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Insight News

July 6, 2020 - July 12, 2020

Vol. 47 No. 27• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

ANTONE MELTON-MEAUX

STORY ON PAGE 7

Antone for Congress

Page 2 • July 6, 2020 - July 12, 2020 • Insight News

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The Sanderlin family

Derrick Sanderlin with his wife, Cayla Sanderlin. Derrick, who had trained San Jose police recruits on avoiding racial bias, was hit by a projectile that ruptured a testicle.

Part 2 of 2

Fractured skulls, lost eyes: Police often break own rules using ‘rubber bullets’

By Liz Szabo and Jay Hancock and Kevin McCoy, USA TODAY and Donovan Slack, USA TODAY and Dennis Wagner, USA TODAY A federal lawsuit accuses Denver police of “targeting protesters, press, and medics” and aiming projectiles “at the heads and groins of individuals, in a clear tactic to inflict maximum damage, pain and distress.”

The Denver Police Department “takes complaints of inappropriate use of force seriously and has initiated Internal Affairs investigations into officers’ actions during demonstrations that may be violations of policy,” a department spokesman said.

A federal judge in Denver issued a temporary order limiting the use of projectiles and tear gas. Police may use them only with the approval of a supervisor — and only to respond to “specific acts of violence or destruction of property that the command officer has personally witnessed.”

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson found a “strong likelihood” that Denver police violated protesters’ constitutional rights “in the form of physical injury and the suppression of speech.”

The Denver Police Department “has failed in its duty to police its own,” Jackson wrote.

Judges in Seattle and Dallas have issued similar injunctions, and cities such as San Jose, Atlanta and Austin have moved to curb their use.

‘We’ve Opened The Floodgates’ As of 2013, 37% of police departments in the U.S. authorized the use of “soft projectiles,” according to the most recent survey released by the U.S. Department of Justice.

That included the largest police departments in the country and more than half of those serving 10,000 or more citizens.

Law enforcement used the projectiles widely during the 2014 protests in Ferguson, Missouri, sparked by the death of Black teenager Michael Brown.

But in day-to-day policing in the United States, kinetic impact projectiles are rarely used, according to a study published in 2018. Fewer than 1% of police use-offorce incidents involved such weapons, researchers found.

Something changed when protests erupted after George Floyd’s death, said Higgins, a former police chief of Bergen County, New Jersey.

“It’s almost like we’ve opened the floodgates,” Higgins said.

In general, instructors teach officers to target only people who are “extremely dangerous,” said Higgins, who

teaches classes on how to use these munitions.

Projectiles should be “your last resort before you go to lethal force,” Higgins said.

“That’s how dangerous they are.”

And officers need to aim shotguns or launchers carefully. “You should never fire indiscriminately into a crowd,” Higgins said. “You should always pick your target.”

Projectiles can be fired directly at a target, while “skip rounds” are fired at the ground in the hope of hitting the target as they ricochet upward.

That method of shooting is notoriously inaccurate, Mesloh said.

Mesloh said he has spoken out about the problems with police projectiles for years, to little effect.

There are no manufacturing standards or quality control measures for less-lethal projectiles, Mesloh said.

In field tests, he has found that bean bag rounds can travel far faster than advertised.

He focused on rounds that were supposed to fly out of a shotgun at 250 to 300 feet per second, 2½ to 3 times faster than a major league fastball. Several traveled 600 feet per second. One bean bag clocked in at 900 feet per second, about the same speed as a .45-caliber bullet, he said.

Faster projectiles are more likely to kill than slower ones, and they fly straighter.

So an officer who expects the projectile will dip and hit a suspect’s leg could end up hitting him on the torso or head, Mesloh said.

Police can also make dangerous errors if they shoot projectiles while wearing gas masks. “The visibility with gas masks is zero,” Mesloh said. “I wouldn’t want to shoot anything while wearing one.”

Instructors typically get eight hours of training with less-lethal projectiles before they’re allowed to teach others.

Their students — regular police officers — receive four hours of instruction, including just five or six practice shots. Bean bag rounds used with shotguns cost $6 each, which limits how many can be used for training, Mesloh said.

Police and their advocates emphasize that officers dealing with crowds must make high-stakes decisions in chaotic situations without time for reflection. Often they fear for their physical safety, said Nick Rogers, a detective and the president of the Denver police union.

“Unfortunately, the narrative of the protests has kind of been hijacked,” he said. “We probably had 30 to 40 police suffering injuries from bricks and rocks. And that’s not being reported.”

Denver police didn’t respond to a request to confirm that.

In San Jose, police Capt. Jason Dwyer said firing

USA TODAY and KHN Research Janet Loehrke and Ramon Padilla/USA TODAY

projectiles is safer than trying to control a crowd using nightsticks. Dwyer, who was struck by a rock, said at a press conference that police were justified using projectiles and tear gas against the crowd, who turned his city into a “war zone.”

“I’ve been a cop for 21 years, spent about half that time in special operations,” Dwyer said. “But I can tell you, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

A South Carolina law enforcement leader defended the response against protesters in Columbia on May 31, a clash that included the firing of projectiles.

“There was no doubt what their intent was, and that was to destroy property, police cars, police buildings, whatever,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said during a news conference. “So we had to stop them. And we did stop them.”

But Patrick Norris, 28, said he was protesting peacefully when he was shot in the back.

He and a group of 150 to 200 protesters were met by about 50 officers from the Columbia Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the South Carolina Department of Corrections, according to a federal lawsuit Norris filed against the sheriff, the sheriff’s department, the city of Columbia and its police department and unnamed officers with the agencies and the state Department of Corrections.

Court summonses have been issued to the defendants, who have not yet filed responses.

Officers carried protective shields and were clad in body armor and riot helmets, said Norris, a truck driver and veteran of marriage equality rallies and gay pride parades.

For about two minutes, the protesters chanted, “Hands up, don’t shoot,” Norris said. Then it appeared that someone ordered the officers to move forward. Almost instantly, the scene escalated into a battle.

“They met us with immediate and intense force for no reason,” Norris said. “It was pure chaos,

with a large group of armed people unloading on unarmed protesters.”

Local media reported that the protesters had thrown objects at the law enforcement officers and tried to sneak into Columbia Police Department headquarters. Norris scoffed at that.

He said he saw a bright flash, followed by a loud explosion that left shrapnel injuries on one of his legs.

“Multiple loud pops were heard,” believed to have been “the first of the rubber bullets fired into the crowd by unknown law enforcement officers,” the lawsuit alleged.

“Officers then began shooting tear gas canisters into the crowd of protestors,” the lawsuit said. Norris, who had turned to run, “was struck numerous times in the back” by projectiles that left red welts seen in photos included with the lawsuit.

