Insight News ::: 03.27.17

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

Insight News March 27 - April 2, 2017

Vol. 44 No. 12• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

ENOUGH TURN TO PAGE 2

Photo by Nikki McComb

Page 2 • March 27 - April 2, 2017 • Insight News

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Photos by Nikki McComb

Everett Logan the day after his wife, Dana Logan was shot and killed.

A message to Minnesota legislators to not move forward with so called “stand your ground” legislation

ENOUGH

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor On May 26 of last year Birdell Beeks was just doing what so many of us do every day.

A 58-year-old grandmother, Beeks was driving with her 16-year-old granddaughter on Penn Avenue near 21st Street in Minneapolis when shots rang out and Beeks – an innocent bystander – was struck and killed.

The killing sent shockwaves through the community, as Beeks was remembered as a loving and

caring woman who was a joy to her family and friends. The senseless death also inspired one woman to use her camera and artistic vision to make a bold and clear declarative statement – enough.

Artist Nikki McComb said the killings of Beeks and others, including the police killing of Philando Castile, caused her to act. McComb reached out to several family members of those lost to gun violence and invited them to be a part of her Enough campaign by posing for photos with signs or using their own

A sobering message from the most vulnerable of citizens.

Artist Nikki McComb hopes project will end gun violence; photo led to arrest

bodies as the canvas to deliver the message that it’s past time to end unlawful gun crimes.

Bunny Beeks (cover photo) was one of McComb’s first models. The daughter to Birdell Beeks, Bunny Beeks posed with somber eyes and a poster that simply read, “That Was My Mother.” According to McComb, within 24 hours of her posting the photo to social media a person reached out to the grieving daughter to say they had information about the crime.

“That photo sparked someone to say, ‘I know who

did this; I saw your photo and this is what I have to say,’” said McComb.

Indeed, the case that went months without an arrest saw one when on Jan. 24, 20-yearold Joshua Chiazor Ezeka was charged with the homicide.

“For me that means the work I do is relevant,” said McComb.

In addition to photos, McComb has created a logo of a handgun covered by a large red X for her campaign. Inside the X are names of those killed due to gun violence. Many of

the names belong to those whose crimes are unsolved.

“The purpose is to bring the humanity back into the conversation of gun violence,” explained McComb. “And to share that humanity with the shooter … the family of the shooter … the girlfriend of the shooter. By seeing the humanity maybe they will do the right thing.”

The Enough campaign is also targeting state lawmakers who according to McComb want to make it easier for people to access guns and enact dangerous

“stand your ground” legislation similar to the one on the books in Florida that was used in the George Zimmerman defense in his killing of unarmed 17-yearold Treyvon Martin.

Several in the community have embraced the campaign with community icon Mahmoud El-Kati and members of the North Community High School boys and girls basketball teams all participating in the photo campaign.

To learn more about the Enough campaign go to www. enough411.com.

Legendary journalist Claude Lewis dies at age 82

Claude Lewis WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) mourns the passing of NABJ Founder Claude Lewis, also a founder of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists (PABJ).

Lewis died March 16 at Virtua Voorhees Hospital in Voorhees, N.J. He was 82.

Lewis was a highly respected journalist and mentor to many journalists. Born and

raised in New York City, he attended public schools and graduated from City College with a degree in English. Lewis worked as an editor and reporter for newspapers and magazines, such as Newsweek, New York Herald Tribune, and The Philadelphia Bulletin.

He taught at Villanova University and also wrote a column for The Bulletin until it folded in 1982. Later, Lewis wrote a syndicated column for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“This is a very sad day.

Claude was a great mentor for me at The Bulletin. He always had time to talk with a young journalist trying to navigate the newsroom. He was the calm spirit that guided many of us,” said former colleague and NABJ founder,

Sandra Dawson Long Weaver.

Known as one of the “original three,” Lewis along with fellow Philadelphia journalists Chuck Stone and Acel Moore laid the groundwork for and later founded the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists (PABJ) in 1973. Lewis and many of PABJ’s early members contributed to the formation of NABJ in 1975 in Washington, D.C. “Founder Claude Lewis was a gentle giant and kind soul whose passion for equality and equal opportunity can be seen in his columns and life’s work.

He had a personal impact on the trajectory of many NABJ members, myself included, showing us all the way,” said NABJ President Sarah Glover.

“Claude lives on in all of us. I

thank him for instilling in me, and my peers, a deep level of tenacity and commitment to the cause.”

Lewis had an extensive career in broadcasting, writing and producing various television specials and documentaries with NBC and Westinghouse Broadcasting. In 1982 he founded the first national African-American newspaper, The National Leader.

Joe Davidson, NABJ founder, worked with Lewis at The National Leader and first met him when both worked at The Philadelphia Bulletin.

“Claude was an important force in journalism in the 1970s. He meant a lot to me personally and to a lot of Black journalists professionally,” said Davidson. “He lured me away from The Inquirer to work as

managing editor at The Leader.

It was an opportunity to serve the Black community with high-quality journalism. I was really proud of the work we did together on that newspaper.”

Lewis covered the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, meeting and interviewing such icons as Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Malcolm X and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1968, Lewis left a meeting in Philadelphia to join the King family in Memphis immediately after receiving the news that King was shot.

“Claude was a journalist miles ahead of his time, and he achieved recognition long before many recognized him,” said Paul Brock, NABJ founder.

Former NABJ President Vanessa Williams, a national

reporter with the Washington Post, remembers Lewis fondly.

“I remember Claude as a friendly and encouraging colleague when we worked together at the Philadelphia Inquirer.

His door was always open and he didn’t hesitate to share his contacts, expertise, and advice to young journalists. He and Acel were like these twin towers of Black journalism excellence in Philly.

We should honor them by continuing their tradition of being fierce advocates for the truth, especially in this current political climate,” said Williams.

Lewis is survived by his wife Beverly Lewis, four children, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

A memorial service is planned for a later date.

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Insight News March 27 - April 2, 2017

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Poised to call for Trump impeachment Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee says Trump has endangered America

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor Washington, D.C. – In a day that honored a stalwart of the Black Press and saw a liaison of the Trump administration walk out on a breakfast with members of the Black Press, it was the words in a university library that rang the loudest.

The words were those of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas). She was speaking on March 23 to honor Lenora “Doll” Lee, publisher in

Memoriam of the Forward Times (Houston), who was just enshrined in the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Gallery of Distinguished Publishers.

But during her impromptu talk on the lower level of Howard University’s Founder’s Library Jackson Lee dropped a bombshell.

In talking about the nation’s current president Jackson Lee minced no words.

“This is not a government right now,” said Jackson Lee in front of nearly 50 members of the NNPA. “I’m on the

route of impeachment.”

Jackson Lee said there are a litany of reasons that should disqualify President Donald Trump as president including his potential ties to Russia and its interference in November’s election, but she also said America is unsafe under Trump.

