Insight News ::: 11.7.11

THREADS DANCE PROJECT

iDENTiTY Friday, Nov 11, 8 pm & Saturday, Nov 12, 2 pm / 8 pm. The Lab Theater, 700 North First Street, Minneapolis

William Cameron

Tickets: $25 Adults, $20 Students/Seniors Available online at www.thelabtheater.org.

Box Office: 612-333-7977

INSIGHT NEWS November 7 - November 13 , 2011 • MN Metro Vol. 37 No. 45 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com

M

Diving while Black

y first memory of moving underwater wasn’t real. At 8 years, old I participated in a special science summer program for what we would now call “gifted” children; I wrote a play in which the setting was the sea. The main character was a young girl who finds a seahorse that takes her on a magical journey underwater.

Never mind that I had not even visited the ocean or the sea, and never mind that I couldn’t swim. My imagination -- which is immensely powerful when we are younger-- carried me to unknown places and introduced me to an enchanted new world, well, of which I could only dream.

In September, I finally made that dream my reality. I went scuba diving for the first time. And, I was blessed to be guided on this underwater adventure not by a seahorse, but truly by a man of the sea -- Mr. Eric Wederfoort, master diver and Curaçao’s oldest and most renown diver at age 79. I have been told that the grandson of the legendary Jacques Cousteau seeks out Eric as a diving partner whenever he visits the island.

Like “Dancing with the Stars,” diving is a partner activity. You would be foolish to dive alone according to Eric. There are too many unknowns— a partner assures greater safety and instills confidence. And just as the celebrities and unknowns of “Dancing….” have learned that it takes hard work and only gets better with practice, the same is true of diving.

By Dr. Irma McClaurin, Culture and Education Editor

DIVING TURN TO 2 Author at 33 feet below sea level

Photo ©2011 McClaurin Solutions

Who will respond to the cry of generation next?

There is a crisis brewing in our young generation that needs our urgent attention. The workforce of tomorrow is our young adults ages 16 -24; and while small pockets are prepared, the vast majority are not. Right now, young people, ages 16-24, are crying out for intentional and sustainable career and workforce

Gateway to excellence

By Scott Gray MUL President/CEO

development rescue.

This is not a hidden issue.

We see evidence everyday in our schools, in our organizations, or as we drive around in the Twin Cities; clear indicators that young adults ages 16-24 are crying out for intentional and sustainable career and workforce development rescue. US Census

data and numerous recent reports such as One Minneapolis, Minnesota Skills Gap Survey, the Itasca Project and MN Compass tell the story, but immediate action is needed to ready these current young workers for the needs of today.

This nation and our community are both witnessing

and experiencing structural transformation in the jobs arena. The skill gap is plaguing the American economy, and is projected to worsen as the economy improves. If we don’t address this skills problem, American businesses will lack the world-class work force needed to compete at a global level, and

many Americans will remain out of work, instead of accessing the high quality jobs of today and tomorrow,” said Penny Pritzker, a Chicago business executive who is advisory board chair of the Aspen Institute’s skills gap campaign. The Aspen Institute,

NEXT TURN TO 3

Petrus, Van turn up the Remembering heat on Hot Chocolate Kwame

By Alaina L. Lewis Contributing Writer

This years holiday season promises to be a sweet treat for families and friends with the debut of Hot Chocolate, a play created by veteran songstress and candy aficionado Thomasina Petrus and playwright Austene Van. The production stars Petrus and Julius Collins III and is a spin off of yearly Petrus tradition also titled “Hot Chocolate,” which began as an intimate gathering of song and treat at the Golden Thymes Coffee Shoppe for Valentine’s Day. Having evolved through the years, grown in dynamic and now revamped with an actual narrative storyline thanks to Austene Van, one of Minnesota’s most respected writer/directors and the music of Sanford Moore, audiences are in for an amazing new show to kick off their Christmas celebration.

Hot Chocolate is about a

McDonald

By Ivan B. Phifer Staff Writer

Petronella Ytsma

Thomasina Petrus and Julius Collins III new couple who come from different backgrounds and different family traditions and while at first focused on their opposing holiday customs, find a way to meet in the middle after sharing a cup of cocoa and realizing that love leaves room for the introduction of new traditions. Petrus is hoping that the play will bring opportunity to expand on the plot as the

Education

Givens Foundation conference to tackle major issues in education

PAGE 4

years go by; each holiday deliver a different version of the play that charts the evolution of the couple and where they’re at now since last we saw them.

She wants the audience to grow with the storyline, and for it to create other opportunities for Minnesota artists to get involved.

CHOCOLATE TURN TO 10

Aesthetics

PipJazz Sundays at the Landmark Center

PAGE 5

Kwame McDonald was born James Cornell McDonald in Madison Wisconsin. McDonald, coined as “The Godfather” of the sports community, was also a prominent sports writer, mentor, adviser, teacher, journalist and organizer of youth programs.

Two weeks before his death on Oct. 7, McDonald was honored at St. Paul’s Central high school for his commitment, influence and activism for minority progress in local athletics.

MCDONALD TURN TO 10

Keith Tolar

Health

Growing up without a father: The impact on girls and women

PAGE 6

Business

Access makes the difference

PAGE 9

Page 2 • November 7 - November 13 , 2011 • Insight News

Diving

golfers could we name before Tiger Woods -- whom I claim as a brother, albeit a confused one, even if he doesn’t claim From 1 himself—came on the green?

Golf courses, once the last of Oh, and did I mention that the great white spaces, now the number of people of African resemble microcosms of the descent who dive as a leisure United Nations. sport or who gain certification According to the founders as Master Divers are few and far of the National between. In 2000, Association of diving attracted Black Scuba the attention of the Divers (NABS), African American Dr. Jose Jones community with and Ric Powell, in the release of 1991, they were the film “Men among the first of Honor,” the civilian African story of Carl Americans to be Brashear, a Black certified.

Since Navy diver and founding the amputee, starring organization, Cuba Gooding, whose stated Jr. and Robert mission is to “…

DeNiro (http:// foster camaraderie www.imdb.com/ among African title/tt0203019/).

Living coral in the waters of Curacao American divers, On a recent and to address the Minneapolis airport encounter with Dave, Ashe hit the nets and now the unique problems and concerns the African-American who is a Master Diver, I was Williams sisters (Serena and of and educate informed that the Navy has Venus) have become tennis community,” people about conservation of named a ship after Brashear to legends.

And how many Black the environment, their numbers honor him. Dave indicated that

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

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane CFO Adrianne Hamilton-Butler Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Culture and Education Editor Irma McClaurin Vice President of Sales & Marketing Selene White Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Ben Williams Production Andrew Notsch Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Facilities Support / Assistant Producer, Conversations with Al McFarlane Bobby Rankin Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Staff Writer Ivan B. Phifer Contributing Writers Maya Beecham Brenda Colston Julie Desmond S. Himie Marcia Humphrey Alaina L. Lewis Lydia Schwartz Stacey Taylor Photography Suluki Fardan Tobechi Tobechukwu Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55411.

