Issue # 503
TH E
AF R IC A N
JANUARY 3-9,2022
C OM MU NIT Y
www.mshale.com
NE W S PAP E R
HULDAH MOMANYI-HILTSLEY IS RUNNING FOR MINNESOTA SENATE The Kenyan American candidate calls for fair redistricting
PHOTO: RICHARD OOGA/MSHALE
BY CYNTHIA SIMBA PAGE 6
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January 3 - 9, 2022 Issue 503
Where to get rapid COVID-19 tests in Minnesota
Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan visit the Stillwater COVID-19 Rapid Testing site on October 21, 2021. Photo: Office of Governor Tim Walz
By Bethel Gessesse Mshale The holiday rush to get COVID-19 tests to help with family gatherings may soon subside but with the highly contagious omicron variant still with us, the need for regular testing is becoming necessary. According to the Minnesota Department of Health COVID dashboard, the sevenday average case rate in the state had been declining for most of December preholidays but has started climbing. If you need a COVID test now in Minnesota, the state has over 20 community testing sites that provide free
tests. You can get the rapid test (antigen), with results available within 1-3 hours or you can take the saliva (PCR) test with results available 24-72 hours. For international travel, you need the PCR test. Tests are free and they welcome walkins. To find a community testing site near you, visit this website https://mn.gov/ covid19/get-tested/testing-locations/ community-testing.jsp
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January 3-9, 2022 Issue 503
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Guest Commentary by Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis
The FCC should adopt rule change empowering minority-owned businesses Whenever I have had the responsibility during the past six decades to weigh in on a vital civil rights issue on behalf of Black America and other communities of color throughout the United States, I have not hesitated to speak out. Now is the time to publicly address the urgent issue of equal access, diversity, equity, and inclusion of Black-owned media in our nation’s communications industry. In this era of the global digitalization of media and other high technological innovations in the communications industry, Black-owned and other minority-owned media cannot afford to be denied access to the rapidly evolving industry innovations. The issue today is that Black-owned radio stations and other minority-owned media businesses should be permitted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to compete fairly and equitably with large television and cable stations that geotarget audiences across America. The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) has a strategic alliance with the National Organization of Black-Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) and with the Multicultural Media, Telecom & Internet Council (MMTC). We are all working together to ensure that the FCC will approve a rulemaking change that will enable minority-owned radio stations to engage in geotargeting of content to their audiences. This change is necessary because the FCC’s antiquated rules, written forty years ago, don’t give radio stations the chance to compete in the current media environment. The FCC has as its mission to regulate “interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.” The proposed rulemaking change will substantially increase the access to geotargeting by minority-owned radio stations and other minority-owned businesses that is so vital and effective in today’s global and national media marketplace. This is another crucial national civil rights issue. This is an issue of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Last month I wrote to the FCC to stress this point. I emphasized, “I have spent much of my career as a civil rights leader focused on ensuring that technological developments like the one at issue in this proceeding, lift all of America, and not just some of us. Too often, I have seen the benefits of technological development accrue to the privileged, with little or no benefit to disadvantaged communities, including some with which I work on a daily basis.” I concluded in the letter to the FCC: “Geotargeting technology would give minorityowned broadcasters an enhanced ability to compete with the larger station groups…
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The technology would enable them to better serve their communities with localized content. In addition, for those broadcasters that choose to use this technology, since it is voluntary, they can give minority-owned businesses an affordable outlet for their messages. In short, I now believe that this technology is beneficial to minority communities, including radio broadcasters, small businesses, and the public they serve.” We recall that President Joe Biden announced, “On my first day in office, I signed Executive Order 13985 (Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government), which established that affirmatively advancing equity, civil rights, racial justice, and equal opportunity is the responsibility of the whole of our Government.” We commend the Biden-Harris Administration thus far in its first year striving to move the nation forward on equity and diversity matters even during the persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the epidemic of partisan politicization of issues and supporting public policies that will improve and enhance the quality for life of all Americans. On this issue of media reform, we hope and resolutely call for the FCC in 2022 to be aligned fully with the official stated commitments of the Biden-Harris Administration to ensure fairness, equity and diversity. The proposed FCC rulemaking change is also supported overwhelmingly by all of the major national civil rights organizations including the NAACP, National Urban League, National Action Network, National Council of Negro Women, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, National Congress of Black Women, Hispanic Federation, National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, U.S Black Chambers, and many more. The time for the FCC to act and to approve the proposed rulemaking change submitted is now because it will help to empower all minority-owned radio and other media businesses. Millions of Americans, particularly from underserved communities, deserve and have a fundamental civil right to have access and to be included. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr, is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and Executive Producer/Host of The Chavis Chronicles (TCC) on PBS Television Stations across the nation.
