Issue # 473
INSIDE
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Post-pandemic optimism high among minority businesses
JUNE 7-13,2021
A F R IC A N
C OM MU N I T Y
N E W S PAP E R
Yusra Arab seeks to dislodge Cam Gordon from Ward 2
UN: Risk of COVID-19 surge threatens Africa’s health facilities
Guide urges keeping of COVID-19 restrictions for in-person worship Yusra Arab, a candidate in Minneapolis’ Ward 2 in the 2021 city elections has as her priorities community safety, affordable housing, support for small businesses, environmental justice, and having a more collaborative government. Photo: Courtesy of Yusra Arab
By Cynthia Simba Mshale
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“Notes From Africa” by Jenny Cathcart is out
Yusra Arab, a policy advocate, mental health practitioner, and community organizer, has announced her intention to challenge incumbent Cam Gordon in Ward 2 of the Minneapolis City Council. Ward 2 covers the eastern part of Minneapolis, and spans both the east and the west banks of the Mississippi river. The ward is home to some of Minnesota’s most cultural and economically diverse populations. It has both high-density housing, as well as single-family residential neighborhoods. It is also home of the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota, as well Augsburg College, University Medical Center, and Fairview Hospital. Arab, who was born in Somalia, has lived in the ward since 2008. Like many Americans with a refugee background, Arab and her family were forced
to flee her native country due to civil war. They fled to neighboring Kenya when she was just four years old, where they lived for nearly a decade before immigrating to the United States in 2001. Arab and her mother Hali spent a year in Tennessee before moving to Minnesota. Upon arriving to the north star state, Arab says she instantly felt at home. “I saw people that looked like me,” she said of the significant population of the Somali community in the ward. The family settled in the Twin Cities, where her mother was able to find work in environmental services. Arab has spent her teenage and adult years in the Twin Cities. She is a graduate of Washburn High School in Minneapolis. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from the
University of Minnesota, and a Master’s degree in Health Care and Human Services from Saint Mary’s University. Upon completing her undergraduate studies in 2010, Arab found work as an educator in a local school. It was during that time that she also received some life-changing news. She was diagnosed with Lupus, an autoimmune disease that weakens immunity and attacks healthy tissues. “It was a learning curve,” she said. Arab said the new health challenge provided her with new opportunities to learn about the disparities that existed within her community as she researched her own treatment options. It led her to pursue work in public advocacy as a policy advisor to the Minneapolis City Council on affordable housing, economic inclusion, and community-police relations.
While fulfilling that role, Arab witnessed first-hand the disconnect that existed between the council’s leadership and its constituents, she said. “I’d walk into a room and I’d be the only person [of color] in it,” she said. Her experience at City Hall motivated her to launch her campaign in February to fill that gap. “There has been a lot of changes,” Arab said. In recent years, Ward 2 has seen a series of demographic changes which have led to a more diverse population. “Minneapolis doesn’t look like Minneapolis from twenty to thirty years ago,” she said.
Yusra on Pg. 4
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June 7-13, 2021 Issue 473
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Minority small businesses more optimistic about post-pandemic future, new study finds
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Cedric Richmond, a senior advisor to President Joe Biden and director of the White House’s Office of Public Engagement speaking at a virtual event to release a survey by Reimagine Main Street. Photo: YouTube Screenshot
“The differences are most stark when we overlay race, ethnicity, gender and age,” said Tammy Halevy, one of the leads of the survey.
By Edwin Okong’o Mshale More than a year after the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the United States, minority small business owners appear more optimistic than their white counterparts that they will recover, according to a study published Tuesday. The study was released at a virtual event that brought together partners from the public and private sectors to try and chart a way forward for small businesses as they recover from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. The survey was carried out by Reimagine Main Street, a project of Public Private Strategies, which is focused on helping small businesses and their workers recover from the effects of Covid-19.
