Insight News ::: 02.06.17

WINNER: 2016 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 1ST PLACE COMMUNIT Y SERVICE, 3RD PLACE BEST USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS

Insight News February 6 - February 12, 2017

Vol. 44 No. 6• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

‘When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty’ TURN TO PAGE 2

David Bradley

Page 2 • February 6 - February 12, 2017 • Insight News

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Standing up to tyranny To say Thomas Jefferson was flawed is about as big of an understatement as saying President Donald Trump somewhat of a shortsighted, ill-tempered, racist, xenophobe with misogynistic tendencies.

Jefferson was a slave owner.

We can start and stop there with his flaws. And he fathered children of a slave “mistress” (mistress is in quotes because it’s beyond plausible that his “mistress,” Sally Hemings, had little to no say in the whole “relationship” deal). And he kept those children as his slaves. Let that sink in for a bit.

But it was Jefferson that offered maybe the most ironic quote of all time. Somehow Jefferson found the muster to utter these words. Attributed to Jefferson is the quote, “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.”

No truer words have been spoken.

Injustice is now (and quite frankly, always has been) law in America. And now people

David Bradley

Thousands gathered in downtown Minneapolis this past Tuesday (Jan. 31) to protest President Donald Trump’s decision to ban travel from Muslim-majority countries. are seeing it for what it is.

The most recent decisions by Trump and his white nationalist

administration are not only unjust, they are also inhumane.

And the people are resisting.

With the … and let’s call it what it is … Muslim immigration ban, Trump has

sent a clear signal as to the direction he and his cronies plan on taking the country. The new

America is nothing more than old Nazi Germany. But let’s give him credit. He did exactly what he said he would do all along.

And millions upon millions were happy to go right along with it.

But millions upon millions more are saying, “Not on my watch.”

Resistance has become duty.

Americans across the land are engaged in various acts of protest and civil disobedience.

Right here in the Twin Cities, thousands gathered this past Tuesday (Jan. 31) to protest the travel ban and the ill-conceived proposed wall on the southern border of the U.S. And while state Republican legislators try to stiffen penalties for citizens engaging in their right to peaceably assemble, the masses have asserted that’s a risk they are willing to take in the name of freedom, justice, equality and humanity.

When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.

Resist on.

Ellison calls fired attorney general Yates ‘hero’ WASHINGTON, D.C. – “History will remember Acting Attorney General Sally Yates as a hero who stood up to a power hungry President and his unconstitutional Muslim ban.”

Rep. Keith Ellison issued those words after President Donald Trump fired Acting Attorney General Sally Yates for refusing to defend his travel ban that affected mostly Muslim majority countries. Ellison called the ban unconstitutional.

“History will remember Acting Attorney General Sally Yates as a hero who stood up to a power hungry president and his unconstitutional Muslim ban,” said Ellison in a statement. “Donald Trump has demeaned our fallen CIA heroes, strained our relationship with Mexico, and

falsely claimed that millions of people voted illegally. Now, by firing the acting attorney general for refusing to violate the Constitution, we can safely say that Donald Trump has done more damage to our country in a week and a half than anyone could have ever anticipated.”

As most know, Ellison, who represents Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District, is the first Muslim elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

He is currently vying to become the chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

“By all accounts, this is looking like failed presidency.

And it’s only day 12,” wrote Ellison on Tuesday of last week. Yates was fired the evening before.

Sally Yates

en.wikipedia.org

Keith Ellison

MNHS.ORG

The Ballad of Emmett Till (2014), courtesy of Penumbra Theatre.

MNHS: HISTORY FOR ALL The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is happy to present a new monthly column for the readers of Insight News. We are excited to let you know about all of the engaging and educational programs and exhibits at MNHS historic sites around the Twin Cities!

I recently joined MNHS as the new senior director of Guest Experience and Educational Services, coming from a similar position in St. Louis, MO. My role is to provide direction and vision for the education, exhibits and historic sites departments. From school field trips and special exhibits to Historic Fort Snelling, my department works to connect the community to the rich historic content of Minnesota.

One of my priorities will be to ensure that community members of African heritage are seen as valuable partners in MNHS’s work, and to create long-term partnerships with organizations and individuals.

This month, we are proud to present Penumbra Theatre at 40: Art, Race and a Nation on Stage. Opening February 18 at the Minnesota History Center, this exhibit offers a behind-the-scenes look at the founding and history of the nation’s largest and preeminent African American theater. Since its inception, Penumbra has ignited social change through art grounded in the African American experience. Join us as we celebrate this Twin Cities treasure. For more information about the exhibit as well as related programs, please visit us online at mnhs.org.

Celebrating the next generation of Black History makers Higher education opens the door for many in our communities.

That’s why we contribute more than $1 million annually to both the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the United Negro College Fund*. Our investment helps to provide scholarships, programs, and professional development to assist future leaders on their path to making history of their own.

MELANIE ADAMS Melanie Adams, PhD, is the senior director of Guest Experience and Educational Services at the Minnesota Historical Society. In this role she oversees MNHS programs, exhibits and historic sites located throughout the state, which serve one million people per year.

*Thurgood Marshall College Fund and United Negro College Fund names and logos are used with their permission, which in no way constitute an endorsement, expressed or implied, of any product, service, company, or individual. © 2017 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. (3768501_19830)

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Insight News • February 6 - February 12, 2017 • Page 3

aesthetically speaking

Aesthetically It!: Events, concerts, venues in the Twin Cities

MORE ON PAGE 10

WINNER: 2016 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 1ST PLACE COMMUNIT Y SERVICE, 3RD PLACE BEST USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS

Insight News February 6 - February 12, 2017

Vol. 44 No. 6• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Photo Harry Colbert, Jr.

Copies of various Black Press newspapers on display during the recent mid-winter meetings of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) held in Ft. Lauderdale.

Our nation’s truth lies within the Black Press Managing Editor

By Harry Colbert, Jr.

No one is better equipped to tell your story better than you.

And logic stands to reason that no one is better equipped and more passionate about telling our story than us. The stories of the Blacks in America are equally as triumphant as they are tragic. And many – if not most – of these stories would be lost to time if not for the Black

Press. And in an age where Black people are both progressing exponentially and under attack daily, the need for the Black Press has never been more apparent. And in a day where all media is under assault from the highest level, we must exalt the nations more than 200 Black newspapers, as they continue to serve as the defenders and the

said if not for the archives of the Black Press such as the Norfolk Journal and Guide and Pittsburgh Courier the inspiring story of the Black women geniuses at NASA would not have been possible to tell. If not for the Florida Sun in Orlando, the story of the great training in science and technology happening at Bathune-

vanguard progress, enterprise and liberty.

Since the days of Freedom’s Journal – the first Black newspaper, published in 1827 during the height if slavery – to today, the Black Press has been a voice reason, compassion and defiance.