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January 3 - 9, 2022 Issue 503
Desmond Tutu, South Africa’s moral conscience, dies at 90 By Andrew Meldrum Associated Press
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Desmond Tutu, South Africa’s Nobel Peace Prizewinning icon, an uncompromising foe of apartheid and a modern-day activist for racial justice and LGBT rights, died Sunday at 90. South Africans, world leaders and people around the globe mourned the death of the man viewed as the country’s moral conscience. Tutu worked passionately, tirelessly and non-violently to tear down apartheid — South Africa’s brutal, decades-long regime of oppression against its Black majority that only ended in 1994. The buoyant, blunt-spoken clergyman used his pulpit as the first Black bishop of Johannesburg and later as the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, as well as frequent public demonstrations, to galvanize public opinion against racial inequity, both at home and globally. Nicknamed “the Arch,” the diminutive Tutu became a towering figure in his nation’s history, comparable to fellow Nobel laureate Nelson Mandela, a prisoner during white rule who became South Africa’s first Black president. Tutu and Mandela shared a commitment to building a better, more equal South Africa. Upon becoming president in 1994, Mandela appointed Tutu to be chairman of the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which uncovered the abuses of apartheid. Tutu’s death on Sunday “is another chapter of bereavement in our nation’s farewell to a generation of outstanding South Africans who have bequeathed us a liberated South Africa,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said. “From the pavements of resistance in South Africa to the pulpits of the world’s great cathedrals and places of worship, and the prestigious setting of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, the Arch distinguished himself as a non-sectarian, inclusive champion of universal human rights,” he said. Tutu died peacefully at the Oasis Frail Care Center in Cape Town, the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Trust said. He had been hospitalized several times since 2015 after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1997. “He turned his own misfortune into a teaching opportunity to raise awareness and reduce the suffering of others,” said the Tutu trust. “He wanted the world to know that he had prostate cancer, and that the sooner it is detected, the better the chance of managing it.” In recent years he and his wife, Leah, lived in a retirement community outside Cape Town. Former U.S. President Barack Obama hailed Tutu as “a moral compass for me and so many others. A universal spirit, Archbishop Tutu was grounded in the struggle for liberation and justice in his own country, but also concerned with injustice everywhere. He never lost his impish sense of humor and willingness to
Desmond Tutu leaves the stage at the Minneapolis Convention Center in April 2008 after a speech. Photo: Edwin Okong’o/Mshale
find humanity in his adversaries.” Tutu’s life was “entirely dedicated to serving his brothers and sisters for the greater common good. He was a true humanitarian” said the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader and Tutu’s friend.
at Tutu’s residence in Cape Town. Later, Mandela called Tutu “the people’s archbishop.” Tutu also campaigned internationally for human rights, especially LGBTQ rights and same-sex marriage.