“I’m concerned about our nation. I’m concerned about what happened when we get that call about North Korea in the middle of the night,” said Jackson Lee. “You have in office an individual that is unread and unlearned.”

Jackson Lee’s statement rings louder as she is a member of the House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees.

Some have expressed concerns that an impeachment of Trump would leave the nation under the control of Vice President Mike Pence who is seen as a staunch conservative with far rightwing views. Jackson Lee does not share in those concerns.

“At least he (Pence)

BLACK PRESS 4

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-TX, addresses Black Press Week event at Howard University.

Ellison, Dems decry Trump budget cuts

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor According to the White House Budget Plan there will be a $54 billion increase in defense spending in 2018 that is offset by targeted reductions elsewhere.

That “elsewhere” is in healthcare with a possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act, education, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Endowment for the Arts and others. Minnesota’s 5th District congressman and Deputy Chair of the DNC, Rep. Keith Ellison, hosted a press conference with community members affected by President Trump’s proposed budget.

During the March 20 event at his district office at the Minneapolis Urban League, Ellison and a host of others expressed outrage at proposed cuts.

“Who would believe we’re willing to cut 6,000 people out of the EPA, cut HUD funding … zero out Big Bird and defund the National Endowment for the Arts,” said Ellison.

The cuts would offset Trump’s proposed increases including what he called “one of the largest increases in defense spending.” His budget plan also “significantly increases the budget for immigration enforcement at the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, includes additional resources for a wall on the southern border with Mexico.”

Ellison said the proposed replacement for the Affordable Care Act is less about providing access to healthcare and more about lining the pockets of the rich.

“The Republican healthcare bill is a tax cut for the wealthy

ELLISON 5

Jamez Staples

Renewable energy means new jobs opportunities Photo by Harry Colbert, Jr.

Deputy Chair of the DNC, Rep. Keith Ellison (at podium) flanked by those opposed to President Trump’s proposed 2018 Budget.

Jones to lead Hope Community Hope Community’s Board of Directors announced Shannon Jones will become the organization’s executive director.

Jones was most recently director of community engagement at Urban Homeworks, a fellow Minneapolis-based nonprofit community development organization. She replaces Mary Keefe, who had been a leader at Hope for 23 years and is retiring.

“After an extensive search process conducted by board and staff working together, we found Shannon Jones to be the choice to lead our organization forward,” explained Heidi Barajas, Hope’s board chair.

Strong connections to Hope Jones has been connected to Hope for many years. In 2004, she and her two sons were among the first tenants in Hope’s Children’s Village Center at the intersection of Franklin and Portland Avenues in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis. The Children’s Village Center was the first of four mixed-use multi-family buildings in the South Quarter af-

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor Gov. Mark Dayton has set a goal moving the state to 50 percent renewable energy by 2030.

In achieving that goal that will increase the demand for skilled workers in the emerging sector of renewable energy, which

uses wind, sun, geothermal heat … even rain and other natural sources to provide power.

With the increased demand comes opportunities, but those opportunities could be out of reach (figuratively and literally) for many AfricanAmericans and others of color.

Jamez Staples, president

STAPLES 5

Public education future uncertain

By Ingrid Ferlo

Shannon Jones fordable housing development, a 20-year development project of Hope Community and Aeon.

In 2015, she joined a co-

Business

Receiving housing benefits? A trip to Social Security may not be necessary

PAGE 4

hort of SPEAC (Sustainable Progress through Engaging Active Citizens), an annual Hope Community organizing and

leadership development training that has supported more

The appointment of Betsy DeVos to education secretary, an avid supporter of the school choice and charter schools, has caused concern across the United States when it comes to funding and the direction the federal government want to take public education.

Substantial fear has arisen as some speculate

EDUCATION 5

JONES 5

Community

News

Thor Companies announce new hires

PAGE 8

St. Louis Park daycare focused on nurturing young minds

PAGE 9

dfer.org

Betsy DeVos

Community

Chris Flippo to lead East Side Learning Center

PAGE 9

Page 4 • March 27 - April 2, 2017 • Insight News

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Business

The pros and cons of engaging political leaders FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw Fundraising is a community endeavor, and our communities include the politicians who are elected to represent us at all levels.

Current, former and prospective elected leaders are often involved in fundraising, providing great value. At the same time there are challenges

related to engaging politicians as fundraising volunteers. With this column we discuss the pros and cons.

When a politician partners with your nonprofit you may find that doors that were previously closed are now open.

These leaders know everyone.

And they are surrounded by others who know even more people. They know people at the grassroots, in the churches and in the executive suites. They know artists, philanthropists and strategists. Politicians are connected. And when they believe in your organization they can work miracles.

Elected leaders bring name recognition to your project.

When a politician aligns his or herself with your nonprofit he or she can bring attention to your work. People who may not have the time to talk with you will take a call from him or her. A post on a Facebook page attracts a new audience.

Politicians also have lists of donors and volunteers they may be willing to share with you. They can help you attract resources, or help you secure the right new board member(s).

They can also provide access to their staff. When your work is in alignment with that of a politician’s vision it can be a win-win for all parties.

While the above benefits are real and true, there are also

challenges you may encounter.

Depending on their reputation, a politician may overshadow your organization.

People may come to an event where a politician is speaking, but they may not be coming to support your organization – they may be coming to press their cause with the politician.

You also have to remember that with any political leader half the people love that person, and half don’t. That can put your nonprofit in a bind, especially when you serve and advocate for all people regardless of their political beliefs. It’s also important to remember that politicians are always raising money for themselves and

others in their party. While you may want them to serve in a leadership role for your fundraising campaign, they may not be able to give the time required, nor the resources to make a leadership level gift.

Other things to consider include flexibility, dependability and accessibility. Local, state and/or federal regulations related to ethics and conflict of interest can impact the extent of their involvement. The reality of their position means that when big issues break they have to drop everything and focus on the issue at hand. This can mean they have to cancel or reschedule important meetings.

Here’s our bottom

line. Engage all members of your community, including politicians. Just remember that a politician may or not be the right person to lead your fundraising. Consider the real or perceived conflicts when making your decision. An ideal role is that of trusted advisor.

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

Receiving housing benefits? A trip to Social Security may not be necessary

By Rhonda Whitenack and Jim Czechowicz, Social Security public affairs office in Bloomington and St. Paul

For those currently receiving benefits from the U.S. Department of Housing and

Black Press From 3 understands government,” said the Texas representative.

“And I’m focused on getting him out in 2020 anyway.”

The day started on an auspicious note when Trump liaison Omarosa Manigault

Urban Development (HUD) and reapplying for benefits, a trip to the Social Security office is probably not necessary even if verification of Social Security benefits is needed.

Because of a data exchange established between Social Security and HUD, most people do not need to contact Social Security for a benefit verification letter. HUD administrators processing a Recertification Application for

Housing Assistance can use their Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) System to verify Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits.

Public housing agencies, private owners and management agents administering HUD rental assistance programs may get registration information about EIV by logging onto www.go.usa.gov/x97mH or www.go.usa.gov/x97m6.

