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Insight News
November 29, 2021 - December 5, 2021
Vol. 48 No. 48• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
4RM+ULA
Photo by Terry Faust, longfellownokomismessenger.com
James Garrett, Jr.
Taylor Smrikárova
The 2800 E. Lake Street property will be redeveloped for housing, commercial and outdoor retail use and arts and cultural spaces
U.S. Bank to donate Minneapolis Lake St. branch property to Seward Redesign for redevelopment U.S. Bank last week announced that it intends to donate its branch property located at 2800 E. Lake Street to nonprofit community development corporation Seward Redesign. Seward Redesign will partner with 4RM+ULA, an architectural design firm, to redevelop the property into up to four sub-divided parcels to include affordable housing, commercial and outdoor retail spaces, nonprofit services and arts and cultural destinations. The partnership with 4RM+ULA represents an innovative model that will focus on design and aesthetics, community input and activation and will be inclusive of multiple people of color partners. “In response to the civil unrest that followed the death of George Floyd, our communities invested significant effort to first stabilize, and now rebuild Lake Street in a more equitable fashion,” said Taylor Smrikárova, project leader from Seward Redesign. “Our team is intently committed to ensuring that the U.S. Bank property is lifted up as a demonstration site for wealth creation for communities of color. When this shared vision
is achieved, the result will be that each parcel will be owned by BIPOC-led businesses or community organizations.” Seward Redesign recently celebrated its 50year anniversary and is the only community development corporation with an exclusive focus in the Seward and greater Longfellow neighborhoods of South Minneapolis. 4RM+ULA is a nationally renowned, award winning firm with an extensive portfolio in the Twin Cities. “We are both humbled and honored to be awarded the opportunity to help facilitate this innovative process,” said James Garrett, Jr., partner at 4RM+ULA. “Our goal is to create a new model for equitable development and demonstrate new ways in which architects can engage and partner with community.” Foundational to the winning proposal submitted by Seward Redesign and 4RM+ULA were strategic partnerships with both Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES) and National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS). Both CLUES and NABS have been invited to
own and co-develop specific site parcels. Preliminary project concepts include: • An intensive community engagement and activation process to ensure broad and diverse participation. • Creative interim uses and site activation strategies including pop-up retail facilities, public art installations, and community events/gathering spaces. • CLUES ownership to ensure long-term service to Latino communities in South Minneapolis inclusive of affordable housing, client services and arts & technology center • NABS ownership inclusive of a national center for truth and healing, affordable housing and retail locations. • A development owned and operated by 4RM+ULA inclusive of affordable housing and commercial/retail spaces. • The opportunity for an additional people of color developer/owner to codevelop a remaining land parcel. “After listening and learning alongside community partners through an extensive RFP process, we are excited to
announce our plan to donate this property to Seward Redesign,” said Reba Dominski, chief social responsibility officer for U.S. Bank. “We were looking for a community-focused developer who was aligned with our commitment to racial equity throughout the entire property donation process – in the interim and after the redevelopment of the location. Seward Redesign knows and understands the Seward and Longfellow neighborhoods deeply and will bring strong relationships, credibility to navigate community engagement and technical capacity to the project.” The development will be consistent with community input and will include a combination of affordable housing, commercial and retail locations and outdoor community spaces. Seward Redesign and 4RM+ULA are exploring a range of interim uses for the property to engage the neighborhood through arts and culture, while also creatively soliciting community feedback regarding permanent uses for the site. A community engagement process will begin in the next couple of months. Less than a mile
from the Lake Street site, Seward Redesign is nearing completion of the construction of the Seward Commons masterplan, a transit-oriented, mixed-use, mixed-income, multi-phase redevelopment. The future masterplan for the redevelopment of the Lake Street property will be part of a larger vision for equitable development within the Seward/ Longfellow neighborhoods. The Lake Street property was damaged during the civil unrest in May 2020. Shortly thereafter, U.S. Bank set-up a mobile banking unit in the parking lot that will continue to provide banking services to the community on-site until it completes its redevelopment of a former commercial building at 3600 E. Lake Street in 2022. U.S. Bank is also building a new branch location at 919 E. Lake Street set to open in 2022. To learn more about Seward Redesign, visit redesigninc.org. To learn more about 4RM+ULA, visit www.4rmula.com About Seward Redesign Seward Redesign is a nonprofit community development corporation
established in 1969. We are dedicated to improving the Seward and Greater Longfellow neighborhoods of South Minneapolis. The organization provides comprehensive community development services inclusive of housing and commercial real estate development, infrastructure advocacy and small business development. About 4RM+ULA 4RM+ULA designs for the ever-evolving 21st century city. We believe in celebrating existing structures and improving engagement and communication between clients and community. We integrate emerging technologies and construction practices, continually seeking innovative, artful ways to improve the quality of life for our community. We bring award-winning design and development through mutually beneficial partnerships that positively impact the community through creative, high-quality, environmentally conscious design and engagement.
SUV tragedy in Wisconsin shows how vehicles can be used as a weapon of mass killing – intentionally or not By Mia Bloom Evidence Based Cyber Security Program, Georgia State University (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
Vice President Kamala Harris salutes U.S. Marines as she disembarks Marine Two at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Friday, June 25, 2021, to begin her trip to El Paso, Texas.
