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INSIGHT NEWS January 9 - January 15, 2012 • MN Metro Vol. 38 No. 2 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com

Mississippi

Rising

By B.P. Ford, Associate Editor and Associate Publisher

W

hen my husband, Al McFarlane, first visited my hometown of Crystal Springs, Mississippi, what he saw reminded him of Dressikie, St. Mary, Jamaica, the village where his grandparents lived. When he first went to Africa some years later, he said “this reminds me of Jamaica and Mississippi. It reminds me of North Minneapolis, and of my childhood neighborhoods in Kansas City.”

“It’s not so much the place,” he said recently, as we reflected on the observation, “it’s the goodness, the godliness that connects our people everywhere. We are the same, everywhere.”

Black people have warmth about them that is felt globally.

We make each other comfortable, whether it is with a friendly smile or a soulful plate of food, we say, summing up our perception of who and whose we are.

In light of that statement, I marvel at the many changes in Mississippi. The changes include my appreciation of the fact that the people I had little or no contact with, white people, are now free to be different from what they were. They are free to be ordinary human beings, connected to place, and, connected to me in ways that demonstrate they and we are breaking free from the bondage of supremacist ideology and the legacy of slavery.

Ada Ford, Good Mama, Grandmother

MISSISSIPPI 11 TURN TO

Leaping into the New Year Gateway to excellence

By Scott Gray MUL President/CEO Advancing into a new year is an exciting time for me and for the Minneapolis Urban League.

This year 2012 marks 86 years that MUL, a legacy organization, has served the Twin Cities.

Although there is much history to be remembered (or in some cases forgotten), I am convinced that where we are going and the impact we must make in the future are increasingly more vital.

We have launched and continue to improve our Gateway to Opportunity program, preparing to deliver the most strategic, innovative, and transformative approaches for changing lives. We know there is an urgent and immediate demand that our vision and mission to positively impact the lives of people of color is reached. In 2012 our work and our strength will stand on 12 pillars essential for ensuring that these evidencebased, sustainable solutions can be implemented by MUL to eradicate the stark disparities plaguing our

community.

Pillar 1 – The Message: The MUL message in 2012 remains steadfast. MUL links African descendents and other people of color to opportunities that result in economic success and prosperity. The MUL Gateway to Opportunity service delivery strategy is a catalyst for transforming urban communities through programming and services focused on the pursuit of higher education, livable wage careers, healthy lifestyles and personal asset-building.

Pillar 2 – The Brand: The MUL brand is one of historical and national significance. In over 100 communities nationwide, the organization is viewed as a community treasure, a vehicle for human development change of benefit to all aspects of a locale.

Communicating information about the MUL brand is integral to ensure that stakeholders, funders and service seekers fully appreciate its value.

Pillar 3 – The Governance: The governance of MUL is led by a highly engaged, ethnically diverse group of professionals who represent the corporate, faith, and public sectors. The MUL Board of Directors unselfishly gives of their time and talents in service, with a goal of diminishing disparities and

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Aesthetics

Queen Latifah: The “Joyful Noise” interview

PAGE 5

Photos: Suluki Fardan

Michael O. Freeman, Hennepin County Attorney

The Promise

By Al McFarlane Editor-in-Chief Conversations with Al McFarlane broadcast interview

on KFAI FM 90.3, Tuesday, December 6, 2011. The interview included Hennepin County Attorney, Michael Freeman and manager of the county’s Be at School program, Tamiko

Tamiko Thomas, Manager, “Be At School” program Thomas, St. Paul City Council Member Melvin Carter III and Sondra Samuels, Chief Executive Officer of Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ), a project recently awarded a multi-year federal grant for $28 million to create better education outcomes for children in a 18 by 13 block area of North Minneapolis. This is

part two of the three part series.

Last week’s installment presented excerpts of Sondra Samuels’ comments.

Today’s edition presents comments by Mike Freeman and Tamiko Thomas.

The series concludes next week with comments by Melvin Carter.

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Discovering Black America: My journey

By Linda Tarrant-Reid, Commentary Special to the NNPA from The Westchester County Press Good-bye 2011 and hello 2012! As I greet friends, family members and strangers with the familiar “Happy New Year,” I say

Plan Your Career

Create anchors to stay steady through a storm

PAGE 7

Linda Tarrant-Reid

NNPA

it with more conviction and more

intention, than I ever have before, because I truly wish for everyone a safer, happier, healthier and more prosperous 2012.

As Kwanzaa celebrations came to a close this holiday season, we were left to contemplate and incorporate the Seven Principles of the holiday, the inspiring Nguzo Saba, into our hectic lives – Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination),

2012

5 bold economic predictions for Black America

PAGE 8

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).

In Dr. Maulana Karenga’s Annual Founder’s Message published in the December 22, 2011 Los Angeles Sentinel, he summarized

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Full Circle

Sisters of the Visitation: Places for prayer, peace and hospitality

PAGE 9

Page 2 • January 9 - January 15, 2012 • Insight News

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COMMENTARY

Republicans amaze me Nobody Asked Me

By Fred Easter Republicans amaze me. The other day, I saw Ron Paul, a candidate for the republican Presidential nomination; suggest that folk who get sick and have no medical insurance should be left to their own devices.

I heard former U.S. Senator

Promise From 1 The entire interview and webcast is online at www.insightnews.com Al McFarlane: Michael O. Freeman is Hennepin County Attorney.

Tamiko Thomas manages the County Attorney’s “Be At School” Program. Mike Freeman, what is the Be At School initiative? People don’t normally associate the County with kids’ education, but you have got a hand in the game, right?

Michael Freeman: Well the education process is important to all of us. I am a product of Minneapolis Public Schools.

I learned because I got to school. Somebody made me go.

The County Attorney’s office enforces the truancy laws. When I first became County Attorney, I learned that 98% of the young people who commit a felony were truant first. So it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to say “Let’s get those kids in school and we can reduce those numbers of felonies.”During my first term as County Attorney from ‘91 to ‘99,

Alan Simpson (R-WY), say that senior citizens are greedy, because we want Social Security left alone.

How is it that a democratic government could be too large if it strives to keep its citizens healthy and its elderly independent? Then, it’s just the right size if it’s big enough to train and arm its young people and wage war around the globe with the help of overpaid mercenaries.

Every candidate you’ve ever heard speak talks about “what the people want”.

Let’s start with Social Security. We are required to pay into it. It’s a “tax” that comes out of our paychecks, whether we like it or not, so that we won’t be a

burden on the government when we are let out to pasture. That’s their story. The government has been investing my money for over 50 years now. The government wasn’t too big to decide that this was the best way for it to provide for me in my old age. How can keeping its’ word be the act of a “too large” government, now that I am a certified senior citizen?

The healthcare initiative that is called “Obamacare” by its republican detractors would make health insurance mandatory, just like Social Security. Even republicans don’t suggest that we should stop paying into Social Security, they just want the money managed by some of their under

regulated, Wall Street, campaign benefactors.

I Googled Democracy.

It was defined as “a system of government by the whole population, OR, all the eligible members of a state”. Nobody asked me, but, I choose health insurance and Social Security.

And, I can’t find a single American who can tell me how our lives will be improved if the military objectives in Afghanistan are achieved. In fact, only one person that I asked professed to know what those objectives are.

It’s an embarrassment how few folk know where Afghanistan actually is.

Watch out for that “all the

we worked with the Minneapolis Public Schools and all the schools of Hennepin County trying to keep kids in school. When I returned, I found it an even larger need than before. Be At School is our new program to make sure kids are at school.

Let me just say Al, at the risk of filibustering, one of my chief partners in working on this in my first term was Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton. Together we created the Truancy Curfew Center to get kids off the streets late at night so they can get up and go to school the next day. Sharon supplied a lot of leadership; Minneapolis cops were great; and that Truancy Curfew Center that has been around now for 15 years is still working and thanks primarily to Minneapolis cops. They bring those kids in, we process them much more efficiently. We get kids off the streets late at night and into the classroom the next day.

AM: Tamiko Thomas, what is the mission from your point of view? What is your daily activity to make this mission real?

Tamiko Thomas: Be At School is what I describe as a tiered intervention. When kids are

not attending school, we connect them with community agencies and resources. The mission is to provide them an education.

We invite families to come in and meet with us and we talk about the compulsory education law, letting them know that it is important for their child to be at school. and then we offer them a community agency to work with them. We fill in with the “Be At School” program. Now while the courts are a part of the solution, it is most important for families, community and school to come together to work on this issue. We are going to see the best results when we have that partnership.

