Ruby! The Story of Ruby Bridges
Stood up for civil rights even with many obstacles in her way! February 1-24, 2013 SteppingStone Theatre 55 Victoria Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55104 Additional information and tickets available at (651) 225-9265 or www.steppingstonetheatre.org.
Courtesy of SteppingStone Theatre
Essence (left) and Rhapsody Stiggers play the roles of Ruby
January 21 - January 27, 2013
Vol. 40 No. 4• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Thirty-ve MUL
years of service
Sylvia Loveless Amos
Harry Colbert, Jr.
Sylvia Loveless Amos retires from Minneapolis Urban League By Ivan B. Phifer Staff Writer Sylvia Loveless Amos is a long time north Minneapolis resident who loves her community. The Minneapolis Urban League (MUL) celebrated her
retirement in early December. The evening’s theme was “Reections of 35 Years of Service.” “My desire to work in my community and for my people is what led me to the Minneapolis Urban League,” said Amos.
AMOS TURN TO 10
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, joined by a group of area mayors and public safety ofcials, addresses reporters during the Midwestern Regional Gun Summit.
Calling for stricter federal gun laws By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and mayors and public safety ofcials from throughout the
Midwest rallied together in a call for stricter federal gun laws. Rybak, along with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, hosted the Midwestern Regional Gun Summit that
took place in downtown Minneapolis on Jan. 10. The two mayors were joined by mayors and ofcials from cities such as Kansas City, Des Moines, IA, St. Paul, St. Cloud, Duluth, Brooklyn Park
and others, including the acting director of the ATF, B. Todd Jones – all seeking a solution to curbing gun violence that is plaguing the nation.
GUNS TURN TO 11
Remembering the dreamer By Dr. Alveda C. King Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. quoted this powerful scripture in his famous I HAVE A DREAM speech. He believed God’s Word. He took his Bible, the one President Obama will place his hand upon on January 21, 2013, very seriously; so seriously that he repeatedly risked his life to proclaim its message of love for God and love for neighbor. Uncle M.L., like everyone, was far from perfect, but he loved the Lord. It was God’s Word that he used to unite a movement and change our nation. Uncle M.L. was born on January 15, 1929. In remembering
LIFE/Google archive
Alveda King
KING TURN TO 7
Dr. King’s unfullled dream of school integration By Greg Groves and Philip Tegeler, America’s Wire Writers Group Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in the transformative power of school integration. He would be dismayed by America’s present day paradox: the rapidly expanding racial diversity of our society accompanied by the increasing segregation of our urban
schools. Dr. King’s commitment to school integration was ultimately animated by the desire to transform this nation into a “beloved community.” His vision of the beloved community is often associated with the elements of inclusivity, interrelatedness, love, justice, compassion, responsibility, shared power, and a respect for all people. The concept of
Education
Parents, students look for a pert t at Minneapolis School Fair
PAGE 2
the beloved community was originally articulated by 19th century theologian-philosopher Josiah Royce. As opposed to “natural communities” which are ruled by selshness and the destruction of others, Royce proposed that the ideal “beloved community” is ruled by loyalty and truth. Royce’s theory was prominent in the curriculum of Dr. King’s Alma Mater, the Boston University
Business
Cub Foods: Fueling social and economic well-being
PAGE 4
Theological Seminary. In order to develop such a society, King argued that various elements within America needed to be deconstructed and altered. He once stated, “Our goal is to create a beloved community and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.” In Dr. King’s view,
segregation was diametrically opposed to his ultimate goal of creating this beloved community. He once asserted, “With every ounce of our energy, we must continue to rid this nation of the incubus of segregation…This is the only way to create the beloved community.” Segregation is inconsistent with a beloved community because it shortcircuits any form of true
Aesthetics
Gabourey Sidibe is new hsot of public television’s ‘AfroPoP’
PAGE 5
interrelatedness, fragmenting Dr. King’s vision of a “single garment of destiny.” Dr. King constantly talked about the evils of segregation, both in the broader social arena and in the context of K-12 education. The civil rights leader summarized his analysis of the harms of segregation in his writing, The Ethical
SCHOOLS TURN TO 7
Lifestyle
Saving energy with white roofs
PAGE 8
Page 2 • January 21 - January 27, 2013 • Insight News
insightnews.com
EDUCATION
Parents, students look for a perfect t at Minneapolis School Fair By Sheila Regan TC Daily Planet Uniforms, peer pressure and piano are just a few of the factors parents and students asked about at the Minneapolis School Fair Showcase. Dozens of charter and district public schools hawked their programs on Saturday, January 12, while parents and kids had the opportunity to nd out what their choices are in terms of K-12 education. The Minneapolis Public School District provided free transportation to the event from neighborhoods all around the city. Deb Cargeor was there with her daughter, Naomi and son, Louis, who both attend Harvest Prep Academy. Naomi and her mother have been very happy with the school and are looking into options for high school. Deb especially has liked the school uniforms and the school’s discipline policy. For high school, she especially wants for her daughter a place that will be free from peer pressure. As for Naomi, she’s hoping to nd a school where she’ll be able to study piano. There wasn’t an opportunity to study music at Harvest Prep, and ideally, that would be part of the offerings of where she ends up going next year. Jeremy Stanton and Priscilla Maxwell were browsing the fair with their daughter Jacilla Stanton. Jascilla is in
kindergarten, and currently is enrolled at the Minnesota School of Science, a charter school. Priscilla said they chose the school based on a recommendation from a friend, and like that the school focuses on science fairs, robotics, technology and generally giving students a strong STEM education. While the parents like their current school, they thought they’d just come and check out what the other options are, and both were duly impressed.
Jeremy Stanton, Priscilla Maxwell, and Jacilla Stanton
“The schools really are coming out and representing,” said Stanton. They particularly were impressed with what they heard from Harvest Prep. While they are still deciding about what to do next year, both Jeremy and Priscilla agree that they want to continue to choose charter schools, because they generally have longer school days and smaller class sizes. Above all, they’re looking for a school “that makes you want to think,” said
Stanton. Tina Villalobos was at the fair with her daughter, Brynna, who will be starting pre-school and her husband’s daughter, Kozette, who attends Blessed Trinity, a private school. Tina was at the fair to nd out options for her daughter, whose daycare is in a different area from where they live. She said some of the schools she was looking at weren’t represented at the fair. She especially wants a school where her daughter,
Sheila Reagan
who is bilingual, can continue to develop her Spanish language skills. She’s also hoping to nd a place where her daughter can explore her creativity. Sean and Karen Houlihan are of different minds when it comes to choosing a school for their son, who will be in kindergarten next year. Karen, who was educated in the public school system, leans toward that option. “There’s more diversity and more resources,” she said. Sean is wary,
though, especially because their neighborhood district school, Lake Nokomis, doesn’t have very good test scores. “I’m worried about that particular school,” he said. So the family is looking into all the options, including the possibility of sending their son to private school. Besides staff representatives at the different school stations, students were also on hand to gave their pitches about their school. Lezly Perez and Laura Zangano, two seniors from Edison High School, a district high school in Northeast Minneapolis, answered questions about their school. “It’s very diverse and very safe,” said Perez, who also noted that Edison offers the most scholarships of all the Minneapolis high schools. Perez is waiting to hear about her own scholarship, and said she plans to attend either Gustavus Adolphus or St. Catherine’s University. But she’s got plenty to keep her busy until then, as she’s currently the wrestling team manager, and is a member of the National Honor Society, and was soccer team captain. Zangano, meanwhile, has participated with Upward Bound, and, like Perez, has volunteered and played for the school badminton team. Both young women said they were happy with their experiences at Edison, which they said has been full of great experiences and challenges.
Hope strengthens reading, writing, and leadership By Ge Gao, TC Dailey Planet Every Saturday, about 50 volunteers come to Hope Community Center, 611 E. Franklin Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55404, to volunteer in the
tutoring program with students from different backgrounds. The children from 6-9 years old are mostly from Somalia or Mexican immigrant families. For twohour sessions in the morning and afternoon, volunteers sit down with students doing reading and writing together. Six years ago, Hope
Community held a listening session with 20 residents about their school experiences and their concerns for their children’s education. Most parents said that their children weren’t strong in reading and writing. So Hope Community started a series of youth program based on leadership and skills
development. This tutoring program is organized by Hope Community Learning In Community project. According to Dihp Hopkins, the Youth and Family program manager, starting these tutoring programs is not only about helping kids develop reading and writing skills, but more importantly, about helping them build condence. “Because a condent person would like to try and learn new things.” Hopkins explained, “and if they fail, they still learn from that and keep continuing trying.” In 2006, Hope Community partnered with the University of St. Thomas and built up some basic concepts of community learning. Hopkins said, “The idea is we are not a school. So we want to develop a environment that kids can learn in a community.” What this means is it’s not a tutoring program happening only between tutors and children, but involves everyone who wants to be a part of this program. Each semester, before tutoring actually starts, there is an orientation for parents. “We need to tell parents who we are and what we do,” Hopkins said. And there is another orientation for both parents and their kids explaining that joining this program is a commitment. The volunteers, most of whom are college students, also have an
orientation teaching them how to interact with kids, especially the kids from different backgrounds, and introducing various reading skills volunteers can use. This program has been operating for six years, though still facing difculties of funding, capacity and sometimes language issues. Hope Community’s tutoring program has a good reputation. “Actually, the majority of kids are from outside of Hope Community,” Hopkins said. “All our programs are available for any kids. You don’t have to live in Hope to be involved in. I know some kids are from Maple Grove.” This year, for the Saturday program, there are 45 children and 50 volunteers. Besides this program, there are weekday tutoring program focusing on helping kids with homework and academic enrichment, a girls’ program, a documentary program, and the Step It Up job training program designed to serve different age groups. Talking about the changes in the last six years, Hopkins said with the change of demography in Hope from African American shifting to Somali and Mexican families, they keep trying new things each year. For example, now the tutoring program sets up pretest and posttest for each student to see what level a student is in before the program
and to track how much each student improves. Hopkins said condently “We do know the improvements because parents say their kids at home read more and read to their little brothers and sisters. And teachers say kids now are more interested in school work.” Now, Hopkins is planning to bring an e-reader as a new experiment. “We do carry traditional reading, writing, and storytelling skills,” he said. “But lots of kids don’t have the access to the Internet.” He said that it will be important for students to use the internet in their lives, so they will try to work on these skills. Hopkins also said that the bottom line for the tutoring program is volunteers. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities works with Hope Community on these tutoring programs. In some classes, professors require students do service learning programs and that’s how Hope gets most of its volunteers. Some volunteers choose to stay in Hope after their U of M class. Hope Community Phone: (612) 874-8867 http://www.hope-community.org Twitter: @hope_mn
Wells Fargo donates $3 million to United Negro College Fund (BLACK PR WIRE) – WASHINGTON, DC – UNCF (United Negro College Fund), the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization, announced recently that Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC), a nationwide, diversied, community-based nancial services company with $1.3 trillion in assets, will expand their relationship with UNCF by investing $3 million to help more African American students attend and graduate from college. Wells Fargo presented UNCF with a check in conjunction with the taping of the 34th edition of UNCF An Evening of Stars®, UNCF’s annual television special, which took place in Pasadena, Calif. Wells Fargo will invest $1 million annually in UNCF during the next three years to help students earn college degrees and get an education before college that prepares them for college coursework and college success. The Wells Fargo investment will target UNCF initiatives that include: • Helping to tell a national audience about the
importance of college education, college readiness, and the achievements of UNCF and its students, through Wells Fargo’s sponsorship of UNCF An Evening of Stars®, a two-hour, nationally televised musical variety special that spotlights some of the biggest names in entertainment and UNCF student success stories; • Helping middle-school, high school and college students and their families plan for college and learn about nancial responsibility and management through the UNCF Empower Me Tour Presented by Wells Fargo, a free, traveling college- and career-readiness road show hosted by celebrities; • Providing nancial aid to students attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) under the UNCFadministered Wells Fargo Scholarship Program; and • Supporting the more than 57,000 students who attend UNCF member historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) through Wells Fargo’s
sponsorship of the UNCF “A Mind Is…” Gala. “UNCF is grateful for Wells Fargo’s investment in better futures for African American students,” said UNCF President and CEO Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D. “By investing in UNCF, Wells Fargo is making a major contribution to helping students earn college degrees and to making the case for the right of every student to a college-ready high school education.” “At Wells Fargo we’re committed to education and economic empowerment,” said Gigi Dixon, senior vice president, director of National Partnerships for Wells Fargo. “We also believe access to high-quality, affordable education is an important way we can help our communities become economically selfsufcient. We’re proud of our relationship with UNCF and the opportunities it creates for low-income and underrepresented students to attend and graduate from college – one of the single most important things they can do for their professional and nancial success.”
