Insight ::: 12.2.19

WINNER: 2018 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 3RD PLACE BES T COLUMN WRITING

WINNER: 2019 GENERAL EXCELLENCE, 3RD PLACE, COLUMN WRITING, 2ND PLACE

Insight News

December 2, 2019 - December 8, 2019

Vol. 46 No. 48• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

MUSICAL ROYALTY SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS PRESENTS SOULFUL CLASSIC POEM “A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS”

STORY ON PAGE 8

Page 2 • December 2, 2019 - December 8, 2019 • Insight News

insightnews.com PAID ADVERTISEMENT

DANGEROUS. RACIST. ILLEGAL. TOXIC SKIN LIGHTENING CREAMS. Across the globe, women of color are sold skin lightening products to uphold racist beauty norms. We tested creams sold on Amazon and eBay, and found that 15 had illegal levels of mercury. Mercury — a toxic and dangerous ingredient — is NOT listed on any of the products labels. Online retailers must stop selling these products globally, and put in place safety protocols to ensure they remain off the sites, for good.

Amazon and eBay, stop selling these products.

LEARN MORE: sc.org/toxictrade

insightnews.com

Insight News • December 2, 2019 - December 8, 2019 • Page 3

Insight News

WINNER: 2019 GENERAL EXCELLENCE, 3RD PLACE, COLUMN WRITING, 2ND PLACE

WINNER: 2018 NNPA MERIT AWARDS: 3RD PLACE BES T COLUMN WRITING

December 2, 2019 - December 8, 2019

Vol. 46 No. 48• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

De’Vonna Pittman to run for

Hennepin County commissioner De’Vonna Pittman, a long time Hennepin County employee, small business owner and author filed to run for the office of Hennepin County Board of Commissioners in District 1.

The district includes Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Crystal, New Hope, Osseo and Robbinsdale.

“I know how the county system works and does not work, for the people of Hennepin County and my district. I’ve been on the front line with talented and resourceful colleagues and grassroots organizers involved in equity and inclusivity,” said Pittman. “I believe that engaged and empowered people create healthier communities. As a

commissioner, I will use my experience to be a stronger advocate for all communities in Hennepin County, especially those in the First District.”

Hennepin County commissioners are key policymakers who represent the interest of the county.

Commissioners oversee operations and are stewards of a budget of $2.4 billion dollars, and collectively decide how those funds are to be allocated across the county.

Pittman said her top three platform issues will focus on affordable housing, workforce development and reduction of disparities and inequities.

“I am running to

De’Vonna Pittman continue doing what I’ve always done; to be a strong voice for the people who live and work in Hennepin County,” said Pittman. “Whether it be affordable housing, property taxes, workforce development,

transportation and accessibility or immigration; I am prepared and qualified to be your voice and advocate on day one.”

Pittman, who will seek the DFL endorsement, is the co-founder and board chair

for the Minnesota Black Authors Expo and Book Fair. She also is an entrepreneur who has created a publishing company and an organic skin and hair care line.

Originally from Illinois, Pittman has lived in Minnesota for 28 years and in the First District with her husband Robert Pittman since 2005. De’Vonna Pittman has a degree in Liberal Arts with a focus in Juvenile Criminal Justice from Metropolitan State University, and a Masters in Law Enforcement Leadership from the University of St. Thomas.

To learn more about her campaign visit PeopleforPittman.com.

Amazon: Stop selling toxic and illegal skin lighteners If Amazon is Goliath, then Amira Adawe of the Beautywell Project and the Sierra Club North Star Chapter are David.

For many people throughout the African diaspora, skin bleaching is a shocking phenomenon seen as a warped sense of self, but for others it’s a status of beauty. For Amazon it’s big business. For Adawe and the Sierra Club it’s a cancer in the literal and figurative form.

A 2016 New York Times article called the business of lightening a “multibilliondollar industry” with estimates of up to 70 percent of people in some West African areas consuming the products.

Aside of the cultural debate, the practice of bleaching is being called a health crisis with many of the products having chemical ingredients

– including high levels of mercury – known to cause cancer. And, like most every product nowadays, Amazon is one of the biggest suppliers.

The Beautywell Project and the Sierra Club’s Gender, Equity & Environment Program launched a media campaign targeting Amazon to stop selling skin lightening creams that contain illegal levels of mercury. On Nov. 20 the groups delivered a petition with 23,000 signers to Amazon’s corporate office in Minneapolis – a central location for Amazon’s distribution centers and home to a community that uses these products regularly. Digital ads also hit Facebook and Instagram.

And Amazon listened, agreeing to pull at least five creams from its distribution.

