Insight News ::: 03.20.17

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Insight News March 20 - March 26, 2017

Vol. 44 No. 11• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Black dolls matter TURN TO PAGE 2

Photo by Harry Colbert, Jr.

Page 2 • March 20 - March 26, 2017 • Insight News

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Photo by David Bradley.

Photo by Harry Colbert, Jr.

This Prince inspired doll set was created for Prince collaborator and friend, Sheila E.

Three dolls clad in yellow outfits offer Robin Hickman’s interpretation of three generations of African-American women.

Robin Hickman (left) with Hawona Sullivan Janzen, UROC gallery curator and special projects coordinator at the opening of Hickman’s UROC exhibit.

Black dolls matter

Dolls and doll portraits on display at UROC until March 31

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor About the cover: These custom styled dolls are the creation of St. Paul native Robin Hickman, and are on display until March 31 at University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), 2101 Plymouth Ave. N. in Minneapolis.

It started out as just a playdate with a younger cousin … it has turned into a life’s calling.

That’s how Robin Hickman explains her 25 years-long love for Black dolls, which she has turned into an eclectic form of art that is bringing smiles to girls

and women of all ages. Her art is on display at University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), 2101 Plymouth Ave. N., Minneapolis, until the end of the month. And to think it all started with a simple request.

“I was playing with my cousin’s child and we were playing dolls and she asked me if I had any dolls,” said Hickman.

“I said I don’t, I’m too old and she said ‘you’re never too old to play with dolls’ and she said ‘promise me you’ll buy a doll’ and that night I went to Target and bought a beautiful Nigerian doll and that’s how it all started.”

But just having a doll wasn’t enough for Hickman, a native and resident of St. Paul.

She decided the dolls needed a

bit of reworking.

“I restyle them – hair, clothes, make-up. I’ll pull out and re-root the hair,” said Hickman. “When I design, style and scene my dolls I create a whole story behind them.”

Hickman’s stylings and scenes are elaborate – each created to 1/6 scale. But what stands out most are the dolls themselves. Many are Barbie dolls made by Mattel; some are made by Integrity Toys. All get complete makeovers. Instead of long flowing hair, Hickman offers more natural styled hair.

Some rock big auburn dos. Some sport shortly-cropped salt and pepper gray.

Another aspect that sets Hickman’s creations apart is her choice in wardrobe. Many of

the outfits Hickman clothes her dolls in are custom creations.

The dolls are styled from head to toe ranging from the decadent (such as a Prince display created for Sheila E.) to everyday casual – each choice in clothing contributing to the overall story of the doll.

“For me it’s joy, it’s healing and a bit of social commentary,” said Hickman.

Such an example of social commentary is a display of three dolls positioned in front of the American flag. One doll has on a shirt that reads “Black Dolls Matter” – a creation of Mark Ruffin, another is adorned with a hajib – headwear associated with those who practice the Muslim faith – and another – a male doll – sporting a hoodie,

skullcap, jeans and classic Air Jordan sneakers juxtaposed with a briefcase. Hickman said the doll with the hoodie was in tribute to Trayvon Martin, the unarmed Florida teen gunned down while wearing a hoodie walking to his home by selfappointed neighborhood watch, George Zimmerman.

One of Hickman’s biggest fans was famed photographer Gordon Parks. Parks was Hickman’s great uncle.

“I made a Gordon Parks doll and presented it to him and he just loved it,” said Hickman in a proud but humble tone. “He loved my dolls.”

A moment that may have brought Hickman more joy than knowing her famous uncle was a fan was when she gained a new

fan who is quite a bit younger.

“I had an African-American father see my dolls and he said his daughter was five and only wants to play with white dolls and he asked if he could bring her to one of my exhibits and I said, ‘of course, this (the dolls of color) is for her.’ She fell in love with the dolls,” said Hickman.

“She pointed to one of the dolls and said ‘This doll looks like me.’”

Hickman’s dolls sell between $80 and $200 and are available online at www. soultouchproductions.com. The exhibit at UROC runs until March 31.

Navy promotes first African-American female to Boatswains Mate

By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Brent Pyfrom NORFOLK, Va. – There is always a first.

In the Navy so many firsts are spoken about that they become test questions.

Courtesy of U.S. Navy

Summer Levert

Well here’s one more first. The Navy’s now has its first AfricanAmerican female Boatswains Mate (BM or Bos’n) chief warrant officer – Chief Warrant Officer 2 Summer Levert.

Levert is assigned to the amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde as the ship’s Bos’n. The ship’s Bos’n

is an officer who is the subject matter expert on all major seamanship functions and the maintenance of topside gear such as small boat operations, supervising anchoring, mooring, replenishment at sea, towing, transferring of personnel and cargo and the operation and maintenance of ship’s boats. She is depended on by the ship’s captain to execute major seamanship evolutions safely and maintaining the external upkeep of the ship.

Levert, a Cleveland native, began her military service in the Army National Guard in 1997, and was assigned to a military police company. After her time with the National Guard was completed, she decided to join the Navy, and in October of 2000, become a boatswain’s mate. After making chief petty officer in 2011, Levert wanted more from her career and set her sights on becoming a chief warrant officer. In 2014, she applied to the chief warrant officer program and was selected.

“Coming up as a junior sailor in a male dominated field I knew there would be times I’d have to prove to them that I deserved to be there as much

as they did,” said Levert. “There were times I felt I had something to prove or that I wasn’t strong enough, and now by looking at what I have accomplished thus far I realize that the only thing to prove was that goals can be reached through hard work and perseverance.”

When achieving success there are always obstacles to overcome. Some obstacles are harder than others, but Levert continued to use her family, friends and mentors for inspiration to get her where she is today.

“My first inspiration was my twin sister, who was also a BM in the Navy, but had joined before me. My second inspiration is my mom, who was an Army nurse in the reserves, and then there were the Bos’ns that I worked for and observed throughout my years as a BM. They were the smartest people I knew. They taught me my job so well that I thought they read naval ships’ technical manuals in their sleep. They were respected everywhere they went, and I knew that it was well deserved. That’s what I wanted to be in my wildest dreams.”

According to multiple

sailors on Mesa Verde, Levert is the Bos’n she’s looked up to throughout her career.

“Bos’n is very humble. She believes in hard work and effort; and only desires to be measured by her character and deed,” said Lt. Alvin Weidetz III, USS Mesa Verde’s deck department head.

“Woe betides the sailor, junior or senior, that steps out of line or throws safety to the wind. But at the end of every evolution, Bos’n will count heads ensuring all are safe and sound, laud each and every one for their efforts and encourage their improvements to do better.”