If a person is a new

applicant for housing assistance, that person can provide HUD with a Social Security award letter, Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) notice, SSA-1099, or other SSA benefit document.

If someone does need to provide proof of Social Security benefits, that person can get an instant benefit verification letter at www.socialsecurity.gov/ myaccount.

walked out on a breakfast with members of the Black Press. Manigault was an invited guest speaking during Black Press Week. Following brief remarks Manigault opened the floor for questions – there would be only one.

Asked why the president reneged on a promise to provide a one-on-one on the record meeting with the Rev. Dr. Ben Chavis, president and CEO of the NNPA, Manigault

became hostile in her defense and insisted there was never any such deal to meet with Trump. The meeting had been reported on in multiple publications including in Insight News.

Manigault reiterated her claims that no such meeting was on the table and abruptly walked off.

Honoring “Doll” Carter Not letting the morning’s

events mar the day, members of the NNPA journeyed on the Howard University – home of the NNPA archives and Gallery of Distinguished Publishers – to pay tribute to Lenora “Doll” Carter, past publisher of the Forward Times in Houston. Carter who passed in 2010, also served as treasurer of the NNPA. She was remembered as a powerful businesswoman and a loving friend.

stockvault.net

“Doll was larger than life,” remarked Jackson Lee, whose district represented Carter.

Colleague and close friend Dorothy Leavell said Carter lived up to her nickname.

“I know why they called her Doll because she was beautiful on the outside and she was beautiful on the inside as well,” said Leavell, publisher of the Chicago

Crusader.

NNPA celebrated Black Press Week in conjunction with the National Association of Hispanic Publishers’ Legislative Summit. More than a dozen congresspersons including Rep. John Conyers – the senior member of Congress – met with members of both organizations.

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Insight News • March 27 - April 2, 2017 • Page 5

Trump budget cuts hurt the same people that voted for him

By Julianne Malveaux NNPA Newswire Columnist If you happened to have voted for the man who now occupies the White House, you may be feeling bamboozled, right about now.

The man who said that he wanted to take care of the little people, those who were forgotten by the elites, now wants to cut programs that affect these working-class people, ranging from Legal Aid to Meals on Wheels to housing assistance to job training. He would cut the Environmental Protection Agency by more than 31 percent, leaving more than 3,000 workers in the cold. Many of his other budget provisions will call for federal reductions-in-force (RIFs), and these chaotic RIFs may cause instability in some government agencies, since workers can appeal their RIF, or bump other workers out of their

Staples From 3 Renewable Energy Partners, hopes to change all that.

Renewable Energy Partners has been awarded a state grant through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to train residents of disadvantaged communities in the emerging field of renewables.

The project is a part of a partnership

jobs.

And he’s not using a scalpel to make the cuts; he’s using machetes and weed whackers.

His budget makes his position on the culture wars clear. He would entirely eliminate federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and National Public Radio. The Department of Housing and Urban Development will get $6.2 billion cut, and even though the Department of Education will get a 12 percent cut, $1.4 billion dollars are slated to support private schools through school choice. HBCU programs have not been cut, but many of the programs they depend on, including work-study programs, have been cut. It’s an ugly budget, but it’s the budget that Trump promised, a budget that “puts America first with a $54 billion increase in defense spending and $2.6 billion for the

wall that Mexico is supposed to pay for.

We need to rail against this budget even as we tease out its odious details, but we

with Emerge Community Development and Minneapolis Public Schools’ adult learning program. Through the program participants train at either a Minneapolis Public School location or Emerge, 1101 W. Broadway Ave., Minneapolis and earn two college credits via Century College in White Bear Lake. Once a week students – many with transportation needs – are provided rides to Century College, which is a 30 minute trek each way provided there are no traffic delays. Staples believes he has the solution.

The solution, according

to Staples is an abandoned property owned by the city of Minneapolis that sits at 1200 Plymouth Ave. N. Staples is petitioning the city to purchase the site and transform it into a multi-purpose training facility that he says would provide all the resources one would need to start a career in renewable energies and bring further economic stability to the Northside. He said as it stands now the only available training in the field are in remote areas of the state.

“If you want to be an electrician you have to go

Ellison

many low and moderate income Americans to have to make serious life choices.

From 3

“This is not about healthcare versus a cell phone, this is about healthcare versus being able to stay warm in a Minnesota winter or cool in a Miami summer.”

disguised as a healthcare bill,” said Ellison, who said he has already voted no more than 60 times against Republican bills to repeal President Obama’s landmark legislation, the Affordable Care Act. “It (the Republican plan) drives up the cost for older Americans and knocks many more off of healthcare.”

Ellison said repealing the Affordable Care Act will cause

One of those who directly affected by Trump’s proposed cuts is cancer survivor Karen Laumb. Laumb said Trump’s plan has caused for sleepless nights.

“I have a pre-existing condition, so this plan scares me,” said Laumb, who also

surely understand the value of the medical research “45” has threatened to cut. There are educators, who understand the importance of summer Pell

The man who said that he wanted to take care of the little people, those who were forgotten by the elites, now wants to cut programs that affect these working-class people, also need to realize that it is too early to panic. Why? The United States Congress still has to pass this budget – though Republicans control the House of Representatives and the Senate. I can’t believe they have all lost their minds. There are physicians among those elected Republicans who must

spoke out against proposed cuts to research funding.

Cuts to the EPA could leave thousands if not millions at risk said Robert Moffitt, communications director at the American Lung Association in Minnesota.

“A 31 percent cut to EPA would dramatically weaken our nation’s ability to clean up air pollution under the Clean Air Act, a law that has saved hundreds of thousands of lives over the past decade,” said Moffitt. “An 18 percent cut to the Department of Health and Human Services would jeopardize America’s

grants. There must be a handful of Republicans who will fight the cuts of the EPA and the cessation of other climate change research.

These are the Republicans who need to step up, and they are the ones who must be lobbied.

There will be lots of moaning and groaning, teeth-gnashing and horror about this budget, but

out to St. Michael or White Bear Lake or Lino Lakes (for certified training). Wadena is where (utility) line workers get trained. Xcel (Energy)’s training is in Hugo,” said Staples. “So we’re trying to get a training center build right here in the heart of the city.

We’ve got to bring the training to where the people are.”

Staples said these skilled jobs of the now and the future offer great economic opportunities and the demand is high.

“Xcel is saying they need people to fill these jobs and they need to diversify their

health security. The drastic cuts proposed to federal public health and biomedical infrastructure in the president’s budget would weaken our nation’s health security and result in more lives lost to lung disease.”

Jim Pagliarini, president and CEO of TPT – public television in the Twin Cities – said defense spending shouldn’t come at the expense of healthcare, EPA or the arts “We can have both a strong country and a civilized country,” said Pagliarini.

He said if funding for the National Endowment for

there should also be resistance.

There will be hearings, and those who resist ought to be attending those hearings. Members of Congress will be visiting their districts, and resisters need to be there to confront them about this budget. The proposed White House budget is nothing, but a request. It is not a fait accompli, and it won’t be unless we roll over and accept this madness.

