aesthetically speaking
Aesthetically It!: Events, concerts, venues in the Twin Cities
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Insight News December 19 - December 25, 2016
Vol. 43 No. 51• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Duchess Harris writes about grandmother, pioneering NASA mathematician By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor
Kaayla Chones
Profiles in Excellence:
Kaayla Chones, Timberwolves director of Player Programs
By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor When the Minnesota Timberwolves began their search for a director of Player Programs they knew they wanted someone who could relate well to the players and player needs – someone who had “been there, done that.” The ideal candidate would know basketball inside and out and a plus would be if that someone played on a professional level. And with the international diversity on the team, a person who
was well-traveled would also make an excellent candidate. The Timberwolves found that person in Kaayla Chones. Chones assumed the role as director of Player Programs in 2013 after a nine year professional career in the states and abroad. In her role, Chones is the liaison between the players and the Timberwolves’ front office, coordinating the needs of coaches, players and families and assisting the NBA league office with T-Wolves player relations. Her duties also include facilitating players’
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The story of the 11 Black female mathematicians who made American’s space exploration and moon landing possible is a personal one for a Macalester College professor. In fact, had it not been for Dr. Duchess Harris’ curiosity about her grandmother, Miriam Mann – a curiosity that began in college – the soon-to-bereleased film, “Hidden Figures” might never have been made. “Hidden Figures” tells the story of how 11 African-American mathematises were recruited by NASA to work for the agency in its quest to put a man on the moon. “I didn’t really appreciate the significance of her (Mann’s) work until I was in college at the University of Pennsylvania and I was a double major in history and AfricanAmerican studies. It wasn’t until then that I started to really understand what she did,” said Harris, who is a professor and department chair of American Studies at Macalester in St. Paul. Harris became fascinated with the work her grandmother did, finding articles that dated back to 1943 – the year Mann started working for NASA. Underscoring Mann’s accomplishment is the fact that
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Dr. Duchess Harris
Death by a thousand cuts … kicked out of Target
A friendly face … part two By Al McFarlane Editor-In_Chief We wrote a few years ago about our experience as Black consumers. The crux of our story was this. As Black consumers we have the burden of trying to find a friendly face when we are in retail establishments to spend our money to purchase goods and services. In our original story, we reflected on this unfair burden thrust upon us when the people whose livelihoods, whose paychecks, we support by our patronage, treat us like suspects rather than prospects. Kicked out of Target So we are revisiting this story because of our experience Sunday (Dec. 11) at the St. Louis Park (4656 Excelsior Blvd.) Target store. We visited the store for two reasons – to return four boxes of Kind Protein Bars and to purchase Christmas tree ornament accessories. We were returning the protein bars because we found them not to our liking because of their overpowering garlic content. The customer service desk representative said she could not accept the returns because
we did not have a receipt and the items didn’t show up on the Target Red Card, which we presented as the possible form of payment for the items with the explanation that it was equally possible that we paid cash for the items. Secondly, she said the “sell by” date had passed and that likely the purchases were made beyond the 30 day return window, and finally, that one of the boxes was open and that store policy required that return items be unopened and in original packaging. In our opinion, the service desk representative adopted a “stand my ground” stance in her interaction with us. It was as if she was attempting to protect Target from us, rather than going the extra mile to make sure we were satisfied customers, and that our guest experience met our expectations. We asked for her supervisor. A young man of color arrived, listened, and instructed her to make the refund of $18.50 to a Target gift card. We thanked him. He went about his business. The service desk worker, however, seemed
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Business
Black unemployment rate falls to 8.1 percent in November
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Harry Colbert, Jr.
Like Malcolm X, Jason Sole used his time incarcerated to educate himself and develop into a respected community leader.
New NAACP president defined by his present, not his past By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor The president of the Minneapolis branch of the NAACP is a college professor working on a doctorate degree, a vocal community activist … oh, and a
past felon. But Jason Sole’s past isn’t an anchor sinking him; instead he is using it as his fuel that drives him. That fuel is what he says will help him breathe new life into the branch and continue to propel it back towards prominence. “(Past president)
Nekima (Levy-Pounds) blazed a trail. She gave (the branch) life; now it’s up to me to continue what we’ve already started,” said Sole, who took over the reins of the Minneapolis NAACP earlier this fall, following Levy-Pounds decision not to seek a second term. She later announced her plans to run for Minneapolis
mayor. Sole was a part of an entirely new board that was elected last year, serving as the branch’s criminal justice chair – a role that for obvious reasons resonated with him. In fact, Sole said it’s a goal of his to organize
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Commentary
Education
Community
Love must trump hate
Franklin, Hall students have special relationship
Kwanzaa explores African traditions
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