The Repetitive Exploitation of Black Minnesota: Here we go again…
African-American Men Project; Prostate Screenings; HIV/AIDS; Breast Cancer Screenings; Dairy Queen;Tires Plus; Siyeza, Inc; NRRC; Synergy…
“Good intentions have funded projects with the same point people that continue to fail Black Minnesota. When will Black Minnesota get tired of the blatant Exploitation of their Community?” ~Don Allen
By Donald W.R. Allen, II – Editor in Chief/IBNN
Several years ago, St. Paul Pioneer Press journalist David Hawley wrote a story titled “Minneapolis: Study Details Problems Facing City’s Black Men,” dated January 24, 2002.
The story details, the results of a two-year study in which Hawley stated the outlook for African-American men in Minneapolis is grim. In the article Hawley wrote: “If you’re an African-American man ages 18 to 30, the odds are roughly 50-50 that you live in one of the city’s poorest, most crime-ridden neighborhoods and that a single mother reared you. There’s also about a 50-50 chance that you didn’t finished high school and only a slightly lesser chance that you will be arrested in the next year, most likely for a minor offense. If you are arrested, the odds are greater than 50-50 that you will be charged again within the next two years.”
In response to Hawley’s “grim” article, Gary L. Cunningham, the former Director of NorthPoint Health and Wellness and the overseer of the African-American Men Project, an organization that once had the power and respect of the community to make meaningful change, but has now has been reduced to a glorified referral service, had only one thing to say, “This report deals with what people call “wicked problems’ in our society.”
Wicked problems” are still not solved today – even by the people who identified them 8 years ago despite an incredible amount of funding and resources. 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.
Stairstep Foundation Part 2: Follow the money
First of all, thanks for all the responses regarding Part 1 in this 4 part series regarding the Stairstep Foundation in Minneapolis.
IBNN has never received so many emailed copies of the Stairstep Foundations IRS 990’s in regards to one single organization and the operations they have listed on their website that don’t match the 2007 IRS 990’s. Read more
Stairstep Foundation – “What do you do?” A referral Agency? (with comments from Madison – watch the video at the bottom)
What do you do?
In a call to the Stairstep Foundation in north Minneapolis IBNN has found out that the Foundation is a referral service. Do you think General Mills and the Madison Urban League have been “Bamboozeled?”
In an email from someone that calls themselves, “Please Go To Minneapolis” with a Madison, WI IP address and email, they state the following: “Scott Gray has been leading the Madison Urban League for 3 years now and you want to talk about a puppet show? Please go to Minneapolis so that Madison has some hope for sound leadership …Good luck Minneapolis! Most likely, he will only stay long enough to get some credentials and then be off to a higher paying oppurtunity anyway … good luck and God surly is shining on Madison if Scott is being removed from this city!” Read the full story and comment at http://ibnn.org/?p=1288
The video below is proof enough that we do have a problem in north Minneapolis with local agencies orginally set up to build capacity for the under served community that have ventured off into the business sector and now have become nothing more than a referral service.
See the video here!
IBNNNEW- North Minneapolis: NAACP President “Uncovers” two of the North side seven and an estimated $4 million dollars Donald Allen
- Apology to the North Minneapolis Community. We don’t have leaders, we have self-appointed spokespersons Donald Allen
- The Death of North Minneapolis… Donald Allen
- IBNN Exclusive Report: Youth with weapon attempts to enter funeral of Alisha “Lele” Neely (Captured on Film) Donald Allen
- WCCO 4 (CBS) Television fails in journalistic integrity with “edited and spliced” tape of the Minneapolis Police Beating of Ira Stafford…rating F- Donald Allen
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