Kamala Harris becomes first woman Commander-in-Chief in U.S. history as Biden undergoes colonoscopy By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia Call her Madam President. Vice President Kamala Harris was sworn in on Friday to occupy the role of commanderin-chief while President Joe Biden underwent a colonoscopy. Because the procedure requires anesthesia, the temporary transfer of powers was deemed necessary. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki remarked that the president underwent the procedure at Walter Reed Medical Center as part of
his
yearly health checkup. She said the transfer of power isn’t unusual nor unprecedented. “As was the case when President George W. Bush had the same procedure in 2002 and 2007, and following the process set out in the Constitution, President Biden will transfer power to the Vice President for the brief period of time when he is under anesthesia,” Psaki insisted. “The Vice President will work from her office in the West Wing during this time.” The press secretary for former President Donald Trump, Stephanie Grisham, claimed that Trump refused anesthesia before a colonoscopy in 2019 because he chaffed at turning over power
to Vice President Mike Pence. The United States has never had a woman president, and Harris’ stint was expected to last not more than one hour. President Biden selected Harris to serve as vice president following her decades of public service. Harris served as San Francisco’s district attorney, California’s attorney general, and in the U.S. Senate. A graduate of Howard University and the University of California, Hastings College of Law, Harris became the first woman and first person of color to serve as vice president. Reposted from Black Press USA.
Police have yet to confirm what caused a driver to plow a red SUV into a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Nov. 21, 2021, killing at least five people and injuring scores more. But one thing is clear: Vehicles can be a deadly weapon, whether used deliberately or unintentionally. The suspect, identified as Darrell Brooks Jr., is expected to face charges including five counts of intentional homicide. It has emerged that Brooks was previously arrested earlier in November after being accused of hitting the mother of child with his car in a gas station parking lot. Waukesha police confirmed on Nov. 22, that the latest incident, which left 18 children between the ages of 3 and 16 in hospital, was not an act of terrorism. Nor did it follow a police pursuit, although reports suggest that the suspect may have been fleeing an earlier incident. But the manner of the deaths conjures up recent memories of terror attacks using vehicles on perceived soft targets, such as holiday
Jim Vondruska/Getty Images
Debris at the site where an SUV plowed into a Christmas parade. markets, as well as concern over the risk of high-speed chases ending in tragedy. As a scholar who has researched the weaponizing of vehicles, I know that cars, SUVs and trucks can be an efficient means of mass killing, and one that can be virtually impossible to prepare against. Furthermore, it is becoming harder to prosecute the driver involved in such fatalities in some states. ‘Poor man’s weapon of mass destruction’ Vehicle ramming – defined by the Department of Homeland Security as the deliberate aiming of a motor vehicle at individuals with the intent to inflict fatal injuries or cause significant property damage – has been called the “poor man’s weapon of mass destruction.” Members of the
terrorist group Islamic State were not the first to employ this deadly innovation – in attacks on people in London, Nice and New York – but in recent years they have perhaps become most closely associated with the tactic. The group featured “vehicle ramming” in their propaganda as one of their preferred weapons against Western targets and encouraged supporters to use vehicle ramming against crowds. Islamic State group propaganda magazine, Dabiq, even advised would-be lone actors which vehicle could do the most damage In North America, white supremacists and other militant and terrorist groups have also rammed their vehicles
VEHICLES
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Page 2 •November November 29, 2021 - December 5, 2021 • Insight News
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WINNER: 2020 T YPOGRAPHY & DESIGN, 1ST PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY (PORTRAIT & PERSONALIT Y), 1ST PLACE, WEBSITE, 3RD PLACE
Insight News November 29, 2021 - December 5, 2021
Vol. 48 No. 48• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
What happened in Kenosha vs what happened here
When I think about the corrupt, judicial mockery that happened in a Kenosha, Wisconsin court room on November 19th , I’m beyond sad; beyond appalled; beyond angry like so many others. I’m screaming silently, when will it stop and when will decent American citizens of all hues and backgrounds say ‘we’ve had enough’; that these white zealots simply can’t get away with killing people by instilling self-hatred through denial and abuse? Guns and fentanyl (now an opioid even stronger) flood our communities with the intent of helping the hopeless and disenfranchised kill each other. ‘They’ sit back and watch the destruction and the looming fear of violence fully aware of the disparities in black and white. ‘They’ are quite comfortable with the way things have and will fight to the very end to hold tight to the status quo of white supremacy.