Margot Lee Shetterly, author of “Hidden Figures,”

Cookman University – one of the nation’s historically Black universities – would go untold and unnoticed. In Baton Rouge, it may have been a citizen’s lens that captured the senseless killing of Alton Sterling at the hands of police, but it is The

BLACK PRESS 5

De La Salle star J.T. Baker headed to Cornell

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor It’s Sunday afternoon and James “J.T.” Baker III is sitting at a table inside his parents’ Sunny Side Café, 1825 Glenwood Ave., in North Minneapolis engaged in conversation with community elder, Mahmoud El-Kati.

The conversation is wide-ranging, but the recent inauguration of President Donald Trump is inserted into the discussion.

“Study Trump. Study how he got to where he is. Now I’m not saying to follow him, but study him,” is the advice given to 18-year-old Baker.

The advice may seem a bit odd at first … especially if one doesn’t know Baker.

For those that know Baker … and his lofty, but attainable aspirations … they know this advice is as wise as the man offering it. Baker’s aspirations are extraordinary, but so too are his already astonishing accomplishments.

A proud resident of North Minneapolis, Baker aspires to own a chain of hotels, with at least one being situated in North Minneapolis.

“I want to own a lot of things, but I want to support the community,” said the wise beyond his years Baker.

“Money is nice, but the community is what’s most important. No matter where I go or how successful I become, I will never forget where I come from.”

Where Baker is going is Ithaca, N.Y. to attend Cornell

Courtesy of Sen. Bobby Joe Champion

Sen. Bobby Joe Champion fields questions from the audience during his Jan. 31 town hall meeting held at the University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach Engagement Center (UROC), 2001 Plymouth Ave. N.

Champion host town hall Sen. Bobby Joe Champion (DFL-59) held his annual town hall meeting this past Tuesday (Jan. 31) at the University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach Engagement Center (UROC), 2001 Plymouth Ave.

Business

Outlining your 2017 funders

PAGE 4

Education

Educate Me Foundation working to increase Black teachers across the country

PAGE 7

CHAMPION 9

Fourth Precinct protest shooter found guilty

Allen Scarsella The man who shot five peaceful protesters following the killing of unarmed citizen Jamar Clark by Minneapolis police

Photo by David Bradley

An all-star on the football field and in the classroom, De La Salle’s James “J.T.” Baker III during his Feb. 1 signing event declaring his intentions to attend and play football for Cornell University.

N., to a near capacity audience.

Sen. Chuck Wiger (DFL43), Sen. Tony Lourey (DFL11) and Eric Nauman, lead fiscal analyst for the Minnesota Senate, were all on hand

BAKER III 5

Lifestyle

Acknowledging women who empower

PAGE 8

officers will be going to prison.

SCARSELLA 7

News

African union blasts Trump rule barring African Muslim immigrants

PAGE 9

Page 4 • February 6 - February 12, 2017 • Insight News

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Business

Small business owners say the Trump-led Republican health plan is a disaster

Small business owners called on the Minnesota Congressional delegation to vote “no” on a repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Business owners and members of Main Street Alliance MN, shared stories about how the ACA has fostered entrepreneurship, especially for people of color-owned businesses and their employees.

They discussed how a repeal of the ACA will lead to higher costs, collapse the private insurance market, squash entrepreneurship and stall job growth in Minnesota.

Micro-businesses like Nura Holistic in Minneapolis are a good example of business owners that benefitted from the Affordable Care Act through expanded health coverage.

“I couldn’t afford insurance for three years before ACA.

During that time, I had three asthma attacks that cost $1,000 each time” said Crystal Larson, co- owner of Nura Holistic Massage in Minneapolis. “As an entrepreneur, I benefited from the expansion of Medicaid, and now this repeal threatens the health care of me and my family.”

Proponents of the ACA say the law has leveled the playing field with larger businesses.

“The repeal also impacts our decision to expand and hire, added Aisha Wadud, co-owner of Nura. “We are planning an expansion, but if the repeal happens and people are dropped from healthcare, people will want to work for a bigger company that can provide health insurance.”

“When my wife and I founded our company about 13 years ago, we were able to take

advantage of MinnesotaCare at the time. MinnesotaCare is now completely funded by the ACA. If we did not have access to

Care Act, my family would be uninsured,” said Holly Hatch Surisook, owner of Sen Yai Sen Lek in Minneapolis. “The ACA

When I design a product, I put it out there and it starts selling. I get feedback and the product might warrant some small changes

MinnesotaCare at the time, our business would not have gotten off the ground,” added Todd Mikkelson, owner of Sprayrack. com in Orono.

“My household of four is a middle income family with two children. Without the Affordable

needs adjustments; however, getting rid of the ACA altogether does not provide health insurance for my family. Should Congress vote to repeal the ACA, you will be leaving middle class entrepreneurs uninsured and vulnerable, even as we help

to drive the success of the U.S. Main Street economy.”

Mikkelson agreed that while the ACA could use modifications, the repeal is the opposite from reforms needed.

“When I design a product, I put it out there and it starts selling. I get feedback and the product might warrant some small changes. But rather than stopping sales of that product entirely, we keep going until I’ve actually come up with something better.”

Business owners also talked about the impact of a repeal on the state budget and economy in Minnesota.

“If the ACA is repealed, Minnesota stands to lose over $2 billion annually in federal funding, which would have a devastating impact on the health of our state budget and our economy” said Dave

Zaffrann at Take Action Minnesota. “Repealing even parts of the law through budget reconciliation, and even if the impacts of repeal are delayed, would also create a dangerous level of uncertainty in the private health insurance market.

Insurance companies could decide to stop selling individual health insurance in Minnesota.”

“This would prove particularly devastating for small business owners, who would see their insurance costs go through the roof, face a nearly collapsed private insurance market, and an economy reeling from this disruption” said Corinne Horowitz, state director of Main Street Alliance MN. If the Affordable Care Act is repealed, 380,000 of people in Minnesota would lose health coverage.

Outlining your 2017 funders

stockvault.net

FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw How will you meet your fundraising goal in 2017?

This question typically elicits one of three responses.

Some are confident they will be able to secure the funds their organization needs.

Others have a general feeling about where the money and resources will come from. Still others are used to making do and believe they will survive one way or the other. Where does your nonprofit fall on this spectrum of responses?

Managing the fundraising process throughout the year can help reduce year-end surprises.

We suggest you set your annual fundraising goal. How much do you need to raise?

This should be set by the

board based on information presented by the executive director and finance director.

Working with a specific goal means you can track your progress.

Once you know your goal, consider where the funds could come from. For example, you may expect to meet your goal with funds special events, foundation grants, individual gifts and online giving. In this case, you need to put numbers against each revenue stream.

