WINNER: 2020 T YPOGRAPHY & DESIGN, 1ST PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY (PORTRAIT & PERSONALIT Y), 1ST PLACE, WEBSITE, 3RD PLACE
Insight News
October 18, 2021 - October 24, 2021
Vol. 48 No. 42• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Camara Stevenson
Camille Crump
Darrah Harmon
Desiree Ware
Kaleah Rose Phillips-Bynum
Kennedy Rance
Kyndal Witherspoon
Laila Saulsberry
Latrece Johnson
Lauren Norful
Lindsey Layton
Rayyan Abdur-Razzaq
Senam Akyea
Shelby Scott
Sydney McDaniel
Symira Horton
Tajelle Freeman
Toni Williams
Photos Courtesy of Alpha Kappa Alpha- Delta Phi Omega chapter and The Ivy Foundation
2021 DEBUTANTE COTILLION ON PAGE
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Page 2 •October October 18, 2021 - October 24, 2021 • Insight News
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Insight News • October 18, 2021 - October 24, 2021 • Page 3 WINNER: 2020 T YPOGRAPHY & DESIGN, 1ST PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY (PORTRAIT & PERSONALIT Y), 1ST PLACE, WEBSITE, 3RD PLACE
Insight News October 18, 2021 - October 24, 2021
Rev. Jerry McAfee
MPR
Vol. 48 No. 42• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Cathy Spann for Minneapolis Ward 5
MPR
Cathy Spann
Abdirizak Bihi
always wanted to live. I paid an enormous personal price to do so, but believe me when I declare, miracles do happen! One of the most accomplished media owners in the state of Minnesota and the country for the past 40 plus years, the CEO of a thriving family-owned business, and a friend who was one of my kindergarten classmates growing up in the segregated Santa Fe Place residential area in Kansas City, Mo, invited me to write news stories, commentaries, and opinion columns drawn from the daily Conversations with Al McFarlane Facebook Live, You Tube, and broadcast interviews. And for that opportunity, I am truly grateful. I have returned to
school each time I have tuned in to interviews over the past year from backstage taking notes and writing articles. Every time I am blown away by the passionate, committed, astute, and impressive guests of the hour. Many times, the family lineage and their work in their respective communities is just as rich and noteworthy. The Conversations are now broadcast globally in partnership with Black Press USA. Those who have truly amazed me have been the candidates for Minneapolis City Council in the upcoming November 2nd municipal election. Kudos to all of them for their dedication and hard work! We do live in critical times, especially for our
MPR
Alicia Gibson
Mickey Moore
Mayor Jacob Frey
children, and not only in the Twin Cities. But they are not hopeless times. Change will require voters getting out to vote. It’s too important of an election not to exercise your right to vote. A quiet revolution and day of reckoning will require clones of Stacey Abrams of Georgia and every qualified BIPOC voter to have proper identification documents in order. “They” are doing everything in their power to take that right away with voter suppression laws now on the books or proposed in over 40 states. In addressing the three Charter Amendment questions appearing on the Minneapolis ballot, guests agreed that people are confused. “Where is the plan?
What do they mean by the phrases ‘it could include’ and ‘if necessary’, asked Rev. Jerry McAfee, pastor of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church, encouraging voters to vote “No” on ballot Question 2, which is being described on the street as a “Defund the Police” initiative. McAfee supports Minneapolis Police Chief Arradondo and police reform centered on recruiting more police officer candidates from our neighborhoods and schools. He called the notion of defunding the police nonsensical. “Since George Floyd’s murder,” McAfee said, “140 people have been shot and 83 have been fatalities with 88% being African Americans. 8,700 shots have been fired while 1/3
of the police force has retired or quit. We have a Black police chief, a man who grew up in the neighborhood, a man who knows the people. Let the man do his work!” Cathy Spann is a candidate for the 5th Ward. She has lived, raised her children, worked, and worshipped in the neighborhood for three decades, she said. It is an area of the city where some of the worst disparities among African Americans exist. Spann submitted that several years ago Minneapolis, Bloomington, and St. Paul were cited as the worst cities for blacks to live. She reminds residents that “there is a lot of money out there and
DOWN TO THE WIRE Columnist
By Brenda Lyle-Gray The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of us all. JFK Writer’s Note: Before I summarize a three-hour extended “Conversations with Al McFarlane” broadcast on KFAI last Tuesday, I thought it best to clarify my status as a columnist literally writing from the outside looking in. I reside in the mountains of New Mexico, a childhood dream town where I first visited at the age of 6 and
Target invest $100 million for Black economic prosperity Minneapolis based Target, last week announced it will invest $100 million through 2025 to help fuel economic prosperity in Black communities nationwide. In a story posted Tuesday on the company’s corporate.target.com website, Target said it will support local Black-led organizations to ensure that resources are specifically designed for the communities they serve. “As one of the largest retailers in the U.S., we know we have the responsibility and opportunity to use our resources to help end systemic racism and accelerate economic prosperity for Black communities,” said Amanda Nusz, senior vice president, corporate responsibility, and president of the Target Foundation. “With this commitment, we aim to support the next generation of Black talent, expand the impact of Blackled movements and voices, and create economic opportunity in Black communities across the country.” Target described the commitment as an example of its Racial Equity Action and Change strategy, and an extension of an initial $10 million investment made following the murder of George Floyd in South Minneapolis last year. The company said it intends to spend $2 billion with Black-owned businesses by 2025 as well. Target Since the George
Think Pink celebrates breast cancer awareness and survivorship By Kelly Hughes
WCCO
Shayla Reaves Emcee for debutant cotillion
Target