“His legacy is moral strength, moral courage and clarity,” Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Thabo Makgoba said in a video statement. “He felt with the people. In public and alone, he cried because he felt people’s pain. And he laughed — no, not just laughed, he cackled with delight — when he shared their joy.” A seven-day mourning period is planned in Cape Town before Tutu’s burial, including a two-day lying in state, an ecumenical service and an Anglican requiem mass at St. George’s Cathedral in Cape Town. The southern city’s landmark Table Mountain will be lit up in purple, the color of the robes Tutu wore as archbishop. Throughout the 1980s — when South Africa was gripped by anti-apartheid violence and a state of emergency gave police and the military sweeping powers — Tutu was one of the most prominent Black leaders able to speak out against abuses. A lively wit lightened Tutu’s hard-hitting messages and warmed otherwise grim protests, funerals and marches. Plucky and tenacious, he was a formidable force with a canny talent for quoting apt scriptures to harness support for change. The Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 highlighted his stature as one of the world’s most effective champions for human rights, a responsibility he took seriously for the rest of his life. With the end of apartheid and South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, Tutu celebrated the country’s multi-racial society, calling it a “rainbow nation,” a phrase that captured the heady optimism of the moment. In 1990, after 27 years in prison, Mandela spent his first night of freedom
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“I would not worship a God who is homophobic,” he said in 2013, launching a campaign for LGBTQ rights in Cape Town. “I would refuse to go to a homophobic heaven. No, I would say, ‘Sorry, I would Tutu on Pg. 5
Mshale - The African Community Newspaper Tutu from Pg. 4 much rather go to the other place.’” Tutu said he was “as passionate about this campaign as I ever was about apartheid. For me, it is at the same level.” He was one of the most prominent religious leaders to advocate LGBTQ rights — a stance that put him at odds with many in South Africa and across the continent as well as within the Anglican church. South Africa, Tutu said, was a “rainbow” nation of promise for racial reconciliation and equality, even though he grew disillusioned with the African National Congress, the anti-apartheid movement that became the ruling party after the 1994 election. His outspoken remarks long after apartheid sometimes angered partisans who accused him of being biased or out of touch. Tutu was particularly incensed by the South African government’s refusal to grant a visa to the Dalai Lama, preventing the Tibetan spiritual leader from attending Tutu’s 80th birthday as well as a planned gathering of Nobel laureates in Cape Town. The government rejected Tutu’s accusations that it was bowing to pressure from China, a major trading partner. Early in 2016, Tutu defended the reconciliation policy that ended white minority rule amid increasing frustrations among some Black South Africans who felt they had not seen the expected economic opportunities since apartheid ended. Tutu had chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that investigated atrocities under apartheid and granted amnesty to some perpetrators, but some people believed that more former white officials should have been prosecuted.
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Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born Oct. 7, 1931, in Klerksdorp, west of Johannesburg, and became a teacher before entering St. Peter’s Theological College in Rosetenville in 1958. He was ordained in 1961 and six years later became chaplain at the University of Fort Hare. He then moved to the tiny southern African kingdom of Lesotho and to Britain, returning home in 1975. He became bishop of Lesotho, chairman of the South African Council of Churches and, in 1985, the first Black Anglican bishop of Johannesburg. In 1986, Tutu was named the first Black archbishop of Cape Town. He ordained women priests and promoted gay priests. Tutu was arrested in 1980 for joining a protest and later had his passport confiscated for the first time. He got it back for trips to the United States and Europe, where he spoke with the U.N. secretary-general, the pope and other church leaders. Tutu called for international sanctions against South Africa and talks to end apartheid. Tutu often conducted funeral services after the massacres that marked the negotiating period of 1990-1994. He railed against black-on-black political violence, asking crowds, “Why are we doing this to ourselves?” In one powerful moment, Tutu defused the rage of thousands of mourners in a township soccer stadium after the Boipatong massacre of 42 people in 1992, leading the crowd in chants proclaiming their love of God and themselves. As head of the truth commission, Tutu and his panel listened to harrowing testimony about torture, killings and
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Tutu breaks into dance after renewing his wedding vows to his wife of 60 years, Leah, right. Photo: AP File
other atrocities during apartheid. At some hearings, Tutu wept openly. “Without forgiveness, there is no future,” he said at the time. The commission’s 1998 report lay most of the blame on the forces of apartheid, but also found the African National Congress guilty of human rights violations. The ANC sued to block the document’s release, earning a rebuke from Tutu. “I didn’t struggle in order to remove one set of those who thought they were tin gods to replace them with others who are tempted to think they are,” Tutu said. In July 2015, Tutu renewed his 1955 wedding vows with wife Leah, surrounded by their four children.