So we on a daily basis are working hard with schools to partner with them, to let them know that we are a resource for them, to share the information on the laws with families so that they understand how they can ensure that their kid is not accruing unexcused absences AM: Is the bulk of your work in Minneapolis?

TM: It is throughout the entire County although we do receive many of our referrals from Minneapolis Public Schools.

AM: What is the ratio?

TM: We receive about twothirds of our referrals from the Minneapolis Public Schools.

AM: Mike Freeman, the perception is that schools in Black communities are consistently failing and that families are not supportive of efforts to keeps kids in school. Does that common perception hold any water?

MF: I think it is way overplayed Al. I rarely met a responsible parent of any race that didn’t want their kid to go to school and to learn. Some of the folks that we see in the program are younger moms who didn’t do well in school themselves, are trying to find a roof over their head and the next meal for their kids. School doesn’t seem to be very important. But what “Be At School” does is work with that mom and say, ‘Hey, we are here to help. You need shoes? We will find them. You need transportation?

We will work it out. But you need to know that if your child is going to have a chance in this world, they have to go to school.

Many of our newest neighbors and friends from Somalia don’t understand about compulsory

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eligible members of a state” part of the democracy definition.

There are serious attempts to

“thin the herd” afoot. And old folk, dark folk and sick folk are the herd. Ya heard.

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Insight News • January 9 - January 15, 2012 • Page 3

Kyle Thomas to lead Civil Division for Ramsey County Attorney’s Office Ramsey County Attorney John Choi has appointed Kyle M. Thomas to serve as the new Director of the Civil Division for the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office. Prior to his appointment, Thomas served as Corporate Counsel for Home Services of America, Inc., an affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway and parent company of Edina Realty.

“Kyle brings a strong desire

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

Insight News is published weekly, every Monday by McFarlane Media Interests.

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane CFO Adrianne Hamilton-Butler Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Vice President of Sales & Marketing Selene White Culture and Education Editor Irma McClaurin Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Ben Williams Production Andrew Notsch Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Facilities Support / Assistant Producer, Conversations with Al McFarlane Bobby Rankin Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Staff Writer Ivan B. Phifer Contributing Writers Maya Beecham Harry Colbert, Jr. Brenda Colston Julie Desmond Fred Easter S. Himie Oshana Himot Timothy Houston Marcia Humphrey Alaina L. Lewis Lydia Schwartz Stacey Taylor Photography Suluki Fardan Tobechi Tobechukwu 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.

Ramsey County Attorney’s Office

Kyle Thomas

to serve the public and make a difference in our community,” said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi. “He believes that he can translate his skills and experiences for the public good and to help others succeed. I am confident that he will do this, and so much more.”

Thomas has deep roots in the community, growing up in Saint Paul and graduating

from Central High School. He completed his undergraduate studies at Augustana College in South Dakota and attended the University of Minnesota Law School, graduating in 1993. Thomas also serves on the Board of Directors of the Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services Campaign for Legal Aid, Urban Leadership Committee.

Working for Home Services of America since May of 2006, Thomas obtained significant experience in managing civil legal questions and issues while working on a variety of legal matters that are common to both public and private sector organizations.

Prior to his current role, Kyle worked at St. Paul Travelers Companies (2000-2006), Geraghty,

O’Laughlin & Kenney (19952000) and the Saint Paul City Attorney’s Office (1994-1995).

“Kyle has excelled throughout his professional career as evidenced by the enthusiasm, certainty and quality of his work,” affirmed County Attorney Choi. “Those who know Kyle well, affirm his dedication to the law and public service.”

Page 4 • January 9 - January 15, 2012 • Insight News

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EDUCATION Families should attend information fair Building Creative Capital

By Bernadeia H. Johnson MPS Superintendent This is an exciting time of year. Teachers and students are settling back in their classrooms after winter break

and have important work ahead in the last semester of the school year. Our kindergarten students are striving to meet literacy goals, MCA-II tests are right around the corner and many of our students are preparing to start a new phase of their academic careers. Fifthgrade students are preparing to enter middle school, eighthgrade students are preparing to enter high school and our high school seniors are preparing for college and career paths. Each

day, our students are gaining an urban education experience as they prepare to become global citizens.

It is also almost time for families with children in grades K – 11 to choose a school.

Please join us at the upcoming Pre-K – 8 School Information Fair: January 21 from 9 a.m.

– 2 p.m.

Hyatt Regency, 1300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis Families with students in all grades should request a school before February 29.

The heart of our work is to ensure that all students have the opportunity to reach their greatest potential. These efforts must begin early in each child’s life, which is why it is so important to find the right school for your child now.

Investing in academic progress early provides a greater return later in each student’s

education.

All three attendance areas in Minneapolis offer the choice of a school close to home in addition to excellent middle school and high school pathways so that your whole family can feel confident and successful growing with us.

Because more families have chosen to grow with us, we are making changes to better accommodate and serve our students. Each attendance area has community and magnet school options, giving families the opportunity to select a school that best meets their child’s academic needs. For the 2012-13 school year, Jenny Lind, Olson and Sheridan schools will offer different grade levels in the 2012-2013 school year.

• Jenny Lind, currently a K-4 school, will become a K-5 school.

• Olson, currently a 5-8 school, will become a 6-8

Great Teachers Make Great Schools.

Come see for yourself.

Grades 5-11 Information Session Wednesday, January 18 6:30–8:30 PM

Preschool-Grade 4 Information Session Thursday, January 19 6:30–8:30 PM

For information, call Admissions Director Scott Wade at 763.381.8200, or visit our website: www.breckschool.org Breck School | 123 Ottawa Ave. N. | Minneapolis, MN 55422 | www.breckschool.org

school.

• Sheridan, currently a K-8 school, will become a K-5 school.

For families, that will mean: • A traditional K-5 elementary and a comprehensive middle school option will exist for students in attendance areas 1A and 1B. • Olson will align its arts offerings with its elementary feeder schools.

• The northeast attendance area will offer 200 additional Pre-K – 5 seats.

• There will be a greater focus on academic improvements in primary grades.

At MPS, we will do whatever it takes to make sure that our students receive a high quality education. Every Minneapolis

public school promises: • An academic foundation that prepares students for high school, college, career and life • Meaningful experiences learning with people of diverse races, faiths and cultures • Opportunities to thrive in a local school and learn with a global perspective Call or visit Student Placement Services or the New Families Center if you need additional assistance. Our school staff members are always happy to meet with families and schedule tours. We look forward to helping you find the school that best fits your child’s needs. Thank you for choosing the Minneapolis Public Schools.

Minnesota celebrates Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Governor’s Commission on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Statewide Holiday Celebration will mark the 26th anniversary of the state’s adoption of the federal Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. A bill to adopt the federal holiday in Minnesota was introduced to the Minnesota Legislature by Rep. Randolph Staten. The measure was signed into law in January 1986.

This year’s theme is “Looking Back… Moving Forward: I Am My Brother’s Keeper!”

The 2012 Keynote speaker is Bishop William Watson, III. Bishop Watson currently presides over Revelation Christian Center International which is located at 104 Snelling Avenue South, Saint Paul, MN 55105.

Schedule of Events for Monday, January 16, 2012:

Rally… 9:30-10:30 AM, Saint Paul Central High School Auditorium, 275 N. Lexington Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104 Re-Enactment March…10:35 AM, From Central High School to Concordia University Main Event 11:00 AM 1:00 PM, Gangelhoff Center 235 Hamline Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55104 Education/Cultural Fair 1:00-3:00 PM, Gangelhoff Center 235 Hamline Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55104 Featuring St. John’s Boy Choir under the direction of André-Louis Heywood Movie Trailer “Dark Girls” by producer Bill Duke; brought to us by Soultouch Productions http:// officialdarkgirlsmovie.com/ press/ Ronald K. Brown, Evidence Dance Troupe/ Ordway

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Insight News • January 9 - January 15, 2012 • Page 5

AESTHETICS Queen Latifah: The “Joyful Noise” interview safer.

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: Which charities are you choosing to support

Interview

By Kam Williams kam@insightnews.com Born Dana Elaine Owens in Newark, NJ on March 18, 1970, Queen Latifah is an awardwinning actress, rapper, singer, author and entrepreneur. She landed an Oscar nomination in 2003 for Best Supporting Actress, as well as Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award nominations for her performance as Mama Morton in Chicago.

In 2008, Latifah received rave reviews and won a Golden Globe, SAG and an NAACP Image Award for her powerful portrayal of a mother who overcomes an addiction to crack and becomes a positive role model and AIDS activist in the black community in HBO’s Life Support. In addition to her film and television accolades, she earned a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rap Performance in 1994, and was nominated for Best Female Rap Solo Performance for Go Head in 2004.