Amanda Nusz Floyd murder, Target says it has provided over 10,000 hours of pro-bono consulting to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color owned businesses and has committed to providing scholarships and ongoing professional resources to 1,000 Black students through its Target Scholars program. The company said it will expand “support of Black-led nonprofits doing groundbreaking work to advance racial equity and create economic opportunity in Black communities. One example: supporting the Minnesota Holistic Black-Led Movement Fund, part of the Philanthropic Collective to Combat AntiBlackness & Realize Racial Justice, helping provide grants that support the transformative procedures, practices and solutions that drive racial equity and justice.” Target said it will work to elevate Black stories and voices “to help build awareness and a greater
TARGET 4
CONVERSATIONS 4
Dr. Cheryl Anderson
Mary DedeauxSwinton
Debutante Cotillion honors girls’ leadership The 2021 Pearls of Prestige Debutante Cotillion, sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) and The Ivy Foundation, celebrates leadership by Twin Cities Black high school juniors and seniors, who rose to the challenges of the past year. What makes it unique is that the Debutante Cotillion is occurring in the midst of a pandemic. For that reason and because we are in times when it is important to lift up and strengthen the young people in our community and provide hope, the event will be virtual taking place Saturday, October 23 at 6 p.m. It is open to the public. WCCO-TV Channel 4 Emmy-award winning anchor/ reporter Shaylee Reaves is The Pearls of Prestige Debutante Cotillion emcee for the evening. The Debutante tradition dates back several decades, with some Black American families participating from generation to generation …grandmothers, daughters, granddaughters. The AKA Twin Cities inaugural biennial cotillion was held in February 2019, however, in adhering to the international organization’s safety protocols, the 2021 Cotillion for the Alpha
News
Kids and their computers: Several hours a day of screen time is OK, study suggests
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Kappa Alpha- Delta Phi Omega chapter and The Ivy Foundation will be live streamed and will feature recorded aspects, such as the Debs waltzing with their fathers/father figures. Despite all the challenges presented by Covid, remote learning, school activity changes/cancellations--the student participants have come out on top, Cotillion sponsors say. “They’ve maintained leadership standards, required grade point average (3.8) and met their obligations. With nearly all events held virtually, the young ladies still had their voices heard: they were provided with a platform, “Pass the Mic” and expressed what they were feeling.” Twice monthly virtual workshops featured Black women leaders from across the country who shared their expertise in areas such as financial literacy, volunteering and philanthropy, career exploration, preparing for college and etiquette. The sorority, maintaining tradition, says it is moving forward to make sure the accomplishments of these 18 young ladies are recognized.
COTILLION 5
When Pamela Weems was first diagnosed with breast cancer, one of her first thoughts was to reach out to other women. Cancer was something she had known about but she never thought it could happen to her. Today, she wants others to be aware that any woman can get breast cancer and they should get screened regularly. Pamela first noticed a lump when she was pregnant with her youngest child. Her doctor told her it was a swollen lymph node due to pregnancy and would go away on its own. After delivery, the lump was still there, but Pamela didn’t think it was a problem, because the lump had already been checked by her doctor. Four years later, she was working in the Mall of America and saw a free make-up offer if she got a mammogram that day at Sage Clinic. Pamela got a mammogram because she was excited about the make-up offer. When Pamela got home, she found a message for her from Sage, they wanted to see her because the mammogram found something that was concerning. Pamela was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. Her first doctor had been wrong. The lump she had noticed four years ago had been cancer and because the cancer had gone unnoticed, it had time to grow to stage 4. Pamela’s treatment plan was long and difficult. Only 29% of women who are diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer survive. Pamela feels blessed to have survived, and today she wants to make sure that no other woman must go
Pamela Weems through the treatment she did. Pamela brings vibrant energy to everything she does, and people feel and connect to her bright spirit. When she was diagnosed, Pamela used her ability to reach women in her community about breast cancer. As a former model, and later a make-up artist and promoter in music, Pamela brings style as well as substance to any connection. Pamela considered working with large organizations with big fund-raising parties, but she saw few women of color at these events. She wanted women in her community to feel celebrated and wanted a larger focus on education. Pamela started Think Pink, an event where all women come together and have a fabulous time, celebrating breast cancer awareness and survivorship, and remembering those who have passed. Think Pink includes a red-carpet experience where ladies can feel their best and eat great food. The event also includes Dancing with the Stars, where eventgoers create a Hollywood Boulevardlike star for someone who has
WEEMS 5
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Vaccination against COVID-19 supports a healthy pregnancy by protecting both mother and child
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Page 4 •October October 18, 2021 - October 24, 2021 • Insight News
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White bias at foundation Columnist
By Brenda Lyle-Gray When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? To surrender dreams, this may be madness. Too much sanity may be madness! But maddest of all is to see life as it is and not as it should be. Don Quixote (Lewis uses this quote at the end of some of his e-mails) Shawn Lewis is an information referral specialist for Hennepin County library. He is surrounded by knowledge and up-to-date news and resources that can be beneficial for marginalized communities. He is also a Global Career Development Facilitator accredited by the Urban League. Graduating with honors from Washburn High School on the South Side of Minneapolis, Lewis went on to attend the University of Minnesota earning a degree in political science. As a volunteer for the United Way, Lewis has long been interested in the world of philanthropy. He questions whether the inequities of distribution linger even after the televised execution of George Floyd 17 months ago. There was a global outcry that something had to be done to end this 400 plus year human atrocity.
