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Insight News

July 20, 2020 - July 26, 2020

Vol. 47 No. 29• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

1,000 mile walk for justice

STORY ON PAGE 7

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Page 2 • July 20, 2020 - July 26, 2020 • Insight News

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Hardel Sherrell: A mother’s fight for her son Del Shea Perry has waited a long time to learn the truth about what happened to her son, Hardel Sherrell, when he was detained in Beltrami County jail.

In 2018, Sherrell walked into Beltrami County Jail and nine days later, on September 4, he was “carried out in a body bag,” said Perry. Staff and medical personnel inside and out of the Beltrami County Jail in Bemidji, MN completely disregarded the 27-year-old’s cries for help as his health quickly deteriorated.

Armed with the jail’s surveillance footage, Perry reached out to everyone she could in an attempt to find clarity about her son’s death.

“I called the Governor, Keith Ellison, Amy Klobuchar, Mayor Carter, his mother Tony Carter, a Commissioner at Ramsey County. I called, I called and I called until I couldn’t call anymore,” she said.

Finally, in May, the Minnesota Department of Corrections completed a second review into the circumstances of Sherrell’s death. What it uncovered was a myriad of issues. The report states that “there were regular and gross violations of Minnesota jail standards” in the care of the detainee. “While it is beyond the scope of our authority to determine whether or not the compliance with the rules would or could have resulted in a different outcome the deterioration of Mr. Sharrell’s condition over his nine-day term of incarceration in Beltrami County Jail is notable and disturbing,” reads the report.

The report lists the violations, but also states: “that it should be noted that we didn’t document each specific violation of wellbeing checks or other requirements.”

However, the review did find that “policy failures were pervasive and likely stemming from the incorrect belief that Mr. Sherrell was demonstrating symptoms of malingering versus

Photos courtesy of Del Shea Perry

Del Shea Perry with her son Hardel Sherrell who, in 2018, was found dead while in custody at the Beltrami County Jail in Bemidji, Mn. a bona fide medical condition.”

This report is no comfort to Perry.

For two years she fought authorities who refused to admit they did anything wrong.

Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell on Saturday, July 11, announced that the Department will now work with an independent law enforcement agency to further investigate Sharrell’s death with a possibility of filing criminal charges. According to a CBS Minnesota report, Schnell is committing to looking into all deaths that have occurred in Minnesota jails within the past five years.

Two years ago, Perry refused to believe Ramsey County medical examiner autopsy findings that the cause of her son’s death was pneumonia.

“I knew this was wrong. Four days before he died, my son called me from jail saying ‘Mama please get

a lawyer. I need to go to the hospital. They don’t believe me. They think I am lying. My back hurts so bad I can hardly walk. They won’t give me a wheelchair as I talk to you it is hard for me to stand.’”

Perry fought for an independent autopsy which concluded that her son suffered from untreated Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a form of paralysis caused by an immune system attack on the nervous system.

The condition is rare but treatable with proper medical attention.

Perry said she fought for a new investigation into her son’s death after the original Minnesota Department of Corrections review failed to address the lack of medical care from Beltrami officers and medical staff.

After each inmate’s death, the Minnesota Department of Corrections conducts a review of the factors leading up to the death. In the

case of Sherrell, Greg Croucher, the senior detention facility inspector with the DOC, wrote a memo to then-Beltrami County Sheriff Phil Hodapp, saying he found “no violations” of the rules that oversee procedures in Minnesota jails.

Croucher watched 12 hours of surveillance and saw no violations despite surveillance videos from the jail that show jail officials standing around while Sharrell fell face down to the ground and did not pick him up for several minutes. When they did bring him into the jail, his head flopped back. In the video, an officer can be seen shoving his head forward and Sherrell appearing to be crying.

Today, the review by the Department of Corrections (DOC) has admitted that there were numerous jail violations regarding the care of Sherrell.

But Perry says she will continue to fight not just for her son, but for everyone who is mistreated by correctional officers or suffer

Del Shea Perry filed a federal lawsuit against Beltrami County Jail, MEnD Correctional Care, Sanford Health, and the medical officials who saw and treated her son, Hardel Sherrell, accusing them of ignoring his pain and contributing to his death through medical negligence. medical neglect. The report shows several failures and she’s concerned that nothing will change. The DOC report addressed the issue of ensuring that officers follow procedures and policy correctly, but Perry questions if this will truly change the attitude of officers who, she says, don’t beleie detainees deserve human rights, “My baby was paralyzed, laying on the cold cell floor, face down, choking on his own saliva for eight hours and the correction officers thought he was faking it -- that tells me that they didn’t see my son as human. They treated my son worse than a dog,” said Perry.

Perry filed a federal lawsuit against Beltrami County Jail, MEnD Correctional Care, Sanford Health, and the medical officials who saw and treated her

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son, accusing them of ignoring his pain and contributing to his death through medical negligence.

She also is putting pressure on Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to thoroughly investigate Beltrami County Jail. Families of Tony May and Stephanie Bunker are hoping that her son’s case may lead to further investigations into their loved one deaths at Beltrami County Jail.

For Perry this is not the end of the fight.

“I want justice not just for my son but for all the other mothers who have lost loved ones in suspicious circumstances in jail. I have to be my son’s voice. I have to be the voice for many others. It’s painful, but we will get justice.”