Our 45th president exhibits an unusual inability to understand our governmental system of checks and balances. He seems to think that he can unilaterally declare a policy change. He wants to get rid of the Environmental Protection Agency. Does everyone? He wants to put more money into private schools. Are there members of Congress who would resist? It is time for Republicans of conscience (are there any) to step up and say that it’s not okay to stop Meals on Wheels. It’s not okay to damage our environment. It’s not okay

workforce,” said Staples.

“Some of these jobs are paying $80,000 a year.”

Staples said the proposed training facility would train for multiple trades in addition to energy sector training.

“We want a development site where students of all trades can take advantage of the learning,” said Staples. “This is important to me because I’m from North Minneapolis and because I’m concerned about the disparities we (people of color) face in this state. I’m passionate about this.”

to cut off funds for medical research. All of us need to speak up.

People have marched, and both women and immigrants have stayed home to express their resistance. The presentation of this warped budget offers another opportunity for resistance, and the very future of our nature depends on this resistance. It is unfathomable that these Bible-thumping Republicans will turn their back on children, the elderly and those who desperately need job training to contribute to the economy. The key to altering this budget process is resistance.

Julianne Malveaux is an author, economist and founder of Economic Education. Her podcast, “It’s Personal with Dr. J” is available on iTunes.

Her latest book “Are We Better Off? Race, Obama and Public Policy” is available to order at www.juliannemalveaux.com at Amazon.com.

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

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

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane

the Arts is zeroed out public television and radio it will not be able to continue.

“It (public broadcasting) will go away,” said Pagliarini.

“Trump’s budget is an America without arts, a less educated America, an America with dirty air and water,” said Ellison. “We’ve got to look at the whole picture.”

A copy of Trump’s proposed budget is online at www.whitehouse.gov/sites/ whitehouse.gov/files/omb/ budget/fy2018/2018_blueprint. pdf.

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

Jones From 3 than 130 community leaders of color over the past 10 years.

In her position at Urban Homeworks, Jones led the growth of the Northside nonprofit’s community engage-

Education From 3 DeVos will divert public school funds to private and charter schools.

Rep. Carlos Mariani, (DFL 65B) executive director of the Minnesota Minority Education Partnership, Joe Nathan, director of the Center for Schools of Change and Kim Ellison, member at large on the Minneapolis Public Schools board, gathered on “Conversations with Al McFarlane” to discuss issues in education.

The three said they all fear cutbacks in public school funding. Nathan said school choice could create further inequality between white students and students of color.

“Is there a danger that choice could create more problems in the South?

Absolutely,” said Nathan.

Ellison said inclusion is the hallmark of public education. She fears many will be left out if local public education gives way to supposed school choice.

“The beauty about public schools is that we are there for everybody. We will take you as you are and meet the needs that you have,” said Ellison.

While not dismissing the possibility that customized schooling could be an advantage of charter schools, Mariani is concerned about the price parents would have

ment. Urban Homeworks’ focus on both affordable housing and engagement according to Barajas matches Hope Community’s vision that community building involves development of place and people.

Barajas earned a B.A. in Family Social Services from University of Minnesota and completed graduate-level coursework in leadership and management at Concordia University in

to pay for private and charter schools, which could lock out lower income students – many who are people of color.

He said the danger of using government funds to invest in often segregated private schools will only further the ethnic divide in our nation.

“The federal governments provided the resources and funding for white folks to be only with white folks (pre Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka),” said Mariani. “Even with that legal framework removed we still have practices that segregate the students.”

Along with the fear

St. Paul. She also has extensive background in civic leadership and professional development.

“It feels like Shannon has spent her career preparing for this new position,” said Barajas. “Her wealth of experience in collaborative leadership closely fits our organization’s needs.”

Milestone year for Hope Jones joins Hope Community

of legitimizing racial segregation, there are other concerns with charter schools according to those on the show.

Nathan said the autonomy given to charter schools has made it difficult maintain accountability standards.

According to Nathan, more than 50 charter schools in Minnesota have been closed down upon inspection. Not 100 percent against charter schools, he said that if wellmanaged, charters can provide students with more choices and targeted learning.

When it comes to DeVos’ appointment, Mariani is cautiously optimistic. He

as the organization prepares to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its founding. Originally founded as a shelter and hospitality house for women and children, Hope has become a developer of affordable housing and community spaces in the Phillips neighborhood.

Hope will begin a year-long 40th anniversary celebration with an event on May 11 at the Minneapolis Institute of Art,

believes it is too soon to tell what she can do for the Department of Education.

Ellison, fully invested in the public education system, believes that strengthening the public education system needs to be the focus of the department. According to her, public schools already provide the individualized care and learning that chartered schools seek to provide.

This episode of

2400 3rd Ave. S., Minneapolis.

The event takes place from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. During that time the organization will formally introduce Jones, and recognize Keefe for her leadership.

For more information about Hope Community, visit www. hope-community.org.

Associate Editor Leadership and Social Enterprise Dr. Anita Davis-DeFoe Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang

“Conversations with Al McFarlane” airs Tuesday (March 28) at 9 a.m. on KFAI Radio (90.3 FM and online at www.kfai.org) and on television on SPNN (Channel 19, St. Paul) at 9 p.m. on Tuesday and again on Thursday and MTN (Channel 16, Minneapolis) on Friday, also at 9 p.m.

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 6 • March 27 - April 2, 2017 • Insight News

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Insight News • March 27 - April 2, 2017 • Page 7

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Page 8 • March 27 - April 2, 2017 • Insight News

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Thor Companies announces new hires

Promotions fill leadership roles Thor Companies has completed a number of new personnel moves and hires pursuant to its expanded role as a turnkey real estate management company with offices in Minneapolis and Las Vegas.

Thor named D’Angelos Svenkeson to head its newly created Thor Development affiliate/ subsidiary. Svenkeson will lead efforts in community-focused new development, particularly in urban housing, mixed-use and community-based public/private partnership projects.

Damaris Hollingsworth was hired as vice president of Thor Design Plus, the company’s new fullservice architectural design and facilities management subsidiary.

A Brazilian native, Hollingsworth brings a strong multicultural and global perspective to her work as an architect. She worked as an architect and team leader in the Minneapolis office of Overland, Kan.-based DLR Group, prior to joining Thor.

Also moving into an executive position is Marlin King, who will serve as director of pre-con-

struction, design and sustainability – a position he held previously at the old Thor Construction Inc. King previously worked as associate vice president for facilities management at Alcorn State University in Lorman, Miss.

Prior to that he served as director for Projects and Construction Management/Campus Planner at Jackson State University, where he managed the implementation of a 10-year, $200 million capital projects program encompassing 2.1 million square feet of space on 120 acres of land.