Not surprising that the A.G.’s office was recently recognized as one of the top workplaces in Minnesota. For that recognition and honor, Ellison glows in pride and gratitude. “We’re in a defining, transformational moment in our city, state, and country’s future. There’s a lot of work to get done at the grassroots level. It matters who the Attorney General is. There’s an intentional orchestration playing out entitled ‘Legal Accountability and Moral Responsibility’ for evil deeds calling for well-deserved reparations. That’s why I’m running for re-election,” Ellison said recently. After perusing the 27page document and powerful news story in last week’s edition of Insight News on Ellison’s lawsuit against Steven Meldahl and his S.J.M. Properties, Inc. , I could only imagine the horror; the helplessness, the fear for the safety of innocent children being bitten by rabid rodents. 267 families testified depicting deplorable living conditions and oppressor mentality too painful to fathom. One tenant reported a wasp infestation and part of a ceiling that fell in on her
Gov. Tim Walz
AG Keith Ellison
Columnist
Dr. Stephen Menya President & Owner, Lions Gym & Wellness Center
Sadia Ali Owner & Creative Director, The Creative Studio
Sammy McDowell Owner & Operator, Sammy’s Avenue Eatery
Sierra Carter Founder, The Zen Bin
100 Twin Cities businesses awarded a total of $1 million through Comcast RISE Comcast last week announced awards of $1 million in grants as well as technology and marketing resources to more than 100 Twin Cities small businesses owned by people of color. The recipients are among nearly 6,700 entrepreneurs nationwide who have been selected through the Comcast RISE program, which provides marketing, technology, and capital support to small business owners. To further build on the program’s success and provide support to even more small businesses, Comcast made a major expansion to eligibility, enabling all women-owned small businesses nationwide to apply. This expansion recognizes and seeks to help address the persistent inequities women continue to face in accessing the resources and funding that are critical to success. Comcast RISE and the Comcast RISE Investment Fund, initially launched as a response to help small businesses owners of color hardest hit by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, continue to focus on uplifting small businesses, ensuring they continue to prosper in an ever-shifting post-pandemic economy. Comcast revealed the 100 selected businesses which
each received the $10,000 grant. “This opportunity is a positive aspect to my business and the community. Not only will we be able to reach more future prospects, we’ll also be able to add a few employees to the team,” said Henrietta Smaller of Stunning Beauty Supplies in Burnsville, Minnesota. “It feels great to know someone believes in me and my dream.” “As we continue to rebuild and emerge from the effects of the pandemic, small businesses will continue to be the backbone of our economy – and we must take every opportunity to help them thrive,” said Kalyn Hove, Regional Senior Vice President, Comcast Twin Cities. “Looking forward, this expansion will enable Comcast RISE to further empower and strengthen even more small businesses that are the heart of our local communities across the country.” In the year since its inception, Comcast RISE has awarded more than $11 million in grants and $50 million in inkind support for marketing and technology services, impacting more than 6,700 entrepreneurs of color in 432 cities across 34 states. By the end of 2022, 13,000 businesses across the country are expected to benefit from the Comcast RISE initiative, either through the grant program or
from the resources provided through Effectv and Comcast Business. In addition to the financial and business support services provided, a key part of the program is ensuring the long-term sustainability of businesses. To help address this, Comcast invests in and partners with organizations such as Ureeka to provide ongoing mentorship and resources to help small businesses succeed over the long-term. Comcast RISE, which stands for Representation, Investment, Strength, and Empowerment, is part of Project UP, Comcast’s comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help provide underrepresented small business owners with access to the digital tools and funding they need to thrive. Over the next 10 years, Comcast has committed $1 billion to programs and partnerships that will reach an estimated 50 million people with the skills, opportunities, and resources they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world. The program will continue to be open to racially and ethnically diverse small business owners and the expanded Comcast RISE eligibility to all women-owned businesses will be effective on January 16, 2022. More information and the applications
to apply for either the grant program or marketing and technology services are available at www.ComcastRISE.com. About Comcast Corporation Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with over 56 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. 100 Small Businesses Awarded Each received a $10,000 grant.
COMCAST RISE 4
A great way to “Listen to Black Women” is to elect them By Kelly Dittmar and Glynda C. Carr Listen to Black women, they say. Support Black women, they tweet. The praise of Black women in recent years is evident in words, but public statements and hashtags must translate into action. And that action should include efforts to elect Black women. Seven years ago, our organizations joined forces to spotlight the status of Black women in American politics. Since our first report, we have seen – and hopefully contributed to – great progress. In that time, 17 new Black women were elected to Congress, including the second Black woman to ever serve in the U.S. Senate and the first Black women to represent their states from Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Missouri, Minnesota, New Jersey, Utah, and Washington. The number of Black women state legislators has risen by nearly 50%.
Black women have made tremendous strides in representation as big-city mayors, with 12 Black women taking office for the first time as mayors in the top 100 most populous cities from mid2014 to present. Today, Black women are mayors of 8 major cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Washington, DC. Just two weeks ago, Elaine O’Neal was elected as mayor of Durham, North Carolina; she will take office in early December. And, of course, with Kamala Harris’ 2020 election as vice president, a Black woman now serves in the second-highest position in U.S government. Progress for Black women in elective office is not measured in numbers alone. The effects of Black women’s political representation are evident in both disrupting white- and male-dominated institutions and making policy change. Research at the state legislative and congressional
levels has shown how Black women’s identities shape policy contributions and behaviors in ways that give voice to underrepresented groups and perspectives. Five years ago, Representatives Bonnie WatsonColeman (D-NJ), Robin Kelly (D-IL), and Yvette Clark (D-
News
University of St. Thomas school of nursing to recruit students for Fall 2022
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NY) created the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls to promote public policy that “eliminates significant barriers and disparities experienced by black women.” Just this year, Representatives
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By Brenda Lyle-Gray
My heart and soul connected to that courtroom in southern Georgia where 11 white jorors, four alternate white jurors, and one African American juror would determine the fate of three white men in a truck who ran down 25-year-old Ahmaud Aubrey, shot him, and called him a n____ as he lay dying on the ground. Now the shooter is claiming self-defense. A mother falls over into the arms of a legendary civil rights icon and we ask ourselves, how many times will this same scenario play out? The blatant audacity of such racist tactics and the possibility that the murderers’ acquittal is a probability makes us sad and angry. The world could see the pain and disbelief in the mother’s tears, and the overwhelming, unexplainable, unfathomable, and repeated miscarriage of justice against our humanity. All this to say, thank you Governor Tim Walz for recognizing the very same scenario could have played out in the Derick Chauvin murder trial of George Floyd. And had that occurred, cities would have gone up in flames, no doubt. An acquittal would have ignited anguish and despair that would have been difficult to control. Thank you, again, Attorney General Keith Ellison and your diligent and impressive team of lawyers and other expert staff members in their respective professional fields.