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Insight News • January 21 - January 27, 2013 • Page 3
50 years of moving America toward justice
Reections on civil rights milestones and struggles By Barbara R. Arnwine, President and Executive Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law First op-ed in a 20-part all star series, “The State of Equality and Justice in America” As we celebrate the arrival of 2013, it is imperative that we reect upon the 50 years of civil rights victories and struggles since the historic year of 1963, which, in many ways, launched the modern civil rights movement. It was during this time of transformative change
Barbara R. Arnwine
for our nation that the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law was established. The summer of 1963 saw murders, bombs, beatings, jailing and threats to those who sought an equal society. It also witnessed the collective public rise up through open demonstrations and other joint public actions that sought
to expose and end racial discrimination and segregation. On June 11, Alabama Governor George Wallace made his infamous vow to prevent courtordered desegregation of the University of Alabama. On June 12, Medgar Evers, eld secretary for the NAACP, was tragically assassinated by a member of the White Citizens
Council in Jackson, Mississippi. On August 28, at the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired the world with his “I Have a Dream” speech. Facing this unprecedented time of strife and hope, President John F. Kennedy took to national television to call for
a new positive civil rights legal framework, stating, “...it is better to settle these matters in the courts than on the streets.” On June 21, 1963, he convened a historic meeting of some 244 lawyers from throughout the United States
ARNWINE TURN TO 8
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Insight News is published weekly, every Monday by McFarlane Media Interests. Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane CFO Adrianne Hamilton-Butler Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Vice President of Sales & Marketing Selene White Culture and Education Editor Irma McClaurin
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Page 4 • January 21 - January 27, 2013 • Insight News
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BUSINESS BUSINESS LEADERSHIP PROFILE
Cub Foods: Fueling social and economic well-being Shaina Brassard, West Broadway Coalition West Broadway Cub Foods’ involvement in the North Minneapolis community cannot be overstated. Since lling the vacancy left by Target in 2005, Cub Foods has been not only a grocery store run for and by the people it serves, but has also been instrumental in the community’s social and economic wellbeing. Over 80 percent of its 120 person workforce hail from the Northside, creating a vibrant and communal workforce that is benecial to both patrons and employees. Pia Kolton, head customer service manager, relates, “We have so many religions, races and nationalities represented, and in eight years, I’ve never had an issue between my employees; everybody works so well together.” Cub’s low rate of turnover is indicative of a supportive work environment; for example, 24 of the 30 cashiers have been at Cub for 8 years or more. Store manager John Tonsager speaks to the importance of this continuity by saying, “it’s important for people to come in and see their neighbors and friends working here; even though it’s a really big store, that helps to make you feel like you’re shopping in a
neighborhood store.” The West Broadway Cub is the only full service, nondiscount grocery store in the North Minneapolis zip code. In addition to offering the area’s largest selection of household necessities and fresh foods year-round, it has an in-house pharmacy, a TCF Bank, and is conveniently located on the bus line. Few other grocery stores in the city have such extensive offerings of foods catering to diverse food cultures. Particularly within the last year, Cub has been striving to expand its selection of healthy and natural food. There is a section devoted to organic produce, and in the dairy aisle shoppers can choose from multiple types of organic milk, cheese, yogurt and eggs. Looking for organic peanut butter? Look next to the traditional Jiffy. Throughout the store, shoppers can nd organic products mixed in with nonorganic items. Vegetarians and vegans can stock their carts with scores of meat alternatives from popular brands like Morning Star and Boca Burger in Aisle 2, right next to Amy’s frozen pizzas and other organic frozen foods. For those looking for healthy meat, department manager Don Kutz has made sure Cub has
Photos: Shaina Brassard
(L to R) John Tonsager, Store Manager and Don Kutz, head of the meat department, stand by Cub’s offering of natural, organic and gourmet meats. everything you need. Shortly after Kutz came to West Broadway from the Hudson Cub a year ago, he started stocking
(L to R) Josephine Lee and Pia Kolton, Head Customer Service Manager
Smart Chicken, a supplier of allnatural, hormone and antibioticfree, humanely-raised and air-chilled chicken. Shoppers immediately responded, and the tasty wings, drumsticks and whole chickens almost ew off the shelf. Kutz informs that now the West Broadway Cub is number two in Smart Chicken sales for the entire ve-state area. Alongside the Smart Chicken are other all-natural meats, including grass-fed beef and gourmet sausages, many from the same brands found at natural foods co-ops. Best of all, customers don’t pay boutique prices for these products. The deli section has always been popular, but over the last month Cub has implemented a new fresh, ready-made salad and sandwich program. Once again this healthy initiative has been very successful; the West Broadway Cub Foods is number two in sales of these salads out of all Jerry’s Foods Cub stores. Tonsager, who favors
the Chicken Caesar salad, says, “People have really been responding to some of the new items we put out, and it’s been fun to see.” The West Broadway Cub has always found ways to support the social health of Northsiders. Tonsager lists the various community events Cub is a key part of, including the wellknown EJ Henderson Youth Foundation Thanksgiving Turkey giveaway, which provided 3,500 families with turkeys and xings in 2012. The project, now in its 5th year, is coordinated with Sherman Patterson and Nicole Archibald from the mayor’s ofce. The giveaway has always taken place at Cub, and this past year, Supervalu and Cub Corporate were lead sponsors. Other private, nonprot and civic organizations participate with donations of goods or volunteers, including the National Guard, the Minneapolis Police and Fire Departments.
Tonsager, who joined the West Broadway Business and Area Coalition’s board of directors in the fall of 2011, also worked to have Cub partner with Snapple to sponsor the 2012 FLOW Northside Arts Crawl last July. “I thought it was a fantastic event! What a great way to bring the community together from one end of Broadway to the other… It was important for us to be involved because it’s an event that is important to the community.” Cub was also a key resource following the 2011 tornado, and continuously provides support in the form of product and gift card donations to community organizations and events like National Night Out. North Minneapolis businesses of all sizes can learn a lot from John Tonsager and his team at West Broadway Cub. Hire from the community and support the community. And for a healthy business, sell healthy food.
Laid off? Let go? Canned? Negotiate your way out the door Plan Your Career By Julie Desmond
julie@insightnews.com If that headline does not apply to you, keep reading. Someday, it might. Many people who are escorted out of cubicles or off of manufacturing oors have been warned. Others say they never saw it coming. Either way, when your number comes
up, make sure you leave with the grace of someone who could be rehired someday and the nesse of someone who knows how to capitalize on a tough situation. In other words, when your boss says you’re done, you are just getting started. When you are laid off, you can’t ask for your job back; you can’t expect someone to change his mind and send you back to your desk. You cannot expect to keep phones, lap tops or hats if these were paid for by your employer. However, you can negotiate on a few key points which will make your life better and your next job search
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successful. You can request time. If you are asked to sign termination documents, ask for time to speak with a lawyer, or for time to read everything over. Explain that this has come as a surprise, and make an appointment to come in the next day to go through termination documents. This gift of time will ensure you have a chance to read and understand what you’re signing. You can request a good reference. Ask if you will be eligible for rehire in the future. Even if you hope never to step foot in the place again, if you are eligible for rehire, this reects
positively on you and your work. If not, that’s a different reection. Will your manager write a recommendation letter on your behalf? The sooner you nd another job, the sooner she stops being penalized by your unemployment claim. A simple letter of reference is not too much to ask. You can request health insurance coverage. You should continue to have any coverage you have paid in advance. But ask about extending coverage beyond that. Will the company cover a month or two while you look for work? Will they carry you on their plan if you agree
to pay for it yourself? If your company has more than twenty employees, you may be eligible for a Federal program, COBRA, which allows you to keep your insurance for a while after leaving. You can ask for a payout of unused vacation days. Some companies pay out accrued vacation and sick time when a person leaves the company; some do not. Your boss can say no if that’s the company policy; you have nothing to lose for asking. And you can ask for your last paycheck. Fired? Under MN law, employers must issue
a nal paycheck immediately or within twenty-four hours of your request for payment. If you quit, your employer has more time. A layoff often leaves people in shock. As you leave for the last time, help yourself: act upbeat, say polite goodbyes, avoid anger and violence, keep quiet if you must, and know you have a right to ask for what you need, even if your employer no longer needs you around. Julie Desmond is IT Recruiting Manager with George Konik Associates, Inc. Send your career planning questions to jdesmond@georgekonik.com.