Lea Hargett is the new vice president of Thor Consulting – a group that provides specialized services such as community engagement, workforce and supply chain diversity management programming and strategic longrange business development and real estate management services to outside clients. Prior to joining Thor, Hargett ran her own Minneapolis consulting business, JOG Associates. She also served recently as president and chief executive officer of the Minneapolis

Black Chamber of Commerce.

On the corporate side, Thor named Maurice Hudson to the new post of chief financial officer. A certified public accountant, Hudson served as division controller for St. Paul-based Advanced Disposal Inc. and as a consultant for Robert Half Inc. in Maple Grove prior to joining Thor. He also worked as financial controller for Burnsville-based Enduraplas LLC and senior account for Minneapolis-based M. A. Mortenson Company. He began his career in public accounting with the Minneapolis office of the Deloitte national accounting firm.

Zachariah Oluwabankole Babington-Johnson was promoted to director of risk management for Thor Cos. His responsibilities include managing contract quality and contractual relationships between the company and its various affiliates/subsidiaries and their clients and suppliers.

“We now have a first-class team in place to move Thor Companies forward as a full service real estate management company

Photos courtesy of Thor

D’Angelos Svenkeson

Damaris Hollingsworth

Marlin King

Lea Hargett

Maurice Hudson

Zachariah Oluwabankole Babington-Johnson

with a particular expertise in connecting clients with emerg-

ing communities throughout the United States,” said Ravi Norman,

chief executive officer, Thor Companies, Inc.

A tale of different realities for Metro Transit riders

By Trahern Crews On a very cold day near the end of winter in St. Paul a low income womon of color, on her way to work races across the street at Dale and University Avenues to catch the light rail, while pushing a stroller with her seven month old daughter.

If she does not catch this train she will be fired from her job. This will cause a ripple effect in her life. The loss of employment oftentimes leads to the loss of housing for many low income people in Minnesota. As she boards the train she drops her transfer on the ground unknowingly right before she gets on the train.

Moments later Metro Tran-

sit police hop on the train and start checking passengers to see if they have a ticket. They approach the low income woman of color and ask “can I see your ticket ma’am?” The woman begins to search for her ticket but cannot find it because she dropped it in the snow as she was boarding the train. Since she cannot find her ticket that she paid for she is escorted off the train by the police.

Once escorted off the train she is cited for a ticket for fare evasion which will cost her $180.

Because she was asked to leave the train she is now late for work, which will subsequently cause her to lose her job. Now she is unemployed and has a court date and the rent is due. A stressful situation she could do without to say the least.

The Twins are playing this weekend and Twins fans are boarding the light rail by the hundreds. A family dressed in Minnesota Twins garb enthusiastically boards the train near University and Snelling Avenues. However, Dad forgets to pay their fare.

Metro Transit police board the train and start checking fares. As the police get closer to the family headed to the Twins game Dad realizes he is about to be asked to show his ticket that proves he has paid the fare for his family.

The police say, “Sir we need to see your ticket.” Dad responds “Gosh, you know we were in such a rush and excited to get to the game that I totally forgot to get us tickets.” The officer responds, “Sir I understand you are headed out for a nice evening to enjoy the

baseball game with the family, I will let you off with a warning this time but please next time make sure you pay the fare. Enjoy the game and have a great evening.”

In December of 2015 Metro Transit’s research and analytics team conducted analysis of police incident data provided by the Metro Transit Police Department.

Here are some important numbers from that data. According to the study regarding all incidents, Black adults are estimated to be 16 percent more likely to be cited rather than warned when compared to white adults. Black adults are estimated to be 38 percent more likely to be arrested rather than warned when compared to white adults. Native-Americans are 55 percent more likely to be cited rather than warned when

compared with white adults.

This same study concluded that Native-Americans are 93 percent more likely to be arrested for fare evasion when compared to white adults.

I give credit to metro transit for taking the initiative to conduct this study. Besides giving firsttime offenders a warning, I don’t think much has been done since the study has been conducted to change its policies that lead to these disparities. It is very important for Metro Transit to continue to engage the community with these findings and gain community insight on how to develop equitable solutions to close the disparities that exist concerning fare evasion citation and arrest among people of color. Most community members of color want equal pro-

tection under the law, meaning we want the police to treat us and respond to our concerns the same way they would to a white citizens concerns or mistakes.

My hope is that in the very near future Metro Transit and its stake holders start to view public transportation as a way to lift individuals out of poverty, not as a mechanism that punishes poor people and push them further into poverty. I believe Metro Transit has the ability to create the amenities that can help the poor, the youth and the disabled navigate themselves to the resources they need to achieve ones goals.

Trahern Crews is the community liaison at Dayton’s Bluff community council, owner of Original Man Farms and an organizer with Black Lives Matter St. Paul.

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Insight News • March 27 - April 2, 2017 • Page 9

Community St. Louis Park daycare focused on nurturing young minds

By Abeni Hill Primrose School of St. Louis Park West opened its doors earlier this year with the mission to nurture the minds and lives of young children and help them become future leaders.

“Our children learn to be good persons from childhood,” said Saira Sidi, a franchise owner of the new school that accepts students from infant to age six. “We really believe in making sure that we provide that opportunity to have (our) children grow and become leaders of tomorrow.”

Sidi and her husband, Sulaiman Hemani, co-own Primrose, 8955 W. 36th St., St. Louis Park. Their school is the fifteenth of its kind to be opened in the Twin Cities. Sidi

said she learned about Primrose School through her friends who are also franchise owners of a different school and became inspired.

“Looking through them, this was something that was right up my husband’s and my alley,” said Sidi.

With a career in nursing, Sidi said she is dedicated to making a difference. She pursued her career as a promise to her mother, whose wish was to have one of her daughters become a nurse.

“My commitment and my promise to my mom is that if I can make a difference in one person’s life everyday then that is a good enough day,” said Sidi. “That is going to translate into doing that for our children and their families.”

“Her (Sidi) passion is education and health,” said Hemani. “And not having any children of our own

Ribbon cutting ceremony

she feels very strongly to make sure that she has a chance to educate tomorrow’s children through this process.”

Primrose Schools uses different puppets and characters to reflect the values and characteristics of a good person. For example, Libby the Lamb is the character who resembles fairness and Percy the Rooster resembles courage.

These characters are used in what Primrose describes as purposeful play. For example, Og the Bookworm, does story time. According to the school’s owners these various activities nurture and develop what Primrose Schools calls “active minds, healthy bodies and happy hearts.”

“We want our children to be able to embrace cultures’ diversity so it is very important for us to teach good character,” said Sidi. “Yes,

you can memorize a book but the good character is something that has to be modeled,” said Sidi.

The St. Louis Park West location of Primrose school has 11 classrooms and the capacity of 180 students. The school provides five meals a day including before and after school programming. The tuition fee for the student is based on what level/age the student will be enrolled.

“At Primrose, we have three things. Yes, we have a daycare but we are also teaching,” said Sidi, who said all the teachers have completed Child Development Associate assessment.

For more information about Primrose School of Saint Louis Park West visit www.primroseschools.com/schools/st-louis-park-west or call (952) 873-7484.

