W I N N E R : 2 017 N N PA M E R I T AW A R D S : 2 N D P L A C E B E S T S P E C I A L E D I T I O N
Insight News October 16 - October 22, 2017
Vol. 44 No. 42• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Spiritual TURN TO PAGE 2
David Carson (left) and Samuel Pacini (Wells) share a pride in being both Native-American and African-American. Rebecca Rabb
Page 2 •October 16 -October 22, 2017 • Insight News
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Leading with art:
Spiritual: A purposeful way of life Traditional Native-American pow-wows welcome North Community, Robbinsdale Armstrong students By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor @HarryColbertJr It’s not just a dance; it’s a spiritual experience. It’s not just ornate clothing, it’s regalia. It’s not just a show, it’s a purposeful way of life. In separate ceremonies, students at North Community High School and Robbinsdale Armstrong High School were welcomed to school with traditional NativeAmerican pow-wows. The events offered opportunities for those not familiar with Native-American culture to experience firsthand traditional prayer from North America’s original inhabitants. For the dancers, it was an opportunity to bless the students and their spaces with an energy of positivity and love. With both schools housing student populations
that are largely AfricanAmerican, for dancers Samuel Pacini (Wells) and David Carson, who are both multi-ethnic – NativeAmerican and AfricanAmerican – it was connecting to their roots; Native and Black. “This was a step toward teaching our history the proper way,” said Pacini. “Schools only teach so much and the books are written with hand-picked information that intentionally leaves our people and traditions out.” Though proud of their African-American heritage, both Pacini and Carson selfidentify as Native-American. “For me, it was when I was in my 30s that I began to fully embrace my NativeAmerican heritage,” said Pacini, a member of the Dakota, Prairie Island Indian Community. “I remembered being back on ‘The Res’ (the Little Earth American Indian
Rebecca Rabb
David Carson (left) and Samuel Pacini (Wells) following a pow wow ceremony at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School.
Community Reservation) and remember how proud the elders were of their NativeAmerican heritage.” As a part of connecting to his roots, Pacini is learning the Dakota language – a language he said without teaching from elders is becoming extinct. A reason for the language’s demise lies within the American school system, says Pacini. “My mother didn’t speak the language. She was blocked from speaking it,” said Pacini. “In her boarding school off the reservation she was punished physically and mentally when she would speak the language.” Pacini, who has four children – two adult children and two 12-year-olds who live with him – said he is teaching his children the almost forgotten language. Donning Plains Lakota regalia during the pow wow, Carson said his connection to
his ancestors is spiritual. “This is how we pray. I’m Iroquois and I’m proud of that. I’m proud to have a language, song … history,” said Carson. “My daughter and grandson are dancers (who take part in traditional Native-American ceremonies).” Sharing the traditional ways of North America’s original people meant a lot to Pacini and Carson. “This was our first pow wow at North. Inside a pow wow is a place of worship. It was important for us to have the students be a part of that,” said Carson. Insight News photographer Rebecca Rabb photographed Pacini and Carson at North and Robbinsdale Armstrong. Her photo taken at the North football field has been reimagined by Insight News designer, Sunny Yang, for this week’s cover.
The building at Penn and Plymouth Avenues beginning to take shape
TRANSFORMATION: The body, the building Randall Bradley Architect The structure at Penn and Plymouth Avenues in North Minneapolis – soon to be Thor Companies headquarters – is still rising out of the hole and is being built according to the architectural and engineering drawings and specifications.
The columns are being formed and poured and stripped. The formwork for the next above grade slab pours is being installed. For the next several weeks and months all construction work will be repetitive until the roof is installed. The transformation of this site continues and we are beginning to see the intention of the design for this building. The main entry is located at the corner
of Plymouth and Penn Avenues, as it should be. This building will announce the significance of this neighborhood. The exterior retail corridor is now being shaped by the 16-foot-high concrete columns along Plymouth. The rebar that is protruding from the tops of these columns will be married to the rebar for the next columns that will continue to rise, floorby-floor.
At the tops of the concrete column, a steel collar will be installed that will hold the steel formwork for the beams to be installed. These beams will connect all of the columns along Plymouth, as well as, the columns that are back within the interior of the structure. The exterior wall of the retail stores will be approximately seven feet from the exterior column line. These new shops will have ‘storefront’ construction. This is typically a wall that holds an insulated panel, the doors, and the glazing (windows). Storefronts are ubiquitous. They are everywhere. You see them both in exterior applications and throughout retail shopping malls. As you walk eastward on Plymouth, you will experience the change in grade from Penn Avenue to Oliver Avenue. Oliver is approximately nine feet lower than Penn. The entry into the parking garage will be from Oliver, which is currently the surface parking lot for the University Research and Outreach Center (UROC). The precise location of this entry/exit was negotiated between Thor, the University of Minnesota, and likely the City of Minneapolis. While the exact legal boundaries and ownership of Oliver is unknown to this writer, a legal easement may have been in place since the construction of the original
Harry Colbert, Jr.
The site for Thor Companies international headquarters at Penn and Plymouth Avenues is beginning to take shape. King Shopping Center in 1976. It is likely that sub-surface infrastructure components are still in place. This parking garage will hold 632 vehicles. As cars enter and exit through the UROC parking lot onto Oliver Avenue, it is possible that a new traffic signal will be installed at this corner. There will be five levels of parking within a four story building. As this building continues to rise and pursue completion, interior systems are also being installed. Buildings are systemic. They are built to provide for the needs of our physical bodies. As the structure is indicative of our skeleton, the building also hosts the comparative cardio-vascular, nervous, and gastro-intestinal systems. Modern buildings seek
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to provide a narrow range of climate control, about 30 degrees cooler than our 98.6 body temperature. This temperature is variable in relation to the exterior temperature and humidity of the seasons. While buildings accomplish this with boilers, furnaces, air-conditioners, hot water, steam, piping, warm air/ cool air and ductwork. This is the heating, ventilation and airconditioning (HVAC) system. Your body utilizes your heart, lungs, arteries and veins to achieve the same end; comfort. The electrical system in a building turns on and off the lighting, fans and motors in the HVAC system. Also elevators, door alarms, any type of switch, fire and smoke alarm systems, and other devices either manually or automatically. Your body empowers your nervous system and brain activity electrically, and also in some cases, chemically. The plumbing system in any capacity for human use follows two time proven axioms – clean water in, dirty water out and it all runs downhill. Although the occasional use of a pump may be required. Your body operates identical to these axioms. Buildings are designed to provide for the health, safety, and welfare of the users. This dictum is installed in the documents given to the contractor. These elements, as extensions of our physical bodies bring comfort, safety and usability of our built environments. Human beings have pursued comfort, safety and livability in all of our buildings throughout the course of history. We began by heating individual rooms with wood-burning stoves, then accomplished it with central heating. We moved from candles, to gas and now electric lighting. And what a strange and wonderful day when the plumbing moved indoors. This building accomplishes all of this and provides opportunities for new people to come into our community and enjoy it as much as we do today. Architect Randall Bradley has been chronicling for Insight News the transformation and revitalization of Penn and Plymouth Avenues in North Minneapolis, as new construction takes place on three of the four corners.