Of the more than 1,300 respondents surveyed between April 28, and May 12, 2021, 80 percent of Black and Hispanic small business owners, and more than 70 percent of AsianAmerican and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), said they were optimistic about the future of their businesses, compared to 70 percent of white small business owners. Although Covid-19 vaccines have created a general sense of optimism about the future of small businesses, survey results revealed that there were Survey on Pg. 11
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Guest Commentary by Congressman Jim Clyburn
Recognizing the Centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre The Tulsa Race Massacre is a prime example of inflaming issues and ignoring history. They both significantly lead to the inability and failure to learn the real lessons that true history can teach us. It was the inflammatory reporting of the chance encounter of a young Black man, Dick Rowland; and a young white elevator operator, Sarah Page, that ignited one of the deadliest episodes of racial violence in our nation’s history.
It was later determined that the event was fabricated, in other words, “a big lie.” Mr. Rowland was later vindicated, but the damage to the Tulsa community and the loss of life could not be undone. Today, we are experiencing a modern day “big lie” that seems to be tearing at the fabric of this country. Hopefully we have learned lessons from the Tulsa Race Massacre that will help maintain the greatness of our fragile democracy.
As a former history teacher, I often quote George Santayana’s admonition that, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” But one cannot remember that which one does not know. And that is the case for too many people regarding the Tulsa Race Massacre. And for good reason.
Greenwood was known at the time as “Black Wall Street” due to its status as one of the most prosperous African American communities in the country. The devastation wrought by the mob, many of whom had been deputized and armed by local officials, took the lives and livelihoods of many in the Greenwood community. It caused irreparable damage to hundreds of Black families, who never received justice for their losses.
The more interactions I have with folks in Washington and around the country, the more appreciative I am of Ernestine Walker, Marybelle Howe, William Howell, Rosa Harris and many other teachers, and some of the other students they taught, and with whom I studied and debated on the campus of that little HBCU (historically black college and university) – South Carolina State – in Orangeburg, South Carolina. I was blessed with integral knowledge of Tulsa, Rosewood (Florida), Hamburg (South Carolina) any many other historic – and horrific – events that were “whitewashed” by newspapers and left out of history books. I still remember the one-on-one session I had with Ernestine Walker discussing Tulsa native John Hope Franklin’s outstanding book “From Slavery to Freedom” as a blessed experience. And it was a blessing to have had a one-onone with John Hope himself when he chaired the “race committee” for President Bill Clinton. I still wonder whatever happened to the product that committee produced. I was also blessed by Tulsa native Alfre Woodard, who wrote the foreword to my memoir, “Blessed Experiences.” The Tulsa Race Massacre is a prime example of inflaming issues and ignoring history. They both significantly lead to the inability and failure to learn the real lessons that true history can teach us. It was the inflammatory reporting of the chance encounter of a young Black man, Dick Rowland; and a young white elevator operator, Sarah Page, that ignited one of the deadliest episodes of racial violence in our nation’s history. On May 31st, 1921, the Tulsa Tribune newspaper printed the headline; “Nab Negro for Attacking Girl in Elevator,” and the same edition included a report of a white mob’s plan to lynch Rowland. The newspaper account was based on false claims that Mr. Rowland sexually assaulted Ms. Page, a white woman; and is cited as the spark that incited a mob to burn and loot 35 blocks in the Black Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa and kill an estimated 300 people.
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I, like many of you, am old enough to remember those little bank books that were issued when you opened a bank account. Those little books were not fireproof and many survivors of the massacre whose only proof of their bank accounts were burned up with their other possessions, never got their money and were never compensated for their losses. This horrific incident was erased from collective memory when the Tulsa Tribune destroyed all original copies of the May 31, 1921 edition of the newspaper and removed it from any archival copies. Scholars later discovered that police and state militia archives about the riot were missing as well. We cannot overcome the issues of race that have troubled our nation since its inception by ignoring the failings of our past. I often quote Alexis De Tocqueville’s notion that America’s greatness lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather because it has always been able to repair its faults. To repair our faults, our country must acknowledge past mistakes and work to ensure we don’t repeat them. I believe this anniversary gives us the opportunity to remember this dark past and recommit ourselves to finding ways to address racial inequities by taking steps that are necessary to repair the faults of our past. Working together, with informed acknowledgements and our eyes wide open, we can make significant strides in our “pursuit of a more perfect union.”
