Insight ::: 05.3.21 by Insight News, Inc

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Insight News

May 3, 2021 - May 9, 2021

Vol. 48 No. 18• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Scott Olson/Getty Images

A woman reacts to the news that Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts in the murder of George Floyd.

Back story By Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Society The Conversation The guilty verdicts handed down in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd dominated the news this week and our work on the politics desk. We had a plan for how to cover the verdicts. We were going to have three or four scholars give short takes from the perspective of their scholarship, and we would pull them all together in one story. But we hadn’t expected the verdicts to be reached so soon. When the news broke late Tuesday afternoon that the jury had reached its verdicts, one of us was off-duty and heading home from a short break in Rhode Island, another was about to leave for drinks and a dinner meeting with colleagues, and the third member of the team was still catching up on work after a three-day backpacking trip and was luckily uncommitted to anything more than dinner. The three of us got to work with four scholars, and by 7:30 Tuesday evening, we had edited, copy-edited, checked the sourcing and added photos to three of the scholars’ dispatches and were able to publish them. By 8:30, we had the fourth one published as well. This kind of deadline work requires all sorts of strategies, including literally editing over the telephone with a scholar. “Okay if we cut that third sentence? Substitute the word ‘people’ for ‘citizens’? Can you add a brief description of what ‘qualified immunity’ is?” It also requires some domestic management skills: One scholar wrote her piece while simultaneously wrangling a baby and a toddler; another had to pick up his daughter before starting to write. The dispatches in “Why this trial was different: Experts react to guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin” are from scholars Alexis Karteron, Rutgers University - Newark; Ric Simmons, The Ohio State University; Jeannine Bell, Indiana University; and Rashad Shabazz, Arizona State University. We’ve since published two more stories about aspects of the trial and verdict, one about the role press freedom played in Chauvin’s conviction and the other exploring what is known about how juries behave, and how pretrial publicity and implicit bias might affect the outcome of a trial.

Race was not an issue in trial Rutgers University Newark

By Alexis Karteron Derek Chauvin’s criminal trial is over, but the work to ensure that no one endures a tragic death like George Floyd’s is just getting started.

It is fair to say that race was on the minds of millions of protesters who took to the streets last year to express their outrage and pain in response to the killing. Many felt it was impossible for someone who wasn’t Black to imagine Chauvin’s brutal treatment of George Floyd. But race went practically unmentioned during the Chauvin trial. This should not be surprising, because the criminal legal system writes race out

at virtually every turn. When I led a lawsuit as a civil rights attorney challenging the New York Police Department’s stopand-frisk program as racist, the department’s primary defense was that it complied with Fourth Amendment standards, under which police oﬃcers need only “reasonable suspicion” of criminal activity to stop someone. Presence in what police say is a “high-crime area” is relevant to developing reasonable suspicion, as is a would-be subject taking ﬂight

when being approached by a police oﬃcer. But the correlation with race, for a host of reasons, is obvious to any keen observer. American policing’s most pressing problems are racial ones. For some, the evolution of slave patrols into police forces and the failure of decadeslong reform eﬀorts are proof that American policing is irredeemable and must be defunded. For others, changes to use-of-force policies and improved accountability measures, like those in the

proposed George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, are enough. Different communities across the country will follow different paths in their efforts to prevent another tragic death like George Floyd’s. Some will do nothing at all. But progress will be made only when America as a whole gets real about the role of race – something the legal system routinely fails to do. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Why this trial was different Ohio State University

By Ric Simmons The guilty verdicts in the Chauvin trial are extraordinary, if unsurprising, because past incidents of police lethal use of force against unarmed civilians, particularly Black civilians, have generally not

resulted in criminal convictions. In many cases, the prosecuting office has been reluctant or halfhearted in pursuing the case. Prosecutors and police officers work together daily; that can make prosecutors sympathetic to the work of law enforcement. In the Chauvin case, the attorney general’s office invested an overwhelming amount of resources in preparing for and conducting the trial, bringing in two outside lawyers, including a prominent civil rights attorney, to assist its many state prosecutors. Usually, too, a

police officer defendant can count on the support of other police officers to testify on his behalf and explain why his or her actions were justified. Not in this case. Every police officer witness testified for the prosecution against Chauvin. Finally, convictions after police killings are rare because, evidence shows, jurors are historically reluctant to substitute their own judgment for the split-second decisions made by trained officers when their lives may be on the line. Despite the past year’s protests decrying police violence, U.S.

support for law enforcement remains very high: A recent poll showed that only 18% of Americans support the “defund the police” movement. But Chauvin had no feasible argument that he feared for his life or made an instinctive response to a threat. George Floyd did nothing to justify the defendant’s brutal actions, and the overwhelming evidence presented by the prosecutors convinced 12 jurors of that fact. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

The ‘thin blue line’ kills Indiana University

By Jeannine Bell Like other high-proﬁle police killings of African Americans, the murder of George Floyd revealed a lot

about police culture – and how it makes interactions with communities of color fraught. Derek Chauvin used prohibited tactics – keeping his knee on Floyd’s neck when he had already been subdued – to suﬀocate a man, an act the jury recognized as murder. Three fellow Minneapolis Police Department oﬃcers watched as Chauvin killed Floyd. Rather than intervene themselves, they helped him resist the intervention of upset bystanders

and a medical professional. They have been charged with aiding and abetting a murder. The police brotherhood – that intense and protective “thin blue line” – enabled a public murder. Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, unusually, broke this code of silence when he testified against Chauvin. Research shows that even if officers see a fellow officer mistreating a suspect and want to intervene, they need training to teach them how to do

so effectively. The city of New Orleans is now training officers to intervene. Once training is in place, police departments could also make intervention in such situations mandatory. When some officers stand by as other officers ignore their training, the consequences can be dangerous – and potentially lethal – for civilians. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Minnesota faces its racism Arizona State University

