Issue # 475
INSIDE
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Books for Africa announces warehouse grand opening
A F R IC A N
C OM MU N I T Y
N E W S PAP E R
Minnesota Chief Justice recognizes Paschal Nwokocha for pro bono work
Military Gender Advisor Steplyne Nyaboga lauded by UN Chief
‘Serenade’ album celebrates LGBTQ youth
Twin Cities attorney, Paschal Nwokocha, has been honored by the Supreme Court of the state of Minnesota and Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association for his pro bono work. Photo: Courtesy of Paschal Nwokocha
By Edwin Okong’o Mshale Contributing Editor
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Album: “Sounds from The Ancestors”
From a very early age, Paschal O. Nwokocha knew he wanted to dedicate his life to serving the most vulnerable in society. The obvious path towards that goal was through his Catholic faith. At the age of 16, he enrolled at Seat of Wisdom Seminary, in Owerri, Nigeria, his country of birth. “I was supposed to be a Catholic priest,” Nwokocha said. That, however, changed in 1992, when he left the seminary and came to the United States to study at the University of St. Thomas, a Catholic institution located in the Twin Cities. After graduating with a degree in Philosophy, he decided to go to law school. Today, Nwokocha is one of the most distinguished immigration lawyers in the state of Minnesota. He is also an educator and the
co-author and co-editor of the Immigration Practice Deskbook, a guidebook designed to help attorneys understand the complex field of U.S. immigration law. But those who know Nwokocha say you wouldn’t know how accomplished he is because he has remained modest and compassionate. Although he didn’t end up being a priest, he is still a devout Catholic, who believes so strongly in serving those in need that he left a job as an environmental attorney to venture into immigration law. Through his firm, Paschal Nwokocha & Chukwu Law Offices, LLC, he has spent more than 20 years representing corporations, businesses, individuals, and families in immigration cases. Many of his clients are people who can’t afford to pay for his services. But he still provides them with the same high quality of legal representation he gives his paying clients.
“One thing that is clear to me is that without representation, the chance of any immigrant prevailing is very, very minimal,” Nwokocha said. “So, I believe that our skills and our knowledge in immigration law can be put to use, not just to those who can pay our fees, but to those who by no fault of their own cannot afford it.” Attorneys in the United States are not required to provide free legal services, but according to the American Bar Association (ABA), “every lawyer has a professional responsibility to provide services to those unable to pay.” It recommends that each lawyer do a minimum of 50 hours of pro bono work per year. Nwokocha goes far beyond that minimum recommendation. In May, the Supreme Court of the state of Minnesota honored him for taking more than 100 pro bono cases through Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN), a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that links low-income clients to
attorneys. “The Minnesota State Bar Association Access to Justice Committee has brought to my attention a small number of attorneys whose commitment to pro bono has been exceptional,” Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea wrote in a letter to Nwokocha. “You are one of those few. You are answering the highest calling of our profession by helping make equal access to justice a reality.” Colleen R. Beebe Purisaca, who began volunteering at VLN in 1997 before becoming the managing attorney for its Immigrant Legal Services Program, said the 100 cases Nwokocha was honored for do not tell the whole story of his compassion. She has spent her entire law career in nonprofits operating in the areas of refugee, immigrant, and human rights, and has known
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June 21-27, 2021 Issue 475
Books for Africa announces grand opening of new warehouse in Marietta, Georgia
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By Bethel Gessesse Mshale Books for Africa has announced the opening of their newest warehouse facility in Marietta, commemorating the event with a grand opening celebration on June 26th from 1 to 4PM. The Saint Paul, Minnesota based organization has been in the Atlanta metro area since May 2009 when it originally moved its main warehouse there. The new facility, located at 1491 Cobb Industrial Drive, Bldg B, Marietta, GA, 30066, will feature major improvements in efficiency from the previous location, including an upgrade to the inventory management system. The Warehouse Grand Opening event is free to the public and will include refreshments, live music from Books for Africa’s very own band, a keynote address from African Union Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Hilda Suka-Mafudze, remarks from BFA founder and board president, Tom Warth, and BFA Board President Joni Sussman, and other dignitaries. The event will also feature a live exhibition of the departure of a shipping container of books to Africa.
