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Vol. 49 No. 19• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Artwork by Ta-Coumba T. Aiken

AWAKENING

STORY ON PAGE

TA-COUMBA T. AIKEN MAY 13 – JUNE 25, 2022

DreamSong: 1237 4th Street NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

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May 9 9,, 2022 - May 15, 2022

Vol. 49 No. 19• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Speaking In Tongues, 2021 Acrylic on canvas 24 x 29 3/4 inches

Artwork by Ta-Coumba T. Aiken

Aiken named Guggenheim Fellow By Brenda Lyle-Gray Columnist The year is 1925. In the late Senator Simon Guggenheim’s first gift letter to the Board of Trustees of the newly established John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, he wrote, “the purpose is to give ‘blocks of time’ in which Fellows can work with as much creative freedom as possible.” The foundation

was established by Olga and Simon Guggenheim in memory of their departed 17-year-old promising young scholar son. Almost 100 years later, the Guggenheim story continues to be told and so many Guggenheim Fellows continue to touch so many other lives in an eﬀort towards making our world a better place, one contribution at a time. The memorial foundation’s gifts are awarded to talented and deserving mid-career

individuals who have a history of demonstrating great promise for future endeavors. “These individuals have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts. Our organization’s aim is to add to the educational, literary, artistic, and scientific power of this country and in pursuit of scholarship in any field of knowledge and creation of any art form under the freest possible conditions and

irrespective of race, color, and creed.” As a retired educator harboring pivotal concerns pertaining to the future of education, teacher training, and career development especially in the advanced field of technology, I thought about GMF’s mission. Wouldn’t it be ‘a good thing’ if their mission could be adopted as a similar mantra of a newly re-organized education system? Is this not what we want for our children, grandchildren, and the

next generations to come? A painting entitled “Forever Saint Paul’ is permanently located in the St. Paul Union Depot. The artist is Twin Cities’ Ta-Coumba Tyrone Aiken, child prodigy, artist extraordinaire, who has recently been appointed as a Guggenheim Fellow. Aiken is recognized in the Fine Arts category after competing in a rigorous process of nearly 2,500 applicants for 2022. “I create my art to

Rat Race Studios, Ken Friberg

Artist Ta-coumba Aiken designs the Lite Brite picture at the Union Depot in St. Paul. A Guinness World Record judge counted a total of more than 596,000 Lite Brite pegs, making St. Paul the home of a new world record.

TA-COUMBA 4

Governor Walz Appoints Maria Mitchell to Fill Second Judicial District Vacancy

President Joe Biden announced a $145 million plan to provide job skills training to federal inmates to help them gain work when they are released.

President Biden Announces Clemency and Pardons for 78 People, Details New Steps for Criminal Justice Reform By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia President Joe Biden announced he’s using his clemency powers for the first time, issuing commutations for 75 drug oﬀenders. Biden also issued three pardons, including to the first Black Secret Service agent to work on a presidential detail, who had long professed his innocence. “Helping those who served their time return to their families and become contributing members of their communities is one of the most eﬀective ways to reduce recidivism and decrease crime,” Biden stated.

The president added that those receiving clemency had “demonstrated their commitment to rehabilitation and are striving every day to give back and contribute to their communities.” The clemency recipients include Abraham Bolden, an 86-year-old former U.S. Secret Service agent and the first African American to serve on a presidential detail. In 1964, authorities charged Bolden with oﬀenses related to attempting to sell a copy of a Secret Service file. His first trial resulted in a hung jury. Following his conviction at a second trial, even though crucial witnesses against him admitted to lying

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Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan last week announced the appointment of Maria Mitchell as District Court Judge in Minnesota’s Second Judicial District. Ms. Mitchell will be replacing the Honorable Robert A. Awsumb and will be chambered in St. Paul in Ramsey County. “I am honored to appoint Maria Mitchell to the Second Judicial District,” said Governor Walz. “Ms. Mitchell is a dedicated public servant who has committed her career to helping others. Her experience working to address racial disparities in the juvenile criminal justice system as an assistant county attorney, combined with her background serving indigent clients as a longtime public defender, will make her a great addition to the Ramsey County bench.” “Ms. Mitchell has an impressive legal background and proven dedication to public service and social justice,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “She will be a leader on the bench and in her community for years to come.” Minnesota’s Second Judicial District encompasses Ramsey County. Mitchell is an assistant county attorney in Ramsey County, where she serves as the Director of the Youth Justice and Wellness