By Rashad Shabazz This verdict reﬂects a littleknown truth about Minneapolis: As the city and metro region

have become Blacker and more diverse, police violence against Black people has intensiﬁed. This is not to suggest that things have always been good for Black Minneapolis residents. Indeed, Minneapolis’ Black population – a group without political power or visibility – has faced segregation, police violence and Northern Jim Crow policies in its downtown music venues for decades. White Minnesotans and Minneapolitans developed

a false belief that somehow they were above racism; that their form of neighborliness known as “Minnesota nice” was an antidote to anti-Blackness and that – most of all – race didn’t matter in a place as nice as Minnesota. That false assumption was easy to believe when the Black population was small, contained and largely out of sight. But Black Minneapolis’ population growth in recent decades, and the torrent of police violence that has

followed,

proved otherwise. The murder of George Floyd last year and Daunte Wright’s killing in a nearby community last week demonstrate that despite the state’s liberal posture and Lutheran ethic, institutional antiBlack racism is as Minnesotan as ice ﬁshing, untaxed groceries and “ya, sure, youbetcha” memes. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

AP Photo/Martin Meissner

The death of George Floyd sparked protests around the U.S. and across the world, including this June 2020 rally in Germany.

Page 2 • May 3, 2021 - May 9, 2021 • Insight News

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Moving forward together

in the Twin Cities Over the past year, we’ve all been challenged in one way or another by this health crisis — physically, emotionally, financially. And while questions remain about what lies ahead, we know one thing for certain: The only way to move forward is together. To that end, Bank of America remains fully committed to supporting the health and economic recovery of our clients, communities and teammates. We know that small businesses, so critical to our local economy, have been greatly impacted. Through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), to date we’ve delivered 478,731* PPP loans — totaling nearly $34.5 billion* in funding — to help our clients continue to operate and pay their employees. Importantly, more than 99% of those loans went to companies with fewer than 100 employees. Partnering with local nonprofits, we’ve distributed more than 27 million masks for vulnerable populations as part of our ongoing efforts to address health-related disparities accelerated by the coronavirus. We’ve offered new and expanded benefits to help our employees balance family and work, including over 3.7 million days of back-up child and adult care. That’s an investment of more than $370 million in child and adult care reimbursement. I’m so proud of the way our community has come together to help those who need it most. And I’m certain that the Twin Cities has the power to be stronger than ever as a result.

Helping the Twin Cities move forward: • Delivered PPP funding to over 493 of our small business clients for more than $51 million in relief • Distributed 553,000 masks through our local partners including: – Northside Achievement Zone – Second Harvest Heartland • Expanded benefits for our employees to include additional child and adult care services plus virtual medical and behavioral health consultations at no cost

Katie Simpson President, Bank of America Twin Cities

Go to bankofamerica.com/twincities to learn more about the work we are doing with our incredible partners.

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Insight News • May 3, 2021 - May 9, 2021 • Page 3 WINNER: 2020 T YPOGRAPHY & DESIGN, 1ST PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY (PORTRAIT & PERSONALIT Y), 1ST PLACE, WEBSITE, 3RD PLACE

Insight News May 3, 2021 - May 9, 2021

Vol. 48 No. 18• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Reductio ad absurdum

The absurdity of “race” as the logic of power Myth of Race By Professor Mahmoud El-Kati Part 6 of a series

Megan Varner/Getty Images/The Conversation

In Atlanta, Ga., one person’s sign reflects the actual verdicts that had just been delivered in the Derek Chauvin trial.

Chauvin found guilty—does it matter? Culture and Education Editor

By Irma McClaurin, PhD Matter: verb [no object] 1 (usually in the negative or in questions) be of importance; have significance…what did it matter to them? The verdict is in — Guilty. G-U-I-L-T-Y. It is the outcome we prayed for, protested for, dreamed about in our vision of a new America emerging like a phoenix from the post- apocalyptic aftermath of the assault on the Capital by white people — with no police violence or interventions and no deaths. Violent and armed white people raided and ransacked the United States Capital and the police response was subdued,

collegial, and complicit, except for a Black policeman who was almost assaulted and a white policeman who died. Visions of white policeman fist-bumping and taking selfies with those intent on inflicting harm and damage to people and property showed America’s true colors: whites are always right, even when they are factually wrong. No harm will come to them because they resemble the police. No National Guards were called. Those now labeled as “domestic terrorists” and “insurgents” were not met with police in riot gear; they suffered no tear gas or rubber bullet injuries. After all, they were white. And in America, nothing else matters much. Indeed, after violent protests, serious damage to federal property, attempts to find and do bodily harm to elected officials — especially then VP Mike Pence — and

all instantaneously. posted on social media with no thoughts to consequences, the police allowed them to disburse and go free, back to their white lives/lies. Only public outrage pushed the police to begin to round up a few visible leaders, but the vast majority left unfettered, unscathed, and seemingly under police protection. This was the backdrop for Minnesota v. Derek Chavin. A scenario of police brutality against unarmed Black people (children, youth, and adults) and police protection for whites who murder innocent Blacks praying, white school children, Asian masseuses, concert attendees, shoppers, and others in cold blood; Police guard, protect, and oﬀer comfort to armed white men and even those so emboldened to trespass and ransack federal property because of their political beliefs.

