Insight News ::: 12.18.17

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Insight News December 18 - December 24, 2017

Vol. 44 No. 51• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

The Night Before Christmas At the Fitzgerald Dec. 23

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Page 2 •December 18 - December 24, 2017 • Insight News

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Wirth Grocery Co-op is the people’s store

By Kristel Porter Wirth Cooperative Grocery Store After 10 years of dedication and hard work by many community members in North Minneapolis, we finally opened the doors to Wirth Cooperative Grocery Store at 1835 Penn Ave. N. With support from more than 700 members, a federal grant and key funders Sunrise Banks, Shared Capital Cooperative and Latino Economic Development Center, we were able to secure a 4,500-square foot storefront in the Commons at Penn building on Penn Ave. and Golden Valley Rd. We are working to implement a Wirth Market Bucks program to support low income families when patronizing our store, and continue to offer discounted memberships to them as well. One misconception with co-op grocery stores is that you have to be a member to shop there. This is untrue. Everyone is welcome. This also translates in how we hire our staff.

In fact 99 percent of our employees currently reside in North Minneapolis.

Wirth Coop also purchases a lot of our fresh produce from local community gardens within North Minneapolis.

With that being said, we not only provide healthy food, but believe in

Photos Harry Colbert, Jr.

Addressing what was once a food desert, Wirth Cooperative Grocery Store opened this past summer at 1835 Penn Ave. N. in North Minneapolis. supporting economic development within our community as well.

One battle we are currently fighting is our cost of goods. Currently, coop grocery stores in Minneapolis pay a much lower cost for their goods, which equals to a higher profit

margin and a much larger return on their investment. This is because they have established themselves and proved a demand within their community. The Wirth Coop is working hard to reach a $2 million sales goal in order to join the National

Cooperative Grocers Network (NCG), which will allow us to have more favorable prices for our community.

We hope that individuals who read this letter, will begin to support their co-op and include Wirth Cooperative Grocery into their

regular Grocery shopping routine.

This is your store, owned by the community and employed by the community. Spread the wealth,

increase racial equity, and create a healthier community.

Letter to the Editor

Trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act through tax bill is heartless I’m concerned about the newest attempt by the GOP to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by repealing the individual mandate in their tax pan.

This issue is personal to me family. On May 5, 2009, My husband and I lost our oldest child and only son at age 22 to Neuro-sarcoma cancer – an incurable and aggressive form of cancer. When he was diagnosed in June of 2008, shortly after turning 21, we had no insurance. My husband

was self-employed, and I now needed to leave my job for the new one … that of caring for our son. Cancer and cancer treatment is expensive and ugly.

There is nothing like combing your son’s hair and watching as every strand comes out in your hands as you comb them completely bald, or watching someone waste away in front of your eyes.

Thank God, we lived in Minnesota with its progressive healthcare policies like

Minnesota Care. At first, he wasn’t eligible for medical assistance due to living at home with us and our income counted against him. We had no way to pay for his care. However, when we went to meet an intake worker face-to-face, that worker took pity on us. Even though it was near the end of the day, she took our case directly to her MinnesotaCare supervisor and used only his income. They expedited his care and had him approved the

same day for $30.00 a month.

Because it was near the end of the month, He was able to begin his chemotherapy within the next two weeks. The relief from all the fear, anxiety and pressure I felt overwhelmed me and I broke down into tears right there in the office.

I am eternally grateful to these people for fast-tracking his application which should be done for anyone facing a lifethreatening illness.

For many parents who

lose a child, one or both often develop a list of illnesses and ailments. This was the case for my husband. Presently we have our insurance through the ACA, and thanks to that I have been spared facing some of those same fears and mental torment again. It is hard enough for a parent to face the possible death of their child, but to add the powerlessness of giving or getting help for one’s child is inhumane and filled with mental and emotional anguish.

For the Trump Administration and the GOP legislators to work so hard at leaving more families – 13 million by CBO stores – in these types of situations is unconscionable, cruel and heartless. Repealing or undermining the ACA with no plan to repair or replace is shameful and disgusting.

Dionne Trice Minneapolis

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Insight News • December 18 - December 24, 2017 • Page 3

aesthetically speaking

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

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Insight News December 18 - December 24, 2017

Vol. 44 No. 51• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

North Market means consumers have choices

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor @HarryColbertJr In a sign of progressive leadership and development, two new groceries have opened to serve the residents of North Minneapolis – Wirth Co-op Grocery at 1835 Penn Ave. N., which opened this past summer, and North Market, 4414 Humbolt Ave. N., which opened this past Wednesday (Dec. 13). And judging by the opening-day crowd at North Market, the new grocery and wellness center is a welcomed (and long overdue) addition to the neighborhood.

“Grocery stores are seen as anchors in neighborhoods. With the opening of North Market it’s about neighborhood stabilization,” said Adair Mosley, interim president and CEO of Pillsbury United Communities, the driving entity behind North Market. “With North Market, it means 40 people from the neighborhood working. Hopefully this is the catalyst for growth and a look to where we’re going as a

Photos by Uchechukwu Iroegbu

Adair Mosley, interim president and CEO of Pillsbury United Communities opened North Market on Dec. 13. community.”

The lack of sustainable food sources in North Minneapolis was not lost on Nikki McComb, creative community coordinator for Pillsbury United Communities and resident of the Camden

neighborhood.

“There are 36 convenience stores over here, and this is the first grocery store in my neighborhood,” said McComb. “This is a trailblazing effort to offer food access over here.”

In addition to a vast selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry and dry goods, North Market offers something shoppers won’t find in most grocery stores.

North Memorial Health System operates a wellness center inside

the market and Noir Elite Fitness presents morning workout classes.

The market also provides and on-site nutritionist in addition to community health workers.

“This is something in which the community can truly take

pride,” said Mosley.

North Market is open daily 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. Additional information about the market and resources available via the market can be found online at www. mynorthmarket.org.

Forced to tell the truth Commentary

By Gene M. Nichols African American Leadership Forum

If you read the Nov. 27 edition of Insight News, you may have noticed a strange-looking fullpage ad on page 5.

With black text on a blank white background, the ad states facts such as, “Smoking kills, on average, 1,200 Americans every day” and “More people die every year from smoking than from murder, AIDS, suicide, drugs, car crashes and alcohol combined.”

After nearly 20 years of litigation, tobacco companies

Limited forced advertising does little to reverse the harm tobacco companies have caused the African-American community. are being forced to run ads highlighting information they long fought to keep from the public about the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke and how they manipulate their

products to create and sustain addiction. The ads are running nationwide, on television for a year and in select newspapers until March 2018.

However, tobacco

companies are only required to publish these ads in one newspaper in Minnesota, and you’re reading it.

It’s good that tobacco companies are being forced to tell the truth in an AfricanAmerican newspaper, because tobacco does disproportionate harm in our community.

Compared to the general population, African-Americans smoke at higher rates and have a higher incidence of tobaccorelated cancer and heart disease.

