Insight ::: 9.9.19

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

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

Insight News September 9, 2019 - September 15, 2019

Vol. 46 No. 36• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Going forward...

Goapele brings Neo-Soul, R&B Oakland born artist blends jazz and electronica. Her name means “to go forward,” in Tswana, a Bantu language spoken in Africa.

Goapele headlines

Selby Avenue Jazz Festival Neosoul star Goapele is set to headline this weekend’s Selby Avenue Jazz Festival.

The Saturday (Sept. 14) event takes place from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. at the corners of Selby Avenue and Milton Street in St. Paul and the annual event is free to the public and open to all ages. Headlining this year’s event is Bay Area neosoul star, Goapele.

With her 2001 smash hit, “Closer,” Goapele quickly emerged as one of the leading voices in the neosoul/alternative soul movement. Her major label debut album, “Even Closer,” gave fans the classics “Closer,” “Romantic,” “Catch 22,” “Too Much the Same” and “Red, White & Blues.” Her follow-up, “Change it All,” featured the title track as it’s first release and included songs “4 a.m.,” “Different,” and “First Love.” In 2014 Goapele performed in Minneapolis for a similar outdoor festival, Urbane Exposure, following the release of her most recent studio album, “Strong as Glass,” which included the infectious “Hey Boy” featuring Snoop Dogg.

Also performing for this year’s festival are gospel artist and member of Sounds of Blackness, Patricia Lacy, Bossa Soul, The Jazz Standards, Brio Brass and the Selby Avenue Brass Band.

Besides a free day of entertainment, the Selby Avenue Jazz Fest also features a variety of food vendors, family activities, a health and wellness village and live artist demonstrations.

“We’re working hard to make sure there’s plenty to do to for folks to make a full day of it,” said Mychael Wright, founder of the event and owner of Golden Thyme coffee shop on Selby.

Page 2 • September 9, 2019 - September 15, 2019 • Insight News

WAYS TO EXPLORE AFRICAN AMERICAN

HISTORY WITH

RESEARCH YOUR FAMILY HISTORY Take a free workshop: Getting an Started with African American Family History Research, 9 am–Noon, Sep 7, Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, St. Paul.

ATTEND A PRINCE PANEL ATT Hear fro from a panel of guests who witnessed Prince’s early career witness firsthand during a Prince Panel Discussion with Dez Dickerson & Kevin Cole, Oct 1, Minnesota History Center, St. Paul.

EXPLORE BLACK BUILDERS Find out about three black Minnesotans who impacted the architecture and design of the Twin Cities. The Builders: Shaping Minnesota’s Architectural Landscape on the Color Line, on view now–Oct 27, Mill City Museum, Minneapolis.

PLAN YOUR VISIT 1-844-MNSTORY MNHS.ORG

insightnews.com

Vocalist Ashley Dubose launches Rondo Community Music Series

By Maya Beecham A world renown vocalist with fans in 37 countries, and a hit single (“Intoxicated”) that has 5 million streams on YouTube, Soundcloud, and Spotify will bless the ears and hearts of the historic Black Rondo Community of St. Paul.

Ashley DuBose, Twin Cities native, known for being a top 32 contestant of Season Five on the NBC television show “The Voice” will be the featured artist of the inaugural Rondo Community Music Series on Friday, (Sept.13) at Walker West Music Academy (WWMA), 760 Selby Ave., on the eve of the Selby Avenue Jazz Fest. Doors will open at 7 p.m. and the performance will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The Rondo Community Music Series is a fourmonth concert series presented

by WWMA on the Central Selby Corridor in partnership with Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts and the Rondo Land Trust: More Jazz on Selby Initiative. Braxton Haulcy, executive director of WWMA views the music series as a revival of the vibrant Rondo community in the early twentieth century before the development of Interstate 94 brought destruction to the heart of the community.