“You can see that we followed the biblical injunction: We multiplied and we’re fruitful,” Tutu told the congregation. “But all of us here want to say thank you … We knew that without you, we are nothing.” Tutu is survived by his wife of 66 years and their children. Asked once how he wanted to be remembered, he told The Associated Press: “He loved. He laughed. He cried. He was forgiven. He forgave. Greatly privileged.”
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January 3 - 9, 2022 Issue 503
Kenyan American candidate for Minnesota state Senate calls for fair redistricting Early last year, District 40 was thrusted into the national media as reports of the killing of Daunte Wright surfaced from Brooklyn Center. Wright, an unarmed 20-year-old Black man was shot and killed by police officer Kim Potter during a traffic stop on April 11. On December 23, a mostly white jury after deliberating for about 27 hours over four days found the former Brooklyn Center Officer guilty of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter. “All the residents no matter your background no matter your race no matter what community of color or any community you come from, you as a resident of District 40 [should] feel safe,” she says. Momanyi-Hiltsley says she wants to build trust between the residents and law enforcement. While some activists and legislators have called for total disbandment and defunding of the police, she says does not support legislation that would dismantle law enforcement but would rather explore ways in which the police and citizens are able to have greater trust for each other. If elected, she says she will take a collaborative approach in addressing the district’s issues and needs with regards to safety. “I think that the more we collaborate, the more that we talk about what we want this community to look like the more we will create an environment where all of us thrive,” she said. Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley during her official campaign launch for the Minnesota state Senate on Thursday, September 16, 2021. Photo: Richard Ooga/Mshale
By Cynthia Simba Mshale Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley says she wants to be the next lawmaker to represent District 40 in the Minnesota State Senate. If she’s successful, the Kenyan American would be the first Black woman to ever be elected in the 67-member upper house of the state legislature. “What has lacked over the years [in District 40] has been the representation in leadership, from the school board all the way to the House of Representatives, and the Senate in terms of what that demographic looks like,” she says. Momanyi-Hiltsley, who is currently the president of Mwanyagetinge, an organization of Kenyans in Minnesota, has lived in Brooklyn Center for more than twenty years. She says that the city’s representatives need to resemble their constituents. She considers fair representation as a key to solving the district’s issues. She decided to run for the seat after Sen. Chris A. Eaton, who has represented District 40 since 2011, announced that she will not seek reelection in 2022. Members of the Minnesota Senate are eligible to serve four-year terms if elected in years ending with a two or a six, and two-year terms if elected in years ending with a zero. Located just north of Minneapolis,
District 40 is home to the most culturally diverse population in the state. About 60 percent of the district’s residents are persons of color, according to the 2020 U.S. census data. Currently, the district includes the city of Brooklyn Center and part of Brooklyn Park in Hennepin County, though the final boundaries won’t be known until redistricting is completed. U.S. law mandates that every ten years, boundaries of congressional and state legislative districts must be redrawn to ensure representation in legislatures reflects census data. Momanyi-Hiltsley says the redrawing of district boundaries has always reflected the changing demographics of Minnesota. “What I want to see is fairness across the board,” she says. “I’m hoping that once that’s set and done we can look at it and say redistricting was done fairly and that every voice was counted in terms of what the demographics looks like.” But Momanyi-Hiltsley says she’s not running merely to make history as the first Black woman in the state senate. She has a plan. She wants to address public safety, affordable housing, small business and education support, as well as immigration reform. Of the issues listed, she considers public safety to be the most critical. “I’m looking forward to finding sustainable solutions that create an environment where everybody thrives,” she says.