Levert has made Mesa Verde and Navy history, but it’s not the past that motivates her; it’s the sailors’ and their futures.

“My sailors motivate me.

Not the fact that I’m the first this or that,” said Levert. “Through all the madness, the long days, and feelings of wanting to give up, I always think about the young sailors that tell me how much they admire me, how much they want to be like me someday. If I quit they’ll think it is OK to quit and that’s not the message I want to send.”

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Insight News • March 20 - March 26, 2017 • Page 3

aesthetically speaking

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

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Insight News March 20 - March 26, 2017, 2017

Vol. 44 No. 11• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Show up and show out Political participation key for advancing causes of communities of color

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor Either you’re at the table or you’re on the menu.

That adage is the premise behind a collective coming together of various community groups concerned with the rights, safety and advancement of people of African heritage living in Minnesota. The coming together culminated in Thursday’s (March 16) 2017 African Heritage Advocacy Day at the Minnesota State Capital. Community leaders and members from the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, the Minneapolis Urban League, Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, Black Lives Matter, the African American Leadership Forum and more showed up to the capital to meet with lawmakers to discuss a variety of issues ranging from jobs, to healthcare, safety, education, housing, policing and more. The event was held in partnership with the United Black Legislative Agenda – and umbrella group of several aforementioned organizations.

Prior to Thursday’s advocacy day members of the Council for Minnesotans of

CONVERSATIONS 7

Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota.

OLA report finds flaws in standardized testing in Minnesota

Photo by Harry Colbert, Jr.

Dr. Louis Porter, executive director of the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, Patrice Bailey, outreach coordinator for the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, Mica Grimm of Black Lives Matter and Al McFarlane, Insight News editor-in-chief and host of “Conversations with Al McFarlane” discuss the importance of Black political participation.

Twila Brase

The deep flaws in standardized testing revealed in a new report from the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) confirm the public’s confusion about these tests and should lead policymakers to make necessary reforms, said Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota.

The audit report, “Standardized Student Testing,” found four major flaws in standardized testing in the state, and made an important call for an accounting of the local costs to school districts.

The issues according to the report – misspent time, the

As uncertainty looms over the issue of healthcare in the United States, the proposed repealing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) is of utmost importance at the moment.

This week, on “Conversations with Al McFarlane,” experts in healthcare, Twila Brase, president and co-founder of Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) and Clarence Jones, director of Southside Medical Center discussed the pros and cons of the ACA. The show airs on St. Paul

Neighborhood Network (SPNN) on “” and on KFAI radio on 90.3 FM on “”.

The field of healthcare in the United States has changed drastically over the years and has become a political football in election campaigns. The lines can be drawn clearly along parties. While the Democratic Party favors blanket medical coverage for all citizens, Republicans vehemently reject that idea opting for individualized cash for care.

According to Jones what Obamacare did for people was open a conversation about prevention and engagement.

Prior to the ACA finding health coverage had been a problem

News

NASA astronaut is living her dream

PAGE 6

OLA 8

Clarence Jones

Sides differ over the Affordable Care Act

By Ingrid Ferlo

“ripple effect,” meaningless laws and mandates and an assessment that the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) were not designed to help improve the instruction of individual students.

According to Education Minnesota – an advocacy organization affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO – the report finds teachers are spending too much time teaching students how to take tests

for people of color. On top of finding coverage, many were complaining that they were treated more as a number and less as a patient when they did get to a doctor. With the introduction of the ACA, proponents say healthcare professionals dialogue more with their patients on what they can do to prevent health related illnesses. Brase on the other hand believes that the bureaucracy that accompanied the ACA created a distortion between the doctor and patient and now the reality is doctors are seeing less of their patients during visits.

Jones said profiteering in the medical field has led to the erosion of medical ethics.

Brase agreed that profits over patients is a problem, however, she said throughout her practice as a nurse she believes that goodwill and ethics still exists at the ground level in the medical field.

“There is value in having someone on your side against insurance companies and the government,” said Brase.

According to the co-founder of Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom, government overreaching in the medical field has made consumers out of patients and diminished doctors’ compassion towards their

CARE ACT 7

Sen. Bobby Joe Champion

Sen. Bobby Joe Champion votes for a clean REAL ID bill Sen. Bobby Joe Champion (DFL-59) voted for a REAL ID bill that he said would have removed divisive and controversial language from the Senate Republican REAL ID legislation.

“Unfortunately, Senate Republicans rejected this common-sense attempt to improve and clean up the bill,” said Champion. “Instead, Senate

News

I2H

Foods can be first defense against illness

Community celebrates opening of resource center

PAGE 7

PAGE 8

Republicans put forward a controversial proposal that a majority of senators – both Democrats and Republicans – voted against.”

The Republican REAL ID proposal failed by a vote of 29 to 38.

“The Republican majority has decided to politicize an

CHAMPION 7

Community

Ellison campaign in full swing

PAGE 9

Page 4 • March 20 - March 26, 2017 • Insight News

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Page 6 • March 20 - March 26, 2017 • Insight News

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NASA astronaut is living her dream

By Rushawn Walters Howard University News Service WASHINGTON, D.C. – As a young girl growing in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, a small town of 44,000 and 130 miles west Boston, Stephanie Wilson said she spent her nights looking up into the sky wondering what was out there.

For a class assignment, Wilson got the chance to speak with an astronomy professor at a local college who talked to her about space and the things that go on outside of Earth.

From that conversation, Wilson said, her passion for space and engineering and her future as a NASA astronaut were born. Ultimately, she would make three flights aboard a U.S. space shuttle into space.

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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.

“It really started a thought process about what other opportunities were available and what were some other ways that I could function in aerospace,” she said. “I also had an interest in working with my hands and understanding how devices are put together. So, I did decide to study engineering in college.”

After graduating high school in 1984, she attended Harvard University and received a bachelor of science degree four years later in engineering science. Upon graduation, she got a job at the Martin Marietta Astronautics Group in Denver as a loads and dynamics engineer.

Wilson later earned a master of science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas, where she researched the control and modeling of large, flexible space instruments, much like the structures and devices used at NASA. Wilson began working for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, as a member of the Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem for the Galileo spacecraft, the unmanned spacecraft that studied Jupiter, its moons and other Solar System bodies. It was launched in 1989 and arrived at Jupiter seven years later.

courtesy of Space.com

Stephanie D. Wilson

Wilson focused on the spacecraft’s spin rate accuracy,

antenna pointing accuracy and platform pointing accuracy.