The Columbia Police Department policy on the use of force states that less-lethal weapons meant to be fired directly at a target can’t be used indiscriminately against a crowd, even if it’s violent, and “shall not be used for crowd management, crowd control or crowd dispersal during demonstrations or crowd events.”

The use of force policies of the other law enforcement agencies could not immediately be determined.

Norris said he doesn’t know who fired at him.

Shot Without Warning Soren Stevenson, 25, said he was unarmed when he was shot by law enforcement May 31 in Minneapolis.

Protesters were peaceful but unnerved by police in riot gear, Stevenson said. He moved to the front of the crowd, about 30 feet from police, to protect protesters behind him.

Suddenly, officers launched two explosive devices at demonstrators. Tear gas filled the air.

“The police knew it was a peaceful protest,”

USA TODAY and KHN Research

Stevenson said. “I did not hear any instructions or commands from police. It went from protest to shooting, just like that.”

Stevenson said he was trying to comprehend the explosions when something slammed into his face, knocking the lenses from his glasses and spinning him around.

“I was very confused.

I reached up and touched my face, and it was just soft — that whole left side,” he said. “It broke a lot of bones in my face, and my nose was moved from where it belongs to underneath my right eye.”

Stevenson doubled over, but stayed on his feet. He said he didn’t notice blood or pain until volunteers cleansed the wound at a medic station.

Stevenson said there were fractures to his skull, cheekbone, nose and jaw. He also suffered a concussion.

Doctors immediately performed reconstructive surgery. On June 10, surgeons took out Stevenson’s eye. They inserted a prosthetic that is expected to eventually settle with surrounding tissue, and he’ll get a glass lens at some point. But he’ll never again have normal vision.

In three decades as an ophthalmologist, “I’ve seen just about everything bad that can happen to an eye,” said Dr. George Williams, who has not been involved in Stevenson’s care. “I can’t imagine a more effective way to destroy an eyeball than these so-called kinetic impact technologies.”

“Frankly, you’re better off being stabbed in the eye with something sharp that creates a clean, plain wound,” said Williams, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “This creates irregular wounds where the tissue is just blown out. There is oftentimes nothing left to fix.”

His group and Physicians for Human Rights have called for a ban on lesslethal projectiles, including sponge-tipped bullets, pepperspray balls and bean bag rounds.

These projectiles “don’t seem to be very effective at crowd control,” Williams

said. “All they seem to do is hurt people.”

Frozen With Fear Nadia Rohr, 24, froze when Detroit police aimed what looked like “a bright-orange Nerf gun” directly at her.

She and her girlfriend were at the front of a group of marchers when they turned a corner and came face-to-face with a wall of police in full riot gear, banging their batons on their shields.

“I locked eyes with a police officer,” said Rohr, who said she was peaceful and unarmed at the May 31 protest.

“I was in a direct line of fire.”

Rohr said her girlfriend tried to pull her away, but the projectile still hit her in the back of the head.

According to Rohr’s medical records, the projectile fractured her skull, caused bleeding beneath the outer lining of her brain and ripped a deep gash across her scalp that took nine stitches to close.

The Detroit Police Department didn’t respond to requests to review its policy.

Guidelines from 2014 authorize Detroit officers to use less-lethal force only to protect someone from physical harm, stop dangerous or criminal behavior or control someone resisting arrest.

C.J. Montano, 24, has a bruise on his forehead in the shape of a circle — visible evidence of the projectile that caused bleeding inside his brain.

“They shot me directly in the face,” said Montano, a former Marine who was hospitalized in the intensive care unit after attending a May 30 protest in Los Angeles. “It was definitely intentional.”

Montano described a chaotic scene. He and a group of nonviolent protesters knelt on the ground, yelling and chanting, about 5 feet from a line of officers armed with projectile launchers. Nearby, other protesters were throwing water bottles at police — mostly Los Angeles officers, though some sheriff’s deputies were

RUBBER BULLETS 4

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Insight News • July 6, 2020 - July 12, 2020 • Page 3 WINNER: 2020 T YPOGRAPHY & DESIGN, 1ST PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY (PORTRAIT & PERSONALIT Y), 1ST PLACE, WEBSITE, 3RD PLACE

Insight News July 6, 2020 - July 12, 2020

Vol. 47 No. 27• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Billionaire Robert Smith launches new HBCU initiative to ease burden of student loans

Rep. Ilhan Omar

This legislation ensures police are held accountable and charged with a federal crime for killing or causing bodily harm to civilians exercising their constitutional right to free speech.

Rep. Ilhan Omar Introduces bill to criminalize violence against protesters Last week, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) introduced the Protect our Protesters Act to criminalize police violence against demonstrators exercising their constitutional rights. After the unjust murder of George Floyd, people across the country protested their opposition to police brutality and were met with force. This legislation ensures police are held accountable and charged with a federal crime for killing or causing bodily harm to civilians exercising their constitutional right to free speech. The bill is part of a legislative package Omar is leading in the wake of

Floyd’s murder in her district.

“It is absurd protesters are being met with the same force and brutality that they are marching to abolish,” said Omar. “For far too long, police have used force on peaceful protesters with no accountability.

This legislation protects nonviolent protesters by ensuring law enforcement officers are charged with a federal crime if they harm civilians exercising their constitutional right to free speech. Congress condemns these acts of aggression in foreign lands and we must do the same on our own soil.”

The bill is

cosponsored by Reps.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DNY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), and Carolyn B. Maloney (DNY).

The bill has been endorsed by Our Revolution, Young Invincibles, NAACP, Sunrise Movement, 350.org, Lawyers for Civil Rights, Progressive Democrats of America, Center for Biological Diversity, Anti-Defamation League, Common Cause, Muslim Public Affairs Council, Data for Progress, Make It Work Nevada, Haitian Bridge

Alliance, International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute, Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment, Earth Action, Inc., Social Security Works, Pillsbury United Communities, Climate Hawks Vote, Alaska’s Big Village Network, Siegel, Yee, Brunner & Mehta, Poligon Education Fund, Defending Rights & Dissent, Campaign Nonviolence East Bay, Appetite For Change, Inc., Turtle Island Restoration Network, Earthworks, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), and SustainUS.

Mayor Carter announces directors for Department of Public Works, Saint Paul Office of Financial Services, and Executive Project Lead for Redevelopment Mayor Melvin Carter announced Directors for the Saint Paul Office of Financial Services, and the Department of Public Works, along with the Executive Project Lead for Redevelopment.

Sean Kershaw will serve as Director for the Department of Public Works.

“Sean Kershaw’s career demonstrates a longstanding commitment to supporting prosperity for everyone in our community,” said Carter. “His strong background in economic development, engagement, and equity will ensure we continue making vital infrastructure investments for our residents and businesses.”

Kershaw was the Vice President at the Wilder Foundation’s Center for Communities from late 2017 to June 2020, overseeing their work in individual leadership development, community capacity building, public policy advancement, and supporting systems change efforts to advance equity. This work included the Promise Neighborhood Schools Initiative in Saint Paul.

