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May 24, 2021 - May 30, 2021

Vol. 48 No. 21• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Minnesota CBS local

Aniya Allen and her Grandpa KG Wilson

Fox9

Ladavionne Garrett Jr. and Trinity Ottoson-Smith

KG Wilson ultimatum to killers/shooters

Turn yourselves in Aniya Allen was eating a McDonald›s happy meal in the back seat of her family›s car on the 3500 block of Penn Ave. N. in north Minneapolis on Monday evening when shots rang out, and she was struck. Family rushed her to Hennepin Healthcare, where family conﬁrms she died early Wednesday. Aniya is the granddaughter of peace worker KG Wilson. “I just went from sad to mad,” Wilson said in a Facebook post. “ I want to know is who did this?”

Calling it a homicide rather than a shooting, Wilson said. “You murdered our loved one. A six-year-old baby. Our precious little girl. You murdered her. I don’t’ know who you are. Where you are at. But I hope you’re watching this. I don’t know if you have any six-yearold brothers or sisters. I don’t want anybody to feel what we’re feeling right now. How can you live with yourself?” “Turn yourself in,” Wilson demanded. “You killed a baby.” He said, “If it was an

accident, turn yourself in. Find it in your heart. You can’t be that heartless.” “My family is hurting. I have done nothing but try to help families for many years,” Wilson told a KARE 11 reporter. “And the person who shot my grandchild, if you’re watching this, if something had happened to you, I would have been there for you or your family. So if you can ﬁnd it in your heart to turn yourself in, you could get forgiveness from me.” According to KARE 11 News, Aniya was the 20th

child shot in Minneapolis so far in 2021, and the third in just a few weeks. Violent crime is up overall, nearly 10% from this time last year. Her fatal shooting follows three days of gun violence across Minneapolis that ended with six people injured and one man›s death. One of the people injured on Saturday was a young girl playing on a trampoline with other children at a birthday party when she was shot by a person in a red fourdoor Ford, the news report said, That child, 8-yearold Trinity Ottoson-Smith,

suﬀered injuries so severe that Minneapolis police oﬃcers rushed her to the hospital via squad instead of waiting for an ambulance. On April 30 10 year old Ladavionne Garrett Jr. was in critical condition after a Friday afternoon shooting. Minneapolis police said he was shot while inside a vehicle near the 3400 block of Morgan Avenue North. On Saturday, community members gathered outside the hospital for a vigil. Friends and family prayed for the boy’s health. More prayers

are planned starting Saturday evening at the place where he was shot. KG Wilson, said, “You got 24 hours to turn yourself in!” When families experience gun violence, KG is always there to pray with and console families, said Lt. Richard Zimmerman, head of the Minneapolis Police Department Homicide Unit. He said right now, KG needs support from the community.

Page 2 • May 24, 2021 - May 30, 2021 • Insight News

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Insight News • May 24, 2021 - May 30, 2021 • Page 3 WINNER: 2020 T YPOGRAPHY & DESIGN, 1ST PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY (PORTRAIT & PERSONALIT Y), 1ST PLACE, WEBSITE, 3RD PLACE

Insight News May 24, 2021 - May 30, 2021

Vol. 48 No. 21• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

“Race” - a myth; Racism - a reality Myth of Race By Professor Mahmoud El-Kati Part 9 of a series

NewYorker.com

iHEAL Insights: India’s COVID-19 vaccine crisis and why we should care Culture and Education Editor

By Irma McClaurin, PhD Anyone who is hesitant about (or against) being vaccinated for COVID-19 should pause and read the current news headlines about the COVID-19 crisis in India: President Biden Restricts Travel from India Due to COVID-19 Surge (NYT) India’s Covid vaccine shortage: The desperate wait gets longer (BBC) India’s daily COVID-19 cases pass 400,000 for the first time (reuters) The Covid-19 crisis in India is a problem for the whole world (CNN) The nation of India is comprised of hundreds of states,

300+ diﬀerent languages and dialects, multiple religions, and a 2020 population count of 1,380,004,381. And it is locked in a losing battle with COVID-19 and its mutated cousins, losing tens of thousands of people by the day—yes— BY THE DAY! According to the John Hopkins University (JHU) COVID-19 Portal [https:// systems.jhu.edu/research/ public-health/ncov/ ] as of April 30, 2021, the exact number people who died in one day from COVID reached 400,000, as the country grappled with an inadequate supply of COVID-19 vaccines. Unlike the United States, regardless of their religious beliefs, the citizens of India want to be vaccinated... period. For the people of this populous country, being inoculated is not a question of “free choice” or “individual rights,” as anti-vaccine activists have articulated here in the United States.

Rather, the decision India’s citizens are making is rooted in their commitment to protect the common good—the greater good—understanding that the needs of the many should outweigh the one individual—in this instance. The United States has not gotten that “collective good” memo yet. We are stuck in what anthropologist, Robert Bellah (Ed) called “radical individualism” in the 1985 book, Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in America Life. This is largely due to the still powerful ideological (and irrational) inﬂuence of the former 45th President who demonstrated in his leadership performance a glaring egocentrism and focus on his personal needs and desires over the collective needs of U.S. citizens. His message, which unfortunately, still resonates, is that individual rights trump the collective good (pun intended). The result in the

Melvin Carter

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

Andrea Jenkins

Commentary by Dr. By Aarohi Narain By Mecca Dana Randall Harry Maya Alexa Starks Colbert, Beecham Spencer, Bos Bradley Jr. Josie Johnson By Global Latisha Information Townsend Contributing Architect Howard Mayo Managing Clinic University Editor Staff Writer Contributing Network (GIN)Writer News Service harry@insightnews.com