Conversations From 3 no one seems to be transparent in how much of that bountiful coffer is going into the black communities, helping those people making less than $15,000 a year with rent prices soaring. Homeless encampments are popping up all over.” “We are no longer conducting business as usual,” Spann said. “We have to operate with partnerships. I want to sit at the table of decision!” Spann said she supports voting “Yes,” on Ballot Question 1, which invests more executive authority in the office of Mayor, making the relationship between the mayor and city more like the strong mayor system in St.
A root problem is that philanthropic foundation staff and board trustees are primarily white, male, wealthy, do not reside in underserved neighborhoods, and are heteronormative. That means bias, whether conscious or unconscious, has long sat at the forefront of denials to Black led organizations getting the funding they need. In the past, predominantly white reviewers tended to fund organizations they knew and that aligned with their cultural and language customs. The reality is that the combination of unconscious biases, the capacity paradox, and unequal access to relationships with funders will make sure there is no possible way we can reach a state where all organizations, including ones led by people of underserved communities, can fairly compete for resources. For many philanthropic entities, the application process for grants and loans has been streamlined thanks to evolving social media and advanced technology allowing simultaneous reviews and the positing of other required documentation. Unfortunately, even if reviewed on-line, the process still awards the best written grant applications while not supporting the issues and the grassroots organizations that need to be addressed the most. It’s imperative to support leadership that seeks ways for disengaged communities to organize around issues impacting their
neighborhoods, including primarily public safety and miseducation. George Floyd’s murder sparked the call for a global racial reckoning. And since then, the state’s philanthropic sector has mobilized around racial equity by boosting funding, distributing grants more inclusively, and increasing diversity of staff and board members. Lewis asks whether BIPOC communities have done all they can to prepare for opportunities that could help their organizations survive and thrive. Or are they competing against one another? Have they created partnerships and coalitions? Have they reached out to researchers and grant writers? This is especially important as major corporations like Ford and Comcast are expanding opportunities and investing more in community initiatives all around the world. Lewis says what is needed today is that people in disparaged and highly impacted communities unify, step up, and continue to do the work by using researchdriven data and analytics to demand seats at the decisionmaking table. Communities must define and execute best practices in creating solutions that are effective and sustainable. “African Americans must teach other African Americans how to do grant writing as well as how to navigate philanthropic institutions and their boards. Lewis cites the recent Urban
Shawn Lewis
Kalyn Hove
Chandra Smith
League of the Twin Cities Young Professionals’ presentation on “Bridging Intergenerational Leadership Gaps” discussion on competitive funding and grant writing. Lewis refers to the shifting balance of power. “Bryan Stevenson, the civil rights icon who founded the Equal Justice Initiative talks often about ‘the power of proximity’ emphasizing how solutions for systemic injustice are most effective when designed by the communities who experience them. These communities often need to fight to be recognized as agents of change and supported to lead the charge on equality. We are looking at communities no longer letting others speak for them. Black feminists are building a platform to fund their movements and indigenous peoples have taken their climate solutions from the forest floor to the world stage,” he said . Major corporations like Comcast and Ford have long been leaders in programming and funding for underserved
communities. “Comcast is focused on advancing digital equity,” says Kalyn Hove, recently appointed Twin Cities Regional Senior Vice President for the company. “There’s no question a racial divide still exists. Our company is aiming to narrow that gap by providing underrepresented small business owners with digital access and the funding they need to sustain them for a little while. We believe that investing back into the communities we serve helps everyone. For the past 15 years, “Internet Essentials” has provided low-cost internet for low-income families. There will be more initiatives for small businesses in the bigger picture. Comcast is driving the change as our investment leads to job creation. Our goal is to help business owners succeed; to help them RISE.” Comcast RISE (representation, investment, strength, and empowerment) was created to invest in the success of critical small businesses of
color by providing valuable and practical support along with funding and assessing company needs. Between February and April of 2020, black owned businesses were the hardest hit by the pandemic lockdowns and racial unrest and violence. 41% of African American commercial locations had to close their doors along with 32% Latinx; and 27% Asian compared to 21% of the general population. RISE’s support includes consulting in advertising and marketing, a 30 second TV commercial, a technology makeover and monetary grants. Chandra Smith, Minneapolis Foundation Impact Officer, said, “We’re supporting community power building, and we’re supporting organizations that are working on issues that are important to community, that are engaging people that have not been engaged in the democratic process or public debate, and often those things intersect with big things that are happening in the community.”