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in his twenty years of diving he had actually seen plenty of African Americans in Navy diving school; however, very few seemed to attain the Master Diver status. He also told me that the number of women Master Divers is even smaller.

Once upon a time, the same was true of tennis until Arthur

Dr. Irma McClaurin and Eric Wederfoort have grown to 2,000 members in the United States and globally.

In the Caribbean, however, where most of the countries are islands, Eric Wederfoort is unique. He began diving as a young boy in Curaçao in 1955, when there were no diving schools on the island. Today the diving school in Boca Sami that Eric founded years ago and bears his name now has new Dutch owners. Down the road a bit, a retired Eric operates his own diving organization called “Sublime Diving,” managed by one of his former students. Eric and his wife Yolanda (also one of his former students) are the main instructors. He dives twice a day, three times a week. His students are Dutch, Curaçaoan, American, Venezuelan, and they range in age from early teens to seniors. It takes six dives, and hours of learning to plan your dive to become certified. Eric often informs his students of things “…that are not found in the books.”

The gear needed to dive makes it an elite sport-- not out of reach, but one that requires effort and a willingness to invest a little hard-earned cash. You will need a wet suit, goggles, air tanks, flippers, a weighted belt-access to deep water, a dive book to record, and a partner.

According to Eric, you also will need time to plan the dive and recover. In total, each of my diving lessons spanned almost five hours. This time included testing the equipment to be sure of the right fit and that it worked properly, and then detailed instructions from my diving guru on underwater breathing, how to relieve underwater ear pressure, hand signals, what to do if you get water in your goggles or drop your mouthpiece, reassurance that I would not be alone, and how to plan your dive according to the depths you will go.

Underwater, Eric keeps a pad for writing and uses hand signals

Photos ©2011 McClaurin Solutions

to check if I am okay and remind me to exhale more and relieve the pressure in my ears.

My deepest dive was ten meters or thirty-three feet. On the first dive, my bottom time (how long it takes to descend, rest on the bottom, and ascend with safety rests) was fortyfive minutes. My second dive totaled seventy minutes.

As a professor, I know about learning as a process. Difficult content can be easily mastered if you have a good teacher, and simply knowing a subject does not make you a good teacher.

Eric Wederfoort is a former nurse with expertise in handling patients with mental illnesses.

He was recently honored by Curaçao for his expertise as a medical professional, and this experience in working with people under stress makes him an ideal teacher. His patience is genuine, and he makes no assumptions about his students.

He constantly interrogated my comfort level above water and below.

And so, if you are feeling adventuresome, and up for a challenge, or if you want a truly magical experience--according to an old seahorse friend of mine-- diving is the answer. And, if you happen to be in Curaçao, I can recommend an experienced and patient dive teacher. For more information on African Americans and diving, see the links below. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Carl_Brashear http://www.nabsdivers.org/ http://www.blackcoraldivers.org/ Irma McClaurin, PhD is an anthropologist, writer and former president of Shaw University and Assoc. VP at the University of Minnesota. © 2011 McClaurin Solutions www.irmamcclaurin.com @ mcclaurintweets

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Next From 1 a Washington, DC based think tank, is spearheading a national campaign seeking to strengthen the dialogue between community colleges and employers.

In 2010, employment rates for workers age 16-24 was 18.4%, the worst on record in the 60 years that this data has been tracked, according to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

In concert, the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) reported in a 2011 Minnesota Skills Gap Survey from the manufacturing sector that they predict a future workforce shortage particularly in skilled production workers.

Like the rest of the country, Minnesota workers are aging and exiting the workforce. Our youth must acquire the skills needed to do this work as.

Just seven years from now, 70 percent of Minnesota jobs will require education beyond high school according to the “Closing the Skills Gap” report from the Governor’s Workforce Development Council. They also point out that while only 40 percent of working age adults in Minnesota have a postsecondary degree, this is a critical call to action for our current young people as they must seek postsecondary training to assure their future employability, but organizations like the Minneapolis Urban League, foundations, corporations, and government programs need to help make this happen.

Recognizing that 16-24 year olds, even up to age 26 are the next workforce, MUL is currently creating its 13th Grade Model; a multiple pathways, career and college readiness replicable solution, which will address the employability challenges confronting this age group, a group too often referred to as being disconnected. The 13th Grade Model will harness career development best practices and demand driven workforce development strategies resulting in a collaborative wraparound framework that can equip this group with the skills and competencies required to flourish in the 21st century global jobs marketplace. The 13th Grade Model will require

Insight News • November 7 - November 13 , 2011 • Page 3 all stakeholders to meet MUL at the solutions table prepared to commit essential resources to shift this mushrooming tide and proactively further address the glaring disparities in our community.

The MUL 13th Grade Model concept has been specifically designed to provide a solution to the skill gap that is growing exponentially, in essence, obstructing the future worker pipeline here in the Twin Cities.

MUL’s 13th Grade Model aims to achieve that and more by providing a framework that connects the secondary, postsecondary, communitybased, governmental and employer communities, all focused on preparing the future workforce for performance excellence. The 13th Grade Model seeks to programmatically and operationally create a pathway, along with vital supports that can foster retention and educational persistence for the 70% that the Heldrich Center for Workforce writes about; the thousands that are disconnected from school and work here in our community, as well as across the nation.

The 13th Grade Model is targeted at high school juniors and seniors, and recent graduates who have not defined a career pathway, have yet to discover a career interest and a road to self-sufficiency. The 13th Grade Model will provide career engagement tools, assistance in navigating education and training opportunities that lead to careers; apprenticeship and work experience opportunities exposing program participants to demand and emerging occupations. The 13th Grade Model is twelve months of intense career preparation focused on vocational opportunities that meet individualized career interests linking participants to opportunities preparing them to earn livable wages.

Career and technical education programs, have for too long been viewed as the career path for individuals hampered by academic challenge, therefore growing those programs has not been a national priority and their quality is inconsistent

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Page 4 • November 7 - November 13 , 2011 • Insight News

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EDUCATION Givens Foundation conference to tackle major issues in education While African Americans are one of the fastest growing populations in Minnesota, teachers often lack the tools to effectively engage these students to increase their academic achievement. The current graduation rate of African American students in Minneapolis Public Schools is 35%. The Givens Foundation for African American Literature’s 5th Biennial

Education Conference, Reach and Teach through African American Literature and Culture, will help educators to engage Black students and to become more culturally literate. Teachers will learn how African American children can achieve their academic potential by reaching them with African American culture and teaching them through African American literature.

The conference will feature two big names in education: Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock and a major cultural voice for freedom and justice, and Dr. Geneva Gay, internationally acclaimed scholar in multicultural education. Minnesota native T. Mychael Rambo will lead an inspirational opening session and emcee the luncheon and

Courtesy of he Givens Foundation

Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon

closing reception.

