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May 30 30,, 2022 - June 5, 2022
Vol. 49 No. 22• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
INTERVIEW: SENATOR BOBBY JOE CHAMPION
Photos by Uche Iroegbu
On George Floyd and the murder of the human spirit, on mobilizing Black leadership for Black interests, and on the Legislature’s failure to deliver for Minnesotans By Al McFarlane, Editor Part 1 of 2 Minnesota State Senator Bobby Joe Champion was my guest last Tuesday on the KFAI FM 90.3 broadcast of Conversations with Al McFarlane. Following are edited excerpts of Senator Champion’s remarks. The interview ended with his comment regarding the Legislature’s adjournment with “nothing” accomplished despite the $9 billion surplus that could be a transformative investment to improve quality of life for all Minnesotans. George Floyd’s life was important. He is gone far too soon. We can use his death as a catalyst to respect him by getting other people to see his humanity, and ours as well. We must make sure George Floyd’s children live in a society where they can say “my father’s life was a catalyst for the change that I now enjoy.” But I think we have to broaden the discussion and continue to demand changes in other parts of our society. Maternal healthcare for Black women is subpar. Young people are not getting the education they need to improve their quality of life. What does that mean about housing? What about chemical dependency? Our communities are ravaged with individuals who are chemically dependent. What are we doing about the violence in our own community? What are
we doing about those things? I think we should always use the memory of George Floyd’s murder as an opportunity to look at what we are doing to make sure that situation doesn’t happen again on the streets of Minneapolis, but also make sure lives are not being snuffed out in our schools, even in colleges and other places. We must elevate the conversation because if we don’t, then we’ll let them allow us to just be in a box and all these other things will be left undone. We have to discuss the George Floyd issue and include it in our thinking, but not be limited to it. This month, I think we celebrated Malcolm X’s birthday. There had been a lot of discussion about what led to the death of Malcolm X and who did it and who didn’t do it. Someone who was with the Nation of Islam asked, “why are we constantly fixated on who killed Malcolm, as opposed to trying to understand the environment that was created so that Malcolm could be killed?” Mm. Right. So we see who killed George Floyd. But what was the environment created in which a George Floyd and others could be killed? I often say that there’s physical death and then there’s spiritual death-when you kill someone’s human spirit. We miss that sometimes because we do look at the physical. And that’s important because when death happens, there’s finality to it. But I hope that we would
expand our examination to focus on the murder of the human spirit. That means in the state of Minnesota we must address poverty, chemical dependency, mental health, jobs and housing. I fight for housing every single day. But guess what… the majority of folks who are in the supply side of housing, and who benefit from this housing crisis, whether it is nonprofits and others are not people that look like me or you. People talk about affordable housing, but they usually want it concentrated in one particular community. They say they don’t want affordable or subsidized housing in their community because it decreases their property value. We have to demand affordable housing and demand our contractors get contracts to build it. We have to support minority led organizations. Too often more money goes to majority led organizations than minority owned organizations that do the same work. We can’t just be the objects of commerce. We have to be a part of planning and be strategic around what we need in our communities in order to move from point A to point B. Far too many individuals are making decisions for us without talking to us. For instance, in response to the George Floyd protests, some $30 million flowed into the Black Lives Matter campaign. We know that Black lives matter. But that money is not placed
Photos by Uche Iroegbu
with Black led organizations. Another majority led organization is holding the money. That means majority led organizations are getting the administrative fees, getting the interest on the deposits, and the benefit of all the other things that we know are important to bring our communities out of poverty. We have to think about every system, every industry, and make sure that we are involved. We have to make sure that we are not being led off by someone else’s agenda. For example, in the case of legalization of marijuana, how do we also make sure that our interests are present when it comes to licensing and growing and all the revenue streams associated with legalization. They talk to us about decriminalization, but
they won’t talk to us about the economic realities of it. And so I think we have to have a broader discussion about these things and not just let them point us in, in the direction of the social aspects of things. We must deal with the social and the economic realities of every situation. But this is what happens. We have allies who want to do things based on their definition and their strategy. And, and they don’t see that when they do it that way, they are dismissing us. Because then you are, you are telling us that we don’t have the ability to think for ourselves. And that you don’t have to ask us a question where you wouldn’t do that any place else. The Budget Impasse Nothing,
nothing
was passed other than unemployment insurance, $2.7, billion that was early on. And $1 billion for reinsurance and then frontline workers. But we ended the session on May 23rd, with nothing. Listen to me, nothing was passed, not a tax bill, not bonding, not education, not housing, not public safety, nor we did have a mental health bill. Nothing that will make true investment from over $9 billion surplus What can the community do about it? For our elected representatives, it’s always important to engage them, ask us questions. And regardless of what party that they’re affiliated with, ask, “Hey, what are you doing for us? Tell me what you’re doing in these areas.”
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Women Unite event shows appreciation Sharing Our Stories
By: W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor
photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
President Joe Biden speaks to the nation about the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, from the White House, in Washington, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, as first lady Jill Biden listens.
Biden says ‘we have to act’ after Texas school shooting By Zeke Miller and Chris Megerian Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Lamenting a uniquely American tragedy, an anguished and angry President Joe Biden delivered an urgent call for new restrictions on firearms after a gunman shot and killed at least 19 children at a Texas elementary school. Biden spoke Tuesday night from the White House barely an hour after returning from a five-day trip to Asia that was bracketed by mass shootings
in the U.S. He pleaded for action to address gun violence after years of failure — and bitterly blamed firearm manufacturers and their supporters for blocking legislation in Washington. ‘”When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?” Biden said with emotion. “Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen?” With first lady Jill Biden standing by his side in the Roosevelt Room, the president, who has suffered the loss of two of his own children — though not to gun violence — spoke in
visceral terms about the grief of the loved ones of the victims and the pain that will endure for the students who survived. “To lose a child is like having a piece of your soul ripped away,” Biden said. “There’s a hollowness in your chest. You feel like you’re being sucked into it and never going to be able to get out.” He called on the nation to hold the victims and families in prayer — but also to work harder to prevent the next tragedy, “It’s time we turned this pain into action,” he said. At least 19 students
were killed at Robb Elementary School in the heavily Latino town of Uvalde, Texas, according to local officials. The death toll also included two adults. The gunman died after being shot by responding officers, local police said. It was just a week earlier that Biden, on the eve of his overseas trip, traveled to Buffalo to meet with victims’ families after a racist, hate-filled shooter killed 10 Black people at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York.