Education

19-Year-Old poised to become youngest African American to graduate law school in the country

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Maria Mitchell Division, which handles juvenile delinquency, truancy, and educational neglect matters. She previously served as an assistant public defender in Hennepin County in the Adult Criminal Division and as a law clerk to the Judge Tanya M. Bransford in the Fourth Judicial District. Mitchell’s community involvement includes serving on the board of Women’s Advocates, a domestic violence shelter and advocacy organization in St. Paul. She served as the Chair of the Saint Paul Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Commission, on the Vocal Essence Witness Board and previously served as a trustee for the Sheltering Arms Foundation and as President of the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers. Mitchell earned her B.A. from Fisk University and J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

PGA Tour and Wells Fargo Embrace Golf’s Color of Change at TPC Potomac By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia If there were ever a perfect marriage between a corporate sponsor and one of golf’s alphabet soup organizations, the Wells Fargo Championships at TPC Potomac Avenal Farm provided such a bond. Wells Fargo, the namesake for the tournament and one of the world’s most prolific financial institutions, has again become embroiled in controversy over accusations

of discriminatory residential mortgage policies and lending practices against its Black customers. Meanwhile, the PGA Tour has worked diligently to ensure that, after decades of anti-Black behavior, it’s slowly and relatively quietly becoming one of the more inclusive sports in America – if not globally. Both entities have forged a working relationship with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the trade association of America’s 230-plus

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Older Black Americans are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease

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Business

Minneapolis Sailing Center charts course for diversity, inclusion Columnist

By Brenda Lyle-Gray Ted Salzman, Executive Director for the Minneapolis Sailing Center (MSC), didn’t capture the true essence and freedom of the water and boats until 4th or 5th grade. But it was a good beginning into a healthy, rewarding, and multigenerational sport and career. Salzman says he can’t wait to introduce his four-yearold son to the water and later on tell him the funny story about his grandfather flipping over the side of his boat with his feet in the air, having missed a safety strap which is part of security. It’s one of those fond memories between father and son that keeps them laughing. Sailing became part of Salzmann’s development as he grew up.. He tried things that were not really in his comfort zone as a way of conquering his fears. Sailing is seen as a sport of exclusivity providing the privilege of escape with the benefits of the outdoors and the beauty and intensity of nature; a freedom that has been beyond the reach of many ordinary people, especially people of color. “I want to share the power of seeing the city while

Ta-Coumba From 3 heal the hearts and souls of people and their communities by evoking a positive spirit,” he said. In our children and their families, should not those of us who can and are willing ‘to do’ want to evoke a ‘positive spirit’? Congratulations, Gentleman of Distinction!! In 2013, Aiken created a 12 feet tall by 24 feet long Lite Brite mural to reflect St. Paul’s nature at the Union Depot as part of the kick-oﬀ of the

Photo courtesy of MSC

gazing from the side of the water,’ Salzman says. The past two years, despite or perhaps because of the Covid pandemic, and the illumination of the worsening racial divide unearthing horrific disparities in black and white, and a frightening political landscape, changes in mindsets and intentions have slowly moved into increased diversity and inclusion. Salzman describes how it feels when the wind takes you away toward endless horizons. He says the same opportunity must be accessible

and aﬀordable for everyone. On Tuesday, May 3rd, a virtual Open House was held at the Center, introducing parents and children, and other interested parties to the programs and scholarship sponsorships now being oﬀered. On Saturday, May 7th high schoolers convened in a 20-boat regatta at the center, which is located on Lake Bde Maka Ska, in South Minneapolis. Free sailing Sundays are available. The aim of the Center, one of the largest sailing schools in the U.S., is to foster an inclusive and sustainable

community, teaching sailing to those who choose to conquer their fear of water. MSC was established in 1989 as the Lake Calhoun Sailing School. The name was changed to Minneapolis Sailing Center in 2016 to better reflect the organization’s mission and values. The center currently has 475 members and oﬀers classes for all ages and skill levels. The Center oﬀers:  For first time sailors, Parent/Child Optimist class for kids 4-6 years old; 8 ft. Optimist Pram boat