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Insight News •October 16 - October 22, 2017 • Page 3
aesthetically speaking
Aesthetically It!: Events, concerts, venues in the Twin Cities
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W I N N E R : 2 017 N N PA M E R I T AWA R D S : 2 N D P L AC E B E S T S P E C I A L E D I T I O N
Insight News October 16 - October 22, 2017
Vol. 44 No. 42• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Fired cop had history of excessive force
Jury convicts Minneapolis cop in Osman assault A Hennepin County District Court jury has found a Minneapolis police officer guilty of third-degree assault for kicking a suspect who was on his hands and knees. Former Minneapolis officer, Christopher Reiter, 36, was charged in connection with a May 30 incident, which was investigated by the St. Paul Police Department to avoid a conflict of interest. The jury deliberated for just 90 minutes. The sentence calls for probation, but Freeman said he will be asking for prison time. “We are pleased with the verdict,” said Hennepin County District Attorney Mike Freeman. “We think the evidence justified the verdict. All Minneapolitans, including police officers, agree this conduct is not acceptable. You don’t kick a guy on his knees, in the face, especially when he wasn’t doing anything.” According to the criminal complaint, officers were sent to a Minneapolis apartment building on a domestic assault call. The
female victim told police the man who assaulted her was Mohamed Osman. Officers found him sitting in a vehicle parked outside the building. Several officers ordered Osman to get out of the vehicle, which he did. The officers then told him to get on the ground, which he did. While the suspect was on his hands and knees, Reiter walked up to Osman and kicked him in the face. The man collapsed to the ground, bleeding and unconscious. He was taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a displaced nasal bone, nasal septal fractures and a mild traumatic brain injury. Osman is now suing the Minneapolis Police Department in federal court. This is not Reiter’s first time running afoul of the citizens of Minneapolis. In fact, Reiter had more than eight complaints filed against him for using excessive force. The city
Christopher Reiter
GUILTY 5
A booking photo of Mohamed Osman after he was kicked in the face by then Minneapolis police officer, Christopher Reiter.
Stacey Abrams wants to be America’s first Black female governor By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Contributor The GOP has held a tight grip on the governor’s mansion in Georgia since 2002, when Sonny Perdue, promising to restore the Confederate battle cross to the state flag, defeated Democratic incumbent Roy Barnes to become the first Republican to hold the position in the Peach State since Reconstruction. But a motivated Democrat is looking to change that and shatter a glass ceiling that has never been broken in the United States. Stacey Abrams, the Georgia state House minority leader, who holds degrees from Spelman College and the Yale School of Law, is seeking to become America’s first Black female governor. “It’s a very humbling experience to know that, if I
win this election, I would have achieved something that Black women, as far back as Barbara Jordan and Shirley Chisholm, have fought for, not necessarily the same job, but transforming how we think about leadership in America,” said Abrams in an interview with the NNPA Newswire. “Physically claiming that mantle of leadership and holding it signals that anything is possible and we can redefine what leadership looks like and who we can lift up.” Abrams, 43, said she’s undaunted by the stranglehold the GOP has had on the governor’s mansion for the past 15 years. She said Georgia will likely be a majority-minority state in the coming years, which provides Democrats more of an opportunity to claim the seat next year. She noted that Democrats in Georgia have gained steam, citing the 2006 race where the party lost by nearly 400,000 votes but significantly closed
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Georgia state house minority leader Stacey Abrams is running to become America’s first Black female governor.
NAACP 9
NAACP
Interim NAACP president and CEO, Derrick Johnson, says the NAACP is shocked that the FBI would decide to target Black identity groups protesting police brutality and their right to exist free of harm as a threat.
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‘Reclaiming Sacred Don’t complain, Tobacco’ wins Upper activate Midwest Emmy
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their work to Georgia, Abrams’ family struggled to fight off poverty, relying at times on government assistance.” As a student at Avondale High School, Abrams was hired as a typist for a congressional campaign, where her tweaks to a campaign speech she was typing up were deemed so good she ended up being hired as a speechwriter at 17, The Guardian reported. And, as she seeks to become the first female Black governor in U.S. history, Abrams has already accomplished a series of firsts including being the youngest deputy city attorney in Atlanta’s history. When she ascended to the position of House minority leader, it was the first time that a person of color or a woman had held that job in more than 200 years, according to The
ABRAMS 5
Dominick Washington headed to Minneapolis Foundation
NAACP calls out FBI’s report on ‘Black extremists’ as déjà vu BALTIMORE – According to a journalistic investigation by the news outlet Foreign Policy (FP) the FBI’s counterterrorism division has identified a new threat – Black identity extremists (BIE). The FBI’s assessment is that BIE’s “perception of police brutality against AfricanAmericans have spurred retaliatory lethal violence against law enforcement.” In response to this report, the NAACP released a statement expressing shock at the FBI’s decision to target non-violent African-American protesters while white groups known
the gap during the last election in 2014, coming within less than 200,000 votes of victory. Four Republicans – Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle, Secretary of State Brian Kemp, State Sen. Hunter Hill and State Sen. Michael Williams – and two Democrats, Abrams and State Rep. Stacey Evans have declared their candidacy for the post. The New Georgia Project, a non-partisan voter registration group, that Abrams launched three years ago, may also help her candidacy. “It’s the single largest voter registration effort in recent memory in Georgia and we have been able to register more than 200,000 people of color in Georgia to vote,” said Abrams. “I just don’t talk, I have a record that we need to talk about.” The Guardian reported that, Abrams is, “One of six children born to Methodist ministers in Mississippi who later followed
Dominick Washington
The Minneapolis Foundation has named Dominick Washington as its new vice president of Marketing and Communications. Washington comes to the Foundation with nearly 20 years of communications experience across the public, private and nonprofit sectors. “Dominick has both the tactical knowledge and the community insight that we want to lead the communication of our work and goals,” said R.T. Rybak, president and CEO of The Minneapolis Foundation. “I’m certain he will challenge us to reach even higher, and I look forward to his contributions on our team.” “I am absolutely thrilled to join The Minneapolis Foundation,” said Washington. “For more than a century, this
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Stress War onrelief opioids hurts
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organization has built and nurtured a giving community and helped make Minneapolis better for everyone. I am honored to join such a talented group of people and help extend this incredible legacy into the future.” Washington comes to The Minneapolis Foundation from the Bush Foundation. He also previously held senior communications roles at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and UnitedHealth Group. He started his career on Capitol Hill as a press aide for former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (S.D.). The Minneapolis Foundation administers more than 1,200 charitable funds established by individuals, families and businesses.
Commentary
A part of ‘adulting’ The Chronicles ofis self-love; self-care Miss Freedom Fighter,
Esquire: Ending mass incarceration
7 PAGE 9
Page 4 •October 16 -October 22, 2017 • Insight News
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Charmaine Harris receives Minnesota Lawyer’s Up & Coming Attorney award Minnesota Lawyer’s Up & Coming Attorney recognition have been presented to Blackwell Burke P.A. attorney Charmaine Harris. The award highlights lawyers within their first 10 years of practice who have distinguished themselves by their achievements. Harris’ practice focuses on medical device, products liability defense, and other litigation. She
is a lead associate for a Fortune 500 Company defending its product liability and premises liability claims arising in state and federal courts. Harris had distinguished herself in two professions, having excelled in a prior career as a biomedical engineer. Blackwell Burke P.A. is a minorityowned litigation firm in Minneapolis.