This takes work. Look at where your revenue came from in the prior year, and what you know about whether or not you can expect that revenue to sustain, decrease or increase.

For example, in the last year you may have raised $200,000 from special events, $400,000 in foundation grants, $200,000 in gifts from individuals and $60,000 in online giving.

Meeting with your staff and members of the board development committee you should look at exactly where that money came from last year. When looking at special events revenue you may want to ask questions such as, “Did the majority of revenue come from sponsorships, ticket sales, or gifts made at the event? Did we have multiple sponsors? Will all our sponsors come back this year? Can we expect to repeat revenue from ticket sales and gifts made the day of the event? Can we sustain our special event revenue?”

Look closely at the numbers as you plan. Don’t assume 20 percent growth if you can’t support the calculation.

When looking at gifts from individuals, review who gave last year and at what level. Can you reasonably expect they would repeat their giving? Which gifts do you believe were one-time gifts? You need to identify actual potential donors and then determine the best way to approach each.

In general we encourage organizations to identify a pool of prospective donors, sponsors and funders who can collectively give threetimes the fundraising goal.

This is important because not every person or institution you approach will actually give. That doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t support your organization, it may be that this year is simply not the right time for them to give.

Using a 3:1 ratio of prospective donors to actual gifts/grants can keep your team focus on communicating with a large enough pool of people to ensure you can meet your goal.

Copyright 2017 – Mel and Pearl Shaw Mel and Pearl Shaw are authors of four books on fundraising available on Amazon.com. more information visit www. saadandshaw.com or call (901) 522-8727.

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Insight News • February 6 - February 12, 2017 • Page 5

Insight 2 Health

Community partnership takes on menthol tobacco use among African-Americans A recent survey found that Twin Cities African-Americans believe menthol tobacco is a serious threat to their health, that the tobacco industry has heavily targeted them with menthol tobacco marketing and that they support new laws to reduce tobacco’s harm in their community.

A new grassroots health initiative aims to change this and to encourage members of the community to come up with community driven solutions.

“Menthol-flavored cigarettes are a concern to us because they can mask the harshness of cigarette smoke and mislead people into thinking they are not as harmful,” said Gene Nichols of the African American Leadership Forum (AALF) in Minneapolis and project manager of the initiative to enact new cigarette laws. “We’re very concerned about menthol making it easier for youth to start smoking, and harder for anyone to quit.”

The first step was to gather the voice of the community to understand the extent of the issue.

AALF conducted a baseline survey in mid-2016 among 407 U.S.-born African-Americans in Hennepin and Ramsey

Black press From 3 Drum that keeps Sterling’s memory alive and is shining the white-hot spotlight on those responsible for his homicide.

When factions of the so-called “alt-right” – a movement of racism and intolerance – try to co-opt and corrupt the words (while ignoring the actions) of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it was the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Jr., president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA),

Baker III From 3 University. The standout De La Salle High School football star with a 3.7 GPA will be attending Cornell this coming fall to play cornerback on a full scholarship … a full academic scholarship.

One of the nation’s most prestigious institutions of higher learning, Baker chose Ivy League Cornell over the universities of Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Georgetown and Brown.

“I take my academics seriously and that’s why I chose Cornell,” said the confident, yet remarkably humble Baker.

“Cornell has the number one hospitality and hotel program and that will help me in attaining my dream of owning a hotel.” “(Going to Cornell) is destiny because he always said, ‘Mom, I’m going to open a hotel over North,’ and now that’s foreseeable for him,” said Baker’s mother, Alice Baker.

Thus far, anything J.T. Baker has put his mind to, he’s accomplished.

At the age of 10 he earned a Black belt in karate. Three years prior to that he began taking flight lessons, and now flies Piper and Cessna aircrafts.

And before thoughts creep in that he may not be qualified to fly, it should be stated that one of his teachers and mentors is former Tuskegee Airman, Col. Charles McGee. The two were introduced by Mamie Lanford Singleton, founder and executive director of Youth Initiative Aviation Academy.

J.T. Baker took part in the flight program.

So it seems J.T. Baker has always been driven to succeed.

“There’s no special formula (for success), it’s the people I’ve been around … it’s my mother and father stressing academics and introducing me to people. That’s what makes anyone successful. Like Prof.

El-Kati said, no one can do it by themselves,” said J.T. Baker.

We’re connecting with leaders across all sectors of our community – the folks already working to find solutions that improve the lives of their community members

counties to measure community knowledge and awareness about the harms of menthol-flavored cigarettes. Results were further validated through interviews with leaders from the faith-based, community organizing, business and philanthropic sectors.

“We’re connecting with leaders across all sectors of our

community – the folks already working to find solutions that improve the lives of their community members,” said Nichols, who also serves as co-chair of AALF’s Health and Wellness group. “This key informant process is fully engaging community members to assure alignment of the menthol

issue in their community and to help identify change agents who now can educate the community about menthol.”

Results of the survey found 88 percent of all respondents said tobacco use remains a significant health issue in their community, 86 percent of respondents supported more laws to reduce

who provided a comprehensive and accurate remembrance of the revered freedom fighter.

Weeks after the inauguration of a president that most in mass media are still trying to wrestle with and dissect, trying to figure out how all the major polls got it wrong, it was the Black Press that ran article after article talking about the tremendous voter suppression efforts post the gutting of the Voting Right Act of 1965. Possibly had the warnings of the Black Press been heeded, maybe, just maybe, the nation and the world would not be in the predicament it now finds itself.

The NNPA wrapped up its

mid-winter training conference in Ft. Lauderdale this past weekend. Representing more than 200 Black publications, the NNPA a trade association of the more than 200 African American-owned community newspapers from around the United States. Since its founding 75 years ago, NNPA has “consistently been the voice of the Black community and an incubator for news that makes history and impacts our country.” Each week 20 million Americans from all backgrounds seeking news from the Black perspective turn to the 205 NNPA newspapers, including Insight News.

As journalists, our mission is to shine a light in the darkest of corners. That mission was reaffirmed this past weekend with a level of commitment and intensity never before seen.

Freedom’s Journal led the way.

The NNPA and the Black Press has gladly accepted the baton and we are more than capable of running the race. In running that race, what we ask of you, the reader, in this age of digital media and the sharing at the click of a button; that you seek out and share the valuable information of the Black Press with your networks as we must preserve and protect the Black Press.

Again; wise beyond his years.

J.T. Baker’s father attested to his son’s wisdom.

“When J.T. graduated (The) Fair (School) I said where do you want to go (for high school) and I named a couple of schools and he said, “Dad, I want to get into the college I want; and to do that I need to go to De La Salle,” recounted James Baker, Jr. “I’ve owned buildings, this building (that houses his restaurant, Sunny Side Café), houses … but this (his son’s high school tuition) was the best investment ever.”