 Family Ensign class taught on the 23 ft. Ensign Keel boat; can comfortably fit up to 5 family members  Optimist Camps children - ages 7 - 13, an 8 ft. sailboat  Boat sharing program and outreach events with community non-profits and corporate sponsors.  Low-cost field trips on safety Along with individual and group lessons, the center also oﬀers the Optimist Explorers class designed for first time sailors and focuses on building

Minnesota Idea Open Forever St. Paul Challenge. Guinness World Record Book named the Lite Brite mural the largest Lite Brite picture ever. “There are St Paul icons, like Sparky in there -people are still looking for that one. They can keep looking till they find it,” Aiken said. “The State Capitol, the First Bank, the Indian Mounds are in the mural. And people have been seeing things that I didn’t put in there, but that’s OK.” The mural is made of more than 596,000 Lite Brite pegs, and more than 600 volunteers helped put it together. It earned a Guinness

Book Record for the most Lite-Brite pegs ever used, approximately, 596,000, to create a painting. There are an additional 300 or more murals and public art sculptures with themes ranging from local history to the artist’s own style of rhythmic pattern and spirit writing displayed in private and public collections, including the McKnight Foundation, Walker Art Center, General Mills, and the Marcus Garvey House. In a deeply moving and inspiring Conversations with Al McFarlane interview, Aiken remembered his first art exhibit. A six-year-old wunderkind, Aiken mounted a three-day art exhibit in the basement of his childhood home. That weekend, Aiken sold over $600 of his work. I imagine that was quite an event! “Let’s begin with the house where Ta-Coumba T. Aiken grew up, and visit the stories of your ancestors who shaped your paths positioning you to be in this moment,” Al McFarlane said to Aiken, in the KFAI FM 90.3 interview. “My father, Ulysses, was a garbage man. My mother, Janet, was a house cleaner.

When I came to Minnesota, I had no problem teaching in rural communities. It was interesting growing up with a psychologist and a psychiatrist in the same house. My father watched what people threw away ascertaining if they were good people or not. My mother would listen to conversations going on in the houses where she cleaned. We lived on the corner of Florence and Greenwood in a two-story house with a wraparound porch. When we first moved in, we only had one bed and we all slept in front of the bed and a big picture window. A lot of interesting and challenging things came out of living in that house,” Aiken said. Traveling to Lagos, Nigeria for FESTAC’77 The Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, Nigeria, 1977, he learned the meaning of his name, Ta-Coumba, which had been revealed to him by his grandmother. The name foretold that he would be the first in his family to journey across the river and the ocean to return to the Motherland – Africa. In addition to the Guggenheim fellowship, Aiken is the recipient of numerous

other awards including the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, the Bush Visual Arts Fellowship, and the Knight Arts Challenge, St. Paul. “They have a collection in Stockholm, Sweden. called ‘Absolute Aiken’. That’s a lot,” the artist Aiken said. “But I also know that when you do something this big, it’s for a moment. If you linger, you become a target. That’s why my art moves and sometimes there are ‘no words’”, he said homage to a triptych of that name on display in Walker Art Center’s collection. “I wrote that I call my works ‘superlative realism’. The superlative is as far as I can go, as deep as I can get. The deepest thing I can get in realism is spirit. You can get scientific about all this if you choose, but I say there’s still something unexplainably explainable in each of my creations. That spirit makes all the other stuﬀ work,” he said. The formal Guggenheim Fellow event will be held June 7th in New York City. It will be interesting in that the honorees cannot have guests because of COVID restrictions on crowds. “I don’t know what will happen, but from the 6th to

the 13th, this once ‘poor country boy’ will enjoy the big time in the Big Apple, and at the gathering of the Whitney Biennial Fearless Artists Group. After those memories are shaped, I’ll step forward continuing doing the work my ancestors put me down here to do. And I will do that until the day I die and beyond. We must create institutions and have things my kids and your kids can inherit. They then can take these things and share with other people. I believe they’re working in that direction already.” Aikens upcoming exhibit, Awakening, opens Friday, May 13th at Dream Song, 1237 4th Street NE Minneapolis. The exhibit is based on the painting, “The Awakening”, a real life still life. “Real life moves,” Aiken explained. “You think we’re standing still, but we’re never standing. Things are moving. The woman’s head dress turns into faces and profiles. Just like when you twist fabric and you do the head dress, how do we know those aren’t ancestors being twisted to keep us protected, covering our heads to keep all the negative things outside.”