Her Excellency Hilda Suka-Mafudze, the African Union ambassador to the United States will keynote the Books for Africa warehouse grand opening in Marietta, Georgia on Saturday, June 26, 2021. Photo: Courtesy Twitter
The 33-year-running nonprofit has is the largest shipper of donated text and library books to the African continent, shipping over 51 million books to all 55 countries, with a mission to end the book famine in Africa by collecting, sorting, shipping and distributing high quality books to children in Africa. The organization still operates a smaller warehouse at its headquarters in Saint Paul. Livestream: The grand opening will be livestreamed on Mshale’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/mshalenews.
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June 21-27, 2021 Issue 475
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Guest Commentary by Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.
Vaccinations for adolescents on the rise in America as summer begins Over 60% of the United States’ population has now had at least one vaccination, in particular from, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson as approved by the FDA. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are recommending the Pfizer vaccine for adolescents age 12 to 15 as authorized by the FDA.
partisan disagreement.
The COVID-19 pandemic has not yet ended throughout the and across America. Yes, there has been considerable progress in the wake of increased vaccinations in every region of the United States. But for Black America, the pandemic is still disproportionately negatively impacting the quality of life in our families and communities.
Here are the facts and truth about the kids being vaccinated in the U.S. If you are a parent who wants to protect your child from COVID-19, or if you are a teenager who is interested in getting vaccinated, you can go directly to the official U.S. government website: www.vaccines.gov or you can text your ZIP code to 438829 to find places near you that have the Pfizer vaccine readily available in stock.
The issue of vaccination hesitancy is serious. That is why the Black Press of America via the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) will continue to be committed to inform Black America and others about the facts and truth concerning COVID-19 and the vaccinations that have been approved by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA). Over 60% of the United States’ population has now had at least one vaccination, in particular from, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson as approved by the FDA. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are recommending the Pfizer vaccine for adolescents age 12 to 15 as authorized by the FDA. Those who are age 16 and older in the U.S. continue to increasingly receive vaccinations to protect themselves from the contagious and deadly COVID-19 virus. While there remains some public and private debates about vaccinations, these debates should not be based on politics or social status or on racial stereotyping and profiling. The truth and facts about COVID-19 and the effectiveness of the approved vaccinations should not be relegated to
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The editor welcomes letters, opinion pieces and commentary on issues of interest to the African community in North America. Contributions must be typed and will be edited for clarity and space. Submissions can be mailed or submitted online at www.mshale.com
Truth does not discriminate. There is no such thing as an “alternative truth.” The absence of truth is a lie. Facts and the science that produces the facts are important to always consider in making decisions about public health issues.
Millions of 12-to-17-year-olds have already received at least one COVID-19 vaccination. The Pfizer vaccine has been through rigorous testing and thorough review by the FDA and CDC. Thousands of adolescents ages 12 to 15 were in the clinical trials, and among those who received it, the vaccine was 100% effective at preventing COVID-19. When a nation puts a priority in protecting its children from harm, dangers and fatal disease, that is a nation that is protecting and ensuring its future health and progress. Black American and all communities of color must stay alert, informed and committed to protect our children and all children in America from the dreaded COVID-19 virus. We are grateful that the Biden-Harris Administration is stiving to keep its promise to make America safe and healthy. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)
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June 21-27, 2021 Issue 475
UN’s Military Gender Advocate of the Year highlights ‘crucial gender dimensions’ in Darfur By UN News Service The UN chief has commended an award-winning Kenyan peacekeeper for her gender-mainstreaming work while serving in the restive Darfur region of Sudan. Secretary-General António Guterres lauded 32-year-old Military Gender Advisor Steplyne Nyaboga who served in the recently completed UN-African Hybrid Union Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), for the excellence of her work, for which she was awarded the 2020 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award. “Peace and security can only be achieved and sustained if all members of society have equal opportunities, protection, access to resources and services and can participate in decision-making”, he said. “Through her efforts, Major Nyaboga introduced new perspectives and increased awareness of crucial gender dimensions across the Mission and helped strengthen our engagement with Darfuri women”, Mr. Guterres added. Reflecting on her peacekeeping role, Major Nyaboga said that she was “elated” that the UN’s efforts in serving humanity have had a positive impact and were being recognized.
