Insight ::: 8.31.20

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Insight News

August 31, 2020 - September 6, 2020

Vol. 47 No. 35• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

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Chris Juhn

Page 2 • August 31, 2020 - September 6, 2020 • Insight News

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The 2020 Selby Ave JazzFest-Virtual Edition St. Paul, MN—Mychael Wright, founder of the Selby Ave JazzFest, recently announced the performer line-up for the 2020 Selby Ave JazzFest-Virtual Edition, presented by Golden Thyme Coffee Café and AARP Minnesota.

“Due to COVID and like most live music festivals, we had to do things a bit differently this year and go online,” stated Wright. “Taking this year’s Fest online presented a number of challenges. We basically had to become a film production organization which was a bit out of our wheelhouse. However, things have turned out really well. We are looking forward to presenting our viewers with four great nights of music featuring some of the great talent who calls the Twin Cities home.”

Wright reflected on the effects COVID-19 had on planning this year’s event.

“We were in standby mode from March until June hoping to see the infection numbers go down. In addition, we’ve been at this for going on 19 years and folks kept asking about our plans. It appeared interest was high, so we thought to give the virtual route a go.

It’s been tough, considering our revenues are really down this year. However, contributions from our sponsors and a grantor as well as the knowledge, patience and dedication of the folks who are helping us with the technological side of things have made it a reality.”

The 2020 Selby Ave JazzFestVirtual Edition lineup features: Charmin and Shapira (September 5): Performing together for well over two decades, internationally renowned vocalist Charmin Michelle and critically acclaimed guitarist Joel Shapira have developed a reputation as the Twin Cities’ premier jazz duo. They are frequent performers at The Dakota Jazz

Club, Vieux Carre and other Twin Cities jazz spots as well as The Twin Cities Jazz Festival.

The duo’s latest critically acclaimed CD, Butterfly Wings, was released earlier this year.

The Dakota Jazz Club described the disc as “a wonderfully diverse collection of tunes in the most intimate setting of voice and guitar…a collection of great beauty that highlights two lifetimes dedicated to the timeless art of jazz.”

Solomon Parham Quintet (September 12): Trumpeter Solomon Parham is a best-kept secret here in the Twin Cities, as he is a man of many talents. He has been making his way throughout the Twin Cities for five years now; however, it is only recently that Minnesota has opened their eyes and arms to him. He has played on stages with several well-respected musicians such as Delfeayo Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Eric Kamau Gravatt, Anthony Cox, saxophonist Eric Alexander, Wess Anderson, and bassist Christian McBride, to name a few. He is a trumpet performer, trumpet instructor, jazz band ensemble director, music educator and producer in digital music.

PJP Trio Featuring Patricia Lacy (September 19): A decade plus JazzFest performer, Patricia Lacy brings her vocal stylings to this year’s virtual event. She will be accompanied by Walker West and McPhail Center for Music piano instructor Jacob Dodd and Sounds of Blackness drummer Perry “Tree” Graham. Patricia is a twenty-seven-year veteran of the Grammy Award-Winning Sounds Blackness. She also traveled the world and shared her talents as one of the five backup vocalists for the late great Luther Vandross. She has also opened for various R&B and Gospel artists as well as being part of the Oscar-winning movie Twenty Feet From Stardom, which provides an in-depth look

Performing together for well over two decades, internationally renowned vocalist Charmin Michelle and critically acclaimed guitarist Joel Shapira have developed a reputation as the Twin Cities’ premier jazz duo. They are frequent performers at The Dakota Jazz Club, Vieux Carre and other Twin Cities jazz spots as well as The Twin Cities Jazz Festival. The duo’s latest critically acclaimed CD, Butterfly Wings, was released earlier this year. The Dakota Jazz Club described the disc as “a wonderfully diverse collection of tunes in the most intimate setting of voice and guitar…a collection of great beauty that highlights two lifetimes dedicated to the timeless art of jazz.” at the experiences of the greatest music backup singers of all time.

Nachito Herrera (September 26): JazzFest is beyond honored to present piano virtuoso and, of greater importance, COVID 19 survivor Nachito Herrera on its closing night.

Recognized early in his life as a young genius, Ignacio “Nachito” Herrera stunned Cuban audiences at the age of 12, performing Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2 with the Havana Symphony

Orchestra. Famed Cuban pianist and Buena Vista Social Club member, Ruben Gonzalez invited the 16-year-old Nachito to join him on stage and inspired the teenager to study the traditional rhythms of Cuba. He moved to the Twin Cities in 2001 and has gained a large following amongst fans of both jazz and Latin music. A regular at the Dakota Jazz Club, Nachito has performed at concert halls and music festivals throughout the world. He is a Grammy Award winner and three-time Grammy

nominee and also the recipient of a number of humanitarian honors, including Minnesota Immigrant of Distinction and American Heritage Award Performances be streamed each Saturday night in September beginning at 7 PM on the event’s website, selbyavejazzfest.com, and Facebook page.