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Insight News • July 20, 2020 - July 26, 2020 • Page 3 WINNER: 2020 T YPOGRAPHY & DESIGN, 1ST PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY (PORTRAIT & PERSONALIT Y), 1ST PLACE, WEBSITE, 3RD PLACE

Insight News July 20 2020 - July 26, 2020

Vol. 47 No. 29• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Schultz Family Foundation appoints Tyra Mariani as New President

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Sen. Bobby Joe Champion (59) talks with Gov. Tim Walz at West Broadway Crescent Apartments in North Minneapolis.

Walz and Flanagan announce $100 million housing assistance program For some Minnesotans, a lost job or unexpected expenses have put their housing at risk.

In response to this, today at West Broadway Crescent Apartments, Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan announced a $100 million housing assistance program to help prevent evictions, prevent homelessness, and maintain housing stability for individuals and families impacted by COVID-19. The $100 million investment will be funded with federal dollars through the Coronavirus Relief Fund, which

was authorized by the CARES Act. The Walz-Flanagan Administration has been working to combat homelessness and housing instability long before and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Administration has been working with communities to provide funding for outreach, shelter, and critical services.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in Minnesota, the Governor and Lieutenant

Governor fought for state appropriations and provided more than $26 million to help shelters and street outreach workers give Minnesotans a safe place to go, creating more than 2,100 additional safe spaces statewide.

The Governor has helped maintain housing stability for Minnesotans struggling to afford their rent by suspending evictions. State resources have also been used to partner with local communities and connect those who were outside with hotel rooms and

trained staff during the protests that followed George Floyd’s death.

The Governor continues to work with the legislature toward police reform and accountability and building a stronger and more equitable economy for all Minnesotans.

He also is supporting a proposal to support veterans by expanding veterans courts statewide. These courts help keep our veterans out of jail, giving them a second chance for offenses related to military service and access to rehabilitation.

Minnesota House advances resolution declaring racism a public health crisis A Minnesota House of Representatives committee today advanced a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis, with a final vote on the House floor likely to occur Monday, July 20.

Authored by Rep. Ruth Richardson (DFL-Mendota Heights), the declaration applies to the entire state and affirms that the Minnesota House will be an active participant in the dismantling of racism. It creates a House Select Committee on Minnesota’s response tasked with analyzing legislative work through an intersectional race equity lens.

Twitter

Rep. Ruth Richardson (DFL-Mendota Heights)

The Schultz Family Foundation, founded by former Starbucks ceo and chairman emeritus Howard Schultz and his wife Sheri Schultz, today announced that Tyra Mariani has been appointed president by the Board of Trustees. As president, Mariani will partner with the Schultz family and Board to lead the organization as it seeks to accelerate its work addressing inequality by unlocking greater opportunities for individuals and communities facing obstacles to economic and social mobility in America.

“I’m thrilled to be leading the Schultz Family Foundation at such a critical time in our nation’s history. The twin pandemics of racism and COVID-19 have laid bare issues that have been at the root of the national decline in upward mobility and felt opportunity, especially for Black, Latinx and other communities of color.

Working with Sheri, Howard and the foundation team, I look forward to partnering with others, many of whom have long been in the fight, to overcome systemic barriers,” said Mariani.

“Our work is focused on pioneering innovative and scalable solutions that enable life-changing opportunities for people and communities at the margins of our country’s promise. Tyra’s demonstrated leadership, problem solving, deep knowledge of cradle-tocareer education and policy and hands-on experience developing people will enable the Schultz Family Foundation

As president of the Schultz Family Foundation, Tyra Mariani will partner with the Schultz family and Board to lead the organization as it seeks to accelerate its work addressing inequality by unlocking greater opportunities for individuals and communities facing obstacles to economic and social mobility in America. to expand our impact,” said Sheri Schultz, co-founder and chair of the Schultz Family Foundation Board of Trustees.

“Her consistent commitment to transforming complex systems to make them work for the people they are meant to serve – nationally and in communities like Chicago and New Orleans – is what makes her the perfect person to lead our foundation into the future.”

“Tyra’s life experience, worldview, values and professional track record

MARIANI 5

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia, will serve on the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.

WHO appoints former Liberian President Ellen Senator Tina Smith and health care leaders Johnson Sirleaf to codiscuss health inequities in Minnesota lead pandemic panel

Today, Senator Tina Smith and Protect Our Care Minnesota were joined by a panel of Minnesota health care leaders and racial justice experts for a roundtable discussion on health inequities in Minnesota and the importance of access to quality, affordable health care for every Minnesotan. Roundtable participants explained how addressing health inequities fits within the broader movement for racial justice and the impact of health inequities on Minnesotans during the Coronavirus pandemic. The roundtable was sponsored by Protect Our Care Minnesota.

“I think we all

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The resolution states that racism is embedded in the foundation of America, beginning with chattel slavery in 1619.

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Sen. Tina Smith: “COVID disproportionately affects those who struggle without a safe place to call home, those who are working in frontline jobs and are therefore are exposed to greater risks, people who are living in poverty, and people who are living with the historic impacts of systemic racism and the challenges that this presents around health, and housing, and wellness.”

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Black Lives Matter street mural coming to Plymouth Avenue

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MN HOUSE 4

understand that COVID is not the great equalizer,” said Smith, who has made equitable access to care a priority while in office.