Another Mother’s Day has passed. We have biological mothers, mothers by adoption, mother figures, mothers who have gone on to glory, and mothers to our community. In spending time with my mother that day, I was reminded of the Detroit Spinners song “Sadie.” That being said, here’s a reminder to save the date— June 4—and show your love and support for the mothers to our community by coming out for the 14th Annual Women Unite to Win Women’s Appreciation luncheon. Hosted by the National Empowerment Group, Inc., and Team USA Mortgage (Brooklyn Park), the following honorees were selected by the community, from the diverse arenas of nonprofit, for-profit, community work, etc.: Nekima Levy Armstrong (Activist, Civil Rights Attorney, Exec. Dir. of
the Wayfinder Foundation) Valerie Castile (Founder/CEO of the Philandro Castile Relief Foundation) De’Monica Flye (D’Flye Consulting LLC) Dorothy BarnesGriswold (CEO/Exec. Dir. of the Minnesota COPE Program) Angela Harrelson, RN (George Floyd’s aunt, civil rights leader, author, mental health care nurse) Dr. Ella Gates Mahmoud (President/CEO of SEED, Inc.) Marea Perry (President/Founder of Secrets2Truths/Pain2Power) Kelly Robinson, RN (Former President of Black Nurses Rock Twin Cities)
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Pain and anger unbearable; Uvalde demands action now Guest Commentary by Rep. Ilhan Omar As a parent of an elementary school student, the pain and anger I feel in the wake of the deadly, horrific shooting in Uvalde, Texas, is unbearable. I grieve for this community, who lost 19 children and two teachers to senseless, preventable gun violence. In the United States of America, we should not have to fear for our children’s lives every time we send them to
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Rep. Ilhan Omar school. Students should not have to lie in wait in their classrooms, like I did growing up in a war zone. Parents should not be afraid to pick up the phone
when their child’s school calls, hoping for the best but terrified that the worst has happened. Enough is enough. We need to pass gun safety legislation right away. We cannot let Republicans’ false assertions that we need more guns in schools prevail over our message that gun reform is the only way to stop the slaughter of innocent children. House Democrats have voted time and time again to pass commonsense gun safety legislation, and we cannot allow Senate Republicans to hide behind the filibuster to
stop this critical legislation. We need to vote out politicians who refuse to take concrete action to stop the violence. We can no longer let members of Congress continue to get away with putting NRA contributions over the safety and lives of our kids. We need leaders who put people over profit every single time. We are not helpless — we must come together to demand action and accountability during these devastating times. Our children are counting on us.
African American male high school seniors selected from the Minneapolis and St. Paul metropolitan area who are college-bound, have cumulative GPAs of 2.5 or higher, are actively engaged in community service and who have a demonstrated commitment to uplifting the community. The ROP program seeks to make positive identity connections through mentorship. Under the leadership and guidance of African American men who serve as mentors, and members of the Minneapolis Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., ROP initiates are immersed in a variety of workshops and activities focusing on topics such as time management, collegiate application and financial aid process, men’s health, legal
The Unspeakable Horror of White Hatred Culture and Education Editor
By Irma McClaurin, PhD
To Be Young, Gifted, and a Black Man: Minneapolis Chapter of Jack and Jill presents the 2022 Rites of Passage Program The Rites of Passage Program (ROP) is sponsored annually by the Minneapolis Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and is a six-month program designed to recognize and assist young African American men as they transition into leaders of tomorrow while learning and respecting the collective history of people of African descent. “The Rights of Passage program has been instrumental in the development of young men in the Twin Cities for over 24 years. We are so proud of the work our mentors have done with preparing our male graduating seniors for their next phase of their journey in life and independence of their parents,” said Jennifer Harris, President, Minneapolis Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. ROP initiates are
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American Flag on mountain
Left to right: Caleb Daniels, Jevaun Nygren, Riley Odowu, Camden Royal, Dallas Balentine, Russell Bullock, Jamie Montague, Ezra Hudson, Jayden Davis and Jai Thibodeaux. rights, life skills, social and personal responsibility and communicating a positive image in a digital world. Each young man participating in the program completes a capstone
Commentary
The painful legacy of excluding Blacks and women from jury service
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project. “The bond during the six-month program between mentor and initiate is priceless and sets the initiate up for
ROP 4
What happened in Buffalo, New York on May 14, 2022 (https://www.nytimes.com/ live/2022/05/14/nyregion/ buffalo-shooting is further evidence that the disease of racism has resurfaced in the United States with a vengeance and passion. We have not witnessed such despicable acts of white supremacy since slavery, since lynching became a sport during postReconstruction, since white America’s virulent opposition to school integration, since the display of state-sanctioned violence against the non-violent Civil Rights Movement, since the historic and contemporary swath of anti-Black police violence with no accountability, and so much more. These examples are all evidence of the unspeakable horror of white hatred in this country, which has led to innocents being slaughtered simply because… And it is not just Blacks who know the pain of being targeted just because they are who they are; those of Asian descent, Jewish descent, Latino descent, and Transpeople
have been targets of unprovoked white rage. This latest massacre of innocent Black people in Buffalo has turned all eyes onto America, with one key question—how do you eradicate white hatred of Black and nonwhites? The History of America’s Silent & Hidden Pandemic of Racism Racial hatred is America’s silent and hidden pandemic, which erupts in the public eye periodically, but is really festering behind closed white doors. This disease of wayward and presumed white superiority has been with us from the moment white Spaniards encountered nonwhite indigenous people and thought them not human. It has been with us since the first enslaved Africans set foot on the soils of the Americas, and were treated as sub-human—my ancestors’ bodies brutalized, raped, tortured, and sold to create the white privilege upon which America is built. The Buffalo massacre is the most recent act of white supremacy racial hatred. Its roots are deep, hidden, but pervasive and certainly not dead! America’s has not come as far along in racial healing as we citizens have deluded ourselves in believing. As
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MDH asks parents to watch for signs of hepatitis in children
