Insight ::: 05.17.21

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Insight News

May 17, 2021 - May 23, 2021

Vol. 48 No. 20• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

By Blackbird Revolt

Page 2 • May 17, 2021 - May 23, 2021 • Insight News

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5/3/21 9:57 AM

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Insight News • May 17, 2021 - May 23, 2021 • Page 3 WINNER: 2020 T YPOGRAPHY & DESIGN, 1ST PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY (PORTRAIT & PERSONALIT Y), 1ST PLACE, WEBSITE, 3RD PLACE

Insight News May 17, 2021 - May 23, 2021

Vol. 48 No. 20• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Blackness is...

MN Black Theatre Circle, in partnership with the Guthrie Theater, presents Blackness Is…, a theater-inspired arts festival streaming May 21-23, 2021, that celebrates Black voices and Black liberation.

The virtual festival showcases theater, dance, music, poetry and spoken word, as well as workshops with the community.

“We are a circle of Black theater artists and community leaders focused on ways to honor our rich legacy, share our present stories and imagine a brighter future.

Initial conversations have led us to a year-long, wide-ranging initiative, including a series of commissions and co-creations

by Black artists. This work will culminate in the Blackness Is… Theater Arts Festival. Our hearts and our ears are open as we work to establish pathways to healing, empowerment and building a stronger community. We believe that sharing representations of all aspects of Black life is key to accomplishing this,” MN Black Theatre Circle said in a press statement.

MN Black Theatre Circle created the communitywide initiative to center, elevate and amplify the voices and protests of Minnesota Black theater artists. The first phase led to a monthly series of virtual events and performances by Black artists from the Twin Cities. The Blackness Is… Arts Festival, intentionally scheduled one year after George Floyd’s death, celebrates Minnesota Black artists and is produced and directed by MN Black Theatre Circle in partnership with the Guthrie.

The Blackness Is …Arts Festival features three days of virtual arts workshops centered around the inspirational phrase “Blackness Is…” These robust and engaging workshops, led by phenomenal artists and experts in their disciplines, invite creativity, expression and the joy of being in your skin! The workshops present opportunities for middle/high school teachers looking for experiences for students and/ or an independent artist hoping to meet new creators and celebrate community, Festival producers said. “We’re eager to serve educators and their students in middle and high school through six engaging virtual workshops. To request registration access for your classroom, please email us at mnblacktheatrecircle@ gmail.com.”

BLACKNESS IS 4

in the history of Broadway.

Racism is learned ignorance. It is not quite stupidity. Ignorance can be fixed, but stupidity is forever. Racism can be modified, sometimes changed, and other times arrested to keep its aggression in check.

Myth of Race

By Professor Mahmoud El-Kati Part 8 of a series

Deneane Richburg

Tolu Kehinde

Averie Mitchell-Brown

Denzel Belin

Teighlor McGee

Ricardo Beaird

Melvin Carter

By Irma McClaurin, PhD By Irma McClaurin, PhD https://corporate. target.com/article/2020/09/lakestreet-letter

Andrea Jenkins

Commentary by Dr. By Aarohi Narain By Mecca Dana Randall Harry Maya Alexa Starks Colbert, Beecham Spencer, Bos Bradley Jr. Josie Johnson

By Global Latisha Information Townsend Contributing Architect Howard Mayo Managing Clinic University Editor Staff Writer Contributing Network (GIN)Writer News Service harry@insightnews.com

Segregation Up South It is a misnomer to believe that segregation of “the races” was confined only to rebel states. Segregation in America was (and is) a universal reality.

Forms and style differ, but the essence of racism remains the same. Northern segregation is called de facto segregation in legal language. This means that customs, beliefs, deepseated values prevailed over the laws on the books. Throughout the north for most of the 20th century there was no legal basis for segregation, but it happened anyway. Bert Williams, the great Black comedian who actually wore “black face” as the star of the Ziegfeld Follies on Broadway during the 1920s, always entered the theater through the freight elevator to get to the stage so that “white” audiences could greet him with the adulation and thunderous applause. Paul Robeson, the greatest of the suppressed names of great Americans, frequently ran into problems getting accommodations at hotels, even in liberal New York, where he was starring in the role of Othello, the longest running Shakespearean play

School for the Truly Blind The well-known “genius” of soul music, Ray Charles, tells of a tragi-comic experience that he witnessed and endured as an innocent child. After losing his sight at the age of six or seven or so, he was enrolled by his mother into the school for the blind in St. Augustine, Florida. Of all things that happened while attending this school, he held an outstanding recollection of one thing: the children of the school were rigidly segregated on the basis of “race”. Great pains were taken by the authorities to obey the segregated manmade laws of the state to keep “white” and Black children separate from one another in every aspect of life. They were together, but separate and through it all, the children remained blind.

Despite the fact the children could not even see the world that surrounded them, the authorities acted as if they could.

Higher Learning According to God In the state of South Carolina there is a full-fledged, solidly accredited college known as Bob Jones University.

RACE 5

Capacity restrictions to end on May 28, masking requirement to end by July 1

Walz timeline to end COVID-19 restrictions Stephanie Henry

ZEN IS

Tiffany Cooper

Festival schedule

With Love From Washington

by Denzel Belin TBA by Teighlor McGee Saturday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Opening ceremony DOOMSCROLL with MK & Tia! by Ricardo Beaird Colors of Classical Music throughout HERstory by Stephanie Henry Zen is … by ZEN IS Black Thread: A Tribute to Ann Lowe by Tiffany Cooper

21st Century Bomberas by Tearra Oso Sunday, May 23 at 7 p.m.

Opening ceremony Greenwood 1964 by Mohammed Ojarigi Still We Rise by Ashley DuBose The Things That Bind by Nieya Amezquita “…of Rivers and Railroads”

by Miko S. Simmons

All start times are CDT and run times are approximately two hours each night.

Friday, May 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Opening ceremony Quiet As It’s Kept (excerpts)

by Deneane Richburg Abiyamo (on daughterhood)

by Tolu Kehinde Over My Head by Averie Mitchell-Brown

In Hwy 253/I94 Corridor Project

MnDOT engagement reflects intentionality Part 3 in 4 part series “My question has to do with opportunities, said Bishop Richard Howell. “What does this project mean for jobs and business opportunities for our communities?”

“A large highway project coming through carries with it hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in infrastructure, said Chris Hoberg, who manages community engagement for the project.

“A portion of the work happens before we enter construction and that has to do with decision-making, designing, and outreach.