The conference will be held on Friday, November 11 and Saturday, November 12 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Many sessions will be held, including: African American Males and Academic Achievement; African American Students: Coping and Skills to Overcome Barriers; Black Spirituality,

Student Development and African American Literature: Connect or Disconnect; Literacy and the Development of African Cultural Identity: Engaging Parents and Their Children; and Building Character through African American Literature\Culture.

Register to reserve your seat at www.givens.org.

Thomas Edison High School “goes solar” CBS EcoMedia Inc. (“EcoMedia”) and Boston Scientific unveiled a solar project on the gymnasium rooftop at Thomas Edison High School last month. The solar photovoltaic system is designed as an educational tool for students, teachers, and administrators and is the first environmental project to be

funded as a result of Boston Scientific’s participation in EcoMedia’s ‘EcoAd’ program, which was launched in January. As a launch partner Boston Scientific purchased advertising on local CBS stations featuring the EcoAd leaf, meaning the Boston Scientific ads would be tied to tangible improvements

Courtesy of Minneapolis Public Schools

Students gain hands-on knowledge with solar photovoltaic systems to communities and the environment.

On hand for the unveiling were Bernadeia Johnson, Superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools, Carla Steinbach, Principal of Thomas Edison High School, Susan Thompson, Chief Legal Counsel – Cardiac,

Rhythm and Vascular, Boston Scientific, Brien Kennedy, WCCO-TV Vice President and General Manager and Paul Polizzotto, President & Founder, EcoMedia.

The rooftop solar photovoltaic system is designed to give students a hands-on learning tool to

understand the science of solar energy as part of the broader earth and climate science curricula. The solar impacts of the installation will reduce the cost of electrical consumption, reduce CO2 annually by an estimated 3,000 pounds, and result in annual cost savings.

“We are pleased that

Boston Scientific and EcoMedia decided to invest in a solar project with Minneapolis Public Schools,” said Bernadeia Johnson, Superintendent of Schools.

EcoAd advertising packages are available across CBS platforms, including network, local television, radio, outdoor and online.

“Boston Scientific is committed to bettering the communities in which we live and do business. Our support of the EcoMedia project at Thomas Edison High School is just one example of our ongoing effort to protect the environment,” said Susan Thompson, Chief Legal Counsel – Cardiac, Rhythm and Vascular, Boston Scientific.

All EcoAds advertisements feature the EcoAd leaf which is a visible indicator that the brand is sponsoring important, local environmental projects such as solar installations, energy efficiency retrofits or the ‘greening” of schools, affordable housing and municipal buildings.

Those values are learned at home, in the community, and at school and we are proud and gratified that the Boston Scientific solar project will help to bring those critical lessons to the students of Thomas Edison High School.

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Insight News • November 7 - November 13 , 2011 • Page 5

AESTHETICS

PipJazz Sundays at the Landmark Center, Weyerhaeuser Auditorium, is a new jazz venue hosted by Pippi Ardennia, a Chicago born jazz/blues singer and songwriter residing in St. Paul, Minnesota, who co-produces the series with drummer/manager Glenn Swanson. In addition to Ardennia, the concert series features local guest performers as well as the core ensemble of Peter Schimke, piano; Billy Peterson, bass; Jimi Behringer,

and love for music which is nothing short of infectious. The intention to provide a familyfriendly, a space where children and parents could comfortably attend, fit well with the 240-seat Weyerheauser Auditorium, a beautiful, warm, theatrical space located in the lower level of the Landmark Center. The concert series was launched June 12, 2011.

PipJazz Sundays’ Jazz Youth Program evolved during the course of the initial 2011 concert

the burgeoning PipJazz audience.

Ardennia shared her desire to strengthen and revitalize jazz music inside our community and her focus on youth with Andrea Canter, Twin Cities Jazz Society Education Committee Chair, and her overture was met with great enthusiasm. A partnering bridge subsequently developed to support the efforts of PipJazz Sundays to provide jazz experiences and opportunities for youth in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area.

PipJazz youth performers: Quentin Tschofen, DeCarlo Jackson, and Jordan Anderson guitar; Glenn Swanson, drums; and (when available) Ricky Peterson, keyboards/Hammond organ. The intention of this collaborative production effort was to create another venue for jazz music in the Minneapolis/ St. Paul area - an opportunity to share with the community the rich, world-class jazz talent resident in the Twin Cities as well as to establish a home for Ardennia’s incredible talent

season in response to an inner commitment shared by both Ardennia and Swanson, (among so many other individuals and institutions), to preserve and foster the art of jazz in our society, a commitment prevalent within the hearts of the musical artists of the PipJazz Experience, its growing list of supporters and partners (Wells Pianos, Twin Cities Jazz Society, KBEM and KFAI radio to name a few), and

Such an interactive program was a natural fit for Ardennia in that she had developed and worked with children of the Walker West Academy to say nothing of her infectious love for music her presence naturally generates in others.

The involvement of young artists with world class musicians who understand and generate “the groove” so young aspiring artists may be immersed within

it and gain an understanding from the experience of “what it is” - this can be a profound and exceptional experience – life changing.

For more information contact Glen Swanson at 612-272-1219 or email glen@pipjazz.com

Pippi Ardenia

Photos: Andrea Canter

Page 6 • November 7 - November 13 , 2011 • Insight News

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HEALTH Growing up without a father: The impact on girls and women Murua (Swahili for ‘Respect’)

By Dr. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya, Ph.D., L.P. In his book, Life Without Father, David Popenoe, wrote: “Growing up without a father may be a root cause of many social ills—from crime to academic failure.” In a sense, it is easy to assume that fathers play powerful roles in the lives of their sons and daughters.

When I think of my father, words like “tall, funny, strong,

handsome, religious, available, patient, protective, wise, respected, tender-hearted, safe, responsible, and loving” come to mind. He was twenty-two years older than my mother was and was sick most of my life (with coronary disease).

He had six heart attacks by the time I was six years old.

My father and mother raised five boys and two girls and were married for over thirtyfive years before he died. I never once saw him hit her or curse her out, although he was the brunt of many of her “less mature” tirades around the house. Though a quiet man, when he said something (anything) that indicated that he was not happy with us, his quiet voice was raised just

enough to be as scary as a lion’s roar. We all calmed down when he got angry (even my mom).

He had a way of letting us know that we had gone too far and easily warned us to back down. Just as equally, if you were one of his children you would realize that he would shout when he was filled with the Holy Ghost, hug you and say he loved you, or jerk you up off the floor by your collar, if you started acting like you’ve lost your mind, talked back and went “crazy.” At the same time, he could tear up (without shame) at movies like “The Imitation of Life” or when one of his children did something disappointing or when one of us made him proud. My father was a real Black man. We all loved him and felt very much loved by him. While we were lucky enough to have the type of father that we had, many children have not been as fortunate.

According to a new Pew

PhotoXpress

Research survey (2010), sevenin-ten respondents (69%) tend to agree that a child needs a father in the home to grow up happily. Only 27% disagree with this statement, and 4% are not sure. Survey respondents were also asked how important it is to have a mother in the home. Their agreement that a child needs a mother in the home was only slightly higher—74%.