“These skin

Sierra Club North Star Chapter

Amira Adawe outside of an Amazon fulfilment center in Minneapolis calling on the distributing giant to stop selling skin bleaching/ lightening creams.

lightening products expose communities of color to intense levels of mercury and impact their health outcomes especially women and children,” said Adawe of the Beautywell Project. “This practice was inherited from colonization – where historically people were taught to dislike their skin color. Retailers like Amazon play a major role in the global distribution of these harmful products. We need a strong regulatory system that will hold companies accountable.”

“Amazon has been repeatedly warned that they are selling products that contain illegal levels of mercury and must be held accountable for their failure to protect consumer health and safety,” said Sonya Lunder, of the Sierra Club’s Gender, Equity and

Environment Program. “It is time for Amazon to put in place protocols to keep these toxic products off their website.”

The Beautywell Project, Sierra Club and Zero Mercury Working Group purchased several of the skin lightening creams, bought from Amazon and eBay websites in 2018 and 2019. This years’ testing found that two-thirds of the products contained illegal levels of mercury. Most products had 1,000 times the limit, while one contained 40,000 parts per million. The results of the study can be found online at www.zeromercury. org/mercury-added-skinlightening-creams-campaign.

Adawe and the Sierra Club are calling on Amazon to fully divest from selling the harmful creams on its platform.

Officials claim the works are ‘racial’

Illinois prison bans Black History books

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia In the 1800s, many states in the Union adopted laws that prohibited teaching African-American slaves how to read and write.

Thirty lashes or even death would be the punishment for Blacks who learned to read or write. Whites who taught Blacks would incur fines or even a short jail sentence.

Perhaps, someone forgot to tell Illinois prison officials that it’s 2020, not 1820.

Officials at the Danville Correctional Center removed about 200 books from a prison library and banned their use in an inmate education program because they said the books were “too racial.”

The catalog ban included several classic books related to African-American history such as, “The Souls of Black Folk” and “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”

According to published reports, three out of every four inmates in Illinois prisons are African-American, causing some to conclude that banning the books was a means for prison officials to deprive Blacks of learning

“By disallowing black inmates to learn about their specific history, the state reinforces the incarceration cycle instead of empowering folks to thrive outside the system as free members of society,” said D. Gilson, a writer for ExpertInsuranceReviews.com. their history. The books are part of an education program initiated by the Education Justice Project (EJP) and run by the University of Illinois.

The Chicago Tribune, which first reported the dispute, noted that the flap between the program and prison officials started last year when the Education Justice Project began the review process for the upcoming semester’s books and course materials. That’s when a corrections lieutenant told program officials that the problem with the materials was that they were “racial,” according to testimony by EJP Director Rebecca Ginsburg.

The EJP library is separate from the prison library,

and it follows a different review process than the process that governs how reading materials are distributed to inmates through the prison’s mailroom.

But Ginsburg told lawmakers (at a July hearing) the review policy has gone through seven revisions over the past four years.

“In this case, records show EJP submitted 25 books for approval. Of those, four were denied outright, nine were allowed in for review but then denied, and 12 were approved,” The Tribune reported. “Among the books not allowed in for review was ‘The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America.’ Books denied after review for the

News

From small beginnings to a storefront

PAGE 4

spring semester deal primarily with race and social issues, including ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’

by Harriet Beecher Stowe and ‘Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl’ by Harriet Jacobs, both written in the 1800s.”

“Censorship in prisons is the biggest First Amendment violation in America. Yet, it remains one of the least talked about and least examined,” Kelly Jensen, a former librarian, wrote in a blog for Book Riot.

The criminal justice system is no longer primarily concerned with the prevention and punishment of crime, but rather with the management and control of the dispossessed, D. Gilson, a writer for ExpertInsuranceReviews. com, told NNPA Newswire.

“Education empowers individuals to rise above their dispossession,” said Gilson, who has taught writing and popular culture studies at the university level for more than a decade.

“Thus, it is no surprise the state of Illinois had banned Black History books – books that explain the injustices that have been brutally forced on Black and Brown bodies since the first African slaves were brought to the Americas. By disallowing Black inmates to learn about their specific history, the state reinforces the incarceration

cycle instead of empowering folks to thrive outside the system as free members of society.”

Social media influencer Kenny Screven told NNPA Newswire that removing books on Black History from prisons where the population is predominately African-American is unfair.

“It has forbidden people to learn about their history. As a Black man, it’s really bizarre to hear this,” Screven stated. “Throughout school, we are constantly talking about white folks and how they’ve influenced society.

They rarely ever talk about Black people doing amazing things in the world. We’re only ever taught about slavery, but there’s so much more to our history than slavery.”

Bruce Mirken, a spokesman for The Greenlining Institute, said removing the books does reflect racism.

“All of American history has ‘racial content,’ from the Constitution’s accommodation of slavery to the ethnic cleansing of Native Americans to Japanese internment during World War II,” Mirken said in an email to NNPA Newswire. “To ignore Black perspectives doesn’t eliminate racial content, it just ensures that only white points of view get included.”