This past Wednesday (Feb. 1) J.T. Baker officially signed his letter of intent to play for, and attend, Cornell. In doing so he thanked his current and former football coaches, C.J. Hallman and Sean McMenomy.

“Coach Hallman taught me to be a good football player, but he also taught me to be a good young man,” said a grateful J.T. Baker. “I love him like an uncle.

And Coach McMenomy … that’s who started my football career. I told him I wanted to go to an Ivy League school and he didn’t laugh at me; instead, he introduced me to the coach at

Harvard.”

Hopefully Cornell realizes how close it came to losing out on the special young man. And many in North Minneapolis are looking forward to J.T. Baker’s hotel in the not so distant future.

Just four or so years from now … provided an NFL career doesn’t delay the process.

the harm of smoking and 61 percent of respondents agreed menthol cigarettes are marketed to African-Americans more than other racial groups.

Of all surveyed smokers (24 percent of respondents), smokers were attracted to menthol products because they taste and feel different than other types of

cigarettes. Of the respondents, 84 percent indicated they use menthol-flavored products.

Sixty-nine percent agreed that menthol’s cooling sensation makes it easier for young people to start.

“We’ve gained valuable insight into the perceptions of menthol tobacco among the African-American community,” said Nichols. “This effort lays the groundwork for what lies ahead. It will serve as a basis for community engagement and education in the second phase of the grant.”

The second phase, also led by AALF, is expected to include a number of educational sessions in the participating cities and counties to raise awareness and engage the local African-American community in identifying solutions.

The project is supported by a Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) grant required by the Minnesota Legislature to address AfricanAmerican menthol tobacco use. AALF is partnering with the local health departments of Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Edina and Richfield.

The tobacco industry will stop at nothing to addict teenagers to smoking. Adding flavors like menthol make it easier for kids to start and harder for them to quit.

Currently, 71 percent of African American youth smokers smoke menthol. But if kids don’t start, smoking stops. Learn how we can all help at stopthestartmn.com.

Page 6 • February 6 - February 12, 2017 • Insight News

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Community Job Fair Your business tag line here.

Sabathani Community Center 310 East 38th Banquet Center #216 Minneapolis, MN 55409 Job training ged training various employers on the spot interviews

Unity Opportunity Collaborative—UOC will be hosting a Live hiring event in Minneapolis on February 16, 2017.

From 1pm—5 pm at the sabathani community center. The event is FREE for all career seekers.

Meet face to face with employers.

Dress Professionally and bring multiple copies of your resumes and 2 forms of ID (drivers license, SS Card and or birth certificate)

For more information Contact— Will Wallace @ Emerge 612-419-9697 OR Awmin—African American Women and Men In Need @ 612-877-4193

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Insight News • February 6 - February 12, 2017 • Page 7

Education Educate Me Foundation working to increase Black teachers across the country

By Curtis Bunn Urban News Service The axiom, “Those who cannot do, teach,” missed the point, as far as Blake Nathan is concerned.

In fact, Nathan created the Educate Me Foundation on a wholly opposite premise – to mentor and encourage AfricanAmerican students, high school and college, to pursue careers in education, especially as teachers, and to help existing Black teachers find new opportunities.

All with one goal, Nathan said.

“To increase the number of African-American teachers in classrooms where they would have a cultural connection,” said Nathan. “That dynamic makes a huge difference for Black students.”

Nathan, 27, speaks from his own experience. Growing up outside of Atlanta, he said he had just three Black teachers from kindergarten through 12th grade. An engineering major at historically Black Tennessee State University, he said he had just five African-American professors.

Then, as a middle school teacher of engineering and technology, in Indianapolis, Nathan said he was the only Black male teacher in his district.

“There are hundreds of

Scarsella From 3 A jury found Allen “Lance” Scarsella, 24, guilty of 11 counts of assault and one count of riot. The Feb. 1 conviction stems from a Nov. 23, 2015 shooting where Scarsella, along with Joseph Martin Backman, of Eagan, Nathan Wayne Gustavsson, of Hermantown and Daniel Thomas Macey of

thousands of (Black) students who have the same story as me,” Nathan told Urban News Service. “Having taught Black students, I know how important it is for them to have someone who has been where they are, someone who can relate to them on a personal level and have that cultural competency with them. There’s nothing like it. Teachers spend countless hours with students, and so it’s important that a student is able to express himself (or herself) on a personal level at times and have teachers that have empathy, not sympathy. You also can give a kid tough love based on knowing the emotions that come with what (the student is) going through.”

Understanding this, Nathan launched the Educate Me Foundation.

“I could sit in my classroom and write my lesson plan or I could do something about this issue,” said Nathan. “I decided to do something.”

Four others followed his “leap of faith” to make up his staff. Everyone works as a volunteer, even Nathan as C.E.O. The national statistics moved them.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, African-Americans make up just 9 percent of teaching workforce – 2 percent male

teachers. At the same time, a Project STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Ratio) study of 23,544 Black students showed that “having a Black teacher for a year influenced a significant 3 to 5 percentile-point increase in math scores. Reading test scores of Black students with Black teachers were 3 to 6 percentage points higher.”

Additionally, a series of experiments conducted at Stanford University found that African-American teachers “may be more generous with minority students, devoting more time to them and making more favorable assumptions about their capabilities.”

Nathan developed the Educate Me Foundation to

address those statistics. It is a multi-faceted organization that, in addition to its placement services, hosts an annual Historically Black College and University (HBCU) tour that attracts more than 300 students and enlightens them on the value of a career in education.

Operating in its first year, it has more than 60 would-be and current educators on its roster. It serves as a “teacher agent,” said Nathan, aiding prospects in finding jobs across the country. It has placed teachers in positions in Atlanta, Houston, New York, Miami and Nashville, among other cities.

Last year, Educate Me partnered with eight school districts and charter school networks.

Pine City, went armed to the protest at the Minneapolis Police Department Fourth Precinct in efforts to provoke protesters.

During a confrontation Scarsella shot five individuals – one who was a cousin of slain Clark, who was killed on Nov. 15, 2015.

“We are pleased with the jury’s guilty verdict against Allen Scarsella,” said Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman in a statement. “As I said at the time we charged Mr. Scarsella and his companions, the racist language he used in the videos and on social media is just not

acceptable and the actions he took as a result of those racist beliefs were heinous. The jury obviously saw it the same way.”

In addition to racist posts on social media, Brett Levin, who at the time of trial was a Burnsville police officer, admitted to exchanging racist text messages with Scarsella. At the time of the exchange Levin was an officer with the police department in Mankato. Levin has resigned from the Burnsville force.

Freeman said his office will be seeking the stiffest sentence possible for Scarsella.

Each count of assault carries a maximum 10-year sentence.

The riot conviction carries a maximum of five years in prison.