grandmother’s head. Another tenant said groups of mice, chewed wires under the stove, and then build a nest in the stove. Birds and squirrels were in the walls. According to the court papers, a tenant cried after seeing mice droppings right after signing a lease. Meldahl blamed the neighbor and said the mice would go away. Another tenant testified how he sat in a truck outside his residence and watched mice go in and out of a big hole in the foundation. One time a mouse fell out of a ceiling hole. TMeldahl responded to the cock roach problem as a matter of cleanliness on the tenant’s part. Rotting, infested, and moldy smelling kitchen floors were a normal condition. Tenants feared complaining would bring about retaliation by the owners. They did not have resources to hire an attorney to fight the slum landlord. In its order, the court held, the landlord intentionally targeted renters who would be vulnerable and unable to fight back against illegal, predatory practices. Landlord Steven Meldahl has bragged that provisions of his abusive leases have been upheld by various courts and that he has been beating up on the city their attorneys for many years. Bring it on, he would taunt. Meldahl
KENOSHA 5
I2H
Stroke risk high for Black men
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Insight News • November 29, 2021 - December 5, 2021 • Page 3
Together with small businesses, we’re helping bring hope to the streets.
Small businesses are the heartbeat of every community. They make our neighborhoods vibrant places to live, work, and raise families. Here are just a few ways Wells Fargo is giving hope a hand: • ÄàÝä×Ò×ÜÕ ÜÝÜÞàÝùâá å×âÖ àÝãÕÖÚç rb`^ Û×ÚÚ×ÝÜ âÖàÝãÕÖ Ýãà ÃÞÓÜ ÔÝà ¶ãá×ÜÓáá ºãÜÒ âÝ ÖÓÚÞ small businesses • ¼ÓÚÞ×ÜÕ ÜÓÏàÚç `f` ^^^ áÛÏÚÚ Ðãá×ÜÓááÓá ÙÓÓÞ _ e Û×ÚÚ×ÝÜ ÞÓÝÞÚÓ Ïâ åÝàÙ âÖàÝãÕÖ ÄÏçÑÖÓÑÙ Protection Program (PPP) funding* • Pitching in to help beautify local business districts in cities nationwide • Working together with more than 3 million small businesses to help them get back to thriving Join us in bringing hope to the streets by shopping local. Learn more at wellsfargo.com/impact.
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Page 4 •November November 29, 2021 - December 5, 2021 • Insight News
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Legendary SiriusXM urban view host and human rights activist Joe Madison continues hunger strike until voting rights gets signed into law “The difference between a moment and a movement is sacrifice” Madison stated. Joe Madison, host of SiriusXM Urban View’s Joe Madison The Black Eagle and member of the National Radio Hall of Fame, has announced on his program that he has started a hunger strike in protest of voting rights not getting passed in the U. S. Senate. Click here to listen to his full statements. “As a political protest, I am beginning a hunger strike today by abstaining from eating until Congress passes, and President Biden signs, the Freedom to Vote Act or the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act,” Madison stated Nov. 8. On Nov. 22, he begins his 3rd week of hunger strike with a serious question and challenge: 2006, when George W. Bush was president, 98 US Senators voted to extend the
Vehicles From 1 into crowds. Incidents of people running vehicles into pedestrians include that of the violent “incel” – or “involuntary celibate” – Alek Minassian, who rammed his van into a crowd in Toronto in 2018, killing 10. It has also been employed by members of the far-right, such as James Fields, who was found guilty of the murder, by vehicle, of Heather Heyer at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.
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Voting Rights Act. Why can’t we find at least 10 GOP senators to protect our voting rights in 2021? What has changed? Both bills were recently passed by the House of Representatives, but both have stalled in the Senate. “I call it basically starving for voting rights,” Madison said on his SiriusXM program this morning. “And that began on this date. And I repeat just as food is necessary to sustain life, the right to vote is necessary to sustain democracy. Yes, my life matters. My health matters, but our right to vote matters more.” “As all of you know, my show is action-oriented. It personifies taking action. I always say, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ And for me, it’s not just a slogan. It is what drives me and inspires me. So I have begun this hunger strike, I should say this, in solidarity - let After the protests following the police killing of George Floyd, there was a massive uptick in the number of attacks, most of which were aimed at Black Lives Matter protests. From the day of Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021, vehicles drove into protests at least 139 times, according to a Boston Globe analysis. During the course of my Department of Defensesponsored research on how militant and terrorist groups’ use social media, I observed extreme right-wing groups on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Parler and Telegram sharing memes
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Joe Madison me repeat, in solidarity - with all those who are calling on Congress and the President of the United States to protect our voting rights. Since the Supreme Court decision, Shelby [County]
v. Holder watered down the Voting Rights Act of 1965, here’s what has happened. State Houses across the country have passed a myriad of laws that have made it more difficult for people
about the vehicular attacks in the summer of 2020. Posts minimized the civilian casualties and mocked the core message of “Black Lives Matter,” turning it into the grotesque slogan “All Lives Splatter” and featuring a white SUV covered in red paint on the hood. And it isn’t only rightwing groups that have targeted protesters. Police in cities such as New York and Detroit have driven vehicles into demonstrations. And in Tacoma, Washington, at least one man was injured after an officer drove into a crowd of protesters. In Boston last year, Police Sergeant Clifton McHale was recorded on a police body camera bragging
about hitting protesters with his police cruiser.