American cultural landscape during a pandemic has been an epidemic of ﬂagrant disregard for masking in public, a growing population of people unwilling to be vaccinated, spreader events that have killed people who attended as well as innocents with whom they came in contact. Tragic! In India, despite the intervention of national government support to vaccinate the entire country—which some say came too late—the harsh reality is that India’s supply of vaccine serum—despite being internally produced—cannot keep up with demand. So, people are dying by the tens of thousands. The chimneys of crematories are melting from the overload of burning dead bodies. India is in a COVID tsunami of unparalleled proportions. And, and if there are any lessons to be learned from spread of Ebola to the U.S, the

VACCINE 4

The racist past of the filibuster and why it should end now By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and a voting and ethics bill passed the Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives, but neither stands a chance in the evenly divided Senate. President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan faced fierce opposition in the Senate, but ultimately a slimmed-down version passed using the reconciliation procedure. Reconciliation is used only in rare cases. Lawmakers cannot use it for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the voting rights and ethics measure, D.C. Statehood, and other causes near and dear to some Democrats and most African Americans. But Democrats do have a rare opportunity to get rid of the filibuster, a Senate cloture rule requiring 60 members to end debate on a topic and move to a vote. NNPA Newswire has reached out to all 50 Senate Democrats and Independents seeking their position on the filibuster.

While some responded, others have held their positions close to the vest. “If we want to get things done in the Senate, then we must abolish the filibuster,” declared Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). “It is an antiquated, Jim Crow rule that overrides the majority and halts progress. It’s got to go.” Nora Keefe, a spokesperson for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), told NNPA Newswire in an email that Warren “is a long supporter of getting rid of the filibuster.” Sen. Warren tweeted that the ‘For The People Act’ includes critical parts of her bill to end corruption. “It’s a good first step for protecting voting rights and restoring trust in our government,” Sen. Warren noted. “We can’t let [Sen. Minority Leader] Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) veto this critical bill for our democracy with the filibuster. If the Senate is going to do the things the American people expect us to do, we must abolish the filibuster.” Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) voiced support for ending the filibuster. “The Senate needs to abolish the filibuster,” Sen. Smith tweeted over the weekend.

iStockphoto / NNPA

The first filibuster occurred in 1837 and was used infrequently until after the Civil War when minority parties employed the measure to stop civil rights efforts. “It’s undemocratic, and we need to move this country forward.” Noting that any significant voting rights legislation would need unlikely Republican support, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) admitted she had changed course on the filibuster. “I’ve gone from a ‘maybe’ to a ‘yes,’” Klobuchar said. Sen. John Tester (D-Montana) also is reportedly leaning toward approving any attempts to end the filibuster while Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) remains a “yes.” Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona both have opposed efforts to

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Top White House adviser Cedric Richmond doubles down on support for K-12 schools

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eliminate the filibuster. However, after the marathon session to pass President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, Sen. Machin hedged slightly in a nationally televised interview with NBC News. “I’m not going to change my mind,” he insisted. Sen. Manchin noted he would support establishing a “talking filibuster” that might require any senator objecting to ending debate to remain on the floor and speak for the entire time. “If you want to make it a little bit more painful, make him

FILIBUSTER 4

For instance, in 1890 the census takers were careful to make distinctions between “Blacks”, “mulattos”, “quadroons”, and “octoroons”. In the 1920 census, the categories were reduced to “Negro” and “mulatto”. In today’s world all of these people are classified as Black. In 1930, nine classifications of “race” were on the census: “White”, “Negro”, Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Hindu, and Korean. In 1940 the Mexican classification was gone. Today the American population fits into five categories: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. In addition, “race” and ethnicity are considered separate and distinct identities, with Hispanic or Latino origin asked as a separate question. All of the “race” categories are artificial, and the definitions are arbitrary. It is self-evident that “race” is an obsolete idea. Each generation must make life anew. At this hour, we are now challenged to make life anew. What has been done, can be undone, as regards to categories of “race”. The challenge is to liberate ourselves from this vocabulary, “which cannot bear the weight of the reality” that we are living.

Human beings are the only animals in the kingdom who are capable of defining themselves and the world in which they live. Human identity is a constant struggle in the ongoing evolution of the species. “Race” as a concept, as an idea and a way to declare one’s “whoness” is clearly inadequate and obsolete. Who people are, as opposed to what they look like, is more significantly a function of environment and experience - that is to say, using history and culture, other than simple, observable biological traits. The color of skin, shape of the nose, and the form of hair, does not determine who people are. The first step to repudiating “race” is to place this myth before the bar of public discourse; place it in school curriculum for purpose of analysis, and demand from political leaders, legal categories that respect the background of people as shaped by their true heritage - cultural and social heritage. Everything changes, all the time. We can help to shape change, or let change shape us. What we lack is what we must discover - and that is moral clarity. “Race” is a Myth - Racism is a Reality Some misconceptions about “race”: 1) that there is a unity between physical, mental, social, and personal traits; 2) that “race” makes for inborn traits that are immutable, fixed by laws of nature. Dr. Ashley Montagu has defined “race” as a “Fallacy,” which has become “Man’s Most Dangerous Myth.”