Chelsea Youngquist, a local activist and resident of District 40, says the inequality in the distribution of resources in the district has kept parts of the city flourishing, while others have been deteriorating.
constituents’ needs aren’t being met by the current folks in office.” Youngquist says Momanyi-Hiltsley is the right person to represent the district in St. Paul. She says she so strongly believes in Momanyi-Hiltsley that she has volunteered for the campaign. “One meeting with Huldah and you’re a fan because her intelligence and her commitment to her community is very obvious and contagious,” Youngquist says. “She will ensure that more voices are being heard. That’s why I like her.” Human resources specialist and longterm friend of Momanyi-Hiltsley, Mary Ngunu, has witnessed the candidate take on community leadership roles in times of uncertainty. During the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, Momanyi-Hiltsley banded with other community members to create a task force to ensure that members of the community had access to the essential resources they needed during the long lockdown. She even led a search for Keegan Oyugi, a young Kenyan American who went missing last summer and was later found dead weeks after a single-vehicle car crash. “I’d like to see someone who puts actions behind words,” Ngunu said. “It would be great to see someone who stands behind the public and that is Huldah.” After living in District 40 for over two decades Momanyi-Hiltsley says she considers the area’s diversity as its greatest strength. It is the main reason she and her family enjoy living there, she says. “The demographics have changed drastically over the years, which is a good thing,” she says.
“We need change in our district,” Youngquist says. “I think that a lot of our
On it.
Ending racial injustice requires all of us to work together and take real action. What can you do to help? Educate yourself about the history of American racism, privilege and what it means to be anti-racist. Educate yourself
about the history of American racism, privilege and what it means to be anti-racist.
Commit to actions that challenge injustice and make everyone feel like they belong, such as challenging biased or racist language when you hear it. Vote in national and local elections to ensure your elected officials share your vision of public safety. Donate to organizations, campaigns and initiatives who are committed to racial justice.
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Blue Line extension to Brooklyn Park workgroup being formed to prevent displacement By Tom Gitaa Mshale Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council are seeking applications from community members and others to serve on a 21-member Anti-Displacement Workgroup for the Blue Line light-rail line extension, which will link downtown Minneapolis with Brooklyn Park. The deadline to apply is Jan. 14. The goal of the workgroup is to ensure existing residents and businesses along the line are not displaced during its construction. It will include 21 initial members, with representation from community members, government staff, as well as staff from foundations and philanthropic organizations serving the project area. The Metropolitan Council has tasked the University of Minnesota’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) with the responsibility of working with the communities in north Minneapolis, Robbinsdale, Crystal and Brooklyn Park “to evaluate the potential for current and future displacement related to planning, construction and operation of the Blue Line light rail,” according to a statement. Community members that join the workgroup will be asked to commit to twelve to eighteen months, depending on the needs of the work.
Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council are inviting community members to join an Anti-Displacement Workgroup for the Blue Line extension. The line extension will link downtown Minneapolis with Brooklyn Park. Photo: Sam Wagner/Shutterstock
Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Lunde, whose district includes all of the cities the extended line will go through except north Minneapolis, said in a statement that the anti-displacement efforts will be critical to the success of the project, adding “I am proud to have pushed for this initiative in partnership with Commissioner Fernando. While our districts experience different challenges and have different development landscapes, we share the goal of having this project benefit current residents.”
Commissioner Irene Fernando’s district includes north Minneapolis. She said in a statement that the workgroup gives the community a chance to “co-design policy and have their experiences inform programming that will ensure current corridor residents experience the lasting benefits of light rail.” Metropolitan Council Member Reva Chamblis, who lives in Brooklyn Park, said the long-term success of transit projects rely on strong community support.
