WINNER: 2020 T YPOGRAPHY & DESIGN, 1ST PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY (PORTRAIT & PERSONALIT Y), 1ST PLACE, WEBSITE, 3RD PLACE
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October 26, 2020 - November 1, 2020
Vol. 47 No. 43• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Photo by Adam Schultz / Biden for President
EXCLUSIVE OP-ED: My Plan to Lift Every Voice in Black America Democratic Presidential Nominee
By Joe Biden There is injustice in America. There is discrimination. There is a legacy of racism and inequality that lives still in our institutions, our laws, and in too many people’s hearts that makes it harder for Black people to succeed. These are facts in the United States of America in 2020, and we must all do more to move our nation closer to the ideals inlaid at our founding— that all women and men are created equal. This year has also brought us too many examples of the dangers Black people can face in the course of going about their lives. With grieving hearts, we learned to say the names of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and many more. I’ve spent time with the families of George Floyd and Jacob Blake, sharing their grief and anger and seeing the incredible resilience of communities that for too long
have had a knee on their neck. And I was inspired by their commitment to turn their pain into purpose. Today, there are Americans all across this country, especially Black Americans, who are exhausted and hurting. Who are disappointed by a system that never seems to deliver for your communities. Who are sick and tired of a cycle where, in good times, Black communities lag behind, in bad times they get hit first and hardest, and in recovery, they take the longest to bounce back. We’re in the midst of four simultaneous crises—a pandemic that has claimed more than 200,000 lives, a disproportionate number of whom were Black; an economic crash that has hit Black workers and Black business owners especially hard; a long overdue reckoning on racial justice; and a climate crisis that is already hurting Black and Brown communities the most. It is our job to do everything in our power to rip out systemic racism across our society, root and branch. It will be hard work in any case. But we will not succeed without a leader who understands our
history and is ready to grapple with our challenges. President Trump wants to paper over the living wound of racism. He’s issued Executive Orders and established a new national commission designed to whitewash our history—and deny the daily reality of being Black in America. He actively appeals to white supremacists and fans the flames of hatred and division in our country, because he thinks it benefits him politically. He ignores the most basic job of every president: the duty to care for all of us, not just those who voted for him. It’s the polar opposite of what I will do as president. I was proud to serve for eight years alongside President Obama. I watched up close how he filled the Oval Office with dignity and compassion for others. And, together with Senator Kamala Harris as my vice president, we will restore honor, integrity, and competence to the White House. We will build an administration that looks like America, including nominating the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. We will work to unite the country around solutions that will push our country forward, and most importantly,
I will listen to those impacted by the long-standing inequities in our system—especially Black Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and Native Americans. That’s how we will work together to deliver real, lasting change. Criminal justice and policing reforms, but also economic opportunity and financial stability. Building wealth for families of color and passing it down. Closing the racial wealth gap is one of the most powerful ways we can build real equity in our society, and it’s going to require a fullcourt press. That’s what my Lift Every Voice plan is—a comprehensive agenda to take on the range of issues that drive inequality in Black America. We’ll tackle student debt and invest more in our HBCUs, so higher education is a pathway to wealth and opportunity instead of to debt that prevents you from owning a home or starting a small business. My plan will empower Black-owned small businesses, with short-term relief to get you through this tough time and longterm investments to help you build back better — with access to new capital and financing and
government contracts. Critically, we’re going to tackle the racial homeownership gap head on. There is no greater vehicle for wealth creation than homeownership. That’s why my plan will restore the steps President Obama and I took toward eradicating housing discrimination, including redlining; end racial bias in how we judge which families are credit-worthy; and provide a $15,000 down payment tax credit to help millions of young Black families buy their first home. We’ll fix our upsidedown tax system to finally reward work, not wealth. Trump thinks billionaires deserve more tax cuts. But under my plan, I’ll make sure the super wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share, while ensuring that no one making less than $400,000 a year sees their taxes go up. And I’m going to fight like hell to defend your family’s health care, just like I would my own. Right now, in the midst of a pandemic, Donald Trump is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Obamacare—all of it. He wants to overturn the very law that expanded coverage to an additional 3 million Black
Americans. If he succeeds, more than 20 million Americans will lose their coverage, and more than 100 million people with preexisting conditions will no longer be protected against their insurance companies charging them more, or denying them coverage all together. I’ll defend Obamacare and build on it—adding a public option that will automatically enroll 4 million more people that Republicans shut out by refusing to expand Medicaid in their states. We’re going to get to universal coverage and lower health care costs. We’re going to give working families a bigger subsidy to lower their premiums. And we’re going to take on pharmaceutical companies, bringing down the cost of your prescription drugs by 60 percent. As my friend John Lewis used his final words to remind us: “Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America.” We cannot be tired. We cannot be hopeless. The choice in this election couldn’t be more stark, and we must vote for the future we want for every single one of our children. I’m ready to fight for you and your families, and I hope to earn your vote.
NNPA Publishers Respond to Joe Biden’s Commitment and Plan for Black America By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia The commitment by Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden to help increase opportunities and recognize the plight of African Americans as outlined in an exclusive editorial with Black Press USA resonated quite loudly with African American publishers and national board members from the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). The NNPA is the trade association representing more than 230 African Americanowned newspapers and media companies throughout the United States. “There is a legacy of racism and inequality that lives still in our institutions, our laws, and in too many people’s hearts that makes it harder for Black people to succeed,”
Biden wrote in the 1,047-word column published Oct. 19, 2020 on the NNPA Newswire Service. “These are facts in the United States of America in 2020, and we must all do more to move our nation closer to the ideals inlaid at our founding – that all women and men are created equal.” NNPA National Chair and Houston Forward Times Publisher, Karen Carter Richards, called Biden’s editorial “spot on.” “Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden points out so many critical issues, or as he put it, ‘pandemics,’ that continue to plague the Black community,” Carter Richards detailed. “Just like he also pointed out, these issues can’t be addressed by just putting them on paper, there must be a dedicated plan and commitment to address these important issues immediately. It is refreshing to hear a presidential candidate publicly express his desire and commitment to do
so.”
While the Atlanta Voice doesn’t endorse political candidates, it’s publisher, Janis Ware, said she’s impressed with Biden’s plan. “Having a presidential candidate outline a plan that speaks to African American people directly through the pages of the Black Press and our social media channels is a bold and powerful move,” stated Ware, the NNPA’s first vice-chair. “It’s a posture that is unprecedented and bold.” Fran Farrer, NNPA 2nd Vice-Chair and Publisher and CEO of the County News in Charlotte, North Carolina, applauded Biden for what she called his faith in the ability of Black newspapers to carry the former vice president’s message. “It not only speaks volumes to his character but his commitment to lifting every voice in Black and Brown America,” Farrer remarked. “His plans, along with those of Vice Presidential
Nominee Kamala Harris, will work to support improved healthcare and available healthcare for those without fair treatment by the justice system. “[Biden’s plan] contains an increased fair minimum wage that allows families to provide a roof over their heads, feed, clothe, and educate their families, and reduce the fear of every encounter of police officers across the United States of America.” NNPA National Secretary and Mississippi Link Publisher, Jackie Hampton, also praised Biden and his plan for Black America. “I feel that [former] Vice President Joe Biden’s plan to ‘Lift Every Voice in Black America’ will give new voice and new hope when hearing and singing what is known as the Black National Anthem,” Hampton stated. “Biden has proven over and over again that he understands the plight of Blacks in America and with passion and commitment, he wants to
rid the country of the injustice and discrimination which we as a race continue to endure,” Hampton offered. She continued: “As the hymnal, which was once a poem, read: “‘Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us Facing the rising sun of our new day begun Let us march on till victory is won’” “I am hopeful that Biden’s plan will lead us to the victory we so proudly sing about.” In the crucial battleground state of Florida, Bobby Henry, the publisher of the Westside Gazette in Ft. Lauderdale, said he was pleased that Biden plans to appoint the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. “I also want to see where he would force police departments to hire Black psychologists or psychiatrists who would interview potential candidates and weed them out
before they got on the force,” Henry strongly voiced. “Biden’s ideas are admirable,” Henry continued. “I think, however, it’s time for all of Black America to be included in making plans for Black America. Not just a handpicked few.” Rod Doss, the editor and publisher of the New Pittsburgh Courier in the all-important swing state of Pennsylvania, proclaimed that Biden’s plan for Black America “addresses many immediate issues of concern facing African Americans across this country.” “As Biden states, we are in the midst of four simultaneous crises that are especially hard on Black Americans,” Doss responded. “This will require a leader that understands and can implement solutions to address the many systemic injustices waged against African Americans. Joe Biden says he is that leader, and he needs our vote.”