In April of 1996, Wilson

was selected by NASA to be an astronaut candidate and reported to Johnson Space Center in August for two years of training.

“A lot the choices I made were broad because they would allow me many opportunities,” she said.

As her first assignment, Wilson was assigned to work with Space Station payload displays and procedures, which deals with the actual weight of the spacecraft including passengers, cargo and other equipment. She then worked in the Astronaut Office CAPCOM Branch as a prime communicator with on-orbit crews, working in Mission Control, managing space flights, usually from the point of launch until landing or the end of the mission.

Wilson completed her first spaceflight on Space Shuttle Discovery in 2006 and logged almost 13 days, becoming the second African-American woman to fly into space.

Following that expedition, Wilson was assigned to the a second mission aboard Space Shuttle Discovery that delivered the Node 2 connecting module to the International Space Station. Between 2006 and 2010, Wilson went on a total of three expeditions to space.

The astronaut said she credits God and her upbringing for all the opportunities and accomplishments in her nearly 30-year career.

“I think my faith played an essential role in my career,” she said. “I also think my family, friends and teachers played a part as well because they always encouraged me to go for my dreams.” | Wilson is the recipient of the NASA Distinguished Medal, which she was awarded in 2009 and 2011, the NASA Space Flight Medal, 2006, 2007 and 2010, an honorary doctorate of Science from Williams College, the Harvard College Women’s Professional Achievement Award and the Harvard Foundation Scientist of the Year Award.

She is still with NASA working in the branch for operations of the International Space Station, NASA’s habitable artificial satellite that is in low orbit around the Earth.

“I do believe I found my purpose in life,” she said. “I have to remind myself that God is in control. I might not understand his plan, but he does have one. I hope you people will see that anything is possible.”

Grow a bigger garden in a smaller space

By Melinda Myers Whether in the ground or on a balcony or deck, there’s always room to grow your own gardenfresh produce and beautiful flowers. Space saving gardening techniques and products can help you increase productivity in any available space.

Consider elevated gardens and planter carts that not only save space, but make gardens more accessible.

Movable carts like the Demeter Mobile Planter Cart allow you to grow flowers and produce in narrow spaces, store garden accessories and move the garden into the sunlight or out of the way of guests as needed.

Save more space by going vertical. Look for containers and raised garden beds with built-in trellises and plant supports. Just plant your pole beans, peas, cucumbers or tomatoes and attach them to the supports as they grow. Support the large fruit of squash and melons with cloth or macramé slings. Just cradle the fruit in the sling and secure it to the trellis.

You’ll not only save space, but reduce disease problems and make harvesting a breeze.

Double your planting space by growing shade tolerant greens under cucumbers, growing on a cucumber or A-frame trellis. Set the trellis in place and plant the greens in early spring as soon as the soil is workable. Plant your cucumbers next to the trellis as soon as the soil warms. As your cucumbers grow they shade the greens below keeping them a bit cooler and extending the harvest season. Just make sure you can reach the greens beneath the supports for planting, weeding and harvesting.

Extend the growing season

Gardener’s Supply Company

Planter boxes with built-in trellises like this Apex trellis planter enable gardeners to maximize their garden space for growing vegetables and flowers. with a Year Round Kitchen Garden.

Grow greens and herbs under lights attached to a raised bed on wheels. When the outdoor planting season arrives, remove the lights and roll your garden onto the patio or deck.

Continue planting and harvesting outdoors until

it is time to roll it back inside to start your indoor garden.

Or top your raised bed and containers with frost protective coverings. Many have built-in frames to support greenhouse covers, allowing you to plant earlier and harvest later in the season. And once the weather

warms switch out the cover for an insect-protective fabric or mesh. These fabric coverings prevent insects like cabbage worms from damaging cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts and keep root maggots off radishes.

Select planters that complement your landscape

design and gardening style.

Wood, metal and colorful raised beds and containers add beauty, durability and growing space. Galvanized planters, cedar raised beds, and those in eye-catching colors found at Gardener’s Supply make your raised bed a beautiful focal point in the garden. Or fill your planters with tall grasses, cannas, elephant ears and other plants to create an attractive screen.

Look for multi-purpose furnishings and accessories to maximize your space and enjoyment. Fire pits that become a table or bench can double as a cooler, making relaxing and entertaining in small gardens a real possibility. Or how about planters with built-in hidden storage like the Green Box Elevated Planter Box. You’ll enjoy the convenience of having your garden tools handy, yet out of sight.

Use these space saving ideas to help increase the beauty, productivity and enjoyment your garden can provide.

With the right combination of growing techniques and garden accessories you, your family and guests will create beautiful memories throughout the gardening season.

Melinda Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything: Food Gardening For Everyone” DVD set and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Gardener’s Supply for her expertise to write this article. Myers’ web site is www.melindamyers.com.

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Insight 2 Health

A new way of life Afrodescendientes

By Carmen Robles Associate Editor Afrodescendientes In week eight we are in harmony with our movements at the Insight to Health Fitness Challenge.

Our breathing is in unison.

Some of us are super-sizing the exercise circuit activities.

Others, well mostly me, lagging a bit behind the synchronized movement of participants but still rocking it, nevertheless.

What I once considered an impossible task has morphed into a way of daily living. Our schedule of four extensive workouts a week with certified, expert trainers of the F.I.T. Lab, 1583 Hamline Ave. N., Falcon Heights, is not enough for me these days. I want more.

Tyrone Minor and Jaime Minor, owners of F.I.T. Lab, encourage additional activity during the three “rest” days of the challenge. Good advice.

I’ve added Zumba every Sunday at 5 p.m. at the F.I.T. Lab. This equally strenuous cardio workout choregraphed by Andrea Schutz helps me channel my inner dancer. I become a ballerina, line dancer, hiphopping and shoulder shaking dancing machine making me feel like I’m a backup dancer for

Jennifer Lopez or Beyoncé.

In my quest to fill in those down times on Wednesdays and Fridays, I discovered a benefit of the SilverSneakers program through Medicare. Through it I found the wonderful world of community center’s free fitness classes for seniors 55 plus.

After eight weeks at the Insight 2 Health Fitness Challenge these classes, while still challenging, are so doable.

The challenge has prepared me for just about any senior fitness workout class I walk into. I can walk into gyms confident. .

At one of the community centers in a western suburb there is a fitness boot camp crafted especially for cancer survivors.

Pre Insight 2 Health Fitness Challenge I think I would have been enticed by the specifics of

the cancer survival aspect of the boot camp. Now my enticement centers on motivating those with whom I share the reality of cancer.