“Throughout the METRO Blue Line Extension Project planning, I heard the concerns from the community about how the project may adversely impact neighborhoods and the fear of being displaced from their homes and businesses. I applaud the projects willingness to hear and address these concerns,” Chamblis said. Apply to join the workgroup You can apply online at https:// mybluelineext.org/anti-displacement or call CURA at 612-625-1551. The deadline to apply is Jan. 14.
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January 3 - 9, 2022 Issue 503
4 candidates file for February special election to fill spot on Brooklyn Park City Council By Tom Gitaa Mshale The upcoming special election to fill the East District seat on the Brooklyn Park City Council has drawn four candidates. The deadline to file for a place on the ballot for the special Feb. 8 election closed today at 5:00 p.m. Candidates that filed for a spot on the ballot are Xp Lee, LaDawn Severin, Abraham Bah and Benjamin Osemenam. City Clerk Devin Montero said eight candidate packets had been picked up but only four actually filed. In addition to paying the $25 filing fee with their Affidavit of Candidacy, candidates have to obtain 25 signatures from registered voters in the district they want to represent. Those signatures can only be obtained during the filing period, which for this special election was a two week window. Voters will choose one of these four candidates to fill the council seat of Lisa Jacobson, who was elected Mayor in August. The winner of the special election will serve the rest of Jacobson’s term, which ends on Dec. 31, 2024. The city council amended the city charter to waive the requirement of a primary election if more than two candidates file. Because 2022 is a redistricting year, state law dictates when localities can hold elections and a primary would have left East District voters with
Brooklyn Park voters fill out absentee ballot applications at city hall in April 2021 during a special primary election for mayor. Voters in the city’s East District have a special election on Feb. 8 2022 to elect a new council member. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
no representation on the council.
Important dates
The charter amendment only applies for the East District special election and will not carry over to future elections.
Absentee voting will begin on Dec. 27 and close at 5 p.m. on Feb.7.
Candidates who wish to drop out of the race have to do so within the next two days on December 16 at 5:00 p.m. None dropped out so the field is set.
Voting in-person BEFORE the election starts Dec. 27 through Feb. 7: Voters can vote in-person at city hall Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Saturday voting in-person: If you want to vote in person before the special election
but can only do it on a Saturday, you can do so on Feb. 5 between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at city hall. Jan. 18, 2022: This is the last day for you to pre-register to vote if you are not already a registered voter in the East District. More questions? Visit the city website at https://www.brooklynpark.org/elections. Meet the candidates: https://mshale.com/elections-home/
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January 3-9, 2022 Issue 503
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Religion
US Catholic clergy shortage eased by recruits from Africa By Russ Bynum Associated Press The Rev. Athanasius Chidi Abanulo — using skills honed in his African homeland to minister effectively in rural Alabama— determines just how long he can stretch out his Sunday homilies based on who is sitting in the pews. Seven minutes is the sweet spot for the mostly white and retired parishioners who attend the English-language Mass at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in the small town of Wedowee. “If you go beyond that, you lose the attention of the people,” he said. For the Spanish-language Mass an hour later, the Nigerian-born priest — one of numerous African clergy serving in the U.S. -- knows he can quadruple his teaching time. “The more you preach, the better for them,” he said. As he moves from one American post to the next, Abanulo has learned how to tailor his ministry to the culture of the communities he is serving while infusing some of the spirit of his homeland into the universal rhythms of the Mass. During his 18 years in the U.S., Abanulo has filled various chaplain and pastor roles across the country, epitomizing an ongoing trend in