Kenyan peacekeeper, Steplyne Nyaboga, conducts basic gender training to Pakistani troops in Darfur.
“Peacekeeping is a human enterprise: placing women and girls at the centre of our efforts and concerns, will help us better protect civilians and build a more sustainable peace”, she said.
sensitive outreach to local communities, to enhance civilian protection. She also focused on gender education for other military peacekeepers, training nearly 95 per cent of the UNAMID’s military contingent by December of last year.
Major Nyaboga deployed to the UNAMID mission in February 2019. Throughout her two years in Zalingei, a town in western Sudan, she worked diligently to mainstream gender issues in military activities by bringing awareness to dynamics in the field.
Additionally, she advised the force on how to better identify and integrate the needs of vulnerable men, women, boys and girls into UNAMID’s analysis, planning and operations – a move that greatly improved the mission’s understanding of, and response to, protection needs.
Specifically, she encouraged gender-
Working together with human rights,
gender and communications colleagues, the Major also organized campaigns and workshops for staff and civil society activists to address issues affecting Darfuri women and girls. Created in 2016, the UN “Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award” recognizes the dedication and efforts of an individual military peacekeeper in promoting the principles of the landmark UN Security Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security in a peace operation context.
Photo: Courtesy UN
to receive the prestigious accolade. It will be awarded to her during a ceremony online, presided over by the Secretary-General on Thursday, International Day of UN Peacekeepers. “The United Nations remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that women sit at the political table and make their full contributions to peace, and Major Nyaboga’s dedication has advanced the vital clause”, said the UN chief.
Nominated by Heads and Force Commanders of UN peace operations, Major Nyaboga is the first Kenyan peacekeeper
Ongeri from Pg. 8 election cycle I will be governor for 10 years but I w ant to be known for 100 years for the things that I did.” The crowd that showed up when it was 98 degrees Fahrenheit outside, included prominent figures in the African immigrant community that have run for office in Minnesota, including Janet Kitui, Boni Njenga, Henry Momanyi and Ben Muko. Geoffrey Gichana, the former president of Mwanyagetinge, in remarks to the audience said he will be running for Senator of neighboring Kisii county in the 2022 elections and looks forward to working with Ongeri “once they take office.” The quintet offered words of encouragement to Ongeri as they urged the diaspora to increase their civic participation both locally and in Kenya. Dr. Joash Omandhi, host of the Dr. Omandhi Show on KJTV, a former Kenyan parliamentary aspirant was also present as was the current president of Mwanyagetinge, Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley. “As an immigrant this is a profound
day not just for me but also for our community,” Ian Oundo of Coon Rapids said. Oundo, a native of Uganda, is the former civic engagement director for Minnesota’s Democratic Party before he left to found Makesi Creative Strategies, a political consulting firm. Others were there to issue forceful words of support and solidarity to a longtime comrade in arms. “I am here to support my brother Henry, and if a South Sudanese like me can support him then I am sure the people of Nyamira can also vote for him,” Ladu Gubek said. Gubek has spent the last 20 years advocating for the African immigrant community alongside Ongeri. Visit Mshale.com for more pictures from the launch event.
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Nwokocha from Pg. 1 Nwokocha for as long as he has been a lawyer. They met when he started volunteering at Park Avenue Legal Clinic, which she cofounded in 1997. “I have always been impressed by Paschal because he is such a very kind person,” Purisaca said. “He really cares about people.” Purisaca said the more than 100 cases of pro bono were just the ones Nwokocha himself had taken and did not include numbers of his associate attorneys, Obi E. Chukwu, and Nysha D. Operana. She said Nwokocha has created a “culture of pro bono” at his law firm, taking on some of the most complex immigration cases. “These are not cases that are just easy cases,” Purisaca said. “They range from cases that take maybe a few weeks, to 10 years to work through the immigration system. It’s a huge commitment and they have several cases like that at their law firm.” For its collective pro bono work, Nwokocha’s firm also received the “Pro Bono Champion” award from the Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), a professional organization he and Purisaca are both members of. “We [at AILA] really admire and respect Paschal and everyone who works at his law firm,” Purisaca said. “I think we need to give credit to the soft-spoken people
Twin Cities attorney Paschal Nwokocha with his team of attorneys and staff from his downtown Minneapolis law firm. He was recently honored by both the Minnesota Supreme Court and Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association for his pro bono work. Photo: Courtesy Paschal Nwokocha who don’t always promote their own worth.” Nwokocha’s immigrant origin is a major factor in his commitment to taking as many pro bono immigration cases as his firm can. “Being an immigrant myself, and being surrounded by immigrants, I get to see what people go through,” Nwokocha
said. “There are so many cases I get to review and say, ‘Wow! If only they had a lawyer, this would have turned out differently.’” Ben Omorogbe, who has known Nwokocha from their law school days at the William Mitchell College of Law, said what drives Nwokocha is something more than just being an immigrant helping fellow immigrants.
