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Leading with art: ‘Sights, Sounds, and Soul’ captures Twin Cities Black life in the ‘70s and ‘80s

By Abeni Hill Artist and North Minneapolis native, Davu Seru has published a book paying homage to the man affectionately known as “The Picture Man.” “Sights, Sounds, and Soul: Twin Cities Through the Lens of Charles Chamblis” was released earlier this month.

The book is filled with the photography of Chamblis, who was called The Picture Man in the 1970s and 1980s because of his dedication to documenting African-American life in Minnesota on film.

Chamblis was born in Pittsburgh in 1937 and moved to Minneapolis with his wife, Jeannette Chamblis, in 1957.

After he was gifted a camera by his wife, Chamblis began documenting Black life in the Twin Cities. Chamblis passed away in 1991.

Seru describes the photographer’s work as art

that captured “Black life in the mundane” and “just basic humanity.”

“His mission was to document the life that people never saw,” said Seru. “People tend to be enthralled by this image of Black death and violence. (Chamblis dedicated himself to) documenting what was the best of Black Minnesota.”

While Seru said he was captivated by photos in the collection that had musicians such as Prince and Morris Day, he found pictures of everyday places and activities just as breathtaking.

“The ones that stood out the most (to me) were relatively artful ones,” said Seru. “(They) said something about a time and place that was very real in my memory.”

Seru gave an example of Leroy King, owner of King Supermarket, from who Seru’s family purchased produce.

In the collection, King is photographed in front of “a

Photos by Charles Chamblis

Spider J. Hamilton, DJ at the Fox Trap Page 1: BOTTOM LEFT: (Left to right) Musician, Larry Loud, journalist, Al McFarlane and artist, Seitu Jones during a 1988 Juneteenth celebration. The child in the photo has not been identified.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Brothers “Big Twin” and “Little Twin” posing with a custom ride outside of the infamous Peacock Alley.

tower of collard greens and mustard greens with his hand on top of them, claiming ownership of them,” said Seru.

The supermarket was a blackowned and family-owned grocery store which once stood

at 2005 Plymouth Avenue in North Minneapolis. The Kings operated the store for almost 20 years.

Chamblis’ photos can also be seen at the Minnesota Historical Society.

Seru

The musical group, Champaign (previously Grand Central), (left to right) Morris Day, William Doughty, Linda Anderson and Andre Cymone. encourages the community to go and see the collection, not only to learn about the history of the Twin Cities Black community, but also as an aid in research.

“We ask for your help because there are a number of folks unidentified in these pictures,” said Seru. “But there are plenty of folks around who knew folks (back then).”

The photos can be viewed

online on the Minnesota Historical Society website and individuals can comment to help identify people in the photos.

Seru’s book is available for purchase on Amazon. An exhibit featuring Chamblis’ collection at Mill City Museum opened Wednesday (Nov. 15). The exhibit will be open through March 31 and is free to the public.

Awarded nearly $471,000

Appetite for Change wins 2017 Bush Prize for Community Innovation The Bush Foundation awarded the 2017 Bush Prize for Community Innovation to seven organizations with a track record of “making great ideas happen.”

Noted on the list is North Minneapolis based Appetite for Change. Appetite for Change (AFC) is on a mission to build health, wealth and social change in North Minneapolis, using food as its tool.

Born out of listening sessions with African-American youth and adults, AFC seeks to develop the area— named one of the fifth largest food deserts in the country—into a thriving, culturally-based, communitydriven food center.

AFC, which received a $470,981 prize from the Bush Foundation, motivates individ-

uals to build ethnic, economic and health equity through a combination of community cooking workshops, job training programs for youth, a cooperative commercial kitchen and business incubator for more than 50 food entrepreneurs, and a restaurant – Breaking Bread, 1210 W. Broadway Ave., Minneapolis – that serves healthy, global food and provides jobs and a neighborhood gathering space. AFC also aggregates affordable produce grown by youth interns and sells it to area stores and restaurants.

AFC’s advocacy has led to policy changes to expand the geography for food trucks, relax market garden restrictions, expand lease terms for urban farms and enforce government benefit standards to include

Passenger Productions

Pictured L to R - Jon Slock, Jessie McDaniel, Nicole Powell, Miah Ulysse (standing), Tess Montgomery (crouched), Lachelle Cunningham, Trejeana Rodgers, Princess Titus, Michelle Horovitz, Darryl Lindey, LaTasha Powell

fresh fruits and vegetables in local stores.

“The Bush Prize recognizes organizations that are creative, fierce and dogged in the way they work and in what they accomplish,” said Bush President Jennifer Ford Reedy.

“As models for problem solving, they consistently pick a path of innovation that drives profound results for their communities.”

Bush Prize winners receive a package that includes promotional support and materials, and an unrestricted grant equal to 25 percent of the organization’s prior fiscal year budget, up to $500,000.

Other Minnesota award-

APPETITE 9

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aesthetically speaking

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

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Vol. 44 No. 47• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

African-American DFL Caucus calls for resignation of Schoen and Cornish over allegations of sexual harassment at the Capitol Two state legislators are in hot water following multiple allegations of sexual harassment – one involving a fellow legislator.

Sen. Dan Schoen (DFL-54) and Rep. Tony Cornish (R-23B) have both been accused of sexual harassment; and Schoen reportedly sent lewd photos to a fellow lawmaker, Rep. Erin Maye Quade (DFL-57A). Gov. Mark Dayton and DFL Chair Ken Martin have called on both legislators to step down, while Minnesota Republican Chair Jennifer Carnahan has only called on Schoen, a Democrat, to step down.

The African-American DFL Caucus is with the governor and Martin in calling on both legislators to resign. The group released a statement calling on both men to resign and for mandatory sexual harassment

training for any seeking the DFL nomination. The statement in its entirety follows.

As women have come forward with their difficult testimonies of experiencing sexual harassment at the Capitol, including Rep. Erin Maye Quade, the AfricanAmerican DFL Caucus (AADFL) stands with women, the governor, party leadership, legislators across the spectrum, and everyday Minnesotans in our belief that inappropriate sexual behavior has no place in the workplace, whether from a Republican or Democrat.

With respect to Sen. Dan Schoen, the African American DFL refers to DFL party leadership in stating there is no room in our party for sexual harassment. The AADFL supports DFL Chair Ken Martin’s call for Schoen’s resignation.

Rep. Erin Maye Quade The latest accusations against Rep. Tony Cornish are of special significance to the

Rep. Tony Cornish African-American community.

Cornish, a man who once suggested following a racially

Sen. Dan Schoen

charged shooting, that Black residents of Minnesota should stay indoors, move slowly, not

DFL 5

Police Chief Medaria Arradondo: Role model

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor @HarryColbertJr

“One day I want to be chief.”

Words such as those were not all that common in Minneapolis just a few short months ago – especially coming from a person of color. But that is how a young AfricanAmerican girl effervescently greeted Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo outside of the Cub Foods at 701 W. Broadway Ave. in North Minneapolis. The chief was at the grocery store – along with several members of his department and a variety of sports figures and others –

Harry Colbert, Jr.

