Early voting in Minnesota: Over 200,000 have voted
for
THE AFRICAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Somali American Imams and scholars endorse Kamala Harris
By Edwin Okong’o Mshale
A group of Somali American imams, scholars and other leaders have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president because another Donald Trump presidency would be too devastating to their community, they said.
The coalition of 35 religious leaders and scholars endorsed Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, following a recent three-day summit in St. Cloud, about 75 miles northwest of St. Paul, the state capitol.
“Donald Trump is actively promoting division and hatred, from his racist Muslim travel ban to his extremist Project 2025 plan,” said Imam Mohamed Mukhtar, one of the leaders. “We cannot stand by while he threatens our brothers and sisters in Palestine and fuels Islamophobia.”
Minnesota is home to the largest community of Somali immigrants in the United States, with a population of nearly 90,000 people who trace their origins to the East African country, according to a Minnesota Compass analysis of 2021 U.S. Census Bureau data.
Somalis began arriving in the United States as refugees after a civil war broke out in their country in 1991. Most of them ended up in Minnesota partly due to the midwestern state’s reputation as a friendly and welcoming place. Even with the wave of Islamophobia that swept the nation after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, Minnesota remained a relatively tolerant state. However, things began to get worse when Trump began targeting Somalis with Islamophobic attacks, as he sought to win the Democratic-leaning state in the 2016 presidential election.
“Here in Minnesota, you’ve seen first-hand the problems caused with faulty refugee vetting, with very large numbers of Somali
refugees coming into your state without your knowledge, without your support or approval,” multiple media quoted Trump saying at a campaign rally.
When Trump became president, one of the first executive orders he signed was to ban travel from predominantly Muslims countries, including Somalia. Throughout his presidency, he continued his assault on the Somali community, often through racist rants against Rep. Ilhan Omar, a U.S. congresswoman from Minnesota, who was born in Somalia.
Since Trump entered politics, there have been more blatant racist and Islamophobic attacks on Somalis in Minnesota, including dozens of incidents of violence and vandalism of mosques. In 2020, Imam Mukhtar himself was the victim of violent assault by two teenagers, who attacked him outside his mosque in Bloomington, a suburb of Minneapolis. The attack left him with two
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Review: Richard Bona concert in Minneapolis
Evangelicals
Harris ad draws threat of lawsuit
Vice President Kamala Harris greets Gov. Tim Walz when she last visited Minnesota on March 14, 2024 before becoming the Democratic nominee for president. On Thursday, Somali American Imams and scholars announced their endorsement of the Harris-Walz ticket. Photo: Adam Bettcher/AP
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De-complicating Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplement plans.
When you reach Medicare age, it can be a little overwhelming. It’s like a whole new puzzle of health plan coverage that needs to be solved. There are many who call me and ask, “Can you just put it together for me?”
At UCare, we can certainly do that. But we also really want members to understand what they are getting and why. The plan you select all depends on your life and what kind of coverage you need and don’t need.
Apart from Original Medicare, there are two plan types that people who are aging into Medicare gravitate toward: Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Supplement plans. Let’s dive in.
Medicare Advantage plans
Think of a Medicare Advantage plan like a bundle of benefits. It combines your Original Medicare, Part A (hospital insurance) with Part B (medical insurance). UCare Medicare Advantage plans
give you extra coverage and benefits like dental, prescription eyewear and hearing aids. Most plans also include prescription drug coverage (Part D), which can become increasingly important as you age.
UCare has been offering Medicare Advantage plans since 1998 — longer than any other health plan provider in Minnesota. And today, they’re some of the most popular plans. We have a range of Medicare Advantage plans to choose from that include coverage while you travel and allowances for over-the-counter purchases.
One more thing: UCare Medicare Advantage plans work fantastically for local Minnesotans, due to their large network that includes 97% of Minnesota medical clinics and hospitals.* So if you have a clinic you’ve always used, your chances are good that it’s in-network. And with no referral needed to see a specialist, getting the care you need is easy.