I entered the challenge with no expected limitations brought on by my battle with breast cancer. I had no preconceived notions of the grueling exercises hurting me. On the contrary, I knew going in that at my own speed, listening to my body (not my head), placing my trust in experts who are holistic in their craft coupled with accepting the support of my teammates, would be the best medicine ever.

By this our eighth week into the challenge I eagerly, and usually uninvited, show off my ability to stand on one leg, bending at the waist extending out the other leg and opposite

arm while exclaiming “I’m headed that way” bragging of my new ability to balance. The other day, in my excitement to boast, I almost toppled over as I was showing off in the lobby of my building.

The winter, cold weather, life’s surprises and just plain everyday living can interfere and may require effort to make time for one’s self. I’ve learned to put myself first. No matter what, the workout gets worked into my busy life. It’s not a phase, or an afterthought. It is a new way of life.

It is very exciting to see so much support for healthy living, making it easier than ever to make healthy choices. It’s all up to me to plug in. To stay focused. To keep my eye on the prize. The prize? The prize is a

quality life … a new way of life.

To learn more about the Insight 2 Health Fitness Challenge call The F.I.T Lab at (651) 645-5242 or go to www. thefitlabinc.com.

The Insight 2 Health Fitness Challenge is a fitness and lifestyle initiative designed to promote measurable and long-lasting health and fitness outcomes in program participants. The objective is to introduce lifestyle changes that are sustainable. Participants meet up to four times a week in a group class setting and consult with a nutrition expert and mental health professional.

Foods can be first defense against illness Nutrition Julie

By Julie McMahon Did you know that you can use food to heal?

So often we think of food as a way to fill ourselves up or a way to lose weight. We use food to celebrate and to ease our stress and boredom. Few realize the incredible power food has to

Champion From 3 important bill that Minnesota must pass to become compliant with federal REAL ID,” said Champion. “The DFL Senate gave Republicans an opportunity to support a good, clean bill that would have removed unnecessary

Conversations From 3 African Heritage and Black Lives Matter appeared on KFAI’s “Conversations with Al McFarlane” to discuss the importance of showing up and “showing out.”

“So often legislators don’t see their Black constituents, don’t know what their Black constituents care about,” said Mica Grimm of Black Lives Matter. “By showing up, by showing that we care about what’s going on; they can no longer deny what we say is going

Care Act From 3 patients.

The issue of ethnicity is an overlay that affects people of color is subtle ways and in every field, but in the medical field it is an issue of life and death “I realize that racism is an issue,” said Brase, saying people of color face rejection and inadequate care, emphasizing however that personally ethnicity has never been a consideration throughout her career.

Jones said while it may not be an issue in Brase’s patient care, statistically the experiences of

heal the body, mind and spirit.

We have become a nation full of people who think that it is “normal” to lack energy, have aches and pains and deal with chronic disease. We are taught that relief is only a pill away.

But what if there was a better way? What if you could heal simply by making shifts in what you eat and how you move each day? Would you do it?

As Nutrition Julie, it’s my job to let you know that you can feel fit, fabulous, focused and full of energy simply by eating the right foods. You can live a healthy, conscious, disease-free life. I am passionate that you are aware of this powerful choice that you have. Your food choices

can make you feel crummy or awesome. The choice is yours each and every time you pick up your fork.

So why do I care? Why have I made this my life’s mission?

Quite frankly, many people are content to eat junk foods and pop an antacid, an aspirin or take whatever the latest medication is for whatever the latest ailment or disease. These pills generally have side effects that will require more pills. If a person chooses that path, then that’s their choice. We do have that freedom to choose.

I, however, am driven by personal experience. I watched helplessly as my wonderful dad died of prostate cancer and as my

favorite Aunt Dots died of breast cancer. I watched as my mother struggled with heart issues and diabetes and as I struggled with my own autoimmune thyroid issues. I knew then that there had to be a better way. I needed to understand why we were sick.

I made it my life’s mission to study the body and the incredible healing power of foods. I have witnessed the healing power of food to reverse digestive issues, aches and pains, arthritis, depression, anxiety, obesity, cancer and even watched as my mom cleaned-up her diet, dropped 17 pounds and got off her insulin and other diabetes medication. I experienced my own healing journey where I

completely changed what I was eating, along with other lifestyle shifts that pulled me out of a very debilitating autoimmune condition. I have personally experienced the healing power of foods and am here to share that knowledge and hope. When you give the body the nutrients it needs it can heal itself. Think about that the next time you pick up your fork.

I have had the incredible honor of working with people who are ready to upgrade their food and lifestyle choices.

The results are amazing. I have partnered with Insight News, Tyrone Minor and Jamie Minor from The F.I.T. Lab, 1583 Hamline Ave. N.,

Falcon Heights, and with Dr. Darren Moore to co-create the Insight2Health Fitness Challenge. As we finish Round 9 of this 10-week challenge I see the participants have dropped weight, are stronger in body, mind and spirit, have dropped cholesterol and blood pressure numbers, have increased energy and are better, happier, healthier versions of themselves. It is a wonderful sight and I am so honored to be a part of this team.

Join us in the next round of the Insight 2 Health Fitness Challenge coming up from April 22 – July 1. See for yourself how food and lifestyle shifts can positively affect your health.

language to bring Minnesota into federal compliance with REAL ID requirements and this bill would have passed off the floor today. But the amendment failed on a tie vote.”

Champion said House Republicans are unfairly targeting Minnesota’s immigrant population.

“Our amendment simply removed unnecessary and controversial language that many felt would have completely shut the door for

thousands of immigrants that live in Minnesota who are forced to drive without a legal license,” said Champion. “Instead of compromising to find common ground, the Senate Republican majority put up their more political and controversial bill with the troubling language, and failed to put up enough votes to pass it. As a long-time advocate and chief author for drivers’ licenses for all, I honestly wish this bill went further. Instead of just removing troubling

language, I wish we could finally provide a path for immigrant workers the opportunity to learn to drive, secure a legal driver’s license, and legally buy auto insurance – which would make our roads and streets safer.”

According to Champion the bill he voted for would allow the Department of Public Safety to make technical changes in Minnesota’s statutes and licenses that would ensure Minnesota driver’s licenses to continue to be an acceptable form of

identification for air travel.

REAL ID compliant licenses are already required to gain access to certain federal facilities such as military bases and nuclear plants, and early next year they will be needed to board airplanes – even for domestic flights.

Unless the 2017 legislature acts to allow the Department of Public Safety begin issuing REAL IDs, Minnesotans will not be able to board a commercial airplane beginning Jan. 22, 2018, without presenting additional, federally

authorized proof of identity, such as a U.S. passport. Minnesota is one of only three states that have not changed its licenses to comply with the federal requirements.