Foundational building block of a healthy relationship

By Timothy Houston Mutual respect is the foundation for honesty, trust and meaningful communication.

In order for relationships to remain healthy, both the man and the woman must be equally respected and appreciated. There are no big “I” and little “you.”

Mutual respect is defined as a proper regard for the dignity of a person or position. It is the value we see in the other person. For some, mutual respect is a new

mindset. The old mindset gives little or no credit or appreciation to what the man or woman is currently doing. It is based on an old script that was shaped during childhood, and it is influenced by the belief that that the man and woman have defined roles and neither should receive or expect to receive any praise for doing what it is his or her job to do. The truth is that anytime anyone shares their hand or heart, they should be valued and appreciated.

Mutual respect is intentional.

It is based on traditional values and simple acts of appreciation.

The modern day man and woman have been programmed to dislike each other. If women believe all men are dogs, at some point, they will start treating men like dogs. And if men believe that a woman’s place is in the home, he will not value her contribution outside of the home. When mutual respect is intentional, all of these misconceptions are pushed to the side and a joyful relationship becomes possible.

Although mutual respect is intentional, it is not universally accepted. This lack of acceptance may be caused by a shift in our

culture. Men now have to deal with the fact the woman may earn more money or in some cases are the primary provider for the family. Also, although most women have dispelled the notion that the woman’s place is in the home, many women still hold on to the idea that the man’s place is in the workplace. When situations occur, and the man is not working, a lack of respect for the man may surface. Don’t assume the other person shares your same value.

Because each relationship is different, each couple should sit down and discuss what respect

feels like and establish boundaries and expectations. Mutual respect is a must. When either the man or the women in the relationship is not respected, the relationship as a whole suffers. Men and women who are disrespected will lose respect for the other person and the relationship. As a result, they will seek love, affection, affirmation and respect in all the wrong places. This will result and more disrespect and a circle of disrespect will be created.

This must come to an end. The intention of the above is that mutual respect is critical for the

enjoyment and survival of any relationship. It is therefore, the responsibility of anyone entering into a relationship to ensure that this foundational building block of a healthy relationship is secured before continuing or allowing the relationship to advance further than it is at the moment.

Timothy Houston is an author, minister and motivational speaker committed to guiding positive life changes in families and communities. For copies of his book, questions, comments or more information, go to www. tlhouston.com.

Chris Flippo to lead East Side Learning Center East Side Learning Center (ESLC), a nonprofit literacy tutoring program, welcomed Chris Flippo as its new executive director this past January.

Flippo brings more than 18 years of experience in communications, marketing and fundraising to ESLC including 13 years with GoodwillEaster Seals Minnesota. Prior to this, she taught elementary school, provided program case management, was a children’s minister and directed a preschool.

Flippo said she is honored to carry forth the center’s mission: “As I continue the important work started by the Sisters of Notre Dame at East Side Learning Center, I look forward to working with the incredible staff at our five sites, our partners, and most importantly, the individuals and organizations who invest financial

linkedin.com

Chris Flippo resources and volunteer time to ensure the next generation reaches their full potential,” said Flippo.

Founding executive director,

Classifieds

Sister Audrey Lindenfelser, said East Side Learning Center is in good hands with Flippo.

Chris Flippo’s commitment to our ESLC mission and children is unwavering. It is clear that Chris’ background in strategic planning and fundraising, as well as passion and commitment to the growth of children and professional development of staff and tutors will help ESLC continue to be a significant influence in the community,” said Lindenfelser.

Lindenfelser served the program, East Side children and its partners for more than 15 years. She will devote herself to ESLC as a site coordinator at Bruce Vento Elementary. The ESLC Board of Directors and new executive director are planning a celebration to honor the work of Lindenfelser later this year.

East Side Learning Center, a

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

Advancement Associate Artspace Projects, Inc.; Job Title: Advancement Associate; Job Type: Full time, Salaried/Benefits; Posted: March 2017 Organization Artspace is a non-profit real estate developer with a mission to create, foster and preserve affordable space for artists and arts organizations. To date we have developed 46 “art spaces” from coast-to-coast at a total development cost over $500 million. Our portfolio is unique in its scale, and has helped inspire leaders across political, financial, community development and philanthropic sectors to think differently about the capacity of low-income artists to be extraordinary partners in building better communities.

Artspace’s major activities include new project development, currently at a rate of opening 2 – 4 projects per year; the maintenance and operations of our existing portfolio; and a growing consulting practice that helps share what we have learned through 30 years of practice. Artspace is headquartered in Minneapolis with regional offices in New York, Washington, DC, New Orleans, Denver, Los Angeles and Seattle.

Position Artspace is seeking a highly motivated individual to join the Advancement team in our Minneapolis office. The Advancement Associate – a new position – will coordinate activity in support of the Advancement Department, including help developing and implementing strategies to build and support a broader base of Foundation, Corporate, and individual donor support. The Advancement Department is comprised of three Vice Presidents of Advancement and the Annual Fund Director. The position will start in June 2017 and report to the Annual Fund Director.

Responsibilities: •Coordinate, and frequently implement, the activities – grants, sponsorships, direct mail and individual requests, etc. – that generate Annual Fund support •Execution of donor stewardship mailings; including working closely with designers and the mail house to coordinate delivery of print pieces •Conduct prospect research on individuals, foundations and corporations •Conduct ongoing stewardship of individual, foundation and corporate funders •Support in the planning and execution of donor events •Maintain donor/grant database and files •Work on special project assignments for the Advancement Department Required Skills/Qualifications: •Driven to exceed goals and welcoming of opportunity and new responsibilities •Strong written and verbal communications •Detail-oriented and adept at CRM databases •Effective project/event management skills •Sophistication with prospect research •3 – 5 years experience in a Development Department •Direct mail campaign management a plus •Online fundraising experience a plus •Support of volunteer fundraisers a plus •Grant writing experience a plus Compensation/Benefits Salary: Dependent on Qualifications Benefits: Medical and dental care, 403(b) Savings Plan, Health Savings Account, personal accrual of travel miles, hotel points and other travel benefits, generous PTO. Artspace provides equal employment opportunities for all persons regardless of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, or status with regard to public assistance, disability, sex or age.

To Apply Please send cover letter, resume and three references by March 31, 2017 to Kate Tucker at kate.tucker@artspace.org RE: Advancement Associate Position

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.

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

Childcare Aide/ Assistant Childcare Teacher La Crèche Early Childhood Centers, Inc. seeks to identify qualified candidates for the following positions across our three sites: - Childcare Aide - Assistant Childcare Teacher Candidates will undergo new MN DHS background check process which includes fingerprinting. Candidates must also be willing to obtain ongoing child development training as required to fulfill La Crèche teaching standards.

Interested individuals should call 612-377-1786 and apply at 1800 Olson Memorial Highway, Minneapolis, MN 55411. Please present with childcare experience

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.