“COVID disproportionately affects those who struggle without a safe place to call home, those who are working in frontline jobs and are therefore are exposed to greater risks, people who are living in poverty, and people who are living with the historic impacts of systemic racism and the challenges that this presents around health, and housing, and wellness.”

“We need to do a better job of asking those who

SMITH 4

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the appointments of former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark to the newly formed Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.

The announcement follows the Trump administration’s formal notification to the U.N. on Monday of its withdrawal from WHO, which won’t take effect until July 6, 2021 with a possibility of reversal by a new administration or changed circumstances.

Ghebreyesus said, “I cannot Imagine two more strong-

minded, independent leaders to help guide us through this critical learning process to help us understand what happened -- an honest assessment and to help us understand also what we should do to prevent such a tragedy in the future.”

Sirleaf was born in Monrovia, Liberia. She studied economics at Harvard University and she is the first African woman elected headof-state and a co-recipient of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent work for women’s rights and safety.

In 2016, she was listed as the 83rd-most

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Page 4 • July 20, 2020 - July 26, 2020 • Insight News

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Execs allege Big Mac racism at McDonald’s

By Whitney Gresham and Trevor W. Coleman II at The Michigan Chronicle For more than 50 years, the McDonald’s Corporation took pride in branding itself as a socially conscious corporation particularly interested in doing business in abandoned and longignored Black communities while embracing racial diversity as a critical component of its corporate ethos.

It is a philosophy that helped create a popular narrative and also focus on story that the Chicago-based company was a progressive business and a place where African Americans could grow, find mentors, promotions and economic opportunity.

However, that image was shattered this year in an explosive lawsuit brought by two African American female executives who claim that under new leadership, the company not only deliberately divested from the Black community and businesses, but hurled racist, sexist insults at them including referring to the employees as “niggers” and “angry Black women.”

Adding further injury to the grotesque insults, the women also claimed when they spoke up about such treatment they were demoted, and the perpetrators were promoted.

The shocking accusations have rocked the fast food industry especially since McDonald’s has long projected itself as a leader in diversity initiatives and as an aggressive recruiter and developer of African American talent and entrepreneurs.

But Domineca Neal and Vicki Guster-Hines, former vice presidents of the fast food chain, allege the discrimination and harassment started and progressive programs came to a screeching halt following a change in corporate leadership at McDonald’s in 2015. In their suit they said the new regime engaged in systemic racist and discriminatory behavior and civil rights abuses against them and other Black executives.

Among the allegations were that one top white male executive repeatedly referred to them as “angry Black women” and another who earlier had referred to Black employees as “niggers” shockingly being promoted rather than disciplined following a complaint filed against him for such racially

abusive

language.

In an exclusive interview with the Michigan Chronicle, Neal, a native Detroiter, said the harassment began shortly after the new CEO, British-born Steve Easterbrook, came on board in 2015 and initiated a corporate restructuring plan that deemphasized racial diversity and input from Black executives and franchisees. She and GusterHines were then demoted from vice-president to senior director

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not race. The racially hostile work environment had a particularly destructive impact upon Black employees, including Domineca and Vicki.

“The crux of it is that, under Easterbrook and now Kempczinski, McDonald’s is not interested in, or focused upon, Black customers, Black franchisees or Black executives, as evidenced by how they decimated their ranks at the corporate level,” she said.

“Domineca and Vicki were forced to witness McDonald’s blatantly deemphasize Black people and the effect upon them was terrible,” Chatman said. “I mean, how are they supposed to work in an environment that is openly hostile to people who look like them.”

Neal said when Kempczinski was told about concerns that there weren’t any Blacks on his U.S. President executive team, he said “the numbers don’t matter.”

“But, the numbers do matter,” Chatman said.

Caruso said the bottom line is that they are alleging their clients were victims of intentional discrimination and it came from the very top of the McDonald’s organization in the person of Steve Easterbrook and Christopher Kempczinski.

“It was not an accident that all this happened to Domineca and Vicki, and other African Americans in the company,” he said.

Neal, reflecting on her time at McDonald’s recalled how happy she was to join the organization in 2011 because of its reputation for embracing the African American community.

“And we embraced them, and that was shown through the loyalty to the brand, the representation of African American talent at all levels throughout the organization and the opportunities to create wealth for the African American owner-operators which was also very inspiring and a representation of their diversity and inclusion values,” she said.

Now, after leaving the corporation in March, Neal still finds the swift turnabout in the company’s attitude and values – after nearly 50 years of progress – disconcerting. She said the whole “angry Black woman” incident felt as if she was living in an episode of Mad Men. She is left to wonder how sincere the corporation was about diversity and inclusion in the first place. She noted things would never have had gotten out of hand as it did if the Board of Directors had come down on the executives. But they didn’t.

“It was very disheartening, heartbreaking, and shocking because I think that we’re at a stage in society, where we know that’s language that is racial in nature and stereotypical and used in a manner to quiet African American women from being able to comfortably bring their authentic selves to the workplace,” Neal said.

this country were designed to exclude them,” said Richardson.

“The devastation we are seeing in our communities today is the result of those systems playing out for hundreds of years.”

The resolution states that racism is embedded in the foundation of America,

beginning with chattel slavery in 1619, and that much of the Black experience in America has been endured under slavery and Jim Crow, which created preferential opportunities for white people while subjecting people of color to hardships and disadvantages in every area of

life.

somewhere else that people can’t get to, and then not have child care and translators available. That’s not listening.”