Many Minnesotans are waiting to find out how they will best be able to proceed with air travel as the deadline for compliance approaches.

on or happening. That’s why it’s so important that we have these days at the capital.”

What is equally as important as being heard is being heard with one powerful and unified voice. That’s according to Dr. Louis Porter, executive director of the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage.

“The United Black Legislative Agenda is a coming together. It wasn’t always easy to come to a consensus but we worked very hard to come to consensus and rally behind the issues we’ve agreed upon,” said Porter.

Grimm agreed, saying with the formation of the United Black Legislative Agenda Black

organizations can work with one another, not against one another.

“Often when we see money put towards Black issues we’re pitted against each other. By creating this group (United Black Legislative Agenda) we’re able to circumvent the tactics that are used to divide us and come together as one powerful voice,” said Grimm.

Known more for its street advocacy, Black Lives Matter in Minnesota and elsewhere has evolved into a political force as well. Grimm said that evolution is by design.

“We (Black Lives Matter)

want to be in the streets to force Legislators to take notice, but we also want in the room when legislators start to discuss these things,” said Grimm. “Without having our voices at the table we have legislators working with a community that they really don’t understand.”

Among the concerns of the United Black Legislative Agenda are criminal justice reform, immigrant rights and safety and a “stop bill” initiative to halt a state bill that would harshly criminalize protests taking place on roadways.

“We want to make sure

we’re not at the bottom of the list anymore. It’s been too long, we (the state) have too much money, we have too much opportunity to continue going on like this,” said Grimm.

Porter said of particular focus is a push to attract and retain educators of color. He said studies have shown students of color perform better when they

have teachers of similar ethnic background.

This is the second year that the United Black Legislative Agenda has brought forth advocacy day at the capital.

“Conversations with Al McFarlane” airs Tuesdays at 9 a.m. on 90.3 FM and online at www.kfai.org.

the Black community has shown that they have been rejected and marginalized when it comes to access to adequate healthcare.

In favor of the ACA, he said discrimination in healthcare is an issue that a blanket medical coverage seeks to eradicate.

When it comes to an ideal system of healthcare Brase echoes proposals made by Republican leaders such as medical funds being disbursed directly to states and putting states in control of their people’s medical care. She said that will cut out the federal government as a middleman.

Jones believes that state disbursements will not resolve the issue of fair distribution.

Page 8 • March 20 - March 26, 2017 • Insight News

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Community celebrates opening of resource center Community leaders and residents held a grand opening celebration for the Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center – a pipeline for jobs and educational resources with a special focus on the neighborhood’s East African community.

Anchor partners for the center include nonprofit Emerge Community Development, Hennepin County, the city of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC). The center is located in the first floor of the Five15 on the Park building, 515 15th Ave. S. The center will feature programming by Emerge, including workforce development, youth employment and education and personal finance tips. Hennepin County Library will lead a “teen tech squad,” develop programs that support cultural heritage, conduct employmentfocused learning circles and

connect participants to library and neighborhood resources.

MCTC services at the center will include a career navigator, who will provide guidance in college learning, job placement and Metro Connect, a resource that allows prospective students to find the most affordable college options available at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities in the metro area.

“Now that the Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center is open, people in the neighborhood can access a wide array of resources that will help put them on a path to good jobs and high quality education,” said Minneapolis Ward 6 Councilmember Abdi Warsame. “The center will be an invaluable resource in helping residents in my community find the tools they need to pursue their dreams.”

Key goals of the center include reducing the neighborhood’s unemployment

Photo courtesy of Hennepin County

Community leaders cut the ribbon at the Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center. The center is a partnership between Emerge Community Development, Hennepin County, the city of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC). rate and increasing access to a variety of educational programs. Employers with a strong recruiting presence

at the center include MSP Jobs, Schwan’s, Hennepin County, Fairview Health Services, Medtronic, the city of

Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota, Augsburg College and St. Catherine University.

Emerge associate director Mohamed Ali, who oversees the center’s operations, said it has tremendous potential to change lives for the better.

“I am excited that the Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center will be a place filled with opportunities for the youth of the neighborhood. There is great need in the community for higher education, career skill building and job placement.

We will be able to meet these needs with credentialed training opportunities and higher pay,” said Ali. Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin said the opportunity center will directly connect the neighborhood residents to jobs.

“Cedar Riverside is a thriving neighborhood with a high unemployment rate,” said McLaughlin. “By

attracting the support of nine large employer partners, with a combined workforce of over 30,000 employees, this opportunity center will close the opportunity gap and reduce the unemployment rate by giving residents access to jobs.”

Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges said the center will help address the city’s disparities.

“This is a great day for the Cedar Riverside neighborhood and the City of Minneapolis,” said Hodges.Access to good jobs is the best way to eliminate economic and opportunity disparity in our city. To truly become one Minneapolis, where everyone has a chance to thrive, we have to close that gap. The opening of this opportunity center is a bold step in that direction, and I’m proud to have been part of making it a reality.”

Wells Fargo employees volunteer 163,000 hours Made $12.4 million in charitable contributions supporting 1,505 Minnesota nonprofits Wells Fargo last week announced that its Minnesota team members volunteered 163,000 hours with nonprofits, schools and community organizations in 2016.

In addition to volunteering, team members donated $7.6 mil-

OLA From 3 and not enough time instilling lessons. The report found that more than 300 schools spent five weeks or more on testing in 2015-2016. The ripple effect, the report says, is assessment season – the time standardized

lion during the annual Community Support Campaign to charitable organizations and causes they are passionate about. Wells Fargo also made $12.4 million in charitable contributions supporting 1,505 Minnesota nonprofits, schools and community organi-

zations last year.

“Wells Fargo has a rich history of community support across the country and throughout the state,” said Minnesota CEO Dave Kvamme. “Our 2016 charitable contributions and volunteerism efforts shows the true

character of our 20,000 Minnesota team members and our deep commitment to strengthening the communities where we live and work.”

Wells Fargo officials said employees across the country volunteered 1.73 million

hours with 50,000 nonprofits and schools last year, and contributed a total of $98.87 million to 30,000 nonprofits and schools. They said $60.7 million of that was pledged during the company’s month-long Community Support Campaign,

leading United Way Worldwide to name Wells Fargo’s employee workplace giving campaign No. 1 in the U.S. for the eighth consecutive year.

testing occurs – affects students who are not taking the tests because testing monopolizes computer labs and libraries, and forces the reassignment of teachers and counselors.