Paul. On Ballot Question 3, authorizing the City Council to begin looking at rent control options, Spann said she believes increasing availability of subsidized housing would be far more beneficial than rent control. “I remember back in 1995-1996 when I was a Somali refugee and you were there, Al McFarlane, doing all you could to help us,” Abdirizak Bihi applauded in gratitude. Twentyfive years later, the community activist and organizer is now a candidate running for of the City Council representing Ward 6. “There’s an employment gap now with baby boomers retiring,” Bihi said. “I’m about second chances, giving people training and skill building for jobs like city bus drivers. But we need resources. We want our residents to not have
to worry about gentrification. Most struggle with low income and might not be able to move. There are few if any after-school programs, activities, or events for our youth. Our communities have long needed counseling from mental health specialists including clinical psychologists, and social workers. Neighborhood associations and community centers must step up to organize vaccination drives, for example. We have to invest and protect our children. Regarding rent control, let me just say, many of us would like the opportunity to buy a house one day.” Alicia Gibson, a candidate for Ward 10, has been a guest on “Conversations” on numerous Leadership Mondays programs. I’ve personally been impressed by how carefully she insists on saying and doing what’s right and just and imperative if the Twin Cities is to ever say “enough is enough” and that BIPOC communities especially African Americans, have had enough. She said she knows there are some who will not vote for her because they refuse to change their white supremacist mindset. “It’s been authoritarian moments, ideas, and decisions pushed from the top down, while not taking the people’s concerns and needs into consideration. We really have to stop doing business the same way we’ve been doing things,”
Gibson said. “George Floyd’s murder gave us all a truth we cannot deny or ignore. We need to empower communities and learn more about people in other wards. It will take partnering and having a different intentionality and diverse representation sitting at the table.” Addressing environmental stewardship, Gibson said, “How will we change the exploitation of our earth so that it will be here for generations to come?” Urging voters to reject it, Gibson called Ballot Question 2 “chaotic, divisive, and against the law. The timeframe of forming a Public Safety Department is unrealistic and not well-thought out since two on-going investigations are underway, one with the Human Rights Department and the other with the federal government. When these reports come out, we can think about police reform.” Gibson said she supports a “Yes” vote for Ballot Question 1, vesting more executive authority with the mayor. “Whatever happens after the 2nd of November, I suppose the most logical point of contention will be to look at where the failures occurred over the past two years, including a lack of planning after the city was torn to bits during the May 2020 racial uprisings.”
“Allow me to describe Ward 9, says candidate Mickey Moore, also a frequent guest on Leadership Monday. “We are at Ground Zero for the homelessness crisis, drug use and overdoses, sex trafficking, gun violence and fatalities. Ward 9 had a busy and vital police station burned down during the civil unrest. Many small minority businesses were totally destroyed,” he said. Moore said the divisiveness in city government must end and that the city had been through far too much over the past two years to take steps backwards. He said alternative programming for at-risk youth is desperately needed. Moore said “75% of African Americans do not want to dismantle the police department. They want reform and for Chief Arradondo to be given a chance to do his job. How can other candidates still support what the people don’t approve of and think that’s right?” he asks. Regarding rent control, Moore asks “Who will be impacted if the rent control initiative passes? It’s a matter of supply and demand. If we find housing subsidy funding and encourage home ownership, then rents might stabilize, and affordable housing will become available.” “If I am elected, I will have Ward 9 local precinct office
paid for at my own expense. Therefore, people can come to the neighborhood office and let my team assist them rather than having to go to City Hall, Moore said. Mayor Jacob Frey reminded me of former President Barack Obama and our current President when “Conversations” interviewed him. He had walked into a firestorm of circumstances far beyond his control including racial divisiveness, the lack of commonsense rationality regarding the COVID19 vaccination, student academic failures in underserved communities, a wealth gap continuing to widen, with rents, homelessness and unemployment on the rise. When he watched the video of George Floyd taking his last breath, the mayor’s eyes watered. Shaking his head, he said, “That is an outright crime.” When the verdict of Derek Chauvin was announced by Judge Peter Cahill, Frey told McFarlane in an exclusive interview, “Thank you for keeping the communities most impacted by the jury’s decision informed. We were on the world stage, our city was saved, and the right thing was done.” Next week, St. Paul Mayor, Melvin Carter, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey interview highlights.