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Criminal and civil immunity In recent months, five states – Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Oklahoma and Tennessee – have either shielded drivers who kill pedestrians from legal action or have fully decriminalized hitting a pedestrian with a vehicle if they were in the street or on a highway. Legislatures in states like Iowa, Florida and Oklahoma have passed laws granting drivers criminal and civil immunity if they “unintentionally” hit or kill a protester while “fleeing from a riot,” so long as they say it was
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to vote. And I am here to say, at some point we’ve got to change these moments into movements. And the difference between a moment and a movement is sacrifice, and although this is a moral as well as political cause for me, it is a component of a much larger movement.” Every day on his morning drive program on SiriusXM’s Urban View channel, Joe Madison inspires his listeners to take action. Joe Madison The Black Eagle airs weekdays from 6:00 -10:00 am ET on SiriusXM Urban View channel 126, and Joe can be heard anytime by downloading the Joe Madison podcast on the SXM App. MORE ABOUT JOE MADISON: Joe Madison, known as “The Black Eagle,” is a leading figure in American talk radio. Host of “The Joe
Madison Show” on SiriusXM Channel 126, he is a longtime talk show personality and civil rights activist, known for staging brazen protests and acts of civil disobedience that have led to several arrests. Formerly national political director of the NAACP, he has long been active in the top circles of African-American leadership and activism. A native of Dayton, Ohio, he graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, which awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2019. He has been elected to the Radio National Hall of Fame in recognition of over 40 years in broadcasting. His signature line, when people call his show to complain about injustice, is “What are you going to do about it?” He also recently published the book “Radio Active,” a collection of his memoirs. Joe lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Sharon.
necessary to protect themselves. Kansas, Montana, and Alabama are planning similar legislation. Many more Americans are unintentionally killed or injured as a result of high-speed pursuits involving law enforcement. Police chases often occur on public roads or in residential areas. The result of what can be multiple vehicles going at high speeds in these areas can be deadly. The Department of Transportation estimates that around 250,000 high-speed police chases occur every year, with 6,000 to 8,000 of them resulting in a collision. Around 500 people are killed annually as a result
of these police pursuits, and approximately 5,000 are injured. The Justice Department, recognizing the danger of high-speed chases, has urged police officers to avoid or abort pursuits that endanger pedestrians, motorists or the officers themselves. The risk to the public of a driver intentionally or unintentionally causing a mass casualty event is, as the Wisconsin case shows, just too high. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
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Insight News • November 29, 2021 - December 5, 2021 • Page 5
University of St. Thomas school of nursing to recruit students for Fall 2022 Minnesota’s newest nursing school is officially accepting students – and the news comes at a critical time amid a nationwide shortage of nurses. The University of St. Thomas’ Morrison Family College of Health School of Nursing has received approvals from the three governing bodies needed to recruit its first classes for the pre-licensure Bachelor of Science and pre-licensure Master of Science nursing programs starting in fall 2022. These approvals came from the Higher Learning Commission (November), the Minnesota State Board of Nursing (August) and the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (April). “Our School of Nursing has very distinct goals around closing health equity gaps,” said St. Thomas President Julie Sullivan. “We are dedicated to increasing access to culturally responsive care with a
Kenosha From 2 frequently told tenants that they, and not he, had to make or pay for repairs including pest control for rodent infestation and repairing leaking toilets and faucets that often led to exorbitant water bills Ellison acknowledged the support of Ward 5 City Council Member Jeremiah Ellison, his son, in the successful lawsuit against Meldahl which resulted in fines of $133,500, plus legal fees. To the disappointment of tenants, the $3,157,490.26 in restitution to families grossly impacted was denied. Ellison said protecting Minnesotans against
Black Women From 2 Lauren Underwood (D-IL) and Alma Adams (D-AL), with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), have pushed for “momnibus” legislation to address the crisis in Black maternal health. And in late summer, Representative Cori Bush (D-MO) slept on the stairs of the U.S. Capitol as part of a relentless push to extend the eviction moratorium – which disproportionately affects Black and Brown Americans. Black women have also been at the forefront of changing the actual institutions in which they serve. Bush’s efforts on the eviction moratorium included calls for institutional change, such as ending the filibuster, in hopes that it would clear the way for a policy agenda that would better serve Black communities. And in a July 2020 floor speech, Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) made clear that patriarchy is “very much at home in the halls of this powerful institution” and called on her colleagues to build the world that all girls and women deserve, beginning with the institution of Congress. Black women’s gains
goal of enrolling at least 30% students of color and students from other underrepresented backgrounds. Our students will help to provide more care, to more people, in more diverse and rural communities.” Dr. Martha Scheckel, founding director of the School of Nursing, said she’s never seen such a demand for nurses throughout her many years in the field. “It’s part of our commitment to serving the common good,” Scheckel said. “It’s especially important that we are addressing the nursing workforce shortage that has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Aspiring nurses wanted Both programs are open to students without nursing degrees who want to earn their licenses and become registered nurses. Prospective
graduate students can apply directly to the Master of Science in Nursing program. Undergraduates must apply to the bachelor’s degree in nursing program after completing their first semester at St. Thomas. Dr. MayKao Y. Hang, vice president, strategic initiatives and founding dean of the Morrison Family College of Health, said the approvals to start recruiting ensure the School of Nursing is prepared to provide rigorous and high-quality training. “The students are going to receive this wonderful liberal arts foundation to actually address what we’re seeing in society today in a holistic way, which feels transformational,” Hang said. “We are planting a seed in this community that will bear fruit for generations to come.”
community focus The School of Nursing will teach students to address health inequities and change systems that produce them. It will educate students to care for the whole person – mind, body, spirit, and community – and promote health and wellness. Through clinical placements, students will be exposed to many nursing opportunities. “The clinical placements that students who are going into nursing receive are going to look different at St. Thomas,” Hang said. “What we’re seeking and what we have built are relationships with community organizations that have nursing in historically excluded communities, such as the Downtown Improvement District in the heart of Minneapolis.”