“We really need to address Native Indians’ social conditions to improve the health conditions. You can have the highest-paid doctor seeing Native American people but if you still don’t improve their conditions, that doctor can only do so much to have that person maintain their health and wellbeing,” said Jackie Dionne, American Indian Health Director at MN Department of Health.“We need people who understand the Native Indian history and plight, and are truly invested to see the health and wellbeing improved in American Indians. ”

“Our health care system is measuring the wrong things. We’re measuring risks, outcomes of death, and all these negative things. Yes, the Affordable Care Act is great, but we need to start talking about wellness and how to get there,” saidFoua Choua Kang, the Director of Health and Wellness at Hmong American Partnership.

“What does wellness look like for communities of color?

Let’s build that future together.

“In 2014, it was encouraging to see the Minnesota Department of Health name structural racism as the main force for health disparities,” said Mónica Hurtado, a Racial Justice and Health Equity Organizer at Voices for Racial Justice. “MDH has done a lot of

work, but we have much more to do. I will say that the people experiencing the disparities are the experts in their experience, and solutions coming from those directly impacted need to be at the center of any effort if we want to succeed.

“We have a set of progressive policies that are already implemented, and we can begin to build more equity within these policies, and more anti-racist thinking into these policies — one being the Affordable Care Act,” said Reuben Moore, the CEO of Minnesota Community Care. “How do we continue to support the Affordable Care Act, and continue to drive its implementation?”

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positions

in July 2018.

They are seeking compensation following those demotions, claiming that they occurred as a result of discrimination.

“When they assumed leadership, it became very clear that African American stakeholders were no longer a strategic priority and the environment became toxic,” she said. “An example would be, you know, cutting advertising spending with African American agencies that impacted, of course, African American customers and local community organizations, and it didn’t make economic sense, it didn’t make good business sense.”

McDonald’s commitment to diversity was so widely known and promoted that it was regularly named among the Fortune 500 top corporations for diversity and inclusion and other companies would benchmark against them.

That reputation, however, is now threatened by the lawsuit scheduled to be heard in the Northern District Court of Illinois next month or

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Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane

But among Neal’s and Guster-Hines’ most shocking claims was the racist, sexist taunts they had to endure from the McDonald’s executives. The suit alleges that in 2005 Marty Ranft, a white vice president and general manager of the McDonald’s Ohio Region told Guster-Hines “You are a nigger like all the rest–you just believe you are better cause you are a smart one.”

She further alleges she reported Ranft to her supervisors and emphasized that she would not tolerate being called a nigger within McDonald’s or anywhere else. She said there was no response to her complaint from the corporation and Ranft was eventually promoted to Vice President of Development for the entire U.S. The suit also alleges in 2017 Strong, who supervised Neal and Guster-Hines and at the time responsible for 50% of the U.S. business and about 14,000 restaurants, instructed Neal not to consult with or take the advice of two African American women, Bridgette Hernandez and Barbara Calloway who had been promoted over Strong’s opposition. She alleged he stated, “We don’t need any of that Black woman’s attitude.

They are too angry and aggressive.”

The next year in March 2018, Strong allegedly told Guster-Hines that five African American women, Chioke Elmore, Regina Johnson, Hernandez, Calloway and Neal, were “angry Black women” that “always seemed to be mad about something.” He then allegedly asked Guster-Hines to explain the source of their anger.

The five women constituted 40% of female African American vice presidents as of March 2018.

They were three out of five vice presidents reporting to Strong when he allegedly made these statements.

“So that was shocking that he was so openly discussing that with various stakeholders that we were angry Black women,” Neal said.

But what she, GusterHines, and others found even more jarring and demoralizing was after they shared Strong’s racist, sexist, and demeaning remarks to his superiors, he, too, was promoted and they were demoted.

“In shocking ways difficult to overstate, McDonald’s under Easterbrook and Kempczinski declared a war against the African American community,” the lawsuit alleges.

Neither the McDonald’s Corporation Media Relations Department or the lawyer representing them, Nigel F. Telman of Chicago, returned calls from the Chronicle by publication deadline.

However, in a statement to the media in January, issued at the filing of the suit, McDonald’s said it disagreed with the characterization of the company’s behavior. It said 45% of its corporate officers and all of its field vice-presidents are people of color.

“At McDonald’s, our actions are rooted in our belief that a diverse, vibrant, inclusive, and respectful company makes us stronger,” the company said.

“While we disagree with characterizations in the complaint, we are currently reviewing it and will respond to the complaint accordingly.”

Carmen D. Caruso and Linda C. Chatman, the Chicago-based trial lawyers representing Neal and GusterHines said the behavior by McDonald’s executives constituted some of the most egregious acts of racial discrimination they have ever been confronted with in their careers.

“Under the guise of reorganizing the way they manage the franchise system, the restaurant system across the country, they basically decimated the ranks of the African American leadership and employees,” Caruso said.

“That to me is one of the most glaring act of intentional discrimination that we saw in the case. And we lay those numbers out in greater detail in the complaint itself. But that was very, very, serious discrimination in employment, and it’s over and above a lot of other things that came before and other things that have come after, but that’s kind of a centerpiece of the discrimination against the executive employees, including Domineca and Vicki.”