John McCarthy will serve as Director for Saint Paul’s Office of Financial Services.

“John McCarthy has

Billionaire Robert Smith, who pledged during a commencement speech last year to pay off the student debt of the graduating class at Morehouse College, is launching a new initiative aimed at easing the burden of student loans at historically Black colleges and universities.

The nonprofit Student Freedom Initiative will address the disproportionate loan burden on Black students and create more choices for those whose career options or further educational opportunities might be limited by heavy student debt.

“You think about these students graduating and then plowing so much of their wealth opportunity into supporting this student debt, that’s a travesty in and of itself,” Smith, chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, said last week during a TIME100 Talks discussion with Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal.

Smith is the wealthiest Black man in the United States, according to Forbes. He donated $34 million last year that wiped out the student debt of about 400 Morehouse graduates, including the educational debt incurred by their families.

The initiative, which

www.blackenterprise.com

Robert Smith’s nonprofit Student Freedom Initiative will address the disproportionate loan burden on Black students and create more choices for those whose career options or further educational opportunities might be limited by heavy student debt. will include 5,000 new students each year, is launching with a $50 million grant from Fund II Foundation, a charitable organization of which Smith is founding director and president.

This article originally appeared on The Washington Informer.

WJLA.com

Due to racism, Black, Indigenous and people of color in Hennepin County statistically have poorer educational outcomes, earn less, and are less likely to own homes or have access to quality health care and jobs than White people.

Hennepin County Board of Commissioners declare racism is a public health crisis

Sean Kershaw

John McCarthy

served our city with distinction for more than a decade,” said Carter. “His dedication and experience will be invaluable as we continue to navigate through these challenging times.”

McCarthy joined the City of Saint Paul’s Office of Financial Services in 2007, serving as Chief Budget Analyst from 2013 to 2017. He became Budget Director in 2017, and has served as Interim Director since February 2019. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Carleton College and graduated Magna cum laude from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs with a Master of Public Policy.

Saint Paul’s Office of Financial Services manages

the City’s financial resources and assets to ensure taxpayers’ confidence, organizational effectiveness, and the City’s fiscal integrity and AAA bond rating. The Office of Financial Services divisions include the City’s Accounting, Budget and Innovation, Real Estate, and Treasury sections.

Melanie McMahon will serve as the Executive Project Lead for Redevelopment to drive progress on eight key real estate projects within the City that are in varied points of development. These projects include the Ford Site, Sears, Central Station, RiverCentre Ramp, Hillcrest, Boys Totem Town, Snelling-Midway, and

News

Rev. Randolph W. Staten, Sr.: Legendary leader

PAGE 5

Melanie McMahon Rivers Edge. With the Ford Site entering a construction phase it is the immediate priority.

“We are thrilled that Melanie McMahon will continue to support our community in this new role,” said Carter. “Her broad array of experience in the public sector, including her work on the Ford Site will help usher these vital economic development projects forward.”

McMahon graduated from the College of Saint Benedict and received her Juris Doctorate from the University of St. Thomas School of Law and is admitted to practice as a licensed attorney in the State of Minnesota.

Today, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution declaring racism as a public health crisis.

Due to racism, Black, Indigenous and people of color in Hennepin County statistically have poorer educational outcomes, earn less, and are less likely to own homes or have access to quality health care and jobs than White people.

These disparities have lifelong impacts, including higher disease rates, and, as we’re seeing now, higher rates of COVID-19.

“Ultimately this resolution is about the health and well-being of Hennepin County residents who have borne the brunt of racial discrimination and racial inequity through various different systems,” said Commissioner Angela Conley, who introduced the resolution with Commissioner Irene Fernando.

The board’s resolution was prompted by several recent events, including the Memorial Day murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police and the worldwide protests that followed. Also,

since 2017, the board has intentionally reviewed data that clearly shows disparities in education, jobs, income, housing, justice, transportation and health for people of color living in Hennepin County.

These disparities have lifelong impacts, leading to higher disease rates, including a disproportionately higher burden of COVID-19 infection rates and fatalities.

“Year after year after year, we find ourselves as a state and ultimately as the largest county in this state ranking among the worst places to live for Black and Indigenous people,” said Conley. “More and more across the country, professionals in the field of public health are saying that we need to name structural racism as the root cause of our work to eliminate disparities.

“We have a foundation of disparity reduction within Hennepin County. We have racial equity [initiatives] within Hennepin County. We have had our staff take anti-racism training in Hennepin County,”

RACISM 5

I2H

How racism in US health system hinders care and costs lives of African Americans

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Page 4 • July 6, 2020 - July 12, 2020 • Insight News

Owner Louis Hunter

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Photos from Trio Plant-Based

PETA names Minneapolis’ Trio Plant-Based one of the best vegan restaurants in the nation Call it bittersweet, but Louis Hunter is finally receiving wellearned recognition for his vegan restaurant Trio Plant-Based in Uptown, Minneapolis. The cousin of Philando Castile has been covered by prestigious

food publications in the country such as Delish, Bon Appetit and VegNews. His most recent honor has come in the form of Trio-Based being named one of the five best vegan soul food restaurants in the nation

by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Like many mainstream organizations and publications, PETA created the list of vegan soul restaurants to support businesses affected by the

Covid-19 crisis. It was published after the death of George Floyd, and after Hunter closed down his restaurant to protect employees and feed protestors.

During the pandemic, Hunter serviced the community

with delivery services and curbside take-out. He had the support of family and friends who worked everywhere from front-of-house to food prep.

Most people recall that Hunter faced 20 years in

prison for allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at Saint Paul police during a protest directly following Castile’s death.

He fought the case and was exonerated.

Class of 2020 Survey: Half of graduating seniors change plans for after high school due to COVID-19 According to a new survey

by Junior Achievement (JA) and the PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF) nearly half (49%) of graduating seniors say their post-secondary plans have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over a third (36%) will now work, 33% will have a delayed start date, and 16% have even changed the career path they wish to pursue. The survey of 1,000 U.S. teens in the high school class of 2020 was conducted

by Wakefield Research for JA and PMIEF in support of new educational initiatives by the two organizations.

Of the forty percent of graduating seniors that work, 49% say they or their families depend on their income for living expenses.

Four in ten students (40%) surveyed say COVID-19 has affected their plans to pay for college.

Rubber Bullets From 2 there too, Montano said.

Montano said

he

Over one third (35%) who are planning to attend college are now less excited for it.

The biggest concerns of those planning to attend college are the impact of COVID-19 on classes and academic quality (58%), dorm life (53%), athletics and schoolsponsored events (44%), and dining halls (40%).