“In the early 1900s the Rondo community experienced a social and cultural boom. Music and theatre flourished. The construction of I-94 cut the community and half, displacing over 700 residents, and fractured Rondo’s identity as a cultural center,” said Haulcy. “The Rondo Community Music Series, which starts Sept. 13th will bring back the social and cultural boom and the celebration of the spirit of the Rondo community. At the

Jabari Holloman

Ashley Dubose same time, the music series will support Walker West’s mission to provide music enrichment to people of all ages and backgrounds.”

DuBose is possibly the perfect talent to kick the series off. She is grateful for the WWMA contribution to the community, and the many musicians and vocalists that have impacted the world because of their development at WWMA. “I have worked with former and current instructors and former students of Walker West. Walker West produces high quality musicians and I have benefited from performing with some of them,” said DuBose. “I want the audience to walk away feeling refreshed, feeling good, and feeling connected with me, the band and each other through my songwriting, the performances and

the high good vibrations produced from the experience.

I’m blessed to be living out my dreams as a performing artist, thankful to Walker West for making dreams of careers in music possible for its students and honored to have been asked to be a part of this beautiful occasion.”

Future concerts presented by The Rondo Community Music Series include the Twin Cities All Star Tribute to Ray Hargrove (Sept.

26), From R&B to Gospel: Robinson, Duncan & Duncan and DP Voices (Nov. 16) and Desean Jones of Detroit Music Factory (Dec. 7).

For more information on the Rondo Community Music Series contact WWWM at (651) 224-2929 or visit www.walkerwest.org.

Picture yourself as a homeowner.

Put your money to work and maximize your deposit.

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

HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM 1

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

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

oldnational.com/homeownership

Serving the Twin Cities with over 30 banking centers.

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

insightnews.com

Insight News • September 9, 2019 - September 15, 2019 • Page 3

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

September 9, 2019 - September 15, 2019

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

Vol. 46 No. 36• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Exclusive: Representatives Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley

Achieving #SquadGoals

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor harry@insightnews.com It doesn’t seem like just eight short months, but that’s all it has been.

It seems longer because the names Omar, Pressley, Tlaib and AOC – also known as Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) … “The Squad” – have dominated the national headlines in the ever-present 24-hour news cycle. Some of the coverage has been of their own accord. Sadly, much has been due to the hate spewing from the Twitter fingers and mouth of President Donald Trump. Nonetheless, we know who they are. They are four freshmen Congresswomen of color who are changing the face – and voice – of the Democratic Party. In short, they are The Squad.

Just recently, three of the four made their way to the Twin Cities on separate occasions – first Tlaib with Omar to hold a joint press conference to voice their anger and dismay at a travel ban to Israel and Palestine placed on the two following a Trump tweet. A week later, Pressley was in town with other members of the Congressional Black Caucus; a part of a multiday listening tour. It was during that tour that Omar and Pressley

Uche Iroegbu/ui.photographic

Congress members Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) sat down with Insight News for an exclusive conversation.

“It’s been an intensive eight months, that’s for sure,” said Omar, sitting on a couch in

her downtown warehouse district Minneapolis office. “We’ve got a lot accomplished.”

Of the accomplishments Omar points to are 20

bills or amendments she has introduced; 12 of which have passed. She has cosponsored another 371. Among them are bills to recognize the Paris Agree-

ment on Climate, an amendment to require reporting on financial costs and national security benefits for overseas military operations, one that prohibits the use of funds to establish any permanent military base or installation in Somalia and one that ensures employers with more than 100 employees, including government contractors, must submit racial and ethnic pay data to EEOC. As noted on her official government webpage, Omar is a member of the House Budget Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where she serves on the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. She also serves on the House Education and Labor Committee, where she is a member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development and the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. She is also Midwest Regional Whip of the Democratic Caucus and the Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. She is a member of the LGBT Equality Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, Women’s Caucus and Pro-Choice Caucus.

Those are lofty assignments for a freshman representative.

“Having her (Omar) on the Foreign Affairs Committee is a big, big deal,” said Press-

SQUAD 6

Research brief concludes culturally centered birth center improves health care before and after birth Racial inequities in health care in the weeks before and after birth put African-American women and their babies at greater risk for birth complications and death.