Citing examples such as a law that requires Minnesota Department of Education to distribute measures of “progress toward college and career readiness” for elementary and middle school students,

those at Education Minnesota say such laws are ineffective in a child’s overall learning.

Fifty-three percent of teachers told the OLA the MCAs were not useful for improving instruction while 41 percent said they were only “somewhat useful.” Most districts buy additional assessments to complement the MCAs. “The MCAs can be a useful snapshot of the

statewide school system, but the auditor confirmed they can be misleading for individual students,” Specht said. “If parents want to know how their children are doing in school, they should ask someone who knows the students’ names. Ask an educator – not a test score.”

Specht said the bottom line is excessive mandatory testing is doing more harm than good.

“One thing is obvious

after reading this report. The taxpayers are not getting their money’s worth from this sprawling system of state and local standardized testing,” said Specht. “It’s past time for districts, the state and the federal government to streamline all these assessments so educators get some useful data without disrupting the whole school for a month.”

Education Minnesota’s

members include teachers and education support professionals in Minnesota’s public school districts, faculty members at Minnesota’s community and technical colleges and University of Minnesota campuses in Duluth and Crookston, retired educators and student teachers.

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

2823 E. Franklin Ave. | Minneapolis & 317 E. 38th St. | Minneapolis w w w.seward.coop

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Insight News • March 20 - March 26, 2017 • Page 9

Community

Photos by David Bradley

Dozens came out to the Women’s Club of Minneapolis on March 9 to network and meet with state commissioners as a part of outreach efforts to engage communities of color. Those in attendance included (left to right) Carmen Johnson, Luz María Frías, president and CEO of the Minneapolis YWCA and James Burroughs, the state’s chief inclusion officer.

At LatinoLEAD Consortium networking event

Advancing influence, success and power

By Nadvia Davis Minnesota commissioners and state leaders networked with members of the Latino and other ethnic communities at the Women’s Club of Minneapolis on March 9.

This event was created to foster and promote relationships with the Twin Cities leadership group, LatinoLEAD. According to the LatinoLEAD website, the group is defined as a crosssector consortium of Latinos

working together to advance its collective influence, success and power. Members of the group include corporate, civic, nonprofit, business and academic leaders. LatinoLEAD is an initiative established by the Minneapolis Foundation.

Former Mayor R.T. Rybak was in attendance at the networking event representing foundation.

Together, more than 50 people walked around the ballroom shaking hands and exchanging business cards with hopes of “building relationships,” said Department

of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Shawntera Hardy.

Following the networking portion of the event, José González was introduced as the new LatinoLEAD executive director. González shared some general thoughts about how the Latino community is depicted along with his vision for the organization.

“My vision for LatinoLEAD really is about making sure that we have well informed, ready to roll

Latino community when our communities needs us,” said González.

To close out the event, organizer Tracy Gipson moderated a question and answer discussion with four commissioners – Department of Health Assistant Commissioner Gilbert Acevedo, Department of Revenue Commissioner Cynthia Bauerly, Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey and Department of Transportation Commissioner Charles Zelle.

Each outlined the role that

their respective government departments play in supporting the state of Minnesota. Gipson posed a series of questions to the panelist, one of which was “What are some of the specific actions you are taking in your department when it comes to diversity and inclusion?”

“We went about a year working on our own cultural competency. Starting with myself we had to take inventory and have individual coaching to understand that there is bias in points of view in all of us,” admitted Zelle.

All of the commissioners said they embrace diversity and inclusion and that efforts are being made to increase the Latino representation of state employees, however, help is still needed help make the efforts lead to permanent changes for various ethnic communities.

“We need to be respectful of other people’s lens and other people’s approaches,” said González.

Ellison campaign in full swing A group of Northsiders flowed in and out of Avenue Eatery on West Broadway in Minneapolis to connect with each other and hear from Jeremiah Ellison, a candidate in Ward 5 vying for the seat on the Minneapolis City Council.

Rather than trying to sell residents on specific ideas, Ellison told the group he has been working with the community to develop creative solutions to the challenges the community faces.

“As an artist and an organizer, I’m running for City Council Ward 5 to join my neighbors in collectively imagining a Northside where

Jeremiah Ellison

working class people can thrive and build wealth, where our air, homes, and youth are safe, where we can achieve our goals with the collaboration of city leaders who recognize both our needs and our strengths,” said Ellison. “And I’m in it not to just imagine that place, but to partner together to build it.

That’s what these gatherings at Avenue Eatery are all about.”

Ellison said he’s focused on investing in the creativity and talent of the Northside, building a West Broadway cultural corridor and nurturing local businesses and workerowned cooperatives. He said

he’s running to see that residents have a justice system that is truly just by proactively addressing youth violence through researched and effective public health approaches and repealing ordinances used to target people of color and the poor.

That’s just a start of what’s coming out of these conversations,” said Ellison.

Ellison said he and his campaign team will be at Avenue Eatery, 1101 W. Broadway Ave., between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. every Saturday until the DFL Caucuses on April 4 and the DFL Ward 5 convention on April 22.

Achieving your goals is not always just about you

By Penny Jones-Richardson I once heard someone say, “You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.”

I always wondered what that truly meant and how did that relate to me? I used to think that maybe I was in the wrong profession. How could I be a writer and have something to write about that could change lives or make a person think about living their life to the fullest?

Well my truth is that I was strong enough to do what I truly wanted to do. I had to believe in myself and believe in my gifts. That’s part of your journey. You don’t have gifts to just keep them all to yourself.

Your purpose is to inspire and

uplift those who you reach by using your gifts to do so.

There will always be someone watching you and remembering every word you say and relying on you to guide them. It could be a family member, friend, or even someone you’ve never met. It still amazes me when complete strangers commit on something I wrote that helped them get through a day, a time or a moment. These are the things that keep me going and help me to remember why I do what I do.

Following your dreams and achieving your goals is not always just about you. Bettering yourself is also about those in your life that are waiting on you to set the example. They are waiting on you to build a roadmap for them to follow to get to their

inspire others to achieve their goals? My answer now is I was given this life because I am strong enough to live it. I am strong enough to make my dreams come true and so are you. I am confident enough to believe that with hard work and determination I will be everything I set my mind to.

How about you?

And as always, stay focused, stay determined, and keep striving for greatness.

You don’t have gifts to just keep them all to yourself.

Your purpose is to inspire and uplift those who you reach by using your gifts to do so. journey. It’s not anything bad; it’s just the way life works.

Someone left a path for me to follow and my assignment is to do the same. I believe that there is power in helping others to

achieve their greatness.