Charmaine Harris
Que pasa Puerto Rico? INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com
Insight News is published weekly, every Monday by McFarlane Media Interests. Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane
Afrodescendientes
By Carmen Robles
“Soon the news cycle will tire of this story and move on to something else, and donor fatigue may blunt the impact of the aid received but, please, don’t forget about our plight!” – Samuel Robles Like most mainland Puerto Ricans, I continue to be on edge awaiting news of que pasa (what’s happening) in Puerto Rico. The good news? I’m not alone. Even strangers joined in the relief efforts. Take the house on the corner of Lexington and Hoyt Avenues in St. Paul. The homeowner started a GoFundMe page, exchanging moss for donations. The kitty is up to $2,000.
Witnessing the generosity of people everywhere around the world; private citizens and companies rising to the occasion, and now Walmart’s “Stand by Me” commercial about Puerto Rico, brings me to tears. Tears of gratitude. Our own Miguel Ramos, director of Marketing and Diversity for the Minnesota Twins, an islander transplant, is one of those stepping up to the plate (no pun intended) and doing his part. Ramos is helping the baseball wives of Minnesota Twins’ Puerto Rican and Latino players do their part. This league of extraordinary women is mobilizing, collecting
Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Managing Editor Harry Colbert, Jr. Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Associate Editor Culture and Education Dr. Irma McClaurin Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Contributing Writers Abeni Hill Nadvia Davis Fred Easter Timothy Houston Michelle Mitchum Artika Tyner Toki Wright
By Jovenes de Salud and Kenneth Antonio Rivera
“Maria 2017” donations and heading to La Isla del Encanto (Enchanted Island) to distribute the much-needed supplies. Way to go Twins. Annastacia Belladonna, director of Common Cause-Minnesota sent me the following message. “The Indigenous Culture Center organized pallets of inventory for emergency aid to Puerto Rico. It’s been a rough past few days to say the least, but nothing compared to what our people are going through. I was able to secure the humanitarian flight from Delta (Airlines) and Aiyana Machado got two donated semi-trucks to pick up all of the emergency aid. It should arrive to Puerto Rico by Tuesday (Oct. 17) and I hope to leave on Wednesday. Through the generous support
of dozens of volunteers, we were able to deliver 55 pallets of water, food, emergency hygiene products, baby food, diapers, breast pumps and so many other amazing donations.” You go girl. Si se puede. There’s news from the island by way of a Facebook posting from my brother Sammy dated Oct. 8. “Hi folks. We are taking this in stride as we go into the third week after Hurricane Maria. Things are tough all over. No power, almost no cellphone signal (none at home), roads flooded in low areas, many downed power lines, trees and other large debris on roads. A portable generator I ordered after Hurricane Irma still hasn’t arrived, stuck at the San Juan Port along with so much stuff the island needs. “If you’ve been following the news, you’ve learned about the deaths and devastation that make my troubles seem light and petty in comparison. The visits by (President) Trump and (Vice President Mike) Pence only resulted in massive traffic jams that complicated my workday. The military is arriving and seems helpful. “I wouldn’t dream of being in this situation in my life, and the fact that we are safe and sound, mostly healthy, a safe roof over our heads, mobile, and mostly sane, is a testament to God’s providence and loving kindness. I bless him for His comfort and strength, for providing for our daily needs. Thank you for reaching out.” Well said, little brother. Puerto Rico is more than just my ancestral home; it is an integral part of the economic stability of that entire area. We will not forget your plight, Puerto Rico.
Photography David Bradley Rebecca Rabb Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55411.
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Insight News •October 16 - October 22, 2017 • Page 5
ClearWay Minnesota, Twin Cities PBS coproduction named Best Topical Documentary
‘Reclaiming Sacred Tobacco’ wins Upper Midwest Emmy “Reclaiming Sacred Tobacco” was named Best Topical Documentary of the year at the Upper Midwest Emmy awards gala Oct. 7 in Bloomington. A collaboration between ClearWay Minnesota and Twin Cities PBS, the program explores tobacco use by NativeAmericans in Minnesota. “Reclaiming Sacred Tobacco” features NativeAmerican Minnesotans discussing traditional tobacco practices, and how the commercial tobacco industry corrupted those practices into harmful behaviors such as cigarette smoking. In Minnesota today, 59 percent of NativeAmericans smoke, compared to 14 percent of the general population. “Reclaiming Sacred Tobacco” attempts to show how restoring traditional ways can move people away from cigarette smoking and toward healthier living. Accepting the award was Dakota/Diné producer, Leya Hale of Twin Cities PBS, who
Guilty From 3 paid out $105,000 in April to Shawn Ross, after Reiter kicked him in the face following a 911 call to a gas station where Ross was on duty. Ross said he was actually trying to break up a fight and waved Reiter over when the then officer ordered Ross to the ground and kicked him. In 2015 Reiter and another officer were sued by current Minneapolis mayoral candidate, Al Flowers, when police came to Flowers home in 2014 to check for Flowers’
Abrams From 3 Guardian. Incidentally,
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A screenshot from “Reclaiming Sacred Tobacco” directed the film with guidance from Anishinaabe and Dakota elders. “This project was unique, because it looks at the tobacco issue from within American Indian communities, rather than outside,” said Hale. “We are so grateful to the dozens of participants who agreed to be interviewed and share their stories with us.” The film seeks to inform
daughter, who was in use of a home monitoring device. When Flowers objected to the officers’ requests to enter the home due to lack of a warrant, according to court records of Flowers’ account, Reiter and Minneapolis Police Officer Jon Schliesing punched and kicked Flowers while he was handcuffed. Flowers suffered broken ribs and injures to his head and eye – injuries that required stitches to heal and caused a blood clot in Flowers’ right eye. Flowers was awarded a $25,000 settlement in that case. Reiter was fired from the department Jan. 11, following the Osman kicking incident.
Leslie Abrams, is the first Black woman to become a federal judge in Georgia. “Georgia is a fast-changing state with demographic parity,” said Stacey Abrams. “But, I’m running to be the governor
diverse audiences about the differences between traditional and commercial tobacco use. According to Hale, NativeAmerican health advocates are using it in innovative ways, including showing it in clinic waiting rooms on tribal lands. Additionally, it has been broadcast on public television stations around the state, and continues to be screened at Native film festivals in Minnesota and
tpt.org
around the country, including the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco, where it was nominated for Best Public Service film last year. “We are very proud of this project, which is one of several collaborations supporting Minnesota tribes as they work to undo the tobacco industry’s harms and improve health,” said David Willoughby, CEO at ClearWay Minnesota.
“Reclaiming Sacred Tobacco” director, Leya Hale. “‘Reclaiming’ is helping American Indian advocates, but it’s also educating nonNative Minnesotans about the importance of understanding
and respecting Native ways.” The film can be viewed at www.tpt.org/reclaimingsacred-tobacco.