African-Americans are more than 30 percent more likely to die of lung cancer than the general population and 53 percent more likely to die of heart disease. In fact, African-

TOBACCO 5

Will fund improvements to North Commons Park

NCAA unveils logo for 2019 men’s Final Four The NCAA and the Minneapolis Final Four Local Organizing Committee (MLOC), along with Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and University of Minnesota Men’s Basketball Head Coach Richard Pitino joined at the North Commons Recreation Center in North Minneapolis to reveal the official logo for the 2019 NCAA Final Four.

The unveil of the Final Four logo in front of dozens of elementary school students who use the center is what the committee said is one of many community-focused activities that will take place in Minneapolis and around the state over the next 16 months, culminating with the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball

NCAA 4

Harry Colbert, Jr.

Bernard Muir (left), Stanford University athletic director and 2019 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball committee chair, joined Gov. Mark Dayton (seated to his left) at North Commons Recreation Center, 1801 James Ave. N., Minneapolis, during the unveiling of the new 2019 Men’s Final Four logo.

Business News

NOBLE Despitelaunches Unequal local chapter Treatment, Black Women Will Rise

4 PAGE 5

News 2 Health Insight Why ending Don’t complain, AIDS activate in Africa matters to Black Americans

5 PAGE 6

David Oyelowo

Pillsbury United’s Adair Mosley to receive Life me Legend award

David Oyelowo keynotes 28 th annual MLK Holiday Breakfast David Oyelowo, award-winning actor known for his critically acclaimed role in “Selma,” will serve as keynote speaker at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday breakfast.

This year the annual celebration, which falls on King’s actual birthday, Jan. 15, moves to the newly renovated Minneapolis Armory, 500 S. 6th St. The event begins at 7 a.m.

Organized in partnership

by General Mills and United Negro College Fund (UNCF), the event’s theme is “Building Bridges for a Bold Dream.”

In remembrance of King, a 1948 graduate of HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Morehouse College, proceeds from the event will help deserving area students get to and through college and provide resources to UNCF-member institutions.

“We’re thrilled to have Mr. Oyelowo share his experience embodying and paying tribute to

I2H Commentary

Hundreds War on opioids ralliedhurts for sickleMill, Meek cell disease but what patients about the rest?

6 PAGE 7

Dr. King through his masterful performance in ‘Selma,’” said Michael Lomax, president and CEO, UNCF and fellow Morehouse HBCU alum. “This is an especially powerful year for the event, as it marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s tragic assassination. We honor his sacrifices when we teach the next generation about the act of giving back. By serving our communities, we build bridges to a better future for us all.”

The annual holiday breakfast began when UNCF and General Mills joined to host a community celebration to honor the legacy of King.

What started with 800 guests in 1991 has grown so large that it reached capacity seating at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Past speakers have included former Secretary of State, Gen. Colin Powell, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker,

MLK 5

Commentary Community

The Chronicles real meaning of of Miss Freedom Fighter, Christmas Esquire: Ending mass incarceration

7 PAGE 9

Page 4 •December 18 - December 24, 2017 • Insight News

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Business

Educators call on corporations to pay their fair share to support our public schools

St. Paul Federation of Teachers calls on Super Bowl hosts to invest in public schools Members of the St. Paul Federation of Teachers (SPFT) called on the NFL and the hosts of the Super Bowl Host Committee – including US Bank and Ecolab – to invest in Minnesota public schools.

According to the SPFT, funding for public schools in Minnesota has declined since 2003, while the needs of students continue to grow.

Schools that primarily serve students of color and lowincome students feel this underfunding most of all.

“Racial bias and corporate

power should not hinder the success of our students, but that is exactly what is happening to students of color all over the Twin Cities,” said Hani Ali, an organizer with the Movement for Black Lives in Minneapolis.

While funding for public schools declined, large corporations avoided paying millions in taxes through loopholes and tax breaks.

According to the federation of teachers, US Bank avoided paying $10 million in Minnesota state income taxes

last year and Ecolab holds $2.1 billion in profits in offshore tax havens. SPFT says this money could have been used in our schools to hire more mental health professionals, provide universal preschool, or expand restorative practices to slow down the school-to-prison pipeline.

SPFT is demanding the corporations, which are investing millions of dollars to bring the Super Bowl to Minneapolis, invest in our communities and in area public school students.

“There is no shortage of wealth in Minnesota and in St. Paul,” said Nick Faber, elementary school science teacher on release serving as president of SPFT. “We just chose to give that money to millionaires and corporations instead of to public schools.”

Joining SPFT calling for school investment are Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL), Black Lives Matter Minneapolis, and others from Minnesotans for a Fair Economy.

Racial bias and corporate power should not hinder the success of our students, but that is exactly what is happening to students of color all over the Twin Cities.

INSIGHT New flex posi on offers opportunity to serve three days a week providing reading or math support in local schools Minnesota Reading Corps and Minnesota Math Corps offer three-day positions 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

AmeriCorps programs, Minnesota Reading Corps and Minnesota Math Corps, have a new three-day flex position for individuals serving in Minnesota schools.

Reading Corps and Math Corps tutors in Minnesota have the option to serve in schools three days (18 hours) per week, six hours each day.

Tutors serving in this new three-day flex position will earn $225 every two weeks and also receive $1,230 as an education award that can be used for tuition or student loan repayment. Individuals 55-plus

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 Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang

NCAA From 3 Championship at U.S. Bank Stadium, April 6 – April 8, 2019.

“The Final Four logo itself represents a terrific opportunity to showcase Minneapolis to the rest of the world,” said Kate

Our Reading Corps and Math Corps tutors are essential to supporting students who are falling behind in reading and math.

Mortenson, MLOC president and chief executive officer. “As we prepare for the Final Four and four days of basketball excitement, we’re also working to ensure our initiatives engage and benefit Minnesota’s youth, business community and residents. Today’s event is just the beginning.”

The logo combines the look of the Minneapolis skyline, by including the shape of U.S. Bank Stadium, with the contrasting nature of the state.

“We are thrilled to bring one of the world’s best sporting events back to Minneapolis,” said Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior

can gift the award to their child, grandchild or foster child.

“The three-day position was created to give more people the opportunity to serve, even if it is a few days out of the week,” said Sadie O’Connor, Minnesota Reading Corps and Minnesota Math Corps managing director.

“Our Reading Corps and Math Corps tutors are essential to supporting students who are falling behind in reading and math. More than 1,000 people serve each year and we’re proud that Minnesotans are willing to make a commitment to help all students succeed.”

The new three-day position was designed for individuals who want to make an impact but who are unable to commit to a five-day per week schedule.

Three-day tutors will receive the same comprehensive training along with ongoing coaching at their site. No technical training, certification or educational background is required.

Tutors give students individualized attention in math and reading where they are struggling most. To learn more about the position and to apply, visit www.readingandmath.net.

vice president. “While this will be the fourth time the city has hosted the Final Four, it will look entirely different for fans who attended it here in the past.