The Selby Ave JazzFest would like to thank the following grantor and sponsors: Co-presenting sponsor AARP Minnesota, Metropolitan

Regional Arts Council, The Legacy Fund, U.S. Bank, Xcel Energy and Move Minnesota.

The organization would also like to thank Jim Ankeny of Blue Earth Productions and Steve Heckler for their guidance and support.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

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Insight News • August 31, 2020 - September 6, 2020 • Page 3 WINNER: 2020 T YPOGRAPHY & DESIGN, 1ST PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY (PORTRAIT & PERSONALIT Y), 1ST PLACE, WEBSITE, 3RD PLACE

Insight News August 31 2020 - September 6, 2020

Vol. 47 No. 35• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Report: COVID-19 Now is The Third Leading Cause of Death Among Black People

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia America’s economic situation has substantially deteriorated since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, and families across race and ethnicity feel the pain, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution, which notes that the coronavirus now stands as the third leading cause of death among African Americans.

“If I told you on January 1 that a new virus that we did not even know about would, in August, be the third leading cause of death for Black Americans, our hair should have been set on fire and we would have an extensive public policy response to this unprecedented pandemic,” noted Trevon Logan, professor of economics at the Ohio State University.

Logan co-authored the report titled, “The Hamilton Project, Racial Economic Inequality Amid the COVID-19 Crisis,” with Bradley L. Hardy of the American University in

Northwest, Washington D.C. “In 2020, more Black Americans will die of COVID-19 than will succumb to diabetes, strokes, accidents, or pneumonia. In fact, COVID-19 is currently the third leading cause of death for African Americans,” Logan and Hardy concluded.

Among the reasons for the disparity is that African Americans are more than twice as likely as the average worker to be employed in the healthcare support service industry, which has been decimated by COVID-19 in assisted living facilities and nursing homes.

African Americans are also significantly overrepresented in the personal care and service and food preparation industries, which are disproportionately essential worker industries, the authors discovered.

“Black Americans also comprise more than a quarter of the meatpacking industry’s frontline workforce, which has seen several outbreaks of COVID-19. Among those out of the labor force, the outbreak of the virus among the incarcerated has a disproportionate racial

photo/www.demconvention.com

Before Roll Call, the package of “rising stars” was perhaps one of the most eloquent and impactful statements of diversity the DNC used to begin the evening’s events. The most known rising star was Stacey Abrams, center.

DNC RECAP NIGHT 2: Joe, Jill, diversity, and rising stars Robin Caldwell, Staff Writer photo/gilaxia

“In 2020, more Black Americans will die of COVID-19 than will succumb to diabetes, strokes, accidents, or pneumonia.

In fact, COVID-19 is currently the third leading cause of death for African Americans,” concluded Trevon Logan, professor of economics at the Ohio State University and Bradley L. Hardy of the American University in Northwest, Washington D.C. Logan and Hardy are co-authors of a new report from the Brookings Institution, “The Hamilton Project, Racial Economic Inequality Amid the COVID-19 Crisis.” impact as well, given the overrepresentation of African Americans in the prison

Tuesday night was all about Joe Biden. Who would expect less?

The presumptive candidate for president of the United States became the candidate in the form of a seamless Roll Call that represented the beauty

and diversity of the country’s regional and cultural landscape.

However, before Roll Call, the package of “rising stars” was perhaps one of the most eloquent and impactful statements of diversity the DNC used to begin the evening’s events. The most known rising star was Stacey Abrams, who

DNC NIGHT 2 5

population,” Logan and Hardy wrote.

COVID-19 4

photo/AP Photo_Carolyn Kaster

Sen. Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination as candidate for Vice-President of the United States with an incredible speech that opened with endorsements from her sister, niece and bonus-daughter, and many others who know her well.

DNC RECAP NIGHT 3:

This is what democracy looks like

By Robin Caldwell, Contributing Writer

photo/Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Minneapolis Police create a blockade after a campaign rally for President Donald Trump on October 10, 2019.

Why police unions are not part of the American labor movement

By Paul F. Clark, School Director and Professor of Labor and Employment Relations, Pennsylvania State University In the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, news reports have suggested that police unions bear some of the responsibility for the violence perpetrated against African Americans.

Critics have assailed these unions for protecting officers who have abused their authority. Derek Chauvin, the former police officer facing second-degree murder charges for Floyd’s death, had nearly 20 complaints filed against him during his career but only received two letters of reprimand.

Many people who support labor unions in principle, who view them as a countervailing force against the power of employers, have only recently come to view police unions as problematic – as entities that perpetuate a culture of racism and violence.

But this sentiment reverberates through the history of the U.S. labor movement. As a labor scholar who has written about unions for decades, I think this viewpoint can be explained by the fact that police unions differ fundamentally from almost all trade unions in America.

Foot soldiers for the status quo For many veterans of the labor movement, police have been on the wrong side of the centuries-old struggle between

workers and employers. Rather than side with other members of the working class, police have used their legal authority to protect businesses and private property, enforcing laws viewed by many as anti-union.