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

Escaping Trauma Let me state unequivocally, I did NOT watch the entire Chavin trial. I tried. But after listening to the trauma of the young girl whose videotape was the evidence that probably sealed the case of 9 minutes and a few seconds of watching a man murdered under the guise of “upholding the law” for a suspected $20 counterfeit bill, and after watching at least three people break down — all feeling guilty because they believe they failed George Floyd — was suﬃcient cause for me to retreat from a trial of trauma. I imagine this is what enslaved people experienced as they watched other slaves punished, brutalized, abused, lynched, and whipped during slavery. The feeling of utter helplessness and anxiety that if you push forward to intervene, it would be you on

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Even while it holds a vice-like dominance over much of the modern mind, the superstition of “race” remains one the most confused ideas in the whole history of ideas. “Race” is something every American seems to know without thinking about it. Few people can talk “race” with deﬁnite clarity. The exception to this general rule would be those practitioners who are consciously committed to “white supremacy” or, “master race” Aryan values. Their belief about “race” is central to their identity. To them, the meaning of “race” claims some sort of purity; a pure undiluted genetic stock. This belief is so profound that at both the conscious, as well as the unconscious level, it functions as a religion. Conventional wisdom claims that religion deals with God, or the supreme power - the being to which human beings owe their highest loyalty everywhere. “Race” and “race thinking” supersedes God in the everyday world of the racist. In eﬀect, the belief in the idea of “race” and

the practice of racism is a secular religion, far more powerful in exercising control of behavior than the religion of Christianity regardless of denomination. Case in point: after the Civil Rights Movement’s successful dismantling of formal school segregation, there emerged a lively movement to establish “Christian schools” throughout the South. Coincidentally, these “Christian schools” were all “white”. No African people were allowed in such Christian schools. By the late 1960s in the state of Mississippi, more than half of the “white” students left the public schools for “private Christian schools”. Which claims the brotherhood of man - Christian religion or “race”? “Race” indoctrination, in fact, absorbs and perverts the biblical stories and arranges them to support the “white superiority” and “Black inferiority” paradigm. There were at least 44 rationales drawn from the Holy Bible to justify the institution of “Negro Slavery”. “The Curse of Ham” is the best known of the long litany of curses “imposed” on African people by God. “The Curse of Ham” says that people with very dark skin should “forever be the servant of man” (meaning “white” man). According to racist interpretation of the Bible, certain characters who violated the laws of God were to be

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MnDot seeks authentic, intentional engagement with African and African American residents along the Hwy 252/I94 Corridor Part 1 of a series A virtual Town Hall meeting 1pm Tuesday, April 6 explored issues and opportunities created by the search for improvements in

Richard Howell, the Diocesan Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World and Pastor of Shiloh Temple Church in North Minneapolis, Reverend Cyreta Oduniyi,

Stairstep Foundation CEO Alfred Babington-Johnson

MnDOT risk area manager April Crockett

the Highway 252/I94 Corridor segments in North Minneapolis, Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park. Stairstep Foundation CEO Alfred BabingtonJohnson joined Conversations moderator, Al McFarlane as co-host, to introduce an initiative to support Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) eﬀorts to broaden engagement around the project for African American and African immigrant residents who may be impacted by improvement considerations. Forum participants included: Reverend Dr. Francis Tabla, senior pastor Ebenezer Community Church in Brooklyn Center, Bishop

a pastoral leader at Liberty Church in North Minneapolis and Superintendent McKinley Moore, pastor of Jehovah Jireh Church of God in Christ in Brooklyn Park. The Town Hall meeting was the ﬁrst of three planned Town Halls in the eﬀort engage leaders of African and African American church organization congregations and neighbors, and marketing outreach through McFarlane Media, producer of Conversations with Al McFarlane and owner of Insight News. “Often when we hear corporate CEOs and political

Legislation headed to House Floor ‘takes down the temperature’ in traffic stops, sponsor says By Tim Walker Deadly interactions with police after traffic stops, such as the one that led to the death of Daunte Wright earlier this month, have some lawmakers wondering how to make them safer. Rep. Jamie Long (DFL-Mpls) sponsors HF2539 that, as amended, would provide an alternative to warrants requiring police officers take a person into custody if they have ignored a summons to appear in court. The bill would establish a “sign and release warrant” whereby a police officer, when discovering a person has missed a court date, would ask the person to sign a citation describing the need to appear in court, and then let the person go. It would not authorize the person’s arrest nor would it require them to post bail or comply with any other conditions of release. “This takes down the temperature in the interaction with police as there is no need to take them into custody,” Long said.

By a 14-4 vote, the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Committee approved the bill Tuesday and sent it to the full House. There is no Senate companion. Long said several jurisdictions in the state have taken this approach and have good rates of appearances at future court dates. Adding to the tragedy of Wright’s death is that he didn’t know he had missed a court date, due to a summons being delivered to an incorrect address, Long said. The bill would require courts to issue sign and release warrants instead of custody warrants for certain misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor oﬀenses with the exception of: driving while impaired;

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Rep. Jamie Long

violation of a domestic abuse order for protection;

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fourth- or ﬁfth-degree assault;

malicious punishment of a child;

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domestic assault;

neglect or endangerment of a child;

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ﬁfth-degree

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violation of a harassment

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restraining order;

sexual conduct;

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Education committee considers bill to increase school integration

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harassment or stalking;

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interference with emergency call;

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nonconsensual

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I2H

Tips from a doctor who survived COVID-19

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Page 4 • May 3, 2021 - May 9, 2021 • Insight News