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Vigil, rally observe 2nd anniversary of George Floyd killing By Mohamed Ibrahim Associated Press/Report for America A candlelight vigil honored George Floyd ‘s memory at the intersection where he died was held last Wednesday on the second anniversary of the Floyd’s killing at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. Activists planned the vigil, along with a rally at the governor’s residence in St. Paul, for the two-year anniversary of Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020, which ignited protests in Minneapolis and around the world as bystander video quickly spread. The intersection of 38th and Chicago streets became known informally as George Floyd Square in the wake of his
Shooting From 3 The back-to-back tragedies served as sobering reminders of the frequency and brutality of an American epidemic of mass gun violence. “These kinds of mass shootings rarely happen anywhere else in the world,” Biden said, reflecting that other nations have people filled with hate or with mental health issues but no other industrialized nation experiences gun violence at the level of the U.S. “Why?” he asked. It was much too early to tell if the latest violent outbreak could break the political logjam around tightening the nation’s gun laws, after so many others — including the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut
WUTW From 3 Leslie E. Redmond, Esq./MBA (Founder of Don’t Complain Activate, Former President of
ROP From 3 continual success and access
death, with a large sculpture of a clenched fist as the centerpiece of memorials. The city planned to unveil a street sign officially dubbing the corner George Perry Floyd Square just ahead of the vigil, with Floyd’s brother Terrence among those attending. “Today we honor two years since George Floyd was murdered by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement. “Each day since, we have remembered George Floyd’s life and legacy as a friend, father, brother, and loved one. His name has been heard in every corner of our world.” On Wednesday in Washington, with Congress deadlocked over how to address racism and excessive use of force, President Joe Biden signed an executive order on policing
on
second anniversary. Later events in Minneapolis included a Thursday gathering of families of loved ones who have died in interactions with police and a fundraising gala Friday aimed at raising money to preserve offerings left by protesters and mourners at the intersection where Floyd was killed. An all-day festival and a concert at the intersection were also planned for Saturday. Floyd, 46, died after Chauvin, who is white, pinned his knee on Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes as Floyd was handcuffed and pleaded that he couldn’t breathe. Chauvin is serving 22 1/2 years in prison after being convicted of state charges of murder and manslaughter last year. The ex-officer also pleaded guilty to violating Floyd’s
civil rights in a federal case, where he now faces a sentence ranging from 20 to 25 years. Former officers J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao are scheduled to stand trial on state charges in June. Thomas Lane pleaded guilty last week to aiding and abetting seconddegree manslaughter for his role in Floyd’s killing, months after all three former Officers were convicted in February of federal charges of willfully violating Floyd’s rights. “In Minneapolis, we will continue to say his name and honor his spirit,” Frey said. “In these days of reflection and remembrance, we must lead with kindness towards one another – and especially look out for and support our Black friends and neighbors.” Mohamed Ibrahim is a corps member for the
that killed 26, including 20 children — have failed. “The idea that an 18-year-old kid can walk into a gun store and buy two assault weapons is just wrong,” Biden said. He has previously called for a ban on assault-style weapons, as well as tougher federal background check requirements and “red flag” laws that are meant to keep guns out of the hands of those with mental health problems. Late Tuesday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer set in motion possible action on two Housepassed bills to expand federally required background checks for gun purchases, but no votes have been scheduled. Biden was somber when he returned to the White House, having been briefed on the shooting on Air Force One. Shortly before landing in Washington, he spoke with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and offered “any and all assistance”
needed, the White House said. He directed that American flags be flown at half-staff through sunset Saturday in honor of the victims in Texas. His aides, some of whom had just returned from Asia with the president, gathered to watch Biden’s speech on televisions in the West Wing. “I’d hoped when I became president I would not have to do this, again,” he said. “Another massacre.” In a stark reminder of the issue’s divisiveness, Biden’s call for gun measures was booed at a campaign event in Georgia hosted by Herschel Walker, who won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. Speaking at an Asian Pacific American event that was intended to celebrate Biden’s Asia trip, Vice President Kamala Harris said earlier that people normally declare in moments like this, “our hearts break — but our hearts keep getting broken ... and our broken hearts
Mpls. NAACP) Eliza Wesley (“The Gate Keeper” of George Floyd Square) JoAnn Hughes (President of Concerned Citizens for Justice) Earlier this year, I to a network of professional men within their community willing and able to continue to support them during and after their collegiate experience. It can be a lifelong relationship,” said Elizabeth Courtney, Chair
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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 Culture and Education Editor Dr. Irma McClaurin, PhD. Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Columnist Brenda Lyle-Gray Book Review Editor W.D. Foster-Graham Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Manager Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley
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the
photo/Uche Iroegbu
Protests gather at George Floyd Square on June 4, 2020 following memorial services held for Floyd. Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report
on
are nothing compared to the broken hearts of those families.” “We have to have the courage to take action ... to ensure something like this never happens again,” she said. Echoing Biden’s call, former President Barack Obama, who has called the day of the Sandy Hook shooting the darkest of his administration, said, “It’s long past time for action, any kind of action.” “Michelle and I grieve with the families in Uvalde, who are experiencing pain no one should have to bear,” he said in a statement. “We’re also angry for them. Nearly ten years after Sandy Hook—and ten days after Buffalo—our country is paralyzed, not by fear, but by a gun lobby and a political party that have shown no willingness to act in any way that might help prevent these tragedies.” Congress has been unable to pass substantial gun violence legislation ever since the bipartisan effort to strengthen