Page 2 • October 26, 2020 - November 1, 2020 • Insight News
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Insight News • October 26, 2020 - November 1, 2020 • Page 3 WINNER: 2020 T YPOGRAPHY & DESIGN, 1ST PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY (PORTRAIT & PERSONALIT Y), 1ST PLACE, WEBSITE, 3RD PLACE
Insight News October 26, 2020 - November 1, 2020
Vol. 47 No. 43• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Unholy Oppression Part 3 of 3 By Brenda Lyle-Gray Columnist
President Donald Trump
Which is scarier: Donald Trump’s political will to win or COVID-19? Please vote! Culture and Education Editor
By Irma McClaurin, PhD With over 200,000+ people dead in the U.S., from the corona virus, and its spread showing no signs of slowing down, even surging at 50% increase in some states, it would seem obvious that people should be more afraid of this virus. But COVID-19 has met its match in the tenacity of President Donald Trump’s political will. Like the unpredictable virus, Donald Trump has displayed an irrational desire to win and be re-elected at any cost. He and his staff have defied commonsense pandemic precautions that resulted in him and the First Lady testing positive for the corona virus on October 3, 2020. How did his followers react? They were eerily silent. I had expected them to be more vocal—as in the past, I thought they would ignore facts, fabricate an alternate reality explanation, accuse the Democrats of manufacturing
the exposure for political gain, pray for Trump’s recovery, and follow his irrational tweets with the single-mindedness of a hunt dog on the scent of a possum. Just won’t stop, even at the risk of going over a cliff. Well they did pray; but their outcry was very muted. Perhaps the death of Herman Cain, a former Presidential candidate and strong Trump supporter, from COVID-19 after attending a no mask, no social distancing Trump rally gave a few of them pause and time to reflect. [Read Herman Cain dies from coronavirus] Once the President went into quarantine, the narrative about his illness and his recovery was illusive to say the least; his treatment plan was on lockdown, with few details shared with the press. Responses to questions about the President’s reliance on oxygen, at one of the press conferences held by the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Staff, was obscure. When asked directly if the President was on oxygen, one of his numerous doctors responded— The President is not on oxygen now. Variations of the same question—”was he ever on oxygen?”—got the same answer:
“he is not on oxygen now.” President Trump was released on October 5, 2020, which is far sooner than most COVID-19 patients who survive. Even Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, talked about the debilitating effects of the virus. Yet the “real Donald Trump” is projecting himself as a fighter who “beat” the virus. [Read Ed Yong’s “What Strength Really Means When You’re Sick: The metaphors that Trump and others use when talking about COVID-19 are making the pandemic worse.”] There has been little written about Donald Trump’s irresponsible behavior that first placed him, his family, his political entourage, the entire White House staff, and his supporters (like Herman Cain) at risk—remembered Trump bragged about rallies that number in the thousands— in this corona predicament. Only recently has anyone critiqued him for his behavior, and it was one of his own doctors who spoke of Trump’s display of irresponsibility and disregard for others in taking a publicity ride during his treatment. Dr. James Phillips called it “political theater.” He tweeted
“Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary Presidential ‘drive-by’ just now has to be quarantined for 14 days. They might get sick. They may die. For political theater. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity.” And what about poor Melania? She is recovering at home—we think. Is she getting the same VIP medical treatment? She is a truly absent presence in this White House drama. Never in the history of this country has a First Lady been so MIA (missing in action) 95% of the time. My hope is that what little sympathy Trump might have gained from his last tango with corona has been mitigated by his latest tirade of critiquing Dr. Faucet, and does not garner him any extra votes in the election. Because, he hell-bent on defying doctors and scientists about the spread of COVID-19. So, you tell me. Which is scarier? An upsurge in the corona virus during the flu season or a sick Donald Trump re-elected, possibly on a sympathy vote, and misleading the American people about the true state of his health like he
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$7 million boost in down payment assistance coming to Twin Cities home buyers Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter to join Wells Fargo, NeighborWorks® America and NeighborWorks Home Partners to launch a program to stimulate local homeownership. On Thursday, October 15, the group will announce the expansion of the Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT program, which offers down payment assistance to eligible families across the Twin Cities. The 2020 NeighborhoodLIFT program for Minneapolis and St. Paul will create more than 425 homeowners. This is the third launch of NeighborhoodLIFT in Minneapolis and St. Paul that follows the first initiative in 2012 and an expansion in 2016 that with a $13.9 million combined investment by Wells Fargo have assisted more than 875 homeowners with down
payment assistance. Overall, since 2012, NeighborhoodLIFT and other LIFT programs have assisted more than 24,500 homeowners across over 1,000 communities. The NeighborhoodLIFT program is part of Wells Fargo’s $1 billion commitment to address housing affordability solutions by 2025. NeighborhoodLIFT program will offer down payment assistance in the amount of $15,000 for more than 425 eligible homebuyers who earn 80% or less of FFIEC median family income, which is about $77,840 in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The announcement is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m.at the NeighborWorks Home Partners Main Office, 533 Dale St N., St Paul, MN 55103. Attendees are required to follow COVID-19 social distancing and masking guidelines.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey
Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter
Study and learn your history. It is important for this generation to know the price of the struggle. ‘Unholy oppression’ has been involved in this soul wrenching existential struggle for a very long time. Emmett Till, the 14-year-old black boy who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 “was my George Floyd” leaving me fearful of “the unholy oppression”. You (referring to Black Lives Matter) have filled me with hope about the next chapter of the great American story when you used your power to make a difference in our society. The late Congressman John Robert Lewis To understand how America has arrived at such a critical dividing line between “us” and “them”, it is important to fathom out the events leading up to the signing of The Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Act enabled an adversarial political realignment of the Democratic and Republican parties. Between 1890 and 1965, minority disenfranchisement allowed conservative Southern Democrats to dominate Southern politics. After President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Act into law, newly enfranchised racial minorities began to vote for liberal Democratic candidates throughout the South. Southern white conservatives (those clinging
to traditional values such as hierarchy, authoritarian rule, the preservation of religious tenets and property rights, opposition to modernism, and the return to “the way things used to be”) switched their party registration from Democratic to Republican. This deliberate political move was aimed at overcoming local and state legal barriers that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote as guaranteed under the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. When millions of people around the world, led by compassion and outrage at the recent murders of young black men and women at the hands of white police officers and racist citizens, while at the same time grasping the reality that almost 200,000 Americans have succumbed from a deadly virus seemingly now getting its second wind, I worry we’re in for a long ride on our way to some facsimile of normalcy. Many people are traumatized; their lives in
OPPRESSION 4
Charcoal Child By Brenda Lyle-Gray Columnist Part 3 Final - A young Black mother passes her six-year old’s bedroom finding her child on her knees on one side of the bed. Maxx, her faithful canine companion, lay beside her. “God, please help the mean white people. They don’t even know my name.” Tears filled the mother’s eyes. A white boy had spit on her daughter’s new denim jacket that day (a special gift from her beloved grandmother), called her a dirty ole nigger, and shoved her off the school bus. His buddies and the other kids (all white) on the bus laughed out loud. That kind of hatred had to come from somewhere at such a young age. Although the bigot aggressors were forced to write letters of apology much to their parents’ chagrin, the pain never went away some thirty years later. She never wore the jacket again. The mother would ask in silence as her child slumbered safely beside her, “How many white mothers have experienced this kind of fear . . . held their child tightly as they cried in excruciating pain . . . or paced the floors when their teen son or
daughter was late coming home . . . “driving while Black” or accidently finding themselves in a “Proud Boys’” neighborhood. When does the hatred at the highest and other multiple levels STOP!! Will there ever be an answer as to ‘why’ this malice continues to exist? If not now, when? Many people have asked this question recently. Some have answered that there are far too many layers with the resistance to much needed societal change; the deadly pandemic that is far from over; a fractured economy; and the White House. Others say it’s just enough to survive the current and shaky stateof-affairs. I do wish all the administration affected a speedy recovery. No one should ever desire ill-will for anyone despite how much they oppose their views and their disheartening and racist actions. Children need modeling from adults on kindness, integrity, and morals . . . important experiences in character building that cannot be embraced sitting in front of a computer screen. As parents, especially of Black children – young and grown – we must find a way to help them work through