Congressman Jim Clyburn is the Majority Whip and the third-ranking Democrat in the United States House of Representatives where he represents South Carolina’s 6th District. He wrote this special commentary for the National Newspaper Publishers Association
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June 7-13, 2021 Issue 473
Risk of COVID-19 surge threatens Africa’s health facilities as vaccines in short supply
COVID-19 vaccines are delivered by boat to Bwama Island, a hard to reach area in Kabale District western Uganda
By UN News Service Critical health facilities across Africa risk being overwhelmed by surging COVID19 infections, the UN health agency said on Thursday. The appeal to the continent’s authorities to boost lifesaving facilities comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that vaccine shipments were at “a near halt”. “The threat of a third wave in Africa is real and rising”, said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “Our priority is clear – it’s crucial that we swiftly get vaccines into the arms of Africans at high risk of falling seriously ill and dying of COVID-19.”
20% uptick in cases As the continent struggles with vaccine shortages, the care of critically ill COVID19 patients has lagged behind other parts of the world. While Africa has 2.9 per cent of cases globally, it accounts for 3.7 per cent of deaths. Weak observance of preventive measures likely contributed to the crisis, along with increased population movement and interaction, and the arrival of winter in southern Africa. In the last two weeks, the continent has recorded a 20 per cent increase in coronavirus infections, compared to the previous fortnight. “The pandemic is trending upwards in 14 countries and in the past week alone (and) eight countries
witnessed an abrupt rise of over 30 per cent in cases,” WHO said in a statement. Intensive care filling up South Africa has seen “a sustained increase in cases”, while Uganda reported a 131 per cent week-on-week rise last week “with infection clusters in schools, rising cases among health workers and isolation centres and intensive care units filling up”. Angola and Namibia have also witnessed a resurgence in cases, WHO said, noting that 48.6 million doses have been received in Africa and 31.4 million doses have been administered in 50 countries on the continent. Poor treatment Only around two per cent of the population has received at least one dose of
Yusra from Pg. 1 The demographic changes present a new set of challenges as income disparities have become more apparent. Public safety has also become a bigger issue, especially since the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in May. Arab intends to advocate for community safety, affordable housing, support for small businesses, environmental justice, and having a more collaborative government, issues she said are of equal importance. “I would love to see a more inclusive ward,” she said. “A ward that interacts with its neighbors.” If elected to office, Arab promised to have an open policy between the council and its constituents. “They can expect a more connected Ward 2 office,” she said. “A Ward 2 office that serves as an extension of the
Photo: Catherine Ntabadde/UNICEF
COVID-19 vaccine, compared with the 24 per cent global figure. “While many countries outside Africa have now vaccinated their high-priority groups and are able to even consider vaccinating their children, African countries are unable to even follow up with second doses for high-risk groups,” said Dr. Moeti. “I’m urging countries that have reached a significant vaccination coverage to release doses and keep the most vulnerable Africans out of critical care.” Globally, as of 3 June 2021, there have been 171,222,477 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 3,686,142 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 2 June, a total of 1,581,509,628 vaccine doses have been administered.
community. My goal more than anything is to fill that gap that exists right now in Ward 2.” Arab resides in the Southeast Como neighborhood with her mother, Hali, and 11-year-old daughter, Aisha. To learn more about her campaign you can visit her website at www.yusraarab.com. The city of Minneapolis’ municipal elections are scheduled to take place on Nov. 2, 2021, with early voting expected to begin on Sept. 27. Candidate filings will begin on July 27 through August 10. All council seats including that of the mayor are up for election. The city uses the Ranked Choice Voting system for its municipal elections.
