is one of the largest shippers of donated text and library books to the African continent, shipping more than 44 million books to all 55 countries on the African continent since 1988. In ďŹ scal year 2018, Books for Africa shipped 2.3 million books, and 123 computers and e-readers
Jote Taddese
Books for Africa
containing 283,000 digital books, to 29 African countries. More than $2.2 million was
raised last year to ship these books to the students of Africa.
GET ON THE ROAD TO OPPORTUNITY. MnDOT Drives Jobs. OPEN HOUSE MAY 30 Learn about MnDOT jobs for skilled roadway maintenance workers and the beneďŹ ts and opportunities for exciting work on the road and in our communities.
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Insight News • May 20, 2019 - May 19, 2019 • Page 7
Comcast From 3 unteers who continue to work to make a positive difference.” Comcast said its Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation will also provide grants to local partner organizations on behalf of volunteers who contributed their time on Comcast Cares Day. To date, the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation has awarded nearly $25 million in grants to local nonprofit organizations who have served as partners on Comcast Cares Day.
Prison From 3 cash bail. When the typical bail amounts to a full year’s income for women, it’s no wonder that women are stuck in jail awaiting trial, the report’s author said. Even once convicted, the system funnels women into jails as about a quarter of convicted incarcerated women are held in jails, compared to about 10 percent of all people incarcerated with a conviction. Also, while stays in jail are generally short-
Meals From 3 denied or abridged for nonpayment of fees,” and that “any practice leading to suspension, coercion, exclusion, withhold-
Lawsuit From 3 “Illegal behavior rooted in greed,” said Ellison. “There’s a good reason that this kind of anti-competitive, anti-trust conspiracy has been illegal for more than a century. Holding these manufacturers accountable is exactly the kind of thing the attorney general can do to help Minnesotans afford their lives and live with dignity.” Rep. Rod Hamilton (R-Worthington), who lives with multiple sclerosis, said, “When you have the greedy corporate drug cartel building a business model that is stealing from the sick, the dying, and the disabled, that is quite frankly maddening.” He spoke of “countless” contacts he has had from Minnesotans who, because they cannot afford their prescription medications, are having to “choose between paying their bills and saving their lives.” Dr. Stephen Schondelmeyer, professor at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy and a national expert on the economic and social impacts of drug prices, said, “We’ve relied on generics manufacturers to lower the cost of pharmaceutical drugs, and now the very people that we’ve relied upon have turned around and stabbed us in the back with tremendous price increases. This market is broken.” Hamilton and Schondelmeyer are both members of Attorney General Ellison’s Advisory Task Force for Lowering Pharmaceutical Drug Prices. This new lawsuit comes on top of another lawsuit
Avenues for Youth
Volunteers and Boxes
er than in stays in prison, jails make it harder to stay in touch with family than prisons do. Phone calls are more expensive, up to $1.50 per minute, and other forms of communication are more restricted – some jails don’t even allow real letters, limiting mail to postcards. This is especially troubling given that 80 percent of women in jails are mothers, and most of them are primary caretakers of their children. Thus, children are particularly susceptible to the domino effect of burdens placed on incarcerated women, the report’s author said. Black and Native-American
women are markedly overrepresented in prisons and jails, according to the report. Incarcerated women are 53 percent white, 29 percent Black, 14 percent Hispanic, 2.5 percent Native-American and Alaskan Native, 0.9 percent Asian, and 0.4 percent Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander. “While we are a long way away from having data on intersectional impacts of sexuality and race or ethnicity on women’s likelihood of incarceration, it is clear that Black and lesbian or bisexual women are disproportionately subject to incarceration,” Prison Policy Initiative Author Aleks Kajstura said.
Three out of four women under control of any U.S. correctional system are on probation, according to Kajstura. Probation is often billed as an alternative to incarceration, but instead it is frequently set with unrealistic conditions that undermine its goal of keeping people from being locked up, she wrote for the Prison Policy Initiative. For example, probation often comes with steep fees, which, like bail, women are in the worst position to afford. Failing to pay these probation fees is often a violation of probation. Childcare duties further complicate probation requirements
that often include meetings with probation officers, especially for women with no extra money to spend on babysitters or reliable transportation across town. “All of these issues make women particularly vulnerable to being incarcerated not because they commit crimes, but because they run afoul of one of the burdensome obligations of their probation supervision,” Kajstura said. Still, she noted in the report that the picture of women’s incarceration is far from complete, and many questions remain about mass incarceration’s unique impact on women. “Based on our analysis in
this report, we know that a quarter of incarcerated women are un-convicted,” she wrote in the report. “But is that number growing? And how do the harms of that unnecessary incarceration intersect with women’s disproportionate caregiving to impact families? Beyond these big picture questions, there are a plethora of detailed data points that are not reported for women by any government agencies, such as the simple number of women incarcerated in U.S. territories or involuntarily committed to state psychiatric hospitals because of justice system involvement.”
ing of grades or diplomas, or discriminatory action based upon nonpayment of fees denies pupils their right to equal protection and entitled privileges.” The opinion determines that a charge for a meal by a public school is a “fee,” that participation in a graduation ceremony
constitutes a “privilege,” and that the word “including” means that the prohibition on abridging a student’s privileges for nonpayment of fees is not limited to the receipt of grades or diplomas, hence can include participation in a graduation ceremony or related activity. The
opinion further cites language of the Lunch Aid act that states, “The (school) must also ensure that any reminders for payment of outstanding student meal balances do not demean or stigmatize any child participating in the school lunch program.” The opinion is binding. Un-
der Minnesota law, the attorney general’s written opinion on matters relating to public schools “shall be decisive until the question involved shall be decided otherwise by a court of competent jurisdiction.” Ellison issued the May 15 opinion in response from a re-
quest from Minnesota Commissioner of Education Mary Cathryn Ricker, following a letter from Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid that reported that some school districts in Minnesota were denying students who owed a meal debt the ability to participate in graduation ceremonies.
against generics manufacturers filed in December 2016, in which Minnesota is also a plaintiff. That suit similarly alleges that 16 other generics manufacturers also conspired to illegally fix prices and allocate markets in what has been called “most likely the largest cartel in the history of the United States.”