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo and a woman embrace outside of Cub Foods, 701 W. Broadway Ave., North Minneapolis.

handing out bags filled with all the fixings needed to prepare a nutritious Thanksgiving meal; turkey and all.

According to the department, more than 1,000 meals were handed out on Nov. 14 to small children – many in Head Start – their families, and others in need of food assistance. The event was just one day, but the affects could be long lasting.

“Never underestimate the power of a moment,” said Arradondo. “That’s what I tell our officers all the time.

We have to make sure we’re not only reacting, but being proactive. It’s important for the Minneapolis Police Department to be in the community and building relationships. This event is a wonderful example of that effort.”

Just two years prior – almost to the day – the scene in North Minneapolis was quite different.

It was Nov. 15, 2015 when two Minneapolis Police Officers – Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze – encountered and killed unarmed 24-yearold Jamar Clark. That killing led to months of protesting including an 18-day occupation of the department’s 4th precinct headquarters. And during those tense days it was Arradondo – then not yet chief – who served as the de facto mediator between community and police.

Now with Arradondo newly sworn-in as the department’s chief, an emphasis has been placed on being accountable

MPD 5

Unapologetically pro-Black

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor @HarryColbertJr Here are the numbers according to Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA). Forty-two percent of Black men women and children in North Minneapolis are living in poverty. The unemployment rate for Blacks in North Minneapolis is 28.9 percent. The median income for Black people in North Minneapolis is $25,301. Only 32.8 percent of Black families live in a home they own.

Losing an election is tough … trust me, I know.

Way back in 2002, in what I like to call my “former life” I ran for citywide office in the city of St. Louis. My reasons for running were many, but at the forefront was my (and many other people’s) discontent at the fact that at the time, with the exception of one office, all citywide elected officials were

white in a city that had a majority African-American population and a majority of spending and services were going to the more affluent white neighborhoods on the city’s south side and Central West End. We were not being properly represented; and when I say we, let’s state it plain, I’m talking about Black folks.

That was the main issue upon which I ran. The message resonated with many.

Announced on the last day of filing, I ran a three-month campaign that energized a large segment of the population and forced the incumbent to have conversations and make deals with those who were previously thought non-consequential.

But in the end, I failed at my attempt to represent the people in office. I was not the victor … and it stung. There were hurt feelings, feelings of betrayal, feelings of anger; you name it, I felt it. However, following the race I was able to hold my head high, knowing that just running was in many ways a victory in itself.

I did not then, nor shall I

Business News

Are you too busy to Despite Unequal fundraise?

Treatment, Black Women Will Rise

PAGE 4

now, apologize for being proBlack. I state it boldly and I state it with pride.

And the esteemed newspaper for which I work, Insight News, does not apologize for being pro-Black. We state it boldly and we state it with the utmost pride.

So, when we are called out (in classic Minnesota passiveaggressive form) for being what we are – a pro-Black legacy institution in the Twin Cities – we don’t run from it we embrace it. But when we are maligned because someone has taken our pro-Black stance and falsely asserted that it is somehow anti-other, that where we have a problem … a serious problem.

In the Nov. 6 – Nov. 12 edition of Insight News in a commentary penned by Insight News founder and editor and chief, Al McFarlane, and Insight News publisher, Batala McFarlane; the two enthusiastically spelled out the reasons we as a trusted community resource for the past 43 years were in support of Jeremiah Ellison in the race

Forty-two percent of Black men women and children in North Minneapolis are living in poverty. The unemployment rate for Blacks in North Minneapolis is 28.9 percent. The median income for Black people in North Minneapolis is $25,301.

Only 32.8 percent of Black families live in a home they own.

for the 5th Ward seat on the Minneapolis City Council.

We talked about his stance on housing, wages, transportation, environment and more – all issues affecting many in the ward, most of whom are Black.

But we also talked about his ability to coalition build and how we felt – and continue to feel – he will be an advocate for all of the 5th Ward’s residents. But, yes, we unapologetically appreciated and highlighted that Ellison is a “For Us, By Us” leader, as our headline stated. And we were explicit in defining who is “us.”

While the us is absolutely Black,

it is also Brown, it is Asian, it is Native, it is progressive white. It is anyone who recognizes and, most importantly, is willing to confront the continued systemic racism that affects Black people of a daily basis. The “us” is those who stood against police for shooting an unarmed man.

The “us” is for those who are in favor of a $15 an hour living wage for workers. The “us” is for those who recognize funding language services for our Somali and Hmong brothers and sisters is indeed and investment we’re willing to make.

In that aspect, Blong Yang,

I 2 H 2 Health Insight

News

Givingcomplain, Don’t the gift of a activate family permanent

PAGE 5

Pharmaceutical War on opioids hurts giant sickle Eli Lillycell meets disease with patients multicultural groups

PAGE 6

you are not us.

When you took to Facebook two days after losing the election to attack our integrity as an institution, you didn’t just attack a paper, you in fact were attacking the very people who you were supposed to have been representing for the past four years. Understand this; our lack of enthusiasm in you as an elected official had absolutely nothing to do with your ethnicity and everything to do with your

PRO-BLACK 5

Commentary AS

Orchestra The Chronicles creates of Miss Freedom space for artistic Fighter, Esquire: Ending mass expressions incarceration

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Business

BBB offers advice on handling debt collectors Consumers who owe money or are behind on their bills may legitimately be contacted by debt collectors, however, Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) is reminding consumers they have rights, and some calls may not be legitimate.

In an effort to help consumers deal with collection firms, BBB offers some guidance.

“Consumers need to be clear on the rules and what debt collectors can and cannot do,” said Susan Adams Loyd, president and CEO of BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota.

“If the caller is abusive or refuses to reveal the name of their organization, people need

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

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

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane 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

they have a website or a Business Profile at bbb.org. Verify that the company is licensed to do business in a particular state. In Minnesota, collection agencies have to be licensed by the Minnesota Department of Commerce.

to report this type of behavior, to us and other agencies.”

When contacted by a debt collector, BBB recommends a person review the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which sets standards for collection agencies and prohibits abusive tactics. The FDCPA is enforced by the FTC and violations should be reported at ftc.gov. Debt collectors cannot threaten someone with arrest, are not allowed to make idle threats, express or implied, or use abusive language and should not discuss consumers’ accounts with unauthorized third parties.

Verify the legitimacy Get the debt collector’s name as well as the name of their company to research the collection agency further. See if

bbb.org

Request written proof By law, a collection agency must provide a validation notice within five days of contacting someone about a debt. Within 30 days of receiving their validation notice, send the debt collector a written request to verify the details of the debt. Do not provide personal or financial information until the validity of the debt and the debt collector has been confirmed. If the debt cannot be verified or if requested documentation isn’t provided,

be extremely wary.

Don’t ignore the collector It is best to respond immediately, even if a person does not believe the debt is valid. Otherwise, the collector may continue contacting the or file a judgment.

Do not claim a debt that isn’t valid Making a payment on a bill just to make a debt collector “go away” is a bad idea. Even making just one payment can indicate accepting the full responsibility of the debt. The invalid debt could also reflect as a liability on a person’s credit report.

