Introducing USA Radical Black – the New “Brother” Blog of IBNN
By Kandis Style – Staff Journalist/IBNN
London, UK/Minneapolis, MN. – Nov. 12 / IBNN News/ – USA Radical Black is pleased to announce the launch of its controversial new web site www.usaradicalblack.com . The site is the result of the massive demand for information related to the American Black experience. Our goal is to provide our visitors with a virtual experience that is compelling and life altering and to inspire the marginalized, and voiceless.
“The virtual world can never match being present at a protest, or a rally; however, we strive to ignite a cyber movement “in real time” every day,” say Don Allen, Editor in Chief of IBNN and Minister of Information for USA Radical Black.
User can easily access archival and cross-referenced information and use our links and references for researching issues and forming their own opinions. The upgraded site also enables our online visitors and members an easy, instant, and secure way to register for programs, make donations, and purchase products from USA Radical Black online store.
The site allows our visitors to create individual profiles indicating specific topics of interest for communications and specialized website content. Users will also enjoy that their profiles will be securely saved for future transactions and can be updated at any time by logging in. Bookmarking and social media tags are also embedded throughout the site so that visitors can share USA Radical Black news and information with others on sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Del.icio.us.
In the future, expect to see live webcasts, high profile interviews, watch dog activities, and strategic alliances with progressive organizations that truly make a difference in people’s lives.
About USA Radical Black
“USA Radical Black – Truth to the People/Power to the People…Now!”
USA Radical Black was created by the Independent Business News Networks editor in chief Donald W.R. Allen, II to address disparities in Black and minority-ethnic leadership roles in the United States.
USA Radical Black also covers News and Information about Politics, Education, Money, Community, Religion, Race, Status and Class as it relates to us.
USA Radical Black is themed to be a “wake-up call” to people of color in the United States who have done the same thing the same way, creating insanity by electing the same party officials that have created problems over-and-over again while in the background tasking people they feel comfortable with to “solve” problems for pay and political favors.
We will explore the changing of the Black Church as it pertains to us as a people of color getting back to our roots with God, Family and Prosperity. Does a well funded Foundation or Social Service Agency have more power than GOD?
Join USA Radical Black for Truth to the People and Power to the People – if not now, when?
Jerry Moore, with the assistance of attorney Jill Clark sue Blogger Johnny Northside, Don Allen and others (John Does) who left comments on Blog
“Never in the history of north Minneapolis has there been this much coverage on events, people and process. The Adventures of Johnny Northside and the Independent Business News Network have revolutionized the information stream while providing critical point of views not read or seen in local mainstream media. In most cases, Blogs about north Minneapolis provide an in-depth look at information that for the most part would have never gotten out to the community. In north Minneapolis, the current media outlets would have you to believe one thing – the fact is, there are two sides to every story, then there’s the right side.”
…Don Allen, Editor in Chief – The Independent Business News Network
IBNN staff writers are working on an in-depth story about Mr. Jerry Moore and his relationship with the Northside Marketing Task Force where Mr. Don Allen was the Vice Chair and Moore was the Board Chairman. This story will also cover “factual documented data” about the Larry Maxwell trial to include what was said by Mr. Moore that is on record. Furthermore, IBNN has been granted an exclusive interview with the north Minneapolis property owner who facilitated a check for $5000 to Mr. Moore for “consulting.”
IBNN alleges there is something wrong with a system that lets an attorney fight for First Amendment Rights, (Al Flowers versus Councilmember Don Samuels) and then turns back and fights against the First Amendment.
Until then, IBNN has provided our readers with the current “Fodder” about what we think will be the “turning point” in having an open discussion about community engagement as it pertains to, “who are the real community stakeholders – and will the real Slim Shady just go away!”
Some north Minneapolis residents and community stakeholders had no idea that the University of Minnesota/Urban Research and Outreach Center (UROC) hired Mr. Moore. What was the rationale for not announcing that Mr. Moore had been hired and who are the other two people the U of M has hired?
Read “Prattles” (http://annapratt.wordpress.com/) by Anna Pratt “Did Johnny Northside blog get Jerry Moore fired?” (http://annapratt.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/blogger-johnny-northside-trying-to-get-jerry-moore-fired/) and “Former JACC ED is now suing bloggers” (http://annapratt.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/former-jacc-ed-is-now-suing-bloggers/)
Read “Minnesota Daily” by Robert Downs, “Former U of M employee files defamation suit against Blogger” (http://www.mndaily.com/2009/06/30/former-u-employee-files-defamation-suit-against-blogger)
Read “Jordan Livability” – “Jill Clark & Jerry Moore Sue Johnny Northside & Don Allen,” (http://jordanlivability.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/jill-clark-jerry-moore-sue-johnny-northside-don-allen/)
Your comments are welcomed at info@ibnn.org.