Although several successful people describe growing up without having their biological fathers around, the presence or absence of a father in the home is of critical importance when it comes to learning the successful navigation of different areas in life.

President Barack Obama and Dwayne Wade are examples of successful people who have managed to make it in life “in spite of” the absence of their biological fathers. Yet, my friend and colleague, Eric Mahmoud, CEO of Harvest Prep School, frequently shows a social learning videotape that

supports the notion that even male elephants only learned how to act like male elephants when older male elephants were available as role-models to teach them the appropriate behaviors.

Despite their importance in the home, researchers have described the decline of fatherhood as one of the most basic, unexpected, and extraordinary trends of our time. In 1960, only 11% of children in the U.S. lived apart from their fathers. By 2010, that share had risen to 27%.

Additionally, fathers’ living arrangements are strongly correlated with race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status as measured by educational attainment. Black fathers are more than twice as likely as white fathers to live apart from their children (44% vs. 21%), while Hispanic fathers fall in the middle (35%). Among fathers who never completed high school, 40% live apart from their children.

This compares with only 7% of fathers who graduated from college.

On the average, just over half (55%) of men with biological children are married to the biological mother of all of those children.

An additional 7% of biological fathers are cohabiting with the mother of their children. On the other hand, Black biological fathers are far less likely than white biological fathers to be married to the mother of their children. Some 36% of Black biological fathers are not married, compared with 59% of whites. Among Hispanic biological fathers, this share is 50%. Similarly, fathers under age 30 are less likely than older fathers to be married to the mother of their children. Yet, more than half of fathers ages 20-24 (53%) and 25-29 (62%) are still in a relationship—

HEALTH TURN TO 7

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Insight News • November 7 - November 13 , 2011 • Page 7

Health From 6 marital or cohabiting—with the mother of their children.

Now days, there is a lot of discussion about the role of men in the lives of their sons. On the other hand, there is much less mention of the roles of fathers in the lives of their daughters.

One example of someone who has looked at the roles of dads in the lives of girls was the producer of the documentary, Daddy Hunger, Ray Upchurch.

In his film, Daddy Hunger, Mr. Upchurch courageously addresses the absence of fathers in the home and the community as he looks into the lives of convicted murderers, pimps, single mothers, and fatherless children.

Likewise, psychological studies addressing the impact of fathers on both the biological and emotional development of girls show equally compelling evidence that girls are in need of fathering. For example, in one study, a team led by psychologist Bruce Ellis of the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, England, followed more than 700 girls from preschool to age 17 or 18, monitoring 10 different aspects of their lives including family income, behavioral problems, exposure to violence and parenting styles. The study confirmed that teenage girls raised without fathers are more likely to suffer from depression, drop out of school, and have other behavioral problems.

In another landmark study published by ScienceDaily (Sep. 27, 1999), researchers revealed that a young girl’s relationship with her family-especially with her father-may influence at what age she enters puberty, according to Vanderbilt University researchers. The study looked at 173 girls and their families from the time the girls were in pre-kindergarten until they were in the seventh grade.

Girls who had close, positive relationships with their parents during the first five years of life tended to experience relatively late puberty, compared to girls who had more distant relationships with their parents.

More specifically,

the researchers found that the quality of fathers’ involvement with daughters was the most important feature of the early family environment in relation to the timing of the daughters’ puberty so that girls growing up in father-present conditions reach puberty later than girls growing up without a father present.

The information is important because multiple studies show that when girls reach puberty younger, they become sexually active earlier and are more likely to get pregnant in their teens.

Daughters of single mothers are 53% more likely to marry as teenagers, 111% more likely to have children as teenagers, 164% more likely to have a premarital birth and 92% more likely to dissolve their own marriages.

Researchers have found that when girls entered puberty later, they generally had fathers who were active participants in care giving; had fathers who were supportive to the girls’ mothers; and had positive relationships with their mothers. However, it was the fathers’ involvement, rather than the mothers’, which seems to be paramount to girls’ physiological development.

The researchers believe that girls have evolved to experience early socialization, with their biological “antennae” tuned to the fathers’ role in the family (both in terms of fatherdaughter and father-mother relationships) and that girls may unconsciously adjust their timing of puberty based on their fathers’ behavior.

In her paper, “Fatherless Women: What Happens to the Adult Woman who was Raised Without her Father,” Gabriella Kortsch, Ph.D. reports that girls who live without a father do so not only due to death, abandonment, or divorce, but also due to physically present fathers who are emotionally absent. She concludes that fathers may be also be absent over lengthy periods in other ways due to factors such as clinical depression, chemical addiction, terminal disease, or because of workaholism. She further adds that, at times, parental alienation occurs in some fashion because the parents cannot get along with each other or the father is a disappointment to the

daughter, as might be the case in a weak or ineffectual father.

According to Dr. Kortsch, such differing types of absence in the girl’s life may have major consequences of varying kinds, since healthy development requires some type of positive paternal role model.

Dr. Kortsch believes that “a little girl needs to see herself reflected in the love she sees for herself in her father’s eyes.”

This is how she develops selfconfidence and self-esteem, a healthy familiarity with what a positive expression of love feels like, and an appreciation for her own looks and her own body. Likewise, having a father present is how she develops immeasurable skills that will help her become assertive, proactive, productive, and creative as she grows into adulthood. For example, an often-overlooked dimension of

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fathering is how these skills are passed on through play.

From their children’s birth through adolescence, fathers tend to emphasize play more than caretaking. Paternal play is both physically stimulating and exciting.

It frequently emphasizes teamwork and competitive testing of abilities.

In fact, the way fathers play affects everything from the management of emotions to intelligence and academic achievement. It is particularly important in promoting the essential virtue of selfcontrol. At play and in other realms, fathers tend to stress competition, challenge, initiative, risk taking, and independence. Mothers, on the other hand (as caretakers), tend to stress emotional security, and personal safety. Father’s involvement seems to be linked to improved quantitative

and verbal skills, improved problem-solving ability, and higher academic achievement for children. Men also have a vital role to play in promoting cooperation and other “soft” virtues. Involved fathers, it turns out according to one 26-year longitudinal research study, may be of special importance for the development of empathy in children.

Kortch further surmises that the early lack of a father is often played out in relationships. Girls who have not been assured of their value often find it difficult to relate to men in healthy ways. Girls looking for male attention may inappropriately over-value the attention of men. We sometimes call them “fast” or promiscuous because they are looking for love in “all the wrong places.”

Sometimes, these girls are especially prone to abuse or

victimization because they are so “love starved” that they tolerate relationships with poor boundaries. For example, one teen-age girl that I saw in therapy said: “I like J.J. but he has two baby’s mommas…

Although he stays with one of them, when they fight, he comes and stays with me. I know he likes me the best…I just wish he would help me out with diapers sometimes.”