Medicare Supplement plans
A Medicare Supplement plan is something you pair with your Original Medicare. In other words, it supplements your plan. Get it? These policies help pay for the out-of-pocket costs that are not covered by Original Medicare (Part A and Part B).
The main benefits of a UCare Medicare Supplement plan is protection and predictability. You will have low or no copays or coinsurance when you get care, so your costs are predictable. Your monthly premiums are your main costs — no more unexpected medical bills. Speaking of, UCare’s Medicare Supplement plans offer some of the lowest Medicare Supplement premiums in Minnesota.
Another great benefit of a Medicare Supplement plan is the nationwide coverage. You can see any doctor who accepts Medicare patients, anywhere you go in all 50 states. This is especially useful whether you’re traveling, moving or living in a place where there are fewer providers nearby.
You also get extras like no-cost fitness memberships and discounts on hearing aids.
Why roll with UCare?
I’ve just gone over a couple categories of plans, but please know that we have a variety of plans for everyone, all across Minnesota! Each of them is designed to meet your health and lifestyle needs. The best way to know which one is right for you is to sit down with a broker, or someone like myself,
to help find the plan that’s right for you.
Finally, I’ve been riding with UCare for nearly 10 years now, and I can honestly tell you — it’s the people who make our company go. That’s why we often say we’re “people powered” — never stopping until we know that you understand your plan and you’re comfortable with it. And if there’s ever a problem, we don’t send you up a phone tree. We work the problem individually until it’s solved. It might be why nearly 95% of UCare Medicare Advantage members choose to stay with UCare year after year.**
If you have any questions about anything I’ve covered, you should reach out to your local broker. They can help you decide which plan makes the most sense. Visit ucare.org/ma to find a broker near you.
You can also give UCare a call at 1-866-460-5093 or stop by the headquarters in NE Minneapolis or our Duluth office.
UCare headquarters 500 Stinson Blvd NE Minneapolis, MN 55414 Monday – Friday, 9 am – 4 pm
UCare Duluth office 325 West Central Entrance Suite 200 Duluth, MN 55811 Monday – Friday, 9 am – 4 pm
*Based on 2023 CMS data
**Based on internal UCare enrollment data from 2022 compared to 2021
By Albert — UCare plan de-complicator
Guest Commentary by Ricky Clemons
Carrying on the deplorable Hollywood tradition of ‘whitewashing’
It is no secret that the American film industry has a long and volatile history on racial issues. From fostering racist tropes and stereotypes, to underrepresenting minorities — both in front of and behind the lens — to whitewashing historical events in films from “The Birth of a Nation” to “Green Book,” Hollywood has always struggled to appropriately portray the Black experience in the United States.
This is why it should not surprise anyone to hear that former NBA star and activist Craig Hodges is locked in a new dispute over a documentary on his life with Hollywood executives and producers. The former Chicago Bull, who helped the franchise win two of their six championships in the 1990s and was a vocal advocate for Black rights, is currently battling over the rights to his book “Long Shot: The Triumphs and Struggles of an NBA Freedom Fighter” with Wayfarer Studios, the production company run by actor Justin Baldoni and billionaire Steve Sarowitz.
While the details are dense, the matter can be boiled down to the fact that a Black man is once again fighting to tell his own story in the way that he sees fit. Hodges – who I will remind you is the subject of the documentary – wants British-Indian producer Jivi Singh to tell his story, but Baldoni and Wayfarer allegedly wanted another director to make Hodges’ story more “palatable” for the NBA.
That is where the trouble begins. Differences of this kind are typical of Hollywood – but they are also typical of the historical Hollywood experience for Black people overall and the story of Hodges’ own life.
Remember, Hodges has long felt that the NBA blackballed him for his political activism and willingness to criticize his teammates for perceived inactivity on social issues. Even losing his livelihood did not cause him to back down from his principles, so Hodges surely expected that the executives at the production company that wanted to document his story would not hide behind identity politics as it softened its core messages.
The implications of Hodges’ dispute with Wayfarer are indicative of a
larger, systemic issue in the film industry. It reflects broader patterns of exploitation that have historically plagued Hollywood. Similar instances can be found across the industry, where Black artists are often sidelined, or their contributions diminished. Media moguls play a significant role in perpetuating these issues, with power dynamics that prioritize profit over authenticity.