DEED names Cynthia L. Bauerly as new Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Development The Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben announced the appointment of Cynthia L. Bauerly as Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Development. Bauerly returns to Minnesota after serving in key leadership and management roles in Washington, D.C., most recently as a Commissioner of the Federal Election Commission and serving as Chair of the agency in 2011. “We are incredibly excited to have Cynthia Bauerly join our team as Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Development,” said Commissioner Sieben, “Cynthia’s leadership ability, and strong commitment to public service and organizational effectiveness, will be invaluable to our work at the department.” Bauerly has extensive experience in law, management, and public policy. As a Commissioner of the FEC, she is responsible for
Cynthia L. Bauerly
DEED
directing all substantive and administrative operations of the agency. “It is a tremendous privilege to return to Minnesota to join Governor Dayton, Commissioner Sieben, and the staff of DEED in the important work of enhancing economic prosperity through workforce training and readiness, “ said Bauerly. “Ensuring that hardworking Minnesotans have the training and certication
needed to ll the skill gap employers are facing is important to all Minnesotans.” Prior to her appointment to the Commission, Bauerly served as Legislative Director for United States Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York. In her role as Legislative Director, Bauerly developed and implemented a broad policy agenda including working with the Joint Economic Committee of Congress to assess and identify solutions for economic and employment challenges. She also coordinated initiatives to improve opportunities for employment and economic development in New York. She has also worked in private practice in both Minnesota and Washington, D.C., most recently as a lawyer at Fredrikson & Byron in Minneapolis where her clients included large and small Minnesota businesses. Bauerly grew up in Benton County, Minnesota, and worked in her family’s
road construction business during and after college. She graduated summa cum laude from Concordia College in Moorhead, graduated cum laude from Indiana University School of LawBloomington, and received a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University’s School of Environmental and Public Affairs. Bauerly’s resignation from the FEC is effective Feb. 1; she will assume her new role at DEED on Feb. 25. DEED is the state’s principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more details about the agency and our services, visit us at www. PositivelyMinnesota.com. Follow us on Twitter at www. twitter.com/PositivelyMN .
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Insight News • January 21 - January 27, 2013 • Page 5
AESTHETICS
Gabourey Sidibe is new host of public television’s ‘AfroPoP’ NEW YORK – Gabourey Sidibe is stepping into a new role this winter as host of “AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange” – an innovative documentary series highlighting contemporary life, art and pop culture in the African Diaspora. Best known for her Oscarand Golden Globe-nominated depiction of the title character in the Lee Daniels’ lm, “Precious,” Sidibe also made waves with her hilarious performance in “Tower Heist” opposite Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy. The fth season of “AfroPoP,” produced by Black Public Media, will premiere at 6:00 p.m. on public television’s WORLD channel, on Tuesday, Jan. 22, continuing on Tuesdays weekly through Feb. 5. This season, “AfroPoP,” which consists of various independent lms, brings viewers on a journey into human and women’s rights struggles
Gabourey Sidibe throughout the world. Co-presented by the Center for Asian American Media, Eliaichi Kimaro’s “A Lot Like You” (January 22) follows the
half Korean, half Tanzanian sexual abuse survivor and lmmaker as she explores her African roots and learns about the sexual violence faced by
her aunts and other women in the Chagga culture. “Dear Mandela” (January 29) by Dara Kell and Christopher Nizza, captures the demonstrations
of residents of the Durban shantytowns as they ght for the decent living conditions promised by the post-apartheid government and challenge the African National Congress (ANC). Directors Violeta Ayala and Daniel Fallshaw uncover modern-day slavery in refugee camps in Western Sahara in “Stolen” (February 5) entangling themselves in a high-stakes thriller. In her role as host, Sidibe frames each episode’s content, adding her personal concerns about the issues portrayed. “This season of ‘AfroPoP’ helps give voice to those who truly need to be heard,” said the Brooklyn native, Sidibe, whose father hails from Senegal. “I’m happy to help bring these stories to the American public and raise awareness of issues of vital concern to women and men in Africa as well as all who care about human rights.”
“Gabourey’s energetic spirit and connection to the youth culture made her the perfect choice to host the series this season and we are happy to have her as such an integral part of ‘AfroPoP,’” said Black Public Media vice president and director of programming, Leslie Fields-Cruz. Fields-Cruz is also co-executive producer of the series. Sidibe burst onto the scene in 2009 with her stunning portrayal of “Precious” in the lm based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire. Her efforts earned her an Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations, with an array of other nominations and awards. Sidibe will next lm the fourth season of the Golden Globe nominated Showtime series, “The Big C,” opposite Laura Linney.
Marlon Wayans: “A Haunted House” interview KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened to? MW: ASAP Rocky’s album.
Interview
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook? MW: None, because I hate cooking. But I do make the candied yams every year at Thanksgiving. And they’re awesome! You could denitely get diabetes and cavities from them, but they’re delicious!
By Kam Williams
kam@insightnews.com Multi-talented Marlon Wayans graduated from the prestigious High School of Performing Arts in New York and Howard University’s Film School. He is best known for getting his start in Hollywood as a cast member of the Emmy Award-winning comedy series, In Living Color. Marlon then went on to create executive produce and star in The Wayans Bros on the WB. Together with brothers, Keenen and Shawn Wayans, and producer Rick Alvarez, he formed the successful production company, Wayans Brothers Entertainment. Some of his noteworthy credits include: “The Ladykillers”, directed by the Coen Brothers; the record breaking “Scary Movie” and “Scary Movie 2”, “Little Man”, “White Chicks”, “Norbit”, “Behind the Smile” and “Dance Flick”. Marlon’s compelling dramatic performance as a drug addict in Darren Aronofsky’s “Requiem for a Dream” proved he could do more than comedy. Most recently, Marlon was seen starring opposite Channing Tatum in the box-ofce smash, “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”. Projects in development include: Super Bad James Dynomite, based on his comic book series of the same name, Pretty Ugly, The Year of Living Biblically, and an animated series for TBS entitled The Black Family. Next, he will be seen playing the title role in Sony Pictures, “Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said?” Marlon will also star in the upcoming Harmony Korine lm “Twinkle, Twinkle”. Marlon continues to publish books under the 101 Ways title including 101 Ways to Know You’re a Golddigger, 101 Ways You Know It’s Time to Get Out Of Your Mama’s House and 101 Ways to Know You’re Having a Ghetto Christmas as well as the children’s series Boo Crew which stemmed from the animated series the Wayans’ created for Nickelodeon. Here, he talks about his latest
KW: What’s the recipe? MW: If I tell it to you, I’ll have to kill you. [Laughs]
Marlon Wayans and Essence Atkins in “A Haunted House” lm, “A Haunted House”, a spoof of the Paranormal Activity franchise. Kam Williams: Hi Marlon, thanks for another interview. How ya’ been, bro? MW: I’m good, Kam. Thanks for having me. KW: Where did you nd the inspiration to write this lm? MW: I was watching Paranormal Activity 1 and 2, which were very successful hits at the box-ofce, and I just thought to myself, “If I want to do a movie, how am I going to approach this?” Then, I had this epiphany that, “Damn, white people do a lot of stupid stuff in these movies.” Wouldn’t it be funny if a lot of paranormal activity happened to a black couple? Now, how do I keep them in the house longer than ve minutes? That became the comic premise for the movie. From there, it just snowballed into a bunch of jokes. So, I got together with Rick Alvarez, my producing partner, and we decided to write it together. KW: Are you the only Wayans in this lm? MW: Yeah. KW: That must be a rst. How do you explain that? We’re used to seeing multiple Wayans in a Wayans production. MW: Nobody loves me. [Chuckles] No, everybody wanted me to do this one by myself, and I wanted to do it by myself. So, this is sorta like my rst solo album. I didn’t pull any tricks out of my hat, and just went with the natural ow of the lm.
P r o d u c t i o n s
KW: How did you go about assembling the cast? MW: Just from meetings and readings. Everybody was game to do it, and I was very happy about that.
rottentomatoes.com
MSN: 50 Shades of Grey. I’m almost through it.
KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer? MW: I have a few, because I like mixing and matching. I like All Saints. They make great leathers.
KW: What audience are you trying to attract? The same crowd that went to see Scary Movie? MW: Not just them. They’re older now. I really want to hit the next generation of kids, the Youtube Generation. And also women, because it’s a relationship movie with romantic elements. I think anybody who wants to laugh is the intended audience. KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would? MW: No, people ask me everything. KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh? MW: I was just watching The Campaign on video. Will Ferrell makes me laugh. So, does Zach Galiniakis. But when Will punched the kid in the face, I was hurting. And then when he punched the dog, too, I was hurting some more. Those two scenes made me laugh hysterically. KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure? MW: My piano. Although I don’t know if playing piano is a guilty pleasure. My guiltiest pleasure would be wine. KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
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I love Hugo Boss, especially the suits. I like James Perse for T-shirts, and Supra and Radii for sneakers. And God Is in the Details. KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see? MW: I see a funny guy who’d imperfect, but has a great heart and no vanity when it comes to what he’ll do to get a laugh. I see a guy who loves his art and loves his family, and who is willing to live and die for both. KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for? MW: To cure death. KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood
WAYANS TURN TO 6
Page 6 • January 21 - January 27, 2013 • Insight News
FULL CIRCLE
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The importance of being relevant leaders Man Talk
By Timothy Houston On Saturday January 19, the 2013 MN COGIC Leadership Conference workshops were held, and I was asked to be one of the panel speakers. The subject was “The Importance of being Relevant Leaders.” As I pondered the theme, my mind took me back to my days in the Marine Corps. I was a 21 years old Sergeant responsible for 40 other marines. How much more relevant could a leader be then knowing that his decisions could result in the life or death of others. It was during those days as a young marine that I
was introduced to one of the most powerful denitions of leadership that I have ever come across. It was a quote by General John A. Lejuene, the 13th Commandment of the Marine Corps. He described leadership as follow: “Leadership is the sum of those qualities of intellect, human understanding, and moral character that enables a person to inspire and control a group of people successfully.” To be an effective leader, whether at home, church, government, civic, or business, you must possess intellect, human understanding, and moral character. Intellect is the knowledge of what to do. Different situations require different responses. Human understanding involves knowing who to use to get the job done and how to get them to do it. Getting the most out of the skills and talents of those you lead is a must for a leader to be relevant. Moral character can imply a variety of
attributes including the existence virtues such as integrity, courage, fortitude, honesty, and loyalty,
group of people successfully. Inspiration provokes others to action by encouragement,
To be an effective leader, whether at home, church, government, civic, or business, you must possess intellect, human understanding, and moral character
or of good behaviors or habits. Without these, the leader will be ineffective and irrelevant. A relevant leader must also be able to inspire and control a
enthusiasm, and creativity. With the right inspiration, ordinary people can do extraordinary things. This is how greatness is accomplished. Parents, pastors,
coaches, mentors, and leaders alike all benet from the ability to inspire others. The inspired benets as well. To have someone that you respect and admire in your corner encouraging is the precursor to greatness. Finally, a relevant leader must always be in control of the group they lead. To lose control is a loss of inuence. You cannot lead without inuence. When those who are being led take back control, the individual mind takes over and anarchy is inevitable. The relevant leader maintains control by exercising all of his bases of power. Legitimate, reverent, cohesive, and reward power must all be used by the leader at the appropriate time needed to maintain control. This will result in both the leader and the follower being successful. Relevant leaders are needed in our homes now more than ever. Peer pressure is no longer the only inuence that a parent has to deal with. The internet,
cell phone, TV, and radio are all bombarded with solicitations trying to get control of the young and old minds alike. If the individuals follow theses leads, they will be out of control. Appropriate leadership is needed. To do this, Intellect, human understanding, and moral character is needed. This is as much spiritual as it is natural. “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God” (Roman 13:1). To be totally relevant, a leader must be subject to God. Timothy Houston is an author, minister, and motivational speaker who is committed to guiding positive life changes in families and communities. To get copies of his books, or for questions, comments or more information, go to www. tlhouston.com.