“There is something visionary about him,” said Omorogbe. “He has this genuine interest and strong desire to help others.” Omorogbe, the vice president and associate group general counsel at Nwokocha on Pg. 6
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said. “Everybody [in the profession] is smart, everybody is capable, but not everybody can connect with people the way he does.”
Travelers Insurance, said he wasn’t surprised to hear that the Minnesota Supreme Court and AILA honored Nwokocha for his exemplary service. “He has been active in the community and has been doing phenomenal work, both as an attorney and as a member of the Twin Cities community,” Omorogbe said. “The awards reflect well on him and on the community because he puts in a lot of time and he’s very dedicated to what he does.” Omorogbe said Nwokocha’s desire to help others went beyond offering free legal services. Outside his legal work, Nwokocha has been very involved in organizing African immigrant lawyers in the Twin Cities, Omorogbe said. “He has been very instrumental in bringing them together in support of each other, and in the process, learning about law and life in general,” Omorogbe said. Although Nwokocha’s firm is well known today for its immigration work, he didn’t start out as an immigration attorney. After law school, he took a job at the Minnesota Attorney General’s office, where he worked as an environmental lawyer. Adonis Neblett, who is now the general counsel at Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, was Nwokocha’s first supervisor. He said even back then he could tell that there was something exceptional about Nwokocha.
Nwokocha rose through the ranks to become an Assistant Attorney General for the state of Minnesota. But in January 1999, he left to start his private practice. Neblett said that was a brave move that not even he – a much more senior attorney than Nwokocha – could have had the courage to make. “When he exhibited the initiative and ambition to go out and establish his own practice, that says it all,” Neblett said. “He did something that I would have wished to do as a younger man, and would not dare to do as an older man.” Neblett remembers occasionally visiting Nwokocha in those early days of his individual practice in a small office located on the first floor of a building. Neblett said he would wonder how Nwokocha got the confidence to leave a secure job and venture into the unpredictable area of private practice. “He had to have a vision,” Neblett said. “How do you have the confidence and the faith to say that ‘I will take this path, and I fully anticipate that this will blossom, I will be able to help people, and provide more than adequately for my family?’” Neblett said Nwokocha was even more daring because he left the area of environmental law he had worked in for so long to go into immigration law, which is not known for being lucrative.
“He was 202136_KL_HennepinCounty_Printad_Mshale_Hibo_4.875x7.125_RD1.pdf warm and personable,” Neblett
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Twin Cities attorney Paschal Nwokocha, flanked by his firm’s associate attorneys, Obi E. Chukwu, and Nysha D. Operana, holds the “Pro Bono Champion” award that the firm received from the Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). Photo: Courtesy Paschal Nwokocha
“When you start helping people trying to maintain their status in the United States, not all of them are coming here with significant income,” Neblett said. “That was a practice that he was able to embrace.” Neblett, who Nwokocha affectionately refers to as “my elder brother,” said he was relieved when he visited Nwokocha in a new office and found that he had recruited other lawyers as his associates. “I knew then he was up to something
good and was doing well,” Neblett said. What continues to impress Neblett is that throughout Nwokocha’s rise to become a distinguished attorney and leader in the area of immigration law, he has retained his humility. “In a world where we like to toot our own horns, that ready smile and warmth that he exudes is so refreshing.”