America. The new lawsuit alleges that through a well understood and widely agreed-upon system, these generics manufacturers and their representatives conspired with their ostensible competitors to allocate markets and to fix prices among them. First, companies that theoretically competed with each other conspired to divide up markets for different generic drugs into what they called a “fair share” for each, based on when each company entered the market for that drug, and agreed not
to compete with each other on price or market share. Then those companies actively conspired with each other to charge “supra-competitive” prices for the drug or drugs in that market. This conspiratorial behavior was called “playing well in the sandbox.” Those competitor companies that were considered to “play well in the sandbox” were called “responsible” or “rational.” “This is the exact opposite of how rational economic theory has told
us to
healthcare programs. From 2012 to 2016, pharmacy spending per enrollee in Minnesota’s Medicaid program rose more than 56 percent. Nationally, more than $500 million in Medicaid drug reimbursements from mid-2013 to mid-2014, the period in which the alleged illegal market allocation and price fixing took place, was for generic drugs whose prices had increased by more than 100 percent.
The alleged conspiracy Generic pharmaceutical drugs now represent nearly 90 percent of all prescriptions filled in
markets are supposed operate,” said Ellison. He said the behavior has harmed consumers, many of whom have complained to the Attorney General’s Office about sudden, dramatic spikes in the cost of generics, some of which are named in this complaint; payors like insurance companies that have absorbed large cost increases and passed them onto consumers in the form of higher premiums and reduced coverage and taxpayers who pay more to support public
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‘Bolden,’ overdue biopic belatedly pays tribute to jazz pioneer Film review by Kam Williams Buddy Bolden (1877-1931) was born in New Orleans, where he took up the cornet at an early age and his
unique approach to the instrument involved a novel form of improvisation while playing a combination of gospel, blues and ragtime. Well before the emergence of Louis Armstrong, Bolden was a
popular bandleader credited with creating a new genre of music, jazz. Sadly, this genius has mostly been forgotten by history because no recordings or arrangements of his songs survived. However, thanks to
legendary trumpeter Wynton Marsalis in collaboration with writer/director Dan Pritzker, we now have “Bolden,” a brilliant biopic painting a poignant portrait of what the musician’s life might have been like. Marsalis com-
Stay Warm. Stay Safe.
posed, arranged and played on the soundtrack, relying on what scraps of his subject’s work he could unearth. Similarly, Pritzker cobbled together a speculative storyline based on the few facts available about Bolden. What we do know is that his career ended in
film stars Garry Carr, who delivers a riveting performance as a Black man whose spirit has been broken by racism and a host of other maladies flowing from that oppression. Don’t miss this overdue tribute to a forgotten jazz pioneer.
Stay Connected. Don’t Get Disconnected! Energy Assistance Can Help. p. CAP-HC’s Energy Assistance Program (EAP) provides financial
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assistance to Hennepin County residents, including the city of Minneapolis, to help with home energy costs and heat related repairs.
Robert Ri’chard and Gary Carr in Bolden (2019)
Text 4WARMTH to 555888
Stay Connected.
Energy Assistance Program offices are now open in several locations, including: St. Louis Park, Minnesota Council of Churches, Sabathani Community Center, LSS and Minneapolis Urban League.
952-930-3541 Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County 8800 Highway 7, Suite 403 St. Louis Park, MN 55426 www.caphennepin.org eap@caphennepin.org
www.facebook.com/caphennepin
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A program of Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County sponsored by: The Minnesota Department of Commerce & Department of Health and Human Services
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Tommy Brown & Omar Gooding on the movie set of “Bolden!”, which began pre-production filming in the spring of 2007. 1907 when he was committed to the mental institution where he would spend the last of his days in obscurity. “Bolden” is basically a flashback flick unfolding from the surreal perspective of a patient struggling to make sense of his life. The
Excellent (4 stars) Rated R for sexuality, graphic nudity, profanity, ethnic slurs, brutal violence and drug use Running time: 108 minutes Production Companies: King Bolden LLC Distributor: Abramorama
TAKE ON HEALTHY
LIVING TODAY Healthy aging is much more than just staying fit. Give your physical, mental and financial health a boost to thrive as you age. Join AARP Minnesota and several local organizations dedicated to serving Minnesotan’s 50 and older for a hands-on Healthy Aging Forum. Get useful tools and learn daily practices geared towards improving overall health and well-being. South Minneapolis Healthy Aging Forum Wednesday, June 5 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Sabathani Community Center 310 E. 38th Street | Minneapolis, MN
The event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged https://aarp.cvent.com/SMplsHealthyAging Or by calling 1-877-926-8300
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Insight News • May 20, 2019 - May 19, 2019 • Page 9
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Page 10 • May 20, 2019 - May 26, 2019 • Insight News
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Just Announced!
Entertainment highlighted by Christopher Williams and more to come
Saturday, June 15 11am–6pm
Bethune Park, 1304 North 10th Avenue A community-led celebration Food, entertainment, vendors, and family activities! Free and open to the public
minneapolisparks.org/juneteenth
Commemorating 400 years to honor the arrival of the first Africans brought to this land