Latifah made her screen debut in Spike Lee’s 1991 film Jungle Fever, and her other film credits include The Bone Collector, The Last Holiday, The Secret Life of Bees and Just Wright. Here, she talks about her latest movie, Joyful Noise, a musical comedy costarring Dolly Parton.

Kam Williams: Hi Queen, thanks for the interview.

Queen Latifah: Hey, Kam, no problem.

KW: What interested you in Joyful Noise?

QL: I felt that its timely, uplifting story was perfect for me, given what’s going on in the world right now. And I already loved the studio, Alcon Entertainment.

They’ve made a lot of nice movies

Queen Latifah in “Joyful Noise” in the past [The Blind Side, Dolphin Tale, etcetera], and they really do a great job of marketing their films. And I liked the idea of working with Dolly Parton and Keke [Palmer].

KW: Larry Greenberg asks: What was it like working with Todd Graff? It seems like he knows a lot about both music and comedy. ?

QL: He really does. It was great working with him because he’s very thorough. I believe he had an excellent grasp of every aspect of the film from the music to the staging. He knew exactly how he wanted it presented, which made the process a lot easier. And he likes to rehearse, which I do, too. So often, you don’t get that opportunity. You only go over everything once and, the next thing you know, you’re on set. Todd had a vision of what he wanted to do and, because he also wrote the screenplay, it was easy for him to make observations, take notes and tweak the script whenever necessary. It was perfect!

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier asks: What message do you think people will take away from Joyful Noise?

QL: I would say that overall, the movie offers an inspirational message of hope, love, camaraderie, joy and overcoming challenges in difficult times. All that good stuff!

KW: Harriet Pakula Teweles

asks: What’s your favorite song in Joyful Noise?

QL: My favorite song? For me, it was “Fix me, Jesus.”

KW: Harriet also asks: How hard was it to make the switch from hip-hop to acting?

QL: Developing my skills and getting really good at acting was actually more challenging than making the switch. As a rapper, you sort of act in music videos and in the persona you adopt onstage.

You kinda have to put yourself out there and be courageous even to be a rapper. So, to step into acting was not that difficult a transition to make. What was difficult was the work and the practice that went into becoming good at it, because I hadn’t had any training.

KW: Harriet asks: Is there a classic film that you’d like to star in a remake of?

QL: Hmm… Good question! The James Earl Jones and Diahann Carroll film Claudine. Or maybe Taps the military story starring Tom Cruise and Sean Penn. But that one’s all boys so I probably couldn’t do that one anyway.

KW: Finally, Harriet says: You did such a great duet with Tony Bennett. Who else would you like to do a duet with?

QL: Gee, there are a whole bunch of people I’d like to do duets with.

I don’t know, pick somebody.

[Chuckles] Let’s see… Harry Connick, Jr. would be nice.

Warner Brothers Pictures

KW: Kate Newell asks: Will you be making a guest star appearance on the TV show Glee?

QL: Whenever they invite me. I would love to.

KW: Patricia also asks: What advice do you have for females interested in founding a record company or breaking the glass ceiling in the music business?

QL: Try to network with others, and don’t take no for an answer.

It will be a challenge. You just have to connect with people who believe in your vision and who will work with you and advance your cause. And don’t give up!

KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks: Of what achievement are you most proud?

QL: I did get as far as high school.

[Laughs] Just kidding. Let me think… I don’t know… The Oscar nomination?

KW: That’s fine. Tony Noel asks: Are you involved with the community in your hometown of Newark, and how do you feel about the city’s future?

QL: I’m as involved as I can be. Whenever I’m asked to do something, I always tend to show up. Lately, I’ve been trying to do some land development for affordable housing. I feel very positive about Newark’s future, but I know we need a lot of help. I think that starts with the education of our kids and making the streets

nowadays, given that lots of non-profits have suffered the last few years because of the bad

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Page 6 • January 9 - January 15, 2012 • Insight News

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HEALTH Continued progress in reducing cancer mortality The American Cancer Society’s annual cancer statistics report shows that between 2004 and 2008, overall cancer incidence rates in the nation have declined by 0.6% per year in men and were stable in women, while cancer death rates decreased by 1.8% per year in men and by 1.6% per year in women.

In Minnesota, the overall cancer mortality rate is similar to what is reported for the nation and has been declining significantly for two decades. The overall cancer mortality rate in Minnesota has decreased by 1.6 % a year from 2000-2007. After adjusting for population growth and aging, the overall cancer mortality rate in Minnesota was 15% lower in 2007 than it was twenty years earlier,

with cancer mortality declining 17% in men and 15% among women.

This hard-won progress in Minnesota reflects significant declines in mortality for many of the common cancers, such as prostate, colon, rectum, stomach, brain, oral cavity and female breast. Cancer is still the leading cause of death in Minnesota.

The national report, Cancer Statistics 2012, states that over the past 10 years of available data (1999-2008), cancer death rates have declined in men and women of every racial/ethnic group with the exception of American Indians/Alaska Natives, among whom rates have remained stable.

In Minnesota, cancer rates for American Indians are roughly two

times higher than reported for the nation as a whole.

The reduction in overall cancer death rates across the nation since 1990 in men and 1991 in women translates to the avoidance of more than a million total deaths from cancer during that time period.

Further progress can be accelerated by applying existing cancer control knowledge across all segments of the population, with an emphasis on those groups in the lowest socioeconomic bracket.

Other highlights of the report include: • A total of 1,638,910 new cancer cases and 577,190 deaths from cancer are projected to occur in the United States in 2012.

In Minnesota, new cancer

cases were estimated to exceed 25,000 in 2010 with a projected 9,200 lives lost to the disease.

• Cancer incidence and death rates vary considerably among racial and ethnic groups. For all cancer sites combined, African American men have a 15% higher incidence rate and a 33% higher death rate than white men, whereas African American women have a 6% lower incidence rate but a 16% higher death rate than white women. In Minnesota, African American men have a 13% higher cancer incidence than non-Hispanic white men and a 42% higher mortality rate.

• Compared with whites, African American men and women have poorer survival

once cancer is diagnosed.

The 5-year relative survival is lower in African Americans than in whites for every stage of diagnosis for nearly every type of cancer. The overall cancer mortality rate among African Americans is very similar in Minnesota.

The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; by helping people get well

by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.5 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

America

in October, and more unrest and protests in Iran, Bahrain, Yemen, Iraq and Syria and in cities across the Middle East in 2011 dubbed the “Arab Spring.” The assassination of Osama Bin Laden

by United States’ Navy Seals in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May ended the nearly ten-year search for the mastermind behind the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

The collective voice of the people in these countries is protesting a variety of social and political conditions including dictatorships, distribution of wealth, corruption, unemployment, and human rights violations. They are seeking change and are achieving it in many instances.

With the fluid geopolitical landscape came extreme geophysical changes as well.

Quakes, tsunamis, floods, hurricanes and extreme weather became common occurrences

in the U.S. and abroad in 2011.

The East Coast experienced an uncharacteristic 5.8 magnitude earthquake and Hurricane Irene in the same week. The Midwest floods and tornadoes devastated communities and the Southwest suffered through a drought.

Extreme heat in the dog days of July and August set records from Oklahoma to Newark, New Jersey.

According to climatologists these changes were due to La Nina, a Pacific Ocean weather anomaly that when paired with global warming, causes extreme weather events.

One of the most extreme disasters occurred in March 2011 on Japan’s northeast coast when an earthquake that measured 9 on the Richter scale struck, making it the strongest quake in Japanese history. The quake triggered a massive tsunami and the world’s worst nuclear crisis in 25 years,

when its nuclear reactors cracked causing a meltdown and leaking radiation. It is estimated that 23,000 died and/or were reported missing as a result of the triple disaster.

As we begin 2012, it is important to reflect on what has happened this past year, but it is also imperative to figure out how we are going to greet the future, which will determine outcomes for us, our families and the world community. Natural disasters may not be something we can control, but we certainly can educate ourselves and our children on sustainability, protecting and preserving our precious resources – clean water, clean air, trees, plants, ecosystems, and ourselves by being prepared. The sluggish economy, at home and abroad, has made us more resourceful and also more aware of how we can effect change. One response was

Occupy Wall Street, a worldwide movement that has put the issue of economic inequity center stage.

As we celebrate the achievements of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this month, remembrances of the sacrifices individuals made 50 years ago including the Freedom Riders who desegregated restaurants and waiting rooms at bus terminals in the South in 1961 and the Taylor Case, the first school desegregation case filed in the North, also in 1961, are still fresh memories making us mindful of our collective and continuing struggle.