Minneapolis Police Departmen Facebook page

Minneapolis needs more officers; more accountability Commentary by Clayton Tyler I am a proud North Minneapolis resident. I am also an attorney with 40 years of experience practicing in criminal defense and an extensive background in civic engagement. I am a former chair of the Minneapolis Urban League, former president of the Minnesota Association of Black Attorneys, former president of the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys and former chair of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. My family has its roots in North Minneapolis. For five generations we have been in the same community. My wife and I raised our 22-year-

OFFICERS 5

A true Polar … a true Northsider Sports and Real talk with Coach McKenzie

By Larry McKenzie

Charles Adams, III on the sidelines during a North Community High Polars game.

A year or so ago Mr. Mac, our esteemed publisher, Mr. Al McFarlane, extended an invitation to become a guest columnist with Insight News and I wrote a couple of pieces and have taken a long hiatus but I’m back and plan on being a regular contributor.

If you live in Minnesota from Duluth to Rochester or anywhere in between you can’t help but see the Straight Outta Northside t-shirts or the constant chatter on social media of those proclaiming their love for North Minneapolis and how

MCKENZIE 5

Health

Have a long-term health condition?

Get a flu vaccine

PAGE 6

Page 4 • December 2, 2019 - December 8, 2019 • Insight News

insightnews.com

How one ‘Lash Boss’ is providing a blueprint for success

From small beginnings to a storefront

By Brittany Wright Local business owner Mayowa Ojo has been in the lash business since 2015 but is going into 2020 with a serious upgrade.

She recently moved her business, Lash Haus, into a physical location in the Powderhorn neighborhood where she’s able to serve a larger clientele and provide training for aspiring eyelash technicians.

Starting from humble beginnings in 2014, she moved to Minnesota from Illinois as a college dropout. She used the money she was making as an exotic dancer to fund for her education and certifications as an eyelash technician and esthetician from Aveda. She

provided free services out of her home to practice, and once her training was finished, she moved into a salon suite in Roseville.

Starting without a grant or small business loan, she invested all her first year’s lash income back into her business until she was able to build up enough business credit to take out a small business loan and expand her business.

By January 2018 she had added two new titles to her resume – mom and lash technician educator. She launched Lash Boss Academy, a training program for aspiring lash technicians that shows the ins and outs of how to thrive in the growing industry of eyelash extensions. The online course includes two e-books, 10 instructional videos and a

certificate of completion for those who complete the course.

She also provides in-person instructional courses and business tips for how to become a “lash boss.”

Her advice to aspiring lash bosses and fellow creatives is to build connections and relationships with people in order to thrive. She also recommends the book “The Go-Giver.” Her philosophy is to always be a student.

Even though she’s a certified and licensed esthetician, lash technician, and instructor she’s constantly traveling and taking courses to increase her skill set.

To some, eyelash extensions may seem like an unnecessary cosmetic enhancement, but Ojo believes it’s the root to feeling good.

Mayowa Ojo “When I look and feel good I perform at my best.

Especially after having a baby, I had to make it a priority,” said the entrepreneur.

She’s now prioritizing

her selfcare, her clients’ lashes, and her Lash Boss students at her new storefront location at 3447 Bloomington Ave. S., Minneapolis.

“I want to say I didn’t

choose this profession; it chose me,” said Ojo. “Honestly, I still can’t believe people pay me to do this for a living. (It’s) so humbling. If I can do it anyone can.”

How to start investing for the long-term Investing can help your money grow.

But before you move your money to anything riskier than a savings account or IRA, you should review the ways you can do so.

Making well-advised investments comes down to cultivating the right mindset and getting educated about the options available to you.

Investing can be a means to secure your long-term financial health, but you should also consider the risks attached to each investment option, and how these relate to your own willingness to take on risk.

Framing investment risk against your own long-term priorities can help you decide what investment vehicles will be best.

Follow these key steps to hone your investing strategy.

Choose investment priorities Ask yourself why you

want to invest. Is it to prepare for retirement, buy a home, or start a new business? How much money will you need for your goals? Then, organize your investment priorities by the amount of time needed to achieve them. Writing them down can help you think clearly about which goals you have, and which you need to start with.

Your investment priorities should also be informed by your particular financial situation. You should invest no more than you can afford to lose.

That way, you won’t jeopardize your short-term financial health as you work toward achieving more long-term aims.

Invest in your company’s employersponsored retirement plan It’s never too early to start investing in your retirement. Take advantage

iStockphoto/NNPA

It’s never too early to start investing in your retirement. Take advantage of your employer’s plan, if they offer one. Set aside as much money as your employer is willing to match. of your employer’s plan, if they offer one. Set aside as much money as your employer is willing to match.

Employer-sponsored retirement plans can take many forms, such as a 401(k), 403(b), or 457(b). Some people choose to manage their own investment

portfolio by investing in a mixture of stocks and bonds. A portfolio with more stocks than bonds is considered higher risk, along with a potential for high returns on investment, while a portfolio with more bonds than stocks will be the opposite. If you choose to manage your

own retirement portfolio, think about which balance makes the most sense for you.