Banana Republic: Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights, Minneapolis Urban League block Information to the community with secret Pipeline meetings
“With the arrest of Terry Drakes on Friday, it’s clear that the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights(MDCR) Investigative Unit and the Compliance Unit is using the Minneapolis Urban League’s (MUL) Pipeline meetings to present false propaganda to the community while neglecting to reporting on what is actually happening to people in the system. Mr. Terry Drakes has repeatedly become a casualty of the MDCR for their lack of concern for the “least of thee.”
“Make them do what they have written on paper…Dr. King”
Again, IBNN uncovers another layer to the deception of the Dream that the Minneapolis Urban League continues to exploit the sacred trust of social justice by cannibalizing the Minneapolis Urban League’s Pipeline, or Minnesota Pipeline. The Pipeline’s original intent was to be a collaboration of forums and discussions in a “community” setting, allowing input from members of the community to voice their views and opinions in a safe and respectful forum, to help bridge decades of distrust and misinformation to encourage transparency in governmental and civic affairs.
The Minnesota Pipeline has addressed issues like “Making Minnesota’s Children a Political Priority in the 2008 Election” to reverse these inequities and change the lives of children of color in Minnesota and other noteworthy causes in an election year that would flow with the “pipeline” of the current Democratic infrastructure in Minneapolis.
“If the Minneapolis Urban League’s Pipeline, would ask the real questions and work as advocates rather than social facilitators, incidents of injustice would be key and top-of-mind for the community, versus a social meet and greet.” Read more
Tune into 89.9FM- KMOJ The People’s Station – Friday, May 1st at 3:20 p.m. “A Call to Action-Take back North Minneapolis” interview!
Posted by Cortez Acoutez
Listen to the announcement by clicking here – A Call to Action Announcement
Editors note: KMOJ-FM Radio 89.9 does not support nor is affiliated with “The Agency” but does provide community information with the on-air platform of the radio station for its listeners. This announcement was paid for by “The Agency.” KMOJ-FM is the best source of News and Information for the Black community. Please support KMOJ by listening and underwriting fine on-air programming. For more information contact the station at (612) 377-0594.
On Friday at 3:20 p.m. tune into KMOJ-FM 89.9 during the Walter “Q-Bear” Banks Show for the interview with Independent Business News Network editor, political consultant and member of the North Minneapolis Community Ethics Committee Don Allen.
Mr. Allen will talk about the upcoming event on Saturday, May 2, 2009 called “A Call to Action-Take Back North Minneapolis”. This presentation is a prelude to the petition to find out where the money is and who is responsible for programs and services in north Minneapolis.
Don’t forget to tune int0 89.9 KMOJ-FM tomorrow at 3:20 p.m.
This has been a public service announcement provided by the Independent Business News Network (www.ibnn.org).
Minneapolis Mayor wants to eliminate Department of Civil Rights, but intent is to eliminate African Americans’ access to city resources and stifle our voices
On Monday, April 6, 2009 a camera crew from Poor-no-More with producers Donald Jackson and Chris Patrick followed NRI”s Ron Edwards and V-Media’s Don Allen to Minneapolis City Hall to obtain information on Contract Compliance and the “activity” report on the Fong Lee case. Of course we were denied the information. In this “breaking news video” a department investigator tells us to look it up on the Internet.
Mayor Rybak:
I use a public platform to contact you about the concerns I have because this way I am assured you will view my messages. In the past, when I communicated with you via e-mail, it seems you and your communications director denied receiving my messages.
The point I wish to make in this message is too important to be ignored.
Community uproar and controversy continues to escalate since your announcement regarding the elimination of the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights Investigative and Compliance Units. But you don’t hear the community’s cries. I truly think that you have turned a blind eye to what dismantling the two units means to communities of color in Minneapolis. It’s also worth noting that 92 percent of the claims to the department last year came from African Americans and Somalis.
The Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights investigates allegations of discrimination against protected classes and complaints of police misconduct, as well as overseeing affirmative action goals on City-funded projects, among other things.