Backman, Gustavsson, and Macey were each charged with one count of second-degree riotarmed with a dangerous weapon.

Attorneys for the three remaining defendants have filed motions to have their charges dismissed. A judge is expected to rule on their motions sometime this month.

Photo courtesy of Urban News Service

Blake Nathan, founder of the Educate Me Foundation. “(Often) trainers have no clue on how to retain (Black) teachers in an urban school setting,” said Dixeen Tolliver, a sixth-grade teacher for 25 years in the Richmond, Va. school system. “Many other teachers of different cultures lack the patience and understanding it takes to reach African-American students. And many of the ones who try to have patience tend to limit the students’ ability instead of having empathy. Educate Me is a necessity.”

“I’m for anything that creates more Black teachers,” said Malik Williams, a freshman at Georgia State University

in Atlanta. “I went to private schools and I had just three Black teachers. But I felt there was much more of a connection with the African-American teachers.

Other students talked about it, too. Having a teacher, you can relate to helps you to connect and believe in yourself more.”

Nathan said the stigma that teaching is a low-paying, thankless job is incorrect.

“A doctor would take 10 years after graduating college to make good money,” said Nathan. “But as a teacher, in 10 years, you can elevate up the ranks, to assistant principal or administrator and make six figures. I made $40,000 last year, working just eight months. But I coached baseball and a step team that earned me more money.

And while my friends who made $60,000 were working all summer, I was off and relaxing at home for four months. So, it’s a misconception. There’s money out there in education.”

He also said opportunities are abundant.

“Every district in the country is looking for competent Black teachers to work with Black students, to resonate with them. We’re working to be that pipeline that brings it all together,” said Nathan.

fresh • local • organic Your neighborhood source for local and organic foods and wellness products

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Page 8 • February 6 - February 12, 2017 • Insight News

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Lifestyle Acknowledging women who empower Man Talk

By Timothy Houston With permission of Dr. Wendy Johnson, president and founder of the National Empowerment Group, Inc.(NEC), I would like to share information on an awesome community event.

In 1987 Congress passed a law designating March as Women’s History Month.

President Ronald Reagan also issued a proclamation and

Kelly Price requested the United Stated observe March by conducting various activities and ceremonies, which acknowledge their accomplishments.

NEC would like to acknowledge the accomplishments of 12

empowering women in the Twin Cities area that due to their drive, tenacity and love for the community have made a huge impact in the lives of others. These women are Angela Winston-Hebert, fitness specialist and life coach, Carolyn Smaller, owner of Bouquets by Carolyn, Del Gates, director, Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Rev. Gloria Thomas, senior pastor, Camphor Methodist Church, La Tasha Reed, president, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. – Minneapolis/St. Paul Alumnae Chapter, Chief Melanie Rucker, Minneapolis Fire Department (alumni honoree), Phyllis Braxton, president, Pink Consulting, LLC and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,

Inc. (honorary chair), Priscilla Brown, director, Center for Fathers and Urban Ventures, Sondra Samuels, president and CEO, Northside Achievement Zone, Stella WhitneyWest, president and CEO, NorthPoint Health & Wellness, Stephanie Wright, co-owner of Golden Thyme Cafe and Selby Jazz Festival and Christal Dillard, IT executive for Delta Airlines and co-founder of Command Steppers.

To celebrate their accomplishments, and Women’s History Month, the National Empowerment Group, Inc. OLU’s LLC, MLMJR Properties and Brownbody are presenting the Women’s Empowerment Concert for Fitness, Wellness, and Health

Disparities featuring seven-time Grammy nominee, Kelly Price, who will perform on March 9 at the Hyatt Regency, 3200 East 81st St., Bloomington.

The mission of the National Empowerment Group (NEG) is to provide educational, professional and personal development programs that empower women and girls to reach their goals while providing the appropriate support.

This outreach gala and concert is very fitting during Women’s History Month.

NEG is excited about serving the community and will open its doors soon. For more information about this agency or to make a taxdeductible donation go to www.

nationalempowermentgroup. org or send to National Empowerment Group, Inc., c/o J. Holmes, 15400 18th Ave. N., No. 1223, Plymouth, MN 55447.

The concert is a prelude to the Women Unite to Win 9th Annual Women’s Appreciation Luncheon, which will be held on March 11 at the Hyatt Regency, Bloomington.

Timothy Houston is an author, minister, and motivational speaker committed to guiding positive life changes in families and communities.

For questions, comments or more information, go to www. tlhouston.com.

Nailing the first impression Afro descen dientes

By Ingrid Ferlo Contributing Editor Appearance, manners and behavior are very important in order to access necessary resources such as employments and education, according to licensed etiquette expert, Juliet Mitchel, CEO of Eagles Wings.

She is the creator of the Social Education and Life Etiquette (SELE) Series for colleges and universities, community and nonprofit organizations, corporations and businesses, and correctional institutions.

“Manners are memorable” is Mitchel’s motto emphasizing that behavior is a permanent, either a positive or negative reflection, of a person’s personality.

Mitchel was a guest on the “Conversations with Al McFarlane”

on KFAI radio (90.3 FM). The show airs live on Tuesday mornings at 9 a.m. and reaches global audiences online at www.kfai.org. Mitchel said society is built upon behavioral codes that need to be fulfilled for proper relationships.

She added that there is a behavioral output that society expects from the youth; and failing to meet society’s expectations bars youth from opportunities.

She explained that the proper etiquette can help young people gain employment and enhance their professional lives.

“The public image of the Black boy is not a pretty one,” said host, Al McFarlane, opening the conversation about the unfair generalization thrusted upon Black youth. Mitchel agreed saying it is an unfair generalization and adding Black young people have to work hard to fulfill the behavioral codes society expects. Keeping within these codes of behavior is the first step to having a voice in platforms of change like education and politics, said Mitchel.

She elaborated, saying barriers that contribute to the problem of lack of manners is ignorance, a breakdown of the family and

migration. The etiquette expert said in the past good behavioral values did not need to be taught by a professional, but were instilled in the home as family values.

Mitchel said she had a humble upbringing in a small town in Louisiana, but what was important were the community and family values instilled in the youth.

“Because of those standards many doors opened for me; not because I was affluent,” said Mitchel, emphasizing that social and cultural capital cannot be undervalued as an important part of professional success.

Minneapolis school board member Kim Ellison was also part of the show and contributed to the subject.

“We see them (youth) acting on the streets, they are reflecting back to us, the society we have created for them so we have to listen to them,” said Ellison.

Mitchel agreed.

“We have to take a step back and reclaim our responsibility to our kids,” said Mitchel.

She believes that the whole community needs to rally around the youth and recover the values that shaped good behavior.