background checks on firearm purchases collapsed in the aftermath of the 2012 shooting. Despite months of work, a bill that was backed by a majority of senators, fell to a filibuster — unable to to overcome the 60-vote threshold needed to advance. In impassioned remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who represented Newton, Connecticut, in the House at the time of the Sandy Hook massacre, asked his colleagues why they even bother running for office if they’re going to stand by and do nothing. “I’m here on this floor to beg — to literally get down on my hands and knees — to beg my colleagues,” he said. Murphy said he was planning to reach out to Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn after the two had teamed on an 2021 effort to toughen background check requirements that never became law. He said
he would also reach out to Texas’ other Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. “I just don’t understand why people here think we’re powerless,” Murphy said. “We aren’t.” Cornyn told reporters he was on his way to Texas and would talk with them later. Cruz issued a statement calling it “a dark day. We’re all completely sickened and heartbroken.” Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who sponsored gun legislation that failed to overcome a filibuster in the Senate after Sandy Hook, said, “We’re just pushing on people who just won’t budge on anything.” “It makes no sense at all why we can’t do commonsense things and try to prevent some of this from happening,” he said. Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Michael Balsamo, Alan Fram and Farnoush Amiri contributed.
had the great honor of meeting these women and hearing them share their stories. They found needs in our community and are successfully meeting those needs, each according to the purpose they have been called to. They embody empowerment
and inspire it in others. Also, I give a hat tip to Alvena Richburg and founder J. MOST for making this event possible and continuing it. Look forward to an afternoon of inspiring speakers, song, and fabulous steppers,
starting at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, June 4 at Hilton Hotel,Mpls./St. Paul Airport Mall of America Embassy Ballroom 3800 American Boulevard East
of Rights of Passage Program and member of the Minneapolis Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. The 2021-2022 program theme is “Choice Not Chance, Embracing Our Destiny”. Ten young men their families, and mentors have been meeting monthly since the fall. They come from many high schools in the Twin Cities metro area: Eagan High School, Hopkins High School, St. Louis Park High School, Breck School (3), Cooper High School, PIM Arts High School, and Hill Murray High School. “Growing into a young adult isn’t something you should do alone. I have had the pleasure of learning that while being a part of this program. As an initiate, the Rites of Passage program has
changed my life for the better in multiple ways. I’ve learned life lessons on how to manage your time properly, to live life fully as a young African American man in this country. They do a phenomenal job of guiding you to your next steps in life while maintaining an energetic and welcoming atmosphere. The opportunity has allowed me to spend time with other initiates that look like me and are experiencing life similarly, but also with successful, African American mentors who have traveled on a similar path. The Rites of Passage community is something I am proud to be a part of and is a community I will continue to be a part of in my future,” said Jai Thibodeaux, participant in the Rights of Passage Program. “We are honored to have been a part of the Rites
of Passage Program this year. While programming was mainly delivered remotely, our son’s experience was one that will be with him for the rest of his life. We are so grateful for all of the guidance, mentoring and self-discovery the program provided. We have seen Jayden grow in ways that will benefit him as he enters his next phase. We want to thank all of the mentors, program coordinators and Jack and Jill moms for their dedication to this effort. Rites of Passage has given something to all of us. We have been and will continue to be, staunch supporters of the program,” said Joy Wise-Davis, parent of a Rights of Passage program participant Jayden Davis. Over the past four years, ROP has donated over $33,000.00 to community organizations (as described
above) and over $12,000.00 to the Jack and Jill Foundation. For nearly two decades, the vast majority of over 275 initiates have gone to college, and many have returned to serve as mentors or workshop presenters in the Rites of Passage Program. The annual Alumni Reunion serves as a great opportunity for past initiates and mentors to reconnect. The Minneapolis Chapter of the Jack and Jill of America, Inc. is a membership organization of mothers with children ages 2-19 dedicated to nurturing future African American leaders by strengthening children through leadership development, volunteer service, philanthropic giving and civic duty. You can learn more about the organization through its website: http://www.jackandjillmpls.org.
people gaining political power, they feel threatened and their racial insecurities are surfacing. It is one thing to claim racial superiority—it is another to actually be racially superior, when all the evidence says whiteness has no biological advantage over any other group; it is the white structure of white racial supremacy that has been the glue to hold the idea of racial inferiority intact. Race hatred is a disease of whiteness and white supremacy thinking. It is primarily practiced by those of European/Caucasian ancestry, but not exclusively. There are others who can pass with white-looking skin like white Hispanics (blanquitos), but also some misguided Brown and Black people who have drunk
the Kool aid of internalized racism. These latter folk are lost Brown and Black souls, and confused recent members of those who embrace the term “mixed race.” Back in the day, when miscegenation (race mixing) was illegal, the onedrop rule of ancestry prevailed. Regardless of skin color, hair texture, nose size, etc., “one drop” of Black blood defined you as “Black.” Period. There were no luxurious titles of “mixed race” to mask Black ancestry. I say “recent” mixed race because most Black Americans carry some mixture. While embracing our African ancestry and proclaiming ourselves “Black,” our DNA reflects the horrors of the forced
rape of Black women under slavery. Any Black American who can trace their DNA to 99100% African is a rare person indeed. This recent white supremacy attack on Black people is rooted in an attempt to erase Black people, as if the past atrocities that white people have committed against Black and Indigenous people in the United States for over three-hundred years can be removed by killing us today. The premeditated cowardly act of shooting innocent Black people is simply the killer’s own manifestations of white shame, guilt, fragility, feeling of inferiority, and his loss of white privilege and entitlements. From his manifesto, it is also evidence of white paranoia that has gripped this country and motivated the attacks on the 1619 Project and on teaching Critical Race Theory (which, by the way, was NEVER EVER taught in K-12); it is a theoretical frame of legal analysis).
