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Insight News

August 30, 2021 - September 5, 2021

Vol. 48 No. 35• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

BUILDING BLACK WEALTH “We know that bankers are beacons of hope. Hopefully we can harness some energy from an economic perspective that could help African-Americans and other unrepresented minorities.”

- Kenneth Kelly CEO, First Independence Bank STORY ON PAGE

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Courtesy of Black Enterprise

Page 2 •August August 30, 2021 - September 5, 2021 • Insight News

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Insight News • August 30, 2021 - September 5, 2021 • Page 3 WINNER: 2020 T YPOGRAPHY & DESIGN, 1ST PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY (PORTRAIT & PERSONALIT Y), 1ST PLACE, WEBSITE, 3RD PLACE

Insight News August 30, 2021 - September 5, 2021

Vol. 48 No. 35• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS

Marian Wright Edelman, Children’s Defense Fund Columnist

By Brenda Lyle-Gray

https://forgeorganizing.org/

Arisha Hatch, Executive Director of Color Of Change PAC

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey

Policing: Voters to decide The Minneapolis City Council last week voted, 9-4, to override Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s second veto of ballot language for the public safety charter amendment.

Just ahead of the vote to override his second veto, Frey blasted the council for its lack of transparency in its ballot language.

Color Of Change Political Action Committee (PAC) said it is supporting the proposal to transform public safety in Minneapolis.

The group promised to build community support for the ballot question on the November ballot to amend Minneapolis’ city charter and adopt a public health approach to public safety.

“Every Minneapolis resident deserves to feel safe — and every person should be able to get effective, competent help when they need it. The Minneapolis Police Department has failed to meet that basic need, and has failed to keep Black people in Minneapolis

safe. This much-needed, new Department of Public Safety will promote a holistic, communityled approach to public safety.” said Arisha Hatch, Executive Director of Color Of Change PAC. “The police as the only model of public safety doesn’t work and hasn’t worked.

Minneapolis taxpayers have the right to redefine public safety in their community.”

The question will be on the ballot during this year’s general election. Early voting for this general election begins on September 17.

The approved language that will now appear on the ballot is as follows: “Shall the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to strike and replace the Police Department with a Department of Public Safety which could include licensed peace officers {police officers) if necessary, with administrative authority to be consistent with other city departments to fulfill its responsibilities for public

safety?”

Voters will be asked to vote “yes” or “no” on the question.

After the veto override, Council President Lisa Bender said,”City Council has taken final action to approve ballot language for a Charter amendment brought forward by citizen petition to create a Department of Public Safety.

Final ballot language has been transmitted by the City Clerk to Hennepin County Elections for final transmission to the Secretary of State.

“Thousands of Minneapolis voters took the time to come together to propose an idea for a system of safety to keep every member of our city safe -- they have a right to have their question on the ballot and the people of Minneapolis have a right to weigh in.

“Together we completed our work as is our duty under the law. We have now completed final action on all three charter amendments

Melvin Carter

By Irma McClaurin, PhD By Irma McClaurin, PhD https://corporate. target.com/article/2020/09/lakestreet-letter

Andrea Jenkins

Commentary by Dr. By Aarohi Narain By Mecca Dana Randall Harry Maya Alexa Starks Colbert, Beecham Spencer, Bos Bradley Jr. Josie Johnson

By Global Latisha Information Townsend Contributing Architect Howard Mayo Managing Clinic University Editor Staff Writer Contributing Network (GIN)Writer News Service harry@insightnews.com

that will be on the ballot in November: an amendment to change the structure of City government, an amendment to create a Department of Public Safety and an amendment to give the City authority to consider and adopt a rent stabilization ordinance in the future.”

Councilman Steve Fletcher said the Council action “was prompted by Hennepin County Judge Jamie Anderson’s order to the City last week to remove an explanatory note from our previously proposed ballot language, drafted by the City Attorney’s office, calling it problematic and asserting that certain content read like a ‘warning label.’ As a result, we instead passed ballot language without explanatory notes for both the public safety and government structure amendments.”

He said, “The work of the Council on these questions is done, and now your work

POLICING 4

Black parents say their children are being suspended for petty reasons that force them to take off from work and sometimes lose their jobs

By Charles Bell Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Sciences, Illinois State University When “Mike,” the father of a ninth grade student, got a call from his daughter’s school, the first thing he asked was: “How important is this?”

“They said, ‘Well, it’s important,’” Mike told me during an interview for my research.

When Mike went to his daughter’s school to see what was the problem, school officials told him his daughter was being suspended for giving a boy a hug. He ended up missing out on some of his hourly wages to deal with the situation.

“I was like, ‘Nah. Not only am I missing out on some hours at work, I’m missing out on some important meetings, and also commitments that I have made, to come up here and talk about suspensions, a five-day suspension for giving somebody a hug,” Mike told

me. “That’s one of the things that every time they call me, I always raise my voice about that. It’s been times where the school has suspended her, and I told the school, ‘Well, she can’t stay home with me. She doesn’t have nowhere else to go, so she has to stay at the school.’”

Mike’s dilemma is just one of dozens that I document in my forthcoming book, “Suspended: Punishment, Violence, and the Failure of School Safety,” which is set to be published on Oct. 19, 2021

by Johns Hopkins University Press. The book is part of my ongoing research about how Black families view school punishment and its impact on their daily lives. For my book, I interviewed 55 students from urban and suburban school districts throughout Michigan who received school suspensions, and their parents. I used fake names to protect their confidentiality.

