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:

Hello Mr. Allen,

It is clear that we have either a miscommunication or misunderstanding. If you recall, in August I invited you and Mr. Edwards to participate in African-American Leadership Forum. At that time, you refused this invitation. (No invite received)

As Trista has outlined in her e-mail to you today, the African American Leadership Forum does have a process for people who are interested in participating. Trista outlined the reasons for this and offered you or anyone else you would like to participate in a cascading group to do so. This offer still stands. Other new members of the Forum have participated in the same process.

We appreciate your interest in working to improve the lives of African American people. The members of African American Leadership Forum are also dedicated to this effort. As you may already be aware, the members of African American Leadership Forum come from a variety of backgrounds and have diverse views. The tent is big enough for everyone. I have known and have worked with several of the individuals you have proposed to attend the Forum and have respect for them all. We would certainly welcome them into the Forum after they participated in the cascading group process. The next meeting of the African American Leadership Forum will occur sometime in the [1] spring of next year and I hope to see you there.

With all the best Gary –
Gary L. Cunningham
Vice President of Programs – Chief Program Officer
Northwest Area Foundation
T: 651.225.3868

# # #

[1] “The next meeting of the African American Leadership Forum will occur sometime in the spring of next year.”

…By the spring of next year, you have no Black leaders asking the City of Minneapolis about the Empowerment Zone dollars. No one to ask, officially, why hasn’t a Disparity Report been completed? While Black Minnesota is stifled by leaders that want to meet according to “Funding Cycles” while ignoring the real issues, the average man should ask, “What kind of Bullshit is this?”

It will be a cold winter.

Several creditable institutions are already established with foundations in place to address the disparities of Black people in Minnesota. The University of Minnesota’s Urban Research and Outreach Center (UROC) has a presence in North Minneapolis with 10 resident programs to form a coalition to address the issues of poverty, education, healthcare, foreclosures and economic development in a blighted area while developing solutions by models created from an academia influence, which in our opinion will be best for Black Minnesota.

The Council on Black Minnesotans is available to deal with laws pertaining to Black Minnesotans and can expand UROC’s mission as a formidable ally.

When a group of organizations with a Totalitarian mission to rid the lower one-third of the community the opportunity to participate, discuss or criticize a process, using the same point people that have created “catastrophic” failures in all areas of Black life, it’s time to look at who the real leaders are, and not at the usual suspects, who have their hands out at the table.

I attest that the African-American Leadership Forum held at General Mills on Saturday, November 21, 2009 is in violation of Minnesota’s Open Meeting Law.

The folly the Black community had suffered at the hands of the same high-brow, stratified Black people must stop now.

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