In his December 10, 1964 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech in Oslo, Norway, Dr. Martin Luther King spoke about the future, “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that

the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.”

Let us not tuck in or bury our heads in the sand avoiding life’s challenges, let us stand up and walk toward the future with optimism and intention that this will be a good year. Happy 2012!

communication link.

AM: When we look at the disparities in education outcomes though, Tamiko, how do you configure what you do to have a direct impact on reducing the disparity?

TM: We are an attendance program. We are trying to ensure that kids are at school every day on time. We know that if kids are attending school and they develop a healthy attachment to school, they are going to

achieve. But when you accrue a number of unexcused absences or just have chronic absenteeism, it is hard for that achievement to be realized. That is why we really remain very focused on helping families eliminate barriers that are preventing them from being able to get their child to school every single day.

For some people who are new to the country, once they receive information in that first level of intervention, and attend the parent group meeting, we share with them what this compulsory education law says. Once they understand it, they end up doing

a lot better. Our evaluation from the University of Minnesota has shown that just a little bit of education can go a long way in helping to eliminate this problem.

AM: Mike Freeman, is there in fact a “cradle-to-prison” pipeline? Is that real, or is it an oversimplification? Is there something going on that we all have to be more aware of?

MF: When I was County Attorney last time, we did a study of delinquents under 10 years of age. Why did kids commit crimes under the age of 10? We found that the following factors were part of that child’s life: single

parenthood; low income; lack of a positive influence male in the child’s life, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles who have been involved in prison; and lack of attendance in school.

That’s no surprise. There were kids at Seward School when I went there in the 50s who were following a pattern like that and, by the way, they were white kids. So this is not a unique color track. Every kid needs a family.

Every kid needs a home. Every kid needs food. Every kid needs

Latifah

economy?

QL: We have our own charity called the Lancelot H. Owens Scholarship Foundation which has awarded partial scholarships in

and around Newark, New Jersey for the past 15 years. I support many organizations that I feel are doing the right thing, like Alonzo Mourning’s foundation, Alicia Keys’ foundation, the Make-aWish Foundation, and other wellestablished foundations. I kick out a lot of time and money wherever I can.

From 1 the Seven Principles and their relationship to where we are today – “walk gently, act justly and relate rightly in and for the world.”

Dr. Karenga, noted the 45th anniversary of Kwanzaa, and focused his message on the work that must be done, not just in the African American community, but in the global community. He wrote of the “oppression imposed on human beings” and the “injury and injustice inflicted on the earth.”

Last January we witnessed the beginning of a paradigm shift in the Arab world with the overthrow of Mubarak, the February revolt in Libya which climaxed with the death of Muammar Gaddafi

Promise From 2 education. We help to work with them to provide that

From 5

Linda Tarrant-Reid is an author, historian and photographer.

Her book Discovering Black America: From the Age of Exploration to the TwentyFirst Century will be published in September 2012. Visit her blog at, www.discoverblackus. wordpress.com. Send your comments to Linda TarrantReid, c/o The Westchester County Press, P.O. Box 152, White Plains, NY 10602.

PROMISE TURN TO 11

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

QL: Scrambled eggs.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

QL: I see this 5’10” black lady.

She’s sexy! Who is that girl? Me? Oh, snap!

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?

QL: Being smacked on my ass in this bright room when I was maybe 4 or 5 minutes old. I remember wondering, “What is going on here?” It was not cool.

[LOL] KW: Thanks again for the time, Queen, and best of luck with Joyful Noise.

QL: Thank you, Kam.

insightnews.com

Insight News • January 9 - January 15, 2012 • Page 7

BUSINESS

Create anchors to stay steady through a storm Plan Your Career

By Julie Desmond julie@insightnews.com The only constant is change.

In the past year, Minneapolis saw tornadoes change our neighborhoods, America saw unemployment numbers change in the wrong direction and the world saw governments topple under protests. If you know anyone who has not seen significant change in the

past twelve months, I’d like to meet them. The rest of us can anticipate more of the same in 2012: more change.

Ready for it or not, positive or negative, change can be stressful. Learning to tap your inner anchors will help you stay strong through the storm and come out for the better at the end of it.

An anchor is a symbol you choose for yourself. It can be an object, word or gesture or anything that reminds you of a past success. Think about a time you beat the odds, overcame a challenge or completed a difficult task.

For example, many years ago, I completed the New York

City Marathon. I wasn’t fast and I wasn’t able to walk for a while afterwards, but my goal

that brings you back to that success. At the end of my race, I was handed a thick gold-

“No one says change is easy. Tapping into your own strengths and resources will help you through it.” was to finish within a certain timeframe, and I did it.

Now choose an anchor

colored medal on a ribbon; then, someone I’d never met wrapped a silver foil blanket

over my exhausted shoulders.

I keep both the medal and the blanket. They are tucked away in a closet somewhere, but when I am faced with a tough challenge, I recall the weight of the medal in my hands and it reminds me that, with perseverance, I can reach the finish line. I also remember the warmth of the foil blanket over my shoulders and it reminds me that other people will help me get where I need to go.

Use your imagination to remember the sights, sounds, smells and feelings surrounding you when you were doing your best, winning the race, beating the odds. Choose an anchor that ties it all together, that

helps you recall that positive, confident, calm feeling.

The next time you are faced with a major change, a difficult situation or an impossible task, bring out your anchor, mentally or physically, and let it take you back to that other accomplishment.

No one says change is easy. Tapping into your own strengths and resources will help you through it.

Julie Desmond is Manager for Lake Staffing. Send your planning questions to insightnews.com.

Talent Region career julie@

Summit Academy, Hennepin County partnership helps offenders reintegrate A new partnership between Summit Academy OIC and Hennepin County STS Homes is helping ex-offenders become educated, learn a certified skill and secure employment so that they can become positive influences in their homes and communities.

The Residential Rehabilitation Technician Program provides individuals living in Hennepin County with the ability to earn a pre-apprentice carpentry certification. Hennepin County and Summit Academy OIC recruit at-risk populations, including probation clients, as part of the partnership.

The 20-week program is

offered at Summit Academy OIC in Minneapolis. For the first 10 weeks, students are in the classroom learning about carpentry math, blueprint reading, hand and power tools, personal finance and more.

During the second 10 weeks, students are in the field getting on-the-job training working on residential construction and rehabilitation projects in the county. The first crew of six “rehab tech” students recently finished rehabbing a home in north Minneapolis, was severely damaged by the May tornado.

Summit also recently hired its first co-instructor who is a former offender. He originally participated on the Hennepin

County STS Homes crew while incarcerated, and went on to become a graduate of Summit.

His story of transformation after serving a 23-year prison sentence is inspirational and encouraging for others looking for a fresh start.

The current rehab tech crew is set to graduate from the program on February 3rd.

On any given day, about 5,000 adult and juvenile offenders are supervised in Hennepin County on the Sentencing to Service Program.

The program provides offenders with a safe environment in which to learn job skills and gain self confidence, while completing community improvement

and restoration projects. STS provides a structured work option within the criminal justice system that is responsive to the need for offender accountability.

Victims are compensated and communities restored for the harm done by offenders.

In 2010, adults and juveniles assigned to STS crews completed more than 309,000 hours of work and community service valued at more than $3 million. STS crews: • Maintained properties year-round for 100 seniors and at 200 vacant lots in Minneapolis; • Removed nearly 72,000 pounds of litter from communities in Brooklyn

Center and Minneapolis; and • Performed more than 9,960 hours of roadside clean-

up in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Page 8 • January 9 - January 15, 2012 • Insight News

insightnews.com

5 bold economic predictions for Black America in 2012

By Mike Green 2012 may be the Year of the Urban Innovator. In 2011, many creative Black American entrepreneurs joined millions of risk-taking innovators racing into the startup frontier with dreams of developing their passions into the next big marketplace disruption. Yet, Black Americans face some unique economic challenges which, ironically, could compel their competitive spirits in the new year.

Here are five bold predictions I believe will change the economic landscape for Black and urban America in 2012, contributing to an overall economic benefit for the nation.

Education Equals Access: The vast majority of Black Americans do not attend college. The majority of those who do don’t graduate. The debt college students carry compounds the burden. That presents a problem when a college education is marketed as the best method of access to opportunity in a capitalist

society. In 2012, I predict STEM education (Science, technology, engineering and math) will become a major focus of investment in K-12.

Instead of STEM being perceived as niche channels for “smart” or “gifted” students, it will become a necessary integral hub around which project-based learning helps all students understand methods of applying classroom curricula to solve real world problems.

STEM education in K-12 will help develop life-long learning skills that students can apply to myriad educational platforms that expand opportunities regardless of education credentials.