As Craig Detweiler, professor of film history at Pepperdine University, said in 2015, “There are a shortage of African American, Asian and Latino stars. For all Hollywood’s progressive politics, its casting decisions look remarkably retrograde.”
It’s not just casting, however, as Hodges’ dispute with Wayfarer clearly indicates. From producing to directing to deciding on creative vision to upholding a project’s ultimate vision, Black and brown people in Hollywood are consistently being overruled and written out of the process – with implications for us all, as who shapes and guides stories can fundamentally alter the end results and the way important stories are told.
Moving forward, it’s crucial to advocate for equitable partnerships within the media landscape. This includes reforming contracts to ensure fair representation and creative control for Black artists, especially when it comes to their own stories. Supporting Black creatives and their stories is essential for fostering a more inclusive and honest portrayal of their experiences.
Finally, the struggle of Craig Hodges against Wayfarer Studios is a reminder that the long history of exploitation continues to demand our attention. To effect meaningful change, readers and industry stakeholders must advocate for systemic reform and commit to supporting authentic narratives created by Black artists.
Ricky Clemons is an adjunct lecturer teaching sports management and media at Howard University.
Rwanda’s Marburg outbreak is under control, Africa’s health chief says
By Rodney Muhumuza Associated Press
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — An outbreak in Rwanda of the Ebola-like Marburg fever is under control and travel bans targeting the East African country are unnecessary, the head of Africa’s top public health agency said Thursday.
Rwanda declared the outbreak on Sept. 27 and has so far reported that 13 people have died.
There is no authorized vaccine or treatment for Marburg. Last week, Rwanda received 700 doses of a vaccine under trial from the U.S.-based Sabin Vaccine Institute, for health workers and emergency responders as well as individuals who have been in contact with confirmed cases
According to Jean Kaseya of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of Marburg spreading out of Rwanda is almost zero. He praised Rwanda for what he said was a strong response to the outbreak by a range of government officials.
“The mechanism they put in place even to follow the contacts, no contact can fly out of Rwanda,” he said. “And this is amazing because they are monitoring these contacts on (a) daily basis.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday updated its travel advisory
for Rwanda, requiring screening of travelers who have recently been to Rwanda. The updated guidelines urge people to reconsider non-essential travel to Rwanda.
Kaseya said that decision was not respectful as it was made without consulting with the Africa CDC or Rwanda. Rwanda should not “be punished” with advisories prohibiting travel because it is “being transparent” in its reporting of the outbreak, he said.
The total number of confirmed Marburg cases in Rwanda now stands at 58, with 12 recoveries, said Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana, describing the American travel advisory as “not the best thing to do.”
More than 200 people have been vaccinated since the arrival of the trial vaccines, Nsanzimana said.
Like Ebola, the Marburg virus is believed to originate in fruit bats and spreads between people through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or with surfaces, such as contaminated bed sheets.
Without treatment, Marburg can be fatal in up to 88% of people who fall ill with the disease. Symptoms include fever, muscle pains, diarrhea, vomiting and, in some cases, death through extreme blood loss.
Most of the sick are health work-
ers in six out of Rwanda’s 30 districts, including districts bordering Congo, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania, according to the World Health Organization.
Rwandans have been urged to avoid physical contact to help curb the spread. Schools and hospital visits have been suspended and the numbers of people who can attend funerals for Marburg victims have also been restricted. Home vigils are banned if a death is linked to Marburg.
The U.S. Embassy in Kigali has
urged its staff to work remotely and avoid visiting offices.
Marburg outbreaks and individual cases have in the past been recorded in Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Ghana.
The virus was first identified in 1967, after it caused simultaneous outbreaks of disease in laboratories in the German city of Marburg and in Belgrade, Serbia. Seven people died after being exposed to the virus while conducting research on monkeys.
Biden postpones trip to Angola and Germany to monitor Hurricane Milton
By Rodney Muhumuza Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday he is postponing a planned trip to Germany and Angola to stay at the White House to monitor Hurricane Milton, as it spins closer to Florida’s Gulf Coast.