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Bill gives $7.8 million for civil unrest response

The Minnesota House of representatives passed legislation Tuesday that would make $7.8 million in funding available to support law enforcement agencies responding to potential civil unrest. Passed 10725 a couple hours after the Senate amended the bill and passed it 52-15, Gov. Tim Walz signed HF729 into law Tuesday night. Requested by Walz, the bill would appropriate $1.5 million in ﬁscal year 2021 “for costs directly attributable to requesting additional public safety assistance for civil unrest through the Interstate Emergency Management Assistance Compact.” An additional $6.3 million would be appropriated

House Photography file photo

in ﬁscal year 2021 from the General Fund to pay for state trooper and DNR conservation oﬃcer expenses related to civil unrest, including costs arising from restoring or maintaining civil order. Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL-St. Paul), chair of the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Committee, and sponsor of the bill, urged passage even though it does not have language tying the funding to assurances that police would honor the First Amendment right of protesters, something he has strongly advocated for. “I believe that Minnesotans accept that we have to have change in policing,” he said. “And I also believe that Minnesotans want

policing to continue, to be present and to be effective, and to be focused on human rights.” Twenty-five DFL members voted against the bill, 23 of whom are from the Twin Cities area. Some of those members have previously said they oppose more law enforcement funding that does not also include police reform and accountability measures. Republican support was unanimous. “I am glad that today we are reaffirming our commitment to the men and women of law enforcement,” said Rep. Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring). “That we can come together and make sure they have the resources needed to respond now and in the future.”

The murder of George Floyd shook the world! By James Trice, CEO Public Policy Project Environmental Justice Coordinating Council The emotions of Black people in particular, and people all over the world were heightened as the horrific video of the heinous and appalling murder of George Floyd was played again during the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Public Policy Project and Environmental Justice Coordinating Council (PPP-EJCC) is providing an opportunity for Black people who want to freely talk about how they feel about the murder of George Floyd and share their thoughts about the trial of his killer as a way to cope with the trauma. The trial has resurfaced the unhealed and deep-rooted trauma Black people experienced when we all first saw the video of a white police officer who “took the soul” out of George Floyd while he cried out for his “mama”. The trauma Black people have suffered and still suffer at the hands of the police is older than America and continues unabated. A simple

Chauvin From 3 the ground begging to breath and dead. That is NOT a choice. I especially felt sorry for

traffic stop results in the death of a Black man, woman or child too often. We counted 1944 Black lives lost at the hands of police between 2013 and 2019. That’s incredible, astounding, completely unacceptable, and yet all too real. Watching a man die right in front of you and feeling powerless to do anything about it is devastating, mortifying and paralyzing. While one police officer murdered one of us, four other officers protected that officer from intervention by the community. The trial was very difficult to watch. Most Black people were not optimistic that the former police officer will be found guilty regardless of how strong the prosecution delivers its case. History has proven us so. Now that the Chauvin was found guilty of all charges, many don’t believe the former officer, now convicted murderer won’t be punished in any significant way. In addition, the three former police officers who added and abetted Chauvin will stand trial for murder. With all of these deep-seated emotions Black people need to support each other like never before. The guilty verdict is “A” victory, not “THE” victory we so desperately need. Change

has not come as a result of this one guilty verdict. Black people continue to live with the unending trauma of the violence enacted against us by the police every single day. Malcolm X once said: “If you stick a knife in my back 9 inches and pull it out 6 inches, that’s not progress. If you pull it all the way out, that’s not progress. The progress comes from healing the wound that the blow made. They haven’t begun to pull the knife out…. they won’t even admit the knife is there.” We created a community listening and healing circle called (NDABA, a Zulu word for intense dialogue) -as a Safe-Space for Black people to talk about how they feel about the murder of George Floyd and police brutality. This is a space for detoxiﬁcation and emotional release. A space for community to process feelings and experiences in a safe, supportive space. Our blackness is under scrutiny by a system that has pre-appraised the value of black life at zero. The space is available via zoom every Monday from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Each week we are joined by a retired police oﬃcer, a therapist, an attorney, a community elder, and Black

the Black clerk who identified the counterfeit, and later offered to pay. Yet his white boss wanted the heavy hand of the law. He refused the offer. This is how implicit bias operates. He wanted maximum harm for a petty

crime because his own implicit bias — possibly all Blacks are criminals and regardless of the scope of the crime should be punished — kicked in. He knew. He knew white policemen would inﬂict maximum harm on that Black body — and that’s what he wanted. May the ancestors of every Black person wrongfully persecuted, killed, and harmed by policemen haunt his dreams forever. And in the short term may customers boycott his store.

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

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 Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley

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It Doesn’t Matter Even during the Chavin trial, police in Minneapolis (and across the country) went on a revenge rampage to prove that whiteness is still in control. There were reports of 15 deaths nationwide by police of Black people. (https://www. nytimes.com/2021/04/17/us/ police-shootings-killings.html) So, even before Chavin’s conviction, there were signs of the time. What time? Our time. Now. This is a time period that will go down in history as what I call the “reclamation of whiteness” and white people are determined to do anything and everything to regain their foothold at the top of America’s racial hierarchy. They also count on the majority white police force to support them. Chavin has been declared guilty, but other policemen have already taken his place. As I write this on my phone, headlines keep popping up: Young Black girl who called 911 to stop a ﬁght killed by police ( https://www.washingtonpost. com/nation/2021/04/20/ columbus-police-shooting-16-

Legislation From 3 dissemination of private sexual images; or

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violation of a domestic abuse no contact order. “This bill could have prevented Daunte Wright’s

youth. These individuals will be present to give perspective, answer any questions, and to oﬀer opportunities for people seeking counseling or other support. This is a space where we will listen without judgment, love without condemnation and question with purpose. We intend to live in truth, love and reality, not lies, hate, or conjecture. The healing of our community requires the experience of engagement itself to be healing.