BOOK REVIEW
Real Eyez: Race, Reality and Politics in 21st Century Popular Culture By Kam Williams “America’s oldest dilemmas are rooted in race realities that it, as a nation and as a society, refuses to confront. Is race the dilemma of the 21st Century, in the same way it was for the 19th and 20th Centuries? Will the complications of race, and its output, racism, allow the country to move forward, or will it hold it back—because society refuses to let go of outdated values and attitudes? These are all questions this book seeks to confront, critique and analyze... Whether we like it or not, 21st Century reality is here… The ‘real world’ is not going anywhere… It’s time for black America to get real about who it is, what it has become and whether America is ever going to deal with black people in an equitable and humane fashion. It’s time for all of us to get real.”
-Excerpted from the Introduction (pgs. iii-iv) Professor Anthony Asadullah Samad has long been a brother with his nger on the pulse, not only as a Professor of Political Science and African-American Studies, but as a nationally-syndicated columnist and author of several best-selling books. In his latest work, Real Eyez: Race, Reality and Politics in 21st Century Popular Culture, Dr. Samad again turns his attention to the plight of blacks in America, but with present-day prerogatives in mind. For, as he astutely observes, “We are no longer a nation that sees things in just black and white,” since “our world is now black, brown, red, yellow and white.” Consequently, the new millennium has been marked by a host of cultural changes, many of which have been lost on unsuspecting people still playing by the old rules. Real Eyez is an attempt
Wayans From 5 memory? MW: Watching while my brother Shawn was lying on my mothers lap when he was sick with asthma. I’m the youngest, but he was still the baby. KW: Dante Lee, author of “Black Business Secrets,” asks: What was the best business decision you ever made? MW: To make this movie. I took no money up front. I did it out of love and, hopefully, it will be successful, and keep the Wayans brand growing. It’s an extension of the brand, not a departure from
it. KW: The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal, what animal would you be? MW: If you could cross a lion and a monkey, that’s what I’d be, because monkeys are funny and lions are strong. KW: The Jamie Foxx question: If you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do? Would you do the bad stuff, you never got a chance to do, or would you do good stuff to make sure you make it into heaven? MW: I’d absolutely spend it with my family, laughing. KW: Would you mind giving me a Marlon Wayans question to ask
by the author to shake black America out of the doldrums and have it face up to its moral drift as well as assorted paradigm shifts. For example, he argues that the election of George W. Bush ushered in an era of “Anti-Intellectual Narcissism” during which the country became dumber, greedier and more boastful. In a chapter entitled “America’s Unbe-weavable Identity Crisis” Samad sheds light on what he calls “the weave phenomenon,” bemoaning weave-wearing sisters’ embrace of a European hair aesthetic which affects their “very psyche of beauty consciousness.” He says that black women, “in their color diversity and breadth of complexion and body types,” already represent some of the most beautiful, natural species on the face of the Earth. Other topics addressed include the mega-church/ microwave religion movement, the resurrection of the
Civil Rights Movement, Negrophobia, hypersexuality, President Obama as an antihero in an anti-realism age, and the Occupy Movement’s refusal to recast the American Dream. Curiously, this thoughtprovoking opus’ closing chapters are devoted to a couple of late icons, Michael Jackson and Rodney King, and ends with a prayer for justice for Trayvon Martin. A sobering and enlightened take on the state of 21st Century African-Americana courtesy by a fearless rebrand who has never been afraid to speak truth to power.
other celebrities? MW: Sure, What’s your denition of happiness?
your own, trailblaze your own. Success is not a destination, but the road that you’re on. Being successful means that you’re working hard and walking your walk every day. You can only live your dream by working hard towards it. That’s living your dream.
KW: That’s a good one, thanks. So, what’s your denition of happiness? MW: Making other people happy. KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: What is your favorite charity? MW: The Wayans family. [Laughs] And the Hudson Guild. It’s a community center that helped us out when we were kids. So, we denitely give back to it. KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps? MW: Don’t follow mine, create
Real Eyez: Race, Reality and Politics in 21st Century Popular Culture by Anthony Asadullah Samad, Ph.D. Kabili Press Kindle Edition, $6.99 Hardcover, $20.00 364 pages ISBN: 978-0-9723880-4-7
KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered? MW: As a guy who’s not going to change your life but who is going to change your mood. As a guy who made you smile and say, “I miss him. He was a lot of fun.” KW: Thanks again for the time, Marlon, and best of luck with the lm.
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Insight News • January 21 - January 27, 2013 • Page 7
The power in our words Gateway to excellence By Scott Gray
MUL President/CEO Recently, I heard a speaker discuss the power of words; our vocabulary, and the things we tell ourselves about our situation, our future and our potential. This speaker concluded that simply by changing what we said we could change our outcomes. As we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. we often reflect on his speeches and the power contained in those words and philosophies that led so many to action for peace. I believe that every person has a wealth of untapped potential simply waiting to be unleashed. All it takes is a vision for your life and the sincere belief that your dreams, your goals, your vision of personal success can be achieved. Martin Luther King remarked “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Far too many of us fail to take that first step out of fear, but more commonly, we won’t take the first step because
Schools From 1 Demands for Integration. In this essay, Dr. King rst distinguishes between desegregation and integration. While desegregation, he says, is the elimination of a negative, integration is the afrmative acceptance and implementation of a positive. In a desegregated society, people of different races could be physically near one another, yet spiritually oceans apart. He goes on to argue that segregation hinders human connectivity, curbs liberty, infringes upon the innate sacredness of humanity, and injures the spirit of both the segregated and segregator. He states, “It scars the soul and distorts the personality. It inicts the segregator with a
King From 1 him today, I can tell you that he was a kind and gentle man who was used as a strong prophet of God. Many people called him the “Black Moses,” and the “Modern Day Apostle of Love.” He was a Baptist preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who was also called to lead the 20th Century Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. loved Jesus and preached his Word. His sermons such
we’re waiting for what we call the ‘right place and time.’ The right place and time is now. Taking the first step is always the most difficult. Use the principle of activationenergy to start your gateway to opportunity journey; that is, find the “why” that compels you to take action, and then choose to hold fast to whatever that reason is, because that is the fuel that will motivate you to persist and ultimately achieve your aim. When our youth begin to proclaim, “I can finish high school and college;” they will. When parents decide, “I am going to fully support the education of my child, and I am going to be a good role model by pursuing lifelong learning as well,” they will. When the community collectively chooses to unite to solve its challenges and says “We are going to erase disparity and ensure equal opportunities for all, we will.
Changing our Vocabulary / Speaking it into Reality Rev. King is a prime example of speaking truth to power as we celebrate the 50th year of that memorable “I Have A Dream” speech. He raised the question of fairness for African Americans, and tirelessly fought for equality, yet he never saw his dream for equality come to fruition.
spoke that vision into reality. Because of the wide gaps African Americans currently face in education, employment, wealth, and health, there are many reasons to be overwhelmed by what is not
of transformation on personal levels, and some of our issues are linked to our own self-talk, our lack of changing our own vocabulary. So ask yourself the question, am I speaking possibility or just problems?
Am I speaking words of hope or hopelessness? Many of us are doing the same thing that has been holding us back for years. That can be hanging around negative people, having low expectations, setting no goals, making poor choices or blaming others for our own lack of motivation. When I arrived a little over 3 years ago, with my vision for the Minneapolis Urban League (MUL) was that it would be a Gateway to Opportunity for people color. I couldn’t necessarily see where the vision would ultimately take us, but I talked about the vision every day until it started to take shape. This vision has led to a transformation of the MUL, which is resulting in tangible results: We are in discussions to partner with a national entity for the creation of a youth concessions enterprise, We are growing our workforce programs to place nearly 200 individuals in family supporting jobs, We are on the verge of turning the MUL’s middle/ high school academy into a vocational-technical-social enterprise academy, We are offering new program initiatives that change the delivery of welfare to work and provide demonstrated results, and We are in discussions to
false sense of superiority while instilling the segregated with a false sense of inferiority.” Moreover, Dr. King also spoke of the evils of “de facto” school segregation because he saw the detrimental affect it had on the next generation’s social interconnectedness and educational and attainment. Concerning the issue of social interconnectedness, when asked about the controversial issue of busing in a 1963 interview, King answered: I lean towards the view that it is a very tragic thing for young people, children to grow up in association, communication with only people of their own race. Prejudices develop from the very beginning because of this. Narrow provincial views emerge because of this. I think the only way to break this kind of provincialism is to bring people together on a
level of genuine intergroup and interpersonal living. I do not think we can afford to wait until all the problems of residential segregation are solved before we grapple with the problem of segregation in educational institutions. Therefore, I lean towards the idea that segregation must be removed from schools all over the country. For I do not think that the residential segregation must be used as an excuse for the perpetuation of segregation in educational institutions. Dr. King also saw the academic benets provided by integrated schools. In a speech he gave in 1968 entitled “The Other America,” he stated: In this other America, thousands of young people are deprived of an opportunity to get an adequate education. Every year, thousands nish high school reading at a 7th,
8th, and sometimes 9th grade reading level. Not because they’re dumb. Not because they do not have native intelligence. But, because the schools are so inadequate, so over-crowded, so devoid of quality, so segregated – if you will – that the best of these minds never come out. Clearly, Dr. King saw segregation as one of the root causes of the unfullled intellectual/academic potential of so many black children. Now that over half a century has passed since Brown v Board, numerous studies have conrmed that one of the best ways to improve the academic outcomes of poor minority students is to provide them with a racially and socioeconomically diverse school setting. As we reect on Dr. King’s vision of the beloved
community and the current state of education in America, one cannot help but be lled with a spirit of dissatisfaction. Schools are almost as segregated now as they were back in Dr. King’s day. While accolades rightly go towards educational programs like the Harlem’s Children’s Zone and other reforms that improve educational outcomes for low income children in segregated schools, we imagine that Dr. King would have wanted to go further. As groups like the National Coalition on School Diversity have demonstrated, school integration is still an achievable dream. Many school districts and inter-district programs around the country are successfully implementing school integration programs, in spite of lukewarm federal support. On this anniversary
as Rediscovering Lost Values and The Death of Evil on the Seashore reect his devotion to the Lord and his obedience to God’s call. The themes of his teachings are strongly reective of the need of God’s love, human repentance and forgiveness. Dr. King was a family man. As one whose bloodline includes ancestors who were not only powerful Gospel preachers, but ex-slaves, Irish sharecroppers, educators, musicians, entrepreneurs and civil rights leaders, we can understand and appreciate how
KING TURN TO 12
But the lesson here for us all is that he had vision, he remained committed and focused in the face of discouragement, detractors and disbelief. He
happening; so much so, that we still ponder in meetings, reports and committees what has gone wrong. Some of this can be attributed to the absence
When our youth begin to proclaim, “I can finish high school and college;” they will. When parents decide, “I am going to fully support the education of my child, and I am going to be a good role model by pursuing lifelong learning as well,” they will.