Minneapolis Mayor candidate Al Flowers suffered broken ribs and injuries to his head and eyes in a 2014 encounter with Officer Christopher Reiter.
of all Georgians, because all Americans deserve leaders who care about them and who don’t work only for the privileged, but for justice.” That’s important, because “Poor doesn’t care what color
you are,” said Abrams. With vast experience in the public, private and nonprofit sector, Abrams said she’s poised to lead her state. Her campaign is based, in part, on a vision that every Georgia
resident deserves the freedom and opportunity to thrive, but Abrams said too many people are being left behind or left out. The gubernatorial hopeful said she pledges to expand prekindergarten programs and make
technical college education free if elected. “We have the ability to build a stronger, brighter Georgia,” said Abrams. “It is time for transformative leadership, powered by all of us.”
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Page 6 •October 16 -October 22, 2017 • Insight News
Insight 2 Health
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Stress relief Afrodescendientes
By Carmen Robles The Insight2Health Fitness Challenge is more than a healthy full body transformation; it is a coping mechanism for life’s surprises. These past couple of weeks have been packed full of stress for me. My biggest hurdle was staying away from the gallon of Rocky Road ice cream that somehow found
its way into my freezer. How did that happen? Stress – my number one trigger to send me running into the arms of my lovers. My lovers? Sugar. Dairy. White flour. I’m surprised at how quickly I found myself lost in the lusciousness of these decadent health fiends. It took 11 days to hear my family’s voices from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated the island. I spent 72 hours by the bedside of a family member who had spinal surgery. The delicate operation fused vertebrae in her tumor riddled neck. She is in stage four of breast, skin and bone cancer. Yep, it’s been a challenging week to say the
least. Loss of sleep, no communications with family who live out in the middle of an ocean, in the middle of an island; watching a loved one fight for her life, can take a toll on a person, even if that individual is on a fitness regimen, like the one I’m on. The beauty of the Insight2Health Fitness Challenge is it is designed to address the physical, emotional and nutritional aspects of my stress. Julie McMahon, the nutritionist, sends out the yummiest recipes substituting my sugar, dairy and white flour cravings. Dr. Darren Moore is a text, phone call, email,
Facebook, tag, tweet away; always ready with tools to help us get through those potholes in life … those suddenly out of nowhere events that can drop a person to their knees. And I’m not talking about the political statement sort of dropping to the knees, but rather the kind that brings you to your knees, kneeling humbling before God. The kind that knocks the wind out of you, that redefines your life. The kind that makes you see your life clearly. The light bulb moment when you have the rude awakening that life is brief. There are no do overs … no I’ll do it next time. It’s the realization that a gallon of Rocky Road is not the fuel
for this decaying body. The health of mind is as important as the health of the body. A perfect balance. That’s what the Insight2Health Fitness Challenge helps me obtain – that perfect balance. After four rounds of the 10-week fitness challenge, it’s an easy fix to get back on track. I found myself craving those movements that made my body step it up. Fitness coach Miguel Shultz keeps a close eye on our physical preparedness before helping us “push it to the limit.” It’s a safe environment to attempt to go that extra mile, give it that extra something and to leave it all on the gym floor. This
past week he added some boxing techniques, helping me channel the stress right out of me. It worked. Where before in grocery store checkout lanes I’d been short tempered, crabby, short of grace … I’m now humbled to think my family in Puerto Rico standing in lines with patience, generosity and empathy for hours and hours and hours on end for water and gas, all under the sweltering heat of the Caribbean sun. Stress relief … yet another hidden benefit of the Insight2Health Fitness Challenge.
Excerpts from ‘Listening to Community: Our Health is our Business’
Community remedies on cleansing from Hawthorne Neighborhood Council book In an effort to promote health, wellness and homeopathic remedies for common ailments, the Hawthorne Neighborhood Council (HNC) – a partner with the Insight News Insight2Health Fitness Challenge – has released “Listening to Community: Our Health is our Business,” authored by Bob-e Simpson Epps. The book is a collection of cultural remedies compiled from residents of the North Minneapolis Neighborhood. For the next several weeks we will share excerpts from the book, keeping in mind, the information within the book is intended to “provide a glimpse of what indigenous people have done to care for themselves and their families” and “is in no way a substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by a physician.” Cleaning out the bowels 8 oz. Orange Juice 1 tbl. Castor oil Mix orange juice (cola or seltzer water can also be used) and castor oil. Drink the full glass. My mother gave this to me and my sisters in the fall to clean out our system. She used this to prepare our bodies for the cold winter season. We would be free from colds all winter long. -Katie Sample Cleansing Get an unripe coconut. Cut it in half and drink the milk before going to bed. The next morning you will be going to the restroom a few times. All the impurities will be released from the body. Ghanaian tradition. -Alice Lynch Cleansing the body 1 tbl. Castor Oil 16 oz. glass of orange juice Drink this regularly throughout the winter. This will almost always keep you from having a cold. Mother’s tradition. I would have this every morning before going to school. -Alice Lynch Cleansing the body peji hota (sage) Sage for purification and protection. You can also make sage tea. Preparation 3 tsp. – 16 oz. of water Sage
The recently released book of homeopathic remedies, produced by the Hawthorne Neighborhood Council, “Listening to Community: Our Health is our Business.”
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Insight News •October 16 - October 22, 2017 • Page 7
‘The 1968 Exhibit’ returns to the Minnesota History Center
Nineteen sixty-eight … there has never been another year like it, before or since. It began with the Tet Offensive – the turning point of the Vietnam War – and never let up. The year saw the assassinations of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy, Black Power, the struggle for women’s rights, the violent conflicts at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and the first fullcolor images of Earth from outer space beamed by Apollo 8. Today, as we approach the 50th anniversary of this
year, how far have we come? Currently, the war in Afghanistan is the longest conflict in U.S. history. Gun violence remains high. And Americans across the country are back on the streets, protesting against police brutality, an unpopular president, and Confederate statues and their removal. “The 1968 Exhibit” at the Minnesota History Center seeks to helps us understand where we have come from and where we are today – and how the events of this one year have shaped the politics and people of the last half-century. “The 1968 Exhibit” returns
A button calling for the end to the Vietnam War.
to the Minnesota History Center, Dec. 23 – Jan. 21 to mark the 50th anniversary of this pivotal year in history, following a five-year national tour. “The 1968 Exhibit” was developed by the Minnesota History Center, in partnership with the Atlanta History Center, the Chicago History Museum and the Oakland Museum of California. Tom Brokaw, news anchor and author of “Boom! Talking About the Sixties,” served as honorary chair of the project. Organized chronologically, the experience begins in January with a Vietnam-era Huey helicopter
that has “landed” in an American living room, and concludes in December with a replica Apollo 8 Command Module and a display of Apollo 8’s iconic “Earthrise” image with audio from the mission’s astronauts. The sights and sounds of this media-saturated age fill the exhibit, and stories from the people who were there are shared throughout. Interactive “lounges” focus on music, movies and television, and feature iconic artifacts including a suede vest worn by Jimi Hendrix, a Beatles “Yellow Submarine” lunch box, and a sweater and shoes worn by
Fred Rogers on the television show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Visitors can create screen print posters inspired by King’s Poor People’s Campaign and the Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike and join local artist, Sha Cage, in a spoken word activity using language from King’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech. The Minnesota History Center is located at 345 Kellogg Blvd. W. in St. Paul. The museum is open daily and admission is free on Tuesdays from 3 to 8 p.m.