Another route chosen by women who have absent fathers in their lives is that they often fall in love with an older man and thus end up marrying a “daddy.” My mother often said that her father was absent when she grew up and that it led to her marrying our dad because she wanted someone wise to take care of her. He said that he married her because he

HEALTH TURN TO 8

Page 8 • November 7 - November 13 , 2011 • Insight News

Health From 7 grew up without an education and she was a schoolteacher and was constantly learning with her around! According to Kortch, as these MayDecember relationships evolve, if the man is emotionally mature, he will be able to allow his partner the necessary space and freedom to grow in some

ways that are emotionally and psychologically necessary in order for her to become her own woman. If, however, the man is not aware, and sees his wife’s search for growth as a threat to the superiority he felt upon marrying a young, and as yet undeveloped woman, he will attempt to stifle her and to manipulate her psychologically by making her believe she is worthless, silly, or, “needs professional help in order to calm down and behave like she

used to before.”

Kortch concludes that another possible outcome of growing up fatherless is that women will avoid relationships totally, or avoid the engagement of their emotions. Example of this behavior include the maiden aunt, who dedicates her life to her nieces and nephews, or who becomes a teacher and dedicates her life to her career; the nun, who dedicates her life to God, or the prostitute, who, although she may engage

insightnews.com her body, rarely engages her emotions. Another example is that of the eternal seductress, who needs to remain in control by seducing the man and never actually involving her own feelings, like one of the characters in Tyler Perry’s film, for Colored Girls. A slightly

the kinds of girls they marry.

Then, after they drop her off, they go get the ‘other’ kinds of girls who will be with them in the back seats of their cars.”

He stopped me in my tracks when he asked: “Which girl do you want to be? The one they disrespect or the one they

“Being a father to a girl is more than creating a baby; it involves nurturing the spirit of someone who will live life in an opposite space than yours and leaving her with power, love, light, hope, and a feeling of being special and cherished by you.” more difficult to recognize version of the same scenario is played out by the woman who consistently has relationships with married men who never leave their wives for her. On an unconscious level, Kortch surmises that this suits the fatherless woman just fine because it gives her the perfect excuse never to have to commit herself totally.

When I think of my budding sexuality as a girl, I often think of my own father, who used to call me “chocolate drop.”

Even though boys tended to favor my sister, who was light-skinned, my father constantly reminded me that I was beautiful and smart. I liked boys…they liked my sister. Sometimes at dances, they would walk up to her and ask for a dance, when she declined, they would not even ask me (and I would have said “yes”), but, instead they would move on another dark skinned girl (with a reputation) or to the next girl with light skin.

One day I was so saddened by the lack of male interest that I went home in tears and cried for hours because of the blatant and rude rejection that I had experienced. Luckily, when my father came home, he quickly tried to comfort me. He said: “BraVada, boys are like this. If they like a girl, they will pick her up and take her to movies and bring her back home on time--those are

Next From 3 at best. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has called career and technical education the “neglected stepchild” of education reform.

MUL, in the coming weeks will be reaching out to education and workforce practitioners to meet us at the mastermind table, for the education, employer and economic development social return on investment impacts of addressing this talent development issue are numerous.

We can no longer allow the challenges facing 16-24 year olds to fester, and we certainly do not have the luxury of giving in to defeat simply because the task in front of us appears so daunting.

This is our future workforce right now, and these cries for help must be positively quieted for the benefit of us all.

marry?” He went on to tell me how precious and valuable I was and why nobody “in their right mind” could fail to see that.

Later, as I graduated from college (the night my father died), the last thing I recall him telling me was how beautiful I was and how proud he was of me…He said that he had waited all of his life to see a Garrett graduate from college.

I carried the voice of my father as I graduated as the first African American to get a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Texas Tech University. I carried the voice of my father in my heart as I repeated my

marriage vows to my husband twenty-four years ago. I still carry the voice of my father in my spirit-every single day of my life. I conclude this article by saying that girls need their dads, if they are good dads. Being a father to a girl is more than creating a baby; it involves nurturing the spirit of someone who will live life in an opposite space than yours and leaving her with power, love, light, hope, and a feeling of being special and cherished by you.

BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya, Ph.D., L.P. is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice, serves as President of Brakins Consulting and Psychological Services, and is the Executive Director of the African American Child Wellness Institute. The mission of the African American Child Wellness Institute is to promote the psychological and spiritual liberation of children of African Descent by providing culturally specific mental health services and by developing culture-based, holistic wellness resources, research, and practices. Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya warns that this column should in no way be construed as constituting a therapeutic relationship through counseling or advice.

To forward a comment about this article or to make an appointment, please contact Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya by email @ bravadaakinsanya@ hotmail.com or by telephone at 612-302-3140.

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Insight News • November 7 - November 13 , 2011 • Page 9

BUSINESS

Power to the people Dissecting Diversity

By Cheryl Pearson-McNeil I’ve got some great news for you. And it flies in the face of the steady stream of negative stories and statistics you’re consistently bombarded with about AfricanAmericans. But here it is: AfricanAmericans are an economic force to be reckoned with, spending more than $967 billion a year.

With a buying power that is expected to reach $1.1 trillion annually by 2015, if AfricanAmericans were a country, we’d be the 16th largest country in the world – bigger than Turkey, Australia and Taiwan.

That is the conclusion of The State of the AfricanAmerican Consumer Report, a groundbreaking, first-ofits kind report developed by Nielsen in collaboration with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), a 71-year old federation of more than 200 Black community newspapers throughout the United States. It is the first time Nielsen has ever consolidated all of the buying and consumer behavior about Blacks into one publication. And oh boy does it tell a story.

Let’s simply begin with the title of the report and why we opted to name it The State of the African-American Consumer Report vs. The State of the Black Consumer Report. What a great discussion that ensued around this!

It is important for marketers to recognize and understand the full diversity of the Black population in the United States. African-

Americans represent the majority of the Black Population at 89%.

But, we also recognize that the U.S. Black population includes those that describe themselves as Black: all nationalities that represent the Black Diaspora, (for example, those who are Jamaican or Nigerian) as well as persons who define their racial background as a combination of Black and another race: 7.5% are West Indian, 2.1% are SubSaharan African, 0.8% are Central American, 0.4% are Asian and 0.3% are Black Hispanics. For the purposes of the report – and for this column too -- Nielsen uses the term African-American to describe the Black population as not all of Nielsen’s insights are broken into self-identifying subgroups.

You probably are familiar with the fact that African-Americans make up 13.6% of the American population and are projected to

reach 14% over the next 10 years.

But do you know off the top of your head how many millions of people that equates to? Right now, there are 42,017,000 of us and in 10 years, that will be 47,587,000.

That’s a lot of people! More than 47% of our population is under age 35. We most heavily populate the Southeastern states. And, we love our major urban areas like the corridor from New York to DC, major Midwest industrial cities, Houston, Dallas and Los Angeles. However, even though we have traditionally favored cities, the latest trends show a new migration to warmer climates and more suburban than urban choices. For example, Atlanta has seen an 8% drop in its Black population while the surrounding suburbs have experienced a 40% explosion in the numbers of African-Americans living there.