potentially partner with a demolition contractor to create pathways into construction for more workers of color. While all of these initiatives may not happen, at least we are in the conversation -- we have taken the first step, and we believe in the prospects; even though the staircase is not fully in sight. Three years ago, all of this seemed like a long shot, and now daily, another step on the staircase appears.. giving flight to the MUL vision. Let’s change our words in 2013 and begin realizing more of our dreams. Tell yourself, “I can get that new job.” “My child is going to college.” “I am going to expand my skillset.” “I am going to buy that home.” Martin Luther King sacrificed his life for your dream, so take it off the shelf and start speaking it to yourself. Find a new friend that wants to see their own vision become a reality and push each other. The MUL welcomes the opportunity to count you as a success story. Choose to begin earnestly honoring your life, your talents, and your dreams with the words you use, for the power of one can not only transform your life but the world at large.
of Dr. King’s birth, we should rededicate ourselves to this policy goal that was at the heart of his vision for an inclusive and just society. (Gregory Groves is a senior at Princeton University. Philip Tegeler is Executive Director of the Poverty & Race Research Action Council, a civil rights policy organization in Washington, DC. America’s Wire is an independent, nonprot news service run by the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. Our stories can be republished free of charge by newspapers, websites and other media sources. For more information, visit www.americaswire.org or contact Michael K. Frisby at mike@frisbyassociates.com. )
Page 8 • January 21 - January 27, 2013 • Insight News
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LIFESTYLE
Metro Transit 2012 ridership tops 81 million Customers boarded Metro Transit buses and trains more than 81 million times in 2012 – an increase of 165,044 rides (0.2%) over 2011. Ridership on the Hiawatha light-rail line was the highest in the line’s history at 10.5 million. “For only the second time in a generation, Metro Transit ridership has exceeded 81 million,” said General Manager Brian Lamb. “This represents the third straight year of ridership growth.” This also marks the sixth consecutive year in which ridership has topped 76 million – a mark not previously achieved since 1983. Customers boarded Metro Transit buses and trains 81,053,506 times in 2012, which helped to push the agency’s 40year lifetime ridership past the 3 billion mark in November. Bus Service Bus ridership was up 0.1% to 69,854,994. Urban local routes – the heart of Metro Transit’s all-
METRO TRANSIT 2012 RIDERSHIP SUMMARY Urban Local Bus Express Bus* Suburban Local Bus Light rail Commuter rail TOTAL
2012 rides 58,734,867 9,459,088 1,661,040 10,498,236 700,276 81,053,506
2011 rides 58,852,007 9,370,900 1,561,264 10,400,864 703,427 80,888,462
Variance
% Var.
# of routes
% of all rides
-117,140 88,188 99,775 97,372 -3,151 165,044
-0.2% 0.94% 6.39% 0.94% -0.45% 0.20%
66 53 6 1 1 127
72% 12% 2% 13% 1%
*-includes 785,455 rides on Metro Transit service contracted by Maple Grove Transit., Metro Transit is a service of the Metropolitan Council.
day service – remained essentially at at 59 million rides. Ridership on freeway-oriented express routes was up 0.9 percent, or 88,000 rides, to 9.5 million while rides on suburban crosstown routes grew 6.4 percent, or nearly 100,000 rides, to 1.7 million. “In 2011, Metro Transit bus ridership grew more than four percent – signicantly outpacing
transit systems around the county,” said Lamb. “Those new customers continued to choose Metro Transit throughout 2012.” Hiawatha Light Rail At 10,498,236, ridership on the Hiawatha Light-Rail line is the highest recorded since the line’s 2004 opening. “We’re particularly grateful
to our customers and proud to achieve this benchmark in a year that included the longest service disruption in Hiawatha’s eightyear history,” said Lamb. In February, rail operations on a portion of the line were interrupted for a work week as crews stabilized a compromised pedestrian bridge that passes over Highway 55 and the Hiawatha
Line near Lake Street / Midtown Station. Average weekday ridership on the Hiawatha Line exceeds projections for the year 2020 by nearly 30 percent. Northstar Commuter Rail Overall annual ridership on Northstar declined 0.45 percent due to a 13 percent reduction in
the number of riders travelling to special events downtown. These reductions were offset partially by increases in the core market of weekday commuters. For the year, weekday commuter ridership was up four percent. A fare reduction implemented in August yielded progressively larger monthly increases in weekday riders over mid-year gures – from a six percent increase in September to nearly a 20 percent increase in December. Weekday ridership was also boosted by higher-than-projected rides from Ramsey Station which opened in November. “We surveyed potential customers early in the year and they told us they’d use Northstar more often if fares were modestly reduced,” said Lamb. “The price adjustment has drawn new customers who continue to choose Northstar day after day.” The line proved its reliability again in 2012 with near-perfect on-time performance of 97 percent.
Saving energy with white roofs EarthTalk® E - The Environmental Magazine Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard that simply painting your roof white can reduce household electricity bills by 40 percent. Is this something any of us can do? -- Susan Pierson, Sumter, SC Yes anyone can do it—and the benets can be signicant, especially for those in warmer climates who expend a lot of energy keeping cool. But most of the world’s roofs, including on some 90 percent of buildings in the U.S., are dark-colored. Dark colored roofs absorb more heat from the sun’s rays than light colored ones, and as such get much hotter. A black roof exposed to full sun can increase in temperature by as much as 90 °F (50 °C), meaning the air conditioning inside has to work that much harder to compensate for the added heat load. But a white or reective roof typically increases temperatures only 10-25 °F (5–14 °C) above ambient air temperatures during the day. This translates into a savings of up to 15 percent on air conditioning energy use over a year for a typical one-story residence, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The upshot of this energy savings is not only cost savings for the consumer— annual energy bill savings of 20-40 percent aren’t uncommon for single story homes in America’s Sun Belt— but also reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions generated in the production of electricity.
Arnwine From 3 and called for the formation of the Lawyers’ Committee to mobilize the considerable “pro bono” resources of the private bar in the leadership of the ght for racial justice. I have been privileged to lead this organization for the last
Courtesy White Roof Project
Some 90 percent of U.S. buildings have dark-colored roofs which, when exposed to full sun can increase in temperature by as much as 90 °F. A white roof typically increases temperatures only 10-25 °F above ambient air temperatures during the day. Pictured: The White Roof Project at work. A white roof also helps keep buildings and houses without air conditioning cooler in the summer than they would otherwise be. And it also helps mitigate the “urban heat
island effect” whereby a city can be 6-8 °F warmer than its surrounding areas on warm summer days. The non-prot White Roof Project promotes the concept
across the U.S. and last year painted some 30 buildings, helping hundreds of families lower their energy bills in the process. “A white roof project is
low cost, easy to implement, relieves stress on the power grid, cuts down on smog, and creates tangible change for individuals, our communities, and even globally,” reports
24 years. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary this year with the national “Toward Justice” Campaign, we will be engaging an army of lawyers, grassroots activists and ordinary Americans for racial and social justice and inspiring a new generation of leaders. Our Campaign is chaired by the great civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis. Along with his wife Lillian Miles Lewis, who sadly
passed away on December 31, 2012, Congressman Lewis has fought for decades to utilize the political sphere to advance civil rights. In the 50 years since 1963, we have seen major legislative civil rights victories, including the passage of landmark legislation such as the Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act and Fair Housing Act. Additionally, we have fought in
the courts on behalf of millions of clients to give true meaning to the promise of racial justice, emboldened in the states by the enforcement of these laws by private attorney generals. Yet our nation still faces tremendous challenges. During the 2012 elections, we successfully battled against new voter suppression laws in 46 states designed to disenfranchise specic
categories of voters including racial minorities, the young, the elderly, low-income and the disabled. Those proposed laws represented a symptom of the many inequities that still exist in our beloved nation. Voting is but one of a myriad of civil rights inequities that continue to persist: African-Americans are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of Whites; eight times more African-American children attend high poverty schools than do White children; poverty rates for AfricanAmerican and Hispanic families triple that of White families; and the unemployment rates for minorities remain in or bordering on double digits (AfricanAmericans at 14.0 percent and Hispanics at 9.6 percent), while the unemployment rate for Whites is 6.9 percent. The Lawyers’ Committee’s broad and innovative programmatic agenda in the courts, legislatures, transactional services and public policy and public education arenas will be critical in combating these barriers and opening up our society for true racial equality and social justice. In 2013, we must remain vigilant and engaged and demand that the government is proactively leading the entire nation toward justice and equality for all. The Lawyers’ Committee and our many allies
the group, which is looking to expand its work across the country signicantly in 2013 and expand internationally in 2014. The White Roof Projects gives away instructions (via a free downloadable “DIY Packet”) to help do-ityourselfers paint their own roofs white without hiring a painter or roofer. All it takes is a few painting supplies, a couple of cans of highly reective elastomeric white paint, and a plan for how to cover all relevant surfaces properly and safely. Those who would rather hire someone to do the ladder climbing and paint application can hire any local painter or roofer. While green roofs may be preferable from a strictly environmental perspective in that they contain plants that lter pollutants and reduce run-off, white roofs may indeed provide more overall environmental benet for the cost of a couple of cans of special white paint. Indeed, painting the roof white might be the best energy efciency improvement you can make to your building or house. CONTACTS: White Roof Project, www. whiteroofproject.org; DOE Cool Roof Fact Sheet, www1. eere.energy.gov/buildings/ pdfs/cool_roof_fact_sheet.pdf. EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@ emagazine.com. Subscribe: w w w. e m a g a z i n e . c o m / subscribe. Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.
will continue to win battles, as we did ghting against voter suppression tactics that could have impeded as many as ve million Americans from casting their ballots in the presidential election. Through the courts and good old-fashioned voter education and mobilization, we demonstrated to the enemies of Democracy that they would never have a free hand to oppose justice. We have also demonstrated that whenever evil tactics abound, “we the people” will rise up with a standard of justice to oppose it. Moving into 2013 and beyond we must keep our eyes on the prize that remains elusive even 50 years later, remaining unied and ever vigilant against the ignorance and intolerance that impedes racial progress in America. Barbara R. Arnwine is president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The Lawyers’ Committee is a nonpartisan, nonprot organization, formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to enlist the private bar’s leadership and resources in combating racial discrimination and the resulting inequality of opportunity - work that continues to be vital today. For more information, please visit www.lawyerscommittee. org.