Now you ask, do I believe that I am strong enough to do what I am placed here to do? Do I believe that I have a gift that will help and

Classifieds St. Paul Central H.S. Class of 1967 50th Reunion

Sept. 8-10, 2017 Facebook - St. Paul Central Class of 1967 50th Reunion or email address to: geministar1149@comcast.net, Marie Braddock Williams, Committee

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.

Penny Jones-Richardson is a published author and life coach.

She can be reached via her website at www.thequeensproject.com or email at penny@ thequeensproject.com.

Phone: 612.588.1313 Fax: 612.588.2031 Email: info@insightnews.com

Deputy Sheriff The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office is seeking candidates for Deputy Sheriff. If you are interested visit https://www.ramseycounty.us/jobs for more information.

Volunteers Make a difference in the life of a child. The Mothers First program provides prevention and intervention services for pregnant women who are abusing chemicals. Mothers First is seeking a Child Care Assistant volunteer to help agency staff in providing supervision and care for the children with our Mothers First program while mom is attending counseling sessions. Volunteer Drivers are also needed to provide transportation to mothers in recovery to/from groups with our Mothers First program. Reimbursement for mileage is provided. Contact Ramsey County Health & Wellness Service Team — Volunteer Services at 651-266-4090 for additional information or e-mail to HumanServicesVolunteer@co.ramsey.mn.us.

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 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.

NEW LOCATION Brooklyn Center: Jehovah Jireh Church, 6120 Xerxes Ave. N., Brooklyn Center; Meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

To RSVP, or for questions, please call Dorothea Harris at 952-945-4175 Volunteers of America MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN

Page 10 • March 20 - March 26, 2017 • Insight News

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Coco and Breezy

March 27 – April 2

Monday, March 27 JAZZ David Sanborn The Dakota Jazz Club 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. $40-$70 March 27 April 2, 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

MPR hosts this dialogue with Jason Sole, president of the Minneapolis NAACP, Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau and others to discuss police/community relaƟons.

Wednesday, March 29 SPOKEN WORD/JAZZ

Six-Ɵme Grammy Award The Feels – Divine winner David Sanborn Feminine Energy plays two shows at the Icehouse Dakota.

2825 Nicollet Ave. S. 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday, 21-plus March 28 $8 TALK Bridging the Divide between CommuniƟes of Color and the Police The Fitzgerald Theater 10 Exchange St. E., St. Paul 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

The Feels, presented

by Jazz 88 and Soul Tools Entertainment, is where hip-hop and jazz meet. It’s a night of live instrumentaƟon featuring singers, poets, emcees, comedians and more. This month’s acts include Da Black Pearll,

Lioness, Pauline G. Johnson, Vie Boheme and friends plus an aŌerset by DJ Miss Brit.

Thursday, March 30 HIP-HOP “FrustraƟonOVERload” CD Release Party Honey 205 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 9:30 p.m.

21-plus $8 Hip-hop arƟst Yare releases a new project with special guests Moonshie Sax, Rey Gordo, Lyrically PoeƟc, Mcc Dynasty, Meatch, P-nuƩhearƟst, Major G and Lxud Pvck

Friday, March 31 HIP-HOP/

PERFORMANCE GiŌ of Gab (of Blackalicous) Amsterdam Bar and Hall 6 W. 6th St., St. Paul 8 p.m.

18-plus $15 advance, $18 door One half of the one of most celebrated “conscious” hip-hop groups from the early 2000s, GiŌ of Gab has enjoyed success with the recent reemergence of the “Alphabet Song.”

The evening features performances by DJ Snuggles, TEK and CMJ.

Saturday, April 1 R&B/SOUL The Avant Garde Concert Amsterdam Bar and Hall 6 W. 6th St., St. Paul

8 p.m.

21-plus $10 advance, $15 door The Avant Garde presents some of the top up-and-coming Twin CiƟes neo-soul/ R&B arƟsts along with a live band, spokenword poetry and live painƟng.

Sunday, April 2 COMEDY Hasan Minhaj Northrop Auditorium, University of Minnesota 84 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis 6 p.m. $20-$25 Popular comedian and “The Daily Show” correspondent, Hasan Minhaj, plays the U of along with Aman Ali and Daina Ali.

Former President Barack Obama

‘The Obama Years’

Riveting retrospective revisits President’s defining moments

By Kam Williams How many immortal speeches have been delivered by U.S. presidents and other American icons?

There’s President Abraham Lincoln’s “Four score and seven years ago” GettysburgAddress, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself,” President John F. Kennedy’s “Ask not what your country can do for you” inaugural address and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. All have stood the test of time.

President Barack Obama has ostensibly left behind not just one but a cornucopia of historic orations likely to be remembered for generations to come.

That is the contention of “The Obama Years: The Power of Words,” a riveting documentary that discusses, in non-partisan fashion, a plethora of his addresses.

Narrated by Jessie Williams of “Grey’s Anatomy,” the movie features a mix of

archival footage and in-depth analysis by speech and policy experts. Among the luminaries sharing insights are Pulitzer Prize-winner Doris Kearns-Goodwin, Rice University professor, Douglas Brinkley and former Obama strategists David Axelrod and Jon Favreau.

The biopic unfolds chronologically, starting with the keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention that instantly turned a little-known state senator from Illinois into an overnight sensation.

Obama’s next remarkable highlight arrived in March 2008 when he salvaged a floundering presidential campaign with a unifying reflection on race delivered at Philadelphia’s Constitution Center.

Later that year in Denver, he was widely lauded for his stirring acceptance of the Democratic nomination on Aug. 28, the 45th anniversary of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech delivered at the March on Washington.

Obama subsequently spoke emotionally about the Trayvon Martin killing, the Sandy Hook elementary school and Charleston church massacres. His

speech to the grieving Emanuel A.M.E. congregation following the church shooting brought mourners to tears with an acapella rendition of “Amazing Grace” at the end of the eulogy.

Just as moving was the president’s touchstone commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery march, uttered on location at the Edmund Pettus bridge, site of the infamous Bloody Sunday attack.

For viewers interested in lighter fare, there’s Obama’s stand-up routine at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, where he roasted a red-faced Donald Trump about everything from hosting “The Apprentice” to spearheading the birther movement.

“The Obama Years” is a riveting retrospective revisiting an array of Obama’s defining moments.

“The Obama Years” airs on the Smithsonian Channel on Saturday (March 18) at 7 a.m. and Tuesday (March 21) at 4 p.m.