New report highlights opportunities and risks for the first ‘high tech’ census WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Leadership Conference Education Fund and the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality (GCPI) released on Oct. 11 “Counting Everyone in the Digital Age: The Implications of Technology Use in the 2020 Decennial Census for the Count of Disadvantaged Groups,” a report addressing how proposed internet and automation technologies will affect 2020 Census enumeration for groups at risk of being undercounted. The report also includes recommendations for Congress, the administration, and community leaders. “The nation’s first high-tech
census, while offering the promise of cost savings, could lead to poor or uneven participation, technological infrastructure failings, or both, thereby increasing the undercount of groups historically underrepresented in the census. Modernizing the census is important, but technology also comes with new and untested risks that must be addressed now. To ensure an accurate and fully inclusive count, the Census Bureau must have the necessary resources to test new technologies and be ready for potential pitfalls. These concerns are neither theoretical nor off in the distance,” said Vanita Gupta, president
and CEO of The Leadership Conference Education Fund. Gupta testified last week before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as they held a hearing on the 2020 Census. “Few things support our democracy and economy as expansively and uniquely as the once-a-decade census,” said Indivar Dutta-Gupta, co-executive director of the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality. “This is not something we can take for granted. The unprecedented reliance on information and communications technology for the 2020 Census – especially
through the internet-based household response method – comes with promise and peril. Policymakers have little time left to get it right and ensure that we have the fair and accurate count that the people of this country deserve and rely on.” The report comes at a crucial time for the 2020 Census. Insufficient, uncertain and frequently late annual funding has delayed and derailed important testing and preparations. Most at risk are operations specifically designed to enumerate historically hard-to-count communities more accurately. In addition, there remains a leadership
vacuum at the bureau following the unexpected resignation of the Census director in June. The Leadership Conference Education Fund said in a statement that failure to provide adequate resources before the once-adecade population count will force the Census Bureau to shortchange 2020 Census operations designed to improve accuracy in historically undercounted communities. It said this would lead to a result that deprives population groups of equal political representation and access to their fair share of public and private resources. Equally important, failure to test all methods adequately – due to
budget shortfalls – puts the 2020 Census at risk of cost overruns during peak census operations. The report aims to provide an accessible overview and synthesis of existing research on how proposed internet and automation technologies will impact 2020 Census enumeration for groups at risk of being undercounted. The report, which includes recommendations, can be read in its entirety at www.civilrightsdocs. info/pdf/reports/CountingEveryone-in-the-Digital-Age.pdf.
Lone wolf and white privilege By Ahmed Tharwat Mental illness, converted to Islam, troubled man, psychopath, gambler, divorced twice, lives in retired community, quite man, a family man, and most of all a “lone wolf.” These are the different ways the media and officials tried to avoid labelling the man who committed the “biggest mass shooting in American history.” First of all, this wasn’t the biggest mass shooting in American history; later mainstream outlets added “modern.” There was the 1921 Tulsa, Okla. riot on “Black Wall Street” that killed as many as 300 people. In the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890, the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry surrounded a
band of Ghost Dancers under Big Foot, a Lakota Sioux chief, near Wounded Knee Creek and at the end 150 (some give a much higher number) Native-Americans were slaughtered; mostly women and children. On Oct. 1, as more than 20,000 music lovers enjoyed a festival on the open streets of Las Vegas, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, of Mesquite, Nev., was staying 32 floors above them in his Mandalay Bay hotel room. Paddock broke two windows of his hotel suite overlooking the crowd, then began shooting indiscriminately, loading and reloading again as the crowd ran for cover. In the end, 59 were dead, and more than 500 injured … yes, more than 500 injured. Police said Paddock had 18 rifles and hundreds of rounds
of ammo in his room, and later found an additional 19 rifles at his home. Paddock, as an American, was exercising his god (NRA) given right to bear army, not arms. All the focus was on Paddock’s mental health, history, gambling habits, and his relationship with his girlfriend … anything but guns violence by whites folk. He doesn’t fit the typical mass shooting profile said the police chief. As a matter of fact, he does. He is white, and most of the mass shooters in this country are white. and as Vox reported, “In the eight months since Trump took office, more Americans have been killed in attacks by white American men with no connection to Islam than by Muslim terrorists or foreigners.” The White House spokeswomen advised us this
was not the time to politicize the incident. President Trump thinks NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem to protest racism and police brutality against people of color, are “sons of (female dogs)” and should be fired. He also thinks Muslim immigrants are a potential threat and is trying to ban them from coming to America. Trump, the man who wants to build a wall to keep America safe and “great,” is now refraining from calling this cold-blooded killer a terrorist, a man who terrorized thousands of people who were sitting ducks, shooting them from the comfort of his 32nd floor hotel suite. The man who committed the biggest mass shooting (as they say) in American history came from a country that wasn’t on Trump’s ban list. He didn’t
cross the border where the wall is going to be built. This white privilege is not enjoyed by people of color. As columnist Shaun King brilliantly explained in The Intercept, “The privilege here is that the ultimate conclusion about shootings committed by people from commonly non-white groups often leads to determinations about the corrosive or destructive nature of the group itself. When an individual claiming to be a Muslim commits a horrible act, many on the right will tell us Islam itself is the problem. For centuries, when an act of violence has been committed by an AfricanAmerican, racist tropes follow – and eventually the criminalization and dehumanization of an entire ethnic group.” White privilege is an entitlement that the sheer color
of your skin, not your character, gives you, an exclusive treatment from police, jurors, people on the street, work and so on. Trump calls crimes committed by Muslims as “Islamic terrorism.” However, when terrorism is committed by whites he can only send warm prayers. Where is the outrage from all moderate Americans? The fact that Paddock is white somehow releases not just white folks from the deep hatred, rage and condemnation of entire ethnic groups or race. It also releases Muslim communities from being on edge, fearing the reflexive backlash and retribution against them every time there is an attack committed by someone who happens to be a Muslim, because in the Muslim world there is no “lone wolf.” They are all “wolves.”
Page 8 •October 16 -October 22, 2017 • Insight News
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Insight News •October 16 - October 22, 2017 • Page 9
A part of ‘adulting’ is self-love; self-care Post Grad Chronicles
By Abeni Hill This past month I realized sometimes I am incapable of taking care of myself. Although I understand basic necessities like sleeping and eating, I don’t have a good track record of practicing self-care mentally or physically. For example, in early September, I injured my ankle. It wasn’t broken or anything, just badly sprained. When I sprained it, I was trying to multitask while walking down some stairs instead of focusing on the important task at hand at that moment … getting down the stairs. My first reaction after the shock and the pain was to power through it and go to work. Despite my mother’s reasoning to stay home and rest, I hopped into the nearest
CVS to find an ankle brace on my way to work. While the brace made my ankle feel much better and I was able to sit for the most part while I was at work, I didn’t take the proper steps to help my ankle heal or allow myself to feel better. While at home, when I was supposed to be recuperating I didn’t ice or elevate my foot. I struggled through the pain instead of taking the appropriate amount of pain relief medication. When I complained to my mom about the pain I was in, she asked if I had done any of the aforementioned things. I instantly felt a pang of guilt and frustration for not being aware enough to take care of myself. There would also be days I would come home after a day of not wearing the brace at all, complaining about how much my ankle throbbed. I didn’t carry pain relief medication in my bag while I was out and about for the day. When I started to realize this behavior, I realized it was not an isolated incident,
but more of a behavioral pattern. Whether it’s going to bed so I can wake up early or preparing the night before so
meals over the weekend. I also had to be more intentional around my actions when it came to my mental
and personal relationships. I kept it all inside and didn’t tell anyone else what I was struggling with, for a while
When I started to realize this behavior, I realized it was not an isolated incident, but more of a behavioral pattern.