RACE 5

Ted Cruz’s wildly dishonest defense of voter suppression By Ben Jealous Sen. Ted Cruz is a shameless liar. And he isn’t even a very good one. Witness his latest dishonest defense of Georgia’s new voter suppression law. Cruz published a column in the Wall Street Journal attacking business leaders who have criticized the anti-voting law. He claimed that critics were hurting the reputations of “patriotic leaders protecting our elections and expanding the right to vote.” Expanding the right to vote? As I said, he is shameless. First, let’s remember where this new law came from. Georgia Republicans pushed it through after President Joe Biden and Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoﬀ won their elections. The law has one purpose: to prevent future victories by Democrats by making it harder for particular groups of people—Black people, working people, women, people with disabilities, and younger and older people— to vote. The ﬁrst draft of the law made this racist intention clear by banning early voting on Sundays, when many Black churches encourage people to vote through Souls to the Polls events. The racism behind that piece of the law was so

Ben Jealous obvious that even Republicans had to water it down in the ﬁnal bill. But we will not forget what motivated it, or that the rest of the law is designed to achieve the same purpose. In his column, Cruz mentioned a few pieces of the law to try to make it sound reasonable. But it isn’t. It includes new limits on early voting hours, big reductions in the amount of time people have to request an absentee ballot, and sharp decreases in the availability of drop boxes that make it easier for voters to turn in their ballots. My friend Stacey Abrams, the voting-rights activist who knows the system in Georgia better than anyone else, schooled Cruz and his Republican colleague, Sen. John Kennedy, when they tried to challenge her criticism of the law. She identiﬁed such a long list of problems with the law

JEALOUS 5

I2H

Inland Empire: Borrego health awarded $37 million

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Page 4 • May 24, 2021 - May 30, 2021 • Insight News

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Two frat brothers met in Alabama, made fashion history with luxury hats By Ameera Steward, For the Birmingham Times Tajh Crutch and Archie Clay III may have met in Alabama, but their friendship has taken them places they could only dream about—and enabled them to make history along the way. Crutch and Clay are nationally recognized for their successful company, WEAR BRIMS, the ﬁrst Black-owned luxury hat brand sold by luxury retailer Nordstrom. “[Nordstrom] reached out to us, … [and we] didn’t even know they were looking at us,” Crutch said. “I tell people all the time, ‘You never know who’s watching, so just continue to grind and do your thing because your opportunity will come.’” Clay said he was “excited” about the Nordstrom partnership because it showed that WEAR BRIMS was “moving in the right direction.” “A lot of times, you never know,” he said. “You build a company, you go through the ups and downs of building that company, and sometimes you want reassurance. … I think this was reassurance for us.” WEAR BRIMS has a broad and growing clientele that includes actor Lance Gross, model Eva Marcille, NBA player Chris Paul, and comedian Cedric the Entertainer, among others. The company, based in Atlanta, Georgia, has been featured in publications like the Huﬃngton Post and O, The Oprah Magazine, in addition to being highlighted on Black Parade Route, a directory of Black-owned business on the website of megastar Beyoncé. In addition to being available via the Nordstrom website, WEAR BRIMS hats are sold at three brick-andmortar locations: Perimeter Mall in Atlanta; Garden State Plaza in Garden State, New Jersey; and New York Men’s Store in Manhattan, New York. “I think [the partnership with Nordstrom] was a highlight of last year because we … were in [the COVID-19 pandemic],” Crutch said. “Who would have thought that [Nordstrom] would be reaching out to us during a pandemic? When people were losing money, people were losing jobs, we were able to gain this amazing partnership.” And that partnership is just as strong as the one between Crutch and Clay. In it for the Long Run On a recent April morning, Crutch and Clay drove

to Birmingham from Atlanta for a photo shoot at the downtown Morris Avenue Historic District. Beneath a bright sun, the businessmen lined colorful WEAR BRIMS fedoras along a three-foot-high wall where the light illuminated the reds, oranges, and even the grays of each brimmed beauty. Like the fedoras, the radiant smiles of Clay and Crutch caught the light as they joked and posed for the shoot. With the tweak of a hat here, the fix of a shirt there, a simple comment like, “That’s your pose,” the chemistry between these two 31-year-olds was on full display. Clay and Crutch are not only close friends and business partners but also image-conscious professionals who exude confidence and self-awareness that can be transferred to customers. The two first met in Montgomery, Alabama, at the 2011 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Cluster, a gathering where surrounding area chapters go to one city to take their national test to become members of the organization. Crutch said he and Clay “just hit it off from [the] jump.” “It was just genuine,” he continued. “I just saw [Clay] as a thorough guy. When I met him, he was upfront with me. He was himself, so you just adapt to and attract people that are genuine and real. … There were about 80 to 100 young men in there, and you don’t always keep in contact with everybody, but Archie and I kind of hung tight for the long run.” Although the eventual business partners attended different Alabama schools— Crutch went to Troy University and Clay went to Tuskegee University—the two stayed in contact through social media, phone calls, and visiting one another. “Alpha Phi Alpha set that foundation of brotherhood,” Clay said. “We connected, so we wanted to stay in contact … over the years.” Approximately five years after their initial meeting, the two fraternity brothers decided to start WEAR BRIMS, a luxury hat company built on the pillars of family, faith, and confidence. When they started, the duo had a manufacturer but needed a name. After brainstorming for a day or two about names related to fedoras—“crown,” for instance—Crutch mentioned his grandfather, recalling that “… my grandfather always says, ‘Take your brim off in the house’

return of measles in schools and colleges, the devastating early days of COVID-19, and the current COVID crisis in India, it