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June 21-27, 2021 Issue 475
Henry Ongeri formally launches campaign for governor of Nyamira county in Kenya By Tom Gitaa Mshale
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. – KenyanAmerican Minnesota lawyer, Henry Ongeri, formally kicked off his campaign for governor of Nyamira County in the 2022 election Saturday afternoon at an event at Ebenezer Community Church. Ongeri spoke to Mshale last week in advance of his formal launch and you can read that in depth story in the June 7 edition of Mshale. Ongeri is hoping to succeed Gov. Amos Nyaribo, who was sworn into office in late December 2020 to finish the remainder of the late Gov. John Nyagarama’s term. Nyagarama who was half way through his second term died of coronavirus complications. It is widely expected that Nyaribo will seek his own mandate from the electorate next year. “I am not seeking to be governor so I can be called governor,” Ongeri said. Ongeri is joining what is expected to be a crowded field of contenders once campaigns begin. A handful of candidates have already set up social media pages for prospective campaigns. At the launch attended by the who is who of the Kenyan civic leadership in Minnesota, Ongeri said he is is acutely aware of the angst the diaspora and those in Nyamira feel towards the underdevelopment of their county.
“The opportunities that are in Nyamira are undercut by two things, poor leadership and you wanna know the second one? poor leadership,” Ongeri said. “How does a building in June 2021 fall on people in Nyamira county after we have sunk over 300 million into it, how do people not get angry? Our movement is a rejection of that and we are going to go to every length to say it, denounce it, condemn it and yes eradicate it, when I am Nyamira governor that is going to be history.” “My goal as governor is to fully integrate the diaspora into the development of Nyamira and that is nothing new just like how the Jews, the Filipinos treat their diaspora as one of their greatest assets,” Ongeri said. Nyamira, Ongeri said, must fully embrace its diaspora and the knowledge they bring because as matters stand, “we are dismissed, we are ignored and we are discriminated against except when we send money home.” Among actions he will take when governor is to establish an office for diaspora affairs in his county cabinet. Ongeri dismissed critics who question the diaspora’s understanding of issues in Kenya saying diaspora Kenyans address challenges in Kenya through digging deep into their pockets even when they don’t have the money. “I know the issues very well as every week I have to pay for the diabetes
Henry Ongeri soeaking at Ebenezer Community Church in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on June 5, 2021 as he formally launched his campaign for governor of Nyamira county in Kenya. Photo: Richard Ooga/Mshale
medicine my sister needs after they (authorities) have stolen the money that should be paying for it,” said Ongeri. Ongeri is a prominent figure in Minnesota’s immigrant leadership circles and some of the initiatives he has been involved in were highlighted in this previous Mshale story where he discussed
his candidacy. “We are looking very deep into the future as we want people to imagine Nyamira 100 years from now,” Ongeri said. “We want you to think beyond the
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Religion ‘Serenade’ album celebrates LGBTQ youth ahead of Queer Youth of Faith Day By Emily McFarlan Miller Religion News Service When 19-year-old Mel Rottman came out as gay, they thought they would lose their community. Instead, Rottman was met with love from their parents, pastor and church. “A lot of my faith journey ended up being influenced by that because I became more in love with Jesus when I came out and was fully myself,” Rottman said in a video on the website Beloved Arise. Rottman has since written a song about that experience, and it’s featured on “Serenade: Songs for the Beloved,” which describes itself as the “first-ever album dedicated to LGBTQIA+ youth of faith.” “Serenade,” released last week, is a genre-spanning compilation of original songs by LGBTQ artists and allies from Beloved Arise, a national organization dedicated to celebrating and empowering LGBTQ youth of faith. The album aims to explore the “hope and heartbreak of living as a queer person of faith,” according to its
website. The collection of anthems celebrates the upcoming Queer Youth of Faith Day (June 30), sponsored by Beloved Arise in partnership with a number of faithbased and nonreligious organizations, including The Trevor Project, GLAAD, Interfaith Alliance, Jewish Queer Youth, Buddhist Churches of America, Q Christian Fellowship and others. Beloved Arise founder Jun Love Young told Religion News Service he hopes LGBTQ youth of faith will hear the album and know “they are worthy of a love song.” “That’s really what we’re trying to do, is to reach young people and let them know these songs are for them. These are their songs, and they are songs they can play whenever they feel unseen, unwelcome or rejected,” Young said. “This is our hug.” The idea for “Serenade” came about when Young connected with Kyle and