Chatman agreed and said that they are also arguing that McDonald’s will try to argue that their promotion and demotion policies are neutral because they are based on data,

American patronage.

The constant cutting in the funding of programs for building African American leadership resulted in the system-wide purchases by African Americans to decline by 6%.

Nearly one out of three African American franchisees left the McDonald’s system since Easterbrook arrived which was disproportionate to the loss of non-African American franchisees.

But among Neal’s and Guster-Hines’ most shocking claims was the racist, sexist taunts they had to endure from the McDonald’s executives. The suit alleges that in 2005 Marty Ranft, a white vice president and general manager of the McDonald’s Ohio Region told Guster-Hines “You are a nigger like all the rest--you just believe you are better cause you are a smart one.”

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early August.

Besides Easterbrook; who was let go last year after it was revealed he was involved in an affair with a colleague in violation of company policy, also named in the suit are the current CEO, Chris Kempczinski, and Charles Strong, the chief field officer.

At its bare essence, the women allege in the suit the world’s largest fast-food restaurant chain has “declared war against the African American community.”

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She noted her observation is based on its new business plan and corporate leadership’s attitudes toward African American employees and owner-operators who had the majority of restaurants in African American consumer markets and would be impacted, more so than others. “And that action coincided with a significant reduction in the number of African American owner-operators.”

When Neal and other executives brought these concerns to the attention of leadership, they began to retaliate against them. They defunded the company’s African American Diversity Council and it subsequently became dormant.

The Council provided career development and a talent pipeline for African American employees. And soon the demotions started with African Americans being targeted for elimination such as herself and Guster-Hines, leaving no African Americans at Kempczinski’s leadership table during his tenure as president of McDonald’s USA to advocate on behalf of Black employees, franchise operators, or customers. The suit claims the number of African American executives in the top ranks of McDonald’s operations fell to seven in 2019 from 42 in 2014, the year before the new regime came on board.

The suit also alleges: Before Easterbrook and Kempczinski’s arrival, African American consumers generated 20% of all revenue for McDonald’s US stores.

Easterbrook and Kempczinski caused a decrease in advertising to attract African

MN House From 3 “Black, Indigenous, and people of color have known for generations that the systems in

Smith From 3 are most impacted, and closest to this pain and this struggle, what needs to be done, and what they need,” said Dr. Rachel Hardeman, an Associate Professor at UMN School of Public Health. “We’re shifting, particularly in maternal health, and it’s critical moving forward.”

“Before you create any policy, you need to listen to communities,” said James Burroughs, Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer at Children’s MN. “We can’t have two community meetings in places like the capitol or

“The Minnesota House as an institution can and should play an active role in dismantling systems that have denied dignity, respect, and compassion to so ma

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Insight News • July 20, 2020 - July 26, 2020 • Page 5

Congresswoman Angie Craig convenes discussion to address racial disparities in home ownership Today, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig hosted policymakers and real estate professionals to learn more about and to collaborate on the best ways to address racial disparities in homeownership in Minnesota.

“In Minnesota, the homeownership rate among white households is 77% compared to only 24% among Black households. Today, I brought folks together to discuss this issue and how we can address it so that everyone can fulfill the American dream,” said Craig. “At the end of the day, this is about making sure families can pass that American dream on to their children.”

Today’s discussion focused on moving beyond equity-based language to equity-based actions to increase homeownership, including the following recommendations: Reexamining existing policies at the state and federal level to determine what’s working and what’s not from an equity perspective.

Addressing inequity will involve a range of policy solutions, from increasing the affordable housing supply to expanding assistance to firsttime homebuyers.

Policies must be continually revisited and revised to ensure they are both effective

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig

and equitable.

Panelists participating in today’s discussion were: Jennifer Ho, Commissioner, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency Ryan Baumtrog, Assistant Commissioner for Policy and Community Development, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency Chris Coleman, President and CEO, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Alene Tchourumoff, SVP of Community Development and Center for Indian Country Development, Minneapolis Federal Reserve Trent Bowman,

National Real Estate Brokers Twin Cities and Vice President and Community Development Officer, Old National Bank Dr. Brittany Lewis, Founder and Chief Executive Officer Research in Action Craig represents Minnesota’s second congressional district which covers the south Twin Cities metro area and contains all of Scott, Dakota, Goodhue, and Wabasha counties. It also contains part of northern and eastern Rice County including the city of Northfield, and southern Washington County including Burnsville and Eagan.

The impact of climate change on Minnesota state parks

In Minnesota, climate is getting warmer and wetter

By Deborah Locke Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Information Officer Climate changes that include “mega” rainfall -- plus warmer temperatures -influence the 250,000 acres of land in Minnesota state parks. Floods cause damage to structures and alter plant life; increased heat may drive wildlife to a cooler region.

DNR staff track and adapt to climate change in order to preserve and protect state parks and trails, and they take a long-range view so visitors may enjoy these natural amenities for decades to come.

In the late 1800s the DNR and other state agencies started to record temperature and precipitation data to identify trends, according to Ed Quinn, the Natural Resource Program Supervisor for State Parks and Trails.

“The past few decades from the 1970s until now show rapid increases in precipitation and temperatures,” he said. “The easiest way to think of it is, here in Minnesota, the climate is

getting warmer and wetter.”