“I just don’t think I can be out of the country at this time,” he said at the White House after senior members of the administration updated him on the storm and the government’s preparations. Biden warned that Milton “could be one of the worst storms in 100 years to hit Florida,” and said he’s working “to increase the size and presence” of the federal government’s response.
He said people in the storm’s path should heed local orders to evacuate and leave “now.”
“You should have already evacu-
ated,” Biden said, seated with some of the officials who briefed him. “It’s a matter of life and death, and that’s not hyperbole.
It’s a matter of life and death.” Biden said Milton’s strength was such that it has the potential “to both enter Florida as a hurricane and leave Florida as a hurricane on the Atlantic Coast. This could be the worst storm to hit Florida in over a century. God willing it won’t be, but that’s what it’s looking like right now.”
He asked commercial airlines and other companies for help with evacuations.
“I’m calling on the airlines and other companies to provide as much service as possible to accommodate evacuations and not to engage in price gouging, to just do it on the level,” Biden said.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa CDC, left, during a meeting with President João Lourenço of Angola on August 16, 2024 in Luanda. President Lourenço is the current chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Photo: Courtesy Africa CDC
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the federal government’s response to Hurricane Helene and preparations for Hurricane Milton in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Washington.
Photo: Evan Vucci/AP
New report exposes tax system’s role in widening racial wealth gap, calls for urgent reforms
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA
Color of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, and Americans for Tax Fairness released a damning report Thursday exposing the deep racial inequities entrenched in the U.S. tax system.
The issue brief “How Tax Fairness Can Promote Racial Equity,” written by Color of Change Managing Director Portia Allen-Kyle and Americans for Tax Fairness Executive Director David Kass, exposes the systemic flaws in tax policy that have widened the racial wealth gap and prevented economic mobility for Black, brown, and Indigenous communities.
The report urgently calls for sweeping reforms to stop the flow of tax benefits to the wealthiest Americans — who are overwhelmingly white — while offering concrete solutions to make the tax code work for everyone, not just the top 1%.
“An equitable tax system does two things,” Allen-Kyle asserted. “It narrows the racial wealth gap from the bottom up and spurs economic mobility for Black, brown, and Indigenous individuals and families. Our current tax code fails on both accounts. It’s a prime example of how so-called ‘colorblind’ systems
actively prevent Black families from building generational wealth and economic security.”
Tax code deepens racial disparities, experts say
The brief pulls no punches in describing how current tax policies disproportionately benefit wealthy white families, further deepening racial inequalities. By giving preferential treatment to wealth over work, the system locks in eco-
nomic advantages for white households while leaving communities of color to bear the brunt of these inequities.
“Our tax system is not only failing to address racial wealth inequality, it’s exacerbating it,” Kass warns in the report. “We privilege wealth over work, fail to adequately tax our richest households and corporations, and allow inherited fortunes to compound unchecked by taxation. This perpetuates a legacy of racial inequality.”
The racial wealth gap has exploded in recent years, with the median wealth gap between Black and white households jumping from $172,000 in 2019 to over $214,000 in 2022. Economic crises such as the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic further entrenched these divides, benefiting the already wealthy, while leaving Black,
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD THIS YEAR BY VOTING EARLY
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brown and Indigenous communities further behind.
The racial wealth gap and homeownership
Homeownership, long touted as a primary means of building wealth in America, has failed to deliver for Black families. The report points to factors such as biased home appraisals and a regressive property tax system as key reasons why Black homeowners have been unable to accumulate wealth at the same rate as their white counterparts.
As the brief notes, with critical provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) set to expire, now is a pivotal moment for tax reform. “We have a once-in-
a-generation opportunity to reform our tax system to address racial inequality,” the report states, comparing recent monumental legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
Three key reforms to tackle racial inequity
The report lays out three central reforms aimed at curbing the wealth concentration among the ultra-rich and dismantling the racial inequities baked into the tax code:
1. Taxing Wealth Fairly: The report calls for equalizing the tax rates on wealth and work. Currently, capital gains — profits from investments — are taxed at a far lower rate than wages earned by working people, a disparity that overwhelmingly benefits white households. The vast majority of capital gains income flows to white families, who comprise only two-thirds of taxpayers but receive 92% of the benefits from lower tax rates on investment income.