If no debt is confirmed, contact any involved parties to clear up possible inaccuracies on a credit report. If a person is contacted by a collection agency

regarding erroneous bills or debts, it could be an indication of identity theft. The BBB suggest a person review his or her credit report to identify fraudulent activity. People can go to annualcreditreport.com for a free yearly credit report.

According to federal law, a debt collector cannot continue to contact someone – at work or home – if they are told to stop.

However, if a debt is owed, the collector or creditor can still take legal action to collect funds.

If being harassed, debt collection victims can file complaints with the Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, State Attorney General’s Office and other local consumer affairs agencies or other the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Are you too busy to fundraise?

FUNdraising Good Times

By Mel and Pearl Shaw

The most valuable gift may be the gift of time.

While we give the gift of our time through our actions, we cannot actually give anyone an extra hour. We all get 24 hours a day. No more. Yet many of us are so busy it feels as if

there isn’t enough time. In the nonprofit sector this manifests as “too busy to fundraise.” Very few people will say it out loud, but their actions are a clear communicator.

Here are a few of the common phrases we have heard in conversation over the years.

“If I just had more hours in the day,” “I need more time,” and alltime conversation starter, “I’m just so busy.” We get it. Life is full. But busyness can get in the way of fundraising. People are not ATM machines. Identifying, cultivating and sustaining relationships with donors and funders takes time. And, for nonprofit leaders it should be a priority. It’s just not something you can delegate. Yes, you can have a development director – you may even have a team of professional fundraisers. But that doesn’t mean you are not the CFO (chief fundraising officer.)

If yours is a small, grassroots or emerging organization it is even more important that you make the time for fundraising.

When leaders are too busy to fundraise we have a few suspicions about why that might be. Here are a few. You don’t like to fundraise. You lack

Don’t make excuses – get busy fundraising.

You have enough time. understanding of the business and art of fundraising. You don’t have a clear understanding of your role and responsibilities.

You have not yet embraced the idea that you are the chief fundraiser for your organization.

Luckily there are indicators that can shed light on this situation. Our unscientific study

has identified 10 indicators that you may be too busy to fundraise. Are any of the following familiar?

Are you unable to return calls in a timely manner, lack of trust in staff and volunteers, a tendency to micro manage, unable to set priorities, absence of a “Plan B,” not able to focus – easily distracted, unable to embrace new ideas and let staff and volunteers run with them, no time to spend time with top donors and prospective funders or have a lack of planning and lack of accountability and transparency?

Don’t make excuses – get busy fundraising. You have enough time.

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.

Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Staff Writer Abeni Hill Contributing Writers Nadvia Davis Fred Easter Timothy Houston Michelle Mitchum Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography David Bradley Uchechukwu Iroegbu Rebecca Rabb Artist Donald Walker 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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Insight News • November 20 - November 26, 2017 • Page 5

Giving the gift of a permanent family

By Janine Moore Hennepin County Child and Family Services Most of us don’t choose our families.

During National Adoption Month in November, we make a special effort to honor those families who do choose to give the gift of a permanent family to teens, children and infants who desperately need someone in their corner.

By the end of this year in Hennepin County, we expect at least 124 infants, children and teenagers will begin their new lives with 89 families who have

made a commitment to support them for a lifetime. Hennepin County Juvenile Court will finalize their adoptions and they will become permanent forever families. These children will gain new siblings, grandparents, cousins, aunties, uncles, friends and neighbors as well.

Whatever time of year a family commits to a child by adoption, they are continuing the process of healing from the kind of life experiences no child should ever endure.

These children will also enjoy unconditional love and the support of parents and family members who attend their school plays, band concerts, athletic events and more. They will be

Janine Moore

able to look into the audience and see a familiar face smiling back at them, and affirming that nothing is more important to that adult than they are at that moment.

We often have 18-yearolds tell us they still want to be adopted. That is a good reminder that you’re never too old to crave and deserve a network of supportive, loving people who have your back for the long haul.

It’s hard to overstate the impact that the gift of adoption can have on a child, and on parents. It can take months or even years, adoptive parents tell us, but the moments they see that they are making a difference are priceless. It may come in

the form of an unexpected hug, an art project from school that demonstrates their love, or even the words, “I love you.”

Whatever time of year a family commits to a child by adoption, they are continuing the process of healing from the kind of life experiences no child should ever endure.

A family does not need to be perfect to adopt. A successful adoptive family has very little to do with income, cars,

or a fancy home but instead has everything to do with consistency, commitment, and unconditional, lifelong love. The family must respect, support, value and celebrate the culture and diversity of the child. With our partners in the private sector, we work hard to find the right fit, the right family to foster and sometimes adopt our children.

Adoption isn’t for every family and that is OK. However, for those families who choose adoption, it is important to know that your commitment, love and support benefits the child, your family, your community and society. On behalf of all previous, current and future adoptive children, I thank you.

Public schools are more segregated than they were 40 years ago

Segregating public schools won’t make America great Commentary by Rushern Baker County Executive, Prince Georges County, Md. On November 4, 1952, Dr. Helen Kenyon addressed the Women’s Society of Riverside Church in New York City and opined that, “Eleven o’clock Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. often paraphrased the quote.

Today, sadly, our public schools best reflect Kenyon’s and King’s sentiment as the most segregated place in America.

The rampant re-segregation of American public schools poses a great threat to the trajectory of America’s progress.

Sixty-two years after Brown v. Board, the Government Accountability Office reported from the years 2000-2014, both the percentage of K-12 public schools in high-poverty and the percentage of African-American and Hispanic students enrolled in public schools more than doubled, and the percentage of all schools with so-called racial or socioeconomic isolation grew from 9 percent to 16 percent.

Research shows that racial and socioeconomic diversity in our classrooms leads to higher than average test scores, greater college enrollment rates, and the narrowing of achievement gaps.

These gains don’t just apply to poor and children of color either.

Every student benefits from learning and engaging with peers from different backgrounds.

Despite the evidence, today our public schools are more segregated than they were 40 years ago.

As an advocate for children and families, and as a public

Pro-Black From 3 politics, which were antithetical to nearly every person in the ward of which you were sworn to serve. To paint it as anything else is irresponsible at best, and intentionally divisive at worst.

Let us remind you, we as an institution reached out to you on multiple occasions during your tenure in office, only to be rebuffed. We called, sent emails

DFL From 3 talk loudly and “stop being thugs” if they hope to survive a police encounter, now finds himself accused of criminal and destructive actions. A Public Safety Chair, who suggested that law enforcement requires African-Americans to behave as though they are presumed guilty until proven innocent, would now like to be afforded the same due

MPD From 3 and transparent. On the same day the chief and others from the department were spreading cheer in North Minneapolis; the department announced it would release a use of force “dashboard” online, offering a further level of transparency.

For the young kids, the event

servant, who has fought for more resources for students, I believe we must act boldly to save free, high-quality public education for all.

Some of the very leaders tasked with solving the negative effects from school resegregation offer shortsighted policies that exacerbate racial and economic divisions. The ripple-effect, consequences of their misguided thinking remains the greatest policy foible of the modern era. Lazy logic behind bad policy feeds a perception that that the achievement gap exists simply because poor and students of color learn differently than their wealthier, white peers. Rather, it is directly tied to declining enrollment, lower property values, and the dwindling resources available to tackle mounting challenges in the communities that surround underperforming public schools.