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Insight News • January 21 - January 27, 2013 • Page 9
COMMENTARY
Winter sports scene hot in Minnesota Nobody Asked Me
By Fred Easter Fall and early winter have been interesting times on the Minnesota sports scene. Vikings head coach, Leslie Frazier, engineered a major turnaround with the Vikes, but, apparently neglected to develop a backup quarterback. Joe Webb
was the rst QB in NFL history to start a playoff game without having thrown a pass during the regular season. I have to wonder if a Bret Favre or Ben Roethlisberger wouldn’t have started that game with their arm in a sling and played until it fell off. Tubby Smith appears to have a deep Gopher squad ready for a long run into the conference season, and hopefully beyond. They have depth, talent and seem to have bought into Tubby’s “chew the numbers off their jersey” style of defense. They’ve beaten Florida State in Tallahassee, USC in Los
Angeles and 13th ranked Illinois in the House of Paign. What I do worry about is how long it’ll be before some young athlete breaks a major bone sailing off that raised barn oor. The place must’ve been terric back when girls played in those bloomers, and didn’t cross half court and guys used the weave a lot and won games with a nal score of 12-10. In this millennium, however, if a Trevor Mbakwe or Rodney Williams breaks a femur and leaves their NBA career in the third row, the numbers discussed by their attorneys could be astronomical.
While I’m on the topic of college basketball, why am I watching every women’s team in the United States on television, except our Lady Gophers? It’s as if the NCAA has our ladies on some sort of TV sanctions. I’d like to be able to say something insightful about Pam Borton’s team, but, I’ve only read about them, so far. More folks would come to games if they had a chance to fall in love with the Lady Gophers like they have with the Lynx. The Wolves, for their part, are bringing back memories of George Mikan and “Jumpin’” Jim Pollard’s Minneapolis
Lakers. It is refreshing to see a largely white team play in the NBA night after night. Could someone help me understand how Kevin Love can be a rebounding beast and not be able to get a shot off in the paint? J.J. Barea seems to get more shots up onto the glass in the paint than Kevin. I admit I was worried that we’d lose the entire NHL season. But, we are going to see what the off season additions of Zack Parise and Ryan Suter are going to mean for the Wild. I do love it when any Minnesota sports owner steps out and makes a “major market” money move.
This brings me to the Twins, who, while it’s still winter here, will be in Florida trotting out their “small market” pitching staff. At least, their “big market” catcher will be in attendance, as well. Finally, how about the U hockey programs? Don Lucia’s group is currently No. 1 in the country (ask No. 2 Notre Dame if we don’t deserve that status) and the U women’s hockey program is always one of the NCAA’s premier programs. So, my remote is all oiled up and ready to go. Let it snow!
The massive human and moral cost of gun violence Child Watch
By Marian Wright Edelman The heartrending massacre of 20, 6- and 7-year-old children and six educators in Newtown, Conn. has galvanized public attention once again after a mass shooting. But the killing of children by gun violence is not new. It has been an unreported and under-reported plague that has snuffed out the lives of 119,079 children and teenagers since 1979. That’s an average of 3,721 child and teen deaths every year for 32 years. That’s 4,763 classrooms of 25 children each. The number of children and teens killed by guns since 1979 is two and a half times greater than the number of U.S. military personnel killed in action in the Vietnam (47,434) or Korean (33,739) wars, and more than 22 times greater than American military personnel killed in the wars in Afghanistan (1,712) and in Iraq (3,518). The United States of America has spent a trillion and a half dollars on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars so far, purportedly to protect our children and citizens from enemies without, while ignoring the reality that the greatest threats to child safety and wellbeing come from enemies within. Gun violence saturates our children’s lives and relentlessly threatens them every day. It has romped through their playgrounds; invaded their birthday parties; terrorized their Head Start classrooms, child care centers, and schools; frolicked down the streets they walk to and from school; danced through their school buses; waited at the red light and bus stop; lurked behind trees; run them down on the corner; shot them through their bedroom windows, on their front porches, and in their neighborhoods. Gun violence has taught, entertained, and tantalized them incessantly across television, movie, and video game screens and the Internet. It has snatched away their parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, friends, and teachers; sapped their energy and will to learn; and made them forget about tomorrow. It has nagged and picked at their youthful minds and spirits and darkened their dreams, day in and day out, snufng out the promise and joy of childhood and inicting them with posttraumatic stress disorders – often chronic. It has caused them recurring nightmares and made them afraid to go outdoors or to the movies. It has made them want to or feel they have to get a gun or join a gang to protect themselves because adults can’t or won’t protect them. It has made them plan their own funerals because they don’t think they’ll live to adulthood. It has killed them with guns every three hours and fteen minutes and injured them every 34 minutes. It terries them and makes them cry inside and wonder if and when enough adults are ever going to stand up and make it stop and make children safe. President Obama, in his moving remarks at the Sandy Hook interfaith prayer vigil at Newtown High School on December 16 got it right when he said: “Caring for our children. It’s our rst job. If we don’t get that right, we don’t get anything right. That’s how, as a society,
we will be judged.” And we will not pass the test of the God of the prophets or New Testament or all great faiths if we do not protect all of our sacred children against repeated and preventable gun deaths and injuries. Every child has a right to live and to dream and to strive for a future that is not destroyed in a second because we cowered before a special interest lobby and refused to protect them. What can we do? Learn the truth about and debunk the myths that guns make us safe. Did you know that one third of all households with children younger than 18 have a gun and 40 percent of gun-owning households with children store their guns unlocked? Contrary to what many people believe, having a gun in your home doesn’t make you safer but instead endangers you and your loved ones. A gun in the home makes the likelihood of homicide three times higher, suicide three to ve times higher, and accidental death four times higher. For every time a gun in the home injures or kills in self-
defense, there are 11 completed and attempted gun suicides, seven criminal assaults and homicides with a gun, and four unintentional shooting deaths or injuries. Read the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF)’s new “Protect Children Not Guns: The Truth About Guns,” which debunks myths that guns make you safe. Convene congregational and parent and community study groups and let the enormity of lost child and human life sweep over you and pierce your hearts and make you determined to wake up, stand up and do something! Check CDF’s Web site regularly for steps you can take and that others are taking. Small acts by enough of us can set off big ripples across our nation and shake up our political leaders. The important thing is to care and to act and to keep acting for as long as it takes until the NRA’s lock on gun policy is broken. Stop shopping at stores that sell rearms over the counter, making their purchase and use as routine and normal as a ashlight or toaster. Assault weapons should
not be normalized and treated as a household product or gloried as American as apple pie. Turn off the violent TV shows. Stop buying the violent toys and video games and call for nonviolent conict resolution and restorative justice training of our educators, faith leaders, children, and all of us. Let’s make violence unacceptable rather than acceptable in our nation which leads the world’s industrialized nations in military expenditures, in number of guns sold and in circulation (an estimated 300 million), and in child, youth, and adult civilian gun deaths. At the height of the Vietnam War, anti-war demonstrators lled the Mall and confronted the president, Congress, and Pentagon by calling for an end to that war. What is it going to take for the American people–for you and for me–to push the president and members of Congress and governors and state legislators to stand up to the NRA, gun manufacturers, and sellers? What is it going to take for them to place protection of children and
youths and adults ahead of the protection of guns and prots and their election to ofce? How much is a child’s life worth in today’s political economy in America? In 2013, as we prepare to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday and the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and the dream of our gun-slain prophet of nonviolence, let us truly hear and follow rather than just celebrate him. Now is the time to free ourselves from the plague of gun violence which has taken more than 1.3 million American lives since Dr. King and Robert Kennedy’s assassinations in 1968. This is twice the loss of life than all American battle casualties in all the major wars we have fought since our nation began: the Revolutionary War (4,435); the War of 1812 (2,260); the Mexican War (1,733); the Civil War (214,938); the
Spanish American War (385); World War I (53,402); World War II (291,557); the Korean War (33,739); the Vietnam War (47,434); the Persian Gulf War (148); the Iraq War (3,518), and the war in Afghanistan (1,712). Isn’t it way past time for some hard soul searching about what we believe as Americans? Do we believe in the sanctity of life in America or don’t we? We decide. Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. For more information go to www. childrensdefense.org.
Page 10 • January 21 - January 27, 2013 • Insight News
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COMMUNITY
NRRC ramping up efforts to engage Northside residences In light of multiple development projects taking place in north Minneapolis including the new light rail, the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council (NRRC) has expanded and hired and executive director and outreach organizers. Executive Director Ishmael Israel, Transit Outreach Organizer Hue Pham and Neighborhood Outreach Organizer Kathy DeKrey were
Ishmael Israel
Calendar • Classieds Send Community Calendar information to us by email: info@insightnews.com, by fax: 612.588.2031, by phone: 612.588-1313 or by mail: 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis, MN 55411. Free or low cost events preferred.
EVENTS
Jan 12 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. The Show runs January 3 - 24, 2013. Gallery Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays – 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.; Saturdays – 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.; and Every First Friday – 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. Altered Esthetics is located at 1224 Quincy St. NE Minneapolis MN 55413, (612) 378-8888.
Resident Artists IX: Rule of Thirds at Altered Esthetics Thru Jan. 24 Three is a powerful number in science, religion, music, and the arts. For the ninth annual resident artists exhibition, artists incorporate the number three or triptychs. Ae artists will be displaying their take on the number three and how it inuences their artwork. The pieces displayed will be in a variety of mediums ranging from watercolor to acrylic to photographs. There will be an opening reception on Friday, Jan 4 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.; Artists’ Discussion Panel on Saturday,
Bullying prevention workshop Jan. 24 PACER Center is offering “Bullying Prevention – Everyone’s Responsibility: What Parents Can Do,” a free workshop for parents of all children, including those with disabilities, and for professionals on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, from 6:30 to 8:30pm, at PACER Center, 8161 Normandale Blvd., Bloomington, Minn. Advance registration is requested. This workshop, led by staff of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, is designed for parents and professionals
Kathy DeKrey
Hue Pham
Phone: 612.588.1313
to explore the dynamics of bullying, and learn what they can do to help children address the issue. To register, call PACER at (952) 838-9000. In Greater Minnesota, call (800) 537-2237 (toll free) or visit PACER.org. Universal Dance Destiny (UDD) 8th Annual Holiday Showcase Jan. 31 UDD 8th Annual Holiday Showcase January 31, 2013 at The Historic Capri Theater, 2027 West Broadway, Minneapolis. Doors open at 6pm and Showtime 6:30 8pm. Tickets sold at the door - $5 Kids 12 and under, $7 Students & Seniors (W/ID) and $9 Adults. Showcased will be talented dancers, dance crews, dance company’s, praise dance groups, school step teams, dance studio’s, and seasoned and upcoming performing artist of various genres. There will be a special guest host again this year. Also featured UDD Company newest dance choreography by Edna Stevens. Join our event page on Facebook to stay updated on details: https://www.facebook. com/events/309564805828809 /?ref=ts&fref=ts Home Sweet Home Again Exhibit Jan. 24 - Mar. 30 Home Sweet Home Again at Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis. An Exhibition of Art & Poetry” featuring visual artwork and poetry by local artists and poets
Amos From 1 More than 150 well-wishers attended, including Dr. Josie Johnson; Matt Little and retired MUL colleagues Laura ScottWilliams, Lee Tillman and Roosevelt Gaines. MUL board chair and Insight News founder, Al McFarlane praised Amos’ professional attributes and the value of her service to League operations, while Tyrone Terrill, Spike Moss, former MUL board member, Ora Hokes and other pillars of the community spoke about her commitment to service. Amos began working with the Urban League in 1977, serving as program secretary for the director of community organization. “The Urban League was
recently hired. Israel, a North Minneapolis resident and business owner, received degrees in nance and sociology from Augsburg College and has a background in residential real estate sales, marketing and forecasting centralized in north Minneapolis. Israel has actively participated in NRRC since 1998. Pham has been a part of the north Minneapolis community
Fax: 612.588.2031
on homelessness, affordable housing, and the meaning of home. Exhibition Run: January 24 - March 30, 2013. Opening Reception: 6-9PM, January 24; 7PM Program and Poetry. $3 suggested donation. Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 10-6PM; Saturday 12-5PM. Contact: 612.871.4444 or info@IntermediaArts.org Metropolitan State Black and White art exhibit Jan. 24 -Mar. 1 Metropolitan State University Gordon Parks Gallery presents Black and White art exhibit. The exhibit runs from Jan. 24 through March 1 with a reception on Thursday, Feb. 7, from 4:30 –7 p.m. This is followed by an artists’ talk from 7–8 p.m. Gallery hours are Mondays–Thursdays, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; and Fridays– Saturdays, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. The gallery is located at the Saint Paul Campus in the Library and Learning Center, 645 East Seventh Street, Saint Paul. Campaign Against Sex Trafcking Open House Jan. 25 Campaign Against Human Trafcking Open House to celebrate National Slavery and Human Trafcking Prevention Month and to recognize the vital role we all play in eliminating all forms of human trafcking will be held on Friday, January 25, 2013, 3:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M. at the Civil Society (located in 1st National
smaller at that time. If somebody needed assistance with housing, or employment and (a colleague) was out, I assisted with what was needed,” said Amos. Amos moved up the ranks in the MUL, becoming human resources director in 1993. Amos received her human resources generalist certicate from the University of Minnesota in 1994. In 1996 she received a resource development certicate from Communities of Color Institute and the Center of Philanthropy at Indiana University and her bachelor’s degree in human service administration from Metropolitan State University. In 1998, Amos ascended to chief administrative ofcer on the MUL. Along the way, Amos worked under four Minneapolis Urban League CEOs – Gleason
since her family rst came to the area from Vietnam in 1975. Pham received degrees in accounting, nance and a minor in economics from Augsburg College and has worked on the Hiawatha light rail project. DeKrey is a recent college graduate from Augsburg College with a triple major in urban studies, environmental studies and political science.