Unspeakable From 3 whites increasingly recognize that they are becoming a numerical minority; as whites reckon with how they no longer have entitlements simply because they are white, and must compete with non-whites; as whites see Black and Brown
undercovered issues. Find AP’s full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/ hub/death-of-george-floyd
Bloomington, Minnesota 55425 Please contact J. MOST at (612) 237-5118 to place your reservations and address any questions you have.
Ignorance Will Not Bring Bliss And, this young, white murderer is not alone in trying to ease the past. The
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Commentary The painful legacy of excluding Blacks and women from jury service Hobb servation Point
By Chuck Hobbs On May 2, 1911, George Loney, a deputy sheriff in Okemah, Oklahoma, went to the home of Laura and Austin Nelson to investigate the theft of a cow. Allegedly, Laura’s 16-yearold son, L.D. Nelson, shot the deputy in the leg, an injury that caused him to bleed to death. Local authorities concluded that Laura Nelson had first grabbed a gun, as such, she was charged with murder as a principal and arrested along with her teenaged son. Nelson’s husband, Austin, would later plead guilty to the theft and be sentenced to state prison, but neither his wife nor his son would have an opportunity to appear in court as on May 24th, 111 years ago today, they were abducted from their jail cells by a group of 40 white men who comprised a lynch mob. According to the Crisis magazine, the official publication of the NAACP,
Unspeakable From 4 legislative actions of the State of Iowa (House File 802: https:// eu.desmoinesregister.com/ story/news/politics/2021/06/08/ governor-kim-reynolds-signslaw-targeting-critical-racetheory-iowa-schools-diversitytraining/7489896002/ ) is an effort to stop the teaching of the authentic American history of enslavement in this country, and not the one of white superiority over inferior Black and Indigenous people that has ruled educational texts for decades. The 1619 Project provides proof of the economic, political, and religious motivations of the institution of slavery (https:// www.theatlantic.com/ideas/ archive/2019/12/historiansclash-1619-project/604093/ ; https://youtu.be/YaeqpMi-pJE . The project argues for 1619 as the origins of slavery in America and asserts the humanity of enslaved people. It refuses to romanticize the founding of this country and makes clear that the ideal of democracy and having an institution of slavery for over 300 years have created a contradiction in the social fabric of country with which we live today. To outlaw the use of the 1619 Project or the teaching of Critical Race Theory—to make illegal any discussion of diversity (remember the 45th tried that once with an Executive Order: https://irmamcclaurin. medium.com/donald-trumpsexecutive-order-13950-andthe-assault-on-anti-racism-anddemocracy-522866521c67 ) ultimately will prove futile. You cannot erase historical facts! You can hide them, silence them, try to rewrite them, but the fact of slavery and enslavement cannot be destroyed because Black Americans are the bodies of evidence. Those who foment racial hatred are filled with an incredible racial inferiority complex and a profound sense of loss over having to share the privilege they have never earned, but to which they feel entitled. Not teaching about the institution of slavery and this democratic country’s most historic and profound violation of human rights through the enslavement of millions of people will result only in a generation of racially ignorant white children who become racially stupid white adults who can only respond to racial justice protests with the lame excuse, “I didn’t know.” Ignorance of the law is no excuse, and those who break the law are penalized appropriately. Ignorance of this country’s history of racial injustice and racial violence is no excuse. Those who claim innocence, or that they should not be held responsible for the sins of their white forebears (men and women), need only reflect on the recent tragedy in Buffalo, and recognize that the disease of White Supremacy is still with us, and that today’s white population are all potential carriers of the disease of white hatred. A side effect of such racial hatred and a belief in a white dominated racial hierarchy
Laura, 35, was repeatedly raped before being hanged from a nearby bridge alongside her son, L.D. (See below) The picture of mother and son hanging from the bridge was an extremely popular postcard for many years after their macabre deaths. Even worse is that despite knowing who comprised the lynch mob that served as judges, jury, and executioner, the actual local grand jury concluded that it could not conclusively identify the attackers to warrant indictment. Of course they couldn’t, being all willfully blind and whatnot… Whenever the subject of white male patriarchy is raised, the predictable eye rolls from those who wish that folks like me would “just give it a rest” does not erase the fact that in America, a country that boasts about “freedom” and “equal justice under the law,” the truth is that those concepts have ranged from totally nonexistent, to elusive, for Black people and women throughout much of this nation’s history. If you remember the story of Dred Scott, then you know that prior to the end of slavery, even free Blacks were not considered American citizens—thus, they had no right to vote or serve on juries. After is the paranoid-informed “Replacement Theory.” Apparently, some whites are so estranged over losing their undeserved white advantage that they have promulgated a theory that immigration and diversity constitute a massive plot to replace all white people! (https://www.theguardian.com/ us-news/2022/may/17/buffaloshooting-gunman-plottedattack-for-months ) Nothing could be further from the truth; telling the truth of slavery via the 1619 Project, showing how the vestiges of enslavement, using Critical Race Theory (CRT), continues to influence and inform policies and behaviors today, are necessary precursors to solving the 21st Century’s ‘problem of the color line,” as W.E.B. Du Bois so eloquently put it over 100 years ago. We are still grappling with how to de-problematize Blackness, which he wrote about in Souls of Black Folk: “Between me and the other world there is ever an unasked question: unasked by some through feelings of delicacy; by others through the difficulty of rightly framing it. All, nevertheless, flutter round it. How does it feel to be a problem?” As Melissa Harris-Perry points out in a recent assessment of Du Bois’ observation, the issue is not about having problems but being perceived as a problem: But Du Bois was pointing to something different. Not just having problems, but being a problem. How does it feel to be a problem? To have your very body and the bodies of your children to be assume to be criminal, violent, malignant. h t t p s : / / w w w. msnbc.com/melissa-harrisperry/how-does-it-feelbe-problem-black-amerimsna65625 It is this history that white America wants to erase— our centuries of struggles as Black people to become part of the nation, a nation whose very foundation owes its existence to the labor of enslaved Black people and the appropriated lands of Indigenous Native Americans. White America, yielding all the political, social, and economic power it has amassed, by exploiting and dehumanizing Black and Indigenous people, wants to flex its cultural and political muscles to reinstate a false, whitewashed narrative. But we, Black America, will prevail. We will resist and remain resilient, even in the face of death—like those who fell under bullets of white rage in Buffalo. We will suffer the brutality of white America coming to terms with its past and demand prosecution to the fullest extent of the law for those white Americans who try as individuals (and as elected officials) to resurrect white Supremacy as the order of the day in the present. We will NOT stand for it! America Needs a Healing— the Survivors Will Be Human Writing on the death of his new-born son, the late African American poet Michael S. Harper closed the poem “DeathWatch” (https://www.sas. upenn.edu/~cavitch/pdf-library/
Ruby McCollum and Dr. Adams, the alleged rapist that she killed in 1952. McCollum was sentenced to death by an all-white male jury, but her conviction was later overturned and she plead “insane” before the second trial and spent two decades at the Florida State Mental Hospital. slavery ended, the emergence of Jim Crow prevented Blacks in most parts of the country from voting, and definitely kept Black men off of juries until well into the 1960s. And yes, I wrote “men” above because women were excluded from jury service in most states until, you guessed
it, the 1960’s. Such laws and customs were designed by wealthy white men to keep white women dependent upon their husbands and fathers for life, which is why white women could not own or sell property until the late 19th Century; could not vote until the 19th Amendment was ratified in
Harper_Deathwatch.pdf) with these lines: “America needs a killing/America needs a killing/ Survivors will be human.” This is how I feel now. I am in mourning over the death of democracy and the shedding of any ounce of moral dignity America once held. This country is in tragic shape. And the condition is worsening every day fueled by White Supremacy thinking that even was allowed to become President of the United States. We are giving billions of dollars in relief to the Ukraine. Where is the support for the families of Buffalo’s Black victims? When has America EVER offered relief to us as we navigate the racial war that has prevailed in this country since end of slavery? These are questions for another day. Today, if we in America (Blacks, Browns, Whites, Asians, Indigenous, Trans) can survive this latest hate killing in Buffalo, NY; if we can survive the recent legislative actions to erase America’s racial history by not allowing a complete history to be taught in K-12; if we can survive the religiously motivated patriarchal efforts to control women’s bodies and wombs; if we can survive the erosion of the presumed neutrality of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the dismantling of Roe v. Wade; if we can survive the refusal of elected officials in the U.S. Senate to reauthorize Civil Rights Acts that guarantees Black Americans’ right to vote; if we can survive the persistence of unprovoked state-sanctioned Police violence against Black people, and other nonwhites; and, finally, if we can survive the escalation of White Supremacy violence as evidenced by the premeditated execution of innocent Black people by a white supremacist—whose neighbors will assure us “he is a good man.” If we as Black people continue to survive daily encounters with implicit bias and micro aggressions, if we can survive all of the above known America horrors, and so many others that are unknown, and operate in secret or are hidden, then we can begin the journey on a path to reclaim humanity—not ours (Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Trans people who have remained resilient, as is humanly possible, in the face of unspeakable horrors)—but theirs: white people. This is a call to action for all white people (individually and as a group) to come to the aid of this country. This is a call to action for those who walk with whiteness; those who invoke white fragility and practice vulnerable whiteness (especially WGT—white girl tears); those who never question their white-skin privilege; those who reap today the benefits of white privilege founded on the blood, sweat, and tears of Black enslaved people, the genocide, land appropriation of Indigenous Americans, and this country’s continued failure to honor treaties and keep promises, yet never question the origins of that privilege. This is a call to action for those who claim white innocence, yet never question at whose expense their privilege was delivered; the academic institutions with their billion-dollar endowments (yeah Harvard) derived from
selling human beings like chattel, yet only offer a paltry million dollars as reparations for slavery (https://www.reuters. com/world/us/harvard-sets-up100-million-endowment-fundslavery-reparations-2022-04-26/ ), and only admit into their college Blacks primarily of immigrant descent and not Native-born Black Americans to whom they owe the debt. This is a call to action for all those who claim to be “good white people,” yet simply shrug their shoulders and pretend nothing extraordinary has happened when they witness (and are complicit with, through their silence,) daily injustices, racism, microaggression, and white violence— this call to action is for you.