Some providers are eliminating the inequities through care models that respect the cultural needs and values of African-American women.

In a paper published in “Health Care: The Journal of Delivery Science and Innovation,” University of Minnesota School of Public Health researchers studied one such model in Minneapolis. The Roots Community Birth Center is an African-American-owned, midwife-led freestanding birth center located in a neighborhood with one of the highest infant mortality rates in the city.

Along with prenatal classes offered throughout the pregnancy and education on gestational diabetes, nutrition and other topics important to the health of African-American mothers, Roots’ care plan includes 13 to 15 prenatal visits starting as early as the client desires compared to standard care in which a pregnant woman initiates care around eight to nine weeks of pregnancy, iden-

Rachel Hardeman. tifying and developing a circle of family and friends to support the mother during pregnancy —

even in appointments, 60-minute appointments in comparison to the typical 15-minute medical

clinic appointment and postpartum care that includes three home visits in the first week and clinic visits at two weeks, four weeks and six weeks. The current standard postpartum care in the U.S. is comprised of one six-week clinic visit for a normal vaginal delivery Since opening in 2015, Roots has cared for 284 families with zero preterm births. Combined with no lowbirthweight babies and a high proportion of mothers successfully breastfeeding, preliminary findings suggest this model shows promise for providing midwifery care in a culturally centered environment.

“Racism is a fundamental cause of health and reproductive health inequities in the U.S.,” said lead author and assistant professor, Rachel Hardeman. “The model the center uses treats a mother’s culture, racial identity, and background as assets during pregnancy, rather than pathology or a problem.”

However, the birth center faces financial challenges due to current maternity care payment models and inadequate Medicaid reimbursement. Of Roots’ cli-

ents, 75 percent use Medicaid.

“The Medicaid reimbursement rate for this kind of care is incredibly low,” said Hardeman. “While the center is providing a needed service to the community, this means it isn’t making a lot of money. In addition, outpatient aspects of maternity care are reimbursed as a ‘bundle’ – a single payment made to a clinical practice that provides care during pregnancy and postpartum. Due to this, any extra time spent or additional appointments made are not reimbursed in the bundle which creates financial challenges for the Roots model of care.”

To support centers such as Roots, Hardeman said policymakers should increase the Medicaid reimbursement rate to levels that can sustain their care models. In the long run, the added expense will lead to increasing numbers of healthy babies and mothers who avoid expensive and dangerous complications, and – ultimately – racial disparities in their health care.

The study was coauthored by associate professor Katy Kozhimannil and doctoral student J›Mag Karbeah.

Dannia Edwards named District Court Judge Gov. Tim Walz announced the appointment of Dannia Edwards as District Court Judge in Minnesota’s First Judicial District.

Edwards will be replacing the Hon. Thomas Pugh and will be chambered at Hastings in Dakota County.

“I am honored to ap-

Dannia Edwards

point Dannia Edwards as a District Court Judge in the First Judicial District,” said Walz.

“Her legal career has included a range of experiences in public service, civil rights, and education—all of which demonstrate her remarkable qualities that will serve the people of the First Judicial District well.

I2H

Kidney and pancreas transplant end diabetes devastating complications

PAGE 4

“Dannia Edwards demonstrates a deep commitment to equity and due process,” said Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. “It is clear that she cares deeply about servant leadership and doing right by the people of Dakota County.”

An adjunct professor at Mitchell Hamline School of

Law, Edwards was an assistant public defender before her appointment. She also served as the state legal representative for the NAACP. Minnesota’s First Judicial District consists of Carver, Dakota, Goodhue, LeSueur, McLeod, Scott and Sibley Counties.

Gov. Tim Walz

Quality of a student’s education too often dependent on their race, zip code Guest Commentary

by Gov. Tim Walz As a former public school teacher and a dad, the backto-school season is a meaningful time of year for me.

This year, it’s also full of change. My daughter, Hope, starts her first year of college at the University of Minnesota and my son, Gus, heads back to middle school. This will also be the first year in nearly 30 years that neither my wife, Gwen, nor I will be starting September in a school.