“Mega” rainfall in particular changed the park and trail landscapes, Quinn said. A mega rainfall drops at least six inches of rain over 1000 square miles or more. Gushing rivers of floodwater not only damages infrastructure but has significant impacts on natural resources, as well.

For example, seeds of invasive plant species are deposited via rushing floodwater into new areas, and populations of fish, aquatic insects and species living in river valleys may be swept away. In some cases, like with fish and aquatic insects, the plant and wildlife may return given enough time. Other outcomes, like the spread of invasive plant seed through floodwater, will require intervention to control.

The landscape can take a beating: a number of bluffs at Whitewater State Park slumped due to the heavy rain; some bluffs contained rare plants. The plants are returning on their own, Quinn said, but the process takes a number of years.

DNR studies show that since 2000, there has been a 2.5 times increase in rainfall that

measured at least four inches in depth. That may not sound like much, but consider these damages and costs: $4 million in flood damage to Whitewater State Park (2007). The park closed for 10 months; $2.5 million in flood damage at Jay Cooke State Park and the Munger State Trail (2012). The park closed for four months. The total damages to the state: $100 million (Minn.

Dept. of Transportation, DNR and Minn. Power); Floods at Blue Mounds State Park destroyed a dam and led to impoundment (2014); and $300,000 in flood damage at Fort Snelling State Park (2019). The park closed for six months, displacing a half million visitors.

Rain can cause havoc, but warmer temperatures have an impact, too. Warmer winter temperatures mean few people will engage in certain winter sports like snowmobiling in areas with less snow and shorter winter seasons. As a result, more snowmobile trails may be used as All Terrain Vehicle trails. To avoid flooded campgrounds,

Black Lives Matter street mural coming to Plymouth Avenue The Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery (MAAHMG) is bringing together amazing artists to paint “Black Lives Matter” on the street on Plymouth Avenue in support of the movement for racial justice sparked by the killing of George Floyd.

Artists participating in the painting of the mural include Melodee Strong, Sean Philips, Christopher Harrison, Kenneth Caldwell, Broderick Poole, Beverly Tipton Hammond, Drew Hammond, Lissa Karpeh, Brittany Moore and Timi Bliss. Stay tuned for more artists! Each art-

Mariani From 3 paint a picture of a dynamic servant leader devoted to creating pathways to opportunity for others. We are lucky to have found someone with such tenacity and humility who shares our aspiration of harnessing the power of entrepreneurial and catalytic philanthropy to unlock America’s potential for everyone regardless of their station in life,” added Howard Schultz, co-founder of the Schultz Family Foundation.

Mariani will join the Schultz Family Foundation from New America, where she serves as president and chief operating officer. At New America, Mariani has partnered with the Board and ceo AnneMarie Slaughter to transform the organization into a new kind of think tank, one that is committed to exploring new and more effective ways of solving public problems.

“Partnering with Tyra to lead New America over the past four years has been an experience that I will always treasure. It is rare to find someone who combines first-class management skills with the kind of strategic insight necessary to guide a growing organization and increase its impact. I will miss her enormously, as will all her colleagues, but we

Sirleaf From 3

The mural will be painted on the street on Plymouth Avenue North between Penn and Newton Avenues. ist will create their own unique design on a letter. The event will be videotaped by Georgia Fort.

The mural will be painted on the street on Plymouth Avenue North between Penn and Newton Avenues. This is a historic public art event to

support the fight against systemic racism and police brutality against Black people in this country. The public is invited to come out and support, watch and celebrate Black lives. Please wear masks to stop the spread of COVID-19.

are thrilled to see her step into such an important new role with the Schultz Family Foundation and wish her every success,” said Slaughter.

“Attacking the roots of systemic inequality in America requires disruptive approaches to philanthropy that bring together unlikely partners to deliver solutions at scale.

Tyra is well-positioned to bring all of these resources to bear for the populations that need it the most in her new role,” said Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation.

The Schultz Family Foundation develops and supports a range of innovative initiatives across the United States that seek to increase opportunity and reduce inequality, particularly among young people and post-9/11 veterans. The foundation also has been deeply involved in COVID-19 response efforts, including creating an emergency cash assistance program in the Seattle area that has helped more than 13,000 restaurant and food service workers who have lost wages due to the pandemic.

As president of the Schultz Family Foundation, Mariani will work closely with the Emes Project LLC, an overarching initiative designed to steward Howard and Sheri Schultz’s philanthropic initiatives at the foundation in concert with their efforts focused on advocacy, policy reform and new ventures.

“As we look to new philanthropic models to address systemic inequality, there will be a need to forge partnerships between philanthropies, businesses, policy think tanks, advocacy groups and government at all levels. Given her impressive track record working in all of these arenas, Tyra is the ideal leader to help us develop and deliver entrepreneurial, impactful solutions at scale,” said Vivek Varma, vice chair of the Schultz Family Foundation and ceo of the Emes Project.

Prior to New America, Mariani served as Chief of Staff to the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education and Deputy Chief of Staff to the U.S. Secretary of Education during the Obama Administration.

Previously, Mariani launched entrepreneurial efforts to develop and support leaders in education as the founder of the Greater New Orleans Region of New Leaders. She also served as Budget Director for Chicago Public Schools (CPS), overseeing the $5 billion budget of the third largest school district in the country. Mariani began her career working on human capital projects and initiatives at McKinsey & Company and Kraft Foods. She was co-valedictorian and received a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in Business Administration from Howard University and a master’s in business from Stanford University.

powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine.