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Here is the full list of incentives Minnesota will give you if you get your COVID-19 vaccine By Tom Gitaa Mshale Last week 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
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Gov. Walz of Minnesota at Fort Snelling after announcing the incentives the state will offer those taking their first COVID-19 vaccine through June 30. Photo: YouTube
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 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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June 7-13, 2021 Issue 473
What you need to know about Henry Ongeri and why he’s running to be Nyamira County’s next governor in Kenya’s 2022 elections By Tom Gitaa Mshale A Minnesota based Kenyan-American lawyer says the deteriorating socioeconomic conditions of his people in his home county of Nyamira in Kenya, has spurred his interest in running to be governor. Henry Ongeri, a 49-year-old Brooklyn Park resident, told Mshale that he wants to transform the culture of the county, and use its resources wisely to spur economic growth. “I got into this race because Nyamira needs a reset so that we can address the challenges it faces,” said Ongeri, a partner in the Diaspora Lawyers TransAtlantic Law Firm that he cofounded. “As governor I bring a perspective that our county lacks having lived and worked in the west for almost 20 years.” Nyamira is one of Kenya’s 47 counties that came into existence after the March 2013 general election, each with a governor and county assembly based on ward representation. In Nyamira’ s case, it has 20 Wards, each represented by a Member of the County Assembly, com-
monly referred to as MCAs. Governors are term limited to two terms and the first set of governors that were elected, and managed reelection for a second term, can no longer run as governors in the 2022 national election. In the case of Nyamira, its inaugural governor, John Obiero Nyagarama, died of coronavirus complications on December 18, 2020 halfway into his second term. His deputy Amos Nyaribo was sworn into office in shortly after to finish the remainder of Nyagarama’s term. A native of the county that he now wants to lead, which he claims has been on a downward spiral since devolution came, Ongeri said he finally wants to address the “longstanding challenges” that current leaders have been unable to address. Ongeri says while many counties have benefited from devolution, that has not been the case with Nyamira as it has continued to lag other high performing counties. “The ingredients to make Nyamira a model county are there, and all we need is proper and focused leadership,” Ongeri said.
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Henry Ongeri, a Kenyan-American lawyer in Minnesota, is a candidate for governor in the County of Nyamira in Kenya. Photo: Richard Ooga/Mshale
A leading research firm in Kenya, InfoTrak, in a 2020 published survey, the second of such surveys since the system of county governments was introduced in the country, ranked Nyamira in the bottom half of the 47 counties in terms of performance in responsibilities assigned from the national government to the devolved units (counties). The devolved responsibilities included agriculture, education, water management, trade planning, energy and tourism
among others. Ongeri said he fears that Nyamira will continue underperforming without visionary leaders, he envisions a complete overhaul of the leadership at the county, to set it on the right trajectory. The husband and father to three boys, Ongeri said young people in Nyamira need visionary leadership, the kind he can
Ongeri on Pg. 8
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Ongeri from Pg. 6 bring, that can help them see a brighter future of possibilities. “I want them to want to be proud to live and work in Nyamira, that there’s opportunity there,” Ongeri said. Focusing on the county government, Ongeri decried the practice of the County Assembly and the executive of holding important conferences and seminars in neighboring Kisii county. “Those are millions of shillings each year that the elected leaders directly control, we need Nyamira money to stay in Nyamira for the benefit of the local people that are helping generate it,” he said. Ongeri said the failure by the current crop of leaders to facilitate investments in the hospitality industry, that would see the building of the necessary conference facilities in the county, is to blame for the scenario where important meetings are being held in Kisii county. “If elected the first order of business is to take stock of what we have, ‘Do you know for example there are projects funded and marked complete but have not been done?’” Ongeri asks wide eyed, rhetorically. Both Kisii and Nyamira counties are
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home to the Abagusii, who account for upwards of 70 percent of the Kenyans in Minnesota. Abagusii are also among the largest communities of Kenyans in the United States, and by extension account for a big slice of the US$3.094 billion in remittances sent to the country from overseas Kenyans in 2020. Kenyans in the US account for over 56 percent of the country’s remittances. A nod to the importance the Abagusii play in foreign exchange earnings for the country came on October 21, 2020 when President Uhuru Kenyatta officiated the opening of the Central Bank of Kenya Kisii Centre to “ease the distribution of cash” in seven counties surrounding Kisii that include Nyamira. Kisii Center became only one of four such currency centers in the country. Josephine Ongaga, who hails from Nyamira and now lives in Minneapolis, said she’s not someone who follows politics much, but Ongeri stands out as a promising candidate because his track record in Minnesota speaks for itself. Ongaga, is in a position to know what ails her ancestral home of Nyamira and what it might take for what Ongeri calls a “takeoff.” For years before moving to the United States she worked with the country’s agricultural ministry, traversing the agriculture rich western region of Kenya which includes Nyamira where she worked with farmers to help them improve crop yields. Her work with farmers saw the ministry send her to Ireland on a scholarship for further agricultural studies. “He has that spirit of action that is needed and not just empty words.” Ongaga