In a previous e-mail message (one that was posted to my blog and neither sent directly to you, nor intended for you), I commented that by dismantling the investigative and compliance units and transferring the work to the state level will create a failed state government: 1). City level issues will overwhelm and backlog state-level government. As a result of the backlog, issues pertinent to Minneapolis residents will be slow to process, will be overlooked or denied the appropriate attention they deserve. 2). A backlogged state government, facing financial shortfalls, will be unable to hire additional staff and investigators, or effectively serve its Minneapolis and St. Paul residents. Low morale eventually will permeate the unit forcing staff and investigators to resign. 3). Once Minneapolis residents realize that state-level government is ineffective at handling civil rights complaints, they will voice their complaints elsewhere, or not at all (which is probably Rybak’s ultimate goal).
I argue that by eliminating the compliance and investigative units of the Department of Civil Rights, you are eliminating the Black community’s access to city resources as well as stifling our voices to claim justice.
In your 2009 Mayor’s Supplemental Budget, p. 34, you suggest that “reductions in the budget areas specified will have the general impact of reducing the level of visibility of the Department of Civil Rights.” Oddly enough, the budget areas specified include the city’s support for African-American businesses and events.
Your supplemental budget points out that there will be a reduction “… at certain annual, community events, such as the Urban League Family Day or Juneteenth. Secondly, participation at such events as the Urban League Annual Meeting, the Minnesota Justice Foundation annual meeting and the Minnesota Bar Association annual meeting, Employment Bar Division, will be reduced. Third, advertising support in community newspapers (e.g. Minnesota Spokesman, Insight News and Asian Papers), which was primarily for the purpose of communicating hiring opportunities will be reduced. Fourth, partnering with community agencies and/or other governmental agencies to conduct training sessions or other community building opportunities would be severally curtailed. An example of such an opportunity would be the recently canceled schedule of activities, hosted by Minneapolis and Hennepin County, for Black History Month. Finally, attendance at national “industry” related events, and the hiring of certain content-specific experts, to enhance the skill/knowledge of our management staff will be reduced, or perhaps eliminated.”
Of the number of activities and events you chose to cut, I question why you did not consider the Aquatennial parade, the Holidazzle parade, the Do-the-Town shopping promomtion, Pride, Cinco de Mayo and Sommerfest?
Notice that all of the events — the events that are not set to experience a reduction in support — are serving the majority, or the (White) population in Minneapolis. Your obvious attack on the Black and minority-ethnic community, services, businesses and events shows that you don’t care, have never cared about the economic success, development and viability of Minneapolis’ communities of color.
I find it humorous that you say that ‘Minneapolis is a city that works.’ How can Minneapolis be a city that works (or functions well) when it has a civil rights department that for years has been in mired in bureaucracy and backlog? How can Minneapolis be a city that works when police barge into the wrong home and are later commended by the chief? How can Minneapolis be a city that works when five high-ranking black officers file a discrimination suit against the city and chief and win? How can Minneapolis be a city that works when the very Departments responsible for investigating civil rights complaints will be eliminated?
Obviously, Minneapolis doesn’t work.
I question whether eliminating the compliance and investigative units will make Minneapolis work better? I don’t think so.
“Any failure in the process set forth by a local city or state government to have ‘seamless’ methodology of true investigation with community engagement is a failure for all people, not just people of color.”
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Newspaper’s Guiding Light and Matriarch passes away at 87
The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder is Minnesota’s oldest African-American newspaper and the oldest Black business in the State of Minnesota. MSR has been published for the last 75 years and is Minnesota’s #1 source of News and Information for the minority-ethnic community.
Launa Quincy Newman, the guiding light of this newspaper for more than 30 years, passed away on Tuesday, February 3, at the age of 87. Without her strength, perception and single-minded dedication to continuing the mission of her husband, founding publisher and editor Cecil E. Newman, the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder would very likely not exist today.
The newspaper’s staff, writers and readers join Mrs. Newman’s devoted family and many friends in mourning her loss.
Launa Newman was born in Topeka, Kansas, on December 30, 1921, the second child of four born to Gilber Quincy and his wife Ethel. Launa’s father owned a tailor business. When she was two, the family relocated to Des Moines, Iowa, where Gilber established his tailoring and cleaning business on State Street.
Newman grew up in Des Moines, eventually attending business school and meeting and marrying her first husband, Wallace O’Neal Jackman. Two children were born of this union, Norma Jean Williams and Wallace “Jack” Jackman.