Vaccine From 3

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WEAR BRIMS founders Tajh Crutch and Archie Clay III show off some of their hats during a visit to Birmingham. and [Clay] was like, ‘Bro, that’s it!’” Initially they chose the name Brims, but it was already taken on Instagram. “We just put ‘WEAR BRIMS’ on there,” Crutch said. Clay and Crutch wanted to be different in another way, too. “Basically, there was empty space for luxury fedoras, and fedoras are … timeless,” Crutch explained. “They started a long time ago, and [people] still … wear them. … It’s one of those pieces that doesn’t its touch.” Asked, “Why ‘luxury’ brims? Crutch said, “Why not?” “We’re luxury. We’re going to provide you that A1 quality,” he continued. “Everything about us is luxury, so we’re not going to dumb ourselves down because everybody expects us to just come out with regular, urbanstyle hats or just regular hats. … We’re going to set this blueprint as two African-American men that can start a luxury brand from scratch.” Trust in Perfect Timing Even with the two coming from different cities— Clay is from Atlanta; and Crutch is from Enterprise, Alabama, where he was a student at Enterprise High School when an EF-4 tornado struck the school, destroyed the building, and claimed the lives of eight students—attending different universities, and pursuing degrees in different fields, one thing united them: fashion. Crutch studied computer information systems and business administration at Troy and Clay studied sales and marketing at Tuskegee, but both had dreams of working in the fashion industry. “I didn’t know what [working in fashion] looked like,” Clay said—until WEAR BRIMS was founded, that is. As he considered pursuing a career in the fashion industry, Clay was trying to is this:

Viruses are equal opportunity global spreaders! They respect NO borders or boundaries, leave no social class untouched, ignore racial, educational, and any other diﬀerences, are adaptable and can change/mutate without notice, leaving ALL of us vulnerable. What happens in India today is setting the stage for what can happen globally tomorrow. If all of what I stated above is true, then vaccinations are our only hope, our medical Obi-Wan Kenobi, our warrior princess, our superhero/heroine of every persuasion, our protection against a COVID-19 global scourge that is already at our front door, and has entered

Filibuster From 3 stand there and talk, I’m willing to look at any way we can,” Sen. Manchin remarked. “But I’m not willing to take away the involvement of the minority.” President Joe Biden has refused to publicly discuss whether he would seek an end to the

ﬁgure out what he wanted to do. He knew Crutch was into fashion and hats, so he decided to run the business idea by him during a call. “God always has the perfect timing, and I think that was the perfect timing for me to reach out to him and ask if he was interested,” Clay said. “It was a sign from the Lord [saying] that this needs to happen. He could have called anybody, but he decided to have faith in me and what I could bring to the table,” Crutch added. Each business partner brings something diﬀerent to WEAR BRIMS, which makes them a great team. According to Crutch, they have a great balance. “[Clay] is more business-[minded] and more about the state of the business and helping us grow. He is amazing with that,” Crutch explained. “I’m more [on the] creative designing [side] and making sure that the product is where it needs to be, giving that luxury feel. … We both dibble and dabble in both sides, but we trust each other, … and that’s the main thing.” Clay added that having trust and respect makes things easier to navigate, especially because, when Clay brought the idea to Crutch, neither one of them knew how to run a business or how to design. “We both were learning, and I think that’s what allows us to really be transparent with one another now,” Clay said. “We’ve always learned through [the] process, and we’re still learning. . . I think that’s the only way we can get to the level of success where we want to be.”

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

It Runs in the Family In addition to selling fedoras, WEAR BRIMS also oﬀers baseball caps, T-shirts, and hoodies. They sometimes oﬀer limited edition shirts, like the ones in their “Milliner Games” collection, “just for

people to feel like they’re part of the WEAR BRIMS family,” Crutch said. “If they don’t wear a fedora, they can wear the hoodie, a baseball cap, or a T-shirt,” he added. Speaking about fedoras, in particular, Crutch said it is an accessory that gives confidence. “When you wear [a fedora], people will automatically [be attracted to you]. It allows you to show your confidence, it shows you walking with pride, and it allows you to be comfortable in what you’re wearing,” he said, adding that you have to be really comfortable and confident to be able to wear a bright colored hat. “When you walk into a building, … people don’t see your sneakers, people don’t see your jeans, most of the time they [will] see your shirt and whatever you have on your face and your head,” he said, explaining that a WEAR BRIMS hat just elevates the way you announce yourself when you walk into a room. Creating Culture WEAR BRIMS evolved from the duo of Clay and Crutch into a team that is like a family. In addition to Clay, who works with the company full time, and Crutch, who dedicates his time to both WEAR BRIMS and his job as an information technology manager for another company, WEAR BRIMS consists of six other team members: Brandon Hicks, director of marketing and partnership; Tamirah Owens, director of finance; Kayla Guiste, intern and creative director; and the digital creation team of Kieauna Jefferson, Jose Alvarez, and Kyle Moore. Although Crutch and Clay both are CEOs of the company, Crutch serves more as a creative director, handling most of the design efforts; Clay chips in when there’s a certain style or color he would like to see. For instance, the “Rosetta Rose,” a bright-red fedora with a red band and purple accent, was designed with Clay’s grandmother in mind. “We both tap into each side here and there when we need to,” said Crutch, who added that he has different sources of inspiration for his designs—family members, friends, someone’s outfit, the color scheme of someone’s shoes. Here’s a peek into the WEAR BRIMS creative process: It takes about an hour or two to design each hat. That design is then handed over to a manufacturer for the sampling