Entrepreneurship Offers Opportunity: The Kauffman Foundation proclaims nearly all net new jobs in America since 1980 are the result of companies five years old and younger. These high-growth startups are the nation’s economic engine and the best opportunity for economically disconnected Black and urban Americans to compete. They are fueled by family, friends and risk capital investments

Mike Green from angel investors and venture capital. I predict in 2012 entrepreneurship will explode as the key to economic success in America’s 21st century “Innovation Economy.” Black and urban America will rush into the new innovation frontier. From elementary school through higher education, students will learn key entrepreneurial principals around which they

Courtesy of America21 Project

can wrap knowledge of core curricula (English, math, science, history, etc.) along with their personal creativity and passions to introduce innovative ideas that offer productive solutions to community problems.

Investment In 2012, I in urban become a

Reaps Reward: predict investing innovation will familiar mantra.

Black and Hispanic Americans have suffered the highest unemployment and deepest Depression Era-like economic paradigm throughout 2011 despite optimism over the overall jobless rate dipping.

The gap between median wealth of White and Black American families is 20 times … and growing wider.

Another growing disparity is the constant stream of angel investments flowing into new companies to spur innovation and job growth. More than $3.5B was targeted toward startup companies by angel investors alone in the first half of 2011. Few of those investors were Black. And few of those startup companies were led

by Black founders. Congress is seeking to lower the bar for angel investing and open the door for startup founders to raise capital via crowdfunding.

In 2012, I predict crowdfunding will grow, along with interest in investing in urban innovators.

Initiating An Economic Movement: In 2012, I predict Black and urban America will be inspired by a man who is destined to become a household name, Johnathan Holifield. Long before America heard the name Barack Obama, Johnathan Holifield was tilling the ground of technology in the Midwest, developing technology based learning centers, advising governors and mayors on the growing “Innovation Economy” (then called the “new economy”) and educating the Urban League leadership with a vision that was decades ahead of the in-house paradigm. George Fraser, a well-known advocate of building wealth in Black America, paid homage to Johnathan Holifield when he heard him speak at Rutgers Business School on Nov. 16, 2011, during the firstever “Gathering of Angels” Summit. Fraser characterized Holifield’s 45-minute speech as

a “Harvard-level presentation.”

Holifield is a co-founder of The America21 Project, a national nonprofit dedicated to changing the economic narrative in Black and Urban America and being a catalyst for an economic movement that will connect economically disconnected sectors of America with the fast-paced Innovation Economy.

Exponential Economic Impact: In 2012, I predict Black journalists and media will become the storytellers of an economic movement in Black and urban America.

Black journalists will turn their attention to gaining a better understanding of the Innovation Economy and its job growth and wealth generating processes. Black media will begin the process of educating Black and urban communities about the Innovation Economy and channels of access and participation. As more of Black and urban America understand the economic power inherent within Black America to invest in urban innovators, create jobs and expand the overall economy while reaping internal rewards, there will be a resurgence of productivity.

That revenue generated by high-growth Black-owned businesses will move the needle of Black America’s contribution to the nation’s GDP above the 1 percent mark, which will be a historic impact. I predict Black America will start to compete across industry markets and the “Year of the Urban Innovator” will ignite a firestorm of urban entrepreneurial activity resulting in an exponential economic impact across America.

Mike Green is an awardwinning journalist and blogger for The Huffington Post. Contact him at mike@ blackinnovation.org.

insightnews.com

Insight News • January 9 - January 15, 2012 • Page 9

FULL CIRCLE Sisters of the Visitation: Places of prayer, peace and hospitality extending hospitality to interested individuals or groups. The St.Jane House website is www.

By Sister Mary Frances Reis We, the Sisters of the Visitation, have lived and ministered in north Minneapolis for 22 years. We are a religious order of Catholic nuns. From Day One, we were welcomed with open arms by this community. Our monastery sites at 1527 Fremont Avenue North and 1619 Girard Avenue North are places of prayer, peace and hospitality; ours is a rather hidden presence, but one that we believe is necessary for the support of the many fine initiatives taking place here, and a sign of hope for the many who come to our door.

Our days are framed by four periods of common prayer: 7:00 am, 12 noon, 4:45 and 8:15 pm.

People are always welcome to join us. Over the years we have formed many deep relationships with the children and their families. We have been equally enriched by them, and we trust that they have been supported in their desire to raise their children

MUL From 1 institutional inequities.

Pillar 4 – The Strategy: The MUL strategy, in response to our changing world, has been retooled. In the past two and a half years under our new leadership, we have embarked upon intense work to produce a strategy that is driven by innovation, evidence-

Courtesy of Visitation Monastery

Sister Mary Frances Reis

for a future full of hope. Over and above our life of prayer and community, we sponsor a host of activities anywhere from field trips for children and their families to retreats for women and men. Please take a moment to visit our extensive website: w w w. v i s i t a t i o n m o n a s t e r y minneapolis.org.

Our spirituality center, the St. Jane House, located at 1403 Emerson Avenue North is open to individuals and groups in the community who seek to deepen their spiritual journey. Brian Mogren, the director, is open to

based models, and best practices that achieve results.

Pillar 5 – The Agenda: We will continue to emphasize that personal agendas must be replaced with our “people’s agenda.” The people’s agenda is aimed at resolving the stark issues outlined in numerous “state of” reports about the Twin Cities.

These metrics represent the lives

MUL TURN TO 12

bewhoyouare.info. He can also be reached at 612-965-9446.

We are mindful that ‘it takes

a village’…… We are deeply grateful that God planted us here in this great community, and we trust

that our presence is instrumental in building up the city of God. You are always welcome!

Page 10 • January 9 - January 15, 2012 • Insight News

insightnews.com

C OM CO MMUNI M U N IT TY

Neighborhood beat...

By Ivan B. Phifer Staff Writer

Cleveland The Cleveland Neighborhood Association will hold a neighborhood board meeting 7-8pm January 23rd board meeting at Lucy Craft Laney 3330 Penn Ave. N. due to the Martin Luther King Holiday originally scheduled for January 16. For more information: Debbie Nelson, 612-588-1155 or can@ clevelandneighborhood.org GED Classes Sumner Library, located at 611 Van White Memorial Blvd. is now accepting enrollment for GED classes. A tendollar registration fee is required for material expense. All classes however are free. The classes are held mornings from 10:00am-noon and evenings from 6:30-8:30pm Monday through Thursday. For more information: 612377-5399.

Freedom Fighter The Southside Family Charter School will host “An Evening With Hollis Watkins”, A Mississippi freedom fight who joined the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the early 60s. The event takes place 6-7pm Tuesday, January 17 at Southside Family Charter School, 4500 Clinton Ave. S. For more information, 612-8728322 or visit southsidefamilyschool.org

Capri Theater: “Speak Low When You Speak Love” The Capri Theater presents their “Legends” series featuring four outstanding Twin Cities performers: Sanford Moore, Dennis Spears, Julius Collins and Dennis Oglesby. The concerts are at 7pm Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, and 3pm Sunday, February 12, 2012. Tickets are $25, and $20 for groups of 10 or more. Capri Theater, 2027 West Broadway, Minneapolis, MN. For more information, visit www. thecapritheater.org

Open Mic Xpressions The Freedom of Xpression open mic sessions, hosted by Crystal “Azteca” Ruiz, at the Capri are free and open to the public the first Monday of every month with the exception of this coming month. Due to the New Year’s holiday we are moving the January open mic to Monday, Jan. 9, from 7 to 9 pm The doors open at 5:30 pm and the theater will be open for tech rehearsals and workshops between 6 and 7 p.m. Artists wanting to perform on stage are required to sign up between 5:30 and 7pm. the night of the event. Capri Theater, 2027 West Broadway, Minneapolis, MN. For more information, contact Crystal at cruiz@pcyc-mpls.org.

Folwell The Folwell Neighborhood Association will have a board meeting 6:30-8pm Monday January 9 at the Folwell Neighborhood office 1206 37th Ave. N.

Classifieds/Calendar Send Community Calendar information to us by: email, andrew@insightnews. com, by fax: 612-588-2031, by phone: (612) 588-1313 or by mail: 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis, MN 55411, Attn: Andrew Notsch. Free or low cost events preferred.

Events 2012 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Statewide Holiday Celebration Jan 16 • Rally: 9:30-10:30am @ Saint Paul Central High School Auditorium 275 N.

