Minnesota’s African American Leadership Model–A fine example of Totalitarianism…The 2009 version of how our own will sell us back into Slavery
By Donald W.R. Allen, II – Editor in Chief/IBNN
The Radical may resort to the sword, (in 2009: the keyboard), but when he does he is not filled with hatred against those individuals whom he attacks. He hates these individuals not as persons but as symbols representing ideas or interests which he believes to be inimical to the welfare of the people. (Alinsky 1946: 23)
On Saturday, (11/21) I ventured to General Mills to catch a glimpse of the 170 African-American “hand-picked” leaders for the African-American Leadership Forum. (Only two kinds of people can afford the luxury of acting on principle, those with absolute power and those with none and no desire to get any.)
Headwater Foundations Trista Harris and Northwest Area Foundations Gary Cunningham’s emails stating that there was a process one could follow in order to be invited to the Leadership meeting were misleading.
Rev. Jerry McAfee and Spike Moss were both invited on the insistence of Rep. Bobby Jo Champion less than 24 hours before Saturday’s meeting. This is not the “process” detailed in the meetings.
IBNN was later contacted by several participants at Saturday’s cattle herd. One of them said, “This was nothing but a breakfast and lunch to get a bunch of names so the Headwaters Foundation can seek future funding. Nothing got done. The circus-like engagement was a dirty shame and disrespectful to all African-Americans.”
After I had a 40-minute conversation with Northwest Area Foundation’s Gary Cunningham, it seemed that we both wanted the same outcomes for Black people in Minnesota. His statements were good – but the actions that he took excluded the real Minnesota black leadership and further delayed the attainment of justice for all.
You see Mr. Cunningham is not a radical. White Minnesota feels comfortable working with him. He will do what the master says, with little resistance. (IBNN will look at Cunningham’s involvement with Pilot City- now NorthPoint Health and Wellness– and the African American Men’s Project in an upcoming story.)
Although I was not allowed to enter the guarded area at General Mills, while Gary and I talked, several people that were not on any list were granted admission to this “private formal meeting.” Yet it was impossible for the interested public to become fully informed about the African American Leadership Forum.
The sad thing about the African American Leadership forum is, organizations “self-charged” with the organizing of this model – Northwest Foundation; Headwaters Foundation and the Stairstep Foundation recognize no limits to their authority and strive to regulate every aspect of Black engagement wherever feasible.
The element of authoritarianism, according to which ordinary Blacks have no significant share in decision-making, helps to maintain these organizations in positions of political power by means of an official all-embracing ideology and propaganda disseminated through the controlled personality cults, along with regulations and restrictions of free discussion and criticism. This is the definition of totalitarianism.
An e-mail response sent to me by Mr. Cunningham reads: Read more
Dirty Little Secrets in Black Leadership: Headwaters Foundation’s Trista Harris answer to, “Let us participate on Saturday (11/21) at General Mills”
Who are the 170 African-American leaders involved in this “work-group” tomorrow (11/21) at General Mills? I’m sure I can name some of the usual suspects that have failed the Black community time and time again. Why it is that this woman is in charge of who attends an African-American Leadership Summit? Controls are no different than Slavery in a cold Jim Crow.
Please join us at General Mills to protest the exclusion of stakeholders in the African-American Leadership Forum tomorrow at General Mills.
The following is a response from Headwaters Foundation Trista Harris:
I’m following up on our conversation this morning. Saturday’s African American Leadership Forum is for community members that have participated in previous meetings of the African American Leadership Forum. I certainly want you to know that all the people you mentioned are welcome to be a part of this effort but because this is a working meeting, Saturday’s Forum is not an appropriate place for them to become engaged.
One of the things that we set up as an entry point into the African American Leadership Forum is the need for the attendees to have a pre-meeting to become familiar with the work that’s been done to date.
We call these groups cascading groups. We have instituted this arrangement in part because we want people to become familiar with the previous work and add value in a smaller groups setting, so that we don’t have to restart the Forum every time new members come to a larger meeting.
After this weekend’s meeting if you would like to call together a cascading group of your own, we will provide facilitation assistance and food for the meeting. These have been exciting meetings where we already have 170 African-American leaders attend. People really like this approach and have gotten a lot out of the cascading group meetings. I have been heartened by this work and the need for a forum of African-American leaders to develop a shared agenda.
I also hope you understand the approach we are taking. I will make sure that they get invited to a cascading group to become part of this important work.