The strain between law enforcement and labor goes back to the origins of American unions in the mid 19th century.

Workers formed unions to fight for wage increases, reduced working hours and humane working conditions.

For employers, this was an attack on the existing societal power structure. They enlisted the government as the defender of capital and property rights, and police officers were the foot soldiers who defended the status quo.

When workers managed to form unions, companies called on local police

News

Gov. Walz announces plans for new COVID-19 saliva testing lab in Minnesota

PAGE 5

to disperse union gatherings, marches and picket lines, using violence and mass arrests to break the will of strikers.

A narrow focus Police work is a fundamentally conservative act. And police officers tend to be politically conservative and Republican.

A poll of police conducted in September 2016

by POLICE Magazine found that 84% of officers intended to vote for Donald Trump that November. And law enforcement unions like the Fraternal Order of Police, the International Union of Police Associations and the National Border Patrol Council all endorsed Trump’s candidacy in 2016.

POLICE 4

The third night of the Democratic National Convention, rightfully so, was about Joe Biden and his ability to lead. At issue are the people - the faces of democracy - he will be charged to lead and the mess - the current state of our democracy - he and Kamala Harris will have to clean up.

Every speech, image and moment was dedicated to the

work that will need to be done following a woefully derelict and incompetent administration.

The opening image of children in masks was poignant. The question of reopening schools in the midst of a pandemic joined the unaddressed issue of gun violence prevention. Notable speeches were given by Deandra Dycus, the mother of Dre, a teenaged nonverbal

DNC NIGHT 3 5

DNC 2020 Final Night:

John Lewis remembered, Ella Baker’s wisdom and Joe spoke for himself

By Robin Caldwell, Contributing Writer On the last night of the Democratic National Convention, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who looked resplendent after recovering from the coronavirus, honored John Lewis’ legacy in her address: “We have gathered in our streets to demand change. And now, we must pass on the gift John Lewis sacrificed to give us.”

And in the spirit of a man we will never forget,

photo/as.com

Joe Biden closed the final night of the DNC with what has been called the speech “he’s waited” all of his life to give.

DNC FINAL 5

I2H

Economic hardship from COVID-19 will hit minority seniors the most

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Page 4 • August 31, 2020 - September 6, 2020 • Insight News

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U.S. Bank outlines details of $15 million Rebuild and Transform Fund

U.S. Bank announced today details of a $15 million Rebuild and Transform Fund, which will help small businesses impacted by civil unrest and support organizations working to address systemic economic and racial inequities. The U.S. Bank Foundation will make philanthropic investments in Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) – led organizations, with a priority on Black-led nonprofits. The initial $5 million in grants will be distributed in the Twin Cities as general operating support and will include funding to grantees to support trauma care for staff or residents in impacted areas.

The Fund is part of the bank’s previously announced $116 million commitment to address social and economic inequities.

“We are proud to announce this first wave of partnerships in the Twin Cities to help rebuild and transform our communities,” said Andy Cecere, Chairman, President and CEO of U.S. Bank. “While we rebuild, we are investing in leaders who are driving access to economic mobility. This is just the beginning as we work together to create lasting change.”

Rebuilding the Twin Cities The U.S. Bank Foundation is donating $2 million to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and nonprofit organizations serving impacted small businesses to support rebuilding the Twin Cities. These funds will be distributed to nonprofits in

COVID-19 From 3 Additionally, on average, African Americans share their living quarters with more people. While only 48 percent of white households have three or more members, more than 58 percent of Black households do, the authors noted, citing a 2013 Pew Research Center study.

“This increases the scope for exposure to

The U.S. Bank Foundation will make philanthropic investments in Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) – led organizations, with a priority on Black-led nonprofits. three key areas:Lake Street corridor: Neighborhood Development Center (NDC), Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) and African Development Center (ADC) West Broadway Avenue corridor: Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON), Black Women’s Wealth Alliance and West Broadway Business and Area Coalition University Avenue corridor: NDC, Asian Economic Development Association (AEDA) and African Economic Development Solutions (AEDS) In addition to these grants, U.S. Bank continues to focus on supporting customers

and small businesses in the Twin Cities community throughout this challenging time. Efforts include establishing a mobile banking unit in the Lake Street/ West Broadway area to ensure all customers have access to the banking services they need and adding an ATM on West Broadway, through which the bank has been refunding foreign ATM fees for customers in the area.

COVID-19 in living quarters for Black households. For nearly all of the health conditions that increase the likelihood of serious COVID-19 complications, African Americans have higher rates of prevalence, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” Logan and Hardy said.

For example, African Americans are more likely to have cancer, be obese, have diabetes, and have kidney disease relative to white Americans. African Americans also have higher rates of lung disease than White Americans,

which is particularly pertinent for respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19.