Copyright Notice Copyright notice: All rights Reserved re common-law copyright of trade - name/trademark, VINCENT EDWARD PAYNE as well as any and all derivatives and variations in the spelling of said trade-name/trademark - copyright ©1981 by Vincent Edward Payne, said trade-name/trademark, VINCENT EDWARD PAYNE© may neither be used, nor reproduced, neither in whole or in part, nor in any other manner, whatsoever, without the prior, express written consent and acknowledgement of Vincent Edward Payne, subscribed with the blue or red ink signature of Vincent Edward Payne, herein-after “Secured Party,” for full copy of terms and conditions, send SASE to Vincent Payne, Secured Party C/O P.O. Box 29001, Brooklyn Center, MN 55429. No objection raised within 30 days after this public notice, all are estopped from violating and infringing on common-law copyright so in noted record, owner; Vincent Edward Payne, autograph common-law copyright ©1981.

Death of Terrell Mayes, Jr.: “The fierce urgency of NOW”

For more information: Roberta Englund 612-521-2100 or info@folwell.org

information: Roberta Englund 612-5212100 or info@folwell.org

By Scott Gray, MUL President/CEO

Martin Luther King Celebration The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board will host a Martin Luther King celebration from 6:30-7:30pm Monday January 16 at Martin Luther King Jr. Park 4055 Nicollet Ave. S. The event is hosted by radio personality Danni Simms, with Keynote speaker Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson of Minneapolis Public Schools, a performances by Sha Cage amd Najee Dennis.

Business Committee Meeting The Hawthorne Business Committee and WBC Business Committee have merged to become the Northside Business Committee. The first meeting is 8:30am Friday, January 27th at McDonalds 916 W. Broadway. Business committee meetings occur every other month, quarterly happy hours, and business lunches business lunches are open to all. For more information: Alicia - alicia@westbroadway.org or 612-353-5178.

Open letter to the community: Last week, in the hustle and bustle of starting a new year, our community paused to bury 3 year-old Terrell Mayes, Jr., the innocent toddler who was killed by a stray bullet in his own home just two days after Christmas. We at the Minneapolis Urban League extend our condolences to the entire family of young Terrell.

The death of this baby particularly stirred me as I am the father of a 3-year-old son who happened to celebrate his birthday yesterday. As I reflected on the dichotomy of the day, I struggled to understand the lack of progress we seem to have made in transforming our community.

This New Year, 2012, is a great time for us to get really serious about the level of work that needs to be done in our community. In his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stressed that there is a fierce urgency of NOW. Now, we should not allow another senseless killing of one of our children. Now, we must join together to support plans that provide opportunities for all.

How long will we have to continue to talk about the same tragedies and disparities? How long must our children wait to receive all the promises of our land? How long is the NOW so many have talked about?

Minneapolis Urban League staff kicks off the New Year with a planning and rededication retreat. I plan to ask these questions of my team. If the question is who?

I say US. If the question is how? I say Together. If the question is when? I say NOW. Join us in the movement to make NOW, 2012, the year to make some significant impacts in our community.

Shingle Creek The Shingle Creek will have a board meeting 6:30-8pm Tuesday January 10 at Creekview Park 5001 Ave. N. For more information: Amy Luesenbrink 763-516-1616 or scan@stribmail.com West Broadway Coalition 2012 West Broadway Farmers Market Planning West Broadway Farmers Market planning has begun. Bring your ideas and input so we can plan for and implement them next season. Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 11, 2012. For more information: Alicia - alicia@westbroadway.org or 612-353-5178.

Webber-Camden The Webber Camden Neighborhood Organization will host a Webber Park Master’s Plan meeting 6:30-8:30pm Tuesday January 10 at Webber Park 4400 Dupont Ave. N. For more

Loan Program Lind-Bohanon Neighborhood Association has partnered with the Center for Energy and Environment to administer home improvement programs.

LBNA loans create opportunities for more home loans and other neighborhood activities. The loan has a 4% fixed rate financing, $15,000 maximum loan with no maximum income limit. Eligible improvements include: most interior and exterior maintenance and remodeling. For more information: Amy Lusenbrink 763-5611616 or LindBohanonNA@aol.com Folwell The Folwell Neighborhood Organization will hold a board meeting 6:30-8pm Monday January 9 at 1206 37th Ave. N. For more information: Roberta Englund 612-521-2100 or info@folwell.org

PHONE: 612.588.1313

Lexington Ave. St. Paul, MN 55104. The Rally kicks off the days festivities with Rally Keynote T. A. Watson.

• March: 10:35am From Central High School 275 N. Lexington Ave. St. Paul, MN 55104, to Concordia University, 235 Hamline on the corner of Hamline & Marshall Ave. • Main Program: 11am-1pm @ Concordia University Gangelhoff Arena - Keynote Speaker Bishop William Watson, III & St. John’s Boy Choir.

• Education/Cultural Fair: 1-3pm @ Concordia University Gangelhoff Arena (behind the stage).

ASL Interpreted. Contact mlkingholiday@ gmail.com with any questions. Or go online at www.mnstatewidemlkingholiday. com to retrieve sponsorship form and/or Essay/Poster/Spoken-word Contest form

Assumed Name 1. State the exact assumed name under which the business is or will be conducted: Terra Cole for State Representative 2. State the address of the principal place of business: 2518 Dupont Ave N, Mpls., MN 55411 3. List the name and complete street address of all persons conducting business under the above Assumed Name OR if an entity, provide the legal corporate, LLC, or Limited Partnership name and registered office address. Attach additional sheet(s) if necessary: Terra Cole, 2518 Dupont Ave N, Mpls., MN 55411; Todd Stump, 4204 Standish Avenue, Mpls., MN 55407; Barbara Cole, 2509 Dupont Ave N, Mpls., MN 55411 4. I certify that I am authorized to sign this certificate and I further certify that I understand that by signing this certificate, I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Minnesota Statues section 609.48 as if I had signed this certificate under oath.

Signed by: Todd Stump Date Filed: 12/16/2011 Insight News 1/9/2012, 1/16/2012

FAX: 612.588.2031

3rd Annual HBCU College Fair - Jan 16 High school students and families are invited to celebrate the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday and explore college options on Mon., Jan. 16 at St. Peter’s AME Church - 401 E 41st Street, Mpls.

Mon. Jan. 16 3-6pm. Over 20 HBCU representatives will be on hand to provide information on HBCU schools, admission requirements, campus life and scholarship resources. Students can also SKYPE with other HBCU admissions officers and students around the country. This free event features food, entertainment, door prizes and a keynote speech by Bishop Gregory Ingram of the 10th Episcopal District of the AME Church, a dynamic preacher and lecturer.

NHCC Celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. In Concert - Jan 19 North Hennepin Community College,

Insurance Agent Looking for people with a strong entrepreneurial mindset to own their own insurance agency.

The average agent earns over $120,000 a year, with some earning over $500,000. If you desire financial independence, call 651-2043131 to set up an appointment.

President/CEO Twin Cities Community Land Bank seeks a dynamic, results-oriented President/ CEO. Contact Shana at 612-238-8212 or shana.wenger@tcclandbank.org for application information. Applications must be received by 1/20/12.

Community Organizers Wanted!!

Working America / AFL-CIO is hiring full time staff to take our country back from the political forces that favor the wealthy and corporate special interests over your well-being! Diversity is highly valued at Working America: Women, people of color, and LGBT applicants strongly encouraged to apply. $457.60 week base pay - Entry Level. Fun work environment. EOE. Rapid advancement opportunities. - Apply Now: 612-331-5800

EMAIL: andrew@insightnews.com

7411 85th Avenue North, Brooklyn Park, MN is celebrating Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in concert on Thur., Jan. 19 at 7:30pm in NHCC’s Fine Arts Center Theatre. The concert will feature NHCC Chamber Singers, directed by Karla Miller, who will be performing songs of praise. They will be joined by Sandy Hodges and Friends, along with the Voices of Inspiration choir from Macedonia Baptist Church, directed by Nerita Hughes.

Healthy Life Expo - Jan 21-22 Nutrition, Fitness, and Longevity - It’s all here! Explore up to 200 exhibitors offering everything for health, balance and success in all areas of life. 3 - Stages of on-going speaker presentations, demonstrations and live entertainment.

Product sampling, hourly drawings and free health information. The Smart place to get the free tips information to start living a healthier life. Minneapolis Convention Center Ballroom - 1302 2nd St., Mpls, MN 55403.

FREE Fitness Classes - Tue. Wed. Thurs.

Featuring: Cardiovascular work out by Annice, The Diva - Tue. 6-7pm.

Muscle conditioning exercise in addition to cardiovascular by Georgia, Ms Smooth - Wed. 6-7pm.

Pilates by Angela, No Mercer - Thur.