Working with Stairstep, for example, gives us new ways to engage with the community and be intentional the way that we ought to be intentional,” Hoberg said.

The exchange was part of a rich virtual Town

Segregation: A universal reality North and South

Bishop Richard D. Howell, Jr. Hall

Meeting last month.

Stairstep Foundation CEO Alfred BabingtonJohnson and Conversations with Al McFarlane moderator, Al McFarlane co-hosted the Town Hall and introduced an initiative to support Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) efforts to broaden

Chris Holberg engagement around the project for African American and African immigrant residents who may be impacted by improvement considerations.

Forum participants included: Reverend Dr. Francis Tabla, senior pastor Ebenezer Community Church in Brooklyn Park, Bishop Richard

News

Bicycling handbook promotes spring cycling and safety

PAGE 4

Howell, the Diocesan Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World and Pastor of Shiloh Temple Church in North Minneapolis, Reverend Cyreta Oduniyi, a pastoral leader at Liberty Church in North Minneapolis and Superintendent McKinley Moore, pastor of Jehovah Jireh Church of God in Christ in Brooklyn Park.

Babington said the panelists were part of an august team of church leaders whose churches and members are situated in or live and work along the Hwy 254/I94 Corridor in Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park and North Minneapolis.

“We have assembled a leadership team of distinguished folks in the community who are partnering with us. The team includes Reverend Steven Cole, pastor of Christ Triumphant

MNDOT 4

Governor Tim Walz Thursday announced a three-step timeline to end nearly all state COVID-19 restrictions by May 28, and end the statewide masking requirement once 70% of Minnesotans age 16 years and older get their vaccine, or by July 1.

The announcement comes as more than 2.6 million Minnesotans have gotten their shot and the state is on track to vaccinate 70 percent of Minnesotans by the end of June.

“Our nation-leading vaccination effort has put us in a strong position to safely transition toward life as we used to know it,” said Governor Walz. “The pandemic is not over and we have work to do. But from the State Fairgrounds, to doctor’s offices, to retrofitted Metro Transit buses that deliver vaccines where they’re most needed, Minnesotans now have more opportunities than ever to get the vaccine when and where they want to. As cases recede, more people get vaccinated every day, and vaccines are readily available to all who want it, we can now confidently and safely set out our path back to normal.”

The most at-risk Minnesotans – seniors, long-term care residents, assisted living residents, educators, and frontline workers – have gotten their

Gov. Tim Walz vaccines. Nearly 90 percent of Minnesotans over the age of 65 have gotten at least one dose.

“Thank you, Minnesota. For the past year you’ve made sacrifice after sacrifice.

And now that we have three safe, effective vaccines that are widely available, we can begin to think about what life will look like after this pandemic,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “We know that barriers still exist for many Minnesotans who want to receive the vaccine, especially those in underserved communities, and our work to connect them through community clinics and pharmacies, mobile vaccine clinics,

WALZ 5

I2H

Pregnant women’s brains show troubling signs of stress – but feeling strong social support can break those patterns

PAGE 6

Page 4 • May 17, 2021 - May 23, 2021 • Insight News

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COVID testing and vaccinations in North Minneapolis Free COVID-19 vaccine is available at Minneapolis Public Schools Davis Center, 1250 West Broadway Ave., Thursday, May 20, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Presented by Minneapolis Health Department, walk-ins are welcome and appointments can be scheduled. Clinics require no health insurance or ID. Persons ages 18 and

older can get Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, while those ages 12 and older can get the Pfizer vaccine. A parent or guardian must sign a consent for youth ages 12 to 17 The morning clinic is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The afternoon clinic is - 3:30 to 7 p.m.

A Minneapolis

stockvault

COVID-19 testing clinic takes place at Sanctuary Covenant Church, 710 W Broadway Ave., Noon to 3 p.m., Friday, May 21. Clinics usually provide results in about 24 hours. Those seeking a test should not eat, drink, or use tobacco products for 30 minutes before taking a COVID-19 saliva test.

For additional

information contact the Minneapolis Health Department at COVID19@minneapolismn. gov or 612-673-2301. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users call 612-263-6850.

Bike MN

Bicycling handbook promotes spring cycling and safety More people than ever before are riding bicycles in Minnesota.

That’s why the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN) is rolling out the 2021 edition of the Minnesota Bicycling Handbook during National Bike Month in May and to support people riding their bike for the first time or returning to it.

“Motor vehicle travel declined in the past year and biking and walking increased, yet Minnesota continues to see increases in crashes, especially crashes with pedestrians, a trend that had started before

and has been exacerbated by the pandemic,” said Dorian Grilley, BikeMN’s Executive Director.

Many bicyclists feel that Minnesota bike laws are not straightforward and that it can be challenging to ride a bicycle both safely and legally. The Minnesota Bicycling Handbook provides 36 pages of Minnesotaspecific information into the details of many topics, such as lane positioning, roadway and bike lane markings, bike law, equipment, bicyclists’ rights, and more. “There clearly needs to be more education

for all users about how to share Minnesota’s roads and trails safely. This resource does just that.” says Grilley.

This is the only place this information has been captured and put into one resource. BikeMN printed a record 50,000 handbooks this year and is in the process of distributing them across the state. The handbook is available to view, download digital copies, and order physical copies at www.bikemn.org/handbook.

Tearra Oso

Mohammed Ojarigi

ikeMN

Blackness is From 3

Producing artists:

Deneane Richburg | Collection of excerpts (short film) Deneane Richburg is the founder and Artistic Director of Brownbody. A modern dance choreographer and former competitive figure skater, Richburg is interested in pushing the boundaries of creative expression on the ice.

She blends different movement, worlds, and creates work for both the ice and the stage.

Richburg earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and African American Studies from Carleton College, a Master of Arts degree in Afro American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance and Choreography from Temple University.

All performances will stream via YouTube (links available soon) and each night will begin with virtual opening ceremonies honoring the rich history and legacy of Black theater in the Twin Cities.

Viewers can expect a dynamic and diverse showcase of theater, music, dance, poetry and spoken word.

Tolu Kehinde | Poetry Tolu Kehinde is a Nigerian writer who loves words and their ability to be both mirror and voice. Her work has been published in JAMA, Annals of Internal Medicine, KevinMD, and Thrive Global. Her debut anthology titled Human: Voices of Tomorrow’s Doctors was published by Dartmouth College Press in fall 2019.

Kehinde earned her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and M.D./M.B.A. from Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and Tuck School of Business.