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Face2FaceAfrica.com

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

What does healing require? We believe that it is critical to offer a space where people can hear directly from people who work in law enforcement about how the system is supposed to work. We believe people need to be in space in the presence of highly gifted mental health professionals who are part of our community. All we want is the right to be human. All we want is the right to be protected by law. All we want to do is be free and live in a world where anti-Black violence is not core to the operation of the systems, we are forced to contend with in a white supremacist society. We know that is asking for what is right and cannot tolerate being treated as though this year-old/ ); two young Black boys arrested by police for riding their bikes without headlights only four minutes from their home — surrounded by six police cars and handcuffed — ; and just now, a Black boy arrested for picking a tulip? And yesterday, the little Black girl whose white teacher cut her hair because it was too wild. WTF is wrong with this country, with white people, with a white majority police force, and with those “good white people” who say “blacklivesmatter,” but continue to vote in Republicans determined to try and re-enslave Black people, determined to reinstate white history as rule of law, determined to exterminate Black people as we live and breathe? A Living Hell This country is not going to hell in a handbasket — it is hell. Our days have limits as states like Iowa pass legislation to ban teaching about the 1619 project and slavery. Enslavement of Black people is a historical fact. You can remove it from school books and let white kids grow up more stupid and racially tone deaf than their parents, but BIPOC kids will know the Truth. White political representatives can pass all the bills they want to preserve whiteness as the rule of law. It won’t stop us. The days of Bull Connors, the KKK, the Proud Boys, the Capital Insurgents, the idiot president Donald Trump are over. We will not go back! We will not be re-enslaved. We will not allow a white racial hierarchy death,” said Rep. Samantha Vang (DFL-Brooklyn Center). “This bill is common sense. It minimizes unnecessary work for police officers to expend time and resources on citizens who aren’t a public safety threat.” Rep. Paul Novotny (R-Elk River), who retired last year after 33 years in law enforcement, supports

Seitu

simple demand is impossible to concede. What does justice require? The American criminal justice system and its history as a weapon of white supremacy goes back to slavery. The ﬁrst police were slave patrols. Police resources are over-concentrated in Black communities, making today’s police force a close approximation of slave patrols. They are there to keep us in place – in zones of economic and political marginalization – and to contain unrest so it is not harmful to white supremacy. We must heal in our communities to to rule over us ever again. We will fight. Some of us will die. We will protest. Some of us will die. We will write Truth. Some of us will die. But we will persist. We are a resilient people whose ancestors survived 300 years of slavery and 150 years of structural racism. We will seek allies, but our hope, our determination, our activism, our resilience is not dependent upon any other group. We cannot depend upon liberal or conservative whites to do the right thing. We do not have luxury of engaging in “magical white thinking.” For you it is the security blanket like the Peanut’s character Linus. It may work for you — deﬁnitely doesn’t work for us. And those who claim to be our allies, ask yourselves what part of your white power and privilege are you prepared to relinquish and give up to help establish full freedom and a just system for ALL of is? Are you prepared to JustAct? And if you have to think about it, just keep moving. We don’t need your support. Canary in the Mine To Indigenous, Asian, Brown peoples, know that our struggles are inextricably linked. We, Black people, are the proverbial canary in the mine. Whatever happens to us will absolutely happen to you. Asians now are experiencing the full impact of white supremacy. Muslims are experiencing the full impact of white supremacy. Those Latinx who have not

the proposed legislation for the very reason Vang cited: it would permit police oﬃcers to focus on more important work. “A warrant that isn’t issued is a trip [a police oﬃcer] doesn’t have to make to jail. It’s a report they don’t have to do, and it leaves them available to respond to emergency situations,” he said. A second reason

change our conversation with the systems that impact our lives. We need those systems to change their conversation with us, in full commitment to a future without slavery or oppressed communities of any form, anywhere. We believe we are in a transformative moment, that needs transformative commitments so it may be used to transform society from norms of racial injustice to norms of deep racial justice. For more information: James_ publicpolicyproject@msn.com www.PPP-EJCC.com 612.702.9769 chosen to pass for white or can’t are experiencing the full impact of white supremacy. It is possible, if we join forces, we can forge a powerful wall of resistance to white supremacy, but you all must check and discard your own implicit bias and anti-Blackness. The Unbearable weight of being Black in the world is upon us. And we must still rise — like we always have. Chavin guilty? Yes.| It doesn’t matter. ‘Nuﬀ Said. © 2021 Irma McClaurin; All Rights Reserved This column was originally appeared in Medium (https://irmamcclaurin.medium. com/justthink-derek-chauvinfound-guilty-does-it-matterc2f1c9802644 ), April 23, 2021 Irma McClaurin, PhD/ MFA (http://irmamcclaurin. com/) is the Culture and Education Editor for Insight News and was named “Best in the Nation Columnist” by the Black Press of America in 2015. She is also an award-winning poet, activist anthropologist, and has held the previous 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 release in February a collection of her columns: JUSTSPEAK: Reflections on Race, Culture, and Politics in America. Contact: http://info@ irmamcclaurin.com / https:// twitter.com/mcclaurintweets. Novotny said he supports the bill is that “it’s the right thing to do.” Rep. Brian Johnson (R-Cambridge), also a law enforcement veteran, opposes the bill for several reasons, including that it would change courtroom rules and should therefore go to the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee for further testimony and debate.