The greatest irony remains that those promoting harmful education policies use the same language of “giving every child a chance at a high-quality education” to pitch their taxdollar-poaching and resourcepilfering experiments to desperate parents.

Rather than making public education a number one priority, a “Hunger Games” like competition for vouchers and charter schools leaves parents and students fending for themselves. The families that lose the education lottery end up at schools with increased needs and declining resources. In Maryland, the governor’s BOOST voucher program set aside $5 million of public money to help 2,400 families pay for their children’s education. Yet, 80 percent of the families receiving these grants had children who were already enrolled in private schools.

Rushern Baker, the county executive for Prince Georges County, Md., says a “Hunger Games” like competition for vouchers and charter schools leaves parents and students fending for themselves.

Vouchers, whose American roots can be traced back to some Southern states’ attempts to avoid integration, perpetuate segregated education and are nothing more than a thinlyveiled attempt to cut off funds to public schools. It gets even worse. Some communities have simply seceded from the larger school district, as we’ve seen in Alabama and Tennessee, to keep from integrating their schools. Since 2000, the U.S. Justice Department has released 250 communities from their desegregation orders and consequently facilitated their financial and administrative secession from their school districts.

After all those factors lead

and offered you a platform during multiple face-to-face encounters. As was the case with most community forums, you were a no show for us as well. As your voicemail states, “The Google voice customer is unavailable at this time.”

Again, absolutely, we are supportive of the candidates who will go to bat for Black people, but never in our esteemed history have we judged others on their ethnicity. That is contrary to our every belief. In our reporting and our endorsing, we have provided a much-needed voice

to the conversation of equity and inclusion. How could we in good conscience fight for the inclusion of some at the exclusion of others? We could not. We would not. Your suggestion to such is, to use your words, “the saddest reality.”

As I said, losing hurts. I’ve been there. But Blong Yang, what you lost on Nov. 7 was nothing in compared to what you lost on Nov. 9 with your Facebook post. What you lost there was your dignity. And you lost our respect.

process and the same benefit of the doubt he refused to extend to our community. This is hypocrisy.

To maintain any semblance of integrity he should resign immediately. Regardless of this aspect, Rep. Cornish needs to resign, because as Quade stated, we cannot allow our State Capitol to be one of “many institutions across the country where power and fear allow sexual harassment to fester.”

Moving forward, we support Martin’s call for required sexual harassment training for all campaigns receiving DFL

support. We look forward to participating and incorporating these trainings and more importantly inscribing those value into our organization.

In a broader sense, we as Minnesotans, must continually re-examine our professional relationships to ensure all are comfortable, welcome and safe; in our work, in campaigns, at the Capitol, and in everyday life.

was less about frayed relations.

It was about getting to take a fieldtrip and meeting the likes of Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Minnesota Supreme Court justice, Alan Page, Minnesota Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve, Vikings running back Mack Brown and getting to get some fun goodies to go along with the turkeys. For Page it was about coming together as one.

“We’re a community, and to me it’s bringing community together to make sure everyone

is taken care of,” said Page. “I think that’s critical. The reality is when we don’t know each other we don’t come together, so we’ve got to know one another.”

“Events like this unite the department and community. It’s about doing something great for people,” said Community Engagement Unit officer, Jon Edwards. “It’s a critical step forward in the right direction.

Everybody should have a plate of for Thanksgiving.”

to a dip in school performance, students and their communities are stigmatized as “failing.”

Schools close. Quality of life

drops, economic prospects dwindle, public safety decreases and the cycle repeats, so that higher needs populations

receive even fewer resources.

I know. I’ve lived through it. It’s time to back up the big talk of “opportunity for all” with policies that don’t ask parents to compete for a few spots, but instead, make public dollars work for every child.

We’ve embraced this mission in my home of Prince George’s County, Md., where I serve as county executive.

Though we know our best days are to come, we’ve seen incredible progress – increased enrollment, higher graduation rates, an increase in innovative academic programs and more students receiving college scholarships.

The debate over how we improve public education can’t begin with state-funded segregation, which harms communities and students, especially our most vulnerable.

Let’s secure our children’s futures and the future of America by making a meaningful investment in quality public schools for all.

Rushern Baker, a graduate of Howard University, is the county executive in Prince George’s County, Md. You can follow him on Twitter at @ CountyExecBaker.

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

Insight 2 Health

insightnews.com

Eli Lilly meets with multicultural groups to discuss healthcare in the U.S.

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly meets with multicultural groups Nineteen leaders of select, national multicultural organizations visited the headquarters of Eli Lilly and Company, the global pharmaceutical maker, for an all-day “learning lab” about the pharmaceutical industry’s role in the healthcare system.

Attendees heard from Lilly’s senior leadership team, as well as individuals working in clinical trials, research, manufacturing and medicine.

Attendees also toured a drug development lab, participated in informational sessions on healthcare topics, and learned about the variety of diversity and inclusion initiatives underway at Lilly.

Lilly’s senior leadership team talked about how the company values the hard work and dedication of community groups that are also committed to ensuring quality healthcare for patients and caregivers.

Lilly’s senior leadership team said the company welcomed opportunities to share an innovator’s perspective on the biopharmaceutical industry in the United States and their efforts to provide value to the healthcare delivery system. The company’s leaders said they also look forward to gaining more insight from organizations that represent multicultural communities.

Eli Lilly and Company

A group of leaders from national multicultural organizations, including Ron Burke from the NNPA (center, gray jacket, blue shirt), visited Eli Lilly headquarters to learn more about the pharmaceutical industry’s role in the healthcare system.

Treating pain: When is an opioid the right choice?

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Long-term use of opioids can lead to physical tolerance, misuse, addiction and unintentional overdose.

In recent years, prescription and use of opioid medications has steadily increased. These drugs are currently responsible for the majority of prescription drug-related overdose deaths in the United States.

Still, despite the steep risks associated with opioid misuse – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls the problem an epidemic – these medications remain an important option for their original purpose … managing pain. In certain situations and, generally, for short periods of time, opioids can offer safe and powerful pain relief.

Types of pain for which opioids may be prescribed

Shutterstock

Opioids offer comfort to those in pain when taken as directed.

Opioid medications are often prescribed for a sudden, acute

episode of pain that occurs after surgery or a traumatic injury,

such as a broken (fractured) bone.

Opioids are used for as short a

period of time as possible in such cases – often, just a few days.

In addition, opioids offer an important treatment option for people with cancer-related pain.

Studies indicate that up to onethird of cancer patients don’t receive adequate pain treatment.

People with poorly managed cancer pain are at increased risk of long and repeated hospital stays, of disruptions in their treatment schedule and of difficulty managing the activities of daily living. Opioid treatment can play an important role in improving the lives of people with cancer.

In very select cases, opioids may also be the right choice for those living with chronic, noncancer pain that hasn’t responded well to other pain medications and affects one’s ability to function. Opioids can lead to long-term medical side effects, including making chronic pain more difficult to control. After a short trial of opioid treatment, a person’s doctor will only con-

tinue prescribing these medications if regular checkups show the benefits outweigh the harm.