As millions of students transition to in-person learning in the 2021-2022 school year, many may be wondering if an increase in

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Black parents are having to call off work to deal with their children’s minor infractions at school. school suspensions will follow.

If suspensions do rise, my research suggests that could result in lost wages and even lost jobs for parents of Black students, who are suspended at substantially higher rates than white students.

Harm to employment Much of the research about school suspensions focuses on how suspensions harm students. For instance, although school suspensions are meant to decrease violence and

News

Comcast partners with Seeds to Harvest to open opportunities with 100 youth leaders in North Minneapolis via laptop giveaway

PAGE 5

help create a safe environment, research shows suspensions are associated with declines in academic achievement, an increase in Black students leaving school districts with a record of being punitive, dropping out of school and being arrested.

However, as my new book shows, school suspensions also harm parents’ employment.

Specifically, mothers and fathers told me that school suspensions led to a reduction in wages, job

PARENTS 5

Children must have at least one person who believes in them. It could be a counselor, a teacher, a preacher, a friend. It could be YOU! You never know when a little love and a little support will plant a small seed of home.

MWE For more than 45 years, the Children’s Defense Fund has lived by a special mantra. ‘Every child is precious and full of potential.’ Committed and passionate leadership and staff of the organization have worked relentlessly in helping lift children out of poverty, protect them from violence, and ensure they have the opportunities they need to

https://www.childrensdefense.org/

Marian Wright Edelman

thrive and succeed. Should we all not be following a similar mission when it comes to the love, nurturing, and guidance our children need, especially in such unpredictable times? The organization’s vision is a lot more clear: ‘Giving every child a healthy start, a quality early childhood experience, a level educational playing field, stable homes, and safe communities free from violence.’

EDELMAN 5

linkedin

Danielle Butterfield

wikipedia

John Podesta

Priorities USA, CAP Action launch state-by-state website with facts on Biden administration’s progress Priorities USA and the Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAP Action) have launched an interactive website that will connect President Biden’s policies with the issues that impact Americans’ daily lives in every state. The website is part of Priorities’ $2 million investment to engage voters online this summer.

The website, BidenEconomyFacts.com, details specific components of President Biden’s agenda and directly connects the implications of policy to American families and communities.

The pages for each state distill many of the Biden administration’s accomplishments, in both English and Spanish, into an accessible format that can be read in under 3 minutes.

Voters will see the website in their Google search feed. To serve the site, Priorities will pay close attention to Google search behavior and search terms that relate to voters’ everyday lives. Serving ads for the website when voters search keywords like “child care” and “how to save money” draws a direct connection between what American families are thinking about and the policies that respond to their real needs.

The campaign is part of an ongoing effort by Priorities and CAP to meet voters where they are and engage them online

through notable resources like Google search where voters are already looking for information.

“It is critical that we maintain a strong, multipronged approach to keep voters engaged in the political arena,” said Danielle Butterfield, Executive Director of Priorities USA. “Our goal is to ensure that voters don’t have to search far and wide for information about the issues that are shaping their communities.

I’m excited to grow this project with CAP Action to help Americans reach the best information about policies that impact their lives in a format that is both engaging and accessible.”

“Facts don’t lie. People do. That’s why it is critical to lay out the hard facts. And the hard facts show that President Biden has already dramatically, tangibly improved people’s lives since coming into office,” said John Podesta, founder of CAP Action. “It is a matter of fact that his agenda in Congress, from bipartisan infrastructure to child care to clean energy, would create jobs and lower costs. With so much money in politics being spent on deception, BidenEconomyFacts. com is an effort to put the plain facts in front of the American people on how the Biden economic agenda affects their families, their communities and their home states.”

I2H

What does full FDA approval of a vaccine do if it’s already authorized for emergency use?

PAGE 6

Page 4 •August August 30, 2021 - September 5, 2021 • Insight News

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Part 1 in a series

First Independence Bank opens Twin Cities branch

From 3

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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 Culture and Education Editor Dr. Irma McClaurin, PhD. Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Columnist Brenda Lyle-Gray Book Review Editor W.D. Foster-Graham Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley

20,000 Minneapolis residents signed a people’s petition to introduce a ballot question that would amend the city’s charter to remove the requirement that it maintain a police department and create a Department of Public Safety that would adopt a public health approach to addressing community crises.

Color Of Change

PAC said it is planning voter mobilization efforts in Minneapolis to reach voters ahead of November. The PAC will hold events to help Black communities get out the vote while staying safe during the pandemic.

Mayor Jacob Frey last Friday failed to prevent the question from remaining on the ballot..

The approved language that will now appear on the ballot is as follows: “Shall the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to strike and replace the Police Department with a Department of Public Safety which could include licensed peace officers {police officers) if necessary, with administrative authority to be consistent with other city departments to fulfill its responsibilities for public safety?”

Voters will be asked to vote “yes” or “no” on the question.

After the city council veto overrde, Council President Lisa Bender said, “City Council has taken final action to approve ballot language for a Charter amendment brought forward by citizen petition to create a Department of Public Safety.”