www.mshale.com said, “What I have seen him do with our community here, I am convinced if he is given a chance, he can do a lot for Nyamira.” Ongaga is referring to the leadership and guidance of various organizations that Ongeri is associated with in the last two decades, which includes among others, the founding of the Pan African Business Association, Minnesota’s pioneer African chamber of commerce. Of the many immigrant empowerment endeavors that Ongeri is associated with, the two he is most proud of are the roles he played in making it easier for immigrant lawyers who have moved to Minnesota to be admitted to the State Bar in order to practice. “The first case I ever argued in this country was before the Minnesota Supreme Court,” said Ongeri as he smiled. The other notable one he is most proud of was his early work with ISAIAH Minnesota to help ease the credentialing of nurses in Minnesota that trained overseas. Another supporter of Ongeri is Yabesh Simba who spoke to Mshale via phone. He is a Lakeville, Minnesota resident who was born and raised in Nyamira before coming to the United States 30 years ago. “People like Henry is what we need all over Kenya and not just Nyamira.” Simba said, “He is selfless and I am convinced he will not get there and try to enrich himself, but work for the people.” Should Ongeri succeed in his quest and prove his Minnesota supporters right,
June 7-13, 2021 Issue 473 he will join one other notable Minnesota Kenyan from the Abagusii who went on to play an important role in Kenya’s development, University of Minnesota and University of St. Thomas alumni, Bitange Ndemo, who worked briefly for Medtronic after graduating before moving back to Kenya. One person excited to hear of a diaspora Kenyan going back to run for office is Kenyan-American professor, Makau Mutua, of the State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo School of Law. Mutua served as the dean of the Buffalo School of Law between 2008-2014. Mutua told Mshale that he encourages Kenyans in the diaspora that want to run for office and are able, to do so as “We deserve no less.” “The diasporans who want to run for office must be well prepared for the rough and tumble of Kenya politics. It’s highly gendered, ethnicized, and awash with dirty money,” said Mutua. “Avoid corrupt practices, including vote-buying. If you can’t run a clean campaign, then lose honorably.” On Saturday, June 5, 2021 at 5pm, as this edition of Mshale was going to press, Bwakire Se! was scheduled to launch at the Ebenezer Community Church in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Bwakire Se! is what Henry Ongeri and his supporters are referring to as the “movement” that will propel him to office. Bwakire Se! is the Abagusii way of referring to a “New Dawn.” It blends elements of Barack Obama’s Yes We Can! and the legendary Paul Wellstone’s grassroots approach.
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Religion Keep COVID-19 restrictions during in-person worship, ecumenical guide suggests By Adelle M. Banks Religion News Service Some Americans may be behaving like the COVID-19 pandemic no longer hinders them from socializing with friends and family, many of whom they may not have seen in months. But the Ecumenical Consultation on Protocols for Worship, Fellowship, and Sacraments, a group of clergy, scientists and other experts, advised congregations to take it slower at houses of worship, where vaccinated and unvaccinated people may occupy the same space. Its final document, released Tuesday (June 8), recognizes that “staying the course” can be difficult if congregants complain about continuing masking and distancing, but the limits, “with the Spirit’s empowerment, can become a spring of creativity.” The group suggests limiting touching except where Christian rituals, such as laying on of hands for confirmation, require it; avoiding congregational singing and playing wind instruments indoors; wearing masks when preaching indoors — or outdoors closer than 16 feet from listeners. Singing, which has been shown to spread the virus especially effectively, should be limited to soloists or ensembles kept well distanced. Indoor worship, the group cautioned, should be briefer than outdoor gatherings. “Care-filled Worship and Sacramental Life in a Lingering Pandemic” is the final guidance from United Methodist, Evangelical Lutheran, Episcopal and Roman Catholic leaders, as well as representatives from other traditions. Its first such guidance was released in June 2020. A Spanish version of the latest guidance is scheduled to be released in mid-July. Experts on congregational responses to the pandemic often declare that they cannot give one-size-fits-all recommendations. And the consultation has taken the same approach. “Different congregations will determine different approaches to what they consider safe and what levels of risk they’re willing to take,” said the Rev. Ed Phillips, co-convener of the Ecumenical Consultation on Protocols for Worship, Fellowship, and Sacraments.