That balance could also shift over time depending on your risk tolerance as you get older. For example, as you near retirement, investing in less risky bonds rather than stocks could be a better approach.

Generally, you can afford to take on more risk earlier in your career because you have time to adjust if the market takes a downturn before you withdraw the money. Once you’re closer to retirement, you’ll want to take on less risk to help ensure your retirement funds are more secure when you need them.

Work with a financial planner Everyone prefers a different level of autonomy when it comes to investing.

While those who want to retain complete control

can pursue a self-directed investment strategy, many find it helpful to seek outside advice.

Another option to consider for guidance is robo-advisors. These online platforms provide an automated investment service, some of which with access to human financial advice. You can also seek the advice of a certified financial planner (CFT) to build a unique plan that works best for you. A CFP can help you manage your goals and simplify the complex world of investing.

As you plan to invest, keep your personal financial goals in mind and be ready to adjust your plan as your situation changes. When you prepare, investments can be a great way to help you reach financial goals.

These strategies were originally prepared by Wells Fargo Bank.

Sherry Shannon receives national leadership award Minneapolis resident Sherry Shannon is as one of the five national recipients of the 2019

Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership by NeighborWorks America.

Presented annually, the Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership is a competitive

grant program to honor individuals that have made outstanding contributions and

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

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

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Managing Editor Harry Colbert, Jr. 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 Timothy Houston Michelle Mitchum Inell Rosario Latisha Townsend Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography David Bradley 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,

I Phone 7 pre-owned $19.99 I Phone 6s plus $49.99 Buy one Samsung A10e and get 3 free phones Add line and $5 only for the phone 4 line $100 unlimited everything Free Stylo 5 when you switch to Boost Mobile 1112 Lowry Ave N, Minneapolis MN 55411 612.345.4524

Sherry Shannon worked to bring about positive change in their neighborhoods and communities.

Shannon was nominated by Aeon, a nonprofit developer, owner and manager of affordable homes in the Twin Cities.

Having once been homeless with two children, Shannon uses her firsthand experience to educate others. She is a leader in several organizations working to address the complex issues surrounding affordable housing and homelessness.

The catalyst for Shannon’s advocacy began in the 1990s when she moved into an Aeon-owned apartment building.

There she demonstrated her abilities to connect people through organizing family-friendly community events like barbecues and activities for children.

Shannon became a leader of Street Voices of Change, a group of people with current or past experiences with homelessness working to build community and make positive changes in the lives of people experiencing homelessness.

Through the organization, Shannon is furthering an initiative to develop a community of tiny houses in Minneapolis that would provide affordable housing for the city’s most vulnerable populations.

“Sherry Shannon embodies the spirit and tenacity of the Dorothy Richardson Awards. She has been a powerful voice for individuals impacted

by homelessness,” said Aeon President and CEO Alan Arthur.

“She speaks authentically about the many issues and obstacles that contribute to homelessness and the steps necessary to meaningfully bring about change. We are grateful for her leadership and contributions to our community.”

“I’m very honored to receive this leadership award.

Serving the community is my way of giving back,” said Shannon. “I hope to empower those experiencing homelessness so they, too, can experience the benefits of having a home.”

The Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership was named for a Pittsburgh resident and pioneer in the community-development movement who, more than five decades ago, was the inspiration for the creation of the agency that eventually became NeighborWorks America.

For more than 20 years, the award has been bestowed by network members to honor outstanding achievements by devoted community leaders.

As part of the recognition Shannon and a team of Aeon resident leaders will participate in the NeighborWorks America Community Leadership Institute, an annual event that works to build the skills of local leaders through training and networking, to create an action plan for a local improvement project.

insightnews.com

Officers From 3 old daughter blocks from where I grew up.

I grew up walking to school from 8th and Logan Avenues North.

I attended Lincoln Middle School and graduated from North High.

Later, I graduated from Augsburg College and the University of Minnesota law school. I know the city of Minneapolis and its neighborhoods.

The issue of the relationship between the police and the community is complex and multi-layered. The issue is personal to me. I’ve dealt with and referred out a number of cases of individuals who had

McKenzie From 3

“Norfside” they are. While many claim it, Charles Adams, III is Northside bred, Northside led and will be a Polar through and through when he is dead.

Adams – “Spank” or “OA” as he is known – grew up running the streets of North Minneapolis.

He attended school at North Star, Waite Park K-6, Franklin Middle and Minneapolis North Community High School. During his high school years at North, enrollment exceeded 1,200 students with a diverse population of kids from all over the Twin Cities who enrolled in one of five magnet programs such as performing arts, radio and television, high tech, business and finance and Summa Tech.