my morning can run a little smoother the next day, it’s like my brain identifies these things as good ideas but I don’t have the will or the motivation to back it up. After realizing this pattern, I started to create greater intentions behind my actions; whether it be setting a reminder for putting ice on my ankle as soon as I got home or planning out my
health. As I mentioned in my first submission of this column, I am struggling with becoming an adult and there is a significant amount of anxiety and depression that has come with my journey into adulthood. In the past, I have let myself wallow in this feeling of uncertainty and frustration towards my career
not even my therapist. It might seem crazy and unbelievably naive to not be honest with my own therapist about how I was feeling, but that was how I decided to cope. My breaking point was when I realized that there were days that turned into weeks where I would wake up in the morning and while I was getting ready to start my
day all I could think about was going back to bed. I know it might just sound like I was really tired or something like that because most people have had those days, but this hopeless feeling that I felt right when I woke up wasn’t something I could just shake off. When I was finally open and honest with my therapist about how I felt, I was told I needed a creative outlet and something that helps me get through these times. My therapist knows I am a writer and suggested I start writing more. That is one of the reasons this column was created. I want to write about my struggles and personal growth as an outlet to help me process them. Through expressing myself, I hope I can reach someone else who feels the same way or inspire someone to be honest with themselves. “Post Grad Chronicles,” is a monthly column serving as a record of writer Abeni Hill’s trials and tribulations towards becoming an adult.
The hypocrisy of Trump Commentary by Douglas Ewart President Donald Trump needs a swift kick out of office along with his supporting cast – vice president and the others. Rep. Al Green (D) of Texas is one of the few in Congress who is honest and has deep integrity. Trump is totally vulgar, an incessant liar, insensitive, insincere, a tyrant, insecure, unstable, incompetent and dangerous. Trump is a person who is always angry, usually spews negative rhetoric, never smiles or laughs, and always sounds distant and unempathetic, no matter how tragic the situation. Something is radically wrong with that state of being from my comprehension of what constitutes a balanced human being. It is unfathomable that his administration did not realize they had to do air drops to bring supplies to the people of Puerto Rico since there are not enough truck drivers to deliver supplies, and most of the roads are impassible. A few days ago, one of Trump’s representatives spoke of air drops as though it was some type of revelation. It was/ is the only practical way to get supplies to the destitute population of Puerto Rico
NAACP From 3 for hate and violence are increasingly becoming more
with some immediacy. Trump also speaks about bombing North Korea like it is a ball game. After all the wars that were initiated based on wiping out communist, fascist, totalitarian governments, terrorist, socialist and more, which have cost millions of lives, untold resources and monumental destruction. This and other administrations don’t seem to get it. War has not solved any issues possibly with the exception of World War II, which came about as a result of lots of blunders, selfishness, imperialism, expansionism, greed, racism, deification of so-called royalty and so on. After World War II we were not supposed to have any more wars, well we have no such reality. There is a slogan that is bandied about quite often – “Never again.” However, it is just empty rhetoric and as a result, I have come to say never again until the next time. When there is war, seldom if ever there is a winner. War changes people to the worst and lowest human common denominators. People become mentally deranged, pillaging, destroying; raping and killing become the norm and people lose their spiritual, emotional, mental and physical centers and
aggressive. “In a time when white supremacists are marching down city streets with loaded weapons and Tiki torches – organizing rallies of terror around the country – it comes as a great shock that the FBI would decide to target Black
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President Donald Trump has brought disgrace to the flag, says commentator Douglas Ewart.
equilibrium. And soldiers of war many times bring those illnesses back to their respective countries and homes to roost and thrive in everyday life. More murders, more serial killers, mass shootings, as the entire culture is contaminated and becomes callous and immune to human suffering and tragedies. We cannot afford to continue the military madness, as we are experiencing greater and more frequent natural and man-made titanic disasters. The resources that are
wasted on military arsenals throughout the world needs to be used to prevent/avert these disasters and rebuild devastated areas. By the way, the kind of democracy (so-called democracy) we have been seeing and experiencing is comprised of lying, deceiving, stealing and enslaving. The Electoral College, which is the nullifying of one person one vote, gerrymandering, preventing people from voting using unbelievable and savage methods, buying votes, institutional and individual racism are
all at play in our so-called democracy. People with resources go to rehab or therapy and poor people go to prison for the same or lesser infractions. It’s profits before people, corporations before the people. People that came from other shores are telling people that largely built America that they should go back to where they came from. First nation peoples (the Native-American) are being treated in the most inhumane ways to this day. The list goes on. And we have people
identity groups protesting police brutality and their right to exist, free of harm, as a threat,” said NAACP interim president and CEO, Derrick Johnson. “Sadly, this report comes as no surprise from an organization that has a history of targeting Black civil rights groups and leaders,
including wiretapping (the Rev. Dr.) Martin Luther King, Jr. and others fighting for civil rights in the 1960s. Johnson said FBI and other law enforcement agencies should focus on the enemy in plain sight. “We do have a real
threat in the United States and it’s the rise of right-wing extremists, white nationalists and white supremacists, who have been emboldened by this administration,” said Johnson. “In light of this report, the NAACP is resolved to double down on our efforts to advance
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telling us about how great and wonderful Washington and Jefferson were. They were two monumental slavers and advocates for slavery. Point of information; there were many of their contemporaries that opposed and fought Washington and Jefferson on the grounds that they were hypocrites, liars, inhumane and unchristian. I mention this fact, as some people, especially so-called historians and their biographers, try to minimize and justify their reprehensible, savage and backward conducts and talk about how brilliant they were. Well, I fail to see their brilliance or for that matter care about it. There are plenty of brilliant, evil, merciless and cruel geniuses. The one major blunder that Jefferson made that worked in our favor is, “All men are created equal,” as he/they did not really mean all humans but just meant white people. My commitment and patriotism are global in perspective. Everywhere and anywhere I go, I treat people with deep regard and respect, and I do my best to be with and learn from/about others. We must come to understand that the planet is one small place in the universe and my concerns are about planet Earth and all its inhabitants, humans and otherwise.
the rights of Black Americans and people of color across this country. We remain steadfast and immovable in our fight for justice and equality – and we are not afraid.”
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Page 10 •October 16 -October 22, 2017 • Insight News
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Wenso Ashby
Bobby Rodgers
Monday, Oct. 16 THEATER Introduction to Improv Huge Theater 3037 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. $75 for the series For six Mondays starting Oct. 16 take part in improv games, activities and some theater basics. The series is for nonprofessionals and aspiring actors.
Oct. 16 Oct. 29, 2017
Aesthetically It! is a list of picks from the editors of Aesthetically Speaking. Aesthetically It! features venues, events, outings and more that are worthy of “It” status. If you have a venue, event or outing that you feel is “It” worthy, email us at aestheticallyit@ insightnews.com
hop classics in a new home at Muddy Waters in Uptown.