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Insight News • May 3, 2021 - May 9, 2021 • Page 5

Education committee considers bill to increase school integration 

By Rachel Kats In 2015, seven families with children in traditional urban, suburban and charter schools filed a lawsuit against a number of entities including the state, the governor, the House of Representatives and the Senate. Cruz-Guzman v. State of Minnesota contended that the state was failing to educate students of color and low-income students. Following a series of twists and turns, the Minnesota Supreme Court ordered mediation, which began in 2019 as a way for all parties to collaborate on a potential settlement. Collaborators considered many different aspects of students’ wellbeing, school experience and academic outcomes. HF2471, sponsored by Rep. Jim Davnie (DFLMpls), reflects an agreement between the plaintiffs and the Department of Education. It includes new proposals to increase integration in schools, build mechanisms for creating diverse charter schools, and would develop a new integration plan that includes charter schools. The House Education Finance Committee held an informational hearing on the bill Tuesday. The companion, SF2465, awaits action by the Senate Education Finance and Policy Committee. Senate Minority

Race From 3 punished perpetually. Ham, who laughed at the naked body of his father Noah; Cain who murdered his brother Abel; and Haggar, who boar a child for Abraham, the husband of Sarah, were all black-skinned people, and thus, sinners against God Almighty. This is called demonizing. This is what caused Whitaker Chambers, the intellectual, to deﬁne Black people as the “most God-obsessed and mandespised people on the face of the earth.” Brilliant though he was, Whitaker Chambers didn’t know the ﬁrst thing about all the people of the earth. Think about African people who are quite diverse and quite old. It is never quite explained by racist Christian preachers, who support this doctrine, what must have been the color of the other family members of Ham. If Ham was Black, then what color were his brothers Shem and Jepheth, not to mention his father Noah? Was Ham Black before or after “The Curse”? What color was

Keith Ellison

Rev. Charvez Russell

Leader Susan Kent (DFLWoodbury) is the sponsor. The goal of the mediation was to resolve the lawsuit, improve educational opportunities and shape the outcome of the litigation, according to Attorney General Keith Ellison. “I have always found that mediation, talking it out, can be fruitful and beneﬁcial.

And in this particular situation, I think that it has been,” he said. “After two years and thousands of collective hours of effort we have the opportunity to achieve significant positive results for children and avoid litigation.” According to Daron Korte, the Education Department’s assistant commissioner of student support services, the bill contains five

main elements. They would:

Abel, Cain’s brother, who was “the first murder victim” in the world? Maybe this family was an interracial family? These are just a few examples of racial absurdities imposed on the Bible retroactively. Historians call this “presentism”, wherein you define the past by the present without qualification. The idea of “race”, as we understand the concept, is a distinctively modern idea. The categories that we use, not to mention the context that we live in, were not a part of the ancient world. “Negroes” did not exist in the Bible. Ethiopians did. It should not be surprising that Puritans of New England, such as Cotton Mather, believed in such a doctrine, as do the present day Calvinists of the South African Dutch Reform Church and their belief in predestination. Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saints, or the Mormons as this faith is commonly known, subscribed to this doctrine when he got his tablet of laws, like Moses, from God in America in 1830 through his angel Moroni. The dispensation of the Mormons’ belief that blackskinned people were cursed has just been renounced within the past few years. Someone

has suggested that the ban on a limited African-American participation in the Mormon faith was lifted not so much because of a new dispensation from God, but the definite need for a few swift Black halfbacks; leaping wide receivers, and a rugged linebacker or two, to play on the Brigham Young University football team. The Mormons, too, have learned that “you can’t win without ‘em”. A curious note is that the Mormons did not apply the color bar to dark-skinned people everywhere. Among blackskinned people in the South Pacific this “colorism” was not intact. Only to Black people in America did the Mormons insist that Black skin was a “curse”. This fact suggests the special need to use “race” as a tool to disempower Black people within the body politic of the United States. Mormons or Later DaySaints is an expressly American religion. Joseph Smith found his faith in the midst of the firery furnace of a nation that long ago religiously bowed down to the muscular doctrine of white, over Black, supremacy. The key to understanding the function of racism in American life is that it

is fused into the national ethos. Religion, American nationalism, or patriotism - American values all mean the same thing - Europeans (or better still – “white” people) should rule. The purity of “race” gives a right to monopolize power, and indeed, the right to exploit others economically, politically, socially, and culturally with impunity. In some form “race” is at the heart of the power struggle in the Americas, South Africa, or wherever else this “race” factor can be used against non-Europeans. At bottom, power has little to do with who is the majority in a given society. Power is exercised by power majorities, who may be numerical minorities such as in the country of South Africa. This is how imperialism and colonialism have been exercised throughout the world - by numerical minorities who were power majorities. At bottom, the emergence of the idea of “race” in the modem world is inseparable from the uses of power - how it is harnessed, shared, or denied. The belief in “race” has no other signiﬁcant or useful value other than being the pivot around which power turns. Power is associated with