Continuing the Adams family legacy of his father, Charles Adams, Jr. and uncle, Tony Adams, he participated in both football and basketball in high school. He was blessed to play under the tutelage of North graduate, Michael “Spank” Favors, who is in the College

Insight News • December 2, 2019 - December 8, 2019 • Page 5 complaints about how they were treated by the Minneapolis police. On the other hand, my house has been broken into twice in the middle of the night – times where I truly relied on the police to “protect and serve.”

Both times they did their job with speed and concern for my family’s safety.

We have the right to expect that the police will treat our citizens with respect. At the same time, we need to insure that we have enough police to do the job properly. Mayor Jacob Frey and Chief Medaria Arradondo have requested more officers.

With this request comes a need for more accountability, more training, more communication with members of the community.

The issue is not either/or it is both/and.

I fully support Chief

Football Hall of Fame and now one of the top educator’s in the state of Minnesota, and Rufus Bess a former member of the Minnesota Vikings. The highlight of his high school football career was making it to the state semi-finals before losing to Washburn. During that time Minneapolis City Conference football was dominated by the Southside schools.

Adams got a taste of being a state champion as a reserve on the three-peat boys basketball state championship run in 1997, ‘98 and ‘99 led

by Khalid El-Amin, Jabbar Washington and Ozzie Lockhart.

The 1999 graduate has now turned what was once a tough-luck program into a state powerhouse that recently competed for a second state title.

It’s extremely rare for schools in Minneapolis to be competing for football titles yet, North is making it’s sixth consecutive state appearance under Adams’ leadership.

His coaching career began in 2000 right out of high school coaching football, basketball and golf with the Police Athletic League (PAL).

While working as an off-duty officer at North High events

Arradondo and Mayor Frey in their policing efforts, including their request for more officers.

In order to have community policing and outreach that connects to our residents, we need to have enough officers. An underfunded and understaffed police department shortchanges the safety of our citizens. I trust the chief, mayor and city council will work with the community to ensure that adding more officers also adds accountability and more connection to citizens and community organizations. I stand ready to work with them to implement their plans.

I love this city and I love my neighborhood. I want to ensure that when our daughter returns to Minneapolis to raise her family that we can have a sixth generation on the Northside.

he got talked into coaching the freshman team in 2006 and helped with the varsity offensive line. In 2007 he was promoted to head coach of the junior varsity and in 2010 named head coach of the Minneapolis North Polars Football program.

With a total of 25 kids his first year he won two games.

His initial stint as head coach was short-lived as Minneapolis North was newly restarted and the then administration hired someone else for the position.

When turmoil arose with players and parents, the school athletic director went straight to the school’s resource officer for help who was none other than Charles Adams, III. He would finish 0-9 that season.

In 2012 the program grew to 40 kids which included Tyler Johnson as a freshman.

Johnson is now a star wide receiver with the Minnesota Gophers and a top NFL prospect.

Since 2013, Adams holds a record of 63-6.

When Adams led his Polars into U S. Bank Stadium for a chance at another title he wasn’t just representing Minneapolis North, but the entire city – particularly the Northside, as he is truly Northside for life.

The Bad Plus

Reid Anderson | Orrin Evans | Dave King ɳ ûƇĭƣÝƇĈ UōƼōĭƇƪɴ Album Release

DEC 25-28 New Year’s Eve w/Davina and

the Vagabonds

ɀȾƇĩ ōōĭƣĈŸžÝŸƪ ŕğ (ÝŀŕƇÝ QŕńĭāÝƪ ĈžĭāĈōûƪ

Joyann Parker Band

Passion, Power & Soul

DEC 31

Dinner Show 6pm Cocktail Show 10:30pm

JAN 3

Johnnie Brown & The Sound of Philadelphia

Masters of Hawaiian Music

feat. The Music of The O’Jays Encore Performance!

feat. George Kahumoku Jr., Led Kaapana & Kawika Kahiapo

JAN 4

JAN 15

The Sweet Remains

Bruce Henry The Music of "ƍŸƇĭž qÝƪƼĈńā

Three Tantalizing Harmonizing Troubadours

Electrifying Singer & Entertainer

JAN 16

JAN 17

Tina Schlieske Sings Sinatra to Simone

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio

Soul Groove Jazz

JAN 18

JAN 19

Kneebody

Rebirth Brass Band

An Evening of Torch and Swing

Explosive Exploratory Jazz

JAN 22

612.332.5299 dakotacooks.com

Incomparable NOLA Brass

JAN 25

1010 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN

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

2823 E. Franklin Ave. | Minneapolis & 317 E. 38th St. | Minneapolis w w w. s e w a rd. co o p

Page 6 • December 2, 2019 - December 8, 2019 • Insight News

Insight 2 Health

insightnews.com

Have a long-term health condition? Get a flu vaccine Many people have a long-term health condition (also called a chronic disease) like diabetes, asthma, or heart disease.