Email: info@insightnews.com
Bank Building) 332 Minnesota Street Suite E-1436, St. Paul, MN 55101. RSVP to Sachiko Kudoh at (651)-291-0713 or sachiko.k@civilsocietyhelps. org Housing Empowerment Expo Jan. 26 Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity is holding its annual Housing Empowerment Expo at Shiloh Temple Church from 1pm to 5pm on Saturday, January 26. This event is free. Families can get information on how to buy and own a Habitat home for less than renting. There will also be information on how to get free help making home repairs. Plus learn about free help from Habitat on saving your home from foreclosure. Shiloh Temple Church is located at 1201 West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis, 55411. This event is open to everyone. No need to register, just show up. Get information about Twin Cities Habitat online at www. t c h a b i t a t . o rg < h t t p : / / w w w. tchabitat.org> or by calling 612-331-4090. Interlochen Center for the Arts Dance Auditions Jan. 27 Students in grades 6-12 are invited to attend an open-call dance audition for Interlochen Center for the Arts Dance on Sunday, January 27, 2013 at the James Sewell Ballet, 528 Hennepin Ave., Suite 205, Minneapolis. Auditions will include ballet, pointe
Glover, Gary Sudduth, Clarence Hightower and Scott Gray. “The Urban League has changed over the years, so I gure it was time for me to move aside and retire, but still continue working in the community and support the Urban League,” said Amos.
Amos said her deep rooted interest in community and serving others came from her mother. “My mother was extremely active in the community. When you have parents active in the community, you become active,” said Amos. An alumnus of North High School, part of Amos’ experiences were instrumental in developing her ghting spirit. When the civil rights activist attended North, AfricanAmericans could not engage in cheerleading or dance squad. “I’m a very vocal person and speak my mind. I grew up in an era where we were constantly ghting for our civil ATTORNEY: rights,” said Amos. The retiring CAO said SMRLS - St. Paul - Family Law cases; Salary DOE she did not participate on either team, but her Resumes/references to: mother helped pave the way for future georgia.sherman@smrls.org generations. “Through my mother’s advocacy, or mail to: both my sister’s SMRLS Attn: Georgia Sherman became cheerleaders 55 East 5th St., Suite 400 and Polarettes.” Amos has St. Paul, MN 55101 always been active in her children’s lives EEO/AAE and education. “I’m a parent who will show up and sit in the classroom,” said Amos. ATTORNEY: “Even after my children graduated from North, I stayed committed SMRLS - St. Paul - Utility Law cases by volunteering Salary $43,000+ DOE in the lunch room, and working with Resumes/references to: administrators to assist teachers and students.” Laura Jelinek, SMRLS Amos served as former smrls.administration@smrls.org chair of North High School Parent Advisory or mail to SMRLS Council where she 55 East 5th Street, Suite 400 was instrumental in St. Paul, MN 55101 the development of the Girl’s In Action Group EEO/AAE at North High created by Dr. Verna Price.
and modern technique. Participating students will be considered for admission to Interlochen’s world-renowned summer arts program or ne arts boarding high school. Required audition dress for girls is black leotards and pink tights. Boys should wear white t-shirts and black tights. Registration starts at 1:00 p.m. and auditions will be held from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. www. interlochen.org/dance2013 Community Public School Funding Forum Jan. 30 Do you nd school funding hard to understand? Curious about how much money Minneapolis Public Schools receives from state and local sources and how spending priorities are determined? Ever wonder how much control principals have over their school budgets? Come hear the ins and outs of school nances from Sarah Snapp, MPS Budget Director and Carol Markham-Cousins, Washburn High principal on Wednesday, January 30, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm, Washburn High School, 201 West 49th Street, Minneapolis. After brief presentations, will break into small groups for indepth conversation with each presenter and time to share concerns and ideas with other community members. Bring your friends, neighbors and questions! Space is limited, so register early! To learn more, contact Rebecca Noecker or call 612-455-1571.
Other accomplishments include receiving a certicate of appreciation from the city of Minneapolis for outstanding volunteer service, Urban League Employee of the Year, four time recipient of the Urban League Presidents Award and certicates of appreciation from United Way and YWCA. At the close of the event, Scott Gray, president and CEO of the Minneapolis Urban League, presented Amos with a check for $3,500, representing $100 for each year of service. “I live by the aspect; it takes a village to raise a child,” said Amos. “When I was hungry did you feed me, when I was imprisoned did you visit me? I’m not rich, but if I have something and I feel like you need it more than I do, I will give it to you. The only way you build your community is by helping one another.” Amos will continue to serve the Minneapolis Urban League as a special advisor to the President. Amos says thank you I want to thank everyone who attended my retirement celebration and those who wanted to attend and couldn’t make it. I want to thank those that gave me well wishes personally, through phone calls and emails, cards and gifts of all kind. I want to thank all of those who planned this celebration and made it such a wonderful and beautiful event. I thank the Urban League for the privilege and honor to serve this community for 35 years. We all pass from one season of life to the next. Transitions are a critical part of everyone’s life. We move from one learned skill or developed ability to another – from one promotion to another. School gives way to work, and work gives way to retirement. Life is a constant state of change. What’s important is that we recognize how crucial it is to make transitions well. It’s not the transition itself that’s crucial, but how we respond to the changes that come our way. It was time for me to transition into the next season of my life, and it is my intent to make the best of it. – Sylvia Amos
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Insight News • January 21 - January 27, 2013 • Page 11
HEALTH
State health ofcials say u season rivals 2009, other severe seasons New data released by the Minnesota Department of Health today clearly shows that the state is experiencing a very severe u season, with signicant numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Although the numbers of hospitalizations reported rivals the 2009 pandemic, there is no evidence of a new inuenza virus circulating and state health ofcials stressed that the prole of the disease outbreak is very much in keeping with other very severe seasonal inuenza years. To date, Minnesota hospitals have reported 1,121 hospitalizations due to inuenzalike illness. For the week ending Jan. 5 alone, there were 401 hospitalizations, similar to a peak week in the 2009-10 pandemic. MDH has conrmed a total so far of 27 deaths due to inuenza or inuenza-related complications. In addition, there were 28 outbreaks in long-term care facilities over the past week. “We are clearly at a high level of inuenza activity in the state,” said Minnesota Health Commissioner Dr. Edward Ehlinger. “But it’s important to keep this year in perspective: What is occurring has happened before. This is what inuenza
looks like, this is what it can do. That’s why we stress every year the importance of prevention measures, such as getting a u shot, covering your cough, washing your hands and staying home if you are ill. We never know at the beginning of a u season what it’s going to look like.” The demographics of Minnesota’s hospitalized cases and deaths are what we expect with seasonal inuenza, said Commissioner Ehlinger. “Of the 1,121 hospitalized persons, 62 percent of the cases are over 65 years of age and 15 percent are under 25 years of age. This is in contrast to the 2009 pandemic when 12 percent of hospitalizations were in individuals 65 and older and 61 percent were in those under age 25 years. Twenty-three of the 27 inuenza deaths this year are in people 65 years and older. Because so many of the serious cases are occurring in long-term care residents, Ehlinger stressed that it’s very important for longterm care facilities to make sure that all their staff are vaccinated against inuenza to help prevent the spread of u to vulnerable residents. Also, MDH has advised facilities to follow CDC guidelines to limit transmission
of the virus, such as restricting visitors, particularly anyone who is ill. The rapid increase in inuenza cases is creating signicant challenges for health care partners around the state,
Ehlinger said. However, those areas hardest hit with u are implementing at least portions of their plans developed for pandemic inuenza. Hospitals, clinics and long-term-care facilities within each region are working together to coordinate use of resources such as beds, supplies, and medicines. MDH has been engaged in
Harry Colbert, Jr.