1920; could not open bank accounts until the 1960s; could not own credit cards until the 70’s and, pertinent to today’s post, could not be guaranteed jury service until the 1960’s. (Nota Bene: A few states, like Florida and Louisiana, allowed white women to “opt-in” to jury service starting in the late 1940’s, but they were not summoned mandatorily like white men and still could be denied slots if the judge or parties believed they would be better served staying home and tending to their household duties). I have often wondered whether acquittals would have been won for Black women like Laura Nelson or, closer to home, Ruby McCollum, a wealthy Black woman in Live Oak, Florida who was convicted of killing Dr. C. Leroy Adams (a wealthy white doctor and state senator-elect), had women served in some capacity on their cases? Lest we forget that Mrs. McCollum claimed to have been raped dozens of times by the doctor, but she was prevented from giving testimony to this effect by Judge Hal Adams, who was of no relation to the doctor, but served as a pallbearer at his funeral! Again, would Nelson or McCollum have
been acquitted of their alleged offenses had women served as the local sheriff or on the jury? The skeptic in me says “probably not,” especially when considering that when one glances at any lynching picture or postcard, often there were white women standing around the lifeless Black bodies, too. But maybe, just maybe, the outcomes could have been different if even one woman who understood white supremacy or domestic violence raised their voices in mitigation of alleged crimes? We will never know… What we do know is that today, women of all races have the opportunity to serve on juries and as I have admonished throughout my adult life, when those jury summonses come for serious felony or civil cases, by all means, please answer the call and lend your voice to the consideration of liberty and justice—for all! Thank you and please subscribe to the Hobbservation Point—have a great day! Chuck Hobbs is a freelance journalist who won the 2010 Florida Bar Media Award and has been twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary.
A Modest Prayer White America needs a healing, White America needs a healing, I pray with all my heart that the survivors will be human! © Irma McClaurin Resources: http:// duboiscenter.library.umass.edu/ Association of Black Anthropologists Statement on Buffalo Massacre: https://aba. americananthro.org/statementconcerning-the-massacre-ofblack-people-in-buffalo-newyork/ Irma McClaurin (http://irmamcclaurin. com/ https://twitter.com/ mcclaurintweets) is an activist Black Feminist anthropologist, award-winning writer, and
Culture and Education Editor and columnist for Insight News, and #blackfeministtraveler. In 2015, the Black Press of America selected her as “Best in the Nation Columnist.” She is a past president of Shaw University, CEO and Senior Consultant of Irma McClaurin Solutions, the 2021 recipient of the American Anthropological Associations Engaged Anthropology Award, and founder of the Irma McClaurin Black Feminist Archive (bit.ly/ blkfemarchive) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. A collection of her columns, JustSpeak: Reflections on Race, Culture, and Politics in America, is forthcoming in 2022.
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Insight 2 Health
MDH asks parents to watch for signs of hepatitis in children Prompted by a cluster of hepatitis cases of unknown origin among children in multiple states and countries, state health officials are asking parents to watch for signs of liver inflammation in their children – especially after bouts with either upper respiratory or stomach-intestinal illnesses. Signs of liver inflammation can include yellowing of the eyes or skin, sometimes known as jaundice. While the cases are rare among children, in about 10% of those affected the liver inflammation has led to liver failure and the need for transplant. Epidemiologists with the Minnesota Department of
Health (MDH) are investigating three Minnesota children under age 3 who had liver inflammation and may be part of a national cluster of hepatitis in children. While the cause remains under investigation, the hepatitis may be associated with infection with a type of virus known as adenovirus type 41. Some reported illnesses in the United States date back to fall 2021; the illnesses have occurred in children younger than 10-years-old. “If your child recently had vomiting and diarrhea or symptoms of a common cold and then develops yellowing of the eyes and skin, it is important to have your child evaluated
by a health care provider right away,” said Minnesota State Epidemiologist Dr. Ruth Lynfield. “Other symptoms can include abdominal pain, fatigue, dark urine and clay-colored stools. Getting medical care quickly can help diagnose and treat the condition as needed.” Among the Minnesota cases, one child required a liver transplant and has recovered while the other two recovered without the need for a transplant. Lynfield said MDH epidemiologists are aware of at least two others with possible cases at Minnesota hospitals who are not Minnesota residents; those have been referred to their respective
photo/Sasiistock
Epidemiologists with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) are investigating three Minnesota children under age 3 who had liver inflammation and may be part of a national cluster of hepatitis in children. state
health departments. MDH epidemiologists began looking into possible cases in the state in late April after learning of cases in Europe and in other areas of the United States. They alerted health care providers at the time, asking them to report any recent instances of hepatitis of unknown cause in children. “We’re grateful for the reports we’ve received from clinicians so far and look forward to continuing to work with them in this investigation,” Lynfield said. “The more information we can gather, the faster we can help determine how best to protect other children.” According to a recent CDC announcement, at least 109 children in 25 states have been identified in the Unites States as part of the cluster of
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cases. At least 228 probable cases in 20 countries have been identified, according to the World Health Organization. Among the national cases, prior to hospitalization, most of the children experienced vomiting and diarrhea, while some experienced upper respiratory symptoms. During hospitalization, most had yellowing eyes and skin, and an enlarged liver. While health officials identified adenovirus in many of the affected children, other potential factors are being investigated. Adenovirus 41 often causes vomiting and diarrhea in children, but it is not typical for the virus to cause hepatitis in otherwise healthy children, and to date disease investigators have found no common epidemiological link or
exposures among the children. Until more information is available, the best advice for people seeking to protect themselves and their children is to use the general disease prevention measures, such as frequent and thorough hand washing; avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands; covering coughs and sneezes; and avoiding close contact with people who are sick. More information about the ongoing national investigation can be found on the CDC website at CDC Alerts Providers to Hepatitis Cases of Unknown Origin. General information about hepatitis in Minnesota can be found on the MDH hepatitis home page.