However, many people do not know that these health conditions can cause them to get very sick from flu.

Most people hospitalized for flu have a long-term health condition.

Having a long-term health condition means your immune system is already working hard. When it has to fight off another disease like flu, it can be very difficult or make your other health condition get worse. This can happen even if you are taking all of the right medications and your longterm health condition is under control.

Getting a flu vaccine is the best way to prevent the flu. Everyone six months of age and older is recommended to get a flu vaccine every year, but it is especially important for people with long-term health conditions. Flu vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of getting sick with flu as well as reduce the risk of having a serious flu outcome like going to the hospital or being admitted to the intensive care unit.

Flu is an illness caused by virus that attacks the

nose, throat, and lungs. Flu can be spread in the air when people with the virus cough or sneeze, or by touching a surface with the virus on it and then touching their mouth or eyes.

Symptoms of flu include fever, cough, sore throat, headache, being very tired, and body aches. These symptoms usually begin suddenly and might be severe enough to stop your daily activities. Since people with long-term health conditions are more likely to get very sick from flu, this could mean having to miss many days of work, school or other activities.

Flu season can last through the month of April. It is not too late to get vaccinated and help protect yourself and the people around you from flu. Flu vaccine is available at many locations. This can include your health care provider’s office, county health departments, pharmacies, and community vaccination clinics.

There are clinics around the state of Minnesota that offer free or low-cost vaccine for people who do not have health insurance. Find a clinic near you on the Minnesota Department of Health’s website at www. mdhflu.com.

People with a long-term health condition like diabetes, asthma, or heart disease can get very sick from flu. They are more likely to be hospitalized from flu. The best way to protect yourself is to get a flu vaccine. It is not too late to get vaccinated. www.mdhflu.com

Nail salon workers suffer chemical exposures that can be like working at a garage or a refinery

By Lupita D. Montoya and Aaron Lamplugh TheConversation.com Anyone who has walked past a nail salon is familiar with the noxious odors that emanate from acrylic nails, polishes and removers. Customers getting manicures and pedicures endure the smell temporarily, but manicurists who inhale these evaporating chemicals for hours expose themselves to health risks.

The smells come from volatile organic compounds, or VOCs – compounds that easily become vapors or gases. These substances have been linked to health problems ranging from headaches and respiratory irritation to reproductive complications and cancer. In a normal room-temperature environment, VOCs evaporate and humans breathe them in.

Our research team, along with colleagues at Colorado State University, recently investigated chemical exposures in six Colorado nail salons and found that employees spent their days exposed to high levels of VOCs. Participating technicians, who had worked in salons for up to 19 years, reported suffering headaches and skin and eye irritation.

We measured levels of benzene and formaldehyde in the salons and determined that exposure to these known human carcinogens was increasing the workers’ lifetime cancer risks above one in one million – the level that many U.S. agencies consider acceptable in regulating exposure to harmful substances.

Identifying health hazards A 2015 New York Times exposé highlighted underpayment and poor working conditions in New York nail salons. However, it failed to address chemical exposures that salon workers experience daily.

Several research groups have sought to characterize and quantify VOC exposures in the nail salon environment, using standard measurement techniques and self-reported health surveys.

Their research shows that nail salon workers are exposed to higher levels of VOCs than they would typically be expected to encounter in most homes, occupations or urban environments. As a result, these workers frequently experience work-related health symptoms.

Our study measured

Angie Chung/Flickr

The chemicals in nail products put nail salon workers at risk for cancer and other illnesses.

10 VOCs, including the carcinogens benzene and formaldehyde. We found that VOC levels in the six salons where we monitored regularly exceeded common threshold levels for odor and inhalation risk. In some cases this posed a significant risk of cancer over a 20-year exposure period.

Twenty workers answered questionnaires about their personal health.

Among them, 70 percent reported some form of short-term health symptom related to their employment, while 40% percent reported multiple related symptoms.

We worked closely with salon owners to enlist volunteer nail technicians to participate. Having owners’ support was instrumental, since it allowed salon workers to accurately report on their health and working conditions without fear of reprisal.

Like working at an oil refinery Many people view cosmetology as a relatively safe profession, but it isn’t. We found that exposures to aromatic hydrocarbons like benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes – collectively referred to as BTEX – resembled those previously reported in studies of oil refinery workers and auto garage technicians.

Our results aren’t unique. A 2018 Iranian study found similar concentrations of benzene, ethylbenzene, and xylene in Tehran beauty salons.

Another study conducted that year in Michigan found concentrations of toluene at over 100 parts per billion, which is roughly 30 times higher than reported urban outdoor levels.

Regulation of this kind of workplace exposure has not kept pace with science. Many U.S. occupational safety and health exposure limits have not been updated for nearly 50 years.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, readily acknowledges that many of its permissible exposure limits are “outdated and inadequate for ensuring protection of worker health.”