Multimodal planning director John Thompkins

Project Manager Jerome Adams

undertaking for the department. “We have challenges and we have opportunities. We have the opportunity to address operational issues as well as have a conversation with and within the communities. We’re exploring, making connections, building relationships and having conversations in a way that we haven’t been able to do,” she said. John Thompkins is multimodal planning director for MnDOT’s Metro District. He is responsible for implementing modal plans, like, for instance, a bike plan, pet plan, Americans with disability plan, or even a freight plan involving rail, water or trucking. “In implementing those plans,” Thompkins said, “we have to be mindful of quality of life, environmental stewardship and economic vitality, which articulate MnDOT’s vision for transportation. And with that we

have to be able to hear all voices, all voices of the community, not just one in particular, but all voices that matter.” “We have a challenge in reaching African and AfricanAmerican communities. We had to better articulate what we want to do in the historically underserved or sometimes uninformed communities. We wanted to do outreach and engagement that was intentional and authentic with the target communities,” Thompkins said. Project Manager Jerome Adams said the 252/ I94 Project starts at Fourth Street North in downtown Minneapolis and goes up to highway 610 in Brooklyn Park. “We are starting the process of looking at alternatives. The goal is to pick an alternative to construct by 2024. It’s going to be a three-year long process to look at alternatives. And then the goal is to begin construction



1/4 pg Guthrie bw

By LaurenofPoteat Courtesy University of Alejandra By Dr. Commentary By North Brandpoint Dr. Rhonda Nicole Rekha Kimya Memorial Winbush E.Oliveras N. Mankad by Moore (BPT) Sen. Staff Ian Roth NNPA Minnesota Washington News Staff Bobby Dennis, Incoming Joe Salem Board Champion College ChairAfrodescendientes Mayo Clinic Staff Correspondent By IanPhysician Roth NorthPoint www.TheConversation.com elect, WomenHeart Health & Mayo Clinic Staff Wellness Center

require the department to create a ﬁve-tier model for identifying student need, rather than solely relying on their freeor reduced-price meal status; create a broader and more culturally responsive,

teaching, learning, integration and inclusion program to replace the current achievement and integration program;



create a voluntary, metro-wide inter-district integration program;



create a diverse magnet school program; and

create an evidence-based strategies and family information system.

Preliminary estimates from the department indicate it could cost $125 million during the 2022-23 biennium and an additional $127 million during the 2024-25 biennium. While supportive of the bill, Charvez Russell, executive director of Friendship Academy of the Arts in Minneapolis, cautioned that some elements could limit parent choice. He, and other charter school executive directors who have been actively engaged in this process, said some components of the bill could be disruptive to the charter school sector. While no action was taken, Ellison encouraged lawmakers to continue work on the issue noting that, if mediation were to fail, the matter would return to the court for litigation. This could result in extensive discovery, as well as a lengthy and costly trial. “Were this to occur, the Legislature would lose the ability to control the outcome,” he said. “Were we to try the case and the court concludes the state system of education does not provide the opportunity for all school children to obtain an adequate education – something currently unidentiﬁed in Minnesota law – the state would cede ultimate control of the education system to the courts.”

skin color and all that it implies, the major indicator of “race” (i.e. “white” over Black). Many people in this world have come to accept such an image as a normal part of reality, something that is, as if by nature. This is despite the fact that we see power struggles all over the world - in Northern Ireland, Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, among so-called “white” people. From this we can see that “race” alone does not dictate solidarity among peoples, as we are taught here in the United States. Nothing more graphically illustrates the myth of “race” than the incessant acts of genocide among “white” people in Eastern Europe, or Germany during the Nazi reign. No “tribes” in Africa can match the bloodletting that we witness among “the white race” in Europe. Such inﬁghting in Africa would be called “Black on Black” violence, which is another sinister manipulation of the idea of “race”. Black people are stigmatized by “race”, meaning Blacks are “race” ridden, whites are not. Whites are the pristine “race”. In certain cases violence becomes more a color than an act. In Europe it’s Serbs opposing Croats, Czechs

opposing Slovaks, Georgians ﬁghting Russians and not “white on white violence”. Why? Fact: a people or ethnic group is not a “race”. In a situation where rulers can tie in conspicuous physical traits (such as color) to power sharing, they have done so - in the United States, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Latin America, India, and the Islands of the Sea, “race” is a most convenient political tool to divide and rule humanity. The belief in “race” may be an absurdity, but when connected to the desire and ability to exercise power, in Machiavellian terms, it is perfectly logical, however immoral, primitive, destructive, and mad. Perhaps the most overlooked reality of racist attitudes is how it so often causes otherwise intelligent people to behave rather stupidly. Mere casual observation of such behavior reveals how powerful the inﬂuence of the doctrine is. People who are enslaved to the values of racism may feel, say, or do anything that appears absurd and ridiculous when viewed in the light of human reason. Will continue to next week: “All ‘Negroes’ look alike,”

Jireh Church said the intersection of Hwy 252 and 85th Avenue in Brooklyn Park has concerned for the community for many years. “The safety of vehicle, bicycle` and pedestrian traﬃc through the intersection is a real and present danger. We’ve lost several young people at that intersection. Our own congregation lost one young man who was struck and killed by a vehicle at that intersection. So it is indeed a present danger and we would like to see important changes made at that intersection,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons why we’re here, Superintendent Moore,” Adam said. “Over the next three years, we want to look at solutions that can reduce if not eliminate these fatalities. Also the intersection at 66th Avenue was ranked second worst for crashes in all intersections across the state. 85th is ranked ninth. So, yes, it is a big problem. on the project.

Right now 252 has six signals and we’ll be looking at several options including do we get rid of the signals and replace them with grade separations, meaning putting a bridge over the local road or vice versa.”