Tomi Ijiyode, a 2020 graduate of Patrick Henry High School, says that although she still plans to attend college, she wonders how the experience will be changed. Many students realize that the upcoming school year may not look exactly how they envisioned it.

“It’s kind of sad that we won’t get our true freshman college experience. Everything may look different or be put on hold,” she explained.

“It’s not surprising that the Class of 2020 has been reconsidering its plans

in light of COVID-19,” said Lori Dossett, Director of Marketing & Communications of Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest. “I think what is surprising are the types of life-altering decisions being made now without a clear idea of what the coming weeks and months will bring. That’s why it’s imperative we get as much information as possible to teens to help them navigate these uncertain times.”

To help meet that need, Junior Achievement and the PMI Educational Foundation have teamed together on two educational initiatives to help teens better plan for the future. The first is the JA Economic Resources website to help students and adults become educated consumers of economic information, featuring resources and information from PMIEF. The second is Project Management 4 All, a new online game that introduces teens to the

concepts of project management and planning. A video that showcases project management careers complements the game.

According to the survey, three-in-four respondents (74%) say they would be interested in a career that fits the description of project management. Most respondents (94%) believe that they excel at traits that align with project management, including problem-solving, teamwork, organization, and multi-tasking. Two-thirds (66%) say they would be interested in exploring a career in project management because they would be able to prepare for and work in the profession even in light of the realities of COVID19’s impact on the economy.

Learn more at www. jaum.org.

PMIEF.org for more information.

told police he would ask the protesters to stop throwing water bottles at the police if the officers didn’t shoot him. He did so, but they shot him anyway with small projectiles, he said.

The police announced they would move forward, and

he warned the crowd that they would have to back up.

As the crowd moved back amid tear gas, he and another man were left in a no man’s land, 50 feet from police and another 50 feet away from the crowd, Montano said.

Officers shot again.

“I got hit in the hip and the stomach at the same time with larger rounds,” Montano said. “They shot the other gentleman. Although my hands were up, they shot me in the rib cage. I fell on the ground and moved behind a sign to catch my breath. … Their shots were getting higher and higher every time I stood up.”

Five minutes later, Montano said, he stood up with his hands in the air. He said that’s when he felt a powerful force hit his forehead.

“It was just like a really, really hard thud,” Montano said. “I lost all vision in my left eye, all hearing in my left ear.”

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating 56 allegations of misconduct by officers during the protests that decried police brutality — half of which involved alleged use of force.

The problem with police response in many cities was that leaders assumed crowds would be hostile, said Chris Stone, a criminal justice expert and professor at the University of Oxford. Stone sat on a panel that reviewed the death of a woman in Boston who was shot with a pepper ball in the early 2000s.

Uniform standards for using less-lethal projectiles would go a long way in “strengthening professionalism, strengthening proportionalism and a reasonable response to the protests,” he said.

explicitly prohibits police from using pepper-spray balls, sponge and foam projectiles and other less-lethal force against people who passively resist or disobey them.

According to the Los Angeles policy, police should fire projectiles only “if an officer reasonably believes that a suspect or subject is violently resisting arrest or poses an immediate threat of violence or physical harm.”

Demonstrators in Minneapolis, San Jose, Denver and Dallas described being shot with less-lethal projectiles even though those departments don’t allow them to be used against nonviolent people. In some cases, such as in Denver and Minneapolis, law enforcement from other agencies were called in to help and it’s unclear who fired.

The Los Angeles Police Department said it’s investigating Montano’s shooting, which occurred “amidst a fluid protest that at times became dangerous for both officers and demonstrators.

“In some cases they devolved into chaos with rocks, bottles and other projectiles being launched at police officers, who have sustained injuries that range from cuts and bruises to a fractured skull.”

In San Jose, attorney Sarah Marinho, who is representing Sanderlin, said that police violated their rules when they shot him, that he was armed only with a small cardboard sign. At the time he was shot, Sanderlin was begging police to stop firing at unarmed people, including women, at close range.

“The facts are not in dispute,” said Marinho, noting that a TV news team recorded the scene. “He was a safe distance away. He was not invading the police officers’ space.”

A San Jose police duty manual states that specially trained officers may fire projectiles against people when suspects are “armed with a weapon likely to cause serious bodily injury or death”

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Officers Violated Rules Against Shooting Nonviolent People Montano’s description of the shooting appears to violate the Los Angeles Police Department’s policy, which

NNPA

Four in ten students (40%) surveyed say COVID-19 has affected their plans to pay for college. Over one third (35%) who are planning to attend college are now less excited for it. or in “situations where its use is likely to prevent any person from being seriously injured.”

In an interview with the San Jose Mercury News, Sanderlin said he stepped between protesters and the police to ask them to stop firing at peaceful demonstrators, including a woman who had been hit in the chest. Police told him to move, he said.

“I shook my head, held my sign over my chest, and thought, ‘I really hope this guy doesn’t shoot me,’” said Sanderlin, who volunteers with a group that trains San Jose police recruits on how to avoid racial bias. “He fired off a rubber bullet, and I realized he wasn’t aiming for my chest. I was hit directly in the groin.”

San Jose police have said they are investigating the shooting; they did not return phone calls for this story.

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo tweeted, “What happened to Derrick Sanderlin was wrong,” and he pledged to push for a ban on less-lethal projectiles.

Stephen James, an assistant research professor at Washington State University, said he was disheartened to see countless videos showing “officers appearing to indiscriminately use pepper balls as if they were paint-balling on a Sunday afternoon.”

Police departments have more trouble enforcing discipline with weapons during protests or riots because officers almost never train for those circumstances, may be fatigued and often are fearful, he said.

Though these projectiles should never be used to disperse a crowd, he said, they do have an important role in the law enforcement arsenal. If police are heavily outnumbered in riot or protest situations, lesslethal firearms can be used as a “credible threat” to maintain safety and order.

“I would never advocate for taking them away,” James said. “If you take away less-lethal weapons, then deadly

force is the fallback.”

Learning From The Past For residents and police in Baltimore, Floyd’s killing recalled one of the city’s most painful moments.

Five years earlier, Baltimore erupted in violence after a man named Freddie Gray died in police custody. A Justice Department investigation concluded Baltimore police had routinely violated residents’ constitutional rights, discriminated against Blacks and used excessive force.

Baltimore brought in new leadership. Community groups began working with police.

Policies changed.

And after video showed a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, a curious thing happened in Baltimore: Demonstrations were peaceful.

There are no accounts of police firing less-lethal weapons.

Erricka Bridgeford, founder of the Baltimore Ceasefire 365 anti-violence group, said officers marched and knelt with protesters, prompting cheers from the crowd. “They allowed people space to yell and vent their pain,” she said.

Baltimore now has strict rules governing the use of kinetic impact projectiles. In the police department’s use-of-force policies, the No. 1 principle is the “sanctity of human life.”