Thursday, Oct. 19 JAZZ Wenso Ashby Driftwood Char Bar 4415 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis 9 p.m. 21-plus No cover Pianist and composer Wenso Ashby brings a night of jazz to the Driftwood Char Bar in South Minneapolis.
Tuesday, October 17
Friday, Oct. 20
DANCE NIGHT
ART EXHIBITION
Drake Birthday Party Nomad World Pub 501 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis 9 p.m. 21-plus $5
“The Blacker the Berry” Public Functionary 1400 12th Ave. N.E., Minneapolis 7 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 18
“The subjects in my work are Black. They’re as dark as everything I’ve been taught to hate about my physical self,” said artist Bobby Rogers. “My work is about black radical traditions, hip-hop, and the history of the diaspora. Rogers’ work is on display at Public Functionary.
DJ NIGHT
Saturday, Oct. 21
Wu-Tang Wednesday featuring DJ Just Nine Muddy Waters 2933 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis 10 p.m. 21-plus No cover
THEATER/COMEDY
Toronto’s Drake is one year older today and Minneapolis is celebrating. Join DJ Bvckwoods and DJ Izzie P at the Nomad for the celebration.
ZULUZULUU’s DJ, Just Nine, brings a night of ‘90s hip-
“Who Killed Ariel?: A Princess Murder Mystery” Phoenix Theater 2605 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 7 p.m. $15 Smartmouth Comedy Co.
presents a tale of Rapunzel’s bachelorette party where Cinderella, Mulan, Tiana, and Belle are accused of stabbing Ariel to death. “Who Killed Ariel?: A Princess Murder Mystery” runs through Nov. 9.
Taylor Seaberg, OKnice, Bailey 26 Cogan and more Honey 205 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 8:30 p.m. 21-plus
Sunday, October 22
Check out some of the Twin Cities best up and coming vocalists at Honey with John Daniel, Hasani Harris, Exxe, Bailey 26 Cogan, OKnice and Taylor Seaberg.
WRESTLING WWE: TLC – Tables, Ladders and Chairs Target Center 600 1st Ave. N., Minneapolis 6:30 p.m. $54 and up A fan favorite, TLC does not stand for “tender loving care.” Tables, Ladders and Chairs is all about high-flying wrestling action and destruction.
Monday, Oct. 23 THEATER “The Heart and Soul Queen of New Orleans” Tour Guthrie Theater 818 S. 2nd St., Minneapolis 7:30 p.m. $35-$65 If the French Quarter is the musical heart of New Orleans, then Preservation Hall is its heartbeat. Take a group of long-time performers from the venerable concert hall, combine them with the Crescent City’s “Soul Queen” Irma Thomas, throw in the spiritual authority of The Blind Boys of Alabama, and you get a very special evening of music.
Wednesday, Oct. 25 DESIGN Sewing Class: Texture Social Enterprise Program The Anika Foundation 3900 Thomas Ave. N., Minneapolis 6 p.m. Learn how to make your own clothing in this series of classes from The Anika Foundation.
Thursday, Oct. 26 R&B/SOUL
Keyshia Cole and Tank Orpheum Theatre 910 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 8 p.m. $90-$204 R&B superstars Keyshia Cole and Tank play a special show at the Orpheum in downtown Minneapolis.
Saturday, Oct. 28 DJ NIGHT/COSTUME PARTY Scary, Sexy, Cool Vol. 4 with DJ Miss Brit Darby›s Pub and Grill 315 5th Ave. N., Minneapolis 9 p.m. – 2 a.m. 21-plus $10 advance, $15 door Join Thee Urbane Life and Shed G for a Halloween affair like no other. Find your costumes and come ready to party with DJ Miss Brit playing heat all night long. Prizes given for best costumes.
Sunday, Oct. 29
PaviElle and Hennepin County Millionaires Club Icehouse 2528 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis 9:30 p.m. 21-plus $8 in advance, $10 at the door
WORLD
Powerhouse PaviElle is both an Emmy Award and Sage Award winner. She returns to Icehouse with her band and Hennepin County Millionaires Club.
Malian guitarist Habib Koité is one of Africa’s most popular and recognized musicians, with the current CD, “Ma Ya,” having old more than 60,000 units in North America and more than 100,000 worldwide.
Tuesday, Oct. 24
Friday, Oct. 27
ECLECTIC
R&B
Habib Koité and Bamada The Cedar Cultural Center 416 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis 7:30 p.m. $30 advance, $35 day of show
Foodie: It’s all about the food The Un-Bougie Foodie By Wesley Wright
www.facebook.com/ theunbougiefoodie With both my parents being from Central America, I couldn’t ever imagine how diverse my taste for different cuisines would become. Don’t get me wrong … my love of stew beans, coconut rice with stewed chicken, or better yet, rice and beans (some may say peas) with oxtails, are what make me long for being at home with my family and preparing these staple Belizean dishes. In my youth, culturally it was understood that the
woman of the household would often take the lead in cooking family meals. I remember standing by the kitchen doorway to watch my mom or Granny kneading dough to make bread or “bun,” or skillfully dicing up potatoes and eggs that had been boiled for a potato salad. However, being the only male with three sisters seemed to mean that I was not allowed in the kitchen because it was “the woman’s space.” Surprisingly, my father was the one that added confusion to the perception of my place in the kitchen. It started with holidays, or really special occasions, where he would get up real early, perhaps beginning with him looking through the refrigerator or cabinets to see what he needed for whatever feast he was about to prepare.
By this time, he would have found me dressed, teeth brushed, and me standing by the kitchen door. He’d give me some crazy look, but he knew he couldn’t sway my curiosity of what he was going to make. So, it was off to the grocery store. I knew not to ask questions when Daddy was in the kitchen. But I had so many swirling around in my head. I wondered how he was able to chop vegetables so quickly, without cutting his fingers. I wanted to ask why he never cried when he diced onions. My young mind longed for answers about the dishes he created that seemed to bring family members who we hadn’t seen for years out the woodwork, just to taste his food. Each time I felt like I was being introduced to a new cooking style, or dish from him.
stockvault.net
Wesley Wright, the Un-Bougie Foodie, offers his take of culinary experiences throughout the Twin Cities and beyond.
But that was just the beginning of my inquisitive journey with food. Within a couple of decades, I delved into experiencing cuisines that were not even mentioned when I was growing up. Japanese, Thai, Indian, Middle Eastern just to name a few. This brings us to why
I’ve written this article. I love food. All types of cuisines. The cuisine in the Twin Cities is a food lover’s paradise. East St. Paul alone is rich with different ethnic cuisines, each dazzling us with their own flair. So, if you’re longing to learn about new foods, cuisines, recipes, and more in our community,
here’s your invitation to share in this journey. Because really … it is all about the food. I look forward to sharing with you my food adventures. Wesley Wright is the creator and show host of “The Un-Bougie Foodie,” which airs Saturdays at 10 a.m. on WEQY-LP.