“Thousands of Minneapolis voters took the time to come together to propose an idea for a system of safety to keep every member of our city safe -- they have a right to have their question on the ballot and the people of Minneapolis have a right to weigh in,” she said.

“Together we completed our work as is our duty under the law. We have now completed final action on all three charter amendments that will be on the ballot in November: an amendment to change the structure of City government, an amendment to create a Department of Public Safety and an amendment to give the City authority to consider and adopt a rent stabilization ordinance in the future.”

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By Lee H. Jordan Minneapolis Juneteenth Committee - 2018 National Juneteenth Film & Bicycling Commissions

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Face2FaceAfrica.com

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Black business, religious, nonprofit and other community leaders in the region.

“Since First Independence Bank prioritizes services to the Black community and under-resourced businesses and individuals, it was important to me to listen to these leaders about what the community needs and how the bank could make a difference. They welcomed me generously and offered important guidance,” said Kelly.

As a result, housing will be a major focus for First Independence Bank in the Twin Cities. “Our innovative home loan programs will help reduce one of the largest disparities in the country between Black and white homeowners,” Kelly said.

The branch also will offer customers ATM and debit card use at any Huntington and Wells Fargo ATM location with no ATM service fee, a loan program to help establish a credit score or repair personal credit, virtual financial education sessions, and more.

Laurie Nordquist, Wells Fargo’s regional president, said “…the case is clear. Black households are more than five times more likely than white households to be unbanked. We need to continue our efforts for outreach and inclusion while also supporting a Black-owned bank. This is not an ‘either-or’ proposition—it’s a ‘both-and’ proposition. Supporting a bank like First Independence Bank, with its history and know-

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Last year, millions of people protested the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. The charter amendment is being presented as a referendum on police and a chance to understand the willingness of communities to invest in alternative safety measures.

In April, more than

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find a way to work together for the betterment of those who are less fortunate in our community, in particularly the AfricanAmerican community.’”

As a result, five banks in the Twin Cities — Bank of America, Bremer Bank, Huntington Bank, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo — are collaborating with First Independence Bank providing capital, research, marketing and other services to assure its start-up and long-term success.

“Each of our companies has doubled down on investments in racial equity within our own organizations and the communities we serve over the past year,” said Tim Welsh, vice chair, U.S. Bank consumer and business banking.

“The events of that year also showed us the value of thinking and acting differently. So, we asked ourselves what could we do, working together, beyond what we were doing on our own? Helping to support an established, Black-owned bank’s expansion into this region rose to the top of the list.”

Damon Jenkins, formerly Wells Fargo’s district manager for Minneapolis, has joined First Independence Bank as senior vice president and Twin Cities regional market president.

Kelly said First Independence Bank’s decision to open in the Twin Cities came easily after discussions that began in April with several

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think collectively the AfricanAmerican community could certainly be well-served by making this a cornerstone of our dinner table discussions, and in front of the TV discussions, and in our internet discussions. We need to have this conversation more often. We know that money in a capitalistic society is the oxygen that supports us,” Kelly said.

Greg Cunningham, vice president for global inclusion and diversity at U.S. Bank, provided background that led to the First Independence Bank expansion into Twin Cities. He said, “There was a time in this country when the Black leadership met on an annual basis to talk about our shared agenda and how we could move forward together.

And what struck me as really critical, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, was that we needed to catalyze bringing folks together around a shared agenda. Guided by the clarity of the moment, a number of us got together to create this alliance to do three things: 1. Create a shared agenda; 2. Make sure that we were committed for the long-term; and 3. Make sure that it was Black-centered in its design.”

The opportunity to expand into Minnesota, Kelly said, reflected “relationships that kind of naturally evolve because there were leaders in your market who said, ‘let’s put our brands on the shelf and

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begins. I encourage everyone to learn more about these proposals and come to the polls this Fall ready to make an informed decision.”

Policing

Kenneth Kelly (right) with First Independence Bank SVP Dimitrious Hutcherson (left)

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Detroit-based First Independence Bank, one of only 18 Black-owned full-service banks in the country, will open its first Twin Cities branch in November, becoming the only Black-owned and controlled bank in Minnesota.

First Independence Bank is the 7th largest Blackowned commercial bank in the United States. It offers a variety of banking services from managing accounts to personal loans, mortgages, consumer education and investments serving the financial needs its customers nationwide.

For First Independence Bank, the Twin Cities branch will be the 51-year-old enterprise’s first outside of its home state of Michigan. It will be located at 3430 University Ave. SE in Minneapolis. The location is a former bank branch that Wells Fargo has donated to Project for Pride in Living (PPL), which is working with First Independence Bank on its expansion into the market.

“We are fortunate to find a site on a major thoroughfare, making it accessible to the large crosssection of residents and businesses that a bank needs to be economically viable,” First Independence Bank chairman and CEO Kenneth Kelly said.

“Being on a light rail line and a bus route is a plus for the under-resourced communities we hope to serve, particularly the Black community. Also a plus is the opportunity to be part of an established commercial area with few nearby banking options,” said Kelly. He said the site also has a drive-through for added convenience, and space to host education sessions and community gatherings.

First Independence Bank emerged from the mid-60’s rebellions that set Detroit and the nation ablaze in protest of police brutality and institutional racism.