The days of having just two games on Saturday and another Monday are a thing of the past.

There will be plenty of activities for everyone to take part in, whether or not you have a ticket to the games, or even if you’re not a basketball fan. It’s going to be an incredibly exciting time for the community and we look forward to continuing the planning stages for the 2019 Final Four.”

The MLOC also announced

Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed

Harry Colbert, Jr.

Come April 2019, for the fourth time ever, a championed in NCAA men’s Division I basketball will be crowned in Minneapolis.

Receptionist Lue B. Lampley

North Commons Park, 1801 James Ave. N., a more than century-old Minneapolis park on the city’s Northside, will be the site of the NCAA’s next Legacy Restoration project. The 25-plus acre park, had its first basketball goals installed in 1908 and the NCAA will renovate the center’s outdoor courts. Other planned updates are expected to be announced in the coming months.

Staff Writer Abeni Hill Contributing Writers Nadvia Davis Fred Easter Timothy Houston Michelle Mitchum Artika Tyner Toki Wright

“We are excited to welcome thousands of basketball fans from around the country to Minnesota,” said Dayton. “This epic showdown will shine a national spotlight on everything that makes Minnesota such an incredible place to live or to visit. I thank the NCAA and our organizing committee for bringing this exciting national championship to Minnesota.

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 • December 18 - December 24, 2017 • Page 5

Black officers organize president and Ramsey County undersheriff, Booker Hodges.

The NOBLE Northstar Chapter intends to offer mentoring, training and career advancement opportunities to up-and-coming officers of color. NOBLE regional vice president and board member Brenda Andrews and Ramsey County Sheriff Jack Serier attended the launch event and to show their support for the NOBLE Northstar.

NOBLE, which was formed in 1976 and has nearly 60 chapters worldwide, represents more than 3,000 executive and commandlevel law enforcement leaders of color. NOBLE has also served more than 60,000

Filling a gap that was left when a previous National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) chapter closed almost 15 years ago, Minnesota law enforcement leaders have joined together to roll out a reinvigorated local chapter – NOBLE Northstar.

The launch was made official on Dec. 6 at a press conference at the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office in St. Paul.

“We’re in desperate need of an organization in Minnesota that can mentor the next generation of officers of color toward becoming law enforcement leaders,” said NOBLE Northstar Chapter

Gov.

MLK From 3 the Rev. Joseph Lowery, the late Yolanda King, Rep. John Lewis, Marian Wright Edelman, Donna Brazile, Vernon Jordan and former Massachusetts

Tobacco From 3 Americans have the highest death rates and shortest survival rates from most cancers.

These disparities are disturbing but unsurprising, considering the aggressive targeting of African-Americans by tobacco companies. For decades, they have pushed menthol cigarettes in Black publications, donated to Black community organizations and sponsored music and sporting events. They targeted Black neighborhoods with signage – take a look at corner stores and you’ll see that practice continues with big Newport and Kool ads.

Big Tobacco continues to put

Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office

(Left to right) Michelle Tege, New York Police Department officer and NOBLE national board member Eddie Frizell, Minneapolis Police Department deputy chief of patrol and NOBLE Northstar board member Booker Hodges, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office undersheriff of administration and NOBLE Northstar president, Brenda Andrews, Detroit Police Department deputy chief (retired) and NOBLE national regional vice president and John Harrington, Metropolitan Transit Police Department chief of police and NOBLE Northstar board member.

youth worldwide through mentoring, education, leadership development and safety initiatives.

Deval Patrick.

This year’s Lifetime Legend award honoree is Adair Mosley, interim president and chief executive officer at Pillsbury United Communities. Mosley has played a key leadership role in the development of North Market, a new grocery store that provides access to nutritious food, health care services,

and community wellness education in North Minneapolis.

To purchase tickets, which are $50, or for more information on the 28th annual holiday breakfast, visit w w w. M L K B r e a k f a s t . c o m .

The event will be broadcast live on Twin Cities Public Television at 8 a.m.

corporate profits ahead of human lives and public health.

The court-ordered “corrective statement” ads don’t go far enough to show how tobacco companies have deceived and exploited African Americans – and all Americans – to create and sustain addiction.

They don’t reveal what a federal court found – that tobacco companies destroyed documents, suppressed negative research and intentionally deceived the public about the dangers they knew about smoking – dating back to the 1950s. And the ads don’t reach those who could benefit most – young people. Audiences for primetime network television and newspapers skew older.

That’s why it is up to us to spread the word about Big Tobacco lies – and save lives.

My own brother passed away from COPD this summer after years of tobacco addiction.

It’s heartbreaking to watch a family member suffer from smoking-related disease, and it’s far too common. Chances are, you have someone close to you, too, who is harmed by tobacco addiction.

Health advocates in Minnesota are working diligently to raise awareness about the truths tobacco companies were finally ordered to tell in these ads.

Make sure you share the news – in person with family members and friends, via social media (check out www.facebook.com/ smokefreegenMN ) and with local policymakers.

Speak up and share the truth, because that’s the last thing Big Tobacco wants you to do.

I NEED TO

BUY GROCERIES.

I NEED HEALTH Insurance.

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.

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EXCLUDES ALL: Deals of the Day, Doorbusters, Everyday Values (EDV), Last Act, Macy’s Backstage, specials, Super Buys, athletic clothing/shoes/accessories, baby gear, cosmetics/fragrances, designer handbags, designer jewelry/watches, designer sportswear, electrics/electronics, furniture/mattresses, gift cards, jewelry trunk shows, select licensed depts., previous purchases, restaurants, rugs, services, smart watches/jewelry, special orders, special purchases, select tech accessories, toys, 3Doodler, American Rug Craftsmen, Anova, Apple Products, Ashley Graham, Avec Les Filles clothing, Barbour, Brahmin, Breville, Briggs & Riley, Brooks Brothers Red Fleece, COACH, Demeyere, Destination Maternity, Dyson, Eileen Fisher SYSTEM, Fitbit, Frye, Global Cutlery, Hanky Panky, Jack Spade, Judith Leiber, Karastan, kate spade new york, Kenneth Cole men’s shoes, Kiehl’s, KitchenAid Pro Line, Le Creuset, Levi’s, littleBits, Locker Room by Lids, Marc Jacobs, select Michael Kors/Michael Michael Kors, Michele watches, Miyabi, Movado Bold, Natori, Nike swim, Original Penguin, Panache, Rimowa, Rudsak, Sam Edelman, Shun, Spanx, Staub, Stuart Weitzman, S’well, Tempur-Pedic mattresses, The North Face, Theory, Tommy John, Tory Burch, Tumi, UGG®, Uttermost, Vans, Vitamix, Wacoal, Wolford & Wüsthof; PLUS, ONLINE ONLY: kids’ shoes, Allen Edmonds, Birkenstock, Hurley, Johnston & Murphy, Merrell, RVCA & Tommy Bahama. Cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer except opening a new Macy’s account. Extra savings % applied to reduced prices.