Death rates among African Americans due to diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and obesity are all higher than among White Americans, according to the CDC. The authors summarized the report by noting that America’s economic situation has substantially deteriorated since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis,

Transforming communities to support systems change The U.S. Bank Foundation is donating $3 million to transforming the Twin Cities, investing in leaders who are driving access to economic

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By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent @ StacyBrownMedia

mobility by addressing structural systems that lead to racial disparities and inequities.

These multi-year funds will be distributed in three pillars: Racial equity and housing: Urban League; Philanthropic Collective to Combat Anti-Blackness & Realize Racial Justice; Hope Community and Nexus Community Partners Small business and economic development: Pillsbury United Communities’ newly created Community Development Corporation – Justice Built Communities Workforce advancement and education: Summit

Academy OIC; Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ) and Generation Next U.S. Bank Foundation will soon share details of the other $10 million from the Rebuild and Transform Fund, which will support other markets impacted by civil unrest and include funding for national partnerships.

“Our investments start with listening and learning from local community leaders who understand the challenges and opportunities in their communities better than anyone,” said Reba Dominski, Chief Social Responsibility Officer. “We are providing

the gross domestic product fell at an annualized rate of 32.9 percent from April to the end of June 2020. It’s the most significant decline on record.

Families across race and ethnicity are feeling the pain, but African Americans are generally in an even weaker position to absorb this economic adversity, the authors said.

Further, Black families face a range of economic risks without the buffer from stable employment, adequate earnings, or sufficient savings and wealth accumulation.

“Amid substantial

economic and policy uncertainty, there is the potential for this crisis to have negative, longterm economic and educational consequences. COVID-19 has exposed and further highlighted existing racial inequality across economic and health status,” the authors wrote.

They continued: “As a result, these preexisting factors have left many Black families at greater risk to bear the consequences of this historic economic crisis. Inadequate, additional federal economic relief, such

general operating funds and investing in people because we trust community leaders to know how, when and where to use these funds for the greatest impact.

And we know philanthropy cannot solve these problems alone. When philanthropic dollars are combined with other resources a bank can provide, like increased access to capital, it creates opportunities for catalytic change.”

In addition to these local commitments, U.S. Bank has a deep partnership with the Center for Economic Inclusion (CEI) in the Twin Cities. In 2019, the Foundation provided the organization with a $500,000 grant to help break down historical and structural barriers to economic mobility.

U.S. Bank intends to expand its partnership nationally with CEI as part of its efforts to address economic and racial inequities.

The U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation (USBCDC) also recently announced details of the $1 million in grants to 15 Blackled Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) partners across the country as part of the bank’s larger $116 million commitment. USBCDC and the U.S. Bank Foundation also donated $150,000 to the African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs, which represents 29 Black-led CDFIs focused on increasing capital and financial services to African Americanowned businesses with a goal to change the odds and outcomes for African Americans in underserved communities across America.

as legislation that does not provide enough unemployment assistance and supplements to the safety net, potentially threatens Black families’ economic security.

“Ultimately, robust, reliable fiscal policy responses to the crisis will help to reduce the negative impacts of the pandemic on families. If the economic and public health crisis continues at its current pace, many American families will require such assistance, including a disproportionate share of Black families.”

This contrasts sharply with the 39% share of all union voters who voted for Trump and the fact that every other union which

Police 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 Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Intern Kelvin Kuria

Contributing Writers Maya Beecham Nadvia Davis Fred Easter Abeni Hill Inell Rosario Latisha Townsend Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography V. Rivera Garcia 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,

Washington State Police use tear gas to disperse a crowd in Seattle on May 30, 2020.

Mounted New York City police officers battle with striking members of the International Longshoremen’s Association, March 24, 1954. made an endorsement supported Hillary Clinton.

Exclusively protecting the interests of their members, without consideration for other workers, also sets police unions apart from other labor groups. Yes, the first priority of any union is to fight for their members, but most other unions see that fight in the context of a larger movement that fights for all workers.

Police unions do not see themselves as part of this movement. With one exception – the International Union of Police Associations, which represents just 2.7% of American police – law enforcement unions are not affiliated with the AFL-CIO, the U.S. labor body that unites all unions.

Alternative justice system A central concern with police unions is that they use collective bargaining to negotiate contracts that reduce police transparency and accountability.

This allows officers who engage in excessive violence to avoid the consequences of their actions and remain on the job.

In a way, some police unions have created an alternative justice system that prevents police departments and municipalities from disciplining

or discharging officers who have committed crimes against the people they are sworn to serve.

In Minneapolis, residents filed more than 2,600 misconduct complaints against police officers between 2012 and 2020. But only 12 of those grievances resulted in discipline.

The most significant punishment any officer received was a 40hour suspension.

Besides collective bargaining, police have used the political process – including candidate endorsements and lobbying – to secure local and state legislation that protects their members and quells efforts to provide greater police accountability.

Police officers are a formidable political force because they represent the principle of law and order.

Candidates endorsed by the police unions can claim they are the law and order candidate.