Now, a similar disruption protesting economic and cultural marginalization

is emerging in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, which ignited protests that cost millions in damages to business and public facilities last year here in Twin Cities.

“Our story really started in 1967 in Detroit with the riots and the the rebellion based on police brutality. The leaders in the market decided we needed to have an economic engine to really push our own destiny economically. And they created this bank. So we’ve been in existence now for 51 years and hope to parlay some of the infrastructure and the learnings over those 51 years into the Minneapolis market,” Kelly said.

“At one point there were 70 Black banks in this country. As recent as 2001, there were 48 African-American controlled and owned banks Today we have 18,” said Kelly.

“So what it says is we’ve got to figure out how to create the dollar in a manner that will support our efforts, whether that’s banking, whether that’s media, whether that’s life insurance, et cetera. With the (barriers to) scaling of businesses and the lack of capital in the AfricanAmerican community, many of our businesses have gone out of business. So what we’re trying to do in the Minneapolis market is create a spark. We know that bankers are beacons of hope.

Hopefully we can harness some energy from an economic perspective that could help African-Americans and other unrepresented minorities.”

Kelly discussed the need for new narratives about Black community wealth creation.

Insight News asked, “What should we be talking about across the dinner table?

What should mothers and fathers be talking about in front of 10-year olds and 12-year olds about commerce, business, and finance? How can we make this part of our normal everyday conversation?”

“This is a topic we need to talk more about.

Sometimes when you are just surviving, you’re embarrassed to talk about money. But I

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By Al McFarlane, Editor

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how, is part of the change we are collectively working to make in the financial services ecosystem,” Wells Fargo earlier this year made an equity investment in First Independence Bank.

Jeanne Crain, president and CEO of Bremer Financial said, “Although Black-owned businesses exist in many industry sectors in the Twin Cities, the region lacks an established, Black-owned bank.

First Independence Bank is able to tap into a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) special CDFI Fund that allows for more favorable lending rates to individuals and businesses in low-income areas. That’s a gap that First Independence Bank is uniquely able to help fill.”

“Several of our banks also already have relationships with First Independence Bank,” Michael Jones, chair of Huntington for Minnesota and Colorado, said. “First Independence Bank has a strong track record and Kenneth Kelly is highly regarded in the industry.”

Prior to its merger with Huntington, TCF and First Independence Bank had a partnership in Detroit, which continues today under the Huntington name.

U.S. Bank has worked with First Independence Bank through the Federal Treasury Mentor-Protégé Program since 2019.

“The First Independence Bank branch also will be a point of pride for the entire region,” said Katie Simpson, Bank of America Minneapolis/Saint Paul president. “Of more than 5,000 banking institutions in the U.S., only 18 are Black-owned — down from 48 in 2001.

Few metro areas can say that a Black-owned bank is part of their community. Now the Twin Cities will be one of them.”

Bank of America provided a low-cost deposit to expand lending and made an equity investment in First Independence Bank in 2020.

Petition organizer for the ballot initiative, Yes 4 Minneapolis, said, Minneapolis City Council passed clear, fair language for the November ballot question regarding the Department of Public Safety.

After weeks of litigation following the addition of a misleading, extraneous explanatory note by the City Clerk, City Council members showed the city that they are willing to put the values, ethics and multi-racial democracy of the people of Minneapolis first.”

“Voters will get a fair ballot question, without any tampering by political powerplayers, or extra verbiage that places a thumb on the scale.

Minneapolis is ready for a higher standard of public safety, and now residents will get to vote on their terms,” the organization said in a press statement. “Like many times before, the status quo attempted to stop the will of the people. But today, democracy prevailed and now the people of Minneapolis will get to decide.”

In his veto letter, the mayor argued that the council’s move to remove all explanatory language denied voters essential information regarding the consequences of their vote and hid the substance of the Yes4Minneapolis Public Safety petition.

Frey said the proposal would remove the chief of police, shift oversight of the department’s operations from the mayor’s office to shared oversight with the city council, and eliminate the sworn officer staffing requirements for the department.

“Minneapolis voters deserve essential information regarding the consequences of their decisions at the ballot box. Denying our residents this basic measure of transparency is an affront to good governance.

Regardless of where you stand on the substance of this proposal, these statements should not be controversial,” Frey wrote.

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Insight News • August 30, 2021 - September 5, 2021 • Page 5

A team of animal care experts from around the US participate

Skeeter the Giraffe recovering from Hoof Procedure

Photos by Sannah Baudhuin

Skeeter the Giraffe and Campus Manager. “The ability to work with our staff to assemble a team of experts is a testament to the high quality of care all of our residents receive.”

Today, Skeeter is up, walking and enjoying his time

outside in his habitat at Como Zoo. Although not very visible, his new shoes on his front hooves will be removed in 8-10 weeks.

PHOTOS & VIDEO: https://bit.ly/37SaNWv

Youth provided service in several actions since May of 2020 including distributing over 28k items of PPE, feeding first responders and community families, picking up over 2 tons trash and recycling items, shoveling walks and hydrants, and hosting the community summer games. ptsdnuobegelloc@

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Comcast in partnership with the Seeds To Harvest Coalition, Metro Transit Police Department, North Community YMCA & Heritage Youth Sports Foundation delivered 100 laptops to youth community leaders for their efforts over the past 18 months.

how to provide padding on the walls, what floor substrate would be best, what supplies we would need for positioning such a large animal, and what equipment would be required for anesthesia and monitoring.