process, which can take up to two and a half weeks. After Crutch and Clay approve the sample, it can take a month and a half to get the finished product. Though the hats take center stage at WEAR BRIMS, Clay and Crutch emphasize that the culture of the company is very important. “If the culture is dope, … people will work for you,” Clay said. “Most importantly, when people respect you and see the value in what you’re building, it’s easy. Of course, you’re going to have your down days, but it’s easy because they see the importance in what you’re trying to do. … I think it’s a blessing because we want to make sure everybody within our company has a voice.” Own Your Crown Clay and Crutch want to do more than become the number-one hat company in world—they want to help young entrepreneurs reach their goals and enhance their lives and the lives of their families. The WEAR BRIMS founders emphasized that their focus is to create generational wealth for those after them. “I think that is aligned back to the company when we talk about family, faith, and confidence. Faith is literally the ability to believe in who you are, family is the root of who we are, and confidence is what has been embedded in who we are,” Clay said. In addition to their three pillars, the brand is simply about being yourself. “Be who you’re supposed to be,” Crutch said. “If you want to wear a white T-shirt, some lime green pants, and a WEAR BRIMS fedora, that’s you, that’s your confidence, that’s owning your crown. That’s why we create those statement pieces and those hats [because] when you walk into a room, you’re going to get the attention.” All WEAR BRIMS items are unisex. Fedoras are all the same style with different colors and different bands, and sizes range from small (S) to extra-extra large (XXL); T-shirts and hoodies come in sizes S to XXL; and baseball caps are adjustable one-sizefits-all. To see the WEAR BRIMS collections, place an order, and learn more about the company, visit wearbrims.com or follow on Instagram: WearBrims, Facebook: WEAR BRIMS, and Twitter: wearbrims. This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

the hallway—an uninvited guest that refuses to leave. In case you are not getting my message, this is it in a phrase: Not getting vaccinated is just plain S-T-U-P-I-D! Walking around in this country unvaccinated is making a Russian roulette choice between getting protection against a virus that we know is devastating or facing the real possibility of either death—from which there is NO return—or the debilitating post-COVID recovery that many people experience after contracting the virus. These are not odds to bet your life on. Further, not getting vaccinated places every unvaccinated person at risk— babies, children, young adults,

and also the elderly. Anyone who chooses not to get vaccinated carries the fate of not only their family, neighborhood, community, county, state, and the nation in their individual decision, but they also carry the fate of the world. Who wants to carry that kind of weight on their shoulders—the fate of humankind? So, man up/woman up/ child up/queer up/ trans up— Get Vaccinated. Today. © 2021 Irma McClaurin; All Rights Reserved Irma McClaurin, PhD/ MFA (http://irmamcclaurin. com/) is the Culture and Education Editor for Insight News and was named2015

“Best in the Nation Columnist” by the Black Press of America. She is a diversity consultant, activist anthropologist, awardwinning poet, leadership coach, and has held past leadership positions as president of Shaw University, Program Oﬃcer at the Ford Foundation, and former University of Minnesota Associate VP and founding executive director of UROC. She is the founder of the “Irma McClaurin Black Feminist Archive” at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and will soon release a collection of her writing: JUSTSPEAK: Reflections on Race, Culture, and Politics in America. Contact: http://info@ irmamcclaurin.com / https:// twitter.com/mcclaurintweets.

ﬁlibuster.

that we need to get rid of it.” His argument is as sound as any and dates well beyond Jim Crow. In 1922 the House passed a vital anti-lynching bill to combat the Ku Klux Klan’s worst violence, but it was filibustered in the Senate by southern Senate Democrats, Robinson noted. Congress tried again in 1935, but Georgia Democrat Richard Russell organized a sixday filibuster to oppose it. Russell once said he was “willing to go as far and make as great a sacrifice to preserve and ensure white supremacy in the social, economic, and political life of our state as any man who lives within her borders.” As Robinson wrote, the Senate’s grandest office building is now named in Russell’s honor, and Congress has never – to this day – passed an anti-lynching bill. Lawmakers used the filibuster attempting to stop the 1957 Civil Rights Act, and, most recently, Republicans have asserted it in attempts to thwart the DREAM Act, the Affordable Care Act, and other bills that benefit communities of color. Many have posed the question similar to David Leonhardt of the New York Times, who asked, “if forced to

choose between the protection of voting rights and the protection of the filibuster, what will Democrats do?” Leonhardt characterized his position by declaring that “it’s shaping up to be the most significant question about the new Democratic Senate.” He noted that Republican legislators in states throughout the nation are on a mission to make voting more difficult because they believe that lower turnout helps the party win elections. The Supreme Court – with six Republican appointees among the nine justices – has generally allowed voter restriction laws to stand. “The filibuster hurts all of us, not just the Black community,” Robinson, of Color of Change, noted. “Anyone who needs real change or help loses out to the Republican obsession with power.” Leonhardt concluded that “there does not appear to be a compromise path on this issue. Democrats can overhaul the filibuster — and, by extension, transform the Senate, ushering in an uncertain era in which both parties would be able to pass more of the legislation they favor. Or Democrats can effectively surrender on voting rights. It’s one or the other.”