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ONE DAY SALE PRICES IN EFFECT 12/1912/20/2017. MERCHANDISE WILL BE ON SALE AT THESE AND OTHER SALE PRICES NOW THROUGH 1/2/2018, EXCEPT AS NOTED. OUR MACY’S MONEY REWARD CARD may not be: redeemed for cash, used to purchase Macy’s gift cards or applied as payment or credit to your credit card account. If a purchase used to accumulate Macy’s Money is returned, your return may result in a reduction of the value of your Macy’s Money Reward Card and/or a reduction of your total refund amount. The remaining balance of your Macy’s Money Reward Card will reflect the Macy’s Money amount you qualify for after deducting the returned item(s) from your original purchase amount. See the back of your card for the expiration date.

Page 6 •December 18 - December 24, 2017 • Insight News

Insight 2 Health

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Why ending AIDS in Africa matters to Black Americans

By Dr. Djibril Diallo Regional Director for Western and Central Africa, UNAIDS At the start of the month World AIDS Day launched an initiative aimed at ending HIV/AIDS. As a public health crisis in Africa, it could be a catalyst to trigger discussions about HIV in the African-American and African diaspora communities in the United States.

In recent months, several African heads of state have made public their commitment to support the goal of ending AIDS by 2030. In September, six African heads of state joined UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé at the HIV Fast Track event organized during the 72nd United Nations General Assembly held in New York City and presided over by President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. Earlier in July, during

the African Union (AU) Summit, AU Chair, President Alpha Conde of Guinea convened the AIDS Watch Africa Heads of State and Government meeting where the leaders endorsed the “Catch-Up Plan for West and Central Africa” and declared their commitment to providing the needed policy and resource changes to help achieve the target goals.

The Catch-Up Plan is an 18-month initiative developed to accelerate the AIDS response and prevent a resurgence of the HIV epidemic in the 25-country region. Its focus is on testing, knowing one’s HIV status and treatment and prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

The initiative was crafted to complement existing health plans that the countries have been using to address HIV and AIDS. Today, thanks to advancements in medicine and increased access to antiretroviral medications for many people in Africa and around the world,

unaids

Dr. Djibril Diallo being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS is no longer a death sentence. In so many cases, with treatment the disease can be managed like a chronic illness and kept under long-term control with medication.

However, at a time when the global response to HIV is accelerating, millions of people in Western and Central Africa are being left behind. There is a considerable gap when it comes

to people knowing their HIV status, and for those who test positive to receive the necessary treatment.

The same can be said for the populations most vulnerable to the disease in the United States, as well.

Many of the issues that continue to fuel the HIV/AIDS crisis on the continent are also the root cause for the high infection rates found in African-American and Hispanic populations in the U.S., including some of the same barriers that keep people from seeking to know their HIV status, having access to treatment and properly following up on treatment; namely poverty, fear, stigma and discrimination.

On both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, the HIV/AIDS mirror reflects the same faces – the young, the poor, women, high-risk populations, as well as children. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta reported “African-Americans continue to experience the

greatest burden of HIV compared to other races and ethnicities.” In 2015, data released earlier this year, the CDC noted AfricanAmericans who represent around 12 percent of the U.S. population, but account for 40 percent of all people living with HIV/AIDS and nearly 45 percent “of all persons with newly diagnosed infection.” Latinos, who represent around 17 percent of the U.S. population, account for nearly 21 percent of people living with HIV and an estimated 24 percent of all persons with newly diagnosed infection.

The Catch-Up Plan for West and Central Africa initiative can serve as the entry point for talking about HIV/AIDs and related health issues in Africa globally and in particular, as it concerns African-American and African Diaspora communities in the U,S. Dr. Djibril Diallo is the UNAIDS director of the Regional Support Team for West and Central Africa.

Adults need vaccines too

Influenza, also called flu, makes thousands of Minnesotans sick every year.

This can cause them to miss work and school. While most people get better, the flu can be dangerous enough to lead to hospitalization, and even death in some cases. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) urges everyone six months of age and older to get vaccinated, saying it is especially important for young children, pregnant women, older people and those with long-term health conditions.

Along with a flu vaccine, MDH says adults need other vaccines. Some adults may not have gotten certain vaccines because they were not available when they were children.

According to MDH, each year, thousands of adults in the United States suffer from serious illnesses that could have been prevented by vaccines.

The department is

encouraging Minnesotans to ask their physician about vaccinations for tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Td or Tdap, measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), chickenpox, human papillomavirus (HPV), shingles, pneumococcal, meningococcal and hepatitis A and B. MDH says those traveling outside of the United States may need additional vaccines.

Though vaccines are thought of to be childhood inoculations, MDH says we need vaccines throughout our life to help stay healthy. It also reminds there are some clinics in Minnesota that offer free or low-cost vaccines for people who do not have health insurance.

For more information on vaccinations, visit www. health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/ immunize/adult/adultsneed. html.

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The Minnesota Department of Health is encouraging adults to get vaccinated for the flu and other contagious diseases.

Clinical trials critical to fighting sickle cell disease Chief Medical Officer, Pfizer Rare Disease Unit

By Dr. Kevin Williams Clinical trials are critical to bringing new medicines to people who need them, particularly those affected by conditions with limited treatment options, such as sickle cell disease (SCD).

These studies, which determine the safety and effectiveness of new investigational treatments, rely on the participation of volunteers. Without enough volunteers, researchers are unable to complete the research required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to evaluate if a new drug should be made available to patients.

Therefore, the only way to get any drug approved by the FDA and accessible to patients in need is through clinical trials.

Unfortunately, finding enough patient volunteers

is often a challenge in conducting clinical trials, and this has been particularly true for trials exploring new treatment options for SCD, which occurs in one out of every 365 AfricanAmerican births. Although African-Americans make up 12 percent of the U.S. population, they comprise only 5 percent of clinical trial participants overall.

Fear and misunderstanding about clinical trials likely contribute to the difficulty of recruiting participants.

Recently, Pfizer and the NNPA collaborated on a national poll consisting of 741 participants to learn more about perceptions of SCD and clinical trials in the AfricanAmerican community. A majority of respondents indicated a willingness to participate in future clinical trials for SCD, if given appropriate knowledge and recommendations from health care professionals.

Of those who indicated that they would not participate in clinical trials, “fear of uncertainties” was the most cited reason.

To help address some of these uncertainties, I’m here to answer the most common questions about clinical trials. It is my hope that this information will help you make an informed decision should you or a loved one choose to participate in a clinical trial in the future.

Are clinical trials safe?

Strict guidelines and supervision are in place to protect the safety of people who take part in studies – from careful study design to periodic monitoring of study data by independent experts.

That said, clinical trials are designed for research purposes, and because of this, there is some level of risk involved. However, before an investigational drug can be given to clinical trial volunteers, researchers must complete a rigorous screening and preclinical testing process (in the laboratory and in animals), which can take up to six years to complete.