On the morning of August 12th, nine veterinarians, three veterinary technicians, three farriers including Steve Foxworth, and Como Zoo’s animal care team, all worked together masterfully to perform Skeeter’s procedure safely and successfully.

“The partnership with the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine is invaluable to our animals here at Como Zoo,” states Michelle Furrer, Como’s Zoo Director

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Steve Foxworth, world-renowned farrier from the Zoo Hoofstock Trim Program, was consulted about the best management plan to address Skeeter’s P3 fracture, and together with Como’s veterinarians the decision was made to trim Skeeter’s hooves and apply custom-made shoes.

The shoes act as a splint, limiting movement of the injured claw while the fracture fuses.

As a team, several virtual and in-person meetings were held to come up with a plan to safely anesthetize, treat, and recover Skeeter. Among the things to consider were, where would be the safest space to perform the procedure, what anesthetic drug protocol to use,

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veterinarians determined that anesthesia and immobilization would be necessary to repair Skeeter’s hoof and the planning for the procedure began.

“Immobilizations of giraffes can be dangerous and difficult to execute because of their unique anatomy and physiology, and sheer size.” said Andrea Persson, Como’s onsite Vet Technician.

Because giraffes are an especially risky species to anesthetize, thorough and extensive planning was needed to ensure a safe and successful procedure. Como Zoo’s staff, along with Dr. Bellezzo and Dr. Trent, assembled a team of experts consisting of Dr. Jeff Zuba, recently retired from San Diego Zoo, Dr. Liza Dadone from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and Dr. Priya Bapodra from Columbus Zoo who were all consulted to advise our team as each have a wealth of experience anesthetizing giraffes.

Minnesota Zoo veterinarians, Dr. Taylor Yaw and Dr. Anne Rivas, were invited to join the team to provide their expertise in megavertebrate anesthesia. Dr. Tiffany Wolf, University of Minnesota wildlife epidemiologist, and four members of the UMN Veterinary Medical Center›s Anesthesia team were also called upon to assist.

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(Saint Paul, MN) Last week, a team of animal care experts and veterinarians from around the US participated in a foot and hoof procedure on one of Como Park Zoo and Conservatory’s reticulated giraffes.

Last year, Skeeter, the 12-year-old male giraffe at Como Zoo sustained an injury that left him lame on his front left leg. Voluntary radiographs on his leg within the week showed no obvious hoof or bone issues. Thermography (a process used to look at the heat an area of the body puts out) was used to diagnosis a tendon injury. Large animal surgeons Dr. Fausto Bellezzo and Dr. Micky Trent, both with the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, and who work as Como’s veterinarians, did the initial diagnostics and placed Skeeter on stall rest. When it became apparent that Skeeter was not improving as expected, repeat radiographs were performed.

By a second round of voluntary radiographs, a fracture to the P3 bone in his left lateral hoof claw was diagnosed. P3 fractures are not uncommon in giraffe but they are difficult to correct.

Because of the fracture, Skeeter had started putting more weight on the unaffected claw, which caused the claw with the fracture to become overgrown. Como’s

Comcast partners with Seeds to Harvest to open opportunities with 100 youth leaders in North Minneapolis via laptop giveaway In their pursuit to close the digital divide, Comcast partnered with the Seeds to Harvest Coalition to give 100 computers to Seed’s youth service leadership members the Northside Bulldogs. Seeds to Harvest has pulled together 16 community

Parents From 3 loss and even forced some of them to accept part-time work.

One such parent is Vanessa, the mother of Franklin, a 10th grade student, who told me she met with school officials to create an individualized education plan – known in schools as an IEP – for her son because of his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, diagnosis. Instead of implementing the plan as they agreed, she said school officials continued to suspend her son for minor offenses related to his ADHD. During our interview, Vanessa shared one instance in which her son’s suspension cost her a job.

“I was working at

Edelman From 3 The founder and president emerita of the Fund, Marian Wright Edelman describes herself as an American activist for children’s rights.

She has been an advocate for the disadvantaged, civil, and human rights her entire professional life. She often reminds the

youth and community groups to provide community service across the region each week for the past 18 months.

“This is a grand opportunity to connect our young leaders to the world via these laptops from Comcast,”

said Northside Bulldog and Seeds To Harvest leader Mike Tate. “This is an amazing gift from Comcast that will allow our leaders to stay connected to the world in real time.”

Comcast’s also supported the Seeds To

Harvest Community Summer Games which hosted sports and artistic programming to over 400 youth from across Minneapolis and attempted two Guinness World Records with over 400 community members from across the state.

“This is an amazing opportunity for all of us to build momentum and change the trajectory of this community via our collective work and access to the digital world,” said Brett Buckner OneMn.org managing director and Seeds Coordinator.

For additional information, please contact Tatiana Freeman, Seeds To Harvest – 612.315.1299

[place of employment] as a social worker before this job, and at that time I was making $37 an hour,” Vanessa told me.

“My husband and I were going through a little difficulty, as we were separated at that time. They were calling me from the school because Franklin was having a rough time. He was gonna get suspended. I said, ‘Well, I have to leave.’ When you’re a social worker at that job, you can’t keep calling in” to say you have to leave work.