6-7pm. Located: 310 E. 38th Street, 2nd Floor gym, Minneapolis. Registration Fee: $25 for the entire season (Sept. thru May 31).

Community of Lights - Ongoing The community of lights is a Community Health Action Team that stems from the Cultural Wellness Center and Allina’s Back Yard Initiative. The objective of this multi-year project is to improve the health of community members through promoting self-sufficiency and creativity. The communities of Light

Co-operative members are community residents who have designed, assembled and are now selling community produced solar lanterns and portable solar generators. These Solar lanterns and solar generators will be available for purchase and demonstration at the Midtown Global Market every Fri. and Sat. from 10am–7pm at the Midtown Global Market starting on Jan. 6 & 7.

Free Lead Paint Testing If you meet the following criteria, you may be eligible to receive new windows through a Hennepin County grant program: • Home built before 1978 • A child (5 or under) lives in or frequently visits your home • Live in Hennepin County • Meet certain income qualifications Sustainable Resources Center have partnered with the National Center for Healthy Housing to bring a national perspective to our efforts in Minnesota.

SRC will be working with public, private and nonprofit organizations throughout the State to develop the plan. This is a great opportunity to encourage and support the creation of healthy homes for all! Call Sustainable Resources Center at 612-872-3281 to schedule a free home visit! Communication available in Spanish, Somali, and Hmong. http://www.src-mn.org/ Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Program (MFPP) MFPP provides free counseling for Minneapolis homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages (and referrals for clients outside of our service area).

Located in the Minneapolis Urban League building at 2100 Plymouth Ave N, call 612-331-4090 and select option 3 to speak with a MFPP representative and set up an appointment.

insightnews.com

Insight News • January 9 - January 15, 2012 • Page 11

Mississippi

ourselves, we never did. When I think of the individual people in my life, my grandmother, Ada Willis Ford, or as we called her, “Goodmama,” and my grandfather John Ford, who we revered as “Daddy Ford,” the precivil rights era Crystal Springs restaurateur and entrepreneur, and my Aunt Pearl, the fearless social entrepreneur whose business it was to see deeply into men’s hearts and minds, I know the only true description of my people, of our people, is people of strength

who are divinely guided.

Think about it. If so much energy has been put into putting down Mississippi, there must be something worth holding back, something formidable.

Understanding this wellspring of character, perseverance and strength, I embrace our culture. I will not be discouraged, distracted or defeated by narrow, backwards thinking. We are God’s people. We are placed on this earth to win.

I marvel at how my family

prevailed, even when everything around us was attempting to keep us in actual, then mental bondage.

We kept our heads up. We were taught education was the way to our freedom.

My grandmother Ada Ford was happiest when my eldest sister Bettye Jean enrolled in Mississippi Industrial College (MI) in Holly Springs, MS in the early 1950s. Bettye Jean was sent off to college with the very best clothes, neatly packed in new Samsonite luggage. She was sent

with new dorm linen, with money, and with and a sense of direction.

The money was earned with my grandmother’s hands cleaning houses, picking cotton, peas, tomatoes and beans. Goodmama’s hands were torn from picking prickly cotton bolls, and blistered from handling steaming vegetables being conveyed from boilers to cans at the Raspani & Sons Canning Factory. No gloves, just tough, determined hands, working for a better life for her grandchildren. The labor was intense and backbreaking. The jobs paid very little. She never complained. I never heard her say she was tired. She was always eager to work, and thankful for whatever work there was. She was up before dawn. And home at dusk. She worked to make sure here grandchildren were fed, bathed, and all needs were met before we went to bed.

She was up during the night while we slept. She was cleaning the house. I remember lying in bed wishing she would get done so she could turn off the beaming bright light. It was as bright a Noonday sun. She cleaned till everything was spotless.

When we awakened, everything was in its place. Our shoes were lined neatly in front of a floor heater, cleaned and shined.

Even the soles were clean. She had a little brush she would use to polish the shoe soles edges

educate them.

AM: Mike Freeman, how does crime figure in this equation?

What impact does youth crime and crime in the neighborhood have on children and families… on education?

MF: The good news is juvenile crime is way down. Way down. It reflects parents getting involved and neighborhood groups getting involved. It is because the kids are showing more personal responsibility. The kids are going to school. The drop in crime rates is really phenomenal.

But one homicide or one rape is one homicide or rape too many.

The question is what can we do to focus? In the prosecutor’s office, it is our job to take the people who commit crimes and bring them to justice. But I think our job is also much broader than that. It must be crime prevention and that is where truancy comes in. As I said 98% of the young people who a commit felony were

truant first. So we figure if we get them in school we help. You get kids off the street and make them obey the curfew laws.

There are not many good things that kids can do out in the streets after midnight. They ought to be home. My daddy said it too. Yes, he was a Marine Corp colonel, but Orville Freeman made sure his little boy was at home. So I think there are some good messages there. We got ongoing work to do.

The number of guns out there is way too large. It’s tragic. We don’t have the legislative tools or frankly we have not seen the kind of commitment from our communities about guns.

AM: Sometimes in the Black community there distrust of the police department, of the Prosecutor and even lack of confidence in the Public Defender at the county based on turbulent historic relationships.

Are we addressing that? Is our

community seeing itself, number one, as the owner of the enterprise of governance, as participants in the process who believe that we can and should expect quality service and support from you, from the police department? Do you sense our community feels that we own the prosecutorial process, as opposed to feeling besieged by it?

MF: Well I think we have made some giant strides forward.

When I first became County Attorney, we had 3% people of color in our staff. We have 19% today. Since I returned five years ago, 40% of the lawyers we have hired were people of color. It is not just African American, it is Somali, it is American Indian, it is Hispanic. We need to do that and we need to make sure our office reflects the community as a whole. I think it is beginning to do that. I know the Public Defender Bill Ward is working on that. If you look at the appointments by

this Governor, Mark Dayton, his appointees reflect racial diversity and sexual diversity.

He has appointed gay and lesbian people. He is beginning to help us see diversity as an asset for our court system and that has to help. When a person comes in is charged and they are of Somali descent and they see a Somali person as a victim witness advocate in that courtroom, that makes a difference. We haven’t done enough but I think we have done better.

Frankly Al you are inviting a white prosecutor down here talking on a radio show. That is a pretty diverse step for you.

AM: Our job is to keep us all accountable to each other and to encourage us to be the best and create the best. So let me let you close on this one statement, Mike Freeman. Do you envision a community where there is a sense of complete equity, ownership of the enterprise of justice in and

From 1 Mississippi is rising, eternal like its mighty namesake the Mississippi River, becoming its true self, indomitable, essential.

That means wholesale rejecting of deprecating judgments from within and without.

Honestly, it burns me up when people try to condescend to me because of my Mississippi roots.

How often have I heard, “You know how those people are,” in the breath preceding torrential denigration of Mississippi, its people and its cultures.

People would reserve choice words like “backwards, country, crazy, slow, and dumb” in describing Mississippians. This was even within our race. Our own people, whose slavery legacy experiences were exactly the same, seemed to ready to claim that being enslaved in Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, Georgia and the like, was somehow, better than being enslaved, or descendant of the enslaved in Mississippi.

It’s bewildering that we could be so deceived that we could even purse our lips to articulate the product of a damaged mind: the notion that slavery in any place was preferable.

This is what I know: While it may have seemed that we embraced disparaging images of

Promise From 6 educating.

What we have tried to do in the county attorney’s office is say we want to do our part. We have an obligation to uphold the laws and we can use those laws to make sure the kids get in school.

Most parents as I said before want their kid in school but often there is some barrier, there is some problem or something.

Elementary kids don’t want to be watching TV during the school day, they want to be in school. We just have to help their parents get them there. They are not going to be successful in the science class if they are not there, bottom-line.

You are not going to learn unless you are in the building. We get them in the door and then it is up for our very good schools to

\Bettye Jean Spight, Sister

John Ford, “Daddy Ford”, Grandfather

jet back. Sometimes she would put the polished shoes so close together they would stick to each other where they touched.

She would say, “I can’t stand a dirty shoe!”

The enigma is that though she worked so hard that the work could be called abusive, her inner strength reflected a sense of royalty. She loved getting dressed.

Her coat suits, matched skirts and jackets, were always embellished with a broach on the lapel.

When tragedy stuck and we lost our home, a new house was built from the ground up from her savings and her hard work.

We lived in rented housing till the new house was built. Imagine having a brand new house with enough land on the side to garden produce that could amply nourish our family.

What could she be, but a vessel of God? What could she be but a representation of the true meaning of dignity, faith and hope?