Whenever a less-lethal weapon is fired in the line of duty, it must be reported and investigated within 24 hours.

Bridgeford said she was heartbroken when she saw police in other cities shooting demonstrators with rubber bullets and pepper-spray balls.

She didn’t call them “less lethal,” saying those words make police feel free to open fire.

Those weapons are used to instill fear, she said, “like siccing dogs on people or pulling out water hoses.”

The weapons aren’t “a way to de-escalate. It’s a way to harm people,” Bridgeford said.

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Insight News • July 6, 2020 - July 12, 2020 • Page 5

Scarce medical oxygen worldwide leaves some African countries gasping for life According to the Associated Press, “the pandemic is prompting soaring demand for oxygen.” Medical oxygen is expensive and hard to get and is a basic marker of inequality both between and within countries. “It’s in short supply from Peru to Bangladesh.”

AP’s exclusive report states, “Across Africa, only a handful of hospitals have direct oxygen hookups, as is standard across Europe and the United States. And most medical facilities lack even the most

basic equipment needed to help patients breathe.”

In wealthy nations, it would be absurd for a hospital or medical facility to lack or have a shortage of something as fundamental as oxygen.

The short supply in Africa is lethal, where South Africa is being viewed as a potential new hotspot with a recorded 111 people as its highest daily death toll.

Africa’s poor and unfortunate are left gasping for air and in some remote villages

there is no oxygen to be found at all.

For many severe COVID patients radically low blood-oxygen levels is the primary danger. Oxygen in large quantities is important for recovery. “Oxygen is also used for the treatment of respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, the single largest cause of death in children worldwide.”

Until recently, oxygen was not on the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines.

The situation looks dire in countries like Congo, where only 2% of healthcare facilities have oxygen and in Tanzania, reporting a low 8% of its facilities having oxygen.

In the meantime, in the United States, where oxygen is plentiful, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci issued a plea for people to avoid crowds and wear masks.

Until recently, oxygen was not on the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines. The situation looks dire in countries like Congo, where only 2% of healthcare facilities have oxygen and in Tanzania, reporting a low 8% of its facilities having oxygen.

Rev. Randolph W. Staten, Sr.: Legendary leader

By Davion Moore Staff Writer Former North Minneapolis legislator the Rev. Randolph “Randy” Staten impacted Minnesota as a whole. He was the first African American legislator from the city of Minneapolis representing House District 57B (now 59B).

Staten served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1981 to 1987.

Staten, 76, died May 29, 2020 in Charlotte, NC. Funeral services were Thursday June 11 in Charlotte and a Minneapolis memorial service was held June 13 at New Salem Missionary Baptist Church.

Bill English and John Jamison discussed Staten’s legendary leadership and service in a “Conversations with Al McFarlane” webcast last week.

English, a retired corporate executive and active civic leader organized a number of community empowerment initiatives in partnership with Staten and others.

“Randy Staten came from North Carolina to play football at the University of Minnesota,” English said.

Staten went on to play with the New York Giants

before injuries ended his professional football career.

Staten, who majored in Speech and Advanced Communications at the University, came back to Minnesota and pursued a career in business and politics.

“He came back to Minnesota and became an entrepreneur,” English said.

Staten owned “Staten Liquors, a business which originally opened as Carl Eller Liquors, in the Plymouth Avenue Shopping Center, the building which in recent years was repurposed as the University Outreach and Engagement Center (UROC).”

While he was the first Black legislator from Minneapolis, English said Staten joined two other Black men in the Minnesota Legislature.

He joined Ray Pleasant who served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1973 to 1980 as an Independent Republican member, representing district 39B. Pleasant was the second African-American to be elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, and the first since the election of John Francis Wheaton in 1899. Veterinarian Dr. Robert Lewis, a DFLer from St. Louis Park, the first Black state senator who served

Rev. Randolph W. Staten, Sr. from 1973-79 representing Senate District 41, also helped pave the way for Staten’s groundbreaking political career.

English said that Staten undertook the battle of seeking elective office with the help of many people including a brilliant political strategist, his wife, Attorney Marcia Bland Staten, who helped organize the successful campaign that took the seat from incumbent Jim Casserly by overwhelming numbers.

Robert Johnson passes at 90 Robert Horace Johnson, 90 of Minneapolis died June 20, 2020. He was preceded in death by his wife Alene Johnson and daughter Penny Webb. He is survived by daughters, Valerie Hutchinson, June Johnson, Robbin McLaurin, and Ramona McCree. Visitation is Thursday, June 25 at 10 AM with the funeral services at 11 AM at New Salem Missionary Baptist Church 2507 Bryant Avenue North Minneapolis, MN. A military service veteran, Johnson was a member 5th District American Legion and the Johnnie Baker Post #291 for 57 years. He was past District Commander.

Racism From 3 said Conley.

“We have yet to name racism as one of the root causes of the disparities that we see in the 1.2 million people that we have been elected to serve. And I think it’s due time that if we are to address a problem, if we are to address a systemic issue in our county as part of our work, then we have to name what that problem is,” Conley said.

“I think that there is enough data and enough research through our own public health department that has been included in this board action request that we can unequivocally say that at the root of our work to dismantle disparities is the need to dismantle systemic racism,” said Conley.

Fernando pointed out that when Hennepin County was founded in 1852, none of the five women currently on the board would have been there. “Angela and I, as people of color, would have been considered subhuman,” she said.

She urged her colleagues to stop “treating symptoms of disparities – such as poverty – and step back to see all the connections that got people there. It’s critical that the county adopt a lens of health to examine policies and practices to ensure we are not overtly

Robert Horace Johnson engaging in racist behavior. By not calling out and correcting these systemic biases, we are perpetuating oppression.”

County Board Chair Marion Greene called the resolution a step in the right direction. “We must acknowledge the harmful effect of racism on health and wellness. Studies show that even accounting for income, housing, education, nutrition and everything we can identify … that, for example, Black women have a higher rate of maternal death than their White counterparts. This can’t be explained away. It clearly shows that racism is corrosive to health.”

The resolution directs Hennepin County to: Advocate for policies to improve health outcomes for Black, Indigenous and communities of color.

Support initiatives to dismantle systemic racism, seek partnerships with local groups with track records of confronting racism, and promote community efforts to amplify issues of racism.

Incorporate racism and the public health crisis into budget hearing materials.

Communicate with the board in three months about its timeline to take significant steps, such as: Shifting its service-delivery approach with a lens on improving health outcomes for Black, Indigenous and people of color.

Developing consistent

methodology for data for continued public transparency Assessing internal policies, procedures and goals to recommend steps to improve health outcomes for Black, Indigenous and people of color Assessing how a public health lens may improve disparities in other domains, such as housing, income and education.

Developing a recommendation for standards for implementation of any future county anti-racist community initiatives or proposals.