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Insight News • February 6 - February 12, 2017 • Page 9

Leslie Dunbar: An indispensable one Child Watch

By Marian Wright Edelman When foundation and civil rights and antipoverty leader and supporter Leslie Dunbar died Jan. 4 at 95, the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and many civil rights and public interest organizations that have worked over the decades to prevent voter suppression, hunger and poverty lost a strategic, thoughtful, long-term friend.

Leslie was one of the most creative, engaged, informed and courageous foundation leaders during a major inflection time in our nation. He was an indispensable ally as the Civil Rights Movement struggled to close the huge gap between racial creed and deed and as hunger and poverty bubbled up to national consciousness with the war on poverty and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign.

As a white child growing up in Depression-era West Virginia, Leslie would have seemed an unlikely candidate for the key role he played over many decades to ensure justice for poor and non-white citizens.

While serving as director of the Southern Regional Council, an Atlanta civic and business association, Leslie worked with King and other leaders during what he called “a time of mindchanging in the South.” He was a regular fixture following the 1964 Freedom Summer.

As head of the Field Foundation from 19651980, Leslie left an enduring positive impact saving lives and strengthening institutions, many of which still exist – including CDF as we evolved from our parent organization the Washington Research Project in 1973. Many of the young organizations Field helped seed and fund in a sustained way during this burgeoning movement building period to end hunger and poverty still exist and have endured over more than four decades thanks to the strong and long term foundation support the Field Foundation provided.

The Children’s Defense Fund and I are direct beneficiaries of Leslie’s wisdom and long-term support. After meeting him in Mississippi as a young attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, I moved to Washington, D.C. to serve as counsel and federal policy liaison for King’s Poor People’s Campaign, which Field helped support. Widespread hunger and poverty were sapping the spirits and bodies of tens of thousands of poor Black Mississippians. I decided to move to the nation’s capital

after repeated brutal battles with Mississippi’s Jim Crow congressional delegation over efforts to kill the transformative Head Start program after the state of Mississippi turned down the desperately needed Head Start funds as so many callous states today have turned down Medicaid coverage for

support myself in Washington, and with no office to go to, I left Mississippi with one check from the Field Foundation in my hand to open up what became the first independent non-government funded public interest law office seeking to provide a voice for poor and non-white citizens in the federal policy

Leslie was one of the most creative, engaged, informed and courageous foundation leaders. their needy uninsured citizens.

When a coalition of community groups, the Child Development Group of Mississippi (CDGM), applied for and won the federal Head Start money the state declined to use, we had huge refunding battles that Leslie helped us through. And after the Department of Agriculture continued dragging its feet on getting food to starving children and families who were brought to national light by Sen. Robert Kennedy’s visit to the Mississippi Delta, Leslie and the Field Foundation funded doctors to visit and document severe hunger and malnutrition among Mississippi’s Black children.

Not knowing how I would

arena. That grant enabled me to rent a small office and hire a skeletal staff for the Washington Research Project to support the Poor People’s Campaign.

The Washington Research Project began in 1968. With Field Foundation anchor support joined later by other funders, we were able to play a strong leadership role over the next years documenting the misuse of federal Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act funds and suing major Southern employers who discriminated against Black citizens. We also followed up on key antihunger demands of King’s Poor People’s Campaign for which we served as federal policy liaison.

It became clear in the post KingKennedy era that poor adults faced a shrinking constituency and that focusing on children to help prevent adult poverty was a sound and strategic strategy so the Children’s Defense Fund was born in 1973.

The needs of children out of school, without homes, and without health care were carefully documented and followed up on with Leslie’s support. These reports provided the groundwork for ongoing advocacy to assure millions of children access to health care, nutrition, Head Start, child care, a right to education if disabled, escape from adult jails in many states and protections for children in foster care and in need of mental health supports.

The first juvenile justice arm of the Children’s Defense Fund was headed by Judge Justine Wise Polier, a great retired juvenile court judge in New York City and was lodged in the Field Foundation’s offices in New York City.

As a wise and farsighted philanthropic leader, Leslie was willing to invest in institutions and people who demonstrated effectiveness and outcomes from the bottom up and not from the top down. The Field Foundation stuck with a network of public interest advocates over many decades to ensure continuity of impact. How I hope many more foundation leaders like Leslie will emerge going forward.

His long-term investments in

African union blasts Trump rule barring African Muslim immigrants Africa News in Brief (GIN) – An outraged African Union (AU) recalled the kidnapping of Black Africans as a part of the brutal slave trade as it considered the controversial new U.S. anti-immigrant rules.

After forcibly bringing Africans to the U.S. as slave labor, noted the AU, America, under rule of President Donald Trump, has now slamed the door on Muslim immigrants entering the U.S. “It is clear that globally we are entering very difficult times,” cautioned outgoing AU Commissioner Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, speaking at a recent two-day summit in Addis Ababa of the 53 member states.

“The very country to which many of our people were taken as slaves during the transatlantic slave trade has now decided to

Champion From 3 to offer their takes on the state of the state and provide insight into the direction in which they hope to lead. Sledding will be difficult for state Democrats as both the state House and Senate are under Republican control following this past November’s election.

But with a Democrat in the Governor’s officer, there are still some checks in play that DFLers hope will keep them from being

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma ban refugees from some of our countries.”

Trump suspended all U.S. refugee programs and banned immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, three of which are A.U. members. The executive order

shut out when it comes to certain key issues that may come before them.

Questions during the town hall were wide ranging and touched on issues of both local and national interests.

Addressed during forum where issues of education and the effects of national policy on the state budget if the state does not go along with President Donald Trump’s demand that state and local authorities forcefully seek out and detain illegal immigrants.

Classifieds Phone: 612.588.1313 Fax: 612.588.2031 Email: info@insightnews.com LEGAL SECRETARY Central Minnesota Legal Services Wide range of administrative duties in a 17-person office (Mpls). Legal word processing work; e-filing. Legal areas include family law, housing. Exc. Oral & written communication skills req. WORD+. Second language+. Sal: D.O.E. Excellent benefits. Specifying interest & skills to: Ginger Palmquist, CMLS, 430 1st Ave N, #359, Mpls, MN 55401-1780 or cmls@centralmnlegal.org Resume, refs, & cover letter by 2/13/17 (late appls accepted until filled) EOE No calls.

Volunteer Customer Service Assistants Hennepin County is seeking volunteer greeters for its North Minneapolis human service center at 1001 Plymouth Avenue North to welcome and guide visitors, answer questions and assist with special projects. Reliable adults who enjoy working with people and who are available for a few hours twice a week are encouraged to apply. Ideal candidates will be able to volunteer for a minimum of three months. Volunteers are integral to Hennepin County’s mission of enhancing the health, safety and quality of life of its residents and communities in a respectful, efficient and fiscally responsible way. Get involved by visiting http://www.hennepin.us/humanservicevolunteer and submitting a volunteer application.