Professor Jared Carter, a Constitutional Law Expert at Vermont Law School, said it’s time to end the filibuster. He noted that the first filibuster occurred in 1837 and was used infrequently until after the Civil War when minority parties employed the measure to stop civil rights efforts. “It is a relic of reconstruction and Jim Crow South. It was regularly used to oppress racial minorities and oppose civil rights laws,” Professor Carter wrote in an email to NNPA Newswire. “Last year, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) threatened a filibuster over an anti-lynching law,” Professor Carter noted. “It’s anti-democratic in that it gives the minority party veto power over popular legislation.” Rashad Robinson, the president of Color of Change, noted the filibuster has always stood in the way of racial progress. “Whether employed by Southern Democrats of the Jim Crow era or the Republican Party today after a major shift in the party’s stance on racial equality,” Robinson wrote in an op-ed for USA Today. “When you understand the filibuster’s racist past, it becomes clear that it has a racist present as well — and

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Insight News • May 24, 2021 - May 30, 2021 • Page 5

Black civil war regiment honored in Detroit railroads

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia Oﬃcials in Detroit have unveiled the 102nd United States Colored Troop Memorial Highway, honoring the heroic African American Infantry Regiment formed during the Civil War in 1863. The dedication of a portion of I-375 took place at the same spot where the regiment was ﬁrst organized. “You will never overcome anything that you are not willing to confront. And I think that what these men did when they confronted racism, they confronted white supremacy head-on. They won,” said former city lawmaker Senator Coleman Young II during the ceremony. According to the Detroit Historical Society, the 1,400-person troop – which included 845 escaped slaves, were initially called the Corps d’Afrique by the Detroit Free Press.

Detroit Historical Society Facebook Page

“You will never overcome anything that you are not willing to confront. And I think that what these men did when they confronted racism, they confronted white supremacy head-on. They won,” said Senator Coleman Young II. After forming, they the 102nd United Colored Infantry. “The regiment was made entirely of volunteers from Canada and Detroit that were formed through Detroit’s Black leaders’ eﬀorts,” historians noted. “In all, about 1,400 Black soldiers enlisted, and of these, 1,000 had been born in slave states. Raised at became States

expedition suffered severely from the enemy’s fire, so many horses being killed that two guns had to be abandoned, but the men of the First hauled them off by hand, and they were saved.” Later, according to historians, the regiment served in South Carolina. In February 1865, they were reunited at Pocatalligo and launched several Confederate territory expeditions, destroying

November 1864, engaging at Honey Hill, Tillifany, and Deveaux Neck. “Their bravery was shown on multiple occasions, such as Gorhamsville, when they repulsed an enemy charge and countercharged, for which they received official commendations from their officers,” Detroit Historical Society officials noted. These officers said that “The artillery from the

Camp Ward, the troops were commanded by White oﬃcers, paid no bounty, and allotted ten dollars per month with one ration per day, while three dollars of their monthly pay was deducted for clothing.” The regiment saw service in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida during several civil war engagements. They fought Confederate forces throughout

and breastworks. They then built defenses in Charleston and were sent to Savannah, Georgia. The regiment was divided into two wings, made several raids, and defeated the Confederate forces in every skirmish. It was serving in this capacity that they received the news that Generals Robert E. Lee and Joseph E. Johnston had surrendered. “The history of our 102nd is a pride for our entire nation. The fact that this is a unit that was born here in Detroit, Michigan, is a pride our entire state,” said Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist. According to the local Fox 2 News Channel, the resolution to rename the highway was ﬁrst-authored by Young, the former lawmaker. “To name that and have people drive past that, especially since we are honoring colored troops on a freeway that was built to drive through Black neighborhoods. I think that history is also very important for us to realize,” Young remarked.

Top White House adviser Cedric Richmond doubles down on support for K-12 schools By Roz Edward In an up-close-and-personal tour of the workings of the Biden Administration and its commitment to addressing the most pressing issues facing Black youth – Derek Chauvin[ism] aside – the Michigan Chronicle participated in an in-depth conversation with top White House adviser Cedric Richmond, on the Biden administration’s agenda for COVID recovery. In an exclusive discussion with Black Press journalists, Richmond, director of the Oﬃce of Public Engagement, stressed the current administration’s commitment to cultivating a nurturing and productive in-person learning experience for K-12 students in every corner of the country

Race From 3 Statements on Race: The Myth “Race” is an invention and not a discovery: People representing different physical types, while occupying the same social space is as old as societies beyond the state of tribalism. Differences are not new, it is our conception of difference that is new. “Race” is an intellectual construction: The idea of “race” is in part a product of human imagination. The intellectual, with his/her penchant for categorizing, cataloging, and pigeonholing life is the author of the idea of “race”. People in the academies (16 and 17 centuries) gave “race” its content. As such, “race” is an idea that does not

Jealous From 3 that Kennedy ﬁnally asked her to stop. The problem goes way beyond Georgia. Similar laws have been passed in Florida and Arizona and other states controlled by Republicans are getting ready to pass laws that purge eligible voters oﬀ registration lists and put up other roadblocks to the ballot box. In his op ed, Cruz issued a threat to business leaders who have dared to speak out in defense of voting rights. He suggested that Republicans would stop helping them out on taxes or regulations. But that was just more distraction. In fact, the Center for Media and Democracy recently exposed the real truth. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a group that helps big business and right-wing

as we begin to emerge from the pandemic lockdown and learning lockout. “In terms of the African American community … the president wants to almost triple the funding to Title I schools so that schools in poor communities and communities that disproportionately house African American students that their resources are not one-third of what communities in more aﬄuent neighborhoods have,” explained Richmond. Educators, students, and families have done an incredible job in diﬃcult circumstances during this pandemic. Everyone wants schools to fully reopen for inperson instruction. Creating the conditions to make it happen should be a top national priority. “For K-12 that’s why we triple Title I funding that