From 1 The summit was called more than a year ago, but the timing could not have been more ironic as the nation is still in the direct aftermath of the Newtown, CT, shooting that killed 20 elementary school students and six educators. That, on top of a shooting in Aurora, CO, where 12 people were gunned down and another 70 wounded; a shooting in an Oregon mall where two were killed; and a shooting right here in Minneapolis where ve people were murdered in a mass workplace shooting. Many are now calling for stricter national gun laws. But the convened group did
not focus solely on the headlinegrabbing mass shootings, but the daily shootings plaguing urban metropolises. “This summit was planned about a year ago,” said Barrett. “Gun violence happens every day. It’s scandalous and grotesque. We have to do much more than we’re doing. But now the conversation is fundamentally different now that the president is saying this is a priority.” This past Wednesday, President Barack Obama signed 23 executive orders on the issue of curtailing gun violence. “We can’t put this off any longer,” said the president in a released transcript from a press conference held in Washington, D.C. “In the month since 20 precious children and six brave adults were violently
work if you have a respiratory infection. Avoid exposing yourself to others who are sick with u-like illness. • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue whenever you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your sleeve. • Clean surfaces you touch frequently, such as doorknobs, water faucets, refrigerator handles and telephones. • Wash your hands often with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available. The symptoms of inuenza, which tend to come on suddenly, can include a sore throat, coughing, fever, headache, muscle aches and fatigue. People who become severely ill or those at risk for severe disease with inuenza, who have inuenza-like symptoms contact their healthcare provider promptly. Inuenza is caused by a virus and antibiotics are not effective against it, although antivirals such as oseltamivir and zanamivir are effective, especially if given shortly after the development of symptoms.
theater of war have no place in a movie theater.” Barrett said our freedoms are at stake if we do not do something to greatly reduce gun violence. “Everyone here is a freedom ghter and what we’re seeing in this country is people’s freedoms are being taken away when they cannot go to church safely on a Sunday morning,” said the Milwaukee mayor. President Obama’s statement seemed to echo Barrett’s comments. “The right to worship freely and faithfully, that right was denied to Sikhs in Oak Creek, WI. That right was denied to
hoppers in Clackamas, OR, and moviegoers in Aurora, CL,” said Obama. “That most fundamental set of rights – to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness – fundamental rights that were denied to college students at Virginia Tech and high school students at Columbine and elementary school students in Newtown, and kids on street corners in Chicago on too frequent a basis to tolerate, and all the families who’ve never imagined that they’d lose a loved one to a bullet, those rights are at stake. We’re responsible.” The group of mayors and public safety ofcials also
called for Congress to pass legislation closing a gun show loophole that does not require a rearm purchaser to submit to a background check. The president did the same during his D.C. press conference, held Jan. 16. Rybak said though the mass shootings garner the headlines, the routine shootings in urban, mostly minority communities can no longer be tolerated. “The day that we hear about a shooting in a certain area in the city and someone says, ‘We expected it there’ is the day we have lost.”
The current inuenza situation clearly demonstrates the importance of having a strong public health system in place
Sami Rahamim, 17, son of Reuven Rahamim, who was fatally shot at Accent Signage in Minneapolis in, speaks out against gun violence during the Midwestern Regional Gun Summit.
Guns
alerts and advisories. “The current inuenza situation clearly demonstrates the importance of having a strong public health system in place,” Ehlinger said. “We have tapped into our response system and, while we are being challenged, it appears to be working well.” It’s important for all
Minnesota residents to do what they can to protect themselves from inuenza and limit the spread of the disease. If you haven’t yet been vaccinated, get vaccinated for inuenza. It’s not too late. Inuenza vaccination is now recommended for everyone six months and older unless they cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. It is especially important that those at high risk for serious complications from inuenza be vaccinated. These include pregnant women, seniors, young children and those with chronic medical conditions. Children under six months of age cannot receive inuenza vaccine, so household contacts and caretakers should be vaccinated to protect the very young. Older people and those with medical conditions may not respond as well to the vaccine as others and household contacts and caretakers of these individuals should also be vaccinated. During u season, besides getting vaccinated, there are other steps people can take to avoid spreading or catching inuenza: • Do your best to stay healthy. Get plenty of rest, physical activity and healthy eating. • Stay home from school or
regular consultations with the regional health care coalitions, keeping health care providers and local public health staff abreast of developments in the situation and any changes in guidance through routine health
taken from us at Sandy Hook Elementary, more than 900 of our fellow Americans have reportedly died at the end of a gun – 900 in the past month. And every day we wait, that number will keep growing.” Obama called for a ban on all military-style assault weapons and limiting gun magazine clips to 10 rounds or less. “The type of assault rie used in Aurora, for example, when paired with high-capacity magazines, has one purpose – to pump out as many bullets as possible as quickly as possible, to do as much damage using bullets often designed to inict maximum damage. And that’s what allowed the gunman in Aurora to shoot 70 people – 70 people, killing 12, in a matter of minutes,” said Obama. “Weapons designed for the
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Time for Congress to build a better drone policy acknowledged. The number of innocent civilian casualties may be greater than people realize. A recent study by human rights experts at Stanford Law School and the New York University School of Law found that the number of innocent civilians
By U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, published originally in the Washington Post U.S. Representative Keith Ellison, a Democrat, represents Minnesota’s 5th District in the U.S. House and is co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. An unmanned U.S. aerial vehicle — or drone — reportedly killed eight people in rural Pakistan last week, bringing the estimated death toll from drone strikes in Pakistan this year to 35. As the frequency of drone strikes spikes again, some questions must be asked: How many of those targeted were terrorists? Were any children harmed? And what is the standard of evidence to carry out these attacks? The United States has to provide answers, and Congress has a critical role to play. The heart of the problem is that our technological capability has far surpassed our policy. As things stand, the executive branch exercises unilateral authority over drone strikes against terrorists abroad. In some cases, President Obama approves each strike himself through “kill lists.” While the president should be commended for creating explicit rules for the use of drones, unilateral kill lists are unseemly and fraught with hazards.
U.S. Representative Keith Ellison When asked about the drone program in October during an interview on the “The Daily Show,” the president said, “One of the things we’ve got to do is put a legal architecture in place, and we need congressional help in order to do that, to make sure that not only am I reined in, but any president’s reined in terms of some of the decisions that we’re making.” It’s time to put words into action. Weaponized drones have produced results. They have eliminated 22 of al-Qaeda’s top 30 leaders and just last week took out a Taliban leader. Critically, they lessen the need to send our troops into harm’s way, reducing the number of U.S. casualties. Yet the costs of drone strikes have been ignored or inadequately
[...] the number of innocent civilians killed by U.S. drone strikes is much higher than what the U.S. government has reported: approximately 700 since 2004 killed by U.S. drone strikes is much higher than what the U.S. government has reported: approximately 700 since 2004, including almost 200 children. This is unacceptable. Another cost is how drone strikes are shaping views of the United States around the world. You might develop a negative attitude toward the United States if your only perception of it is
Bass ranking member of foreign affairs subcommittee By Representative Karen Bass (D-Calif) Washington, D.C. – Representative Karen Bass (D-Calif) released the following statement recently on her reappointment to serve as Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations in the 113th Congress. Representative Bass is currently the only African American woman serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “I am honored to serve as Ranking Member of this critically important subcommittee at such a pivotal time in America’s relationship with Africa. During my rst term, I was
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Representative Karen Bass (D-Calif)
honored to play a role in helping to redene America’s relationship with the continent and pushing for the United States to be a fully engaged partner in the thriving economic growth being seen all across sub-Saharan Africa. We
a foreign aircraft buzzing over your house that occasionally res missiles into your neighborhood. In Pakistan, where 95 percent of U.S. drone strikes have occurred, people familiar with them overwhelmingly express disapproval (97 percent, according
successfully secured an extension of AGOA’s third country fabric provision that permits African nations to import raw materials from anywhere in the world, produce apparel, and export the nished product to Africa from the U.S. duty-free. For U.S. apparel companies like GAP and Levi Strauss, this extension helped to make it possible that they can continue to do business in Africa. Working across party lines, we will do what we can to resolve many long-simmering conicts that threaten the stability of the continent and expose human rights abuses wherever they exist across the globe. I look forward to continuing this work and am honored to be chosen to serve.”
to Pew polling from June) and believe they kill too many innocent people (94 percent). Drone strikes may well contribute to the extremism and terrorism the United States seeks to deter. U.S. drone use has also lowered the threshold for the use of lethal force in foreign countries. Would we re so many missiles into Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia if doing so required sending U.S.
King From 7 God called Dr. King as a modern day Moses and gave him a prophetic DREAM to help to set the captives free. He and my father, Rev. A. D. King, are brothers, fallen soldiers of the 20th Century Civil Rights Movement who now reside in Heaven. Many people don’t even know that Martin had a brother and a sister. He was a beloved uncle and family member. The year 2013 will mark several signicant landmark anniversaries including 150 years since the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, 100 years since the formation of the Federal Reserve System, 50 years since the MLK ‘I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH’, and the 40th year landmine Supreme Court Roe
troops into harm’s way? Our drone policy must be guided by more than capability. It must be guided by respect for noncombatants, necessity and urgency. It is Congress’s responsibility to exercise oversight and craft policies that govern the use of lethal force. But lawmakers have yet to hold a single hearing examining U.S. drone policy. Any rules must provide adequate transparency, respect the rule of law, conform with international standards and prudently advance U.S. national security over the long term. In codifying a legal framework to guide executive action on drone strikes, Congress should consider these steps: First, we must do more to avoid innocent civilian casualties. The Geneva Conventions, which have governed the rules of war since World War II, distinguish between combatants and noncombatants in the conduct of hostilities and state that civilian casualties are not acceptable except in cases of demonstrated military necessity. This is the standard we must follow. Second, Congress must require an independent judicial review of any executive-branch “kill list.” The U.S. legal system is based on the principle that one branch of government should not have absolute authority. Congress
should object to that concentration of power, especially when it may be used against U.S. citizens. A process of judicial review would diffuse executive power and provide a mechanism for greater oversight. Third, the United States must collaborate with the international community to develop a widely accepted set of legal standards. No country — not even our allies — accepts the U.S. legal justication for targeted killings. Our justication must rest on the concept of self-defense, which would allow the United States to protect itself against any imminent threat. Any broader criteria would create the opportunity for abuse and set a dangerous standard for other countries to follow, which could harm long-term U.S. security interests. The United States will not always enjoy a monopoly on sophisticated drone technology. The Iranian-made drone that Hezbollah recently ew over Israel should compel us to think about the far-reaching implications of current policy. A just, internationally accepted protocol on the use of drones in warfare is needed. By creating and abiding by our own set of reasonable standards, the United States will demonstrate to the world that we believe in the rule of law.
v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in America. This will surely be a year of transition and there is a need for a deep spiritual awakening. In fact it’s time for America to wake up before the dream becomes a nightmare. Thank God that Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream. Happy Birthday Uncle M. L.
Served on the boards and committees of Coalition of African American Pastors, and the Judeo-Christian Coalition for Constitutional Restoration. Served in the Georgia State House of Representatives. Accomplished actress and songwriter. She is a voice for the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, speaking about her regret for her abortion. During the years of the Civil Rights Movement, led by her Uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Alveda’s family home was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama. “Daddy’s house was bombed, then in Louisville, Kentucky his church ofce was bombed. I was also jailed during the open housing movement,” she recalls. Alveda has continued her longterm work as a civil rights activist. Advocate for School Choice as a civil rights issue. Strong advocate for life of the unborn, faith in God not faith in government bureaucracy.
DR. ALVEDA C. KING: Daughter of the late slain civil rights activist Rev. A. D. King and Niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Founder of King for America, Inc. Mother of six and doting grandmother. Consultant to the Africa Humanitarian Christian Fellowship. Former college professor. MA degree in Business Management. Published author of Sons of Thunder, The King Family Legacy and I Don’t Want Your Man, I Want My Own. Doctorate of Laws conferred by Saint Anslem College.