Reforms inadequate I also learned that the legislative reforms policymakers have passed in recent years to reduce school suspension rates may not be working in some districts. For instance, several parents told me school officials did not use alternatives to suspension in the years after the reforms were enacted, even

though they’re supposed to.

One such parent is Dana, whose son Philip, a ninth grade student, got a twoday suspension for fighting after a school official saw him wrestling with his friends in the gym. Dana says the boys were playing. In our interview, Dana expressed considerable doubt regarding the reforms. Dana told me she wished she would have been aware that school officials were supposed to try alternatives to suspension first.

“I wish I would’ve known that because I don’t think they [school administrators] been doing that,” Dana told me.

“I feel like it could be effective, but I don’t feel like it was done with my son at all.”

In recent years, legislators in several states, such as Massachusetts in 2012, Illinois in 2015 and Michigan in 2016, have passed school

punishment reform laws that were intended to reduce suspension rates.

In Michigan, the reform guidelines require school officials to consider a student’s age, disability, disciplinary history and the severity of the offense before issuing a punishment. The reform guidelines also encourage school officials to use restorative justice practices, such as peer mediation and conflict resolution strategies, instead of suspensions. Yet, when I interviewed parents, many of them said school officials were not following the rules.

When school officials don’t follow the reforms, it affects parents such as Linda, whose son Deshaun, a 12th grade student, received a threeday suspension because a video showed he was present in the restroom when a fight occurred.

When school officials issued the punishment, Deshaun expressed that he entered the restroom before the other boys and did not participate in the fight. Although the video, which I reviewed, shows he was not fighting or talking to the other students, school officials upheld the suspension. Their argument was that all the bystanders should have contacted a school security guard instead of just watching the fight.

When I asked Linda about the effectiveness of the school punishment reforms, she stated: “I don’t think they have implemented that at all. I haven’t seen that recourse. My son was very upset that he got suspended, ‘cause he was like, ‘I wasn’t even part of it.’”

punishment reforms were intended to reduce suspension rates, studies have found schools that enroll a large percentage of minority students are less likely to implement restorative justice practices.

In “Suspended,” I offer some potential reasons why school officials resist implementing the discipline reforms. For example, some school officials told me the reform guidelines did not recommend a course of action for administrators who violated them and continued to issue suspensions.

I also express the need for stronger legislation, emphasizing restorative justice as a means to reduce suspension rates and increase school safety.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

nation of a basic truism it appears to have forgotten, that is: service to others is simply the rent we pay for living.

“Everyone of us has a stake in our national transformation away from selfish lives and towards commitment to others; success defined by character rather than consumption; and the quality of the future dependent on our own actions and how we raise our children, wrote Edelman in

her 1992 book, “The Measure of Success: A Letter to My Children and to Yours.” A nation that does not stand for its children does not stand for anything and will not stand tall in the future.”

The Twenty-Five Lessons detailed in her book are just as applicable 30 years later if not more so because of the critical and unprecedented nature of current times. From as far back as I can remember after

the book’s release, my students were introduced to most of these lessons at the beginning of each class period. Also used were motivating video clips and articles about young people who were about the business of overcoming, learning, and serving their community. The instruction and content delivery were about engagement and giving young people a reason to want to come to school.

Twenty-Five Lessons

for Life

criticized.

There is no free lunch.

Don’t feel entitled to anything you don’t sweat and struggle for.

Set goals and work quietly and systematically toward them.

Assign yourself.

Never work just for money or for power. They won’t save your soul or help you sleep at night.

Don’t be afraid of taking risks or of being

Take parenting and family life seriously and insist that those you work for and who represent you do.

Remember that your wife is not mother or your maid, but your partner and friend.

Forming families is serious business.

Be honest.

Remember and help

In search of solutions Though

school

CONTINURE TO PAGE 7

Page 6 •August August 30, 2021 - September 5, 2021 • Insight News

Insight 2 Health

insightnews.com

What does full FDA approval of a vaccine do if it’s already authorized for emergency use?

By Jennifer Girotto Associate Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut

vaccine safety and effectiveness.

The difference is that more time has passed and more data is available for review when a company applies for full approval.

Thirty percent of unvaccinated American adults say they’re waiting for the COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized for emergency use to be officially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA has since granted that approval for those age 16 and older for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Aug. 23, 2021. What had to happen for the FDA to advance from emergency use authorization, or EUA, to full approval?

I’m a pharmacist who trains other pharmacists, health care providers and students on why, when and how to administer vaccines. Emergency use authorization, while streamlining the regulatory process so the vaccine is more quickly available to the public, still follows a rigorous process the FDA requires to ensure

EUA and full approval share similar first steps For both emergency authorization and full approval, for COVID-19 vaccines, the FDA first requires initial safety studies on a small number of people. Here, researchers document potential adverse events, or side effects, that the vaccine may cause. Researchers also determine the safest and most effective dose of the vaccine.

Once the vaccine is determined to be safe and an optimal dose identified, researchers will create larger studies to ascertain how well it works in a controlled setting where some people are given the vaccine while others are given a placebo.