A whole person and whole
unscrupulous business practices of people like Meldahl is just the tip of the iceberg. He said there are more slum landlords to be held accountable, more children in danger, and more innocent children getting hurt. He said his office has 5 additional lawsuits underway that seek to protect residents of Minnesota. There are lawsuits being filed against pharmaceutical companies and responsible parties of the opioid addiction epidemic, against corporate culprits environmental hazards, and against businesses that continue price gauging during the pandemic. Many companies have been proven to be in violation of the Consumer Fraud Act and deceptive trade practices. The Attorney General said it’s a new day, a time of reckoning, where dignity, safety, and respect are paramount. By
making it publicly known that another level of accountability has been added to the workload of the A.G.’s office, resources for honest business owners and hardworking residents, especially in the disenfranchised African American and BIPOC communities, are being made more available ade accessible.. he is prosecuting sex trafficking violators. It’s been said frequently. Thank you, Hawona Sullivan Janzen for a walk down legacy lane. Janzen is the niece of the late Lucille Williams, the rare female entrepreneur and owner of Lucille’s Kitchen. Janzen said Williams retired from her hospital administrator’s position ‘back in the day’. When community leaders and residents needed a space to gather while enjoying great home cooked meals and
engaging conversations, the Kitchen was the place to be. “Now, there were some dishes my aunt would prepare just for the family like her smothered chicken served with rich deep gravy, and then of course, were those stuffed pork chops and a chili like no other. Her fried alligator and gumbo were popular menu items,” she stated. McFarlane said Conversations with Al McFarlane originated at Lucille’s Kitchen. “We held Insight News editorial planning meeting over lunch, there. We figured out what was the newspaper going to look like for the coming week. We discussed public policy and civic engagement in our community. Soon people at adjacent tables were leaning into our staff meeting discussion. We recognized that this was the right time and right place to recast
the notion of equity and access in public policy and beyond. We reached out to KMOJ and launched the predecessor to Conversations – The Insight News/Kmoj Public Policy Forum at Lucille’s Kitchen,” McFarlane said. “We were innovators. We invited Randall Robinson, author of “the Debt, What America Owes to Blacks” to make the argument for reparations for the theft of our labor, lives, property, and opportunity, as policy of the nation during state sanctioned legalized slavery. Black Americans were owed for the loss. They are still owed now. Along with Minnesota Public Radio, Twin Cites Public Television and the Star Tribune, Insight News brought Nkosinathi Biko, son of South Africa’s Black Consciousness
martyr Steven Biko, from Johannesburg and Cape Town via satellite and videoconferencing technology into conversations with Minnesota Human Rights advocates and community leaders following the Truth and Reconciliation Hearings at the fall of apartheid. “Another collaboration created dialogue between health advocates in North Minneapolis and their counterparts in Johannesburg, South Africa. We discussed our governments’ and our communities’ responses to the threat of the HIV/Aids epidemic. At the time, there was denial in South Africa about the prevalence and spread of HIV/Aids. In North Minneapolis, there was denial about the exponential increase of sexually transmitted diseases, especially among young people,’ McFarlane said.
in representation should not mask the persistent hurdles they must navigate to find electoral success. Research demonstrates how Black women are among those women more likely to be discouraged from running for office, confront disparities in campaign fundraising, navigate distinct politics of appearance, and are evaluated by voters and media alike in ways that both rely on and perpetuate damaging stereotypical biases. Recent reporting has also revealed more than ever before the abuse that Black women face as both candidates and officeholders, abuse that is often rooted in the confluence of racism and misogyny and leads not only to personal harm but also to decisions to abandon political careers. And while many Black women have navigated these hurdles en route to electoral success, Black women’s underrepresentation in elective office persists, especially in the Republican Party and offices elected statewide. Today, just three Black Republican women serve as state legislators and no Black Republican women serve in statewide or congressional offices. Former Representative Mia Love (R-UT), the only Black Republican woman ever elected to Congress, was
defeated in election 2018. Her decision to stand up against then President Donald Trump in defense of Haitians specifically, and immigrants more broadly, damaged her chances for reelection and illustrated a distinct challenge she faced in giving voice to her own identity and experience while also aligning with the politics of her party. This challenge persists in today’s GOP, creating unique conditions for Black Republican women who decide to run. Just two Black women have ever served in the U.S. Senate, and there are no Black women senators serving today amidst key debates over the economy, infrastructure, the environment, voting rights, criminal justice, and immigration. Black women also hold just 6 of 310 statewide elective executive offices in the U.S., roles that are key to shaping state policy agendas and outcomes. Just 17 Black women have ever held statewide elected executive offices in 14 states, and no Black woman has ever served as governor. The 2022 election offers some opportunities to address these gaps. With more than a year before Election Day, the number of Black women who have announced majorparty candidacies for U.S.
Senate has already exceeded the previous record of 13. Recent reports also show that Black candidates are faring especially well in Senate fundraising in the 2022 cycle. While summary numbers might mask persistent hurdles, these data indicate that Black candidates might be better financially positioned for electoral success in the next election. At least 5 Black women have announced majorparty gubernatorial candidacies in this cycle, one short of the previous high. And there remains time for more Black women to step forward, including former Georgia House Minority Leader
and organizer Stacey Abrams (D-GA), who is the only Black woman who has ever won a major-party gubernatorial nomination. Candidacies neither ensure nomination nor election, but it’s a start. These Black women – and others who are launching political campaigns – are doing what they can to create a more representative democracy. But their success relies on others, including those who issued public directives to support Black women over the past 18 months. You can support Black women on the campaign trail with your time and your money, and you can support
Black women at the ballot box with your vote. You can listen to Black women by ensuring they have seats at policymaking tables where their voices, expertise, and perspectives can inform substantive change. It’s time to translate words into actions. Kelly Dittmar is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Rutgers-Camden and Director of Research and Scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics, a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. Glynda C. Carr is CEO and co-founder of Higher Heights for America.