If I participate in a clinical trial, will I get a “sugar pill” or placebo instead of a

real drug?

Participants in a clinical trial using a placebo will always be informed if there is a possibility they could be receiving the placebo, which looks identical to the real drug but does not contain the active ingredient.

However, the vast majority of studies are not placebocontrolled trials, and patients in the clinical trial who are not receiving the drug under study will receive the current standard of care available to the public. Patients who take part in clinical trials will never be asked to sacrifice quality of care.

Will it be expensive to participate in a clinical trial?

Patient care costs are generally covered by health insurance, as they are for tests and treatments you would receive even if you were not involved in the research.

The majority of participants in clinical studies receive at least some reimbursement from their health insurance.

Most often, the clinical trial sponsors will pay for the study therapy and insurance

companies will pay for the routine care procedures, such as blood tests.

Before participating in clinical trials, I recommend checking with the researchers regarding your financial responsibilities as a patient, as well as with your health insurance carrier regarding coverage.

How do I find out about clinical trials?

You can always talk to your doctor; however, he or she may not know about all available clinical trials that might apply to you. Only approximately one in five patients say that their health care professionals have talked to them about participating in a clinical trial.

As for resources, the National Institutes of Health (www.clinicaltrials.gov) has an online database that is a great tool to search for appropriate trials. Another great resource is “I’m In” (www.joinimin.org), a campaign to build awareness about the importance of diversity in clinical trials, especially among AfricanAmericans, Asian-Americans

and Hispanic populations.

What’s the timeframe for clinical trials?

I’m often asked, “Why does a new treatment take so long?” The short answer is treatment takes as long as it does because the cardinal rule of medicine is, “First, do no harm.” Thus, the development of a new therapy is a multi-stage, complex process that has to meet the highest standards of patient protection.

Clinical trials, which generally take five to 10 years, are at the center of the rigorous science that demonstrates the safety and efficacy of a medicine and provides a thorough view of its benefits and risks, and is the only avenue to bring medications to patients in need.

This article is the third installment in the “Ask Dr. Kevin” series, presented

by Pfizer Rare Disease Unit in collaboration with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) to increase understanding of sickle cell disease.

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Insight News • December 18 - December 24, 2017 • Page 7

Commentary Hundreds rallied for Meek Mill, but what about the rest?

Commentary by Lynette Monroe NNPA Newswire Guest Columnist

Recently, hundreds of fans and supporters held a rally outside a Philadelphia courthouse, chanting for Robert Rihmeek Williams a.k.a. Meek Mill, to be released.

The rapper was sentenced to two to four years in prison for violating his parole, stemming from 10-year-old charges, including drug possession and carrying a firearm without a license. Several media outlets have reported that the presiding Judge Genece Brinkley is now under investigation by the FBI. In the United States, there are more than 61,000 people incarcerated for parole

violations. So, to all of a sudden see thousands of people chanting and tweeting #FreeMeekMill is ironic to say the least. Mass incarceration is a part of the rudimentary diet of Black people, appearing on the menu alongside predatory lending and housing discrimination. It is difficult to find a Black person who has been exempted from interaction with the criminal justice system; either through the incarceration of family and friends, an overnight stay for traffic violations or extended restrictions due to parole or probation agreements. I have a brother, cousin, and boyfriend incarcerated, right now. In Meek Mill’s case, I agree with the sentiment that the two- to four-year sentence is unwarranted, however, our sole concern should not be whether or not the subsequent consequence for the violation of these terms is fair; he agreed

HotNewHipHop

Meek Mills to them and has violated those terms several times. The issue is a system that does not carry out justice equally; a system where if Meek Mill were white, statistically he would less likely be arrested or incarcerated in the first place.

Now, I know we protest for unarmed civilians murdered at the hands of police, but where was that same outrage when Kalief Browder was held in Rikers Island for three years without a trial? He later committed suicide and Jay-Z produced a documentary about Browder’s tragic life. And what about the millions of Black men and women trapped in a system of injustice that don’t rap or rise to the attention of people like Jay-Z? Their stories go untold in the absence of media coverage, sometimes, because they don’t fit the narrative that establishes purity as a prerequisite for grace.

The support for Meek Mill in the Black community wasn’t unanimous; Blacks seem to have a much harder time forgiving these transgressions than their white counterparts.

In August, when an 8-yearold Black boy was hung by a

rope in Claremont, N.H. by several older, white children, Claremont Police Chief Mark Chase said that the culprits should be protected.

“Mistakes they make as a young child should not have to follow them for the rest of their life,” said Chase in response to inquiries about the investigation.

Why can’t we, as Black people defend our family and friends with matching zeal?

Why must we send our young men and women into the belly of the beast to “learn a lesson” we couldn’t teach them at home?

Why have we accepted the disproportionate incarceration of Black Americans as the norm?

Some still view incarceration as a subconscious right of passage to adulthood for Black youth in America?

Take a few minutes and think about the number of people that you know who

are currently incarcerated, have been incarcerated or on probation. Now, did you march in the streets for them? Did you sign a petition for them? Will the FBI investigate the judges who sentenced them? Did you offer to put money on their books?

Did you accept a collect call? If so, probably not as much as you could have. Not as much as you should have. But, I bet you were at the “welcome home” party.

Anyway, I’m really happy for y’all. I’m gonna let y’all finish marching for Meek, but remember, according to a study

by The Marshall Project, as of April 2017, an estimated 61,250 Americans are incarcerated for technical parole violations.

They too deserve your support.

Lynette Monroe is a graduate student at Howard University. You can follow her on Twitter @_monroedoctrine.

Zimbabwe’s Mugabe, like Haiti’s Duvalier, a disgrace Commentary by Douglas R. Ewart Robert Mugabe, ousted leader of Zimbabwe, was initially a good revolutionary and leader, but he eventually became corrupted by power.

Absolute power eventually becomes obsolete power. Mugabe made serious mistakes in the way he approached reallocation of land to disenfranchised Africans, and in how he treated the white population/nonBlack African populations of Zimbabwe. I firmly believe in the redistribution of land to the

Wikipedia

Robert Mugabe indigenous Africans, however, that task must be done with visionary thinking, skills, and justice at its foundation. Two wrongs can never make one right.

Mugabe got lost along the way.

He started out doing good and wound up doing well for himself, his colleagues and clique, which is more than disappointing; it is dismaying and a throwback to the very powers that he and the people of Zimbabwe opposed and fought ardently to depose.

There is nothing that Mugabe could have done in another term that he did not do in 40 years of rule, and then he had the gall to try and shoe in his very corrupt wife as the new leader of Zimbabwe.

It was simply reprehensible.

Mugabe should have stepped down a long, long time ago with dignity rather than in disgrace.

Mugabe reminds me of François “Papa Doc” Duvalier

of Haiti. Both were fabulous visionaries that grew massive and impenetrable mental, ideological, philosophical, and character cataracts. When the leaders have no vision, the people suffer and die and the people must install new leaders with short-term limits, and with vigilant and diligent oversights on the part of the people.