Bolden has received numerous honors and awards for his ongoing work to speak out against the racism he faced in the Secret Service in the 1960s and his courage in challenging injustice. Betty Jo Bogans also counted among those cleared by Biden. A jury convicted the 51-year-old in 1998 for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine in the Southern District of Texas. Authorities said she attempted to transport drugs for her boyfriend and his accomplice, neither of whom were detained or arrested. At the time of her conviction, the White House said Bogans was a single mother with no prior record

who accepted responsibility for her limited role in the oﬀense. “Because of the harsh penalties in place at the time she was convicted, Ms. Bogan received a sevenyear sentence,” the White House said in a statement. In the nearly two decades since her release from custody, Bogans has held consistent employment, even while undergoing treatment for cancer, and has focused on raising her son. Administration oﬃcials signaled that the president would no longer wait on Congress for needed criminal justice reform. Biden announced a $145 million plan to provide job skills training to federal inmates to help them gain work when they are released.

He added the implementation of new steps to support those re-entering society after incarceration. Those steps include a new collaboration between the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Labor to provide job training; new grants for workforce development programs; greater opportunities to serve in the federal government; expanded access to capital for people with convictions trying to start a small business; improved reentry services for veterans; and more support for health care, housing, and educational opportunities. “As I laid out in my comprehensive strategy to reduce gun crime, helping those who served their time return to their families and become contributing members of their communities is one of the most eﬀective ways to reduce recidivism and decrease crime,” Biden remarked. “While (this) announcement marks important progress, my Administration will continue to review clemency petitions and deliver reforms that advance equity and justice, provide second chances, and enhance the wellbeing and safety of all Americans.”

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

independence and confidence on the water; Optimist Cruisers sailing adventures and games in a non-race environment; and an Optimist Introduction to Racing Class aﬀording the opportunity to participate in the Twin Cities Youth Sailing Regatta series on area lakes. I recall the late 50s when my uncle and aunt built a home at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri, at a rare Blackowned resort property called Duncan’s Point. The quiet sunrise mornings sitting in the motorboat strapped in a lifevest and balancing a fishing pole were special, but there was always the fear of not being able to swim. I loved watching the Grace Kelly movies where the elegant settings always included the sailboat regattas in Monaco and those on the French Riviera. The houseboats in the docks of Sausalito, just outside San Francisco, always fascinated me. In my mind, that life was ‘theirs’ and we could never be included in that world. Water was always a known enemy to Black hair, and few swimming pools were open to minority ethnic groups. But according to the Minneapolis Sailing Center, change has come. For further information visit at 3010 East Bde Maka Ska Pkwy., Minneapolis, or call the Boathouse: (612) 822-8328 Oﬃce: (612) 470-SAIL (7245)

Intern Kelvin Kuria Contributing Writers Maya Beecham Nadvia Davis Fred Easter Abeni Hill Inell Rosario Latisha Townsend Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography V. Rivera Garcia Uchechukwu Iroegbu Rebecca Rabb Lou Michaels Artist Donald Walker Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis. 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis,

Biden From 3 at the prosecutor’s request, the court denied Bolden a new trial. He has maintained his innocence, arguing that he was targeted for prosecution in retaliation for exposing unprofessional and racist behavior within the U.S. Secret Service.

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Education 19-Year-Old poised to become youngest African American to graduate law school in the country By Noah A. McGee What were you doing at 19-years-old? Graduating high school? Freshman in college? Wondering what your summer job was going to be? That’s what most people at that age are doing. But for one 19-yearold, she is preparing to represent clients in court. Read more  & # 3 9 ; Y o u Got McDonald&#39;s Money?&#39; and Other Phrases We Remember From Childhood  &lt;i&gt;Black in the Day&lt;/i&gt;: Barrettes, Blue Magic and Other Ways We Laid Our Hair  Cheat Sheet: What is Critical Race Theory?  Toasted: Jerk Chicken Empanadas and Mango Chili Sauce Haley Taylor Schlitz is not only set to become the youngest law school graduate at