CHARCOAL CHILD 11
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Page 4 • October 26, 2020 - November 1, 2020 • Insight News
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North Minneapolis deserves better developments on sites like Broadway Pizza By Dorothy Bridges For generations, the neighborhoods in North Minneapolis have been the targets of marginalization and disinvestment. Although not always as violent as the states in the South, Minnesota experienced its own institution of Jim Crow laws through redlining, discriminatory lending practices, and exclusive policies. These systemic practices have left our community vulnerable to numerous societal ills that hinder our community-building efforts. This culture of disinvestment continues to plague efforts and makes it for North Minneapolis development to not be held to the same standards as that in other neighborhoods - that less is just fine. Case in point: On October 20, the City Council will consider a developer’s proposal to build 163 units of all affordable housing on the Broadway Pizza site, with no amenities for current residents, let alone 163 additional new families. This concentration of housing with no amenities perpetuates and confounds the troubles we face. There is continued action by policy makers to concentrate poverty in North Minneapolis, by allowing the development of heavily subsidized affordable
housing with total disregard for the negative long-term impact. In the last 10 years, and, while every community bordering us has successfully added-mixed income mixeduse developments, North Minneapolis has been the target of developers building subsidized affordable housing unchallenged and indeed, cheered on, by our policy makers. This must stop. The Broadway Pizza project covers a unique parcel near the river with concentrated affordable housing and does nothing creative to add the things our community needs the most, even when we ask for it. And they are taking away our only sit-down restaurant! The developers are seeking variances from stringent zoning and planning rules around height and proximity to the river in order to maximize the concentration of housing on site. Other affordable projects in different parts of the city are asked to – and do include market-rate units along with coffee shops, stores, and full restaurants. Only in North Minneapolis, and in particular, the Hawthorne neighborhood, are these amenities overlooked. I have lived in North Minneapolis for the last 16 years as a resident of the Hawthorne neighborhood and an additional 5 years in the Jordan community.
The Broadway Pizza site in North Minneapolis is being considered by the Minneapolis City Council for 163 units of all affordable housing. community with economic and racial diversity where people of low-moderate and middle income means were living side by side. Only 30.5% of people in Hawthorne own their home and about 35% of people live below the poverty level in Hawthorne compared to 20% for the city of Minneapolis on average. Compare that to the 5.7% in the Calhoun Isles area and 36% in Near North. From 2010- 2018, 325 new rental units were developed in Near North, none of them were developed at market rate: all were solely affordable housing.
As a banker for more than 40 years, I spent the better part of my professional life working to build economic prosperity in neighborhoods throughout North Minneapolis. I worked diligently with others to create opportunities for all to work, live, and prosper in this place we call home. I worked with developers, private and non-profit, to build housing for first time home buyers and market rate home owners. I also led efforts to finance small businesses and community facilities and, for a while, it looked as if North Minneapolis was on a trajectory to becoming a thriving, vibrant
Let me be clear: I support an affordable housing agenda – one that includes mixed incomes and mixed uses - or we will fail at rebuilding community. In her final argument in support of passing a major $1.87 billion state bond infrastructure bill on the House floor, Representative Kaohly Her (DFL-St. Paul) said, “racist policies and lack of investment in North Minneapolis is what has led it to the scarcity mindset and mistrust which manifests itself in ways that create poverty.” If the city and its leaders are serious in correcting
the harms that have been caused, a higher standard for development must be our foundation. A good start would be to send this proposal back to the drawing board to make it right for our neighborhood and our region. The City Council will make its decisions before month’s end. Let them know TODAY that they must stop concentrating poverty and disregarding amenities for our neighborhoods in North Minneapolis. North Minneapolis deserves and demands more, not less, from our officials and from developers.
National Urban League launches Black restaurant accelerator program powered by PepsiCo Foundation The National Urban League and PepsiCo joined forces to create the Black Restaurant Accelerator, which will boost approximately 500 Blackowned businesses over the next five years. The PepsiCo Foundation is providing a $10 million grant to fund the program, which will provide current and aspiring Black restaurateurs with access to capital, training, mentorship and other support services that are necessary for business success. Black entrepreneurs
have long faced systemic barriers to growth, including access to loans and capital, biased community perceptions and gentrification challenges. These hurdles have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, as demonstrated by the 41% of Black-owned businesses that have shuttered since February 2020 compared to just 17% of white-owned businesses.* Through National Urban League Entrepreneurship Centers in 12 cities across the U.S., the Black Restaurant Accelerator will not
only help address these barriers, but also take a long-term view by pairing participants with entrepreneurship advisors and PepsiCo employee volunteers to build an actionable plan for growth. “This is a game changing program that will provide Black restaurateurs with access to businessbuilding resources tailored to meet their specific needs,” said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League. “Our understanding of the
local business environment and community paired with subject matter expertise from PepsiCo team members will give business owners a leg up as they look to grow.” National Urban League will begin accepting applications for the program in the first quarter of 2021. Learn more about Urban League Entrepreneurship Centers and other workforce development programs by visiting NUL.org. “This is a key component of the broader
investments we’re making to bolster Black-owned restaurants and small businesses, which has never been more critical,” said Jon Banner, executive vice president, PepsiCo Global Communications and president, PepsiCo Foundation. “We’re honored to build on the important work the National Urban League is doing to diminish the barriers that limit possibilities for Blackowned foodservice businesses and create economic mobility that propels individuals and communities.”
himself to be irresponsible, irrational, and contemptuous of science and medicine—yet who avails himself of the best medical services possible— when his own a** is on the line. If Trump really believed that corona virus is a joke, why did he go to the hospital? Why not stay home and prove that he is immune? The man is crazy like a fox, and his political will to win even more insane. At the end of the day, Donald Trump is, once again, hoping he can fool the American people. When you vote, know
that you are sealing the fate of our present and our future, and neither of these should look like a reality TV show. That is all Donald Trump can offer. In the last four years, we’ve had enough political theater to last us for decades. The possibility of four additional years makes Donald Trump even scarier than the corona virus. We underestimated this corona disease, let’s not make the same mistake and underestimate Donald Trump. VOTE © 2020 Irma McClaurin Irma McClaurin
(http://irmamcclaurin.com ) is Culture and Education Editor and for Insight News, a consultant and free-lance writer, former UMN Associate VP and founding executive director of UROC and past president of Shaw University. Named “Best in the Nation Columnist” in 2015 by the Black Press of America, she is publishing some columns in her forthcoming book: JUSTSPEAK: Reflections on Race, Culture, and Politics in America. Contact: info@ irmamcclaurin.com
to acknowledge the presence of a malignancy of racism, and the vicious campaign to discourage our young adults from voting . . . attempting to tap into their apathetic cynicism and convincing them their vote really doesn’t count. We must fight harder to reverse this destructive mindset. We must demonstrate a capacity of courage, unbreakable resilience, and a willingness to get into “good trouble” by demanding our right of due process and the principles of the 14th and 15th amendments. There’s a lot of pent up anger and rage. We’ve got to look closely at the next necessary steps. We’re in the best position now to make changes happen. Bruce Arians, Head Coach (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) On May 13th, right at the height of rising COVID19 cases and deaths, The VoteSafe Act was proposed to help fund physically safe and secure state voting systems. The Act would provide funding for states to improve registration efforts, implement curbside voting, make sure ballots are accessible in different languages and to those with disabilities and seniors, and provide training for poll workers. Additional components of the Act include: Improving access to voter registration and supporting automatic and same day voter registration The expansion of vote-by-mail and early voting
of at least 20 days to improve the safety of in-person voting during the COVID19 pandemic Funding to ensure voting access for American Indian, Alaska Native, and rural voters Allowing voters to make advance reservations at their polling places Requires states to permit no-excuse mail-in absentee voting Provide grants for states to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of
polling places Before leaving this world, the famed civil rights activist wanted to see proof that “the truth would still be marching on”. He stood in the middle of a recently painted mural in Washington D.C. reading “Black Lives Matter.” This is a time that offers an unprecedented opportunity for spiritual and moral awakening which requires truth, honesty, and a passion for what is right, fair, and just.