Expect close follow-up during opioid treatment Before prescribing an opioid to treat pain, a doctor will get a detailed medical, family and social history and have a patient undergo a thorough physical examination. Results can help determine whether opioids are right for a patient. One’s medical history will also help the doctor determine if someone should be seen by a mental health provider or addiction specialist while you’re using opioids, to reduce the risk of unsafe use. Patients with a prior history of any substance abuse are at significantly increased risk of developing addiction to these medications.

While taking opioids, a doctor will require frequent follow-up visits as well as periodic laboratory tests to monitor for side effects and potential misuse.

Lifelong strategies for preventing dementia

By Dr. David Knopman Neurology, Mayo Clinic Doing activities that stimulate the brain may reduce your risk of developing dementia.

But it’s more complex than taking up puzzles or computer games at age 65. Research suggests that the value of cognitively stimulating activities builds up over a lifetime. That means acquiring a good education, working in a job that is mentally stimulating and engaging in pastimes, hobbies and social activities that are mentally engaging are all part of reducing your risk for developing dementia.

For example, studies have shown that the more years of education a person has, the lower the dementia risk.

This appears to be because people who spend more time engaged in learning across their lifetimes tend to develop more robust networks of nerve cells and connections between

those nerve cells within their brains. Those networks are better equipped to handle the cell damage that can happen as a result of brain disorders that may lead to dementia.

Before continuing, it would be wise to define “dementia.”

Dementia describes symptoms that affect a person’s memory, thinking and social abilities to the point that it’s difficult to perform normal daily activities. Dementia is caused by brain disease. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common and one of the most wellknown. Diseases that affect the blood vessels – the same diseases that cause heart attacks and stroke – are the second most common cause of dementia.

So, in addition to participating in activities that are mentally engaging, avoiding conditions that increase heart attacks and strokes also reduces your risk of dementia.

Maintaining healthy levels of cholesterol and blood

Shutterstock

Keeping the brain stimulated can help in preventing dementia. pressure, avoiding diabetes, not smoking, staying at a healthy weight and exercising regularly all have been shown

to improve later in life. it’s best if components

cognitive health Again, however, one make them of a healthy

lifestyle in younger years and sustain them as one get’s older.

If brain blood vessels stay in good condition throughout

young adulthood and midlife, they are more likely to be able to remain healthy as you age.

If the health of those blood vessels deteriorates when younger, it’s difficult to mend the damage later. And damage to the brain’s blood vessels can be a factor in dementia.

This is not to say that incorporating healthy choices into one’s lifestyle if older won’t make any difference.

They can positively affect cognitive and physical health.

But to gain the most benefit, it’s best to have them in place as soon as possible.

Social interaction is an area where anyone can make a change at any time, and it will likely have positive cognitive benefits. Regularly interacting with others – family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, community members – can lift mood, improve outlook and engage the brain. All positively affect cognitive abilities, and being socially engaged has been shown to ease symptoms of dementia.

insightnews.com

Insight News • November 20 - November 26, 2017 • Page 7

Community North Minneapolis support group leader honored NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) presented Don Russell with a Program Volunteer of the Year Award at its Annual Conference, held in St. Paul on Nov. 4.

The award recognizes an individual who has given generously of their time and expertise and has shown exceptional leadership in one of NAMI’s programs.

“Don Russell facilitates the North Minneapolis NAMI Connection support group for people recovering from mental illnesses. NAMI Connection groups meet weekly, and Don has been leading the group since November 2012. That’s over 250 group meetings – now that’s dedication,” said NAMI’s executive director Sue Abderholden. “Don cares

deeply about the people who attend his group. He often stops by the office to pick up materials so that they are easily available to people who attend the group. He doesn’t want there to be any barriers to people learning

I NEED TO

BUY GROCERIES.

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Robert Robinson more than a singing group.

The group has formed special bonds of friendship, and experienced the joy of learning and performing,” said executive director Wingspan Therese Davis.

“Music’s transformative powers uplift, heal and unite us. We have seen shy Glee Club members become leaders, witnessed improved self-esteem, and watched audiences be deeply moved

non-profit organization that works to improve the lives of children and adults with mental illnesses and their families through its programs of education, support and advocacy.

Don Russell

Robert Robinson holiday concert to benefit Wingspan Minnesota vocal treasure Robert Robinson will perform a benefit concert with Wingspan’s Glee Club at 3p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3 at Roseville Lutheran Church, 1215 Roselawn Ave. W., Roseville.

Robinson served as the executive and artistic director of the Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir for 20 years. He has toured nationally and internationally and his musical catalog includes 12 solo projects.

For more than 44 years, Wingspan has served adults with developmental and other disabilities in the greater Twin Cities. The residential program includes 25 group homes, a crisis respite house, and an in-home program for those still living with family or independently.

Since 2013, Wingspan has had its own Glee Club in partnership with the group music therapy program offered by MacPhail Center for Music.

“Glee Club is so much

about mental illnesses or the mental health system.

Most importantly, Don offers people hope – hope for recovery, that not only can you get better, you can turn around and help others.”

NAMI Minnesota is a

as members deliver their songs with sweet, unbridled enthusiasm,” said Glee Club’s facilitator, development officer, Darolyn Gray.

Tickets are $20 and may be purchased online at www. givemn.org/organization/ wingspan-life-resources, by phone at (651) 888-3112 or at the door. For more information, email dgray@ wingspanlife.org.

You can do both. MNsure is the only place to find out if you qualify for financial assistance. See how we can help you at mnsure.org, or call 1-855-3MNSURE.

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

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

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

Lifestyle Happy Thanksgiving to all the families Man Talk

By Timothy Houston All around the country, families will be coming together this week to give thanks.

The Thanksgiving holiday weekend are of the busiest travel days of the year. People will be traveling near and far to be with friends and loved ones.

This Thanksgiving, I will be hosting the family gathering at my home. Family is the basic building blocks for communities, and it is a big part of the American culture.

As you and your family give thanks, take some time to reect on what it really means to be family.

Family is an intentional creation. Whether blended, multicultural or from a single homogenous unit, family is more than an accidental act, or a political or religious concept. Rather, it originates from the mind of God. As recorded in the book of

Genesis, family is a deliberate creation of the creator, and it is directly blessed by God. No sooner after God creates man and woman that he blessed them and told them to create a family. “God blessed them,� states Genesis 1:28, continuing, “He said to them, ‘Have children and increase your numbers.’� Thus, family is an intentional creation that is always spiritually correct despite a politically incorrect world.

Family is universal biblical teaching that transcends time and space and should be never seen as old-fashioned or outdated.

So our concept of family is more than an Old Testament biblical teaching. Even deep into the New Testament, the concept of family is valued as a foundation that was especially designed by God. The New Testament reminds us that you will ďŹ nd families in heaven and earth.

Because heaven is eternal, you will ďŹ nd families today, tomorrow, and forever. Thus, the concept of family is always relevant and in style.

Family is a basic building block for a community. It is more than a household unit. In the Bible,

Shutterstock

Family represents a microcosm of the community within which we live. every family represented a microcosm of the community within which it lived.