will be a key component to not only leveling the [educational] playing ﬁeld but also creating equity in that space and making sure the communities that need the money the most get the most.” “Look, we have to get children back in the classroom, continued Richmond. “Parents can’t go to work if they have to do virtual schooling. That’s why we have a $130 billion dollars we have in the plan to get students back in the classroom in a safe manner and we protect the teachers and their families that they go home to. These are things we are going to have to do in terms of testing, smaller classroom sizes, better ventilation and the infrastructure of partitions.” In an online statement from President Biden, the commander-in-chief had this to

correspond to reality. “Race” is an idea that belongs solely to the modem world. “Race” as an idea is unscientific, because it violates the first laws of science, which are observation and consistency: “Race” thinking is a product of social beliefs that have emerged around “race” outside of scientific findings about “race”. Science properly defines “races” as “geographic populations” which are subject to mutation. “Races” are not stagnant phenomena in the way that such appears in our muddled and popular imagination. Categories of “races” exist, but “races” do not: Science seeks to categorize “races” based on material particles that are inherited (genes) which are responsible for the way people look as to physical types. Science does not contend that there is an intrinsic link to biology and

behavior. “Races” exist in our minds’ eye according to our beliefs and cultural mythology. The belief in “race” is nothing more than a superstition. Statements on Racism: The Reality Racism is based on doctrine, a belief system, an ideology, a whole system of ideas - it is more than a question of people simply not liking each other as individuals because they are diﬀerent. It is because of the symbols and cultural values. The doctrine of racism has varied through time and space, but the essence of racism remains the same. It is based on domination and exploitation of a group that believes it is superior and its subordination of another group and inequitable relations between the two. Modern western European colonialism, America’s slavery, the Nazi movement in Germany, Apartheid in South Africa,

groups get their policies passed into laws at the state level, has been pushing legislators to pass voter suppression bills so they can keep corporation-friendly Republicans in power. These laws are attacks on voting rights and democracy, just like the Jim Crow laws that some states used to keep Black people from registering and voting. And they are designed to prevent passage of progressive policies like raising the minimum wage and expanding access to health care. We must respond as a nation to protect the right to vote. The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed the For the People Act, which includes voting rights protections that would overrule the states’ new attacks on voting. And guess what? Ted Cruz is telling shameless lies about the For the People Act. He claimed that Democrats “want illegal aliens and non-citizens to be automatically registered to vote.” Not true. He even said this voting rights law would be

“Jim Crow 2.0.” Really, Ted? That’s a stretch even for you. Ted Cruz is not the only Republican calling good evil and evil good when it comes to voter suppression. Other members of Congress, state Republican leaders, and right-wing media are all trying to hang onto political power by denying other people the right to earn it at the ballot box. Democrats can’t let them get away with it. We can’t let them get away with it. Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and People For the American Way Foundation. Jealous has decades of experience as a leader, coalition builder, campaigner for social justice and seasoned nonprofit executive. In 2008, he was chosen as the youngest-ever president and CEO of the NAACP. He is a graduate of Columbia University and Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and he has taught at Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania.

Top White House adviser Cedric Richmond 1

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By LaurenofPoteat Courtesy University of Alejandra Oliveras By Dr. By North Brandpoint Dr. Nicole Rekha Memorial Winbush Mankad (BPT) Staff Ian Roth NNPA Minnesota Washington News Staff Afrodescendientes Mayo Clinic Correspondent By IanPhysician Roth Staff NorthPoint Health & Mayo Clinic Staff Wellness Center

say “… if we do this wrong, we will put lives at risk and set our economy and our country back.”

The post Top White House Adviser Cedric Richmond doubles down on support for

K-12 Schools appeared ﬁrst on Atlanta Daily World.

segregation in Australia and New Zealand are all based on “race” or white supremacist doctrines, supported by institutions, myths, customs, mores, habits, and religious beliefs. Racism is largely an institutional phenomenon legally, politically, economically, socially, culturally, religiously. Institutional power represents the greatest expression of racism and not individual isolated acts of racism. Racism has systemic expression. Laws,

policies, and regulations out of a structural framework manifestly patent it. Control of power and resources are expressed institutionally, i.e. the ability to control the actions of men and women by making or enforcing certain policies, granting or withholding economic opportunity and controlling sources of information. Racism also has life of its own beyond institutions. It is cultural phenomenon found in small habits, nuances, and traits, such traits as small as the

way a racist would shake ones hand. Interpersonal contact with people who are diﬀerent can be a horrifying experience for the practitioner of racism. Racism is based on aggression domination and greed. Racism sanctions the right of exploitation by one group over another. Most racism is practiced covertly, (i.e. under disguise, covered, concealed secret) and not overt (i.e. open, public, manifest, and not concealed, secret, and hidden).

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Insight 2 Health

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Borrego Health Center

Inland Empire: Borrego health awarded $37 million By BVN Staff The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources, recently awarded a historical $6 Billion to 1,376 Federally Qualiﬁed Health Centers (FQHCs) as part of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act. In California, a total of $993 Million was awarded to 175 health centers. At $37 million, Borrego Health is the

state’s highest awardee of the grant, with a total of $37MM (or four percent) of available state grant. “Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Borrego Health suﬀered a huge impact in our most essential services and programs. As the country prepares to open up again, our organization is committed to continue giving our patients, community, and partners, the necessary support that we need to thrive,” said Dr. Edgar Bulloch, Borrego Health’s CMO and interim CEO.