While I am not in front of a classroom this year, I approach every day in my job as a “teacher-governor.” That’s because the education of our children determines the future of our state. Every student in Minnesota deserves the opportunity to learn in the best schools in the country with caring, qualified teachers.

But as I travel around the state, I see how the quality of a student’s education is too often dependent on their race or zip code. I recently met a grandmother who lives with a deep anxiety. Her fear is that her grandchild in Le Crescent won’t receive the same opportunities or have as bright of a future as her grandchild in Woodbury. Disparities in our educational system based on geography, race, or economic status hold back not only our students, but our entire state from reaching its full potential.

We must make Minnesota the “Education State” for all children – no matter who they are or where they live.

This past legislative session, we achieved many victories for education. Together, we increased the general education formula for the next two years, giving schools more flexibility to meet the unique needs of their students. We invested in the mental health of our kids by allowing districts and charters to hire more school counselors. And we kept the preschool doors open for 4,000 of Minnesota’s littlest learners to keep them on track to reach their full potential.

While I am incredibly encouraged by these steps forward, we still face many challenges in education. The achievement gap between white students

EDUCATION 6

News

Blacks in Technology hosts second annual conference in Twin Cities

PAGE 6

Page 4 • September 9, 2019 - September 15, 2019 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Insight 2 Health Allma Johnson was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 15

Kidney and pancreas transplant end diabetes devastating complications From the Mayo Clinic

When Allma Johnson was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 15, she knew her life would be forever changed.

An active high school student involved in marching and concert band, Johnson had to begin daily insulin injections. For years, the injections were all she needed to manage her disease. In her 30s, she transitioned to an insulin pump, along with a continuous glucose monitor.

A few years later, she returned to daily injections and routine blood sugar checks. Together with a healthy diet, they kept her diabetes in check.

But in early 2015, when she was 43, Johnson began to experience troubling symptoms. “I started noticing swelling in my ankles that slowly progressed to my calves,�

Johnson said.

Those symptoms signaled the beginning of a downward spiral in Johnson’s condition that took a serious toll on her heart and kidneys. Her need for specialized care led Johnson to Mayo Clinic, where she eventually received a kidney and pancreas transplant that restored her health and allowed her to bid goodbye to her

diabetes for good.

Johnson’s leg swelling in 2015 landed her in a hospital emergency department in Las Vegas, where she lives. The news wasn’t good. “They removed eight to 10 pounds of uid from my body, and told me I had congestive heart failure,â€? she says.

As a result of that diagnosis, Johnson started receiving care from a local cardiologist. But two months later, while at work one day, she began having serious breathing problems and ended up back in the emergency department, where she received more bad news.

She had stage 3 kidney failure.

Johnson was referred to a local nephrologist for treatment. She began taking medications to improve her kidney function, and she followed a strict diet that limited her salt and water intake, as well as phosphorus, protein and potassium. But those measures didn’t work.

Within two months, Johnson’s kidney failure progressed to stage 4. “The doctor told me I needed to prepare for dialysis.

I was just in shock,� Johnson says. Then, in the summer of 2016, Johnson learned she would need a kidney and pancreas transplant. “About one-third of patients with Type 1 diabetes

develop kidney disease and eventually kidney failure,� Dr. Hasan Khamash said. “These patients are typically prime candidates for a kidney and pancreas transplant.�

Based on her kidney function, she ďŹ t the criteria for a transplant. But Johnson’s poor heart function stood in the way. During her ďŹ rst meeting with Khamash, Johnson learned her heart’s ejection fraction – a measure of the percentage of blood the heart squeezes out with each beat — had been as low as 30 percent.

Khamash told her it had to be at least 45 percent to have the transplant. “Kidney failure and diabetes can aect heart function,â€? Khamash said. “With kidney failure, you have a buildup of uid and toxins in the body, which reduces the ejection fraction of the heart.â€?