Heaven Carter Williams, member of Beloved Arise’s Youth Advisory Council, holding a Beloved Arise “Serenade” album vinyl. Courtesy photo
Gretta Miller of the band Tow’rs, who had expressed support for Beloved Arise. The duo produced the album and contributed the song “Love Who You Love.” One in 4 LGBTQ youth identify as religious, Young said. And, in many ways, they “always get the short end of the stick.” They can be ignored, rejected or told they can no longer serve in leadership roles in communities of faith, Young observed. Then, within the wider LGBTQ community, he added, they can be marginalized for their faith. “So in a world like that, we just thought these unsung heroes deserve their own songs,” Young said. Lyrics on “Serenade” tell stories about spending long nights “begging forgiveness for being who I am” (the haunting track “The Songbird” by Alex Blue) and about answering God’s call to love by starting with oneself (“Learning to Love Myself” by iiwaa). Other songs encourage listeners to love one another (the toe-tapping “Friends” by Corey Kilgannon) and assure them of God’s presence (“Watching Over You” by Tim Be Told). The song “40x” by Courier was inspired by the story of one young person named Alex whose mother reached out to Beloved Arise when Alex, feeling excluded from his church and doubting God’s love, nearly lost his life to suicide, Young said. The Beloved Arise community responded by sending 40 letters of affirmation — a “breakthrough” for Alex, who has since joined the community, according
to Young. Rottman’s song “Tethered,” the winner of a songwriting contest for LGBTQ youth of faith to earn a spot on the album, closes out “Serenade” with the lyrics: “Welcome home my child / I love who you are.” “This is the kind of story we hear on a regular basis in our work with Beloved Arise,” Young said, “and it just warms our heart that these young people are now standing up for themselves and saying, ‘I have my faith. I have my identity. It’s ‘and,’ not ‘either/or.’” Rottman said in the video they wrote “Tethered” to share that message with other LGBTQ youth who didn’t have the same supportive experience after coming out to their communities of faith — who have had their hearts broken. Rottman wanted others to know “God is meeting you back with love, and it’s not an ‘I love you, but.’ It’s an ‘I love you.’ End of statement. Period.” “What the song is about is God’s response is to the community and who you are as a person and who he’s created you to be, because that’s not a sin. It’s not something that is gross,” Rottman said. “It’s something that is beautiful.”
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June 21-27, 2021 Issue 475
Art & Entertainment Homage to Homage: Kenny Garrett’s “For Art’s Sake” By Ben Richmond AfroPop File this album under “most aptly named.” As American jazz musician Kenny Garrett explains, his new record, Sounds from the Ancestors “examines the roots of West African music in the framework of jazz, gospel, Motown, hip-hop, and all other genres that have descended from jùjú and Yoruban music.” The first single from the album, “For Art’s Sake” traces a particularly wellcleared path to West Africa via two influences: Tony Allen and Art Blakey. The ancestry here is: American jazz musician, influenced by an African drummer, who himself was influenced by an American jazz musician, who traveled in Africa and whose playing reflected it. But let’s set aside the family tree for a moment: How does it sound? Here for you to hear, making its Afropop debut, hit play on “For Art’s Sake”: Drummer Ronald Bruner and percussionist Rudy Bird on congas give the piece that rolling, polyrhythmic feel for
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Garrett to sear his melodies on top of, with a piano line from Vernall Brown Jr. that alternates between stuttering and strutting. It’s a swirl of parts that make the listener’s heart leap during the brief moments they all intersect, until finally the percussion is given free reign as the song closes. As legendary as he is, it’s too simple to just attribute the African elements at play to Tony Allen or even to Blakey. Yoruban rhythms are credited as the foundation for diaspora musical forms in the Americas and Caribbean, from the Cuban clave to Brazilian samba, to American jazz, all of which have also been melding with and influencing each other basically since their inception. As the back-and-forth lineage of his own song attests, that’s the world that Garrett works in. “It’s crucial to acknowledge the ancestral roots in the sounds we’ve inhabited under the aesthetics of Western music,” Garrett says via press release. While I love a well-explained family tree as much as the next guy, as a musician, Garrett has at his disposal the clearest language to demonstrate his point, and “For Art’s Sake” works both as proof-ofconcept as well as simply a great tune. Sounds From the Ancestors comes out August 27 on Mack Avenue Records and is now available for preorder online at www.mackavenue.com/store/mac1180
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
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Sounds From the Ancestors comes out Aug. 27 on Mack Avenue Records and is now available for preorder.