The 35-page guide takes a “relatively conservative approach,” Phillips said, because its writers think it is safest to keep wearing masks until federal officials declare it is safe to remove them, regardless of vaccination status. “We will for some time have people who are not vaccinated yet,” said Phillips,
associate professor of historical theology and Christian worship at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. “And what we don’t want to do is to engage in any kind of stigmatization, or public shaming of people who are not vaccinated for whatever reason it may be.” So while outdoor gatherings can be an hour or longer, indoor worship services should be 30 to 45 minutes, “depending on the rate of air exchange,” the guide recommends, noting that, while its recommendation for “maximum time indoors assumes at least 4 to 6 air exchanges per hour,” many buildings don’t come close. Brian Hehn, a member of the consultation has separately suggested checking with heating and air conditioning providers for advice.
Administering sacraments presents particular challenges. The guide outlines procedures for handling the elements during the prayers before Communion — which should be said with a mask on when indoors. For baptism, one of its more than one-dozen suggestions includes having a parent or caregiver hold the infant during the rite. The guide also features advice for weddings and funerals and for Communion servers “extending the Table of the Lord” by visiting people at home, topics discussed in earlier versions of the consultation’s guidance. The guide also urges addressing the mental health of clergy by offering renewal opportunities for congregational leaders who may be physically and mentally fatigued after adapting new practices during the pandemic. Advice about congregational care in the midst of COVID-19 has been heavily sought, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not updated its “Considerations for Communities of Faith” page since Feb. 19. “While the CDC guidance issued in late April 2021 considers choral singing indoors safe for vaccinated people wearing masks, it still ranks choral singing indoors for those who are unvaccinated as ‘least safe,’” the guide notes. More than 750 people showed up for a June 1 “Return to Congregational Singing” webinar hosted by Practical Resources for Churches, a nondenominational nonprofit that offers workshops and resources to congregations. Hehn, director of the Hymn Society’s Center for Congregational Song, noted in the webinar that the CDC’s mid-May guidance saying fully vaccinated people could resume activities without wearing a mask was about individuals, not organizations.
“As the church, we have to ask extra questions, not only, for instance, is it safe for most people,” he said. “That’s a question that might work in other circumstances, but as the church, that’s leaving out a critical theological question of who’s it not safe for? And is that OK for us not to advocate for those people?” In a May 20 blog post published shortly after the new CDC guidelines, Hehn’s center declared: “We do not currently recommend that congregations sing.” Participants filled the webinar’s chat function with comments and questions about how to handle everything from air quality to musicians who decline to get vaccinated. “Our adamantly unvaccinated and unmasked song leader/accompanist is still Zooming from home although more and more of us are attending in person,” wrote one participant. “Most congregants don’t want her back in the building right now.” The guide’s writers seemed familiar with such scenarios. “You will want to have a plan for gently reminding persons of such requirements to participate in in-person activities, and for inviting
A priest celebrates Mass during covid-19 lockdown in Florence, Italy. Photo: Federico Magonio/Shutterstock
them to return when they are willing to follow them,” it said. The guide also anticipates a question many congregants are asking: “When do these limits end?” “Congregations can help bring an end to restrictions by encouraging all their members who meet the requirements to be vaccinated as soon as possible,” it said.