understanding of Black experiences.” It said Target and the Target Foundation
will support programs and events that more broadly share Black stories and voices which encourages national dialogue about racial issues in America. Using the acronym REACH – Racial Equity Action and Change – Target said it aligns four key areas of focus: ” Helping Black team members build meaningful careers and experience success at every level, creating an environment
where Black guests feel more welcome and see themselves represented at Target, finding new ways to support Black communities across the country, and working with policymakers on key issues that impact Black Americans.” Target pledged to increase representation of Black team members across all levels of its business by 20% over the next three years and joined the local OneTen coalition to train, hire and advance 1 million Black Americans in the Twin Cities over the next ten years.
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Target From 3
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Get a free mammogram, Pap test and $20! Call Sage at 1-888-643-2584 promo INN1 www.mnsage.com
The $2 billion spending commitment, Target said, includes spending 5% of its annual media budget with Black-owned publishers, beginning in 2022. “This investment will help our Black-owned business partners further compete in the advertising industry and extend their reach, while also creating a more vibrant media ecosystem for all.,” Target said.
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Insight News • October 18, 2021 - October 24, 2021 • Page 5
Kids and their computers: Several hours a day of screen time is OK, study suggests By Katie Paulich PhD Student in Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Even when kids spend five hours a day on screen – whether computers, television or text – it doesn’t appear to be harmful. That’s what my colleagues and I at the University of Colorado Boulder discovered after analyzing data taken from nearly 12,000 participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study – the largest long-term study of its kind ever in the U.S. The participants included children between the ages of 9 to 10, from diverse backgrounds, income levels and ethnicities. We investigated how screen time was linked to some of the most critical aspects of their lives: sleep, mental health, behavior and friendships. Our results, recently published in the journal PLOS One, found no association between screens and a child’s depression or anxiety. Greater amounts of screen time were associated with stronger peer relationships for both boys and girls – both have more male and female friends. Social screen use may drive that association; video gaming, for instance, is a social activity that seems to foster more friendships. So does social media and texting. Why it matters U.S. children are spending more time on screens than ever before. Parents often worry that the technology adversely impacts youngsters, particularly those entering adolescence – a critical period of development. What still isn’t known
Cotillion From 3 Mary Dedeaux Swinton, President, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Delta Phi Omega Chapter and Dr. Cheryl Anderson, Cotillion Debutante Coordinator talked with Al McFarlane last Tuesday on the KFAI 90.3-FM’s Conversations with Al McFarlane. Swinton said the Ivy Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit foundation of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Delta Phi Omega Chapter. The foundation promotes and supports Twin Cities charitable and educational programs for African American and Latinx communities. “We annually award tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships to students of color,” she said. Dr. Anderson said “In the interest of public health, we are adhering to COVID safety protocols for the public portion, therefore, it will be an entirely virtual experience.” She said the event is historic is because of the monumental effort and innovation that poured into transitioning a traditional ball into a virtual, meaningful experience for the Debutantes and for all of the attendees. Anderson said, The Pearls of Prestige is a leadership development, civic and community engagement and scholarship fundraiser program that equips high school juniors and seniors for higher education. “We have 18 outstanding young ladies from the across the Twin Cities region – the 2021 ‘Pearls of Prestige Debutantes’ – whose achievements will be recognized and celebrated on the evening. She said students are selected through a call out for applications, with the announcement shared widely
Weems From 3
Radovanovic96 via Getty Images
Many parents are concerned their children spend too much time on screens. Our study also found negative correlations: More screen time predicted higher levels of attention problems, worse sleep, poorer academic performance and an increase in aggression and misbehavior. Taken at face value, these contrasting positive and negative correlations are confusing. Is screen time good or bad? Perhaps neither one: When looking at the strength of the correlations, we see only very modest associations. That is, any association between screen time and the various
outcomes, whether good or bad, is so small it’s unlikely to be important at a clinical level. Some kids scored lower than others on these outcomes, some scored higher; screen time only explained 2% of the difference in the scores. This suggests the differences are explained by many variables, not just screen time. It’s a very small piece of a much larger picture. Also, our study is correlational rather than causal. Correlational research shows that two seemingly related variables don’t necessarily generate changes in each
through churches and other faith-based institutions; schools, youth-based organizations; community calendars and wordof-mouth. “We review the applications and accompanying letters of recommendation. Once selected there is an orientation for Debutantes and their parents/ guardians – and the program is launched, she said. Debutante Cotillions have been part of the Black community for decades, Swinton said. “For our chapter, this is the second biennial Cotillion, however, it’s the first livestreamed, which allows us to adhere to the guidelines of the AKA corporate offices which ensures the safety of the young ladies and their families.” “The Twin Cities was fortunate to have annual Cotillions hosted for more than three decades, by the historically Black women’s organization, The Links, Inc,” she said. “Our chapter reintroduced the program and presented more than 20 young ladies in the winter of 2019.” She said, “What we have is a historical event in that the celebration of the academic achievements, community engagement and of these 18 high school juniors and seniors, that is occurring during a global pandemic. The leaders of Alpha Kappa Alpha were determined to ensure the voices of these Black young ladies who are dynamic would be recognized for their contributions – all while keeping them safe. We determined that in the interest of safety, in compliance and alignment with our international organizational and CDC and Minnesota Department of Health guidelines, to shift to a virtual, live streamed experience.” Swinton said the young ladies come from wide range of economic backgrounds. “Each of the Debutantes have a mentor who has walked alongside them throughout the
process and has been another adult in their lives. Workshops were developed to help equip the young women to succeed in school, in higher learning, in their future jobs, and in life.”