Newman moved to Minneapolis in 1958, where nine years later, in 1967, she married her second husband, Cecil Earl Newman. Newman had founded his two newspapers, the Minneapolis Spokesman and the St. Paul Recorder, in 1934. By the time he and Launa were married, Newman had become a prominent leader among Black Minnesotans, active on corporate boards and in political circles as well as publishing the leading Black newspapers.
“I wanted to help him in his business,” Mrs. Newman recalled of those days. “My father was a successful businessman in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, before it was popular for Blacks to be in business. “I knew what it meant to be a small businessman. I knew the problems and sacrifices involved.”
Newman told her husband, “I am impressed by your stamina and dedication, and by the fact that you want to help so many people with so little pay in return for yourself.” Cecil was dedicated to serving the community as a leader and newspaperman. Launa recognized and respected his commitment and did what she could to provide support and economize on the home front.
Eventually Newman felt called to do more. “I recognized his need for help, and I knew that he could not afford to hire new people at that time. I started working the circulation area and later helped by relieving him of some of the tedious telephone contact work he had to do. Then I got into the management area, reorganizing the staff and office procedures into a system that remains successful for the paper.”
Cecil was often too preoccupied with his editorial duties to attend to management details. Launa compensated for that deficiency with her own direct, no-nonsense style: “There was a job that had to be done, and there was only one way to do it — the complete way. The right way.”
Newman spent seven years as the newspapers’ office manager and Cecil Newman’s business confidant before his death in 1976. “It was easy to work with Newman because he was my very best friend,” she recalled. “And because he was my best friend, it was quite easy for him to be my husband.”
Cecil E. Newman passed away on February 2, 1976, and Launa inherited the business. She had little time to deal with the trauma of Cecil’s loss before confronting the company’s books: “It was a financial shock. I had to let staff go and utilize all the free help I could get from family and friends who were already closely associated with the paper under Newman’s direction.”
Among those let go were longtime employees who operated the typesetting and printing departments for 20 years based on the by-then obsolete practice of hot-metal composition. Modernizing production from the old composition system to the offset printing system was one of Newman’s earliest challenges as she set out to prove those wrong who doubted she could keep the newspapers alive. “I am not a successful businesswoman, yet,” she said back then, “but I am learning.”
What helped Newman through those difficult times was her strong faith. “I believe in prayer. I believe it was the prayers of the many people around me that made it possible for me to continue the paper. I walked surrounded by faith and hope. There were times when I felt that nothing could hurt me.”
Under Newman’s guidance, the newspapers remained a vital, influential force in the community. For a time, Cecil Newman’s son Oscar Newman served as co-publisher and chief editor. Norma Jean Williams and Wallace Jackman increasingly assumed responsibilities for the company, seeing it through another technical evolution to the computerized publishing system now in place, remodeling the facility to accommodate more staff, and merging the two newspapers into a single publication, the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.
Williams and Jackman became co-publishers of the newspaper as Mrs. Newman delegated greater authority to them, freeing her up for more community work and time to enjoy her friends. She served on the board of the Minneapolis Boy’s Club, was affiliated with the Hennepin County Service Organization, and worked with the Courage Center. She was a member of the Minneapolis Women’s Club and involved in as many as six bridge clubs at a time. Mrs. Newman remained active with many other civic and social organizations and entertained a wide circle of friends and acquaintances.
Tracey Williams, who worked at the newspapers as a child, also became more active with the business, eventually becoming president and CEO. In 2007, Newman sold the business to granddaughter Tracey and officially retired from direct involvement. Even in retirement, however, she kept a close eye on the newspaper and did not hesitate to notify her co-publishers, CEO and editor when something was amiss and needed immediate attention.
Spokesman-Recorder Senior Contributing Writer Matthew Little was on the scene to observe Mrs. Newman’s assumption of the publishing duties after her husband’s death.
“The history of the Spokesman and Recorder newspapers is synonymous with the history of African Americans in the state of Minnesota,” Little said. “Not only have they documented and archived the Black presence and mobility in the state, but over the years they have played a central advocacy role in African American progress.
“When their founder and legendary leader, Cecil E. Newman, passed on, fears were raised among many that it would mark the end of the publications and the progressive community status it had engendered. But Mrs. Launa Newman was determined to keep alive the legacy created by her deceased husband.
“She not only preserved the publications and their position in the community, but she expanded it,” said Little. “In so doing, she quietly and unobtrusively established a legacy of her own.”