Therefore, when families failed, the community itself failed. In times of crisis, families were relied upon to support and strengthen the community. For example, Moses was charged to oer the following order to his followers – “Make sure there isn’t a man or woman among your families or tribes who turns away from the Lord

our God (Deuteronomy 29:18).� The family served as a keeper of the core values of the community in which it lived. Families are the fundamental building blocks of a community. You cannot build a community with without building families; therefore, growing families grows communities.

What is a family? It is a communal, spiritually correct, relevant, intentional creation by God. It is more

than a domestic unit that is only deďŹ ned by the number of parents and children. Family connects us to others outside of our households. Although your family unit is deďŹ ned by you, it is measured by your community. Your culture, religion and language are also important ingredients and they will bind you with others of like conviction.

Family is natural and spiritual. Forged in the mind of God, it is and will forever

be divinely created, and for that, we give thanks. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

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.

The push for a critical race theory course at a predominately white institution A view from campus

By Latisha Townsend Columnist For new readers, I would like to reiterate that I am an African-American student in my senior year at a predominantly white institution (PWI).

I am very pro-Black and extremely pro-woman. For this reason, I will be observed on many occasions speaking passionately and in support of issues that pertain to one or both communities.

I am currently taking a class called Whiteness and Communication where most of our sessions are spent discussing white privilege, power dynamics, stereotypes, and how “white culture� has historically impacted people of color. Something I would

Appetite From 2 ees include Hmong American Farmers Association, St. Paul ($247,425), Latino Economic Development Center, St. Paul ($500,000) and NorthďŹ eld Healthy Community Initiative, NorthďŹ eld ($200,064). In North Dakota, Fargo-Moorhead Coalition for Homeless Persons, was awarded $68,762 and Vision West ND/Dunn County, Dickinson, N.D. received $500,000. In South Da-

like to point out is the fact that this class is very low-key and was not advertised much to the student body. I do not believe that this was done intentionally, but if it was done intentionally, I would not be surprised.

Another conclusion I came to while sitting in this class amongst many unaware white students is that Black people learn about racism, inequality and privilege from real world experiences. I am aware that I am oppressed as a Black woman, but I am also aware that I am very privileged in other ways.

However, for three months I have observed white students still learning what their privileges are and how they aect others. While I like my classmates a lot and I have come to understand how they might be confused at some things that relate to Black culture, it is disappointing to see that there are still 20/25-year-old white people learning about oppression

and privilege in a classroom.

They were not taught it in their households about it or made to be conscious about what was happening around them.

I say all of this to say Black students at a PWI could greatly beneďŹ t from a course designed to give us more in-depth knowledge on our culture as well as for white students to sit in and learn the truth about us. Most history books have provided nothing more than a paragraph on Black history that only touches the surface of how we have gotten where we are now. Additionally, these history books are written by the dominant culture, which gives them the power to rewrite history in any way that they feel will beneďŹ t them.

I decided to put my interviewing skills to use and asked an African-American professor at my university, Dr. Timothy Berry, to tell me a little bit about a course he is trying to birth at Minnesota

kota, Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation, Pine Ridge, S.D. was awarded $500,000.

Now in its ďŹ fth year, the Bush Prize celebrates organizations that it says are extraordinary not only in what they do but in how they do it. The Foundation received 127 applications for the 2017 Bush Prize. Three panels of community members chose the winners from their respective states. “The 2017 winners are unstoppable forces who show up every day determined to create collective solutions for their

communities,� said Mandy Ellerton, Bush Foundation community innovation director. “They push through challenges and hardship for causes they care about, stirring up and inspiring much-needed change in the places they call home.�

The Bush Foundation was established in 1953 by 3M executive Archibald Bush and his wife, Edyth Bush, and today works in communities across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geographic area.

ClassiÀeds

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What course are you trying to implement? How did you get to this idea?

The course will be called Introduction to Critical Race Theory. I have thought for some time that undergraduate students at MSU Mankato need to be exposed to a course that helps understand race and racism from a systemic and structural perspective. With so much racial exploitation and lack of linear progress with civil rights going on in the world, I feel this is a much-needed course.

What makes this course signiďŹ cant/important for black students at MSU? It will provide them with vocabulary and language that names much of what they feel and experience because of the construct of race.

What

do

Fax: 612.588.2031

Oak Ridge Manor 1199 Bahls Drive Hastings, MN 55033 (651) 437-1367

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State University-Mankato (MSU). Here is what was discussed.

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students will get out of it?

They will potentially be empowered to know how activism can be informed by critical theory.

What makes you qualiďŹ ed to teach this course?

I have studied and applied critical race theory from several years. I write a CRT (critical race theory) blog and am a certiďŹ ed facilitator for the Courageous Conversation About Race Protocol, which will be used in this course.

How receptive have students been to this idea?

We have around 60 signatures from students who have expressed interest in taking the course.

This is an indication that there is great interest.

Have you experienced any drawbacks to this idea during the process?

Do you need any support in going forward?

The process for creating

Email: info@insightnews.com

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and starting a new course is long and complex at our institution. There are some systemic hurdles to clear, such as vetting it through faculty across the university to assure there is no duplication of courses.

Student support is the best support we can get. This course is for them. We would not be pursuing this if not for the sake of our students, and ultimately our democracy.

As the writer, my hope is this information will help spread awareness in Minneapolis to prospective students and community members who may oďŹ&#x20AC;er support for Dr. Berry.

Latisha Townsend is a senior at Minnesota State University, Mankato majoring in Communications.

She is the president of the student organization, Black Motivated Women. She can be contacted at Latisha.

Townsend@mnsu.edu.

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

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Hip-Hop Nutcracker

Tower of Power

Monday, Nov. 20 JAZZ Tower of Power Dakota Jazz Club 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. $40-$70 Urban soul and jazz fusion greats, Tower of Power, brings its distinct sound to downtown for a return gig at The Dakota. This show is not to be missed by the music enthusiasts.

Nov. 20 Dec. 3, 2017

Tuesday, Nov. 21 HOLIDAY/DANCE “The Hip-Hop Nutcracker” State Theatre 805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 7:30 p.m.

All ages $28.50-$68.50

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

Hip-hop icon, Kurtis Blow, and Brooklyn based theatrical hip-hop dance company Decadancetheatre present a new twist on an old holiday favorite at the State Theatre.

Wednesday, Nov. 22 REGGAE/DANCEHALL Dancehall Madness PreThanksgiving Bash The Red Sea 320 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis 10 p.m.

18-plus $10 Reggae, dancehall, soca, and hip-hop are on DJ

Sounds By Fujun’s menu for this Thanksgiving-eve party.

Thursday, Nov. 23 DANCE PARTY ThanksGiving Takeover7 Privé 315 North 1st Avenue, Minneapolis 10 p.m.

21-plus Black N White Ent. presents another holiday takeover for the club hoppers.

Friday, Nov. 24 DISCUSSION Black to the Future – AfroFuturism and Black Liberation High School for Recording Arts 1166 University Ave. W., St. Paul 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

The Nu Skool of Afrikan American Thought presents topical lectures on African and AfricanAmerican history, culture and issues of today.

Special guest is Pamela Fletcher, contributing author of “Blues Vision: African American Writing from Minnesota.”

Saturday, Nov. 25

Flip Phone presents its popular drag brunch series with an ode to Rihanna.