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Here is the full list of incentives Minnesota will give you if you get your COVID-19 vaccine By Bethel Gessesse Mshale Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced a vaccine incentive program called “Your Shot to Summer” as he tries to get 70 percent of Minnesotans age 16 and up vaccinated by July 1. The giveaways include visa gift cards, fishing licenses, state park permits and amusement park tickets to Mall of America Nickelodeon amusement park as well as the Minnesota State Fair. The first 100,000 Minnesotans who get their first shot from May 27 through June 30 will be able to choose the incentive of their preference.
After you get your first shot After you receive your first shot, go to mn.gov/covid19/summer and choose your preferred incentive starting June 1 through June 30. Here is the full list of available incentives: Great Lakes Aquarium Pass • Eligible for one entrance to the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth. Valid until July 1, 2023. The Minnesota Department of Health will provide recipients’ contact information to the Aquarium which will mail tickets to Minnesotans who select this option. Mall of America Nickelodeon Universe Pass • Eligible for a 30-point ride pass at Nickelodeon Universe that can be redeemed through September 1, 2021. The Minnesota Department of Health will provide recipients’ contact information to Mall of America who will send information
to redeem the pass. Minnesota Fishing License • Eligible for one individual Minnesota resident annual fishing license effective through February 2022. Must be redeemed by July 30, 2021. Recipient must be eligible to hold a Minnesota fishing license. The Minnesota Department of Health will provide recipients’ contact information to the Department of Natural Resources which will reach out to Minnesotans to complete their fishing license application. Minnesota State Parks Pass • Eligible for one Minnesota State Parks annual pass. Minnesotans will receive the pass in the mail from the Department of Natural Resources. The Minnesota Department of Health will provide recipients’ contact information to the Department of Natural Resources which will mail the State Parks pass. Minnesota Zoo Admission • Eligible for one adult admission at the Minnesota Zoo through September 8. The Minnesota Department of Health will provide recipients’ contact information to the Minnesota Zoo which will email information in order for Minnesotans to redeem their admission. Northwoods Baseball League Tickets • Eligible for one reserved ticket to attend a Northwoods League baseball game during the 2021 season. The Minnesota Department of Health will provide recipients’ contact information to the Northwoods League and Minnesotans will call the ticket office of the team they select and provide their full name and address for verification to reserve their ticket. Tickets are based on availability at the time of calling. Participating teams include the Rochester Honkers, Willmar Stingers, Mankato MoonDogs, St. Cloud Rox and the Duluth Huskies. Please wait at least one week before calling to
A sign directs visitors where to get their COVID-19 vaccine at an Allina Clinic in OAkdale, Minnesota on February 2, 2021. Photo: Steve Skjold/Shutterstock
request tickets. State Fair Tickets • Eligible for two admission tickets to the 2021 Minnesota State Fair. The Minnesota Department of Health will provide recipients’ contact information to the State Fair which will email tickets no later than July 16, 2021. Valleyfair Single-Day Admission • Valid for one Valleyfair admission ticket and the chance to purchase
additional tickets for the same date at a discounted rate during the 2021 season. The Minnesota Department of Health will provide a unique code via email in order for Minnesotans to redeem this offer. Visa Card • Eligible for a $25 Visa Card to be used anywhere Visa is accepted. Minnesotans will receive the cards by mail or email from the Minnesota Department of Health or a State of Minnesota Vendor.
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Mshale - The African Community Newspaper
You
+ Fair Housing
June 21-27, 2021 Issue 475
www.mshale.com
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.