Over the next several months, they worked to improve Johnson’s ejection fraction. By February 2017, it was high enough for her to qualify for a transplant, and Johnson’s name was place on the transplant waiting list.

Knowing it could be several years before a kidney and pancreas became available to her for transplant, Johnson maintained her hope and faith with the knowledge that a new beginning was coming. To help

For decades, Allma Johnson managed her diabetes with insulin and diet. But at 43, her heart and kidneys were failing as a result of the disease, and she needed a kidney and pancreas transplant.

Today, thanks to the transplant she received at Mayo Clinic, Johnson’s diabetes and its devastating complications are gone. her cope with the wait, she made sure to be well-prepared. “I was concerned because I didn’t know what was going to happen,� Johnson says. “I kept my phone in my hand and a few personal items ready. I knew I had to be ready to go whenever I got the call that organs were available.�

As Johnson waited, more challenges cropped up. She became severely anemic and had to take medication to help her bone marrow produce red blood cells. She also had weekly iron infusions.

“I kept getting worse every day and felt so fatigued. I could barely perform daily tasks like brushing my teeth,� Johnson says. “I pushed hard because I needed to have a sense of normalcy. I refused to let what was happening get the best of me.�

In June 2017, Johnson began dialysis. A month later, her ejection fraction dipped to 28 percent. Because of that, she was inactivated on the transplant list. She could no longer work and retired from her position with the U.S.

Postal Service. “I felt like I was just dying,� Johnson said. “I made my funeral arrangements and wrote my obituary.�

In August 2017, Johnson spoke with Dr. Brian Hardaway, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, who told her that better dialysis and uid removal could improve her heart function.

The new treatment plan made a dierence. In March 2018, Johnson went in for a follow-up visit with her local cardiologist. Her heart function ďŹ nally was normal. She was reevaluated for a transplant at Mayo. On June 28, 2018, she was cleared to be put back on the transplant waiting list.

Three days later – and 31 years to the day after being diagnosed with diabetes – Johnson got the call that would save her life. There was a kidney and pancreas available for her.

On Aug. 1, 2018, Johnson received a kidney and pancreas during a nine-hour surgery.

She was discharged from the hospital a week later. She stayed in Phoenix for two-and-a-half months to receive follow-up care and then returned home to Las Vegas, free from all her previous medical concerns. “It was the ďŹ rst time that I was able to say that I feel good. I never knew what the experience of feeling good was like,â€? Johnson said. “I can’t begin to explain the joy I have every morning I awake and don’t need an insulin injection or to undergo dialysis.â€?

NORTH POINT H EALTH & WELLNES S CENTER PR ES ENTS

*UHDW )RRG )DPLO\ $FWLYLWLHV +HDOWK :HOOQHVV 9LOODJH )5(( $1' 23(1 72 7+( 38%/,& 0DLQ 6WDJH 6SRQVRU

+HDOWK :HOOQHVV 9LOODJH 6SRQVRUV

)DPLO\ )XQ =RQH 6SRQVRU

SEPTEMBER 14 th, 2019 FROM 12 pm UNTIL 3 pm s FREE FAMILY FUN EVENT

OPEN STREETS AT WEST BROADWAY

Between Bryant Ave. N. & Lyndale Ave. N.

Visit northpointhealth.org for more information

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Metropolitan RegionalArts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund

1313 Penn Av!Ĺ? ÄŒĹ? %**! ,+(%/ÄŒĹ? Ĺ?Ä‘Ĺ?612-543-2500

insightnews.com

Insight News • September 9, 2019 - September 15, 2019 • Page 5

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

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

MORE ORGANIC. MORE LOCAL. Your neighborhood choice for fresh, natural foods. msmarket.coop

Page 6 • September 9, 2019 - September 15, 2019 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Blacks in Technology hosts second annual conference in Twin Cities National non-proďŹ t, Blacks in Technology (BIT), will host its second annual conference this fall, Oct. 9 – Oct 12, once again in the Twin Cities.

Dubbed #BITCON2019, the second installment of BIT’s very premiere conference will have all eyes on the Twin Cities as this Midwest destination event unfolds.