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June 7-13, 2021 Issue 473
Art & Entertainment Notes from Africa: A Musical Journey with Youssou N’Dour By Sean Barlow AfroPop Books on a golden age of Afropop stars—Youssou N’Dour, Baaba Maal, Angelique Kidjo, Salif Keita, Thomas Mapfumo, Cesaria Évora and many others—come along only once in a while. The latest is Notes from Africa: A Musical Journey with Youssou N’Dour by Jenny Cathcart. Whether you’re a newcomer to the scene or a veteran Afropop fan well versed with all these artists, this is a great read, a rich tapestry of musical details, a page-turner that confirms the extraordinary wealth of musical talent coming out of Africa in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s that continues today. The narrative tells the story of child prodigy Youssou N’Dour. He grew up in a household of traditional artists on his mother’s side. He started singing professionally as a 15 year-old in 1975 with the legendary Star Band. The group played a mix of international styles including the popular local version of mbalax salsa sung in Wolof, not Spanish. In 1977, Youssou went on to form his own band, Etoile de Dakar which eventually became Super Étoile de Dakar, a magnificent mix of Wolof traditions and modern pop sensibilities. Some 40 years down the road, many of Youssou’s original group such as guitarist Jimi Mbaye, tama
talking drum player Assane Thiam, and sabar drum player Boubacar Faye are still with him. We meet all of Youssou’s artists in thumbnail sketches. Youssou tells Cathcart that Super Étoile is his greatest creation. We learn the background on the hits from his prolific recording career. Interview clips of Youssou are featured throughout the text. Youssou comes across as a determined, hard-working young man who yearned not only for the adoration of the home fans but had his eyes wide open (his studio name Xippi means “eyes open”) for international recognition. Collaborators include Peter Gabriel; Fati Salama (musical director for the 2004, Grammy-winning Egypt project); Neneh Cherry, who sang him on their international hit “7 Seconds” in 1994; and many others. The book gives a background on the rich West African cultural history from which Youssou draws, beginning with the founding of the Malian empire by Sundiata Keita around 1240 and his legendary patronage of griot musicians, who served as entertainers, praise singers and advisors. Youssou likes to refer to himself as a modern griot. Author Jenny Cathcart first came to Senegal’s capital, Dakar, in 1984 while working as a member of the BBC TV film crew that produced the series The Africans. She fell in love with the place, the people and the culture. In 1995 she produced the BBC series Africa’s
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Rock ‘n’ Roll Years, a social and musical history of post-independence Africa. Besides covering Youssou N’Dour as a journalist, Cathcart worked for him in the international division of his business and managed outstanding artists, Cheick Lô, Orchestra Baobab and Pape and Cheikh. The book is clearly Youssou-centric as the title would suggest but it also features profiles of other West African greats such as Salif Keita, Ali Farka Toure, Baaba Maal, Alpha Blondy, Orchestre Baobab, Xalam, Bembeya Jazz National, Cheick Lô, Wally Seck (son of Thione Seck) and others. Throughout it all, Cathcart reports that Youssou is an intensely private person. Those expecting behind-the-scenes angst and gossip may be disappointed—this is not a tell-all book. Less known is the dramatic political history of Senegal’s past 15 years, which included Youssou running for president in 2012. Youssou supposedly did not get the 10,000 signatures required for the presidential finals but he jumped right in to support the main opposition candidate Macky Sall, who overturned 85-yearold president Abdoulaye Wade in that election. A generous parade of black and white photos illustrates live concert moments, album covers, concert posters and Dakar scenes. Included are shots of the author smiling happily next to Senegal’s top
luminaries. On the last page, Cathcart tips her hat to the new generation of African stars such as Davido, Wizkid and Tiwa Savage out of Nigeria who are creating the electronic music burning up the dance floors in Europe, Africa, the U.S., and beyond. (Youssou was featured on the title song on Burna Boy’s acclaimed 2020 release Twice as Tall, alongside a recording of Pete Seeger to boot!). But while it ends with a salute to Afrobeats, this book is at heart a celebration of the phenomenal African singers and bandleaders who got their starts in the heady decades following independence— the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s—many of whom are very much alive and working today. As this fine account attests, we are all richer for it.