Southern Methodist University ever, but she is also going to become the youngest African American law school graduate in the history of the United States, according to a news release from the university. I mean, talk about an historic accomplishment. I won’t ever get tired of Black excellence, especially when it comes from a woman. Three years ago when she was 16-years-old, she was accepted into nine diﬀerent law schools. She opted for SMU’s Dedman School of Law. More from SMU’s news release: And Haley knows where she is going: After she graduates from SMU Dedman Law on May 13, she hopes to work on education policy issues for an elected oﬃcial or non-profit organization. Haley is also interested in increasing the opportunities for gifted and talented girls and students of color. “I really want to help

students realize their potential even if they can’t home-school,” Taylor Schlitz told the Dallas Morning News. “I want to help families open their eyes to the opportunities that they don’t even realize are there.” Some of her honors and activities at the university include serving as a mentor in the Young Scholar Program, an organization where young Black women mentor and develop leadership skills for young Black girls, according to the news release. Haley and her mother, Dr. Myiesha Taylor, published their book, The Homeschool Alternative, which shares their experiences with homeschooling and how Black families can blend a “homeschool mindset” into their children’s education. In June 2020, a 17-year-old Haley ran for and was elected to serve as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, becoming one of the youngest delegates that year, according to her website.

Photo: SMU Dedman School of Law

Haley Taylor Schlitz

As Supreme Court weighs overturning Roe v. Wade, Governor Walz and 16 other governors call for passage of Women’s Health Protection Act

Governors Call on Congress to Protect Access to Abortion there will never be an abortion ban in Minnesota under my watch. The right to an abortion will be respected in our state as long as I am in oﬃce,” said Governor Walz. “However, we must act at the state and federal level to protect access to safe, legal abortion permanently. I was proud to join governors to call on Congress to immediately put protections oﬀered by Roe v. Wade – protections Americans have relied on for almost half a century – into federal law. This is just the beginning, and I will keep fighting to ensure Minnesotans

Governor Tim Walz Following the leak of a draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade,

Golf From 3 Black-owned newspapers and media companies. Together, both entities are working to change negative optics for which both understand they are responsible for their reputations. At the championships outside of Washington, D.C., the game’s inclusivity proved discernable in key places if not yet on the course itself, where Howard University phenom Greg Odom Jr. stood out as the only Black player to participate in a field of 156. At the exclusive “Executive Club,” where corporate citizens enjoy birdseye views of the beautiful 16th hole and 17th tee, a fantastic mix of about 525 patrons yukked it up. They talked golf, dined on catered meals, swallowed Bud Light, Stella Artois, and CocaCola, and enjoyed a full bar. Interestingly, the large and exclusive tent highlighted how the color of golf is changing. “I don’t think the game, or at least the PGA Tour and some of its sponsors, see Black and white anymore,” Daniel, a D.C. lawyer, said as Stewart Cink botched a birdie put on 16 just as another downpour emptied the seating area just oﬀ the tent. Daniel didn’t want his last name used because a rival law firm had provided him the expensive tickets to the Executive Club. “I’ve loved this game forever but could never understand, even as a wealthy white guy, why there wasn’t this eﬀort or idea that having Black people, all people, included would only make it more attractive,” Daniel remarked. Even as Odom – who had little time to soak in leading Howard University to the PGA Works Collegiate Championships a day earlier – failed to make the cut, there

Governor Tim Walz last week joined 16 governors to call on the United States Senate

to make legal protections in Roe v. Wade into law. “Let me be clear:

were many opportunities to realize the newly found inclusivity that golf offers. Near the Wells Fargo Welcoming Center at Avenal Farms, African American bank representatives greeted patrons. They helped the thousands of fans in attendance find their way to and from parking lots, hospitality areas, the course itself, and shuttle buses. Ticket takers, traffic enforcers, and executives worked while several took time to talk golf. When Montgomery County, Maryland native Denny McCarthy strolled from the driving range, a small group of fans braving the early morning elements yelled encouragement. That small group included Darryl McKinley, an African American who works for a bank not named Wells Fargo. “First, I’m just glad the championships are here because I live about 30 minutes from here,” McKinley asserted. “But to see McKinley representing Maryland and Odom repping Howard University and all HBCUs is exciting on different levels.” McKinley explained that the presence of McCarthy, who is white, and Odom, a Black man, had encouraged many like him. “Denny is from here, so it lets you know that this area can produce champions,” McKinley explained further. “Then you have Greg, a Black man, a Howard University dude doing his thing and shining a spotlight on us in this game. What else do you need to see to be convinced that the doors are now wide open for everyone in this game.” Though Odom missed the cut, it wasn’t just the amateur who had problems with the weather. Veteran Sergio Garcia fought both the elements and officials after hitting a tee shot that went astray from the rolling terrain at Avenal Farm. Garcia became frustrated with an official after being assessed a penalty for taking too much time