2. Strengthening the Estate Tax: The estate tax, which is supposed to curb the accumulation of dynastic wealth, has been weakened over time, allowing large fortunes — primarily held by white families — to grow even larger across generations. The report calls for stronger enforcement of the estate tax to prevent the further entrenchment of wealth and power within a small, overwhelmingly white elite.
3. Targeting Tax Deductions to Benefit Lower-Income Households: Deductions for mortgage interest, college savings, and retirement accounts disproportionately benefit wealthier, predominantly white households. In order to prevent lower-income and minority households from falling behind due to policies that are currently biased in favor of the wealthy, the brief advocates for restructuring these deductions.
Biden-Harris
administration and Senate proposals for change
Both the Biden-Harris administration and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden have proposed addressing the racial wealth gap.
The Billionaire Minimum Income Tax (BMIT) and the Billionaire Income Tax (BIT) would ensure that the wealthiest Americans — who often go years without paying taxes — contribute their fair share. These proposals would raise over $500 billion in revenue over the next decade, which could be reinvested in healthcare, education, and housing for communities of color.
As the report points out, our current tax system is skewed in favor of the ultrawealthy. It allows the rich to avoid paying taxes on the increased value of their investments unless they sell them. They often borrow against these growing fortunes, further delaying taxation, which allows white billionaires to accumulate vast wealth while paying a fraction of what working families pay in taxes.
Defending IRS funding to hold the wealthy accountable
The report also highlights the critical need to defend IRS funding, restored under the Inflation Reduction Act, which is essential for cracking down on wealthy tax cheats.
Contrary to Republican claims, this funding will not increase tax enforcement on households earning less than $400,000. Instead, it will improve customer service and expand the Direct File program, saving taxpayers significant time and money.
The Biden administration’s restored IRS funding is expected to raise an additional $100 billion over the next decade by ensuring the wealthiest Americans and corporations pay what they legally owe.
A call for urgent action
The message from Color of Change and Americans for Tax Fairness is clear: America’s tax system is broken, and without immediate reforms, the racial wealth gap will continue to widen. “Addressing the insidious racial preferences in our tax code is one of the most direct ways we can not only help Black communities grow here and now but for generations to come,” Allen-Kyle concludes.
Portia Allen-Kyle is Managing Director at Color of Change.
Photo: Courtesy Color of Change
Minnesota early voting for the 2024 election is underway and over 200,000 have voted
By Mshale Staff
Early voting is underway in counties across Minnesota for the 2024 election and as of Thursday of last week (Oct. 10), 220,006 ballots of the 616,333 absentee and mail ballots distributed had been accepted by county, city, and township election officials, according to a release by the Secretary of State’s office.
The Secretary of State’s office says more Minnesotans are voting early
compared to the 2016 General Election but fewer than the record high absentee voting in the 2020 General Election that took place during the pandemic.
Early voting started on September 20 and will end on Monday, November 4, the day before Election Day.
If voting by mail, your ballot must be received by Election Day for it to count.
“As we move closer to election day, I encourage everyone to make their plan to vote,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. “Election officials work hard to make voting as accessible as possible, but Minnesotans still need to get registered and choose their method of voting. If people want to vote from home now is the time to request a ballot to ensure they have enough time for the ballot to be mailed to their home and returned. All ballots must be received by election officials by 8 p.m. on November 5 to be counted.”
Who can vote in Minnesota?
To vote you must be:
• A U.S. citizen
• At least 18 years old on Election Day (16 and 17-year-olds can pre-register).
• A resident of Minnesota for 20 days.
• Not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction.
• Not under a court order that revokes your right to vote.
How to register to vote
Register online or mail: The deadline to register online at www.mnvotes. gov or by mail is Tuesday, October 15
which will be one day after this edition of Mshale starts circulating, in which case if you miss this deadline, you can still register on Election Day. Details on what you need to register on Election Day can be found at www.mnvotes.org which is also where you can download the registration form to register by mail.