According to the U.S. Department of Treasury, “the American Rescue Plan [Act of 2021] will change the course of the pandemic and deliver immediate and direct relief to families and workers impacted by the COVID-19 crisis through no fault of their own. This law is one of the most progressive pieces of legislation in history and will build a bridge to an equitable economic recovery” through its $1.9 trillion economic stimulus. Grant funds will be directed to expand COVID-19

vaccinations, testing, and treatment for vulnerable populations; deliver preventive and primary health care services to people at higher risk for COVID-19; and expand health centers’ operational capacity during the pandemic and beyond, including modifying and improving physical infrastructure and adding mobile units. Borrego Health has the objective to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to all patients and individuals wanting to be vaccinated. The

additional funds will allow the organization to tend to the high demand of requests. “The grant monies awarded to Borrego health, and to the fellow FQHCs in the state, will be crucial to our healthcare’s system success,” Dr. Edgar Bulloch added. In 2002, when Borrego Health gained recognition as an FQHC, it operated one clinic in Borrego Springs with 17 employees providing 7,400 patient visits. Borrego Health has grown to 1,300 employees serving over 267,000 patients in 27 clinics and six mobile

units throughout San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. Borrego Health’s scope of practice included primary care, pediatrics, urgent care, dentistry, women’s health, transgender health, mental health, and specialized services in hepatitis C and HIV. To learn more about Borrego Health, please visit borregohealth.org. The post Inland Empire: Borrego Health Awarded $37 Million appeared ﬁrst on Black Voice News.

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Insight News • May 24, 2021 - May 30, 2021 • Page 7

A place like Mississippi: A journey through a real and imagined literary landscape Sharing Our Stories

By: W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor By W. Ralph Eubanks When the state of Mississippi is mentioned, it is guaranteed to generate a response. On the one hand, you have white authors such as Eudora Welty and William Faulkner. On the other hand, you have Black authors like Richard Wright and Jesmyn Ward, who paint a diﬀerent picture of the state and a love/hate relationship with it. W. Ralph Eubanks presents a literary picture of the diﬀerent regions of Mississippi, from the Gulf Coast to Jackson to the Delta region. Certain connotations come to mind at the word Mississippi, depending upon

who you talk to. I will be the ﬁrst to admit, as an African American, that visions of Emmett Till, Medgar Evers, the overt racism, segregation, disenfranchisement, and the Civil Rights movement immediately come to mind. Through his narrative, Eubanks walks the line between “Southern Myth” and reality, history vs. fairy tale, sharing a story of the state that is more nuanced. For Mississippi writers, whatever their sentiments are about the Magnolia State, there is almost always a sense of intimacy and place about it when they write. Some writers remained in Mississippi. Others had to leave it to express themselves. And still others left the state only to return to it. This, illustrated by Eubanks’ use of photographs (historical and present-day landscapes) makes their work more compelling. Eubanks makes

actual historic events, between the history of place and the region’s idea of itself. Historical events are seen as metaphor, while a character’s history is seen as the real thing.” As an African American writer, Eubanks endeavors to be a clarifying voice in understanding a state that “sometimes would rather avoid its past than confront it.” In his words, he “explores the silences.” Come take this journey with W. Ralph Eubanks through Mississippi’s diverse Gulf Coast, the Piney Woods, Natchez, West Jackson’s Black community, the eastern hills, Oxford’s literary colony, the striking yet stark Mississippi Delta, and the notorious Parchman Farm, and each writer’s sense of place. And let’s not forget the Mississippi River itself. What will your relationship be with the Magnolia State, after you’ve read his tapestry? following statement: “Within the work of every Mississippi

an accurate summation of Mississippi writers in the

writer exists a tension between the history of the character and

The inclusive leader: Taking intentional action for justice and equality By W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor By Dr. Artika R. Tyner Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. DEI is the hallmark of an inclusive leader, as Dr. Artika Tyner outlines and develops in her book The Inclusive Leader: Taking Intentional Action for Justice and Equality. Going forward, this type of leadership in companies is needed, now more than ever, if a company expects to remain relevant. Dr. Tyner refers to an old African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” In her book, she details the strategies and implementation necessary for organizational change, in order to create a diverse culture of inclusion, and that requires

a team. Such change requires vision and intentionality from the top down, a DEI Strategic Leadership Action Plan, the data to measure the progress and results, and the power to implement and monitor the plan. Also, where marginalized groups are concerned, implicit bias, stereotype threat, cultural taxation, and microaggressions must be addressed. She takes special note that this a journey and not a destination. Dr. Tyner takes on this question in regard to inclusive leadership and diversity: “What’s in my hands to make a diﬀerence?” This question is both thought-provoking and empowering, interweaving inclusive leadership and social justice. Indeed, when we examine our own leadership strengths and ﬁnd our passion,

amazing things happen. More often than not, all one has to do is look around. Bringing her experience as an educator, author, and attorney, Dr. Tyner makes a highly compelling argument for the hallmarks of an inclusive leader and the benefits he/she/they bring to a company, an organization, and a community. A culture of diversity brings forth strength and positive change in the world, a healthy exchange of ideas, and the difference between action and “a nice idea.” Whether you head a company, are a chief diversity officer, a community leader, etc., The Inclusive Leader is an excellent guide to take you to the next level.

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