501(c) 3 nonprofit, received the United Way Impact Award in

2015. Founded in 2001 by the School Sisters of Notre Dame,

ESLC has tutored more than 2,500 students.

Page 10 • March 27 - April 2, 2017 • Insight News

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Vie Boheme

Gift of Gab

Courtesy of Cameron Dain

April 3 – April 9

Monday, April 3 ROCK/OPEN MIC McNally Smith Monday’s Open Jam Goldens 275 E. 4th St., 1st floor, St. Paul

April 3 April 9, 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

Join this student-led weekly jam night at Goldens in downtown St. Paul.

Tuesday, April 4 VISUAL ART/

PERFORMANCE The Brush is On Honey 205 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 7:30 p.m.

This crea ve exhibit will showcase several Twin Ci es ar sts including Medaria Arradondo, Rochelle Lund, Alexis Politz, Kasey Robinson Art and Darrell Thomas. Addi onal performances are by Seaberg, Trey Taylor, Sylis Montez Isaac Vincent Washington, Kaja Vang, Poe Yoní and Rachael Dosen.

Wednesday, April 5 DANCE/PERFORMANCE Dancebums Icehouse 2528 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis 10 p.m.

Twin Ci es based modern dance crew, Dancebums, bring you a night at Icehouse.

Thursday, April 6 LITURATURE/ DISCUSSION

Big Ideas: Can Literature Make a Damn Bit of Difference?

Guthrie Theater 818 S 2nd St., Minneapolis 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Join the Lo and Guthrie as they host Man Booker Prize winner Marlon James and execu ve director of the Na onal Book Founda on, Lisa Lucas, for a conversa on about how books effect culture.

Friday, April 7

Call 612-230-5737 for details Clinic open Saturday mornings from Januaryy 28 8-A -Apr p il 15 at at::

EMERGE Career and Technology Cente er 1834 Emerson Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55411 Servi vice c s byy appointment pp onlyyy. Must meet IRS guidel e in ness.

Service made available by a grant provided by the State of Minnesota Se EMERGE is an equal opportunity employer and service provider

Dubbed the Twin Ci es Music Fes val, this show offers an all-star lineup of 90s and early 2000’s R&B greats.

Saturday, April 8 THEATER Raffi Pantages Theater 710 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 4 p.m.

Keith Sweat, K-Ci &

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JoJo, Ginuwine, 112 Target Center 600 1st Ave. N., Minneapolis 8 p.m.

World renowned Egyp an children’s singer/songwriter Raffi plays two shows at Pantages.

Sunday, April 9 R&B/SOUL Vie Boheme Turf Club 1601 University Ave. W., St. Paul 7 p.m. $15 Coming in from the East Coast and taking the metro area by storm, Vie Boheme is sure to be on each year’s top 10 list. Check out her single release tonight with DJ Miss Brit.

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Insight News • March 27 - April 2, 2017 • Page 11

Paulo T Photography

‘Oyate Okodakiciyapi’

A Review:

‘Oyate Okodakiciyapi’, A mystical journey through dance

By Carmen Robles

Mesmerizing, entrancing and alluring best describes the mystical journey of “Oyate Okodakiciyapi.”

“Oyate Okodakiciyapi,” which came to the Ordway Theater Feb. 26 featured contemporary Native-American dance ensembles and local Native guest artists. The show was choreographed by Rulan

Tangen.

The thought provoking performances, with their simple staging, activated the imagination and took the audience into a sacred place, leaving most of us in awe. You could hear a pin drop before the room erupted with thunderous applause.

The dancer’s hypnotic, Olympic-worthy dance movements drew the audience into a captivating dreamland through contemporary dance interpretations of Native stories.

The routines are the blending of the powerful legwork of ballet with the torso strength of modern dance.

A truly diverse audience in tribes, age, gender, ethnicity and fashion filled the elegant halls of he Ordway.

My Insight 2 Health Fitness Challenge teammate, Laura Paynter, also attended the performance. Per Paynter, “The opening welcome from the Ojibway elder was really cool.

I think that’s the first time I have seen that in Minnesota, but

‘I Called Him Morgan’ exceptional, haunting

By Dwight Brown NNPA Newswire Film Critic Bee bop … jazz ... the 1950s and 1960s were hotbeds for cool music, and the hip musicians, who played those genres on records and in smoky, dimly lit nightclubs, were a special breed.

Years later, most people still revere legendary trumpeters like Miles Davis and Chet Baker and are amazed by the lives they led.

Time to add another artist of note

the demons of drug addiction but was finally undone by a paramour.

The story is so primal and tortured it also deserves to be a feature film starring someone like Michael B. Jordan or Nate Parker … someone with depth.

Morgan, born in Philadelphia and a gifted trumpeter as a young adolescent, joined the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band at age 18 in the early 1950s. Stints or guest performances with John Coltrane and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers further solidified his reputation in the jazz community for blowing a

Trumpeter Lee Morgan to that list of iconic instrumentalists. His name is Lee Morgan. His life was as colorful and tragic; his talent as deep. The enlightening and haunting documentary “I Called Him Morgan” gives him his due.

Credit Swedish musical documentarian Kasper Collin for reassembling the sordid pieces of Edward Lee Morgan’s life. Collin has had some practice. He also documented the career of American avant-garde jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler in “My Name Is Albert Ayler,” in 2006. He continues his tributes to lesser-known jazz artists with this absolutely spellbinding non-fiction film that plays out like a torrid novel. It tells the story of an ambitious young man who was shepherded by the greats, fought

sweet horn. Recording around 25 records, mostly for the famed Blue Note Records label, added sheen to his career and allure. But as a musician’s life can go, he had his troubles. An addiction to drugs got him kicked out of Blakey’s band.

He was broke, homeless and often sold his worldly possessions for a fix of heroin.

The stabilizing force in Morgan’s increasingly harrowing life was a magnanimous older woman named Helen. She fed him, put a roof over his head, was his ardent lover and his biggest fan. If Morgan regained his footing at all, it was because of her unwavering support. She loved him with all her heart, but not unconditionally.

She had her pride. When Morgan turned his attention to a younger

lover, his common-law-wife was not about to take it on the chin. She had a plan – and a gun.

Reconstructing Morgan’s bio through old interviews with the musician, anecdotes from jazz greats like Wayne Shorter, photos and archival footage vividly recreates the jazz age and the trumpeter’s travails. The most soul-crushing recollections, however, come from Helen herself. Her stories can be heard on an audio cassette interview that was arranged by a night school teacher who was intrigued to find out that one of his students did a stint in prison for committing perhaps one of the most heinous acts of violence in the jazz world.

Hearing Helen recall the ups and downs of her relationship that left her in an emotional fog is like hearing an old jazz 78 rpm record that is so scratched you can barely make out the tune, but you do. Everything you hear and see leads up to an ill-fated, cold wintry New York City night in 1972. Performers and an audience are gathered at an East Village jazz bar. Morgan is there with a girl on his arm. A shot rings out. An irrevocable crime of passion occurs. Time stands still.