Assessing county activities in hiring, promoting staff, developing leaders, contracting for services, and giving grants with a racial equity lens.

The resolution is Hennepin County’s next step in its work to reduce disparities.

Since 2017, the county has focused on disparity reduction by allocating resources, launching training to build staff awareness of internal bias, purchasing tools that give a racial equity lens to decision making, and in late 2019, creating a line of county business specifically related to disparity reduction.

Declaring racism a public health crisis will lift up the county’s work of developing strategies that mitigate personal bias and prejudice in the community, create systems that build equity, and reach a vision of a future where all residents are healthy and successful and all communities thrive.

“Randy, an astute politician, spokesperson, and brilliant man, went to the Minnesota Legislature, and within his first year he introduced a bill to disinvest Minnesota pension funds and other resources from any company doing business in apartheid South Africa,” English said.

The move was controversial at the time, but with the help of Arne Carlson, a republican governor, they

managed to get it through.

English also said that Staten was the architect of the Family Heritage Act. The act stated that African American children who were up for removal from their home by the court for child protection reasons, would be placed with relatives rather than white people who used the foster care system as an income generator.

English credited Staten as one of the top rookie legislators of the country the year he became a legislator.

He noted that after his first two years, he won a second term.

“Randy and I started the Coalition of Black Churches/African American Leadership Summit.” They decided not to become a 5013c because they wanted to take on the political structure compromises that govern most non-profit organizations.

Out of that coalition came the Saint Paul African American Leadership Council and the African American Leadership Forum, he said.

Staten and English stayed in touch, and English talked to Staten two days before Staten died.

They discussed family.

“He was a happy man because he had his first

grandchild (a girl),” he said.

English said he was stunned when he heard about Staten’s passing.

English helped organize the Minneapolis memorial service but was selfquarantined while awaiting COVID-19 test results (with negative results) and was unable to attend the service, but noted that leaders throughout the area spoke highly of Staten and his contributions to the state.

“We will miss him.

We will miss his leadership.

We will miss his brilliance. And we will miss his contribution to Minnesota,” English said.

John Jamison, Board Chair of Northside Residents Redevelopment Council (NRRC), said he knew Staten as a clergy leader.

“I knew that early on, he was definitely an accomplished politician. He had a way about him that was polished. He was also wellspoken and was always in the community working on something,” Jamison said.

“There were certain people we’d see in our neighborhood all of the time, and they were always out working,” Jamison said.

Staten was one of those people, Jamison said.

Page 6 • July 6, 2020 - July 12, 2020 • Insight News

Insight 2 Health

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How racism in US health system hinders care and costs lives of African Americans

By Tamika C.B. Zapolski, Associate Professor of Pyschology, IUPUI and Ukamaka M. Oruche, Associate Professor & Director of Global Programs, IUPUI As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the U.S., the virus hit African Americans disproportionately hard. African Americans are still contracting the illness – and dying from it – at rates twice as high as would be expected based on their share of the population.

In Michigan, African Americans are only 14% of the population, but account for one-

third of the state’s COVID-19 cases and 40% of its deaths.

In some states the disparities are even more stark. Wisconsin and Missouri have infection and mortality rates three or more times greater than expected based on their share of the population.

Speculation has suggested these disproportions are due to several factors: African Americans are more likely to live in poor neighborhoods, work at riskier occupations, and have more underlying health conditions and limited access to health care. But similar inequities exist in African American communities with above-average wealth and health care access. Staggering rates of COVID-19 occurred in Prince

George’s County, Maryland – the nation’s wealthiest African American enclave.

Comparable white communities were relatively unaffected.

As experts in clinical psychology and psychiatric nursing, we know this elevated risk for African Americans is not uncommon. It is true regardless of income, education level, or health care access. And it is true for other things besides COVID-19. African American women are more than twice as likely to die from childbirth than white women. Even if the African American women were educated and wealthy, they were more likely to die from childbirth than uneducated and poor white women.

Racism: the root cause

An analysis by the National Academy of Sciences found African Americans receive poorer quality care than white patients across all medical interventions and routine health services – even when insurance status, income, age, co-morbid conditions, and symptom expression were equal. Experts point to racism as a root cause for these disparities.

Indeed, the American Academy of Pediatrics has outlined how racism impacts health outcomes for African American children.

We suggest the same is true for COVID-19 outcomes among African American adults.

Other barriers negatively impact the health of African Americans. That includes implicit bias – attitudes, thoughts, and feelings existing outside of conscious awareness – as patients and providers communicate with each other.

Implicit bias from a doctor or nurse affects the quality and quantity of information shared with the patient about health conditions and treatment plans. The worst case scenarios: when providers withhold critical information

about a health condition; when they don’t include the patient’s voice during decision making about care; and when they don’t refer the patient for further tests or specialty care.

Implicit biases from health care workers can result in patients being less likely to understand their health conditions, which is necessary for patients to manage an illness effectively.

Averse interactions with physicians lead to longlasting consequences for the patient, including unequal treatment and disparate health outcomes. And when it comes to ineffective patient-provider interactions, African Americans suffer the most.

Location, location, location

The location of hospitals, clinics, and other health care facilities are often a barrier to care. Transportation – or the lack of it – impacts the patient’s ability to receive services. African American patients have noted the frustration when health care facilities are not close to their homes. To get there, many of them rely on public transportation. The result: missed or cancelled appointments, sometimes due to policies regarding late arrival times by patients.

Differences also exist between African American and white patients in the length of wait time for appointments and the ability to schedule follow-up appointments. This can result in delayed health care – which leads to poorer health outcomes for illnesses, including COVID-19.

Recommendations for addressing racism

Consumers who are well informed about their health and confident in managing their care have better outcomes virtually across the board: in HIV-AIDS, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and

theconversation.com

Mortality rates for COVID-19 are two to three times higher for African Americans than whites. mental health conditions such as schizophrenia.

That said, here are three recommendations to address racism and reduce racial disparities in health care services: Health care professionals need to become more aware of their implicit bias. Identify the problem, as the saying goes, and you’re halfway to solving the problem.

One way to become more aware: take the implicit bias test here.

Doctors and nurses need to be attentive and collaborative when communicating with patients.

Empower the patient by encouraging questions and letting them express opinions.

When patients believe the providers are there to support them, they manage their illness better. They also have a better perception of quality care. Ultimately this leads to improved health outcomes.

Hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices should provide more flexibility in delivering services. Telehealth – when doctors and patients communicate online, instead of an in-person visit – should be one of those services. They should also restructure scheduling policies, emphasizing shorter wait times and more slack if patients are late.

Health inequity for African Americans is not a new phenomenon. COVID-19, however, shined a light on the problem. Racism is not isolated to health care services, and it remains pervasive throughout our society. But by taking the tangible steps outlined here, providers can begin to solve the problem.