while looking for his ball that went into a hazard. Players are allowed three minutes to locate the ball once they arrive in the general area where they hit it. “You want me to swim through the river?” Garcia barked at the official. “I wasn’t looking for the ball there. I was looking for the ball once I got onto this side. Does that make sense?” The moment also provided a glimpse of the change in golf for some. “They never used to argue,” Alexis Battersby, attending the event with a group of other women, stated. “But, this is fun because the game seems more real to us,” she said. Battersby, who said she would attend the entire weekend, joined a group of 12 Black women at the championships. Meanwhile, back inside the Executive Club, Daniel, the lawyer, offered a course for Wells Fargo and the PGA Tour. When told Wells Fargo provided the Black Press with unlimited access to the event, he shook his head in approval. “That’s a start,” he asserted. “They have to do many things to improve access for their African American customers and engage Black people the right way by doing more with you guys (the Black Press).” He said the PGA Tour’s efforts are more pronounced. “You got Odom playing here, and I’m certain they would like to see more people of color on the course,” Daniel stated. “But, I’m also aware that in the corporate offices and other places within the PGA Tour, there are African Americans – men and women and who knows, LGBTQ individuals, who are working important jobs. “But, if I’m you (the Black Press), I keep pressing. I’m never satisfied, and neither should African Americans until there’s concrete proof that the efforts have been sustained and the word ‘diversity’ isn’t needed in our vocabulary anymore.”

continue to have full access to reproductive health care.” On Sept. 24, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Women’s Health Protection Act (H.R. 3755 and S. 1975). The U.S. Senate has announced they will hold a vote on legislation to codify the right to an abortion in law. Governor Walz and 17 other governors signed a letter calling for members of the Senate from both parties to pass this measure and for Congress to immediately take other steps needed to codify the protections in Roe v. Wade.

To Protect Yourself and Others from Covid-19 If you feel sick...

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Insight 2 Health

Courtesy Alzheimer’s Association istockphoto

Dr. Carl V. Hill, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Alzheimer’s Association.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association

Older Black Americans are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease The African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME Church) and the Alzheimer’s Association recently announced it is renewing their nationwide partnership, aimed at educating and engaging more than 2 million U.S.-based AME Church members in the fight against Alzheimer’s, for five more years. Since the partnership began in 2019, more than 1,600 AME Church members have attended dementia education programs. In addition, more than 5,000 AME Church members have participated in Connectional Purple Sunday events, which provide AME members with disease-related

information and care and support resources available through the Alzheimer’s Association. “Diversity, equity and inclusion are fundamental to the pursuit of our mission,” said Dr. Carl V. Hill, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Oﬃcer, Alzheimer’s Association. “Our work with the AME Church and other organizations that represent and advocate for underserved communities enables us to expand our outreach, providing more people with resources and support to address the Alzheimer’s and other dementia crises.” According to the Alzheimer’s Association,

older Black Americans are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than White Americans. Black Americans are also less likely to receive a timely diagnosis, with many receiving a diagnosis much later in the disease, when their medical needs are greater. “It is our desire to create forums that educate while shining a light on the abundance of AME professionals who are trained and qualified to lead, guide and direct us on a wide variety of (holistic) health topics,” said Dr. Miriam Burnett, Medical Director, AME Church International Health Commission. “We are grateful

that we are positioned and excel in providing health education and promotion activities as well as potential services. As a result of this collaboration there would be expanded community outreach eﬀorts; expanded awareness of support services for families aﬀected by Alzheimer’s; expanded opportunities to promote and influence dementia related public policy; expanded awareness to increase knowledge of Alzheimer’s risks and symptoms; and expanded support for Alzheimer’s programming and research.” About the Association®

About the Methodist Episcopal The Methodist Episcopal

African Church African (AME)

Church is the oldest and one of the largest historically AfricanAmerican denominations in the country. The church has more than 2.5 million members across five continents in 39 countries located in 20 Episcopal districts. More than 2 million members reside in the US across 13 Episcopal districts. It remains one of the largest Methodist denominations in the world. The AME church has consistently advocated for the civil and human rights aﬀecting individuals of African descent through social improvement, religious autonomy, and political engagement. Visit www.amechealth.org/alz.