passed away from breast cancer, and at the end of the night, place the stars on the dance floor and dance among them. Think Pink was hosted by the Pink Ladies on October 2, 2021. All attendees had a great time! Pamela’s message for
all women is early detection saves lives! Ask your doctor if you can get screened. If you are interested in free mammograms and Pap tests or have additional questions, call Sage Programs at 1-888-643-2584 or visit mnsage. com.
About Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® (AKA) is an international service organization founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, DC in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-lettered organization established by African American, collegeeducated women. Led by International President Dr. Glenda Glover, Alpha Kappa Alpha is often hailed as “America’s premier Greeklettered organization for African American women.” For more information on Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and its programs, visit www.aka1908.com. The AKA Delta Phi Omega (DPO) Chapter is located in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-Saint Paul. For more information on the Delta Phi Omega Chapter and its programs, visit www.akadpo. org. Correspondence to the organization can be emailed to pr@akadpo.org or mailed to P.O. Box 581097 Minneapolis, MN 55458. About the Ivy Foundation, Inc. The Ivy Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit foundation of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Delta Phi Omega Chapter. The foundation’s mission is to promote and support charitable and educational programs within and for the Twin Cities area African American and Latino communities. This is achieved by awarding academic scholarships, and promoting public awareness of academic, educational, and service programs and activities for students and their families.
other. Causal research implies that one variable did cause a direct change in the other. For example, we found that adolescents who spend more time on screens may display more symptoms of aggression. But we can’t say screen time causes the symptoms; instead, maybe more aggressive children are given screen devices as an attempt to distract them and calm their behavior. The bottom line: While parents should make sure their children are using screens in appropriate ways, our early
research suggests lengthy time on screen is not likely to yield dire consequences. What’s next Currently, there is no established threshold for an “acceptable” amount of screen time. While guidelines do exist for younger kids, nothing official has been set for adolescents. Additionally, our study did not include academic screen use, only recreational. So it was impossible to compare academic versus recreational screen use outcomes.
The ABCD Study will follow these children until they are 20 years old. Future research may examine how screen time might affect children over the course of their entire adolescence, when it’s possible more symptoms of mental health concerns will show. For the moment, however, only one thing is certain: Screens are here to stay. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
Page 6 •October October 18, 2021 - October 24, 2021 • Insight News
Insight 2 Health
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Vaccination against COVID-19 supports a healthy pregnancy by protecting both mother and child – an immunologist explains the maternal immune response By Matthew Woodruff Instructor of Human Immunology, Emory University The CDC issued an urgent health advisory for those currently pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding on Sept. 29, 2021. The statement reiterated the importance of vaccination in preventing severe illness and death resulting from COVID-19. It also highlighted the wide gap in vaccination rates with pregnant people who are less than half as likely to have been vaccinated than a member of the general public. The CDC advisory also brought attention to the widening racial gaps in vaccination during pregnancy, with less than 16% of Black pregnant females reporting having been vaccinated. As an immunologist who has been studying immune responses to COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, I know the reason for the agency’s urgency is clear. Pregnancy is a significant risk factor for serious illness and death from COVID-19 – both for the mother and the child. Detailed research into pregnancy during the pandemic has shown that mothers who contract COVID-19 are five times more likely to be admitted to an ICU and 22 times more likely to die than their noninfected counterparts. The same study found that mothers infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy are twice as likely to require ICU care for their newborns, or to lose their children shortly after birth. As a father of two, with
a third expected in December, I understand the intense stress that health decisions can bring on during pregnancy. In dealing with our own highrisk pregnancy, my wife – who is a health care worker – was recently given the go-ahead to receive a Pfizer booster following its recent FDA/ CDC approval. Even with high medical competency and my own expertise as an immunologist, I would be lying if I said the decision was an easy one. Data is hard to listen to when it conflicts with our gut feelings, but that can be when people need it the most. In this case, the data is clear: COVID-19 poses a significant threat to both the mother and child, and vaccination can help mitigate that risk. The immunology of pregnancy is complicated Pregnancy is an immunological tightrope. At the most basic level, a maternal immune system’s job is to welcome a foreign organism that is consuming considerable resources, and allow it to grow unmolested for months. This doesn’t come naturally – to prevent the identification and rejection of a growing fetus as a parasitic invader, maternal immune systems undergo an overhaul that fundamentally alters their responses to infection in order to support the pregnancy. But those changes don’t shut down immune responses completely. Compromising immune function to a point where infections are allowed to run rampant would not be a successful survival strategy for mother or child.