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Commentary by By StatePoint Hazel Josh Cobb Tricethe Edney Special from Ricki Fairley By Pam Kragen By Kevin Punsky Dr. LaVonne Moore Twin Cities Association Minnesota Department The Cincinnati Herald Reprinted courtesy ofon the Originally published Mayo Clinic of Black Journalists/ Health BlacksInTechnology.net San Diego Union-Tribune Insight News Intern March 9, 2017 By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent @ StacyBrownMedia
Trump From 3 has misled us about his taxes. If there are any certainties, it is that the corona virus is rocketing upwards, and the more we try to “return to normal,” the more we go
backwards in terms of recovery. There is no more traditional “normal.” That status quo behavior died in the first wave of the virus back at the end of March. Shouldn’t we be a wee bit scared that a man who wants to be elected as President, and who can determine the fate of this country’s health, is now publicly denouncing
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scientists and medical experts like Fauci, and saying “People are tired of coronavirus. … People are tired of hearing Faucet and all these idiots.” Yet, despite the fact of his own exposure as proof of how contagious the virus is, he is still resisting and trashing the advice of scientists and medical experts like Dr. Fauci. Which makes Donald Trump, at this moment in time, as believable as those Holocaust deniers, who claim that photos of Concentration camps and mass graves were staged. Please vote. But not for a man who has proven
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Oppression From 3 Insight News is published weekly, every Monday by McFarlane Media Interests. Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Culture and Education Editor Dr. Irma McClaurin Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Intern Kelvin Kuria
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physical and financial strife; and their spirits badly broken. It could be a tough fight to remain optimistic and believing we will all overcome our greatest fears and hurdles in multiple scenarios that have invaded our personal and professional spaces. As the Congressman reminded us, “We must walk humbly with God. We must reach a place where our nation and our world are at peace with themselves. . . where there is no more disparity and unevenness.” Re-phrase conversations and pressure local politicians voted into office by constituents who trusted them to provide protection for voters, to understand these aren’t anarchists taking over the streets in protest. These are weary, hurting individuals who have decided they just can’t live with this kind of fear and neglect any longer. We must demand that this election be carried out ethically - fair and square - with each qualified ballot counted. Alternative voting methods must be made available and voter suppression exposed. A challenge was left for us with the recent transitioning of the gentleman warrior who was called the “Conscious of the Congress” . . . for us all to become better and truer versions of ourselves. Now is the time
I DREAM A WORLD I dream a world where man No other man will scorn, Where love will bless the earth And peace its paths adorn I dream a world where all Will know sweet freedom’s way, Where greed no longer saps the soul Nor avarice blights our day. A world I dream where black or white, Whatever race you be, Will share the bounties of the earth And every man is free, Where wretchedness will hang its head And joy, like a pearl, Attends the needs of all mankindOf such I dream, my world! A Poem by Langston Hughes
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TOGETHER WE CAN DELIVER BLACK DREAMS. BE A VOTER. #DELIVERBLACKDREAMS VISIT BBCCSTRONG.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION.
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Transcript: Q & A with UROC’s Makeda Zulu-Gillespie Part 2 of 2 that a renowned health and wellness researcher would bring their business, their grants, and their brand to the center. The gentlemen in question was Professor Dr. Cicchetti who had a respectable reputation for doing innovative family and child health and mental health research. As you described, there were those concerned because they didn’t know how much community engagement or direction would be part of the Cicchetti model. That’s what led to the protest. People were picketing because they feared that once again, our community would be the object of a study, but not necessarily the participant nor the beneficiary of the study. That was the model we knew existed around the country in terms of Black people and in powerful institutions. Al McFarlane: I think the community thought it wise to raise the flag without full knowledge of what the agenda or strategy would be. The voices from the community were very strong and they prevailed at the end of the day. It ended up causing the university to respond and activate plans in an alternative way. In the process, Dr. Irma McClaurin brought a powerful voice of clarity in educating our people about the need for research to understand data driven decisionmaking. But she also wanted them to understand that they could be the drivers of that data. That marker set the expectations of research and research servers not simply being served by data to serve someone else’s interest. Al McFarlane: I think Dr. Claurin, the university, and you have done a lot to educate our people about what research means and how it is in anthropology. She was a world-renowned anthropologist. And I think that’s one of the wonderful things that’s happening. Dr. Claurin had many great people working with her since doing research at UROC. So talk about that . . . that whole transition. What did you hear in terms of how the community reacted negatively to the prospect of having research foisted on us? Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: When a community is constantly targeted, divested, and blamed for every ill without being honest about red lining covenant agreements, those are the kinds of issues people begin to internalize. I love what brother Resmaa talks about. “Something happened to you. There’s not something wrong with you. You are reacting to that, and it shows up in a variety of ways. One example is when you ask somebody who has so much to deal with . . . no matter how many gifts and privileges they have been given . . . to step out of the box and participate in an on-going, much needed project like UROC in a positive way . . . it’s often difficult to imagine the future. It’s easier to talk about what they don’t want, rather than to talk about what they do want. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: That has been a learning experience for me. One thing I have garnered throughout this undertaking is the understanding that when somebody’s not agreeing with you or they’re raising the flag, that it’s not personal. Sometimes it might be, and they may often use different tactics. But in the end, they only want what’s best for our community. And if you don’t hear me when I speak softly, then I must express my concerns louder and in a different language. I must find the language you understand to get what we need to bring positive results to fruition. I was a community organizer for the North Side Residents Redevelopment Council (NRRC) when UROC got its new moniker. Before then, it was the University Northside Partnership. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: We had a lot of conversations with community members about the name. And at one point, folks were saying, “Well, let’s not call it a ‘research center’ because people are afraid of research. The idea and practice of it has had a bad history. “No,” declared Dr. Claurin. We’ve got to call it what it is.” I think that was a key demonstration to not be afraid to say what it is that we need to do. We do need to have research, but we need the research to serve us. I think another declaration she made was that the community had to be included in the decisionmaking process. Our first project under Dr. Claurin was called the mortgage foreclosure process project. We looked at who was
Wayne and the live music at the forum at Lou’s Kitchen on that particular day. He always tailored the music to the discussion, bringing everything into a keen focus using the performing art form to elevate consciousness, awareness, and receptivity . . . attuning our minds and spirits to the subject at hand. That was a powerful demonstration of that capacity.