Now – Dec 27 612.377.2224 / guthrietheater.org
CHARLES DICKENS adapted by LAVINA JADHWANI directed by JOSEPH HAJ by
Page 6 •November November 29, 2021 - December 5, 2021 • Insight News
Insight 2 Health
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Stroke risk high for Black men Columnist
By Brenda Lyle-Gray God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. The Serenity Prayer Dr. Niloufar Hadidi, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota wants to learn why African American men are twice as likely to have a stroke in their lifetime. She knows there is an understandable and historic mistrust on the part of BIPOC communities of the government and the medical industry. More prevalent is the social stress surfacing and associated with just by being Black and living in a white world. Stress brings forth inflammation in the body which can lead to more cardiovascular diseases included stroke. Does an explanation run deeper? Is there more? Hadidi has been deeply engaged in leading grassroots activities to increase awareness of the profound physical, psychological, and emotional challenges that stroke survivors face; the conquered obstacles essential to recovery. According to the Minnesota Heart Institute along with research and study findings from of the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, eighty-five percent of all strokes are caused by blood clots disrupting the flow of blood to the brain. This abnormality is
called an ischemic stroke. The other 15% are hemorrhagic where a blood vessel burst in the brain. In Dr. Hadidi’s presentation last week to Northside Urban Coalition, hosted by Conversations with Al McFarlane , the Hawthorne Neighborhood Council, and Hue-MAN Partnership, the alarming statistics leave no doubt. Attitudes, lifestyles, and routine wellness education and practices pertaining to our physical and mental well-being must take top priority. These are the things we can control. The unprecedented and traumatic past two years have taken a toll whether we recognize or acknowledge the levels of strength and willpower that have been required for most of us simply to maintain sanity, hope, and to survive. It’s called ‘being’ while Black and living in a world where Black pain is denied by justice officials who never walked in Black peoples’ shoes, but premeditated white murderous behavior is accepted and given a “get out of jail free” ticket. We are challenged to stop with the excuses and pay attention to the statistical data and trusted information offered by the experts. Every 40 seconds someone has a stroke. Every 3 to 4 minutes, someone will die from a stroke. There are 4 million survivors of strokes, some suffering life-altering impairments such as cognitive damage, learning to walk and speak again, and having to depend on a caretaker or family member to get from day to day with any amount of success. Approximately 800,000 people suffer a new or recurring stroke every year. Black men aged
Dr. Niloufar Hadidi
Clarence Jones
35-74 are 2.5 times and Black women 2.4 times as likely as their white counterparts to die of a stroke. In 2018, 1 in every 6 deaths from cardiovascular disease was due to stroke. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and diabetes are the leading causes. The major detriment for Blacks remains the disparaging black and white oppressive divide. I recall the numbness I felt when I was recently accused of stealing in a local CVS store. Being one of a few Blacks residing in New Mexico’s capital city, I could only imagine what the customers in line thought of me as they all glared in my direction… probably that all of the negative said about Black folks was true. Black people are all thieves and welfare recipients. When the manager never came after my protest (I was reaching in my purse to answer my phone with the merchandise visible in the other hand), I was able to contact the corporate office regarding the false accusation and racist
demeanor of the salesperson. The district manager was quite dismissive - “people do steal, ya know” as he multi-tasked in the background. I could barely drive home having still stood in line and paid for my nail treatment and soft peppermints. I thought of all the racial incidents I have experienced, and my children have endured and would declare to anyone that only through Divine Grace have I lived to be almost 75. Dr. Hadidi would attest that many people of color don’t trust the government or the medical profession. But often the symptoms of their illnesses are not immediately apparent. They are dying, she said, and excuses are no longer an option. “There are certain factors in our lives that are simply out of our control such as age, gender, race/ ethnicity, family history, and previous strokes. And then there are other changes we can make that can save our lives such as daily exercise including finding creative ways to work out in the winter months, a healthy diet,
knowing our numbers such as pressure (under 130/80), body weight and mass (not over 30), addressing diabetes, blood sugar levels, and obesity, reducing cigarette smoking and drug addictions, and maintaining an attitude of gratitude. The symptoms of a stroke fall under the acronym FAST: face dropping, arm weakening, speech difficulties, and time to call 911. The quicker the treatment, the less permanent damage to the body and mind. Some describe the onset of a stroke as this severe headache that will not go away. CPPR (Community Partnered Participatory Research) is a communityacademic partnership focused on trust and engaging communities around stroke prevention and awareness. The project is co-executed by Clarence Jones, founder of Hue-MAN Partnership. This collaboration consists of health care, community, and professional organizations seeking to address the health crisis among young and middle-aged men, primarily men of color. The study seeks a better understanding of individual life choices that might increase the chance of this person having a stroke. In addition, the project will use feedback from discussion groups to help figure out the best ways to increase knowledge about stroke, increase healthy lifestyle choices, and reduce the chance of an impairment. “As we work with focus groups, we see CPPR as an opportunity to change health in the Black community. There are authentic conversations and effective engagement in a safe environment where participants can ask questions and not be