Many of us are struggling financially, but isn’t it heartening

to know that the number of African-American households earning $75K or more has grown by 63.9% over the last 10 years?

The number of households in our community earning $100,000 or more has nearly doubled over the last decade to almost 1.5 million.

Where do we ever hear this story if not in the Black Press?!

Oftentimes the discussion about African-Americans and education is centered on concerns such as subpar urban schools, high dropout rates, and lack of collegiate preparation and access.

But did you know that over the last decade, African-Americans over the age of 25 have seen more growth in educational achievement in high school, college and graduate school than any other demographic group in this country? During that period, 17.6% of us earned bachelor’s degrees compared to 14.3% of the general population.

Sometimes it is simply noteworthy to understand we have some good news going on in our communities too. And while The State of the AfricanAmerican Consumer Report does not attempt to gloss over the social issues we face, I believe you can’t feel empowered unless you are at the very least aware of what your power is in the first place. I am exposed to data and insights every day and some of the positive aspects of being an African-American consumer were even surprising to me.

So, I hope that you will take the time to read this report. You can download it at www.nielsen.com/ africanamerican.com Digest it and feel the power.

Cheryl Pearson-McNeil is senior vice president of public affairs and government relations for Nielsen.

For more information and studies go to www.nielsenwire.com.

Access makes the difference

By Meleah Maynard Her apprenticeship may have ended, but the skills Anisha Sapho gained as an apprentice with the Broadband Access Project have opened a whole new world of possibilities.

Anisha Sapho didn’t know much about the Broadband Access Project (BAP), or even computers, when she attended the grand opening of the University of Minnesota Urban Research and OutreachEngagement Center (UROC) in the summer of 2010. But she went anyway on the advice of Wilson Maceno, who thought there might be some interesting job opportunities for her with BAP, a $3.6-million UROC initiative to make broadband access and computer skills more accessible to underserved urban communities.

Maceno, who is currently a technology manager with the University’s Office of Business

Anisha Sapho

Mandi Caffery

and Community Economic Development (OBCED) computer refurbishing program, was right. And Sapho wasn’t surprised. He has been helping her find employment and gain meaningful work experience since she worked for him at Domino’s Pizza when she was 18. “Wilson was my manager back then and he’s been my mentor and networking person ever since,” says Sapho, who graduated from St. Louis Park High School in 2004.

Since then, the young mother of two boys (ages 4 and 1) has often worked as many as three jobs to make ends meet. She credits her own hardworking, single mom, Anita Burns, for “teaching me how to take care of myself.” Fast-food, retail, call centers, Sapho has done many different types of work, but nothing that involved computers until she got a job last June as an apprentice with BAP. As part of her BAP training

Sapho received extensive training in everything from how to use and maintain computers to how to do effective employment searches. Now, she’s not only comfortable with using computers and the Internet, she’s planning to pursue career options for which an understanding of technology is essential. “I’m much more interested in what I can do with a computer now, and I may go back to school to study business administration, which is my big passion,” she explains.

Just call her the outreach guru Sapho was one of 10 apprentices hired to staff BAP computer labs at 11 communitybased sites in four federally designated poverty zones in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Funded in part by a $2.9-million stimulus-related grant from the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, BAP is also supported by $741,000 in matching funds from the University and community partners.

After finishing her training, Sapho began her 15-month appointment at the Church of St. Philip in North Minneapolis.

It was slow going at first because the project was just getting off the ground. First, she worked with Kids’ Club after-school program, as well as College Bound, a youth program for teenagers 17 and older who were thinking of going to college. “I taught them how to use computers to do their homework and for research, and they were really exited about the different skills they learned,” she says. After a while, Sapho got so good at spreading the word about the lab and getting people to come in, someone nicknamed her “the

outreach guru.”

After that, outreach became her niche, Sapho says. Since moving on from the Church of St. Philip lab, which has since been close by the archdiocese, she has apprenticed at other Minneapolis BAP labs, including Sabathani Community Center, Project for Pride in Living (PPL) and most recently Patchwork Quilt. At every lab, she made getting people in the door her goal. Outreach was particularly challenging at PPL, which is designed to serve residents of PPL’s Near North apartments only. “A lot of kids came through the door but not many adults,” Sapho recalls. “We had to get creative, so I planned an open house and I made a lot of fliers, so that brought in a few more residents who told others to come.”

Most people come to the labs because they need to find work and they want help learning how to use to a computer and the Internet to do that. While some never say much about themselves, others opened up once they got to know Sapho. Many say they’re afraid of computers because they never learned to use one and now it almost seems like it’s “too late.”

Sapho quickly eased their fears by explaining how, in a very short time, she went from feeling apprehensive about technology to using it to create fliers, edit photos, and connect with friends and family. “I helped make my brother’s birth announcement for his daughter and everybody liked it,” she says. “My mom was really happy that I learned how to do that kind of thing.”

SAPHO TURN TO 10

Page 10 • November 7 - November 13 , 2011 • Insight News

Sapho From 9 Understanding community needs As a kid, Sapho and her three siblings got used to moving around a lot so the family could be close to mom’s work. Edina, St. Louis Park, Eden Prairie,

McDonald From 1 He often wrote about unheralded high school and college athletes in his sports columns for Insight News, Minneapolis SpokesmanRecorder, two of Minnesota’s

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and Brooklyn Park were all home at one time or another.

Since 2000, though, Sapho has lived in North Minneapolis.

Recently, she and her two sons moved in to a Project for Pride in Living apartment just in time for the arrival of a baby girl, due in November.

“I made the apartment connection through BAP, so that’s been really great,” she

says.

As a working mom living in the same neighborhood where she works, Sapho understands the obstacles people in the community face when trying to use computers and access the Internet. “People can’t afford computers at home, and they don’t have time to get on the bus to go to the library to try to get on a computer,” she says.

“Even if they could go to the library, those computers have time limits—and what will they do with their kids while they’re trying to work on something?”

At the BAP labs, while Sapho helped parents create resumes or use the Internet to find housing or employment, kids spent time using computers to watch educational programs, do homework or even play

games as long as there is some kind of educational component to it. “We understood that parents needed a little peace and quiet to do the things they needed to do or to learn a new skill, so we tried to get their kids busy learning something too,” she says.

Though Sapho’s BAP apprenticeship ended in late September and a new group

of apprentices has arrived, she will continue working at Patchwork Quilt as an employee working with kids in their youth program.

“I’ll take some time off after the baby, but then I’ll come back here to work,” she says. “It’ll be busy, but I want my kids to know it’s important to help others. It’s not always about you.”

African American newspapers distributed throughout the Twin-Cities area and columnist for the Pioneer Press.

He studied political science at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio where he met Mary Palmer, the teacher he married in 1956. From 1957 to 1959, he worked for the Urban League in Milwaukee.