Once these candidates win office, police unions have significant leverage to lobby for policies they support or block those they oppose.

Because of this power, critics claim that police unions don’t feel accountable to the citizens they serve. An attorney who sued the Minneapolis

photo/Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

Police surround a protester in Boston, Massachusetts on May 31, 2020.

Police Department on behalf of a Black resident who was severely beaten by police officers said that he is convinced that Minneapolis “officers think they don’t have to abide by their own training and rules when dealing with the public.”

George Floyd’s death has raised serious concerns about the current role of police and police unions in our society.

Several unions have demanded that the International Union of Police Associations be expelled from the U.S. labor federation.

Other unions oppose expulsion.

They argue that the labor movement can have a greater impact on a police union that is inside the “House of Labor.”

In any case, there is a growing recognition that police unions differ significantly

from other unions. And there is a growing acceptance that they are not part of the larger American labor movement but rather a narrowly focused group pursuing their own selfinterests, often to the detriment of the nation at large.

This article origionally appeared on The Conversation.

Paul F. Clark is Professor and Director, School of Labor and Employment Relations at Penn State University.

His research has focused on employment relations in the U.S. healthcare, steel, and coal industries; labormanagement partnerships; union member commitment and participation; the American labor movement, and the globalization of labor markets.

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Insight News • August 31, 2020 - September 6, 2020 • Page 5

Gov. Walz announces plans for new COVID-19 saliva testing lab in Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan announced that Minnesota has partnered with the nation’s leading distributor of saliva testing to create plans for a new lab in Minnesota, expanding and diversifying testing capacity for Minnesotans, creating jobs, and slowing the spread of COVID-19.

State officials are working to finalize the $14.66 million contract with Vault Health and RUCDR Infinite Biologics. Rutgers’ RUCDR Infinite Biologics holds the country’s first FDA Emergency Use Authorization PCR saliva test for COVID-19 while Vault Health provides logistics and telehealth services necessary to carry out the test. The planned lab will have the ability to more than double the state’s current test processing capacity. The contractors expect to have the lab up and running by early October. The funding is provided by the state’s federal CARES Act funding.

“Public-private

partnerships are the key to success in our state’s effort to combat COVID-19,” said Walz.

“We’ve come a long way on testing thanks to our work with the Mayo Clinic, the University of Minnesota, and our state’s health systems, but we’re looking to make COVID-19 tests even more accessible. That’s why we’re excited to announce a new, innovative partnership with Vault Health and RUCDR Infinite Biologics that will further expand Minnesota’s testing capacity. This means more options for Minnesotans looking to get tested, and more diverse capabilities in terms of our overall strategy should we ever run into supply shortages or other hurdles down the road.”

This new saliva lab will be capable of processing as many as 30,000 samples a day, if running three shifts. At full capacity, it would also create up to 250 jobs at its planned location in Oakdale, Minnesota.

Currently, Minnesota’s testing capacity hovers between 20,000 and 22,000 tests per day.

The rolling average of PCR COVID-19 tests processed daily in Minnesota labs is just under 14,000 a day.

Minnesotans will likely have three ways to access a saliva test. First, the state will set up 10 semi-permanent sites. Any Minnesotan will be able to come to these sites to perform the saliva test. Each semi-permanent location will create 15-20 temporary jobs for Minnesotans. Second, the state and other partners will be able to offer the test in mobile testing events. The saliva test requires much less PPE than a traditional swab for COVID-19 because it is self-collected under the supervision of a health professional. Third, Vault Health also provides logistics and telehealth services to perform the saliva test at home.

The state has not yet defined the parameters of a mail-order testing program.

To learn more about the saliva test, visit mn.gov/ governor/news/.

According to reports, Blake was attempting to deescalate a domestic violence incident. Police were also at that scene. Raysean White, who recorded the shooting, told news outlets that before he started recording, officers punched Blake several times and also tazed him.

In White’s recording, viewers see

Blake walking from the officers to his car, where his three children were, and then an officer pulling on his shirt and shooting him in the back.

Since the Sunday night shooting, protestors have taken to the streets of Kenosha. Freelance photographer Chris Juhn has been documenting the protest. The

photos here show Tuesday night immediately before and after a gunman shoot into the crowd of protestors.

Juhn said he was caught in the middle of “multiple exchanges of gunfire.”

“The guy in green and with a rifle is a Boogaloo Boy which is a militia. The name on

his gun is what they give to media for a false name. The vertical shot is of the SUV driving one of the victims to the hospital. The guy was shot in the head,” said Juhn.

According to the Chicago-Tribune, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse has been charged with shootings that occurred overnight. People who were shot

others gave voice to fighting a common good across ability, generational and cultural lines.

The night continued with presentations on Biden’s ability to cross the aisle and make those relationships equal endorsements and votes as expressed by his friendship with the late Sen. John McCain and a speech by Colin Powell. The recurring theme: competent

leadership that respects the military.