Averie MitchellBrown | Dance Film Averie MitchellBrown is a dancer engaged in

INSIGHT NEWS

Ashley DuBose

Nieya Amezquita

Miko S. Simmons

Vanessa Brooke Agnes

Domino D’Lorion

Willie E. Jones III

James A. Williams

multiple disciplines, including ballroom, West African, break dancing, jazz and contemporary,

with a primary focus on hip hop and urban styles. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, she

aspires to touch as many lives as possible with her love, light, and talent. Mitchell-Brown

4217

Face2FaceAfrica.com

2

By Lee H. Jordan Minneapolis Juneteenth Committee - 2018 National Juneteenth Film & Bicycling Commissions

MnDOT From 3

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

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Culture and Education Editor Dr. Irma McClaurin, PhD. Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Columnist Brenda Lyle-Gray Book Review Editor W.D. Foster-Graham Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley

Intern Kelvin Kuria Contributing Writers Maya Beecham Nadvia Davis Fred Easter Abeni Hill Inell Rosario Latisha Townsend Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography V. Rivera Garcia Uchechukwu Iroegbu Rebecca Rabb Artist Donald Walker Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis,

Outreach Church in Brooklyn Park, which is a congregation made up of Minnesotans who are originally from West Africa.

The Reverend Ezra Fagge is pastor of Unity Temple Church of God in Christ in Brooklyn Center. Reverend Rozenia Fuller, is pastor of Good News Baptist Church in North Minneapolis. Reverend Jerry McAfee is represented on our team by Fortent Holly.

Reverend McAfee is pastor of New Salem Baptist Church in North Minneapolis. Reverend Harding Smith, pastor of the Spiritual Church of God in Robbinsdale, is also originally from West Africa. The Reverend Gaither-Robinson, is pastor of Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist church in North Minneapolis.” Babington said.

Hoberg said, “Engagement is an ever changing thing. What we’re trying to do is be intentional about reaching the African and African-American communities and others as well.

“We want to make sure that we get a good cross section of the community and what the community’s concerns and values are, so that we can bring that into our decisionmaking. Being intentional about reaching out to communities that exist along these corridors is just something that we need to be doing,” he said.

“We are trying to define the problems that exist on the corridor that we’re looking to fix. That’s the first step.

And then we move to what are things that we could build that could address those problems or improve those problems.

“There are different combinations of all the different things that we’ve come up with that could address those issues. Now, what are the impacts?

Impacts extend from wetlands to historic

Left to right: Stairstep Foundation CEO Alfred BabingtonJohnson, Project Manager Jerome Adams and Multimodal planning director John Thompkins properties, to social economics and all manner of things that we can measure in terms of impacts or benefits to a project.

“So, when we talk about environmental justice and social and economic impacts, I think it’s making sure that we’re cognizant of the communities that we exist in, we’re being intentional in our outreach and making sure folks are informed.

“We understand what Decision A might mean for a marginalized community versus, a broader community, versus Decision B,” Hoberg said.

John Tompkins, multimodal planning director for MnDOT’s Metro District, said, “When we talk about equity and environmental justice, those issues came from somewhere.

They evolved through the lack of communication, lack of education, the lack of desire to provide information. One reason why I wanted to get involved with this project is because, at least in my mind, no community should be underserved and underrepresented. So, on this project and all projects that MnDOT takes on, we want to change that. We want to say this community is informed.

This community is educated on the process. This is how this community is impacted. And this is what they are saying. We can’t change everything, but we at least we can hear every voice.

Project Manager Jerome Adams said, “There

are going to be some tough decisions to be made or the next three years, and this is why public engagement is important because there are pros and cons to doing a project. Again, the project is both on I94 from Fourth Street North up to 694, and then on 252 from 694 to 610. And in a way, even though it’s one project, those are two very different segments. So, we did do previous studies in 2018 and 2016, and they came up with an alternative.

“I want to emphasize that we have not decided on the alternative, and we’re going to embark on a three-year process to look at alternatives again, but in those previous recommendations they advised of getting rid of the signals on 252 and replacing them with interchanges,” he said.

“When that happens, someone’s house is going to get demolished in those alternatives. And so, that’s an example of an impact. Now, we don’t take demolishing someone’s house lightly, and again, it gets back to reminding ourselves why we’re here.

“We’re here because people are literally dying on 252, and we want to see if we can prevent that. It may mean that someone’s house gets demolished. Now, you asked about environmental justice and racial justice.

“I can tell you what does not allay fears, and that is

CONTINURE TO PAGE 5

if I just sat here and said, ‘trust me’. But that does not work.

So, how can I demonstrate in good faith, what we’re doing versus just saying, trust me.

“And again, we haven’t predetermined an alternative. There are many different places you can put interchanges on 252 and many different things you can do with 94 as far as lanes, Adams said.

“We will look at that, and make sure we’re showing that to the public, showing the benefits and negative impacts of each one.

And hopefully together, we get to a place where we say, ‘This is the project we want to build.’”

Returning to Bishop Howell’s question about jobs and business opportunity, Hoberg said, “We are mindful of who is doing the work in project development. If there are firms, groups or individuals in the communities, we want to be aware of that and see if there are opportunities to work with them.

“Once we get to a construction project, we want to come up with a well thought out plan of how to do a couple of things: work with the labor unions that plug into that workforce need to offer training, get people plugged into the trades that can work in highway heavy construction.

And, identify resources available that we can plug into to make training and jobs more accessible to folks? And from a timing perspective, when should we be working with the unions to develop these trainings and offer these trainings? Because it doesn’t make any sense for anyone to get out of concrete finishing school at the end of October when no one’s going to be pouring concrete for another six months. So, part of what we’re doing is trying to be mindful of what are the labor needs going to be, what resources do we have available to connect people, to training and job opportunities in highway heavy so that they could have the opportunity to work on a project.

Next week, part 4 of the 4 part series.D

insightnews.com

Race From 3 The founder, Bob Jones himself, claims Biblical inspiration for the establishment of the well-respected institution. It is what is called a fundamentalist learning center that is connected to the mystical body of Christ.

Surprisingly, and inexplicably, the student body included African Americans. The policy of the school does not deny matriculation on the basis of “race”. Policy does, however, state that “interracial” dating is taboo. Blacks and “whites” of the opposite sex can be suspended if caught in intimate association with one another. “The Curse of

Walz From 3 and other targeted strategies continues. Our path forward now relies on Minnesotans getting the vaccine.”