Oak Terrace 1171 Hadley Avenue North Oakdale, MN 55128 (651) 730-6440

NOTICE: OPENING THE 1 BEDROOM WAIT LIST

Applications may be downloaded at www.commonbond.org from 9am January 15, 2017 until 12pm February 28, 2017. Completed applications must be received by mail or hand delivered, on or before February 28, 2017. All qualified Applicants will be placed on the Waiting List in the order they are received.

CommonBond Communities Equal Housing Opportunity

LIL’S ANGELS MEMORY LOSS SUPPORT GROUP Northeast Minneapolis: Monroe Village, 1900 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis; Meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

South Minneapolis: Lunds & Byerly’s Grocery,1450 West Lake St., Minneapolis; Meets the 2nd Friday of each month from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

NEW LOCATION Brooklyn Center: Jehovah Jireh Church, 6120 Xerxes Ave. N., Brooklyn Center; First meeting is Feb. 8 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.; Meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month To RSVP, or for questions, please call Dorothea Harris at 952-945-4175 Volunteers of America MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN

signed by Trump specifically bars Libyans, Somalians and Sudanese from travelling to the U.S. It also blocks visas for citizens from four Middle Eastern countries – Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Iran.

All U.S. refugee programs are frozen for 120 days, and

the taking of Syrian refugees to America is ended indefinitely.

The new UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, speaking at the AU’s summit in Ethiopia, commended African countries for opening their borders to refugees and people fleeing violence while in other parts of the world, including the developed West, they are closing borders and building walls. He praised African nations for being among the world’s largest and most generous hosts of refugees.

AU summit proceedings began with the swift election of Chadian Foreign Minister Moussa Faki Mahamat, 56, as the new chairperson of the AU commission, beating four other candidates. Faki won in a final battle against his Kenyan counterpart, Amina Mohamed, after seven rounds of voting.

The Kenyan government praised Mohamed, once the odds-on favorite, for waging a “valiant race.”

Faki takes on the role as his country’s president, Idriss Deby Itno, hands over the rotating presidency of the AU to Guinea’s Alpha Conde.

A former prime minister, Faki has been at the forefront of the fight against Islamists in Nigeria, Mali and the Sahel and has promised “development and security” will top his agenda as chief of the 53-member continental bloc.

Faki said he dreams of an Africa where the “sound of guns will be drowned out by cultural songs and rumbling factories” and pledged to streamline the bureaucratic AU during his fouryear term in office.

antipoverty and human rights groups are all living testaments to his foresight and leadership.

Words cannot convey the debt of gratitude I and so many others owe him for his wisdom and commitment to racial and economic justice and for seeding sound leaders who carry on today and are training the servant leaders of tomorrow for the next transforming movement we must and will have to end poverty beginning with our children.

The German playwright Bertolt Brecht wrote, “There are those who struggle for a day and they are good. There are those who struggle for a year and they are better. There are those who struggle all their lives. These are the indispensable ones.”

Leslie Dunbar was truly one of the indispensable ones over the long span of his useful life in building a more just America.

Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund. For more information go to www. childrensdefense.org.

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

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

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Assistant to the Publisher Shumira Cunningham 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 Associate Editor Leadership and Social Enterprise Dr. Anita Davis-DeFoe Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Contributing Writers Melvin Carter, Jr. Julie Desmond Fred Easter Gloria Freeman Timothy Houston Penny Jones-Richardson Michelle Mitchum Darren Moore Artika Tyner Toki Wright 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.

Page 10 • February 6 - February 12, 2017 • Insight News

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Anthony David

Lioness

Maceo Parker

Boyz II Men

Feb. 6 – Feb. 12

Monday, Feb. 7 ECLECTIC/ PERFORMANCE Are You Local? 2017 Finalists Showcase Turf Club 1601 University Ave. W., St. Paul 8:30 p.m.

21-plus $5 advance, $7 door

Feb 6 Feb. 12, 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

“Are You Local?” competition put some of the most recognized up and coming musicians head to head for a $2,000 prize and a performance in the First Avenue Mainroom. This year’s showcase includes Insight favorites Ayvah, Kiss the Tiger, Lazy Scorsese, Graveyard Club and Nick Jordan.

Tuesday, Feb. 7

$40 HIP HOP/R&B/ PERFORMANCE The Roll One Up Tour with Yonas First Avenue 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis 7:30 p.m.

18-plus $10 advance, $12 door New York City-based MC, Yonas, heads out to support his Roscoe Dash/Sammy Adams assisted cut “Roll One Up” at First Ave with Chance York + Eric Mayson and more.

Thursday, Feb. 9 HIP-HOP/ PERFORMANCE

NEO SOUL/ PERFORMANCE

The Lioness & Friends Unplugged Icehouse 2528 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis 10 p.m.

21-plus $8 advance, $12 door

Anthony David Dakota Jazz Club 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis 7 p.m.

Top MC, The Lioness, is presenting a special “unplugged” set with special guests. Not sure if we’ll get a word on

Wednesday, Feb. 8

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH PERFECT WORLD PICTURES A MICHAEL DE LUCA PRODUCTION A JAMES FOLEY FILM “FIFTY SHADES DARKER” DAKOTA JOHNSON JAMIE DORNAN ERIC JOHNSON RITA ORA LUKE GRIMES VICTOR RASUK WITH KIM BASINGER AND MARCIA GAY HARDEN MUSICBY DANNY ELFMAN PRODUCED BASED ON

BY MICHAEL DE LUCA p.g.a. E L JAMES p.g.a. DANA BRUNETTI p.g.a. MARCUS VISCIDI p.g.a. THE NOVEL BY E L JAMES SCREENPLAY DIRECTED A UNIVERSAL PICTURE

BY NIALL LEONARD

BY JAMES FOLEY SOUNDTRACK ON REPUBLIC RECORDS

Back by popular demand and in support of a new album, “Beautiful Problem,” Anthony David is considered one of the preeminent songwriters in modern soul. Check him out Wednesday at The Dakota.

who the surprises are until show time. There’s only one way to find out.

Friday, Feb. 10 PLAY/THEATER Dr. Seuss “The Sneetches” Children’s Theatre Company 2400 3rd Ave. S., Minneapolis 7 p.m. $15 The 1953 classic book has been adapted for stage for a run in South Minneapolis.

Saturday, February 11 WORLD/ PERFORMANCE Boyz II Men with the Minnesota Orchestra Orchestra Hall 1111 Nicollet Mall,

Minneapolis 8 p.m. $30-$50 Grammy Awardwinning and Billboard chart toppers, Boyz II Men, come to Minneapolis to perform with the Minnesota Orchestra.

Sunday, Feb. 12 JAZZ/FUNK/ PERFORMANCE Maceo Parker Dakota Jazz Club 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. $35-$50 James Brown collaborator, Maceo Parker, is one of the most respected names in the business. Watch him in action Sunday at the Dakota.