Jamecia Bennett
Raul Arboleda/AFP via Getty Images
Mothers infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy are twice as likely to lose their children shortly after birth, driving home the urgent need for pregnant women to get vaccinated. Instead, a new partnership is struck. The maternal immune systems selectively chooses not to react to foreign tissues and cells associated with the growing fetus, and instead enters into a coordinated dance. Over the course of nine months, it will guide the attachment of the placenta to the uterine wall, promote growth and development of the fetus and ultimately initiate labor to kickoff the delivery. This is complicated work and requires a measure of immuno-zen: An environment of calm and balance is carefully maintained around the uterus. But inflammation – a catch-all term used to describe the physical manifestations of intense immune activation – is a threat to that balance. Researchers have long understood that serious infectious diseases, which frequently trigger intense inflammatory immune responses throughout the body, pose a serious threat to the mother-
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fetus duo. The list of infectious diseases capable of complicating a pregnancy is long. So it is not surprising that COVID-19, which can create chaos in normal immune responses through both runaway inflammation and misdirected antibody responses, has made that list. Vaccination protects both mother and child This balancing act that the immune system undergoes during pregnancy is precisely why vaccination is so important. While there is no doubt that getting a vaccine activates the immune system – that’s exactly what it is supposed to do – this mild immune response to the vaccine is nowhere close to the risks that the pregnancy faces if the mother contracts COVID-19. When your body meets a harmless lookalike of SARS-CoV-2 in the form of the vaccine, the immune system is trained to recognize the virus in a
safe and controlled environment – without the threat of an actual COVID-19 infection. This way, if you encounter the real virus, your immune system is much more prepared and capable of fending it off. As a result, your immune system will be less likely to need to resort to the high-inflammation, high-risk tactics that it would have to deploy against severe infection. Even with a vaccine that is not 100% effective due to waning antibodies or the emergence of the delta variant, studies have shown that the reduction of symptoms associated with partial protection is enough to lower the risk of poor outcomes in both mother and child. COVID-19 vaccines protect the baby too In addition to the maternal protection that vaccines offer, a new study has revealed that antibodies created in response to COVID-19 vaccination can also be
effectively passed to the baby through umbilical cord blood. This finding is critical because while COVID-19 infections have not been shown to directly infect the fetus in utero, an infection can be passed from mother to child during birth. In one study, nearly 15% of children delivered by Cesarean section to COVID-19infected mothers tested positive for the virus after birth. In this early stage of life, newborns do not yet possess the ability to produce antibodies effectively on their own. Instead, they are entirely reliant on mom – holding onto antibodies that were shared between them in the blood before birth, and getting new ones transferred through breastmilk. Medical decisions around pregnancy are hard, and the urge to protect the pregnancy by just leaving it alone is a strong one. It can feel like the small risks associated with vaccination are avoidable – so why take the chance? The problem, of course, is that the virus does not allow you to choose. Opting not to vaccinate is, unfortunately, a choice to roll the dice with a virus that has killed millions and has led to catastrophic outcomes for both mother and child. COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective during pregnancy. And now, research has made it clear that they can be an ally to the maternal immune system, helping it to maintain a healthy and balanced environment for a thriving pregnancy. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
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Insight News • October 18, 2021 - October 24, 2021 • Page 7
Stolen Bruce’s beach property returned to Black family By Betti Halsell, Contributing Writer, Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper The story behind Bruce’s Beach tells a narrative of Black ownership in America. The original property owners of the resort, Charles and Willa Bruce, had their land seized by the City of Manhattan Beach. The local government managed the rights to the land for almost 100 years. However, on Thursday, September 30, the authority of Bruce’s Beach has been given back to the descendants of the original landowners. The waves from the Pacific Ocean crashed onto the sandy shores owned by Willa and Charles Bruce. In 1912, as the first Black landowners in Manhattan Beach, the Bruce’s became a family that owned multiple beach plots. According to documents and records, through corrupt means, the City of Manhattan took ownership of their property, representing the racial imbalance of that time. Looking through a lens of equality today, public officials of Los Angeles County decided to revisit the possibility of returning power of the beachfront back to the descendants of the Bruce family. Located on 2600 Highland Avenue in Manhattan Beach, California, Bruce’s Beach served as an oasislike resort for people of color looking to enjoy the scenic coast during times of segregation. Noted previously, Willa and Charles Bruce purchased this piece of paradise for $1,225 ($33,034) and followed suit in buying more land after that. Other families of color bought beach estates alongside them, forming a Black community of coastal property owners developed during the Jim Crow era. There was a shared notion that only certain