“I know the last year has tested us. But we made those sacrifices to save lives until a vaccine could keep Minnesotans safe,” Governor Walz continued. “We all now have the ability to protect our loved ones. So go get your vaccines, Minnesota, and do your part to finally put this pandemic behind us.”

Since mid-April, COVID-19 cases have declined.

Hospitals are seeing fewer admissions and vaccination progress has relentlessly pushed forward. Vaccines held COVID-19

Blackness is From 4 has worked with well-known artists such as Al Taw’am (“The Twins”), S.H.E. (She Who Holds Everything), Kenna Cottman of Voice of Culture Drum + Dance, Aneka McMullen of Epitome No Question, B-Boy J-Sun, Leah Nelson and more.

Denzel Belin | Monologue Denzel Belin is a Minneapolis-based writer, director, actor, producer and improviser. Belin is a longstanding cast member and writer at Brave New Workshop and a staff writer for Awf Magazine and The Nordly. He serves as the Artistic Director of Threshold Theater, whose mission is to “produce fresh LGBTQ works.”

Teighlor McGee | Play Teighlor McGee is a disability advocate, access director and performing artist whose work centers on racial justice and disability. Their work has been featured in productions by 20% Theatre Company, Lightning Rod Theater, Dumpster Fire, and Queertopia.

Ricardo Beaird | Play Ricardo Beaird is a theater practitioner and artist educator originally from Nashville, Tennessee. Their work is informed by the pursuit of healing through storytelling, the unfinished business of ghosts, connection through the internet, and Beyoncé. In addition to performing with Pangea World Theater, Park Square Theatre, Red Eye Theater and Ten Thousand Things Theater, Beaird is an advisory council member with the queer-led theater collective Lightning Rod and an artist council member for the 2021 Northern Spark arts festival.

Stephanie Henry | Music (Piano) Stephanie Henry is a classically trained pianist and composer who has performed with classical and theatrical ensembles as well as rock bands. Henry has also composed original works for film, musical theater, orchestras, quartets, and solo piano. She studied music at St. Olaf College and received her master’s degree from Hamline University. Henry owns a piano studio, where she teaches music to people of all ages.

ZEN IS: Charity Paye (Purple Queen) & Ameen Taahir | Music (Hip-Hop) Charity Paye is a hiphop artist and the founder of Zen Is In, a Twin Cities music collective and movement that uses purpose and music to spread light, love, and positivity to a world in chaos. Paye’s goal is to reach as many beings as possible, unite one another and

Insight News • May 17, 2021 - May 23, 2021 • Page 5 Ham” has not been lost on the theological foundation of this Christian institution. What we have here is idiocy multiplied by 10. This leads us to some famous last words: “I know what you want, you want to marry my daughter.” And the antidote to this scornful declaration is this: “No, I do not want to marry your daughter - knowing the family as I do.”

The bottomless brutalization leading to enslavement, land dispossession, and conscious acts of mass murder that we know as genocide, are all rooted in the belief in “race” and the practice of racism.

All of the relevant facts, ideas, concrete acts, and covert deeds are well documented; the capture and enslavement of untold millions of Africans, and the conquest of and genocidal practices against the indigenous peoples of the Americas and the islands of seas, in combination, represent the largest example of human devastation that this world has ever witnessed. The “Black man” and the “red man” viewed as “inferior races” spawned an incredible absence of human sentiment. Powerful forces that

adopted the modern world idea of “race” as a creed effectively violated the most sacred codes of Judeo-Christian ethics. Later in history, though far less massive in scope, but no less in degree of cruelty, was decimation of millions of European Jews and other “races” in the movement to cleanse Europe of undesirables in affecting the purity of the “Aryan master race”. The Holocaust produced by mad scientists of The Third Reich is a lesson in human degradation that is finally becoming a part of the moral history of the world.

“Race” thinking is singularly responsible for lesser known episodes in “man’s inhumanity to man”, genocide in Tasmania, Australia, and King Leopold’s Congo; and the killing fields in the former Yugoslavia between

the Serbs, Croats, ad Muslims.

“Ethnic cleansing” functions as a definition of “race”. The fact that such people would normally belong to the “white race” is irrelevant. The idea of “race” can be imposed on anyone according to myth, superstition, or law. “Race” thinking can be applied, practiced and edified by any group and any gender.

Sigmund Freud’s celebrated statement that “anatomy is destiny” or one’s gender or “race” determines one’s main personality traits is a type of “race” thinking. Thus, based on a person’s gender, or “race” one can dictate/predict their role and place in society. The anatomy or physical trait can lead to whether or not a woman can drive a bus.

Anything human made can be unmade by

humankind. The categories and classifications of “race” were brought to religion and science, not the other way around.

Again “race” is an invention, not a discovery. “Race” is an invention of the mind, as are all ideas. It was invented in a time and context when people were much less aware of themselves than they are now. In the over 200 years since census first came about in the United States, 26 racial categories have been used.

Since then, the government has found a new way to classify its people in virtually every decade. The two most notable categories’ “white” and “Negro/ Black” have been taken apart from time to time.

Will continue more next week: Afterword

variants at bay and avoided having them overwhelm our state.

The three-step process will end nearly all state COVID-19 restrictions by May 28, and end the statewide masking requirement by July 1 at the latest.

Step one was effective May 7. It included initial steps to relax some restrictions, primarily in outdoor settings.

• Removed limits for outdoor dining, events, and other get-togethers, and ends the mask requirement outdoors except at large venues with over 500 people.

• Eliminated the state-established mandatory closing time for bars, restaurants, and food and beverage service at other places of public accommodation.

The second step begins on May 28. Remaining capacity and distancing

limits will come to an end, including for indoor events and gatherings. The requirements that will remain include: • Face coverings indoors and for outdoor events that exceed 500 people.

• There will be no new safety requirements for businesses, though they must maintain their plans to keep their employees and customers safe – as they have from the beginning of the pandemic – guided only by a minimal universal state guidance document.

The third step takes place once 70 percent of Minnesotans age 16 years and older – 3,087,404 Minnesotans – get at least one dose of the vaccine, but no later than July 1.

• The remaining face covering requirement and the requirement for preparedness plans will end. Work on vaccines will continue, and local

jurisdictions and entities may set their own mask policies.

Because the youngest Minnesotans are not yet eligible for the vaccine, the Safe Learning Plan for schools will continue until the end of the school year to protect students, teachers, and staff in schools.