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Insight News • March 20 - March 26, 2017 • Page 11

Rakim moves the crowd Hip-hop heads turned out in force this past Wednesday (March 15) to hear from the “God MC,” Rakim Allah.

Rakim was at the Amsterdam in St. Paul.

A standing room venue, the Amsterdam was filled to capacity for the iconic rhymer’s performance – and Rakim did not disappoint.

Opening his set with “Microphone Fiend,” a classic from his second album, “Follow the Leader,” Rakim whipped the crowd into a frenzy that never seemed to die down. The more celebrated half of the duo Eric B. and Rakim, the

revered MC performed every song from the group’s debut LP, 1987’s “Paid in Full.”

He also performed multiple songs from the groups other albums including an a cappella finale of “Follow the Leader.” Mixed in were cuts from the MC’s solo projects and features such as his verse from Truth Hurts’ “Addictive” and the mixtape cut “Classic” that features Rakim, KRS-ONE, Kanye West and Nas. Maybe the highlight of the show came at the end when the pioneering MC stage dove into the crowd and was carried a few rows back

before being handed back to the stage.

Not to be outdone, Twin Cities MC, Truth Maze, who celebrated his 49th birthday the day before the show, showed he can still rock a crowd in his featured set before Rakim.

DJs Francisco and Big Reese helped carry the night, digging deep into their Serato crates to hit the crowd with gem after gem.

Kudos to Chadwick “Niles” Phillips, who copromoted the show with the Amsterdam and served as the evening’s host.

Rakim moves the crowd

The “Microphone Fiend” Rakim

Hip-hop heads turned out in force this past Wednesday (March 15) to hear from the “God MC,” Rakim Allah.

Rakim was at the Amsterdam in St. Paul.

A standing room venue, the Amsterdam was filled to capacity for the iconic rhymer’s performance – and Rakim did not disappoint.

Opening his set with “Microphone Fiend,” a classic from his second album, “Follow the Leader,” Rakim whipped the crowd into a frenzy that never seemed to die down. The more celebrated half of the duo Eric B. and Rakim, the

revered MC performed every song from the group’s debut LP, 1987’s “Paid in Full.”

He also performed multiple songs from the groups other albums including an a cappella finale of “Follow the Leader.” Mixed in were cuts from the MC’s solo projects and features such as his verse from Truth Hurts’ “Addictive” and the mixtape cut “Classic” that features Rakim, KRS-ONE, Kanye West and Nas. Maybe the highlight of the show came at the end when the pioneering MC stage dove into the crowd and was carried a few rows back

before being handed back to the stage.

Not to be outdone, Twin Cities MC, Truth Maze, who celebrated his 49th birthday the day before the show, showed he can still rock a crowd in his featured set before Rakim.

DJs Francisco and Big Reese helped carry the night, digging deep into their Serato crates to hit the crowd with gem after gem.

Kudos to Chadwick “Niles” Phillips, who copromoted the show with the Amsterdam and served as the evening’s host.

Kangol fresh Mike Sims (left) and wife, Aloea Sims taking in the Rakim show.

Truth Maze on stage at the Amsterdam

Imani McDonald showing she’s got soul.

MNHS.ORG

Explore art, race and a nation on stage through the prism of the African American experience.

Host Chadwick “Niles” Phillips commands the crowd to make some noise.

Dr. Megan Fehely made the drive from Rochester to see and hear Rakim.

NOW ON VIEW 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., Blvd St. St Paul Paul, MN 55102

Photos by Harry Colbert, Jr.

(Left to right) Soul singer PaviElle French with Maia Maiden (aka Rah Fyah) and Ahanti Young.

Page 12 • March 20 - March 26, 2017 • Insight News

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Dandies Project unveiled new coffee table book The Dandies Project, a photobook project celebrating fashionable men – particularly men of color – unveiled its latest book featuring the 2017 Dandies.

The unveiling took place

March 9 at Studio 514 in Minneapolis. Nearly 100 people came out to support the book’s launch, which featured photos of nine Dandies selected to be a part of the book. Photographer MK Xiong served as curator and

creative director of the project, which was founded by area fashion guru Richard Moody.

Proceeds from the book’s sale, which retails for $50, benefit the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center.

MKx8 Design

ianca Lewis, Kimberly Musgrave, Kathryn Mayfield, Chaz Sandifer and Devonda Scott.

Angela Wachira looking at The Dandies Project 2017 book.

1

Past and present Dandies (front row, left to right) Michael Gittelson, Richard Moody and Amara Kamara (back row, left to right) Jamel Harris, Vii Washington, Ansu Soumaoro, Charles Dwamina, Corey Collins, Harry Colbert, Jr., Mark Parrish, Tom Gitaa and Michael Hullum.

(Left to right) Donise White, Autumn Frazier and Chaz Sandifer

CTC’s participation in the prestigious ASSITEJ World Congress is a first for any major U.S. theater

Children’s Theatre Company tours ‘Seedfolks’ to South Africa, Seattle and Minnesota Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) will bring its production of “Seedfolks” to the ASSITEJ International (International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People) World Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, May 17 – May 27.

CTC’s production of “Seedfolks” was selected from more than 800 works worldwide and is the only production

from the United States that will participate.

This year’s ASSITEJ World Congress titled “Cradle of Creativity” will be a celebration and exploration of inter-cultural exchange with theater, dance and music for young audiences in Africa and the world. It is the most important meeting of all members of ASSITEJ, taking place once every three years. ASSITEJ is a global network that

promotes and facilitates the growth of theater for young audiences. This nonprofit organization was founded in Paris in 1965 and has established membership in 100 different countries. This is also the first time that a theater company in the United States has been invited to present a production as part of the World Congress in the organization’s 50-year history. This engagement is supported

by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through USArtists International in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Additional support is provided by the U.S. Embassy in South Africa and Delta Airlines.

“Seedfolks” will run March 23 through April 16, at Seattle Children’s Theater. The

Children’s Theatre Company

Sonja Parks

CTC commissioned play was developed and premiered at CTC in 2014 and is based on the Newbery Medalwinning book by Paul Fleischman. “Seedfolks” is about an immigrant neighborhood in Cleveland that is transformed by a community garden.

Actress Sonja Parks embodies the 11 distinct

voices of Gibb Street in this one-woman production.

“It is a humbling honor be selected to represent the United States at the ASSITEJ World Congress and perform our work in front of global leaders in theatre for young audiences and also to be asked to bring our productions to regions

outside the Midwest,” said Peter Brosius, CTC artistic director. “As the nation’s leading producer of theatre for young audiences, it is important for us to be able to continue to expand the canon, create a higher aesthetic and bring absent narratives to the stage.”