It is important to note that the number of people who participated in the initial COVID-19 safety studies was

SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Full FDA approval of the COVID-19 vaccines may help people feel more secure in its safety and effectiveness. similar to that in the safety studies of other commonly used vaccines, including vaccines for tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough and meningitis. Over 43,000 adults participated in the early phases of the PfizerBioNTech clinical trial, over 30,400 in Moderna’s and over 44,000 in Johnson and Johnson’s. Half the participants in each study were given a vaccine, while the other half

were given a placebo.

Where EUA and full approval differ From this point on, emergency use authorization and full FDA approval for COVID-19 vaccines follow different clinical study requirements.

For the emergency use authorization, the FDA requires at least half of the participants

of the original studies to be followed for at least two months post-vaccination. This is because the vast majority of vaccinerelated side effects occur right after vaccination.

Full FDA approval, on the other hand, requires participants in the original studies to be followed for at least six months. Reviewers look at data from the same study participants but collected over a longer period of time. All adverse events are examined. The manufacturer must also provide more detailed manufacturing plans and processes, as well as a higher level of oversight and inspections. All of this adds significantly more time to the review process.

Both Pfizer and Moderna began their rolling submission for approval in the FDA’s “Fast Track” process, designed to speed up review.

This allows the companies to submit portions of their approval application to the FDA for review as they’re completed.

Full FDA approval will initially apply to only the same age groups that were tested

in the original emergency use authorization. This means that the vaccine has been approved first for people ages 16 and up for Pfizer, and will likely be approved for those 18 and up for Moderna. Rolling submission will allow approval of the vaccine for younger groups as more data becomes available.

Different timelines, same rigorous requirements Full FDA approval is a milestone that may help build confidence among the vaccine hesitant about the safety of the vaccines. But the true test of the vaccine came when it first gained emergency use authorization.

Then, researchers identified the majority of its potential side effects and proved its ability to protect against severe disease.

Article updated on Aug. 23, 2021 to reflect FDA approval of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine for those ages 16 and older.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

New state plan to improve oral health More than 200 community stakeholders and dental providers have come together to create the State Oral Health Plan 2020-2030 that outlines a road map for preventing dental disease, making oral health care in Minnesota easier to access, improving data infrastructure and integrating dental care with medical care.

The plan is the result of an extensive community engagement process involving partners, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Minnesota’s Dental Services Advisory Committee and the Minnesota Oral Health Coalition. Community members and partners stressed that oral

health care in Minnesota needs to transition to a more upstream approach of not just treating dental disease but preventing it.

The plan calls for the state to focus on oral disease and oral health needs at different life stages. This includes the role played by social and community factors in dental health, including health literacy, health equity, cultural practices and behaviors related to oral disease and progression.

“We have a strong system of dedicated dental public health partners that bring oral health care to Minnesotans from all walks of life,” said Mary Manning, Minnesota Department of Health assistant

commissioner. “Still, many health disparities exist, and subsequent hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic have only amplified the needs. This plan is a clear road map for improving oral health in Minnesota.”

Nationally, marginalized communities, such as low-income children and adults, people of color and American Indians, and people with disabilities are more likely to suffer from dental diseases.

In Minnesota, the same is true. Some facts reported by the Minnesota Oral Health Program data portal include the following:  More than half of Minnesota counties do not have

adequate dental providers.  Students living in rural communities have more tooth decay than students in urban areas.  Adults from lowincome households are less likely to report visiting a dentist.  Around 40% of adults aged 65 and older living in longterm care facilities had untreated tooth decay, according to 2016 data.  Latinx adults were 1.4 times less likely to have visited a dentist or dental clinic within the past year compared to non-Hispanic white adults, according to 2016 data.

“We look forward to the plan serving as a tool

for better access and healthier mouths for all Minnesotans,” said Nancy Franke Wilson, executive director of the Minnesota Oral Health Coalition.

The MDH Oral Health Program will act as the backbone organization responsible for the coordination of the implementation, continuous improvement and evaluation of the plan. MDH’s next action steps will focus on working with partners and experts to raise awareness of the plan, develop targeted work plans and to create a shared dental health measurement system to track success. MDH will also focus on pulling together a dedicated group of professionals focused

stockvault

on rural oral health, while also reaching out to rural health advocates.

For more information about the MDH Oral Health Program or the Minnesota State Oral Health Plan, visit About the Minnesota State Oral Health Program.

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Insight News • August 30, 2021 - September 5, 2021 • Page 7

Photos: OMG Media

UMG: Transforming lives Familiar with hard times, scarcity, and uncertainty, the men at Ujamaa Place faced the COVID-19 pandemic head-on.

Located in Saint Paul, Ujamaa Place serves primarily African American men, ages 18-30.

Historically, for Black people, music has provided healing during times of struggle.

It has provided a means of storytelling and documentation.

“Tapping into ancestral strength and guidance, in the wake of the George Floyd murder, during an unprecedented health and economic crisis, Ujamaa Place Music Therapy program has formed Ujamaa Music Group (UMG), a hip hop/soul group on a mission to uplift, empower, and change lives through music,” said Monique Linder, CEO of OMG Media Solutions.

Edelman From 5 America remember that the fellowship of human beings is more important than the fellowship of race and class and gender in a democratic society.

Sell the shadow for the substance.

Never give up.

Be confident that you can make a difference.

Don’t ever stop learning and improving your mind.