Attendees will have the opportunity to take in both sides of the Twin Cities as the conference will take place in multiple venues to include the Lumber

Education From 3 and students of color persists –threatening to hold back our future workforce. Too many school districts, especially in Greater Minnesota, rely on levies and property tax increases

Exchange, Hilton Minneapolis and The St. Paul Rivercentre.

With past guest speakers such as Former CEO of Best Buy, Hubert Joly, presidential candidate, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and hip-hop icon, the late Nipsey Hussle, this year BITCON will be adding to the presenting roster U.S. Patent and Trademark OďŹƒce Midwest regional director, James Wilson, Miss Black America and tech entrepreneur, Ryann Richardson and Google software engineer and inuencer, Anthony Mays.

to provide students with the support they need and deserve.

We cannot continue to ask our teachers and administrators to do more with fewer resources.

If we are going to foster the best education system in the country, every politician, every community, and every Minnesotan must value our children receiving a high-quality educa-

Ryann Richardson

tion. This means valuing our teachers, our principals, our mentors, our paraprofessionals, our bus drivers and, of course, our students. In sum, it means valuing the great American institution of public education.

Back-to-school is a time ďŹ lled with possibility and excitement. Education is the great equalizer of society. Education

Greg Greenlee

unleashes untapped potential.

Education conjures the magic of promising beginnings and the grace of second chances. I will work every day to make Minnesota the Education State.

Good luck to everyone as they head back at school, and I look forward to what we can achieve together this year.

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

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

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Managing Editor Harry Colbert, Jr. Culture and Education Editor Dr. Irma McClaurin Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Coordinator Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Intern Kelvin Kuria Contributing Writers Maya Beecham Nadvia Davis Fred Easter Abeni Hill Timothy Houston Michelle Mitchum Inell Rosario Latisha Townsend Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography David Bradley V. Rivera Garcia Uchechukwu Iroegbu Rebecca Rabb Artist Donald Walker Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis,

Aaron Neville Duo Evening With An American Master

OCT 6-7

Paula Cole

John Pizzarelli

OCT 8

OCT 14

An Evening Inspired by “Crowns� The

Gospel Musical

Fred Hersch & Julian Lage

feat. Jamecia Bennett, Thomasina Petrus, T. Mychael Rambo

Elegance & Mastery

OCT 15

OCT 16

Poetic & Heartfelt Pop

New Orleans Suspects

From 3 ley. “To have a freshman on that committee signals change, and we know nothing changes if nothing changes. It’s her voice on that committee that is helping to bring about change.�

In fact, it is Omar’s voice (along with others) that is helping to reshape the way in which many view the United State’s relationship with Israel; in particular, as it relates to the treatment of Palestinians. “The shift is the fact that we’re actually having the conversation,â€? said Omar. “I’m willing to talk about this and not worry about my political survival. My concern ‌ my worry is people living under oppression. I’m a mother and I look at things from that perspective, believing, knowing, that no one person should be viewed as more valuable than another person.â€?

It’s that sense of equal value that is guiding one of Pressley’s initiatives.

This past June, Pressley, along with Sen. Cory Booker, reintroduced the “Baby Bondsâ€? legislation, a bill they say, “would give every American child a fairer chance at economic mobility by creating a seed savings account of $1,000 at birth. Each year, children would receive up to an additional $2,000 deposit into their American Opportunity Account, depending on family income. These funds would sit in a federally insured account managed by the Treasury Department, achieving roughly 3 percent interest. Account holders may not access the money until they reach age 18 and will only be able to use the funds for allowable uses like homeownership and higher education – the kind of human and ďŹ nancial capital investments that changes life trajectories.â€?

Pressley’s ďŹ rst ever bill was introduced just days into her tenure during the government shutdown. It was a bill to ensure government contract

employees would receive backpay once the shutdown ended. “These men and women were showing up at the Capitol every day not knowing when –if-- they were going to be paid and it struck me as hypocritical to walk past them knowing we would receive pay and they may not,� said Pressley.