OSHA offers only guidance and recommendations for businesses, effectively shifting the burden of worker protection onto private industry.

This is especially problematic in the nail salon industry, where over 90 percent of salons are small businesses that employ fewer than five people and do not have safety personnel on staff.

Inadequate cosmetic product regulations and labeling requirements make it hard to know which products are actually safe. A 2012 study by the California Environmental Protection Agency found that 10 out of 12 nail products labeled “toluene free” still contained up to 17 percent toluene. Products

labeled free of the so-called “toxic three” ingredients – dibutyl phthalate or DBP, toluene and formaldehyde – actually contained greater concentrations of DBP, an endocrine-disrupting compound, than products that made no claims at all.

Solving

the problem Owners often work in nail salons, so they generally support efforts to improve air quality inside their businesses. Those who we interviewed typically had some understanding of the problem and wanted to fix it, but didn’t always know how.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and OSHA all publish healthy nail salon guides. Yet owners in our study had never heard of them – perhaps because the guides are only published in English, while many nail

salon workers are Asian and Latino immigrants with limited English language skills.

Several grassroots community organizations have published guides to improving salons’ air quality in both Vietnamese and Chinese. These references discuss ventilation and use of personal protective equipment, which are paramount for mitigating chemical exposures in the workplace.

Small changes, such as running ventilation continuously, wearing nitrile gloves and utilizing proper charcoal face masks, can significantly reduce worker exposure. Results from our most recent study also suggest that placing large activated carbon sinks in salons could effectively remove VOCs from the air. We are currently experimenting with embedding these chemicalabsorbing materials into pieces of art that can hang on salon walls.

Another priority is conveying information to larger audiences and advocating for more safety training in cosmetology certification programs. Education and training are particularly important for ethnic minority groups.

Many workplace standards enforced by OSHA, such as those regulating exposure to toxic and hazardous substances, apply to nail salons. However, cosmetic manufacturers are not required to obtain federal approval for products or ingredients before they go on the market, or to file product information with the agency.

In contrast, California passed a bill in 2018 that will require manufacturers to provide ingredient labels on any professional cosmetic products manufactured after July 1, 2020 and sold in the state. The campaign for this common-sense reform was largely led by advocacy groups like the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative. Practical steps like this can improve conditions for workers who receive little attention but are exposed to serious health risks on the job every day.

Lupita D. Montoya is a research associate in the Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering Department at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Aaron Lamplugh is a Research Scientist with the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder.

insightnews.com

Insight News • December 2, 2019 - December 8, 2019 • Page 7

#onesizefitsall

The perfect gift this season is clear, especially for scratch game fans.

Must be 18+ to play.

Picture yourself as a homeowner.

Put your money to work and maximize your deposit.

Finding a house that brings you that “this is it” moment is exciting. Knowing you have a variety of mortgage options with a trustworthy community bank makes it even better. With Old National Bank, a World’s Most Ethical Company for 8 years in a row, we can help your dream of homeownership come into view.

HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM 1

The Old National Homeownership Opportunity Program (HOP) is just one of the many programs we offer. With HOP, you may qualify for up to $8,000 in down-payment and closing cost assistance.

Talk to an Old National Mortgage Loan Officer today or get started online at:

oldnational.com/homeownership

Serving the Twin Cities with over 30 banking centers.

Subject to credit approval. Property insurance may be required. 1Total household income cannot exceed 80% of area median income, adjusted for family size. Additional qualifications and limitations may apply. Please contact a mortgage specialist for details. 0419-049 | Member FDIC

Page 8 • December 2, 2019 - December 8, 2019 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Sounds of Blackness brings holiday cheer with ‘The Night Before Christmas ... A Musical Fantasy Spoiled 1: to damage seriously: Ruin 2: to impair the disposition or character of by overindulgence The aforementioned is the “Merriam-Webster Dictionary” partial definition of spoiled; and in many ways it applies to music fans in the Twin Cities.

We have an embarrassment of riches here. Seriously.

Many of those riches were celebrated on the world stage a couple of weeks ago during the BET Soul Train Awards when Minneapolis natives Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were presented with Legend Awards. Jam and Lewis, the multi-platinum writers and producers and original

members of The Time, were honored with performances by many of the artists they helped propel to stardom, including Boyz II Men, SOS Band, Minneapolis’ Alexander O’Neal, Stokley Williams (Mint Condition) and the first group ever signed to Jam and Lewis …

Sounds of Blackness.

Sounds of Blackness … or simply put, Sounds … has been treating yearning ears to the beautiful melodies of gospel, soul and R&B for nearly five decades, but it was the group’s 1991 Perspective Records – a label created by Jam and Lewis – release of “The Evolution of Gospel” that exposed the world to what Twin Cities ears were already spoiled by. “The Evolution” spawned the

Kevin Winter Photo by Getty Images for BET

Carrie Harrington (front left) and Ann Nesby (front right) during the Sounds of Blackness performance at the 2019 BET Soul Train Awards. group’s two biggest … and No. 1 on the Billboard Hot ... A Musical Fantasy,” that has endured and evolved most enduring hits … the Dance Club chart.