Whoever takes over from Mugabe has to be strong, incorruptible and stealthy.

Remember, the so-called advanced nations and their cooperations don’t really want to see/have a progressive and righteous African leader – a leader that has the interest of

their people and Africa at heart – because that will mean an end to unfair access to their/ Africa’s natural resources.

Remember what happened to Patrice Lumumba and other progressives? “The Red Scare,” and “Red Baiting” were used as justification for murdering them in their own countries.

The so-called democratic nations are totally corrupted and inebriated with power. These are all old and new colonists that benefited from slavery, imperialism, colonialism and are benefitting from the new forms of colonialism – the International Monetary Fund, The World Bank, Inter-American Bank,

World Trade Organization and the list is practically endless.

They act like friends, but their realities are more like foes. Just look at how they give so-called aid, loans, and the terms. The other aspects are that all the countries that benefitted from hundreds of years of slavery, peonage, share cropping, code noir, Jim Crow, KKK, and more, they have not paid and/or are unwilling to pay reparations. That ought to tell you/us something.

France demanded, “The 90 million gold francs, which Haiti paid France from 1825

MUGABE 9

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Insight News • December 18 - December 24, 2017 • Page 9

Community The real meaning of Christmas Man Talk

By Timothy Houston Columnist It is that time of the year again where I like to share what is the real meaning of Christmas is from lessons I learned from the 1965 CBS debut of the animated special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.�

At the beginning of the program, the main character Charlie Brown is not sure of the real meaning of Christmas.

He conďŹ des in Linus that even though Christmas is approaching, he still feels depressed due to the over-commercialization of Christmas. Is Christmas overcommercialized? I do believe that if we don’t keep the real meaning of Christmas in mind, we may also become depressed

or overwhelmed. Here are some valuable Christmas lessons you can learn from Charlie Brown.

Charlie Brown discovers there is more to Christmas than just getting presents. Christmas is about giving. On Lucy’s advice, Charlie Brown agreed to direct a school nativity play.

Lucy is right, we can all beneďŹ t from giving. Look around. Become more involved in the things that connect you to your family and others. Giving is the ďŹ rst step to connecting to the real meaning of Christmas.

Charlie Brown also discovers there is more to Christmas than spending money. On the way to the auditorium, Charlie Brown stops by Snoopy’ s doghouse, only to ďŹ nd out that even his own dog has gone commercial.

He later runs into his sister Sally, who asks him to write her letter to Santa Claus requesting large sums of money. We should not follow Snoopy and Sally’s example. Steer clear of people and events that add to your frustration. The ďŹ nancial

Sandy Pope Photography

Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ, not a time for stress and anguish. pressure of keeping up with the “Jones� can be overwhelming.

Later Charlie Brown

Talk about racism was just that ‌ talk A view from campus

By Latisha Townsend Columnist I attended the annual Time to Talk discussion held Dec. 5 by the YWCA in Mankato.

There were about 500 people in attendance. The room was ďŹ lled with people of all cultures, but an overwhelming number of white participants.

The goal of Time to Talk is for people of diverse cultures to sit down and discuss ethnicity in a safe place without judgment.

The highlight of the event was the guest speaker, Carlotta Walls Lanier. Walls Lanier is the youngest of the Little Rock Nine. The Little Rock Nine was the ďŹ rst group of Black students to integrate a white high school in 1957 after the Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education Topeka decision. She talked to us about how being in a “war zoneâ€? fearing for her life on a daily basis shaped her as a person.

When she came out I was ďŹ lled with joy and admiration like I have never experienced.

Three other Black people and I stood up immediately to clap for her, which resulted in the sounds of 500 chairs pushing out to join in the standing ovation. I will never forget that moment.

My discussion group consisted of three young Black women including me, and ďŹ ve middle-aged white people including our facilitator. During discussion we were not allowed to have our phones on, we could only use “Iâ€? statements, and only one person could speak at a time

as long as they had the “talking stick.� Some of the questions we were asked were about color blindness, our personal experiences with ethnicity, and how we can come together and eliminate racism.

I am going to speak bluntly here as I reect on this experience. First, speaking one person at a time was very limiting because it did not allow for discussion. Everyone was forced to just agree with what another person said. If we are afraid to allow people to speak honestly and maybe even debate, race discussions will always be surface deep.

One of the participants, who was white, stated (he or she) hates when people talk about race or ask what ethnicity the person is. The person wished it didn’t matter. This idea that race and whiteness should be invisible is, to me, an example of privilege. I noticed that the only group of people who I have heard mention being colorblind or wanting race to not exist were white people. I stated that I felt colorblindness is a naive and inauthentic way of thinking. I feel as though white people say this to make people of color feel better and not actually because it is their true opinion.

One moment I really want to reect on was during the prayer in the beginning of the session.

A Native-American man came up and said a prayer in his native tongue. During the prayer most of the room had their heads bowed except for a woman at the table behind me. She was wearing a hijab, however, I do not want to assume her culture.

When the man ďŹ nished praying an older white woman tapped this woman on her shoulder and told her, “Next time you need

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to bow your head. We bow our heads when we pray here.� This is a representation of what is happening in America right now.

My Black colleague and I were in shock.

The ďŹ nal question we had before closing was, “How can we move forward in dealing with the race problem and possibly eliminate it totally?â€?

Here is how I responded. “I do not feel that we will ever be able to eliminate race problems completely. There are still people living who were raised during Jim Crow and continue to instill those hate beliefs into their children and grandchildren. Also, race will always be a problem as long as America is ďŹ lled with many diverse cultures. The ďŹ rst step is to recognize and respect the dierences within us.â€?

That white woman should have respected that the woman in the hijab did not wish to bow her head during a prayer from another culture. I continued, “Also, it will be very diďŹƒcult for us to eliminate the race problem while we have many overt racists in charge of this country who support racial tension and are furthering the divide within us. Therefore, our second step to elect a candidate for change and equality in 2020, if not by 2018.â€? Overall, I was grateful for the experience, but I think we all would have beneďŹ tted if complete transparency was allowed.

Latisha Townsend is a senior at Minnesota State University 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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discovers there are some situations during this holiday season that are outside of his

Mugabe From 7 until 1947,� for destroying their enslavement systems of Africans and thus, their plantocracy; and in order for Haiti to have independence without being isolated by the other European nations, and the other slavers nations. Haiti has been paying for their vision and military brilliance ever since their victory over all the slave enforcing nations baring none.

And by the way, the “Confounding�

Fathers of America backed France’s ďŹ ght to maintain slavery in Haiti, including Thomas Jeerson.

That $90 million equivalent in gold is now approximately $17 billion in gold. France said they would repay that money to Haiti over a 50-year period but that has not been done to date.

There is a lot spoken about Jeerson having a complex relationship to slavery, and being opposed to slavery according to so-called historians and biographers, and we sick boss people. The fact is, Jeerson was a pimp to Black people and enslaved his own children, and only freed his children after being in slavery for some time.