Party with Mercedes Iman Diamond, Tygra Trinity Slarii and Genevee Ramona Love. The brunch is hosted by Sasha R Cassadine.

Sunday, Nov. 26 I MPROV

POC Improv Jam No. 12 – One Year Anniversary HUGE Theater 3037 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

The objective of the POC Improv Jam is to bring people together to learn more about improv, meet new people, or network.

No experience is required.

Monday, Nov. 27 HIP-HOP/CLUB NIGHT M O N D A Y $: All Rap Party Loring Bar & Restaurant 327 14th Ave. S.E., Minneapolis 9 p.m.

18-plus $5 A new weekly of hip-hop dance music starts at the nostalgic LPB with DJ TIIIIIIIIIIP, Keezy, Otto, and Espada.

DANCE/DRAG/BRUNCH

Tuesday, Nov. 28

Rihanna Drag Brunch Union Bar & Grill 731 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

HEALTH/WELLNESS Yoga for People of Color Imbue Yoga Studio 2223 E 35th St., Minneapolis

6 p.m. – 7 p.m. $7-$14 This new weekly is set up as a safe space for people of color practicing Yoga.

There is a sliding scale fee of $7-$14.

Wednesday, November 29

Socaholix Dance Party Bunkers Music Bar & Grill 761 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis 9:30 p.m.

21-plus $7 Soak up the sounds of Trinidad at Bunkers in the Warehouse District.

Saturday, Dec. 2

HIP-HOP/JAZZ/SPOKEN WORD

HIP-HOP

The Feels Icehouse 2825 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis 10 p.m.

21-plus $8

OSP Album Release Nomad World Pub 501 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis 8 p.m.

21-plus $10

The monthly dedicated to healing through the arts is back for the third season. Join DJ Miss Brit, Comedian Pierre Douglas, Dua, Seaberg, Mr. Mastermind and more.

“As a veteran of the Minneapolis Hip-Hop culture, Robert ‘OSP’ French understands and embraces the power of hiphop and the change that can be created through the movement. ‘Say It Loud’ paints a picture of social strife and calls for voices to rise up for change throughout the record.” – Syrka Records

Thursday, Nov. 30 HOLIDAY MUSIC Robert Robinson with Gwen Matthews The Dunsmore Room at Crooners 6161 Highway 65 N.E., Minneapolis 7:30 p.m.

21-plus $35-$40 Gospel great Robert Robinson plays at Crooners with Gwen Matthews.

Friday, Dec. 1 SOCA/CLUB NIGHT

Sunday, Dec. 3 STEPPERS SET HWMR Presents: StepWith2 H White Men’s Room 1500 44th Ave. N., Minneapolis 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

No cover Dwight and Joan Halliburton of StepWith2 will give an introduction to Chicago-style stepping.

Coming together with soul food The Un-Bougie Foodie

By Wesley Wright

www.facebook.com/ theunbougiefoodie With any cuisine, there are comfort foods that can transport people back to a nostalgic time of childhood, or just feel mentally at ease as they eat their favorite meal.

But mention the words “soul food” to friends, and it’s almost like you can see their eyes start to dance with excitement as they’re ready to share with you vivid stories about family Sunday dinners, holiday meals or special occasions that ate those delicious dishes.

Oftentimes, these stories will include their siblings, the

parents and even the funny uncle or inquisitive aunt that may ask a ton of embarrassing questions.

Ultimately though, it comes back to food that is shared with loved ones. Listening to chicken being fried golden brown in a cast iron skillet. Cornbread fresh out of the oven with a small pat of butter on top. Macaroni and cheese – made from scratch – with the blend of various cheeses covering every surface of the pasta. Don’t forget the greens. Whether they be collard, mustard, or turnip greens they are another staple that highlights the wistful experience of being together.

I recall at the age of 23, a Canadian friend and I visited Manhattan. Of course, we did the standard touristy things (Central Park, Ellis Island, Rockefeller Center, etc.), but it was in our day-long visit to Harlem that I got to have my first experience with authentic soul food. After

literally having a private tour at the historic Apollo Theater, we asked the host where can we get some food that gives us a true feel of the Harlem community.

He told us to go down two blocks on West 126th Street and then take a left at Malcom X Boulevard/Lennox Avenue and we’ll find Sylvia’s Restaurant.

Once inside, we had marvelous home-style cooking that you can tell had been perfected decades prior, and being enjoyed by people of so many different nationalities, which left me with a lasting impression.

Fast forward to present day, my focus as of late has been on finding great soul food within the Twin Cities. So, a recent event I attended called Soul Bowl hosted by Chef Gerard Klass, (on Facebook @klassicsmpls) emphasized people gathering together to enjoy some soul food.

Described as being

Soul food is as much about offering comfort as it is about offering nutrition. convenient and customizable bowls that contained familiar soul food items, he prepared fried chicken, greens, candied yams and more with an urban twist of unique flavors. The event setting offered long circular tables for community seating, giving people a chance to meet

and engage in conversations in an urban setting while enjoying an elevated dining experience.

This made me appreciate once again the importance of food in our communities.

It’s not just for sustenance, but that it also serves as a vehicle to cultivate new relationships,

having honest conversations, and always striving for progress in our communities.

Wesley Wright is the creator and host of “The Un-Bougie Foodie,” which airs Saturdays at 10 a.m. on 104.7 FM, WEQYLP.

insightnews.com

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

Orchestra creates space for artistic expressions

By Nadvia Davis Students briskly trickled into a classroom with their instruments at Ascension School, 1726 Dupont Ave., Minneapolis, on a Saturday morning preparing for the MacPhail Northside Youth Orchestra (MNYO) rehearsal.

MNYO is a relatively new orchestra created to bridge the music pathway between traditional school orchestras and formal music lessons hosted at MacPhail Center for Music, 501 S. 2nd St., Minneapolis. The musical partnership between MacPhail and Ascension was established in 1989, but the youth orchestra itself didn’t launch until 2016.

Sarah Krefting, MacPhail Northside Orchestra Coordinator shared some thoughts from the participants since it began.

“Some of these kids go to Ascension and get it (rehearsals) three days a week and then they come here on the weekends and say it’s a totally different experience,” said Krefting.

The MNYO orchestra is primarily made of middle and high school-aged students with some previous experience on an instrument.

“We do require a year of playing. We had to have some

type of threshold. That said, we have varying levels here,” said Krefting.

Jordan Dotson, a sophomore at Minneapolis South High School plays the violin in the MNYO. She has been a member of the orchestra since its inception, but has been playing the violin since the age of five.

“The best part of MNYO is getting to meet all these people and having a space to express myself,” said Jordan.

When asked what she tells her friends about how she spends her Saturday mornings Jordan replied, “I have to go play violin with great people for three hours.”

Jordan would not be as involved playing the violin and balancing her academics if it wasn’t for her biggest supporter, her mom LaCresha Dotson, who is a Northside resident and huge advocate for MNYO. “It’s a great orchestra. They have great concerts. I mean they get to play at Orchestra Hall … some big places,” said Dotson.

In an effort to help Jordan become even better at playing the violin, Dotson provides encouragement regularly.

“If you want to be a violinist, it’s your craft. You have to practice,” said Dotson.