Another standout moment was a package on Biden’s history on health care, and his work to make health care accessible to all. The star of the story was the Affordable Care Act and it was surrounded by other stars - the people who had praise for its availability and fear of its absence as threatened

by the current administration, especially during a pandemic.

To journey back to Roll Call, a special highlight included the wonderful Black North Carolina operative, Cozzie Watkins, who issued a call-to-action and a threat.

“Let me just be plain: Black people, especially Black women, are the backbone of this party and if we don’t show up,

Democrats don’t get elected,” she said.

The Charlotte native and nurse became an instant star in her own when Twitter lit up to applaud her.

After Biden received his party’s official nomination, someone cued up Kool & the Gang’s “Celebrate” leading to a few more speeches and the close of the night - Jill Biden’s

keynote. The former Second Lady reintroduced herself and assured America of her husband’s decency and integrity and their commitment to revive the soul of the nation.

You can watch the second night’s highlights by following the DNC’s website and social networks. For a schedule of the week’s events, read our prime.

mother who brought her child here for medical treatment, and Estella’s story about her mother who was removed from the country though her children and husband were citizens.

Alfre Woodard’s narration over a montage of images of women’s fight to vote was the perfect introduction to speeches by former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Clinton said, “I wish Donald Trump knew how to be a president,” and politely offered fact after fact to demonstrate what she believes is his inability to effectively lead the country. To the question of a much-needed change, Madame Speaker asked, “Who’s standing in the way?”

Segments that

followed were Joe-focused.

We learned more about his fight to create domestic violence legislation and his support of domestic workers.

Former President Barack Obama standing against a patriotic backdrop in Philadelphia proceeded to tell us more about Joe’s decency and integrity as he took on what was at stake: Democracy. In what has to be the most direct and emotional speeches he’s given to-date, Obama - a constitutional law student - prevailed upon America to save the foundation and soul of this country.

“I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously; that he might come

to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care,” said Obama.

In the shaking voice of a leader who is also a citizen, Obama implored everyone to take democracy seriously. “You can give our democracy new meaning. You can take it to a better place. You’re the missing ingredient -- the ones who will decide whether or not America becomes the country that fully lives up to its creed,” he said.

Finally, Sen. Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination as candidate for Vice-President of the United States with an incredible speech that opened with endorsements from her sister, niece and bonusdaughter, and many others who

know her well. Their love for her was palpable as was her love for them. Harris’ speech began as an introduction to her as a person, where she credited the example of her late mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, as important to any success she’s achieved. She thanked everyone who has helped her, including her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sisters and her HBCU family of friends. It was all very warm and personable, but then she took up where Barack Obama left off, giving us a glimpse of the leader she will be as vice-president.

“And at every step of the way, I’ve been guided by the words I spoke from the first time I stood in a courtroom: Kamala Harris, For the People.

“I’ve fought for

children, and survivors of sexual assault. I’ve fought against transnational gangs.

I took on the biggest banks, and helped take down one of the biggest for-profit colleges.

“I know a predator when I see one,” she said.

Mic dropped.

Gloves off. Harris closed the evening with a speech about what democracy should look like, the mess it has become, and the work needed to reclaim it with our votes.

“It’s not about Joe or me. It’s about you. It’s about us.”

You can view the third night of the convention by watching the video below.

sandwiches, swept the church floors, stuffed the envelopes.

They too changed America, and so can we. The baton has now been passed to each of us.

We’ve cried out for justice. We have gathered in our streets to demand change, and now we must pass on the gift John Lewis sacrificed to give us: We must register, and we must vote.”

Joe Biden closed the

final night of the DNC with what has been called the speech “he’s waited” all of his life to give. In accepting his party’s nomination, Biden opened with a nod a bit of Ella Baker’s wisdom.

“Give people light and they will find a way.”

In one of the shortest keynote speeches of the week, Biden took the light given

to him to lay out a carefully thought-out argument to support his candidacy and vote Biden/ Harris in November. Calmly, he spoke of the issues his platform supports, praised the presidency of Barack Obama, and offered up glowing praise for Kamala Harris, his running mate.

“The current president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long. Too much

anger. Too much fear. Too much division.

Here and now, I give you my word: If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us not the worst. I will be an ally of the light not of the darkness …

I am a proud Democrat and I will be proud to carry the banner of our party into the general election. So, it

is with great honor and humility that I accept this nomination for president of the United States of America.”

And just like that, the pageantry drew to an end with a fireworks display outside of the convention center, where he and Jill Biden met up with Kamala Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff to greet supporters and prepare for November.

photo/Geber86

This new saliva lab will be capable of processing as many as 30,000 samples a day, if running three shifts.

Continue From 1

Protestors have, once again, taken to the streets in cities across the country to denounce the shooting of yet another unarmed Black man. Jacob Blake, 29, was shot in the back by Kenosha, WI police on August 23.

While Blake was not murdered, he is now paralyzed from the waist down.