A sign directs voters to the Nokomis Community Center on November 8, 2022 during the midterm election. Mshale Staff Photo by Jasmine Webber
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon says over 220,000 ballots have been accepted from Minnesotans voiting early as of Oct.10.
Photo: Courtesy State of Minnesota
fractures on his left shoulder.
In August, the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIRMN) reported that there were 33 incidents of attacks on mosques during the previous three years. And in the first half of 2024, there were nearly 5,000 complaints about cases of bias against Muslim communities, an increase of 69%, compared to the same period in 2023, according to CAIR-MN. Trump’s racist rhetoric has continued as he seeks to return to the White House, and Somalis now fear that another four years of him as president would be devastating to their community.
Mohamed Abdi Wardere, one of the men tasked with distributing the message of the leaders to the community through media, urged Somalis who are U.S citizens to turn up in numbers on Nov. 5 to exercise their constitutional right to vote. He said the stakes in the upcoming elections were higher than ever for the Somali community.
“If Trump comes back [to the White House, Somalis] will be the first people he will hurt,” Wardere said. “We have to
participate and actually be a part of the decision-making process in America.”
Wardere said the 35 leaders were not part of any organization and only came together as individuals to make the joint statement. In their statement, they made it clear that their endorsement of the HarrisWalz ticket was not without
reservation. The leaders said they were deeply troubled by the ongoing violence against the people of Gaza and Lebanon, and called for an immediate ceasefire, access to humanitarian aid, and an end to Israel’s occupation so that Palestinians may have the right to self-determination.
“While the coalition stands
firmly behind the Harris-Walz ticket, [it] also vehemently opposes specific policies, particularly regarding Gaza and Lebanon,” the statement said. “Despite these disagreements, Trump’s policies pose an even more significant threat to the rights and dignity of marginalized communities, both in the U.S. and abroad.”
Somali American imams, scholars and other leaders pose for a group photo after their meeting in St. Cloud, Minnesota that arrived at a decision to endorse the Harris-Walz ticket.
Photo: Courtesy of Xidig TV
Religion
Evangelicals for Harris’ anti-Trump Billy Graham ad prompts threat of lawsuit
By Kathryn Post Religion News Service
The ad begins with a clip of renowned evangelist the Rev. Billy Graham, wearing glasses, a gray suit and tie, leaning in toward a pulpit.
“But you must realize that in the last days, the times will be full of danger,” Graham declares. “Men will become utterly self-centered and greedy for money.”
Suddenly, a clip of former President Donald Trump is spliced in. Standing before a row of American flags at a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Trump says: “My whole life I’ve been greedy, greedy, greedy. I’ve grabbed all the money I could get. I’m so greedy.”
For the next few seconds, the ad, which has racked up over 30 million views, flips between Graham’s 1988 sermon, contrasting his points with shots of Trump using violent language, claiming to be “the chosen one” and talking about kissing women without their consent.
That ad, the result of a $1 million ad campaign by Evangelicals for Harris, is now the subject of a potential lawsuit from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, a Char-
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It was unclear when Biden’s overseas trip might be rescheduled and the White House did not announce new travel dates. The president had been scheduled to depart Thursday for Germany, where he had planned to host a summit on the war in Ukraine with allied nations at a U.S. military base before continuing on to Angola.
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said officials would look for a date and location to replace Saturday’s planned meeting on Ukraine.
The German government issued a statement saying “we very much regret the cancellation, but of course we understand due to the situation in Florida.”
Biden had promised to visit Africa during his term in office, which ends in January. He said Tuesday that he still intends to make the journey.
“I’m still planning on visiting all the places I said I’d be and all the conferences I said I’d participate in,” he said.
Hurricane Milton weakened slightly Tuesday but remained a ferocious storm that could land
lotte, North Carolina-based nonprofit that supports the ministries of Billy Graham’s son and grandson. In late September and early October, Evangelicals for Harris, a grassroots campaign of the political action committee Evangelicals for America, said it received multiple letters from lawyers representing the association, including a “cease and desist” letter. An Oct. 2 letter, sent from outside counsel and obtained by RNS, threatened to sue Evangelicals for Harris on the basis of copyright infringement.