the American Catholic church. As fewer American-born men and women enter seminaries and convents, U.S. dioceses and Catholic institutions have turned to international recruitment to fill their vacancies. The Diocese of Birmingham, where Abanulo leads two parishes, has widened its search for clergy to places with burgeoning religious vocations like Nigeria and Cameroon, said Birmingham Bishop Steven Raica. Priests from Africa were also vital in the Michigan diocese where Raica previously served. Africa is the Catholic church’s fastest-growing region. There, the seminaries are “fairly full,” said the Rev. Thomas Gaunt, director of Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, which conducts research about the Catholic church. It’s different in the U.S. where the Catholic church faces significant hurdles in recruiting home-grown clergy following decades of declining church attendance and the damaging effects of widespread clergy sex abuse scandals. Catholic women and married men remain barred from the priesthood; arguments that lifting those bans would ease the priest shortage have not gained traction with the faith’s
The Rev. Athanasius Abanulo introduces newborn, Nathalia Perez, to the congregation at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021, in Wedowee, Ala. Originally from Nigeria, Abanulo is one of numerous international clergy helping ease a U.S. priest shortage by serving in Catholic dioceses across the country. Photo: Jessie Wardarski/AP top leadership. From 1970 to 2020, the number of priests in the U.S. dropped by 60%, according to data from the Georgetown center. This has left more than 3,500 parishes without a resident pastor. Abanulo oversees two parishes in rural Alabama. His typical Sunday starts with an English-language Mass at Holy Family Catholic Church in Lanett, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) from Birmingham along the AlabamaGeorgia state line. After that, he is driven an hour north to Wedowee, where he celebrates one Mass in English, another in Spanish. “He just breaks out in song and a lot of his lectures, he ties in his boyhood, and I just love hearing those stories,” said Amber Moosman, a first-grade teacher who has been a parishioner at Holy Family since 1988. For Moosman, Abanulo’s preaching style is very different from the priests she’s witnessed previously. “There was no all of a sudden, the priest sings, nothing like thatIt was very quiet, very ceremonial, very strict,” she said. “It’s a lot different now.” Abanulo was ordained in Nigeria in 1990 and came to the U.S. in 2003 after a stint in Chad. His first U.S. role was as an associate pastor in the diocese of Oakland, California, where his ministry focused on the fast-growing Nigerian Catholic community. Since then, he has been a hospital chaplain and pastor in Nashville, Tennessee, and a chaplain at the University of Alabama. Amid the U.S. clergy shortage, religious sisters have experienced the sharpest declines, dropping 75% since 1970, according to the Georgetown center. When Maria Sheri Rukwishuro was told she was being sent from the Sisters of the Infant Jesus order in Zimbabwe to West Virginia to work as a missionary nun, she asked her mother superior, “Where is West Virginia?” She was scared, worrying about the unknowns. “What kind of people am I going to? I’m just
a Black nun coming to a white country,” Rukwishuro told The Associated Press from Clarksburg, West Virginia, where she has been teaching religious education to public and Catholic school students since arriving in 2004. Rukwishuro vividly remembers that at her introduction, a little girl walked to her and “rubbed her finger on my fingers all the way, then she looked at her finger and she smiled but my heart sank...She thought I was dirty.” Despite that, Rukwishuro says most people have been very welcoming. She’s now a U.S. citizen and says, “It feels like home.” One of her first culture shocks was an overnight snowfall. “I really screamed. I thought it was the end of the world,” she said. “Now I love it. I do my meditations to that.” During their integration into American life, it is commonplace for newly arrived clergy to face culture shocks. For Sister Christiana Onyewuche of Nigeria, a hospital chaplain in Boston administering last rites for the dying, it was cremation. She recalled thinking, “Like really? ...How can they burn somebody? I can’t even imagine.” She came to the U.S. 18 years ago and previously served as the president of the African Conference of Catholic Clergy and Religious in the United States, a support group for African missionaries serving in the U.S. Onyewuche said African clergy can face communication challenges with the Americans they serve. To address this, many dioceses have offered training to soften accents, she said. Abanulo, who went through the training in Oakland, says it helped him slow down his speech and improve his pronunciations. Abanulo, who moved to Alabama in 2020, admits he was initially apprehensive about his latest posting, which meant exchanging a comfortable role as university chaplain for two rural parishes. But after a year, and a warm reception, he says he now tells his friends, “There are no rednecks here. All I see are Jesus necks.”