Dr. Tamika Zapolski is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Indiana University Purdue University – Indianapolis (IUPUI). Her academic training is in Clinical Psychology, obtaining her Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky in 2013.

Her research is focused on the developmental risk process for substance use and related health behaviors, with a specific interest in understanding risk among racial/ethnic minority youth and young adults.

Dr. Ukamaka Oruche is an Associate Professor at the Indiana University School of Nursing. A nationally recognized expert in psychiatric nursing, Dr. Oruche has made sustained and exemplary contributions to our understanding of the challenges experienced by families of adolescents with Disruptive Behavior Disorders.

This article originally appeared on The Conversation

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Insight News • July 6, 2020 - July 12, 2020 • Page 7

Antone Melton-Meaux seeks to unseat Ilhan Omar in CD5

By Al McFarlane, Editor Antone Melton-Meaux is seeking to unseat incumbent US Representative Ilhan Omar, who represents Congressional District 5 (CD5). MeltonMeaux is aiming at winning the DFL nomination in the August Primary Election this year. The winner of that contest will face a Republican party candidate, Lacy Johnson, in November’s General Election.

Attorney MeltonMeaux lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Genevieve, a surgeon and a professor and their children, Ava and Xavier.

“I’m running for Congress I believe we deserve someone who will show up, listen, do the hard work of bringing people together out.

If COVID-19 and the murder of George Floyd has taught us anything, it’s that leadership matters. It’s matters more now than ever,” Melton-Meaux said in an interview last week.

“People are looking to leaders to bring us together to have the hard conversations, to make the difficult decisions, to tackle the really difficult problems that we face right now. I’ve been disappointed in Congresswoman Omar and her lack of engagement in the district. She’s not showing up for voters and not showing up for votes. I’m going to change that narrative.”

“I’m the proud son of two parents that understood the power of hard work, perseverance and community.

My father actually integrated his high school in Mercer County, Kentucky in the 1950s, went on and served our country in the military, receiving a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star,” he said, explaining that his father use GI Bill money to go University of Kentucky. “He was the first African American electrical engineer in the history of that school. Then, he went on to have a very long distinguished career designing aircraft engines for General Electric.”

“My mother, Jody, grew up in Florence, South Carolina picking cotton. She had an incredible alto Gospel voice and was part of a singing group called The Williams Special. They performed along the Eastern seaboard and cut Gospel albums in the 1960s.

She spent her whole life helping thousands of people find affordable housing. That’s the foundation for me. Education was the portal for my father who was the portal for me. I went to Washington University in St. Louis and I went to law school at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. There I worked with Donna Brazile and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton,” he said.

“I was a Congressional Black Caucus fellow and I worked on housing and education issues for them.

What I loved how about that experience is seeing how Donna and Congressman Norton did their work. Two strong women, strong voices absolutely, but they understood the power of collaboration, partnerships, and getting things done for the residents. I’ve never forgotten those lessons. Frankly, it’s one of the reasons I’m running for congress today,” he said.

“After law school, I practiced law in DC for about five years, representing people through the National Fair Housing Alliance. I fought for fair housing and fair lending.

Then I went to seminary at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, studied under the illustrious Dr. James Cone for a couple years and got my master’s degree in theology.

We came to Minnesota in 2008 for Genevieve’s job at the University of Minnesota and I’ve been a practicing attorney ever since, working at law firms, then going in-house at St. Jude Medical in 2013, where I lead the global employment law division,” he said.

“I bring people together who have deep intractable problems, frankly, people that can’t even stand to be in the same room with one another. We have the hard

Antone for Congress

Top right photo: Son, Xavier, Antone Melton-Meaux, Dr. Genevieve Melton-Meaux, MD and daughter, Ava. conversation and not just talking about the differences, but the things they share in common and how we can find common ground to create solutions that both sides can live with and move ahead with their lives,” Melton-Meaux said describing his mediation law firm.

“That affirms my values of being a bridge builder, someone that brings people together to get things done.

That’s what I’m going to do for this district. I’m going to work hard with residents, civic leaders, local elected officials to bring us together, to tackle these difficult challenges that we face, not just criminal justice reform and policing, but addressing our environment, addressing the healthcare crisis and many other things that we desperately need to be focused on,” he said.

“Asked what has inspired him to run for office, he said, “Ever since I worked with Donna Brazile and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, I always held the back of my mind the prospect of running for office.

In 2018, I started to pay more attention to Congresswoman Omar after she made some

really hurtful comments towards the Jewish community and towards Israel, a community that’s important just as any other in our neighborhoods here.

That started me down a path of thinking whether this is the representation that reflects my values and the values of this district. In 2019 alone, she missed 40 votes. She missed more votes than all other Democrats in the Minnesota delegation combined by many factors. That to me was really a harbinger of things to come. I supported her in 2018. She did good work for the district, but instead of bringing us together, she’s become a divider.

We don’t need more dividers in Congress. We need people who will unite us, who are going to work hard together to tackle these difficult challenges,” he said. “Just to give you some context, the Congresswoman made some remarks, tropes, as they were called, with terms like, ‘All about the Benjamins.’ She talked about Israel ‘hypnotizing’ the world. Those are very problematic statements coming from anyone, let alone an elected official. I understand none of us are perfect. All have fallen short

in many ways, but the question is, what do you do when you make a mistake?

“When you say something that you shouldn’t have said and you’ve hurt someone or a group of people in a way that is very harmful, it undermines your credibility and the opportunity to work together.

You have to have audience with those folks, talk about what happened, how you can learn, rebuild the connection, the bridges and then move forward positively. I give space for anyone to do that and I hope that people do the same for me. But I didn’t see that happening with the Congresswoman. For me, that was as unfortunate as the tropes were Initially.

“I feel strongly some of the votes do not reflect the values of this district. I’ll give you two examples of that. The first is she did not condemn the Armenian genocide. That was a House Resolution that spoke to the atrocity of a genocide that occurred in the early 20th century. No debate about whether it happened or not.

We actually have an Armenian community here in the Fifth Congressional District that

was deeply impacted by that decision. It was wrong. Her explanation for doing so fell well short and it’s not a good reflection on our values. It shows she’s out of touch with the district.

“The other, she did not support the USMCA (USMexico-Canada Agreement), the trade bill that came out the fall of last year, revision of the NAFTA bill, and she was the only member of the Minnesota delegation, Republican or Democrat, not to support that bill.

It’s a bill that helped everyday workers, farmers, good people here in the state of Minnesota and again demonstrates that she’s out of touch with the district and we really do deserve more,” Melton-Meaux said.

Melton-Meaux says he has traction among Somali and African American voters.

“We’re having a lot of resonance with the Somali community and I’m very grateful for that and I look forward to partnering with them. As a Black man, I care deeply about the Black community here. People are hungry for change and I’m bringing people together from all parts of this district,” he said.