E. Mesiyah McGinnis/L.A. Sentinel
Under the leadership of Supv. Janice Hahn and with the support of Supv. Holly Mitchell, Senator Steve Bradford and Governor Gavin Newsom worked collectively to RIGHT a 100-year-old WRONG. races should be allowed selected properties; this agenda was carried out through policies to seize privately- owned land for the betterment of the community. The distaste in Blackownership was not hidden; racially charged vandalism and sabotage were found routinely at Bruces’ Beach and similar places. During the Jim Crow era, Manhattan Beach City officials obtained the rights to Bruce’s beach, and other Black-owned coastal plots, through an ordinance known as eminent domain. Through the eminent domain procedure, certain members of the Manhattan community empowered City officials to acquire privatelyowned properties and reinvent the lots for public use. The urgent takeover of the Bruce’s land was to fill the need for a public park. The Bruce family fought for years in litigation; they asked for $120,000 ($3,203,044) for loss of property and damages. After a strenuous battle, the Bruces received $14,000,
which is $300,000 in presentday, and the other families received far less than that. On April 8, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn announced steps towards returning the waterfront landscape known as Bruce’s Beach back to the decedents of Charles and Willa Bruce. On the day of the announcement, Janice Hahn stated, “The property that was once Bruce’s, is now owned by the County and I want L.A. County to be part of righting this wrong.” She continued, “I am looking at everything from repurposing the property in a way that tells the history of Bruce’s Beach to actually giving the properCalifornia State Governor Gavin Newsom announced through a press release, “Moving to Right Historical Wrong.” He signed legislation to return Bruce’s Beach back to descendants of the original owners. California State Governor Gavin Newsom announced through a press
release, “Moving to Right Historical Wrong.” He signed legislation to return Bruce’s Beach back to descendants of the original owners. According to the information released by the California state governor’s office, the directive, SB-796, allows Los Angeles County Supervisors to transfer the land immediately to the Bruce family. Soaking up the historical moment at Bruce’s Beach, Newsom was joined by Senator Steven Bradford, Bruce’s family members, and other civic public servants. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors sponsored the urgent measure and authorized the county to immediately begin the process of transferring sources of ownership from Manhattan Beach back over to the Bruce family. “As we move to remedy this nearly centuryold injustice, California takes another step furthering our commitment to making the California Dream a reality
for communities that were shamefully shut out by a history of racist exclusion,” said Governor Newsom. “We know our work is just beginning to make amends for our past, and California will not shy from confronting the structural racism and bias that people of color face to this day. I thank the Bruce family, Senator Bradford, the Los Angeles County Supervisors and all those who fought to keep the legacy of this place alive and deliver this long-overdue justice.” “SB-796 shows us that it is never too late to address the injustices of the past,” said Senator Bradford, a steadfast supporter of the Bruce family and who initially introduced the bill in April with other prominent local leaders. “If you can inherit generational wealth in this country, then you can inherit generational debt too. The City of Manhattan Beach, County of Los Angeles, and the State of California owe a debt to the Bruce family.” He continued, “This
bill passed the Legislature unanimously and with overwhelming community support, making it clear that our state is committed to tackling systemic racism head-on. As a member of the California Reparations Task Force, this is an example of what real reparations can look like. I applaud Governor Newsom for helping us pay a century’s-old debt by allowing Los Angeles County to move forward and return Bruce’s Beach to its rightful owners— the Bruce family.” Supervisor Hahn released the news through her office by clarifying the power of the legislation by stating, “The legislation does not transfer the land. Instead, it removes restrictions on the land and gives LA County the authority to transfer the property.” Hahn was joined by Kavon Ward, the Bruce family member who founded Justice for Bruce’s Beach, Senator Bradford, former Manhattan Beach Mayor Mitch Ward, Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, and current Manhattan Beach Mayor Hildy Stern. “This is a milestone for us, and I want to thank, not only Governor Newsom for signing this bill into law, but Senator Bradford for his leadership and the entire state Legislature for their unanimous support,” said LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn. “The work is far from done. Now that LA County officially has the authority to transfer this property, my goal over the next several months will be to transfer this property in a way that not only works for the Bruce family but is a model that other local governments can follow. Returning Bruce’s Beach can and should set a precedent for this nation and I know that all eyes will be on Los Angeles County as this work gets underway,” Hahn stated.
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Page 8 •October October 18, 2021 - October 24, 2021 • Insight News
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