Additional protections will remain, including the eviction moratorium, a ban on price gouging, and eligibility exemptions for people who receive state services. The State will continue its emergency efforts to get Minnesotans tested and vaccinated and will continue to monitor the virus and the growth of variants in the months to come.

Additionally, local jurisdictions and businesses may still require masks and have other requirements beyond July 1.

“Minnesotans made today’s announcement possible through their hard

work and perseverance,” said Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm. “This is a day for us to celebrate the progress, while also recognizing the work that remains to be done.

So long as the virus remains a threat to people anywhere it is a threat to people everywhere. That means we need to be watchful and keep up the good work that got us to this point. If you are eligible for a vaccine and haven’t received one yet, now is a great time to get one. Your decision helps protect your family, your community, and all Minnesotans.”

“Today, we can celebrate the final steps we are taking to reopen our economy,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove.

“Countless businesses and hundreds of thousands of Minnesota employees have made extraor-

dinary sacrifices to keep our communities safe this past year, and today we’re taking steps to lift restrictions and begin the path towards normal operations. Let’s keep our economy moving by getting out there and supporting the local businesses we love.”

Minnesotans can visit VaccineConnector.mn.gov to make a vaccine appointment at a Community Vaccination Program site or use the Find Vaccine Locations map to locate a provider near them.

Executive Order 2121 is effective immediately upon approval by the Minnesota Executive Council, which is made up of Governor Walz, Lt. Governor Flanagan, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Secretary of State Steve Simon, and State Auditor Julie Blaha.

uplift Black voices through good vibes and good music.

Tiffany Cooper | Multimedia Theater Tiffany Cooper is a professional actress, singer, dancer, voiceover artist and arts educator. She has appeared on Broadway, national and international Broadway tours, film, television, commercials, regional theaters, voiceovers, CD recordings, concerts, and cruise ships. Cooper has also appeared on NBC, the Hallmark Channel and ABC. Film credits include Emma Was Here and Shampoo. Cooper holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Communications and Theater and Dance from Murray State University.

Tearra Oso | Dance/ Music (Bomba) Tearra Oso is a singer, drummer, dancer, healer, and storyteller of many forms. Since childhood, she has learned and performed traditional Afro Puerto Rican music called Bomba, which gave her an understanding of her Afro Latinx identity and the resilience of her incredible ancestors. As a musician, Oso has performed nationally and internationally, and released two EPs (Art Projects, Vol. 1 and 2). As an actor, she has worked on projects with Halle Berry (Extant) and Zoe Saldana (Live by Night). As a health and wellness facilitator, she has worked with youth, teachers, social workers, law enforcement, and community members to teach the biology of stress and the power of breath to regulate the nervous system.

In her newest project, Griot Del Rio, Oso has combined her ancestral genre of music with the R&B, funk, hip-hop and pop music she grew up with to present a body of work intended to be an act of self-preservation for listeners, in English and Spanish.

Mohammed Ali Ojarigi | Play Mohammed Ali Ojarigi is a Nigerian-American actor, writer, director, producer and acting coach. He is Founder/ Artistic Director of the former MOments Playhouse Theatre in Hollywood California. Ojarigi earned his bachelor’s degree in Theater Performing Arts at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, graduating with honors. Ojarigi has been seen in several television commercials, including General Hospital, Hertz, AT&T, Long John Silver’s, Sears, Verizon, Capital One, Xfinity and Nationwide Insurance. He has won multiple awards for his own theatrical works. Learn more about Ojarigi at www.ojarigi.art.

Ashley DuBose | Music (R&B) Ashley DuBose is a Minneapolis-based singer, songwriter and actress. She was a Top 32 contestant on NBC’s “The Voice” and voted Best Female R&B Singer

by City Pages in their 2015 “Best of the Twin Cities” issue. She has traveled the country performing at special occasions, local community events, corporate galas and concerts all while balancing the responsibilities of motherhood and entrepreneurship. DuBose holds a degree in Mathematics from St. Catherine University and was a first generation college graduate. She is on track to be the first person in her family to own a home and trying to show her daughter that dreams do come true with faith, perseverance and integrity.

Nieya Amezquita | Dance Film Nieya Amezquita is a professional dancer with Threads Dance Project and Rhythmically Speaking.

Amezquita earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Georgia. During her time at UGA, Amezquita practiced ballet, contemporary, different branches of African movement and debuted as a contemporary choreographer.

She also had the opportunity to perform nationally and internationally with founding company CADE:NCE. Most recently, Amezquita was selected to choreograph a piece for Ballet Co.Laboratory’s Laboratory II virtual event, which premiered March 22–23, 2021.

Miko S. Simmons | (Visual Jazz Collaboration and Improvisation) Blurring the lines between art and technology, theater and cinema, and music and art, Miko Simmons is an international, award-winning multimedia artist and projection designer. Simmons has spent the past fifteen years innovating in the convergence of Film/ Animation and Theatrical Production, with numerous credits.

darkmusearts.

Domino D’Lorion (he/him) is a queer, AfroBoriqua, actor, playwright, teaching artist and local drag queen (Lady Cummeal) in the Twin Cities, originally from Chicago. He is an alum of the University of Minnesota/ Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program with a minor in Business Management from the Carlson School of Management. D’Lorion has appeared in Hit the Wall (Mixed Precipitation), After the Fires (Transatlantic Love Affair) and most notably his original play STOOPIDITY (Minnesota Fringe Festival). In addition, he has taught at Northwestern University’s National High School Institute and the Guthrie Theater. He is represented by Wehmann Models & Talent and Moore Creative Talent. Follow him @theladycummeal.

Willie E. Jones III has trained at the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program and received additional training at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. As an actor, he has performed on stages around the world, most notably at Shakespeare’s Globe in London in the title role of Julius Caesar. As a playwright, he has received training from Marshall Botvinick at Appalachian State University and had multiple plays produced and read across the country at high schools, prisons and theaters, including the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre.

He currently runs the Second Stage Series at CFCArts.

James A. Williams is a founding member of Penumbra Theatre and a regular on Twin Cities stages for over four decades.

Regionally, he’s performed at Center Stage, Goodman Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Mark Taper Forum and Yale Repertory Theatre. He has appeared offBroadway in Jitney, The Piano Lesson and My Children! My Africa! as well as on Broadway, originating the role of Roosevelt Hicks in August Wilson’s Radio Golf. He is an Artistic Associate at Pillsbury House & Theatre.