MnDot From 4 office holders or leaders of civic or educational institutions speak, they cite strategic plans that guide their steps. When we lift the curtain and get a chance to see these plans, what we discovered is that they’re not simply minutes of a discussion was held in the previous week. Now, we see plans that represent the thinking of the best minds that are available in the timeframe of the planning is 10, 15, 20 years, or more,” said Babington. “The truth of our village is that we are not aware of, nor are we often included in the early discussions of important social or physical infrastructure changes that dramatically affect our lives. That is why this moment is so exciting to me. From the governor, to the commissioner of MnDOT, to our gathered friends here, this forum, there’s a determination that we will begin anew with intentional inclusion of folks that have traditionally been left out. The process begins with the information. The Bible says, ‘My people perish, for lack of knowledge.’ We’ve determined that none will perish for lack of information about 252/I-94,” Babington said. April Crockett, MnDOT risk area manager who leads the 252/I-94 project called the effort is a significant

Superintendent McKinley Moore in

2027,” Adams said. Providing background information on why modifications are being explored, Adams said, “Currently, we’re seeing a high number of crashes, traffic congestion, and significant barriers for pedestrians and bicyclists in this project area. Also both roads are deteriorating and need to be repaired.” Adams said Brooklyn Center, in 2016 and Hennepin County, in 2018 did studies to understand issues on the corridor. “And we’re doing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will outline potential projects’ benefits and impacts to the area surrounding highway 252/I94. Our team will continue engaging with the community and other stakeholders at each step in the EIS process,” he said. Superintendent McKinley Moore of Jehovah

Page 6 • May 3, 2021 - May 9, 2021 • Insight News

Insight 2 Health

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Tips from a doctor who survived COVID-19 (StatePoint) No matter how strictly you follow the rules, those with firsthand experience know that anyone can get COVID-19. “Given my role helping shape COVID-19 policies and procedures since the pandemic surfaced, I know the rules better than most: wear a mask, limit social gatherings, stay six feet apart and so on,” says Dr. Gina Conflitti, chief medical officer for Medicare products at Cigna, one of the nation’s largest health care insurers. “Like many others, I did my best to follow the safety guidance. Yet, in late November 2020, I contracted the virus and faced months of recovery.” While Dr. Conflitti hopes this doesn’t happen to others, she offers the following advice to those who do contract COVID-19: • COVID-19 impacts everyone differently. There are those who cruise through COVID-19 with no symptoms while others have mild symptoms. Some people literally fight for their lives. Don’t expect to have the same experience as others, and be sure to communicate with your doctor about the best treatment approach. • Don’t get caught in the blame game. Once you contract COVID-19, there’s a tendency to blame yourself. Or you might blame others for infecting you. Many never find out how they were exposed. While contact tracing is important, don’t waste time blaming yourself or others. Save your energy for recovery. • Don’t be afraid to ask for help. COVID-19 is humbling, and even active, independent people may suddenly need help

with normal daily activities, like getting groceries and medicines. People want to help, so don’t hesitate to ask so you can concentrate on recovering. • Take care of your mental health. COVID-19 is isolating and can cause depression and anxiety. Stay connected with friends and family safely via phone or video calls. Talk to a professional if things become too diﬃcult to manage on your own. You may have access to behavioral health support through your medical insurance or Medicare plan. • Listen to your body. There’s no good time to get sick. Nevertheless, it’s important to listen to your body before returning to work, school and daily activities. Don’t rush it. Prepare by eating healthy, getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of water, taking vitamins or supplements if your doctor recommends and reducing stress. • Pay it forward. Even with all the bad things COVID-19 brings, it’s also revealed some of the best aspects of humanity. Pay kindness forward by showing gratitude to clinicians, teachers, restaurant and grocery store workers and others who courageously give their best so our lives are better during this pandemic. • Get the vaccine. Take control of your health by getting vaccinated. Follow your local health department news, and get your COVID-19 vaccination as soon as medically approved. It’s available at no cost and critical to ensuring your safety and the safety of others.

For Cigna’s resources, visit coronavirus.

COVID-19 cigna.com/

“It’s been a difficult time for all of us, but I’m confident the most challenging days are behind us. Stay safe, follow safety procedures and get vaccinated. The only way we can move forward is if we do it together,” says Dr. Conflitti. About Cigna Cigna Corporation is a global health service company dedicated to improving the health, well-being and peace of mind of those we serve. Cigna delivers choice, predictability, affordability and access to quality care through integrated capabilities and connected, personalized solutions that advance whole person health. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Evernorth companies or their affiliates, Express Scripts companies or their affiliates, and Life Insurance Company of North America. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products including group life, accident and disability insurance. Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 185 million customer relationships around the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.

Dr. Gina Conflitti, chief medical officer for Medicare products at Cigna. cigna.com. All Cigna products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Cigna HealthCare of South Carolina, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of North Carolina, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Georgia, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of St. Louis, Inc., HealthSpring Life & Health

Insurance Company, Inc., HealthSpring of Florida, Inc., Bravo Health Mid-Atlantic, Inc., and Bravo Health Pennsylvania, Inc. The Cigna name, logos, and other Cigna marks are owned by Cigna Intellectual Property, Inc. Cigna complies with applicable Federal Civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Cigna cumple con las layes federales de derechos civiles aplicables y no discrimina por motivos de

raza, color, nacionalidad, edad, discapacidad o sexo. English: ATTENTION: If you speak English, language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Call 1-800668-3813 (TTY 711). Cigna is contracted with Medicare for PDP plans, HMO and PPO plans in select states, and with select State Medicaid programs. Enrollment in Cigna depends on contract renewal. © 2021 Cigna

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Insight News • May 3, 2021 - May 9, 2021 • Page 7

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A tenderhearted favorite

Steel Magnolias Now – Dec 15

by ROBERT HARLING directed by LISA ROTHE

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