In a statement to RNS, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association said they do not generally comment on potential disputes, but they acknowledged having communicated with Evangelicals for Harris regarding their concerns about the “unauthorized, political use of BGEA’s copyrighted video,” and said they would continue to address the matter.
“It may be worth noting that, in all of his years of ministry and across relationships with 11 U.S. presidents, Billy Graham sought only to encourage them and to offer them the counsel of Christ, as revealed through God’s Word. He never criticized presidents publicly and would undoubtedly refuse to let his sermons be used to do so, regardless of who is involved,” said the statement.
a once-in-a-century direct hit on the populous Tampa Bay region with towering storm surges and turn debris from Helene’s recent devastation into projectiles.
Most of Florida’s west coast was under a hurricane or tropical storm warning as Milton and its 145 mph (230 kph) winds spun just off Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, creeping toward the state. With the storm expected to remain fairly strong as it crosses Florida, parts of the state’s eastern coast were put under hurricane warnings early Tuesday. Milton’s center could come ashore Wednesday night in the Tampa Bay area, which has a population of more than 3.3 million people.
This year’s hurricane season has caused havoc for political calendars in the closing weeks of the presidential campaign.
Less than two weeks ago, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, cut short a West Coast trip to return to Washington after Helene made landfall. She later visited Georgia and North Carolina, where some of the worst damage took place.
Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, has also traveled through the Southeast, including two trips to Georgia.
In August, the association’s president and CEO, Franklin Graham, turned to the social platform X to voice his displeasure at Evangelicals for Harris’ use of his father’s sermons.
“The liberals are using anything and everything they can to promote candidate Harris. They even developed a political ad trying to use my father @BillyGraham’s image. They are trying to mislead people,” he wrote. “Maybe they don’t know that my father appreciated the conservative values and policies of President @ realDonaldTrump in 2016, and if he were alive today, my father’s views and opinions would not have changed.”
In response to the threatened lawsuit, Evangelicals for Harris released a statement saying Franklin Graham is taking a page from Trump’s playbook by trying to silence the group through legal action.
“Franklin is scared of our ads because we do not tell people what to do or think. We merely hold Trump’s own words up to the light of Scripture, the necessity of repentance, and Biblical warnings against leaders exactly like Trump,” they wrote in a post on X.
The lawyers representing Evangelicals for Harris also released their formal legal response to the threatened lawsuit. Originally sent on Sept. 28, the letter asserts that the ad does not constitute copyright infringement or violate the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s right. They write that the public discussion of Trump’s moral failings is “essential First Amendment expression” and that the use of Billy Graham’s sermon is protected under the Copyright Act.
“EFH will not be removing the ‘Keep Clear’ advertisement in response to your demand. The advertisement is a transformative, noncommercial use of less than two percent of a widely disseminated video, aimed at a market that BGEA (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association) was prohibited from targeting,” the letter says.
Evangelicals for Harris was founded by Jim Ball, an evangelical minister and former head of both the Evangelical Environmental Network and Evangelicals for Biden. Since its launch in August, the group has had over 300,000 people sign up for information about the campaign, according to Ball. Jerushah Duford, Billy Graham’s granddaughter; Bishop Claude Alexander of The Park Church in Charlotte, North Carolina; and Baptist pastor the Rev. Dwight McKissic are among the group’s ranks.
Ball said the “Keep Clear” ad, named after Graham’s admonishment to “keep clear of people like that,” was inspired by a desire to rely on the biblical wisdom of Billy Graham, whom Ball considers a personal hero, and to reintroduce young people to the evangelist.
“We’ve never had a situation where a single individual has threatened democracy and the rule of law like Mr. Trump has,” said Ball. “We’re also hoping to provide a witness to others that love should be at the heart of how we look at politics. … How are we called to love our neighbors in the public square? We think hands down that Kamala Harris is the candidate that everyone should be voting for on that regard.”