Currently Jordan is in

Kris Drake Photography

Members of the string section of the MacPhail Northside Youth Orchestra

Kris Drake Photography

Youth orchestra violinist, Jordan Dotson.

MNYO, she’s in South High’s string band and she is also in South’s jazz band.

Jordan is one of roughly 24 members that make up the full MNYO orchestra,

which includes strings, brass, woodwinds and percussion.

Students range from grades seven to 12. Many, but not all, of the participants live in and attend school North Minneapolis. The

majority of the music played in the orchestra is classical. Dotson says it would be nice to hear the participants play songs from a variety of music genres.

“They should incorporate some different kinds of music like rhythm and blues or jazz. I get that we like the Bach’s and the Beethoven’s though,” said Dotson.

Staff members recognize there is room for growth and are having conversations about recruitment, retention and marketing to build on the foundation of the program moving forward.

Overall, mostly positive

feedback has been shared about the connections that MacPhail is creating with schools across the Twin Cities. During the recent rehearsal, the participants carry a sense of pride, a level of excitement and focus knowing they are part of a talented orchestra.

“Once you are connected with MacPhail, you’re always connected with MacPhail,” said Dotson.

The next upcoming MNYO performance will be held in January.

For more information or to enroll a child, visit www. macphail.org/courses.

Denzel delivers Oscar-quality performance as attorney with Asperger›s in ‘Roman J. Israel, Esq.’

By Kam Williams Roman J. Israel (Denzel Washington) is a highfunctioning savant with autism who has been practicing law in Los Angeles for the past 36 years.

The brilliant attorney has spent most of his career under the radar, writing legal briefs in a rear office for indigent criminal defendants, while his partner, William Henry Jackson, served as the face of the firm; whether cultivating clients or arguing their cases in the courtroom.

This unorthodox arrangement worked well for Roman who, besides his disorder, is a longtime political activist dedicated to a progressive agenda, namely, to assist downtrodden individuals unfairly ensnared in the net of the prison industrial complex. And because of that commitment, he›s been willing to work for far less pay than colleagues of his caliber. Consequently, the highly-principled lawyer has had to scrape by on a modest salary, living in the same dive for decades, where he subsisted on a steady diet

Denzel Washington of peanut butter sandwiches and jazz classics played on an old-fashioned turntable.

Everything changes the day William Jackson suffers a heart attack and the two-person firm is forced to dissolve. Roman first applies for a position with

a public interest non-profit that shares his values. But when the empathetic director (Carmen Ejogo) explains that she doesn›t have the money to hire an attorney, he resigns himself to joining a corporate firm where he›s soon teamed with a young associate (Colin Farrell) interested only in maximizing profits.

This leaves Roman sitting on the horns of an ethical dilemma. Should he abandon his morals to keep a roof over his head? That is the question at the center of “Roman J. Israel, Esq.,” a compelling

character portrait written and directed by Oscar-nominee Dan Gilroy (for “Nightcrawler”).

The legendary Washington is quite convincing, as well as moving, here, as a beleaguered soul, afflicted with Asperberger›s syndrome.

His powerful performance might very well be remembered at Oscar time, given the Academy›s recent history of rewarding thespians playing impaired characters, including Eddie Redmayne (2014) for wheelchair-bound Stephen Hawking, Colin Firth for stuttering King George VI, Geoffrey Rush for mentally-ill

David Helfgott, Tom Hanks for dimwitted Forest Gump, Tom Hanks for AIDS patient Andrew Beckett, Daniel Day-Lewis for cerebral palsy victim Christy Brown and Dustin Hoffman for playing a mathematics savant in “Rain Man.” Win, lose or draw, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” deserves accolades aplenty on its own right for its touching treatment of such a sensitive subject.

Excellent (4 stars) Rated PG-13 for violence and profanity.

CONCERT series

CONCERT series

SOULFUL SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS

TUE DEC 5 7:30PM

DEC 15

Grammy & Oscar Winner, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Star

DA R L E N E Love for the Holidays

ALSO ON SALE

Stokley of Mint Condition Sonic Healer Tour DEC 10 Darlene Love Love for the Holidays DEC 15 The Temptations & Four Tops JUNE 17

GIVE THE GIFT OF THE ARTS

ALSO ON SALE

Will Downing DEC 5 Stokley of Mint Condition Sonic Healer Tour DEC 10 The Temptations & Four Tops JUNE 17

GIVE THE GIFT OF THE ARTS

ORDWAY.ORG ORDWAY.ORG This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

651.224.4222 TTY651.282.3100

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

651.224.4222 TTY651.282.3100

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

Today everyone is a photographer. We’ve all got cameras attached to our palms in the disguise of a phone. Each is equipped with top-of-the-line editing tools and we can click away ‘til our hearts are content because there’s no worry about running out of film.

It wasn’t like that years ago.

In the 1970s and 1980s photography was a specialty. Most did not have the luxury of possessing a camera; and those who did

didn’t take it with them wherever they went.

Charles Chamblis was not most.

Known as “The Picture Man,” through his lens, Chamblis documented AfricanAmerican life for nearly two decades. His photos captured the surreal and the mundane. Before they were international stars, Chamblis chronicled the lives of the likes of Morris Day, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Jellybean

insightnews.com

Johnson and more.

Chamblis’ photographs are the subject of a new book, “Sights, Sounds, Soul: The Twin Cities Through the Lens of Charles Chamblis.” The book was written by Davu Seru and published by the Minnesota Historical Society. Several photographs are on display at Mill City Museum, 704 S. 2nd St., Minneapolis. Insight News was there for the exhibit’s debut. The exhibit runs through March.

Photos by Uchechukwu Iroegbu

Prophets of Peace performed during the exhibit opening.

Shannon Miles checking out the works of Chamblis.

Raja Doake (left) and Liza Williams admiring Chamblis’ photos.

Floyd Price perusing through a copy of “Sights, Sounds, Soul.”

Joyce Johnson with her copy of “Sights, Sounds, Soul.”

Davu Seru, author of “Sights, Sounds, Soul: The Twin Cities Through the Lens of Charles Chamblis.”

Former wife of the late Charles Chamblis, Jeanette Chamblis-Priestly.

Join NEON, WBC and Blexit as they present Black Friday on Broadway Ă &Z ϮͲĚĂLJ ƐŚŽƉƉŝŶŐ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŚŝŐŚůŝŐŚƟŶŐ ůŽĐĂů ƐŚŽƉƐ ĂŶĚ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐĞƐ ũƵƐƚ ŝŶ ƟŵĞ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ŚŽůŝĚĂLJƐ͊ dŚŝƐ ĞǀĞŶƚ ĨĞĂƚƵƌĞƐ ĞŶƚĞƌƚĂŝŶŵĞŶƚ͕ ĞdžĐůƵƐŝǀĞ ŽīĞƌƐ͕ ĚŽŽƌ ƉƌŝnjĞƐ͕ ŐŝǀĞͲĂǁĂLJƐ ĂŶĚ ŵŽƌĞ͊ dŽ ůĞĂƌŶ ŵŽƌĞ ǀŝƐŝƚ www.neon-mn.org or call 612.302.1505.

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