In the 32 years since the death of her husband, the newspaper, under the direction of Mrs. Newman and with the support of family and staff, has successfully carried on the tradition of its founder.
The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder remains the state’s oldest African American publication and the oldest surviving Black business in Minnesota.
In addition to her proud record of persistence in the face of adversity, Launa Newman leaves as her legacy a large and loving family. She is the mother of two, the grandmother of nine, the great-grandmother of 21, and the great-great-grandmother of three children.
The Current State of North Minneapolis heading into 2009 – “Shall we Overcome?”
Mr. Lennie Chism addresses the Minneapolis City Council, who has decided to “exclude” the Black community from dollars.
In view of the catastrophic failure of Minneapolis Urban League in 2008 as it pertains to service to people, programs, community engagement and bad internal decision making to include cutbacks and layoffs, does the Black social service agency have a contingency plan for 2009? With the layoff of the MUL’s marketing/communications director (A U of M triple major with a Masters Degree – probably the smartest person in the building), it seems that bad choices will continue to be the flavor for 2009. An old poet wrote, “To fear someone with education and a strong will moves forward the clock of your stupidity.”
Furthermore, the exit this summer of the MUL’s Chief Development Officer and the agency opting to hire another grant writer versus someone with a solid direction, (which was the issue in the first place), put the once flagship Black social service agency in a tight competition for funds and the lack of procedure on how to fundraise in the private sector – a piece that’s been missing for a long time. It’s been reported that in 2009 local and national philanthropic agencies will meet to announce cuts in funding to Twin City agencies to include the MUL. These (White) philanthropic agencies have been conditioned to see Black agencies on television, radio and newspaper talking about successful measurable outcomes and current programs that reflect dollars given to local non-profits for programs to enact those programs. “Question: When was the last time you saw FOX 9 News or WCCO at the Minneapolis Urban League to promote a successful outcome that was purely Black focused and driven?”
The fact is; it has not happened. Now, with no fear of being called racists or unfair for not giving the usual dollars to the Black agencies in light of the current political atmosphere, the White philanthropic agencies are asking the question, “What are you doing with the money and what have you done.” With questions still unanswered regarding the $50,000.00 given away freely by Northway Community Trust to a firm outside of the community/state for a survey on Broadway Avenue businesses that was never done; to the alleged miss-dealings of the Jordan Area Community Council; and our favorite, Northside Residents Redevelopment Council (NRRC) lack of “development” makes us wonder if “change” is the operative word for 2009, local Black social service agencies must “step up to the plate” and play in the league of sound business practices; understanding policy, making policy and working with people from outside of their circle (but within the community) who might know more without being afraid of “change.” For example, if the Minneapolis Urban League gets money (again) to address the housing foreclosure issue within the community, we cannot let them “go outside the community and hire people that don’t look like us or don’t live in the community to address this very serious issue. That has always been the “easy-out.” There are knowledgeable people in the community that have technically solved the foreclosure crisis in their heads but have not been given the opportunity to step forward and apply the logics needed to create education, wealth and independence for North Minneapolis. If the African American Men Project needs a marketing plan or a website developed – they will not give a White firm $100,000.00 to complete a task and turn into a referral agency. Year-to-date, we have not seen a solid plan or website for AAMP. Part of this situation evolves from Black people that can make decisions, feel more comfortable doing business with White folks. (That’s another story…soon.)
Rather than just cutting the agencies off, meetings are being set up to announce a start from scratch approach with programs and plans that local agencies have to re-apply for funding – if they meet the requirements. Also reported today, NorthPoint Health and Wellness Clinic goes into 2009 with a half-million dollar deficit. Contacts for IBNN allege that a meeting was called between the NP board chair and a NP program director that had to answer some very “pointed” questions about his “process” or failure of. (It’s understandable why the U of M backed out of that deal.)
In University of Minnesota/Northside Partnership News…A concerned North Minneapolis community wise man received this email from the University of Minnesota’s Community Liaison, stationed at the Minneapolis Urban League. It reads, “The Urban Research and Outreach/ Engagement Center is working to create a time line of people who have been important or instrumental in the Northside and well as Minneapolis and in Minnesota – people who have had an effect in a positive or negative way. This will be used during the Future’s conference. Some examples include Jesse Ventura – Governor from 1999 – 2003, Sharon Sayles-Belton as the first African American and woman Mayor, Marcea Bland Staten Lloyd – Political strategist or Sister Jean of Ascension these are names to jog your memory. Names should cover the 1970s, 1980s,1990s, and 2000s up until now. Can you send your responses by the end of this week, Friday, January 2nd at 3:00? Please list names and year. Feel free to pass this on to others. Thanks for your help.”