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Insight News • May 30, 2022 - June 5, 2022 • Page 7
Aesthetically It
When purple reigned: A 1985 Prince concert finds a new life By Mark Kennedy AP Entertainment Writer
We Are Meant to Rise Sharing Our Stories
By: W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor Voices for Justice from Minneapolis to the World edited by Carolyn Holbrook and David Mura “Until the lion tells his side of the story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” --Luvvie Ajayi In these days and times, the above quote comes to mind. Those of us who are BIPOC are all too familiar with the stereotyping, framing, and racial profiling via the media, plus the systemic racism prevalent in our lives. As far as years go, 2020 was a piece of work, given the backdrop of COVID-19 and the murder of George Floyd on May 25.
It is in this backdrop that the anthology, We Are Meant to Rise, was created. Its contributors represent the broad spectrum of BIPOC authors and cultures here in Minnesota: Indigenous Dakota and Anishinaabe, African American, Mexican, Hmong, Somali, Afghani, Lebanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Puerto Rican, Colombian, transracial adoptees, biracial, and those who are also LGBTQ. Each voice reminds us of his/her/their unique experience, debunking the myth that our cultures are monolithic. As such, many of these contributing writers were also part of a group known as More Than a Single Story. The poems and essays are raw and unvarnished in speaking truth to power, not only in response to the events and trauma of 2020, but in memory of similar events past. Where white supremacy and systemic racism would seek to silence our voices, the shared experiences of these BIPOC authors demand to be heard. In these written words for social justice there
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is strength. There is resilience. There is power. In reading them, the words of Maya Angelou’s poem Still I Rise resounded in my mind. In the words of David Mura, “Diversity is our strength. Each new voice who becomes part of America is our strength. The writers in this anthology provide us with individualized portraits of who we are, and in doing so they can help us to know each other, our neighbors, our fellow citizens. These writers prove we are indeed more than a single story.” Carolyn Holbrook mentions the following anonymous quote in her essay, A Time for Healing: “Sometimes it’s not about the act of praying, or what you think or say when you pray. Sometimes it’s about what you learn while waiting for the answer.” We Are Meant to Rise is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the University of Minnesota Press. In Maya’s words, “I rise.”
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NEW YORK (AP) — The first thing you hear is a familiar voice over the sound of thousands of screaming fans. “Hello, Syracuse and the world. My name is Prince and I’ve come to play with you.” The Purple One soon arrives, rising up through the stage — wearing an animal print jumpsuit with a ruffled white frock, a guitar slug across his back — as “Let’s Go Crazy” starts. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today...” he says. It’s the electric beginning of a high-energy concert in upstate New York held more than three decades ago, reworked and re-released on video and audio capturing Prince & The Revolution at their peak. “It was as amazing as I remember it was,” says Lisa Coleman, a Revolution member who was there that night singing and playing keys. Adds drummer Bobby Z: “The next generation needs to see this because this is what it was all about.” The March 30, 1985, concert at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York, included the songs “Delirious,” “1999,” “Little Red Corvette,” “Take Me Home,” “Let’s Pretend We’re Married,” “Computer Blue,” “When Doves Cry” and “I Would Die 4 U,” among others. It closes with a sensual, knock-out “Purple Rain,” with Prince in a shimmering cloak delivering a solo that lasts several minutes and shows off an immensely talented guitarist. “You can tell that he knows what he’s doing there — he is lighting up the world. He always played it like there was no tomorrow. But that one is especially moving,” says Bobby Z. “Prince and The Revolution: Live” will be released June 3 in a variety of formats, including digital streaming platforms, a three-LP vinyl version, a two-CD version
and a Blu-ray of the concert film. There’s also a limited edition box set featuring three colored LPs, two CDs, the Bluray video, a 44-page book with never-before-seen photos of the Purple Rain Tour, and new liner notes penned by all five members of the Revolution. “I was so proud of him and the band we put together and everything at that moment and the fact that it lives on and that this beautiful project is coming out is something special,” says Bobby Z, a Prince friend since they met in 1976. “That band is cooking like a freight train.” Prince fans have another reason to be happy this summer: “Prince: The Immersive Experience” makes its worldwide debut on June 9 in Chicago. It offers visitors the chance to explore his wardrobe, music influences and hits. The Syracuse concert came at the end of a 100-odd date tour and Prince and the band are by this time a tight and sleek machine, piggybacking off the wild success of the film “Purple Rain.” “I do feel like it was a pearl amongst a really great necklace,” says Wendy Melvoin, a guitarist and singer in the Revolution. “The only difference was that it was being televised worldwide. And there was a bit more pressure on us to kind of up our game.” Over the course of the performance, Prince makes several costume changes, jumps around the set’s scaffolding, strips down to just pants and necklaces, writhes suggestively in a bathtub and drives the crowd crazy with such lines as: “Do you want me?” The gig was an early pay-per-view event and was nominated for a Grammy Award for best longform music video. The concert was later put out on VHS but the quality of the audio and visuals were poor. “I’m really excited for a next generation of Prince fans to see what it was all about. He wasn’t, you know, just some average guy. This was a
photo/Liu Heung Shing
Prince performs at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Feb. 18, 1985. A reworked and re-released concert that captures Prince & The Revolution at their peak is coming next month. Prince and The Revolution: Live” will be released June 3 in a variety of formats, including digital streaming platforms, a threeLP vinyl version, a two-CD version and a Blu-ray of the concert film. seriously talented, unbelievable dancer, singer, bandleader, showman, composer, musician. This was a one-in-a-billion individual,” says Bobby Z. Melvoin says diehard Prince fans may have already seen bootleg versions but hopes that the new album and film can inspire other artists. “I think the people that I’d want to have see it are people that want to learn how to put on a really great show,” she says. “Other artists should see it.” Melvoin and Coleman say they recently rewatched the two-hour concert and found themselves saying “wow!” periodically. “We were sitting next to each other watching a big screen version of it, and we both had forgotten certain parts of it, and it was really quite something to behold,” says Melvoin. “I think one of the things that I said to Lisa was, ‘Jesus, we were really good!’” Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
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