Williams was named Best Actor

by City Pages twice and Artist of the Year by the Star Tribune in 2008. He received the 2012 Distinguished Global Citizen Award from Macalester College for his work with at-risk youth and a 2008 Ivey Award for his portrayal of Troy Maxson in Fences. Williams is a McKnight Theater Artist Fellow and Fox Theater Distinguished Acting Fellow.

Regina Marie Williams is an actor, singer, photographer and creative producer based in the Twin Cities. Much of her recent work includes nature and street photography.

She conceived Dining With the Ancestors, which was produced and presented with the

Regina Marie Williams

Austene Van

Guthrie Theater. Other Guthrie credits include Guys and Dolls, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, The Bluest Eye, Othello, and Crowns. Williams stars in Twelve Blocks from Where I Live at Theater Latté Da. In Twelve Blocks… she shares and sings the joys, hopes, and tragedies of the complex and beautiful place she calls home.

Her last performances on Latté Da’s stage were as Bernarda in The House of Bernarda Alba and as Mama in Chicago.

Williams, in partnership with Park Square Theatre, commissioned Christina Ham to write Nina Simone: Four Women, which has been performed internationally. She has had the honor of portraying Simone in productions at Park Square Theatre, People’s Light, and Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre. Williams has also performed at Mixed Blood Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, Syracuse Stage and more. She is a founding member of New Dawn Theatre, a core member of Ten Thousand Things Theater, and is a long-standing company member of Penumbra Theatre where she is often remembered for her portrayal of Dinah Washington in Lou Bellamy’s impeccably directed production of Dinah Was. She has been nominated for a Helen Hayes Award, received an Ivey Award, and has been a McKnight Theater Artist Fellow at the Playwrights’ Center.

Williams is a former member of the Grammy Award-winning Sounds of Blackness and has produced three solo CDs. Austene Van has been a local and national theater professional for 30 years and is acclaimed as a gifted, “quietly powerful” and “innovative” actor, director and choreographer.

Inextricably woven into her artistic aesthetic is her deep passion to advocate for social justice, equity and equality, which is why she also enjoys her roles as an educator, administrator and community builder through varied disciplines of theater. She is a 2013‒2014 McKnight Theater Artist Fellow, Ivey Award winner for the Guthrie Theater’s Trouble in Mind and a Woodie

Award nominee for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for her roles in Spunk and The Colored Museum at St. Louis Black Rep. Stage credits include: Familiar, Disgraced, Trouble in Mind, The Amen Corner, Gem of the Ocean, Crowns and A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie Theater; Disgraced at McCarter Theatre Center and Milwaukee Rep; Wedding Band, The Owl Answers, Detroit ’67, Spunk, The Amen Corner, Blue, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Dinah Was, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Zooman and the Sign, Seven Guitars and Lost in the Stars at Penumbra Theatre; the title role in Theater Latté Da’s Aida at Pantages Theatre; Radio Golf at IRT and Cleveland Play House; Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, Henry IV and The Unsinkable Molly Brown at Ten Thousand Things Theater; In the Next Room at Jungle Theater; Might as Well Be Dead and To Kill a Mockingbird at Park Square Theatre; Shrek the Musical, Once on This Island, Two African Tales, A Very Old Man and Not Without Laughter at Children’s Theatre Company; A Christmas Story, Singin’ in the Rain and Dinah Was at the Ordway; Hair at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres; Vices; Two Queens, One Castle; The Dance On Widow’s Row; and Point of Review at Mixed Blood Theatre.

Directing credits include: Skeleton Crew and The Royale at Yellow Tree Theatre; Annie at the Ordway (Best Play, City Pages Best of 2018); Hot Mikado at Skylight Music Theatre; Intimate Apparel at Ten Thousand Things Theater; Blues in the Night at McKnight Theater and the Ordway; Gee’s Bend, Hot Chocolate and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill at Park Square Theatre; Black Nativity at Penumbra Theatre (2006‒2008); The Lonely Soldier Monologues and A Civil War Christmas at History Theatre; Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Capri Theatre; Six Degrees of Separation at Theatre in the Round; Joan of Arc: Voices in the Fire for A Guthrie Experience at the Rarig Center.

Afterword Over the past several centuries the idea of “race” and the reality of racism has emerged in our world, and as a consequence, has produced the most frightful horror stories known to humankind.

Unearned suffering is the stuff of this phenomenon that we have come to call racism.

MN Black Theatre Circle members:

By day, Vanessa Brooke Agnes is the Arts Education Manager for Hennepin Theatre Trust. By night, she is a performer, director, writer, teaching artist, activist and Founding Artistic Director of Dark Muse Performing Arts — a new arts organization dedicated to unapologetically amplifying BIPOC and queer voices. Over the past year, she has directed The Uprising Vol. I, Phoenix Project, The Kindness Project, DEAD TIRED (a short film in A Breath for George by New Dawn Theatre Company) and The Uprising Vol. II: Black HERstory. Next up, she is directing Beehive with Lakeshore Players Theatre, DirectorWorks, co-curating “Racism, Covenants and Dreams Deferred,” Spotlight Showcase 2021 and directing Fame with Children’s Performing Arts. She lives in Minneapolis with her partner and pup. Follow her @

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By LaurenofPoteat Courtesy University of Alejandra Oliveras By Dr. By North Brandpoint Dr. Nicole Rekha Memorial Winbush Mankad (BPT) Staff Ian Roth NNPA Minnesota Washington News Staff Afrodescendientes Mayo Clinic Correspondent By IanPhysician Roth Staff NorthPoint Health & Mayo Clinic Staff Wellness Center

Page 6 • May 17, 2021 - May 23, 2021 • Insight News

Insight 2 Health

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Pregnant women’s brains show troubling signs of stress – but feeling strong social support can break those patterns

By Rebecca Brooker Associate Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University and Tristin Nyman Ph.D. Student in Psychological & Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University TheConversation.com Even before the pandemic, there was plenty for expectant mothers to worry about. Pregnant women must withstand a barrage of arguably well-intentioned, but often hyperbolic, warnings about their health and what’s to come, including concerns about everything from what to eat, to what to wear, to how to feel. Health professionals know that mothers-to-be experience predictable increases in anxiety levels before infants are born.

Maternal mental health has been steadily deteriorating in the U.S., particularly among poor and minority women.

The calls to “be afraid, be very afraid” are, of course, countered by the equally strong cautions for pregnant women to not worry too much, lest it lead to long-term negative outcomes for them and their infants.

Such warnings are not entirely off base. Maternal stress hormones cross the placenta and affect the vulnerable fetus.