A product of the mold that formed the millions of Africans whose presence in this land became the impetus and agent for the pursuit of true democracy, what could she be but the song of mighty Mississippi rising.

among Black, Latino, Asian, residents? Do you envision a community in which we feel we are all co-equal partners? Are you doing things to make that happen?

I think you are, but do you think we are going to succeed, if that is a worthy goal?

MF: Al, that is absolutely a worthy goal and it is something we reach for. There was sin in the time when the good Lord was watching, walking the earth and there is sin today. I am not sure we are ever going to reach that utopia. That doesn’t keep us from trying to get there and having that as our goal. Having programs like we have heard talked about today can really make a difference. I think this society is more just and fair and more concerned about all its members than was the society when I first started going to Seward School in the 1950s. We are getting better. We still have work to do.

Editor’s Note: I am interested in your Mississippi story.

Write me via email at bpford@ insightnews.com.

Page 12 • January 9 - January 15, 2012 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Danny Givens on a mission to turn lives around

By Ivan B. Phifer Staff Writer Danny Givens is living proof that, A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. ~Proverbs 16:9.

Givens, a men’s advocate for the African American’s Men’s Project at North Point Health and Wellness Center, 1313 Penn Ave. N. runs the project’s re-entry program. The program assists men returning to the community from prison with health care, education and employment.

“We have this psycho-social support model to help bridge the gap between the mental health side of things, and men dealing with the challenges they face coming home from prison, in order to be able to matriculate back into society,” said Givens.

The philosophy of restoration guides the program’s assistance in employment, education and healthcare. “The most important piece of this is healthcare,” Givens said. “Your health is your wealth.

The problem is not landing a job, but sustaining it. For example, if you get a job and your health fails you… you need dental work or an up to date physical exam, you now have to take days off work, days you do not have being new to the job. You are presenting yourself as a liability to your new employer,” he said.

Motivated from personal experience, Givens has literally been on both sides of the gun.

Born and raised in St. Paul’s

MUL From 9 and hopes of real people, many of them children who need solutions which sow seeds of future success for them and their families.

Pillar 6 – The Commitment: As a community, we must choose to make a sincere commitment in 2012. We cannot spend another year talking, writing, and debating the data and the disparities that plague the Twin Cities. We need to get moving towards doing something about these issues

Selby-Dale community, his influences were of two different worlds. “My father was a drug dealer and a pimp. My mother, on the other hand, is a college graduate, who imposed education on us. It was a double life style.

On one hand, I was a great student, but I was still in the streets for recreation,” he said.

At the age of 18, Givens committed an armed robbery at a St. Paul nightclub, which turned into a face-off with an off duty police officer. “We both shot each other. Thankfully, we both lived,” he said.

Givens went to prison for 12 years following the incident.

During this time, Givens started questioning his actions and his life. “I realized I needed to do a deeper work. I started having questions why I was engaged in the behavior I was in,” he said.

Looking deeper involved three perspectives: faith, family and education.

Givens received his first college degree from St. Cloud St.ate University while in prison.

He also obtained three vocational trade diplomas in cabinet making, floor installation and carpentry.

“Six years into my prison sentence, I realized I had leadership qualities inside of me, but I was using them for the wrong reason,” Givens said.

In June of 2002, Givens gave his life to Christ and started preaching shortly after. “I really started becoming aggressive in seeing men’s lives progress for the better. The driving impetus

was God saying to me ‘I want you to be unto others what no one has been to you,’ ” he said.

Givens grew up attending New Hope Baptist Church, a pillar institution in the St. Paul community led by the Reverend Kneely Williams. Rev. Williams’ son, the late Pastor Arnold Williams, branched off to start a contemporary nondenominational church called River of Life, which also grew to become an institutional community pillar in St. Paul.

Givens recalls two occasions where he was told his calling was ministry.

“I was 10 or 11 years old.

My grandmother said ‘you’re too old to go to Sunday school;

by supporting and executing proven programs that address the problems.

Pillar 7 – The Focus: Our dialogue and our strategies are rooted in the present to impact the community now and in the future. Let us learn from the past and build on our past but focus on the future. Our conversations cannot rest on what happened years ago with little strategic focus being placed on the current and emerging opportunities now.

Pillar 8– The Partnerships: MUL is committed to forming authentic and intentional partnerships that will allow us

to have a holistic impact on communities of color. We have seen that segmented and bare bones approaches may generate activity but not notable results.

Our partnerships need to be winwin and solution focused.

Pillar 9 – The Funding: To deliver quality human development programs, adequate funding is a must. If as a community we are indeed sincere about addressing the root causes of the alarming data we converse about, funding levels must be aligned with outcome expectations. Piecemeal funding will not garner results.

Pillar 10 – The Support:

I want you to start attending Men’s Worship. My grandfather was a deacon in the church and leading Men’s Worship that morning. I was asked to lift my hands up to the Lord. When I did, it felt like something took me off. I was scared because I was selling dope at that time. I got home, told my grandmother and she began leaping and shouting ‘You’re going to grow up to be a preacher.’”

“I thought to myself, ‘yeah right, I ain’t sweating out my good clothes preaching,’” he said.

Another encounter with a similar outcome was what convinced Givens.

“A couple years later, Joseph Jennings, a fiery Evangelist from

Philadelphia held a revival at the church. He had all the young men come up, pulled me out of 15 of my friends and said to me ‘You’re going to be a preacher.’”

“That was the foundation of it all,” he said. “I knew I was called to the ministry.”

After his release from prison, he enrolled in Bethel University in the Christian Ministry program.

“It enhanced the biblical truths I already held close to my life,” Givens said.

He graduated in May of this year and founded Above Every Name Ministries, with his wife Pastor Roslyn Givens.

The mission of Above Every Name is summed up in what Givens calls the three R’s: “The church is a place to relate, a place to receive and place to be released.” He said, “The name comes from the scripture in Philippians 2:9: Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is Above Every Name.”

Givens points at his own father in explaining how a fatherson relationship affects African American males mentally and socially. “My father was married to the game. So as long as I was in the game with him, I had his attention. But when I decided to change, that’s when the conflicts came,” he said.

This absence of a productive relationship with a father leads to what Givens describes as social stigma.

“I thought about the countless numbers of men, women and

children, who have this narrative of a father that is missing, and who don’t know they have a father in heaven,” he said. “I thought about the men in our community, and all the names given to us: deadbeat dads, losers, no good, crackheads, goonz, d-boys, ignorant, niggaz, criminals. These are all names that stigmatize and create social and emotional scars that lead us to embrace and to act out the names imposed upon and spoken over us,” Givens said.

Givens also points out the status of Black love in our community and how it plays a part in the stigmatization.

“One of the things that is really missing from our community is Black love. We have it in our community, but it is not celebrated. Nor is it mainstream or fashionable,” he said. “It takes a whole lot of a man to be able to uplift the woman and celebrate her; call a woman a wife and acknowledge the innovative power of mothering and nurturing,” said Givens.

Givens was part of the celebrity panel for the 2010 United Negro College Fund (UNCF) Empower Me Tour last November at the University of Minnesota.

Above Every Name Ministries is located at 1890 Randolph Ave. St. Paul MN 55105. For more information, 612-293-6716 or email Danny Givens @ pastordanny@ aboveeveryname.org

Community support must be unwavering. The giving of your money, time, and expertise is needed consistently. MUL is a community based advocacy and solution-focused organization with a mission to serve you and the Twin Cities. Thus, you, the community play a fundamental role contributing to our vibrancy and ultimate impact.

Pillar 11- The Programming: Best practices in human development programming cite that in the absence of holistic wraparound service delivery, the chances for sustainable outcomes are limited. MUL’s four

intersections, College Readiness and Career Development, Health and Wellness, Workforce Solutions and Wealth Accumulation merge to serve as catalyst for quality of life enhancement for people of all ages. When our major philanthropic funders focus on one spectrum of an issue and not another, little sustainable impact can be obtained.

Pillar 12 – The Results: Throughout 2011, and continuing in 2012, the MUL intends to build capacity in the six best practice areas in non-profit management: (1) Mission, Vision, Strategy; (2)Board Governance

and Leadership; (3)Program Delivery and Impact; (4) Strategic Relationships; (5)Resource Development, and (6) Internal Operations and Management.

MUL is successfully revitalizing its organizational strength and relevance as reflected in outcomes achieved in each of its four service sectors, and with the infusion of more resources, MUL is prepared to achieve even more.

All of us at MUL wish you and yours a purposeful New Year.

In this leap year, let’s “leverage effort & activate power.” Standing on our pillars together, we can transform the Twin Cities.

Danny Givens and Roslyn Givens

Suluki Fardan