In 1961 he came to

Minnesota to run the state’s Commission Against Discrimination, working with Gov. Elmer L. Andersen and Attorney General Walter Mondale.

McDonald made a pilgrimage to Africa, studying and teaching at the University of Ghana. Here he changed his name to Kwame, Ghanian for “born on Sunday.”

One of McDonalds highlights in his career was his role in the development of the annual Inner-City All-Star Classic in 1994, a showcase for high school boys basketball players in the Twin Cities metro area.

Other accomplishments include work on the SummitUniversity Crime Prevention Council, host of a cable TV

show, service on Gov. Arne Carlson’s Council on Youth and teaching at Minneapolis and St. Paul schools. His final job, from 2008 to 2011, was mentoring students at St. Paul’s Johnson High School, where his son Mitch McDonald is a teacher.

McDonald died early Wednesday morning October 26 after a two-year battle with bladder cancer and other ailments. He was 80 years of age.

McDonald is survived by brothers Billy McDonald and Jack Mitchell, both of Madison, and Ralph Mitchell of Greensboro, N.C., and sisters Carolyn Hargrove, Betty Banks and Emma Earl, all of Madison, Arlene Marion of Seguin, Texas, and Evette Mitchell of Colorado.

Services for McDonald will be held 1pm Saturday, November 19 at Living Word Church, 655 Fairview Ave. N. St Paul, MN 55104.

Chocolate

endeavors continue to evolve every year.

Apart from her work on the stage, Petrus is the woman behind Thomasina’s Cashew Brittle Inc, a candy company that began as a Christmas hobby and has now found its way into homes across the globe. Her brittle can be purchased in several stores across Minnesota including Kowalski’s, as well as at the Minnesota State Fair. Never did she expect her business to grow to the dynamic that it has, but these sweet treats have not only found their way into our hearts, but they’ve have also managed to work their way into Petrus’ theatrical career as well.

“It’s hard to believe that I would be both an actress and a candy maker, but I’ve found a way to connect the two so that it works.” Petrus shares, “Now they sell my brittle in almost all of the theaters, since I’ve worked at almost all of them. They’ll be selling the brittle at the Park Square Theater for Hot Chocolate as well.”

Already on the verge of selling out, Hot Chocolate will run at the Park Square Theater in downtown St. Paul from November 30th – December 18th.

Tickets range from $38 - $58 and can be purchased online at www.parksquaretheater.org or 651-291-7005.

From 1 “When it comes to Hot Chocolate, I almost feel like a nervous wreck because I’m asking audiences to trust me with something new.” Petrus tells Insight News, “They know me as a singer, they know me as an actor, but they don’t know me as a person who has actually created a stage production. Thanks to some really great people like Austene Van, Sanford Moore and Julius Collins III, I know I’m amongst some very talented artists. This is truly a new chapter for me, but I feel good about everything and know that this piece will resonate with audiences.”

Petrus, is well known in the musical bottleneck of Minneapolis as a jazz artist and a star of musical theater. She’s performed with artists like Jevetta Steele, T Mychael Rambo and Christiana Clark to name a few.

She began her entertainment career as a dancer and even considered becoming an English teacher at one point, but it was her vocal ability that has catapulted her star into a household name, and much like the journey of Hot Chocolate, her personal career

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Insight News • November 7 - November 13, 2011 • Page 11

Program prepares youth for healthy adulthood

By Alaina L. Lewis Contributing Writer While childhood obesity rates continue to rise across the nation, more often than not a cold shoulder is being given to this epidemic leaving tomorrow’s generation to grow up with unhealthy eating habits, risk for disease and illness, and unnecessary stigma’s that have the potential to hinder growth and stunt potential. We can place the blame on a several of the proposed culprits like video games, internet, and television, but the inability to change these circumstances comes from lack of knowledge and being unmotivated to do better. That’s where an institution like Youth Determined to Succeed, comes into play.

Combatting this issue, Youth Determined to Succeed (YDS), an

organization founded 11 years ago by former Pittsburg Steeler, Melvin Anderson, was created to instill preventative measures and teach groundbreaking methods to youth in an effort to prepare them for healthy adulthoods. Through a myriad of programs under their arc, YDS’ campaign is reaching both the community and the public school system to bring physical fitness and health/wellness back into the forefront of our lives giving our youth a chance at a better future.

Associated with the North Community YMCA, United Way, the University of Minnesota and the Brooklyn Center public school system to name a few, YDS is made up of many programs like Club Fit Kids, Kids 4 Health, Youth Leaders of Change, and the Track Minnesota Elite Program.

They all meet on a weekly/monthly basis and are staffed by a number of pediatricians, dieticians, yoga instructors, and trainers who deliver a curriculum

Photos courtesy of YDC

Front-Back: Corey Bond, Sumer Powell and Zion Stewart

of physical fitness, mental wellness, leadership development, nutrition, life enhancing workshops, college development, and skill development.

Apart from the classroom elements, an emphasis is also placed on involving the parents in the overall lifestyle change of their child. By involving the family as a whole, this helps a child translate their acquired knowledge into all aspects of their daily lives, because YDS understands that change cannot have a lasting affect unless it occurs across the board.

Currently, these programs are available at an extremely low cost to participants in order for YDS to reach their targeted market of inner city and urban youth who cannot always afford to join the fitness programs at other gyms whom realistically mostly only cater to adults. As much as $10’s a week for programs like the Club Kids Fit will give your child an opportunity to attend

three classes where they’ll embark upon nutritional workshops, exercise sessions and leadership classes. In order to keep these programs at a low cost to youth, they rely on grants and donations from the public.

Currently Youth Determined to Succeed is gearing up for their annual “Making an Impact” Fundraiser Banquet at the Epic Event Center in Downtown Minneapolis on November 12th. The event runs from 5:30 to 9pm and will include dinner, live music, a silent auction, games and more. YDS hopes to raise enough money to continue to answer this direct need and provide our progeny with the necessary tools for developing healthy habits and lifestyles that will translate onto both a physical and mental plain.

Tickets for the event are $50.00. For more information contact: Cindy Hill 612-4866730 ext. 71 chill@youthdetermined.org or visit www.youthdetermined.org

North Minneapolis Neighborhood beat...

By Ivan Phifer Staff Writer Interested in Joining or Leading a Block Club in Hawthorne?

Crime statistics go down drastically in the community when Hawthorne has active, responsible residents looking out for one another.

There is training available to learn what to look for when monitoring the neighborhood, tips for staying safe, etc. Please call the Hawthorne Neighborhood Council at 612-529-6033.