Fetal exposure to the stress hormone cortisol has been linked to an array of negative outcomes, including miscarriage and preterm birth, and irritable temperament for the child and increased risk of emotional problems during childhood.

One thing researchers know is that anxious mothers tend to have anxious children. This common, albeit not prescriptive, phenomenon is likely due to numerous factors, both pre- and

postpartum.

In our laboratory, we focus on what happens when women start their pregnancies already worried or anxious and what clues we can uncover about how to help them and their children. Our research suggests that worry during pregnancy can have long-term impacts on how mothers’ brains communicate – but also that there might be some simple steps that can help rein in the effects.

Maternal brains change during pregnancy The fetal brain isn’t the only one that is vulnerable during pregnancy. There’s evidence that the maternal brain reorganizes in ways that likely prepare a pregnant woman to care for another human being.

The experience of stress during pregnancy can thus hijack a period of change meant to allow for positive adaptations and instead open the door for anxiety problems.

We are interested in whether there might be easy, approachable ways to offset some of these negative effects. So we invite pregnant women into our lab, where we can record their naturally occurring brain activity using electroencephalography. This EEG technique gives us a great sense of how quickly and how strongly brains react to particular stimuli.

In a recent study from our lab, we measured pregnant women’s neural reactivity while they viewed emotional and nonemotional pictures. For most people, including pregnant women, their brains show more activity when they’re presented with a negative image or sound – like a crying baby – than with a neutral image or sound – such as a blanket.

We found that for some women in their third

trimester of pregnancy, this effect was disrupted; instead of reacting more strongly to a negative image, expectant mothers’ brains showed the same response to negative and neutral pictures. Basically these mothers-to-be did not, at the neural level, distinguish neutral from negative images.

We can’t be sure whether what we observed was these women’s brains reacting to neutral pictures as though they were negative, or to negative pictures as though they were neutral. But we did see that the difference between the two emotional categories was smaller compared to what we would expect.

In the context of our interest in worry and anxiety, this finding is concerning. It looks like these women are at risk of responding to even nonthreatening information as though it is problematic. That is, the line between what is worrisome and what should not be becomes blurred, even at the level of neural activity.

Other research suggests that this may hurt the motherinfant relationship over time.

Researchers found that when women’s brains were more reactive to neutral information, similar to what we think may be happening in our study, mothers reported more difficulty interpreting emotions in their infant.

Critically, though, we saw this mixed-up reaction only in pregnant women who reported having low levels of social support. We asked our volunteers to create lists of people they felt they could talk to if they were in a difficult situation or needed help. We also asked them to tell us if they thought, as they reflected on these lists, that the social support available to them was adequate. When women reported more satisfaction with

d3sign/Moment via Getty Images

Just feeling that there’s someone out there she can count on can help a mom-to-be. their social support networks, the neural response was just as we expected, with a clear distinction between negative and neutral information.

Our findings are consistent with studies of nonpregnant individuals, suggesting that adequate social support calms the body’s responses to stress. Our work identifies social support as a specific and easily targeted step for protecting pregnant women in ways that can influence neural function during a sensitive period of reorganization.

Adequate support is in the eye of the beholder What especially caught our eye in these findings is that we used a measure of social support that was based on a woman’s perception about how much backup was available to her should she need it. Whether

or not her belief is accurate is unknown.

However, more and more neuroscientific evidence underscores the degree to which people live in their own subjective realities. It is intuitive, and supported by decades of work in sociology and social psychology, that people base their thoughts, feelings and actions on what they believe to be true about the world regardless of whether it’s accurate.

In this case, a woman’s feelings about her available social support are based on how good she feels about that network rather than whether anyone else thinks she has enough people to talk to if a problem arises.

It follows, then, that changing a mom-to-be’s perception that she has sufficient social support can change the

way that her brain processes emotional information to make it more closely resemble typical, healthy function.

Our research suggests there’s an easy and inexpensive way to support pregnant mothers that can alter neural reactivity to negative information and may serve to protect both maternal and child outcomes – simply help mom feel more supported.

That doesn’t need to mean encouraging women to join clubs or groups or find new friends or therapists. Rather, pregnant women may benefit from simply recognizing the power and benefit of the networks they already have in place.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

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Insight News • May 17, 2021 - May 23, 2021 • Page 7

How America’s partisan divide over pandemic responses played out in the states such as Texas, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi that have not expanded Medicaid have the largest relative percentage of uninsured residents in the country. In some Republicanled states that did opt for Medicaid expansion, it was adopted with new restrictions.

This has ultimately led to worse outcomes.

These longestablished partisan divisions have also influenced Americans’ polarized views of the government’s proper role in addressing the pandemic. This divide grew so wide during 2020 that at some points it was as if people were living in alternate realities based on their partisan leanings. At times an American’s political affiliation indicated whether or not they would acknowledge even that a pandemic was really happening.

By Julie VanDusky-Allen Assistant Professor of Political Science, Boise State University and Olga Shvetsova Professor of Political Science and Economics, Binghamton University, State University of New York TheConversation.com Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, a partisan divide has existed over the appropriate government response to the public health crisis. Democrats have been more likely to favor stricter policies such as prolonged economic shutdowns, limits on gathering in groups and mask mandates. Republicans overall have favored less stringent policies.

As political scientists and public health scholars, we’ve been studying political responses to the pandemic and their impacts. In research published in the summer of 2020, we found that “subgovernments,” which in the U.S. means state governments, tended to have a bigger impact on the direction of pandemic policies than the federal government. Now, as data on last year’s case and death rates emerge, we’re looking at whether the political party in the governor’s office became a good predictor of public health outcomes as COVID-19 moved across the country.

Looking at states’ COVID-19 case and death rates, researchers are finding the more stringent policies typical of Democratic governors led to lower rates of infections and deaths, compared to the the pandemic responses of the average Republican governor.

In preparation for future pandemics, it may be worth considering how to address the impact that a state government’s partisan leanings can have on the scope and severity of a public health crises.

Comparing responses by Democratic and Republican

John M. Lund Photography/Getty Images

The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have widened the partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans on health care. governors To compare and chart our state-by-state COVID-19 policy stringency data, we’ve developed our “Protective Policy Index.” To calculate this index, we took into account the types of policies state governments adopted over the course of the pandemic, such as school closings, lockdowns and mandatory mask mandates. We combined the adopted measures for each state over time to calculate the index. Higher values of the index indicate states adopted more stringent measures.