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January 3 - 9, 2022 Issue 503
Art & Entertainment
globalFEST Live 2022 Canceled, NPR’s Tiny Desk with Angelique Kidjo still on By Stacy Santos Celebrity Access The yearly one-day NYC festival globalFEST was to triumphantly return in 2022. It joins the lengthy list of other live events that have bit the dust due to the current Omicron surge. globalFEST, a non-profit organization describes their mission as “globalFEST breaks down cultural and social boundaries by moving international music to the center of the performing arts field. globalFEST’s programs catalyze creative and artistic networks to foster a robust and sustainable ecosystem for global and American regional music – through performance, engagements, touring, and media – an ecosystem which includes artists, arts professionals, media, and the general public.” In the wake of the cancellation, see globalFEST’s statement: “We are heartbroken to announce the cancellation of globalFEST’s flagship event, which was to take place on January 16, 2022, at Webster Hall. Out of an abundance of caution for the current upward trends in COVID cases with the highly transmissible Omicron variant, and the nature of live concerts, we have made
this decision for the health and safety of our artists, audiences, and staff. Ticket holders will be automatically refunded by Webster Hall to the original payment method used for ticket purchase. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
NPR, one of the sponsors of the event, will still present their “Tiny Desk meets globalFEST” series. The series, hosted by Angelique Kidjo will premiere January 18-20 on NPR’s YouTube channel. Performers for 2022: Tufan Derince Group (Netherlands) Suistamon Sähkö (Finland) Northern Cree (Canada) Kombilesa Mí (Colombia) Al Bilali Soudan (Mali) Bedouin Burger (Syria | Lebanon | France) Kiran Ahluwalia (Canada | USA | India) Son Rompe Pera (Mexico) The live music industry has taken one of the biggest hits since the beginning of the pandemic. In fact, I would venture to say it came to a complete and total halt with many musicians losing two-thirds of their income in 2020 alone. Goldman Sachs reports, “the live music industry saw a 75% decline in 2020 and in the UK alone, 170,000 jobs were lost.” According to Pollstar, the $9B in estimated loses due
His first football season, Isaiah told us, ‘Wear a jersey with my name on it. I want everyone to know you’re here for me.’ Darnell and Denna, adopted 16-year-old Isaiah LEARN ABOUT ADOPTING A TEEN YO U C A N ’ T I M AG I N E T H E R E WA R D
A D O P T U S K I D S . O R G
Angelique Kidjo, seen here at a sold out concert at Carnegie Hall on November 5, 2021 will host NPR’s Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST sesries on January 18-20, 2022 . Photo: Courtesy Carnegie Hall
to COVID-19 could be realized in the US concert industry”. The positive aspect to all of this is that music streaming revenues are estimated to hit over $1B as people spend more time at home. globalFEST always happens during the APAP industry conference each year. APAP is an advocacy and membership
organization designed to support and develop the live performing arts field. The industry needs all the help it can get to recover from the effects of the pandemic. APAP has canceled their in-person events and have moved all activities online. More information can be found at https://apap365.org
Mshale - The African Community Newspaper
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January 3-9, 2022 Issue 503
Unite to Fuel Change We live in a world where divisions and poverty affect everyone but when we unite as changemakers we can create a community where all people thrive.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
VISIT GTCUW.ORG TO LEARN MORE
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You
+ Fair Housing
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January 3 - 9, 2022 Issue 503
A Better Community
The solution to housing discrimination starts with you. If you have been trying to buy or rent a house or apartment and you believe your rights have been violated, contact HUD or your local fair housing center. The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, familial status or disability.
Fair Housing Is Your Right. Use It. Visit www.hud.gov/fairhousing or call the HUD Hotline 1-800-669-9777 (English/Español) 1-800-927-9275 (TTY)
SCAN HERE FOR MORE INFO A public service message from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in partnership with the National Fair Housing Alliance. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status or disability. For more information, visit www.hud.gov/fairhousing.