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Insight News •October 16 - October 22, 2017 • Page 11
Minnesota author Resmaa Menakem’s non-confrontational style disarms, engages and enlightens
Dismantling white body supremacy
‘My Grandmother’s Hands’ offers recipe for healing racial trauma By Kam Williams
“For the past three decades, we’ve earnestly tried to address white-body supremacy in America with reason, principle and ideas – using dialogue, forums, discussions, education and mental training. But the widespread destruction of Black bodies continues. “And some of the ugliest destruction originates with the police. Why is there such a chasm between our well-intentioned attempts to heal and the ever-growing number of dark-skinned bodies ... killed or injured? “‘My Grandmother’s Hands’ is a call to action for Americans to recognize that racism is not only about the head, but also about the body. (The book) introduces an alternative view of what we can do to grow beyond our entrenched racialized divide and takes readers through a step-by-step healing process based on the latest neuroscience and somatic healing methods.” – Excerpt from the “My Grandmother’s Hands” Grandma’s hands/ Used to hand me piece of candy/Grandma’s hands Picked me up each time I fell/Grandma’s hands/ Boy, they really came in handy/She’d say, ‘Matty
Menakem asserts that race-based trauma is so embedded in our bones that it can “alter the DNA” and thus be passed from one generation to the next.
Resmaa Menakem
don’t you whip that boy/ What you want to spank him for?/He didn’t drop no apple core/But I don’t have Grandma anymore/If I get to heaven I’ll look for Grandma’s hands – “Grandma’s Hands” by Bill Withers Like Bill Withers, Resmaa Menakem had a wise grandmother who played a pivotal role in shaping
him during the formative years of his life. For that reason, he acknowledges the debt of gratitude owed to Addie Coleman, whose tenderhearted spirit permeates his new book, “My Grandmother’s Hands.” But the groundbreaking opus isn’t merely a fond memoir about a late loved one, yet rather a sobering “how-to” book endeavoring to identify
and alleviate deep-seated traumas afflicting Blacks and whites alike. For the author, a veteran therapist who has appeared as a guest on such television shows as “Oprah” and “Dr. Phil,” he fervently believes racism can’t be eradicated by conversation across the color line alone, as so often suggested by well-meaning political pundits. Menakem asserts that race-based trauma is so embedded in our bones that it can “alter the DNA” and thus be passed from one gener-
ation to the next. Consequently, his innovative recipe for recovery incorporates a handson approach to healing the body as well as metaphysical measures for soothing the soul. The book is basically a mix of diagnostic discussion, anecdotal evidence and invaluable exercises designed to enable the reader to recognize his or her need for treatment and then get themselves started on the road to recovery. Though the highlycharged subject-matter might ordinarily be con-
troversial in nature, this text is written in a nonconfrontational style apt to disarm, engage and enlighten readers, regardless of color or political persuasion. Kudos to Resmaa Menakem for such a sorely-needed seminal work which couldn›t be more practical or more timely, given this bitterly-divided country›s current state of race relations. “My Grandmother›s Hands” is available online at www.amazon. com.
Alice Childress’ story of embattled interracial lovers marks 50 years since Loving vs. Virginia
‘Wedding Band’ kicks off Penumbra’s 41st season $35 for those 62 years of age and older and $15 for students. Tickets may be
purchased online at www. penumbratheatre.org or by calling (651) 224-3180.
RAMSEY LEWIS GRAMMY WINNING JAZZ LEGEND
Penumbra Theatre
The forbidden love of Black and white in the Deep South of the 1960s is the backdrop for “Wedding Band,” coming to Penumbra Theatre Oct. 19 – Nov. 12.
Penumbra Theatre kicks off its 41st season, “Crossing Lines,” with Alice Childress’ nearly forgotten play, “Wedding Band.” Upon the play’s recent revival, audiences, scholars, and press began asking why the work of Alice Childress, a playwright from the Black Arts Movement, has never been fully acclimated into the American theater and literature canons. Her groundbreaking 1962 play has seldom been staged since a 1972 production starring actress and civil
rights activist Ruby Dee. In Penumbra’s new production, director Lou Bellamy captures the heavy emotional burden shouldered by interracial couples in America and confronts the enduring challenges faced by people who love across lines of color. “Wedding Band” opens Oct. 19 and runs through Nov. 12 at Penumbra Theatre, 270 N. Kent St., St. Paul. “Wedding Band” takes place in a small South Carolina town by the sea, where Julia keeps to herself. Her love, Herman,
arrives after dark with a wedding cake – a symbol of their decade long commitment and secret vows to one another. Unable to legally marry, these star-crossed lovers – one black, one white – live in constant fear of arrest or worse. The rules that govern society don’t govern the heart, and Julia and Herman risk safety and security for love. Will the price be more than they can bear? The cast for “Wedding Band” includes Jasmine Hughes as Julia, Peter Christian Hansen as
Herman, Ivory Doublette as Mattie, George Keller as Fanny Johnson, Austene Van as Lula Green and Laura Esping as Herman’s Mother. Actress, writer and director Alice Childress wrote more than a dozen plays in her 40-year career, including “Trouble in Mind” (1952). Her novel, “A Hero Ain’t Nothing but a Sandwich” became a bestseller and a movie in 1977. Her 1979 novel, “A Short Walk,” was nominated for a Pulitzer. Tickets for “Wedding Band” are $40 for adults,
OCT 26-27 7 & 9PM
DAKOTACOOKS.COM | 612.332.5299
Page 12 •October 16 -October 22, 2017 • Insight News
“Who is this James guy?” That was a question asked by a happily busy bartender at Herbie’s on the Park in St. Paul – the site of James Burroughs’ 50th birthday celebration. Clearly, the bartender was in the minority of not knowing
James Burroughs. The state’s director of Diversity and Inclusion, Burroughs 50th celebration brought out close to 200 friends who wanted to help him bring in the milestone in style. And when we say in style, we mean in style. Have a
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look at the photos to see what we mean about that. DJs Chuck Chizzle and DJ Detroit (from Burroughs’ hometown of … Detroit) may have reset the bar for what a party should be. Their backand-forth DJing, mixing in the classic with the new, was the perfect formula to keep the party lit. Speaking of lit, shout
out to the men of Omega Psi Phi (Burroughs is a “Que”) who turned it out (or owt, as the Ques say) during “Atomic Dog.” The biggest star of the hopping was the 76-year-old Omega who stomped (and we mean stomped) with his brothers. There’s video out there that is sure to go viral.
Harry Colbert, Jr.
Former Viking, Greg Coleman (left) and the man of the hour, James Burroughs. The Fantastic Four, (left to right) Joané McAfee, Lynn Taylor, Jazlynn Paige and Whitney Taylor.
presents
live at the guthrie
OCT 23 7:30
Visiting from Dallas, Nichelle Hardy-Green (left) and husband, Chris Green.
“Part living history, part concert, all uplifting experience..” - Washington Post
Media power-couple, Kim Rhodes (left) and Pete Rhodes, owners of Black Music America.
IrMA THOMAS BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA PRESERVATION HALL LegLEGACY QUINTET TICKETS AT: 612.377.2224 GUTHRIETHEATER.ORG
Audra Robinson (left) and Kevin Murray came through to party with Mr. Burroughs.
The stylish Dr. Juneau Robbins.
Exuding both style and grace, (left to right) Judge Tanya Bransford, style maven, Anika Robbins and comedian and producer of the television show, “Funny You Should Ask,” Vanessa Graddick.