When we charted the policy responses of Democratic and Republican governors between May 1 and July 31, 2020, they revealed that heading into May, states led

by Democrats generally took more stringent measures than those led by Republicans. Over the next eight weeks or so, as Democratic-led states began to slowly reopen, they continued to maintain more stringent measures on average than Republican-led states. By July, Democratic governors began to

COVID-19 cases and deaths, we mapped each state’s rating on the Protective Policy Index to the same CDC data. The results show that more stringent policies were generally associated with fewer cases and deaths.

All of these findings, in conjunction with those of our own research, suggest that amid the current deep divide in U.S. politics, it’s possible to forecast public health outcomes based on whether a state is led by a Republican or a Democrat.

For large chunks of time in 2020, states led by Republicans overall had higher average case and death rates from COVID-19, in part due to their state governments adopting less stringent policies to quell the virus. It is important to note, however, that not all states fit perfectly into this pattern. For example, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, adopted relatively stricter measures and this likely led to better health outcomes.

roll back their reopenings amid some signs of a new pandemic wave, while Republican-led states largely maintained the same level of stringency.

With that information established, we could begin to explore whether there was a relationship between COVID-19 policy stringency in different states, and their rates of pandemic cases and deaths.

According to a study released in March, both case and death rates were higher on average in states led by Republican governors during the second half of 2020. The first map represents rates of COVID-19 cases between June 1 and July 31, 2020 as reported by the CDC. The second map represents CDC estimates of excess mortality rates – the number of deaths above the average norm – between June 1 and August 31, 2020. The taller spikes indicate higher case and death rates.

Next, to study the relationship between the stringency of a state’s pandemic responses and its rates of

America’s polarized health care politics

The differences we discovered between red and blue states in our analysis did not surprise our team. After all, a partisan divide over health care in the U.S. existed before COVID-19. During President Bill Clinton’s administration in the 1990s, there was a clear and growing partisan divide over health care reform. During President Barack Obama’s administration, Democrats supported the Affordable Care Act and the federal government’s response to the H1N1 virus, while nearly all Republicans opposed both measures.

We already know that partisan divisions over health care in the U.S. can worsen public health. For example, despite the evidence that the ACA has had a positive effect on individual health care outcomes, Republicans have consistently fought against it. Republicanled states that chose not to adopt Medicaid expansion have not experienced all the positive benefits of the Affordable Care Act. For example, states

Where we go from here Now that mass vaccination against COVID-19 is underway across the country, Americans have hope that life will soon get “back to normal.”

But until enough people are vaccinated to halt the spread of the virus, public health officials are warning that we are not quite there yet. They are encouraging states to maintain some restrictions that slow the spread of the virus, especially considering that there are more contagious variants spreading across the country.

Overwhelming evidence suggests that differences between Republican and Democratic officials on health policy have had life-or-death consequences during the pandemic. But recent history suggests that in the next public health crisis, governments across the U.S. may once again focus more on politics than on policies grounded in the best available science. Experience also suggests that even when this leads to bad health outcomes, Americans aren’t likely to rethink the partisan divide over health care.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

1/8 PAGE COLOR CAPRW ENERGY ASSISTANCE

Make your holiday twice as nice 612.377.2224 / guthrietheater.org

A tenderhearted favorite

Steel Magnolias Now – Dec 15

by ROBERT HARLING directed by LISA ROTHE

Sponsored by

A Christmas stmas Carol Nov 12 – Dec c 29 by CHARLES DICKENS adapted by CRISPIN WHITTELL directed by LAUREN KEATING

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America’s Pandemic Recovery Relies on Energy Energy Workers And Company Leaders Are Supporting the &29Ζ' 5HOLHI 6XSSRUW (΍RUW • Providing supplies such as personal protective equipment (PPE); • 3KLODQWKURSLF FRPPXQLW\ H΍RUWV WR SURYLGH IXHO JLIW FDUGV VDQLWL]HUV FORWKLQJ IDFH FRYHULQJV DQG PHDOV WR KRVSLWDOV ȴUH and police departments throughout the U.S.; • Supplying jet fuel at no cost to critical companies and airlines to transport PPE deliveries and restore air service to UHPRWHbFRPPXQLWLHV • 3URYLGLQJ IXHO GLVFRXQWV WR ȴUVW UHVSRQGHUV DQG RWKHUV ZKR VHUYH WKHLUbFRPPXQLWLHV • Donating ultra-low temperature freezers to health organization to help keep vaccines at their required storage temperature.

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The Community Energy Center, a cooperative with the National Newspaper Publishers Association and National Association of Hispanic Publications Media, will provide information and perspectives on the integral role of the energy sector in daily life for American families in a wide range of communities.

Page 8 • May 17, 2021 - May 23, 2021 • Insight News

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WAYS TO EXPLORE AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISTORY WITH

SEE MORE PRINCE

In the photogr aphy exhibit Prince: Before the Rain , you can see iconic images of the artist tak en by Allen Beaulieu in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Prince’ s story continues in the First Avenue exhibit, where you can see his Purple Rain suit. Both exhibits now on view, Minnesota History Center, St. Paul.

Aesthetics

First Avenue presenting sponsor Baird.

Prince sponsor Xcel Energy.

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COME TO FAMILY DAY

SATURDAYS at the MUSEUMɨ Explore the history of St. Anthony F alls with a day of family-friendly activities during My Mighty Journey: A W aterfall’s Story Family Day, Nov 9, Mill City Museum, Minneapolis.

Storytellers, Activities and Fun! Sponsored by Xcel Energy.

Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery 1256 Penn Ave No, Minneapolis, MN 55411, 4th Floor

Saturday mornings from 10 - 11:30am • 240 pages

Hear Stories Read or Great Storytelling!

EXPLORE THE HIDDEN Engage in coordinated HISTORY

activities and just have Fun!

Hear Dr. Christopher Lehman talk about his ne w book, Slavery’s Reach, which tr aces the mone y between Southern plantations and Minnesota’ s businesses. Slavery’s Reach Author Ev ent, Nov 17, North www.maahmg.org Contact us at: info@maahmg.org Regional Libr ary, Minneapolis.

Become a member!

MNHS Press

• $18.95

Local Children’s Book Authors and Storytellers! Treats!

All Are Welcome.

See us at

Free Admission.

____________________________________________________________________________ "The Children's Reading Circle is partially supported by The Givens Foundation for African American Literature through operating support funding from Target. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund."

PLAN YOUR VISIT 1-844-MNSTORY MNHS.ORG

______________________________________________________________________________________

The MAAHMG is a fully qualified 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Minnesota.

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