being impacted the most by foreclosures and began tracking what events led up to their loss. Community people were paid the same the center would pay a graduate research assistant to do this work. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: Of the six people in our small committee group, five were from North Minneapolis. That built trust right there because the community representatives were believed to have some skills and a commitment to do this research. Having these participating members be a part of how the center was designed gave them the knowledge to explain the functionality of the building to the community. As time went on, Heidi Barjas became the executive director. We addressed the research agenda and the way we wanted to implement certain projects. Somebody would say, “This is important.” Then someone else would knock on the door and ask one of the committee members, “Why aren’t you looking at this?” Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: So why aren’t you looking at mortgage foreclosures, the committee was asked? Pastor Alika Galloway responded, “We were looking at out-of-home placement and what was going on with the children now?” We stepped away from the issue because there were tough questions we couldn’t answer at the time. But in asking those questions and in seeking a viable response, the trauma recovery project was being developed which looked at the same issue, but somewhat differently. Instead of having an expert come in and tell us what would work, we examined why children were being taken out of the home, out of their communities, and sometimes out of the state for neglect and abuse at alarming rates compared to other communities. We believed keeping families together was the best way to bring healing, but we went with it a different model. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: And so, we had a group of behavioral health specialists, a group of faith leaders, researchers, and community folks to explore how to best tackle this broad issue. UROC became its own team because what was underlying in all this as we tried to work together was ‘race’. As the groups got together, we fostered a model. First, we had to look at how each group was causing trauma to children themselves. Then we brought on the cultural wellness center to talk with families and individuals. The cultural wellness center has something called ‘the people’s theory’. The obvious was the importance of “connection’ being an intricate component of the healing process. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: The American way teaches isolation. My way, I do it myself, you get yours, and I’ll get mine. Many indigenous people’s ways . . . our original ways . . . was to work in the community. In doing so, each group dealt with trauma . . . how they caused trauma, but then they had to also look at their own trauma. What traumas happened in their lives? Then we could look at how we were going to use our discussion results to work with young people. What we discovered was that a whole lot of work within each of our groups needed to be explored and formulated into workable solutions. It was a wonderful project. We had a lot of trainings including the Star training strategies for trauma awareness and resilience. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: We had soul medic by Brother Resmaa that was effective. UROC does its work so that it goes out. We don’t do programs. The 5 million the City of Minneapolis received was partially used to deal with the trauma precipitated by the murder of Jamar Clark. There were many who were murdered before Jamar, and some afterward. The first person I knew personally was Tycel Nelson. Kevin Jenkins was his righthand man. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: I was working for the YMCA at the time and it was my first time understanding how people that I thought were my friends saw UROC. And I was saying, “They shot him in the back. There was no reason to shoot him in the back.” And one of our members said, “Well, if he was such a quite boy, why was he out there anyway?” Al McFarlane Yeah. And that’s what’s going on right now with George Floyd as we speak.
Robert J. Jones Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: It doesn’t matter who they are or what they’ve done. No one gets to be judge, jury, and executioner. So, the work of the trauma recovery project, when recasts, was looking to do their work and they asked people to come and share how they thought the city could best move forward. I know brother Resmaa has done a lot of work with the city of Minneapolis’ employees including the police department and workers in various communities. I’m really proud of that work because to me, values groups like the cultural wellness center have long been facilitating these kinds of work circles in the city; bringing people together consistently to talk about how the healing can begin. There’s a lot of research I’m excited about. The Northside Job Creation Team and the Northside Healing Space are two components that have and will continue to move our work forward. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: I’ll talk about the Northside Healing Space first. Lauren Martin and Pastor Alika Galloway looked at people who were trading sex in North Minneapolis. The project was brought to the table because someone saw that as a problem. “They’re making our housing values go down and it’s unsafe”, some members concluded. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: But what they found while engrossed in the research is that these individuals had stories, and they had the solutions on how to make it better. Out of that, the Northside Healing Space was born. It is located at 21st and Emerson. Ironically, it was a church, but now this is a space where people who are trading sex can go and have respite. If they choose to have a different life, there are people there who can help them do that. But it is simply a place to not be judged, to get off the street, and to rest. This is ‘action’ research. Al McFarlane: It’s shifting the narrative, and it acknowledges essential humanity. And though often buried, it acknowledges the dignity of every human being, whether that person has the opportunity to affirm her or his own dignity. We start with . . . “that’s our approach to you.” And this is the approach we have for ourselves - that is . . . we are valuable, we have selfworth, and our lives matter. We mean something to creation and to community. That’s a powerful, powerful thing! And so, the other component is the Northside Job Project, right? Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: Yes. The Northside Job creation team is aware of how important their work is. North Minneapolis has the highest unemployment rate in the city of Minneapolis. A lot of times people say, “Well, they just don’t have the skills, or they can’t get out there.” Well, the Northside Job Creation team says, “Let’s make sure we can match the people with the jobs.” Their goal was to have 1,500 more jobs in North Minneapolis by 2017. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: The team met that goal, but they continue to work. They’ve worked to make sure people like Club Foods are in places like Target. They challenged the University of Minnesota on whether or not we’re being as open and making sure new people could become a part of the pipeline. But as a quick side note, when we have these systems in place that we use to open opportunities, people have to apply. We blame the people, but we don’t blame our process. I love challenging the process and will continue to do so. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: At least, that is our intent. The truth is when Black folks and indigenous people do better, we all do better. We are on their land, are we not? I live in North Minneapolis. I live right across from the Boys and
Girls Club. It’s an exciting area. By exciting, I mean, we have some great neighbors who love to do gardening, and have cool kids playing on the sidewalks. But let’s be honest. We also have folks who might pull out a gun and shoot you without a second thought! Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: So, when we have these two groups, we must somehow provide opportunities. My telling a young man, “Hey, you need to apply to the university” is not a direct path. And without skills or the aptitude to complete course work successfully will be different for him. It doesn’t mean he can’t get to the university, but from what he’s doing right now, straight to the university is probably not going to be a wise option. But telling him there’s a job at the university that doesn’t require him to have a degree . . . a position that would offer him benefits and a lot less risk to his life on a daily basis. Al McFarlane: So, we put them in an environment of the solution that can be forged for him and by him. The key is having the access to begin the process. Al McFarlane: Makeda, you have gone into the community and identified priorities you will be rolling out soon. I think that’s what our meeting was about, but I did want to take a minute to reflect on today being the 19th anniversary of 9/11. This program – “Conversations with Al McFarland” was being broadcast in your building. At that time, it was Lucille’s Kitchen, part of the shopping center. And I recall it was 8:40 A.M. when the first plane hit into the first tower in New York. Al McFarlane: We were on our way down to Lucille’s Kitchen to do our regular morning program. When we arrived, there was a TV on. And when the program went to live radio on KMOJ, I think maybe we had KFAI as well. I’m not sure, but we went live at nine o’clock. We were watching what was going on simultaneously. Our guests that morning for the program was first, my brother, Wayne McFarlane and his jazz band. They opened the show saying, “Something’s going on in the country. We don’t know what it means, but we’re here. Let’s take time to think about what’s happening right now, but not panic. We don’t know but this appears to be the potential for a lot of lives lost with this plane having bombed itself into the World Trade Center. Al McFarlane: I think before the hour was up and while we were still on the air, a second plane had flown into a building at the Pentagon. After that, the other plane went down in a field in Pennsylvania. Our other guest for that morning’s program was Roger Guenveur Smith, the actor who played a lead role in Spike Lee’s movie, “Get On the Bus” on The Million Man March. He played the L.A. police officer . . . a great role in that film. At the time, he was in town touring with his one man play on the life of Huey P. Newton. We did the interview . . . a good one, I might add. There was great spirit and information. But we were all thinking about and watching what was happening on the east coast. We weren’t listening, but we were watching what was happening on the TV monitor behind us. Al McFarlane: I loved it when Roger got up and joined Wayne in singing to close off the show. As I recall, they sang Bob Marley’s music – “Stand Up, Get Up” and “Buffalo Soldiers”. I just remember it was a time that tied me to what I was doing when this painful, unprecedented event happened and the message from the music. It had to do with how we would ‘stand up’, for our humanity and our identity, and how we as a people had overcome. That was one of the beautiful things about having