DNC Night 2 From 3 discussed voter suppression and activism, while others from the mayor of Birmingham, AL, Randall Woodfin to LGBTQ+ politicians Malcolm Kenyatta, Sam Park, and Robert Garcia to Raumesh Akbari and eleven

DNC Night 3 From 3 quadriplegic who was shot as he danced at a party, and former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The mother of a survivor and a survivor questioned the unresponsiveness of the current president.

The question of a democracy that no longer welcomes immigrants or treats them respectfully was addressed in a thoughtful package about Dreamers and the treatment of children (in cages, separated from mothers) at the borders.

The most emotional stories were about the undocumented

DNC Final From 3 the rising political star added, “People often think that they can’t make a difference like our civil rights icons. But every person in the movement mattered—those who made the

have been identified as a 26-yearold Silver Lake resident and a 36-year-old Kenosha resident, who were both shot to death, and a 26-year-old from West Allis who was injured. photo/ Chris Juhn

Page 6 • August 31, 2020 - September 6, 2020 • Insight News

Insight 2 Health

insightnews.com

photo/Willie B. Thomas via Getty Images

The financial ravages caused by COVID-19 will particularly impact Black seniors.

Economic hardship from COVID-19 will hit minority seniors the most

By Marc Cohen, Clinical Professor of Gerontology and Co-Director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, University of Massachusetts Boston and Jane Tavares, Research Fellow, LeadingAge LTSS Center, University of Massachusetts Boston For Americans 60 and older, COVID-19 is widespread and deadly. Its economic impact could also be devastating.

With a recession fast developing, much of the attention on the downturn focuses on working-age adults, but many older Americans – with less time to make up for financial losses – will suffer the most.

I am a clinical professor of gerontology. My co-author is a research fellow in gerontology. We believe that recent history, specifically the Great Recession of 2008-09, will demonstrate what’s at stake.

In a series of research briefs using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we analyzed the financial status of Americans 60 and older before and after that recession. We reviewed the data from a wide variety of demographic groups: non-Hispanic whites, nonHispanic Blacks, and Hispanics; single-person and two-person, married households; retired and non-retired.

The findings paint a grim picture of what may come from the pandemic: a recession likely to have a far greater impact than the 200809 downturn, especially on minority older adults. Given that the unemployment rate among older minority Americans is already disproportionately high and that many have health conditions that make it difficult to work, their ability to change their financial situation is small compared to other groups.

Increasing poverty rates Beginning in 2008, older adults experienced significant losses across the board regardless of demographic groupings. Housing values, liquid assets and total net wealth all declined. Given the housing market collapse associated with the recession, sharp drops in home value were expected.

More remarkable is that drops in assets and total net wealth were almost as steep.

Yet as one moves up the wealth stream, the recession’s financial impacts diminished for older adults. For the wealthiest 20%, losses ranged from 4% to 18%. But for those in the lowest

photo/Lola Takes Pictures via Getty Images

More than 75 million in the U.S. are age 60 and older.

Chart: The Conversation, CC-BY-ND Source: Marc Cohen G

Chart: The Conversation, CC-BY-ND Source: Marc Cohen G

20%, financial assets and total wealth losses ranged from 200% to 500%.

For those 60 and older at or near the bottom, these losses were staggering. Poverty rates increased from 1 percentage point to 6 percentage points, depending on the demographic group. These increases may seem small but in numbers of people it is enormous.

In 2008, more than 50 million people in the U.S. were 60 and older. Roughly 1.2 million of them fell into poverty during the great recession and this represents a 46 percent increase in the poverty rate – a 5% poverty rate pre-recession compared to a 7.3% rate postrecession.

Today there are 75 million in the U.S. 60 and older.

This time, a pandemic-instigated downturn could translate to 1.8 million seniors pushed into poverty, if impacts are similar to

2008-09.

To further break down our analysis: In the 2008-09 recession, singleperson households and retired individuals had smaller increases in poverty compared to two-person households and nonretired individuals respectively.

Both groups had notably higher percentages of their household income coming from Social Security retirement income and government benefit programs.

This suggests that government-based financial resources help mitigate the impact of a recession and slow increases in poverty, likely buffering those who qualify for Social Security and have adequate retirement savings from complete financial ruin.

Most vulnerable: Older minorities Given the pervasiveness of systemic

racism in the U.S., it’s not surprising that older Blacks and older Hispanics suffered the deepest financial declines during the 2008 recession.

Older Hispanics had almost twice the amount of losses in net total wealth than non-Hispanic whites. They also had the highest increase in poverty, a 5.5 percentage point jump, more than any other demographic group.

Older Blacks had twice the decline in liquid financial assets when compared to white counterparts, and a 3.2 percentage point increase in poverty, the second highest.

What’s worse: Prior to the 2008 recession, these groups already had drastically fewer financial resources than older whites, and quadruple the poverty rate.

Older adults living in single-person households also experienced significant financial losses despite not being hit quite

as hard as older two-person households. Many are women, and a significant percentage are widows. Even in good economic times, they are typically at a much lower financial status.