According to WHO’s announcement, the panel will operate independently and

they will choose other panel members as well as members of an independent secretariat to provide support

some campgrounds have been moved.

One of the more dramatic effects of climate change occurred at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park in southeastern Minnesota starting around 2013, said Neil Slifka, a parks and trails area resource specialist. Precipitation over roughly the past decade, coupled with poorly draining soils, killed upwards of 200 acres of hardwood forest in the park..

“Some of the trees were nearly a couple of hundred years old,” he said. “In some cases, it only took two years or so to kill them.”

That means the need for different tools and an updated strategy, Slifka said. The landscape no longer supports the planting of a big woods.

“We have to adapt our approach to deviate slightly from the historic vision of Parks and Trails,” Slifka added.

Instead, the division will create a more novel community more closely aligned with one found in a floodplain or riparian forest.

(Riparian areas are lands that occur along watercourses and water bodies. Typical examples include flood plains and

Munger State Trail streambanks.)

The new community building started in the spring of 2019 when 780 seedlings/ saplings of more water tolerant Silver Maple, Cottonwood, Swamp White Oak, Hackberry and American Elm were planted. The seedlings have protective cage-like coverings or are protected by tubes. Parks and Trails staff, working with researchers and students from the University of Minnesota’s Forest Nursery and Laboratory monitor the plantings. In about 80 years, Nerstrand Big Woods State Park could have a renewed mature hardwood forest that is more water resistant.

Meanwhile, nature,

a remarkable model for adaptability, marches forward.

As large portions of the Nerstrand Big Woods gave way to dead trees, more red headed woodpeckers moved in to build nests in the tree cavities, and feast on insects burrowed in tree trunks, and on acorns, and on hickory nuts. Dead trees in this instance led to more birds. We might consider that an unseen benefit – or silver lining -- in an overactive rain cloud.

Certainly, the woodpeckers see it that way.

For more information on Minnesota and climate change, go to this DNR website: www.dnr.state.mn.us/climate/ climate_change_info/index.html

Page 6 • July 20, 2020 - July 26, 2020 • Insight News

Insight 2 Health

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Ronnakorn Triraganon_iStock

Scarcity of resources remain a concern, as well as major inequities – with underserved communities of color often having higher rates of both contracting the disease and requiring more intensive treatment, said Dr. Sakina Naqvi

Minnesota remains at risk from COVID-19, pandemic highlights inequity

By Victoria Cooney, Minnesota Session Daily As Minnesota legislators continue discussions about how best to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, health care experts urged them to work in a unified, bipartisan, science-based way, with an eye to the future.

“With the right strategy and the right approach, we can get through this virus. We can live with this virus and we can indeed have our economy back,” said Andy Slavitt, United States of Care board chair and former acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The House Select Committee on Minnesota’s Pandemic Response and Rebuilding heard from Slavitt and a handful of other health officials during an informational hearing Wednesday.

So far, Minnesota has had a “strong” response, and is among the states that have – so far – been the most successful in addressing the pandemic. Time bought by a strong, cohesive response has allowed scientists to develop more effective treatments, procedures, and start working toward a vaccine, Slavitt said.

But that doesn’t mean the worst is over.

“I don’t think we’ve seen anything yet. We have time, but we need to act and we need to stay vigilant,” Slavitt said. “You are watching science

Paul Battaglia

A health care worker takes a swab from a client at the drive-up COVID-19 testing site at the People’s Center Clinics and Services in Minneapolis April 29. unfold … the more information and the more time we have, the more we’ll get to better answers” “Minnesota needs to continue to chart our course based on advice from public health experts and sound medical science,” House Speaker Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) said in a statement.

For now, many unknowns remain, said Dr. Sakina Naqvi, a pulmonary and critical care physician representing Minnesota Doctors for Health Equity.

“I have frequently been humbled by this emerging pathogen,” she said. “(It) seems to behave differently from one patient to the next. We routinely find ourselves at a loss because what should be true, often isn’t.”

Scarcity of resources remain a concern, as well

as major inequities – with underserved communities of color often having higher rates of both contracting the disease and requiring more intensive treatment, she said.

Many factors contribute to this, testifiers said, including: higher rates of chronic illnesses and other health problems; - food insecurity, transportation barriers, and housing instability; - the heightened risk of asymptomatic transmission in shelters and encampments; - lack of access to the technology needed for telemedicine services; and - a lack of trust in the medical community – perpetuated by systemic racism – that discourages people from

adhering to recommendations.

“This disease is very real, and for a number of reasons, targeting those that are already disproportionately disadvantaged,” Naqvi said. “We need to be better stewards of science … and the communities in which we live.”

While racial inequalities have persisted for decades, the pandemic has brought them into stark relief and emphasized that “we are only healthy in Minnesota, when everybody in Minnesota is healthy,” said Jennifer DeCubellis, CEO of Hennepin Healthcare System While the COVID-19 response has put hospitals in a very difficult financial position, she said it’s also emphasized the importance of focusing on people and their needs, instead

MDHEQ

Dr. Sakina Naqvi, a pulmonary and critical care physician representing Minnesota Doctors for Health Equity. of programs and requirements.