Harrison The Harrison Neighborhood Association (HNA) Board of Director’s meet on a monthly basis to take action on committee work, review finance, and address issues affecting the community. The meeting is from 7-8pm Monday, November 14 at the HNA office 503 Irving Ave. N. For more information: Larry Hiscock 612-374-4849 or info@ hnampls.org

Lind-Bohanon Toys For Tots The Lind-Bohanon Neighborhood Organization, Shingle Creek Neighborhood Organization, Acorn Mini Storage and Jenny Lind School will hold a US Marines “Toys for Tots”. The Distribution will take place 9am-noon Saturday December 10 at Jenny Lind School 5025 Bryant Ave. N. Registration deadline is Friday November 25 to participate in toy distribution. For more information: Amy Lusenbrink 763-561-1616 or LindBohanonNA@ aol.com

Loan Program LBNA has partnered with the Center for Energy and Environment to administer home improvement programs. LBNA loans create opportunities for more home loans and other neighborhood activities.

The loan has a 4% fixed rate financing, $15,000 maximum loan with no maximum income limit.

Eligible improvements include: most interior and exterior maintenance and remodeling. For more information: Amy Lusenbrink 763-561-1616 or LindBohanonNA@aol.com

Classifieds/Calendar MINISTER OF MUSIC Mt. Olivet Baptist Church of St. Paul, Minnesota

is hiring a full-time Minister of Music.

Please visit our website for information. www.mtolivetbaptistchurch.org

2. State the address of the principal place of business: 1320 Oliver Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55411 3. List the name and complete street address of all persons conducting business under the above Assumed Name OR if an entity, provide the legal corporate, LLC, or Limited Partnership name and registered office address. Attach additional sheet(s) if necessary: Evelyn Bledsoe, 1320 Oliver Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55411 4. I certify that I am authorized to sign this certificate and I further certify that I understand that by signing this certificate, I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Minnesota Statues section 609.48 as if I had signed this certificate under oath.

Signed by: Evelyn Bledsoe Date Filed: 10/17/2011 Insight News 10/31/2011, 11/7/2011

Jordan Housing Committee Meeting The Jordan Area Community Council (JACC) will have a housing and committee meeting 6:30-8pm Tuesday, November 8 at Plymouth Christian Youth Center (PCYC) 2210 Oliver Ave. N. For more information: Joe Horan 612-673-5144 or jhoran@ nrp.org Board Meeting JACC will hold a board meeting 6:30-8:30pm Wednesday November 9 at the JACC office 2009 James Ave. N. For more information, Joe Horan 612-673-5144 or jhoran@nrp.org

PHONE: 612.588.1313

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

Assumed Name 1. State the exact assumed name under which the business is or will be conducted: A Little Taste of Heaven

Minneapolis Park Board The proposed 2012 Minneapolis Park Board budget focuses on neighborhood parks, parkways, financial sustainability and service delivery. Public comment opportunities are scheduled for November 9, November 22 and December 14. For more information, Amy Lusenbrink 763-561-1616 or LindBohanonNA@aol.com

Associate Program Director The University of Minnesota is seeking an Associate Program Director for the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA). This position is responsible for building and maintaining relationships with community organizations throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area, focusing on organizations active in disadvantaged communities in the region. The successful candidate will work with CURA’s Community Based Research programs to carry out CURA’s mission to connect the resources of the University of Minnesota with the interests and needs of urban communities.

Bachelor’s degree in urban affairs or related and 3+ years experience working with a Community Based Organization (CBO) required (5+ years working for a CBO and Master’s preferred). Complete list of essential and preferred qualifications as well as job responsibilities are available at https://employment.umn.edu (Job #174863). Application materials must be submitted through the U of M online posting. Review of applications will begin on November 14, 2011 and will remain open until the position is filled.

The U of M is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

Shingle Creek The Shingle Creek Neighborhood Organization will hold a board meeting 6:30-8:30pm Tuesday, November 8 at Creekview Park 5001 Humboldt Av. N. For more information: Amy Lusenbrink 763561-1616 or scan@stribmail.com Camden North United Methodist Church (NUMC) has a Church Clothes Closet 9am-Noon the first Saturday of each month and 6-8 pm the first Monday of each month at 4350 Fremont Ave. N. Donations are accepted. For further information: 612-522-4497.

Weight loss classes Weight loss classes for Black men take place every Friday from 6:30-8:30pm at Kwanzaa Church 2200 Emerson Ave. N. The class is a 12-week course for Black men who live with obesity, type II diabetes, high blood pressure and hypertension. The cost ranges from $100 to $300 depending on training materials.

Space is limited to the first 10 qualified participants.

For more information: Kwasi Nate Russell 612-3590077 or Kwasinate.russell009@gmail.com

FAX: 612.588.2031

Events Conflict & Contentment - Nov 12 & 13 Singers in Accord will open its 2011-2012 concert season with a contemplative journey through choral music that searches for peace and harmony in the midst of life’s struggles.

7:30pm Sat., Nov. 12, at The Chapel of St.

Oasis of Love Crisis Intervention 2011 A Stop the Violence/End the Pain benefit concert featuring International Grammy/Stellar Award winner Ben Tankard, will take place 7pm Saturday, November 12 at the Family Life Center, 1947 West Broadway Crystal, MN 55422. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. For more information: Family Life Center 612-522-5807 or Bernice Gregory 612-325-1407.

North Minneapolis Tornado Recovery Sites are available for mental and emotional recovery for victims traumatized by the May 22nd North Minneapolis tornado. To schedule an appointment with a health care provider, three sites are available; Northpoint Health & Wellness Center 1313 Penn Av. N. 612 543-2566, Hennepin County Mental Health Center 1801 Nicollet Ave. S. 612 596-9438 or Hennepin County Medical Center Acute Psychiatric Services 701 Park Ave. S. 612 873-3161. Crisis response teams are available 24/7.

For adults, 612-596-1223 or 612-348-2233.

EMAIL: andrew@insightnews.com

Thomas Aquinas at the University of St. Thomas; 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul, MN and 4:00pm Sun., Nov. 13 at First Lutheran Church; 1555 40th Ave. NE, Columbia Heights.

‘Overcoming Racism’ To Address The White Racial Frame - Nov 18&19 Feature keynote speakers: Dr. Joe R. Feagin and Dr. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya. The

conference runs all day on both Fri. Nov. 18 and Sat. Nov. 19, at Metropolitan State University’s St. Paul campus, 700 E. 7th St. in St. Paul. Participants can register for the whole conference or for one day only. The preregistration fee (through November 10) is $120 for both days or $75 for one day, with a half-price student rate. Organizers expect the conference to be full, so preregistration is highly encouraged. Fees are waived for Indigenous (First Nations) people. Details and registration links can be found at www.overcomingracism.org Art at Ramset - Dec. 3 A Juried Holiday Art Fair of quality fine crafts and fine art, is sponsored by Highland/ Macalester/Groveland Community Education in cooperation with Artists’ Circle, a non-profit art organization promoting fine crafts. This is the art fair’s sixteenth anniversary show. FREE. Sat. Dec. 3, 10am-5pm. Ramsey Junior High Gymnasiums and Cafeteria, 1700 Summit Ave., St. Paul. - For online info, including list of juried artists: http://www.artatramsey.org/

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