Page 8 • July 6, 2020 - July 12, 2020 • Insight News

Photos courtesy of The Walker

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Standing more than 20 feet tall, Black Vessel for a Saint by Theaster Gates takes the form of a tempietto, a small, circular Renaissance temple. The bricks of its curved walls were custom-made using leftover materials from the brick-making process. This method of recycling reflects Gates’s practice of transforming humble, everyday items into new forms. A statue of Saint Laurence, the patron saint of librarians and archivists, is housed inside the structure. Much like the bricks, the object was reclaimed, in this case salvaged from a church in the artist’s home city of Chicago. Gates describes his sculpture, designed specifically for the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, as a secular sacred sanctuary—a place open to all for gathering and reflection.

In celebration of the Jasper John’s 90th birthday, An Art of Changes surveys six decades of Johns’s practice in printmaking, highlighting his experiments with familiar, abstract, and personal imagery that play with memory and visual perception in endlessly original ways. The exhibition features some 90 works in intaglio, lithography, woodcut, linoleum cut, screenprinting, and lead relief—all drawn from the Walker’s comprehensive collection of the artist’s prints.

Walker Art Center reopens to the public July 16, July 10 for members The Walker Art Center will reopen to members on Friday, July 10 and to the general public on Thursday, July 16. In response to COVID-19 and to proactively protect the entire community, the museum made plans to temporarily close on March 13.

“We are excited that the Walker will be ready to welcome visitors back this July,” said Mary Ceruti, Executive Director, in a statement. “We have made various changes for safety and comfort, and will continue to take every precaution for the care of all visitors, staff, and artists, but will finally be able to open our galleries to the public.”

The Walker galleries will be open as well as the Walker Shop (by the MainLobby) and Esker Grove with modified hours, guest and staff protocols. Moving Image and Performing Arts programs will not be resuming until later this year.

The Minneapolis

Sculpture Garden continues to be open at regular hours. The Garden is free, requires no tickets for admission, and is open from 6 am to 12 midnight every day. Guests are reminded to observe physical distancing practices and maintain a minimum of 6 feet from others while visiting the Garden. For more information about public parks and trails, please visit the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board.

The Walker wants to remind visitors of enhanced safety protocols. Visitors over the age of two are required to wear masks, keep a distance of six feet from others outside their household group, and wash hands frequently. These protocols will be clearly communicated throughout the building and on the Walker website. The Walker aims to create a near-touch less experience for the visitor and will have hand-sanitizer units throughout, increased cleaning efforts, including hourly

cleaning of high touch surfaces and signage to help guide visitors during their visit.

Walker members will be receiving more information directly from the Walker via email. The museum is open to the public starting July 16.

Vineland Place entrance will be open; the Hennepin entrance will be closed. Visit walkerart. org/visit for more info.

To ensure limited capacity and space for physical distancing, the Walker is moving to a system of timed tickets sold online. Tickets will be on sale beginning June 30.

All visitors, including children and members, will need to get a ticket before a visit, paid or free. Tickets can be acquired at half-hour increments for entry and will have limited capacity.

11am-12pm on Thursday and Friday are dedicated hours for visitors and their companions who have an increased risk of contracting COVID-19.

Once an online ticket has been acquired, the visitor will receive

an emailed ticket that can be scanned digitally or physically at the admissions desk in the Main Lobby. After entering, visitors can stay as long as the museum is open. Building visitation is limited to 25% capacity at all times.

Gallery hours will be limited: Thursdays will be open from 11 am through 9 pm. Friday and Saturday hours will be 11 am through 6 pm.

Sundays will be open from 11 am through 5 pm. Monday through Wednesday will be closed. Enjoy free admission every Thursday evening (5–9 pm) and on the first Saturday of each month (10 am–3 pm).

Exhibitions on view: An Art of Changes: Jasper Johns Prints, 1960–2018 In celebration of the artist’s 90th birthday, An Art of Changes surveys six decades of John’s practice in printmaking, highlighting his experiments with familiar, abstract, and personal imagery that play with

memory and visual perception in endlessly original ways. The exhibition features some 90 works in intaglio, lithography, woodcut, linoleum cut, screenprinting, and lead relief— all drawn from the Walker’s comprehensive collection of the artist’s prints. Exhibition closes on September 20.

Drawings Celebrating the remarkable collection of drawings recently donated to the Walker by longtime patrons Miriam and Erwin Keen, this exhibition explores the expressive potential of the human body. Richly varied in theme and style, the works on paper span more than a century of artistic experimentation.

Featuring portraiture, social satire, erotica, and fantasy in mediums ranging from crayon, ink, and graphite to watercolor, pastel, and collage, the Kelens’ works are joined by a select group of related drawings and sculpture from the Walker’s current holdings. Exhibition closes on October 18.

Five Ways In: Themes from the Collection With more than 100 works—painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, and video installations—the exhibition Five Ways In: Themes from the Collection invites us to become reacquainted with favorites from the collection and discover new pieces by artists who are reinventing genres we thought we knew.

Upcoming exhibition: Don’t let this be easy Opening July 30 Featuring works from the 1970s to today, Don’t let this be easy is an institutional project taking the form of an exhibition, coupled with new scholarship and online publishing focused on women artists from the Walker’s collection. The initiative is presented in conjunction with the Feminist Art Coalition (FAC), a nationwide effort involving more than 50 museums committed to social justice and structural change.

ANTONE MELTON-MEAUX Progressive Democrat for Congress

Bringing Us Together in the 5th Congressional District

Dear Neighbors, In this time of unprecedented crisis, we need leaders who will bring us together, not tear us apart. We need leaders who are devoted to public service, not public spectacle. And above all, we need leaders who always seek justice, not just in their tweets, but in the everyday lives of our people.

I am that leader.

Aȸĉ ­ Ċ­ĴðďĊ­ăăř īÐÆďæĊðšÐÌ ĉÐÌð­Ĵďī ðĊ īÐĮďăŒðĊæ ÆďĊŦðÆĴȘ Aȸĉ ­Ċ ­ĴĴďīĊÐřș ĮďÆð­ă þķĮĴðÆÐ minister, husband, father, and lifelong progressive Democrat. I’m running for Congress to unite us in the struggle for racial, social, and economic justice. What’s more, I’m the only candidate with the skills and temperament necessary to repair the damage that Trump has caused.

We don’t need more politics of division and distraction. I’m a uniter, not a divider. I bring people together. I’ve done that my whole life. That’s what we need now and what we deserve.

I’d be honored to have your support – and your vote – in the DFL Primary Election for Congress by August 11, 2020.

For more information, to donate or to volunteer, please visit AntoneForCongress.com

Sincerely,

By August 11, Vote for Leadership that Brings Us Together.

Prepared and paid for by Antone For Congress, PO Box 582859, Minneapolis, MN 55458

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