During a recession, things become precipitously worse; they are unable to absorb the financial losses that older two-person households, who often have double the financial resources, can. And, again, they are unlikely to be able to find a job and in many cases, unable to work even if they could.

In 2008-09, older single-person households experienced significant declines across all financial measures, despite their reliance on Social Security and government benefits. By comparison, twoperson households, often with two sources of income, are in a better financial position before, during and after a recession.

They had half the rate of poverty

than the older single-person households.

Learning from the Great Recession The impact of COVID-19 will likely be worse than what we present here. The 2008-09 estimates probably offer only a best-case scenario.

But they will help us understand the economic hardships that millions of older Americans now face because of the pandemic.

Indeed, as health and economic threats overlap, they may bear the brunt of this catastrophe.

There is, however, a possible way out. Our evidence indicates that stable sources of government income and benefits may keep minority seniors from financial collapse. Anything less than that, and the risks facing these most vulnerable Americans become catastrophic certainties.

This article appeared origionally on The Conversation.

Marc A. Cohen, Ph.D. is a Professor of Gerontology at UMass Boston. In his role at UMass, Dr. Cohen is the Co-Director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston and he also serves as a Research Director at the Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation at Community Catalyst.

Jane Tavares, Ph.D. is a research fellow and adjunct instructor in the Department of Gerontology at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She has extensive experience working with large-scale representative panel data, such as the Health and Retirement Study.

insightnews.com

Insight News • August 31, 2020 - September 6, 2020 • Page 7

“My Life in the Purple Kingdom” a must-read debut from Prince bassist Mark Brown

By Violet Brown, Esq. IG: @violetesq @VioletBInterACTive In BrownMark’s forthcoming book My Life in the Purple Kingdom, we learn the early life story of Mark Brown, the nice guy raised in Minneapolis, who Prince mentored into Bad Boy of Bass Status. If you have ever experienced this brotha playing live, you felt that bass thunder literally rock you from head to toe. If you’re like me, you wondered how he got so doggone good. While it’s no super-technical instruction guide (for those of us who play and want to be like him when we grow up) one can definitely glean some important info about not only him as a bass player, but about Prince as a bandleader/mentor.

I remember reading the August Bass Player Mag some years ago where the consensus of the group of Prince bass players was that Brown played the most like Prince. Prince played the bass (and every other instrument) like it was an extension of his body, a limb with which he could stir others’ souls. Having anyone feel that you have even an ounce of Prince’s musical talent has to feel amazing, so BrownMark must feel like gold.

Whether it was the timing - joining the band after the initial fan base was established but before international world star status - or Brown’s age and relative newness to the professional musician scene, or something no one can really put his/her finger on, it is clear that several factors converged to bring out his Bass Beast. My favorite part of the book is actually the moment that he learns to play with his heart, through blistered fingers, broken bass strings, and injured pride. I can imagine it wasn’t the happiest memory of his time in the band, but it certainly was important to who he became, and who he and Prince were to each other.

His boot camp initiation reminded me of Prince speaking about his own father on The Tavis Smiley Show in 2009. He spoke of what a great musician his father was, but also said that he was hard on him. Prince seemed to understand by the time of the 2009 interview that his father wanted him to succeed, thus the constant push. Prince also spoke about playing angry, especially when it came to bass, because that energy transfers into the music.

Brown speaking on some of his experiences brings Prince’s words back to mind. It seems BrownMark may have felt similarly about his time as Prince’s little brother/mentee.

Overall the book really is a coming of age story, a chance to get to know Mark Brown, the young man. You get an understanding of what it was like for him during some of the major events we’ve all heard stories and/or seen footage of, like the infamous opening for The Rolling Stones in ‘81.

His story covers a very important period in music history. He had the opportunity to be front row, center during the big crossover, the merging of funk, rock, jazz, and everything else comprising the Minneapolis Sound. Although we know Prince’s bands are always composed of all kinds of people, male, female, Black, white, and everything else, I was saddened by Brown’s stories of experiencing racism from strangers and feeling violated by fans. I don’t know what it’s like to be groped by fans, but do I know how it feels to see that Confederate Flag, and hear those ugly words, to fear for your life. Been there, done that, years after him, and unfortunately, sometimes it seems ain’t nothing changed but the date.

If you want to get to know Mark Brown, the human, I would say this book is a good way to go. My Life In the Purple Kingdom is to be released in September. Here’s to having a little something additional to look forward to this fall. w w w. Vi o l e t B I n t e r A C Ti v e . com PRINCE/365 A CELEBRATION

photo/www.upress.umn.edu

BrownMark’s story covers a very important period in music history. He had the opportunity to be front row, center during the big crossover, the merging of funk, rock, jazz, and everything else comprising the Minneapolis Sound.

photo/thecurrent.org

BrownMark at a recent concert.

photo/twitter.com

It is clear that several factors converged to bring out his Bass Beast.

Page 8 • August 31, 2020 - September 6, 2020 • Insight News

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