In outrage and the feeling of being patronized and disrespected, the community wise man responded with this email message, “You continue to insult the community with the 1950’s “Ceremonial Negroes” mind set. STOP. What was successful yesterday can it be carried forward today? The major concern I have is the continuing unprofessional, lack of knowledge and lack of full discourse. Anyone engaging in your process that disagrees with your plan or ideas of mindset is made unwelcomed. This question is another example of limited discourse prior to posing such a question. “Successful people live in the future; unsuccessful people live in the past.”
To add fuel to the fire, the University of Minnesota point person sent this email to us, which read, (unedited) – “What is your most pressing question around PAR? Each Foundations of Participatory Action Research (PAR) training session will include both University faculty, students, and staff, as well as Community participants. The opening of the training will place it in the context of partnership and university-community engagement, highlighting the value of research in forming and sustaining these collaboratives. Each session will then introduce the concept of research as a continuum, with ‘traditional’/bench research on one end and PAR on the other. After brief descriptions of the different degrees of collaboration in research on the continuum, the training will offer a basic definition of PAR, noting that it is a form of engaged research through which all members are co-inquirers. The training will then move into a more detailed exploration of PAR. Topics to be covered will include: historical basis and theoretical underpinnings; assumptions; core values and principles; benefits; challenges; process and phases; and ethics. In addition to a general Q&A exchange, attendees will be given the opportunity to participate in “table-top” dialogues with their colleagues.”
Our response was, Dear Community Liaison for the Urban Research Outreach and Engagement Center/ University Northside Partnership University of MN – After receiving you’re very badly written email about Participatory Action Research and being totally insulted by the text in the body of the email – it is clear that the University of Minnesota has no clue what they’re doing and who they’re doing it with. You folks presuppose that just because you have some melanin in your skin you identify with the Black folks of North Minneapolis. Secondly, you asked the question in your email, “What is your most pressing question around Participatory Action Research (PAR)?” Did you forget you did not write any background information or provide a link so we “Neanderthals” can look it up ourselves?
The fact is the “research” aspects of PAR attempt to avoid the traditional “extractive” research carried out by universities and governments where “experts” go to a community, study their subjects, and take away their data to write their papers, reports and theses. Research in PAR is ideally BY the local people and FOR the local people – (Like the lost tribe of “Booboo”) lol! Research is designed to address specific issues identified by local people, and the results are directly applied to the problems at hand.
PAR proceeds through repeated cycles, in which researchers and the community start with the identification of major issues, concerns and problems, initiate research, originate action, learn about this action and proceed to a new research and action cycle. This process is a continuous one. Participants in Action Research projects continuously reflect on their learning from the actions and proceed to initiate new actions on the spot. Outcomes are very difficult to predict from the outset, challenges are sizeable and achievements depend to a very large extent on researcher’s commitment, creativity and imagination of which you and the University of Minnesota have none. (The players from UROC and UMNP have failed to demonstrate the skill-sets, in my judgment, to complete the necessary tasks to complete the PAR).
If you want a significant participation from the community for the U of M/UROC-Northside Partnership please stop the central localization of message distribution that only attracts the same participants with no new ideas; no creative solutions; and finally no results. I’ve seen what the U of M is trying to do in North Minneapolis work better in other cities because the point-people “got-it!” Your database reflects the U’s lack of outreach to a broader community base; therefore your list has become folly, a sham!
In closing Makeda, this is not a personal attack against you but an attack against the process that leaves “sound business practices and the correct process of community engagement” in the trash. Happy New Year!
As the University of Minnesota/Northside Partnership and UROC forge ahead with its impending commitment to research, it has again scheduled a series of meeting in the community cleverly sung to the tune of, “We want to know what you think” while offering no immediate answers to North Minneapolis about economic stimuli, employment, business start-up, addressing the Minneapolis Public Schools; or the Foreclosure issue. One reason no answers have been given is because they haven’t a clue!
In our opinion, it looks like 2008 will carry into 2009 with the same Standard Operating Procedures and no results. What will it take for the community to stand up and demand a solid community benefits agreement with the University of Minnesota that will reflect a true partnership – “What I have; what you have and what we have together.” Starting over is not a failure but an opportunity to align yourself with the right groups to move the project forward.
Until then, there’s a lot to write about. Happy New Year!
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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