Increased flexibility has allowed health care providers to get “back to practicing medicine instead of chasing rules and regulations,” DeCubellis said.

Initiatives like increased telemedicine use, mobile community testing, emergency food delivery, providing hand sanitizer and masks, and distributing culturally specific information regarding prevention, treatment, testing, cultural issues, and critical misinformation, have all had a positive impact, she added.

DeCubellis encouraged legislators to maintain this

flexibility, focus on early intervention and prevention; stand up social service supports; and keep people on Medicaid, as many end up disconnecting from care because of paperwork issues alone.

Keeping a peoplecentered approach, instead of a program-centered approach, will allow for long-term, systemic improvement and innovations, testifiers said.

“The community can tell you what health looks like to them,” said Penny Wheeler, president and CEO of Allina Health. “It’s having safety. It’s having security.”

State to issue $56.6 million in funds to providers

Applications open for new child care funding Approximately 7,000 Minnesota child care providers will be eligible for $56.6 million in funds to help ensure children’s and staff’s health and safety in their child care settings during COVID-19. The new COVID-19 Public Health

Support Funds for Child Care program is specifically designed to provide support to all child care providers who qualify.

Child care providers can apply for the funding starting at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15.

Applications are due by 5 p.m.

Thursday, July 23. To apply for these funds, providers fill out an online application using a link that they will receive via email from the Minnesota Department of Human Services on July 15.

Benefits available under the program include: Licensed family child care providers will receive up to $1,200 per month for July, August and September Licensed centers will receive up to $8,500 per month for July, August and September Certain certified centers will receive up to $8,500 per month in July and August.

Eligible certified centers include nonprofit programs that primarily provide care for school-age children year round, but full time in the summer months and are certified to participate in the Child Care Assistance Program for families with low incomes.

All eligible providers who apply will receive funds.

“Child care providers play a critical role in caring for children and supporting our economy by enabling children’s parents to go to work,” said Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead. “They have gone above and beyond during the public health emergency, and are now facing additional costs to ensure the health and safety of their staff and the

monkeybusinessimages

Child care providers can apply for the funding starting at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15.

Applications are due by 5 p.m. Thursday, July 23. To apply for these funds, providers fill out an online application using a link that they will receive via email from the Minnesota Department of Human Services on July 15. families they serve. We want to support them as much as we can with this funding.”

Funds will be issued to all eligible child care providers who are operating and serving children, maintaining health and safety standards, and have a license in good standing.

To qualify, providers must show they were operating and

serving children as of June 15, 2020, and attest to remaining open and serving children for the duration of the funding period, among other criteria.

These funds are in addition to the $40 million in Peacetime Emergency Child Care Grants many providers received over the previous few months to provide care to

children of health care and other essential workers. Providers are eligible for these new funds even if they previously applied for or received a Peacetime Emergency Child Care Grant.

To find child care resources related to COVID-19, including public health guidance for providers, visit mn.gov/ childcare.

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Insight News • July 20, 2020 - July 26, 2020 • Page 7

photos/Uche Iroegbu.

Community came out in support of Terry Willis who walked from Huntsville, Ala., to Minneapolis. He was welcomed to Geroge Floyd square, the site were Floyd was murdered by people with signs and banners. Filled with emotion, Willis, knelt at Floyd’s memorial.

Terry Willis completes 1K March from Huntsville to Minneapolis at George Floyd Square After walking 1,000 miles from Huntsville, Ala., Terry Willis arrived to what has become known as George Floyd Square in South Minneapolis on Sunday, July 12. Willis began his journey on June 2.

Like so many, he was inspired to action after viewing the May 25 murder of Floyd.

The father of a seven-year-old

son, Willis knew he had to do something to draw attention to social justice issues such as police violence. So, he jumped to action and decided to walk to Minneapolis. “I saw something and I got up and just started walking,” Willis said during one of his Facebook live posts.

Willis said he walked about 40 to 50 miles per day. A

pace car accompanied him along the way capturing footage of the walks. The footage is archived on the 1K Mile March Facebook page.

Along the way, Willis stopped in Louisville, Ky., at the site where Brionna Tayler was murdered, Ferguson, Mo., where Michael Brown was murdered, Chicago, Ill., where Laquan

McDonald was murdered and ended in Minneapolis where Floyd was murdered by former Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. In interviews, Willis said he was moved to walk for justice not only because he viewed the George Floyd tape, but because he wants his son to live in a world where he does

not have to be treated unfairly.

He said that he hopes through his actions, he has inspired other people.

Willis has raised almost $44,000 towards a $50,000 goal via his GoFundMe page. Per the page, Willis hopes to start a non-profit called Dal House which will ensure that “people that society gave up on

are given an equal opportunity to turn their lives around by learning a trade.”

Insight News photographer Uche Iroegbo captured the final leg of the 1K Mile March which started at the Mall of American in Bloomington, went through Richfield and ended at 38th and Chicago.

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Page 8 • July 20, 2020 - July 26, 2020 • Insight News

Inaction is not an option.

Complete the 2020 Census to shape the next ten years for your community.

The power to change your community is in your hands. We can help inform funding every year for the next ten years for public services like healthcare, childcare programs, public transportation, schools, and job assistance. And our responses determine how many seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives. But time is running out, so complete the census today online, by phone, or by mail.

Complete the census today at:

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

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