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Survey from Pg. 2 still challenges that were not experienced equally across communities of entrepreneurs, with minorities often at a disadvantage. Cedric Richmond, a senior advisor to President Joe Biden and director of the White House’s Office of Public Engagement, said that while the Biden administration had made a lot of progress in helping small businesses as they recover, there was still more work to be done. He stressed the importance of partnerships between the government and the private sector to support small businesses that struggled through the pandemic, and to ensure as many as possible of those that closed down reopened. “We want to make sure that we have meaningful dialogue between the Biden-Harris administration, small business owners, and those in the private and public sector who are seeking to engage,” Richmond said. “When you start talking about small business especially, people who burst their tails every
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day to keep people employed, and they employ more than anyone else in this country, it is important that they have a real seat at the table. Real input.” Part of the government’s response has been to streamline and expedite the process of getting money to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was passed by Congress in 2020 as part of the CARES Act to offer small businesses easy access to loans they could use to help mitigate Covid-19-related economic decline and keep people employed. “PPP was a mess, especially for small businesses seeking to navigate it,” Richmond said. Large corporations initially took advantage of loopholes in the PPP law to get millions of dollars in loans that were intended for small businesses. That left a lot of small business owners, many of who weren’t savvy enough to navigate the process, helpless. Many closed because they couldn’t pay their employees to continue working during the pandemic.
“For the millions of Main Street small businesses, especially Black- and Brown-owned small businesses, we know that they had to struggle through the health aspect of the pandemic, but also the economic struggle,” Richmond said. He said since the Biden administration took over in January, it had distributed more than $250 billion in relief to small businesses. More than 95 percent of those PPP loans went to businesses with fewer than 20 employees, he said. “If they succeed and flourish, we know that the country will do the same,” Richmond said. “We know the struggles. More than 400 small businesses have closed since the beginning of the pandemic and we want to send that in the opposite way.” Indeed, it seems like access to PPP funds has helped many small businesses stay afloat. According to the Reimagine Main Street survey, more than 60 percent of AAPI, Black, Hispanic, and White small businesses owners who received PPP loans said the money played a significant role in keeping their businesses running. Richmond promised that the Biden administration would do everything to help small businesses, especially restaurants, recover fully. “Coming from the great city of New Orleans, which is a great port city but we are also a big tourist city, restaurants and that whole industry are critical and we know how many people restaurants employ,” said Richmond. Richmond said the government had aside nearly $30 billion for restaurants. “We expect to be oversubscribed, which is a good thing in terms of making sure that we used every dollar that we have, but unfortunately few businesses may not get it. But there is additional help out there,” Richmond said. He said there were other ways small businesses that don’t get access to the loans could indirectly benefit. One is using the employee retention tax credit, which would allow them to cover up to $28,000 per employee in payroll costs, he said.
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“We’re going to do everything we can to help small businesses, especially those small restaurants to survive,” Richmond said, adding that partnerships with the private sector would be key. Franz Paasche, the senior vice president of corporate affairs and communications at PayPal, said his company had been involved from the early days of the pandemic in making sure small businesses, especially those from minority communities, survived. “Paypal has been very focused on doing our part to advance racial equity, to work to close the racial wealth gap, and to make a contribution to empowering small businesses that have been inordinately affected by the pandemic,” Paasche said. “During this past year, it has been particularly important for us to be supporting Black-owned small businesses, and small businesses owned and led by underrepresented minorities.” PayPal was one of the private sector financial institutions that partnered with the government to distribute PPP loans. The company disbursed over $2 billion of PPP money, with loans averaging $29,000, Paasche said. Richmond agreed that it was important for the process to support small businesses recovering from the Covid-19 economic downturn to be equitable with specific targeting of the way contracts are awarded, he said. “As important as capital is to business, access to contracts is even greater,” Richmond said. “If we are very intentional about using small businesses in the community, then they can take that access to capital and that access to contracts to really invest back in small businesses, create more jobs and increase their sustainability. But that can’t come all from government. We can’t do it all. We need partners out there being intentional about what we’re doing.”
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June 7-13, 2021 Issue 473