Al McFarlane: Well, Makeda, I can tell you that after UROC came on board and started programming and serving the community, one of the best parts of almost every day for me was driving from where my office is on Bryant, past UROC, to my house on Thomas Avenue. What I noticed was that the UROC parking lot was full most days. Then as often as not, you could see people inside the large meeting rooms through the glass windows. While that was happening on my left as I’m heading west on Plymouth Avenue, on my right on the north side of the street, the Urban League parking lot was full, as well. They’ve got a big window, too. Around the corner at North Point Health and Wellness, business was robust. Al McFarlane: What it meant, Makeda, was our people were and are still engaged in our community. That dispelled the myths that we don’t care . . . we don’t show up . . . we’re not involved. None of those descriptors are true. Our people have been and remain committed, and we demonstrate that all the time. One of the powerful demonstrative venues has been UROC and the work you’re doing there while being available and accessible to our community. Kudos to the visionaries who decided it was an appropriate thing to bring this asset to our community, and to say to our businesses and residents . . . this is what you own. You are the proprietors of this University of Minnesota. Here is a place where we can serve you. I think that’s wonderful!! Al McFarlane: Getting back to the agenda, let’s look at the three directions I think UROC is working on or you are announcing soon. One of them is addressing the question of community healing and wholeness. As an institution, you’re also looking at focusing on examining systems and systemic racism - using the language, naming it, and naming it with the intent of addressing it. Finally, you are remaining focused and elevating your intensity around individual, family, and community financial well-being . . . really clear pods and comprehensive strategies that are connected and essential to these initiatives. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: We started in the spring of 2019. We had a number of holding meetings with community members including folks from nonprofit organizations, residents, university staff, students, and faculty members talking about what they thought would be the direction that UROC should go. We do have three areas we focus on, and that won’t change. These focus areas were decided upon by community members and the university from the beginning. They are: community and economic development; education and lifelong learning; and health and wellness. When asked about our research and what UROC had accomplished, we could proudly report on all our affiliated projects and working with over 350 faculty, staff, and community members on 460 projects. We usually do one to three signature projects a year - the work lasting a few years. We have not written about this work. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: The goal is to make sure we are honoring the research agenda. That’s important to our survival . . . for us being an asset to the university and to the community. We need research specific to UROC. That’s one of the reasons why we pushed forward on this, but we didn’t want to decide on what those areas were ourselves. The community came around the three areas, but there are a few other focuses. We want to enhance intergenerational relationships with our seniors. That’s important. This same importance lies with our youth. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: YoUthROC involves young people who are undertaking participatory action research. They are between the ages of 18 and 25. Some are students at the university; some are not. An appetite for change
has been very connected to their efforts. We want that work to happen specific to and between those same communities. So how do we look at systems and systemic racism? We’re hoping faculty members affiliated with UROC will come up with some really creative ideas on how to look at this work. We believe our timing is right on time. The community wants to move forward. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: There are people who have been writing about systemic racism . . . the obvious some choose to ignore. Brooke Cunningham had an article in the Times talking about people who were demonstrating or protesting as the essential workers of the pandemic and about systemic racism. Is that powerful or what? I’m excited about this work. We don’t have infinite funds, so we’ll only be able to fund three $15,000 projects. That will pay for research assistants who will facilitate making this work happen. We’ve sent out this announcement so people will know the position is available. The awardees will be announced in January. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: Part of their commitment is not only to do this work, but to do the work in the community. The three who are recipients of the funding and the assignment, will also be working together to talk about their work and their findings. Hopefully, they will be able to create an interdisciplinary or inner project outcome. We’re excited about being the focal point of community and university research in the urban core. Al McFarlane: This is absolutely phenomenal! So people who might be interested in submitting an application for a grant in the three areas you described (individual, family, and community financial wellbeing; healing and wholeness; and systems and systemic racism) should seek information as to the appropriate next steps. Is that right? Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: Yes, sir. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: So, if there’s a community member out there who is interested in this work, they would need to work with a faculty member. That’s how some of our projects got started like exploring recommendations pertaining to domestic and community violence and how to prevent this nemesis for young people. Somebody has said the university needs to help us do this project over here. You got some faculty members? Community people can approach faculty members and say, “Let’s work together!” Al McFarlane: One last thing before bringing this inspiring ‘conversation’ to a close is the impact in our community of George Floyd’s murder by police officers. On this subject, this is where I’m coming from. The execution of George Floyd and that eight minute and 40 something second video where we and the world watched what people of color have seen and some experiencing blatant violence in one way or another brought protestors to the street. We have talked about this, but our talk has been marginalized, discounted, poo-pooed, and there were those who acted like we were crazy. If we complained about our feelings regarding the bigotry perpetrated against us . . . that we have long been under siege or at risk or in danger seems irrational to them. The danger we experienced often is amplified because it may be something that’s coming out of our own family household, neighborhood, or community. Al McFarlane: But then if you call the police, you have to weigh whether there’s a risk of somebody acting inappropriately, or you are being perceived wrongly and your life becomes further at risk. Here’s the George Floyd example of all these other killings like it of black men and women around the country. We all know this is consistent with a history of lynching, murder, and victimization. Then I look at the photos . . . you’ve seen them . . . of the Lynch mob up in Duluth where people use that as a community event to celebrate whiteness, white culture, and white power. The galvanizing moment was the hanging of black men in public. We’ve long talked and written about these atrocities not only in the South,
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Zulu-Gillespie From 7 but throughout the country for decades. Al McFarlane: So, here we have the George Floyd incident that captures and focuses all our minds on the reality of this kind of thing happening, and this specific thing happening right now, right here. If you pull the lens back from that eight minute and 40 second video, you look at a wider lens where we see a pandemic caused by COVID19. If you look closely at the virus, you see the disparate impact of that on our community. What that does is illuminate or pull the cover off this wide and historic practice of marginalizing and maintaining disparities in access to health and solutions for our community. Al McFarlane: What I’m discovering is we are freer now. I hear us being more courageous . . . more clear about our feelings and what we want . . . and more insistent on bringing our voice to this discussion both among ourselves and to the world. I’m asking you as a young leader at the university and as a rooted young elder in our community what your thoughts are about all this? How do you integrate the urgency to address the George Floyd incident and the question of justice; the urgency to address the inequities in health, wealth, and education and all the other unevenness? How do we keep ourselves committed and focused on moving forward and finding solutions? This is a lot!! Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: It sure is a lot. Over 400 years can’t be solved in a few days. We know that. We also know we’re carrying decades of pain. George Floyd’s murder was unfathomable for me. Why did it have to be justified that this man was killed, as was Breonna Taylor and the elders on Golden Valley Road. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: I’d like to go back to the fact that it is September 11th and where I was. I was running for Third Ward City Council at that time. Shane Price and
Joe Biernat were running, too. Biernat knew he had a case, so he moved out of the way for the greater good. Shane Price probably would have been our first Third Ward City Council member, and probably would have been serving along with Natalie Johnson Lee. I believe some shifts happened earlier. I wanted to bring up 9-11 because I remember I was in my neighborhood on 23rdand Freemont passing out literature. I had come home to get some more items and saw the news. I sat down and just stared at my TV. I saw people jumping out of this building and I started to cry. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: There is a humanity. I didn’t know the folks who were in that tower. I couldn’t see their faces, but what I did know was that, out of desperation, there was no other place for them to go but to jump out that building. That’s the only way they saw. Nobody thought to go to those family members at that time to say, what do we need to do right now to help you? We are an incredible people. We can mourn and move on at the same time. But I reminded those I was close to that it was going to take a lot of work to make justice show up on a consistent basis for our people. It’s going to take a lot of different ways. We need the folks that are out there protesting and holding people’s feet to the fire . . . letting the undisputable truth embarrass and shame ‘them’. We need folks to be registered voters and show up at the polls letting their voice be heard. People listen to voters. Our votes and our filling out our census information helps us have resources in our community. Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: When we don’t show up, it hinders our progress. But I don’t say that for us to feel bad. There’s a reason why we don’t trust systems and why we don’t want to be a part of one. I get that. But we must make the systems work for us. I also want to say, you were talking to Robert Guenveur Smith that day. He was also a part of a movie that was filmed in Minneapolis called Justice that talked about the legal system. He showed how many young people ended up with cases and being on probation and having their whole lives usurped. Many
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times, they didn’t even commit crimes. They took a plea because that’s how they were going to get out of there.
mindset has changed. My point. It’s going to take the summation of different work for real justice to happen.
Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: This was long before Michelle Alexander’s book, “The New Jim Crow”. No disrespect to that book, but I’m just saying people were uncovering this a while ago. It’s going to take people writing books. It’s going to take research. It’s going to take people yelling and crying, and it’s going to take all of us. It’s going to take black people being unapologetically black and stopping people when they say things that don’t make sense. We will not all agree all the time. That’s okay, too, but we must remain together. Our ultimate goal is that we get the best for our community. You might think something should be green, and I think it should be yellow, but we’re going to make it a light green, or a dark yellow, and we’re going to make it work. It’s going to take all of us. We do have what it takes to make this change, and we are doing it right now.
Al McFarlane: It’s an important point. I think we have a lot of misinformation and disinformation in our community, and it takes, as you say, research, training, education, modeling, and I think us having the capacity to talk about all this as part of our common, everyday vocabulary and ‘conversations’. The more we talk about it and understand it, the less we rely on the old tales about, “I’m doing this for the people - not doing it for money - or money doesn’t matter. Money does matter! Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: It does matter. Al McFarlane: Economies matter. I tell people too often that white people get the money; we get the misery. Our misery is good business, right? So, there’s every incentive for them to simply farm the misery because it’s a paycheck for them. We must take ownership and demand to see ourselves as part of the solution side of the equation rather than the problem side of that same equation.
Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: I know we would like to be able to just point to it and say, it’s done. That won’t happen for a long time, but there are people who are showing up by growing good food. There are people that are making sure we understand our financial wellness and how to be better with our family finances. That was one of my failings early in life. My parents have given a lot to the community and never really sought a lot of finances. That’s fine because wealth comes in many ways. My parents didn’t teach me this. I thought people that had money obviously were not really for the people.
Al McFarlane: If we become part of the solution side, revenue will drive problems being solved. We should see ourselves as generators and recipients of revenue that comes from doing the noble work of solving problems that impact our community. If we don’t solve the problem, it probably won’t be solved. We must reinforce both our capacity and our belief in our ability to be part of the solution. I want to say before we close one last thing about Insight’s relationship with UROC. When Irma got here, one of my business partners, Nhi Nguyen, who owned the Asian American Press and I had created a group called the “Minnesota Minority Media Coalition”. We renamed it “Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium”. It exists today still. What we did was to go to other owners of Black, Asian, Latino, and Native media and suggest we should work together because we’re all getting the same story when we
Makeda Zulu-Gillespie: That’s a very damaging mindset, right? Because that teaches us that we shouldn’t own our homes or our businesses, but these are ways we can take care of each other. Even if we all had our own home, when our brothers and sisters come home from being incarcerated, they don’t have to be concerned about where they will live because they’ve got a room to stay in that nobody else is regulating. I’m glad my
By Titilayo Bediako
U of M’s UROC building on Plymouth Avenue. go to market. Al McFarlane: The story is how the market perceives us. We are the decision makers . . . the people spending money and buying advertising. But they see us and our community as small, insignificant, inconsequential, and therefore not necessary for green space or think space time for consideration. They would actually say, “Look, we gave in church on Sunday. Get out of here”. So, they thought our business was charity, but we chose to differ. No, we’re in business to do business that’s profitable, that grows and expands, and that creates jobs. We came to the university because we had been watching the transition from the Bush administration to the Barack Obama administration. One of the things the Obama administration did was launch the (AARA) The American Reinvestment and Revitalization Act. From that Act, we brought to UROC a broad band technology awareness and adoption program. We were successful with the leadership and stewardship of the university and UROC. Al McFarlane: We won a $2.9 million dollar project to create 10 (ten) computing centers in North Minneapolis, South Minneapolis, and at Summit University in St. Paul targeting our multicultural/ethnic communities, introducing broadband access to our community, announced that it was free, and there would be broadband training the
university and UROC hired, managed, and placed to provide instruction around broadband internet and technology to businesses and consumers in our neighborhoods. So, I think that was a wonderful example of how the organization has partnered with businesses and community organizations to create access, opportunity, and change. I always loved telling the story because it was an important story. I want to give credit to both Irma McClaurin and to the university . . . Dr. McClaurin for her visionary leadership, and to the institution for saying, this is a partnership we’re doing. So thank you for that too. Al McFarlane: I want to thank you, Makeda Zulu-Gillespie for your leadership, your work, your vision, and for the clarity you bring to understanding who we are and where we must go as a people. Your strength comes in the confidence you bring to the causes we must embrace. You speak in a way that reveals the inevitable and imminent change we all seek. For that I say, let’s make it happen!! Al McFarlane: I’m Al McFarlane and this is “Conversations with Al McFarlane”. If you enjoyed this dialogue, ‘like it’ and ‘share it’. Let people know we’re here most every day at 1:00 P.M. We engage in important conversations with citizens in our local and state communities, and around the world, bringing us together to project analyses and points of view on issues affecting concerned and interested constituents.
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Insight News • October 26, 2020 - November 1, 2020 • Page 9
Daughter Gianna Bryant and Kobe Bryant
Anthony Davis
Rob Pelinka
Lakers do it for Kobe By Davion Moore, Sports Writer
Another year, another championship. While it has been 10 years since the Los Angeles Lakers won a title, the illustrious franchise won their 17th championship on Sunday night. LeBron James and the Lakers beat the Miami Heat 106-93 to become the 2020 NBA Champions. The Lakers closed out the series 4-2 after the Heat won Games 3 and 5. The NBA’s bubble was a unique experience that I admittedly was skeptical about when it was announced. The bubble was an isolation zone at Disney, where the players would remain until the end of the season. The NBA used this as a tactic to prevent COVID-19 cases so that they can continue their season. I was unsure of how successful it would be, but the league proved me wrong and carried on with a successful ending to their regular season as well as a successful playoffs. With competitive games and zero positive COVID-19 tests, the NBA season was a success. And it ended with a meaningful
championship. Earlier this year, the sports world was stunned by the death of former Laker Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant. The Bryants were two of nine people involved in the horrific crash. Alyssa Altobelli (one of Gianna’s teammates) and her parents, Christina Mauser (a basketball coach), Payton Chester (another teammate of Gianna) and her mom, and Ara Zobayan (the pilot) were also in the helicopter. When I heard the news, I was stunned and at a loss for words. It was as if I could believe it. Bryant’s death made an impact on me. It saddened me, but it also inspired me to incorporate Bryant’s renowned “Mamba Mentality” into how I approach my goals. All of us in the sports world felt the loss in some way, shape, or form, and NBA players (including LeBron James) made sure to pay tribute to Bryant throughout the season. But to a champion like Kobe, a championship is the ultimate tribute. The Lakers kept this in mind as they went through the finals. After the Lakers won the finals, their star forward
Anthony Davis spoke on Bryant and how this year’s championship is for him. “Kobe, I know he’s looking down on us super proud,” Lakers star forward Davis said. “We miss him, and this is definitely for him.” “He would come to the game and just tell us, ‘This is y’all year. This is y’all year. Go out and take it,’” Davis said. “He had a lot of confidence in our team. He had a lot of confidence in our organization to go out there and win it this year.” Davis’ words echoed throughout the Laker organization, as Rob Pelinka, their Vice President and General Manager, said Bryant guided the team throughout the season. Pelinka had a special bond with Bryant as he was a close friend, his former agent, and the godfather of Gianna. “I think Kobe and Gianna have guided this team the entire year,” Pelinka said. “Kobe’s voice is always in my head. Always, every day, every minute.” In what was a strange NBA season, it is safe to say it ended on a good note. From the passing of former NBA
commissioner David Stern, Bryant’s passing a month later, the season ending in March due
to COVID-19, and playing in the bubble, it was an unbelievable season. And the icing on the
cake? The Lakers doing it for Kobe. This was a great season, and I cannot wait until next year.