LEGENDARY PICTURES AND UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENT A LEGENDARY PICTURES/ATLAS ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION A FILM BY ZHANG YIMOU MATT DAMON “THE GREAT WALL” JING TIAN PEDRO PASCAL WILLEM DAFOE AND ANDY LAU VISUAL EFFECTS COSTUME MUSIC COBY RAMIN DJAWADI PRODUCERS ERIC HEDAYAT ER YONG ALEX HEDLUND SUPERVISOR PHIL BRENNAN DESIGNER MAYES C. RUBEO PRODUCTION DIRECTORS OF EDITORS MARY JO MARKEY ACE CRAIG WOOD ACE DESIGNER JOHN MYHRE PHOTOGRAPHY STUART DRYBURGH ASC ZHAO XIAODING PRODUCED EXECUTIVE

BY THOMAS TULL p.g.a.

PRODUCERS JILLIAN SHARE ALEX GARTNER E. BENNETT WALSH LA PEIKANG ZHANG ZHAO STORY CHARLES ROVEN p.g.a.SCREENPLAY JON JASHNI p.g.a. PETER LOEHR p.g.a. BY MAX BROOKS AND EDWARD ZWICK & MARSHALL HERSKOVITZ DIRECTED

BY CARLO BERNARD & DOUG MIRO AND TONY GILROY

BY ZHANG YIMOU A UNIVERSAL RELEASE © 2016 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS IMAX® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF IMAX CORPORATION.

© 2016 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES STARTS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10 CHECK

LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES STARTS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17 CHECK

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Insight News • February 6 - February 12, 2017 • Page 11

Shirley Marie Graham, Paris Bennett to perform at the Capri

Pat Carney

Legends @ the Capri presents: “Sweeping through the City: A Celebration of Gospel Music” featuring Shirley Marie Graham (left) and special guest, Paris Bennett (right).

The Capri Theater is cooking up a stirring tribute to gospel music, “Sweeping through the City: A Celebration of Gospel Music,” featuring Shirley Marie Graham and Paris Bennett.

The show, a part of the Legends @ The Capri series, debuts at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, followed by a second performance at 3 p.m. the next

day at the Capri Theater, 2027 W. Broadway in North Minneapolis.

“Sweeping through the City” will focus on AfricanAmerican gospel music and artists of the 1950s and 1960s including Mahalia Jackson, the Barrett Sisters, Shirley Caesar and the Caravans and many more.

“These are the songs that were heard in churches all

across the country during the civil rights era,” said Dennis Spears, Capri Theater artistic director. “The music will be spirited and joyful and it will bring a beautiful, bright light to North Minneapolis.”

Graham is the current First Lady at Macedonia Baptist Church in Minneapolis.

A longtime member of the

Grammy Award-winning group, Sounds of Blackness, she has traveled the world, sharing stages with Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Mathis, Chaka Khan and more. Bennett is perhaps best known for her debut as a contestant on the fifth season of “American Idol.” She has since released two albums, performed with

her mother, Jamecia Bennett, in the Minneapolis production of “Rent” and continues to perform in the Twin Cities area and across the country.

Spears said he programmed “Sweeping through the City” in February to illuminate the rich history of gospel music and its impact around the globe.

“This is our offering

to our city – and the world – in honor of Black History Month,” said Spears.

Tickets are $25 or $20 each for groups of 10 or more and are available at www. thecapritheater.org or by calling (612) 343-3390.

Intermedia Arts presents ‘Flash’ “Flash” is coming to Intermedia Arts.

“Flash” is a dance theater duet written, choreographed and performed by dance gurus Rennie Harris and Michael Sakamoto, combining their dual approaches to manifesting a body in crisis.

Taking over the stage for a limited two-night run at Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis, “Flash” is an interdisciplinary performance project combining butoh (a form of dance), hip-hop, multimedia and other theatrical elements to address the intersection of urban and environmental crisis, social resistance and corporeal identity.

The creators of “Flash” call it an illuminating, enlightening, stealthy and transcending performance.

Tickets for “Flash” are $15 in advance, and for students and seniors and $18 at the door.

Tickets are on sale at www.IntermediaArts. org/box-office or by calling (800) 838-3006.

“Flash” runs March 3 and March 4. Show time is 7:30 p.m.

Butoh guru Michael Sakamoto and hip-hop legend Rennie Harris

Hip Hop legend Rennie Harris and Butoh guru Michael Sakamoto

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Page 12 • February 6 - February 12, 2017 • Insight News

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St. Paul artist Ta-coumba Aiken to create 2017 Minnesota State Fair commemorative art

mnstatefair.org

St. Paul artist Ta-coumba Aiken has been selected to create the official 2017 Minnesota State Fair commemorative art.

His original interpretation of the “Great Minnesota Get-Together” will be unveiled at the State Fairgrounds in June.

“I love the Minnesota State Fair, and it is an honor to create the 2017 commemorative artwork,” said Aiken. “I look forward to expressing the joy of the fair on canvas with vibrant colors and rhythmic patterns. My interpretation will show the fair’s harmony and chaos at the same time.

I believe the fair is an adventure to discover just ‘one more thing,’ and the piece will allow the viewer to notice many different things each time.”

Aiken is an artist, arts administrator and educator

who focuses on public art and collaborative projects.

He serves on the board of The Minneapolis College of Art & Design. He has participated in the creation of more than 600 murals and public art sculptures with themes ranging from local history to his own style of rhythmic pattern and spirit writing.

“I create my art to heal the hearts of people and their communities, by evoking positive spirit,” said the artist.

Aiken has served on the boards of the Minneapolis Arts Commission, the AfricanAmerican Cultural Arts Center, Forecast Public Arts and the St. Paul Arts Collective. He has acted as an advisor on the arts for both St. Paul and Minneapolis. He has been the recipient of awards including

a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Fellowship, the Sally Irvine Award and a Bush Foundation Visual Arts Fellowship.

His works can be found internationally in public and private collections, including those of the Walker Art Center, RBC Wealth Management, Bush Foundation, Herbie Hancock, Taj Mahal, Maya Angelou and Spiritmuseum in Stockholm, Sweden, to list a few.

The commemorative poster, a limited number of signed prints and other merchandise featuring the art will be available for purchase after the June unveiling. Proceeds will support the Minnesota State Fair Foundation.

The original art will be on display during the 12-day run of the fair, which runs Aug. 24 – Sept. 4.

Ta-coumba Aiken

M A C Y ’ S I S P R O U D T O C E L E B R AT E

JOIN US IN HONORING BLACK ART AND EXPRESSION THROUGH THE WORK O F E M I N E N T P O E T, A C T O R , A N D M U S I C I A N , S A U L W I L L I A M S M A C Y S . C O M / C E L E B R AT E