I look forward to working with you on this and other issues that impact low-income people in our community.
Best wishes,
Trista Harris
Executive Director
www.headwatersfoundation.org
2801 21st Ave S. Suite 131
Minneapolis, MN 55407
P: 612-879-0602 # 13
F: 612-879-0613
It’s on!
The Wave Project: Addressing the high cost of “Black” Address on KFAI-FM (90.3) 6 p.m. – Sunday, July 26 – “Mobilizing Impoverished Wealth”
Sunday, July 26, 2009 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. tune into KFAI-FM Radio at 90.3 for the show “Mobilizing Impoverished Wealth.”
We will discuss strategies to improve and enhance local neighborhoods through community involvement are presented by Lennie Chism and his special guest the Independent Business News Networks Editor and Chief Don Allen, who lately has a lot to say about “process” and why the same people are always at the table with little to no results. You can read his online Blog at www.ibnn.org.
Also included in this show will be live music by Soulasious along with special guest comedian and one of Twin Cities hottest up and coming comedian Kelechi Jaavaid. (KJ is the brother from the whopper freak out commercial. See more of KJ at www.myspace.com/kjay02).
Subject of Program:
The questions of the day: “Why does everyone try to escape the high cost of Black address in an impoverished community?” What’s with the “attacks” on Black people from the news media to local “stratified” politicians whom have forgotten that in most cases some of them represent the poorest neighborhoods in Minneapolis?
- Why hasn’t the foreclosure crisis (opportunity) been solved? Who are the players that have created a new industry while throwing $100 million dollars at a “crisis” and still have no measurable results – should it be tolerated?
- The Minneapolis Department of Civil Right…Should they stay or go? This brings up an interesting topic that will be discussed in detail by Mr. Allen, who in his own words says, “They have not done the job for the minority-ethnic community – heads must roll, starting with the replacement of the director of the MDCR and Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak and most of the Minneapolis City Council. The City Council should at least look like the communities they represent.”
- The mayor’s use of the “N” word. “North Minneapolis.” We see no measurable results, but a plan to uproot a community.
- We will discuss the rolls of local social service agencies that have become an institution unto themselves with money in and no “pipeline” to the community.
- We will explore the strategies to cure the stigma of having an impoverished address. The community problem solver often spends an enormous amount time addressing the symptoms without finding the cures. Example: We are so busy swatting the flies but often neglect to remove the excrement that draws them.
What kind of people will be interested in this program and what will the listeners gain?
Grassroots community organizers who strive to improve the lot of the impoverished community will find the strategies practical and put them into action.
We will take an “inside” view of local politics and “process” that have left communities of color on the outside looking in.
Our community has been denied information for over 40 years. This is an opportunity to tell what’s really going on.
Tune in Sunday, July 26, 2009 from 6 p. m. to 7 p.m. on KFAI-FM Radio – 90.3 on your FM dial.
Join the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder in welcoming the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) to Minneapolis tonight at SEVEN!
Tonight at SEVEN, Minneapolis’ premiere Steakhouse, Ultra Lounge, Sushi Bar and Sky Bar located on the corners of Seventh and Hennepin in downtown Minneapolis join sponsors the Northwest Area Foundation, V-Media Marketing, COMO (Community Outreach Media Organization and PAMA for a very special welcoming event for the NNPA.
The event starts at 9 p.m. tonight and features music, networking and entertainment for over 200 newspapers that have come to Minneapolis for their annual convention at the Radisson Hotel from June 24 to June 28. This event is free and the public is invited to come take part in this historic event. Sample the fine cuisine of SEVEN while you enjoy the “design, elegance and atmosphere” of SEVEN’s Sky Bar overlooking the heart of down town Minneapolis.
The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA): The National Newspaper Publishers Association, also known as the Black Press of America, is a 67-year-old federation of more than 200 Black community newspapers from across the United States. Since World War II, it has also served as the industry’s news service, a position that it has held without peer or competitor since the Associated Negro Press dissolved by 1970. In 2000, the NNPA launched NNPA Media Services– a print and web advertising-placement and press release distribution service. In 2001, the NNPA, in association with the NNPA Foundation, it began building the BlackPressUSA Network– the nation’s premier network of local Black community news and information portals. The BlackPressUSA Network is anchored by BlackPressUSA.com– the national web portal for the Black Press of America.
We look forward to seeing you tonight at SEVEN.
For more information, call 612-986-0010.
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