Don’t be afraid of hard work or of teaching your children to work.

“Slow down and live.”

Choose your friends carefully.

Be a can-do, will-try person.

Try to live in the present.

Use your political and economic power for the community and others less fortunate.

Listen for “the sound of the genuine” within yourself and others.

You are in charge of your own attitude.

Remember your roots, your history, and the forebears’

“To see the men on the other side of transformation, doing something they love, in an effort to help others, is a blessing and a miracle that I feel honored to witness,” said Linder.

UMG will be in concert at the 2021 Minnesota State Fair.

“UMG is at the heart of what the State Fair’s Celebration of Culture and Community is all about, an inclusive experience, where all cultures are welcomed and celebrated,” said Renee Alexander, Deputy General Manager, Entertainment and Marketing at the Fair.

“Their story of resilience resonates with a lot of people right now having survived a pandemic. I think that will really come across through their performance and touch a lot of hearts in

the

audience,” said Linder.

UMG released their first song “On A Mission” on January 25, 2021. Since then, under the direction of their mentor, Kirk Johnson aka Mr. KAJ, UMG has been busy writing music and rehearsing for performances, in addition to attending their other required programming at Ujamaa Place.

Ujamaa Men enroll in the Theory of Transformation program model, which gives participants access to over 30 transformation services and a coach to support them during their transformation journey, all provided at no cost to participants.

Bayo, a Ujamaa Man since 2017, employed at Ujamaa Place and a founding member of UMG, says his experience with UMG has so far felt like a dream.

shoulders on which you stand.

Be reliable.

Be faithful. Finish what you start.

Always remember that you are never alone.

In November 1991, Jonah Martin Edelman would write: My mother’s book is a written testament to her beliefs from which everyone, including myself, can benefit.

Many of her lessons for life strike a chord in me, but three in particular represent what I have come to see as the legacy of my ancestors: 1.

Don’t feel entitled to anything you don’t sweat and struggle for.

2.

Never give up. You

can make it no matter what comes. Nothing worth having is ever achieved without a struggle.

3.

Always remember that you are never alone. You are loved unconditionally.

There is nothing you can ever say or do that can take away my or God’s love.

When Marian Wright Edelman was a little girl growing up in segregated South Carolina, she used to switch “white” and “colored” signs above the drinking fountains.

I can’t imagine how liberating that must have been. I smile at the thought.

“I blinked once, and we were releasing our first single and filming a music video. I blinked again and we were performing our first gig. I blinked again and we were performing at Paisley Park, and now we are rehearsing to perform on one of our biggest stages yet at the Minnesota State

Fair,” said Bayo. “I am grateful to Ujamaa Place for supporting our vision and helping turn our dream into a reality. We know this wouldn’t have been possible without the resources, support and encouragement of Ujamaa Place and our community.”

UMG performs

a six free shows on the International Bazaar Stage on September 1 and 2 at 10:45am, 12noon and 1:15pm.

For more information, visit: https://ujamaaplace.org/ ujamaa-music-group/

Page 8 •August August 30, 2021 - September 5, 2021 • Insight News

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WAYS TO EXPLORE AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISTORY WITH

SEE MORE PRINCE

In the photogr aphy exhibit Prince: Before the Rain , you can see iconic images of the artist tak en by Allen Beaulieu in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Prince’ s story continues in the First Avenue exhibit, where you can see his Purple Rain suit. Both exhibits now on view, Minnesota History Center, St. Paul.

First Avenue presenting sponsor Baird.

Prince sponsor Xcel Energy.

COME TO FAMILY DAY

SATURDAYS at the MUSEUMɨ Explore the history of St. Anthony F alls with a day of family-friendly activities during My Mighty Journey: A W aterfall’s Story Family Day, Nov 9, Mill City Museum, Minneapolis.

Storytellers, Activities and Fun! Sponsored by Xcel Energy.

Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery 1256 Penn Ave No, Minneapolis, MN 55411, 4th Floor

Saturday mornings from 10 - 11:30am • 240 pages

Hear Stories Read or Great Storytelling!

EXPLORE THE HIDDEN Engage in coordinated HISTORY

activities and just have Fun!

Hear Dr. Christopher Lehman talk about his ne w book, Slavery’s Reach, which tr aces the mone y between Southern plantations and Minnesota’ s businesses. Slavery’s Reach Author Ev ent, Nov 17, North www.maahmg.org Contact us at: info@maahmg.org Regional Libr ary, Minneapolis.

Become a member!

MNHS Press

• $18.95

Local Children’s Book Authors and Storytellers! Treats!

All Are Welcome.

See us at

Free Admission.

____________________________________________________________________________ "The Children's Reading Circle is partially supported by The Givens Foundation for African American Literature through operating support funding from Target. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund."

PLAN YOUR VISIT 1-844-MNSTORY MNHS.ORG

______________________________________________________________________________________

The MAAHMG is a fully qualified 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Minnesota.

If I could do one thing, I’d tell the world she counts.

Communities are as rich and diverse as their needs.

That’s why completing the 2020 Census matters. It’s a safe and confidential step toward having an impact on how public funds flow through our communities.

That could mean more resources in your area for special needs. It’s within your control.

Learn more at:

2020CENSUS.GOV Paid for by U.S. Census Bureau.

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