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HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AFFECTS YOUR WHOLE BODY

IS YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE HIGHER THAN 120/80?

Alzheimer’s

The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia – by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia. Visit alz.org or call (800) 272-3900.

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insightnews.com

Insight News • May 9, 2022 - May 15, 2022 • Page 7

Aesthetically It

Blend In or Fade Out Sharing Our Stories

By: W.D. Foster-Graham Blend In or Fade Out by Colnese M. Hendon Who am I? Where do I come from? Why do I look so diﬀerent from Mom and Dad? Those are questions that arise when a person has been adopted, with some more than others. Such was the case in a journey for identity, powerfully illustrated in Colnese Hendon’s memoir, Blend In or Fade Out. Raised in South Minneapolis by Black middleclass parents, Hendon and her brother Ira were told early on by her adoptive parents that they were chosen. It left her with the overriding question, “Why did my birthmother give me up?”, a question that would follow her into her adult life. As a child, she made a call to the agency, only to come up against a brick wall when it came to her adoption records. As a man of a certain age, reading her memoir was a trip down Memory Lane to the Minneapolis of the 1960s through the early 1980s. I remember so many of the establishments around during that time, and as a child I remember Trash Can Annie. Yes, KUXL, our only R&B station, went oﬀ the air at sunset, and I-94 wasn’t yet completed through the North Side. Hendon recalls the colorism in the community, the

Colnese M. Hendon Northside/Southside rivalry, and the cultural divide when she attended Breck School in junior high school. At 16, she experienced the agony of a stillborn daughter, and the anger that stemmed from an intolerance to rejection. Indeed, her early life went oﬀ the rails with toxic relationships with men, drugs, alcohol, and selfworth issues. With the pimp culture proliferating during that time, she refused to become a prostitute and wind up on the Minnesota Strip. In her 20s, she learned that she was biracial, and ultimately learned valuable lessons about family, finding God, and finding herself. Hendon works as a development director at Isuroon, and volunteers as a guardian ad litem for Hennepin County’s

Fourth Judicial District, advocating in court for children in the child welfare system. She enjoys writing memoir, short stories, and poetry. Her poetry and short stories can be found in Ishmael Reed’s Konch Magazine and the Minnesota Literacy Council’s Black Literacy Matters Anthology. Blend In or Fade Out can be purchased through Amazon, Strive Publishing, and the Minnesota Black Authors Expo website. Once I picked this book up, I couldn’t put it down. Thank you, Colnese, for your testimony that no situation is impossible, and no one can tell your story like you can. I have no doubt that your story has touched and will continue to touch many lives.

BRIAN MCKNIGHT 4 R&B/Soul Superstar

EMMALINE Romantic Retro Vocals

MAY 12–13

MAY 14

SOPHIA SHORAI Sublime & Swinging Jazz Vocals

WAIPUNA Mesmerizing Hawaiian Sounds

MAY 15

MAY 16

TRACE BUNDY Acoustic Guitar Ninja

VIEUX FARKA TOURE Malian Desert Blues Prince

MAY 17

MAY 18

JOEY DEFRANCESCO Hard Bop B-3 Swagger

SHABBY ROAD ORCHESTRA Performs The Beatles’ “Let it Be”

MAY 19

MAY 20

CURTIS STIGERS Consummate Pop Showman

MAYYADDA Emotive Soul Vibes

MAY 21

MAY 22

LISA FISCHER & GRAND BATON Badass & Beautiful

MATT ANDERSEN w/ special guest Terra Lightfoot Powerhouse Soul Vocals

MAY 24–25

MAY 26

612.332.5299 dakotacooks.com

1010 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN

LORRAINE HANSBERRY directed by AUSTENE VAN

Now – June 5 612.377.2224 / guthrietheater.org