Jeerson Inherited 5,000 acres of land and more than 50 slaves from his father, and when he got married he inherited two more plantations and 155 slaves. When Jeerson died he was in great debt due to his lavish living, and his slaves had to be sold o to pay his huge debts, which meant Black families had to be rent asunder.

I have absolutely no regard or respect for him, and many other so-called heroes and so-called visionaries, and I detest people that try to frame him and others as some kind of great thinker and humanitarians. He certainly had no regard for Black people.

He was a savage and cruel beast.

American slavery entailed constant raping of women, children and men, merciless

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control.

Choose your battles.

Charlie Brown arrives at the rehearsals, but he is unable to control the situation as the uncooperative kids are more interested in modernizing the play with dancing and lively music. Charlie Brown, in an eort not to let the play become too commercial, decides to focus on the traditional side of the story. To bring everyone back in focus he decides they need a Christmas tree. It’s OK to go against the grain. Make sure the choices you make this season reect how you truly feel.

Finally, Charlie Brown discovers Christmas is a wonderful time of the year.

Never give up on your quest for the true meaning. Charlie Brown was determined. With Linus in tow, he sets o on his quest. When they get to the tree market, he zeroes in on a small baby tree which, ironically as well as symbolically, is the only real tree on the lot. They return to the school auditorium with

the tree and everybody laughs at him. In desperation, Charlie Brown begins to wonder if he really knows what Christmas is all about.

Linus steps in to help and recites the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, verses 8 through 14: “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the ďŹ eld, keeping watch over their ock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were so afraid. And the angel said unto them, fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.â€?

And that is the real meaning of Christmas.

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

oggings, literally tearing children from their mothers breast, cutting children out of their mothers bellies while the mothers are still alive to ensure the master has another slave, Black women being wet-nurses to white people’s babies, yet being considered and treated like 3/5 of a human (how incongruous is that), raising white folks children (yet Jeerson says he never met an intelligent Black person), Black women being forced from their husbands and families to be the concubines of white men and working men, women and children to literal death and Black People being ill fed and clad and much more.

What does “Make America Great Again� really mean?

Imagine when people say how wonderful America has always been and talk about the religious freedoms that they are not seeing well, and most are spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, sociologically, and justice impaired. Think about this; vagabonds came to the Americas and the Aboriginal people welcomed, fed and healed them. They then returned to their sponsors and said, if they had a few more ships, guns, ammunition and a couple hundred vicious men they could take the lot. How about that for how wonderful Columbus and others were.

The American Constitution had to have all kinds amendments to ďŹ t/ďŹ ll in all the elementary things that were deliberately left out.

The white man would not even allow his mother, sisters, wife, and daughters to vote until 1920.

So mistreating other people was/ is par for the course and that kind of warped mentality is hard to eradicate, as it is implanted in the morrow of a culture and country and signals a lot more illnesses than what has been mentioned.

Our current sociological maladies are all the pieces of evidence any thinking person needs to substantiate national sickness ‌ a national Stockholm Syndrome.

The U.S. and other powerful governments supported some of the most vicious regimes

on the planet, as long as it suited their interest, which has nothing to do with integrity, democracy, and justice.

It took a lot of protesting and boycotts by students, the public and many countries along with internal revolution to bring down the apartheid government of South Africa. Cuba played a crucial role in the success of that revolution. South Africa is still reeling and suering from the diabolical conditions that apartheid incubated, nurtured and deployed.

Doing the right thing is a lot more challenging and diďŹƒcult than we can imagine, because when a leader arises that wants his people and country to improve and succeed they are sabotaged, destabilized and thwarted at every juncture. Capitalism is often touted as a panacea for the world to embrace as its way of life. Capitalism has its beneďŹ ts and it’s manifold monstrous tentacles. Remember, Michael Milken the major savings and loan/junk bonds crook who stole millions/billions, is now lecturing and moderating on television and is revered as a great economist and philanthropist.

Michael Manley’s government of Jamaica experienced Red Baiting and inďŹ ltration by the CIA. His Social Democratic Government was destabilized and sabotaged by the U.S. government and related forces; cutting aid, making loans increasingly diďŹƒcult to obtain and with high interest rates and placing all sorts of unsavory conditional ties.

I hope that Zimbabweans will have a free hand to elect and install a government for and by the people. Some of the things that will facilitate such a government is a leader and representatives that do not want anything except what is rightfully due them.

I can only look to the young people of Planet Earth with any glimmer of hope for better days; a better future.

Viva Zimbabwe.

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Page 10 •December 18 - December 24, 2017 • Insight News

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Twista

DJ Keezy

Monday, Dec. 18 HIP-HOP

Dec. 18 Dec. 24, 2017

Aesthetically It! is a list of picks from the editors of Aesthetically Speaking. Aesthetically It! features venues, events, outings and more that are worthy of “It” status.

If you have a venue, event or outing that you feel is “It” worthy, email us at aestheticallyit@ insightnews.com

Lil Pump First Avenue 701 N. 1st Ave, Minneapolis 6:30 p.m.

All ages $20-$28 “Gucci Gang, Gucci Gang, Gucci Gang, Gucci Gang, Gucci Gang, Gucci Gang.” New school hip-hip star, Lil Pump performs to a sold out show at First Avenue.

Tuesday, Dec. 19 SOUL/R&B Music for the Holidays feat. Stokley Williams and RL of Next

Pantages Theatre 710 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Stokely comes off of a monumental performance at the Ordway to headline Sen. Bobby Joe Champion and Thrivent’s Music for the Holidays.

Wednesday, Dec. 20 HIP-HOP Toys for Tots 4 Howard Conn Theatre 1900 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis 10 p.m.

Corleone Banks and Dwynell Roland present the 4th annual toy drive at Honey with performances

by DJ Travis Gorman, student 1, Corleone Banks, Poncho, Sake Red and Lain.

Thursday, Dec. 21 HIP-HOP Twista The Cabooze 917 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis 10 p.m.

21-plus $20-$40 Twin Cities Muzik Group celebrates more than 30 birthdays with the Windy City hip-hop legend, Twista.

Friday, Dec. 22 SOCIAL HOUR

Elevate Your Network: #BlackGirlMagic The Exchange & Alibi Lounge 10 5th St. S., Minneapolis 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.

21-plus No cover #BlackGirlMagic is a concept and movement that was popularized by CaShawn Thompson in 2013. The concept and event «celebrate the beauty, power and resilience of black women.»

Saturday, Dec. 23 FASHION DJ Keezy Presents First Avenue 701 N 1st Ave, Minneapolis 9:30 p.m. – 2 a.m.

18-plus $15 DJ Keezy presents her popular all female performer night with Lexii Alijai, Maria Isa, Sarah White, Destiny Roberts, Mayda, DJ Shannon Blowtorch, Sophia Eris, Lady Midnight, Manchita, DJ Baby Ghost and LNJAY.