While those songs over time to become a soulinspirational “Optimistic” and the infectious “The and that album garnered the stirring musical-comedy that Pressure Part 1.” “Optimistic group a Grammy Award, is one of the most awaited cherished holiday reached No. 3 on the it was the group’s second and Billboard Hot R&B chart studio album on Prospective, traditions in the Twin Cities.

Described as a and “The Pressure” rose to “The Night Before Christmas

contemporary adaptation of the poem, “A Visit from St Nicholas,” this familyfriendly musical production brings Soulful Santa, Mrs. Claus and Rudolph the Rappin’ Reindeer to life in song and dance, as they learn the true meaning of Christmas.

This year the Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, is home to two performances – Dec. 18 and Dec. 19 – of “The Night Before Christmas ...

A Musical Fantasy.” Tickets to the 7: 30 p.m. shows are $28.50 - $58.50 and are available online at www. hennepintheatretrust.org/ events/sounds-of-blackness or by calling (800) 982-2787.

‘Amazing Grace’ screens at North High with conversation led by Jearlyn Steele The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul, in partnership with the Capri Theater and the Minnesota Historical Society, presents “Amazing Grace” at 7 p.m. Thursday (Dec. 5) at North Community High School, 1500 James Ave. N. in Minneapolis.

Crafted from never before seen footage captured in 1972 at The New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles, “Amazing Grace” features the undisputed “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin

recording the most successful gospel album of all time.

Forty- seven years after its original documentation, this film is a testimony to the greatness of Aretha Franklin and a time-machine window into a moment in American musical and social history.

Each First Thursday Films screening is followed by a discussion of the movie.

This month, singer, speaker, reporter, and radio talk show host Jearlyn Steele will lead the discussion after the film. As a member of the internationally acclaimed

family, The Steeles, Steele has performed from Carnegie Hall, to Brazil, to the Super Bowl Live Verizon stage in 2018. For 10 years, she has been an entertainment reporter for Twin Cities Public Television’s “Almanac” and host her Sunday night radio show “Steele Talkin’.”

She has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Prince, Mavis Staples, and many more.

The First Thursdays series continues with the Minnesota-made

There are no limits to what you can accomplish. ÍÝã ÖÏäÓ âÖÓ ÞÝåÓà âÝ àÓÒÓùÜÓ åÖÏâ á ÞÝáá×ÐÚÓ ºàÝÛ ÐÓ×ÜÕ âÖÓ ùàáâ âÝ ÕàÏÒãÏâÓ ÑÝÚÚÓÕÓ âÝ ÐÓÑÝÛ×ÜÕ âÖÓ ÜÓæâ Ð×Õ áâÏà ×Ü çÝãà ùÓÚÒ ' çÝã åÝàÙ àÓÚÓÜâÚÓááÚç âÝ ÙÜÝÑÙ ÒÝåÜ ÐÏàà×Óàá ÏÜÒ Ðã×ÚÒ Ï áâàÝÜÕÓà ÚÓÕÏÑç ËÓ ÑÏÚÚ âÖÏâ ÐÓ×ÜÕ ÓÛÞÝåÓàÔãÚ µá çÝã ÑÝÜâ×ÜãÓ âÝ ÑàÓÏâÓ ÛÝàÓ ùÜÏÜÑ×ÏÚ áâÏÐ×Ú×âç ÔÝà çÝã ÏÜÒ çÝãà ÔÏÛ×Úç ËÓÚÚá ºÏàÕÝ å×ÚÚ ÐÓ à×ÕÖâ Ðç çÝãà á×ÒÓ ÖÓÚÞ×ÜÕ âÝ ÛÏÙÓ ×â ÖÏÞÞÓÜ ÍÝã äÓ ÑÝÛÓ âÖ×á ÔÏà ËÓ ÑÏÜ ÖÓÚÞ çÝã ÕÝ ÔãàâÖÓà ÀÓÏàÜ ÖÝå Ïâ

wellsfargo.com/empowerful \ jhiq ËÓÚÚá ºÏàÕÝ ¶ÏÜÙ Â µ µÚÚ à×ÕÖâá àÓáÓàäÓÒ ½¼µ#jmlkh

documentary, “Love Them First: Lessons from Lucy Laney Elementary” on Jan. 2, and the Harriet Tubman biopic “Harriet” on Feb. 6.

North High serves as the alternate location for this film series while the Capri Theater is closed for expansion and renovation. A map and directions to North High are available online at thecapritheater.org. Tickets to First Thursday Films are $5 and can be purchased in advance at mspfilm.org or at the door the night of the show.