People live or die with the consequences.

Kasper Collin has assembled a top-notch tech crew for this urban tale. The splendid cinematography of Bradford Young (“Arrival,” “Selma”) recreates scenes with the artistry of a painter. Editing by Collins with the help of Hanna Lejonqvist, Eva Hillström and Dino Jonsäter make you feel like a picture book has come alive, reeling out photos with a rhythm as precise yet eclectic as a jazz score.

Watch “I Called Him Morgan,” and you will sit enraptured. Morgan’s music and Helen’s foggy memories will take your breath away.

It’s an amazing coda to a jazz musician’s life. It’s the encore Morgan never had the chance to do.

Dwight Brown is a film critic and travel writer. As a film critic, he regularly attends international film festivals including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto and the American Black Film Festival. Read more movie reviews by Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.

welcomes like that happen all the time in New Zealand. Even meetings at work sometimes open with an acknowledgement of the thangata whenua – the people of the land.”

The final scene was quite stunning. It was about Mother Earth and the indigenous women who protect her. There was a large screen at the back of the stage with images projected on to it. Most of the images were the landscape of the central Colorado, and at the start they were shown in a split screen that

rotated with a circular pattern in the middle. I thought it looked like a Georgia O’Keefe-esque close-up of Mother Earth’s most sacred bits. There were spoken words in the background. The lines that really stuck out for me were, “They tried to bury us.

They didn’t know that we were seeds.”

There was a dark section about the destruction of Mother Earth’s environment, but with an emphasis that the protectors have always been here and will always fight for her. This linked

to Standing Rock and what is happening there.

A post-performance meetand-greet with leading artists in the Indigenous communities allowed guests to learn from them and learn how they are using the unique form of contemporary dance to tell stories.

For the full list of happenings going on this season at the Ordway visit www.Ordway.org.

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Ordway presents The Steeles and Indigenous The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts will welcome two one-night-only acts to its stages on April 21.

Blues-rock band Indigenous will appear on the Music Theater stage, while local favorites The Steeles will appear in the Concert Hall. Both shows begin at 7:30 p.m.

Consisting of five siblings, local vocal group The Steeles are an integral part of the Minnesota sound.

They have recorded and performed with the likes of Prince, Donald Fagen, Morgan Freeman, George Clinton, The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Mavis Staples, Johnny Lang and many others throughout their legendary career. Now, they bring their bold, heartfelt and melodic sounds to the Ordway with “The Colors of Gershwin with The Steeles.”

This tribute to the music of George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin will cover some of the songwriters’ most beloved classics, including “Summertime,” “But Not For Me,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” and many more. Tickets start at $32.

Powerhouse blues-rock band Indigenous, led by front man Mato Nanji from the Yankton Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, is influenced by the music of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana. The group’s debut album, “Things We Do,” was released in 1998, leading to three Native American Music Awards including Album of the Year and Group of the Year. The group was named Blues Artist of the Year

by Amazon.com, and has been featured on broadcast shows such as NPR’s “All

Above: The Steeles (Photo courtesy of the Ordway) Right: Indigenous (Photo by Bruce Haley)

Things Considered,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “Austin City Limits.”

Their latest album, “Time is Coming,” is dedicated to the indigenous youth and all young people on the indigenous reservations. This performance is part of the Ordway’s World Music & Dance Series, as well as Oyate Okodakiciyapi: A Unique Celebration of Native Music

and Dance. Tickets start at $27.

“Both of these acts are legends in their genres, and we’re so lucky to be able to present them both on our stages,” said Dayna Martinez, Ordway’s artistic director of the World Music & Dance Series. “The Steeles’ soulful singing has been dominating the gospel scene for decades, and Indigenous

has been a force on the blues/ rock charts since the late (19)90s. April 21 is going to be one very special musical night at the Ordway.”

Tickets are available now and can be purchased online at www.ordway.org, by phone at (651) 224-4222 or in person at the Ordway ticket office.

Full cast announced for Toni Morrison’s ‘The Bluest Eye’ The Guthrie Theater announced casting for Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” adapted by Lydia Diamond – best-known for her family drama “StickFly” – and directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz.

With this coming-of-age story, Diamond and Blain-Cruz both make their Guthrie debuts, alongside a cast including six newcomers and two Guthrie veterans.

Performances run April 15 – May 21 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage.

“I am thrilled to be producing Lydia’s beautiful play, while at the same time

celebrating the brilliant Toni Morrison onstage,” said Guthrie Artistic Director Joseph Haj. “This is a wonderful team of artists by any measure, and pairing them with this extraordinary narrative, cherished by so many, is tremendously exciting to me.”

“As an organization dedicated to our community, we have a terrific opportunity with this play to create space for our patrons and neighbors to engage in conversation around difficult topics,” said Haj. “‘The Bluest Eye’ offers a window into racism that’s human and universal. I see

enormous potential for this production to act as a catalyst for important dialogue.”

“It means so much to me that the Guthrie is producing this play in this complicated time. As a student, this story shook me,” said Blain-Cruz.

“It addresses the crippling effects of racism and follows one young black girl as she finds her way through a society that doesn’t see or value her. It’s a brave and unapologetic play, and I am thrilled to be doing it here.”

Based on Morrison’s debut novel, “The Bluest Eye” is the story about a young Black girl in 1940s Ohio. Pecola Breedlove wants nothing more than to be loved, but she’s only met with ridicule and abuse. Confronting turmoil at home, she prays for Shirley Temple’s blue eyes, believing their beauty is the only thing standing between her and the happiness of the white girls at school. This adaptation explores the destructive power of a racist society and the strength of a community attempting to embrace an era of change.

Diamond initially completed the adaptation on commission for Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre where it was first produced in the spring of 2005 and then again in the fall of 2006. This is

the Guthrie’s first production of “The Bluest Eye” and the first production of a Morrison or Diamond text.

Published in 1970, Morrison’s debut novel was followed by 10 others, including “Sula,” “Song of Solomon” and “Beloved,” which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Her collective body of work won the Nobel

Prize in Literature in 1993.

Six actors – Brittany Bellizeare as Pecola, Stephanie Berry as Mrs. Breedlove, Deonna Bouye as Frieda/Darlene, J. Bernard Calloway as Cholly, Carla Duren as Claudia and Caroline Strang as Maureen/White Girl – will make their Guthrie debuts in “The Bluest Eye.” Returning to the Guthrie

stage are Shawn Hamilton (“The Royal Family,” “Appomattox”) as Daddy/ Soaphead Church and Regina Marie Williams (“A Christmas Carol,” “To Kill a Mockingbird”) as Mama.

Single tickets start at $15 for preview performances and are on sale at (612) 377-2224, and online at www.guthrietheater.org.

Pictured (left to right) is the cast of “The Bluest Eye,” Stephanie Berry, Brittany Bellizeare, J. Bernard Calloway, Carla Duren, Regina Marie Williams, Caroline Strang, Shawn Hamilton and Deonna Bouye.