With what the four freshmen congresswomen of color have accomplished it’s hard to fathom considering they have been the target of racist verbal attacks and death threats. The level of vitriol towards the four tends to amp-up any time Trump tweets about them or talks about them at one of his campaign rallies. Just days ago Omar was the target of a death threat with someone saying they would kill her at the Minnesota State Fair.

The fact that “The Squad� is receiving unprecedented attention is by design said Omar and Pressley.

The moniker, “The Squadâ€? comes from a social media hashtag created by Ocasio-Cortez. It came about when the four sat for their oďŹƒcial House photos. They took a photo together as a part of a historic freshman class featuring four new members who are women of color, two of whom are Muslim, one, Omar, Somali-born. “Alexandria OcasioCortez said, ‘Hey, we gotta post this (on social media); we need a hashtag’ and she came up with the hashtag #SquadGoals,â€? explained Pressley.

Right-leaning media quickly picked up on the hashtag and began to dub the four The Squad – a designation none of the congresswomen shy away from. “We want to show that as women and as women of color we can stick together and work to better the conditions for all Americans,� said Pressley. “When people say we are the face of the Democratic Party I say the face of the Democratic Party is the American people.

We represent the growing table of the Democratic Party and its expanding electorate.�

TRAVEL BEHAVIOR INVENTORY

Tell us about your travel and help us plan for the future.

Jon McLaughlin

NOLA Funk & Bayou Bluesr

OCT 17

OCT 18

Davina and the Vagabonds & Hot Club of Cowtown

Matt Andersen

Live Album Recording

w/special guest Monica Rizzio Powerhouse Soul Vocals

OCT 19-20

OCT 21

The Steel Wheels

Loudon Wainwright III

OCT 22

OCT 24

612.332.5299 dakotacooks.com

Squad

ogy strives to ensure that Black women in men in tech have not only the resources and opportunities to excel in tech but also a presence and a voice in this industry that can help to inspire others,� said BIT founder Greg Greenlee commented. “BITCON 2019 is an excellent opportunity for newcomers to tech to experienced professionals as well as companies looking for talented people to come together under one roof for a chance to network and engage with one another.�

�For Centennial Reasons: 100 Year Salute to Nat King Cole� Album Release

�Me & My Piano� Tour w/special guest Sawyer

Over The Trees Album Release Show

Across four days attendees can expect exclusive networking parties, keynotes, interactive exhibits, labs, sprints, competitions, 40-plus workshops and panels, corporate tours, celebrity and inuencer meet and greets and a career fair.

BITCON will also highlight the latest technology trends such as artiďŹ cial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics, and cybersecurity, as this event takes place during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. “Blacks in Technol-

Every day, people travel across the greater Twin Cities region – to and from work, school, GRFWRU¡V DSSRLQWPHQWV DQG WKH JURFHU\ VWRUH How we get where we need to go is essential to RXU OLYHV Add A VIP MEET & GREET

Check your mail! Look for a survey about how people travel that will help us build a better, PRUH HIILFLHQW WUDQVSRUWDWLRQ V\VWHP :H¡UH mailing invitations to take the survey to randomly selected households across the UHJLRQ RYHU WKH QH[W \HDU Complete the survey! If you receive an invitation, follow the instructions and start the VXUYH\ ULJKW DZD\ 7DNLQJ SDUW LQ WKH VXUYH\ means that households like yours are UHSUHVHQWHG LQ RXU UHJLRQDO WUDQVSRUWDWLRQ SODQV

Iconic Singer/Songwriter Humorist

1010 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN

To learn more, visit MSPtravelstudy.org or call 1-888-476-6157

insightnews.com

Insight News • September 9, 2019 - September 15, 2019 • Page 7

WIN UP TO $100,000 GAME DAY EXPERIENCES EXCLUSIVE PRIZE PACKAGES

Page 8 • September 9, 2019 - September 15, 2019 • Insight News

insightnews.com

THANK YOU For your part in the success of Twins Diversity Week!