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Page 10 • October 26, 2020 - November 1, 2020 • Insight News
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Insight News • October 26, 2020 - November 1, 2020 • Page 11
Charcoal Child 3 (Conclusion and Resources) strive to live more meaningful lives . . . in love – not hate; in truth – not deceit; in faith – never doubt; in unselfishness – not greed; and finding joy in gratitude and in giving help and hope to others.
Let’s face it. Children are going to play with the kids they enjoy and connect with those they feel they can trust, especially now when they have little or no social or emotional connection to peers. Parents have a responsibility, if possible, to introduce their offspring to the real world of diversity and expose them to new discoveries and possibilities. Our youth must be able to trust their parents/guardians and older siblings. If we are to begin the healing process, we should try to create peaceful and loving surroundings hoping to combat some of the fears of this awful, ongoing pandemic. If we are not present in our children’s lives and have no desire to model positive character traits such as treating all people of all different races the same until they give us reason not to; maintaining an admirable work/study/practice ethic; taking pride in appearances and one’s personal space; and to be thankful for the joy, the rewards, and the blessings we experience, then we have indeed neglected the chance to be a player in a deserving child’s life. We must start early teaching ‘life’ lessons as children begin to notice racial differences
between the ages of 3 and 5 according to most pediatric experts. We must encourage all children to ask questions, share observations and experiences, and be respectfully curious about race. In today’s climate, it’s important for young people to understand that the battle for racial fairness is still happening and that families can take part in that struggle if they so choose. How can parents of Black children continue to instill confidence and pride in young kids while also explaining the racial realities and barriers standing in their way? An important declaration is true to fact. No one should generalize, realizing all whites and all Blacks don’t think or act the same way; that there are good and bad people in every race. White Americans, if they are empathetic and want to teach their children to value everyone, must share what they believe they understand and to let their children see them acknowledge and face their own prejudices. Encourage young people to think about what actions they can take to speak out against racism. Lots of Black people really need their voices. We cannot win this battle alone. There are so
many wonderful new books on diversity in a changing children’s literature market. How great to have powerful stories that move children to the mirror . . . as they learn to like themselves – to be proud of who they see . . . determined to work hard to “be somebody” with a purpose no matter the divide or other obstacles. Television is filled with diverse children’s content; inspiring characters; exploration and discovery; and programming that emboldens youth to look for and appreciate differences and commonalities in their playmates and classmates, and in modern times of mix races, in their families, as well.
Hopefully, and one day soon, our children can re-capture that childhood innocence and house wonderful memories they can store for a lifetime. The late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Congressman John Lewis wanted so badly to hold on to a life they both knew was slipping away . . . just enough time to see the country begin to heal after a victory for the future of our children. In memory of two phenomenal human beings, whether one believed in their views or not, ‘let us begin to heal ourselves, strengthen our relationships with our children and our extended families, and
• Celano, Marianne; Collins, Marietta; Hazard, Ann; Zivoin, Jennifer, “Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice” • Chambers, Veronica and Ryding, Paul, “RESIST: 35 Profiles of Ordinary People Who Rose Up Against Tranny and Injustice” • Durand, Aurelia and Jewell, Tiffany, “This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work” • Kates, Bobbi and Mathieu, Joe, “We’re Different – We’re the Same” • Kendi, Ibram X and Lukasky, Ashley “Antiracist
Charcoal Child
sacrifice on parents and caring and competent educators’ part to help them catch up, if but a little bit at a time. In addition, adults in all capacities as advocates for our youth must get to the point where they feel somewhat confident about talking to children at an age appropriate time about race. It’s important for the initial conversation to begin informally in an environment where a child feels comfortable asking questions and expressing their concerns. Conversations might be started by inquiring of young people what they know about the life changing events of the year 2020. Pick up on clues . . . the fact they might not want to talk about serious stuff right then, but explain the conversations had to eventually happen. Parents might not know all the answers
to their child’s questions, but it’s vital to be willing to do the research, talk to other parents, and then not to forget to come back with the best response they can offer. White parents and educators must understand that these sensitive conversations will be different for Blacks. That’s why many adults don’t feel qualified to be the one with an explanation. It’s important to provide expeditious and accessible support resources for families in need (especially due to COVID19), and those committed to building a new social culture lined in equality and compassion . . . where all children and their families can thrive. With only 15% of the U.S. population comprised of African Americans, the reality is many whites, especially in
rural areas, have never been around Blacks or had to be concerned about their plight and the inequities they experience, because it’s never been their struggle, e.g (the Voting Rights Act). That is, not until George Floyd’s murder and all the other murders of young Blacks before him that we know about (and many we probably never will know) and the forming of “Black Lives Matter”. Life has changed drastically for most citizens, and our children require special observations and adult availability to talk or to just ‘be’. What they overhear parents discuss is far less important than what they notice them do. How many friends do you have of a different race? If your children are not in a school with a diverse student body, would
you entertain a mixed-race play group or after-school program for them? How many different cultural menu items have you added to your weekly family meals? How often do you take your children to an art gallery or a museum, later talking together about the diversity of the artists’ works? White parents and educators must explore ‘how’ they feel about race and their fears, or ‘if’ they care at all about inequality and bigotry. Black children must discern how people make them feel if they allow the affront to occur. Both Black and white parents must be mindful of what their children hear or believe from their peers or on the news. At some point, we must accept that children have minds of their own, but for most Black youth, their road is far
From 3 their understood bitterness and confusion as to how people of color have remained targets of murder, poverty, and oppression for decades. Far too many African American youths have the cards stacked against them from birth. Long before the pandemic, denied opportunities and privileges were on the rise; a large majority of Black students were 3 to 4 years behind the national academic average; and the gaps in median household income, quality health care; and criminal injustices were rapidly widening. It will take a loving willingness, research, and
Conclusion and Resources – Charcoal Child Literacy opens the doors for conversations and teaching the history of bigotry, discrimination, power, and oppression that must be replaced by peace and harmony.
I’m committed to a progressive, inclusive vision that moves our state and community forward; one that eliminates structural racism in policies and practice, and keeps police accountable for excessive use of force. Together, we can develop bold solutions to strengthen education opportunities, make health care more affordable and accessible, protect workers, address homelessness, reform criminal justice, strengthen economic security, and other key values.
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Baby” • Manushkin, Fran and Tobia, Lauren, “Happy in Our Skin” • Newton, Vanessa Brantley and Levinson, Cynthia, “The Youngest Marcher: Audrey Faye Hendricks” • Penfold, Alexandra and Kaufman, Suzanne, “All Are Welcome”
Read: “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. w w w. a a c p s . o r g / letstalkjustice - left - link resource – talk to children w w w. m o m r i s i n g . com – a transformative on the ground and online multicultural organization of over a million working to increase family economic security and to end discrimination against women and mothers. www.embracerace. org – supports parents to raise children who are brave, informed, and thoughtful about race. w w w . grantmakersforgirlsofcolor. org – brings together the latest research, data, news, and insight to promote collective strategizing and partnerships across philanthropy.
more dangerous with limited opportunities and few venues for safe passage for simply living and surviving. White parents must understand why Black parents have to teach their children how to deal with the police as it seems most young people who are sentenced to jail time or life without parole are Black and brown. We can only listen for understanding . . . of wonder . . . about the things they should feel free to ask about or tell . . . if they hurt; if they are afraid; or if they are not hopeful about their future. Eventually, we simply tell them they are good people and are quite capable of achieving and being successful if they believe and work hard. Sometimes it might not work out, but at least they tried.
Page 12 • October 26, 2020 - November 1, 2020 • Insight News
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