Sunday, Dec. 24 HOLIDAY LIGHTS SnoMutt Lights Holiday Show SnoMutt Lights 1913 Waterford Circle, Chaska 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Catch a dazzling holiday light show in Chaska.

Bikers, activists, celebrities make Hawthorne Winter Warmth event a success

Diana Hawkins, executive director, Hawthorne Neighborhood Council, welcomed the support of celebrity entertainer Fancy Ray McCloney and community peace advocate, VJ Smith, president of MAD DADS at Saturday’s Winter Warmth event at Farview Park Community Center. Area motorcycle clubs and businesses raised well over $5,000 to purchase warm winter clothing for children.

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Insight News • December 18 - December 24, 2017 • Page 11

Dec. 23 at St. Paul’s Fitzgerald Theater

Sounds of Blackness presents 39th annual ‘The Night Before Christmas – A Musical Fantasy’

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor @HarryColbertJr There is an entire generation of children and the children at heart whose primary knowledge of the classic poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” is one where dancing sugarplums have been replaced by dancing chitterlings.

That’s because for 39 years the Grammy Awardwinning Sounds of Blackness have transformed the Clement Clarke Moore classic, more commonly known as “The Night Before Christmas,” into an urban musical wonderland, “The Night Before Christmas – A Musical Fantasy.” What “The Wiz” does for the “Wizard of Oz,” “A Musical Fantasy” does for “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” offering an urban contemporary take on the timeless classic.

“The concept is the bring the African-American experience to the stage through the unique telling of this beautiful poem,” said Sounds of Blackness founder and musical director, Gary Hines.

While Clarke Moore could have never imagined dancing chitterlings and a Rappin’ Rudolph, Hines could … and did, offering a comedic element that breathes new life into the original 1823 poem. And while the original poem is static, “A Musical Fantasy,” sticks to a base script, but with yearly updates.

Courtesy Gary Hines

Santa and the dancing Christmas stockings are sure to once again delight the young and young at heart come Dec. 23 at the Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul.

“We always keep the foundation the same, but each year we contemporize and update with song and saying that are current in popular Black culture,” said Hines. “We have such a large repeat audience and we want to give them a surprise each time they come; and this year we do have some big surprises.”

Fans wanting to be treated to the surprises Hines and Sounds have can do so by attending the show Dec. 23 (Saturday) at the Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul. The performance begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30-$50 and available online at www. fitzgeraldtheater.publicradio.org or by calling (651) 290-1200.

In addition to performing annually in the Twin Cities, Sounds has toured “The Night Before Christmas – A Musical Fantasy” at the famed Apollo Theater in Harlem as well as runs in Chicago, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Cleveland. The only year the show didn’t run was in the 1990s when Sounds was on tour with Luther Vandross; but even then, the company offered a performance of the show.

“Luther and people in his band and production staff kept hearing stories of the show, so one night on the road we did a mock performance for Luther,” said Hines. “To not perform (‘A Musical Fantasy’) is like a hole in our soul. It (the show) is so much a part of us.”

Stokley wows fans at Ordway

Harry Colbert, Jr.

Stokley Williams delivered in every way with his Dec. 10 performance at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul.

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor @HarryColbertJr It was a show years in the making and for fans of Mint Condition and Stokley Williams.

With the release earlier this year of Williams’ first solo album, “Introducing Stokley,” fans have been eager to see the singer, musician and producer live on stage; and there was no better stage than the concert hall inside the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in Williams’ hometown of St. Paul. It was a concert that delivered on everything fans were asking for and more.

For many, the Dec. 10 show was the “concert of the year” – and with good reason. Performing in front of his hometown crowd, the Grammy winner and multiple Grammy nominee upped the ante on R&B shows with his “Sonic Healer Tour” stop in St. Paul. Part concert, part history lesson, part musical theater, Williams’ show had a bit of something for everyone.

Mint fans were treated to their favorites such as “U Send Me Swingin’,” “Not My Daddy,” and of course, one of the most revered love songs of the 1990s, “Pretty Brown Eyes,” which served as the encore for the nearly two-hour production. But Williams, buoyed by his outstanding

band – members of #MPLS – Brandon Commodore (who is also Mint’s tour drummer), bassist Yohannes Tona, keyboardist David Billingsley and guitarist and “The Voice” finalists, Jesse Larson, was much more than “just a Mint show” offering new tunes from his solo project, several jazzy numbers – one, “Victoria,” off of “Introducing Stokley,” included a mesmerizing steel drum solo. Williams wonderfully covered blues legend Muddy Waters, and Mint mentors, The Time (“777-9311”) and Prince (“1999”).

He broke his show up into two sets; the first a more traditional concert followed by a video of Williams talking about his musical upbringing and influences that led into his second set, which was as much musical theater as it was a concert.

Rarely do artists receive standing applause for songs that have never been released as a single, but that’s what happened when Williams and the band reworked “Forecast” from his “Introducing Stokley” album.

The futuristic, melodic composition brought several audience members too their feet in appreciation of the impeccable musicianship displayed on stage.

Williams has several shows on the books in other cities throughout the country.

For those in or near cities the “Sonic Healer Tour” will play, one-word advice for fans … “Go.”

“MINNESOTA’S MASTER MALE VOCALIST”

PROGRESSIVE JAZZ SCIENTISTS

ROBERT ROBINSON

THE BAD PLUS

— Minneapolis Star Tribune

DECEMBER 25 • 7 PM

DECEMBER 20, 21, 22, 23 7 AND 9 PM

Page 12 •December 18 - December 24, 2017 • Insight News

There’s something about the Minnesota cold that says, “Time to get out and be amongst friends.”

Maybe it’s a subconscious instinct to avert cabin fever and the winter blues. Maybe it’s greater access for promoters to venues; many starving for patrons

due to the Minnesota chill.

Whatever the reason, we’re thankful for the opportunities provided to hang out with one another.

The weekend of Dec. 8 – Dec. 10 was packed with events and opportunities to be out and about. Insight News stopped by a couple of events (in addition to

insightnews.com

the Stokley Williams show at the Ordway), Positive Image’s annual Night of Giving at the A Loft Hotel in Minneapolis and the Monitors annual holiday gala; this year at the Minnesota Valley Country Club in Bloomington.

Check out some of the sights.

Harry Colbert, Jr.

(Left to right) Michael Hullum, Kevin Murray and Darren Hayes at Positive Image’s Night of Giving.

It was date night at the Monitors gala for husband and wife Duchesne Drew of the Bush Foundation (left) and WCCO’s Angela Davis.

Briana McCall Cress

DeSha Russell

World traveler Drinal Foster (left) and comedian and KFAI radio host, Shed G at the A Loft.

It was date weekend for Dr. Juneau Robbins (left) and Anika Robbins, who were at both the Night of Giving and the Monitors gala. This photo was taken at the Monitors event.

Thor’s Ravi Norman at the Monitors gala.

Distinguished gentlemen: (Left to right) James Burroughs, Shed G, Andre “Debonaire” McNeal, Terry Austin and Tommy McNeal.