judged, where they can believe in themselves and believe in the agenda that respects their humanity, and how we can best share our findings and recommendations with our communities,” Jones said. “We want more people who are at risk to begin to educate themselves, ask the right questions armed with the knowledge pertaining to their own health, and then take ownership of necessary changes.” Phase One of the focus group study will include community listening circles to help build trust by expressing concerns and perspectives, clarifying misconceptions and misinformation about strokes, and offering solutions to other members of the group and to their respective communities. Phase II involves the delivery of education aimed at reducing physical and mental risk factors and empowering people of color, especially African American men to identify and alter the risk factors. Additional Resource: REGARDS: The Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Study, an epidemiological study following a cohort of U.S. adults for stroke and cognitive decline. For further information regarding CPPR focus group participation and other trusted information and resources: Dr. Niloufar Hadidi - University of MN School of Nursing, (612) 628-8901 and Clarence Jones, The Hue-MAN Partnership (612) 759-2170. Angie Stevens, Innovation / Systems Change Coordinator at Minnesota Department of Health- Sage Program
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Page 8 •November November 29, 2021 - December 5, 2021 • Insight News
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Amazing Grace Chorus
Music to my ears Columnist
By Brenda Lyle-Gray Music enhances the education of our children by helping them to make connections and broadening the depth with which they think and feel. If we are to hope for a society of culturally literate people, music must be a vital part of our children’s education. Jessica Peresta Passers-by could hear the familiar sounds of piano key scales coming from a second floor opened duplex window. The year was 1988. The city was St. Paul, Minnesota. Gifted musicians Rev. Carl Walker and Grant West’s vision was to provide a safe place that was ‘positive and life affirming’ in the Summit University neighborhood of St. Paul on Selby Avenue. “We were teaching piano and building self-confidence in children who often didn’t have many people encouraging their success, West wrote. Sounds like a familiar
scenario in today’s academic battles to rise out of apathy and hopelessness with youth of color. The two gentlemen implemented a technique where students experienced immediate success having learned a simple melody in their first lesson. It would be a plus if all students could walk out of classroom or complete 15 minutes of research on the internet or a book and learn something new every day. Walker-West has grown through providing music education and far more to any student who wants to learn and offers a variety of lessons for all ages and skill levels. Like so many organizations struggling to stay afloat during the recession and then an almost two-year on-going pandemic and anti-vaccine rebellion (over 60 million still not vaccinated), a committed board of directors, a tenacious and dedicated executive director and staff, and caring and generous donors helped to move the company into a newly developed 6,000 square foot music, learning, and performance center in 2014. Four years later, the renovated exterior was dedicated. Along with a plethora
of program offerings for ages pre-school to 55 and over with a variety of vocal, instrumental, and career interests, Walker-West has enhanced and changed the lives of thousands of students, including St. Paul Mayors Chris Coleman and Melvin Carter who attended. Many went on to receive degrees from some of the most prestigious music colleges in the country. The popular Rondo Community Music Series sponsored by the Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts will be performing virtually through the end of the year. In the early 1900’s, the Rondo African American community experienced an economic, cultural, and social boom where music, theater, successful black-owned businesses, churches, and academic institutions contributed to a strong and thriving community. Between 1956 and 1968, the construction of Interstate 94 intentionally cut the community in half, displacing more than 700 residents dismantling the health and growth of quality lifestyles. The music of the series pays tribute to those who paid the hefty price of hatred and intentional bigotry. Amazing Grace
Chorus, currently led by Carl Clomon, invites singers from the age of 55 and over, to come to a comfortable setting among those seniors possibly suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s. Some don’t want to talk about the changes happening through the process of aging and isolation which makes matters all the worse. “They find joy in singing and for many, the cultural and faith themes have brought them through some tough times. They internalize the songs. They feel the words they’re singing, like they are keepers of their beliefs and our culture in stories and memorable narratives,” said Clomon. He tells the story of one popular member who would need her cane and a little help to get on the stage. But when the music started, and she started singing, she drew power through her engagement with the lyrics. She puts down her cane and grabbed on to all the energy she needed. “It became personal, he said, transcending, vessels, more than themselves, and creating and telling a story with the African American experience
flavor and style. For that short period of time, one could forget about their problems. It’s like some songs just show up when needed. ‘I Got Joy Bells Ringing in My Heart. Victory is Mine.’ How well I know as I listen to the message, Hold On, as people pray to be lifted out of hurt, despair, aloneness, and difficult circumstances. The chorus members communicate without judging, they listen and engage with one another (following safe CDC COVID guidelines), and they show love helping those they may not realize need just a smile. The host would add a memory of marching songs coming from the Canterbury House at Morehouse College. “Freedom Now” gave the protestors power and joy. Beverly Propes is often referred to as ‘The Nurse of the Nation’ who speaks on the need to explore the level of Alzheimer’s in the Black community. “It just hasn’t been a priority in health care as reflected in the disparaging black-white statistics. Cognitive symptoms might include high
blood pressure or hypertension, a family history, or obesity. Those affected are often hesitant to claim the language, but we have to start reading, researching, and working hard to see how we can age healthy and happy. When asked about the surge in youth violence. Propes is sadly disturbed by the ‘I really don’t care’ attitude. “I would hate to think it might be too late; that intervention just didn’t happen soon enough and now they’re at war with each other. We’re in a spiritual war crippling and denying our humanity. We need more trained mental health and social work specialists, and more medical teams who look like the community where they reside to explain the pros and cons for the COVID19 vaccine, keeping their children and families safe. For further information on becoming a student or learning more about the programming and performance schedules, feel free to contact: Shana Moses, MN Board of Aging, Gale-@ walkerwest.com (763) 2384071
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