In this May 1, 2019, file photo, then-President Donald Trump greets Franklin Graham, left, son of Billy Graham, during a National Day of Prayer dinner gathering in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP File
Art & Entertainment
Review: In Minnesota debut, Bona hits a grand slam with the Dakota audience
By Susan Budig Mshale
While Twins fans were watching their team lose to the Marlins a few blocks away, fans of Richard Bona were luxuriating in his winsome music at The Dakota on Thursday, September 26th.
Watching Cameroonian Bona and his band play was equally as exciting as watching a sporting event. There was constant communication—a smile, a raised eyebrow, a shoulder shrug—between Bona on electric bass and Jesus Pupo on two sets of keys, a grand piano and an electronic keyboard. Their playing was dynamic and engaging.
Ludwig Afonso hails from Cuba as does Pupo. Playing the rhythm section of the show, he laid the foundation for his bandmates’, rising up to shine on solos in turn. True jazz performers, they read one another on stage, mixing up their sounds into a perfect blend.
All three filed onto stage, opening with the irresistible Muntula Moto (The Benediction of a Long Life). Dressed in earthy colors of greens and browns, Bona strummed and picked his electric bass while singing in Douala.
They followed the first number with Three Views of a Secret, starting smooth and easy then segueing into a more syncopated rhythm with a dash of vinegar. This piece crescendoed
into peerless piano-playing by Pupo and then an equally accomplished drum riff.
A danceable, though no one did, number was third in the set, Bilongo. Bona plays his guitar imbued with a sense of humor, sometimes exaggerating the motions and flashing a huge smile at the audience. He calls out, “This is the first time I’ve ever been in Minneapolis.”
Then, like a cat walking on stage, the band began to play Eyala, slow and intimate. This was one of my favorites. It’d be easy to close my eyes and lose myself to the sound, but I don’t want to do that because seeing the performers ping off one another and bolster one another is also part of the beauty of livemusic.
Bona tells us that Miles Davis was a huge influence on his music. He then plays a song by Davis, All Blues, though cautioning us not to try to clap along on this intricate, “ninja” number. Pupo plays simultaneously both keyboards, his fingers striking out at the keys as if the piano keys were on fire and he can’t rest his hands for long. The musicians are so hot, so in-tune, so intense and electrified that I wanted to jump up and cheer them on.
Bona quips after the song, asking the audience, “Was that good?” Not waiting for an answer, he laughs and cuts in, “Of course, I know it’s good.” Anyone with ears can hear
how polished the band played.
His bandmates exit the stage momentarily and Bona pulls out his Black Magic Voodoo Machine also known as a looper. He lays down tracks interspersed with regaling us about the history of the machine and how he likes to use it in his music both to create and to perform.
Bona uses some call-and-response with a very enthusiastic audience. He butters us up telling us we’re “better than Miami.” I’m not sure if he’s improvising on the spot, but the music he puts out, all his own original work, is layered and rich and complex. Every good thing you’ve ever heard about jazz is embodied in Bona’s playing.
“I see a lot of Cameroonians here tonight,” he calls out and the crowd cheers back at him because he’s right. The entirety of the Dakota has been opened with few empty seats in sight.
“I feel like dancing,” Bona says, and rejoined by his bandmates, they launch into O Sen Sen Sen. It’s fun and playful. The crowd spontaneously claps and cheers as they play. Toward the end of the song, they jump up onto their feet demanding an encore.
Bona steps off stage to grab a beverage and Pupo lays down a solo on piano. Pupo nearly eclipses Bona in sheer skill, his playing is inspired leaving us breathless. But Bona’s
deep, deep knowledge of what he’s playing and the permutations he takes with each song, his love for the music and how he shares it with his audience elevate Bona into the maestro that he is.
With an encore imminent, Bona obliges, returning to the stage singing in Spanish, Alfonsina y el mar - Mercedez Sosa, leaving the audience satisfied and certain to return for his next engagement.
Richard Bona during his show at the Dakota in downtown Minneapolis on September 26, 2024. Mshale Staff Photo by Jasmine Webber
